The Indian Panorama

Month: December 2013

  • BENEFITS OF ALMONDS FOR SKIN, HAIR AND HEALTH

    BENEFITS OF ALMONDS FOR SKIN, HAIR AND HEALTH

    Almonds are a superfood, which are high in vitamin E and good fats, which are beneficial for the hair, skin and the body. Nutritionist, Suman Agarwal who is also a fitness consultant and founder of Selfcare in Mumbai lists the health benefits of almonds for the skin, hair and body.

    Great for hair
    Almonds are a rich source of vitamin D and magnesium and it are used in a variety of cosmetics and creams. Deficiency of magnesium in the body can lead to hair fall. Almond oil applied once in a week can help to moisturise the scalp, improve the hair quality and reduce hair fall.

    Superb for skin
    Almonds can benefit the complexion as they contains a good amount of vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which helps in preventing cell damage and also helps in preventing the damage caused by the sun’s rays. Almond milk is also rich in proteins and vitamins and helps hydrate and soften the skin.

    Marvelous for memory
    Almonds are a rich source of B vitamins and minerals and may help to improve memory. B vitamins also help in improving the communication between the brain cells.

    Good for hangovers
    Almonds are high in fat and will slowdown the absorption of alcohol in the blood and are a good cure for hangovers.

    Fit for weight Loss
    Almonds contain phytosterol and mono unsaturated fatty acids which help in reducing cholesterol and LDL. Raw almonds are a good source of proteins and fibre, which will help curb your appetite, as they make you feel full. What is the best way to eat almonds? Raw, roasted or soaked? Soaked almonds have a lesser amount of phytates and help in promoting good digestion. Whereas, bitter almonds cannot be eaten raw as they contain toxic substances called prussic acid.

  • Patiala Police denies releasing a list of NRIs involved in International Drug Racket

    Patiala Police denies releasing a list of NRIs involved in International Drug Racket

    Harjit Singh Dhesi

    DALLAS (TIP): The arrest of a dismissed Punjab Police officer involved in an international drug racket on November 11near the Haryana-Delhi border has given rise to a variety of news relating to involvement of many NRIs in the racket. The arrested Ex-deputy superintendent of Punjab police Jagdish Bhola is reported to have stated, according to a police officer who requested for anonymity, that the markets spanned up to Britain, Canada and European countries and quite a few well known NRIs were part of the racket. A Canadian newspaper carried the news that Patiala police which had arrested Bhola has identified over 30 non-resident Indians (NRIs), who acted as active and passive couriers for him. There was mention of some of the names in the news report.

    Among those mentioned were John Singh Gill, Jaswinder Choker, and Major Nat who claimed their innocense. According to information available with The Indian Panorama, when Sacramento based journalist representing Ajit of Jalandhar asked the Patiala Police Chief, the Senior Superintendent Hardial Singh Mann whether or not the police had released a list of NRIs supposedly involved in the drug racket, the SSP said that the Police had not released any list carrying the names of persons in question.

    The attorney for John Singh Gill decried such rumors, which he said, were aimed at tarnishing the fair image of his client. A friend of John Singh Gill said it was the handiwork of those who are envious of John Singh Gill who has come to occupy a fair name and position in the community and is known as one of the best promoters of the game of Kabaddi. He added that it is by sheer dint of hard work that Gill, Choker, Nat and people like them came to acquire respectability and commanded admiration of the community. He condemned those who were trying to damage their image by spreading rumors.

  • Federal officials seek $325,000 penalty against Southwest Airlines Co

    Federal officials seek $325,000 penalty against Southwest Airlines Co

    DALLAS (TIP): Federal officials are seeking a $325,000 penalty against Southwest Airlines Co. over a faulty repair job on an AirTran jet in 2011, says an AP report. The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday said the company operated a Boeing 717 on 1,140 flights after maintenance workers improperly installed a switch used to help prevent ice buildup. Dallasbased Southwest, which bought AirTran in 2011, has 30 days to respond.

  • The Dallas-Fort Worth economy has outperformed the Texas economy so far this year: Dallas Fed

    The Dallas-Fort Worth economy has outperformed the Texas economy so far this year: Dallas Fed

    DALLAS (TIP): The North Texas economy has grown at “moderately strong pace” this year through October and is outperforming the state, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The Dallas-Fort Worth Economic Indicators provides a variety of economic data and analysis about the region. The Dallas Fed said it will release the report on the third Thursday of each month. Dallas Fed spokesman Alexander Johnson said the new report is in keeping with the bank’s role in monitoring the regional economy, conducting regional research “vital to the nation’s monetary policy process” and releasing information for public use.

    “We felt we needed to enhance our monitoring of the Dallas-Fort Worth economy because of its growing importance to our region,” he added. Here are some highlights of the report: * EMPLOYMENT: Dallas-Fort Worth employment has grown 2.9 percent, faster that the Texas growth rate of 2.4 percent. Job growth continues to be across many different industry groups, but led by: construction and oil and gas, professional and business services; and financial services. * UNEMPLOYMENT: The October unemployment rate was 6 percent in Fort Worth and 6.1 percent in Dallas. Both were lower than the Texas rate of 6.2 percent and the U.S. rate of 7.3 percent that month.

    * HOME PRICES: Home prices continue to rise as inventories fall. In October, the median price of a home in Dallas was $196,004 and $136,380 in Fort Worth. Dallas-Fort Worth prices surpassed their 2007 peak in April and were up an annualized 10.2 percent as of August, according to the S&P Case-Shiller index. The average U.S. home price is rising at a faster pace – as some hard-hit states catch up – but remains below the pre-recession peak. * INDUSTRIAL AVAILABILITY: Industrial real estate availability rates fell to 10.1 in Fort Worth and 12.7 in Dallas in the second quarter as distribution and logistics companies have increased the demand for space.

    Rental rates have been increasing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which is a major trade and distribution hub. * BUSINESS CYCLE INDEX: The Dallas and Fort Worth indices each rose at a 5 percent pace, slightly slower than a year earlier but faster than the state. The indices include employment, the unemployment rate, inflation-adjusted real wages and inflation-adjusted retail sales.

  • OLD SMOKERS WHO QUIT REAP HEART BENEFITS FASTER

    OLD SMOKERS WHO QUIT REAP HEART BENEFITS FASTER

    Anew study led by Indian origin researcher has suggested that cigarette smokers who are over 65 years of age may be able to lower their risk of cardiovascular disease-related deaths to the level of never-smokers when they quit faster than previously reported. A study by Ali Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H., senior researcher and professor of cardiovascular disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Medicine, showed that older people who smoked less than 32 “pack years”- 3.2 packs (20 cigarettes per pack) a day for no more than 10 years or less than one pack a day for 30 years – and gave up smoking 15 or fewer years ago lowered their risks of developing heart failure or dying from heart failure, heart attacks and strokes to the same level as those who had never smoked. Previous research showed it may take up to 15 years or more of abstinence for smokers to reach similar cardiovascular death risks as people who never smoke. But many of the people in the study were able to reduce their risk in less than 15 years.

  • 2 million Google, Facebook, Twitter passwords stolen

    2 million Google, Facebook, Twitter passwords stolen

    BOSTON (TIP): Security experts have uncovered a trove of some 2 million stolen passwords to websites including Facebook, Google, Twitter and Yahoo from internet users across the globe. Researchers with Trustwave’s SpiderLabs said they discovered the credentials while investigating a server in the Netherlands that cybercriminals use to control a massive network of compromised computers known as the “Pony botnet.”

    The company said that it has reported its findings to the largest of more than 90,000 websites and internet service providers whose customers’ credentials it had found on the server. The data includes more than 3,26,000 Facebook accounts, some 60,000 Google accounts, more than 59,000 Yahoo accounts and nearly 22,000 Twitter accounts, according to SpiderLabs. Victims’ were from the United States, Germany, Singapore and Thailand, among other countries. Representatives for Facebook and Twitter said the companies have reset the passwords of affected users. A Google spokeswoman declined comment.

    Yahoo representatives could not be reached. SpiderLabs said it has contacted authorities in the Netherlands and asked them to take down the Pony botnet server. An analysis posted on the SpiderLabs blog showed that the most-common password in the set was “123456,” which was used in nearly 16,000 accounts.

    Other commonly used credentials included “password,” “admin,” “123” and “1.” Graham Cluley, an independent security expert, said it is extremely common for people to use such simple passwords and also re-use them on multiple accounts, even though they are extremely easy to crack. “People are using very dumb passwords. They are totally useless,” he said.

  • Narayan Sai caught after two-month cross-country run

    Narayan Sai caught after two-month cross-country run

    NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH (TIP): After dodging police for nearly two months, godman Asaram Bapu’s son Narayan Sai, accused of rape by two Surat-based sisters, was arrested on Delhi-Chandigarh National Highway-1 after a 72-hour cat-andmouse chase by Delhi Police crime branch. Sai, police said, was disguised as a Sikh when he was caught. He had also stocked utensils and ration in his Ford Eco Sport and a juvenile cook to prepare him food. Sai, who mistook the cops as kidnappers, first tried negotiating a ransom saying he was going to Delhi to sign some legal documents.

    Sai, police said, was hoping to evade cops busy with Delhi elections, which was why he was so close to the national capital. Sai is wanted in connection with a complaint lodged by two sisters of sexual assault,unnatural sex, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy at a police station in Surat, Gujarat. He was taken on transit remand to Surat after being produced at Rohini court. Asaram is in Jodhpur jail since his arrest in September for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager who lodged an FIR with Delhi Police.

    “A team led by DCP Kumar Gyanesh and ACP KPS Malhtora arrested Narayan Sai and two of his associates… Six mobile phones used by all the accused were also recovered along with the Eco Sport in which they were travelling,” said SBK Singh, joint commissioner of police, crime branch. Apart from Sai, his PSO Kaushal Thakur and driver Ramesh Malhotra were also arrested. Sai carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on information leading to his arrest and his staff Rs 1 lakh. It’s learnt that a close associate of Sai’s driver, Ramesh, played a key role in the arrests.

    There were protests outside crime branch office and Rohini court by Sai’s supporters who lay flowers on the path inside the court and sloganeered in his favour. A team of 22 Delhi policemen camped in Ludhiana for 24 hours. Police said Sai used 32 SIM cards and six cell phones to duck cops. The first batch of 10 cops reached Ludhiana on December 2 in Sarabha Nagar. Sai was hiding in a gaushala owned by electronic goods dealer Pankaj Agnihotri in Model Town area.

    “Out of the past 70 days, he was putting up at this place for almost a month and Agnihotri was his disciple,” said ACP (crime) Ravindra Yadav. During his crosscountry run, Sai used several vehicles like Toyota Camry, Toyota Altis, Toyota Fortuner, Swift Dzire apart from Ford Eco Sport in which he was nabbed.

  • ALWAYS CHECK FOR BLOOD IN URINE

    ALWAYS CHECK FOR BLOOD IN URINE

    Apublic health campaign has warned people that they should contact their doctor if they spot blood even once in their urine. According to Public Health England, the rise of Kidney cancer diagnoses by a third in the past 10 years in England is due to unhealthy lifestyles, such as smoking and obesity, the BBC reported. The death toll has increased by 7 percent, with about 3,500 people dying from kidney cancer in England in 2011.

    Visible blood in the urine is a symptom in more than 80 percent of bladder cancer patients and in most of those with kidney cancer. Kevin Fenton, PHE director of health and wellbeing, said that their message is clear, “as soon as you spot blood in your pee, visit the GP”. Fenton said that though its probably nothing serious, but it could also be a sign of something else that needs treatment, so people shouldn’t ignore the symptom.

  • Exit Polls Indicate BJP Juggernaut & Congress Rout

    Exit Polls Indicate BJP Juggernaut & Congress Rout

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Congress faces a blank-out in four states that have polled in assembly elections in November-December, while the BJP will certainly win in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, is likely to retain Chhattisgarh and may just grab power in Delhi as well, according to exit polls and postpoll surveys released on December 4. If these polls prove to be accurate, it is very bad news for the Congress which faces a national election five months down the road. Equally, it is a bumper booster shot in the BJP’s arm and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

    While Mizoram has also had assembly elections, no exit polls were available for the state and its outcome, in any case, can have little effect on the 2014 elections. While there were only minor differences among the different polls on Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh, the estimates for Delhi varied widely, with two of the four polls predicting a hung assembly, but two others giving the BJP a clear though slim majority.

    One poll even suggested that debutant Aam Aadmi Party would emerge as the single largest party in the new assembly. On Delhi — the election that will be most closely watched as a pointer to the national mood — an ORG survey for Headlines Today suggested the BJP would win 41 seats, giving it a clear majority in the 70-member assembly. It said the Congress would win 20 seats, and AAP just six. The ABP News-AC Nielsen also predicted a BJP win with 37 seats, but predicted that the Congress with 16 and AAP with 15 would finish neck-and-neck.

    The C-Voter poll put the BJP tantalisingly short of a majority with 31 seats, the Congress and 20, AAP at 15 and others with four seats, which could end in a hung house. Today’s Chanakya had a radically different prediction, with AAP projected to win 31 seats, BJP 29 and Congress a mere 10. Obviously, the significant performance of newcomer AAP was seriously testing the science of psephology. The other relatively close contest appears to be in Chhattisgarh.

    Here, ORG and Today’s Chanakya gave BJP a clear majority, C-Voter predicted it would fall just short and the CNN-IBN-CSDS poll gave a range for the party of 45-55 seats in the 90-member house, which means it may or may not have a majority. What they all agreed on was that the Congress would not win, its tally ranging from a minimum of 32 to a maximum of 41 across the four polls. On Madhya Pradesh, there is unanimity that Shivraj Singh Chouhan will win a third term in style. The range of predicted tallies for the BJP in the 230-member is from a minimum of 128 in the C-Voter poll to a maximum of 161 in the poll done by Today’s Chanakya.

    The Congress tally in the state, if the polls are right, could be anywhere between 62 and 92. Rajasthan too is projected to deliver a landslide verdict in favour of the BJP, with its tally projected at 110-147 seats in the 200-member assembly across four different surveys and the Congress predicted to win at best 62 seats and at worst 39.

  • New York City’s ‘Holi Hai’ to launch in Dallas, Washington DC

    New York City’s ‘Holi Hai’ to launch in Dallas, Washington DC

    Pooja Premchandran DALLAS, TX(TIP): The upcoming Holi of 2014 will have the vibrant and highly popular event ‘Holi Hai’ from New York City, extend their festivities in Dallas, Texas andWashingtonD.C. Megha Kalia, Founder and Artistic Director of NYC Bhangra confirmed to The Indian Panorama of its planned ventures. Started by Kalia from her two bedroom apartment in Queens, today the event is the largest celebration of the festival of colors in New York City. As a non-ticketed event, NYC Holi also boasts of the largest number of non-Indian attendees. The journey has been a multitude of colors for her. “Blue, black, red, white! I have faced it all in my journey so far. But it is all totally worth the painstaking effort when I see the celebrants face light up with joy at the event every year.” As part of extending her venture, Megha Kalia has closed in on Dallas and WashingtonDC. With the popularity the event was gaining, it was a natural move for her to push beyond the boundaries and even look far west.


    6
    colors of Holi

    “I did extensive research and spoke to innumerable people regarding celebrations of Holi as well as promotion of Bhangra in the rest of the country. Only a few engaged and promoted Bhangra to its audience. The dance form of Bhangra is vibrant, fun and colourful, all of which are synonymous to Holi. And I wanted people from these cities to experience the same fun that New York has been having since the past 5 years during Holi, “says Kalia. Besides playing Holi the traditional way (throwing colour at each other), NYC Bhangra’s Holi celebrations also provide a platform to emerging artists (in dance and music) to exhibit their talent to residents of New York City. But the event isn’t fulfilled without the must-have dose of Bhangra. Says Kalia, “Since 2010, we have continued to engage our audiences into Bhangra which is in line with our mission. Naturally, at an environment like that of Holi, Bhangra just goes hand in hand.” Megha sincerely hopes for the same extent of support she received in New York to follow her to DC and Dallas.

    “In the last few year of the event in NYC, we have received inexpressible amount of support from our sponsors such as State Bank of India, Incredible India, Time Warner Cable, Sony TV, Zee TV, etc. We look for similar support and encouragement from DC and Dallas. In terms of our expansion, we sincerely hope to see these cities welcome Bhangra and celebrate Holi with much gusto and spirit as is a must for Holi,” says Kalia. NYC Bhangra is New York City’s group of Bhangra enthusiasts who are engaging people in the Bhangra joy and creating more awareness of the dance through dance showcases and performances. NYC Bhangra was established in 2007 to promote Indian dance forms in New York City. Sponsors can reach NYC Bhangra atinfo@nycbhangra.com or 212-372-8001. Watch this space for more information on the venue and dates of the event.

  • Will Indian bowlers be equal to task?

    Will Indian bowlers be equal to task?

    JOHANNESBURG (TIP): There have been instances in recent past when scores well above 300 have looked vulnerable. The Indian bowling attack has looked listless, especially with the field restrictions coming into play in the back end of the innings and the South Africans know all about it. “India are certainly not the best bowling attack in the world. We won’t be underestimating them, but it’s an area where we can get on top of them,” South African skipper AB de Villiers upped the ante on Tuesday. What has let the Indian skipper MS Dhoni down time and again is the lack of penetration in his pace attack towards the end. The yorkers have been far and few in between, and teams, despite losing wickets, have been able to step on the gas at the death.

    The biggest culprit has been Ishant Sharma, who went for 30 in one over in a game against Australia, and hasn’t played an ODI since. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s lack of pace reduces his efficacy in the slog overs while Umesh Yadav is a little erratic. His only ray of hope is Shami Ahmed, who showed that he can bowl inswinging yorkers in Test matches, but doing it under pressure of ODI death overs is another matter. In such a situation, it becomes crucial for India to pick up early wickets and that’s what the skipper stressed on. “With the two new-ball rule and the conditions in favour of fast bowlers, it’s important how you play the first 10 overs. If a side has wicket in hands, getting a par-plus score in the last 15 is not difficult,” Dhoni said.

    The bowlers did that quite consistently during the Champions Trophy in England in June and de Villiers, despite the jibe, was on the guard. “The batsmen sometimes think they can get on top of this attack very easily and that’s when these guys tend to take a lot of wickets,” the skipper said. The one crucial component of the Indian attack that isn’t getting too much attention in the context of the pacer-friendly tracks of South Africa is spin. But Dhoni, deep down, feels that his spinners are better off in ODIs abroad than they are at home. “They struggle when there’s dew in the ground,” the skipper said, hinting at daynight ODIs in India. He is probably taking hope from R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja’s record on tracks where there has been some bounce.

  • Nadal to return to Buenos Aires event after nine years

    Nadal to return to Buenos Aires event after nine years

    BUENOS AIRES (TIP): World number one Rafael Nadal will play in the Buenos Aires ATP tournament in February for the first time since 2005, the Spaniard said on December 3. The tournament to be held at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club from February 10 to 16 is part of the Latin American swing of claycourt events which also includes tournaments in Chile, Brazil and Mexico. “After a time when I was unable to go, this year I’m going to return to the Buenos Aires tournament and I’m excited to play the Copa Claro again,” Nadal said in a video shown at a news conference. Nadal lost to Argentine Gaston Gaudio, the 2004 French Open champion, in the quarterfinal of the 2005 Buenos Aires tournament at the start of a glittering career that has included 13 Grand Slam titles, eight at Roland Garros.

    “We’re very happy to have Rafa, to have a world number one playing for the points in Argentina,” said tournament director Martin Jaite, who is also his country’s Davis Cup captain. Nadal made his comeback from a long injury layoff at the Vina del Mar tournament in Chile last February, launching a comeback that took him back to the top of the rankings last month. He was in Argentina last month for exhibition matches against world number two Novak Djokovic and retired Argentine former number three David Nalbandian’s farewell to tennis. Buenos Aires champion David Ferrer will not be defending his title.