Police, strikers clash in Brazil World Cup host city

SAO PAULO: Brazil´s World Cup preparations endured a rough Friday, as police clashed with striking subway workers in Sao Paulo, massive traffic jams snarled the mega-city and fans booed the national team.

The scuffle in the metro station and a separate anti-government protest that gathered 3,000 people raised fears of more unrest when Brazil and Croatia open the World Cup in Sao Paulo on Thursday.

Police fired tear gas and swung batons to beat back picketing strikers inside a central station after commuters tried to enter.

The strike, affecting millions of commuters, will continue for a third day Saturday after the workers´ union and their employers failed to reach a deal on a pay raise.

Across town, meanwhile, demonstrators blocked the street in front of the Central Bank in a peaceful protest organized by the Force Union against the economic policies of President Dilma Rousseff.

"Our problem is not with the national team. We will cheer for them. But on October 5, we will send Dilma Rousseff to hell," said union leader Paulo Pereira da Silva, referring to the upcoming presidential election.

The subway strike caused headaches for fans who attended Brazil´s labored 1-0 victory against Serbia in the team´s final friendly in Sao Paulo´s Morumbi stadium.

Sections of the crowd jeered the team led by Barcelona star Neymar as it struggled to find the net against the Serbians.

"Our players are ready to accept criticism when they don´t play well," said manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, whose team is under massive pressure to deliver a record sixth World Cup trophy.

While Brazil played at Morumbi Friday, the first World Cup game will be played in the city´s new Corinthians Arena, which is awaiting safety clearance to operate at full capacity, highlighting the authorities´ struggle to be ready for the tournament.

Officials are hard-pressed to resolve the metro strike because the subway will be the main link to the arena for legions of fans.

With three of five metro stations disrupted by the strike, bumper-to-bumper traffic stretched as much as 251 kilometers (155 miles) as the subway system´s 4.5 million users turned to cars or buses amid torrential rain.

"I´m going to have to return home. I can´t get to work like this," said Pedro Henrique Rodrigues, a 28-year-old pastry factory worker who stood in a massive bus line.

World Cup city gripped by dengue fever

RIO DE JANEIRO: The Brazilian city where Portugal´s Cristiano Ronaldo and Nigeria´s John Mikel Obi will train for the World Cup is in the grip of a crippling dengue fever epidemic.

Workers in Campinas have embarked on a huge operation to eradicate mosquitos, which spread the disease, before the Portuguese and Nigerian teams arrive.

Some 32,384 people have been infected by dengue this year in the southeastern city about one hour from Sao Paulo.

At least three people have died. "It´s a record epidemic. It´s bigger than the 11,500 cases registered in all of 2007," said Andrea Von Zuben, who coordinates the Campinas dengue control program.

Dengue is a viral infection carried by the aedes aegypti mosquito. The fever is like chronic influenza with severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, vomiting and a rash. Severe cases can be deadly. Three people have died of dengue this year in Campinas, women aged 27, 69 and 81. Three other deaths are being investigated to see if they were caused by the disease. There is no cure for dengue, so prevention is the best medicine.

The World Health Organization recommends people in infected areas prevent mosquito bites with window screens, insect repellant and mosquito coils.It also suggests covering up exposed skin -- advice that may cramp Portuguese captain Ronaldo´s bare-chested style, a topic of much commentary after his pectoral-flexing goal celebration at this year´s Champions League final.

Brazil has been hit harder by dengue than any other country so far this century, with seven million cases reported between 2000 and 2013.

Von Zuben said the Campinas outbreak was being driven by a heatwave at the beginning of the year, the prevalence of a particularly virulent dengue strain and poor sanitation that leaves pools of standing water where mosquitos breed. But she said the areas where the Nigerian and Portuguese squads will be are a mosquito-control priority for health officials. "We put larvicides and anti-mosquito poisons at the airport, in the training centers and in the hotels, so the teams will run a much smaller risk than the local population," she told AFP.

The authorities have been in touch with the teams´ doctors, who were "concerned," Von Zuben said. She said her staff had recommended insect repellant. "We´ve been guaranteed that the situation has been identified and is under control. There shouldn´t be any reason for alarm," said the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).

In early May, when Portuguese coach Paulo Bento visited the training center, city officials told him three mosquito-control operations would be carried out before the team arrives on June 11.

The army has helped sanitation workers clean up 83,000 tonnes of rubbish and dozens of buildings have been sealed off and sprayed.

Campinas is not the only city facing the dengue threat. Medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases recently said World Cup host cities Natal, Fortaleza and Recife in the northeast were also at risk. Of course, infectious diseases are a two-way street. Campinas has also launched a program to give citizens free vaccinations before World Cup fans descend on the city from Africa and Europe, where "polio and measles are still persistent," it said.

Priority will be given to taxi and bus drivers, employees at restaurants and tourist attractions, and the staff of six major hotels. (AFP)

Twin blasts rock largest city in Thai south

BANGKOK: At least six people were wounded in twin blasts in southern Thailand´s main commercial city of Hat Yai -- the gateway to the kingdom´s insurgency-stricken deep south, authorities said Tuesday.

The blasts rocked the city in the early afternoon with one detonating near a convenience store and the other exploding by apartments being built for local police.

Television footage showed thick billows of smoke near the apartments as firefighters battled a blaze sparked by the device which was hidden on a parked motorcycle.

"There were two bombs attacks, at least six people were injured -- none of them is in a serious condition," Grisda Boonrach, Songkhla provincial governor told.

Local police said the bombs were around 25 minutes apart and confirmed the casualties.

Although authorities were not immediately sure who carried out the blasts, suspicion will inevitably fall on insurgents from Thailand´s three Muslim-majority southern provinces which border Malaysia.

Hat Yai, the largest city in Thailand´s south which is popular with Malaysian and Singaporean tourists, was targeted in 2012 by a car bomb at a city hotel which sparked a blaze that killed three people, wounded hundreds and left parts of the city centre resembling a war zone.

Mayor of eastern Ukraine city shot

The mayor of Ukraine’s second-largest city was shot in the back on Monday and pro-Russia insurgents seized yet another government building as tensions rose in eastern Ukraine ahead of a new round of U.S. sanctions.

In a bid to ratchet up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Barack Obama has promised to levy new sanctions on Russian individuals and companies in retaliation for Moscow’s alleged provocations in eastern Ukraine.

Officials have not commented on the circumstances of the shooting and it was not clear who was behind it. Kernes was a staunch opponent of the pro-West Maidan movement that toppled President Viktor Yanukovych in February.

Kharkiv is in eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian gunmen have seized government buildings, set up roadblocks or staged protests to demand greater autonomy or outright annexation by Russia.

On Monday, masked militants with automatic weapons seized another city hall building in eastern Ukraine, this time in Kostyantynivka, 160 kilometres from the Russian border.

After the seizure, about 15 armed men guarded the building. Some posed for pictures with residents while others distributed St. George’s ribbons, the symbol of the pro-Russia movement.

Kostyantynivka is just 35 kilometres south of Slovyansk, a major city in eastern Ukraine that has been in insurgents’ hands for more than three weeks now.

Mayor of eastern Ukraine city shot

The mayor of Ukraine’s second-largest city was shot in the back on Monday and pro-Russia insurgents seized yet another government building as tensions rose in eastern Ukraine ahead of a new round of U.S. sanctions.

In a bid to ratchet up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Barack Obama has promised to levy new sanctions on Russian individuals and companies in retaliation for Moscow’s alleged provocations in eastern Ukraine.

Officials have not commented on the circumstances of the shooting and it was not clear who was behind it. Kernes was a staunch opponent of the pro-West Maidan movement that toppled President Viktor Yanukovych in February.

Kharkiv is in eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian gunmen have seized government buildings, set up roadblocks or staged protests to demand greater autonomy or outright annexation by Russia.

On Monday, masked militants with automatic weapons seized another city hall building in eastern Ukraine, this time in Kostyantynivka, 160 kilometres from the Russian border.

After the seizure, about 15 armed men guarded the building. Some posed for pictures with residents while others distributed St. George’s ribbons, the symbol of the pro-Russia movement.

Kostyantynivka is just 35 kilometres south of Slovyansk, a major city in eastern Ukraine that has been in insurgents’ hands for more than three weeks now.

City beat Baggies to close on Liverpool

MANCHESTER: Manchester City narrowed the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool to six points with a comfortable 3-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion at Eastlands on Monday.

Pablo Zabaleta, Sergio Aguero and Martin Demichelis all scored for City as three different Argentinian players netted in a Premier League match for the first time.

West Brom showed brief moments of skills and had pulled the score back to 2-1 through Graham Dorrans, but ultimately City had too much quality.

City will close further on Liverpool should they win their game in hand, although they still need the Merseyside club to drop points in their remaining three games if they are to take the title themselves. (AFP)

Man City slips further out of title contention

MANCHESTER: The Premier League trophy could be out of reach for Manchester City after a 2-2 home draw with last-placed Sunderland on Wednesday that capped a demoralizing four days for title chasers.

Samir Nasri´s 88th-minute equalizer at Etihad Stadium will be of little consolation to City, which is now six points behind league leader Liverpool and four points behind second-place Chelsea.T

Third-place City has a game in hand but the surprise result against Sunderland, coupled with Sunday´s 3-2 loss at Liverpool, may be a setback too far in its bid for a second championship in three seasons. "I think we are more mentally tired than physically tired," said City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who is still not giving up hope. "Remember this team, two years ago, were six points behind the leaders and ... won the title at the end. So it is difficult, but it is not the last game we play."

Sunderland is six points from safety with a game in hand, but could have been a lot closer if goalkeeper Vito Mannone had gathered Nasri´s shot rather than fumbled it into the back of the net.

That could be the difference between staying in the Premier League and being relegated. "It´s one more blow," Sunderland manager Gus Poyet said. "I tell you what, I´m testing my heart this year."

Without the injured David Silva and Yaya Toure and with star striker Sergio Aguero lacking match sharpness, City lacked its usual creativity going forward and was sloppy in possession.

Fernandinho gave City the lead in the second minute, running onto a short pass from Aguero that was dummied by Alvaro Negredo and scoring inside Mannone´s near post, but Sunderland had the better of the chances for the rest of the first half.

Connor Wickham finally took one of them in the 73rd minute, volleying in a cross from substitute Emanuele Giaccherini, and the same players combined for Wickham´s second that came on the counter-attack in the 83rd.

City escaped with a point thanks to Nasri, but Liverpool and Chelsea will be celebrating another twist in the title race. "We believe we can win the title," Fernandinho said. "Chelsea and Liverpool have four games and they may drop some points — we think we can still win the title." (AP)

 

KP’s Education City concept paper copied from project in India

PESHAWAR: The concept paper of the proposed Education City has been copied from a similar project executed in India. It exposed those at the helm of affairs.

The establishment of Education City is an iconic project of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government. Initial work has already been started on it. PC-1 for the project has been made and would be discussed at a meeting in the Planning and Development (P&D) Department this month, sources told The News.

In a sequel to the meeting a summary would be submitted to the chief minister and after his approval formal execution of the project would be started. The site has already been identified. It encompasses 30,000 kanals of land near the Karnal Sher Khan Interchange on Motorway in Swabi district.

Universities of international repute would be invited to open sub-campuses in the city. The provincial government would provide free land and other facilities to them.

However, the concept paper aimed at attracting potential donors for the project was copied from the pre-feasibility report of the Knowledge City in Karnataka India. Complete paragraphs and tables have been copied from the original text and pasted on a plain document to compile a mere three-page ‘project concept’.

Except the maiden sub-head of the ‘project concept’ — Education City (Col Sher Khan Interchange) — and the last two paragraphs under the head of ‘Education World Forum’ the entire remaining document is an exact copy of the Indian Knowledge City concept.

The compiler has not even bothered to replace the terms ‘India’ and ‘Indian Students’ that can be seen in two instances in the three-page document. The first one is under the sub-head Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, stating: “Considering the vast investment that is required a PPP is the way ahead to set up Knowledge City in India.”

Similarly under the sub-title of ‘benefits of Knowledge City’ it is stated: “Indian students and researchers get better platform to hone their skills.”The original text that is nicely drafted on 79 pages with proper referencing and tabulation can be visited at http://www.iddkarnataka.gov.in/docs/62.knowledgecity.pdf

And a copy of the ‘project concept’ for the proposed Education City in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can be acquired from the education authority formed for the purpose. The News has got a copy of the document.

Reached by phone, a senior official in the Higher Education Department said the concept paper was drafted by the department and no consultant had been hired for it. “Establishment of Education City in the province is no doubt the most emergent need of the hour. It would not only bring investment to this militancy-affected and less developed province, but would also help eradicate militancy,” said a senior academician on the condition of anonymity when his comments were sought.

However, he added that proper deliberations should have been made on the project. Local needs, problems and requirements should be taken into consideration before going ahead with the project, he said. “I don’t know how much deliberations with academicians and other experts had been made on the project. A working group has already been engaged for promotion of higher education. The project has not even been discussed in that group,” remarked the academician, who is also a member of the working group.

Another academician told this reporter that it was not wrong to follow the good projects of other countries. “But having a ditto copy of the projects of others cannot be justified by any means. It is wrong both ethically and technically,” he argued.

A senior government official told The News that concept papers occupy the basic role in any project. “Having a ditto copy of the document can put the government in great embarrassment if the institution that has originally developed the project comes to know about it,” he said.

Lady wardens to manage Lahore city traffic

LAHORE: The City Traffic Police (CTP) Lahore on Thursday restarted its first seven-member lady traffic warden motorcycle-patrolling batch to monitor traffic issues and maintain traffic flow on major roads of the city.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Sohail Chaudhry inaugurated the ceremony at Liberty Market’s parking lot, where lady traffic wardens started patrolling after two months’ training.

The headquarters SP, senior traffic officers, officials and a number of citizens were also present on this occasion.

The first batch of lady traffic wardens started patrolling from the Liberty area to Fawara Chowk on Gulberg’s Main Boulevard, and then returned to Liberty Market. Senior traffic officers, officials and others were also with them.

A number of citizens who stood on both sides of the road observed the traffic troop along with lady traffic wardens on 250cc heavy bikes.

The CTO said that lady traffic wardens completed their two-month training under the supervision of qualified traffic officers. Sikh traffic warden Gulab Singh trained them driving heavy bikes.

He said that experts from Atlas Honda also provided them complete mechanical training. He added that initially these lady traffic wardens would patrol on specified city roads where they would also perform their duties to maintain the traffic flow in any emergency situation.

Rangers conducted 1839 raids in city in 6 months

KARACHI: Pakistan Rangers, Sindh has conducted 1839 targeted raids in different areas of the city and arrested 1887 alleged criminals including 12 terrorists, 126 target killers, 18 kidnappers and 181 extortionists during last six months.

According to a press release issued here on Thursday, 3236 weapons including RPG-7, uni barrel, rocket launchers, hand grenades, LMGs, SMGs rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, explosive material and narcotics recovered during the period under review.

It said that 78 alleged criminals were killed in 52 encounters with Rangers while 18 abductees were also rescued.

Six Rangers personnel embraced Shahadat and 31 sustained injures during the targeted actions.

New 2014 Honda City launched at Rs 7.42 lakh

The New City will be powered by a diesel engine for the first time. Bookings frenzy expected

Honda has finally launched the much awaited new 2014 City at a starting price of Rs 7.42 lakh for the petrol model. The new Honda City diesel’s prices start from Rs 8.62 lakh and the new Honda City Automatic will cost Rs 9.49 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.

This fourth generation City’s design is an evolution over the outgoing model rather than a revolution. But in its latest avatar, Honda has upped the game by making it a lot more upmarket. The car looks more premium, the quality of materials are better and there’s more space for the occupants. The Japanese carmaker has also focused on the rear seat, which now is plusher and gets more legroom. The new City also gets more features than before.

The most significant addition to the new City though is the diesel engine under its hood. After three generations of the petrol-only Honda City, this new car will cater to a wider customer base. The engine is the identical 1.5-litre i-DTEC block from the Amaze and delivers the same 100PS of power and 200Nm of torque but is mated to a new six speed gearbox. It promises to be one of the most fuel efficient sedans in the country with an ARAI certified economy score of 26Kmpl.

The petrol engine is the i-VTEC mill carried forward from the old City which delivers 119PS of power, one more than the last generation car. This petrol engine has two choices of gearboxes, a 5-speed manual and a CVT. The CVT is more efficient than the manual achieving an ARAI certified figure of 18Kmpl compared to 17.9Kmpl on the manual.

The new City will be available in five trims - E, S, SV, V and VX for the petrol manual transmission and diesel models and in the SV and VX trims for the CVT City. You will get a choice of six colours - Golden Brown, Carnelian Red Pearl, Urban Titanium, Alabaster Silver, Crystal Black and Taffeta White. Honda is offering a 2 year or 40,000km warranty on the new City.

The new City will be sold through 159 dealerships across the country and Honda has plans to open 11 more till March 2014.