Intolerance on the rise, government should start dialogue, says Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi - The Times of India:
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Friday, October 30, 2015
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Friday, October 23, 2015
Hurricane Patricia: Strongest Storm Ever Measured to Hit Mexico - NBC News
Hurricane Patricia: Strongest Storm Ever Measured to Hit Mexico - NBC News: "Hurricane Patricia became the strongest storm ever measured on the planet early Friday, with experts warning it could trigger 40-foot waves along southwestern Mexico and "life-threatening" flash flooding.
More than 7 million residents — and an estimated tens of thousands of U.S. citizens visiting or living there — were told to prepare for the "worst-case scenario" as the ferocious storm was expected to race ashore on Mexico's Pacific coast between 6 to 10 p.m. ET Friday.
At 5 p.m. ET, Patricia was about 60 miles west of Manzanillo, and about 110 miles south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Patricia was expected to make landfall "in the next several hours." A hurricane warning was in place for San Blas to Punta San Telmo.
The tourist magnets of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo were directly in the Category 5 storm's projected path, and Puerto Vallarta's airport was closed Friday out of precaution as some stranded vacationers described their inability to fly out of a "nightmare."
By 5 p.m. winds had weakened slightly to 190 mph, the Hurricane Center said. Winds of 200 mph were measured earlier, and the Hurricane Center labeled Patricia as the "strongest hurricane on record" in the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific Basins."
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More than 7 million residents — and an estimated tens of thousands of U.S. citizens visiting or living there — were told to prepare for the "worst-case scenario" as the ferocious storm was expected to race ashore on Mexico's Pacific coast between 6 to 10 p.m. ET Friday.
At 5 p.m. ET, Patricia was about 60 miles west of Manzanillo, and about 110 miles south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Patricia was expected to make landfall "in the next several hours." A hurricane warning was in place for San Blas to Punta San Telmo.
The tourist magnets of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo were directly in the Category 5 storm's projected path, and Puerto Vallarta's airport was closed Friday out of precaution as some stranded vacationers described their inability to fly out of a "nightmare."
By 5 p.m. winds had weakened slightly to 190 mph, the Hurricane Center said. Winds of 200 mph were measured earlier, and the Hurricane Center labeled Patricia as the "strongest hurricane on record" in the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific Basins."
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Hurricane Patricia -- the strongest hurricane ever recorded -- makes landfall in Mexico - CNN.com
Hurricane Patricia makes landfall in Mexico - CNN.com: "Hurricane Patricia -- the strongest hurricane ever recorded -- made landfall on Mexico's Pacific coast about 6:15 Friday evening (7:15 ET), its 165 mph winds barreling into the coast of southwestern Mexico near Cuixmala, the U.S. National Weather Service said.
The monster storm touched down hours after weakening slightly with sustained winds decreasing to 190 mph and gusts to 235 mph. Even then, Patricia lashed the coast with fierce winds and rain as tourists and residents in resorts such as Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo sought shelter.
Taking the brunt of the hurricane are small fishing villages about 130 miles south of Puerto Vallarta, which had braced for potentially catastrophic 200 mph sustained winds and torrential rains. Damage from the Category 5 storm is expected to be devastating."
'via Blog this'
The monster storm touched down hours after weakening slightly with sustained winds decreasing to 190 mph and gusts to 235 mph. Even then, Patricia lashed the coast with fierce winds and rain as tourists and residents in resorts such as Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo sought shelter.
Taking the brunt of the hurricane are small fishing villages about 130 miles south of Puerto Vallarta, which had braced for potentially catastrophic 200 mph sustained winds and torrential rains. Damage from the Category 5 storm is expected to be devastating."
'via Blog this'
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Opposition slams VK Singh over 'dog' remark on dalit killings, demands his ouster - The Times of India
Opposition slams VK Singh over 'dog' remark on dalit killings, demands his ouster - The Times of India: "Singh sparked controversy over his attempt to shield the Centre from criticism for the attack on a dalit family in Faridabad, in which two children were killed. He had remarked that the Centre cannot be blamed if somebody throws a stone at a dog.
"It is condemnable, it is shocking, it is inhumane to say the least. General VK Singh has insulted not only the entire Dalit community of this country but all Indians. It reflects the mindset of the Modi government which insults Dalits, which insults the minorities and looks down upon the people who are poor and downtrodden," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said."
'via Blog this'
"It is condemnable, it is shocking, it is inhumane to say the least. General VK Singh has insulted not only the entire Dalit community of this country but all Indians. It reflects the mindset of the Modi government which insults Dalits, which insults the minorities and looks down upon the people who are poor and downtrodden," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said."
'via Blog this'
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
'It's horrific': Melinda Gates on rapes in India - The Times of India
'It's horrific': Melinda Gates on rapes in India - The Times of India: "One of the world's most powerful women - Melinda Gates has for the first time spoken out against the recent spate of rapes and sexual attacks on women in India and has revealed that initial results coming out from surveys conducted by her foundation confirm that the menace of domestic violence in India is much higher than estimated by the government.
In an exclusive interview to the Times of India, Gates who was recently announced as the third most powerful woman in the Forbes list said, "what is happening in India is horrific," pointing to increasing reports of rape of even toddlers."
'via Blog this'
In an exclusive interview to the Times of India, Gates who was recently announced as the third most powerful woman in the Forbes list said, "what is happening in India is horrific," pointing to increasing reports of rape of even toddlers."
'via Blog this'
Hajj stampede carnage 'caused by roadblocks set up for VIP visit' - Telegraph
Hajj stampede carnage 'caused by roadblocks set up for VIP visit' - Telegraph: "The Saudi goverment has expanded the numbers of pilgrims in recent decades, from fewer than 100,000 in 1950 to around three million today, making religious tourism one of the kingdom's largest industries. But critics say the expansion has focused more on providing expensive hotels and shopping malls that benefit only the wealthiest vistors, rather than on ensuring safety procedures that benefit all."
'via Blog this'
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For first time, Pakistan admits it’s ready with battlefield nukes - Times of India
For first time, Pakistan admits it’s ready with battlefield nukes - Times of India: "akistan ramped up its nuclear saber-rattling ahead of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's meeting with President Barack Obama on Wednesday, saying its development and deployment of tactical battle field nuclear weapons (or mini-nukes) was only aimed at deterring any conventional Indian attack through New Delhi's so-called ''Cold Start'' doctrine.
In a bold rationalisation of Pakistan's offensive nuclear posture, the country's foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhury told Pakistani journalists ahead of the Obama-Sharif meeting that India had moved cantonments to the Pakistan border and created a gap in the conventional capabilities of the two countries through its Cold Start doctrine, and that has forced Pakistan to developed short-range nuclear weapons to deter any possible Indian attack.
''Pakistan has built an infrastructure near border areas to launch a quickest response to Indian aggression... usage of such low-yield nuclear weapons would make it difficult for India to launch a war against Pakistan,'' Chaudhury was quoted as saying at a briefing meant only for Pakistani reporters, where the nuclear issue took centerstage."
'via Blog this'
In a bold rationalisation of Pakistan's offensive nuclear posture, the country's foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhury told Pakistani journalists ahead of the Obama-Sharif meeting that India had moved cantonments to the Pakistan border and created a gap in the conventional capabilities of the two countries through its Cold Start doctrine, and that has forced Pakistan to developed short-range nuclear weapons to deter any possible Indian attack.
''Pakistan has built an infrastructure near border areas to launch a quickest response to Indian aggression... usage of such low-yield nuclear weapons would make it difficult for India to launch a war against Pakistan,'' Chaudhury was quoted as saying at a briefing meant only for Pakistani reporters, where the nuclear issue took centerstage."
'via Blog this'
Monday, October 19, 2015
Saudi Arabia haj disaster death toll at least 2,110 - The Times of India
Saudi Arabia haj disaster death toll at least 2,110 - The Times of India: "DUBAI: The crush and stampede that struck the haj last month in Saudi Arabia killed at least 2,110 pilgrims, a new Associated Press tally showed on Monday, after officials in the kingdom met to discuss the tragedy.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz, who is also the kingdom's interior minister, oversaw the meeting late on Sunday, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. It did not mention any official response to the rising death toll. The country's own toll since Sept. 26 has stood at 769 people killed and 934 injured. "
'via Blog this'
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz, who is also the kingdom's interior minister, oversaw the meeting late on Sunday, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. It did not mention any official response to the rising death toll. The country's own toll since Sept. 26 has stood at 769 people killed and 934 injured. "
'via Blog this'
Thursday, October 15, 2015
India witnessed religiously motivated killings, arrests: US state department report - The Times of India
India witnessed religiously motivated killings, arrests: US state department report - The Times of India: "The state department rued that hundreds of legal cases remained pending from violence during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The Nanavati-Mehta Commission on the 2002 riots ultimately released its Final Report on November 18. Some NGOs called into question the impartiality of the findings.
Court cases related to the 2008 anti-Christian violence in Odisha continued, resulting in convictions for persons responsible for the public rape of a nun during the riots. "
'via Blog this'
The Nanavati-Mehta Commission on the 2002 riots ultimately released its Final Report on November 18. Some NGOs called into question the impartiality of the findings.
Court cases related to the 2008 anti-Christian violence in Odisha continued, resulting in convictions for persons responsible for the public rape of a nun during the riots. "
'via Blog this'
Charting White Genocide: Replacement of Whites in Western Cities
Charting White Genocide: Replacement of Whites in Western Cities: "Out of 108 US cities, there are none with over 90% of the population reporting as 'White'.
The United States and South Africa have seen the most 'White flight' from city to suburb.
The US census figures used were for non-Hispanic Whites; Miami and some other cities may be undercounted.
Canada's censu"
'via Blog this'
The United States and South Africa have seen the most 'White flight' from city to suburb.
The US census figures used were for non-Hispanic Whites; Miami and some other cities may be undercounted.
Canada's censu"
'via Blog this'
The Africanization of France...as of 2014
The Africanization of France...as of 2014: "In 2000, 19 percent of all newborn babies in mainland France had at least one parent originating from the regions above. This share rose to 28.45 percent in 2007, to 31.5 percent in 2010, to 34.44 percent in 2012, and to 35.7 percent in 2013. This percentage corresponds to 279,903 out of the 783,964 babies born last year. In other words: within thirteen years, the number of (partly) extra-European babies has risen on mainland from about one fifth to more than one third.
The medical survey provides us with even more data, namely a breakdown per region (see map above). We learn that in 2013, 67.9 percent of newborns in the Ile de France, essentially Paris, descended from non-Europeans. In Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, where Le Pen's Front National is particularly strong, the non-White share was 44.27 percent; in neighbouring Languedoc-Roussillon 40.04 percent."
'via Blog this'
The medical survey provides us with even more data, namely a breakdown per region (see map above). We learn that in 2013, 67.9 percent of newborns in the Ile de France, essentially Paris, descended from non-Europeans. In Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, where Le Pen's Front National is particularly strong, the non-White share was 44.27 percent; in neighbouring Languedoc-Roussillon 40.04 percent."
'via Blog this'
Survey finds China passes US in number of billionaires - The Times of India
Survey finds China passes US in number of billionaires - The Times of India: "BEIJING: China has passed the United States in the number of billionaires, driven by the rise of fortunes in technology and manufacturing, according to a survey released Thursday.
Despite a cooling economy, the number of Chinese billionaires rose by 242 this year to 596, according to The Hurun Report, which follows China's wealthy.
The report reflected the success of online retailing, entertainment and other service businesses, while traditional industries such as steel and natural resources have declined."
'via Blog this'
Despite a cooling economy, the number of Chinese billionaires rose by 242 this year to 596, according to The Hurun Report, which follows China's wealthy.
The report reflected the success of online retailing, entertainment and other service businesses, while traditional industries such as steel and natural resources have declined."
'via Blog this'
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Islam spread because of its great message of equality, but it's ridden with castes in India today: Katju | The Assam Gazette
Islam spread because of its great message of equality, but it's ridden with castes in India today: Katju | The Assam Gazette: ""In Bengal about 60% Hindus converted to Islam because the caste system there had become totally inhuman (see the novels and stories of the great Bengali writer Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya). So the 'lower' caste people converted to Islam in large numbers. If people are treated like dogs they will surely embrace a religion which treats them as humans.
If one reads Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya's short novel ' Palli Samaj ' (also known as Gramin Samaj) one will see how Muslims had social cohesion among themselves. If some Muslim fell ill or had some other trouble or calamity, other Muslims of the village would all rush to help him, but that rarely happened among Hindus. The same social cohesion was there among early Christians (see Gibbon's ' Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ' chapters 15-17). In Kashmir too there was horrible caste oppression (see Kalhan's ' Rajtarangani ' translated into English by Ranjit Pandit), and so the vast majority of Kashmiris voluntarily converted to Islam to get social emancipation."
"So Islam, by its message and practice of equality was of great benefit to mankind at one time. But what is Islam as practised in India today? The truth is that the so called ' upper caste ' Muslims, the ' ashrafs ', i.e. Syeds, Sheikhs and Pathans, regard themselves as superior and look down on Ansaris (bunkars or weavers ), Qureshis (butchers or kasais), Abbasis (water carriers), Gaddis, Darzis, Telis, etc.," wrote Justice Katju and gave some examples from his personal experience to prove his point.
"When I was in Allahabad my daughter had a school friend who was a Syed. When she grew up I went one day to her parents and said that I regarded their daughter as my daughter, and so could I suggest a match for her for marriage. They agreed. I found an Ansari boy whose family had a huge carpet business in Bhadohi, which is a carpet belt near Varanasi. And I suggested his name. The parents told me ' Sorry, magar hum chamaron mein shaadi nahin karte ". I was shocked, and told them that I had thought there is no caste system among Muslims. They replied that they had to live in their ' biradari ', and so could not marry their daughter to low caste Muslims."
"I may mention another incident. In Banda, U.P. there was a dalit young man who fell in love with a Muslim girl. That Muslim girl's family were Rajput converts. The young man converted to Islam to marry the girl, but the parents and relatives told him they would kill him if he does not stop meeting the girl. "Humne apna mazhab badla hai, jaat nahin ", they said."
After giving these examples, Justice Katju said: "This is the reality of Indian Islam today. Is this what the Prophet taught?""
'via Blog this'
If one reads Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya's short novel ' Palli Samaj ' (also known as Gramin Samaj) one will see how Muslims had social cohesion among themselves. If some Muslim fell ill or had some other trouble or calamity, other Muslims of the village would all rush to help him, but that rarely happened among Hindus. The same social cohesion was there among early Christians (see Gibbon's ' Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire ' chapters 15-17). In Kashmir too there was horrible caste oppression (see Kalhan's ' Rajtarangani ' translated into English by Ranjit Pandit), and so the vast majority of Kashmiris voluntarily converted to Islam to get social emancipation."
"So Islam, by its message and practice of equality was of great benefit to mankind at one time. But what is Islam as practised in India today? The truth is that the so called ' upper caste ' Muslims, the ' ashrafs ', i.e. Syeds, Sheikhs and Pathans, regard themselves as superior and look down on Ansaris (bunkars or weavers ), Qureshis (butchers or kasais), Abbasis (water carriers), Gaddis, Darzis, Telis, etc.," wrote Justice Katju and gave some examples from his personal experience to prove his point.
"When I was in Allahabad my daughter had a school friend who was a Syed. When she grew up I went one day to her parents and said that I regarded their daughter as my daughter, and so could I suggest a match for her for marriage. They agreed. I found an Ansari boy whose family had a huge carpet business in Bhadohi, which is a carpet belt near Varanasi. And I suggested his name. The parents told me ' Sorry, magar hum chamaron mein shaadi nahin karte ". I was shocked, and told them that I had thought there is no caste system among Muslims. They replied that they had to live in their ' biradari ', and so could not marry their daughter to low caste Muslims."
"I may mention another incident. In Banda, U.P. there was a dalit young man who fell in love with a Muslim girl. That Muslim girl's family were Rajput converts. The young man converted to Islam to marry the girl, but the parents and relatives told him they would kill him if he does not stop meeting the girl. "Humne apna mazhab badla hai, jaat nahin ", they said."
After giving these examples, Justice Katju said: "This is the reality of Indian Islam today. Is this what the Prophet taught?""
'via Blog this'
Monday, October 12, 2015
China plans to lift all out of poverty in six years - The Times of India
China plans to lift all out of poverty in six years - The Times of India: "BEIJING: China hopes to lift all its 70 million living beneath the poverty line to safety within the next six years, at an average rate of a million people a month, a cabinet official said on Monday.
Despite rapid economic growth in the last two decades, poverty remains a huge issue in China, especially in rural areas where a lack of jobs drives able-bodied adults to work elsewhere, leaving children and the elderly behind.
"We have six years to eradicate all poverty," said Hong Tianyun, deputy director of China's State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China, on the government's website.
About 70 million people, mostly in the countryside, live beneath China's poverty line, earning less than 2,300 yuan ($362) annually, the official Xinhua news agency reported last month, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics. "
'via Blog this'
Despite rapid economic growth in the last two decades, poverty remains a huge issue in China, especially in rural areas where a lack of jobs drives able-bodied adults to work elsewhere, leaving children and the elderly behind.
"We have six years to eradicate all poverty," said Hong Tianyun, deputy director of China's State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China, on the government's website.
About 70 million people, mostly in the countryside, live beneath China's poverty line, earning less than 2,300 yuan ($362) annually, the official Xinhua news agency reported last month, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics. "
'via Blog this'
Shias in Iraq hailing Vladimir Putin for Syria push - The Times of India
Shias in Iraq hailing Vladimir Putin for Syria push - The Times of India: "As if to underscore that point, one widely viewed YouTube video shows Putin striding purposefully to the sounds of a patriotic Iraqi song, which hails him as a leader with the vision and determination to bring stability to Iraq.
"We don't have to say his name; he knows himself well," the singer belts out in the video, which ends with a clip of Putin conferring with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran.
READ ALSO: Russian air force hits 60 ISIS targets in Syria, kills 300 jihadists
Much of the popular fascination here with "Sheikh Putin" stems from the projection of sectarian politics onto the international stage.
Russia's intervention in Syria has outraged Sunni Arabs in the region who see President Bashar al-Assad as a brutal oppressor of Syria's Sunni majority. But many Iraqi Shias see Assad's Alawite-dominated government as a bulwark against Sunni extremism and are heartened that Russia has joined forces with Iran and the Syrian government."
'via Blog this'
"We don't have to say his name; he knows himself well," the singer belts out in the video, which ends with a clip of Putin conferring with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran.
READ ALSO: Russian air force hits 60 ISIS targets in Syria, kills 300 jihadists
Much of the popular fascination here with "Sheikh Putin" stems from the projection of sectarian politics onto the international stage.
Russia's intervention in Syria has outraged Sunni Arabs in the region who see President Bashar al-Assad as a brutal oppressor of Syria's Sunni majority. But many Iraqi Shias see Assad's Alawite-dominated government as a bulwark against Sunni extremism and are heartened that Russia has joined forces with Iran and the Syrian government."
'via Blog this'
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Thirty orphanages run by the group founded by Mother Teresa have decided to shutter their adoption services in India rather than comply with a new government system that makes it easier for single and divorced people to adopt children. ~ News Forage
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Tamil actor Krishna booked under charges of dowry and harassment - The Times of India
Tamil actor Krishna booked under charges of dowry and harassment - The Times of India: "His wife Hemalatha of Mettupalayam claimed that her husband mistreated, manhandled her. Meanwhile, the actor filed a petition before Madras high court, seeking anticipatory bail.
READ: 'Paayum Puli' release stalled
Hemalatha told in her complaint that she befriended the actor on Facebook. Later, they fell in love and got married. On February 6, 2014 the marriage was held at Sri Sai Mahal at Mettupalayam. His family members demanded 300 sovereigns of gold ornaments as dowry. But her family members gave 118 sovereigns and told them that they would provide the rest of the sovereigns later.
The couple was living in an apartment at Ashoka avenue at Kodambakkam and later the couple was moved to T Nagar.
Hemalatha said that she pursued BE (computer science) and was working for a software firm in Chennai. Initially, Krishna bought her a car to commute to her office while later she was asked to travel in bus.
Krishna and his parents Sekar alias Kula Senate, film producer and Madhubala allegedly renewed the demand for 300 sovereigns of gold. But her family was unable to fulfill the demand.
Hemalatha reported in her complaint that Krishna has extramarital affairs with a few women. She came to know about them and questioned him. Immediately, she was beaten by Krishna, for which she was later admitted to Malar hospital. Meanwhile, Krishna filed a case for divorce in July 2015.
The police received the petition and forwarded it to Social welfare department as the petitioner mentioned that she was harassed in the pretext of dowry. Following the petition, Krishna was asked to appear before the officials of social welfare department and police. But he failed to appear and the police inspector Amudha registered a case against Krishna and his parents on Thursday under sections 498(A), 406, 506(i) of IPC and 4 of dowry prohibition act."
'via Blog this'
READ: 'Paayum Puli' release stalled
Hemalatha told in her complaint that she befriended the actor on Facebook. Later, they fell in love and got married. On February 6, 2014 the marriage was held at Sri Sai Mahal at Mettupalayam. His family members demanded 300 sovereigns of gold ornaments as dowry. But her family members gave 118 sovereigns and told them that they would provide the rest of the sovereigns later.
The couple was living in an apartment at Ashoka avenue at Kodambakkam and later the couple was moved to T Nagar.
Hemalatha said that she pursued BE (computer science) and was working for a software firm in Chennai. Initially, Krishna bought her a car to commute to her office while later she was asked to travel in bus.
Krishna and his parents Sekar alias Kula Senate, film producer and Madhubala allegedly renewed the demand for 300 sovereigns of gold. But her family was unable to fulfill the demand.
Hemalatha reported in her complaint that Krishna has extramarital affairs with a few women. She came to know about them and questioned him. Immediately, she was beaten by Krishna, for which she was later admitted to Malar hospital. Meanwhile, Krishna filed a case for divorce in July 2015.
The police received the petition and forwarded it to Social welfare department as the petitioner mentioned that she was harassed in the pretext of dowry. Following the petition, Krishna was asked to appear before the officials of social welfare department and police. But he failed to appear and the police inspector Amudha registered a case against Krishna and his parents on Thursday under sections 498(A), 406, 506(i) of IPC and 4 of dowry prohibition act."
'via Blog this'
Friday, October 9, 2015
Saudi woman cuts off Tamil Nadu maid’s arm - The Times of India
Saudi woman cuts off Tamil Nadu maid’s arm - The Times of India: "CHENNAI: Saudi Arabian officials have arrested a Saudi woman who chopped off the arm of a 56-year-old maid from Mungileri village near Katpadi in Tamil Nadu.
Officials with the Indian embassy in Riyadh took up the case with Saudi authorities at the highest level after learning that the employer of Kasthuri Munirathnam severed the maid's right arm after she complained to officials that the family she was working for ill-treated her.
Indian diplomats in Saudi Arabia told TOI on Thursday that the Al-Sahafa police in Riyadh initially investigated the case but, because of the heinous nature of the crime, handed over the probe to the General Intelligence Directorate (Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah), the foremost intelligence agency in the kingdom.
Kasthuri was in a critical condition but has stabilised and doctors are treating her in Kingdom Hospital in Riyadh.
Anil Nautiyal, first secretary (labour) at the Indian embassy in Riyadh, said the mission is pursuing the case with the Saudi Arabian ministry of foreign affairs.
Kasthuri's son Mohan told TOI from Vellore that his mother Kasthuri sustained severe injuries in the attack by the woman of the house, whose name Saudi authorities have withheld.
A video on a social networking site shows Kasthuri in tears as she recalls the brutal attack. "I pleaded with the lady not to harm me but she kicked me, punched me and cut off my arm," she said. "I want to go back home. Please help me.""
'via Blog this'
Officials with the Indian embassy in Riyadh took up the case with Saudi authorities at the highest level after learning that the employer of Kasthuri Munirathnam severed the maid's right arm after she complained to officials that the family she was working for ill-treated her.
Indian diplomats in Saudi Arabia told TOI on Thursday that the Al-Sahafa police in Riyadh initially investigated the case but, because of the heinous nature of the crime, handed over the probe to the General Intelligence Directorate (Al Mukhabarat Al A'amah), the foremost intelligence agency in the kingdom.
Kasthuri was in a critical condition but has stabilised and doctors are treating her in Kingdom Hospital in Riyadh.
Anil Nautiyal, first secretary (labour) at the Indian embassy in Riyadh, said the mission is pursuing the case with the Saudi Arabian ministry of foreign affairs.
Kasthuri's son Mohan told TOI from Vellore that his mother Kasthuri sustained severe injuries in the attack by the woman of the house, whose name Saudi authorities have withheld.
A video on a social networking site shows Kasthuri in tears as she recalls the brutal attack. "I pleaded with the lady not to harm me but she kicked me, punched me and cut off my arm," she said. "I want to go back home. Please help me.""
'via Blog this'
Man beheads wife; walks on road with her head - The Times of India
Man beheads wife; walks on road with her head - The Times of India: "PUNE: In a ghastly incident, a 60-year-old man was on Friday seen walking on the road in Pune with his wife's head after he allegedly beheaded her with an axe suspecting infidelity, police said.
The accused, Ramu Chavan, who works as a watchman in a housing society in Katraj area, was taken into custody by police after he was found casually strolling on a street holding the severed head in one hand and the axe in the other.
According to the police, Ramu killed his 45-year-old wife, Sonubai, after suspecting an illicit relationship between her and their son-in-law."
'via Blog this'
The accused, Ramu Chavan, who works as a watchman in a housing society in Katraj area, was taken into custody by police after he was found casually strolling on a street holding the severed head in one hand and the axe in the other.
According to the police, Ramu killed his 45-year-old wife, Sonubai, after suspecting an illicit relationship between her and their son-in-law."
'via Blog this'
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Could the Loonie Fall to $0.50 Versus the Dollar?
Could the Loonie Fall to $0.50 Versus the Dollar?: "The fall in the loonie's value has been precipitous and largely unexpected. After trading in parity with the dollar from 2010 to 2013, the loonie has been in a gradual free fall since 2014, now trading at only $0.77 to the U.S. dollar. Last week, it hit a decade low of only $0.74 per U.S. dollar.
What are the major causes of this? Should investors fear yet another steep drop in the loonie's value?"
'via Blog this'
What are the major causes of this? Should investors fear yet another steep drop in the loonie's value?"
'via Blog this'
Foreign investors avoid taxes by buying real estate in Canada - The Globe and Mail
Foreign investors avoid taxes by buying real estate in Canada - The Globe and Mail: "The Globe discovered one in three multimillion-dollar homes bought recently in Vancouver areas popular with foreign buyers is registered to a homemaker, student or corporation – one indicator of how the identity of the person who actually paid can be hidden.
When a spouse or child sells a property that is registered in their name, the real investor can avoid capital gains taxes – because the relative in Canada can claim it was their primary residence, therefore not an investment.
Other revealing data came from Statistics Canada, which tracks income that households report to the CRA.
In the Vancouver area of Dunbar, which realtors said is a top neighbourhood for Chinese clients, one in four of what Statscan calls “couple families” – excluding seniors – declared income of less than $35,000 in 2013. That puts them in the lowest tax bracket.
Given that the municipal property taxes on a $2-million to $3-million home are about $10,000, those reported income levels are questionable.
Land titles records on 250 houses bought in the past two years for more than $2-million in key Vancouver neighbourhoods indicate that 85 per cent of those new owners have Chinese names. There is no way to tell how many are Canadian. However, 2014 statistics from Macdonald Realty and ReMax show that 70 per cent of their clients were from mainland China.
The records list the occupations of non-corporate owners. The most frequent is “business person.” The next is “homemaker,” then “student.”
“When you sift through the information, you find that the wife [or student] has no income … there is no possible way they could afford to purchase the home,” Mr. Chodikoff said.
Several of the houses visited by The Globe appear to be unoccupied, with cobwebs at the front entrance and mail piled up.
One of the few owners who answered the door was a 25-year-old University of British Columbia science major who did not want to be identified. “My parents bought the house – for me to study here,” she said.
She is the registered owner of the $2-million home – but she said her parents live there too when they are not in China on business. “After I study, they will sell again.”
One of the more expensive homes bought last year – in Point Grey – is registered to a student who is not living there. It was bought for $4.8-million and has a stunning view of the mountains. It changed ownership three times in five years and is now empty.
The Globe found five out of 13 properties owned by students are empty and four are rented out, suggesting they were bought as investments.
A family friend picking up the mail at one house said the real owner is a business person in China who will not be in Canada for months. At another empty student-owned home, the backyard pool is filled with dirty water and garbage.
Many of the properties registered to homemakers are occupied. Several family members at those homes indicated the heads of the households are transferring wealth to Canada – because it is seen as a small, clean, inexpensive haven.
A homemaker listed as the owner of a $3.5-million house bought this year said her husband chose it “because it was good for our daughter’s [public] school to be nearby.”
She said she is staying in Vancouver – primarily so their children can get a Canadian education – while her husband travels back and forth.
She said the couple has permanent resident status in Canada, which benefits the family, but her husband earns good money in China from his food trading business.
A key question is whether foreign ownership actually is inflating the market while locals whose income tax dollars pay for roads and hospitals are squeezed out. If so, Canada would be losing affordable housing as well as much-needed provincial and federal tax revenue.
The data examined by The Globe suggest the foreign buyers have a significant, disproportionate impact on home prices."
'via Blog this'
When a spouse or child sells a property that is registered in their name, the real investor can avoid capital gains taxes – because the relative in Canada can claim it was their primary residence, therefore not an investment.
Other revealing data came from Statistics Canada, which tracks income that households report to the CRA.
In the Vancouver area of Dunbar, which realtors said is a top neighbourhood for Chinese clients, one in four of what Statscan calls “couple families” – excluding seniors – declared income of less than $35,000 in 2013. That puts them in the lowest tax bracket.
Given that the municipal property taxes on a $2-million to $3-million home are about $10,000, those reported income levels are questionable.
Land titles records on 250 houses bought in the past two years for more than $2-million in key Vancouver neighbourhoods indicate that 85 per cent of those new owners have Chinese names. There is no way to tell how many are Canadian. However, 2014 statistics from Macdonald Realty and ReMax show that 70 per cent of their clients were from mainland China.
The records list the occupations of non-corporate owners. The most frequent is “business person.” The next is “homemaker,” then “student.”
“When you sift through the information, you find that the wife [or student] has no income … there is no possible way they could afford to purchase the home,” Mr. Chodikoff said.
Several of the houses visited by The Globe appear to be unoccupied, with cobwebs at the front entrance and mail piled up.
One of the few owners who answered the door was a 25-year-old University of British Columbia science major who did not want to be identified. “My parents bought the house – for me to study here,” she said.
She is the registered owner of the $2-million home – but she said her parents live there too when they are not in China on business. “After I study, they will sell again.”
One of the more expensive homes bought last year – in Point Grey – is registered to a student who is not living there. It was bought for $4.8-million and has a stunning view of the mountains. It changed ownership three times in five years and is now empty.
The Globe found five out of 13 properties owned by students are empty and four are rented out, suggesting they were bought as investments.
A family friend picking up the mail at one house said the real owner is a business person in China who will not be in Canada for months. At another empty student-owned home, the backyard pool is filled with dirty water and garbage.
Many of the properties registered to homemakers are occupied. Several family members at those homes indicated the heads of the households are transferring wealth to Canada – because it is seen as a small, clean, inexpensive haven.
A homemaker listed as the owner of a $3.5-million house bought this year said her husband chose it “because it was good for our daughter’s [public] school to be nearby.”
She said she is staying in Vancouver – primarily so their children can get a Canadian education – while her husband travels back and forth.
She said the couple has permanent resident status in Canada, which benefits the family, but her husband earns good money in China from his food trading business.
A key question is whether foreign ownership actually is inflating the market while locals whose income tax dollars pay for roads and hospitals are squeezed out. If so, Canada would be losing affordable housing as well as much-needed provincial and federal tax revenue.
The data examined by The Globe suggest the foreign buyers have a significant, disproportionate impact on home prices."
'via Blog this'
6 of top 10 world cities keying in 'porn' are Indian - Times of India
6 of top 10 world cities keying in 'porn' are Indian - Times of India: "an or no ban, Indian cities account for the highest number of Google searches for porn.
The latest Google Trends data shows that six of the top ten cities in the world keying in 'porn' on the search engine are in India. Leading the brigade of porn surfers are netizens from New Delhi, followed by Pune, Mumbai, Howrah, Unnao, Kuala Lumpur and Bangalore in that order.
The data reflects both fetishes, and also perversion. Sociologists refuse to link online activity with offline behavior, and point out that key words used in Google searches are reflective of the continued curiosity around the three-letter word.
READ ALSO:
More women watching online porn in India
Since 2008, the most number of 'animal porn' searches were from Pune, followed by New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. 'Rape porn' is a widely searched term with Kolkata, Howrah, New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Pune accounting for the highest use of these keywords. Unnao, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, has most searches for 'child sex'."
'via Blog this'
The latest Google Trends data shows that six of the top ten cities in the world keying in 'porn' on the search engine are in India. Leading the brigade of porn surfers are netizens from New Delhi, followed by Pune, Mumbai, Howrah, Unnao, Kuala Lumpur and Bangalore in that order.
The data reflects both fetishes, and also perversion. Sociologists refuse to link online activity with offline behavior, and point out that key words used in Google searches are reflective of the continued curiosity around the three-letter word.
READ ALSO:
More women watching online porn in India
Since 2008, the most number of 'animal porn' searches were from Pune, followed by New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. 'Rape porn' is a widely searched term with Kolkata, Howrah, New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Pune accounting for the highest use of these keywords. Unnao, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, has most searches for 'child sex'."
'via Blog this'
Indian men’s lust fuelling violent cyber porn: CBI to SC - The Times of India
Indian men’s lust fuelling violent cyber porn: CBI to SC - The Times of India: "NEW DELHI: The CBI has said that it's difficult to curb violent cyber pornography because of the huge demand from India's "domineering male population" that has an "insatiable lust and penchant for salacious material, including violence against women."
The CBI added that India was vulnerable to frequent cyber-attacks by cross-border anti-national elements because of its "huge market potential". This huge demand makes internet and content providers continually move from one blocked website to another, making detection difficult, the investigating agency told the Supreme Court on Thursday.
READ ALSO: 6 of top 10 world cities keying in 'porn' are Indian
The agency made these statements in an affidavit urging the Supreme Court to make the CBI the only pan-India agency that will investigate cybersex offences and prosecute offenders. The agency bolstered its pitch by saying that because most of the offenders operate in foreign locations, the CBI, which has the "highest experience and expertise in pursuing trans-jurisdictional investigations", is the best agency to investigate cybersex crimes.
The agency suggested that like in the US, an officer from the CBI be posted with internet service providers/social networking sites to facilitate and expedite the prevention, detection and prosecution of such crimes. CBI officers with specialized training in cyber crime, should be posted with Google, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, Hike, Bing (Microsoft), Yahoo and other popular sites," it told the SC. In the US, FBI officers are posted at large internet firms to help speed up requests for data and for the protection and transfer of evidence for investigation and prosecution.
READ ALSO: Govt rethinks porn ban order, may block only sites related to child porn
Violent and sexually explicit material depicting women and children in demeaning ways are crimes against the nation that need to be handled by a centralized mechanism, particularly the CBI, the agency said.
"Rape and gang rape represent the oldest and longest continuing instances of a criminal man's inhumanity on woman. Committing such abhorrent crimes, recording them and disseminating them across the world through internet-enabled media serve to titillate and indirectly embolden other males to commit such heinous crimes. These not only add to the misery of existing victims but also endanger and threaten the safety of other innocent women and children," the CBI's affidavit said. "
'via Blog this'
The CBI added that India was vulnerable to frequent cyber-attacks by cross-border anti-national elements because of its "huge market potential". This huge demand makes internet and content providers continually move from one blocked website to another, making detection difficult, the investigating agency told the Supreme Court on Thursday.
READ ALSO: 6 of top 10 world cities keying in 'porn' are Indian
The agency made these statements in an affidavit urging the Supreme Court to make the CBI the only pan-India agency that will investigate cybersex offences and prosecute offenders. The agency bolstered its pitch by saying that because most of the offenders operate in foreign locations, the CBI, which has the "highest experience and expertise in pursuing trans-jurisdictional investigations", is the best agency to investigate cybersex crimes.
The agency suggested that like in the US, an officer from the CBI be posted with internet service providers/social networking sites to facilitate and expedite the prevention, detection and prosecution of such crimes. CBI officers with specialized training in cyber crime, should be posted with Google, YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, Hike, Bing (Microsoft), Yahoo and other popular sites," it told the SC. In the US, FBI officers are posted at large internet firms to help speed up requests for data and for the protection and transfer of evidence for investigation and prosecution.
READ ALSO: Govt rethinks porn ban order, may block only sites related to child porn
Violent and sexually explicit material depicting women and children in demeaning ways are crimes against the nation that need to be handled by a centralized mechanism, particularly the CBI, the agency said.
"Rape and gang rape represent the oldest and longest continuing instances of a criminal man's inhumanity on woman. Committing such abhorrent crimes, recording them and disseminating them across the world through internet-enabled media serve to titillate and indirectly embolden other males to commit such heinous crimes. These not only add to the misery of existing victims but also endanger and threaten the safety of other innocent women and children," the CBI's affidavit said. "
'via Blog this'
China Capital Outflows Hit Record in August on Yuan Weakness - Bloomberg Business
China Capital Outflows Hit Record in August on Yuan Weakness - Bloomberg Business: "Money is leaving China faster than ever, according to a Bloomberg gauge tracking capital flows.
An estimated $141.66 billion left China in August, exceeding the previous record of $124.62 billion in July, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
The gauge of so-called “hot money” is an estimate of the sum of foreign exchange purchases by banks and the change in foreign exchange deposits to measure flows into and out of the country. The monthly trade and direct investment balances are netted out for an estimate of portfolio flows. An exporter choosing to keep foreign earnings offshore would show as a capital outflow.
The capital flight came as the People’s Bank of China shocked global markets by devaluing the yuan Aug. 11, triggering a worldwide drop in commodities, equities and emerging-market currencies."
'via Blog this'
An estimated $141.66 billion left China in August, exceeding the previous record of $124.62 billion in July, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
The gauge of so-called “hot money” is an estimate of the sum of foreign exchange purchases by banks and the change in foreign exchange deposits to measure flows into and out of the country. The monthly trade and direct investment balances are netted out for an estimate of portfolio flows. An exporter choosing to keep foreign earnings offshore would show as a capital outflow.
The capital flight came as the People’s Bank of China shocked global markets by devaluing the yuan Aug. 11, triggering a worldwide drop in commodities, equities and emerging-market currencies."
'via Blog this'
Once the Biggest Buyer, China Starts Dumping U.S. Government Debt - WSJ
Once the Biggest Buyer, China Starts Dumping U.S. Government Debt - WSJ: "Oct. 7, 2015 1:34 a.m. ET
Central banks around the world are selling U.S. government bonds at the fastest pace on record, the most dramatic shift in the $12.8 trillion Treasury market since the financial crisis."
'via Blog this'
Central banks around the world are selling U.S. government bonds at the fastest pace on record, the most dramatic shift in the $12.8 trillion Treasury market since the financial crisis."
'via Blog this'
China foreign exchange reserves fall $43.3B in September - Yahoo Finance
China foreign exchange reserves fall $43.3B in September - Yahoo Finance: "Central bank data show that the reserves fell by $43.3 billion in September after declining a record $93.9 billion the previous month.
That still leaves China with the world's biggest hoard of foreign currency reserves, at $3.514 trillion.
Beijing's shock move to devalue the tightly controlled yuan by more than 2 percent on Aug. 11 roiled global financial markets and fueled bets by currency traders that it would fall further.
The central bank responded by selling off dollars to ease downward pressure on the exchange rate."
'via Blog this'
That still leaves China with the world's biggest hoard of foreign currency reserves, at $3.514 trillion.
Beijing's shock move to devalue the tightly controlled yuan by more than 2 percent on Aug. 11 roiled global financial markets and fueled bets by currency traders that it would fall further.
The central bank responded by selling off dollars to ease downward pressure on the exchange rate."
'via Blog this'
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
China to build four submarines in Pakistan - The Times of India
China to build four submarines in Pakistan - The Times of India: "ISLAMABAD: China will build in Karachi four of the eight submarines that it is selling to Pakistan, a minister said.
The deal for the submarines has been finalized and four of them would be built here, minister for defence production Rana Tanveer Hussain said on Tuesday.
Construction of the submarines would simultaneously begin in Pakistan and China, Dawn quoted him as saying.
Hussain did not specify when the construction would begin, but said it would start soon.
Pakistan Navy has been pursuing different options for expanding its submarine fleet. Naval officials say more submarines were needed to address force imbalance with India, which too is increasing and modernising its fleet of submarines. "
'via Blog this'
The deal for the submarines has been finalized and four of them would be built here, minister for defence production Rana Tanveer Hussain said on Tuesday.
Construction of the submarines would simultaneously begin in Pakistan and China, Dawn quoted him as saying.
Hussain did not specify when the construction would begin, but said it would start soon.
Pakistan Navy has been pursuing different options for expanding its submarine fleet. Naval officials say more submarines were needed to address force imbalance with India, which too is increasing and modernising its fleet of submarines. "
'via Blog this'
Panic grips tourists in China after glass bridge on mountain cracks - The Times of India
Panic grips tourists in China after glass bridge on mountain cracks - The Times of India: "BEIJING: A big throng of thrill-seeking tourists had a fright of their life when a new glass bridge built on the cliff of a 3,450-feet high mountain in China cracked setting off panic among the crowd.
Hundreds of tourists flocked to the recently built glass bridge at the Yuntai Mountain walkway in China's Henan province which developed cracks under the weight of huge crowd on Monday.
Millions of Chinese visit all over country during week long National Day holiday which ended today.
The Yuntaishan glass bridge developed a crack yesterday, causing panic among the holidaymakers who visited the bridge for a thrill.
"I heard a crack from under... Everybody was screaming. I cried, 'It's really cracked! It's really cracked!' And pushed the people in front of me to get away," a post on Chinese microblog Sina Weibo said.
An official of the Yuntaishan resort confirmed to state-run People's Daily that the path had indeed been broken and that it has been closed for the time being.
Tourists were evacuated from the scene.
The official said one of the layers of the glass path broke because of a heavy thermos which was dropped by a visitor.
The glass path was originally just opened on September 20, 2015.
Constructed along a U-shaped cliff, it is 68 meters in length and overlooks a thousand-meter mountain.
The glass is said to be able to carry up to 800 kilograms per square meter.
The walkway is suspended at a height of about 1,080 meters. "
'via Blog this'
Hundreds of tourists flocked to the recently built glass bridge at the Yuntai Mountain walkway in China's Henan province which developed cracks under the weight of huge crowd on Monday.
Millions of Chinese visit all over country during week long National Day holiday which ended today.
The Yuntaishan glass bridge developed a crack yesterday, causing panic among the holidaymakers who visited the bridge for a thrill.
"I heard a crack from under... Everybody was screaming. I cried, 'It's really cracked! It's really cracked!' And pushed the people in front of me to get away," a post on Chinese microblog Sina Weibo said.
An official of the Yuntaishan resort confirmed to state-run People's Daily that the path had indeed been broken and that it has been closed for the time being.
Tourists were evacuated from the scene.
The official said one of the layers of the glass path broke because of a heavy thermos which was dropped by a visitor.
The glass path was originally just opened on September 20, 2015.
Constructed along a U-shaped cliff, it is 68 meters in length and overlooks a thousand-meter mountain.
The glass is said to be able to carry up to 800 kilograms per square meter.
The walkway is suspended at a height of about 1,080 meters. "
'via Blog this'
Chinese money flows into US housing - Yahoo Finance
Chinese money flows into US housing - Yahoo Finance: "From sunny suburban developments in Irvine, California, to shiny new condominium towers overlooking Manhattan's skyline, Chinese buyers are sinking cash into U.S. residential real estate. Chinese are now the top foreign buyers of domestic properties, according to the National Association of Realtors, and nearly half of them are paying cash, according to RealtyTrac, a real estate sales and analytics company.
Forty-six percent of Chinese buyers paid cash for their U.S. homes so far in 2015, up 229 percent from a decade ago. Compare that to a 33 percent cash share for buyers overall, up 65 percent from a decade ago.
"Cash buyers across the board are playing a much bigger role in the housing market now than they were 10 years ago, and that is particularly true for Chinese Mandarin-speaking cash buyers, who are more likely to be foreign nationals," said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. "Foreign cash buyers have helped to accelerate U.S. home price appreciation over the past few years given that these buyers are often not as constrained by income as local, traditionally financed buyers."
Read More Will Chinese buyers flee or flood US housing?
Recent instability in China's economy and stock market has driven even more buyers to the U.S. — so much so that Long & Foster, a Virginia-based real estate agency, recently began working with Juwai, a China-based real estate listing site.
"We're seeing demand from Chinese buyers with children of all ages — some as young as 1 year old — and they're relying on our team for insight into the local areas and their educational offerings, from elementary to university level," said Pandra Richie, president of Long & Foster's corporate real estate services. "Access to quality education is one of the top priorities for Chinese buyers, and from Philadelphia to Richmond, our market areas offer some of the best school districts and universities."
Asian buyers accounted for 35 percent of all international purchases of U.S. real estate for the 12-month period ended in March 2015, spending more than $28 billion. They have been very active in high-end markets, especially in California and New York City.
Read More Chinese love US housing so much, now they're building it
Kathy Sloane, a real estate agent with Brown Harris Stevens in Manhattan, recently returned from a real estate conference in China.
"Many Chinese signed up to come. Many New York developers signed up to find out what these Chinese buyers wanted," said Sloane. "The Chinese buyer that was there, often brought their children. They are affluent. They want to know how to get their children into school and how to get health care for their parents. It's a package."
Some want trophy apartments in New York, but certainly not all. There is an appetite for everything. They do tend to like new construction, as is evidenced in Irvine, California, where homebuilders are selling and even designing for Chinese buyers.
Read More Chinese buying up California housing
"These people are not about flight capital. They are about changing their lives and moving out of China for a variety of reasons," added Sloane.
Education, health care and the promise of price appreciation are all enticing to Chinese buyers. While demand has been on the higher end until now, it is likely that more affordable markets like the mid-Atlantic will start to see increased demand. Cash is a distinct advantage in today's tight housing market, and clearly Chinese buyers know that."
'via Blog this'
Forty-six percent of Chinese buyers paid cash for their U.S. homes so far in 2015, up 229 percent from a decade ago. Compare that to a 33 percent cash share for buyers overall, up 65 percent from a decade ago.
"Cash buyers across the board are playing a much bigger role in the housing market now than they were 10 years ago, and that is particularly true for Chinese Mandarin-speaking cash buyers, who are more likely to be foreign nationals," said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. "Foreign cash buyers have helped to accelerate U.S. home price appreciation over the past few years given that these buyers are often not as constrained by income as local, traditionally financed buyers."
Read More Will Chinese buyers flee or flood US housing?
Recent instability in China's economy and stock market has driven even more buyers to the U.S. — so much so that Long & Foster, a Virginia-based real estate agency, recently began working with Juwai, a China-based real estate listing site.
"We're seeing demand from Chinese buyers with children of all ages — some as young as 1 year old — and they're relying on our team for insight into the local areas and their educational offerings, from elementary to university level," said Pandra Richie, president of Long & Foster's corporate real estate services. "Access to quality education is one of the top priorities for Chinese buyers, and from Philadelphia to Richmond, our market areas offer some of the best school districts and universities."
Asian buyers accounted for 35 percent of all international purchases of U.S. real estate for the 12-month period ended in March 2015, spending more than $28 billion. They have been very active in high-end markets, especially in California and New York City.
Read More Chinese love US housing so much, now they're building it
Kathy Sloane, a real estate agent with Brown Harris Stevens in Manhattan, recently returned from a real estate conference in China.
"Many Chinese signed up to come. Many New York developers signed up to find out what these Chinese buyers wanted," said Sloane. "The Chinese buyer that was there, often brought their children. They are affluent. They want to know how to get their children into school and how to get health care for their parents. It's a package."
Some want trophy apartments in New York, but certainly not all. There is an appetite for everything. They do tend to like new construction, as is evidenced in Irvine, California, where homebuilders are selling and even designing for Chinese buyers.
Read More Chinese buying up California housing
"These people are not about flight capital. They are about changing their lives and moving out of China for a variety of reasons," added Sloane.
Education, health care and the promise of price appreciation are all enticing to Chinese buyers. While demand has been on the higher end until now, it is likely that more affordable markets like the mid-Atlantic will start to see increased demand. Cash is a distinct advantage in today's tight housing market, and clearly Chinese buyers know that."
'via Blog this'
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Most Americans have less than $1,000 in savings - MarketWatch
Most Americans have less than $1,000 in savings - MarketWatch: "Approximately 62% of Americans have less than $1,000 in their savings accounts and 21% don’t even have a savings account, according to a new survey of more than 5,000 adults conducted this month by Google Consumer Survey for personal finance website GOBankingRates.com. “It’s worrisome that such a large percentage of Americans have so little set aside in a savings account,” says Cameron Huddleston, a personal finance analyst for the site. “They likely don’t have cash reserves to cover an emergency and will have to rely on credit, friends and family, or even their retirement accounts to cover unexpected expenses.”
This is supported by a similar survey of 1,000 adults carried out earlier this year by personal finance site Bankrate.com, which also found that 62% of Americans have no emergency savings for things such as a $1,000 emergency room visit or a $500 car repair. Faced with an emergency, they say they would raise the money by reducing spending elsewhere (26%), borrowing from family and/or friends (16%) or using credit cards (12%). And among those who had savings prior to 2008, 57% said they’d used some or all of their savings in the Great Recession, according to a U.S. Federal Reserve survey of over 4,000 adults released last year. "
'via Blog this'
This is supported by a similar survey of 1,000 adults carried out earlier this year by personal finance site Bankrate.com, which also found that 62% of Americans have no emergency savings for things such as a $1,000 emergency room visit or a $500 car repair. Faced with an emergency, they say they would raise the money by reducing spending elsewhere (26%), borrowing from family and/or friends (16%) or using credit cards (12%). And among those who had savings prior to 2008, 57% said they’d used some or all of their savings in the Great Recession, according to a U.S. Federal Reserve survey of over 4,000 adults released last year. "
'via Blog this'
Toys ‘R’ Us Brings Temporary Foreign Workers to U.S. to Move Jobs Overseas - The New York Times
Toys ‘R’ Us Brings Temporary Foreign Workers to U.S. to Move Jobs Overseas - The New York Times: "In most cases when American workers lost jobs, the positions have been in technology, with employers arguing there are shortages of Americans with the most advanced skills. But in recent years, many jobs that American workers lost have been in accounting and back-office administration — although there is no shortage of Americans qualified to do that kind of work.
The core purpose of the temporary work visas is to help American companies compete in the global economy. “If employers are able to hire the key people, they can keep jobs in the U.S. and create new jobs here,” said Lynn Shotwell, executive director of the Council for Global Immigration, which lobbies Congress for more visas for highly skilled foreign workers.
Outsourcing firms, and the companies hiring them, say they are careful not to violate any laws. But some experts argue the intent of the visas is being thwarted.
“At the very least, those are violations of the spirit of the law,” said Christine Brigagliano, a lawyer in San Francisco with extensive experience advising American companies on obtaining visas. “Those contractors are signing on the bottom line, saying we will not undercut the wages and working conditions of Americans. But, in fact, they are.”
The companies see it differently.
Kathleen Waugh, a spokeswoman for Toys “R” Us, said the staff reduction there was part of “designing a streamlined, more efficient global organization to make it fit for growth.” She said the contractors were required to comply with “any and all immigration laws.” The outsourcing, she noted, “resulted in significant cost savings.”
William Werfelman, a vice president and spokesman at New York Life, said the outsourcing was part of a transformation of its technology systems that would soon result in more jobs in the United States. “Our decisions are centered on keeping the company competitive, keeping it in the United States, keeping it growing,” he said.
The federal government does not track how often American workers are displaced by workers with temporary visas, but this year, employees at a variety of companies report losing jobs to foreign workers. For example, at Cengage Learning, an educational publisher, about 30 accountants in Ohio and Kentucky were laid off on Sept. 11, after they spent five months training Indian workers from Cognizant, another outsourcing giant. The temporary workers and the jobs went back to India.
A Cengage spokeswoman, Susan M. Aspey, said the company needed to install higher-grade accounting systems. “To do this quickly and efficiently,” she said, Cengage sought support from Cognizant. Employees who were laid off were given “fair severance packages commensurate with their years of service,” she said.
Temporary H-1B visas are limited to 85,000 each year. In the last five years, federal records show, most of the companies that received the largest share of H-1B visas have been global outsourcing firms, including TCS; Infosys, another large Indian company; Cognizant, which is based in the United States; and Accenture, a consulting operation incorporated in Ireland."
'via Blog this'
The core purpose of the temporary work visas is to help American companies compete in the global economy. “If employers are able to hire the key people, they can keep jobs in the U.S. and create new jobs here,” said Lynn Shotwell, executive director of the Council for Global Immigration, which lobbies Congress for more visas for highly skilled foreign workers.
Outsourcing firms, and the companies hiring them, say they are careful not to violate any laws. But some experts argue the intent of the visas is being thwarted.
“At the very least, those are violations of the spirit of the law,” said Christine Brigagliano, a lawyer in San Francisco with extensive experience advising American companies on obtaining visas. “Those contractors are signing on the bottom line, saying we will not undercut the wages and working conditions of Americans. But, in fact, they are.”
The companies see it differently.
Kathleen Waugh, a spokeswoman for Toys “R” Us, said the staff reduction there was part of “designing a streamlined, more efficient global organization to make it fit for growth.” She said the contractors were required to comply with “any and all immigration laws.” The outsourcing, she noted, “resulted in significant cost savings.”
William Werfelman, a vice president and spokesman at New York Life, said the outsourcing was part of a transformation of its technology systems that would soon result in more jobs in the United States. “Our decisions are centered on keeping the company competitive, keeping it in the United States, keeping it growing,” he said.
The federal government does not track how often American workers are displaced by workers with temporary visas, but this year, employees at a variety of companies report losing jobs to foreign workers. For example, at Cengage Learning, an educational publisher, about 30 accountants in Ohio and Kentucky were laid off on Sept. 11, after they spent five months training Indian workers from Cognizant, another outsourcing giant. The temporary workers and the jobs went back to India.
A Cengage spokeswoman, Susan M. Aspey, said the company needed to install higher-grade accounting systems. “To do this quickly and efficiently,” she said, Cengage sought support from Cognizant. Employees who were laid off were given “fair severance packages commensurate with their years of service,” she said.
Temporary H-1B visas are limited to 85,000 each year. In the last five years, federal records show, most of the companies that received the largest share of H-1B visas have been global outsourcing firms, including TCS; Infosys, another large Indian company; Cognizant, which is based in the United States; and Accenture, a consulting operation incorporated in Ireland."
'via Blog this'
Student debt has bred a new phenomenon - Business Insider
Student debt has bred a new phenomenon - Business Insider: "America's crushing surge of student debt, now at $1.2 trillion, has bred a disturbing new phenomenon. School loans that span multiple generations within families. Weighed down by their own loans, many parents lack the means to fund their children's educations without sinking even deeper into debt.
Data analyzed exclusively by the AP, along with surveys about families and rising student-debt loads, show that:
• School loans increasingly belong to Americans over 40. This group accounts for 35% of education debt, up from 25% in 2004, according to the New York Federal Reserve. Contributing to this surge are longer repayment schedules, more midcareer workers returning to school, and additional borrowing for children's education.
• Generation X adults — those 35 to 50 — owe about as much as people fresh out of college do. Student-loan balances average $20,000 for Generation X. Millennials, 34 and younger, have roughly the same average debt, according to a report by Pew Charitable Trusts.
• Gen X parents who carry student debt and have teenage children have struggled to save for their children's educations. The average they have in college savings plans is just $4,000, compared with a $20,000 average for teenagers' parents who aren't still repaying their own school loans, Pew found. A result is that many of their children will need to borrow heavily for college or pursue cheaper alternatives, thereby perpetuating a cycle of family debt.
• Student debt is surpassing groceries as a primary expense for many borrowers, with the gap widening most for younger families. The average college-educated head of the household under 40 owes $404 a month in student debt payments, according to an AP analysis of Fed data. That's slightly more than what the government says the average college-educated family spends at the supermarket."
'via Blog this'
Data analyzed exclusively by the AP, along with surveys about families and rising student-debt loads, show that:
• School loans increasingly belong to Americans over 40. This group accounts for 35% of education debt, up from 25% in 2004, according to the New York Federal Reserve. Contributing to this surge are longer repayment schedules, more midcareer workers returning to school, and additional borrowing for children's education.
• Generation X adults — those 35 to 50 — owe about as much as people fresh out of college do. Student-loan balances average $20,000 for Generation X. Millennials, 34 and younger, have roughly the same average debt, according to a report by Pew Charitable Trusts.
• Gen X parents who carry student debt and have teenage children have struggled to save for their children's educations. The average they have in college savings plans is just $4,000, compared with a $20,000 average for teenagers' parents who aren't still repaying their own school loans, Pew found. A result is that many of their children will need to borrow heavily for college or pursue cheaper alternatives, thereby perpetuating a cycle of family debt.
• Student debt is surpassing groceries as a primary expense for many borrowers, with the gap widening most for younger families. The average college-educated head of the household under 40 owes $404 a month in student debt payments, according to an AP analysis of Fed data. That's slightly more than what the government says the average college-educated family spends at the supermarket."
'via Blog this'
Monday, October 5, 2015
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Suspect in China's serial parcel bomb blasts killed: Report - The Times of India
Suspect in China's serial parcel bomb blasts killed: Report - The Times of India: "Reports said 10 persons were killed and 51 others injured in 18 explosions that struck within two days in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and destroyed several buildings.
Yesterday, official media reports had said Wei was arrested. Wei reportedly hired vendors to deliver parcel bombs which exploded when opened.
The ministry of public security said it was treating the explosions in the city as criminal acts, and ruled out terrorism as a motive, China Daily reported. "
'via Blog this'
Yesterday, official media reports had said Wei was arrested. Wei reportedly hired vendors to deliver parcel bombs which exploded when opened.
The ministry of public security said it was treating the explosions in the city as criminal acts, and ruled out terrorism as a motive, China Daily reported. "
'via Blog this'
A beef-eating Hindu demands his rights - TOI Blogs
A beef-eating Hindu demands his rights - TOI Blogs: "In ancient times, neither untouchables nor tribals were regarded as Hindus. Early 19th century censuses did not count dalits and tribals as Hindus. But modern Hinduism claims as its own these two groups whom it cruelly reviled and oppressed through the ages. I am all for the change. But that change must allow for the fact that Dalits and tribals have always eaten beef."
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A beef-eating Hindu demands his rights - TOI Blogs
A beef-eating Hindu demands his rights - TOI Blogs: "The claim that all Hindus oppose cow slaughter is false. Yes, there is a strong upper-caste tradition today against beef, but Dalits and tribals have always eaten beef. “Beef is one of the most affordable sources of protein for the Dalit community,” says Mohan Dharavath, president, Dalit Adivasi Bahujan and Minority Students’ Association.
Ancient Hindu scriptures establish beyond doubt that even upper-caste Hindus and great rishis ate beef in days of yore. For a quick primer, read Nirad Chaudhuri’s ‘The Continent of Circe’. He says, “Love of cows in the Vedas goes with every possible economic use of cattle, including, of course, their slaughter for food”. There was a long debate, says Chaudhuri, between opponents and defenders of cow slaughter. The two ideas co-existed, very much like the debate today about vegetarianism. The Mahabharata mentions, “without thinking it necessary to add any excuse, that a very hospitable king used to have 20,100 cattle slaughtered every day for his guests.” On the other hand, another story tells of a king who has slaughtered a cow to entertain a sage, an act that is criticized as sinful by another sage."
'via Blog this'
Ancient Hindu scriptures establish beyond doubt that even upper-caste Hindus and great rishis ate beef in days of yore. For a quick primer, read Nirad Chaudhuri’s ‘The Continent of Circe’. He says, “Love of cows in the Vedas goes with every possible economic use of cattle, including, of course, their slaughter for food”. There was a long debate, says Chaudhuri, between opponents and defenders of cow slaughter. The two ideas co-existed, very much like the debate today about vegetarianism. The Mahabharata mentions, “without thinking it necessary to add any excuse, that a very hospitable king used to have 20,100 cattle slaughtered every day for his guests.” On the other hand, another story tells of a king who has slaughtered a cow to entertain a sage, an act that is criticized as sinful by another sage."
'via Blog this'
Mosque raided after Australia 'terrorism-linked' shooting - The Times of India
Mosque raided after Australia 'terrorism-linked' shooting - The Times of India: "SYDNEY: An Australian mosque reportedly visited by a 15-year-old boy before he shot dead a civilian police employee in an "act of terrorism" has been raided, police said on Sunday, as authorities boosted efforts to tackle youth radicalisation.
New South Wales state police said the mosque in Parramatta in western Sydney -- close to the scene of the double shooting on Friday afternoon -- was raided with the consent of religious leaders.
"NSW Police on Saturday executed a warrant at a mosque in Parramatta," police said in a statement.
"The warrant was undertaken by arrangement with leadership at the mosque who provided full assistance to police at all times."
The 15-year-old gunman, who killed finance worker Curtis Cheng at close range outside the police force's headquarters before he was shot dead by officers, visited the mosque before the shooting, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "
'via Blog this'
New South Wales state police said the mosque in Parramatta in western Sydney -- close to the scene of the double shooting on Friday afternoon -- was raided with the consent of religious leaders.
"NSW Police on Saturday executed a warrant at a mosque in Parramatta," police said in a statement.
"The warrant was undertaken by arrangement with leadership at the mosque who provided full assistance to police at all times."
The 15-year-old gunman, who killed finance worker Curtis Cheng at close range outside the police force's headquarters before he was shot dead by officers, visited the mosque before the shooting, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "
'via Blog this'
13 dead after heavy flooding in French riviera - The Times of India
13 dead after heavy flooding in French riviera - The Times of India: "NICE: Violent storms and flooding along the French riviera killed 13 people by early Sunday, emergency responders and local officials said, including three who drowned in a retirement home inundated when a river broke its banks.
Five others are believed to have died as they sought to park their cars under shelter, according to local authorities, while emergency responders said three others drowned in their car when it became stuck inside a tunnel.
Heavy flooding along the Cote d'Azur, in France's southeast, saw the River Brague burst its banks close to the city of Antibes and sent deadly waves crashing into the nearby home for the elderly.
A woman in her sixties also died on the street in the resort city of Cannes when huge storms hit the region on Saturday night, sending water and debris coursing down submerged roads in the famous festival town and in its glamorous neighbour, Nice.
Another victim was found dead at an Antibes campsite, according to local officials. "
'via Blog this'
Five others are believed to have died as they sought to park their cars under shelter, according to local authorities, while emergency responders said three others drowned in their car when it became stuck inside a tunnel.
Heavy flooding along the Cote d'Azur, in France's southeast, saw the River Brague burst its banks close to the city of Antibes and sent deadly waves crashing into the nearby home for the elderly.
A woman in her sixties also died on the street in the resort city of Cannes when huge storms hit the region on Saturday night, sending water and debris coursing down submerged roads in the famous festival town and in its glamorous neighbour, Nice.
Another victim was found dead at an Antibes campsite, according to local officials. "
'via Blog this'
US leads the world in mass shootings: Study - The Times of India
US leads the world in mass shootings: Study - The Times of India: "WASHINGTON: When it comes to gun massacres, there are more public mass shootings in the United States than in any other country in the world, according to a new study.
Between 1966 and 2012, there were 90 mass shootings in the United States, where there is nearly one firearm for every American.
The 90 mass shootings in the country are nearly a third of the 292 such attacks globally for that period. While the US has five per cent of the world's population, it had 31 per cent of all public mass shootings."
'via Blog this'
Between 1966 and 2012, there were 90 mass shootings in the United States, where there is nearly one firearm for every American.
The 90 mass shootings in the country are nearly a third of the 292 such attacks globally for that period. While the US has five per cent of the world's population, it had 31 per cent of all public mass shootings."
'via Blog this'
Gunman kills 10 in Oregon college; 45th US school shooting of 2015 - The Times of India
Gunman kills 10 in Oregon college; 45th US school shooting of 2015 - The Times of India: "A gunman opened fire on Thursday at a community college in Oregon, killing 10 people and wounding some 20 others before he was shot to death by police, state and county officials said. This was the 45th incident of shooting to rock a US school this year."
'via Blog this'
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Saturday, October 3, 2015
Business Standard-Shekhar Gupta: Mainstreaming the Lynch-Fringe
Business Standard-<b>Shekhar Gupta:</b> Mainstreaming the Lynch-Fringe: "This implies that if he had indeed eaten beef, and if the mob had clear evidence, retribution would be fair. The point should have been, so what even if he had eaten beef? It isn’t illegal in Uttar Pradesh (cow slaughter is illegal), and where it is, there are stern laws to deal with offenders.
Let’s join the dots. A temple loudspeaker was used for the priest to allegedly rally the (Hindu) faithful to come out seeking retribution. The local MP and Central culture minister was as qualified in his condemnation as Tarun Vijay, as were other BJP leaders. There is a clear, well-thought-out response to such incidents, whether it is the thrashing of dating couples in Mangalore, assassination of rationalists in Maharashtra and Karnataka, or criminally provocative statements, ranging from “Ramzade vs Haramzade” to “in spite of being a Muslim” and “go to Pakistan”. Read this then also with the go-slow on the terror cases allegedly involving radical Hindus. If Abhinav Bharat was indeed a minor rogue fringe group, why is it being protected now as if it were a victim?
The reason I call Dadri a landmark turning point in our politics isn’t just because it was probably the first time since the Partition riots that a temple loudspeaker was used to rouse a mob, though this was significant in itself, as temples calling the faithful isn’t even a Hindu tradition. The more important factor is the relatively muted response of the self-styled secular forces. Top leaders of the Congress haven’t even taken a padyatra or fact-finding mission to the village, just a 40-minute drive from Delhi. Lalu, Nitish, Mamata, all claimants to the secular vote, are afraid of messing with an issue involving the cow. Holiness of the cow has now become as multi-partisan an issue as hostility to Pakistan. In March this year, the predominantly Hindu state of Haryana, with no history of cow slaughter and which already had a cow-protection law, passed a new, heavily worded Gauvansh Sanrakshan (cow protection) and Gausamvardhan (cow propagation) Act.
First of all, it shifted the goal-post from banning cow-slaughter to propagating the cow, thereby giving an animal not just holy but statutory status in our governance. Second, it extended the law to eating even imported, canned beef, banned export of cows outside the state “for slaughter” (who is to establish that?), raised jail to 10 years and then, drawing from the draconian new rape law, put the onus on the accused to prove his innocence. Mercifully, a cow’s statement is not to be admissible. Further absurdity: it lays down that the state will set up a network of laboratories to check samples of meat seized. Check the full text of the law in case you think I may be exaggerating. Now I am waiting for a policeman to raid a top Japanese or Korean MNC executive living in Gurgaon and send cuts of meat from his fridge to these labs. Please do not laugh, because such things do happen. You will have a first-rate diplomatic crisis and global headlines Mr Modi wouldn’t want.
The important thing here, again, is that the law, with all its absurdities, was passed unanimously. Congress MLAs voted for it, and their seniormost leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda congratulated the chief minister. Hindutva groups have discovered cow politics has no opposition. Most stunning is the response of the Mulayam-Akhilesh government. Their police sent the meat for testing, and I don’t know where, because neighbouring Haryana’s labs are not yet built. You want to figure out the species of animal meat in a country where forensic services are so poor Sunanda Tharoor’s viscera samples had to be sent to America almost two years after her death!
This takes me back to a 43-degree afternoon in late April, 2007, at Village Dhampur outside Bijnor in Western Uttar Pradesh, and very much a part of the same communally sensitive arc that includes Dadri and Muzaffarnagar. State Assembly elections were on. Ashok Katariya, a relatively junior activist of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha, was playing the crowd-warmer. He talked about Hindu women being insecure, ISI cells active, national security imperilled because the percentage of Muslims was up to 41 per cent in the district. Then he shifted to meat-eating.
“Now they can eat dogs, cats, horses, camels, elephants, snakes and anything god and nature may have created,” he said, pouring disdain. “But they should refrain from eating beef, because cow is our mother. And if somebody slaughters a cow, we will slaughter that ba….d.” Rajnath Singh, who had by now arrived, was shaking his head in some disapproval, though he later played it down to us, saying, “Jawan khoon hai, garam ho jata hai (blood of the youth, boils over sometimes).” I hope he will disapprove of what happened even this week. Katariya is one of the vice-presidents of the state BJP now, along with Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti."
'via Blog this'
Let’s join the dots. A temple loudspeaker was used for the priest to allegedly rally the (Hindu) faithful to come out seeking retribution. The local MP and Central culture minister was as qualified in his condemnation as Tarun Vijay, as were other BJP leaders. There is a clear, well-thought-out response to such incidents, whether it is the thrashing of dating couples in Mangalore, assassination of rationalists in Maharashtra and Karnataka, or criminally provocative statements, ranging from “Ramzade vs Haramzade” to “in spite of being a Muslim” and “go to Pakistan”. Read this then also with the go-slow on the terror cases allegedly involving radical Hindus. If Abhinav Bharat was indeed a minor rogue fringe group, why is it being protected now as if it were a victim?
The reason I call Dadri a landmark turning point in our politics isn’t just because it was probably the first time since the Partition riots that a temple loudspeaker was used to rouse a mob, though this was significant in itself, as temples calling the faithful isn’t even a Hindu tradition. The more important factor is the relatively muted response of the self-styled secular forces. Top leaders of the Congress haven’t even taken a padyatra or fact-finding mission to the village, just a 40-minute drive from Delhi. Lalu, Nitish, Mamata, all claimants to the secular vote, are afraid of messing with an issue involving the cow. Holiness of the cow has now become as multi-partisan an issue as hostility to Pakistan. In March this year, the predominantly Hindu state of Haryana, with no history of cow slaughter and which already had a cow-protection law, passed a new, heavily worded Gauvansh Sanrakshan (cow protection) and Gausamvardhan (cow propagation) Act.
First of all, it shifted the goal-post from banning cow-slaughter to propagating the cow, thereby giving an animal not just holy but statutory status in our governance. Second, it extended the law to eating even imported, canned beef, banned export of cows outside the state “for slaughter” (who is to establish that?), raised jail to 10 years and then, drawing from the draconian new rape law, put the onus on the accused to prove his innocence. Mercifully, a cow’s statement is not to be admissible. Further absurdity: it lays down that the state will set up a network of laboratories to check samples of meat seized. Check the full text of the law in case you think I may be exaggerating. Now I am waiting for a policeman to raid a top Japanese or Korean MNC executive living in Gurgaon and send cuts of meat from his fridge to these labs. Please do not laugh, because such things do happen. You will have a first-rate diplomatic crisis and global headlines Mr Modi wouldn’t want.
The important thing here, again, is that the law, with all its absurdities, was passed unanimously. Congress MLAs voted for it, and their seniormost leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda congratulated the chief minister. Hindutva groups have discovered cow politics has no opposition. Most stunning is the response of the Mulayam-Akhilesh government. Their police sent the meat for testing, and I don’t know where, because neighbouring Haryana’s labs are not yet built. You want to figure out the species of animal meat in a country where forensic services are so poor Sunanda Tharoor’s viscera samples had to be sent to America almost two years after her death!
This takes me back to a 43-degree afternoon in late April, 2007, at Village Dhampur outside Bijnor in Western Uttar Pradesh, and very much a part of the same communally sensitive arc that includes Dadri and Muzaffarnagar. State Assembly elections were on. Ashok Katariya, a relatively junior activist of the BJP’s Yuva Morcha, was playing the crowd-warmer. He talked about Hindu women being insecure, ISI cells active, national security imperilled because the percentage of Muslims was up to 41 per cent in the district. Then he shifted to meat-eating.
“Now they can eat dogs, cats, horses, camels, elephants, snakes and anything god and nature may have created,” he said, pouring disdain. “But they should refrain from eating beef, because cow is our mother. And if somebody slaughters a cow, we will slaughter that ba….d.” Rajnath Singh, who had by now arrived, was shaking his head in some disapproval, though he later played it down to us, saying, “Jawan khoon hai, garam ho jata hai (blood of the youth, boils over sometimes).” I hope he will disapprove of what happened even this week. Katariya is one of the vice-presidents of the state BJP now, along with Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti."
'via Blog this'
Choose a plan - Meetup
Choose a plan - Meetup: "Organizer Subscription
Choose your plan
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Limited to 50 members and 4 organizers
Starts at $9.99/month
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Choose your plan
Basic
Limited to 50 members and 4 organizers
Starts at $9.99/month
Choose
Unlimited
Most popular
Grow your Meetup as big as you like
Starts at $14.99/month"
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Is our revered Netaji the same man who was enamoured by Hitler? - TOI Blogs
Is our revered Netaji the same man who was enamoured by Hitler? - TOI Blogs: "This play-acting of soldier-soldier was the primary aspect of Bose’s militarism. For a man enamoured of Adolf Hitler, imperial Japan and a believer in totalitarianism, he is awfully revered in India. Why? That is the puzzle."
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Liberal Hindus, arise: Reclaim your faith from extremists - TOI Blogs
Liberal Hindus, arise: Reclaim your faith from extremists - TOI Blogs: "The brutal Dadri lynching, the unspeakably tragic, numbing, and horrifying death of the innocent Akhlaq and the grievous injury to his 22-year-old son Danish should make every Hindu bow his head in shame, to cry out loud, to scream in anguish and demand to know, what is happening to Hinduism? Where is the philosophy of Bhartrihari, of Ramakrishna Paramhansa, of Meera, of Krishna Chaitanya and of Gandhi? Where is the glorious tradition of vaad, vivaad and samvaad? Where is the tradition, that if there are differences, the impulse to dialogue and argument enshrined in every Hindu text?
Does the heart of every Hindu not break when we hear the soft spoken Sartaj, IAF engineer, elder son of Akhlaq, solemn and dignified, asking only for justice for his father, a father killed because he had apparently organised a feast on his holy day? Does collective guilt and remorse not wrench our insides when we see young Danish lying unconscious after two brain surgeries simply because he happened to celebrate his festival? Who are these mobs who are acting in the name of Hinduism? Why are they killing in the name of Hinduism? Why are they seeking to monopolise the majestic philosophies of Hinduism?
Every liberal Hindu, every legatee of Vivekananda and Tagore, of Ram Mohan Roy and Sri Aurobindo, must stand up and seek an answer, must shout out loud: why are you killing in our name? As the late veteran journalist Prabhash Joshi cried out after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, “Yeh to Raghu-kul nahin.”"
'via Blog this'
Does the heart of every Hindu not break when we hear the soft spoken Sartaj, IAF engineer, elder son of Akhlaq, solemn and dignified, asking only for justice for his father, a father killed because he had apparently organised a feast on his holy day? Does collective guilt and remorse not wrench our insides when we see young Danish lying unconscious after two brain surgeries simply because he happened to celebrate his festival? Who are these mobs who are acting in the name of Hinduism? Why are they killing in the name of Hinduism? Why are they seeking to monopolise the majestic philosophies of Hinduism?
Every liberal Hindu, every legatee of Vivekananda and Tagore, of Ram Mohan Roy and Sri Aurobindo, must stand up and seek an answer, must shout out loud: why are you killing in our name? As the late veteran journalist Prabhash Joshi cried out after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, “Yeh to Raghu-kul nahin.”"
'via Blog this'
India the big loser in divided Nepal - The Times of India
India the big loser in divided Nepal - The Times of India: "Ethnic groups fighting for more autonomy are busy expanding their areas of influence. The most vociferous of them are Madhesis (Maithili, Bhojpuri, Avadhi, Hindi and Urdu-speaking people) and Tharus, who live in the terai bordering Bihar and UP. In the hills, Limbus, Khambus, Magars, Gurungs, and Tamangs (Nepalis of mongoloid stock) are equally restive. These groups, along with Khasas (hill Nepalis of Aryan origin), have been serving the Nepali, Indian and British armies for generations.
In addition, sections of Nepalis, mostly Bahuns-Khasas, and some madhesi groups have been clamouring for a Hindu state. But the Nepalis of mongoloid origin, who follow Buddhism or animism, oppose this demand.
Madhesis, who take pride in having "roti-beti ka rista" (socio-economic relationship) with India, have suffered discrimination. Suspicious of their loyalty, Nepal's former ruling elite and sections of hill Nepalis looked down upon them. Nepalis of mongoloid origin, too, have been marginalised for centuries. A majority of Bahuns and Kashtriyas (the two communities that mainly comprised Nepali's elite) are equally poor. Tharus, most of whom were bonded labourers till the turn of the century, were the worst sufferers.
READ ALSO: 'Not imposed any blockade on Nepal'
Comprising almost 30% of Nepal's population, madhesis are in a position to fight for their rights on their own. Their home — the terai — is known as Nepal's granary and houses most of the country's industrial units. The madhesis first began to talk about their rights in 1990 when King Birendra reintroduced multi-party democracy after an agitation by Nepali Congress and United Left Front.
The madhesi movement got a boost when the Maoists made autonomy for all ethnic groups a major issue during its 10-year-old "people's war." After the end of monarchy, some madhesi extremists picked up arms to fight for their cause and got wiped out quickly. The terai, a narrow strip of flat land 20-40km in width, running from east to west, was not suitable for such an armed struggle."
'via Blog this'
In addition, sections of Nepalis, mostly Bahuns-Khasas, and some madhesi groups have been clamouring for a Hindu state. But the Nepalis of mongoloid origin, who follow Buddhism or animism, oppose this demand.
Madhesis, who take pride in having "roti-beti ka rista" (socio-economic relationship) with India, have suffered discrimination. Suspicious of their loyalty, Nepal's former ruling elite and sections of hill Nepalis looked down upon them. Nepalis of mongoloid origin, too, have been marginalised for centuries. A majority of Bahuns and Kashtriyas (the two communities that mainly comprised Nepali's elite) are equally poor. Tharus, most of whom were bonded labourers till the turn of the century, were the worst sufferers.
READ ALSO: 'Not imposed any blockade on Nepal'
Comprising almost 30% of Nepal's population, madhesis are in a position to fight for their rights on their own. Their home — the terai — is known as Nepal's granary and houses most of the country's industrial units. The madhesis first began to talk about their rights in 1990 when King Birendra reintroduced multi-party democracy after an agitation by Nepali Congress and United Left Front.
The madhesi movement got a boost when the Maoists made autonomy for all ethnic groups a major issue during its 10-year-old "people's war." After the end of monarchy, some madhesi extremists picked up arms to fight for their cause and got wiped out quickly. The terai, a narrow strip of flat land 20-40km in width, running from east to west, was not suitable for such an armed struggle."
'via Blog this'
Friday, October 2, 2015
Saudi Arabia withdraws overseas funds
Saudi Arabia withdraws overseas funds: "Since the third quarter of 2014, Sama's reserves held in foreign securities have declined by $71bn, accounting for almost all of the $72.8 billion reduction in overall overseas assets.
Other industry executives estimate that Sama has withdrawn even more than $70 billion from existing managers.
While some of this cash has been used to fund the deficit, these executives say the central bank is also seeking to reinvest into less risky, more liquid products.
"They are not comfortable with their exposure to global equities," said another manager.
Fund managers with strong ties to Gulf sovereign wealth funds, such as BlackRock, Franklin Templeton and Legal & General, have received redemption notices, according to people aware of the matter."
'via Blog this'
Other industry executives estimate that Sama has withdrawn even more than $70 billion from existing managers.
While some of this cash has been used to fund the deficit, these executives say the central bank is also seeking to reinvest into less risky, more liquid products.
"They are not comfortable with their exposure to global equities," said another manager.
Fund managers with strong ties to Gulf sovereign wealth funds, such as BlackRock, Franklin Templeton and Legal & General, have received redemption notices, according to people aware of the matter."
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