Monday, September 28, 2009

The Naga Times

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MPHAL, Sep 27: On the occasion of Yarthot Kazip (Annual Freshers Meet) of the Tangkhul Katamnao Long Delhi, a new monthly magazine, The Naga Times was launched by Additional Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General of India (Special Secretary, GoI, Sword Vashum at Dr Ambedkar Stadium New Delhi yesterday.
The Naga Times is a news channel through which Meizailung Media Network will disseminate its information and awareness across the globe, informed the editorial team of this magazine.
With the aim of garnering ideas and knowledge from various media houses and other sources for the benefit of the society, the magazine, with its motto, “Journeying Together” would target the Nagas and other friends worldwide and transmit news with the principle of freedom of expression and ethics of journalism, conveyed the team.

Durga Puja begins in Kolkata

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OLKATA - Durga Puja began here on Wednesday with idols of the Goddess Durga being displayed around the city in pandals for the public to worship.

Aesthetically designed and decorated pandals have turned Kolkata into a city of temples.

“We are beginning with Durga Puja today. It is very important for me as well as for others. Durga Puja in Kolkata is known all over the country,” said Babu Banerjee, a devotee.

“Today is the first day of Durga Puja. There are 360 puja pandals,” said Manish, another devotee.

Local puja committees compete with one another to make their makeshift temples attractive. Some are modelled after famous buildings or monuments.

Illuminations are an added attraction, as Kolkata’s artistic electricians are known across the country for their skill.

Worship of Durga is part of the ten-day festival of ‘Navaratri’, which culminates in ‘Dusshera’ celebrations.

The festival, which symbolises the triumph of good over evil, is marked by prayers, processions and musical programmes. (ANI)

Iran conducts third round of missile tests

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EHRAN, Iran -Iran said it successfully test-fired the longest-range missiles in its arsenal on Monday, weapons capable of carrying a warhead and striking Israel, U.S. military bases in the Middle East, and parts of Europe.
State television said the powerful Revolutionary Guard, which controls Iran's missile program, successfully tested the medium-range Shahab-3 and Sajjil missiles with can fly up to 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers). It was the third round of missile tests in two days of drills by the Guard.
The Sajjil-2 missile is Iran's most advanced two-stage surface-to-surface missile and is powered entirely by solid-fuel while the older Shahab-3 uses a combination of solid and liquid fuel in its most advanced form.
Solid fuel is seen as a technological breakthrough for any missile program as solid fuel increases the accuracy of missiles in reaching targets.
The war games come at a time when Iran is under intense international pressure to fully disclose its nuclear activities. They began Sunday, two days after the U.S. and its allies disclosed that Iran had been secretly developing an underground uranium enrichment facility and warned the country it must open the site to international inspection or face harsher international sanctions.
Gen. Hossein Salami, head of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force, said Sunday the drills were meant to show Tehran is prepared to crush any military threat from another country.
The revelation of Iran's previously secret nuclear site has given greater urgency to a key meeting on Thursday in Geneva between Iran and six major powers trying to stop its suspected nuclear weapons program.
Alex Vatanka, a senior Middle East analyst at IHS Jane's, said Tehran was conducting missile tests now "to show some muscle, show some strength, and say the game is not over for Iran yet." He noted the upcoming meeting in Geneva.
"They felt going into these meetings ... that they needed to have something else to bolster their position, and I think that Iran's Revolutionary Guard showing a bit of military muscle here is part of that," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she doesn't believe Iran can convince the U.S. and other world powers at the upcoming meeting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, as Tehran has long claimed. That puts Tehran on a course for tougher economic penalties beyond the current "leaky sanctions," she said.
The nuclear site was revealed in the arid mountains near the holy city of Qom and is believed to be inside a heavily guarded, underground facility belonging to the Revolutionary Guard, according to a document sent by President Barack Obama's administration to lawmakers.
After the strong condemnations from the U.S. and its allies, Iran said Saturday it will allow U.N. nuclear inspectors to examine the site.
Israel has trumpeted the latest discoveries as proof of its long-held assertion that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.
By U.S. estimates, Iran is one to five years away from having nuclear weapons capability, although U.S. intelligence also believes that Iranian leaders have not yet made the decision to build a weapon.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi identified the newly revealed site as Fordo, a village located 180 kilometers south of the capital Tehran. The site is 100 kilometers away from Natanz, Iran's known industrial-scale uranium enrichment plant.
Qashqavi, however, said the missile tests had nothing to do with the tension over the site, saying it was part of routine, long-planned military exercises.
Iran also is developing ballistic missiles that could carry a nuclear warhead, but the administration said last week that it believes that effort has been slowed. That assessment paved the way for Obama's decision to shelve the Bush administration's plan for a missile shield in Europe, which was aimed at defending against Iranian ballistic missiles.
State media reported tests overnight of the Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 missiles, with ranges of 185 miles (300 kilometers) and 435 miles (700 kilometers) respectively.
That followed tests early Sunday of the short range Fateh and Tondar missiles, which have a range of 120 miles (193 kilometers) and 93 miles (150 kilometers) respectively.
Iran's last known missile tests were in May when it fired its longest-range solid-fuel missile, Sajjil-2. Tehran said the two-stage surface-to-surface missile has a range of about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) — capable of striking Israel, U.S. Mideast bases and southeastern Europe.

Air India strike enters third day

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ew Delhi/Mumbai, Sept 28 (ANI): Air India executive pilots strike entered third day on Monday even after its management reportedly offered an olive branch by agreeing to withdraw incentive-cut.

The striking pilot refused to get back to work until the controversial pay-cut order is completely withdrawn.

A total of 12 flights were cancelled today. Out of these, ten are domestic and two are international.

Air India management on Sunday also agreed to set up a committee to look into the Productivity-Linked Incentives (PLI) modalities.

In another development, pilots in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata agreed not to go on strike.

Striking pilots in Chennai and Kolkata have also agreed to the committee set up by the management. (ANI)

Lata Mangeshkar turns 80

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ndore, Sept 28 (ANI): Fans here today celebrated the 80th birth anniversary of Lata Mangeshkar, the ''Queen of melody''.

Suman Chaurasia, who has a collection of over 28,000 albums of the singer, which he has turned into a museum, cut birthday cake along with children.

"This museum has collection of her songs beginning from 1932 till 1990. We have published a book taking into account 80 best songs. Today, we are dedicating it to her," said Chaurasia.

The birthday cake was decorated with a candle in the shape of 81, as they say that one extra year was added for the singer''s long life.

The melody queen, fondly called ''Didi'' by family, fans and admirers, has mesmerised music lovers with her celestial voice for over six decades.

She was last heard in Vikram Bhatt''s "1920" where she shared playback credits with Pandit Jasraj and Asha Bhosle, her younger sister.

Lata''s father, Master Dinanath Mangeshkar had introduced her to the intricacies of classical music.

After his demise, the entire responsibility of looking after the family fell on her young shoulders and at the age of 13 she was compelled to don the greasepaint and act.

Lata has also acted in a few Marathi films like ''''Pahili Mangalagaur'''', ''''Majhe Bal'''', ''''Gaja Bhau'''' and even in Hindi movies like ''''Badi Maa'''', ''''Jeevan Yatra'''' and ''''Samudra Mandir''''.

Her playback career started in 1942, but her career graph took off only in 1948 with films like Nagin, Mahal, Madhumati and Baiju bawra. (ANI)

Air India strike leaves passengers stranded across India

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ew Delhi/Mumbai, Sept 28 (ANI): The strike by pilots of national air carrier Air India entered its third day on Monday, causing discomfort to the passengers across the country.

Passengers faced the brunt, as last minute cancellation of the flights led to an upheaval in their schedules.

Passengers thronged the Air India counter at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to enquire about the flights.

"We kept on calling them to ask about the flight schedule. If they had told us yesterday itself, we would have cancelled the flight and made arrangements on some other flight.

They kept on telling us, the flight was scheduled. But today, it was cancelled. This is not done. Now, we are in great difficulty and are trying to get on some other flight," said Shilpi, a passenger.

Similar situation faced the passengers in Mumbai, where too, the passengers had a torturous time due to cancellation of the flights.

"We were planning to go, they said. The flight was delayed due to some reason," said Kumar, another passenger.

The striking pilots refused to get back to work until the controversial pay-cut order is completely withdrawn.

A total of 12 flights were cancelled today. Out of these, ten are domestic and two are international.

Air India management on Sunday also agreed to set up a committee to look into the Productivity-Linked Incentives (PLI) modalities.

In another development, pilots in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata agreed not to go on strike.

Striking pilots in Chennai and Kolkata have also agreed to the committee set up by the management. (ANI)