The Indian Panorama

Month: October 2012

  • Rahul Gandhi’s controversial remarks on Punjab youth

    Rahul Gandhi’s controversial remarks on Punjab youth

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on October 11 at Panjab University here that “Seven out of 10 youth in Punjab have drug problems.” He said “A diplomat told me that 21st century’s Saudia Arabia is India.” Rahul said the diplomat had told him that just as the 20th century was dominated by Saudi Arabia because of its oil reserves, the 21s century belongs to India because of its young population and “human resources”.

    Referring to Punjab, Gandhi said: “What is happening to human resource in Punjab. Seven out of 10 youths have the problem of drugs.” Mr Gandhi, wearing a white kurta and jeans, said that the government in Punjab, run by the Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not providing opportunities for the state’s youth. “We send scholarship money for SC, ST (Scheduled Castes/Tribes) categories. It is not utilized here (in Punjab) and is sent back,” he said. ‘We want you to come into politics, cleanse it and change it,’ Mr Gandhi told Congress youth workers at the Punjab University campus in Chandigarh.

    ‘I have been in politics for eight years. One thing I see clearly, the level of participation of youths is not there. Whether in jobs, corruption, development, you are the solution. You have to run this country. You have the power and the knowledge to run it,’ he said. Gandhi said that the NSUI and the Youth Congress, the student and youth wings of the 127-year-old party, were the only ones to give youths a chance to enter politics. ‘Doors of politics were closed for you. We opened them in NSUI and Youth Congress. Today, lakhs of youths, who do not have any relatives in politics, are in our organization. When we talked of elected NSUI and Youth Congress in Punjab, other parties said this cannot be done. We did it and showed to them not only in Punjab but whole of India,’ he asserted.

    He said that when other parties are asked about elections (for youth), they do not reply. Gandhi said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Democratic Alliance it leads were opposing the Congress policies without any basis. ‘Our government brought FDI. Its meaning is giving the farmer his rightful share. When the BJP and NDA government were in Delhi, they were not opposed to FDI. We did it, they are opposing it. We gave MGNREGA (rural employment scheme) and land acquisition bill, they have opposed it too.’ ‘They want to stop work. Ask them what you want to do, they will not reply. Whatever Congress wants to do, they want to stop. Because they know that if they let us work, we will change this country. But we will not stop. We have the power of the youth and the future,’ he added. Earlier, Gandhi met senior Congress leaders at the Punjab state Congress headquarters here to get a feedback on the party’s situation in the state.

  • Malaysia transsexuals lose challenge against law

    Malaysia transsexuals lose challenge against law

    KUALA LUMPUR (TIP): A Malaysian court on Thursday dismissed an attempt by a group of transsexuals to challenge a law that bars Muslim men from wearing women’s clothes. Lawyers say it is the first known effort to overturn an Islamic Shariah law that prescribes jail terms of varying lengths or fines for convicted cross-dressers. The secular High Court in Malaysia’s southern Seremban town rejected a bid by four Muslim transsexuals who were born male to declare the Shariah law unconstitutional.

    The law is enforced in Shariah religious courts against Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of Malaysia’s 29 million people. The transsexuals had argued that Malaysia’s constitution is supposed to uphold freedom of expression and forbid discrimination based on gender. However, the high court ruled that Muslim transsexuals cannot be exempted from Shariah legal provisions. The four, who are in their 20s and work as bridal makeup assistants, were “disappointed and distraught” following the verdict, said their lawyer, Aston Paiva.

    They were considering whether to appeal the ruling, Paiva said. All four have previously been arrested by Islamic authorities, and in some cases fined, for wearing women’s clothes. They have undergone hormone therapy to help them present themselves publicly as women, but their official documents refer to them as male, their lawyer said. Malaysian transsexuals say they’re often harassed by religious police and have trouble securing employment.

  • Man Torched in South Africa Mine Strikes, Another Shot

    Man Torched in South Africa Mine Strikes, Another Shot

    JOHANNESBURG (TIP): Striking miners killed one man by setting him on fire on Thursday while another was shot and seriously wounded in rekindled labor unrest in South Africa that saw police firing tear gas and rubber bullets.

    The violence near an Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) mine has escalated since the company dismissed 12,000 striking miners on Friday. North West police spokesman Brig Thulani Ngubane said at least one person “is fighting for his life” in the hospital after being shot.

    It was unclear if the victim was a miner or whether the bullet had been fired by police. Another person died of his wounds after being set alight by striking workers, Ngubane said.

    “The situation remains tense,” Ngubane said. Gaddafi Mdoda, one of the leaders of the striking Amplats mineworkers, described the confrontation on Thursday morning between police and some of the fired miners as brief. The mineworkers have vowed to make the mines ungovernable and to make it impossible for the world’s top platinum producer to hire new workers if their wage demands are not met.Evans Ramokga, another strike leader, said last week that the company would hire new workers only “over our dead bodies.” Police apparently were responding to the miners’ attempt to stop operations at Amplats’ Bathopele mine according to the South African Press Association, which reported that two taxis were set on fire.

  • UPA a failure, but BSP will give support for now: Mayawati

    UPA a failure, but BSP will give support for now: Mayawati

    LUCKNOW: The BSP chief Mayawati on October 11 said that the Congress-led UPA government at the centre has failed on all fronts but she will continue to support it. “It’s true that the UPA’s policies and decisions are anti-people but I need some more time to review the situation and make up my mind for the final call,” she said, while addressing reporters after back-to-back meetings of the party’s national working committee and its parliamentary board committee that began around 10am and ended just past noon.

    Tuesday was a hectic day for the BSP supremo and her senior and trusted lieutenants as the party first took out a rally that ended at 2pm and then around 7pm the parliamentary board of the BSP held a meeting where Mayawati and senior BSP leaders debated the issue of support to UPA at length. This was followed by a meeting of the party’s national working committee that ended past midnight.

    The press conference of Mayawati post noon on Wednesday came after the two rounds of meetings where she said that the party has come to the conclusion that UPA’s policies have resulted in high inflation and economic crisis in the country. “In 2009, the BSP had extended outside support to the Congress-led UPA government to keep the BJP at bay. The BSP then was also of the view that the UPA will work for dalits, farmers, backwards and minorities but the central government’s performance has been very poor. Today the country is suffering because of anti-people policies of the UPA,” she said.

    Mayawati said that after reviewing the situation again, she will take a final call at an ‘appropriate time’ and inform the media. Mayawati, who usually leaves press conferences after reading out her statement, stayed back and interacted with the media. She refused to answer queries on the Supreme Court notice on the disproportionate assets case against her saying the issue for which she has called the press conference is different.

    She told reporters that she has asked her party workers to expose the central government’s corruption and anti-people policies by holding cadre camps, public meetings, demonstrations and protests across the country. She also informed that she has asked the cadres to be ready for snap polls which can take place any time before schedule because of the instability at the Centre. The BSP has 20 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

  • 7 Royal Marines arrested over ‘suspicion of murder’ in Afghanistan

    7 Royal Marines arrested over ‘suspicion of murder’ in Afghanistan

    LONDON (TIP): Seven Royal Marines from the British Royal Navy (RN) have been arrested on suspicion of murder, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) have confirmed. The arrests by the Royal Military Police are apparently related to an incident in Afghanistan last year, when 3 Commando Brigade was based in Helmand, Afghanistan.

    The MoD said that the incident followed an “engagement with an insurgent” and no civilians were involved. “The investigation will now be taken forward and dealt with by the service justice system. These arrests demonstrate the Department and the Armed Forces” determination to ensure UK personnel act in accordance with their rules of engagement and our standards,” the BBC quoted a MoD spokesman, as saying. “It would be inappropriate to make any further comment while the investigation is under way,” he added.

    According to the report, some 23 servicemen from the 3 Commando Brigade lost their lives in 2011 during a summer tour of duty that encompassed the height of the fighting season, while many more were injured. The MoD is now likely to be liaising with 4 Mechanized Brigade, the UK force now in command of Task Force Helmand, to ensure that all necessary force protection measures are taken in case, the report said.

  • Congress, BJP slam SGPC move to honour A S Vaidya’s assassins

    Congress, BJP slam SGPC move to honour A S Vaidya’s assassins

    NEW DELHI (TIP): SGPC’s controversial move honouring family members of the two assassins of General A S Vaidya in the Golden Temple complex came in for attack from Congress as well as the BJP. BJP, sharing power with the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab, criticised the move with its chief spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad dubbing it “regrettable and unjustifiable”

    Making it clear that politics on such a sensitive issue will not be tolerated, Congress warned that those who will fool around with serious subject like terrorism,…. will have to pay.” “It is for the Punjab government to sort it out if these kind of schizhophrenic statements are coming out”, party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary said when asked to react over the move, which is being confirmed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), but denied by the state government.

    The move has come amid a raging debate over raising of a memorial for those killed during Operation Blue Star in 1984. The kin of Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha, who were executed on October nine, 1992, were honoured by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee at the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, two days back. The SGPC, controlled by the ruling SAD, also hailed the General’s killers as Sikh martyrs sparking a row. The SGPC organised an Akhand Path at the Akal Takht to mark the 20th execution anniversary of the two assassins.

    The function was presided over by SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh. Gen Vaidya was the Chief of Army Staff when Operation Blue Star was launched by the Army to flush out militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale from the Golden Temple. A number of militants, soldiers and pilgrims were killed during the Operation. Sukha and Jinda had assassinated General Vaidya in 1986 in Pune where he had settled down after his retirement. They were hanged in 1992 and since ’93 the SGPC has been been organising their death anniversary every year on October nine and honouring their family members.

  • Admiral Gorshkov delivery by late 2013, says Russia

    Admiral Gorshkov delivery by late 2013, says Russia

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Russia has said it would deliver the refurbished aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov to India in the fourth quarter of 2013 and attributed the delay to a malfunction in the boiler of the warship.

    India voiced “serious concerns” over the delay, but has decided not to impose any penalty. Russia also made it clear that the prototype of the fifth generation fighter aircraft will be delivered to India in 2014; its actual production will start in 2020. Issues related to the delay of Admiral Gorshkov, rechristened INS Vikramaditya by the Indian Navy, figured prominently in the discussions between Defence Minister A.K. Antony and the visiting Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. “We have detected a malfunction in the boiler and power plant of the ship. We have given the revised schedule of the delivery of the aircraft carrier to the Indian side,” the Russian defense minister told reporters at a joint press conference after the talks.

  • Chavez reelected Venezuelan president

    Chavez reelected Venezuelan president

    CARACAS (TIP: Incumbent Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez won Sunday’s presidential election with 54.42 percent of the vote, while opposition leader Henrique Capriles has accepted defeat and congratulated the socialist president.

    Speaking to supporters at his campaign headquarters in Caracas, Capriles said he had sent Chavez his “congratulations.” “For me, the will of the people is sacred,” Capriles said. “And I would like to thank the more than six million Venezuelans who placed their trust in me.”

    Earlier, Tibisay Lucena Ramirez, president of the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that after 90 percent of the votes being counted, Chavez defeated Capriles who gained 44.97 percent of the vote. Chavez supporters fired massive fireworks into the sky in celebration, as the result was announced. “We achieved an 80.9 percent participation rate, the highest participation rate in decades,” said Ramirez. Chavez, who has been in power since February 1999, will serve a third six-year term starting from January 2013. He has been seeking to extend his so-called “21st century socialism” project of greater nationalization and more rights for the poor. Capriles, a forty-something law graduate, is the candidate that has given Chavez his strongest challenge since coming to power.

    Four other candidates participated in the race, a simple first-past-thepost contest with only one round. Shortly after the result was announced, Wilmer Barrientos, who organized the military operation providing security for electoral officials, appeared on national television to congratulate Chavez. Some 19 million Venezuelans were eligible to vote in Sunday’s elections The polling stations were supposed to close at 6 p.m, but many polling stations stayed open later because voters were still waiting outside to vote.

  • Protect Afghan girls from child marriage: UN

    Protect Afghan girls from child marriage: UN

    KABUL (TIP): UN agencies in Afghanistan on Thursday called for protecting Afghan girls against child marriage, even as the tradition remains rampant in the country. More than 46 percent of Afghan women are married before age 18, and over 15 percent before age 15, Xinhua quoted the “Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010-11” as saying.

    In December 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare on October 11 as the “International Day of the Girl Child” to recognise girls’ rights and the challenges they face around the world.

    This year marked the first anniversary of the day with the theme of “my life, my right, end child marriage”. In response to widespread concerns about violence against women, the Afghan government enacted the ‘Elimination of Violence Against Women’ (EVAW) law in August 2009. However, Afghan laws set 16 as the minimum age of marriage for a girl and 18 for a boy.

    ‘The EVAW law criminates the practice of child marriage, recognising that a child under the legal age of marriage is not capable of giving her valid consent to enter into marriage,’ Jan Kubis, the top UN envoy in Afghanistan, was quoted as saying. Laurent Zessler, Afghanistan representative for the UN Population Fund, said: ‘Child marriage is a health issue as well as a human rights violation. Girls aged 10-14 are five times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women aged 20-24.’ ‘Despite a lot of progress during the past 10 years, Afghanistan’s maternal mortality rate is still 327 deaths per 100,000 live births,’ she said.

  • ‘Pyar Mein Kyun’ Premieres with Star-Studded Red Carpet

    ‘Pyar Mein Kyun’ Premieres with Star-Studded Red Carpet

    NEW YORK CITY: It was a celebrity-packed night as the stars came out for the red carpet gala premiere of Pyar Mein Kyun, a full-length Bollywood feature film made entirely in the United States. The history making premiere was held at the SVA theater in New York city on Tuesday September 25th, 2012. Presented by RKNet Studios and Aary Films and starring Namaste America host Obaid Kadwani and newcomer Khatera Hakimi, Pyar Mein Kyun is a romantic thriller about love between a teenage girl and a 35-year fashion photographer. But all is not so simple in love as the two discover the truth about one another as the story line unravels

    Hosted by Aary Films in association with RK Net Studios and managed by Cineviews Media & PR, the premiere screening of PMK was a huge success and many guests had to be turned down due to the full house audience, in spite of a Tuesday night, smack in the middle of the work week. The almost 500 seat theater with its redesigned and refurbished premises, an offspring of the School of Visual Arts, was filled to capacity. The lead cast of the film walked the red carpet along with several local film personalities, invited guests and media. The premiere started with a glamorous & glitzy reception, with the shutterbugs going non-stop, as the excited guests posed for pictures with the equally excited lead cast. The guests were interviewed by our Red Carpet hosts Pavan Sharma and Viral Shah

    The extremely beautiful lead actress Khatera Hakimi walked the red carpet in an equally beautiful white lehenga – courtesy of Saahil boutique (Iselin, NJ) and the handsome lead actor Obaid Kadwani who wore a golden brown sherwani – courtesy of Sahiba boutique (Edison, NJ). Indian Counsel General Prabhu Dayal with his wife Mrs. Chandini Dayal also attended the premiere as Chief Guests. In his opening remarks to the theater-packed audience, he expressed his pleasure and applauded the film and the efforts of the cast and crew. Mr. Sudhir Vaishnav – Head of Sahara One USA added that movies made locally with local talent should be given encouragement and support. Sahara One was the exclusive television partner of Pyar Main Kyun. New York celebrities Samrat Chakrabarti, Melanie Kannokada, Ami Sheth, Elias Qureshi, Joya Dass, Vidur Kapur and Qurrat Kadwani were joined by Indian actor Priyanshu Chatterjee and model Azura Vandenberg on the red carpet. Additionally Heems from Das Racist and Terry Gajraj aka Guyana Baboo, the king of Chutney Pop were also seen on the red carpet.

    Once the VVIPs, VIPs, Guests and Invitees were all ushered in and seated, the entire cast and crew walked to the front and were introduced to the cheering audience. A long passionate speech by the Director, Hyder Bilgrami, evoked an emotional response from the audience when he ended his speech by saying, “…take all the good parts of this movie with you and leave the bad parts behind.” This was quickly followed by a short speech by Producer, Ritesh Parikh, who was eloquent in his excitement about the journey of bringing this film from dream to reality. Nutan Kalamdani who is one of the Associate Producers of the film and whose company Cineviews Media & PR is the official Publicity partner of the movie, thanked all the sponsors, supporters, media and well-wishers, as the audience got ready to watch the movie! The movie had already created a tremendous buzz several months before its release through the social media and several promotional campaigns and road shows, which created immense curiosity among the audience that were present and it finally paid off.

    To add to even more excitement, over 300 guests attended the after-party for the premiere at the prestigious Empire Room in the Empire State Building with guest DJ Kucha. Guests danced and dined on cuisine catered by Benares Catering and Chote Nawab and a special Pyar Mein Kyun theme cake by The Cake Designer. Pyar Mein Kyun also held its 2nd premiere on September 30th at the Des Plaines theater in Chicago to a very enthusiastic audience, who could not stop raving about the film and its team. The makers of the movie plan a platform release of the movie in the US after which they will work on a premiere in Bombay in early 2013. Photos/ Gunjesh Desai- masalajunction

    About the film:

    Created by award winning director Hyder Bilgrami, the movie PMK is a classy love story with twists and turns that provide drama, entertainment,mystique and a thrilling experience. Pyar Mein Kyun is the story of Sarah and Abhay, who use their natural charm and beauty to attract each other for reasons other than love, then genuinely fall in love head over heels or do they? Do they live happily thereafter? Romance may have run its course but does the love that develops between Sarah and Abhay stay alive? Does it thrive in the hopes of a happier ending to the romantic thriller?

    Key Cast & Crew Creators: Hyder Bilgrami & Ritesh Parikh (Aary Films) Director / Writer: Hyder Bilgrami Produced by: Ritesh Parikh (Aary Films), Anant Goel (RKNet Studio) & Anurag Jain Associate Producers: Amish Amin, Gunjesh Kadakia and Nutan Kalamdani Associate Director: Suhir Ponnchammy Chief Assistant Director/Operative Cameraman: Ajay Reddy Cast: Obaid Kadwani, Khatera Hakimi, Sonny Chatrath, Deena Zahra Safi, Michael Dean & others. Music: “Pyar Mein Kyun” title song by Uzair Khan, Raza Waqar Mirza of Arsh the band, Trishna Amin, Vicky Kohli, Arif Khan. Background Music: Praveen Lakkaraju Singers: Uzair Khan, Raza Waqar Mirza of Arsh the band, Trishna Amin, Vicky Kohli, Arif Khan Assist Cameraman: Anil Patel Gaffer: Praveen Elankumaran Re-Recording: Tama Reddy Bharadwaj Studio Audiography: Suresh Reddy, Casey Eastmond, Drextar, Sudhakar. Production Controller: Manoj Make Up : Natasha Khan, Christopher J. Quinto Hair Stylist: Connie J. Ponnai Graphic Design: Feroz Khan, Kiran, Anthony Mallepali Media & PR: Nutan Kalamdani Website: Shankar Gadupudi Choreography: Virgo Costumes: Samina Moghul Shooting Locations: New York and New Jersey

    Key Contacts: Nutan Kalamdani: 732-803-4776 or nutan@cineviews.com Ritesh Parikh: 732-742-6621 or aaryfilms@gmail.com, http://www.aaryfilms.com/ Official Website: http://pyarmeinkyun.com/pyarmeinkyun/ Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/aaryfilms Official Trailer: http://youtube/jn5iflpypS8 Official First Look: http://youtube/mg3i5vwwptk

  • World’s ‘oldest person’ dies at 132

    World’s ‘oldest person’ dies at 132

    LONDON (TIP): A Georgian woman who claimed to be 132-years-old – making her the world’s oldest human being ever – has died, The Independent reported. Antisa Khvichava claimed to have been born July 8, 1880, and had a Soviet-era passport and documentation to that effect, but her age was contested and never officially proven.

    She lived in Sachino village in northwest Georgia with her 42-year-old grandson and claimed to have retired from her job as a tea and corn picker in 1965, when she was 85.

    Khvichava claimed to be just 10-years younger than Russia’s first communist leader Vladimir Lenin and to have been born a year before the death of celebrated Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

    She said she had 12 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren and reportedly attributed her longevity and good health to drinking a small amount of local brandy every day, according to the newspaper.

    Her original birth certificate is said to have been lost during the years of revolutions and civil wars that ravaged Georgia following the fall of the USSR. But local officials, friends, neighbours and descendants have all back up the claim she was 132 when she died, the daily said.

    The oldest living person at the moment is 116-year-old Besse Cooper from the state of Georgia in the US. Her birth can be officially proven to have been in August 1896. The oldest ever verified person was French woman Jeanne Calment, born in February 1875, who lived to 122 years and 164 days before dying in August 1997.

  • Now, A Black Market for Sperm in China

    Now, A Black Market for Sperm in China

    BEIJING (TIP): There is a thriving black market in China — for sperm. With the country’s only 11 sperm banks unable to meet the needs of childless couples, many donors are pitching in with sperm for sale. There are only 11 sperm banks in China, and they face a shortage of sperm donors, said Jiang Xiang-long, director of the Jiangxi Province Human Sperm Bank. Yu Hua was on the Shanxi Human Sperm Bank’s waiting list for one year without success. ‘The reproductive medical centre told us that we have to wait for another 15 months, after I have done all the medical checkups. I’m already 32 and could not wait any longer,’ Yu Hua told the state-run daily.

    Huang has assured the couple that he could guarantee conception. ‘They could choose to have me either inject my sperm into the wife’s body artificially or through direct sexual intercourse,’ Huang told the Global Times.

    ‘I have been working on helping infertile couples and have accumulated some experience. Many clients come to me because they could not get sperm from the sperm bank,’ he said. ‘I will keep my sperm in a small vacuum cup after masturbation, and then inject it into the wife’s body through a plastic injector.’ Huang injects it himself and no doctors are involved in the process.

    Li Shaohua, 28, the organizer of an internet group of voluntary sperm donors, said donors suggest that intercourse is easier and more successful than artificial injection. Couples often insist on trying injection anyway, but in the end, they usually resort to sex, the media report said. The health ministry said that a sperm bank is the only place to get sperm legally. ‘This kind of deal to sell or offer sperm is not protected by Chinese law or accepted by social morality,’ an official said.

  • Walmart workers threaten to go on nationwide strike

    Walmart workers threaten to go on nationwide strike

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Hundreds of Walmart workers rallied across dozen cities in the US, protesting against low wages and alleged unjust labour practices and have threatened to go on a nationwide strike on November 23, the ‘Black Friday’, which is said to be the busiest day for the company. According to news reports, workers held walkouts and marches in cities across the US including those in Dallas, San Diego, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington DC, Sacramento and even at its headquarters in Arkansas. The retail giant dismissed the protests as nothing more than union publicity stunts. But several union workers asserted that they were serious about going ahead with their strike call if their demands were not met.

    According to “Making Change at Walmart” 100 Associates, travelled to the company’s corporate head quarters to call on it to stop trying to silence and retaliate against workers for speaking out for job improvements. “Walmart’s efforts to try to silence us is only building support among our co-workers, in calling for changes at the store. We will not be silenced, especially on ‘Black Friday’ when Walmart wants us to cut short the holiday with our families to help the company profit.

    If Walmart wants workers fully committed to the stores on ’Black Friday’, Walmart needs to do more for us, the rest of the days of the year,” Colby Harris, who earns just USD 8.90 an hour after three years of working at Walmart in Lancaster, Texas, said in a press statement. Company’s spokesman Dan Fogleman in an interview to ABC news refuted the charges and said that majority of the company’s employees are against the idea of strike.

    “They seem to recognise that Walmart has some of the best jobs in the retail industry – good pay, affordable benefits and the chance for advancement,” he said. Walmart and its practices have made the news a lot, lately.In mid-September, warehouse workers in Southern California were on a 15-day strike that included a sixday, 50-mile pilgrimage for safe jobs. Around the same time, hundreds of people marched in Dallas and San Diego, demanding better work conditions, the news channel said. Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in US, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.On this day, most major retailers open extremely early, often at 4 a.m. or earlier and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season.

  • Take Advantage of Foreign Direct Investment Policy Initiatives-Minister Ahmed

    Take Advantage of Foreign Direct Investment Policy Initiatives-Minister Ahmed

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Consulate General of India in New York organized October 10 a Reception-cumdinner at the Consulate Ballroom in honor of E. Ahmed, Minister of State for External Affairs, to meet members of the Indian-American community as well as the media. Dharmendra Yadav, the youngest Member of Parliament, who had addressed the United Nations in Hindi earlier in the day, was also present at the function, which was well attended. Manjeev Singh Puri, the Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations also attended

    Welcoming the Minister, Consul General Ambassador Prabhu Dayal said that he is privileged to have known the Minister from the early 90s and has since then been in regular touch with him during his earlier assignments in Kuwait, Dubai, Morocco, etc. The Consulate General of India in New York was fortunate to have him here whenever he visits USA, he added, and thanked the Minister for sparing his precious time and gracing the occasion. He also welcomed the youngest Member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh, Dharmendra Yadav. The Minister thanked Ambassador Dayal for hosting a grand reception and providing him an opportunity to meet and interact with the vibrant Indian-American community. Echoing Ambassador Dayal’s words, Minister Ahmed said that he had known Ambassador Dayal even while he was a Member of Parliament and has always remained in close contact with him wherever he was.

    On India’s foreign policy, the Minister asserted that it is dictated by our national interest, and, therefore, there are bound to be differences even with friendly countries like USA. He also gave an example of Myanmar on which India differed with USA. Complementing the Indian Foreign Service officers for their acumen and foresightedness in chalking out India’s foreign policy, he said that having been associated with the Ministry of External Affairs and working closely with these officers for several years, he has complete faith in their competence. Expressing his happiness at the comfortable life led by the Indian- American community, Minister hoped to see a similar standard of life in India in the near future. He also urged the Indian-American community to make optimal use of the recently announced Foreign Direct Investment policy initiatives by the Government of India.

    Thanking Ambassador Dayal for inviting him to the Consulate, Dharmendra Yadav thanked Ambassador Dayal for inviting him to the Consulate. He said he felt very happy that he could address the UN in Hindi, which was well received, and thanked the Permanent Mission of India for making it happen

  • China to become second-wealthiest nation in five years

    China to become second-wealthiest nation in five years

    BEIJING (TIP): China will overtake Japan as the world’s second-wealthiest nation after the US in the next five years, says a global report on personal wealth. According to the “Global Wealth Report 2012”, the US will be the world’s richest nation with $89 trillion of household net worth, the China Daily said on Thursday.

    The study carried out by the Credit Suisse Research Institute said there were 964,000 millionaires in China by mid-2012, and the number was expected to almost double to 1.9 million by 2017, driven by the rapid development of the private sector. It defined “household wealth” as the value of financial assets and non-financial assets minus total household debts.

    By mid-2012, China’s total household wealth jumped $562 billion to $20 trillion. China is expected to add another $18 trillion in family wealth in the next five years, the report said. The projected $38 trillion total will surpass Japan’s $35 trillion, and make China the second wealthiest country by 2017. ‘Due to a high savings rate and relatively welldeveloped financial institutions, a high proportion of Chinese household assets are in financial form compared with other major developing countries,’ the report said.

  • Duke University Nobel Prize winner blazing trail to new medicines

    Duke University Nobel Prize winner blazing trail to new medicines

    DURHAM (TIP): A scientist who has spent his career at Duke University, Robert Lefkowitz, will share the 2012 Nobel Prize for chemistry with a Stanford University researcher he trained in the 1980s. Lefkowitz, 69, and his former student, Brian Kobilka, 57, were recognized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for discoveries about how the body’s cells respond to outside signals – a key to the workings of beta blockers, antihistamines and as many as half of all prescription medications. Their discoveries have opened the door to creating medicine that is more effective and less likely to cause side effects. Lefkowitz, a thin, energetic professor of biochemistry, immunology and medicine in Duke’s medical school, is known for his enthusiasm and a love of mentoring younger scientists.

    He has long been mentioned for the Nobel. Still, he said, it caught him off guard. The news was announced via an elbow from his wife, Lynn, at 5 a.m. He hadn’t heard the phone because he sleeps with earplugs. “It’s Stockholm calling,” she said. Lefkowitz joked during a news conference at Duke a few hours later that he was pretty sure a bunch of Swedes weren’t calling to check the weather in Durham, so he got up and took the phone. He said the honor was all the sweeter when he found out it included Kobilka. “Needless to say, I’m thrilled, I’m excited, I’m delighted to be sharing the award with a former student of mine who I admire and who I’m very fond of,” he said.

    His voice cracked as he described talking with Kobilka after they were notified, and thanking his younger colleague for taking their work a level further, which Kobilka thinks may have elevated it enough to make the prize possible. Despite Duke’s global reputation for research, academics and health care, it was the first Nobel for a scientist there, and university leaders basked in the moment at the news conference Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Nancy Andrews, dean of the medical school, said Lefkowitz is known as much for his skill at mentoring other researchers as for his groundbreaking work. “I think there are three ways that medical scientists can be great: by making discoveries that immediately transform patient care, by making scientific contributions that stand the test of time, and by mentoring the next generation of scientists,” she said. “Bob Lefkowitz has accomplished all three, and I think it’s fair to say he has done it over and over and over again.” One of the biggest days in the university’s history was nearly 40 years in the making. Lefkowitz came to Duke in 1973 from Harvard, after training there and at Columbia University as a cardiologist. In the 1980s, he discovered a class of tiny cell structures called G proteincoupled receptors.

    The receptors, which are stitched through a cell’s outer membrane, give the cell information about chemical changes in the body, acting as a kind of middleman to trigger the cell’s response to chemicals such as adrenaline or a drug. He showed that they respond to chemical changes outside the cell in the same way that other receptors in the body detect smells, taste and light. About half of all medicines act on these receptors. As scientists learn how they work, they are leading to improvements in drugs. Drugs such as beta blockers, antihistamines and various psychiatric medicines have been around for some time, but before Lefkowitz and Kobilka’s discoveries, their impact on the human body wasn’t fully understood, said Sven Lidin, chairman of the prize committee. “All we knew was that they worked, but we didn’t know why,” Lidin said. There is hope that the Nobel-winning research will lead to new medicines, he added. Lefkowitz now oversees a lab with as many as 30 scientists at a time, and has mentored more than 200 students and post-doctoral researchers. The pair will travel to Stockholm in December to receive the $1.2 million prize.

    Lefkowitz said he would continue his work. “If you were a fly on the wall in 1973, and now, my daily activities wouldn’t look very different,” he said. “I’m still hard at it. My lab is bigger. But I’m pretty much doing what I was doing, which is doing science, interacting with my fellows, and having a hell of a good time.” He said that he’ll continue collaborating with Kobilka, too. “The two of us,” he said, “will soldier on together.”

  • 4 Queens youths die in car crash

    4 Queens youths die in car crash

    NEW YORK (TIP): Peter Kanhai, 18, Christopher Khan, 18, Darian Ramnarine, 18 and Neal Rajapa, 17, all of Queens, died in an accident on the Southern State Parkway Tuesday, October 9. While Peter Kanhai, Christopher Khan and Darian Ramnarine were from Ozone Park, Neal Rajappa was from Jamaica. The loss hit hard at Richmond Hill High School, which some of the teens attended and where counselors were on hand to help students cope with their grief

    New York City schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott visited Richmond Hill High School on Tuesday to console students. State Police said the car, a 2012 Subaru Impreza carrying five teens, crashed into trees along the shoulder between Exit 18, Eagle Avenue, and Exit 17, Hempstead Avenue. The crash killed Kanhai, 18 Christopher Khan, 18, Darian Ramnarine, 18, and Neal Rajapa, 17. Police said the survivor, Joseph Beer, 17, of South Richmond Hill, was driving with a learner’s permit and lost control. He was being treated at Winthrop University Hospital.

  • Chinese novelist Mo Yan wins Literature Nobel

    Chinese novelist Mo Yan wins Literature Nobel

    BEIJING (TIP):Writer Mo Yan, whose complex world of fiction often reminds readers of William Faulkner and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, pipped bookmaker’s favourite Japanese Haruki Murakami to become the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize for literature. When told by organizers that he had won the award, Mo said he was both “overjoyed and scared”. Mo, 57, is the author of renowned novels such as ‘Red Sorghum’ (later made into an acclaimed film) and ‘Big Breasts and Wide Hips’. In an interview to Granta, he once said, “Censorship is great for literature creation.” Reacting to the award, Mo said, “I felt I was not very senior in terms of qualification (among Chinese writers).

    There are many good writers and my ranking was not so high,” adding, “The Nobel Literature Prize is a very important literature prize, but not the top award. It represents the opinions of the jury.” The award caused a stir in Chinese literary world, which has never been given the distinction from the Nobel academy. “His prize is an affirmation for Chinese literature on the world stage,” said another famous writer, Er Yue He, quoted by the state media. The Nobel must be music to the ears of Chinese authorities because it’s a rare case of a Chinese artist or writer, who is not a political dissident, winning the coveted prize.

    Beijing has been raging against the Swedish Academy since it gave the Nobel Peace Prize to dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010. Another Chinese, Gao Xingjian, won the literature Nobel in 2000 but he was a naturalized French. The Swedish Academy conferred the award describing Mo as someone who, with “hallucinatory realism merges folk tales, history and the contemporary”. Mo suggested last month that he has not yet produced his best work. “The great novel that matches the great times has yet to be written,” Mo said while receiving China’s Mao Dun Literature in Beijing. A farmer’s son, he once dropped out of primary school due to poverty before continuing his studies and going on to become a writer.

    “Loneliness and hunger were my fortunes of creation,” he is reputed to have once said. Mo Yan (which means ‘do not speak’ in Mandarin) is a pseudonym for Guan Moye. Mo also did a stint with the People’s Liberation Army and collaborated in Communist Party’s literary projects. He is seen in some quarters as being too close to the party to be considered politically independent. Others feel he has effectively used literature to expose corruption, misdeeds during the family planning drive and decadence in society. China’s official media had launched a campaign in his favour in past weeks after two betting sites named Mo and Murakami as close runners. The People’s Daily said the Nobel Academy usually took decisions based on political reasons rather than pure merit while advising readers not to get agitated if Mo missed it. The award’s announcement was greeted with pride in the Chinese Internet but there were some who criticized the decision saying the writer is too close to the party to be regarded as politically independent. Some netizens said they were relieved that it did not go to a Japanese at a time when the two countries were involved in a serious dispute over ownership of islands in the South China Sea.

    Chinese winners: A tale of outliers
    Migrants who left China dominate the list of winners of Chinese origin for the Nobel Prize in different fields. Only two of the now 12 winners live in China. One of them is Mo Yan, the literary prize winner for 2012. The other is Liu Xiaobo, the 2010 peace prize winner who is in prison for anti-national activities. The other 10 winners including the Dalai Lama live in foreign countries. Most of them live partly in the United Kingdom and in United States. One of them lives in France, one in Taiwan (which China claims to be its territory) while the Dalai Lama resides in India.

    Eight of the dozen winners were born in China before they migrated to other countries. Three were born in the United States and one in Taiwan. Besides Mo, the other writer of Chinese origin to win the literary prize is Gao Xingjian, who lives in France. He was involved in anti-government demonstrations before migrating, and his works are banned in China. Six of the dozen winners have been honored for their contribution to physics and two each for chemistry, literature and world peace. Congratulating Mo, Shanghai Writers’ Association president Wang Anyi, said, “You are the pride of China.”

  • This Sunday, all roads lead to JHMA Diwali Mela

    This Sunday, all roads lead to JHMA Diwali Mela

    NEW YORK (TIP): Jackson Heights Market place is known as Little India. Once, the hub of Indian businesses, it now is more diverse in demographic character with Pakistani and Bangla Deshi businesses having elbowed their way. The demographics may have changed but not the overall character of the place. Jackson Heights Merchants Association celebrates Diwali with all enthusiasm and gusto that have been associated with the event for the last so many years. Diwali, this year, is being celebrated on coming Sunday, October 14th.

    The Indian Panorama asked JHMA President Shiv Dass as to what special attraction was being offered this Diwali mela. He candidly said it was entertainment which reminded me of the heroine of Dirty Pictures who had said the movie offered entertainment, entertainment, entertainment. Good to begin with. The next question to Mr. Dass was what kind of entertainment was one to come across and he said, in the first place, an entertainment group from Mumbai will be there to entertain, supported by local artists. Then there will be shops that will offer wares of diverse variety which must please the visitors. Mr. Dass estimated the number of visitors this year to cross last year’s number of 10,000. He said, in all 30 booths have been allotted to traders while another 20 booths have been given to sponsors that include the grand sponsors Air India and Patel Bros. Besides the two, there are a number of organizations that have

    sponsored Diwali Mela this year. Mr. Shiv Dass spoke of some notable persons being honored . They include Rewo Norbhu, Air India Regional Manager Americas, Mahendra Patel of Patel Bros., Mustafa Akbar, Branch Manager, TD Bank, Mehmood Syed, Branch Manager Emeritus, Habib Bank, Detective Adriane Johnson, NYPD 115 Precinct and Davinder Verma, Owner of Kunal Jewelers. About the dignitaries arriving at the Diwali Mela, Mr. Dass said the number of dignitaries keeps growing every year. We will have this year our dear old friend Congressman Joseph Crowley, State Senator Jose Peralta, State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, Assemblyman Francisco P. Moya, Assemblyman Michael DenDecker, NY City Speaker Christine Quinn, City Advocate Bill de Blassio, City Comptroller John Liu, and Councilmember Daniel Dromm, besides some more

    Mr. Dass said he invites all to come to an entertaining Diwali Mela. “This Sunday, all roads lead to Jackson Heights”, he quipped. So, get ready to be there to have fun.

  • UN Women condemns attack on girl in Pakistan

    UN Women condemns attack on girl in Pakistan

    UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK (TIP): UN Women expressed indignation and condemned the cowardly attack on Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old girl in Pakistan who was targeted for speaking out on the rights of girls to education and to live free of violence. The Executive Director of UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women said, “We hope for the full and speedy recovery of Malala and her two schoolmates shot in the attack, and call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice”.

    The Executive Director’s statement further said, “This attack is an attack against all people in the world who believe in human dignity and respect for all. UN Women joins the Government and people of Pakistan and many others worldwide in recognizing Malala for her courage and determination to stand up for the rights of girls and women.

    “As the world observes the first International Day of the Girl Child, I stress the urgent need to promote and protect the rights of girls around the world. Every girl, no matter where she is born, should be able to express her views, live free of violence and discrimination, and have a fair chance to reach her full potential. Freedom, justice and peace are built on the recognition of the inherent dignity and equal rights of all human beings.”

  • Bebo:Bebo will return in an item number post Shaadi

    Bebo:Bebo will return in an item number post Shaadi

    Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan’s wedding functions and celebrations are scheduled between October 16 and 21 in Mumbai, Delhi and Pataudi. Post her shaadi, the new Begum of Pataudi will shoot for a hot item number with Salman Khan for Dabangg 2. Sources say that Bebo is going to be a conscious bride and eat right because she is doing the Munni Badnaam Hui version in the film. The song will be shot at a Mumbai studio. Says our source, “Since she will be reportedly showing her midriff in the song, like Katrina Kaif did in Chikni Chameli, Bebo is keen to be in perfect shape.”

  • Priyanka Chopra I Don’t Just want to be a Heroine

    Priyanka Chopra I Don’t Just want to be a Heroine

    While Priyanka Chopra’s flying high post the success of Barfi!, she asserts that her de-glam avatar in the film hasn’t alienated her fan base. The actor says, “Not wearing makeup doesn’t make one any less an actor. At the same time, you can be a very good actor with complete makeup on, for example my role in Fashion, which won me the National Award.” Releasing close on the heels of Barfi! was Heroine, and we can’t help but wonder what Priyanka means, when she tells us, “I don’t just want to be a heroine, I want to be a female actor.” She adds, “The difference in the latter comes through when one is known as an actor who is able to carry off any role.

    I don’t know what the norm is; I don’t know what kind of films I should be doing or what I am supposed to be doing. I don’t know what is right or whether I should be saying ‘Oh yes, I am working with all five Khans’.” Up next, PC, who will be seen in Zanjeer alongside Ram Charan Tej, informs us that she will be doing a special number in the film. “Zanjeer is my film, so I don’t know whether it is an item number technically, but it will be an item,” she says. Prod her on why she hasn’t taken up special numbers in films that don’t feature her in the lead role and she says, “A lot of offers have come my way, but nothing that strikes a chord. Though, I have been dying to do a full jhatak dance song as I haven’t done one for a while. Zanjeer will see me doing that,” she says.

  • Boost for Modi as Britain ends no-contact policy with Gujarat

    Boost for Modi as Britain ends no-contact policy with Gujarat

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In a boost to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s profile ahead of the assembly elections, Britain has ended its official nocontact policy with the state after the 2002 riots and will be looking for “active engagement” that promises to open “a new chapter” in its relations with Gujarat.

    Modi, who has launched a robust campaign for his re-election, was quick to welcome the British government’s decision, saying better late than never. “Der Aaye, Durusta Aaye!! I welcome UK Govt’s step for active engagement & strengthening relations with Guj. God is Great,” (sic) Modi wrote on his Twitter account.

    In a press statement, Hugo Swire, the new British minister in charge of India, has asked the British High Commissioner James Bevan to visit Gujarat and meet Modi and his senior cabinet colleagues. ‘This will allow us to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest and to explore opportunities for closer cooperation, in line with the British government’s stated objective of improving bilateral relations with India,’ Swire said. Britain’s turnaround comes a decade after the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which three Britons were killed. In his statement, Swire said: ‘We also want to provide the best possible support for British nationals who live in, work in or visit Gujarat; and to the many Gujaratis who now make up one of the most successful and dynamic communities in the UK.

    ‘I feel that active engagement will help further these interests. We will consider in the light of the High Commissioner’s visit how best to take forward our relationship with Gujarat.’ Sources in the British High Commission in New Delhi said the British envoy will be visiting Gujarat within a month and meet Modi and key figures in his government. The effort will be to explore linkages between universities, research institutions and businesses between Britain and Gujarat, said the sources. The move opens a new chapter in Britain’s relations with Gujarat, said the sources.

    Justifying the move, which has been criticised by some human rights campaigners, the sources in the high commission said the British government wanted a deeper and broader relationship with the whole of India and did not want to leave out an important state like Gujarat. They also said Britain saw a number of opportunities for tie-ups in areas of education, science and technology and innovation. Rejecting the criticism of Britain going soft on human rights issues, Swire said in London: ‘We want to support human rights and good governance in the state.’ Britain’s turnaround has come as a shot in the arm for Modi who is selling development agenda in the run-up to the December elections in the state. It has set the stage for international rehabilitation of Modi, who has been denied visa by the US for his alleged role in the Gujarat riots.

  • MALAIKA BEHIND THE SCENE IN ‘DABANGG 2’

    MALAIKA BEHIND THE SCENE IN ‘DABANGG 2’

    Model-turned-actress Malaika Arora Khan’s item number Munni in Dabangg was a chartbuster, but for the actioncomedy’s sequel, she is focusing more on behind the scenes activities. “I am not actively involved on the sets of Dabangg 2 in terms of creativity, but I am more behind the scenes. I am more office and literally back-stage, which is a new experience for me because I have always been on the camera,” said Malaika. The 39-year-old turned producer with her husband, Arbaaz Khan, when their company Arbaaz Khan Productions released its first film Dabangg in 2010.

  • Gwyneth Paltrow to produce Musical Band

    Gwyneth Paltrow to produce Musical Band

    Gwyneth Paltrow is in talks to produce a musical based on the all-girl supergroup The Go-Go’s, according to reports. Working with several prospective co-producers, including Donovan Leitch and Rick Ferrari, Paltrow would base the musical on the life and music of the seminal 1980s all-girl group that includes Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine, Gina Schock and Paula Jean Brown. The LA-based band, which has been touring all summer, was behind such early-’80s hits as ‘Vacation,’ ‘We Got the Beat’ and ‘Our Lips Are Sealed.’ They were the first all-female band that played their own instruments to top the Billboard charts. Given that Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia! (with music by Abba) and, most recently, American Idiot (music of Green Day) have all been hits, it makes sense to bring the all-girl supergroup back to life. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Carlisle and bandmates are considering being involved and possibly penning new songs. According to Sources, some major Broadway writers are being considered for the book, but no deals have been signed.