Pakistan gears up for election

Musharraf to return today

After the first elected civilian Government in Pakistan completed its five year term, the nation is in election mode.

Political parties are gearing up for getting popular support to form new government.

Imran Khan’s party Tehrik-e-Insaf is projecting him as a hopeful for the post of Prime Minister.

His rally on Saturday at the Minar-e-Pakistan drew a large crowd including people from the middle class and youths.

Kan and his party are trying to capitalize on widespread discontent with traditional parties including Pakistan People’s party and Pakistan Muslim Laegue-Nawaj.

Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Sunday left for home after more than four years in self-exile to take part in the historic elections in May despite a Taliban death threat.

Musharraf, 69, announced that he would fly into the southern Pakistani city of Karachi at 1 pm and address a gathering in the evening despite authorities scrapping permission for a public meeting due to security concerns.

In a message posted on Twitter shortly before he boarded a flight from Dubai to Karachi, Musharraf wrote: "I will arrive in Karachi today, March 24th, at 1pm & address a public rally at the airport at 5 pm in the evening."

The former President, who is set to end over four years of self-exile, tweeted a photo of him leaving his Dubai home, clad in a white shalwar-kameez.

He later tweeted another photo of himself "settled in my seat on the plane to begin my journey home".

Hours before his return, authorities in Karachi cancelled permission for a meeting that was to be addressed by Musharraf at a ground near the mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

Sindh police spokesman SSP Imran Shaukat said that the no-objection certificate for the public meeting to be addressed by Musharraf had been withdrawn due to "serious security threats" to the former President.

The police had officially informed Musharraf's party, the All Pakistan Muslim League, about the decision, Shaukat said.

"The APML has agreed to cancel the public meeting," he said.

The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan said it had formed a squad of suicide bombers to target Musharraf on his return.

In another message posted on Twitter, Musharraf said Pakistan "must crush terrorism and extremism".

Musharraf left Pakistan in early 2009 after a string of civil and criminal cases were filed against him in courts across the country.

Several of the cases related to steps he had taken during the emergency he imposed in late 2007.

Two courts have issued arrest warrants for Musharraf in connection with the killing of former premier Benazir Bhutto and Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti.

Musharraf obtained pre-arrest bail from the Sindh High Court ahead of his return.

Bersani chosen to form new govt

Italy’s center-left leader, Pier Luigi Bersani, was chosen on Friday to form a new and viable government, which is badly needed to steer the country out of recession and get more Italians back to work.

The national elections last month produced no clear winner, but President Giorgio Napolitano said the 61-year-old Bersani was best positioned to create a government given “the most difficult circumstances” — a reference that the political leader has a comfortable majority in the lower house, but that the Senate is split.

Bersani’s forces finished first, but he has ruled out a coalition with former Premier Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative alliance, which would risk further alienating the voting base of Bersani’s Democratic Party.

But if he shuns Berlusconi, Bersani will need to win support from Parliament’s new third bloc, a populist, anti-euro movement founded by comic-turned-political leader Beppe Grillo. Grillo has rejected a vote of confidence to support any established party — and support in the required vote of confidence for a new government to go forward.

Still, some Grillo lawmakers broke ranks over the weekend and voted to support Bersani’s candidate as Senate speaker, a move that infuriated Grillo.

Bersani pledged dialogue with political forces in the coming days, seeking a balance between “a government seeking the change expected by the Italians and one able to carry out reforms.”

Outgoing Premier Mario Monti’s centrist forces finished fourth with around 10 per cent of the vote.

Italian elections were held February 24-25, but Napolitano could not consult with leaders until after the new Parliament was seated last week and caucus leaders were chosen.

Netanyahu apologised to Erdogan

March 24, 2013

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologised to Turkey for a deadly raid on a Gaza aid flotilla and announced a full resumption of diplomatic ties as well as compensation.US official says US President Barack Obama was present when Netanyahu spoke to Erdogan. Turkish officials reportedly accepted the apology and the two countries agreed to normalize ties.This breakthrough, ends a nearly three-year diplomatic rift is an effort by US President Barack Obama at the tail end of a historic three-day visit to the Holy Land, the first of his presidency. Speaking soon after Air Force One departed for Amman, a senior US official said the Israeli leader had apologised to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a special telephone call from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.
“On behalf of Israelis he apologised for any deaths those operational mistakes might have caused,” the official said. Turkish “Prime Minister Erdogan accepted the apology on behalf of Turkey,” he added, commented Obama had also spoken with the Turkish leader.Israel and Turkey confirmed the apology, with Netanyahu’s office announcing a resumption of full diplomatic ties between the former close allies.
Erdogan’s office said the premier had accepted the apology “in the name of the Turkish people” and had underlined the “vital and strategic” nature of the relations between the two countries.
“The two prime ministers agreed on concluding a compensation deal” for the victims’ families and on “working together to improve the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories.”
Ties between Israel and Turkey plummeted in May 2010, when Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla to Gaza headed by the Mavi Marmara, in which nine Turkish nationals were killed. This assault triggered an international outcry and a bitter diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Israel, with Ankara demanding a formal apology and compensation for the families of the victims.
Until now, Israel had refused, in part for fear that it could open the way for the prosecution of commandos who took part in the raid.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland commented: “It has been of great concern to the United States for some time now that our two allies Israel and Turkey were not getting along well with each other.”In virtually every meeting that every senior American has had with the Israeli side or the Turkish side, we have encouraged them to try to work this through.”
Israeli’s senior official in Netanyahu’s office said the two leaders spoke and “agreed to normalization between the countries including returning ambassadors, and cancelling legal proceedings against IDF (army) soldiers.” He was referring to the high-profile trial in absentia of four top Israeli military chiefs by an Istanbul court that opened in November.
Israeli leader “made clear that the tragic outcome of the Mavi Marmara incident was not intended by Israel and that Israel regrets the loss of human life and injury,” his office said in a statement.
“In light of Israel’s investigation into the incident which pointed to a number of operational mistakes, the prime minister expressed Israel’s apology to the Turkish people for any mistakes that might have led to the loss of life or injury and agreed to conclude an agreement on compensation/nonliability.”
Islamist Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, said the apology “showed Israel’s fear of the regional changes” under way since the Arab Spring of 2011 that have seen Islamists brought to power in Egypt and Tunisia.
“Netanyahu’s apology was late, and he should immediately end the siege on Gaza,” Hamas spokesman Taher al-Nunu told media.A Hamas official said Erdogan phoned exiled Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Friday evening and briefed him on the details of Netanyahu’s apology.
Former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, who for years opposed an Israeli apology, called Netanyahu’s move a “grave mistake”.”Such an apology demoralises IDF soldiers,” said Lieberman, who now heads the parliamentary foreign and defence committee.But armed forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz welcomed the move, saying he hoped it would boost the countries’ security and strategic ties.
Newly sworn-in Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, who in the past was opposed to an official apology or direct compensation, on Friday supported the apology, his spokesman told.
The rapprochement comes at a time of increased instability in neighboring Syria and other Middle East countries since the Arab Spring uprisings in 2010.

World News of Sunday 24 March 2013

World News of Sunday 24 March 2013

NASA,ISRO relationship holds promise for future: Bolden

NASA has applauded India's success in its space endeavours, saying the growing relationship with Indian Space Research Organisation holds great future. "It is wonderful to see how the relationship between NASA ISRO has grown and evolved, the agreements we have signed since this group last convened, and the great promise our relationship holds for the future," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in his address to the fourth US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting on Thursday. The value of bilateral cooperation was well reflected, for instance, through the inclusion of two NASA instruments on the successful Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission, which led to significant discoveries about lunar surface characteristics, he said. "Earth observation data and information yield a broad range of societal benefits, and through cooperation between our agencies, we've embarked on a number of collaborative activities in this area," Bolden said in his address to the top officials from both the countries to discuss the ways and means to take the collaboration between the two countries to the next phase. "Our active cooperation on Oceansat-2 data utilisation is certain to yield deeper understanding of our world's oceans in all their complexity, and cooperation in the Global Precipitation Measurement / Megha-Tropiques mission, with the goal of better understanding tropical meteorology and climate, will also advance our knowledge," Bolden said. "We applaud India's success in all its space endeavours, including new activities in astrophysics, heliophysics, and other areas. From the recent launch of the SARAL oceanographic satellite to your upcoming planned first mission to Mars, you have our very best wishes for continued success," said the NASA Administrator. "I know we've already been taking steps to bring together scientists and mission developers to examine capabilities and potential approaches for future collaborative missions, to look at ways we can work together in a number of areas," he said in his address to the India and US officials. Bolden commended the US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group for its continued focus on the many and varied issues before it and for keeping this work alive across the years. According to the joint statement, existing cooperation, in the use of US and Indian earth observation satellite data, has produced information yielding a broad range of societal benefits including improved weather and monsoon forecasting, disaster management and response, improved agricultural and natural resource use and better understanding of climate change. Through expanded cooperation between their technical agencies that operate earth observing satellites, the two sides agreed on a number of measures that will improve the use of this data to promote sustainable development, it said. Building on NASA's collaboration in India's highly successful Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission in 2008, NASA and ISRO agreed to explore further cooperative space exploration work, including future missions to the moon and Mars. To this end the working group agreed to continue discussions in planetary science and Heliophysics to identify areas of potential cooperation. Noting that continued progress is being made in promoting compatibility and interoperability between the US Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), the joint statement said further work in this area will take place bilaterally and in multilateral bodies such as the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG).

ONGC to invest Rs 4,051 cr in Mumbai High

State-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has said it will invest over Rs 4,051 crore in revamping infrastructure at its key oil and gas fields off the Mumbai coast.

The company also said it has made three oil and gas discoveries in Krishna Godavari basin and Tripura.

ONGC said it will invest Rs 2,913.10 crore in revamping 48 ageing platforms at Mumbai High and Neelam & Heera oil and gas fields.

After the recent redevelopment efforts, these fields are expected to be in production till at least 2030 but the existing infrastructural facilities will not last that long.

"Hence revamping/retrofitting of these facilities in a phased manner is essential to maintain the production of oil and gas from Mumbai High and Heera fields," ONGC said in a statement on Thursday.

The company board in its meeting on Wednesday approved revamp of 48 platform on these fields by mid of 2016.

Also, the board approved Rs 1,138.50 crore revamp of BPA and BPB process complexes on the giant Bassein & Satellite gas fields in the western offshore.

The two process complexes, which handle and process acidic and corrosive gas before the fuel is dispatched to Hazira Gas processing plant of ONGC, were commissioned in 1987 and 1989 respectively.

"Both the complexes have already covered the normal design life of 25 years," ONGC said.

"As per prevailing Refurbishment Policy based on recommendations of statutory bodies, it is proposed to carry out revamping for various static equipment and pipelines of these two complexes."

While the revamping job of BPB is planned to be completed in 2013-14, the same for BPA is scheduled for completion in 2014-15. ONGC said it has made an oil discovery in a KG basin block in Andhra Pradesh.

Exploratory well Vanaduru South-1 in West Godavari block of KG Onland Basin, 8 km north-west of Bantumillli town of West Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh found very high quality oil.

In shallow waters of KG basin, its exploratory well Saveri-1 in NELP block KG-OSN-2004 flowed gas and condensate.

"This high potential discovery augments the hydrocarbon volumes established through two earlier discoveries namely Chandrika South and Alankari in the block and is a significant boost to ONGC's efforts towards attaining critical hydrocarbon volumes for viability of a possible 'cluster based development' for the block," the statement said.
In Tripura, gas was discovered in an exploratory well AD-37, 12 km south-west of Agartala in Tripura.

"This discovery results in consolidation of play met in earlier discovery in AD-30 well and opens western flank of Agartala Dome up to Konaban for further exploration," ONGC added.

Cyprus lawmakers approve key bills for bailout

Lawwmakers in Cyprus approved three key bills on Friday that aim to raise enough money to qualify the country for a broader bailout package and help it avoid financial ruin in mere days.

A total of nine bills were approved, including a key one on restructuring the country’s ailing banks, which lost billions on bad Greek debt; one on restricting financial transactions in times of crisis; and one that sets up a ‘solidarity fund’ into which investments and contributions will flow.

More bills to meet the total target of 5.8 billion euros ($7.5 billion) Cyprus needs to secure an international bailout will be brought for a vote over the weekend.

They include a crucial one that would impose a tax of less than 1 percent on all bank deposits, said Averof Neophytou, deputy head of the governing DISY party.

“We are voting for the least worst option,” Neophytou said in a speech. “We owe an apology to the Cypriot people because we all share in the responsibility of bringing this place to this state.”

Approval of the tax would come just days after Parliament decisively turned down a plan that would have seized up to 10 percent of people’s bank deposits.

The plan triggered an outcry from people who condemned it as an unfair grab of their life savings, while politicians saw it as causing irreparable damage to the country’s financial centre status.

Nonetheless, ordinary Cypriots have said they would willingly sacrifice a portion of their savings to save the country just as long as somebody doesn’t impose it on them.

“If we have Europe’s support so our banks won’t collapse, I wouldn’t have a problem with a deposit tax,” said pensioner Demetrakis Papanicolaou, 64.

“But we need to hear this not only from our government, but from the Europeans.”

Cyprus’ president, Nicos Anastasiades, will travel to Brussels on Saturday to present the revised package to the country’s prospective creditors, its fellow countries that use the euro currency and the International Monetary Fund. There has been no indication yet that they will accept it.

Cyprus has been told to raise 5.8 billion euros to qualify for 10 billion euros in rescue loans from the eurozone and the IMF.

Passage of the bills allows Cypriots to breathe a little easier as the country faces a pressing Monday deadline, when the European Central Bank has said it will stop providing emergency funding to the country’s banks if a new plan is not in place.

Without the ECB’s support, Cypriot banks would collapse on Tuesday, pushing the country toward bankruptcy and a potential exit from the 17-country eurozone.

But eurozone officials said they had still not seen all the details and would have to discuss whatever final plan Cyprus presents.

Government spokesman Christos Stylianides said there had been “consultations all day” with representatives of the IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission collectively known as the troika who monitor and vet adherence to bailout conditions.

The most important bill passed Friday is aimed at restructuring the country’s second largest and most troubled bank, Laiki, and restricting some financial transactions once banks, which have been closed since Saturday, reopen on Tuesday.

Worried Laiki employees gathered near parliament for a second day to protest the bank’s restructuring, which would break the lender in two.

“The bank is finished, we’ll lose our jobs and I’m worried about my kids,” Laiki employee Nikos Tsiangos said.

“They’ve brought us to the brink. The Europeans wanted to destroy our economy, and they’ve done it.”

The restructuring of Laiki and the sale of the toxic—laden Greek branches of Cypriot banks is expected to cut the amount the country needs to raise to about 3 billion euros instead of 5.8, Neophytou said.

With the deposit tax back in play, Neophytou said discussions were continuing on what percentage of accounts above the guaranteed 100,000 euro ($130,000) limit would be seized, in exchange for bank bonds.

That will happen for deposits in Laiki and other banks including the country’s largest, the Bank of Cyprus, which also took significant losses on Greek debt

Laiki bank’s acting CEO, Takis Phidias, condemned the plan. “I’m certain that there will be chaos after these bills are approved.”

Phidias said the initial plan to seize deposits across all Cypriot accounts “would have more evenly shared the burden and certainly, it would have safeguarded both large banks. I’d like to believe that there’s still time to carry out this negotiation.”

The Bank of Cyprus said it backed the idea of confiscating some percentage of all bank deposits over 100,000 euros because there were no immediate alternatives.

The bank warned Cypriots that “a potential collapse of the banking sector could lead to the total loss of all deposits above 100,000 euros and the immediate sale of all collateral accompanying non—performing loans.”

Meanwhile, Cypriot efforts to clinch a contribution from Russia appeared to have failed. Russia is a key player in the crisis, as Russian depositors have parked around 20 billion euros ($25.8 billion) in the country.

Cyprus’ finance minister, Michalis Sarris, returned to Cyprus on Friday night after spending three days in Moscow trying to drum up support.

“We will only be ready to discuss various ways of support for that state only after the EU nations and Cyprus work out a final settlement,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a news conference.

Russia’s finance minister, Anton Siluanov, said the Cypriots were seeking investment from Russian companies in a Cypriot state-owned firm that will manage revenue from the island’s newfound offshore gas. The Russian investors, however, were not interested.

Cyprus also offered stakes in some of its banks, but there were no takers in Moscow for that, either.

Siluanov also said they were not discussing providing a new loan to Cyprus, as the EU has set a debt limit for Cyprus.Europe also turned up the pressure on Cyprus. Luxembourg’s finance Minister Luc Frieden told Germany’s Inforadio that Cyprus “certainly must change a very great deal in its financial sector..... I see among some euro states little financial room for more concessions to Cyprus.”

Bangladesh tornado claims 23 lives, injures 500

The death toll from a tornado that swept through some 25 villages in eastern Bangladesh, rose to 23 with rescuers finding three more bodies in debris, a day after the deadly storm which also left nearly 500 people injured.

The storm which hit the area yesterday, left a trail of destruction in 20 villages of Brahmanbaria sadar, Bijoynagar and Akhaura upazilas.

Three more bodies were recovered today

62 Myanmar refugees dead in Thailand fire

At least 62 Myanmar refugees have been killed and over 200 injured when a fire swept through their camp in northern Thailand, with officials fearing that the toll could rise further.
Earlier, 30 refugees were reported killed when a fire broke out last evening at the Mae Surin refugee camp in Mae Hong Son province. 32 more bodies were found in the burnt camp and the death toll could rise further, chief of the Mae Hong Son Public Health Office Paisarn Thanyawinitchakul said Most of the victims died of suffocation and over 200 people were injured. More than 3,000 refugees, mostly from Myanmar's Karen minority, live at the camp. Over 100,000 refugees live in camps near the Myanmar border on the Thailand, mostly ethnic Karen who have fled fighting between Karen rebels and the government. The blaze was apparently sparked by an unattended cooking flame that razed hundreds of huts, mostly made of bamboo, before bringing it under control this morning. Most of the dead were women, the elderly and children, media reports said, quoting a senior national intelligence official

Myanmar imposes emergency in riot city

Myanmar declared a state of emergency on Friday for a riot-hit town where 20 people have been killed in Buddhist-Muslim violence that has sparked fears of spreading unrest.


Swathes of Meiktila, located 130 kilometres north of the capital Naypyidaw, have been reduced to ashes as the authorities struggle to establish control after three days of clashes and arson. "At least 20 people have been killed. We estimate that it could be higher but it is also difficult for us to gather all the figures," a police officer who did not want to be named told the news agency. The president's office said the state of emergency would enable the military to help restore order. The situation was extremely tense today with groups of men including Buddhist monks armed with knives and sticks prowling the streets. Many of the town's Muslim residents have fled their homes. A journalist saw the incinerated remains of two victims on a roadside, just one of several reports of bodies in the town, as flames raged from torched mosques and houses while other buildings smouldered unattended. "The situation is getting worse," a local resident said. "People are destroying buildings. Many people have been killed. We are scared and trying to stay safe at home." A group of reporters were stopped at knife-point by a gang of young men and monks and forced to hand over their camera memory cards, according to one of the journalists. It is the worst communal violence since a wave of clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in the western state of Rakhine last year that left at least 180 people dead and more than 110,000 displaced. A local lawmaker said that about 25 people had been killed in Meiktila, where more than one-third of the population of about 80,000 people is Muslim, but it was not possible to verify his figures. "The situation is not good... although the government has said everything is under control," parliamentarian Win Htein, of the opposition National League for Democracy party, told the news agency.  He said hundreds of Muslims had taken shelter at a football ground and police compound while Buddhists had sought sanctuary in monasteries. As international alarm grew, a senior UN official said authorities needed to act "to prevent further loss of life or spread of violence" in the Buddhist-majority nation. "Religious leaders and other community leaders must also publicly call on their followers to abjure violence, respect the law and promote peace," Vijay Nambiar, special advisor to UN leader Ban Ki-Moon, said in a statement. The violence comes as Myanmar struggles with worsening tensions between Muslims and Buddhists that have marred international optimism over dramatic political reforms since the end of military rule two years ago.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN BHUTAN

Dear travel partner, Kuzu zang pola. Bhutan has been a choice of destination for many Indian travelers over the years. The Secretariat of the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB) has increased the focus on the Indian market and has initiated a series of marketing initiatives to promote Bhutan as an up-market international leisure destination neighboring India. Our 2013 marketing activities began with particpation at several industry events that included SATTE, Travel Outbound Workshop and the popular OTM Mumbai. During these events our Bhutanese private sector hoteliers and DMC's interacted with many Indian trade members with the objective of enhancing the quality of the experience for their customers. In order to support our Indian trade partners, we have initiated a monthly newsletter that will help you provide more information on the destination that would be desirable to your discerning Indian travelers. For this month's newsletter, we have focused on the upcoming events of 'Paro Tshechu' and 'Chortan Kora' festivals. We have also included entry points in Bhutan along with some recommended tour inclusions that is sure to entice more of your customers. Going forward, the monthly newsletters will highlight our cuisine, art and culture, events, festivals and other interesting facts on Bhutan. We trust you will enjoy reading our monthly newsletter which will serve as a definite guide to enhancing your itineraries. We look forward to your queries and feedback on exec.office@charsonadvisory.com. Kadrin Chey (Thank you) for supporting Bhutan. Sincerely, Tourism Council of Bhutan India Representative Office

GETTING TO BHUTAN Visitors can visit Bhutan either by air or by land. The main points of entry are through Phuentsholing in the south that links Bhutan with the Indian plains of West Bengal; through Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar that links with the Indian state of Assam and through Paro, where the entry is through Drukair, the National airline of Bhutan. Travel by Air India : Calcutta, New Delhi, Bodghaya, Bagdogra, Mumbai (Proposed) and Guwahati Nepal : Kathmandu Thailand : Bangkok Bangladesh : Dhaka Singapore : Singapore Bhutan’s only international airport at Paro caters to the needs of visitors coming in through flight. In fine weather, as you soar higher up, you can enjoy the spectacular display of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kangchenjunga at their best. MUST DO ACTIVITIES Hot Stone Bath: This is a popular form of medication practiced in Bhutan since time immemorial. Red hot stones heated over logs of wood are immersed from one end and as the water gets heated a person slowly enters the trough and sits immersed neck down in water. This is said to have lots of medicinal benefits and are usually done when having knee, join and back pains. Taktsang: The Tigers Nest is the most popular tourist site in the country and a must visit place due to its location and the relaxing hike to the monastery. Perched on a high steep cliff, a spectacular view from afar awes and takes away your breath at the first sight. Just before reaching to the actual location of the monastery, you can have a panoramic view of the entire place, which could be a little scary due to the cliff but the beautiful view will beat the fear inside you. Food tasting at Folk Heritage Museum: This is one of the places in Bhutan, where you can get all the Bhutanese food without having to travel to the remote places. The meal starts with Aara (local alcohol) and Suja (butter tea) and then the food is served in traditional wooden plates and bowls. UPCOMING EVENTS IN BHUTAN Gomphu Kora Festival - 20th – 22nd March, 2013 Gomphu means "Meditation Cave" and Kora means "Circumambulation". The name is derived from a cave formed out of a rock-face next to a temple that has been built as a tribute to this sacred site. During this festival, people from all over eastern Bhutan descend upon the narrow valley, dressed in their finery, to partake in the festivity, to worship and to reunite themselves with their illustrious past. For some, traditionally, the festival is also an occasion to have a date for the people of Eastern Bhutan that leads to many marriages. Do not miss to join this amazing festival to experience like no other! TOUR INCLUSION IDEAS - BHUTAN Shopping in Bhutan - Shopping in Bhutan is a pleasurable and diversified experience offering a variety of goods that revolve mainly round textiles. One may shop for items like hand-woven textiles, carved masks of animals, woven baskets of cane and bamboo, wooden bowls known as Dapas, finely crafted gods of silver. Kayaking and Rafting: The natural setting and the sheer variety of the rivers' courses makes up for a unique opportunity to explore Bhutan's beautiful wilderness. It is more than a teaser and an invitation to anyone interested in adventure travels. The best time for rafting and kayaking is from March to April and November to December. UNDERSTANDING BHUTAN Bhutan commonly referred to as the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon' is one of the most sought after travel destinations today. Bhutan is a trekker's paradise and an environmentalist's dream. With 72 percent of the country under forest cover, Bhutan's pristine ecology is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna. Bhutan has been described as a unique, deeply spiritual and mystical experience. Eastern Bhutan welcomes travellers into a world of unexplored trekking, historical and cultural escapades, great scenery, textiles highlights and natural wonders. The districts of Mongar, Lhuntse, Tashi Yangtse, Tashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar constitute the eastern circuits. Western Bhutan comprises of the six western Districts in the country that includes Thimphu, Paro, Haa, Wangdue Phodrang, Punakha and Gasa. In this circuit one may attend the annual Haa Summer Festival in July and delve into the wonders of a living culture. Central Bhutan comprises of the two central Districts of Trongsa and Bumthang. It boasts unique attractions and is home to many sacred monuments in the country. One can witness numerous festivals including the annual tshechu of Trongsa and Bumthang, the Jampa Lhakhang tshechu, or witness the Ura tshechu that is unique. Southern Bhutan is the ecological hub of the country comprising of seven southern districts of Bhutan, namely, Samtse, Chukha, Dagana, Tsirang, Sarpang, Zhemgang and Pemagatshel. Zhemgang. FEATURED ATTRACTION The Royal Manas National Park Manas National Park, a lush region hosts a wealth of animal and plant species which makes it one of the world’s most biodiversity rich sites. A visitor to this Park can take a plunge into the river or take an elephant ride through the jungles and remote villages where one can encounter colourful hornbills and golden languor swinging in the trees. Getting there Paro is the first port of call if you're flying in. Transfer to Thimphu, the nation's capital and then drive south to Gelephu, a subtropical border town, before continuing on to the Assamese town of Kokrajhar, and then to Panbang. Or you can also drive from Paro to Thimphu to Trongsa to Zhemgang and Gelephu (a minimum four days by car). Best time to visit Although the park is open the year round the best time to visit is winter from November to January. Log cabins have been built to provide a comfortable stay for visitors to the park. Basic amenities such as running water and electricity are also available. Things to see and do Take a safari on elephant back through the jungles Meet tribal Khengpa people and stay in their traditional bamboo homes (with tastings of the local home-brewed chaang!) Raft down the broad sweep of the Manas river, neighboring the Indian state of Assam and home to exotic Golden Langurs, Gangetic Dolphins and the Asian One-horned Rhinoceros. Take a refreshing plunge in the river. Look for frolicking pods of rivers dolphins. Encounter colorful hornbills taking wing, rhinoceroses munching in the grass or golden langurs swinging in the trees. DID YOU KNOW? National Flag The upper yellow half signifies the secular power and authority of the King while the lower saffron-orange symbolizes the practice of religion and power of Buddhism, manifested in the tradition of Drukpa Kagyu. The dragon signifies the name and the purity of the country while the jewels in its claws stand for the wealth and perfection of the country. National Dress Men wear a heavy knee length robe tied with a belt, called a gho, folded in such a way to form a pocket in front of the stomach. Women wear colorful blouses over which they fold and clasp a large rectangular cloth called a kira. A short silk jacket may be worn over the kira. Economy Bhutan's economy is mainly based on select sectors such as agriculture, forestry, hydroelectricity, manufacturing and tourism. The country's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources. Language Bhutan is linguistically rich with over eighteen dialects being spoken in the country. The national language is Dzongkha, which is the native language of the Ngalops of Western Bhutan. The other major languages are the Tshanglakha and the Lhotshamkha. Currency Bhutan's currency is Ngultrum (Nu) and it is par with the Indian Rupee. Indian Rupees of smaller denominations are widely accepted in Bhutan.

For further information, please contact: Tourism Council of Bhutan, India Representative Office C/o Charson Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd. 1104 Arcadia, 11th Floor, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021 – India Tel: 91 (22) 65172273; Fax: 91 (22) 22828835; Email: exec.office@charsonadvisory.com Tourism Council of Bhutan Tarayana Centre, Chubachu, Thimphu, Bhutan Tel: 975 2 323251/2 ; Email: info@tourism.gov.bt; Web: www.tourism.gov.bt

Children with eye cancer can avoid chemotherapy: Doctors

March 22, 2013

Children with eye cancer can avoid chemotherapy: Doctors

• India has 30% of world’s total eye cancer patients
• CFS launches first National Referral Centre for Ocular Oncology
• Curtain Raiser on International conference on Squint, Aesthetics and Ocular Oncology                                   

New Delhi, March 22, 2013:  In what could mark a paradigm shift in cancer treatment, doctors have said that children with eye cancer can safely escape the painful post surgery chemotherapy. Most of the retinoblastoma (eye cancer of retina) patients are very young children with the average age at diagnosis at 2 – about 1500 cases are reported every year.  However more than 90% of patients are cured.

Doctors participating in a seminar on eye cancer, organized by leading eye care are hospital chain Centre for Sight (CFS), citing research said that that some children with low-risk retinoblastoma who are treated with surgery can safely skip post-surgery chemotherapy without the disease returning or spreading. And those with intermediate or high-risk retinoblastoma can undergo a less aggressive chemotherapy treatment.

Dr Mahipal Sachdev, Chairman and Medical Director, Center for Sight, said, “This is a super speciality ophthalmology meet, featuring live surgeries, international and national faculty and interactive sessions which brings together 50 experts and 150 doctors from different parts of the country. The meet aims to educate and update the ophthalmologist.” The two-day Oncologists meet will deliberate on various technological advancements in field of Facial Aesthetic, Oculoplasty, Eye Cancer and Squint Eyes. This brings about a new ray of hope for many who crave for beautiful eyes.

“Sometimes problems which relate to vital structures around the eyes like eyelids, tear drainage system, orbit etc. take a back seat. So understanding the variety of diseases which affect these structures requires specialized training which is available in only select few centers across the country,” Sachdev added.

Dr Sachdev reiterated that CFS is associated with few of the best super specialists in the field of Oculoplasty, who have rich experience in dealing with all kinds of deformities of eyelids caused by diseases or trauma. Apart from these, Oculoplasty surgeons also cater to the needs of people desiring cosmetic enhancement of their eyes like restoring sagging eyelids, removing under eye bags or lifting droopy eyelids.

Sharing details on Eye Cancer, Dr Santosh G Honavar, first formally trained Comprehensive Ocular Oncologist in India, and Director, Medical Services at CFS said, “India which has 16% of the world population has the dubious distinction of being host to about 30% of the total eye cancer patients in the world with an estimated 10,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Unfortunately we do not have the infrastructure and trained manpower to deal with this emerging crisis and CFS is committed to upgrade its expertise to address this.”


Dr Honovar added that eye cancer is a life-altering disease – it not just can potentially wipe out the vision but also can endanger the eye and the life. Every year, thousands of children and adults are diagnosed to have some form of eye cancer. India harbors a big tumor burden but lacks an organized approach to cost-effective and protocol-based management.

“When detected early, complete cure of eye cancer is possible with appropriate treatment. A few decades ago, retinoblastoma was considered to be uniformly fatal, while the current management strategy is able to save life in over 95% of children, salvage the eye in 90% and save vision in earlier stages in 85%. Similarly, multi-specialty approach and protocol-based management have reduced the recurrence rate of eyelid, ocular surface and orbital tumors to <5 and="" awareness="" campaigns="" diagnosis="" dr="" early="" help="" honovar="" hopefully="" in="" mortality="" our="" overall="" p="" public="" said.="" to="" will="">
Dr. Renu Grover, Consultant – Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus, CFS who deals with conditions related to misalignment of the eyes, also known as Strabismus, said¸ “Squint is not only cosmetically unacceptable, but affects other eye functions such as binocular vision and depth perception-each of which can rob you of fine vision and make you unfit for various professions. It is an easily correctable condition and requires prompt medical evaluation.”


About CFS

Since its inception in 1996 Centre for Sight is committed to deliver best quality care with personalized touch and cutting edge technology, to enhance patient satisfaction and to provide continual improvement in its services. With these values in place, Centre for Sight has become India’s leading eye care network with 45 centres across India. Centre for Sight has grown from a single eye care facility to India’s leading eye care network & the largest LASIK Laser vision correction centres across Asia, Africa & Australia.

 For more details, please contact:
Madhu Gautam@ 9810709136, 9958714988
Communications Network

Kerala Tourism’s revenues Rs. 21,000 Cr in 2012

March 22, 2013

Registers consistent rise in both international and domestic tourist arrivals
Kerala Govt. to roll out Seaplane Project and Project Muziris
New Delhi, 22 March, 2013: Kerala Tourism’s total revenue, both direct and indirect, touched the Rs. 21,125 crore mark in 2012 compared to Rs. 19,037 crore in 2011. God’s own country Kerala witnessed 7.94 lakh foreign tourists arrival in 2012 as compared to 7.33 lakh in 2011. Compared to 93.88 lakh domestic tourists in 2011, 1.01 crore domestic tourists visited Kerala in 2012. The Foreign exchange earnings also went up from Rs. 4,221.99 crore in 2011 to Rs. 4,548 crore in 2012. The iconic rise of Kerala as a global destination continued in the past year as Kerala consolidated its position on the world tourism map with fantastic strides in all aspects of tourism.
Harnessing the powers of the digital revolution, Kerala has projected itself very well onto the social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The synergy developed between tour operators, property owners, travel agencies and search engines like Google and connectivity solutions like Wi-Fi and mobile internet have resulted in a massive upsurge in foreign interest in Kerala through the world of internet. Every search in Google related to Kerala or tourism in Kerala displays links related to the Kerala tourism website and advertisements of the same. As a result of the concentrated efforts, we could maintain the website of Kerala Tourism as a strong platform for promoting the destination. Kerala has become the number one travel destination in the Google’s search trends for India this year. Munnar is also on the list of Top 10 Indian destinations on Google’s Zeitgeist site showing search trends from around the world.
Successful partnership meets were conducted at Vishakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Gurgaon, Bhopal, Surat, Rajkot, Nashik and Pune. This year, Kerala Tourism proposes to conduct such meets in the metropolitan cities as well, like Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. Kerala Tourism also bagged a number of national as well as international awards such as PATA Grand Award 2011 for Environment Destination – Kumarakom, PATA Gold Award 2011 for Marketing – Secondary Government Destination- Your Moment is Waiting Campaign. PATA Gold Award 2011 – Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media- Your Moment is Waiting Campaign. The latest additions to this list are the Times of India, Best Tourism Board, 2012, Lonely Planet – India Travel Awards for Best Destination for Families, 2012, along with international awards at Prague International Advertising Festival (PIAF)- Bronze for the Print Campaign – Your Moment is Waiting, 2012, Bronze for the TVC- Your Moment is Waiting, 2011 and at ITB Berlin-Das Golden Stadttor Silver Award for Print Campaign, 2012.
In a move to draw more visitors, workshops were conducted in various International destinations like Sydney Perth and Melbourne in Australia, Warsaw –Poland, Stuttgart and Frankfurt in Germany, Brussels- Belgium, Rome- Italy, Amsterdam- Netherlands, Zurich- Switzerland, Dublin- Ireland etc. Kerala Tourism has also actively participated in international fares like Arabian Travel Mart- Dubai, OTDYKH Leisure- Moscow, WTM – London, MATKA- Finland, Fitur – Spain ITB – Berlin etc. In order to widen its marketing network, and to woo tourists from the Middle East, Kerala Tourism conducted a series of workshops in Saudi Arabia in addition to campaigns in print, electronic media and OOH. Reiterating its pre-eminence as a tech-savvy tourism board in the country, Kerala had recently launched a host of path-breaking mobile-based services and IT-enabled projects to further enhance the travel experience of visitors to God’s Own Country. The new set of products include mobile website, WAP guide, applications for Android and IOS and Bluetooth Kiosks.
Fresh initiatives to seek newer travel experience and increase in tourist sites
Government of Kerala is rolling out two new initiatives ‘Seaplane Project’ and ‘Project Muziris’ in order to enhance the travel experience and add to its array of tourist sites. Where the former project is aimed towards improving last mile connectivity by air to its destinations across state, the latter is directed to reinstate the historical and cultural significance of the legendary port of Muziris. The Muziris Heritage Site (MHS) stretches across from the municipality of North Paravur in Ernakulam district to that of Kodungalloor in Thrissur district. Project’s objective is to promote awareness and understanding of the cultural distinctiveness and diversity of Muziris. More than 25 museums will be there to appreciate the Muziris Heritage.
Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Limited (KTIL) a public sector undertaking under Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, has been appointed as the nodal agency for the implementation of the Seaplane Project. The plan is to provide service initially in the priority circuit, consisting of the three airports of Trivandrum, Cochin & Calicut and the prime destinations viz. Astamudi, Punnamada, Kumarakom, Bolgatty and Bekal in the state. Various activities required for the early launch of seaplanes by this year end, as announced by the Hon. Chief Minister of Kerala, are being completed in a time bound manner.
The land of Kerala is also blessed by the Western Ghats sumptuously. About 40% of its ranges lie in Kerala. Among the 44 rivers of Kerala 41 originate from the Western Ghats. Recognition came the way of this silent guardian when 39 of her serial sites made it to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Among the 39 serial sites selected by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), 19 are in Kerala. The inscribed sites include the Silent Valley Park, Eravikulam National Park, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar, Peppara, Chinnar and Aralam Wildlife sanctuaries, which are some of the preferred ecotourism destinations in the State.
The Western Ghats, one of the eight biodiversity hotspots in the world, known for its abundant medicinal plant reserve, will also be the focus of Kerala Tourism’s new Ayurveda campaign. “Kerala is naturally blessed to be the flag-bearer of Ayurveda because of the rich ecosystem available within the Western Ghats,” Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar proclaimed.
Under the department’s quality assurance policy, a visitor looking for therapeutic and rejuvenation programs would be guided by the ‘Green Leaf’ and ‘Olive Leaf’ grading for Ayurvedic institutions. This would be Kerala Tourism’s mark of approval for such institutions. “The Ayurveda we offer is essentially a wellness-oriented treatment to bring about more vigor to one’s system. That is what the tourists look for, Tourism Secretary Suman Billa surmised.
Under this campaign, the average holiday for foreign tourists was expected to go up to 18 days per person from the present average stay of 16.2 days. Plans for convergence medical treatment and holistic approach to healthcare were also on the anvil.
“A lot of people in the State practice the ancient system of medicine. Therefore, propagating Ayurveda will lead to the community getting the benefits,” Tourism Director Rani George concluded. New destinations and new products were being added to the new season’s campaign.