The Indian Panorama

Year: 2015

  • HUNTINGTON, NEW YORK: ‘WE WILL NOT BE GETTING DECIBEL METERS’

    HUNTINGTON, NEW YORK: ‘WE WILL NOT BE GETTING DECIBEL METERS’

    HUNTINGTON, NY (TIP): Chapel Hill: Huntington, New York, a community of 200,000 on Long Island, has won this month’sNoisy Dozen award from Noise Free America for tolerating excessive noise, especially from gas-powered leaf blowers. Life in this suburban community has become unbearable because of the constant noise.

     

    Section 141-4 of the town of Huntington code states that leaf blower noise shall not “exceed seventy (70) A-scale) decibels.” The town code also states that “the operation of any motorized leaf blower device on a weekday prior to 8:00 am or after 7:00 pm, or on a Saturday, Sunday or Sunday prior to9:00 am or after 5:00 pm shall be deemed a noise disturbance. Said motorized leaf blower device shall only be operated for two hours of use per property on Saturdays and Sundays or legal holidays.”

     

    Despite these stated restrictions, leaf blower use is at full blast in Huntington. Dr. Bonnie Sager, a Huntington resident, called the Department of Public Safety, which is responsible for enforcing the town code. She was told, “We do not have decibel meters, we will not be getting decibel meters, and we will not be training officers on how to use decibel meters.”

     

    The ever-present noise from landscapers makes daily life in Huntington very difficult. Dr. Sager states, “They are here seven days a week, eleven hours a day. As soon as one landscaper with leaf blowers leaves, another crew shows up. The level of noise is unhealthy for everyone, especially the workers.”

     

    Robert Kleinman, an area resident, states that “commercial landscapers are all over town, blasting away with noisy, smelly, pollution-belching machines all summer and fall–even into the winter. These landscapers should choose less offensive ways to accomplish their objectives, without disturbing the peace and jeopardizing the health of everyone around them.”

     

    The incessant whine of gas-powered leaf blowers is ridiculous and unnecessary–especially in the summer months, when there are few (if any) leaves. What happened to the principle of the peaceful use and enjoyment of one’s own home and property?

     

    Juanita Wetherell, another Huntington resident, states, “Why does a landscaping company have the right to drive me inside, make me shut my windows, put my health at risk, and damage the environment?Huntington needs to enforce its regulations on decibel levels and hours of operation for landscaping. The leaf blowers I hear all day long are definitely much louder than 70 decibels.”

     

    Alice Huber of Huntington is a retiree. For years, she set an alarm to get up early and commute into the city. Now that she is retired, she would like to sleep in. However, she states, “almost every day at8:00 am–and often earlier–the disagreeable sound of gas-powered leaf blowers awakens me. Landscaping services should not determine when I get up or take a nap.”

     

    “Ear-splitting noise and toxic dust ruin the peace and quiet of our community,” states Dr. Lucy Weinstein, chair of the Long Island American Academy of Pediatrics Environmental Unit. “You can hear the leaf blower noise from blocks away. I worry about the children with asthma and allergies.”

     

    Noise from a single gas-powered leaf blower reaches up to 115 decibels–in clear violation of the Huntington town code. Add the noise from lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, and string trimmers and the decibel level is outrageous. These levels far exceed the safety standards established by the World Health Organization and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. These extreme noise levels are associated with hearing loss, high blood pressure, and ischemic heart disease.

     

    In response to the epidemic of noise, local citizens have formed “Huntington CALM,” with a modest request. “In the summer,” states Dr. Sager, “there are virtually no leaves and only a few grass clippings on hard surfaces. For the sake of our health and the environment, isn’t it reasonable to leave a few grass clippings in place? Landscapers should use alternatives, such as manual tools, electric blowers, or blowers with lithium ion batteries. Lawn care should not come at the cost of our health and well-being.”

     

    Huntington CALM is asking the town council to restrict the use of gas-powered leaf blowers during the summer months. If nothing else, the hours of operation should be shortened, so that residents can eat dinner in peace and enjoy restful Sundays. The town council should encourage and educate landscapers and homeowners about more modern equipment, which is quieter, more energy-efficient, and less polluting. Requiring landscapers to register and have their equipment tested and approved–so that it conforms with proper decibel code levels–would also be a step in the right direction.

     

    Noise Free America is a national citizens’ organization opposed to noise pollution. Past “winners” of the Noisy Dozen award include Brooklyn, New York; Battery Park City, New York; and New York City motorcycle clubs.

  • Council Member Mark S. Weprin Expresses Concern

    Council Member Mark S. Weprin Expresses Concern

    Council Member Mark S. Weprin Expresses Concern about Recently Published Property Tax Assessments For Co-Ops and Condos

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The New York City Department of Finance (DOF) recently published tentative property tax assessments for 2015-2016 and has reported that market values for co-ops and condos went up an average of 11 percent.

     

    Since he first took office, New York City Council Member Mark S. Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens), founder of the City Council Co-op and Condo caucus, has been consistently outspoken about his concerns with the real property tax assessment formula.

     

    In 1996, as a State Assemblymember, Weprin sponsored the original version of the co-op and condo real property tax abatement, which partially addresses the real property tax code’s adverse impact on co-op and condo owners. Now, nearly a decade later, Weprin continues to fight against the unjust property tax system that adversely impacts New York City’s middle-class.

     

    “As an elected official who represents tens of thousands of co-op and condo residents, I will continue to fight for tax equity,” said Council Member Weprin. “This increase is a considerable financial burden on my constituents and the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in the co-op and condo community.”

  • Saudi Arabia aided 9/11 hijackers?

    Saudi Arabia aided 9/11 hijackers?

    NEW YORK  (TIP): Lawyers for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks say they have new evidence that agents of Saudi Arabia “directly and knowingly” helped the hijackers, including sworn testimony from the so-called 20th hijacker and from three principals of the U.S. government’s two primary probes of the attacks.

     

    The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington said in a statement Wednesday, February 4, that Zacarias Moussaoui’s claims come from a “deranged criminal” and that there is no evidence to support them. It said Saudi Arabia had nothing to do with the deadly 2001 attacks.

     

    The lawyers filed documents in Manhattan federal court to buttress claims Saudi Arabia supported al-Qaida and its leader at the time, Osama bin Laden, prior to the attacks. They have always said “the Saudi government directly and knowingly assisted the 9/11 hijackers,” but now say facts and evidence supporting the assertion “are compelling.”

     

    They said an “expansive volume” of new evidence -including U.S. and foreign intelligence reports, government reports and testimony from al-Qaida members – support lawsuits seeking billions of dollars from countries, companies and organizations that aided al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.

     

    They said evidence likely to be released soon includes a congressional report detailing evidence of Saudi 9/11 involvement and nearly 80,000 pages of material relating to an FBI probe of Saudis who supported 9/11 hijackers in Florida.

     

    They also cited their own research, including last year’s Moussaoui interview at the maximum-security prison in Florence, Colo.

     

    Moussaoui repeated some assertions made previously, including that a 1990s plot by al-Qaida to shoot down Air Force One and assassinate President Bill Clinton, was assisted by a top Saudi Embassy employee, along with claims there were direct dealings between senior Saudi officials and bin Laden.

     

    The lawyers also said their case is boosted by sworn statements by 9/11 Commissioners John Lehman and Bob Kerrey, as well as Bob Graham, cochairman of the Joint Congressional Inquiry into 9/11. Graham says he believes “there was a direct line” between some Sept. 11terrorists and the government of Saudi Arabia while Lehman, a former Navy secretary, explained close historical ties between the kingdom’s government clerics and al-Qaida, the lawyers noted.

     

    The court filing, coming less than two weeks after the death of Saudi King Abdullah, was made to meet a deadline set by Judge George B. Daniels.

     

    In a website statement, the Saudi embassy noted the Sept. 11 attack had been the “most intensely investigated crime in history and the findings show no involvement by the Saudi government or Saudi officials.”

     

    As for Moussaoui, the statement said: “His words have no credibility. His goal in making these statements only serves to get attention for himself and try to do what he could not do through acts of terrorism – to undermine Saudi-U.S. relations.”

     

    Moussaoui was arrested on immigration charges in August 2001 after employees of a Minnesota flight school became alarmed he wanted to learn to fly a Boeing 747 with no pilot’s license. He was in custody on Sept. 11 and pleaded guilty in April 2005 to conspiring with the hijackers to kill Americans.

     

    A psychologist testified for the defense at death penalty proceedings that Moussaoui had paranoid schizophrenia. Jurors spared his life.

  • CONGRATULATIONS! Mohammed Jaffer for Excellence in Photojournalism

    CONGRATULATIONS! Mohammed Jaffer for Excellence in Photojournalism

    EDISON, NJ (TIP): Photo Editor of SnapsIndia  Mohammed Jaffer, a proud Hyderabadi of Jersey City, traveled with US President Barack Obama as a member of the 100-plus White House Press Corps that included White House staff photographers as well as journalists from agencies like the Associated Press and Reuters and national newspapers.

     

    “Traveling with the president as part of his media delegation is very prestigious and is a chance of a lifetime,” Jaffer told The Jersey Journal. “For me, it’s a great honor and golden opportunity to gain professional experience and would be a highlight of my career. Being an Indian, I am really proud of it.” 

     

    Jaffer, 45, has been living in Jersey City for well over 20 years and has extensively covered city-based events.

     

    In 1992, he started Jersey City SnapsIndia News Photo Service, a subsidiary of SnapsIndia, which was founded by his father over half a century ago in Hyderabad, southern India. He started his career in photojournalism in Hudson County, covering Columbus Day parades, Halloween events, Memorial Day events, the India Day Parade and City Hall functions, including the city’s India Day celebration.

     

    A native of Hyderabad, Jaffer has seen his work published in leading dailies in India as well as in ethnic newspapers in the United States and Canada.

     

    By his own admission, photography runs in his blood as his late father, M A Rahim, was a leading photographer in Hyderabad.

     

    “I think I have inherited his passion,” he said. “Today I cannot think of anything else for a living but news photography.”

     

    In 2007, then-Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy awarded him a proclamation for being “an outstanding citizen for the contribution to the community.” Former President Bill Clinton opened Jaffer’s photo exhibition at the Regent Wall Street hotel in New York in June 2001. His photo showing Clinton, during the president’s India visit, sitting cross-legged under a tree in Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram hangs at the Clinton’s Presidential Library.

     

    Jaffer was honored by the New York City Council with the Outstanding Citizen award in August 2007 for his “exemplary services” to media in the U.S. and India.

     

    “I look forward to having a very exciting and productive time in terms of news photography,” Jaffer said, “and having moments that I will cherish throughout my life.

     

    By Suman Guha Mozumder

  • Senator Avella appoints Rajvir Kaur Khakh as South Asian Representative

    Senator Avella appoints Rajvir Kaur Khakh as South Asian Representative

    BAYSIDE, NY (TIP): State Senator Tony Avella, on February 5, announced the hire of a new South Asian representative. Fulfilling a campaign promise, Senator Avella joined South Asian community leaders to announce that his office can now accommodate Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu speakers.

     

    Ms. Rajvir Kaur Khakh, who has been hired as a District Representative, attended the State University of New York at Old Westbury, where she studied politics, business economics and law. She has previously interned with the Center for Social Policy and Community Engagement, the Indian Subcontinent Partition Documentation Project and the Institute of Multicultural Counseling and Educational Services at the United Nations.

     

    “I am pleased to announce that Ms. Rajvir Kaur Khakh has joined our office. We are lucky to be able to bring someone of her outstanding qualifications on board. I am proud that our office is now able to accommodate Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu speakers, and I look forward to working to strengthen the relationship between my office and the South Asian community,” said Senator Avella.

     

    “It is an honor to have this opportunity. I look forward to helping those who speak Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, and it will be my privilege to be the link between the South Asian community and the office of Senator Tony Avella,” stated Rajvir Kaur Khakh.

     

    “I would like to thank Senator Avella for ensuring that his office has a representative of the South Asian community. It is a great responsibility to represent both Senator Avella and the South Asian community. I am glad that with Rajvir, anyone can be helped, regardless of whether they speak English well or not. I look forward to continuing to work on the needs of the South Asian community with Senator Avella,” said Pali Walia, community leader.

     

    “Congratulations to Ms. Khakh. I wish you all the best. This district is very diverse with a growing number of South Asian residents. Thanks to Senator Avella for listening to the needs of our community and hiring a South Asian American representative in his office,” stated Dilip Chauhan, community leader.

  • Kerry travels to Ukraine as US weighs sending arms

    Kerry travels to Ukraine as US weighs sending arms

    KIEV (TIP): US secretary of state John Kerry is in Ukraine to show support for the embattled government as the Obama administration weighs sending arms to Kiev to help it fight Russian-backed separatists.

     

    Amid a fast-moving flurry of international diplomacy, Kerry arrived in Kiev today bringing with him a modest amount of $16.4 million in new US humanitarian aid, but also the potential for lethal weaponry that the country’s leaders say they desperately need to defend themselves and turn back renewed rebel pushes in the east.

     

    Officials with Kerry said he would discuss those needs with Ukrainian officials as well as new initiatives to resurrect a moribund ceasefire and resume a political dialogue to end the conflict. Kerry is one of three top administration officials in Europe this week with a primary focus on Ukraine. Outgoing defense secretary Chuck Hagel is already in Belgium attending Nato meetings in Brussels, where Vice President Joe Biden is expected on Friday. Biden and Kerry will join forces in Germany at an international security conference in Munich, expected to be dominated by Ukraine and western tensions with Russia.

     

    Yesterday, President Barack Obama’s pick to run the Pentagon told Congress he is very inclined to support lethal weapons transfers to Ukraine.

     

    The comments were the latest signal the White House may reverse its opposition to arming Ukraine to help its struggling military repel Moscow-backed insurgents despite concerns that might escalate the conflict, turn it into an overt proxy war with Russia and set Washington at odds with its European partners.

     

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a key ally in pressuring Russia to end its support for the rebels, has said there is no military solution to the crisis and that Germany will not supply weapons to Ukraine. In Ukraine, President Petro Poroshenko said his government badly needs lethal aid to help repel the separatist attacks in the conflict that that has left 5,300 people dead.

  • Harvard bans professors from having sex with undergraduates

    Harvard bans professors from having sex with undergraduates

    CAMBRIDGE (TIP): Harvard University has instituted a total ban on professors having sex with undergraduate students, strengthening language it said didn’t reflect its expectations on appropriate relationships between faculty members and students.

     

    Harvard said in a statement released on Thursday the change came as part of a formal review of its policy on Title IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in education.

     

    The Faculty of Arts and Sciences Committee on Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures determined the university’s language on “relationships of unequal status” was not strong enough.

     

    “Therefore, the Committee revised the policy to include a clear prohibition to better accord with these expectations,” Harvard said in its statement.

     

    The university, which is based in Cambridge, just outside Boston, has about 2,400 faculty members and about 6,700 undergraduate students. Previously, its policy prohibited professors from having sex with students under their direct supervision. The policy now specifically bans professors and undergraduates from having any romantic or sexual involvements.

     

    History professor Alison Johnson, who led the committee, said it spent last summer and fall consulting with students, faculty members and staff to get feedback.

     

    “As part of this process, we thought a lot about the way that power dynamics can contribute to sexual harassment,” Johnson said in an email. “We wanted to emphasize that the central characteristic of any relationship between a professor and an undergraduate in the College should be pedagogical.”

  • Shooting reported at High School in Maryland

    Shooting reported at High School in Maryland

    FREDERICK (TIP): Two students were shot outside a public high school in Maryland on February 4 night while a basketball game was being played inside, sending game watchers running for cover as frantic parents rushed to the scene to make sure their children were OK.

     

    The Frederick High School students were flown to a hospital in Baltimore with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, Frederick police capt Richard Hetherington said. He did not know the students’ ages or genders, and he said the shooter or shooters were still at large on Thursday.

     

    Two junior varsity basketball games were going on at the time of the shooting, said Frederick County public schools spokesman Michael Doerrer.

     

    Officers took about 200 people who were at the game into the school cafeteria, secured the building and questioned witnesses, Hetherington said. He said the students were being released to their parents in the parking lot of a nearby bowling alley.

     

    before midnight, a school bus and a police van pulled into the lot and let off about a dozen students, the first group to be released. There was excited chatter as parents hugged their children.

     

    Frederick High School junior Sofia McCluskey said she was watching the game and heard a muffled shot. “Someone yelled, ‘Yo, they’re shooting,’” she said. “And we just ran as fast as we could.” 

     

    She and her friend, Stephanie Sanchez, said they ran to the locker room and were taken to the cafeteria, where they waited and were briefly interviewed by police.

     

    Sanchez said it was a frightening experience. “I was, like, shaking the whole time. I still am,” she said.

     

    Dejuan Jones, a sophomore, said, “You would expect it to happen at a varsity game, but it was like a JV game,” he said. “Nobody hardly comes to those.” 

     

    Dana Wiles, 40, said her daughter, a Frederick High school sophomore, sent her a text message about 8.40pm. “She said she saw it happen,” Wiles said. “She’s not coming back to any more basketball games. I’m keeping her home with me.” 

     

    Wiles waited with her son, a senior at another school, near the street entrance to the school driveway. They periodically checked their cellphones for messages. “I just want my kid,” she said.

     

    Tanika Mayweather, whose 15-year-old son Lawrence was playing in the basketball game, said, “I know he’s OK, because he called.” She said she’s not going to let her son play basketball for the school anymore. “We’ll have our basketball games out in the park,” she said.

     

    Sean Noah, 16, who attends a different high school, was in the building for swimming practice. He said he didn’t hear any shots, but that he was kept inside for about 45 minutes afterward.

     

    Elsa Pereira, 46, a paralegal, said her 10th-grade son was watching the game. “He called me right away,” she said. “He’s OK.” 

  • FCC plans strong hand to regulate the internet

    FCC plans strong hand to regulate the internet

    WASHINGTON: Declaring the internet critical for the nation, a top US regulator on february 4 proposed an unprecedented expansion of federal power to ensure providers don’t block or slow web traffic for America’s countless users.

     

    The proposal by Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler was a victory for advocates of “net neutrality,” the idea that internet providers must allow data to move across their networks without interference. The idea has been the subject of heavy lobbying and millions of dollars in advertising in the past year.

     

    “Net neutrality” means that whether you’re trying to buy a necklace on Etsy, stream the season premiere of Netflix’s ‘House of Cards’ or watch a music video on Google’s YouTube, your internet service provider would have to load all of those websites equally quickly. Major internet providers insist they have no plans to create such fast or slow lanes, but they strongly oppose the regulation, arguing that it could stifle innovation and investment.

     

    Wheeler’s proposal attempts to erase any legal uncertainty by reclassifying the internet as a telecommunications service and regulating it under the 1934 Communications Act. The plan would apply to both wired service provided by companies like Comcast and wireless service by companies like T-Mobile.

     

    That would put all internet service in the same regulatory camp as telephones and any other public utility, which Republicans and industry officials say would discourage investment and increase taxes.

     

    The FCC will vote on February 26 on the proposal, and approval is considered likely. President Barack Obama has called for regulation under the Communications Act, and Democratic appointees hold a commission majority.

     

    “It is counterproductive because heavy regulation of the internet will create uncertainty and chill investment among the many players —not just internet service providers —that now will need to consider FCC rules before launching new services,” said Michael Glover, Verizon senior vice president. But Wheeler and consumer groups say the move is necessary to prevent providers from creating slow or fast lanes on net in which content companies like Netflix can pay to jump to the head of the queue.

  • Texas executes ‘Texas 7’ prison escapee for officer’s death

    Texas executes ‘Texas 7’ prison escapee for officer’s death

    HUNTSVILLE, TEXAS (TIP): A three-time convicted robber who helped engineer the biggest prison break in Texas history was executed February 4 evening for killing a suburban Dallas police officer while the notorious gang was on the run.

     

    Donald Newbury, 52, became the third member of the group known as the “Texas 7” executed for the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Aubrey Hawkins, a police officer who interrupted the fugitives’ robbery of a sporting goods store on Christmas Eve in 2000.

     

    The slaying occurred 11 days after the convicts escaped. The gang was captured a month later in Colorado.

     

    Asked to make a final statement, he mumbled: “I would. That each new indignity defeats only the body. Pampering the spirit with obscure merit. I love you all. That’s it.” 

     

    As the lethal dose of pentobarbital took effect, he closed his eyes, then took a deep breath and began snoring. After about a dozen snores, each a bit quieter, he stopped all movement.

     

    He was pronounced dead 11 minutes later, at 6:25pm.

     

    About two dozen police officers stood at attention outside the Huntsville prison. Several supporters of the slain officer were on motorcycles outside, and as Newbury was taking his final breaths, the roar of revving engines could be heard inside the death chamber.

     

    The punishment was carried out after Newbury lost a last-day appeal to the US Supreme Court. His attorneys had argued previous lawyers were deficient and courts did not provide adequate money for a defense expert to illustrate how Newbury’s abusive childhood influenced his violent behavior.

     

    Evidence showed the gang led by George Rivas, who had been sentenced to 17 life prison terms, overpowered workers on December 2000, at the Connally Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, south of San Antonio. They broke into a prison armory, stole weapons and drove off in a prison truck.

     

    Two days later, Rivas and Newbury held up a store, taking electronics including police radio scanners.

     

    “Rivas was the leader and would do the talking and Newbury was one of the guys standing with the gun and threatening everybody,” said Toby Shook, the former Dallas County assistant district attorney who prosecuted both. “Rivas was using him as his muscle.” 

     

    Eleven days after the breakout, Hawkins drove to the sporting goods store to check out a report of suspicious activity. He was shot 11 times, his bullet-ridden body pulled from his squad car and then run over with a stolen SUV. The fugitives fled with $70,000, 44 firearms and ammunition, plus jewelry and wallets from store employees who were closing up for the evening.

     

    The gang was apprehended a month later. One of them, Larry Harper, killed himself rather than surrender. When arrested, Newbury had 12 loaded firearms in the Colorado Springs Holiday Inn room he shared with fellow fugitive Joseph Garcia.

  • CLAMOUR IN US TO RELEASE SECRET INFO

    CLAMOUR IN US TO RELEASE SECRET INFO

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A still-classified section of the investigation by congressional intelligence committees into the September 11, 2001, attacks has taken on an almost mythic quality over the past 13 years — 28 pages that examine crucial support to hijackers — and that by all accounts implicate prominent Saudis in financing terrorism.

     

    New claims by Zacarias Moussaoui, a convicted former member of al-Qaida, that he had high-level contact with officials of the Saudi government in the prelude to September 11 have brought renewed attention to the inquiry’s withheld findings, which lawmakers and relatives of those killed have tried unsuccessfully to declassify. “I think it is the right thing to do,” said representative Stephen F Lynch, democrat of Massachusetts and an author of a bipartisan resolution encouraging President Obama to declassify the section. “Let’s put it out there.” 

     

    White House officials say the administration has undertaken a review on whether to release the pages. Lynch and his allies have been joined by former senator Bob Graham of Florida, who as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee was a leader of the inquiry. He has called for the release of the report’s Part 4, which dealt with Saudi Arabia, since Bush ordered it classified in 2002. “The 28 pages primarily relate to who financed 9/11, and point a strong finger at Saudi Arabia as being the principal financier,” Graham said last month as he pressed for the pages to be made public.

  • House leader: Pope Francis to address Congress on September 24

    House leader: Pope Francis to address Congress on September 24

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Pope Francis will address a joint meeting of the US House and Senate on Sept. 24, becoming the first pontiff to do so, House Speaker John Boehner said on February 5.

     

    “We’re humbled that the Holy Father has accepted our invitation and certainly look forward to receiving his message on behalf of the American people,” Boehner, a Republican, told reporters.

     

    Boehner is Roman Catholic and extended the invitation for the pope to speak to lawmakers.

     

    During his planned trip next fall, Francis is also expected to visit the White House as well as speak at the United Nations in New York and participate in a massive Catholic rally for families in Philadelphia.

     

    It will be his first visit to the United States in a papacy that began two years ago.

     

    “In a time of global upheaval, the Holy Father’s message of compassion and human dignity has moved people of all faiths and backgrounds,” Boehner said in a written statement released as he spoke to reporters. “His teachings, prayers, and very example bring us back to the blessings of simple things and our obligations to one another.” 

     

    Pope Benedict XVI visited Washington during a trip to the U.S. in 2008, celebrating Mass at Nationals Stadium.

  • Obama calls Dalai Lama ‘good friend,’ inspiration

    Obama calls Dalai Lama ‘good friend,’ inspiration

    WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Barack Obama on February 5 called the Dalai Lama a “good friend” and an inspiration for freedom.

     

    The president, speaking at a closely watched prayer event in Washington with the lama in the audience, said Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader was “a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion and who inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings.”

  • IN OPEN LETTER TO MODI, OBAMA, GUJARAT VILLAGES SEEK PUBLIC DEBATE ON NUCLEAR POWER

    IN OPEN LETTER TO MODI, OBAMA, GUJARAT VILLAGES SEEK PUBLIC DEBATE ON NUCLEAR POWER

    Consulting firm chosen to conduct EIA on proposed NPCIL 1,000-MW reactors at Mithivirdi lacks accreditation, say sarpanches

     

    GANDHINAGAR (TIP): Heads of four villages in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district have written an open letter to United States President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for a public discussion and debate on the proposed 6,000-MW Mithivirdi Nuclear power plant, according to a news report published in The Hindu on January 25.

     

    Their demand comes in the light of upcoming talks between the two leaders about of civil nuclear deal.

     

    The state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) plans to install six 1,000-MW nuclear reactors at the district headquarters of Mithivirdi with the joint support of U.S. firm Westinghouse Electric Corporation.

     

    The letter raised concerns over NPCIL’s nomination of environmental consulting firm Engineers India Limited for conducting the environmental impact assessment (EIA). The villages pointed out that the agency was “lacking necessary accreditation to conduct the EIA for nuclear power plants.”

     

    “The Ministry of Environment and Forests has asked NPCIL to ‘revise’ and ‘resubmit’ its Environment Impact Assessment report of the project as it lacks clarity on a large number of issues. The [Expert Appraisal Committee (Nuclear)], simultaneously, criticized the NPCIL for a three-year delay in the proposal for environmental clearance following the [Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s ‘site clearance’] for the project, and noted key coastal regulatory clearances to be missing.”

     

    The MoEF noted “major shortcomings” in the EIA report, including the absence of base-line radioactivity data for milk samples; absence of studies on the impact of two hills near the site on atmospheric dispersion and effect of historical tsunamis; and the lack of clarity on the impact of land and groundwater, the letter states.

     

    “This casual approach to clearing a nuclear powerplant can lead to a major nuclear disaster. Agriculture forms the backbone of human survival, and this project strikes at a very important asset of our country – the prime agricultural lands. It is not that we are against electricity generation. But no serious thought has been given to the available sustainable alternatives for electricity generation. Solar and wind power have an equal and more sustainable potential to produce electricity and that too in a decentralized manner. Let us have a fair and open discussion before taking any decision on the project,” the village heads urged.

     

    The letter – dated January 22, 2015 – was signed by sarpanches Shaktisinh H. Gohil of Jaspara village, Samuben Dabhi of Mithivirdi village, Vilasba Gohil of Mandva village and Pruthvirajsinh Gohil of Khadarpar village.

  • LC GOYAL TAKES CHARGE AS UNION HOME SECRETARY

    LC GOYAL TAKES CHARGE AS UNION HOME SECRETARY

    NEW DELHI (TIP): LC Goyal on February 5 took charge as the new Union home secretary replacing Anil Goswami who had resigned on February 4.

     

    Anil Goswami was given the marching orders after he admitted that he had called up CBI officers to dissuade them from summoning former Union minister Matang Sinh in the Saradha scam.

     

    Goyal, a 1979 batch IAS officer belonging to the Kerala cadre, was secretary, rural development ministry. He has earlier served as joint secretary (internal security) in the home ministry from 2002 to 2007. He will have a fixed tenure of two years.

  • NO CHANGE IN ECONOMY PERFORMANCE: INDIA INC

    NO CHANGE IN ECONOMY PERFORMANCE: INDIA INC

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Painting a dismal picture of the economy during the last six months of 2014, IndiaInc said not much had changed on the ground at the industry level during the period falling within the Narendra Modi-led government’s tenure.

     

    The industry chamber’s respondents were, however, optimistic that things will improve a lot in the next as many months, the Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (Assocham) said in a statement here.

     

    “As many as 54.2 percent of the respondents in the confidence measuring survey said not much has really changed at the operating level in the last six months, but more number of industry leaders expressed optimism about the shape of things to improve going forward,” Assocham said.

     

    “As many 58.3 percent of the respondents expect that during January to March 2015 their sales volume will increase and 45.8 percent of them expressed similar outlook for profits,” it added.

     

    “Typically investment follows improvement in sales and profitability. The latter things – sales and profitability – are falling in place and there would be a visible change in the next few months following which investment should follow since there is always a lag,” Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat said.

  • Bihar CM Manjhi may dissolve assembly if forced to quit

    Bihar CM Manjhi may dissolve assembly if forced to quit

    PATNA (TIP): JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav on February 5 called for a meeting of party MLAs on Saturday amid whispers that chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi might have to resign well before the legislature party meeting on February 23, ostensibly to elect a new leader – though Manjhi is unlikely to give up without a fight.

     

    In fact, sources close to Manjhi said he is likely to challenge Sharad’s decision to call for a meeting of party MLAs, with one minister in the CM’s camp, Mahachandra Singh, as well as JD(U) rebel Gyanendra Singh ‘Gyanoo’ asserting that such a meeting would be illegal as only CM is authorized to convene it.

     

    Sources also said if pushed, Manjhi may recommend the dissolution of the House on Friday with another Manjhi camp-follower, Shakuni Chaudhary, saying, “Manjhi is fire, and whoever tries to touch him would burn his hands.”

     

    “The situation is delicate. We want a smooth transition. Negotiations are on,” said JD(U) secretary general K C Tyagi. Kumar’s groupies have been trying to persuade Manjhi to make way for Kumar without a show of strength, which is unacceptable to Kumar. Complicating things for Kumar is the fact that at least 25 JD(U) MLAs are backing Manjhi and would vote for him should the need arise.

     

    Party sources said Manjhi may drop ministers loyal to Kumar before the February 7 legislature party meeting. They are Rajiv Ranjan Singh ‘Lallan’, P K Shahi, Ramai Ram and Shyam Rajak – all said to be behind the ‘Manjhi-hatao’ campaign. Manjhi has publicly criticized the road construction ministry headed by Lallan.

     

    Meanwhile, sources said Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav called Kumar on phone and advised him to take over as CM if he was serious about taking on the NDA in the assembly elections later this year. His advice is believed to be expediting the change of leadership.

  • A day after bail, Mamata’s aide Srinjoy quits Trinamool, RS

    A day after bail, Mamata’s aide Srinjoy quits Trinamool, RS

    KOLKATA (TIP): Within hours of getting bail in the Saradha case, Srinjoy Bose quit Trinamool Congress and announced he was resigning as Rajya Sabha MP as well.

     

    Srinjoy’s quitting is a blow to Trinamool as he was perceived as close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee who called him by his nickname, Tumpai, and publicly defended him after his arrest.

     

    Sources say 38-year-old Srinjoy had been gradually distancing himself from the party during his 75-day custody but the timing of his resignation took everyone by surprise. He had earlier resigned as editor of Trinamool mouthpiece, Jago Bangla, and his name in the print-line was quickly replaced by Trinamool secretary-general Partha Chatterjee. He had also shunned VIP hospital treatment —unlike transport minister Madan Mitra — choosing to be treated in the cardiology ward of SSKM hospital.

  • SC says no to contempt proceedings against Mamata

    SC says no to contempt proceedings against Mamata

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court on February 5 turned down a plea for initiating contempt proceedings against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for staging a protest against CBI probe in the Saradha chit fund scam.

     

    The court refused to entertain the petition filed by one Abu Abbas Uddin but made it clear that it would consider such a plea against any person if CBI complained of obstructions in conducting the probe.

     

    “We see no reason to entertain the petition. If CBI has any grievances, then we will look into it,” a bench headed by Justice T S Thakur said.

  • China plans to build three more aircraft carriers: Report

    China plans to build three more aircraft carriers: Report

    BEIJING (TIP): China is planning to build three more aircraft carriers for deployment in the disputed South China Sea amid the escalating maritime stand-offs with its neighbours and the US’ big push into Asia-Pacific.

     

    While there is no official confirmation to the plans of additional aircraft carriers, Chinese defence expert Cao Weidong said that China pursues a defensive national defence policy and four aircraft carriers are appropriate for its present need especially for the deployment in South China Sea where China is entangled in maritime disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

     

    “If China has four aircraft carriers, with two in the South China Sea and two in northern China, they can better accomplish their missions,” he was quoted as saying in the official People’s Daily online.

     

    Aircraft carriers are typically required for training, maintenance and duty.

     

    So far, China only has Liaoning, as its sole aircraft carrier. Launched in September 2012, the Liaoning, which was refurbished after its hull was bought from Ukraine is in operation since 2013.

     

    On the size of the aircraft carrier, he said 60,000-80,000 tonnes carriers are appropriate for China’s needs at present and there is no need to build 100,000 tonners or larger carriers like the United States.

     

    A 60,000 tonne ship can carry from 30 to 40 fighters, while a 100,000 ton vessel can carry between 70 and 80 fighters.

     

    The displacement of an aircraft carrier will greatly affect its combat capability, the daily said.

     

    In addition to refurbishing the ship, China also had to build an aircraft suitable to operate from its deck. In May 2013, China’s first carrier-based air force was established and completed its first joint training.

     

    Last year, Liaoning returned to Dalian for a four-month overhaul.

     

    Liaoning was mostly regarded as trial aircraft carrier. Some reports said China is currently building two more.

     

    China claims most of the South China Sea, a vital sea lane and fishing ground that is believed to hold vast mineral resources. But the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims over the waters.

     

    Beijing is also having a raging dispute with Japan over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea which has caused major upheaval in the relations between the two countries.

     

    China is also seriously concerned over the US’ Asia Pivot push siding with Japan and Asean countries to press for resolution of the maritime disputes.

  • Syria strikes kill 66 after rebel fire on Damascus: Monitor

    Syria strikes kill 66 after rebel fire on Damascus: Monitor

    BEIRUT (TIP): At least 66 people were killed on February 6 as Syria’s regime pounded a rebel stronghold with air strikes after a barrage of opposition fire hit the capital Damascus, a monitor said.

     

    The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 12 children were among those killed in the opposition-held Eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus, and an AFP photographer there described chaotic scenes.

     

    In the capital, meanwhile, a barrage of at least 120 rockets and mortar rounds fired by rebel forces killed 10 people, among them a child.

     

    The fire left usually busy streets of the city deserted and prompted Damascus University to close for the day, sending students home.

     

    The assault on the capital began early on Thursday and came two days after the leader of rebel group Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) warned it would attack in response to repeated government strikes on rebel-held Douma in Eastern Ghouta.

     

    “Within minutes, our busy street was empty,” a resident of Damascus’ Baramkeh neighbourhood told AFP after the mortar fire began, adding that the head teacher of a local school had been forced to take her students to a shelter.

     

    The middle class district of the capital is home to several university buildings, as well as the headquarters of state news agency SANA.

     

    In the city centre, traffic was light and many people stayed home from work.

     

    “If the terrorists think that by shelling Damascus they will ease the pressure on them, they are making a big mistake,” a senior military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

     

    “We will continue to hunt them down and destroy them.” Jaysh al-Islam leader Zahran Alloush had warned that Damascus would be considered a “military zone” during the bombardment, which follows a similar attack by the group on January 25 that killed six.

     

    The government’s response was swift and deadly, with more than 60 air strikes hitting areas across Eastern Ghouta, along with surface-to-surface missiles, the Observatory said.

     

    AFP photographer Abd Doumany said the assault caused chaos. “This is the worst day in Douma in four years,” he said. “The situation in the hospitals is very bad. There are shortages of everything.” 

     

    He said medics had been wounded in the shelling and residents were hiding in basements.

     

    Local field hospitals were overwhelmed by arrivals, some of whom lay on the floor to receive treatment.

     

    On one bed was an infant, his red and white striped sweater lifted up to allow medics to apply a defibrillator to his bloodied chest.

     

    Eastern Ghouta is a key rebel bastion on the outskirts of Damascus, and has been under siege for nearly two years.

     

    Since mid-2012, the government has carried out frequent air raids on rebel-held areas. It is accused by human rights groups of indiscriminately killing both civilians and insurgents.

     

    Elsewhere in the country, the Observatory reported that at least 16 members of the Islamic State jihadist group were killed in strikes by the US-led coalition fighting the group. The strikes in northeastern Hasakeh province hit a building containing a weapons and explosives depot, where secondary explosions were reported, the Observatory said. More than 200,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict, which began with anti-government protests in March 2011 and escalated into a civil war.

  • FOUR INDIANS FIGURE IN THE TOP 100 GLOBAL RICH LIST

    FOUR INDIANS FIGURE IN THE TOP 100 GLOBAL RICH LIST

    LONDON (TIP): Four Indians have made it to the top 100 global rich list, as the country records for the first time more billionaires than Britain and Russia.

     

    The world now has a record 2,089 billionaires with Mukesh Ambani being the richest Indian in the list.

     

    The Reliance chief however ranks 41 in the top 100 global rich list.

     

    The other Indians to figure in the top 100 are Dilip Sanghvi of Sun Pharma who is ranked 53, Pallonji Mistry & family who own Tata Sons ranked 60 and Wipro’s Azim Premzi who is ranked 74.

     

    India has leapfrogged Russia and the UK to third place with 97 billionaires, 27 more than 2014. Manufacturing and Pharma are the preferred sectors with 23 and 14 billionaires respectively. Combined wealth of the Indian billionaires comes to $266 billion. Mumbai is headquarters to most of the Indian billionaires.

     

    The latest Harun Global Rich List 2015 shows an additional 222 billionaires were created last year, almost a third of whom were in China. Bill Gates remains the world’s wealthiest individual increasing his wealth to $85 billion. Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim is second with $83bn, while Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg breaks into the global top 10 for the first time.

     

    The US still holds the crown for most mega-wealthy residents, at 537. But China is not far behind with 430, having acquired 72 new billionaires in 2014.

     

    Russia has 93 billionaires and UK has 80.

     

    New York remains the favourite city of the super-rich, with 91 billionaires while London is still fifth with 49.

     

    But six cities in Asia now make the top 10: Mumbai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shenzhen, Taipei and Shanghai.

     

    The List ranked 2089 billionaires from 68 countries, up 222 from last year.

     

    Mark Zuckerberg at 30 is the youngest member of the Top 10. His wealth soared 42%, moving him up 11 places to number 7.

     

    The ‘Big Two’ in the list are the USA and China with 537 and 430 billionaires respectively, amounting to almost half of the billionaires on the planet. Russia had a bad year, losing 10 billionaires.

  • HOMEMADE FACE PACKS FOR TAN REMOVAL

    HOMEMADE FACE PACKS FOR TAN REMOVAL

    Sure you have waited for long to go for that vacation and enjoy a little tanning session. But then when you come back home you realise that the little tan sessions went too ahead leaving you with tanned hands, face and practically the whole you. So here are certain home remedies which will help you to get rid of tanned skin.

     

    Cucumber, Rose Water and Lemon Juice

     

    While lemon acts as natural bleach, cucumber and rose water acts as cooling agents. In a small bowl take a table spoon each of cucumber juice, lemon juice and rose water and mix in well. Apply the mix with cotton on tanned areas and keep it for about 10 minutes. Then wash it off with cold water. Apply this pack every day after you get back home from the sun.

     

    Gram flour and turmeric mix

     

    Mix two tablespoons of gram flour with a pinch of turmeric, a tablespoon of milk and a table spoon of crushed orange peel in a bowl with cold rose water. Apply the mix on clean face and let it dry for about 15-20 minutes. Once the pack dries, slowly remove the pack by scrubbing gently in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction; the exfoliation effect will help in removing the tan.

     

    Oat Meal and Butter Milk

     

    While butter milk is an excellent source for soothing skin and healing blisters and oatmeal is a great natural scrub. In a bowl mix two tablespoon of oatmeal with three-four tablespoons of butter milk and apply on tanned areas. Gently massage in circular motion; let it stay for 15-20 minutes and cleanse with water.

     

    Milk and strawberry

     

    Not only is this combination a healthy one, it also helps in improving skin complexion and reduction of dark spots, freckles and even pigmentation. Take four-five crushed strawberries and mix it with two tablespoons of milk cream and apply it on face. Let it stay for about 20-30 minutes. Rinse it with fresh water.

  • Mahatma Gandhi would have been shocked by religious intolerance in India: Obama

    Mahatma Gandhi would have been shocked by religious intolerance in India: Obama

    WASHINGTON  (TIP): US President Barack Obama on Thursday, February 5, said the “acts of intolerance” experienced by religious faiths of all types in India in the past few years would have shocked Mahatma Gandhi.

     

    The comments by Obama came a day after the White House refuted suggestions that the US President’s public speech in New Delhi in which he touched upon religious tolerance was a “parting shot” aimed at the ruling BJP.

     

    President Obama was speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual gathering that draws faith leaders from around the country.

     

    “Michelle and I returned from India – an incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity – but a place where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been targeted by other peoples of faith, simply due to their heritage and their beliefs – acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who helped to liberate that nation,” Obama said in his remarks at the high-profile National Prayer Breakfast.

     

    The US President, who has just returned from India, was referring to violence against followers of various religions in India in the past few years.

     

    He, however, did not name any particular religion and said the violence is not unique to one group or one religion.

     

    “Humanity has been grappling with these questions throughout human history. And lest we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.

     

    “In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow (racial segregation state and local laws) all too often was justified in the name of Christ,” he said, addressing the gathering of over 3,000 US and international leaders.

     

    “There is a tendency in us, a sinful tendency that can pervert and distort our faith. In today’s world, when hate groups have their own Twitter accounts and bigotry can fester in hidden places in cyberspace, it can be even harder to counteract such intolerance.

     

    “But God compels us to try. “And in this mission, I believe there are a few principles that can guide us, particularly those of us who profess to believe,” he said.

     

    In a US-style Town Hall address in New Delhi on January 27, the last day of his India trip, Obama had made a strong pitch for religious tolerance, cautioning that India will succeed so long as it was not “splintered along the lines of religious faith”.

     

    The White House , on February 5 strongly refuted allegations that Obama’s remarks on religious tolerance were aimed at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying the speech in its entirety was about the “core democratic values and principles” of both the US and India.

  • TransAsia plane crash: Pilot’s body found still clutching joystick of plane

    TransAsia plane crash: Pilot’s body found still clutching joystick of plane

    TAIPEI  (TIP): The pilot of a doomed TransAsia plane, hailed as a hero for his actions in the final moments before a crash that killed 31 people, was still holding the joystick in the plane’s cockpit when his body was found, media reported on February 6.

     

    The pilot, identified by TransAsia as 42-year-old Liao Chien-tsung, has been praised by Taipei’s mayor for steering the plane between apartment blocks and commercial buildings before ditching the stalled aircraft in a river. TransAsia Flight GE235 was carrying 58 passengers and crew when it lurched nose-up between buildings, clipped an overpass and a taxi with one of its wings and then crashed upside down into a shallow river after taking off on February 4.