President Obama urges India-Pakistan dialogue

MUMBAI, India — President Barack Obama encouraged a progressive dialogue between India and Pakistan on Sunday and told college students at a town hall here that their country has a vested interest in the success of its neighbor despite a long history of mistrust between the two nations.

“I’m absolutely convinced that the country that has the biggest stake in Pakistan’s success is India,” Obama said in response to a question during the event at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. “I think if Pakistan is unstable, that’s bad for India. If Pakistan is stable and prosperous, that is good.

“Because it is unmovable,” he stressed.

Obama, who is expected to expand on his views of India-Pakistan relations in a speech to India’s Parliament on Monday, said relations with Pakistan are particularly crucial at a time when India is emerging as an economic power.

“So my hope is that over time trust develops between the two countries, that dialogue begins perhaps on less controversial issues building up to more controversial issues and that over time there’s a recognition that India and Pakistan can live side by side in peace,” he said as he walked around a stage set in an outdoor courtyard.

The president also faced a question about the changes in his political fortunes back in Washington after the midterm elections and told the students he will have to “make some midcourse corrections.”

“My obligation is to make sure that I stick to the principles and beliefs and ideas that will move America forward,” Obama said, citing investments in education, infrastructure and clean energy. “But it also requires me to make some midcourse corrections and adjustments.”

The president did not elaborate on what those adjustments might be. But he said “how those play out” over the next few months will depend on his meetings with Republicans, who won control of the House and gained seats in the Senate in last Tuesday’s elections.

(source:politico.com)

Obama Faces Questions From Students,In India

MUMBAI — When Michelle Obama, the first lady, introduced her husband to a group of college students here Sunday, she urged them to ask him “tough questions.” They did.

“What is your take or opinion about jihad?” came the first question for President Obama at a town hall-style meeting at St. Xavier’s College. Next up: queries about spirituality, Gandhi, the American midterm elections and his government’s negotiations with the Taliban.

Finally, there was the question Mr. Obama confessed he had been waiting for: Why hasn’t the United States labeled Pakistan “a terrorist state?”

“Pakistan is an enormous country; it is a strategically important country,” Mr. Obama began carefully, before meandering around to a defense of his administration, in which he said its policy is to “work with the Pakistani government in order to eradicate this extremism that we consider a cancer within the country that can potentially engulf the country.”

The diplomatic response was indicative of the fine line Mr. Obama has walked on the topic of terrorism while in India. On Saturday, his first day here, he faced criticism in the local press when he paid homage to the victims and survivors of the 2008 terrorist siege in Mumbai without mentioning that the gunmen were Pakistani or suggesting, more broadly, that some groups in Pakistan pose a terrorist threat.

While the students at St. Xavier’s, a 140-year-old Jesuit institution in this pretty seaside city, were exceedingly polite to Mr. Obama — in interviews many said they admired him — they seemed unafraid to get straight to the point, even if Mr. Obama did not always get straight to his.

“Well,” the president said, tackling the opening question about jihad, “the phrase jihad has a lot of meanings within Islam and is subject to a lot of different interpretations.”

He carefully avoided saying he is opposed to jihad — commonly interpreted to mean “holy war” — and instead said, “I think all of us recognize that this great religion in the hands of a few extremists has been distorted to justify violence towards innocent people that is never justified. And so, I think, one of the challenges that we face is how do we isolate those who have these distorted notions of religious war.”

Sunday’s session, in a sunny outdoor courtyard surrounded by Gothic buildings, came on the second day of a 10-day, four-nation swing that will also take Mr. Obama to Indonesia, his boyhood home for four years, South Korea and Japan. He is spending the longest stretch, three days, in India. He left Mumbai later Sunday for the capital, New Delhi, where he was expected to address Parliament on Monday.

While Mr. Obama was dancing around questions — figuratively speaking — on Sunday, he also participated in some literal dancing, showing off some moves that, to the delight of photographers traveling with him, are likely to provide iconic images of his trip. Mr. Obama’s short performance came after student dancers doing a show for him implored him to join in.

The White House has cast the Asia trip as an economic mission that will also strengthen American diplomatic ties with emerging democracies and established ones; on Sunday, Mr. Obama also toured a small technology expo here with the aim of showcasing American partnerships with India in expanding agriculture.

Officials billed the college town hall as a chance for Mr. Obama to connect with ordinary Indians. But for a president still bruised from the trouncing his party took in last week’s elections, the appearance was also a chance to come before the kind of sympathetic crowd he now has trouble attracting at home.

“We call him the world king, king of the world,” said Chetman Rawal, 20, who studies commerce at the college. “I think he will change the world.”

It seemed a common sentiment. In interviews, students and faculty here uniformly spoke kindly of Mr. Obama, praising everything from ‘’his cuteness,” as one female student said, to his basketball skills, to his respect for “Gandhian principles.” On the question of how he applies those principles, Mr. Obama sounded a note of humility.

“I’m often frustrated by how far I fall short of their example,” he said, referring to Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln, all of whom he said he is studying. “But I do think that at my best what I’m trying to do is to apply principles that fundamentally come down to something shared in all the world’s religions, which is to see yourself in other people.”

Indians followed the American elections closely, said Father Lawrie Ferrao, director of the institute of communications at the college. But he said people here are more interested in another election — the one Mr. Obama himself ran in 2008.

“The admiration for him with regard to his campaign, his optimism, his charismatic movement and charismatic leadership, that I think has not faded off yet,” Fr. Ferrao said. As to the outcome of the midterms, he gave an explanation Mr. Obama himself might have offered: “He was given an economy which was unsustainable.”

The president himself, when questioned on the races, pledged some “mid-course corrections and adjustments,” , though he was not specific about his plans. But in his commentary on Gandhi, he offered a lesson he had learned, one that perhaps provides some insight into how he might be feeling these days.

“On this journey,” Mr. Obama said, “you’re going to experience setbacks and you have to be persistent and stubborn, and you just have to keep on going at it. And you’ll never roll the boulder all the way up the hill, but you may get it part of the way up.”

(source:nytimes.com)

Mumbai

Mumbai (mʊmˈbaɪ/; Marathi: मुंबई, Mumbaī, IPA: [mʊmbaɪ], previously known as Bombay (/bɒmˈbeɪ/), is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the second most populous city in the world, with a population of approximately 14 million. Along with the neighbouring urban areas, including the cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it is one of the most populous urban regions in the world. Mumbai lies on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. As of 2009, Mumbai was named an Alpha world city. Mumbai is also the richest city in India, and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West or Central Asia.

The seven islands that came to constitute Mumbai were home to communities of fishing colonies. For centuries, the islands came under the control of successive indigenous empires before being ceded to the Portuguese and subsequently to the British East India Company. During the mid-18th century, Mumbai was reshaped by the British with large-scale civil engineering projects, and emerged as a significant trading town. Economic and educational development characterised the city during the 19th century. It became a strong base for the Indian independence movement during the early 20th century. When India became independent in 1947, the city was incorporated into Bombay State. In 1960, following the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, a new state of Maharashtra was created with Bombay as capital. It was renamed Mumbai in 1995.

Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India, generating 5% of India's GDP, and accounting for 25% of industrial output, 70% of maritime trade in India (Mumbai Port Trust & JNPT), and 70% of capital transactions to India's economy. Mumbai is home to important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India and the corporate headquarters of numerous Indian companies and multinational corporations. It houses India's premier nuclear institutes like BARC, NPCL, IREL, TIFR, AERB, AECI, and the Department of Atomic Energy. The city also houses India's Hindi & Marathi film and television industry, known as Bollywood. Mumbai's business opportunities, as well as its potential to offer a higher standard of living, attract migrants from all over India and, in turn, make the city a potpourri of many communities and cultures.

Contents

(source:wikipedia)

Results for NYC marathon

Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia and Edna Kiplagat of Kenya Win!

Emmanuel Mutai and Moses Kigen Kipkosgei, both of Kenya, finished second and third, respectively, among the men. On the women's side, American Shalane Flanagan (making her marathon debut) and Kenyan Mary Keitany finished second and third. (Unofficial Results)

David Weir and Tatyana McFadden Win the Wheeler Titles

Masazumi Soejima finished second and reigning (and 4 time champ) Kurt Fearnley finished third among the men. Christina Ripp and Amanda McGrory finished second and third among the women. (Unofficial Results) 

See also 

winner in women's NYC Marathon,

Chilean miner runs New York marathon ,

Edison Pena and over 42000 NYC Marathon,

Gebremariam, Kiplagat win titles at NYC Marathon,

Higher prize money for marathon

The RAK Half Marathon 2011 offers over 250,000 USD in cash prizes!

Half Marathon - Open Category - List A

Position Men Women

1 $ 25,000 $ 25,000

2 $ 12,000 $ 12,000

3 $ 9,000 $ 9,000

4 $ 5,000 $ 5,000

5 $ 4,000 $ 4,000

6 $ 3,000 $ 3,000

7 $ 2,000 $ 2,000

8 $ 1,500 $ 1,500

9 $ 1,000 $ 1,000

10 $ 500 $ 500

Totals $ 63,000 $ 63,000

CR* $ 5,000 $ 5,000

Half Marathon - Masters Category (Men 45 / Women 40 )* - List B

1 $ 1,000 $ 1,000

2 $ 750 $ 750

3 $ 500 $ 500

CR* $ 500 $ 500

Special prizes for UAE Resident participants** - List C

1 $ 3,000 $ 3,000

2 $ 2,000 $ 2,000

3 $ 1,000 $ 1,000

CR* $ 1,000 $ 1,000

Special prizes for UAE National participants** - List D

1 $ 3,000 $ 3,000

2 $ 2,000 $ 2,000

3 $ 1,000 $ 1,000

CR* $ 1,000 $ 1,000

Special prize for Fastest Relay Team - List E

1 $ 3,000

2 $ 2,000

3 $ 1,000

CR* $ 1,000

Inter-School Team Relay Challenge - List F

1 $ 2,500

2 $ 1,500

3 $ 750

Inter-College/University Team Relay Challenge

1 $ 2,500

2 $ 1,500

3 $ 750

Half Marathon World Record Bonus - $50,000

CR* - Course Record (New) (Course Records listed below)

Prize Money Rules

* Only runners, who are awarded an official time by crossing the Finish Line wearing their registered Timing Chip, will be entitled to prize money. In addition, all prize winners must have a recorded time at each of the ChampionChip timing positions along the course. No Chip, No Time, No Prize Money!

* Winners in the Men's Open Category positions 1-5 must finish in 60:00minutes or less to qualify for 100% of the advertised prize. Failure to finish within this time bracket will reduce the prize by 25% value*.

* Winners in the Women's Open Category positions 1-5 must finish in 70:00minutes or less to qualify for 100% of the advertised prize. Failure to finish within this time bracket will reduce the prize by 25% value*.

* Only those Half Marathon runners, who finish within 2 hours from the start time and fall within the finish positions as indicated in the prize money structure, will be entitled to prize money in their respective categories.

* In the event of an athlete failing the dope test, he or she will not be eligible for prize money or an official time and will be disqualified from the race. Such athletes may also be reported to the National Federation and/or the IAAF. Furthermore disqualified athletes will be barred from competing in any Premier Marathons race for a period of twenty-five (25) months.

* Any runner, UAE National, resident or international, who is one of the top overall finishers in the Half Marathon Open Category, will be entitled to Prize Money stated in List A . The first 3 UAE Resident or UAE National finishers will be entitled to prize money in List C or List D respectively. However, where a UAE Resident or UAE National runner finishes as one of the top overall finishers, he/she will receive the prize money stated either in List A or List C or List D, but whichever is the higher amount. In the instance of an UAE Resident or UAE National runner receiving the higher prize money amount from List C, there will be NO CHANGE in the overall finishing positions in List A; the overall finishing positions remain the same. In the instance of an UAE Resident or UAE National runner receiving the higher prize money amount from List A, there will be NO CHANGE in the overall finishing positions in List C or List D; the overall finishing positions remain the same.

* Where a School or University Team finishes as one of the top three overall fastest teams, they will receive the prize money stated in either List E or List F, but whichever is the higher amount. No duplication of prizes will be awarded. In the instance of a school or university team receiving the higher prize money amount from List E or List F, there will be NO CHANGE in the overall finishing positions in either List F or List E respectively; the overall finishing positions remain the same.

* Prize winners declared post event must submit their proof of age (original documents may be requested) and such other documents as may be required by the event organizers for disbursement of prize money.

* No prize winnings will be paid from Lists A, C or D until the complete results of the dope testing have been received and the Race Judges have issued their final decisions.

* UAE National or UAE Resident winners will receive prize money equivalent in UAE Dirhams calculated at the applicable exchange rate.

* To qualify for prize awards in List F all Teams must consist of 4 members who must all be registered as full time students of the same educational institution on February 18th 2011. Each educational team category must have a minimum of three teams who register and compete on Race Day for prize money to be awarded.

* Prize money winnings are subject to 'Charity Race Tax' whereas 10% of all prize winnings will be donated / gifted to the Official Race Charity.

* The Executive Organizing Committee reserves the right to substitute any prize at its discretion for an equal or greater value prize. The decision of the officially appointed judges and the Race Director is final.

* **To qualify for these prize categories you must be a UAE National or have held UAE Nationality for a period of at least 5 years or be a non-UAE national but have valid UAE residency (held for at least 1 year) (resident) in the UAE on Race Day.

* *Masters Men=born on or before 18.02.1966; Masters Women=born on or before 18.02.1971)

*Time/Prize value conditions will not apply if the temperature rises above 26 degrees Celsius before the leaders reach the 15km point on the course.

Course Records

Half Marathon - Open Category - Men - List A

Course Record: 58:52 - Patrick Makau 2009

Half Marathon - Open Category - Women - List A

Course Record: 1:07:07 - Elvan Abeylegesse 2010

Half Marathon - Masters Category - Men - List B

Course Record: 1:16:00 - Alemayehu Sitotaw 2010

Half Marathon - Masters Category - Women - List B

Course Record: 1:25:35 - Fiona Kennedy 2007

Half Marathon - UAE Resident Category - Men - List C

Course Record: 1:06:22 - Othmane Chaibi 2009

Half Marathon - UAE Resident Category - Women - List C

Course Record: 1:22:00 - Anne-Mari Hyrylainen 2008

Half Marathon - UAE National Category - Men - List D

Course Record: 1:10:51 - Saif Hamed Al Rashidi 2010

Half Marathon - UAE National Category - Women - List D

Course Record: N/A

Relay Team Challenge - List E

Course Record: 1:10:24 - Al Ain 2007

(source:rakmarathon.org)

winner in women's NYC Marathon:Kenya's Edna Kiplagat

NEW YORK - Edna Kiplagat has won the women's title at the New York City Marathon.

The 31-year-old Kenyan finished the marquee race in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 28 minutes, 20 seconds.

Shalane Flanagan of the United States was second in her marathon debut. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters became the first American woman to finish in the top two since 1990. Kenya's Mary Keitany was third, also making her marathon debut.

Kiplagat pulled away in the 24th mile to win her first major marathon title.

Chilean miner runs New York marathon

The 34 year-old, who was the 12th man to be raised to the surface in the Phoenix rescue capsule from deep below the Atacama Desert last month, had been dubbed "the runner" for his gruelling subterranean exercise regime.

The fitness fanatic and Elvis Presley enthusiast jogged in his heavy miners' boots for several miles each day of his ordeal through dark uneven tunnels finding his footing by the light of his miner's lamp. "When I ran in the darkness, I was running for life," he explained. "I wanted to show God that I wanted to live. I was saying to the mine, I'm going to run until you're just bored and tired of me, and I did it."

He was invited to participate in the challenge through the streets of Manhattan by organisers who were inspired by his drive and stamina.

Mr Pena said his goal was to complete the 26.2 mile course within six hours but would have to overcome a knee injury incurred during the 10 weeks trapped underground.

"I could have come just to watch, but I decided to take part, to feel the emotion," he said ahead of Sunday's race.

"I have a strong desire to motivate the others. This is the most important thing for me.

"I have an injured knee from down there (in the mine), but I hope I will be able to finish," he said. "I hope the press will not destroy me if I can't stand the pain in the knee."

On arrival in New York on Thursday he was a guest on The Late Show hosted by David Letterman, where with gyrating hips and quivering lip the miner won over the audience with his own rendition of Elvis's "Suspicious Minds".

He will visit Graceland, Presley's mansion in Memphis, Tennessee and will make a trip to Las Vegas to see "Viva Elvis," a Cirque du Soleil show, before flying home to Chile.

(source:telegraph.co.uk)

Edison Pena and over 42000 others hit on NYC Marathon

Thousands of really serious runners are winding through New York's five boroughs today in the New York City Marathon.

The best story line, the biggest story line belongs to Edison Pena, the 34-year-old Chilean miner who ran every day during the 69 days he was trapped in a coal mine with 32 other miners.

"I would like to inspire young children to run," said Pena, who has already inspired everybody else and hopes to finish in 6 hours, said, "because running makes you free."

There are celebrities, like actress/model Veronica Webb, foodie Bobby Flay, Subway pitchman Jared. There are former stars in other sports, like Amani Toomer. In a gimmick-for-a-good-cause, he was the last to cross the starting line and, for every one of the 43,000 runners he passes, Timex will donate $1 to the youth programs of the New York Road Runners, sponsors of the marathon. He's hoping to raise around $20,000.

"They all think I'm crazy," Toomer, 36, said of his former football colleagues. "I want to finish the marathon in less than four hours," he told ESPN. "I'd also like to break Lynn Swann's mark of 4 hours, 26 minutes and become the fastest NFL player to ever run the New York City Marathon."

(source:washingtonpost.com)

Gebremariam, Kiplagat win titles at NYC Marathon

NEW YORK  — Gebre Gebremariam of Ethiopia has won the men's title at the New York City Marathon in his debut at the distance.

Kenya's Edna Kiplagat won the women's race Sunday for her first major marathon championship.

Another Ethiopian man was the favorite, but world-record holder Haile Gebrselassie pulled out at the 16-mile mark with an apparent right knee injury.

Shalane Flanagan of the United States was second in the women's race in her marathon debut. The 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000 meters became the first American woman to finish in the top two since 1990.

Gebremariam was the first man to win New York in his marathon debut since 1991.