Breaking news!New Delhi: He has learned to take media gossip with a pinch of salt and now finds rumours amusing. Salman Khan, whose latest love is the small screen, says he will display his "unadulterated" side as the host of Colors' "Bigg Boss 4", a reality show he accepted only after consulting his mom.
"I asked mom (Salma) before considering it and she instantly said yes," Salman, 44, told the media in an e-mail interview from Mumbai. "I am going to be myself, 100 percent unadulterated Salman. I will call a spade a spade and have lots of fun," he added.
The show started on Sunday and has already run into controversy because of the presence of two Pakistani contestants.
Excerpts from the exclusive interview:
Q: Back as a host on the small screen with "Bigg Boss 4" after hosting two seasons of "Dus Ka Dum" - has Salman Khan taken a fancy to TV or hosting reality shows?
A: You can say I have taken a fancy to TV or reality shows, but for me, my fans are most important. When I appear on TV, they don't have to go out, buy tickets and watch the show. They can enjoy watching me on their television sets in the comfort of their homes for free. My family enjoys "Bigg Boss"; they discuss it all the time. I asked mom before considering it and she instantly said yes.
Q: So how different was it from "Dus Ka Dum"?
A: "Dus Ka Dum" was a game format, "Bigg Boss" is completely different. Here you can be more upfront, it has a lot to do with others' actions as well as emotions.
Q: How are you going to add more spice to "Bigg Boss" considering the participants already promise the same thanks to their controversial track records?
A: I am going to be myself, 100 percent unadulterated Salman. I will call a spade a spade. I am a very straightforward person and I will not take any hypocrisy and politics lightly. For those housemates who play clean, they will always find their best friend in me. Those who don't, be ready to expect the worst. But I can promise that viewers will have the most amazing time. They can expect as much fun outside the house as is expected inside.
Q: Any favourite contestant who you can bet your money on?
A: 'Sab ek se badhkar ek hain boss'... this show is quite unpredictable, so you never know who manages to survive and who gets to meet me on Friday when the next eviction happens.
Q: You are sporting a completely cool look for the show. Did you contribute any inputs for the same?
A: Thank you, but all credit goes to Ashley Rebello and my sister Alvira (Agnihotri).
Q: What do you have to say about your controversies'-favourite-child tag in Bollywood?
A. Controversies are fuelled and at times created by the media. I don't react to it and no one around me does either. Since I have come on Twitter, even my fans have stopped reacting to it as they have direct access to me.
Q. Do you think hosting reality shows has made you more comfortable both with the common man and the press?
A. I have always been comfortable with my fans. TV only helps me to be more accessible to them and we all have fun in the process. Regarding media, you guys discuss my life without even knowing it and I find it very amusing.
Q. Do we also see a third season of "Dus Ka Dum" some time in the future? What about the sequel to "Dabangg"?
A. I am currently working on "Ready". Then we have two scripts for "Dabangg" and it could either be a prequel or a sequel. Regarding television, I am on "Bigg Boss" season four now and enjoying it a lot... will let you know what next on TV when I decide something.
source: agency
20101007
Sheila Dikshit slur to cost New Zealand TV show dear
Breaking news! Wellington: A migrant services group has called on companies to withdraw advertising from a New Zealand TV show after the on-air "racist remarks" against the country's Governor General Anand Satyanand and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Breakfast show host Paul Henry was suspended for two weeks after asking Prime Minister John Key if Sir Anand Satyanand was "even a New Zealander" and whether the next governor general would "look and sound like a New Zealander". The comment sparked a record number of complaints to New Zealand TV (TVNZ) and has drawn criticism from the Race Relations Commissioner, politicians, ethnic and community organisations and thousands of people who have posted comments on websites, media reported on Thursday.
Complaints have also been received about another Breakfast episode where Henry worked himself up into a fit of laughter over the name of Sheila Dikshit.
He also appeared to make a slur against Indians in general.
The Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) said Henry's "insensitive and xenophobic comments" would be viewed negatively by many migrants to New Zealand.
Acting executive director of ARMS Lawton Hakaraia called on people to write to companies that advertised on Breakfast, to ask them to withdraw their advertising if Paul Henry kept his job.
"TVNZ must take full responsibility for what has happened and investigate and address the comments made by Henry, to ensure that such bigoted, ethnocentric remarks have no place on state-funded television," Hakaraia said.
He said Sir Anand had been a patron of the ARMS Charitable Trust since 2005, and had generously supported and contributed towards the services it provided to migrants and refugees across the Auckland region.
"This kind of statement is demeaning to the office of the Governor-General," he said.
Meanwhile, a TVNZ public relations manager has apologised to colleagues for her response to media after Henry's comments.
In a leaked email Andi Brotherston apologised and admitted she had "made an horrendous error of judgement".
Brotherston said Henry was prepared to say the things "we quietly think but are scared to say out loud".
In the leaked email she said: "In hindsight it seems unbelievable that I didn't seek a second opinion ... or even pause for breath but I didn't and only have myself to blame."
Brotherston said her comments were wrong and she accepted full responsibility. She offered to resign but her boss declined to accept.
Henry apologised on air after making the comment and, while he has shown some remorse, he lost his cool when he came across reporters waiting outside his North Shore property Tuesday, directing a tirade of expletive-laden abuse at them.
Sir Anand, who was born, educated, worked and lived in Auckland, has been diplomatic about the incident, but agreed Henry had crossed the line.
The slur against the Delhi chief minister prompted the Indian ministry of external affairs (MEA) to summon the New Zealand high commissioner in the national capital. The envoy issued an apology.
source: agency
Complaints have also been received about another Breakfast episode where Henry worked himself up into a fit of laughter over the name of Sheila Dikshit.
He also appeared to make a slur against Indians in general.
The Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) said Henry's "insensitive and xenophobic comments" would be viewed negatively by many migrants to New Zealand.
Acting executive director of ARMS Lawton Hakaraia called on people to write to companies that advertised on Breakfast, to ask them to withdraw their advertising if Paul Henry kept his job.
"TVNZ must take full responsibility for what has happened and investigate and address the comments made by Henry, to ensure that such bigoted, ethnocentric remarks have no place on state-funded television," Hakaraia said.
He said Sir Anand had been a patron of the ARMS Charitable Trust since 2005, and had generously supported and contributed towards the services it provided to migrants and refugees across the Auckland region.
"This kind of statement is demeaning to the office of the Governor-General," he said.
Meanwhile, a TVNZ public relations manager has apologised to colleagues for her response to media after Henry's comments.
In a leaked email Andi Brotherston apologised and admitted she had "made an horrendous error of judgement".
Brotherston said Henry was prepared to say the things "we quietly think but are scared to say out loud".
In the leaked email she said: "In hindsight it seems unbelievable that I didn't seek a second opinion ... or even pause for breath but I didn't and only have myself to blame."
Brotherston said her comments were wrong and she accepted full responsibility. She offered to resign but her boss declined to accept.
Henry apologised on air after making the comment and, while he has shown some remorse, he lost his cool when he came across reporters waiting outside his North Shore property Tuesday, directing a tirade of expletive-laden abuse at them.
Sir Anand, who was born, educated, worked and lived in Auckland, has been diplomatic about the incident, but agreed Henry had crossed the line.
The slur against the Delhi chief minister prompted the Indian ministry of external affairs (MEA) to summon the New Zealand high commissioner in the national capital. The envoy issued an apology.
source: agency
Kingfisher flight makes emergency landing in Mumbai
Breaking news! Mumbai: A Kingfisher Airlines Mumbai-New Delhi flight made an emergency landing after a suspected bird-hit here today morning, an official said.
The flight IT-331 had taken off and was into flight for nearly 15 minutes when the incident occurred and the aircraft returned as "a precautionary measure", the official said.
There were 120 passengers plus crew members aboard. No casualties were reported.
They were later accommodated in an alternate aircraft that left for the national capital.
source: agency
The flight IT-331 had taken off and was into flight for nearly 15 minutes when the incident occurred and the aircraft returned as "a precautionary measure", the official said.
There were 120 passengers plus crew members aboard. No casualties were reported.
They were later accommodated in an alternate aircraft that left for the national capital.
source: agency
India has 20-70 million housing shortage
Breaking news! Washington: India has an estimated housing shortage ranging from 20 million to 70 million, yet as much as half of this excess demand can be profitably serviced by the housing and housing finance markets, says a new World Bank report.
High economic growth coupled with rapid urbanisation and a rising middle class have created considerable demand for housing and housing finance in South Asia, says the report entitled "Expanding Housing Finance to the Underserved South Asia".
South Asia's housing and housing finance markets have grown at an impressive 30 percent rate in the past decade, but are limited to upper-income groups, it says.
Around 30 million middle- and lower- class households in South Asia - which accounts for 11 percent of the region's population - have the willingness to pay, but unable to have access to mortgages.
The report examines housing shortages in South Asia, as well as outlines shortcomings of the market for home financing. It highlights the need to make mortgages available to the poor and broaden its reach among the middle- and lower- class.
"Going forward, mortgage product innovation and customisation to client needs would make housing affordable to an increasing number of families." said Janamitra Devan, The World Bank's Vice President for Finance and Private Sector Development.
"There is a considerable potential to expand housing and housing finance to middle- and lower-income households, provided appropriate market institutions, enabling policies, and a varied range of innovative housing and mortgage products are in place. In some countries such as India, this shift is already afoot."
In India, it may be commercially viable to build housing for 23-28 million households (35-45 percent of urban India) whose monthly household incomes are in the range of Rs 5,000-11,000 ($110-$250).
One in every 4 people on the planet live in the South Asia region, and more than 14 percent of South Asians have no home, not counting a further 45 percent living in overcrowded conditions.
The region's future economic growth, social development, and employment are tied to providing housing and the funding for home-ownership, the report noted.
"The good news is that housing and housing finance services have the potential to expand to middle- and lower- income families," said Tatiana Nenova, the World Bank's Senior Economist, Private and Financial Sector Development for the South Asia Region and author of the report.
source: agency
High economic growth coupled with rapid urbanisation and a rising middle class have created considerable demand for housing and housing finance in South Asia, says the report entitled "Expanding Housing Finance to the Underserved South Asia".
South Asia's housing and housing finance markets have grown at an impressive 30 percent rate in the past decade, but are limited to upper-income groups, it says.
Around 30 million middle- and lower- class households in South Asia - which accounts for 11 percent of the region's population - have the willingness to pay, but unable to have access to mortgages.
The report examines housing shortages in South Asia, as well as outlines shortcomings of the market for home financing. It highlights the need to make mortgages available to the poor and broaden its reach among the middle- and lower- class.
"Going forward, mortgage product innovation and customisation to client needs would make housing affordable to an increasing number of families." said Janamitra Devan, The World Bank's Vice President for Finance and Private Sector Development.
"There is a considerable potential to expand housing and housing finance to middle- and lower-income households, provided appropriate market institutions, enabling policies, and a varied range of innovative housing and mortgage products are in place. In some countries such as India, this shift is already afoot."
In India, it may be commercially viable to build housing for 23-28 million households (35-45 percent of urban India) whose monthly household incomes are in the range of Rs 5,000-11,000 ($110-$250).
One in every 4 people on the planet live in the South Asia region, and more than 14 percent of South Asians have no home, not counting a further 45 percent living in overcrowded conditions.
The region's future economic growth, social development, and employment are tied to providing housing and the funding for home-ownership, the report noted.
"The good news is that housing and housing finance services have the potential to expand to middle- and lower- income families," said Tatiana Nenova, the World Bank's Senior Economist, Private and Financial Sector Development for the South Asia Region and author of the report.
source: agency
India seeks consensus over currency imbalances
Breaking news! Washington: Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has called upon world leaders to resolve global tensions over imbalances in the global currency markets through consensus-building negotiations rather than confrontation.
"We must try to engage the countries into negotiations and try to build consensus so the matter could be resolved," he said in response to questions after a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Centre here today.
"It cannot be resolved through confrontation, but through consensus it could be possible," he said ahead of the Annual International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank meetings, where imbalances in the global foreign-exchange market are likely to be a hot topic.
"For sustained growth and stability, global structural imbalances have to be addressed sooner rather than later," he said. "The huge build-up of reserves in some countries and deficits elsewhere, massive trade surpluses in some and deep trade deficits in others, are not sustainable."
Earlier, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn also said the global financial institution needs to launch a "systemic stability initiative" to build international consensus on global currency policies.
Mukherjee also hoped for more cooperation between global leaders in reforming financial regulation, noting excessive risk-taking, as well as institutions that are "too big to fail," are harmful for the system. He also called for an early conclusion to the stalled Doha Round of world trade talks.
Downplaying the effects that sharp foreign institutional investment and foreign direct investment into India have had on the rupee and the economy, Mukherjee said. "The inflow of FII and FDI has not distorted market sentiments" and so therefore there is no need for intervention,.
It is the Reserve Bank of India's duty to monitor the situation and "when it is necessary to intervene appropriately," "But ... I do not consider that situation has arisen in the Indian economy today."
Mukherjee said high inflation continues to be of concern but that he is "more concerned with inflationary pressures on food items."
However, the finance minister was hopeful that steps taken to open up import of food items in short supply, as well as, recent interest rate increases by the Reserve Bank of India would bring inflation down to 6 percent by the end of the fiscal year.
Mukherjee also expressed the hope India will become a permanent member of the United Nation's Security Council "when the expansion of the Security Council along with the general reforms of the UN take place."
source: agency
"We must try to engage the countries into negotiations and try to build consensus so the matter could be resolved," he said in response to questions after a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Centre here today.
"It cannot be resolved through confrontation, but through consensus it could be possible," he said ahead of the Annual International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank meetings, where imbalances in the global foreign-exchange market are likely to be a hot topic.
"For sustained growth and stability, global structural imbalances have to be addressed sooner rather than later," he said. "The huge build-up of reserves in some countries and deficits elsewhere, massive trade surpluses in some and deep trade deficits in others, are not sustainable."
Earlier, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn also said the global financial institution needs to launch a "systemic stability initiative" to build international consensus on global currency policies.
Mukherjee also hoped for more cooperation between global leaders in reforming financial regulation, noting excessive risk-taking, as well as institutions that are "too big to fail," are harmful for the system. He also called for an early conclusion to the stalled Doha Round of world trade talks.
Downplaying the effects that sharp foreign institutional investment and foreign direct investment into India have had on the rupee and the economy, Mukherjee said. "The inflow of FII and FDI has not distorted market sentiments" and so therefore there is no need for intervention,.
It is the Reserve Bank of India's duty to monitor the situation and "when it is necessary to intervene appropriately," "But ... I do not consider that situation has arisen in the Indian economy today."
Mukherjee said high inflation continues to be of concern but that he is "more concerned with inflationary pressures on food items."
However, the finance minister was hopeful that steps taken to open up import of food items in short supply, as well as, recent interest rate increases by the Reserve Bank of India would bring inflation down to 6 percent by the end of the fiscal year.
Mukherjee also expressed the hope India will become a permanent member of the United Nation's Security Council "when the expansion of the Security Council along with the general reforms of the UN take place."
source: agency
Reality check on Sensex and India's realty industry
Breaking news! Mumbai: After the trough of 8,160 points, the recent turnaround in Indian stock markets that has lifted the 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) past the magical 20,000-point mark may cheer up India Inc - but it has certainly not lifted the spirits of the real estate market.
What's significant to note is that many real estate companies made fortunes during the earlier bull run of 2006-08. But the present run has bypassed these companies. This is clearly established by the BSE's realty index which registered a double-digit increase during the previous rise but has dived over 4 percent this year.
Despite the buoyancy in stock markets and the overall economic growth, the real estate sector is unable to match the pace of upturn. Stocks of the many companies that made their debut public issue during the previous boom time are trading below their offer price today. In some cases, there's an erosion of as much as 40-50 percent, while in some others, the peak stock prices have crashed up to 300 percent.
So much so that even the wealth of real estate barons has been considerably eroded. The wealth of K.P. Singh, the chief of India's number one real estate company DLF, has gone down from around $30 billion to a little over $10m billion between October 2007 and now - a fall of over nearly 65 percent.
Similarly, the personal wealth of Ramesh Chandra, the promoter of the country's second largest real estate firm Unitech, has plummeted from nearly $10 billion to a little under $2.25 billion during this period - a fall of over 77 percent.
The scenario is not favourable for a number of real estate public offers in the pipeline forcing the dozen-odd realty companies to defer their offers despite getting regulatory approvals, while the fate of another half-a-dozen players awaiting final nod is no less uncertain.
If these initial public offerings, meant largely for clearing past high-cost debt and to fund purchase of land, fail to materialise, it will spell more trouble for these realty players that are struggling to cope with serious debt problems.
Despite some revival, cash flows of developers have also not yet stabilised. And to make matters worse, banks are cautious in either giving new loans, or restructuring the old ones, due to mounting bad debt. As a result, developers are going for the high cost non-banking funding options to meet their capital requirements.
Amid these funding woes, the developers are further hit by drop in demand due to rising property and mortgage prices. While the maximum demand of 85-90 percent is for the mid-to-affordable housing, this latent demand has also been adversely hit by sharp increase in home prices in the last six months.
A findings of a survey by leading financial services firm HDFC Securities already shows that the realtors have pressed the panic button. Its survey report states that a sharp increase in property prices is adversely impacting the absorption of over 260 million sq ft of residential property in key metros. So much so that analysts are also questioning the sustainability of the real estate market amid investor-driven sales and over-supply in some pockets.
Are we heading for a double-dip situation in the realty industry? There is a real danger of it considering that all the ills which are currently plauging the sector are the ones responsible for the slowdown in 2008-09. Real estate analysts are cautioning against the possibility of a property bubble developing by the middle of next.
Analysts also maintain that the national capital and cities and townships around it, where the residential property prices are ruling way above their 2008 peak levels, are specially vulnerable. And it is these largely investor-driven markets that had led the the recent real estate slowdown.
Surely, it is time for a reality check on the realty sector, especially as home buyers are taking a cautious stance and experts are openly questioning the sustainability of unrealistically high home prices. To sustain the newly-generated demand for residential property, the market needs to undergo price correction, expected in a couple of months.
Real estate players also have to put their house in order, lest they fritter away the gains of this nascent realty revival and head for another round of recession. Clearly, end-users and long-term investors hold the key to sustain the market.
source: agency
What's significant to note is that many real estate companies made fortunes during the earlier bull run of 2006-08. But the present run has bypassed these companies. This is clearly established by the BSE's realty index which registered a double-digit increase during the previous rise but has dived over 4 percent this year.
Despite the buoyancy in stock markets and the overall economic growth, the real estate sector is unable to match the pace of upturn. Stocks of the many companies that made their debut public issue during the previous boom time are trading below their offer price today. In some cases, there's an erosion of as much as 40-50 percent, while in some others, the peak stock prices have crashed up to 300 percent.
So much so that even the wealth of real estate barons has been considerably eroded. The wealth of K.P. Singh, the chief of India's number one real estate company DLF, has gone down from around $30 billion to a little over $10m billion between October 2007 and now - a fall of over nearly 65 percent.
Similarly, the personal wealth of Ramesh Chandra, the promoter of the country's second largest real estate firm Unitech, has plummeted from nearly $10 billion to a little under $2.25 billion during this period - a fall of over 77 percent.
The scenario is not favourable for a number of real estate public offers in the pipeline forcing the dozen-odd realty companies to defer their offers despite getting regulatory approvals, while the fate of another half-a-dozen players awaiting final nod is no less uncertain.
If these initial public offerings, meant largely for clearing past high-cost debt and to fund purchase of land, fail to materialise, it will spell more trouble for these realty players that are struggling to cope with serious debt problems.
Despite some revival, cash flows of developers have also not yet stabilised. And to make matters worse, banks are cautious in either giving new loans, or restructuring the old ones, due to mounting bad debt. As a result, developers are going for the high cost non-banking funding options to meet their capital requirements.
Amid these funding woes, the developers are further hit by drop in demand due to rising property and mortgage prices. While the maximum demand of 85-90 percent is for the mid-to-affordable housing, this latent demand has also been adversely hit by sharp increase in home prices in the last six months.
A findings of a survey by leading financial services firm HDFC Securities already shows that the realtors have pressed the panic button. Its survey report states that a sharp increase in property prices is adversely impacting the absorption of over 260 million sq ft of residential property in key metros. So much so that analysts are also questioning the sustainability of the real estate market amid investor-driven sales and over-supply in some pockets.
Are we heading for a double-dip situation in the realty industry? There is a real danger of it considering that all the ills which are currently plauging the sector are the ones responsible for the slowdown in 2008-09. Real estate analysts are cautioning against the possibility of a property bubble developing by the middle of next.
Analysts also maintain that the national capital and cities and townships around it, where the residential property prices are ruling way above their 2008 peak levels, are specially vulnerable. And it is these largely investor-driven markets that had led the the recent real estate slowdown.
Surely, it is time for a reality check on the realty sector, especially as home buyers are taking a cautious stance and experts are openly questioning the sustainability of unrealistically high home prices. To sustain the newly-generated demand for residential property, the market needs to undergo price correction, expected in a couple of months.
Real estate players also have to put their house in order, lest they fritter away the gains of this nascent realty revival and head for another round of recession. Clearly, end-users and long-term investors hold the key to sustain the market.
source: agency
New banks' minimum capital should be Rs.1,000 crore: CII
Breaking news! Mumbai: A leading industry lobby today suggested to India's central bank that the minimum capital of the private entrants to the banking sector be pegged at Rs.1,000 crore and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) also be considered if they meet the guidelines.
The Reserve Bank of India held a meeting with the Indian Bank Association and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as part of a consultative process on the issue of allowing new players in the banking space.
"Lower capital could result in relatively small banks, which could potentially lead to higher risk taking and more volatile earnings. This in turn could result in lack of focus to financial inclusion and defeat the very purpose of this round of licensing," said a CII statement.
The RBI had in August released a discussion paper, seeking views of stakeholders on various issues such as minimum capital requirements for new banks and promoters contribution, minimum and maximum caps on promoter shareholding and other shareholders, and foreign shareholding in the new banks.
The industry representative also said foreign investment could be allowed in the private banks provided "a level playing field is applied to both foreign shareholders as well as domestic promoters".
The central bank had sought views on whether industrial and business houses could be allowed to promote banks and should non-banking financial companies be allowed conversion into banks or to promote a bank.
"CII proposed that the industrial and business houses that have predominant presence and experience in the financial sector could be allowed to set up banks subject to the due diligence process," said the statement.
With regards to NBFCs, CII said it was not in favour of automatic conversion of such entities into banks, but added that NBFCs, whether part of an industrial group or not, should be treated at par with other applicants and should be allowed to promote a bank with fresh capital.
source: agency
The Reserve Bank of India held a meeting with the Indian Bank Association and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as part of a consultative process on the issue of allowing new players in the banking space.
"Lower capital could result in relatively small banks, which could potentially lead to higher risk taking and more volatile earnings. This in turn could result in lack of focus to financial inclusion and defeat the very purpose of this round of licensing," said a CII statement.
The RBI had in August released a discussion paper, seeking views of stakeholders on various issues such as minimum capital requirements for new banks and promoters contribution, minimum and maximum caps on promoter shareholding and other shareholders, and foreign shareholding in the new banks.
The industry representative also said foreign investment could be allowed in the private banks provided "a level playing field is applied to both foreign shareholders as well as domestic promoters".
The central bank had sought views on whether industrial and business houses could be allowed to promote banks and should non-banking financial companies be allowed conversion into banks or to promote a bank.
"CII proposed that the industrial and business houses that have predominant presence and experience in the financial sector could be allowed to set up banks subject to the due diligence process," said the statement.
With regards to NBFCs, CII said it was not in favour of automatic conversion of such entities into banks, but added that NBFCs, whether part of an industrial group or not, should be treated at par with other applicants and should be allowed to promote a bank with fresh capital.
source: agency
'No crisis among Kochi IPL franchise partners'
Breaking news!Kochi: There is no crisis among the Kochi IPL team franchise partners and talks are going on among them, Vivek Venugopal of the Rendezvous Sports World, which won the franchisee rights for the team, said today.
"We have not received any show-cause notice from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)," Venugopal told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
Rendezvous Sports World won the bid for Rs.1,500 crore.
Congress parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor, who resigned as minister of state for external affairs for allegedly dabbling in the affairs of bringing this team to Kerala, is the mediator among the partners.
Rendezvous Sports World is owned by a consortium that includes Venugopal, a businessman based in and out of the state. Shailendra Gaekwad is also one of the owners.
Venugopal with other five companies has formed a group called Kerala Consortium. The others are Anchor Earth, Parani Development Pvt Ltd, Anand Shah Developers and Film Waves.
Meanwhile, time is running out for the team which has to register as per the Companies Act in 10 days to take part in the next edition of the Twenty20 league.
source: agency
"We have not received any show-cause notice from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)," Venugopal told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
Rendezvous Sports World won the bid for Rs.1,500 crore.
Congress parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor, who resigned as minister of state for external affairs for allegedly dabbling in the affairs of bringing this team to Kerala, is the mediator among the partners.
Rendezvous Sports World is owned by a consortium that includes Venugopal, a businessman based in and out of the state. Shailendra Gaekwad is also one of the owners.
Venugopal with other five companies has formed a group called Kerala Consortium. The others are Anchor Earth, Parani Development Pvt Ltd, Anand Shah Developers and Film Waves.
Meanwhile, time is running out for the team which has to register as per the Companies Act in 10 days to take part in the next edition of the Twenty20 league.
source: agency
CWG hockey: Lack of fitness led to defeat, says skipper Rajpal
Breaking news! New Delhi: India's skipper Rajpal Singh attributed his team's 2-5 defeat to Australia in the hockey competition of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) today to lack of fitness.
Australia beat India by an identical margin in the 2010 World Cup played at the same venue, after leading 2-1 at half-time, and Rajpal felt that the Indian team needed to be much fitter if they hoped to compete on equal footing with the World champions.
"We have to get to their (Australia's) fitness levels first before even talking about tactics and strategies," said Rajpal during the post-match Media conference.
On the other hand, coach Jose Brasa took pride in saying that for the first time in many months, Australia were indeed stretched like never before.
"If you look at Australia's performance when they won the Champions Trophy this year, they won all their matches against other top teams by a big margin. But tonight, we showed that we can match them, even if it was just 35 minutes," said the Spaniard.
Responding to a query on fitness levels, Brasa asserted that India's focus was not so much on Commonwealth Games as the next month's Asian Games in China.
"We are trying to peak at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games is just a stepping stone. It is impossible to maintain the same fitness levels at two major tournaments, especially when there is a gap of just four weeks," he said.
On India's failure to convert any of the six penalty corners they received against Australia, Brasa said: "We are the best in the World at penalty-corner conversions in training, but worst in the World in a match.
"We were lucky to convert two against Malaysia (one by Dhananjay Mahadik and the other by Sandeep Singh). Sandeep had three other attempts in that match and all his tries stuck the goalkeeper in the body. That never happens in practice."
Brasa pointed out that the first two goals that Australia scored tonight were gifts and so also their third goal that he said was due to a mistake that is not usually seen in international competition.
Earlier, Australian team coach Richard Charlesworth opined that the Indian play was rather predictable and it helped his team to control the game in the second half.
"Indians usually steal the ball in the defence and counter-attack. We gave them too much space in the first half but in the second, we took risks and won the match," he said.
The fact that Indians kept up this tactic was to Australia's advantage and they proceeded to dominate the second-half, Charlesworth observed.
The Aussie coach said that in the World Cup game, his team had dominated the entire 70 minutes unlike tonight when only in the second-half did they take control of the proceedings.
source: agency
Australia beat India by an identical margin in the 2010 World Cup played at the same venue, after leading 2-1 at half-time, and Rajpal felt that the Indian team needed to be much fitter if they hoped to compete on equal footing with the World champions.
"We have to get to their (Australia's) fitness levels first before even talking about tactics and strategies," said Rajpal during the post-match Media conference.
On the other hand, coach Jose Brasa took pride in saying that for the first time in many months, Australia were indeed stretched like never before.
"If you look at Australia's performance when they won the Champions Trophy this year, they won all their matches against other top teams by a big margin. But tonight, we showed that we can match them, even if it was just 35 minutes," said the Spaniard.
Responding to a query on fitness levels, Brasa asserted that India's focus was not so much on Commonwealth Games as the next month's Asian Games in China.
"We are trying to peak at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games is just a stepping stone. It is impossible to maintain the same fitness levels at two major tournaments, especially when there is a gap of just four weeks," he said.
On India's failure to convert any of the six penalty corners they received against Australia, Brasa said: "We are the best in the World at penalty-corner conversions in training, but worst in the World in a match.
"We were lucky to convert two against Malaysia (one by Dhananjay Mahadik and the other by Sandeep Singh). Sandeep had three other attempts in that match and all his tries stuck the goalkeeper in the body. That never happens in practice."
Brasa pointed out that the first two goals that Australia scored tonight were gifts and so also their third goal that he said was due to a mistake that is not usually seen in international competition.
Earlier, Australian team coach Richard Charlesworth opined that the Indian play was rather predictable and it helped his team to control the game in the second half.
"Indians usually steal the ball in the defence and counter-attack. We gave them too much space in the first half but in the second, we took risks and won the match," he said.
The fact that Indians kept up this tactic was to Australia's advantage and they proceeded to dominate the second-half, Charlesworth observed.
The Aussie coach said that in the World Cup game, his team had dominated the entire 70 minutes unlike tonight when only in the second-half did they take control of the proceedings.
source: agency
CWG tennis: Paes-Sania crash out, Somdev advances
Breaking news! New Delhi: Second seeds Leander Paes and Sania Mirza crashed out of the mixed doubles quarterfinals in the biggest upset of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) tennis competition here today. However, it was a happy day for India in the singles with both Somdev Devvarman and Sania romping into the semifinals with straight set victories.
Rushmi Chakravarthi, who had created a flutter a day before with a sensational win over third seed Katie O' Brien of England, could not repeat her good performance and went down 5-7, 4-6 to sixth seeded Australian Olivia Rogowska.
However, it was a successful outing for India in men's doubles with Somdev and Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi moving into the semi-finals.
In women's doubles, Poojashree Venkatesha and Nirupama Sanjeev shocked second seeds Sarah Borwell and Anna Smith 7-5, 6-4 to reach the semifinals where they now square up against Australian Jessica Moore and Rogowska.
Somdev and Bopanna beat Australian Matt Ebden and Greg Jones 7-6 (5), 6-4 to set up a semifinal clash with third seeds Ross Hutchins and Ken Skupski. Paes and Bhupathi were stretched by England's Josh Godall and James Ward, before the Indians prevailed 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4). They will next meet fourth seeds Australian Peter Luczak and Paul Hanle.
In singles, men's top seed Somdev doused a spirited effort from sixth-seeded Rubin Statham of New Zealand 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 41 minutes while women's second seed Sania disposed off another New Zealander, Maria Erakovic, seeded eighth, 6-2, 6-3.
A lot was expected from Paes and Sania, who won gold at the 2006 Doha Asia Games and a packed stadium did everything to spur them on. But the gruelling schedule of playing two matches in a day took a toll on the Indians, who were playing together after four years and lost to Scotland's Colin Fleming and Jocelyn Rae 5-7, 4-6.
"It was a tough ask, playing two matches in a day. But in professional tennis you have to live up to these demands. I was a bit tired but our opponents also played quite well," said Paes, who had finished his match with Bhupathi barely an hour before the start of the mixed doubles.
In singles, it was again a wobbly start for Somdev. The world's 97th-ranked Indian's serve somewhat troubled him in the first set, which saw the two players sharing five breaks of serves. Statham, ranked 353, on the other hand, looked dangerous with his powerful forehand but perished in his attempt to go for quick winners.
Somdev had earlier beaten Statham in straight sets in the qualifiers in the $50,000 Lexington enroute his maiden Challenger title.
"I am happy to be in the semi-finals. The court is a bit slow, but I am feeling really fit, thanks to my coaches," said Somdev, who next plays third seeded Australian Ebden.
"I have never played him (Ebden) before. But he is a very good player and I will have to play well against him, I can't afford to give him too many chances."
Sania looked in a hurry to wrap up her match against an off-colour Erakovic, once a top-50 player. The Indian was in her element as she smashed powerful groundstrokes and even sent down three aces during a nearly hour-long tie.
Sania next plays Rogowska.
source: agency
Rushmi Chakravarthi, who had created a flutter a day before with a sensational win over third seed Katie O' Brien of England, could not repeat her good performance and went down 5-7, 4-6 to sixth seeded Australian Olivia Rogowska.
However, it was a successful outing for India in men's doubles with Somdev and Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi moving into the semi-finals.
In women's doubles, Poojashree Venkatesha and Nirupama Sanjeev shocked second seeds Sarah Borwell and Anna Smith 7-5, 6-4 to reach the semifinals where they now square up against Australian Jessica Moore and Rogowska.
Somdev and Bopanna beat Australian Matt Ebden and Greg Jones 7-6 (5), 6-4 to set up a semifinal clash with third seeds Ross Hutchins and Ken Skupski. Paes and Bhupathi were stretched by England's Josh Godall and James Ward, before the Indians prevailed 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4). They will next meet fourth seeds Australian Peter Luczak and Paul Hanle.
In singles, men's top seed Somdev doused a spirited effort from sixth-seeded Rubin Statham of New Zealand 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 41 minutes while women's second seed Sania disposed off another New Zealander, Maria Erakovic, seeded eighth, 6-2, 6-3.
A lot was expected from Paes and Sania, who won gold at the 2006 Doha Asia Games and a packed stadium did everything to spur them on. But the gruelling schedule of playing two matches in a day took a toll on the Indians, who were playing together after four years and lost to Scotland's Colin Fleming and Jocelyn Rae 5-7, 4-6.
"It was a tough ask, playing two matches in a day. But in professional tennis you have to live up to these demands. I was a bit tired but our opponents also played quite well," said Paes, who had finished his match with Bhupathi barely an hour before the start of the mixed doubles.
In singles, it was again a wobbly start for Somdev. The world's 97th-ranked Indian's serve somewhat troubled him in the first set, which saw the two players sharing five breaks of serves. Statham, ranked 353, on the other hand, looked dangerous with his powerful forehand but perished in his attempt to go for quick winners.
Somdev had earlier beaten Statham in straight sets in the qualifiers in the $50,000 Lexington enroute his maiden Challenger title.
"I am happy to be in the semi-finals. The court is a bit slow, but I am feeling really fit, thanks to my coaches," said Somdev, who next plays third seeded Australian Ebden.
"I have never played him (Ebden) before. But he is a very good player and I will have to play well against him, I can't afford to give him too many chances."
Sania looked in a hurry to wrap up her match against an off-colour Erakovic, once a top-50 player. The Indian was in her element as she smashed powerful groundstrokes and even sent down three aces during a nearly hour-long tie.
Sania next plays Rogowska.
source: agency
Kolkata is safe corridor for terrorists: Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
Breaking news! Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said that terrorists are using Kolkata as a safe corridor.
"Terrorists are coming and going through the city. Besides there are also communal forces and big criminals who have to be uprooted," Bhattacharjee, who is also in-charge of home (police) department, said on the issue at a function of the city police here.
Maintaining that the Kolkata Police had less personnel compared to the police-public ratio in cities like Mumbai, he said there were 26,000 personnel in 48 police stations in the city which had a population of over 60 lakh. "This ratio is higher in Mumbai and other metropolises of the country."
He also said that criminals operating in cities like Mumbai could not commit crimes in Kolkata because of the efficiency of the city police. "It is a credit of the Kolkata Police," he said.
The chief minister urged citizens to be alert against terrorists, communal forces and criminals operating in the metropolis.
Altogether, 48 police personnel and 16 civilians were awarded under different categories at the function for their courage and dedication to the service.
source: agency
"Terrorists are coming and going through the city. Besides there are also communal forces and big criminals who have to be uprooted," Bhattacharjee, who is also in-charge of home (police) department, said on the issue at a function of the city police here.
Maintaining that the Kolkata Police had less personnel compared to the police-public ratio in cities like Mumbai, he said there were 26,000 personnel in 48 police stations in the city which had a population of over 60 lakh. "This ratio is higher in Mumbai and other metropolises of the country."
He also said that criminals operating in cities like Mumbai could not commit crimes in Kolkata because of the efficiency of the city police. "It is a credit of the Kolkata Police," he said.
The chief minister urged citizens to be alert against terrorists, communal forces and criminals operating in the metropolis.
Altogether, 48 police personnel and 16 civilians were awarded under different categories at the function for their courage and dedication to the service.
source: agency
IAF celebrates Air Force day in style
Breaking news! HINDON (Uttar Pradesh): The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday celebrated 78 years of its existence with an elaborate parade and aerobatics display at the air base here.
On display were MIG-21s, MIG-29s, Jaguars, Mirage 2000s, and Sukhoi-30 MkIs and helicopters.
The celebration at the Hindon airbase, close to the national capital, was marked by aerobatics by the Sarang Advanced Light Helicopter team followed by synchronised low level manoeuvring by the Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT).
The air show was coordinated with precision from five different bases like Ambala, Halwara and Adampur of the New Delhi-based Western Air Command.
The IAF was founded on Oct 8, 1932 as a tactical force.
source: agency
On display were MIG-21s, MIG-29s, Jaguars, Mirage 2000s, and Sukhoi-30 MkIs and helicopters.
The celebration at the Hindon airbase, close to the national capital, was marked by aerobatics by the Sarang Advanced Light Helicopter team followed by synchronised low level manoeuvring by the Surya Kiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT).
The air show was coordinated with precision from five different bases like Ambala, Halwara and Adampur of the New Delhi-based Western Air Command.
The IAF was founded on Oct 8, 1932 as a tactical force.
source: agency
Saina Nehwal leads India to historic first final
Breaking news! NEW DELHI: Top-seeded champions Malaysia will face a noisy and emotion-charged combination of opponents after India reached the final of the Commonwealth Games badminton team event for the first time.
The home country turned on an outstanding performance, outplaying the former champions England 3-0 without even dropping a game.
It is into a similarly powerful mixture of decibels and adrenaline that Malaysia will now be pitched as an entirely contrasting reward for their fairly relaxed 3-1 win over Singapore.
Strong favourites though the champions are, they cannot be quite as certain as four years ago in Melbourne that everything will go smoothly.
India started strongly and grew stronger.
The opening encounter, in which Jwala Gutta and Dija Valija Veetil won 21-17, 21-17 against former world champion Nathan Robertson and his current partner Jenny Wallwork, was a mighty blow.
The English had to win that to avoid disappointment, and, apart from a brief spell in the second game they never looked likely to manage it.
It was followed by a good victory for Kashlak Parupalli, who won 21-13, 21-17 over Rajeev Ouseph, who has recently climbed into the world's top 20 for the first time, but could not cope with the speed and appetite of the man from Hyderabad.
It was a torrid return to India for the English national champion whose family come from in Thrissur in Kerala and whom he visits from time to time.
India's winning lead was completed by their star, Saina Nehwal, who meandered along with a one-point deficit until 16-17 in the first game before accelerating to a 21-18, 21-11 win over Liz Cann, the other English national champion.
"Playing in a team event in India before an Indian crowd feels quite different from what I am used to on tour," said Nehwal. "I do like that aspect of it very much. It's a proud feeling."
It is one the Malaysians are aware of.
They were mostly able to conserve their energies against the Singaporeans, and they are unlikely to underestimate the final hurdle.
"We thought India against England would be quite a close match," said Rexy Mainaky, their doubles head coach.
"But the mental spirit of the Indians was important.
"They are strong in mixed doubles, women's singles and women's doubles, and we will be up against not just the players but the crowd.
"Of course our players have been in this situation in the past so hopefully they will show a good fighting spirit too. But it will still be quite difficult."
It was an oustanding doubles player who both started and finished the Malaysian semifinal success.
Koo Kien Keat, world number one in men's doubles, paired up with Chin Eei Hui, ranked six in the world in women's doubles, and did so well, winning in straight games against Chayut Triyachart and Yao Lei in the mixed doubles.
And then Koo completed the 3-1 success when he and his list-topping partner Tan Boon Heong trounced Triyachart and Hendra Wijaya 21-7, 21-13.
In between, Lee Chong Wei, the world number one, strolled through a 21-19, 21-18 win over Wong Zi, the 20-year-old Singaporean number one, after which there was a slightly surprising women's singles defeat for Wong Mew Choo.
Wong, a top 20 player, was beaten 21-12, 7-21, 21-16 by Xing Ailing, once the youngest player, at 15, to win a Grand Prix title.
source: agency
The home country turned on an outstanding performance, outplaying the former champions England 3-0 without even dropping a game.
It is into a similarly powerful mixture of decibels and adrenaline that Malaysia will now be pitched as an entirely contrasting reward for their fairly relaxed 3-1 win over Singapore.
Strong favourites though the champions are, they cannot be quite as certain as four years ago in Melbourne that everything will go smoothly.
India started strongly and grew stronger.
The opening encounter, in which Jwala Gutta and Dija Valija Veetil won 21-17, 21-17 against former world champion Nathan Robertson and his current partner Jenny Wallwork, was a mighty blow.
The English had to win that to avoid disappointment, and, apart from a brief spell in the second game they never looked likely to manage it.
It was followed by a good victory for Kashlak Parupalli, who won 21-13, 21-17 over Rajeev Ouseph, who has recently climbed into the world's top 20 for the first time, but could not cope with the speed and appetite of the man from Hyderabad.
It was a torrid return to India for the English national champion whose family come from in Thrissur in Kerala and whom he visits from time to time.
India's winning lead was completed by their star, Saina Nehwal, who meandered along with a one-point deficit until 16-17 in the first game before accelerating to a 21-18, 21-11 win over Liz Cann, the other English national champion.
"Playing in a team event in India before an Indian crowd feels quite different from what I am used to on tour," said Nehwal. "I do like that aspect of it very much. It's a proud feeling."
It is one the Malaysians are aware of.
They were mostly able to conserve their energies against the Singaporeans, and they are unlikely to underestimate the final hurdle.
"We thought India against England would be quite a close match," said Rexy Mainaky, their doubles head coach.
"But the mental spirit of the Indians was important.
"They are strong in mixed doubles, women's singles and women's doubles, and we will be up against not just the players but the crowd.
"Of course our players have been in this situation in the past so hopefully they will show a good fighting spirit too. But it will still be quite difficult."
It was an oustanding doubles player who both started and finished the Malaysian semifinal success.
Koo Kien Keat, world number one in men's doubles, paired up with Chin Eei Hui, ranked six in the world in women's doubles, and did so well, winning in straight games against Chayut Triyachart and Yao Lei in the mixed doubles.
And then Koo completed the 3-1 success when he and his list-topping partner Tan Boon Heong trounced Triyachart and Hendra Wijaya 21-7, 21-13.
In between, Lee Chong Wei, the world number one, strolled through a 21-19, 21-18 win over Wong Zi, the 20-year-old Singaporean number one, after which there was a slightly surprising women's singles defeat for Wong Mew Choo.
Wong, a top 20 player, was beaten 21-12, 7-21, 21-16 by Xing Ailing, once the youngest player, at 15, to win a Grand Prix title.
source: agency
Indian women archers win gold in recurve team competition
Breaking news! NEW DELHI: India won their 15th gold medal in the Commonwealth Games when the hosts' women archers beat England in the final of the Recurve team competition.
The Indian team, comprising Dola Banerjee, Bombayala Devi and Deepika Kumari, beat England in the final at the Yamuna Sports Complex. India beat England 207-206 to clinch the gold.
Later in the day, the race for grabbing the immediate spot behind Australia is expected to become hotter.
With Australia seemingly having taken an unassailable lead with 32 golds in their kitty, the race for finishing No. 2 in the Games has narrowed down to a three-horse race between second-placed India, No.3 England and No. 4 Canada.
While India, dominating the shooting range and also doing well in disciplines like wrestling and weightlifting, had 14 gold going into the day's events, England were two behind the hosts while Canada were one gold further adrift.
India would once again depend on their shooters, who provided 50 per cent of their gold medals in the first four days, to help them stay ahead of England and Canada.
In tennis, Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza would aim to reach the finals of the men's and women's singles events.
Somdev and Rohan Bopanna are also set to play the men's doubles semi finals along with the "Indian Express" duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi while Nirupama Sanjeev and Pooja Venkatesha would be striving to make the women's doubles final.
In table tennis, the Indian women are up against Singapore in the tie for the gold medal and the men are up against England for a spot in the final. Preliminary rounds of the individual events are to commence.
In badminton India are up against Malaysia in the mixed team final to settle the gold and silver medals.
The members of the strong boxing squad would look to advance further in their endeavour to attain medal standard.
source: agency
The Indian team, comprising Dola Banerjee, Bombayala Devi and Deepika Kumari, beat England in the final at the Yamuna Sports Complex. India beat England 207-206 to clinch the gold.
Later in the day, the race for grabbing the immediate spot behind Australia is expected to become hotter.
With Australia seemingly having taken an unassailable lead with 32 golds in their kitty, the race for finishing No. 2 in the Games has narrowed down to a three-horse race between second-placed India, No.3 England and No. 4 Canada.
While India, dominating the shooting range and also doing well in disciplines like wrestling and weightlifting, had 14 gold going into the day's events, England were two behind the hosts while Canada were one gold further adrift.
India would once again depend on their shooters, who provided 50 per cent of their gold medals in the first four days, to help them stay ahead of England and Canada.
In tennis, Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza would aim to reach the finals of the men's and women's singles events.
Somdev and Rohan Bopanna are also set to play the men's doubles semi finals along with the "Indian Express" duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi while Nirupama Sanjeev and Pooja Venkatesha would be striving to make the women's doubles final.
In table tennis, the Indian women are up against Singapore in the tie for the gold medal and the men are up against England for a spot in the final. Preliminary rounds of the individual events are to commence.
In badminton India are up against Malaysia in the mixed team final to settle the gold and silver medals.
The members of the strong boxing squad would look to advance further in their endeavour to attain medal standard.
source: agency
We are disappointed with CWG officials, want apology: Uganda sports minister
Breaking news! New Delhi: Ugandan Sports Minister Charles Bakkabulindi today sought an apology from India over a freak accident at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Village that left three Ugandan officials injured.
"We are disappointed at the turn of events. We want an apology from the Indian officials. The fact that they are ill-treating us and playing down the whole incident is shocking," Bakkabulindi told the media.
"The injured were not treated well at the Games and we want an apology from the Organising Committee. We don't treat people like this in our country and here the officials are not owning up for their mistake. We expect better treatment," he said.
Uganda's chef de mission William Tumwine, administrative officer Iren Matovu and press attache Juliet Achom were injured on Tuesday night when a tyre killer malfunctioned at the Village when they were entering the complex, police said.
While Matovu suffered severe eye injuries and required extensive facial stitching, Tumwine suffered a slight head injury. Acom had a whiplash.
"Our concern is why (the Indian) government has not come with an official apology," Bakkabulindi said.
Security officials at the Village maintained it was a technical fault that the radio barrier got activated.
source: agency
"We are disappointed at the turn of events. We want an apology from the Indian officials. The fact that they are ill-treating us and playing down the whole incident is shocking," Bakkabulindi told the media.
"The injured were not treated well at the Games and we want an apology from the Organising Committee. We don't treat people like this in our country and here the officials are not owning up for their mistake. We expect better treatment," he said.
Uganda's chef de mission William Tumwine, administrative officer Iren Matovu and press attache Juliet Achom were injured on Tuesday night when a tyre killer malfunctioned at the Village when they were entering the complex, police said.
While Matovu suffered severe eye injuries and required extensive facial stitching, Tumwine suffered a slight head injury. Acom had a whiplash.
"Our concern is why (the Indian) government has not come with an official apology," Bakkabulindi said.
Security officials at the Village maintained it was a technical fault that the radio barrier got activated.
source: agency
At least 4 killed in twin blasts in Karachi
Breaking news! KARACHI: Two explosions hit a famed Sufi shrine in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Thursday, killing at least four people and wounding 20 others, police said.
The exact cause of the blasts were not immediately clear, but Pakistani shrines and mosques have frequently been attacked by Islamist militant groups wreaking havoc on the South Asian nation, a key US ally. Thursday's blasts appeared to echo a twin suicide bombing at a well-known Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore earlier this year.
Police official Jam Tariq said the blasts occurred in Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine compound in the evening Thursday, a time of the week when the site is particularly crowded.
TV footage showed pools of blood at the scene, while people helped two wounded victims get to an ambulance. Police were cordoning off the area. A young boy with blood-stained clothes cried for help in a police vehicle.
A witness, Hassam Uddin, said two blasts occurred near the main entrance before the electronic walk-through gate, and that he saw 18 to 20 critically wounded people lying on the ground.
Abdullah Shah Ghazi was an 8th century saint credited with bringing Islam to the coastal region.
source: agency
The exact cause of the blasts were not immediately clear, but Pakistani shrines and mosques have frequently been attacked by Islamist militant groups wreaking havoc on the South Asian nation, a key US ally. Thursday's blasts appeared to echo a twin suicide bombing at a well-known Sufi shrine in the eastern city of Lahore earlier this year.
Police official Jam Tariq said the blasts occurred in Abdullah Shah Ghazi shrine compound in the evening Thursday, a time of the week when the site is particularly crowded.
TV footage showed pools of blood at the scene, while people helped two wounded victims get to an ambulance. Police were cordoning off the area. A young boy with blood-stained clothes cried for help in a police vehicle.
A witness, Hassam Uddin, said two blasts occurred near the main entrance before the electronic walk-through gate, and that he saw 18 to 20 critically wounded people lying on the ground.
Abdullah Shah Ghazi was an 8th century saint credited with bringing Islam to the coastal region.
source: agency
Erotic calendar wishes 'Happy Birthday, Mr Putin'
Breaking news! MOSCOW: Lingerie-clad students from Moscow's most renowned university have posed in an erotic calendar proclaiming their love for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who turns 58 tomorrow.
The calendar, called "Vladimir Vladimirovich, We love you. Happy Birthday Mr Putin," features 12 women wearing only underwear and pouting at the camera with saucy slogans.
The women are all named as journalism students at the Moscow State University and a spokeswoman for the faculty confirmed that the models study there.
Clad in a black lace negligee, Miss March, Lena Gornostayeva, wishes Putin a happy birthday with the message: "You put out the forest fires, but I'm still burning."
Journalism faculty spokeswoman Larisa Bakulina slammed the calendar as a "work of erotic tastelessness."
"We are not happy that they used the brand of the journalism faculty," she said. "It is tactless on the part of the publishers."
One of the creators of the calendar, Maxim Perlin, 22, a producer at a patriotic Internet television channel, said that he put it together with a publisher, Vladimir Tabak.
The models posed for free, he told AFP, claiming the calendar had an empowering message.
"The idea of the calendar was to show girls who are not simply models who turn up for USD 100, but girls who have some political opinion, who have already achieved some success," he said.
Asked why the models were in underwear, he said: "In my opinion it's more beautiful and more interesting."
Fifty thousand copies of the calendar went on sale yesterday at Auchan hypermarkets, Perlin told AFP. Today a stack of the calendars, costing 260 rubles each (USD 8.71) was on sale at a hypermarket on Leninsky Prospekt in southern Moscow.
source: agency
The calendar, called "Vladimir Vladimirovich, We love you. Happy Birthday Mr Putin," features 12 women wearing only underwear and pouting at the camera with saucy slogans.
The women are all named as journalism students at the Moscow State University and a spokeswoman for the faculty confirmed that the models study there.
Clad in a black lace negligee, Miss March, Lena Gornostayeva, wishes Putin a happy birthday with the message: "You put out the forest fires, but I'm still burning."
Journalism faculty spokeswoman Larisa Bakulina slammed the calendar as a "work of erotic tastelessness."
"We are not happy that they used the brand of the journalism faculty," she said. "It is tactless on the part of the publishers."
One of the creators of the calendar, Maxim Perlin, 22, a producer at a patriotic Internet television channel, said that he put it together with a publisher, Vladimir Tabak.
The models posed for free, he told AFP, claiming the calendar had an empowering message.
"The idea of the calendar was to show girls who are not simply models who turn up for USD 100, but girls who have some political opinion, who have already achieved some success," he said.
Asked why the models were in underwear, he said: "In my opinion it's more beautiful and more interesting."
Fifty thousand copies of the calendar went on sale yesterday at Auchan hypermarkets, Perlin told AFP. Today a stack of the calendars, costing 260 rubles each (USD 8.71) was on sale at a hypermarket on Leninsky Prospekt in southern Moscow.
source: agency
New Zealand 'sorry' for comments against Sheila Dikshit
Breaking news! NEW DELHI: Outraged over a New Zealand TV anchor ridiculing Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, the foreign office on Thursday summoned its High Commissioner who is believed to have profusely apologized for the incident.
The anchor Paul Henry, who had earlier made a racial slur against Indian-origin Governor-General of New Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand for which he was already suspended, had deliberately twisted Dikshit's name to make fun of her.
Upset over this, external affairs minister S M Krishna today directed the ministry to convey India's unhappiness over the conduct of the anchor to the High Commissioner Rupert Holborow.
Halborow was summoned to the ministry and told that such remarks were unacceptable. On his part, the envoy is believed to have apologized and said he would convey the same to the Delhi chief minister.
source: agency
The anchor Paul Henry, who had earlier made a racial slur against Indian-origin Governor-General of New Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand for which he was already suspended, had deliberately twisted Dikshit's name to make fun of her.
Upset over this, external affairs minister S M Krishna today directed the ministry to convey India's unhappiness over the conduct of the anchor to the High Commissioner Rupert Holborow.
Halborow was summoned to the ministry and told that such remarks were unacceptable. On his part, the envoy is believed to have apologized and said he would convey the same to the Delhi chief minister.
source: agency
16 students suspended over Facebook posts on teacher
Breaking news! CHANDIGARH: Indecent and abusive comments posted on social networking site Facebook about a female mathematics teacher saw 16 students of a leading private school suspended from their institution.
The students, all from Class 12 of Vivek High School in Sector 38 here, were suspended for three months, school authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The incident took place earlier this week when a Class 12 student, who got low marks in his mathematics exam, posted his answer sheet on Facebook with rude and abusive comments about the female teacher. Fifteen of his classmates also chipped in with their comments.
All the comments against the teacher were nasty, rude and abusive.
A teacher of the school, who also had an account on the website, saw the comments and reported the matter to the school management which took the indiscretion of the students very seriously.
"This kind of behaviour is unacceptable on a public platform. We had to take action to ensure that the right message goes to the students," said Vivek High School chairman HS Mamik.
Parents of the suspended students agreed with the school authorities that what they (students) did was wrong.
"It was a mistake what the students did. We have urged the school authorities to review the decision as suspending them for three months in a crucial class is too harsh," the mother of one of the suspended students said.
source: agency
The students, all from Class 12 of Vivek High School in Sector 38 here, were suspended for three months, school authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The incident took place earlier this week when a Class 12 student, who got low marks in his mathematics exam, posted his answer sheet on Facebook with rude and abusive comments about the female teacher. Fifteen of his classmates also chipped in with their comments.
All the comments against the teacher were nasty, rude and abusive.
A teacher of the school, who also had an account on the website, saw the comments and reported the matter to the school management which took the indiscretion of the students very seriously.
"This kind of behaviour is unacceptable on a public platform. We had to take action to ensure that the right message goes to the students," said Vivek High School chairman HS Mamik.
Parents of the suspended students agreed with the school authorities that what they (students) did was wrong.
"It was a mistake what the students did. We have urged the school authorities to review the decision as suspending them for three months in a crucial class is too harsh," the mother of one of the suspended students said.
source: agency
Bigg Boss: War Begins!
Breaking news! Veena takes up the responsibility of preparing the breakfast on day 4. She is busy preparing eggs for the housemates.
Hrishant is unhappy with excess oil in the breakfast and passes nasty comments across the table criticizing Veena's cooking. Post breakfast, Veena has a confrontation with Hrishant and admitted to the fact that he should have told her if he had complaints with her food. Hrishant's nasty comments and care-a-damn attitude irks her even more and Veena is left to console on others shoulders.
Sakshi too gets emotional as she is accused of not doing household work by Hrishant and Ashmit. While Sakshi defends herself and thinks she has been contributing enough!
Bigg Boss calls Sameer in the confession room to hand over the letter on the conclusion of the hour-glass task. The letter also states the task was done successfully. Based on this a budget limit is set for the housemates to earn luxury items for a week. Sara's much awaited coffee is noted first on the list of things required for the house.
Aanchal who had the power on nominating one housemate as the captain and the HOH room give 2 names to Bigg Boss for the nomination.
Day 4 ends on a quiet note...
source: tnn
Hrishant is unhappy with excess oil in the breakfast and passes nasty comments across the table criticizing Veena's cooking. Post breakfast, Veena has a confrontation with Hrishant and admitted to the fact that he should have told her if he had complaints with her food. Hrishant's nasty comments and care-a-damn attitude irks her even more and Veena is left to console on others shoulders.
Sakshi too gets emotional as she is accused of not doing household work by Hrishant and Ashmit. While Sakshi defends herself and thinks she has been contributing enough!
Bigg Boss calls Sameer in the confession room to hand over the letter on the conclusion of the hour-glass task. The letter also states the task was done successfully. Based on this a budget limit is set for the housemates to earn luxury items for a week. Sara's much awaited coffee is noted first on the list of things required for the house.
Aanchal who had the power on nominating one housemate as the captain and the HOH room give 2 names to Bigg Boss for the nomination.
Day 4 ends on a quiet note...
source: tnn
No curfew in Srinagar despite protest shutdown
Breaking news! Srinagar: For the first time in almost a month, no curfew or restrictions were imposed in Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital today despite a protest shutdown called by separatists. Markets, however, were deserted and normal life was affected due to unavailability of public transport. "There shall be no curfew or restriction anywhere in Srinagar city today. We have, however, deployed security men on the ground to thwart any attempt by miscreants to disturb peace in the city," a senior police officer told media here.
Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who has been spearheading the Quit Kashmir campaign for nearly four months now, has called a Valley wide shutdown today.
Geelani's breakaway Hurriyat group has been issuing protest calendars on a weekly basis as part of the group's Quit Kashmir campaign for the past four months.
Shops, other businesses, public transport and attendance at banks, educational institutions and post offices was affected because of the non-availability of public transport in Srinagar.
Some private transport, however, plied on the roads in Srinagar city although the markets wore a deserted look here.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who concluded a debate on the prevailing situation in the Valley in state legislative assembly on Wednesday, maintained that peace and normal life would return only after the separatists stopped issuing these protest calendars.
Abdullah also held the separatists responsible for the volatile situation in the Valley in which 109 people have lost their lives after the cycle of violence started here June 11.
source: agency
Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who has been spearheading the Quit Kashmir campaign for nearly four months now, has called a Valley wide shutdown today.
Geelani's breakaway Hurriyat group has been issuing protest calendars on a weekly basis as part of the group's Quit Kashmir campaign for the past four months.
Shops, other businesses, public transport and attendance at banks, educational institutions and post offices was affected because of the non-availability of public transport in Srinagar.
Some private transport, however, plied on the roads in Srinagar city although the markets wore a deserted look here.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who concluded a debate on the prevailing situation in the Valley in state legislative assembly on Wednesday, maintained that peace and normal life would return only after the separatists stopped issuing these protest calendars.
Abdullah also held the separatists responsible for the volatile situation in the Valley in which 109 people have lost their lives after the cycle of violence started here June 11.
source: agency
Ruckus over Omar speech in assembly, BJP MLA injured
Breaking news! Srinagar: There was chaos in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly today as opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Panthers Party legislators tore papers and snatched mikes to protest Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's speech a day earlier.
The legislators, who gathered near the speaker's podium, were marshalled out of the house. In the process, BJP legislator Durga Das was injured and received stitches in a hospital. He said he was hurt by the 'kada', or steel bangle, worn by one of the marshals. Two other BJP legislators also claim to have been injured.
The BJP, Panthers Party and the Jammu Morcha have now decided to boycott the rest of the assembly session.
The opposition legislators were protesting Abdullah's speech Wednesday where he had said Kashmir had acceded to India under an agreement and not merged with it. He had also asked why the BJP was repeatedly stating that Kashmir was an integral part of India, as it meant they had doubts about their own statement.
source: agency
The legislators, who gathered near the speaker's podium, were marshalled out of the house. In the process, BJP legislator Durga Das was injured and received stitches in a hospital. He said he was hurt by the 'kada', or steel bangle, worn by one of the marshals. Two other BJP legislators also claim to have been injured.
The BJP, Panthers Party and the Jammu Morcha have now decided to boycott the rest of the assembly session.
The opposition legislators were protesting Abdullah's speech Wednesday where he had said Kashmir had acceded to India under an agreement and not merged with it. He had also asked why the BJP was repeatedly stating that Kashmir was an integral part of India, as it meant they had doubts about their own statement.
source: agency
US very bullish on India: Hillary Clinton
Breaking news! Washington: As India assumes a more global leadership role, the United States is "very bullish" on India, says Secretary of State Hillary Clinton describing President Barack Obama's upcoming visit as "yet another very clear statement" of US support.
The US relationship "is going from strength to strength" she said at the 12th annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit here on Wednesday when asked by HSBC India chief Naina Kidwai about her expectations of Obama's India visit in early November.
She expected "more warmth and more intellect," quipped Clinton amid laughter as Kidwai recalled that former president Bill Clinton and she herself had led the relationship with India "with a lot of warmth and intellect."
"Look, I think our relationship with India, which I was very pleased to open up in the '90s and then followed by the work of my husband and his visit and then the follow-on work by the Bush Administration on the civil nuclear agreement, is going from strength to strength."
"We are now implementing a very comprehensive Strategic Dialogue between us," Clinton said.
"And by that, I mean it's not just the visits and the meetings at high levels between the President and myself and our counterparts, but really getting into our respective bureaucracies, which, as you know in both of our countries, pose problems to actually getting things done."
Clinton said the US was also "looking for ways to network our business communities, our academic institutions, our NGOs - we are very bullish on India."
"We think that India's growth rates and India's commitment to lifting people out of poverty and doing the necessary economic reforms is essential for further development for India," she said.
"And at the same time, India is assuming more of a regional leadership role and a global leadership role, which we welcome and encourage," Clinton noted.
"So the President's visit in November will be yet another very clear statement of our support and our commitment to the relationship," she said.
source: agency
The US relationship "is going from strength to strength" she said at the 12th annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit here on Wednesday when asked by HSBC India chief Naina Kidwai about her expectations of Obama's India visit in early November.
She expected "more warmth and more intellect," quipped Clinton amid laughter as Kidwai recalled that former president Bill Clinton and she herself had led the relationship with India "with a lot of warmth and intellect."
"Look, I think our relationship with India, which I was very pleased to open up in the '90s and then followed by the work of my husband and his visit and then the follow-on work by the Bush Administration on the civil nuclear agreement, is going from strength to strength."
"We are now implementing a very comprehensive Strategic Dialogue between us," Clinton said.
"And by that, I mean it's not just the visits and the meetings at high levels between the President and myself and our counterparts, but really getting into our respective bureaucracies, which, as you know in both of our countries, pose problems to actually getting things done."
Clinton said the US was also "looking for ways to network our business communities, our academic institutions, our NGOs - we are very bullish on India."
"We think that India's growth rates and India's commitment to lifting people out of poverty and doing the necessary economic reforms is essential for further development for India," she said.
"And at the same time, India is assuming more of a regional leadership role and a global leadership role, which we welcome and encourage," Clinton noted.
"So the President's visit in November will be yet another very clear statement of our support and our commitment to the relationship," she said.
source: agency
Neighbours adding military muscle at feverish pace: Antony
Breaking news! New Delhi: Cautioning that "our neighbours are building their military capabilities at a feverish pace",Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Wednesday said here that "the need for us to be vigilant and prepared at all times goes without saying and is unquestionable". "The prevalent security environment necessitates securing our land, air and sea borders to effectively guard against traditional threats to our land borders, defending our airspace and protection of our maritime energy supply routes," he said, ahead of former president A.P.J. Kalam delivering the Field Marshal Cariappa Annual Memorial Lecture at Delhi.
"Our strategic, geopolitical situation and the compulsions of history pose unique challenges for our country. Some nations are keen to incite threats to our unity and integrity," the minister said.
"Our neighbours are building their military capabilities at a feverish pace. Thus, to successfully meet such challenges, the need for us is to be vigilant and prepared at all times goes without saying and is unquestionable," he said.
The defence minister said the government was alive to the urgent need to quicken the pace of modernization of the armed forces.
"We have initiated a number of measures to provide an impetus to defence procurement. The defence ministry is in the process of implementing a new procurement policy, which would be even more effective and quicker than the current DPP-2008," he said.
Antony said the government believed that the private and public sector can and must coexist in the defence manufacturing space.
"Our government has undertaken several policy initiatives to promote public-private partnerships to put military modernization on the fast track," he said.
Expressing concern over the increased imports of the country's defence requirements, the defence minister admitted that India is still far from establishing itself as a major defence equipment manufacturing nation.
"Even with a large industrial infrastructure, we are still importing about 70 percent of our defence requirements," he said.
"Our efforts to reduce the import content of our defence requirements are not yielding the desired results. Given our economic status, this is not a very desirable state of affairs. If modernization is to be more meaningful, it must go hand-in-hand with indigenization," Antony added.
source: agency
"Our strategic, geopolitical situation and the compulsions of history pose unique challenges for our country. Some nations are keen to incite threats to our unity and integrity," the minister said.
"Our neighbours are building their military capabilities at a feverish pace. Thus, to successfully meet such challenges, the need for us is to be vigilant and prepared at all times goes without saying and is unquestionable," he said.
The defence minister said the government was alive to the urgent need to quicken the pace of modernization of the armed forces.
"We have initiated a number of measures to provide an impetus to defence procurement. The defence ministry is in the process of implementing a new procurement policy, which would be even more effective and quicker than the current DPP-2008," he said.
Antony said the government believed that the private and public sector can and must coexist in the defence manufacturing space.
"Our government has undertaken several policy initiatives to promote public-private partnerships to put military modernization on the fast track," he said.
Expressing concern over the increased imports of the country's defence requirements, the defence minister admitted that India is still far from establishing itself as a major defence equipment manufacturing nation.
"Even with a large industrial infrastructure, we are still importing about 70 percent of our defence requirements," he said.
"Our efforts to reduce the import content of our defence requirements are not yielding the desired results. Given our economic status, this is not a very desirable state of affairs. If modernization is to be more meaningful, it must go hand-in-hand with indigenization," Antony added.
source: agency
Andhra Pradesh: Picture of actor as Gandhi in government office kicks up row
Breaking news! Hyderabad: A picture of film actor Dilip Prabhavalkar as Mahatma Gandhi at a local government office in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh has kicked up a row with the opposition seeking an apology for the alleged insult to father of the nation.
A huge picture showing "Mahatma Gandhi" behind a spinning wheel has been put up in the hall of the Warangal Zilla Parishad. The blunder was pointed out during a meeting on Wednesday by Nagarlu Venkateshwaru, floor leader of the opposition Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).
The TRS leader said the man in the picture was not Mahatma Gandhi but Dilip Prabhavalkar, who played the father of nation in the Hindi blockbuster "Lage Raho Munnabhai". The Marathi actor also acted in "Shankardada Zindabad", a Telugu remake of "Lage Raho Munnabhai".
"This is an insult to father of the nation. Action should be taken against those responsible for this," demanded the TRS leader.
Interestingly, the huge image is flanked by the pictures of Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and Zilla Parishad chairperson Lakawath Dhanawanti.
Dhanawanti, however, insisted that it was Mahatma Gandhi and the picture looks different as it was framed after zooming the image. Her clarification failed to satisfy the opposition, which sought action for the faux pas.
The meeting proved stormy for another reason too.
The chairperson, from the Congress, questioned District Collector N. Sridhar for issuing her a notice on an anonymous complaint against her. She claimed that the corruption charges levelled against her were baseless.
The opposition members demanded action against her. The collector also defended his action in sending a notice saying he has done so following directions from state Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.
source: agency
A huge picture showing "Mahatma Gandhi" behind a spinning wheel has been put up in the hall of the Warangal Zilla Parishad. The blunder was pointed out during a meeting on Wednesday by Nagarlu Venkateshwaru, floor leader of the opposition Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).
The TRS leader said the man in the picture was not Mahatma Gandhi but Dilip Prabhavalkar, who played the father of nation in the Hindi blockbuster "Lage Raho Munnabhai". The Marathi actor also acted in "Shankardada Zindabad", a Telugu remake of "Lage Raho Munnabhai".
"This is an insult to father of the nation. Action should be taken against those responsible for this," demanded the TRS leader.
Interestingly, the huge image is flanked by the pictures of Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and Zilla Parishad chairperson Lakawath Dhanawanti.
Dhanawanti, however, insisted that it was Mahatma Gandhi and the picture looks different as it was framed after zooming the image. Her clarification failed to satisfy the opposition, which sought action for the faux pas.
The meeting proved stormy for another reason too.
The chairperson, from the Congress, questioned District Collector N. Sridhar for issuing her a notice on an anonymous complaint against her. She claimed that the corruption charges levelled against her were baseless.
The opposition members demanded action against her. The collector also defended his action in sending a notice saying he has done so following directions from state Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.
source: agency
'Allah Ke Banday' offers entertaining songs for all
Breaking news! New Delhi: Multiple composers and lyricists have come together to make the soundtrack of Sharman Joshi- starrer "Allah Ke Banday" and they defy the old saying that too many cooks spoil the broth. Each song of the film has its distinctive character and is entertaining in its own right.
The film, slated to hit screens on Oct 22, boasts of six tracks.
"Maula" crooned by Hamza Faruqui and Krishna opens the album with a bang. The Sufi rock number is already making its presence felt on radio stations and television channels. The strong vocals and a high-pitch approach are the high points of the song that also boasts of good composition.
Next is "Kya hawa kya baadal" by the members of "Kailasa" band. Kailash Kher, Paresh and Naresh have come up with an enchanting composition with a dominant Indian sound. The song has a very edgy and haunting feel to it with Kailash's voice varying from base to high pitch during the course of the song. It has the ability to hook a listener for long.
Then enters "Rabba rabba", which has Ravi Khote behind the mike. It is an average song with nothing very interesting to offer. The composition is soaked in western flavour and also seems to have very strong rock influence.
Up next is "Mayoos", the only female song of the soundtrack, which is beautifully crooned by Sunidhi Chauhan. With minimal music arrangement, Sunidhi's voice takes centrestage and sets the mood. The slow-paced song is poignant and strikes a chord with the listener.
Finally, the album takes a turn with Ishq Bector of "Hip hopper" fame singing "Kaala jaadu", a fun and entertaining track. With foot-tapping beats and quirky lyrics, it has a mass appeal and is bound to find a place for itself.
On the whole, the album generates ample interest and will be liked by music lovers.
source: agency
The film, slated to hit screens on Oct 22, boasts of six tracks.
"Maula" crooned by Hamza Faruqui and Krishna opens the album with a bang. The Sufi rock number is already making its presence felt on radio stations and television channels. The strong vocals and a high-pitch approach are the high points of the song that also boasts of good composition.
Next is "Kya hawa kya baadal" by the members of "Kailasa" band. Kailash Kher, Paresh and Naresh have come up with an enchanting composition with a dominant Indian sound. The song has a very edgy and haunting feel to it with Kailash's voice varying from base to high pitch during the course of the song. It has the ability to hook a listener for long.
Then enters "Rabba rabba", which has Ravi Khote behind the mike. It is an average song with nothing very interesting to offer. The composition is soaked in western flavour and also seems to have very strong rock influence.
Up next is "Mayoos", the only female song of the soundtrack, which is beautifully crooned by Sunidhi Chauhan. With minimal music arrangement, Sunidhi's voice takes centrestage and sets the mood. The slow-paced song is poignant and strikes a chord with the listener.
Finally, the album takes a turn with Ishq Bector of "Hip hopper" fame singing "Kaala jaadu", a fun and entertaining track. With foot-tapping beats and quirky lyrics, it has a mass appeal and is bound to find a place for itself.
On the whole, the album generates ample interest and will be liked by music lovers.
source: agency
'Rakta Charitra' my most violent film: Ram Gopal Varma
Breaking news! Mumbai: He describes himself as a "soft guy" who doesn't harbour feelings of revenge and can't stand seeing a mosquito being killed. But filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma confesses to having made his most violent film ever with "Rakta Charitra".
"It's not just my most violent film ever, but it will be the most violent film that you will ever see. It doesn't have bloodshed alone. It's more about suggestion, sound effects and lights. It's more about expression that creates an effect," Varma, 48, told media in an interview.
Known for films like "Rangeela", "Satya", "Company", "Jungle" and "Sarkar", RGV, as he is fondly called, says he is not a violent person in real life. "I'm a very soft guy, I can't even see a mosquito being killed. I'm not joking. I don't harbour feelings of revenge.
"When you know why someone is behaving in a particular manner and you understand his state of manner, you won't get angry with him. Since revenge comes out of anger, you won't feel that emotion. So I don't get angry with anyone."
Being made in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, the trilingual, starring Vivek Oberoi and southern star Surya, is a biopic on the life of Paritala Ravi, a slain political leader from Andhra Pradesh. Vivek is essaying the role of Ravi, while Surya will be seen as his rival Maddelacheruvu Suri.
Politician-actor Shatrughan Sinha too features in this political thriller along with Kota Srinivasa Rao and Radhika Apte.
Varma has used a unique concept for "Rakta Charitra" release. He will split the Hindi and Telugu versions into two parts since the duration of the entire movie exceeds five hours. At the same time the Tamil version, titled "Ratha Sarithiram", will be released as a single full-length movie.
"I think the reason why I wanted to make it in two parts is the span of the film is too long. I can't justify it in a normal two-and-a-half-hour film. There is Ravi in the story and there is a man who killed him.
"So I thought if I make the first part as Ravi's story and the second part as the man who killed him, it'll be better. This has never been done before, so I want to see how people will react to it," said the director.
"In the first part, the issues the film raises will get settled in the first half itself. So that will give you the experience of watching an entire film. The second character enters in the last scene like a trailer that operates for the next version," he said.
The first part will hit the screens on Oct 22 and the director will release part two a few weeks later.
Another interesting facet of the film is the presence of Shatrughan Sinha who shaved off his moustache for the role.
"I will go to anybody if I feel that the particular role demands that person. Hence I went to Shatrughan Sinha. His character in the film is loosely based on N.T. Rama Rao. So I wanted a very flamboyant, larger than life personality, who could do stylised acting. The moustache removal was his idea. He suggested it and it worked very well with the character," said Varma.
Is it difficult to make a biopic?
"It's very difficult to keep track of research and whether it is coming across in the screenplay or not. It is very difficult to check that out because a lot of it remains in your mind and you take it for granted that whatever is in your mind is in the script, but it might not be there.
"The person who is watching without a background of what each dialogue, what each line means, it is going to be difficult there. Actual gathering of facts and researching I won't say is easy, but that is the most interesting part," explained Varma.
source: agency
"It's not just my most violent film ever, but it will be the most violent film that you will ever see. It doesn't have bloodshed alone. It's more about suggestion, sound effects and lights. It's more about expression that creates an effect," Varma, 48, told media in an interview.
Known for films like "Rangeela", "Satya", "Company", "Jungle" and "Sarkar", RGV, as he is fondly called, says he is not a violent person in real life. "I'm a very soft guy, I can't even see a mosquito being killed. I'm not joking. I don't harbour feelings of revenge.
"When you know why someone is behaving in a particular manner and you understand his state of manner, you won't get angry with him. Since revenge comes out of anger, you won't feel that emotion. So I don't get angry with anyone."
Being made in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, the trilingual, starring Vivek Oberoi and southern star Surya, is a biopic on the life of Paritala Ravi, a slain political leader from Andhra Pradesh. Vivek is essaying the role of Ravi, while Surya will be seen as his rival Maddelacheruvu Suri.
Politician-actor Shatrughan Sinha too features in this political thriller along with Kota Srinivasa Rao and Radhika Apte.
Varma has used a unique concept for "Rakta Charitra" release. He will split the Hindi and Telugu versions into two parts since the duration of the entire movie exceeds five hours. At the same time the Tamil version, titled "Ratha Sarithiram", will be released as a single full-length movie.
"I think the reason why I wanted to make it in two parts is the span of the film is too long. I can't justify it in a normal two-and-a-half-hour film. There is Ravi in the story and there is a man who killed him.
"So I thought if I make the first part as Ravi's story and the second part as the man who killed him, it'll be better. This has never been done before, so I want to see how people will react to it," said the director.
"In the first part, the issues the film raises will get settled in the first half itself. So that will give you the experience of watching an entire film. The second character enters in the last scene like a trailer that operates for the next version," he said.
The first part will hit the screens on Oct 22 and the director will release part two a few weeks later.
Another interesting facet of the film is the presence of Shatrughan Sinha who shaved off his moustache for the role.
"I will go to anybody if I feel that the particular role demands that person. Hence I went to Shatrughan Sinha. His character in the film is loosely based on N.T. Rama Rao. So I wanted a very flamboyant, larger than life personality, who could do stylised acting. The moustache removal was his idea. He suggested it and it worked very well with the character," said Varma.
Is it difficult to make a biopic?
"It's very difficult to keep track of research and whether it is coming across in the screenplay or not. It is very difficult to check that out because a lot of it remains in your mind and you take it for granted that whatever is in your mind is in the script, but it might not be there.
"The person who is watching without a background of what each dialogue, what each line means, it is going to be difficult there. Actual gathering of facts and researching I won't say is easy, but that is the most interesting part," explained Varma.
source: agency
Sensex dull in morning trade
Breaking news! Mumbai=: A benchmark index of Indian equities today was ruling lacklustre in early trade, although broader markets saw buying.
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,544.3 points, was ruling at 20,506.34 points, down 36.74 points or 0.18 percent from its previous close at 20,543.08 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was trading at 6,179.8 points, down 0.11 percent.
Broader markets were doing relatively better. The BSE midcap was trading 0.59 percent up and the BSE smallcap index 0.55 percent higher.
source: agency
The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 20,544.3 points, was ruling at 20,506.34 points, down 36.74 points or 0.18 percent from its previous close at 20,543.08 points.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the 50-share S&P CNX Nifty was trading at 6,179.8 points, down 0.11 percent.
Broader markets were doing relatively better. The BSE midcap was trading 0.59 percent up and the BSE smallcap index 0.55 percent higher.
source: agency
'Delhi CWG will be rated among the best' - Representatives
Breaking news! New Delhi: The Commonwealth Games in Delhi will be rated among the best sporting events in the world and India has already silenced critics with a spectacular opening ceremony, top representatives of participating countries have said.
"We were really concerned about the preparation, especially because of media reports. But the opening ceremony was spectacular. I think it was among the best," Uganda's Minister of State for Sports Charles Bakkabulindi told the media.
"Since India is a developing country, some people were sceptical - they questioned its ability to host the Games. But I am sure its success will showcase India's emergence as a leading player in world affairs -- in economy, politics and sports," he said.
"India is already leading developing nations on many issues of global importance. It has shown developing countries can do the things and they can do them better," said Bakkabulindi, who is leading a 34-member Ugandan team to the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Cliff Fuller, New Zealand's trade commissioner to India, agreed, adding on many aspects he found the opening ceremony and the overall conduct of the Games better than similar events earlier.
"The opening ceremony gives the impression that It will be the best ever Commonwealth Games," Fuller said. "New Zealand, I can say, is quite satisfied with the security and overall arrangements for the Games."
Michael Carter, the Australian trade commissioner and counsellor-commercial at the high commission here, said the Games will also go on to strengthen trade, economic and political ties between India and Australia.
"In the end, India has proved it can do things and it can do well. The opening ceremony was outstanding. We expect very successful Games," said Carter, in sharp contrast to the carping done by officials from Australia and New Zealand earlier.
He said the Games would give a major fillip to India-Australia bilateral trade, that is now pegged at over $20 billion. "Over 400,000 Indians live in Australia. The game will further strengthen people-to-people contacts - an important thread in our relations."
Zambian Acting High Commissioner to India Allan D. Kalebuka said his country was pushing India to do more, mainly because he wanted New Delhi to show the world that developing countries, too, had the potential to do as well as what the rich nations boast of.
"India has done us proud. Everything has been done so well," Kalebuka told the media.
The 19th edition of the Games is seeing the highest participation, with more than 7,000 athletes and officials from all the 71 member countries and territories of the Commonwealth federation.
source: agency
"We were really concerned about the preparation, especially because of media reports. But the opening ceremony was spectacular. I think it was among the best," Uganda's Minister of State for Sports Charles Bakkabulindi told the media.
"Since India is a developing country, some people were sceptical - they questioned its ability to host the Games. But I am sure its success will showcase India's emergence as a leading player in world affairs -- in economy, politics and sports," he said.
"India is already leading developing nations on many issues of global importance. It has shown developing countries can do the things and they can do them better," said Bakkabulindi, who is leading a 34-member Ugandan team to the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Cliff Fuller, New Zealand's trade commissioner to India, agreed, adding on many aspects he found the opening ceremony and the overall conduct of the Games better than similar events earlier.
"The opening ceremony gives the impression that It will be the best ever Commonwealth Games," Fuller said. "New Zealand, I can say, is quite satisfied with the security and overall arrangements for the Games."
Michael Carter, the Australian trade commissioner and counsellor-commercial at the high commission here, said the Games will also go on to strengthen trade, economic and political ties between India and Australia.
"In the end, India has proved it can do things and it can do well. The opening ceremony was outstanding. We expect very successful Games," said Carter, in sharp contrast to the carping done by officials from Australia and New Zealand earlier.
He said the Games would give a major fillip to India-Australia bilateral trade, that is now pegged at over $20 billion. "Over 400,000 Indians live in Australia. The game will further strengthen people-to-people contacts - an important thread in our relations."
Zambian Acting High Commissioner to India Allan D. Kalebuka said his country was pushing India to do more, mainly because he wanted New Delhi to show the world that developing countries, too, had the potential to do as well as what the rich nations boast of.
"India has done us proud. Everything has been done so well," Kalebuka told the media.
The 19th edition of the Games is seeing the highest participation, with more than 7,000 athletes and officials from all the 71 member countries and territories of the Commonwealth federation.
source: agency
Anonymous bidder buys 24 Tipu paintings at 769,250 pounds
Breaking news! New Delhi: An anonymous telephone bidder bought 24 rare preparatory paintings depicting Tipu Sultan's 'Battle of Pollilur' in India for an astounding sum of 769,250 pounds ($1.2 million) at the Sotheby's bi-annual "Arts of the Islamic World" sale today, a statement by the auction house said.
Edward Gibbs, senior director and head of Sotheby's Middle East department, said the "price achieved for the exceptional pictorial accounts of the 'Battle of Pollilur' was true confirmation of their historical importance and rarity".
"Tipu Sultan was an extraordinary individual and an Indian national hero. These paintings record his finest hour when he defeated the British in the field of battle in 1780," Gibbs said.
The sale that generated global interest saw bidders from several Islamic nations. The collection of 24 preparatory paintings depict the 'Battle of Pollilur' in India in which the East India Company army surrendered to Tipu Sultan and his father Haidar Ali. The British army suffered high casualties.
This year marks the 230th anniversary of the 'Battle of Pollilur' won by Tipu Sultan on Sep 10, 1780.
The paintings that show Tipu Sultan and his father Haider Ali marching to battle in full regalia were acquired by Captain John William Freese in 1802. In 1802, he was appointed by Gen Stuart as commissary of stores at Seringapatam.
By descent the paintings went to Sixth Earl of Lanesborough (grandson of Captain Freese) and remained in the family for a further 100 years until they were sold as part of a group lot in the Swithland Hall Estate Sale in 1978 on behalf of the Ninth Earl of Lanesborough.
source: agency
Edward Gibbs, senior director and head of Sotheby's Middle East department, said the "price achieved for the exceptional pictorial accounts of the 'Battle of Pollilur' was true confirmation of their historical importance and rarity".
"Tipu Sultan was an extraordinary individual and an Indian national hero. These paintings record his finest hour when he defeated the British in the field of battle in 1780," Gibbs said.
The sale that generated global interest saw bidders from several Islamic nations. The collection of 24 preparatory paintings depict the 'Battle of Pollilur' in India in which the East India Company army surrendered to Tipu Sultan and his father Haidar Ali. The British army suffered high casualties.
This year marks the 230th anniversary of the 'Battle of Pollilur' won by Tipu Sultan on Sep 10, 1780.
The paintings that show Tipu Sultan and his father Haider Ali marching to battle in full regalia were acquired by Captain John William Freese in 1802. In 1802, he was appointed by Gen Stuart as commissary of stores at Seringapatam.
By descent the paintings went to Sixth Earl of Lanesborough (grandson of Captain Freese) and remained in the family for a further 100 years until they were sold as part of a group lot in the Swithland Hall Estate Sale in 1978 on behalf of the Ninth Earl of Lanesborough.
source: agency
Nooyi, Shikha Sharma, Chanda Kocchar among 100 most powerful women
Breaking news! Washington: Two Indian women have made it to Forbes list of world's 100 most powerful women with US First Lady Michelle Obama at the top and India-born Pepsico chief in sixth place.
Axis Bank chief executive Shikha Sharma, 49, ranked 89th while ICICI Bank chief executive Chanda Kocchar, 48, was in the 92nd place in the magazine's annual list.
Kraft Foods boss Irene Rosenfeld came second. media mogul Oprah Winfrey, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton completed the top five.
Singers Lady Gaga (7) and Beyonce Knowles (9) made the top 10 in this year's list based "less on traditional titles and roles and more on creative influence and entrepreneurship," Forbes said.
Obama had "given a new generation of girls and women around the world a role model", the magazine said. Last year Forbes ranked the first African-American first lady at 40 while Merkel topped the list.
Nooyi, the head of beverage giant PepsiCo, "nudged a $20 million slice of the company's $616-million-a-year ad budget away from traditional to social media spends," Forbes said.
"It blurs the line between philanthropy and advertising," says Nooyi, whose total annual compensation package last year was $10.6 million.
With the first year of her three-year term as CEO of India's third-largest private bank behind her, Shikha Sharma says it's time look forward.
"The upside is a net profit for Q1 2010-2011 of $160 million and for FY 2009-2010 of $542.5 million," notes Forbes. "Next up? Introducing a retail broking platform and the possibility of expanding internationally."
Kochar, the first woman to run India's largest private bank and the country's fourth largest, has expanded her role as chief with her recent acquisition of Bank of Rajasthan, a private sector bank with 463 branches and 4,000 employees. Last month, ICICI launched its first retail branch in Singapore.
source: agency
Axis Bank chief executive Shikha Sharma, 49, ranked 89th while ICICI Bank chief executive Chanda Kocchar, 48, was in the 92nd place in the magazine's annual list.
Kraft Foods boss Irene Rosenfeld came second. media mogul Oprah Winfrey, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton completed the top five.
Singers Lady Gaga (7) and Beyonce Knowles (9) made the top 10 in this year's list based "less on traditional titles and roles and more on creative influence and entrepreneurship," Forbes said.
Obama had "given a new generation of girls and women around the world a role model", the magazine said. Last year Forbes ranked the first African-American first lady at 40 while Merkel topped the list.
Nooyi, the head of beverage giant PepsiCo, "nudged a $20 million slice of the company's $616-million-a-year ad budget away from traditional to social media spends," Forbes said.
"It blurs the line between philanthropy and advertising," says Nooyi, whose total annual compensation package last year was $10.6 million.
With the first year of her three-year term as CEO of India's third-largest private bank behind her, Shikha Sharma says it's time look forward.
"The upside is a net profit for Q1 2010-2011 of $160 million and for FY 2009-2010 of $542.5 million," notes Forbes. "Next up? Introducing a retail broking platform and the possibility of expanding internationally."
Kochar, the first woman to run India's largest private bank and the country's fourth largest, has expanded her role as chief with her recent acquisition of Bank of Rajasthan, a private sector bank with 463 branches and 4,000 employees. Last month, ICICI launched its first retail branch in Singapore.
source: agency
25 NATO fuel tankers attacked in Pakistan, driver killed
Breaking news! QUETTA (Pakistan): Gunmen torched more than two dozen tankers carrying fuel to NATO troops and killed a driver on Wednesday, the sixth attack on convoys taking supplies to Afghanistan since Pakistan closed a key border crossing almost a week ago.
Islamabad shut down the Torkham crossing along the fabled Khyber Pass last Thursday after a NATO helicopter attack in the border area killed three Pakistani troops. The closure has left hundreds of trucks stranded alongside the country's highways and bottlenecked traffic heading to the one route into Afghanistan from the south that has remained open.
In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said an investigation of the helicopter attack was expected to be concluded later Wednesday, and that he expected the spat between allies could be resolved soon.
The US has supply routes through other countries into Afghanistan, and Morrell emphasized that the Torkham closing had not caused fuel problems for NATO troops.
"We don't suspect it will, even if this were to last into the future," he said on Tuesday at the Pentagon. "But we really do have a sense we're making progress and this can be resolved soon."
Hundreds of supply trucks still cross into landlocked Afghanistan each day through the Chaman crossing in southwestern Pakistan and via Central Asian states.
Still, Pakistan is the fastest and cheapest way to get goods to Afghanistan, and trouble with other routes in the past makes it even more vital. Uzbekistan evicted US troops from a base that was used to ferry supplies into Afghanistan, and last year Kyrgyzstan threatened to do the same, though it has since backed down.
The attack early on Wednesday morning came on trucks on their way to the Chaman crossing.
An unidentified number of gunmen in two vehicles attacked the trucks as they sat in the parking lot of a roadside hotel on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. At least 25 trucks were destroyed by fire that spread quickly from vehicle to vehicle, senior police official Hamid Shakil said.
Of the six attacks on convoys bringing supplies in from the port city of Karachi since the Torkham closure, four were on trucks heading to that crossing and two were on their way to Chaman.
The convoys bring fuel, military vehicles, spare parts, clothing and other non-lethal supplies for foreign troops in Afghanistan.
It was unclear who was behind the latest attack, but the Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for similar assaults on NATO supplies, including one before dawn Monday that killed four people.
The events have exposed the frequent strains in the alliance between Pakistan and the United States, but Morrell downplayed the possibility of any lasting effects.
"There are incidents which create misunderstandings, there are setbacks, but that does not mean the relationship -- this crucial relationship to us -- is in any way derailed."
In addition to ensuring safe passage for NATO supplies, the US needs Pakistan to help target Taliban and al-Qaida militants who stage cross-border attacks against foreign troops in Afghanistan. In return, Pakistan receives billions of dollars in military and civilian assistance that help keep its economy afloat.
Even if the border is reopened, underlying tensions will remain in the US-Pakistan relationship, especially over Pakistan's unwillingness to go after Afghan Taliban militants on its territory with whom it has strong historical ties and who generally focus their attacks on Western troops, not Pakistani targets.
The US has responded by dramatically increasing the number of CIA drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal belt, carrying out 21 suspected attacks in September -- nearly double the previous monthly record.
The US has also stepped up military operations along the Afghan border, but officials in Washington said the recent NATO cross-border helicopter strikes were not a strong-arm tactic aimed at pressuring Pakistan.
The officials said the US did not oppose the temporary closure of Torkham because it lets Pakistan rebuke Washington in a way that plays well to the domestic Pakistani audience without seriously hampering US military operations. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
source: agency
Islamabad shut down the Torkham crossing along the fabled Khyber Pass last Thursday after a NATO helicopter attack in the border area killed three Pakistani troops. The closure has left hundreds of trucks stranded alongside the country's highways and bottlenecked traffic heading to the one route into Afghanistan from the south that has remained open.
In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said an investigation of the helicopter attack was expected to be concluded later Wednesday, and that he expected the spat between allies could be resolved soon.
The US has supply routes through other countries into Afghanistan, and Morrell emphasized that the Torkham closing had not caused fuel problems for NATO troops.
"We don't suspect it will, even if this were to last into the future," he said on Tuesday at the Pentagon. "But we really do have a sense we're making progress and this can be resolved soon."
Hundreds of supply trucks still cross into landlocked Afghanistan each day through the Chaman crossing in southwestern Pakistan and via Central Asian states.
Still, Pakistan is the fastest and cheapest way to get goods to Afghanistan, and trouble with other routes in the past makes it even more vital. Uzbekistan evicted US troops from a base that was used to ferry supplies into Afghanistan, and last year Kyrgyzstan threatened to do the same, though it has since backed down.
The attack early on Wednesday morning came on trucks on their way to the Chaman crossing.
An unidentified number of gunmen in two vehicles attacked the trucks as they sat in the parking lot of a roadside hotel on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. At least 25 trucks were destroyed by fire that spread quickly from vehicle to vehicle, senior police official Hamid Shakil said.
Of the six attacks on convoys bringing supplies in from the port city of Karachi since the Torkham closure, four were on trucks heading to that crossing and two were on their way to Chaman.
The convoys bring fuel, military vehicles, spare parts, clothing and other non-lethal supplies for foreign troops in Afghanistan.
It was unclear who was behind the latest attack, but the Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for similar assaults on NATO supplies, including one before dawn Monday that killed four people.
The events have exposed the frequent strains in the alliance between Pakistan and the United States, but Morrell downplayed the possibility of any lasting effects.
"There are incidents which create misunderstandings, there are setbacks, but that does not mean the relationship -- this crucial relationship to us -- is in any way derailed."
In addition to ensuring safe passage for NATO supplies, the US needs Pakistan to help target Taliban and al-Qaida militants who stage cross-border attacks against foreign troops in Afghanistan. In return, Pakistan receives billions of dollars in military and civilian assistance that help keep its economy afloat.
Even if the border is reopened, underlying tensions will remain in the US-Pakistan relationship, especially over Pakistan's unwillingness to go after Afghan Taliban militants on its territory with whom it has strong historical ties and who generally focus their attacks on Western troops, not Pakistani targets.
The US has responded by dramatically increasing the number of CIA drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal belt, carrying out 21 suspected attacks in September -- nearly double the previous monthly record.
The US has also stepped up military operations along the Afghan border, but officials in Washington said the recent NATO cross-border helicopter strikes were not a strong-arm tactic aimed at pressuring Pakistan.
The officials said the US did not oppose the temporary closure of Torkham because it lets Pakistan rebuke Washington in a way that plays well to the domestic Pakistani audience without seriously hampering US military operations. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
source: agency
Catch a thief sitting at home and win $1,000
Breaking news! LONDON: Anyone who owns a laptop computer can now fight crime from the safety of their home and win cash prizes for catching thieves red-handed , under a new British monitoring scheme that went live this week.
The service works by employing an army of registered armchair snoopers who watch hours of CCTV footage from cameras in stores and high street venues across the country.
Viewers can win up to $1,600 in cash a month from Devonbased firm Internet Eyes, which distributes the streaming footage , when offenders are caught in the act.
The scheme immediately drew criticism from civil liberties campaigners who say it is more evidence that Britain has become a " Big Brother" surveillance society with CCTV camreas on every corner.
Participants, who pay a fee to subscribe, press an "alert" button which relays a text message notifying a shop keeper of suspicious behaviour. The SMS is followed up with a photograph of the potential crime.
source: agency
The service works by employing an army of registered armchair snoopers who watch hours of CCTV footage from cameras in stores and high street venues across the country.
Viewers can win up to $1,600 in cash a month from Devonbased firm Internet Eyes, which distributes the streaming footage , when offenders are caught in the act.
The scheme immediately drew criticism from civil liberties campaigners who say it is more evidence that Britain has become a " Big Brother" surveillance society with CCTV camreas on every corner.
Participants, who pay a fee to subscribe, press an "alert" button which relays a text message notifying a shop keeper of suspicious behaviour. The SMS is followed up with a photograph of the potential crime.
source: agency
Used condoms clog Delhi CWG athletes' village toilets
Breaking news! NEW DELHI: Thousands of used condoms have reportedly clogged the drains of the Delhi Commonwealth Games accommodation towers at the athletes' village after being flushed down toilets by competitors.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the condoms were discovered when plumbers were called in to clear the toilets after athletes complained about the blockages.
Condoms, being supplied free at the Games Village, are not biodegradable waste because of which they can choke toilets.
A large condom vending machine has been installed at the village, which contains at least 4000 contraceptive packs.
Officials have said that over half the condoms had already been taken.
Meanwhile, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials said that the civic agency was not responsible for the management of the waste generated inside the Village.
"We are not dealing with the garbage inside the Games Village towers. We haven't analysed the exact proportion of degradable and non-degradable garbage. It will be done after the Games," MCD's Public Relations officer Deep Mathur said.
source: agency
According to the Daily Telegraph, the condoms were discovered when plumbers were called in to clear the toilets after athletes complained about the blockages.
Condoms, being supplied free at the Games Village, are not biodegradable waste because of which they can choke toilets.
A large condom vending machine has been installed at the village, which contains at least 4000 contraceptive packs.
Officials have said that over half the condoms had already been taken.
Meanwhile, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials said that the civic agency was not responsible for the management of the waste generated inside the Village.
"We are not dealing with the garbage inside the Games Village towers. We haven't analysed the exact proportion of degradable and non-degradable garbage. It will be done after the Games," MCD's Public Relations officer Deep Mathur said.
source: agency
52% of 8-11-year-olds spend over 5hrs online daily
Breaking news! CHENNAI: Five-plus. That's how many hours a large number of children in India are spending on the Internet, and experts say this could be a sign of addiction. A recent survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) concludes that Internet addiction is on the rise in metros, with Mumbai having the most number of children online for hours together followed by Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.
About 52% of children in the eight to 11 age group spent over five hours daily online, chatting with their classmates and playing games. In the same age group, 30% spent between one to five hours a day on the net while 18% said they did not surf daily.
The usage was higher among 12-15 year olds, 58% of who fell into the "excessive use" category. Only 10% of these children did not surf daily; 32% spent up to five hours a day in the virtual world.
Among 16-18 year olds, only 4% didn't go online daily. While 56% spent more than five hours on the Internet, 40% were online for less than five hours. Boys reported excessive Internet browsing than girls and all the older children used the net mostly for social networking, chatting and to help them with school work.
Children of working parents were found to be more addicted to the Internet, as there was lack of parental supervision. "It is a problem that arises with urbanisation. With both parents working, children are left unsupervised for long periods and see the Internet as a friend," said Dr SV Srikanteswar, consultant, neuropsychiatry department, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore.
The survey, which defined over five hours of daily Internet usage as excessive, says this can cause social isolation, insomnia, depression and obesity. It can also affect eyesight and mental health. "The survey was done to ascertain the extent of Internet overuse, especially by children aged eight to 18 as they are most vulnerable to these problems," he adds.
School and college students as well as parents in 10 cities Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Jaipur were interviewed during July and August for the survey. An ASSOCHAM team questioned about 1,500 compulsive Internet users, both male and female.
Social scientists, educationists and counsellors are concerned by the findings of the study as Internet addiction affects all aspects of a child's development physiological, psychological, social and emotional.
"It's very disturbing as they are losing out on social space. They are at the age when they should be creating friendships and affirming relationships but instead spend hours glued to the computer," says Bernard D'Sami, social scientist, Loyola College, Chennai.
Children addicted to the net, the survey found, are less likely to have friends or confidantes as social networking sites provide virtual interaction with the outside world. "They are more prone to feelings of anxiety and depression. It can also result in depression, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity," said Dr Srikanteswar. Since they neither do any physical activity nor exercise, it also makes them prone to obesity and lethargy. Most of the children also do poorly at school.
With Internet becoming more accessible, thanks to faster broadband and smartphones, the risk of addiction is only likely to increase. However, experts feel that it is necessary to come up with a creative solution to the problem, rather than just clamping down on Internet time.
"It is essential not to equate it with other forms of addiction, like drug addiction," says Delhi-based sociologist Shiv Viswanathan. "The Internet is an alternate medium of exploration," he says, adding that Internet addiction is actually a failure on the part of the education system and parents. "What you need is to change the way you handle education and offer the child interesting alternatives like an entertaining seminar or new book."
D'Sami agrees saying parents and teachers need to ensure that children have enough "healthy distraction". "Children usually don't get enough visual presentation in the classroom. Schools can help, by introducing children to books and introducing more audio-visual elements into the curriculum," he says.
source: tnn
About 52% of children in the eight to 11 age group spent over five hours daily online, chatting with their classmates and playing games. In the same age group, 30% spent between one to five hours a day on the net while 18% said they did not surf daily.
The usage was higher among 12-15 year olds, 58% of who fell into the "excessive use" category. Only 10% of these children did not surf daily; 32% spent up to five hours a day in the virtual world.
Among 16-18 year olds, only 4% didn't go online daily. While 56% spent more than five hours on the Internet, 40% were online for less than five hours. Boys reported excessive Internet browsing than girls and all the older children used the net mostly for social networking, chatting and to help them with school work.
Children of working parents were found to be more addicted to the Internet, as there was lack of parental supervision. "It is a problem that arises with urbanisation. With both parents working, children are left unsupervised for long periods and see the Internet as a friend," said Dr SV Srikanteswar, consultant, neuropsychiatry department, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore.
The survey, which defined over five hours of daily Internet usage as excessive, says this can cause social isolation, insomnia, depression and obesity. It can also affect eyesight and mental health. "The survey was done to ascertain the extent of Internet overuse, especially by children aged eight to 18 as they are most vulnerable to these problems," he adds.
School and college students as well as parents in 10 cities Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Jaipur were interviewed during July and August for the survey. An ASSOCHAM team questioned about 1,500 compulsive Internet users, both male and female.
Social scientists, educationists and counsellors are concerned by the findings of the study as Internet addiction affects all aspects of a child's development physiological, psychological, social and emotional.
"It's very disturbing as they are losing out on social space. They are at the age when they should be creating friendships and affirming relationships but instead spend hours glued to the computer," says Bernard D'Sami, social scientist, Loyola College, Chennai.
Children addicted to the net, the survey found, are less likely to have friends or confidantes as social networking sites provide virtual interaction with the outside world. "They are more prone to feelings of anxiety and depression. It can also result in depression, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity," said Dr Srikanteswar. Since they neither do any physical activity nor exercise, it also makes them prone to obesity and lethargy. Most of the children also do poorly at school.
With Internet becoming more accessible, thanks to faster broadband and smartphones, the risk of addiction is only likely to increase. However, experts feel that it is necessary to come up with a creative solution to the problem, rather than just clamping down on Internet time.
"It is essential not to equate it with other forms of addiction, like drug addiction," says Delhi-based sociologist Shiv Viswanathan. "The Internet is an alternate medium of exploration," he says, adding that Internet addiction is actually a failure on the part of the education system and parents. "What you need is to change the way you handle education and offer the child interesting alternatives like an entertaining seminar or new book."
D'Sami agrees saying parents and teachers need to ensure that children have enough "healthy distraction". "Children usually don't get enough visual presentation in the classroom. Schools can help, by introducing children to books and introducing more audio-visual elements into the curriculum," he says.
source: tnn
Sex, murder & CCTV: Prince caught beating aide
Breaking news! LONDON: Security camera footage captured a Saudi prince savagely beating his servant in a luxury hotel elevator only weeks before the aide was slain, a British prosecutor has said.
Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud is accused of murdering Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz in a frenzied sex attack at London's Landmark Hotel on February 15. Abdulaziz was found beaten and strangled to death in the room the two shared at London's Landmark Hotel.
Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw told London's Central Criminal Court that there was evidence of a sexual assault , including bite marks on the victim's cheeks.
Laidlaw also said there was evidence that the 34-year-old royal, whose grandfather is a brother of the current Saudi king, had abused his aide in the past , showing jurors video shot in the Landmark hotel's elevator.
The video appears to show the shaven-headed prince, dressed in white, throwing his 32-year-old servant around and battering him.
Abdulaziz, dressed in black, occasionally tries to protect his head but otherwise meekly absorbs the punches.
"It is a nasty assault with the victim suffering a whole series of blows being struck with both fists and elbows," Laidlaw said.
"What is also evident from the victim's behaviour is that he had become by this point almost entirely submissive . He either could not or did not at any stage offer any sort of resistance to the assault , attempt to fight back or even raise his hand to the defendant ," landlow added.
Al Saud originally told the police that he and Abdulaziz had been drinking into the early hours of the morning, and that when he awoke at 3pm he could not rouse him.
A post mortem has revealed Bandar died after "a series of heavy punches or blows to his head" ,the prosecutor claimed, saying that Al Saud admitted manslaughter but denied charges of murder and causing grievous bodily harm, the report said. The trial continues.
source: agency
Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud is accused of murdering Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz in a frenzied sex attack at London's Landmark Hotel on February 15. Abdulaziz was found beaten and strangled to death in the room the two shared at London's Landmark Hotel.
Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw told London's Central Criminal Court that there was evidence of a sexual assault , including bite marks on the victim's cheeks.
Laidlaw also said there was evidence that the 34-year-old royal, whose grandfather is a brother of the current Saudi king, had abused his aide in the past , showing jurors video shot in the Landmark hotel's elevator.
The video appears to show the shaven-headed prince, dressed in white, throwing his 32-year-old servant around and battering him.
Abdulaziz, dressed in black, occasionally tries to protect his head but otherwise meekly absorbs the punches.
"It is a nasty assault with the victim suffering a whole series of blows being struck with both fists and elbows," Laidlaw said.
"What is also evident from the victim's behaviour is that he had become by this point almost entirely submissive . He either could not or did not at any stage offer any sort of resistance to the assault , attempt to fight back or even raise his hand to the defendant ," landlow added.
Al Saud originally told the police that he and Abdulaziz had been drinking into the early hours of the morning, and that when he awoke at 3pm he could not rouse him.
A post mortem has revealed Bandar died after "a series of heavy punches or blows to his head" ,the prosecutor claimed, saying that Al Saud admitted manslaughter but denied charges of murder and causing grievous bodily harm, the report said. The trial continues.
source: agency
Facebook adds features to control personal info
Breaking news! CALIFORNIA: Facebook has unveiled tools to give users more control over personal information and let them set up cliques of friends, as the world's No.1 social network tries to protect its lead from a growing challenge by Google Inc.
The new "Groups" feature makes it easier for its half-billion users to interact with select circles of friends, instead of having photos and personal messages openly viewable to family, college buddies and colleagues alike.
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said the change -- which analysts say is intended partly to mirror the various circles that people navigate in actual life -- should make people even more comfortable publishing personal information on the service.
"If we can do this, then we can unlock a huge amount of sharing that people want to do, but today they just can't do, because either it's too annoying, or there just aren't the right privacy settings to be able to do this at large scale," Zuckerberg said at his Palo Alto, California headquarters.
Facebook, which has come under fire for inadequate privacy controls, will provide users with a special file containing all the personal data they have uploaded to the service -- upon request -- as well as a way to monitor which third-party applications have access to their data.
Its new groups feature comes a few months after a Google staffer published a white-paper identifying the inability of social networks such as Facebook to distinguish between the multiple social groups that an individual belongs to in real life.
"It's a bit of a preemptive strike against Google," said Ray Valdes, an analyst at industry research firm Gartner.
"It's addressing a real problem that had been a shortcoming in the Facebook service," said Valdes. "But it also has the effect of covering (Facebook's) flank."
The right touch
Google itself, which controls two-thirds of the world's Internet search market, has struggled to find the right touch when it comes to social networking. But the company has acquired several companies with social networking technology, including Slide.
Last month, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the company would begin introducing "layers" of social networking features into Google products this Fall.
With groups, Facebook users will be able to pool their friends in different groups or circles and send messages to, or hold mass-chats online with, those groups.
That expands a feature already available on the website, which lets users create custom friend lists. But Zuckerberg said a mere 5 percent of Facebook's users have availed themselves of that tool.
In contrast, Zuckerberg said he expected up to 80 per cent of Facebook's users to eventually belong to customized groups on the site.
source: agency
The new "Groups" feature makes it easier for its half-billion users to interact with select circles of friends, instead of having photos and personal messages openly viewable to family, college buddies and colleagues alike.
Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said the change -- which analysts say is intended partly to mirror the various circles that people navigate in actual life -- should make people even more comfortable publishing personal information on the service.
"If we can do this, then we can unlock a huge amount of sharing that people want to do, but today they just can't do, because either it's too annoying, or there just aren't the right privacy settings to be able to do this at large scale," Zuckerberg said at his Palo Alto, California headquarters.
Facebook, which has come under fire for inadequate privacy controls, will provide users with a special file containing all the personal data they have uploaded to the service -- upon request -- as well as a way to monitor which third-party applications have access to their data.
Its new groups feature comes a few months after a Google staffer published a white-paper identifying the inability of social networks such as Facebook to distinguish between the multiple social groups that an individual belongs to in real life.
"It's a bit of a preemptive strike against Google," said Ray Valdes, an analyst at industry research firm Gartner.
"It's addressing a real problem that had been a shortcoming in the Facebook service," said Valdes. "But it also has the effect of covering (Facebook's) flank."
The right touch
Google itself, which controls two-thirds of the world's Internet search market, has struggled to find the right touch when it comes to social networking. But the company has acquired several companies with social networking technology, including Slide.
Last month, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the company would begin introducing "layers" of social networking features into Google products this Fall.
With groups, Facebook users will be able to pool their friends in different groups or circles and send messages to, or hold mass-chats online with, those groups.
That expands a feature already available on the website, which lets users create custom friend lists. But Zuckerberg said a mere 5 percent of Facebook's users have availed themselves of that tool.
In contrast, Zuckerberg said he expected up to 80 per cent of Facebook's users to eventually belong to customized groups on the site.
source: agency
12 dissident Karnataka BJP legislators in Mumbai, may go to Goa
Breaking news! MUMBAI: A group of 12 dissident legislators from Karnataka's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including four ministers, arrived here from Kerala early Thursday and are holed up at Mumbai Airport, party sources said.
The dozen strong group of BJP legislators had planned to travel to Shirdi in Maharashtra Thursday morning, but owing to security considerations abandoned the proposal. Temporarily housed in the airport, they are likely to catch a flight to Goa later in the day and stay there for the next three days or so, the sources said.
The 29-month-old BJP government in Karnataka was Wednesday reduced to a minority in the 225-member assembly after 19 lawmakers, including 14 from the ruling party, submitted a joint letter to the governor withdrawing support and expressing lack of confidence in chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
A senior Maharashtra BJP leader, Vinod Tawde, received the 12 legislators around 1.30 am at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and made arrangements to make them comfortable while in transit. They arrived from Kochi.
Tawde also conveyed a personal message from senior party leader LK Advani to the group. He, however, declined to name the legislators who have come to Mumbai or the contents of Advani's message to them.
A party spokesperson told IANS that "we have made the arrangements" as required for the group of legislators. "Beyond that, we are not involved in the issue in any manner," he asserted.
Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj has directed Yeddurappa to prove that he enjoyed the confidence of the house by 5 pm on Oct 12. However, Yeddyurappa said he would do it a day earlier.
"I have requested Governor HR Bhardwaj to convene the assembly session Monday (Oct 11) at 10 am. I am confident of proving majority on the floor of the house," an unfazed Yeddyurappa told reporters outside Raj Bhavan Wednesday.
source: agency
The dozen strong group of BJP legislators had planned to travel to Shirdi in Maharashtra Thursday morning, but owing to security considerations abandoned the proposal. Temporarily housed in the airport, they are likely to catch a flight to Goa later in the day and stay there for the next three days or so, the sources said.
The 29-month-old BJP government in Karnataka was Wednesday reduced to a minority in the 225-member assembly after 19 lawmakers, including 14 from the ruling party, submitted a joint letter to the governor withdrawing support and expressing lack of confidence in chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
A senior Maharashtra BJP leader, Vinod Tawde, received the 12 legislators around 1.30 am at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and made arrangements to make them comfortable while in transit. They arrived from Kochi.
Tawde also conveyed a personal message from senior party leader LK Advani to the group. He, however, declined to name the legislators who have come to Mumbai or the contents of Advani's message to them.
A party spokesperson told IANS that "we have made the arrangements" as required for the group of legislators. "Beyond that, we are not involved in the issue in any manner," he asserted.
Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj has directed Yeddurappa to prove that he enjoyed the confidence of the house by 5 pm on Oct 12. However, Yeddyurappa said he would do it a day earlier.
"I have requested Governor HR Bhardwaj to convene the assembly session Monday (Oct 11) at 10 am. I am confident of proving majority on the floor of the house," an unfazed Yeddyurappa told reporters outside Raj Bhavan Wednesday.
source: agency
No UN mediation in Kashmir until both parties ask: Ban Ki-moon
Breaking news!UNITED NATIONS: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday said the United Nations would play a role in resolving the situation in Kashmir when India and Pakistan wanted the world body to step in. "As far as this role of good offices is concerned, the United Nations normally takes that initiative when requested by both parties concerned," Ban told journalists during his monthly briefing at the UN Headquarters.
"India and Pakistan, they are neighbouring countries, important nations in that region - peace and security would have important implications," he said.
Kashmir Valley has been in grip of violent protests since June.
"I regret the latest loss of life. I have been calling for an immediate end to violence and urge calm and restraint by all concerned," Ban said. "That is the position of the United Nations at this time."
While India maintains that Kashmir is an internal matter, Pakistan asserts that it is on the UN docket and has been calling for international intervention especially from the United States.
Last week, external affairs minister S M Krishna told the UN that Pakistan was sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir, and this later led to a strong exchange of words between the diplomats of both nations with Islamabad accusing New Delhi of sponsoring terrorism in the region.
"Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, is the target of Pakistan-sponsored militancy and terrorism," Krishna had said.
On Monday, Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf said his country had trained militants to fight in Kashmir.
"They (underground militant groups to fight against India in Kashmir) were indeed formed," Musharraf had told German magazine Der Spiegel.
Reacting to Musharraf's statement, India yesterday said the former Pakistan president's assertion that his country had trained militants to fight in Kashmir only confirms what New Delhi had been repeatedly saying over the years.
source: agency
"India and Pakistan, they are neighbouring countries, important nations in that region - peace and security would have important implications," he said.
Kashmir Valley has been in grip of violent protests since June.
"I regret the latest loss of life. I have been calling for an immediate end to violence and urge calm and restraint by all concerned," Ban said. "That is the position of the United Nations at this time."
While India maintains that Kashmir is an internal matter, Pakistan asserts that it is on the UN docket and has been calling for international intervention especially from the United States.
Last week, external affairs minister S M Krishna told the UN that Pakistan was sponsoring terrorism in Kashmir, and this later led to a strong exchange of words between the diplomats of both nations with Islamabad accusing New Delhi of sponsoring terrorism in the region.
"Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, is the target of Pakistan-sponsored militancy and terrorism," Krishna had said.
On Monday, Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf said his country had trained militants to fight in Kashmir.
"They (underground militant groups to fight against India in Kashmir) were indeed formed," Musharraf had told German magazine Der Spiegel.
Reacting to Musharraf's statement, India yesterday said the former Pakistan president's assertion that his country had trained militants to fight in Kashmir only confirms what New Delhi had been repeatedly saying over the years.
source: agency
Shooters bag 12th gold for India at Commonwealth Games
Breaking news! NEW DELHI: India's Gurpreet Singh and Vijay Kumar bagged 12th gold for India when they won in the 25 metre pistol pairs of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.
Earlier, India started the day with a bronze medal when the women's team of of Bhagyabati Chanu, Jhano Handah and Gagandeep Kaur compound archery team beat Malaysia.
Later in the day, Indian athletes will vie for a lot of medals at the Delhi Games where women's wrestling makes its debut with events in 48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg and 72 kg freestyle and Greco-Roman styles.
After having scooped up a bagful of medals, including several golds, the Indian shooters are all set to boost the country's medals kitty further.
Competitions continue in tennis, table tennis, squash and badminton where a lot of Indian interest remains.
Indian is looking up to star boxers Akhil Kumar (56kg), Suranjoy Singh (52kg) and Manoj Kumar (64kg), for further medals, along with Amandeep Singh (46-49kg).
The weightlifting arena, also among the most fruitful ones for the country, will see Sudhir Kumar (77kg) flexing his muscles.
source: agency
Earlier, India started the day with a bronze medal when the women's team of of Bhagyabati Chanu, Jhano Handah and Gagandeep Kaur compound archery team beat Malaysia.
Later in the day, Indian athletes will vie for a lot of medals at the Delhi Games where women's wrestling makes its debut with events in 48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg and 72 kg freestyle and Greco-Roman styles.
After having scooped up a bagful of medals, including several golds, the Indian shooters are all set to boost the country's medals kitty further.
Competitions continue in tennis, table tennis, squash and badminton where a lot of Indian interest remains.
Indian is looking up to star boxers Akhil Kumar (56kg), Suranjoy Singh (52kg) and Manoj Kumar (64kg), for further medals, along with Amandeep Singh (46-49kg).
The weightlifting arena, also among the most fruitful ones for the country, will see Sudhir Kumar (77kg) flexing his muscles.
source: agency
20101006
Players praise health facilities at Games Village
Breaking news! New Delhi: Players and delegates residing at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Village here have been praising the multi-disciplinary health facilities, and saying these are "world class" and "modern".
The 24-hour polyclinic is the main provider of medical services to athletes and team officials at the Village.
Kamara Mohamed, 26, an athlete from Sierra Leone, landed in Delhi with an upset stomach and high fever. After taking a day's medicine at the polyclinic, Mohamed was better and started preparing for his event.
"The services here are wonderful and I was fine after taking the medicine. The facilities are also world class and you have a dedicated team of doctors catering to you," said Mohamed.
Ruth Mueni Nyioka, team official of Nigeria, said: "The staff here is very cooperative and the facilities are quite modern."
Sadhana Dewal, project officer of the polyclinic, said: "We have a staff of 275 people, including 45 doctors, catering to 6,800 sportspersons. The services are good and the players are praising it."
source: agency
The 24-hour polyclinic is the main provider of medical services to athletes and team officials at the Village.
Kamara Mohamed, 26, an athlete from Sierra Leone, landed in Delhi with an upset stomach and high fever. After taking a day's medicine at the polyclinic, Mohamed was better and started preparing for his event.
"The services here are wonderful and I was fine after taking the medicine. The facilities are also world class and you have a dedicated team of doctors catering to you," said Mohamed.
Ruth Mueni Nyioka, team official of Nigeria, said: "The staff here is very cooperative and the facilities are quite modern."
Sadhana Dewal, project officer of the polyclinic, said: "We have a staff of 275 people, including 45 doctors, catering to 6,800 sportspersons. The services are good and the players are praising it."
source: agency
7 MNS workers held for protest over 'Bigg Boss 4'
Breaking news! MUMBAI: Seven Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers were arrested when they were protesting outside the office of Colors TV channel here over the inclusion of two Pakistani artistes in the private network's reality show ` Bigg Boss 4', police said today.
The workers, who were demonstrating outside the channel office on Parsi Panchayat Marg last night, were charged with unlawful assembly, said S G Deshmukh, Senior Inspector at Andheri police station.
They raised slogans against the inclusion of the two Pakistani artistes in Bigg Boss currently being aired on Colors, he said.
Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray-led MNS are opposing the participation of Veena Malik and Begum Nawazish Ali in the fourth edition of the reality show that started on October 3.
Malik, a model, is ex-girlfriend of controversial cricketer Mohammed Asif, while Ali is cross-dressing host of a popular chat show in Pakistan.
Yesterday, police rounded up about 25 Shiv Sena activists for staging a protest in front of a bungalow at Lonavla, a hill station near Pune, where the shooting of the show is in progress.
The popular show, hosted by Bollywood star Salman Khan, has 14 contestants.
source: agency
The workers, who were demonstrating outside the channel office on Parsi Panchayat Marg last night, were charged with unlawful assembly, said S G Deshmukh, Senior Inspector at Andheri police station.
They raised slogans against the inclusion of the two Pakistani artistes in Bigg Boss currently being aired on Colors, he said.
Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray-led MNS are opposing the participation of Veena Malik and Begum Nawazish Ali in the fourth edition of the reality show that started on October 3.
Malik, a model, is ex-girlfriend of controversial cricketer Mohammed Asif, while Ali is cross-dressing host of a popular chat show in Pakistan.
Yesterday, police rounded up about 25 Shiv Sena activists for staging a protest in front of a bungalow at Lonavla, a hill station near Pune, where the shooting of the show is in progress.
The popular show, hosted by Bollywood star Salman Khan, has 14 contestants.
source: agency
Why people get 'unfriended' on Facebook
Breaking news! WASHINGTON: Facebook has become the best platform where friends meet to share photos, news and gossip, but when relationships sour, another phenomenon often occurs - unfriending. And now, in a first-of-its -kind comprehensive, a University of Colorado Denver Business School student has revealed the top reasons for Facebook unfriending, who is unfriended and how they react to being unfriended.
"Researchers spend a lot of time examining how people form friendships online but little is known on how those relationships end. Perhaps this will help us develop a theory of the entire cycle of friending and unfriending," said Dr. Christopher Sibona, a PhD student in the Computer Science and Information Systems program.
After surveying more than 1,500 Facebook users on Twitter, Sibona found the number-one reason for unfriending is frequent, unimportant posts. "The 100th post about your favourite band is no longer interesting," he
said.
The second reason was posting about polarizing topics like religion and politics. "They say not to talk about religion or politics at office parties and the same thing is true online," he said. Inappropriate posts, such as crude or racist comments, were the third reason for being unfriended. The study showed 57 percent of those surveyed unfriended for online reasons, while 26.9 percent did so for offline behaviour.
Sibona observed a sort of online hierarchy of dominant and subordinate relationships. For example, those making friend requests stood a much higher chance of being abruptly unfriended. At the same time, those doing the unfriending seemed to hold the upper hand in the relationship.
It's a delicate dance with its own rules or "nettiquette," far different from face-to-face interaction.
"There is a lot more nuance in the offline friendship world. You don't have to go up to someone and ask them to be your friend. That's not the case online. It can be awkward," said Sibona. An AOL study showed 30 percent of teenagers wanted to unfriend their own parents.
Sibona found two users who actually did this. One later refriended his mom but put her on a limited profile so he could manage her online interactions. While some respondents reported being deeply hurt at being unfriended, others were more amused than traumatized.
source: agency
"Researchers spend a lot of time examining how people form friendships online but little is known on how those relationships end. Perhaps this will help us develop a theory of the entire cycle of friending and unfriending," said Dr. Christopher Sibona, a PhD student in the Computer Science and Information Systems program.
After surveying more than 1,500 Facebook users on Twitter, Sibona found the number-one reason for unfriending is frequent, unimportant posts. "The 100th post about your favourite band is no longer interesting," he
said.
The second reason was posting about polarizing topics like religion and politics. "They say not to talk about religion or politics at office parties and the same thing is true online," he said. Inappropriate posts, such as crude or racist comments, were the third reason for being unfriended. The study showed 57 percent of those surveyed unfriended for online reasons, while 26.9 percent did so for offline behaviour.
Sibona observed a sort of online hierarchy of dominant and subordinate relationships. For example, those making friend requests stood a much higher chance of being abruptly unfriended. At the same time, those doing the unfriending seemed to hold the upper hand in the relationship.
It's a delicate dance with its own rules or "nettiquette," far different from face-to-face interaction.
"There is a lot more nuance in the offline friendship world. You don't have to go up to someone and ask them to be your friend. That's not the case online. It can be awkward," said Sibona. An AOL study showed 30 percent of teenagers wanted to unfriend their own parents.
Sibona found two users who actually did this. One later refriended his mom but put her on a limited profile so he could manage her online interactions. While some respondents reported being deeply hurt at being unfriended, others were more amused than traumatized.
source: agency
Rahul Gandhi equates RSS with 'fanatical' SIMI
Breaking news! BHOPAL: In unusually strident remarks, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday described the RSS as "fanatical", saying it was no different from banned terror outfit SIMI and that both hold "fundamentalist" views.
"I know only that both SIMI and the RSS are fanatical and hold fundamentalist views," he said at a press conference here.
When pointed out that the radical Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was a proscribed outfit, which was not the case with RSS, the Nagpur-headquartered right-wing group, Gandhi stated that this did not matter much for him.
Gandhi, who is on a tour of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, went on to drive home his point saying there can be no place for people with fanatical views in the Youth Congress.
Asked about the Ayodhya title suit verdict, Gandhi said it neither condoned the demolition of the Babri Masjid nor the large-scale violence that followed the December 6, 1992 event.
The Amethi MP said the aggrieved parties were free to approach the Supreme Court against the decree, which calls for three-way division of the disputed site, if they so desired.
To questions on his becoming the Prime Minister, Gandhi said he has never worked under the assumption that he would one day occupy the top slot.
"It may be your assumption that I will become the Prime Minister but it is certainly not mine," Rahul said.
When told that it was his destiny to become the country's Prime Minister, he said, "I don't believe in destiny."
Gandhi was full of praise for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is "doing a fine job".
"We have a very capable Prime Minister. He is much more capable than me. He is on the job. My responsibilities are Youth Congress and NSUI and I am doing that."
Asked whether a youth will become the next PM, Gandhi refused to speculate but left everyone guessing, saying "What can be told about the future. Who can tell it."
source: agency
"I know only that both SIMI and the RSS are fanatical and hold fundamentalist views," he said at a press conference here.
When pointed out that the radical Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was a proscribed outfit, which was not the case with RSS, the Nagpur-headquartered right-wing group, Gandhi stated that this did not matter much for him.
Gandhi, who is on a tour of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, went on to drive home his point saying there can be no place for people with fanatical views in the Youth Congress.
Asked about the Ayodhya title suit verdict, Gandhi said it neither condoned the demolition of the Babri Masjid nor the large-scale violence that followed the December 6, 1992 event.
The Amethi MP said the aggrieved parties were free to approach the Supreme Court against the decree, which calls for three-way division of the disputed site, if they so desired.
To questions on his becoming the Prime Minister, Gandhi said he has never worked under the assumption that he would one day occupy the top slot.
"It may be your assumption that I will become the Prime Minister but it is certainly not mine," Rahul said.
When told that it was his destiny to become the country's Prime Minister, he said, "I don't believe in destiny."
Gandhi was full of praise for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is "doing a fine job".
"We have a very capable Prime Minister. He is much more capable than me. He is on the job. My responsibilities are Youth Congress and NSUI and I am doing that."
Asked whether a youth will become the next PM, Gandhi refused to speculate but left everyone guessing, saying "What can be told about the future. Who can tell it."
source: agency
Death reduced to life in Priyadarshini Mattoo case
Breaking news! New Delhi: The Supreme Court today commuted the death penalty given to Santosh Kumar Singh and sentenced him to life imprisonment in the 1996 rape and murder of Delhi University student Priyadarshini Mattoo. His death sentence was set aside by an apex court bench headed by Justice H.S. Bedi. Mattoo, the third year student in the university's law college, was found dead on Jan 23, 1996. Santosh, the son of a senior Indian Police Service officer, had been sentenced to death by the Delhi High Court in October 2006 for raping and murdering his junior in her uncle's flat in Vasant Kunj here.
Mattoo's father had moved the Delhi High Court after the Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court acquitted Singh in December 1999.
On Oct 17, 2006, the high court had reversed the verdict of the trial court and gave Singh death sentence.
Mattoo had complained against Santosh, a lawyer in the Tis Hazari court here, to police and her college authorities. She had said she was being harassed by Singh.
source: agency
Mattoo's father had moved the Delhi High Court after the Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court acquitted Singh in December 1999.
On Oct 17, 2006, the high court had reversed the verdict of the trial court and gave Singh death sentence.
Mattoo had complained against Santosh, a lawyer in the Tis Hazari court here, to police and her college authorities. She had said she was being harassed by Singh.
source: agency
Schedule of the Commonwealth Games for today (Day 3)-Oct 6
Breaking news! New Delhi, Oct 6: Following is the schedule of the Commonwealth Games for today. Twenty seven medals including two in para sport will be decided today, the third day of the competition-- Athletics (2) Swimming (9), Cycling (4), Artistic Gymnastic (2), Shooting (4), Weightlifting (2), Wrestling (4)
Swimming: Men: 200 metre backstroke, para sport 50 metre freestyle, 50 metre butterfly, 100 metre breaststroke, 4x200 metre freestyle
Women: 100 metre freestyle, 200 metre breaststroke, 100 metre backstroke, 4x200 metre freestyle
Shooting:
Men: 10 metre air rifle, 50 metre pistol, double trap (Pair) Women: 25 metre pistol
Athletics : 5,000 metre, Women: shot put para sport
Cycling: Women: 25 km point race, team sprint Men: 40 km point race, Keirin
Weightlifting:
Women: 58-kg category Men: 69-kg category
Wrestling: Final: Greco Roman: 55 kg, 66 kg, 84 kg , 120 kg.
source: agency
Swimming: Men: 200 metre backstroke, para sport 50 metre freestyle, 50 metre butterfly, 100 metre breaststroke, 4x200 metre freestyle
Women: 100 metre freestyle, 200 metre breaststroke, 100 metre backstroke, 4x200 metre freestyle
Shooting:
Men: 10 metre air rifle, 50 metre pistol, double trap (Pair) Women: 25 metre pistol
Athletics : 5,000 metre, Women: shot put para sport
Cycling: Women: 25 km point race, team sprint Men: 40 km point race, Keirin
Weightlifting:
Women: 58-kg category Men: 69-kg category
Wrestling: Final: Greco Roman: 55 kg, 66 kg, 84 kg , 120 kg.
source: agency
Santhal Durga Puja of West Bengal symbolises revolt against British
Breaking news! Sulunga (West Bengal): There is no chanting of mantras or ostentatious decor, but simple prayers to the goddess. A goat sacrifice is also held to symbolise the fight against British colonial rulers. Welcome to the Durga Puja of the Santhal tribals of this West Bengal village.
Santhals are not known to follow Hindu rituals, but the ones in Sulunga village never fail to keep their date with Durga Puja as it marks the time when, over 100 years ago, their tribal leaders Brojo Murmu and Durga Murmu rose in revolt against the British.
Sulunga, some 240 km away from here, is in Birbhum district. There are over 10 Santhal households in the village, which has a total population of around 600.
"This Durga Puja is the only known traditional Hindu festival of the Santhals," claimed Tapan Murmu, a descendant of Brojo Murmu's family.
"Many years ago, our ancestors Brojo Murmu and Durga Murmu were inspired to overpower the British rulers by uniting our people by initiating the worship of Durga as the goddess of Shakti."
"The times have changed, and so have the circumstances but even today we worship goddess Durga, hoping goodness and prosperity will dawn upon us."
The Santhals worship idols of the goddess made by local craftsmen, but unlike those installed in city marquees, these bear a strong resemblance to tribal people.
"A tribal priest performs the rites, but it does not include the chanting of traditional Sanskrit mantras," said Tapan Murmu.
"Instead the priest chants - 'maa, fosol jeno bhalo hoy/gramey sobai jeno bhalo thake' (mother, let there be a good harvest, let the villagers be happy). These are the typical prayers offered to the goddess by Santhals."
The puja is, however, performed according to the Hindu almanac. This year Durga Puja is being held from Oct 13.
It is said that Brojo Murmu, who belonged to Sulunga, worshipped 'Mahishasuramardini' - the warrior form of the goddess - some 100 years ago. It was intended to unite Santhals living in the bordering areas of Birbhum and in the Jharkhand region against oppressive British rule.
Santhals represent more than half the state's tribal population,
Priest Robin Tudu, who has been overseeing the puja here for over two decades now, said: "An animal sacrifice is made on Ashtami, usually a white goat, as according to local belief a white goat symbolises 'gora sahib' (the whiteman)".
The priest said many atheists, including Communists, participate in this particular Puja.
Birbhum district Left Front chairman Arun Chowdhury said: "Many stories, some with strong folk traditions, are associated with this puja."
"Most local people believe that in 1907, the zamindari of this area was given away to one Kerap saheb from Bihar, who resorted to violence to collect taxes from poor peasants," said Chowdhury.
"Those who failed to pay the tax on time were forcibly sent to Assam, where they had to work as coolies (porters). However, Kerap saheb had once announced that if the defaulters convert to Christianity they would be exempted from paying taxes.
"While a few chose to do so, most revolted against the landlord under the leadership of Brojo Murmu."
"It was Brojo Murmu who introduced this Durga Puja. The puja has been performed every year since then," added Chowdhury.
source: agency
Santhals are not known to follow Hindu rituals, but the ones in Sulunga village never fail to keep their date with Durga Puja as it marks the time when, over 100 years ago, their tribal leaders Brojo Murmu and Durga Murmu rose in revolt against the British.
Sulunga, some 240 km away from here, is in Birbhum district. There are over 10 Santhal households in the village, which has a total population of around 600.
"This Durga Puja is the only known traditional Hindu festival of the Santhals," claimed Tapan Murmu, a descendant of Brojo Murmu's family.
"Many years ago, our ancestors Brojo Murmu and Durga Murmu were inspired to overpower the British rulers by uniting our people by initiating the worship of Durga as the goddess of Shakti."
"The times have changed, and so have the circumstances but even today we worship goddess Durga, hoping goodness and prosperity will dawn upon us."
The Santhals worship idols of the goddess made by local craftsmen, but unlike those installed in city marquees, these bear a strong resemblance to tribal people.
"A tribal priest performs the rites, but it does not include the chanting of traditional Sanskrit mantras," said Tapan Murmu.
"Instead the priest chants - 'maa, fosol jeno bhalo hoy/gramey sobai jeno bhalo thake' (mother, let there be a good harvest, let the villagers be happy). These are the typical prayers offered to the goddess by Santhals."
The puja is, however, performed according to the Hindu almanac. This year Durga Puja is being held from Oct 13.
It is said that Brojo Murmu, who belonged to Sulunga, worshipped 'Mahishasuramardini' - the warrior form of the goddess - some 100 years ago. It was intended to unite Santhals living in the bordering areas of Birbhum and in the Jharkhand region against oppressive British rule.
Santhals represent more than half the state's tribal population,
Priest Robin Tudu, who has been overseeing the puja here for over two decades now, said: "An animal sacrifice is made on Ashtami, usually a white goat, as according to local belief a white goat symbolises 'gora sahib' (the whiteman)".
The priest said many atheists, including Communists, participate in this particular Puja.
Birbhum district Left Front chairman Arun Chowdhury said: "Many stories, some with strong folk traditions, are associated with this puja."
"Most local people believe that in 1907, the zamindari of this area was given away to one Kerap saheb from Bihar, who resorted to violence to collect taxes from poor peasants," said Chowdhury.
"Those who failed to pay the tax on time were forcibly sent to Assam, where they had to work as coolies (porters). However, Kerap saheb had once announced that if the defaulters convert to Christianity they would be exempted from paying taxes.
"While a few chose to do so, most revolted against the landlord under the leadership of Brojo Murmu."
"It was Brojo Murmu who introduced this Durga Puja. The puja has been performed every year since then," added Chowdhury.
source: agency
I'd like to direct soon: Kangana Ranaut
Breaking news! Mumbai: Her unconventional looks and frizzy hair landed her atypical roles in Bollywood. Kangana Ranaut now harbours a dream of donning the director's hat and already has a script in mind.
"I'm quite happy with how my career is moving, but in terms of the future, soon, I guess I'd like to direct a movie. I have a script in mind. Let's see where it goes," Kangana told the media in an interview. She revealed her plans, but refrained from divulging details.
The 23-year-old sailed into Bollywood with the crime-based romantic saga, "Gangster - A Love Story" (2006), where director Anurag Basu presented her as a gangster's girlfriend. The actress won accolades for her portrayal in the critically and commercially acclaimed film.
After that she again chose to play an unconventional role in "Woh Lamhe", which was filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's final goodbye to former girlfriend Parveen Babi. In the film, Kangana brilliantly portrayed the late actress' madness and despair.
Again in "Life In A... Metro", a film about big city people coping with emotional and psychological trauma, Basu presented her as a call centre executive who is in a relationship with her married boss.
With Bhandarkar's "Fashion", a dark tale about the fashion industry, she hit bull's eye. Her stupendous performance where she brings forth the miseries of an ex-ramp queen won her a National Award.
Most of her films have seen her in tragic roles; as a result she is often referred to as a modern day tragedy queen, a title once given to legendary actress Meena Kumari for playing grief-stricken characters.
"It's been quite a journey...I came to the industry when I was just 17 with no real idea of what to expect. I was fortunate that 'Gangster' was a huge hit at the box office. I won a lot of awards and the industry gave me another chance.
"Otherwise, it's an industry that's very unforgiving towards outsiders. This year I'm trying a lot of new genres, different films. It's been a lot of hard work but also lots of fun," revealed the actress, who was last seen romancing Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan in "Kites".
At the moment, Kangana's kitty is full of light-hearted films like "Double Dhamaal", "No Problem", and "Tanu Weds Manu". She is also doing "Rascals", "Game" and "Tezz".
Her next release is "Knock Out" where she will share screen space with with Sanjay Dutt and Irrfan Khan. Kangana plays a journalist in the psychological thriller, which is releasing on Oct 15.
"'Knock Out' is a very different film from anything I've done before. The entire film takes place in two hours and was almost shot in one location. It's a fast paced action thriller that I think people will really enjoy," she said.
Directed by Mani Shankar, "Knock Out" is a Bollywood adaptation of Hollywood film "Phone Booth". After playing all kinds of roles, Kangana will be seen as a scribe in the movie.
"I studied the body language of journalists reporting from crime scenes for my role, but there was this one point in the film where I actually got a chance to experience the urgency and intensity journalists experience every day.
"This was a shot where a car was supposed to fly up in the air and land on the ground. Instead of landing like it was supposed to, the car caught fire and came spinning at a very fast speed towards me. I managed to get out of its way in time, but got a real first-hand experience of the dangers journalists face on the job," she said.
The actress has given a makeover to the image of crime journalists by sporting stilettos and off shoulder dresses in the film.
Apart from acting, she is also trying her hand at designing. She has herself created clothes for the movies "Rascals" and "Tezz". She may soon launch her clothing line.
When asked whether she was looking for love, she said: "With so much work on my plate, I'm happily single for now!"
source: agency
"I'm quite happy with how my career is moving, but in terms of the future, soon, I guess I'd like to direct a movie. I have a script in mind. Let's see where it goes," Kangana told the media in an interview. She revealed her plans, but refrained from divulging details.
The 23-year-old sailed into Bollywood with the crime-based romantic saga, "Gangster - A Love Story" (2006), where director Anurag Basu presented her as a gangster's girlfriend. The actress won accolades for her portrayal in the critically and commercially acclaimed film.
After that she again chose to play an unconventional role in "Woh Lamhe", which was filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's final goodbye to former girlfriend Parveen Babi. In the film, Kangana brilliantly portrayed the late actress' madness and despair.
Again in "Life In A... Metro", a film about big city people coping with emotional and psychological trauma, Basu presented her as a call centre executive who is in a relationship with her married boss.
With Bhandarkar's "Fashion", a dark tale about the fashion industry, she hit bull's eye. Her stupendous performance where she brings forth the miseries of an ex-ramp queen won her a National Award.
Most of her films have seen her in tragic roles; as a result she is often referred to as a modern day tragedy queen, a title once given to legendary actress Meena Kumari for playing grief-stricken characters.
"It's been quite a journey...I came to the industry when I was just 17 with no real idea of what to expect. I was fortunate that 'Gangster' was a huge hit at the box office. I won a lot of awards and the industry gave me another chance.
"Otherwise, it's an industry that's very unforgiving towards outsiders. This year I'm trying a lot of new genres, different films. It's been a lot of hard work but also lots of fun," revealed the actress, who was last seen romancing Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan in "Kites".
At the moment, Kangana's kitty is full of light-hearted films like "Double Dhamaal", "No Problem", and "Tanu Weds Manu". She is also doing "Rascals", "Game" and "Tezz".
Her next release is "Knock Out" where she will share screen space with with Sanjay Dutt and Irrfan Khan. Kangana plays a journalist in the psychological thriller, which is releasing on Oct 15.
"'Knock Out' is a very different film from anything I've done before. The entire film takes place in two hours and was almost shot in one location. It's a fast paced action thriller that I think people will really enjoy," she said.
Directed by Mani Shankar, "Knock Out" is a Bollywood adaptation of Hollywood film "Phone Booth". After playing all kinds of roles, Kangana will be seen as a scribe in the movie.
"I studied the body language of journalists reporting from crime scenes for my role, but there was this one point in the film where I actually got a chance to experience the urgency and intensity journalists experience every day.
"This was a shot where a car was supposed to fly up in the air and land on the ground. Instead of landing like it was supposed to, the car caught fire and came spinning at a very fast speed towards me. I managed to get out of its way in time, but got a real first-hand experience of the dangers journalists face on the job," she said.
The actress has given a makeover to the image of crime journalists by sporting stilettos and off shoulder dresses in the film.
Apart from acting, she is also trying her hand at designing. She has herself created clothes for the movies "Rascals" and "Tezz". She may soon launch her clothing line.
When asked whether she was looking for love, she said: "With so much work on my plate, I'm happily single for now!"
source: agency
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
