AirAsia flight QZ8501: Search area expanded; pilot's final call revealed
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SURABAYA: More planes will be in the air and more ships on the sea on Tuesday hunting for AirAsia Flight 8501 in a widening search off Indonesia that has dragged into a third day without any solid leads.
At least 30 ships, 15 aircraft and seven helicopters were looking for the jet carrying 162 people, said Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo. Most of the craft were Indonesian but Singapore, Malaysia and Australia contributed to the effort. Aircraft from Thailand planned to join Tuesday's search.
He said the search area would be expanded to land areas, with four military helicopters dispatched just after sunrise near Pangkalan Bun on the western part of Borneo island and to smaller islands of Bangka and Belitung.
"Until now, we have not yet found any signal or indication of the plane's whereabouts," Soelistyo said, adding fishermen from Belitung island were also helping.
The US navy is also joining the search. It said in a statement that the USS Sampson, a destroyer, which was already on an independent deployment in the Western Pacific, and will arrive in the area later on Tuesday.
The longer the search goes without turning up any wreckage or hint of what happened to plane, the more the incident will evoke memories of the still-unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in March.
At least 30 ships, 15 aircraft and seven helicopters were looking for the jet carrying 162 people, said Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo. Most of the craft were Indonesian but Singapore, Malaysia and Australia contributed to the effort. Aircraft from Thailand planned to join Tuesday's search.
He said the search area would be expanded to land areas, with four military helicopters dispatched just after sunrise near Pangkalan Bun on the western part of Borneo island and to smaller islands of Bangka and Belitung.
"Until now, we have not yet found any signal or indication of the plane's whereabouts," Soelistyo said, adding fishermen from Belitung island were also helping.
The US navy is also joining the search. It said in a statement that the USS Sampson, a destroyer, which was already on an independent deployment in the Western Pacific, and will arrive in the area later on Tuesday.
The longer the search goes without turning up any wreckage or hint of what happened to plane, the more the incident will evoke memories of the still-unexplained disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in March.
Fog impacts air, train traffic: 13 flights, 74 trains cancelled
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NEW DELHI: Tuesday was yet another day of dense fog observed in many parts of north and east India. The national capital Delhi as usual woke up to foggy conditions, with the Palam airport experiencing nil visibility. Other places in the capital like Dwarka, Faridabad, Laxminagar and Indirapuram observed dense fog with visibility recording close to 100 meters. The conditions at Noida expressway and Model Town in north Delhi was a shade better with shallow fog being reported.
Meanwhile, Amritsar in Punjab also witnessed very dense fog with visibility dropping to nil. Punjab is a pocket where fog makes a regular occurrence. At the start of the winter season in November, Punjab was the first place to experience fog.
Moving on to east India, Patna observed very dense fog as visibility dropped to 100 meters. The situation in the Capital of Uttar Pradesh was similar with very dense fog pulling down the visibility to 100 meters. The situation in Gaya was a little better with dense fog being observed and visibility recording 200 meters. Other places in the region to have reported foggy conditions are Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Agra. Gorakhpur has been the worst hit pocket in the region due to fog.
Meanwhile, thirteen flights were reported to be cancelled and over 80 were delayed in Delhi out of which 21 were to depart from the Palam airport.
Meanwhile, Amritsar in Punjab also witnessed very dense fog with visibility dropping to nil. Punjab is a pocket where fog makes a regular occurrence. At the start of the winter season in November, Punjab was the first place to experience fog.
Moving on to east India, Patna observed very dense fog as visibility dropped to 100 meters. The situation in the Capital of Uttar Pradesh was similar with very dense fog pulling down the visibility to 100 meters. The situation in Gaya was a little better with dense fog being observed and visibility recording 200 meters. Other places in the region to have reported foggy conditions are Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Agra. Gorakhpur has been the worst hit pocket in the region due to fog.
Meanwhile, thirteen flights were reported to be cancelled and over 80 were delayed in Delhi out of which 21 were to depart from the Palam airport.
PDP split on alliance with BJP, fears valley backlash
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NEW DELHI: The PDP, the party which won the maximum seats in J&K, is now split wide open over whether to seek BJP support to form a government. Highly placed sources in the PDP have confirmed to TOI that at least half a dozen of the 28 PDP MLAs have rejected the idea of a tie up with the BJP, saying it would go against their mandate. While senior leaders and a former deputy CM Muzaffar Hussein Baig has openly supported a tie up, Mehbooba Mufti and newly elected Rajpora MLA Haseeb Drabu, widely tipped to be the state's finance minister, have opposed the alliance.
The PDP leadership has been meeting the MLAs individually before it takes a final call ahead of its meeting with the governor on January 1. "If we go with the BJP, it will be political suicide for us," one of the MLAs told TOI. "It is better to have governor's rule if required." However, the group which wants a tie up feels that this is the best chance for the PDP to redefine the politics of the state. "Six years is a long time in politics and if Mufti Mohd Sayeed as CM delivers, we will be able to strengthen ourselves in both Srinagar and Delhi." The fact that the BJP is in power at the Centre is an obvious attraction since central funds for flood relief will be the immediate challenge. A Modi-Mufti tie up is seen by the pro-alliance group as a partnership that can outlast the equation the Abdullahs had with the Congress leadership.
The PDP leadership has been meeting the MLAs individually before it takes a final call ahead of its meeting with the governor on January 1. "If we go with the BJP, it will be political suicide for us," one of the MLAs told TOI. "It is better to have governor's rule if required." However, the group which wants a tie up feels that this is the best chance for the PDP to redefine the politics of the state. "Six years is a long time in politics and if Mufti Mohd Sayeed as CM delivers, we will be able to strengthen ourselves in both Srinagar and Delhi." The fact that the BJP is in power at the Centre is an obvious attraction since central funds for flood relief will be the immediate challenge. A Modi-Mufti tie up is seen by the pro-alliance group as a partnership that can outlast the equation the Abdullahs had with the Congress leadership.
India is a relative, China a friend: Mahindra Rajapaksa
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CHENNAI: Gearing up for a tough Presidential election in January 2015, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa described India as his relative and China as a friend. "I will not allow my soil to be used against my friends and neighbours. That will not happen in Sri Lanka as long as I'm here," Rajapaksa said in a rare interview to a Chennai-based Tamil television channel.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his foreign policy initiatives, Rajapaksa in a 30-minute interview to 'Thanthi TV' telecast on Monday said, "The Indian PM has opened up his foreign policy to enable our two countries to have stronger ties. That is what enabled me to take the decision to release the (five) Indian fishermen, who were sentenced to death (for smuggling narcotics)."
The interview comes at a time when there is growing hostility against Rajapaksa among some pro-Eelam parties and aggressive posturing by mainstream parties in Tamil Nadu on the fishermen issue. But in recent months the new bonhomie between Modi and Rajapaksa saw defusing of diplomatic tensions resulting in both sides releasing fishermen detained for maritime violations.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his foreign policy initiatives, Rajapaksa in a 30-minute interview to 'Thanthi TV' telecast on Monday said, "The Indian PM has opened up his foreign policy to enable our two countries to have stronger ties. That is what enabled me to take the decision to release the (five) Indian fishermen, who were sentenced to death (for smuggling narcotics)."
The interview comes at a time when there is growing hostility against Rajapaksa among some pro-Eelam parties and aggressive posturing by mainstream parties in Tamil Nadu on the fishermen issue. But in recent months the new bonhomie between Modi and Rajapaksa saw defusing of diplomatic tensions resulting in both sides releasing fishermen detained for maritime violations.
Give SC certificate or 1.5 lakh will turn Christians, warn Dhangars
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AGRA: Leaders of the Dhangars - a caste of herders from Agra and nearby regions who were recognized in 1950 as Scheduled Caste - held a mahapanchayat in Agra on Sunday and declared that if they were not given SC certificates in a month's time, they would convert en masse to Christianity.
Senior leaders of the herders said the state government had done little for them. The community had received little help by way of education and employment, they had no pucca houses, and did not so much as have a certificate to show that they were an SC group.
Leaders of the community said that if the state government continued to neglect them, and if no certificate was granted to them in a month's time, showing them as SC, they would embrace Christianity.
Dhangars have a strong presence in the Braj region and across the state. Community leaders said about 1.5 lakh people could join the Christian fold if the caste certificates were not forthcoming.
More than 300 representatives of the herding community from across the state attended the mahapanchyat at Hariyali Vatika in Agra on Sunday.
Senior leaders of the herders said the state government had done little for them. The community had received little help by way of education and employment, they had no pucca houses, and did not so much as have a certificate to show that they were an SC group.
Leaders of the community said that if the state government continued to neglect them, and if no certificate was granted to them in a month's time, showing them as SC, they would embrace Christianity.
Dhangars have a strong presence in the Braj region and across the state. Community leaders said about 1.5 lakh people could join the Christian fold if the caste certificates were not forthcoming.
More than 300 representatives of the herding community from across the state attended the mahapanchyat at Hariyali Vatika in Agra on Sunday.
Bengaluru blast victim's last words to hubby: Did you eat?
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BENGALURU: "Did you eat?" These were Bhavani Balan's last words to her husband in Chennai.
A distraught Balan N (46) broke down in Mallya Hospital, recalling that Bhavani had spoken to him at 8pm Sunday, just half an hour before an IED blast sent shrapnel piercing through her skull on Church Street. Balan, who deals in old tyres, reached Bengaluru at 6am Monday.
Bleeding profusely, Bhavani (38) was rushed to Mallya Hospital, where she breathed her last around 10.45pm. The body was kept at Mallya Hospital overnight and taken to Victoria Hospital for a postmortem.
Bhavani's children Lakshmi Thevi (11) and Bharat Narayan (15), who were a few inches ahead of their mother when the blast occurred, waited in front of the hospital mortuary.
"I can keep hearing the sound of the blast," a traumatized Lakshmi kept telling her relatives now and then.
Bharat and Lakshmi were taken into the postmortem room one last time, before the body was sent to Chennai in an ambulance. For the kids, the torture just doesn't seem to end. Balan said the funeral would be held on Tuesday morning in Chennai.
A distraught Balan N (46) broke down in Mallya Hospital, recalling that Bhavani had spoken to him at 8pm Sunday, just half an hour before an IED blast sent shrapnel piercing through her skull on Church Street. Balan, who deals in old tyres, reached Bengaluru at 6am Monday.
Bleeding profusely, Bhavani (38) was rushed to Mallya Hospital, where she breathed her last around 10.45pm. The body was kept at Mallya Hospital overnight and taken to Victoria Hospital for a postmortem.
Bhavani's children Lakshmi Thevi (11) and Bharat Narayan (15), who were a few inches ahead of their mother when the blast occurred, waited in front of the hospital mortuary.
"I can keep hearing the sound of the blast," a traumatized Lakshmi kept telling her relatives now and then.
Bharat and Lakshmi were taken into the postmortem room one last time, before the body was sent to Chennai in an ambulance. For the kids, the torture just doesn't seem to end. Balan said the funeral would be held on Tuesday morning in Chennai.
Haryana fails to trace missing Vadra-DLF land deal papers
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CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has failed to trace documents missing from a file related to a three-member panel that the previous government had set up to probe the land deal of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, Robert Vadra, with DLF in 2012.
It had ordered a probe into the matter on December 19 and asked an under secretary-level officer to submit a report within 10 days.
Chief secretary P K Gupta on Monday confirmed to TOI they had not been able trace the documents.
The government has announced it would take action against those found guilty of stealing important documents.
"We would take next action on the basis of the recommendations of the inquiry officer who would submit his report on Wednesday,'' said Gupta.
Two missing pages relate to official noting of the previous government for setting up the committee.
The previous government had given a clean chit to Vadra's firm, Skylight Hospitality. It had passed remarks against IAS officer Ashok Khemka for cancelling the mutation of land deal between Vadra and DLF.
The matter came to fore when an official informed the state information commission that the file noting leading to the decision to constitute the committee on October 19, 2012 cannot be traced.
Initially, the state government was hoping it would able to restore the file by taking same noting pages from a Mohali resident, whom they had been given under RTI Act in June.
But the chief secretary admitted that they could not trace the documents from that person.
It had ordered a probe into the matter on December 19 and asked an under secretary-level officer to submit a report within 10 days.
Chief secretary P K Gupta on Monday confirmed to TOI they had not been able trace the documents.
The government has announced it would take action against those found guilty of stealing important documents.
"We would take next action on the basis of the recommendations of the inquiry officer who would submit his report on Wednesday,'' said Gupta.
Two missing pages relate to official noting of the previous government for setting up the committee.
The previous government had given a clean chit to Vadra's firm, Skylight Hospitality. It had passed remarks against IAS officer Ashok Khemka for cancelling the mutation of land deal between Vadra and DLF.
The matter came to fore when an official informed the state information commission that the file noting leading to the decision to constitute the committee on October 19, 2012 cannot be traced.
Initially, the state government was hoping it would able to restore the file by taking same noting pages from a Mohali resident, whom they had been given under RTI Act in June.
But the chief secretary admitted that they could not trace the documents from that person.
We discovered the centrality of Nagpur before MIHAN, says Chief Operating officer of Big Bazaar
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“Not many in Nagpur know this yet, but Big Bazaar’s Future group, owns a 5 lakh sq feet warehouse near Butibori, the largest in the country.” Said Mr. Samson Samuel, COO of Big Bazaar’s future retail office, head of logistics for Big Bazaar who was in Nagpur for the Global Nagpur conclave.
Mr. Samson said that while politicians and other industrialists were discovering the advantage of being in Nagpur now since it is situated right at the centre of the country, his company realized the benefit of setting up their central warehouse here to reduce and optimize the cost of service to all its centres.
Before they came to Nagpur, they were operating from 40 cities and their costs of carrying inventories in so many places were phenomenal.
About 6 – 7 years ago, they seriously looked at Nagpur and realized if they used this city for its supply chains they could move all their inventory to one single city and close down warehouses everywhere else.
Co incidentally for them this was the time that container services from Nagpur were introduced both the Railways through Container Corporation and also by private players. “We have been favoring this model of transport over the road – though we ply on the roads a lot too” said Mr. Samson.
“Many people warned us against coming to Nagpur. ‘It is a small town, you wont get support services there’ they told us. You wont get even transporters but we persevered and today we have 55 to 60 trucks plying everyday for us” disclosed the COO.
In fact Big Bazaar was so happy with Nagpur and they have taken some local partners and formed OCLP – Orange City Logistics Park – and are building warehouses for others. Mr. Samson specified that they discovered the Bohra community people of Nagpur were good at building such warehouses and have and have outsourced the construction activity to them.
Mr. Samson said that while politicians and other industrialists were discovering the advantage of being in Nagpur now since it is situated right at the centre of the country, his company realized the benefit of setting up their central warehouse here to reduce and optimize the cost of service to all its centres.
Before they came to Nagpur, they were operating from 40 cities and their costs of carrying inventories in so many places were phenomenal.
About 6 – 7 years ago, they seriously looked at Nagpur and realized if they used this city for its supply chains they could move all their inventory to one single city and close down warehouses everywhere else.
Co incidentally for them this was the time that container services from Nagpur were introduced both the Railways through Container Corporation and also by private players. “We have been favoring this model of transport over the road – though we ply on the roads a lot too” said Mr. Samson.
“Many people warned us against coming to Nagpur. ‘It is a small town, you wont get support services there’ they told us. You wont get even transporters but we persevered and today we have 55 to 60 trucks plying everyday for us” disclosed the COO.
In fact Big Bazaar was so happy with Nagpur and they have taken some local partners and formed OCLP – Orange City Logistics Park – and are building warehouses for others. Mr. Samson specified that they discovered the Bohra community people of Nagpur were good at building such warehouses and have and have outsourced the construction activity to them.
General Knowledge : General Awareness QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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1.Which of the following cities is known as Electronic City of India ?
Mumbai Hyderabad Bangalore Gurgaon
ANSWER : : Bangalore
1.Which of the following cities is known as Electronic City of India ?
|
| Mumbai |
| Hyderabad |
| Bangalore |
| Gurgaon ANSWER : : Bangalore |
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2.Ms Bachendri Pal had undertaken a unique expedition for focussing attention on which of the following themes ?
National Integration The Girl Child Spirit of Adventure One Nation One Family
ANSWER : : Spirit of Adventure
2.Ms Bachendri Pal had undertaken a unique expedition for focussing attention on which of the following themes ?
|
| National Integration |
| The Girl Child |
| Spirit of Adventure |
| One Nation One Family |
ANSWER : : Spirit of Adventure
|
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3.Where is teh National Remote Sensing Agency situated ?
Bangalore Dehradun Shadnagar Chennai
ANSWER : : Shadnagar
|
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4.The first underground railway in India was opened in 1984 in
Mumbai Chennai Kolkata Bangalore
ANSWER : : Kolkata
|
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5.Ashok Pandit is known for his outstanding performance in which of the following ?
Swimming Wrestling Shooting Kabaddi
ANSWER : : Shooting
|
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6.Who was the first Indian to go into space ?
Satish Dhawan Ravi Malhotra Rakesh Sharma None of these
ANSWER : : Rakesh Sharma
|
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7.Who wrote Dragons Seed ?
Pearl S. Buck Shakespeare Shelley Keats
ANSWER : arl S. Buckns: Pearl S. Buck
|
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8.Bismillah Khan is associated with
Tabla Sarod Flute Shehnai
ANSWER : : Shehnai
|
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9.The Paratroopers Training School of the Indian Air Force, is located at
Nasik Agra Pune Dehradun
ANSWER : : Agra
|
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10.The famous Meenakshi temple is in
Maharashtra Gujarat Orissa Tamil Nadu
ANSWER : : Tamil Nadu
|
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11.Which of the following personalities inspiredGreen Revolution in India ?
R.A. Kidwai N.E. Borlaug K.M. Panikkar M.S. Ssaminathan
ANSWER : : N.E. Borlaug
|
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12.The headquarters of the National Power Training Institute is located in
Lucknow Faridabad Bhopal Hyderabad
ANSWER : : Faridabad
|
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13.Which of the following is a violin player ?
V.C. Jog Mallikarjun Mansur Hariprasad Chaurasia None of these
ANSWER : C. Jogns: V.C. Jog
|
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14.Which Iraqi scientist known as Dr. Germ for her role in Iraqs biological weapons programme recently surrendered to coalition forces ?
Maleeha Lodhi Salma Pervez Saleema Garib Rihab Rashid Taha
ANSWER : : Rihab Rashid Taha
|
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15.Kishori Amonkar is famous in which of the following fields ?
Dance Music Social service Film acting
ANSWER : : Music
|
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16.Guru Gopinath was an exponent of
Kuchipudi Bharatnatyam Kathakali Kathak
ANSWER : : Kathakali
|
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17.A. Nageshwara Rao is asociated which of the following fields ?
Sports Social service Literature Motion Picture
ANSWER : : Motion Picture
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18.The world famous ajanta caves are situated in the state of
Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Karnataka Orissa
ANSWER : : Maharashtra
|
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19.The Indial Institute of Science is located at
New Delhi Madras Kharagpur Bangalore
ANSWER : : Bangalore
|
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20.Which among the following ranks in Indian Air Force is the highest ?
Flying Officer Air Commodore Wing Commander Squadron Leader
ANSWER : : Air Commodore
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