World’s 10 Most Peaceful Nations #GPI

Peace in today’s era is equivalent to the worth of diamonds as it is something which every nation is striving for. Development in any field and in any part of the world will prove worthless and fatal if ‘Peace’ is missing from that region.

The Institute of Economics and Peace has compiled the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2013 report by studying the condition of peace worldwide, identifying the ongoing violence and conflicts and also recognizing the main force for a peaceful nation.

The World’s most peaceful nations as listed by the Global Peace Index 2013 report are,

1. Iceland

GPI Score- 1.162

Iceland has once again topped the list of the most peaceful countries of the world among the 162 countries surveyed. This island nation is a conflict free nation with crime rate and homicide rate comparatively very low. The prison population is significantly lower than any other place in Europe and in the entire world. According to the GPI measures of safety and security, Iceland attained the lowest possible scores.

The peace in Iceland is also attributed to the stable government under the centre left coalition of the Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) and the Left-Green Movement (LGM). It has no standing army. Iceland being an active member of NATO since 1949 has actively participated in international peace keeping missions in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine and the Balkans.

2. Denmark

GPI Score- 1.207

The GPI score of Denmark still remains intact since 2012 and it still retains the rank of the world’s second most peaceful nation.  A trivial increase in the terrorism activity from a very minor base was an offset by a drop in imports of major conventional weapons, among ongoing budget constraints. Denmark outranks Iceland when it comes to internal peace as they have less number of police and internal security officers per capita. Denmark has good relations with neighboring countries like Sweden, Norway and Germany.

3. New Zealand

GPI Score- 1.237

New Zealand is the third most peaceful country in the world. The overall score gets worse due to the marginal rise in the expenditure of the military.  The main GPI’s measures of safety and security put forward that the people of New Zealand are generally harmonious and an act of violence is fully condemned as such homicides and terrorist acts are very limited.

Though the jailed population has dropped, it does not have an impact on the nation’s overall GPI score having 194 per 100,000 persons, which is much higher than most of OECD countries specially Japan and Switzerland. The political scenario in the land of Kiwis is generally stable with the coalition of the Austrian People’s Party and the Social Democratic Party. This country shares a cordial relationship with the neighboring countries especially with Australia.

4. Austria

GPI Score- 1.250

Austria has climbed up two places in the index, becoming a more peaceful nation in 2012-13. This country has reported a gentler environment where brutal acts have likely become lesser in this year as given by the Compilers of the Political Terror Scale. The indicators of internal peace of Austria points to a broadly harmonious society with the tallies for the violent crime and the homicide rate still at the lowest of the 162 nations surveyed. The political scene is mostly stable with the coalition of the Austrian People’s Party (OVP) and the Social Democratic Party (SPO).

5. Switzerland

GPI Score- 1.272

In the latest GPI list, Switzerland has dropped down to 5^th rank. This country entered the list for the first time last year because of the contractions in the military spheres.  Switzerland has a tradition of impartiality that dates back to the Treaty of Paris in 1815. It has maintained a significant defence industry and exports of conventional weapons per capita is among the highest in Europe.

“ Switzerland enjoys very low levels of violent crime, homicides and political terror, although the GPI gauge of terrorist activity registered a modest rise from a very low base, with three incidents recorded in 2011 by the University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database,” as said the report. The political scene is stable in spite of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party’s (SVP) continuation to follow opposition strategy in the five-party coalition government.

6. Japan

GPI Score- 1.293

Japan has now returned as a more peaceful country as compared from last year. Japan’s relations with neighboring nations are rated “fair”, a notably higher score than the other top-ten nations. It is ranked 88^th in external peace but when it comes to internal peace it is  second after Iceland. The political conditions of Japan are much more stable than any other countries of the region led by Shinzo Abe, leader of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The violent crimes and homicides are very rare and terrorist activity is highly unlikely in Japan.

7. Finland

GPI Score- 1.297

Finland still remains as a peaceful country in 2012-13. Though the country’s GPI score remains constant it has gone down to the 7^th position, leading to a gain in Austria and Japan’s ranking. This country has taken up a policy of strategic non-alignment so they chose not be a member of NATO.  Finland has witnessed the lowest number of internal security officers and police per capita (152 per 100,000 populations) in the OECD and fairly low volumes of imports and exports of conventional weapons. Finnish society is very safe and secure where crime rates are very low and terrorist activities are highly unlikely, although the homicide rate remains higher than the other Nordic countries which are just 60 per 100,000 people in 2012. Relations with neighboring Nordic countries are pleasant and ties with Russia have progressed.

8. Canada

GPI Score- 1.306

Canada became more peaceful to some extent in 2012-13, coming up by one position in this year’s ranking. The military expenditure and the army’s budget have dipped. The relation between Canada and U.S. is better mainly reflecting the ending of a protectionist-tinged period. The number of internal security executives and police has slightly increased to 204 per 100,000 people, which is still low by the standards of OECD countries. Canada led by Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister, provides a stable political environment.

9. Sweden

GPI Score- 1.319

Sweden astonishingly achieved a rank of  4 among the 162 countries surveyed in terms of “internal peace” only behind Iceland, Japan and Denmark. There is no social conflict, crime, and homicide rates are tremendously low, terrorist activities are highly unlikely and the jailed population is less – slipping to just 70 per 100,000 people in 2012. Since the Baltic States joined the European Union in 2004, Sweden’s relations with neighboring countries have long been cordial, and economic integration in the country has strengthened.

10. Belgium

GPI Score- 1.339

The 10^th most peaceful nation of the world in 2012/13 is Belgium. There is less prevalence of social clashes so the homicide rate and terrorist activities are extensively low. As such, only a small section of the society is imprisoned.  “An active participant in NATO missions, Belgium typically channels around 1 percentof its GDP to military/defense purposes,” according to the report.

Belgium enjoys harmonious relations with bordering countries, but current tensions at home across the two linguistic communities have weakened political stability.

Wife shoots hubby dead in front of their 9 kids

A jealous, pregnant woman shot her husband dead in front of their nine children in the central Philippine city of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu province, media reports said.

The 47-year-old Samuel Sollano succumbed to a bullet wound after being shot by wife Aida, 41, before their horrified children.

She is now locked up in jail facing homicide charges.

The tabloid ‘People’s Journal’, citing police reports, said the children have since been undergoing stress debriefing at the Region 7 office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, in the provincial capital of Cebu City.  

Police said that Aida got mad at Sollano when she discovered that he had several simcards that he used to communicate with the women he was having affairs with.

On the night of June 17, when the family gathered for dinner, Aida confronted Sollano, who denied his extra-marital affairs. The confrontation led to a heated argument, prompting Aidi to get a handgun and shoot her husband.

Mother a witness to daughter’s molestation

A drunk village watchman has been arrested by his colleagues after a mother caught him molesting her mentally-ill daughter inside a barangay hall in a Metro Manila suburb of Quezon City.

The 34-year-old Jericho Bellen, public safety officer of Barangay Amihan, was charged with rape before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, radio reports said.

Superintendent Richard Fiesta, commander of Anonas Police Station, said the victim’s 74-year-old mother alerted the other village watchmen when she saw her daughter being raped at the barangay hall.

Fiesta said the mother was supposed to ask for help from the barangay hall in looking for her 46-year-old daughter, who had gone missing on Friday night.

Police said Bellen was drunk when he saw his would-be victim passing by the vicinity of the barangay hall, and dragged her inside his quarters, where he started raping her.

Colosseum carved into a tooth

Similar to these pencil tip carvings, this artist went the extra yard to recreate a Roman Colosseum as well as ancient ruins. These two mind-blowing sculptures were used by JWT Shanghai for a Maxam toothpaste ad campaign. Continue reading for one more picture.

 

Dh400,000 diamond-studded gold iPhone5 goes on sale; anyone?

  18ct Solid Gold Superstar iPhone 5 and the 18ct Solid Gold Diamond Studded Superstar Ice, laced with around 364 diamonds. (SUPPLIED)

Goldgenie, a UK-based company that had earlier launched a Dh9,300 (£1,597) BlackBerry Q10 in gold bezel, is back with another expensive version of a popular smartphone, this time an Apple iPhone 5 sporting both gold and diamonds with a price-tag that only a select few will be able to afford.

“Goldgenie have secured exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the Superstar iPhone 5. The phone comes in two editions: the 18ct Solid Gold Superstar iPhone 5 and the 18ct Solid Gold Diamond Studded Superstar Ice, laced with around 364 diamonds,” the company said in a statement.

Last month, Goldgenie announced its Bahrain franchise, which means that those interested in turning their handsets to gold can now do so within the region. Goldgenie Bahrain, established by franchisee Kingsley Dodwell, is the latest Global Master franchise set to make record sales, after creating the Bahrain Royal Crest Gold iPhone 5.

According to an earlier statement, Kingsley decided to launch in Bahrain after reading of the growth of the Goldgenie brand, as well as celebrity support and endorsements from clients such as the Beckhams, Elton John, Denzel Washington and Usain Bolt, not to mention a host of Premiership footballers and clubs.

The new limited edition version of the iPhone 5 that comes with solid 18 ct gold and 364 certified (5.5ct in total) diamonds is available for (widen your eyes) £68,000, or Dh393,000 at the current exchange rate.

“The Superstar ICE can be covered in 364 diamonds (5.5 carats in total) or any precious stone that you require,” the company says. All for just Dh400,000 or thereabouts.

If you don’t have that kind of money idly sloshing around in your study, there is a cheaper version too, sans the diamonds for those a little short on cash.

“The Superstar iPhone 5 blends high-spec technology with one-of-a-kind design. The Solid Gold Superstar weighs 180 grams and is priced at £48,000 (Dh278,000),” the statement reads.

“Purchase of either Superstar iPhone comes with a luxury oak finished customised box,” it adds. We’re absolutely sure that the oak-finished customised box completely justifies the exorbitant price!

It isn’t the first time Goldgenie has dabbled into Apple’s products. “This release is the latest in our prestigious Superstar range, and follows the hugely successful Superstar iPhone 4,” says the company.

It also boasts of the iPad mini embellished in 24ct gold, rose gold or platinum (for Dh9,300) and gold iPod Touch (ranging between Dh3,100 and Dh4,800). But that’s peanuts compared with the current offering.

“Goldgenie’s Swiss specialist designer can also offer a super update to any of the most current iPhone, BlackBerry, Samsung, or HTC smartphones, in fact any mobile phone,” the company claims.

Laban Roomes, Goldgenie CEO, said: “Goldgenie’s flagship offering has to be the Superstar Ice solid gold iPhone; 180 grams of pure gold which envelopes the iPhone 5. This very special piece of craftsmanship also incorporates 5.5 ct of clear or coloured diamonds to suit any taste.” Clearly.

Roomes, who founded the company in 1995, started by gold-plating car emblems for Lexus and body-piercing jewellery, before growing the company into an international pioneer of mobile phone and gadget customisation. Appearing on Dragon’s Den in 2007, Roomes attracted the backing of renowned entrepreneur and dragon James Caan.

Today, Goldgenie has master franchisees in 20 countries, at a wide variation of national economic profiles; from France to Zambia.The company specialises in customising and embellishing a range of items, from roses to game consoles, as well as supplying selected exclusive and luxury products to high end retailers such as Harrods and Selfridges.

10 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Google

“Google is not a conventional company. We do not intend to become one.” So began the “letter from the founders” penned by Sergey Brin and Larry Page in the company’s securities registration form in 2004. Despite ever-increasing commercial success since that date, Brin and Page have kept to their word.

Google is an unconventional company with a huge stake in our online lives. It is a source of fascination for many, including us, but what really happens in the Googleplex? And what cool factoids and stats exist from the company’s relatively short past?

Here we bring you 10 fun facts about Google to quench our own thirst for Google knowledge as well as hopefully offer you a distracting diversion from your daily life.

1. The First Google Doodle

 

Google’s famous homepage “Doodles” (the changing Google logo graphics) are well known and enjoyed by millions around the world as a way to mark an event or anniversary. But did you know that the very first Google Doodle was designed as a kind of “out of office” message?

In 1998 Brin and Page took the weekend off to go the Burning Man festival in Nevada. The Burning Man doodle (shown above), was designed by the Google guys and added to the homepage to let their users know they were out of office and couldn’t fix technical issues like a server crash.

2. Interesting Figures from the Google IPO

While the initial price for Google’s stock at its Initial Public Offering in August 2004 is an interesting stat in itself, there’s more to the story. The opening price for Google’s stock was $85 per share. At the time of writing, the stock price was $483 but has soared as high as $600 in the past year, making GOOG a rather nice investment for many.

A bonus factoid from Google’s IPO process is the value Google stated it hoped to raise on its S-1 form — as much as $2,718,281,828. It may just look like a string of numbers to non-mathletes, but 2,718,281,828 is actually the first ten digits of the mathematical constant ““e”,” showing that even as their company was planning to go public, the Google guys could still geek out with a bit of numerical humor.

3. The First Google Storage Was Made From LEGO

As proud hosts to Google back when it was still a research project, and known as “BackRub,” here Stanford now showcases the original Google storage from way back in 1996. It’s made up of a whopping 40 GB (less than a modern iPod) and it’s made from, as fans of the building bricks will be delighted to see, LEGO. It even hash funny mini-figures on the top.

Legend has it that the reason for the LEGO construction was that the Google guys needed an easily expandable, and cheap way to house 10 4 GB hard drives, and LEGO fit the bill. Whether the primary colors of the bricks used were the hues that went on to inspire the Google logo’s design is up for debate, but we’d guess it wasn’t just a coincidence.

4. Google’s First Ever Tweet

 

Google’s first ever Twitter post was as satisfyingly geeky as you could hope for. The message, sent in February 2009, reads “I’m 01100110 01100101 01100101 01101100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101100 01110101 01100011 01101011 01111001 00001010.”

For anyone not fluent in binary, here’s a hint — it’s a well known phrase from the company’s homepage. Got it? Yep, it reads: “I’m feeling lucky.”

5. Google Rents Goats

 

This one isn’t actually one of Google’s infamous April Fools’ Day jokes: Google rents out goats. Yes you read that right. It rents goats from a company called California Grazing to help cut down the amount of weeds and brush at Google HQ.

The operation of 200 goats (plus herder and a border collie) is kind to the environment, and as Google puts it: “A lot cuter to watch than lawn mowers.”

6. Google’s Impact on Language

While you’d think the news that the Merriam-Webster and Oxford English Dictionary adding “google” as a verb to their lexicons in 2006 would thrill the search engine, Google was actually none too pleased with the development.

“We’d like to make clear that you should please only use ‘Google’ when you’re actually referring to Google Inc. and our services,” the company wrote in a blog post at the time.

The rationale behind the semantic displeasure was that Google had “a brand to protect,” and feared Google would “slip from trademarked status into common usage.” Now, four years later, we have to say Google was fighting a losing battle — just ‘google it.’

However, we’ve found some other Google-themed linguistic delights for you — a Google staffer is commonly referred to as a “Googler,” while a new team member joins as a “Noogler.” Nooglers also used to wear a colorful hat with a spinner on top. According to a former employee, those hats are now pretty scarce in some offices, instead: “Every Noogler gets a yellow smiley balloon and a nameplate.”

7. Google Is Dog-Friendly

Google is a super dog-friendly company. It proudly names “company dogs,” like Yoshka (described as a “free-range Leonberger”) pictured above. Yoshka accompanies Urs Holzle, senior VP operations and Google Fellow to the Googleplex. Less senior staff are also allowed to bring their dogs to the office.

According to Google’s “Dog Policy”, one indiscretion too many on the Google carpets, or aggressive behavior, means Lassie will have to stay at home in the future. Strong bladdered and friendly canines are more than welcome across the campus.

Unfortunately, cats are not quite as welcome. Here’s an excerpt taken directly from Google’s Code of Conduct: “Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture. We like cats, but we’re a dog company, so as a general rule we feel cats visiting our offices would be fairly stressed out.”

8. Google’s First Ever “Company Snack” Was Swedish Fish

Back in February, 1999, the chewy candy known as “Swedish Fish” became the first ever company snack (not counting beverages) that was ordered into the Google office.

Although a relatively small event, it has led to big things. Google is infamous in the industry for treating its employees to not just free drinks and snacks on tap, but full-on gourmet meals, three times a day at a plethora of on-site cafes and eateries, as well as regular BBQs during the summer.

Brin and Page have been quoted in the past as saying no Googler should have to go more than 100 feet for food, leading to snack-filled “microkitchens” that are liberally dotted around the Google offices.

In fact, the free food is said to be so tempting that Googlers risk the “Google 15,” similar to the “Freshman 15,” where they pile on weight soon after joining the company. Good thing they also have a Google gym.

Backing this up, here’s a stat from Google — “Bay Area Googlers consumed approximately 5,500 pounds of handmade chocolates from the snack bins in the microkitchens in 2007.” Wow.

9. The Google Logo Was Not Centered Until 2001

Google’s famously sparse homepage is considered a classic design in the online world. The Google logo, however, wasn’t actually centered on the page until March 31, 2001. As early users will remember, the homepage had a bias to the left-hand side, and even earlier — back in 1998 — Google sported a Yahoo-style exclamation mark.

10. Google Has a Company Dinosaur

 

By all accounts, there are many wondrous sights to be seen at the Googleplex, but one of the most arresting is surely the gigantic T-Rex skeleton — nicknamed “Stan” after a “real” dino found nearby — that looms menacingly at Googlers in Mountain View.

Joining Stan in the unique campus decorations is a scale replica of the SpaceShipOne, enormous Android-themed models, pink flamingos, a large LEGO man, Google-colored phone boxes and grown-up size ball pits. One thing seems for sure — just like the company itself — life at the Googleplex must be far from dull.

By Amy-Mae Elliott

Church made of Human Bones

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, and how about 70 kilometers east the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, lies a small town called Sedlec.
It might have been an ordinary enough town, if not for its extraordinary church.The inside of this church is decorated with artworks made of real human bones.

The story begins in 1218, when a certain Abbot Henry made a pilgrimage to the holy land and brought back a jar full of soil  from cemetery, which he spread over the Church.

As a result the church came to be regarded as more sacred and turned into a popular burial spot .

By 1318, more than 30,000 bodies were buried there and by 1511, it had become necessary to remove the older bones to make place for the new ones.

These later became the material for the macabre creations.
In 1870 a local woodcarver was hired by the Duke of Shwartzenberg to decorate the inside of the church with the human remains (approximately 40,000 sets of human bones).

Attached are some of the pictures of this Boney Church - its simply astonishing

70 things one should know while starting career and during his career. #Jobs #Oppurtunity

After years of experience in job and feedbacks from friends in other industry led to following list of things that we should have known and should know when we start our career. Just add your thoughts on the same to make the list comprehensive guide for better Career.

1. The career you think you’re going to have? This is not the career you’re going to end up with. The job you went to college for? That’s not the job you’re going to end up with.

2. You will spend a good portion of your work day with nothing to do.

3. Meetings almost never solve anything and never end on time.

4. You will seriously embarrass yourself, and possibly endanger your career at at least one (and maybe more) of your office Christmas parties.

5. Trusting co-workers can be bad for your career.

6. The movie Office Space isn’t just a comedy.

7. Pay is really about sitting or standing. The more you are sitting, the more you get paid.

8. Having a passing knowledge of current sports events is a critical skill for office small talk.

9. You’re probably way, way overeducated for the job you’re in. A good 30 thousand of those student loans you’re still paying off were wasted.

10. There are plenty more important things in life than your career.

11. You know that 401 k matching plan? It was really a pretty good idea. Grab a calculator. Calculate how much more money you’d have today if you had started contributing the day you were hired instead of 2 years ago when you finally broke down and did it. Now faint.

12. Some workplaces function EXACTLY like high school.

13. The company’s stock will not always go up.

14. Learning to look busy is a valuable survival skill.

15. You’re unlikely to ever meet a happy accountant.

16. No one really takes the time to adequately train you. All new employees are inadequately trained.

17. Upper management is more focused on improving their golf game than improving their company’s bottom line.

18. The mistakes you make are sometimes more valuable than the things you did exactly right.

19. When your career is the only good thing you’ve got going in your life, it’s time to reassess your life.

20. That temporary job you settled for… is it really temporary if you’re still in it after all this time?

21. Tuf wars and office politics exist in every office, no matter how small.

22. Be nice to the administrative assistants; they are the key to everything because they keep the world turning.

23. It’s rare that your colleagues are actually smarter than you; it’s all confidence.

24. Old white guys are not old and wise guys.

25. Dear lord, office bathrooms can be gross.

26. You never really get to rest. A career is about always building, always moving forward.

27. Your boss is a human being too.

28. No one will believe in you more than you.

29. And if you don’t believe in you, you’re not going anywhere.

30. Office gossip can be positively deadly.

31. Sometimes the game is rigged.

32. Lunch – try to never skip it. You do not earn points for working through it and it helps you stay sane.

33. It IS possible to one day wake up and realize you hate your dream job.

34. You fear taking your eye off the ball, but sometimes that is really what you NEED to do.

35. The car you drive to work is very important. Office workers put a lot of value judgments on fellow workers vehicles.

36. Timing, like location, is literally EVERYTHING.

37. Networking is not just a buzzword: it’s the most valuable thing you can do for your career.

38. Take the lowest paying job with the best job description and title, rather than the best paying job with the worst job title.

39. “Follow-through” is a great characteristic to be known for when you are first hired.

40. Do what you love, even if it pays less than something you’re good at.

41. Set personal goals.

42. Stay away from those who say “You Can’t”.

43. Plan and prepare for the long haul.

44. To land a meaningful job, prepare for a really tough interview.

45. Keep improving through the job search and beyond.

46. Develop a personal board of advisors for support.

47. Surround yourself with a diverse group of people with diverse thoughts.

48. Develop a backbone. Even successful careers can have disappointments

49. Think around, outside and under the box. The way forward may not necessarily be clear or straight ahead

50. Don’t expect your career paths to be logical to everyone looking on.

51. Don’t burn your bridges behind you. You may need a reference or two eventually

52. Be mindful of what your associations can say about who you are.

53. You don’t need to have all the experience in the job description to apply.

54. Job descriptions get rewritten all the time.

55. Be open to the fact that you might be underestimated.

56. Some people will like you for the job and some will not.

57. Some will laugh behind your back when they find out you are applying for a certain job.

58. The real work begins after you land the job.

59. Know your competition and do not underestimate them.

60. Think transferable skills.

61. You may have to say things during an interview to impress your future boss.

62. You have to build consensus to move ideas forward.

63. Keep track of your accomplishments; no one else is obligated to do that for you.

64. You may find people want to hang around you, just because you are successful – not because they care.

65. Education and training mean something.

66. Hard work and discipline pays off eventually.

67. It is not a shame to strategically plan your career.

68. Many people are not working in their college majors.

69. The more people who support you and your ideas, the more successful you will be.

70. You are always preparing for your next career opportunity, regardless of what you are doing

Monsoon covers entire country but may begin to weaken #SWMonsoon

The South-West monsoon has covered the entire country at least a fortnight ahead of schedule in what has been a spectacular and punishing opening spell.

Progress of monsoon so far has been good but it may start weakening from July, a former Director-General of the India Met Department told Business Line.

ABOVE NORMAL

June was expected to turn in above normal rainfall at the end of one of the best productive phases following an onset, he said.

Meanwhile, Climate Prediction Centre of the US National Weather Services suspected that monsoon activity might start to weaken from next week. Rains may relapse to below ‘climatological mean’ (historical normal for a given period) towards end-June and into July.

DRY WINDS

Paresh Nerurkar, a senior commander with Air India, told Business Line from Kolkata on Sunday that he could detect dry westerlies penetrating the North-West as they blew in from across the border.

On Sunday, the IMD too detected a western disturbance with a strong band of westerly winds parked just outside of Rajasthan-Gujarat. US National Centres of Environmental Prediction too showed skies clearing up over Northwest India (especially western parts) later during this week.

A low-pressure area was bringing heavy rains over Central India but could weaken under the onslaught of the dry westerly winds.

MONSOON LULL?

Drawing from experience, he said conditions reminded him of an impending lull in monsoon. ‘Break-monsoon’ is an inevitable recess after a rain pulse runs it course.

Depending on the extent to which it sustains, break-monsoon can decide fate of the early sown crops, especially during the humongous run in the onset phase of monsoon this year.

The former top official of Met Department cited model predictions to indicate that monsoon could hold good over North India until at least June 20 (Thursday).

It might weaken slightly in the first week of July. As of now, one of the regions where it had been weak was Bihar, he added.

Vinson Kurian  - vinson.kurian@thehindu.co.in

Being Rajinikanth’s son-in-law hasn’t helped me: Dhanush

Tamil superstar Dhanush, who is married to Rajnikanth‘s daughter, says being the son-in-law of the iconic actor has not helped or affected him.

Dhanush got married to Rajnikanth’s daughter Aishwarya in 2004.

“Being his son-in-law doesn’t do anything to me actually. I have always done my own work. It (his name) neither helped me nor affected me,” Dhanush said in an interview in Mumbai.

He says it’s not worth comparing his work with his father-in-law as their styles of working are quite different.

“My choice of films are different. My method of acting is completely different from his. So there is no room for comparison. And comparing a 20-25 films-old guy with an icon is absolutely rubbish,” he said.

Dhanush is entering Bollywood with Raanjhanaa, but has not discussed about the film with his father-in-law. “To be very honest he has been very busy with his work while I’ve been with mine. We haven’t spoken about this film yet,” he said, adding he never discusses work with his dad-in-law.

When asked about Aishwarya’s reaction about him doing a Hindi film, Dhanush said she is yet to watch it, but right now they are quite thrilled that he is speaking in Hindi.

Dhanush will be seen romancing Sonam Kapoor in Raanjhanaa which also stars Abhay Deol, Swara Bhaskar and Suraj Singh and is set to hit the screens on June 21.

Even before his film releases, Dhanush has decided to do yet another Hindi movie with Raanjhana director Anand L Rai.

“Yes I am doing my next film here with Anand sir. We share a very good rapport. When we were shooting for Raanjhanaa, we came up with an idea and it was very fascinating. I thought we would do something later, but when we finished Raanjhanaa we got very close to each other and then I agreed for the film,” Dhanush said.

However, the actor refused to divulge details about the film, saying it was too early to say which genre it falls into. But he revealed that he would co-produce it.

Telegram Breathes Its Last As the Internet Age Takes Over

Telegram was once upon a time the only means of mailing urgent news to the near and dear ones and is on the verge of extinction. It will finally end its long held era this July 15 with the dominance of information technology like mobile phones and internet, as reported by TOI.

It was in the year 1850 when the telegraphic service started its operations in India initially by cable and later wireless as it urged the Indian telecom to overtake it.

Telegraphy which was taken over by cash ridden BSNL from the postal department had increased charges two years ago, from Rs 4 for 50 words to Rs 50. The international telegrams were done away with two months ago and now, the domestic taar is set to come to an end.

BSNL took over the telegram services from the postal department in 1990’s. The BSNL can no longer meet the expenses of continuing the telegram service which has remained inactive with the rising trends of SMSs, emails, fax and smart phones for few years now so it has incurred a loss of over Rs 17,000 crore in the past two fiscals. Even with its losses, BSNL still held on to this 163 year old legacy and made two last-final attempts to keep it alive.

There was a price hiked of telegraph in 2011 after a span of six decades which was priced at Rs 50 for 50 words. This increase in price also failed to make the service possible for the loss-making PSU. Following all the mess, BSNL then seek the government’s help to support the commercially outdated product but the government asked them to find out if it is still in use in today’s world.

BSNL finally decided to stop this service after consulting the department of post in a circular issued by Shameem Akhtar, senior GM (telegraph services).

“The telegram had lost its relevance. The basic idea of a taar was to send a message fast. Now SMS, fax and emails do that job. With smart phones, people send and receive emails on the move. So when we sought government support to keep the telegram alive, we were asked to decide its fate on a commercial basis and hence will now be discontinuing the service,” said a senior BSNL official, reported TOI.

The employees of the telegraph department will now be shifted to mobile services, landline telephony and broadband services over the next few months.

The history of Indian telecom started with the first experimental electric telegraph line that was started between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour. The following year, the British East India Company began to use it.

The telecom service was available to the masses from the year 1854. Till the year 1902, telegraphs were sent by wires after which it adopted the wireless method.