Colleges still to fill principals’ posts

May 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, May 29 — As the May 31 deadline set by the Supreme Court for filling up vacancies for college principals’ posts looms ahead, college managements are still searching for full time principals. In December 2008, the Bombay High Court had ruled that no college, private, aided or unaided, could keep its principal’s post vacant. Based on the HC order, the state government had issued a circular to all colleges, asking them to fill up vacant posts of principals by May 31, 2009. The state circular had warned colleges that if they failed to meet the deadline they would be prohibited from taking in students in first year courses. But college managements moved the Supreme Court, which on May 29 last year, gave colleges an extension of one year, giving them time till May 31, 2010, to fill up the posts. Till April, about 45 to 50 per cent of principals’ posts in colleges affiliated to the Mumbai University were vacant with temporary principals handling the charge. State government sources said that little progress had been made in most institutes and there are still a large number of vacancies that need to be filled. College managements claimed that they received a nod to advertise for the principals’ post only last week, giving them little time to complete the recruitment process.

Pune University vice chancellor, R K Shevgaonkar, said that the message to fill up principals’ posts had been sent to all the affiliated colleges months ago and that all the managements had initiated the recruitment process.

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100,000 US students to visit China in four years

May 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Beijing, May 27 (IANS) China will receive 100,000 US students in the next four years as part of the education cooperation programme, a Chinese official has said.

The two countries have agreed on an exchange programme under which American students will come to study Chinese language or do research, said Zhang Xiuqin, director of Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education.

The agreement was signed during the second round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which concluded Tuesday in Beijing, Xinhua reported.

Principals of some US primary and secondary schools and Chinese language teachers in the US will be invited to China as part of the project.

American college students will also be invited to participate in summer language camps in China. And, under the agreement, 10,000 Chinese post-graduates will go to the US to pursue PhD.

Zhang said the project will provide an opportunity to Chinese graduates to study in US universities and research institutes.

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Community grief-stricken over murder-suicide

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The principal of a school attended by some of the victims of a suspected murder suicide in Melbourne’s north says they were lovely and bright children.

The bodies of 37-year-old Rajesh Osborne along with his 12-year-old daughter Asia, 10-year-old son Jarius, and seven-year-old daughter Grace were found in the bedroom of their Roxburgh Park home yesterday afternoon.

Roxburgh Park Primary principal Iain Garfirth has worked at the school for eight years and knew all the children.

He says the teachers are devastated and counselling will be offered to any of the school’s teachers, parents or children who feel they need it.

Mr Garfirth says Asia, Jarius and Grace were lovely children.

“They all went through our thinkers program. They were all very bright and I do remember especially the younger ones who are here now because they always used to come and say hello to me,” he said.

“Some children are a bit in awe of principals, but they used to love coming past and saying hello.”

“Bright, bubbly, well adjusted kids, yeah fantastic kids. So no indication whatsoever that a tragedy like this was just around the corner.”

Mr Garfirth broke the news to the children’s teachers and says they are devastated.

“I rang them and just heard if they had heard the news and they both had heard it on the radio so they both had a bit of a gut feeling that it could have been,” he said.

“I guess when they heard my voice – it’s not often that the principal rings you during the holidays – so it was very, very hard to break and it took them a long time to take the news in and I’m sure they’re feeling even worse this morning as they’ve processed it.”

Mr Garfirth says the school may hold a memorial for the children.

“I think that will be an important part of the grieving process but I’ll have to wait and contact the principal at the secondary college where the older girl was and certainly the family,” he said.

“I’ll have to liaise with the family and see the appropriate way that we can remember these children.”

The children’s mother does not live at the house but has been notified of the deaths.

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Teachers threaten $6m NAPLAN boycott

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Teachers across New South Wales are challenging the Federal Government to prevent a boycott of national tests that could cost the state more than $6 million in protest against the My School website.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) will vote next week on whether its NSW members will boycott the NAPLAN national literacy and numeracy tests over its opposition to the way the results are used on the My School website.

NSW Education Minister Verity Firth says the state will have to spend more than $6 million hiring freelance exam supervisors if every teacher pulls out, but she expects the participation rate in the boycott to be lower.

Ms Firth has threatened to take the union to the Industrial Relations Commission if the ban goes ahead.

“These tests are too important, the information is too important,” she said. “It’s simply not fair that the public should have to foot the bill to obtain information that rightly belongs to the parents, students and teachers.”

The union says the test results are displayed on the My School website in a way that damages disadvantaged schools and could lead to the publication of simplistic league tables.

AEU president Angelo Gavrielatos says the Commonwealth could prevent the ban by negotiating on the website’s content.

“The Deputy Prime Minister has refused to meet with us since January this year,” he said.

A survey conducted by the union late last month found more than 80 per cent of principals did not think the website gave an accurate depiction of their school.

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KMD Architects Builds Global Reputation With Mission-Driven Designs in Healthcare, Hospitality, Academic & Corporate Sectors

April 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SAN FRANCISCO–(Business Wire)–
KMD Architects, a San Francisco-based firm providing exceptional healthcare,
hospitality, academic, commercial and corporate architectural services,
continues to grow its portfolio in 2010 and hit key milestones with projects
around the globe.

“Looking at this year and beyond, KMD Architects finds itself at the forefront
of forward-thinking design,” said Robert Ludden, Principal at KMD Architects.
“From a sustainable LEED Platinum certified civic project in San Francisco, to a
state-of-the-art medical center in South Korea, to a luxury resort in Morocco,
our collaborations bring blueprints to building reality around the world. Our
hallmark remains incorporating innovations that result in energy and work
efficiency while leveraging design excellence.”

KMD`s history of mission-driven design and state-of-the art innovation has
distinguished the firm for more than 40 years. A sample of current KMD`s
projects includes:

Pier 27 International Cruise Terminal
Location: San Francisco, CA

KMD/ Pfau Long Architects` schematic design of San Francisco`s International
Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 builds on one of the Port of San Francisco`s
strongest maritime business lines and represents a strategic investment in the
Port`s infrastructure. The LEED-certified cruise terminal will allow cruise
ships to berth emissions-free. The project includes a new two-acre Northeast
Wharf public plaza serving the people of San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Construction is anticipated to commence the second quarter of 2012 and be
completed by 2014.

Kiemyung University Medical Center
Location: Daegu, South Korea

This 1.2 million square-foot, 1,000-bed hospital is an addition to the busy
Keimyung University Hospital Medical Campus in Daegu, Korea. KMD is designing a
space for the relocation of a medical school, nursing college and a medical
science and research building – from Dongsan Medical Center to the Keimyung
University Sungsuh Campus. When completed, it will be one of the leading medical
centers both in quality and physical scope in this country. Anticipated
completion is 2014.

Atlas Garden 4 Resort Morocco
Location:Marrakesh, Morocco

The Atlas Garden 4 Resort in Morocco, currently under construction, fronts an
18-hole championship golf course with unobstructed views to the Atlas Mountains.
The hotel design features architecture that utilizes traditional materials to
create a contemporary design. Individual three and four-story buildings are
strategically arranged on the site to provide all units with direct views while
also maximizing unit-to-unit privacy. The property is configured with 184
guestrooms, each with the ability to lock-off into two independent units
resulting in a maximum count of 368 units. The property also includes delicately
designed pools, a specialty restaurant and a modern fitness facility.
Anticipated completion is 2014.

Public Utilities Commission Building
Location: San Francisco, CA USA

The LEED Platinum KMD design for San Francisco Public Utilities Commission`s new
administrative building reflects the highest level of focus on sustainable
strategies. The 13-story, 277,500 square-foot construction will implement
renewable energy, water conservation and recycling components throughout the
building. In addition to using solar panels to harvest the energy from the sun
and incorporating a wind turbine tower on the façade to generate electricity,
the building is designed to maximize natural daylight to create a healthy and
productive work environment. Anticipated completion is 2012.

Shasa Corporate Office
Location: Toluca, Mexico

Winner of the 2009 Interior Design Award from Conde Nast, KMD`s designed Shasa`s
corporate office to reflect the spirit of Shasa´s bold and sassy women`s wear
brand. KMD designed the access to the building as a catwalk with an abundance of
color that represents passion for fashion and passion for work. The backbone of
the 16,125 square-foot project is a great wall that connects open spaces and
private areas. Scattered in different areas are “casual collision meeting
points” that promote spontaneous and informal meetings to reflect the dynamism
of the company. The motif also utilizes recycled elements of design, composed
with thread reels and reclaimed cardboard tubes. KMD Architects completed the
building in 2009.

About KMD Architects

Since 1963, KMD Architects has combined innovation and creativity to provide
healthcare, academic, commercial and corporate architectural services. KMD has
offices in Mexico City, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and
has completed projects in more than 30 U.S. states and 20 countries around the
world . The firm has won more than 200 design awards, including forty from the
American Institute of Architects in the past two decades.

EDITORS, PLEASE NOTE: For more information about KMD Architects and its
projects, please visit www.kmdarchitects.com, or contact Lee Kravetz at
415-359-2303 (lee@landispr.com) or Caroline Craig at 415-359-2318
(caroline@landispr.com.) Interviews with KMD principals are available.
Additional high-res images and video are also available upon request.

Landis Communications, Inc.
Lee Kravetz, 415-359-2303
lee@landispr.com
Caroline Craig, 415-359-2318
caroline@landispr.com
www.landispr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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Gillard stares down teachers over My School

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Education Minister Julia Gillard has defended the Federal Government’s My School website after a survey of Australian principals revealed the majority were against it in its current form.

The site allows parents to access information about their child’s school, including overall performance on national numeracy and literacy tests (NAPLAN).

The Australian Education Union (AEU) is opposed to the site in its current form, saying it facilitates the creation of league tables and fails to give an accurate indication of a school’s performance.

AEU national president Angelo Gavrielatos says the survey responses suggest the current use of NAPLAN results on the site is damaging school’s reputations and hurting the community.

“We support the provision of quality, meaningful, valid and accurate information to parents, but it’s got to be provided in a way that supports school improvement,” he said.

“What the Government has created is a regime which will damage schools, rather than lend itself in any way to school improvement.”

But citing the site’s popularity among parents, Ms Gillard was unmoved by the principals’ claims.

“Yesterday the Australian Education Union released a survey it has conducted of what it says are attitudes to the My School website,” she said.

“The Government has made its view very clear. We believe the My School website is necessary to give parents more information than they have ever had before about their child’s school.

“We believe parents around the country have voted with their fingertips in huge numbers because they were hungry for this information.”

Schools ‘ridiculed’

Ms Gillard dismissed claims the use of NAPLAN results meant the site was unrepresentative, saying the Government had consulted heavily in the creation of the site.

But Rob McCurdy, one of more than 1,600 principals who contributed to the survey, said his school had been unfairly branded as one of the worst in the state by a newspaper using information obtained on the My School site.

“I felt in essence that the mat had been ripped from underneath me by a misinterpretation of data that we weren’t given the opportunity to have input into,” he said.

“Five children sat the test; one of those children had an intellectual disability but we allowed [her to take part] … so that she wouldn’t feel left out when the other kids did the test.

“And three out of the five who sat the test had actually been at the school for less than three months. So therefore for my school to be almost ridiculed by the tables as interpreted by the Herald Sun is grossly unfair.”

Ms Gillard refused to be drawn on the claim, maintaining the Government did not support league tables.

“My School doesn’t rank schools, My School is not a league table,” she said.

“We promised that we would not deliver a league table and we have not.

“We’ve drawn on the best of expert advice through our Australian Curriculum Assessment Reporting Authority to design My School, including making sure that if there are very, very small groups of students taking a test at a particular year level, then for very small groups that result is not reported on My School.”

Ms Gillard said highlighting under-performing schools allowed the Government to better target funding.

Boycott threat

Mr Gavrielatos said if the Government refused to negotiate over changes on the site the AEU would be forced to boycott the tests.

“If the Government does not take action to protect students from the damaging effects of league tables and the misuse of data, we can not sit by and see students and school communities damaged as a result of bad policy,” he said.

The Education Minister showed no signs of giving in to the AEU’s threat to boycott upcoming NAPLAN tests.

“I’d call on the Australian Education Union to reconsider its plans to boycott this year’s national tests in response to My School,” she said.

“National testing is important; it’s important for parents and children.

“Because every child has their own report card out of national testing, it’s important for teachers as a diagnostic tool to work out how to best teach the children in their class, and it is important for the My School website so the nation can have accurate information about what’s happening in Australia’s schools.”

Despite dismissing the union’s demands, Ms Gillard said the Government was committed to improving the site and would implement a number of changes to give parents more information about schools.

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Expert to address school asbestos fears

March 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Queensland Government says it will fly an occupational health and safety expert to Mackay next week to speak to more than 2,000 students and teachers who may have been exposed to asbestos.

Material in the roofs of 24 rooms at Mackay North High School, in the state’s north, was disturbed in September but was only this week discovered and cleared.

Concerns have also been raised after work at the Moranbah East Primary School.

Education Minister Geoff Wilson says all parents and staff will be notified of the expert’s availability.

“We’re encouraging staff and parents to contact the principals of the two schools to notify their interest and concern and he will be advising parents of the situation regarding the potential health of their children and whether or not particular further steps may need to be taken,” he said.

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Students in Assam demand educational revamp

September 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Guwahati, Sept 20 (ANI): Students of the All Assam Student Union and the All Bodo Student Union here took out a rally demanding restructuring of education system.

Holding placards and banners, they marched on the streets of Guwahati.

“Today, the condition of our educational system is very bad. So, the AASU and the All Bodo Student Union (ABSU) took out this joint protest rally to remind the government of its responsibilities,” said Pramud Bodo, president, ABSU.

Samujjal Bhattacharya, advisor, All Assam Student Union (AASU), said: “In schools, we do not have teachers, permanent principals and permanent headmasters. We do not have good textbooks and good curriculum. We need the restructuring of the examination system. So, in all aspects, starting from primary level to university level, the Assam Government has failed miserably to give proper facilities to the student community.”

There is little education, no electricity, no safe drinking water and no decent healthcare in the state. (ANI)

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Doug Pitt | William Bradley | Pitt | Golden Globe Award | Care to Learn | “Care to Learn” Project | CareToLearnFund.com. | Springfield Public Schools

August 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Doug Pitt | William Bradley | Pitt | Golden Globe Award | Care to Learn | “Care to Learn” Project | CareToLearnFund.com. | Springfield Public Schools

William Bradley “Brad” Pitt,46, is an American actor and film producer. He has been cited as one of the world’s most attractive men and his off-screen life is widely reported. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and has won one Golden Globe Award out of four nominations.Pitt began his acting career with television guest appearances.

Pitt owns a production company named Plan B Entertainment, which has produced the 2007 Academy Award winner for Best Picture, The Departed, among other films. Since beginning his relationship with Jolie, he has become increasingly involved in social issues, both in the United States and internationally.

Doug Pitt, the younger brother of Hollywood actor Brad Pitt.

Doug Pitt is speaking out about his “Care to Learn” Project, which is all about kids’ health, hunger and hygiene.

“The idea was to help kids that show up on a school day with an immediate need. We need to get to them quick, obviously. So we set up this fund to do just that. Last week, we had a kid need clothes and food. And within 20 minutes – from the phone call – counselors, teachers, principals, make a call to the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools. And they’re on it. They now have the funds to address that urgent need.”

For more information visit: CareToLearnFund.com.

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Oz docs hosting Botox parties with door prizes!

August 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, August 9 (ANI): Australian doctors are reportedly offering cosmetic enhancements as door prizes during a “fun night just for girls”.

The Sydney practice Doctors on Darling apparently shows how “natural fillers can help reduce lines, fill lips, enhance cheeks and improve the appearance of hollows under eyes”.

Principals Dr Anne Charteris and Dr Maureen Boyd were said to be perform cosmetic procedures in the surgery.

But some tagged the GPs giving a free treatment donated by cosmetic surgery companies as a door prize as unprofessional and a breach of ethics.

“Whether doctors provide a service of cosmetic enhancement is one issue,” News.com.au quoted Charlotte Rees, Associate Professor in Medical Education at Sydney University, as saying.

“I think it’s more worrying having flyers to actively recruit and encourage women to have cosmetic enhancements,” she added.

Dr Charteris, however, said the procedures were carried out on a fellow doctor.

She said: “This was an information evening, we didn’t make any bookings with patients, we didn’t do anything on them.” (ANI)

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Malay parents, teachers want probe into school principal’s karaoke sessions with girls

July 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Kuala Lumpur, Jul 6 (ANI): The Parent-Teacher Association of a secondary school in Malaysia is seeking the help of authorities to investigate claims that the school principal held karaoke sessions with female students at the girls’ hostel.

According to SM Tok Janggut Parent-Teacher Association chairman Datuk Mohd Jelani Jaafar, they had received numerous complaints on the matter, and some of them were from the teachers themselves.

The association has forwarded the complaints to the district education office for further action, reports the Star Online.

Jaafar commented on reports that a female student had been suspended from the hostel for a month after she reported the principal’s conduct to the school’s senior assistant for student affairs.

The student had claimed that she saw the principal frequenting the girls’ hostel between 9pm and 1am for karaoke sessions.

He also said that the claims, if turn out to be true, could tarnish the image of other principals and affect the students’ academic performance. (ANI)

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UP government warns colleges against jeans ban

June 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Lucknow, June 23(ANI): The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday issued a stern notice to all colleges in the state not to impose any ban on jeans for girl students or face punitive actions.

“Action will be taken against any college aided by the Government of UP if anything is done against the law of the land,” said Kamran Rizvi , Education Secretary.

He said the provisions of University Act could be raised to take steps against colleges who impose any kind of dress code on students.

Earlier, Principals of many colleges in Uttar Pradesh had agreed to a proposal to ban students from wearing jeans on campus and work out a dress code for them.

Four colleges, affiliated with Kanpur University, had prohibited their students from wearing jeans. The authorities took the step following several complaints of eve-teasing that were occurring just outside the college gate. (ANI)

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Schoolkids should be taught to critically analyse popular culture, say experts

May 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, May 25 (ANI): Schoolkids as young as five should be taught to critically analyse advertising, media and popular culture “messages”, suggests a New South Wales academic.

Karen Brooks, a Southern Cross University Associate Professor, says that kids aged five to 18-referred to as “screenagers” or “mediavores”-should be taught the skills to deal with the onslaught of sexualised images and persuasive advertising they see everyday.

These kids spend up to eight hours a day using televisions, computers and mobile phones, but these technologies were not used enough in classrooms.

She said that giving students the “tools” to decode media messages could help address issues with body image, eating disorders and perceptions of reality.

Brooks urged that popular culture and the use of new technologies in schools should be addressed as part of the new national curriculum.

“If kids are having advertising targeted at them then it is incumbent on us to be intervening in those messages in school and in the home,” News.com.au quoted her as saying.

“It’s important that we… start to teach kids about how these messages are constructed, how to put together what their purpose is, that they are to sell products. The way to do it is to use popular culture (in the classroom) from a very, very young age.
We should be using these messages and teaching (children) how to construct them themselves.

“It’s absolutely shocking that they have to wait until university to learn about something that bombards them every day,” she added.

SA Primary Principals Association president Steve Portlock agreed that it was important for students to understand the effects of media, but said it was already covered in the state’s schools.

“We look at the internet and bias in relation to advertising,” he said.

“We teach the kids that just because it’s on the internet or on TV or in ads doesn’t mean it’s good and they actually need to have a bit more knowledge and find out what the purpose is,” he added. (ANI)

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Oz school teachers are ‘worst bullies’, finds survey

May 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, May 17 (ANI): A new survey has shown that teachers entrusted with preventing bullying in Australian schools are instead bullying each other at alarming levels.

In the national online survey of more than 800 teachers, 99.6 per cent said that they had experienced bullying in the workplace, with the biggest bullies likely to be the principal or other school executives.

As per the research, power imbalance was a factor in staff bullying, and those most affected were government schools.

Deidre Duncan, of the Australian Catholic University, said that principals in government schools received the worst rating for bullying.

“In government schools, the principal receives a significantly higher nomination as a frequent or persistent bully than found in independent or Catholic schools,” the Courier Mail quoted Duncan as saying.

“A total of 42 per cent of respondents in government schools said the bully was the principal,” she said.

Duncan also said that such behaviour could be expected in “fairly bureaucratic organisations”.

The behaviour most commonly identified by teachers as bullying was the withholding of information that affected performance, followed by the questioning of decisions, procedures and judgment.

Duncan and co-researcher Dan Riley recommended that a bullying ombudsman be appointed for teachers, awareness of staff bullying be raised, and a staff bullying register be established at each school.

Education Minister Geoff Wilson said that the research was a concern and he would ask his department to look into it. (ANI)

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New Zealand Cricket may not be in a hurry to re-induct rebel pacers Bond, Tuffey

May 4, 2009 By 1 Comment

Wellington, May 3 (ANI): The New Zealand Cricket Board is unlikely to rush in re-inducting rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) fast bowlers Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey, as there is a view in certain quarters that cricketers, after accepting all manner of privilege and special consideration from their respective national boards, are happy to abandon both principles and principals at the first sign of a bigger pay cheque.

It is not for the first time that fast bowlers Bond and Tuffey have had questions asked about them.

Will they return to the establishment fold or won’t they? Will they be the same threat in their maturing years as they were in their days of pomp and show?

The New Zealand Cricket board will soon sit to discuss whether Bond and Tuffey should face what is euphemistically known as a “cooling off period” before becoming available, although for legal reasons it will almost certainly avoid declaring its hand in such a manner. If it does harbour concerns, it will simply refuse to select Bond and Tuffey for as long as it deems appropriate.

But before the debate even reaches that stage, Bond and any fellow rebels such as Daryl Tuffey who might want to resuscitate their international careers, will first have to provide written documentation to prove that they’ve severed ties with the unsanctioned ICL competition.

Beyond all that, however, there still seems to be a need to provide a disincentive for cricketers who, after accepting all manner of privilege and special consideration from their respective national boards, are happy to abandon both principles and principals at the first sign of a bigger pay cheque. Can’t stop them going, of course. But it doesn’t mean they have to be welcomed back like long-lost infantrymen. Mercenaries would seem more fitting.

The ICC family has every right to protect its product. Vultures are now circling above the establishment game on a daily basis, waiting for an opportunity to tear off a piece of the action.

No prizes for guessing why. It’s has been estimated that world cricket boards make about a 30 percent net surplus on their operations, which as non profit-making organisations, they plough back into the game at all levels: juniors, umpires, women and coaching.

NZC will hopefully treat its upcoming discussion about the rebel players’ status as rather more than a rubber-stamping exercise, reports The Sunday Star daily. (ANI)

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New Zealand Cricket may not be in a hurry to re-induct rebel pacers Bond, Tuffey

May 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Wellington, May 3 (ANI): The New Zealand Cricket Board is unlikely to rush in re-inducting rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) fast bowlers Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey, as there is a view in certain quarters that cricketers, after accepting all manner of privilege and special consideration from their respective national boards, are happy to abandon both principles and principals at the first sign of a bigger pay cheque.

It is not for the first time that fast bowlers Bond and Tuffey have had questions asked about them.

Will they return to the establishment fold or won’t they? Will they be the same threat in their maturing years as they were in their days of pomp and show?

The New Zealand Cricket board will soon sit to discuss whether Bond and Tuffey should face what is euphemistically known as a “cooling off period” before becoming available, although for legal reasons it will almost certainly avoid declaring its hand in such a manner. If it does harbour concerns, it will simply refuse to select Bond and Tuffey for as long as it deems appropriate.

But before the debate even reaches that stage, Bond and any fellow rebels such as Daryl Tuffey who might want to resuscitate their international careers, will first have to provide written documentation to prove that they’ve severed ties with the unsanctioned ICL competition.

Beyond all that, however, there still seems to be a need to provide a disincentive for cricketers who, after accepting all manner of privilege and special consideration from their respective national boards, are happy to abandon both principles and principals at the first sign of a bigger pay cheque. Can’t stop them going, of course. But it doesn’t mean they have to be welcomed back like long-lost infantrymen. Mercenaries would seem more fitting.

The ICC family has every right to protect its product. Vultures are now circling above the establishment game on a daily basis, waiting for an opportunity to tear off a piece of the action.

No prizes for guessing why. It’s has been estimated that world cricket boards make about a 30 percent net surplus on their operations, which as non profit-making organisations, they plough back into the game at all levels: juniors, umpires, women and coaching.

NZC will hopefully treat its upcoming discussion about the rebel players’ status as rather more than a rubber-stamping exercise, reports The Sunday Star daily. (ANI)

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Moily claims his constituency is free from caste considerations

April 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Chikkballapur (Karnataka), Apr 21 (ANI): Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily has said that his constituency is free from all caste considerations.

Moily, who is contesting elections from the Chikkballapur parliamentary constituency, described his constituency as democratic and secular.

“If you want to find the real democratic values, you will find it in this constituency. The caste never played any game here. I would like to sustain that kind of culture, which is also the culture symbolized by the Congress party,” Moily said while addressing an election rally here.

Moily also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its politics of hate and division.

“We are opposed to certain principals, particularly of the BJP, which has become a menace to this country. The BJP is dividing the country and the people. The BJP thinks that by resorting to violence and hate politics they will gain,” Moily said.

Chikkballapur will go to polls on April 23. (ANI)

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15,000 Sikhs Celebrate Baisakhi at the LA Convention Center With Colorful Parade,…

April 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

15,000 Sikhs Celebrate Baisakhi at the LA Convention Center With Colorful
Parade, Floats, Music and Free Food Today, Sunday, April 12

LOS ANGELES, April 12 /PRNewswire/ — 15,000 Sikhs from Southern California
will celebrate the 310th Anniversary of Baisakhi at the Los Angeles Convention
Center today, Sunday, April 12th. This event coincides with the Easter and
Passover holidays and the them of it is, “Those who know love, know God.”
Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los
Angeles, CA, (in the West Hall, Concourse Room) the festivities will begin at
7:30 a.m. and conclude at 5:00 p.m. The program will include Kirtan
(spiritual music) from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with performances from Kirtan
groups from many southern California Sikh Gurdwaras (temples), as well as
various children’s Kirtan groups. A colorful parade (Nagar Kirtan) from 3:00
to 5:00 p.m. through the heart of downtown Los Angeles will conclude the day’s
events.

These festivities have been celebrated annually in Southern California for
over 25 years. The Nagar Kirtan (parade) has been coordinated by the Southern
California Gurdwaras for the last eleven years.

The Sikh path began with a Teacher named Guru Nanak in the late 1400′s. Guru
Nanak was born at a time, in India, when there was fighting between people in
the name of religion. He spent his life traveling, teaching the Oneness of God
and the common brotherhood and sisterhood of all humanity. Guru Nanak taught
that the same Divine Creator was at the heart of every religion and that
people could live together in love no matter what their faith or cultural
background. He brought people together through songs and prayers.

Some of the principals Sikhs live by include the recognition of the equality
of all people and the right of all people to worship freely. They work
honestly and share what they have with others and believe that the effect of
prayer and meditation has the power to bring peace to the home and to the
world.

The Baisakhi celebration commemorates the day in 1699 when Guru Gobind Singh,
the 10th of the Sikh Guru’s blessed Sikhs with the forms and features of their
lifestyle. It was this event that bestowed the unique form, appearance, and
discipline associated with the Sikh way of life. Baisakhi also commemorates
the first Spring Harvest, which coincides closely with the Sikh New Year.

Officials from all levels of government, city, state and nationwide, are
expected to attend this year’s Baisakhi Celebration, including: Los Angeles
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; California State Board of Equalization Chair Judy
Chu; California State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, California State Assembly
Member Mike Eng and U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman.

One of the featured Kirtan musicians this year will be Bhai Nirmal Singh Ji
Khalsa, distinguished recipient of the Padma Shri Award (one of the highest
civilian honors granted by the Government of India to musicians). He will play
at approximately 1:30 to 2:00 p.m. during the program.

In the Nagar Kirtan (parade) this year will be floats from many gurdwaras.
Special designs have been created in collaboration with Joginder Singh Siddu
in which the floats highlight special Sikh themes, lifestyles and values. The
parade will begin at 3:00 p.m. and is expected to conclude around 5:00 p.m.
This year’s parade route will start from the Los Angeles Convention Center -
North on Figueroa, East on 11th, North on Grand Avenue, West on 7th Street,
South on Flower, West on 11th Street, South on Figueroa – to end back at the
Los Angeles Convention Center. Refreshments and treats will be served all
along the parade route.

In addition to the Kirtan Program and Parade, there will be other activities
for attendees. Delicious vegetarian Langar (free food) will be served all day
long. There will be bustling Baisakhi Bazaar offering goods and services.
Activities for children will be available all day long.

For more information, and details about participating in the program, contact
Deva Kaur at (310) 201-0954 or Kirtan-Singh Khalsa at (310) 990-4573.

Contact: Sikh Dharma of Southern California
Panch Nishan Kaur
(505) 310-3492

SOURCE Sikh Dharma of Southern California

Panch Nishan Kaur of Sikh Dharma of Southern California, +1-505-310-3492

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40 medical college officials served notices on ragging issue in Himachal

April 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

SHIMLA: Pulling up officials for their ‘lenient’ attitude to ragging in the college, the Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday issued show cause
notices to 40 officials of Tanda medical college including principals and wardens serving since 2001, when the first ragging incident was reported, official sources said.

Show cause notices has been issued by principal secretary health Deepak Sanan to 40 officials of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College Tanda in Kangra district who occupied responsible posts since 2001, additional secretary (Health) Rakesh Kanwar said.

Suresh Sankhayan, who was college principal when a ragging incident allegedly claimed the life of Aman Kachroo on March 8, has been suspended on the directives of the Supreme Court and there is no point in issuing the notice to him, Kanwar added.

Two previous principles, J R Thakur and N K Kaushik, figured among the list of officials served notices, he said.

Besides principals and wardens, members of the college disciplinary committee have been issued show cause, Kanwar said. Those served with the notice have been directed to reply by April 23, 2009, Kanwar added.

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9/11 suspects admit that they are “Terrorists To The Bone”

March 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Mar.11 (ANI): The five men charged with playing a significant role in perpetrating the terror strikes on the United States on September 11, 2001, have emphatically claimed that they “are terrorists to the bone”.

In their most detailed response to U.S. war crimes charges,the five Guantanamo prisoners justified the attack that killed nearly 3,000 people.

They included self-proclaimed mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed.

According to CBS, in an extraordinary six-page filing with the Military Commissions in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Mohammed and the four others took full responsibility for the attacks and refuted the nine accusations against them, point-by-point.

The five men are charged with conspiracy. To that they respond, “This is a very laughable accusation. Were you expecting us to inform you about our secret attack plans?”

As for charges al Qaeda targeted civilians, they accuse the United States of “…attacking us in Palestine and Lebanon…” And they ask, “…was it not you that attacked an entire population in Iraq…”

They label themselves tortured prisoners, and chide the United States saying, “You have no values and ethics and no principals.”

President Barack Obama suspended their trial in January as his administration evaluates the war crimes trials.

Meanwhile, alleged al Qaeda sleeper agent Ali al-Marri appeared in a U.S. court Tuesday to face terror charges for the first time after being held for more than five years as an enemy combatant.

Al-Marri is charged with providing material support to terror and conspiracy and is expected to be sent to Illinois to enter a plea. (ANI)

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