Merchant | SilverScorpio.Com

Hundreds take part in ‘Ram Baraat’ in Agra

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Agra, Sept 17 (ANI): Hundreds of people here took part in ‘Ram Baraat’, which is a part of the Ramlila celebrations.

Jeetander Chauhan, a worker, who erected the decorations for the celebrations, said that people were happy that god was among them.

“We are feeling that Lord Ram has appeared among us. Hundreds of people have come to witness this famous god’s marriage,” said Chauhan.

Maya Sharma, a devotee, said that women were also excited about this deity marriage.

“I’m really feeling good that ‘Baraat’ procession of Lord Rama and Sita is taking place. We are feeling good that god himself is present here,” said Sharma.

Every year, a new locality is chosen in Agra and festivities last for three days and the area is elaborately decorated with lights and flowers. The area is given a major face-lift befitting the venue for the divine marriage.

The marriage procession sees marriage between saint Shaligram who represents Lord Ram and holy Basil plant, which represents Sita, his wife.

The place is lit up with thousands of lights and non-stop music. The cinema theatres run film shows throughout the night to accommodate the migratory crowd.

These three days are like a carnival when people from all walks of life come together to have a great time.

The history of Ram Baraat is said to be around 125 years old, when Lala Kokamal, a cloth merchant, started the tradition of three-day festivities, revolving around the royal wedding. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: agra, ANI, area, Baraat, basil, Basil Plant, carnival, Chauhan, cinema, Cinema Theatres, cloth, Cloth Merchant, crowd, deity, devotee, divine, Face Lift, feeling, festivities, film, god, history, Holy Basil, Jeetander, Lala Kokamal, life, locality, Lord Ram, Lord Rama, marriage, Marriage Procession, Maya Sharma, merchant, migratory, music, night, part, place, plant, procession, Rama And Sita, Ramlila, Royal Wedding, saint, Sept, Shaligram, Sita, Stop Music, time, tradition, venue, walks of life, wedding, wife, witness, worker, year

US Navy ship sunk in World War II battle located

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 11 (ANI): A research mission has located and identified the final resting place of the YP-389, a US Navy patrol boat sunk approximately 20 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, by a German submarine during World War II.

Six sailors died in the attack on June 19, 1942. There were 18 survivors.

The wreck is located in about 300 feet of water in a region off North Carolina known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” home to US and British naval vessels, merchant ships, and German U-boats sunk during the Battle of the Atlantic.

NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and its expedition partners mapped and shot video of the wreck using high-resolution camera equipment, multibeam sonar and an advanced remotely operated vehicle deployed from the NOAA ship Nancy Foster.

Researchers were able to locate and positively identify the YP-389 by reexamining data from the Duke Marine Laboratory expedition that discovered the USS Monitor in 1973.

Today, the relatively intact remains of the YP-389 rest upright on the ship’s keel.

The wreck site is home to a variety of marine life. Much of the outer-hull plating has fallen away, leaving only the intact frames exposed.

“She rests now like a literal skeleton, a reminder of a time long ago when the nation was at war,” said Joseph Hoyt, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary archaeologist and principal investigator for the project.

Built originally as a fishing trawler, the YP-389 was converted into a coastal patrol craft and pressed into service after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The ship was equipped with one 3-inch deck gun to protect the ship from enemy aircraft and surfaced submarines and two .30-caliber machine guns.

However, on the day of the attack by the German submarine U-701, the ship’s deck gun was inoperative, and the YP-389 could return fire only with its machine guns.

Weeks after the attack on the YP-389, the U-701 was sunk by Army aircraft in the same vicinity as the YP-389.

According to Rear Admiral Jay A. DeLoach, USN (Ret), director, Naval History and Heritage Command, “The US Navy considers the YP-389 discovery a grave site and, by law, it is to be left undisturbed.” (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: administration., aircraft, ANI, archaeologist, army, atlantic, Atmospheric, attack, Attack On Pearl Harbor, battle, boat, caliber, Caliber Machine Guns, camera, Cape Hatteras, Cape Hatteras North Carolina, coast, command, craft, day, deck, Deck Gun, DeLoach, director, discovery, duke, Duke Marine Laboratory, enemy, equipment, expedition, final resting place, fire, fishing, fishing trawler, foster, German, german submarine, German U Boats, graveyard, Graveyard Of The Atlantic, gun, Hatteras North Carolina, Heritage, High Resolution Camera, history, home, inch, investigator, Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor, Joseph Hoyt, June, keel, Laboratory, law, life, machine, marine, merchant, mission, monitor, Monitor National Marine, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, Multibeam, nancy, nation, national, National Marine Sanctuary, national oceanic and atmospheric administration, naval, navy, navy ship, NOAA, Noaa Ship, North Carolina, Oceanic, Patrol, Pearl Harbor, place, project, Rear Admiral Jay A, region, reminder, Research, rest, Ret, Sanctuary, September, service, ship, shot, site, skeleton, sonar, submarine, time, today, trawler, upright, US, USN, USS, variety, vehicle, vicinity, video, war, Washington, water, weeks, world, world war ii, wreck, YP

510-year-old church in Newfoundland may be New World’s oldest Christian site

September 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Ottawa, September 7 (ANI): In a new project, a team of archeologists is planning to search for the remains of a 510-year-old church on the western shore of Conception Bay, Newfoundland, which may be the oldest Christian site in the New World.

According to a report in the National Post, the project is aimed at adding to a string of recent discoveries about explorer John Cabot’s history-making voyages to Canada in the late 15th century.

The recent emergence of new evidence about Cabot’s voyages, including potentially “revolutionary” findings by the late British historian Alwyn Ruddock, has renewed interest in England’s earliest New World ventures during the reign of King Henry VII.

Canwest News Service recently revealed a researcher’s discovery of a 1499 letter in which Henry VII himself describes a previously unknown expedition to Canada headed by William Weston, a Bristol merchant who is finally emerging – five centuries after his death – as a key backer of Cabot’s quest to establish an English foothold in North America.

The king’s letter also contained the earliest known use of the phrase “new founde land” to describe Canada’s easternmost province, which Cabot is believed to have reached in June 1497 – the first European landfall in North America since the age of the Vikings.

Bizarrely, the recent spate of revelations from the dawning days of Canadian history follows Prof. Ruddock’s order – carried out by the executors of her will after she died in 2005 — that her unpublished research be destroyed.

But, through a project headed by University of Bristol historian Evan Jones, Prof. Pope and other scholars are combing through a small collection of Prof. Ruddock documents that survived destruction and may point the way to fresh discoveries – including the suspected Catholic mission at Carbonear.

In the outline for a book she never completed, Prof. Ruddock claimed to have found documents detailing the establishment of a church at Carbonear.

Historians generally believe Cabot perished during the voyage, and little was accomplished by any of the ships involved in the expedition.

But Prof. Ruddock’s sketchy references to a New World church built as early as 1498 has electrified Prof. Jones and other researchers.

“If she were correct, this would be the first European Christian settlement in North America, with the church Prof. Ruddock mentions being the first built on the continent,” said Jones. (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: age, Alwyn Ruddock, ANI, backer, Bizarrely, book, bristol, british historian, Canada, Canadian History, Canwest, Canwest News Service, Carbonear, catholic, Catholic Mission, century, christian, church, collection, Conception Bay, Conception Bay Newfoundland, continent, death, destruction, discovery, easternmost, Easternmost Province, emergence, England, english, establishment, European, evan jones, evidence, executors, expedition, explorer, Explorer John Cabot, foothold, founde, Founde Land, henry vii, historian, historians, history, interest, john cabot, jones, June, king, King Henry Vii, land, landfall, letter, merchant, mission, national, New, New World Ventures, Newfoundland, NEWS, North America, order, Ottawa, outline, phrase, post, prof jones, Prof. Pope, Prof. Ruddock, project, province, quest, recent discoveries, reign, report, Research, researcher, Revolutionary Findings, Ruddock, September, service, settlement, shore, site, spate, string, team, University, university of bristol, Unpublished Research, use, voyage, way, william weston, world

Bumper jute production brings cheer to farmers in West Bengal

August 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jalpaiguri, Aug 28 (ANI): Despite late arrival of monsoon rains this year, jute farmers in Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal are rejoicing due to bumper production of the crop.

They say that the production this year is as good as previous years.

“Like the previous years, this year also the production is good. There has been no loss due to rain deficit. The price has also not changed. More or less it’s the same. Overall, it’s good and we are happy,” said Nirmal Roy, a farmer.

However, some feel that a better market for their crops would have been a bonus to their high yield.

“Despite late monsoon this year, the production is quite good and we expected a better market. However, if the rains had come a little earlier then the production would have been much better. Nonetheless, what we got is good, but a little better market would have been much satisfactory,” said Suren Roy, another farmer.

Meanwhile, jute traders hope that the market would get stable in a few days time.

“The business is good this time. There were more markets before but this time it’s less. However, we hope that the market would get revive in another five to seven days,” said Narender Singh Rathore, a jute merchant, Jalpaiguri.

Jute is one of the most viable cash crops of India. And this cash crop is mostly cultivated in the eastern margin of the country.

West Bengal stands first in the country in jute production and the districts of Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar are the forerunners in the production of jute in the whole of West Bengal.

Mostly used for making bags and other sundry items, jute is also highly in demand in the carpet industry due to its fine quality.

The jute produced in Jalpaiguri is of such superior quality that it is also known as the brown cascade. By Tarak Sarkar (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: ANI, arrival, Aug, bonus, bumper, business, carpet, carpet industry, cascade, Cash, cash crop, Cash Crops Of India, cheer, coochbehar, country, crop, deficit, demand, district, Eastern Margin, farmer, farmers, fine, Forerunners, high yield, India, industry, Jalpaiguri, jute, Late Arrival, loss, Margin, market, merchant, Monsoon, Monsoon Rains, Narender, nirmal, previous years, price, production, quality, roy, Sarkar, seven days, Singh Rathore, Suren, Tarak, time, west bengal, whole, year, yield

Bollywood actor Salman Khan prays for success of upcoming film

August 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Aug 19 (ANI): Bollywood actor Salman Khan is keeping his finger crossed for success of upcoming film ‘Wanted’.

Produced by Boney Kapoor and directed by Prabhu Deva, the film features Ayesha Takia Azmi opposite Salman Khan apart from actors like Mahesh Manjrekar, Asseem Merchant.

“I have done lot of love stories, lot of comedies, many of them were not appreciated enough. In this film, I had the zest to work hard. I have done that. So, let’s see if it works and if it doesn’t,” he said.

The film is about Radhe, played by Salman Khan, who is a hardcore gangster, a sharpshooter and works for a dreaded Mafia.

He then finds love when the young and pretty Jhanvi, played by Ayesha Takia Azmi, professes her love for him.

Khan said the film is a combination of all the ingredients in good quantity and they all had to undergo good deal of training for it.

“Our films are usually a combination of all things in small proportions. Little bit dance, little bit romance and little bit comedy. But this film has everything in huge proportions, so had to train hard,” said Khan.

Khan has lent his voice to the title track of the film, composed by composer duo Sajid-Wajid.

He had last sung for the film, Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya in 1998. (ANI)

Filed Under: Entertainment News Tagged With: Actor, actors, ANI, Asseem, Aug, ayesha takia, azmi, bit, bollywood, Boney, combination, comedies, comedy, comedy film, composer, dance, Darna, Darna Kya, deal, Deva, duo, everything, film, Film Features, finger, gangster, hardcore, Jhanvi, kapoor, Kiya, kya, little bit, lot, love, love stories, mafia, Mahesh, Mahesh Manjrekar, Manjrekar, merchant, Mumbai, Prabhu, Prabhu Deva, produced, Proportions, Pyaar, quantity, Radhe, romance, Sajid, Sajid Wajid, Salman Khan, Sharpshooter, success, title, track, training, upcoming film, voice, wajid, zest

Wine changes its taste with lunar cycle

April 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Apr 19 (ANI): Fancy some wine today? Well, the fruition of your desire will end in disappointment – not because of bad selection or the bottle being corked but due to a cosmic force: the moon.

A growing number of experts reckon that today is the worst possible day for a glass of the old vino.

According to scientists, wine changes its taste with the lunar cycle. And most of yesterday and today is a Root period, when the moon casts an unpleasant flavour.

It has emerged that Tesco and Marks and Spencer only invite critics to taste their ranges when the moon-related biodynamic calendar dictates that wines will be at their best.

Both firms pay strict attention to a moon calendar published for nearly half a century by a German great-grandmother called Maria Thun. She has divided the days of the year into ‘fruit’, ‘flower’, ‘leaf’ and ‘root’ – the first two are best for drinking wine, the second two worst.

Pierpaolo Petrassi, Tesco’s senior product development manager, admitted his firm held its tastings in line with the calendar.

“Our first choice is a fruit day. We seek to avoid root and leaf days. It may be a little step beyond what consumers can comprehend. We have so many other things to educate consumers about,” The Scotsman quoted Petrassi, as saying.

M and S winemaker Jo Ahearne is another convert.

“Before the tasting, I was really unconvinced, but the difference between the days was so obvious I was blown away,” he said.

David Motion, a London wine merchant, said: “I live in the city and don’t think much about nature, but it is clear it has an influence.” (ANI)

Filed Under: Science News Tagged With: Ahearne, ANI, Apr, attention, blown away, bottle, calendar, century, choice, city, comprehend, Cosmic Force, cycle, David Motion, day, Days Of The Year, desire, Development, dictates, difference, disappointment, drinking, Drinking Wine, fancy, firm, first choice, flavour, flower, force, fruit, fruition, glass, Great Grandmother, half a century, influence, leaf, line, London, London Wine, lunar, Lunar Cycle, manager, Maria Thun, marks, marks and spencer, merchant, moon, Moon Calendar, Nature, number, period, Petrassi, Pierpaolo, product, root, scotsman, selection, spencer, step, Strict Attention, taste, tasting, Tastings, tesco, today, vino, wine, Wine Merchant, winemaker, year, yesterday, Yesterday And Today

Pirates attack US-flagged ship, fail to board-CNN

April 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) – Pirates attacked a U.S.-flagged merchant ship off the coast of Somalia, but failed to board the craft, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified NATO source.

The cable news network said the ship was now under military escort.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: April, April 14, attack, board, cable, cable news network, cnn, coast, Coast Of Somalia, craft, escort, merchant, merchant ship, military escort, NATO, network, NEWS, pirates, reuters, ship, Somalia, source, Tuesday, US, US-flagged, Washington

Somali pirates attack second US vessel

April 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Apr.15 (ANI): Somali pirates have attacked another US merchant ship off the coast of Somalia using rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons.

The pirates damaged the Liberty Sun, which was carrying a cargo of food aid, but were not able to board it, reports the BBC.

After coming under fire, the Liberty Sun immediately requested assistance from the USS Bainbridge, said owners Liberty Maritime Corp in a statement.

The navy destroyer arrived some hours later, by which time the pirates had gone.

The BBC said that the latest attack shows the defiance and danger posed by pirates off the Somali coast.

“We are grateful and pleased that no-one was injured and the crew and the ship are safe,” said the Liberty Maritime Corp statement.

The ship did sustain some damage, it said, but was able to resume its journey to Mombasa.

In the last 48 hours, four vessels have been seized in the same area. Gunmen in up to four skiffs took a Lebanese-owned cargo ship, the MV Sea Horse. A Greek-owned bulk carrier, the MV Irene was also seized. Two Egyptian fishing boats were held the previous day.
Meanwhile, three Somali pirates who had taken French hostages are in custody in France, French prosecutors say. The pirates were captured during a military operation to free hostages taken on the Tanit, a French yacht overtaken by hostages in the Gulf of Aden on April 4. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: aden, aid, ANI, Apr, April, area, assistance, attack, automatic weapons, Bainbridge, bbc, bulk, bulk carrier, cargo, cargo ship, carrier, coast, corp, crew, custody, damage, danger, day, defiance, destroyer, fire, fishing, Fishing Boats, food, food aid, France, Free Hostages, French Hostages, French Prosecutors, Greek-owned, gulf of aden, horse, Irene, journey, Lebanese-owned, liberty, Liberty Sun, London, maritime, merchant, merchant ship, military operation, mombasa, MV Sea, Navy Destroyer, operation, rocket propelled grenades, Sea Horse, ship, Skiffs, Somali Coast, somali pirates, Somalia, statement, Sun, Tanit, the Gulf, time, US, USS, Uss Bainbridge, vessel, yacht

Five facts about freed U.S. ship captain

April 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – American ship captain Richard Phillips was rescued by the U.S. Navy on Sunday from the hands of Somali pirates who had held him hostage since trying to hijack his container vessel five days ago in the Indian Ocean.

Following are five facts about the merchant seaman:

* Phillips, aged 53, grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts, where his father coached high school basketball. He lives in Underhill, in rural Vermont.

* Married since 1987 to Andrea Coggio, an emergency room nurse he met in Boston. They have two college-age children, Mariah and Danny.

* Drove a cab in Boston to pay his way through college at the University of Massachusetts and later at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, where he graduated in 1979.

* Phillips played the saxophone in his high school band, and still plays the instrument from time to time. He listens to the blues. His favorite: blues singer Taj Mahal.

* Plays pickup basketball at the local YMCA, and golfs with a group of retirees. Supports Boston sports teams, particularly the Celtics basketball team.

Source: The New York Times.

(Compiled by World Desk, Washington)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: academy, american ship, Andrea Coggio, band, basketball, basketball team, blues singer, boston, boston sports, cab, Captain Richard, Captain Richard Phillips, Celtics, college, container, Container Vessel, danny, desk, drove, emergency, emergency room nurse, father, golfs, group, high school basketball, Hijack, hostage, indian ocean, instrument, mariah, maritime, massachusetts, massachusetts maritime academy, merchant, merchant seaman, New, nurse, pickup, pickup basketball, plays, reuters, Richard Phillips, room, saxophone, school, seaman, ship, ship captain, singer, somali pirates, source, sunday, Supports, taj mahal, team, team source, time, times, u s navy, Underhill, University, university of massachusetts, US, us navy, Vermont, vessel, Washington, way, Winchester, winchester massachusetts, world, World Desk, YMCA, york

Rescue off Somalia prompts calls for action

April 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The dramatic rescue of U.S. cargo ship captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates on Sunday fueled calls for aggressive action to stop attacks off the Horn of Africa, including the arming of merchant vessels.

Others called for called for changes to international law that would make it easier to pursue and try pirates.

“We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region,” President Barack Obama said in a written statement after the rescue.

“To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes,” he said.

The U.S. Navy ended the five-day ordeal of Richard Phillips, captain of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship, by killing three pirates who held him captive on a lifeboat. A fourth pirate was taken into custody.

Phillips was the first American taken captive in a wave of piracy that is rampant off the Horn of Africa, where Somali civil conflict has let the practice flourish for nearly two decades in an atmosphere of poverty and lawlessness.

“We’ve got to figure out a way in an international community to … arm the crews, increase the number of warships that are there on scene (and) reduce the abilities of the Somalis to have ships that are anchored off the coast in a safe haven,” Adm. Rick Gurnon, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy where Phillips was trained, told a news conference.

ARMING CREWS UNPOPULAR WITH SHIPPING COMPANIES

A military operation may be needed to clear out the pirate bases on land, he said, “I think the international community needs to seriously look at that.”

Republican U.S. Senator Tom Coburn said, “we’re going to have to be much more aggressive” against pirates. Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” he said “a tremendous increase in resources” would be needed and other countries must share the burden.

U.S. military officials expressed caution.

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen said arming crews remains unpopular with shipping companies, who are concerned about liability or an arms race with pirates.

“That’s not what these mariners are trained to do,” Allen said shortly before the rescue on ABC television’s “This Week.”

He called instead for new international legal agreements to fight piracy, which often involves multiple questions of national jurisdiction.

“What you really have to have is a coordinating mechanism that ultimately brings these pirates to court,” Allen said.

The U.N. Security Council over last year authorized navies to chase pirates into Somalia’s territorial waters and later allowed land operations against pirate havens.

The United States, Britain and the European Union have struck agreements with Kenya for prosecuting captured pirates there, but Kenya has warned that it cannot be the only place for trials.

Vice Admiral William Gortney, head of the U.S. Naval Central Command, said the successful U.S. strike could possibly escalate violence. He said the conditions that give rise to piracy — failed governments, lawlessness and poverty — must be wiped out to end the threat.

“The ultimate solution to piracy is on land,” Gortney said in a Pentagon briefing from Bahrain.

(Editing by Alan Elsner)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: abc, academy, action, Acts Of Piracy, Adm. Rick Gurnon, Admiral Thad Allen, Africa, Aggressive Action, Alabama, Alan Elsner, allen, American, arm, arming, atmosphere, Bahrain, barack, Barack Obama, briefing, Britain, burden, cannot, Captain Richard, Captain Richard Phillips, captive, cargo, cargo ship, caution, central, civil conflict, coast, command, Commandant, community, conference, conflict, Council, crews, custody, Dramatic Rescue, Editing, European, fox, fox news sunday, Goal, guard, haven, head, horn, Horn Of Africa, increase, interdict, jurisdiction, kenya, land, law, liability, lifeboat, maersk, maritime, massachusetts, massachusetts maritime academy, mechanism, merchant, Merchant Vessels, military operation, NEWS, number, Obama, operation, ordeal, Pentagon, piracy, pirate, place, poverty, practice, president, Race, region, republican, rescue, reuters, Richard Phillips, rise, scene, security, senator tom coburn, ship, ship captain, shipping, Shipping Companies, solution, somali pirates, Somalia, somalis, statement, strike, sunday, television, territorial, threat, tom coburn, u s navy, U.S. Naval, union, United States, unpopular, US, us navy, us senator, Vice Admiral William Gortney, Violence, Washington, wave, way, week, year

FACTBOX: Latest developments in Somali pirate attacks

April 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Somali elders sought on Saturday to mediate between the U.S. navy and pirates demanding $2 million and safe passage in exchange for the release of an American captain they are holding on a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean.

Pirates preying on the strategic shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean are holding about 260 hostages.

Following are the latest developments related to the piracy off the coast of Somalia.

April 11 – Pirates on a German ship with 24 foreign hostages returned to the Somali coast after failing to find fellow pirates who are holding American ship captain Richard Phillips captive adrift in a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean with U.S. naval ships closing in.

- Pirates seized a U.S.-owned and Italian-flagged tugboat with 16 crew on board, 10 of them Italian nationals.

- Pirates attacked a 26,000-tonne, Panama-flagged bulk carrier, the MV Anatolia, in the Gulf of Aden but were beaten back by sailors spraying them with water hoses.

April 10 – A French hostage was killed, but his wife, his son and another French couple were freed when French special forces attacked pirates who had seized their yacht off Somalia. Two of the pirates were shot dead.

- Pirates released the Norwegian-owned tanker MT Bow Asir, which was taken at the end of March. The 27-member crew were unharmed. The 23-tonne chemical tanker’s operator declined to say whether a ransom was paid, though pirate sources said $2.4 million changed hands.

April 9 – A Spanish warship intercepted a small boat that had pursued a Panama-flagged merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden. Spanish forces boarded the small boat and let the crew go after checking their registration papers.

(Compiled by the World Desk)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: aden, adrift, american captain, american ship, anatolia, April, Asir, board, boat, bulk, Captain Richard, Captain Richard Phillips, captive, carrier, chemical, chemical tanker, coast, couple, crew, desk, end, exchange, Factbox, fellow, french couple, french hostage, french special forces, german ship, gulf of aden, hostage, indian ocean, Italian Nationals, Italian-flagged, lifeboat, March, member, member crew, merchant, Merchant Vessel, MT Bow, naval ships, Norwegian-owned, operator, Panama, Panama-flagged, passage, piracy, pirate, pirates, ransom, registration, release, reuters, Richard Phillips, Saturday, ship, shipping, Shipping Lanes, Somali Coast, Somalia, son, Spanish Forces, tanker, the Gulf, tonne, tugboat, u s navy, US, vessel, warship, water, water hoses, wife, world, World Desk, yacht

Somali pirates, U.S. captive drift toward shore

April 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

MOGADISHU (Reuters) – A lifeboat used by Somali pirates holding a U.S. merchant marine captain captive drifted toward Somalia’s lawless coast on Sunday, with U.S. warships tracking it to keep the pirates from escaping to shore.

The lifeboat that was out of fuel had drifted to within 20 miles of the Somali coast by late on Saturday, and U.S. military officials said they feared that if it reached the shore, the pirates might try to escape with their hostage on land.

The U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama container ship from which Capt. Richard Phillips was taken last week arrived safely in the Kenyan port of Mombasa on Saturday, as a Somali mediator headed to sea to try to secure his release.

“The captain is a hero,” one crew member shouted from the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama container ship as it docked. “He saved our lives by giving himself up.

The ship was attacked by gunmen far out in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday but its 20 American crew apparently fought off the hijackers and regained control of the ship.

Relatives said Phillips volunteered to join the pirates in their lifeboat in exchange for the safety of his ship and its crew. The four pirates holding him want $2 million ransom for him and a guarantee of safe passage.

Three U.S. warships including the destroyer USS Bainbridge were in the area around the lifeboat.

Military officials said the pirates fired on a small U.S. craft that approached them from the Bainbridge on Saturday. No one was hurt by the volley and the craft withdrew.

Somalia has suffered 18 years of chaotic civil war, and the international waters off the Horn of Africa have become some of the most dangerous in the world.

HOSTAGES FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

Phillips is just one of about 270 hostages from around the world being held by pirates preying on the busy sea-lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The Maersk Alabama incident has captured world attention because Phillips is the first U.S. citizen seized and his crew regained control of the ship.

The standoff has forced U.S. President Barack Obama to focus on a place most Americans would rather forget. A U.S. intervention in Somalia in the early 1990s was a disaster, including the “Black Hawk Down” battle in 1993 that killed 18 U.S. troops and inspired a book and a movie.

A White House spokesman said Obama received multiple updates on the piracy situation on Saturday.

John Reinhart, president and chief executive of Maersk Line Ltd, said the FBI was investigating the hijacking in Kenya.

“Because of the pirate attack, the FBI has informed us that this ship is a crime scene,” he told reporters, adding that the crew will have to stay on board the vessel.

It was still not clear how the crew retook control of their vessel, which was carrying thousands of tons of food aid for Somalia, Uganda and Kenya.

Somali elders sent a mediator on Saturday in hopes of resolving the standoff between the U.S. Navy and the pirates holding Phillips, a 53-year-old Vermont father of two.

“They are just looking to arrange safe passage for the pirates, no ransom,” said Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of a regional group that monitors piracy.

The mediator took to sea in a boat but it was unclear how he planned to reach the pirates.

The gang holding Phillips remained defiant. “We will defend ourselves if attacked,” one told Reuters by satellite phone.

Pirates are keeping about 17 captured vessels on Somalia’s eastern coast, six of them taken in the last week alone.

(Writing by Todd Eastham; Editing by Philip Barbara and Kieran Murray)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: aden, Africa, aid, Alabama, american crew, Andrew Mwangura, area, attack, attention, Bainbridge, barack, battle, black, board, boat, book, Capt. Richard Phillips, captain, captive, citizen, coast, container, Container Ship, control, coordinator, countries, craft, crew, Crime, defiant, destroyer, Destroyer Uss, different, disaster, drift, Editing, exchange, executive, father, fbi, food, from, fuel, gang, group, guarantee, gulf of aden, hawk, hero, horn, Horn Of Africa, hostage, hostages, house, incident, indian ocean, international waters, intervention, John Reinhart, kenya, Kenyan, Kieran Murray, land, lifeboat, line, ltd, maersk, Marine Captain, mediator, member, merchant, military officials, mogadishu, mombasa, movie, Obama, One, passage, Passage Three, Philip Barbara, Phone, piracy, pirate, pirates, place, port, president, ransom, relatives, release, retook, reuters, Richard Phillips, safe passage, safety, satellite, Saturday, scene, sea, Sea Lanes, ship, shore, situation, Somali Coast, somali pirates, Somalia, spokesman, standoff, sunday, the Gulf, Todd Eastham, ton, Uganda., US, us navy, USS, Uss Bainbridge, Vermont, vessel, volley, war, Warships, Wednesday, week, white, world, World Attention

Hundreds of thousands pilgrims climb hill shrine Malayatoor

April 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Malayatoor (Kerala), April 10 (ANI): On the eve of holy week during lent days, thousands of Christian pilgrims climbed Kerala’s most famous hill shrine Malayatoor Kurisumudi, the only international Pilgrim centre in Asia and fifth in the world, approved by the Vatican.

Despite harsh terrain and bad weather conditions, people from all age groups and religion shared the pain and hardships by carrying the wooden cross that Jesus went through the way to crusification at Mount Calvary.

The climb is quite difficult having rocks and uneven surfaces. But it is the major attraction the pilgrims come for.

According to the church authority, over eight million visit this place every year during this period which lasts till May 31 of this year.

Fr. Rockey Chully, the Chaplain of the St. Thomas International shrine, Kurisumudi, said that lakhs of people carry cross as Jesus carried to the mount and during the entire season to this hill shrine, especially on Good Friday is when the maximum climbs.

Carrying the cross while climbing makes one feel the pain Jesus had felt. Other devotees come to full fill their vow for their near and dear ones.

“It is the fourth year for me climbing this shrine and this year I come for my child’s well-being as I have full faith that all my sufferings will be removed after this”, says a devotee Jacob K.K.

Another devotee from nearby state of Pollachi in Tamil Nadu Mrs. Stella M has been climbing the shrine for the last five years and is happy to have removed her family problems.

“this is my fifth year now and all my family problems have been solved after praying to god, I really love to come every year”

The famed church lies 54 kilometres from Kochi and stands at the top of the Malayatoor Hill, which is 609 metres high.

The church is consecrated to St. Thomas, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ and enshrines a full-size image of St. Thomas.

According to a belief, the footprints of this holy man are engraved in a rock, which is protected here.

Sailing in an Arab merchant vessel, St. Thomas is believed to have landed at Kodungalloor port in Kerala, India in AD 52. It is believed that St. Thomas took the initiative for establishing a Christian community at Malayattoor.

St. Thomas founded seven churches in Kodungalloor, Quilon, Niranam, Nilakkal, Kokkamangalam, Kottakavu and Paalayoor on his journey in Kerala.

He died in 72 A.D. after he was pierced by a lance while praying on St. Thomas Mount, a 91m-high hill 14km southwest of Chennai.

His body was taken to Mylapore and buried in the chapel he had built with his own hands.

“Its been the fourth year for me climbing this shrine and this year I come for my child’s wellbeing as I have full faith that all my sufferings will be removed after this,” said Jacob K.K., a Christian devotee.

“This is my fifth year now and all my family problems have been solved after coming and praying to god, I really love to come every year,” said Stella M, a devotee from Tamil Nadu. By Juhan Samuel (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: 12 Apostles Of Jesus, 12 Apostles Of Jesus Christ, ad, age, ANI, Apostles Of Jesus, Apostles Of Jesus Christ, April, asia, attraction, authority, bad weather, belief, body, Carrying The Cross, centre, chapel, Chaplain, Chennai, child, christian, christian pilgrims, Chully, church, climb, community, cross, crusification, devotee, eve, faith, Famed Church, family, fill, Friday, god, Good, Harsh Terrain, hill, image, India, initiative, international, International Shrine, Jacob K.K, jesus, Jesus Christ, journey, Juhan, kerala, kochi, Kodungalloor, Kokkamangalam, Kottakavu, Kurisumudi, lance, Malayatoor Hill, Malayattoor, man, maximum, May, merchant, Mount Calvary, Mrs. Stella M, Mylapore, nadu, Nearby State, Nilakkal, Niranam, Paalayoor, pain, period, pilgrim, Pilgrim Centre, place, Pollachi, port, praying to god, Quilon, religion, rock, Rockey, sailing, samuel, season, shrine, St. Thomas, state, Stella, tamil, Tamil Nadu, terrain, Thomas International, top, Uneven Surfaces, Vatican, vessel, visit, vow, way, weather, weather conditions, week, well-being, wooden cross, world, year

Greece conducts Aegean search-and-rescue operation for immigrants

April 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Athens – Greek rescuers scoured the eastern Aegean Sea on Thursday for signs of survivors after a vessel carrying dozens of illegal immigrants capsized, the Ministry of Merchant Marine said.

The search-and-rescue operation was reportedly under way northeast of the island of Samos after an immigrant contacted authorities saying the vessel carrying him and another 25 people was in trouble.

Officials at the ministry said they immidiately dispatched a super-Puma helicopter and coastguard vessels to the area.

Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants attempt to make the perilous journey to Greece via the Aegean from Turkey every year.

Many of the immigrants use Turkey as a transit country and are originally from the Middle East and Africa. dpa

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Africa, area, Athens, authorities, coastguard, Coastguard Vessels, country, dozens, DPA, East Africa, eastern Aegean Sea, Greece, helicopter, illegal immigrants, island, journey, marine, merchant, Merchant Marine, Middle East, ministry, operation, Perilous Journey, Puma, Puma Helicopter, Rescuers, Samos, search and rescue, signs, super, Super Puma, survivors, tens, tens of thousands, Thursday, transit, Transit Country, trouble, Turkey, vessel, way, year

Sexagenarian appears for matriculation exams

April 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Bangalore, Apr 8 (ANI): A 60-year-old man appeared for matriculation exams in Bangalore.

Defying age, he pursued educational career rubbing shoulders with students of his grandchildren’s age.

Parasmal Jain had to leave his studies in between on account of some family problems. He has set an example by going back to his studies at an age when elderly people detach themselves from materialistic world. Religious activities provide them a safe refuge.

For this cloth merchant, it was a big decision to pursue studies and realise his childhood desire of completing his education.

“I always wanted to study, but could not complete my education because of some family problems. I got my children educated and when they got settled, then I thought of realizing my dream and decided to pursue my studies further,” said Jain.

Jain was supported by his family in his quest for learning and planned to study further till his health allowed. By Jaipal Sharma (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: account, age, ANI, Apr, Bangalore, career, childhood, cloth, Cloth Merchant, decision, Defying, desire, detach, dream, Education, Educational Career, example, family, grandchildren, Health, jain, Jaipal, man, matriculation, merchant, old man, Parasmal, quest, realise, refuge, religious, Religious Activities, sexagenarian, sharma, shoulders, world

Sanofi, Piramal proposed merger deal falls through – report

April 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

A proposed deal by France’s Sanofi-Aventis to buy a majority stake in Indian drug maker Piramal Healthcare Ltd has fallen through due to differences over valuation, a newspaper reported on Monday.

In Februray, a source familiar with the situation had told Reuters that GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Sanofi-Aventis were bidding for the Indian drug maker, with the sale price perhaps going as high as $1.5 billion.

Mumbai-based Piramal has repeatedly denied acquisition reports, calling them ‘unfounded’, and has said the founder has no intention of diluting current ownership levels.

“Sanofi Aventis had put a valuation of over 300 rupees per share for Piramal Healthcare. But, this price was not acceptable to the promoters,” The Economic Times newspaper quoted a merchant banker familiar with the development as saying.

Talks between the two companies had reached an advanced stage before it collapsed, the paper said, citing another senior pharma industry official briefed about the proposed deal.

A Piramal spokesman declined comment while Sanofi-Aventis officials could not be reached for comments immediately.

Filed Under: Business News Tagged With: acquisition, Acquisition Reports, Aventis, banker, comment, current, deal, Development, drug, economic, economic times, Februray, founder, France, GlaxoSmithKline, Glaxosmithkline Plc, Healthcare, Healthcare Ltd, industry, intention, ltd, majority, Majority Stake, maker, merchant, Merchant Banker, merger, Merger Deal, Monday, Mumbai, mumbai based, newspaper, official, ownership, paper, pharma, Pharma Industry, Piramal, Plc, price, promoters, report, reuters, rupees, sale, Sanofi, Sanofi Aventis, share, situation, source, spokesman, stage, stake, times, valuation

Nothing Nano about the buzz around it

April 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

POOJA KHANDELWAL (21) accompanied by her mother and two siblings went to Infinity Mall in Andheri to buy clothes and cosmetics on Thursday. They ended up shopping for a car.

The Khandelwals belonged to the throng of visitors gathered at the Westside store to get a look and feel of the world’s first Rs 1-lakh car – the Nano. The car, which is on display at the store till April 25, attracted onlookers and prospective buyers who examined it in detail, from its rear engine to its horn.

A store official, who did not wish to be named, said that the walk-in customers had doubled from the previous day. He estimated 75 booking forms were sold in the first four hours that the car was showcased.

A gaggle of college students took turns to sit inside the car. Brijal Gaglani (19) was impressed by the Nano’s legroom but lamented the lack of an ashtray.

Business executive Abhishek Anand (27) had no complaints. “It is small, beautiful and spacious,” he said.

Anand, who left work mid-way to see the Nano, immediately bought the Rs 300 registration form. “I’ve finally found a small car where my 5 ft 11 inch frame can fit without brushing against the roof,” he said.

“I am very eager to buy the Nano.” An official explaining the car’s features to customers said many senior citizens had expressed a keen desire to buy the Nano.

As if on cue, an elderly gentleman asked him about the security features of the car while a grandmother enquired about the available colours.Captain D.N. Banerjee and Captain Kondal, colleagues in the merchant navy, who rushed from their office to buy the booking forms, couldn’t stop raving about the Nano.

The Nano will be Kondal’s third car, and he wants to buy it for his wife. “It’s not cramped and the visibility is superb.

It’s perfect for city roads,” he said. “Hats off to Ratan Tata,” said Banerjee who plans to gift the Nano to his daughter.

The Khandelwals, who liked the slick and roomy interiors of the car, also bought their registration form. “We are a tall family of five and we all fit perfectly in the Nano.

But the car is only for the girls of the family,” Pooja said with a smile.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Abhishek Anand, anand, andheri, April, ashtray, banerjee, booking, Brijal, business, Business Executive, buzz, Captain D.N. Banerjee, Captain Kondal, car, city, city roads, college, cue, daughter, day, desire, detail, display, Elderly Gentleman, engine, executive, family, form, frame, gaggle, Gaglani, gentleman, gift, grandmother, hats, horn, inch, Inch Frame, Infinity, Keen Desire, Khandelwal, Khandelwals, lack, lakh, Lakh Car, legroom, look, mall, merchant, Merchant Navy, mid way, mother, Nano, nothing, office, official, onlookers, Pooja, Prospective Buyers, Ratan, Ratan Tata, registration, roof, roomy, Roomy Interiors, security, senior citizens, shopping, slick, small car, smile, store, TATA, throng, Thursday, visibility, Westside, Westside Store, wife, work, world

Jalandhar youth stabbed in Glasgow

April 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jalandhar youth stabbed in Glasgow
Thu, Apr 2 03:34 AM

A 30-year-old merchant navy officer from Jalandhar, Kunal Mohanty, was stabbed to death in Glasgow in Scotland, on March 27.

On Monday, after a lapse of over 48 hours, the British Police called Kunal’s family in Jalandhar to inform them about their son’s tragic demise. Narrating the sequence of events, a shattered Dr DK Mohanty, Kunal’s father who is a retired DIG (Medical) from BSF, said he had received a call from one Gary Thomson, who identified himself as an officer from British Police, though the reason of his son’s death was not disclosed.

It was only after intensive internet search that Dr Mohanty could know that his son was stabbed on Friday evening at 9.30 pm near Citizen Cinema on Bedford Street when he, along with three of his friends, had gone for a walk.

An injured Kunal, said his father, was taken to the nearby Victoria Hospital, where he breathed his last.

Dr Mohanty learnt from the internet that one person had been arrested in the case, who was produced in the court on March 29.

Kunal, whose family stays in Punjab Avenue in Jalandhar, had left for the UK on March 1 to appear in nautical examination scheduled for March 30 and advance his career prospects in merchant navy. He was scheduled to be back in India on April 10, though his father had told him, when the two talked over phone on March 26, that he should come back on April 2 immediately after the exams to take care of his pregnant wife.

Kunal was married around a year and a half ago, and Mohanty feared that his daughter-in-law’s health may worsen because of the lack of information about her husband’s mortal remains.

Dr Mohanty, however, is in touch with the officers of Indian consulate in Birmingham – acting consul general Srinivasan and consul PC Biswas – to expedite the process.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: Apr, April, Bedford Street, birmingham, British, British police, bsf, call, care, career, Career Prospects, case, cinema, citizen, consul, consul general, consulate, Court, death, demise, dig, Dr Dk, Dr DK Mohanty, Dr Mohanty, evening, examination, family, father, Friday, friday evening, Gary Thomson, glasgow, Glasgow Scotland, half, Health, hospital, husband, India, Indian Consulate In Birmingham, information, Intensive Internet, internet, internet search, jalandhar, Kunal, lack, lapse, learnt, March, medical, merchant, Merchant Navy, mohanty, Monday, mortal, Narrating, Navy Officer, officer, PC Biswas, person, Phone, police, Pregnant Wife, process, Punjab Avenue, reason, Scotland, search, sequence, Sequence Of Events, son, srinivasan, Thu, touch, tragic demise, U.K, Victoria, Victoria Hospital, walk, wife, year, youth

Gaddafi defends Somalian pirates – newspaper report

February 8, 2009 By Dinesh Leave a Comment

Nairobi – Libyan leader and new head of the African Union, Moammer Gaddafi, has defended the actions of Somalian pirates as an act of self-defence against “greedy” Western nations, the Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation reported Friday.

The paper, reporting on Gaddafi’s courtesy call on AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, quoted him as saying: “It is not piracy, it is self defence. It is defending the Somalian children’s food.

“It is a response to greedy Western nations, who invade and exploit Somalias water resources illegally,” the Libyan strongman added about the pirates who have been capering merchant ships and releasing them and their crews for ransom.

His comments came as meanwhile the Ukrainian merchent vessel Faina with 31 military tanks was released after four months. Somalian pirates are currently holding about a dozen ships. (dpa)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: addis, capering, children, comments, currently, daily, defence, defended, DPA, exploit, gaddafi, greedy, head, headquarters, leader, libyan, merchant, military, nations, pirates, quoted, ransom, released, reported, resources, self, ships, Somalian, strongman, western

Sailors, kin of convicted Indian shipping officers of mot Hebei Spirit seek justice.

January 10, 2009 By Rajesh Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Jan.10 (ANI): Merchant navy sailors and relations of Captain Jasprit Chawla and Chief Officer Shyam Chetan, the two convicted Indian shipping officers of vlcc (very large crude carrier) ‘Hebei Spirit’, staged a demonstration in New Delhi on Saturday seeking justice and their release by contending they were not guilty for the collision of the anchored tanker with a crane barge in Korea.

The protestors were seeking justice and release of the two jailed Indian marine officers by contending they were not primarily guilty for the collision of the tanker with a barge of Samsung in Korea.

Further, the protestors among whom a good number happened to be commoners other than sailors and kin of the convicted officers also pledged to boycott all the Samsung products.

The jailing of the two senior officers of vlcc Hebei Spirit after initially being found innocent has outraged the international shipping industry.

As such leaders and members of Indian Seafarers Federation, International Transport Workers’ Federation, Dock Workers Union have also lent their support to this demand.

“We want that those convicted officers should be freed as soon as possible. We want to appeal this to the Government. Whenever we ask them about their condition they say that they are working on it. This has been going on from the last one and a half months; I don’t know what is happening. Nothing has been done regarding their bail application. They should at least be released on bail because they are not criminals but professionals,” said Priya, sister of Shyam Chetan, Chief Officer mot Hebei Spirit.

It may be recalled that nearly a year after the Chinese registered vlcc ‘Hebei Spirit’, a huge oil tanker owned by V Ships of Hong Kong collided with a barge crane of Samsung in December 2007, her Master Captain Jasprit Chawla and Chief Officer Shyam Chetan were sentenced to jail terms.

On December 10, 2008, Chawla was jailed for 18 months and also fined 1000 US dollars while Shyam Chetan was awarded 8 months imprisonment on charges of negligence resulting in marine pollution.

The demonstrators pointed out that prior to the pronouncement of these terms by the Daejeon District Court in South Korea, they were found not guilty by the designated inquiry committee and also a court on June 23, 2008.

The international community and the shipping fraternity are disturbed and have termed the judgment as outrageous.

The matter is now in Supreme Court of Korea and the seafarers have applied for their bail.

It seems South Korea will come under increasing pressure later this month to release the Master and Chief Officer of vlcc ‘Hebei Spirit’. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: ANI, application, bail, barge, captain, carrier, Chawla, Chetan, Chief Officer, collision, committee, community, condition, Court, crane, crude, Daejeon, December, demand, demonstration, district, Dock, federation, fraternity, Government, half, Hebei, Hong Kong, imprisonment, Indian, industry, inquiry, international, jail, jan, Jasprit, judgment, June, justice, kin, Korea, master, matter, merchant, month, mot, negligence, New Delhi, nothing, number, oil, pollution, pressure, Priya, pronouncement, release, sailors, Samsung, Saturday, Seafarers, shipping, Shyam, sister, South Korea, spirit, support, supreme, tanker, transport, union, V Ships, vlcc, year