67th Independence Day celebrations rehearsal at the Red Fort in New Delhi

Schoolchildren wave during the full dress rehearsal for the 67th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi.

Security has been increased in the Indian capital following inputs from Central Security agencies that allege that the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba terror group is planning to attack markets and government offices of strategic importance during the country's Independence Day on August 15.

Ahead of Independence Day and in the wake of an intelligence alert, Delhi has been put on high alert with heavy security arrangements and police barriers across the city.

"There shall be special checking of all vehicles, both private and commercial, entering the city from neighbouring states through border entry points," said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Anil Shukla.

Besides Delhi Police personnel and commandos, security officials in plain clothes and snipers will also be deployed around the Red Fort. At least 80 companies of security forces (around 6,000 personnel) will be deployed at the Red Fort and the surrounding areas, said the official.

"A team of snipers, National Security Guard (NSG) commandos along with Delhi Police will man the fort in a multi-tier security arrangement," he added.

Delhi Police and traffic police personnel will be spread out across the city to secure important places as well as entry and exit points at "vulnerable locations". All high-rise buildings, hotels, guest houses, markets and restaurants in Paharganj, Jama Masjid and areas near the Red Fort will be under the police scanner.

Even rickshaw-pullers and vendors in the area have been asked to keep a lookout for suspicious objects and people, police said.

"Intensive checking drives have been started at the airport, railway stations, Metro stations, bus stops, markets, malls and the border areas," said the officer.

Intensive drives have also been conducted for verification of tenants, servants, occupants of guest houses, dealers of used scooters and cars, cyber cafe users and cycle sellers across the city, he said.

"We have received a letter from IB (Intelligence Bureau) about a threat from a terrorist outfit ahead of Aug 15," a police source said.

"All the neighbouring states have also been alerted and security has been beefed up at border check posts, railway stations, metro and all interstate bus terminus," said a senior Delhi Police officer.

Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi held a meeting of senior police officers from neighbouring states on Aug 7 to discuss security-related issues.

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You want to Look And Feel like a Younger ?

Experts say you can eat your way to a younger, healthier you. In general, you should replace fattening starches with whole grains and cover at least half your plate with fruits and vegetables.

Here are seven foods that experts say could make you look and feel 10 years younger. What do you think? Let us know in comments.

1) Oranges
Just one orange a day can help you feel younger. Not only is this delicious fruit packed with vitamin C, but it also boasts skin-firming collagen.

2) Broccoli
Just a half-cup of broccoli a day can make you feel energized while also boosting your immune system. Why? Because broccoli contains more than 2/3 of the daily recommended dose of vitamin C. Broccoli also has the nutrient sulforaphane, which helps with liver detoxification.

3) Low-fat yogurt
Low-fat yogurt provides the calcium and phosphorus that can boost tooth enamel, which will make your smile even brighter. In addition, yogurt's probiotics and help with digestion so that you are less constipated.

4) Bell peppers
Bell peppers are chock-full of antioxidants, especially the brightly colored red, yellow and orange ones. Indeed, these peppers can boost immune function, ward off sun damage and even reduce your risk of several types of cancer.

5) Berries
All types of berries are good for you -- cranberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries -- but the darker ones are the best as they usually have the highest concentration of antioxidants. Berries also have a lot of vitamin C, which is good for your skin.

6) Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes offer an abundance of benefits, everything from antioxidants to anti-inflammatory agents. They also have vitamins A, C and E, which can help you maintain a lovely complexion and beautiful hair.

7) Carrots
Carrots pack a lot of beta-carotene, which not only helps with skin-cell renewal, but acts as a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are great for getting rid of free radicals that can make your skin age faster.

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More effects to the Children Health of Poor Air Quality and Pollution

Children's lungs are more vulnerable to damage from air pollution and excess ozone than adults’, lungs, since they are still developing and growing. The result is a high propensity for lung-related disease in those with constant exposure to smoke and pollution.

This was vividly revealed in a study that compared healthy children in a heavily polluted areas of  City against similar children raised in rural . X-rays of the children's lungs revealed that more than half of the city children already had lung damage that may be predictive of future problems.

Another study shows that exposure to pollution for many years can raise your lung cancer risk by as much as 24 per cent and can be as destructive as breathing second-hand tobacco smoke.

In a different study that tracked 500,000 people from 100 cities for 16 years, researchers found that dirty air also increased the risk of dying from heart disease by 6 per cent or more. The more polluted the air, the higher the death rates.

Can I undo it? No
Damage done to young lungs doesn't get repaired by your body. But there's plenty you can do to keep your lungs healthy and to protect against future damage.

Plus benefits
Achieving better lung health means improved, deeper breathing. Delivering better-quality air to your lungs results in greater stamina and overall energy, too.

Repair plan
Avoid smoke and dirty air The only way to avoid polluted air consistently is to live far from heavy traffic, factories with large chimneys and highly crowded neighbourhoods. If you live in an urban area, though, there are still many things you can do.

Pay attention to the pollution forecast for the day, especially on hot summer days when there may be higher levels of ozone in the air. Take frequent trips out of town. Stay indoors during peak traffic times.

Don't smoke Tobacco smoke irritates fragile, already-vulnerable lung tissue.

Pay attention to your lung health Call your doctor right away if you have chest pain or aches when you inhale or exhale or if you are coughing up blood.

These, along with unexplained weight loss, can be symptoms of lung cancer, as can shortness of breath, a hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, pain under your ribs and/or swelling of your face or neck.

Watch for COPD See your doctor if you're coughing frequently, wheezing, have frequent lung infections or have a lot of mucus. These symptoms can be a sign of a complex breathing problem that doctors call chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD.

Exercise It strengthens the muscles that help you to breathe.

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables The antioxidants can help to protect lungs from future damage.

Learn to control your breathing If you have COPD, your doctor or a respiratory therapist can teach you how to relax when you're feeling short of breath

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Sunstroke in Kids and Facts - prevention

Hot weather means playing outside in the sprinkler, climbing trees and soaking up the sunshine for many kids, but too much time in the sun can be a dangerous thing in hot and humid weather. Kids can overheat easily on steamy summer days, but knowing what signs to look for and how to protect your child can minimize his risk for heat-related illness like sunstroke.


The Facts
Sunstroke, officially known as heat stroke, is the most extreme heat illness, which is a condition that happens when the body’s natural cooling system breaks down. Kids, especially those who are 5 years old or younger, are especially susceptible to heat illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mild heat illnesses, like heat cramps -- pain in the legs, arms or abdominal area caused by low salt levels in the body -- and heat exhaustion, which is typically caused by dehydration, are warning signs that the heat is too much for your child. Untreated, heat illnesses can progress to heat stroke, a serious condition that can cause brain damage, organ failure and -- in extreme cases -- death.

Prevention
The best way to deal with sunstroke is to prevent it from happening. Keep your child well-hydrated in hot, humid weather. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends giving your child two to four 16-ounce glasses of water each hour, whether he says he’s thirsty or not. In extreme heat, add a sports drink once an hour to replace the salt and minerals your child is sweating out. Send your child outside in light, loose-fitting clothes and a broad-brimmed hat, and slather him up with sunscreen at least 30 minutes before you head into the sunshine. If you can, make your child’s outdoor time early in the morning or late in the evening, when the heat is likely to be at its lowest points, and encourage him to take breaks to cool off inside or in the shade. Avoid leaving your child alone in the car in hot weather. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even if you crack the car window, the temperature inside your car can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, putting your child at risk for heat stroke.

Symptoms
Heat illnesses have symptoms that are pretty easy to spot, so keeping a close eye on your child during hot weather can help prevent problems. Take heed if your child complains of a headache or queasy stomach -- both of these are early symptoms of heat illnesses -- along with dizziness, heavy sweating, confusion or a rapid heartbeat. Your child’s bathroom visits can also clue you in to his heat health: Dark yellow urine is a sign of dehydration, explains the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Treatment
If your child has flushed, hot skin but isn’t sweating, runs a temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, is weak, dizzy, sluggish or confused, or if she is not responsive or loses consciousness, call 911 immediately. While you’re waiting for paramedics to arrive, get your child inside or into the shade and focus on cooling her down. Loosen her clothes and sponge her off with cool water, but don’t give her anything to drink, warns Kids Health, an online parenting and health information resource maintained by the Nemours Foundation. If your child has clammy skin, is irritated and tired, or experiences nausea, she probably has heat exhaustion rather than heat stroke. Go ahead and call your health care provider, but in the meantime, get her into a cool place and encourage her to eat and drink. Skip the fever-reducing medicines, though, recommends Doernbecher Children’s Hospital -- they won’t work for heat-induced fevers.

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Ever say this PHRASE while you are in Meeting

The most important phrase you'll ever say in a meeting isn't "Please" or "Thank you." It isn't "How are you?" to open the meeting or "What are the next steps?" to close the meeting. No, the most important phrase you'll ever say in a meeting is:

There's no better way to show that you care about the person you're meeting with than to genuinely, authentically ask her what you can do to help.

There are two possibilities when you ask how you can help:

1) The person will tell you, thereby giving you an opportunity to help, after which the person you helped will feel compelled to return the favor, and help you.

2) The person won't tell you, instead politely declining, but then she will still feel like you care, and will be emotionally invested in helping you.
Either way, establishing that you care and that you're there to help is a powerful emotional bond. It's a paradox, I know - you're not meeting with someone to find out how you can help, you're likely meeting to get something sold, or bought, or done. But it's through helping that you'll gain trust, and eventually, influence.

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AppSumo presents : The Ultimate Entreprenuer Gateway

Winner Gets

• 5-day stay for one at the AppSumo Seattle mansion
• Flights to/from Seattle (up to $1,000)
• Food and drinks for all 5 days from private chef
• Access to the entire AppSumo team to start and grow your business

For more details go to this url

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Infosys ranks among the 5 most sustainable companies in BRICS countries

The BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - are big places with rapidly growing populations and expanding economies. So when a renowned think tank says that Infosys is among the five most sustainable companies in all of those countries, it's a distinction for us to celebrate.

I say this because sustainability isn't always cheap. It's not always easy. And it's certainly not the most popular set of programs to foster when the global economy is stuck in neutral and shareholders scrutinize every corporate activity for its cost-effectiveness. We have been a sustainable company through thick and thin, and we believe that our serious, long-lasting commitment to the environment - physical, social and economic - continues to pay off in a number of ways.

Focusing for a minute on the physical environment, we started with a promise: To be carbon neutral, to reduce our per capita electricity consumption by 50 percent, and to power our entire operations in India with renewable energy. Besides the environmental awards (the BRIC distinction is the ninth of 10 in the past year alone), we have had tremendous success meeting our stated goals. We put up new buildings that consume 66 percent less energy and 40 percent less water compared to our older buildings, but at no extra cost. We increased our share of renewable energy to 22 percent of our total electricity consumption using both off- and on-site renewable sources.

That promise continues to take shape because of Infoscions like Rohan Parikh, the company's head of Infrastructure and Green Initiatives in Bangalore. He recently wrote a compelling article that's a call to action for everyone: people within the company who might not yet be completely sold on sustainability's advantages, but also government officials who have the power to institute sweeping changes in this area. According to Parikh, we don't have the luxury of time anymore. The planet needs us to think and act with sustainability in mind ... starting today.

Parikh uses a wonderful phrase that I plan to borrow from him in the future when called upon to discuss sustainability: We need leaders, he says, who have the courage and conviction "to take unreasonable goals." This phrase resounds with me because environmental challenges are considerable and if we at Infosys don't make them our priorities, who will?

The good news is that our efforts are recognized and supported by our CFO. So you can rest assured that our goals are not deemed unreasonable (if they ever were in the first place). To me, the recognition of sustainability practices by the CFO and not just the marketing team means that our commitment does more than simply look great. It saves money. How many corporate sustainability programs can say that? For instance, we were the first to use radiant cooling air conditioning in a commercial building in India. We've devised ingenious solar panel farms and even a photovoltaic plant across many of our campuses. We've even developed a system that allows employees to switch off their computers remotely using their cell phones if they should accidentally leave them on at the end of the workday.

We harvest rainwater, too. In fact, we managed to sequester more fresh water into the ground than we consumed last year. Our rainwater harvest program among the buildings of the Mysore campus reduced freshwater consumption by 18 percent in its first year alone, saving some 80 million gallons. We also succeeded in reducing our overall water footprint by 14 percent last year by using flow restrictors, low-flow fixtures, and recycled water for flushing and air conditioning.

What Infosys has demonstrated is that sustainability is more than just a fad. It's a financial success story because we stuck with it. In business, having a set of goals and focusing on them is one thing. But making those goals among your most important is quite another thing. By following through on our commitment, we've shown the world just how efficient renewable energy can be. This success story has two corollaries: One is that companies in the BRIC nations are just as committed to caring about the environment as are organizations in the West. The other is that private enterprise is showing governments what it takes to get things done in the sustainability arena.

By setting the right example - that sustainability is a corporate way of life and not simply a fly-by-night program - Infosys is beginning to influence companies in other industries to begin building and operating with the environment in mind. In fact, one way we think we can have an enormous effect on the global markets is to have governments, agencies, and universities showcase our achievements in case studies. My reckoning is that if such studies were to influence just one percent of future construction, our sustainability philosophy would be far-reaching enough to be thought of as nation building. Nobody ever accused us of thinking small!

So I laud our colleagues for making us an environmentally responsible company. And speaking of awards, we're proud to be recognized by Green IT magazine among their many categories in their annual awards issue. We're honored to join a number of ecologically conscious enterprises working toward a more sustainable future.

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Chidambaram play his role as a TV reporter

Former Finance minister & BJP leader Jaswant Singh answers his questions, after the Parliament Session was adjourned sine die in the Capital on Wednesday

 BJP’s defeat in Karnataka Assembly polls turned Finance Minister P. Chidambaram into a ‘TV reporter’ on Wednesday.

The senior Congress leader took mike from a TV reporter and put in front of senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh as he emerged from Parliament.

“Don’t you credit Congress with victory?” the senior Congress leader asked Singh.

In fact, the Finance Minister was being asked questions by reporters on Karnataka when he saw Singh coming out. Promptly, he took the mike of the TV reporter and posed the question to Mr. Jaswant who was his predecessor in the Finance Ministry before Congress came to power at the Centre in May 2004.

“He is a gentleman”, Mr. Chidambaram said about Mr. Singh while returning mike to the reporter.

“It is a message to all political parties. The people watch very closely. Whoever forms the government must deliver,” the Finance Minister said, reacting to a question whether the Karnataka Assembly poll result is a larger message to the UPA Government as the people of Karnataka voted out BJP on the issue of corruption.

Agreeing with Mr. Chidambaram, Mr. Singh said people vote for governance and “if you stop governance, people will vote you out.”

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A lot in the budget for agriculture

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s budget for 2013-14 will be remembered not only for its strategies to stimulate economic growth and control fiscal deficit, but also for the importance given to the needs of the underprivileged sections of our society.

In the field of agriculture, he has adopted the following three pronged strategy:

1. Defend the gains already made in the original green revolution areas like Punjab and Haryana: For this purpose he has proposed crop diversification in a manner that both farm ecology and farm economics are safeguarded. It is well known that in this region, the water table is going down and soils are getting salinised. The budget provides Rs.500 crore to start the programme of crop diversification. I hope this will be used by the concerned State governments to introduce ecologically desirable practices like cereal-legume rotation.

2. Extend the gains to new areas: Mr. Chidambaram has provided Rs.1,000 crore for extending the yield revolution to eastern India, particularly in Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, where the schemes introduced by Pranab Mukherjee are making their impact felt.

3. Make new gains: He has provided Rs. 200 crore to start on a pilot scale a major initiative for marrying nutrition and agriculture by establishing Nutri-Farms. Nearly 60 per cent of the consumers are also farmers. The widespread malnutrition prevailing in our country can be overcome only if farm families are also enabled to have a balanced diet. The new programme proposed will involve introducing in the cropping system, bio-ortified crops which are rich in iron, zinc, vitamin A, Vitamin B 12 and other micronutrients as well as those which are rich in protein like quality protein maize. It will be taken up in the districts which are suffering from a high burden of hidden hunger caused by micro-nutrient deficiencies.

In the area of technology development, the Finance Minister has provided funds for a National Institute of Biotic Stress Management at Raipur and for a Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Biotechnology at Ranchi, Jharkhand. He has also proposed the replanting and rejuvenation of coconut gardens in the whole of Kerala. Among other initiatives, mention may be made of the emphasis given to farmer-producer organisations, including farmer-producer companies for the purpose of increasing income and market share of small farmers. Livestock and livelihoods are closely related in our country. He has proposed the organisation of a National Livestock Mission and provided Rs. 307 crore for this Mission. The Mission will pay particular attention to animal nutrition by increasing the availability of feed and fodder.

I particularly welcome the initiative for the provision of foodgrain storage godowns at the level of panchayat. I hope that the waste into energy project will cover agricultural biomass which is often wasted in rural India.

Obviously every aspect of farming and every problem of the farmer cannot be dealt with in the budget particularly since agriculture is a State subject. I only wish Mr. Chidambaram had also included in his allocation a programme for farm mechanisation. There is already a scheme with the Ministry of Agriculture in this field, but it needs to be strengthened particularly since after the advent of MGNREGA, farmers are having difficulty in getting labour at the right time and place. We need also gender sensitive farm equipment since the role of women farmers in agriculture is increasing.

Finally, he has rightly placed emphasis on translational research for converting scientific findings into field application. For this purpose he has provided Rs.200 crore for conversion of innovation into practical use. For example, there are enormous opportunities for improving the efficiency of the use of urea by placing the fertilizer at a few centimetres below the soil. There are special equipment available for this purpose and such innovations need popularisation. Rural India affords immense untapped opportunities for the integration of innovation and machinery in field operations.

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Our Entreprenuers want ??

The inadequacies of Indian startup ecosystem are no surprise to anyone. For the most enigmatic stories that we hear about entrepreneurship – of the Google’s, the Facebook’s or the Apple’s – originate from a country with only one-third the population as India but with a formidable startup eco-system. The difference has a larger implication. It means India has three times the number of potential entrepreneurs or the number of people who can ultimately benefit from the entrepreneurial innovations. Yet none of these numbers count without a vital missing link – the startup ecosystem. Our’s is a unique country with a billion people, who are culturally diverse. And with most of these people still living below the poverty line, their needs are different from people of the other countries. This is why indigenous entrepreneurs have a better chance of changing the Indian economic landscape. All of this needs an eco-system, may be unique in nature, given the nature of entrepreneurial ventures it has to incubate.

Entrepreneurs and the rare yet increasing species of VCs understand the inadequacies. Last few years have seen a number of startup incubators and collaboration platforms come up. Many of these are connecting the entrepreneurial community to each other closely. Some events are connecting the entrepreneurs to VCs, some are connecting the entrepreneurs to mentors and some are connecting the entrepreneurs to other like-minded entrepreneurs. While all of these connections are required, some of these are more important than others.

The connections that join the entrepreneurs to the VCs may seem most important but are not. Before a startup can even become an opportunity worth an investment, it has to reach a level of capacity. The capacity doesn’t come from money alone. It comes from the team that works behind the venture and also by the mentors who provide critical growth knowledge.

A number of entrepreneurs to whom I spoke reiterated the same point. Yash KS, CTO at the Red Force Labs – a startup, forcefully drove home the point that the level of mentoring in India is both superficial and of low quality. Not the broad level challenges but the tactical level challenges emerge as daunting roadblock for the ventures, requiring mentoring support. Most mentorship programmes are fleeting in nature and fail to provide an engaged mentorship support.

Myshkin Ingavale – founder of a biomedical focused startup also expressed the lack of good mentoring available in India. He emphasised that the informal discussions and interactions over an extended period of time with fellow entrepreneurs is a great way to improve the quality of startups and therefore community based learning is very crucial.

Of late a number of new startup platforms have emerged in India that focus on such needs of entrepreneurs. One such event, I attended last week had a similar taste. A number of entrepreneurs converged here to brainstorm ideas and develop prototypes. The participants picked their own teams and worked over the weekend to showcase their works into the grand finale. The idea is not to actually create products but to increase community interactions between entrepreneurs. Many people were also looking to find the co-founders for a new idea.

Among the many entrepreneurs I met was a Czech couple. The two were trying to perfect their idea of customised food ordering ‘Tasty Carrots’ with Indian entrepreneurs. The couple will finally implement the idea in Czechoslovakia. Some teams were developing apps, some came up with online retail platforms and another one focused on a low cost sanitation for the poor. Pankaj Jain, organiser of the Startup Weekend India who has worked with startup communities extensively, felt that this is the way forward for Indian startup community. Globally the startup communities thrive on such platforms, integrating and building their capacities through such informal networks.

This kind of crosspollination of ideas and talents at a community level is a vital yet under-served need in the Indian entrepreneur eco-system. While startup capital is a daunting challenge for Indian entrepreneurs, an under developed eco-system will only make that challenge even more insurmountable.

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10 Types of Taxes Which You Have Never Heard Of

All of us pay tax in one form or the other, be it income tax or sales tax. Paying tax has become inseparable part of everyone’s life. Benjamin Franklin rightly said “nothing is certain but death and taxes” and it is true even to this day. Well! Income tax, property tax and commercial taxes are something that all of us are familiar with.

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Successful Kumbh Earns Akhilesh a Harvard Invite

Lucknow: The successful hosting of Maha Kumbh 2013 has earned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav an invite from Harvard University to speak on how the 55-day religious congregation, which attracted tens of millions of people from India and around the world, went off like clockwork and was praised its organization worldwide.


Urban Development Minister Mohammad Azam Khan, who has also been invited for the April 25 event, said it was a matter of great honor that the efforts of the state government were being recognized by such a world-famous university.


The varsity would pay all the expenses for the trip.


A 50-member multi-disciplinary team, including faculty and student researchers from Harvard University, had travelled to Allahabad in January to document and analyse the processes involved in the successful Kumbh Mela.


The world's largest religious festival occurs every 12 years and draws millions of visitors to a temporary, purpose-built tent city on the banks of the Ganga and the Yamuna. The Kumbh was also documented by various organizations; over 1,000 journalists had covered the festival, which concluded March 12.

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How will our future cities look?

 Will we use flying cars to avoid the rush-hour in the cities of the future?

Imagine a city of the future. Do you see clean streets, flying cars and robots doing all the work?
Or perhaps your vision is more dystopian, with a Big Brother-style authoritarian regime, dark alleys full of crime, and people forced to live in hermetically sealed pods because war or some other disaster has rendered whole swathes of the city unliveable.

No-one really knows what the future holds, but the reality now is that our urban spaces are overcrowded and polluted.

Almost half of the world's population currently lives in cities, and by 2050 that is projected to increase to 75%, but what kind of city will they be living in?

The time is ripe, say experts, to start designing smarter urban environments, both new cities needed to sustain an ever-growing population, and retro-fits on the ones that we have lived in for centuries.

Greenification

If the cities of the past were shaped by people, the cities of the future are likely to be shaped by ideas, and there are a lot of competing ones about how such a futuristic urban space should look.

            How do we make our cities greener?

Some of these revolve around the idea that smarter equals greener. Sustainability experts predict carbon-neutral cities full of electric vehicles and bike-sharing schemes, with air quality so much improved that office workers can actually open their windows for the first time.

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In a world first, Japan extracts 'fire ice' gas from seabed

TOKYO: Japan said on Tuesday it had successfully extracted methane hydrate, known as " fire ice", from its seabed, possibly unlocking many years' worth of gas for the resource-starved country.

In what they are claiming as a world first, a consortium is drilling for the hydrate, a fossil fuel that looks like ice but consists of very densely-packed methane surrounded by water molecules, one kilometre (3,300 feet) below sea level.

The solid white substance burns with a pale flame, leaving nothing but water. One cubic metre of it is estimated to contain many times the equivalent volume of methane in gas form.

The consortium, led by Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation, began initial work in February last year and on Tuesday started a two-week experimental production, an economy, trade and industry ministry official said.

"It is the world's first offshore experiment producing gas from methane hydrate," the official said, adding that the team successfully collected methane gas extracted from the half-frozen substance.

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Earth on track to be hottest in 11.3 millennia: Study

The Earth-facing surface of the Sun is pictured in this NASA handout photo taken February 28, 2013 by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

WASHINGTON: The Earth is on track to becoming the hottest it has been at any time in the past 11.3 millennia, a period spanning the history of human civilization, a study published on Thursday has found.

Based on fossil samples and other data collected from 73 sites around the world, scientists have been able to reconstruct the history of the planet's temperature from the end of the last Ice Age around 11,000 years ago to the present. They have determined that the past 10 years have been hotter than 80 percent of the last 11,300 years.

But virtually all the climate models evaluated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predict that the Earth's atmosphere will be hotter in the coming decades than at any time since the end of the Ice Age, no matter what greenhouse gas emission scenario is used, the study found.

"We already knew that on a global scale, Earth is warmer today than it was over much of the past 2,000 years," said Shaun Marcott, the lead author of the study, which was published in Science.

"Now we know that it is warmer than most of the past 11,300 years. This is of particular interest because the Holocene spans the entire period of human civilization," said Marcott, who is a post-graduate researcher at Oregon State University.

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Future of transport: journey of a lifetime

What is the future of travel? From driverless cars to ‘lilypad cities’, Vision considers how we will get from A to B and beyond in the decades to come 

Within the next 20 years, transport systems will need to accommodate rapid population growth throughout the world. The population in Asia and Africa alone is set to triple, which will put pressure on the world’s oil reserves, 85 million barrels of which we consume every day. But thanks to advances in technology, the world of transport looks set to adapt to the changing demands, and in many cases, in the not so distant future.

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Internet scam: Beware of personalised mails from fraudsters

BANGALORE: Cyber fraudsters now land up in your inbox as advocates, police officials and friends through emails laced with links to malicious software that can steal your credit cards and bank accounts details.

One of the most successful on-going email scams is the job offer letter claiming to be from the office of the Vasant Kunj, Delhi-based human resources executive at carmaker Maruti Udyog announcing selection to the final round interview. Another one claims to be from a senior advocate based in New Delhi and talks about a case that has been registered against you in a local court.

"These emails are no longer sent by bored teenagers from college basements; most of the scams are pretty well-researched and advanced," said Huzefa Motiwala, regional head at computer security software firm Symantec. "Rise in email scams is directly proportional to the increase in internet penetration in the country, especially with the number of first-time internet users going up each day."

A recent Cisco study found that India is the world's largest source of internet spam, followed by the US, South Korea and China. With over 130 million users, India's internet population is one of the fastest growing in the world, according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India.

According to Ravindra K Gadadi, deputy superintendent of Police at Karnataka police's cyber crime division, hundreds of email scam cases get registered with his department every week. "Until recently, most of these scams originated from Nigeria, making it extremely hard for police to find the actual culprits. But that has changed." He added that the cyber police team in Bangalore recently arrested a person from Andhra Pradesh who was behind an email scam campaign.

In another scam, "e-challan" of 500 for parking illegally, claiming to be from police department, were sent via email. The email offers several links for paying the fine by credit card, internet banking or even physically into an SBI account (No: 30119276964). "The hunt is on for a person based out of Bellari (in Karnataka) who is suspected to be part of a large internet scam," Gadadi added.

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Dawn fire kills 20 in Kolkata

Kolkata relived the horrors of the AMRI hospital and Stephen Court fires after a devastating blaze in a wholesale paper and plastic products market in the heart of the city killed at least 20 people on Wednesday.

Thick, black smoke from the pre-dawn fire swirled through two floors of a six-storey building on Surya Sen Street close to Sealdah station in central Kolkata, suffocating traders and shopworkers sleeping in the corridors lined with tens of stalls and small shops stacked high with plastic plates and cutlery, and paper and thermocol products used in weddings or festivals.
The building, which came up in 1995, was illegal, and Kolkata Municipal Corporation had demolished parts of it earlier. It had no fire-fighting equipment and only one entry and exit — a staircase that was filled with smoke. Four people were rescued alive and taken to hospital. One woman was among the dead.

According to police, the Fire Brigade and area residents, the fire started at 3.20 am, probably after a refrigerator burst into flames following an electrical short-circuit. It fed on inflammable material, chemicals and over 50 cooking gas cylinders as it raced through the mezannine and first floors of the building, and burnt for about 10 hours.

The fire comes a little over a year after over 90 people — mostly hospital patients — suffocated following the AMRI blaze of December 2011. Earlier, in March 2010, 43 people died after a fire broke out in the 150-year-old Stephen Court building on Park Street.

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India's 10 Most Unexplored Tourist Spots

From Himalayas in the north to the Indian ocean in the south, India has an ample number of places that are still left unexplored and unheard of. The country is known for its scenic beauty and the perfect blend of exotic flora and fauna. There are several attractive places in India that offer superlative picturesque views that leave you with unforgettable experiences. Let's have a glimpse of some of the best unexplored destinations.

Majuli
Located: Assam

World's largest river island, Majuli is located in the beautiful state of Assam. Nestled in the banks of mighty Brahmaputra River, Majuli is known for its pristine landscape. This charming place is a cultural paradise. It is considered as one of the most beautiful places on earth where ancient Assamese culture is still a living custom. This picturesque place has become an attractive tourist spot in Assam and UNESCO has declared the place as a world heritage site. To enjoy the liberty of wind, clear blue sky and the pristine primitiveness, Majuli has it all. The population free environment of Majuli makes it an ideal place to relax and rejuvenate, as listed by MensXP.com.

Athirapilly Falls
Located: Kerala

Often known as the Niagara Falls of India, the majestic Athirapally Falls is located in Kerala, God's own country. Nestled in the Vazhachal forests of the Western Ghats, this magnificent water body became a famous tourist attraction. Athirapally waterfall symbolizes the serene yet wild beauty of the nature. It captivates tourist with the cool water spray that covers a large surrounding near the fall. This unspoiled scenic place is the perfect example of natural beauty. To experience the perfect match of flora and fauna, Athirapally Falls is the ideal place. This serene place offers breathtaking experience mainly for travelers who love the splendor of beautiful nature. Surprisingly, the sight has caught film makers' attention for its unspoiled beauty and movies like Dil Se, Guru and Iruvar have been shot here.

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More than 20 Percent of Indians Malnourished

Bangalore: Over 20 percent of the population, which is about 212 million people, suffer from malnourishment in India. Well-known water expert and Tamil Nadu Planning Commission member P M Natarajan said the figure was taken from the latest estimates of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), reports M R Venkatesh for Deccan Herald.

Natarajan pointed out that 50 percent of the children in rural areas suffer from malnutrition, while 21 percent of the affected children suffer from “severe malnutrition.”

Talking of the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals, Natarajan said “It will not be possible for India to achieve these goals without water and food security,” as reported by Deccan Herald.

Further, it was recently announced by Food Minister KV Thomas that India needs a 200 billion rupee top-up for its proposed food security bill, which is meant to ensure subsidised grain for the poor. The bill will be introduced in the budget session of Parliament on February 21.

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