J.MOHAN RAO

Garlic and Rock Salt-Home Remedies for Toothache

2010-08-02T21:22:00.000+05:30

Toothache is the soreness within or around a tooth and is extremely painful. The area swells and reddens. The best treatment for toothache is to visit a dentist. However in cases of urgency home remedies for toothache come in handy.

Remedies for Toothache
Place a clove of garlic with a little rock salt on the affected tooth. Also you can chew a clove of garlic daily in the morning.

Another good remedy for toothache is to put 2-3 drops of vanilla extract on the affected area. This provides instant relief from toothache.
Cut a piece of potato and place it on the sore tooth for about 15mins.
Press a hot tea bag against the tooth. It is a nice remedy for toothache.
Apply clove oil to the cavity of the tooth. It acts like an anesthetic and provides immediate relief from toothache.
Gargle with a medicated mouth wash.
Chew leaves of guava tree. This provides relief from tooth pain.
A pinch of pepper and ¼ tsp of common salt helps prevent dental cavity, foul breath, bleeding from the gums, painful gums, and toothaches.
Add clove oil to 1 tsp of pepper powder and put the mixture on the cavities.
In case the pain is caused by trapped food particles, rinse mouth with water vigorously.
Press an ice cube on the nearest cheek for about 15mins 3 times a day to decrease the pain.
Now you know a few effective treatments of toothache. So the next time someone in your family gets one, don’t panic. Just follow the instructions. Hope you found this article useful

David Cameron 'should not apologise for speaking the truth'

2010-08-02T12:52:00.000+05:30

So the head of Pakistan’s spy agency, the ISI, has cancelled the intelligence component of this week’s visit by Pakistan’s president because David Cameron suggested that the country should not 'look both ways’.

Does this matter? Should the Prime Minister now row back and ingratiate his visitor?
Yes, it may matter, though time will tell. But no, there should be no apology for saying in public what has been said privately for years: the truth.
What has really annoyed the Pakistanis is that the words were uttered in India. Certainly, the Pakistani armed forces have taken many casualties in combating home-grown insurgent groups which directly challenge their state, and have made much progress.
But the issue of terrorism emanating from Pakistan affects all 45 members of the coalition engaged in Afghanistan, particularly the British and Americans in Helmand and Kandahar, and India as well. The Pakistani army have always drawn a distinction between these and other groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (formally banned but still operational) and the Haqqani network which they regard as 'freedom fighters’, essentially para-military reservists for use in the event of conflict with India. These groups have found sanctuary in Pakistan while attacking Indian and coalition targets in Afghanistan.
It is surely unacceptable that a country which the US describes as a 'strategic ally’ should allow this even if the ISI no longer provides active support, as some allege.
On the other hand, there are other British interests in play too: the military supply routes from Pakistani ports to Afghanistan and, most importantly, intelligence cooperation about links between Pakistan and terrorism in Britain. This cooperation must be maintained. But Pakistan knows that, if it were now to impede it, the consequences would not be limited to bilateral relations.
Drawing on longstanding British experience in administering the most effective bilateral aid programme in Pakistan, the US is now initiating its own $7.5billion civilian aid programme. All concerned need to ensure that such efforts bear fruit. So President Zardari is wise to maintain his visit, which may benefit from plain speaking, albeit more privately this time.
Sir Hilary Synnott is a Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and former High Commissioner in Pakistan and Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi.

Politics behind CWG corruption claims: Australian official

2010-08-02T10:42:00.000+05:30

Australia's top Commonwealth Games official said today he suspects the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi have become a political football in India amid claims of corruption in the construction of facilities. With barely two months to go before the Games start in October, the sporting extravaganza has been caught up in a flood of charges of rampant corruption as costs soar.Indian press have reported all building certificates inspected so far were fake or suspect, a claim the Indian head of the organising committee for the Delhi Games, Suresh Kalmadi, has dismissed as "baseless allegations of corruption".

An Indian anti-corruption body reported on Friday it had found a host of problems with construction work, including use of poor quality materials and dubious contracts.
Perry Crosswhite, the chief executive of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA), said he suspects political motives could be behind the allegations."It looks like the parties and the government there are having a go at each other and no doubt everybody has got their little axe to grind," Crosswhite told reporters on Monday."These things tend to happen before these types of events -- the blame game happens.
"And then, generally, the Games come along, they're very successful and everybody then tries to take the credit afterwards."I have been involved in a number of these things and that is what tends to happen.
"It's very hard for me to comment on all this stuff about corruption and whether building certificates have been given and all the rest of it because I just don't know and I think it's just an internal matter anyway."The event involving 71 nations is already the costliest Commonwealth Games in history, with an infrastructure and organising budget of two billion dollars, although unofficial estimates say the cost will be at least triple.
Monsoon rain in Delhi has also hampered the completion of Games infrastructure."Our view is that it's going to be tight but they will meet the deadline," Crosswhite said.
Sydney, August 02, 2010

Bicycling, Brisk Walking Help Women Control Weight

2010-08-01T23:33:00.000+05:30

Researchers Call for More Bike-Friendly Environments to Combat Obesity

Premenopausal women who make even small increases in the amount of time they spend bicycling or walking briskly every day decrease their risk of gaining weight, according to a new study by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The study appears in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

For premenopausal women of any weight, riding a bicycle was effective in helping to maintain weight, and overweight and obese women appeared to benefit the most. The researchers found that among women who did not originally bicycle in 1989 but bicycled in 2005, even a small increase in bicycling time – as little as five minutes each day – helped to control weight. Among the walkers who had increased their daily activity by an average of 30 min/day over the years, only those who walked briskly (≥3 mph) were able to control their weight. Walking slowly (<3 mph) had no effect.
The results come from an examination of 18,414 premenopausal women, free from chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease, participating in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-based Nurses’ Health Study II. This is an ongoing study in which participants respond to a questionnaire about their medical history, lifestyle and health-related behaviors every two years. In 1989 and 2005, participants reported on time spent engaging the previous year in various recreational activities.
Study results showed that women in the study gained an average of 9.3 kilograms (20.5 pounds) over the 16-year period. Even though women gain weight as they age, normal-weight women who were bicycling more than four hours a week in 2005, irrespective of their physical activity level in 1989, were 26% times less likely to gain more than five percent of their initial body weight. Overweight and obese women who were bicycling just two or three hours a week were 46% times less likely to gain weight.

According to the authors, it is the first study to look at the relationship between bicycling and weight control among women.
“This study shows that more bicycling predicts less weight gain,” said Rania Mekary, research associate in the HSPH Department of Nutrition.
“Small daily increments in bicycling helped women control their weight. But the more time women spent bicycling, the better. Women with excess weight appeared to benefit the most. This is encouraging for women with weight problems because they could substitute bicycling for slow walking or car driving,” said Mekary.
In the U.S., 66% of adults are overweight or obese, 16% of children and adolescents are overweight, and 34% of children and adolescents are at risk of becoming overweight. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend that every adult accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity activity on most, preferably all, days of the week to prevent obesity and improve health.
“Our study provides evidence that to combat obesity, the U.S. needs to have policies that not only endorse design guidelines for sidewalks, but also for separate and comfortable places to bicycle, such as cycle tracks between sidewalks and parked cars,” said Anne Lusk, research fellow in the HSPH Department of Nutrition.

When promoting physical activity to their patients, the authors encourage physicians to prescribe brisk walking, rather than just walking, but also bicycling. “Bicycling may be more comfortable than brisk walking, especially for overweight women,” said Lusk.

by Harvard School of Public Health - 7/24/2010 Share

Healthy skin you need a healthy body, and your make-up can only enhance to a certain degree what is there already.

2010-08-01T23:26:00.000+05:30

A to Z Skin Care Remedies

As a society we spend millions of euros every year on one organ of the body. This very favoured organ is our skin. Our obsession to look young can take us into the realms of spending enormous sums of money. But there are simple ways of improving the health of the skin and the body with far less stress to us and those credit cards!

In this article of our alphabet A to Z of good skin care, we look into the do’s and don’ts of good skin care.

A is for Avocado
Extremely rich in monounsaturated oils, vitamin A and E. This fruit helps to maintain the membrane of the cells of the skin. The vitamin A within it is needed by the body in the production of new cells – a must for youthful skin. Enjoy eating avocados in salads, or, mash them up with some fresh whipping cream for a lovely external skin cleanser. As a cold pressed oil, avocado is so nourishing when applied to dry skin.
A is also for alcohol, found to be dehydrating to the skin, so drink it in moderation.

B is for Broccoli
Extremely high in anti-oxidants and fibre. Its cleansing action on the digestive system helps regulate bacterial build-up and also purifies and stimulates the liver. By irradiating toxins from the body the skin will look smooth and have a lovely healthy glow.

C is Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid found in vitamin C helps form collagen considered to be the sub-skin “cement”. When collagen is reduced, wrinkles may appear. If you smoke, remember your ability to absorb vitamin C is inhibited.

D is for Diet
Diet has to be one of the most important factors in achieving healthy skin and beautiful bright eyes. Avoid processed foods. Eat fresh organic vegetables, cereals, pulses and fish. Keep meat consumption in moderation and reduce your intake of sugar, coffee, tea and fizzy drinks. Make sure your diet is varied and balanced.

E is for Essential Fatty Acid
These fats, found in oily fish such as sardines and mackerel, and in nuts and seeds reduce dry and itching skin. Oil such as hemp, flax or black-seed oil stimulate the formation of hair, skin and nails. Certainly a must for good skin.

F is for Fruit
Instead on snacking on things like crisps and biscuits etc, grab an apple or a banana. Make smoothies for you and your family and add in fruits like blueberries which have anti-aging properties, and help reduce thread veins and wrinkles. Kiwi fruit is high in Vitamin A and C – they’re great for keeping the elasticity of the skin. Set aside time to enjoy a really soothing face mask made from organic ingredients. Just the ticket for revitalising and nourishing the skin.

G is for Green Tea
Green tea is rich in polyphenols which are substances with antioxidants and anti-carcinogenic properties. Remember oxidants are free–radicals; atoms or molecules that are electronically unbalanced and therefore reactive. They damage the DNA molecules within our bodies and can cause those brown age spots on our skin.

H is for Honey
Honey “the nectar of the gods”, a wonderful food containing nutrients which have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Manuka honey is made by bees that collect pollen from the manuka bush, which is indigenous to New Zealand. This particular honey is regarded as effective in treating wounds, and due to its antibacterial properties can be effective in treating acne.

I is for Insect Bites
Nothing’s worse than being on holiday and suffering from insect bites! Studies have suggested that taking vitamin B1 two weeks prior to your holiday makes the skin unappetising to mosquitoes – but luckily not to anyone else! If you do get bitten, reduce the swelling with lavender oil or soothing aloe vera gel.

J is for Juices
Juices can be nice. Truly! They don’t have to have a weird combination of vegetable and fruit with extra “je ne sais quoi”. How about a combination of apricot, lime and mint or a “berry surprise” consisting of two large handfuls of raspberries, one handful of blackberries and one of blueberries. For those of you who have a more adventurous nature, something like an aniseed dip- ½ a pineapple, 1 large handful of blackcurrants and ½ a fennel. Remember the body’s power of absorption is greater when food is juiced.

K is for Kicking up those Heels
Have you always had that desire to do something, like learning to ride a horse, walk around the Ring of Kerry with a rucksack on your back or go on sponsored walks wearing a crazy outfit? But you’re too shy, you’re too old or you’re too … And anyway, what will the neighbours think! Just do it and have fun. Fun and laugher increases the levels of health-enhancing hormones and neurotransmitters. Laughter also increases the number of antibody-producing cells which means a stronger immune system.

L is for Lips

So many people each year suffer from dry chapped lips, cracked corners of the mouth, and even cold sores. Cracked corners and chapped lips can be a sign of deficiency in zinc and vitamin B2, B6 and B12. A good quality multivitamin with high levels of the B vitamins can be very helpful. Cold sores which are caused by the herpes simplex virus, appear when the immune system is depleted, and dormant virus is reactivated. L-Lysine supplement taken at the first sign of a cold sore can inhibit the virus. However always ensure that you are eating healthily and keep stress levels down.
Healthy skin, sparkling eyes and shining hair are some of the indicators that often signify good health.
M is for Moisturisers
As we age, the ability of the glands in the skin to secrete oils becomes less efficient and the need to protect, nourish and replenish becomes greater. Society is becoming more aware of the quality of what we eat. The same principle should apply to skin care. Natural products that are free from unnecessary additives, chemicals and pollutants, have to be part of good skin care. Increasingly we are seeing companies whose ethos is based on natural and organic ingredients, so look out for moisturisers by companies who uses natural ingredients.
N is for Nourishing
The skin can be nourished just like our bodies. Skin is porous and will absorb the good and the bad. It is not selective. You, however, can be. Wonderful essential oils for nourishing the skin found in many natural skin products are geranium, frankincense, sandalwood, roman chamomile and neroli. But it is important to remember that the skin is nourished from the inside – out. Good balanced diet, exercise and hydration are essential for good skin care.

O is for Oily Skin
Sebum is the oil secreted by the sebaceous glands in our skin. The oil keeps our skin supple, but in excess, the pores of the skin can become blocked, resulting in pimples and blackheads. Be it due to diet, hormone or genes, excess oil can be a problem, particularly for teenagers. Cleanse the skin with hot water and soap to prevent pore clogging; avoid harsh oil stripping products. Don’t use cleansers and lotions with alcohol. Use light antiseptic day creams to inhibit sebaceous secretions. Lavere’s Young Faces ‘oil free’ range is worth investigation.

P is Propylene glycol
Used in cosmetic products and also in pesticides, anti-freeze and cigarettes, propylene glycol has to be a ‘don’t’ in the ingredients list. Considered a “moisture carrying substance” it actually takes moisture from the skin. Other “unnecessary” substances to avoid are the parabens (butyl, ethyl, methyl, proply) as these can cause allergic responses, endocrine disruption and possible risk of breast cancer.
Q is for Quality of Life
According to the nutritionist, we must either seek to prevent the causes of impaired cell division or, better still, attempt to increase the number of times cells divide. Diet is the influence that can induce premature aging. Other factors can affect cell division such as quality of life, the state of our minds, stress levels, living and working conditions. The mental attitude can stimulate an ‘aging control centre’ in the brain which will stimulate the ‘youth signals’ which relate to various areas within the body.

R is for Rosewater
Used throughout history as a scent and also for its therapeutic value cosmetically. As a facial cleanser or toner it has the benefit of stimulating blood flow in the capillaries under the skin. This action can be beneficial in treating minor infections, sunburn, thread veins and scars.

S is for Sensitive Skin
Factors such as dehydration, stress, cosmetics and temperature changes can cause irritation leaving the skin itchy, dry, red and blotchy. Many skin care companies have a sensitive skin care range. Before purchasing ensure the products are natural, preferably organic or with no ‘unnecessary ingredients’ and ask if you can do a 24 hour sensitivity test prior to purchase, just to be on the safe side.

T is for Toners
Why do we need toners? Surely by cleansing, moisturizing and the right diet this should be sufficient? So where do toners fit in the role of good skin care? If the cleanser removes all dirt from the skin, is there a need for a toner? It is a grey area, some people believe they do, some don’t. The user will be the judge.

U is for UV Radiation
In the dark winter days we dream of the warmth and vitality that the sun gives to us. But the rays of the sun can have a harmful effect on the skin if it is not protected. The UV radiation from the sun causes the collagen within the skin to break down faster than normal and the final results are wrinkles. The damaging effects of UV radiation can result in lowered immunity, aging skin disorders and cancer. Sun tan lotions offer protection against UV radiation, but ensure you have the correct factor number.

V is for Vegetable and Vitamins
As children we were told to eat our vegetables. This sound advice was given as vegetables have important minerals and vitamins crucial for healthy bodies. Vegetables such as broccoli which is beneficial for hair, nails and skin contains niacin (Vit B2), Vitamin A, Vit. C, Pantothenic Acid and Folic acid. Spinach helps prevent mouth ulcers, white spots and dry irritated eyes and contains Vit A, C, K, folate, iron, selenium and calcium. The cooking process destroys the vitamins, so steam your vegetables until they are “al dente”.

W has to be for WATER
The king of good skin and body care. Dr F Batmanghelidi the author of “Your body’s many cries for water”, discusses that “disease conditions should be viewed as dehydration- produced disorders.” He explains that modern-day thinking that tea, coffee and alcohol, and manufactured minerals are a “desirable substitute” for water, to the body is a “catastrophic mistake.” He declares that conditions such as asthma, high blood pressure, excess body-weight and depression have a direct link to dehydration. The body has more than one “dry mouth” indicator of water shortage. Therefore for good health and good skin hydration is paramount.

X is for X-rays
X-rays are light waves that are much shorter in wavelength; however they can effect the skin. Skin that has been damaged by X-ray therapy has shown good results of recovery by treatment with lavender oil.
Xeroderma is a skin condition of abnormal dryness due to fewer sebaceous glands than normal. The result is lack of lubrication. Once diagnosed, rich moisturizing creams and essential oils be useful.

Y is for Yogurts
Live or “bio” yogurts contain probiotics which help to address the good-to-bad ratio of bacteria within the intestine. The passage of harmful molecules through the intestinal wall may result in suppressed immune response, auto-immune disease and skin disorders. The use of probiotics to address the syndrome has shown encouraging results.

Z is for Zinc
A trace element that has numerous functions. According to the nutritionist Dr Michael Sharon, it is found in a least twenty five different enzymes. Zinc has a part in carbohydrate metabolism, the breakdown of alcohol and the syntheses of nucleic acids. In conjunction with vitamin B6 it lowers histamine production, therefore helpful in the treatment of allergies. Sharon explains that zinc has been shown to promote skin health and assist in the alleviation of psoriasis. It’s found in foods such as oysters, meat, fish, mushrooms, pumpkins seeds and egg yolks.
So why not give your skin some pampering and you may be surprised at the new you.

Always consult your health care practitioner before taking herbal medicines, supplements or embarking on a new exercise programme

CVC calls CBI for CWG scam !!!

2010-08-01T19:12:00.000+05:30

The agencies under CBI scanner include MCD, PWD, DDA, NDMC, CPWD and RITES.

In a move sure to embarrass Delhi government and Central government ahead of October Commonwealth Games (CWG), the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) has recommended CBI probe into the irregularities in awarding contracts in the CWG preparation.
It was a major setback for government when CVC report claimed corruptions in construction of various stadia.The CVC has asked the CBI to register cases against certain MCD officials in connection with irregularities.Earlier, the apex anti-corruption body examined 15 projects related to the Games and found massive irregularities in awarding contracts.According to the sources, two aides of Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi are also under scanner of Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged forex exchange to a little known UK company.The agencies under CBI scanner include MCD, PWD, DDA, NDMC, CPWD and RITES.These agencies have been given projects to develop stadia for the CWG games and infrastructure beautification.

The works related to Common Wealth Games were inspected by the Chief Technical Examiner’s wing of the Central Vigilance Commission-

S.No. Name of Work-Organisation

1. Construction of Grade Separator at Rajaram Kohli Marg Intersection and Shastri Nagar

Intersection at East Delhi. SH: C/o main flyover including loops, slip roads, bridges,

sub-way, bus-bays, cycle tracks, drainage and allied works.-PWD

2. Construction of Elevated Road over Barapulla Nallah starting from Sarai Kale Khan to

Jawharlal Nehru Stadium. SH:- Construction of Elevated Road, slip Roads, Drainage,

Electrical, Land Scaping & Allied work from Sarai Kale Khan to Mathura Road

(Package-I) & from Mathura Road to Jawharlal Nehru Stadium (Package-2).-PWD

3. Construction of 3 – Level Grade Separator at Crossing of NH –24 and Road No. 56 at

Ghazipur on NH – 24, Delhi. SH :-Construction of Main Flyover, Underpass, Slip

Roads, Bridge widening over drain , Footbridge, Bus bays, Cycle Tracks, Drainage,

Electrical, Landscaping and Allied Works at Ghazipur Crossing of NH – 24 and Road

No. 56.-PWD

4. Construction of Flyover at naraina T-Point, Ring Road, New Delhi. - PWD

5. Covering of Sunahari Nallah from Lala Lajpat Rai Marg (Behind Lodhi Hotel) to Dayal

Singh College along Lodhi Road & Covering of Kushak Nallah from Jawaharlal Nehru

Stadium (south Gate) to IVth Avenue Road, Lodhi Road, Lodhi Colony, for providing

parking facility for Common Wealth Games-2010.-MCD

6. C/o Common Wealth Games Village for Common Wealth Games, Delhi 2010 near

Akshardham Temple off Road No. NH-24. SH-C/0 swimming pool, Training Hall,

Fitness centre, Athletic track at Common Wealth Games Village.-DDA

7. Up-gradation of Street Lighting on Roads in Delhi under Jurisdiction of MCD Phase- MCD

8. Upgradation of Street Lighting on Delhi PWD Roads under M-1 Zone, M-2 Zone & M-3

Zone”-PWD

9. Construction of indoor stadium for Badminton & Squash for commonwealth games-

2010 at Sirifort Sports Complex.-DDA

10. Improvement/Upgradation of Shivaji Stadium - NDMC

11. Upgradation & Renovation of Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi - CPWD

12. Upgradation of Talkatora Stadium (Const. of additional Blocks) - NDMC

13. Upgradation of Dr.S.P.M. Swimming Pool - CPWD

14. Development of Practice venue for Rugby at Jamia Milia Islamia University - RITES

15. C/o Road Under Bridge(RUB) at Prem Nagar/Sewa Nagar Railway crossing. -MCD

DEFICIENCIES OBSERVED BY CTEO (Chief Technical Examiners' Office) DURING INSPECTION OF CWG

RELATED WORKS

AWARD OF WORKS AT HIGHER RATES

• Almost all the organizations executing works for Common Wealth Games have

considered inadmissible factors to jack-up the reasonable price to justify award of work

at quoted rates citing urgent/emergent circumstances. Despite higher rates poor site

management, delays and quality compromises have been observed.

• Thirty items, which were not part of the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) were incorporated in

the Contract at higher rates after receipt of tenders.

• In the bid of L1, rates of some items and discount offered by the firm at the end of BOQ

were tampered either by cutting or by overwriting in the price bid after opening in

order to increase the quoted amount to avail the difference of Rs. 362,72,229/-

between the next higher quoted amounts without changing the overall status.

• Two separate line items for Imported & Indigenous HPSV fitting of same technical

specification and other performance parameters taken in BOQ with wide variation in

rates i.e. more than three times. No logical reasoning could be given by organisation to

go in for Imported Luminaries at such exorbitant prices, whereas the luminaries of

same specification, manufactured by the same vendor are also available at lower

prices, which has caused in extra burden of Rs. 1.52 Crore.

POOR QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Execution of poor quality works, but test records fabricated to show high strength.

• Twelve samples failed to meet 28 days strength test, although 7 days samples were

shown to achieve high strength. Surprisingly, as per the records maintained, none of

the concrete cube sample failed and 7 days strength was more than 28 days strength.

• Concrete core samples taken from the already laid concrete also failed to meet the

requirement of strength during testing in an independent outside laboratory and

cement content was found much less than prescribed and recorded to have been used.

This indicates forging of testing records. Third Party Quality Assurance Agency also

failed to point out major failure of concrete samples and preparation of forged testing

records.

• Quality of anti-corrosive treatment on reinforcement steel was found poor. The

treatment layer was coming out even with a mild rubbing with hands.

• Concrete was produced by using ordinary concrete mixture in place of prescription of

Ready Mix Concrete.

• Almost all the agencies have taken up the work of streetscaping, especially kerb stone

and footpath tiles, without ascertaining the need for such up-gradation. The main

purpose of aesthetics could not be achieved due to poor quality control, lack of

supervision/coordination.

• Installation system of specialized items of aluminium composite panes and acoustic

panes was inferior than the agreement specification.

• Third Party Inspection Agency appointed was supposed to submit monthly Inspection

Report on quality of work, but no such reports were being prepared by TPIA.

3

• Electrical installations have not been tested (viz insulation tests, earthing value tests,

continuity tests etc.) before their energisation and putting it to public use, which is

mandatory as per Indian Electricity Rules. In absence of the same, any type of electrical

mis-happenings cannot be ruled out.

• MV panels have not been designed in a technically sound manner.

• Lot of deviations taken from the approved scheme of the Government without

obtaining the approval of the competent authority. Specially poles of 12 meter length

(Agreement rate of Rs. 28,358/-) and 10 meter length (Agreement rate of Rs. 28,974/-)

have been deviated in such a manner which is beneficial to the agency with extra

burden of about Rs. 1,13,32,464/-.

AWARD OF WORK TO INELIGIBLE AGENCIES

• Ineligible agencies were awarded the work. One Joint Venture (JV) firm was qualified

based on a particular name and composition of the joint venture, whereas bids

submitted by the JV with different composition were accepted. Work finally had to be

terminated which resulted into time and cost overrun.

Mumbai Millionaire in beggars' home

2010-08-01T12:14:00.000+05:30

Mumbai: He had stepped out of home to go to the bank. Instead, he landed in a home for beggars, thanks to the unnecessary and extra concern shown by a policeman.
Colaba resident Robert D'souza (62), who is visually challenged, was picked up by a police constable in the first week of this month and, much against D'souza's wishes, taken to the Beggars' Home in Chembur.
The beggars' home is, as its name suggests, a charitable home that takes cares of mendicants."That morning, I was passing by Cusrow Baug in Colaba, to go Central Bank's Fort branch. I am blind and also have a wound," said D'souza.
"With a walking stick for support, I was requesting passers-by to help me to the bus stop when a sturdy hand grabbed me by the arm and dragged into a waiting vehicle."
D'souza said no questions were asked and before he knew it he was taken to the home for beggars. "How right is it on the part of the police to do such a thing?" he asks staring into nothingness.
This is the second such case of a man who is not a beggar but is being forced to live in a beggars' home.
D'souza, a bachelor, has since been moved out of the home for beggars and has now been shifted to a home for dying destitute persons at Tagore Nagar in Vikhroli.
"Life at the beggars' home was a nightmare. We were treated worse than prisoners and the food served was not meant for human beings," says D'souza.
"We were served half-cooked rice, a watery dal and boiled brinjal for lunch and dinner."This was in sharp contrast to the daily diet regimen that this former employee of a multinational firm was used to in the comforts of his home."My daily diet comprised a chocolate-flavoured milk drink, sweet corn soup and bread."D'souza is annoyed at the constable who mistook him for a beggar and took him to the charity home.Life was always a bed of roses for D'souza till his mother, Mariya, passed away 17 years ago."She used to let out part of their 1,200-sq-ft apartment to paying guests, some of who included foreigners," said D'souza who lost his father when he was very young. He has no siblings.After his mother's death, life was never the same. "I had developed cataract in both eyes.
During the surgery, I developed complications to the retina, which caused complete loss of vision," said D'souza. "Soon after losing my vision, I also lost my job."As if the cruel blow that fate dealt him were not enough, there was more in store. D'souza said he was cheated of his home by people who took advantage of his blindness.
"I wanted to dispose of my property in 1993. I was offered Rs 14 lakh for the apartment but I thought I could get more," recalled D'souza.
I was introduced to one Kulbhushan Malik who agreed to pay Rs 20 lakh besides free treatment at a hospital in Chennai to help restore my vision."D'souza said that Malik made him sign some documents, only to learn later that he had been taken for a ride. "Not only did I lose the house, the money was not paid either."
"I should have struck the first deal and taken Rs 14 lakh, but greed got the better of me," D'souza said, a tinge of regret in his voice.After lodging a police complaint against Malik, D'souza said the fraudster was arrested. The legal matter is, however, pending in court.Besides, a locker which his mother operated at Bank of India's Fountain branch still lies untouched."My mother had kept gold ornaments, some foreign currency and rent receipts in the locker," he recalled. "Surely, the valuables might run into a few lakhs of rupees."
Safely ensconced at the Home for Dying Destitutes at Vikhroli, D'souza is scared to venture out alone on the streets.
"I do not want to be hauled by another policeman and taken to the beggars' home again. I'm a free human being and want to be like that," he said.
"From D'souza's speech and demeanour, I figured he is not a beggar. So, I contacted the destitute home myself," said Superintendent of Beggars' Home Gautam Arwel.About the quality of food served at the home, he said, "We cook from what the government supplies to us and cannot do anything about it.""I have no clue about this particular incident. I will have to enquire before making any comment," said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Colaba division) Iqbal Shaikh.About the criteria they look for when they pick up a 'beggar', Shaikh said, "We take action only against those who are spotted begging, in keeping with the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act 1959."D'souza seems to be from a decent family and he told me all about his past," said Brother Peter Paul (53), who heads the destitute home in Vikhroli and has worked closely with Mother Teresa's Home in Kolkata. "He is free to stay with us for as long as he wants to."
Presently the home for destitute people houses over 30 in the hospital. We provide them basic needs and once they die, we conduct the funeral, as per their religion.
July 31, 2010

Scarlett Keeling's mother speaks in court of daughter's murder

2010-08-01T12:00:00.000+05:30

The mother of Scarlett Keeling, the British teenager found dead in Goa, told a court how she knew her daughter had been murdered when she found her underwear on a beach.

Coming face-to-face with the two men accused of killing her daughter, Fiona MacKeown, 44, gave evidence in an Indian children's court for the first time, coming face-to-face with the two men accused of raping and murdering her 15-year-old daughter.
She said she had been suspicious when police told her the 15-year-old had drowned by accident at the popular tourist beach in Anjuna in February, 2008.
"I took them and phoned the British Foreign Office to ask what I should do, because then I knew that the police were lying to me. I didn't know what to do with the evidence," said Miss MacKeown, from Bideford, Devon.
Miss Keeling was found dead on the Goan beach, having been drugged and raped. The teenager had been left in Goa with a new local boyfriend while her mother, her partner and their seven other children left the state on a driving holiday.
Samson D'Souza, 28, and Placido Carvalho, 36, have been charged with culpable homicide, sexual assault, outraging modesty and destroying evidence.
Miss MacKeown repeated her claims that police had tried to cover up the real cause of her daughter's death, saying she refused to believe initial claims that the teenager had drowned.
"The police told me that she had drowned while swimming, but I said I didn't believe it. She's a very strong swimmer." she said.
When she visited the morgue, her daughter's body was naked and her face was bruised despite police officers telling her the body had not been marked, she said.
Miss MacKeown said she had tried to persuade her daughter to join the rest of the family on their road trip along the coast, but eventually yielded to her pleading to stay with her boyfriend, Julio Lobo. She had met him shortly after arriving in the state for a long-term holiday in November 2007.
Miss MacKeown said her last conversation with her daughter was on February 17, when she had phoned her to tell her that her brother had been seriously injured, and that were going to return home to Devon. Scarlet was happy that they were going home, she said.
A few days later she received a call from Mr Lobo. When Miss MacKeown asked to speak to her daughter, he said she could not. "I asked him why I couldn't, I asked him if she was in hospital after having an accident. He was upset and couldn't speak to me.
"I put the phone down because he wouldn't talk to me and then he rang me back. He told me she had been found murdered on the beach," she said.

By Dean Nelson in New Delhi

30 Jul 2010

Success is our destiny:Desmond Tutu interview

2010-08-01T11:50:00.000+05:30

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is preparing to leave the world stage, but his optimism for South Africa is undimmed, he tells Jane Flanagan in Cape Town. The next chapter in the life of The Arch will be, he says, "all about keeping quiet", drinking tea, watching cricket and "just being". The Archbishop's decision to retire from the public stage following his 79th birthday will provide more time for prayer and reflection, he hopes. It was the first time I had ever been led in prayer by the subject of my interview but Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu is in constant touch with God.

Each day, in his office above a printing shop in a forgettable suburb of Cape Town, he begins by quietly petitioning the Almighty on behalf of those who have emailed, written and telephoned him for help. And for plenty of others who haven't.
During what he calls "the dark old days" of apartheid, when travel bans, threats to his life and the killing of close friends were constant challenges to his faith, he never stopped praying daily for each cabinet minister of the white regime - by name.
The Archbishop's decision to retire from the public stage following his 79th birthday will provide more time for prayer and reflection, he hopes; the democratic South Africa he helped to create is as much in need of his urgent petitions as ever.
He believes that its future is bright. "If I ever had doubts before about the possibilities of this country, they are now gone," he says. "Truly. We are nothing less than a scintillating success story. That is our destiny."
But before then, hard work is needed. "I am badgering everyone to put their obvious skills and desire for excellence to use for our own people and meet their great needs. It is what has kept their dreams alive and now it is time to deliver."
In recent years he has directed the fearless moral challenges he once aimed at his apartheid rulers to the African National Congress, which has governed since 1994. Its leadership may now feel relief at his promise "to shut up, keep quiet, say nothing" once he bows out.
"The Arch", as he is happy to be known, is vexed by what he sees as the enrichment of his country's well-connected political minority, as well as its appalling crime rate and Aids pandemic - and has made no secret of his views.
On the day of my visit, mention of a possible new media law to curb journalistic freedom triggers familiar shrieks of indignation, wild hand gestures and the facial gymnastics for which he will be fondly remembered.
At first sight his suite of canary-yellow rooms in a nondescript business park could pass for the set of The Office. But a different story is told by the assortment of cartoons, life-affirming signs such as "We Don't Believe in Miracles - We RELY on them!" and trophies bestowing the free world's greatest honours for a lifetime of public service.
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance," the Archbishop says in his sing-song voice, setting down his cup which bears the legend "Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional!".
"But we are also learning that original sin does not recognise racial discrimination. During the struggle, we could boast that every one of us was altruistic and idealistic. No one ever said they were in the struggle to be rich."
An apparently tireless campaign by the ANC to re-name the country's cities, roads and airports in honour of its new political royalty has also tested the Archbishop's patience.
"It is Mandela this, Mandela that and the Albertina Sisulu new fast road... and who else?" he demands, his short arms shooting heavenwards. "It's as if the ANC were the only ones that exist! I must just feel grateful that my local airport is still called Cape Town international!"
And what if it were changed to Desmond Tutu International? "Then we really would be scraping rock bottom!" he answers quickly, howling with laughter.
"Of course, names that are offensive like Kaffirsfontein really ought to be changed. But Pretoria! They re-named it Tshwane, and then still referred to it as Pretoria. I am sad we are investing so much emotional energy in this. It is divisive and childish and... puerile, yes, puerile! Isn't that such a lovely word?"
He sits back to take a restorative sip of his hot chocolate and reorganise a large wooden cross that has become tangled around his neck. The combined actions must have had a calming effect because he is suddenly reminded of another reason for hope.
"At one time people were squirming in their seat about our handling of the Aids crisis and stories about curing it by eating beetroot, and now they are giving standing ovations for our response. So that is very good turn of events," he smiles.
The news of his reduction in workload, allowing him to "grow old gracefully" with Leah, his wife of 55 years, was met with resignation and sadness across South Africa, which was still coming down from the high of hosting the World Cup.
The sight of the diminutive priest, enveloped by his national team's football strip, hat and scarf as he gave the most rousing speech of the tournament, confirmed his place in the world's affections, which is matched only by that for Nelson Mandela.
But calls on his time have mushroomed in recent years, the more so as an increasingly frail Mr Mandela has faded from the limelight.
The Archbishop was treated for prostate cancer in 1997, the year after he retired as head of the Anglican church, and few expected him to return to such an unforgiving schedule.
In the decades of his steadfast campaigning against apartheid, he presided at the mass funerals of slain activists, and intervened with baying township crowds to stop them "necklacing" their enemies – putting petrol-soaked tyres around the necks of victims and setting fire to them. Throughout it all, he preached peace and forgiveness - setting him on a path to chairmanship of the historic Truth and Reconciliation commission which helped the new South Africa come to terms with its past.
The sight of him breaking down in tears during months of harrowing evidence was beamed around the world.

Only the Archbishop could have ever coined the phrase "the Rainbow Nation". His gift for uniting enemies and calming fears led to his intervention in some of the world's most intractable situations.
Robert Mugabe and the Israeli government are just two who have borne the colourful brunt of his conscience.
"All of those who have ever strutted the world stage as if they are invincible roosters - Hitler, Stalin, Amin and those apartheid guys; they (he breaks into giggles at the prospect)... they bite the dust.

"The universe can take quite a while to deliver. God is patient with us to become the God's children he wants us to be but you really can see him weeping."
Robert Mugabe once labelled him "that evil little Bishop" after being cautioned to give up power lest he find himself at The Hague war crimes tribunal. But, in the end, hasn't the Zimbabwean despot seen the Archbishop off?
"Yes he has!" he replies. "But things will be OK in Zimbabwe. Great good comes out of suffering, even evil suffering.
"Take Nelson Mandela: so many people say 'What a waste, imagine what he might have achieved if he had been freed earlier'. But he would never have been the person he is today without all of those 27 years in jail.

"He went to jail as an angry young man who believed that the very best white person was a dead white person.
"Those years were crucial in the making of the man who emerged. Suffering is an inescapable ingredient for people with magnanimity."
Although he was only ever jailed briefly, the Archbishop has certainly known his own low points. The Soweto uprisings of the mid 1970s, his four children "being clobbered by those who wanted to clobber me" and the assassination in 1993 of Chris Hani, a popular communist and ANC leader, were the very worst of times, he says.
"When Chris Hani died, I wept like a baby, and Leah had to hold me like a mother. On occasion I have been very angry with God and given him 'what for'. But God can only smile because only God can know what is coming next."
The next chapter in the life of The Arch will be, he says, "all about keeping quiet", drinking tea, watching cricket and "just being".
On the strength of the evidence, it may prove his greatest challenge yet. As he sees me to the door, he demonstrates how firmly he can seal his mouth.
"I will be quiet, say nothing, no comment!" he declares, slamming his lips shut on his words.
His grey eyes begin to blink manically in a sort of Morse code, as if to compensate for the uncharacteristic silence. But inevitably, a rising swell of laughter soon breaks through his brief, failed effort.

By Jane Flanagan in Cape Town
31 Jul 2010

Games cash siphoned off. National prestige, Mr Kalmadi?

2010-07-31T17:22:00.000+05:30

ED probe on after Britain tipped off the High Commission

GN Bureau, New Delhi, July 30 2010

The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee is embroiled into yet another controversy of money laundering unearthed by the British authorities trailing huge sums coming into a bank account of a dubious one-man company of the Indian origin person, Ashish Patel alias Ash Patel alias Ashish Kumar.

An estimated Rs 3.28 crores have been siphoned off to AM Films UK Limited since September and the British authorities started investigations into the transactions when the company applied for VAT refund. The company shifted its office in London and Patel quickly resigned as its director on July 14 after the British government's Her Majesty Revenue and Customs (HMRC) mounted criminal investigations and alerted the Indian High Commission in London.
T S Darbari and Sanjay Mohindroo, two top officials of the Organising Committee very close to its chairman Suresh Kalmadi, a Congress MP from Pune, are allegedly involved in the scam. The Enforcement Directorate has already started a probe into the money transfers following the British authorities' alert to the Indian High Commission.
Darbari, a management guy who is the joint director-general of the Organising Committee heading its marketing and sponsorship divisions and also handling Commonwealth Business Club, and Mohindroo, the committee's deputy director general technology and marketing, reportedly made the alleged deal with Patel through Prasadh Acharya of St. James Court Hotel in May last year and got it going during their London visit for the Baton Relay event in October.
The British officials alerted the Indian High Commission last month, wondering if someone was siphoning off money to the nondescript company. "They were particularly concerned since public money was in transactions in connection with a large and important event like Commonwealth Games," says a 'secret' note from the High Commission received here.
It says two HMRC officials, who called on the deputy high commissioner on June 14, pointed out that they were making enquiries concerning "services provided by a local company, AM Films UK Ltd, to the 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OrgCom)."
The note says the officials were worried that the amount involved are not small while "the company does not seem to have any contract with the OrgCom and does not figure in the list of companies involved in the Games." Suspecting that the transactions are not legitimate, the officials wanted to know "if any contract was signed and if the tendering process was bypassed."
The officials also told the deputy high commissioner that they became suspicious about the transactions since the services Patel claimed to have provided to the Organising Committee for receipt of moneys did not tally with the explanation provided by the committee for sending money to his company.
The High Commission's note, based on the briefing by the two British officials, says: "AM Films UK Ltd received two large instalments of money totaling approx UK Pounds 2,50,000 (about Rs 1.82 crores) from the OrgCom in its bank account (no. 22701021, sort code 151000 with RBS) in Sep/Oct 2009. Subsequently UK pounds 25,000 (about Rs 18.24 lakhs) have been transferred monthly to this bank account by the Orgcom.
"According to Patel, the large instalments were for services such as cars, makeshift toilets, barriers and electricity provided by his company during the Baton Relay event in October 2009. The monthly payments of UK pounds 25,000 is for consultancy to be provided by the company to the OrgCom in the run up to the Games on costume designing etc. This is at variance with the letter from the OrgCom which states that the company had provided services for video equipment," says the note.
The British investigators became suspicious as Patel not only ran the AM Films UK Limited but also AM Vehicles Hire Limited and several other outfits from the same address, all in a one-man show, and as such he could not have provided the kind of services for which he has to be paid month after month. They wanted the High Commission to ask the Indian government to probe the money trail as the British government would not like the Commonwealth Games getting a bad PR for the wrongdoings of some individuals in the Organising Committee.
(Courtesy: Governance Now)

2010-07-31T17:11:00.000+05:30

Afghan Women and the Return of the Taliban

2010-07-31T07:43:00.000+05:30

Robina Mukimyar Jalalai

In 2004, Jalalai was Afghanistan's first female representative at the Olympics. She is now running for Parliament.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2007161_2170306,00.html#ixzz0vDp1vNzo

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2007161_2170306,00.html

Warming world:A clearer picture of global warming since the 1850s

2010-07-31T07:24:00.000+05:30

Warming world: Climate change

CHARTS showing the warming of the Earth normally look like spaghetti thrown across the page. This chart, adapted from a compendious “State of the climate” report published by America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week, simplifies things by offering only decadal averages, and making clear the uncertainties by showing the 95% confidence ranges on those averages.
Jul 29th 2010

'Bikini killer' Sobhraj convicted in murder case

2010-07-31T01:03:00.001+05:30

His first victim was a young woman from Seattle, US who was found drowned in a tidal pool in the Gulf of Thailand wearing a bikini - giving him the infamous nickname the "bikini killer".

Kathmandu: Nepal's Supreme Court on Friday held "bikini killer" Charles Gurmukh Sobhraj guilty in a murder case that dates back to 1975. Holding Sobhraj guilty in the murder case the Supreme Court said that there was enough evidence provided by the prosecution against Sobhraj.

Sobhraj was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of an American backpacker by the Kathmandu district court in 2004 for the murder of an American tourist Connie Jo Bronzich in Nepal.

He killed Connie in 1975 and then fled from Nepal. Sobhraj's role is suspected in 12 murder cases across Asia but his tryst with Nepalese law began at the Manohara bridge near Koteshwar in Kathmandu about 32 years ago. After several trysts with the law in scores of other countries, Sobharaj returned to Nepal in 2003, only to be arrested and convicted in the Bronzich murder case. Unfazed Charles appealed in the Supreme Court which initially sent the case back to the lower courts for re-trial on technical grounds.

However, Sobhraj received his first jail sentence for burglary in 1963 in Paris. Facing mounting suspicions by French authorities, he and his pregnant wife Chantal left France for Asia to escape arrest. They arrived in Mumbai in 1970 and he resumed his criminal lifestyle by running a car theft and smuggling operation.

Moreover, in 1970, Sobhraj was arrested and imprisoned after an unsuccessful armed robbery attempt on a jewellery store in Hotel Ashoka. He was released on bail and soon after fled to Kabul. He was arrested again there, but escaped and fled to Iran leaving his family behind. Then came the murders - his first victim was a young woman from Seattle, US who was found drowned in a tidal pool in the Gulf of Thailand wearing a bikini - giving him the infamous nickname the "bikini killer".

"He is confident of the evidence prosecution that has placed on record and is hopeful that the case will be decided upon tomorrow itself and not see any more adjournments," said prosecution lawyer Sree Krishna Bhattarai.

The Supreme Court on July 14, 2010 postponed the final verdict on Charles Sobhraj case. The two judges hearing the case said they were not able to go through the complete arguments submitted by the prosecution and Sobhraj's lawyers within the given time. It was the third time that the court has put off announcing its final sentence on the murder of Connie Jo Bronzich in 1975.

How India helped shape the idea of Britain:The UK may owe its very existence to the nation that it colonised

2010-07-31T00:51:00.001+05:30

What have the Indians ever done for us?

What have they done to deserve a “special relationship”? You’d think the answer is a clear “duh, nothing!” from the comments made on my earlier blog post. They reveal a Britain caught in inside a billiard ball state, where globalisation might yet, if we fight to the last, be held at bay a while longer, and where Indians are lucky blighters to be here.
Some respondents ask if I’ve lost my mind in suggesting we can’t have more Indian business without welcoming more Indians. “India needs to be told to get stuffed,” wrote one, while another asks: “Are you insane Mr Nelson ? Or do you live in a different world to the one I inhabit?”
She is right. I live in a country where growth is at nine per cent, but come from a country where it languishes at just one per cent. Where I live is full of hope and optimism, and British cabinet ministers pleading for more business, and where I’m from is full of fear.
Britain needs David Cameron’s mission to be successful, but for that to happen we need to be warmer in our attitudes towards the Indians who have given so much to Britain over the last three or four centuries. The truth is Indians have made us what we are today. In fact without India, Britain may never have come into being.
It’s largely forgotten in England and Wales that the 1707 Union with Scotland was sealed on the prospect of Scottish families gaining access to the East India Company, and specifically its trade in India. This is why today there are villages throughout Punjab where men still learn to play the bagpipes and wear tartan kilts (with turbans) for weddings.
India gave Britain vast wealth through its supply of cheap raw materials to British mills, but it also helped to protect our freedom and independence in two world wars. One million Indians served and 60,000 died in the First World War, Pavan K. Varma reveals in his excellent book Becoming Indian, while two and a half million Indians fought for Britain in the Second World War.
Britain’s colonial adventure in India changed the food we eat, the beer we drink, and the English we speak. The blob of HP Sauce on the side of your “Full English” has its origins in India, along with Worcestershire sauce, piccalilli and Camp Coffee (Ready? Aye Ready!), not to mention our love of Mulligatawny, kedgeree and Chicken Tikka Masala. There would have been no need for India Pale Ale (IPA) had our Tommies never been stationed in India and our beloved Gin and Tonic really came of age because of its anti-malarial properties.
Our ladies wear bangles, our children dungarees, Moss Bros rent cummerbunds and millions of Britons living in suburbia dwell in bungalows. Our thugs get sent to chokey so we can relax in our pyjamas… we wash our hair with shampoo, get water from the tank, occasionally enjoy a tiffin lunch, scold our children for eating too much candy, and, until the slump, generally enjoyed a cushy life. We listen to pundits until we go doolally. The list is endless, but my personal favourites are the Sid James classic “randy” (which derives from the Hindi word rand for prostitute) and, childishly I’ll admit, “goolies”, which of course derives from gol for circle or ball.
Britain of course created modern India, built the heart of its major cities – Mumbai and Calcutta still feel recognisably British, while New Delhi was modelled by Lutyens on our garden cities– its railways and its legal and political institutions. It is often forgotten, in both Britain and India, that the Congress Party which still dominates the country’s politics and government more than sixty years after its independence was founded by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired colonial civil servant, who summed up his hopes for India in this verse:

Sons of Ind, why sit ye idle,

Wait ye for some Deva’s aid?

Buckle to, be up and doing!

Nations by themselves are made!

India eventually took his advice and created the country whose business we are so desperate to share today. To succeed, Britain will need to be reminded how much we already owe India, the part it played in making us what we are, and why the “shared history” we have is much more equally shared than those who obsess about immigration realise.

By Dean Nelson July 29th, 2010
Dean Nelson is the Telegraph Media Group's South Asia editor. He has been based in New Delhi for four years.

Paul the Pitchman:Psychic Octopus Begins Advertising Career

2010-07-31T00:26:00.000+05:30

By Eric Kelsey

RewePaul the psychic octopus may have retired from predicting football matches, but his advertising career has just begun. The eight-legged oracle recently appeared in an advertisement for a German supermarket chain and has received more than 160 endorsement offers, including a book deal, according to the mollusk's agent.

From the depths of the ocean to the height of stardom, Paul the octopus' star hasn't gone dim yet. After shooting to fame this summer by correctly predicting the results of each of Germany's World Cup matches -- including tipping Spain to beat Netherlands in the final -- the cephalopod oracle from the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen was featured in recent print ads for the German supermarket chain Rewe.
The ads, which were shot about a week ago, show Paul in his trademark pose atop a transparent box after snatching a mussel from inside. Naturally, Paul chose the Rewe box.
How long did it take Paul to choose the mussel from the Rewe box? "Instantly," the mollusk's England-based agent Chris Davis told SPIEGEL ONLINE. Neither Rewe nor Davis would disclose the amount Paul earned from the ad, but the agent would only say that it was "substantial" sum. Paul's income will go to a turtle sanctuary in Greece, according to the agent.
"Paul has turned into a million-plus brand instantly," says Davis, noting that Paul has so far received more than 160 offers to hawk products. "I have had 37 offers just this morning," he said on Friday.
Rewe is so far undecided on whether it will continue its work with the cuddly octopus. "It cannot be ruled out that we will use the well-known octopus again in our advertising," Rewe spokeswoman Julia Robertz told SPIEGEL ONLINE in an e-mail. Robertz added that Paul's image will only be used in the short-term.
Paul may have bigger fish to fry, anyway. The octopus also has his eight arms wrapped around a book deal, a plush toy contract and will swim alongside David Beckham to promote England's bid for the 2018 World Cup, says Davis.
Nevertheless, campaigning for a supermarket chain may be problematic for the mollusk. On Rewe's own website, the Cologne-based supermarket calls octopus "tasty" and says that "especially coveted are their meaty arms, which also come deep-frozen and pre-fried."
A Fatwa for Paul?
The limelight has come with unexpected perils for Paul. Recently, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Paul of spreading "western propaganda and superstition" and posing as a symbol of "decadence and decay," according to the British daily, the Telegraph. Davis even claims that he needs a security detail as Paul's agent following Ahmadinejad's comments.
Even so, Paul is no stranger to danger. During the World Cup, disappointed fans from Argentina to Germany threatened to roast the octopus after he correctly foresaw losses by their squads. And in China, a movie is about to hit the big screen entitled "Kill Paul Octopus," whose fictional plot reportedly revolves around gambling and match fixing at this year's World Cup.
But Paul has a legion of protectors in Spain. Shortly after the nation's World Cup victory, the city council of Carballiño, a town of 14,000 in northern Spain, made Paul an honorary citizen. Carballiño Mayor Carlos Montes traveled to Oberhausen last week to hand-deliver the honor to Paul.

Maoist Insurgency Trips Up Rising India | YaleGlobal Online Magazine

2010-07-30T23:54:00.001+05:30

Enjoying rapid growth, India looks to make use of rich mineral holdings in its eastern states. But the rural poor and tribal people living near these deposits have been deprived of their rights and often oppressed by corrupt officials in cahoots with developers, explains journalist Eric Randolph. About 40 percent of India’s majority rural population lives in poverty but cell phones and televisions penetrating villages show them how India’s success story has left many people behind. Lacking good local governance or strong ties to the central government, the poor defend their way of life, turning to insurgent groups and lashing out at growing police presence, sabotaging trains and other symbols of development. The government expects development to boost foreign investment and ensure energy security, but as Randolph writes, the “tribals view globalization largely as a source of intrusion, dispossession and pollution.” Though the insurgents don’t intentionally seek a global audience, escalating conflict unnerves wealthy investors abroad and rouses sympathy from human-rights groups. – YaleGlobal

Why Joint Pain Doesn't Have to Be a Life Sentence !!!

2010-07-30T19:32:00.000+05:30

If you suffer from joint discomfort you’re not alone. Millions of people develop various types of arthritis and other joint related maladies.

These can strike at any of our joints; our hands, knees, shoulders or back. Often they come on when a person is in their forties or fifties – but they can also strike when you’re younger.
What’s often most frustrating is that joint issues often hit people just when they are finally making the effort to look after their health and start exercising. Just when you want and need to get back into shape .

So, are millions of people destined to live with joint discomfort and limited mobility for the rest of their lives?

Fortunately the answer is no. That’s because joint health is one area where non-prescription supplements actually do work. Most people have heard of Shallaki Guggul (Boswellia Serrata) A variety of studies have shown how Shallaki can comfort and relieve joints. It is also a well-known household fumigant. One of the wonder benefits of Shallaki is that it also helps in reducing body weight!
Boswellia or the extract of Shallaki guggal is a standardized powder extract of the gum of the Boswellia tree which contains a mixture of Boswellic acids. Boswellic acids are very effective in the problem related to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, soft tissue rheumatism and also in the low back pain as it is an anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory agent.
Shallaki supplements have been around for years however researchers have started formulating powerful new compounds that combine Shallaki and other natural ingredients, to relieve joints, increase flexibility, and in some cases protect the joints themselves.

Shallaki gum was first mentioned in the ancient Ayurvedic treatise Sushrita Samhita and the Charaka Samhita. It is also known as “dhup” or Indian Frankincense. Usually the health practitioner recommends 1-2 capsules twice a day after the meal.
Boswellia Serrata-Indian olibanum tree
Sanskrit Name:Shallaki Guggul
Other popular names:
Susrava- Means it has a resin exudate with a pleasant odor; Gajabhakshya- Means the elephants eat its leaves with great interest;Subaha;Surabhi- Beacause of its pleasant odor resin exudate ; Maheruna; Kunduruki; Vallaki

Benefits: Arthritis, Back pain, Inflammation, Injury and wounds, Sprain, Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Gout, Joint pains, Crohn’s disease, Reduces cholesterol level, Reduces body weight

In the Indian medical system Ayurveda, Shallaki goes by the term "salai guggul." Its Sanskrit name, Gajabhakshya, suggests that humans observed elephants ingesting the plant. That is, ancient Indian Ayurvedic healers witnessed these huge animals feeding on Shallaki trees, which grow widely across the dry hills of northwest India.
Recent reports show that Shallaki can be useful in joint pain and back pain and can even help in cases where steroids are needed by offsetting some of the symptoms of the problems and therefore helping the patient to use a lower steroid dose. Shallaki is used in rheumatic disorders. It is also used to improve appetite and in general weakness. It has an anti-diarrhoeal action.
Like all herbal medicines, Shallaki too has to be taken for at least 3-4 weeks before its actual benefit can be experienced. To experience the full benefits of Shallaki, take it continuously for 3 to 6 months. Of course, individual results may also vary.

Dawood Ibrabim on Facebook !!!

2010-07-30T18:44:00.000+05:30

Dubbed as “India’s Osama Bin Laden, the forth most wanted man in the Forbes List, also termed as CIA 's valuable asset " Mumbai Kaa Bhai " Dawood Ibrahim can be now seen on the Facebook Community Page, where Wikepedia has displayed a collection of shared knowledge concerning Dawood Ibrahim and his activities all over the world.

www.facebook.com/pages/Dawood.../132389966800360

Rahul Mahajan punched, kicked and dragged me by hair, says wife Dimpy

2010-07-30T15:54:00.000+05:30

July 30, 2010
Mumbai: Kolkata-based model Dimpy Ganguly has walked out of her four-month-old marriage to Rahul Mahajan, son of BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, alleging domestic violence.
Dimpy had married Rahul with much fanfare on the Imagine TV reality show "Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega" in March this year.
"Rahul beat me up early on Thursday morning after waking me up to know the contents of a message that had beeped on my phone. When I asked him to go back to sleep, he flew into a rage and began hitting me. He punched, kicked and dragged me by hair," the 22-year-old model told a TV channel.Rahul could not be reached over phone for his comments.
This is the second time that Rahul, who was also involved in a drug abuse case, has been accused of domestic violence.
His first wife Shweta Singh, who was his childhood friend, had accused him of physically abusing her. The couple got divorced in 2008 after which Rahul participated in Colors' reality show "Big Boss". He continued to be in the limelight for his closeness with co-contestants Monica Bedi and Payal Rohatgi.
Incidentally, Rohatgi too has alleged harassment by Rahul, saying he has been calling her asking for a second chance.
"I just don't want to be harassed anymore. That's about it. I don't want to speak to him. He is a married guy," Rohatgi said.
Senior BJP leader Pratap Ashar, a close associate of Pramod Mahajan who was present at the live wedding function of Rahul and Dimpy, refused to be drawn into the controversy saying that he did not know anything.

Mumbai 'Don' Chota Rajan duped of Rs.1.5 crore!!!!

2010-07-30T15:21:00.000+05:30

MUMBAI: Two builders, including a leading developer from the eastern suburbs, are likely to be called in for questioning by the cops in connection with a property deal gone sour. Interestingly, the development will also be closely watched by fugitive don Chhota Rajan, say sources.
The crime branch, investigating the killing of Chhota Rajan aide Farid Tanasha, has stumbled upon the fact that one of those arrested for the murder had gone against the don and siphoned off Rs 1.5 crore from the property deal.
One of the two builders was carrying out a redevelopment project in the eastern suburbs for last two years. However, in 2009, another major developer showed interest in developing the same plot and sought Rajan’s help. The don then called up the first builder, asking him to quit the project. "This builder, who held Rajan in high esteem, agreed but said he wanted back the Rs 2.5 crore that he had invested in the project. Rajan then promised him that the other party would pay the money in two instalments in two weeks," an officer said.
The second developer kept his word and paid Rs 2 crore to Rajendra Chavan, Paul and Mayekar — three gangsters — who were to deliver the money to the first builder. "But the trio handed over only Rs 50 lakh to the builder and siphoned off the rest. And, by the time Rajan learnt about the fraud, Chavan had shifted his loyalty to rival Bharat Nepali. Chavan was later arrested in the Tanasha murder case," the officer added. Chavan has now told interrogators that the money is with Paul and Mayekar.

2010-07-30T15:10:00.000+05:30

Goa's most popular cartoonist Alexy's cartoon on
Goa Legislative Assembly proceedings !!!

Goa receives Terror warnings from the United Nations and Intelligence B...

2010-07-30T14:36:00.000+05:30

Goa receives Terror warnings from the United Nations and Intelligence B...

2010-07-30T14:30:00.000+05:30

Strip Ravi Naik of Home Ministry, demands Pacheco

2010-07-30T14:29:00.000+05:30