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US Blinks, To Give Pakistan 85 Mini-Drones: Graft Shadow Over Lokpal Panel Civil Society Backs Bhushans
US Blinks, To Give Pakistan 85 Mini-Drones: Graft Shadow Over Lokpal Panel Civil Society Backs Bhushans
US Blinks, To Give Pakistan 85 Mini-Drones: Graft Shadow Over Lokpal Panel Civil Society Backs Bhushans
Bollywood 16
Travel 18
Spiritual Awareness 30
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Questions about Obamas birth never cease Humor, Page 28
Raven is non-lethal, short range drone Pakistan is expected to receive roughly $3 billion in U.S. military aid in the upcoming fiscal year. As for sniping, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Wednesday accused Pakistans ISI of a having a longstanding relationship with Haqqani militants targeting US forces in Afghanistan. The White House said in a report to Congress released this month Pakistan Continued on page 4.....
Presaging the difficulty over Lokpal bill contents, the selection of the drafting panel is itself mired in controversy. ing a press conference in the capital said: No one is going to resign. He was referring to allegations against the joint committee co-chair Shanti Bhushan and his lawyer son and panel member, Prashant Bhushan, of wrong-doing in land deals in Noida and Allahabad, which they have vigorously denied. However, former Supreme Court judge N. Santosh Hegde, who is also a panel member, and is Karnataka ombudsman, said he was hurt by the remarks of Congress leader Digvijay Singh that he had not been able to curb corruption in the state. Continued on page 4.....
South Asian Times Gold breaks $1,500 barrier completes 3 successful years
London: The price of gold topped $1,500 an ounce for the first time on Wednesday as a weakened dollar plus fears over high inflation and countries' debt attracted investors to the safe haven precious metal. Silver meanwhile reached a 31-year high of $44.5 an ounce. "Gold remains comfortably underpinned with short-term inflation pressures and economic woes triggering some fresh safe haven inflows," said a commodities analyst at Russian financial group VTB Capital. Continued on page 4..... Hicksville: Launched in April 2008, The South Asian Times has continued to grow by leaps and bounds. The community has taken it into their hearts and homes, making it one of the most read and admired weekly newspapers for Indian Americans in a short span of three years. Moreover, due to its trendsetting clean concept, concise coverage of news and events of interest to the community, journalistic objectivity, value-driven content and advertising, the SATimes has earned Front page of the inaugural issue of immaculate reputation of coffee Continued on page 4..... the paper dated April 18-25, 2008.
offered to serve the Baba for his entire life and rose to become his personal caregiver. Even as doctors were attending Continued on page 4.....
Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer lous details. It is a heartfelt book - but not sentimental, P.M. Sukumar, head of HarperCollins India, said. Mukherjees wife Sarah Sze is a sculptor. The couple has two young daughters. A Rhodes Scholar, Mukherjee graduated from Stanford University, University of Oxford and from Harvard Medical School. Three eminent personalities of Indian origin have previously won a Pulitzer. They include Gobind Behari Lal for journalism in 1937, Jhumpa Lahiri for fiction (Interpreters of Maladies) in 2000 and Geeta Anand in 2003 for her work on Pompe disease. The Pulitzers are administered by Columbia University.
ture being that each year a different Permanent Mission (PR) to the UN hosts the event, complete with religious and cultural events, with the cooperation of other Member States. This year, the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in New York is hosting the commemorative events for the Sambuddhathva Jayanthi and Vesak Day. On May 16, the commemoration starts in the morning with alms offering to 150 Buddhist monks from all over the world at the Dag Hammarskjold Park, opposite the UN headquarters. The UN General Assembly will have a session on the significance of the event, followed by an in-
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announcing the concert series. Mineola: Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano and Canon U.S.A. announced Tuesday that the International Music Nights concert series in Eisenhower Park will take place in June instead of being spread over the summer. The International Music Nights series is a great Nassau County tradition, but this year were changing it around a little by establishing a dedicated month of music and culture to honor the range of ethnic groups that help make our County so dynamic, said Mangano. The free concert series, this year renamed International Music Nights Month, is presented by the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums, with support from Lake Success-based Canon U.S.A., Inc. This years series will feature 21 concerts at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, with starting times of approximately 7 p.m. Eisenhower Park is located in East Meadow. Here is the schedule of South Asian nights. * Friday, June 3 South Asian American Night * Saturday, June 4 Bangladeshi American Night * Saturday, June 11 Pakistani American Night * Monday, June 13 Punjabi American Night * Sunday, June 19 Indian American Night
Charanams group will perform Carnatic Jazz at the Arbor Festival on May 1 in the afternoon at Queens Botanical Gardens in Flushing. Charanams is a young, world music, cross-genre band that performs a blend of Carnatic South Indian classical & jazz style.
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ily members and Andhra Pradesh government representatives Geeta Reddy and L V Subramanyam (principal secretary, finance), the trust and family members agreed to and maintain public decorum. Gold story from page 1 Gold began its surge towards $1,500 on Monday after ratings agency Standard & Poor's revised its outlook on US sovereign debt to "negative" from "stable." Metals consultancy GFMS had forecast last week that the gold price would soar past $1,600 this year, driven primarily by fears over high inflation. South Asian Times story from page 1 table newspaper of upscale households in the affluent Indian community of the New York tristate area. Special issues and exclusive coverage over the past three years such as of Harvard India Conference, Wharton India Economic Forum, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Indias Independence Day and Republic Day, Holi and Diwali have been highly appreciated by the readers. The e-edition of the SATimes has taken its reach to four corners of the world. It also became perhaps the first Indian American publication to have a website updated daily, taking it to the top in terms of unique visitors and page-views. It is also the only paper available in over 400 public libraries in the tristate area. The SATimes is owned by Forsythe Media Group, which is gradually diversifying into public relations and media marketing. It was founded by Kamlesh Mehta and Saroosh Gull.
from the Caribbean islands and Guyana who have settled in the Richmond Hill area. On Friday, Earth Day, prominent Hindu leaders plan to join park rangers in a cleanup of the beach, close by Kennedy International Airport. Park officials, wary of dictating matters of faith, have reached out to Hindu temples, gently encouraging members to pray at the waters but to leave nothing there for the gods. And many Hindus have obliged. lished a number of articles and is a regular columnist for the Mirror Newspaper. He was also a member of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and a Bureau member of that organization and a serving member of Guyanas National Assembly since 1992. Sunny Thakkar and Sangeetsabha present an Indian classical vocal concert by Shri Shounak Abhisheki accompanied by Harshad Kanetkar on tabla and Uday Kulkarni on harmonium at Yoga Works studio, 138 5th Avenue, between 18th and 19th street, Manhattan, on April 30th at 8 pm. For tickets call: Sunny Thakkar 516-817-4601, email : sneh198@hotmail.com or sangeetsabhanyc@gmail.com.
Donald Ramotar Mr Ramotar has had extensive experience within the party and has represented the party on numerous occasions overseas. He has pub-
Meeting hosted by Ambassador Meera Shankar with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association AAHOA on April 13, 2011 at the Embassy of India, Washington, DC
Roni Yaaris Inner Spirit Dance Co to perform at the event Guests get to indulge in a delightful souk full of gifts to buy, from beautiful jewelry by Dagmar to accessories for Spring. Over 200 women are expected to attend this annual event which spotlights the girl child. Proceeds will benefit the children of sex workers in the Kalighat area in Kolkata.
Aseemblyman Upendra J Chivukula the same manner as the appropriation for a county library. This legislation does not result in any increased taxes, but changes the way the minimum library appropriation is displayed to the public. It is a very positive piece of legislation. Tumulty added, the Library Champion Award is our way of saying thank you for supporting New Jerseys public libraries.
Dharun Ravi New York Daily News reported. Once Clementis Sep 22, 2010, suicide became public, Ravi asked witnesses not to implicate him and gave misleading information to investigators, Kaplan said. According to the indict-
Nalini Bhavnani and Dr. Hiroo Pahlajani singing at the Cheti Chand celebration in South Jersey er, with Sindhis from local ber of AAPI (Asian American area organized the event. Dr Physicians of India) plays a Sunder Mansukhani, past prominent role in promoting President and founding mem- the Sindhi culture and events.
The 15th Wharton India Economic Forum presents India: Gaining Momentum
C.P. Gurnani, Robert O. Blake, Jr., Vinod Dham and Varun Gandhi to address students and professionals at WIEF
Philadelphia, PA: The student leadership committee of the Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) announced that the 15th WIEF will be held at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue Hotel in Philadelphia on April 22, 2011. The Wharton India Economic Forum is among the oldest and largest student run conferences focusing on Indian business and economy. The committee invites the public to gain insights from some of the world's top business leaders including prominent speakers: Robert O. Blake, Jr. (Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asia Bureau, U.S Department of State), Varun Gandhi (Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha), Vinod Dham (coinventor of the Pentium chip) Bunty Bohra (CEO Goldman Sachs India), Anoop Prakash (Managing Director, HarleyDavidson India), and C. P. Gurnani (CEO of Mahindra Satyam). Registration is available at http://www.whartonindia.com.T he theme for the conference is: India: Gaining Momentum. The conference will bring together leaders from around the world to highlight India's key strengths - from innovation and business to arts and culture, while opening up for debate the issues India must overcome to continue its upward trajectory and remain competitive in today's global environment. Panelists will participate in numerous panels, a few of which are Finance, Infrastructure, Energy, and Luxury Retail. At the previous year s conference, over 800 attendees dissected the theme: India: Breaking Boundaries, gaining an appreciation for the strides the Indian economy has made recently. Keynote speakers included dignitaries such as Praful Patel (Minister of Heavy Industry) and Sachin Pilot (Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and IT, Government of India), businessmen such as Aditya Puri (MD, HDFC Bank) and Atul Punj (Chairman, Punj Lloyd), and entertainers such as Anil Kapoor, and Vidya Balan.
Rahul Richard Verma at the State Department, Clinton said: 'Richard has just been our superb point person on the Hill. He hasn't just been an absolutely, exemplary deal-closer and problemsolver, he has been a counselor and friend in the truest sense of the
A Bollywood inspired remix of her hit new single is available now of the song. The climax of the track features a Punjabi breakdown, with vocals by Lomaticc and Sunny Brown. Culture Shock, the producers of this remix, have produced Desi/Bollywood remixes for a laundry list of artists, such as Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Sean Paul, Jay Sean and Alesha Dixon.
The lecture focused on educating parents on the healthy vegetarian changes they could make in childrens lives. said Dr. Yogi Mehta, a general practitioner and volunteer in Ohio. I wanted to live a more spiritually centered life as a Hindu, and my diet had to change. To keep up my stamina and muscle mass I needed to make sure my diet was rich with protein and iron to compensate for the absence of meat. Vegetarians commonly face a B-12 deficiency because, unless fortified, plants are not rich in this necessary vitamin. It is most important for vegetarians to maintain regular habits of drinking milk, an adequate source of B-12. Another common pitfall is that even though people may eat FDA recommended amounts of grains, fruits, and vegetables, some often negate the nutritional intake with excess amounts of hydrogenated and saturated fat butter, oil, heavy cream, and cheese. Vijay Desai of Dallas, Texas talked to an audience of visitors about his triple bypass surgery. Too many years of eating meats, full of fats and cholesterol, had my arteries fully blocked. The thought of allowing food to cause this much stress and potentially take my life was enough to change my lifestyle. Desai said that his experiences have led to a change at home, now he enjoys exploring vegetarian cuisine with his wife and kids as
Satish Tripathi, is first non-American president in UBs history Universities (AAU). "Dr Tripathi has excelled as provost and executive vice president at the University at Buffalo, aiding in the development of its strategic plan and enhancing the university's academic and research portfolios. The Board is most confident that he will prove an extraordinary leader for UB as its 15th
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandirs in North America celebrate Swaminarayan Jayanti and Ram Navmi
Edison,NJ: Sages, poets, and devotees have hailed Bhagwan as a hitakri, a moral and spiritual benefactor, as impartial as the sun shining upon all within its perimeter. This quality of Bhagwan, to ensure well-being of all baring distinction, was brought to the fore in this years annual celebration of Swaminarayan Jayanti and Ram Navmi. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir across North America, celebrated the 230th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Swaminarayan on Sunday, April 17, 2011. Falling on Chaitra Sud 9, which also marks the birth anniversary of Shri Ram, this day is one of the most celebratory events of the Swaminarayan Sampraday. Excitement and devotion abounds on this occasion as children, youth, and adults engage in various spiritual endeavors including chanting the Swaminarayan mantra, observing a stringent fast, and preparing for a grand celebration.
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Phoenix: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has vetoed a bill to require President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove their US citizenship before their names can appear on the state's ballot. The bill vetoed by Brewer on Monday would have made Arizona the first state to pass such a requirement. The governor said the measure "is a bridge too far." The Arizona proposal would have required political parties and presidential candidates to hand in affidavits stating a candidate's citizenship and age and to provide the candidate's birth certificate and a sworn
statement saying where the candidate has lived for 14 years. "I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for president of the greatest and most powerful nation on earth to submit their 'early baptismal or circumcision certificates'," said Brewer in light of vetoing the bill. "This measure creates significant new problems while failing to do anything constructive for Arizona." Hawaii officials have certified Obama was born in that state, but so-called "birthers" have demanded more proof.
Mortenson poses with schoolchildren in northeastern Afghanistan: his message has been that schools not bombs will bring peace to Af-Pak region. tion memoirs, which are typically only lightly factchecked by publishers, if at all. Viking, the imprint of Penguin Group USA that published Moertensons book, declined to comment on the book or answer questions about how it was vetted. The CBS News report questioned, in particular, a central anecdote of the book that was as dramatic as it was inspirational: in 1993, Mortenson was retreating after failing to reach the summit of K2, the worlds second highest mountain, when, lost and dehydrated, he stumbled across the small village of Korphe in northeast Pakistan. After the villagers there nursed him back to health, he vowed to return and build a school. The CBS report, broadcast on 60 Minutes Sunday night and citing sources, said that Mr. Mortenson had actually visited Korphe nearly one year after his K2 attempt. Mortenson said on Sunday that he did reach Korphe after his climb in 1993, and that he visited again in 1994. If the allegations are proven, more than Mortenson it would negatively impact the cause of educating girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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Congress candidate Abhijit Mukherjee (right) with his father and union minister Pranab Mukherjee. paign and they are showing faith in me," he said, adding he wants to establish his own identity and carry forward his father's legacy. When asked whether it was an advantage or hindrance to contest an election as the son of Pranab Mukherjee, Abhijit shot back: "Don't ask me such questions. You all ask me the same question over and over again. "I have worked as general manager in an organization like Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). I am a mechanical engineer who has passed out of the reputed Jadavpur University." "Now, I am a Congress candidate for the Nalhati seat and the voters of this area know me personally. And after all of this, I am the son of Pranab Mukherjee." On why he chose to contest from Nalhati when his ancestral house in Meeriti village is located in adjacent Labpur constituency, he said:
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Lawyers Prashant and Shanti Bhushan. that she doesn't "support nor encourage the politics of smear campaign" launched against civil rights activists who are part of the joint panel. Hazare had written to Sonia complaining against party general secretary Digvijay Singh without mentioning his name. L'affaire Bhushan also saw expelled Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh as well as Digvijay Singh take on the family. In another development, Shanti Bhushan served a legal notice on Digvijay Singh demanding a public apology for alleging that he had undervalued a property in Allahabad and not paid adequate stamp duty on it. But the Congress leader remained unmoved. Reacting to a newspaper report that he and his son Jayant had taken two plots in Noida at belowmarket rates, Shanti Bhushan said: "To suggest that the allotment has been obtained from any discretionary quota is totally false and misleading." Giving procedural details of the allotment, Bhushan said: "So far, possession has not been delivered, nor the lease deal executed. It is only after the plot has been made approachable by construction of roads that possession would be delivered and lease executed." Bhushan said if there had been
Spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba. Hyderabad: Spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba's health has turned very critical, doctors attending on him said. According to the medical bulletin issued by Sathya Sai Super Specialty Hospital at Puttaparthi in Anantapur district, all the organs are showing very poor response to the treatment. "Non-functioning of the liver and persistent episodes of low blood pressure are causing great worry to the doctors," said the statement by hospital director A.N. Safaya. However, most of the parameters have still been kept at nearly normal levels by the use of appropriate medicines. The breathing is still ventilator dependent. And the process of slow haemodialysis has been started in the morning to assist the kidneys, added the statement. The 85-year-old spiritual leader, seen as the incarnation of god by his devotees in India and abroad, was admitted to the hospital March 28 with breathing problem. The doctors later said he was suffering from multi-organ dysfunction. With the deterioration in the health condition of Baba, the Andhra Pradesh government has gone on an alert. Additional police forces were rushed to the town from other parts of Anantapur and neighbouring districts.
tion. At any given time, the duty of a pilot can be extended by a maximum of four hours to prevent the onset of extreme cumulative fatigue, a major cause of air accidents. "The rule meant they could not do even a minute of extra flight duty as they had done more than total eight hours of extra duty in the preceding 30 days. Two sets of crew, that is four pilots, can do only 15 hours of flight duty at a time. So operating the 19-hour Tokyo return flights meant four hours of extra flight
duty," he said. The airline could only circumvent this by getting a nod from the DGCA. "The director-general would not have given the dispensation as the airline had many other Boeing 747 pilots who had hardly done any flights. So, they should have been rostered for the Tokyo flight," said the source. But flights to Tokyo were not really popular in those days for fear of radiation and earthquakes.
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Police personnel guard the proposed site of the Nuclear Power Project near Jaitapur on April 20. pends a sub-divisional officer Ajit Pawar, who ordered the police firing, and the Jaitapur project is canceled, Gawankar said. Terming the situation in Ratnagiri as "sensitive", Gawankar claimed that anything can happen as the people were angry with the state government and the police. Earlier in the day, some protesters pelted stones and ransacked the Ratnagiri Civil Hospital where Tabrez's body was taken for autopsy. Tabrez's shocked and grieving family members and scores of activists had gathered outside the hospital amidst tight police security. More than two thousand people took part in the demonstrations against the proposed 9,900-MW JNPP coming up in Jaitapur, around 375 km south of Mumbai. With a cluster of six nuclear reactors, each with a capacity of 1,650-MW, the JNPP would be listed among the largest nuclear power projects in the world.
Baba Ramdev. New Delhi: Yoga guru and spiritual leader Baba Ramdev will launch a nationwide people's movement 'Satyagraha against corruption' from June 4, his spokesperson said. "The movement will begin after he completes his 'Bharat Swabhiman Yatra', a journey of one lakh km which began from Dwarka on September 2 last year and will end at Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh) on June 1," Baba Ramdev's spokesperson S.K. Tijarawala said. He added that the spiritual leaedr will announce the launch and details of the anti-graft movement April 27 Baba Ramdev will also write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on three issues -creating an independent, impartial Lokpal (ombudsman), getting back black money worth over Rs.400 lakh crore stashed in tax havens abroad and replacing the British system of governance, taxation, education, law and order with a 'swadeshi' model.
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Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Veteran social activist Anna Hazare at the Finance Ministry in New Delhi on April 16. Following the Anna Hazare phenomenon, I hope the government has got the message: democratic or not, corruption must end.
that I often wonder whether Ive broken some law, by-law, rule, sub-rule, regulation, sub-clause,
in the simplest act of thinking, writing, breathing. With harassment power concentrated in the
hands of the few, how can a single citizen even think of ghting the system? The incentive system encourages corruption. A powerful ofcial can demand a bribe and get away with it only because once the bribe is given the giver of the bribe is guilty of the same crime. The interests of the two get aligned. The citizen gets his entitlement with a small bribery tax better to get 75% of the entitlement rather than nothing at all. The ofcial gets a commission to ensure the job gets done on time it will have to be done in any case, why not speed up the process and buy that at screen TV the family has been asking for? Win-win. By changing the incentive system, offer the briber giver legal legitimacy and transfer the weight of the crime to the bribe taker the more powerful party in the case Basu is attacking the root of Indias corrupted incentive system. The central message of this paper is that we should declare the act of giving a bribe in all such cases as legitimate activity, Basu proposes in his recent paper, Why, for a Class of Bribes, the Act of Giving a Bribe should be Treated as Legal. In other words the giver of
a harassment bribe should have full immunity from any punitive action by the state. Under this model, the interests of the two become orthogonal: If caught, the bribe giver will go scot free and will be able to collect his bribe money back, Basu writes. The bribe taker, on the other hand, loses the booty of bribe and faces a hefty punishment. Hence, in the post-bribe situationit will be in the interest of the bribe giver to have the taker get caught, since that way the bribe giver can get back the money she gave as bribe. Since the bribe taker knows this, he will be much less inclined to take the bribe in the rst place. The total ne on the transaction will remain the same, Basu says, but the burden of payment will double on the bribe taker, rather than be equally distributed between the two. Following the Anna Hazare phenomenon, I hope the government has got the message: democratic or not, corruption must end. And while the Lokpal Bill will attempt to create an institution for corruption in high places, we are not going to wait another half century for it to trickle down. We want to end it now.
Whatever you may say of IPL, you have to appreciate it for the way it has spread the money pool available to players, both former as well as present, including those aspirants who have their brush with stardom once a year.
has the capacity to give enough space and time for genuine talent to express itself, unlike a 40-over game, where luck and chance play a far more pivotal role in the performance of a player. The audiences both at the ground and
on the idiot box have given their verdict by making the 2011 World Cup the most successful cricketing event in the history of the game. Now that the IPL is upon us, it will be a wonder of wonders if it matches its best
TRP ratings of the past. The World Cup kept the entire country glued to TV sets for more than a month, with the end result fullling a million dreams. For people now to still watch cricket with intensity and passion would be nothing less than an amazing testimony to either their ravenous appetite for cricket or lack of any other alternative form of entertainment to keep their evenings occupied. If one has to judge from the media coverage both print and TV then IPL-4 is once again a super-hit. Experts are analyzing the subtle skills of the players, the strategic moves of the captains and the discovery of new talent, making one wonder, is there much more to this slambang version than one gives credit to it? One thing is sure, whatever you may say of IPL, you have to appreciate it for the way it has spread the money pool available to players, both former as well as present, including those aspirants who have their brush with stardom once a year. There is no dearth of incentives here, so one would be better off praising the product, even if it is an overkill of cricket and of those Indian players who have a long, challenging season ahead of them.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Tribute TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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capturing the Chhhachro town in Sindh, Pakistan, in the 1971 war.Although, royal entitlements were abolished along with privy purses in 1971, Brigadier Bhawani Singh was
Loved by his former subjects, the Maharajas funeral procession witnessed thousands of people come to pay their tributes. still considered a cultural and reli- Highness the Maharaja of Jaipur. If he gious icon in modern Rajasthan, and was still called a maharaja, it was the media often referred to him as His because of the rapport he had built with his people. His father Maharaja Sawai Man Singh ruled Jaipur when India became independent and the princely states were merged with it. Man Singh married Marudhar Jaipur rulers and when Bhawani Kunwar of Jodhpur and begat Singh was born to Sawai San Singh Bhawani Singh, the first male heir to and Marudhar Kunwar on October be born to a ruling Maharaja of Jaipur 22, 1931, the whole city celebrated in two generations. Sawai Man Singh his birth as he would become the and the previous Maharaja Sawai natural successor. Madho Singh were adopted sons Young Padmanabh Singh was before they ascended the throne. The handed over by his mother and birth of Bhawani Singh was an occafather to Brig. Bhawani Singh after sion for celebrations and so much an hour-long ritual conducted by champagne flowed that the prince was the head priest of royal family. The nicknamed Bubbles by his English Crown Prince sat on the lap of nurse. Among friends and close famiBrig. Bhawani Singh. ly members he continued to be called However, young Padmanabh Bubbles.Bhawani Singh had a fruswould wear a crown of thorns too trated childhood as his mother passed as a huge chunk of the properties away when he was only 13. It was his he has inherited is mired in legal step-mother Gayatri Devi who condisputes pending in courts. Many soled him during the mourning periimportant regal buildings have od. Bhawani Singh perhaps remembeen given on lease to the State bered all this and when the Rajmata, Government on a token amount. as Gayatri Devi was called, died in In India, the principality vanished 2009, he brought her body to the City in two phases. Palace and performed the last rites After the Independence all the himself as her only son Jagat had died princely states were merged with a few years earlier.Prince Bhawani the Indian Union and later in 1971 Singh studied at Doon School, the then Prime Minister Mrs Dehradun and then at Harrows in Gandhi, propagating socialism, England. abolished the annual privy purses After completing his Senior and stripped all the rajas and Cambridge, he joined the army at the maharajas of their titles. Yet, some age of 20.In the 60s when Gayatri of the Maharajas because of their Devi floated the Swatantra Party, she iconic status and the love they and his step brothers Prithviraj and Jai received from their former subjects Singh contested elections, but continue to be called Maharaja in Bhawani Singh kept himself aloof and sheer respect. felt pride in wearing the military uni-
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Fox Star Studios, "our partners from the very beginning", told him that "normally they don't like to tailor or tweak it too much" for different audiences, said Sippy, the son of veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy. "They like to see the original art and they'd rather see it as it was intended for Indian audiences as opposed to something an American or European audience might like," he said. "It was very much a partnership which we have enjoyed," said Sippy. The film is releasing on April 22 with 1,100 prints nationally and 260 prints internationally and stars Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Prateik Babbar and Rana Daggubati in important roles. He himself "really loved the script", said Sippy. For him, "it was a very exciting challenge" managing the
multiple stories in what's primarily a suspense thriller. "Also, doing a thriller for the first time was something I was very keen to take on," said Sippy. "A thriller is a very seductive genre for a director with lots of potential for great visuals and great music and larger than life characters - it's really something you get to indulge in more than in any other genres." And if "something is terrifying it's probably the right thing to do," he said. Asked about the film's USP, he said: "It's a good suspense thriller and in the Hindi film tradition the music is also an integral part of it. And along with it there are three very interesting stories woven into it. I think these are the two things that hopefully the audience would really like."
exican actress Barbara Mori has signed her second Bollywood movie and reportedly she is being paid $300,000 (over Rs.1.3 crore) for her role in "Fever", which also stars Rajeev Khandelwal. The Hindi film will be directed by Rajeev Jhaveri and Ravi Agrawal is producing it. A source said that the actress is being paid $300,000 for the film, in which she will play a linguist who is a second generation Briton. "Barbara decided to do this film because she fell in love with the story. When the script was narrated to her, she loved the material and is quite excited to do the film because of the character. The tone of the film is completely different from 'Kites'," said the source. "Fever" is to be shot in Cornwall
Barbara Mori. in England in June-July and will feature another Indian actress whose name is yet to be announced.
ollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he will take off his shirt, a'la Sourav Ganguly, to show off his six-pack abs if his Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) team reaches the Indian Premier League (IPL) final this year. "If we reach the final at Chennai, I will take off my shirt, fluff it in the air, and show my six pack abs... or may be eight pack abs," Shah Rukh said at the Eden Gardens Sunday, after KKR won their third match on the trot with an eight-wicket decimation of Rajasthan Royals. The final is slated to be played at the Chepauk Ground in Chennai. In 2002, after winning the Natwest Trophy final against England, then Indian skipper Ganguly had celebrated by taking off his shirt and waving it in the air from the Lords balcony. Ganguly was criticized by the English, but he retorted saying he was only returning the same act performed by English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff during a series in India. Ganguly, who has featured in the KKR side in all the past three editions of IPL, was not considered for the team this year.
Now, is it Sree-Riya?
ricketers are flying off the 'available' shelf faster than the hottest cakes! Now, we hear that Indian pacer Sreesanth has bowled over Riya Sen. Though the two have been spotted together often enough, a source says that it is part of the job for Riya. As in, Riya is the brand ambassador of the Kochi Tuskers, the IPL team Sreesanth plays for! She has been actively cheering him on during the matches. Well let's see what unfolds through the series. Sreesanth and Riya Sen at a promotional event.
Poonam Pandey.
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such special songs have a lot of energy. It's fun to see and shoot." So will this number be choreographed by Vaibhavi
Merchant, who is a close friend of Rani and has directed her dance moves in Bunty Aur Babli and Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic.
I'm not over. It's a great feeling to be back winning awards. The past three years had been challenging because I didn't have box office success behind me. People forget the body of work, and the amount of blood and sweat that you put in for years and write you off, so I'm very happy to get this prestigious award, she adds.
Mallika Sherawat. of. Mallika Sherawat we are told too aspired to join the elite list, however was turned down! Our source recently revealed how
India's oomph queen Mallika Sherawat showed interest on buying a Rolls Royce but was surprised when her request was turned down. "Mallika Sherawat wanted to buy Rolls Royce but was refused. The car is not sold just to those who wish to buy it. There is a process where it is decided if the person wishing to buy it is fit enough to be its owner or not and money is not just the criteria. The person's entire profile, social standing for the past few years is put under scanner and then decided. Even test drives are given to selected people. Mallika apparently tried to convince the brand by saying she is a Hollywood actor et al, but things didn't work out in her favor" revealed our source.
Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have completed four years of togetherness.
Deepika Padukone in Dum Maaro Dum. make-up team to go back to the drawing board and devise a new look, sending the entire schedule into a tizzy."
bhishek Bachchan and wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan have certainly taken cues from their respective parents on how to keep marriage intact and of course beautiful! The couple, who got married amidst a lot of media frenzy four years ago, has completed a solid phase of togetherness. Abhishek, a strong family man himself, talks about evolving as a couple with his pretty wife Ash in the last four years. "Are we meant to change after marriage?", he wonders aloud when asked about the changes that marriage brought about in their life. Yes they have happily settled into domesticity, are moving along with the changing times but
there hasn't been any specific change in either of them, he informs. In fact Abhi feels your spouse shouldn't expect any dramatic change in you if the marriage has to be wholesome. "I personally feel a good and a healthy marriage is one where your spouse doesn't except you to change. I haven't changed as such nor has Ash. I still feel as if I was married yesterday," he explains. The fresh approach towards their marriage has kept the romance pretty much alive in the couple's life. "I have a lot of fun with my wife. She's great fun. And she's very special for me", admits Jr. Bachchan who is ready to hit the theatre with `Dum Maaro Dum'.
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Travel TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The intricate architecture and picturesque setting of the thousand year old temple are overwhelming. discovered in the 19th century, by Sir Stamford Raffles, then the Governor General of the British administration in Indonesia. When viewed from a distance the huge grey structure (amazingly intact having survived a millennium of torment), strikes as a large single edifice, but actually the 45 metre high colossus, with a square base measuring 120 metres on each side. It comprises ten superimposed terraces, six square shaped at the bottom followed by three circular ones, each getting progressively smaller with a large single dome adorning the apex, much like a multilayer wedding cake with a flower on the crest. Built atop a natural hill, the monument was purposely designed that way for students of Buddhism to understand the spiritual philosophy behind their religion, by gradually ascending from one layer to the other, as if moving from the world of desire and lust to the ultimate state of absolute nothingness. The odyssey begins at the base
An aerial view gives an idea of the magnitude of this magnificent monument. of the temple, requiring a long walk from the main gate. There are flights of stairs on all four sides to take you up straight to the top, but the traditional way is to go round the pyramid in clockwise direction, while stepping up from one stratum to the other. Following this path, you are required to walk over four kilometres. It can be tiring, but the rewards are high as you go through enclosed galleries which are entrenched with ornately carved bas relief panels depicting tales of Buddha's life, earthly and spiritual and a fascinating panorama of the ninth century Javanese life. All carefully preserved to show the modern generation, the customs and traditions of a race whose culture achieved peak and then collapsed. A breathtaking vista unfolds the moment you step into
the open circular terraces, dotted with several Buddha statues, some without heads because of pillaging and 72 small bell shaped structures called stupas, inside each of which nests a Buddha bust that you touch with your small index finger through the diamond shape openings as an ancient pious tradition of Mahayana Buddhists. The temple holds over 500 Buddhas, including the ones inside the stupas. Each of them sculpted out of single block of stone, is slightly different, yet all a display of remarkable serenity. The voyage finally ends when you reach the top and lay a hand on a giant stone piece, blissfully pointing towards heaven. At that fine moment, a warm feeling of accomplishment grips you as if you have reached a significant milestone in life. Borobudur is 45 km by road from the city of Yogyakarta, an hour by plane from Denpasar (Bali) or Jakarta (Indonesian capital), both destinations conveniently reachable from other countries. There are no shortages of hotels in Yogyakarta to suit budget, Melia Purosani Hotel (www.meliajogia.com) in the heart of Yogyakarta being a convenient option. The temple is open from dawn till dusk and entry fee is $12.00.
being on time. The first thing I did when I landed was to change the time my wristwatch on my phone. On our way from Zurich to Lugano, we were to take four trains and a boat, a route that would highlight the most-excellent Swiss transport system. It really is a most excellent transport system. The trains are clean and so are the stations. There are so few people in the country that you never have to hustle to get in. Changing platforms to make a connection even with just a five-minute gap and your luggage in tow is immensely doable. You can travel hundreds of kilometers in a matter of hours without feeling the strain.
Only once in a rare while, two or three times a year, is a Swiss train ever late. Sadly, for the soon-to-be-mortified Swiss accompanying us, one of those very-rare occurrences took place on our first day in Switzerland. Our third train was late, and we missed our connection. Obviously, not a single one of the journalists present let pass this excellent opportunity to rib our escort. But in the 10 days I was there, this was the only time a train was late. People werent kidding. Its freaky. In Switzerland, you really can tell time by the trains. And you can tell trains by the time. While I was still getting familiarized, each time I couldnt tell if a
train was the one I was supposed to take, Id hop on anyway if its pulled into the platform at the time mentioned on my timetable. It would turn out to be the right train each time. All that comes at a cost. But for tourists, theres the super-economical Swiss Travel Pass that can be bought before you get there. Because of the ease of travel I could travel pretty much the length of the country and see all the major cities Bern, Geneva, Lucerne, Lausanne and Zurich. I also managed to pack in a trek on the Jura and a trip to the top of Mt Titlus. And I saw a lot more from the huge train windows as I traversed that picture perfect country
Watch Tower in the city wall in Lucerne, the prettiest city in Switzerland
Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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PM Stephen Harper shouted Waheguruji Ka Khalsa, Waheguruji Ki Fateh amid applause Thousands of non-Sikhs also joined the procession to have fun with the community and feast on free food and delicacies. People had set up free food stalls along the route of the Vaisakhi Parade. Similar weekend Vaisakhi processions will also be taken out in Surrey and Toronto last this month. Though their exact numbers are not known, Canada is home to about 400,000 Sikhs. They were the first Indian community to land in this country in the Vancouver area in the 1890s.
NZ capital Auckland skyline large number of students from Punjab and Gujarat are coming to New Zealand for higher studies, he said. There are many reasons why New Zealand continues to be an attractive destination for Indian students and migrants, said Richard Howard, former chairman of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment. These include our British Commonwealth heritage, a safe and welcoming society, the high standard of education and the fact that New Zealand is well perceived internationally as a clean, green and forward-thinking country. New Zealands immigration policies can also provide graduating students with a structured and transparent pathway to work and possible residence which are important considerations for Indian students, he said.
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Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Keep away from Pak, No new cantonments in Balochistan: Kayani Musharraf told
Islamabad: A Pakistani newspaper has urged former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf not to return home from London, saying "threats to his life are real". Daily Times said that Musharraf "will also have to consider the risk of being arrested on arrival" for the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto ahead of parliamentary elections -- soon after she returned to Pakistan. In a "sincere advice" to Musharraf, the editorial said: "You have had your innings, do not put yourself in the line of fire once again." The threats to Musharraf, who is keen to return to Pakistan, "are real", it warned. It noted that Musharraf, who now lives in London, has expressed his willingness to return to Pakistan and has called upon Pakistanis "to gear up for a change". In a recent video address to his supporters in Lahore, Musharraf trashed the threats to his life from the Taliban and other extremist groups, claiming that he was only afraid of god. Musharraf ruled Pakistan for nine years after seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1999. He stepped down in 2008 and left Pakistan. The editorial said that Musharraf "made his 'debut' in electoral politics with the launching of his All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) last year in London. His Islamabad: A proposal to set up four new military cantonments in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province has been dropped as "people don't want" it, said army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. General Kayani announced on April 18 that the responsibility of providing security to the restive town of Sui in Dera Bugti district was being given to Frontier Corps, reported the Dawn. He said the army in Sui would return to the Quetta cantonment and there would be no more army presence in the province outside of the cantonments. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the the new military college in Sui, the general said: "We have converted the Sui cantonment to a military college and dropped the idea of establishing four new military cantonments in Balochistan because people don't want these. New cantonments will be built only when the people of the province wish for (them)." He said the decision was aimed at making people
Pervez Musharraf. support base is limited to a few beneficiaries of his rule and his Facebook fans. "For a party looking for a sizeable share in the 2013 elections, a few thousand supporters in the rally was a poor show. And it is unlikely his support base will increase any time in the near future considering his unpopularity in large sections of society and the tough competition to be offered by rival parties."
Gen Kayani at the inaugural ceremony of Pakistan's third military college at Sui in Dera Bugti district. realise that the army respected their opinion as it was a national institution. He said a separate wing of the Frontier Corps would replace the army in Sui. A statement quoted Kayani as emphasizing "the vital requirement of unified national support to the armed forces, without which no force can fulfil the mission of defending a state/nation". He said the army would establish an Army Medical College, an Institute of Mineralogy and a Cardiac Treatment Centre in Quetta to equip Baloch youths with higher education in relevant fields.
Sri Lanka braces for a UN war crimes report the fight against Tamil rebels. Colombo: The United Nations on April 18 warned the Sri Lankan government that it must protect UN staff, after the country's president called for protests against a UN war crimes report. President Mahinda Rajapakse has called for this year's May Day rally to be turned into a "show of our strength" against international calls for a war crimes investigation. "We have made it very, very clear to the government of Sri Lanka that we take it very seriously that they ensure the security and safety of UN staff in Sri Lanka," UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said. "We have underscored that again and we want to make sure that regardless of what their positions are on the report that they abide by their obligations to the security of our staff," Haq told a press briefing. The report by UN experts into alleged war crimes committed during the fight against Tamil Tiger rebels, which ended in 2009, is to be officially released by the United Nations this week.
International TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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to evacuation zone
An unidentified target burns in the background as Libyan rebels gather outside Brega. "This deployment is fully within the terms of UNSCR 1973 both in respect of civilian protection and its provision expressly ruling out a foreign occupation force on Libyan soil," Foreign Secretary William Hague said. The efforts to bolster the rebellion come as Libya's main opposition body pleaded for an international military intervention. Libyans are "being slaughtered every day by the Gadhafi forces," rebel spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah said. Aid agencies are afraid of going to areas such as Misrata, which is being targeted by Gadhafi troops daily, opposition activist Mohamed Ibrahim said. "Some of them, they come. But most of them, they come near ... they hear the shelling and everything and they go back," he said. At least 27 people have been killed and 142 have been injured this week, according to an opposition spokesman who wanted to be identified only as "Mohammed" for safety reasons. Aid groups have been attempting to pluck desperate people from Misrata, which is hemmed in by Gadhafi's forces on three sides. The only escape route is by the city's port -- an area witnesses said has also been shelled by Gadhafi's forces. For those left behind, witnesses say, the dire situation continues to deteriorate. The city is still without water, electricity, and telecommunications, Mohammed said Tuesday. "Shelling has moved out of the industrial areas to the residential areas, and it is still going on."
High school students stand before tsunami devastation in Miyako, Iwate prefecture. Tokyo: Japan may for the first time designate as "off-limits" the 20-km evacuation zone around the tsunami-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, amid concerns over radiation risks to residents who have been returning temporarily to collect their belongings. Premier Naoto Kan, who is to visit Fukushima prefecture where the crippled plant is located as early as Thursday, is expected to announce that his government would soon impose an order to prohibit people from entering the exclusion zone around the facility, government sources were quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency. The government is considering designating the 20-km area around the plant, which has already been covered by an evacuation directive after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, as offlimits within a week, the sources said. The measure is aimed at enhancing government control of the area, where evacuees have been temporarily returning home on their own to collect belongings despite fears of radiation, which continues to leak from the crisishit Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Kate Middleton and Prince William. New York: Video-sharing website YouTube has announced that the British royal wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William will be shown live on the website's live streaming channel. The live stream will focus on the April 29 wedding procession and the marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey as well as the balcony kiss, Xinhua reported. The official channel w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / t h e r o y alchannel - will have live blog commentary of the event, and users can also upload video wishes for the couple on the site. "This one is already heralded as the first of the internet age, where for the first time in thousands of years of royal history, the moment will be captured online and preserved forever," YouTube said in its blog. YouTube will provide the technical support for the broadcast and the footage will be provided by BBC.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 15. Around 220 people have been killed by security forces or plain-clothes police since the start of the protest movement, the rights watchdog Amnesty International says. At least 10 people were reported killed on Tuesday in clashes in the central city of Homs, where some 20,000 people staged an overnight sit-in protest demanding Assad's ouster.
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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India's PSLV-C16 rocket blasts off at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on April 20.
Vedanta has bought 10.5 percent in Cairn for $1.5 billion. Mumbai: The four-year-old association between Malaysian state oil company Petronas and Cairn India came to an end with the former selling its 14.94% stake in India's largest onshore field for $2.1 billion (Rs 9,400 crore). London-based Vedanta Resources, through its group company Sesa Goa, bought a bulk 10.4% of that pie, finally marking its entry into Cairn India even as it was waiting since last August for the government's nod for its $9.6 billion buyout. The remaining 4.54% stake was bought by a clutch of domestic and foreign institutional investors. The Southeast Asian energy giant sold 28.34 crore Cairn shares at an average price of Rs 331 a piece, which was at about a 4% discount to the scrip's Tuesday close of Rs 344 on BSE. In the process, it made a cool profit of $1.16 billion. For Vedanta Group, controlled by billionaire Anil Agarwal, the deal was attractively priced when compared to the Rs 405 a share it has offered to Cairn's British parent, Cairn Energy Plc, and the Rs 355 open offer price made to the minority shareholders. The open offer, which started on April 11, closes on April 30. Vedanta is paying Rs 50 per share extra to Cairn Energy Plc as a non-compete fee. If the group is successful in acquiring the entire 20% through the open offer, its holding in Cairn India will go up to 30%. In that case, it will only acquire a 45% stake from the parent of Cairn India to comply with the listing norms. Experts said that with its 10.4% stake in Cairn India, and what it will get from the open offer, Vedanta can hustle its way into the company board, even if it does not get a government approval. However, people in the know said, Vedanta does not have any intensions of running Cairn India till it completes the takeover.
Toyota said that its Canadian production will be suspended the week of May 23 and US production will be suspended the week of May 30. On other days when the plants open, they will operate at 50 percent of their capacity, Toyota said. In Canada, Toyota is stopping production of Corolla, Matrix and
Lexus RX350 vehicles at its plant, as well as the assembly of RAV4 crossover utility vehicles at its Woodstock plant. In the US, Toyota's head of sales Bob Carter said in New York Tuesday that the car giant faced the prospects of lowering its sales target because of supply disruptions.
In March 2011, exports jumped 43.9 percent to $29.1 billion. New Delhi: India's exports surged 37.5 percent to $245.9 billion in 2010-11, substantially surpassing the official target of $200 billion, on the back of nearly 85 percent jump in engineering exports, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said.
Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Some 11 Sri Lankans, including Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, are playing for different franchises in the IPL.
Shikhar Dhawan is delighted after getting the big wicket of David Warner. New Delhi: Delhi Daredevils' first win at home in season four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) remained elusive as they went down to Deccan Chargers by 16 runs at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on April 19. It was an all-round performance by Deccan Chargers, who climbed to the fourth spot in the IPL after their second win from five matches. Daredevils failed to move out of the ninth spot as they crashed to their third loss in four matches. For the Chargers, skipper Kumar Sangakkara showed the way with a classical, yet fiery, 49 and along with Man of the Match Sunny Sohal (62) added a valuable 92 runs for the second wicket that took the 2009 champions to a competitive 168 for four from 20 overs. None of the Daredevils' batsmen, barring opener David Warner (51), could get a big score and were restricted to 152 for seven from 20 overs. The Chargers were disciplined in their bowling, picking up wickets at regular intervals and made sure that Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag (12) departed early. Pacers Daniel Christian and Harmeet Singh picked up two wickets each while fast bowling spearhead Dale Steyn went wicketless but conceded just 24 runs from his full quota to show that he is the vital cog in the Chargers' bowling. Daredevils' most consistent performer Venugopal Rao (21) failed to come good and Yogesh Nagar struck an 11-ball 23 but it was not enough.
orizing badminton, this is not the right way to do it. What you wear at the game should be a personal choice you really cant pressure anybody to wear anything, says 27-year-old shuttler Jwala Gutta, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist. Former champion Aparna Popat says, This is a bizarre move. Players should be allowed to choose what they want to wear; comfort is of utmost importance. Like Gutta, she believes funking up the uniforms is a good idea, but not dictating hemlines.
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Aviation TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Fake pilots and DGCA official arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police in New Delhi last month. surfaced with the arrest of Parminder Kaur Gulati, a pilot of IndiGo, owned by American Indians Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia. She had obtained her Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) by submitting fake documents. More arrests were made last month and it was found that Jaipur, Hisar and Delhi were the centers that issued fake mark sheets which formed the basis for obtaining CPLs. There are 40 flying schools in the country, but they are not only poorly managed, but are also illequipped. The arrest of Pradip Kumar, an assistant director in DGCA, and another pilot Pradeep Tyagi and two touts Pankaj Jain and Lalit Jain opened the Pandoras box. They ran a racket by helping the aspiring pilots obtain forged mark sheets that eventually enabled them to get a CPL. The DGCA has reviewed the CPLs of around thousands of
Rajasthan Flying School in Jaipur. aircraft was grounded, said Umesh Mishra, inspector general of ACB. Rajasthan Flying School, started in 1949 by the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh originally as a flying club, became a flying school after the state government took over the club. A Cesna, a Pushpak apart from gliders, are all that the club possesses. Air India pilot Rahul Yadav was the first person arrested in this case. Interrogation revealed that he had made cross-country flying entries while the aircraft was grounded. "There were several entries made for cross-country flying from Jaipur to Hisar in Yadav's flying license. We matched the entries in the flying school with the entries of Jaipur airports Air Traffic Control logbook only to find that Yadav was faking his flying hours as the trainer flight was grounded that day," said Mishra. The scam has also pointed a finger at the functioning of the DGCA as two of the accused pilots, Rahul Yadav from Air India and Garima Passi from Spicejet, have their fathers working with the DGCA. Passi's father is Director, Air Safety. A pilot needs to have completed a minimum 200 hours of flying to get a license. Several of the pilots from there had only completed 5060 hours, but they were given certificates of completion of 200 hours of flying, said Mishra. Police built a case against the school and its graduates by checking the logbooks of the instructors responsible for certifying that trainees have completed supervised hours at the controls of a plane. We checked those records against the records kept by the air traffic control authorities in Rajasthan and found that some of these flights never took place, Mishra said. Flying schools are meant to be monitored by the DGCA. What is
Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Gardening can give you a toned body Regular stretching of legs, arms, back and even hands and feet are essential to prevent aches and pains. You will also want to begin crunches, leg and arm lifts, squats and even push-ups so that your unused muscles will not make you miserable after your first attempt at gardening. With gardening the adage "no pain, no gain" is not true. More
often than not, the stiffness and pain indicate inadequate or improper stretching and warmup, or over use of muscles. After gardening you should feel tired or dirty and tired, but not achy. Take time to stretch and avoid marathon sessions of anything. Hours of turning compost, raking or shoveling is above and beyond what you will want to do. Above all, don't forget why you garden. Be aware of the amount of time you are spending outdoors and intensity of the activity you are doing. Calories burned while you garden: * These are for 30 minute time frames for a 180 pound man. If you weigh less, you'll burn fewer calories. Sitting quietly-40 Water a lawn or garden -61 Riding mower-101 Trimming shrubs-142 Raking-162 Bagging leaves-162 Planting seedlings-162 Mowing with gas mower-182 Weeding-182 Gardening with heavy power tools-243 Mowing lawn with a push mower-243
Puppy shower
ute little adorable puppies love new experiences. This is the time to get your pup used to bathing. If you wait too long to introduce him to soap and water, you may end up bathing an unwilling and uncooperative dog and end up all wet. Here are a few tips by Pet Place Veterinarians to make the ritual of the bath more enjoyable, or at least tolerable, for the both of you. With some patience and practice, your dog, rather than you, will get the lion's share of the bath. As time goes on, your pup will eventually tolerate, and may even enjoy, a periodic dip in the tub. 1) To bathe or not to bathe The first step is to consult your veterinarian about your particular pooch. Different breeds and lifestyles will dictate when it is safe to begin bathing your pup and what sort of pet shampoos work best. Never wash your dog outside if the weather is cold. This is particularly true for puppies, which have trouble regulating their body temperatures. Puppies should be at least four weeks old before they receive their first bath. 2) Be Prepared Before you tackle your dog, you'll want to go through a pre-bath checklist. Prepare the bathing area out of your dog's presence. There's no point in warning him ahead of time; he'll only get anxious. Here are some items you'll want to have on hand: A veterinarian-approved dog shampoo (people products can cause allergic reactions) Mineral oil and/or cotton balls Washcloth or sponge Towels (the bigger the dog, the more towels you'll need) a warm, draft-free area a bathing tether if you're bathing him in a tub. (If you're bathing him outside, a tether to a fixed point will do.) Brush and comb for his coat a soft brush for between his toes and on his nails a rubber tub mat Before bathing, comb and brush out all mats. Otherwise, the water will turn the mats into solid masses, which will require clippers to remove. If your dog's hair is matted with paint, tar or some other sticky material, trim with clippers or soak the area with vegetable or mineral oil for 24 hours. (You may want to speak with a professional groomer if the tangles are difficult.
Train your puppy for a bath If you're using a tub, fill the water to the level of your dog's knees. The water should be about his temperature; around 102 degrees Fahrenheit. 3) The Bath Bring your dog into the tub. If you have a bathing tether, attach one end to his collar and the suction cup to the bathtub. Ladle the warm water over him. If you use a spray, use it on low and hold it gently against his coat so the spraying action doesn't scare him. When he's thoroughly wet, apply the shampoo on his back and work it gently through the coat for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to get soap in his face or mouth. Use the washcloth or sponge to clean and rinse his face, and the soft brush to clean the paws, between toes and on nails. When you're ready to rinse, don't forget to drain the tub first. The rinsing cycle, by the way, is very important. You want to do it twice to make sure all the soap is rinsed off. Leaving soap on the dog can cause an allergic reaction. If necessary, drain the tub again so your dog isn't standing in water while he dries. Now, you'd better back up; your dog has been waiting to shake off the excess water since you began. Gently squeeze out excess water (don't forget to remove the cotton from his ears) and finish drying him with the towels. If you use a hair dryer, keep the heat and blow force on low. Remember to dry the ears with cotton balls to prevent infection. Keep your dog away from any drafts until his coat is completely dry.
Handle your suitcase properly Swish it around in a dishpan, sink, or (if necessary) bathtub full of this solution. Then, rinse and dry the bag thoroughly 4) Let the suitcase dry thoroughly before putting it away. 5) Clean the inside. If the inside of the suitcase is lined with plastic, wipe it down with a clean, damp cloth (not the one you used on the outsides) and, if necessary, a mild cleaner. For fabric, simply vacuum it or wipe it with a dry cloth. 6) Spray with an odor-reducer - such as Febreze. If you prefer less fragrance, try Smells Begone. 7) Store your suitcase properly. Chances are it lives in a closet or attic or under the bed when not in use. a. Wherever you store it, cover it loosely to keep off the dust, and try to let it breathe. b. If you like, put in a dryer sheet or an unused bar of soap for a bit of fragrance.
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Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Men feel much more strongly that kissing should lead to sex than women do, says a new study kissing to gauge the relationship compatibility of themselves and their partners. Furthermore, both may become more or less attracted to their partners based solely
on their experience kissing them, a result that lends support to the theory that pheromones and other important biochemical signals get exchanged when people kiss. But the similarities end there. While women usually consider a bad kiss to be a deal-breaker, men reported that they would more than likely still have sex with a woman even if she were a bad kisser. In fact, the data showed that males feel much more strongly that kissing should lead to sex than females do. "Whereas females felt there was a greater likelihood that kissing should lead to sex with a long-term partner than a short-term partner, males felt that in either instance, kissing should lead to sex," wrote the researchers. Men also like significantly wetter kisses. The gender divide becomes drastic when the kissing involves short-term partners, who presumably hold primarily sexual rather than romantic appeal. In the shortterm, men like kisses to be wet, while women do not.
Spectacles go chic!
earing specs is not geeky anymore, for the much-despised 'plain glass' spectacles have now become a 'must have' fashion accessory. Also, the new groups of wearers are being dubbed "suspecs". A study by YouGov for Vision Express found that almost one in ten 18-24 year-olds had admitted buying them. The celebs responsible for the revolution are Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johanssen, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Radcliffe's portrayal of Harry Potter, the bespectacled boy wizard. Some 64 per cent of respondents to the YouGov poll said that they felt glasses created a more positive impression today than they did a decade ago. The study showed that 53 per cent of glasses-wearing women aged 18 to 44 had received amorous approaches from men. Here's how to match frames with different face shapes:
Oval : The oval face is considered the ideal shape because of its balanced proportions and because it's the standard of beauty. Therefore it is perhaps the easiest to choose frames for. To keep the oval's natural balance, look for spectacle frames / glasses that are as wide as the broadest part of the face or wal-
nut-shaped spectacle frames that are not too deep or too narrow. Round : A round face has curvilinear lines with the width and length in the same proportions and no angles. To make the face appear thinner and longer, try angular narrow spectacle frames / glasses to lengthen the face. Square : A square face has a strong jawline and a broad forehead. The width and length are in the same proportions. To make the square face look longer and soften the angles, try narrow, soft round or large ovals spectacle frames. Long face : A long face is characterized by high cheekbones, a deep forehead and a strongly defined sharp chin line. This shape can benefit from enhancing the width of the face so try wide, large framed glasses in oval or round styles.
dermatologist has offered tips on how you should take care of your hair. Dermatologist Zoe D. Draelos, MD, FAAD, consulting professor at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C., discussed the most common sources of hair damage and tips to reverse damage and maintain healthy, lustrous hair. One of the most common misconceptions about hair is that it is alive, when in fact hair is nonliving and does not heal itself once it is injured, Dr. Draelos said. For this reason, once the hair is damaged it cannot heal itself except through new hair growth at the scalp. Women need to understand that the very things that they do to hair to make it appear beautiful, such as using hair dyes, perms and products that straighten the hair, will eventually end up damaging the hairs structure and ultimately affect its appearance, she stated. To keep healthy hair looking its best, Dr. Draelos provided the following tips: 1. The less you do to your hair, the better. Avoid over-styling or processing hair. 2. Be sure to wash the scalp, which is where the oil is, and then let shampoo run through the hair. Shampoo is meant to clean the scalp primarily and can damage the hair if overused.
Avoid over-styling, drying or processing hair to get those lustrous locks. 3. Let how oily your scalp is, determine how often you wash your hair. If your scalp is oily, wash hair more frequently than if the scalp was drier. 4. Conditioner should be used on the ends of the hair, not on the scalp, for best results. 5. Pick a shampoo and conditioner based on your hair shape, such as curly or straight, and your hair condition, such as damaged, fine, or frizzy. These products dont need to be expensive to work well for your hair. 6. Wear a hat to protect hair from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Health TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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annabe stripper-turnedwuss Poonam Pandeys kidney stones, infrequent actor-turned-covergirl Sonam Kapoors stomach distress and former size-zero postergirl Kareena Kapoors frequent fainting spells are likely to have the same cause: infrequent and irregular meals, the kinder term for dieting. Chronic dieting and frequent fasting which gives some the religious sanction to starve can cause several health disorders. A Johns Hopkins University study reported in 2009 that people who lose weight suddenly or undergo gastric-bypass surgery are at risk of kidney stones. Kidney stones is a common side effect in dieters who lose weight suddenly, as are dehydration and dizziness, says nutritionist Ishi Kholsa, director, WholeFoods. Its not just young girls choosing near-starvation diet plans. Ranjana Chaturvedi, 52, started dieting when she was nine. I was a fat child and Ive been dieting ever since I can remember. Ive never had a full
chocolate in my life and once survived on milk, cornflakes and cucumber for six whole months to lose weight quickly, says she. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an auto-immune disorder at the age of 28, which her doctor said could have been triggered by her dieting. Some of the other common health problems of dieting are: Dizziness Sudden dizziness and ringing in the ear are among the common side effects of low blood pressure and nutritional imbalance. Its common among people who are on a sustained low-calorie diet over several weeks. Dehydration / edema Vitamin, mineral and electrolyte imbalances skew the water balance in the body, causing dehydration. Dieters should have at least 12 glasses of fluids a day, says Khosla. Then, theres water retention caused by protein lost. A week to 10 days before periods, there is some water retention anyway due to the premenstrual hormones spike. In
such cases, cutting back on salt helps, but for crash-dieters, also eating some bit of protein every day is imperative, says Rekha Sharma, president, Indian Dietetic Association. Digestive issues Irregular or skipped meals confuse the stomach, which secretes digestive juices at meal times. The first sign of trouble is a stomach burn. Over time, irregular meals can cause stomach inflammation, ulcers and gall bladder stones, all of which are being reported in women in their mid-twenties, many of who have been dieting since adolescence, says Khosla. Osteoporosis Increasingly, bone health experts are focusing on ensuring that teenagers especially girls eat right to build healthy bones for a lifetime. Maximum bone development takes place during 11 to 25 years and if teenagers invest in their bones by eating calcium-rich food and getting a lot of exercise, they can reduce the risk of brittle bones and fractures after menopause, says
Poonam Pandey: promised to strip if India won World Cup, is now hospitalized with kidney stones. Sharma. According to WHO, one in two Indian women and one in three men over the age of 50 years have low bone mass, which can lead to debilitating fractures in later life. Constipation The sharp fall in food intake makes the digestive organs, including the intestines, sluggish. The decline in intestinal function causes constipation. Having fibre and laxatives can shake intestines from slumber, but a normal diet high in fibre is the only long-term solution. Irregular periods and infertility Hormonal imbalances make peri-
Sonam Kapoor has had stomach distress and fainted on the movie sets. ods irregular and, in some cases, lead to infertility. If a normal diet does not restore normal menstrual cycle, visit a gynecologist as you are likely to need medical treatment, says Sharma. Dry, blotchy skin Deficiencies of minerals such as zinc, magnesium and fat-soluble vitamins such as B-complex and vitamins A and E, make the skin appear shriveled and rough. Drinking plenty of water while dieting lowers the dryness, as does increasing the fat intake by having a moderate amount of dried seeds and nuts, says Khosla.
efore finding ways to unclog your arteries, it is important to know how they become clogged in the first place. Arteries get clogged when plaque builds up along the artery walls. Plaque is made of cholesterol, fat, calcium, inflammatory cells, waste material, protein and fibrin, which float around the body. These plaques restrict blood flow and cause arteries to rupture and lead to blood clots, which then blocks blood flow and leads to heart attack and stroke. Symptons of clogged arteries are quite mild and unnoticeable. You may experience lack of energy, pain in legs or arms and some memory problems. The food we eat daily is a major factor in the health of our heart and arteries. Too much saturated fat, hydrogenated fats, processed foods, sugar and minimum intake of antioxidants, coupled with poor stress management, late nights and no exercise lead to the development of heart disease and clogged arteries. Keeping arteries clean is important for heart and overall health. Food to keep arteries clean and unclogged Garlic: Eating garlic regularly reduces harmful cholesterol by 10 per
cent and prevents formation of blood clots. Eating one to four cloves a day provides 4,000 mcg of allicin, which reduces cholesterol. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Walnuts: They are rich in clotbursting omega 3 fats and help decrease inflammation in arteries caused by eating high fat foods. Walnuts help to maintain the elasticity of arteries, thereby allowing them to expand, contract, reduce clog and improve circulation. Eat three to four walnuts every day to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and to raise good cholesterol (HDL) levels. Pomegranate: It cleans the arteries, improves blood circulation and digestion. Eat one pomegranate and you will get 40 per cent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Olive Oil: Its the richest source of MUFA which are heart-friendly oils. They prevent oxidation of bad cholesterol (LDL which is responsible for clogging your arteries). Spinach: It is full of vitamins A and C, (which helps prevent oxidation of bad cholesterol). It checks the clogging of arteries and helps to release plaque lining the arteries. Onion: It improves blood circulation, remove blockages from clogged
arteries and dissolves blood clots. How to unclog arteries: Crush garlic and cook it lightly with tomatoes in a teaspoon of olive or groundnut oil. Spread the paste on a slice of whole wheat bread or a whole wheat khakra (oil-free) and have it for breakfast along with a glass of vegetable juice made from half a raw onion, two carrots and two tomatoes. Eat half an onion with each meal. This helps to keep the blood thin. Garam masala used in Indian cooking, discourages blood platelet clumping. Cloves and cumin seed powder used in it promote anti-clotting activity. Increase dietary fibre by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, oatmeal. Avoid junk, non-vegetarian food and highly processed foods. Foods with plant sterols like brown rice, whole wheat, nuts, pumpkin seeds, vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and tomato are very beneficial. Increased stress affects hormone levels and leads to clogged arteries. Yoga and meditation reduce stress. Regular exercise helps to reduce bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol, which decreases plaque formation inside the arteries
he Delhi government Monday asserted that the city's drinking water is safe and debunked the study in the British journal Lancet that claimed presence of a superbug in New Delhi water. The government also rejected the author's claims that truth was being suppressed. "Please don't spread panic when there is no panic. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been saying, and I think Delhi Jal Board has said that this is not so and water is safe for drinking," Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit told reporters. The study, published in Lancet last week, said the New Delhi metallobeta-lactamase (NDM-1) gene, which makes bacteria resistant to an array of antibiotics, including the most powerful ones, has been found in open water pools, water from overflowing sewage and even a couple of drinking water samples in the Indian capital. Ramesh Negi, the CEO of Delhi Jal Board that supplies water to much of the city, said: "We are testing the water as per the Bureau of India Standard (BIS) standards. Delhi's water is safe for drinking, and quoting the same (Lancet) study, it says
chances of this bacteria growing in this water is very less." The study, published last week in the prestigious medical journal, was promptly rejected by the government and medical experts in India. The article's coauthor Mark Toleman accused the government of "suppressing the truth". "We have rejected it and we still reject it," India's Director General Health Service R.K. Srivastava said. Toleman alleged that the Indian government was "threatening" and "abusing" its own scientists, and Indian experts have pitched against the comments. Renowned cardiologist and member of the board of Medical Council of India Devi Shetty said: "If there is any country which doesn't interfere with the scientific community it is the Indian government." "I have worked closely with the health ministry and it is a very open kind of environment which does not involve itself with any scientific community. I am surprised that they have accused our government of intimidating our scientists," he said. Shetty said the methodology of the study should be probed.
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Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info
resident Barack Obama has been in office for more than two years but some questions about him have still, amazingly, not been put to rest. The most common question concerns his birth: Was he really born in Hawaii? It's a question that has been asked continually by a certain segment of the population. These people are known as "birthers," a term that was coined to describe Republicans and others who are seeking to prove, through a growing body of evidence that they're nutcases. Not all of them are nuts, of course. Some are fruitcakes. Talk to them and you'll get statements like these: --- "Obama wuz not born in Hawaii, so as far as I'm concerned, he's inedible to be president." --- "If he wuz born in Hawaii, how come he don't speak Hawaiian?" --- "I don't believe he was born in Hawaii, but even if he was, should Hawaii really be considered part of America?" Many of these people suspect that Obama was actually born in the land of his father, Kenya. It may seem like a far-fetched belief,
but if you go to Kenya, you will find a similar group of people, also called "birthers," who suspect that their president, Mwai Kibaki, was actually born in Hawaii. I spoke to a "birther" in Kenya named George Mbacho. Me: "Is the beer in Kenya really that strong?" Mbacho: "What do you mean?" Me: "I mean, do you really believe that President Kibaki was born in Hawaii?" Mbacho: "Yes, we believe that Obama got Kibaki's birth certificate and Kibaki got Obama's." Me: "But Kibaki was born in 1931 and Obama was born in 1961." Mbacho: "You noticed that too? They are only one digit apart." Me: "What do you hope to achieve through your accusations? Do you want Kibaki to step down?"
Mbacho: "No, we are hoping for a trade. We'll take Obama, let the Americans have Kibaki." Me: "What if Americans don't want Kibaki?" Mbacho: "They have to take him. He was born in Hawaii!!!" It's important to note that in 2008 Obama's staff released an official 'Certification of Live Birth' from the State of Hawaii, which clearly states that Barack Hussein Obama II was born on Aug. 4, 1961, at 7:24 p.m. in the city of Honolulu, weighing 60 lbs, 8 oz. Actually it doesn't provide his weight or any of the other details that "birthers" are seeking. That's what I gathered from a conversation with an outspoken "birther," who has the apt name of Bertha. Me: "Let me get this straight: you don't believe the 'Certification of Live Birth' proves anything?" Bertha: "Well, it proves that he didn't come from an egg. That's what it proves." Me: "So you agree that he's a mammal?" Bertha: "Well, I never suspected he was a reptile. My friend Gertrude did, but not me." Me: "What does the president need to do to prove once and for all that he was born in Hawaii?"
Bertha: "Well, if he wants us to believe him, he needs to release his long-form birth certificate, the one from the hospital, as well as signed statements from the doctor and nurse who delivered him, and also a photo of him wearing a Hawaiian print diaper."
Me: "And if he provides all that, would you and others stop asking the question about his birth?" Bertha: "Yes, we would stop asking that question. But then, there's still the other question." Me: "What question is that?" Bertha: "Is he a Muslim?"
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Tech Life
Switching between emails, SMSes bad for health
LONDON: Being technology-savvy may be a necessity in today's world, but a new study says multi-tasking our way through life, as we switch between SMSes, emails and tweets daily, could take a toll on our mental health. Researchers at California University have claimed that latest gadgets could be damaging people's minds by bombarding them with too much information from multiple sources, and also weakening ability to screen out irrelevant data and prioritise what is important, the 'San Fransico Chronicle' reported. The study has found that multitasking can also hamper short-term memory performance, especially among older adults. Moreover, there are concerns of possible technology addiction -- with frequent users unable to stop checking their messages or sending out updates at every opportunity, say the researchers. In their study, they found that multi-taskers performed worse in tests where they had to jump from one task to another -- suggesting that they were easily distracted by irrelevant information. The researchers quoted other researches that show people are spending more time connected to a keyboard.
Centre for Media and the Public Agenda. While phones were the most essential device, others such as computers, MP3 players and TV were also considered essential to get people through their day, the Telegraph reports. Many young people reported mental and physical symptoms of distress and "employed the rhetoric of
Astrology
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