Global News

Saturday, March 31, 2012

India is ready to build International North-South Corridor to reach Central Asia

India will make a concerted push into Central Asia by taking charge of a crucial transportation network through Iran into Central Asia and beyond. After getting a thumbs up from 14 stakeholder countries in the region in January, experts from all the countries will meet in New Delhi on March 29 to put final touches to the project — the International North-South Corridor. The project envisages a multi-modal transportation network that connects ports on India’s west coast to Bandar Abbas in Iran, then overland to Bandar Anzali port on the Caspian Sea and through Rasht and Astara on the Azerbaijan border onwards to Russia. India will build the missing sections of the rail and road link in Iran, thus skirting US sanctions and paying for Iranian oil not with hard currency but through infrastructure projects like the corridor. Once complete, the International North-South Corridor would connect Europe and Asia in a unique way — experts estimate the distance could be covered in 25-30 days in what currently takes 45-60 days through the Suez Canal. This has been a win-win proposition for India since the North-South Corridor agreement was signed between India, Iran and Russia in September 2000. But over the years, the project fell into disuse. Iran made little attempt to complete construction on its side, expending little political or administrative energy. Neither did Russia or India, which preferred to talk about it but did little to push it. Meanwhile, 11 other countries, including all the Central Asian states, joined up. Several recent developments have changed India’s timid approach. First, China has been building an extensive road and railway network through Central Asia, aiming to touch Europe. It is fast, efficient and already on the ground. While this has made Central Asia accessible to China and others, it is worrying these countries no end. Over the past few years, Central Asian states have repeatedly approached India to play the balancing role. Second, with Pakistan in a state of almost chronic instability, India can never hope to access Central Asia through Pakistan. Its best bet remains Iran.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Dubai Metro "Guinness Record Holder for longest Driver-less metro in World"

Since its construction and opening a year ago, the Dubai Metro has increased passengers exponentially and carried 30 million passengers, according to official figures released on the eve of the anniversary.

The Metro will celebrate its year anniversary on 9 September, and has achieved high standards in areas like operational efficiency, punctuality in journey schedules and high global safety standards.

The Metro has seen numbers rise significantly, according to statement carried by government news agency WAM, the emirate's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), with a 183 percent growth rate from October 2009, to August 2010, with numbers rising from 1.8 million to 3.3 million respectively.

Similarly, the average number of daily passengers increased from 54,683 a year ago to 116,340 this summer.

The statement also confirmed that a record was set on 1 July, when a total of 130,529 passengers used the service.

"The number of monthly passengers served by the metro broke the two million barrier in December 2009 and continued to grow steadily to hit 3,193,087 passengers in May 2010; the number still showed further growth to clock 3,301,959 passengers last August.

These indicators reconfirm that RTA is proceeding ahead with its drive to achieve its strategic objective of raising the share of mass transit modes in the number of person trips to 30 per cent by 2020, and the indicator is currently pointing to a 12.6 per cent.

"The massive investments pumped by the Government of Dubai into developing the infrastructure of the mass transit sector have proved to be both successful and effective," said RTA chairman Mattar Al Tayer.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Chinese Toddler Run Over | Left for Dead

Friday, November 25, 2011

Dozens Wall Street protesters arrested Outside Goldman

Hypersonic Superspeed Plane Of America

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Letter from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales

Wikipedia is the #5 site on the web and serves 450 million different people every month – with billions of page views.

Commerce is fine. Advertising is not evil. But it doesn't belong here. Not in Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is something special. It is like a library or a public park. It is like a temple for the mind. It is a place we can all go to think, to learn, to share our knowledge with others.

When I founded Wikipedia, I could have made it into a for-profit company with advertising banners, but I decided to do something different. We’ve worked hard over the years to keep it lean and tight. We fulfill our mission, and leave waste to others.

If everyone reading this donated Rs100, we would only have to fund raise for one day a year. But not everyone can or will donate. And that's fine. Each year just enough people decide to give.

This year, please consider making a donation of Rs 250, Rs 500, Rs1000 or whatever you can to protect and sustain Wikipedia.

Thanks,

Jimmy Wales
Wikipedia Founder

Letter of a Fetus

Dear Mommy,

I am in Heaven now... I so wanted to be your little girl. I don't quite understand what has happened. I was so excited when I began realizing my existance. I was in a dark, yet comfortable place. I saw I had fingers and toes. I was pretty far along in my developing, yet not near ready to leave my surroundings. I spent most of my time thinking or sleeping. Even from my earliest days, I felt a special bonding between you and me.

Sometimes I heard you crying and I cried with you. Sometimes you would yell or scream, then cry. I heard Daddy yelling back. I was sad, and hoped you would be better soon. I wondered why you cried so much. One day you cried almost all of the day. I hurt for you.

I couldn't imagine why you were so unhappy..

That same day, the most horrible thing happened. A very mean monster came into that warm, comfortable place I was in. I was so scared, I began screaming, but you never once tried to help me. Maybe you never heard me. The monster got closer and closer as I was screaming and screaming, "Mommy, Mommy, help me please; Mommy, help me." Complete terror is all I felt. I screamed and screamed until I thought I couldn't anymore. Then the monster started ripping my arms off. It hurt so bad; the pain I can never explain. It didn't stop.

Oh, how I begged it to stop. I screamed in horror as it ripped my leg off.

Though I was in such complete pain, I was dying. I knew I would never see your face or hear you say how much you love me. I wanted to make all your tears go away. I had so many plans to make you happy. Now I couldn't; all my dreams were shattered. Though I was in utter pain and horror, I felt the pain of my heart breaking, above all. I wanted more than anything to be your daughter. No use now, for I was dying a painful death. I could only imagine the terrible things that they had done to you. I wanted to tell you that I love you before I was gone, but I didn't know the words you could understand.

And soon, I no longer had the breath to say them; I was dead. I felt myself rising. I was being carried by a huge angel into a big beautiful place. I was still crying, but the physical pain was gone. The angel took me away to a wonderful place... Then I was happy. I asked the angel what was the thing was that killed me. He answered, "Abortion". I am sorry, for I know how it feels." I don't know what abortion is; I guess that's the name of the monster. I'm writing to say that I love you and to tell you how much I wanted to be your little girl. I tried very hard to live. I wanted to live. I had the will, but I couldn't; the monster was too powerful. It sucked my arms and legs off and finally got all of me. It was impossible to live. I just wanted you to know I tried to stay with you. I didn't want to die. Also, Mommy, please watch out for that abortion monster. Mommy, I love you and I would hate for you to go through the kind of pain I did. Please be careful.