CHENNAI (TIP): India’s first Mars orbiter spacecraft underwent a second crucial orbitraising exercise in the wee hours of November 8 as part of its five-stage preparation to leave the Earth orbit on December 1. Isro scientists at the Spacecraft Control Centre in Bangalore fired the engine of the spacecraft at 2.18am, for about 10 minutes. “The second orbit raising manueour of Mars orbiter spacecraft, starting at 02:18:51 hrs (IST) on Nov 08, 2013, with a burn time of 570.6 seconds has been successfully completed,” Isro said in a statement. With this, the farthest point of the orbiter from earth (apogee) has gone up from 28,814km to 40,186km. In a similar manoeuvre early on Thursday, scientists raised the orbit from 23,550km. At its closest point to earth, the spacecraft is only 252km away as it moves in a highly elliptical orbit. Three more such operations will be conducted in the coming week. The idea is to keep increasing the apogee and give the spacecraft enough velocity to escape the Earth orbit without consuming too much fuel. Crucial for this will be an exercise called the trans-Martian injection planned on December 1 when, in a slingshot-like movement, the orbiter would leave the Earth orbit and start coasting towards Mars, 400 million kilometres away. It is expected to reach the red planet’s orbit on September 24, 2014.
Year: 2013
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CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD
Diwali is also celebrated outside of India mainly in Guyana, Fiji, Malaysia, Nepal, Mauritius, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Trinidad & Tobago, Britain, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Africa, Australia and the US among the Hindus across the world.
Britain
The Indians are the second largest ethnic minority in Britain. To get rid of the feeling of missing their homeland, especially during festival times, the Indians here celebrate most of the festivals. The occasion is marked by visit to the local temple to worship the shrine of Lakshmi, which they have made for Diwali. Eating special sweets, burning of incense sticks, lighting the home and surroundings and the blowing of the conch shell follows the prayer session in the Lakshmi temple. The festival here is celebrated according to the Hindu solar calendar hence it falls in the months of October-November, amongst the cold, damp and windy months in Britain. Still the enthusiasm of the festival celebration makes the task of leaving small lamps on windowsills or by open doorways possible ignoring the chill. The lamps and diyas play their part in maintaining the atmosphere of Diwali at home.Guyana
Guyana, formerly known as British Guiana, is located on the northeast coast of South America. Guyana is 82,978 square miles in area and has a population of about 7,70,000. Hindus constitute 33% of Guyana’s total population. The Co-operative Republic of Guyana in Southern America celebrates Diwali according to the Hindu Solar calendar. The day of the festival is declared as a national holiday in the official calendar of Guyana. The tradition of celebrating the festival is believed to have been brought to Guyana in the year 1853 by the first indentured people from India.The legends related to the festival are similar to that of India. The celebration of the festival includes, distribution of sweets, illuminating the inside and outside of the house, exchange of greetings, cleaning of houses and wearing of new clothes. The celebrations hold special significance for the people of Guyana. The distribution of sweet signifies the importance of serving and sharing whereas exchange of greeting cards denotes the goodwill of each other.
The sweets distributed mainly consist of pera, barfi, and kheer. The tradition of wearing new cloth for the people of Guyana is significant especially in this festival. They believe that wearing new cloth is the symbol of healthy souls in healthy bodies. Cleaning of their homes and keeping them well illuminated in and outside is a practice meant to illuminate the road for Goddess Lakshmi so that while goddess Lakshmi visits their home she faces no problem of light as the Diwali night is regarded as the darkest night of the year.
Indonesia
The name Indonesia came from two Greek words: “Indos” meaning Indian and “Nesos” meaning islands. The majority of population follows Islam. Hindus constituent about 2% of Indonesia’s total population. However, the Indonesian island of Bali is famous for celebrating the festival of Diwali, as a majority of the population here is that of Indians. It is one of the most revered festivals of the locals here. The celebration and rituals of the festival is mostly similar to that celebrated by their counterparts in India.Malaysia
Fascinating in its diversity, Malaysia has many mesmerizing charms and attractions. With a population of about 20 million, comprising of a harmonious multi-ethnic mix of Malays, Malaysia promises a colorful potpourri of cultural traditions. Most are based on the various religious practices, beliefs and traditions influencing the costumes, festivals, ceremonies and rituals. The Hindu community of Malaysia constitutes about 8% of its total population .The community celebrates Diwali as a symbol of triumph of good over evil. The Malaysian people call Diwali as Hari Diwali.This festival is celebrated during the 7th month of the Hindu solar calendar. The south Indian traditional of oil bath precedes the festivities. The celebration includes visits to temples and prayers at household altars. Small lamps made from clay and filled with coconut oil and wicks are a common sight to signify the victory of Lord Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana, over the demon king Ravana. Diwali is celebrated almost all over the Malaysia except in Sarawak & Federal Territory of Labuan.
Mauritius
Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean that lies to the east of Madagascar. This beautiful landmass is full of picturesque landscapes and enchanting spots. Mauritius accounts a 63% of Indian majority of which 80% follow Hinduism. Hence, celebration of almost all the Hindu festivals in this island is a common phenomenon. In Mauritius, Diwali celebration is an age-old tradition. It holds special significance for the natives, who believe that Diwali has been celebrated even long before the return of Lord Rama from 14 years of exile and his coronation as the king. The festival is marked by lightening of earthen lamps in rows making images out of the rows. Lakshmi is worshiped as the goddess of wealth and crackers are burnt to scare away evil spirits.Nepal
Nepal is a landlocked country nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. Nepal, a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society is the only Hindu Kingdom of the world. Diwali is celebrated here with the usual Hindu festivities and rituals. Diwali in Nepal is known as Tihar. Just like most places in India Diwali is celebrated here to honor the goddess of wealth and god of prosperity Lakshmi and Ganesh respectively. The festival of light falls in the months of October or November on the day of Amavasya – the darkest day of the year. The festival here continues for five days. Every day has its special significance. The first day is dedicated to cows as they cook rice and feed the cows believing that goddess Lakshmi comes on cows. The second day is for Dogs as the Vahana of Bhairava.Preparation of delicious food especially meant for the dog is a typical characteristic of the day. Lights and lamps are lit to illuminate the entire surrounding and some of the specialty items are prepared to mark the third day of the festival. Fireworks, Lamps and crackers are widely used. The fourth day is dedicated to Yama, the Hindu God of Death. He is prayed for long life. The fifth final day is Bhhaya Dooj dedicated for the brothers who are wished long life and prosperity by their sisters.
South Africa
South Africa is located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. It is a mix of cultures and has one of the largest immigrant Indian communities in the world. The country has almost one million immigrant Indians. Most of these Indian immigrants are concentrated in the eastern regions of Natal and Transvaal of the country. About 65% of Hindus, 15% of Muslims and 20% of Christians live in this area. Due to the majority of the Hindu population, a number of Hindu festivals are celebrated here. Diwali also holds an important place in the festival calendar of the region. The celebration is more or less same to that in India. Most of the Hindus here are from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and continue to follow their regional variations of Hinduism.Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad is the most southern of the Caribbean islands, lying only seven miles off the Venezuelan coast, is one of the most exciting, colorful islands of the West Indies. Considered as the land of the Humming Bird, Trinidad and Tobago has a good number of Indian population. For that reason, Hindu festivals, customs, traditions and observances forms an integral part of the society, which comprises the unique beauty of the twin island state. The Diwali celebration has a unique flavor here in the Caribbean island nation. Here 43 per cent of the 1.3 million populations are ethnic Indians. The Diwali celebrations are usually marked as an occasion to unify the nation that consists of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Indo-Trinidadians and Afro- Trinidadians.The festival day is regarded as a national holiday. The festival is also marked by scores of functions besides the usual rituals of the festivity. The functions and celebrations also have an official imprint as the Ministers of the Government also participate in the celebrations sometimes. The belief behind the festival is same as of India, which is, prevalence of good over evil. The celebrations continue for over a week and the headquarters of the National Council of Indian Culture at Diwali Nagar becomes the focal point.
America
Diwali is one of the biggest Hindu festivals celebrated among many people and communities in the United States. Many schools, community groups, Hindu associations, Indian organizations and corporate businesses get involved in celebrating Diwali. Politicians, including governors and past presidents, previously made public announcements expressing their greetings and well wishes to Hindus on Diwali. Many Indian stores sell jewelry and traditional outfits, such as chiffon saris, as well as statues of Hindu deities and incent sticks used in prayer around this time of the year. Many women and girls use mehendi, which is a temporary henna decoration, on their palms. It is also common to wear fine jewelry and silk outfits to celebrate this joyous festival. -
‘Assam Rape Fest’ story in US media triggers row
NEW DELHI (TIP): An American news satire website’s play of words and comment on the security of women in India, and particularly in Assam, has evoked sharp criticism from netizens. Social media is abuzz with reactions – many believing the satire to be “true news” – after the website published a report headlined, ‘The Assam Rape Festival In India Begins This Week’ on November 3. The report, first published on NationalReport.net, which claims to be America’s Number 1 independent news team, was widely shared on social media. The report was later picked up by many websites and forums. With the frenzy snowballing, a few others tried to explain that the report was indeed a satire although it was not written anywhere on the website that it publishes fake news. On Thursday, Assam criminal investigation department registered a suo motu case against the website for posting the defamatory article. Commenting on Facebook, Arindom Phukan pointed out that the website had nowhere mentioned that the story was a satire. Ironically, the report was shared more than 89,500 times on Facebook and around 1,000 times on Twitter. “Men in India are already beginning to celebrate as the annual Assam Rape Festival is just days away. Every non-married girl age 7-16 will have the chance to flee to safety or get raped,” the write-up said. Commenting on the post, one Terrance believed that the report was true and went on to write, “India is always raping something. Makes me sick!” Cursing the male gender, one Hannah wrote, “God have mercy on these innocent women… what kind of tradition is this. All you have to know is that God is watching you and you are going to pay for your sins.”
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World’s 6th largest number of billionaires in India
NEW DELHI (TIP): Indian billionaires, the sixth largest group in the rich world, have thrown up an interesting trend found nowhere else in the world — holding on to one’s roots. Despite popular notions of billionaires being jet-setting, cosmopolitan individuals, most Indian billionaires remain where they were raised. The World Billionaire Census 2013 released on Wednesday shows that 95% of Indian billionaires who currently have their primary business in India, also grew up there. The trend globally is very different. Around 23% or just 1 in 4 billionaires globally made their home city the city of their primary business. Only 39% of all billionaires globally have the same home state as the state of their primary business Billionaire hotspots such as Singapore, Switzerland and Hong Kong have emerged as favoured destinations for the ultra-rich. However, only 36, 34, and 25% of their billionaire populations respectively, grew up in these countries. Another significant finding is that not all these Indian billionaires have college degrees, let alone attending Ivy League for a degree in business management. Three of every 10 billionaires in India don’t even have a college degree.
5.5% dip in India’s billionaire population
India’s billionaire contingent (103- strong) is narrowly behind Russia (108). However India’s billionaire population has decreased by 5.5% and the total billionaire wealth has fallen by $10 billion since last year. Mumbai is among the top 5 billionaire cities in the world and the only Indian entry in the top 10 list and New York remains the business city of choice for the world’s billionaires. Asia takes eight out of the top 20 spots for billionaire cities, the most for any region in the world. Moscow accounts for more than two thirds of Russia’s billionaires. The total number of billionaires who are based in the top 20 cities is 661, representing 30% of the world’s billionaires. India is one of the few countries where finance, banking and investments are not the most significant industries. Instead, industrial conglomerates and pharmaceuticals are the first and second most significant industries for Indian billionaires. Only 3% of Indian billionaires are female, the joint lowest of any focus country. The majority of Indian billionaires are college-educated with 72% possessing at least a bachelor’s degree (Switzerland and the US are the only other two focus countries that have a higher proportion of universityeducated billionaires). The Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census 2013 showed that Asia is where the largest number of newly-minted billionaires is based — since July 2012, 18 new billionaires came up in Asia with a total wealth of $136 billion. Asia was followed by North America (11).Five of the top 10 countries with the highest percentage of self-made billionaires are from Asia. Every region increased in wealth terms, with Asia the fastest growing at 12.9%. The global billionaire population reached a record 2,170 individuals in 2013 and total billionaire wealth in Asia surged nearly 13% making it the fastestgrowing region. At current growth rates, the census, the first-ever comprehensive global study on this ultra-wealth tier, forecasts that Asia will catch up with North America in five years. Asia also saw the highest percentage rise in billionaire population (3.7% from 2012) and total wealth (13%) in 2013, suggesting that it is driving the tectonic shifts in wealth globally. The report also shows that 810 individuals became billionaires since the 2009 global financial crisis. The billionaire population’s combined net worth more than doubled from $3.1 trillion in 2009 to $6.5 trillion in 2013 — enough to fund the United States’s budget deficit until 2024, and greater than the GDP of every country except the US and China. Wealth-X forecasts that the global billionaire population will increase by 1,700 individuals to nearly 3,900 by the year 2020. Europe is home to the most billionaires (766 individuals). However, North America has the most billionaire wealth ($2,158 billion). Around 60% of billionaires are selfmade, while 40% inherited their wealth or grew their fortunes from inheritance. Only 17% of female billionaires are selfmade, while 71% gained their fortunes through inheritance.
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Krrish 3
STORY: Each time evil awakens in the world, a superhero rekindles his superpowers. This time Krrish is back, with thrice the power to destroy the demonic Kaal and his bastion of beastly mutants. REVIEW: Evil doesn’t raise its ugly head anymore. It raises a finger. But then ‘Good’ flies too. In ‘Superhero’ form – Caped, masked, winged – with muscles of steel and hearts of gold. Our comic-book phirang fantasy boys have flown high as ‘Supermen’ in Hollywood epics for eons.
In India, only one man with an audacious flight of imagination – Rakesh Roshan – has thrice-over, superbly crafted a fantastical world ‘alien’ to Bollywood, with our very own amazingly evocative superhero – Krrish (Hrithik). Leaping from where the prequel ended, Krishna (Hrithik) lives with his wife (Priyanka), and genius Dad, Rohit Mehra (Hrithik). In twirling black cape and mask, he hurtles across the city on heroic rescue operations, playing good hubby and doing odd jobs (as the alter ego). But his life is uproariously interrupted with the emergence of a dark and destructive world of an evil called ‘Kaal’ (Vivek). A maniacal villain, with special powers and a venomous will to erase inferior beings – the human race. Kaal fuses DNA, to create an assortment of evil mutants called maanvars (manav+jaanwar) – a horned Rhinoman, red-eyed Antman, a Frogman (who gives lot of tongue) and a super-shapely chameleon Kaya (Kangna).
He wants to spread a deadly virus to exterminate humanity, but Krrish uses his superpowers to save ‘mankind’ from the malignant ‘mutakind’. Hrithik is truly the stuff superheroes are made of. Brandishing his Greek-God looks and almighty powers. Displaying larger-than-life flair and flying shoulder-toshoulder with any Hollywood superman. As the prosthetically pot-bellied and ageing Rohit, he is incredible. Vivek, as a physically disabled anti-hero is menacing as a ‘hellboy’. His lunatic laugh and whitewashed make-up make him fearfully fantastic. Priyanka is good in her limited role.
Kangna in her gothic and deviously dark avatar looks stunning and pulls off an outstanding act. With a visually riveting and emotionally engaging story, intriguing characters, sweeping VFX (unseen thus far on Indian celluloid) Rakesh Roshan’s ambitious dream lives up. Yes, it’s hugely inspired (by the Bats, Spideys and Wolverines of the West), but our superhero has his own ‘X-factor’. Even with all the high-octane car crashes, explosions and ‘animatronics’, the philosophy is the force behind it all, yet, never overpowering the story.
The songs are slightly disappointing and background score (Salim-Sulaiman) is good, but unable to amp up the magnitude of the film. For sheer vision, bravado and superlative execution, this one soars to new orbits. Latch on to this cape for an exhilarating ride.
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SONIA, MODI BATTLE IT OUT IN SOUTH CHHATTISGARH
KONDAGAON/KANKER (TIP): BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on November 7 virtually came face-to-face in the poll campaign in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region where they clashed over the Maoist attacks that had wiped out the entire state Congress leadership and over governance. While Sonia tore into the state government citing lack of development, Modi retaliated by alleging that the Congress was “misleading” the country on issues such as development, inflation and employment generation. “In the past five years, we have given a lot of funds for development. But the pace of work on development of roads has been very slow… Apart from fighting the government here, our government has come out with a Land Acquisition Act, Food Security Act and various development schemes. But the basic difference between the Congress and the BJP is: they only talk big and don’t do any work,” she said. In the first direct attack on Sonia in recent times, Modi said she should speak up on coal and 2G spectrum scams and alleged that the Congress was “misleading” the country on issues such as development, inflation and employment generation. Addressing an election rally in Kanker soon after Sonia’s public meeting in Kondagaon, he took a dig at her for saying the Congress believed in “doing work silently rather than speaking” and said the coal block allocation and 2G spectrum scams were prime examples of that.
Sonia in her speech alleged that poverty was on the rise in Chhattisgarh while Modi rebutted the charge saying the people had prevented “looters” (Congress) from coming to power by voting for the BJP. “If the Congress had come to power, one could imagine what would have happened,” he said. Both leaders were on a whirlwind tour of the Maoistdominated tribal areas of Bastar whose 18 seats go to the polls on November 11. In the morning security, forces defused two IEDs weighing 50 kg in the Dantewada area of the district. Sonia targeted the Raman Singh government on the handling of the security situation. “You all know the security situation in the state. I want to ask all of you here, what kind of government is this? Innocents are being killed in Maoist violence.” “This year itself, Congress leaders have sacrificed their lives in Maoist attacks and we are all very sad about it. We are feeling their loss in a big way today. The CM was forced to admit to his government’s failure. But, I want to ask you what is the use of shedding crocodile tears,” she said. Sonia hoped that the people of Chhattisgarh would not fall prey to false promises and assurances.
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BJP’S ‘LOTUS’ SYMBOL GETS A BOLD MAKEOVER
NEW DELHI (TIP): The BJP’s poll symbol, “lotus”, has got a “bold” makeover, with the Election Commission clearing a bolder outline for the symbol. Though the design remains the same, the EC allowed the BJP’s request to give the “lotus” a darker outline for added visibility. The party had approached the EC to alter the design of its election symbol, pleading that the present form made the ‘lotus’ appear much lighter in comparison to other symbols. The BJP intends to use the bolder look of ‘lotus’ in its election publicity material and make the voters aware of its new look to make it look eye-catching. “The BJP had approached the Election Commission with a request to allow it to use bolder outline for its election symbol “lotus” and the poll body has allowed us so. We will use the new form of our symbol as printed in black and white on the EVMs in all our publicity material henceforth,” BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was quoted by news agencies as saying.
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I’M GOOD FRIENDS WITH SAIF’S CHILDREN: KAREENA
Actress Kareena Kapoor, who married actor Saif Ali Khan in 2012, enjoys a good bond with her husband’s children – Sara and Ibrahim – and says they are good friends. Saif was earlier married to Amrita Singh and he has two children with her. “My relationship with Sara and Ibrahim is the way it should be. It’s a strong bonding and we are very good friends,” Kareena said. The 33-year-old, who just celebrated her anniversary with the National Awardwinning actor, is bowled over by his good looks. “Saif is a wonderful actor and he is known for his choice of films. He has never played safe and experimented with everything, and it’s great. It’s his looks that appeals to me the most,” said Kareena.
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Mayawati’s ‘housing merger’ under scanner
NEW DELHI (TIP): BSP supremo Mayawati has combined three bungalows into one in the prime location of the Lutyen’s zone of Delhi and the unauthorised construction has come under the scanner of state-builder Central Public Works Department (CPWD). Three Type VIII government bungalows, with four bedrooms each, were allocated in the name of Mayawati, BSP and a trust run by the party, on Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road, next to Parliament House. These bungalows have since been amalgamated into one in the name of Bahujan Prerna Trust, according to documents available. The amalgamation has been done through an unauthorised construction which has come under the scanner of CPWD. It has reported the matter to the Department of Estates, which allocates the bungalows, as well as the Urban Development Ministry under which the Estates Department functions, sources said. Besides the three bungalows, the BSP supremo has a bungalow in her name at 4, Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road which is separate from these three. According to the documents received through a Right to
Information plea by Subhash Agarwal, the amalgamated single unit has been approved by the Directorate of Estates. “Rules do not allow any modification in bungalows in the Lutyen zone but unauthorised constructions have been found in all three bungalows and it has been reported to the authorities,” said a senior CPWD official. He said all the alterations and modifications were done by the allottee (BSP) and not by CPWD. According to the RTI reply, unauthorised construction of rooms, office, toilet, kitchen along with fibre sheet, covering an area of 238 sq m has been added at bungalow no 12. This bungalow is allotted to the Chairman, managing trustee of Bahujan Prerna Trust. Bungalow no 16, which has been allotted to the president of BSP, has unauthorised construction. It includes rooms with AC sheets and a toilet, AC steel shed along with three other rooms and a bathroom. In addition, there is a temporary unauthorised construction of tin sheets made of steel and metal. Terming the allotment “illegal”, Agarwal has sought a probe into it. “There should be a proper inquiry into the allotment of bungalows because it is violation of rules of Lutyen bungalow zone,” Agarwal said. To a question on BJP objecting to UPA having allocated three bungalows to BSP for party office and citing it as an example of how the Congress-led government seeks the support of allies, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari recalled that institutional land was alloted to RSS-affiliated organisations in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
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HAS ESHA BECOME SAJID’S FAVOURITE?
It has been reported that Esha Gupta, who has bagged a role in Sajid Khan’s film opposite Saif Ali Khan, was having issues with Bipasha Basu. The latter is paired with Riteish Deshmukh in the same film. However, nothing much came out of these reports because, frankly, the girls aren’t even competing for the same screen space. Now, we hear, Sajid reportedly favours Esha more than Bipasha. So, be ready for round two of news reports that will once again pit Esha against Bips, with Sajid playing referee.
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Congress celebrates Diwali with lighting of Diyas
WASHINGTON (TIP): The US Congress on Tuesday, October 29, celebrated Diwali for the first time in its long history by lighting the traditional ‘diyas” and chanting of mantras by a Hindu priest with 25-odd lawmakers and influential Indian- Americans taking part in the event. “I have come here to say Happy Diwali. The United States owes a great debt of gratitude to India…This is a truly historic event,” remarked Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker and currently Leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives. Congressmen Joe Crowley and Peter Roskam, co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, had taken the initiative for celebrating the event on Capitol Hill. The lawmakers were welcomed with jasmine garlands, traditional shawls, tilak et al. As Congressman Crowley put it, this inaugural event will “set a precedent for Congressional Diwali celebrations for decades to come”. Tulsi Gabbard, the first-ever Hindu Congresswoman, called it a “celebration of righteousness”. Ami Bera, the only Indian American in Congress, wanted to see the “deepening of this relationship as we move forward”.
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CYRUS SPOTTED WITH LIQUOR BOTTLE
Pop star Miley Cyrus, 20, was photographed holding an open bottle of alcohol at a Halloween party here. The legal age of drinking in the US is 21. She was at a party hosted by singer Adam Lambert in a nightclub, where she was spotted clutching what looked like a bottle of coconut rum in Malibu Oct 31, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
The “Hannah Montanna” star, who was dressed like rapper Lil Kim’s ensemble from the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, attempted to conceal her face with her hand when the picture was clicked, but she failed to disguise her identity or the bottle. Cyrus was also photographed locking lips with guitarist Benji Madden on the same night.
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Shocking video shows gunman open fire at Latin Kings gangster in Queens
The suspect shot the 21-year-old victim on Halloween in Briarwood. The victim was struck three times and rushed to Jamaica Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.
NEW YORK (TIP): A gunman shot a Latin Kings gang member in Queens during a bloody confrontation on Halloween, officials said Thursday, November 7. The gunman ran up to the 21-year-old gangster on 148th St. near 88th Ave. in Briarwood at 7 p.m. and opened fire, hitting the victim three times in the midsection, police said. Startling surveillance video taken at the scene shows the suspect – clad in a black jacket, red scarf and black baseball hat – run up to the victim and open fire. Paramedics rushed the victim – who has a long rap sheet with 15 arrests – to Jamaica Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Police are still hunting for the gunman.
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EVA MENDES RUBBISHES SPLIT RUMOURS
Actress Eva Mendes has slammed reports that her relationship with actor Ryan Gosling is in trouble. She says it’s false. If recent reports were anything to go by, the couple was close to calling quits, but the 39-year-old has confirmed that she and Gosling are still very much in love, reports contactmusic.com. “The whole story is completely false,” said Mendes’ representative for Mendes. Mendes and Gosling went public with their romance in September 2011.
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Michelle Obama Hosts Diwali Celebrations at White House
WASHINGTON (TIP): A PTI report filed by Lalit K Jha on November 6 recounts how US First Lady won the hearts of Indians when she was in India and of Indian Americans here in the US. The report says, three years after she mesmerized Indians with her rhythmic dance in Mumbai, Bollywood dance made its official White House debut when US First Lady Michelle Obama danced to the tune of peppy Hindi tracks in the East Room along with Indian-American children. Michelle, who led the Diwali celebrations at the White House for the first time, lit the ‘diya’ amidst chanting of Vedic mantras. In 2009, President Barack Obama attended the Diwali celebrations for the first time at the White House. “This holiday is celebrated by members of some of the world’s oldest religions not just here in America but across the globe. Diwali is a time for celebration… As Barack and I learned during our visit to India, it’s a time to come together with friends and family, often with dancing and good food,” she said. “Diwali is also a time for contemplation and reflection. It’s a time for us to think about our obligations to our fellow human beings, particularly those who are less fortunate than we are. And as we light the diya – the lamp – we recommit ourselves to the triumph of light over darkness, of good over evil,” she said before lighting the ‘diya’.
Michelle was garlanded by Mythili Bachu, the Chair for the Council of Hindu Temples of North America, amidst applause from a select Indian-American audience. “We got to practice a little Bollywood this afternoon,” she told the audience at the East Room. Giving some of the poses from the Bollywood dances she did earlier in the day, Michelle said she danced along with the kids who were seated in the front rows of the East Room. “We had a wonderful time. It was the first time that we did Bollywood in the State Room here at the White House,” she said amidst applause from the audience, which comprised of the who’s who of the Indian- American Community members and those in the Obama Administration. Obama has the distinction of appointing the largest number of Indian-Americans in any presidential administrations yet. Wearing a glamorous skirt especially made for the occasion by India-born eminent designer Naeem Khan, Michelle gave a few poses from the dance number. “Of course, as you all know, I think I can dance,” she said in an apparent reference to her dance in Mumbai three years ago when she celebrated Diwali. “But not as good as they can dance,” she said, referring to the expert dance by members of the Gold Spot Band, the New York-based popular Indian-American band. Michelle also used the occasion to remember the victims of Oak Creek Gurdwara.
“As we gather here this Diwali, we remember that there is still evil in the world. And I’m thinking today about what happened in Oak Creek, Wisconsin just last year when an act of unthinkable violence shook a community to its core. But I am also thinking of how in the face of such evil, we also witnessed the power of goodness and forgiveness,” she said. “The families and community leaders I met when I visited Oak Creek just weeks after the tragedy, they showed us such courage and grace. Instead of giving in to bitterness or despair, they honored those they lost through service,” she said. “They honored those they lost through educating others about their faith and standing up to prejudice in whatever form it takes. I’m also thinking of all the people across America and around the world who held prayer vigils during that time and sent messages of love and support, and held the people of Oak Creek in their hearts,” she said.
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Ender’s Game
STORY: Earth comes under attack from an alien race called the Formics. While a brave fleet commander Mazher Rackham (Kingsley) repelled the first wave of invaders, it is up to a young generation of the International Military under the command of Colonel Hyrum Graff (Ford) to save the planet. REVIEW: Ender Wiggin and a small army of multi-race children live their lives in an orbiting boot camp. Colonel Graff and Major Gwen Anderson (Davis) see tremendous potential in one cadet in particular – Ender Wiggin (Butterfield) – right from the start. He was absorbed into the military due to his mental acuity, his method of dealing with those stronger than him, his cunning and because he is a gaming expert. The other pre-teens are picked from terrestrial schools and indoctrinated to believe that compassion has no place on the battlefield.
They are militarized at such a young age because it is explained that young soldiers can absorb technology quicker than adults and can process a lot of sensory input without being spent or burnt out by mental exhaustion. All of that aside, however, it is still a bit unusual to see kids spoken to in the manner that adult soldiers are. Ender has his issues – the guilt he feels that he was chosen to lead an army instead of his siblings, as well as the trauma of being bullied. Apart from him, the acting is passable. Fellow cadet Petra (Steinfield) doesn’t have much of an impact and the bullying Bonzo (Arias) is quite unconvincing. It is nice however, to see Colonel Graff at his gruff best. Hood (Tsotsi, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) keeps the film’s main message – that of militarizing kids – clear throughout.
Digging a bit deeper, another question is posed – that if you were given the choice to kill someone who you know would return to kill you and your friends one day, would you go ahead and get them before they got you?
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US spy chief defends spying on allies
WASHINGTON (TIP): Undeterred by the European backlash, US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has stoutly defended America’s spying on world leaders, including close allies, commenting other nations are doing much the same. At a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, October 29, when asked whether allies also spied on the United States, Clapper asserted: “Absolutely.” Clapper also defended the domestic surveillance that has drawn flak for sweeping up phone records of millions of Americans, saying it was necessary to protect the country against terrorists. Gen. Keith Alexander, Director of the National Security Agency, which has been at the centre of a major international controversy ever since whistleblower Edward Snowden’s sensational revelations, strongly defended the agency’s far-reaching surveillance operations. But Alexander denied that his agency had swept up millions of phone records of French and Spanish citizens, whose Governments have complained over the issue to Washington. Instead, it was NATO which collected and shared the information with the United States. The Europeans have been unmoved with American explanations thus far. A delegation from European Parliament, currently in Washington, was slated to hold a meeting with a senior official of the National Security Council at the White House on later on Wednesday. Germany has sent a separate team of officials as well.
European Parliament member Jan Philipp Albrecht told the Voice of America (VOA) that the reports about the eavesdropping Chancellor Merkel were the tipping point, commenting: “Now people are really concerned. They see that it is not any longer connected to a terrorist threat, because Angela Merkel is not a terrorist.” Albrecht held out the threat that unless US effected major changes with Congress passing legislation to balance national security needs with the responsibility to protect basic civil rights, Europe could suspend important trans-Atlantic trade talks. At the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Clapper sought to play down the complaints of European allies, suggesting that spying of each other’s leaders has been a long-time practice of intelligence agencies across the world. As one who has worked in intelligence for some 50 years, Clapper said it was “a basic tenet” to collect, whether by spying on communications or through other sources, confidential information about foreign leaders to find out “if what they’re saying gels with what’s actually going on”. Alexander, too, commented that one of the first things he learned in intelligence school was that it would be valuable to learn about the intentions of foreign leaders.
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10 LIES MOST MEN TELL
God, don’t we love these surveys! The most recent one has it that men lie more than women, thus affirming what we always knew but didn’t have a survey to back up. While lies come in all sizes and shades, here are the more common fibs that the male of the species is more inclined to dish out— sometimes to get out of a fix, oftentimes to keep his partner happy, and at other times because it’s ever so convenient and hasslefree! Do, please, add your own to this list, and let’s have fun making this list as long as his nose is likely to grow if and when caught!
1. “I WASN’T CHECKING HER OUT.’ They will deny till they turn blue in the face that they were checking out another woman while you were very much in the vicinity. They’ll protest how until you accused them, they didn’t even register the presence of the sexy, curvaceous woman in the mall, or airport, or wherever it is such women frequent.
2. “I HAVE NOT HAD A SMOKE/I HAVE DRASTICALLY CUT DOWN ON CIGARETTES.’ When you get on their case and nag them about smoking, or have caught them almost red and nicotine-handed, they insist the smoke you smell from their hair, clothes, breath, or surroundings are from some far away source; it’s certainly not them.
3. ‘IT’S ONLY YOU I FANTASIZE ABOUT.’ When fantasizing about someone in their dreamy moments, or when they seek self-pleasure, it’s always with you in his mind, or so they’ll have you believe. How can, they say, you even think they could have anyone else on their mind. Who are they kidding? Let’s face it. Partners are their reality; not fantasy.
4. ‘I WAS WAY TOO QUALIFIED FOR THAT ORGANISATION, ANYWAY.’ The pink slip he got had nothing to do with his position being made redundant. He was just way too good for them!
5. ‘WITH THE GPS, I OWN THE ROAD.’ Fact is even with these technology playthings, many men are perfectly lost. Except that his male pride will never let him admit that.
6. ‘I CAN’T STAY WITHOUT YOU MORE THAN A DAY.’ What lies! The fact is no sooner you are gone than the party begins, or at least the planning for one does.
7. ‘I WASN’T SLEEPING. I WAS THINKING.’ They don’t like being caught napping while at work or watching a movie, so you have to know it’s just their way of putting on their thinking caps.
8. ‘I DID NOT FORGET.’ If something slips from their mind like sending that courier or asking the plumber to inspect that leaking tap, it’s only because something more important came up, and there were other pressing matters that had to be attended to. Forgetfulness and them? Naah!
9. ‘WE DON’T THINK ABOUT THAT ALL THE TIME.’ This one is a halflie. What they don’t tell you is that they are thinking about it most of the time. In between work happens.
10. ‘I HAVEN’T LOST HAIR; I HAVE GAINED FACE!’ How can his male ego deal with hair loss? It’s a blow to his vanity. So anything, really, to cling on to his youth and erstwhile crowning glory. -
Mars mission a technological leap for India: US MEDIA
WASHINGTON (TIP): India’s successful launch of its Mars mission has been described by the mainstream American media as “technological leap” and “a symbolic coup” against China in this field. “If it succeeds, India’s Mars mission would represent a technological leap for the South Asia nation, pushing it ahead of space rivals China and Japan in the field of interplanetary exploration,” The Wall Street Journal wrote yesterday. “A successful mission by India’s Mars orbiter would make the country the first Asian nation to reach the Red Planet — and provide a symbolic coup as neighboring China steps up its ambitions in space,” the CNN reported, adding that this has given further credence to claims of an intensifying space race developing in Asia, with potentially dangerous ramifications. “I believe India’s leadership sees China’s recent accomplishments in space science as a threat to its status in Asia, and feels the need to respond,” Dr James Clay Moltz, professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School, told the CNN. The satellite launched by ISRO November 5 is expected to enter the Mars orbit next September and is at a significantly lower cost than that of other countries like the United States.
The cost of the Mars mission is USD 73 million, less than a sixth of the amount earmarked for a Mars probe by NASA that will be launched later this month. The popular National Public Radio (NPR) wrote as to why the India’s Mars mission is cheaper than that of the NASA. One reason could be the salary of its engineers and scientists, it said. While the mean annual income for an aeronautical engineer in the United States is just under USD 105,000, the higher end scale for Indian engineers is less than USD 20,000. “I think labour is the biggest factor, as well as the complexity of the mission. It takes a whole team of engineers,” David Alexander, director of the Rice Space Institute told NPR. According to Alexander, it appears that India’s main goal is just getting to Mars, and so the probe is carrying “relatively simple” and therefore notso- expensive instrumentation. “What the Indians want to know is: Will it survive? And will it get into orbit? I think the hope is that even if it fails, they are going to learn something,” he said. Another expert Professor Russell Boyce of the Australian Academy of Science, chairman of the National Committee for Space and Radio Science, said any scientific gains from the mission is unlikely to prove earthshattering. “It would be a modest scientific gain that’s attempted in the first instance, to demonstrate the capability,” he told the CNN.
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President sends greetings on Diwali
WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Barack Obama greeted Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists across the globe on the occasion of Diwali, saying the flame of the diya reminds that light will ultimately triumph over darkness. “The flame of the diya, or lamp, reminds us that light will ultimately triumph over darkness,” Obama said in his Diwali message yesterday. “Here in the US, Diwali also reminds us that our nation is home to many faiths and traditions, and that our diversity makes us stronger, which I why I’m proud that this year Democrats and Republicans in Congress joined together for the first-ever celebration of Diwali on Capitol Hill,” he said. Obama was referring to the first ever Diwali celebrations at the Capitol Hill early this week. “Over the last five years, Michelle and I have been honored to have the chance to observe this ancient holiday, both at the White House and in India, and we wish all those celebrating this weekend a Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak.”In the message, the President said that for the Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights, reaffirms the things that matter most in life.
“Dancing, celebration, and good food remind us that life’s greatest joys are the simple pleasures that come from spending time with people we love. Contemplation and prayer remind us that that people of all faiths have an obligation to perform seva, or service to others,” Obama said. This year, Michelle would lead Diwali celebrations at the White House, which is expected to be attended by lawmakers, senior administration officials and eminent Indian Americans.” The First Lady will provide remarks at the White House Diwali celebration,” the White House announced yesterday. A media advisory said the festival of lights would be celebrated on November 5. Meanwhile, US Senators John Cornyn and Mark R Warner, co-chairs of Senate’s bipartisan India Caucus, announced that they would introduce a bipartisan resolution in the Congress to recognize the religious and historical significance of Diwali. The resolution honors an important tradition of Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains in the flourishing Indian-American community in the US as well as those of our partners in India, they said.
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UK PM cites Ramayana as he seeks to boost ties with India
LONDON (TIP): British PM David Cameron has described his country’s relationship with India as “the great partnership of the 21st century” and said the UK needs to “continue to do everything” to further build it. “There is great excitement about our economies. India invests more into the UK than the rest of Europe put together,” he said at a Diwali reception at his residence on Wednesday night. “Britain is one of the top three investors in India.” Cameron spoke about the shared history, language, love for sport and cooperation between universities of the two countries to highlight “strong and vibrant” ties. He said he was looking forward to his third visit to India as the PM and also seeing his counterpart, Manmohan Singh. “It’s a huge pleasure to go back to India.” Cameron described Ramayana relevant even more in modern times and said the UK can learn from it. “When I look at the Ramayana and my understanding of the Hindu religion, there is so much you have to say about the importance of family, community, voluntary service —these are all the values that our country needs more of.”
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CHANGE YOUR DECOR WITHOUT SPENDING A FORTUNE
Having the same decor can be quite tiresome. But there is no need to spend money by going for structural changes. Play with your imagination and bring in the changes Are you getting bored of the same decor? Yet structural changes can be really expensive. Don’t lose heart as you can still bring in change by adding a bit of colourful furnishing, lighting, wall decor and the like. All that you need is to break the monotony and bring in the desired changes. So, get ready for the festive season ahead and come out of your comfort zone. Be bold and be ready to surprise your friends and loved ones.
So, here are some tips to make that makeover: GO BOLD WITH COLOUR: You can change the look of a room by choosing a bold color. Give light and neutral colour a miss. A makeover is best when you will go for a brighter shade for your room. The market these days give lots of options to choose from. A STATEMENT PIECE: Do you have a visually delightful object d’ art or an interesting piece of furniture? Make that the centre of attraction in the room and then design the rest of the room keeping this in mind. Sometimes, instead of too many objects, one statement object really works wonders. FRAMES ON THE WALL: Decorating the walls with family photographs, paintings, old film posters and the like is a wonderful idea. You need not spend lots of money to buy an expensive art work. Use your imagination and bring in vibrancy, colour and most importantly a bit of your own personality to the decor.
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John Kerry to join Iran nuclear talks as hopes of deal rise
GENEVA (TIP): US secretary of state John Kerry will join nuclear talks between major powers and Iran in Geneva on Friday in an attempt to nail down a long-elusive accord to start resolving a decade-old standoff over Tehran’s atomic aims. Kerry, on a Middle East tour, will fly to the Swiss city at the invitation of European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in “an effort to help narrow differences” in the negotiations, a senior State Department official said. Ashton is coordinating talks with Iran on behalf of the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany. After the first day of meetings set for Thursday and Friday, both sides said progress had been made towards an initial agreement under which the Islamic state would curb some of its nuclear activities in exchange for limited relief from punitive measures that are severely damaging its oildependent economy. US President Barack Obama said the international community could slightly ease sanctions against Iran in the early stages of negotiating a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s atomic programme to remove fears about Iranian nuclear intentions. “There is the possibility of a phased agreement in which the first phase would be us, you know, halting any advances on their nuclear programme … and putting in place a way where we can provide them some very modest relief, but keeping the sanctions architecture in place,” he said in an interview with NBC News.
Negotiators in Geneva cautioned, however, that work remained to be done in the coming hours in very complex talks and that a successful outcome was not guaranteed. Iran rejects Western accusations that it is seeking a nuclear bomb capability. Kerry said in Israel, Iran’s arch foe, that Tehran would need to prove that its atomic activities were peaceful, and that Washington would not make a “bad deal, that leaves any of our friends or ourselves exposed to a nuclear weapons programme”. “We’re asking them to step up and provide a complete freeze over where they are today,” he said in a joint interview with Israel’s Channel 2 television and Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation recorded in Jerusalem on Thursday. In Geneva, Iranian deputy foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said it was too early to say with certainty whether a deal would be possible this week, although he voiced cautious optimism. “Too soon to say,” Araqchi told reporters after the first day of talks between Iran and the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. He added, “I’m a bit optimistic.” “We are still working. We are in a very sensitive phase. We are engaged in real negotiations.” The fact that an agreement may finally be within reach after a decade of frustrated efforts and hostility between Iran and the West was a sign of a dramatic shift in Tehran’s foreign policy since the election of a relative moderate, Hassan Rouhani, as Iranian president in June. The United States and its allies are aiming for a “first-step” deal that would stop Iran from further expanding a nuclear programme that it has steadily built up in defiance of tightening international pressure and crippling sanctions. The Islamic Republic, which holds some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves, wants them to lift increasingly tough restrictions that have slashed its daily crude sales revenue by 60 percent in the last two years. Both sides have limited room to manoeuvre, as hardliners in Tehran and hawks in Washington would likely sharply criticise any agreement they believed went too far in offering concessions to the other side.
US Senate may seek more sanctions
Lending urgency to the need for a breakthrough was a threat by the US Congress to pursue tough new sanctions on Iran. Obama has been pushing Congress to hold off on more sanctions against Iran, demanded by Israel, to avoid undermining the diplomacy aimed at defusing fears of an Iranian advance towards nuclear arms capability. But many US lawmakers, including several of Obama’s fellow Democrats, believe tough sanctions brought Iran to the negotiating table and that more are needed to discourage it from building a nuclear bomb. -
HEALTH BENEFITS OF JOWAR
The humble ancient grain, Jowar (Sorghum), which has been known to man since 3000 BC, it rapidly gaining importance for its nutritional and health benefits. Nutritionist Neelanjana Singh, Heinz Nutri Life Clinic, Delhi shares with us, the health benefits of jowar. Belonging to the millet family, the use of this grain was restricted to animal feed. However, recent research has revealed that this grain has unique health benefits for humans. When compared to rice and wheat, Sorghum has a higher content of calcium. Besides calcium, it also packed with iron, protein and fibre.
The latest revelations in connection with this grain point to cardiac benefits. This benefit accrues from the presence of antioxidants in fairly large amounts. These antioxidants present in Sorghum are polyphenolic compounds. In addition to the antoxidants, the presence of sorghum wax, contributes to the cardiac benefit that this millet provides. The wax in this grain contains policosanols , which help in lowering cholesterol levels.
The rising incidence of Celiac disease has also led to new interest in this grain. Newer hybrid variety of this grain is being used to produce gluten free foods for such patients. Sorghum does not contain gluten, which also happens to be the component responsible for the viscosity and elasticity of the dough. Thus, in the absence of gluten, when making food items from Sorghum flour, a batter of this flour is prepared. The batter of the flour goes into making bread, pizza base, pancakes and rotis.
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Planning wave of revenge attacks in Pakistan: Taliban
DERA ISMAIL KHAN (TIP): The Pakistani Taliban announced on November 8 they would orchestrate a wave of revenge attacks against the government after naming hardline commander Mullah Fazlullah as their new leader. The rise of Fazlullah, known for his fierce Islamist views and rejection of peace talks, by the Taliban shura, or leadership council, a day earlier follows the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud, the previous leader, in a US drone strike on November 1. “We will target security forces, government installations, political leaders and police,” Asmatullah Shaheen, head of the shura, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location. He said the Taliban’s main target included army and government installations in Punjab province, the political stronghold of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “We have a plan. But I want to make one thing clear. We will not target civilians, bazaars or public places. People do not need to be afraid,” Shaheen added. Pakistan publicly condemns US drone strikes as a breach of its sovereignty but in private officials admit the government broadly supports them. Militants are mainly holed up in remote areas on the Afghan border where the army has no presence.
“Pakistan has full information about drone attacks,” said Shaheen. “Pakistan is a slave of America. It is an American colony.” The Pakistani Taliban are fighting to topple the government and impose Islamist rule in the nucleararmed nation. Attacks have been on the rise since Sharif came to power in May, a concern for global powers already unnerved by the possible security implications of the planned withdrawal of most US-led troops from neighbouring Afghanistan in 2014. Mehsud and his allies had been tentatively open to the concept of ceasefire talks with the government, but Fazlullah, whose men were behind the attack on schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai last year, strongly opposes any negotiations. No meaningful talks have taken place since Sharif’s election and Fazlullah’s rise could signal the start of a new period of uncertainty and violence in the already unstable region.