New Delhi: The launch of the India Tennis League (ITL) will give the sport a much needed boost in the country, players and coaches feel. The ITL, which is on the lines of the highly successful Indian Premier League (IPL), is an initiative of the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to take the game to the next level and develop tennis in India.
Indian tennis has been in the need for sponsorships for long and ITL shows the promise, which was long awaited. The ITL will provide an opportunity to young budding players to be a part of franchise teams.
The ITL will be played over two weeks in December, kicking off this year. In the first edition, five franchisee-sponsored teams will battle it out in on a home-away basis in 20 ties, the top two teams from the round robin making the final.
Each franchisee will pick 10 players, two of them foreign players, four from the national circuit and four more from the juniors. The teams will have men's and women's icon players.
A tie constitutes five rubbers --- men's singles and doubles, women's singles and doubles and mixed doubles.
Delhi player Ankita Bhambri said the initiative, if takes place as planned, will be a boon for the junior players as many of them quit tennis fairly early due to lack of funds.
"The AITA has been working on this for some time and I hope it seriously takes off this time round. It looks like a really fascinating concept and should draw a lot of players to it. Most importantly it will be really good for the junior players as it will give them an opportunity to rub shoulders with the experiences and world ranked players," Ankita told IANS.
"We all know it is very difficult to pursue a sport on your own. Sponsorship has always been a huge problem. We need something that can push players to the next level."
Andhra Pradesh's Vishnu Vardhan agreed.
"I spoke to AITA chief (Anil) Khanna sir about this sometime back and he was really excited about it. In India, only 2-3 top players could get sponsorships, so ITL comes across like a good opportunity. If ITL gets even half the success of IPL, then nothing like it," he said.
Khanna honestly believes that the ITL should give Indian tennis the much-needed thrust and it will be a boon for junior players, most of whom end up as tennis drop-outs.
Former Davis Cupper Jaideep Mukherjea welcomed the launch of ITL but also had a word of caution, saying it will not be easy for AITA to rope in top players.
"It definitely looks a good proposal. I really hope it takes off as it will be of great help to the junior players. But I don't think any of the current top players will make to the league. It will only attract those foreign players who are no longer playing on the circuit like Pete Sampras and Andre Aggasi and even their consent could be tough to get," Mukherjea said.
"Also, raising adequate money for the whole programme won't be enough."
India's Davis Cup coach S.P. Misra, who was in Mumbai during the launch, said the AITA at the moment was looking at retrired players.
"All Indian players will be playing. There will be five teams of 8-10 players including a male icon, a female icon and top Indian players, players who play in ITF and challengers and junior players.
AITA is looking for a franchisees and says that within a week, something concrete should come about.
Sports marketing company Golazo has been roped in to scout for franchisees and overseas players.
"We've already got cracking and are talking with overseas players and corporates. It is better to keep these names a secret for the time being," said Ivan Brixi, president of Golazo Asia.
A six-member executive committee headed by Khanna will oversee the operations of the league.
In a bid to bring in some transparency, it is decided that no AITA member will own a franchisee and Khanna is open to the suggestion to bring the body under the purview of the Right To Information (RTI) Act. (IANS)
On Board Air India One: Almost a week after his meeting with Barack Obama when he told the US president that India was eagerly looking forward to his visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said the American president would be coming on his first state visit to India in August or October. "Obama will come to India in August or October," Manmohan Singh told journalists on board his special craft when asked about the US president's visit to India.
"Dates are yet to be finalized," the prime minister said.
The prime minister Saturday returned home after an eight-day visit to the US and Brazil where he participated in three multilateral summits and held over half a dozen bilateral meetings with world leaders.
Manmohan Singh held wide-ranging talks with Obama April 11 in Washington on a host of issues, including the civil nuclear deal, counter-terror cooperation and the situation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
Manmohan Singh had told Obama that "India was eagerly looking forward to his visit". Obama had "caught the imagination of millions around the world, including the people of India who were anxious to see him soon in our country", the prime minister told Obama.
When Obama comes to New Delhi, he would become the first US president in more than 30 years to visit India in the first two years of his first term. Jimmy Carter was the last to do so during his first term in office.
The last US president to visit India was Obama's predecessor George W. Bush in March 2006. However, Bush visited India in his second term. So did his predecessor Bill Clinton.(IANS)
Bangalore:(IANS) Two low-intensity explosions, one at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and another half-a-kilometre away, before the start of an Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians Saturday injured five people and caused panic among the spectators.
Explosives placed near the outer wall of the stadium went off at around 3.15 p.m., 45 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the match, which was delayed by an hour. Four policemen and a private security guard were injured, Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari told reporters at the stadium.
"It appears an explosive was planted near gate no 12 behind a plastic billboard. Four policemen suffered minor injuries while a security guard was seriously hurt," Bidari said.
"It was not a powerful explosive. Forensic experts will examine the site and determined the nature of the explosive," he said.
Another explosion took place at around 3 p.m. near Anil Kumble Circle, less than half-a-kilometre from the stadium, Deputy Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar told IANS. No one was hurt in the explosion.
The explosives appeared to have been kept in a bush, Alok Kumar said.
There was utter confusion at gate no 12B of the stadium as the explosion caused a loud noise and hundreds of fans waiting to enter the stadium ran helter and skelter.
Sirens of police vans and ambulances only added to the panic. At first it was thought that a overheated generator had exploded. Forensic experts visited the two places to examine the nature of explosives.
When the explosion near the stadium gate took place, thousands of spectators were already inside the stadium.
Soon after the blast, police closed all the gates to the stadium and were a harried lot, answering questions from the increasingly restless fans on the reasons for not allowing them in.
Players of both the teams were asked to return to their dressing rooms till police gave the go ahead for the match, which began at 5 p.m., an hour's delay.
"The match will go on. There is no need for panic. I appeal to all fans to subject to security checks, cooperate with the police and enjoy the game," Bidari said.
Alok Kumar said police have no clue about who placed the explosive in the two places.
The nearly full stadium of 40,000 capacity did not show any signs of being affected by the explosions as fans roared when the two captains, Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar, came out for the toss which the former won and elected for the Royal Challengers Bangalore to bowl.
Both teams have already made it to the semifinals of the IPL.
Explosives placed near the outer wall of the stadium went off at around 3.15 p.m., 45 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the match, which was delayed by an hour. Four policemen and a private security guard were injured, Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari told reporters at the stadium.
"It appears an explosive was planted near gate no 12 behind a plastic billboard. Four policemen suffered minor injuries while a security guard was seriously hurt," Bidari said.
"It was not a powerful explosive. Forensic experts will examine the site and determined the nature of the explosive," he said.
Another explosion took place at around 3 p.m. near Anil Kumble Circle, less than half-a-kilometre from the stadium, Deputy Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar told IANS. No one was hurt in the explosion.
The explosives appeared to have been kept in a bush, Alok Kumar said.
There was utter confusion at gate no 12B of the stadium as the explosion caused a loud noise and hundreds of fans waiting to enter the stadium ran helter and skelter.
Sirens of police vans and ambulances only added to the panic. At first it was thought that a overheated generator had exploded. Forensic experts visited the two places to examine the nature of explosives.
When the explosion near the stadium gate took place, thousands of spectators were already inside the stadium.
Soon after the blast, police closed all the gates to the stadium and were a harried lot, answering questions from the increasingly restless fans on the reasons for not allowing them in.
Players of both the teams were asked to return to their dressing rooms till police gave the go ahead for the match, which began at 5 p.m., an hour's delay.
"The match will go on. There is no need for panic. I appeal to all fans to subject to security checks, cooperate with the police and enjoy the game," Bidari said.
Alok Kumar said police have no clue about who placed the explosive in the two places.
The nearly full stadium of 40,000 capacity did not show any signs of being affected by the explosions as fans roared when the two captains, Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar, came out for the toss which the former won and elected for the Royal Challengers Bangalore to bowl.
Both teams have already made it to the semifinals of the IPL.
Bangalore: A fateful but providential decision by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) saved a precious Indo-Israeli science payload from crashing into the sea in the failed GSLV launch mission Thursday.Under the original plan, the ultraviolet telescope called TAUVEX was to be carried by GSAT-4, which plunged into the Bay of Bengal after the indigenously built cryogenic stage failed to fire up.
But as it turned out, for technical reasons, ISRO decided at the last minute not to include the TAUVEX and the rocket flew without it. And now the payload is safe in ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) in Bangalore awaiting next launch.
A collaborative experiment between the Tel Aviv University (TAU) and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIAP) in Bangalore, TAUVEX aimed to image large parts of the sky in the ultraviolet band to understand how stars formed and the physics of black holes.
Under an agreement signed with the Israeli space agency in 2003, ISRO was expected to launch it as early as in 2005 but for various reasons it was getting postponed.
In 2008, a decision was taken to include it as one of the payloads of GSAT-4 but this plan was also dropped about three months before the actual launch.
"The TAUVEX payload had already been mounted on GSAT-4 and we were expecting it would be put into space by GSLV's latest mission," Jayant Murthy, of the IIAP and principal investigator of the experiment from the Indian side, told IANS.
"But the payload was stripped off in January this year and since then it has been in ISAC," he said.
If the next launch is again delayed for too long "we have to check the payload again", he said.
The TAUVEX payload, weighing about 80 kg was apparently taken off the GSAT-4 to reduce the risk to the mission due to overloading, Murthy said.
"The TAUVEX team expresses our deep regret at the failure of the GSAT-4 launch," Murthy said in a statement posted on the TAUVEX website.
"We have benefited greatly from our association with the GSAT-4 team and have the highest regard for their professionalism and ability to overcome adversity."
Similar feelings have been expressed by Murthy's Israeli counterpart Noah Brosch, director of the Wise Observatory at TAU.
"We prayed for a successful launch but instead saw the launch failure as it happened," Brosch has been quoted as saying in Space News, an international magazine published from Washington.
"As to TAUVEX, with hindsight, I am obviously relieved that it remained safely on the ground," he said and hoped that TAUVEX's launch "will take place shortly so that the Indian and Israeli astronomical communities would benefit from the data gathered by it".
While an ISRO expert panel will meet in Thiruvananthapuram Sunday to analyse the telemetry data from the ill-fated mission to pin point the cause of failure, a former ISRO scientist, who worked on cryogenic engines in the early stages of its development, says an explosion cannot be ruled out.
The Space News magazine quoting Nambi Narayanan, who formerly headed the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, said that explosion can occur during "hard start" - that is when a rich mixture of fuel and oxidizer is suddenly ignited in vacuum.
"While the cryoengine had been extensively tested and reviewed by experts within and outside ISRO it was not tested in conditions simulating high altitude," Narayan was quoted as saying.
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to develop a park on a 20-acre plot in Hyderabad in memory of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.
The park will come up close to the Imax theatre near the picturesque Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city, Municipal Administration Minister Anam Ramnayarana Reddy told reporters Saturday, adding that five companies would prepare the design for the park.
The construction work will begin before Sep 2, Rajasekhara Reddy's first death anniversary.
YSR, as Rajasekhara Reddy was popularly known, his secretary, his chief security officer and two pilots were killed when the chopper carrying them from Hyderabad to Chittoor district crashed in bad weather in Kurnool district Sep 2, 2009.
The government has also decided to develop a memorial at Pavuralagutta in the Nallamalla forests of Kurnool district, where the chopper had crashed. The minister said private land would also be acquired for the memorial.
The state cabinet had last year cleared a proposal to develop a YSR memorial on 1,412 hectares of land at a cost of Rs.3.15 crore. The memorial is proposed to have a four km trekking track to the accident site on a hillock, a peacock breeding centre and an elephant sanctuary.
A third memorial for YSR would be built at Idupulapaya, his family estate in Kadapa district where he was laid to rest. This memorial will come up on 6.7 hectares, the minister said. (IANS)
The park will come up close to the Imax theatre near the picturesque Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city, Municipal Administration Minister Anam Ramnayarana Reddy told reporters Saturday, adding that five companies would prepare the design for the park.
The construction work will begin before Sep 2, Rajasekhara Reddy's first death anniversary.
YSR, as Rajasekhara Reddy was popularly known, his secretary, his chief security officer and two pilots were killed when the chopper carrying them from Hyderabad to Chittoor district crashed in bad weather in Kurnool district Sep 2, 2009.
The government has also decided to develop a memorial at Pavuralagutta in the Nallamalla forests of Kurnool district, where the chopper had crashed. The minister said private land would also be acquired for the memorial.
The state cabinet had last year cleared a proposal to develop a YSR memorial on 1,412 hectares of land at a cost of Rs.3.15 crore. The memorial is proposed to have a four km trekking track to the accident site on a hillock, a peacock breeding centre and an elephant sanctuary.
A third memorial for YSR would be built at Idupulapaya, his family estate in Kadapa district where he was laid to rest. This memorial will come up on 6.7 hectares, the minister said. (IANS)
Chennai, April 17 (IANS) The landmark Volkswagen Polo Cup India touring car series that is to be run as part of the 2010 JK Tyre National Racing Championship has attracted a record 1,100 entries for the 20 slots on the start grid that will be finalised after a four-tier selection and evaluation process.Speaking to IANS here Saturday, Sanjay Sharma, head of motor sport at JK Tyre, said the pruning process of the aspirants, all in the age group of 16 to 24 years, involved initial administrative checks that reduced the number to 713, who were then subjected to interviews to arrive at a figure of 450.
"These 450 youngsters have been invited to Kolhapur to undergo further tests in Polo car simulators that have been flown in from Germany, on April 23-25. The simulator runs are for absolute rookies with no racing experience. They will then graduate to four-stroke go-karts and then to two-stroke where they will be joined by those with some racing background.
"We will then shortlist 40 candidates who will take part in the final evaluation process in Coimbatore on May 15 and 16 when they actually get to drive the Polo Cup car.
"While JK Tyre will provide some support, the evaluation will be done by experts appointed by Volkswagen," Sharma disclosed.
The Polo Cup India series is the latest by Volkswagen who run similar championships in South Africa, Europe and Japan.
The entry fee for the six-round championship is Rs 240,000 and the amount covers fireproof racing overall, helmet, HANS (Head And Neck Support system) and service back-up, besides hospitality during the race weekends.
The champion of the series will be decided on the basis of cumulative points that range from 60 to two for each of the six rounds.
The Polo Cup championship will be run in a controlled environment that disallows any set-up changes or modifications to the car with the exception of three-way adjustable front stabilizer and tyre pressure.
One of the main benefits of the championship is that top performers in the Polo Cup would be part of the driver exchange programme that enables them to travel abroad to participate in similar Volkswagen championships and partner series.
New Delhi: Amitabh Bachchan will work for free in a forthcoming film starring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal. "Mohanlal, great exponent of his art and craft, one of the finest actors of the country, from Kerala and Malayalam cinema had come over to finalize dates and schedules for the film he is making directed by Capt Ravi," Amitabh posted on his blog bigb.bigadda.com
"It's a small guest appearance and I had agreed. They had come over to officially sign me on and make payments etc...Payments? For a guest appearance of 3 days? With Mohanlal who has always had my greatest admiration? No way !! I don’t charge money for such acts. And told them so.
"I shall just gloat in the honour that I shall derive by working in a Malayalam film and that too with the exceptional Mohanlal."
The yet-to-be titled film will be shot at Ooty in Tamil Nadu. (IANS)
New Delhi: Actress Raima Sen, known for experimental and offbeat roles in "Chokher Bali" and "Antar Mahal", says she now wants to show her glamorous avatar on the big screen."Yes, why not. I'm all for glamour and I would love to portray a glamorous character," Raima, who showcased her talents in both Hindi as well as regional movies, told IANS in an interview.
She made her debut with "Godmother" in 1999, followed by Rituparno Ghosh's "Chokher Bali" and Pradeep Sarkar's "Parineeta". She also featured in "Antar Mahal" in Bengali and "The Bong Connection".
But the 30-year-old denies on being typecast to a specific genre.
"No it's not a conscious decision at all. Like I said, I end up choosing the best of what I get. So if a great commercial movie comes my way, I'll grab it. I want to work with different directors and experiment with different, interesting roles - ranging from out and out commercial to offbeat."
Raima thinks she has been fortunate enough with her line-up of film when she looks back and feels lucky at her achievements.
"I've learnt a lot, experiences that cannot be measured in words and sentences and feelings that cannot be captured in a gist. But overall it's been a fun experience. I cherish all the movies I've done so far and I've been lucky to have many opportunities to work with great co-stars and directors."
Her recent release was "The Japanese Wife".
Talking about the challenges she faced while playing a mother of an eight-year-old child, she said: "It was definitely the most challenging task because I had to get under the skin of a mother and behave like one - a role to which I have no connection with as Raima Sen."
"But what was more challenging was portraying the character of a young widow. Grappling with unfulfilled desires, coming to terms with having no authority over your life, living with another man and falling in love with him but not being able to do anything about it. All these were a crazy mish-mash of emotions that I had to deal with and convey effectively to make my act as Sandhya convincing," she added.
The actress says more than roles, the script and director hold more importance while agreeing to do a film.
"I'm not exactly choosy and fussy but I choose the best of what I'm offered. For me, the story is of primary importance. Even the role I'm offered is secondary to a good story. If I like the story and I'm confident about the director, I end up taking the role irrespective of it's length," said Raima.
In her future projects, she revealed, she will be sharing screen space with sister Riya Sen in "Nauka Dubi" directed by Rituparno Ghosh and is slated for May-June release. She also has Vinay Shukla's "Mirch" starring Boman Irani, Shreyas Talpade, Konkona Sen Sharma and Shahana Goswami.(IANS)
Bangalore: Three policemen were injured when a bomb exploded at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here Saturday, nearly 90 minutes before an Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians.
There was panic near the second entrance gate as hundreds had gathered when the explosion took place.
Police and IPL organisers said the match will start at 5 p.m.
UPDATE 4:45PM
A low intensity explosion at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium 45 minutes before an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians injured four policemen and a private security guard and caused panic among the spectators.
"It appears an explosive was planted near gate no 12 which went off around 3.15 p.m. We have asked forensic experts to examine the site," Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari told reporters at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, where the match was to start at 4 p.m. but which has now been delayed.
"The match will go on. There is no need for panic. I appeal to all fans to subject to security checks, cooperate with the police and enjoy the game," he said.
The match has been delayed as the organisers and teams are waiting for police to give security clearance.
There was panic near the second entrance gate as hundreds had gathered when the explosion took place.
Police and IPL organisers said the match will start at 5 p.m.
UPDATE 4:45PM
A low intensity explosion at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium 45 minutes before an Indian Premier League (IPL) tie between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians injured four policemen and a private security guard and caused panic among the spectators.
"It appears an explosive was planted near gate no 12 which went off around 3.15 p.m. We have asked forensic experts to examine the site," Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari told reporters at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, where the match was to start at 4 p.m. but which has now been delayed.
"The match will go on. There is no need for panic. I appeal to all fans to subject to security checks, cooperate with the police and enjoy the game," he said.
The match has been delayed as the organisers and teams are waiting for police to give security clearance.
Kuala Lumpur: V.S. Chandran, a businessman of Indian origin, Saturday joined the fray for a Malaysian parliamentary by-poll, raising fears of division of the the ethnic Indian vote.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhiyddin Yassin said Chandran's entry was no problem for the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and the ruling alliance Barisan Nasional (BN) that aims to win back its traditional stronghold.
Chandran, 55, a former MIC member, was a surprise last-minute entry at the Hulu Selangor by-election.
Another ethnic Indian, Anuradha Jayasingham, 40, also wanted to join the fray on behalf of the opposition alliance, Pakatan Rakyat of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. She complained to Ibrahim that she wanted to file her nomination, but she was prevented by the police.
Ibrahim has, however, nominated former law minister Zaid Ibrahim as the opposition nominee.
There are 64,500 registered voters in Hulu Selangor. Of the total, the Malays make up the majority with 34,020 voters. The next largest group is the Chinese with 16,964 voters followed by the Indians at 12,453 voters.
Nominations closed for the April 25 contest with Chandran, another Independent, Johan Mohammed Diah, joining the fray along with Zaid Ibrahim and MIC's P. Kamalanathan.
Kamalanathan, 44, is a public relations executive and the MIC's Information chief.
The Star newspaper said MIC chief Samy Vellu, who was present at Kamalanathan's filing of nomination, tripped on a barbed wire fence and hurt his foot. He was being treated at a local hospital.
Vellu had unsuccessfully lobbied for the nomination of his deputy, G. Palanivel, who had held Hulu Selangor seat since 1991 and had lost it narrowly by 198 votes in 2008.(IANS)
Deputy Prime Minister Muhiyddin Yassin said Chandran's entry was no problem for the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and the ruling alliance Barisan Nasional (BN) that aims to win back its traditional stronghold.
Chandran, 55, a former MIC member, was a surprise last-minute entry at the Hulu Selangor by-election.
Another ethnic Indian, Anuradha Jayasingham, 40, also wanted to join the fray on behalf of the opposition alliance, Pakatan Rakyat of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. She complained to Ibrahim that she wanted to file her nomination, but she was prevented by the police.
Ibrahim has, however, nominated former law minister Zaid Ibrahim as the opposition nominee.
There are 64,500 registered voters in Hulu Selangor. Of the total, the Malays make up the majority with 34,020 voters. The next largest group is the Chinese with 16,964 voters followed by the Indians at 12,453 voters.
Nominations closed for the April 25 contest with Chandran, another Independent, Johan Mohammed Diah, joining the fray along with Zaid Ibrahim and MIC's P. Kamalanathan.
Kamalanathan, 44, is a public relations executive and the MIC's Information chief.
The Star newspaper said MIC chief Samy Vellu, who was present at Kamalanathan's filing of nomination, tripped on a barbed wire fence and hurt his foot. He was being treated at a local hospital.
Vellu had unsuccessfully lobbied for the nomination of his deputy, G. Palanivel, who had held Hulu Selangor seat since 1991 and had lost it narrowly by 198 votes in 2008.(IANS)
Karnal (Haryana): Additional district and sessions judge Vani Gopal Sharma, who gave the first landmark ruling on Haryana's khap panchayats in which she sentenced five men to death, has sought transfer from this district and a decision on her request will be taken on or after Monday.
"Sensing some trouble and threat, Sharma has sought her transfer to Panchkula (a district neighbouring state capital Chandigarh) but the final decision on her appeal will be taken on or after April 19. She has also informed the chief justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court about this," a well-placed source in the Haryana judiciary told IANS here Saturday.
Five men, who had brutally killed a young couple three years ago for marrying against the community's wishes, were sentenced to death by the judge March 30.
However, immediately after announcing the verdict Sharma had approached administrative judge of Karnal sessions court and told him that she was not provided with foolproof security cover.
Sharma's verdict of awarding capital punishment was severely condemned by various village khap panchayats (councils) and other sections of the society, apparently forcing the judge to seek transfer to a safer place.
The murdered couple, Manoj, 23, and Babli, 19, had married in 2007 against the wishes of their families.
Manoj, who ran an electronics repair shop at Kaithal, eloped with Babli, a resident of Karoran village, in May 2007. They were murdered the next month by some members of Babli's family.
Those sentenced to death included Suresh, the brother of Babli, Rajinder and Baru Ram (both uncles) and Gurdev and Satish (both cousins).
Khap panchayat leader Ganga Raj, who was also convicted for murder along with the other five, was given life imprisonment by the court. (IANS)
"Sensing some trouble and threat, Sharma has sought her transfer to Panchkula (a district neighbouring state capital Chandigarh) but the final decision on her appeal will be taken on or after April 19. She has also informed the chief justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court about this," a well-placed source in the Haryana judiciary told IANS here Saturday.
Five men, who had brutally killed a young couple three years ago for marrying against the community's wishes, were sentenced to death by the judge March 30.
However, immediately after announcing the verdict Sharma had approached administrative judge of Karnal sessions court and told him that she was not provided with foolproof security cover.
Sharma's verdict of awarding capital punishment was severely condemned by various village khap panchayats (councils) and other sections of the society, apparently forcing the judge to seek transfer to a safer place.
The murdered couple, Manoj, 23, and Babli, 19, had married in 2007 against the wishes of their families.
Manoj, who ran an electronics repair shop at Kaithal, eloped with Babli, a resident of Karoran village, in May 2007. They were murdered the next month by some members of Babli's family.
Those sentenced to death included Suresh, the brother of Babli, Rajinder and Baru Ram (both uncles) and Gurdev and Satish (both cousins).
Khap panchayat leader Ganga Raj, who was also convicted for murder along with the other five, was given life imprisonment by the court. (IANS)
New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) The yet-to-be released thriller "Johnny Gone Down" by Karan Bajaj is set to make publishing history with a first print run of 50,000 books, billed as one of the biggest ever in India for a work of fiction.
The thriller will be published by HarperCollins-India at an affordable price of Rs.99. "It is the first time HarperCollins-India is aiming to achieve nearly 100,000 copies in a year with the first print run of 50,000 for an Indian author at such an attractive price," Lipika Bhushan, head of marketing at HarperCollins-India, told IANS.
The book narrates the racy tale of 40-year-old Ivy League scholar, Nikhil Arya, who is broke, homeless and minutes away from blowing his brains. An innocent vacation turns into an intercontinental journey that sees Nikhil first become a genocide survivor, then a Buddhist monk, a drug lord, a homeless accountant, a software mogul and a game fighter.
Bajaj is also the author of "Keep off the Grass". His new book is also being used by the publishing house as a brand emblem to promote mass market commercial fiction and thrillers with a multi-pronged publicity campaign, sources said.
A source at HarperCollins said: "The publishing house was promoting commercial mass market fiction this year. It is a genre we have been promoting over the last couple of years very aggressively."
"Books such as 'Almost Single', 'The Zoya Factor', 'Bombay Rains' and 'Keep off the Grass', 'Married But Available', 'Secrets and Lies', and very recently 'Keep the Change Year After Year' have been a series of titles from Indian authors for the Indian audience that end up doing big numbers," Bhushan said.
The publisher is using the book as a "brand symbol" for the genre of commercial thriller that is beginning to come of age in India with a new crop of young writers, who are fusing western classical thriller models with 'desi' sensibilities, sources at HarperCollins said.
The publishing house had earlier mounted a similar publicity blitz for Sam Bourne's thrillers in India.
"As Johnny, the protagonist, is an interesting character, the marketing drive is to get readers inquisitive about Johnny with a 'Who is Johnny Campaign'. The USP of the campaign that will roll out in the next two weeks will comprise a mix of great price point, quality content, advertising (all media) and retail level promotions, events, and heavy online promotion," Bhushan said.
Author Bajaj said the novel was a "deeper darker Forest Gump-ish adventure".
"It relates the almost bizarre, almost surreal series of events that transform a pretty ordinary NASA scientist into a genocide survivor, then a Buddhist monk, a drug lord, a homeless accountant, software mogul and then a game fighter," the writer told IANS.
Bajaj said he was inspired by both films and literature.
"I was influenced as much by the dark, gritty mood of films like 'Oldboy', 'The Deer Hunter' and 'Amores Perros' as by the incredible journey of 'Forrest Gump' (which is one of my favourite novels and a mighty decent film as well) and the surreal adventures of Sonchai Jitpleecheep, the Buddhist detective-protagonist of John Burdett's Bangkok novels, 'Bangkok 8', 'Bangkok Tattoo' and 'Bangkok Haunts'," he said.
The thriller will be published by HarperCollins-India at an affordable price of Rs.99. "It is the first time HarperCollins-India is aiming to achieve nearly 100,000 copies in a year with the first print run of 50,000 for an Indian author at such an attractive price," Lipika Bhushan, head of marketing at HarperCollins-India, told IANS.
The book narrates the racy tale of 40-year-old Ivy League scholar, Nikhil Arya, who is broke, homeless and minutes away from blowing his brains. An innocent vacation turns into an intercontinental journey that sees Nikhil first become a genocide survivor, then a Buddhist monk, a drug lord, a homeless accountant, a software mogul and a game fighter.
Bajaj is also the author of "Keep off the Grass". His new book is also being used by the publishing house as a brand emblem to promote mass market commercial fiction and thrillers with a multi-pronged publicity campaign, sources said.
A source at HarperCollins said: "The publishing house was promoting commercial mass market fiction this year. It is a genre we have been promoting over the last couple of years very aggressively."
"Books such as 'Almost Single', 'The Zoya Factor', 'Bombay Rains' and 'Keep off the Grass', 'Married But Available', 'Secrets and Lies', and very recently 'Keep the Change Year After Year' have been a series of titles from Indian authors for the Indian audience that end up doing big numbers," Bhushan said.
The publisher is using the book as a "brand symbol" for the genre of commercial thriller that is beginning to come of age in India with a new crop of young writers, who are fusing western classical thriller models with 'desi' sensibilities, sources at HarperCollins said.
The publishing house had earlier mounted a similar publicity blitz for Sam Bourne's thrillers in India.
"As Johnny, the protagonist, is an interesting character, the marketing drive is to get readers inquisitive about Johnny with a 'Who is Johnny Campaign'. The USP of the campaign that will roll out in the next two weeks will comprise a mix of great price point, quality content, advertising (all media) and retail level promotions, events, and heavy online promotion," Bhushan said.
Author Bajaj said the novel was a "deeper darker Forest Gump-ish adventure".
"It relates the almost bizarre, almost surreal series of events that transform a pretty ordinary NASA scientist into a genocide survivor, then a Buddhist monk, a drug lord, a homeless accountant, software mogul and then a game fighter," the writer told IANS.
Bajaj said he was inspired by both films and literature.
"I was influenced as much by the dark, gritty mood of films like 'Oldboy', 'The Deer Hunter' and 'Amores Perros' as by the incredible journey of 'Forrest Gump' (which is one of my favourite novels and a mighty decent film as well) and the surreal adventures of Sonchai Jitpleecheep, the Buddhist detective-protagonist of John Burdett's Bangkok novels, 'Bangkok 8', 'Bangkok Tattoo' and 'Bangkok Haunts'," he said.
Film: "Paathshaala"; Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Ayesha Takia Azmi, Nana Patekar, Anjan Shrivastava, Saurabh Shukla; Director: Milin Ukey; Producer: Ahmed Khan, Shaira Khan; Rating: ***If a piece of cinema ever had its heart in its place, this is it. Don't let the sluggish pace, the absence of stylish shots and flamboyant frames fool you into believing that this is a film with no style.
The style behind "Paathshaala" is in its inner conviction.
The obvious artlessness of presentation with the students and teachers of an imaginary school behaving with a bluntness that replicates the dialect of television talk shows rather than the realism of cinema, must not come in the way of our wholeheartedly acceptance of the film for what it is. An unconditionally sincere effort to understand why the country's educational system pressurises children into performance anxiety.
While Basha Lal's cinematography is free of poetic flourishes, the "Ae Khuda" track just sweeps you off your feet. That is not the effect this grounded and sensible film and its unhurried pace strive to achieve otherwise.
The storytelling is suffused with sensitive pockets. To cite some examples - in one sequence the veteran sports teacher (played ably by Sushant Singh) gets together students to climb on one another to make a human pyramid for the sake of media coverage. The callousness of the freelance journalist as he talks into the cellphone while the students sweat it out in the sun, smothers your cynicism about such manipulative drama in the narrative.
Elsewhere, a little boy (Dwij Yadav) is made to stand in the sun for not paying the school fees. And then that decisive moment where a crass ad-maker reduces a little kid (Ali Haji) to tears, just chokes you.
The music reality show agent, who auditions the school kids as though they are fish to be fried straight from the market, is almost caricatural in his grotesque commercialism.
Then you realise that real life has sold out to a kind of vulgar self-gratification that makes it look more like a soap opera than the soaps that we see on television.
There is an inherent wisdom in the homilies that "Paathshaala" serves up so sincerely. The narration is so laidback and detoxicated you often wonder if the director believes that the inherent harmony of real life can only be captured in leisurely grace.
Comparisons to Aamir Khan's "Taare Zameen Par" are inevitable. Though flawed and at times failed, the overview of the educational system in "Paathshaala" is macro-cosmic in its own right.
The plot meanders into various issues that plague the educational institutions before negotiating itself into a clumsily 'epic' climax where the whole country's media becomes interested in the politics of the school where the plot unfolds.
The unevenness of pace notwithstanding, there is no mistaking the film's earnestness of purpose. Every actor, young and old, pitches an honest and transparent performance.
The stand-out (or considering the low-key pitch, should we say stand-in?) actors are Saurabh Shukla and Anjan Shrivastava. As for the children, let's not discriminate among them. They are all utterly charming.
The film's comment on the corrosion and corruption of education makes space for little-little flirty romantic liaisons among the older students. Cute!
As for Shahid Kapoor, the guy says his Hindi lines as though he just thought of them and expresses his connectivity with the kids with a warmth and effortlessness that makes the other superstar teachers on celluloid look rather put-on in comparison.
New York: As US authorities charged Goldman Sachs with defrauding investors in a sale of securities tied to sub-prime mortgages, prosecutors alleged Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam had received confidential tips about Goldman's stock from three Indian American executives.The Securities and Exchange Commission Friday charged New York-based Goldman and a vice president, Fabrice Tourre, for their failure to disclose conflicts in a 2007 sale of a so-called collateralised debt obligation. Investors in the CDO ultimately lost $1 billion, the SEC said.
The SEC alleged that the investment bank allowed hedge fund Paulson & Co. run by John Paulson, who made billions of dollars betting on the subprime collapse, to help select securities in the CDO.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors said in a filing in Manhattan federal court that Sri Lankan Tamilian billionaire
Rajaratnam, who faces federal insider trading charges, sought to acquire secret information about Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s 2008 purchase of preferred shares in Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
A letter from federal prosecutors to Rajaratnam's lawyers detailing new allegations of insider trading was made public in the filing. In it, prosecutors elaborated on an earlier claim that Rajaratnam tried to use confidential information to trade on Goldman Sachs stock.
The filing doesn't identify Rajaratnam's source for information about Goldman Sachs. But federal prosecutors are probing whether Rajaratnam received confidential tips from Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta, the Wall Street Journal reported. Gupta is the former worldwide manager director at McKinsey & Co. Inc.
The Journal, citing people close to the matter, also reported that Rajat Gupta notified Goldman Sachs in March that he wouldn't stand for re-election as a director after prosecutors told him they were reviewing recorded telephone calls between him and Rajaratnam.
Through a spokesman, Gupta told the Journal his decision to step down was due to "other commitments." He had been a Goldman director since 2006.
Friday's filing identifies some of the other alleged sources of Rajaratnam's tips, including Anil Kumar, a former McKinsey & Co. director, ex-Intel Corp. managing director Rajiv Goel, and former hedge fund manager Ali Far. They have pleaded guilty. Many other alleged sources were not disclosed.
Responding to the charges, Rajaratnam asked US District Judge Richard Holwell Friday to exclude new allegations by prosecutors of improper trading involving more than 20 companies not previously disclosed in his criminal insider-trading case.
His lawyer, John M. Dowd, asked the court to exclude the new allegations, calling it "an unfair and prejudicial attempt to ambush Mr. Rajaratnam."
Rajaratnam and Danielle Chiesi, a former consultant for hedge-fund firm New Castle Funds LLC, are set to go to trial in October on charges of conspiracy and securities fraud. The two were originally arrested in October 2009.
Both have denied wrongdoing. (IANS)
Delhi Police Friday arrested a 27-year-old businessman for sending threatening and filthy text messages to politicians, including Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, using SIM cards procured in someone else's name.
"Narender Khosla, who is a manpower supplier, used documents of a gym instructor Manick Verma to procure the SIM cards and sent text messages to settle scores with Verma with whom he had a personal rivalry," said a senior police officer.
"Khosla is married and is a resident of Rajender Nagar area. He was reportedly angry with Verma for being close to a woman in whom he was also interested," the officer added.
Earlier police investigations had revealed that two mobile connections were bought using documents of Verma.
Verma had told police that he had lost his driving licence some time ago and the police believed some one was using the same to buy mobile phone connections fraudulently.
"Investigations revealed that one of the two connections procured using the documents of Verma was later transferred to another name using different set of identification papers. The SIM cards were procured from two different shops in Karol Bagh on April 3 and April 7," the officer said.
Nearly 100 text messages were sent to politicians, including Shashi Tharoor, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat and Congress' leaders Rashid Alvi and Sandeep Dikshit in the last fortnight.
According to rules, mobile phone connections can be sold only after getting address proof and a photograph from the customers. (IANS)
"Narender Khosla, who is a manpower supplier, used documents of a gym instructor Manick Verma to procure the SIM cards and sent text messages to settle scores with Verma with whom he had a personal rivalry," said a senior police officer.
"Khosla is married and is a resident of Rajender Nagar area. He was reportedly angry with Verma for being close to a woman in whom he was also interested," the officer added.
Earlier police investigations had revealed that two mobile connections were bought using documents of Verma.
Verma had told police that he had lost his driving licence some time ago and the police believed some one was using the same to buy mobile phone connections fraudulently.
"Investigations revealed that one of the two connections procured using the documents of Verma was later transferred to another name using different set of identification papers. The SIM cards were procured from two different shops in Karol Bagh on April 3 and April 7," the officer said.
Nearly 100 text messages were sent to politicians, including Shashi Tharoor, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat and Congress' leaders Rashid Alvi and Sandeep Dikshit in the last fortnight.
According to rules, mobile phone connections can be sold only after getting address proof and a photograph from the customers. (IANS)
Mumbai, April 16 (IANS) There is a buzz that Kareena Kapoor is playing the lead role in director Madhur Bhandarkar's next film inspired by the life of legendary Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe. But the director reveals that the actress is yet to give her consent."We know each other for years. We both admire each other's work. In 'Page3' we wanted to work together but there were some economic problems because of which we couldn't. I met her and we have spoken on it, but we need to sit for couple of times. Once it's decided we will make the announcement," Madhur told IANS.
Asked if the economic problem was Kareena quoting a very high price, he said, "It's not because she was quoting a very high price. It was because our budget of the film was very less. The dates were also clashing. I think she was doing 'Chameli' at the time, I wanted to start my film.
"I am starting two films. I will speak about it later," said Madhur.
RAAVAN Trailer/ Teaser LaunchedRaavan Movie by Maniratnam featuring Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, and Priyamani. The music launch of the movie will take place on April 24. The trailer of the movie has been out
The music has been composed by Academy award winner AR Rahman. The movie is simultaneously released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Melbourne, April 16 (IANS) A young member of an Australian party called US President Barack Obama "a monkey" on Twitter, leading to a demand for his expulsion from the party.Nick Sowden, a member of the Queensland Young Liberal National Party, posted messages on Twitter Thursday night while Obama was being interviewed by ABC's Kerry O'Brien, a media report said.
His tweet said: "I'm not sure why they paid kerry to fly to america, if they wanted an interview with a monkey surely a Ferry to Taronga would have sufficed."
Another said: "If I wanted to see a monkey on TV id watch Wildlife Rescue."
Sowden, who is in his 20s, Friday morning said the comments were a joke and he told Fairfax Radio: "I think the people who follow me know this ... and the people on Twitter don't, unfortunately."
Scores of party members Friday morning called on the party senior executive to dismiss Sowden, president Rod Schneider told brisbanetimes.com.au.
"He doesn't speak for us, he doesn't hold a role (with the party). My phone has been off the hook with Young Liberal National Party members. I've had 20 emails saying 'this guy doesn't represent us'."
"I think he's got a very, very short shelf life. He's got a list of indiscretions. In extenuating circumstances, we can move (expulsion) forward," Schneider was quoted as saying.
While confirming that Sowden was an ordinary member of the Liberal National Party, a spokesperson said it was likely he would face disciplinary proceedings.
"Australia is a free country, people can make comments. But it is up to other members of our party to determine how they believe members within our party should behave."
Chandigarh, April 15 (IANS) Three new medical colleges, including one in memory of Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-origin woman in space, will be opened in Haryana to provide better health care to people in the state.
Haryana's Health and Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal said new medical colleges will be opened at Mewat, Khanpur Kalan and Karnal.
The medical college in Karnal will be named in memory of astronaut and space scientist Kalpana Chawla who was from the city.
Bhukkal said that the medical collage at Khanpur Kalan will be only for women.
Necessary approval for the new institutions will be obtained this year, officials said.
Haryana's Health and Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal said new medical colleges will be opened at Mewat, Khanpur Kalan and Karnal.
The medical college in Karnal will be named in memory of astronaut and space scientist Kalpana Chawla who was from the city.
Bhukkal said that the medical collage at Khanpur Kalan will be only for women.
Necessary approval for the new institutions will be obtained this year, officials said.
Mumbai/New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) The income tax department Thursday started a probe to ascertain the source of funds of various franchisees of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and also questioned IPL chief Lalit Modi late in the night, officials said.
Sleuths of the IT department were questioning Modi on the IPL funding. It was described as routine enquiry.
IT department officials visited the offices of IPL in Mumbai primarily to establish that the money involved in the cricketing extravaganza was "clean" with no loss to the exchequer.
The move comes a day after the department initiated a probe into the Kochi franchisee of IPL, embroiled in a major controversy over the ownership issue, to ascertain if its money had been channelled illegally from tax havens abroad.
"Our department officials indeed visited the Mumbai office of IPL for a routine inquiry. There was no raid as it is being made out to be," a top official of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) told IANS in the national capital.
As regards the Kochi franchisee, the probe was to ensure that the money involved was from clean sources.
"Our main concern is black money parked abroad. Just as we try to prevent black money going out our country, we also try to probe if such money is channelled back into the country illegally," said a senior official in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
"At the end of the day, the exchequer should not suffer," said the official of the directorate, a wing under the finance ministry's department of revenue.
The franchise for the Kochi team, which will play from the fourth edition of the IPL Twenty-20 cricket extravaganza, was won in an auction last month by a firm called Rendezvous Sports for $333.33 million.
Along with Subroto Roy's Sahara Group, which bagged the franchise for the Pune team -- the second of the two new teams, the Kochi team is scheduled to join eight other teams from the next edition of the cricket tournament.
These are: Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.
The tax probe Wednesday followed a political row in recent days after allegations that Sunanda Pushkar, a shareholder in the Kochi IPL franchise and a friend of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, received free equity in it.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi maintained that there was a question mark over the ownership of the Kochi IPL franchise since the owners themselves did not know some of the people involved with it.
"With regards to the eight franchisees, we know about all the stakeholders. But there are still some doubts over the ownership of the Kochi franchise. Even the people who signed the tender documents don't know who they are," Modi said.
Sleuths of the IT department were questioning Modi on the IPL funding. It was described as routine enquiry.
IT department officials visited the offices of IPL in Mumbai primarily to establish that the money involved in the cricketing extravaganza was "clean" with no loss to the exchequer.
The move comes a day after the department initiated a probe into the Kochi franchisee of IPL, embroiled in a major controversy over the ownership issue, to ascertain if its money had been channelled illegally from tax havens abroad.
"Our department officials indeed visited the Mumbai office of IPL for a routine inquiry. There was no raid as it is being made out to be," a top official of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) told IANS in the national capital.
As regards the Kochi franchisee, the probe was to ensure that the money involved was from clean sources.
"Our main concern is black money parked abroad. Just as we try to prevent black money going out our country, we also try to probe if such money is channelled back into the country illegally," said a senior official in the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).
"At the end of the day, the exchequer should not suffer," said the official of the directorate, a wing under the finance ministry's department of revenue.
The franchise for the Kochi team, which will play from the fourth edition of the IPL Twenty-20 cricket extravaganza, was won in an auction last month by a firm called Rendezvous Sports for $333.33 million.
Along with Subroto Roy's Sahara Group, which bagged the franchise for the Pune team -- the second of the two new teams, the Kochi team is scheduled to join eight other teams from the next edition of the cricket tournament.
These are: Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab.
The tax probe Wednesday followed a political row in recent days after allegations that Sunanda Pushkar, a shareholder in the Kochi IPL franchise and a friend of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, received free equity in it.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi maintained that there was a question mark over the ownership of the Kochi IPL franchise since the owners themselves did not know some of the people involved with it.
"With regards to the eight franchisees, we know about all the stakeholders. But there are still some doubts over the ownership of the Kochi franchise. Even the people who signed the tender documents don't know who they are," Modi said.
Mumbai, April 15 (IANS) Director Ram Gopal Varma has claimed that "Phoonk 2" is scarier than his earlier venture "Phoonk". He threw a challenge that anyone who could watch the film without getting scared would win Rs.500,000 - and none of the contestants could sit with a steady heart through the horror flick. Among the five bravehearts shortlisted from different parts of India, Hitesh Sharma from Mumbai got the opportunity to finally take the hot seat.
"The bottom line is the challenger has lost and we won. I am very happy," Varma told reporters at FAME cinema where Hitesh was shown the film alone and his heart beat was monitored with an ECG machine.
There were screens outside the hall to monitor his heartbeats and facial expression. After watching the film for 45 minutes, Hitesh took away his face from the screen and waved saying he couldn't take the scares anymore.
Coming out of the hall, Hitesh admitted, "There were many scenes, which were really scary but I was controlling myself. Then came a scene which I couldn’t bear any more, so I gave up."
Directed by debutant Milind Gadagkar, "Phoonk 2", releasing Friday, is a sequel to "Phoonk" which was directed by Ram Gopal Varma.
New York, April 16 (DPA) United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has received an investigative report on the murder of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto.Bhutto died in a gun and bomb attack on December 27, 2007, when she appeared at an election rally in the garrison town of Rawalpindi outside Islamabad. Bhutto's widower, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, requested the UN investigation carried out by a three-member commission.
Ban was to hand the report over to Pakistani UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon soon after receiving it Thursday from the head of the commission, Mexico's Ambassador Heraldo Munoz. Haroon will forward the report to his government in Islamabad.
The report had been scheduled for release at the end of March, but Zardari requested a two-week delay, apparently so the commission could conduct more interviews.
Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), April 15 (IANS) India's space programme suffered a setback Thursday as its indigenous cryogenic engines failed to ignite.
Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K. Radhakrishan said that the mission did not perform as planned as two Verinier cryogenic engines failed to ignite though the main engine lifted off.
The GSLV D3 blasted off with a GSAT 4 satellite around 5 p.m. but then stopped emitting signals within minutes.
"The vehicle started tumbling and started losing altitude, because two engines would not have ignited," he said.
Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K. Radhakrishan said that the mission did not perform as planned as two Verinier cryogenic engines failed to ignite though the main engine lifted off.
The GSLV D3 blasted off with a GSAT 4 satellite around 5 p.m. but then stopped emitting signals within minutes.
"The vehicle started tumbling and started losing altitude, because two engines would not have ignited," he said.
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) The spiralling controversy over the shareholders of the Kochi franhisee has led to questions over the ownership of the eight franchisees now playing in the Indian Premier League.
Though most of the names of the shareholders of the franchisees have been in public domain, the spat between IPL chairman Lalit Modi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor brought focus back on them.
If Modi has questioned the ownership fo the new franchisee Kochi, the Kerala team's shareholders want to know the owners of all the franchisees if there is no confidentiality about them. The other franchise sold last month was bought by Sahara India.
A couple of franchisees sold a small stake here and there, but most of the chief promoters of the eight franchisees remain intact.
The list of the franchisees and their owners:
Rajasthan Royals: The Jaipur team was bought by UK-based company Emerging Media for $67 million to own the team for a period of 10 years. Suresh Chelaram, Lalit Modi's brother-in-law and a Nigeria-based businessman, has 44.1 percent stake, UK-based businessman Manoj Badale has 32.4 percent stake while the rest is controlled by two companies promoted by Raj Kundra, actress Shilpa Shetty and media mogul Lachlan Murdoch.
Chennai Super Kings: The Chennai team was bought by India Cements for $91 million to own the team for 10 years. India Cements is headed by Indian cricket board secretary N.Srinivasan.
Bangalore Royal Challengers: The Bangalore team was bought by Vijay Mallya's UB Group for $111.6 million.
Kings XI Punjab: The Mohali team was bought by Bollywood diva Preity Zinta, her former industrialist beau Ness Wadia, along with renowned industrialists Karan Paul and Mohit Burman for $76 million. Mohit is the brother of Modi's step-son-in-law Gaurav.
Kolkata Knight Riders: The team is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, who bought it for $75.09 million.
Deccan Chargers: The Hyderabad team was bought by Deccan Chronicle, a media house, for $107 million.
Mumbai Indians: The Mumbai team is owned by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited for $111.9 million.
Delhi Daredevils: The Delhi team is owned by GMR Holdings for $84 million.
Though most of the names of the shareholders of the franchisees have been in public domain, the spat between IPL chairman Lalit Modi and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor brought focus back on them.
If Modi has questioned the ownership fo the new franchisee Kochi, the Kerala team's shareholders want to know the owners of all the franchisees if there is no confidentiality about them. The other franchise sold last month was bought by Sahara India.
A couple of franchisees sold a small stake here and there, but most of the chief promoters of the eight franchisees remain intact.
The list of the franchisees and their owners:
Rajasthan Royals: The Jaipur team was bought by UK-based company Emerging Media for $67 million to own the team for a period of 10 years. Suresh Chelaram, Lalit Modi's brother-in-law and a Nigeria-based businessman, has 44.1 percent stake, UK-based businessman Manoj Badale has 32.4 percent stake while the rest is controlled by two companies promoted by Raj Kundra, actress Shilpa Shetty and media mogul Lachlan Murdoch.
Chennai Super Kings: The Chennai team was bought by India Cements for $91 million to own the team for 10 years. India Cements is headed by Indian cricket board secretary N.Srinivasan.
Bangalore Royal Challengers: The Bangalore team was bought by Vijay Mallya's UB Group for $111.6 million.
Kings XI Punjab: The Mohali team was bought by Bollywood diva Preity Zinta, her former industrialist beau Ness Wadia, along with renowned industrialists Karan Paul and Mohit Burman for $76 million. Mohit is the brother of Modi's step-son-in-law Gaurav.
Kolkata Knight Riders: The team is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, who bought it for $75.09 million.
Deccan Chargers: The Hyderabad team was bought by Deccan Chronicle, a media house, for $107 million.
Mumbai Indians: The Mumbai team is owned by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited for $111.9 million.
Delhi Daredevils: The Delhi team is owned by GMR Holdings for $84 million.
Hyderabad, April 14 (IANS) Finnish telephone supplier Nokia is planning to roll out its mobile banking service, Nokia Money, in many Indian cities soon, a Nokia official said Wednesday. A pilot of this service launched in Pune in February with YES Bank had received "extremely encouraging" response, the official said.
The company is now looking to have similar tie-ups with other banks to roll out the service in other parts of the country.
"A decision will be taken after the six-month test period. The process involves getting approvals from Reserve Bank of India," said the official, who did not want to be named.
Nokia Money is like a wallet on phone as it lets people transfer money through the mobile phone. Subscribers also can pay utility bills and top up SIM cards. There will also be the facility to pay for goods and services.
"By using this facility a person living in one place can transfer the money to another person not having bank account and the latter can receive the money from Nokia dealer in his area," said the official, explaining the working of the scheme.
Nokia has 200,000 retailers in India who could serve as mobile money services agents.
India today is the world's fastest growing cell phone market. There are 500 million mobile phones in the country and this is expected to cross 900 million by the end of 2013.
At the same time, an estimated 41 percent of Indians and 46 percent of mobile subscribers do not have bank accounts.
Nokia feels the potential for mobile money services is huge. It expects the value of mobile payment transactions in India will reach up to $1.28 billion by 2013.
Mumbai, April 14 (IANS) The fourth season of the expanded Indian Premier League (IPL), featuring 10 teams, will start in the first week of April after end of the World Cup, the league's chief Lalit Modi said here Wednesday."We are going to start the 2011 IPL season a few days after the World Cup in the first week of April. We are going back to the schedule of April-May that we had in the 2008 first season. We will keep this (schedule) in future," Modi told reporters here.
The fourth edition of the IPL will see the addition of two new cities - Pune and Kochi - and will also have 94 matches, a sharp increase of 34 matches.
During the event, Modi also announced the inaugural IPL awards function, which he called "Cricketainment" - a mix of cricket and Bollywood-style entertainment - and will take place April 23 here.
"The IPL awards function would be distinct from the ICC and BCCI awards functions. There would be 22 categories of awards with 10 of them to be adjudicated by a jury panel. IPL is also a mix of cricket and entertainment and so the awards ceremony will be Cricketainment. There would be eight other viewers' category awards, three statistical awards and one IPL captains' award," Modi said.
London, April 14 (IANS) Italian fashion house Gucci will launch a children's line in June. The first range will be unveiled in Italy and then hit around 40 stores worldwide.Frida Giannini is the creative director of children wear. She is currently in Singapore where she announced her future plans and was honoured to have an orchid named after her, the Paravanda Frida.
"It was very touching and I loved the thought that the orchid will still be there a few hundred years from now. I have never experienced such an honour before," femalefirst.co.uk quoted her as saying.
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) The Rajasthan Cricket Association's (RCA) secretary Sandeep Dixit, a friend turned foe of Lalit Modi, raised some serious questions on the Indian Premier League (IPL) chief's interest in some of the franchisess.
"I want to ask Lalit, how the franchise contract for the Jaipur team was signed by Jaipur IPL when the bid was by Emerging Media? Do disclose the details about your brother-in-law and step-son and their back-door entries into Jaipur IPL and GCV Mauritius. What I meant was Gaurav Burman, your step son-in-law. Who is Mohit Burman and how is he an investor in Kings XI Punjab?" Dixit, a senior IAS officer in the Rajasthan government, tweeted on social networking site Twitter.
"I love him (Modi) dearly. I am only seeking info," he wrote on the site.
Modi, who is also regular on Twitter, however, stayed away from commenting on Dixit's tweet.
A disappointed Dixit wrote: "Lalit is not answering my simple questions. Any ideas what should be done?"
Modi's brother-in-law Suresh Chelaram apparently holds the maximum 44.1 percent stake in Rajasthan Royals while Gaurav's brother Mohit is the co-owner of Kings XI Punjab.
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) ZTE India, a subsidiary of Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE, plans to sell two million mobile handsets in India by March 2011."We target to sell a minimum of two million handsets in 2010-11 under our own branding," ZTE India Chairman and Managing Director D.K. Ghosh told IANS.
"We have already launched the handsets under the ZTE brand only. But it is not much popular. So, we have decided to announce the launch with a noise and about availability of handsets with full marketing and promotion plans by next month," he said.
The handsets, which are 3G-enabled, cost as low as Rs.1,100-3,800 and "even the high-end phones are priced well below Rs.20,000 level," he said.
The company, which invests 30 percent of its revenues in handset business, is in talks with distributors and plans to have a network of retail outlets to sell the phones across India.
Till now, the firm has sold 20 million handsets in India through network operators like Reliance Communications, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), Tata Teleservices and Vodafone Essar.
"Even after launching handsets separately, we will continue our tie-ups with the network operators," Ghosh said.
ZTE India plans to increase the number of its employees to 3,300 in 2010 from 2,300 at present.
It will also invest Rs.200 crore in research and development this fiscal, said Ghosh.
Lahore, April 14 (IANS) Cricketer Shoaib Malik and his Indian wife Sania Mirza are to be declared as brand ambassadors of Pakistan's population welfare ministry, it was announced here Wednesday. Population Welfare Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan made the announcement while speaking to reporters here Wednesday before leaving for India on a five-day official visit, during which she will also attend the newly-married couple's wedding reception.
She expressed the hope that the pair would play their role in controlling the high birth rate in both India and Pakistan, Online news agency reported.
Responding to a question, the minister said the marriage of Shoaib and Sania would help to revive the stalled sub-continental peace talks.
She said a "historical reception" would be accorded to Shoaib and Sania on their arrival in Pakistan.
Speaking about her engagements in India, Awan said she would be meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister M.S. Gill.
Awan is visiting India at Azad's invitation.
Kathmandu, April 14 (IANS) Almost two decades after his death in his ashram in Pune, charismatic yet controversial preacher "Bhagwan Rajneesh" - also dubbed the "Guru of Sex" due to his advocacy of free sex - is to be resurrected in a film on his life and actors like Sanjay Dutt and Kamal Haasan from the Indian film industry are being considered to play the main lead.Italian film director Antonino Lakshen Sucameli, an Osho disciple himself, is in talks with production companies in both India and abroad as well as senior Indian actors to resume work on "Osho: The Film", which was conceptualised more than five years ago.
The 54-year-old, who was in Nepal this month to attend a course at the Osho Tapoban in Kathmandu, is now back in India to hold talks with powerful Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan and Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, an associate in Nepal said.
"The shooting will start by next year," Swami Rishi from Osho Tapoban, Kathmandu told IANS. "Part of the film will be shot in India." When Sucameli, known for his mystic films "Blue Line" and "Zorba Il Buddha", began work on the script, Kabir Bedi and Irrfan Khan were also approached to act in it. The director is still looking for a Hollywood actress to play Clara, the journalist through whose eyes the mesmerising - as well as turbulent - life of Osho will unfold.
Inspired by Bertolucci's "Little Buddha" and Oliver Stone's "JFK", Sucameli plans to weave in his film videos on Osho, who was born Chandra Mohan Jain in Madhya Pradesh in 1931 and in the 1970s established himself as a new age guru advocating a luxurious life-style as well as experimental therapies that combined sex with violence.
When Clara arrives in the ashram to investigate Osho's life, including his deportation from the US in 1985, she falls in love with his Indian security chief Satyam, and an East-West love story punctuated by flashbacks from India's colonial past forms the core of the film.
Sucameli met Osho in 1978 when he arrived in India and became his disciple.
Osho's sensational life has attracted other filmmakers as well. In 2006, an Indian company, Media One Venture of Chandigarh, had announced plan to make a film, "Guru of Sex" that was to have cast Sir Ben Kingsley as Osho.
In another development in the current IPL - Lalit Modi - Sashi Tharoor controversy, it has been reported that Lalit Modi, IPL commissioner asked Shashi Tharoor’s office to deny a visa to South African model Gabriella Demetriades, one of the contestants for Miss IPL Bollywood during IPL 2.
The IPL Awards will be filmed by COLORS and screened at a time to be confirmed
Fans can vote for their favourites by visiting IPLT20.com or IPLAwards.com
Indian Premier League IPL will honour the best players and performances at the inaugural IPL Awards at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai on Friday 23 April 2010.
Host Karan Johar will be joined by special guest co-host Shah Rukh Khan, with the Bollywood superstar set to take the eight IPL captains out of their comfort zone in his own unique fashion.
The event will feature some of India’s biggest names, including AR Rahman, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan.
The critics’ choice awards will be adjudged by the IPL Awards Jury, comprising Lalit Modi, cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara and Javagal Srinath, the world’s leading umpire, Simon Taufel, and respected cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle.
The IPL Awards will be filmed by COLORS and screened at a time to be confirmed
Fans can vote for their favourites by visiting IPLT20.com or IPLAwards.com
Best Ground
Best Commentator
Best IPL Debutante
Most Fan Friendly Cricketer
Best Stadium Experience
Best Catch
Most Consistent Performer
Best Fielder
Most Dramatic Performance
Most Stylish Player
Best Fielder
Best Captain
Best Bowler
Best Bowler
Best Batsman
Best Batsman
Breakthrough Performance – the breakthrough performances from 2008 and 2009 will also be recognised
Statistical Awards
IPL Captains’ Award
Maximum Runs Scored in Boundaries
Captains to choose which Indian Cricketing Legend they would want in their team
Fastest 100
Most Economical Bowler
IPL Winners Presentation to winners of 2008 and 2009 IPL tournaments
Fans can vote for their favourites by visiting IPLT20.com or IPLAwards.com
Indian Premier League IPL will honour the best players and performances at the inaugural IPL Awards at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai on Friday 23 April 2010.
Host Karan Johar will be joined by special guest co-host Shah Rukh Khan, with the Bollywood superstar set to take the eight IPL captains out of their comfort zone in his own unique fashion.
The event will feature some of India’s biggest names, including AR Rahman, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Priyanka Chopra and Hrithik Roshan.
The critics’ choice awards will be adjudged by the IPL Awards Jury, comprising Lalit Modi, cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara and Javagal Srinath, the world’s leading umpire, Simon Taufel, and respected cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle.
The IPL Awards will be filmed by COLORS and screened at a time to be confirmed
Fans can vote for their favourites by visiting IPLT20.com or IPLAwards.com
Best Ground
Best Commentator
Best IPL Debutante
Most Fan Friendly Cricketer
Best Stadium Experience
Best Catch
Most Consistent Performer
Best Fielder
Most Dramatic Performance
Most Stylish Player
Best Fielder
Best Captain
Best Bowler
Best Bowler
Best Batsman
Best Batsman
Breakthrough Performance – the breakthrough performances from 2008 and 2009 will also be recognised
Statistical Awards
IPL Captains’ Award
Maximum Runs Scored in Boundaries
Captains to choose which Indian Cricketing Legend they would want in their team
Fastest 100
Most Economical Bowler
IPL Winners Presentation to winners of 2008 and 2009 IPL tournaments
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sack Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor for allegedly misusing his official position to secure a stake in a multi-crore rupee Indian Premier League (IPL) deal for his friend Sunanda Pushkar.
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the Rs.1,530 crore IPL deal in which Tharoor has said he played the role of a mentor and helped the consortium that won the franchise of the Kochi team.
Pushkar, who is said to be close to Tharoor, has a shareholding worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi and the BJP leader alleged that she has been given the share "without paying because she is close to Tharoor".
"The Kochi franchise has made it known to the IPL that a sweat equity (free equity stake) has been issued in favour of Sunanda Pushkar," Prasad told reporters at a media conference.
He said Pushkar is not a known businesswoman and has admittedly rendered no service to cricket or to the Kochi franchise.
"It is obvious that the quid pro quo for this equity is the service rendered by Shashi Tharoor to the Kochi franchise. Tharoor has charged a consideration for his service to the franchise and the said consideration is valuable shareholding parked in the name of someone who has a close personal proximity to him," the BJP leader said.
Such conduct, Prasad said, "is improper and a criminal offence. Tharoor has misused his position as a minister".
"The BJP is of the clear opinion that Tharoor cannot continue in the government even for a moment after this gross impropriety. The prime minister should immediately sack him and order a criminal inquiry into the deal," he demanded.
The controversy was triggered after IPL commissioner Lalit Modi stated on a social networking site that the minister had requested him not to reveal the name of the stakeholders of the consortium. Tharoor has, however, denied this and accused Modi of making "unethical efforts" to thwart Kochi IPL.
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Wednesday called for Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's resignation and said he must step down till his name is cleared of any impropriety in the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Kochi team.
While also asking the government to probe the source of funds flowing into the IPL tournament, the CPI-M said Tharoor's involvement in the Kochi franchise had raised a number of questions.
"It now transpires that a person associated with him has got 19 percent free equity worth Rs.70 crores in the company that led the consortium which got the franchise. The IPL is not just a sporting event but is a big business enterprise in which big money is involved. It is highly inappropriate for a minister in the union government to be involved in such murky dealings," the politburo said in a statement here.
"It is incumbent upon Tharoor to step down from office till his name is cleared of any unethical or irregular behaviour."
Asking the government to explain whether its ministers can be involved in business dealings in the name of IPL, the CPI-M asked the government to "reconsider whether any tax exemptions or concessions are justified for this commercial enterprise".
BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the Rs.1,530 crore IPL deal in which Tharoor has said he played the role of a mentor and helped the consortium that won the franchise of the Kochi team.
Pushkar, who is said to be close to Tharoor, has a shareholding worth Rs.70 crore in the IPL Kochi and the BJP leader alleged that she has been given the share "without paying because she is close to Tharoor".
"The Kochi franchise has made it known to the IPL that a sweat equity (free equity stake) has been issued in favour of Sunanda Pushkar," Prasad told reporters at a media conference.
He said Pushkar is not a known businesswoman and has admittedly rendered no service to cricket or to the Kochi franchise.
"It is obvious that the quid pro quo for this equity is the service rendered by Shashi Tharoor to the Kochi franchise. Tharoor has charged a consideration for his service to the franchise and the said consideration is valuable shareholding parked in the name of someone who has a close personal proximity to him," the BJP leader said.
Such conduct, Prasad said, "is improper and a criminal offence. Tharoor has misused his position as a minister".
"The BJP is of the clear opinion that Tharoor cannot continue in the government even for a moment after this gross impropriety. The prime minister should immediately sack him and order a criminal inquiry into the deal," he demanded.
The controversy was triggered after IPL commissioner Lalit Modi stated on a social networking site that the minister had requested him not to reveal the name of the stakeholders of the consortium. Tharoor has, however, denied this and accused Modi of making "unethical efforts" to thwart Kochi IPL.
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Wednesday called for Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor's resignation and said he must step down till his name is cleared of any impropriety in the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Kochi team.
While also asking the government to probe the source of funds flowing into the IPL tournament, the CPI-M said Tharoor's involvement in the Kochi franchise had raised a number of questions.
"It now transpires that a person associated with him has got 19 percent free equity worth Rs.70 crores in the company that led the consortium which got the franchise. The IPL is not just a sporting event but is a big business enterprise in which big money is involved. It is highly inappropriate for a minister in the union government to be involved in such murky dealings," the politburo said in a statement here.
"It is incumbent upon Tharoor to step down from office till his name is cleared of any unethical or irregular behaviour."
Asking the government to explain whether its ministers can be involved in business dealings in the name of IPL, the CPI-M asked the government to "reconsider whether any tax exemptions or concessions are justified for this commercial enterprise".
Guwahati, April 14 (IANS) Sounds of drum beats and cymbals echoed the hills and dales of Assam with the state heralding the Assamese New Year or Rongali Bihu with tremendous enthusiasm on the first day of celebrations Wednesday.
The Assamese New Year begins Thursday.
Hundreds of people thronged Bihu pandals across the state with dancers in their traditional fineries performing gyrating Bihu dances on the sounds of dhols or the traditional drums and flutes made of buffalo horns.
"I am glad that people are coming out and making merry. I sincerely hope Rongali Bihu ushers in a new dawn of hope and peace in the state," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS. He tried his hand at playing a drum slung across his neck at a Bihu celebration here.
"I take this opportunity to wish the people of Assam a very happy and prosperous Bihu and at the same time extend my greetings to even leaders of all militant groups and urge them to come and join the mainstream by laying down arms," he said.
Singers and musicians are working extra hard to keep up with various community cultural shows organised across Assam.
"It is great fun performing live before thousands of people...I have composed some new numbers for the people of Assam on the occasion of Bihu," said Zubeen Garg, well-known singer of "Ya Ali", the song from Bollywood film "Gangster".
The underlying theme for the celebrations this year is 'peace and brotherhood'.
"We want an end to all forms of violence and let there be permanent peace in the state," said Samujjal Bhattacharya, advisor of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) after inaugurating a community Bihu in the city.
The Assamese New Year begins Thursday.
Hundreds of people thronged Bihu pandals across the state with dancers in their traditional fineries performing gyrating Bihu dances on the sounds of dhols or the traditional drums and flutes made of buffalo horns.
"I am glad that people are coming out and making merry. I sincerely hope Rongali Bihu ushers in a new dawn of hope and peace in the state," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS. He tried his hand at playing a drum slung across his neck at a Bihu celebration here.
"I take this opportunity to wish the people of Assam a very happy and prosperous Bihu and at the same time extend my greetings to even leaders of all militant groups and urge them to come and join the mainstream by laying down arms," he said.
Singers and musicians are working extra hard to keep up with various community cultural shows organised across Assam.
"It is great fun performing live before thousands of people...I have composed some new numbers for the people of Assam on the occasion of Bihu," said Zubeen Garg, well-known singer of "Ya Ali", the song from Bollywood film "Gangster".
The underlying theme for the celebrations this year is 'peace and brotherhood'.
"We want an end to all forms of violence and let there be permanent peace in the state," said Samujjal Bhattacharya, advisor of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) after inaugurating a community Bihu in the city.
Mumbai, April 14 (IANS) The youngest members of the cast in Britain-based Indian filmmaker Gurinder Chadha's new film "It's A Wonderful Afterlife" are her three-year-old twins - son Ronak and daughter Kumiko. She says they are naturals in front of the camera."Yes, my twins make their acting debut in my film, not once but twice. And both the times they steal the show. They first appear in a sequence in a park with my husband Paul and then later in a wedding scene throwing flowers at the bride and the groom," Chadha told IANS.
The twins feature in the end-titles of "It's A Wonderful Afterlife" with their mother. "I can tell you this much, Ronak and Kumiko are naturals in front of the camera," said the proud mother.
Schedule for a May 7 release, the film takes a comical look at the life and times of a Punjabi mother-daughter duo in West London. It stars Shabana Azmi, Shaheen Khan, Goldy Notay, Sally Hawkins, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Sanjeev Bhaskar and Jimi Mistri.
Chadha's next venture would be a children's film set in Kerala. It would be dedicated to her twins.
Shashi Tharoor, minister of External Affairs has received a threat from underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim. Sashi Tharoor who is associated with the Kerala based Kochi IPL team by Rendezvous Sports franchisee, centre of a controversy for the last 2 days with his online fight with Lalit Modi.
As per media reports a sms threat has come to Sashi Tharoor's cell phone number from a Mumbai based telephone telling him that he should stop his association with IPL team, and demanded apology.
Tharoor has given written complaint regarding the incident and his security has been tightened.
Miss Kerala 2010, the beauty contest of girls of Kerala origin will be held on August 5, 2010 at Kochi.
Click here for the winners list
Hairomax is the sponsor for the event.
22 Malayali beauties contest in the grand finale. They are
Aishwarya
Ashwini
Athira
Indu
Josephine
Kavitha
Manju
Merilyn
Mumtaz
Natasha
Neethu
Preethi
Priyanka
Rashmi
Rashmi
Renu
Saranya
Sindhu
Sneha
Sonal
Sree Lakshmi
Stephi
http://www.misskerala.net/ . Girls of Malayali origin (either of the parents must be Malayali) with age between 18-24 is eligible to participate in the event.
Miss Kerala, the most anticipated event of the Kerala fashion and film world is conceived and organised by Impresario Event Management India Ltd.
The subtitles for the contest include Miss Beautiful Hair, Miss Beautiful Skin, Miss Beautiful Eyes, Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Perfect Ten, Miss Photogenic, Miss Congeniality and Miss Talented.
Click here for the winners list
Hairomax is the sponsor for the event.
22 Malayali beauties contest in the grand finale. They are
Aishwarya
Ashwini
Athira
Indu
Josephine
Kavitha
Manju
Merilyn
Mumtaz
Natasha
Neethu
Preethi
Priyanka
Rashmi
Rashmi
Renu
Saranya
Sindhu
Sneha
Sonal
Sree Lakshmi
Stephi
http://www.misskerala.net/ . Girls of Malayali origin (either of the parents must be Malayali) with age between 18-24 is eligible to participate in the event.
Miss Kerala, the most anticipated event of the Kerala fashion and film world is conceived and organised by Impresario Event Management India Ltd.
The subtitles for the contest include Miss Beautiful Hair, Miss Beautiful Skin, Miss Beautiful Eyes, Miss Beautiful Smile, Miss Perfect Ten, Miss Photogenic, Miss Congeniality and Miss Talented.
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) Want to watch the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games (CWG) live without going to a stadium or switching on the telly? All you need is a 3G mobile handset that brings you all the action even when you are travelling.The Games organising committee is also looking at developing a number of mobile applications to provide a lot more at your finger tips.
"You can watch the entire Games live on the 3G mobile. A first for any major Games, it will be an exciting experience. It was not there even at the 2008 Beijing Olympics," organising committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot told IANS.
The 3G (third generation) telecom services allow faster connectivity and enable applications such as internet TV, video-on-demand, audio-video calls and high-speed data exchange.
"We already have 3G-enabled phones in India and companies like MTNL and BSNL are already providing 3G services," he added.
The auction to award spectrum for 3G telecom services across the India is on and once it ends, the service providers will roll out the new technology in a big way.
Over 100,000 people will be in Delhi for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.
"Twenty years ago, a visitor would have been greeted with a booklet with information about important officials, helpline numbers and basic route maps. Now, all the information can be had on your mobile," Bhanot said.
Bhanot said the mobile applications will have everything, from basic information about the Games, which is in a sleek booklet form now, to even the minutest detail a visitor would like to have, such as venues, key bus and metro routes, helpline numbers, road maps, shopping and eatery joints.
"Much of the information is very critical for everyone and it will be a free service to the Games family," he added.
But the organising committee has not taken a call as yet on whether to charge visitors and Delhiites.
"We may still charge some amount for certain applications as there is a cost for providing a service," Bhanot said.
"In the basic information application, Games mascot Shera may take you on a virtual tour of the venues. Shera will be in a swimsuit at the swimming venue, talking about the event. Similarly, at the archery venue, he may be with a bow and arrow. These are basically user- friendly," he explained.
The committee is also looking at developing small video clips having important moments during the Games or memory chips with highlights of India.
"We are planning to provide capsules of public interest. For instance, a small video clip of an athlete winning a race and then receiving a medal can be sold for a small price like selling souvenirs," Bhanot said.
"We also want to market memory chips with cultural highlights during the Games or visits to heritage monuments. If an athlete or tourist goes to a cultural event and is fascinated by a dance or a music concert, he can get a video clip of the programme in a memory chip," he said
"It is almost like a walking coffee table book on the new age mobile," he added.
Ambedkarnagar (Uttar Pradesh), April 14 (IANS) Denied permission to garland a statue of B.R. Ambedkar in this town named after him, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has opted to offer floral tributes to a picture of the architect of the constitution on his birth anniversary here Wednesday.Local Congress workers have hastily mobilised a large portrait of Ambedkar, which has been placed prominently at the venue of a party rally to be addressed by Gandhi on the occasion that also coincides with the leader flagging off 'yatras' on the Congress' 125 years.
The Congress and Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have been at loggerheads ever since Gandhi declared his plans to kick off the Congress' 125th anniversary campaign in Ambedkarnagar, widely known as BSP supremo and chief minister Mayawati's bastion.
"As Rahul-ji was coming all the way to Ambedkarnagar on an occasion like Babasaheb's birth anniversary, it was natural for him to garland his statue here, but the administration has created so many hurdles that Rahul Gandhi would now garland Babasaheb's portrait," said spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Subodh Srivastava.
Officials in the administration deny allegations that they hastily got down to finding ways and means to prevent Gandhi from garlanding Ambedkar's statue in the town.
"No permission was sought by the Congress party for garlanding the Ambedkar statue so where is the question of denial of permission," said an official.
Srivastava retorted: "Well, I do not think we need to take the government's permission to garland the statue of a revered national leader - that too on his birth anniversary."
As the war of words continued, the administration placed a heavy security ring around the statue, preventing anyone from venturing into the cordoned off area.
"The security is there only to prevent any untoward incident and in the larger interest of law and order," Ambedkarnagar District Magistrate Vikram Singh told IANS.
Tensions between the Congress and the BSP, which reveres Ambedkar as an icon, have been continuing for a while.
The administration had earlier refused Gandhi access to a particular ground for his rally, compelling him to settle for another venue in the neighbourhood. That ground was formally "reserved" for a similar show by the BSP.
BREAKING NEWS
Storm kills 31 people in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district
Kolkata, April 14 (IANS) At least 31 people were killed and thousands rendered homeless when a massive storm lashed parts of West Bengal's North Dinajpur district early Wednesday, an official said.
The Norwester storm is common in West Bengal at this time of the year.
Storm kills 31 people in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district
Kolkata, April 14 (IANS) At least 31 people were killed and thousands rendered homeless when a massive storm lashed parts of West Bengal's North Dinajpur district early Wednesday, an official said.
The Norwester storm is common in West Bengal at this time of the year.
FEDERAL BANK (Head office Alwaye - Kerala) invites application from candidates for the post of the following Specialist Officers.
Posts available
HR HEAD
TREASURY HEAD (in Mumbai)
IT HEAD
ECONOMIST
LEGAL OFFICERS
HR OFFICERS
Candidates, can apply online at http://www.federalbank.co.in:8080/onlineapplication.aspx
Opening of online registration
13.04.2010
Closing of online registration
30.04.2010
Click here for more information
Posts available
HR HEAD
TREASURY HEAD (in Mumbai)
IT HEAD
ECONOMIST
LEGAL OFFICERS
HR OFFICERS
Candidates, can apply online at http://www.federalbank.co.in:8080/onlineapplication.aspx
Opening of online registration
13.04.2010
Closing of online registration
30.04.2010
Click here for more information
Vishuva Sankranti is the traditional Oriya New Year and generally falls on April 14 each year. It coincides with the traditional New Year in Assam, Bengal, Kerala, Manipur, Nepal and Tamil Nadu. You can sent sms, wishes, greeting etc on Oriya New year from the following websites.
Vakow SMS
Rukmania SMS
Unlimited fun SMS
Vakow SMS
Rukmania SMS
Unlimited fun SMS
New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) When it comes to going green, two major Indian apparel brands have taken the lead. Van Heusen and Arrow have come up with 100 percent organic lines made of cotton, linen and natural dyes, doing their bit for the environment and also spreading awareness among consumers.Shital Mehta, chief operating officer of Van Heusen, said: "Limited resources and increasing productivity have put the natural environment around us under tremendous pressure. Reason enough for us (Van Heusen) to get serious about starting down the eco-friendly path.
"It's a conscious attempt to make all of us understand the importance of being earth-friendly. Even something as small as weed removal for cotton crops has been done physically without reliance on chemical killers," Mehta told IANS.
Arrow's product manager Punit Chauhan said: "The way the world is heading, we feel it is critical for us to create awareness among ourselves so that we can contribute towards saving nature and our eco-system."
"The need to bring awareness among consumers at this point of time is critical for every organisation," he added.
While Van Heusen's eco-friendly apparel range starts at Rs.1,599, just like their other clothes, Arrow's line is slightly higher compared to their normal line.
Mehta explains the tedious effort that goes behind churning out an eco-friendly line.
"Every care has been taken to ensure that no artificial or chemical substances are used in this line. Balancing the population of insects by using trap crops to lure pests away is just another example of how committed we (Van Heusen) are with this line," explained Mehta.
"And what better way to reap the benefits of these efforts than to follow natural cycles and harvest the cotton when it's fully ready," he said.
Arrow has plans to expand its green effort by introducing and using more natural fibres and recyclable collections.
The initiative has been well-received by customers all around India.
Jitin Gulati, 29, who works in an MNC and goes for cotton wear, feels the move is appropriate because a lot of people are looking for fashion brands that offer an organic line.
"There are so many like me who believe in going organic and we are always on the lookout for new labels that offer genuine organic products. They are expensive but still give us the satisfaction that we are doing our bit," Gulati said.
"This move is very timely because not many branded labels have an eco-friendly line. Designers who churn out an eco-friendly range are way too expensive, but theirs (Arrow and Van Heusen) is affordable," he added.
Beijing, April 14 (IANS) About 300 people were killed and more than 8,000 injured Wednesday when a devastating 7.1-magnitude earthquake tore through northwest China's Qinghai province, officials said.
Xinhua quoted local official Huang Limin as saying that the quake struck the Yushu prefecture at 7.49 a.m. at a depth of about 33 km.
At least three aftershocks quickly followed, triggering widespread destruction.
The tremors were so strong that more than 85 percent of the houses near the epicentre, Jiegu township, collapsed, said another official.
"Many people are buried in the collapsed houses, and there are lots of others who are injured and being treated at hospitals," the official said.
Chinese soldiers frantically tried to dig out those buried under tonnes of debris but the lack of heavy equipment hampered their efforts.
Shi Huajie, a police officer, said students of some primary schools were among the buried but their number was unknown.
"We have to mainly rely on our hands to clear away the debris as we have no large excavating machines. We have no medical equipment, either," he said despairingly.
Telecommunications were disrupted after the quake.
Wu Yong, a commander in the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said: "Our soldiers have pulled 10 people from the collapsed houses, but four of them had died. The death toll may rise further as lots of houses collapsed.
"We are now putting up tents and transporting oxygen to prepare for treating the injured. But roads leading to the airport have been damaged, hampering the rescue efforts."
Two rescue teams from Qinghai and Tibet have been dispatched to the quake-hit region.
Xinhua quoted local official Huang Limin as saying that the quake struck the Yushu prefecture at 7.49 a.m. at a depth of about 33 km.
At least three aftershocks quickly followed, triggering widespread destruction.
The tremors were so strong that more than 85 percent of the houses near the epicentre, Jiegu township, collapsed, said another official.
"Many people are buried in the collapsed houses, and there are lots of others who are injured and being treated at hospitals," the official said.
Chinese soldiers frantically tried to dig out those buried under tonnes of debris but the lack of heavy equipment hampered their efforts.
Shi Huajie, a police officer, said students of some primary schools were among the buried but their number was unknown.
"We have to mainly rely on our hands to clear away the debris as we have no large excavating machines. We have no medical equipment, either," he said despairingly.
Telecommunications were disrupted after the quake.
Wu Yong, a commander in the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said: "Our soldiers have pulled 10 people from the collapsed houses, but four of them had died. The death toll may rise further as lots of houses collapsed.
"We are now putting up tents and transporting oxygen to prepare for treating the injured. But roads leading to the airport have been damaged, hampering the rescue efforts."
Two rescue teams from Qinghai and Tibet have been dispatched to the quake-hit region.
Captain Tamil TV Channel by Vijaykanth Logo, Website captainmedia.in
One of the most Popular Tamil actor and politician Vijaykanth will launch his 24 hour news and entertainment TV channel titled Captain TV on April 14, 2010.
The channel is managed by the brother-in-law of Vijayakanth and managing director of Captain Media L.S. Sudheesh.
Captain TV website has been launched and can be accessed at http://captainmedia.in
One of the most Popular Tamil actor and politician Vijaykanth will launch his 24 hour news and entertainment TV channel titled Captain TV on April 14, 2010.
The channel is managed by the brother-in-law of Vijayakanth and managing director of Captain Media L.S. Sudheesh.
Captain TV website has been launched and can be accessed at http://captainmedia.in
Dr. Israr Ahmed, relegious scholar has passed away, reports Geo TV. He was suffering from back-pain and heart disorders. Dr. Israr Ahmed, aged 78 is a well known Muslim religious figure in Pakistan, India, the Middle East, and North America. He is the founder of the Tanzeem-e-islami, an off-shoot of the Jamaat-e-Islami. He currently presents a daily show on Peace TV, a 24/7 Islamic channel broadcast internationally.
San Francisco, April 14 (DPA) Microsoft has outsourced its internal tech support to Indian technology services firm Infosys, the companies have announced.The move was first revealed in an Infosys press release Tuesday announcing a three-year deal to "manage internal IT services for Microsoft worldwide" and later confirmed by the US software giant.
"As part of this managed services agreement, Infosys will streamline implementation processes, simplify support and service, while at the same time lowering the enterprise costs through the use of the latest Microsoft solutions such as Windows 7," Infosys said in a statement.
No financial or other terms of the deal were released. But Microsoft said that it would still retain strategic functions in its internal IT management and was engaging Infosys to consolidate service previously provided by a variety of outside vendors.
The move will see Infosys providing help desk support for 450 Microsoft locations worldwide as Microsoft looks to cut costs by outsourcing jobs to the Indian tech services firm.
"The fully integrated solution developed by Infosys will help us enhance how we deliver end-user computing services to our internal employees and partners while leveraging the innovation and investments we make in developing new technologies," said Jim DuBois, Microsoft's general manager of service management.
New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) India will send two astronauts into space using an indigenous rocket and an announcement for this is likely to be made within a couple of months, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said Tuesday.In an interview to a private channel, ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan said in the next few weeks the government may announce approval of India's most expensive scientific programme - that of putting two Indian astronauts in space.
With this India is set to join the select club of the US, Russia and China that have human space flight capabilities. The announcement has come two days before ISRO's test for an indigenous Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket.
Radhakrishnan told NDTV that India has technical capabilities for sending astronauts into the space. He said government approval for this Rs.124 billion venture may come in a couple of months.
On being asked if it will be announced in the Prime Minister's Independence Day speech, the ISRO chief confirmed that "the approval and announcement could happen even before that".
Radhakrishnan says ISRO is ready to launch Indian astronauts by 2017. "As of now what we have is a pre-project study," he said, adding that the astronaut programme will be implemented in phases.
The first phase is to test the unmanned crew module and a service module in space four years from now. After that the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) will be used to launch the Indian astronauts.
San Francisco, April 13 (DPA) Microblogging sensation Twitter is starting to turn its cachet into cash.Twitter co-founder Biz Stone announced Tuesday that the service will now feature "sponsored tweets" at the top of some Twitter.com search pages.
Early advertisers include Best Buy, Virgin America and Starbucks, who will be paying to reach Twitter's estimated 22 million users in the US, and for the prestige of being associated with the trendy social network.
While some analysts value the privately-held startup at upwards of $1 billion, Twitter's main income so far has come from allowing Microsoft and Google access to its messages.
"Over the years, we've resisted introducing a traditional Web advertising model because we wanted to optimize for value before profit," said Stone, who in 2006 co-founded the site.
Stone said the advertising tweets would look like regular posting on a Twitter page, though they would be clearly marked as promotions.
"We hope you'll share in our enthusiasm as today we unveil a simple service we're calling Promoted Tweets," he said. "It's non-traditional, it's easy, and it makes a ton of sense for Twitter."
Stone chose to make the announcement via a Twitter blog. Normal Tweets are restricted to 140 characters, far too short for such an important piece of news.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Ranchi born, Chennai SuperKings Captain says "whenever I stop at *red light areas*, people come up to me and talk to me in Tamil"
Dhoni's speech with Harsha Bhogle after the CSK - KKR Match Match [Video]
Hyderabad, April 13 (IANS) Mahindra Satyam Tuesday launched a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) here on the first anniversary of acquisition of scam-hit Satyam Computers by Tech Mahindra, and said it would complete restatement of accounts by the end of June as per schedule.India's fourth largest software services firm said it planned to hire 4,000 associates this quarter. At present it has a headcount of 25,000.
Satyam had a headcount of 53,000 in January last year when its founder and chairman B. Ramalinga Raju confessed to a Rs.78 billion accounting fraud.
The SEZ at Infocity Campus in Hitec City was launched in the presence of Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Secretary R. Bandyopadhyay and Mahindra and Mahindra vice-chairman and managing director Anand Mahindra.
Spread over 26 acres, the first phase of the campus will be ready for occupation within the next six months and will seat around 5,000 associates.
Analysts said since the firm cannot move its workforce to SEZ, it would have to recruit associates for the same. A bulk of 4,000 associates planned to be recruited this quarter would be for SEZ.
Tech Mahindra was reported to be facing problems in restatement of accounts as all the records were in the custody of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). But company chief executive Vineet Nayyar told reporters: "I am sure we will be able meet the deadline".
Earlier, addressing the associates, Khurshid said that his ministry would continue to help the firm meet the challenges. "This transition to success shows what a company can do and what India can do," he said.
"There is a three-year transformation plan. This is a journey in which government will continue to participate. It is only one year. We need another two years to level out some operational matters," said Mahindra Satyam chief executive C.P. Gurnani.
He claimed that the company had retained almost all the clients but declined to give any details about its performance in the last one year.
Gurnani said much of the reorganisation in the company happened on June 20 last year when 14 layers of management were reduced to seven.
Anand Mahindra said the company should not remain at number four position but should aim to be on top.
Sydney, April 13 (IANS) Australian cricketer Brett Lee shares a "strictly professional" relationship with Bollywood actress Priety Zinta, says Lee's manager Neil Maxwell, dismissing as "false" the reports of an alleged link-up.There were rumours when the bowler, who is a member of Preity's Kings XI Punjab team, looked at ease with the actress at an Indian Premiere League (IPL) cricket party.
Lee's manager Neil Maxwell has slammed the reports and Monday said that the cricketer's relationship with Priety was strictly professional, adding that the pair had been friends for years, Dailytelegraph.com.au reports.
"Brett presented her with an acting award in England some years ago and they've been friends since. She is a very intelligent lady and very nice too," said Maxwell.
Bhopal, April 13 (IANS) Over one lakh followers of Bhimrao Ambedkar are expected to gather at his birth place at Mhow near Indore on the occasion of his 119th birth anniversary April 14 - celebrated as 'Ambedkar Mahakumbh' for the past two years, officials said Tuesday.The Madhya Pradesh government has made elaborate arrangements for the occasion.
Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister Vijay Shah reviewed preparations and directed the officials concerned to make arrangements for lodging and boarding of the followers coming from various places. The state government has also declared a public holiday Wednesday.
"All the preparations have been made for the Mahakumbh to be held on April 14 at Mhow in Indore district on the occasion of Baba Saheb Ambedkar's birth anniversary. The visitors to the Mahakumbh will be treated like guests. They will be provided facilities of lodging, food and other public amenities," Shah said.