Apr 30

Radicchio

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Radicchio is a leaf chicory (Cichorium intybus, Asteraceae), sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable which usually has white-veined red leaves. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted. It can also be used to add color and zest to salads.

Humans have been using radicchio since ancient times. Pliny the Elder wrote of it in Naturalis Historia, praising its medicinal properties; he claimed it was useful as a blood purifier and an aid for insomniacs. In fact, radicchio contains intybin, a blood and liver tonic, as well as a type of flavonoid called anthocyanins.

Modern cultivation of the plant began in the fifteenth century, in the Veneto region of Italy, but the deep-red radicchio of today was engineered in 1860 by the Belgian agronomist Francesco Van den Borre, who used a technique called imbianchimento (whitening) or preforcing to create the dark red, white-veined leaves. Radicchio plants are taken from the earth and placed in water in darkened sheds, where lack of light and ensuing inhibition of chlorophyll production cause the plants to lose their green pigmentation.

The varieties of radicchio are named after the Italian regions where they originate: the most ubiquitous variety in the United States is radicchio di Chioggia, which is maroon, round, and about the size of a grapefruit. Somewhat less common in the states is the radicchio di Treviso, which resembles a large Belgian endive: other varieties include Tardivo, and the white-colored radicchio di Castelfranco, both of which resemble flowers and are only available in the winter months.

In the same way that the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese-makers of Parma, Italy have sought to protect the name “parmesan” to signify only cheeses made in their region under the supervision of a regulating body, so too have the radicchio farmers of the Veneto sought to protect the names of some radicchio varieties, including Tardivo.

In Italy, where the vegetable is quite popular, it is usually eaten grilled in olive oil, or mixed into dishes such as risotto: in the United States it is gaining in popularity but is more often eaten raw in salads. As with all chicories, if grown correctly its roots can be used to mix with coffee. It can also be served with pasta, in strudel, as a poultry stuffing, or as part of a tapenade.

Radicchio is easy to grow but performs best in a spring (USDA Zone 8 and above) and fall (everywhere) garden. It prefers more frequent but not deep watering, the amount of water varying based on soil type. Infrequent watering will lead to a more bitter tasting leaf. However, for fall crops the flavor is changed predominantly by the onset of cold weather (the colder the mellower), which also initiates the heading and reddening process in traditional varieties. There are newer, self-heading varieties whose taste is not yet as good as a traditional variety which has matured through several frosts or freezes (E.g., Alouette). Radicchio matures in approximately three months.


Sources

  • http://www.gourmetsleuth.com
  • http://www.foodnetwork.com
  • http://www.radicchio.com
  • http://italianfood.about.com
  • http://www.innvista.com/health/foods/vegetables/chicory.htm
  • http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/vegetables/salads/raddichio.htm
  • http://www.cuisinenet.com/digest/season/spring/late/veg.shtml


External links

  • Radicchio image at gourmetsleuth.com
  • Salad Recipe
  • History of Radicchio with recipes
  • U.S. radicchio producers

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Apr 30

Culebrita

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Isla Culebrita (little Culebra, little snake) is a small island off the eastern coast of Culebra, Puerto Rico at and is part of the Puerto Rico Archipielago. Together with Cayo Botella off the northwestern point, it belongs to the barrio Frailes of Culebra. It is a nature reserve and home of one of the oldest lighthouse in the Caribbean. The island is only accessible by private boat from the main island of Culebra.


Lighthouse

Construction of the Culebrita Lighthouse began on September 25, 1882, and it was completed on February 25, 1886. The Spanish Crown built the lighthouse to help secure its claim over the main island of Culebra.

It was the oldest operating lighthouse in the Caribbean until 1975 when the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard finally closed the facility. The United States Coast Guard has replaced the lighthouse with a solar powered light beacon.

The Culebrita Lighthouse was registered on the National Register of Historical Monuments of the United States on October 22, 1981. However, no work has been done to maintain the facility. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused extensive damage, and the tower was destroyed by Hurricane Marilyn in 1995. The Culebra Foundation, starting in 1994, has tried to attract local and federal attention to save the lighthouse, but they have had little success.

The lighthouse has also been the victim of vandalism as people have chipped off pieces of the building as souvenirs.


Geography

Culebrita is a coral island approximately 1 mile in length. Tidal pools trap small sea life at low tide.

There are six beaches on Culebrita, the chief being Playa Tortuga (Turtle Beach). The beach is named for the many sea turtles that use the beach for breeding grounds and the surrounding waters for grazing. The other two large beachs are Trash Beach and West Beach. Trash Beach is on the windward side of the island and debris is often blown onto the beach. There are also large tidal pools on the east side of the island where people lounge as if they were large baths.

The Culebrita Reef lays off the southern coast of the island.

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Apr 30

Dissolution Honours List

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The Dissolution Honours List names those individuals receiving Honours from the Monarch at a time following the Dissolution of the United Kingdom Parliament. Thus, as a course such a List is typically uncommon. Typically, the list will include retiring MPs who are to be Life Peers. Sometimes the list will also include knighthoods for others who have served in the Parliament, including those who may not want peerages.

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Apr 29

Cosmetic dentistry

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Cosmetic dentistry is a discipline within dentistry in which the primary focus is the modification of appearance of a patient’s oral cavity and surrounding structures, in conjunction with the prevention and treatment of organic, structural, or functional oral disease. Through cosmetic dentistry, the appearance of the mouth can be altered to more closely match the patient’s subjective concept of what is visually pleasing.


Materials

In the past, dental fillings and other tooth restorations were made of gold, amalgam and other metals — some of which were veneered with porcelain. Now, dental work can be made entirely of porcelain or composite materials that more closely mimic the appearance of natural tooth structure. These tooth colored materials are bonded to the underlying tooth structure with resin adhesives. Unlike silver fillings (amalgams) they are entirely free of mercury. Many dentists offer procedures to be cosmetic and because their patients prefer natural looking teeth.


Treatments

Today’s common cosmetic dental treatment options include:

  • Whitening, or “tooth bleaching”, is the most commonly prescribed cosmetic dental procedure. While many whitening options are now available, dentist-supervised treatments remain the recommended procedures for lightening discolored teeth.
  • Enamel shaping removes parts of the contouring enamel to improve the appearance of the tooth.[1] It may be used to correct a very small chip. The removed enamel is irreplaceable. It is also known as enameloplasty, odontoplasty, recontouring, reshaping, slenderizing, and stripping.
  • Bonding is an option for chipped or cracked teeth. It is a process in which an enamel-like dental composite material is applied to a tooth’s surface, sculpted into shape, hardened, and then polished.
  • Veneers, ultra-thin, custom-made laminates that are bonded directly to the teeth, are an increasingly popular procedure. They are an option for closing gaps or disguising discolored teeth that did not respond well to whitening procedures.

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Apr 29

Emeraldia

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Emeraldia (エメラルディア) is an arcade game that was released by Namco in 1993 only in Japan.


Gameplay

The player must line up blocks of the same color. When three blocks have been stacked in a vertical row, they crack. When a fourth block of the same color lands on the cracked ones, all four blocks disappear.

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Apr 29

Closing Argument (horse)

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Closing Argument (born April 4, 2002 in Florida) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. After winning the 2005 Holy Bull Stakes and finishing third in the Blue Grass Stakes, he competed in the Kentucky Derby. Ridden by jockey Cornelio Velasquez, he was sent off at odds of 71-1 and came in 2nd place.

He was retired for 2006 with a record of 3-3-2 in nine career starts and earnings of $986,984. Closing Argument stands at stud at Sequel Stallion in Ocala, Florida.


References

  • Closing Argument’s pedigree and partial racing stats

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Apr 29

Mudpot

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A mudpot or paint pot is a sort of hot spring or fumarole consisting of a pool of usually bubbling mud.

Mudpots form in high-temperature geothermal areas where water is in short supply. The little water that is available rises to the surface at a spot where the soil is rich in volcanic ash, clay and other fine particulates. The thickness of the mud usually changes along with seasonal changes in the water table.

The mud takes the form of a viscous, often bubbling, slurry. As the boiling mud is often squirted over the brims of the mudpot, a sort of mini-volcano of mud starts to build up, sometimes reaching heights of 3-5 feet. Although mudpots are often called “mud volcanoes”, true mud volcanoes are very different in nature.

The mud is generally of white to greyish color, but is sometimes stained with reddish or pink spots from iron compounds. When the slurry is particularly colorful, the feature is then called a “paint pot”.

The geothermal areas of Yellowstone National Park contain several notable examples of both mudpots and paint pots, as do some areas of Iceland and New Zealand.

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Apr 28

Eshenabugh guitars

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Eshenbaugh Guitars, owned and operated by luthier Mark Eshenbaugh, produces custom electric basses and guitars. Located in Greer, SC, Eshenbaugh Guitars is one of several members of a growing community of high-end custom bass makers, including Chris Benavente, Carey Nordstrand, and Cliff Bordwell, among others.

Eshenbaugh Guitars created three primary models, the Brado, Black Forest, and the J.

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Apr 28

Pretty Baby (song)

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Pretty Baby is an old song written by Tony Jackson during the Ragtime era. The song was remembered as being prominent in Jackson’s repertory before he left New Orleans in 1912, but was not published until 1916.

The 1916 sheet music credits Jackson along with Gus Kahn and
Egbert Van Alstyne. It is not clear what their actual role in developing Jackson’s tune was; Tin Pan Alley practice at the time often gave partial author credit to staff writers to keep more of the royalty payments within the company. However Kahn may have rewritten some of Jackson’s lyrics (the original was said to have been rather risque), and Van Alstyne may have had a hand in arranging the song’s bridge.

The song has been covered by many singers including Al Jolson, Doris Day (in Young Man with a Horn), and Dean Martin, inspiring his album Pretty Baby. The song also inspired the 1978 Louis Malle film Pretty Baby, on whose soundtrack it appears.

Here is the way it was covered by early recording star Billy Murray in 1916:

Verse 1

You ask me why I’m always teasing you
You hate to have me call you Pretty Baby
I really thought that I was pleasing you
For you’re just a baby to me
Your cunning little dimples and your baby stare
Your baby talk and baby walk and curly hair
Your baby smile
Makes life worthwhile
You’re just as sweet as you can be

Verse 2

Your mother said you were the cutest kid
No wonder, Dearie, that I’m wild about you
And all the cunning things you said and did
Why, I love to fondly recall
And just like Peter Pan it seems you’ll always be
The same sweet cunning little baby dear to me
And that is why
I’m sure that I
Will always love you best of all

Chorus

Everybody loves a baby that’s why I’m in love with you
Pretty baby, pretty baby
And I’d like to be your sister, brother, dad and mother too
Pretty baby, pretty baby
Won’t you come and let me rock you in my cradle of love
And we’ll cuddle all the time
Oh, I want a lovin’ baby, and it might as well be you
Pretty baby of mine


Reference

Billy Murray Anthology: The Denver Nightingale, Archeophone Records, 2002

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Apr 28

Mercury Park Lane

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The Mercury Park Lane was a fullsize automobile produced by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company from 1958 to 1960 and by the Lincoln-Mercury Division from 1964 to 1968. During this time, the Park Lane resembled the Monterey, but with a higher trim level.

The Park Lane was introduced in 1958 and was applied to Mercury’s premium automobile line. In 1960, the Park Lane name was dropped for the coming 1961 model year as Mercury focused its production efforts on the lower-end Monterey and Meteor 800 models. The name was reinstated in 1964 as Mercury again attempted to retrench its models in the price gap between Ford and Lincoln.

For 1967 and 1968, the Park Lane was offered with an even more luxurious trim level called the Brougham, a.k.a. the Park Lane Brougham. These were Mercury’s flagship products during these years.

Mercury completely redesigned its full-size offerings for 1969, and the Park Lane name was retired at the end of the 1968 model year. However some Grand Marquis have been known to carry a revival of the Park Lane badge since the late 1990s.

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Apr 28

Yauza River

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Yauza () is a river in Moscow, Russia, a left tributary of the Moskva River and its largest tributary within Moscow city limits. It originates in the Losiny Ostrov National Park north-east of Moscow, and joins the Moskva River in the very centre of the city at Kotelnicheskaya Embankment. Maly Ustinsky Bridge spans over the mouth of the Yauza.

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Apr 28

Talking shop

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A talking shop, or talking-shop, is a pejorative term applied to organisations to imply that they are unproductive, bureaucratic and self-serving; lacking in respect, authority or power.

The term has been applied to many political forums, some elected, for example supranational bodies like the United Nations, the European Parliament, and the Organisation of African Unity; and devolved or autonomous bodies like the National Assembly for Wales or the regions of England.

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Apr 28

Tomoi

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Tomoi is the Malaysian name for the South-East Asian martial art known in Thailand as Muay Thai, in Cambodia as Pradal Serey, and similar to an art from Myanmar known as Lethwei.

Tomoi refers to siku lutut, which in Malay is translated literally as “elbows knees”. It shares the common history of the various Southeast Asian forms of kickboxing which were based on Chinese techniques with some Indian influence. It is not known exactly when Tomoi was first practiced but its name gives a clue to its age. The word tomoi derives from dhoi muay or dhee muay which is the Thai word for pugilism and fist fighting in general. It was also the term used for bare fisted Muay Thai, now known as Muay Boran (ancient boxing).

Tomoi is most widely practiced in northern Malaysia along the Thai border. The Terengganu state traded extensively with Angkor and was captured by Siam in the early 1800s. Tomoi was probably brought into what is now Malaysia long before this time since Malasia has always been home to ethnic Thais. Even before British colonization it was a popular pastime among not only Thais but Malays, Chinese and Indians as well. It remained so until 1990 when the Kelantan government under the administration of PAS banned a number of traditional arts including Malay attire, dances and tomoi along with them. Although it was still practiced by a few, tomoi’s popularity among Malays began to wane and many began calling the art by its Thai name of Muay Thai. In 2006 the ban was abolished and the art was again allowed to be practiced under the proposed name of “Muay Kelate”. The preferred name used by promoters is freestyle kickboxing but most Malay-speakers in Malaysia still call it tomoi.


See also

  • Kuntao
  • Lethwei
  • Muay Thai
  • Pradal Serey
  • Silat


External links

  • Discovery Channel (Muay Thai) [1]
  • GameLow.com (Muay Thai) [2]
  • Muay Thai, Malaysia Community, Clubs, News

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Apr 28

Minidrag

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The minidrag, or “Alaspinian Miniature Dragon”, is a fictional form of extraterrestrial life found in Alan Dean Foster’s Humanx Commonwealth milieu.

Minidrags are reptilian, resembling flying snakes, and come from the planet Alaspin, fully grown they measure about one meter long.

They are not sapient; nonetheless, they are empathic telepaths, or “empaths” who often bond strongly to a sapient being they deem worthy. Flinx, the protagonist of many of the Commonwealth novels, has bonded to a minidrag named Pip. Clarity Held is also bonded with a Minidrag, Pip’s child, Scrap. Minidrags are quite capable of defending their companions, as they spit a highly corrosive, violently neurotoxic venom, which will kill a human in under a minute if it enters the blood stream. The acidic properties of the venom enable it to burn through even titanium alloys with ease. Minidrags are extremely agile, which protects them to a certain degree against modern weaponry.

Additionally, the exact abilities of the minidrag is under some debate, as in some books Pip merely acts as a lens for Flinx while in others Pip is able to sense on her own.

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Apr 28

Wani

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Wani may mean:

  • Wani - a child marriage custom in tribal areas of Pakistan.
  • Wani, Maharashtra - a city and a municipal council in Yavatmal district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
  • Wani - a popular name used among the Nilo-Hamids group in Bahr El Jebel region along the River Nile in Southern Sudan.
  • Japanese for Wang In, prominent Confucian scolar from Baekje.

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Apr 27

Custom (musician)

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Custom (also known as Duane Lavold) is a Canadian-born, New York-based rock musician best known for his song “Hey Mister”.


Discography

  • Fast (released March 19, 2002) - Produced by Duncan Sheik who also provided background vocals on some of the tracks.

Song List:

  1. Beat Me
  2. Hey Mister
  3. Streets
  4. Like You
  5. Mess
  6. Morning Spank
  7. Skate
  8. May 26
  9. Give
  10. Daddy
  11. One Day
  12. Crawl
  13. 120


Controversy

Minor controversy erupted when the music video for the song “Hey Mister” was banned from MTV. The video follows a young woman as she frolicks on the beach, hangs out with the singer, and goes shopping. Despite the lack of sexually explicit visuals, the video was banned, the MTV Standards and Practices division felt that it was “pedophilic and offensive to women” (despite the fact that the actress was 22 at the time).


See also

  • Lauren Ferranti, “Custom Shows Too Much Skin” [1]. Retrieved Oct 15, 2006
  • Ian Youngs, “Custom Made for Controversy” [2]. Retrieved Oct 15, 2006
  • RollingStone.com, “Not a Custom Fit” [3]. Retrieved Oct 15, 2006


References

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Apr 27

The Large Scale Structure of Spacetime

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The Large Scale Structure of Spacetime is a book written by Stephen Hawking and George Ellis, published in 1973 by Cambridge University Press.

(The title has no hyphen in “large scale”, unlike another book on a similar topic by the same publisher.)

The Large Scale Structure of Spacetime is an in-depth 384 page long science book co-written by Stephen Hawking. The principles rely heavily on theoretical physics. Stephen attempts to describe the foundation of space itself and its nature of infinite expansion, mathematically as well as theoretically.

Hawking co-wrote the book while a post doc at Cambridge university. In his 1993 book A Brief History of Time, he derides The Large Scale Structure of Spacetime as “highly technical and quite unreadable,” and advises readers to not seek it out.

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Apr 27

Born in Africa

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Born in Africa is an album produced by Philly Lutaaya and other Ugandan exiles in Sweden. The songs on the album remain ubiquitous in Uganda, and the musicians remain among the best-known Ugandan musicians; they include Sammy Kasule on bass and Gerald Nnaddibanga on percussion.

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Apr 27

Rhacophorinae

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Rhacophorinae is a subfamily of frogs in the family Rhacophoridae.


Genera

  • Chirixalus Boulenger, 1893
  • Chiromantis Peters, 1854
  • Feihyla Frost et al., 2006 [1]
  • Kurixalus Ye, Fei, & Dubois In Fei, 1999
  • Nyctixalus Boulenger, 1882
  • Philautus Gistel, 1848
  • Polypedates Tschudi, 1838
  • Rhacophorus Kuhl & Hasselt, 1822
  • Theloderma Tschudi, 1838

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Apr 27

Securities exchange

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A securities exchange provides a market for buying and selling financial instruments.


Securities exchanges


US exchanges

  • Chicago Mercantile Exchange — Instruments traded: futures. Ownership structure: for-profit since 2000.
  • Chicago Board of Trade — Instruments traded: options, futures. Ownership structure: for-profit since 2005.
  • The Nasdaq Stock Market — Instruments traded: equity. Ownership structure: for-profit since 2002.
  • New York Stock Exchange — Instruments traded: equities, bonds. Ownership structure: subsidirary of the (NYSE Group), for-profit since 2005.
  • NYSE Arca — Instruments traded: equities, options. Ownership structure: subsidirary of the (NYSE Group), for-profit since 2005.
  • Philadelphia Stock Exchange


European exchanges

  • Euronext — Instruments traded: debt, equity, options, futures. Ownership structure: for-profit since ?.
  • Nordic Growth Market — Instruments traded: specializes in exotic options like turbo warrants.


See also

  • Commodities exchange
  • Commodity market
  • Securities
  • Stock broker
  • Stock investor
  • Stock exchange
  • Stock market

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Apr 27

February 2005 in India

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February 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December


Ongoing events

  • Avalanche in south Kashmir - relief
  • Tsunami relief


Deaths in February


Elections

  • February 23: Bihar state (Phase-3)
  • February 23: Jharkhand state (Phase-3)


Ongoing trials

  • Jayendra Saraswathi
  • Best Bakery case


Related pages

About this page


Events in India

This page deals with current events in or relating to India.


February 28, 2005

  • Finance minister presents Budget and Finance Bill for Financial Year 2005-2006


February 27, 2005

  • Haryana, Bihar and Jharkand poll results out


February 26, 2005

  • Railway Budget spares Fares, Freight, throws concessions
  • Gujjars and Bakerwals flee on fear of avalanches: Gujjar and Bakerwal tribals flee homes and go downhill in fear of avalanches in higher reaches of Jammu & Kashmir. (The Hindu)
  • Record Forex weekly reserves surge: Forex reserves surged by US$ 2.9 billion to US$ 132.959 billion for week ending February 16. This is attributed to huge FII inflows during the week that forced the central bank to mop up dollars from the market. (Economic Times)
  • ISRO announces 4 satellite launches for 2005: ISRO announced that India would launch four satellites this year. These would include two remote sensing satellites Cartosat-1 and Cartosat-2 and two communication satellites for DTH applications INSAT-4A and INSAT-4C. The remote sensing satellites would be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. (Economic Times)
  • NASA interested in Chandrayan mission: NASA has expressed interest in joining India’s first moon mission project Chandrayan-1 scheduled for launch in 2007-08. NASA is in talks with ISRO for deploying some of its scientific payload in the spacecraft. (Times of India)
  • CBMs with India have boosted investments
  • Manmohan urged to amend Hindu Succession Act: Several organisations and individuals from across the country have sought the intervention of the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, for a comprehensive amendment of the Hindu Succession Act of 1956 to bring about full gender equality. (The Hindu)
  • Concerted efforts towards conservation of Oliver Ridley turtles: International conservation groups and biologists have joined hands with the fishing community to fight for the conservation of the Olive Ridley sea turtles and for better management of marine resources on the Orissa coast. (The Hindu)
  • 50th Filmfare awards announced: India’s oldest and most coveted cinema awards, The Filmfare Awards, celebrated their 50th year in a glittering ceremony in Mumbai. The four main awards of the night were swept up by Shah Rukh Khan (Best Actor for Swades), Rani Mukherjee (Best Actress for Hum Tum), Kunal Kohli (Best Director for Hum Tum) and Yash Chopra (Best Film for Veer-Zaara). (Times of India)
  • Pankaj Advani wins 4th Asian billiards championship: Indian champion Pankaj Advani, displayed his superb form as he routed Thai challenger Praput Chaithansukul 5-0 (100-64, 100-32, 100-0, 100-0, 101-51)to win the fourth Asian Billiards Championship at Pune. (Hindustan Times)
  • Indian team for Pakistan series announced Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary SK Nair announced the Indian 14-member squad to represent the country in the upcoming curtain-raiser Test against Pakistan on March 8 in Mohali. Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Dinesh Karthick (keeper) found places in the team. Mohammad Kaif and Parthiv Patel were dropped. (Times of India)
  • Hockey player Deepak Thakur beaten up by Punjab police player: In a freak incident at a super league match hockey match of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh tournament, India forward Deepak Thakur, playing for Indian Oil, was attacked violently with the hockey stick by ‘good friend’, Punjab Police’s Kanwalpreet Singh, apparently without provocation. The incident shocked the Indian hockey fraternity. The match was on at the Shivaji Stadium in New Delhi. (Times of India)


February 25, 2005

  • Kalam: Govt. committed to common man: President Abdul Kalam in his pre budget address to parliament at Central Hall put on record that “my Government is committed to an inclusive society, a caring polity and a sharing economy“. The President’s address define the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh government’s agenda. He also said “My government wants India to shine, but it must shine for all“, indicating the budget would be in favour of the common man. (President’s speech) (The Hindu)
  • Economic survey 2005-06 moots tax reforms: The Economic Survey 2004-05 presented to parliament estimates a GDP growth of 6.9% this year despite a bad monsoon and predicts 7-8% for the next year. The survey urges the government to take many steps/actions. It urges higher caps for foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail, insurance and mining; greater labour market flexibility, sharp targeting of subsidies to the poor, reduction of non-merit subsidies (58% of subsidies), ending of items reserved for production by small scale industries (SSI) and cutting of customs duties to ASEAN rates. It advocates improving collection of taxes, without raising them. (The Economic Times) (Economic Survey 2004-05)
  • Sri Lanka thanks India for Tsunami aid: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar thanked India for “tremendous assistance in the greatest hour of need“. (The Hindu)
  • Court cannot tell Parliament what to debate:Speaker: The Lok Sabha speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, politely but firmly asserted that the Supreme court (or any other court) could not tell Parliament what it should debate. He made these comments in the context of reports that the apex courts had dismissed a petition of “charge sheeted” Ministers after the Government counsel apparently made assurances that Parliament would discuss the issue. (The Statesman)
  • Cabinet nod for disaster management authority: The Union Cabinet has given its nod to the proposal for setting up a national disaster management authority (NDMA) and building up specialised capabilities for rapid intervention in case of disasters. The NDMA will be set up under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister. (Business Line)
  • India to overtake China’s population by 2050: The United Nations has projected India’s population to overtake that of China by 2050 in their 2004 revision of the World population prospects. (Financial Times)
  • Govt clears use of Tricolour: The government clarified it had no objection of the tricolour by sports persons on their helmets or their outfits, albeit without the Ashok Chakra. This clarification was issued in response to the Board of Control for Cricket in India query to the government in this regard. This also puts India’s first ever Formula one driver Narain Karthikeyan in the clear for use of the tricolor in his debut grand prix in Melbourne on March 6. (The Statesman)
  • Jordan F1 team unveiled in Moscow’s Red square: - Midland announced their arrival on the Formula one scene with the launch of the Jordan EJ15 in Moscow’s Red Square. The EJ15 was flanked by its new drivers Tiago Monteiro and Narain Karthikeyan. For the first time in its history Red Square in Moscow was used to promote a commercial event. (Canada.com)
  • Pankaj Advani in finals of 4th Asian Billiards championship: Pankaj Advani beat Kyaw Oo of Myanmar 100-71, 100-0, 101-33, 22-101, 101-0 to move into the finals of the 4th Asian Billiards Championship at Pune. (Indian Express)


February 23, 2005

  • 55% polling in Bihar & Jharkand election: The final phase of polling for 93 Assembly seats in Bihar and 28 seats in Jharkhand witnessed an estimated 55 per cent of the electorate exercising their franchise. (The Hindu)
  • Sindhis move court: The Sindhi Council of India has moved the Supreme Court opposing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking deletion of the word, `Sindh’ from the Indian National Anthem. Sindh is a province of Pakistan and was part of India prior to partition. (Rediff)
  • India to bid for World Cup: The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is to bid for the 10th World Cup athletics championships to be held next year and propose New Delhi to be the host city. (The Hindu)
  • Narayana Murthy most admired biz leader: Infosys chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy has emerged as India’s most admired business leader for the fourth consecutive year, according to a survey by brand consulting, advertising and PR firm Brand-comm. (Rediff)
  • UK may participate in India’s moon mission: British High Commissioner Michael Arthur told reporters that Britain is considering taking part in India’s moon mission Chandrayaan - 1. The Indian spacecraft may carry a UK component as one of the payload, he said. (Rediff)
  • M&M, Renault team for passenger car Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and Renault announced today the formation of a joint venture company, Mahindra Renault Ltd., which will introduce the popular `C’ segment passenger car, Logan, in India in 2007. (The Hindu)
  • Air India takes delivery of Boeing 737-800 Air India today took delivery of the first of the three Boeing 737-800s for its subsidiary, AI Express, for operations to the Gulf. (The Hindu)


February 21, 2005

  • Avalanche toll in south Kashmir: More than 100 people (includes 26 children and 18 women) are feared killed with around 230 missing in the avalanches that swept villages in south Kashmir district of Anantnag located on the Pirpanchal foothills. Avalanche almost buried the hamlets Naginpora Nar, Panzgam and Watlungu Nar with 10-15 feet of snowfall. (The Hindu)
  • Akash missile test fired: The medium-range surface–to-air missile Akash was test-fired at the test range at Chandipur near Balasore in the state of Orissa. (Dawn)
  • 52% dropout in schools: – India prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that the dropout rate at elementary level (Class I to VIII) was 52.79% due to lack of adequate facilities and large scale teacher absenteeism. (New Kerala)
  • Jyoti Randhawa 3rd in Asian Order if merit: Indian golf pro Jyoti Randhawa moved up to the third position in the 2005 Order of Merit in the Asian Tour. (The Hindu)


February 20, 2005

  • The tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake has uncovered part of an ancient city near the town of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. (Associated Press)


February 18, 2005

  • Shiv Sena corporator Datta Dalvi is elected Mayor of Mumbai. (Rediff)


February 11, 2005

  • The Supreme Court of India agrees to examine the legality of the sensitive issue raised in a petition demanding reservation for Dalits even after conversion to Christianity. (Indian Express)
  • In Karnataka, “heavily” armed Naxalites gun down six State Reserve Police personnel and a civilian and injure five others at Venkammanahali in Tumkur district bordering Andhra Pradesh. (Times of India) (Indian Express)
  • In Punjab, police register a case against Shiv Sena’s Delhi unit president Jai Bhagwan Goyal and begin investigation into party supremo Bal Thackeray’s role in incident at Punjab Cricket Association in Mohali. (Expressindia.com) (Statesman) (Rediff)
  • The All India Anti-Terrorist Front seeks a ban on entry of former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad in India following reports of his son’s alleged engagement to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s daughter.
  • The supreme court issues notices to all state governments on a public interest petition seeking a ban on mixing whitening chemical agents like magnesium carbonate in gutkas. (NDTV) (Times of India) (Rediff)


February 6, 2005

  • A bus falls into gorge near Udhampur, killing 31 people and injuring 29. (Indian Express) (Xinhua)


February 1, 2005

  • Narain secures Jordan F1 drive Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan will drive for Jordan in the 2005 Formula One season after securing an offer from the team. Narain would be Jordan’s number one driver. (Reuters)


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Past events by month

2005 in India: January
2004 in India: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2003 in India: January February March April May June July August September October November December


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  • - This has much of the same material organised in a hierarchical manner to help encourage NPOV in our news reporting.

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