Global warming could lead to extinction of one in six species on Planet Earth

#environmentalists #globalwarming #climatechange Environmentalists have cautioned that unless efforts are taken to stop global warming, our planet Earth could lose one in six species. This has been indicated by Dr Mark Urban, of the University of Connecticut in the US. In his opinion, risks of extinction from climate change would not only be on the rise but could also accelerate for every degree rise in global temperatures.
He has warned that the signal of climate change-induced extinctions will become prominent unless we humans do not take immediate action to limit future climate change.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 1 May 2015.

He has remarked that if current levels of global warming continue, raising Earth's temperature by 4C, nearly 16% of species could be at risk because loss of species has close links with climate change. The effects would be felt in countries like South America, Australia, New Zealand, and even North America and Europe.
The tentative %-age wise breakup is 23% in South America, 14% in Australia and New Zealand and 6% in Europe and 5% in North America.
Of course, rise in global temperature is usually associated with the melting of glaciers and ice caps which, in turn, give rise to sea levels and result in natural disasters like floods, landslides, typhoons. There are many who do not accept the theory of global warming. But, for the sake of humanity, it would be better to take notice and act.

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Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

EU realizes the curse of plastic carry bags – to banish the bags

100 cities in India would turn into Smart Cities

Pet Pomeranians of Surat married off, 500 wedding guests enjoy the feast

Woman kills her husband because of his dark complexion

Baltimore on fire as protest over death of a black youth in police custody spirals out of control

‘Papri’ and ‘Barood’ - collection of Bengali short stories published from Nashik

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Kolkata takes revenge – beats Chennai by 7 wickets at Eden Gardens

#IPL8 #KKRvsCSK #AndreRusell #EdenGardens It was revenge, sweet revenge for the Kolkata Knight Riders as they, the defending champions, beat Chennai Super Kings by 7 wickets at the Eden Gardens in yet another last ball finish. This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 April 2015.

KKR chased down the stiff 166-run target with just one ball to spare. It was due to the unbeaten 112-run partnership between Robin Uthappa (80*) and Andre Russell (59*) for the fourth wicket. These superb knocks saw KKR gain an emphatic seven-wicket win against two-time champions Chennai Super Kings. It was their return leg clash of the Indian Premier League. Winning the toss, Gautam Gambhir sent in M S Dhoni’s team to bat first – his logic was that once a target had been set by the opposition, it would be better to make strategies to go for a win. It had paid off earlier and, this time also, Gambhir was not disappointed. CSK had got off to a bad start with Dwayne Smith going out to the very first ball on the innings but Brendon McCullum appeared to be on fire but Brad Hogg played spoilsport by picking up 4 wickets for only 21runs. M S Dhoni’s bad form with the bat continued but Dwayne Bravo (30), Ravindra Jadeja (24) and Pawan Negi (27) did contribute to put up a score of 165 but it was just not enough. Andre Russell was the Man of the Match.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

100 cities in India would turn into Smart Cities

EU realizes the curse of plastic carry bags – to banish the bags

Pet Pomeranians of Surat married off, 500 wedding guests enjoy the feast

Woman kills her husband because of his dark complexion

Baltimore on fire as protest over death of a black youth in police custody spirals out of control

‘Papri’ and ‘Barood’ - collection of Bengali short stories published from Nashik

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

100 cities in India would turn into Smart Cities

#SmartCities #AMRUT #JNNURM #Modi The Smart City project is yet another pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is meant to recast the urban landscape of the country and, towards this, the Union Cabinet has approved Central government spending worth Rs 98,000 crore under two new urban missions over the next five years.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 30 April 2015.
For those who felt that Smart Cities’ would house Smart Alecs, please be informed that under this mission, 100 smart cities would be built with central assistance of Rs 48,000 crore and another 500 cities with outlay of Rs 50,000 crore. The cities that would be developed would be selected through a ‘competition’ which would ascertain their ability to achieve mission objectives. The task would be broken down into elements - each state would have to shortlist a number of smart city aspirants and their task would be to prepare proposals for the Centre.

The aim of the mission is to more efficiently utilize available assets, resources and infrastructure in order to enhance quality of urban life and, simultaneously, provide a clean and sustainable environment.
Some pointers on how to proceed are – develop intelligent transport solutions that would pay dividends by reducing commuting time. There would be focus on adequate and clean water supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transportation, affordable housing for the poor, power supply, robust IT connectivity, governance, especially e-governance, and citizen participation.
Under the AMRUT scheme, the focus would be in 500 locations with a population of one lakh and above. Cities under this category would be those situated on stems of main rivers, a few capital cities and important cities located in hilly areas and tourist spots.
AMRUT is the acronym for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation and is said to be an improvement over the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). It seems to be a case of a new wine in the old bottle. From all appearances, the leaders at the center are allergic to the names of Nehru and Gandhi and want to erase them from public memory.
Of course, there is nothing to complain about because everyone does it. When the British left, we renamed plenty of roads and monuments. Later, whenever any government changed in any state, those who took over power went on a renaming spree. West Bengal is the best example. When the Left Front took over the reins, they painted the Ochterloney Monument in the Maidan in red and when the Trinamool Congress took over, they painted the roads and curbs in white and blue and also renamed the stations of the Kolkata Metro.
Therefore, AMRUT in place of JNNURM would be fine if Smart Cities really emerged from the filth and chaos that has become the trademark of our country. We Indians must first learn the basic civic sense and stop spitting, littering the surroundings, follow traffic rules, show respect to elders and women. Once that is achieved, the Swatchh Bharat Mission would not be needed nor would the Ganga Bachao Andolan be necessary.

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Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


EU realizes the curse of plastic carry bags – to banish the bags

Pet Pomeranians of Surat married off, 500 wedding guests enjoy the feast

Woman kills her husband because of his dark complexion

Baltimore on fire as protest over death of a black youth in police custody spirals out of control

‘Papri’ and ‘Barood’ - collection of Bengali short stories published from Nashik

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

Kim Jong-Un executes 15 senior officials because they did not dance to his tunes

#KimJongUn #NorthKorea #Unhasu #orchestra #RiSolJu Kim Jong-Un, the leader of North Korea hates anyone who dares to defy his authority and will summarily issue execution orders – this year he has already executed 15 senior officials as reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 29 April 2015.

Four of them were senior members of Pyongyang's famous Unhasu Orchestra, where Kim's wife, Ri Sol Ju, had been a singer before she married him in June 2012. The charges against them was spying and they were shot by firing squad. Then there was a vice minister executed for questioning state policy on forestry. Another official of a similar rank was executed in February because he opposed Kim's plans for a new building in the shape of a flower named after his grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il-Sung.
These details have come out during a secret briefing to the South Korean parliament's intelligence committee. As he committee member has revealed – Kim Jong-Un does not accept excuses or reasoning and he believes in pushing through everything. If there is any objection, he feels it as a challenge to his authority and gives execution orders. In the four months of this year, 15 senior officials have reportedly been executed.
Incidentally, he is expected to travel to Moscow to attend an event marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe. It would be his first overseas trip after coming to power in 2011 following the death of his father.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub


EU realizes the curse of plastic carry bags – to banish the bags

Pet Pomeranians of Surat married off, 500 wedding guests enjoy the feast

Woman kills her husband because of his dark complexion

Baltimore on fire as protest over death of a black youth in police custody spirals out of control

‘Papri’ and ‘Barood’ - collection of Bengali short stories published from Nashik

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

Another Nirbhaya case in Chandigarh – 13-year-old girl jumps off moving bus to avoid molestation and dies

#Nirbhaya #Chandigarh #molesters The death of a 13-year-old girl in Chandigarh when she jumped out of a mobbing bus to escape molestation by passengers in the bus reveals how unsafe it is for women and young girls to travel in a public transport like a bus.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 30 April 2015.

Those with evil intentions thumb their noses at the Law and the results prove that crime against women in India is not an easy crime to control. The Nirbhaya case that happened in New Delhi had left the world numb and large promises had been made by politicians that strict action would be taken to prevent recurrence of such cases. But, for all practical purposes, the promises were hollow, the tears shed were crocodile tears.
It seems this 13-year-old girl was traveling with her mother and younger brother in an AC bus operated by Orbit Bus Service. The service is believed to be owned by the family of Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal. It was night time and, when the bus was on the Moga-Bhatinda highway, near Moga city, some youths in the bus began to harass the girl and passed lewd comments.
Her mother complained to the driver and conductor of the bus but they laughed it off and, in fact the bus conductor joined the youth in the act.
The mother them requested the driver to stop the bus but he ignored her plea and increase speed at which the girl and her mother panicked. Fearing a fate like that of Nirbhaya, jumped out of the bus and the girl died while the mother suffered severe injuries.
Police have arrested the driver and conductor of the bus.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

EU realizes the curse of plastic carry bags – to banish the bags

Pet Pomeranians of Surat married off, 500 wedding guests enjoy the feast

Woman kills her husband because of his dark complexion

Baltimore on fire as protest over death of a black youth in police custody spirals out of control

‘Papri’ and ‘Barood’ - collection of Bengali short stories published from Nashik

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

Good news for IPL fans – Ranchi could host the May 22 Qualifier 2 match

#IPL8 #JSCA #EdenGardens There are strong possibilities that Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, could get to host the May 22 tie match of IPL. It would be the Qualifier 2 match and it would be held in the JSCA International Stadium Complex at Dhurwa.
Mumbai was originally slated to host the match but, it would now host Qualifier 1 on May 19. The Eliminator will be held in Pune on May 20.
Eden Gardens in Kolkata would host the final of IPL8 on May 24.
This is seen by observers as a last-minute coup of sorts that has been pulled off by Jharkhand State Cricket Association to signal an end to the season’s drought of hosting IPL-8 matches.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 29 April 2015.

Ranchi had got an opportunity to host its first ODI on January 19, 2013, between India and England. Later, in November 2014, it hosted an ODI between India and Sri Lanka.
As far as IPL is concerned, Ranchi hosted two matches in 2013 — KKR vs RCB (May 12) and KKR vs Pune Warriors (May 14). And, last year, it hosted four CSK matches — against KKR (May 2), RR (May 13), RCB (May 18) and Sun Risers Hyderabad (May 22).

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

EU realizes the curse of plastic carry bags – to banish the bags

#plasticbags #environment #pollution #EU In order to stop environmental pollution due to plastic carry bags that are not bio degradable, a decision by the EU that every nation in the EU would follow Britain’s lead and introduce tough measures to slash the use of plastic bags.
The European Parliament has supported the move to introduce strict new targets to cut plastic bag use by 80 per cent before 2025. This is seen as a huge boost for conservationists who have been fighting for years to stop billions of bags ending up as litter. These not only harm the environment but also put an end to marine life.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 29 April 2015.

It seems instead of supplying the bags free, England has begun to levy a charge of 5p on supermarket carrier bags in England – this would be effective from October. Incidentally, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have already introduced the charge. It has resulted in drastically slashing litter. The rest of Europe will have to introduce similar measures or face large fines.
As per the broad guidelines issue by EU, its 28 members must take action to reduce disposable plastic bag use by 65 per cent by 2019 and 80 per cent by 2025. This would mean a drop in the average number of bags used per person each year from 200 to 40.
The magnitude of the problem can be understood from the fact that an estimated 100billion carriers are used every year in Europe and, nearly eight billion of these end up as litter. They clog the seas and rivers and suffocate thousands of animals every year.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

200 girls rescued from Sambisa forest by Nigerian Army are not Chibok girls

#Chibok #BokoHaram #Nigeria #Sambisa Nigerian army conducted a raid against the Boko Haram militants in the Sambisa Forest and has, apparently, managed to rescue 200 girls and 93 women during a military operation as reported in news.sky.com dated 29 April 2015.
In the offensive that happened in the northeast of the country, the army destroyed three militant camps. However, as revealed by an army spokesman, the rescued girls are not those who had abducted from their school in Chibok in April 2014.

It may be recalled that Boko Haram had kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls near the northern village of Chibok last April and, while a few succeeded to escape, most of the girls are still missing. Their abduction had led to an international outcry and, it is believed that they have been kept imprisoned in the dense and heavily-mined Sambisa Forest.
This forest is situated around 60 miles from Chibok and, has been pounded by air raids for weeks after which the ground troops gained entry last week.
The activities of Boko Haram has been blamed for the death of nearly 10,000 people last year and, over and above that, some 1.5 million people have been forced to flee from their homes because of threats of the group.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

IPL8 – Dhoni, the miracle captain, defends another low total as CSK beats KKR

#IPL8 #CSKvsKKR #DwayneBravo #AndreRussell No matter what his critics might say but, even when the chips are down, M S Dhoni never loses his cool and has the courage and determination to script a win from a near impossible situation. This is what he did at Chepauk when his team Chennai Super Kings beat the Kolkata Knight Riders by 2 runs to go to the top of the points table.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 29 April 2015.

Gautam Gambhir won the toss and asked CSK to bat first – there were opinions floating around that he had made a grave mistake and would repent because, with the impressive batting lineup at the command of CSK, they could post a score of around 200.
However, that did not happen but Gambhir had to, in any case, repent his decision because, while his bowlers Brad Hogg and Andre Russell managed to restrict CSK to just 134 runs, his batsmen failed to rise to the occasion and fell short by just 2 runs.
Dwayne Bravo was declared Man of the Match.
This was the sixth win of the tournament for CSK. They are on top of the table and have maintained their unbeaten record at their fortress intact having won nine matches on the trot.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

Nature gifts Japan with a new strip of land that rose from the ocean floor

#Rausu #Japan #HokkaidoIsland Japan has been gifted with a 300m-long strip of coastline by Nature – this strip of land has apparently risen from the seabed and that stands 10m-high in some places. This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 27 April 2015.
This incident has taken place near the town of Rausu on Hokkaido Island situated at the country's northern tip.
This new stretch of shoreline, which resembles what used to be the sea floor, had initially sparked fears that a major earthquake was imminent. It may be recalled that in 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake had struck Japan and devastated large stretches of land and left thousands dead.

The quake of 2011 coupled with a Tsunami had led to meltdowns and radioactive leaks at the Fukushima nuclear plant. However, as far as Rausu is concerned, geologists have assured that the phenomenon was probably a result of a nearby landslide, caused by melting ice and snow that displaced a portion of the seabed that rose and came in sight.
Of course, Japan has also seen the creation of a new island – it emerged from the sea 620 miles south of Tokyo and continues to grow because of the volcano at its center that spews out magma. In the month of February, it measured around a square mile. Therefore, Rausu is not the only place where Japan is expanding.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

IPL8 – Sun Risers Hyderabad get the better of Kings XI Punjab at Mohali

#IPL8 #TrentBoult #SRHvsKXIP #DavidWarner #Bhuvi KXIP had dropped Virendra Sehwag for the encounter at Mohali against SRH but that did not change their fortune – SRH defeated KXIP at Mohali by 20 runs. KXIP now languishes at the bottom of the points table with 4 points in 7 matches.
It was the bowling of Trent Boult that triggered the collapse of Kings XI Punjab in front of their home crowd. Boult captured took three wickets for 19 runs which helped the Sunrisers Hyderabad to defend a modest total of 150-run. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also played an important role by capturing 2 wickets for 23 runs.
The match was played at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium in Mohali and KXIP lost by 20 runs. This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 April 2015.

KXIP won the toss and sent SRH in to bat first and SRH had a poor start with Shikhar Dhawan going out cheaply – he fell to Mitchell Johnson after Sandeep Sharma bowled a maiden opening over.
However captain and opener David Warner held the fort and top-scored with a 41-ball 58. Subsequently, Ashish Reddy smashed 22 off eight balls towards the end with two huge 6s in the last over so that Sunrisers reached the 150-mark. Trent Boult was adjudged the Man of the Match and SRH move up to 5th place in the points.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

Pet Pomeranians of Surat married off, 500 wedding guests enjoy the feast

It was a puppy love with real life canines in Surat that culminated in marriage. There were 500 guests who joined in the celebrations and enjoyed a grand feast as reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 27 April 2015. After all marriage of Pomeranians do not happen every day and it was an occasion to celebrate with the traditional 'band-baja-baraat'.

The story goes that two pet owners got their Pomeranian dogs married in a grand style because, of late, the male and female of the species had developed a liking for each other during the past few months.
The female belonged to a young couple of Orissa – they were childless but treated the female dog as their child. However, a male dog in the neighborhood developed a liking for it. Hence, they decided to get it married off.
The man worked as a laborer in a textile weaving unit and he located the owner of the male dog and even cautioned him to keep his dog on a leash. But, love knows no boundaries and, so, there was this unusual marriage where over 500 guests were treated to a sumptuous meal.
The ‘groom’ (male dog) got a gift of a gold chain of three gram while the ‘bride’ (female dog) got new clothes, jewelry and beauty products meant for dogs. There were vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes for lunch accompanied by music in the background.
The total cost of the marriage came to Rs 80,000 and it was shared by both the families.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

Scotland cannot produce enough barley but Netherlands can, so Scotch whisky could soon become Dutch whisky

Scotch whisky is prepared from malting barley but, Scotland is unable to produce the barley in adequate quantities. Therefore, Netherlands has stepped in to meet the shortfall because there is a huge demand for Scotch whisky in countries like China and Russia.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 27 April 2015.

A group of 30-strong co-operative of farmers in the Netherlands believe that their crops will help make up the shortfall of Scotch whisky in the global market.
In order to bridge the gap between demand and availability, it is inevitable that Scottish producers will have to look abroad for barley. It seems already some alternatives have been identified – some of the finest malts are being produced using American bourbon casks, as also Spanish sherry casks. Now, Netherlands will add its name as another source.
The ultimate objective is to ensure that the Scotch whisky produced meets the high standards that the consumers expect.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

Custodial death of a black youth triggers protests in Batimore

#FreddieGray #Baltimore #MichaelBrown #EricGarner It was yet another case of the Black-White divide that is being seen in the United States of late. This was the case of a black detainee who died in police custody. The detainee was 25-year-old Freddie Gray and he died on 19 April from spinal injuries. The incident happened a week after he had been arrested for carrying a knife.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 26 April 2015.

Protesters resorted to smashing shop windows and hurling objects at officers as the biggest protest yet over the death of a young black police detainee turned violent. The 2000-strong crowd joined a peaceful 90-minute rally at Baltimore city hall. They demanded justice for the death and the mood of the crowd subsequently turned ugly as some of the groups spread out across the city and went on the rampage.
The protesters smashed store windows, looted merchandise and vandalized police cars.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake expressed disappointment at the violence which, in her opinion, was the handiwork of "a small group of agitators". The speakers at the rally wanted President Barack Obama to launch a national inquiry into police misconduct.
It may be recalled that last year there were weeks of protests after an unarmed black teen Michael Brown was shot dead in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner, a black man in New York City, died after he was placed in a chokehold during an attempted arrest.

A few more must reads -

Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

IPL2015 – Virat Kohli’s men rout Delhi Daredevils on their home turf at Kotla

#IPL2015 #MitchellStarc #ChrisGayle #DDvsRCB #Yuvraj It was a game that J P Duminy & Co would like to forget because, batting first, they could not post even 100-runs in spite of having a talented batsman like Yuvraj Singh in their squad as reported in cricbuzz.com dated 26 April 2015.

Mitchell Starc was the demolition-in-chief for Royal Challengers Bangalore – he had taken 3 for 22 against Rajasthan Royals in the last match and in this match against DD, took 3 for 20. As a result, the home team was out for 95 runs in 18.2 overs. They could not even play out the full 20 overs. It was a disappointing performance in front of their home crowd who had turned up in large numbers to cheer their team on.
RCB scored the required runs in 10.3-overs with Chris Gayle hitting 62 runs off 40 balls and Virat Kohli hit 35 off 23 balls to take their team to a well-deserved win, thanks to the RCB bowlers who foiled all chances of DD making a comeback.
Virat Kohli had won the toss and had decided to bowl first and his bowlers justified the faith he had in them. The loss of Delhi Daredevils was their fourth one in seven matches.

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Welcome the Drone Ranger to trace your lost drone

Drones that used to, till recently, be linked to assassinations of unwanted elements but have now entered the life of the common man and the rising popularity of the UAVs has given rise to a new breed of investigators – the Drone Rangers who can trace your missing drone once you lose contact with it in the air. This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 26 April 2015.

The earlier notices and signs pinned to trees appealing for help to trace a missing pet have been replaced by notices seeking information about missing drones. A gentleman found a damaged Phantom drone. Its cost was around £350 and it was fund near Brockwell Park, South London.
Since there was no clue as to who the owner was, the finder posted a 'Drone found' notice in the park. Within hours he was contacted by three people who believed that the machine might be theirs. However, it is still unclaimed.
As Chris Anderson, head of drone maker 3D Robotics, has clarified – drones have become so easy to fly people just open up the box and put them in the air. Missing drones is a problem in the United States and internet forums have been set up to discuss the problem.

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Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

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Bomb threat leads to panic evacuation of visitors from the Statue of Liberty

#statueofliberty #NYPD #bombthreat #NationalParkService Life has become tense and unpredictable and the slightest deviation from the ordinary can trigger panic as was seen when an anonymous caller rang up 911 and reported that the Statue of Liberty would be blown up. This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 24 April 2015.

Accordingly, the iconic attractions of Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were emptied following receipt of the call – it sees a 911 caller had threatened to blow up the statue. This has been revealed by the National Park Service.
The all-clear was given after United States Park Police swept the statue with two canine units. A dog, apparently, picked up a scent in the visitors' locker area but, it turned out to be a false alarm. The NYPD bomb squad was also summoned to the scene.
It may be noted that the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are important tourist attractions and nearly four million people visit every year as understood from New York Harbor Parks' website.
The Statue of Liberty is a 151ft sculpture of a torch-bearing woman and it was gifted by France to the US and, dedicated in 1886.
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Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

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Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

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IPL8 – Chennai Super Kings register convincing win against Kings XI Punjab

#IPL8 #CSKvKXIP #BrendonMccullum #RavindraJadeja It was a Saturday evening when spectators had turned up at the MA Chidambaram Stadium to watch and enjoy a game of absorbing T20 cricket but, the lackluster performance of the Kings XI Punjab left the spectators disappointed. This has been reported in cricbuzz.com dated 26 April 2015.

It was the 5th win in six matches by Chennai Super Kings and the Kings XI Punjab had no answer to the strategies of CSK that kept paying rich dividends while their own strategies fell flat.
Once again, the CSK openers Brendon McCullum (44 ball 66) and Dwayne Smith (26) set the run plundering fest by amassing and a couple of dropped catches by KXIP fielders ultimately saw CSK set a formidable score of 192 for 3 – and KXIP need 193 to win.
But, with the failure of the likes of Virendra Sehwag, KXIP could post only 95/9 and out of this, Murali Vijay contributed 34 runs – the main wreckers of KXIP were Ravindra Jadeja 3/22, Nehra 2/16 and Ashwin 2/14. Brendon McCullum was declared Man of the Match.

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IPL8 – Mumbai Indians register emphatic win at Wankhede against Sun Risers Hyderabad

#IPL8 #SRHvsMI #wankhede #Lasith Mumbai Indians won the toss and decided to bat first. But the two pronged attack of the Sun Risers Hyderabad pace bowlers Dale Steyn and Trent Boult restricted the home team to 157 for 8. That should have been an easy score to defend but, in practice, the SRH faltered because of its weak batting lineup.
This has been reported in ibnlive.in.com dated 26 April 2015.

Ultimately, Hyderabad fell 20 runs short and ended with 137 for 8. Lasith Malinga (4 for 23) did most of the damage while and Mitchell McClenaghan (3 for 20) also contributed to the downfall of SRH.
It has once again been revealed that SRH relies heavily on its two star batsmen David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan. In the two matches that SRH have won in IPL8, these two batsmen had put on stands of 82 and 130. This top-heavy batting line-up was exposed at the Wankhede since the other batsmen choked against some disciplined bowling of the MI.
Lasith Malinga was named Man of the Match.

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Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

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Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

7.9-magnitude quake hits Nepal, brings down Bhimsen Tower, leaves hundreds dead

#BhimsenTower #earthquake #nepalquake #Kathmandu Earthquake of 7.9 magnitude struck Nepal and left hundreds dead with houses damaged and destroyed as reported in news.sky.com dated 25 April 2015. Damages are extensive in the capital Kathmandu. The US Geological Survey has said that the quake struck 80-Km east of the central city of Pokhara which is near the capital.

Dozens of people have been killed after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Nepal causing extensive damage in the capital Kathmandu and bringing down the iconic nine-storey Dharahara tower and trapping over 50 people in the rubble. This 19th Century tourist site is also called the Bhimsen Tower.
It seems many centuries-old temples have also been destroyed.
Initial reports indicate that at least 114 people have been confirmed dead across Nepal as per the home ministry and officials suggest that the figure could rise considerably.
The quake has also, reportedly, triggered a "huge avalanche" on Mount Everest, damaging the Everest base camp. Tremors were felt in neighboring countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In India, tremors were felt in New Delhi and other northern cities.

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Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

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IPL8 – Battle of the Royals – Virat Kohli clobbers Rajasthan bowlers at Motera

#IPL8 #RCBvsRR #ViratKohli #ABDevilliers #Motera #Ahmedabad It was a battle of the Royals and Virat Kohli’s day at Motera in Ahmedabad as he clobbered the bowlers of Rajasthan Royals to all corners of the stadium to help Royal Challengers Bangalore register its second win.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 24 April 2015.

Kohli hit his second successive fifty and pacer Mitchell Starc picked up three wickets as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat the opponents by nine-wickets in their IPL8 encounter at Ahmedabad.
First, RCB gave a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Rajasthan to 130 for nine and, in the chase, they easily overhauled the target with 23 balls to spare. It was an unbeaten 98-run partnership between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers (47) for the second wicket that resulted in handing over a second successive loss to Rajasthan Royals.
The loss of Rajasthan Royals is difficult to comprehend because they had been going great guns but, suddenly, the have begun to stumble. They have young talented players and, with Rahul Dravid as mentor, was giving chances to local boys – the strategy was working fine but it needs to be modified.

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Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

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Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

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Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart

Controversy regarding the 150 odd tigers of the Thailand Tiger Temple

#tigertemple #thailand #monk #microchip #Kanchanaburi Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua in Thailand`s western Kanchanaburi province is better known as "The Tiger Temple" and it has always drawn tourists who flock there to visit the monks and be photographed with the tigers who are pets of the monks.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 24 April 2015.

It seems the wildlife officials of Thailand has begun a headcount of nearly 150 tigers that are kept by monks at a temple – this has become the center of a dispute over the welfare of the animals. The authorities say that the tigers in the temple have been kept without the proper paperwork. The wildlife officials have threatened to seize the animals and this has led to standoffs in recent weeks between officials and the monks who are blocking their way.
Most of the tigers are microchipped, hence it is not difficult to confirm the number of animals that are in the sanctuary. The tigers were led out in groups of four and tied to a tree so that the officials could scan their microchips.
Incidentally, the headcount became necessary because there were allegations made by a vet of the temple to the police that three tigers had gone missing and that led to speculation that those tigers might have been sold.

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Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

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Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

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Bulgaria emerging as the best bargain hotspot for tourists

#bulgariatravel #tourism #blacksea Bulgaria would not, under normal circumstances, qualify for a tag of being the first hotspot that springs to mind for a summer holiday – but things could soon change. Bulgaria, the former Soviet state, has been named Europe's cheapest destination.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 24 April 2015.

As a result of the gains from the strong pound, the cost of visiting the continent has been drastically reduced. It is understood that resorts on its Black Sea coast offer the best value in terms of a meal out, buying a cup of coffee apart from essentials like sun cream and a cold drink.
Bulgaria today is one of 13 European hotspots out of 14 where the tourist will get benefits because of rock-bottom exchange rates and higher inflation in some countries. A research conducted into an imaginary shopping basket of ten typical holiday purchases has revealed that it would total to £37.39 for Bulgaria. This would be a reduction of 13.6 per cent from last summer.
Bulgaria's most popular resort is Sunny Beach which is a carbon copy of those of Spain and Greece. The country has a wide sandy beach, high-rise hotels, bars, restaurants and water parks. Moreover, its summer season extends from May to September and Bulgaria boasts of nearly 300 days of sunshine year. This is more than Miami Beach in Florida.

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Nashik Kumbhmela 2015 – a once in 12-years pilgrimage

Trip to Nashik should take in Shirdi and the Ajanta and Ellora caves

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the epic Ramayana

Nashik, a tourist center with links to the Mahabharata

Kumbhmela 2015 in Nashik – guided tours to wineries and vineyards

Nashik transforms from a place of pilgrimage to an industrial hub

British Army wants computer whizzkids to counter the growing menace of ISIS propaganda

IPL8 – Mumbai Indians break the jinx with first win against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Pattern of death changing in India – heart and lung related diseases are top killers

Stray dogs attend funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

Health tips – lose weight without dieting

Anchovies can boost good cholesterol and reduce risk factors of the heart