Families of four boys who drowned in a watery pit here in darkness prepared for the last rites Saturday, as authorities ordered a probe into alleged negligence by the city's water board.
The boys died late Friday after falling into the seven-foot pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to lay a water line in Timaparpur area in north Delhi. The victims were from the nearby Gopalpur village.
The four children were identified as Vikas, 8, Atul, 7, his brother Ritesh, 9, and Narender, 8.
Furious villagers, who held up traffic to denounce official apathy, said the pit was dug nearly a month ago on DJB land. "The matter is being probed," a police official said.
On Saturday, the DJB said it had launched an inquiry.
"A team headed by DJB chief engineer will probe what happened and whether there was any negligence. The report will be submitted within two working days," DJB spokesperson Sanjam Cheema told IANS.
(IANS)
The boys died late Friday after falling into the seven-foot pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to lay a water line in Timaparpur area in north Delhi. The victims were from the nearby Gopalpur village.
The four children were identified as Vikas, 8, Atul, 7, his brother Ritesh, 9, and Narender, 8.
Furious villagers, who held up traffic to denounce official apathy, said the pit was dug nearly a month ago on DJB land. "The matter is being probed," a police official said.
On Saturday, the DJB said it had launched an inquiry.
"A team headed by DJB chief engineer will probe what happened and whether there was any negligence. The report will be submitted within two working days," DJB spokesperson Sanjam Cheema told IANS.
(IANS)
Fr. K G Joseph, a Christian priest in Kerala has been arrested for alleged sexual abuse. Father K G Joseph alias Father Habib Joseph was arrested against a complaint of a minor girl inmate of a hostel run by Orthodox Church at Pothukal in Malappuram, Kerala.
The priest has been granted bail.
The elder sister of the girl complained was dead under mysterious circumstances at hostel in October last year.
The priest has been granted bail.
The elder sister of the girl complained was dead under mysterious circumstances at hostel in October last year.
Director-choreographer Farah Khan is set to release her next venture "Tees Maar Khan" on Christmas Eve this year. She says the Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer is a fun-filled action comedy perfect for the holiday season."I'm really happy that we will be releasing 'Tees Maar Khan' on Dec 24, Christmas Eve 2010. It is a very kid-friendly, holiday season kind of film, full of fun, big dance numbers and action comedy. It's just the kind of film you'd want to watch in the holidays," Farah said in a statement.
The decision on the film's release date was taken by Farah's home production Three's Company Pvt Ltd and Akshay Kumar's Hari Om Productions, which is co-producing the movie.
Farah, whose last film was "Om Shanti Om", is still filming "Tees Maar Khan" and Akshay says audiences will be in for a treat.
"The film �Tees Maar Khan' will be our gift to audiences this holiday season. It's a great film with a great script and with Farah you know you're in for a treat with larger-than-life scenes, great music, hilarious dialogues�the movie will make you laugh uncontrollably," the actor said.
Most of the films released during Christmas like "Welcome", "Ghajini" and "3 Idiots" have been runaway successes. The combination of ace director and choreographer Farah Khan, Bollywood's box office king Akshay Kumar and the gorgeous Katrina Kaif is expected to priovide a real treat to the audience, said an industry insider.
(IANS)
The Himachal Pradesh government Saturday announced a 30-percent hike in fares of state-run buses in view of the recent rise in fuel prices, an official said here. The revised fares will be effective from April 1.
"The cabinet last (Friday) evening decided to increase fares of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses by 30 percent," a government spokesperson said.
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had earlier hinted at a hike in bus fares in view of the rise in diesel prices.
The HRTC operates more than 1,900 buses within and outside the state.
(IANS)
"The cabinet last (Friday) evening decided to increase fares of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses by 30 percent," a government spokesperson said.
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had earlier hinted at a hike in bus fares in view of the rise in diesel prices.
The HRTC operates more than 1,900 buses within and outside the state.
(IANS)
Acclaimed Bollywood actress Kajol who is married to actor Ajay Devgn for 11 years now, was voted the favourite 'bahu' (daughter-in law) in a poll conducted by matrimonial site shaadi.com.As part of the upcoming International Women's Day celebrations on Monday, shaadi.com conducted a poll in which 250,000 women participated.
In the poll, 43.08 percent women said Kajol was their favourite Bollywood daughter-in-law.
Besides Kajol, others vying for the position were Aishwarya Rai, Gauri Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Malaika Arora, Twinkle Khanna and Kiran Rao.
"The women's day poll is part of the constant research that shaadi.com conducts in its attempt to gauge the preferences of its members. The results show that today the women are looking to be more independent and are willing to adopt stronger roles in their life. They believe in themselves and aspire to emulate top achievers in their field," said Gourav Rakshit, business head, shaadi.com.
(IANS)
The Shiv Sena has now trained its guns on Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan for his "Mumbai for all" remark. "These rubber stamp white elephants" should not be "sticking their noses anywhere", the party said.
In a sharp editorial in party mouthpiece "Saamna" Saturday, the Shiv Sena said: "Governors are in decorative but dangerous posts."
"These rubber stamp white elephants have to be borne for years at taxpayers' expense. They should not be sticking their noses anywhere. What was the need for him to speak for outsiders?" it asked.
The party ire was directed at Sankaranarayanan's statements before a media gathering Friday that Mumbai was for all and anybody could come, live and work in the city.
Accusing the governor of "treachery", the editorial claimed that the present sad state of Mumbai was only because of migrants.
"Governors live in the sprawling, luxurious Raj Bhavan on the shores of the Arabian Sea. They are cut off from the ground realities. Congressmen from outside the state come here on 'pension', enjoy the cool sea breeze and go away," it said.
"Even Sankaranarayanan is here today and will go away tomorrow. So what was the need for him to invite migrants to Mumbai," it said.
"If he is concerned about them (migrants), then he should take some of them to his home state Kerala and bag an award of national unity from Sonia Gandhi," the party said.
"Would he have done the same thing if he was, say, governor of Karnataka or Tamil Nadu, and invited outsiders to Bengaluru or Chennai? Why something that does not work anywhere else should be thrust on Mumbai," it demanded of Sankaranarayanan.
It further sought to know whether Mumbai was some kind of "ashram or an orphanage" for migrants.
The editorial challenged the governor to get himself appointed in Jammu and Kashmir and invite people from all over India to come and settle there.
"We (Indians) are not allowed to work or live there though it is a part of India and nobody goes to save it (Kashmir) in the name of national integration," it pointed out.
It asked the governor when the Constitution gives the right to people to come and settle anywhere, does it mean on footpaths, under bridges and grabbing any open space.
Alleging selective interpretation of constitutional rights, it said all rights come with responsibilities.
The party said if these migrants went and lived in the bungalows and flats of ministers, or even the Raj Bhavan, these very dignitaries would throw them out.
Stating that such statements did not suit him, it said there should be a permit system for outsiders entering Mumbai.
Last week, playback singer Asha Bhosale had expressed similar sentiments as the governor, in Pune, while Bollywood actor Nana Patekar had said he was pained by the controversy over Maharashtrians and non-Maharashtrians.
In the recent past, cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar and industrialist Mukesh Ambani have been at the receiving end of Shiv Sena ire for their comments supporting the idea of residents of other states settling in Mumbai.
(IANS)
In a sharp editorial in party mouthpiece "Saamna" Saturday, the Shiv Sena said: "Governors are in decorative but dangerous posts."
"These rubber stamp white elephants have to be borne for years at taxpayers' expense. They should not be sticking their noses anywhere. What was the need for him to speak for outsiders?" it asked.
The party ire was directed at Sankaranarayanan's statements before a media gathering Friday that Mumbai was for all and anybody could come, live and work in the city.
Accusing the governor of "treachery", the editorial claimed that the present sad state of Mumbai was only because of migrants.
"Governors live in the sprawling, luxurious Raj Bhavan on the shores of the Arabian Sea. They are cut off from the ground realities. Congressmen from outside the state come here on 'pension', enjoy the cool sea breeze and go away," it said.
"Even Sankaranarayanan is here today and will go away tomorrow. So what was the need for him to invite migrants to Mumbai," it said.
"If he is concerned about them (migrants), then he should take some of them to his home state Kerala and bag an award of national unity from Sonia Gandhi," the party said.
"Would he have done the same thing if he was, say, governor of Karnataka or Tamil Nadu, and invited outsiders to Bengaluru or Chennai? Why something that does not work anywhere else should be thrust on Mumbai," it demanded of Sankaranarayanan.
It further sought to know whether Mumbai was some kind of "ashram or an orphanage" for migrants.
The editorial challenged the governor to get himself appointed in Jammu and Kashmir and invite people from all over India to come and settle there.
"We (Indians) are not allowed to work or live there though it is a part of India and nobody goes to save it (Kashmir) in the name of national integration," it pointed out.
It asked the governor when the Constitution gives the right to people to come and settle anywhere, does it mean on footpaths, under bridges and grabbing any open space.
Alleging selective interpretation of constitutional rights, it said all rights come with responsibilities.
The party said if these migrants went and lived in the bungalows and flats of ministers, or even the Raj Bhavan, these very dignitaries would throw them out.
Stating that such statements did not suit him, it said there should be a permit system for outsiders entering Mumbai.
Last week, playback singer Asha Bhosale had expressed similar sentiments as the governor, in Pune, while Bollywood actor Nana Patekar had said he was pained by the controversy over Maharashtrians and non-Maharashtrians.
In the recent past, cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar and industrialist Mukesh Ambani have been at the receiving end of Shiv Sena ire for their comments supporting the idea of residents of other states settling in Mumbai.
(IANS)
The 56th Filmfare awards 2010 for the films released in the year 2009 has been announced. The award ceremony will be telecasted on Sony TV on 7th March 2010. Best Action:
Vijayan Master (Wanted)
Best Production Design & Art Direction:
Helen Jones, Sukanta Panigrahi (Dev.D)
Best Background Score:
Amit Trivedi (Dev.D)
Best Cinematography:
Rajeev Ravi (Dev.D)
Best Visual Effects:
Govardhan Vigharan, Vinay Singh Chuphal (Kaminey)
Best Choreography:
Bosco-Caesar, (Chor Bazaari, Love Aaj Kal)
Best Sound:
Manas Choudhary (Firaaq)
Best Editing:
Sreekar Prasad (Firaaq)
Best Costume Design:
Vaishali Menon (Firaaq)
Best Lyrics:
Irshad Kamil (Ajj din, Love Aaj Kal)
RD Burman Award:
Amit Trivedi
Best Playback Singer (Female):
Kavita Seth (Iktara, Wake Up Sid) & Rekha Bhardwaj (Genda phool, Delhi-6)
Best Playback Singer (Male) :
Mohit Chauhan (Masakali, Delhi-6)\
Best Music
AR Rahman (Delhi-6)
Best Story:
Abhijat Joshi & Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots)
Best Screenplay:
Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani & Vidhu Vinod Chopra (3 Idiots)
Best Dialogue:
Abhijat Joshi & Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots)
Best Debut (Female):
Zoya Akhtar (Luck By Chance)
Best Debut (Male):
Ayan Mukerji (Wake Up Sid)
Best Supporting Actor (Female):
Kalki Koechlin (Dev.D)
Best Supporting Actor (Male):
Boman Irani (3 Idiots)
Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Khayyam & Shashi Kapoor
Best Film (Critics):
Firaaq
Best Actor Female (Critics):
Mahie Gill (Dev.D)
Best Actor Male (Critics):
Ranbir Kapoor (consistently outstanding performances for Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani & Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female):
Vidya Balan (Paa)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male):
Amitabh Bachchan (Paa)
Best Director:
Rajkumar Hirani (3 Idiots)
Best Film:
3 Idiots
(WMNews)
Swamy Nityananda Paramahamsa who is in controversy over the alleged video with an actress has not given any public statement yet. M Shreedhar lawyer of Nityananda claimed that the godman had not absconded but was in Varanasi. “He is attending the Kumbh Mela, along with 4,000 devotees from world over, and is scheduled to return on March 18.The explanation given by Nithyananda Ashram - Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam towards the issue is as follows:
(IANS)
This is in response to the defamatory video on Paramahamsa Nithyananda aired by Sun TV and various other news media since the night of March 2, 2010.
At this moment, we feel that a mix of conspiracy, graphics and rumor are at play in these recent events that have unfolded. We are working on a legal course of action and will come up with updates in due course
In these trying times, we wish to reassure the lakhs of devotees and well-wishers whose sentiments have been deeply hurt by this conspiracy. We thank all the devotees and disciples for standing with us during these times
In the past 7 years of his public life, Paramahamsa Nithyananda has been a transformational force in the lives of over 2 million people across numerous countries around the world. The powerful truths he lives and shares and his personal authenticity have made his teachings relevant across religions, cultures and class
For those who have experienced the blessings and grace of Swamiji, no further explanation is necessary. Yet we request you to recall the life solutions from Swamiji that continue to provide a powerful spiritual anchor for millions in these turbulent times. We wish to reiterate that Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam is a worldwide movement which is committed to bringing about a true awakening for all, irrespective of race, culture or nationality. Reviving the timeless Vedic wisdom in the light of modern living, the Nithyananda Dhyanapeetam creates opportunities for the powerful transformation of the individual and the community
(IANS)
As per unconfirmed reports popular tamil actress Ranjitha, who was seen with Swami Nityananda scandal video has apparently attempted suicide.Ranjitha who was divorced from a army soldier is now living alone. As per official explanation Ranjitha started visiting the ashram to overcome depression caused by her failed marriage and soon became a devotee of the swami. There are rumours that Ranjitha herself created the tape to blackmail the spiritual leader.
(OneIndia)
The controversial Fake IPL Player is back with a novel, The Gamechangers published by HarperCollins.
Last edition of IPL had something apart from cricket to remember, it was the revelations of the fake IPL player who with his blog revealed the inside story of the IPL particularly the Kolkata Knight Riders side. He did not reveal himself even after the tournament. The fake IPL player now called 'Fakeoo' is back with a novel titled 'The Game changers this edition, this time also he refuses to reveal himself.
The Gamechangers book will be released on March 11.
Last edition of IPL had something apart from cricket to remember, it was the revelations of the fake IPL player who with his blog revealed the inside story of the IPL particularly the Kolkata Knight Riders side. He did not reveal himself even after the tournament. The fake IPL player now called 'Fakeoo' is back with a novel titled 'The Game changers this edition, this time also he refuses to reveal himself.
The Gamechangers book will be released on March 11.
Apple's iPhone is set to overtake Research In Motion's BlackBerry in the global smart phone market by next year, according to Forbes online.Currently, BlackBerry enjoys about three percent of the world's mobile phone market, while Apple's has about two percent share of the market. But BlackBerry's lead over iPhone is shrinking and Apple will overtake RIM by early next year, Forbes said Friday.
"We expect Apple's market share to overtake that of RIM by 2011, and for Apple and RIM to have 11 % and 8% market share, respectively, by the end of Trefis forecast period,'' the online issue said.
Trefis has been defined as a new financial platform to know how a company's products impact its stock.
"We believe sales of the iPhone will eventually outpace BlackBerry sales,'' Forbes said.
Giving its reasons, Forbes online said, "Apple's ecosystem of consumer products (Macs, iPad, Apple TV) and services (iTunes, iPhones apps) make the iPhone a more attractive phone for many consumers compared to the BlackBerry."
" End of AT&T exclusivity will give Apple's iPhone wider distribution in the US (comparable to BlackBerry distribution).
"iPhone is making inroads with business customers that have traditionally preferred the BlackBerry.''
Both the wireless giants have made big gains since 2007, with iPhone increasing its market share from 0.3 percent to 2 percent, and BlackBerry going up from one percent to about three percent.
The Canadian icon BlackBerry captured the world's corporate market because of secure messaging.
However, with Apple's sleek iPhone gaining the consumer market, the numbers game is slowly slipping away from the BlackBerry.
Given Apple's marketing muscle, online reach and multiple cutting-edge products with synergy, analysts say it is only a matter of time before the iPhone overtakes the BlackBerry in the global smart phone market.
(IANS)
Jaycee Dugard, who was kidnapped as an 11-year-old and held in captivity for 18 years, released her first home video Friday, appearing in a Christmas kitchen scene with her mother and half sister and thanking the public for its support.
"Hi. I'm Jaycee," the 29-year-old Dugard says to the camera in an excerpt of the video. "I want to thank you for your support and I'm doing well ... It's been a long haul, but I'm getting there".
Terry Probyn, Dugard's 50-year-old mother, also appears in the video, saying she wished to correct reports that the family was being supported by a church.
"We did accept financial support from an undisclosed benefactor and have no affiliation with any church," she said. "Please give us the time to heal as a family, without the prying eyes of the photographers and the press".
Dugard and her two daughters born in captivity - Angel 15, and Starlit, 11 - were freed last year after a campus security officer became suspicious when their alleged captor Phillip Garrido took them with him to pass out religious pamphlets at the University of California, Berkeley.
Garrido and his wife Nancy allegedly abducted Dugard in 1991 and kept her in a ramshackle tent hidden in the backyard of the suburban house in Antioch, California. Garrido is alleged to have repeatedly raped Dugard, fathering her two daughters. Both the Garridos have pleaded not-guilty to 29 felony charges stemming from the case.
(IANS)
"Hi. I'm Jaycee," the 29-year-old Dugard says to the camera in an excerpt of the video. "I want to thank you for your support and I'm doing well ... It's been a long haul, but I'm getting there".
Terry Probyn, Dugard's 50-year-old mother, also appears in the video, saying she wished to correct reports that the family was being supported by a church.
"We did accept financial support from an undisclosed benefactor and have no affiliation with any church," she said. "Please give us the time to heal as a family, without the prying eyes of the photographers and the press".
Dugard and her two daughters born in captivity - Angel 15, and Starlit, 11 - were freed last year after a campus security officer became suspicious when their alleged captor Phillip Garrido took them with him to pass out religious pamphlets at the University of California, Berkeley.
Garrido and his wife Nancy allegedly abducted Dugard in 1991 and kept her in a ramshackle tent hidden in the backyard of the suburban house in Antioch, California. Garrido is alleged to have repeatedly raped Dugard, fathering her two daughters. Both the Garridos have pleaded not-guilty to 29 felony charges stemming from the case.
(IANS)
LG has launched its new touch screen phone LG Cookie Pep in Indian Market. The Cookie Pep called GD510 in the international market is a 3-inch full touchscreen handset aimed at youngsters.The phone features 42MB of internal memory - expandable up to 8GB, 3-megapixel camera, 7.62 cm Full Touch Screen, One Touch Social Networking Applications, MP3 Player, One Touch, Smart Key, 3 way home screen & Fun UI, Livesquare, Motion Silent etc
LG Cookie Pep is priced at Rs. 7,799/-
The company has launched an advertising campaign with John Abraham, Genelia D'Souza and Abhay Deol.
ATKJ Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge Review 
Film: "Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge"; Starring; Ajay Devgan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Paresh Rawal;
Directed by: Ashwini Dheer; Rating: *
Be Ajay Devgan's guest. So many films about the guest as an intruder. But this one takes the creak. And yes we do mean creak. The plot sets out to portray the 'bin bulaye mehmaan', or uninvited guest, as a pest rather than a guest and finally spends agonizing playing time portraying him as a messiah in a dhoti.
Trust Paresh Rawal to get into the skin of his character. From first frame to the last, Paresh has a blast. He doesn't let go of a single moment of joy in embracing the role of the unwanted guest in Mumbai's very hectic self-absorbed nuclear family where, as Devgan says in his heated summing-up homily, even parents are not welcome after the first few days.
So how welcome is this film about an unwelcome guest? "Atithee Tum Kab Jaoge" has its entertaining moments. But it's essentially a one-episode sitcom. And you wonder how far writer-director Ashwin Dheer will stretch this version of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's "Bawarchi" about the quirky and persistent stranger who changes a family's way of looking at life?
At mid-point director Dheer and his characters including the indefatigable Paresh have run out of steam.
Post-interval the narration does a vivacious volte face. And suddenly the boorish loudly burping belching and farting guest becomes a demi-god. A saviour spreading sunshine across the 4-walls of Devgans' well-appointed home. Rawal repairs all of Devgan and Konkona's domestic and work-related problems and leaves their home after having spread enough goodwill to do away with the other pollutant emissions in the first-half.
Dheer's writing is a skilled synthesis of satire and a strong message on the virtues of an extended family.
Many passages of the film are designed as very little more than diversion and deflections indicating the fracture in family values that is easily reparable with some persuasion from an old-fashioned rustic guest with values that suggest a deep connection between the scriptures and common sense.
Life in the cities is not that easy to fix. The film goes through a series of cleverly orchestrated fable-like chapters, none uninteresting, but most of them repetitive beyond a point.
Devgan and Konkona try to be funny. Konkona Sen needs to drastically expand her repertoire of expressions from grimace and grin to more far-reaching expressions. There's an interesting cameo by Satish Kaushik (playing a harried film director). And the funniest line comes from Kaushik when after repenting the way he allowed his wife to treat his mother Kaushik resolves to make a "Baghban type of film".
"Atithee" is just that. It starts off as a savage satire on the perils of hospitality but ends up as another "Baghban".
Film: "Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge"; Starring; Ajay Devgan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Paresh Rawal;Directed by: Ashwini Dheer; Rating: *
Be Ajay Devgan's guest. So many films about the guest as an intruder. But this one takes the creak. And yes we do mean creak. The plot sets out to portray the 'bin bulaye mehmaan', or uninvited guest, as a pest rather than a guest and finally spends agonizing playing time portraying him as a messiah in a dhoti.
Trust Paresh Rawal to get into the skin of his character. From first frame to the last, Paresh has a blast. He doesn't let go of a single moment of joy in embracing the role of the unwanted guest in Mumbai's very hectic self-absorbed nuclear family where, as Devgan says in his heated summing-up homily, even parents are not welcome after the first few days.
So how welcome is this film about an unwelcome guest? "Atithee Tum Kab Jaoge" has its entertaining moments. But it's essentially a one-episode sitcom. And you wonder how far writer-director Ashwin Dheer will stretch this version of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's "Bawarchi" about the quirky and persistent stranger who changes a family's way of looking at life?
At mid-point director Dheer and his characters including the indefatigable Paresh have run out of steam.
Post-interval the narration does a vivacious volte face. And suddenly the boorish loudly burping belching and farting guest becomes a demi-god. A saviour spreading sunshine across the 4-walls of Devgans' well-appointed home. Rawal repairs all of Devgan and Konkona's domestic and work-related problems and leaves their home after having spread enough goodwill to do away with the other pollutant emissions in the first-half.
Dheer's writing is a skilled synthesis of satire and a strong message on the virtues of an extended family.
Many passages of the film are designed as very little more than diversion and deflections indicating the fracture in family values that is easily reparable with some persuasion from an old-fashioned rustic guest with values that suggest a deep connection between the scriptures and common sense.
Life in the cities is not that easy to fix. The film goes through a series of cleverly orchestrated fable-like chapters, none uninteresting, but most of them repetitive beyond a point.
Devgan and Konkona try to be funny. Konkona Sen needs to drastically expand her repertoire of expressions from grimace and grin to more far-reaching expressions. There's an interesting cameo by Satish Kaushik (playing a harried film director). And the funniest line comes from Kaushik when after repenting the way he allowed his wife to treat his mother Kaushik resolves to make a "Baghban type of film".
"Atithee" is just that. It starts off as a savage satire on the perils of hospitality but ends up as another "Baghban".
Google is to add automatic captions to the tens of millions of English-language videos it hosts on YouTube, the web search giant said Friday. The move will make the videos more accessible to deaf viewers but will also help Google index the content and supply relevant ads alongside it, analysts said.
Google has been experimenting with the automated captions for several months with a handful of high profile partners like the University of California, Berkeley, Yale University and National Geographic. All other captions on YouTube videos were provided by the videos' producers.
Google has been working on speech recognition technology for some five years, and uses the technology to transcribe audio voice mails through its Google Voice service, and to provide spoken Web searches from smart phones.
However, engineers warned that the technology is far from perfect and that the machine translations are sure to contain mistakes.
"We know it's not perfect, and sometimes it will be funny," said Google engineer Ken Harrenstien, who is deaf. "But it's better than nothing."
(IANS)
Software giant Microsoft is to launch its own mobile phones in the US later this year as it aims to challenge the growing smartphone dominance of its main rivals Apple and Google, the technology blog Gizmodo reported Friday.The phones will be made available in July exclusively on Verizon, the largest cellphone carrier in the US, and will be aimed at heavy users of social networks, said the report, which featured what it said were leaked images from the phones' marketing campaign. The two phones are codenamed "Pink" and "Pure", and will be manufactured for the software giant by Sharp, the report said.
The report came after Microsoft last month unveiled a new mobile operating system that was widely praised by technology pundits.
Microsoft used to enjoy a leading position in the smartphone arena but has seen its position severely eroded by Apple's iPhone, by the Blackberry and by numerous devices running Google's Android operating system.
(IANS)
Four Indian women corporate leaders have made it to the Forbes' list of Asia Pacific's 48 "Heroes Of Philanthropy".
The Indians featured on the list of the region's most prominent altruists, compiled by Forbes Asia magazine, were biotech major Biocon's CEO Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Anu Aga of Thermax, Kiran Nadar, wife of HCL Technologies co-founder Shiv Nadar, and Rohini Nilekani, wife of IT major Infosys' co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
Nilekani, who supports many NGO activities, has featured in the list for the second consecutive year. "Rohini has donated $40 million over the years to supporting causes such as education, microfinance, health care and environment," Forbes said.
The leaders were selected on the basis of their contribution to causes like disaster relief, education, health, culture and sciences.
Last year, the list included telecom czar Sunil Mittal, NRI businessman Anil Agarwal and HCL Technologies Chairman Shiv Nadar.
Four each were chosen from 12 markets in the region - Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
"These aren't always the biggest givers," John Koppisch, associate editor of Forbes Asia, said. "Instead we aim to highlight a varied group of generous people, some holdovers from last year but mostly..."
One of the high-profile givers this year was Hollywood actor Jackie Chan, who has donated $730,000 to the United Nations and the families of eight Chinese peace-makers, who died in Haiti earthquake.
Among others on the list were Rupert Murdoch's mother Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, Chen Shu-Chu, a vegetable vendor from Taiwan, Peter Gautschi of HongKong, Ruby Khong of Malaysia, and Japan's Soichiro Fukutake.
(IANS)
The Indians featured on the list of the region's most prominent altruists, compiled by Forbes Asia magazine, were biotech major Biocon's CEO Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Anu Aga of Thermax, Kiran Nadar, wife of HCL Technologies co-founder Shiv Nadar, and Rohini Nilekani, wife of IT major Infosys' co-founder Nandan Nilekani.
Nilekani, who supports many NGO activities, has featured in the list for the second consecutive year. "Rohini has donated $40 million over the years to supporting causes such as education, microfinance, health care and environment," Forbes said.
The leaders were selected on the basis of their contribution to causes like disaster relief, education, health, culture and sciences.
Last year, the list included telecom czar Sunil Mittal, NRI businessman Anil Agarwal and HCL Technologies Chairman Shiv Nadar.
Four each were chosen from 12 markets in the region - Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.
"These aren't always the biggest givers," John Koppisch, associate editor of Forbes Asia, said. "Instead we aim to highlight a varied group of generous people, some holdovers from last year but mostly..."
One of the high-profile givers this year was Hollywood actor Jackie Chan, who has donated $730,000 to the United Nations and the families of eight Chinese peace-makers, who died in Haiti earthquake.
Among others on the list were Rupert Murdoch's mother Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, Chen Shu-Chu, a vegetable vendor from Taiwan, Peter Gautschi of HongKong, Ruby Khong of Malaysia, and Japan's Soichiro Fukutake.
(IANS)
Bollywood legends Guru Dutt, Nargis, Meena Kumari, Amitabh Bachchan and Pran have been named in the list of CNN's top 25 Asian actors of all time released ahead of the Oscar night Sunday.With five actors listed, India tops the list featuring actors from India, China, Pakistan, Japan, Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Korea.
"In the history of the Academy Awards, only two Asians have ever taken home a Best Actor or Actress statue (we don't count Ben Kingsley as true Asian)," said CNN announcing the list celebrating "the top Asian legends of the silver screen.
"Yet Asia has produced incredibly talented thespians that have changed the course of their nation's cinematic history."
Guru Dutt has been "frequently compared to Orson Welles for directing and starring in films that ushered in a golden era of Hindi cinema. Because of his soulful acting, Guru Dutt's 'Pyaasa' and 'Kaagaz Ke Phool' are now included among the greatest Indian films of all time".
Dutt's best role was listed in "Pyaasa" (1957), a story of a struggling poet in post-independence India, produced, directed and starred by him.
"Amitabh Bachchan's deep voice and broodiness immortalised him as the 'angry young man' of 1970s Bollywood. Although films such as 'Sholay' made him an action hero, he also successfully played comic and romantic leads," CNN said.
Bachchan's best role role is listed as Inspector Khanna in "Zanjeer" (1973) cemented his image as a dark and deep character, triggered to explode.
Pran, CNN said, is "the pre-eminent villain of Hindi cinema, appearing in over 350 films (typically listed last in the opening credits as "...and Pran.") He was equally at ease playing a powerful lord or an impoverished villager. So great is his notoriety as a villain that some Indian parents dare not name their sons Pran."
"Upkaar Upkaar" (1967) demonstrated Pran's versatility and earned him a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award, CNN noted. He surprised audiences by playing a good Samaritan and singing the chart-topping "Rishte naate pyar wafaa sab".
"From the 1940s to 1960s, the beautiful Nargis starred in many commercially successful as well as critically acclaimed films. Because of her versatility and natural expression, she is regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Hindi cinema," CNN said.
"Nargis stole the show in the Oscar-nominated 'Mother India' (1957), known as the Indian 'Gone with the Wind.' She plays a strong-willed woman, Radha, who survives tragedy after tragedy," CNN noted.
Meena Kumari, the channel noted, is famous for playing grief-stricken parts that mirrored the sufferings in her private life.
Dubbed "The Tragedy Queen", Kumari starred in more than 90 films in a career that spanned from 1939 to her premature death by cirrhosis in 1972. Many of her works, such as "Baiju Bawra" and "Parineeta", are considered classics today, it said.
Meena Kumari's "troubles in 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam' (1962) were eerily similar to her own: alcoholism, destructive relationships, the yearning to be understood", CNN said describing it as her best role.
Two actors from Pakistan, Mohammad Ali and Zeba Bakhtiar, have made it to the list.
Zeba also starred in Bollywood film "Heena", a cross-border love story between an Indian boy and a Pakistani girl.
India is followed by China, which has three names in the list Zhou Xun, Gong Li and Ruan Lingyu, the faces of Chinese silent cinema.
(IANS)
The suspect involved in a shooting that injured two police officers outside the Pentagon office has died, an official said Friday.
Jack Patrick Bedell's death was confirmed by the medical examiner's office, hours after the assault at the subway entrance to the Pentagon Thursday evening, Xinhua reported.
Pentagon police chief Richard Keevill said the suspect showed no emotion or distress as he approached two police officers around 6.40 p.m.
The person "looked very cool" and didn't speak a word, Keevill said.
When officers asked for ID, Bedell pulled out a gun and shot them. The officers sustained injuries but their conditions are stable.
The officers returned fired with semi-automatic weapons and critically injured 36-year-old Bedell, who was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities said it was not a terrorism act.
The law enforcement department was investigating a second man, who may be an accomplice of Bedell.
Just after the shooting, the Pentagon was locked down, with all entrances closed. But only the subway entrance was reopened later.
The Pentagon is a huge office complex in Arlington County, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C. The building houses US Defence Department.
The subway station, where the shooting occurred, is adjacent to the Pentagon.
After the 9/11 attack, subway passengers can no longer enter the building directly.
An escalator takes them from the underground station to the ground, where they must go through a security check outside the building.
(IANS)
Jack Patrick Bedell's death was confirmed by the medical examiner's office, hours after the assault at the subway entrance to the Pentagon Thursday evening, Xinhua reported.
Pentagon police chief Richard Keevill said the suspect showed no emotion or distress as he approached two police officers around 6.40 p.m.
The person "looked very cool" and didn't speak a word, Keevill said.
When officers asked for ID, Bedell pulled out a gun and shot them. The officers sustained injuries but their conditions are stable.
The officers returned fired with semi-automatic weapons and critically injured 36-year-old Bedell, who was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities said it was not a terrorism act.
The law enforcement department was investigating a second man, who may be an accomplice of Bedell.
Just after the shooting, the Pentagon was locked down, with all entrances closed. But only the subway entrance was reopened later.
The Pentagon is a huge office complex in Arlington County, Virginia, just outside Washington D.C. The building houses US Defence Department.
The subway station, where the shooting occurred, is adjacent to the Pentagon.
After the 9/11 attack, subway passengers can no longer enter the building directly.
An escalator takes them from the underground station to the ground, where they must go through a security check outside the building.
(IANS)
Several thousand villagers ran amok in Thane's Vasai area Friday as police attempted to break their four-day long agitation for delinking 53 villages from the local municipal corporation. The stir was later withdrawn after Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan assured a solution within a fortnight.
Speaking in Kolhapur, Chavan said he would convene an all-party meeting within 15 days to sort out the issue of delinking the 53 villages from the Virar-Vasai Municipal Corporation (VVMC).
The agitation crowned the indefinite hunger strike launched by Vasai legislator Vivek Pandit, whose condition became alarming by Friday morning. Pandit called off his fast after the chief minister's assurance.
"He has called off the hunger strike and the agitation and we shall now await further instructions from the state government following the CM's statement," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislative council member Sanjay Kelkar told IANS.
Chavan also called up Pandit and assured him that the issue would be solved within a week.
Earlier in the day, agitating villagers stoned two state-owned transport buses and torched one bus while attacking a police van, forcing police to baton-charge the crowds coming in from nearby villages.
Police summoned reinforcements from neighbouring areas like Bhayander, Nalla Sopara and Virar and deployed the Anti-Rioting Squad and Rapid Action Force to control the agitators in the area. The situation is now fully under control, police said.
The villagers, mainly belonging to the Shramjeevi Sanghatana, enforced a shutdown in nearby villages and also blocked road traffic to protest what a party office-bearer termed "police high-handedness".
The fasting Pandit was forcibly shifted by the police in an ambulance to Thane Civil Hospital, around 40 km away.
Pandit's aide Ramesh Kini told IANS that the legislator and his wife Vidyulata were among the nearly 65 protesters who suffered injuries during the police cane-charge.
The 53 affected villages have a total population of around 60,000.
(IANS)
Speaking in Kolhapur, Chavan said he would convene an all-party meeting within 15 days to sort out the issue of delinking the 53 villages from the Virar-Vasai Municipal Corporation (VVMC).
The agitation crowned the indefinite hunger strike launched by Vasai legislator Vivek Pandit, whose condition became alarming by Friday morning. Pandit called off his fast after the chief minister's assurance.
"He has called off the hunger strike and the agitation and we shall now await further instructions from the state government following the CM's statement," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislative council member Sanjay Kelkar told IANS.
Chavan also called up Pandit and assured him that the issue would be solved within a week.
Earlier in the day, agitating villagers stoned two state-owned transport buses and torched one bus while attacking a police van, forcing police to baton-charge the crowds coming in from nearby villages.
Police summoned reinforcements from neighbouring areas like Bhayander, Nalla Sopara and Virar and deployed the Anti-Rioting Squad and Rapid Action Force to control the agitators in the area. The situation is now fully under control, police said.
The villagers, mainly belonging to the Shramjeevi Sanghatana, enforced a shutdown in nearby villages and also blocked road traffic to protest what a party office-bearer termed "police high-handedness".
The fasting Pandit was forcibly shifted by the police in an ambulance to Thane Civil Hospital, around 40 km away.
Pandit's aide Ramesh Kini told IANS that the legislator and his wife Vidyulata were among the nearly 65 protesters who suffered injuries during the police cane-charge.
The 53 affected villages have a total population of around 60,000.
(IANS)
The stage is set for Rahul Mahajan's wedding. Out of the three finalists - Nikunj Malik, Dimpy Ganguly and Harpreet Chhabra - he will chose one as his life partner on the reality show "Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega" on NDTV Imagine Saturday.After edging past 14 prospective brides Nikunj, Dimpy and Harpreet have become the top three contenders vying to become Rahul's wife. They have done their bit to impress Rahul - they have cooked him a meal, wooed him with love letters and taken care of kids.
Now the entire nation is eagerly waiting for Rahul's decision that he will take Saturday and it will be telecast live on the channel from 9 p.m. onwards.
All the three girls are a little tense but excited.
"For some strange reason, I am not nervous but very excited. I am just finalizing my outfit for my Big Day. I am hoping I am lucky enough to be Rahul's bride," said Nikunj.
Dimpy is experiencing mixed feelings.
"I am very excited yet nervous at the same time. I am really looking forward to 6th March," she said.
Harpreet too is nervous and says "apart from marrying Rahul, great responsibilities too will come along. I hope Rahul's decision is in my favour."
The wedding will take place in a luxurious suburban hotel in Mumbai where the who's who of society will grace the occasion to shower their blessings on the couple.
Ace designers Vikram Phadnis, Neeta Lulla and Ashley Rebello will dress up Rahul's brides-to-be.
Rahul plans to go to Maldives and Ireland for his honeymoon, if a court which is holding his passport allows him to do so. He is facing charges of using prohibited drugs.
(IANS)
Network 18 news channel Friday claimed security lapse at the Hockey World Cup venue in the capital after it caught a policeman on camera selling tickets in the blackmarket.According to Network 18, their team captured on camera Rohtash, a policeman posted outside the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi, selling tickets.
"The incident was captured minutes before the scheduled match between India and Spain Thursday. The footage shows the policeman taking people inside the stadium without any checks so that he could sell them the tickets," the channel claimed on its website.
"Rohtash sold Rs.500 tickets for Rs.1000 and Rs.100 tickets for Rs.500. What was even more shocking was that the other policemen were not at all bothered with their colleague's actions," it added.
Delhi Police, however, said they are yet to receive a copy of telecast from the broadcaster.
Security at the Hockey World Cup has been a prime concern for India and 12 other participating countries, especially in the light of intelligence inputs about possible terror threats.
The bid for the two new teams for the fourth edition of Indian Premier League 2010 will be opened on March 7, 2010. Major business groups such as Sahara Group, Videocon, MCC, ICICI, Adani etc have submitted their bids. The cities they represent inlcude include Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Kanpur, Dharamsala, Indore, Cuttack, Gwalior, Visakapatnam, Rajkot, Pune, Vadodara and Kochi
The first eight cities already have cricket stadiums while stadiums are in construction in the last four cities. The base price for the bidding for the two new franchisees are $225 million
Bollywood stars like Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Priyadarshan (director) and Ajay Devgn had also showed interest in buying teams. Adani group is bidding for Ahmedabad while Videocon led P Sports Vision supports Pune francisee
The first eight cities already have cricket stadiums while stadiums are in construction in the last four cities. The base price for the bidding for the two new franchisees are $225 million
Bollywood stars like Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Priyadarshan (director) and Ajay Devgn had also showed interest in buying teams. Adani group is bidding for Ahmedabad while Videocon led P Sports Vision supports Pune francisee
Model-turned-actress Celina Jaitley announced wine as the colour of the season at the Lakme Fashion Week here Friday."It is a privilege to launch the colour of the season as Lakme has always predicted the coming trend rightly. This time, Lakme has predicted a colourful trend with the colour wine," Celina told IANS after the launch of the colour during the Lakme Fashion Week here.
Asked if she uses the colour personally, she said: "Yes, yes, I have used the colour and I am really looking forward to use it in the coming season because for a long time the trend of very nude looks was on and little bit of colour was required. I am so glad that it is wine because it suits the Indian skin tone best."
Celina was fed up of natural nude colours.
"I was fed up of putting natural nude tones, so I was waiting for something like this," said the actress.
She believes any trend reaches the people faster if it is triggered by an actor.
"If a trend is started by any actor, it reaches the masses faster because people idolize actors," said Celina.
(IANS)
Actress-anchor Mandira Bedi's waist is shrinking by the day and she is looking her fittest ever, but she says she is now ready to "experience the joys of motherhood"."Koshish jaari hai (attempts are on)," Mandira, who tied the knot with filmmaker Raj Kaushal in 1999, quipped on being asked about when she is planning to go the family way.
"I am totally ready to experience the joys of motherhood and I am mentally geared up for it. In my head, I am ready for it. The sooner it happens, the better," added the 37-year-old.
Mandira was here to attend the ongoing Good Housekeeping Show 2010, where she was invited as a celebrity guest along with actress Raveena Tandon.
But the actress says handling a child and managing her professional life simultaneously would not be easy for her as she doesn't have her family in Mumbai.
"It (managing a child) will become a little difficult for me as I don't have a lot of family support in Mumbai. My parents live in Delhi and my in-laws stay in US," she said.
Dressed in a sexy, hot pink dress and lots of silver bangles, Mandira completely defied her age.
Having earned fame at a young age through popular TV show "Shanti" in 1994, Mandira kept making appearances in movies like "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" after which she hosted a string of reality shows. In 2008, she was seen in the film "Meerabai Not Out", a film based on cricket.
So what's keeping her busy these days?
"I am doing a lot of theatre. I am involved with two plays - one of them will be staged for the 151st time soon and the other has had three shows," she said.
"Also the cricket season is here, so I am doing corporate shows and I will be associated with the IPL (Indian Premiere League (IPL) cricket tournament) in a way I haven't been before. I can't reveal much about it. But yes, IPL will be taking up the next month and a half of my life," said Mandira.
As for her absence from the Bollywood scene, she said: "Filmmakers don't know what to do with me. With my short hair, they don't know whether to cast me as a man or woman. No, jokes apart, they either offer me item numbers or sister's roles or a lead with some inconspicuous banner - none of which is what I want to do. So I am just waiting and keeping myself busy."
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi Friday inaugurated the first postgraduate medical institute in northeast India here and stressed on the need for an urban health programme like the government's flagship rural health scheme.
The North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute for Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in the Meghalaya capital has been designed in line with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
"With the inauguration of the medical institute, an important aspect of late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's vision has been fulfilled," Sonia Gandhi said at the inauguration.
"The institute was conceived as a centre of excellence in healthcare which will have the best of health services facilities in eastern India."
"Besides treatment and providing numerous health services, the institute would play an important role in research and development," the Congress president said.
"The UPA government has given special attention to all-round development of northeast India."
The NEIGRIHMS, an autonomous institute established by union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has a sophisticated cardiology department, well-equipped neurology and urology departments and a 30-bed intensive care unit (ICU).
The institute, conceived by Rajiv Gandhi 23 years ago, has been functioning since 2002 first as an interim facility and later built a sprawling campus on the outskirts of Shillong at a cost of Rs.423 crore. It also plans to begin its telemedicine project soon.
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had declared NEIGRIMS a national institute on Jan 22, 2000, when he visited Shillong.
Sonia Gandhi also underscored the importance of initiating an urban healthcare programme on the lines of the government's flagship National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), particularly with cases of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and cancer on the rise.
"I strongly feel the need to launch a health programme in the urban areas which will be similar to the NRHM," she said.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) B.K. Handique, Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang and Minister of State for Water Resources Vincent H. Pala were also present on the occasion.
Sonia Gandhi is also to lay the foundation stone for the Rajiv Gandhi Congress Bhavan here.
On Saturday, she will visit Mizoram capital Aizawl where she will lay the foundation stone of the Rajiv Gandhi sports stadium.
Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is constructing the 20,000-seat stadium, the first such facility in the mountain state. The 12th finance commission had granted Rs.250 million for the Rs.1.32 billion project.
(IANS)
The North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute for Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in the Meghalaya capital has been designed in line with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
"With the inauguration of the medical institute, an important aspect of late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's vision has been fulfilled," Sonia Gandhi said at the inauguration.
"The institute was conceived as a centre of excellence in healthcare which will have the best of health services facilities in eastern India."
"Besides treatment and providing numerous health services, the institute would play an important role in research and development," the Congress president said.
"The UPA government has given special attention to all-round development of northeast India."
The NEIGRIHMS, an autonomous institute established by union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has a sophisticated cardiology department, well-equipped neurology and urology departments and a 30-bed intensive care unit (ICU).
The institute, conceived by Rajiv Gandhi 23 years ago, has been functioning since 2002 first as an interim facility and later built a sprawling campus on the outskirts of Shillong at a cost of Rs.423 crore. It also plans to begin its telemedicine project soon.
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had declared NEIGRIMS a national institute on Jan 22, 2000, when he visited Shillong.
Sonia Gandhi also underscored the importance of initiating an urban healthcare programme on the lines of the government's flagship National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), particularly with cases of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and cancer on the rise.
"I strongly feel the need to launch a health programme in the urban areas which will be similar to the NRHM," she said.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) B.K. Handique, Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang and Minister of State for Water Resources Vincent H. Pala were also present on the occasion.
Sonia Gandhi is also to lay the foundation stone for the Rajiv Gandhi Congress Bhavan here.
On Saturday, she will visit Mizoram capital Aizawl where she will lay the foundation stone of the Rajiv Gandhi sports stadium.
Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is constructing the 20,000-seat stadium, the first such facility in the mountain state. The 12th finance commission had granted Rs.250 million for the Rs.1.32 billion project.
(IANS)
ITV, the oldest television network in the United Kingdom, has been awarded the exclusive broadcasting rights for the Indian Premier league 2010 (IPL III).
ITV's free-to-air service and one of the oldest networks in UK.
ITV's free-to-air service and one of the oldest networks in UK.
The Union Service Public Commission has announced the result of the Indian Forest Service Examination held in July 2009. The list in order of merit contains names of 84 candidates, including 33 belonging to Other Backward Classes, 12 to the Scheduled Castes and 07 to the Scheduled Tribes.
The appointment to the Service will be made by the Government according to the number of vacancies available. The number of vacancies intimated by the Government is 85 (Eighty Five). Result of one candidate has been withheld. The candidature of twenty-one candidates with Roll No. 00804, 02170, 02988, 04149, 06435, 06579, 07378, 07560, 08166, 08693, 10412, 11367, 12738, 12751, 12807, 13847, 14885, 17664, 27879, 32788 & 33298 is provisional.
Candidates can obtain any information / clarification at UPSC Facilitation Counter during working hours in person or over telephone Nos.23385271 /23381125/23098543. The Result will also be available on the UPSC web site, i.e. http://www.upsc.gov.in within next few days.
The appointment to the Service will be made by the Government according to the number of vacancies available. The number of vacancies intimated by the Government is 85 (Eighty Five). Result of one candidate has been withheld. The candidature of twenty-one candidates with Roll No. 00804, 02170, 02988, 04149, 06435, 06579, 07378, 07560, 08166, 08693, 10412, 11367, 12738, 12751, 12807, 13847, 14885, 17664, 27879, 32788 & 33298 is provisional.
Candidates can obtain any information / clarification at UPSC Facilitation Counter during working hours in person or over telephone Nos.23385271 /23381125/23098543. The Result will also be available on the UPSC web site, i.e. http://www.upsc.gov.in within next few days.
Aimed at solving housing problem of middle class people in city and small towns, Karnataka Government today announced a new programme "namma mane" (our house) for providing affordable houses to them.
A sum of Rs 920 crore will be allocated for providing housing facility in rural and urban areas during 2010-11, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said in his budget proposals.
During 2010-11, the government will build 50,000 houses for houseless families in urban areas under the Vajpayee Housing Scheme with each unit costing Rs 1.25 lakh, he said.
It has been decided to formulate a modified rural housing scheme by increasing the unit cost from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 and the beneficiaries' contribution of Rs 10,000 will be facilitated by arranging concessional loans from banks, he said.(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
A sum of Rs 920 crore will be allocated for providing housing facility in rural and urban areas during 2010-11, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said in his budget proposals.
During 2010-11, the government will build 50,000 houses for houseless families in urban areas under the Vajpayee Housing Scheme with each unit costing Rs 1.25 lakh, he said.
It has been decided to formulate a modified rural housing scheme by increasing the unit cost from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000 and the beneficiaries' contribution of Rs 10,000 will be facilitated by arranging concessional loans from banks, he said.(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
TATA DOCOMO, the GSM brand of Tata Teleservices Limited, today announced the commercial launch of its operations in the Gujarat telecom circle, hot on the heels of its launch and runaway success in the Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Mumbai, Rest of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kolkata, Rest of West Bengal, Jharkhand-Bihar, Punjab, UP (East) and UP (West) telecom Circles. The company’s Next-Gen GSM service started on a heady note in Gandhinagar city, with Tata Teleservices Limited Managing Director Anil Sardana lighting the ceremonial lamp in the presence of TATA DOCOMO President Deepak Gulati.TATA DOCOMO also announced its industry-changing “Pay-for-what-you-use” model in Gujarat, which includes the game-changing per-second pulse and a plethora of innovative applications and services. The company’s pan-India service rollout, which was kicked off in end-June 2009 and has seen tremendous response from subscribers in all the 15 Circles that TATA DOCOMO has gone live in prior to Gujarat, will be completed this year itself.
Since the launch of Tata DOCOMO services in end-June 2009, Tata Teleservices Limited has led in monthly subscriber additions for six consecutive months—starting from August 2009.
In a message at the launch conference, Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons, said: “The value proposition offered by Tata-DOCOMO is a unique and revolutionary idea which symbolizes the spirit of innovation and inventive genius. This launch is truly a moment of triumph for the consumer. The launch of the pay-per-use concept by Tata-DOCOMO will create a paradigm shift in the overall telecom experience for the customer and provide a service that is refreshingly different.”
Introducing the One-Second Pulse—Local. STD. ISD.
Olive Telecommunications has launched a mobile phone which runs on normal AAA dry cell battery. The phone calld FrvrOn (short form of 'forever on') is available for Rs. 1700/-The phone has a normal kind of rechargeable lithium-ion battery of mobile phones too.
The phone would run for three hours non-stop on the lithium battery and for another hour with a AAA battery.
India will play European champions England in the World Cup Hockey league match tomorrow. India's dream of progressing to the semi-finals received a shock yesterday when they lost to Spain 2-5.
Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu sashayed on the ramp in a yellow and beige sari at the inaugural show of the Lakme Fashion Week here Friday for her close friend and designer Rocky S.The actress, who is mostly seen in bright and happy colours was a bit apprehensive about wearing the dull hue but Rocky took her into confidence and the end result was worth the try, as Bipasha looked simple yet elegant in the light shade.
"When I showed Bipasha the colour of the sari, she was apprehensive. But she trusts me completely. After it was draped on her, she just loved the colour," Rocky told IANS at the post show conference here.
"She tried a new colour today and she was looking beautiful in it," he added.
Matching the sari with a perfect ruby and diamond set, the designer said that the emphasis was on the neck line to make sure that the diamond complements the sari.
Rocky said that his collection is for today's women who have great body and love to experiment with colours.
"It's a traditional Indian line, mostly aimed at a younger crowd with softer designs. The colours are very soft. There are ivories, corals in the design, the cuts are softer, the fabrics are much cooler for the summer. There is very little embellishment but in the right place and at the right time," explained Rocky.
The saris, dresses and kurta-churidars, made of fabrics like fabrics like chiffons, georgettes and net, were in various shades of beiges, ivory, pale yellow, peach, nude and blue.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international body, which develops standards to ensure web accessibility to all, will have its conference in New Delhi on May 6th-7th, 2010. W3C develops interoperable technologies for specifications, guidelines, software, and tools to lead the Web to its full potential. It works in tandem with other standards making bodies such as UNICODE, IETF, ICANN, WI PO and ISO, especially in the areas related to web technologies and data interchange through it. W3C India Office is being launched during this conference to promote and accelerate participation from India in the W3C standards. The office has been established under the aegis of Technology Development for Indian Languages Programme. The futuristic and the very long term goal is to enable all W3C standards with 22 Indian languages so that we can achieve seamless web for every citizen. The W3C India office will work in tandem with all major National Regulatory standards and Industry associations like TRAI, BIS, NASSCOM, MAIT and others.
The technical sessions during two days conference would cover web architecture, web accessibility issues such as Styling, Mobile Web, human machine interfaces, Semantic web, etc. For details, kindly visit W3C India office website www.w3cindia.com and the Conference website http://w3cindia.in/conf-site/conference-index.htm
All academic and R&D institutions (Computer Science, ICT & Electronics & Communication Engineering & Linguistics/ Language), hardware and software industry language technology researchers & other interested groups may participate in these sessions and present their work. Request for making a presentation or attending the conference can be uploaded on the website of W3C India. No Registration fee is required for attending the conference.
Film: "Thanks Maa"; Cast: Shams Patel, Amit Saxena, Ranjit Barot, Alok Nath, Raghuvir Yadav, Yateen Karyekar and Sanjay Mishra; Director: Irfan Kamal; Rating: ****He's 12, homeless and he refuses to adopt the swaggering amorality of his friends on the street. They call him Municipal Ghatkopar because that's the address where he was dumped as a child. But he prefers to be known as Salman Khan.
Strongly reminiscent of Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay" and far more resonantly representative of Mumbai's slum kids than "Slumdog Millionaire", "Thanks Maa" is a journey into lives that were born into despair.
Without the crutches of self-pity, debutant director Irfan Kamal enters the world of the orphaned protagonist Municipality who on one of those routine days of scavenging, stealing and hanging around with his friends waiting for the next meal, comes across an abandoned little infant.
Before we can say 'Hey Baby', the narration quickly swerves away from the cute and schmaltzy aspect of find-baby-will-coochie-coo kind of feel-good cinema to show the gritty harsh reality of life on the relentless streets of Mumbai and how it toughens the tender ones. Real fast.
Irfan Kamal makes one helluva departure from convention. He cruises the crowded areas of Mumbai with an eye for stinging details. The film hints hectically at the savagely insensitive quality of life lived on the streets.
Our young hero refuses to be like the routine scum. "Main tere jaisa nahin hoon," he tells his more street-wise pals, and sets off on a determined path to find the lost baby's mother.
It's a heartbreaking enlightening journey undertaken by the director in a spirit of adventure, discovery and tranquility. Teeming with characters, "Thanks Maa" still preserves a core of stirring stillness at its centre.
Often you feel "Thanks Maa" is a romantic homage to the unbreakable spirit of Mumbai. But then you see the bitter and brutal truth about life on the fringes, as the young brave little hero is almost molested by the warden of the reformatory played by Alok Nath.
"Thanks Maa" is a tender yet ruthless look at a city that claims to have a place for everyone but somehow neglects looking after children who are vulnerable to every form of attack on the streets.
Quite frequently we look at Mumbai through the eyes of the little boy and his companions as they encounter a gallery of weirdos and wackos...an alcoholic hospital attendant(Raghuvir Yadav), a doped-out cabbie (Sanjay Mishra), a paedophilic reformatory warden(Alok Nath), a cheesy incestuous upper class father (Yateen Karyekar), an imposing eunuch (Jalees Shrawani) who offers to take the baby out of Municipality's shoulder...an offer the boy firmly refuses.
The young hero's shock and dismay when he finally finds the baby's mother are so palpable they reverberate in our hearts long after the film is over.
The film has its flaws, the most glaring being the constant struggle to keep the homeless children's story credibly contoured on the bustling streets. In many sequences, the young actor Shams can be seen carrying a doll instead of a baby. Also, because of the inherently dramatic nature of the theme some of the characters and situations lose self-control.
The jagged edges do not undermine the film's unique and thoroughly unorthodox blend of realism and social message. While the veterans pitch in brave cameos that take the narrative forward to its heartbreaking conclusion, it's the child actors who proudly occupy centrestage. All of them are so in-character, you wonder which came first, the slums or the camera!
Some of the editing (Amit Saxena) is uneven. But the camerawork (Ajayan Vincent) and background score (Ranjit Barot) add an extra dimension to this heartwarming tale of an orphan who won't let another newly-born suffer his fate.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
A couple hooked to the internet in South Korea raised an online child but let their own baby daughter starve to death, a media report said.
The couple in South Korea was hooked to an online game where they were raising a virtual daughter. They used to spend upto 12 hours a night at internet cafes, leaving their three-month-old daughter alone at their apartment in Suwon, South Korea, Daily Mail reported Friday.
The online game allows users interact with others in the virtual world and nurture an extra avatar after they reach a certain level.
The couple - Kim Yoo-chul, 41 and his wife Choi Mi-sun, 25 - has been arrested.
"They called in last September to report that they found their daughter dead after coming back home in the morning.
"They had spent 12 hours, all night at a PC bang (a Korean internet cafe)," Daily Mail quoted Detective Chung Jin-Won as saying.
The couple has been charged with child abuse and neglect after officials noticed that the child was severely dehydrated.
They confessed to feeding rotten powdered milk to the child and often spanked her.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
The couple in South Korea was hooked to an online game where they were raising a virtual daughter. They used to spend upto 12 hours a night at internet cafes, leaving their three-month-old daughter alone at their apartment in Suwon, South Korea, Daily Mail reported Friday.
The online game allows users interact with others in the virtual world and nurture an extra avatar after they reach a certain level.
The couple - Kim Yoo-chul, 41 and his wife Choi Mi-sun, 25 - has been arrested.
"They called in last September to report that they found their daughter dead after coming back home in the morning.
"They had spent 12 hours, all night at a PC bang (a Korean internet cafe)," Daily Mail quoted Detective Chung Jin-Won as saying.
The couple has been charged with child abuse and neglect after officials noticed that the child was severely dehydrated.
They confessed to feeding rotten powdered milk to the child and often spanked her.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
A team of homicide detectives are searching for clues a day after a three-year-old Indian boy was found dead near Melbourne airport following his sudden disappearance from a house 20 km away.
The body of Gurshan Singh Channa was found on Wildwood Road, Oaklands Junction Thursday night after a massive search following complaint by his parents who were staying in Lalor on a holiday.
The incident came to light after Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith visited New Delhi Wednesday in the wake of series of attacks against Indians Down Under.
An autopsy on the toddler's body has not revealed how he died. Further forensic tests will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death, police said Friday.
The boy's mother Harpreet Kaur Channa called the police 45 minutes after he went missing. Police said the boy was found in the same clothes he was wearing when he went missing - a grey top and blue jeans.
They, however, declined to give details of injuries he had suffered, or to speculate on the precise cause of his death, according to The Age.
Detective Inspector Steve Clark who is heading the investigation into the case, said Friday an autopsy has been conducted but the results were inconclusive.
He said police were appealing for anyone who witnessed the body being dumped near Oaklands Junction or who saw the boy in the streets around his parent's Lalor home after he went missing.
Detectives were returning to Lalor Friday to re-interview neighbours and people who were living in the house with the boy's parents.
Gurshan's parents have asked to see the boy's body and arrangements will be made for them to see him at the Coroner's Court today, where they are also receiving counselling.
Deputy Commissioner Crime Sir Ken Jones said the quick police response - an immediate alert and search - was because "this was such a young vulnerable child".
Jones said "anything that can be done, will be done" in this case.
At a press conference Thursday night, Jones said it was believed the boy had been murdered.
"We are treating as worst case... as a homicide," Sir Ken said. "This is a terrible tragedy. We are doing everything in our power to establish what happened. Clearly the circumstances are suspicious, so we are assuming the worst".
Asked if any family members were suspects, Jones said there were no suspects "at this stage".
"We are taking the information provided by the parents at face value. At this stage we have no suspects".
Assuring Indian community in Australia, the deputy commissioner said, "If foul play has taken place we will do everything within our power to find out precisely what has happened and to bring people to justice".
Jones said the family had been in Australia for several months on a vacation, and had been due to return to India soon.
Meanwhile, Victoria's Prime Minister John Brumby has briefed the Indian High Commissioner Sujatha Singh about the boy's "deeply distressing" death.
Brumby told Singh that no stone would be left unturned in the investigation into the death.
"Any death of a child is a terrible, terrible tragedy. The death of a child so young is a terrible, unthinkable tragedy," he said.
"We hope this crime can be solved and resolved as soon as possible."
It was important that people don't jump to conclusion about the death at this time, Brumby said, adding that he had been kept regularly briefed by police, who have decided to treat the case as a homicide.
"Every possible police resource is being devoted," he said.
"There are no visible signs of the cause of death at this stage ... but I think it's very important that no one jumps to conclusions," Brumby told reporters Friday.
"The most important thing is that we find the cause of death and bring those responsible to justice and I can only repeat from the point of view of the government and the police force in Victoria, every single resource is being devoted to this effort," he added.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
The body of Gurshan Singh Channa was found on Wildwood Road, Oaklands Junction Thursday night after a massive search following complaint by his parents who were staying in Lalor on a holiday.
The incident came to light after Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith visited New Delhi Wednesday in the wake of series of attacks against Indians Down Under.
An autopsy on the toddler's body has not revealed how he died. Further forensic tests will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death, police said Friday.
The boy's mother Harpreet Kaur Channa called the police 45 minutes after he went missing. Police said the boy was found in the same clothes he was wearing when he went missing - a grey top and blue jeans.
They, however, declined to give details of injuries he had suffered, or to speculate on the precise cause of his death, according to The Age.
Detective Inspector Steve Clark who is heading the investigation into the case, said Friday an autopsy has been conducted but the results were inconclusive.
He said police were appealing for anyone who witnessed the body being dumped near Oaklands Junction or who saw the boy in the streets around his parent's Lalor home after he went missing.
Detectives were returning to Lalor Friday to re-interview neighbours and people who were living in the house with the boy's parents.
Gurshan's parents have asked to see the boy's body and arrangements will be made for them to see him at the Coroner's Court today, where they are also receiving counselling.
Deputy Commissioner Crime Sir Ken Jones said the quick police response - an immediate alert and search - was because "this was such a young vulnerable child".
Jones said "anything that can be done, will be done" in this case.
At a press conference Thursday night, Jones said it was believed the boy had been murdered.
"We are treating as worst case... as a homicide," Sir Ken said. "This is a terrible tragedy. We are doing everything in our power to establish what happened. Clearly the circumstances are suspicious, so we are assuming the worst".
Asked if any family members were suspects, Jones said there were no suspects "at this stage".
"We are taking the information provided by the parents at face value. At this stage we have no suspects".
Assuring Indian community in Australia, the deputy commissioner said, "If foul play has taken place we will do everything within our power to find out precisely what has happened and to bring people to justice".
Jones said the family had been in Australia for several months on a vacation, and had been due to return to India soon.
Meanwhile, Victoria's Prime Minister John Brumby has briefed the Indian High Commissioner Sujatha Singh about the boy's "deeply distressing" death.
Brumby told Singh that no stone would be left unturned in the investigation into the death.
"Any death of a child is a terrible, terrible tragedy. The death of a child so young is a terrible, unthinkable tragedy," he said.
"We hope this crime can be solved and resolved as soon as possible."
It was important that people don't jump to conclusion about the death at this time, Brumby said, adding that he had been kept regularly briefed by police, who have decided to treat the case as a homicide.
"Every possible police resource is being devoted," he said.
"There are no visible signs of the cause of death at this stage ... but I think it's very important that no one jumps to conclusions," Brumby told reporters Friday.
"The most important thing is that we find the cause of death and bring those responsible to justice and I can only repeat from the point of view of the government and the police force in Victoria, every single resource is being devoted to this effort," he added.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Karnataka State Budget 2010-11
Budget Speech
Budget at a Glance
Budget Highlights
Annual Financial Statement
Overview of Budget
Graphs
Medium Term Fiscal Plan
Gender BudgetCat-A Cat-B
Fresh taxes have been proposed in the Karnataka budget for the 2010-11 financial year to raise Rs.1,829 crore for mobilising additional resources and eliminating a deficit of Rs.44.80 crore in this fiscal (2009-10).
State chief minister B.Y. Yeddyurappa, who presented the budget in the state assembly Friday, told lawmakers that luxury tax rate on hotel rooms would be increased by two percent.
"I propose to increase the luxury tax rate to eight percent from six percent on hotel room rent ranging between Rs.1,000-2,000 and to 12 percent from 10 percent on rooms with a daily rent of above Rs.2,000," Yeddyurappa, who also holds the finance portfolio, said.
The budget proposed to increase the value added tax (VAT) by one percent to 13.5 percent from 12.5 percent and to five percent from four percent.
VAT on declared goods such as iron and steel, oil seeds and cotton will continue to be levied at four percent.
Taking a cue from central finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who increased taxes on tobacco products, the chief minister increased VAT on tobacco to 15 percent from 12.5 percent at wholesale and retail level.
Yeddyurappa has proposed to collect entry tax of one percent from sugar factories instead of from distributors.
The government expects to mop Rs.1,480 crore from luxury tax, VAT and entry tax on sugar.
The chief minister, however, spared the liquor industry from any new tax burden through excise duty as the revenue target of Rs.6,565 crore for this fiscal (FY 2010) is likely to be surpassed by about 20 percent to post Rs.7,878 crore.
"Instead of proposing any new taxation measures, I propose to consolidate measures introduced last year, including revised additional excise duty, licence fee and reduction in the margin of retailers. With a 10 percent revenue growth projection over this fiscal, the target for fiscal 2011 is Rs.7.500 crore," Yeddyurappa said.
Keeping in view the revival of the real estate sector and demand for land from housing and commercial segments, Yeddyurappa proposed to increase stamp duty and registration fee to mobilise Rs.100 crore in FY 2011.
"In spite of decrease in stamp duty to six percent from 7.5 percent in this fiscal, there has been a significant decline in revenue because of fall in property transactions due to economic slowdown and recessionary trends in the real estate sector," he noted.
Noting that sales of motor vehicles, two-wheelers and transport vehicles had increased in the later half of this fiscal, the budget proposed to modify and increase the motor vehicle tax on various types of vehicles to mobilise an additional Rs.249 crore in FY 2011.
Budget Speech
Budget at a Glance
Budget Highlights
Annual Financial Statement
Overview of Budget
Graphs
Medium Term Fiscal Plan
Gender BudgetCat-A Cat-B
Fresh taxes have been proposed in the Karnataka budget for the 2010-11 financial year to raise Rs.1,829 crore for mobilising additional resources and eliminating a deficit of Rs.44.80 crore in this fiscal (2009-10).
State chief minister B.Y. Yeddyurappa, who presented the budget in the state assembly Friday, told lawmakers that luxury tax rate on hotel rooms would be increased by two percent.
"I propose to increase the luxury tax rate to eight percent from six percent on hotel room rent ranging between Rs.1,000-2,000 and to 12 percent from 10 percent on rooms with a daily rent of above Rs.2,000," Yeddyurappa, who also holds the finance portfolio, said.
The budget proposed to increase the value added tax (VAT) by one percent to 13.5 percent from 12.5 percent and to five percent from four percent.
VAT on declared goods such as iron and steel, oil seeds and cotton will continue to be levied at four percent.
Taking a cue from central finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who increased taxes on tobacco products, the chief minister increased VAT on tobacco to 15 percent from 12.5 percent at wholesale and retail level.
Yeddyurappa has proposed to collect entry tax of one percent from sugar factories instead of from distributors.
The government expects to mop Rs.1,480 crore from luxury tax, VAT and entry tax on sugar.
The chief minister, however, spared the liquor industry from any new tax burden through excise duty as the revenue target of Rs.6,565 crore for this fiscal (FY 2010) is likely to be surpassed by about 20 percent to post Rs.7,878 crore.
"Instead of proposing any new taxation measures, I propose to consolidate measures introduced last year, including revised additional excise duty, licence fee and reduction in the margin of retailers. With a 10 percent revenue growth projection over this fiscal, the target for fiscal 2011 is Rs.7.500 crore," Yeddyurappa said.
Keeping in view the revival of the real estate sector and demand for land from housing and commercial segments, Yeddyurappa proposed to increase stamp duty and registration fee to mobilise Rs.100 crore in FY 2011.
"In spite of decrease in stamp duty to six percent from 7.5 percent in this fiscal, there has been a significant decline in revenue because of fall in property transactions due to economic slowdown and recessionary trends in the real estate sector," he noted.
Noting that sales of motor vehicles, two-wheelers and transport vehicles had increased in the later half of this fiscal, the budget proposed to modify and increase the motor vehicle tax on various types of vehicles to mobilise an additional Rs.249 crore in FY 2011.
Dr. T.M. Thomas Isaac, Minister for Finance presented the State Budget 2010-11 in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on 05/03/2010.
Click on the links below to download
Budget Speech (Malayalam )
Detailed estimates of Receipts and Disbursements under Debt Heads
Budget Speech (English)
Demands - Volume-I (Demands 1-3) / (Demands 4-9)
Demands - Volume-II
Budget in Brief - Preface
Demands - Volume-III
Budget in Brief - Part.A
Budget Provision to Panchayat Raj/ Nagarapalika Institutions
Budget in Brief - Part.B (Statistical Data of all States)
Detailed Budget Estimates of Revenue
Budget in Brief - Part.C (State Plan)
Appendix I (Details of Staff)
“The Government announced supply of rice at Rs.2/Kg to the workers in the
unorganised and traditional sectors. This was declared by Finance Minister Shri.
Thomas Issac while presenting the budget for the year 2010-11 at the State
Assembly. The Government also decided to form a green fund with a corpus of
Rs.1000 crores.
Click on the links below to download
Budget Speech (Malayalam )
Detailed estimates of Receipts and Disbursements under Debt Heads
Budget Speech (English)
Demands - Volume-I (Demands 1-3) / (Demands 4-9)
Demands - Volume-II
Budget in Brief - Preface
Demands - Volume-III
Budget in Brief - Part.A
Budget Provision to Panchayat Raj/ Nagarapalika Institutions
Budget in Brief - Part.B (Statistical Data of all States)
Detailed Budget Estimates of Revenue
Budget in Brief - Part.C (State Plan)
Appendix I (Details of Staff)
The controversial beer advertisement featuring socialite Paris Hilton is back on Brazilian TV after the producers edited her steamy scenes.The promo showing Hilton in suggestive poses created uproar when it was aired in the country last month, with critics claiming that shots of her dressed in a black robe and rubbing a can of Devassa beer on herself showed a "lack of respect" for women.
However, now the producers have removed the controversial scenes and edited the ad to only show Hilton's face for several seconds, reports contactmusic.com.
"There is a good dose of humour (in the new advert). But I'm also sure there was nothing wrong with the previous one," said the head of the advertising agency responsible for the campaign Augusto Cruz.
A baby weighing just 275 grams has been born in Germany and survived, the lowest weight for a viable birth of a boy ever recorded, doctors said Thursday.
Doctors normally assume that survival is impossible at birth weights below 350 grams.
The little boy was born in June last year in the 25th week of pregnancy, said Stefan Weller, a spokesman for the University of Goettingen Hospital. He spent six months in intensive care and was finally discharged in December after growing to 3.7 kg.
Weller said doctors had checked every available record worldwide of premature births and found no viable birth at a lower weight.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Doctors normally assume that survival is impossible at birth weights below 350 grams.
The little boy was born in June last year in the 25th week of pregnancy, said Stefan Weller, a spokesman for the University of Goettingen Hospital. He spent six months in intensive care and was finally discharged in December after growing to 3.7 kg.
Weller said doctors had checked every available record worldwide of premature births and found no viable birth at a lower weight.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Konkana Sen Sharma is known for her offbeat roles and even in her commercial movie "Wake up Sid" she played a simple middle class girl. The two-time National Award winner doesn't crave for glamorous roles and says she is "quite an obedient actress"."I've never been enamoured by glamour. Glamour has never been a very important thing for me. But, yes, if I have to play the role of a girl who is supposed to be glamorous, then definitely I will try to achieve that," Konkona told IANS.
"But usually I do films that have real characters, the ones audiences can identify with, who make sense and are not there just for glamour. So for me, glamour is not a priority," added the actress, who worked in some much lauded offbeat movies like "Page 3", "Omkara" and "Luck By Chance".
"I'm quite an obedient actress. If the director tells me to do certain things and make changes in my look for the character, then I adhere to that."
The actress was in the capital for the promotion of her upcoming film "Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?". Releasing Friday, the film also stars Paresh Rawal and will see Konkana opposite actor Ajay Devgn.
When asked about her experience of working with Ajay, the 30-year-old said: "I worked with him in 'Omkara' , but there we didn't have too many scenes together. Here we do. He is a very professional person. He wanted to do his work, do it right and then leave and that really worked for the film.
"When I read the script I liked it, but when I got to know that Ajay and Paresh are in the film with me, I said yes because both of them are so apt for this genre; so I knew I was in safe hands. There was a great chemistry among the three of us when we were working. There was a certain rhythm, a certain understanding and I think that has worked for the film."
"Atithi..." is Konkona's first full-fledged comic flick, but the actress says the experience was not very different from her other movies.
"In 'Life in a...Metro', I did a little bit of comedy, but this one is an out and out laugh-riot. However, the experience was quite similar to my other films. Here too you have to go to the sets, put on the make up and do your work. So I didn't feel anything different," she said.
Konkona will be next seen in "Right Yaa Wrong" and two Bengali films - "Iti Mrinalini" directed by her mother Aparna Sen and "Sunglass" by Rituparno Ghosh.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Tital Pal, a 27-year-old woman scientist working with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), committed suicide at her home near here, police said Thursday.
Her body was found by some colleagues late Wednesday night hanging from a ceiling fan on the 14th floor residence at the Nilgiri Apartments, a BARC staff quarters at Anushakti Nagar, north-east Mumbai. No suicide note has been found by the police.
Pal was planning to get married and live in Kolkata, officials said.
In fact, she had sought a transfer back to her home city. She lived in the Shyam Bazaar area of Kolkata and her father is a senior officer with the Kolkata Electric Supply Corporation.
According to officials, she had returned from Kolkata two days ago after celebrating her birthday Feb 28 with her family.
Pal worked as a scientific officer 'C' at the Isotope Division of the Radio Chemistry Department at BARC.
Her friends and colleagues described her as "a cheerful, helpful woman".
Pal had left office for home an hour earlier as she felt weary after the long Kolkata-Mumbai flight the previous night.
Later, she became incommunicado for several hours, forcing neighbours to break open the flat's door - and find her body hanging from the ceiling fan.
She was rushed to the BARC Hospital where she was declared dead and later the Trombay Police sent her body for an autopsy at the Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar.
BARC officials said she had sought a transfer to the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, a division belonging to the Department of Atomic Energy in Kolkata, and it (the transfer) was due to come soon.
She had joined the BARC's Radiometallurgy Department before being shifted to the Radio Chemistry Department.
Her suicide came barely 10 days after the death of another scientist, Mahadevan Iyer at Anand Bhawan, a BARC staff quarter in south Mumbai, Feb 22.
Since Iyer, 48, a mechanical engineer with the BARC's Reaction Group, lived alone, police had immediately suspected suicide.
However, it was registered as a murder case after the autopsy report revealed that he had suffered heavy internal bleeding after being hit by a blunt object.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Her body was found by some colleagues late Wednesday night hanging from a ceiling fan on the 14th floor residence at the Nilgiri Apartments, a BARC staff quarters at Anushakti Nagar, north-east Mumbai. No suicide note has been found by the police.
Pal was planning to get married and live in Kolkata, officials said.
In fact, she had sought a transfer back to her home city. She lived in the Shyam Bazaar area of Kolkata and her father is a senior officer with the Kolkata Electric Supply Corporation.
According to officials, she had returned from Kolkata two days ago after celebrating her birthday Feb 28 with her family.
Pal worked as a scientific officer 'C' at the Isotope Division of the Radio Chemistry Department at BARC.
Her friends and colleagues described her as "a cheerful, helpful woman".
Pal had left office for home an hour earlier as she felt weary after the long Kolkata-Mumbai flight the previous night.
Later, she became incommunicado for several hours, forcing neighbours to break open the flat's door - and find her body hanging from the ceiling fan.
She was rushed to the BARC Hospital where she was declared dead and later the Trombay Police sent her body for an autopsy at the Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar.
BARC officials said she had sought a transfer to the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, a division belonging to the Department of Atomic Energy in Kolkata, and it (the transfer) was due to come soon.
She had joined the BARC's Radiometallurgy Department before being shifted to the Radio Chemistry Department.
Her suicide came barely 10 days after the death of another scientist, Mahadevan Iyer at Anand Bhawan, a BARC staff quarter in south Mumbai, Feb 22.
Since Iyer, 48, a mechanical engineer with the BARC's Reaction Group, lived alone, police had immediately suspected suicide.
However, it was registered as a murder case after the autopsy report revealed that he had suffered heavy internal bleeding after being hit by a blunt object.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Karun Chandhok, the 26-year-old from Chennai, Thursday signed up with Hispanic Racing and will participate in the 2010 Formula One Grand Prix series, according to a formal announcement here when the team unveiled its cars and livery. Chandhok becomes only the second Indian after Narain Karthikeyan to get a race seat in Formula One. The Coimbatore-based Karthikeyan had driven for Jordan in the 2005 season.
Chandhok's entry into Formula One was on the cards after his talks with Campos Meta 1 team became known last week, but confirmation was awaited since a couple of other contenders, notably Jose Maria Lopez who was said to have a bigger funding than the Indian, was also in the fray.
The run-up to the signing was marked by uncertainty following a change in ownership after Jose Ramon Carbante bought over from Adrian Campos and installed former Force India top honcho Colin Kolles as the team principal. The team that was subsequently rechristened Hispanic Racing Team or HRT F1.
Chandhok's team-mate would be his former iSport International mate from the 2008 GP2 series, Bruno Senna, the nephew of the late Ayrton, the three times World champion from Brazil.
Karun's father, Vicky Chandhok said: "Honestly, I don't know what to say. I am absolutely overwhelmed and have tears in my eyes. It has been a tough journey, but very satisfying one for sure. He (Karun) has worked really hard to live his dream."
The Cosworth-powered HRT cars, run on Dallara chassis, missed the recent pre-season winter test sessions at Jerez and Barcelona ahead of the season's opening race on March 14 in Abu Dhabi.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Priyesh Bhana is a New Zealander but his Indian roots and his sizzling runs have made him a crowd favourite in the ongoing Hockey World Cup.
The diminutive Bhana is among a number of players of Indian origin playing hockey not only in New Zealand, but also in Canada, Malaysia and Kenya. The sport is popular among the Indians in New Zealand and at least one of them has invariably found a place in the national squad. No wonder, he is such a big hit with the crowd at the National Stadium and is enjoying very moment of his stay here.
Bhana's grandparents settled in New Zealand and since then the family has adopted the country as their home. But the Indian bond in the family is still strong, says Bhana.
So, when a quirk of fate gave him a chance to come to India after Simon Child pulled out at the last minute due to security concerns, Bhana's family decided to tag along to see him in action and visit their ancestral home in Gujarat.
"I wanted to play in the World Cup and I was happy when the opportunity came my way. My family was very keen to come here and watch me play," Bhana told IANS.
"We are very excited to visit our ancestral homeland. We are happy that hockey has given us the opportunity. My parents and brother are here. In fact, my father was born in New Zealand and my mother is from Zambia. It's a special trip for us. We plan to go to our ancestral home in Machaad village in Gujarat.
"The opportunity could not have come at a better time, because I am playing in my maiden World Cup," says Bhana, who along with Arun Panchia, are the two Indian origin players in the New Zealand team.
Incidentally, Bhana's debut for New Zealand also happened in India.
"It's my second visit to India. I came here to play the Punjab Gold Cup in Chandigarh in 2008. People were very warm and caring towards me. I learnt about the Indian culture," says Bhana, born in Hawera, Taranaki.
New Zealand were invited to play in the Punjab Gold Cup after Pakistan pulled out and Bhana got his first chance to don the national colours.
Bhana took to the sport at a young age of four and after learning the ropes with the help of other Indian-origin players like Umesh Parag and Mitesh Patel, he made up his mind that he should make it to the national team.
"I picked up the sport from my brother Dharmesh and then I took it seriously as I grew up and played for North Harbour before making it to the national team."
"There are lot of Indians from various provinces who play hockey in New Zealand. I run a coaching programme for them."
As for New Zealand's chances in the World Cup, Bhana is hopeful that they can reach the semifinals.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
The diminutive Bhana is among a number of players of Indian origin playing hockey not only in New Zealand, but also in Canada, Malaysia and Kenya. The sport is popular among the Indians in New Zealand and at least one of them has invariably found a place in the national squad. No wonder, he is such a big hit with the crowd at the National Stadium and is enjoying very moment of his stay here.
Bhana's grandparents settled in New Zealand and since then the family has adopted the country as their home. But the Indian bond in the family is still strong, says Bhana.
So, when a quirk of fate gave him a chance to come to India after Simon Child pulled out at the last minute due to security concerns, Bhana's family decided to tag along to see him in action and visit their ancestral home in Gujarat.
"I wanted to play in the World Cup and I was happy when the opportunity came my way. My family was very keen to come here and watch me play," Bhana told IANS.
"We are very excited to visit our ancestral homeland. We are happy that hockey has given us the opportunity. My parents and brother are here. In fact, my father was born in New Zealand and my mother is from Zambia. It's a special trip for us. We plan to go to our ancestral home in Machaad village in Gujarat.
"The opportunity could not have come at a better time, because I am playing in my maiden World Cup," says Bhana, who along with Arun Panchia, are the two Indian origin players in the New Zealand team.
Incidentally, Bhana's debut for New Zealand also happened in India.
"It's my second visit to India. I came here to play the Punjab Gold Cup in Chandigarh in 2008. People were very warm and caring towards me. I learnt about the Indian culture," says Bhana, born in Hawera, Taranaki.
New Zealand were invited to play in the Punjab Gold Cup after Pakistan pulled out and Bhana got his first chance to don the national colours.
Bhana took to the sport at a young age of four and after learning the ropes with the help of other Indian-origin players like Umesh Parag and Mitesh Patel, he made up his mind that he should make it to the national team.
"I picked up the sport from my brother Dharmesh and then I took it seriously as I grew up and played for North Harbour before making it to the national team."
"There are lot of Indians from various provinces who play hockey in New Zealand. I run a coaching programme for them."
As for New Zealand's chances in the World Cup, Bhana is hopeful that they can reach the semifinals.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Telecom service provider Tata Teleservices Ltd. (TTSL) Thursday announced the launch of DIALOG, a product that enables customers to connect to the internet on their television set in Kolkata and Chennai.Customers can access the internet without a desktop or laptop, transforming the TV set into a multimedia device with the help of DIALOG.
"We are launching the product first time in the country simultaneously in Chennai and Kolkata. We will take three months for the testing period and after that we will go for an all-India launch of DIALOG in the first quarter of FY11," TTSL national sales head Abhijit Sanyal said here at a press meet.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Want to figure out a Delhi Metro route? Just log on to Google Transit and access updated information. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Google India Thursday announced its partnership through Google Transit, to provide complete information on Delhi Metro schedules and routes.
"Transit service for Delhi Metro would also be available on mobile devices, so commuters can check the latest updates to make route changes on-the-go," a statement issued by Google said.
Google Transit, a navigation tool on Google maps provides information on train timings, station locations, frequency of service, time taken for travel and ticket fares. It already has a tie-up with Chennai MRTS, Kolkata Metro, Hyderabad Metro transit services for commuters.
"As Delhi gears up for the Commonwealth Games in October this year, Google Transit will benefit thousands of visitors who are likely to visit the national capital later this year," the statement said
In addition, as new routes get added to the Metro network, people from Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon would find it useful in accessing information related to routes and train schedules. This free of cost service will be available on desktops as well as mobiles to benefit a wider spectrum of commuters," it added.
Delhi Metro's managing director E. Sreedharan said: "The collaboration with Google is another step to make it even easier for the public to plan their trips with transit information on Google Maps."
Manik Gupta, product manager from Google India, said: "As Delhi Metro becomes the favoured public transportation for thousands of commuters every day, it would benefit by attracting new commuters and helping existing commuters to discover new routes. All this will be available on desktops as well as mobiles to make it easier for the commuters."
The Delhi Metro ferries around 950,000 commuters daily on its network of nearly 96 km, and by October ahead of the Games it will span to nearly all corners of the national capital as well as suburbs like Gurgaon. Its network will also increase by then to 190 km.
Air chartered service operator Religare Voyages will launch an air ambulance service soon and has plans to launch a scheduled airline service also, its top official said here Thursday."We are in the process of tying up with various hospitals across the country to launch ambulance services in India. We would also have our ambulance services in south and southeast Asian countries," Sanjay Godhwani, the chief executive and managing director of Religare Voyages, told reporters on the sidelines of the Hyderabad air show here.
The five-day international exhibition and conference on civil aviation -- Aviation India-2010 -- is being organised jointly by the civil aviation ministry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) at Begumpet airport here.
"We are also looking at launching a scheduled airline service. We have long-term plans to establish air services," Godhwani said.
At present, Religare has a fleet of 11 aircraft and one chopper.
Religare displayed its newly-acquired Falcon 7X aircraft at the international aviation exhibition in Hyderabad.
Religare Aviation Academy will soon launch a pilot training course. Currently, the institute offers cabin crew training approved by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the company said.
Shams Patel, who won the best child artist National Award for his performance in "Thanks Maa", is upset because he isn't allowed to watch his own film as it has been given an adult certificate. "Will you please talk to the censor board?" requests the 13-year-old actor. The film releases Friday.
"'Thanks Maa' has been given an A certificate. Wohi to problem hai (That's the problem). I can't watch my own film for the next five years. Will you ask them to change it to a UA certificate, so I could see my film accompanied by my parents? Ideally, I want to watch it with my friends," he says.
Shams says the National Award has brought joy to his parents.
"I'm very average at studies. So they feel at least I've made a name for myself in another field. My parents are very excited. I'm too. But nothing compared to them," he adds.
Shams belongs to a business family with no background in cinema.
"I got the role in 'Thanks Maa' because director Irrfan Kamal is my 'mama' (maternal uncle). He asked me to audition along with many other hopefuls. I had no acting experience...After I got the role, I attended workshops," he says.
Shams admits he wasn't familiar with the slum setting of the film.
"But 50 other kids from the slums came for the workshops. I observed them and their way of talking. I copied them. I saw their emotions and used them. I was very moved by the way the people live in the slums. The clothes they wear, the food they eat and the language they speak in the slums was all a new experience for me. I came out of the film a different person," he says.
He gets defensive on comparison with Danny Boyle's slum saga. "I've seen 'Slumdog Millionaire'.'Thanks Maa' is totally different. Of course, the characters and clothings of us slum kids are somewhat similar. But our storyline is totally different."
He plays a Salman Khan fan in the film and also happens to be one in real life.
"I am a huge fan of Salman Khan. After 'Thanks Maa', I'll meet Salman for sure," he adds confidently.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
click here for :- CIVIL SERVICES (MAIN) EXAMINATION 2009
The UPSC has announced the results of the written part of Civil Services (Main) Examinatioin, 2009 held by the Union Public Service Commission in October-November, 2009. The successful candidates have qualified for Personality Test for selection to the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and other Central Services (Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ ). The result is available on the UPSC website http://www.upsc.gov.in and also on PIB website www.pib.nic.in.
Candidature of these candidates is provisional subject to their being found eligible in all respects. All the qualified candidates for Personality Test are required to download the summary sheet available on the Commission’s website and sent the same duly filed in by speed post to Under Secretary, Room No.432, Ayog Sachivalaya Building, Union Public Service Commission, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069 within ten days from the date of declaration of result.
Personality Test of the qualified candidates will commence from March 22, 2010. Personality Tests will be beld in the Office of the Union Public Service Commission at Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069. The date and time of Personality Test is being intimated to the qualified candidates individually. It will also be displayed on the Commission’s Website from 16th March, 2010. The candidates who do not receive communication regarding their Personality Test, should immediately contact the office of the Commission through letter or on Phone Nos. 23385271, 23381125, 23098543 or Fax No. 011-23387310, 011-23384472.
No request for change in the date and time of the Personality Test intimated to the candidates will be entertained under any circumstances. The Candidates are advised to notify changes in their address, if any, to the Commission immediately through letter of Fax at Telephone numbers indicated above.
click here for :- CIVIL SERVICES (MAIN) EXAMINATION 2009
The UPSC has announced the results of the written part of Civil Services (Main) Examinatioin, 2009 held by the Union Public Service Commission in October-November, 2009. The successful candidates have qualified for Personality Test for selection to the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and other Central Services (Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ ). The result is available on the UPSC website http://www.upsc.gov.in and also on PIB website www.pib.nic.in.
Candidature of these candidates is provisional subject to their being found eligible in all respects. All the qualified candidates for Personality Test are required to download the summary sheet available on the Commission’s website and sent the same duly filed in by speed post to Under Secretary, Room No.432, Ayog Sachivalaya Building, Union Public Service Commission, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069 within ten days from the date of declaration of result.
Personality Test of the qualified candidates will commence from March 22, 2010. Personality Tests will be beld in the Office of the Union Public Service Commission at Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110069. The date and time of Personality Test is being intimated to the qualified candidates individually. It will also be displayed on the Commission’s Website from 16th March, 2010. The candidates who do not receive communication regarding their Personality Test, should immediately contact the office of the Commission through letter or on Phone Nos. 23385271, 23381125, 23098543 or Fax No. 011-23387310, 011-23384472.
No request for change in the date and time of the Personality Test intimated to the candidates will be entertained under any circumstances. The Candidates are advised to notify changes in their address, if any, to the Commission immediately through letter of Fax at Telephone numbers indicated above.
click here for :- CIVIL SERVICES (MAIN) EXAMINATION 2009
Online donations can now be made to Bodh Gaya's 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple, Buddhism's holiest shrine."An online donation facility to the Mahabodhi Temple was introduced Wednesday," Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BGTMC) secretary N. Dorje told IANS over phone Thursday.
The BGTMC has tied up with HDFC bank to facilitate online donations. The bank has extended e-collection facility through HDFC Bank Payment Gateway.
Bodh Gaya, located 110 km from here and where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2,550 years ago, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
Nineteen designers and 10 models will be making their debut at the 2010 edition of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW), to be held here March 24-28.Out of the 19 designers, eight will be showcasing their collections on the runway, while the rest will display their creations at the exhibition stall.
"I'm delighted to announce that 19 emerging and established designers and 10 models will debut on the runway of WIFW," Sunil Sethi, president, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the organisers of the mega fashion event, said in a press statement.
"The designers will bring with them talent and creativity, the key ingredients for success and the new faces will light up the ramp. I wish them success."
Among the debutant designers is Nandita Mahtani, who was earlier dating model-actor Dino Morea. Another is veteran actress Neena Gupta's daughter Masaba.
Others who will be showing their designs on the runway include Littleshilpa, Arjun Saluja (Rishta), Chandrani Singh Fllora, Kartikeya & Isha (Dozak), Smriti and Shreya & Nirali (Shrea).
Designers, who will showcase their designs for the first time at WIFW stalls include Nakul Sen, Akaaro-Gaurav Gupta, Ekta Singh, 5X by Ajit Kumar, Divyam Mehta, Anand Bhushan, Shikha Sharma and Naveen Dohare.
Accessory designers like SRZ by Shahrukh Zaidi, Felix Bendish and 5-Elements by Radhika Gupta are also making their debut at WIFW stalls.
(News published under the licence from Indo Asian News Service)
The promise of a free lunch and utensils turned fatal Thursday when 63 people were killed and more than 30 injured in a stampede that broke out when thousands gathered at an Uttar Pradesh ashram for a death anniversary ceremony.
The entry gate of Kripaluji Maharaj's ashram near Kunda town in Pratapgarh district, about 180 km from here, caved in, triggering a stampede that claimed 60 lives and turned the place into a veritable graveyard.
The dead included a large number of women and children.
"Sixty-three bodies had been recovered but more casualties cannot be ruled out as some of the injured were serious and rushed to the Allahabad medical college for specialised treatment," Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Brij Lal said.
The tragedy occurred when thousands of followers had converged at the Bhakti Dham ashram to attend the annual 'bhandara' (free lunch) hosted by Kripaluji Maharaj on the occasion of his wife's death anniversary.
"Thousands of disciples of the godman had made a beeline for the ashram to attend the 'bhandara' and to get freebies like clothes and utensils when the gate suddenly gave way, bringing under its weight a number of people," Lal said.
"People ran helter-skelter in panic, leading to a stampede, that took a heavier toll, turning the whole place into a mass graveyard," he added.
Some devotees alleged that the situation turned worse when the police used batons to disperse the crowds.
Rescue parties were rushed by the state from Allahabad while a top official was flown from Lucknow to personally take stock of the situation and report to Chief Minister Mayawati.
Legislator of the area Raghuraj Pratap Singh, better known as Raja Bhaiya, told IANS over the phone from Kunda: "The number of deaths are bound to rise as a number of the injured are critical."
He criticised the "slow rescue operations" and said: "Although the event has been an annual feature since the death of Kripaluji Maharaj's wife, this time the crowds swelled because of his prior announcement that some utensils would also be distributed along with lunch."
Kripaluji Maharaj could not be contacted as he was stated to be busy supervising the relief work.
The entry gate of Kripaluji Maharaj's ashram near Kunda town in Pratapgarh district, about 180 km from here, caved in, triggering a stampede that claimed 60 lives and turned the place into a veritable graveyard.
The dead included a large number of women and children.
"Sixty-three bodies had been recovered but more casualties cannot be ruled out as some of the injured were serious and rushed to the Allahabad medical college for specialised treatment," Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Brij Lal said.
The tragedy occurred when thousands of followers had converged at the Bhakti Dham ashram to attend the annual 'bhandara' (free lunch) hosted by Kripaluji Maharaj on the occasion of his wife's death anniversary.
"Thousands of disciples of the godman had made a beeline for the ashram to attend the 'bhandara' and to get freebies like clothes and utensils when the gate suddenly gave way, bringing under its weight a number of people," Lal said.
"People ran helter-skelter in panic, leading to a stampede, that took a heavier toll, turning the whole place into a mass graveyard," he added.
Some devotees alleged that the situation turned worse when the police used batons to disperse the crowds.
Rescue parties were rushed by the state from Allahabad while a top official was flown from Lucknow to personally take stock of the situation and report to Chief Minister Mayawati.
Legislator of the area Raghuraj Pratap Singh, better known as Raja Bhaiya, told IANS over the phone from Kunda: "The number of deaths are bound to rise as a number of the injured are critical."
He criticised the "slow rescue operations" and said: "Although the event has been an annual feature since the death of Kripaluji Maharaj's wife, this time the crowds swelled because of his prior announcement that some utensils would also be distributed along with lunch."
Kripaluji Maharaj could not be contacted as he was stated to be busy supervising the relief work.
Uncensored, Unedited Nityananda Paramahamsa Ranjitha scandal full video at Youtube
link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxTy3McW14
link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxTy3McW14
Oscar winning music maestro A.R. Rahman has reportedly teamed up with Amy Tinkham, known for creating live musical concerts for Britney Spears and Mariah Carey, for a tour to salute Bollywood and Indian music."The Journey Home World Tour will be a theatrical experience that will blend new technologies with powerful dance arrangements and acrobatics. The concert will keep intact the heritage and traditions of India with a new modern presentation," contactmusic.com quoted Rahman's spokesperson as saying.
"The show will feature changing sets, large images on LED screens and a spectacular cast of musicians and dancers from across the globe."
The Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour is slated to begin in June at the Nassau Coliseum in New York. It will feature music from the film and tracks he was working on with the late Michael Jackson before the King of Pop died last summer.
Produced by Deepak Gattani, the tour will travel to over 20 major arenas and cities around the world, including The Forum in Los Angeles, The Patriot Center in Washington, American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas and Wembley Arena and the O2 Arena in London.
Ranjitha is a south Indian actress of 1990s who has done many hit films in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu. She debuted in film industry with the movie Nadodi Thendral directed by Bharathi Raja with Karthik in 1992. She has acted with south Indian actors such as Karthik, Arjun, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Saravanan, Jagapathi Babu, Jayaram etc. Some of her films include Anjaneyulu (2009)
Kuberulu (2008)
Maisamma IPS (2007)
Suvarna Simhaasanam (1997)
Maavichiguru (1996)
Chinna Vathiyar (1995)
Karma (1995)
Sundari Neeyum Sundaran Njanum (1995)
Amaidhi Padai (1994)
Johnnie Walker (1992)
Nadodi Thendral (1992)