News and Events - September/October/November/December- 2009

[Pintu]

http://www.ptinews.com/news/305186_26-drown--40-missing-as-two-boats-capsize-in-Bihar

26 drown, 40 missing as two boats capsize in Bihar

STAFF WRITER 15:59 HRS IST

Khagaria (Bihar), Sep 29 (PTI) At least 26 people, mostly minors and women, were drowned and 50 others missing after two boats carrying Durga Puja revellers capsized in the swollen Bagmati and Kamala Balan rivers in Bihar, police said today.

Eighteen people drowned and 45-50 others were missing after an overcrowded country boat, carrying over 100 people, sank in the Bagmati river near Fultora ghat in Khagaria last evening, Superintendent of Police, Indranand Mishra said. The passengers were returning after a Vijaya Dashami fair.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have recovered 18 bodies, mostly of minors and women, he said adding the rescue operation was on.

In another mishap, eight people died when a boat carrying 17 people sank in Kamala Balan river in Darbhanga district last evening during immersion of an idol of Goddess Durga.

 

[enlightened1]

Circus billionaire space tourist blasts off

Circus billionaire space tourist blasts off armed with red noses for international orbiter crew​

Canadian circus billionaire Guy Laliberte blasted off in a Russian Soyuz spaceship from Kazakhstan today to become the world's seventh space tourist. The 50-year-old former fire-breather and founder of the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil paid more than £22million for the privilege of flying to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Baikonur cosmodrome on the Kazakh steppe.

The Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft blasted into clear blue skies at 0714 GMT.

'He's just said 'Super!', he's very happy,' Russian cosmonaut and crew member Maxim Suraev said of Laliberte. The Canadian gave the thumbs-up as a toy lion belonging to Suraev's daughter bounced from a string in the capsule. The three-man crew are due to dock with the International Space Station in two days time.

A Russian Soyuz TMA-16 rocket carrying the seventh space tourist blasts into space. It is due to dock with the International Space Station in two days​

He has taken nine clown noses into orbit and will hold a performance broadcast live on the Internet on L?accès à l?eau pour tous | Fondation One Drop on October 9, linking 14 cities across the world to underline the importance of access to water. Laliberte owns 95 percent of Cirque du Soleil, which he founded in 1994, and Forbes estimates his fortune at £1.5 billion. He is accompanied by Suraev and U.S. astronaut Jeffrey Williams. U.S. billionaire Charles Simonyi made history in March when he became the first space tourist to make the epic journey twice, also from the Baikonur cosmodrome.

 

[RPK]

fullstory

Boat tragedy toll rises to 42; judicial probe ordered

Thekkady (Kerala), Oct 1 (PTI) Rescuers fished out ten more bodies from the Thekkady lake in Kerala's Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary today, pushing the toll in the worst-ever boat mishap in the state to 42.

The victims comprised 21 women, 16 men and five children, officials said.

Forty naval divers aided by helicopter support resumed the search operations this morning as mist and rains hampered their efforts last night.

A concerned state government ordered a judicial probe by a sitting high court judge into the tragedy.

Among the dead, 12 are from Delhi, nine from Tamil Nadu, five from West Bengal, four from Andhra Pradesh and three from Karnataka. The victims from Delhi include ten belonging to three families, who were on a pleasure trip to the state. Of them, nine were women, including a minor girl.

 

[RPK]

Kerala admits lapses in boat tragedy, lifejackets to be mandatory - India - NEWS - The Times of India

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Admitting that there had been lapses, the Kerala government Thursday said the Thekkady boat tragedy was "an accident" and would
not hit tourist inflow to the state that is promoted abroad as 'God's own country'.

"It is a waterway accident like a road accident. There is no gravity or impact beyond that. It will not hit Kerala's tourism sector," Kerala Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran told IANS over phone from Thekkady.

Admitting that there had been no proper systems in place to guide the passengers travelling in the boat, Premachandran said the government would take all precautions, including ensuring that every passenger wore a lifejacket, to avoid such accidents in future.

There were lifejackets on board, he said, but now it would be mandatory to wear one.

He asked the media to not give "new dimensions" to the tragedy.

At least 37 people were killed Wednesday evening when the boat carrying 76 tourists capsized in a lake in the Periyar wildlife sanctuary in central Kerala.

Premachandran said the ill-fated boat, owned by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), had been given a fitness certificate by the Indian Registry of Shipping, an internationally recognised organisation.

"The boat was a perfectly built one. It was certified by the Indian Registry of Shipping," the minister said.

 

[RPK]

 

[youngindian]

India powers Kabul

: Sunday , Oct 04, 2009

Amid all the political wrangling over the presidential elections in Afghanistan and sharp differences over the military campaign among major countries, India quietly crossed an important milestone in its diplomatic efforts as it successfully completed a four-year effort to build a 202-km transmission line to bring electricity to power-starved Kabul.

Until this, the city was running on a single gas turbine and some 25 heavy duty diesel generators for which the US was providing over $100 million of fuel. Kabul had long power cuts and matters became worse during winter. With the recent launch of the transmission line and the Chimtala sub-station near Kabul, there has been a dramatic change.

The Chimtala sub-station today distributes 90-120 MW, which is enough for Kabul. While distribution needs to be streamlined to reach each household, there is now excess power and the Afghanistan government wants India to help start an industrial estate near Kabul. This may be the next big project for India because it has already funded a well-equipped tool room for skill training.Bringing electricity to Kabul was a project which started after a power-purchase agreement was finalised between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. A 462-km transmission line had to be built from the Uzbek border to Kabul of which the last part of 202 km from Pul-e-Khumri near the Salang pass on the Hindu Kush was to be constructed by India’s Power Grid Corporation.

Much of this fell in the “snow zone” at heights reaching up to 3,800 m. As many as 613 towers have been erected, and these were designed in India to withstand inclement weather. Pakistan refused the use of its territory for transporting these towers which then had to be sent via Iran. Also, heavy turbine equipment was moved in what was among the largest airlift operations to Kabul.

India powers Kabul

 

[ppgj]

india is doing the right thing. by not getting involved in militaristic sense and concentrating on the economic development instead, they are winning the hearts of our afghan brothers and sisters which has stood the test of time.though war lordism and taliban erupted in that unfortunate country and brought that to a pause, it is good it is being propelled back.

 

[123Sunny]

Mid-air scuffle: Air India pilots de-rostered

India - 4 October 2009

NEW DELHI: Air India on Sunday grounded two pilots and crew members involved in a mid-air scuffle, even as Delhi Police registered a case of molestation against the pilots on a complaint filed by an air hostess.

"The incident of scuffle between the two pilots and cabin crew members of IC 884 (Sharjah-Lucknow-Delhi flight) was reported yesterday morning," an Air India spokesperson said on Sunday.

"As there have been claims and counter-claims between the parties involved, the management has ordered an enquiry, which is still in progress," the spokesperson added.

Taking a serious view of the incident, the management has de-rostered the pilots and two crew members.

"Further course of action will be decided based on the enquiry report," the spokesperson said.

The incident comes close on the heels of a pilots' strike that grounded the fleet of 155 planes for five days and caused untold inconvenience to passengers.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police registered a case against the pilots - Commander Ranbeer Arora and Capt Aditya Chopra - who, according to a first information report (FIR) filed with the police, tried to molest an air hostess, and when she resisted, pushed her outside the cockpit.
"The air hostess sustained bruises and injuries on her hand," Joint Commissioner of Police (operations) Satyendera Garg said, adding her medical examination had confirmed she had been assaulted.

The co-pilot and a flight purser, Amit Khanna, were allegedly injured in the exchange of blows that occurred around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday when the aircraft was flying over Pakistan.

The incident is understood to have originated in verbal exchanges between the confronting sides during the pre-flight briefing session ahead of takeoff from Sharjah, the police said.

The Airbus A-320 was carrying 106 passengers and seven crew members and had reached Lucknow when the matter was reported.

The case has been registered under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

However, Khanna denied there had been any scuffle during the flight.

"I must speak to the Air India management first. Since we are under great shock, I have not been able to talk to them. But there was no fight between us on the flight," he asserted.


Source: Times of India

 

[Energon]

Let's be honest, this pathetic unprofessional display is highly characteristic of Air India, and up to a certain extent the business culture of India itself. Sexual harassment, violence at the work place, abuse of power and stand offs between highly placed employees and their subordinates; emotional outbursts at the expense of common sense and professionalism, lack of consideration toward the consumer and most of all, a complete disregard toward safety protocols is almost synonymous with how business is conducted in India.

I hope a thorough and fair investigation is launched; but in the long run, these problems aren't something that can be exclusively handled in management workshops and HR offices, these are ingrained social pathologies which have to be addressed in that arena.

 

[BLACK_COBRA]

India seeks greater role for women in UN peacekeeping missions

India has sought more representation of women in high decision-making positions and in peacekeeping missions at the UN saying greater participation of women in areas of conflict prevention was particularly necessary for lasting peace and security.

“India attaches very high importance to ensuring concrete action in this area,” said Hardeep Singh Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the UN during a Security Council debate on “Women and Peace and Security” on Monday.

“India has consistently held that greater participation of women in areas of conflict prevention, peace negotiations, peace keeping and post conflict reconstruction is the sine qua non for lasting peace and security,” he said

Noting that women, presently, comprise only eight per cent of UN police officers, and about two per cent of the military personnel deployed in UN peacekeeping operations, Mr. Puri said given the critical role of the UN, the world body must lead by example.

“Precisely for these reasons, India has contributed a female peacekeeping unit of 100 personnel, which is presently deployed in Liberia,” he said noting, “this mission in Liberia stands out as the only one of its kind among the ongoing UN peacekeeping operations.”

Hoping that mainstreaming the gender perspective in the UN recruitment process would be institutionalised at the earliest he said: “There is also much need for ensuring greater representation of women in high decision-making positions at the UN.

The promotion and protection of the human rights of women and girls in armed conflict continue to pose a pressing challenge, Mr. Puri said demanding there should be no tolerance for gender based violence and all cases of gender based violence in an armed conflict must be investigated and the perpetrators prosecuted.

India, he assured will continue to contribute positively to United Nations efforts in protecting vulnerable sections, particularly women and children, in conflict and post-conflict societies.

Mr. Puri stressed that the international community also needs to enhance cooperation by providing new and additional financial resources, sharing of experiences, expertise and capacity building in areas of justice and rule of law.

 

[123Sunny]

28-year-old raped at job interview

28-year-old raped at job interview
India - 8 October 2009

NEW DELHI: A day after a 20-year-old computer instructor was gangraped by labourers who waylaid her, another rape was reported from Rangpuri in
Mahipalpur on Tuesday evening — this time, a 28-year-old graduate who was appearing for a job interview. The alleged rapist, who runs a plastic fibre manufacturing unit, drugged the girl's refreshments and fled after raping her.

Police have arrested the accused, Ramesh Verma (35), a resident of Vasant Kunj, after medical examination of the woman confirmed rape. But while the police said Verma was the only accused, the girl's family alleged that more people were involved and that it was a gangrape.

Police said the victim, who lives in Pitampura, got Verma's reference a few days ago from a co-passenger on a train journey. The victim's husband, a salesman with a water purifier company, was not earning much and on Monday, she contacted Verma as she urgently needed a job to support the family. Verma asked her to come to his office in Mahipalpur for an interview.

The victim reached Verma's office around 12 noon and was told to meet him in his private chamber, police said. ``After a few questions, Verma tried to comfort the girl by saying that she would get a job as she deserved it. He then offered the victim tea and biscuits. She fell unconscious after consuming the biscuits,'' said an investigating officer. Verma then allegedly raped her and fled from the spot. The woman regained consciousness a few hours later and called the police control room around 4pm.

``The police sent her for a medical examination at the Safdarjung Hospital where rape was confirmed,'' said a senior police officer.

Verma's reference was given to the victim in good faith, police said. ``Our investigations have revealed that only Verma was involved in the incident. However, we are investigating if anyone else helped him in the crime,'' said an officer from the Vasant Kunj police station where a case of rape has been registered.

``We are also investigating if the accused had misbehaved with any other woman at the workplace before,'' added the investigating officer.

Drawing a parallel with Monday's gangrape, police said in both cases, ``complete strangers'' were involved in the crime. ``We are now asking our counsellors at the Crime Against Women Cell to sensitize women more. We will also hold special self-defence camps at schools and colleges soon,'' said a crime branch official at the police headquarters.

Source: The Times of India

 

[123Sunny]

20-year-old teacher gangraped, beaten up

20-year-old teacher gangraped, beaten up
India - 7 October 2009

NEW DELHI: A 20-year-old teacher of a private computer institute was beaten up and allegedly gangraped by three men and abandoned in the cover of darkness on Monday evening, on a desolate stretch that she took everyday to walk home with a colleague. The police arrived on the scene two hours later, around 8.30pm, after the girl regained consciousness and alerted people; the colleague who apparently fled earlier to raise alarm did not inform police and was traced some three hours after the crime.

The Nangloi police registered a case of rape after much debate — the victim was found in Nangloi (NW Delhi) while she was ``abducted'' from Sultanpuri in Outer District. The girl has been admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and is under observation at the ICU. Doctors said she was out of danger.

Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal said an investigation would be carried out to determine if there was delay in police action. ``Even if it is half-hour delay, we cannot tolerate it. This is a serious matter and I have asked both Nangloi and Sultanpuri police to coordinate during investigations,'' Dadwal said. No arrests have been made so far.

DCP (west) Sharad Aggarwal said the girl — who holds a diploma in computer software — was employed as an instructor at a private computer training institute for children in Sultanpuri. A resident of Arvind Enclave, she usually walked back home — a distance of about four kilometres — with a colleague who stays in Karan Vihar, Nangloi. ``On Monday, she left the institute around 6.30pm and was returning home with the colleague as usual. They were close to a dirt track near the Nangloi railway crossing when three men crept up from behind,'' said Aggarwal.

The three allegedly started passing lewd comments at the girl and even tried to physically stop her. When the girl and her colleague protested, they were beaten up. ``The colleague fled from the spot. The three men forcibly carried the girl to the other side of the tracks under some bushes. She was repeatedly raped and soon fainted. The accused then fled from the spot,'' said an investigating officer. While police maintained that three men raped the girl, the victim's father said two others were involved.

Around 8pm, she regained consciousness. ``She crossed the tracks and shouted for help. Some passersby heard her shouts and informed the local police. A constable rushed to the spot and her father was informed. She was then rushed to hospital,'' said DCP Aggarwal.

Investigation has already begun into the colleague's behaviour after he fled the spot. He reportedly did not inform police; instead he intimated the computer institute around 9pm. The director of the institute informed police who then picked up the colleague for inquiry. Police said they were still recording his statement.

``The colleague said he fled to gather help but no one came to his rescue. He also claimed that he made a call at 100 and a message was flashed at the Sultanpuri police station. We are investigating his claims,'' added the DCP.

The girl's father, a wholesale trader, said the colleague could have prevented the crime had he acted in time. He alleged that the man did not call up to inform police though a PCO booth operated right across the rail tracks where the incident took place. ``I did not imagine that such a thing could happen on the stretch that she walked everyday without a thought,'' he said.


Source: Times of India

 

[gokulakannan]

US Army plane ordered to land in Mumbai

A US chartered military aircraft bound for Bangkok was ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to land at Mumbai airport on Sunday morning following confusion over its identification, an airport source said. Officials of the IAF, Central Industrial Security Force and Mumbai Customs are in the aircraft and IAF officials are questioning the pilot. The flight was reportedly carrying the US marines on a holiday to Bangkok.

IBNLive - News | India News | World News | Latest News | Breaking News | Latest Headlines

 

[Pintu]

Centre okays IIM campuses abroad

They should become global brands and have a global presence, says HRD minister
Centre okays IIM campuses abroad
New Delhi, Oct 16, DHNS:

The Centre has in principle agreed to a proposal allowing Indian Institute of Managements (IIMs) to set up campuses abroad.

“The IIMs should become global brands and they should have global presence,” Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said in a meeting with institute directors here on Friday. Sibal also said appointment of directors and board members of the prestigious “B” Schools would be done through an independent collegium.

The HRD minister told reporters after a two-hour meeting that the institutions would submit a proposal to him by January on how the collegium should be formed and how the offshore campuses could be worked out.

13 members
Referring to the collegium Sibal said it would suggest names for appointment of the board members and directors. The composition of the collegium would be restricted to 13 members.

Asserting that there would not be any interference into the autonomy of the IIMs, Sibal said the directors of the seven IIMs have been asked to prepare a vision document for affirmative action with the objective of increasing the representation of women on the campus.

“The IIM directors will submit their vision document on expansion plans keeping in mind quality and inclusiveness. They will submit their vision document by January next year,” he said. Now, the IIM board members are appointed by the government on the recommendation of the boards. The directors are also appointed in a similar fashion.

The proposed collegium would comprise academics and members from industry. Each IIM will have its own board. The proposed collegium will be a single body to suggest a panel of names for directors and board members of all IIMs. The government will select one name from the panel, a procedure that will make it clear that government does not interfere in the selection, Sibal said.

“It is a good idea. We will see how it can be implemented,” IIM Bangalore Director Pankaj Chandra said. IIM Kozhikode Director Debasis Chatterjee said the directors were happy with discussions at the meeting. “The minister said there will be no interference by the government into the functioning of the IIMs. We are happy,” he said. There was no discussion on salary issue. The minister said the IIM faculty was happy with the government pay structure. His Ministry would also offer a performance-based incentive scheme for the teachers.

 

[Pintu]

AFP: Maldives leader turns stuntman

Maldives leader turns stuntman

By Mohamed Shahyb (AFP) – 6 hours ago

MALE — Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, who staged the world's first underwater cabinet meeting at the weekend, is emerging as the global stuntman in the battle against climate change.

Nasheed, 42, dived with his cabinet to the sea bottom Saturday in an effort to press December's UN summit in Copenhagen to cap carbon emissions that cause global warming, threatening low-lying nations such as the Maldives.

"We should come out of Copenhagen with a deal that will ensure that everyone will survive," said the president as he bobbed in the shimmering Indian Ocean after the meeting.

A presidential aide said the event, to highlight the threat facing the resort paradise -- which scientists warn could be submerged by rising sea levels by the century's end, was Nasheed's idea.

He said a New York-based environmental group had wanted the president to hold a banner underwater to push for cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions.

But Nasheed, the youngest leader in South Asia, went one better, with the 30-minute meeting intended to highlight a potentially watery future for the 1,192 coral islands that make up the Maldives.

It was only the latest in a series of eye-catching public relations moves by Nasheed, a former journalist, to focus the spotlight on climate change and how it could affect the archipelago, known as an idyllic getaway for the rich.

The president stunned the world last year when he announced he wanted to buy a new homeland to relocate the population of the Maldives in the event that damage from rising sea levels became too great.

The announcement had a major impact in India, Sri Lanka and Australia -- all potential destinations cited by Nasheed for what could be some of the world's first environmental refugees.

Nasheed has also been photographed at a submerged desk off the sandy white beaches of the Maldives.

The environmental activism of Nasheed, who came to power last year, follows efforts by his predecessor, Maumoon Abdul ***oom, to highlight the nation's predicament.

"***oom had been a very vocal campaigner so there is a political compulsion for Nasheed to keep the Maldives at the forefront of the global warming issue," said Ibrahim Ismail, for many years an independent member of parliament.

***oom, described by opponents as autocratic, ruled the islands unchallenged between 1978 and 2008 and repeatedly threw Nasheed in jail over a period of six years.

As a political activist, Nasheed was at one point an Amnesty International prisoner of conscience.

Educated in Sri Lanka and Britain, the president, a father of two young daughters and holder of a degree in maritime engineering, built a pro-democracy movement with local and foreign support, winning the country's first multi-party elections a year ago.

His latest dive in scuba gear was preceded by interviews to foreign television networks to talk about what he called his "sinking feeling."

Ismail said Nasheed's underwater cabinet meeting had little impact locally in a country whose 300,000 Sunni Muslim population was more preoccupied with immediate bread and butter issues.

"I think this is a good action as far as publicity is concerned. Not locally, but internationally," Ismail said.

Nasheed announced last month the Maldives had no money to pay for him to attend the Copenhagen summit, but Denmark has said it will fund him as his participation is considered essential.

 

[Pintu]

HC paves way for Santa Cruz Link Road - Mumbai - City - The Times of India

HC paves way for Santa Cruz Link Road
ASHLEY D'MELLO, TNN 17 October 2009, 04:05am IST

MUMBAI: In a major boost to the Santa Cruz Link Road (SCLR) project, the Bombay high court recently asked members of the Navin Tilak Nagar Housing Societies' Association to vacate their premises.
The court also directed the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the agency executing the project, to rehabilitate project-affected residents in new building on plots allotted by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada). According to the court order, the MMRDA will sign an MOU with eight cooperative societies and construct the new building.

Armed with the court order, MMRDA officials are all set to begin work on the Rs 109-crore SCLR. Work on the SCLR, which began four years ago, has been plagued with problems, mostly related to rehabilitation of project affected persons.

MMRDA additional commissioner S V R Srinivasan said the agency is hopeful of expediting work on the project, which is expected to be complete by December 2010.

Last year, the SCLR project hit a roadblock in Santa Cruz when 180 families from the Navin Tilak Nagar Housing Societies' Association filed a petition challenging the MMRDA's attempts to relocate them.

The SCLR along with the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road aims to improve the city's East-West connectivity.

 

[dineshchaturvedi]

BBC NEWS | Technology | A look at what's new in Windows 7
A look at what's new in Windows 7

The newest release of Microsoft's flagship product Windows is to be released on Thursday.

There are a great many changes to the operating system, which has already been described by one analyst as "a polishing release of Windows Vista".

Here, BBC News takes a quick run through the most noticeable changes.

Fresh start

From the very start, then: installation. Windows 7 is designed to be a markedly less bulky and resource-intensive OS, so the installation should be comparatively quick, and there's a particularly lightweight version for netbooks.

The difficulties that plagued upgrades from XP to Vista are gone, because the architecture of Windows 7 rests on the changes made in Vista. Equally, however, that will make upgrading from XP difficult.

If you are aiming to upgrade directly from Windows XP to Windows 7, be aware that Microsoft doesn't recommend it. Not only is it likely to take significantly longer, the directory structure is different between the two and many applications may not work if not run after a "fresh" installation.
Win 7 screenshot (Microsoft)
The release offers many new personalisation options like desktops

If installing Windows 7 on an older machine, it's probably best to check with the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor program to see whether your machine is compatible or if you are likely to see the improvements in speed that the OS can in principle offer.

For the most part, software that runs on Vista will run on Windows 7; many big-name software vendors of programs that don't upgrade easily have free upgrades available on the web.

Microsoft promises that its Windows Easy Transfer will smooth the process of moving your files from an older machine to your new Windows 7 computer.

However, be aware that many simple programs for handling things like instant messaging are missing from Windows 7 on install; instead, the idea is that users will begin to use the cloud-based services that form Windows Live.

First look

With Windows 7 installed, the first thing to note is that it doesn't look - or, on startup, sound - all that different from Vista.

One quickly noticeable difference is that the desktop widgets, or Gadgets, can now be placed wherever you like on the desktop.

The taskbar along the bottom of the screen has had a few new features added to it: hover over the Internet Explorer bar, for example, and up pop small previews of all the open Explorer windows, even if they're running live video at the time.
Win 7 screenshot (Microsoft)
Thumbnail previews of open windows

Hover over the previews, and just that window will pop up in full size, with all other windows minimised.

The taskbar also harks back to earlier Windows releases with the return of the "quick launch" menu: put your favourite programs there and they can be run straight from the taskbar.

Continuing in the theme of simplifying your workspace, the stylistic "Aero" features first shown off in Vista have been explored, leading to new features.

Too many windows open? Grab the bar at the top of a window, give it a shake with the mouse, and all other windows minimise. Repeat the process to re-maximise the other windows.

Aero Peek isn't really a feature per se - a little patch of the right of the taskbar performs the function of the prior "show desktop" icon - but it simply makes the windows transparent, leaving behind their outlines.

Networking opportunity

Microsoft has added a few new bells and whistles for home networking, as well. Each computer that is running Windows 7 on a network can dictate what kinds of files will be shared - documents, videos, or music - and which will remain private.
Win 7 screenshot (Microsoft)
The release allows detailed control of files shared on a home network

Also, there is new functionality in the "Play To" menu for media: users can play a multimedia out to other computers in the network or even an XBox.

Microsoft has also refined the search function that was wholly revamped for Vista. As before, it searches across all hard drives, and keeps a running tally so that results are displayed more or less instantly, as you type - reminiscent of Apple Mac's search.

In Windows 7, the search results are broken down into sub-lists by type, such as documents, multimedia, programs, and so on.

Users can also create "libraries" of certain types of files - not unlike Mac OS's "smart folders": a sort of virtual directory that contains for instance all of your image files, regardless of the folders where they actually reside.

Lastly, Windows incorporates some familiar tricks having to do with "multitouch" functions, either on a mousepad or a touchscreen device, should you have one.

However, these multitouch features work with all applications.

Holding one finger down on an icon while tapping with another functions like a right-click and two fingers can be used to zoom in and out of images or webpages, or rotate them.

 

[dineshchaturvedi]

Drunk pilot delays AI fight to New York by 45 min - India Business - Business - The Times of India
Drunk pilot delays AI fight to New York by 45 min
MUMBAI: Pilots getting caught drunk seems to have become a regular feature during festive season. In the wee hours of Monday, a commander on Air
India's Mumbai-New York flight failed the breathalyzer test, delaying the departure of the 'zero-delay' flight by 45 minutes. Air India flight AI-141 was to depart at 0045 hours, but it eventually took off at 1.30am due to 'operations delay'.

"One of the four pilots of the flight failed the breathalyzer test conducted by the airline doctors as part of the pre-flight checks. He was derostered and replaced by Capt Ramalingam," said a source. AI spokesperson did not comment on the incident. It was not known whether the airline sent the pilot for a blood test for confirmation of alcohol.

According to sources, between July 2008 and 2009, 29 pilots failed the breath analyser tests, most of these instances taking place during festivals and New Year.

Air India's ultra long haul Mumbai-New York flight is what the airline calls, a "zero-delay flight". It means the airline's operations department sees to it that Boeing 777-200 LR that does the 15-17 hour non-stop flight from East to West, crossing about 11 time zones always takes off on time.

"It is a prestigious flight for Air India. It does not wait for even passengers who may get delayed because a connecting flight may reach Mumbai 15 minutes late," said the source.

In India, the permissible level of alcohol in blood for pilots, engineers and others on flight duties is zero, according to Rule 24 of The Aircraft Act, 1937. But reporting for flying duties drunk is not a criminal offence as it is in countries like the US and UK. Ironically, under the Motor Vehicle Act, an offender is liable to lose his driver's licence permanently if caught a second time with alcohol levels beyond the permissible limits.

However for pilots, there are no such punishment as Rule 24 is not clear about the action that the airline should take against such erring crew. While some airlines ground their pilots for a straight three months, others have arbitrary rules.

A first-time offender may be let off with a warning, while a serial case could lead to suspension. In some airlines, pilots get away scot-free. Currently, airlines conduct random pre-flight breath tests on pilots. Aviation ministry has plans to make the test mandatory for all pilots before each flight.

QnA: Is privatisation of Air India the only option left now?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
How come Pilots do this regularly. Are they mad

 

[dineshchaturvedi]

Choppers, cops to cover venues of 2010 games
Choppers, cops to cover venues of 2010 Games: IBNLive.com > Videos

 

[dineshchaturvedi]

Rajnath's plane allegedly takes off in dark, flouts DGCA rules


Rajnath's plane allegedly takes off in dark, flouts DGCA rules

Ranchi: Flouting Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) norms, BJP President Rajnath Singh's chartered plane allegedly took off from Jharkhand's Dumka airport with only the headlights of jeeps to guide it over the dark, unlit runway on Monday evening.
Rajnath Singh, who was in Jharkhand for a one-day visit, landed at Dumka airport on Monday afternoon and drove to Godda district, BJP sources said.
Dumka airport has no lighting and the pilot reportedly told Rajnath Singh that he should return before 1700 hours IST for a safe take-off, a party leader told IANS.
But the party President was late and reached Dumka only after sunset at around 1815 hours IST.
When the pilot cited bad light and said he could not take-off, BJP workers allegedly brought five jeeps near the runway.
"Dumka does not come under the jurisdiction of the Ranchi ATC (air traffic control). Dumka airport comes under the jurisdiction of Kolkata ATC," Deputy General Manager of the ATC at the airport S Haldhar said.
Ranchi ATC sources said such lights are used in special cases, but this was a clear violation of DGCA guidelines.