1. A lady named Marthe Odile Charton (C), 100, celebrated her 25th Leap Day birthday, in Ingersheim near Colmar, Eastern France, February 29, 2012. Odile is a "leaper" born on February 29,1912 in Ingersheim. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler
2. Boys between the ages of 7 and 18 in Myanmar are traditionally sent by their family to experience the life of a monk for a short span of time. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
(Source: Yahoo pictures of the week March 3,2012)
Sunday, March 04, 2012
US special forces stationed in India, reveals Pentagon
TOI, 2 Mar 2012
WASHINGTON: US special forces teams are currently stationed in five South Asian countries including India as part of the counter-terrorism cooperation with these nations, a top Pentagon commander has disclosed.
These teams have been deployed by US Pacific Command as part of its effort to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities, in particular in the maritime domain, Admiral Robert Willard, the PACOM Commander said on Thursday.
"We have currently special forces assist teams - Pacific assist teams is the term - laid down in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, as well as India," Willard told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing in response to a question on co-operation with India on counter-terrorism issues.
"We are working very closely with India with regard to their counter-terrorism capabilities and in particular on the maritime domain but also government to government, not necessarily DOD (department of defence) but other agencies assisting them in terms of their internal counter-terror and counterinsurgency challenges," Willard said.
(To read the full report, follow the title link to TOI news article.)
WASHINGTON: US special forces teams are currently stationed in five South Asian countries including India as part of the counter-terrorism cooperation with these nations, a top Pentagon commander has disclosed.
These teams have been deployed by US Pacific Command as part of its effort to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities, in particular in the maritime domain, Admiral Robert Willard, the PACOM Commander said on Thursday.
"We have currently special forces assist teams - Pacific assist teams is the term - laid down in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, as well as India," Willard told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing in response to a question on co-operation with India on counter-terrorism issues.
"We are working very closely with India with regard to their counter-terrorism capabilities and in particular on the maritime domain but also government to government, not necessarily DOD (department of defence) but other agencies assisting them in terms of their internal counter-terror and counterinsurgency challenges," Willard said.
(To read the full report, follow the title link to TOI news article.)
Saturday, March 03, 2012
One who doesn't earn Rs50000 per month, is a poor by Persi standard
Not many Indians will qualify to be above poverty line if the Persi standard, as set by Bombay Persi Panchayet, is followed in differentiating 'poor' Indians from 'rich' Indians.
See this news that came online at TOI today (3 Mar 2012)
-----------
MUMBAI: The Bombay Parsi Punchayet on Friday told the Bombay High Court that it considers a Parsi who earns under Rs 50,000 a month to be "poor" and hence eligible for allotment of a flat at subsidised rent.
A division bench of Justices P B Majmudar and Ramesh Dhanuka was hearing a petition filed by Rohinton Taraporewala against BPP's president Dinshaw Mehta and other trustees.
Taraporewala, who is in his 60s, lives in Tarapur. He has contended in his petition that he is "poor and eligible'' for housing, but BPP has allotted flats at Panthaky Baug in Andheri to people who are "richer" than him. He has also said that he and his wife are ailing and require to live in Mumbai to avail of medical treatment.
When the matter came up for hearing, Taraporewala's lawyer was not present. BPP advocate Percy Gandhi said a copy of the petition had not been served to his client. "He is not poor and has moved court because he was not allotted a flat at Panthaky Baug. He is very rich and has acres and acres of land. These flats are for the poor and needy,'' said Gandhi.
To a query from the judges as to who is defined as poor by the BPP, Gandhi replied, "A person earning income below Rs 50,000 a month is regarded as poor.'' Justice Majmudar remarked, "We have not come across any poor Parsi."
On October 15, 2009 the HC allowed BPP to sell 108 flats at Panthaky Baug at rates approved by the Charity Commissioner to cross-subsidise housing for needy Parsis. Some 300 flats are to be constructed and given on a merit-rating scheme.
Gandhi submitted that the108 flats "are also to be also sold to poor and needy Parsis'' and as Taraporewala is "not poor", he was not allotted a flat. Directing that a copy of the petition be served on BPP, the judges have adjourned the matter for two weeks.
See this news that came online at TOI today (3 Mar 2012)
-----------
MUMBAI: The Bombay Parsi Punchayet on Friday told the Bombay High Court that it considers a Parsi who earns under Rs 50,000 a month to be "poor" and hence eligible for allotment of a flat at subsidised rent.
A division bench of Justices P B Majmudar and Ramesh Dhanuka was hearing a petition filed by Rohinton Taraporewala against BPP's president Dinshaw Mehta and other trustees.
Taraporewala, who is in his 60s, lives in Tarapur. He has contended in his petition that he is "poor and eligible'' for housing, but BPP has allotted flats at Panthaky Baug in Andheri to people who are "richer" than him. He has also said that he and his wife are ailing and require to live in Mumbai to avail of medical treatment.
When the matter came up for hearing, Taraporewala's lawyer was not present. BPP advocate Percy Gandhi said a copy of the petition had not been served to his client. "He is not poor and has moved court because he was not allotted a flat at Panthaky Baug. He is very rich and has acres and acres of land. These flats are for the poor and needy,'' said Gandhi.
To a query from the judges as to who is defined as poor by the BPP, Gandhi replied, "A person earning income below Rs 50,000 a month is regarded as poor.'' Justice Majmudar remarked, "We have not come across any poor Parsi."
On October 15, 2009 the HC allowed BPP to sell 108 flats at Panthaky Baug at rates approved by the Charity Commissioner to cross-subsidise housing for needy Parsis. Some 300 flats are to be constructed and given on a merit-rating scheme.
Gandhi submitted that the108 flats "are also to be also sold to poor and needy Parsis'' and as Taraporewala is "not poor", he was not allotted a flat. Directing that a copy of the petition be served on BPP, the judges have adjourned the matter for two weeks.
Friday, February 24, 2012
BSNL launches cheap tablets in Rs3250 - Rs13500 range
Yahoo India news, 24 Feb 2012
BSNL has launched three tablets including two 7 inch resistive screen based tabs with Android 2.3 operating system while the third tablet comes with an 8 inch capacitive touchscreen.
Made by Noida based company - Pantel, the tablets will be sold with discounted data plans from BSNL. The three tablets are priced at Rs 3,250, Rs 10,999 and Rs 13,500.
The cheapest model is Panta Tpad IS 701r which is priced at Rs 3,250. Notably, Aakash is priced at just Rs 2500. However, Tpad has better specification than the Datawind's low cost tablet.
Panta Tpad is a WiFi only tablet with Android 2.3 operating system, it has a 1 GHz processor (ARM11 IMAP210) clubbed with 256 MB RAM. The tablet also offers HDMI port through which it can be connected to a TV. Its 7 inch resistive touch screen comes with 800x600 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.
pagination
The tablet has a 3000 mAh battery and 2 GB internal memory which can be expanded through micro SD card. The tablet also has a VGA front facing camera for video calling. While Panta Tpad IS 701r has the BSNL branding, the other two tablets images do not have.
The second tablet is named 'Panta Tpad_ws704c'. It has the same specification as its cheapest cousin (701r) but offers added 3G connectivity which supports both CDMA/EVDO and GSM, inbuilt A-GPS, Accelerometer and Bluetooth. It also comes with a 2 megapixel rear camera and also has bigger 512 MB RAM for faster performance.
The costliest amongst the three is the Tpad WS802C which has an 8 inch capacitive screen. It comes with a faster 1.2 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM. The internal memory is also bigger at 4 GB. Rest of the features like GPS, camera and Bluetooth are same as the 704C.
BSNL has launched three tablets including two 7 inch resistive screen based tabs with Android 2.3 operating system while the third tablet comes with an 8 inch capacitive touchscreen.
Made by Noida based company - Pantel, the tablets will be sold with discounted data plans from BSNL. The three tablets are priced at Rs 3,250, Rs 10,999 and Rs 13,500.
The cheapest model is Panta Tpad IS 701r which is priced at Rs 3,250. Notably, Aakash is priced at just Rs 2500. However, Tpad has better specification than the Datawind's low cost tablet.
Panta Tpad is a WiFi only tablet with Android 2.3 operating system, it has a 1 GHz processor (ARM11 IMAP210) clubbed with 256 MB RAM. The tablet also offers HDMI port through which it can be connected to a TV. Its 7 inch resistive touch screen comes with 800x600 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.
pagination
The tablet has a 3000 mAh battery and 2 GB internal memory which can be expanded through micro SD card. The tablet also has a VGA front facing camera for video calling. While Panta Tpad IS 701r has the BSNL branding, the other two tablets images do not have.
The second tablet is named 'Panta Tpad_ws704c'. It has the same specification as its cheapest cousin (701r) but offers added 3G connectivity which supports both CDMA/EVDO and GSM, inbuilt A-GPS, Accelerometer and Bluetooth. It also comes with a 2 megapixel rear camera and also has bigger 512 MB RAM for faster performance.
The costliest amongst the three is the Tpad WS802C which has an 8 inch capacitive screen. It comes with a faster 1.2 GHz processor and 512 MB RAM. The internal memory is also bigger at 4 GB. Rest of the features like GPS, camera and Bluetooth are same as the 704C.
Kudankulam anti-nuclear activist tells PM to prove NGO-funded charge or quit
Yahoo India news, 24 Feb 2012
Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu), Feb.24 (ANI): Anti-nuclear activist S.P. Uday Kumar on Friday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the his statement that NGOs based in the United States and in some Scandinavian countries are fuelling the Kudankulam nuclear plant protests.
In interviews given to various television channels, Kumar asked Dr. Singh to prove his charge or quit office.
"The Prime Minister should take back his statement. If the Prime Minister can't prove his charge then he should step down. The Prime Minister is not an elected PM, but a nominated one, that's why he is insulting the people of India," claimed Kumar.
"It is nonsense to say that NGOs' from the US and Scandinavian countries are funding the Kudankulam protest," he said.
"The Prime Minister, who is the head of the country, can't make such remarks. He has no sympathy. Lakhs of people are struggling and instead of acknowledging, he is accusing us of receiving money. We are not receiving money from any NGO," said Kumar.
"His ministerial colleague Narayansamy said the same thing. Why can't he produce some evidence to prove his charge? The Prime Minister insults the people of the country," Kumar said.
Speaking to NDTV"s Science Editor Pallava Bagla during an interview for the Science magazine, Dr. Singh said: "What"s happening in Kudankulam...the atomic energy programme has got into difficulties because these NGOs, mostly I think based in the United States, don"t appreciate the need for our country to increase the energy supply."
The Prime Minister has also blamed these NGOs for opposing genetically modified foods and the use of biotechnology to increase food production in the country.
"Biotechnology has enormous potential and in due course of time we must make use of genetic engineering technologies to increase the productivity of our agriculture. But there are controversies. There are NGOs, often funded from the United States and the Scandinavian countries, which are not fully appreciative of the development challenges that our country faces," Dr Singh said.
The Rs.13, 000-crore Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) is located in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
Being built with Russian collaboration, the plant is expected to provide energy-starved India respite from power shortage.
The Indo-Russian nuclear plant joint venture, however, has run into trouble, with activists and locals staging massive protests citing safety concerns in the wake of the Fukushima disaster that took place in Japan on March 11, 2011.
The frequent protests have stalled the commissioning of two 1000-megawatt nuclear reactors.
Several rounds of talks between a Central Government-appointed expert panel and representatives of villagers opposing the plant have failed to end the standoff.
The villagers say they fear for their lives and their safety in case of a nuclear accident, as also concerns over the long-term impact it would have on the population in the area.
Worried over the scale of protests against the plant, the PM had urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to support the project and had assured her that no safety features would be compromised at the plant.
While international experts have signed off on the facilities of the plant, deeming them strong enough to withstand an earthquake or a tsunami, the country"s nuclear watchdog - the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board - has suggested that more security checks are needed at the plant. (ANI)
Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu), Feb.24 (ANI): Anti-nuclear activist S.P. Uday Kumar on Friday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the his statement that NGOs based in the United States and in some Scandinavian countries are fuelling the Kudankulam nuclear plant protests.
In interviews given to various television channels, Kumar asked Dr. Singh to prove his charge or quit office.
"The Prime Minister should take back his statement. If the Prime Minister can't prove his charge then he should step down. The Prime Minister is not an elected PM, but a nominated one, that's why he is insulting the people of India," claimed Kumar.
"It is nonsense to say that NGOs' from the US and Scandinavian countries are funding the Kudankulam protest," he said.
"The Prime Minister, who is the head of the country, can't make such remarks. He has no sympathy. Lakhs of people are struggling and instead of acknowledging, he is accusing us of receiving money. We are not receiving money from any NGO," said Kumar.
"His ministerial colleague Narayansamy said the same thing. Why can't he produce some evidence to prove his charge? The Prime Minister insults the people of the country," Kumar said.
Speaking to NDTV"s Science Editor Pallava Bagla during an interview for the Science magazine, Dr. Singh said: "What"s happening in Kudankulam...the atomic energy programme has got into difficulties because these NGOs, mostly I think based in the United States, don"t appreciate the need for our country to increase the energy supply."
The Prime Minister has also blamed these NGOs for opposing genetically modified foods and the use of biotechnology to increase food production in the country.
"Biotechnology has enormous potential and in due course of time we must make use of genetic engineering technologies to increase the productivity of our agriculture. But there are controversies. There are NGOs, often funded from the United States and the Scandinavian countries, which are not fully appreciative of the development challenges that our country faces," Dr Singh said.
The Rs.13, 000-crore Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) is located in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
Being built with Russian collaboration, the plant is expected to provide energy-starved India respite from power shortage.
The Indo-Russian nuclear plant joint venture, however, has run into trouble, with activists and locals staging massive protests citing safety concerns in the wake of the Fukushima disaster that took place in Japan on March 11, 2011.
The frequent protests have stalled the commissioning of two 1000-megawatt nuclear reactors.
Several rounds of talks between a Central Government-appointed expert panel and representatives of villagers opposing the plant have failed to end the standoff.
The villagers say they fear for their lives and their safety in case of a nuclear accident, as also concerns over the long-term impact it would have on the population in the area.
Worried over the scale of protests against the plant, the PM had urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to support the project and had assured her that no safety features would be compromised at the plant.
While international experts have signed off on the facilities of the plant, deeming them strong enough to withstand an earthquake or a tsunami, the country"s nuclear watchdog - the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board - has suggested that more security checks are needed at the plant. (ANI)
Friday, February 17, 2012
Pvt Channel Cameras Banned in K'taka Assembly After Assembly Scam Expose
From yahoo news, 17 Feb 2012
Little else may bring out moments of collective hypocrisy-hysteria like our attitudes to matters of the powerful and the sexual. In other current words, politicians or porn. Are parts of this nation being remarkably consistent in the hysteria and the hype?
India banned the most recent adapatation of Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon tattoo, a film for its adult scenes of rape and torture. Now it is also keen to go ahead in the latest porngate and ban cameras of private channels inside the Soudha or State Assembly. So shooting the messenger, what in this case has arguably not come across as an irresponsible media moment ?With what rationale? So the MLAs should not feel watched while at work ? Who will catch the shirk? The state's own cameras? A case of cracking down on the cameras and the extracurricular passions of members representing the people of Karnataka ? What do you think?And this may have opened the vault of political hypocrisy but was this the worst pornographic sex on the sly type scandal in India? See this next video and decide. And in the video after that Prasoon Joshi probably hits the nail on the head about audiences while actually talking about Indian cinema here.He says what Indians are is very very confused.
Little else may bring out moments of collective hypocrisy-hysteria like our attitudes to matters of the powerful and the sexual. In other current words, politicians or porn. Are parts of this nation being remarkably consistent in the hysteria and the hype?
India banned the most recent adapatation of Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon tattoo, a film for its adult scenes of rape and torture. Now it is also keen to go ahead in the latest porngate and ban cameras of private channels inside the Soudha or State Assembly. So shooting the messenger, what in this case has arguably not come across as an irresponsible media moment ?With what rationale? So the MLAs should not feel watched while at work ? Who will catch the shirk? The state's own cameras? A case of cracking down on the cameras and the extracurricular passions of members representing the people of Karnataka ? What do you think?And this may have opened the vault of political hypocrisy but was this the worst pornographic sex on the sly type scandal in India? See this next video and decide. And in the video after that Prasoon Joshi probably hits the nail on the head about audiences while actually talking about Indian cinema here.He says what Indians are is very very confused.
Boy genius joined college at age 8, graduated at 9 and wrote book at 14
Fromm NDTV.com, 17 Feb 2012
The one thing 14-year-old Moshe Kai Cavalin dislikes is being called a genius. All he did, after all, was enroll in college at age 8 and earn his first of two Associate of Arts degrees from East Los Angeles Community College at age 9, graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
Now at 14, he has also published the English version of his book "We Can Do".
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/boy-genius-joined-college-at-age-8-graduated-at-9-176566
The one thing 14-year-old Moshe Kai Cavalin dislikes is being called a genius. All he did, after all, was enroll in college at age 8 and earn his first of two Associate of Arts degrees from East Los Angeles Community College at age 9, graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
Now at 14, he has also published the English version of his book "We Can Do".
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/boy-genius-joined-college-at-age-8-graduated-at-9-176566
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