Will Japan's Radiation Leak Reach India?

New Delhi, Mar 21 : As panic and myths do the rounds after the radiation leak at Japan's quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant, experts feel India should not worry about the radiation reaching the country's shores.

A photographer holds a radiation detector indicating 0.35 microsieverts per hour in Sendai (Reuters)

"It is very important to consider India's location in the South Asian map. It is just not possible for radiation to reach India through wind flow because of the Himalayas. Infact, India was much more in danger when the Chernobyl disaster happened in 1986," C.S. Bal, professor of nuclear medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), told IANS.

According to experts, radiation reaches hazardous levels when rays emitted by radioactive substances exceed defined limits.

"The harm depends on the level of radiation exposure, which is quite low as of now. Human beings are exposed to some minimum amount of radiation on a daily basis, like when somebody gets an X-ray done," said Ishita Sen, head of the nuclear medicine division at Artemis Hospital in Gurgaon.

Officials check a visitor at a radiation screening center in Koriyama in Fukushima prefecture some 60 kms away from the Fukushima nuclear facilities. AFP PHOTO / Go TAKAYAMA

"Inhaling smaller molecules of radioactive substance through contaminated air can cause nausea, vomiting or headache initially, but that is for areas within 10 miles (16 km) of the leaking plant," Sen told IANS.

Radiation leaks at the nuclear plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, left over 4,000 dead, and affected thousands of others with after-effects like cancer.

"The situation was very grave from the environmental and health perspective during the Chernobyl disaster as the containment vessel was missing. The situation is critical for Japan, but nowhere near Chernobyl," said Bal.

Japan was hit by a massive earthquake, measuring 9 on the Richter scale, March 11, triggering a tsunami along its northeastern coast, leaving over 7,000 people dead.

Experts feel that apart from the release of radioactive iodine from the crippled reactors, it is also important to note the release of cesium.

An official scans an evacuated person to check radiation levels in Koriyama city in Fukushima prefecture, about 60km west from the crisis-hit Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) Fukushima Nuclear plant. AFP PHOTO / Ken SHIMIZU

"Cesium, released in small amounts, is absorbed throughout the body - not just by the thyroid - and stays in organs, tissue and the environment much longer," T.K Joshi, director of the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health at Lok Nayak Hospital, told IANS.

Cesium particles are usually large and heavy, and thus are less likely to reach other Asian nations, including India.

The escalating crisis due to leakage of radioactive materials from the Fukushima plant has raised health concerns, with anxious citizens stocking potassium iodide tablets as a preventive measure.

"This is a serious myth amongst people because they have been misinformed that potassium iodide can help them prepare against the radiation. Potassium iodide is not recommended until radiation levels hit the tens of thousands of microsieverts (a unit of measuring radiation)," said G.K. Rath, head of department of radiotherapy and chief of B.R. Ambedkar Institute-Rotary Cancer Hospital at AIIMS.

Rumours spread after a widely-circulated mail said "iodine pills can prevent radiation", with people rushing to stock iodine pills or liquid iodine, commonly used as an antiseptic. Iodine is also available in common iodised salt.

Evacuees receive radiation scans in Nihonmatsu city in Fukushima prefecture. AFP PHOTO / GO TAKAYAMA

Radioactive iodine is released during nuclear emergencies and, if breathed in or swallowed, concentrates in the thyroid gland and increases the risk of thyroid cancer.

"It is true that potassium iodide pills reduce the risk of thyroid cancer, but then it is only for people who are very close to the nuclear reactors. These pills can also cause harm to women who are in early stages of pregnancy, if not in radiation-hit areas," said Sen.

Potassium iodide pills, according to experts, are meant to flood the thyroid with ordinary iodine in the hope that it will prevent the gland from taking in the radioactive iodine.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) too recently issued a statement saying iodine pills are "not radiation antidotes" and offer no protection against radioactive elements such as cesium.

WHO recommendations include intake of 150-mg iodine pill only for people living in radiation-hit areas.

"Taking a pill every day only encourages hyperthyroidism and may be harmful in the long run," added Sen.

Another concern is that the farm produce and vegetation at the sites close to the Fukushima plant may be contaminated.

Source: IANS

Leopard Skulls Seized in Manipur

Imphal, Mar 21 : Barely twenty days after Assam Rifles personnel seized three kg of tiger bones from Manipur's Chandel district, jawans of the country's oldest paramilitary force have once again confiscated huge amount of animal organs, including leopard skin and skulls, from the same district bordering Myanmar.

Assam Rifles, which guards the porous Indo-Myanmarese border in Chandel, has in the past seized such consignments several times.

The recent seizure was on Saturday when officers of the 42 Assam Rifles intercepted a taxi at Bogyang and found 301 kg of pangolin shells, a skin and skulls of leopards, and 19 kg of bones of other rare animals.

"We found the driver of the vehicle trying to dodge past a military check post in the area. But we managed to stop it and caught the driver, Yamthang," an Assam Rifles source said.

Yamthang is a resident of Moreh, a border town in Chandel which has, over the years, earned the notoriety of being a favoured corridor for animal-organ smugglers to send out their booties to southeast Asia.

"We also found 2,32,000 pills that Yamthang was carrying in his cab illegally," the source said.

The seizure, which is the biggest in recent times, "is a result of measures adopted by the Assam Rifles to stop smuggling of wildlife parts and drugs to different SE Asian countries through Myanmar.

The seized items have been handed over to the superintendent of police (Imphal West) in the presence of forest and wildlife officials.

Personnel of the 31 Assam Rifles had seized three kg of tiger bones from near Border Pillar No.77, at Moreh on February 28. In February 2009, two tiger skulls and 16 kg of bones and paws of the animals were intercepted at Bongyang post.

PM Announces Ex-Gratia To Bru Refugees Burned in Refugee Camps

New Delhi, Mar 21 : Expressing grief, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday announced an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in an accidental fire that gutted a refugee camp at Naisinghpara in North Tripura district.

“The Prime Minister is grieved to learn the loss of lives in a fire incident in Tripura. The Prime Minister has approved ex-gratia assistance of Rs one lakh each to the next of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured,” a PMO spokesperson said.

At least 15 Reang/Bru refugees from Mizoram were charred to death and eight others injured in an accidental fire on Saturday that gutted their camp at Naisinghpara.

Agartala: Chief Minister Manik Sarkar visited the Reang refugee camp on Sunday. Mr. Sarkar, accompanied by DGP Selim Ali and Social Welfare Minister Bijita Nath, interacted with the injured refugees and consoled the bereaved families.

End Rights Abuses in Kashmir, Amnesty Tells India

New Delhi, Mar 21 : Amnesty International has lashed out at India over alleged human rights violations in terror-riven Jammu and Kashmir and asked it to revoke a controversial law under which suspects are held in prison "for years without trial".

A 70-page report released by the global rights watchdog Monday focuses on the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), terming it a "lawless law".

The report - the first on Jammu and Kashmir since 2000 - documents how authorities are using the act to detain people for years at a time, without trial, "depriving them of basic human rights otherwise provided under Indian law".

"Estimates of the number detained under the PSA over the past two decades range from 8,000-20,000," said the report.

The report was based on research conducted in May 2010 and "subsequent analysis of government and legal documents relating to over 600 individuals detained under the PSA between 2003 and 2010".

The controversial act empowers district magistrates to detain people for up to two years for suspected offences ranging from anti-state activities to timber smuggling.

"By using the PSA to incarcerate suspects without adequate evidence, India has not only gravely violated their human rights but also failed in its duty to charge and try such individuals and to punish them if found guilty in a fair trial."

Jammu and Kashmir has since 1989 witnessed a bloody separatist war - which India alleges is being sponsored by Pakistan and militant organisations there - during which tens of thousands of people have been killed.

"Amnesty International acknowledges the right, indeed the duty, of the state to defend and protect its population from violence. However, this must be done while respecting the human rights of all concerned," the report said.

Source: IANS

What Billionaire Techie Just Bought A Fighter Jet?

Paul Allen Buys MiG-29 Russian Fighter Jet

Billionaire Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, has just added a Russian fighter jet to his robust collection of pricy assets, which include the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team, a 303-foot long yacht, and several airplanes.

Allen recently purchased a restored Russian MiG-29 fighter jet.

The AP writes of the purchase:

The jet had been restored by another Washington aviation enthusiast and is currently on display at Allen's aviation museum at Paine Field in Everett. The manager of the Flying Heritage Collection says the jet is not expected to stay in Everett.

Allen's Flying Heritage Collection says of the MiG-29, "The two-seat Soviet-designed fighter served with Russia and the Ukrainian Air Force before coming to the U.S. for restoration."

See a picture of the jet here, then check out photos of Allen's mega-yacht, the Tatoosh.

E-Fraud: You've Been Warned!

Oh phish! You could be the next victim of e-fraud

Mumbai: With cyber criminals becoming smarter by the day, Phishing e-mails designed to make you part with sensitive information are also looking more authentic than ever.

Poornima Swaminathan tells you how just being a little alert can make all the difference.

Beware, don't fall prey to messages and e-mails promising freebies that flood your inbox. For, a widespread, well-networked online fraud could be at work, looking for gulible targets.

Phishing rackets, a growing crime in the cyberworld are increasingly duping innocent Internet users into revealing their personal, sensitive information and misuing the same.

Last month, an alert Navi Mumbai resident foiled a phishing scam by reporting the matter to the cyber cell. Basant Padhiary had received an e-mail, disguised as official communication from a private bank, asking for details like his username and password.

Since he did not have an account with the said  bank, he identified the racket and immediately reported the matter to the police.

According to cyber crime experts, phishing aims at acquiring sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by posing as a trustworthy and genuine entity.
This fraud is typically carried out through e-mails or instant messaging and often directs users to enter details on a fake website which appears almost identical to the legitimate one.

Though the number of phishing cases has seen a dip in the last year perhaps due to users becoming smarter and the massive awareness programmes by the Mumbai police the fraudsters  have become smarter too and you could be their next victim.

The cyber crime cell of the Mumbai police, which was launched in 2006, registered just 6 cases that year. However, the numbers had jumped to 76 last year and they will only increase.
"Cyber crime is on the rise and  even the educated class is falling prey to it," admitted Arup Patnaik, Mumbai police commissioner. "Our department constantly conducts awareness campaigns to warn the public to stay alert."

Experts say phishing is one area where ignorance is never bliss. "As long as there are gullible people around, there will be crooks exploiting them," said Vijay Mukhi, cyber expert.

Aided and abetted by technology, phishing attacks will only increase by the day. However, a little alertness is all it takes to beat the cyber criminals:

How the phishing racket works:

1 E-mails are sent to people by a group of cyber criminals  posing to be an established legitimate enterprise
2 The e-mails try to scam the user into surrendering private information, which will be used for identity theft
3 They direct the user to a website where they are asked to give their personal information such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, that the legitimate organisation would already have.
4 The website, however, is bogus and is set up only to steal the user's information.
5 By spamming large groups of people, the racketeers bank on at least a small percentage of them actually visiting the website and giving the information.
6 Phishing, which is also referred to as brand spoofing or carding, comes from 'fishing'. The idea of bait being thrown into the water with the hope some 'fish' will be tempted into biting it works here as well.
What you can do to stay alert:

1 Never trust strangers: Don't open emails from people you don't know. Set your junk and spam mail settings to filter out content from those not in your address book.

2 Double check with your bank: In case you get a mail from your bank asking you to reveal sensitive information online, call the customer care centre to check whether such a mail has indeed been sent.

3 Look for the lock: Valid sites that use encryption to securely transfer sensitive information are characterised by a lock on the bottom right of your browser window. They also have addresses that begin with https:// rather than the usual http://.

4 Use different passwords: Having different passwords for different accounts ensures that one account being compromised doesn't mean that all of them are.

5 Keep your eyes open: A spam email is filled grammatical errors and typo (sic). It is  not personalised and usually has either a link or a suspicious attachment. Recognise and report such e-mails as spam

6 Be careful: Do not leave your computer unattended when you are logged into your bank's website or when you've provided credit card information on a shopping site.

7 Greed never pays: Never be fooled by e-mails which promise you freebies or money that you've won in a lottery. Don't part with sensitive information on online surveys. These are fraudulent attempts to get hold of your personal details. You may get the Rs 2,000 promised, but there's also a high probability of you finding your account
cleaned out.

8 Use the keypad, not the mouse: Type in URLs instead of clicking on links to online shopping and banking sites that ask for credit card and account numbers.   
Report them here:
Cyber Crime Investigation cell
Annex III, 1st floor, Office of the Commissioner of Police,
D.N.Road, Mumbai - 400001
Email: cybercell.mumbai@mahapolice.gov.in
Tel: 022 - 24691233

Is This The World's Worst Wedding Video?

Cameraman who filmed backs of heads, grass and people who weren't even attending ordered to pay compensation

By Jaya Narain

'Wedding coordinator had to go searching for cameraman Clayton Bennett and found him at another wedding'

• He missed Martin and Heidi Shubrook signing register and cutting cake

When Martin and Heidi Shubrook sat down and watched their wedding video they were moved to tears.

But instead of tears of joy they couple were left weeping in despair over the disastrous coverage of the big event.

Footage of them cutting the cake and signing the register was replaced with video showing guests' feet, grass and even people who had not even attended the wedding.

Bad footage: Clayton Bennett, left, has been ordered to pay newly married Martin and Heidi Shubrook, right, compensation by a judge after filming a comically bad video of the couples big day

Spot the bride: Perhaps Mr Bennett forgot to attach the long-range lens. Heidi can, just about, be seen in the distance walking across the churchyard

Now the couple, from Harlow, Essex, have won a court battle against photographer, Clayton Bennett, who was hired to film the happy event.

Mrs Shubrook, 29, a primary school teacher, said: 'When we got the disk back from him I knew it was going to be awful. Watching it was really emotional.

'When it first came on it had pictures of people's feet on the floor and then there was shots of people who weren't even at our wedding.

'It wasn't edited at all, the only thing he had done with the video was to fade it in and out. I was in tears watching it back. There was no effort put into it at all.'

Mrs Shubrook said: 'He turned up to our wedding with scars all over his face and when he was asked about them he said he was a cage fighter.

Party time: A supposed action shot of the dance floor at the couple's reception. The Shubrooks took legal action in the small claims court for breach of contract

Awful: Shot from the video, which Heidi claimed had not been edited, shows a guests shoulder - but missed them cutting the cake and signing the register

Here come the legs: A guest arrives. Which one is anyone's guess!

'During the day he went missing and our wedding co-ordinator had to chase him up and found him at another wedding.'

Mr Shubrook, 34, said: 'Clayton Bennett was utterly unprofessional. He turned up in unsuitable clothing, and vanished for most of the day.

'As a result he missed the shot of us signing the register, the shot of us coming out of the church and the cutting of the cake, as well as some of the speeches.

'What we did get was poorly filmed. The angles were wonky and the framing bad.

'For part of it, the camera was left lying on the floor so half of the shot was grass, and people's heads were cut off.'

The couple contacted Bennett's Lasting Impressions video and photography services, based in Sunderland, to cover the wedding in July 2009 and paid him £350.

The photographer, of Howden, County Durham, told the couple he could deliver a professional package that would uniquely capture their special day forever.

The couple were astonished when they saw the video and immediately launched legal action against him in the small claims court for breach of contract.

Eventually a judge sitting at Durham County Court found in the couple's favour and ordered Bennett to pay a total of £600.

He was also ordered to refund the couple, who have two children, £150 and pay court costs and travel expenses.

Bennett, who has since declared himself bankrupt, says he has ceased trading and agreed to pay back the money in £20 installments. He claims he has paid three of them.

Wonky: Out of focus shot shows the grass and the side of a church - and cost the couple £350

But Mr Shubrook, who runs the family's publishing business in Essex, said: 'I don't think we are going to see a penny. But I want the wider pubic to be aware of what happened to us. It is not right that this individual can take people's money and then not deliver.'

Mrs Shubrook said: 'It was heartbreaking. Because we had organised a videographer we told our guests not to bring anything to record the day, and now we have no video record of our wedding at all.

'We had the most wonderful day but this just left a bad taste in our mouths. Luckily we had a really good photographer who took some pictures.'

The photographer said: 'The Shubrooks expected the money they paid for the video to buy them an awful lot. I went out of my way for them. I had only been paid until 8.30pm but I stayed until 10pm for free. I have paid £20 a month as agreed and I have records to prove that.'

Aizawl Plans For The Monorail

Aizawl, Mar 21 : A monorail transport system is being planned for Aizawl to ease traffic congestion along key roads of the town.

The state’s urban development minister, Zodintluanga, today said such a monorail project, when established, would be the first of its kind in the Northeast.

Speaking over phone to this correspondent, Zodintluanga said the officials of an international investment company with expertise in infrastructure projects, had recently been asked by the Mizoram government to prepare a detailed technical and economic feasibility report on the project and submit it to chief minister Lalthanhawla as soon as possible.

A high-powered delegation of the Singapore-based investment firm, Global Investment Capital, had flown to Aizawl last week and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on March 11 for three projects — the monorail project, a $5.5 million housing scheme for government officials in Aizawl and construction of a four or five star hotel in the state.

The delegation came to the state at the invitation of Lalthanhawla and comprised, among others, its CEO and managing director, Bunny Khin, project manager Collin James and Julie Shields.

Zodintluanga said the team visited some busy road stretches to carry out a traffic and road assessment ahead of starting on the project and added that the feasibility report would contain its total projected outlay.

The minister also said this project would not create any financial burden for the government, as the investment firm would foot all the bills under a build, own, operate and transfer system.