Scarlett Johansson has reportedly married French journalist RomainDauriac in a secret ceremony just after the birth of their daughter, Rose. The actress, who was recently seen wearing a gold ring on her wedding finger, is yet to confirm the wedding. The ceremony apparently happened in September just after the birth of Rose, reported the New York Post quoting sources. “Scarlett and Romain were married in a very intimate ceremony after the birth of their daughter. They kept the wedding a big secret because they both wanted privacy,” the source said. It was speculated that the wedding would take place in Paris but the source said the couple tied the knot at a secret location in the US. Johansson, 30 started dating Dauriac in 2012. They got engaged in August. The ‘Avengers’ star was previously married to Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, who is also expecting a child with his current wife Blake Lively.
Year: 2014
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THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffmann, Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Clafin, Jeffrey Wright, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks
Direction: Francis Lawrence
Genre: ActionDuration: 2 hours 10 minutesStory: Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence), who has brought an end to the games and stirred up a hornet’s nest of unrest in the process, is now in District 13. It is headed by President Alma Coin (Moore). Plutarch (Hoffmann) and Coin tell a shell-shocked Katniss that she needs to be the face of the revolution (the Mockingjay) that will overthrow the Capitol.
Review: From the rubble of the 75th Hunger Games, it is only Katniss, Beetee (Wright) and Finnick Odair (Clafin) who end up in the relative safe haven that is District 13. It is also a hotbed for revolution. Katniss is clearly traumatized by what she has been through and has nightmares about her past experiences. Nonetheless, she is often reminded of her heroism and is told that she has (seemingly, whether she likes it or not) been the galvanizing factor for a mass movement among the people in D13.
Katniss is however more concerned about the fate of Peeta (Hutcherson), who she still loves. She is distressed to find out that Peeta is being used by President Coriolanus Snow (Sutherland) for propaganda purposes. Broadcasts are made from the Capitol showing Peeta tearfully denouncing the rebellion and urging the fighters to put down their arms.
While many, including Gale Hawthorne (Hemsworth) denounce Peeta as a traitor and a coward, Katniss is moved to tears as she knows he is a victim of coercion. Nonetheless, Katniss is being groomed to be the “best dressed revolutionary” according to her stylist Effie Trinket (Banks) who in a moment of blithe honesty reminds the former that “Everyone’s either going to want to kiss you, kill you or be you.” Katniss is taken to the devastated District 12, where it is hoped that the destruction she sees will enrage her. -
GIR: THE LAND OF THE LION
In Gir you touch the history of India before humanity itself. Before monuments, temples, mosques and palaces. Or rather, a history as humanity was emerging, when humans coexisted with lions, before the former had overrun the continent (and the world) and pushed the latter to the brink of extinction. Many come to Gir because, outside of Africa, it is the only place with wild lions. But to truly experience Gir and the lions, you must explore their natural habitat, with everything from tiny wild birds, not easily seen, but heard singing in the forest canopy, to crocodiles floating in the marsh waters.
Driving around, you are uncommonly aware you are in someone else’s territory. You stay in your vehicle because you are in the home of lions, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles; you remember that humans do not rule the world, and however “advanced” we think we are, most of us would not survive very long on our own in a place like Gir. That is not to say that all humans are out of place. The local Maldhari community has lived here for generations and coexists magnifcently with the wilderness. They sustain themselves by grazing their livestock and harvesting what they need from the forest. The sizeable portion of their herds lost to lions and other predators is considered prasad, offered in exchange for living in another’s homeland.
Flora
Most of the area is rugged hills, with high ridges and densely forested valleys, wide grassland plateaus, and isolated hilltops. Around half of the forested area of the park is teak forest, with other trees such as khair, dhavdo, timru, amla, and many others. The other half is non-teak forest, with samai, simal, khakhro and asundro jambu, umro, amli, vad and kalam; mostly broadleaf and evergreen trees. The river Hiran is the only one to flow year-round; the rest are seasonal. There are also areas of the park with open scrub and savannah-type grassland.
Deer and Antelope
This variety of vegetation provides for a huge array of animals. The most-sighted animal in the park, the chital, or Indian spotted deer, inhabits the dry and mixed deciduous forest, with a population of over 32,000. The more reclusive sambar, the largest of the Indian deer species, weighing 300-500 kg, lives in the wetter western part of the park. Both the sambar and the chausingha, the world’s only 4- horned antelope (chau= four, singha= horns), are very dependent on water, and rarely found far from a water source. Another one-of-a-kind is the chinkara, the only gazelle in the world with horns in both males and females. The fastest of the Indian antelopes, the blackbuck, also lives in Gir, but has a relatively small population here compared to Velavadar National Park (near Bhavnagar), as it prefers open grasslands to forests.
Wild Cats
Along with the famous lions, who number around 350, the park is also home to four other wild cats. There are around 300 leopards, though they are nocturnal and thus harder to spot. Of the three smaller wildcats, the jungle cat is the most widespread, and lives in deciduous scrub and riverine areas. The mysterious desert cat is almost never seen. The rusty spotted cat, previously thought to only live in the Dangs of southeast Gujarat, has only recently been found in Gir.
Other animals and reptiles
The top and middle canopies of the dry, mixed and riverine decidous forests are home to troops of hanuman langur monkeys. The striped hyena is usually seen scavenging alone in the grasslands and scrub forest, far more solitary than the African hyena.Wild boars rooting into the ground for tuber provide aeration of the soil. If you look closer, you may see smaller mammals like pangolins, pale hedgehogs, Indian hares, or grey musk shrews. The ratel or honey badger is renowned for its snake-killing exploits, earning it the “most fearless animal” title in the Guinness Book of World Records. Another snake-killer in Gir is the ruddy mongoose; the snakes they contend with include the common krait, russell’s viper, and the saw-scaled viper. The Kamaleshwar reservoir now houses the largest population of marsh crocodiles in the country. Other reptiles include the soft-shelled turtle, star tortoise, Indian rock python and monitor lizard (which grows to over 1.5 m long; don’t look for the lizards that live in your yard.)
Birds
Gir is also home to more kinds of birds than any other park in Gujarat, yet somehow is not known for its birdlife. While it may not have the half-million flamingoes found in Kutch during breeding season, Gir is home to over 300 species of birds, many of which can be seen yearround, from the Malabar whistling thrush to the Paradise flycatcher, from the crested serpent eagle to the king vulture, from pelicans to painted storks. The noted ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali said that if there were no lions here, Gir would be well-known as one of the best bird sanctuaries in western India.
The Asiatic Lion
Until the early 19th century, Asiatic lions roamed an immense area of South and Southwest Asia, as far east as Greece and as far west as modern Bangladesh. As humanity has lived in this region for millennia, people coexisted with lions for thousands of years, but in the last few centuries, the growth of the human population has come at the cost of the lions’ habitat. Like the Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic Cheetah, lions saw a dramatic decline in population as their preferred habitat of grasslands and semi-forested areas became overrun with humans. Beyond just habitat reduction, though, once guns arrived and became widespread, from 1800-1860, nearly all the lions remaining outside Gujarat were hunted and killed.The last Asiatic lions in India outside of Gir forest were killed in 1886 at Rewah, and the last wild lion sighted the world outside Gir was in Iran in 1941. In 1901, Lord Curzon was offered to be taken lion hunting while visiting Junagadh. Noting that these were the only lions left in Asia, he declined, and reportedly suggested to the Nawab of Junagadh that it would be better to conserve the lion population than to hunt it. The Nawab began what was probably the first institutional wildlife conservation effort in India and one of the earliest in the world (though various human societies have been operating in ways that conserve wildlife throughout the ages), banning all lion hunting entirely.
From a population reported to be as low as 20 in 1913 (considered exaggerated by some wildlife experts, noting that the first official census in the 1930s found over 200 lions), the lions have rebounded to now number 359 in the most recent census of 2005. This is due almost entirely to the Nawab’s conservation efforts, and the Indian Government’s post-independence ban on lion killing in 1955. Though the lions have maintained a small healthy population, their habitat continues to shrink, and they remain a critically endangered species.
The Gir forest area, which covered over 3000 square km in 1880, was reduced to just over 2500 square km by the mid-20th century, and only 1400 square km today. Of that, a mere 258 square km make up the National Park itself. While the population has grown due to successful conservation programs in the park, the park is too small for the number of lions it now houses, and lions are straying outside to seek further living space, often not surviving well in the other areas. Locally called sher or sinh, the Asiatic lion is over two and a half meters long, weighs 115 to 200 kg, and can run short distances at 65 km/h to chase down the sambar, chital, nilgai, and chinkara that are its preferred prey.
However, when not hungry, it will never attack an animal; after a lion makes a kill, it will gorge itself on up to 75 kg of meat, and then not worry about eating for a few days, so it is not unusual to see a well-fed lion lounging calmly beside a herd of grazing deer. The lions prefer open scrub and deciduous forest areas, and are very bold, not shy around humans. So even if they seem tame or timid, do not approach them, they are still very powerful wild animals. -
MODI DISAPPROVES OF BJP MINISTER’S REMARKS, OPPN UNMOVED
NEW DELHI (TIP): While Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4 said he strongly disapproved of Union Minister Niranjan Jyoti’s controversial remarks, his attempt to buy peace in Parliament failed to fructify with a determined Congress-led Opposition refusing to relent on its demand for her ouster. The Opposition is likely to continue to disrupt both Houses until the minister is sacked from Modi’s Council of Ministers.
As Modi broke his silence on sadhvi’s remarks, apparently after an agreement with the main Opposition party Congress that the working of Houses would not be disrupted after his statement, mood in the Opposition benches remained belligerent, especially in the Rajya Sabha. BJP, sources said, was unhappy with the about turn by the Congress, especially after the statement from the Prime Minister, and was bracing itself for the future course of action.
With the Opposition stalling proceedings in the Rajya Sabha for past three days, Modi appeared in the Upper House after the first round of disruption this morning and appealed to the members to allow the House to function in national interest as sadhvi had already apologised. “I was informed about the statement which caused the controversy on the day BJP Parliamentary Party was to meet. In the meeting, I strongly disapproved of the remarks and I said we should avoid using such language,” he said. In election heat, he said, leaders should avoid using such language. Modi said after the minister’s apology the matter should rest and the House resume its normal functioning.
The Prime Minister said sadhvi was a first-time minister and a new Member of Parliament and the House should show magnanimity by accepting her apology. “When the minister has apologised, I appeal and request the House (to resume normal business)… In national interest, we must carry forward work (of the House),” he said, adding members should maintain decorum. Modi said he shared the view that after the minister’s apology, the matter should be considered closed.
As soon as the Prime Minister sat down, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu stood up and said: “In view of the Prime Minister’s statement, I request the House should be allowed to function.” But the request from the Prime Minister and Naidu went unheeded as Opposition members continued to press for sadhvi’s resignation, forcing the adjournment of the House. Firm on cornering the government, the Opposition leaders will meet tomorrow to discuss their future strategy.
There are clear indications that the Rajya Sabha will not function tomorrow. Opposition leaders indicated they might push for a resolution in Parliament denouncing sadhvi’s remarks against non-Hindus as a compromise formula considering the PM is against her resignation. The suggestion was made by Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress MPs at a meeting presided over by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari. While the government rejected the suggestion, Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma said the matter was being debated. “The suggestion came and we will see how it goes,” he said.
Sharma said 10 Opposition leaders, including those of the TMC, SP, JD-U and CPM will meet tomorrow to discuss the matter. The Biju Janata Dal, the Indian National Lok Dal, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the AIADMK and the YRS Congress are, however, not participating in the Opposition protest with BJD’s Bhartruhari Mahtab saying: “It’s a dead issue after the minister has apologised.” As soon as the House met for the day, the entire Opposition was on its feet seeking Jyoti’s ouster.
As Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien asked ministers to lay the listed papers, Congress members trooped into the well. Protests continued even after he took up zero hour mentions, which led to repeated adjournments. When the House met at noon for question hour, the protests continued, forcing the Chairman to adjourn the House till 2 pm. Ansari said it was “unbecoming” of members to keep disrupting the proceedings. Disruptions continued in the Lok Sabha too with the Opposition, led by the Congress, demanding Modi’s statement on sadhvi’s remarks.
The House was disrupted for more than an hour but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continued with the question hour amid the din. Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge hinted that the Speaker was under pressure not to allow the Opposition have its say in Lok Sabha.
Opposition may push resolution denouncing minister’s remarks
Firm on cornering the government over Union Minister sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti’s controversial remarks against non-Hindus, the Opposition leaders will meet here tomorrow to discuss their future strategy after successfully stalling the Rajya Sabha for two days. The Lok Sabha too, though functional, has been discharging business without the participation of the Opposition whose leaders walked out again today in protest over the PM’s refusal to make a statement on the issue.
Barring the BJD, INLD, TRS, AIADMK and YRS Congress, most other Opposition leaders from the Lok Sabha will stage a protest outside Parliament tomorrow demanding the PM’s response in the House. Leaders of 10 Opposition parties from the Rajya Sabha will meet tomorrow with sources indicating they might press for a parliamentary resolution denouncing Jyoti’s remarks as a compromise formula.The suggestion is said to have been made today by the SP and the TMC at a meeting called by Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari to resolve the impasse. Though the government is learnt to have rejected it there, the Opposition didn’t rule out demanding the same if not a resignation by the minister. “The suggestion had come but it was not made by me. We will see how it goes. Let the government come out with a solution,” said Anand Sharma, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Further slamming the BJP as a serial offender on the issue of polarisation, Sharma hinted that the deadlock would continue until the government came up with a plan to end it. “The government hasn’t expressed intentions to talk. And there is no truth in the assertion that the Opposition had any deal with them and that the PM’s statement in the Rajya Sabha today was part of that deal,” the Congress leader said. -
Cong questions massive loan to Adani group
NEW DELHI: (TIP): The Congress has questioned the decision of the Narendra Modi government to facilitate loan worth 6,200 crore through State Bank of India for Adani’s mining venture in Australia, demanding disclosure of the MoU of the loan agreement. Threatening to raise the matter in the Parliament session, Congress general secretary, communication, Ajay Maken said: “People are opening accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana, anticipating that the government will deposit the retrieved black money in their accounts, however, the government, it seems, plans to siphon off the money deposited by people in their accounts for funding big corporate projects.” The Congress said many international banks had ruled out funding Adani’s project due to financial uncertainty of the project. The SBI has granted Adanis the loan for a coal mine project in Queensland.
SBI defends
SBI said it has only signed a preliminary MoU and will disburse the money only after proper due diligence
“We clarify that this is a memorandum of understanding. This is not a loan sanction that we have given. It will go through proper due diligence both on the credit side as well as on the viability side,” SBI Chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya said. -
Sonia Gandhi dismayed by abandoned UP schemes
Rae Bareli (TIP): Congress president Sonia Gandhi on December 4 expressed dismay on learning that several schemes launched by the UPA government had been abandoned. Taking strong note of complaints by villagers that work under Central government schemes like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) had stopped. “How did this happen,” Sonia asked, adding she would inquire about it.
Congress sources and officials accompanying her said Sonia was apprised about the poor status of NREGS, old age pension scheme and Indira Awas Yojana in Gosain ka purwa village where a group of men and women surrounded her and alleged that the schemes were largely unimplemented for more than two months. Making detours and impromptu visits, Sonia went from one house to another, met families, and tried to understand their problems. Emerging from Fursatganj airport at around 10.30am, she went straight to Malin-Ka-Purwa village which has a Dalit majority. She was told by a group of women that self-help groups constituted during UPA regime had been disbanded.
However, she also faced embarrassment when at least 12 teachers from state-run Kasturba Gandhi school squatted in front of her vehicle demanding release of salaries. The incident took place right on the premises of the collectorate where the Congress president had arrived for a meeting of district coordination committee in her parliamentary constituency, Rae Bareli. The teachers waited from more than an hour to meet Sonia and as she walked towards an SUV after the meeting, the teachers blocked the cavalcade. It was only after Sonia got down and heard them out that the teachers left. -
Kalashnikov rebrands AK- 47s as ‘weapons of peace’
MOSCOW (TIP): Kalashnikov assault rifles, popular with terrorists and national armies in Asia and Africa, have been given a makeover and a new logo by its Russian manufacturer that has dubbed them as “weapons of peace”. Equipped with a shiny new logo, the Russian weapons manufacturer Kalashnikov launched a major rebranding drive here on Tuesday. The Siberian weapons maker paid more than $380,000 for the re-branding campaign, the Russia Today reported.
The new Kalashnikov logo is a “CK” written in black and red and melded into a single block. The abbreviation stands for Kalashnikov Concern, as the producer now calls itself. The colours were borrowed from the flag of Udmurtia in western Siberia, the region hosting Kalashnikov’s main facilities, the company said in a statement. The logo is accompanied by the company’s name written in Russian. The firearms producer also has a new slogan, or rather two different slogans. In English, it is “Protecting Peace” but in Russian it translates as “Weapons of Peace” or “Weapons of the World,” depending on which meaning of the Russian word “mir” is used.
The company is also branching out into fashion, launching a line of branded survival gear. The firm, which relies heavily on the export market, is among the targets of Western sanctions imposed over Russia’s role in the Ukraine conflict. The Kalashnikov, or AK-47, is one of the world’s most recognisable weapons. The gun is relatively cheap as well as easy to manufacture and maintain, contributing to its popularity with terrorists and national armies in Asia and Africa.
The company unveiled new logos across its these three product lines — Kalashnikov for the Russian and foreign militaries; Baikal for civilian hunters; and Izhmash for sportsmen — and promised to target new markets, including South America, Asia-Pacific and Africa. -
OMANI FISHERMAN LOSES APPEAL FOR MOLESTATION OF INDIAN BOY
DUBAI (TIP): A 62-year-old Omani fisherman has lost his appeal against a 27-month jail term for attempting to molest a nine-year-old Indian school boy here. The incident happened in May when the Omani national only identified as ‘M A’ was drunk and was found luring the minor with two Dirham and juice. The boy was then spotted by two Bangladeshi cleaners who then rushed after him and saved the boy from being abused. “I went to play cricket with my friends. The defendant came after five minutes and offered me a cold drink, but I refused. He gave me two Dirham … then he hugged and kissed me. When I refused to go with him, he pulled me by the arm,” said the boy. “He forced me into a building’s elevator and forced me to do something bad but I refused. Then two men came and stopped the defendant,” the boy was quoted as saying to Gulf News. The Bangladeshi cleaner said they felt something was not right when they noticed the elderly man pushing the boy into the building. “We searched for the boy everywhere, until we found him on the rooftop room and rescued the boy,” the cleaners said. The Dubai appeal court rejected M A’s appeal and upheld imprisonment against him of two years for sexually abusing the boy and three months for getting drunk.
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Was Mona Lisa a Chinese slave? Italian’s theory raises eyebrows
BEIJING: An Italian historian’s theory that Mona Lisa might be a Chinese slave and Leonardo da Vinci’s mother, making the 15thcentury polymath half-Chinese, sent online commentators into a frenzy on Wednesday. Angelo Paratico, a Hong Kong-based historian and novelist from Italy, told the South China Morning Post: “On the back of Mona Lisa, there is a Chinese landscape and even her face looks Chinese.” Chinese web users expressed astonishment and disbelief on Wednesday, posting dozens of parodies of the painting, with faces from Chinese comedians to British actor Rowan Atkinson grafted over her delicate features.
Little is known about Caterina, the mother of the artist, writer, mathematician and inventor, and the identity of the sitter for the portrait hanging in Paris’ Louvre museum has long been a matter of debate. Paratico, who is finishing a book entitled Leonardo da Vinci: a Chinese scholar lost in Renaissance Italy, cited Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud’s 1910 assumption that the painting was inspired by the artist’s mother. “One wealthy client of Leonardo’s father had a slave called Caterina.
After 1452, Leonardo’s date of birth, she disappeared from the documents,” he told the paper. The evidence for a Chinese connection appears to be slight, with Paratico saying he was sure “up to a point” that da Vinci’s mother was from the Orient. “To make her an oriental Chinese, we need to use a deductive method,” he added. Many posters on China’s Twitter-like Sina Weibo were incredulous. “I’m so sad that you thought I’m a foreigner!” wrote one, with an image of a frowning Mona Lisa holding two rolls of toilet paper and blowing her nose. “I’d rather be from wherever I am loved.”
Another user replaced her features with unlikely faces ranging from Chinese male comedian Zhao Benshan to British actor Rowan Atkinson, to a grimacing robot holding a Mona Lisa mask. The topic had been viewed more than four million times and triggered 160,000 postings by midday on Wednesday. “I now understand why her smile looks so mysterious and concealed, it’s typically Chinese,” said another poster. -
China’s anti-graft watchdog face criticism after naming female officials for practicing adultery
BEIJING (TIP): China’s anticorruption officials are being widely criticized for publicly shaming two high-ranking female officials for committing adultery besides accumulating illicit money. Critics are saying that adultery is not illegal, and anti-graft officials have no business to use it as a tool against suspects. The criticism, mostly voiced over different Internet forum, came after the Communist Party’s anti-graft body, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, specifically named two female officials saying they “committed adultery with others”. They referred to Zhang Xiuping, former deputy Party chief from Jinzhong, and Yang Xiaobo, former mayor of Gaoping. The watchdog has punished a total of 80,000 party officials, both male and female, for corruption since Xi Jinping took charge as president in March last year.
Faced with criticism, the watchdog said adultery was not against the law, but was regarded as unacceptable behavior for Party members. In 2014, at least 20 senior female officials have been investigated by central government and provincial anti-graft watchdogs for crimes involving the abuse of power. The move raised questions on whether female officials used sex to rise in power and position, and later use their station to garner bribes. The official media cited names of officials with whom these female officials allegedly had sexual liaison.
There is a sharp rise in the number of female officials involved in corruption cases, the official media quoted officials at the Supreme Procuratorate, the office of the chief prosecutor, as saying. Most of the women were found to have offered or accepted bribes. “Corruption has nothing to do with age and gender,” Li Chengyan, a researcher with Peking University, told the Beijing News. “It has to do with loopholes of legal supervision on power, and how power should be restrained accordingly.” Other female officials punished include Jiang Runli, former director of Fushun Land Resources Bureau in Liaoning province, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 for accepting over $810,000 in bribes.
Searches of her house produced 48 top brand watches and 253 designer handbags. In another case, Liu Guangming, a senior female official in Anshan, Liaoning province, allegedly spent $650,000 worth of bribes on plastic surgery. In Beijing, a dozen female officials were caught for corruption linked to high-end beauty salons in 2012. One official, Bai Hong, former chairwoman of the labor union of Beijing Health Bureau, who spent $75,000 on beauty-salon, was given imprisonment for five years. -
2 car bomb attacks kill 18 people in Iraq
BAGHDAD (TIP): Two separate car bomb attacks at a group of restaurants and a market on Thursday killed 18 people in Baghdad, said Iraqi officials. Police officials said the first attack targeted a line of small restaurants in the Shiite district of Sadr City Thursday night, killing 11 people and wounding 25 others. Minutes later, a second car bomb blast near an outdoor market in the same district killed seven people and wounded 21 others. Several cars were either burnt or damaged due to both attacks. Medical officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Iraq sees near-daily bombings and other attacks mainly targeting Shiite neighborhoods and security forces. The attacks are often claimed by the Sunni extremist Islamic State group which seized much of northern and western Iraq in a summer offensive.
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Indian-origin man knifed in Britain succumbs to injuries
LONDON (TIP): An Indian-origin man who was found stabbed at a house in Britain’s Manchester city earlier this week succumbed to his injuries on his 63rd birthday, a media report said on December 3. Ujjal Singh died after being attacked in the city’s Crumpsall area December 1. He was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary after the attack but he died at the hospital, the Manchester Evening News reported. He is survived by his wife, four children, nine grandchildren and a great-grandson. “Ujjal Singh sadly passed away on December 1, the day of his 63rd Birthday,” Singh’s family said in a statement. Police were called late Sunday night after the attack. A 37-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of Singh’s murder, has been granted bail until February next year, pending further enquiries. Another man, 53, arrested on suspicion in the case, is presently in police custody. “The investigation will still continue until we fully understand exactly what happened,” reported BBC citing a police official.
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Putin speech offers few reforms for economic woes
MOSCOW (TIP): Russia will defend its geopolitical interests, President Vladimir Putin warned on December 4 as he promised economic reforms to pull his country back from the brink of recession. But Putin’s patriotic bluster and vague promises did little to assuage real fears that Western sanctions, plummeting oil prices and a collapsing ruble are crippling Russia’s economy. In his annual state-of-the-nation address at the Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin announced measures to spur the country’s flagging economy, which is set to enter recession in 2015 for the first time in six years.
“The quality and size of the Russian economy must correspond to our geopolitical and historical role,” Putin said. “We must get out of this zero-growth trap and in the next three or four years raise our growth to aboveaverage global levels.” Putin proposed a three-year freeze on tax inspections for companies as well as a tax amnesty for money brought back to Russia from abroad. But in a disappointment to investors, he offered no broader plan for pulling Russia out of its economic downturn.
“His freedom of maneuver is limited now and many important economic factors no longer depend on him: the ruble rate, the price of oil, inflation,” said Moscow-based analyst Maria Lipman. “No matter what Putin says, whether he sounds conciliatory and reassuring or bellicose and threatening, this would not affect those basic factors.” Putin spent much of his speech blaming his country’s economic woes on the West, which he accused of wanting to dismember Russia like Yugoslavia, which broke up amid wars in the 1990s. Putin said the United States and Europe would have imposed sanctions and found other pretexts for holding Russia back even if tensions had not erupted in Ukraine this year.
“The politics of containment were not invented yesterday … The more we retreat and justify ourselves, the more brazen our opponents become and the more cynically and aggressively they behave,” Putin said, adding that “no one will succeed in defeating Russia militarily.” He blamed the volatility of the ruble, which has lost about 40 percent of its value against the dollar this year, on speculators, and praised the Russian central bank’s decision to allow the currency to float freely. The ruble fell further as he spoke.
He skimmed over more concrete issues affecting Russian consumers, such as the rapid rise in prices and an expected decline in living standards, instead portraying the difficulties as a necessary part of Russia’s patriotic struggle. “This year, as in many fateful historical moments, our people clearly displayed national revival, firm resistance and patriotism,” Putin said. “And the difficulties we encountered will create new opportunities for us. We are ready to accept any challenge of our time and be victorious.” -
THE RAMAYANA
contined from vol 8 issue 47
In the woods of Chitra-kuta where the Malyavati flows, Sixth day of their weary wand’rings ended in a sweet repose.
TALE OF THE HERMIT’S SON
Wise Sumantra chariot-driver came from Ganga’s sacred wave, And unto Ayodhya’s monarch,
banished Rama’s message gave, Dasa-ratha’s heart was shadowed by the deepening shade of night,
As the darkness of the eclipse glooms the sun’s meridian light!
On the sixth night,-when his Rama slept in Chitra-kuta’s bower,- Memory of an ancient sorrow flung on him its fatal power, Of an ancient crime and anguish, unforgotten, dark and dread,
Through the lapse of years and seasons casting back its death-like shade! And the gloom of midnight deepened, Dasa-ratha sinking fast,
To Kausalya sad and sorrowing spake his memories of the past: “Deeds we do in life,
Kausalya, be they bitter, be they sweet, Bring their fruit and retribution, rich reward or suffering meet.
Heedless child is he, Kausalya, in his fate who doth not scan Retribution of his karma,
sequence of a mighty plan! Oft in madness and in folly we destroy the mango grove,
Plant the gorgeous gay palasa for the red flower that we love, Fruitless as the red palasa is the karma I have sown, And my barren lifetime withers through the deed which is my own! Listen to my tale,
Kausalya, in my days of youth renowned, I was called a sabda-bedhi, archer prince who shot by sound,
I could hit the unseen target, by the sound my aim could tell,– Blindly drinks a child the poison,
blindly in my pride I fell! I was then my father’s Regent, thou a maid to me unknown,
Hunting by the fair Sarayu in my car I drove alone, Buffalo or jungle tusker might frequent the river’s brink,
Nimble deer or watchful tiger stealing for his nightly drink, Stalking with a hunter’s patience,
loitering in the forests drear, Sound of something in the water struck my keen and listening ear,
In the dark I stood and listened, some wild beast the water drunk, ‘Tis some elephant,
I pondered, lifting water with its trunk. I was called a sabda-bedhi, archer prince who shot by sound,
On the unseen fancied tusker dealt a sure and deadly wound, Ah! too deadly was my arrow and like hissing cobra fell, On my startled car and bosom smote a voice of human wail,
Dying voice of lamentation rose upon the midnight high, Till my weapons fell in tremor and a darkness dimmed my eye! Hastening with a nameless terror soon I reached Sarayu’s shore,
Saw a boy with hermit’s tresses, and his pitcher lay before, Weltering in a pool of red blood, lying on a gory bed,
Feebly raised his voice the hermit, and in dying accents said: ‘What offence,
O mighty monarch, allunknowing have I done, That with quick and kingly justice slayest thus a hermit’s son? Old and feeble are my parents, sightless by the will of fate, Thirsty in their humble cottage for their duteous boy they wait, And thy shaft that kills me, monarch, bids my ancient parents die. Helpless,
friendless, they will perish, in their anguish deep and high! Sacred lore and lifelong penance change not mortal’s earthly state, Wherefore else they sit unconscious when their son is doomed by fate.
Or if conscious of my danger, could they dying breath recall, Can the tall tree save the sapling doomed by woodman’s axe to fall? Hasten to my parents, monarch, soothe their sorrow and their ire,
For the tears of good and righteous wither like the forest fire,
Short the pathway to the asram, soon the cottage thou shalt see, Soothe their anger by entreaty,
ask their grace and pardon free! But before thou goest,
monarch, take, O take thy torturing dart, For it rankles in my bosom with a cruel burning smart,
And it eats into my young life as the river’s rolling tide By the rains of summer swollen eats into its yielding side.’ Writhing in his pain and anguish thus the wounded hermit cried, And I drew the fatal arrow,
and the holy hermit died! Darkly fell the thickening shadows, stars their feeble radiance lent,
As I filled the hermit’s pitcher, to his sightless parents went, Darkly fell the moonless midnight,
deeper gloom my bosom rent, As with faint and falt’ring footsteps to the hermits slow I went.
Like two birds bereft of plumage, void of strength, deprived of flight,
Were the stricken ancient hermits, friendless, helpless, void of sight,
Lisping in their feeble accents still they whispered of their child. Of the stainless boy whose red blood Dasaratha’s hands defiled! And the father heard my footsteps,
spake in accents soft and kind: ‘Come, my son, to waiting parents, wherefore dost thou stay behind,
Sporting in the rippling water didst thou midnight’s hour beguile,
But thy faint and thirsting mother anxious waits for thee the while,
Rath my heedless word or utterance caused thy boyish bosom smart, But a feeble father’s failings may not wound thy filial heart, Help of helpless, sight of sightless, and thy parents’ life and joy,
Wherefore art thou mute and voiceless, speak, my brave and beauteous boy!’ Thus the sightless father welcomed cruel slayer of his son, And an anguish tore my bosom for the action I had done.
Scarce upon the sonless parents could I lift my aching eye,
Scarce in faint and faltering accents to the father make reply, For a tremor shook my person and my spirit sank in dread. Straining all my utmost prowess, thus in quavering voice I said: ‘Not thy son, O holy hermit, but a Khsatra warrior born, Dasa-ratha stands before thee by a cruel anguish torn,
For I came to slay the tusker by Sarayu’s wooded brink,
Buffalo or deer of jungle stealing for his midnight drink, And I heard a distant gurgle,
some wild beast the water drunk,– So I thought,–some jungle tusker lifting water with its trunk, And I sent my fatal arrow on the unknown, unseen prey, Speeding to the spot I witnessed,-there a dying hermit lay!TO BE CONTINUED
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SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB
CONTD FROM Vol 8 ISSUE 47
|| 2 || PAUREE: Those who are permeated by falsehood, do not love the Truth. If someone speaks the Truth, falsehood is burnt away. The false are satisfied by falsehood, like the crows who eat manure. When the Lord grants His Grace, then one meditates on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. As Gurmukh, worship the Lord’s Name in adoration; fraud and sin shall disappear.
|| 10 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: O Shaykh, you wander in the four directions, blown by the four winds; bring your mind back to the home of the One Lord. Renounce your petty arguments, and realize the Word of the Guru’s Shabad. Bow in humble respect before the True Guru; He is the Knower who knows everything. Burn away your hopes and desires, and live like a guest in this world. If you walk in harmony with the True Guru’s Will, then you shall be honored in the Court of the Lord. O Nanak, those who do not contemplate the Naam, the Name of the Lord – cursed are their clothes, and cursed is their food.
|| 1 || THIRD MEHL: There is no end to the Lord’s Glorious Praises; His worth cannot be described. O Nanak, the Gurmukhs chant the Glorious Praises of the Lord; they are absorbed in His Glorious Virtues.
|| 2 || PAUREE: The Lord has adorned the coat of the body; He has embroidered it with devotional worship. The Lord has woven His silk into it, in so many ways and fashions. How rare is that man of understanding, who understands, and deliberates within. He alone understands these deliberations, whom the Lord Himself inspires to understand. Poor servant Nanak speaks: the Gurmukhs know the Lord, the Lord is True.
|| 11 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: Great men speak the teachings by relating them to individual situations, but the whole world shares in them. One who becomes Gurmukh knows the Fear of God, and realizes his own self. If, by Guru’s Grace, one remains dead while yet alive, the mind becomes content in itself. Those who have no faith in their own minds, O Nanak – how can they speak of spiritual wisdom?
|| 1 || THIRD MEHL: Those who do not focus their consciousness on the Lord, as Gurmukh, suffer pain and grief in the end. They are blind, inwardly and outwardly, and they do not understand anything. O Pandit, O religious scholar, the whole world is fed for the sake of those who are attuned to the Lord’s Name. Those who praise the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, remain blended with the Lord. O Pandit, O religious scholar, no one is satisfied, and no one finds true wealth through the love of duality. They have grown weary of reading scriptures, but still, they do not find contentment, and they pass their lives burning, night and day. Their cries and complaints never end, and doubt does not depart from within them. O Nanak, without the Naam, the Name of the Lord, they rise up and depart with blackened faces.
|| 2 || PAUREE: O Beloved, lead me to meet my True Friend; meeting with Him, I shall ask Him to show me the Path. I am a sacrifice to that Friend, who shows it to me. I share His Virtues with Him, and meditate on the Lord’s Name. I serve my Beloved Lord forever; serving the Lord, I have found peace. I am a sacrifice to the True Guru, who has imparted this understanding to me.
|| 12 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: O Pandit, O religious scholar, your filth shall not be erased, even if you read the Vedas for four ages. The three qualities are the roots of Maya; in egotism, one forgets the Naam, the Name of the Lord. The Pandits are deluded, attached to duality, and they deal only in Maya. They are filled with thirst and hunger; the ignorant fools starve to death. Serving the True Guru, peace is obtained, contemplating the True Word of the Shabad. Hunger and thirst have departed from within me; I am in love with the True Name. O Nanak, those who are imbued with the Naam, who keep the Lord clasped tightly to their hearts, are automatically satisfied.
|| 1 || THIRD MEHL: The selfwilled manmukh does not serve the Lord’s Name, and so he suffers in horrible pain. He is filled with the darkness of ignorance, and he does not understand anything. Because of his stubborn mind, he does not plant the seeds of intuitive peace; what will he eat in the world hereafter, to satisfy his hunger? He has forgotten the treasure of the Naam; he is caught in the love of duality. O Nanak, the Gurmukhs are honored with glory, when the Lord Himself unites them in His Union.
|| 2 || PAUREE: The tongue which sings the Lord’s Praises, is so very beautiful. One who speaks the Lord’s Name, with mind, body and mouth, is pleasing to the Lord. That Gurmukh tastes the the sublime taste of the Lord, and is satisfied. She sings continually the Glorious Praises of her Beloved; singing His Glorious Praises, she is uplifted. She is blessed with the Lord’s Mercy, and she chants the Words of the Guru, the True Guru.
|| 13 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: The elephant offers its head to the reins, and the anvil offers itself to the hammer; just so, we offer our minds and bodies to our Guru; we stand before Him, and serve Him. This is how the Gurmukhs eliminate their self-conceit, and come to rule the whole world. O Nanak, the Gurmukh understands, when the Lord casts His Glance of Grace.
|| 1 || THIRD MEHL: Blessed and approved is the coming into the world, of those Gurmukhs who meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord. O Nanak, they save their families, and they are honored in the Court of the Lord. || 2 || PAUREE: The Guru unites His Sikhs, the Gurmukhs, with the Lord. The Guru keeps some of them with Himself, and engages others in His Service. Those who cherish their Beloved in their conscious minds, the Guru blesses them with His Love. The Guru loves all of His Gursikhs equally well, like friends, children and siblings. So chant the Name of the Guru, the True Guru, everyone! Chanting the Name of the Guru, Guru, you shall be rejuvenated.
|| 14 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: O Nanak, the blind, ignorant fools do not remember the Naam, the Name of the Lord; they involve themselves in other activities. They are bound and gagged at the door of the Messenger of Death; they are punished, and in the end, they rot away in manure.
|| 1 || THIRD MEHL: O Nanak, those humble beings are true and approved, who serve their True Guru. They remain absorbed in the Name of the Lord, and their comings and goings cease.
|| 2 || PAUREE: Gathering the wealth and property of Maya, brings only pain in the end. Homes, mansions and adorned palaces will not go with anyone. He may breed horses of various colors, but these will not be of any use to him. O human, link your consciousness to the Lord’s Name, and in the end, it shall be your companion and helper. Servant Nanak meditates on the Naam, the Name of the Lord; the Gurmukh is blessed with peace.
|| 15 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: Without the karma of good actions, the Name is not obtained; it can be obtained only by perfect good karma. O Nanak, if the Lord casts His Glance of Grace, then under Guru’s Instruction, one is united in His Union.
|| 1 || FIRST MEHL: Some are cremated, and some are buried; some are eaten by dogs. Some are thrown into water, while others are thrown into wells. O Nanak, it is not known, where they go and into what they merge.
|| 2 || PAUREE: The food and clothes, and all the worldly possessions of those who are attuned to the Lord’s Name are sacred. All the homes, temples, palaces and waystations are sacred, where the Gurmukhs, the selfless servants, the Sikhs and the renouncers of the world, go and take their rest. All the horses, saddles and horse blankets are sacred, upon which the Gurmukhs, the Sikhs, the Holy and the Saints, mount and ride. All the rituals and Dharmic practices and deeds are sacred, for those who utter the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, the True Name of the Lord. Those Gurmukhs, those Sikhs, who have purity as their treasure, go to their Guru.
|| 16 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: O Nanak, forsaking the Name, he loses everything, in this world and the next. Chanting, deep meditation and austere self-disciplined practices are all wasted; he is deceived by the love of duality. He is bound and gagged at the door of the Messenger of Death. He is beaten, and receives terrible punishment.
|| 1 || THIRD MEHL: They inflict their hatred upon the Saints, and they love the wicked sinners. They find no peace in either this world or the next; they are born only to die, again and again. Their hunger is never satisfied, and they are ruined by duality. The faces of these slanderers are blackened in the Court of the True Lord. O Nanak, without the Naam, they find no shelter on either this shore, or the one beyond.
|| 2 || PAUREE: Those who meditate on the Lord’s Name, are imbued with the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, in their minds. For those who worship the One Lord in their conscious minds, there is no other than the One Lord. They alone serve the Lord, upon whose foreheads such preordained destiny is written. They continually sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, and singing the Glories of the Glorious Lord, they are uplifted. Great is the greatness of the Gurmukhs, who, through the Perfect Guru, remain absorbed in the Lord’s Name.
|| 17 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: It is very difficult to serve the True Guru; offer your head, and eradicate self-conceit. One who dies in the Word of the Shabad shall never have to die again; his service is totally approved. Touching the philosopher’s stone, one becomes the philosopher’s stone, which transforms lead into gold; remain lovingly attached to the True Lord. One who has such pre-ordained destiny, comes to meet the True Guru and God. O Nanak, the Lord’s servant does not meet Him because of his own account; he alone is acceptable, whom the Lord forgives.
|| 1 || THIRD MEHL: The fools do not know the difference between good and bad; they are deceived by their selfinterests. But if they contemplate the Word of the Shabad, they obtain the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence, and their light merges in the Light. The Fear of God is always on their minds, and so they come to understand everything. The True Guru is pervading the homes within; He Himself blends them with the Lord. O Nanak, they meet the True Guru, and all their desires are fulfilled, if the Lord grants His Grace and so wills.
|| 2 || PAUREE: Blessed, blessed is the good fortune of those devotees, who, with their mouths, utter the Name of the Lord. Blessed, blessed is the good fortune of those Saints, who, with their ears, listen to the Lord’s Praises. Blessed, blessed is the good fortune of those holy people, who sing the Kirtan of the Lord’s Praises, and so become virtuous. Blessed, blessed is the good fortune of those Gurmukhs, who live as Gursikhs, and conquer their minds. But the greatest good fortune of all, is that of the Guru’s Sikhs, who fall at the Guru’s feet.
|| 18 || SHALOK, THIRD MEHL: One who knows God, and who lovingly focuses his attention on the One Word of the Shabad, keeps his spirituality intact. The nine treasures and the eighteen spiritual powers of the Siddhas follow him, who keeps the Lord enshrined in his heart. Without the True Guru, the Name is not found; understand this, and reflect upon it. O Nanak, through perfect good destiny, one meets the True Guru, and finds peace, throughout the four ages.TO BE CONTINUED
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PORN MAKES MEN PRONE TO CHEATING?
According to a recent study, watching pornography may increase a man’s urge to cheat. Does this hold true for you? Have you ever come across a guy who has never watched porn? “No!” will be your quick reply and “Is that even possible?”, you will wonder. The saying, ‘Men will always be men’ aptly sums it up. While some women have made peace with the fact that men do watch porn – well, simply because it’s a ‘guy thing’ – there are others who are not comfortable with their boyfriend/ husband doing so. The main reason is, women fear that their men will turn unfaithful, tempted by carnal desires. Well, that fear is somewhat justified because, according to a recent study, watching porn does increase men’s likelihood to cheat. This is in tandem with a previous study which claimed unfaithful men are more than three times likely to watch porn regularly.
What’s the connection?
According to study author A Marlea Gwinn, of the University of Central Florida, porn offers men access to nostrings- attached sex, often with multiple highly attractive partners. Even though a man knows that it’s all make-believe, porn reinforces the idea that there are many attractive options besides his partner. The erotic images also trigger an instinct to reproduce, but with multiple sex partners and not in a loving, steady relationship, adds Gwinn.
Expert speak
Says sexologist and consultant psychiatrist Dr Dhananjay Gambhire, “Watching porn may increase your courage to take one more step and cheat. I have observed that watching porn is more common in men who cheat or visit prostitutes.” Consultant psychiatrist Dr Milan Balakrishnan says, “Watching porn alone doesn’t increase the risk of cheating on your partner. Those who are more impulsive and take decisions without weighing the consequences are more likely to cheat. They are also the ones who are more likely to try substance abuse and indulge in risky behaviour. So, watching porn may just be a coincidence; it does not point to a direct connection.
Don’t demonise porn
All said and done, viewing porn is not unhealthy. It’s a problem only when it becomes an addiction, says Dr Milan Balakrishnan. “This does not mean we need to demonise porn, because it can be used as an effective and safe way of channelising libido in those who are unmarried or lack partners.Watching porn together may also spice up a couple’s sex life. So, it’s alright upto an extent where it does not become the axis around which your life revolves and doesn’t make you feel guilty,” he adds.
Curb your porn time
Take a decision to abstain
Remove all resources that gives you access to porn.
Utilise the free time for other hobbies.
Decide if you want to control your sexual urge. If you are married, talk to your partner and spice up your sex life.
If it’s still not working, and you feel you are addicted to porn, meet a therapist. -
Winter-proof your colour cosmetics
With the onset of winter season, give your makeup regime a makeover too. Make-up artist Annalia Zhimomi says maintaining a wellmoisturised skin is a necessity. After cleansing, toning and moisturising, “the next step is to prepare and prime your skin with a primer so that your foundation is applied smoothly and evenly.” “I would recommend investing in a high quality primer as it makes sure that it lasts longer. It also avoids patchiness, clogging of pores, breakouts and even works in improving the quality of your skin,” Zhimomi said. Women with dry and mature skin should use a hydration primer.
For those who have oily skin or a mix of oily and dry skin should try mattifying primer. For discoloured skin, one can apply colour corrector primer. Women should be careful while selecting foundation too. “For dry skin, liquid foundation with dewy effect or a creme based foundation are good. They should be applied with a beauty blender (sponge) as it avoids skin from becoming flaky,” she said. “Oily skin should be tackled with a mattifying light weight foundation and it must be sealed with powder as this will help the make-up to last longer,” she added.
Another important tip she shared is foundation should be applied with the help of a buffing brush in circulation motion as it helps minimise pores. For lips, she says stick to dark rich colours. “One can go for velvety and berry shades like red berry and plum hues,” she said. -
MYTHS ABOUT MEDITATION
With close to six billion minds active from moment to moment, there are endless streams of thoughts on every aspect of creation. Some thoughts perceive reality the way it is and some are imagination. While there are myths about many topics, the most popular one is meditation. The word, ‘meditation’ conjures up all kinds of images and notions. If you are wondering whether meditation is meant for you, read on to find out. Here is a list of the most common myths, hoping that any confusion that you might have is cleared.
Myth #1 Meditation is concentration
Meditation is actually deconcentration. Concentration is a benefit of meditation. Concentration requires effort and meditation is absolute relaxation of the mind. Meditation is letting go, and when that happens, you are in a state of deep rest. When the mind is relaxed, we can concentrate better.
Myth #2 Meditation, a religious practice
Yoga and meditation are ancient practices that transcend all religions. In fact, meditation has the ability to bring religions, nations and faiths together. Just like the sun shines for everyone, and the wind blows for everyone, meditation benefits everyone. “We encourage people from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions to come together and meditate in a spirit of celebration,” says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Myth #4 Meditation is for old people
Meditation is universal and adds value to the lives of people of all age groups. One can start mediating at the age of eight or nine. Just like a shower keeps the body clean, meditation is a great tonic for the mind.
Myth #5 Meditation is like hypnotising yourself
Meditation is an antidote for hypnosis. In hypnotism, the person is not aware of what he or she is going through. Meditation is complete awareness of each and every moment. Hypnotism takes the person through the same impressions that are in his mind. Meditation frees us from these impressions so that our consciousness is fresh and clear. Hypnotism increase metabolic activity, meditation reduces it. “Those who practice pranayama and meditation regularly cannot be hypnotized easily,” says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Myth #6 Meditation is thought control
Thoughts do not come to us by invitation. We become aware of them only after they have arrived! Thoughts are like clouds in the sky. They come and go on their own. Trying to control thoughts involves effort and the key to a relaxed mind is effortlessness. In meditation, we do not crave for good thoughts nor are we averse to bad thoughts. We simply witness and eventually transcend thoughts and move into that deep inner silent space.
Myth #7 Meditation is a way of running away from problems
On the contrary, meditation empowers you to face problems with a smile. These skills, help us handle situations in a pleasant and constructive manner. We also develop the ability to accept situations as they are and take conscious action instead of brooding over the past or worrying about the future. Meditation nurtures inner strength and self-esteem. It acts like an umbrella during rainy days. Challenges will arise, but we can still move ahead with confidence.
Myth #8 You have to meditate for hours to go deep
You do not have to sit for hours to have a deeper experience in meditation. The connection with your inner core or your source can happen in just a fraction of a moment. Just a 20-minute session of Sahaj Samadhi meditation every morning and evening is sufficient to take you on this beautiful inward journey. As you practice your meditation every day, the quality of your meditation will improve gradually.
Myth #9 If you meditate, you will become a sanyasi (monk or recluse)
You do not have to give up a material life to meditate or progress on the spiritual path. In fact, the quality of your enjoyment improves greatly as you meditate. With a relaxed and peaceful mind, you are able to live happily and make others in your family and surroundings happy too.
Myth #10 You can only meditate at certain times, facing certain directions
Anytime is a good time for meditation and all directions are good for meditation. The only thing to keep in mind is that your stomach should not be full; else you may doze off instead of meditating. However, it is a good practice to meditate during sunrise and sunset (morning and evening) as it can keep you calm and energetic throughout the day. -
DON’T IGNORE CANCER SYMPTOMS
Perhaps driven by fear, people often prefer to dismissing potential warning signs of cancer, thereby putting their lives at risk, says a study. In the study involving 1,700 people, more than half (53 percent) said they had experienced at least one redflag cancer ‘alarm’ symptom during the previous three months, but only two percent of them thought that cancer was a possible cause, the findings showed.
The results showed that people rarely attributed potential signs of cancer to the disease, putting them down to other reasons instead, such as age, infection, arthritis, piles and cysts. “Most people with potential warning symptoms don’t have cancer, but some will and others may have other diseases that would benefit from early attention,” said lead study author Katriina Whitaker, senior research fellow at University College London. “That is why it is important that these symptoms are checked out, especially if they do not go away. But people could delay seeing a doctor if they do not acknowledge cancer as a possible cause,” Whitaker added.
The researchers found that even the more obvious warning symptoms, such as unexplained lumps or changes to the appearance of a mole, were rarely attributed to cancer, although they are often well recognised in surveys that assess the public’s knowledge of the disease. “Most cancers are picked up through people going to their doctors about symptoms. This study indicates that opportunities for early diagnosis are being missed,” said Sara Hiom, director of early diagnosis at Cancer Research UK. -
KEEP YOUR LIVER HEALTHY
The liver is the biggest organ in the human body and has a host of functions. Not only does it play a big role in the digestion process and maintains blood sugar levels but also helps fight against infection. Needless to say, it is imperative to ensure that your liver stays healthy . Here’s what you need to do… Your liver is in charge of removing toxins. So when you subject your body to excess alcohol or substance abuse, you liver has to work much harder to flush them out of your system.
Cut back on your consumption of harmful products if you want your liver to stay healthy. If you binge drink, let your liver recover naturally by abstaining from alcohol for at least two days. Strange as it may sound, exercising also helps keep the liver healthy. A certain type of liver disease known as Non- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) occurs when there is fat build up in the liver. This can cause serious damage to your liver. And experts suggest exercising as one of the most effective ways of avoiding this disease.
DETOX FOODS FOR A HEALTHY LIVER
Be generous with your garlic when you’re cooking. Studies say that garlic helps your liver mobilise enzymes that remove toxins from your body. It also has a high amount of natural compounds like seleni um and allicin, which clean the liver. Flush out toxins by having green tea, which contains antioxidants called catechins, known to improve liver functioning. Lettuce and spinach nullify the effect of chemicals and pesticides that make their way in what we eat and protect the liver.
Beetroot is an excellent way to detoxify your liver. When you eat avocados, your body produces an antioxidant known as glutathione, which keeps out harmful substances. Walnuts contain glu tathione and omega-3 fatty acids, which sup port the liver in removing toxins. -
Paswan favours regulator for direct marketing industry
NEW DELHI (TIP): The consumer affairs ministry is keen to set up a regulator for the over Rs 7,000 crore direct marketing industry and on Thursday minister Ram Vilas Paswan added his stamp of approval to the idea. Following demand from the industry, the government has constituted an inter-ministerial group (IMG) to look into the issue and the first meeting is scheduled next week.
The committee has members from corporate affairs and department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) and is headed by consumer affairs secretary Keshav Desiraju. Direct selling is offering goods and services to consumers outside of the fixed retail outlet channels through sellers. Addressing a conference organized by the industry body FICCI, Paswan said, “I think the demand for regulator for direct selling sector is quite relevant and legitimate. We are considering it.” However, he cautioned, “There are dangers in the methods of direct selling, some companies are forming pyramid structure in the name of direct selling.
Many such cases have come in light, where the consumers were cheated by the companies in the name of direct selling. They vanished overnight by collecting their money.” Paswan said his ministry is taking the demands of the direct marketing sector seriously as to whether a specific regulator or set of regulations is required for the sector. Sources said while the industry has been demanding a separate regulator under the consumer affairs department, the corporate affairs ministry believes the business can be regulated within the available framework. “Since there are different viewpoints we have formed this IMG,” said a consumer affairs ministry official.
Desiraju said that there is a need to differentiate direct selling from other fraudulent schemes masquerading in the market as direct selling. “With internal trade falling under the consumer affairs ministry as per the allocation of business, the ministry seeks to play an important role in regulating activities which impact consumers. The industry needs to have a regulator to look at its issues more closely and resolve them.” According to a KPMG report, direct selling is one of the fastest growing non-store retail formats in India, recording double digit growth of more than 20% over the past five years. In 2012-13, it has been estimated to contribute taxes of INR 1,000 crore to the exchequer. -
RIL signs pact with Mexican firm for oil and gas hunt
NEW DELHI (TIP): Reliance Industries has signed an agreement with Mexican state-owned company, Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) for cooperation in upstream oil and gas production as well as in refining business. As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) “RIL will cooperate with PEMEX for assessment of potential upstream oil and gas business opportunities in Mexico and jointly evaluate value added opportunities in international markets,” a company statement said.
RIL and PEMEX will also share expertise and skills in the relevant areas of oil and gas industry, including for deep-water oil and gas exploration and production. “The MoU envisages sharing of RIL’s pioneering expertise in deepwater development and best practices in East Coast of India and RIL’s experience in shale gas in United States,” it said. RIL will also provide technical support and share experience with PEMEX for refining value maximisation and other technical optimisation strategies. “RIL’s cooperation with PEMEX is in line with its growth strategy to explore opportunities to expand its international asset base in regimes having internationally attractive competitive terms. -
Oil down after Saudi Arabia slashes crude price
SINGAPORE (TIP): Oil fell in Asia today after major producer Saudi Arabia slashed the price of the crude that it sells to Asia and the United States, analysts said. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for January delivery tumbled 31 cents to $66.50 a barrel in late-morning trade and Brent crude for January dropped 38 cents to $69.26. “Saudi Arabia has just cut the price of the oil it sells to Asia and the US and this is going to have a big effect on the market today and early next week,” said Daniel Ang, an investment analyst at Phillip Futures in Singapore.
Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s stateowned oil company, said it had slashed its official selling price for Arab light grade oil bound for Asia in January by $1.90 a barrel from December’s level. It also reduced the price of Arab light grade oil bound for the US by 70 cents. “They’re definitely fighting for market share,” Ang said. Saudi Arabia is the biggest and most influential member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which late last month decided to maintain output levels despite a global oversupply. OPEC’s decision at its November 27 meeting in Vienna sent oil prices tumbling to their lowest point in five years.
Singapore’s United Overseas Bank said Saudi Arabia’s move was “reinforcing concerns that the world’s leading exporter is now more focused on defending its market share than increasing price”. “Saudi reportedly believes oil prices could stabilise at $60 a barrel and there is also rife speculation that Saudi is also trying to drive high-price producers out of the market,” it said in a market commentary. But French bank Credit Agricole said lower prices should give emerging markets a boost. “Oil-intensive economies, including the bulk of Asia, would benefit from lower inflation, larger monetary leeway to support the recovery, and lower corporate and household costs,” it said. “Against such a backdrop this could support a scenario of a slight recovery in emerging market GDP growth in 2015.” -
RBI ASKS BANKS TO PUSH USE OF MOBILE BANKING
MUMBAI (TIP): In a bid to improve efficiency of banks and to bring down their operational costs, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks to make all possible efforts to enable customers to get onboard the mobile banking platform. Henceforth, mobile banking PIN can be generated from ATMs, mobile phones, internet banking and mailers. RBI has also asked banks to promote mobile banking and go all out to acquire mobile numbers of customers.
In its new circular detailing mobile banking norms, RBI has sought to standardize procedures across banks. “There are differences in procedures adopted by banks for registering customers for mobile banking as well as in the channels of delivery and authentication process. Lack of awareness as well as standardization of procedures at banks also adds up to the problems, which has led to a slow pickup of mobile banking service despite the high mobile density in the country.” Banking sources said that the RBI has suggested to banks that since mobile banking is one of the cheapest alternate channels, banks could look at incentivizing customers who use this channel.
New bank account-opening forms will mandatorily include a section that will allow people to opt in for mobile banking. RBI has asked banks to make serious efforts to increase awareness and has said that efforts should be made at every interaction – ATMs, branches and passbook printing counters to obtain customers mobile number. The central bank’s move on mobile banking comes at a time when banks are expected to add 15 crore new customers, most of whom will not have any minimum balance requirement.
Bankers say that unless there is a heavy use of technology, banks will see their operational costs soar if they use traditional infrastructure to service all customers. “If all customers come on board the mobile banking platform, a significant load will be taken off bank branches if customers use mobile banking for balance enquiry and remittances,” said a bank official. Speaking at FICCI’s annual banking summit FIBAC in September, RBI deputy governor H R Khan had said that while there are over 900 million mobile users in the country, there are only 40 million mobile customers.
“This underscores the need for active collaboration between banks and telcos irrespective of the platform, whether it is SMS, smartphone applications or USSD,” said Khan. The deputy governor also said that banks need to see mobile banking channel as a cost-saving avenue as it would eventually bring down cash-handling charges rather than as a revenue-generation vertical. -
Essel Group acquires Rs 400 crore worth property in Mumbai
MUMBAI (TIP): The city’s second-biggest ever office purchase marks stunning recovery from lows for its beleaguered commercial property market and may portend a period of rapid growth amidst rising demand and shrinking inventory. In one of the largest front-office transaction, Essel Group, widely known for its media and entertainment business Zee Entertainment EnterprisesBSE -0.61 %, has acquired 2.20 lakh square feet commercial space in Marathon Futurex complex at Lower Parel in Mumbai for overRs 400 crore, said two persons familiar with the development.
The group will be shifting headquarters from Worli to this new office spread over top seven floors of Marathon Realty’s tower II. “Essel Group has identified certain premises in Marathon Futurex at Lower Parel. This is still under process,” said Mukund Galgali, Executive Vice-President, Essel Group. The transaction assumes significance as it signals a dramatic recovery for Mumbai’s commercial property market after three years of sluggish growth. A dull show in the first two quarters of the year was more than offset by a sale plus lease of 1.8 million sq ft in the third quarter alone. This is half of total nine month sales plus lease of 3.6 million sq feet concluded in Mumbai.
