The Indian Panorama

Month: May 2014

  • Screening family history helps prevent diseases

    Screening family history helps prevent diseases

    Screening family history could lead to preventive treatment of multiple cancers, heart disease and diabetes – altering the destiny of many of these diseases that pass on from generation to generation, a study has indicated. Researchers have identified a set of questions that can be used to identify people who may be at increased risk of various diseases because of their family history of these conditions.

    The family history screening questionnaire can be used to provide insight into people’s susceptibility to breast, ovarian, bowel and prostate cancer, melanoma, ischaemic heart disease and type 2 diabetes, researchers claimed. “This finding could be used as a screening tool in general practice to identify people who need a more detailed discussion about their family history of cancer, diabetes or heart disease,” said Jon Emery, a professor of primary care cancer research at University of Melbourne in Australia.

    “Some people may require referral to a genetics clinic to discuss genetic testing, many more may require earlier cancer screening and lifestyle management,” he added. Family medical history remains the most relevant genetic risk tool in use in clinical practice. Evidence suggests that having knowledge of a family history of a specific condition is associated with improved uptake of a range of disease-preventative activities, such as cancer screening and reduced sun exposure.

  • WHY YOUR BREAKFAST MUST BE PROTEIN-RICH

    WHY YOUR BREAKFAST MUST BE PROTEIN-RICH

    Anew study has found that a breakfast rich in protein can provide better appetite and glucose control as compared to lower-protein breakfast.

    Researchers found that when comparing common breakfasts with varying amounts of protein, a commercially prepared turkey-sausage and egg bowl, cereal and milk, and pancakes with syrup, choosing the higher-protein commercially prepared turkeysausage and egg bowl provided increased feelings of fullness and lesser calorie intake at lunch, when compared to the lower-protein breakfasts.

    Dr. Kristin Harris, head of nutrition research at Hillshire Brands, said that there is great value in understanding protein’s true power when optimal amounts are consumed. Protein is top of mind, but consumers should be more informed about how much protein they need at each meal occasion so they can maximize benefits, like hunger control, Harris said.

    Melinda Karalus, lead researcher, tested the short-term satiety effects of six breakfast meals similar in calories, fat and fiber and varied in protein; three turkey-sausage and egg-based breakfast bowls containing 40, 23 and 9 grams of protein, respectively, a cereal and milk breakfast containing eight grams of protein, a pancake and syrup breakfast with 3 grams of protein or no breakfast.

    Participants were asked to rate their level of hunger before breakfast and at 30-minute intervals for four hours. After four hours, a pasta lunch was served and test subjects were asked to eat until comfortably full. Participants who ate the higher-protein breakfasts had improved appetite ratings throughout the morning, and they also consumed fewer calories during lunch, compared with the lower-protein cereal and pancake and syrup breakfasts, or no breakfast at all.

  • Drop olive oil on salad to lower BP

    Drop olive oil on salad to lower BP

    You have another reason to put olive oil on your salad – protection from hypertension. Putting olive oil on vegetables may bring health benefits that are not found when the oil is drizzled on other foods, research suggests. “The findings explain why Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular problems like stroke, heart failure and heart attacks,” explained professor Philip Eaton from King’s College London.

    The Mediterranean diet typically includes unsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, along with vegetables like spinach, celery and carrots that are rich in nitrites and nitrates. When these two food groups are combined, the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with nitrogen compounds in the vegetables results in the formation of nitro fatty acids. The researchers used mice to investigate the process by which these nitro fatty acids lower blood pressure.

    They looked at whether they inhibited an enzyme known as soluble Epoxide Hydrolase which regulates blood pressure. During the study, nitro fatty acids were found to lower the blood pressure of normal mice following the same diets. “The protective effect of the Mediterranean diet comes at least in part from the nitro fatty acids generated which inhibit soluble Epoxide Hydrolase to lower blood pressure,” Eaton maintained. The findings, published in the journal PNAS, help explain why some previous studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can reduce blood pressure.

  • Pause and think: AAP needs to decide what battles to fight

    Pause and think: AAP needs to decide what battles to fight

    Being in the news for the wrong reasons has dented Arvind Kejriwal’s image in the past and he seems to have learnt no lessons. His choice of jail over bail in a defamation case may get him media attention but it shows him in poor light – a promising leader frittering away his energy on non-issues.

    Few would shed tears for his portrayal of himself as a victim. He has made a serious allegation of corruption against BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and the onus is on him to convince the court with evidence. Otherwise, he faces the legal consequences. The subsequent protest by AAP workers, unwarranted as it was, led to traffic jams and inconvenienced commuters. Such mindless agitations can only further alienate people from AAP.

    Instead of sitting together to assess the crushing defeat, finding out what went wrong and formulating a comeback strategy, AAP leaders are back on the road. Kejriwal’s illconceived attempt to revive an AAP government in Delhi backfired as the Congress rebuffed him. His apology to the people of Delhi for the sudden resignation of his 49-day government lost its impact as Kejriwal was back to theatrics which even many of his admirers disapprove of. People found it hard to accept a chief minister sitting in dharna or threatening to violate the law over an issue of questionable merit.

    By taking up needless battles, the AAP leadership would do itself no good. Despite winning only four of the 432 Lok Sabha seats it contested, AAP has some positives to build on. Even in Delhi, where it could not win a single seat, the party has got four lakh more votes than it did in the assembly elections, gaining at the cost of the Congress.

    Its national vote share is higher than that of established parties like the Shiv Sena, DMK, NCP, RJD and the JD(U). What AAP lacks is an organizational network in states and that is what the leadership should focus on instead of indulging in gimmicks.

  • SOUTH INDIA’S GOLDEN TRIANGLE IN HILLS

    SOUTH INDIA’S GOLDEN TRIANGLE IN HILLS

    TRAVELOGUE

    If there is a paradise down south, it is in its own Golden Triangle in the hills. The regions of Coorg in Karnataka, the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu and Wayanad in Kerala form one contiguous landscape offering all that a traveller could ask for: Lush green forests, wildlife, great people, man-made attractions, breathtaking landscapes, tea and coffee estates and temperate climate all year round. You can seamlessly drive between these regions on beautiful mountain roads.

    Join Elephants in their ‘Bathrooms’ in Dubare, Coorg So what if Dubare is like a pet elephant facility? The camp is home to elephants of all ages, from babies to granddaddies. At around 9, they come out of their quarters and head for the water pool for their daily bath.

    Be careful when they come down: some amble, but some run. You don’t want to be in the way. You can watch them from the sides, and step into the water and give them a scrub yourself. Of course, elephants don’t know the difference between a bathtub and a toilet seat – they allow their poop to drop where they are. You can be sure you are stepping on some.

    Dubare is a nice place to hang around all day long – lounge in the shade when done with elephants, take a boat ride, go bird spotting, read a book or just picnic with some music from your iPod. Life will look wonderful.

    Reaching for the Clouds in Talacauvery, Coorg Located about 42 kms (26 miles) from Madikeri, Talacauvery is said to be the origin of the Cauvery river. Of course, you really don’t see any visible signs there: a spring feeding water into a holy tank in a temple complex there is said to be the origin.

    The temple is dedicated to Goddess Caveriamma and Lord Agastheeswara. A dip in the tank, especially on holy days, is considered auspicious by Hindus. A 407-step steep climb from the temple takes you atop the hill where you are supposed to get views of the surrounding mountain ranges – I only got to see the anatomy of clouds. Yes, I was literally standing inside one or many – I could not tell where one ended and another started.

    Chikmagalur, Karnataka – Coffee first grown here in India Raindrops are falling on my head…and I am having coffee on the road in Chikmagalur – where coffee was first grown in India.


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    About 350 years ago when a seer is believed to have smuggled a few seeds from Mecca in Arabia. At the twilight hour, surrounded by forests and coffee estates, in mountain country with its cool, crisp air – it is heaven on Earth. Depending upon when you go, you can enjoy the coffee blossoms – or the picking season. The whole countryside is one you would want to build a cottage and spend the rest of your life in.

    A Thriving Tibetan Community in Bylakuppe in Coorg If you want a flavour of Tibet and Buddhism, drop by at Bylakuppe – supposedly the second largest Tibetan settlement outside of Tibet after Dharamsala up North. It is located about 6 kms from Kushalanagara in Coorg. Over 30,000 Tibetans and 7,000 monks have made it to their homes since 1961.

    The stunning Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery here is the largest teaching center of Nyingmapa – a lineage of Tibetan Buddhism – in the world. Check in to get a flavour of Tibetan shopping, food, lifestyle, dressing, culture, festivals and religion.

    The Nilgiri Mountain Railway: A Toy Train you must Ride Wheeeee! I am on a toy train ride. Starting from Ooty or Ootacamund, now officially renamed Udagamandalam, going downhill all the way to Mettuppalayam in Tamil Nadu. And it figures in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

    The train passes through some picturesque tea estates, the Nilgiris mountains, villages and towns with some retaining their old world charm – and skies with changing colours. The train negotiates 208 curves, 13 tunnels and 250 bridges. A few years back, a diesel engine was introduced for the leg between Coonor and Ooty – it is a treat watching the process of changing to a steam locomotive at Coonor or vice versa. Book in advance to ensure a seat.

    Walk Through the Tea Estates of the Nilgiris What is more refreshing than a cuppa of tea? A walk in the tea estates – especially those that cover the rolling hills of the Nilgiris.

    Step out before the first light, and watch the colours of the ground and skies change around you. Birds chirp Good Morning to you and the cool air rejuvenates your skin and soul.

    On the Trail of Tigers and Elephants in Bandipur, Karnataka The Bandipur National Park in Karnataka is one of the many reserves in this region. And home to tigers, elephants and many other animals and birds. In fact, the forests all merge into one another, and into human habitats and roads. You can commonly expect to see herds of elephants on the highways. Don’t miss out on safaris when in this part of the country.

    A Temple Festival, Circus and Fair in Wayanad Everyone loves a festival in these parts. I attended one at the Valliyoorkavu temple on the outskirts of Mananthavady in Wayanad. Attended by tribal folk from surrounding areas, it was a long night of prayers, folk dances, processions, food, shopping, circus and fairground rides.

    Roads leading to it are marked with processions from all directions – converging at the temple from early evening onwards. Processions comprise musicians, dancers including a few in masks, elephants, priests and devotees walking along, some with lit oil lamps. It is fun – and religious – for all in one big celebration.

    Kuruva Island in Wayanad The evergreen forested Kuruva island (called Kuruvadweep locally) lying in one of the tributaries of Kabini river in Wayanad seems a popular picnic spot. Rightfully so. A cluster of islands that emerge or submerge with water levels, and home to a variety of birds, butterflies and orchids, you can choose to be with the crowds or find your own solitude.

    We hiked in extreme humidity on a warm, sunny day through rice fields and forests to eventually reach the local tribal temple – very serene setting, and the simplicity of the temples is what attracts you. Despite new houses, many a lifestyle remains unchanged. Women were dressed as they always have been, water is drawn from wells and farming is the main occupation. The fields were planted with rice, and ginger harvested recently was being sorted manually.

    Banasura Reservoir, Wayanad, Kerala – A sight to behold The Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad is the largest earth dam in India. Without getting into technicalities or its environmental impact (if any), I would say it has resulted in creating some stunning features.

    The resulting reservoir is a large water body whose water level rises dramatically during the monsoons. Sprouting throughout are islands created when the reservoir submerged surrounding areas. And coming through are trees shorn of any leaves; they paint a ghostly image when it is misty and around sunset. A good place to film a horror flick.

  • Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Modi

    Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Modi

    Does India’s new prime minister actually have a foreign policy?

    Despite an impressive mandate, he (Modi) will have to work with an established bureaucracy and political partners in India and abroad. But India’s next leader certainly has spelled out how he wants to project himself as a global leader”, says the author.

    Narendra Modi is set to be India’s next prime minister after an election won conclusively by his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The combative chief minister of the western state of Gujarat, he has often been written off as a novice on foreign affairs. Commentators in India and abroad have dismissed him as having “little foreign policy experience,” and consider him unlikely to change the “broad contours of Indian foreign policy” — which have traditionally involved steady, balanced relations with several partners.

    Others paint him as a “hardliner,” given his right-wing base, or have generously over-interpreted portions of his party’s election manifesto that have implied changes to India’s nuclear posture. Yet few actually listen to what Modi himself has said about his foreign policy. He has delivered at least three speeches dedicated to international affairs and security since having been anointed his party’s prime ministerial candidate in September, and discussed the subject in several interviews.

    But this has been largely ignored by New Delhi’s cognoscenti. (For his part, Modi dismissed much of the speculation about his foreign policy as anuman, or conjecture.) So what has Modi actually said? He has repeatedly stated that foreign policy begins at home. National security, he said in his first speech in September as the BJP’s official prime ministerial candidate, requires a “strong, patriotic government in Delhi,” while instability arises from “a lack of our capacity to understand and accept the viewpoint of the other.”

    He has described “stagnancy” as the biggest problem facing the country. “I believe a strong economy is the driver of an effective foreign policy…we have to put our own house in order so that the world is attracted to us,” he said in a speech on India and the world in October. “The current dysfunction in Delhi has prevented even much-needed military modernization and [the] upgradation [sic] of India’s defense infrastructure.” But far from resorting to isolationism, Modi acknowledges the realities of a globalized world.

    “We are not living in 18th or 19th century. We are living in the 21st century,” he said in an interview, adding that commercial interests now are important shapers of India’s foreign policy. On several occasions, both in prepared remarks and in off-the-cuff responses, Modi has used the Sanskrit phrase vasudhaiva kutumbakam (“the world is a family”), and has stated that “India can offer a lot to the world.”

    In particular, he has referred to India’s historical ability to create “institutions and intellectual property,” recalling ancient centers of learning such as Nalanda and Takshashila. The considerations of a globalizing world — rather than any personal animosity he may feel about the U.S. government’s controversial revocation of his visa under an obscure law on religious freedom — have informed his recent public statements, including those concerning relations with Washington.

    “What happened with Modi does not affect the policies of the country,” he said in an April interview. He has also, rather remarkably, refrained from speaking negatively about U.S. surveillance activities, even when given the opportunity to do so recently by an interviewer. More significantly, he has criticized some of the previous Indian government’s economic policies that have adversely influenced relations with Washington, and described as a “breach of trust” New Delhi’s retroactive tax on Vodafone.

    “It’s not as if people from other countries don’t like India, that they don’t want to invest here,” he said in April. But if “the constant policy changes by the government” could be stabilized, he said, that would increase confidence. The twin objectives of national security and deeper commercial links are reflected in Modi’s recent statements on Pakistan and China, two countries with which India has longstanding territorial disputes.

    On Pakistan, Modi has said that it is “better to keep good relations,” while adding that to hold talks with Islamabad, “the blasts and gunfire first have to stop.” In 2013, he called on India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to wage war on “poverty, illiteracy, and superstition,” and urged Pakistan to “abandon its anti-India politics and become a friendly country.” Similarly, while much has been made of Modi’s willingness to do business with China, he has stressed that there should “not be any compromise on India’s interest.”

    Referencing a recent book by his colleague Arun Shourie, Modi said that “India is making a mockery of itself with its limited and timid approach” to China. And speaking in February in Arunachal Pradesh — a state that Beijing claims — Modi said that “China should give up its expansionist attitude and adopt a developmental mindset.” Regarding both Pakistan and China, Modi has spoken highly of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s ability to balance shakti and shanti (strength and peace).

    Two other countries have featured prominently in Modi’s actions in Gujarat, although less in his public statements since he began campaigning for prime minister. One is Japan, a rare bright spot in India’s foreign relations over the past couple of years. Modi met with Japan’s current prime minister, Shinzo Abe, on visits to Tokyo in 2007 — during Abe’s previous prime ministerial tenure — and again in 2012, when Abe was in the opposition.

    He has spoken of trying to emulate Japan’s high-speed rail network so as to bring India’s enormous railway system into the 21st century, and Japanese companies are among the largest investors in Gujarat. In addition, Modi has expressed his admiration for Israel, a state no sitting Indian prime minister has ever been to, but which he visited in 2006 for a bilateral summit on agricultural cooperation.

    Modi often speaks of India learning from Israeli best practices in modernizing its massive agricultural sector. He has also discussed cooperation with Israeli diplomats on areas including renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and water use, among others. But Modi’s views have not been restricted to trade and investment, technological cooperation, and border security. Since nuclear weapons have traditionally proved a litmus test of every Indian prime minister’s national security credentials, Modi’s views on this matter carry weight.

    In his October speech, he praised Vajpayee’s decision to green light India’s nuclear tests despite international pressure, but also lauded the former prime minister’s commitment to a “no first use” nuclear doctrine. After rumors swirled that a BJP government might revisit that tenet, Modi reiterated in April that “‘no first use’ is a very good initiative of [Vajpayee] and there is no compromise on this. We are very clear on this.” Nuclear proliferation is not the only multilateral issue on which he has opined.

    He has proposed, for example, the creation of a G8/G20-type grouping to cooperate on solar energy technologies in order to address the “big challenge” of global warming. As in any democratic process, statements made during what Modi has described as the “fever” of an election campaign may not translate directly into policy. Despite an impressive mandate, he will have to work with an established bureaucracy and political partners in India and abroad. But India’s next leader certainly has spelled out how he wants to project himself as a global leader. With his overwhelming electoral victory, the world would do well to take notice.

  • Democrat John Liu Earns Coveted Hotel Trades Council Endorsement for State Senate Run

    Democrat John Liu Earns Coveted Hotel Trades Council Endorsement for State Senate Run

    50,000+ Member Union Plans Major Effort to Back Liu

    NEW YORK (TIP): Citing his lifelong commitment to fighting for working families, the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, AFL-CIO (HTC) announced, May 22, its endorsement of John Liu in the race for New York State Senate. The union, which represents 50,000-plus workers and retirees, is known for its highly sophisticated political operation. With a proven track record, having decisively won recent elections supporting Rep. Grace Meng, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and Senator Martin Golden, HTC will launch an aggressive on-the-ground network to organize the growing support throughout District 11 for John Liu.

    “John Liu is the real progressive candidate in this race and he knows how to deliver results for the working people of this city,” said Peter Ward, President of the Hotel Trades Council. “John has never wavered in his commitment to fighting for the working men and women of New York. He is the type of leader we need in Albany, and with his proven track record, John’s far and away the best choice for State Senate.”

    “Our members will be on the frontlines working to elect progressive Democrat John Liu, who has fought for years to improve the lives of working families. In the Senate, John will keep fighting for the issues that New Yorkers care about, including raising the minimum wage, creating good jobs and fully funding our schools,” said Josh Gold, Political Director of Hotel Trades Council. “We are committed to putting the resources and people-power behind John Liu because we need a leader who will not stand in the way of progress.”

    “I am deeply honored by the outpouring of support from the hardworking men and women of the Hotel Trades Council,” said progressive Democrat John Liu. “This is a clear sign that people of New York City want a real progressive change in Albany and effective leadership that will not protect the Republican status quo.

    Together, with HTC and the working families of the 11th District on my side, we will finally deliver the change New Yorkers deserve.” With the endorsement of labor heavyweight HTC, Democrat John Liu is off to a commanding start in his race for State Senate. This endorsement affirms the outpouring of support he continues to receive for his growing campaign.

  • Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) International Convention Registration

    Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) International Convention Registration

    NEW YORK (TIP): RANA Convention Committee has announced early bird registration date to 31st May, 2014. A RANA press release has called upon those wishing to attend “to take this opportunity to register as earliest as possible for the 4th RANA International Convention 2014, to be held at Islandia Marriott, Long Island, NY from 3rd to 6th of July, 2014. For more information & registration please click on the below
    links:http://www.ranaconvention.org; http://www.ranaconvention.org/index.php/registration.

  • Edison Chamber of Commerce announces Outstanding Award Recipients

    Edison Chamber of Commerce announces Outstanding Award Recipients

    EDISON, NJ(TIP):The Edison Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2014 Edison Outstanding Award recipients who will be honored on June 3 at a Cocktail Reception. President Barbara C. Roos stated, ” The Edison Chamber of Commerce is proud of our quality of life and business community. These award recipients help make our community a better place to live and do business, by their engagement in the community and operating successful businesses that hire local residents. We are excited to introduce this year’s award recipients to the community.

    The general public is invited to participate in honoring them at our event”. Chamber Member of the Year. Recognized for significant active involvement and support of the Edison Chamber of Commerce: Angela Holdren, Little Genius Academy Outstanding Businesses of the Year. Recognized small, mid-size and large businesses for remarkable business success and community involvement: Affinity Federal Credit Union – Valerie Latham, branch manager; La Bonbonniere Bake Shoppes – Brian Panari, owner; Geico Edison Local Office – Greg and Laura Ingrassia, Franchise owners U. S. Veteran Business of the Year.

    Recognized for owning and operating an Edison successful business: Giulio Ferraro, Ferraro’s Restaurant Entrepreneur of the Year, Fostering Economic Vitality. Recognized outstanding entrepreneur who has contributed to the American Free Enterprise System and to Edison’s economy: H. R. Shah, TV Asia Young Entrepreneurs of the Year. Edison students recognized for establishing a legitimate successful small business: Patankar, Kumar, Huang/Kardboard Environment Citizen of the Year – Individual – Volunteerism.

    Recognized for significant contributions for the betterment of the Edison community in a volunteer leadership role: Lion Mahesh Chitnis Citizen of the Year for Community Spirit.Recognized for significant contributions for the betterment of the Edison community in a volunteer leadership role: Master Tony Yu Outstanding Organization of the Year.Recognized for significant contributions for the betterment of the Edison community in a volunteer leadership role: Kiwanis Club of EdisonAnnamae Baerenbach Scholarship Edison Chamber of Commerce contributes to the MCC Foundation for the MCC selected student in business studies: Manuela Londono, Middlesex County College Educator of the Year.

    Recognized by peers and students for inspiring young people to excel in their studies, citizenship and to pursue continuing education: Bohdanna Vitvitsky, John P. Stevens High School Leadership Disaster Recovery Award.Recognized for their leadership during the James Monroe Elementary School Fire Disaster Recovery: Lynda Zapoticzny, Principal, James Monroe School; Dr. Joann La Perla-Morales, President, Middlesex County College; Dr. Richard O’Malley, Superintendent, Edison Schools District.

    The Annual Awards event will be held June 3 at the Pines Manor, Edison, from 5:30 – 8 p.m. with a Cocktail Reception followed by the awards program and the Edison Chamber of Commerce General Membership Meeting. The ticket cost is $65 which includes a cocktail reception with gourmet cocktail and buffet foods with a cash bar. Recipients of awards will receive Proclamations from Edison Township Mayor Thomas Lankey and Assembly Citation will be presented by Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin.

    Many dignitaries will be present to honor the awardees, including Senator Barnes and Assemblyman Diegnan. The community is urged to demonstrate support for the recipients by attending the June 3 evening event ( $65 pp) and purchasing a congratulatory ad for the Commemorative Award Journal. Ads range from $250 to $2500. For details and to purchase online ads and tickets, visit www.EdisonChamber.com for call 732-738- 9482. Reservation deadline is May 28th. For more information, contact Barbara C. Roos, President, Edison Chamber of Commerce at 732-738-9482 or email to president@edisonchamber.com.

  • Wells Fargo Launches ‘Wells Fargo works for small Business’

    Wells Fargo Launches ‘Wells Fargo works for small Business’

    TIP Reporter
    EDISON, NJ (TIP): The Wells Fargo group held a South Asian media luncheon on May 16th in Edison, NJ to launch’Wells Fargo works for small Business’, a broad initiative to deliver resources, guidance and services to help more small businesses achieve financial success. The event started with ameet and greet. Kevin Friedlander (Northeast Corporate Communication Manager), Wells Fargo delivered welcome remarks which werefollowed by a keynoteon The Commitment to South Asian community by Linnette Shaver- Johnson (Wells Fargo area President, NJ).

    Linnette talked about Wells Fargo works project including their online video series and The Contest where eligible small business owners could win up to $25,000 along with mentorship and tailored solutions for their businesses. Nancy Wong (SVP Asian Segment Manager) also spoke at the event. Wells Fargo Works for small Business provide wide ranging support for business owners throughout the U.S. to help them build knowledge, access capital and expand their community of support.

    Wells Fargo Works for small Business encompasses the company’s commitment to helping small businesses grow. About Wells Fargo: -Wells Fargo and Company is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.5 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more 9,000 locations, 12,500 ATMs and the internet (www.wellsfargo.com) The Event was organized by Jitin Hingorani of Jingo Media.

  • Indian-American Obama critic pleads guilty to campaign finance fraud

    Indian-American Obama critic pleads guilty to campaign finance fraud

    NEW YORK (TIP): Dinesh D’Souza, an Indian-American conservative commentator and author who shot to fame with a highly critical 2012 documentary of US President Barack Obama, has pleaded guilty to violating federal campaign finance law. D’Souza, 53, of San Diego, admitted to exceeding donor limits in 2012 by arranging for others to give to the New York Senate campaign of Republican candidate Wendy Long, Manhattan’s Indian-American US Attorney Preet Bharara said on Tuesday, May 20. He also admitted to making false statements about those donations.

    A former policy advisor to President Ronald Reagan, D’Souza directed a 2012 documentary, “2016: Obama’s America,” that was highly critical of President Barack Obama and based on his book “The Roots of Obama’s Rage”. According to the indictment, D’Souza and his wife contributed $10,000 to Long’s campaign. He then directed associates to contribute on behalf of themselves and their spouses, totaling $20,000.

    D’Souza was to reimburse them. Federal election law limits individual campaign contributions to a federal candidate to $2,500 each for a primary and general election campaign. The law also bars any person from making contributions in the name of others or reimbursing another person’s contribution. Long lost to Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand in 2012. She and other Republicans, like Senator Ted Cruz, have argued that the government was unfairly targeting D’Souza for his political affiliation, according to CNN.

    D’Souza argued for the charges to be dismissed on grounds of selective prosecution. Last week, a judge denied that motion, citing “no evidence” to support it. “Following the court’s ruling denying Dinesh D’Souza’s baseless claim of selective prosecution, D’Souza now has admitted, through his guilty plea, what we have asserted all along — that he knowingly and intentionally violated federal election laws,” Bharara said in a statement.

    “As our Office’s record reflects, we will investigate and prosecute violations of federal law, particularly those that undermine the integrity of the democratic electoral process, without regard to the defendant’s political persuasion or party affiliation. That is what we did in this case and what we will continue to do.” Meanwhile, Deadline Hollywood cited D’Souza’s producer Gerald Molen as saying the indictment was politically motivated but that it would not stop the upcoming sequel to “2016: Obama’s America”, which has already set a July 4 release date.

    D’Souza says his film imagines what today’s world would be like if America had never existed because “we are now living in the America that we warned our fellow citizens could come to pass if President Obama were re-elected”. Considered the second-mostsuccessful political documentary in US box office history, “2016” has made more than $33 million since it was released in July 2012 during the heat of the presidential elections, according to Deadline.

  • Progressive Democrat John Liu officially announces Campaign for State Senate

    Progressive Democrat John Liu officially announces Campaign for State Senate

    NEW YORK, NY (TIP): With a broad progressive coalition, and widespread support based on a record of delivering real results, former City Comptroller and Councilman John Liu, May 22, announced the launch of his campaign for the 11th State Senate District in Queens. In recent weeks, Liu has been buoyed by the overwhelming support from local elected officials, Democratic Party leaders and a host of prominent community activists who encouraged him to enter the primary. “I humbly declare my candidacy for the State Senate to represent northeast Queens, where I’ve lived and grown up my whole life and am now raising my own family,” said Liu.

    “This community is bedrock of New York, and the people here rightfully demand and deserve effective results-oriented representation. I offer my legislative experience and fiscal expertise to solve issues, from quality of life concerns to deep economic inequities. In the State Senate, I will tirelessly fight for a real minimum wage, rights for working people, women’s equality and resources for public schools, transportation and healthcare. Over the next several months, I will take my message straight to the voters of Senate District 11 to ask for your support.” There will be major announcements to come, including details on the official campaign kickoff this week.

    About John
    The first Asian American to have been elected to citywide office, John Liu has always been a fighter for the hardworking people of this city, first as a member of the New York City Council, then as City Comptroller. The 43rd Comptroller of New York City, John Liu established an impressive record as the chief financial officer for 8.4 million residents and overseeing municipal government with an annual budget of $70 billion.

    John saved taxpayers $5 billion through rigorous audits of City agencies, detailed scrutiny of contracts with private companies, and refinancing of $20 billion of outstanding City bond debt. During his four-year term of office, he achieved an enviable total investment return, increasing the City’s pension asset portfolio to $150 billion. John created the nationally acclaimed online application “CheckbookNYC.com” providing unprecedented transparency in government spending.

    He facilitated economic development and new job creation with acceleration of City capital projects, capturing low interest rates in the bond markets. Always emphasizing that “it’s not just about numbers, it’s about people,” John Liu championed fairness and equality. An early and staunch opponent of stop-and-frisk tactics, John highlighted the risks to communities and taxpayers alike due to damaged police-community relations.

    John presented daily-updated M/WBE Report Cards for City agencies to monitor and encourage greater government contracting opportunities for minority entrepreneurs. John also proposed sound economic policies to create real economic growth and narrow the ever-widening wealth gap, protected wage standards and recouped back wages and fines on behalf of cheated workers from contractors who just don’t want to play by the rules, and exposed the billions of dollars in publiclysubsidized corporate welfare doled out by the City that failed to deliver on promised new jobs and fair housing.

    As a member of the New York City Council, John Liu represented his hometown of Flushing and northeast Queens. He secured millions of dollars in additional funding for schools, libraries, parks, senior citizen centers, and youth programs. John served as chairperson of the Council’s Transportation Committee overseeing operations of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Department of Transportation, and Taxi and Limousine Commission, and enacted legislation boosting efficiency and efficacy of key City agencies.

    John’s significant accomplishments as a legislator include exposing financial irregularities at the MTA, enacting legislation like the Equal Access Bill mandating on-demand language services in health and human services agencies, the School Zone Engine Idling Bill limiting engine idling near schools, and the Dignity for All Schools Act requiring the Department of Education to track bullying and harassment in schools.

    Hailed as a “Trailblazer” and “Pioneer,” John’s historic elections – as the first Asian American to win legislative office in New York and the first to win citywide office – were milestones for Asian Americans in New York and across the nation. Although he wishes Asian Americans had been elected long before, John is honored to be the first and embraces the opportunity to broaden representation and public service.

    John Liu emigrated from Taiwan at the age of five. He was educated in New York public schools, including Hunter College High School, Bronx High School of Science, and Binghamton University, attaining his degree in Mathematical Physics. John lives in Flushing with his wife Jenny and their son Joey.

  • US Immigration Bill S – 744 set to damage Indian Business Interests: Shalabh Kumar

    US Immigration Bill S – 744 set to damage Indian Business Interests: Shalabh Kumar

    NEW YORK (TIP): Shalabh Kumar, Chairman Indian American Advisory Council of House of Republican Conference of US Parliament & NIAPPI expressed grave concern over the US Immigration Reform Bill S-744 as a prominent NRI based in Chicago, US. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity & Immigration Modernization Act – 2013 or S744 was a bill drafted with the aim of reforming the immigration system in United States, stated Kumar at a press conference in New Delhi, India.

    Chairman NIAPPI Shalabh Kumar stated that S744 was introduced in US Senate on 16th April 2013. This bill was prepared by a bipartisan group of eight senators known as “gang of eight” comprising of Senator John McCain, Charles, Lindsey Graham, Richard Durbin, Marco Rubio, Robert Menendez, Jeff Flake and Michael Bennet. This bill was passed in the US Senate on 27th June 2013, which is controlled by Democratic Party headed by President Barak Obama. Now the bill is pending in US House of Representatives awaiting consideration. Once it is approved, the bill will become a law.

    Kumar stated that this bill shall damage Indian business and IT industry in India. It shall affect around 5 Lakh engineers from India. This bill shall cause loss to the tune of Rs. 1.875 Lakh crore in Indian exports to United States on a yearly basis. It shall have adverse restrictions on Indian H1B & L1 visa holders. It shall break the back bone of Indian export industry alleged US based NRI Shalabh Kumar.

    If the bill is passed then Indian firms will be forced to cut down on sending their employees from India. It shall reduce the GDP of India and its dollar reserves almost to the tune of 1 to 1.5% of Indian GDP. Kumar termed this bill as a major challenge for the newly elected Indian govt. US NRI Shalabh Kumar noted with appreciation the efforts of Vijay Jolly Convener OFBJP Global Affairs for voicing the strong opposition of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the anti-Indian provisions of the bill. Jolly had recently written a letter to the US Ambassador in India demanding that US House of Representative should not approve the anti-Indian S744 bill.

  • Consulate General of India Media Lecture Series rolls out

    Consulate General of India Media Lecture Series rolls out

    ‘India’s Improbable Democracy: its Resilience and Pitfalls’

    Harjap Singh Aujla

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Consulate General of India, on May 21, presented yet another lecture in the Media India 2014 LectureSeries. Ashutosh Varshney, Professor of Political Science, Brown University poke on “India’s Improbable Democracy: its Resilience and Pitfalls”. Maya Chadha, Professor of Political Science at the William Paterson University in New Jersey was the moderator. In his well-researched hour long lecture Prof. Varshney mentioned that most of the international scholars like John Peter Mill and Mark Twain were highly skeptical about India ever becoming a successful pluralistic democracy.

    According to most scholars, India had too many languages, cultures and ethnicities and was difficult to govern as a single unified nation. They thought India was a group of nations, which could not co-exist. But barring the creation of Pakistan, rest of India has survived as one nation under an uninterrupted democratic set up. There have been insurgencies in several parts of India like Kashmir, Punjab, Maoist areas and the North Eastern states, but at any given time not more than 3% of the country faced unrest.

    Most internationally acclaimed political scientists believed that since India was counted among the poorest, ethnically fragmented and least developed nations of the world like Vanamato and Belize, democracy was not a system suitable for its governance. But the post independence top leadership of the country like Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru decided to go for a Western style system of governance based on self reliance and universal franchise. Prof. Varshney said that in America, up to the end of the nineteenth century, the African Americans and the women were not allowed to vote.

    De-facto America was governed in its initial years of democracy by a regime elected by just about forty percent of its population. In India, when the first nation-wide election was held in 1952, every Indian, including the most illiterate, was allowed to vote and that is why we had symbols for candidates like cycle, flower, hand, elephant etc. All Indians could recognize the symbols.

    India’s size of the electorate, since the first election was the largest in the world, much larger than that of the second most populous country the United States. The ballot boxes were carted using primitive modes of transportation like ponies and camels. Since then the recently concluded election is the sixteenth election, in which 815 million people participated. Over five hundred million people actually voted. One hundred million were new voters and twenty three million were eighteen to nineteen years old.

    More than one hundred and seventy million voters, constituting thirty one plus percent of the actual voters exercised their franchise in favor of the BJP.Thisis the highest percentage of vote ever polled by the BJP. Narendra Modi, who ran a high pitched campaign, is the new leader of the country. Nine percent of the Muslim minority has voted for Modi. This is the highest Muslim vote percentage for the BJP ever. Even a very popular leaderAtal Behari Vajpayee of the BJP could get only six percent of Muslim vote. This is a good sign for India’s democracy. The question and answer session was moderated by Professor Maya Chadha.

    During this Q &A session, my own observation was that in hindsight, the creation of Pakistan, which was opposed initially by India’s top leadership, like Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru, has turned out to be positive in the long term survival of India. Considering what is happening on a daily basis in Pakistan, with thirty percent of the then Indian army coming from the provinces of West Pakistan, India would have become unstable from day one with civil war like situation. Professor Varshney agreed in entirety and said that those who left India in 1947, their decision is acceptable and those who stayed on in India are welcome. Earlier, the keynote speaker was introduced by the Consul General of India Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay.

  • Indian Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan attacked

    Indian Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan attacked

    Two Terrorists killed: Taliban behind attack

    KABUL (TIP): The Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Herat has been attacked, and the area is surrounded by security forces. Police initially said three gunmen opened fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades but one of them was killed. The other two fled into a nearby building. However, the latest report says two terrorists were killed. Afghan government sources said Taliban was behind the attack.

    The Indian foreign ministry said all of its personnel were safe.Syed Akbaruddin, a spokesman for the Indian government, confirmed the incident and praised “brave” consulate staff and Afghan security forces for repelling the attack. “All safe. Operation underway,” he tweeted. Herat lies near Afghanistan’s border with Iran and is considered one of the safer cities in the country.

    In September 2013, the Taliban launched a similar assault on the US consulate in the city, killing at least four Afghans but failing to enter the compound or hurt any Americans. Friday’s incident comes on the eve of the inauguration of new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Afghanistan has seen a surge in attacks in recent weeks as foreign troops begin to withdraw from the country.

    Millions of Afghans defied Taliban threats to take part in the first round of elections in April to replace outgoing President Karzai. The second round, due in mid-June, pits front-runner Abdullah Abdullah against Ashraf Ghani, a former World Bank economist.

  • Anandiben Patel is Gujarat’s first woman CM

    Anandiben Patel is Gujarat’s first woman CM

    AHMEDABAD (TIP): Anandiben Patel took over as Gujarat’s Chief Minister on May 22 afternoon. She was administered oath by the state’s Governor Kamla Beniwal. On stage, was her predecessor Narendra Modi, who will be the country’s next prime minister. The entire BJP top line of leaders like party president Rajnath Singh, LK Advani, MM Joshi and Arun Jaitley were also present as the 72-year-old Anandiben took oath at a packed Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. She is Gujarat’s first woman Chief Minister.

    CONTINED FROM PAGE 1 After Modi resigned as the Chief Minister, a position he had held for 13 years, his party’s legislators elected Patel to be their leader. Modi’s close aide Amit Shah, who does not share the warmest vibes with Ms Patel, was among those who endorsed her name for the chief minister’s post. In Gujarat, Shah and Patel have often been described as Modi’s “left and right arms.” Like Shah, Anandiben Patel is said to enjoy Modi’s complete trust.

    During his long election campaign, while Amit Shah helped Mr Modi script his massive victory, Ms Patel, the revenue minister, held fort in Gujarat as the head of a group of ministers set up to run the state government. She is known to be a very able administrator and has a tough, nononsense image. Dabbing discreetly at her eyes yesterday, as she was elected, an emotional Patel said, “Today when our beloved leaders are going to Delhi, there are tears in one eye and happiness in the other.

    Happiness because they are going to Delhi to wipe the tears of millions of Indians. I wish Narendra Modi all the best.” Handing over, Modi assured Patel that “no files in the chief minister’s office are pending”, and said, “she is a very hardworking minister and has been a performer and am sure Gujarat will continue to move forward on path of growth.”

    Patel has stood by Modi for many years even before he took over as Gujarat chief minister, including when in the mid 1990s, he was banished from state politics after a confrontation with other state leaders. The senior BJP leader was elected to the state assembly in 2012 from Ghatlodiya in Ahmedabad by a margin of 1.10 lakh votes. Her biggest limitation, her colleagues say, is her lack of connect with the party’s grassroots level workers and her inaccessibility.

  • Nancy Powell leaves India, Kathleen Stephens to be interim envoy

    Nancy Powell leaves India, Kathleen Stephens to be interim envoy

    NEW DELHI (TIP): US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell on Thursday, May 22, headed back to her country after an eventful stint here and will be replaced temporarily early next month by Kathleen Stephens, a career diplomat. Powell, 67, who assumed charge as US Ambassador here in April, 2012, had announced ending of her tenure in India in March this year.

    Stephens will serve as the charge until a new permanent ambassador is nominated and confirmed by the US Senate. President Barack Obama has not yet nominated anyone for this important diplomatic posting. A career foreign service officer, Stephens is expected to arrive in New Delhi early June. She was US ambassador to South Korea from 2008 to 2011 and previously served in senior positions in Washington, Asia and Europe.

  • FLIPKART BUYS OUT MYNTRA FOR $300 M

    FLIPKART BUYS OUT MYNTRA FOR $300 M

    BANGALORE (TIP): Putting an end to months of speculation about what is being termed as the biggest acquisition in the Indian e-commerce business, domestic e-retailer Flipkart announced that it has acquired rival and leading fashion e-tailer Myntra.com.

    The move is widely being read as a response to global e-commerce leader Amazon’s ramp up of its year-old India operations, and the narrowing gap between Flipkart’s sales and that of fast-growing rival Snapdeal. No details on the deal size or structure were shared, and analyst speculation pegging the buy out at over $300 million remained unconfirmed by both companies.

    Both companies will be run independently, with no immediate plans to merge the fashion business on the two portals or even join forces in terms of content or go-to market. Myntra CEO Mukesh Bansal joins Flipkart’s board, and will head the fashion vertical at Flipkart and Myntra. They also announced that while Myntra employees would “remain in current positions”, they would be offered stock options in Flipkart.

    Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal insisted that this was a “completely different acquisition story” as it was not “driven by distress”, alluding to a plethora of small e-commerce players either having wound up or been bought over in the past two years.

    Together, both company heads claimed, they were scripting “one of the largest ecommerce stories”. $100 m investment in fashion vertical Mukesh Bansal said that on its own Myntra.com held 30 per cent of the market share, but together the two companies would account for 50 per cent of the online fashion market. “We hope to take this figure to about 60-70 per cent in the long-term,” he said. Mr. Sachin Bansal added that Flipkart would invest $100 million in its own fashion vertical in the near-term.

    While the electronics vertical is the largest revenue generator at Flipkart (and will continue to be even after the acquisition), Mr. Bansal hoped that in the near-term fashion would be the “largest sales category for Flipkart”. Flipkart started fashion as a shopping category on its site two years ago.

  • Modi invites Nawaz Sharif, SAARC Heads for swearing-in ceremony

    Modi invites Nawaz Sharif, SAARC Heads for swearing-in ceremony

    NEW DELHI (TIP):
    Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been invited to attend Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 26, reports said on Wednesday, May 21. According to reports, the Pakistan Prime Minister will be among 3,000 dignitaries who have been invited to attend the function. Besides Pakistan Prime Minister, the heads of governments of the SAARC member countries have also been invited to attend the function.

    There is no recent precedent for inviting foreign heads of state when an Indian prime minister has been sworn in. SAARC nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and the invitation would send out a strong signal of a neighborfriendly new government. Praising the move, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah poster on Twitter, “Excellent move by @narendramodi to invite SAARC leaders, especially Pak PM for his swearing in.

    Hope this is beginning of sustained talks (sic).” Minutes later he tweeted again saying, “At the same time I can’t help wonder what BJP would have said if a PM designate Rahul Gandhi had done the same thing.” Modi will be administered the oath of office by President Pranab Mukherjee on May 26 at 6 pm. Following in the footsteps of a former Prime Minister of India, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Modi has preferred to be sworn in in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan where a larger number can be accommodated.

    Meanwhile, keeping in view the intelligence reports about terrorist strikes, unprecedented security arrangements are being made. Security will be “tighter than the annual Republic Day parade,” officials have confirmed. Sources say the Air Force and the Army will be “discreetly involved” but most of the arrangements are being overseen by the Delhi Police, along with paramilitary forces.

    Anti-aircraft guns of the air force are being positioned in strategic areas to take care of any flying threat. Modi is one of the most protected politicians in the country. His swearing-in ceremony has become a worse security nightmare after invites to world leaders, including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Afghan president Hamid Karzai and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

  • TATA MOTORS LAUNCHES ULTRA RANGE OF TRUCKS

    TATA MOTORS LAUNCHES ULTRA RANGE OF TRUCKS

    CHENNAI (TIP): With an eye on beefing up its share in the burgeoning intermediate light commercial vehicle (ILCV) segment, Tata Motors has launched a new range of trucks christened ULTRA.

    Claimed to be contemporary in style, design and feature, the new ULTRA range of vehicles, Tata Motors believes, will provide buyers comfort in terms of driving and cost of ownership. To begin with, it has launched two models. Tata Ultra 812 will be priced at Rs.10.53 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai). Tata ULTRA 912 will be priced at Rs.10.94 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai).

    The ULTRA variants will be available in four colours. ULTRA is an entirely new platform, and is modular. The ULTRA range of trucks was showcased at the Auto Expo in 2012. Addressing a press conference here, Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit of Tata Motors, said with ULTRA range of products the company was looking at serving both the domestic as well as global markets.

    Fielding a range of questions, he said the company was exporting around 50,000 units at the moment. This number would go up to 1.50 lakh units over the next three years, he added. The company would extend its geographical reach in the overseas market by expanding into countries such as Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam soon, he pointed out.

    To a query, he said Tata Motors would line up a series of launches so as to have a complete portfolio in the ULTRA range (4 to 11 tonne space). A top company official asserted that the ‘walk through cabin’, triple benefit insurance offer, and AMC (annual maintenance contract) would ensure that the ULTRA range of vehicles went down well with the customers. The ‘walk through cabin’ especially, he said, would serve the needs of drivers in different countries.

    To a specific query, isharody said the past couple of years had been tough, especially for the haulage segment. Taking a positive view, he said, “Growth will return at some point of time.” He, however, could not hazard any guess as to when. He asserted that one had to take a long-term view of India “which is a growing market.” In this context, he pointed out that the CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) stood at an average 10 per cent during 2004-14.

  • MARUTI TARGETS DOUBLEDIGIT GROWTH

    MARUTI TARGETS DOUBLEDIGIT GROWTH

    MUMBAI (TIP): Maruti Suzuki expects to grow its vehicle sales in double digits in 2014-15 on the back of several initiatives that it had undertaken.

    Addressing a media round-table, Mayank Pareek, Chief Operating Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said the company was relying on initiatives such as its car exchange strategy, niche marketing, rural thrust, and product innovations to drive growth.

    “In early 2013, we realised that 2013-14 was not going to be easy. And, we focussed on distribution and pricing models. So although sales declined 6 per cent, our used car sales rose 16 per cent to 289,000 units.’’ The company also focussed on niche marketing having identified 372 niches like temple priests, blue pottery industry in Jaipur, and pharmaceutical retailers, selling 62,000 cars to these.

    The company also offers customisation of vehicles with a range of 4,000 accessories. In terms of dealers, Maruti has 1,331 main outlets and Emerging Market outlets (markets with more than 100 cars) and plans to double these in the next three years.

    It introduced the ‘R outlets’ for the rural markets this year and also 7,800 resident dealer sales executive (RDSE) in villages. Maruti’s rural sales went up from 3.5 per cent of sales in 2007 to 32 per cent in 2014. “We realised there was a big opportunity in the hinterland.

    In 2012-13, we sold 26 per cent of our cars in rural market in only 44,000 villages; 6.7 per cent of villages in India. In 2013-14, we sold in 94,000 villages. “We can double or even triple this.” In terms of servicing cars, he said Maruti Mobile Services (MMS) launched last year was very successful and had 1,031 Maruti Eeco vans to service vehicles all over India.

    Now every month 40,000 customers use this service. On the diesel-petrol preference,Mr. Pareek said that while in November 2012 when the diesel-petrol price gap was Rs.32, the diesel car share was 64 per cent, it tapered to 58 per cent in 2012- 13 and to 54 per cent in 2-13-14. “In April 2014, it was at 51 per cent and should hold.”

    The parent Suzuki had last year indicated that Maruti’s export focus would be the Middle East and Africa. While exports declined to 1.03 lakh units (1.20 lakh units) in 2013-14, “that was because we discontinued sales to Europe but going forward, we should see a pick up in numbers from South Africa, Algeria, ASEAN, South America and Israel. In 2014-15 we should be able to maintain exports.”

  • House passes NSA reform bill: Privacy advocates not happy

    House passes NSA reform bill: Privacy advocates not happy

    WASHINGTON (TIP):
    The House passed a controversial bill Thursday, May 22, aimed at reforming the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of phone records, a policy that came to light due to documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The bill, known as the USA Freedom Act, would shift responsibility for retaining telephonic metadata from the government to telephone companies. Providers like AT&T and Verizon would be required to maintain the records for 18 months and let the NSA search them in terrorism investigations when the agency obtains a judicial order or in certain emergency situations.

    The bill passed on a 303 to 121 vote. But privacy advocates, technology companies and lawmakers warned that the version of the bill passed by the House was watered down to the point where they could no longer support it. On Wednesday, the White House endorsed the bill. “The bill ensures our intelligence and law enforcement professionals have the authorities they need to protect the Nation, while further ensuring that individuals’ privacy is appropriately protected when these authorities are employed,” an official statement of policy read.

    “Among other provisions, the bill prohibits bulk collection through the use of Section 215, FISA pen registers, and National Security Letters.” Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) was the primary sponsor of the bill and the author of the Patriot Act, legislation passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Section 215 of the Patriot Act was used as the legal basis of the NSA’s phone records collection program.

    In a floor speech before the vote, Sensenbrenner said that the government misapplied that earlier legislation through a feat of “legal gymnastics.” “I don’t blame people for losing trust in their government because the government betrayed their trust,” he said. Sensenbrenner urged his fellow members to support the bill, although he said wished the version of the bill voted on Thursday “did more.”

  • MUMBAI TO HAVE A FLOATING HOTEL

    MUMBAI TO HAVE A FLOATING HOTEL

    MUMBAI (TIP): Adding one more attraction for Mumbai, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), in partnership with WB International Consultants and AB Hospitality, has announced the launch of a first of its kind dining floating hotel (floatel), which will be docked at Bandra under the iconic Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

    The floatel, named ‘AB Celestial’, will be open to public from mid-August. The project is targeted at foreign and domestic tourists as well as food and fun loving Mumbaikars. ‘AB Celestial’ is a 3-tier luxury dinning facility with a sky deck, two galleys, and will have two multi-cuisine restaurants, including a club lounge, equipped with a 24-hour coffee shop.

    The overall capacity is 660 guests distributed across the four tiers of the vessel. The floatel, made and imported from the U.S. for an unspecified amount, will be docked at the Maharashtra Maritime Board’s jetty at Bandra, and will provide a 360-degree view of the city of Mumbai and the Sea Link.

    Profit sharing arrangement

    The entire investment for the project has been made by WB International and the floatel will be managed by AB Hospitality. The MTDC has a 10 per cent profit share arrangement, and will promote this project.

    “The Floatel concept was conceived and spearheaded by the Maharashtra State Government with numerous government bodies involved to make this a reality and jewel in the crown of Maharashtra. Maharashtra receives the maximum number of foreign tourists in India besides many domestic affluent tourists. This Floatel will certainly become a huge attraction for the tourists.” Chhagan Bhujbal, Tourism Minister, Maharashtra, said while inaugurating the Floatel.

  • Astronomers discover deepest shadows ever, where brightest stars are born

    Astronomers discover deepest shadows ever, where brightest stars are born

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Using Nasa’s Spitzer space telescope, astronomers have found a bizarre super-dense dust cloud some 16,000 light years away. It is huge: about 50 light years in diameter. And in that space is packed mass equivalent to 7,000 Suns.

    The shadows cast by this dense cloud have been described by stunned scientists as “blackest of black” and Nasa is calling them “the deepest shadows ever recorded”. The dusty cloud, results suggest, will likely evolve into one of the most massive young clusters of stars in our galaxy.

    The densest clumps will blossom into the cluster’s biggest, most powerful stars, called O-type stars, the formation of which has long puzzled scientists. These hulking stars have major impacts on their local stellar environments while also helping to create the heavy elements needed for life.

    “The map of the structure of the cloud and its dense cores we have made in this study reveals a lot of fine details about the massive star and star cluster formation process,” said Michael Butler, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and lead author of the study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Most stars in the universe, perhaps our Sun included, are thought to have formed en masse in these sorts of environments.

    Clusters of low-mass stars are quite common and wellstudied. But clusters giving birth to higher-mass stars, like the cluster described here, are scarce and distant, which makes them harder to examine. “In this rare kind of cloud, Spitzer has provided us with an important picture of massive star cluster formation caught in its earliest, embryonic stages,” said Jonathan Tan, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and co-author of the study.

    The new findings will also help reveal how O-type stars form. O-type stars shine a brilliant white-blue, possess at least 16 times the sun’s mass and have surface temperatures above 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit (30,000 degrees Celsius). These giant stars have a tremendous influence on their local stellar neighborhoods.

    Their winds and intense radiation blow away material that might draw together to create other stars and planetary systems. Otype stars are short-lived and quickly explode as supernovas, releasing enormous amounts of energy and forging the heavy elements needed to form planets and living organisms.

    Researchers are not sure how, in Otype stars, it is possible for material to accumulate on scales of tens to 100 times the mass of our sun without dissipating or breaking down into multiple, smaller stars. “We still do not have a settled theory or explanation of how these massive stars form,” said Tan. “Therefore, detailed measurements of the birth clouds of future massive stars, as we have recorded in this study, are important for guiding new theoretical understanding.”

  • Homeland Security announces arrest of 71 child porn consumers, including Rockland County Boy Scout leader

    Homeland Security announces arrest of 71 child porn consumers, including Rockland County Boy Scout leader

    NEW YORK (TIP):

    A senior official from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced Wednesday, May 21, the arrest of 71 individuals for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children in Operation Caireen, the largestever enforcement operation in New York targeting predators who possess, produce or distribute sexually explicit images of children. Included in the arrest is Jonathan Silber of Suffern, a man who had taken part in activities with youth, including as a Boy Scout leader and a Little League coach.

    As part of Operation Caireen, which began April 4 and ran until May 15, HSI special agents, New York City Police Department detectives and other law enforcement partners surreptitiously infiltrated peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks to identify users in the New York City metropolitan area who sought to acquire or distribute known or suspected images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit activities.

    Throughout the course of the operation, investigators identified nearly 150 distinct Internet Protocol addresses actively involved in trading sexually explicit images of children registered to users in the New York City. metropolitan area. In addition to the 71 arrests, investigators lawfully seized nearly 600 computing devices during the execution of 87 search warrants, including desktop and laptop computers, tablets, smartphones and thumb drives containing more than 175 terabytes of data that includes tens of thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of children. Some of the defendants arrested possessed libraries of sexually explicit images and videos of children numbering in the thousands.

    One of the defendants had been previously convicted of sexually abusing a child; another is charged with producing and distributing child pornography involving her own young child. Several of the defendants facing charges held positions of public trust, including two police officers, two registered nurses, a paramedic, an au pair, and Silber, who served as both a den master with the Boy Scouts of America and a little league baseball coach. “The sheer volume of confirmed and suspected instances of individuals engaging in the sexual exploitation of children identified through Operation Caireen is shocking and the professional backgrounds of many of the defendants is troubling.

    We can no longer assume that the only people who would stoop to prey on children are unemployed drifters,” said James T. Hayes Jr., special agent in charge of HSI New York. “Clearly, this criminal activity has reached epidemic proportions and ICE HSI will continue to partner across jurisdictions to target those adults who egregiously violate the children of our communities.” Police Commissioner William J. Bratton said, “The individuals identified today allegedly utilized the Internet to possess, distribute and promote horrific acts against defenseless victims. The indictments represent a strong collaborative effort between law enforcement partners, sending the message to sexual predators that abuse against children is beyond reproach and violators will be vigorously sought and brought to justice.”

    “The law enforcement community is committed to eliminating the horrific market for child pornography, one defendant at a time,” said U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch, Eastern District of New York. “The arrests and seizures announced today send an unequivocal message to those who engage in trading child pornography – if you exploit our children, and their abuse, you will be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” Manhattan U.S. Attorney PreetBharara said: “Crimes involving the exploitation of children are particularly disturbing because they victimize the most vulnerable members of our society.

    This includes the possession and distribution of images of child pornography. Such images are not merely photos or videos; they are evidence of the physical and psychological abuse of children. Today’s announcement shows the commitment of federal and state prosecutors and investigators to protect children from exploitation.” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said, “My office is committed to the vigorous prosecution of those who sexually exploit children through the use of the Internet and peer-to-peer networks.

    It must be remembered that the images involved in these cases are of real children being sexually abused and that each time an image is viewed, traded, printed or downloaded, the child in that image is being victimized again.” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R.Vance, Jr., said: “Images of child sexual assault capture real crimes being committed against real children. Each time that one of these recordings of a violent sexual assault is downloaded and viewed by a stranger over the Internet, that child is being victimized all over again. Crimes against children are unforgivable, especially those perpetrated by individuals in positions of trust.

    I thank our partners in law enforcement for their commitment to stopping the abuse of children.” Kings County District Attorney Kenneth P. Thompson said, “This case underscores the crucial importance of Internet surveillance initiatives by law enforcement to protect children from sexual predators. Each of these defendants – five of whom presently have cases pending in Kings County – is responsible for revictimizing the children who appear in these despicable videos each time they view or share the files. These are real children whose abuse and victimization has been videotaped for the entertainment of an unfortunately large population of twisted individuals.

    I commend Homeland Security Investigations for initiating Operation Caireen.” Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr., said, “The confiscated videos are nothing more than sadomasochistic snuff films showcasing a defenseless child – be they an infant, a toddler or a teen – being repeatedly raped and/or sexually assaulted. These are videotaped crime scenes watched by predators lurking in the shadows of the Internet. I want to thank my assistant, Ann Thompson, and the agents of ICE-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for bringing these crimes to light and the defendants to justice.”

    “Our success in this case and other similar investigations is a result of our close work with our law enforcement partners,” said Brian Swain, acting special agent in charge, United States Secret Service, New York Field Office. “The Secret Service worked closely with HSI, the NYPD, and other law enforcement partners to share information and resources that ultimately led to the arrest of 71 individuals. This case demonstrates there is no such thing as anonymity for those engaging in child exploitation and unlawful acts.”

    “The Department of Homeland Security is asking for the public to be watchful, to help identify those individuals responsible for child pornography, and we’re counting on those with information to come forward,” said Otis E. Harris Jr., special agent in charge of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, New York Field Office. “No bit of information, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is too small. Each piece moves us forward toward justice and disrupting the crime of child pornography.

    It is extremely important to contact authorities with any information regarding child pornography.” “We applaud the efforts of HSI New York for the outstanding results of Operation Caireen,” said John Ryan, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. “The success of this operation highlights the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies on largescale investigations. Their tireless work helps ensure that the most vulnerable in our society – our children – can be safer.”

    Arrests predicating Operation Caireen:

    On January 23, HSI agents arrested Brian Fanelli, chief of the Mount Pleasant Police Department in Valhalla, New York. Fanelli has been charged with federal child pornography violations in the Southern District of New York. On March 5, HSI agents arrested Samuel Waldman, a rabbi and an instructor of Judaic studies, at his residence in Brooklyn.Waldman has been charged with possession of child pornography in the Southern District of New York.While utilizing the P2P file sharing system, agents identified Waldman’s IP address as one that offered for dissemination videos of child pornography.

    High profile arrests during Operation Caireen:

    On April 8, Kenneth Gardner, a registered nurse at Westchester County Medical Center, was arrested at his residence in Astoria and charged with violations of New York State Penal Law 263.15, promoting a sex performance of a child under age 17; 263.11, possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child; and 263.16, possessing a sexual performance by a child. On April 17, Eduardo SalcedoUrzola, who was working as an au pair, was arrested at his residence in Brooklyn and charged with possession of child pornography under federal law.

    This arrest followed the execution of a search warrant issued by a U.S. magistrate judge in the Eastern District of New York. While utilizing the P2P file sharing system, agents identified an IP address at a residence associated with SalcedoUrzola’s that made known images and/or movies of child pornography available for distribution. On April 28, Aaron Young, a paramedic, was arrested at his residence in Queens and charged under New York State law with possession of child pornography.

    This arrest followed the execution of a state search warrant issued by a judge in Queens County.While utilizing the P2P file sharing system, agents identified an IP address at Young’s residence that made known images and/or movies of child pornography available for distribution. On April 28, Yong Wu, a police officer, was arrested at his residence in Ozone Park and charged with possession of child pornography under state law. This arrest followed the execution of a search warrant issued by a judge in Queens County.

    While utilizing the P2P file sharing system, agents identified an IP address at Wu’s residence that made known images and/or movies of child pornography available for distribution. On May 9, Jonathan Silber, a Boy Scout den leader and Little League baseball coach, was arrested at his residence in Suffern and charged under New York state law with possession of child pornography.

    This arrest followed the execution of a state search warrant issued by a judge in Rockland County.While utilizing the P2P file sharing system, agents identified an IP address connected to Silber that made known images and/or movies of child pornography available for distribution. SAC Hayes thanked the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; the District Attorney’s Offices in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, and the Bronx, New York; the District Attorney’s offices in Putnam, Dutchess, Sullivan, and Rockland counties in New York and the Hunterdon County prosecutor’s office in New Jersey for their exceptional legal analysis and for prosecuting the charges.

    SAC Hayes thanked the New York City Police Department, United States Secret Service, United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, New York State Police, the Dutchess and Rockland County sheriff’s offices, and the police departments in Kent, Spring Valley, Carmel, Haverstraw and Suffern. SAC Hayes also thanked HSI New York Deputy Special Agents in Charge Glenn Sorge and Gabriel Garcia; Assistant Special Agents in Charge Michael Szrama, Joseph LeStrange and Michael Buckley; Group Supervisors Anthony Decrescenzo, Regan Madonia, Chris McClellan, and John Mirandona, Jr.; and the men and women assigned to the HSI New York Child Exploitation, Computer Forensics and Special Investigations units for their diligent and thorough investigative work and their commitment to the Homeland Security mission.

    Arrests by county:Manhattan 6; Bronx 7; Brooklyn 17; Queens 23; Staten Island 6; New Jersey (Hunterdon) 1; Putnam 2; Sullivan 1; Rockland 1; Duchess 1; Nassau 4;Westchester 2. Special Agent in Charge James T. Hayes, Jr., head of the HSI New York office, made the announcement in Manhattan with Queens County District Attorney Richard A. Brown, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth P. Thompson, Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr., New York City Police Department Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the Eastern District of New York Lisa Kramer, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the Southern District of New York Joan Loughnane, Special Agent in Charge for the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service Otis E. Harris, Jr., Special Agent in Charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Thomas J.

    Cannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the United States Secret Service Michael Seremetis, Chief of the General Crimes Section for the Eastern District of New York Patrick Sinclair, Chief of the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office William Barbera, and Putnam County District Attorney’s Office Senior Investigator Henry Lopez.