While cruising at 40,000 feet, the airplane shuddered and Mr. Benson looked out the window. "Good lord!" he screamed, "one of the engines just blew up!"Other passengers left_inner their seats and came running over; suddenly the aircraft was rocked by a second blast as yet another engine exploded on the other side.The passengers were in a panic now, and even the stewardesses couldn't maintain order. Just then, standing tall and smiling confidently, the pilot strode from the cockpit and assured everyone that there was nothing to worry about. His words and his demeanor seemed made most of the passengers feel better, and they sat down as the pilot calmly walked to the door of the aircraft. There, he grabbed several packages from under the seatsand began handing them to the flight attendants. Each crew member attatched the package to their backs."Say," spoke up an alert passenger, "aren't those parachutes?"The pilot said they were.The passenger went on, "But I thought you said there was nothing to worry about?""There isn't," replied the pilot as a third engine exploded. "We're going to get help."
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Voting on women's bill deferred, unruly scenes in Rajya Sabha
In an anti-climax, voting on the women's reservation bill in the Rajya Sabha was deferred on Monday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh likely to call an all-party meeting on the issue on Tuesday after Samajwadi Party and RJD threatened to withdraw support to the UPA government.
On a day of dramatic developments, the Constitution amendment bill for reserving one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and Assemblies was tabled in the Rajya Sabha amidst unruly scenes with the opponents of the measure belonging to SP, RJD and an expelled member of the JD (U) tearing the copies of the measure and virtually trying to attack Chairman Hamid Ansari.
After five adjournments, the House was adjourned for the day at 1800 hours without the bill being taken up despite the government having the numbers to carry the legislation through.
But the staunch opponents-SP and RJD which has 25 MPs in the Lok Sabha sent ominous signals to the government that has important money bills and Budgets to adopt in the Lower House that its majority may be made wafer-thin, just above the half-way mark of 272, if the BSP, which too is opposed to the legislation, also withdraws support.
This was followed by hectic consultations between the Prime Minister and his senior Cabinet colleagues and with leaders of the supporters of the bill--BJP and Left parties and with the opponents-Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad together and with BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra separately.
The leaders opposing the bill made it clear to the Prime Minister that their parties would vote against it in its present form without quota for women belonging to OBCs and Muslims and that there was no no change.
In US, Muslim women challenge mosque gender separation
WASHINGTON: A group of Muslim women have risked arrest as they sought to pray in the main area of the Islamic Centre of Washington -- an area ordinarily reserved exclusively for men.
"Wooden barriers have to be taken down and women have to be allowed to join, to pray behind the men in the main praying area. That's our request," said Fatima Thompson, an American Muslim who converted to the faith 18 years ago.
"We are against gender segregation, against the fact that women are put aside or in a totally different room at the mosque," added Thompson, who led the group of female protestors, all self-identified progressive Muslims.
The yesterday protest was the second time women have sought to share the main prayer area at the mosque in Washington DC, after a group of 20 women first tried in February.
"The general issue we are pushing is gender segregation and the ramifications it fosters. It's not healthy, and not reflective of our society here. It's very reflective of very restrictive, ultra orthodox societies," Thompson added.
Their hair covered with headscarves, the group of six women entered the mosque's prayer area via the main door usually reserved for men and walked through to the room where around 20 men had already arrived. Women and children ordinarily enter the Washington mosque, located in the city's embassy district, through a small door hidden behind a screen.
Sonia Gandhi, Nooyi in Asia's 8 top power women
WASHINGTON: Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Pepsico's India-born CEO Indra Nooyi and ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar figure in CNN's list of eight of Asia's top power women.
Taking a "look at the key women who are shaping Asia's political and economic landscape" on the occasion of 100th International Women's Day, the CNN's list is headed by China's "Paper Queen" Zhang Yin.
Indra Nooyi, in the second place, "lords over some 185,000 corporate minions in close to 200 countries", notes CNN. "Nooyi's hard-as-nails leadership and her sense of fun (one-time lead guitarist in an all-girls rock band still performs regularly at corporate functions) has earned her spots on many 'best leader' lists in the US," it adds.
"Converted Indian Sonia Gandhi's story reads like a soap opera," says CNN of the third-placed Italy born president of the Indian National Congress and chairperson of ruling United Progressive Alliance.
"Born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino in Italy, she met future husband and Indian political aristocrat Rajiv Gandhi at Cambridge and tied the knot four years later. Rajiv became India's prime minister but was assassinated in 1991.
"Years later (Sonia) Gandhi entered politics as a primary member of the Congress before rising through the ranks to become party leader in 1998.
"Under her leadership, the Congress become the Lok Sabha's single largest political party."
Fifth placed "Chandra Kochhar is no stranger to 'key women' lists," notes CNN. The head of ICICI Bank -- India's second largest bank -- has frequently been named in Fortune's "Most Powerful Women in Business" list. Last year she figured among Forbes' "World's 100 Most Powerful Women".
"Little wonder, considering how the mother of two is responsible for some 15 million customers in India, which makes up a third of India's retail lending," it says.
Others on the list are Ho Ching (4), wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and CEO of Singapore's government-owned investment company Temasek, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (6), Hyun Jeong-eun (7), chairwoman of massive South Korean conglomerate Hyundai, and Indonesia's Finance Minister Sri Indrawati (8).
Ingredients: Chicken - ½ kg, boneless, cut into 1-inch pieces
Onion - 2, medium size, finely sliced
Ginger - ½ inch size, finely chopped and crushed
Garlic - 2 beads, finely chopped and crushed
Tomato - 1, big size, fully ripe, pureed; or alternatively use 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce
Green chillies - 3, medium size, medium hot, finely chopped
Capsicum - 1, sliced length-wise
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder - ½ teaspoon
All purpose flour - 2 tablespoons
Soya sauce - 3 teaspoons
Vinegar - 2 teaspoons
Salt - ½ teaspoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Method:
Mix well the flour, chilly powder, black pepper powder, soya sauce, vineger, tomato puree, ginger, garlic, and salt. Add the chicken pieces to this marinade and marinate it covered for 2-4 hours in a refrigerator. Heat oil in a fry pan and when the oil is very hot, add the onions and saute till slightly golden. Add the marinated chicken pieces and capsicum and saute on low heat for 30 to 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender taking care not to burn the chicken pieces by stirring continually. Sprinkle a litte hot water only whenever needed while cooking. Serve it hot garnished with onion rings, lemon wedges, tomato slices, and/or fresh green chillies as a main entrée or as appetising snacks. Enjoy!
Contributed by Sayeed
Ingredients:
