Space Pictures This Week: Frosty Mars, Mini Nile, More

Photograph by Mike Theiss, National Geographic

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, illuminates the Arctic sky in a recent picture by National Geographic photographer Mike Theiss.

A storm chaser by trade, Theiss is in the Arctic Circle on an expedition to photograph auroras, which result from collisions between charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere and gaseous particles in Earth's atmosphere.

After one particularly amazing show, he wrote on YouTube, "The lights were dancing, rolling, and twisting, and at times looked like they were close enough to touch!" (Watch his time-lapse video of the northern lights.)

Published December 14, 2012

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Obama: Nation Faces 'Hard Questions' After Shooting













President Barack Obama said at an interfaith prayer service in this mourning community this evening that the country is "left with some hard questions" if it is to curb a rising trend in gun violence, such as the shooting spree Friday at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School.


After consoling victims' families in classrooms at Newtown High School, the president said he would do everything in his power to "engage" a dialogue with Americans, including law enforcement and mental health professionals, because "we can't tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them we must change."






Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images











President Obama: 'Newtown You Are Not Alone' Watch Video









Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: Remembering the Victims Watch Video







The president was not specific about what he thought would be necessary and did not even use the word "gun" in his remarks, but his speech was widely perceived as prelude to a call for more regulations and restrictions on the availability of firearms.


The grieving small town hosted the memorial service this evening as the the nation pieces together the circumstances that led to a gunman taking 26 lives Friday at the community's Sandy Hook Elementary School, most first graders.


"Someone once described the joy and anxiety of parenthood as the equivalent of having your heart outside your body all of the time, walking around," he said, speaking of the joys and fears of raising children.


"So it comes as a shock at a certain point when you realize no matter how much you love these kids you can't do it by yourself," he continued. "That this job of protecting kids and teaching them well is something we can only do together, with the help of friends and neighbors, with the help of a community, and the help of a nation."


CLICK HERE for Full Coverage of the Tragedy at Sandy Hook






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Love online challenges Pakistan taboos






MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan - Sania was just a schoolgirl when she logged onto an Internet chat room and met a young college student called Mohammad. They fell in love and decided to get married.

Internet dating in the West is now so common that it is no longer considered an act of shameful desperation but an acceptable way for busy professionals to discover a like-minded partner.

But for Sania, the 22-year-old daughter of a conservative truck driver in Pakistan, online romance and her subsequent marriage has meant repeated beatings and death threats at the hands of her relatives.

"No one gets married outside our community. It is our tradition," Sania told AFP. She is from the garrison city of Rawalpindi and Mohammad comes from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-administered Kashmir.

At first she and Mohammad chatted online. Then they both bought mobiles to continue their relationship by telephone. For several years they asked their parents for permission to marry, but were refused.

So Sania decided to escape.

She packed a bag and sneaked out while her brother was at school, her mother sleeping and her father out at work. She took the bus straight to Muzaffarabad.

"I spent the four-hour journey in fear. I kept thinking that if my family caught me, they'd kill me," she told AFP.

In Muzaffarabad, Mohammad met her off the bus and they got married immediately. But while his family quickly accepted Sania, nearly two years later the couple still live in fear of her relatives.

Twice they have dragged her back to Rawalpindi since her marriage and have demanded repeatedly that she break off relations with Mohammad.

"Last time they took me back three months ago and put lot of pressure on me to break off this relationship. I got in contact with my husband and asked him to fetch me. I escaped from the house at midnight and we managed to flee," she said.

Now Sania and her 24-year-old husband have moved to a new one-room house in a slum, changed their phone number and dare not venture out of the city.

"They say they will kill us whenever they find us," Sania says.

Women in Pakistan who marry against the wishes of their parents are ostracised or even killed by male relatives for supposedly bringing dishonour on the family.

But online relationships are a new phenomenon.

More than 2.1 million people are officially estimated to have access to the Internet in Pakistan, a drop in the ocean of the population of 180 million, a reflection of the huge disparity in wealth and literacy.

Mohammad Zaman, professor of sociology at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad, who has written a book about marriage, says arranged unions that have dominated for centuries are on the wane.

"Internet marriage is a new trend emerging in Pakistan. Technological advancement has entered into our homes and traditional taboos are slowly vanishing in educated and affluent families," Zaman told AFP.

Online, they can share personal information and swap photographs -- things that would be restricted or prohibited in the traditional selection of partners.

The Internet is changing mindsets, giving young people freedom and privacy, and a forum to discuss matters frowned upon by Pakistan's traditional, conservative society.

"There is a kind of emancipation in society and young people want their say in the selection of their future partner," Zaman said, although he conceded that parents find it easier to accept a son's choice than that of a daughter.

Tahir, a Pakistani peace activist, knows only too well how the freedom of the Internet can collide with the restrictions of everyday life -- not only conservative sensibilities but politics and war.

The 26-year-old fell for university student Nazia on Facebook and Skype.

All fine and good, except that Nazia lives on the other side of one of the most heavily militarised borders in the world -- that which divides the Himalayan region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Twice India and Pakistan have gone to war over Kashmir. Although tentative peace talks resumed last year, travel is tightly controlled.

Only those with special government permits are permitted to cross and take the bus service that runs once a week from Muzaffarabad to Srinagar, the capital of the Indian-administered portion.

Last month, a 22-year-old Indian girl was reportedly detained after trying to cross the Line of Control, as the de facto border is known, to meet her boyfriend from Pakistani-administered Kashmir, whom she allegedly met on Facebook, and to escape an arranged marriage at home.

Not even modern methods of communication are reliable.

"Sometimes when I speak to her on Skype, I can see her but there is a lot of noise and we cannot understand each other," said 26-year-old Tahir, not his real name.

He says people in Indian Kashmir cannot call those in Pakistani Kashmir and that it can take three or four days for her to receive his text messages.

If the Internet is the only place Tahir and Nazia could have met, Kashmir is probably the last place they could ever meet in person.

"We understand each other from both sides of Kashmir, but they can't come to our side and we can't go there.... I love her a lot and don't think I can live without her, but I've decided there is no future," he told AFP.

- AFP/ir



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Haryana people prefer khaps over courts: Report

CHANDIGARH: A survey carried out by a sub-committee constituted by Haryana Backward Class Commission (HBCC) to ascertain possibility of reservation for jats and other communities has found out that rustic Haryanvis have more faith in social panchayats than judicial courts and prefer to approach khaps for remedial measures.

During the survey conducted on 49,870 households in rural areas, it was found that 66.6% families from 16 different castes said they preferred approaching khap panchayats than opting for judicial remedies for seeking justice whenever disputes arise. The survey was tasked to ascertain khaps' influence in Haryana and was conducted by a sub-committee headed by K S Sangwan, a former HoD of department of sociology at Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak.

The research was one of the 12 social indicators used by the sub-committee for determining social, educational and economical backwardness of various castes and communities of Haryana. While this part of the report has come as a shot in the arm for khap leaders, who claim khap panchayat to be legitimate dispute disputes platform, they have very conveniently chosen to trash the rest of the report.

"This is the only portion where the commission could not manipulate. We cannot rely on any other recommendations made in the report,'' said Sube Singh Samain, a spokesperson of Sarvjat Khap Panchayat.

Khaps in Haryana have been inviting criticism from various sections of the society as well as Punjab and Haryana High court for their diktats on barring same-village marriages and inter-caste marriages, which has led to incidents of honor killings in the state.

"Bhaichara (brotherhood) concept still exists in rural Haryana. Khaps have played important role in solving common problems. Villagers feel that in courts only one party wins the case. But when it comes to khap panchayats, it is a win-win situation for both the parties,'' said Sangwan.

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Space Pictures This Week: Frosty Mars, Mini Nile, More

Photograph by Mike Theiss, National Geographic

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, illuminates the Arctic sky in a recent picture by National Geographic photographer Mike Theiss.

A storm chaser by trade, Theiss is in the Arctic Circle on an expedition to photograph auroras, which result from collisions between charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere and gaseous particles in Earth's atmosphere.

After one particularly amazing show, he wrote on YouTube, "The lights were dancing, rolling, and twisting, and at times looked like they were close enough to touch!" (Watch his time-lapse video of the northern lights.)

Published December 14, 2012

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Conn. Victim's Father Remembers 'Loving' Daughter


ht emilie parker wy 121215 wblog Emilie Parker: Sandy Hook Victim Would Have Comforted Classmates, Dad Says

(Image credit: Emilie Parker Fund/Facebook)


Emilie Parker, the little girl with the blond hair and bright blue eyes, would have been one of the first to comfort her classmates at Sandy Hook Elementary School, had a gunman’s bullets not claimed her life, her father said.


“My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving support to all the victims because that’s the kind of kid she is,” her father, Robbie Parker said as he fought back tears, telling the world about his “bright, creative and loving” daughter who was one of the 20 young victims in the Newtown, Conn., shooting.


“She always had something kind to say about anybody,” her father said.  ”We find comfort reflecting on the incredible person Emilie was and how many lives she was able to touch.”


Emilie, 6, was helping teach her younger sisters to read and make things, and she was the little girls would go to for comfort, he said.


“They looked up to her,” Parker said.


READ: Complete List of Sandy Hook Victims


Parker moved his wife and three daughters to Newtown eight months ago after accepting a job as  a physician’s assistant at Danbury Hospital. He said Emilie, his oldest daughter, seemed to have adjusted well to her new school, and he was very happy with the school, too.


“I love the people at the school. I love Emilie’s teacher and the classmates we were able to get to know,” he said.


ap shock newton shooting sandy hook lpl 121214 wblog Emilie Parker: Sandy Hook Victim Would Have Comforted Classmates, Dad Says

      (Image Credit: Alex von Kleydorff/AP Photo)


The family dealt with another tragic loss in October when Emilie lost her grandfather in an accident.


“[This] has been a topic that has been discussed in our family in the past couple of  months,” Parker said. “[My daughters ages 3 and 4] seem to get the idea that there’s somebody who they will miss very much.”


Emilie, a budding artist who carried her markers and pencils everywhere, paid tribute to her grandfather by slipping a special card she had drawn into his casket, Parker said.  It was something she frequently did to lift the spirits of others.


“I can’t count the number of times Emilie would find someone feeling sad or frustrated and would make people a card,” Parker said. “She was an exceptional artist.”


The girl who was remembered as “always willing to try new things, other than food” was learning Portuguese from her father, who speaks the language.


ht emilie parker 2 121215 wblog Emilie Parker: Sandy Hook Victim Would Have Comforted Classmates, Dad Says

(Image Credit: Emilie Parker Fund/Facebook)


On Friday morning, Emilie woke up before her father left for his job and exchanged a few sentences with him in the language.


“She told me good morning and asked how I was doing,” Parker said. “She said she loved me, I gave her a kiss and I was out the door.”


Parker found out about the shooting while on lockdown in Danbury Hospital and found a television for the latest news.


“I didn’t think it was that big of deal at first,” he said. “With the first reports coming in, it didn’t sound like it was going to be as tragic as it was. That’s kind of what it was like for us.”


CLICK HERE for full coverage of the Sandy Hook shooting.


Parker said he knows that God can’t take away free will and would have been unable to stop the Sandy Hook shooting. While gunman Adam Lanza used his free agency to take innocent lives, Parker said he plans to use his in a positive way.


“I’m not mad because I have my  [free] agency to use this event to do whatever I can to make sure my family and my wife and my daughters are taken care [of],” he said. “And if there’s anything I can do to help to anyone at any time at anywhere, I’m free to do that.”


ht emilie parker 3 121215 wblog Emilie Parker: Sandy Hook Victim Would Have Comforted Classmates, Dad Says

(Image credit: Emilie Parker Fund/Facebook)


Friday night, hours after he learned of his daughter’s death, Parker said he spoke at his church.


“I don’t know how to get through something like this. My wife and I don’t understand how to process all of this,” he said today. “We find strength in our religion and in our faith and in our family. ”


“It’s a horrific tragedy and I want everyone to know our hearts and prayers go out to them. This includes the family of the shooter. I can’t imagine how hard this experience must be for you and I want you to know our family … love and support goes out to you as well.”

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A normally stoic president sheds tears over mass shooting of ‘our children’



“The majority of those who died today were children — beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old,” Obama said partway into a four-minute statement.

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'Our Singapore Conversation' reaches out to nearly 10,000 S'poreans so far






SINGAPORE: The 'Our Singapore Conversation' initiative has reached out to nearly 10,000 Singaporeans so far.

Speaking to the media, Chairman of the 'Our Singapore Conversation' and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said this is quite a significant number over a three-month period and this has been done through multiple platforms.

These include face-to-face interactions, online media and also with Singaporeans in the US, Britain and China.

The New Year will see the launch of the Conversation's next phase of engagement of the citizenry.

Mr Heng said the team plans to act on some of the ideas that have already emerged especially which can be done immediately. One example is the discussion on extending MediShield coverage to include congenital and neonatal conditions.

Mr Heng said this topic has been raised in the 'Our Singapore Conversation' sessions, which he said he strongly supports including them in the MediShield coverage.

In the meantime, he said that three broad themes have emerged under the categories of hope, heart and home.

In the area of "hope", there has been interest in ways to keep Singapore vibrant, create opportunities for individuals to fulfil their career aspirations and non-career aspirations.

The second area relates to "heart" where discussions have been focused on how Singaporeans can care for each other and those who are vulnerable, those with special needs and the elderly. There has also been discussions on the need for the right policies and programmes to reach out to this group.

Mr Heng said the third area is the topic of Singapore as "Home" where the need to create the sense of community and bonding and the kampong spirit has been discussed by the participants. There has also been a lot of discussion about the Singapore identity, the values and culture. "There is an interesting theme of Singapore as 'Home' that appeals to us and at the same time maintaining our important social fabric of a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious society."

For the new year, the 'Our Singapore Conversation' will continue with discussions in the open-ended format in January with a few more sessions.

The team plans to take a break and resume at the end of February to delve into the specific under the broad themes.

"For example in the area of education, we can talk about not just education specifically but how education provides opportunities, how do we provide hope and opportunities and I think to have a rich conversation about that we need to bring in not just parents and students but also members of the public, employers to see how the entire education system can help us create opportunities and hope," he explained.

Mr Heng added that the ideas coming out from 'Our Singapore Conversation' initiative provide inputs for the public service to examine some of the existing policies.

Information from the different sessions are collated and fed back to the different ministries so that they can look at the ideas, concerns and aspirations.

He is confident that if the 'Our Singapore Conversation' initiative is done well, the result would be better policies and programmes for Singapore. Mr Heng however added that it was not possible for every idea to be implemented.

- CNA/ck



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Section 66A of IT Act undemocratic: RS MPs

NEW DELHI: In a passionate debate on section 66A of the IT Act in the Upper House on Friday, several MPs strongly supported the amendment of the section. Most called it " anti-democratic"; one MP from Karnataka even called it an instance of " legislative terrorism". The resolution for amendment of section 66A was moved by CPM MP from Kerala, P Rajeeve. The Union minister for Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal is expected to respond when the House reconvenes next week.

MPs such as Gyan Prakash Pilania of the BJP, D. Bandyopadhyay of the AITC and Baishnab Parida of the BJD, Narendra Kumar Kashyap of the BSP and Basavaraj Patil of the BJP supported the resolution. INC MP from Odisha Rama Chandra Khuntia partially supported the motion, differing on the point of reducing the scope to one-to-one communication. Goa MP Shantaram Naik of INC opposed the resolution, saying misuse of a law isn't strong enough reason to scrap or amend it.

P Rajeeve questioned the distinction between print, visual and new media (internet) when it came to freedom of speech. "Most print and visual media have published cartoons, stories or editorials that are more critical than online content. But they are not booked. Why is this not allowed to new media?"

As for Sibal's position of putting in place guidelines when enforcing 66A, Rajeeve said that the guidelines were in contravention of the parent Act. According to Sibal's proposed guidelines, a complaint can be registered only after authorization of the Inspector General of Police or the Director General of Police. Sections 78 and 80 of the IT Act allow any police officer "not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police" to investigate and make arrests. "These guidelines do not have the force of law," said Rajeeve.

Rajeeve also pointed out how the bill was passed without discussion. "The bill was passed in seven minutes on 23 December 2008 -- the last day of the winter session -- without any discussion," he said. He further noted how the jail terms for the same offences, such as defamation, causing nuisance etc, were longer under the IT Act than under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

During question hour, Sibal had defended the current shape of the law by citing the US and the UK laws that deal with internet governance. Responding to that, Rajeeve called the drafting of the Indian Act a "poor cut and paste exercise". He quoted parts of the Indian Act that were verbatim taken from the UK ones before pointing out one difference. "It is important to note that it (the UK law) deals with information sent from one person to another," said Rajeeve, adding that hence, it was not applicable in social media where the act has been invoked in India so far.

Independent MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar recommended that "reducing the scope of Section 66A to direct communications would make it less prone to misuse."

Both ministers also quoted from the archaic Indian Post Office Act which prohibits sending by post materials of "grossly offensive character," a phrase that has come in for scrutiny for vagueness within the IT Act as well. "The big difference between Section 20 (b) of the IPO Act and Section 66A of the IT Act is that the former is clearly restricted to one-to-one communication, as is the case of almost all the international precedents being referred to by the Hon'ble Minister," said Chandrasekhar.

Read More..

Space Pictures This Week: Frosty Mars, Mini Nile, More

Photograph by Mike Theiss, National Geographic

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, illuminates the Arctic sky in a recent picture by National Geographic photographer Mike Theiss.

A storm chaser by trade, Theiss is in the Arctic Circle on an expedition to photograph auroras, which result from collisions between charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere and gaseous particles in Earth's atmosphere.

After one particularly amazing show, he wrote on YouTube, "The lights were dancing, rolling, and twisting, and at times looked like they were close enough to touch!" (Watch his time-lapse video of the northern lights.)

Published December 14, 2012

Read More..