PORT-AU-PRINCE -- A politically influential Roman Catholic priest has been cleared of criminal weapons charges in Haiti, freeing him to seek elective office, his lawyer said Monday.
Haiti's highest court dropped charges that the Rev. Gerard Jean-Juste conspired to illegally import weapons because of a lack of evidence, according to Mario Joseph, a lawyer for the ally of ousted former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Jean-Juste ''is free to exercise all his rights and his political rights,'' Joseph said. ``He can vote, run for office and do whatever else he wants.''
The charges were dropped June 9, but no public announcement was made by the court. Court officials confirmed the decision to the newspaper Le Nouvelliste.
Jean-Juste, in his 60s and suffering from leukemia, was cleared last year of homicide charges related to the 2005 killing of Haitian journalist and poet Jacques Roche.
The interim government that followed Aristide's ouster jailed Jean-Juste on suspicion of involvement in that killing. He was released in January 2006 to be treated in Miami for cancer and pneumonia.
Jean-Juste has remained active in Haitian politics despite the charges against him, leading thousands in an April rally for Aristide's return at an amphitheater in the oceanside slum of Cite Soleil.
Haiti's next presidential election is in 2011.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Heroes of 1983 re-live their triumph
New Delhi: The heroes who changed India's cricketing landscape by winning the 1983 World Cup were felicitated by the Indian cricket board here on Sunday as part of the silver jubilee celebrations of the historic win.
The 15 men including manager PR Man Singh penned a new chapter in Indian history 25 summers ago on the hallowed turfs of Lord's by beating Clive Lloyd's invincible West Indies.
With their fond memories they transported the audience at a city hotel, as they recalled the eventful day of June 25 when a bunch of no-hopers emerged world champions.
The players, who have since become legends, were given a red carpet welcome by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
As world Cup winning captain Kapil Dev introduced his so-called "Devils" one by one on the dias, he was overcome with emotions.
"It is very difficult to talk at this moment. We will never know how it happened. In life many such things happen. Later in your life you come to know how beautiful those moments were," said Kapil.
He paid rich tributes to the fans. "Twenty-five years back the love and affection that we got from the people was unparallel. It can never match any amount of money."
Kapil also thanked the selectors and then board president NKP Salve for extending all support to them.
"Salve's leadership skills were par excellence," he said.
Former captains Chandu Borde and Bishan Singh Bedi, who were in the selection committee then, were also present at the occasion.
Another former captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was also a part of the World Cup winning squad, praised Kapil for his impeccable leadership abilities.
"He was the man, who showed us the way. The moment when Kapil lifted the Prudential Trophy high above his head is the best moment of my life. Can you imagine India, no-hopers before the tournament became the world champions," said Gavaskar.
He also said Kapil's match winning 175, when India were struggling at 77/6 against Zimbabwe in the group stage, showed them the way. "The innings was simply remarkable," said Gavaskar.
Kapil, who was barely 23 during that time, said that he made lots of mistakes at an young age. "I didn't have the finesse. But I had senior players like Sunil and Jimmy (Mohinder Amarnath) around me to always rely on," said Kapil.
Board president Sharad Pawar said the victory accelerated the popularity of the game in the country and put Indian cricket on an upward path.
"The win gave us a strong position that we enjoy in world cricket right now," he said.
Each of the team members was presented with a cheque of Rs.2.5 million and were felicitated by Pawar and Sports Minister MS Gill. The Prudential Cup trophy was again presented to the team.
Also present on the occasion were Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Mohammed Azharuddin and former board presidents Salve, Raj Singh Dungarpur, Inderjit Singh Bindra and Ranbir Singh Mahendra.
Source: IANS
Turning back the years 1983 World Cup triumph: A story of grit and determinationSummer of 1983 - The clinical demolitionAn Ode to the King of Tunbridge WellsSummer of 1983: Binny’s Day Out 1983 World Cup: India's path to gloryDespite BCCI’s efforts, Kapil’s feat indelibleWorld Cup win revolutionised cricket in India: Yashpal Sharma
More on Cricket The best five ODI centuries ever madeRahul Dravid on his life and careerWhy Sachin should go for gold and moreNo favourites, all equals in Asia Cup: Malik England cricketers threaten to boycott Champions TrophyICC wants to popularise Test cricketAsif to pay legal bills if found guilty in PCB inquiry
The 15 men including manager PR Man Singh penned a new chapter in Indian history 25 summers ago on the hallowed turfs of Lord's by beating Clive Lloyd's invincible West Indies.
With their fond memories they transported the audience at a city hotel, as they recalled the eventful day of June 25 when a bunch of no-hopers emerged world champions.
The players, who have since become legends, were given a red carpet welcome by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
As world Cup winning captain Kapil Dev introduced his so-called "Devils" one by one on the dias, he was overcome with emotions.
"It is very difficult to talk at this moment. We will never know how it happened. In life many such things happen. Later in your life you come to know how beautiful those moments were," said Kapil.
He paid rich tributes to the fans. "Twenty-five years back the love and affection that we got from the people was unparallel. It can never match any amount of money."
Kapil also thanked the selectors and then board president NKP Salve for extending all support to them.
"Salve's leadership skills were par excellence," he said.
Former captains Chandu Borde and Bishan Singh Bedi, who were in the selection committee then, were also present at the occasion.
Another former captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was also a part of the World Cup winning squad, praised Kapil for his impeccable leadership abilities.
"He was the man, who showed us the way. The moment when Kapil lifted the Prudential Trophy high above his head is the best moment of my life. Can you imagine India, no-hopers before the tournament became the world champions," said Gavaskar.
He also said Kapil's match winning 175, when India were struggling at 77/6 against Zimbabwe in the group stage, showed them the way. "The innings was simply remarkable," said Gavaskar.
Kapil, who was barely 23 during that time, said that he made lots of mistakes at an young age. "I didn't have the finesse. But I had senior players like Sunil and Jimmy (Mohinder Amarnath) around me to always rely on," said Kapil.
Board president Sharad Pawar said the victory accelerated the popularity of the game in the country and put Indian cricket on an upward path.
"The win gave us a strong position that we enjoy in world cricket right now," he said.
Each of the team members was presented with a cheque of Rs.2.5 million and were felicitated by Pawar and Sports Minister MS Gill. The Prudential Cup trophy was again presented to the team.
Also present on the occasion were Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Mohammed Azharuddin and former board presidents Salve, Raj Singh Dungarpur, Inderjit Singh Bindra and Ranbir Singh Mahendra.
Source: IANS
Turning back the years 1983 World Cup triumph: A story of grit and determinationSummer of 1983 - The clinical demolitionAn Ode to the King of Tunbridge WellsSummer of 1983: Binny’s Day Out 1983 World Cup: India's path to gloryDespite BCCI’s efforts, Kapil’s feat indelibleWorld Cup win revolutionised cricket in India: Yashpal Sharma
More on Cricket The best five ODI centuries ever madeRahul Dravid on his life and careerWhy Sachin should go for gold and moreNo favourites, all equals in Asia Cup: Malik England cricketers threaten to boycott Champions TrophyICC wants to popularise Test cricketAsif to pay legal bills if found guilty in PCB inquiry
Sunday, June 22, 2008
'Get Smart' gets audience with $39.2M debut
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Audiences still get Maxwell Smart. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway's "Get Smart," the Warner Bros. big screen update of the 1960s spy sitcom, raked in $39.2 million to debut as the No. 1 weekend movie, according to studio estimates Sunday.
But movie-goers did not get Mike Myers' "The Love Guru," the weekend's other new wide release. The Paramount Pictures comedy about a self-help mentor took in just $14 million to open at No. 4.
In limited release, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" opened strongly with $222,697 in five theaters, averaging $44,539 a cinema, compared with $10,012 in 3,911 theaters for "Get Smart."
"Kit Kittredge," released by Picturehouse and based on the popular line of American Girl dolls, stars Abigail Breslin as a 9-year-old aspiring newspaper reporter during the Depression. The film expands into wide release July 2.
The weekend's No. 2 spot was a photo finish between DreamWorks Animation and Paramount's "Kung Fu Panda" and Universal's "The Incredible Hulk."
In its third weekend, "Kung Fu Panda" pulled in $21.7 million, raising its domestic total to $155.6 million. "The Incredible Hulk" was right behind with $21.6 million in its second weekend to lift its total to $96.5 million.
"Panda" and "Hulk" were close enough that their rankings could change when final numbers are released Monday.
Hollywood's summer surge continued, with total revenues climbing for the fourth straight weekend compared to last year. The top 12 movies took in $136.9 million, up nearly 10 percent from the same weekend in 2007, when Carell's "Evan Almighty" opened at No. 1 with $31.2 million.
The industry is on track to beat the revenue record set last summer, when receipts topped $4 billion for the first time.
"While the country may be suffering with a so-called recession, people are finding movies a fairly inexpensive way to get their entertainment," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "This proves the conventional wisdom that, during tough economic times, the movies flourish."
In "Get Smart," Carell re-creates the bumbling Max Smart character created by Don Adams, with Hathaway playing the capable Agent 99 as the duo try to stop a plot to arm unstable governments with nuclear bombs. Dwayne Johnson co-stars as a superstar spy colleague.
Critics picked apart the movie for emphasizing action over the crisp verbal comedy of the TV show, but Warner Bros. figures that was a wise commercial move. While 60 percent of the audience was 25 or older, that still meant a sizable younger crowd that was more keen on the movie's action, said Dan Fellman, the studio's head of distribution.
"We were very pleased to have 40 percent under 25, because they did not grow up on the television show," Fellman said. "The filmmakers did a great job in making that happen. They broadened the audience and brought it into a modern-day bent."
Myers — who dreamed up the "Love Guru" character, co-wrote the script and was a producer on the movie — has been accustomed to blockbuster openings with the three "Shrek" flicks and his two "Austin Powers" spy sequels.
"Mike Myers, the master of the spy spoof, opens his movie against a spy comedy, and the spy movie genre was obviously a lot more appealing to audiences," Dergarabedian said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Get Smart," $39.2 million.
2. "Kung Fu Panda," $21.7 million.
3. "The Incredible Hulk," $21.6 million.
4. "The Love Guru," $14 million.
5. "The Happening," $10 million.
6. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $8.4 million.
7. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," $7.2 million.
8. "Sex and the City," $6.5 million.
9. "Iron Man," $4 million.
10. "The Strangers," $1.9 million.
But movie-goers did not get Mike Myers' "The Love Guru," the weekend's other new wide release. The Paramount Pictures comedy about a self-help mentor took in just $14 million to open at No. 4.
In limited release, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" opened strongly with $222,697 in five theaters, averaging $44,539 a cinema, compared with $10,012 in 3,911 theaters for "Get Smart."
"Kit Kittredge," released by Picturehouse and based on the popular line of American Girl dolls, stars Abigail Breslin as a 9-year-old aspiring newspaper reporter during the Depression. The film expands into wide release July 2.
The weekend's No. 2 spot was a photo finish between DreamWorks Animation and Paramount's "Kung Fu Panda" and Universal's "The Incredible Hulk."
In its third weekend, "Kung Fu Panda" pulled in $21.7 million, raising its domestic total to $155.6 million. "The Incredible Hulk" was right behind with $21.6 million in its second weekend to lift its total to $96.5 million.
"Panda" and "Hulk" were close enough that their rankings could change when final numbers are released Monday.
Hollywood's summer surge continued, with total revenues climbing for the fourth straight weekend compared to last year. The top 12 movies took in $136.9 million, up nearly 10 percent from the same weekend in 2007, when Carell's "Evan Almighty" opened at No. 1 with $31.2 million.
The industry is on track to beat the revenue record set last summer, when receipts topped $4 billion for the first time.
"While the country may be suffering with a so-called recession, people are finding movies a fairly inexpensive way to get their entertainment," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "This proves the conventional wisdom that, during tough economic times, the movies flourish."
In "Get Smart," Carell re-creates the bumbling Max Smart character created by Don Adams, with Hathaway playing the capable Agent 99 as the duo try to stop a plot to arm unstable governments with nuclear bombs. Dwayne Johnson co-stars as a superstar spy colleague.
Critics picked apart the movie for emphasizing action over the crisp verbal comedy of the TV show, but Warner Bros. figures that was a wise commercial move. While 60 percent of the audience was 25 or older, that still meant a sizable younger crowd that was more keen on the movie's action, said Dan Fellman, the studio's head of distribution.
"We were very pleased to have 40 percent under 25, because they did not grow up on the television show," Fellman said. "The filmmakers did a great job in making that happen. They broadened the audience and brought it into a modern-day bent."
Myers — who dreamed up the "Love Guru" character, co-wrote the script and was a producer on the movie — has been accustomed to blockbuster openings with the three "Shrek" flicks and his two "Austin Powers" spy sequels.
"Mike Myers, the master of the spy spoof, opens his movie against a spy comedy, and the spy movie genre was obviously a lot more appealing to audiences," Dergarabedian said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Get Smart," $39.2 million.
2. "Kung Fu Panda," $21.7 million.
3. "The Incredible Hulk," $21.6 million.
4. "The Love Guru," $14 million.
5. "The Happening," $10 million.
6. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $8.4 million.
7. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," $7.2 million.
8. "Sex and the City," $6.5 million.
9. "Iron Man," $4 million.
10. "The Strangers," $1.9 million.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Gavaskar to host gala dinner for Kapil’s Devils
It remains the seminal moment in Indian cricket. In 1983, Kapil’s Devils stormed their way to the unlikeliest of World Cup wins at the starchy headquarters of the game - Lord’s. Beginning the tournament as 66-to-one outsiders, they went on to upset the two-time defending champions West Indies in a fairytale final. On the 25th anniversary of the epoch-making win, PR Man Singh, the manager of the victorious team, relives the journey to glory in this exclusive column for Sify.com.
India had only played six matches in the first two editions of the World Cup in 1975 and 1979 and won only one match, that too against East Africa.
Our early unwillingness to take the ODIs seriously is evident from the fact that in the opening game of the 1975 edition between England and India at Lord’s, Sunil Gavaskar batted through the entire 60 overs, scoring 36 and remaining unbeaten.
In 1979, we even lost to Sri Lanka, who had not attained Test status then.
This early lack of interest in the ODIs became evident to me on yet another occasion too: the tour of Pakistan in 1978, when I was the assistant manager of the Indian team.
Pakistan had already adapted to the shorter version of the game, and in the tour itinerary, they included three ODIs. Our Board accepted this with reluctance, but when Pakistan undertook a reciprocal tour in 1979-80, the Indian authorities did not bother to fit in even a single ODI.
Such being the backdrop, the BCCI was under no pressure ahead of the 1983 World Cup. Preparation for the Cup was a low-key affair, as if it were a formality that had to be gone through. As a Test-playing nation, which had been invited, we had to fulfil the obligation. No importance was being given to the tour.
After the selection of the squad, I, for one, felt that this Indian team had the potential to reach the semis. But it never crossed my mind that we could get into the final, let alone win the Cup.
The reason I felt the team could make it to the semis was because of the bits-and-pieces players we had. They were the ones best suited to ODIs.
Also, the number of overs was going to be 60 per innings, which would give batsmen like Sunil (Gavaskar) the opportunity to build an innings, while (Krishnamachari) Srikkanth could have a go at the other end. No doubt the West Indies were a strong side, and as the winners on the previous two occasions, the favourites. But we had just beaten them in Berbice (in the tour of the West Indies that preceded the World Cup) and I felt if we could beat them once, we could do it again.
Next
India had only played six matches in the first two editions of the World Cup in 1975 and 1979 and won only one match, that too against East Africa.
Our early unwillingness to take the ODIs seriously is evident from the fact that in the opening game of the 1975 edition between England and India at Lord’s, Sunil Gavaskar batted through the entire 60 overs, scoring 36 and remaining unbeaten.
In 1979, we even lost to Sri Lanka, who had not attained Test status then.
This early lack of interest in the ODIs became evident to me on yet another occasion too: the tour of Pakistan in 1978, when I was the assistant manager of the Indian team.
Pakistan had already adapted to the shorter version of the game, and in the tour itinerary, they included three ODIs. Our Board accepted this with reluctance, but when Pakistan undertook a reciprocal tour in 1979-80, the Indian authorities did not bother to fit in even a single ODI.
Such being the backdrop, the BCCI was under no pressure ahead of the 1983 World Cup. Preparation for the Cup was a low-key affair, as if it were a formality that had to be gone through. As a Test-playing nation, which had been invited, we had to fulfil the obligation. No importance was being given to the tour.
After the selection of the squad, I, for one, felt that this Indian team had the potential to reach the semis. But it never crossed my mind that we could get into the final, let alone win the Cup.
The reason I felt the team could make it to the semis was because of the bits-and-pieces players we had. They were the ones best suited to ODIs.
Also, the number of overs was going to be 60 per innings, which would give batsmen like Sunil (Gavaskar) the opportunity to build an innings, while (Krishnamachari) Srikkanth could have a go at the other end. No doubt the West Indies were a strong side, and as the winners on the previous two occasions, the favourites. But we had just beaten them in Berbice (in the tour of the West Indies that preceded the World Cup) and I felt if we could beat them once, we could do it again.
Next
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Distance measuring syndrome made easy...thanks to Wikimapia
Are you fond of mile stone ... speedometer...or desi method of measuring distance? I must say I am. While riding my bike I use to look at speedometer to view not the speed but the distance. But this speed distance time have been the nightmere for non-engineering guy... whether its class 9th or 10th or CAT, fact is that it is everywhere. While I am travelling in bus I use to guess how far is my place. How can I get there? While traveling in train I use to measure speed of the train. I tell you one tip... Those 15 telephone poles running besides your track make 1 Km. Now its up-to you. you can use or dump....But why am doing bakar bakar ... But at last you need to tolerate me for getting something .... This is the fact of life ...You can"t get everthing without going through some pain... This is the Suri"s law of philosophy.. and again I am big time fan of philosophy. Sorry dudes can"t break the law and hence can"t tell you my findings in 1 line ...Now time has come for that 1 line Wikimapia had amazed me in may 2006, place IIT bombay, hostel no 3, computer room. That time I was doing internship there. I did not expect to see the nicely edited satellite image. Lot of chunk of time was swept away by the www.wikimapia.org. Histroy repeats itself, but location can vary, this time march 2008 place IIT Kharagpur, hostel Azad, my room..But this time again some innovation has crept in, and this time it is Geo Tools (Upper left corner, put mouse on wikimapia.... here it comes..).. measure area of you home or distance to your college or girl friend house ... not even that, you can send the URL to your friend with the distance marked as red ...Lots of chunk of time have been swept away by the wikimapia... AM I sick or crazy or distance geek .. you can decide and just tell me in my guest book.............. YES I AM THAT ONE .........crazy.
Skin remedies at your fingertips
Only a lucky few are blessed with a peaches-and-cream complexion. Most of us at some point or the other have been worried by skin problems. We spoke to many and have concluded that acne, blemishes, pigmentation, tanned skin and dark circles, are the most common skin woes. Here is a compilation on home remedies for all the above problems
-By Sugatha Menon
Nobody knows your skin as well as you, you are the best judge of what suits your skin type. Before you try out the recipe, do consult your skin specialist if you have any doubts. Doing a patch test under your forearm, before applying anything new to your face is also recommended. However since the remedies are natural and simple and off your kitchen shelves, you can rest assured.
A for acne
Just like A tops the alphabet list, so does acne top the skin problems list. The cause for acne are too many. However here are a few remedies you could try out to do the trick.
Multani mitti with rose water
Chill rose water. Take a few tbsp of multani mitti, add to it the chilled rose water, a few drops of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of sandalwood powder. Apply this pack to your face thrice a week for maximum results.
Cinnamon and honey
Take 2-3 pieces of cinnamon, powder it well. Mix it with honey and apply on the pimples, Leave it overnight. Regularly following this routine will control the pimple menace to a considerable extent.
Neem and mint leaves
Make a fine paste of neem and mint leaves. Apply to your face for 30 minutes. Rinse it off with cool water. It will keep your skin fresh and prevent an outbreak of acne.
Tulsi and mint leaves
If neem is not easily available, try the above method with tusli leaves as a substitute. Toothpaste
Many swear by this. Apply a dab of fluoride toothpaste (gel doesn’t work) to the first sign of a pimple and leave it overnight. The redness, swelling and pain will vanish. Orange peel
Dry orange and lemon peels in the sun. Store it in a dry container. To control acne, regularly use as a pack, powdered orange and lemon peels blended with rose water and sandalwood powder.
Turmeric
This recipe is a favourite with grandmothers. Make a paste of fresh turmeric root (freely available in the market). Add to it fresh sandalwood paste and a bit of powdered nutmeg. It works wonders on problem skin.
Garlic
This is another popular tip for zit zapping. Grate the juice of a 2-3 garlic cloves and apply it to the affected areas.
Fenugreek (methi) leaves
Grind together methi leaves, tulsi and mint leaves. Add a few drops of lemon to this. Apply this green pack to freshly washed face. Leave it for 20 minutes or till the pack dries. Rinse off with cold water. Do it regularly and see acne disappear.
Ban blemishes
The most common causes of blemishes are direct exposure to the sun, severe acne or skin disease. Here are a few ways to fight them.
Cucumber juice
Cucumbers are said to have compounds that are extremely beneficial for the skin. Even applying cold slices of cucumber to your skin is said to be beneficial. To get rid of scars form your face, extract the juice of a small piece of cucumber and add to it a few drop of lime juice. Apply regularly to the affected areas.
Honey
Honey is known to have mild bleaching properties. Take a tbsp of pure honey, add to it a few drops of lemon juice, a tsp of milk and a pinch of fresh turmeric powder. Apply this all over the scarred areas. It is said to have miraculous results, if done regularly for a long period of time.
Neem leaves and turmeric
This is said to be beneficial if you are plagued by chicken pox scars. Grind together fresh neem leaves and fresh turmeric. Make a paste and apply it to your face. Let it dry and then rinse off with lukewarm water.
-By Sugatha Menon
Nobody knows your skin as well as you, you are the best judge of what suits your skin type. Before you try out the recipe, do consult your skin specialist if you have any doubts. Doing a patch test under your forearm, before applying anything new to your face is also recommended. However since the remedies are natural and simple and off your kitchen shelves, you can rest assured.
A for acne
Just like A tops the alphabet list, so does acne top the skin problems list. The cause for acne are too many. However here are a few remedies you could try out to do the trick.
Multani mitti with rose water
Chill rose water. Take a few tbsp of multani mitti, add to it the chilled rose water, a few drops of lemon juice and 1 tbsp of sandalwood powder. Apply this pack to your face thrice a week for maximum results.
Cinnamon and honey
Take 2-3 pieces of cinnamon, powder it well. Mix it with honey and apply on the pimples, Leave it overnight. Regularly following this routine will control the pimple menace to a considerable extent.
Neem and mint leaves
Make a fine paste of neem and mint leaves. Apply to your face for 30 minutes. Rinse it off with cool water. It will keep your skin fresh and prevent an outbreak of acne.
Tulsi and mint leaves
If neem is not easily available, try the above method with tusli leaves as a substitute. Toothpaste
Many swear by this. Apply a dab of fluoride toothpaste (gel doesn’t work) to the first sign of a pimple and leave it overnight. The redness, swelling and pain will vanish. Orange peel
Dry orange and lemon peels in the sun. Store it in a dry container. To control acne, regularly use as a pack, powdered orange and lemon peels blended with rose water and sandalwood powder.
Turmeric
This recipe is a favourite with grandmothers. Make a paste of fresh turmeric root (freely available in the market). Add to it fresh sandalwood paste and a bit of powdered nutmeg. It works wonders on problem skin.
Garlic
This is another popular tip for zit zapping. Grate the juice of a 2-3 garlic cloves and apply it to the affected areas.
Fenugreek (methi) leaves
Grind together methi leaves, tulsi and mint leaves. Add a few drops of lemon to this. Apply this green pack to freshly washed face. Leave it for 20 minutes or till the pack dries. Rinse off with cold water. Do it regularly and see acne disappear.
Ban blemishes
The most common causes of blemishes are direct exposure to the sun, severe acne or skin disease. Here are a few ways to fight them.
Cucumber juice
Cucumbers are said to have compounds that are extremely beneficial for the skin. Even applying cold slices of cucumber to your skin is said to be beneficial. To get rid of scars form your face, extract the juice of a small piece of cucumber and add to it a few drop of lime juice. Apply regularly to the affected areas.
Honey
Honey is known to have mild bleaching properties. Take a tbsp of pure honey, add to it a few drops of lemon juice, a tsp of milk and a pinch of fresh turmeric powder. Apply this all over the scarred areas. It is said to have miraculous results, if done regularly for a long period of time.
Neem leaves and turmeric
This is said to be beneficial if you are plagued by chicken pox scars. Grind together fresh neem leaves and fresh turmeric. Make a paste and apply it to your face. Let it dry and then rinse off with lukewarm water.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
SASABE, Mexico - The sandy streets of Sasabe are empty. Migrant smugglers have to hunt for business at border-town shelters. Many deported migrants give up after one try, taking their government up on free bus rides home.
A U.S. crackdown is causing the longest and most significant drop in illegal migration from Mexico since the Sept. 11 attacks. Officials say the U.S. economic downturn, tighter security and a more perilous and expensive journey are persuading many who try to sneak into the U.S. to give up sooner.
Border Patrol arrests are down 17 percent so far this year along the U.S.-Mexico border after falling 20 percent all of last fiscal year and 8 percent the year before that. While it's impossible to know how many people are crossing illegally, the Patrol uses apprehensions to estimate the ebb and flow of traffic.
The downturn in illegal immigration has created labor shortages throughout the United States and several states are considering temporary-worker programs, especially in agricultural fields, where produce is going bad.
Mexicans in the U.S. are starting to send less money home, too.
Money being sent back is downRemittances soared in the early part of the decade to become Mexico's largest source of foreign income after oil exports. But they rose just 1 percent in 2007, reaching $24 billion and in the first quarter this year, they slipped almost 3 percent from the same period last year, Mexico's central bank said this week.
Adolfo Vasquez, a 41-year-old corn farmer from southern Mexico, picked fruit for three years in Washington state. Last year it took him two tries to get to his job. This year, he walked for four nights before U.S. Border Patrol agents caught him. He doesn't plan to try again.
"It's very disheartening because every time it gets twice as difficult," said Vasquez, resting under an aid station tent for deportees in Nogales. "We're going to go to Los Cabos or Tijuana. We hear there is work there."
The number of returned migrants who try again through the heavily traveled desert corridor west of Sasabe has dropped from 80 percent to 40 percent since January, said Border Patrol spokesman Jose Gonzalez. Agents keep fingerprints on all those apprehended and can determine multiple offenders, even if they give false names.
U.S. authorities attribute the drop to tighter security and a new program in the Tucson sector that has prosecuted more than 3,000 migrants for crossing illegally since it started in January. They face jail sentences from a few days to six months.
But none of the migrants interviewed by The Associated Press knew about the new prosecution program. Those on their way home said the main deterrents were tougher security and the dangers of the desert, including bandits who rob and even rape migrants on both sides of the border.
More border securityThe U.S. Border Patrol has added 200 officers since last year to the Tucson sector, and a total of 3,000 agents now search the vast desert for illegal migrants by truck, horse, ATV and helicopter. They now have four drones scanning for drug and migrant smugglers, as well as two newly built 12-foot walls with steel posts near Nogales and in Sasabe.
At the same time, Mexican drug smugglers have started to collect fees for access to the main routes into Arizona.
As a result, Grupo Beta, the Mexican government's migrant rescue group, has seen a 257 percent increase in the number of people seeking discounted bus tickets home this year. So far, 2,500 people in Nogales and Sasabe asked for the tickets this year, while Grupo Beta had only 700 requests in all of 2007.
"We can't keep up with so many people who are heading back," said Enrique Enriquez, coordinator for Grupo Beta in Nogales. He said his rescuers spend the day shuttling migrants to a bus station.
Maria Fernandez, 25, made her first crossing with her husband after both had been laid off from a department store in Puebla state. Friends in New York offered to help them find work. First they traveled to Altar, a farming town 70 miles south of Sasabe, a major gathering point for those heading to Arizona.
There, they had to pay about $50 so drug smugglers would allow them to travel the bumpy road north, and another $30 for a van that took them and another 25 migrants to Sasabe.
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They walked for four nights through the mesquite-covered desert, where they were robbed once. They hid from Border Patrol agents at least five times. But when they reached the highway where they would meet their next ride, they were spotted by a helicopter.
Now, Fernandez was waiting in Nogales for her husband to be deported, as she had been.
"I won't try again because it's very difficult and, as a woman, one risks a lot," she said.
The crackdown has made smugglers more desperate to recruit clients for the trip north. If fewer people cross, their earnings drop.
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