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Rowdy hacked to death by nephew

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A rowdy was hacked to death by one of his close relatives, also a notorious rowdy, in Anjinappa Gardens Tuesday afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Kupendra, 40, a resident of Siddartha Nagar. He was a rowdy-sheeter at Subramanyapuram police station. On Tuesday, when Kupendra was sitting on a bench under a roadside tree near his house, four unidentified men, who came in a car, rushed at him with lethal weapons.

As Kupendra tried to flee, they chased him and cornered him in an abandoned house. They attacked him with weapons and escaped in their car. Cottonpet police rushed to the spot and shifted Kupendra to Victoria Hospital where he was declared brought dead. Police said the gang was led by Surya alias Appu, Kupendra's nephew. Kupendra and Surya had fallen out recently after an altercation over Annammadevi pooja. Kupendra was a close confidant of another notorious rowdy Sunil alias Silent Sunil.

His brother Ganesh was similarly hacked to death in Kalasipalya two years ago by a rival gang at Goripalya. Hennur Chamaraja had led that attack, say sources.

Hennur Raja, Goripalya Ramesha and Chandra are all aides of Goripalya Altaf, who had old scores to settle with Kupendra.

Transgender, companion held for couple's murder

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The City police on Tuesday claimed to have cracked the murder of the hotelier couple in Cottonpet by arresting a transgender along with a companion.Karthik alias Syed Ali, the helper at the hotel, is still at large.


PKThimmaiah alias Kiran, 24, a transgender hailing from Kodagu and Ramesh alias Ravi, 26, from Mangalore are the arrested. Both were living as companions, Police Commissioner Jyothi Prakash Mirji told a press meet here on Tuesday. Thimmaiah was begging to make a living and befriended Ramesh.

The two came in contact with Syed Ali, 26, said to be a Bihari, and they formed a gang to commit robberies. All the three used to visit Mahalakshmi Hotel run by Pawan Kumar Maheshwari Sharma and his wife Babita Devi in Cottonpet. The trio observed that the hotelier couple stashed cash in the hotel and did not remit the money to a bank. They also noted that the couple employed helpers without verifying their antecedents.

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The gang hatched a conspiracy to strike the hotel for big money, Mirji said. As part of the plan, Syed Ali befriended Pawan, identifying himself as Karthik from Assam. Ali offered to work as helper for the couple, and joined duty on July 29 (Sunday). Around 12.30 am on August 1, Ali opened the shutters of the hotel to allow Thimmaiah and Ramesh inside.

They had to drop their plan as a Cheetah patrol vehicle passed by. They returned around 2 am to execute their plan. Ramesh stood outside to keep a watch, while Thimmaiah went inside. Sources in the police said Ali attempted to molest Babita. As she raised an alarm, Pawan woke up.

The intruders struck the couple with an iron rod. Priya, the five-year-old daughter of the couple, began to scream and she too was hit with the iron rod. Police officials said it was inconclusive whether the murders were premeditated or committed on the spur of the moment. Soon, a Hoysala vehicle approached the hotel and Ramesh sounded an alarm. All the three lied low, and later fled the place with Rs 48,300. The police have recovered the stolen cash. The call details of a PCO beside the hotel came in handy for the police.Priya is recovering at Nimhans and is under the care of Pawan's brother.

Forget winning 200m title, Bolt tells Blake

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Two-time men's Olympic 100 metres champion Usain Bolt says he has told compatriot and training partner Yohan Blake not to think about winning the men's 200 metres later this week.

The men's 200m got underway at the London 2012 Olympics with the heats Tuesday, with both Jamaicans easily advancing to Wednesday's semi-finals.

Blake shocked Bolt in both sprints at the Jamaica Olympic Trials in June but Bolt warned there would be no repeat of those results this week.

"I heard him (Blake) saying a few things about the 200 metres but I told him afterthe trials that I am not going to let him beat me over 200 metres," Bolt said here.

"(He) has a lot more work to do if he is going to beat me over 200m. (That is)because that's my main event and I am not going to let myself down when it comes tothe 200m. I am more serious and determined."

Last year, Blake went close to Bolt's 200m World record of 19.19 by running astunning 19.26 seconds, the second fastest time ever.

In Sunday night's 100m final, Blake equalled his personal best of 9.75 as he tooksilver.

Bolt, who is seeking an unprecedented repeat sprint double after successfullydefending his 100m title, said winning the 200m title was important to his objectiveof becoming a legend.

"I told him I want this year so I am not going to give him this one," Bolt said. "Maybe next year or the year after that, but right now I need this to become a legend so I am working hard."

Elton John calls Madonna a nightmare

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Elton John and Madonna's rivalry seems to have gone to a new level. John has lashed out at Material Girl, calling her a "nightmare".

"She's such a nightmare. Her career is over, I can tell you that. Her MDNA tour has been a disaster and it couldn't happen to a bigger [expletive]," people.com quoted John as saying.

"If Madonna had any common sense, she would have made a record like 'Ray of Light', stayed away from the dance stuff, and just been a great pop singer and made great pop records, which she does brilliantly. But no, she had to prove that she was like . . .And she looks like a [expletive] fairground stripper," he added.

The veteran musician's feud with Madonna, 53, has been going on for years, and in January his husband, David Furnish, 49, also got involved. After John lost the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song to Madonna, Furnish publicly slammed her acceptance speech.

Olympic athletics: Pearson powers to 100m hurdle gold

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World champion Sally Pearson powered to Olympic gold in the women's 100m hurdles final Tuesday, setting a new Olympic record in the process.

The Australian exploded out of the blocks but had to fend off a late challenge from defending champion Dawn Harper of the US to clock 12.35 seconds.

Harper took the silver in 12.37, a lifetime best, with the bronze going to Kellie Wells, also of the United States, in 12.48.

There was drama after the finish as Pearson and Harper stared at the jumbo screen, neither sure of the result.

Pearson screamed with delight when her result flashed up, while Harper clapped in a show of sportsmanship.

"It's a dream," said Pearson, who trained in London for the final few months before the Games.

"Relief was the first thing I felt and then shock. I'm just going through the emotions. I really wanted this. I've worked so hard for two years. To see my name on the scoreboard, I just can't believe it."

Harper claimed to be happy to win a silver. "There was so much pressure on me," she said. "I'm just so happy to be here. I wanted to be here and I wanted to be a part of it."

Olympic: Algeria's Makhloufi kicks to gold in 1,500m

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Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi won gold in the men's 1,500 metres Tuesday, a day after having his disqualification from the event revoked.

Makhloufi, 24, put in a blistering final 200 metres to take gold in three minutes, 34.08 seconds.

Makhloufi had been thrown out of the Olympics for not trying his best in an early 800 metres heat.

He was reinstated on appeal Monday after submitting a doctor's note that he had been carrying an injury.

Leonel Manzano of the US took silver with a season's best of 3:34.79. The bronze went to Morocco's Abdalaati Iguider in 3:35.13.

Beijing gold medalist Asbel Kiprop finished a surprise 12th in a relatively slow race.

30,000 illegal Indian immigrants to benefit from US policy

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At least 30,000 Indians would be among the 1.76 million undocumented illegal immigrants who would benefit from US President Barack Obama's new policy to defer deportation of illegal immigrants for two years, a new study said.

Using Current Population Survey data from the US Census Bureau, Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimates that as many as 1.76 million people, under the age of 31, could be at risk of being deported in the future or who are currently in removal proceedings could gain deferred action as a result of the Obama administration policy announced on June 15.

Of these 1.76 million illegal immigrants an estimated 30,000 each are from India, and Korea - the two top countries of origin outside Latin America, MPI said adding that two in three unauthorised immigrants potentially eligible for deferred action came from Mexico (1.17 million, or 65 per cent).

The next two countries of origin were El Salvador (slightly less than 60,000, or 3 per cent) and Guatemala (50,000, or 3 per cent).

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, which will decide applications on a case-by-case basis, will offer a two-year grant of reprieve from deportation as well as work authorisation to unauthorised immigrants who were under the age of 31 as of June 15, with certain conditions attached.

MPI estimates that 1.26 million of the 1.76 million potential beneficiaries are 15 or older and thus immediately meet the age requirement to apply for deferred action.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has stated that only those who are 15 or older are eligible to file for deferred action when the process gets underway on August 15 this year.

Five states - California, Texas, Florida, New York and Illinois - are home to 57 per cent of the total population of potential beneficiaries.

California has by far the largest population of potential beneficiaries, with 460,000, followed by Texas (210,000), Florida (140,000), New York (110,000) and Illinois (90,000).

Nearly three in four (or 1.3 million) prospective beneficiaries were born in Mexico or Central America.

Another 11 per cent (more than 180,000) came from the rest of Latin America, nine percent (about 170,000) from Asia and six per cent (about 110,000) from other parts of the world.

An estimated 800,000 children and youth who are potential beneficiaries are currently enrolled in the K-12 system, it said.

"The deferred action initiative, with its education requirements, offers these youth a significant incentive to stay in school and get their high school diploma," said Margie McHugh, co-director of MPI's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy.

MPI also estimates that 58 per cent of the prospective beneficiaries ages 15 and older are in the labor force.

"Beyond the relief from deportation, the grant of a work authorisation document to those who can demonstrate an economic necessity is likely to improve their chances for decent employment conditions and wages, especially for those who have higher levels of education," said Doris Meissner, who directs MPI's US Immigration Policy program.

Ex-girlfriend of gurdwara shooter arrested, faces weapon charge

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A former girlfriend of the slain suspect in Wisconsin gurdwara shooting that left six Sikhs dead has been arrested and faces charges of possession of illegal weapon.

31-year-old Misty Cook, a waitress and nursing student with reported ties to white supremacist organisations, was arrested as part of a joint investigation between the FBI and South Milwaukee Police Department "on the crime of felon in possession of a firearm."
"Charges will be sought through the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office," Milwaukee police said in a statement last night after the arrest of Cook, the former girlfriend of the slain 41-year-old gunman Wade Page.

A federal law enforcement official was quoted as saying by ABC News that Cook was taken into custody on the grounds that she is prohibited from having a gun as a convicted felon. Cook was charged in 2002 for fleeing and eluding a traffic officer.

Cook's relationship with Page fell apart in the weeks leading up to his alleged shooting spree at the gurdwara.
In Oak Creek, Wisconsin, thousands of people gathered last evening in an outpour of support for victims of the shooting on Sunday. They lit candles, flew orange Sikh flags and joined in Sikh prayers.

"What we learned, you know, about the shooter is he did stuff with music that was completely full of hate and energy that was brain-washing to himself," Amardeep Kaleka, whose father Satwant Singh Kaleka was president of the gurdwara and among those shot and killed, was quoted as saying.



Page promoted extremism even in Army

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The slain gunman Wade Michael Page, who shot dead six worshippers at a Gurdwara in Wisconsin, preached and espoused white supremacist views even while he served in the US Army from 1992 to 1998.

Former colleagues of the alleged gunman told to US newspaper Star and Stripes which reports on matter affecting the US armed forces, that Page did little to hide his white supremacist views among his servicemen.

Among other things, Page not only had racist tattoos, but also drove a Volkswagen Thing, a boxy vehicle resembling a Nazi Staff car, that re repainted from orange to red.With white trim and black tires, it mirrored the colors of the Nazi flag.

"It's kind of amazing he was able to stay in, especially given what was going on around base at the time," Fred Lucas, a former soldier who served with Page at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, told Star and Stripes.

According to the newspaper, among the open signs of Page's extremism were his tattoos.

Officials at Fort Bragg — where 21 soldiers were identified as white supremacists after a skinhead soldier was convicted of murdering a black couple in 1995 — conducted tattoo inspections to track down anybody with extremist markings.

Yet a tattoo on Page's left shoulder referencing the 14-word mantra of skinheads apparently went unnoticed, Stripes reported.

The credo reads: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children." According to Lucas, Page wasn't shy about his views during working hours.

Page often chided him for betraying his race with his interest in Latin culture. Lucas, a fellow sergeant and team leader, spoke Spanish, had served in Latin America and went to salsa bars on the weekends.

Page said that Lucas, blond-haired and blue-eyed, should be committed to the master race, Lucas recalled, Stripes reported.

On a day the unit had allowed the soldiers to wear civilian clothes, Lucas said Page criticised him for wearing a Latin shirt called a guyabera, saying that kind of attire wasn't something white people should wear, it said. After Page left the Army, he became heavily immersed in the hate rock music scene, joining several bands with names such as Intimidation One, Aggressive Force, and Blue Eyed Devils.

In 2005, he formed his own band, End Apathy, Stripes said. According to Stripes, Page's life started to deteriorate in August 2010 when he was fired from his trucking job after he was arrested for driving his personal vehicle under the influence in North Carolina.

During the last few years, it appears that he was not in a good economic condition. Since he could not afford the house he bought in 2007 it was foreclosed.

It is now listed for sale for nearly USD 50,000 less than what Page purchased it for.

S&P cuts Greek outlook to 'negative'

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Standard & Poor's cut Greece's debt rating outlook to negative, saying the worsening economy and political challenges could soon force another downgrade.

With Greece's sovereign credit rating already at junk-level CCC, S&P said yesterday Athens's lenders are likely to have to adjust their bailout financing terms or put up more money to avoid another downgrade for the country.

"The negative outlook reflects the potential for a downgrade if shortfalls in Greece's 2012 deficit and arrears targets established under the current EU/International Monetary Fund program are not met by new funding or other relief" from key creditors, S&P said.

S&P said Greece is likely to require additional financing this year from the European Union and IMF to be able to stay afloat, given the delays in closing its budget gap and its contracting economy.

It said Athens will probably be unable to meet the conditions of the current EU/IMF bailout program that would allow it to secure the next tranche of rescue financing, crucial to remaining stable.

"We are revising the outlook on the long-term ratings on Greece to negative, reflecting the possibility of a downgrade if Greece fails to secure the next disbursement of the EU/IMF Program," it said yesterday.

S&P projects the Greek economy will contract by 10-11 percent over 2012-2013, more than double the assumption that underlies the EU/IMF bailout program.

"In our opinion, the deepening contraction in Greek GDP beyond the EU/IMF program's assumptions and the related worsening of the fiscal position imply a high likelihood that Greece will require additional financing of as much as 7 billion euros ($8.7 billion)" this year, it said.

That estimate could be reduced, however, if program lenders lower their performance targets for deficit reduction or other fiscal burdens, S&P said.

Four killed in Pakistan bomb blast

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At least four security men were killed and a dozen others injured Tuesday night after a bomb planted along side a road in Pakistan's Balochistan province exploded, Geo News reported.

The Deputy Commissioner of Balochistan confirmed the killing of four security men of Balochistan Constabulary.

The incident occurred after a paramilitary troops' van came under bomb attack, Xinhua reported.

A van of Balochistan constabulary with some 15 people onboard was hit by a roadside planted device in Kech area, a district about 420 km from the port city of Karachi, said Assistant Commissioner Kech Aslam Tareen.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sensex closes in red

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A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Wednesday closed five points lower on week European cues.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 17,638.53 points, closed 17,596.74 points (provisional), 0.03 percent or 5.04 points down from its previous day's close at 17,601.78 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 17,726.64 points and a low of 17,582.66 points. The BSE midcap was down 11.33 points and the small cap was down 26.24 points.

The BSE auto index was up 105.56 points, followed by the metal index, up 80.49 points.

However, the realty index was down 33.64 points. The wider 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange closed 0.02 percent down at 5,338 points.

The main Sensex losers were Bharti Airtel, down 6.36 percent at Rs.275.10; Gail India, down 2.46 percent at Rs.368.10; ICICI Bank, down 1.62 percent at Rs.958.05; TCS, down 1.23 percent at Rs.1,249; and Larsen and Toubro, up 0.72 percent at Rs.1,407.

The major Sensex gainers were Mahindra & Mahindra, up 4.17 percent at Rs.724.50; Hindalco, up 2.15 percent at Rs.121.30; Jindal Steel, up 1.29 percent at Rs.412; Hindustan Unilever, up 1.23 percent at Rs.476.10; and Infosys, up 1.19 percent at Rs.2,282.50.

Among other Asian markets, Japan's Nikkei was up 0.88 percent while Shanghai's composite index was 0.16 percent higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.04 percent.

At closing bell here, European markets were in red. France's CAC was down 0.72 percent. Germany's DAX and Britain's FTSE 100 were down 0.65 percent and 0.46 percent respectively.

Deshmukh still critical

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Union Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, admitted to Global Hospital here, continues to be critical, a hospital official said Wednesday.

The minister's family members would give an update on his health condition through the social media Facebook and Twitter, the official added.

"Deshmukh's condition continues to be critical like it was yesterday (Tuesday). While his family has refused permission to us to issue a medical bulletin, they have said that the health condition would be announced through social media in due course of time," the official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Deshmukh, 67, is on ventilator and his condition continues to be critical, the official added.Officials at Global Hospital said Deshmukh had a serious liver ailment and the option of a transplant would be looked at after his condition stabilises.

Liver specialist Mohammed Rela is attending to the former Maharashtra chief minister.

Deshmukh was brought to the hospital here Monday evening from Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai in an air ambulance.

From the Chennai airport, he was brought to Global Hospital. Deshmukh's family members are with him.

Deshmukh, who had been complaining of abdominal pain for a while, was taken to Breach Candy Hospital last week for what was described as a routine check-up.

For the last few months, Deshmukh has been taking light assignments to avoid strain on account of his health condition, a Congress official said.

ISI has a budget of $300-400 million, 4,000 employees

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Pakistan's shadowy Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency has an annual budget of $300-400 million and despite drastic reductions in personnel "is now assumed (to have a) base strength of approximately 4,000 (people)", says German scholar Hein Kiessling.

Kiessling, who represented the Hanns-Seidel-Foundation (Munich) in Pakistan from 1989 to 2002, has written this in a collection of essays in "Revisiting Contemporary South Asia" (Pentagon Press).

"The (real) ISI budget is top secret, only a few people know the figure," he says. "In fact officially the ISI budget today is between $300 and 400 million.

The personnel strength of ISI has also been a secret, he says. "During Zia-ul Haq's tenure it was estimated to be 20,000 men. In the 1990s and in the new millennium there were drastic reductions in personnel.

"Therefore, it is now assumed that ISI's base strength is approximately 4,000. Higher estimates often encountered in literature and the press are grossly exaggerated."

According to the author, changes in personnel policies came out in 2009 under the command of Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

"Today with the exception of six-seven two-star generals, the military personnel in ISI come from the Intelligence Corps of the army -- a move that serves towards the professionalism of the service.

"A military-ISI staff member starts his career as a cadet in combat arms, not in the medical or engineering services.

"After completing basic training comes an intelligence exam. The successful candidate goes on to become an officer in the Intelligence Corps, where he goes through additional courses," Kiessling says.

The book says that about five percent of the ISI personnel are formerly from the military on a contract basis. Approximately 45 percent are from the military.

Today, ISI has 50 percent of civilian staff members, who need to have "political knowledge (current affairs), English and analytical skills".

It says: "Today the ISI is one of the most active and best intelligence services in Asia.

"It is controlled and efficiently run -- there is no ISI within the ISI. Although officially the Internal Cell was declared closed, it still exists.

"The ISI is the eyes and ears of the military. The military forces see themselves as guardians of Pakistan's survival. Therefore, it is very unlikely that the Internal Cell was closed."

The author says that ISI has again intensified involvement in "Azad Kashmir" (Pakistan-administered Kashmir).

"The local jehad structures were upgraded again by bringing back experienced jehadis from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"Other reports speak of ISI activities in the enlisting of new young fighters."

It adds that psychological pressure was being exerted on former fighters to reactivate them in Jammu and Kashmir, where a Pakistan-backed separatist campaign has cost thousands of lives since 1989.

The book says that Indian underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, "currently living under ISI protection in Karachi", continues "to be a useful tool for the ISI".

Ibrahim, who the book says still dominates the "underground world of Mumbai and Dubai", is wanted in India for the March 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai.

Former US Congresswoman's shooter pleads guilty

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Jared Lee Loughner pleaded guilty Tuesday to the January 2011 mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, that left six people dead and 13 wounded, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

US District Judge Larry Burns declared Loughner, who has been forcibly medicated for his schizophrenia, competent to stand trial shortly before the defense filed its guilty plea.Loughner pled guilty to 19 criminal charges.

Burns asked Loughner, 23, if he understood the charges against him and that he would have to spend time in prison if he admitted his guilt and the accused responded that he understood everything that he had been told.

Under the agreement his lawyer reached with federal prosecutors, Loughner, who could have been sentenced to death if he had been found guilty at trial, is now facing life in prison without possibility of parole.

The judge set the sentencing hearing for Nov 15. Giffords, who retired from Congress early this year, and her husband, former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, said they were in agreement with the plea bargain.

"We don't speak for all of the victims or their families, but Gabby and I are satisfied with this plea agreement," Kelly said in a statement.

"The pain and loss caused by the events of Jan 8, 2011 are incalculable. Avoiding a trial will allow us - and we hope the whole Southern Arizona community - to continue with our recovery and move forward with our lives," Giffords' husband said.

Giffords was shot once in the forehead, the bullet passing through the left side of her brain, and although her recovery has been called "miraculous" by her doctors, she is still following a rehabilitation program at a Houston hospital.

Loughner took a semiautomatic pistol to a "meet and greet" event that Giffords was attending outside a Safeway supermarket in Tucson and opened fire in an attempt to kill the then-lawmaker.

Christina Taylor Green, 9; Giffords' aide Gabe Zimmerman, 30; federal Judge John Roll, 63; Dorwan Stoddard, 76; Phyllis Scheneck, 79; and Dorothy Morris, 76, were all killed by gunfire in the attack.

Vijay gets grand reception

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London Olympics silver medallist shooter Vijay Kumar returned to a warm but chaotic welcome at the Indira Gandhi International airport here on Wednesday morning.

Indian shooter Vijay Kumar (right) shows his Olympic silver medal to his father Subedar Banku Ram 	after arriving from London at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Wednesday. AFPDressed in navy blue India blazer and proudly displaying his medal around his neck, Vijay, a Subedar with the Dogra regiment, along with Army's pistol coach Pavel Smirnov, was received by a host of officials from Army and the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).

The army band, complete with traditional dhols, added to the aura with flowers and garlands showered over the shooter. His parents and grandmother were also among those present at the airport.

The shooter was thrilled. "I am really touched. This is the first time I have received such a welcome," said a beaming Vijay, who finished second in the 25M rapid fire pistol.

He had made his displeasure public for not being promoted by the Army despite winning medals at several international events, and even threatened to quit. Vijay, however, was happy that his efforts were finally being recognised.

"Earlier also I did very well, but I did not get recognition. I was expecting promotion because as sportspersons we also have expectations. Now everyone has come to know. I had never expected such a huge crowd at the airport," he said.

Sports minister Ajay Maken has requested the defence ministry to change the promotion rules for outstanding sportspersons. As per Army rules, Vijay can have only one out-of-turn promotion."The Sports minister has said that I can be given a job in the Sports Authority of India at an IAS officer's level. I am expecting a similar offer from Army," Vijay said.

NRAI, too, did its best in extending its support to the shooter, announcing a Rs 20 lakh cash award for him and Rs 15 lakh for bronze-medal winner Gagan Narang on Wednesday.

The federation is awaiting the return of their president Raninder Singh, who will be in London till the closing ceremony.

"Once he returns, we will be organising a felicitation function for Vijay. He is a gentleman who has made all of us proud," Baljit Singh Sethi, advisor of NRAI, said. "We will do our best to ensure that he gives a better performance in the next Olympics. We will give him every facility and help him get sponsors who can look after his training."

23 die in Meghalaya accident

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Twenty-three people were killed when a bus proceeding from Assam to Tripura rolled down a hill in Meghalaya, police said Wednesday.

Ten others were injured in the accident in East Jaintia Hills, about 150 km from here.

The private bus was going from Guwahati in Assam to the Tripura capital Agartala. Police were trying to rescue people still trapped in the bus, Meghalaya police chief N. Ramachandran told IANS.

The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.

Gas leak in Mathura, hundreds evacuated

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Five people were taken ill and hundreds evacuated Wednesday morning following leakage of ammonia gas from an ice manufacturing factory in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district, police said.

The incident took place at around 8.30 a.m. when a cylinder containing ammonia gas started leaking. As the gas spread, labourers started vomiting and fled from the factory.

Soon they developed rashes on their bodies and began fainting following which panic-stricken residents of Gopalnagar, where the ice factory is located, also left their houses.

Police too asked them to leave their houses. A sharp odour, an official told IANS, was emanating from the factory and was spreading to nearby areas.

Fire tenders have been rushed to the spot and were sprinkling water to contain the gas leak, district officials said.

I've become more mature as a shuttler after Olympics: Kashyap

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Parupalli Kashyap, who surprised all and sundry by reaching the quarter-finals of the badminton men's singles event in the Olympics, is disappointed to return empty-handed from London but said the experience has made him more mature as a shuttler. Though he was not touted as a big medal hope, Kashyap played his heart out in the London Games and became the first Indian male shuttler to reach the quarter-finals in the Olympics, where he lost to world No. 2 and eventual silver medallist Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia.

"I have learnt a lot of things from the Olympics. I have become mature as a player now. Before the Olympics, I did not have big expectations. I was an underdog but after the first round, I felt I can win a medal here. I can beat anyone on my day," he told PTI after returning to Hyderabad from London.

"I felt really bad that I lost a chance to win a medal (for India). I was disappointed but at the end of the day it was great learning experience," he said.

Kashyap said he was in good form going into the Olympics in the wake of his success over world number three Chen Long in the Indonesia Open in June this year.

He said though he won the first match in the London Games comfortably, the second match was not a cake walk and he had to remain focused and play according to a sound strategy.

Putting the past behind, Kashyap is now determined to put up a good show in the upcoming Super Series events and other tournaments.

"I am in good form for the last two months. I am setting short-term goals. I want to continue this form in Japan and China (Super Series events) in a month's time. I am very aware of it," the 25-year-old Hyderabadi said.

"And talking about long-term goals you have the All England Championship, next year's World Championship in China. In two year's time, you also have the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. But I am not thinking too far," Kashyap signed off.

US employers post the most jobs in 4 years

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US employers posted the most job openings in four years in June, a positive sign that hiring may pick up.

The Labour Department said today job openings rose to a seasonally adjusted 3.8 million in June, up from 3.7 million in May. That's the most since July 2008. Layoffs also fell.

The data follow Friday's report that said employers in July added the most jobs in five months. A rise in openings could signal better hiring in the coming months. It typically takes one to three months to fill a job.

Even with the increase, hiring is competitive. There were 12.7 million unemployed people in June, or an average of 3.4 unemployed people for each job.

That's down a bit from May and much lower than the nearly 7-to-1 ratio in July 2009, just after the recession ended. In a healthy job market, the ratio is usually around 2 to 1.

Still, employers have been slow to fill jobs. Since the recession ended in 2009, openings have increased 57 per cent. Overall hiring is up only 19 per cent.

And openings are still below pre-recession levels of about 5 million per month. Employers added 163,000 jobs in July, the department said last week. That followed three months of weak hiring and eased concerns that the economy was stalling.

Yet the economy has generated an average of 150,000 jobs per month this year, about the same pace as 2011. That's not enough to rapidly drive down the unemployment rate, which ticked up to 8.3 per cent in July from 8.2 per cent in June.

In June, manufacturing, education and health care, and hotels and restaurants all posted more openings. Retailers and state, local and federal government agencies cut available jobs.

The government's monthly employment report, released last Friday, measures net hiring.Today's report, known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, measures gross hiring. That fell in June from May to 4.36 million. But May's total was the highest in three and a half years.

When layoffs, quits and other separations are subtracted, the net gain is close to the 64,000 net job gains in June.

Layoffs dropped to 1.8 million in June, down from nearly 2 million in May. Fewer layoffs make it easier for the economy to generate net job gains. As layoffs decline, fewer gross hires are needed to produce a net gain in jobs.
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