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Dark side of Giles, scourge of Rupert Bear and authority
The tiny, pathetic figure dangling by a noose from the branches was missed by the eagle-eyed men whose job was to search...
2008-10-26 20:49:19
A call to account: In search of a Dickens or Trollope for our times
I have never met Sir Fred Goodwin, but I feel that I know him pretty well these days. Thanks to his job...
2008-10-24 02:00:00
Go to jail for Britain's latest haute cuisine
INT27International/Human Interest/Lifestyle/SocietyGo to jail for Britain's latest haute cuisineBy Venkata VemuriLondon, Oct 16 IANS You will be body-searched, pass through reinforced steel doors and the door will clang shut after you once you enter your destination. All this for a hearty meal!The Clink is going to be Britain's latest venture in haute cuisine when it opens next year. And the address is the High Down Prison in Surrey, England.The restaurant-in-prison is the brain child of the jail's catering manager Alberto Crisci. When it opens, the prison inmates will cook 1,000 meals for fellow inmates, staff and visitors. And serve a four-course meal, beginning 15 pounds a head, for 80 customers a day.Dishes will reportedly include pan-fried John Dory, paupiette of chicken with spinach mousseline, roast turbot with broad beans and pancetta, and lavender mascarapone with spun sugar. Organic produce will be supplied by the prison's greenhouse and gardens. Diners will enter the prison gates for a strict search before proceeding through the jail to a lavish dining room sealed with a barred door. Crisci, a former chef at the prestigious Mirabelle in London's Mayfair, has run the prison's kitchens for 11 years. "I want The Clink to be the sound of chains being broken for men who want and deserve a second chance at life. Do we release an ex-offender to no job and a slim chance Or do we offer him income, purpose and self respect"Prison governor Peter Dawson has allocated 300,000 pounds for setting up the restaurant. "Every time a chef or waiter at The Clink serves a meal, they will play their part in dispelling the prejudice and ignorance that gets in the way of successful resettlement."The project is expected to help more than 300 prisoners a year, who will be able to gain catering qualifications to help them secure a job on release. To take part, inmates will need security clearance.But some like Matthew Elliot of the Taxpayers' Alliance are unhappy that such funds are being made available for serving offenders while educational institutions in the country are facing cut-backs."You don't send people to the prison to have access to the Savoy Grill," he is quoted as saying in Daily Mail. --Indo-Asian News Serviceven/pb/mj401 Words16101201
2008-10-16 03:00:08
New software helps find right person for a job
INT18International/Technology/BusinessNew software helps find right person for a jobLondon, Oct 16 IANS Dutch-sponsored researcher Krisztian Balog has developed a computer programme that speeds up the process of finding the right person in an organisation's network. This technique can also make it easier to search for specific people on the Internet, where an increasing amount of information is available nowadays. Yet can all this information be found The new programme could enable a manager to quickly find out who had previously worked on a certain project without having to plough through a pile of paperwork. Such a search system is not only useful within companies but can also ensure a better exchange of information between companies and the press or between companies and employment agencies. For example, an HRM department can use the search system to find out more about job applicants. Search engines are already effective in searching for documents, yet are far less good at searching for entities, such as persons. Krisztian Balog introduces two new models in his thesis that make finding the right person quicker and more accurate. Balog specifically focuses on searching and finding people within companies and organisations. In the business world in particular, an effective search system can be very useful, according to a release of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. Balog's Ph.D thesis focuses on two methods of information disclosure, compiling a list of experts for a subject and making a list of subjects per expert. The problem of searching for people is that a person is not a collection of words. Text, however, is. When you search for a text you submit a number of words and then find texts that contain these. Such a search query is relatively uncomplicated. A person cannot be found in the same manner. However, a person does leave a digital trail because his or her name can be found in the texts. Balog's programme automatically links the information in these texts to a person. Balog developed a method that uses these digital traces to compile a list of subjects for a person. The programme accordingly selects the person who can satisfy the criteria of the search query. Balog combines so-called generative language models with learning algorithms. The language models expose patterns in the language use with respect to persons and subjects. Learning algorithms recognise people and organisations in texts. Balog's methods have been extensively tested, for example on the intranet of large organisations with people at different locations. The method has also been tested on the intranet of a Dutch university. --Indo-Asian News ServiceSt/jg471 Words16101100
2008-10-16 02:00:00
Global recession affects marriage prospects of IT professionals in India
Hyderabad, Oct 15 ANI: The global recessionary trends have affected the young employees of the Indian software industry in Hyderabad in more than one-way. While on one hand it is has spelt job loss fear, on the other hand, the parents of brides-to-be are no longer in search of IT grooms for their daughters.The global recessionary trends have certainly scared the parents of would be brides who have apprehensions about the fluctuating signs in the information technology sector. A mother of a would-be bride said she would prefer non-IT professionals for her daughter seeing the latest trend."It fluctuates. Day-to-day it can change. What is happening now could be a short phase," said Sharda Singh, mother of a would- be bride.A father of a would-be bride expressed his concern too saying these ups and downs are bound to take place in any economy."There will be some ups and downs in anybody's life like that any sector in a country or the world can also have its ups and downs," said Rama Rao, father of a would be bride.Some parents said they did not want to take interest in the marriage proposals of IT professionals any more as they were too scared of recessionary trends."I am very afraid of its effects," said S Krishna, father of a would- be bride.India's IT export growth could be slower than its July forecast of a 21-24 per cent rise to about 50 billion dollars in the year to March, lobby group National Association of Software and Service Companies said last month.Europe and Asia are big clients of Indian IT companies such as Tata Consultancy, Infosys Technologies, Wipro and Satyam Computer.Some outsourcers may cut their dollar revenue forecasts due to a downturn in the U.S. market, which contributes more than half their revenue, analysts said. Indian IT firms have also been expanding in Europe and elsewhere to cut their dependence on US. But the risk of global recession is a worry for the sector, which was used to a scorching pace of growth. By Narendra ANI
2008-10-15 03:00:00
Abu Dhabi government to launch new job portal
ECO11Economy/InternationalAbu Dhabi government to launch new job portalDubai, Oct 13 IANS The Abu Dhabi government has announced plans to launch a new virtual job portal to support business in the emirate.The new portal will be launched Oct 19 at the Najah career fair to be held at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Centre, the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Committee Adsic, the government entity spearheading the initiative, said in a statement. Adsic is currently in the process of onboarding all of the Abu Dhabi government entities to the site as well as interested private organisations.To serve employers from both public and private sectors in Abu Dhabi as well as job seekers from around the globe, Jobs Abu Dhabi is being developed by leveraging best global practices in the arena of virtual job markets. It will offer many features and functionalities to facilitate various job searching and position filling processes, according to the statement. Some of these features include intelligent search criteria to facilitate instantaneous matching of job opportunities with qualified candidates, as well as mechanisms to ensure the currency of the job and biodata postings. The site will be available in English, Arabic and French.The largest of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is actively diversifying its economy in order to cut its dependence on oil.--Indo-Asian News Serviceab/sj/jg241 Words13101828
2008-10-13 11:04:07
For hands that build Durga idols, nothing has changed
NAT1National/Religion/SocietyFor hands that build Durga idols, nothing has changedBy Soudhriti BhabaniKolkata, Oct 11 IANS Narrow, murky lanes, leaking roofs and filth are their daily companions. For some, the houses are so dingy that even a few rays of the sun are hard to come by. Nothing has changed for the artisans of Kumartuli even though another Durga Puja has come and gone.At the three-century-old potters' town in the northern part of Kolkata, the artisans toil day and night to make the idols of gods and goddesses. These very idols are at the centre of many celebrations and much merriment across the country, but for the artisans life continues amid abysmal conditions.A rehabilitation project announced by West Bengal more than three years ago has missed several deadlines and is yet to take off."The rehabilitation package has been stuck in the files for over four years. Nothing's been done so far for the Kumartuli artisans," Mintu Pal, general secretary of the Kumartuli Mrit Shilpi Association Kumartuli Potters Association, told IANS.The term 'kumar' denotes potter and 'tuli' means locality in Bengali. More than 4,000 artisans live in Kumartuli."We are still facing the same problems and getting only a mouthful of assurances from government officials and the political leaders," said Pal.For instance, the idols are made in sheds that are not concrete structures. And with leaking roofs in the rainy season, the job takes that much longer."Every year we have to brave incessant rain during the pre-puja season and for that we face a lot of trouble like late delivery of idols, high labour and raw material costs," said Pal.The Kumartuli rehabilitation plan, worth Rs.260 million, is funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission JNURM. The entire work is expected to take one-and-a-half years for completion once it starts.The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority KMDA will implement the project, 35 percent of its cost to be borne by the centre, 15 percent by the state government, and the remaining 50 percent to be raised through loans.The KMDA will construct houses for the artisans over five acres of land at Kumartuli on the ground-plus-three-floor pattern. It will also build an art gallery for artisans to showcase their creations."The project got delayed because of some administrative procedures. Earlier we identified a piece of land at Kashipore further north of the city to rehabilitate the artisans but there were some litigations pending for that ground," said Sudhanshu Seal, an MP of the state's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist CPI-M who is heading the committee constituted for Kumartuli's makeover."Now we'll temporarily rehabilitate all the artisans in a nearby place and again shift them to the potters' town once the project is over." He said the plan was conceptualised in 2005 and was supposed to be implemented last year.When asked why several deadlines were missed, Seal told IANS: "This time we're hopeful of starting the process just after the festive season and will complete it in the next two years.""The area where we've decided to accommodate the artisans is owned by the state health department and public health department," he added.The history of Kumartuli, the haven of clay model-makers, dates back to the 17th century when potters in search of a better livelihood came from Krishnanagar to Gobindapore, a prosperous village on the banks of the river Hooghly, to make a living by making pots, clay toys and cooking utensils for household use.Later, when the land at Gobindapore was required by the British East India Company to build Fort William, the inhabitants migrated further up the river to Sutanuti. The potters moved on to the new destination, started living there and named it Kumartuli.The Bengal Consultations, a journal published in 1707 AD, gives an account of the presence of Kumartuli's artisans who occupied 75 acres of land at Sutanuti, which is part of present-day north Calcutta."All the three associations of Kumartuli artisans are jointly fighting for the project so that it would be implemented shortly. The earlier our state government kickstarts the project, the more helpful it'll be to all of us to continue our tradition of idol making," Kumartuli artisan Panchanan Rudra Pal told IANS."The project will help us revitalise this craftsmanship of ancient Bengal and will create huge employment opportunities for the future generation of artisans."Soudhriti Bhabani can be contacted at soudhriti.b@ians.in-Indo-Asian News Servicesb/ssp/pg/tb794 Words**11100821
2008-10-11 00:04:10
Four Indians among 64 detained at Sharjah airport
INT50International/Diaspora/ImmigrationFour Indians among 64 detained at Sharjah airportDubai, Oct 7 IANS Four Indians are among 64 people detained at the Sharjah International Airport for trying to illegally enter the United Arab Emirates UAE. The arrested were trying to enter the country in search of jobs while holding tourist visas, the official Emirates News Agency WAM reported."Some tourist firms in the country do not abide by the instructions on the tourist visas that should be issued only for tourism purposes and not for work," said Abdullah Ali Saeed Bin Sahoo, director of the Naturalisation and Residency Department in Sharjah. He said that job seekers should enter the country with mission visas issued by labour offices.While lauding the work of the staff in the passport section at the Sharjah airport, Sahoo urged tourist firms to review and verify issuance of visas so that only genuine tourists enter the country on tourist visas.The detained include 48 Pakistanis and 10 Afghans.--Indo-Asian News Serviceab/sk/dg171 Words*07101700
2008-10-07 07:01:13
Sri Lanka peace process R.I.P. IANS Book Review
INT6International/Terrorism/BooksSri Lanka peace process R.I.P. IANS Book ReviewBy M.R. Narayan SwamyBook: "My Belly is White"; Author: Austin Fernando; Publisher: Vijitha Yapa Publications, ColomboThis is a revealing book on Sri Lanka's now dead peace process, written by one who was in the thick of it all. Austin Fernando was Defence Secretary when Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the Norway-brokered ceasefire agreement CFA with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE in February 2002. In no time, critics, dominantly from the Sinhalese majority, began to accuse the government of betrayal.The opposition and the media viciously targeted Fernando, whose job was to ensure that neither the military nor the Tigers spiked the prospects of long-term peace. He had no direct control over the LTTE. But he could influence the military. Critics thought he was stifling the armed forces while allowing the Tigers to blossom. In this packed-with-information 927-page volume, he argues that the allegations against him were mostly false, at times bordering on fantasy and libel.Fernando has written the book so that the "misconceived notions" about and derogatory attacks on the Wickremesinghe government's actions do not "become historical truths". He admits there was "evidence based criticisms too", especially in the English media."The much maligned government paid a huge political toll because of its commitment to the peace process," he moans. "Superficial and sometimes immature rationalization of highly complicated, intricate and sensitive issues was routinely used by political opponents and the media for hypocritical advantage."The reference is to the defeat Wickremesinghe's United National Party suffered in April 2004, coinciding strangely with an event that severely dented the Tigers from within: an unprecedented split in the LTTE, led by Karuna, the group's then eastern regional commander.But unlike many who whitewash their errors, Fernando comes across as one of those rare individuals who admit that he and his government also slipped on occasions. He is bitter vis-Ã -vis President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who came from the SLFP. She tried to score brownie points over Wickremesinghe and eventually undid the sagging truce by virtually sacking the prime minister in November 2003.By then, the LTTE had walked away from the peace talks. Fernando's grouse is that for all her bluster, she did nothing concrete to weaken the LTTE. "Our approach was different. It was to corner the LTTE through negotiations and international pressures."As one who was left wing in his student days, Fernando thought that peace could be brought to Sri Lanka through give-and-take, without compromising the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. But making peace was no easy task. The military, he says, had no faith in the LTTE; the ceasefire pact was not a perfect instrument; the Sinhalese radicals were opposed to truce; the militarist LTTE would not trust the government; the media did not give the government breathing space. Thus the search for the elusive peace took place "under great difficulties, complexities and under great stress".Why did Sri Lanka sign the truce in 2002 One key reason was that the war was bleeding Colombo. One sortie attack by the air force costs Rs.2.5 million, and "we fire 5 to 10 of these attacks per day on the average when the war is on". When he took charge, the defence ministry did not have pellets for training. Add to it, the LTTE would just not give up.Fernando is no admirer of the LTTE. He calls them "unpredictable", "stubborn" and "ruthless" and accuses them of trying to have their way at every turn, of creating "many-faceted problems". For one accused of appeasement, his understanding is revealing: "LTTE cadres suspected everybody, and breaking into their hearts was extremely difficult. The outer rim of the LTTE mind was very thick and rigid and also the core. Their hearts were of hard rock." But the Tigers "had a long range vision, mission, strategizing and action planning." Fernando however contradicts himself. "LTTE cadres would not change their stripes just because their leader has signed on a dotted line." Eighty pages later, he says: "They changed their stripes so fast that one cannot place trust on promises made by the LTTE."Fernando has a grouse against Erik Solheim, Norway's first Special Envoy to Sri Lanka. He calls him "stubborn" and accuses him of "favouring the LTTE for some unknown reasons." In the same breath, he gives credit to the Norwegians for persisting and coming up, in December 2002, with what came to be called the Oslo declaration, in which the LTTE agreed to explore a possible federal solution to the ethnic conflict. But what is the point of giving out Solheim's phone number in the bookAmong the reasons the peace process failed, he says, were shortcomings in the CFA as well as "negative media reporting", which turned many against the truce. He admits that both "the government and the LTTE ... were guided by military considerations".Fernando candidly admits that the government he worked for followed a strategy: "giving a sense of dignity, a relatively free hand to the LTTE other than in HSZs high security zones, building an international safety net for further stabilization of the peace process, strengthening of confidence building measures to consequently lock the LTTE to peacemaking."And "compromises were possible if properly approached, planned and executed, even with the LTTE". But critics saw "such close understanding and public relations by us as our sympathy towards the LTTE! In both parties there were individuals or groups who would consider that war was the panacea to every illness." No wonder, the peace process kept getting weakened. "Its abrogation in January 2008 by the present regime sounded like issuing a delayed Death Certificate to a decomposed corpse!--Indo-Asian News Servicemr/jg1013 Words05100800
2008-10-05 00:02:07
Azamgarh's looms once embroidered Benarasi silks
NAT1National/CultureAzamgarh's looms once embroidered Benarasi silksBy Rajat RaiSarai Meer Uttar Pradesh, Oct 3 IANS Nursery of terror That may be the epithet bestowed on this township now, but it was once famous for something beautiful - intricate Benarasi sari embroidery crafted by the looms and hands of its Muslim weavers.Until about five years ago, Azamgarh district housing Sarai Meer, 270 km from the state capital, churned out of some of the best hand-embroidered silk.But now cheaply available China silk, which is easier to work on, has replaced the Benarasi silk and the younger generation has migrated to Gulf countries in search of better job opportunities."An unskilled labourer, say, a driver or a cook, in the Gulf earns around Rs.30,000 per month as compared to the skilled embroidery expert who only manages about Rs.3,000 per month. How can we expect the youngsters to stay back and assist us in our traditional work" Abu Bashar Siddiqui, from whose family six youths are working in the United Arab Emirates, told IANS.The cottage industry, which saw saris being sent here from Varanasi for embroidery, was the sole bread winner for most of the Muslim-dominated villages of Azamgarh district. Such was the beauty that came out of this land, now accused of breeding terror.In Mubarakpur village, which had over 1,000 handlooms, only 200 are functional now. And over 2,500 looms in the villages of Sarai Meer are lying idle.Those still operational are used for rather commonplace work - weaving bedsheets for the traders of Gorakhpur and Mau districts."Most people still engaged in this work are aged people. As making a bedsheet takes less time and the wages are equal to that of a Benarasi silk sari, all the functioning looms have switched to this," explained Madhuri Sharma, owner of an international export firm of Azamgarh.Embroidery on a Benarasi silk sari used to take two to three days and the wages were Rs.100 per day. But the bedsheets take only a day to complete at similar wages, she added.Owing to China silk that is easily available in Varanasi, 90 km away, most people engaged in embroidery work have shifted base there. Also, Varanasi is better connected to the national and international market."These people can be called the last generation engaged in this work as their sons and grandsons have migrated to Gulf countries," Sharma added.China silk takes less labour and time than the original heavy Benarasi silk."China silk is lighter and the saris do not fetch the same price as compared to the original. But they take less pain and time, so the experts have shifted to it," Sharma said.Ghulam Nabi, a weaver of Mubarakpur village who has shifted to Varanasi, said: "This China silk only fetches Rs.200-300 per piece as compared to the Rs.500-2,000 that we used to get a couple of years ago."Migration of the younger generation has also played a vital role in driving this industry to extinction.Sanjarpur, the village of over a dozen terror suspects, also had a prosperous embroidery industry, but no longer."Besides opting for unskilled employment opportunities in Mumbai and the Gulf, our youngsters are now going in for professional studies to earn a better and decent living," said Khalid, whose younger brother Sajid was killed in a police encounter in Delhi for alleged involvement in the serial blasts in the capital last month.Sarai Meer has emerged as an important centre supplying manpower to the industries of Mumbai. Two placement agencies here supply skilled as well as unskilled workers, mainly to Mumbai and also to Gulf countries.The number of passport applications received from Azamgarh district is the highest from the whole of eastern Uttar Pradesh."We get nearly 1,500 applications every month. Most passport seekers are from Sarai Meer and adjoining places," Azamgarh Superintendent of Police Ramit Sharma told IANS.-- Indo-Asian News Servicerr/dd/pg706 Words**03100916
2008-10-03 00:00:00