Monsoon strikes Kolkata

It was the first downpour of the month and it brought with it a much-needed relief from days of sweltering heat to the city of Kolkata and the Met office has assured of more such spells over the next two days while the weather will remain hot and humid. The heaviest showers were reported from central and south Calcutta but areas in north Calcutta like Dum Dum and Ultadanga did not get any rain. Vehicles were seen plying with their headlights on.
This is reported in telegraphindia.com dated 8 June 2017.

The monsoon winds have covered the north-east and are expected to reach north Bengal in a day or two. The normal date of the monsoon’s arrival in the city is June 8 but, of late, the onset had been delayed by around 10 days. However, meteorologists are confident that the delay won’t be much this year.
It seems a well-marked low pressure area over the Arabian Sea is moving away from the Indian landmass and because of this, the monsoon winds should get a boost in a couple of days.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

New outlets for fresh fish from Chilika

The Great Indian Bustard makes a comeback

Trekking options open up in Uttarakhand


Another boss who understood my feelings

My boss rode a scooter and wore a wig

The man who loved his work


Airstrikes kill at least 27 ISIS militants in Iraq

US police arrest serial killer of Phoenix who had killed at least nine people

Gunmen disguised as doctors shoot dead 38 persons in a Kabul hospital


Sequel of ABBA's hit musical Mamma Mia on the cards

Hackers demand ransom for Disney’s latest Pirates film

'Wonder Woman' with Gal Gadot arriving in India in June

Unqualified men pose as doctors in reputable hospitals in Kolkata

It came as a rude shock to the people of Kolkata to learn that unqualified men were occupying seats as doctors in reputable hospitals in the city. CID has zeroed on a person who claims to be a registered Unani practitioner and police are investigating whether it is true or not. In fact, all his educational qualifications, beyond his secondary school certificate, are under the scanner.
He is not the only one - as per police reports, there are at least six more suspects who are believed to working with fake certificates.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 May 2017.

The police are in touch with officials of the Medical Council and are investigating these cases that reveal a sordid picture of the health services in the city. The CID sleuths have started questioning one of the the accused to ascertain his wealth.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

New outlets for fresh fish from Chilika

The Great Indian Bustard makes a comeback

Trekking options open up in Uttarakhand


Another boss who understood my feelings

My boss rode a scooter and wore a wig

The man who loved his work


Airstrikes kill at least 27 ISIS militants in Iraq

US police arrest serial killer of Phoenix who had killed at least nine people

Gunmen disguised as doctors shoot dead 38 persons in a Kabul hospital


Sequel of ABBA's hit musical Mamma Mia on the cards

Hackers demand ransom for Disney’s latest Pirates film

'Wonder Woman' with Gal Gadot arriving in India in June

Bengal plans to set up Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) on major tourist routes

Bengal has seen more than 14 lakh foreign tourists last year. It is one of the top five foreign destinations in the country and the state government plans to develop its tourism infrastructure. As part of this, it will be setting up Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) in the state and also along the national highways that pass through Bengal to ensure hassle-free journeys for both domestic and foreign travelers.
Each Tourist Amenity Centres (TAC) along the highways will be where tourists can comfortably rest and eat. They will have a cafeteria, a medical store and a shop selling essential commodities apart a separate ramp for people with disabilities, a feeding room for babies and separate toilets for men and women. They can also avail of free WiFi and parking space.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 6 March 2017.

Initially, seven such centres will be developed — four along the Kolkata-Bakkhali route in South 24-Parganas and three along the Kolaghat-Digha route. Talks are on with major oil companies to help develop the TACs under the public-private partnership model.
Tourism is high on the agenda of Bengal. A short film 'Beautiful Bengal', featuring Shah Rukh Khan, was released to promote Bengal tourism. The tourism department has plans to launch a promotional campaign to attract foreign tourists during Durga Puja. A heritage tram ride has also been introduced in the city of Kolkata.


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Barack Obama enters the league of top US Presidents with ranking of 12

Public tours of the White House will begin again from March 7

Explosion in French nuclear power plant in a non-nuclear zone


Didi caught in the whirlpool of industries (satire)

Moody’s love hate relationship with the raincoat (satire)

The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed


Mumbai will get to see Justin Bieber in action on May 10

Kangana Ranaut is 'fearless Julia' in Rangoon

Shakti Kapoor holds his audience spellbound in the Khandagiri Yatra


ISIS carries out car bombing in Baghdad - kills at least 55

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 72 in a Sufi shrine in Pakistan

Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Giraffe born in Alipore Zoo - count of the herd goes up to 10

A female giraffe was born in the Alipore Zoo in Kolkata and with this birth, the herd count goes up to 10. Its mother is 6-year-old Lakshmi and the father is 9-year-old Sabuj. Both mother and baby were fine and have been kept in a separate enclosure to give the newborn time to adapt itself to its surroundings.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 15 February 2017.

The mother and calf have been separated from the herd to ensure that the calf is kept out of harm's way by attacks from any member of the herd. Hopefully, it would appear in front the public in about a fortnight. The calf is around 5ft tall and weighs 65-Kg. The average gestation period of a giraffe is 13-15 months which is next only to elephants among mammals living on land.
Last May, Trina, another giraffe, had given birth to a female calf and, the newcomer has taken the female giraffe count in the zoo to six. The authorities are interacting with other states to exchange a couple of giraffes for some other animals.


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New luxury cruise liner Seabourn Encore is labeled as 'sexiest ship at sea'

Mahatma Gandhi’s samadhi at Rajghat gets a new look

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


The curse of social media – cold blooded murders committed

Saraswati Puja means entering a new phase of life

Moody on UFO, Mangalyaan and Moon Mission for monkey baat (satire)


Naomie Harris gets Oscar nomination in the best-supporting actress category for Moonlight

Nicole Kidman could earn $8 million if she writes her autobiography

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


Mayor of London worried about ISIS attacks on the city

Militants in Indonesia looking for women terrorists

Six people shot dead by gunmen in a mosque in Quebec City during evening prayers

Chinese in Mumbai celebrate the Year of the Rooster

The Chinese community in Mumbai are celebrate the Year of the Rooster from January 28, 2017 to February 15, 2018. The festivities have been set in motion by hanging red paper lanterns, wind chimes and greetings of prosperity. These heralded the start of the Year of the Rooster.
The Chinese visited the only Chinese temple in Mumbai which is the shrine of Kwan Tai Shek in Mazgaon. After the prayer ceremony held at midnight, there was the dragon dance enacted in the streets. It brings back memories of the grand parade in Kolkata's Chinatown.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 January 2017.

This is an important festival in the Chinese calendar and it calls for a family reunion. Some of the Chinese from Mumbai are visiting Kolkata to meet their relatives and watch the dragon parade.
Families follow the tradition of gifting red envelopes containing token sums of money to children and unmarried youngsters on new year's eve. Their numbers have gone down and the Chinese is no longer a close-knit community because many qualified youth do not want to run family owned restaurants, beauty parlours or dentist clinics. Instead, they prefer to migrate abroad to work or to study.


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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

Latest West Bengal Tourism ad featuring Shah Rukh Khan is a super hit

Till now, all the West Bengal Tourism ads had highlighted Sundarbans, Darjeeling, and the Howrah Bridge - the latest ad featuring Shah Rukh Khan, the brand ambassador of Bengal, is a super hit. SRK is shown crooning Tagore’s song and serenading a young foreign girl in a Kolkata tram.
The video covers the busy college street with its yellow cabs. It goes on to devouring bhetki paturis, visiting architecturally rich temples of Bishnupur, the haunting music of the Bauls and Rabindra Sangeet.
The video captures all things beautiful about the state and the basic idea was to showcase the hidden gems of Bengal.
This has been reported in news18.com dated 23 January 2017.

The ad has won over the internet and, ever since it was released, it has crossed a million views and been shared by more than 30, 000 people on Facebook alone. The video is of Bengal through the eyes of a foreigner who embarks on a journey through West Bengal and soaks in the culture, the food and the ambience of the state.
It covers the mystic valleys in Darjeeling to the breathtaking sea beach of Mandarmani and is a visual delight. For Bengalis who live outside Bengal, the video has struck a chord for its authenticity and made them crave for a trip back home.


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

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

It is a paradox that while India bans Chinese crackers, lights, kite manjas etc, India will get a Chinese bullet train. And, now, one Chinese firm plans to invest over Rs 1300 crore in Toto rickshaw manufacture in Howrah - this has been announced on the sidelines of the Bengal Global Business Summit.>br> The Chinese company has already set up the plant alongside Howrah-Amta State Highway and the production of e-rickshaws is already underway. The project is waiting for a few clearances after which the e-rickshaws will begin to roll out.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 22 January 2017.

E-rickshaws or totos have become popular in suburban and rural Bengal in the past four years - it is economical and reliable mode of transport in the interiors where the condition of roads are bad and last mile connectivity is almost absent.
At present, these totos are imported from China and assembled here before selling them - this increases the price. Once production begins in Howrah with maximum spare parts sourced locally, the price will reduce. It will also ensure that spare parts of the vehicles will be available with the dealer and owners need not run from pillar to post.
There are plans for these e-rickshaws to be sold in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and north-eastern states.


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CISF prevents students of Manipur from entering the Taj Mahal

Kolkata to soon get rice and fish curry for Rs 21 at selected outlets

Bhilai tries to set five world records in Yoga with one lakh people participating


In the wonderland of women centric products

In the wonderland of banyans and messages

In the wonderland of toothpastes


Avatar star Zoe Saldana in Ben Affleck's Live By Night

Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone in Mumbai to promote XXX: Return of Xander Cage

Aamir Khan's Dangal expected to cross Rs 100 crore in first weekend


Migrant boat capsizes off Libya's coast - 100 feared dead

Defensive anti-aircraft missiles around Moscow in preparation for a war?

US army veteran shoots dead five persons in Fort Lauderdale airport, Florida

Howrah is embracing the mall culture - Raghav Plaza enters the scene

People of Howrah are embracing the mall culture as Raghav Plaza makes its entry - it is in Howrah and is located near the 30-year-old AC Market on Dobson Road. Mall culture has caught on not only in Kolkata but in Howrah as well and shoppers have migrated from markets to malls.
The air-conditioned comfort, ease of access with elevators and escalators and parking facilities give malls an obvious edge over traditional markets.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 19 January 2017.

Raghav Plaza is G+2 situated on Dobson Road, just 100 metres from the 30-year-old AC Market. It occupies more than 33,000 square feet, has more than 90 shops, a food court, spacious corridors, elevators, escalators and basement parking facility for 60 cars.
It may be recalled that Avani Riverside Mall was the first to open its doors in south Howrah five years ago. It was followed by Forum Rangoli which spread the mall-plex-plaza fever to the congested north in 2015.
Then there is the 1,20,000sq ft Aurobindo Mall in Salkia - it has three anchor stores - Pantaloons, Bazaar Kolkata and Reliance Trends. A plex and food court are scheduled to open soon along with terrace parking facility. Aurobindo Mall is just 3-Km away from Howrah bridge and is expected to draw customers from across the river as well. It is understood that Mumbai-based Miraj Cinemas will debut in Bengal with its first multiplex here.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

CISF prevents students of Manipur from entering the Taj Mahal

Kolkata to soon get rice and fish curry for Rs 21 at selected outlets

Bhilai tries to set five world records in Yoga with one lakh people participating


In the wonderland of women centric products

In the wonderland of banyans and messages

In the wonderland of toothpastes


Avatar star Zoe Saldana in Ben Affleck's Live By Night

Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone in Mumbai to promote XXX: Return of Xander Cage

Aamir Khan's Dangal expected to cross Rs 100 crore in first weekend


Migrant boat capsizes off Libya's coast - 100 feared dead

Defensive anti-aircraft missiles around Moscow in preparation for a war?

US army veteran shoots dead five persons in Fort Lauderdale airport, Florida

Education shocker in Bengal - 24% students in Class-I cannot recognise the digits 1 to 9

A real shocker has come to surface regarding education in Bengal - here, students of Government schools have poor mathematical skills. A little less than one in four (or 24%) of Bengal's Class-I students are unable to recognize the digits 1 to 9.
This is as per a report of the nationwide Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) that has been prepared by the NGO, Pratham.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 19 January 2017.

In addition, 17.7% of rural Bengal students (all districts except Kolkata) of class-III could not read upper-case English letters and 14.5% could read the upper case but not lower-case ones. More than one in five (or 22.6%) could read the lower case but not words or sentences, 26.6% could read words but not sentences and 18.7% could read simple sentences.
Moreover, 58.4% students of classes I to V took private tuition in 2014 and, in 2016, it went up to 60.3%. Obviously, education in Government schools in Bengal needs to get a boost.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

CISF prevents students of Manipur from entering the Taj Mahal

Kolkata to soon get rice and fish curry for Rs 21 at selected outlets

Bhilai tries to set five world records in Yoga with one lakh people participating


In the wonderland of women centric products

In the wonderland of banyans and messages

In the wonderland of toothpastes


Avatar star Zoe Saldana in Ben Affleck's Live By Night

Vin Diesel and Deepika Padukone in Mumbai to promote XXX: Return of Xander Cage

Aamir Khan's Dangal expected to cross Rs 100 crore in first weekend


Migrant boat capsizes off Libya's coast - 100 feared dead

Defensive anti-aircraft missiles around Moscow in preparation for a war?

US army veteran shoots dead five persons in Fort Lauderdale airport, Florida

South City mall in Kolkata to close for four months for renovation

South City mall in Kolkata will be closed for four months to undertake major renovation work involving addition of another floor and shifting the food court. It has been there for nine years and, additional retail space of 75,000 sqft-80,000 sqft is planned to be added during renovation.
The closure will be from February 1 and will affect shoppers in south Kolkata. It will also leave several thousand children, teens, youths and couples distraught at the temporary loss of a favorite hangout zone.
The mall attracts 70,000-80,000 people on weekdays and 1.7 lakh-2 lakh people on weekends.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 14 January 2017.

The authorities will spend Rs 50 crore on the upgrade and, the loss in turnover from the closure is expected to be around Rs 350 crore in sales and another Rs 100 crore in store interiors that will have to be scrapped and be remade. Of course, before the closure there will be a stock clearance sale with discounts of up to 70% - it is expected that such an attraction would appeal to shoppers from not only Kolkata but also from neighboring states and even Bangladesh.
One section of the mall will continue to function - it will offer regulars a limited mix of retail and entertainment options. But the atrium and food court - the mall's hot spots — will be cordoned off. Out of the 138 stores and restaurants, only the anchor stores and two restaurants will remain open.
It may be recalled that there was a short-circuit fire in December and it led to damage to the major cable and pipelines that run across the roof of vanilla stores. These are concealed by false ceiling.


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30th International kite festival in Gujarat, Telangana, Delhi and Karnataka

McDonald's enters The Vatican with an outlet near St. Peter's Square

Steel mugs in lavatories of trains stolen in spite of being chained to the walls


Lord Shiva laments over full Moon and a burnt roti (satire)

Didi’s Rose garden withers in the valley (satire)

Moody in the world of pickpockets and beggars (satire)


Juhi Chawla creates awareness about ill effects of plastic pollution

Nawazuddin Siddiqui on his film 'Haraamkhor' that premiered in the 15th annual New York Indian Film Festival

9th edition of Jaipur International Film Festival will screen 134 films


Car bomb kills at least 43 in the town of Azaz in Syria - most of the dead are civilians

US army veteran shoots dead five persons in Fort Lauderdale airport, Florida

Prison riots in Brazil leave at least 60 dead - some were beheaded

Kolkata to soon get rice and fish curry for Rs 21 at selected outlets

Kolkata would soon be serving full meals costing just Rs 21 at selected outlets in the city - the menu would consist of rice, fish-curry, dal and a vegetable. It will be by Benfish which is an arm of the state fisheries department. This had been reported in October 2016 and is now taking shape.
It will be the Ekushe Annapurna and will be targeted at office goers and others who usually depend on roadside eateries for their lunch. These are unhygienic.

The project is sure to raise eyebrows in an environment when the price of daal is racing towards the Rs 200/kg mark, and the price of fish is beyond reach of many. But, Benfish has control over the fish that is the most expensive item in the list.
Benfish feels the offer will appeal to the middle class.
Till now, various arms of the state government have been selling products like honey, ghee, raw meat, poultry and fish items. This will be the first time when the government will start selling cooked complete meals.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

30th International kite festival in Gujarat, Telangana, Delhi and Karnataka

McDonald's enters The Vatican with an outlet near St. Peter's Square

Steel mugs in lavatories of trains stolen in spite of being chained to the walls


Lord Shiva laments over full Moon and a burnt roti (satire)

Didi’s Rose garden withers in the valley (satire)

Moody in the world of pickpockets and beggars (satire)


Juhi Chawla creates awareness about ill effects of plastic pollution

Nawazuddin Siddiqui on his film 'Haraamkhor' that premiered in the 15th annual New York Indian Film Festival

9th edition of Jaipur International Film Festival will screen 134 films


Car bomb kills at least 43 in the town of Azaz in Syria - most of the dead are civilians

US army veteran shoots dead five persons in Fort Lauderdale airport, Florida

Prison riots in Brazil leave at least 60 dead - some were beheaded

A total of 77 hawkers allotted stalls in food plaza of New Town, Kolkata

A total of 77 hawkers have been allotted stalls in the food plaza of New Town. There are ten specially designed food stalls each of 450 sq ft space. There is a space for eating and a glass front pane in the stalls for the hawkers to showcase their products. Each shop has a front portion for selling and a rear portion for cooking.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 31 December 2016.

There are many unplanned informal hawker stalls spread in the area - these were usually covered with tarpaulin sheets of various sizes and shapes. These will now be a thing of the past because of the specially designed food plaza in New Town because the HIDCO authorities have decided to rehabilitate the hawkers in a planned manner. The stalls of various sizes were distributed through lottery.
It took about two years to come up with the stalls at a cost of Rs 3.62 crore and a rent of Rs 4 per sq ft per month will be charged - at present, the existing tariff in the township ranges between Rs 30 to Rs 45 or more per sq ft per month.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Drone delivers hot food items and cold beverages to customers' homes in the US

18th rhino killed in Kaziranga - this exceeds the figures of last year

Christmas in Delhi - fancy Santa hats from China sell for Rs 400 a piece


Moody in silent mode over black money (satire)

Didi upbeat about Christmas tourism (satire)

Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga discuss swipe machines (satire)


London Police deputes anti-terrorism patrol units under Operation Servator

Australian police foil a IS terror plot targeting Melbourne during Christmas

12 persons killed as truck ploughs into Christmas shoppers in Berlin


Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame stops breathing on board a non-stop London-Los Angeles flight

Aamir Khan's Dangal expected to cross Rs 100 crore in first weekend

Glastonbury Festival could shift from Somerset to a new location towards the Midlands

CCTV cameras installed in the College Street Coffee House

Coffee House in College Street in Kolkata is considered by the intellectuals of the city to be the meeting ground of the luminaries of arts, culture and politics. It is in the precincts of this august house that film legends met to discuss their work. And, writers and poets find a ready audience to criticize their work. Now, sixteen CCTV cameras have been installed in the Coffee House for what is described as security reasons.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 26 December 2016.

The Coffee House, founded in 1876, is nearly 140 years old and it used to be called Albert Hall. It was the meeting place for collegians of the city, including the lovelorn boys and girls. Education was incomplete unless one had acquired the Coffee House experience.
The usual patrons are college students, retired professors, couples and activists — mostly from city's middle income group. They engage in routine adda or informal chitchat. Hence, the move to install CCTV cameras has irked Kolkata’s civil society. They have staged a protest demonstration in front of Coffee House. They have described the installation of the cameras as an “infringement of individual liberty.”


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Drone delivers hot food items and cold beverages to customers' homes in the US

18th rhino killed in Kaziranga - this exceeds the figures of last year

Christmas in Delhi - fancy Santa hats from China sell for Rs 400 a piece


Moody in silent mode over black money (satire)

Didi upbeat about Christmas tourism (satire)

Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga discuss swipe machines (satire)


London Police deputes anti-terrorism patrol units under Operation Servator

Australian police foil a IS terror plot targeting Melbourne during Christmas

12 persons killed as truck ploughs into Christmas shoppers in Berlin


Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame stops breathing on board a non-stop London-Los Angeles flight

Aamir Khan's Dangal expected to cross Rs 100 crore in first weekend

Glastonbury Festival could shift from Somerset to a new location towards the Midlands

Multiplex plan shelved - Minar-Bijoli-Chhabighar chain of cinemas to reopen

There were pans to convert the Minar-Bijoli-Chhabighar chain of cinemas in Kolkata into multiplexes and, that has apparently been shelved because of demonetization. In 2017, this chain of cinema halls is expected to reopen.
Minar and Bijoli theatres had downed shutters on July 1, along with Chhabighar - these will reopen next year in their original single-screen theatre format.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 21 December 2016.

The chain of cinemas had suffered losses and had plans to convert the cinema halls to two-screen multiplexes attached with shopping malls. But, after demonetization, those who were involved in building the malls went on the backfoot. The owner has decided to reopen the cinemas as they were.
Movie buffs of a certain age will recall that the Minar-Bijoli-Chhabighar chain meant watching first-day first-shows of Uttam-Suchitra blockbusters. Closure of these theatres had been a huge blow to them. Hence, news of their reopening means an ideal situation - blues of demonetization have become a blessing in disguise.
Haripriya Pal had built Chhabighar in 1930 and, later, added Bijoli in 1935 and Minar in 1942. The were single-screen halls and did good business. Bijoli could accommodate more than 900 viewers, while Minar and Chhabighar had a capacity of 850 plus and 670 viewers respectively.
If everything goes right, the halls will reopen in January.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Squirrels of Seattle, Boston and Toronto are stealing Christmas light bulbs

Petrol tanker crashes into other vehicles in Kenya - leaves at least 30 dead

Qantas to fly non-stop from Perth to London in 17 and a half hours


Moody and the half pant brigade (satire)

Lord Shiva cracks jokes and Durga fries samosas (satire)

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


AR Rahman contender for Oscar nomination for Pele: Birth of a Legend

Julia Roberts of 'Pretty Woman' fame to star in her first TV series

Meryl Streep creates history with her 30th Golden Globes nomination


Suicide bomber kills at least 49 people in a military camp in Aden

US estimates that active ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria have dropped considerably

Syrian forces shoot dead 82 Aleppo civilians in their homes

Kolkata Book Fair 2017 - a victim of demonetisation

Kolkata Book Fair 2017 has hit Bengal's publishing industry very hard - many publishers have cut down on new releases before the prestigious Book Fair which is organized by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild. The fair would be inaugurated by Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on January 25 - the focal theme country would be Costa Rica.
The general secretary of the fair has indicated that regional players have been forced to cut down on new releases by half because of the growing uncertainty on whether books would sell at the fair given the demonetization.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 14 December 2016.

Last year, the fair had seen sales of nearly Rs 25 crore and, this time, the biggest challenge would be to ensure we reach that mark. Of course, English titles have not been hit that hard because it has a higher business volume and a pan-India market.
New releases usually start appearing on the stands by December-end to get maximum mileage at the fair but, this year, that process has taken a beating because laborers who are engaged in binding new printed books have demanded that they be paid only in cash. Nearly 5,000-odd new titles are released every year, targeting book lovers who attend the fair.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org
Use of wild animals banned in 21 circuses in Kolkata

Giraffes may soon vanish from the face of the Earth

Book comes back to the library after 130-years


Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga discuss swipe machines (satire)


Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh sees more footfalls of Indians rather than foreigners

Legendary Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas celebrates his 100th birthday

Spider-Man: Homecoming - first trailer released


Two schoolgirls turn suicide bombers and kill 56 in a Nigerian market

All is not well in Europe - 1750 ISIS jihadists have returned to carry out attacks

Anonymous caller threatens terror attack in Los Angeles near a Hollywood theme park

No takers for books in book fair at Bangur in North 24-Parganas

There were 50 odd book stalls in the book fair at Bangur in North 24-Parganas but, no one was visible who wanted to buy any book. Most of the visitors to the fair had gathered in front of a giant stage on the other side of the sprawling premises to watch a local version of Dance India Dance.
This book fair at Bangur is one of many that are held in the run-up to the Kolkata International Book Fair in January - but, the dance program was attracting larger crowds compared to the book stalls.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 11 December 2016.

Book publishing is an unorganised sector and employs about 1.5 million people directly in Bengal - this is as per the Publishers and Booksellers Guild, which organizes such book fairs in Kolkata which usually start at the beginning of December and continue through the winter.
However, given the prevailing condition due to demonetization, the booksellers, publishers and stall owners are unable to recover the cost. Last year, 700 publishers had participated in Kolkata International Book Fair and, this year, 1,500 have applied. It is not known how many will finally be able to participate. This is because all payments are made in cash by the small publishers. They receive cash from the booksellers and pay the printer, proofreader, binder or even writers in cash. But, the unavailability of cash has crippled the industry.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org
Use of wild animals banned in 21 circuses in Kolkata

Giraffes may soon vanish from the face of the Earth

Book comes back to the library after 130-years


Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga discuss swipe machines (satire)


Beatles Ashram in Rishikesh sees more footfalls of Indians rather than foreigners

Legendary Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas celebrates his 100th birthday

Spider-Man: Homecoming - first trailer released


Two schoolgirls turn suicide bombers and kill 56 in a Nigerian market

All is not well in Europe - 1750 ISIS jihadists have returned to carry out attacks

Anonymous caller threatens terror attack in Los Angeles near a Hollywood theme park

Use of wild animals banned in 21 circuses in Kolkata

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has banned keeping and exhibiting wild animals in 21 circuses in Kolkata. This is attributed to ill treatment of the wild animals like elephants, rhinoceros. The environment ministry has given the mandate to CZA to look after wild animals kept in confinement and it includes circuses and zoos.
Many circuses usually have elephants, hippopotamuses and exotic birds like macaw, cockatoo, African grey parrots and all of these need clearance from the CZA. In 1999, tigers and leopards were banned from circuses.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 8 December 2016.

CZA had commissioned photo and video footage of animals kept in circuses which revealed that the conditions in which they were kept were far below the recommended standards. The CZA has, therefore, directed the chief wildlife wardens in all the states to rehabilitate elephants from the 21 circuses.
"Non-wild animals" like horses, camels and dogs have been exempted from the ban.


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Feedback on public toilets - Kolkata has smelliest ones followed by Delhi

A survey conducted among 10,000 travelers in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune has revealed that Kolkata has the smelliest public toilets followed by Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.
The survey found that 95% of Indian travelers demanded more public toilets and were dissatisfied with the hygiene levels of the existing ones. 70% travelers have changed their intended holiday destination or mode of travel because of discomfort with the level of cleanliness.
Obviously, the 'swatchh bharat' campaign should focus on not just creating new toilets but keep the existing ones clean and usable.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 22 November 2016.

Kolkata topped the list of smelly cities with 43% votes, followed by Delhi with 32% votes. About 29% felt Chennai and Mumbai public toilets were smelly, while Hyderabad got 20% votes. Pune and Bengaluru turn out have the least smelly toilets at 18% and 14%, respectively.
In the opinion of travelers, more toilets are required near bus stops, railway stations, religious places and government offices. 54% of Indian travelers indicated that there should be more toilets in their respective cities and across tourism destinations and sightseeing spots in the country.
As to pay-and-use toilets, nearly 32% of travelers rate them as most unclean.
Some places of tourist interest that have been voted as lacking cleanliness include Golden Temple, Amritsar; Nandi Hills, Karnataka; Golkonda Fort, Hyderabad; Mysore Palace, Karnataka; Humayun's Tomb, Delhi; Taj Mahal, Agra; Ajanta Ellora caves, Maharashtra; Princep Ghat, Kolkata, Qutab Minar, Delhi; Bada Imambara, Lucknow and Red Fort, Delhi.
Cleanliness of public toilets is an area that the authorities need to address to attract more tourists.


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Winter has arrived in Kolkata - mercury slid to 18.9C

Kolkata is gradually feeling the morning chill. The northwesterly winds have pushed the minimum temperature down and, therefore, this November cooler than last year's. Since there is no system or low-pressure in the region, cool winds can blow in from the north.
The mercury slid to 18.9C on Wednesday and could plunge still further over the next 48 hours but, Regional Meteorological Centre has said that winter is yet to arrive.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 17 November 2016.

Incidentally, while the minimum temperature had dropped below 19 degrees just once last November, this time it has already slid below the mark four times since November 8. Coupled with the cool winds that are blowing in, the fall in mercury is expected to continue. The minimum temperature could drop to 18.0C on Thursday and to 17.9C the next day. However, this would be temporary and the mercury may start rising yet again.
For winter to really set in, the average minimum temperature must drop to 15C. This usually does not happen before December and, in January, it can drop a degree more — to 14 C. For the drop to continue, chillier winds must blow in consistently from the north-west.
The chilliest November day in 2015 had been recorded at 18.9C and, this time it could be two degrees lower.


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Work on the East-West metro project for constructing the ventilation shaft at Subodh Mallick Square will start once the Kolkata Municipal Corporation vacates its staff quarters. There are 20 staff quarters at the place and these have to be vacated. Once that is done, KMC will begin to dismantle the structures and will make way for the construction of the ventilation shaft to start.
The first phase of the East-West project that will connect Salt Lake with Sealdah is expected to start operations from December 2017.
This has been reported in thestatesman.com dated 9 November 2016.

The second phase of the East-West Metro Project would be from Sealdah to Howrah Maidan. In this stage, the Metro would ply underwater and work on this phase is expected to be completed by August 2019. As per plans, 14 airconditioned rakes would ply on this route with a carrying capacity of 2,136 passengers.
However, problems regarding removal of encroachment, acquisition of land, relocation of hutments etcetera continue to remain.


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)


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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


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

Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) begins 11 November