Press Sense! (1)

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Press Sense - 14 / 4 / 05 : Smoking Doubles Eye Disorder Risk in Old Age - Study

Smoking Doubles Eye Disorder Risk in Old Age - Study

LONDON (Reuters) : Thu Apr 14, 2005 - People who smoke have double the risk of suffering from a degenerative eye disorder that is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, researchers said on Thursday.

A study of more than 4,000 Britons aged 75 years and older showed that those who smoke were twice as likely to have age related macular degeneration (AMD) as those who didn't.

"Smoking is associated with a twofold increased risk of developing AMD," said Professor Astrid Fletcher, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, in a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

AMD is an illness that blurs the central vision. It affects the macula, or part of the eye that sees fine detail. In the United States alone it afflicts about 10 million to 15 million people.

The risk of suffering from the illness increases with age.


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Press Sense - 16 / 4 / 05 : Metro Water Board Moves To Quench Summer Thirst

Metro Water Board Moves To Quench Summer Thirst

Water tankers to ply round the clock; 24-hour filling stations to become operational

# Llist of filling stations in Division I: Misrigunj, Miralam; Division II: Asmangadh, Aliabad
# Division III: Navodaya Colony; Division IV: Boggulkunta
# Division V: Narayanguda, Chilkalguda; Division VI: Banjara Hills, Erragadda
# Division VII: Marredpally, Tarnaka; Division X: Vaishalinagar, NTR Nagar

HYDERABAD: Faced with the huge demand for water and the inordinate delays in despatch of water tankers in some areas, the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board has decided to introduce round the clock supply of water through tankers. Some of the filling stations where the demand for tankers is immense will function all day and night to clear the rush. Trial runs are on for the 24-hour filling stations in some of the HMWSSB reservoirs, but full-scale operations are likely to begin on Monday.

The water board now makes about 5,000 trips of its water tankers a day -- 2,000 free trips to slums, ill-served areas and 3,000 paid trips -- to clear the summer demand. It used to make 300-odd trips when the `Dial a Tanker' scheme was launched September last. "With rise in demand fuelled by summer, there is heavy pressure on the filling stations. It only means increased trips to slums where the consumption is more. Individual borewells going dry and the crackdown on unauthorised water suppliers has further increased the demand for our paid supplies," pointed out the Head, Metro Customer Care division, which handles the calls for tanker supplies, V.L. Praveen Kumar. With soaring demand and limited wherewithal, the task was always an uphill one. The HMWSSB has been at the receiving end from several quarters over delay in arrival of water tankers notwithstanding its assurance that supply would be made within three hours of dialling the 1916 service.

He said heavy traffic on roads caused delays in delivery of tanker water during day and their operation tankers at night would enable them clear the long list, especially for paid trips.


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Press Sense - 5 / 5 / 05 : Tsunami Brings Better Treatment for Thai Stray Dogs

Tsunami Brings Better Treatment for Thai Stray Dogs
PHUKET, Thailand (Reuters) - "Black, fat, female," a veterinary worker shouts to an assistant taking notes as she gives a rabies shot to another nameless dog left homeless by the Dec. 26 tsunami on the Thai resort island of Phuket.

Hundreds of such pets were saved by officials and animal rights activists while rescue workers were scouring the Andaman Sea coast for the victims of the Asian tsunami that left 230,000 people dead or missing along the Indian Ocean rim.

But while human survivors in Thailand complain that red tape makes it hard for them to resume normal life, the deadly waves brought better care to the dogs and cats that escaped.

"The tsunami crisis is an opportunity for abandoned animals to be taken care of," said Roger Lohanan, head of Thai Animal Guardians Association helping stray pets get treatment and new homes.

A U.S. C-130 military cargo plane even flew 120 cats and dogs to Bangkok to find new homes. They had been rescued from Phi Phi Island, where the backpacker movie "The Beach" was filmed.

Another 64 starving "tsunami dogs" were rounded up around a makeshift morgue at a Buddhist temple in nearby province of Phang Nga, where some had been nibbling corpses, officials said.

Some have already found new owners and only 30 of them are still at a state shelter.

In Phuket, the city's animal shelter, called "Mid-Road Dog's House," Thai slang for strays, has more than 400 abandoned dogs.

RUSH OF MONEY

The tsunami devastation brought the Guardians Association a rush of contributions from animal lovers.

The London-based World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) promised 2 million baht ($50,000), Lohanan said.
But stray dogs are a problem all over Thailand and Lohanan said donations his organization received would be spent on abandoned animals in other parts of the country if the projects were approved by the donor.

"Many Thais buy dogs as a fad," he said.

"When the film about Dalmatians was showing, it was a Dalmatian fever and a few months later many of them were left on streets," said Lohanan as he pointed to a Dalmatian-street dog cross at the Mid-Road Dog's House.

"Many of these dogs have been left wandering on the street because their owners' houses are too small for them. And when they play and mate with strays, the owners abandon their puppies."

Bangkok is estimated to have at least 120,000 strays.

In areas of Phuket where they pack together, animal activists say, aggressive stray dogs have attacked people, bringing fears of rabies, especially during the very hot March-May period.

"Before the shelter existed in Phuket, strays were taken from the streets and either poisoned or slaughtered,' said Phuket chief veterinarian Sunart Wongchavalit, who started the 1.6 acre dog shelter last year.

But whenever city officials poison or slaughter some of the island's 2,000 to 3,000 strays, controversy erupts as killing is a sin to Thailand's Buddhist majority.

So Phuket authorities plan a law obliging owners to register and insert identification microchips in their dogs, Sunart said. Owners would be fined if their pets were found abandoned.

"After the law is enforced, we hope to eradicate all strays in Phuket in two to three years."

(US$1=39.60 Baht)



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Press Sense - 8 / 5 / 05 : Bold Thieves Build Complete ATM

Bold Thieves Build Complete ATM - Fri May 6, 2005
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Audacious thieves in Romania have constructed a complete automated teller machine (ATM), minus the cash box, to steal the details of account holders, banking officials said.

Fake ATMs have appeared at apartment buildings or in areas of the capital where there are no banks, local papers reported.

Usually criminals only place a fake panel over an existing ATM, and do not construct a complete machine.

Police are investigating the incidents.

Romania's biggest bank, Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR), said customers should only use ATMs situated around bank branches. "Banks do not install ATMs in blocks of flats," BCR spokesman Cornel Cojocaru said.


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Press Sense - 9 / 5 / 05 : Establish a Second Capital in Rayalaseema Immediately: Vedika

Establish a Second Capital in Rayalaseema Immediately: Vedika - Monday May 9
HYDERABAD: Whether a separate Telangana state is formed or not, there's a need to establish a second capital in Rayalaseema region immediately.

The Rayalaseema Hakkula Ikya Vedika, which organised a round-table meeting here on Sunday, adopted a resolution to this effect. Vedika chief T G Venkatesh presided over the meeting. Intellectuals, retired officials and others attended it.

Rayalaseema was more backward than Telangana, Venkatesh asserted. He pointed out that the Vedika didn't seek a separate statehood for Rayalaseema. Rayalaseema must have a second capital to undo the injustice done to it in the last 50 years. He felt that the demand for a second capital isn't irrational, as Maharashtra had a second capital in Nagpur.

Seeking Rayalaseema's right to Krishna waters, the Vedika said that the consequent loss suffered by the Krishna delta could be compensated by diverting water from Godavari to Krishna.

The other demands included setting up of a High Court bench in Rayalaseema; laying a gas pipeline to Rayalaseema for rapid industrialisation; and construction of an airport at one of the important towns in the region. Vedika also wanted the Government to set up information technology parks and sports complexes. The conference wanted the Government to build a Siddheswaram check-dam on the Krishna, upstream of Srisailam, Kurnool district, to quench the thirst of the people of Rayalaseema districts.

Former MP Ayyapu Reddy asked the Government to set up a high-level committee to study the problems the people of the region face. After the State capital moved to Hyderabad from Kurnool, Rayalaseema remained backward.

Justice Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, B Purushottama Reddy, former Minister G Nagireddy, former DGP R Prabhakara Reddy, former professor K Nagireddy, Madugula Nagaphani Sarma, Punnaiah Chowdary and others took part in the meeting. Intellectuals from Nellore and Prakasam districts also attended it.

The organisers of the meeting announced that the people of Nellore and Prakasam districts expressed their wish to identify themselves with Rayalaseema region.


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Press Sense - 10 / 5 / 05 : Pizza Delivery Ends Prison Siege

Pizza Delivery Ends Prison Siege- Mon May 9, 2005
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian prison siege ended Monday after a group of inmates agreed to release a guard they had held for two days in return for a delivery of pizzas, prison officials said.

A group of up to 20 inmates seized control of the reception area of the maximum security Risdon Prison in Hobart, capital of the southern island state of Tasmania, Saturday, demanding better treatment and improvements to the jail.

The siege was resolved in far less dramatic circumstances.

"Our staff member was negotiated out with the delivery of 15 pizzas," Graeme Barber, Tasmania's director of prisons, told reporters.

The prisoners had earlier made a list of 24 demands. But none was so pressing as the need for a take-out meal and the guard was released unharmed not long after midnight.

About 20 prisoners, some being held as hostages, were involved in the siege. The last of the hostages was released by their pizza-filled captors early Monday.

Risdon Prison holds Martin Bryant, who was convicted of Australia's worst massacre of modern times when he shot dead 35 people in 1996 in the Tasmanian tourist town and former penal colony of Port Arthur.


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Press Sense - 11 / 5 / 05 : India Sending Under-Aged Children to UAE as Camel Jockeys ...

India Sending Under-Aged Children to UAE as Camel Jockeys ...- May 10

DUBAI - ndia has been named as one of the seven countries sending under-aged children to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as camel jockeys, a practice that is banned there.

To avert abuses, the UAE has made it compulsory for children from these countries to carry separate passports, an Interior Ministry official after signing an agreement with UNICEF to rehabilitate child jockeys said.

Under the pact with UNICEF, repatriated children would be given aid for two years to help them recover their health and reunite with their families and societies, the Khaleej Times reported.

The seven countries identified as exporting camel jockeys besides India are Pakistan, Sudan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Somalia and Mauritania.

The UAE has given a grace period of six months beginning March 31 when the new rule banning jockeys under the age of 16 comes into effect.

Describing media reports of 20,000 to 30,000 camel jockeys in the country as exaggerated, the official said the figure could only be about 3,000.

He said 100 child jockeys had been repatriated so far and there were 73 at the rehabilitation centre.

— UNI


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Press Sense - 12 / 5 / 05 : Newly-Weds Sue After Bedroom Injury

Newly-Weds Sue After Bedroom Injury ... - Wed May 11, 2005

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A newly-wed couple in Shanghai have filed a complaint against a local hotel after the groom broke his arm during bedroom fun and games. Yu Haitao and bride Fang Shuling were taking part in traditional tease-the-newly-weds celebrations when Yu tumbled off the bed breaking his left arm, state media said on Wednesday.

"My husband slipped right after he stood up on the bed to get ready for the games," Fang told the Shanghai Daily.

"It happened within seconds without any big movement."

Yu, 28, who underwent a 20,000 yuan ($2,415) operation on Tuesday, and Fang said the hotel had provided unsafe facilities, the newspaper added.

The hotel management denied any responsibility.

Wedding pranks are a long-standing tradition in China, with friends and family given the chance to tease and heckle the newly-weds.

Many couples across China rushed to get married before the start of the current Year of the Rooster, believing it to be a jinxed time to tie the knot.

On top of that, the lunar cycle began relatively late this year, meaning the year did not contain "lichun," the auspicious day that marks the start of spring, thus earning it an added reputation for being unlucky for wedlock.


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Press Sense - 15 / 5 / 05 : Who is the Greatest Prime Minister?

Who is the Greatest Prime Minister? - Wed May 11, 2005

History is notorious for turning today's giants into tomorrow's pygmies. And vice versa. Jawaharlal Nehru did so much to ensure his place in history, yet his failures attract more attention today than his achievements. Gandhi was a failure in many ways, yet the world is rediscovering the worth of his values with growing fascination.

Two interesting exercises in Europe remind us anew about this unpredictability of history. In France they voted recently to decide who was the greatest Frenchman who ever lived. In Britain they conducted a poll on the greatest prime minister in their history. Both turned up surprises.

France - Charles de Gaulle, Marie Curie and Louis Pasteur, Victor Hugo, the evergreen playwright Moliere, underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau. The only living personality in the list was Abbe Pierre, 92. His work? Service to the homeless focussed, dedicated, self-sacrificing service. Eventually chosen the greatest Frenchman of them all was de Gaulle.

Britain - Clement Attlee, Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Antony Eden ...

It is instructive that in the advanced countries, they make their rankings without ideological or personal hangups. A survey to determine who is the greatest Indian will find our people voting strictly on party lines. Who is the greatest Prime Minister? Why, Rajiv Gandhi of course. It's by paying homage to him that we can curry favour with today's dispensation. And nothing matters more than curry. Why we are like this only?

- T J S George
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Press Sense - 15 / 5 / 05 : Who is the Greatest Prime Minister?

OOPS ...*****

Who is the Greatest Prime Minister?[i]

...

...

...

...Why we are like this only?

- T J S George

*****
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Press Sense - 16 / 5 / 05 : Streamline MMTS Bus Services

Streamline MMTS Bus Services - Letter To The Editor, The Hindu
"The response to MMTS link bus service appears to be poor. Problem to link both the services has not been properly analysed. The MMTS buses cannot serve each local train punctually and thus cannot be dependable. At best, they can serve only stations like Hi-tech city where the MMTS station is far from the hi-tech hub. The authorities should divert regular bus services via the nearest MMTS rail stations wherever feasible."

A Reader

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Press Sense - 17 / 5 / 05 : Court to Rehear Bartender's Lipstick Lawsuit

Court to Rehear Bartender's Lipstick Lawsuit - Mon May 16, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A federal appeals court agreed on Friday to reconsider the case of a bartender who was fired from her job at a Nevada casino for refusing to wear lipstick, blush and other make-up.

Alleging sex discrimination, Darlene Jespersen sued her employer, Harrah's Entertainment Inc., after it dismissed her in 2000 for refusing to comply with a policy that required women to wear makeup.

In December, Jespersen's case was dismissed by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which said the policy was legal. Without comment, the court reversed the ruling on Friday and ordered the case to be reheard by an 11-judge panel.

Jespersen's attorney said the case of the 20-year Harrah's veteran could determine the rights of women in service professions to choose how to present themselves.

"What makes it discriminatory is that it requires women to present themselves in a particularly feminine way," said the attorney, Jennifer Pizer of Lambda Legal in Los Angeles.

Jespersen started work at Harrah's in 1979 as a dishwasher before being promoted to work as a bartender helper and then as a full bartender. Jespersen felt deeply uncomfortable wearing the foundation, lip stick, blush and mascara that her employer required, her attorney said.

Harrah's implemented a mandatory policy that it called "Beverage Department Image Transformation," which required, among other things, that women wear makeup. After refusing to comply with the policy, Jespersen was fired in 2000.


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Press Sense - 18 / 5 / 05 : Piano Man Identity Remains A Mystery

Piano Man Identity Remains A Mystery - May 17
London : Hospital authorities caring for a patient who refuses to talk but willingly plays the piano for hours said on Tuesday they are investigating a number of new leads on his identity.

The tall, blond-haired man, who is in his 20s or early 30s, has not said a word since he was found, distressed and dressed in a dripping wet suit, on the isle of Sheppey in Kent county, Southeast England, on April 7. When staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham gave him writing materials, he drew detailed pictures of a grand piano and, when shown the piano in the hospital chapel, sat down and played for two hours, causing staff to nickname him “Piano Man.”

Baffled staff said their problems have been compounded by the fact that all the labels have been cut off the man’s clothes. “That is a real twist — and it’s enough of a mystery without that,” said Adrian Lowther, spokesman for the West Kent National Health Service Trust, which is caring for the man at a psychiatric unit in Dartford in north Kent. “Apart from mentally, the man is healthy. But he does not communicate at all, so he can’t receive counselling,” Mr Lowther said.



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Press Sense - 19 / 5 / 05 : Success the Aloe Vera way

Success the Aloe Vera way - Thursday May 19

TIRUPATI: Two years ago, it began as a small-scale industrial unit set up under the Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.

With an initial capital of Rs 24.5 lakh and margin money of Rs 4 lakh from the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, it has gone on to get the much coveted ISO 9001-2000 certification for international quality.

That's the success story of the rural agro-based industry, Poojit Biopharma near Mangalam, located on the outskirts of Tirupati.

But there's more to the tale. Set up by an enterprising couple, V Narmada and her husband V K Ravindra Kumar, the company will soon be exporting its products to China from July 2005, besides capturing the domestic market.

And it's the herb Aloe Vera which has helped them script this success. The medicinal plant's extracts, which figure prominently in Ayurveda, are used as antacids, facial gels and antiseptics and so it is much sought after by Western countries.

"The idea to start Pojit Biopharma was conceived when we came to know that people are importing Aloe Veera juice from a USA-based company `For Ever Living'. I knew that the product could be manufactured in India itself, maintaining the same quality, but at a cheaper price,'' Ravindra Kumar told this website's newspaper.

The company cultivates Aloe Vera in 30 acres at Mangalam, Srikalahasti and Chittoor. The yield is 20 tonnes per acre and the price per tonne varies from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2000 depending on the quality. ``The leaves are processed at our unit. The extract is used for manufacturing Alo Gel, a Aloe Vera juice, which costs Rs 440 per litre. The same product manufactured by `For Ever Living' is priced at Rs 1000. Quality is our strength,'' he said.

Forty-five women from the surrounding areas are now employed by the company. Narmada looks after the production while her husband takes care of marketing.

Presently the firm manufactures Alogene, a herbal antacid, Aloefair, a facial gel and Aloguard, an antiseptic cream along with Alo Gel. There now are plans to start manufacturing an Aloe Vera-based shampoo and hair oil shortly.


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Press Sense - 20 / 5 / 05 : AIDing & Abetting Communists

AIDing & Abetting Communists

At the time of this article, over 150,000 people have lost their lives and several million have been rendered homeless in Southeast Asia, South Asia and East Africa by the horrible tsunamis unleashed by the 9.0 earthquake on Dec. 26.

During this time of crisis, there has been an incredible outpouring of sympathy and compassion from the entire world community. People from all religions and nationalities have come forward to help with relief and rehabilitation efforts. Some of these organizations have a well-established record of accountability, credibility and integrity. However, there are some organizations working in the affected areas that have displayed suspicious behavior and whose credibility deserves questioning.

The organization in question is Association for India’s Development (AID or AID-India). AID is at the forefront of the fund-raising drive in the United States for relief efforts in South India. On its website, it claims to be a “voluntary non-profit organization committed to promoting sustainable, equitable and just development in India, by working with grassroots organizations and movements in India”.

The “grassroots” organizations that AID says it is working with in the relief efforts include: People’s Health Movement (PHM), Tamil Nadu Science Forum (TNSF), Pondicherry Science Forum (PSF), Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vritidarula Union (APVVU), the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Student Federation of India (SFI).

All of the above are communist or leftist organizations. DYFI is, in fact, the youth wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M). But what concerns us about this organization more than its ideology is its violent and criminal background. ...



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Press Sense - 22 / 5 / 05 : AIDing & Abetting Communists

Sunday Rides on Two Wheels : Motorcycling in Southern Wisconsin - Barbara Barber

"I'm old enough to remember when a Sunday ride was the family's afternoon entertainment. . . . Now my Sunday riding is done on a motorcycle. And even though my ride may take place on a Tuesday, it still has a Sunday-ride feel—the leisurely pace, the sun on my head, the wind in my face and the sense of exploration—riding for the love of riding."—Barbara Barber

* Sunday Rides on Two Wheels is a delightful, informative, and important biking book. Barbara Barber covers the roadways, byways, small back roads, and large highways in a most entertaining manner. Her maps, guidelines, and directions are crystal clear. If you ride in Wisconsin or surrounding neighborhoods, you will find her road coverage invaluable. Don't leave home on your bike without it.


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Press Sense - 23 / 5 / 05 : Language Too Matters: Ramaiah

Language Too Matters: Ramaiah : Monday, May 23, 2005

HYDERABAD: Mere technical knowledge was not enough to compete in the global job market as communication skills and ability in languages especially English was crucial, said noted academician Ch. Ramaiah here on Saturday.

Addressing parents and students at an interactive session held at the British Library, he felt Indian students perhaps lacked proper communication skills and practical approach to problems.

The present day student was more intelligent, he added. . If anything was letting a student down, it was the lacunae in teaching methodology.

"Gone are the days when the teachers were know-alls. They are now following their intelligent wards," he said.

Give Them Space

Mr. Ramaiah appealed to parents to give space for their children to "grow, explore and think by themselves" rather than cramming them with "tuitions and more tuitions." Vacations are meant for taking a break and not going for more classes.

"You should give enough time for them to assimilate what has been taught," he pointed out. He was critical of institutions holding classes even during holidays.


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Press Sense - 24 / 5 / 05 : Elephant Attack Boosts Business At Eatery

Elephant Attack Boosts Business At Eatery : Monday, May 23, 2005

SEOUL (Reuters) - A Seoul eatery that was trampled by elephants is back in business with a new name and a new menu that aims to capitalize on its bout with pachyderm pandemonium.

The restaurant that serves barbecue and other traditional Korean foods was closed for a month for repairs after three elephants rampaged through its plate-glass front. It has just reopened with a new name: "Restaurant Where Elephants Have Been."

Owner Keum Taek-hoon said Monday she had used the 18 million won ($18,000) insurance money to remodel her eatery.

It now has a sign featuring three elephants and a new, 7,000-won menu item called an "elephant set" that consists of seven vegetable side dishes and a hot soup.

Keum, who plans to decorate the restaurant with pictures of pachyderms, said the elephant set has proved wildly popular.

On April 20, six elephants escaped from a zoo and roamed around the South Korean capital.

Three of them crashed through the eatery, sending staff and patrons fleeing in terror. The elephants crushed tables and stools and also munched on carrots.

Keum said patrons have been heading to her newly reopened restaurant out of curiosity and sales have doubled.

"What can I say about the elephants? Thank you for causing the trouble? Well, that just might be right," Keum said.



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Press Sense - 26 / 5 / 05 : They Too Can Jump On IT Bandwagon : Computer-Aided Education in about 600 Schools for Tribal Students

They Too Can Jump On IT Bandwagon : Computer-Aided Education in about 600 Schools for Tribal Students : Thursday, May 26, 2005

BHADRACHALAM: Children in the tribal villages of Khammam are going to discover a world beyond them. The tribal schools are turning out to be a major attraction in the months to come, as computers will play a major role in addressing the classroom needs of students. Teaching with the aid of computer simulations will generate a great deal of excitement and liven up the traditional learning process.

The administration had embarked on an ambitious programme to introduce computer education to one lakh tribal children on the rolls of some 600 schools in the sub-plan area of Bhadrachalam with an outlay of Rs 1.5 crores.

Computer labs equipped with the latest education software and the basic infrastructure will come up in a month's time in as many as 50 school complexes.

Money Well Spent

After all, the computers will enhance the children's learning process. The expenditure will be worthwhile and rewarding, said the Collector, Rajendra Narendra Nimje on Tuesday.

He said the education software would be designed by top players like Microsoft, Gates Foundation and NIIT.

The service of the trainers would also be drafted from them. Effort was on for using the top class training tools in the exercise.



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Press Sense - 28 / 5 / 05 : Introducing the Chocolate Candy Diet...

Introducing the Chocolate Candy Diet... : Fri May 27, 2005

SEOUL (Reuters) - Candy is dandy for North Korean children trying to grow tall, strong and smart in a country battling chronic food shortages.

North Korea has developed a candy it claims is good for children and will help them increase their height, weight and IQ, a pro-North Korea newspaper published in Japan said on Friday..

"Unlike medications that help growth by clinical methods or hormonal effects, the growth nutritional candy has no negative side effects," the Choson Sinbo said, based on an interview with the head of a nutritional research center in the North.

Unlike sugar-packed and chocolate-covered sweets, the North is hoping that children in the reclusive state will enjoy munching on their nutritional candy made of seaweed, beans, carrots and sesame seeds, the newspaper said.

The candy report comes on the same day a top U.N. agency official said the food shortage crisis in North Korea is growing more severe by the day and the communist state is dispensing "starvation rations" to its population.


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Press Sense - 29 / 5 / 05 : Introducing the Chocolate Candy Diet...

EPFO to Dip Into Reserves For Paying 9.5 pc Returns for FY 05:


NEW DELHI : May 28 (PTI) - Bowing to pressure from Left Parties and Finance Ministry, which refused subsidies, the EPF board today recommended 9.5 per cent interest for its four crore subscribers for 2004-05, leaving a Rs 716 crore deficit, which would be covered by dipping into its special reserves.
"The interest for 2004-05 has been recommended at 9.5 per cent," Labour Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao told reporters after a marathon nearly five-hour meeting of the Central Board of Trustees of Employees Provident Fund Organisation here.

By paying 9.5 per cent interest, the EPFO would incur a deficit of Rs 716 crore (as against an earlier estimate of Rs 927 crore), which Rao said it would be met from its Special Reserve Funds of Rs 950 crore.

Special Reserve Fund, which are amounts forfeited and parked in the banks over decades and has earned over Rs 600 crore in interest, would take care of the deficit and would still be left with surplus, he said.

However, trade unions, mostly belonging to the Left parties and Congress, were opposed to dipping into special reserves, which was meant to deal with fluctuations in the interest rates in the economy.

It is for the second time in the history of EPFO that it has to bank on reserves for a bailout, the first instance being during NDA Government, which granted 0.5 per cent Golden Jubilee bonus over 9.0 per cent interest to its subscribers in 2003-04. PTI



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Press Sense - 31 / 5 / 05 : US External Imbalances A Significant Risk to Global Economy: IMF

US External Imbalances A Significant Risk to Global Economy: IMF: May 31, 2005


Washington, May 31 (PTI) Terming the US current account deficit as "unsustainable", the International Monetary Fund has said it could have a significant adverse effect on interest rates and global capital markets.
Although the United States has continued to be the main locomotive for global growth and its economy is again expected to outperform other G-7 members, the challenge is to safeguard the outlook from the considerable uncertainties and risks, particularly against the background of looming demographic challenges, the IMF said.

"A record-low household saving rate and a large federal fiscal deficit are being supported by unprecedented borrowing from foreigners and domestic firms," it observed.

The need of the hour, it said, is to support the adjustment by stronger US national saving to avoid a burden falling on investment and growth, both in America and abroad.

Moreover, there will be limits to the global demand for US assets and "there is a risk that an abrupt and disorderly shift in investor preferences could have a significant adverse effect on interest rates and global capital markets." Expenditure discipline, it said, will be an essential part of any deficit reduction but tax reform should also play a role in supporting fiscal sustainability.

IMF lauded Bush Administration's proposals to reduce agricultural subsidies as well as plans to offer and elicit stronger commitments for liberalisation in services.

"At the same time, there was need to ensure that bilateral free trade agreements complement the multilateral framework so as to minimise the potential costs of regionalism and to achieve significant increases in market access, particularly for agricultural products". PTI



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[HH]

Press Sense - 1 / 6 / 05 : It’s Lucky 7 for Motorists Now

It’s Lucky 7 for Motorists Now: May 31, 2005


Guntur, May 31: ‘9’ is gradually losing its ‘numerological charisma’ among vehicle owners of Guntur. It has been eclipsed by ‘1’ and ‘7’. The Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has made lakhs of rupees by cashing on the craze of vehicle owners for choice numbers. For years, vehicle owners were ready to shell out money for ‘nine’ and its combinations, which were considered to be auspicious.

The Deputy Transport Commissioner, Ms Mamata Prasad, said that ‘9’ was no longer the reigning star. A vehicle owner had recently got the number 7777 by placing a bid of Rs 1.47 lakh, she disclosed. “If there is more than one aspirant for the same number, we go for sealed bids,” Ms Mamata added.

Recently, several persons bid for the number ‘1’ and it was finally netted by a person who paid Rs 79,000. The public’s obsession with numerology had prompted the RTA to introduce a system of selling prime numbers. Since ‘nine’ had great importance in numerology, combinations of that number were categorised as prime numbers with a registration fee of Rs 20,000.

Other numbers, which add up to ‘9’, required a registration fee of Rs 10,000. The craze for ‘9’ was at its peak Telugu Desam was in power, since the founder of Telugu Desam, late N.T. Rama Rao, was known to have had a veritable passion for the number. After Congress came to power, however, the numerical supremacy of nine was taken over by ‘1’ and ‘7’.


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http://www.deccan.com/Region/RegionNews.asp

What's The Hot Number For "High Hyderabadis" ... !?!

[HH]

Press Sense - 4 / 6 / 05 : Gold From Old Cars For Government! - Green Tax To Keep The City Clean

Green Tax To Keep The City Clean : Gold From Old Cars For Government!: Saturday June 4 2005


HYDERABAD: A year after the State Transport Authority (STA) submitted proposals to impose “green levy” on polluting old vehicles in the state, the government has finally set in motion the process of finalising the modalities to implement the same.

The move is expected to fetch a revenue of around Rs 20 crore every year. An estimated 4 lakh of the 40 lakh vehicles, which are plying in the state, are said to be more than 15 years old.

Among them, nearly 16 lakh ply in the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) limits resulting in severe air pollution. Green tax is intended to discourage people from driving old vehicles.

Soon after Rajasekhara Reddy took over as Chief Minister in May last year, STA officials submitted several proposals for mobilising resources and levying green tax was one of them. All proposals except green tax were cleared at that time.

The officials suggested that transport vehicles like lorries, tractors, auto trolleys etc, which have to obtain fitness certificate every year after eight years, should be taxed Rs 2,000 per year.

Similarly, owners of the non transport and personal vehicles like two and four wheelers, who apply for renewal of registration after 15 years, should pay Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively once in five years.

Confirming that the government was examining the proposals, senior officials of the Transport department said that the Law department has raised certain doubts for which clarifications were sent.

“Similar tax is being collected by the neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments and we are studying their pattern also,” officials told this website’s newspaper.


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http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.as ... sh&Topic=0

Looks Like ... It's Gold From Old Cars For Government! ... !?!

[HH]

Press Sense - 5 / 6 / 05 : Karimnagar Bags Clean Award

Karimnagar Bags Clean Award


Karimnagar, June 4: The Karimnagar Municipal Corporation has been selected for the prestigious “Clean City Award” of the AP Pollution Control Board ... on the eve of the World Environment Day. The vigorous implementation of the “Clean Karimnagar” programme helped the Corporation in achieving the distinction.

The Corporation has invoked the municipal solid waste management and handling rules to ensure dustbin free and door collection of segregated waste as part of the litter free zone concept. Red and Green plastic baskets were distributed to all business establishments and habitations. A total of 98 tricycles were introduced to collect the waste habitation wise. Of the total 18 toilets proposed on boot model in the town, three have already been completed.

Five locations have been identified in the town for recycling the waste. A vermin compost project has been launched on the premises of the SRR Government Degree College in association with the biotechnology department. The biological control method was employed to check the monkey menace. The Corporation has mooted sterilisation and vaccination of all the dogs in the town in collaboration with the Blue Cross Society to contain the stray dog menace.

Meanwhile, the Corporation has planned an awareness meet at Kalabharathi in the town on Sunday in connection with the World Environment Day. Garbage transport vehicles and new tricycles will be released in the programme. A photo exhibition will also be organised on the occasion.


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http://www.deccan.com/Region/RegionNews ... an%20Award