Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Deccan Chargers by 11 runs in the opening Twenty20 match of the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the D.Y. Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai here Friday.

Chasing a target of 162, Deccan Chargers made 150 for seven in 20 overs after skipper Adam Gilchrist scored 54. Angelo Matthews scored an unbeaten 65 and Owais Shah made 58 not out as the Knight Riders made 161 for four in 20 overs.
(IANS)

Bollywood actor Harman Baweja was named worst actor and Kareena Kapoor got the worst actress title Friday night at the second annual Golden Kela awards, a spin-off on Hollywood's Razzies.

Baweja won the Worst Actor award for his performance in dud "What's Your Raashee?" while Kareena was adjudged Worst Actress for her role in "Kambakkht Ishq".

The chief guest of the evening was Bollywood funnyman Cyrus Broacha, who was awarded the Cyrus Broacha Memorial Award.

"It's great. I'm thrilled. I hope to win this award every year," Cyrus said in his cheeky fashion.

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar won the "Bas Kijiye Bahut Ho Gaya (Please stop its Enough) Award"!, asking him to stop making films. In a great crossover moment, even Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards won the "Baawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke" (Have you gone muts) Award for participating in expensive flop "Kambakkht Ishq" alongside Kareena and Akshay Kumar.

The worst supporting actor (male and female) went to Ranvir Shorey and Deepika Padukone respectively for their roles in "Chandni Chowk To China". While the worst film went to "Kambakkht Ishq", Ashutosh Gowariker was declared worst director for "What's Your Raashee?".

The function at the India Habitat Centre here was complete with digs at actors, from old timers to the new ones.

After hearing open digs at veteran actors Rajendra Kumar, late Feroz Khan and filmmaker Yash Chopra, Cyrus said: "If we want to abuse, we should abuse everybody."

Rahul Ram, the vocalist of popular band Indian Ocean performed a humorous take on the song "Nani teri morni.." and "Raat ke musafir".

Jackky Bhagnani and Shruti Haasan were declared the worst newcomer actors for their roles in "Kal Kissne Dekha" and "Luck" respectively.

Rani Mukerji-starrer "Dil Bole Hadippa!" was given the Most Original Story award for being copied from Hollywood's "She's The Man" while her pairing with Shahid Kapoor in the same was named the Worst Pair.

In the special award winners category were director Kabir Khan and producer Aditya Chopra who were the recipients of a "Lajja" (Shame) Award for the Worst Treatment of a Serious Issue in "New York", Abhishek Bachchan won the Dara Singh Award for worst accent in "Delhi-6".

In the same category, an Insensitivity Award went to "Chandni Chowk To China" while a Black Award for Emotional Blackmail went to Amitabh Bachchan-starrer "Paa".

None of the stars named for the awards were present at the gala.

Launched by Random magazine last year, the gala is a spin-off on Hollywood's Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as the Razzies, which recognises the worst in cinema.

The categories and the nominees were shortlisted by the editorial board of the magazine and were selected via an online public poll on the website www.goldenkela.in.

(IANS)

Kalinga Sena, an Orissa based political wing has demanded captain of IPL cricket team Deccan Chargers Adam Gilchrist and other Australian players to wear black badge during the IPL matches.

Hemant Rath, President of Kalinga Sena wants Gilchrist to wear black badge for he and his team to play in Cuttack. He also wants to ban the Cheer Girls from the matches.

Two IPL matches of Deccan Charges is to be played at Cuttack on March 19 and 21.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) came alive at home with a gala opening ceremony, starred by some top entertainers like Lionel Richie, Ali Campbell of UB40's and Bjorn Again and Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone.

The cricketing quotient aside, fans were treated to an eye-catching array of global artists and entertainers.

The opening ceremony was a breathtaking visual extravaganza and was the most extensive hour of entertainment ever conceived and executed in India.

The opening ceremony started with the eight captains taking the "MCC - Spirit of Cricket" oath to respect their opponents. The captains also signed the Spirit of Cricket Board as an attestation to play the game within the spirit of cricket.

Then the entertainment flowed with renowned star, UB40's Ali Campbell, performing the all-time hit song "Can't Help Falling in Love" supported by a troupe of dancers in colorful costumes.

Bjorn Again then took the centre-stage to entertain fans at the stadium and at home with ABBA's super hit song "Dancing Queen" accompanied by 16 dancers in retro costumes.

The Bollywood segment then kicked-off with Deepika Padukone performing to a medley of "Tonight's Going to be Good Night" from the "Black Eyed Peas", "Teri Adayein" from "Karthik calling Karthik", and "Twist" from "Love Aaj Kal", along with 40 dancers.

Hoola Hoop juggling artists then created the logos of the eight IPL teams using LED glow sticks and it was followed by a breathtaking laser show.

Legendary pop icon Lionel Richie performed his hit single "Dancing on the Ceiling" as all the artists and performers converged onto the centre-stage.

The curtains came down with a spectacular fireworks that lit up the Navi Mumbai as the focus was back on cricket again.
(IANS)

The much hyped IPL Live telecast on Internet via Youtube faced a technical error on the start of telecast. The video streaming started to display this screen probably due to overflow of visitors

Superstar Aamir Khan won't celebrate his 45th birthday Sunday.

"I will not be celebrating my birthday this year," Aamir told IANS over e-mail from Mumbai.

Media reports said the actor will fly to the capital Sunday to rub shoulders with acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker James Cameron and to discuss the future of cinema.

"Yes, I am going to be in Delhi for (a) conclave where I would be meeting Cameron," said the actor.

Aamir did not say why he won't celebrate his birthday. But a source close to him said: "He in any case doesn't believe in parties and celebrations for his birthday. Moreover, with his dad (noted filmmaker Tahir Hussain) passing away last month, he is keeping a very low profile."

Incidentally, his colleague Shah Rukh Khan has teamed up with international rapper Akon in Mumbai to record a song.

With cinema in his blood, perfection in his attitude and known as the king of promotional strategies, Aamir managed to deliver several super hits since his first success "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" (1988).

In more than than two decades he has given hits like "Dil", "Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin", "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar", "Rangeela", "Raja Hindustani", "Ishq", "Ghulam", "Sarfarosh", "Dil Chahta Hai" and "Rang De Basanti".

His 2001 hit period drama "Lagaan" was nominated in the best foreign picture category at the Oscars.

Off late he struck gold with his 'one-year-one-movie' startegy. His "3 Idiots" and "Ghajini" smashed all box office records to become Hindi cinema's top two highest earners till date. They have reportedly collected Rs.400 crore and Rs.226 worldwide respectively.

But Aamir is not beaming.

"I don't have any recipe (for success). Lot of us often forget that the business we are in by definition is basically selling stories... We have to be different each time. I have to reinvent myself... that's the demand of my job," Aamir had earlier said.

"I am attracted to scripts that move me emotionally and when you have such stories to tell, it doesn't matter how unusual it is, people connect to it... I've no idea what audiences want. I only have an idea about what I want...," he added.

Aamir is a winner of Padma Bhushan, the nation's third highest civilian honour.

Recently, the actor reportedly bagged the biggest endorsement deal by inking an agreement with new telecom entrant, UAE's Etisalat, for Rs.300-350 million for three years.

With so many feathers in his cap, the actor stands tall as an epitome of commercial cinema.

But he is now taking a sabbatical from acting to concentrate on his production ventures - "Delhi Belly", "Peepli Live" and his wife Kiran Rao's directorial debut "Dhobi Ghat".
(IANS)

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Friday said there will be no board examinations for class 8 from the next academic session.

"The government has decided that the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBSE) would not conduct the class VIII examination from the year 2011. This will reduce the stress in the students," Dhumal said while presenting the budget in the assembly.

"The board examination would be replaced by the school tests which will be based on the principles of continuous comprehensive evaluation," he said.

The chief minister said the government is also planning to set up an open school for the children belonging to the remote areas.

IPL live streaming not available in the US

The IPL's 2010 season will be broadcast live on YouTube, in the IPL YouTube channel www.youtube.com/ipl and will be available across the world, except in the USA which will have re-broadcast options.

How to watch IPL in USA Any Ideas? Comment

The much hyped IPL Live telecast on Internet via Youtube faced a technical error on the start of telecast. The video streaming started to display this screen probably due to overflow of visitors

He was gazing at the sky, looking at kites flying and the moment inspired filmmaker Rakesh Roshan to pen down his forthcoming romantic saga "Kites" about love going beyond boundaries and cultures.

"The idea for 'Kites' came to me when I was gazing at the sky and saw two kites flying. It looked very romantic. It was very intriguing - the way they came close, played, almost embraced each other and then drew apart - unaware that someone else was pulling the strings and could cut them loose. I sat down and penned a story around this idea," Roshan said in a press statement.

Commenting upon the title of movie, director Anurag Basu said: "Kites is the metaphor of the film. Kites fly against the wind and not with it - the stronger the wind blows, higher the kites fly. Our protagonists in the movie too face obstacles; their love grows deeper with every increasing obstacle."

Basu has penned the screenplay for the movie that features Hrithik Roshan, Mexican actress Barbara Mori and Kangana Ranaut.

"Kites" is being made in Hindi and English. It has been shot in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Santa Fe. Reliance BIG Pictures will release it on May 21 in over 60 countries.
(IANS)

Holders Pakistan Friday announced their final 15-man squad, without naming the captain, for the World Twenty20 championship in the West Indies.

Chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan told reporters here that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will name the captain later.

Pakistan cricket plunged into a turmoil earlier in the week when the PCB banned and fined several leading cricketers, including former captains Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi.

While Younis and Yousuf are not part of the preliminary squad, Malik has been sidelined because of the one year ban slapped on him for indiscipline. However, Afridi, and Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, who were handed hefty fines, have been picked.

All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez makes a comeback after his good showing in the National Twenty20 Cup. The selectors have also chosen young all-rounder Hammad Azam taking into account his performance in the under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.

Pakistan are the defending champions of the World Twenty20 which gets underway in the West Indies from April 30.

Pakistan squad: Salman Butt, Khalid Latif, Muhammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Saeed Ajmal.

(IANS)

The State Bank of India (SBI) has plans to open 1,000 more branches across the country this year, SBI chairman O.P. Bhatt said Friday.

The bank had opened 1,000 branches last year and "this year too the same number of new branches are proposed to be opened", Bhatt said after inaugurating a Rural Self-Employment Training Institute (R-SETI) here.

The bank has over 17,000 branches in the country.

The R-SETI will train the unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir who want to start small businesses of their own.

"In these centres SBI will train unemployed youth, mostly from below poverty line families. They will be provided training for various vocations," Bhatt said.

He said the bank would set up R-SETIs in 10 out of 22 districts of the state within three years and hoped these centres would help bridge the rural-urban divide.

Auto-rickshaws painted by well-known artists will be auctioned at the upcoming Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) with the proceeds going to NGO Khushii that works for the upliftment of the poor and destitute in rural and urban areas.

The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) that organises WIFW has joined hands with Khushii - Kinship for humanitarian, social and holistic intervention in India - to raise funds for its global development initiative, the World Action Forum.

FDCI pesident Sunil Sethi said: "As a non-profit organization, we at FDCI always felt it's our mandate to work towards the upliftment of the communities we reside in and help the underprivileged realize their dreams. We see the same commitment in Khushii's World Action Forum Initiative (WAF) to empower and develop sustainable livelihoods."

"The 15th edition Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week will be an ideal platform to introduce this initiative to create awareness within the fashion fraternity," he added.

"Our partnership with FDCI is a major step for cohesive working towards India Development under the aegis of World Action Forum," Khushii general secretary Harveen Kapoor said.

Designer Leena Singh said: "Being a board member of FDCI for many years and now being on the board of Khushii, there cannot be a happier and more proud moment for me when, with the support of Mr. Sunil Sethi, President, FDCI, I have been successful in putting both the bodies together for the betterment & upliftment of the other India."

The limited edition auto-rickshaws will be formally unveiled on the opening day of WIFW March 24. The auction will take place the same evening.

The artists participating in the initiative are Dilip Sharma, Farhad Hussain, George Martin, Hindol Brahmbhatt, Jaishree Burman, Jagannath Panda, Paresh Maity, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Satish Gupta, Sudhanshu Sutar, Yusuf Arakkal and Nitin Bal Chauhan.
(IANS)

India lost 2-4 to Argentina in play-off to finish eighth in the Hockey World Cup here Saturday.

Argentina opened the scoring through Tomas Argento to go 1-0 up in the first half.

India scored the equaliser through Sandeep Singh's penalty stroke before Argentina's three-goal burst took the game away from the hosts.

Lucas Vila first converted a penalty corner and then scored a field goal. Facundo Calloni joined the party to make it 4-1 for Argentina.

Shivendra Singh pulled one back through captain Rajpal Singh's pass.

IPL 2010 Live on Youtube www.youtube.com/ipl

The third edition of the Indian Premier League IPL 2010 will be telecasted live in Youtube, the Internet video channel. The matches will be webcasted with a 5 minute delay time and is available at the link www.youtube.com/ipl The service will be free with live matches, highlights etc.

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Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor, who is married to industrialist Sanjay Kapur, gave birth to a boy at Breach Candy Hospital here Friday morning, said a source. This is her second child.

"Karisma has given birth to a baby boy. The delivery took place in the morning," the hospital source told IANS.

The actress, who gave many hits in her career including "Raja Hindustani", "Hero No.1" and "Dil Toh Pagal Hai", also has a six-year-old daughter Samaira.

Karisma's friend, jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali, wished her on her Twiiter page. "Karisma Kapoor just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Many congratulations to her and her family," Farah wrote.

the inauguration of the new Assembly complex with modern facilities at Chennai will be held tomorrow.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi along with Chief Ministers of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka will participate in the event.

The new Assembly building is located at Omandurar Government estate , Chennai is built with a budget of Rs 425 crores.

The first ever Indian Digital Media Awards (IDMA) of exchange4media Group in partnership with Zapak, 160/2 and Bollywoodhungma.com were distributed in Mumbai.

The winners are

Best News Site of the Year
Ibnlive.com
Mid-day.com

Best Web Portal of the Year
Mouthshut.com

Tata Tea
Best Digital Advertiser of the year’

Shashi Tharoor
popularising the digital medium.

Best Integrated Digital Campaign
Virgin Mobile

Webdunia.com
Best Use of Language in Online Advertising

Best Gaming Site of the Year
7Seas Technologies for Online Real Games and Indian Fantasy Games for Indian Fantasy League.

Best Blog of the Year
WatBlog
Amitabh Bachchan Blog


Best Use of Social Media
The Great Driving Challenge
Nokia Calling All Innovators.

Best Use of Viral Marketing
Virgin Mobile
Sach Ka Saamna

Best Mobile App
Big Flix movie rental

Best Microsite
Axeplay
3 Idiots

Actress Kristen Stewart says she didn't mind kissing co-star Dakota Fanning in their new movie "The Runaways" and described the experience as "cool".

"It was cool. I didn't mind it. The way that it happens in the script is just a sort of moment in time and fun and natural and sort of impulsive," people.com quoted Stewart as saying.

Even Fanning didn't feel awkward and added: "It was just another thing."

The movie is about the 1970s all-girl's band in which Stewart plays rocker Joan Jett and Fanning features as singer Cherie Currie.

Stewart claims she bonded well with Fanning during the shooting of the film.

"Working this closely with someone, you can't help but really become bonded with them and it really helps when you actually like them and can become really good friends," she said.

"I haven't really done a lot of movies with people close to my own age to have a good friend like that," she said. "So I was excited, and I couldn't have asked for a better person to do it with." (IANS)

Eminent Islamic scholar Moulana Hameeduddin Aqil Hussami, who was also a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, passed away here Friday after a brief illness. He was 82.

Moulana Aqil, who was suffering from lung problem for the last few months, was shifted to his house from a hospital Thursday night after his condition turned critical. He breathed his last at around 4.15 a.m. Friday, family sources said.

His 'namaz-e-janaza' (funeral prayer) will be offered after Friday prayers at the historic Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad and the burial will take place at Hussamia Chaman, his ancestral graveyard in the old city.

The death of the Muslim leader sent shock waves among the community across the state, especially in the Muslim majority old city of Hyderabad. Hundreds of his followers gathered at his house in Panjesha locality to pay their last respects.

One of the key leaders of Muslims in India, Moulana Aqil was the founder head of Jamia Islamia Darul Uloom, a famous seat of Islamic learning in the city.

He was also heading the United Muslim Forum, an apex body of Muslim political and religious organisations, to fight for the interests of the community. It was formed in 2002 to fight against the harassment of innocent Muslim youth by the police.

He was also chairman of Deeni Madaris Federation, which he formed a decade ago to fight the attempts to malign madrassas.

Moulana Aqil and other Muslim leaders, played a key role in the 2004 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections when they declared support to the Congress and extracted a promise from Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy that he would provide reservations to Muslims. After becoming chief minister, Reddy fulfilled the promise.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and eminent personalities from different walks of life condoled the death of Moulana Aqil. (IANS)

Fresh air has now been bottled by Britain's National Trust so that it can be given to stressed city workers, a media report said Friday.

The bottled air is from some of the country's favourite spots and each glass jar should relieve stress for up to 10 minutes, Daily Express reported.

The air comes from different locations, including Townend on the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria, Stourhead in Wiltshire and Box Hill, Surrey.

The trust hit upon the fresh-air-in-bottle idea after a survey showed that 60 percent of people found a breath of fresh air helped reduce stress.

"What better way to escape the stresses of city life than with a breath of National Trust fresh air?

"With most of us living in an urban environment and having little time to escape to the great outdoors we thought it was about time the National Trust shared just a fraction of our copious amounts of fresh air with the nation," National Trust spokesman Andrew McLaughlin was quoted as saying.

Founded in 1895, the National Trust's main goal is to protect open spaces and preserve historic buildings and ruins. It's first purchase was a 14th century Clergy House for 10 pounds. The trust has since received numerous donations and owns and cares for nearly 1,000 square miles of Britain. (IANS)

An 89-year-old British woman travels 14 miles to reach a post office located opposite her home as there is no pedestrian crossing on the main road, a media report Friday said.

There is heavy traffic on road through Nancy Underwood's village so she has to take a 90-minute journey using four buses just to get to the other side, the Daily Express reported.

Partially blind Underwood, who walks with the help of a frame, said that she found her system the only way to cope with the busy road.

"It's dreadful. In the summer, the traffic is absolutely non-stop with a large number of heavy lorries. I find it quite frightening and alarming.

"It really is very difficult to get across. It's not a good road and we don't even have a pavement all the way down," she was quoted as saying.

Her journey begins by boarding a bus to Bridport town three miles away, where she can use a pedestrian crossing. She then makes a return journey and stops off in Chideock opposite her house, so she can visit the post office.

To get back home, she travels by bus four miles in the other direction to Charmouth village. She then uses another pedestrian crossing and completes the final leg with a fourth bus which takes her back to Chideock.

(IANS)

IPL 2010 Laut Aaya: Sony SET Max channel, the official partner of DLF IPL 2010 has launched a theme song Laut Aaya.

The song is composed by musical duo Vishal-Shekhar and sung by Shekhar.

Laut Aaya will be featured in the Set Max IPL Extraaa Innings T20 programme.

Savitri Jindal is the richest woman of India, according to Forbes special report titled “The World's Billionaires” published on March 10.

Savitri Jindal, 60, is the widow of O.P. Jindal who currently manages O.P. Jindal Group. She is ranked 44 in the list.

View complete list of “The World's Billionaires”

Rajiv Malhotra - Swami Nityananda Interview

Police searching for a missing self-styled godman and a woman devotee he is accused of kidnapping have recovered photographs of the two as a married couple.

Photographs depicting the godman Anoop Kumar Sahai alias Swamiji, 40, being married to the woman, Priyanka Srivastava, 27, were found from his red beaconlight-fitted car seized from Greater Noida late Wednesday night.

Superintendent of Police (City) A.K. Vijeta said: "The photos of their marriage were found inside the car. It is yet to be verified. Nothing can be said at this stage. He is still untraceable. Raids are being carried out at different places to arrest him."

Even as police claimed that the girl had gone with the swami with her consent, her family members denied it.

"Priyanka used to call him elder brother and even interacted with him very little. She used to remain inside home whenever he visited us," her mother, Sudha Srivastava, said.

"Anoop was a very clever man and was being guided by his elder brother Ashutosh. These are morphed photos and this is being done to calm the media and prevent any police action," she alleged. (IANS)

Actress Minissha Lamba admits her ultra-glamorous look in "Kidnap" opened a whole new range of opportunities for her. But the young actress, who will be seen in Shyam Benegal's new film, feels that at the end of it talent plays an important role.

"My looks in 'Kidnap' helped open a whole new and different range of opportunities for me. It is something I cherish. Being good looking is important, but not always. You need talent as well. If you have talent, people accept you regardless of the way you look," Lamba told IANS over telephone from Mumbai.

She also feels being short is not a disadvantage in the film industry.

"If you are a model, having height is imperative, but cinema is a medium where it doesn't matter. You are on a platform where being tall or short loses relevance," she said.

After her glamorous avatar in "Kidnap", Minissha will be seen in a non-glamorous role in Benegal's forthcoming film, "Well Done Abba".

"At first I was really scared to work with Mr. Benegal. But once we started shooting, he turned out to be a really calm, jovial and humorous person. We never saw him upset on the sets," she said.

"Well Done Abba", a political satire, narrates the story of Armaan Ali (Boman Irani), a driver working in Mumbai. He takes a month's leave to find a husband for his teenaged daughter, who lives in a small neighbourhood near Hyderabad. But he returns to his job after three months. His young employer wants to sack him, but is persuaded to listen to the reason why he got so delayed.

The film, produced by Reliance Big Pictures, is inspired by two short stories - "Narsaiyyan Ki Bavdi" by Jeelani Bano and "Phulwa Ka Pul" by Sanjeev.

Benegal had said in an interview that Minissha hasn't got her due in Bollywood, but the 25-year-old says she has no regrets.

"That's extremely generous of him to have said that, but it's all right. I hope with this film my talent gets appreciated and I get more opportunities to show my potential," she said.

Minissha started her journey as an actor from the critically acclaimed film, "Yahaan", alongside Jimmy Shergill in 2005. She was later seen in "Corporate", "Shaurya", and Yash Raj Films' "Bachna Ae Haseeno".

"It has been a great journey. There were disappointments and heartbreak, but I am grateful for where I am today. There is a lot more I need to do and work even harder," she added.

Releasing March 26, it also stars Samir Dattani, Ila Arun, Ravi Kisshan, Sonali Kulkarni and Yashpal Sharma. (IANS)

A 23-year-old employee of a call centre in Noida was allegedly murdered by her team leader, jealous over her dumping him for another man, police said Thursday.

The incident came to light when family members of Pooja Jaiswal, missing since March 1, received information Wednesday night about her body recovered from the waters of Badhkal Lake in the Surajkund area of Faridabad.

According to Noida police, Pooja's body was found by Faridabad police in the Badhkal Lake waters near dense vegetation area March 3.

Her family members said Pooja had gone from her house to near Summervilla School where her team leader Daljeet Singh had called her for a "Holi party". He also reportedly asked Pooja not to bring her identity card and purse.

"When she did not return till next day, we got a missing complaint lodged at Sector-24 police station on March 2 night," Pooja's brother-in-law Dalip Bhatia said.

On the same day, Pooja's family members met Daljeet Singh and asked him about her whereabouts but he enied any knowledge about her.

Superintendent of Police (City) Ashok Kumar Tripathi said: "A case of murder had been registered at Sector-24 on family's complaint against Daljeet Singh and another colleague Sandeep Srivastava. Daljeet has been arrested. He objected to the girl's affair with another person."

Sandeep, according to the family, had worked in the team and had knowledge about Daljeet's proximity to Pooja but still did not reveal to anybody.

Sector 24 police station Inspector B.R. Verma said: "Daljeet has confessed to murder. The girl had an affair with a boy named Amit Chauhan and Daljeet was jealous. He took her to Surajkund March 1 evening, where they had a heated argument following which he pushed her into Badkal Lake." (IANS)

World and Olympic champions Germany outplayed European champions England 4-1 in the semi-final Thursday to set up their third consecutive World Cup final clash with Australia here.

The pre-tournament favourites Aussies played a fast-paced game to prevail over a fighting Netherlands 2-1 in the day's second semi-final outing at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

In the title battle Saturday, Australia will try to prevent Germany from running away with the Cup for the third time on the trot. If Australia win, it will be their second Cup victory, the first coming 24 years ago.

The Kookaburras dominated for the most part of the game and scored once in each half with Luke Doerner (27th minute) converting a penalty corner before Glenn Turner (55th) got a field goal to register their fifth consecutive win after going down to England in the opener.

Down 0-2, the Netherlands struck late through a penalty stroke that saw veteran Taeke Taekema (58th minutes) slam home to be on par with Doerner as tournament top scorers with seven goals. Turner has got one less.

The Aussies, who finished second to Germany in the finals of the last two World Cups, seemed on song from the start and could have won by a bigger margin had they not squandered several easy chances.

The Netherlands, on the other hand, looked dangerous till they conceded the second goal, but showed more resolve in the last few minutes after getting the reducer.

However, their attacks were somewhat blunted with playmaker Teun de Nooijer not at his best in the first half. He played better in the second session but missed a couple of chances.

After Australia went ahead 1-0 following Doerner's drag-flick, the Netherlands attacked repeatedly but failed to cut through the strong rival defence.

Australia doubled the margin as Turner showed his quick reflexes to score on the turn giving no chance to the Dutch custodian Guus Vogels.

The Netherlands made it 2-1 when a Taekema penalty corner came off an Aussie defender and the video umpire decided on the stroke following a referral sought by the Dutch.

In the earlier game, Germany scored through Jan-Marco Montag (6th) and Oliver Korn (11th) to take a 2-0 lead before Richard Smith (18th) converted a penalty corner to pull one back for England. Martin Haner (31st) slotted the third goal for Germany before the halftime.

Two times champion Germany (60th) added one more through Linus Butt and remains on course for a hat-trick of titles.

With the win, Germany also avenged their loss to England in the final of the European championship last year.

The young and inexperienced Germany played their best match of the tournament. The German defence stood like a rock with tight man-to-man marking, offering England no space and opportunity to maneouvre. Captain Maximilian Muller and Haner did a fine job in the deep defence.

The variations in set-piece conversions has been the highlight of the German team in the tournament. They pulled one more from their bag of tricks when Haner flicked the ball into the England goal after being beautifully set up.

England goalkeeper James Fair, put up a good show, but could do little to stop the powerful dragflick of Montag and ended up deflecting the ball into the goal that opened Germany's scoring.

Korn increased the lead deflecting a penalty corner into goal from a close range.

England stepped up the attack and Smith scored from one of them, pushing the ball into German goal. Haner then scored through Germany's fourth penalty corner.

(IANS)

The cricket bookmakers and experts are banking on Delhi Daredevils to win this edition of IPL. Daredevils with is strong batting line-up are hot favourites for IPL 3. Which teams do you think will enter the semi-finals of IPL 2010

Vote for the four probable semifinalists of IPL 3

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is back in India after shifting to South Africa last year because it could not get the expected security as it clashed with the general elections. The third edition of the Twenty20 razzmataz will spring to life Friday night when the 2009 champions Deccan Chargers take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening game in Navi Mumbai.

The tournament has been involved in fresh controversies. First, there were no takers for the Pakistani players at the January mini auction and the IPL authorities and the franchisees came in for severe criticism for not coming up with a satisfactory explanation for ignoring the Twenty20 World champions.

Second, the IPL's restrictive clause on the usage of television footage by the news channels led to their umbrella organisation, the National Broadcasters Association (NBA), threatening to boycott it. The two warring parties are still negotiating and hoping to arrive at a settlement before the first ball is bowled Friday.

The international news agencies also continue to have problems with the IPL.

Then, reigning champions Deccan Chargers had a problem with their home games as they had been shifted out of Hyderabad in view of the Telangana agitation. Eventually, they agreed to move their games out of the state.

The Chargers and the Royal Challengers, who finished at the bottom of the eight-team table in the inaugural edition, bounced back stongly by making the final last year, underscoring the unpredictability of the outcome in the shortest version of the game.

South Africa saw an even contest between the ball and the bat. But India is a study in contrast. The tracks will predictably be batsman-friendly, more so as the pitches would be baked under the summer sun.

Coming to the batsmen's aid are new bats, especially designed for the Twenty20 cricket, for power hitting. Matthew Hayden has come up with the Mongoose bat with a long handle and shorter blade but a bigger sweet spot than the conventional cricket bat. The bowlers are in for a rough ride with the hard-hitting Australian "quite liking" the new bat.

Apart from Hayden, the spotlight would be on a dozen other Australians who have been the star attractions in the last two editions. This time, however, they had to ruminate a lot on safety issues, especially after the Pune blasts, before taking the flight to India.

But quashing all doubts over security, Rajasthan Royals' lastest buy Damien Martyn wrote on his blog: "Our home base has been a fortress. From outside the hotel to inside the grounds, there are policemen everywhere, even to the extent that on each of our floors, there are guards and scanners."

Deccan Chargers' captain Adam Gilchrist feels the relationships forged last year will be the key to success this time around.

"We've got a great bond that is a legacy of last year's victory. It's certainly something that will be an asset for us," Gilchrist was quoted as saying.

The third edition will also see some younger players in action. West Indian speedster Kemar Roach and Mitchell Marsh, the younger brother of Shaun and son of former Australian opener Geoff, have been key inclusions in Deccan Chargers.

"We are very excited about the new players. I am looking forward to playing positive and entertaining cricket again. We've made up for the loss of Fidel Edwards with the inclusion of Kemar -- he was very impressive during West Indies' series in Australia. Then there is young Mitchell, an exciting talent, a hard-hitting batsman and a good bowler," Gilchrist added.

A new feature in this year's IPL would be the strategy breaks. The two-and-a-half minute strategy break can be called between the sixth and eighth overs by the bowling captain.

Mumbai Indians' bowling captain Zaheer Khan feels the new rule will be of help to the bowlers.

"The game is heavily tilted towards the batsmen and this break helps to change the momentum because sometimes the batting team is going after the bowlers and the break helps. Twenty20 cricket is so dynamic and the teams are rushing between the overs. A two-and-half minute break will help to regroup," Zaheer said.
(IANS)

"Aamir" fame actor Rajeev Khandelwal, who was happy being attached to his girlfriend Manjiri Kamtikar, is getting engaged in May to comply with his lady love's parent's wishes.

"Manjari and her parents come from a world far removed from cinema and the entertainment industry. They don't understand the workings of Bollywood and their knowledge of what goes on here is based on what they read and see on television. You can't blame them for thinking actors are not to be trusted," Rajeev told IANS.

Manjari's parents were anxious that he make the association formal and Rajeev volunteered an engagement ceremony.

"But I don't know how it got out. I haven't discussed it with anyone. Manjari's parents or my parents, in all their innocence, must have shared the information with some people," he said.

Rajeev enjoys the distance that his girlfriend provides from the goings-on in the industry.

"She works in an ad agency and is far removed from show world. She keeps me grounded. I'm looking forward to spending my life with her." (IANS)

Composers beware! Lifting Arabic tunes is no more a cakewalk as composers would have to take permission from music label T-series before using them.

Rotana Publishing, a leading producer-distributor of Arabic music and films in the world, and T-Series have entered into an agreement to represent each other's catalogue in the Middle East and India respectively.

Under the Agreement, T-Series will have exclusive rights to the Arabic catalogue and compositions of Rotana Music for exploitation in India for adaptation of Arabic compositions to Indian film songs, master use synchronizations, broadcasting and public performances.

Similarly, Rotana will have exclusive publishing rights of the T-Series catalogue in the Middle East.

"We are really excited to have joined hands with Rotana and are working diligently to establish a comprehensive and legitimate music publishing network," said T-Series chairman and managing director Bhushan Kumar.

"The alliance will create larger opportunities for the music and entertainment industry by legitimising content usage in India and the Middle East," he added.

Echoing the sentiment, Rotana Audiovisual president Salem Al Hindi said: "Today, Arabic music has become popular and global, so in Rotana we are keen to make sure our music is reaching the Indian and international audience in a legitimate manner away from piracy."
(IANS)

Malaysia-based low-cost airline Air Asia is all set to fly to five more Indian cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai - this year, a company official said Thursday.

The airline is also awaiting clearances to start long haul flights to Delhi and Kolkata from Bangkok.

"We are waiting for the regulatory clearances to fly Kolkata-Bangkok and Delhi-Bangkok. Meanwhile, we will start flying to five more Indian cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai this year," Kathleen Tan, regional head (Commercial) of Air Asia, told reporters here.

"We have opened the ticket bookings for the new Indian destinations," she said.

Air Asia will thus be connecting nine Indian cities. The airline currently connects Kolkata, Tiruchirapalli (Trichy), Trivandrum and Kochi to Kuala Lumpur.

Spencer Lee, marketing manager (India), said Air Asia will connect two Malaysian cities - Kuala Lumpur and Penang - with Chennai.

In respect of Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, it will fly only to Kuala Lumpur.

Tan said the airline had reduced cost by faster turnaround of aircrafts (25 minutes) in case of short haul flights and 60 minutes in case of long haul flights.

"We took airport officials in Trichy to Malaysia to train them on faster turnaround of planes. We are now able to fly out from Trichy within 25 minutes of our landing there," she said.

According to her, the turnaround time in Mumbai airport is around 80 minutes.

"For us, aircraft turnaround time is more important than carrying cargo. The time saved in loading and unloading of cargo is utilised for short distance flying from Kuala Lumpur," she told IANS after the media meeting.

The other reason for the airline's success is the optimum utilisation of its cabin crew by multi-tasking them.

"The cabin crew size is four in case of short haul flights and nine in respect of long haul, whereas in the case of other airlines it is six and 12 respectively. This saves a lot of fixed overhead," she said.

Operating in India since November 2008, Tan said the airline enjoyed a load factor of around 80 percent.
(IANS)

Sky gazers are set for a week-long celestial treat from Saturday with the start of Messier marathon, an annual astronomy event.

The event is named after French astronomer Charles Messier, who compiled a list of 110 relatively bright deep sky objects - galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. The list is known as the Messier Catalogue. During the "Messier marathon" an attempt is made to find as many Messier Objects as possible during one night.

Astronomers use the catalogue to identify the deep sky objects.

"Amateur astronomers across the globe wait for the month of March for this special marathon and this year the favourable days are between March 13-20 when there will be less hindrance from moonlight," said C.B. Devgun, director for Science Popularisation at the Association of Communicators & Educators (SPACE).

SPACE is an organisation working for spreading science awareness among people.

Amateurs need a dark site to observe the night skies and lot of patience and observational skills to catch all the objects in one night, he said.

"The observation can be done with a combination of astronomy equipment from binoculars to telescopes and some even with the naked eye," said Devgun.

Astronomica, a team of amateur astronomer's of SPACE, is going to Sariska in Rajasthan, one of the best spots to view the night sky, he said.

"We call upon all amateurs astronomers to watch the Messier objects and submit their data to SPACE, where it will be compiled into a report," he added.
(IANS)

The central government Thursday banned Fashion TV for nine days for showing topless women, which offended "good taste and decency".

The information and broadcasting ministry said it was prohibiting transmission of the FTV Channel from 7 p.m. on March 12 to the same time March 21 "through cable television networks and any other platforms throughout the country".

According to a statement, a programme on FTV channel telecast Sep 4, 2009, showed "women with nude upper body which was offending against good taste and decency."

"The visuals were found to be obscene, denigrating women and were not suitable for children and unrestricted public exhibition," the statement said.

The ministry said that the channel had violated the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

This is the not the first time that the government has taken such a decision against the channel.

The ministry had prohibited its transmission from April 1 to May 30, 2007 on grounds of "telecasting programmes such as 'Midnight Hot' wherein skimpily dressed and semi-naked models were shown".

The prohibition was revoked May 25, 2007 after FTV.com India channel regretted its error and assured that such a thing will not be repeated in future, the statement said.
(IANS)

Tata DOCOMO has launched their all new ‘Diet Postpay’ Plans. Through the revolutionary ‘pay for what you use’ plans, Tata DOCOMO Postpay users will now be able to cut up to 18% of their bill’s flab across Local, STD and Roaming.

Tata DOCOMO “Diet Postpay Plans “offer refreshingly different and flexible plans to the Postpay users. With more than 100 options to help them customize the plans as per their unique needs, the Postpay customers will get the opportunity to make their plans by choosing the service they use most frequently, be it Local, STD or SMS.

To check the ‘fitness’ of your current Postpay plan you can visit ‘ www.tatadocomo.com/postpaid.aspx ’.

Mongoose bat to be used by Hayden, Symonds, Dwayne Smith in IPL

Former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden Thursday formally launched the evolutionary "Mongoose" bat that has a longer handle and smaller blade but a bigger sweet spot than the conventional cricket bat.

The burly southpaw demonstrated "power hitting" on the sidelines of a media conference here and endorsed the product, saying it had a faster bat speed besides power designed specifically for Twenty20 cricket.

The Mongoose bat, named after the animal known for its ferocity, is said to be a "ball crusher" and Hayden, known for his big-hitting, said: "Cricket has advanced and evolved over the years in terms of the way it is played and also the equipment. Initially, I was skeptical of the Mongoose bat, but after playing three balls and some adjustments, I quite liked it."

In the ensuing third edition of Indian Premier League, Hayden, who represents Chennai Super Kings, along with compatriot Andrew Symonds (Deccan Chargers) and West Indian Dwayne Smith (Deccan Chargers), would be using the Mongoose bat, according to its creator Marcus Codrington Fernandez, Director, Mongoose Cricket Ltd.

Fernandez said the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) had declared the bat legal and permitted its use in India and worldwide.

The handle of the Mongoose bat is 43 per cent longer and the blade 33 per cent shorter than the conventional bat. "Since there is no splice, the sweet spot is increased by 120 per cent," he said.

For the moment, 100 bats in two categories will be launched in India and all of them would be signed by Hayden, according to Fernandez. They are priced at between Rs. 17,000 and Rs. 23,000.

Hayden said the bat has good balance besides tremendous bat speed. "Twenty20 is about scoring runs quickly. I am sure the Mongoose bat is ideal for this format.

"I am very excited by the potential of this bat and I feel just like Twenty20, it will also be accepted," Hayden said while asserting the small size of the bat would not be a handicap in playing short-pitched balls or bouncers.

Fernandez hoped some of the top Indian players would also endorse his product. "But Indian cricketers are far too expensive, but provide a lot of value. I would love to have somebody like Sachin Tendulkar or Virender Sehwag use the Mongoose bat," he said.
(IANS)

Univeristy of Lucknow (LKO) University has announced the Schedule of Annual Examination 2010.

The schedule of various courses can be downloaded here

Bank of Baroda, one of the leading banks in India has invited applications from qualified candidates for the recruitment of Probationary Officers in its various branches all over India.

Around 1200 vacancies are advertised in the Bank as Probationary Officers in Junior Management Grade / Scale-I.

Candidates can apply only ‘online’

Detailed advertisement in Bank’s website createSummaryAndThumb2("summary7823996929289695393","Bank of Baroda PO Recruitment Online Application www.bankofbaroda.com","http://www.weeksupdate.com/2010/03/bank-of-baroda-po-recruitment-online.html","3:08 PM","0");

Channel V "Papa Kancha" Behind the scenes http://bit.ly/9pNybW



'Dare 2 Date' is an anti-romance, anti-mush series where VJ Andy plays both Cupid and Devil and pairs together two people who are the complete opposite of the other's idea of their perfect match

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) has launched their fan club titled KXIP Lion’s den. The fan club consist of KXIP Cub Club (for children below 15 years), KXIP Gold, KXIP Platinum and KXIP NRI cards which aims to make members of different categories.

KXIP also unveiled their two new mascots - Rocky and Ranjit. The mascots in animation form would be aired on multitude of digital channels.



Rocky is the face of the new generation - brash, eager and flamboyant in appearance. He loves to hit sixes, and on the field, he prefers to let his bat do the talking. As the assistant coach, he serves as the perfect foil for the steadier Ranjit.

Ranjit Singh He symbolizes the wisdom of the previous generation which, along with his iron will, makes him the perfect head coach, out scouting for new talent.

Amitabh Bachchan has accepted Kerala's request to become the state's brand ambassador to promote tourism, state Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said Thursday.

As soon as Big B expressed his willingness to become a brand ambassador to promote Kerala tourism last month, a letter to this effect was written to him, Balakrishnan told IANS.

"Yesterday (Wednesday) I got his letter stating that he is willing to become the brand ambassador and for that he is prepared to start a dialogue. I have asked the tourism director to have a discussion to this effect," said Balakrishnan.

Big B was in the state for a few functions last month. It was then, during an interview to a TV channel, that the actor said he would gladly accept the offer to become Kerala tourism's brand ambassador.

" I tried to get in touch with him, but I was told he was out of station. The government is willing to go ahead with him and the final decision to this effect will be made after knowing all the conditions he puts forward," said Balakrishnan.
(IANS)

Bollywood actor Preity Zinta was Thursday appointed the goodwill ambassador for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV-AIDS (UNAIDS) in India, officials said.

Preity has accepted the appointment and will work to create awareness on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, with an emphasis on women, children and oppressed classes.

She will support the UNAIDS mission of empowering women and girls to protect themselves and live a full and productive life.

The actress will advocate reducing societal stigma and discrimination faced by the people living with HIV through her IPL team Kings XI Punjab.

(IANS)

Indians Mukesh Ambani and Lakshmi Mittal figured among world's top ten billionaires as Mexican tycoon Carlo Slim Helu beat Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to become the wealthiest person on earth.

Besides fourth ranked Reliance Industries chairman Ambani and fifth placed steel czar Mittal, four other Indians were among top 50 in 2010 Forbes list of the World's Billionaires released Wednesday with as many 49 Indians joining company with the planet's 1,011 richest people.

With his fortune swelling to an estimated $53.5 billion, up $18.5 billion in 12 months, Slim surged ahead of Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, who had held the title of world's richest 14 of the past 15 years, the US business magazine noted.

Gates, now worth $53 billion, is ranked second in the world. He is up $13 billion from a year ago as shares of Microsoft rose 50 percent in 12 months. Buffett's fortune jumped $10 billion to $47 billion on rising shares of Berkshire Hathaway. He ranks third.

Eleven countries have at least double the number of billionaires they had a year ago, including China, India, Turkey and South Korea.

Fourth placed Mukesh Ambani with a fortune of $29 billion has global ambitions, Forbes said. So has his younger brother Anil Ambani ranked 36 with a $13.7 billion fortune.

Fifth ranked Lakshmi Mittal with a fortune of $28.7 billion is "looking to expand in his native India; wants to build steel mills in Jharkhad and Orissa but has not received government approval," Forbes noted describing him as "London's richest resident" who oversees ArcelorMittal, world's largest steel maker

Azim Premji with a fortune of $17.0 billion was ranked 28. "Software czar chairs $5.5 billion (revenues) Wipro, country's third-largest software exporter. Reported jump in net profits in last 2 quarters, signaling a rebound for US-dependent outsourcing giant."

Shashi & Ravi Ruia brothers took the 40th spot with a fortune of $13.0 billion. Their "$15 billion (revenues) Essar Group has weathered downturn and embarked on an expansion drive in all its businesses, including steel, oil and power."

Last among the Indians in top 50 was Savitri Jindal, ranked 44th, with a fortune of $12.2 billion. She took over as head of O.P. Jindal Group after her husband died in a helicopter crash in 2005.

Among other Indians on the billionaires list were Kushal Pal Singh (74), Kumar Birla (86), Sunil Mittal (87), Anil Agarwal (113), Adi Godrej & family (148), Shiv Nadar (201), N.R. Narayana Murthy & family (616), Rahul Bajaj (880) and Vijay Mallya (937).

(IANS)

Manoranjan "Mano" Misra, an Indian American professor known for turning coffee grounds and chicken feathers into fuel, been honoured as the 2010 Regents' Researcher by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.

Misra, director of the University of Nevada, Reno's Renewable Energy Centre, has published 183 technical papers in the areas of materials, nanotechnology and environmental and mineral process engineering, according to Nevada News.

A faculty member since 1988, he has had 10 patents published and another 12 are pending. He has secured over $25 million dollars in grant funding.

Misra's work also includes applied nano-technology for solar hydrogen generation, hydrogen storage, biomaterials for prosthetic implantation and sensor technology.

Misra's work in the removal of arsenic from drinking water has earned him national recognition, as well as three patents. Several industries have taken licenses from the University to use his arsenic technology for water purification.

His patented process for mercury removal from the cyanide streams of gold mining operations is being used in Nevada and internationally. Misra's recent research in renewal energy, more specifically in using coffee grounds and chicken feathers to produce biodiesel fuel, has garnered media attention.

Misra's expertise is also recognised for his service as a reviewer for 12 different journals, including Science and Nature. He also is a panel reviewer for the Department of Energy- Alternative Energy, National Science Foundation and the Department of Defence, among others.

He has been a professor in the department of chemical and metallurgical engineering since 1993 and served for six years as the chair of the metallurgical and materials engineering department.

Currently he is the director of the Centre for Mineral Bioprocessing and Remediation and is on the faculty of the environmental science and engineering department and the biomedical engineering department.
(IANS)

"The Last Sunset" by erstwhile royal and former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh dominates non-fiction this week while Stieg Larsson's "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest" climbs four steps to take the number one fiction spot on the bestseller list.

The top 10 in each category are:

Non-fiction

1. "The Last Sunset"

Author: Amarinder Singh

Publisher: Roli Books

Price: Rs.695.00

2. "Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy"

Author: Joseph Stiglitz

Publisher: Allen Lane

Price: Rs.499.00

3. "India's Economy"

Author: Shankar Acharya and Rakesh Mohan

Publisher: Oxford

Price: Rs.795.00

4. "Victoria and Abdul"

Author: Shrabani Basu

Publisher: Rupa & Co

Price: Rs.395.00

5. "Biryani"

Author: Pratibha Karan

Publisher: Random House

Price: Rs.795.00

6. "When China Rules The World"

Author: Martin Jacques

Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane

Price: Rs.699.00

7. "Becoming Indian"

Author: Pavan K. Varma

Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane

Price: Rs.499.00

8. "The Difficulty of Being Good: On The Subtle Art of Dharma"

Author: Gurcharan Das

Publisher: Penguin/Allen Lane

Price: Rs.699.00

9. "The Tryst Betrayed"

Author: Jagat S. Mehta

Publisher: Penguin Viking

Price: Rs.550.00

10. "80 Questions To Understand India"

Author: Murad Ali Baig

Publisher: Tara Press

Price: Rs.395.00

Fiction

1. "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest"

Author: Stieg Larsson

Publisher: Quercus

Price: Rs.495.00

2. "2 States: The Story of My Marriage"

Author: Chetan Bhagat

Publisher: Rupa

Price: Rs.95.00

3. "The Palace of Illusions"

Author: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Publisher: Picador

Price: Rs.395.00

4. "The Museum Of Innocence"

Author: Orhan Pamuk

Publisher: Faber And Faber

Price: Rs.599.00

5. "The House on Mall Road"

Author: Mohyna Srinivasan

Publisher: Penguin Books

Price: Rs.325.00

6. "Delhi Durbar"

Author: Krishan Partap Singh

Publisher: Hachette India

Price: Rs.195.00

7. "I, Alex Cross"

Author: James Patterson

Publisher: Century

Price: Rs.550.00

8. "Way to Go"

Author: Upamanyu Chatterjee

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton/Penguin

Price: Rs.499.00

9. "Worst Case"

Author: James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Publisher: Century

Price: Rs.550.00

10. "The Complaints"

Author: Ian Rankin

Publisher: Orion

Price: Rs.595.00

(IANS)

They plan to dance their way into the Guinness Book of World Records. Around 12,000 young men and women in Mizoram will move rhythmically between clicking bamboo stilts to set a record as the largest dance congregation in the world Friday.

"Over 11,900 dancers in traditional costumes from all the eight Mizoram districts will assemble at the Assam Rifles ground in the heart of Aizawl to demonstrate the world's largest and longest dance ensemble," Mizoram Art and Culture Minister P.C. Zoramsangliana told IANS.

The bamboo dance, locally known as Cheraw dance, is part of the biggest and most popular traditional Mizo festival Chapchar Kut - Mizoram's harvest festival - celebrated to mark the end of winter and the arrival of spring.

Cheraw is the most colourful of Mizo dances. Dancers move by stepping alternately in and out from between and across a pair of horizontal bamboo poles, held on either side by people sitting face to face.

The bamboo poles produce a clicking sound that forms the rhythm of the dance.

"Originally, the dance was performed only to ensure and wish safe passage for the soul of a mother who died at childbirth. Cheraw is a dance of skill and alert minds," the minister said.

"Cheraw is, therefore, a dance of sanctification and redemption performed with great care, precision and elegance."

The minister said the adjudicator of the Guinness World Records would witness the mass dance extravaganza Friday.

"Last year, the largest dance gathering was held at Cebu in the Philippines, where 7,700 people jived together," he said.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and a host of other dignitaries from different parts of the country are expected to witness Mizoram's attempt to set a record for its customary bamboo dance.

Ashish Bhowmik, an expert on Mizo life and culture, said: "Cheraw is a very old traditional dance of the Mizos. It is believed that the dance existed way back in the first century when Mizos were still somewhere in the Yunan Province of China, before their migration into the Chin Hills in the 13th century and eventually to the present Mizoram.

"Some of the tribes living in Southeast Asia have similar dances in one form or the other with different names."

He said the dance is now performed on almost all festive occasions. Gongs and drums are also used to accompany the dance. These days modern music also complements the dance.

(IANS)

Those below 18 years of age will not be able to purchase cellphone cards under the new rules being enforced by the Bangladesh government.

"Over 200,000 mobile phone connections have so far been cancelled following allegations of various criminal offences, including extortion, issuance of threats, and other forms of harassment," Home Minister Sahara Khatun told reporters Wednesday.

Over 1.2 million unregistered SIM (subscriber identity module) and RUIM (removable user identity module) cards have so far been blocked.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her nephew and lawmaker Fazle Noor Taposh are among those who recently received threatening SMS messages, The Daily Star reported.

Those who are over 18 must put their national identity numbers on registration forms to become subscribers.

Restrictions were also slapped on getting authority certificates for selling the cards. Applicants for the certificates from service providers must have secondary school certificates and go through police verification.

Bangladesh's total telephone users stood at around 56 million at the end of January 2010.
(IANS)

The examination system of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is updated from time to time to keep it in harmony with the changing environment. In regard to the Civil Services Examination (CSE) the Prime Minister has approved the proposal for introduction of Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) in place of the existing Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination. The CSAT is expected to come into effect from Civil Services Examination, 2011.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Shri Prithviraj Chavan in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

Want to watch an Indian Premier League (IPL) match live? No need to go to the stadium. Just book a ticket at the nearest cinema hall and enjoy it in airconditioned comfort.

For the first time in the country, a unique project will be implemented to show the forthcoming IPL-2010 matches live in over 1,000 cinema halls around the country, including around 50 in Mumbai, from March 12.

"Any match, played anywhere in the country, during the entire 45-day IPL-III season, shall be beamed live in multiplexes and single screen cinemas in a high definition digital format," an excited Sanjay Gaikwad, managing director of UFO Movies India Limited, which is spearheading the project, said Wednesday.

Cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar has been roped in to popularise the concept - he bought and autographed the first cinema ticket for an IPL match.

The autographed ticket was purchased by Vikram Kakade, a die-hard cricket fan from Pune, for a whopping Rs.11 lakh, which will be donated to a city NGO, Apnalya.

"This is truly a brilliant initiative, especially for the far-flung regions of our country where cricket fans cannot experience the stadium energy. I am delighted to give away this first theatre ticket and wish all my fans a great experience watching cricket in cinema halls," Sachin remarked.

Later, Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra presented a theatrical ticket of IPL-3 to Amit Jain, Operational Manager of Ford Figo, which is the main sponsor for IPL 2010 in cinemas.

As there are no major Bollywood releases slated during the IPL season, which coincides with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations, the venture would enable cinema halls to make up for lost revenue and the government would continue to earn entertainment tax.

"As for the patrons, they can watch the entire cricket match live on gigantic movie screens in air-conditioned comforts, without commercial breaks," Gaikwad said.

The participating cinema halls, including Cinemax, Fame, Inox, PVR, are making special arrangements to make the cricket in cinema halls a truly memorable experience.

There will be a carnival-like atmosphere with special multi-cuisine restaurants, live bands performing in the theatre foyers, cheerleaders to welcome the patrons, cricket merchandise stalls and gifts, Gaikwad said.

In Mumbai region, the live IPL cricket matches will be shown in New Excelsior, Meghraj, Movie Gem, Roxy, Star City, Jai Ganesh, Saaz, Broadway, Ashok and Anil in Ulhasnagar (Thane), and Broadway in Bhiwandi, among others.

(IANS)