Thursday, May 29, 2008
I am simple girl from respectable family...loose talk harms my reputation
Om Shanti Om' girl Deepika Padukone is annoyed with the press for publish ing stories about her romantic link-ups, saying they will dent her reputation and cause future embarrassment."The media needs to be a little restrained. I am a simple girl and from a respectable family. And loose talk about me harms my reputation," Padukone, who will be seen in ‘Chandni Chowk to China', told IANS in an interview.
"One day, like any other girl, I intend to settle down and have children. How would those write-ups look at that time? I'm so glad I've found a man who comes from the same space and understands the pitfalls of sensational journalism."
Padukone, who was apparently seeing cricketer Yuvraj Singh at one time, is now reportedly set to tie the knot with Ranbir Kapoor.
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Labels: Bollywood film, cricketer Yuvraj Singh, Deepika Padukone, Famous Bollywood stars, journalism, Love, Ranbir Kapoor, relationship, reputation, romantic link-ups
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Known percussionist, tabla legend Kishan Maharaj, 85
Pandit Kishan Maharaj, one of India's best-known classical percussionists, passed away in this temple town after battling a brain stroke for five days. He was 85.
The leading tabla exponent was pulled off life- support systems on May 4 night. He had suffered a stroke on April 29 and efforts had been on to stave off brain death.
Kishan Maharaj is survived by a son and three daughters.
Sources in Varanasi said the tabla legend suffered the stroke when sarod artist Pandit Amjad Ali Khan and his family, including sons Ayaan and Amaan, went to meet him a day after the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, an important musical event in the town. Kishan Maharaj also attended it.
"He was sitting on a sofa and then he suddenly passed out." Sandeep Das, one of Kishan Maharaj's most senior disciples and Grammy nominee, told IANS.
Kishan Maharaj was born in 1923 in a family of professional musicians. He was trained in classical music by Pandit Hari Maharaj, his father. After his father's death, Pandit Kanthe Maharaj, his uncle, took him under his wings.
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The leading tabla exponent was pulled off life- support systems on May 4 night. He had suffered a stroke on April 29 and efforts had been on to stave off brain death.
Kishan Maharaj is survived by a son and three daughters.
Sources in Varanasi said the tabla legend suffered the stroke when sarod artist Pandit Amjad Ali Khan and his family, including sons Ayaan and Amaan, went to meet him a day after the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, an important musical event in the town. Kishan Maharaj also attended it.
"He was sitting on a sofa and then he suddenly passed out." Sandeep Das, one of Kishan Maharaj's most senior disciples and Grammy nominee, told IANS.
Kishan Maharaj was born in 1923 in a family of professional musicians. He was trained in classical music by Pandit Hari Maharaj, his father. After his father's death, Pandit Kanthe Maharaj, his uncle, took him under his wings.
To read the full article, click here....
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Known percussionist, musical event, Pandit Kishan Maharaj, professional musicians, Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, tabla legend, Varanasi
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Famous Bollywood stars to begin world tour with July premiere in Toronto
The famous Bachchans from Bollywood will be in Toronto to launch ‘The Unfor gettable Tour,' a series of live performances by big names in the Indian film industry, premiering July 18 in Toronto and August 16 in Vancouver, organizers announced on May 14.
Promoters of the tour, Wizcraft International Entertainment, producers of International Indian Film Academy Awards, have promised glitz and glamour combined with cutting-edge technology.
On August 17 last year, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Bachchan joined event promoters Wizcraft and Ethnic Guru, to announce the mega-star tour.
The couple, along with other leading stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit, and Ritesh Deshmukh, choreographer Shiamak Davar and music duo Vishal-Shekhar have been named part of the tour. Bipasha Basu and Lara Dutta, named last year, do not feature in the latest list.
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Promoters of the tour, Wizcraft International Entertainment, producers of International Indian Film Academy Awards, have promised glitz and glamour combined with cutting-edge technology.
On August 17 last year, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Bachchan joined event promoters Wizcraft and Ethnic Guru, to announce the mega-star tour.
The couple, along with other leading stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar Preity Zinta, Madhuri Dixit, and Ritesh Deshmukh, choreographer Shiamak Davar and music duo Vishal-Shekhar have been named part of the tour. Bipasha Basu and Lara Dutta, named last year, do not feature in the latest list.
To read the full article, click here...
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Labels: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Famous Bollywood stars, Indian film industry, Madhuri Dixit, Preity Zinta, Ritesh Deshmukh, Toronto, world tour
Monday, May 26, 2008
Mohammed Rafi draws packed house, 28 years after death
Songs by legendary singer Mohammed Rafi drew a packed house in Mumbai 28 years after his death, and audiences were in for a surprise as an evergreen voice from the yore took the stage again, rekindling memories and melodies of an era gone by.
Mujhko apne gale laga lo… and Thahariya hosh me aa loon, sung by the forgotten Mubarak Begum wafted across the lush green lawns of the Green Court Club on the city's outskirts on May 18 night.
Begum has sung many a duet with Rafi during the late 1950s and '60s.
As the songs by the Begum progressed, a wedding reception nearby stopped its own music and the guests enjoyed a musical feast.
The Green Court Club was observing a musical nite ‘Aasmaan Se Aaya Farishta' to commemorate Rafi's 28th death anniversary (July 31), nearly two months in advance on public demand and to avoid the monsoon.
Club chairman Vijay Saini, pointing at the 2,000-plus gathering and another 1,000odd waiting to gain entry, told IANS, "See, Mohammed Rafi Sahab is very much alive.
To read the full article, click here...
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Mujhko apne gale laga lo… and Thahariya hosh me aa loon, sung by the forgotten Mubarak Begum wafted across the lush green lawns of the Green Court Club on the city's outskirts on May 18 night.
Begum has sung many a duet with Rafi during the late 1950s and '60s.
As the songs by the Begum progressed, a wedding reception nearby stopped its own music and the guests enjoyed a musical feast.
The Green Court Club was observing a musical nite ‘Aasmaan Se Aaya Farishta' to commemorate Rafi's 28th death anniversary (July 31), nearly two months in advance on public demand and to avoid the monsoon.
Club chairman Vijay Saini, pointing at the 2,000-plus gathering and another 1,000odd waiting to gain entry, told IANS, "See, Mohammed Rafi Sahab is very much alive.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: bollywood songs, Green Court Club, legendary singer Mohammed Rafi, Mohammed Rafi Foundation, musical feast, singer
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Rajagopal from Nebraska wins 20th National Geographic Bee
Eleven-year-old Akshay Rajagopal of Lincoln, Nebraska, won the 2008 National Geographic Bee held in Washington, D.C., on May 21. He won a $25,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. The sixth grader was the youngest of the top ten finalists. Rajagopal, who attends Lux Middle School in Lincoln, did not miss a single question in the preliminary or the final and championship rounds.The winning question was: The urban area of Cochabamba has been in the news in recent years due to protests over the privatization of the municipal water supply and regional autonomy issues. Cochabamba is the third largest conurbation in what country? Answer: Bolivia.
Rajagopal, whose hobbies include collecting coins, is considering some kind of career that involves geography, but he has plenty of time to make up his mind. For now, he just likes to study the globe.
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Labels: 2008 National Geographic Bee, Akshay Rajagopal, lifetime membership, Lincoln, National Geographic Society, Nebraska, scholarship, won
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuberculosis killed 1.7 million globally in 2006, World Health Organization says
The rate of tuberculosis incidence fell slightly worldwide for a second straight year in 2006, but there were still 9.2 million new cases and the disease killed 1.7 million people, the UN health agency said a few months back.
The rate decline of 0.6 percent in 2006 compared to 2005 was so modest that the increase in the world's population meant there were actually more TB cases globally, the World Health Organization said in its annual report on tuberculosis.
And WHO officials cited worrisome trends suggesting that recent progress was stalling, while saying more money is needed to fight TB, which trails only AIDS as the world's leading killer among infectious diseases.
By region, Africa had the highest TB rates while Asia had the most cases. By nation, India had the most cases, followed by China, Indonesia, South Africa and Nigeria, according to the report based on data from 202 countries and territories.
"We're really in a very uncertain situation, so I don't feel happy at all, actually, that it is really getting controlled," Dr. Mario Raviglione, who heads WHO efforts against TB, told reporters in a conference call.
"The major concern is that there is a slowdown here, rather than an acceleration, in TB control efforts," Raviglione said.
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The rate decline of 0.6 percent in 2006 compared to 2005 was so modest that the increase in the world's population meant there were actually more TB cases globally, the World Health Organization said in its annual report on tuberculosis.
And WHO officials cited worrisome trends suggesting that recent progress was stalling, while saying more money is needed to fight TB, which trails only AIDS as the world's leading killer among infectious diseases.
By region, Africa had the highest TB rates while Asia had the most cases. By nation, India had the most cases, followed by China, Indonesia, South Africa and Nigeria, according to the report based on data from 202 countries and territories.
"We're really in a very uncertain situation, so I don't feel happy at all, actually, that it is really getting controlled," Dr. Mario Raviglione, who heads WHO efforts against TB, told reporters in a conference call.
"The major concern is that there is a slowdown here, rather than an acceleration, in TB control efforts," Raviglione said.
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Labels: Asia, China, efforts, highest TB rates, Indonesia, infectious diseases, people, ple, South Africa, tuberculosis, WHO
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
'Me and You for Children of Myanmar': Bilaal Rajan, 11, rallies schools, others
The new shoes you just bought or the GameBoy you are about to buy, could save the life or educate a child somewhere in the world, says 11-year old Bilaal Rajan, of Brampton, a UNICEF Child Ambassador, who put out a call May 13, to children to begin fund-raising for their Burmese peers hit by the May 3 Cyclone Nargis. Hundreds of Havenwood Public School children in Mississauga, Ontario applauded Bilaal's speech launching the campaign he is calling 'Me and You for the Children of Myanmar.'
Rajan's challenge encourages every child in Canada to raise up to Myanma $105 for UNICEF Myanmar Cyclone Appeal. Children can participate in school-based fund-raising activities, download information and a challenge poster at the UNICEF Canada Web site at www.unicef.ca, or engage in their own fund-raising with family, neighbors and friends.
Even though News India-Times interviewed him just the day after the launch, Rajan said the response had been tremendous.
"All Peel Region schools are doing it, and New market, Aurora (townships). And we're still spreading the word," he said. (Peel Region covers Brampton and Mississauga in Greater Toronto where a significant South Asian population lives.) As this went to press, government estimates placed the dead as close to 40,000 but U.S. Charge d'Affairs to Burma, Shari Villarosa, told reporters on May 15, that the number could rise to 100,000.
UNICEF has been distributing food, water, medicines and shelter equipment since then, and says the lack of access to clean water and poor sanitation, inadequate shelter and poor nutrition pose particular threats to children.
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Rajan's challenge encourages every child in Canada to raise up to Myanma $105 for UNICEF Myanmar Cyclone Appeal. Children can participate in school-based fund-raising activities, download information and a challenge poster at the UNICEF Canada Web site at www.unicef.ca, or engage in their own fund-raising with family, neighbors and friends.
Even though News India-Times interviewed him just the day after the launch, Rajan said the response had been tremendous.
"All Peel Region schools are doing it, and New market, Aurora (townships). And we're still spreading the word," he said. (Peel Region covers Brampton and Mississauga in Greater Toronto where a significant South Asian population lives.) As this went to press, government estimates placed the dead as close to 40,000 but U.S. Charge d'Affairs to Burma, Shari Villarosa, told reporters on May 15, that the number could rise to 100,000.
UNICEF has been distributing food, water, medicines and shelter equipment since then, and says the lack of access to clean water and poor sanitation, inadequate shelter and poor nutrition pose particular threats to children.
To read the full article, click here...
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Labels: Bilaal Rajan, campaign, childern, Cyclone Appeal, distributing food, Flooding, medicines, UNICEF, UNICEF Child Ambassador, water
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
8 honored by Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research
The Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research (SAASCR) honored eight Indian doctors on April 13 for their outstanding contributions to cancer research. The scientists presented their original research work at the meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) held in San Diego, California from April 13-16.
The awards were presented by SAASCR president, Dr. Rajvir Dahiya, a urologist, who along with Dr. Dharam Paul Chauhan, founded the organization in 2004. The SAASCR is registered in the State of California and according to the organization, has more than 3,000 scientists, mainly Indian origin, working in United States and Canada in the field of cancer research.
The awardees were Dr. Rakesh Kumar is the John G. and Marie Stella Kennedy Memorial Foundation Chair at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, where he is Professor of Molecular and Cellular Oncology and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He holds the position of Deputy Chair of Molecular Oncology. He is also an adjunct Professor at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. His research focuses on defining the role of chromatin modifiers in the action of estrogen receptor action, advancing the field of phenotypic signaling, and identifying novel therapeutic targets.
Dr. Rajendra G. Mehta is Assistant Vice President of Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Research Institute and Head of Carcino genesis and Chemo prevention Division as well as Drug Discovery Division. He is Professor of Biological Sciences at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago and Professor of Surgical Oncology and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago. Author of more than 160 scientific papers and reviews, his primary research interest is in the area of cancer chemo prevention.
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The awards were presented by SAASCR president, Dr. Rajvir Dahiya, a urologist, who along with Dr. Dharam Paul Chauhan, founded the organization in 2004. The SAASCR is registered in the State of California and according to the organization, has more than 3,000 scientists, mainly Indian origin, working in United States and Canada in the field of cancer research.
The awardees were Dr. Rakesh Kumar is the John G. and Marie Stella Kennedy Memorial Foundation Chair at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, where he is Professor of Molecular and Cellular Oncology and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He holds the position of Deputy Chair of Molecular Oncology. He is also an adjunct Professor at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. His research focuses on defining the role of chromatin modifiers in the action of estrogen receptor action, advancing the field of phenotypic signaling, and identifying novel therapeutic targets.
Dr. Rajendra G. Mehta is Assistant Vice President of Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Research Institute and Head of Carcino genesis and Chemo prevention Division as well as Drug Discovery Division. He is Professor of Biological Sciences at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago and Professor of Surgical Oncology and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago. Author of more than 160 scientific papers and reviews, his primary research interest is in the area of cancer chemo prevention.
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Labels: AACR, California, Canada, cancer research, honored, Indian doctors, SAASCR, San Diego, United states
Monday, May 19, 2008
Donation Duke students' donation will help provide limbs to needy
On a recent trip to India earlier this year, 100 students of the Fuqua School of Business Global Executive MBA class of 2008 at Duke University, saw the poverty and the need and acted on it. They got together a donation of $10,000 for the Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), a charitable organization, considered the largest in the world for donating artificial limbs to those in need.
The donations continue coming in according to Prem Talreja, one of the students. D.R. Mehta, founder of BMVSS, which is best known for the development of the renowned ‘Jaipur Foot', gave them a talk while in New Delhi from January 15 to 26, about how he was inspired to found the agency and about nonprofit management and the structure of India's health care system.
"His speech was very inspiring, with video on how the foot was put on a person, and how well they are serviced in very quick turn around time. Right at that moment, my colleagues at the business school were just absolutely astounded, and there was a standing applause and there was a bubbling desire, I could see, to figure out a way to reach out," Talreja told News India-Times.
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The donations continue coming in according to Prem Talreja, one of the students. D.R. Mehta, founder of BMVSS, which is best known for the development of the renowned ‘Jaipur Foot', gave them a talk while in New Delhi from January 15 to 26, about how he was inspired to found the agency and about nonprofit management and the structure of India's health care system.
"His speech was very inspiring, with video on how the foot was put on a person, and how well they are serviced in very quick turn around time. Right at that moment, my colleagues at the business school were just absolutely astounded, and there was a standing applause and there was a bubbling desire, I could see, to figure out a way to reach out," Talreja told News India-Times.
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Labels: BMVSS, donation, Donation Duke students, Duke University, Fuqua School of Business Global Executive MBA class, limbs
Nine bombs ripped through Jaipur streets - 63 killed
Nine bombs ripped through the crowded streets Jaipur on May 13 evening, killing around 63 people in markets and outside Hindu temples.The bombs, many strapped to bicycles, exploded within minutes of each other in Jaipur's pink walled city, a magnet for foreign tourists.
It was the deadliest bomb attack in India in nearly two years. Around 216 people were wounded and local television stations broadcast appeals for blood donations.
Television channels quoted government and intelligence officials as blaming Pakistani or Bangladeshi Islamist militant groups.
"At around 7.30[p.m.] there was a big noise and suddenly I found people in a pool of blood," said Govind Sharma, a priest at a Hindu temple, through tears. "I've lost my father in the bomb blast."
Officials said the apparent motive for the bombs was to undermine a peace process between India and Pakistan or foment communal violence in India.
Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee is due to visit Islamabad in just over a week to review the four-year-old peace process, his first since a new, civilian government took over in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm. The British and U.S. governments said there could be no justification for killing innocent people.
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Labels: Bangladeshi Islamist militant groups, blast, hindu temples, HuJI, injuried, Jaipur streets, Nine bombs, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rajasthan, ripped, suspected
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Can Rajasthan's Ranthambhore support tigers it has now?
T he Ranthambhore national park in Rajasthan, one of India's oldest and best known, now has over 40 tigers. This is good news in a country where only an estimated 1,411 are left in the wild. But experts are divided on whether the forest can support this number.
With 14 cubs spotted at water holes inside the national park during a recent state government conducted tiger census, the number has definitely gone above the carrying capacity of the national park, former Project Tiger chief P.K. Sen said on May 6.
But another eminent wildlife expert, Belinda Wright, pointed out that in the early 1980s Ranthambhore had even more tigers.
Sen, who now works with the voluntary organization Ranthambhore Foundation, said unless steps were taken to increase the area of the national park by including the adjacent Sawai Man Singh sanctuary, these cubs would push the older tigers out of the forest once they grew up.
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With 14 cubs spotted at water holes inside the national park during a recent state government conducted tiger census, the number has definitely gone above the carrying capacity of the national park, former Project Tiger chief P.K. Sen said on May 6.
But another eminent wildlife expert, Belinda Wright, pointed out that in the early 1980s Ranthambhore had even more tigers.
Sen, who now works with the voluntary organization Ranthambhore Foundation, said unless steps were taken to increase the area of the national park by including the adjacent Sawai Man Singh sanctuary, these cubs would push the older tigers out of the forest once they grew up.
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Labels: National Parks, older tigers, Rajasthan, Ranthambhore Foundation, Ranthambhore national park, state government, Tigers
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Speculation about Jindal running mate for McCain
After a conservative talk show host tossed up the idea of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal as the perfect running mate for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, the talk has only grown. Even within the Republican Indian American community, activists see the 36-year-old governor and former Bush appointee, as a buffer against a possible Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
The latest is an opinion piece in The New York Times by well-known columnist Bill Kristol entitled "McCain-Jindal?" that extols the governor's virtues as a vice presidential candidate and implies that Sen. McCain is seriously considering the possibility.
"… in separate conversations last week, no fewer than four McCain staffers and advisers mentioned as a possible vice-presidential pick the 36-year-old Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal. They're tempted by the idea of picking someone so young, with real accomplishments and a strong reformist streak," Kristol said in his May 5 piece.
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The latest is an opinion piece in The New York Times by well-known columnist Bill Kristol entitled "McCain-Jindal?" that extols the governor's virtues as a vice presidential candidate and implies that Sen. McCain is seriously considering the possibility.
"… in separate conversations last week, no fewer than four McCain staffers and advisers mentioned as a possible vice-presidential pick the 36-year-old Louisiana governor, Bobby Jindal. They're tempted by the idea of picking someone so young, with real accomplishments and a strong reformist streak," Kristol said in his May 5 piece.
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Labels: Barack Obama, Bill Kristol, bobby jindal, Bus, Democratic presidential nominees, John McCain, Louisiana governor, Republican presidential
The Democrats are putting the "stale" in stalemate
The Democrats are putting the "stale" in stalemate.Barack Obama needed to "close the deal" by beating Hillary Clinton in Indiana and North Carolina. Clinton needed a "gamechanger" so that she could have a viable path to the presidential nomination.
But as of May 6 night, no deal closed and no game changed.
Obama's big win in North Carolina, coupled with Clinton's narrow lead in Indiana, adds to a sense that his nomination is inevitable. But the muddle also gave Clinton a reason to remain in the race and force the party's superdelegates to decide it.
At least for now, there is no exit plan. We're going to West Virginia! And we're going to Oregon and Kentucky! And we're going to Puerto Rico and Montana and South Dakota! Yeeaarrgghh! .
"There were those who were saying that North Carolina would be a game-changer in this election, but today what North Carolina decided is that the only game that needs changing is the one in Washington, D.C.," Obama told his supporters here at North Carolina State University on May 6 night. But in the next breath, he acknowledged that he hadn't closed the deal, either. "I want to start by congratulating Senator Clinton on what appears to be her victory in the great state of Indiana," he added, to boos from the crowd.
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Labels: American history, Barack Obama, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, North Carolina, presidential nomination, stalemate
Monday, May 12, 2008
A little treasury of quotations and anecdotes about Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore was born on Vaisakh 25, BS 1168, that is early May, 1861. The fortnight after Vaisakh 25 is celebrated in Bengal as kavipaksha,'or the poet's fortnight. On this occasion, Tagore is remembered not only with song, dance, drama, but stories about his patriotism, courage, as also for his love for Mahatma Gandhi and differences Tagore had with him.
Today, instead of abating, violence engulfs the globe. Wars exact their toll of innocent victims without any noble voice rising in protest. Forests are cleared for mining, rivers dammed, carbon emissions rise to such levels that Mother Nature can bear no more. We need Gandhi and King, Tolstoy and Tagore, now more than ever.
For the kavipaksha,'we present for our readers a little treasury of Tagore's poems and memorabilia.
First, a prayer for his beloved land. He prays not for great wealth or power, but for knowledge and reason and freedom.
Gitanjali, poem 35
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.
Where knowledge is free.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Where words come out from the depths of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert of dead habit.
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action -
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
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Today, instead of abating, violence engulfs the globe. Wars exact their toll of innocent victims without any noble voice rising in protest. Forests are cleared for mining, rivers dammed, carbon emissions rise to such levels that Mother Nature can bear no more. We need Gandhi and King, Tolstoy and Tagore, now more than ever.
For the kavipaksha,'we present for our readers a little treasury of Tagore's poems and memorabilia.
First, a prayer for his beloved land. He prays not for great wealth or power, but for knowledge and reason and freedom.
Gitanjali, poem 35
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.
Where knowledge is free.
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.
Where words come out from the depths of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection.
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert of dead habit.
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action -
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
To read the full article, click here....
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Bengal, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kavipaksha, Mahatma Gandhi, patriotism, Rabindranath Tagore, Tagore's poems
Sunday, May 11, 2008
United Nations food agency suspends aid flights: 1.5 million victims
The U.N. food agency suspended aid flights to cyclone struck Myanmar on May 9 after the military government seized two deliveries at Yangon airport, apparently determined to distribute supplies on its own.
The shipments of 38 tons of high-energy biscuits, enough to feed 95,000 people, were intended to be loaded on trucks and sent to the inundated Irrawaddy delta where most of the estimated 1.5 million victims need help.
"We're going to have to shut down our very small airlift operation until we get guarantees from the authorities that we'll be able to have the food when it arrives," U.N. World Food Program regional director Tony Banbury told CNN.
"I am furious. It is unacceptable."Governments around the world have been pressing Myanmar's ruling generals to open the country's borders to desperately-needed assistance and on May 9, Germany said it agreed with a proposal by France to use the U.N. Security Council.
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The shipments of 38 tons of high-energy biscuits, enough to feed 95,000 people, were intended to be loaded on trucks and sent to the inundated Irrawaddy delta where most of the estimated 1.5 million victims need help.
"We're going to have to shut down our very small airlift operation until we get guarantees from the authorities that we'll be able to have the food when it arrives," U.N. World Food Program regional director Tony Banbury told CNN.
"I am furious. It is unacceptable."Governments around the world have been pressing Myanmar's ruling generals to open the country's borders to desperately-needed assistance and on May 9, Germany said it agreed with a proposal by France to use the U.N. Security Council.
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Labels: cyclone nargis, France, Germany, help, Irrawaddy delta, Myanmar, people missing, suspended aid flights, Tony Banbury, U.N. food agency, U.N. World Food Program, victims, Yangon airport
Thursday, May 8, 2008
12,000 respondents said, India will have most billionaires by 2017
I ndia will have more billionaires than any other country in the world in a decade, according to an online poll by Forbes magazine.
More than half of nearly 12,000 respondents said India will have the maximum number of billionaires in 2017, according to the poll initiated by the U.S. business magazine in November last.
In the world's billionaires list released by the magazine last month, India had the fourth largest number in the world, while the United States had the most. However, only 17 percent believed that the United States would have the most billionaires in 10 years, while 20 percent the second highest after India - thought China would top the list. Incidentally, the Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, together have been rated by the Sunday Times of London as the richest in the world at a combined worth of £43 billion ($85 billion), ahead of America's Walton family, owners of WalMart (£38.4 billion) and Microsoft chief Bill Gates (£29 billion).
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More than half of nearly 12,000 respondents said India will have the maximum number of billionaires in 2017, according to the poll initiated by the U.S. business magazine in November last.
In the world's billionaires list released by the magazine last month, India had the fourth largest number in the world, while the United States had the most. However, only 17 percent believed that the United States would have the most billionaires in 10 years, while 20 percent the second highest after India - thought China would top the list. Incidentally, the Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, together have been rated by the Sunday Times of London as the richest in the world at a combined worth of £43 billion ($85 billion), ahead of America's Walton family, owners of WalMart (£38.4 billion) and Microsoft chief Bill Gates (£29 billion).
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To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Ambani brothers, Bill Gates, billionaires, China, Forbes magazine, india, london, Sunday Times, United states, world's billionaires list
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Nirmala Deshpande 79, champion of peace
Nirmala Deshpande, one of India's last Gandhians whose life was devoted to the cause of the poor and downtrodden, died in her sleep in New Delhi on May 1 morning. She was 79.
"She fought for the cause of peace throughout her life and in death we found her with her hands folded," said her former private secretary Peter Parekapetil.
"She had not visited the hospital in the recent past and did not complain of any ailments except for joint pains. She died peacefully in her sleep in the wee hours of Thursday (May 1)," Parekapetil told IANS.
Deshpande, who was a Rajya Sabha MP, in fact had kept a busy schedule in her last few days.
She was in Bihar last week to meet up with fellow Gandhians and returned early this week. Deshpande, who was popularly known as Didi, went to parliament a day earlier and interacted with fellow parliamentarians and friends.
"She had an early dinner and retired to bed. At 4 a.m. her personal attendant checked on her and she was still alive.
An hour later, we found that she had breathed her last," said Parekapetil.
As news of her death came in, long term associates, fellow Gandhians and MPs lined up to pay homage at her Shahjahan Road residence.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
"She fought for the cause of peace throughout her life and in death we found her with her hands folded," said her former private secretary Peter Parekapetil.
"She had not visited the hospital in the recent past and did not complain of any ailments except for joint pains. She died peacefully in her sleep in the wee hours of Thursday (May 1)," Parekapetil told IANS.
Deshpande, who was a Rajya Sabha MP, in fact had kept a busy schedule in her last few days.
She was in Bihar last week to meet up with fellow Gandhians and returned early this week. Deshpande, who was popularly known as Didi, went to parliament a day earlier and interacted with fellow parliamentarians and friends.
"She had an early dinner and retired to bed. At 4 a.m. her personal attendant checked on her and she was still alive.
An hour later, we found that she had breathed her last," said Parekapetil.
As news of her death came in, long term associates, fellow Gandhians and MPs lined up to pay homage at her Shahjahan Road residence.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: champion of peace, devoted, died, Gandhians, life, New Delhi, Nirmala Deshpande, Rajya Sabha MP, social service
What Senator Barack Obama might learn from Emily Dickinson
In 1880, a journalist called Horace Redfield published a book about homicide rates in America. He found that states belonging to the former Confederacy had a murder rate four to 15 times higher than that of Northern states.
"In Kentucky that year there were more homicides than in the eight States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota," Redfield wrote in "Homicide: North and South," referring to the year 1878. "In South Carolina that year there were more homicides than in the eight States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Michigan, and Minnesota."
Redfield's access to good data was limited, but his findings have been replicated many times in the last century. Whites living in rural areas in Southern states still have a homicide rate 1 1/2 times higher than that of their Northern counterparts, said Matthew Lee, a Louisiana State University sociologist. Poverty exacerbates the risk of gun violence: The homicide rate among rural whites with an annual income of $20,000 is nearly three times the rate among rural whites with an income of $50,000.
Redfield was not running for president, but he showed more caution in his book than presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, (D-IL), who suggested at a recent California fund-raiser that economic deprivation in small-town America caused people to turn to guns, religion and xenophobia.
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To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
"In Kentucky that year there were more homicides than in the eight States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota," Redfield wrote in "Homicide: North and South," referring to the year 1878. "In South Carolina that year there were more homicides than in the eight States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Michigan, and Minnesota."
Redfield's access to good data was limited, but his findings have been replicated many times in the last century. Whites living in rural areas in Southern states still have a homicide rate 1 1/2 times higher than that of their Northern counterparts, said Matthew Lee, a Louisiana State University sociologist. Poverty exacerbates the risk of gun violence: The homicide rate among rural whites with an annual income of $20,000 is nearly three times the rate among rural whites with an income of $50,000.
Redfield was not running for president, but he showed more caution in his book than presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, (D-IL), who suggested at a recent California fund-raiser that economic deprivation in small-town America caused people to turn to guns, religion and xenophobia.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: America, Emily Dickinson, homicides, Horace Redfield, journalist, learn, Senator Barack Obama, States of Maine
Monday, May 5, 2008
Washington Leadership Program interns remember Gopal Raju and their experience on the Hill
Amit Dhiru Patel, WLP Class of 2005
The first time I met Gopal Raju, he was a man of few words, but with a big heart. He was a humble man who I would unfortunately not come to greet again, but his commitment to me and many other Indian American youth will have a lasting impact. I will forever be thankful to him for giving me the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill and opening my eyes in my search for a career path. After I finish law school, I look forward to working again in the political process; an opportunity that I would never have had without the aid of Gopal Raju.
Ajaita Shah, WLP Class of 2005
Gopal Raju was a man with a vision and passion for activism and change - through his contributions he created an incredible program which brought young like-minded individuals together, giving them the opportunity to understand politics, policy, and their roles and responsibilities as future leaders in the Indian American community. He generously nurtured an organization and groups of Indian Americans in a way that will always influence who they are and how they approach their lives and careers. He will truly be missed.
Prem Trivedi, WLP Class of 2005
I join everyone in the WLP and News India Times families in expressing my sorrow at Mr.Raju's passing. Mr. Raju invested in the political future of Indian-American youth at a time when politically oriented careers were considered radical or impractical. He played a pioneering role in ensuring that these career interests received the serious consideration and respect that they deserved. More importantly, he recognized that bolstering the prestige of a political career was secondary to inculcating the value of civic engagement.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
The first time I met Gopal Raju, he was a man of few words, but with a big heart. He was a humble man who I would unfortunately not come to greet again, but his commitment to me and many other Indian American youth will have a lasting impact. I will forever be thankful to him for giving me the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill and opening my eyes in my search for a career path. After I finish law school, I look forward to working again in the political process; an opportunity that I would never have had without the aid of Gopal Raju.
Ajaita Shah, WLP Class of 2005
Gopal Raju was a man with a vision and passion for activism and change - through his contributions he created an incredible program which brought young like-minded individuals together, giving them the opportunity to understand politics, policy, and their roles and responsibilities as future leaders in the Indian American community. He generously nurtured an organization and groups of Indian Americans in a way that will always influence who they are and how they approach their lives and careers. He will truly be missed.
Prem Trivedi, WLP Class of 2005
I join everyone in the WLP and News India Times families in expressing my sorrow at Mr.Raju's passing. Mr. Raju invested in the political future of Indian-American youth at a time when politically oriented careers were considered radical or impractical. He played a pioneering role in ensuring that these career interests received the serious consideration and respect that they deserved. More importantly, he recognized that bolstering the prestige of a political career was secondary to inculcating the value of civic engagement.
To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Gopal Raju, IACPA, Indian American community, interns, passion, Washington Leadership Program
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Museum of all American sports opens in New York - Ahuja is co-founder
As Sports museum of America (SmA) opened its doors to visitors on May 7, adding an unrivaled attraction to Downtown Manhattan, few cared to look back at the bumpy history of the project.
SmA has everything, including the right location, that a national museum conceived in September 2001 could desire. It is housed in the landmark Standard Oil Building, once the headquarters of John D. Rockefeller's business empire, 26 Broadway, right on Bowling Green, and footsteps from the jetty of the Statue of Liberty ferry, Opposite it is the statue of the great charging bull breathing the very spirit of Wall Street.
It has taken less than seven years for the co-founders of the Sports museum of America (SmA), Philip Schwalb and Delhi born Sameer Ahuja to make this dream come true. Considering the hurdles they faced, Schwalb and Ahuja must now be feeling a little like Jesse Owens or Lance Armstrong on the last lap of their race.
SmA is an interactive, multimedia experience connecting visitors to the sports they love through leading technology as well as memorabilia and iconic artifacts donated by single-sport Halls of Fame, museums, individual athletes and private collectors.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
SmA has everything, including the right location, that a national museum conceived in September 2001 could desire. It is housed in the landmark Standard Oil Building, once the headquarters of John D. Rockefeller's business empire, 26 Broadway, right on Bowling Green, and footsteps from the jetty of the Statue of Liberty ferry, Opposite it is the statue of the great charging bull breathing the very spirit of Wall Street.
It has taken less than seven years for the co-founders of the Sports museum of America (SmA), Philip Schwalb and Delhi born Sameer Ahuja to make this dream come true. Considering the hurdles they faced, Schwalb and Ahuja must now be feeling a little like Jesse Owens or Lance Armstrong on the last lap of their race.
SmA is an interactive, multimedia experience connecting visitors to the sports they love through leading technology as well as memorabilia and iconic artifacts donated by single-sport Halls of Fame, museums, individual athletes and private collectors.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: athletes, Downtown Manhattan, Halls of Fame, interactive, multimedia experience, museums, Philip Schwalb, Sameer Ahuja, sports, Sports museum of America, visitors
Friday, May 2, 2008
Oil Painting was not invented in Europe but by Buddhist painters of Bamiyan
Oil painting was not ‘invented' in Europe during the Renaissance, but was in use by Buddhist painters of Bamiyan, in present day Afghanistan. This is no mere conjecture, but has been proved by an international group of scientists.
All art history books now need to be rewritten.The world was in shock when in 2001 the Talibans destroyed two ancient colossal Buddha statues in the Afghan region of Bamiyan.
Behind those statues, there are caves decorated with precious paintings from 5th to 9th century A.D.
The caves also suffered from Taliban destruction, as well as from a severe natural environment, but today they have become the source of a major discovery. Scientists have proved, thanks to experiments performed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), that the paintings were made of oil, hundreds of years before the technique was "invented" in Europe, ESRF said on its website.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
All art history books now need to be rewritten.The world was in shock when in 2001 the Talibans destroyed two ancient colossal Buddha statues in the Afghan region of Bamiyan.
Behind those statues, there are caves decorated with precious paintings from 5th to 9th century A.D.
The caves also suffered from Taliban destruction, as well as from a severe natural environment, but today they have become the source of a major discovery. Scientists have proved, thanks to experiments performed at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), that the paintings were made of oil, hundreds of years before the technique was "invented" in Europe, ESRF said on its website.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: Afghan region, Afghanistan, ancient colossal Buddha statues, Bamiyan, Buddhist painters, discover, Europe, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, invented, Oil Painting, paintings, Taliban
Thursday, May 1, 2008
'Voice of Indians in America: Gopal Raju, High Quality Editor, Glory-averse, Self-effacing
Pioneer,Trail-blazer, Visionary, Astute, Indomitable, Brilliant, Transformational journalist, Passionate, Bridge-builder, Courageous, Fearless. Determined. Steadfast. Possessor of messianic zeal. Philanthropist. High Quality Editor. Glory-averse. Self-effacing. Reticent. Dapper dresser, Quirky. These are some of the qualities attributed to Gopal Raju in several published eulogies and tributes.
Gopal Raju was all that and more. You pick a positive adjective and place it before his name, it would be a tight fit.
Grief and sadness at a loss can be overwhelming, but Gopal and I often talked about the way Irish handle the inevitable (at least the Irish wakes I have attended). The family and friends gather at a church for the mass. Then some proceed to the cemetery for burial. Afterwards they gather in a restaurant or at home to celebrate the life of the deceased with drinks and foods. Each life is to be celebrated.
There is lot to rejoice about Gopal's life and his work. Just pick a copy of the last week's Indian newspapers or visit the Web site of the South Asian journalist's Association to read about his outstanding contributions to advancing journalism, promoting Indo-U.S. understanding, championing community causes and encouraging our participation in the political process.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Gopal Raju was all that and more. You pick a positive adjective and place it before his name, it would be a tight fit.
Grief and sadness at a loss can be overwhelming, but Gopal and I often talked about the way Irish handle the inevitable (at least the Irish wakes I have attended). The family and friends gather at a church for the mass. Then some proceed to the cemetery for burial. Afterwards they gather in a restaurant or at home to celebrate the life of the deceased with drinks and foods. Each life is to be celebrated.
There is lot to rejoice about Gopal's life and his work. Just pick a copy of the last week's Indian newspapers or visit the Web site of the South Asian journalist's Association to read about his outstanding contributions to advancing journalism, promoting Indo-U.S. understanding, championing community causes and encouraging our participation in the political process.
To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.newsindia-times.com
Labels: desi talk, Gopal Raju, Gopal's life, gujarat times, journalist, Pioneering publisher, promoting Indo-U.S., South Asian journalist's Association
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