Calcutta remains out of the radar of international flights

Jet Airways has plans to connect three metros directly to Europe but Calcutta is not one of these. According to the aviation industry, little had changed in terms of Bengal's economic potential for airlines to consider starting direct flights between Calcutta and Europe.
There is no doubt that Calcutta has recorded an increase in the number of passengers flying to Europe. They are mostly tourists, students and people who are visiting friends and relatives. Airlines need passengers for corporate travel because that is what makes a route viable.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 24 June 2017.

The new routes announced by Jet Airways are a direct flight from Chennai to Paris and one from Bangalore to Amsterdam. The inaugural flights on these routes are scheduled for October 29. There are already direct service to Amsterdam from Delhi and Mumbai and the airline also has a direct flight between Mumbai and Paris. It is also exploring possibilities of starting one more daily flight between Mumbai and London from the same month.
Calcutta, unfortunately, is not on the radar because there are direct flights to Europe from other cities and Calcutta is connected to these cities by a network of its own domestic flights.
Air India had plans to reintroduce a direct flight from Calcutta to London but, has postponed the plan now. According to sources in the aviation sector, there has been no improvement in the viability of passenger load, especially of corporate travellers.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

East Coast Railway to run 186 special trains during Rath Yatra

Tax on the 326-year-old Jagannathpur Mela waived

Pollution in Subarnarekha river a matter of concern


He loved model planes and aero modeling

He practices homeopathy with a smile

My friends who used to sell saris


The Big Sick is Anupam Kher’s 500th film

Suicide Squad 2 - the sequel - to start shooting in 2018

Shooting started in Paris for Tom Cruise starrer 'Mission Impossible 6'


900 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya by coast guards

Death toll in the London Tower fire rises to 30, could go up to 100

ISIS carries out its first attack on Iran - at least 12 dead

Oil spill on beach after two cargo ships collide off the Kamarajar Port in Ennore

The oil spill due to the collision of two cargo ships off the Kamarajar Port in Ennore has resutedin pollution of the Chennai’s beaches also. Morning beach walkers found oil on the sands on the Marina beach, near INS Adyar, at Nochikuppam and at Pattinapakkam.
Residents were shocked to see the black oil deposit on the sands of the Marina. Fishermen from Nochikuppam, who brought in their catches after fishing trips, mentioned about a strong smell of oil in the sea. Fishermen organizations have demanded for immediate action to remove the oil spills since it is affecting the livelihood of the fishermen. THey have not been able to venture into the sea for the past two days.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 31 January 2017.

An expert on oil spills has warned people not to go to the beaches that had been polluted because it was very harmful to the skin. Inhaling benzene found in such fuels is also bad. The oil is very heavy oil and difficult to clean. the Coast Guard had issued notice to the owner and master of the ship, MV Dawn Kanchipuram, over the incident.
The volume of the oil that has been spilled is large. Oil spills move due to wave action and also through ocean currents and the waves break up the oil plumes into smaller portions.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Mars mission very much on the cards - six scientists are getting ready in Hawaii

Remembering Princess Diana on her 20th death anniversary

Restaurant offering only organic food opens in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad


Didi to UP on a selling mission (satire)

Ronald Grump invites Moody to Las Vegas (satire)

In the wonderland of deo sprays, fairness creams, and condoms


Sets of the film Padmavati in Jaipur vandalised, Bhansali cancels shooting

Indian born actress Priyanka Bose talks about the movie 'Lion'

Pakistan government lifts the ban on Indian films with 'Raees' and 'Kaabil'


Fire in a mosque in Texas - the Islamic Center of Victoria badly damaged

ISIS had plans to launch chemical warfare - evidence unearthed in Mosul

26-year-old man mows down four people and injures another 25 in Melbourne CBD

200-year-old banyan tree uprooted by cyclone Vardah replanted in Chennai

A 200-year-old banyan tree that had been uprooted by cyclone Vardah last month has been successfully replanted in Chennai. It was a major task and the residents joined hands to carry out the replanting. They did not want their landmark to vanish.
The tree which was located on LDG Road, Little Mount, Saidapet, has received a new lease of life.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 29 January 2017.

The Greater Chennai Corporation’s park division provided fungicide to help revive the giant tree while Larsen and Toubro provided the manpower to rehabilitate the tree. To do this, the branches were pruned, after which the tree was given anti-fungal treatment. Then a five by five feet pit was dug and sand and mud removed from the original spot were transferred to fill the pit. After 15 days it would be provided more nutrients.
The residents were keen to resurrect the tree because it has been around for more than two centuries and defined the area they live in. The shade of this majestic banyan had even the venue for a number of marriages and functions.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Tejas Light Combat Aircraft to debut at the 2017 Republic Day parade

Many of the Trump hats are not made in America but in China, Vietnam and Bangladesh

Chinese firm to invest over Rs 1300 crore in Toto rickshaw manufacture in Howrah


Didi visualizes industrial revival via nalen gur (satire)

Lord Shiva and the sight of potbellied policemen (satire)

In the wonderland of health drinks


Shah Rukh Khan's movie Raees to release in Dubai on January 25

James Cameron plans to resurrect his Terminator franchise in 2019

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan wants more power to women in 2017


ISIS destroys portions of Roman amphitheatre in the ancient city of Palmyra

Kim Jong-Un plans to send a message to Donald Trump by launching a missile

Bomb blast in a vegetable market in Parachinar kills at least 20

 

Feeding the homeless people in Chennai by recycling wasted food

The `No Food Waste' project in Chennai is a crusade against food-waste that can stave off hunger for many of the homeless inhabitants. It will be working with Greater Chennai Corporation to accomplish this objective.
Under the program, the group will receive untouched leftover food from collection points across cities and distribute it to the homeless - it will concentrate on localities that have quite a few of them. The city is being mapped for `hunger spots' which are those areas that have several clusters of homeless population.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 24 January 2017.

The project is at present channelling tonnes of untouched leftover food to the needy in cities like Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Trichy in the state and in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Due to this unique scheme, the homeless of Chennai may get a dignified way to satisfy their hunger and would no longer have to scavenge for throwaways in dumpsters.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Tejas Light Combat Aircraft to debut at the 2017 Republic Day parade

Many of the Trump hats are not made in America but in China, Vietnam and Bangladesh

Chinese firm to invest over Rs 1300 crore in Toto rickshaw manufacture in Howrah


Didi visualizes industrial revival via nalen gur (satire)

Lord Shiva and the sight of potbellied policemen (satire)

In the wonderland of health drinks


Shah Rukh Khan's movie Raees to release in Dubai on January 25

James Cameron plans to resurrect his Terminator franchise in 2019

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan wants more power to women in 2017


ISIS destroys portions of Roman amphitheatre in the ancient city of Palmyra

Kim Jong-Un plans to send a message to Donald Trump by launching a missile

Bomb blast in a vegetable market in Parachinar kills at least 20

Cyclonic storm 'Vardah' to strike Chennai with wind speeds of 40-50 kph

A severe cyclonic storm 'Vardah', presently over the Bay of Bengal, is expected to make landfall near Chennai and the coastal states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are bracing up to deal with it. The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall in coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, and southern Andhra Pradesh.
The wind speeds would be in the region of 40-50 kph and squally winds coupled with very rough sea conditions are expected along and off Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.
This has been reported in deccanherald.com dated 11 December 2016.

Warnings have been issued urging fishermen in Tamil Nadu, Puduchery and Andhra Pradesh coasts to keep away from the seas for the next 48 hours. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has deployed its teams in Tamil Nadu on account of the cyclonic storm.
It may be recalled that Cyclone Nada had made a landfall near Chennai in the first week of December. It brought with it much-needed showers in Tamil Nadu which had witnessed a below normal Southwest Monsoon as well as Northeast Monsoon. These usually brings rains to some parts of southern India, especially Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Make in Odisha conclave attracts investment of more than Rs 22000 crore on first day

Guwahati airport could become a major airline hub and gateway to the Southeast Asia

Patna zoo adds Chyawanprash to its menu to protect chimpanzees from cold


Lord Shiva cracks jokes and Durga fries samosas (satire)

Moody hates black money and strikes at midnight (satire)

Didi sharpens her weapons to conquer the Hindi belt (satire)


Ohio student stabs people with a butcher knife before being shot dead

Ukraine plans missile tests, Russia responds by sending warships to the Black Sea

London Police deputes anti-terrorism patrol units under Operation Servator


Sir Roger Moore says he could play James Bond once again

President Putin grants Russian citizenship to Hollywood star Steven Seagal

US President Barack Obama presents Medal of Freedom to Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, Robert De Niro, Diana Ross and Bill Gates

Eateries in Chennai hit hard by demonetisation

Eateries, big or small, have been hit hard in Chennai by demonetisation. Business at small food and beverage joints as well as supermarkets and malls in the city has taken a hit following the sudden demonetisation drive.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 16 November 2016.

A juice shop owner has said that his business had declined by 75 per cent. To make matters worse, people come with notes of Rs. 2,000 and ask for change. Another tea shop owner who used to sell 150 cups a day now sells less than 50. Similarly for a man who operates a snacks and tea shop - his business had halved.
Moreover, at some smaller food outlets, owners are accepting debit card payments in order to retain customers - some of them are even swiping debit cards for bill amounts as low as Rs.30-40. The shop owners do not have much choice other than accepting debit cards payment even for amounts less than Rs.100. It would be a loss for him because he would have to pay two per cent service tax for every swipe.
Larger restaurants are also witnessing a drop in their business. But, high-value restaurants have not been affected too much since 65 to 70 per cent of customers pay by card.
In supermarkets earlier, 60 per cent of the customers used to pay by cash and, now, over 80 per cent follow that route.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

British Prime Minister Theresa May's visit to India - mango and visa on the agenda

Air India Express to provide improved air connectivity between Kolkata and Singapore

Mamata Banerjee to visit the United States in 2017 to woo industries


Lord Shiva’s views on Kalighat and marriages (satire)

Moody and the half pant brigade (satire)

Didi’s idea - deflate tyres to punish unruly drivers (satire)


Iraq special forces advanced into Mosul while ISIS militants killed 20

British police have foiled 12 terror plots against Britain in the last three years

No-fly zones to be imposed over jails to prevent drones from being used to smuggle drugs into prisons


Michael Fassbender says no to next James Bond - will a woman take over?

Second trailer of Wonder Woman released- will be in the cinemas in July 2017

Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) begins 11 November

Vandalur Zoo in Chennai has exotic varieties of animals, birds, butterflies

The first zoo in India was set up in Chennai in 1855. At that time, it was located near Moore Market Complex but was later shifted to the present location in 1979 because the state government had to hand over the land to the railways for expansion works.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 6 November 2016.

The new sprawling zoo is located on on Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road and was inaugurated by then Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran.
By 1982, the first enclosures were readied, and he zoo was stocked with seven sambars, five macaw parrots and one African grey parrot and an assortment of animals like zebra, hippo and blackbuck. These were transported from the old Corporation Zoo. All its animals and birds, numbering 155, were also shifted there.
Over the years, the zoo has expanded its activities to enrich its collection of animals for the zoo and highest priority was given to acquisition of glamorous exotic animals from different parts of the globe.
Simultaneously, breeding of the rare and endangered species of wild animals, like Shangai (Thamin deer), Swamp deer, Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur, Indian Gaur, Wild Dog, Indian Tiger and the Asiatic Lion, were also undertaken successfully.
Similarly for the birds - the birds that were bred successfully included the Pea Fowl, Red Jungle Fowl and Kaleej Pheasant. The Rock Python and the rare Malabar Squirrel, endemic to the Western Ghats, have also bred well.
In 2014, the Butterfly Park was created on an area of over 2.5 hectares. It was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on September 20, 2015 and now has over 1,500 species of butterflies in India. Tamil Nadu is home to nearly 300 of them.
The zoo boasts of three elephants, 11 white tigers and 15 Royal Bengal tigers.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017

Tomato and onion prices plummet in Chennai due to over production in Karnataka and Maharashtra

Unplanned production of vegetables in Karnataka and Maharashtra have resulted in over production and a correspondingly steep fall of prices in Chennai. The price of onions came down to Rs 17 while tomatoes from Bengaluru were selling at Rs 12 per kilogram and the local variety for just Rs 8 per kilogram.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 17 August 2016.

In some areas of the city, tomatoes were selling at Rs 5 per kilogram. As one vendor said - since these are perishable items, he sold them for Rs 5 to avoid wastage.
The Koyambedu vegatable market saw 300 trucks from Karnataka bringing in tomatoes while the same number of trucks brought in onions from Maharashtra. Obviously, the prices could fall still further with the increased supplies.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Cannes bans burkinis on its beaches due to terror threats

Street vendors in Bengaluru want to remain open and do business till 1am

Karnataka bans selfies in specific tourist spots like waterfalls, dams, cliffs etc


Didi’s naughty boys tie her up in knots (satire)

Lord Shiva loves and enjoys dancing (satire)

Moody discusses women’s fashion with Baba Someday (satire)


War waged on ISIS by the US and UK has destroyed 26000 targets

France to impart lessons in schools on survival techniques in case of ISIS attacks

Suspected chlorine gas attack in Aleppo kill at least four


Action hero and Rustom star Akshay Kumar talks about daredevil stunts

'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah' crosses 2000 episodes - enters Limca Book of Records

Next James Bond movie would not come before 2018

Howrah and Sealdah stations are in the bottom 10 list of clean stations

Howrah and Sealdah stations in Kolkata are among the country's largest and busiest railway stations and have been ranked in the bottom 10 out of 32 used by more than 50,000 passengers daily. CST Mumbai and Chennai Central, which are in the same category, have been ranked in the top 10.
Nearly 8.5 lakh people use Howrah station each day while Sealdah handles about 12 lakh and, in comparison, CST Mumbai receives more than 15 lakh passengers every day and yet stays much cleaner.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 28 July 2016.

Howrah and Sealdah have been ranked "average" in a survey on cleanliness conducted by the railways across 407 stations. Out of the 407 stations surveyed, Howrah ranks 275, Sealdah is 346 and Kolkata station 131. CST Mumbai, which receives more footfall than Sealdah and Howrah, has been ranked 129 while Chennai Central stands eight notches higher at 121.
It has been revealed that both Howrah and Sealdah stations have dirty washrooms and the platforms are often littered with trash. Moreover, parcels of fish are ferried through the new terminal at Howrah station and water seeping out of them makes the platforms filthy. Also, scores of hawkers selling vegetables squat inside the subway that lead to the bus terminus from the old terminal - as a result, the area is dirtied.
Same for Sealdah - here also, much of the fish and vegetables arriving at the markets come through this station. The parameters used for the survey were cleanliness of ticketed areas, non-ticketed areas, toilets and waste management and the survey was commissioned by the Railway Board and conducted by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) along with a private agency.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Efforts on by Odisha to get UNESCO Heritage tag for Bhitarkanika national park

Alitalia pilot refused to fly from Beirut to Rome because he was tired - passengers stuck for 16 hours at Beirut

Wildfire in California spreads over 11,000 acres - residents evacuated


Didi not happy seeing urchins in Howrah Station (satire)

Lord Shiva stumped by the sea of humanity on 21st (satire)

Moody embraces yoga, his medics could embrace poverty (satire)

Lone wolf attack in Munich mall kills 10 including the attacker

Youth attacks train commuters with an axe - leaves more than 20 injured, some seriously

ISIS carries out suicide attack in Kabul - 80 killed, death toll could rise


Sir Michael Caine forced to change his name because of ISIS

Irrfan Khan meets Arvind Kejriwal before release of his film 'Madaari'

Kissing scenes in movies – why this fad has never caught on in Bollywood

Indian Air Force AN-32 still missing with 29 people on board

An Indian Air Force AN-32 aircraft has been missing now for over 30 hours and, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has arrived at Chennai to join a sortie conducted by the armed forces. The missing aircraft was on a "courier flight" with 29 people on board and had gone missing 16 minutes after takeoff from Tambaram Air Base.
This has been reported in ndtv.com dated 23 July 2016.

The search and rescue operations has being undertaken by the Navy, Air Force and the Coast Guard to locate the whereabouts of the AN-32 that had left the Tambaram air base near Chennai en-route to Port Blair - however, ground control lost contact with it after 16 minutes when the pilot reported that "everything is normal".
The aircraft had six crew members and eight civilians (family members) and it is feared that it might have plunged rapidly from an altitude of 23,000 feet. There were 11 Air Force personnel, one Navy and two Army soldiers and a coast guard member on the transport plane that was headed to Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar chain of islands.
More than 12 Navy and coast guard ships are searching for the aircraft in the Bay of Bengal and a submarine has also been diverted for the search. The search operation continued through the night. The plane is fitted with an emergency beacon locator which gets activated in the event of a crash. The Navy submarine is expected to track underwater signals from the locator.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Boost to religious tourism - 2.3-Km permanent bridge planned from Beyt Dwarka to Okha mainland

Boeing celebrates 100-years of manufacturing aircraft

Spanish Talgo trying to impress the lovers of Bullet trains with its peformance


Yoga and khadi gel with Baba and Moody (satire)

Didi wants to promote small scale industries (satire)

Lord Shiva feels rains are the best option for cleaning (satire)


80 killed and over 100 injured in Nice as truck rams into revelers celebrating Bastille Day

Failed coup attempt in Turkey - 161 people killed and 1,440 wounded

Synthetic marijuana sees 33 people collapse simultaneously on the streets of New York


Leonardo DiCaprio to donate USD 15.7 million to help solve environmental issues

Shah Rukh Khan could make a movie on tennis star Sania Mirza

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr rejoin to bring back the era of The Beatles

Employment in Tamil Nadu - join a crowd and earn upto Rs 1200

Tamil Nadu is setting a new trend in employment - it is now election time right now and, in order to get huge crowds at their rallies, political parties are outsourcing the jobs. There are event managers and they pay Rs 200 to Rs 1200 to students to join the rallies in and outside Chennai. It is a sort of summer-job for them.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 18 April 2016.

All the major parties have set targets for district secretaries - they are supposed to bring in the crowds (up to 20,000 people each) and locals are wooed with cash and food packets and transported in buses and vans to the venue. Till now, it was the leaders who used to directly herd the crowds to venues - it is now outsourced.
This is the new trend, a new business pattern. There are professional looking brochures with specific rates like Rs 600 each for men, Rs 800 for women and Rs 1,200 for students to attend the rally -the rates vary depending on demand and supply. They supply up to 10,000 people in Chennai, 5,000 outside Chennai - it is a fully paid and hired crowd.

Didi wants to move around fast and wants a solution (satire)

Lord Shiva intrigued by the writing on the walls (satire)

Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)


Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Football goes to the rooftop in Chennai - solution for lack of ground space

Chennai is setting a new trend and revolutionizing the way how football is played. Due to lack of ground space, football is taking to the rooftops. With the invasion of concrete, football turfs are now sprouting on roofs of buildings. They are certainly not be the usual 100m x 50m fields, but are a little more than 5,000sqft. Balls and referees are thrown in and enthusiasts have no room to complain.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 7 April 2016.

Chennai now boasts of two football turfs. One is Netz Cricket inside the Citi Centre mall (which doubles up as a football turf). The second is Tiki Taka, on the rooftop of a three-storey building in Kilpauk, A third one Game On is set to open shortly - it is at 100 feet atop an IT building in Egmore.
Rooftop turfs usually charge up to Rs 3,000 an hour, which works out to Rs 200 per head for a five-a-side game. Most of these rooftop turfs are smaller than regular football fields and the game of futsal, which is a modified form of football played with five players a side, is perfect.
Incidentally, the popularity of both Tiki Taka, and the mall-bound Netz is such that one needs to book days, sometimes weeks, in advance to find a slot. Tiki Taka is just six months old and the astro turf receives up to 100 footfalls every day.(br>

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi rolls out the red carpet (satire)

Moody’s cleanliness drive - free soap for all children (satire)

Lord Shiva cannot relate to today’s Shivaratri (satire)


Teenage girl jumps off moving bus in Mehsana to avoid molestation

Transgender candidate to contest against Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal polls

Japan kills 333 whales in its latest Antarctic hunt - the figure was 252 whales in 2014


ISIS claims responsibility for Brussels attack and warns Britain of more severe attacks

Tragedy in chicken eating contest in Indonesia - a competitor chokes to death

Terror attack in Ankara kills at least 37 - one suicide bomber was a 22-year-old woman

Star Wars Episode VIII to get delayed till December 2017

Antonio Banderas gifted a pair of monkeys to Salma Hayek on her birthday

Frieda Pinto talks about 'Jungle Book - Origins'