The Indian Panorama

Month: May 2015

  • $2.3 billion Dallas-Fort Worth water project put on priority list

    AUSTIN (TIP): A nearly $2.3 billion pipeline project that would deliver water from East Texas to Dallas-Fort Worth made the priority funding list for one of the first loans from a $2 billion fund for water projects approved by Texas voters in 2013.

    Voters approved the project amid concerns over how rapidly growing cities are going to meet future water needs.

    Dallas Water Utilities seeks a $140 million loan and the Tarrant County Regional Water District $300 million for their proposed pipeline project from the state water board’s revolving bank. State water planners announced Wednesday that the 150-mile Integrated Pipeline Project ranks in the top 20 for its first round of funding.

    Customers in both districts would contribute about $820 million to the project, which is expected to be completed by 2035. Construction began last year on the pipeline, which would transport water from Lake Palestine, Cedar Creek Reservoir and Richland Chambers to Tarrant Regional and Dallas customers.

    Supporters say the project is needed to supply the booming Dallas-Fort Worth area. But the pipeline has also drawn the ire of some of the 900 owners whose land is along the project’s path, according to news reports.

    The Texas Water Development Board has put on the priority list about $4.4 billion in water projects expected to be financed over the next decade. Being named on the priority list is an invitation for those projects to submit a formal application.

    A spokesman said the board is expected to begin cutting checks for projects this fall. The board will finance $1.7 billion this year for immediate projects. The remaining $2.7 billion for water projects around the state is expected to be financed in the next decade, the spokesman said.

    (Source: Dallas Morning News)

     

  • American becomes 2nd US airline to use Boeing’s 787

    FORT WORTH, TEXAS (TIP); American has joined the list of airlines flying the Boeing 787 jet, which it hopes will appeal to passengers and open new, profitable international routes.

    Passengers boarded at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Thursday morning for American’s debut flight of a 787 to Chicago. Domestic service is just a warm-up. Next month, American will begin using 787s on flights to Beijing and Buenos Aires and eventually other places.

    American joins United as the only U.S. airlines using the plane, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner.

    (Source: AP)

  • South Texas girl, 13, allegedly stabbed girl, 12, at school

    CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (TIP): A 13-year-old South Texas girl has been accused of taking a knife to school and stabbing a 12-year-old girl during an argument.

    Corpus Christi police detained the older girl following Tuesday, April 28 afternoon’s incident at Flour Bluff Junior High School.

    The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports authorities say the younger girl has injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

    School administrators did not immediately say what apparently prompted the fight. Police say the 13-year-old girl faces a juvenile charge of aggravated assault.

    A school statement says that student safety is always the utmost concern.

    Names of the minors have not been released.

    (Source: AP)

  • GOVERNMENT TO SET UP DEBT AGENCY

    GOVERNMENT TO SET UP DEBT AGENCY

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The government is going ahead with its plans of setting up a Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) and will start a dialogue with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after the budget session of Parliament.

    Sources said the government plans to proceed with the setting up of PDMA in a “phased manner” to ensure that the transition is smooth and there is no disruption.

    Last week, finance minister Arun Jaitley sought to comfort the RBI, which had protested against government’s plans to take away some of its powers. The PDMA had emerged as key sticking point in the relationship between the RBI and the Finance Ministry.

    Sources said the government had examined several options for a smooth transition of the borrowing programme from the RBI to the new agency but had to drop the idea as several complications were pointed out. One of the suggestions that had emerged was to use the manpower of the RBI, which handles borrowings, to do the job on behalf of the new agency. The move to have a separate agency to handle public debt has been in the works for more than a decade but progress has been limited.

    “It was pointed out that there would be several complications. We will start the negotiations with the RBI for setting up of the PDMA in a phased manner,” said an official, who did not wish to be identified.

    Initiating the debate on the Finance Bill, Jaitley had announced his intent to drop amendments to the RBI Act, which would have taken away the central bank’s role in regulating government borrowings by setting up a new Public Debt Management Office. The plan to transfer some of RBI’s powers to the Securities and Exchange Board of India had also been dropped.

    The moves followed a protest by RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, which resulted in Jaitley stating that the government would ready a roadmap to set up a debt management agency.

    “Since RBI has been handling public debt management, the government in consultation with the RBI will prepare a detailed roadmap, separating the debt management function and the market infrastructure from the RBI and having a unified financial market,” Jaitley said. The FM had proposed setting up of the PDMA in his 2015-16 budget speech.

    “One vital factor in promoting investment in India, including in the infrastructure sector, is the deepening of the Indian Bond market, which we have to bring at the same level as our world class equity market,” FM had said.

  • BMW profits rise on SUVs, strong sales in UK, US

    BMW profits rise on SUVs, strong sales in UK, US

    FRANKFURT (TIP): German luxury carmaker BMW AG increased its profits in the first quarter thanks to strong demand for its expensive SUVs and higher sales in the US and Britain as well as in a recovering European market, the company said Wednesday.

    Net profit rose 4 per cent as compared with the same period last year, to 1.515 billion euros ($1.70 billion).

    Vehicle sales rose across all major markets for the world’s top-selling maker of high-priced cars. The company saw especially big increases of 15 per cent in Britain and 13 per cent in the United States during the quarter. Sales grew 10 per cent in Europe; the auto market there continues to recover as the countries that use the euro currency slowly heal from their crisis over too much government and bank debt.

    The X-series of SUVs and SUV-like crossovers, pricey vehicles that generate strong profit margins, continued to boost earnings as many customers in the US move up to more expensive cars. The X-5 sport-utility made in Spartanburg, South Carolina, saw sales rise 30 per cent compared with the year-ago period.

    Significantly, Munich-based BMW said Wednesday it maintained its high profit margin of 9.5 per cent, near the upper end of its target range of 8-10 per cent.

    Revenues rose 15 per cent to 20.917 billion euros.

    BMW leads Volkswagen AG’s Audi division and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz brand in the sales race among high-priced car makers. The company also makes Rolls-Royce and MINI cars.

  • SIEMENS TO CUT 4,500 JOBS WORLDWIDE

    SIEMENS TO CUT 4,500 JOBS WORLDWIDE

    BERLIN (TIP): German engineering giant Siemens said on Thursday that it would slash an
    additional 4,500 jobs worldwide, on top of 7,400 cuts previously announced as part of an ongoing restructuring plan.

    Some 2,200 of the latest job cuts will be in Germany, said the Munich-based firm that employs more than 300,000 people in all.

    Chief executive Joe Kaeser unveiled a mass streamlining plan in May 2014 aimed at dramatically reducing both the number of divisions and hierarchy levels within the industrial group by 2016.

    The restructuring plan aims to produce savings of about one billion euros ($1.2 billion) and boost profitability by focusing on certain divisions, such as energy, medical equipment and digitalised systems for industry and transport.

  • Rupee fall to make petrol, diesel costlier

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The rupee’s fall against the greenback spells bad news for fuel consumers who would have to pay more for petrol and diesel if the currency’s weakness persists.

    The rupee dipped to a 20-month low to cross the 64-mark against the dollar on Thursday on sustained capital outflows by foreign funds and dollar demand from importers and banks.

    Executives working with state fuel retailers said every Re 1 change in the dollar exchange rate pushes up pump prices of petrol and diesel by 45-47 paise a litre.The total impact could be higher in case prices of these products and crude also move up simultaneously in international trading hubs.The retailers revise pump prices of petrol and diesel, pricing of which are deregulated, every fortnight based on the rupee-dollar exchange rate and global product prices in the preceding 15 days.The companies raised pump price of petrol by Rs 3.96 a litre, including VAT in Delhi. Diesel price was also increased by Rs 2.37 per litre, including VAT in Delhi. This was the third increase in fuel prices this year. Petrol price was raised by 82 paise a litre and diesel by 61 paise on February 16. On March 1, petrol price went up by Rs 3.18 per litre and diesel became costlier by Rs 3.09.

  • SATURN’S SIXTH MOON MAY BE HARBOURING LIFE

    SATURN’S SIXTH MOON MAY BE HARBOURING LIFE

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Researchers have found a geochemical process on Saturn’s sixth largest moon that suggests life could exist on it, or could have previously existed.

    The team, including Christopher Glein from the Carnegie Mellon University, has revealed the pH of water spewing from a geyser-like plume on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

    The pH tells us how acidic or basic the water is.

    Enceladus is geologically active and thought to have a liquid water ocean beneath its icy surface.

    “Knowledge of the pH improves our understanding of geochemical processes in Enceladus’ ‘soda ocean,’” Glein explained.

    The hidden ocean is the presumed source of the plume of water vapour and ice that the Cassini spacecraft has observed venting from the moon’s south polar region.

    Whenever there’s the possibility of liquid water on another planetary body, scientists begin to ask whether or not it could support life.

    The present team, including lead author Glein and John Baross of the University of Washington, developed a new chemical model based on mass spectrometry data of ice grains and gases in Enceladus’ plume gathered by Cassini, in order to determine the pH of Enceladus’ ocean.

    The team’s model shows that the plume, and by inference the ocean, is salty with an alkaline pH of about 11 or 12, which is similar to that of glass-cleaning solutions of ammonia.

    It contains the same sodium chloride salt as our oceans here on the Earth.

    Its additional substantial sodium carbonate makes the ocean more similar to our planet’s soda lakes such as Mono Lake in California or Lake Magadi in Kenya.

    The scientists refer to it as a “soda ocean.”

    The model suggests that the ocean’s high pH is caused by a metamorphic, underwater geochemical process called serpentinisation.

    On the Earth, serpentinisation occurs when certain kinds of rocks (low in silica and high in magnesium and iron) are brought up to the ocean floor from the upper mantle and chemically interact with the surrounding water molecules.

    This process is central to the emerging science of astrobiology.

    “Serpentinisation provides a link between geological processes and biological processes. The discovery of serpentinisation makes Enceladus an even more promising candidate for a separate genesis of life,” the authors wrote.

    The work demonstrates that it is possible to determine the pH of an extraterrestrial ocean based on chemical data from a spacecraft flying through a plume.

    This may be a useful approach to searching for habitable conditions in other icy worlds, such as Jupiter’s moon Europa.

    “The results open the door to an exciting new era of chemical oceanography in the solar system and beyond,” Glein concluded.

  • Thermometer-like device can diagnose heart attacks

    Thermometer-like device can diagnose heart attacks

    SEOUL (TIP): A simple, thermometer-like device that could make diagnosing heart attacks easier in remote or low-income locations has been developed.

    Diagnosing a heart attack can require multiple tests using expensive equipment. But not everyone has access to such techniques, especially in remote or low-income areas.

    Now scientists have developed a simple, thermometer-like device that could help doctors diagnose heart attacks with minimal materials and cost.

    Sangmin Jeon from the Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea and colleagues note that one way to tell whether someone has had a heart attack involves measuring the level of a protein called troponin in the person’s blood.

    The protein’s concentration rises when blood is cut off from the heart, and the muscle is damaged.

    Today, detecting troponin requires bulky, expensive instruments and is often not practical for point-of-care use or in low-income areas.

    Yet three-quarters of the deaths related to cardiovascular disease occur in low- and middle-income countries, researchers said.

    Early diagnosis could help curb these numbers, so Jeon’s team set out to make a sensitive, more accessible test.

    Inspired by the simplicity of alcohol and mercury thermometers, the researchers created a similarly straightforward way to detect troponin.

    It involves a few easy steps, a glass vial, specialised nanoparticles, a drop of ink and a skinny tube.

    When human serum with troponin – even at a minute concentration – is mixed with the nanoparticles and put in the vial, the ink climbs up a protruding tube and can be read with the naked eye, just like a thermometer.

  • Farthest galaxy found, over 13 billion light years away

    A stronomers have discovered a galaxy that is 13.1 billion light years away from earth, making it the farthest galaxy known currently. The Universe itself is estimated to be 13.8 billion years old. So this newly found galaxy, dubbed EGS-zs8-1, is also the youngest one ever seen.

    An international team of astronomers led by Yale University and the University of California-Santa Cruz made the calculation of its distance using the powerful MOSFIRE instrument on the W.M. Keck Observatory’s 10-meter telescope, in Hawaii. The galaxy was originally identified based on its particular colors in images from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. It is one of the brightest and most massive objects in the early universe.

    Age and distance are vitally connected in any discussion of the universe. The light we see from our Sun takes just eight minutes to reach us, while the light from distant galaxies we see via today’s advanced telescopes travels for billions of years before it reaches us—so we’re seeing what those galaxies looked like billions of years ago.

    “It has already built more than 15%of the mass of our own Milky Way today,” said Pascal Oesch, a Yale astronomer and lead author of a study published online May 5 in Astrophysical Journal Letters. “But it had only 670 million years to do so. The universe was still very young then.” The new distance measurement also enabled the astronomers to determine that EGS-zs8-1 is still forming stars rapidly, about 80 times faster than our galaxy.

    Only a handful of galaxies currently have accurate distances measured in this very early universe. “Every confirmation adds another piece to the puzzle of how the first generations of galaxies formed in the early universe,” said Pieter van Dokkum, professor of astronomy and chair of Yale’s Department of Astronomy, who is second author of the study. “Only the largest telescopes are powerful enough to reach to these large distances.”

    The MOSFIRE instrument allows astronomers to efficiently study several galaxies at the same time. Measuring galaxies at extreme distances and characterizing their properties will be a major goal of astronomy over the next decade, the researchers said.

    The new observations establish EGS-zs8-1 at a time when the universe was undergoing an important change: The hydrogen between galaxies was transitioning from a neutral state to an ionized state. “It appears that the young stars in the early galaxies like EGS-zs8-1 were the main drivers for this transition, called reionization,” said Rychard Bouwens of the Leiden Observatory, co-author of the study.

    Taken together, the new Keck Observatory, Hubble, and Spitzer observations also pose new questions. They confirm that massive galaxies already existed early in the history of the universe, but they also show that those galaxies had very different physical properties from what is seen around us today. Astronomers now have strong evidence that the peculiar colors of early galaxies—seen in the Spitzer images—originate from a rapid formation of massive, young stars, which interacted with the primordial gas in these galaxies.

    The observations underscore the exciting discoveries that are possible when NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is launched in 2018, note the researchers.

  • Rodents may predict the next big quake

    The 10 biggest earthquakes recorded since 1900 have taken more than 1.5 million lives — not counting the toll from the 7.8 magnitude temblor in Nepal, which has killed over 8,000 and counting. There’s some hope that the big quakes of the future could be less lethal — because we’ll see them coming. Or at least, the rats will.

    A research team working from three continents recently pored over data from a major earthquake in Peru and concluded that wild animals — especially rodents — know when the ground is about to buckle. Days before the 7-magnitude Contamana earthquake that struck a remote Andean village in 2011, motion-triggered cameras revealed that most wildlife in the Yanachaga-Chemillen national park had already fled the area, returning only after the quake had run its course.

    Investigators caution that any conclusions are still tentative, but the initial findings are intriguing. By tracking wildlife, the researchers say they might be able develop a data-based early warning system that could help governments and first responders to evacuate danger areas.

    Prior to the quake, rocks began to shift underground, generating electrical charges that reached surface water and released positive ions into the lower atmosphere. It was this ionized air that apparently made animals disoriented and hyperactive.

  • Rome airport gradually reopens after terminal fire

    Rome airport gradually reopens after terminal fire

    ROME (TIP): Rome’s main Fiumicino airport was gradually reopening on Thursday after a fire badly damaged the main international terminal building and forced the cancellation of dozens of flights, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

    The airport, Italy’s busiest with 39 million passengers in 2014, was shut down when the blaze started in Terminal 3 just after midnight (2200 GMT).

    As services slowly resumed, travellers, some of whom had to carry their luggage for up to a kilometre because of previous road closures, were being sent to other terminals, where they experienced long delays.

    The fire, which one official called “very violent”, sent thick clouds of smoke billowing out of the building until mid-morning. It was believed to have been started by a short circuit in an electrical cabin that was under maintenance in an area of shops, an airport official told reporters.

    A police source there was no indication that the fire was the result of arson, but an investigation was continuing.

    At least three people suffered smoke inhalation, a fire brigade official said, adding that the situation might have been much worse had the fire broken out during the day, when the terminal is crowded. A number of shops were seriously damaged.”We got here and there was just a cloud of smoke and a terrible smell, the air was so bad we couldn’t breathe. There weren’t any masks or anything,” said passenger Andrea Lauretti.

    Alitalia, Italy’s national carrier which earlier had cancelled all flights to and from Fiumicino except some inter-continental arrivals, said check-in procedures would be moved to Terminal 1 until further notice.

    Passengers who had arrived for early morning flights were not allowed inside any of the terminals. The main highway linking the airport to Rome was closed during the night and the train service from the city centre was suspended.

    The airport is almost wholly owned by Italian infrastructure company Atlantia. Sources said this week that Atlantia had received expressions of interest to buy a 15 percent stake in its airport unit Aeroporti di Roma (AdR), which runs Rome’s two main airports.

  • Iran releases seized Maersk cargo ship

    Iran releases seized Maersk cargo ship

    TEHRAN (TIP): Iran has released the Maersk Tigris cargo vessel seized by its patrol boats in the Strait of Hormuz last week over a business dispute, Iranian authorities said May 7.

    They said the ship was given permission to leave after Denmark’s Maersk group, which chartered the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, promised to abide by an Iranian court decision.

    “After obtaining judicial authorisation, the ship was released on May 7,” Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation said in a statement.

    The seizure was in connection with an Iranian court order for Maersk to pay $3.6 million (3.2 million euros) in damages to Iranian firm Pars Oil Products Talayieh over cargo that allegedly was not delivered.

    The move caused concern for the security of shipping lanes in the strategic strait and prompted the United States to send vessels to monitor the situation.

    In a sign of reduced tensions, the Pentagon said Wednesday that the US Navy had halted a mission to accompany American-flagged vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

    US warships will however remain in the area to conduct “routine maritime security operations,” spokesman Colonel Steven Warren told reporters.

    On Wednesday, Tehran denied it had detained the ship’s 24 crew members, saying they were benefiting from diplomatic assistance.

    Iranian state TV reported that the crew members were from Bulgaria, Myanmar, Romania and Britain.

  • UKIP chief quotes Gandhi on voting day

    LONDON (TIP): He might be hawkish about immigration but UKIP chief Nigel Farage took inspiration on voting day from a one-time migrant – Mahatma Gandhi.

    Farage drew inspiration from Gandhi to answer his critics who has been talking about UKIP’s popularity nose diving over the past few weeks.

    Quoting Gandhi, Farage said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they attack you, and then you win. Whatever they say about us, we must turn the other cheek and not descend to their level, and that’s what we have done.”

    He added, “UKIP vote is rock solid.”

    UKIP has earlier called for immigrants to be barred from receiving any benefits until they have been resident in the UK for five years.

    Farage had said, “We must be completely mad, as a country, to be giving people from Eastern Europe in-work benefits. Even if I thought, which I don’t, there was an economic benefit to mass immigration some things are more important than money, namely the shape of our society and giving our own youngsters a chance to work.”

    The British Social Attitudes Survey suggested that more than three quarters of Britons wanted to see a cut in immigration – and 56% wanted to see a major crackdown. Of those surveyed 47% thought immigration was bad for the economy, and among the 31% of respondents who said it was good for the economy, half wanted to see immigration reduced anyway.

    UKIP has been hawkish about immigration and its policy wants to make overstaying a visa a criminal offence. It wants to cap annual number of immigration to UK at 50,000 a year and introduce a five year freeze on immigration for permanent settlement. It is also against immigrants applying for a public housing or benefits until they had paid tax for five years.

  • U.S.-India Business Council Hosts Interaction with Ambassador Arun K. Singh

    U.S.-India Business Council Hosts Interaction with Ambassador Arun K. Singh

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), On May 6, 2015, hosted an exclusive interaction with Ambassador Arun K. Singh, welcoming him to Washington D.C. in his new post as India’s Ambassador to the United States. Ambassador Singh was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India from 2008- 2013.

    Ambassador Singh was warmly received by USIBC Chairman and President and CEO of MasterCard, Ajay Banga and USIBC President, Dr. Mukesh Aghi as well as Council members representing top American and Indian businesses.

    “Ambassador Singh returns to Washington D.C. at a time of immense opportunity in bilateral relations between the United States and India. Trade between the two countries is poised to grow from $100 billion to $500 billion in the next few years. We are excited to work with him in achieving this vision over the next few years,” said Dr. Aghi.

    “I can’t think of a more consummate diplomat to help strengthen U.S.-India Relations further than Ambassador Singh. Under Prime Minister Modi, India is focused on investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, and tourism to create jobs and improve the quality of life for its citizenry. U.S. companies have a great deal to bring to these efforts, beginning with our technology, capital, intellectual property, and a desire to be long-term players in India’s future. It’s also about how the dialogue is conducted at a time when our friendship and mutual respect continues to increase. That’s immensely important as we seek to deepen the bonds between these two great democracies. I know of no one better-suited to help do just that over the next few years than Ambassador Singh,” said Mr. Ajay Banga.

    Nancy Ziuzin Schlegel, Vice President of Lockheed Martin, pledged support for Ambassador Arun K. Singh and said, “Ambassador Singh has been an important partner and friend to U.S. business. As we near the one year anniversary of the Modi Government, I think it is safe to say that we are looking forward to more growth, increased cooperation and closer ties.”

    Ambassador Arun K. Singh remarked on the vision of the new Government for India and the actions that have been undertaken since Prime Minister Modi assumed office. He said, “Prime Minister Modi wants India to take its rightful place as a fast growing economy, tapping the potential of its huge young population. The Delhi Declaration of Friendship has been upgraded from a bilateral strategic dialogue to a strategic and commercial dialogue. Working groups such as the Trade Policy Forum, High Technology Cooperation, CEO Forum that had not met for several years have come together yet again over the past year laying the foundation for future joint activities. A U.S. – India infrastructure collaboration platform has been set up to promote deployment of cutting edge U.S. technologies to meet India’s infrastructure needs in power, urbanization, shipping and trade transportation. An inter-ministerial committee has been set up to fast track investment proposals from U.S. companies and address implementation.”

    Ambassador Singh also said, “Indian industries have increased investment in the U.S., creating jobs and generating incomes. Indian companies have invested close to $17 billion in the United States. The U.S. -India Business Council can play a proactive role by being the voice of industry on both sides.”

    In closing, Justin McCarthy, Senior VP for Global Policy and International Public Affairs at Pfizer said, “I’m encouraged by initiatives such as Make in India and the focus on innovation and research as important drivers of growth. Collaboration between the U.S. and Indian governments and with the business communities holds great promise for the future.”

    The event was also attended by Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Charge d’Affaires of Embassy of India; Mr. Arun M. Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Administration; Former US Ambassador to India, Timothy Roemer; and Mr. KT Rama Rao, Minister of Information Technology and Panchayat Raj, Government of Telangana, India.

  • Zoo names monkey Charlotte, says sorry

    Zoo names monkey Charlotte, says sorry

    TOKYO (TIP): A Japanese zoo has apologized after receiving complaints over naming a baby monkey Charlotte for the newborn British princess.

    The Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden said Thursday it was considering renaming the macaque. It was flooded with angry calls and emails on Wednesday hours after announcing the name for its first monkey born this year, a tradition at the zoo run by the southern city of Oita.

    Charlotte was the favourite in a public ballot, receiving 59 out of 853 votes before the female monkey was born on Wednesday. Votes for Charlotte surged after the British princess was named on Monday and topped the ballot in the last three days of voting, which ran from March 27 to May 6.

    Opponents largely said giving the princess’ name to a monkey was disrespectful to British royals. According to zoo official Akira Asano, some of them said that the Japanese people would feel offended if a monkey were named after Japanese princesses. The complaints originated in Japan.

    Asano said he was not aware of any complaints from British citizens. He said the zoo has also received support for Charlotte, and the views are now largely divided. “We deeply apologize for causing trouble to many people over the naming of the first baby (monkey),” said a statement posted on the zoo website. “We take these opinions seriously.”

    Officials of the zoo and the city were still discussing what to do with the monkey’s name. The zoo now plans to seek advice from the British Embassy before making a final decision, Kyodo News agency reported.

    The embassy declined to comment, and Japan’s foreign ministry said it was not involved with the issue.

  • UK SET TO GET NATIONAL BIRD TODAY

    LONDON (TIP): Britain will officially have a national bird on May 8 after a massive public poll to choose from 10 shortlisted name closes.

    The robin is the front runner to win the title.

    The list originally had 60 shortlisted names of birds vying for the title which has now been reduced to 10. They are: the barn owl, blackbird, blue tit, hen harrier, kingfisher, mute swan, puffin, red kite, robin and wren.

    The government said the lack of a national bird for Britain was a glaring omission.

    The vote description said, “All you have to do is vote for one of the 10 short-listed birds that best personifies all that this wonderful nation represents. These 10 birds have been nominated from an original list of 60 iconic British birds that were voted on last year. Each of the 10 species has a special place in the hearts and minds of the great British public”.

    The robin with its bright red breast is one of the few birds in the UK that sing all year round. Robins and their nests are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence intentionally to kill, injure or take any wild bird.

    It is an offence intentionally to take, damage or destroy the eggs, young or nest of a robin while it is in use. Robins are relatively short-lived. They live, on average, only a couple of years, but a few reach quite an advanced age. The oldest known wild individual was 11 years 5 months.

  • China blacklists 4 tourists for unruly behaviour

    BEIJING (TIP): Chinese authorities have blacklisted four people for misbehaving while traveling, as Beijing seeks to improve the image of its tourists who are visiting the world’s touristy spots in increasingly large numbers but also are earning a reputation for rudeness.

    The four blacklisted this week by the China National Tourism Administration include a woman who poured instant noodles soaked in hot water onto an AirAsia flight attendant and made insults and threats at the attendant. Her male traveling companion was also blacklisted after getting into an altercation with the attendant. Their behaviors necessitated the flight returning to Bangkok.

    Zhang Yan and Wang Sheng were the first two people to be blacklisted by the national agency under a rule that took effect in April.

    It allows authorities to blacklist a person for unruly, disruptive, disrespectful or illegal behaviors on travel and to notify police, customs, border security, transportation agencies and credit agencies.

    No punishments are specified but the blacklisting means people could see their travel plans affected during a specified timeframe.

    The third person on the blacklist forcibly opened emergency doors on a domestic flight and was detained 15 days. The tourism administration said he should be blacklisted for two years.

    The fourth one climbed onto statues of revolutionary soldiers for taking photo, drawing widespread condemnation, the tourism administration said. He would be sanctioned for 10 years.

  • Salman’s verdict features in Chinese media

    BEIJING (TIP): The court verdict sending movie actor Salman Khan to jail was featured in the news bulletin of China Central Television, the state broadcaster, this evening. The news was also circulated by the official Xinhua to hundreds of media outlets that subscribe to it. This is significant because news from the Bollywood is seldom covered in the Chinese media although Hindi movies viewed across the country. They are mostly dubbed in Chinese or carry Chinese subtitles. Khan is particularly popular among the people of Xinjiang province, which borders Central Asia and Pakistan, sources said. He is also popular in Central Asia, and parts of South East Asia including Malaysia and Indonesia. In its New Delhi datelined story, Xinhua said Bollywood actors have come forward to express their sympathy towards Khan, who has been found guilty in a 13-year old hit and run case.

  • Mother’s Day – FEATURE Special – Mother is the Ultimate Definition of Selflessness

    [vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Every religious tradition has elevated mother to nearly the status of God, because she possess many a qualities of God; kind, merciful, beneficent and caring among thousand other qualities. Mother is the reason for our existence; sustenance, nurturance and shaping who we are. I dedicate this write-up to my Mother, and all the Mothers out there. There is a beautiful song in Urdu/Hindi language.

    [quote_center]

    Us ko nahin dekha hum ne kabhi, per us ki zaroorat kya hogi

    Ai maa teri soorat say alag bhagwan ki soorat kya hogi.

    [/quote_center]

    I have not seen him (God) ever, but what is the need for it?

    Dear Mother, your face cannot be different than God’s own face

    Video Link on Youtube Full translation by Rajiv Chakravarti at www.Urduhindi.net

    Mother is the ultimate definition of selflessness! No matter what happens to the world or even her, she is there for you in your need; she recognizes your need much before you know it. Of course every day is Mother’s day, and each one of us honors her in a variety of ways. From simple caring to doing things for her that makes her happy.

    Mothers don’t need a whole lot; they just need to know that you care. Remember you were showered by her attention when you needed it.

    Thanks to this beautiful tradition of America, a day to honor Mother. No mother should be alone today; some one or the other must give her a call.

    I appreciate all the mothers who have raised their kids well, particularly the single mothers, and it is not easy! Getting them ready, taking them to school, playground, tuition, and taking care of them, and going to work. There is a lot of sacrifice made by mothers and no amount of appreciation will be enough. Whatever you are today, it is because of your mother. If you have tensions with her, seek her forgiveness today, if she is not around, spend half an hour meditating about her and see the sense of completeness you feel within you.

    A majority of us are fortunate to have the love and affection of the mother to bless our lives. However, there are some mothers who have not been good to their kids and I feel your anguish if you are the one, but I assure you that, you are a blessed one to have made it in life without mothers love and it is time for you to give that love to others.

    It’s time to express gratitude to her; it restores the spiritual balance in each one of us. Life is about transactions, each time we received a “good” we become indebted to the giver, but when we give back to the giver or find alternate ways of giving back, then we regain our spiritual balance, bringing us nirvana, salvation, mukti, moksha, nijaat and freedom.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Cont. After Messages below[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” image=”35314″ img_size=”medium” img_link_large=””][vc_column_text]Photo Caption : Prof. Indrajit S  Saluja’s mother Mohinder Kaur who passed away in 2009 at the age of  91, was  a  saintly person , created in God’s own Image.

    [quote_center]Remembering my mother on Mother’s Day, 2015[/quote_center]

    That’s my mother who gave me birth,
    Breastfed me to grow in to a healthy child,
    Trained me to walk , taught me to talk;
    I am her creation and gift to the world;
    Whoever and whatever I am , it’s because of her. I miss her and wish she were around
    To chide me for the mistakes I make ,
    And hug , pat and kiss me for the good I do;
    But she’s gone and left behind memories to haunt; I love you Mata Ji, I miss you, Mata Ji.

    I know she looks at me from her heavenly abode,

    She watches all my actions and doings;
    She guides my steps even now from afar,
    And exhorts me to justly and honestly play my part
    In the theatre of the world to which I am assigned.
    When I am done with my part that God has assigned me,

    I only long to go to my mother in heavens above, And be the child that I was , learning at her feet, And  be folded in to her protective arms for ever.

    – Prof. Indrajit S saluja

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”35311″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text][quote_center]My mother is the anchor of my life[/quote_center]

    This morning when you asked, “What does my Mother mean to me?”  I realized that this was one relationship that I have taken for granted since my childhood years. I wondered why I had not reflected on this statement and the answer was apparent. The selfless, untiring love that I have received from my Mom was the culprit. She never allowed me and my siblings to feel that she was giving us anything. We took her warmth, affection and love for granted !

    As I step back and reflect, I see my mother as a warm, generous, ever caring pious lady, someone who has stood by us through all our trials and tribulations, kept her needs away in front of the wants of the family. A gracious host to neighbors and visitors, ever ready to help. An excellent cook and a good seamstress. The best grandmother to her grandchildren… always ready to wipe that tear, always ready to pray for the success of her family. She joined to share others’ grief as willingly. Her indomitable spirit to Never Give up. All these and many more made her the anchor of my life and indeed of the whole family growing up, shaping our formative years. A mother is super special and a symbol of selfless love like none other.

    Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mamas of the world !!!

    – Rishikant Singh

    [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”35310″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text]

    Photo Caption: Two and a half year old Ashishpal Saluja (now 37) with mom Gurdarshan Kaur who passed away in 2007.

    I realize that everything important that I know, I either learned from my mother, or my father probably before I was 15. Every child considers his or her mom and dad as the best parent in the world. And I believe that every child is right in doing so. Growing up as a child, I always looked up to my parents, especially to my mother. She was my greatest teacher and the source of inspiration for my many interests. Generous, kind, loving, sweet, caring, honest, elegant, brave, strong, bubbly, energetic, resilient, thoughtful, hopeful, selfless. My mother possessed all of these qualities for sure. Right now I’d probably have a million reasons to thank my mother for. Because she brought me to this world, because she made me all I am, for knowing me inside and out, for believing in me. But I do not need a reason. It matters the least. Whether she knew it or not, she was always, and forever will be the queen of my heart and my guiding light of life. Love you always MOM.

    – Ashishpal Saluja

    [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”35304″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text]

    [quote_center]I just miss you![/quote_center]

    Growing up in a remote village in Kerala, I have fond memories of my mother who has nurtured, inspired and influenced my life through thick and thin. My only regret is that I couldn’t spend more time with her as I have come away from ‘God’s own country’ as Kerala is described, looking for better opportunities!

    This tribute by an unknown author summarizes my sentiment in its entirety:

    ‘Death changes everything! Time Changes nothing. I still miss the sound of your voice and wisdom of your advice and stories of your life and being in your presence. So No, time changes nothing, I miss you as much today as I did the day you died. I just miss you!’

    – George Abraham

    [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”35305″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text][quote_center]A mother is the truest friend we have[/quote_center]

    Mom, Nani, Gail Mommy, Cathy Chachi & Sunil Aunty. “A mother is the truest friend we have.” Lucky for us, we have more than one individual whom we love and consider as our mother. Without the love and care from such selfless mothers and aunts, we would not be where  we are today.

    -Bobby, Jessica, Pavneet, Amy, Matthew & Rohan

    [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”35306″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text]“Yaad na jaye beete dinon kee. Jaskiran (center) now 35,  with mom Gurdarshan Kaur and  brother Ashishpal (left), now 37.”

    [quote_center]You are the words inside my song[/quote_center]

    Dear mom, how do I explain the most sacred relationship on this earth in a few words. here are a few lines that can help let all know what you meant to me and how I survive without you. You are my friend, my heart, and my soul You are the greatest friend I know.
    You are the words inside my song,
    You are my love, my life, my Mom.
    You are the tree I lean upon,
    You make the troubles be gone.
    You are the one who taught me life,

    How not to fight, and what is right. You are the words inside my song, You are my love, my life, my mom. You are the one who cares for me, You are the eyes that help me see.

    You are the one who knows me best,
    When it’s time to have fun and time to rest.
    You are the one who has helped me to dream,
    You hear my heart and you hear my screams.
    Afraid of life but looking for love,
    I’m blessed for God sent you from above.
    Though you may be far but this heart has missed you all the time.

    – Jaskiran Saluja Beri

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Cont. From Top

    [quote_center]RELIGIONS ON MOTHERS: [/quote_center]

    In the native traditions, be it American, European, African, or Asian, Mother is creator in the form of mother Earth.

    Christianity and Judaism: “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you.In Jewish tradition, your heritage is determined by your Mother, you are a Jew because of your mother.

    “Diverse images of what are believed to be Mother Goddesses also have been discovered that date from the Neolithic period, the New Stone Age, which ranges from approximately 10,000 BCE when the use of wild cereals led to the beginning of farming, and eventually, to agriculture.” Wikipedia

    The Baha’i faith, “For mothers are the first educators, the first mentors; and truly it is the mothers who determine the happiness, the future greatness, the courteous ways and learning and judgment, the understanding and the faith of their little ones.”

    In the Hindu tradition Mother is worshiped and is represented in many attributes like Ma Saraswati (source of knowledge), Ma Lakshmi (source of income) and the likes… Mother’s face is equated with God’s face, a song celebrates Mother by saying, if I have seen your face mother, and I have seen God.

    Sikh’s consider God as a parent, a mother and a father. Guru Granth Sahib advises “Always remember the boundless, limitless God, remembering whom all our sins are destroyed. My son, this is a mother’s prayer for you.”[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Prophet Muhammad was asked by his associates, who is the most important person in one’s life – he says, “Mother”; they ask again, the answer was “Mother again” and same response was given for the third time, such is the importance given to mother. He said, your heaven, your paradise and your peace of mind comes to you by serving your mother.

    You will find mother is placed at the highest spiritual level in all religions or non-religious traditions and life forms. Those who have a mother to see, you are the blessed one, those who don’t, you have her blessings.

    “Paradise is under the feet of your mother” is the mantra probably every Muslim recites and it is part of Hindu, Sikh, Jain and South Asian culture as well. The idea is of gratitude, if you are grateful to you mother, then you would be grateful to the creator and other benefactors around you.

    2001, my Mother passed away in one of the most beautiful manners one could embark on the eternal journey; a clean slate with no loose ends. She was incredible; she tied all the loose ends before she took her last breath, she called every one and cleared the air and said goodbye that was the biggest lesson of my life; to tie the loose ends. The Jain tradition calls it Michami Dukadam.

    I guess, all of us kids and her grand kids turned out that way; boundless. No barriers between us and another soul and our relationships have always been multi-cultural and multi-religious. Thanks Mom for pounding those values in our hearts and minds.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” image=”35313″ img_link_large=”” img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]Photo caption: Reliving the  hapy moments. Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M Mulay with  his mother Akkatai Mulay (left) and her best friend Shara Kaku

    [quote_center] Happy Mother’s Day![/quote_center]

    It is obvious that on this day, I remember my mother. She stays in my village near Kolhapur. While I have been flying the flag of India all over the world, it is she who has sacrificed the most. right from my early education till now, she continues to work hard so that all of us lead a happy life. For me she is the source of inspiration.

    In modern times, mother’s role has undergone a huge change. She is a teacher too who actively shapes her children’s future. Unlike yester year mothers, she is educated, aware and helps in decision-making. the core of mother’s role vis-a-vis a child has not changed. Her caring, her attention and her love remain unchanged and civilization grows on those qualities!

    My mother did not go to school, worked from 4am to 10pm everyday and ingrained in us qualities like hardwork and dedication. I salute her on this day – likewise salute all mothers – past, future and present – for their gift to humanity.

    – Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M Mulay

    [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image border_color=”grey” img_link_target=”_self” image=”35312″ img_size=”medium” img_link_large=””][vc_column_text]Photo Caption: Ravi Batra’s mother Raj K Batra with husband Hon. Sada Nand Batra in a 1954 photograph

    [quote_center]I continue to adore my mother, and am proud to be her son too[/quote_center]

    While my late great Dad is known to be my greatest hero, it is my mother – who is the unsung hero I took and took from her well of unqualified love – and miss her always. A mother with ideal attributes of a giving love that never runs dry.

    Like every child, I was dependent upon my mother even before birth and without knowing so. Such remained throughout her life. She was born in what’s now Pakistan, got married at an early age – as was then the custom – started having kids and the country partitioned. Uprooted and on a refugee train, she was shot in her foot and lay bleeding until the 7th Calvary arrived – in the form of the Indian Forces -and saved the stopped-train from a certain massacre in the hot sectarian violence that engulfed the subcontinent in 1947.

    Taken to a refugee camp, she functioned as a mother would, with a bullet for 3 months, until her foot was gangrene and amputation was possible. My dad found in the Camp a general practitioner, not a surgeon, who operated upon her without any anesthesia with a barber’s straight edge razor and stitched her up with regular needle and thread. Miraculously, my mom healed. She went on to have 4 more babies, I being one of them.

    She went on to be the wife of an unusual man, driven to unusual achievements, and started to achieve in her own right. By 1960, she was a mother when the kids were home and a businesswoman employing dozens of mother-employees when kids were in school. The duality of a woman we now take for granted – was nearly unheard of then. And, then there was much more…

    I continue to adore my mother, and am proud to be her son too.

    Happy Mother’s Day to all.

    – Attorney Ravi Batra

    [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”35309″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text]Photo Caption: Good old days! Bidisha with mom Tripti Roy, who passed away in 2014

    [quote_center]My mother is the epitome of humanity[/quote_center]

    My mother Tripti Roy was my best friend ever. I’ve never seen a simple, honest, affectionate person like her who dedicated her life for others. She was a renowned teacher and used to teach poor students. She used to help so many needy families without any publicity. For me she is the epitome of humanity. Miss you Maa!

    – Bidisha Roy

    [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”35307″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text][quote_center]AYE MAA TERI SURAT SE ALAG BHAGWAN KI SURAT KYA HOGI[/quote_center]

    Mother’s love. Unconditional. Forever. Mother-child relationship is like no other. Mother’s love is a fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. A mother is the truest friend we have

    We are always so grateful for the love you have  always shown  and guided us in each phase of our lives.

    Even if you are  far away, your blessings and love have always been unconditional

    USKO NAHIN DEKHA JISNE ABHI, AB ISKI JAROORAT KYA HOGI

    AYE MAA TERI SURAT SE ALAG BHAGWAN KI SURAT KYA HOGI

    HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

    – Indu Jaiswal

    [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”35308″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”medium”][vc_column_text]

    [quote_center]Everyday is Mother’s Day[/quote_center]

    Being born a Hindu is a privilege”. I was told this by a Christian who converted to Hinduism. This opened my mind and made me think about my life on earth. The only reason you and I and every one else on this planet have an existence is because of the great mothers who bear us. From the second we’re made till the time of our departure, the amount of attention and focus that is put on us is unbelievable. From the time of the mothers 9-10 month pregnancy, nourishing us while we’re in their bodies, from being born and helping us grow and develop as small individuals. From schooling, to kids, to adults, teaching us from right and wrong, preparing food and making us strong, day in and day out, every day of their of lives. Without any thought of a mother’s own, their vision is only on us.

    A selfless mother is a blessing and because of them we are enjoying good health and enjoying life.

    Hindu culture is a way of life, it’s a great culture with developed ideas and so many research and experiments that have been performed over so many years.

    There is no life without wife. Just like that, there is no child without mother. Hindus see females in everything. We see the beauty in everything. Mother earth. Goddess of wealth, Sri Laxmi Mata. Goddess of Knowledge, Shri Saraswati Mata. Goddess of Power, Shri Durga Mata. My mother. And your mother. These are the powerful women who make us.

    Everyday is Mother’s Day. Lets start the day by touching the feet of our mother and accepting her blessing. Lets care for her and protect her when she’s old, after all we are here because of her.

    Hindus are taught to treat all women as their own sister, aunt or mother. To respect them and help them when in need without any reservation.

    Our existence is because of our mothers. We exist because of their love and respect. I guarantee you, you’ll have a better and great life – just love and be there for your mom!

    -Arish Sahani

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Here is how Mom is called in different languages, please add yours….

    I called my mother, ” Amma” and at times “Ammi” while addressing her it was Ma. Languages Spoken in South Asia

    ● Arabic – umm

    ● Assamese – Aayi, mA, mAtri Aayi, mA,

    ● Baluchi – Ma

    ● Bengali – Mata or jononi,

    ● Bhojpuri – Mayee

    ● English- Mother, Mama, Mom

    ● French- Mère, Maman

    ● German – Mutter

    ● Gujurati – Ma

    ● Hindi – Ma, Maji, Mata

    ● Kannada -Amma

    ● Konkani – Amma

    ● Kashmiri – Muoj

    ● Latin – Mater

    ● Marathi – Aayi

    ● Malyalam – Amma

    ● Nepali – Aamaa

    ● Oriya – Bou

    ● Pashtu- Mor

    ● Persian- Madr, Maman

    ● Portugese- Mae

    ● Punjabi – Mai, Mataji, Pabo

    ● Sanskrit – Mata

    ● Sindhi – Mau

    ● Sinhalese- Amma

    ● Tamil – Amma

    ● Telegu- Amma

    ● Urdu -Ammee, Maa, Amma[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]There are more languages out there…

    It’s time to express gratitude to her; it restores the spiritual balance in each one of us. Life is about transactions, each time we received a “good” we become indebted to the giver, but when we give back to the giver or find alternate ways of giving back, then we regain our spiritual balance, bringing us nirvana, salvation, mukti, moksha, nijaat and freedom.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”32953″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_self” img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]

    Main Article  – By Mike Ghouse

    [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

    (The author is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator on Pluralism, Islam, India, Israel-Palestine, Politics and other issues of the day. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Only one holy book for govt— Constitution of India: Modi to Time magazine

    Only one holy book for govt— Constitution of India: Modi to Time magazine

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dispelled the notion that his government is anti-minority, telling Time magazine in an interview that “so far as the government is concerned, there is only one holy book, which is the Constitution of India.”

    In an expansive conversation with the magazine’s editors on the occasion of his government’s first anniversary later this month, the Prime Minister, addressing an international audience, said
    “Wherever a (negative) view might have been expressed (about) a minority religion, we have immediately negated that….The unity and the integrity of the country are the topmost priorities. All religions and all communities have the same rights, and it is my responsibility to ensure their complete and total protection.”

    “My government will not tolerate or accept any discrimination based on caste, creed and religion,” he added, in the face of a spate of divisive and communal pronouncements by some of his colleagues.

    The Prime Minister also addressed the issue of terrorism at some length, saying “countries that believe in human values” should come together and fight terrorism, and it is important for the countries to go beyond the groups, beyond the individual names, beyond the geographical location they come from, beyond even looking at the victims of the terrorism, and fight terrorism as a collective.

    Modi disclosed that when he met President Obama both in September last year and in January this year, he did request him to lead the charge in delinking terrorism from religion.

    “We should not look at terrorism from the nameplates – which group they belong to, what are their names, what is their geographical location, who are the victims of terrorism … I think we should not see them in individual pieces. We should rather have a comprehensive look at the ideology of terrorism, see it as something that is a fight for human values, as terrorists are fighting against humanity,” he said.

    Ahead of his visit to China next week, India’s Prime Minister also addressed New Delhi’s complex ties with Beijing in an interview where Pakistan was a non-issue. He said both India and China are showing great maturity and commitment to economic cooperation.

    “There is by and large peace and tranquillity on the India-China border. It is not a volatile border. Not a single bullet has been fired for over a quarter of a century now. This essentially goes to prove that both countries have learnt from history,” he pointed out.

    Asked whether he would like to have the kind of authoritarian power that China’s leader has, Modi maintained that “India is a democracy; it is in our DNA,” and he did not think a dictatorship was needed to run India.

    “If you were to ask me to choose between democratic values and wealth, power, prosperity and fame, I will very easily and without any doubt choose democratic values,” he said. Modi also described India and US as “natural allies,” an expression first used by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee which had since been jettisoned.

    “We are natural allies … (It’s not) what India can do for the US, what the US can do for India … The way we should look at it is what India and the US can together do for the world … strengthening democratic values all over,” he said.

    Modi dodges the ‘devil horn’ cover

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dodged the notorious ‘devil horn’ cover on Time magazine. The so-called ‘devil horn’ cover occurs when the M in the TIME title comes over the subject’s head, giving him or her the appearance of having pointed horns.

    Time says has had 34 ‘devil horn’ covers in its history, most recently that of Hillary Clinton in silhouette. Others who have featured under devil’s horn include Margaret Thatcher, Pope Francis, Jesus Christ and Darth Vader. Obama, Bush, and Clinton have also sprouted devil’s horn on Time covers. “Any resemblance to cats, bats or devil horns is entirely coincidental,” the magazine said in a recent explanatory note.

    Time has a hoary cover tradition. This is the first time Narendra Modi has been on the cover of both Time’s US and International editions. He has been on the cover of TIME Asia twice before this week. Jawaharlal Nehru appeared on six Time covers, and Mahatma Gandhi on three. There have been 51 Time magazine covers featuring a Bush and 54 featuring a Clinton.

    Portrait photographer Peter Hapak who has shot Modi’s cover photo, said he spent a full hour with Modi to get the ideal shot. “I had a full hour with him, which is very unusual because most of the time I only have 10 minutes for a portrait session,” Hapak explained. “For portraiture it’s very important to make your subject forget that you’re here, that somebody’s watching him. It was enough time for him to get comfortable.”

  • Mayor de Blasio to spell out national liberal goals in Washington May 12

    Mayor de Blasio to spell out national liberal goals in Washington May 12

    NEW YORK (TIP): Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to travel to Washington next week to roll out a series of national liberal goals, while continuing to hold off on an endorsement of his former boss Hillary Clinton until, he says, she clarifies her agenda.

    De Blasio, as first reported on Wednesday by Politico, will announce a 13-point agenda outside the U.S. Capitol that will focus on increasing the minimum wage, making government-funded pre-kindergarten available to parents nationwide and requiring private employers provide paid time off for working parents. News of the appearance coincides with a long, accessy feature in Rolling Stone on the potential impact of the de Blasio agenda beyond New York.

    In New York, de Blasio is pushing for a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour by 2019, which Governor Andrew Cuomo opposes in favor of a plan that businesses have embraced to increase it to $11.50 an hour.

    De Blasio also will call for an increase in the tax on carried interest, according to Politico.

    The agenda, which the mayor plans to unveil at 3 p.m. next Tuesday, has the backing of Democratic lawmakers from around the country, including Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota. Howard Dean, a staunch liberal who ran an unsuccessful bid for president, has also signed on, as have several celebrities who have long supported de Blasio, including Susan Sarandon and Steve Buscemi.

    The goals were fashioned during a meeting at Gracie Mansion earlier this month, when dozens of liberals from around the country met to brainstorm ideas on closing the wealth gap. They are being coined “The Progressive Agenda,” which de Blasio said he is modeling, in organizational structure, after Newt Gingrich’s “Contract With America.”

    De Blasio’s effort comes in the heels of a recent tour to three Midwest states-Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin-to deliver stump speeches on the dangers of income inequality as the 2016 presidential race heats up. During those trips, he said he would consider supporting an increased tax on the wealthiest Americans to pay for services for lower earners.

    He has yet to embrace the candidacy of Clinton, who is presumed to clinch the Democratic nomination and whose 2000 Senate campaign he managed.

    During a segment on “Morning Joe” on Wednesday, the mayor indicated he is open to supporting her if she continues to tout goals in line with his own.

    “I’m optimistic about where she is going,” he told host Joe Scarborough.

    When asked to specify, he said, “I have seen some clear signals, some clear ideas come out of her conversations in Iowa.”

    He praised her recent speech on criminal justice reform as “very powerful” and applauded her stance on immigration.

    “I think she is beginning to fashion a progressive agenda,” he added. “I think a lot of us, understandably, want to hear the core ideas around fighting income inequality because that’s what people struggle with. … I’m seeing some powerful signs, but I think it’s important to hear how she will address income inequality.”

    In his ongoing national push, de Blasio also plans to travel to California, but his aides said details of that trip are not yet available.

    These travels have been paid for by a combination of his political action committee, Campaign for One New York, and the organizations hosting him, while his full-time security detail is covered by taxpayers.

    It was not immediately clear on Wednesday, May 6  how the D.C. and California trips will be funded.

  • Hindu chariot processions planned in 3 Florida cities

    Hindu chariot processions planned in 3 Florida cities

    NEVADA (TIP): Ratha Yatras (Hindu Festival of Chariots) have reportedly been planned in the three cities of Florida (USA).

    Starting with Clearwater Beach on May 10, this annual parade will reportedly be held on the Daytona Beach on May 23 and Jacksonville Beach on August 15. It is like getting a taste of India and Hinduism without leaving Florida.

    According to reports, Clearwater Mayor George N. Cretekos will be attending the Clearwater Beach festival and it will include “Free 5 Course Feast”, kirtan, cultural program and parade.

    Meanwhile, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed applauded efforts of the organizers and Florida community to realize these wonderful festivals, exhibiting the richness of Hinduism.

    Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that it was important to pass on Hindu spirituality, concepts and traditions to coming generations amidst so many distractions in the consumerist society. Zed stressed that instead of running after materialism; we should focus on inner search and realization of self and work towards achieving moksh (liberation), which was the goal of Hinduism.

    Rath Yatra is said to be the oldest known parade in the world and it is believed that pullers of this Lord Jagannatha’s chariot receive immense spiritual benefit. Popularized outside India by International Society for Krishna Consciousness founder A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, this annual parade festival has reportedly been held annually in over 50 major cities in USA, Canada, Europe, etc., since 1960s.

    The original Ratha Jatra is held on a grand scale in Puri (Odisha, India), where the presiding deities of Sri Mandira-Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra-with celestial wheel Sudarshana are driven on the chariots to about two miles north Gundicha temple in an elaborate ritual procession, where the huge colorfully decorated chariots are drawn by thousands of devotees. After a stay for seven days, the deities return to their abode in Sri Mandira. A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be highly auspicious and even a touch of the chariot is believed to yield benefits equivalent to several pious deeds. Many poets have written its glories. This year, it will be held on July 18.

    Rajan Zed points out that ancient Hindu scripture Katha Upanishad talks about the concept of chariot, where soul is the deity, body is the chariot, and intellect the charioteer. Skanda Purana glorifies Rath Jatra’s sanctity.

  • US woman held hostage asks for help in online pizza order

    US woman held hostage asks for help in online pizza order

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Dial pizza for rescue! A quick- thinking woman in the US, who was being held hostage by her boyfriend, saved herself and her children from possible harm by sending a SOS message in an online pizza order.

    Cheryl Treadway made an online pizza order, for a small hand-tossed classic pizza with pepperoni, to Pizza Hut in Avon Park, Florida.

    Under the comments section there was a message asking them to send help and call 911 as the customer was being held hostage, Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigators said.

    Pizza Hut employees recognised the order as being from a frequent customer. But, the comments were out of the ordinary so they called the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the situation.

    “We’ve never seen that before,” the restaurant’s manager, Candy Hamilton was quoted as saying by WFLA-TV.

    “I’ve been here 28 years and never, never seen nothing like that come through,” he said.

    Deputies responded to the Pizza Hut and to the delivery location for the order. Upon arrival at the home, deputies were greeted by Treadway who was carrying a small child in her arms.

    She told deputies that her boyfriend, Ethan Nickerson, was in the home armed with a knife and that her other two children were also in the home with him. After she was escorted to safety, deputies approached the home.

    Lieutenant Curtis Ludden began to speak with Nickerson through the closed door of the home.

    After about 20 minutes, Lieutenant Ludden was able to talk him into coming out peacefully. The other two children were then removed from the home, unharmed.

    Deputies believe Nickerson may have been high on Meth at the time of the hostage situation. According to the arrest report, the couple had been arguing throughout the day.

    When Treadway attempted to leave the residence to pick up the children from school, Nickerson grabbed her and took her cell phone. He then accompanied Treadway to pick up the children.

    Upon returning home, Treadway eventually convinced Nickerson to let her use the cell phone to order a pizza which is when she sent the message to Pizza Hut.

  • ‘Row over donations cheap publicity stunt to defame Hillary’

    ‘Row over donations cheap publicity stunt to defame Hillary’

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A controversial new book on foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation is a politically motivated “cheap publicity stunt” to defame Hillary Clinton as she tries to break the glass ceiling in the 2016 presidential elections, Indian-American hotelier Sant Chatwal said today.

    Named prominently in book titled ‘Clinton Cash’ by author Peter Schweizer, New York-based Chatwal strongly refuted the allegations that the donations made by him to the Clinton Foundation was instrumental in Hillary to vote in favour of the India-US civil nuclear deal in 2008.

    “This is 100 per cent wrong. There is not even an iota of truth in it,” he told PTI in an interview.

    Chatwal, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government in 2010 for his contribution in the nuclear deal, asserted that his fund raising efforts and his campaign in favour of the historic nuclear deal had nothing to do with the decision making process of Hillary, who was then a Senator.

    The allegations were also refuted by the office of Hillary, 67, who last month announced her second presidential bid.

    In his book, Schweizer alleged that the Indian government rewarded Chatwal with one of its highest civilian awards for getting Hillary’s support the civilian nuclear deal.

    “All an act of fiction. The book has been written only because she is running for president. And there are certain people who do not want a woman to be the president of the US. That’s the reason for such a malign campaign against her,” Chatwal said.

    Chatwal, who has been a family friend of the Clintons for the past several decades, showed a series of letters written by Senators and Members of the House of Representatives during the civil nuclear days in 2008 to prove his point.

    On May 17, it was the then four Senators – Joe Biden (now the US Vice President), Lamar Alexander, Charles Schumer and John Cornyn – who wrote a dear colleague letter urging other Senators to participate in an informal discussion with some top Indian businessmen.

    And a week earlier, Joe Crowley wrote letters to other members of the Congress inviting them for a similar reception involving Chatwal, according to a copy of the letter provided by him.

    Chatwal also refuted the description in the book that Amar Singh, the Indian politician, was involved in talks with US lawmakers or with Hillary on the civil nuclear deal.

    In 2008, Clinton Foundation said Amar Singh donated between USD 1-5 million.

    “He (Singh) had no role at all (in the US). He was never part of our team that worked on the civil nuclear deal,” Chatwal added.