Spurred by investor interest, 39 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have raised Rs 514 crore through initial public offers so far this year, already close to the total garnered in the entire 2016.

Last year, 66 SMEs had raised Rs 540 crore through initial public offers (IPOs).

Experts said the huge capital-raising excercise, mainly to fund business expansion and meet working capital requirements, can be attributed to reforms and initiatives taken by the government to encourage the SME sector.

Of the 39 companies that hit the capital markets this year, 22 have made debut on the SME platform of NSE and raised Rs 365 crore, while 17 companies got listed with IPOs worth Rs 149 crore on BSE's SME platform.

The companies which got listed this year are from sectors such as finance; media; infrastructure; manufacturing; agriculture and IT and IT-enabled service.

"SME capital market is catching up with main board market in several ways such as overwhelming investor response, larger size of IPOs, increasing number of companies tapping market," Pantomath Capital Managing Director Mahavir Lunawat said.

"We are confident that this is only a foundation of alternate capital market and emerging companies would fuel next level growth of economy and actualise make in India campaign." he added.

Funds raised through the issue were used for business expansion plans, working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes.

Gujarat dominated the space with 15 firms garnering Rs 184 crore. It was followed by Maharashtra with 13 SME IPOs raising Rs 171 crore.

Listing will help these companies to enter capital markets and finally migrate to the main board platform.

SMEs list on bourses for easy access to capital, enhanced visibility, growth opportunities, exit route for old shareholders and similar reasons.

BSE and NSE had launched SME platforms in March 2012. Since then, several companies have got listed on them and some have even shifted to the main-board.

Follow this link:

SME IPOs catch investors' attention; raise Rs 514 cr this year ... - Moneycontrol.com

Today, there is a greater need than ever to understand the importance of physical fitness in life, thanks to the sedentary lifestyle most of us have had to adopt due to professional reasons. Staying active and keeping your body functioning at a healthy level are of the essence.

Hitting a gym is always an option. But not everyone is comfortable with the intimidating aura of a gymnasium hall crammed with weight training and cardio machines. If you are that type, the good news is that there are machine-free gyms now operating across Delhi and NCR. The idea is to find alternatives to the old indoor excercise template and pay extra attention to free-hand workout.

Virendra Raj Singh never thought that he would come up with something like this until he set about bringing a change in this machine dominated industry. A model by profession and a certified trainer from the American Council on Exercise, Singh always focused on the natural way of attaining ones dream physique. When I was training myself, I realised that most of the gyms focused on marketing, commercialisation and membership selling, and hardly paid attention to the fitness regime. Their entire mission was to make quick money even if they have to compromise on their clients health. Also, when I was working as a trainer, I did not have the freedom to work and was to abide by certain rules and regulations of the place. I wanted to introduce manual training as I am against unnecessary use of machines. So, I was considered rebellious as I was against the management. People have forgotten that the famous Dara Singh trained himself naturally when there were no machines. Natural training is the best training, says Singh.

He opened his gym, called Strength Box, in Model Town in North Delhi in November 2016, aiming to introduce new concepts and ideas when it comes to physical fitness. Initially for the trainer, it was a challenge to attract new clients without flashy equipment and heavy machines in place. It worked in our favour as we are doing something very exclusive and more effective than machine workout. And therefore, people wanted to give it a try at least. Here, you are using your body as your own machine, exercising in a right way. It is the most natural way to lose weight and gain muscles. We use only those machines which are very, very essential to use in any workout. We dont do major workouts on machines. I train people through bodyweight and free weight workouts, says Singh.

Explaining the basics of bodyweight training and free weight workouts, Singh says, Free weight means when you use weights in your hands, shoulders to do an exercise. These weights are not assisted by machines. Bodyweight means when you are not working with any external weight but using your own body weight to work out. Machines are not compulsory.

Another fitness studio, called MADFIT Personal Training & Group Workout Studio, in Delhis Chattarpur Extension, is working on the same principle as Singhs Strength Box. Manish Ruhail, the owner of this studio says, Even though I understand the importance of equipment and why they are necessary for a lot of exercises, I opted for a machine-free fitness centre because machines bind us. Not only do they take a lot of space, they also restrict the number of exercises one can do on specific equipment. On the other hand, freestyle equipment take less space and allow us to move freely.

But for Ruhail, the challenges were of another order.The difficulty was to educate people as not many understand the meaning of functional training and know how it can help in achieving your fitness goals. The basic difference between bodyweight training and weight training is how one provides resistance to his muscles.In weight training, one increases the resistance simply by increasing the weights we put into use. However, in calisthenics (bodyweight training), we manipulate our own movements using the principles of angular training by using our own bodyweight. Use of minimal equipment or maybe even none is recommended most of the time, says Ruhail.

Similar ideas are espoused byAnand Nagaich, of Go Fitness Academy, Janakpuri. Nagaich, who is the master trainer and educator here, says, We wanted to give something which was absolutely different for people who are actively involved in the fitness circuit. We completely respect conventional gyms and weight training, but bodyweight training is something we believe can train people to become more functional and better prepared for day-to-day challenges in life. We need to agree upon one thing, that maximum movements we do during our active period of the day are done using our bodyweightitself and the rest of them are easily managed because you are still lifting/pushing or pulling significant amount of weight in bodyweight training.

Today, there are only a handful of such gyms in the national capital, but the demand for them is on the rise. We do think that that lots of people are still unaware of the benefits and effectiveness of calisthenics (or bodyweight training), and so yes, the circuit is still a bit bent towards weight training. Nevertheless the shift is happening now and people are opening up to the new regimes as well, says Nagaich.

In contrast to traditional gyms that dont provide a variety of exercise options and offer monotonous workouts, these machine-free gyms regularly endorse Tabata training whichis a high-intensity interval training workout, featuringexercisesthat last for four minutes pikes, planks, high lunges, high knees, push-ups and many which could be an entertaining and effective means to losing weight.

Read this article:

Machine-free gyms setting new goals for fitness freaks - The Sunday Guardian

Maribel Trujillo Diaz, the Butler County mother of four who'd been battling an imminent deportation order, has been sent back to her native Mexico.

Attorney Emily Brown with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) says Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials notified her about the move late Wednesday morning.

ICE, in a statement to WVXU, confirms the deportation was carried out.

"We had filed one last request for prosecutorial discretion from ICE," says Brown. "Many community members, faith leaders, (and) elected officials had also contacted ICE asking for them to exercise discretion in this case. And, unfortunately, ICE decided not to do so."

Brown says she and ABLE are outraged by ICE's actions. "If they are willing to separate a mother with no criminal record from her four American-born children, then it appears that ICE will just target anyone and everyone that they can."

ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls says the agency did excercise discretion by allowing Trujillo Diaz "to remain free from custody with periodic reporting, while her immigration case was pending."

He adds that her "immigration case underwent review at multiple levels of our nations legal system and the courts uniformly held that she had no legal basis to remain in the United States. In 2014, the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed her legal appeals and she became subject to a final order of deportation."

Trujillo Diaz still has a pending asylum request and Brown says she and others will continue working on that motion before the Board of Immigration Appeals.

"We will continue to litigate that motion, and depending on the result, possibly appeal that as well. If she does succeed in getting her case reopened then we would be strongly urging ICE to allow her to come back to the United States at that point. Although, there is no guarantee that they would have to do that."

Brown says it could be up to several months before the board makes a decision.

Through their attorneys, the Trujillo Diaz family is thanking those who have advocated on their behalf. "Maribel and her family and all of us have been incredibly heartened by the outpouring of support by the community, from faith leaders, from people in Southwest Ohio but also around the country who have really stood up and said that this case is an example of the misguided and cruel nature of Trump's immigration policies."

Maribel Trujillo Diaz came to the U.S. without documents in 2002. She'd been meeting regularly with ICE officials since being caught up in a raid on a food plant where she worked. A final deportation order was issued in 2014, but under the previous presidential administration, officials had not moved forward.

Her case garnered widespread attention after she was picked up by ICE officials unexpectedly two weeks ago and scheduled to be deported. Last week, a three-judge panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled her emergency appeal for a stay of deportation was moot, effectively clearing the way for the deportation to move ahead.

While awaiting a decision from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Trujillo Diaz was moved from Butler County to Morrow County in central Ohio; and then to a federal detention center in Louisiana. She was in Louisiana when sent back to Mexico.

As for her four children, ICE previously told WVXU:

For parents who are ordered removed, it is their decision whether or not to relocate their children with them. If parents choose to have their U.S. citizen child(ren) accompany them, ICE accommodates, to the extent practicable, the parents efforts to make provisions for their child(ren). As practicable, ICE will coordinate to afford detained parents or legal guardians access to counsel, consulates and consular officials, courts, and/or family members in the weeks preceding removal in order to execute documents (e.g., powers of attorney, passport applications), purchase airline tickets, and make other necessary arrangements prior to travel.

Both of Ohio's senators advocated on Trujillo Diaz' behalf.

Following her deportation, Sen. Rob Portman says in a statement, "We explored every avenue and worked to find a solution, including getting the facts fromher attorneys and presenting relevant information toImmigrationand Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Immigration Appeals. I'm disappointed that the case could not have been resolved in a manner that keeps this family together."

Sen. Sherrod Brown told WVXU last week he personally called ICE asking the agency to reconsider her case. On Wednesday, he decried the situation again saying, "Leaving four innocent children without their mother is not the way to fix our broken immigration system."

See more here:

Maribel Trujillo Diaz Deported - WVXU

In exercise for this topic we focus on skill: Presentations.

This exercise is prepared by the Leaf Academy. It is part of the Spectator College programme and it is linked to the articles: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs and Natural gardens a piece of nature in town.

CONTENT EXERCISE 1: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs EXERCISE 2: Natural gardens a piece of nature in town Recommended Usage and Format for exercises

EXERCISE 1 linked to the article: Mortgage state bonus: How the young can cut their living costs

Lesson Objectives

EXERCISE 2 linked to the article: Natural gardens a piece of nature in town

Lesson Objectives

Recommended Usage and Format for exercises

We believe a discussion-based format is best for achieving the learning objectives. We also believe that using the technique Writing as Thinking helps students to formulate their ideas and practice their writing in advance of the discussion. The degree of facilitator and adult involvement will vary according to student background and secondary objectives.

Writing

Model by being willing to write along with students and also to share your writing with the class.

Let them know before writing if they will be asked to share their writing out loud.

Here writing is first thoughts, so poor spelling, punctuation or conventions are not the focus.

Focus on engaging with ideas.

They do not need to apologize for the quality of their writing.

Discussion

Set expectations for active listening and body language

Engage introverts and extroverts, be mindful of dominant voices

Be mindful of how much you are speaking

Manage time

Encourage students to respond directly to each other, and not through the facilitator, using evidence- I agree with Igors point because

Encourage everyone to draw from evidence in the text to support their points, avoid generalizations

Can you point to a line in the text

Can you help me to understand

Could you give an example

Use techniques to encourage other voices

Lets hear some other thoughts

Lets hear from someone who hasnt contributed yet...

Techniques for managing time/discussion

Put this in the parking lot and move on

Lets pause here

Parts of the lesson

Focused Free Write- an opportunity for students to write freely, but about a specific prompt.

Reflection- an opportunity to think about the lesson, what they have learned and hopefully how it will help them or how it connects to their life

Underlining words- this strategy is a good habit for students and it also allows them more ownership of their vocabulary.

This exercise is prepared by the Leaf Academy and it is part of the Spectator College, a programme created by The Slovak Spectator.

17. Apr 2017 at 2:30 |Compiled by Spectator staff

Originally posted here:

Topic: Housing (Excercise) - The Slovak Spectator

Brazil's Paulinho pictured during a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in Montevideo on March 23, 2017 (AFP Photo/DANTE FERNANDEZ )

Beijing (AFP) - Brazilian international Paulinho was chastised Saturday by the Chinese football federation after promoting a betting company with a porn star -- two sectors banned in the communist country.

In the photographs online that have been an embarrassment for his Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande, Paulinho, smiling and clutching a wad of cash, is shown standing next to a woman in a white bikini top and shorts.

According to the Chinese media, the woman with the former Tottenham player is Tsukasa Aoi, a Japanese adult film star.

The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has said they condemn these "illegal activities" and called for the Brazilian to "respect the rules" in a statement on their website.

Gambling and casinos are illegal in mainland China, as is the sale of pornographic films.

"As a professional player and role model to young players and the public, he needs to excercise self-discipline and be careful about his image and be a positive example," the federation said.

The body said Paulinho, 28, had never asked permission from his club to collaborate with a betting company.

"The club has already chastised the player and demanded he end his collaboration with the company immediately," they added.

Sina Sports, a Chinese website, cited an "assistant" to Paulinho as saying the footballer didn't know Tsukasa Aoi was an adult film star.

The Brazilian had done publicity for a betting company based in the Philippines and it was not supposed to be shown in China, it said.

Sina Sports said Paulinho is considering suing the company for broadcasting the images without his permission.

Follow this link:

Paulinho under fire in China over ads with porn star - Yahoo Sports

Hundreds of road side traders who were chased from their business places by Adamawa State government as part of preparation for Vice President Osinbajos visit have accused the state government of violating their rights.

The traders including fruit sellers, food sellers, vulcanisers and other small scale business owners said members of the task force appointed by government confiscated their goods which they shared among themselves even when they conducted their business without constituting any problem to traffic or pedestrians.

Osinbanjo is scheduled to commission some road projects in the state on Thursday as part of his one day official visit to the state capital,Yola.

Chairman of the Fruit and Vegetables Sellers Association in the state, Abubakar Mai Dama said the action of the state government had dispossessed hundreds of traders of their hard earned capital, there by plunging families in to hardship.

He wondered how government embarked on demolition of their stands without prior notice or involving the affecting persons who worked hard to survive in the current economic hardship..

A trader who gave his name as Vandi urged politician to always encourage self reliant among the citizens instead of treating them like foreigners, wondering how an elected government could treat tax payers in that manner.

However,the Commissioner for Housing and urban development,.Abubakar Idris Magaji said the excercise had nothing to do with the Vice Presidents visit.

He accused the traders of dumping waste in new drainages and defacing newly constructed roads in the state capital, saying the excercise was in the best interest of the state.

Read more:

Traders protest demolition of stalls over Osinbajo's visit - Naija247news

Eunice Mesick-Local Columnist

You may say I dont have time to exercise. Or you may say I dont want to exercise. Take a look at some of the benefits of exercise.

Hi, this is Eunice from Diet Center.

Research has shown that even a little weight loss resulting from exercise can result in significant health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and better blood sugar control. The loss could be such a small amount that you dont have to see any significant physical changes. Researchers are also looking at how the small loss helps reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

What researchers are finding is that a modest loss in weight from exercise comes from fat lost under the skin, as well as loss of intra-abdominal fat. One study, in which participants lost a modest average of 3 pounds after joining an exercise program, showed that the participants lost 7 percent of their intra-abdominal fat. This amount of fat loss around the bodys internal organs is what can significantly benefit a persons health.

So try not to become discouraged if you have started an exercise program and the weight is not coming off as quickly as you thought that it would. You can be losing a good amount of body fat while improving your health.

Please dont forget that muscle tissue is actually denser than fat tissue. Therefore, a mass of muscle takes up less volume than a mass of fat that is equal in weight. If you are exercising to lose weight, you may find yourself losing inches without losing any weight. In fact, you may even gain a little from losing fat because youre gaining muscle. Its hard to not be disappointed when the scale doesnt move, and youve been dedicated to an exercise routine.

This is why its important to not just rely on the scale as a measurement of your success. Instead, think about your energy levels and how they may have increased. Think if you have seen numbers like your blood pressure and your blood sugar coming down. Examine how your clothes are fitting you. Has the waist band become looser? Are your pants not as tight around your thighs as they once were? Losing inches is a good sign of progress.

Just because the pounds arent dropping, doesnt necessarily mean youre not burning body fat especially when you are exercising! So try not to lose motivation when you are losing inches, but not pounds. You are probably losing fat and getting fit. Remember, the key to long-term success is a good diet along with exercise, and Diet Center can help you with that.

Thank you for reading Diet Centers exercise tip of the week.

If you are struggling with weight loss please contact Diet Center today at 928-753-5066 or stop by 1848 Hope Ave.

Link:

Diet Center's Excercise Tip of the Week: Big Benefits - Kdminer

As part of the agreement, eBay Inc will pay 0 million in cash and will transfer ownership of eBay.in to Flipkart, in exchange for an unspecified equity stake in the company.

Amid the continuous talk of whether it will acquire Snapdeal, Indias largest e-commerce player Flipkart pulled a coup by announcing on Monday that it will buy Indian business of the eBay Inc, as part of an excercise to raise $1.4 billion its single-largest to date from a consortium of Tencent, Microsoft and EBay.

As part of the agreement, eBay Inc will pay $500 million in cash and will transfer ownership of eBay.in to Flipkart, in exchange for an unspecified equity stake in the company, it said in a statement.

The investment by eBay is accompanied by a strategic commercial agreement with Flipkart. In exchange for an equity stake in Flipkart, eBay is making a cash investment in and selling its eBay.in business to Flipkart. eBay.in will continue to operate as an independent entity as a part of Flipkart, it said in the statement.

The fund-raising excercise also involves Chinas internet company Tencent and the global giant Microsoft, who will provide Flipkart remainder of the $.14 billion funds. The deal values Flipkart at $11.6 billion, it said.

Amazon on its tail

Flipkarts existing investors include Tiger Global Management, Naspers Group, Accel Partners and DST Global. China-based Tencent owns social messaging app WeChat and has investments across various online companies like Practo, Ibibo etc.

The move is being seen as Flipkarts attempt to ready a warchest to acquire the rival Snapdeal to become large enough to fend off any possible competition from Amazon.

You may also watch:

The acquisition of eBay India will surely help Flipkart gain scale and help it compete better with the fast-growing rivals, especially the global giant Amazon, which is fast catching up to beat it in its home market. Earlier last month, Chinas giant Alibaba invested $177 million investment in Paytm Mall, along with $23 million by the private equity player SAIF Partners, in a bid to gain entry into the Indian e-commerce industry.

eBay in the bag

Flipkart expects the transaction to close later this year, upon which, it will acquire eBays buyers in India. Further, eBay and Flipkart have also entered into an exclusive agreement in which they will jointly pursue cross-border trade opportunities.

The combination of eBays position as a leading global e-commerce company and Flipkarts market stature will allow us to accelerate and maximise the opportunity for both companies in India, Devin Wenig, President and CEO of eBay Inc, said in the statement.

eBay is committed to winning in India in partnership with Flipkart. Our exclusive global trade partnership will allow eBay and Flipkart to reach even more consumers around the world, he added. eBays global inventory will be accessible to more Indian consumers, while its active buyers globally will have access to Indian inventory provided by Flipkart.

This partnership bodes well for Indian and global customers, sellers and the wider e-commerce ecosystem. eBay.in has built a strong presence in India over the years and we hope to take it to greater heights as part of the Flipkart group, Binny Bansal, Group CEO, Flipkart said.

Excerpt from:

With eBay India in the bag and $1.4 bln in pocket, is Flipkart out to 'Snap'deal? - Financial Express

650 CKOM News Talk Radio

Mock rescue excercise on Saskatoon Traffic Bridge 650 CKOM News Talk Radio Graham Commuter Partners will hold a rescue training drill Wednesday morning at the construction site for the new Traffic Bridge. A mannequin will be rescued from the Traffic Bridge Wednesday morning to test recovery tools and the steps of a rescue.

Read more from the original source:

Mock rescue excercise on Saskatoon Traffic Bridge - 650 CKOM News Talk Radio

KOCHI: Some 12 months ago Lija Gijo, executive director of Bless Retirement Living, an high-end retirement village near Aluva, received a call from the BBC asking if the companys retirement homes will be available for shooting a documentary. At that time, our retirement homes were still under construction, recollects Lija. The liaison officer made a follow-up call in June last year to inquire on the status of the project.

We had scheduled the soft launch of the project on August 20, which I told her. They came here and interacted with the elderly community at our home on the launch day. Within one month, on September 20, the BBC crew and its celebrity cast were here for one full days shooting, she explains. We are talking about The Real Marigold Hotel- series two, the multi-award winning travel documentary series from BBC which was shot in Kochi. The four-part series, which concluded on March 24, is inspired by, but unrelated to the blockbuster film, The Real Marigold Hotel, is to test if eight celebrity cast will consider spending their sunset years in Kochi.

Embarking on the journey of the lifetime were eight British celebrities-- entertainer Lionel Blair, actress Amanda Barrie, snooker champion Dennis Taylor, TV personality Rustie Lee, Doctor Miriam Stoppard, presenter Bill Oddie, singer Sheila Ferguson and actor Paul Nicholas. We chose Kochi as it is the best way to access as much as possible of Kerala and southern India as possible. It had great connections, charming accommodation, impressive medical care, access to the best of Kerala such as the backwaters and beaches, and interesting festivals and festivities in our filming period, says David Vallance, series editor of The Real Marigold Hotel.

The shooting lasted for one-month, and the crew stayed at Fort Kochis Le Colonial, probably Asias oldest colonial house dating back to 1506. I do think India will be an eye-opener for them. Most people, when they come to India, either love it or hate it. But you are never indifferent to it, Smita, manager of Le Colonial, says in the first episode. Kochi-based yoga guru S Rajendran, who has conducted workshops in the US, Israel and Dubai, was entrusted with the task of training the celebrity particpants on the Indian physical and mental excercise regimen. I conducted yoga sessions on six out of the eight members. I helped them with stretching, simple and basic asanas, pranayama and deep relaxation. They were happy with the outcome, Rajendran says.

And what was the experience all about for the celebrities, who are all on the wrong side of 55? The cast enjoyed exploring Kochi, its culture and people. Some of the cast were particularly impressed by the beautiful backwaters, visiting the Kerala Kathakali Centre to watch traditional dance performances and experiencing a traditional Keralan wedding, says David Vallance, the series editor. In The Real Marigold Hotel- series 1, telecast in January 2016, a different set of celebrities explored retirement living in Jaipur. The series which is inspired by 2011 movie, which starred Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith and Penelope Wilson. In the movie, they moved to India for their golden years.

The four-part series on Kochi is already seeing a big impact on the UK residents, who are exploring the possibility of settling down in the Queen of the Arabian Sea for their sunset years. Says Lija, executive director of Bless Retirement Living: We have received at least 40-45 enquiries from the UK after The Marigold series. There are minor irritants though. For instance, the regulations will allow only 6-month visa for British residents, and they need to re-apply after every six months. We are discussing with our legal advisor on resolving the issue and see if senior UK residents can stay at our facility for the rest of their lives.

Link:

Post-retirement spots: Celebs try out Kochi - The New Indian Express