Sonia Gandhi back in Delhi from US after surgery

Sonia Gandhi, the Congress party chief, returned home on Thursday after undergoing surgery in the United States five weeks ago for an undisclosed condition.

"Sonia Gandhi arrived early this morning, she is doing fine," Congress spokesman Janardan Dwivedi told AFP without giving further details.

Party officials announced on August 4 that Gandhi, 64, had been operated on in the United States, though they have since declined to release any information about her health or where she was admitted to hospital.

Italian-born Gandhi is widely thought to be preparing the ground for her only son Rahul to become prime minister at some stage after Singh, 78, steps down.

Rahul, 41, who sits in the lower house of Parliament, has had joint charge of the Congress party while his mother has been away, but he adopted a low profile during a difficult period for the government.

It struggled to react to a nationwide civil protest movement that sprung up in support of anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare, who went on a 13-day hunger strike at a public venue in the capital New Delhi.

Authorities were heavily criticised for making several blunders in dealing with the hugely popular Hazare after they briefly arrested him and prime minister Singh denounced him in Parliament.

Hazare's campaign claimed victory after lawmakers agreed to consider some of his demands over the strengthening of anti-corruption legislation being drawn up.

The government, which most observers say is guided on many strategic and daily matters by Sonia Gandhi, is also under pressure over security failures after a bomb outside the New Delhi court on Wednesday killed 12 people.

India has been hit by a series of bomb attacks in recent years, many of which remain unsolved.

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Tomato Festival 2011 in Bunol, Spain

Every year on the last Wednesday of August, the townfolk of Bunol, Spain and tourists alike gather together to throw tomatoes. Over 100 metric tons of ripened tomatoes are hurled, lobbed, smashed, and flung in the streets which turn the town into a crimson saucy mess. Bunol has a population of 9,000 local citizens but when the Tomatina festival begins, the population swells by another 20,000 to 40,000 visitors who enjoy the week-long festival and of course, the tomato throwing carnage.

The history of this crazy festival goes way back in 1944. During that year some young men who wished to participate in the parade of gigantes y cabenzudos throwed the tomatoes at the people. They did the same thing in next few years that unofficially established the festival.

It was in 1959 when the town officially approved the festival. Since then La Tomatina has become one of the most popular and attractive event of the year. Thousands of tourists travel to Spain for the annual La Tomatina festival.

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Wildlife photographer goes swimming with elephants to capture incredible images

This daring British wildlife photographer is shown taking a dip with a herd of wild elephants, who are crossing a river delta in Zimbabwe.

Using a floatation device hidden under his clothes, Chris Weston followed the herd into the tributary of the Zambezi River, capturing images that most wildlife photographers can only dream of.

However, the 44-year-old from Weymouth had spent five weeks gaining the trust of the herd during his time in the Ngamo Game Reserve - which meant he was not considered a threat.

Up close and personal: This elephant turns to the photographer, who is in the water with the herd

'I was never really in any danger,' explained Mr Weston.

'Although there is always an element of that when working with animals, especially ones this size.

'But it's key to be able to read their body language and the way they communicate with you.'

The seasoned wildlife photographer, who has travelled all over the world to document large mammals, says he wants to capture the personality of an animal in the same way a portrait artist would with a human subject.

'It's not so much getting as close as possible,' said Mr Weston.

'Lenses change the perspective of the way we see things.

'What I like to do is show it as we see it and the standard lens is 50mm which means you have to get relatively close.

'The idea is to give the viewer an idea of the personality of that individual animal.

'In much the same way as you would take a person's portrait, you can't be standing half a mile away with a long lens.

'You have to get close and establish some kind of relationship.'

Eye-to-eye: Mr Weston takes a picture of one of his animal friends, who watches playfully

Say cheese! The Brit is shown in between two elephants, who are used to his presence

Mr Weston, who has been a professional photographer for 11 years, said he spends a long time building a relationship with his subjects and has returned to shoot the herd five times over the course of around four years.

'Elephants do have good memories,' he said.

'You can tell they remember you because of how they react when they see you.

'Each time I went back I could pretty much start again where I left off the last time.

'Many animals, such as lions, are wary of humans but elephants don't consider us a threat because of their size.

'I also think they have a better capacity to understand and reason than a lion does.

'It's very much like making friends with an animal - and you can only do that when you are relatively close to them.'

Thirsty work: One of Mr Weston's subjects is shown taking in a good gulp of water

Mr Weston used a vehicle to follow the herd but took to the water to get the pictures he needed.

He said: 'They came out of the forest and began crossing the river.

'I was wearing a flotation device under my clothes and was able to get very close to them.

'I hope it gives people a much better idea about elephants in their natural environment.'

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Briefcase bomb at Delhi high court kills 12, injures 62

Twelve people were killed and at least 62 others injured in a powerful blast outside Delhi high court gate number 5 on Wednesday (Today, 07/09/2011) morning.

The blast took place at around 10.15 am. Home secretary RK Singh told reporters the explosives were placed in a briefcase at the high court reception where hundreds of people come through every day to attend court cases.

The government is investigating an email allegedly sent by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami claiming responsibility for the blast at the court.

Television images showed scores of lawyers in black coats running from one of the main gates of the building.

"This appears to be a bomb explosion and it is at least a medium-intensity bomb... The site has been fully secured and Delhi has been put on high alert. Whatever precautions need to be taken are being taken," said home ministry official UK Bansal.

The injured have been taken to AIIMS, RML and Safdarjung hospitals. The Delhi Police have cordoned off the area, not far from Parliament and the Prime Minister's Office. Fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.

Top officials of Delhi Police including Special Commissioner (law and order) Dharmendra Kumar and Joint Commissioner of Special Cell RS Krishnaiah have rushed to the spot.

Jt Commissioner (Crime) Sandip Goyal and Special Commissioner PN Aggarwal also joined them.

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2pm to allow government collect information and make its statement on bomb blast outside Delhi High Court.

The blast was the second explosion at the high court this year. On May 25, a small explosion that appeared to be a failed car bomb hit the court parking lot.

A high alert in the capital has been sounded and security tighten at public places.

DELHI HIGH COURT BLAST LIVE UPDATES

01:31pm: MHA sources say an IED was used for the blast
01:20pm: Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit visiting RML hospital to see the injured
01:15pm: Home minister visits blast site, on way to hospitals to see the injured
01:06pm: PM sends condolences to the family members of those killed
01:06pm: PM calls the Delhi blast a cowardly attack
01:05pm: Prime Minister makes first statement on Delhi blast from Dhaka
12:52pm: Delhi Lt Governor condemns blast, says Delhi 'lucrative' target for terrorists
12:49pm: LK Advani says, "We are all united in this moment of crisis"
12:48pm: LK Advani condemns Delhi blast
12:46pm: Senior BJP leader LK Advani makes statement
12:44pm: Home minister confirms 9 dead, 47 injured
12:43pm: Home minister calls the Delhi blast a terror attack
12:40pm: Home minister P Chidambaram makes statement in Parliament
12:08pm: So far 9 people confirmed dead. Casualties may go up
12:06pm: At least 50 injured people brought to RML Hospital
11:57am: Blast helpline numbers: Safdarjung Hospital - 011-26707444, RML Hospital - 011-23744721
11:52am: All metros put on high alert
11:50am: Home minister to make statement at 12:30pm
11:48am: Reports say death toll now stands at 11
11:45am: 9 killed, 45 injured
11:43am: Home secretary calls for emergency meeting on the blast
11:38am: Police confirms 27 injured
11:29am: NSG squad reaches spot
11:25am: 9 people confirmed dead
11:22am: Home minister to make statement in Parliament
11:20am: Home ministry assesses situation
11:12am: Police say blast took place outside the court premises
11:10am: Police sources say bomb was kept in briefcase
10:59am: At least 4 people are reported killed
10:46am: Delhi police commissioner reaches blast site
10:45am: Injured rushed to nearby hospitals like Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College and Hospital
10:35am: Entire area cordoned off
10:28am: Sources confirm at least 20 people are injured
10:23am: At least 7 people reported injured
10:20am: Many people reported injured
10:15am: Blast outside Delhi high court

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10 Most Intelligent Animals In the World

1. Chimpanzee

This animal can be found in wet tropical forests and savannas of West and Central Africa. Chimpanzee are able to learn, perform the tasks of thinking organization, and has a better memory then any other animal. They have been known to beat the college educated in the memory test. They can be taught to use computers to solve numerical problems. These animals can quickly adapt and perform sign language to communicate with humans. Chimpanzees have been observed using advanced knowledge tools. This includes a spear to take animals out of small holes in trees, using branches to lure and catch prey, using stones to break nuts, and leaves a sponge to absorb water. They have seen an attack using tactical maneuvers, such as flanking prey. They often use mental manipulation within their families. Chimpanzee Genome Project is completed in 2005. This shows that chimpanzees share 98% genetically the same DNA as humans. It was approximately four to six million years since humans and chimpanzees that deviate from the evolution of their common ancestor. More recently, chimpanzees have been seen teaching sign language to their babies without human intervention. We were just beginning to understand the mental abilities of chimpanzees.

2. Bottlenose Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin lives in the warm waters worldwide and is the most intelligent species of dolphins. It has a very large brain and the cerebral cortex and the frontal lobe is 40% larger than humans. Cerebral cortex is a part of the brain responsible for social communications, abstract information processing, problem solving, and intelligence of a higher level. Dolphin bottle very easily trained. They have been found to have the ability to think, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend ideas, and learn from previous experiences. They use echolocation to hunt prey, and certain forms of squeaks and whistles to communicate with one another. It is also interesting to see that in many occasions this dolphin show remorse for the other species and the signs of consciousness. In a story recently, the local dolphin named Moko saved two Pygmy sperm whales stranded on New Zealand. Whales had been stranded for hours when Moko appeared and led the pair through the bars of sand for safety. It is a beautiful sight for locals and become national news.

3. Rhesus Monkey

 

Rhesus monkeys are known for intelligence and it has been widely used in biological and medical research. It has great memory, the ability to learn, and make decisions for themselves. They use facial expressions very similar to human and understood by humans. Rhesus Monkey’s have demonstrated suicidal tendencies, planning attacks, and highly complex social animals. They have a detailed system of shared vocal similarities to human communication. Research on the genome sequencing of the Rhesus Monkey in 2007, conclude that humans and apes share 93% of their genetic DNA. Humans and apes chromosome mosaic each other.

4. Elephant

There are three living species of elephants, African Bush Elephant, African forest elephant and Asian elephant. All the offspring is expected to inherit the same genetic genius. In many cultures the elephant is seen as a symbol of wisdom and known for their extraordinary memories. They create a mental map and is said to remember the exact location of water holes that feeding them after not visited for years. Elephant brain is the largest of all land animals. Elephants have exceptional hearing and they use their ears and trunk to listen. They communicate with the bellows, roars, like a trumpet call, and can even send voice remotely using the land. This animal is one of the few species that has shown mirror self-recognition and identify themselves as independent. This test is considered as the higher basis for empathy, altruism, and social interaction in some other species. Elephants have noted a variety of behaviors. Including actions associated with grief, making music, love, play, and the use of sophisticated equipment. Elephants have extraordinary taste for artistic achievement. They can paint a portrait that expresses itself.

5. African Grey Parrot

African gray parrot is a species found in West and Central African rain forest. Parrots is famous to show that they can imitate human speech, but the African Gray can associate words with meaning and form small sentences. This bird communicate with each other through songs, calls, and body language. African Gray’s can easily be trained to have conversations and activities. They can be managed to imitate, create voices and imitate sound of household perfectly. One specific example is Alex birds. Alex can identify more than fifty objects, seven colors, five shapes, and a numeric value to six. Alex understands the difference between large and small, above and below, and even show emotion understanding by telling handlers “to go away” when he became bored with the test. Then there is the story of the African Gray Parrot in Nagarey, Japan lost from the owner, wounded, and sent to the animal hospital. While in hospital the bird began to speak with the vet says “I’m Mr. Yosuke Nakamura.” He also provides a complete home address to the last number. Pretty sure he was right and returned to the house, but not before entertaining the hospital with a song and dance.

6. North Pacific Giant Octopus

This animal live in the depth of the sea. They belong to cephalopods molluscs class. All types of cephalopods are known to have exceptional intellectual ability. Octopus is considered the most intelligent invertebrate life. In the experimental conditions, these animals have shown short and long term memory. They have an extraordinary observation learning and problem solving skills. Octopus nervous system has a very large, but only partially found in their brains. In about two-thirds of octopus, neurons can be found on the rope around and the arm. There are arm that has a very large autonomy. They are masters of mimicry and camouflage. They are professional escape artist and can often be found in the hull crabs, eat the catch. This animal is very keen eyesight, sense of touch, and very fast. There was a report from the North Pacific Giant Octopus that reach 600 pounds, with a range of hands 30 feet

7. Border Collie

 Border Collie is widely regarded as the most intelligent dog breed in the world. They usually spend their time tending sheep and cattle handling various forms, but It’s also a great pet. With physical exercise and various forms of mental stimulation this dog is the fastest to learn. The dog is originated in Scotland, Welsh, and English border and the dogs make a direct impact on the agricultural industry. It has been reported that in certain areas Australian Outback, a trained collie can do five times the amount of work that usually done by human. Border Collie dominate over all breeds in dog sports. They excel in the high jump, utility classes, flying-ball, and even can take first place in dog dancing competitions. They have an extraordinary sense of smell and is widely regarded as the great dog. They can be trained as helper dogs, or in search and rescue as well. This dog obviously will recognize you as an individual personality, they will learn your routine, anticipate what will happen next, and find a way to get what they want.

8. Ravens & Crows

These two animals is mentioned together because both are members of the family Corvidae birds. This family is widely regarded as the most intelligent of all birds. Peak crow IQ scale, which is a scientific test to determine the intelligence of birds. They can count, distinguish complex shapes, and perform observational study tasks. Crows are social creatures and will be involved in the air to form a jousting sequence power. Wild hooded crows in Israel have learned to use bread crumbs as bait fish, think in advance and anticipate the catch. The New Caledonian Crow have been studied for its ability to use tools in looking for food everyday . This includes creating a knife that cut the leaves and stems of grass. They are also using advanced picking, smoothing, and bending of twigs and grass stems to produce a variety of food substances. Raven is similar to the crow, but larger size. Both species are black and the main difference is in their vocalizations. Ravens do a lot of the same behavior as crows, but they have been recognized for their ability to drop the beans, clams, muscles, and oysters on the highway, waiting for cars to run them over.

9. Rats

There are hundreds of species of rats in the whole world. Rat is one of the most studied and tested the animals on this planet. They have been the subject of research and experiments for various well-known and influential physiological studies. The reason for this is that mice is similar to the psychology of human. All rats learned new behaviors and tricks easily. A 2007 study found that mice have metacognition, which is a mental ability previously only been documented in humans and some primates. Mice have a remarkable sense of smell and hearing. They have been trained to detect landmines and bombs. Research and latest technology has been suggested that mice could even smell and identify human sputum samples infected with TB. This is a wonderful animal to solve the maze. Rats are social animals and show signs of remorse, joy, loss, and stress. They dream in a very similar way as humans. They also demonstrate exceptional organizational and technical maintenance. Just remember, mice are intelligent and friendly creatures so don’t afraid of them.

10. Portia Labiata Jumping Spider

 This species is a member of the genus Portia, kind of spiders and smallest creatures in the list. Also known as the White-whiskered Portia, they inhabit the critical areas and secondary forests in Africa, Asia, and Australia. This spider has shown the ability to learn in laboratory tests and the bug has been labeled the smartest in the world. They perform surprisingly well in various tasks of solving problems. One of the principles of their other charming skills of spider webs to their food. To do this they will pull the rhythm in the corner of the web to mimic the trapped bug or insect intruders. If Portia had been found of this spider before, it will remember what the rhythm pattern used to achieve success. Portia labiata had large eyes and have been seen using extraordinary instinctive behavior. The spider who planned to use trial and error approach to hunting and cognitive showed a strong base. When the prey comes and goes, the spider will sit and wait for hours to have a perfect moment to strike. Next, plan ahead and understanding that will eventually eat again. This spider has also shown signs of selective attention by identifying a particular object and prey on others.

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Latest Arabic Mehndi Designs for Ramadan and Bakrid Festivals

Mehandi art or henna is a temporarily done on the body with naturally prepared paste. Henna paste is used on different occasion of religious festivals, wedding ceremonies etc. It can be used as natural medium instead of real tattoo designs. Here are some wonderful pictures of henna art most of them being the Arabic designs.

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