News from India


India warms to U.S. offer to help save WTO talks
India welcomed on Wednesday an offer by the United States to limit its disputed farm subsidies as part of efforts to save a global trade deal but immediately came under pressure from Washington to make concessions itself.

Students teach kids dangers of 'gutka' in India
What are you doing on your summer vacation? If you are an innovative student from the University of Southern California, the answer might be spending going to India, providing innovative water treatment measures to mitigate the spread of waterborne diseases, or educating locals on how to prevent oral cancer.

U.S. mulling WTO offer on key India services demand
File photo of Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath speaking at a news conference in New Delhi, July 16, 2008. REUTERS/B Mathur/Files Reuters - The United States is prepared for the first time in world trade talks to discuss allowing more service professionals from India and other developing countries to work there, a U.S. industry official said.

Envoy says Tibetans want trouble-free Olympics
Lodi Gyari(R) speaks during a news conference in Dharamsala in this May 8, 2008 file photo. A Beijing Olympics that goes smoothly without Reuters - A Beijing Olympics that goes smoothly without "unhealthy disturbances"will best serve Tibetans by fostering a more confident China, said the chief envoy of the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama.

After govt vote, India nuke deal to clear next hurdle
U.S President George W. Bush shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the end of a joint news conference  in New Delhi, March 2, 2006 file photo. REUTERS/Jason Reed Reuters - India's atomic energy deal with the United States, now back on track after the government won a confidence vote, next faces objections from some countries over selling uranium fuel and technology to the nuclear power.

Bloomberg, Gates pledge $375 mln against tobacco
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg thanks the audience after winning an award during the Council of Fashion Designers of America annual awards ceremony in New York June 2, 2008. Bloomberg and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates pledged an additional $375 million on Wednesday to fight what they called a global tobacco epidemic. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/Files Reuters - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates pledged $375 million on Wednesday to fight what they called a global tobacco epidemic.

India's markets greet government win with relief
A broker trades at a stock brokerage firm in Mumbai July 23, 2008. India's financial markets rallied on Wednesday in relief the government had won a confidence vote which could lead to it reviving stalled reforms, with the rupee surging against the dollar and shares jumping nearly 6 percent. REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe Reuters - India's financial markets rallied on Wednesday in relief the government had won a confidence vote which could lead to it reviving stalled reforms, with the rupee surging against the dollar and shares jumping nearly 6 percent.

Bloomberg, Gates pledge $375 mln against tobacco
By Christine Kearney

Anti-Defection Law
• What is the Anti-Defection Law? The Tenth Schedule - popularly known as the Anti-Defection Act - was included in the Constitution in 1985 by the Rajiv Gandhi ministry and sets the provisions for disqualification of elected members on the grounds of defection to another political party.

Traders fear Gulmarg blast will further affect tourism revival
Gulmarg saw a complete shutdown on Monday enforced by traders, who were protesting against the grenade attack that left a tourist dead and two others injured.

Amarnath protestor's suicide sparks violence in Jammu
Tension erupted in Jammu on Wednesday following the death of a local youth, who allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison to protest against the Government's decision to revoke the transfer of forestland to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.

A village fears for its venerated peacocks
Hiraben Nanekar hopes her two huge containers of water will last her a week.

Rs 1 lakh later, no water for Sangli farmers
Mahesh Gajanan Dharme of Deshing village in Sangli district paid Rs 20,000 to the Irrigation Department in June for water for his five-acre field from the nearby Mhaisal canal.

Tiger parts seized in HP, Chhattisgarh
Tiger poaching continues unabated across the country.

C'garh plans 'credit shops' in Naxal strongholds
The Chhattisgarh Government is contemplating opening 'credit shops' in the Naxalite-infested areas of Dantewada and Bijapur in South Bastar so that the tribals there can get a month's credit on purchase of food grains and other items from fair price shops.

Envoy says Tibetans want trouble-free Olympics
By Paul Eckert, Asia Correspondent

Bhutan to crown its fifth king in November
THIMPHU (Reuters) - Bhutan will crown its fifth king on Nov. 6, ending a two-year wait for an auspicious date for the 27-year-old Oxford-educated King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to don the Raven Crown.

No smoking in the nukkad
Tuesday saw DU sending yet another message to smokers. The DUSU office hosted a nukkad naatak by the group Ahwaan on the ills of smoking. Ritesh Sharma, director-producer of the group, was optimistic about the campaign.

Different folks, different Delhis
This week, I stand behind to present a Dilli of those Delhiwallas who spent at least some part of their lives in the Capital but no longer reside here. Their Delhi tells us more about themselves than the city itself.

Inside the Prez's place
Imagine a Washingtonian, Londoner or a Muscovite never having visited White House, Buckingham Palace or Kremlin respectively. Improbable? Our globetrotting Delhiites would likely have visited White House, Buckingham or Kremlin, but not Dilli's own Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Meet the dwarf hired by burglars to break in through small holes!
London, July 23 (ANI): Standing at just three feet 11 inches, burglar Lee Kildare could literally have slipped under cops' radars if he hadn't poked his head out of a broken door panel.

The identical twins who married twins and had twins
London, July 23 (ANI): As if the chance of meeting and falling in love with identical twin brothers Craig and Mark Sanders was nothing short of a wonder for identical twin sisters Diane and Darlene Nettemeier, things got even better when Diane and Craig beat million to one odds to have identical twins themselves.

A deadly calling
He has fought with a cobra 7m under the ground, shot with alligators, lay down with gharials and wrapped pythons around his neck. Meet Dr Brady Barr, reptile expert on National Geographic Channel, who lives his love every day.

That's Appu
Rearing elephants must have been fun in Mughal times. Not now. During that era, the demand for elephants was such that both the emperor and his nobles had a whole lot of men to catch and train the pachyderms. There was the hathi mohalla which was famous for such trainers.

At home in the world
Long after the sordid spectacle surrounding the trust vote on the Manmohan Singh government fades from our memory, the evening of July 22 will be remembered as the moment when a rising India demonstrated the political will to carve out a new place for itself in the world.

Long lonely march
One doesn't know what happens to Somnath Chatterjee from here.

Monsoon matters
You can ill afford to open a photo album or crave crisp pappads or biscuits in the rainy season.

All quiet on the western front
The stormy proceedings and final outcome in parliament on Tuesday were ample evidence, if needed, of the importance attached to the nuclear agreement in India.

Elections in a time of inflation
The vote is over, and the nuclear hungama is thankfully on the backburner for a while. The UPA has won.

 

Life

Plonking on the piano
Pop music with chunky piano is a safe combination, especially when it involves slurping on café latte on a Saturday afternoon. Within these parameters, California pianist-singer Sara Bareilles could be a poster girl with her debut album, Little Voice. Not the jazzy Norah Jones sighs for her when she starts with the peppy Love Song. She's straight, boppy and the chords stick to the majors. But even in that innocuous number, we notice a voice: Sara's.

Love guru
Student-teacher infatuation is as true a fact of nature as gravity. Almost all of us can recount having crushes on our teachers that would be anything from a subtle liking for our junior school teacher to a full-blown obsession with our college professor - probably the reason we all relate to the lusty-eyed students when they see Sushmita Sen's pallu flutter in Main Hoon Na.

Fashioned to thrill
By Jesus! What a night! Bling-bright outfits, the sexiest of stilettos, swanky bags, crazy hairdos - it was an extravaganza worth witnessing. The night the fashion brigade enjoyed itself to the hilt to numbers new and old.

The inner life of GB Road
To many in the city, life is an array of difficult choices. A recent survey by the Delhi Commission for Women on 400 sex workers of Garstin Bastion Road revealed just that. More than 41 per cent entered the trade out of poverty; 39 per cent of them of their own will. Over 57 per cent confessed to substance abuse and only 50 per cent use condoms.

Launched in STYLE
This weekend saw the opening of Jiggs Kalra's latest restaurant, Punjab Grill, at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. The launch party, co-hosted by his son Zorawar and Dabur chairman Amit Burman, who are business partners in the venture, saw close friends, family and of course, the city's hoi-polloi, turn up in full force, so much so that the small 82-cover place was literally bursting at the seams as the party warmed up. Among the first to arrive were the Burmans - Amit's wife Divya looked svelte in a short black dress.

 

TeachKind.org

Bollywood News

Box office analysis
Sometimes all one needs to make a film a box office success is good music, very good publicity, beautiful actors and some attractive locations. Of course the content does the final talking in most of the cases but there are exceptions to the rule.

Sizzling Item Song Shot For Fox
A groovy item song titled as Sexy Kudiye for the forthcoming thriller film Fox was shot at Madh Island.

Abhi and Ash upsets Roger Federer
Tennis star Roger Federer got the shock of his life upon his arrival at the Hilton Toronto hotel.

Taare Zammen Par creates history
Yet another honour has come for Taare Zameen Par.This time it is not an award that this cult film has clinched.

I havent approached Sushmita Sen for my directorial venture - Rahul Bose
Rahul Bose is all geared to wield the megaphone once again. Everybody Says Im Fine marked the actors debut as a director. Boses second directorial venture is based on Mohsin Hamids Moth Smoke. Rahul has already bought the rights to convert the book into a film.

Main Banner

Sesa Goa Q1 Consolidated Net Profit Surges More Than Fourfold
(RTTNews) - Sesa Goa Ltd., India's largest exporter of iron ore in the private sector, announced financial results for the first-quarter, reporting more than fourfold increase in its consolidated net profit, backed by strong growth in revenues from all segments, especially iron ore.

Dempo's AFC Cup tie may be shifted from Goa
The delay in installation of floodlights at the Nehru stadium in Margao, Goa, has forced the state's football association to ask the All Indian Football Federation to shift Dempo's AFC Cup quarter-final to another venue. This is a big blow to India's National League champions, who are scheduled to play their AFC Cup home match against Singapore's Home United on September 16.

Goa to host Tri Continental Film Festival
Goa will host the Tri Continental Film Festival 2008 in Panaji between July 25 to July 30. The festival will be held in collaboration with Goa International centre, Moving Images Goa and Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), who are hosting International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Sesa Goa 1Q Net Profit INR6.33 Billion Vs INR1.31 Billion
MUMBAI -(Dow Jones)- India's Sesa Goa Ltd. (500295.BY) Wednesday said consolidated net profit for the fiscal first quarter rose nearly five-fold on year on the back of sharply higher sales revenue.

Sesa Goa Q1 Consolidated Net Surges
(RTTNews) - Wednesday, Sesa Goa announced that the consolidated net profit for the first quarter ended June 30, 2008 surged to Rs.633.07 crores from Rs.131.33 crores in the corresponding quarter last year. Total income soared to Rs.1, 341.16 crores from Rs.528.31 crores in the year ago quarter.

 

Nature's Flavors

   

Sattvic Samadhi
When I vistied Sri Vrnadavan Dham after Gaura Purnima I had a desire to go to Radha Kunda to have darshan a the samadhi of HH Bhakti Swarupa Damodara Goswami. I was only going to be there for one and a half days so I was wondering how I would manage it. I happened to see the car of my friend Dr Liladhar Gupta and found him on his way to that very place, so I joined him.

Turning to the Beauty of Krishna
The beauty found in this relative world pales before the beauty of Krishna?s perfect form. People are very much enamored by the beauty of this world. The Vedic literature, however, offers us penetrating insight into the actual nature of material beauty.

Ganesha, the Musician
One of the 108 names of Lord Ganesha is "Nadapratithishta" meaning one who appreciates and loves music. Ganesha is symbolic of the music and rhythm of the cosmos. This gallery...

What is Namaste?
‘Namaste’ or ‘namaskar’ is the Hindu way of greeting each other. It is not a superficial gesture or mere word, but has deep spiritual significance. When we greet one...

Why & How to Meditate?
There are many motivations for meditating, and it promises a world of benefits. Nick Applebee shares with us some tried and tested techniques to help you meditate and reap its fruits...

The Namesake - Novel by Jhu...
A major international best-seller, 'The Namesake' is a debut novel from Jhumpa Lahiri, the author of 'Interpreter of Maladies' that won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and critical acclaim for its grace, acuity, and compassion in detailing lives transported from India to America.

Hindu / Indian Baby Names Glossary
Here is a glossary of Sanskrit-based Hindu / Indian baby names.

Hindu Festivals 2008
A date-wise list of Hindu holidays, fasts, feasts, festivals and religious occasions for 2008