Human error suspected in Mumbai oil spill

Investigators probing the collision between MSC Chitra and MV Khalijia III off the coast of Mumbai on Saturday suspect that human error on the part of one or both navigators of the vessels was responsible for the incident.

MSC Chitra had moved out of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) on Saturday while Khalijia III was moving to dock at the Mumbai Port Trust for repairs, when the incident happened.

"The exact cause of the mishap would be known only after a detailed investigation instituted by the Director General of Shipping, but it appears that it was human error on the part of thenavigators," a senior official said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as well as state departments in Raigad district have advised people not to consume fish for some time, as they might be contaminated due to the oil spill near the Mumbai harbour.

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And now CEOs becoming models

Sorry, you are wrong if you think that only bollywood stars and cricketers can become models to promote particular brands. Fact of the matter is that some of the country’s respected CEOs of big ticket companies are now getting into the game, often as brand ambassadors for

their own ware.Pawan Goenka, the president of auto maker Mahindra & Mahindra’s automotive unit, turned a model himself to promote the multi-utility vehicle Scorpio from his stable. A PHD from IIT,Mumbai, Pawan was recently visible in the ad of Scorpio.

Mukesh Gupta, head of Delhi based Graphiads ad agency, feels that Ceos as models carry a much-needed credibility and assurance to the consumers.“If Ratan Tata campaigns for Nanoor Sunil Mittal campaigns for Airtel mobile phones, it would definitely make huge inroads. After all they are very respected among even the masses of the country.“If Harish Mahindra modeled for Scorpio, it would have been even better.

He is a suave and very well-known face in urban India,” he added. Now take the case of Dharam Pal Gulati, the 80 plus turbaned and bespectacled chairman of spice brand MDH, short for the quaint Mahashayan Di Hatti, has chosen to appear on the television commercials. "I was told by various senior officials of our group and friends that if I act in the ad campaigns of MDH, it would go a long way in establishing the image of our products. I accepted their suggestion. Since then the demand for MDH masalas has gone up manifold,” Gulati once said.

A few years ago, Rajeev Bakshi, the former Ceo of PepsiCo India, was also spotted in Pepsi ads after the cola maker faced charges from voluntary groups that the company’s soft drink products contained

harmful pesticide residue.” It was a conscious decision.

I sipped Pepsi in that particular ad so that that the nation should get the message that it is safe to drink it,” Bakshi said. Corporate watchers say that Vijaypat Singhania was the first corporate personality in recent memory to figure as a model, when he appeared in Raymonds suiting ad campaigns a few years ago. As he was known for his love of aviation, it fitted in.In the recent times, liquor baron Vijay Mallya also turned model for his Kingfisher Airlines. Earlier, the colourful chairman had campaigned for safe driving – something that went with the head of a liquor company.

Rohtas Goyal, the youthful chairman of the Omaxe group, can be seen endorsing the premium real estate that his company sells. But he has restricted himself to print campaigns. So far, my ad agency has given my pictures in a few campaigns. I do not think that I would ever act as a model in the ad campaigns of Omaxe in future,” Goyal said, without elaborating.

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Govt can consider inquiry in CWG corruption charges after 15 Oct: Gill

Government is ready to consider any kind of inquiry after 15 October on the alleged corruption charges against all those who are involved in staging the commonwealth games, Union sports minister MS Gill told the parliament on Tuesday.

Congress member Suresh Kalmadi, who is chairman of the CWG Organising Committee and is in the eye of the storm over corruption charges, was not present during the reply.

Defending the government over the allegations of corruption and the delay in the preparations for the Commonwealth Games, Mr. Gill on reiterated that no attempts were being made to hide anything and said that government was open to full public scrutiny.

Replying to questions raised by the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gill said, “I am aware of your concerns for the Commonwealth Games. I will take the parliamentarians and press to the stadiums in a week-ten days, we have nothing to hide.”

"Nothing will be hidden or covered up," he said in his hour-long reply which was repeatedly interrupted by Opposition members, who continued to pose queries on allegations of corruption and diversion of funds.

Stressing the point further, Gill said that the government is also of the view that ‘full public scrutiny ensures public confidence’.

Gill did not openly defend IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi and said that CWG OC member TS Darbari was sacked due to the Sports Ministry’s request. “We are not covering up for anyone, we did our best to make it possible for the RTI act to come in place for the IOA.”

Gill said that the stadiums were ready and the final touches were being given. “Test events of over ten countries have been conducted in the stadiums, the debris will be cleared in a week.”

Congress member Suresh Kalmadi, who is chairman of the CWG Organising Committee and is in the eye of the storm over corruption charges, was not present during the reply.

Dissatisfied with the reply of the Sports Minister, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj led a noisy walk out of members of BJP and its allies, who chanted "we want JPC" while leaving the House.

Swaraj took offence to Gill`s remarks asking members to take recourse to the RTI route to obtain details of the expenditure for CWG projects.

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Hansika Motwani's life in pics

As actress Hansika Motwani turns 19 today, we take a look at her life in pics.

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Commonwealth Games: Debris clean-up deadline expires today

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had last Month set August 10 as the deadline for removing all Commonwealth Games related construction and demolition waste from the city and ordered all civic agencies to strictly comply with the time-frame.

"I have said before that all most of the big malba will be cleared by August 10. Most of the work will be completely by 30-31st of August. We have kept the whole month of September to complete any other work," the Chief Minister had said on July 30.

She had also reiterated that there would be no deviation in the deadline to halt digging work and to remove the malba.

On Tuesday, when asked about missing the deadline, the Delhi Chief Minister said that most of the debris has been removed.

But with tonnes and tonnes of rubble still strewn around across the city, this does not seem possible.

our camera crew has found mounds of debris in several localities like Siri Fort, where work has been going on since over a month. The scene is pretty much the same at Connaught Place too, where vehicles have to dodge around the debris. It's the same story around Shivaji Stadium as well. With unfinished construction and debris strewn everywhere, it is difficult to believe that the Games are less than two months away.

When asked whether government will miss the deadline to remove the debris, Finance Minister A K Walia preferred not to comment.

"I will not comment on the issue," he said. Dikshit had last month asked her cabinet colleagues not to air views about preparation for Commonwealth Games.

Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta, who was asked the same question, only said removal of debris will not be completed in areas where street-scaping works are going on.

"We have already removed 80,000 metric tons of debris. More or less removal of construction waste will be completed by the deadline," he said.

Mehta said removal of debris will not be completed in NDMC areas as DMRC has been allowed to carry out digging till August 15 for their works.

"If there is digging, then how can we complete the removal of debris," he questioned. (With PTI inputs)

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/cwg-debris-clean-up-deadline-missed-43295?cp

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Moscow smog: 700 deaths a day

The death toll triggered by abnormal heat and dense smog caused by forest fires near the Russian capital has almost doubled to about 700 from the 360-380 deaths per day, a senior health official said on Monday.

"Usually, 360-380 deaths take place every day in Moscow, but these the rate has almost doubled to about 700," Chief of Moscow City Health Department Andrei Seltsovsky said.

He denied that it was something unusual as Moscow is undergoing a very long spell of abnormal heat wave with temperatures breaking all time records.

Moscow region has witnessed abnormally hot weather and drought for over a month with two temperature records broken in June and 10 records broken in July, RIA Novosti reported.

The heat has caused peat bogs fires nearby Moscow creating toxic smog throughout the capital and pushed the pollution levels to new highs on Saturday.

Quoting an unnamed medico "Novaya Gazeta" reported that ambulance teams have been told not bring patients to hospitals except in case of extreme urgency as they were overcrowded.

Elderly people and patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases are primarily at risk, the paper said.

Meanwhile, meteorologists have said that it will take at least another week for Moscow to be cleared of the smog.

Russia is undergoing the longest unprecedented heat wave for at least one thousand years, the head of the Russian Meteorological Centre Alexander Frolov today said.

"We have an 'archive' of abnormal weather situations stretching over a thousand years. It is possible to say there was nothing similar to this heat wave on the territory of Russia during the last one thousand years," Frolov told reporters.

He said scientists received information on ancient weather conditions by exploring lake deposits. Frolov also said Russia's grain crop may drop by at least 30 per cent.

Meanwhile, after a slight improvement in visibility on Sunday and today most of stranded passengers on Moscow's two worst smog affected airports - Vnukovo and Domodedovo have left for their destinations, but 22 flights are still behind schedule, civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a state of emergency has been declared in the Ozersk district where the nuclear reprocessing plant Mayak is located.

The emergency has been declared after the neighbouring Urals town has been engulfed in raging forest fires.

"A state of emergency has been introduced in forests and parks on the territory of the Ozersk city district due to a complicated fire hazard situation," an official statement said.

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26/11 trial: Ball now in Islamabad’s court

India has acted wisely in responding to the Pakistani demand for deposition before a Rawalpindi court of the police officer who led the 26/11 investigations at the Mumbai end and the magistrate who recorded the confessions of Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving member of the marauding gang.

New Delhi’s offer comes in the wake of Islamabad’s request purported to strengthen evidence against seven of those under trial for the Mumbai carnage— the conspiracy for which was hatched on the Pakistani soil. The anti-terrorism court that sits in the garrison town has to decide, among others, the fate of Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi of the LeT, whose lawyers have been harping on the absence of any direct evidence against their client. The proposal for video-conferencing with the Indian policeman and the magistrate — if accepted by the Pakistani court— should hopefully be a good legal counter to averments made on behalf of the accused. Defense lawyers have been seeking Lakhvi’s bail on the ground that the case has gone on for over a year-and-a-half with only two of the 200-odd witnesses testifying. The prosecution has also failed to come up with its final charge sheet despite having submitted interim charges in three installments.

It remains to be seen whether the Rawalpindi court will accept video-conferencing as the via media to avoid personal deposition of the Indian police officer and magistrate who took Kasab’s statement under section 164 of the criminal procedure code. If it doesn’t and there is some judicial or administrative hurdle in sending our officer/magistrate to Pakistan, New Delhi should, I feel, invite the Pakistani judge and the defense and prosecution lawyers to India for a face-to-face deposition. This engagement can also be on the no-man’s land at Wagah. The short point I’m making is that India should go to any length to not give Islamabad an excuse to either blame it for weakening the case against the Pakistani conspirators or not meeting the requirement of its judiciary that it claims is independent.

The conviction of those booked by Pakistani agencies is doubly crucial because Hafiz Sayeed continues to be at large. If Lakhvi and Co are also declared innocent by the court or let off for want of adequate evidence, the gingerly Indo-Pak dialogue will have to be put in cold storage for a long time. The public trust required to make bilateral engagement sustainable will get scarcer and be extremely difficult to mobilize anytime soon.

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