Seven times F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher is battling for life, and just as hard as he did for each and every one of his 308 GP races he took part in. The only thing is that he didn't know that his fall while skiing at the French resort of Meribel would have been of his own making because it was an errant rock off piste on the slopes that caught him out. He was skiing with his son at that time and when he went down he hit his head against another hidden rock under the soft powdery flakes and suffered trauma to his head. Within minutes he was airlifted to a hospital in Grenoble and while he was fully conscious during the flight he seemed pretty agitated as would be the case from a very fit person even today.
Sadly, his condition worsened on Sunday evening with reports about a brain haemorrhage and he underwent operations before he was placed in a medically induced coma so as his vital organs do not suffer from post-operative trauma. The press conference early morning on Monday did hint at all of the above but the fact that Michael would have perished if he hadn't worn a proper skiing helmet has seen to it that he is yet with us albeit battling for survival.
"There is no doubt that the helmet saved Michael," said a press note released by his PR team and this is truly a significant detail for many of us here in India who live dangerously and ride two-wheelers sans the protective head lids.
Michael was always fully prepared for every unforeseen detail while racing and in fact had a career where he was on the limit always and sometimes beyond it as well. However, in the course of his long and illustrious career that not only netted him seven World Championships and 92 Grand Prix victories, he crashed only once with severe injuries, at Silverstone in 1999 when his Ferrari speared head-on into the barrier and he broke his leg.
Many have questioned the logic of Michael ever doing things of this sort after hanging up his Schubert racing helmet following retirement from F1. However, to those who knew him he wasn't the sort to stay off and sit in front of the telly twiddling his thumbs while yet remaining the quintessential family man.
Brings me then also to his tremendous zeal for living an action-packed life even after he hung up his competition helmet twice to date. I saw him pilot a full-house Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP bike with aplomb and he set times that would have placed him comfortably mid-pack on the grid at Valencia. His ability to stay in touch with such greats as Randy Mamola, Loris Capirossi and Casey Stoner on two-wheels astounded many. What, however, isn't known is that living life on the edge was always a well thought out chore for the German. His exploits at rock climbing are known only to a few as also his para-gliding adventures. And while he was always fond of football and had played many a game for local Italian sides while driving for Ferrari, everyone knew his passion for skiing. At Ferrari's annual pre-season presentation every January at Madonna de Campoglio in the Italian Alps, Schumi was always hard at it, whether skiing or snow boarding. He was proficient in this form of sport and after his retirement from F1 at the end of 2012, he had taken to whatever sporting pursuit he knew and could use to give him his adrenaline fix.
This wasn't to say he was foolhardy while doing it but just that fate has its means of rearing up its ugly side and this time even though he wasn't racing anyone but himself, Michael fell and was caught out. Let's hope that just like he did the impossible so many times out on the GP circuits, he can yet turn large deficits around like not many can and get back amongst us all, enjoying life.
The motor sport world's prayers and those of millions around the world are all tuning into the almighty to help Michael come out of this strong and healthy. I can only comfort myself and millions of others by remembering Schumi's own words he said after winning the Belgian GP at Spa to wrap up his 2004 World Championship: ""I will go on as long as I have the racing instinct."
Only this time let it be his fighting instinct that is brought into play. Forza Michael!
More: http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report-michael-schumacher-the-performance-addict-1943020
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
NASA astronaut takes selfie from space with Earth behind him
A NASA astronaut has taken an incredible selfie from space with Earth in the background while performing repairs on the International Space Station on Christmas Eve.
US astronaut Mike Hopkins, 45, took the astounding image of himself while performing repairs on the ISS during the second of two spacewalks spread over a four-day period.
The selfie shows the beautiful blue of Earth and Hopkins' colleague Rick Mastracchio in the reflection on his helmet.
"Wow...can't believe that is me yesterday. Wish I could find the words to describe the experience, truly amazing," Hopkins tweeted after the spacewalk.
On December 24, Hopkins, Expedition 38 Flight Engineer, participated in the second of two US spacewalks, which were designed to allow the crew to change out a faulty water pump on the exterior of the Earth-orbiting station, NASA said on instagram.
He was joined on both spacewalks by NASA astronaut Mastracchio, whose image appeared in Hopkins' helmet visor.
The pump module controls the flow of ammonia through cooling loops and radiators outside the space station, and, combined with water-based cooling loops inside the station, removes excess heat into the vacuum of space.
The selfie shows the beautiful blue of Earth and Hopkins' colleague Rick Mastracchio in the reflection on his helmet.
"Wow...can't believe that is me yesterday. Wish I could find the words to describe the experience, truly amazing," Hopkins tweeted after the spacewalk.
On December 24, Hopkins, Expedition 38 Flight Engineer, participated in the second of two US spacewalks, which were designed to allow the crew to change out a faulty water pump on the exterior of the Earth-orbiting station, NASA said on instagram.
He was joined on both spacewalks by NASA astronaut Mastracchio, whose image appeared in Hopkins' helmet visor.
The pump module controls the flow of ammonia through cooling loops and radiators outside the space station, and, combined with water-based cooling loops inside the station, removes excess heat into the vacuum of space.
2013 saw successful launch of Mars Orbiter Mission
The successful launch of Mars Orbiter Mission and power generation from Kudankulam nuclear power plant were some of the major achievements in the field of space and atomic energy in 2013.
ISRO, which comes under the Department of Space (DoS), achieved a major feat by launching the Mars Mission in November, an exercise undertaken only by a handful countries.
Launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, the MOM on December 4 escaped earth's sphere of influence and is now on a course to encounter Mars after a journey of about 300 days.
The Rs 450-crore project would provide the scientific community better opportunities in planetary research.
Apart from it, ISRO also launched oceanographic satellite SARAL, a joint Indo-French Satellite programme, advanced weather satellite INSAT-3D, advanced multi-band communication satellite, GSAT-7.
However, a major setback for ISRO was calling off the launch of GSLV-D5 after a leak was observed in the UH25 fuel system of the liquid second stage just two hours before the scheduled lift-off.
ISRO was criticised by many in the scientific community in India and abroad for prioritising MOM over GSLV-D5.
The Department of Atomic Energy's pursuit in generating nuclear power got a boost when the first unit of Kudankulam plant started generating power in October. The 1000 MW unit 1 of KKNPP is currently the largest nuclear power generation plant in the country.
ISRO, which comes under the Department of Space (DoS), achieved a major feat by launching the Mars Mission in November, an exercise undertaken only by a handful countries.
Launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, the MOM on December 4 escaped earth's sphere of influence and is now on a course to encounter Mars after a journey of about 300 days.
The Rs 450-crore project would provide the scientific community better opportunities in planetary research.
Apart from it, ISRO also launched oceanographic satellite SARAL, a joint Indo-French Satellite programme, advanced weather satellite INSAT-3D, advanced multi-band communication satellite, GSAT-7.
However, a major setback for ISRO was calling off the launch of GSLV-D5 after a leak was observed in the UH25 fuel system of the liquid second stage just two hours before the scheduled lift-off.
ISRO was criticised by many in the scientific community in India and abroad for prioritising MOM over GSLV-D5.
The Department of Atomic Energy's pursuit in generating nuclear power got a boost when the first unit of Kudankulam plant started generating power in October. The 1000 MW unit 1 of KKNPP is currently the largest nuclear power generation plant in the country.
PM at Mullanpur, traffic halts in city
Traffic chaos was witnessed in various parts of the city when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came to lay the foundation stone of a cancer hospital at Mullanpur on Monday.
While the preparations made by the Chandigarh Police could not ensure smooth movement of traffic, the traffic scene at Mullanpur remained hassle-free.
The PM's helicopter landed at the venue in Medicity at Firozepur Bangar village near Mullanpur around 3.15 pm and left after an hour.
Traffic was stopped for nearly 15 minutes on the routes from where the ministers who were to receive the PM at the airport had to pass. Transport light point, airport light point and intersection of Sector 31-29 were the most affected.
The traffic in Chandigarh was made to stop 50 metres before the intersection at the transport light point on all the four sides when the PM arrived. At the intersection of Sector 31-29, the situation was similar. The traffic movement was allowed only after the PM landed at Mullanpur.
Till the PM remained at Mullanpur, traffic flow was normal. As soon as he left the venue for the airport at 4.15 pm, the traffic was stopped again for the VIPs who were to see off the PM at the airport. Traffic at the transport light point, intersection of Sector 31-29 and airport light point was brought to a halt again.
Section 144 of the CrPC was imposed on Madhya Marg, particularly at Khuda Lahora village.
Nearly 2,500 personnel of Punjab Police and special units were deployed at and around the venue.
Firozepur Bangar remained tightly guarded with policemen deployed at every nook and corner of the village, including rooftops and the surrounding fields. Additional District Magistrate of Mohali Parveen Kumar Thind had also passed an order prohibiting the use of any flying object in and around the venue of the function and its corresponding airspace.
While the preparations made by the Chandigarh Police could not ensure smooth movement of traffic, the traffic scene at Mullanpur remained hassle-free.
The PM's helicopter landed at the venue in Medicity at Firozepur Bangar village near Mullanpur around 3.15 pm and left after an hour.
Traffic was stopped for nearly 15 minutes on the routes from where the ministers who were to receive the PM at the airport had to pass. Transport light point, airport light point and intersection of Sector 31-29 were the most affected.
The traffic in Chandigarh was made to stop 50 metres before the intersection at the transport light point on all the four sides when the PM arrived. At the intersection of Sector 31-29, the situation was similar. The traffic movement was allowed only after the PM landed at Mullanpur.
Till the PM remained at Mullanpur, traffic flow was normal. As soon as he left the venue for the airport at 4.15 pm, the traffic was stopped again for the VIPs who were to see off the PM at the airport. Traffic at the transport light point, intersection of Sector 31-29 and airport light point was brought to a halt again.
Section 144 of the CrPC was imposed on Madhya Marg, particularly at Khuda Lahora village.
Nearly 2,500 personnel of Punjab Police and special units were deployed at and around the venue.
Firozepur Bangar remained tightly guarded with policemen deployed at every nook and corner of the village, including rooftops and the surrounding fields. Additional District Magistrate of Mohali Parveen Kumar Thind had also passed an order prohibiting the use of any flying object in and around the venue of the function and its corresponding airspace.
Peer pressure may influence food choices
Obesity may be a "socially transmitted disease," suggests a new study which found that social norms influence our food choices.
Researchers conducted a systematic review of several experimental studies, each of which examined whether or not providing information about other peoples' eating habits influences food intake or choices.
After examining the data, investigators found consistent evidence that social norms influence food choices.
This meta-analysis found that if participants were given information indicating that others were making low-calorie or high-calorie food choices, it significantly increased the likelihood that participants made similar choices.
Also, data indicate that social norms influence the quantity of food eaten.
Additionally, the review indicated that suggesting that others eat large portions increased food intake by the participants. There was also a strong association between eating and social identity.
"It appears that in some contexts, conforming to informational eating norms may be a way of reinforcing identity to a social group, which is in line with social identity theory," said lead investigator Eric Robinson, from the University of Liverpool in UK.
"By this social identity account, if a person's sense of self is strongly guided by their identity as a member of their local community and that community is perceived to eat healthily, then that person would be hypothesised to eat healthily in order to maintain a consistent sense of social identity," said Robinson.
The need to solidify our place in our social group is just one way investigators found social norms influence our food choices.
The analysis also revealed that the social mechanisms that influence what we decide to consume are present even when we eat alone or are at work, whether or not we are aware of it.
"Norms influence behaviour by altering the extent to which an individual perceives the behaviour in question to be beneficial to them. Human behaviour can be guided by a perceived group norm, even when people have little or no motivation to please other people," said Robinson.
"Given that in some studies the participants did not believe that their behaviour was influenced by the informational eating norms, it seems that participants may not have been consciously considering the norm information when making food choices," said Robinson.
The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Researchers conducted a systematic review of several experimental studies, each of which examined whether or not providing information about other peoples' eating habits influences food intake or choices.
After examining the data, investigators found consistent evidence that social norms influence food choices.
This meta-analysis found that if participants were given information indicating that others were making low-calorie or high-calorie food choices, it significantly increased the likelihood that participants made similar choices.
Also, data indicate that social norms influence the quantity of food eaten.
Additionally, the review indicated that suggesting that others eat large portions increased food intake by the participants. There was also a strong association between eating and social identity.
"It appears that in some contexts, conforming to informational eating norms may be a way of reinforcing identity to a social group, which is in line with social identity theory," said lead investigator Eric Robinson, from the University of Liverpool in UK.
"By this social identity account, if a person's sense of self is strongly guided by their identity as a member of their local community and that community is perceived to eat healthily, then that person would be hypothesised to eat healthily in order to maintain a consistent sense of social identity," said Robinson.
The need to solidify our place in our social group is just one way investigators found social norms influence our food choices.
The analysis also revealed that the social mechanisms that influence what we decide to consume are present even when we eat alone or are at work, whether or not we are aware of it.
"Norms influence behaviour by altering the extent to which an individual perceives the behaviour in question to be beneficial to them. Human behaviour can be guided by a perceived group norm, even when people have little or no motivation to please other people," said Robinson.
"Given that in some studies the participants did not believe that their behaviour was influenced by the informational eating norms, it seems that participants may not have been consciously considering the norm information when making food choices," said Robinson.
The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Did not take new ball because reverse swing was only option: MS Dhoni
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today blamed losing too many wickets in the morning session and some poor umpiring decisions for their 10-wicket defeat in the second Test against South Africa but applauded the way his team played in the series. The opening session was indeed vital and India got off to the worst start possible when Dale Steyn got key batsman Virat Kohli in the very first ball of the day. But the delivery had come off his shoulders and he was given out wrongly, bringing the question of DRS back into focus. MS Dhoni felt India's bowlers could not make good use of the new ball. AFP "In the morning session today, we lost too many wickets. There were a few decisions that didn't go our way and then there were a couple deliveries that were good.
At the same time, we also had soft dismissals which we couldn't afford given where the game was positioned at that time," Dhoni said at the post-match press conference. "There were a couple of sessions in both Tests where we played badly and that had an impact on both matches. Even in the last Test we were in position of bother in the last session on day five. "In this Test we started off well, but in just one session we were off-target. So as these young players play more Tests and gain experience they will learn to capitalize on moments. For example, when opposition bowlers are tired, that's when you get free Test runs. Overall, fantastic performance but we could have done better," he added, rating his team through the series. Asked if DRS should come into play, considering the decisions that went against India, Dhoni did still not seem convinced on the reliability of the technology. "There were few teams that were big time supporters of DRS previously, now they are against DRS.
When it goes your way, it is good, but when it doesn’t it's not good. There will be a few human errors in the game. If there are no human errors then batsmen won’t get out and bowlers will keep bowling in one area. It is part and parcel of this game, as long as they are not blunders." "I don't want a security guard that will protect me during the day and leave me from 9pm to 9am to guard myself. I want 24 hours security," he added, joking about the complex DRS situation. Dhoni also defended India's strategy of not taking the new ball until the umpires forced them to after 146 overs. "It was Christmas time, but I am not Santa to give them free runs," said Dhoni. "It was about strategy. If we took the new ball, it would not swing. Who will bowl 25 overs then to get reverse swing? Also, Jadeja would not have been effective with the new ball.
From the moment we started bowling on this pitch, we knew reverse swing was our only option." "When Kallis came to bat, they needed a big partnership. He countered our three fast bowlers and one spin bowling attack and played a fantastic innings," Dhoni added. For India, the stand-out performers in this Test were Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane, both playing their first overseas Test series and Dhoni praised them. While Jadeja took his best Test figures of 6-138 in the first innings, Rahaner came good with two half-centuries in two innings, with a personal best of 96 in the second effort. "Jadeja took wickets and at the same time he kept one end tight. It meant that I could keep my fast bowlers fresh and rotate them, attacking from one end. This is the best option for us, because we can’t play two spinners overseas until we find a fast-bowling all-rounder," opined the Indian skipper.
"Rahane batted really well, given the amount of time he has spent on the bench. He has worked hard on his fitness, his technique and approach to the game and he has grasped his chance when it came by," he added. While South Africa managed to reverse their trend here, finally wining in Durban after a string of four losses on the run, India, despite the defeat, can return home with their heads held high, according to Dhoni. "We have had plenty of positives from this series. The batting is looking good and the bowlers took twenty wickets in helpful conditions in Johannesburg. They will get better by playing more Tests and getting more exposure. "The bowlers need to learn how to get wickets on dry wickets overseas. Overall, we have a 15-17 member squad that is looking good. We have got fantastic ingredients. We didn’t cook so well in this match, so going ahead, we need to cook the right recipe," Dhoni signed off.
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/did-not-take-new-ball-because-reverse-swing-was-only-option-ms-dhoni-1315563.html?utm_source=ref_article
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/sports/did-not-take-new-ball-because-reverse-swing-was-only-option-ms-dhoni-1315563.html?utm_source=ref_article
Deepika Padukone approached for Sooraj Barjatya's next with Salman Khan
Actress Deepika Padukone has been approached for a Sooraj Barjatya film starring Salman Khan.
The superstar will be teaming up with Sooraj Barjatya for a film after 14 years. Their last outing together was 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.
"Sooraj ji met her (Deepika Padukone) at her party. Talks are on with her but nothing is finalised yet. Lot of actresses have interest in this film and he is meeting other actresses as well," said a source close to the development.
"We have not finalised anyone yet. Lot of speculation is happening over the heroine of the film. Things will be finalised in 15 days or so," the source said.
Several names have come up for the leading lady like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ileana D'Cruz, Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Nargis Fakhri and others.
The yet to be titled film is likely to go on floors in June next year. The shooting might take place in Mumbai, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
The superstar will be teaming up with Sooraj Barjatya for a film after 14 years. Their last outing together was 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.
"Sooraj ji met her (Deepika Padukone) at her party. Talks are on with her but nothing is finalised yet. Lot of actresses have interest in this film and he is meeting other actresses as well," said a source close to the development.
"We have not finalised anyone yet. Lot of speculation is happening over the heroine of the film. Things will be finalised in 15 days or so," the source said.
Several names have come up for the leading lady like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ileana D'Cruz, Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Nargis Fakhri and others.
The yet to be titled film is likely to go on floors in June next year. The shooting might take place in Mumbai, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
'Dhoom 3' rakes in Rs 210 crore at the box office
Aamir Khan has reclaimed his number one position with his film Dhoom 3 breaking almost all records at the box office. The film has joined the Rs 200 crore club in nine days which is the fastest ever. Aamir’s 2009 film 3 Idiots had taken 70 days to collect Rs 200 crore.
'Dhoom 3'
Exhibitor Rajesh Thadani says, “Dhoom 3 has made about Rs 210 crore. It is moving to be the highest grosser ever. The film continues to remain in the same number of screens. Though the ticket pricing in the week days has reduced, the business continues to grow at the box office.”
Dhoom 3 is being looked at also the first film to touch the Rs 250 crore mark. Trade analyst Amod Mehra adds, “I see the film doing a business between Rs 250 to 300 crore. It has broken all records till date.”
Trade pundits say that Dhoom 3 got the advantage of being a franchise and it released during the holiday season. The Katrina-Aamir pairing worked in its favour and it was also a solo release.
Trade analyst Komal Nahata adds, “I was sure the film would touch the Rs 200 crore in the second weekend and it did, making it the fastest Rs 200-crore film. This cannot be a coincidence that Aamir gave the industry the first Rs 100-crore film (Ghajini), the first Rs 200-crore film (3 Idiots) and may now give it the first Rs 300-crore film. Yes, D3 may end up touching 300. Clearly you cannot compare this film with any other film as it is way ahead of them.”
Meanwhile, the two films that released last Friday -- Moksh and the animated version of Mahabharat directed by Amaan Khan had negligible collections at the box-office. However the trade is abuzz with speculations that Salman Khan’s film Jai Ho which releases on January 24 will be able to break Dhoom 3 record. Some say that Aamir had the advantage of being a franchise and holiday season which Salman will not get and it will be his star power that will draw the audience.
'Dhoom 3'
Exhibitor Rajesh Thadani says, “Dhoom 3 has made about Rs 210 crore. It is moving to be the highest grosser ever. The film continues to remain in the same number of screens. Though the ticket pricing in the week days has reduced, the business continues to grow at the box office.”
Dhoom 3 is being looked at also the first film to touch the Rs 250 crore mark. Trade analyst Amod Mehra adds, “I see the film doing a business between Rs 250 to 300 crore. It has broken all records till date.”
Trade pundits say that Dhoom 3 got the advantage of being a franchise and it released during the holiday season. The Katrina-Aamir pairing worked in its favour and it was also a solo release.
Trade analyst Komal Nahata adds, “I was sure the film would touch the Rs 200 crore in the second weekend and it did, making it the fastest Rs 200-crore film. This cannot be a coincidence that Aamir gave the industry the first Rs 100-crore film (Ghajini), the first Rs 200-crore film (3 Idiots) and may now give it the first Rs 300-crore film. Yes, D3 may end up touching 300. Clearly you cannot compare this film with any other film as it is way ahead of them.”
Meanwhile, the two films that released last Friday -- Moksh and the animated version of Mahabharat directed by Amaan Khan had negligible collections at the box-office. However the trade is abuzz with speculations that Salman Khan’s film Jai Ho which releases on January 24 will be able to break Dhoom 3 record. Some say that Aamir had the advantage of being a franchise and holiday season which Salman will not get and it will be his star power that will draw the audience.
Khans, Bachchans to celebrate New Year with family
Bollywood celebrities have put on their party shoes as they plan to bring in the New Year at exotic locations while some others would be performing shows.
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be bringing in the New Year at Phuket in Thailand, with his family.
Noted actor Aamir Khan, who is basking in the success of the recently released 'Dhoom 3', is in Panchgani along with his family.
Salman Khan is likely go to his Panvel farmhouse with family and friends to usher in the New Year.
Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and daughter Aaradhya will be in Dubai on New Year. Actor Sanjay Dutt, who is out of jail on parole, will be celebrating the New Year with his family.
Deepika Padukone, who gave four back-to-back hit films this year, will be with her family, most likely in Mumbai. Shahid Kapoor, who tasted success after a long time with 'R...Rajkumar', will celebrate in Los Angeles with friends. Actress Sonam Kapoor has wrapped up the shooting for the remake version of 'Khubsoorat' and will celebrate New Year in
Goa with friends.
Actors Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif will be bringing in the New Year in New York. Akshay Kumar is already in Europe with his family.
There is a buzz that Saif Ali Khan and his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan would celebrate the occasion in Switzerland. Actress Madhuri Dixit is likely to be in Singapore with family.
Actress Priyanka Chopra will be performing at a five star hotel in Chennai and Mallika Sherawat will be doing a show in Toronto for the New Year bash.
Superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be bringing in the New Year at Phuket in Thailand, with his family.
Noted actor Aamir Khan, who is basking in the success of the recently released 'Dhoom 3', is in Panchgani along with his family.
Salman Khan is likely go to his Panvel farmhouse with family and friends to usher in the New Year.
Abhishek Bachchan, his wife Aishwarya Rai and daughter Aaradhya will be in Dubai on New Year. Actor Sanjay Dutt, who is out of jail on parole, will be celebrating the New Year with his family.
Deepika Padukone, who gave four back-to-back hit films this year, will be with her family, most likely in Mumbai. Shahid Kapoor, who tasted success after a long time with 'R...Rajkumar', will celebrate in Los Angeles with friends. Actress Sonam Kapoor has wrapped up the shooting for the remake version of 'Khubsoorat' and will celebrate New Year in
Goa with friends.
Actors Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif will be bringing in the New Year in New York. Akshay Kumar is already in Europe with his family.
There is a buzz that Saif Ali Khan and his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan would celebrate the occasion in Switzerland. Actress Madhuri Dixit is likely to be in Singapore with family.
Actress Priyanka Chopra will be performing at a five star hotel in Chennai and Mallika Sherawat will be doing a show in Toronto for the New Year bash.
New Year's Eve 2013: Google bids goodbye with an animated doodle
Keeping up with its tradition of coming out with doodles to mark important days, Google, on Tuesday, displayed an animatedNew Year's Eve 2013 doodle on its homepage to bid adieu to the year. It is the last Google doodle for the year 2013.
Today's attractive doodle features the numbers 2,0,1 and 3 partying on a multi-coloured dance floor. The number 4 is also depicted in the doodle, which is interpreted as waiting along the sides to replace 3. In the background, two speakers are seen playing music uniformly.
Additionally, the Google logo is presented in a colourful way with a disco ball that represents the letter 'O'. And if you move the cursor on the doodle then a message 'Happy New Year!' will appear.
Just below the search bar, the search engine displays a caption that reads 'What did the world search for this year? Remember the moments of 2013'. And on clicking the given link, users are redirected to the Google Zeitgeist 2013 page that highlights some of the major and significant events of the year in a 1.31-minute video.
The Times of India also brings you the Top News of the Year 2013 even as we look ahead for a new beginning.
Today's attractive doodle features the numbers 2,0,1 and 3 partying on a multi-coloured dance floor. The number 4 is also depicted in the doodle, which is interpreted as waiting along the sides to replace 3. In the background, two speakers are seen playing music uniformly.
Additionally, the Google logo is presented in a colourful way with a disco ball that represents the letter 'O'. And if you move the cursor on the doodle then a message 'Happy New Year!' will appear.
Just below the search bar, the search engine displays a caption that reads 'What did the world search for this year? Remember the moments of 2013'. And on clicking the given link, users are redirected to the Google Zeitgeist 2013 page that highlights some of the major and significant events of the year in a 1.31-minute video.
The Times of India also brings you the Top News of the Year 2013 even as we look ahead for a new beginning.
l Clean chit for Modi Blot on the horizon no more
Last week’s judgment didn’t merely exonerate the chief minister who was at the helm in 2002, it liberated the entire state of Gujarat from the heartless taint
Any judicial verdict, including one where investigations had been closely monitored by the Supreme Court, leaves some people disappointed. So it was with the Ahmedabad trial court judgment that exonerated Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the grave charge of conspiracy in the horrible riots that gripped the state in March 2002. In this case, the disappointment was particularly pronounced because the attempt to rule Modi out of active politics through a judicial pronouncement had the fulsome backing of some of the most powerful and influential individuals throughout the world.
Modi may have secured the categorical endorsement of the people of Gujarat for three consecutive assembly elections, but to those who set themselves up as moral guardians of Indian politics, he was forever the “mass murderer” who had to be prevented from assuming higher office at any cost. The trouble with Modi, as they saw it, was that far from limiting the question of culpability to an individual, he had enlarged the number of accused, to include the six crore Gujaratis, for whom he claimed to speak. In that sense, last week’s judgment didn’t merely exonerate the Chief Minister who was at the helm in 2002, it liberated the entire state of Gujarat from a heartless taint.
The people of Gujarat, barring a small number of extremely motivated activists, had maintained a discernible silence for the past 12 years or so. This wasn’t because they were in a state of denial—a little probing reveals that the traumatic events that began with the arson attack on the Sabarmati Express in Godhra haven’t exactly been forgotten. Yet, the reason why rekindling memories of that horrible week wasn’t appreciated—and let us not forget that even the opposition Congress in the state stopped using the 2002 riots as a campaign theme—was because of an earnest desire to look ahead and rebuild the state after two back-to-back tragedies: the earthquake of January 26, 2001 and the riots of March 2002.
This was something that Modi understood and acted upon. Even the chief minister’s worst detractors will not deny that the post-Godhra riots have not been repeated. For a state where communal rioting was endemic throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and where daily life was all about water shortages, power cuts and incessant curfews, a riot-free 12 years has been a stupendous achievement. What is more, this social harmony has been brought about by a new form of politics—one where the state did not tailor its priorities to suit religious communities.
Contrast this unwillingness to view compartmentalise the province into religious units with states, where the thrust of the administration is to shower particular communities with exceptional favours. Gujarat has not had a communal riot since 2002, but such riots have been endemic in Uttar Pradesh, where Akhilesh Yadav practices the most perverse variant of secular-communalism. Contrast the prevailing social equilibrium in Gujarat with the simmering tensions that are being observed in states such as Assam, West Bengal and Bihar.
To the critics of Modi, the chief minister is said to be viscerally anti-Muslim. They have pointed to his opposition to special scholarships for Muslims and the fact that the term Muslim does not appear in the blog that appeared last Friday and even managed to temporarily overshadow the English-language media’s gush-gush coverage of everything to do with the Aam Aadmi Party—the flavour of the festive season.
I am heartened by this omission. This is not because there aren’t many Muslim self-identities. There is and a religious identity should be respected. However, there is a big difference between a socio-religious Muslim identity and its use as a political football. This would be as true of a Hindu identity or a Christian identity—a possible reason why the more menacingly vocal representatives of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad view Modi with deep suspicion, and even hostility. Modi has incurred the displeasure of the certifying authorities of Indian secularism precisely because he has shunned religious characterisation. In a normal place this would have made him too secular; by the logic of the Nehruvian consensus he is labeled majoritarian and, by implication, communal.
The great thing about these labels of abuse is that they are born of expediency. Arvind Kejriwal wasn’t debunked as a Hindu bigot for not including a Muslim and Sikh representative in his cabinet. Nor has anyone with common sense questioned his use of ‘aam aadmi’ because it does not accord a separate place to the religious minorities.
Of course, such intellectual generosity would be unimaginable when applied to Modi. When the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate writes in his blog that “my emphasis has always been on developing and emphasising a spirit of unity,” he is attacked for failing to highlight India’s social mosaic. This mosaic is, needless to say, a reality. The point of contention is whether politics involves disentangling each separate strand or positing the commonality of interests of all India. By suggesting a “vote for India” in the coming general election, Modi is challenging the principle of divisive politics. He is also debunking the construction of aggrieved victimhood which formed the basis of the unrelenting onslaught against him for the past 12 years.
The professional tribe of ambulance chasers who propped up the distressed widow of a former Congress MP who was killed in the 2002 riots weren’t interested in securing the punishment of the real perpetrators of communal violence. They were in the business of creating resentful citizens. That project hasn’t succeeded, but the larger challenge to the emotional balkanisation of India remains.
Any judicial verdict, including one where investigations had been closely monitored by the Supreme Court, leaves some people disappointed. So it was with the Ahmedabad trial court judgment that exonerated Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the grave charge of conspiracy in the horrible riots that gripped the state in March 2002. In this case, the disappointment was particularly pronounced because the attempt to rule Modi out of active politics through a judicial pronouncement had the fulsome backing of some of the most powerful and influential individuals throughout the world.
Modi may have secured the categorical endorsement of the people of Gujarat for three consecutive assembly elections, but to those who set themselves up as moral guardians of Indian politics, he was forever the “mass murderer” who had to be prevented from assuming higher office at any cost. The trouble with Modi, as they saw it, was that far from limiting the question of culpability to an individual, he had enlarged the number of accused, to include the six crore Gujaratis, for whom he claimed to speak. In that sense, last week’s judgment didn’t merely exonerate the Chief Minister who was at the helm in 2002, it liberated the entire state of Gujarat from a heartless taint.
The people of Gujarat, barring a small number of extremely motivated activists, had maintained a discernible silence for the past 12 years or so. This wasn’t because they were in a state of denial—a little probing reveals that the traumatic events that began with the arson attack on the Sabarmati Express in Godhra haven’t exactly been forgotten. Yet, the reason why rekindling memories of that horrible week wasn’t appreciated—and let us not forget that even the opposition Congress in the state stopped using the 2002 riots as a campaign theme—was because of an earnest desire to look ahead and rebuild the state after two back-to-back tragedies: the earthquake of January 26, 2001 and the riots of March 2002.
This was something that Modi understood and acted upon. Even the chief minister’s worst detractors will not deny that the post-Godhra riots have not been repeated. For a state where communal rioting was endemic throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and where daily life was all about water shortages, power cuts and incessant curfews, a riot-free 12 years has been a stupendous achievement. What is more, this social harmony has been brought about by a new form of politics—one where the state did not tailor its priorities to suit religious communities.
Contrast this unwillingness to view compartmentalise the province into religious units with states, where the thrust of the administration is to shower particular communities with exceptional favours. Gujarat has not had a communal riot since 2002, but such riots have been endemic in Uttar Pradesh, where Akhilesh Yadav practices the most perverse variant of secular-communalism. Contrast the prevailing social equilibrium in Gujarat with the simmering tensions that are being observed in states such as Assam, West Bengal and Bihar.
To the critics of Modi, the chief minister is said to be viscerally anti-Muslim. They have pointed to his opposition to special scholarships for Muslims and the fact that the term Muslim does not appear in the blog that appeared last Friday and even managed to temporarily overshadow the English-language media’s gush-gush coverage of everything to do with the Aam Aadmi Party—the flavour of the festive season.
I am heartened by this omission. This is not because there aren’t many Muslim self-identities. There is and a religious identity should be respected. However, there is a big difference between a socio-religious Muslim identity and its use as a political football. This would be as true of a Hindu identity or a Christian identity—a possible reason why the more menacingly vocal representatives of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad view Modi with deep suspicion, and even hostility. Modi has incurred the displeasure of the certifying authorities of Indian secularism precisely because he has shunned religious characterisation. In a normal place this would have made him too secular; by the logic of the Nehruvian consensus he is labeled majoritarian and, by implication, communal.
The great thing about these labels of abuse is that they are born of expediency. Arvind Kejriwal wasn’t debunked as a Hindu bigot for not including a Muslim and Sikh representative in his cabinet. Nor has anyone with common sense questioned his use of ‘aam aadmi’ because it does not accord a separate place to the religious minorities.
Of course, such intellectual generosity would be unimaginable when applied to Modi. When the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate writes in his blog that “my emphasis has always been on developing and emphasising a spirit of unity,” he is attacked for failing to highlight India’s social mosaic. This mosaic is, needless to say, a reality. The point of contention is whether politics involves disentangling each separate strand or positing the commonality of interests of all India. By suggesting a “vote for India” in the coming general election, Modi is challenging the principle of divisive politics. He is also debunking the construction of aggrieved victimhood which formed the basis of the unrelenting onslaught against him for the past 12 years.
The professional tribe of ambulance chasers who propped up the distressed widow of a former Congress MP who was killed in the 2002 riots weren’t interested in securing the punishment of the real perpetrators of communal violence. They were in the business of creating resentful citizens. That project hasn’t succeeded, but the larger challenge to the emotional balkanisation of India remains.
Manmohan Singh to address media on January 3, PMO rules out he's quitting
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the media on January 3, which will be his first formal press conference in nearly five years. The Prime Minister's Office has dismissed speculation that Manmohan Singh will be stepping down ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to take place in the next three-four months.
The press conference is likely to set the tone for the Congress election agenda in 2014. Manmohan Singh will defend his tenure as the Prime Minister and lay the roadmap for the Lok Sabha elections which promises to be a very tough battle with a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) going all out to paint his regime as highly corrupt and inefficient.
He is going to essentially talk about his work in last 10 years as he has often been accused by political rivals of not doing enough and of being a very poor team leader.
Manmohan is also likely to officially opt himself out of the prime minister's race after the 2014 elections. He has done that in the past but officially he is likely to do it again on January 3.
There has been a chorus within the Congress party to nominate party Vice President Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate. Rahul Gandhi has been very active in the recent weeks and has spoken on a host of issues which have been contrary to government's stand particularly on an ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers.
The BJP has already nominated Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate and he has been very aggressively targeting the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and the Prime Minister.
The press conference is likely to set the tone for the Congress election agenda in 2014. Manmohan Singh will defend his tenure as the Prime Minister and lay the roadmap for the Lok Sabha elections which promises to be a very tough battle with a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) going all out to paint his regime as highly corrupt and inefficient.
He is going to essentially talk about his work in last 10 years as he has often been accused by political rivals of not doing enough and of being a very poor team leader.
Manmohan is also likely to officially opt himself out of the prime minister's race after the 2014 elections. He has done that in the past but officially he is likely to do it again on January 3.
There has been a chorus within the Congress party to nominate party Vice President Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate. Rahul Gandhi has been very active in the recent weeks and has spoken on a host of issues which have been contrary to government's stand particularly on an ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers.
The BJP has already nominated Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate and he has been very aggressively targeting the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and the Prime Minister.
Odisha: Mafia controls bonded labour market worth Rs 500 crore
A strong mafia controls bonded slavery in Odisha and almost 3 lakh people are trafficked out of the state every year. The mafia controls the illegal labour market worth over Rs 500 crore with an iron grip.
For people like Nilambar Majhi and Dialu Nial there is no option other than bonded labour. Both belong to families of landless labourers in Kalahandi, and are ideal victims for the middlemen for labour contractors.
ALSO SEE Combat bonded labour, Jairam Ramesh tells Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik
One such middleman told CNN-IBN how families are loaned Rs 10-15,000 for medical treatment or a marriage. Unable to repay, they fall into the bonded labour trap and then entire families are forced to work year after year in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Unable to repay loans taken for marriage or treatment, they fall into the bonded labour trap and are forced to work year after year.
"If the labourers take money and do not go to work then it's our job to threaten them and even beat them up to go to Andhra and Karnataka. We are paid Rs 1,000 per head of labourer sent as commission from the contractor," said an agent who refused to be identified.
Bonded labourers are treated virtually as slaves. They are poorly fed, over-worked and unpaid. Many laborers revealed how anyone trying to escape or protest faced brutal violence.
"My daughter-in-law was pregnant and still she was forced to work. When I protested boiling water was thrown on me by the brick kiln owner," said bonded labourer Sabitri Kumbhar.
There are about 1,500 middlemen active in Bolangir district of Odisha alone, feeding an illegal labour market worth over Rs 500. For a status check, CNN-IBN went to Kantabangi railway station in Bolangir, the hub of such labour trafficking. Hundreds of bonded labourers were seen sitting with their children in the cold, right next to the railway police station with the middlemen and contractor's musclemen guarding them. The police do nothing and sources say that local politicians across parties protect the mafia.
"The dalals (middlemen) and contractors are closely related to the mainstream political parties here and they fully protect them," says Ajit Panda, a social activist on bonded labourers in Nuapada.
Rural employment guarantee schemes are poorly managed and corrupt with Odisha's Labour Minister also helpless in the face of the nexus.
"I agree if the authorities are not hand in gloves these sort of things would not have happened. I would ensure the law which already exist on this is properly implemented and if required new provisions would be added in the law over the issue," Odisha Labour Minister Bijayshree Routray says.
It's because of the nexus between the middlemen, local police and the politicians that bonded labour problem is thriving in Odisha and no matter how much money the government spends on several welfare schemes like NREGA, these poor labourers continue to suffer.
For people like Nilambar Majhi and Dialu Nial there is no option other than bonded labour. Both belong to families of landless labourers in Kalahandi, and are ideal victims for the middlemen for labour contractors.
ALSO SEE Combat bonded labour, Jairam Ramesh tells Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik
One such middleman told CNN-IBN how families are loaned Rs 10-15,000 for medical treatment or a marriage. Unable to repay, they fall into the bonded labour trap and then entire families are forced to work year after year in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Unable to repay loans taken for marriage or treatment, they fall into the bonded labour trap and are forced to work year after year.
"If the labourers take money and do not go to work then it's our job to threaten them and even beat them up to go to Andhra and Karnataka. We are paid Rs 1,000 per head of labourer sent as commission from the contractor," said an agent who refused to be identified.
Bonded labourers are treated virtually as slaves. They are poorly fed, over-worked and unpaid. Many laborers revealed how anyone trying to escape or protest faced brutal violence.
"My daughter-in-law was pregnant and still she was forced to work. When I protested boiling water was thrown on me by the brick kiln owner," said bonded labourer Sabitri Kumbhar.
There are about 1,500 middlemen active in Bolangir district of Odisha alone, feeding an illegal labour market worth over Rs 500. For a status check, CNN-IBN went to Kantabangi railway station in Bolangir, the hub of such labour trafficking. Hundreds of bonded labourers were seen sitting with their children in the cold, right next to the railway police station with the middlemen and contractor's musclemen guarding them. The police do nothing and sources say that local politicians across parties protect the mafia.
"The dalals (middlemen) and contractors are closely related to the mainstream political parties here and they fully protect them," says Ajit Panda, a social activist on bonded labourers in Nuapada.
Rural employment guarantee schemes are poorly managed and corrupt with Odisha's Labour Minister also helpless in the face of the nexus.
"I agree if the authorities are not hand in gloves these sort of things would not have happened. I would ensure the law which already exist on this is properly implemented and if required new provisions would be added in the law over the issue," Odisha Labour Minister Bijayshree Routray says.
It's because of the nexus between the middlemen, local police and the politicians that bonded labour problem is thriving in Odisha and no matter how much money the government spends on several welfare schemes like NREGA, these poor labourers continue to suffer.
Will fight Lok Sabha polls from wherever Rahul Gandhi contests: Kumar Vishwas
“I have got information that Rahul Gandhi may contest from some other constituency, I have decided that I will also contest from the very seat from where Rahul Gandhi will fight the upcoming elections,” said Vishwas.
“I have applied for a Lok Sabha ticket. I am also an aspirant, the two-member Sub-Committee of AAP will decide on the number of seats the party will contest in the elections and the names of the candidates,” he added.
Launching a scathing attack on the Congress scion, Vishwas said, "Rahul Gandhi cannot hide the 10 years of Congress misrule by rolling up his sleeves and tearing a few pieces of papers. He has not asked a single question in Lok Sabha, he was never in the picture whenever an important issue like Lokpal or women security was in the limelight."
Vishwas also dared BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to contest from Amethi.
“I want to tell Narendra Modi that he should stop speaking about Rahul Gandhi for 50 minutes in his one-hour speeches. If he really wants to end Gandhi's stint from Amethi, then let him contest from Amethi. Let Rahul Gandhi, me and Modi contest from Amethi and let people see who wins," he told reporters.
“Narendra Modi had fielded three shehzada (princes) in Delhi, two of them lost while one could hardly win. AAP believes that two persons should not get tickets from the same family,” he added, while accusing Modi of dynastic politics.
“I have applied for a Lok Sabha ticket. I am also an aspirant, the two-member Sub-Committee of AAP will decide on the number of seats the party will contest in the elections and the names of the candidates,” he added.
Launching a scathing attack on the Congress scion, Vishwas said, "Rahul Gandhi cannot hide the 10 years of Congress misrule by rolling up his sleeves and tearing a few pieces of papers. He has not asked a single question in Lok Sabha, he was never in the picture whenever an important issue like Lokpal or women security was in the limelight."
Vishwas also dared BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to contest from Amethi.
“I want to tell Narendra Modi that he should stop speaking about Rahul Gandhi for 50 minutes in his one-hour speeches. If he really wants to end Gandhi's stint from Amethi, then let him contest from Amethi. Let Rahul Gandhi, me and Modi contest from Amethi and let people see who wins," he told reporters.
“Narendra Modi had fielded three shehzada (princes) in Delhi, two of them lost while one could hardly win. AAP believes that two persons should not get tickets from the same family,” he added, while accusing Modi of dynastic politics.
Cabinet clears note to remove former SC judge Ganguly as WBHRC chief
A government note to remove former Supreme Court AK Ganguly as Chairperson, West Bengal Human Rights Commission is ready and expected to be cleared by Union Cabinet on Thursday, Home Ministry sources said. The development took place after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sought Ganguly's removal following allegations of sexually harassing a law intern at a hotel in Delhi.
After the Cabinet approves the proposal, a formal advice will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee to remove Ganguly. Attorney General GE Vahanvati had given his opinion favouring tough action against Ganguly.
There are several allegations against Ganguly including that of sexual harassment, travelling to Pakistan without government clearance and also taking arbitration assignments without prior approval.
In her letter to President Mukherjee, Mamata had claimed that a Delhi-based NGO had paid for Ganguly's visit to Pakistan in June 2013 without government clearance violating WBHRC rules.
After the note is cleared, the President will make a reference to Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam. The Chief Justice of India will then investigate the case and recommend according to the procedures set out in the Protection of Human Rights Act.
Justice Ganguly has steadfastly refused to resign despite demands from the political class, lawyers' bodies and social organisations.
After the Cabinet approves the proposal, a formal advice will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee to remove Ganguly. Attorney General GE Vahanvati had given his opinion favouring tough action against Ganguly.
There are several allegations against Ganguly including that of sexual harassment, travelling to Pakistan without government clearance and also taking arbitration assignments without prior approval.
In her letter to President Mukherjee, Mamata had claimed that a Delhi-based NGO had paid for Ganguly's visit to Pakistan in June 2013 without government clearance violating WBHRC rules.
After the note is cleared, the President will make a reference to Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam. The Chief Justice of India will then investigate the case and recommend according to the procedures set out in the Protection of Human Rights Act.
Justice Ganguly has steadfastly refused to resign despite demands from the political class, lawyers' bodies and social organisations.
After free water, when will Arvind Kejriwal deliver on cheap power?
With Delhi Chief Minsiter Arvind Kejriwal fulfilling his party's promise of providing free supply of 700 litres of water everyday for Delhi households, all eyes are set on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) whether it would deliver on its poll promise of reducing the power tariff by 50 percent in the national capital.
The AAP, has hit the bull's eye by delivering one of the much-vaunted scheme in 48 hours since coming to power, which topped the 18-point agenda of implementation.
Kejriwal on Monday delivered on the AAP's poll promise by announcing 20 kilo litres of free water a month to all metered households. The Congress questioned the move, saying Kejriwal should ensure that every citizen of Delhi gets 700 litres of free water per day.
The government's decision, however, came with a rider that those consuming over this limit will have to pay as per tariff, enhanced by 10 percent, effective January 1.
The promise of 700 litres of free water to every Delhi household was made in the AAP poll manifesto.
The next big challenge for the new political outfit is to fulfill its promise of slashing power tariff by 50 percent.
Ever since Kejriwal formed AAP, he has been focusing his Delhi campaign on reducing power tariff and free water supply.
Experts say that reducing electricity tariffs by 50 percent can only be done only if subsidies are doled out.
“It is unlikely that the utilities can bring down the electricity tariffs by 50 percent without government providing them with cash subsidy,” Debashish Mishra, Senior Director, Deloitte India said.
However, he added that there may be scope for further loss reduction in distribution, demand side management measures and cost optimisation in O&M (Operation & Maintenance).
“In the short run, it will be a viable idea to identify a category of customers where such subsidies can be targeted and their tariffs reduced to the extent promised by AAP,” said Sambitosh Mohapatra, Executive Director, PwC.
He said that broadly the tariff is determined by four factors - existing operational efficiencies, capital and cost structures, power purchase agreements, and regulatory (assured and authorised) assets in the sector.
“In the longer run i.e. over next 5 years, if annual tariff increases is contained at the existing levels by managing the four outlined factors, then effective reduction can be stated to be around 50 per cent,” Mohapatra added.
Electricity tariffs were revised in the Capital in July this year. Delhiites pay a minimum of Rs 3.90 per unit tariff.
AAP has said that it would seek complete statehood for Delhi, special audit of all electricity companies, regularisation of unauthorised colonies, stopping donations in private schools and improving working conditions of contract labour and lowly paid employees.
The AAP, has hit the bull's eye by delivering one of the much-vaunted scheme in 48 hours since coming to power, which topped the 18-point agenda of implementation.
Kejriwal on Monday delivered on the AAP's poll promise by announcing 20 kilo litres of free water a month to all metered households. The Congress questioned the move, saying Kejriwal should ensure that every citizen of Delhi gets 700 litres of free water per day.
The government's decision, however, came with a rider that those consuming over this limit will have to pay as per tariff, enhanced by 10 percent, effective January 1.
The promise of 700 litres of free water to every Delhi household was made in the AAP poll manifesto.
The next big challenge for the new political outfit is to fulfill its promise of slashing power tariff by 50 percent.
Ever since Kejriwal formed AAP, he has been focusing his Delhi campaign on reducing power tariff and free water supply.
Experts say that reducing electricity tariffs by 50 percent can only be done only if subsidies are doled out.
“It is unlikely that the utilities can bring down the electricity tariffs by 50 percent without government providing them with cash subsidy,” Debashish Mishra, Senior Director, Deloitte India said.
However, he added that there may be scope for further loss reduction in distribution, demand side management measures and cost optimisation in O&M (Operation & Maintenance).
“In the short run, it will be a viable idea to identify a category of customers where such subsidies can be targeted and their tariffs reduced to the extent promised by AAP,” said Sambitosh Mohapatra, Executive Director, PwC.
He said that broadly the tariff is determined by four factors - existing operational efficiencies, capital and cost structures, power purchase agreements, and regulatory (assured and authorised) assets in the sector.
“In the longer run i.e. over next 5 years, if annual tariff increases is contained at the existing levels by managing the four outlined factors, then effective reduction can be stated to be around 50 per cent,” Mohapatra added.
Electricity tariffs were revised in the Capital in July this year. Delhiites pay a minimum of Rs 3.90 per unit tariff.
AAP has said that it would seek complete statehood for Delhi, special audit of all electricity companies, regularisation of unauthorised colonies, stopping donations in private schools and improving working conditions of contract labour and lowly paid employees.
Despite Russia suicide attacks, IOC confident of safe Sochi Games
Just weeks before the crucial Sochi Games are to begin, Russia was stunned by two suicide attacks that killed a total of 31 people within a span of 48 hours, triggering a high alert in the country.
Under pressure for ensuring the security in wake of the Winter Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the security to be stepped up, especially at all the railway stations and airports across the country.
The attacks that come just weeks before the crucial Winter Olympics at Sochi, which is scheduled in February, have posed a serious question mark on the security risks near the Games venue that is situated just 700 kms off the volatile North Caucasus region.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach wrote to Russia's Putin expressing “confidence in the Russian authorities to deliver safe and secure Games in Sochi."
Condemning the bombings as "a despicable attack on innocent people”, he said, "The entire international movement joins me in utterly condemning this cowardly act".
“I am certain that everything will be done to ensure the security of the athletes and all the participants of the Olympic Games,” he added.
Russia urged the international community to co-operate in wake of the suicide attacks, and vowed to fight the terrorists.
"We will not back down and will continue our tough and consistent offensive" against terrorists, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It added that the attack was planned keeping in mind the occasion of New Year to instil fear and chaos in Russians.
"This strike, which was cynically planned for the period of preparations for New Year's celebrations, is one more attempt by terrorists to open a domestic front, sow panic and chaos, and trigger religious strife and conflicts in Russian society," said the statement.
A day after the attack on a railway station in Russia's Volgograd that killed 17 people, another blast took place on a trolleybus in the same city on Monday, killing 14 people.
While the Sunday's attack is said to have been carried out by a male suicide bomber, the attack on the trolleybus is being blamed on a male suicide bomber whose fragments have been collected and sent for the genetic testing to help in his identification.
The two attacks, thought to be the acts of terror, might be linked, said the country's Investigated Committee, citing that the explosives used in both the blasts were identical.
Most of the terror attacks in Russia have been staged by the suicide bombers, mainly female suicide bombers called as the Black Widows (who generally attack to avenge the death of their husbands killed in the troubled North Caucasus region.
Before Volgograd attack, another suicide bombing in the southern Russian city of Pyatigorsk last week had killed three people.
Also in October, Volgograd had witnessed a bus suicide attack which had killed six people.
Even that attack was carried by a 'Black Widow', a female bomber who wanted to avenge the death of her husband.
The attacks are seen as the manifestation of the threat delivered by a Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov, who in July this year had condemned Russia for hosting Sochi Games, which he called as a “Satanic Dance”.
He had vowed to stop the Games from proceeding in Sochi, pledging attacks against civilian targets.
He instructed his followers “to use maximum force on the path of Allah to disrupt this Satanic dancing.”
"They plan to hold the Olympics on the bones of our ancestors, on the bones of many, many dead Muslims, buried on the territory of our land on the Black Sea," Umarov had said in a video.
Umarov is the leader of a Chechen separatist group Caucasus Emirate', and the US State Department has announced a $5mn bounty for anyone informing about his whereabouts.
Though no one has so far claimed responsibility for Volgograd attacks, Umarow's group had owned up the 2011 bombing of Domodedovo Airport in Moscow that killed 37 people.
Under pressure for ensuring the security in wake of the Winter Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the security to be stepped up, especially at all the railway stations and airports across the country.
The attacks that come just weeks before the crucial Winter Olympics at Sochi, which is scheduled in February, have posed a serious question mark on the security risks near the Games venue that is situated just 700 kms off the volatile North Caucasus region.
Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach wrote to Russia's Putin expressing “confidence in the Russian authorities to deliver safe and secure Games in Sochi."
Condemning the bombings as "a despicable attack on innocent people”, he said, "The entire international movement joins me in utterly condemning this cowardly act".
“I am certain that everything will be done to ensure the security of the athletes and all the participants of the Olympic Games,” he added.
Russia urged the international community to co-operate in wake of the suicide attacks, and vowed to fight the terrorists.
"We will not back down and will continue our tough and consistent offensive" against terrorists, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It added that the attack was planned keeping in mind the occasion of New Year to instil fear and chaos in Russians.
"This strike, which was cynically planned for the period of preparations for New Year's celebrations, is one more attempt by terrorists to open a domestic front, sow panic and chaos, and trigger religious strife and conflicts in Russian society," said the statement.
A day after the attack on a railway station in Russia's Volgograd that killed 17 people, another blast took place on a trolleybus in the same city on Monday, killing 14 people.
While the Sunday's attack is said to have been carried out by a male suicide bomber, the attack on the trolleybus is being blamed on a male suicide bomber whose fragments have been collected and sent for the genetic testing to help in his identification.
The two attacks, thought to be the acts of terror, might be linked, said the country's Investigated Committee, citing that the explosives used in both the blasts were identical.
Most of the terror attacks in Russia have been staged by the suicide bombers, mainly female suicide bombers called as the Black Widows (who generally attack to avenge the death of their husbands killed in the troubled North Caucasus region.
Before Volgograd attack, another suicide bombing in the southern Russian city of Pyatigorsk last week had killed three people.
Also in October, Volgograd had witnessed a bus suicide attack which had killed six people.
Even that attack was carried by a 'Black Widow', a female bomber who wanted to avenge the death of her husband.
The attacks are seen as the manifestation of the threat delivered by a Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov, who in July this year had condemned Russia for hosting Sochi Games, which he called as a “Satanic Dance”.
He had vowed to stop the Games from proceeding in Sochi, pledging attacks against civilian targets.
He instructed his followers “to use maximum force on the path of Allah to disrupt this Satanic dancing.”
"They plan to hold the Olympics on the bones of our ancestors, on the bones of many, many dead Muslims, buried on the territory of our land on the Black Sea," Umarov had said in a video.
Umarov is the leader of a Chechen separatist group Caucasus Emirate', and the US State Department has announced a $5mn bounty for anyone informing about his whereabouts.
Though no one has so far claimed responsibility for Volgograd attacks, Umarow's group had owned up the 2011 bombing of Domodedovo Airport in Moscow that killed 37 people.
Trent shares gain after panel approves Tesco deal
Shares in supermarket chain Trent(TREN.NS) rose 3.9 percent a day after the foreign investment regulator approved a $110 million investment plan by Britain's Tesco(TSCO.L).
Tesco this month took the initial steps to becoming the first foreign company to set up a chain of supermarkets in India's $500 billion retail sector after announcing it had applied to buy a 50 percent stake in Tata Group's Trent Hypermarket.
Tesco this month took the initial steps to becoming the first foreign company to set up a chain of supermarkets in India's $500 billion retail sector after announcing it had applied to buy a 50 percent stake in Tata Group's Trent Hypermarket.
US to proceed with prosecution of Devyani Khobragade
The US is proceeding with the prosecution of senior Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade and has no intention to withdraw the case of visa fraud against her.
US sources here said today that more evidence was being gathered against the 39-year-old diplomat before the indictment is filed. The deadline for indictment is January 13.
There is no question of apology to India over the arrest of Khobragade, the then Deputy Consul General of India, in New York on December 12 which has led to strong protests by the Indian government and widepread indignation in India.
The Indian government has demanded withdrawal of the case and an apology for the treatmet meted out to the diplomat.
US sources here said today that more evidence was being gathered against the 39-year-old diplomat before the indictment is filed. The deadline for indictment is January 13.
There is no question of apology to India over the arrest of Khobragade, the then Deputy Consul General of India, in New York on December 12 which has led to strong protests by the Indian government and widepread indignation in India.
The Indian government has demanded withdrawal of the case and an apology for the treatmet meted out to the diplomat.
Monday, December 30, 2013
A good book can rewire your brain
The scientists behind a novel study into reading say that when we immerse ourselves into a work of fiction, lingering changes occur in the connectivity of our brains. The intriguing new findings, by researchers at Emory University, have been published in the journal Brain Connectivity.
"Stories shape our lives and in some cases help define a person," says neuroscientist Gregory Berns, lead author of the study. "We want to understand how stories get into your brain, and what they do to it." His research, conducted over 19 consecutive days, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the after-effects of reading a "gripping" narrative.
For the study, all the subjects read the novelPompeii, a 2003 thriller by Robert Harris that is based on the real-life eruption of Mount Vesuvius in ancient Italy. Berns says he chose this book because of its page-turning plot. "It depicts true events in a fictional and dramatic way," he explained. "It was important to us that the book had a strong narrative line."
For the first five days, the participants came in each morning for a base-line fMRI scan of their brains in a resting state. Then they were given nine sections of the novel, about 30 pages each, over a nine-day period. They were asked to read the assigned section in the evening, and come in the following morning. After finishing the assigned reading, the participants underwent an fMRI scan of their brain in a non-reading, resting state. After completing all nine sections of the novel, the participants returned for five more mornings to undergo additional scans in a resting state.
Berns says the results showed heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, on the mornings following the reading assignments. "Even though the participants were not actually reading the novel while they were in the scanner, they retained this heightened connectivity," he noted. "We call that a 'shadow activity,' almost like a muscle memory."
Heightened connectivity was also seen in the central sulcus of the brain, the primary sensory motor region of the brain. Neurons of this region have been associated with tricking the mind into thinking it is doing something it is not, a phenomenon known as grounded cognition. "The neural changes that we found associated with physical sensation and movement systems suggest that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist," Berns says. "We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else's shoes in a figurative sense. Now we're seeing that something may also be happening biologically."
The researchers found the changes persisted for at least the five days of scanning after the participants completed the novel. "It remains an open question how long these neural changes might last," Berns says. "But the fact that we're detecting them over a few days for a randomly assigned novel suggests that your favorite novels could certainly have a bigger and longer-lasting effect on the biology of your brain."
"Stories shape our lives and in some cases help define a person," says neuroscientist Gregory Berns, lead author of the study. "We want to understand how stories get into your brain, and what they do to it." His research, conducted over 19 consecutive days, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the after-effects of reading a "gripping" narrative.
For the study, all the subjects read the novelPompeii, a 2003 thriller by Robert Harris that is based on the real-life eruption of Mount Vesuvius in ancient Italy. Berns says he chose this book because of its page-turning plot. "It depicts true events in a fictional and dramatic way," he explained. "It was important to us that the book had a strong narrative line."
For the first five days, the participants came in each morning for a base-line fMRI scan of their brains in a resting state. Then they were given nine sections of the novel, about 30 pages each, over a nine-day period. They were asked to read the assigned section in the evening, and come in the following morning. After finishing the assigned reading, the participants underwent an fMRI scan of their brain in a non-reading, resting state. After completing all nine sections of the novel, the participants returned for five more mornings to undergo additional scans in a resting state.
Berns says the results showed heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, on the mornings following the reading assignments. "Even though the participants were not actually reading the novel while they were in the scanner, they retained this heightened connectivity," he noted. "We call that a 'shadow activity,' almost like a muscle memory."
Heightened connectivity was also seen in the central sulcus of the brain, the primary sensory motor region of the brain. Neurons of this region have been associated with tricking the mind into thinking it is doing something it is not, a phenomenon known as grounded cognition. "The neural changes that we found associated with physical sensation and movement systems suggest that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist," Berns says. "We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else's shoes in a figurative sense. Now we're seeing that something may also be happening biologically."
The researchers found the changes persisted for at least the five days of scanning after the participants completed the novel. "It remains an open question how long these neural changes might last," Berns says. "But the fact that we're detecting them over a few days for a randomly assigned novel suggests that your favorite novels could certainly have a bigger and longer-lasting effect on the biology of your brain."
Dhoom 3 continues golden run, box office collections touch Rs 300 crore
Aamir Khan-starrer Dhoom 3 continues with its golden run, reaching triple century mark with the box office collections of Rs 300 core worldwide in only eight days.
Dhoom 3's collections till Friday (December 27) in India alone stood at 199.08 cr nett. The film had already bagged more than Rs 100 core in overseas collections by Thursday (Decemebr 26). Dhoom 3's week 1 figure stands at Rs 294.26 crore (worldwide)
Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted: “#Dhoom 3 language-wise breakup [Week 2; Fri]: Hindi Rs 188.77 crore, Tamil & Telugu Rs 10.31 crore. Grand total: Rs 199.08 crore nett. India biz only,” he added.
“Here's *Week 1* total of #Dhoom3: India Rs 188.98 crore + Overseas Rs 105.28 crore [$ 17.02 million]. Worldwide total,” tweeted Adarsh.
'Dhoom 3', starring Aamir Katrina Kaif and Abhishek Bachchan, has already smashed the opening day and opening weekend collection records in India, which were set by Shah Rukh Khan's 'Chennai Express' and Hrithik Roshan's 'Krrish 3'. 'Krrish 3' is the highest grosser of 2013 so far, collecting Rs 244.47 crore since its release. The film is now set to challenge the four-year-old record held by the Aamir Khan’s previous all-time blockbuster film '3 Idiots' that grossed Rs 56 crore in its second week. Chennai Express, the highest-ever domestic grosser at Rs 208 crore, collected around Rs 39 crore in its second week.
Looking at Dhoom 3's collection spree, the film is likely to become the highest ever grosser of all time domestically by surpassing records of Chennai Express and 3 Idiots (Rs 204 crore).
The Yash Raj Films produced Dhoom 3 has collected Rs 200 crore worldwide in its first weekend, while Salman Khan-starrer Dabangg 2, released a year ago, was the first film to hit Rs 100 crore mark in the first weekend, showing how fast the industry has been growing in less than a year.
'Dhoom 3' breaks box office collections records, this time in Pakistan
Previously only 3 Idiots and Ek Tha Tiger had managed to join the Rs 300 crore club. Now, it is very likely that Dhoom 3 will cross the Rs 400-crore mark.
'Dhoom 3' has broken box office collections records in Pakistan in the first week of its release. The movie has collected $1,171,800 (Rs 7.25 crore) becoming the biggest opener ever in that country. Dhoom 3 has also bagged about $4,293,000 (Rs 26.57 crore) in UAE and other Gulf countries.
Dhoom 3 is also set overtake '3 Idiots' as the highest grosser in the in USA and Canada. The movie has so far collected $5,755,000 (Rs 35.61 crore) in the first week.
Dhoom 3, third offering from the 'Dhoom' franchise has already become the highest grosser in Australia and New Zealand. The business of 'Dhoom 3', however, was limited in the international markets as majority of cinemas were closed on December 25 due to Christmas holiday.
Here's the total box office collections of 'Dhoom 3' for first five days in India:
Day 1 (Friday): Rs 36.22 crore
Day 2 (Saturday): Rs 33.36 crore
Day 3 (Sunday): Rs 38.03 crore
Day 4 (Monday ): Rs 21.71 crore
Day 5 (Tuesday): Rs 20.14 crore
Day 6 (Wednesday): Rs 25.52 crore
Day 7 (Thursday): Rs 14.01 crore
Day 8 (Friday): Rs 10.10 crore
Dhoom 3's collections till Friday (December 27) in India alone stood at 199.08 cr nett. The film had already bagged more than Rs 100 core in overseas collections by Thursday (Decemebr 26). Dhoom 3's week 1 figure stands at Rs 294.26 crore (worldwide)
Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted: “#Dhoom 3 language-wise breakup [Week 2; Fri]: Hindi Rs 188.77 crore, Tamil & Telugu Rs 10.31 crore. Grand total: Rs 199.08 crore nett. India biz only,” he added.
“Here's *Week 1* total of #Dhoom3: India Rs 188.98 crore + Overseas Rs 105.28 crore [$ 17.02 million]. Worldwide total,” tweeted Adarsh.
'Dhoom 3', starring Aamir Katrina Kaif and Abhishek Bachchan, has already smashed the opening day and opening weekend collection records in India, which were set by Shah Rukh Khan's 'Chennai Express' and Hrithik Roshan's 'Krrish 3'. 'Krrish 3' is the highest grosser of 2013 so far, collecting Rs 244.47 crore since its release. The film is now set to challenge the four-year-old record held by the Aamir Khan’s previous all-time blockbuster film '3 Idiots' that grossed Rs 56 crore in its second week. Chennai Express, the highest-ever domestic grosser at Rs 208 crore, collected around Rs 39 crore in its second week.
Looking at Dhoom 3's collection spree, the film is likely to become the highest ever grosser of all time domestically by surpassing records of Chennai Express and 3 Idiots (Rs 204 crore).
The Yash Raj Films produced Dhoom 3 has collected Rs 200 crore worldwide in its first weekend, while Salman Khan-starrer Dabangg 2, released a year ago, was the first film to hit Rs 100 crore mark in the first weekend, showing how fast the industry has been growing in less than a year.
'Dhoom 3' breaks box office collections records, this time in Pakistan
Previously only 3 Idiots and Ek Tha Tiger had managed to join the Rs 300 crore club. Now, it is very likely that Dhoom 3 will cross the Rs 400-crore mark.
'Dhoom 3' has broken box office collections records in Pakistan in the first week of its release. The movie has collected $1,171,800 (Rs 7.25 crore) becoming the biggest opener ever in that country. Dhoom 3 has also bagged about $4,293,000 (Rs 26.57 crore) in UAE and other Gulf countries.
Dhoom 3 is also set overtake '3 Idiots' as the highest grosser in the in USA and Canada. The movie has so far collected $5,755,000 (Rs 35.61 crore) in the first week.
Dhoom 3, third offering from the 'Dhoom' franchise has already become the highest grosser in Australia and New Zealand. The business of 'Dhoom 3', however, was limited in the international markets as majority of cinemas were closed on December 25 due to Christmas holiday.
Here's the total box office collections of 'Dhoom 3' for first five days in India:
Day 1 (Friday): Rs 36.22 crore
Day 2 (Saturday): Rs 33.36 crore
Day 3 (Sunday): Rs 38.03 crore
Day 4 (Monday ): Rs 21.71 crore
Day 5 (Tuesday): Rs 20.14 crore
Day 6 (Wednesday): Rs 25.52 crore
Day 7 (Thursday): Rs 14.01 crore
Day 8 (Friday): Rs 10.10 crore
Farooq Sheikh’s final journey today in the evening
The last rites of the legendary actor Farooq Sheikh will be held today in the evening. Farooq Sheikh passed away on Saturday evening in Dubai and his body will be brought to India for the funeral.
“His body will be brought here after completing the formalities in Dubai, by tomorrow afternoon, approximately at 4 pm. Then from 5 pm to 7pm the body will be kept for people to pay their last respects. And after that last rites will be performed,” Sheikh’s close friend, actor Satish Shah said.
Farooq Sheikh died at the age of 65 due to cardiac arrest in Dubai. He had been to Dubai with his family for a concert.
He is best remembered for his performances in films like ‘Garm Hava’, ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’, ‘Chashme Buddoor’ and ‘Kissi Se Na Kehna’. “He has passed away,” a family member told PTI, without disclosing any further details.
He was in Dubai for a concert when he suffered a massive stroke. He is a noted TV, film and theatre personality. He debuted in Bollywood with ‘Garm Hava’ and delivered many hits. He was last seen playing the role of Ranbir Kapoor’s father in ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ and was also seen in 'Club 60'.
He also hosted popular chat show in Zee TV show “Jeena issi ka naam hai” in which he interviewed many Bollywood celebrities.
His sudden demise shocked Bollywood.
May his soul rest in peace!
“His body will be brought here after completing the formalities in Dubai, by tomorrow afternoon, approximately at 4 pm. Then from 5 pm to 7pm the body will be kept for people to pay their last respects. And after that last rites will be performed,” Sheikh’s close friend, actor Satish Shah said.
Farooq Sheikh died at the age of 65 due to cardiac arrest in Dubai. He had been to Dubai with his family for a concert.
He is best remembered for his performances in films like ‘Garm Hava’, ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’, ‘Chashme Buddoor’ and ‘Kissi Se Na Kehna’. “He has passed away,” a family member told PTI, without disclosing any further details.
He was in Dubai for a concert when he suffered a massive stroke. He is a noted TV, film and theatre personality. He debuted in Bollywood with ‘Garm Hava’ and delivered many hits. He was last seen playing the role of Ranbir Kapoor’s father in ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ and was also seen in 'Club 60'.
He also hosted popular chat show in Zee TV show “Jeena issi ka naam hai” in which he interviewed many Bollywood celebrities.
His sudden demise shocked Bollywood.
May his soul rest in peace!
Saif Ali Khan shows sparks of brilliance in every film: Kareena Kapoor
Kareena will be next seen alongside Ajay Devgn in Rohit Shetty's 'Singham 2'. Kareena has worked with Ajay in several films.
Kareena Kapoor
Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan feels her husband Saif Ali Khan shows sparks of brilliance in every film.
"I have seen 'Bullett Raja' and I loved it. I will be biased always towards my family. I think Saif was brilliant - I loved him in the film. He is such a fine actor, he is just brilliant. He shows sparks of brilliance in every film he does, whether the film does well or not, he is amazing in the film.
"He has naturally got flair, personality, I think people love his on screen personality," Kareena told PTI.
Kareena will be next seen alongside Ajay Devgn in Rohit Shetty's 'Singham 2'. Kareena has worked with Ajay in several films.
"I will start shooting for it in February," she said.
There were reports that Kareena would not be doing Hrithik Roshan starrer 'Shuddhi' and Deepika Padkuone has replaced her, but both the producer Karan Johar and director Karan Malhotra rubbished the gossip.
On this, Kareena said: "This is just the way of media, they like to highlight and say things. My stand is to stay unaffected by all this."
Kareena Kapoor
Actress Kareena Kapoor Khan feels her husband Saif Ali Khan shows sparks of brilliance in every film.
"I have seen 'Bullett Raja' and I loved it. I will be biased always towards my family. I think Saif was brilliant - I loved him in the film. He is such a fine actor, he is just brilliant. He shows sparks of brilliance in every film he does, whether the film does well or not, he is amazing in the film.
"He has naturally got flair, personality, I think people love his on screen personality," Kareena told PTI.
Kareena will be next seen alongside Ajay Devgn in Rohit Shetty's 'Singham 2'. Kareena has worked with Ajay in several films.
"I will start shooting for it in February," she said.
There were reports that Kareena would not be doing Hrithik Roshan starrer 'Shuddhi' and Deepika Padkuone has replaced her, but both the producer Karan Johar and director Karan Malhotra rubbished the gossip.
On this, Kareena said: "This is just the way of media, they like to highlight and say things. My stand is to stay unaffected by all this."
Suchitra Sen's health condition deteriorates, shifted to critical care unit
The condition of iconic Bengali actress Suchitra Sen, undergoing treatment in a private nursing home here following a chest infection, deteriorated late Sunday night, and she was transferred to the critical care unit (CCU).
"Her heartbeat has become high. The two lungs are congested. We are trying to reduce the heartbeat," the nursing home sources said here.
Sen, 83, was admitted to the nursing home Tuesday after she complained of breathlessness. However, the sources said, till now there was no cause of anxiety.
"Her heartbeat has become high. The two lungs are congested. We are trying to reduce the heartbeat," the nursing home sources said here.
Sen, 83, was admitted to the nursing home Tuesday after she complained of breathlessness. However, the sources said, till now there was no cause of anxiety.
Amitabh Bachchan's house get cop cover after Abu Azmi remark
Following Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Azmi’s remark on actor Amitabh Bachchan, surveillance near the superstar’s residences in Juhu has been increased. On December 25, Azmi had remarked that Bachchan sharing the dais with Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray was an insult to millions of North Indians.
Anticipating protests by workers of (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) following the ‘truce’ between Thackeray and Bachchan, police have provided additional security at the latter’s bungalows.
“As a precautionary measure, we have deployed our men at Jalsa, Prateeksha and Janak — the three bungalows of Bachchan. We have deployed more police officers around the area to ensure there is no commotion from the general public because of the remark,” said a senior police officer.
The officer added that since the SP and BSP are upset with the patch-up between Thackeray and Bachchan, their workers may resort to any activity disturbing law and order.
Bachchan and Thackeray had shared a dias at the seventh anniversary of his party’s movie industry wing Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena (MNCKS) recently.
Thackeray had earlier targeted Bachchan for becoming the brand ambassador of Uttar Pradesh.
Wife Jaya Bachchan too incurred MNS’s wrath when she said that being from Uttar Pradesh she would prefer to speak in Hindi rather than in Marathi.
Azmi had said that the actor’s appearance at the MNS function was an “insult” to North Indians. The actor should clarify whether Thackeray had accepted only him or all the North Indians, he had said. According to police, BSP had indicated that it would stage a demonstration outside the actor’s bungalow.
Anticipating protests by workers of (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) following the ‘truce’ between Thackeray and Bachchan, police have provided additional security at the latter’s bungalows.
“As a precautionary measure, we have deployed our men at Jalsa, Prateeksha and Janak — the three bungalows of Bachchan. We have deployed more police officers around the area to ensure there is no commotion from the general public because of the remark,” said a senior police officer.
The officer added that since the SP and BSP are upset with the patch-up between Thackeray and Bachchan, their workers may resort to any activity disturbing law and order.
Bachchan and Thackeray had shared a dias at the seventh anniversary of his party’s movie industry wing Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena (MNCKS) recently.
Thackeray had earlier targeted Bachchan for becoming the brand ambassador of Uttar Pradesh.
Wife Jaya Bachchan too incurred MNS’s wrath when she said that being from Uttar Pradesh she would prefer to speak in Hindi rather than in Marathi.
Azmi had said that the actor’s appearance at the MNS function was an “insult” to North Indians. The actor should clarify whether Thackeray had accepted only him or all the North Indians, he had said. According to police, BSP had indicated that it would stage a demonstration outside the actor’s bungalow.
Apple Inc. (AAPL): $1,000 Is Calling Again, For Some
Last year some were saying Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) would hit $1,000 a share. This year investors and analysts are being more cautious in light of the company’s fall from its high of $705 in September 2012. But not everyone feels the need to be cautious. Writing on The Street, Rocco Pendola explains why he thinks—contrary to his view last year—that $1,000 a share isn’t out of the question for Apple now.
Volatility in Apple shares
The writer believes that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will stop “being a volatile battleground stock” in 2014 and predicts that it will run “in a straight line” up to $1,000 a share. One of the main catalysts he sees is Apple’s earnings report in January, which covers the important holiday shopping season. He expects that both the iPad Air and the iPad Mini with Retina display will have ruled the season.
There’s certainly little doubt that tablets were one of the hottest gifts during the holidays, but just how hot were Apple’s tablets? The Guardian reported this week that IDC’s latest numbers showed that the iPad grabbed a 38% share of the tablet market during the holiday shopping season. That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at, as Android tablets attracted a collective 56% of the tablet market. However, this is the first year since the original iPad came out that Apple’s tablet wasn’t the top-selling tablet in sales in the U.K. Like the smartphone market, it would seem as if growth is shifting toward the low end of the market.
What’s up for Apple in 2014?
So will Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares hit $1,000 in 2014? Of course it’s hard for anyone to say, but even Apple bear Brian White has just a $777 per share price target on the company, suggesting that even he doesn’t think $1,000 is in the cards for Apple in the next 12 months. Nonetheless, the company does have opportunities galore for the next year, from the newly signed deal with China Mobile Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) (HKG:941) to rumored new products like the iTV and iWatch, if they happen to become a reality in 2014.
So is $1,000 a share possible? Of course. Is it likely in 2014? The stock would have to go on a tremendous tear to get there from where it is now, but if Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) does deliver a product which gets investors as excited as they were about Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) at its initial product offering, then it could get close.
Volatility in Apple shares
The writer believes that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will stop “being a volatile battleground stock” in 2014 and predicts that it will run “in a straight line” up to $1,000 a share. One of the main catalysts he sees is Apple’s earnings report in January, which covers the important holiday shopping season. He expects that both the iPad Air and the iPad Mini with Retina display will have ruled the season.
There’s certainly little doubt that tablets were one of the hottest gifts during the holidays, but just how hot were Apple’s tablets? The Guardian reported this week that IDC’s latest numbers showed that the iPad grabbed a 38% share of the tablet market during the holiday shopping season. That’s certainly nothing to sneeze at, as Android tablets attracted a collective 56% of the tablet market. However, this is the first year since the original iPad came out that Apple’s tablet wasn’t the top-selling tablet in sales in the U.K. Like the smartphone market, it would seem as if growth is shifting toward the low end of the market.
What’s up for Apple in 2014?
So will Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares hit $1,000 in 2014? Of course it’s hard for anyone to say, but even Apple bear Brian White has just a $777 per share price target on the company, suggesting that even he doesn’t think $1,000 is in the cards for Apple in the next 12 months. Nonetheless, the company does have opportunities galore for the next year, from the newly signed deal with China Mobile Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:CHL) (HKG:941) to rumored new products like the iTV and iWatch, if they happen to become a reality in 2014.
So is $1,000 a share possible? Of course. Is it likely in 2014? The stock would have to go on a tremendous tear to get there from where it is now, but if Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) does deliver a product which gets investors as excited as they were about Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) at its initial product offering, then it could get close.
Fog hits flight schedules
Low visibility due to fog led to disruption in flight schedules at the NSC Bose Airport in Kolkata early on Sunday. According to airport officials, flight operations began around 8.00 a.m., instead of the scheduled 5.30 a.m. . A number of flights were either delayed or diverted. However, the situation improved as the day progressed.
IT, banking, agri-biz to be key job creators in 2014: Assocham
Information technology, banking and agriculture-related businesses are going to be among the key job creating sectors in 2014, according to a study by industry body Assocham.
"Information Technology (IT), pharmaceuticals, banking and agri-related industries such as farm equipment, fertilisers and seeds, will remain the largest employment generation sectors in 2014," the chamber said in its study.
All these sectors will stand out despite the present state of the economy where net employment is being lost and not created in a large majority of sectors.
IT will remain the net aggregator of jobs in 2014 due to recovery in the US economy, it said.
"The US economy is showing signs of improvement... A large number of American firms are expected to increase their IT spend as consumer sales pick up there," it added.
Continuous pressure on rupee will help increase the net income of IT companies and they will keep hiring, it pointed out.
"Since our economy still remains a good mix of organised and unorganised, large corporate and small enterprises, a large number of people in rural India are dependent on agriculture and tertiary industries; there are inherent and inbuilt strengths which come handy when the chips are down," Assocham President Rana Kapoor said.
Pharma sector will continue to hire in 2014. But because of some setbacks and tightening of regulations in the US and some other markets, the companies will have to invest more in improving their manufacturing and Research & Development.
Further, the study said that agri-based industries are expected to do better in 2014 on the back of a good rabi crop.
"The positive spin off would be evident in a whole lot of industries which are directly linked such as tractor and farm equipment manufacturers, irrigation firms and those involved in developing and selling seeds and fertilisers", it said.
On banking, the study said that 2014 is expected to be a better year for the sector.
"The NPAs would be reduced since the focus is very much there on the issue and there are signs of recovery in some segments of the economy. Besides, a huge number of backlog vacancies have to be filled up in public sector banks."
For the private banking sector, new licenses, which are likely to be given before April, will throw up new job opportunities.
While the new banks will leverage technology, job opportunities will arise both in brick and mortar as also in development and implementation of technology solutions, the study added.
"Information Technology (IT), pharmaceuticals, banking and agri-related industries such as farm equipment, fertilisers and seeds, will remain the largest employment generation sectors in 2014," the chamber said in its study.
All these sectors will stand out despite the present state of the economy where net employment is being lost and not created in a large majority of sectors.
IT will remain the net aggregator of jobs in 2014 due to recovery in the US economy, it said.
"The US economy is showing signs of improvement... A large number of American firms are expected to increase their IT spend as consumer sales pick up there," it added.
Continuous pressure on rupee will help increase the net income of IT companies and they will keep hiring, it pointed out.
"Since our economy still remains a good mix of organised and unorganised, large corporate and small enterprises, a large number of people in rural India are dependent on agriculture and tertiary industries; there are inherent and inbuilt strengths which come handy when the chips are down," Assocham President Rana Kapoor said.
Pharma sector will continue to hire in 2014. But because of some setbacks and tightening of regulations in the US and some other markets, the companies will have to invest more in improving their manufacturing and Research & Development.
Further, the study said that agri-based industries are expected to do better in 2014 on the back of a good rabi crop.
"The positive spin off would be evident in a whole lot of industries which are directly linked such as tractor and farm equipment manufacturers, irrigation firms and those involved in developing and selling seeds and fertilisers", it said.
On banking, the study said that 2014 is expected to be a better year for the sector.
"The NPAs would be reduced since the focus is very much there on the issue and there are signs of recovery in some segments of the economy. Besides, a huge number of backlog vacancies have to be filled up in public sector banks."
For the private banking sector, new licenses, which are likely to be given before April, will throw up new job opportunities.
While the new banks will leverage technology, job opportunities will arise both in brick and mortar as also in development and implementation of technology solutions, the study added.
Bangladesh opposition party adopts Gandhian way, to stage sit-in protests
Bangladesh's main opposition party BNP today announced that it would stage non-stop sit-in protests like Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha across the country until the general election scheduled for 5 January was not scrapped. The announcement came hours after police prevented opposition leader Khaleda Zia from leaving her house here to address a banned mass march. "We will protest (against the government's move) taking position on the roads, railways and waterways like Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha," BNP's vice-president Hafizuddin Ahmed told a press conference at the National Press Club here. Khaleda Zia. Reuters "This is not a new idea," Ahmed said referring to Gandhi who had introduced the Satyagraha or nonviolent resistance to fight colonial British regime in India. Ahmed said activists of the BNP-led 18-party alliance would gather on the roads, railways and waterways until the 5 January polls were shelved. BNP's 'Dhaka March' will continue tomorrow, he added.
"Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia will lead the demonstration." Shortly after the media briefing, police arrested Ahmed as he came out from the club. Earlier in the day, police detained Zia's advisor Enam Ahmed Chowdhury as a part of its campaign to prevent opposition activists assembly in front of the party office in Nayapaltan area. Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam claimed that the opposition failed to rally supports for its planned march and accused Zia of "acting out a drama to go to Nayapaltan". "You (journalists) had made serious headlines (about the march). But what happened? Nothing happened. Her (Zia's) party leaders and activists and people didn't turn up," Islam told a media briefing. "Zia has failed again. Because this programmes are not approved of by the people."
Meanwhile, Premier Sheikh Hasina today criticised a section of the country's "eminent citizens" who suggested that the government should defer the polls. "They (civil society) have called for halting the polls seemingly to invite unconstitutional force...whenever the unconstitutional forces assumes power the importance of theirs increases," Hasina said in a reference to military-backed regimes. The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance is boycotting the polls and political violence during nationwide strikes and blockades enforced by the opposition have left over 120 people dead and crippled the economy since November. Besides the alliance, a key ally of Hasina's Awami League party has also boycotted the polls. Hasina, however, insists the vote will go ahead as planned.
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/world/bdesh-opposition-party-adopts-gandhian-way-to-stage-sit-in-protests-1313215.html?utm_source=ref_article
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/world/bdesh-opposition-party-adopts-gandhian-way-to-stage-sit-in-protests-1313215.html?utm_source=ref_article
Devyani case: US initiates inter-agency review
Cornered in Devyani Khobragade case, US has initiated inter-agency review. Reportedly, India's tough stand in the case has shocked the US authorities. Meanwhile, India questioned 'commercial activities' in the US embassy which could lead to a freeze on duty-free imports.
The authorities feel that duty-free import facilities are being misused by "non-diplomatic personnel", including private firms and friends of the US embassy. Last week, India had cancelled ID cards issued to US diplomats in India and their family members and curtailed all privileges allotted to them. India cited that no such privilege is available to diplomats working in the US.
Devyani Khobragade, an Indian diplomat in New York, was arrested on December 12 on charges of visa fraud. She was forced to undergo strip-search and was ill-treated at the prison.
Read more at: http://news.oneindia.in/india/devyani-case-us-initiates-inter-agency-review-1367375.html
Read more at: http://news.oneindia.in/india/devyani-case-us-initiates-inter-agency-review-1367375.html
Indian Mujahideen wanted nuclear bomb from Pakistan to explode it in Surat, reveals Yasin Bhatkal
Indian Mujahideen mastermind Yasin Bhatkal alias Ahmad Zarar Siddibappa has told his police interrogators that his outfit was planning to acquire and detonate " a small nuclear bomb" on Surat .
The Times of India quoting interrogation reports said, Bhatkal told his interrogators that he had asked his boss Riyaz Bhatkal over telephone whether he could arrange "a small nuclear bomb".
Yasin Bhatkal, arrested on August 27 in Pokhra, Nepal, has revealed: "Anything can be arranged in Pakistan. Riyaz told me attacks can be done with nuclear bombs. I requested him to look for a nuclear bomb for Surat."
Yasin, according to the report, said :"Riyaz told me Muslims would also die in the blast, to which I said that we would paste posters in mosques asking every Muslim to quietly evacuate their families from the city."
National Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau and special cell policemen from different states have been interrogating Bhatkal for the last four months.
Strategists however take Bhatkal's claim with a pinch of salt given the strong mechanisms that are in place both in Pakistan and India to secure their respective nuclear arsenals.
The newspaper report said Surat was always on Yasin Bhatkal's radar and he had played an important role in preparing 27 bombs along with Atif Ameen in 2008, when serial blasts rocked Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
Bhatkal has revealed that IM cadres are regularly given army-level training in Pakistan like handling of pistols, revolvers, AK-47 and explosives, apart from light machine guns, self-loading rifles, and sniper rifles.
The Times of India quoting interrogation reports said, Bhatkal told his interrogators that he had asked his boss Riyaz Bhatkal over telephone whether he could arrange "a small nuclear bomb".
Yasin Bhatkal, arrested on August 27 in Pokhra, Nepal, has revealed: "Anything can be arranged in Pakistan. Riyaz told me attacks can be done with nuclear bombs. I requested him to look for a nuclear bomb for Surat."
Yasin, according to the report, said :"Riyaz told me Muslims would also die in the blast, to which I said that we would paste posters in mosques asking every Muslim to quietly evacuate their families from the city."
National Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau and special cell policemen from different states have been interrogating Bhatkal for the last four months.
Strategists however take Bhatkal's claim with a pinch of salt given the strong mechanisms that are in place both in Pakistan and India to secure their respective nuclear arsenals.
The newspaper report said Surat was always on Yasin Bhatkal's radar and he had played an important role in preparing 27 bombs along with Atif Ameen in 2008, when serial blasts rocked Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
Bhatkal has revealed that IM cadres are regularly given army-level training in Pakistan like handling of pistols, revolvers, AK-47 and explosives, apart from light machine guns, self-loading rifles, and sniper rifles.
Meet on Child Sexual Crimes
Underlining the role of the police and media in protecting children from sexual offences, High Court chief justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta has said that sexual offences against children have shot up in the last 20 years and such offences have to be curbed by creating awareness among the parents to protect their children.
The Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority and the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy (APPA) jointly conducted a sensitisation programme for the stakeholders on Protection of Child from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 at APPA here on Sunday.
Addressing the gathering, justice Sengupta said that elaborate discussions needed to be held on sexual offences on child at schools, rural localities, hospitals to create awareness among the parents and others to prevent such offences. “Media and police have to play a key role in preventing such offences,” the chief justice said but cautioned the media to publish such news after confirming the information whether it is bona fide or not.
Director-general of police B Prasada Rao said that hundreds of children were getting addicted to vices due to neglect by their parents who both worked and spent more time in office than at home. More and more children were losing their parental affection as they were being taken care of by maids and wardens, he said.
‘’Addiction to surfing on the Internet, mobile phones, TV and films might have been one of the reasons for the children to acquire vices. When police receive complaints of child sexual harassment, they should take serious action against the accused and provide better medical facilities to the victims with the assistance of district child welfare officials,” the DGP said.
The Andhra Pradesh State Legal Services Authority and the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy (APPA) jointly conducted a sensitisation programme for the stakeholders on Protection of Child from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 at APPA here on Sunday.
Addressing the gathering, justice Sengupta said that elaborate discussions needed to be held on sexual offences on child at schools, rural localities, hospitals to create awareness among the parents and others to prevent such offences. “Media and police have to play a key role in preventing such offences,” the chief justice said but cautioned the media to publish such news after confirming the information whether it is bona fide or not.
Director-general of police B Prasada Rao said that hundreds of children were getting addicted to vices due to neglect by their parents who both worked and spent more time in office than at home. More and more children were losing their parental affection as they were being taken care of by maids and wardens, he said.
‘’Addiction to surfing on the Internet, mobile phones, TV and films might have been one of the reasons for the children to acquire vices. When police receive complaints of child sexual harassment, they should take serious action against the accused and provide better medical facilities to the victims with the assistance of district child welfare officials,” the DGP said.
Villagers lynch boy for stealing tobacco, phone recharge coupon
A 14-year-old boy died and another was injured after they were mercilessly beaten up by a mob, led by a deputy sarpanch, which accused them of theft at Thari village in Bihar's Purnia district on Sunday, police said.
Accusing the duo of stealing 'gutkha' (tobacco) and a phone recharge coupon worth Rs 50 from a shop, villagers led by Thari panchayat deputy sarpanch Manoj Tiwari mercilessly beat up the two after hanging them upside down with a tree due to which Chotu Kumar (14) died while Pintu Kumar sustained injuries, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajit Kumar Satyarthi said.
The body has been sent for post-mortem and the injured admitted to hospital, he said.
Villagers lynch boy for stealing tobacco, phone recharge coupon
A named FIR has been lodged against eight persons all of whom are absconding, Satyarthi said, adding that raids were being carried out to nab them.
During preliminary probe, it has emerged that accused had imposed Rs 12,000 penalty on each of the families of the two victims, but they expressed helplessness to meet the demand citing poor financial condition, he said.
Accusing the duo of stealing 'gutkha' (tobacco) and a phone recharge coupon worth Rs 50 from a shop, villagers led by Thari panchayat deputy sarpanch Manoj Tiwari mercilessly beat up the two after hanging them upside down with a tree due to which Chotu Kumar (14) died while Pintu Kumar sustained injuries, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajit Kumar Satyarthi said.
The body has been sent for post-mortem and the injured admitted to hospital, he said.
Villagers lynch boy for stealing tobacco, phone recharge coupon
A named FIR has been lodged against eight persons all of whom are absconding, Satyarthi said, adding that raids were being carried out to nab them.
During preliminary probe, it has emerged that accused had imposed Rs 12,000 penalty on each of the families of the two victims, but they expressed helplessness to meet the demand citing poor financial condition, he said.
Kumar Vishwas challenges Narendra Modi to contest against him
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas confirmed on Sunday that he will contest Lok Sabha election from Amethi and challenged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to contest against him.
Speaking at a news conference here, Vishwas took a swipe at Narendra Modi and said: “I will be going to Amethi because the people of that area want to challenge the concept of dynastic politics. The people of Amethi want me to contest from that area, which is why I am going there.
“I will also appeal to Narendra Modi that he should not speak about Rahul Gandhi for 50 minutes in his one-hour speeches.,,,,,. If he really wants Rahul Gandhi relinquish his reign from Amethi, let him himself contest from Amethi.. Let Rahul Gandhi, me and Modi contest from Amethi and let people see who wins," said Vishwas.
However, his comments did not go down well with other political leaders in India.
A BJP lawmaker, Kirti Azad, said India gives everyone the right to contest from more than one place. Exercising that factor, Vishwas can contest from wherever he wants.
"Why should Kumar Vishwas contest from one place? He can contest from two and so can the people from his party. Every individual in India, whether or not associated with a political party, can contest in the elections. Why doesn't he say that he will also contest from Darbhanga," he said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav, said there is no competition for a person with the stature of Rahul Gandhi.
"In front of Rahul Gandhi, people like Arvind Kejriwal and Narendra Modi are nothing. Rahul Gandhi is Rahul Gandhi. The kind of thing people like Narendra Modi did, what is that? You have given them the mileage," said Yadav.
Speaking candidly on the entire issue, a leader of Janata Dal-United (JD-U), Sabir Ali, called Vishwas loud-mouthed and said he should refrain from making such statements.
"This is being loud-mouthed. If you win 28 seats in Delhi, it does not mean that you will rule the entire country. In any case, Kumar Vishwas is habitual of being loud-mouthed. He crosses the limits. He even lacks the decency of talking on camera. He forgets what our culture is. In spite of being a poet and a writer, he does not know what culture and tradition is," said Ali.
Speaking at a news conference here, Vishwas took a swipe at Narendra Modi and said: “I will be going to Amethi because the people of that area want to challenge the concept of dynastic politics. The people of Amethi want me to contest from that area, which is why I am going there.
“I will also appeal to Narendra Modi that he should not speak about Rahul Gandhi for 50 minutes in his one-hour speeches.,,,,,. If he really wants Rahul Gandhi relinquish his reign from Amethi, let him himself contest from Amethi.. Let Rahul Gandhi, me and Modi contest from Amethi and let people see who wins," said Vishwas.
However, his comments did not go down well with other political leaders in India.
A BJP lawmaker, Kirti Azad, said India gives everyone the right to contest from more than one place. Exercising that factor, Vishwas can contest from wherever he wants.
"Why should Kumar Vishwas contest from one place? He can contest from two and so can the people from his party. Every individual in India, whether or not associated with a political party, can contest in the elections. Why doesn't he say that he will also contest from Darbhanga," he said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav, said there is no competition for a person with the stature of Rahul Gandhi.
"In front of Rahul Gandhi, people like Arvind Kejriwal and Narendra Modi are nothing. Rahul Gandhi is Rahul Gandhi. The kind of thing people like Narendra Modi did, what is that? You have given them the mileage," said Yadav.
Speaking candidly on the entire issue, a leader of Janata Dal-United (JD-U), Sabir Ali, called Vishwas loud-mouthed and said he should refrain from making such statements.
"This is being loud-mouthed. If you win 28 seats in Delhi, it does not mean that you will rule the entire country. In any case, Kumar Vishwas is habitual of being loud-mouthed. He crosses the limits. He even lacks the decency of talking on camera. He forgets what our culture is. In spite of being a poet and a writer, he does not know what culture and tradition is," said Ali.
F1 world champion Michael Schumacher in 'coma' after being injured in skiing accident in Alps: Reports
The hospital said in a statement that the German driver "required an immediate neurosurgical operation".
Michael Schumacher. - Getty Images
The F1 world champion Michael Schumacher is in a critical condition after being injured in a skiing accident in the Alps, southeast France, local channel BFM reported, citing the RMC Sport as the source.
The 44-year-old German F1 world champion suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and was in a "severe head coma" when he was transferred to the University Hospital Center of Grenoble at the mid-day, Xinhua reported Monday citing media reports.
The hospital said in a statement that the German driver "required an immediate neurosurgical operation".
The tragedy occurred when Schumacher was skiing on a helmet in Meribel resort, he fell sharply and hit a rock with his head.
He was immediately transported by helicopter to hospital in Moutiers, Savoie, before being moved to the hospital in Grenoble.
Michael Schumacher. - Getty Images
The F1 world champion Michael Schumacher is in a critical condition after being injured in a skiing accident in the Alps, southeast France, local channel BFM reported, citing the RMC Sport as the source.
The 44-year-old German F1 world champion suffered a cerebral haemorrhage and was in a "severe head coma" when he was transferred to the University Hospital Center of Grenoble at the mid-day, Xinhua reported Monday citing media reports.
The hospital said in a statement that the German driver "required an immediate neurosurgical operation".
The tragedy occurred when Schumacher was skiing on a helmet in Meribel resort, he fell sharply and hit a rock with his head.
He was immediately transported by helicopter to hospital in Moutiers, Savoie, before being moved to the hospital in Grenoble.
Life insurers line up 500 schemes for launch in 2014
As many as 500 new insurance schemes are all set to hit the market in the next couple of months, following the approval of industry regulator IRDA as part of its new guidelines applicable from January 1, 2014.
The regulator has cleared over 500 products in line with the new design norms which are being introduced by the domestic life insurers, an IRDA official said adding that most insurers have already redesigned their products and also obtained approvals.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) had issued new guidelines to make policies more customer-friendly.
The new guidelines have introduced three broad categories of products - traditional insurance plans, variable insurance plans (VIPs) and unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs).
Insurance behemoth LIC has already decided to stop selling as many as 48 insurance plans, including Jeevan Anand, Jeevan Madhur and Jeevan Saral, to comply with new regulatory guidelines, and planned to unveil a slew of new insurance schemes.
Private sector insurer Reliance Life Insurance has lined up over two dozen new insurance schemes, which include protection and retirement, for their launch in the next three months.
"We will begin selling 13-14 of our key products, which are compliant with the new product guidelines from January 1, 2014," Reliance Life Insurance CEO Anup Rau said, adding traditional plans will contribute 80 per cent while the ULIPs will contribute around 20 per cent to the top-line in the new product environment.
Aviva Life Insurance has already launched 13 products that are compliant with the new traditional product guidelines.
Another player Max Life Insurance has plans to launch four new products by the first week of January in line with the revised IRDA guidelines. The company has already launched 13 products.
"Of the 17 products for which we have clearance, 13 have already been re-launched. Another four will be introduced next month," said V Viswanand, Director and Head, Product Solutions Management, Max Life Insurance.
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has received approvals for its individual and group insurance plans under the new product guidelines and planned to launch three new insurance schemes.
"We are launching three new insurance plans which will cover the needs of individuals at their different life-stages and will be launching a suite of online and channel specific insurance plans by next month," Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Managing Director and CEO Anuj Agarwal.
HDFC Life will make available 21 products to consumers from 1st January 2014 which will be compliant with new regulations issued by IRDA. Others including ICICI Prudential, Birla Sun Life, Tata AIA and SBI Life are also planning to launch their product suit next month.
The regulator has cleared over 500 products in line with the new design norms which are being introduced by the domestic life insurers, an IRDA official said adding that most insurers have already redesigned their products and also obtained approvals.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) had issued new guidelines to make policies more customer-friendly.
The new guidelines have introduced three broad categories of products - traditional insurance plans, variable insurance plans (VIPs) and unit-linked insurance plans (ULIPs).
Insurance behemoth LIC has already decided to stop selling as many as 48 insurance plans, including Jeevan Anand, Jeevan Madhur and Jeevan Saral, to comply with new regulatory guidelines, and planned to unveil a slew of new insurance schemes.
Private sector insurer Reliance Life Insurance has lined up over two dozen new insurance schemes, which include protection and retirement, for their launch in the next three months.
"We will begin selling 13-14 of our key products, which are compliant with the new product guidelines from January 1, 2014," Reliance Life Insurance CEO Anup Rau said, adding traditional plans will contribute 80 per cent while the ULIPs will contribute around 20 per cent to the top-line in the new product environment.
Aviva Life Insurance has already launched 13 products that are compliant with the new traditional product guidelines.
Another player Max Life Insurance has plans to launch four new products by the first week of January in line with the revised IRDA guidelines. The company has already launched 13 products.
"Of the 17 products for which we have clearance, 13 have already been re-launched. Another four will be introduced next month," said V Viswanand, Director and Head, Product Solutions Management, Max Life Insurance.
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has received approvals for its individual and group insurance plans under the new product guidelines and planned to launch three new insurance schemes.
"We are launching three new insurance plans which will cover the needs of individuals at their different life-stages and will be launching a suite of online and channel specific insurance plans by next month," Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Managing Director and CEO Anuj Agarwal.
HDFC Life will make available 21 products to consumers from 1st January 2014 which will be compliant with new regulations issued by IRDA. Others including ICICI Prudential, Birla Sun Life, Tata AIA and SBI Life are also planning to launch their product suit next month.
Arvind Kejriwal likely to take decision on free water today
Arvind Kejriwal is unwell and is likely to work from home on Monday, his third day as Delhi's chief minister. He is expected to decide today on the scheme to provide 700 litres of free water to every Delhi household.
Mr Kejriwal, who has retained key portfolios in the Delhi government, had promised water-related developments today and those related to the power ministry on Tuesday.
He has also sought 10 days to put systems in place so that he can address grievances of different sections of people who have been gathering outside his Ghaziabad home since he was sworn in on Saturday.
Reaching water to every home in Delhi is one of Mr Kejriwal's key election promises. AAP says it will ensure that every household gets 700 litres of water free and anyone who uses more than that will have to pay.
The proposed scheme has been criticised as untenable and expensive and one that will lead to wastage of water, but Mr Kejriwal's party has argued that it will in fact encourage water conservation as those who use more than the free amount will pay substantially more.
Mr Kejriwal worked through the weekend, though he has high fever. On Sunday, he met several top bureaucrats from the power, water and planning departments.
Among those who flocked to have their problems solved by the 45-year-old chief minister were unpaid Kingfisher Airlines employees, contractual workers of the Delhi Transport Corporation and part-time teachers.
"Give us a week, 10 days to settle down and put our systems in place. It shouldn't be like this that we accept your problems but are unable to take it forward and solve it," Mr Kejriwal said.
The police had to be called in to control the huge crowds.
Metal detectors and cops have now been posted at the new Chief Minister's Kaushambi residence; Mr Kejriwal, who has refused personal security, says this is only to facilitate crowd management.
Mr Kejriwal, who has retained key portfolios in the Delhi government, had promised water-related developments today and those related to the power ministry on Tuesday.
He has also sought 10 days to put systems in place so that he can address grievances of different sections of people who have been gathering outside his Ghaziabad home since he was sworn in on Saturday.
Reaching water to every home in Delhi is one of Mr Kejriwal's key election promises. AAP says it will ensure that every household gets 700 litres of water free and anyone who uses more than that will have to pay.
The proposed scheme has been criticised as untenable and expensive and one that will lead to wastage of water, but Mr Kejriwal's party has argued that it will in fact encourage water conservation as those who use more than the free amount will pay substantially more.
Mr Kejriwal worked through the weekend, though he has high fever. On Sunday, he met several top bureaucrats from the power, water and planning departments.
Among those who flocked to have their problems solved by the 45-year-old chief minister were unpaid Kingfisher Airlines employees, contractual workers of the Delhi Transport Corporation and part-time teachers.
"Give us a week, 10 days to settle down and put our systems in place. It shouldn't be like this that we accept your problems but are unable to take it forward and solve it," Mr Kejriwal said.
The police had to be called in to control the huge crowds.
Metal detectors and cops have now been posted at the new Chief Minister's Kaushambi residence; Mr Kejriwal, who has refused personal security, says this is only to facilitate crowd management.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
NASA Beware Red Storm Rising
NASA, China has a moon landing under it’s belt; could this be a sign of a red storm rising?On Dec. 1, China launched the Chang’e-3 lunar probe. It was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center using a Long March-3B rocket. It soft landed on the moon on Dec. 14 in preparation for exploring for natural resources and carrying out geological surveys. It’s only the third country to achieve a soft landing behind the Unites States and the former Soviet Union.
Once the Chang’e-3 landed on the moon it lowered a ramp and Yutu, which means Jade Rabbit, rolled into action. The Jade Rabbit moon rover is set to explore the Bay of Rainbows for the next three months.
The Chang’e-3 is the latest part of a Chinese space program that has been very busy of late. In 2007 they launched their Chang’e-1, a moon orbiter. In 2010 they launched the Chang’e-2, another moon orbiter. In June of this year they put three taikonauts in space and docked with an experimental space laboratory. Chang’e-4 is slated for 2017 and will possibly pave the way for the Chinese to put astronauts on the moon. Following that is a proposed large space station, possibly up and running by 2020. They are thinking big, with a future lunar base for taikonauts and even manned missions to Mars.
It’s a very impressive show of power, which is intended. It’s also an equally impressive show of technology. With the precision that the Chang’e-3 has shown in the last couple of weeks come questions of how the Chinese might use that technology in the future. NASA and other eyes will be focused on the Jade Rabbit as it explores the lunar landscape. To produce a vehicle that can withstand temperatures of minus 180 degrees and go to sleep and wake up on command from earth requires very sophisticated technology. The Jade Rabbit also has a thermal control system that can maintain the rover during the night which is extremely important considering one lunar night equals 14 days on earth.
If that is the kind of technology being developed today, imagine what it will be like in 10, 20, or even 30 years down the road. Apply that same technology to satellites, communications, missiles, anti-missile systems, and other space related technology. Picture how advanced all these systems will become. What China is accomplishing here is very impressive. The Chang’e-3 is much more than a moon landing, it’s showing the world that they should be taken seriously; they’re showing NASA and the world that a red storm is rising.
The Americans were last on the moon in 1972; will they return? With their attention firmly on Mars many believe they will not. The Russians are in a rebuilding phase which leaves questions regarding the future of their program. The Europeans want to put a lunar lander on the moon’s south pole in 2018. India launched a spacecraft to Mars this year and wants to put a man on the moon by 2020. Space is becoming quite busy.
As for the Chinese, could this be a red storm rising, or just another moon landing? Whichever the case with each successive mission new technology is gleaned and advances are made. Can NASA and the other space superpowers afford to watch from the sidelines? It looks like there could be a space brawl brewing with the Chinese in one corner, the Europeans potentially in another, the Russians in a third, and the Americans rounding out the ring. Astronauts, cosmonauts, taikonauts, put your helmets on, shake hands, and may the friendliest nation win.
Formula One champion Schumacher injured in ski accident
Retired seven-times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher suffered a head injury in a fall while skiing off-piste in the French Alps resort of Meribel on Sunday, an official said.
"He has been taken to a hospital in Moutiers," the resort director, Christophe Gernigon-Lecomte, told Reuters.
The 44-year-old German was wearing a helmet and was conscious during the transport to hospital, he added, suggesting that Schumacher was less seriously injured than initial media reports had indicated.
"He fell around 11:00 am and hit a rock with his head," Gernigon-Lecomte said.
"It seems that he has suffered a head trauma, but I would not say how serious it is. He was conscious but very agitated while being taken to hospital."
Schumacher, whose birthday is on Jan 3, is the most successful Formula One driver of all time with a record 91 victories among his achievements. He won his titles with Benetton and Ferrari.
He left the sport last year after a three-year comeback with Mercedes following an earlier retirement from Ferrari at the end of 2006. The German lives in Switzerland with his wife and two children.
Defending champion Shiva settles for silver in Luge Asia Cup
India`s Shiva Keshavan failed to retain his title in the 16th Luge Asia Cup as he settled for the silver in Nagano, Japan on Sunday.
Keshavan, who won the title in 2011 and 2012 editions, clocked a total time of 1:39:750 seconds for two heats in the Winter Olympics event. The Indian, who has qualified for the February 7-23 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, clocked the best start time and was leading in both runs until the mid section of the track, the fourth intermediate time. However, he lost the leading position in the last two splits to Japan`s Hidenari Kanayama who won gold with a total time of 1:38:675 seconds.
Keshavan, however, retained his Asian speed record of 134.3 kmph which he had clocked in the 2011 edition held in the same Japanese city.
He said the race gave him the idea on which areas he needs to make improvements ahead of the Winter Olympics. "This race made us identify our strengths and areas that need improvement. Good news is we have a clear understanding of what we need to do to win an Olympic medal. So we can work towards that goal. The challenge is achieving it without a full-time coach or a full year budget for training," he said.
Keshavan said during the two-week training stint in Nagano, he had been fine-tuning his equipment by making minor to major changes everyday and testing them.
He said he had struggled with the equipment setup all week and the runs during training were not up to the mark as he had to deal with handling difficulties to manoeuvre the sled without fishtailing in the faster corners.
"I am very happy to be bringing silver to India. At one point we seemed far behind the competition but we kept making progress one small step at a time all week and kept fighting until the very last day. I am most satisfied that I managed to put down two solid runs on the race day and my start has been better than previous years.
"I seem to be losing a lot of time due to aerodynamics and some handling issues in the faster section but that is something that we will continue to work on," he said.
Keshavan, who won the title in 2011 and 2012 editions, clocked a total time of 1:39:750 seconds for two heats in the Winter Olympics event. The Indian, who has qualified for the February 7-23 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, clocked the best start time and was leading in both runs until the mid section of the track, the fourth intermediate time. However, he lost the leading position in the last two splits to Japan`s Hidenari Kanayama who won gold with a total time of 1:38:675 seconds.
Keshavan, however, retained his Asian speed record of 134.3 kmph which he had clocked in the 2011 edition held in the same Japanese city.
He said the race gave him the idea on which areas he needs to make improvements ahead of the Winter Olympics. "This race made us identify our strengths and areas that need improvement. Good news is we have a clear understanding of what we need to do to win an Olympic medal. So we can work towards that goal. The challenge is achieving it without a full-time coach or a full year budget for training," he said.
Keshavan said during the two-week training stint in Nagano, he had been fine-tuning his equipment by making minor to major changes everyday and testing them.
He said he had struggled with the equipment setup all week and the runs during training were not up to the mark as he had to deal with handling difficulties to manoeuvre the sled without fishtailing in the faster corners.
"I am very happy to be bringing silver to India. At one point we seemed far behind the competition but we kept making progress one small step at a time all week and kept fighting until the very last day. I am most satisfied that I managed to put down two solid runs on the race day and my start has been better than previous years.
"I seem to be losing a lot of time due to aerodynamics and some handling issues in the faster section but that is something that we will continue to work on," he said.
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