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Saturday, August 1, 2009
Remember bizarre foreign laws while travelling
Singing while wearing a swimming costume might land you in trouble if you're in Florida, and in Switzerland, one is barred from flushing the lavatory after 10pm-these are just some of the foreign laws mentioned in a new guide for holidaymakers.
An online travel agent, has launched a guide that warns travellers about the dos and don'ts in many foreign cities.
The guide has been launched after a string of cases involving holidaymakers getting arrested abroad.
The agent has said that it had seen an "influx of inquiries" from worried holidaymakers about the rules and regulations of their 
chosen destination.
chosen destination.“Aside from the more serious rules, such as showing affection to a non-marital partner in public or walking around in swimwear in Dubai, there are many outdated rules around the world that people should be aware of,: the Telegraph quoted a spokeswoman as saying.
Here is the list of examples of which holidaymakers should be aware:
1. In Milan it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funerals or hospital visits.
2. In Massachusetts, taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of the car during their shifts.
3. In Denmark, people are legally obliged to honk the horn and check for small children underneath the car.
4. In Thailand, it is illegal for anyone to leave a building without wearing their pants.
5. In Michigan, anyone planning on bathing in public must have their swim suit inspected by a police officer.
6. In Florida, any unmarried woman who parachutes on a Sunday could be jailed. Singing while wearing a swimming costume is also prohibited.
7. In Portugal it is unlawful to urinate in the sea.
8. In Hong Kong the wife of a husband who commits adultery is legally entitled to kill the mistress in any manner desired, and the husband with just her bare hands.
9. In Switzerland flushing the lavatory after 10pm is illegal.
10. In Canada if you are arrested and then released from prison, it is a legal requirement that the felon is given a handgun with bullets and a horse, so they can ride safely out of the town.
Rahman, Stalin get honorary doctorates
Chennai: Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Chandrayaan project director M. Annadurai were Saturday conferred with honorary doctorates by Anna University here.
Governor and varsity chancellor Surjit Singh Barnala gave away the honourary degrees at a special convocation.
The degrees were conferred on Rahman and Annadurai for their achievements in the realm of music and space technology
respectively and on Stalin for his contribution to the state's administration, Anna University Vice Chancellor P. Mannar Jawahar said.
This is the third doctorate for Rahman after he won two Oscars for Hollywood movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The first was from Aligarh Muslim University and the second from London's Middlesex University.
This is the first honourary doctorate conferred on Stalin, 56, a graduate of Madras University.
Honorary doctorates from Tamil Nadu universities are normally given to chief ministers of the state with incumbent M. Karunanidhi, as also M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalitha who have previously occupied the post, among the major politicians to have been conferred the honour while in power.
Governor and varsity chancellor Surjit Singh Barnala gave away the honourary degrees at a special convocation.
The degrees were conferred on Rahman and Annadurai for their achievements in the realm of music and space technology
respectively and on Stalin for his contribution to the state's administration, Anna University Vice Chancellor P. Mannar Jawahar said.This is the third doctorate for Rahman after he won two Oscars for Hollywood movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The first was from Aligarh Muslim University and the second from London's Middlesex University.
This is the first honourary doctorate conferred on Stalin, 56, a graduate of Madras University.
Honorary doctorates from Tamil Nadu universities are normally given to chief ministers of the state with incumbent M. Karunanidhi, as also M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalitha who have previously occupied the post, among the major politicians to have been conferred the honour while in power.
Rahman, Stalin get honorary doctorates
Chennai: Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Chandrayaan project director M. Annadurai were Saturday conferred with honorary doctorates by Anna University here.
Governor and varsity chancellor Surjit Singh Barnala gave away the honourary degrees at a special convocation.
The degrees were conferred on Rahman and Annadurai for their achievements in the realm of music and space technologyrespectively and on Stalin for his contribution to the state's administration, Anna University Vice Chancellor P. Mannar Jawahar said.
This is the third doctorate for Rahman after he won two Oscars for Hollywood movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The first was from Aligarh Muslim University and the second from London's Middlesex University.
This is the first honourary doctorate conferred on Stalin, 56, a graduate of Madras University.
Honorary doctorates from Tamil Nadu universities are normally given to chief ministers of the state with incumbent M. Karunanidhi, as also M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalitha who have previously occupied the post, among the major politicians to have been conferred the honour while in power.
Governor and varsity chancellor Surjit Singh Barnala gave away the honourary degrees at a special convocation.
The degrees were conferred on Rahman and Annadurai for their achievements in the realm of music and space technology
respectively and on Stalin for his contribution to the state's administration, Anna University Vice Chancellor P. Mannar Jawahar said.This is the third doctorate for Rahman after he won two Oscars for Hollywood movie 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The first was from Aligarh Muslim University and the second from London's Middlesex University.
This is the first honourary doctorate conferred on Stalin, 56, a graduate of Madras University.
Honorary doctorates from Tamil Nadu universities are normally given to chief ministers of the state with incumbent M. Karunanidhi, as also M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalitha who have previously occupied the post, among the major politicians to have been conferred the honour while in power.
MJ's chef speaks about his last moments
Michael Jackson's chef has shed light on the events that took place in the late singer's LA home during his last moments.
Kai Chase, the pop legend's professional chef has spoken about Dr. Conrad Murray's activities at the house, who is apparently emerging as a prime suspect in the investigation.
She claimed that she almost everyday saw the doctor come downstairs carrying oxygen tanks from the icon's room, but on the unfortunate day he did not and she "thought maybe Mr. Jackson is sleeping late."
"I started preparing the lunch and then I looked at my cell phone and it was noon. About 12:05 or 12:10 Dr. Murray runs down the steps and screams, 'Go get Prince!' He's screaming very loud," the Telegraph quoted her as telling in an interview.
She narrated: "I run into the den where the kids are playing. Prince (Jackson's oldest son) runs to meet Dr Murray and from that point on you could feel the energy in the house change.
"I walked into the hall and I saw the children there. The daughter was crying. I saw paramedics running up the stairs. We were all praying, 'Help Mr Jackson be OK.' Then everyone was very quiet."
The use of oxygen tanks by the personal physician and its purpose did not make sense to her as she claimed she saw no sign that Jackson was on drugs or was in failing health.
The facts could be incriminating for Murray whose house and office have been raided by drugs enforcement agents.
The late King of Pop reportedly wanted Chase to travel with him to London for his O2 concert.
In fact she said his 12-year-old son, Prince Michael II, personally made the request to her.
She recalled: "Prince said, 'Daddy wants me to tell you he wants you to go to London with us," I said, 'Tell your daddy that I'm pleased and honoured."
Kai Chase, the pop legend's professional chef has spoken about Dr. Conrad Murray's activities at the house, who is apparently emerging as a prime suspect in the investigation.
She claimed that she almost everyday saw the doctor come downstairs carrying oxygen tanks from the icon's room, but on the unfortunate day he did not and she "thought maybe Mr. Jackson is sleeping late."
"I started preparing the lunch and then I looked at my cell phone and it was noon. About 12:05 or 12:10 Dr. Murray runs down the steps and screams, 'Go get Prince!' He's screaming very loud," the Telegraph quoted her as telling in an interview.
She narrated: "I run into the den where the kids are playing. Prince (Jackson's oldest son) runs to meet Dr Murray and from that point on you could feel the energy in the house change.
"I walked into the hall and I saw the children there. The daughter was crying. I saw paramedics running up the stairs. We were all praying, 'Help Mr Jackson be OK.' Then everyone was very quiet."
The use of oxygen tanks by the personal physician and its purpose did not make sense to her as she claimed she saw no sign that Jackson was on drugs or was in failing health.
The facts could be incriminating for Murray whose house and office have been raided by drugs enforcement agents.
The late King of Pop reportedly wanted Chase to travel with him to London for his O2 concert.
In fact she said his 12-year-old son, Prince Michael II, personally made the request to her.
She recalled: "Prince said, 'Daddy wants me to tell you he wants you to go to London with us," I said, 'Tell your daddy that I'm pleased and honoured."
Govt asks airlines not to suspend operations
Government today virtually ruled out any bail-out for the bleeding private airlines and warned them of "appropriate action" if flight schedules were disrupted and the carriers said they would reconsider their protest decision if their difficulties are addressed.
"The government reiterates its advice to private airlines against suspending operations on August 18," Civil Aviation
Minister Praful Patel said in a statement.
Maintaining that state taxes on aviation turbine fuel had been an issue even before several present carriers came into existence, he said that the government cannot be expected to extend financial help to loss-making private carriers.
Patel, who renewed his appeal to the private carriers for negotiations, also said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) could "take appropriate action" under its regulatory powers to protect passengers' interest.
4 out of 10 lakh notes in circulation are fake
Out of 10 lakh notes in circulation, only four notes were found to be forged in 2007-08, the Reserve Bank has said.
"... the forged notes detected by the banking system, including the Reserve Bank, in 2007-2008 were four notes in one million notes in circulation," RBI said in a release.
The number of forged notes detected by the banking system in 2007-2008 was 1,95,811 against 4,422.5 crore notes in circulation, the apex bank said.
RBI also said that some media reports have been erroneously quoting the Nayak Committee findings for estimates of forged currency notes in circulation in India.
However, there is no estimate of forged notes in circulation by any agency, the release added.
"... the forged notes detected by the banking system, including the Reserve Bank, in 2007-2008 were four notes in one million notes in circulation," RBI said in a release.
The number of forged notes detected by the banking system in 2007-2008 was 1,95,811 against 4,422.5 crore notes in circulation, the apex bank said.
RBI also said that some media reports have been erroneously quoting the Nayak Committee findings for estimates of forged currency notes in circulation in India.
However, there is no estimate of forged notes in circulation by any agency, the release added.
Trekker finds Lama Mummy in a mountain
This is a rare photograph of a Tibetan monk called Sangha Tenzin which a nomadic biker, Anuj Singh, found mummified inside a tomb at Ghuen Village in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
Professor Victor Mayer, who studies mummies, says it is at least 500 years old. "He died around the time that Columbus discovered America." Anuj had taken Professor Mair and his team from the University of Pennsylvania, to see the mummy when they were in India for a research.
Apparently, the monk had given up his life while meditating in the position he was found mummified.
Ghuen villagers had known about the mummy since 1975, when an earthquake struck the region and brought down a part of the tomb. Ghuen falls in a forward area close to the China border. It is a restricted area under the control of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Therefore, few people outside Ghuen ever found out about the mummy.
In 2001, when Anuj came to Ghuen and made friends with the policemen, they took him to meet "Shah Rukh Khan", the name they had given to the monk.
The mummy is remarkably well preserved for its age. Its skin is unbroken. There is hair on the head as well. Mair says it is partly to do with the extreme cold and dry air of the region, and partly to do with the meditation rituals that ancient high monks practiced to get rid of a public menace. "Slow starvation in the last few months of his life had reduced the body fat and shrunk parts of the body that would have been liable for putrefaction."
he mummy also did not collapse and disintegrate because of a jute restrainer, which runs around the mummy’s neck and passes 
between the thighs.
between the thighs.here is greater significance of the restrainer. It points to a rare and esoteric practice. Mair says, "It kept the monk in an upright position and enabled him to focus on his meditation. If he relaxed, the restrainer knot would have tightened around his neck, cutting off oxygen supply and suffocating him… It was essentially to keep him in good posture."
Very little is available in Buddhist texts in India that describes the practice. Only one manuscript in the library of Tabo monastery has a reference to it.
From his understanding of Buddhist rituals and practices, Mair also say this kind of a practice is rare. "It is only known among certain sects in Japan and Tibet. They tended to be highly esoteric and lived in the mountains. The practice itself is part of the Dzogchen tradition with the Nyingma (sect)."
Ghuen, incidentally, is about 50 km from the Tabo monastery, which is the oldest surviving Buddhist establishment in the trans-Himalayas, dating back a 1000 years. Ghuen also straddles an ancient trading route over which spices, wool, salt, precious stones and sugar moved between India and Tibet. Monks and high lamas frequented this route.
Local legends say, about 600 years ago when Ghuen was troubled by scorpions, the monk Sangha Tenzin, squatted to meditate in the prescribed manner, after asking his disciples to entomb him. It is believed when his soul left the body, a rainbow appeared across the sky and scorpions mysteriously vanished from the village.
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