MP govt spent Rs 158 cr for stay of Kamal Nath 3
Bhopal: About Rs 1.58 crore was spent for making arrangements for the stay of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, three of his top bureaucrats in Switzerland and on wooing investors to the state, according to RTI documents. Kamal Nath and Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary S R Mohanty, Principal Secretary to the chief minister Ashok Barnwal and Principal Secretary,Department of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion of the state government, Mohammed Suleman participated in the World Economic Forum, 2019 in Davos, Switzerland held in January, it said. The delegation of Madhya Pradesh government participated in the exclusive business lounge in Davos to co-brand the state along with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, government of India, according to RTI documents. The dedicated team members of the delegation in collaboration with ‘Invest India’ will closely interact with potential investors, academia, policy makers, etc. to highlight the state as a highly potential investment destination in central India so as to get them attracted for making investments in various sectors in Madhya Pradesh, the state government had defined as the purpose of the visit.
Swimming 103 miles sounds bad enough, but swimming 103 miles through shark infested water sounds like something only a crazy person would attempt. The stretch of water between Cuba and the Florida Keys has never been successfully swum. In 1978, Diana Nyad attempted the 60-hour swim in a shark cage pulled by a boat, but complications like strong currents, bad weather, and tall waves halted the mission after about 41 hours in.Now, 60 years old, Nyad is trying the stretch again, and this time she’s doing it without the shark cage. It indeed does sound very dangerous. To become the first person in history to swim between Cuba and the Keys, Nyad is putting her life in the hands of something called the Shark Shield.The Shark Shield, made by a company of the same name, has been around since 2002. According to the New York Times, most people who have been in the ocean have come within 15 feet of a shark without knowing it. However, when swimming over 100 miles in shark-infested water, you’re sure to know if there’s a shark nearby.The Shark Shield is a lightweight electronic device that repels sharks. It weighs less than a pound and can be attached to the ankle. The Shark Shield will surround Nyad with a three-dimensional electromagnetic wave-form that affects the shark’s central nervous system. Sharks have a small gel-filled sac in their snouts called Ampullae of Lorenzini which they use as short-range sensors when searching for food. The Shark Shield’s electrical wave form makes an uncomfortable sensation in the Ampullae of Lorenzini, which the shark starts to feel from as far as 30 feet away. As the shark gets closer and closer, the feeling gets more uncomfortable and eventually causes muscles spasms, presumably sending the shark away from the source of pain. It usually comes as close as 12 feet before the sensation is too strong and the shark swims away.The device supposedly has no lasting effects on the sharks or other nearby aquatic wildlife. The Shark Shield technology was actually first invented by the South African Government through the Natal Shark Board. South Africa has some of the most shark-infested water in the world. Shark Shield is also used by the Australian Elite Military, the South African Navy, and the U.S. Coast Guard.Nyad has made it clear that she will not harm any sharks during the world-record-setting swim. She’ll be in the experienced hands of four divers and shark experts who are very familiar with the most recent technologies that will prevent the sharks from reaching Nyad without harming the sharks. The swimmer will be surrounded with kayaks carrying Shark Shields about 3 feet under the water. This will essentially create a 30-foot bubble of electronic fields to repel the sharks. The four shark specialists will take turns in and out of the water to make sure there’s no shark activity around Nyad.Though the technology is proven to ward of sharks, you can never know 100-percent that it will ward off every shark. In February, Peter Clarkson, a spokesperson for Shark Shield, was killed by two Great White sharks during a scuba diving trip off South Australia. There’s no proof that he was using the Shark Shield, but if he’s a spokesperson, you’d think he’d use the device to protect himself.We wish Nyad a safe journey on her world-record-setting attempt.Read more at Shark Shield, via CNN, NYT
Copyright 2019 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – Firefighters quickly contained a townhouse fire in Northwest Miami-Dade.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded to the scene along Northwest 189th Street and 86th Court, around 6 p.m., Thursday.Cellphone video captured the fire racing through the townhouse.A neighbor witnessed the flames and ran to the rescue.“I ran, and I tried to open the doors because, if she’s in there, I’m gonna save her. I’m not just going to let her drown or whatever,” said neighbor Caroline Schwitzky, “so I tried to open the doors, but obviously, I don’t have the manpower, so the police came, and he busted it right open, and then they just went in to go see, but they confirmed that no one was inside the house.”No injuries were reported.The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 
Dan Cohen AUTHOR LCOR, a Berwyn, Pa.-based investment, management and development real estate firm, is set to begin construction this month on a high-rise apartment building in northern Virginia after closing on a $100 million construction loan.The 20-story, dual-tower development at 400 Army Navy Drive in Crystal City will replace the “Paperclip building,” a property left vacant as a result of recommendations from the 2005 BRAC round that forced DOD to move thousands of personnel out of leased space in northern Virginia. LCOR acquired the 230,000-square-foot building from Lerner Enterprises in 2012, reported the Washington Business Journal.LCOR plans to complete construction of the Altaire by 2018. One of the building’s towers will include 150 “top of the market luxury” rental units; the other will offer 300 “high-end” rental units. The 1.77-acre property is located on Crystal City’s border with Pentagon City, putting it within a half-mile of the Pentagon and Pentagon City Metro stations.
Before heading to Juneau, Anchorage Legislators are listening to community input on ways to cut state spending. They hosted a listening session on Saturday at the Loussac Library. Some community members urged the legislature to cut local capital projects, like the U-Med District Northern Access Road.Download AudioLegislators take comments in the Assembly Chambers at the Loussac Library.Anchorage Resident Kalen Saxton told legislators that money should be redirected from the road project to the school district because the road would not help current traffic problems on Bragaw near East High or near the Alaska Native Charter School.State House Minority Leader Chris Tuck from southeast Anchorage says funding for some local capital projects should be redirected.“We’re not going to be able to fund every project, especially the controversial ones. So I think this is an area where we may have to hold back for a while and take care of the necessary needs that the public expects from us.”Tuck says that includes the money for the $20 million U-Med Access Road and the $2 million South Anchorage High School Stadium. The controversial stadium was approved by the municipality’s planning and zoning commission last week. Tuck says state funds can be reallocated, though projects with federal funding are more complicated.Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux from northeast Anchorage, who co-chaired the session, says she won’t comment on which Anchorage projects should or should not be funded.“You know I’m just going to wait until we get down to Juneau and hear all about these projects. I’m not going to speculate right now about what I want to get rid of and what I want to make sure happens.”LeDoux says she will also be looking closely at how the Anchorage School District is spending its money. Community members spoke both in favor and against increasing education funding during the listening session.The state’s legislative session begins on January 20. Governor Bill Walker has already put funding on hold for six megaprojects including the Susitna-Watana Hydro Project, the Knik Arm Crossing, and the roads to Juneau and to Ambler.
PM Narendra Modi held a road show in the holy city of Varanasi on Saturday ahead of the last phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh.IANSThe battle has been well fought since the Election Commission sounded the bugle on April 11. After a marathon run, tons of predictions and analysis made during the exit polls have finally come true. After an arduous race, the masses favourite, Narendra Modi, the son of a tea seller and a formidable politician, is back at HQ.What Played Into Modi’s Hands & Not For Rahul Gandhi?To begin with, Narendra Modi or NaMo as he is popularly known had been a clear front runner. The media narrative was skewed right from the beginning, an aspect team Modi had not failed to capitalise on even in 2014, a phenomenon never seen before in the history of Indian elections. The name of the winning party is synonymous with Modi and here’s a man who knew exactly how to connect with voters across platforms effortlessly. Also, the tagline ‘Modi hai to mumkin hai’ (If Modi is there everything is possible) made the party indistinguishable from the larger-than-life personality at the top.Whilst the BJP dripped glitz, on the other hand, if jokes in the political circles are to be believed, Congress is a ‘poor party with wealthy leaders!’ It’s not a surprise thereby that the opposition has been wounded several times by NaMo’s huge resource edge across India. Plus, the 8.4 crore 1st-time voters, the millennials were more shaped by Modi’s ‘how’s the josh’ (how’s the spirit) pitch than anything else.Modi’s name started weighing in on the psyche of Indians after February’s Indian Air Force strikes in Balakot, Pakistan. A number of analysts evaluated Modi’s net approval rating across India that had stood low at the beginning of 2019 but quickly skyrocketed by February 27, a day after the strikes, seen as the latest example of his decisive leadership. Even after the Kargil War, the BJP had done well in some of the largest states of the country. Vajpayee’s popularity had increased tremendously. The same happened with Modi. The math was simple – a snowballing focus on India-Pak tensions deflected attention from the condemnation the party was facing on unemployment, agrarian crisis and the alleged Rafale scam.As soon as Modi made national security his foremost agenda, it quickly translated into seats. Also, the 2018 Budget, the last one for the incumbent government helped improve the way voters perceived Modi’s reign. There was something for everyone which led to heightened optimism and economic cheerfulness. Deal-making with smaller parties – the Shiv Sena, JD(U), Shiromani Akali Dal and AIADMK, spread across India played a big role in determining who became India’s next PM. Conversely, regional parties played smart by siding with the bigger player rather than in joining hands in a shaky regional grouping and feel threatened.On the contrary, Congressmen were optimistic that the party was on the road to recovery and could play a critical role in forming a UPA 3 but jumping from 44 to 140 to get a majority even in a coalition was a very difficult feat to achieve. Rahul Gandhi tried very hard to defeat Modi by trying to entice the public, but that backfired. Instead, what he should have done is try and win over a united opposition, rival leaders who might have scored a majority in Parliament. Now, here’s a mistake he’ll probably not fail to recall for decades. His strategy simply didn’t work.I remember reading headlines about a mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) conundrum just a few days back, between smaller state parties who were bridging gaps in order to build a Pan-India opposition and defeat the Modi-Shah machine. Unquestionably, the tactic rebounded. Despite victories in the three important Hindi heartland states, the Congress failed to build on the momentum. Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav [Representational Image]gettyimagesModi was quick to learn, knowing full well elections were due in a few months, he quickly overcame weaknesses and announced sops to farmers, upper castes and medium, small and micro-enterprise units. The grand old Nehru-Gandhi party got Priyanka Gandhi who looks eerily similar to the duo’s all-conquering grandmother Indira Gandhi, into active politics but the stratagem failed to shake the box office.Here’s something possibly funny and interesting at the same time. Even if Modi did lose, he would have still won 50 million more votes than US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton garnered together in 2016. He would also, surprisingly, represent one of the world’s three largest Muslim populations.What Next For Narendra Damodardas Modi?Modi’s 2nd term will likely be more divisive. Under Modi, India has begun to catch up to China and will possibly march ahead soon. India has also become a hotbed for overseas investments and the bar had been set rather high if Modi won a 2nd term. Now that he has, global funds and strategists are eager to back Modi and the markets valued at more than a $1 trillion.On top of all this, the BJP had pledged to spend $1.44 trillion on infrastructure to boost India’s economy, in a bid to match its main rival’s populist promises. Global funds’ confidence is based on the fact that Modi commits himself to economic reforms and boost India’s growth momentum. Investors are harping on the fact that, the winner, in this case, Modi, must use his powers to create jobs, fix India’s financial drainage, improve infrastructure and bring about financial sector reform.Also, one more ingredient that worked in favour of the Modi government was the numerous economic reforms, namely a unified tax reform, bankruptcy rules and finally demonetization that though had an initial setback for the masses will have positive ripples for several years to come, something I am sure even the opposition would not have undone had they won. The country faces deep structural problems that need to be addressed. More immediately, there is a well-entrenched financial cyclical slowdown underway, which demands urgent attention.[Dr Somdutta Singh, (PhD) Economics, former vice-chairperson NASSCOM Product Council, core committee member, WEP — NITI Aayog, is an Indian entrepreneur and angel investor. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not reflect that of International Business Times, India]
A file photo shows the view of Tokyo city. Japan mother held for dumping new-born`s body in Tokyo. Photo: CollectedA Japanese mother who allegedly delivered and killed her new-born baby at a Tokyo cafe before dumping the corpse in a locker was arrested Saturday, police said.Officers found the decomposing body of an infant, who appeared to have been choked to death, in the locker last month after unpleasant smells were reported there.The 25-year-old mother, Mao Togawa, was detained on suspicion of abandoning a body, according to a spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.The suspect is likely to also later face a murder charge as she largely admitted the allegations, local media said.She told investigators that she gave birth in January at a cafe where customers drink and read comic books in the capital’s entertainment district of Kabukicho, the spokesman and reports said.The suspect admitted that she killed the baby immediately “because she cried” and then put the body in a suitcase which she left in a nearby baggage locker, they said.Police questioned the suspect after CCTV footage showed her slotting coins into the locker — in a busy area with many restaurants, bars and hotels — to keep it closed.
in Daily Dose, Data, Featured, Market Studies, News October 12, 2015 576 Views Survey Finds Consumers Do Not Bargain Hunt for Mortgage Loans Bargain Hunt LendingTree Mortgage Loan 2015-10-12 Staff Writer
Although the majority of Americans consider themselves bargain hunters when shopping for various items or services, less than one-third of these consumers do not shop around for better prices when searching for a mortgage loan.A recent study from LendingTree found that 79 percent of Americans consider themselves bargain hunters and 92 percent research prices online before buying an item.However, consumers do not appear to be as motivated to hunt for bargains when it comes to shopping for a mortgage loan. LendingTree determined that 30 percent of consumers seek the best prices when shopping for a major financial loan, such as a mortgage loan, while 18 percent indicated that they never look for better rates or prices on loans.On the other end of the spectrum, consumers seem to be more willing to shop around for much smaller purchases.”Once it comes to a major financial investment, we see a collapse of the normally rational pattern of behavior and mentality for saving.”The survey found that over 80 percent of consumers noted that they would go out of their way to save ten cents per gallon on gas, but only 17 percent of car owners negotiated their auto interest rate.“It’s an interesting phenomenon. Consumers are generally very savvy with their shopping behavior when it comes to day-to-day purchases and material goods,” said Andrea Woroch, LendingTree’s consumer savings expert. “But, once it comes to a major financial investment, we see a collapse of the normally rational pattern of behavior and mentality for saving.”She added, “Consumers sometimes may be too focused on price and fail to consider the lifetime cost of interest which is really where banks and lenders make their money. Over a five-year auto loan, or thirty-year mortgage, a one percent difference between interest rates can easily translate to thousands of dollars.”Woroch believes there could be a number of causes for this “irrational behavior” among consumers including:Many Americans don’t understand the long-term costs associated with compounding interest and the time-value of moneyConsumers are uneducated about loan shopping and the importance of comparing interest rates before financing a purchase.”It’s easy to become emotionally involved with the purchase itself or to find the loan process so frustrating that you would rather finalize the purchase instead of shopping around,” Woroch said. “Unfortunately, consumers are becoming accustomed to paying a premium for convenience on a variety products we purchase every day, such as bottled drinks for example. But is the convenience of not shopping for loans really worth thousands of dollars? Perceived convenience is a major trap consumers can fall into, but with technology improving our ability to find the best deal, saving money on your major finances is just as easy as online shopping.”Click here to view the complete study. Share
Limassol driving examiners gathered for two hours outside the road transport department offices on Friday to protest over the lack of staff.In statements outside the offices, the head of the Limassol association of driving school owners Simos Koufallis said the patience of the candidates was exhausted because due to the understaffing they have to wait for up to five months to take a test.He reiterated the danger that learner drivers are increasingly tempted to drive illegally.“When a young driver has 25-30 hours of training and does not succeed in the first test, he usually chooses to ride without licence and insurance until the next appointment comes up,” he said.Over the past ten years, 11 examiners have left the road transport department, culminating in 2018 when three of them retired within three months.Though two examiners were recently seconded from Paphos to Limassol after a letter was sent to the transport ministry on February 11, a severe shortage of examiners remains as there are still only four examiners in Limassol, who cannot cope with the demand.Koufallis added that the problem was bound to escalate in early summer when applications would almost double due to students returning from abroad, and graduating pupils.Commenting on an announcement from the road transport department which said additional examination dates would be added for the month of April in Limassol, Koufallis said the announcement was issued after the protest was declared and there was no way it could solve the problem permanently.The issue, he added, would be discussed at a meeting scheduled on April 4 with the transport minister.You May LikePopularEverythingColorado Mom Adopted Two Children, Months Later She Learned Who They Really ArePopularEverythingUndoLivestlyChip And Joanna’s $18M Mansion Is Perfect, But It’s The Backyard Everyone Is Talking AboutLivestlyUndoYahoo SearchYou’ve Never Seen Luxury Like This On A Cruise Ship. Search Luxury Mediterranean CruisesYahoo SearchUndo Pensioner dies after crash on Paphos-Polis roadUndoCruise passenger airlifted to Paphos hospitalUndoRemand for pair in alleged property fraud (Updated)Undoby Taboolaby Taboola