Efforts on to check oil spill spreading along Konkan coast

 

Efforts continued on a war-footing Monday to combat the oil spill from a Panaman ship that crashed into another vessel in Mumbai harbour as it threatened to spread further along the Konkan coastline.

Cargo vessel MCS Chitra, which was damaged after a collision with stationary MV Khalijia-III, gets submerged as fears of an oil spill makes authorities take up anti-pollution operations off the coast of Mumbai.

 

 

 

 

 

Hectic efforts, meanwhile, continued to combat the oil spill spanning around two miles in the Arabian Sea, three days after Panaman cargo carrier MSC Chitra and a St. Kitts ship MV Khalijia-III collided outside the Mumbai harbour, barely five km from south Mumbai.

In the biggest such operation mounted so far in the Indian sea waters, authorities have deployed five Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships, one helicopter and one small aircraft for controlling the massive oil spill, an official said.

 

 

 

The affected ship, MSC Chitra, was loaded with an estimated 2,600 tonnes of oil, 300 tonnes of diesel and 89 tonnes of lubricating oil at the time of the accident.

The ship has also dangerously tilted at nearly 70 degrees and nearly 30 huge containers have so far fallen off into the sea.

Some containers are floating in the choppy Arabian Sea in the busy navigation channels giving entry and exit into the country's one of the oldest and largest ports - the Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust respectively.

 

 

 

In view of the serious hazard the floating containers pose to vessels navigating in the area, the shipping traffic has been kept on hold for the time being. Ships like the ICG Sankalp, Amrit Kaur, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Kamla Devi and C-145 - have joined the ICG AOPV Sangram, which was deployed since Sunday to monitor the oil spill and guide relief efforts. A Chetak helicopter and a small Dornier aircraft were pressed into service for aerial spray of dispersants to tackle the thick oil slick.

 

 

 

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COMMONWEALTH IS NOT COMMON WEALTH

Shocking: Liquid soap for Rs 9,379

The Suresh Kalmadi-led Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (OC) may have some more explaining to do. A scrutiny of the final inventory and price list of several “overlays” — movable fixtures and fittings for venues and stadia — hired from four foreign firms reveals major anomalies.

The total cost of hiring these "overlays" is over Rs 600 crore and the inventory list shows several cases where there is a huge price differential for the same item.

The overlays include first-aid kits, water dispensers, lecterns, office stationery, staircases, bookshelves, curtains, doormats, barricade golf carts, fire extinguishers and emergency lights.

Consider:

* After a bidding process, the OC selected four foreign firms for their mega turnkey deal and, as it now transpires, while one vendor, Nussli of Switzerland, for instance, is charging Rs 187 for renting out each "liquid soap dispenser," another firm, British consortium ESAJV, is charging Rs 9,379 for the same item. While the Hong Kong-based Pico Deepali Overlays Consortium is charging the OC Rs 2 for a single disposable glass, the ESAJV consortium is charging India Rs 37 per glass.

* All the hired items were split into seven operational "clusters" covering all the 60 venues of the Games. Each cluster is made up of specific stadia and venues.

* For instance, a 82.5 KVA generator set is hired by OC for Rs 4.65 lakh from Pico Deepali. A generator of the same specifications was hired from Nussli for Rs 14.58 lakh.

* There is a difference of almost Rs 60 lakh for hiring a single public display system of identical size and pitch between Pico Deepali and ESAJV with several such systems being hired for a single games cluster.

Asked about these discrepancies, senior OC members said it was now standard international practice for overlays to be rented per cluster for large sporting events and that the contracts were awarded to the four foreign vendors since their bids were "overall" the lowest.

They said that in such transactions, it was understood that a large quantity of the overlays would be refurbished or brought in second-hand, while other items like furniture, carpets, stationery and toiletries would obviously be new.

Said A K Saxena, OC's Joint Director General (overlays and procurement), told The Indian Express: "There are a few internationally reputed firms who deal with overlays and we have no option but to negotiate on the basis of entire clusters. There may be a price difference between identical items but we have only looked at the lowest bidder for entire clusters and there may also be difference of quality in the items."

Other OC officials admit it took them almost two years to resolve the muddle over overlay rentals since the agencies constructing the venues showed a reluctance to furbish the interiors themselves. Lalit Bhanot, OC's Secretary General, said that they had -- at an earlier stage -- requested for experts from the Central Vigilance Commission and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to be part of the hire procedure.

"When no expert joined us, we did the procurement ourselves and picked companies which were not only the lowest bidders but had also done events like the Beijing Olympics and the FIFA World Cup," he said.
He admitted that after the Games, the empty venues would be handed back by the OC to the administrative bodies -- to be refurbished.

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History Mystery

History  Mystery Have  a history teacher explain this----- if they  can. Abraham  Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.   John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in  1946. Abraham Lincoln was elected  President in 1860. John F. Kennedy was  elected President in 1960. Both were  particularly concerned with civil rights.   Both wives lost their children while living  in the White House. Both Presidents were  shot on a Friday. Both Presidents were shot  in the head Now it gets really  weird. Lincoln 's secretary was named  Kennedy. Kennedy's Secretary was named   Lincoln . Both were assassinated by  Southerners. Both were succeeded by  Southerners named Johnson. Andrew  Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in  1808. Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy,  was born in 1908. John  Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born  in 1839. Lee  Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was  born in  1939. Both  assassins were known by their three names.   Both names are composed of fifteen letters.   Now hang on to your seat.   Lincoln was shot at the theater named  'Ford'. Kennedy was shot in a car called '   Lincoln ' made by 'Ford'. Lincoln was  shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid  in a warehouse Kennedy was shot from a  warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a  theater. Booth and Oswald were  assassinated before their trials. And  here's the kicker... A week before   Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland   A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with  Marilyn Monroe. WHO  FIGURED THIS OUT? INCREDIBLE    1)  Fold a NEW  $20  bill in half... \ 2)  Fold again, taking care to fold it exactly as  below 3)  Fold the other end, exactly as before  4)  Now, simply turn it  over... What  a coincidence! A simple geometric fold creates a  catastrophic premonition printed on all $20  bills!!! COINCIDENCE? YOU  DECIDE As  if that wasn't enough... Here  is what you've seen... Firstly  The Pentagon on fire...         Then   The  Twin  Towers. ..And  now .. look at this! TRIPLE  COINCIDENCE ON A SIMPLE $20  BILL Disaster  (Pentagon) Disaster  ( Twin Towers ) Disaster  (Osama)??? It  gets even better 9 + 11 = $20! Creepy  huh? Send this to as many people as you can,  cause: Hey,  this is one history lesson most people probably  will not  mind reading!

Things you should keep in mind before a balance transfer

"I have some outstanding on my credit card for the last three months. I want to change the due date for payment on my card. I want to know how it will affect the interest levied on my outstanding."

Interest on credit card outstanding is charged on daily outstanding balance from the date of transaction to the statement generation date. Some banks may offer the facility of changing the statement date to customers. However, the implication on change in statement cycle in this case will be restricted to the change in the number of days for which interest is calculated (depending on whether the statement date has been brought forward or pushed back).

I want to demolish and reconstruct a property owned by my mother. She does not have any source of income. I want to take a loan to build this property. Is there a possibility of some arrangement with a bank, if my mother becomes a co-applicant?

There are many banks and housing finance institutions that would be willing to finance you. However, each institution follows its own norms on income, age, ownership of property, etc, and, depending on that, lays down conditions such as no-objection certificate (NOC) from all other legal heirs, etc.

I am looking for a small-ticket personal loan of around Rs 70,000. Of the three banks that I have accounts with, only one agreed for this small loan. Others said their minimum disbursement was much higher. However, the bank ready for the deal is quoting 25 per cent interest rate. I am ready to pay up to 18 per cent. I tried to negotiate with the direct selling agent, but it did not help. I had taken a consumer loan from this bank and my repayment history is impeccable. I also invest in mutual funds using this bank account. With such credentials, is there anyone I can approach to negotiate on the interest rate?

You may request your present bankers to consider a reduced amount of personal loan, based on your relationship with them. You may also explore the possibility of taking a loan against financial securities such as fixed deposits, RBI bonds, mutual funds, etc, for the exact amount you require, which comes at a much cheaper rate.

I feel the interest rate on my home loan is high, when I compare it with offers from other banks. Can you suggest me a few things I should keep in mind before opting for a balance transfer? How should I calculate whether it makes financial sense or not?

While considering a balance transfer to another bank or housing finance institution, please bear in mind that while your monthly outgo will come down as equated monthly installments (EMIs) are less, you will have to bear some upfront costs such as prepayment penalty to be paid to the current financial institution; processing fees, equitable mortgage (EM) creation charges and other charges, if any, to be paid to the news institution. Thus, you will gain on monthly EMIs, but will have some immediate expenses. Please analyse these based on the amount saved per month, number of EMIs to be paid in future and upfront costs incurred.

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Moderate drinking helps heart, but don't binge

One or two alcoholic drinks a day can help healthy people-and heart patients-live longer, new research confirms.

But the two new studies-one of nearly 250,000 US adults, the other an analysis of eight previous studies of more than 16,000 people with heart disease and other problems related to clogged arteries-also show that drinkers who exceeded recommended limits for alcohol consumption saw no heart health benefits.

"No question, heavy or binge drinking can have adverse health outcomes," Dr. Simona Costanzo and colleagues from Catholic University in Campobasso, Italy, warn in their report.

However, they add, doctors should tell their patients with heart disease and other clogged artery-related problems, together known as cardiovascular disease, that moderate alcohol consumption-a drink a day for women, two for men-"should not be harmful to their health."

There is considerable evidence that moderate drinking helps reduce the risk of heart disease and death from heart-related causes, likely due to the fact that drinking alcohol is linked to higher levels of "good" cholesterol.

However, questions have been raised about how research on alcohol and health is done, Dr. Kenneth J. Mukamal of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and his team, the authors of the other study, write.

To address these issues, Mukamal and his colleagues looked at nine years' worth of data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1987 to 2000, including 245,207 people in all. Census bureau employees perform the survey in person every year, sampling a representative group of around 20,000 to 40,000 US citizens.

The researchers correlated the information on alcohol consumption with data from the National Death Index up until 2002, identifying 10,670 deaths from cardiovascular causes among survey participants.

The risk of dying due to heart disease or stroke was about the same for people who had never drank, meaning they had less than 12 drinks in their lifetime; people who drank infrequently, meaning they had more than 12 drinks in their life, but never drank more than 12 drinks in a given year; and ex-drinkers, who had more than 12 drinks in their lives and had consumed more than 12 drinks per year in the past, the researchers found.

But for light drinkers, defined as men or women who had three drinks a week or less, risk was 31 percent lower than for non-drinkers.

Among moderate drinkers (women who had three to seven drinks each week and men who had three to 14 drinks a week), risk was 38 percent lower than it was for abstainers.

Heavy drinkers, meaning women who had more than seven drinks a week and men who downed more than 14 drinks weekly, had the same cardiovascular death risk as non-drinkers.

Mukamal and his team also found that people who had two drinks on days when they consumed alcohol were "consistently" at lower risk than people who had three or more drinks per drinking day.

The study's strengths include its size, the fact that it included a broad sample of the US population, and its ability to separate people who had never drank or only rarely drank from those who had drank previously but quit, Mukamal noted in an E-mail interview.

"Our results suggest that even in this well-designed study, the lower risk linked to moderate drinking remains," he told Reuters Health. "However, it also clearly confirms that the benefit is lost for excessive drinking."

People with cardiovascular disease get mixed messages on whether moderate drinking is OK. The US Food and Drug Administration advises people with heart disease who drink alcohol to quit, but guidelines from the American Heart Association say they can drink in moderation, Costanzo and her colleagues point out in their report.

To better understand the risks and potential benefits of alcohol for cardiovascular patients, the researchers identified eight studies including 16,351 patients with cardiovascular disease. They analyzed the relationship between alcohol consumption and death due to cardiovascular disease among study participants, as well as the association between drinking and overall mortality.

The Italian team found a similar benefit pattern to the one Mukamal and his colleagues identified: heart patients who drank were less likely to die than abstainers, and the maximum benefit was seen for those who consumed between 5 to 10 grams of alcohol a day. A standard drink-12 ounces of beer or 5 ounces of wine, for example-contains about 14 grams of alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But people who drank more than about 25 grams of alcohol daily had overall mortality and cardiovascular death risks exceeding those of abstainers, and the more they drank, the higher the risk.

"Cardiovascular patients should be informed that low-to-moderate alcohol consumption (1 drink/day for women or up to 2 drinks/day for men) should not be harmful to their health," Costanzo and her team say. However, patients who don't drink regularly shouldn't be encouraged to start, they add, and those who drink heavily should be encouraged to quit or at least sharply reduce their alcohol intake.

"The risks of moderate drinking differ by sex, age, personal history, and family history," Dr. Arthur L. Klatsky of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, California, notes in an editorial accompanying the studies. While the case for alcohol's heart benefits is "compelling," he adds, "as is often the case in medical practice, advice about lifestyle must be based on something less than certainty."

He concludes: "What is required is a synthesis of common sense and the best available facts."

Source: Reuters

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The issue behind IPL stand off!

Twitter has become a battleground of sorts – some smaller wars fought some bigger with far reaching implications. By now everyone knows about the bitter fight ensuing between IPL head-honcho Lalit Modi and Shashi Tharoor who allegedly has played a key role in bringing IPL team to Kochi / Kerala. Although Kochi Team was by a consortium called Rendezvous sports – the people behind this consortium is not known, and that’s the center of all the controversy. What is interesting is that lot of the communication have been put up on twitter and that has irked both sides equally. It really looks like the battleground.

Just hours after the franchise agreement papers were signed by Rendezvous sports the full details of the ownership group was revealed by Modi on Twitter.
"25% of Kochi team is given free to Rendezvous sports for life," wrote Modi.

"Kochi shareholders are: Rendezvous 25% free, Rendezvous 1%, Anchor 27%, Parinee 26%, Film Waves Combine 12%, Anand Shyam 8%, Vivek Venugopal 1%," he added.
"And Rendezvous free equity – held by Kisan, Shailender and Pushpa Gaikwad, Sunanda Pushkar, Puja Gulathi, Jayant Kotalwar, Vishnu Prasad, Sundip Agarwal."
Modi also said, "There are certain shareholders in the Rendezvous Company who have not been able to answer the question over stakes yet. The agreement has been signed, but we will seek clarification. It’s just a matter of time."

The disclosure brought a stern response from Rendezvous sports who threatened legal action claiming Modi had breached a confidentiality agreement by announcing the names of the people involved in the franchise.IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has landed himself in the middle of a political war of words after revealing the names of those involved in the ownership of the new Kochi franchise.Kochi franchise co-owner Vivek Venugopal responded to Modi’s claims saying all the information the IPL needed had already been given to them, he added "if there is any other specific clarification they are looking for, we are ready to provide. The agreement has been signed."
The announcement by Modi also caused a war of words with minister Shashi Tharoor who claimed Modi was trying to discredit the team and create reasons to disqualify it so that the franchise can be awarded elsewhere.
Sashi Tharoor helped Rendezvous sports during the bidding process and although he has no stake in the franchise he said the Kochi team had bid in an "open and transparent" manner. "Their unexpected success upset the plans of a lot of powerful people, who had wanted the franchise to go elsewhere".
"The unethical efforts that have been made by Mr Modi and others to thwart the Kerala franchise which has been won fair and square in a transparent bidding process are disgraceful," he added.

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Sashi Tharoor's Official statement on the IPL allegation

Official statement on the IPL allegation

1. A consortium led by Rendezvous was set up to bid for an IPL team. They approached me for help and guidance. I steered them towards Kerala. Rendezvous includes a number of people, including many I have never met, and Sunanda Pushkar, whom I know well.

2. My role in mentoring the consortium included several conversations with Mr Lalit Modi, who guided us through the process and presented himself as a trusted friend.

3. The consortium bid successfully in an open and transparent process. Their unexpected success upset the plans of a lot of powerful people, who had wanted the franchise to go elsewhere.

4. Various attempts were made by Mr Modi and others to pressure the consortium members to abandon their bid in favour of another city in a different state. Mr Modi raised assorted objections to the bid documents but finally had no choice but to approve them.

5. His extraordinary breach of all propriety in publicly raising issues relating to the composition of the consortium and myself personally is clearly an attempt to discredit the team and create reasons to disqualify it so that the franchise can be awarded elsewhere.

6. Contemptible efforts have been made to drag in matters of my personal life which I do not intend to dignify by commenting on them.

7. However, I deny Mr Lalit Modi’s allegation that I called him during his meeting with investors in the Kochi consortium in Bangalore on Saturday night in order to press him not to question the composition of the consortium.

I called Mr Modi to ask why he was further delaying the approval of the franchise when all the legal requirements had been fulfilled.. Mr Modi had held up approval by the IPL of the franchisee agreement earlier in the day, by insisting on the reversal of a change in the document that he himself had earlier suggested. This change was made, the consortium members flew to Bangalore and met with Mr Modi after that night’s IPL game for what they had been told would be a routine exercise. Instead they were submitted to a barrage of questions which led some to suspect that Mr Modi was seeking a further excuse to delay approval. This was the reason for my intervention with Mr Modi. Had he conducted himself in good faith throughout, no call would have been necessary.

8. On the question of my interests in the franchise, I repeat that I am proud to have helped the consortium come to Kerala. I have neither invested nor received a rupee for my mentorship of the team. Whatever my personal relationships with any of the consortium members, I do not intend to benefit in any way financially from my association with the team now or at a later stage.

9. A Kerala IPL team is a dream of many young people in and from the state. It has the potential to bring great material and psychological benefits to Kerala’s economy and society. The unethical efforts that have been made by Mr Modi and others to thwart the Kerala franchise which had been won fair and square in a transparent bidding process are disgraceful. It has been clear for some time that the real motive is to assign this IPL team elsewhere than Kerala. All of us in Kerala hope that the BCCI will not permit statements and activities which seek to discredit the Kerala team before it has even had a chance to prove its worth. The public attempts by Mr Modi to besmirch the consortium in fact bring the IPL itself into disrepute.

This statement is issued by me in a personal capacity to respond to the allegations made against me personally.

Dr Shashi Tharoor

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Mumbai apartment sells for a record Rs 33 crore

Tue, Apr 6 11:46 AM

It's one of the most expensive deals ever to take place in India - a sea-facing duplex flat in a prime locations of South Mumbai near Haji Ali was sold in an open auction for Rs 90,600 per sq ft totalling a whopping Rs 33 crore.

The duplex flat, belonging to ABN Amro Bank, at Samudra Mahal, measures around 3,640 sq ft and is situated on the 19th and 20th floors of the building. Several high profile celebrity residents are believed to be staying at Samudra Mahal. According to Pranay Vakil, chairman, Knight Frank, a global property consultancy firm, who was present at the auction, the flat has a very small percentage of loading. "Most of the area is at carpet price and faces the sea. The flat comes along with two covered car parks," he said. He added that there were a number of bidders for the duplex but an unknown party managed to bag the auction deal at Rs 33 crore making it one of the most expensive deals in the city.

Vakil added that the rate at which the flat was sold was utter madness. "The government needs to do something about the supply situation in the city. If things continue like this, a common man cannot even dream of buying a flat in the city," he said. He added that as the flat has just around seven to ten per cent of loading area, the rate per area comes to around Rs 90,600 per sq ft. Vakil believes it is very difficult to determine if this would be the costliest deal in the city. "There are places, which have around 30 per cent loading area. If the same flat was in some other area, it would have been marketed as a 5,000 sq ft built-up area flat. So the per sq ft rate would work out to Rs 60,000. It would be difficult to determine the actual cost per sq ft," he said.

Yashwant Dalal, president of the Estate Agents Association of India, says the properties in the area do command such exorbitant rates. "Firstly, duplex flats do command that kind of premium rate. Secondly, the height at which the flat is situated also commands a premium. And factors like sea-facing view and celebrities living there also determine the rate of the flat," he said.

Dalal added that tainted stock broker late Harshad Mehta's property, which is next to Samudra Mahal and measures around 17,500 sq ft, was sold for just Rs 32 crore by the state government to recover its dues. "The flat was sold at one fourth the original value of the property at an open sale, which was getting no takers," he added.

On November 21, 2007, a four bedroom flat was sold for Rs 34 crore. At nearly Rs 97,000 per sq ft, it was the highest price ever paid in India at the Apsara Co-operative Housing Society - the NCPA apartments in South Mumbai.

Also, a deal at El Plazzo at Malabar Hills, South Mumbai made big news last year after a reported deal between actor Vinod Khanna and a firm took place for Rs 1.20 lakh per sq ft. But the buyer backed off at the last minute.

amit.shanbaug@ mailtoday.in

FLAT'TERED

BUILDING NAME: Samudra Mahal

BELONGS TO: ABN Amro Bank

FLAT SIZE: Around 3,640 sq ft

FLOORS: 19th and 20th

PRICE FACTOR: Sea-facing view and celebrity residents

TOP DEAL SO FAR : A four bedroom flat at the Apsara Society in South Mumbai sold for Rs 34 cr at nearly Rs 97K/ sq ft on Nov 21, 2007
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Sania - Shoaib wedding!!!

Will Sania Mirza be able to marry Shoaib on April 15?

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza’s plans to wed Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik has run into deuce with neither of the doubles partners Sania or Shoaib being able to score a winning point.
The big question being asked is will Sania be able to get married to Shoaib on April 15 with all the police cases slapped on the Pakistani cricketer and the Hyderabadi resident Ayesha Maha Siddiqui, who claims to the first wife of Shoaib, occupying the `centre court'.
But there are some unanswered questions in the drama. Here are 10 crucial questions:
1. If Shoaib claims that he was cheated as Ayesha had sent him photographs of some other girl, why is the Pakistani cricketer not releasing the pictures? Is he afraid that Ayesha my release more damaging pictures of their wedding?
2. Shoaib says that the marriage was not valid as he had signed 'nikahnama' believing that he was marrying the girl whose photographs were sent to him by Ayesha but who turned out to be someone else. Again where are the photographs? And why did he stay with Ayesha in a hotel as husband and wife.
3. In one of the matches in played in Hyderabad, Shoaib was on record claiming that he was happy to have scored a century in his `wife's city'. So, was he already married to Ayesha then even without having met her?
4. Shoaib says neither he nor his brother-in-law could ever meet Ayesha during their visits to Hyderabad. But there are records to prove that Ayesha and Shoaib had checked into a hotel as wife and husband. What is his take on this? Was he just having a fling? It has now emerged that former Indian cricket captain and presently Congress party MP Mohd Azaruddin had spotted the couple in the hotel.
5. Why is Shoaib not ready to offer a divorce to Ayesha in public? Is there more to the story if he offers a divorce and an apology? Shoaib's stand is that no 'nikah' (marriage) took place with Ayesha and hence there was no need for him to divorce her before marrying Sania. Then what about the hotel stay and his statement before the TV of his `wife's city'.
6. Ayesha now claims that she had a miscarriage, presumably out of the wedlock with Shoaib. Why is it that she is not releasing proof of this?
7. Why are the Siddiquis - the parents of Ayesha - fighting such a bitter public battle? Should they have not settled the matter in private? Do they have anything against Sania's family? Ayesha told a television channel that she was determined to see him punished for cheating her.
8. Why did Sania's family not do a proper background check on Shoaib before announcing plans of the wedding? Or did Shoaib hide things from Sania's family?
9. With non-bailable cheating cases now slapped on Shoaib by the Hyderabad police, can the Pakistani cricketer get married to Sania on April 15? Hyderabad Police Commissioner A.K. Khan has said that Shoaib would not be allowed to leave India without police permission. "We have alerted all immigration gateways not to allow Shoaib to leave," he said.
10. The cases that Shoaib faces are: sections 498 A (harassment), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Without clearing these cases will he be able to marryMeanwhile, Pakistan has stepped into the scene assuring an embattled Shoaib of all legal help.
Sources in Islamabad said that the Law Ministry in Paksitan is keenly following the case.
Earlier, in Hyderbaad Shoaib claimed that Ayesha had starting making phone calls to him in 2001 when he was in Sharjah with the Pakistani team.
"Naturally I wanted to meet her. Every time I brought up the topic of meeting, she would send me a bunch of photographs," the statement said.
The cricketer claimed that he was made to believe that he was speaking to the girl in the photograph. "The truth is that I have, to this day, not met the girl in the photograph," he said.
Shoaib said in 2002, Ayesha forced him into marriage over telephone saying people in Hyderabad had started talking about their relationship and this had put her parents in an embarrassing position.
"We accidentally ran into the truth about who Ayesha was," he said.
"It happened in August 2005. My brother-in-law got a photograph of a teacher in Saudi Arabia who was telling people around her that Shoaib was married to her. I was aghast when he showed me the photograph of the teacher. The woman in the photograph was the woman I called Maha Apa."
A nervous-looking Shoaib told reporters that the marriage with Sania would take place in Hyderabad on April 15. "I have come here for my wedding with Sania Mirza and we are happy," he said. Shoaib said Sania knew the truth and she had been supportive of him.
To a query about Sania's tennis career, he said she would play as long as she wished to play. "She has been representing India and will continue to represent India," he said to another query.
Source: India Syndicate with agency inputs
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Indian women getting 'empowered' with direct selling

India's $740-million direct selling industry, where products are sold directly to customers rather than through retail shops, is fast emerging as a viable career option for women, empowering them to earn some decent money from home.

'Most women are raised to believe that they have to be perfect homemakers,' said Chavi Hemanth, secretary general of the Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA), which works to promote this segment of merchandise trade in the country.

'So their psyche becomes such that they do not wish to go beyond the four corners of the house. But direct selling comes handy, as it gives the option to work at the times they prefer and not the regular nine-to-five job,' Hemanth told IANS.

'All direct selling companies also offer opportunities at very minimal investment. They impart professional training and personal development. There is no specific educational bar -- just basic literacy is enough to carve an entity of your own.'

Little wonder direct selling has emerged as a woman-friendly field, with 1.22 million becoming a part of the industry in India. The turnover, excluding that from insurance premia, is expected to cross the $1-billion mark in the next two years.

That's also the reason why several global players in the business such as Amway, Avon, Tupperware and Oriflame have already entered India even as scores of others have set their eyes on the market here.

'It is not at all bad to sit at home and earn. This way I can spend time with my growing daughter,' said Anjali Dhingra, a post-graduate in English and a mother of an eight-year-old daughter, who became a distributor for Tupperware two years ago.

'I live in a nuclear family and cannot run away from responsibilities. I also have to support my husband and share the financial burden. So, I find this easier and profitable,' she added.

'Since Tupperware is all about products used in the kitchen, at home and the like, it was very easy for me to sell it to my relatives. Then with time, I developed more contacts sitting at home.'

Seema Sisodiya, whose husband lost his job during the slowdown last year, also has a similar story to share and considers herself lucky that she became a distributor for Amway, given the difficult circumstances she had to endure.

'On the one hand, my husband lost his job and, on the other, rising prices of essentials were sucking out our savings. At that time I also could not manage to get a job. But this distributorship of Amway has helped us earn our bread -- and some butter.'

At the core of direct selling is to make entrepreneurs and give flexibility of time to work, said Hemanth. 'Many women today choose to be homemakers. But they also look for some other opportunities to use their skills, time and knowledge,' she adds.

That's why many direct selling companies mainly promote women as consultants. In Amway's case, for example, there are as many as 550,000 active distributors, and around 62 percent of them are women.

'At Amway, one can become a business owner with low investment and also low risk. It is an equal opportunity business which anyone can start with an investment of Rs.995,' said Amway India chief executive William S. Pinckney.

According to the industry association, which recently conducted a survey on the industry along with global consultancy Ernst and Young, a 5-10 percent annual growth rate is expected over the next few years, driven by the Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.

'India stands 11th overall among the top 25 countries worldwide in the number of sales consultants present within the direct selling network, and 23rd in terms of the revenue generated through direct selling,' said the survey.

'An increased focus on new and emerging product categories and growth in depth and breadth of distribution, along with improved productivity of the sales consultant network, will help to boost the growth of this industry,' it said.

(Sakshi Gulati can be reached at sakshi.gulati@ians.in and biz@ians.in)

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10 Signs it's time to quit

How many times a day do you say to yourself, "I like what I do, but not where I work?" Or the opposite, "I like where I work, but not what I do?"
The current economy has kept many employees stationed for the past couple of years, not because they love what they do -- but because they are too scared to pursue other opportunities. But many employees feel disengaged from their jobs and don't know what to do. So should you continue to stay in a job where you are unhappy? Or start looking for somewhere where you'll be happier?
People quit their jobs for many reasons. Maybe you don't like your co-workers or your boss drives you crazy. Maybe there's nowhere for you to move up in the company. Maybe you're overworked and underpaid. Maybe you're all of the above.
While the choice to move on to greener pastures is up to you, here are 10 signs that should tell you if it's time to start thinking about moving on:
1. Your co-workers drive you crazy.Co-workers can be a curse or a blessing in the workplace. When you work with people you love, it's one thing. But how are you supposed to get any work done when your colleagues are irritating you, offending you, distracting you, coming in late, leaving early, talking loudly on the phone, procrastinating or coming to your desk to gossip? If you find that you want to tear your hair out at the end of each day because of your colleagues, it might be time to look for more tolerable people.
2. You hate going to work.When Sunday night rolls around, are you dreading going into the office the next morning? As soon as you arrive on Monday morning, are you already thinking about Friday at 5 p.m.? Aall of us have had to go to a job that we hate at least once, and if you haven't -- you're the exception, not the rule (not to mention extremely lucky). When you're spending 40+ hours at work, the last thing you want is to hate every second you're there. If you do, it might be time to start thinking about your next career move.
3. You're bored.Most people like to feel challenged at work. If your work has started to seem too easy or repetitive, it's a sign that you need more responsibility or extra a change in roles. But, don't confuse boredom with slacking off. There's a vast difference between watching YouTube videos all day long with work piling up next to you and watching YouTube videos all day long because you've completed all there is to do.
4. The company -- or your job -- is in trouble.It's no secret that many companies are still struggling as a result of the economy. There continue to be layoffs and budget cuts. While we don't suggest quitting your job in a panic without having some sort of plan as to what your next step is, we do think you should pay attention to what's going on at your company. If you're concerned about the state of your job or the company, approach your manager with any concerns before taking other actions.
5. You don't feel at home.Sometimes we forget how important it is to feel comfortable at work -- that is, until we don't. If competition seems far from friendly, your colleagues steal your ideas, your ethics or values conflict with the company, or even if your casual style clashes with the buttoned-up policies of management, you might try to find a company where you feel more at home.
6. You can't stand your boss.Just because someone is a manager or boss doesn't give him free reign to be stupid. Whether you realize it or not, your relationship with your boss has a huge impact on your overall professional happiness and success. After all, even the best job can be terrible if your boss is lousy. If you don't see eye-to-eye or your manager is untrustworthy or unwilling to help you succeed, it might be time to look for a new job -- with a new supervisor.
7. Your career is at a standstill.Maybe you've been doing the same job for several years and you're ready for more responsibility. Maybe you've lost your passion for what you used to love. Maybe you work at a company where there's no other role for you than the one you're currently in. Start by talking to your boss about taking on more work, or trying different tasks. Express to him or her that you want to continue to develop your skills and reach your goals. If no alternatives are available, it might be time to start looking around.
8. You're not valued.Recognition is important -- you need to feel as though you're making a contribution and like other people will give you credit for your successes. Is your company doing anything to reward your efforts? Do you get bonuses, perks or positive feedback? If your boss has never heard of positive reinforcement, it might be time to find a company that will value your talent.
9. Your work environment sucks.State of the economy aside, every job and every company experiences highs and lows. It doesn't take a psychiatrist to know that working in place with negative energy or low morale is draining on even the happiest soul. If you find that you're always feeling stressed out, depressed or having a negative attitude, it might be time to explore more positive options.
10. You're exhausted.Everyone says they're stressed. But some people are really stressed. Too many projects and not enough help equal a heavy workload and job burnout. We don't advise quitting when the going gets tough once in a while -- let's be honest, everyone has to take one for the team at some point. But, if there's no end or reprieve in sight, do yourself (and your sanity) a favour and see what else is out there

Thakazhi's grandson set for film debut

Doctor turned filmmaker Raj Nair, who is legendary Malayalam writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai's grandson, says he is looking forward to the release of 'Punyam Aham', his first full-length feature film.

Nair, who works as a professor in Oral Medicine in Australia, says he is racing against time to tie the last loose ends of his film, which releases Friday.

'All my leave is over and I am on loss of pay because I was here for the shooting of my film and for the post-production five times last year. I am leaving Sunday and before that my film would be released,'.

His first love has always been films and if not for his grandfather, the writer of the award winning 'Chemmeen', he would have headed straight to the film institute in Pune to do a course in cinematography after he graduated in dentistry from Manipal in Karnataka.

Thakazhi was a Jnanpith awardee and the film adaptation of his 'Chemmeen' won the National Award for the best film in 1964.

In 2004, Nair made a feature length docu-drama about his grandmother called 'Kazhchavasthukkal' (The Exhibits). It had garnered critical acclaim and was shown at several places outside the country.

'Punyam Aham' is about a son's journey to learn more about his father and popular actor Prithviraj plays the lead role along with Samvrutha Sunil.

The films also stars veterans like Nedumudi Venu, K.P.A.C. Lalitha and M.R. Gopakumar, among others.

'Punyam Aham' is produced under the banner of Mirabilia Films and the film's music has been composed by Isaac Thomas Kottukappilly.

But why isn't Nair staying on to see the audience's reaction to his film?

'I am of course happy with my film and now it is for others to judge. It is immaterial that I am not here when the film is being released. If it brings in the audience I will be able to know when I check my bank account,' Nair said.

The director added that the film would also be released with English sub-titles and would be screened in Australia as well.

How to Flirt with a Guy

Flirting is friendly, light-hearted fun, and a compliment to one another. Although often a courting ritual, it does not have to be sexual and abounds in business too.

Decide beforehand what you want. Are you flirting with this person for fun, or are you flirting with intent? In other words, do you see this as a fleeting encounter or would you like it to be the start of something more serious?

Sometimes guys misinterpret being friendly with being sexually interested in them. Be aware of this and take care to not mislead.

Anyone can flirt successfully, regardless of your age and looks. If you feel shy or uncomfortable, especially with cute guys, these tips show you how. Try out those which feel comfortable and adapt or ignore those which do not.

Start by making the most of your appearance. It might be shallow, but men are visual creatures, strongly affected by what they see. Do not go overboard by wearing skimpy clothes. If you want to show some skin, expose legs OR boobs, not both. Make sure you and your hair are clean, you smell good, wear light makeup and clothes which flatter your body shape. When you look good, you feel confident and exude positive energy.

Flirting is mostly about attitude. Carrying yourself well with a straight back, relaxed shoulders and tummy pulled in, projects confidence and enhances your appearance by making you look taller and slimmer.

Use body language to seem approachable. If you like someone, face him, sit or stand upright without being stiff, uncross your arms, make lots of eye contact and smile often. A smile showing your teeth and a relaxed face is the simplest way of telling someone you like them.

If you catch someone checking you out from across the room, instead of instinctively glancing away, return his gaze and smile. Lingering eye contact has an amazing effect. A word of caution though; overdo it and you come across as creepy. Hold his gaze for a second or two, turn away with a hint of a smile, then lock eyes again.

When two strangers talk, they stand three or four feet apart with their bodies angled slightly away from each other. When chatting to someone whose company you enjoy, stand a little closer and face him square on. When seated, cross your legs so your knees point towards him, gently swing your foot back and forth in his direction and if your shoes lend themselves to dangling slightly, do so with your swinging foot.

Expose the palms of your hand and inner wrist to him.

Wink at him. Tease him playfully. Even if things are not quite perfect, relax, laugh and have fun. That in itself is seductive.

Get him fired up by challenging him to a competitive something — maybe a game of squash, a bet or anything involving one-on-one activity.

If he is with his friends, chat with them too so he sees you as desirable, but flirt only with him.

Play with your hair while you talk to him. Depending on the style and how long your hair is, run your hands through it, twirl it or tuck it behind your ears.

When chatting with a guy you really like, give him a thrill by glancing at his lips and then the base of his neck before making eye contact again.

If you get the feeling he may be attracted to you, touch him quickly and lightly. It creates intimacy and is easier for the woman to initiate early in the relationship. But do it naturally, for example, brush imaginary fluff off his shoulder, straighten his tie, let your shoulders touch as you both look at something or ride in the elevator, lean forward and casually touch his hand or arm while you chat and laugh, or jokingly shove him.

Be sweet, kind, friendly and positive and do not gossip, whine, continually complain, act tough, be pushy or bitchy. If you feel shy, do not hide it. Guys sometimes like vulnerable.

Having said that, portraying an image of someone you are not, will backfire dismally. Be proud of who you are but if you are pushy, for example, you might want to play it down a tad.

Guys love talking about themselves and find girls interested in them attractive. Ask open-ended questions, listen well, get him to talk about himself by saying, “Gosh, I did not know that,” or something similar which fits your personality and without degrading yourself by acting like an unintelligent bimbo.

Making other people feel important and interesting is key to all human relationships. To some extent everyone is inwardly insecure and you naturally gravitate toward those who take an interest in you.

Intersperse your conversation with snippets of what you think or something about yourself. But refrain from droning on about yourself; it is a huge turnoff. Neither should you share too much too soon.

Pause often to encourage him to speak. Think of conversation as a game of ping-pong where you each take turns hitting the ball. It also gives you a chance to gauge how things are going.

When you talk, speed up or slow down your speech to match his. Radiate charisma by talking confidently and enthusiastically about something he finds interesting or about an experience you shared. Entertaining humor, smiling and laughter is always welcome.

Compliment him without gushing. Be sincere and specific, for example, “I like your shirt, the blue shows off your eyes.” The fact you noticed is flattering to him, without you coming across as needy or desperate.

Accept his compliments gracefully, “Thank you, I like this dress too.”

Remember things he mentions and ask about them later. For example, if he told you about a presentation he has to give, when next you see him, ask him, “How did your presentation go?”

Although guys say they do not like games, they respond to them. Sometimes be unavailable and only return his call the next day. Let him wonder what you were doing. Men are hard-wired to hunt and if he has to chase you down, somehow you seem more valuable and he treats you better.

If you want to step things up, use sexual innuendo in your conversation. Because this is powerful, be careful; you do not want to be called a tease or come across as slutty. Stroking your throat or the stem of a glass or playing with a chain that points down to your cleavage may be equally suggestive, but use your discretion.

Never let him do anything to you which makes you feel uncomfortable.

Constantly watch his reactions and look for clues. If at any time he looks around, angles his body away from you, starts shifting his feet, or seems disinterested in you, back off, politely excuse yourself and move on. There are loads of guys out there.

Practise flirting everywhere: at the gas station, the library, the supermarket, the mall, while waiting in line at Starbucks. Liven up your day by making eye contact and smiling briefly at strangers. Part of flirting is being a good conversationalist, and that skill helps you in every aspect of your life — with your family, friends, boss and potential men in your life.

മകരവിളക്ക് ഇന്ന്

മകരവിളക്ക് ഇന്ന്. മകരസംക്രമദിനത്തില്‍ ധര്‍മ്മശാസ്താവിനെ ദര്‍ശിക്കാനും മകരജ്യോതി കാണുവാനുമായി ലക്ഷങ്ങളാണ് ശബരിമലയില്‍ എത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നത്. തിരുവാഭരണം വഹിച്ചുകൊണ്ടുള്ള ഘോഷയാത്ര ഉച്ചയോടെ പമ്പയില്‍ എത്തും.

പമ്പയിലും സന്നിധാനത്തേക്കുള്ള കാനന പാതകളിലും ഭക്തരെക്കൊണ്ട് നിറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുകയാണ്. തിരക്ക് കണക്കിലെടുത്ത് ഒരു മണിക്കൂര്‍ നേരത്തെ ഇന്ന് നട തുറന്നിരുന്നു. ഉച്ചയ്ക്ക് 12.39 നാണ് മകര സംക്രമ പൂജ. മകരസംക്രമപൂജയ്ക്കും അഭിഷേകത്തിനും ശേഷം ഒരു മണിക്ക് നട അടയ്ക്കും. തുടര്‍ന്ന് വൈകിട്ട് അഞ്ചിന് ദര്‍ശനത്തിനും സന്ധ്യാപൂജയ്ക്കുമായി വീണ്ടും നട തുറക്കും.

ഉച്ചയ്ക്ക് രണ്ടു മണിയോടെ പമ്പാനദി കടന്ന് വലിയാനവട്ടത്ത് എത്തുന്ന തിരുവാഭരണ ഘോഷയാത്ര പമ്പ ദേവസ്വം സ്പെഷ്യല്‍ ഓഫീസര്‍, ജീവനക്കാര്‍ തുടങ്ങിയവര്‍ ചേര്‍ന്ന് സ്വീകരിക്കും. വൈകുന്നേരത്തോടെ ഘോഷയാത്ര സന്നിധാനത്ത് എത്തും. ആറരയ്ക്കാണ് തിരുവാഭരണ വിഭുഷിതനായ അയ്യപ്പന് ദീപാരാധന നടത്തുക. ഈ സമയമാണ് പൊന്നമ്പലമേട്ടില്‍ മകരജ്യോതി തെളിയുന്നതും.

പമ്പയിലും നിലയ്ക്കലും തുടങ്ങി കിലോമീറ്ററുകള്‍ അകലെ വരെ തീര്‍ത്ഥാടകരുടെ വാഹനങ്ങള്‍ നിറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുകയാണ്. ഇതിനിടെ പടക്കങ്ങളുമായി എത്തിയ ഒരു ഭക്തനെ പൊലീസ് പിടികൂടി. സാധാരണ പടക്കങ്ങളാണ് ഇയാളുടെ കയ്യിലുണ്ടായിരുന്നതെന്ന് പൊലീസ് പറഞ്ഞു.

പതിനെട്ടു മണിക്കൂറോളമാണ് ദര്‍ശനത്തിനായി കാത്തുനില്‍ക്കേണ്ടി വരുന്നത്. തിരക്ക് നിയന്ത്രിക്കാന്‍ പൊലീസും നന്നേ പാടുപെടുന്നുണ്ട്.

Eyes reveal what men really want

A man's eyes will tell you if he is looking for a brief fling or a long-term relationship, scientists say.

If he maintains eye contact for long periods, he is thinking of his date as a potential long-term partner.

But if his gaze strays regularly from the face to the body, he is thinking of other - more short-term - things.

The study carried out by Dr Tom Currie of Tokyo University found that faces were far more important than bodies if men were seeking a life partner, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday.

Psychologist Dr Anthony Little of Stirling University, told the paper: 'If you are looking for long-term relationships you are looking for a friendly, humorous, co-operative pleasant partner - information we all get from faces.

'But when it comes to men and short-term relationships they are not so bothered about whether someone has a nice-looking face, the body becomes a bit more important. They shift their attention.'

The conclusions were drawn from a study of 260 volunteers, equally divided between men and women, who were asked to look at images of models from the opposite sex who were dressed only in their underwear.

They were then asked to rate each model's attractiveness for either a long-term relationship or a fling.

They were first shown separate images of the models' bodies and faces, and asked to rate them individually before rating the complete pictures.

When looking for a long-term relationship, only 20 percent of men gave higher scores to pictures of the bodies than they did to the images of their faces.

However, when asked to rate them for a short-term affair, 40 percent ranked the pictures of their bodies higher than those of their faces.

Solar Eclipse on Jan 15, 2010

According to a post on the site of NASA: 'On Jan 15, an annular eclipse of the sun is visible from within a 300-km-wide track that traverses half of earth. The path of the moon's antumbral shadow begins in Africa and passes through Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia.

'After leaving Africa, the path crosses the Indian Ocean where the maximum duration of annularity reaches 11 minutes 8 seconds. The central path then continues into Asia through Bangladesh, India, Burma (Myanmar) and China.'