Salman named goodwill ambassador of India's Olympic contingent

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was today named goodwill ambassador of the Indian contingent for the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro -- an unprecedented appointment in the run-up to the quadrennial extravaganza.

The announcement was made in the presence of Olympic medallists and Rio star athletes such as boxer M C Mary Kom , hockey captain Sardar Singh, and shooter Apurvi Chandela, among others.

The association between Salman Khan and the Indian Olympic Association was facilitated by IOA's official marketing agency IOS Sports & Entertainment.

Speaking on this new association with IOA Salman said, "I am honoured that Indian Olympic Association has chosen me as the goodwill ambassador for the Indian contingent for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

"It is a matter of great national pride that our athletes are performing better and better at the Olympic Games and I think we should all join hands in giving them every support and cheer for them so that Rio 2016 becomes our best Olympic tally."

Commenting on the announcement IOA President N Ramachandran said, "His association will not only attract sports lovers but also help motivate the players to do well in the Olympics. We are sure our association with Salman Khan will go a long way."

The athletes too welcomed the move with Mary Kom saying, "This is a big moment for all of us that Mr. Salman Khan has joined us as our family member during Rio Olympics. My preparations for Rio Olympic qualification are going on and I will be competing in the World Championship soon."
Source-- article.wn

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Obama: UK will not be able to strike trade deal with US soon after Brexit

Britain would not be able to strike a free trade deal with the US "any time soon" if it leaves the EU, as Washington's focus would be on reaching agreement with the European Union, Barack Obama has said.

The President was speaking after Downing Street talks with Prime Minister David Cameron during a two-day visit which he has used to speak out in favour of continued UK membership of the 28-nation bloc after the June 23 referendum.

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At a joint press conference in the Foreign Office, Mr Cameron insisted that the special relationship between the UK and US was not "constrained" by Britain's EU membership.

EU membership gave Britain "a powerful tool" to stand up for the values it shares with the US, said Mr Cameron, adding: "Now, I think, is a time to stay true to those values, and to stick together with our friends and allies in Europe and around the world."

Mr Obama said the UK would be "in the back of the queue" for a trade deal if it left the EU, because the US would focus on the bigger bloc.

The US president stressed that the referendum was a "decision for the people of the United Kingdom" and he was "not coming here to fix any votes".

But he defended his right to offer an opinion, saying: "In democracies everybody should want more information, not less, and you shouldn't be afraid to hear an argument being made - that's not a threat, that should enhance the debate.

"Particularly because my understanding is that some of the folks on the other side have been ascribing to the United States certain actions we will take if the UK does leave the EU - they say for example that 'we will just cut our own trade deals with the United States'.

"So they are voicing an opinion about what the United States is going to do, I figured you might want to hear from the president of the United States what I think the United States is going to do.

"And on that matter, for example, I think it's fair to say that maybe some point down the line there might be a UK-US trade agreement, but it's not going to happen any time soon because our focus is in negotiating with a big bloc, the European Union, to get a trade agreement done.

"The UK is going to be in the back of the queue."

Trying to do "piecemeal trade agreements" was "hugely inefficient", he said.

Setting out the choice facing the UK, the president said: "If, right now, I have got access to a massive market where I sell 44% of my exports and now I'm thinking about leaving the organisation that gives me access to that market and that is responsible for millions of jobs in my country and responsible for an enormous amount of commerce and upon which a lot of businesses depend - that's not something I would probably do."

He added that the UK's membership of the EU "enhances the special relationship" because it meant Washington had a trusted partner in Europe on issues including the fight against terrorism.

"Precisely because I have a confidence in the UK, and I know that if we are not working effectively with Paris or Brussels then those attacks are going to migrate to the United States and to London, I want one of my strongest partners in that conversation.

"So it enhances the special relationship, it does not diminish it."

Mr Obama said that while the vote was a matter for the British people, the US had a "deep interest" in the outcome.

"The United States wants a strong United Kingdom as a partner and the United Kingdom is at its best when it is helping to lead a strong Europe," he said.

"It leverages UK power to be part of the European Union. I don't believe the EU moderates British influence in the world, it magnifies it."

He acknowledged that all countries were concerned about their sovereignty, but said that the UK's membership of the EU added to collective prosperity and security.

"All of us cherish our sovereignty - our country is pretty vocal about that - but the US also recognises that we strengthen our security through our membership of Nato, we strengthen our prosperity through organisations like the G7 and the G20.

"I believe the UK strengthens both our collective security and prosperity through the EU."

Mr Cameron said the referendum was the "sovereign choice of the British people" but added: "As we make that choice, it surely makes sense to listen to what our friends think, to listen to their opinion, to listen to their views and that's what Barack has been talking about today."

He added: "On this vital issue of trade, where Barack has made such a clear statement, we should remember why we are currently negotiating this biggest trade deal in the whole world, and in the whole world's history, between the European Union and the United States.

"It is because Britain played an absolutely leading part in pushing for those talks to get going."

The UK had "set the agenda for what could be an absolutely game-changing trade deal for jobs, for investment" because it was part of the EU.

Mr Obama rejected a description of the EU as being "in crisis", but said it was "under strain" as a result of the difficulties of the single currency and the numbers of migrants entering the continent.

He added: "I am confident that the ties that bind Europe together are ultimately much stronger than the forces that are trying to pull it apart."

Europe had enjoyed "an extraordinary stretch of prosperity" that might be unmatched in world history, said the President.

"When you think about the 20th century and the 21st century, 21st-century Europe looks an awful lot better, and I think a majority of Europeans recognise that," said Mr Obama.

"They see that unity and peace have delivered sustained economic growth, reduced conflict, reduced violence, enhanced the quality of life of people, a nd I'm confident that can continue.

"But I do believe it is important to watch out for some of these fault lines that are developing."

While Mr Obama accepted it was "right" for UK voters to make their judgment on June 23 on the basis of what will be good for them and for Britain's economic prospects and jobs, he added: "I do also think this vote will sent a signal that is relevant about whether the kind of prosperity we have built together is going to continue or whether the forces of division end up being more prominent."

In a clear reference to the president's warnings against Brexit, Mr Cameron said Mr Obama was "a very good friend" of the UK who could be relied upon for "sage advice".

The Prime Minister said the "strong and essential partnership" between Britain and the US has "never been more important" on issues such as the fight against terrorism, action against nuclear proliferation and resistance to Russian aggression.

He added: "In all the areas we've discussed today, our collective power and reach is amplified by Britain's membership of the European Union.

"When it comes to the special relationship between our two countries, there's no greater enthusiast than me... But I've never felt constrained in any way in strengthening this relationship by the fact that we are in the European Union.

"In fact, quite the reverse. We deliver for our people through all the international groups that we are part of. We enhance our security through membership of Nato. We further our prosperity through the G7 and G20.

"And like those organisations, Britain's membership of the EU gives us a powerful tool to deliver on the prosperity and security that our people need and to stand up for the values that our countries share.

"Now I think is a time to stay true to those values, and to stick together with our friends and allies in Europe and around the world."

Mr Cameron added: "I've always found Barack someone who gives sage advice, he's a man with a very good heart and he has been a very good friend - and always will be a good friend, I know - to the United Kingdom."

Responding to Mr Obama's comments, the co-founder of the Leave.EU campaign, Richard Tice, said: "We don't have a trade deal with the United States now because we're members of the European Union.

"The proposed EU-US trade deal, TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), would be disastrous for British workers.

"Obama doesn't have the authority to deny us a deal, as he will be long gone before any such proposals are on the table."

In a statement issued by main Brexit campaign Vote Leave, Justice Minister Dominic Raab focused on Mr Obama's comments on the migration crisis rather than his warning about a trade deal.

Mr Raab said: " The president made clear that uncontrolled immigration into the EU is a threat to national security. I agree - that is why it is safer to take back control so that we can stop terror suspects from Europe coming into the UK.

"He argued that he thinks it is in America's interests for the UK to stay in the EU but what is good for US politicians is not necessarily good for the British people. We want more international cooperation after we Vote Leave, but the EU is not fit for purpose, and cannot cope with the multiple crises we face like terrorism, Syria and mass migration.

"The US would not dream of opening its border with Mexico, so it is hypocritical for President Obama to insist that we do the same with Europe."

Labour's shadow business secretary Angela Eagle said: "President Obama's comments confirm what we have been saying for months - that Britain's ability to negotiate trade deals would be hugely diminished after Brexit. It is simply not credible for the Leave campaign to suggest we could swiftly negotiate a favourable trade deal with the United States and other countries."

Source- article.wn

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3 kids survive slaying of 8 family members in Ohio

CNN)Eight family members found dead in a rural southern Ohio community were shot in the head "execution style," most while they slept, authorities said Friday.

Officers are searching for the killer or killers, who are probably armed and a danger to surviving family members, Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said.

"We have a specific family that's been targeted but I don't think there's been a threat to any other members of the community," he said. "I've given the family precautionary measures to make. They know we're available."

Investigators discovered seven adults and a 16-year-old dead at four crime scenes, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said. The victims included a mother slain while her 4-day-old child lay beside her, he said.

That child, along with a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old, survived the killings, Reader said.

He didn't name a suspect or give a motive, but said all victims are members of the Rhoden family.

"We're advising family members to be very careful and take particular caution," DeWine said. "This is a matter of public safety, especially for the Rhoden family."

'Doesn't happen every day'

Residents are grappling with a kind of violence rarely seen in Piketon, a town of about 2,000 residents 90 miles east of Cincinnati, Dewine said.

"What makes this particularly grisly is you have three children involved who were there when the executions took place," he said.

The sheriff's office was notified about 7:53 a.m. Friday that two bodies had been found in a bloody scene, Reader said. Officers were flagged down and told other bodies had been located.

At first, officers found seven people killed at three residences in the county, two "within walking distance" and the third about half a mile away, Reader said.

On Friday afternoon, an eighth body was located in a fourth residence about 8 miles away, Reader said.

'There may be more than one' killer

"It would appear all of them were shot in the head," DeWine said. "It would appear it occurred at night. ... The mother was killed in bed with the 4-day-old right there."

The deaths are homicides, DeWine said. Nobody killed themselves.

"The Rhoden family was targeted and we've talked to the family and expressed our concern," he said. "The sheriff's office will work with them for protection."

Reader said other law enforcement agencies have come to Pike County to help his department, which has 13 road deputies.

"We have a lot of people dedicated to finding this murderer, or these murderers," DeVine said.

Pastor Phil Fulton of Union Hill Church told CNN affiliate WLWT the situation was "very out of character" for the community.

"It's a tragedy," he said.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation. It sent more than a dozen agents to assist the Pike County Sheriff's Office after the request for help came in at 8:21 a.m.

Schools in Pike County and surrounding counties were on lockdown earlier Friday as a precautionary measure, WLWT reported. They were "back to normal" by Friday afternoon, Adams County Ohio Valley Local School Superintendent Richard Seas told WLWT. 

Source-- article.wn.

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ISIS Carrying Out Brutal Killings in Syria’s Yarmouk Refugee Camp

The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) has beheaded rival jihadis and one civilian in Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria, according to activists.
The reports emerged on Friday amid claims that the Syrian regime is aiding ISIS’s growth in the besieged area of Damascus.
Subscribe now - Free phone/tablet charger worth over $60 Salim Salamah, a Syrian refugee who spent 22 years in Yarmouk before fleeing to Sweden in late 2012 and is now head of the Palestinian League for Human Rights in Syria, tells Newsweek that ISIS has slit the the throats of four Nusra Front fighters and one civilian in the besieged camp.
He adds that Nusra fighters have killed three ISIS fighters in similar fashion, and recent clashes between the two radical Islamist groups have left at least eight civilians dead.
The confirmation of the brutal killings comes just days after the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) envoy to Syria, Anwar Abed al-Hadi, said that ISIS militants had executed, beheaded and raped Palestinian residents of the camp.
The group now controls at least 60 percent of the camp, according to Salamah and al-Hadi, who puts the estimate higher at 70 percent. ISIS entered the embattled Palestinian camp in April 2015 before being pushed back by Palestinian factions, it has since increased its territorial hold within the camp again after capturing territory held by the Nusra Front, aided by defections by Nusra fighters.
The population of the camp has continued to fall amid a siege by the jihadi groups and the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad, down to around 5,000 from 15,000 in 2015 as thousands move to other besieged areas of the Syrian capital.
Salamah says that the Syrian regime is still carrying out military action in the camp but it is not targeting ISIS militants, only Nusra fighters, an Islamist Syrian rebel group seeking to topple Assad. The claim suggests that Assad’s forces are allowing the group to grow at the expense of the rebel group and the Palestinian residents of the camp.
“The bombardment of the regime is targeting areas either bordering or within the area of Nusra. This is not happening in the case of the territory of ISIS,” he says, according to information from the Palestinian League for Human Rights in Syria’s sources within the camp.
While concrete estimates of ISIS fighters within the camp are difficult to verify, al-Hadi estimated there to be some 3,000 militants in the camp and the neighboring Hajr al-Aswad suburb, while Salamah puts the number at “2,000 maximum.”
Source--europenews

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Creators Of New Smartphone App Hope To Get Indians To

A startup called Juggernaut is trying to get India’s smartphone users to read more with its new e-books app, Mashable reports.
Although India has the second-largest and one of the fastest-growing smartphone markets in the world, few of its 220 million smartphone users are avid book readers.
Juggernaut is launching its app with 100 book titles, priced as low as 10 rupees (15 cents) and up to 150 rupees ($2.25). Among these, a set of serialized erotic short stories by popular Canadian-Indian star Sunny Leone has generated the most buzz. The list of authors also includes Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, historian William Dalrymple and American businessman Rajat Gupta.
Chiki Sarkar, Juggernaut co-founder and former Penguin Random House India editor-in-chief, spoke to Mashable about the new app.

"The first premise is, if we bring the world of books into the same space as your phone, will you be more likely to read. What if the price and length became much more accessible?" – Chiki Sarkar

The e-books have been adapted for reading on smartphones, with a focus on short reads and serialized stories. This means that most commissioned books are fewer than 25,000 words in length. The reading design is clean, classic and easy on the eye. There is an emphasis on genres that are the most popular and commercially-successful in India, such as romance, sex, crime, self-help and fantasy, non-fiction, and books for young adults and teens.

While Juggernaut's most obvious parallel is with Amazon, the founders say they're much closer in spirit to Netflix. Co-founder Durga Raghunath says they looked at Netflix's easy user experience, exciting mix of partners and original content, and the way they've matched their users to genres "in a genius way." Like Netflix, its app intuitively suggests books for readers based on their past preferences and will eventually have time-bound subscriptions.
Source- article.wn

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Hannibal's route through Alps may have been found

The Carthaginian general Hannibal led his troops over the Alps to attack the Roman Republic from the north.

Story highlights

• Scientists examine ancient horse dung to determine Hannibal's route through the Alps
• Great Carthaginian general led thousands over mountains to attack Roman Republic from north

(CNN)Amazing what you can learn from horse manure.

In 218 B.C., the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca led an army of more than 30,000 men, 15,000 horses and mules and -- famously -- about 40 elephants northeast through Europe and crossed the Alps to attack the Roman Republic from the north.

It's considered one of the great achievements in military history.

But what was Hannibal's precise route? For centuries, historians have debated the question.

Now, Chris Allen, a microbiologist at Queen's University Belfast, thinks a research group has solved the puzzle -- thanks to "modern science and a bit of ancient horse poo," he writes in a blog post.

Allen and a team led by Bill Mahaney of Toronto's York University believe that Hannibal and his troops crossed the Alps at Col de Traversette, on the border of France and Italy southeast of Grenoble.

The surrounding terrain is incredibly rugged; even 22 centuries later, Google Maps recommends that a traveler from France cross into Italy and double back to arrive at the pass, though some single-lane roads in France will get you close.

Allen and the team "unveiled a mass animal deposition of fecal materials -- probably from horses -- at a site near the Col de Traversette," Allen writes. Thanks to carbon isotope analysis, the group dated the dung to about 200 B.C. Descriptions of the area in historical writings also fit.

The UK's Guardian notes that discussion about the route dates to the ancient historians Livy and Polybius. The Col de Traversette was one of many paths considered, but its narrowness and height -- it's close to 10,000 feet above sea level -- made it daunting.

Allen believes that Hannibal may have taken the dangerous route because of his fear not of the Romans but of tribes that lived in the region.

He cautions that the group's research is not complete. Gene analysis needs to be expanded, he writes, and he's hoping researchers discover parasite eggs preserved in the mire.

"With more genetic information we can be more precise about the source and perhaps even the geographical origin of some of these ancient beasts by comparison with other microbiology research studies," he writes.

Hannibal's travels were not without fatalities. Accounts differ, but it's generally believed that he lost more than 10,000 men and possibly many more. Moreover, all but one of his elephants died.

However, his success led to his greatest victory, at Cannae in 216 B.C. The Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage raged on until 202 B.C., when Hannibal was defeated at the Battle of Zama.

The findings of the international team of researchers are published in the journal Archaeometry.

Source- edition.cnn.

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History meets high fashion in Alexia Sinclair's stunning photographs

"When people first see my images they often think they're paintings," claims Australian photographer Alexia Sinclair, who in fact compiles her artworks from photographs embellished with hundreds or sometimes thousands of layers of details and effects added in post-production.

Oresegun Olumide: The Nigerian artist making a splash

Sinclair's work is heavily influenced by fine art, and in particular the 19th-century paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites, who she believes would probably have adopted the medium of photography to produce their realistic depictions of romantic and spiritual scenes had such a tool been available to them.

"A lot of my inspiration in the early days came from the Pre-Raphaelites and the way they would reimagine a narrative," Sinclair explains. "I guess I'm not interested in the raw grit of life that a camera can capture, it's more a sense of it being able to more accurately represent what I'm imagining."

Real and surreal

Her imaginings often take the form of historical or allegorical figures portrayed within scenes that employ symbolism and detail to tell a tale about their personality or the period in which they lived.

From Elizabeth I to Genghis Khan and Marie Antoinette, the people at the heart of these images are brought to life through images in which realism and surrealism converge.

In addition to the intricate process of building the complex scenes layer by layer, using sophisticated computer software, Sinclair also gets hands-on in the creation of the scenery, props, costumes and hairstyles.

Agrippina - The Regal Twelve by Alexia Sinclair

For the recent Rococo series, she even grew many of the flowers strewn around the models in her own garden, while a lion that appears in an image of the Roman Empress Julia Agrippina was photographed by Sinclair inside its cage at a local circus.

A fashion influence

As well as referencing classical paintings, Sinclair's work is strongly influenced by the expressive outfits produced by modern fashion designers.

During the completion of her Masters degree from 2004-2007, Sinclair looked to the work of designers like Alexander McQueen and Christian Lacroix, whose clothing evoked similar styles and periods to those she herself was interested in when developing her series The Regal Twelve.

Sinclair sees parallels between the dream worlds created by these designers and the theatrical way in which her artworks represent historical themes.

I continually look at fashion designers because they're also always reinterpreting the past.

Alexia Sinclair

"I'm not trying to recreate something like a painter of that period would have, it's about being inspired by and understanding the period and making it contemporary," she says. "I continually look at fashion designers because they're also always reinterpreting the past."

Hidden surprises

Alongside her personal work, Sinclair produces images for commercial clients such as Qantas, Queensland Ballet and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Although she claims to enjoy the variety and different pace of these projects, the jobs are predominantly a way to fund her laborious personal projects.

Having recently moved to London with her husband James and two-year-old daughter Heidi, Sinclair is currently focusing on settling into the rhythm of a new city before delving back into post-production on a new set of portraits shot last year for the Rococo series.

She'll also continue developing a series called The Golden Age that she was invited to shoot using photographic supplier Phase One's new 100-megapixel camera.

The Cabinets of Curiosity, 2013 -- A Frozen Tale by Alexia Sinclair

A selection of images from the series, A Frozen Tale, were recently exhibited at the inaugural Dubai Photo Exhibition, where their large dimensions (sometimes more than two meters in width), rich colors and striking subjects lent them a captivating presence.

I want them to zoom right in and experience the tiny little details that maybe only I know about.

Alexia Sinclair

Sinclair insists that such exhibitions offer a crucial opportunity to show the works as they were made to be seen: "That's the reason I shoot on a really big camera and I've always used medium format," she explains, "because I want people to see a big piece on a wall like you would experience a large painting. I want them to zoom right in and experience the tiny little details that maybe only I know about."

If you take another look at these fantastical photographs you may uncover some hidden surprises, but their painterly quality and most intimate secrets are only revealed when viewed up close and in person.

Source- edition.cnn

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Happy when it pours: The umbrella man of Milan

9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Bespoke umbrellas – Francesco Maglia umbrellas are also sometimes made from exotic Malacca cane and whangee bamboo.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Long history – The Maglia Umbrella Company was founded in 1854 in a town near Brescia, in northeast Italy. It moved to Milan 20 years later. Perhaps it was wetter in Milan.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Eighty-step process – The manufacture of a Maglia umbrella involves a painstaking 80-step process. The finished product can retail for upward of $300.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

International market – Maglia Francesco's umbrella sell all over the world. Most of the international demand comes from Japan, the United States and Europe.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Made by women – Most of the small team of artisans employed by Francesco Maglia are women. He says many are nearing retirement age.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

The umbrella man of Milan – Francesco Maglia is known for his sharp dress sense and sharper wit. He's also known to indulge in a spot of rain-related singing.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

"English style" design – The umbrellas are decorated in an "English style," either in plain colors or patterned with pinstripes, tartan or regimental stripes.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Wooden canes – Each umbrella is produced from a single shaft of wood -- usually chestnut, ash, walnut or cherry.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Made by hand – Many of those involved in making the umbrellas have been with the company for three or four decades. "It's like a big family," says Maglia.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Bespoke umbrellas – Francesco Maglia umbrellas are also sometimes made from exotic Malacca cane and whangee bamboo.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Long history – The Maglia Umbrella Company was founded in 1854 in a town near Brescia, in northeast Italy. It moved to Milan 20 years later. Perhaps it was wetter in Milan.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Eighty-step process – The manufacture of a Maglia umbrella involves a painstaking 80-step process. The finished product can retail for upward of $300.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

International market – Maglia Francesco's umbrella sell all over the world. Most of the international demand comes from Japan, the United States and Europe.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Made by women – Most of the small team of artisans employed by Francesco Maglia are women. He says many are nearing retirement age.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

The umbrella man of Milan – Francesco Maglia is known for his sharp dress sense and sharper wit. He's also known to indulge in a spot of rain-related singing.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

"English style" design – The umbrellas are decorated in an "English style," either in plain colors or patterned with pinstripes, tartan or regimental stripes.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Wooden canes – Each umbrella is produced from a single shaft of wood -- usually chestnut, ash, walnut or cherry.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Made by hand – Many of those involved in making the umbrellas have been with the company for three or four decades. "It's like a big family," says Maglia.

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9 photos: The umbrella man of Milan

Bespoke umbrellas – Francesco Maglia umbrellas are also sometimes made from exotic Malacca cane and whangee bamboo.

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Story highlights

• The Francesco Maglia Umbrella company makes every umbrella by hand
• Umbrellas are assembled using an 80-step traditional process
• The company was founded in 1854 by the ancestor of its current owner
• The umbrellas are exported all over the world

On the latest episode of "In 24 Hours," James Williams visits Milan. Catch the series online here.

(CNN)With his white hair, tweed jacket, a pince-nez and sharp wit, he's clearly a sophisticated man of the world.

But Francesco Maglia is also one of Italy's most exclusive umbrella makers -- and looks every inch the craftsman.

"Chino," as he likes to be called, is the fifth-generation descendant of another Francesco Maglia, the man who in 1854 founded the Maglia Umbrella Company in a town near Brescia, in northeast Italy.

The company relocated to Milan in 1876.

Today, Maglia's workshop is tucked away in the residential area of Via Ripamonti, 20 minutes or so from the city's most fashionable quarters.

Every umbrella produced here is handmade using an 80-step traditional process.

They retail for more than $300.

Maglia decorates them in an "English style," either in plain colors or patterned with pinstripes, tartan or regimental stripes.

Each umbrella is produced from a single shaft of wood -- usually chestnut, ash, walnut or cherry, but more exotic Malacca cane and whangee bamboo are often used.

MORE: Joining the 'gold rush' with Italy's Tuscan truffle hunters

Only wooden shafts -- usually chestnut, ash, walnut or cherry.

Concerns for the future

In the workshop, a small team of mostly female artisans works on one or two stages of the production.

"Our workers have been with us for 30, 40 years -- some of them will retire soon. It's like a big family," says Maglia.

While Francesco looks after the design and international sales (he speaks fluent German, French and English), his younger brother, Giorgio, supervises the production and sourcing of materials, which is increasingly becoming a challenge.

Every umbrella is made of about 25 parts and the number of the Italian suppliers have dwindled.

"It's hard to find suppliers that specialize in umbrella parts, especially metal ones like the ribs, which are the only parts produced in China at huge costs," says Giorgio.

The Maglias are one of only a handful of specialist manufacturers left.

Francesco is worried about the future of the craft in which his family has made its name.

"When I started we were 110 umbrella makers. Now for handmade umbrellas there are two, three, but the other five or six companies produce 80% in China and 20% in Italy.

"I am the biggest producer even if I am very small.

"In the early days we used to sell hundreds of umbrellas even here in Milan. Now people can buy one made in China for €5 ($6.75), so our umbrellas have become an item of luxury."

MORE: The fashion model's guide to Milan

Many of the company's workers are nearing retirement age.

Two-handled umbrella?

Despite the challenges, both brothers still take pride in their work and enjoy experimenting with new materials.

They also make bespoke umbrellas -- even if the demands of their customers can at times be unorthodox.

"The clientele has changed a lot over the past few years," Giorgio says.

"Very recently someone asked us to make an umbrella with two handles -- one for him, one for her -- but there is only so much we can do with an umbrella."

Like many luxury products, the Maglias' business has managed to weather the financial crisis, winning over some of the world's most exclusive retailers and brands.

Today, the company produces about 25,000 umbrellas a year, of which 90% go to Maglia's international clientele -- mostly in Japan, Europe and the United States.

Now in his seventies, Francesco shows no signs of slowing down.

Holding up one of his favorite umbrellas, he breaks into almost predictable song.

"I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain. What a glorious feeling and I'm happy again."

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