New Zealand is new destination for tourists - breaks records

New Zealand is becoming the new destination of tourists which is shown by the number of visitors who are landing up in New Zealand continuing to break records in December. As per available figures, the number of visitors who arrived in New Zealand reached 444,900 in December - it was the highest-ever monthly figure. The biggest increase was in visitors from China which was up 11,000 (43 per cent) from December 2014.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 1 February 2016.

New Zealand has released arrival figures which has reached a record 3.13 million, this was an increase of 10 per cent from the previous year. The previous record of 402,500 that had been set in December 2014 was surpassed mainly because of a 17 per cent increase in arrivals of holidaymakers.
The breakdown of December 2015 is - 1.33 million of visitors were from Australia, 355,900 from China and 243,100 from the United States.
On the other side, a record 2.41 million New Zealanders took overseas trips in the December 2015 year - this was up 6 per cent from the year before.


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Britain battered by storm Gertrude with 144mph winds and power cuts

#StormGertrude Storm Gertrude is playing havoc with its 144mph winds accompanied by power cuts. Thousands of homes and businesses were left without power following the rampage of Storm Gertrude, it recorded wind speeds of up to 144mph recorded in Cairngorm mountainous and eastern Highlands areas. As a result, nearly 8,500 properties in Scotland had to lose electricity, apart from thousands across Ireland.
This has been reported in sky.news.com dated 30 January 2016.

Subsequently, power had been restored to 14,000 properties in Scotland. However, the engineers had been hampered by flooding and the high winds as indicated by the Scottish Hydro power company. The Met Office issued a red weather warning - the most severe - for Shetland because the gusts reached 105mph in Lerwick. Moreover, Inverbervie in Aberdeenshire and Orlock Head in Northern Ireland experienced 80mph gusts.
Incidentally, rare multicolored nacreous clouds that one usually sees in polar areas, were spotted in Aberdeenshire. The Environment Agency have informed people in southern England and parts of the North about the risk of renewed flooding over the weekend. The level of the River Ouse in North Yorkshire and the Severn at Shrewsbury are expected to be particularly high.


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Women, irrespective of religion, fight for their rights to enter places of worship

India is a country where girls love the tagline of 'why should boys have all the fun?' and thumb their noses at the boys. The ad is for a two wheeler. But, when it comes to religion, women are being discriminated against and they have shown their resentment by agitating against the authorities. It began in Shani Shingnapur and has spread to the Haji Ali dargah - both happen to be in the state of Maharashtra.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 29 January 2016.

The entry row began in Shani Shingnapur temple and it has encouraged the Muslim women to protest the ban on women to enter the dargah. This place of worship has banned entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of Mumbai's iconic Haji Ali Dargah lapping the Arabian Sea. The ban was enforced in 2012 when the trustees of Haji Ali Dargah had restricted women's entry to the revered Saint's shrine.

Th agitators have gone to court on the issue. A public interest litigation has already been filed by Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) activists in August 2014.
While some women want Shani Shingnapur temple trust to lift the 400-year-old tradition that bans women's entry, the activists in Mumbai bemoan and protest women's blockade at Haji Ali Dargah which allowed their entry for almost 400 years.


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CIA releases declassified flles on flyng saucers, aliens and unexplained phenomena

#UFO #flyingsaucer #CIA It has finally happened and thousands of files on flying saucers and aliens and unexplained phenomena that had, till now, been kept a closely guarded secret have been declassified and released in the public domain. The agency has given the reason for the release as an effort to highlight a few documents that both skeptics and believers will find interesting.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 29 January 2016.

The post elaborates that five of the documents release would interest the X-Files character Agent Fox Mulder - he would love to use the files to try and persuade others of the existence of extraterrestrial activity. Incidentally, all of the documents are belong to the period late 1940s to the 1960s and had been kept under wraps.
One of the files is a document from East Germany in 1952, where agents were called to investigate what witnesses described as a 'huge flying pan'. It was said to have a diameter of about 15 meters.
Similar flying saucers had also been spotted in North Africa and Spain and also in what was formerly Belgian Congo. It seems two 'fiery discs' were seen over a uranium mine. The discs had 'glided curves and changed position many times'. Both of them suddenly hovered in one spot and then took off in a unique zigzag flight to the north east. There was a continuous penetrating hissing and buzzing sound that onlooker heard from the ground and it lasted 10 to 12 minutes.br>

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Resale on OLX of Sabuj Sathi bicycles gifted by chief minister Mamata Banerjee to school children

#sabujsathi #MamataBanerjee Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal had gifted cycles to all school children from Classes IX to XII under the Sabuj Sathi scheme but many of these cycles are being resold through OLX by the students themselves or their relatives.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 29 January 2016.

There appears to be nothing secret about these resales because the phone numbers are given along with photos of the brand new cycles. They have provided various reasons for selling off the bicycles they had received as gifts. One of them admitted that he already had cycles, another said his brother did not know how to cycle.
It seems the state government's plan was to give 40 lakh bicycles to students of Class IX-XII by 2016-17. The state has plans to distribute 25 lakh bicycles by the end of this financial year. However, till now, a little over 17 lakh bicycles have been distributed. The state government would be incurring expenditure of nearly 700 crore for the entire scheme. Out of this, about Rs 400 crore has already been released by the finance department.



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Easy money in Uttarakhand - villagers kill leopards for Rs 2000 apiece

Villagers of Uttarskhand are earning easy money by killing and selling leopards for as little as Rs 2000 each - they cost lakhs of rupees in the international market are being killed by villagers in Uttarakhand for as little as Rs 2,000 each. This has been revealed by a bunch of poachers in the state's Pauri district after they were arrested for killing seven of the big cats - and they got only Rs 14,000.

They were Caught by a forest team after a frantic chase and the villagers admitted that they took this easy way to earn some "easy money". The district police had seized seven leopard skins from four men who were on their way to Kotdwar to pass on the consignment to a middleman and this is considered the biggest-ever seizure in the state. The villagers would skin the animals because there is a great demand for leopard skin in the international market. The network starts right from these villagers and it a major racket.


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Longest flight in the world - 18-hours by Qatar Airways from Doha to Auckland

Qatar Airways is going to begin the longest flight in the world. It will be a 18-hour flight from Doha to Auckland and it is termed as "ultra-long haul flights". The distance between Doha and Auckland is 14,500 km and it would take 18 and a half hours as calculated by Travelmath's flight time calculator.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 27 January 2016.

As indicated by the state-owned airline, it has had its eyes on this market and these ultra-long haul flights to Auckland were part of new expansion plans.
Right now, Qantas operates the longest non-stop flight in the world but with the introduction of Qatar Airways flights,it will take a back seat - the Doha - Auckland flight would beat that route by almost 1000 kilometres. Qantas has been operating a Sydney - Dallas flight since September 2014 - it covers a distance of 13,800 kilometres in around 17 hours.
The Qatar Airways flight would be operating Boeing 777-LR aircraft.
The longest flight that Air New Zealand operates is from Auckland to Houston using Boeing's 777-ER aircraft. It covers a distance of 11,933 kilometres and takes 14 hours and 30 minutes.


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Britain has two semifinalists in 2016 Australian Open - Johanna Konta and Andy Murray

#JohannaKonta #AndyMurray #AusOpen Britain have two Grand Slam singles semi-finalists for the first time since 1977 in 2016 Australian Open - it will be the first time since 1977. Victories by Johanna Konta, ranked 47th, and Andy Murray have ensured this unique situation. Konta won 6-4 6-1 over China's Zhang Shuai in the quarter-finals in one hour and 22 minutes. Fellow Briton Andy Murray (28) outplayed Spain's David Ferrer 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3 to reach his sixth Melbourne semi-final in three hours and 49 minutes.
This has been reported in bbc.com dated 27 January 2016.

Johanna Konta will now face German seventh seed Angelique Kerber while Andy Murray, the Scot, seeded second, will play Canada's Milos Raonic on Friday.
Konta and Murray have matched the achievement of semi-finalist Sue Barker and runner-up John Lloyd, who had both reached the last four at the Australian Open 39 years ago.
Incidentally, Konta is the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Jo Durie made the US Open last four in 1983. Her achievements so far have guaranteed her prize money of at least £370,000 and could help her secure her a place in the world's top 30.


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Tunisia not safe destination for tourists until November 2016

One of the travel operators Thomas Cook has cancelled all British bookings to Tunisia until November keeping in mind the wave of violent protests across the country. The Foreign Office has also advised its people against all but essential travel to the north African country because it is experiencing its worst social unrest since the 2011 revolution.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 27 January 2016.

The British tour operator has stated that it has taken the decision to cancel all bookings to Tunisia up to and including 31 October 2016. While this could be frustrating to holidaymakers, the safety and well-being of travelers are the topmost priority.
The cancellation applies to some of the operator's foreign markets. However, its flights from France, Austria and Germany are still operating. The company has informed that customers can cancel or amend their holiday to another destination.
Tunisia is facing political turmoil over the past five years and it has handicapped the economy. Moreover, the north African country also faces jihadist violence that has taken a toll on its vital tourism industry.


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Similipal Tiger Reserve to tap eco-tourism potentials

#SimilipalNationalPark#tourism Similipal Tiger Reserve is ideal to tap the potentials of ecotourism and the authorities want to develop at least two tourist spots at Sitakund and Lulung in Mayurbhanj district. Sitakund is famous for waterfall and Lulung for vast serene forest patch beside the Palpala river. Both the places are in the fringes of the sanctuary. Moreover, Sitakund is a part of the national park and is known for Hinduism and its natural beauty that attracts tourists.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 27 January 2016.

There are hills covered in thick forests and the presence of an array of fauna, the sky-kissing Sal trees and the talkative Palpala river greet one at Lulung. It has a forest and the beautiful 399-metre-high Barehipani waterfall apart from the 150-metre-high Joranda waterfall.
Tourists can get a good view of the surrounding peaks such as the 1158-metre-high Meghasani peak and the 1178-metre-high Khairiburu peak from Lulung. Other rivers like the Khairi, Budhabalanga and the Salandi meander throughout the forest. During winter, tourists and nature lovers throng to this place.
The idea is to develop eco-development committees and ecotourism groups who will take care of the spots. These will be developed with water and illumination facilities and a nominal entry fee of Rs 100 will be collected from the tourists. Apart from water, electricity and toilet facilities, the ecotourism groups will also provide oven, utensils and other materials to the picnickers for cooking who will be expected to maintain the sanitation and hygiene of the areas.
Once the work is complete, the local tribal people will get empowered financially, and it is expected that thy would not go in for poaching and tree-felling.


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World corruption index is out - Denmark is least corrupt, India at 76th position

#corruption #CorruptionPerceptionIndex Much has been said and discussed about bringing in transparency in government work but, the fact remains that India continues to be a corruption ridden country. Corruption is believed to be the main reason for the change of governments at Center and in Delhi in the past two years. But, the situation has not changed.
Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2015 shows that India has moved up in rank from 85 position to 76 (however the number of countries ranked in 2015 was 168 against 174 nations in 2014).
CPI measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 27 January 2016.

Bhutan with a score of 65 fares much better than India. However, other neighboring countries continue to languish with a poor record. China stands at rank 83 and Bangladesh at rank 139 - they have not recorded any improvement. The scores of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal have increased marginally over the past year.
Commenting on the high perception of corruption across the Asia Pacific region, the CPI report remarks that in India and Sri Lanka leaders are falling short of their bold promises. Against this, in Bangladesh and Cambodia corruption is because of clamping down on civil society.
This year's CPI sends a message to people of India - it says '... The Modi government has set a new trend in Asia Pacific: fast and big in anti-corruption promises, while slow and small in delivery...."


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$200 million Shanghai Pentagonal Mart is practically deserted

The $200 million Shanghai Pentagonal Mart is a giant shopping mall in China and had been designed as a replica of the Pentagon but, it has been left virtually abandoned because the space is too expensive and too confusing. It was built in 2009 and is believed to be bigger than the Virginia headquarters of the U.S. Defense Department - it is a sprawling setup spread across over 70 acres.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 26 January 2016.

This mega mall is reportedly the largest vacant building in Shanghai and, in spite of the demand for retail space, has sky-high rent. When it had been opened, it was heralded for being a shopping mecca with the potential to attract hundreds of thousands of shoppers a day. The owners Shanghai Megamall had even indicated that they had signed thousands of tenants, including a number of Western brands.
Unfortunately, most of them have left and shopkeepers say its interior is like a labyrinth. Only a small portion of its stores have been leased out, mainly on the outer ring, but the interior is virtually abandoned.
Of course, hopes are not lost because Shanghai Disney Resort, which is located just 5 miles away from the Pentagonal Mart, is set to open in June and that is expected to bring increased traffic and improve business.


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Fifth sperm whale washes up in Wainfleet in Lincolnshire

#spermwhales #Skegness A fifth sperm whale has washed up near to where four others have been found in Lincolnshire in the east coast. This one is believed to be from the same pod as those found earlier. Three had washed up in Skegness, Lincolnshire, and the fourth in Hunstanton, Norfolk. The latest one was found in Wainfleet, around five miles from Skegness.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 26 January 2016.

All these dead animals are understood to have been part of a group of six that was spotted in The Wash and they have been linked to a larger pod, some of which had beached in the Netherlands and Germany.
East Lindsey District Council has indicated that it may be a "few days" before the 48ft whales on the Skegness beach are removed. In the meantime, scientists are inspecting the carcasses and trying to figure out what caused their deaths. From all appearances, they had died at sea before being washed up on the beaches.
Incidentally, there was an explosive release of gas that burst out from one of the whales when scientists cut into it and people have been urged not to go near them.
The 50ft sperm whale that died in Hunstanton earlier is thought to have become distressed and injured its tail thrashing around in the shallow waters. Rescue divers, joined by staff from RNLI, HM Coastguard and Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary tried to push it back into the waters but did not succeed.


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Haste makes waste - Parama flyover has potholes within three months of inauguration

The Parama flyover is just three months old and already potholes have appeared on it with driving becoming a matter of nightmare. The prestigious flyover is now a picture of premature wear and tear and motorists have to apply brakes al of a sudden on the elevated corridor which has an average vehicle speed of 75kmph.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 26 January 2016.

The pothole began to first appear in December, when the surface of the east-bound flank running above Bridge No. 4 began to wear off in parts. The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) repaired the damage but it made the rash to spread elsewhere. And, since the past fortnight, two larger potholes along a 30-metre stretch of the Bypass-bound flank have posed a risk to life and limb. Of course, it is not the only section of the 4.3km flyover where an accident is waiting to happen.
CMDA has admitted that the bitumen coating on the top layer of the bridge was not durable because it had been done in a hurry for the inauguration of the flyover last October. At that time, it was raining and that could also be one of the reasons of why the bitumen is wearing off so quickly.
The Parama flyover named Ma was thrown open to traffic on October 9 last year, more than three years past the original deadline for its completion.


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Kolkata Municipal Corporation to recreate Netaji's Great Escape

Call it a publicity stunt or whatever, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to recreate the Great Escape engineered by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in order to pay a fitting tribute to he freedom fighter and commemorate 75 years of his escape from his Elgin Road residence.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 26 January 2016.

Moreover, the authorities plan to rename Elgin Road as Mahanishkraman Path to keep alive memories of the historic event. The civic top brass will also check out the route of the great escape and locate four prominent roads for construction of the Netaji gates. These decisions were taken by chief minister Mamata Banerjee and mayor Sovan Chatterjee at a function at Netaji Bhawan last week and she wants it to be done on priority.
The civic officials have finalized the structure of the gates which will be arch-type gates that can be seen from a distance. There will also be some kind of ornamentation and each of the gates would have messages about the great patriot and about the necessity of the great escape.
The probable locations of the Netaji Gates would be on Sarat Bose Road, AJC Bose Road and APC Roy Road.


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6.3 magnitude earthquake sends people fleeing in Morocco and Spain

#AlHoceima #spain #earthquake It was a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the Mediterranean between Morocco and Spain and send the people fleeing for cover. The 20-mile deep quake hit at 5.22am (local time). The location was 39 miles north of the Moroccan city of Al Hoceima and 102 miles east-southeast of Gibraltar as confirmed by the US Geological Survey said.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 25 January 2016.

There were six aftershocks including a 5.3-magnitude tremor but there were no immediate reports of any fatalities. However, emergency services received 250 calls from alarmed residents in the Andalucia region, in southern Spain and tremors and aftershocks were felt throughout the area including in the cities of Malaga, Cordoba, Seville and Granada. Nearly 200 households in the Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast suffered damage to their properties.
It may be recalled that in February 2004, a strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake had hit near Al Hoceima and killed 631 people. This time the location is same but no report of fatalities. Incidentally, on Sunday, the US state of Alaska was hit by a magnitude-6.8 earthquake.

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Indians are flocking to Vienna - influence of Bollywood films?

Vienna is turning out to be a much favored destination of Indians. The Vienna Film Commission helping Bollywood director Karan Johar's ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ team to identify, finalize and shoot at a number of locations in the sprawling paradise. That could be a reason of why Indians are opting to visit Vienna.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 22 January 2016.

It seems a record number of Indians had gone to visit Vienna in 2015. The numbers had shown a 50 percent jump and the bulk of them even stayed overnight rather than a day's visit which used to be the practice earlier as indicated by the tourist board.
Vienna offers stately castles, culture, cuisine, music and vast green spaces. The increase in numbers of Indians are highest as compared to visitors from the Arabic countries and Taiwan. The city had attracted a record number of 40,355 Indians last year and 89,628 were overnight stays. The number of Indians visiting Vienna grew 49.5 percent and, the number of overnight stays grew 38.7 percent.
Vienna promotes its own tourism as against the larger Austria and is home to 27 castles, 163 palaces, 109 museums and 120 music and theater stages that hold more than 15,000 concerts annually.

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Winter tourism in Uttarakhand - see snow-capped Himalayas from the air

#Kedarnath #uttarakhand #Himalayas Uttarakhand is keen to promote winter tourism and the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) has introduced a new chopper service from the state capital to Kedarnath. It offers tourists a breathtaking view of snow-capped Himalayas from the air. The fare is Rs 18,000 per person for the 135-minute flight.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 24 January 2016.

Identified as 'Kedar Darshan', it is an aerial trip to the Kedar valley. A team of five tourists can avail of these rides every Saturday and Sunday from 9 am onward in the day from Sahastradhara helipad in Dehradun. The route is - for first 45 minutes, they will fly over snow-covered Himalayan peaks, which offer breathtakingly scintillating view. On reaching Kedarnath, they will halt for 45 minutes and then return to the helipad in another 45 minutes.
The allotted time of 45 minutes is sufficient for the tourists to soak in the scenic beauty. They can click photographs and enjoy a stroll of the area in all-terrain vehicles.
GMVN is offering a 50% subsidy in the fares to attract tourists. The Kedar Darshan is a precursor to the winter festival which is scheduled to be held in Kedar valley.

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Foods that help to lower cholesterol levels and control heart disease

#heart #health #cholesterol It is a well known fact that certain types of foods have the power to decrease heart disease risk by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and raising HDL (good) cholesterol. Cholesterol-busting powers of fish, oatmeal, red wine, beans, and olive oil is not new but, there are other foods that can also help the cause.
This has been reported in foxnews.com dated 23 January 2016.

Some of other foods that can help reduce bad cholesterol are Indian gooseberry (amla), barley, avocado, strawberries, probiotics and grapes.
Indian Gooseberry - it is a round, green fruit that is sour, bitter, and quite fibrous. It is found in India, the Middle East, and some southeast Asian countries and is used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. It functions by reducing total cholesterol levels, including the fatty acids called triglycerides, without affecting levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. It can be eaten fresh, as chutney added to steamed vegetables, or in powdered form added to a smoothie.
Barley - we know that oatmeal has numerous benefits because it lowers blood cholesterol levels, but barley is equally good. Like oatmeal, barley is high in soluble fiber which helps to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood. Barley can be taken at breakfast time. Or - cold barley salad tossed with some olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh herbs for a tasty cholesterol-lowering lunch. It is also delicious in soups and can be eaten for breakfast with a splash of milk and honey instead of oatmeal.
Avocado - it is a high-fat food but could be considered for inclusion in a cholesterol-lowering menu. Go in for avocado instead of mayonnaise on your sandwich, topping off your omelet with avocado slices, or making a guacamole to snack on with high-fiber crackers or sliced vegetables.
Strawberries - it is sweet and, while the berry season is in the summer, frozen berries are an affordable substitute that can be enjoyed all year long.
Probiotics - these are live microorganisms that naturally occur. Yogurt falls in this category. Other common sources of probiotics include kefir, and fermented foods (like sauerkraut, tempeh, and pickles).
Grapes - red wine is said to be good for the heart. Grapes are not far behind. The heart-healthy polyphenol found in red wine, resveratrol, is also found in grapes of all colors. Moreover, fresh grapes provide other heart-protective nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and flavonoids.

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Vehicle pileup on Yamuna Expressway due to dense fog

#yamunaexpressway #fogeffect #delhi #vehiclepileup There was a vehicle pileup on Yamuna Expressway due to dense fog - nearly 20 vehicles were involved when they rammed into each other near Jewar toll plaza. There has been no causalities but a number of vehicles were badly damaged. Fog is playing havoc with fog affecting movement of trains apart from vehicular movement on roads in the Delhi-NCR region on Sunday morning. A total of 20 Delhi-bound trains were delayed.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 24 January 2016.

As per the Met office, the minimum temperature in the city was recorded at 7.5 degrees Celsius which is the average for the season. The forecast of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is that the sky will remain clear throughout the day with possibility of dense fog at few places. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 20 degrees Celsius.
Incidentally, visibility at 8.30 a.m. was 100 metres, and at 5.30 a.m. it was less than 50 metres while weather office said the humidity at 8.30 a.m. was recorded 100 percent.
On Saturday, the maximum temperature was 22.2 degrees Celsius, one notch above the season's average and, the minimum was recorded at 4.6 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average.

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Will Hillary Clinton become the first woman President of the USA

#hillaryclinton #donaldtrump #WhiteHouse #BernieSanders The battle for White House is hotting up and Hillary Clinton is believed to be the favorite of the Democratic party. She was ahead till recently but, the popularity of Vermont senator Bernie Sanders is on the rise and he has surged ahead of Hillary Clinton.
THis has been reported in ibnlive.com dated 22 January 2016.

Hillary Clinton, the former first lady, former New York senator and former secretary of state enjoys a worldwide following and had started as a Democratic favorite when she had announced her candidature last spring. She was holding a substantially commanding lead over her nearest Democratic rival Sanders in Iowa until December. At that time, as per the CNN/ORC poll, she led Sanders by 18 points.
However, as per the latest opinion poll carried out and released by the same agency, Sanders is now leading Clinton by eight points. This is her second presidential bid and, a defeat in Iowa could become a major setback for her campaign because this traditionally sets the pace and tone of the rest of the presidential season.
Of course, she can always bounce back by winning in other States. Nationally, she still has a 13-point lead over Sanders, the Senator from Vermont.
The Iowa Caucus is on February 1 and that would formally kick off the 2016 presidential elections. It will be followed by New Hampshire primary a week later and, candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties have virtually stormed the two crucial states. They have fanned out to small villages and cities in their last-minute efforts to convince voters and garner support from them.

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Yoga courses in Odisha closed down due to very little response

The Center wanted to introduce yoga courses in universities all over India but, due to poor response in Odisha, it is being closed down - the main treason for such reluctance on the part of students is that there are no job opportunities for a postgraduate student in yoga. He, or she, can at best become a yoga teacher. And, even a student who has completed his Plus Two education and undergone a six-month training in yoga can become a trainer. So, why should anyone do a postgraduate course in yoga?
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 24 January 2016.

The Union ministry of human resource development has formed a 12-member committee for prescribing the syllabus of yoga and, on January 2, the ministry had organized a meeting in Bangalore, where various aspects of setting up of departments of yogic art and science in universities had been discussed.
In Odisha, many varsities, which had earlier introduced yoga, have withdrawn it while others are planning to drop it since there are very few takers. Incidentally, yoga is taught as a short module under the National Cadet Corps as an elective subject and, it could be pursued through distance education.

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India spared the blushes - wins 5th ODI at Sydney, thanks to Manish Pandey's 1st ODI hundred

#ManishPandey #RohitSharma #ShikharDhawan #msdhoni India managed to avoid a white-wash, thanks to the wonderful performance of Manish Pandey. Set to score 331 to win the 5th and final ODI of the current series at the Sydney Cricket Ground, India succeeded in wining it with two deliveries to spare, thanks to an unbeaten century by Manish Pandey. It was his fourth match and he scored 102 runs from just 81 balls.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 23 January 2016.

Unfortunately, Rohit Sharma missed out on his 3rd century of the series - he got out when on 99. Shikhar Dhawan contributed 78 runs and put up a century plus stand with Rohit for the opening partnership. But, captain M S Dhoni did not appear t be his usual self - he has lost the hard hitting powers.
Obviously, Manish Pandey has proved that he can play a stellar role and, since he came into the team due to injures to Ajinkya Rahane, it remains to be seen how Manish would be accommodated.

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