The Indian Panorama

Month: February 2013

  • I’ve Made Mistakes, Have Learnt From Them: Harbhajan Singh

    I’ve Made Mistakes, Have Learnt From Them: Harbhajan Singh

    CHENNAI (TIP): The little Sardar whohad Greg Blewett’s off bail flying high 15years ago in Bangalore with a doosra hascome a long way.Harbhajan Singh still remembers hisfirst wicket in Test cricket, as if ithappened yesterday, but there’s no time forhim to delve into nostalgia. The Turbanatoris finally playing his 100th Test match andhe knows if he is not firing straight away,he might not be playing his 101st.

    When somebody asked whether he islooking to recreate the magic of 2001, Bhajjismiled. “There’s no point thinking about itanymore. It was a once-in-a-lifetime series.But yes, I will give my best, but whether Iget 32 wickets or 23, it’s another matter,”Harbhajan said.The off-spinner has seen quite a few upsand downs in his career and is now wiserfor that. “I had made a few mistakes in lifebut I learnt a lot from this roller-coasterride that I had. I have played with so manygreat players — Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid -and they taught me never to give up,” Bhajjisaid, talking about the journey.

    Kumble, too came up for discussionand the offie, with 408 Test wickets, said:”Obviously it was great to have Kumbleon the other side. One thing about himwhich really stood out was his intensity.Even if he was bowling the 30th over, heused to come with the same gusto andthat’s what pushed me as well.”The conversation veered back to his100th Test and the feisty sardar didn’t mindsaying that he would be a bit nervous tostart with.”But once it starts, I think I will befine and look to enjoy the occasion.”He is no longer an automatic choicein the team and does that bother him?Harbhajan smiled again. “Why third? Idon’t mind being the fourth spinnereither, as long as I am playing forIndia.”

    BCCI congrats offie, wants 2001 encore

    The BCCI wants Harbhajan to regain the form of the 2001 series when he bamboozled the Aussies with a bagful of wickets. “Congratulations @harbhajan_singh on playing his 100th Test tomorrow. Let this series be an encore of 2001. Good luck!” BCCI tweeted on February 22, confirming the news of his selection in the playing XI.

  • McIlroy, Woods out in first round at WGC Match Play

    McIlroy, Woods out in first round at WGC Match Play

    MARANA (TIP): World number one Rory McIlroy and 14- time major champion Tiger Woods fell in the first round of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship. Ireland’s Shane Lowry, ranked 68th in the world and the 64th-seed in the 64-man field, toppled Northern Ireland’s McIlroy 1-up, while Charles Howell defeated Woods 2 and 1 at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club course at Dove Mountain.

    Lowry, a friend of McIlroy’s from their days in the amateur ranks, made his run on the back nine, chipping in for birdie to win the 12th hole and winning the 13th with an eagle to gain a two-up advantage. McIlroy pulled one back at 14, but conceded the 15th after finding a series of bunkers.

    McIlroy then birdied the parthree 16th for a win, but they halved the last two holes with pars, and Lowry emerged victorious. “Obviously it was always going to be a tough match for me against Rory today, but playing against the world number one, I’m feeling quite good now,” said Lowry, who sank a four-foot par putt at 18 to seal the win.

    “But it’s important not to get too high now, because it’s only the first round, and I’ve got another match tomorrow and am really looking forward to playing that.” Neither Howell nor Woods made a bogey in their match, which ended with darkness closing in. “I knew I had to play my best to have a chance out there,” Howell said, adding that his mind-set throughout was that he had “nothing to lose”. Woods, winner of this event in 2003, 2004 and 2008, has now failed to get out of the first round three times in his career, but said he couldn’t complain about his game. “We both played well,” Woods said. “He made a couple of more birdies than I did. He played well and he’s advancing.” The round was continued from Wednesday, when a freak snowstorm in the Arizona desert cut short play, and Thursday’s start was delayed for several hours.

    Two matches were halted by darkness. Sweden’s Carl Pettersson was 1-up against Rickie Fowler through 17 holes with the winner to face Lowry. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Francesco Molinari were all-square through 15, with the winner to face Howell. McIlroy, who missed the cut in his only other start of the year, the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, is under extra scrutiny in the wake of his switch to Nike equipment.

    He said some ragged iron play cost him the match. “I drove the ball really well,” McIlroy said, but “couldn’t take advantage of that.” World number three Luke Donald, who won the title in 2011 to launch a stellar year that saw him gain the world number one spot and win the European and US money titles, advanced with a 1-up victory over Germany’s Marcel Siem.

  • Myanmar Protest: Probe Alleges Police Used White Phosphorus

    Myanmar Protest: Probe Alleges Police Used White Phosphorus

    YANGON (TIP): Anindependent investigationsays white phosphoruscaused the severe burnsmonks and other protesterssuffered when Myanmarpolice broke up theirprotest at a mine inNovember.Lawyer Aung Thein saida laboratory found traces ofthe chemical on canistersleft by police and recoveredafterward.He was not directlyinvolved in theinvestigation but signed thereport on the findings.

    Thereport has been forwardedto the governmentappointedpanel headed byopposition leader Aung SanSuu Kyi that isinvestigating the matter.White phosphorus is anincendiary agent generallyused in war to create smokescreens. Guidance on itsuse against people directlyis conflicting.Presidential spokesmanYe Htut declined tocomment on the findingstoday.Protesters occupied theLetpadaung mine project innorthwestern Myanmar for11 days.

  • Nine Killed In Terror Attacks In Northwest Pakistan

    Nine Killed In Terror Attacks In Northwest Pakistan

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): At least ninepeople, including six militants, werekilled and ten others injured in twoseparate terror attacks in Pakistan’srestive northwest today.The militants attacked Maryanpolice station in Bannu area ofKhyber-Pakhtunkhwa province at 6.30am, triggering a fierce gun battle thatcontinued for about 90 minutes,killing six militants and injuring apoliceman.

    The attack was successfullythwarted and six militants killed,District police chief Nisar Tanoli toldreporters.Reports said several of theattackers blew themselves up whileothers were shot dead. Tanoli said apoliceman was injured and the policestation was slightly damaged.He said the attackers appeared to beUzbeks.The banned Tehrik-e-TalibanPakistan claimed responsibility forthe attack.Taliban spokesman IhsanullahIhsan told reporters by phone thatsuicide bombers were involved in theattack, which was launched to avengethe killings of militants who were inthe custody of authorities.

    Officials said the Taliban militantsfired rockets before attempting tostorm the police station.Bannu, which lies between thesettled area of Khyber- Pakhtunkhwaand the restive North Waziristantribal region, has witnessed severalmilitant attacks in recent years.Meanwhile, three persons werekilled and nine others injured when avehicle was targeted with animprovised explosive device inOrkazai tribal region, officials said.The incident occurred at HasanzaiBazar in Orakzai Agency, one ofPakistan’s seven semi-autonomoustribal districts.The injured were taken to a nearbyhospital, where doctors described thecondition of some as critical.Personnel from the Khasadarmilitia cordoned off the area andlaunched a search operation.No group has claimed responsibilityfor the attack.

  • Backpacker Sam Woodhead Found In Australian Outback

    Backpacker Sam Woodhead Found In Australian Outback

    QUEENSLAND (TIP): A Britishbackpacker who went missing aftersetting out on a run in the Australianoutback has been found.Sam Woodhead had failed to returnto a cattle station in centralQueensland on Tuesday afternoon.Queensland Police said MrWoodhead was a little sunburnedwhen he was found but was hydratedand otherwise well.Mr Woodhead, 18, reportedly fromRichmond in south-west London, wasreported missing by the owner ofUpshot Station, where he wasworking.

    The teenager is being returned tothe cattle station for a medicalassessment, before being transferredto a hospital in the nearby town,Longreach.His sister Rebecca wrote onFacebook earlier: “We have been toldthat they have found sam!! We have noinformation on his condition or wherehe was found yet, so keep your fingerscrossed.”Mr Woodhead had been in Australiafor eight days when he disappeared.Temperatures have been around 37Cin the area this week.

  • Dog Attack Plans ‘Woefully Inadequate’ Say Mps

    Dog Attack Plans ‘Woefully Inadequate’ Say Mps

    LONDON (TIP): The law should be “urgently”amended to protect the public, the Environment,Food and Rural Affairs Committee said.In a report, the MPs said they were not convincedministers were giving “sufficient priority” to dogcontrol.The government said it was bringing incompulsory microchipping for all dogs and giving thepolice more powers to investigate dog attacks.

    The select committee, whose chair Anne McIntoshhas revealed she herself has been bitten by a dog,has been carrying out an investigation intogovernment plans to tackle recent rises in dogrelatedoffences and hospital admissions.Government officials estimate there are around210,000 people attacked by dogs in England everyyear.

    ‘Public concern’
    Five children and one adult have been killed bydogs on private property since 2007 and the NHSspends around £3m a year treating dog attackinjuries.The Department for Environment, Food and RuralAffairs (DEFRA) has set out plans to make itcompulsory for all dogs to be microchipped from 2016and extend laws governing dog attacks to coverincidents on private property.The Dangerous Dogs Act, which was introduced in1991 after a spate of fatal attacks, currently onlycovers the behaviour of dogs on public land.

  • Coronation Street’s Michael Le Vell Charged With Child Rape

    Coronation Street’s Michael Le Vell Charged With Child Rape

    MANCHESTER (TIP):Coronation Street actor Michael LeVell has been charged with astring of sex offences, includingraping a child.Greater Manchester Police saidhe is also accused of indecentlyassaulting a child and sexualactivity with a child.The actor, 48, who plays KevinWebster in the ITV1 soap, faces atotal of 19 charges relating tocrimes allegedly committedbetween 2001 and 2010.

    Mr Le Vell, whose real name isMichael Turner, is due beforemagistrates in Manchester on 27February.Alison Levitt QC, principal legaladviser to the Director of PublicProsecutions, said she hadreviewed a decision not toprosecute Mr Le Vell followingallegations made against him in2011.She said: “I have very carefullyreviewed the evidence in this caseand I have concluded that there issufficient evidence and it is in thepublic interest to charge MichaelRobert Turner with a number ofsexual offences.”I have authorised GreaterManchester Police to charge MrTurner with 19 offences, includingrape of a child.”Mr Turner has now beencharged with criminal offencesand has a right to a fair trial.”The actor, from Hale in GreaterManchester, has played the role ofgarage mechanic Kevin Websterfor 30 years, making him one ofthe longest-serving performers inCoronation Street.

  • Indian-American Lawmaker Welcomes Obama Plan

    Indian-American Lawmaker Welcomes Obama Plan

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Ami Bera, the only Indian-American member of the US Congress, has welcomedPresident Barack Obama’s plan “to restore an economythat works for middle class families by investing ininfrastructure, innovation, and education.””America is at its strongest when we have a strongmiddle class, and growing jobs and the economy for themiddle class should be our number one priority inCongress,” said Bera, the third Indian-American, afterDalip Singh Saund and Bobby Jindal, to be ever electedto the US House of Representatives.

  • Darjeeling walking along the memory lane

    Darjeeling walking along the memory lane

    Travelling in Darjeeling is like walking along the memory lanes during the time of the British Raj. Located in the cozy and inviting lap of the Kanchan Junga, Darjeeling the dramatic land is amazingly blessed with the superb beauty of the nature, fantastic sightseeing places, ornamental monasteries, mystic hill, alluring tea gardens, refreshing and healthy climatic condition and warm hospitality.

    Darjeeling is truly a gem in the crown of the Himalayas that invites the foot falls of thousands and thousands of tourists from across the globe. Darjeeling in true sense is a paradise on earth as the showers of blessing from the heaven in poured in Darjeeling in the form of the natural beauty, blissful ambiance and the cool weather conditions that keeps this scenic hill town pure and pristine all the year round.

    So due to the copious natural beauty, cool climatic condition, tempting culture and friendly hospitality, tourist throngs the year round to for holidays in Darjeeling. Darjeeling tourism has great potential the hill town supports varieties of tourism options including tea tourism, monsoon tourism, medical tourism, wildlife tourism, flowers tourism and culture tourism, which have their own resemblance, but different from rest of the world.

    So come and soak in the heavenly beauty of the nature as well as explore the fascinating charm of tourism in Darjeeling with much pleasure, fun and joy. Beside the inviting tourist places, the speciality of Darjeeling tourism lies in the tea gardens, which are not just the main tourist attraction but are the back bone of Darjeeling tourism.

    The vast stretches of the emerald green tea gardens are the main source from where the world’s best tea leaves are obtained and are made ready for the international market supply. Darjeeling Himalayan railway is also the iconic attraction which is also the major tourist attraction and the iconic symbol of Darjeeling tourism.

    Talking more on Darjeeling tourism, the hill town has its own unique culture and festivals like Tihar, Dasai, Losar (Tibetan Festival), Makar Sankranti and Durga Puja is celebrate with great enthusiasm by all the local communities.

    More of all Darjeeling is the gastronomy paradise, where one can satisfy the appetite by enjoy the verities of delicious Himalayan cuisines and specialities including “Momos”, “Thukpas”, Sael Roti and mood making local wine called Chhaang and Tongba. So in short, Darjeeling tourism has everything that makes the vacation a complete package packed with fun delights, thrill, adventure and lots of happiness.
    PLACES TO VISIT
    Dhoom Gompa
    About 8 kms from Darjeeling is the Dhoom Gompa. Here a very beautiful statue of the Maitrayie Buddha is established. The Monastery has also preserved some of the rare handwritten Buddhist manuscripts.

    The Mall
    The Mall is Darjeeling’s popular commercial street. It is lined with Tibetans selling hand-knitted sweaters and souvenir shops chock-full of Himalayan artifacts and both real and imitation antiques. Photo shops carry turn-of-the-century photos as well as specialising in hand-painted black and white prints with glowing oil colours. The Mall leads to Chaurasta, a square, which doubles as a bandstand, a pony riding arena for children and a haven for lovers.

    Chowrasta
    The Chowrasta, meaning crossroad, is a hive of commercial activity. The Mall Road originates and culminates at the Chowrasta. This is the heart of Victorian Darjeeling. Here hotels, restaurants and shops brush against each other. The shops and stalls are a veritable paradise for souvenir collectors. The Bhutanese sellers display their wares. Woollen garments, tribal ornaments, Thankas, rosaries, brass statuettes and Gorkha daggers are kept on display for sale. Foreign goods are also available in some shops. Local handicrafts are much in demand.

    Obeservatory Hill
    The oldest site in Darjeeling is Observatory Hill, known locally as “Makal- Babu-Ko-Thaan”. According to legend, a Red Hat Buddhist Monastery called Dorje Ling, or ‘place of the Thunderbolt’, stood at this very spot. The Nepalis destroyed it in the 19th century. The Shivas and Buddhists share the temple that stands there today.

    Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
    A spot not to be missed is the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute created by the late Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa who conquered Mt Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary on 29 May 1953. A display of equipment used on the climb is one of the highlights. A zoological garden nearby has an assortment of wildlife such as yaks, Siberian tigers and red pandas who call the region their home.

    Rangeet Valley Passenger Ropeway
    At North Point about 3-km from the town, this is the first passenger ropeway in India. For reservation of ropeway seats please contact – officer in-charge, Darjeeling Rangeet Valley Ropeway Station, North Point, Darjeeling. Regular share taxi service is available from Market Motor and Taxi Stand is to the Ropeway Station.
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    Nearby Attractions
    Tibetan Refuge Camp
    The area in and around Darjeeling is a treasure chest of interesting destinations. The Tibetan Refugee self-help scheme produces traditional artifacts, jewellery and carpets for tourist consumption.

    Lloyd’s Botanical Garden
    Lloyd’s Botanical Garden displays a fine collection of Himalayan fauna for those with an interest, and for punters there is horseracing at Lebong, the smallest and highest racecourse in the world.

    Tiger Hill
    Situated at an altitude of 2,590m (8,482 ft.) and 13-km from the town, this spot has earned international fame for the magnificent view of the sunrise over “Kanchenjunga” and the great Eastern Himalayan Mountains. Even Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, is visible from here.

    Phalut & Sandakphu
    A week’s smallest-trip of Phalut and Sandakphu will get one within reach of the high peaks; for the onlooker it affords a more spectacular panorama than at Tiger Hill. Giant flowering Rhododendron trees, a pointillism of reds pinks and whites Dwarfs comprise of the en route trail. On attaining heights of over 3,048m, one is surrounded by skeletal trees devoid of leaves and branches, which are especially eerie when the clouds roll in and envelop the area.

    Pashupati

    Further afield, in Pashupati on the Nepal border, one can purchase foreign goods at reasonable prices, view wildlife such as the endangered one-horned Rhino, Deer, Gaur, and wild boar while seated atop an Elephant’s back at Jaldapara Game Park; learn of the Lepcha legend at the confluence of the Teesta and Ranjeet Rivers; relive Kalimpong’s past glory as a trading post by visiting the market filled with traditional Tibetan medicine, spices, musk, wool and silk; or for the truly adventurous-hire some ponies and a crew and take to the hills.

    Kurseong
    Kurseong is mid-way between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The way from Darjeeling to Kurseong is generally open through out the year. So, the toy train is not coming to Siliguri then one can come up to Kurseong. This place is equally beautiful and is full of natural splendour

  • Bobby Jindal’s Approval Rating Declines: Survey

    Bobby Jindal’s Approval Rating Declines: Survey

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The approval rating of Indian-American Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, consideredamong the frontrunners for the Republican party’spresidential nomination in the 2016 elections, has droppedsignificantly.According to a survey from Democratic firm PublicPolicy Polling, only 37 per cent of the people in Louisianasurveyed for this poll approved the performance of 41-yearoldinfluential Republican leader, while 57 per centdisapproved.In the last poll carried out by Public Policy Polling inAugust 2010, Jindal had a approval rating of 58 per cent,while only 34 per cent disapproved.

  • Indian-American Lottery Winner’s Death: Brother Raised Suspicion Over Death

    Indian-American Lottery Winner’s Death: Brother Raised Suspicion Over Death

    CHICAGO (TIP): The brother of aChicago man poisoned with cyanideshortly after winning the lotterysaid on Monday he is the familymember who asked authorities toreconsider the initial finding thathis sibling had died of naturalcauses.Imtiaz Khan said he hadnightmares about his brother beforehis death and that his suspicionsabout the death lead him to pushcoroner’s officials to conduct moretests.

    Urooj Khan, 46, an immigrantfrom India, died July 20 as he wasabout to collect his $425,000 inIllinois State Lottery winnings.Imtiaz Khan said Monday in atelephone interview that he begandemanding more tests be conductedimmediately after coroner’s officialssaid his brother had died of naturalcauses.Further tests revealed inNovember that Urooj Khan had beenpoisoned. His body was exhumed inJanuary for more testing.Khan’s widow, Shabana Ansari,and other relatives have denied anyrole in his death and expressed adesire to learn the truth.

    Urooj Khan had moved to the USfrom his home in Hyderabad, India,in 1989, setting up several drycleaning businesses and buying intosome real estate investments.Despite having foresworngambling after making the hajjpilgrimage to Mecca in 2010, Khanbought a lottery ticket in June. Hesaid winning the lottery meanteverything to him and that heplanned to use his winnings to payoff mortgages, expand his businessand donate to St. Jude’s Children’sResearch Hospital.

    He was just days from receivinghis winnings when he died beforedawn July 20.The night before, Khan ate dinnerwith his wife, daughter and fatherin-law at their house. Sometime thatnight, Khan awoke feeling ill. Hedied the next morning at a hospital.Khan died without a will, openingthe door to a court battle. Thebusinessman’s widow and siblingsfought for months over his estate,including the lottery check.

  • Crippled Carnival Triumph Cruise Ship Reaches US Coast

    Crippled Carnival Triumph Cruise Ship Reaches US Coast

    ALABAMA (TIP): More than 4,000people are disembarking from acrippled cruise ship that reached landfour days after an engine fire knockedout its power.Unloading all 3,200 passengers isexpected to take hours. Food, blanketsand mobile phones await them in theterminal, a Carnival official has said.Passengers had reported sewage onthe floors, poor sanitation and accessto toilets, and lengthy queues for food.Some lined the decks as the 900-ft(275m) ship docked, waving andcheering at people on shore.Chants of “Let me off, let me off !”could be heard coming from the shipas they waited to disembark.Carnival Corp which operates theship, was also the owner of CostaConcordia, the cruise ship that ranaground off the Italian coast and sanklast year, killing 32 people.

    ‘Nightmare’
    After the ship reached port ataround 21:15 (03:15 GMT), CarnivalCorp said it would take as long as fivehours to get all the passengers off.They have already been cleared bycustoms officials.On disembarking passenger, ClarkJones, told the BBC the last day wasparticularly hard as tugs took severalhours to tow the stricken ship the lastfew miles to port.”Today has been especiallynightmarish because we knew we wereso close to land and getting off,” he toldthe BBC.Once passengers are off the ship,they will be taken by bus either toGalveston, Texas, which is about sevenhours away, or to New Orleans, wherethe firm said it booked 1,500 hotelrooms.

    New Orleans is two hours away.Hospitality staff will be sent onearly holiday with full pay ortransferred to other ships, dependingon the length remaining in theircontracts, Carnival Senior Vice-President Terry Thornton toldreporters.Passenger Janie Baker told NBC byphone on Thursday that conditions onthe ship were “extremely terrible”.There was no electricity and fewworking toilets, she said.Ms Baker described using plasticbags to go to the toilet and that she hadseen a woman pass out while waitingfor food.The stench from overflowing toiletsand drainpipes made some cabinsuninhabitable and many people sleptin corridors while others took beddingout into the open to escape the heatand foul smell.

    Past mechanical problems
    Ms Baker said she and her friendsslept with their life vests one nightbecause the ship was listing.Passengers will be offered a fullrefund and discounts on futurecruises. Carnival announced onWednesday they would each get anadditional $500 (£322) in compensation.But the firm has disputed theaccounts describing the ship as filthy,saying employees were doingeverything they could to ensure peoplewere comfortable.Carnival has cancelled more than adozen planned voyages aboard theTriumph, while acknowledging thatthe crippled ship had othermechanical problems in the weeksbefore the fire.

    Spokesman Vance Gulliksen saidTriumph had an earlier electricalproblem with the ship’s alternator butthat repairs were completed by 2February. He said there was noevidence linking the previous problemto Sunday’s fire.The National Transportation SafetyBoard has opened an investigation intothe fire. No-one was injured in theblaze, but one passenger with a preexistingmedical condition was takenoff the ship as a precaution.

  • Maldives Slams ‘Mediator’ India

    Maldives Slams ‘Mediator’ India

    MALE (TIP): India’s effort to playpeacemaker between Maldivianpresident Waheed Hassan Manik andhis deposed predecessor MohamedNasheed has left the Indian HighCommission in the Maldives capital avirtual war room.From the outside, the Indianmission on the Indian Ocean islandremained closed and deserted onThursday, but diplomatic circles wereon an overdrive, as the Malegovernment hit out at India, saying inits statement about Nasheed, who’shiding in the mission to escape arrest,that India was “underminingMaldives’s democratic institutions.

    “Later in the day, Indian externalaffairs minister Salman Khurshidspoke to his counterpart Abdul SamadAbdullah in a bid to defuse thesituation, but by Thursday evening,India was seen more as a protector ofNasheed than a mediator fordemocracy. Nasheed’s MaldivianDemocratic Party, meanwhile, hasstated that its leader would remain inthe Indian High Commission tillWaheed is replaced by a caretakergovernment to ensure a free and fairelection in September.What appears to have infuriated theMaldivian government is India’schoice of words while stating that ithas taken up Nasheed’s matter withthe Maldivian authorities. Referringto Nasheed, MEA spokesman SyedAkbaruddin, who was in Delhi, saidthat “presidential nominees ofrecognized political parties should befree to participate in the electionswithout any hindrance.

    “The Maldivian government reactedangrily, saying its electioncommission had not announced thecandidates for the elections. “It isunfortunate that the government ofIndia has decided to comment on thetypes of candidates that could contestthe upcoming presidential elections inMaldives scheduled for September2013 …” … The elections commission ofMaldives is fully capable of evaluatingand deciding eligibility of nomineesin the elections and carrying forwarda credible electoral process. Topresume otherwise would beundermining the democraticinstitutions of the country and theprogress achieved by the Maldives inconsolidating its democracy.” It addedthat the Indian authorities had notheld talks with it.

    While India chose not to issue apublic retort, Nasheed went on theoffensive against Waheed. “The eventsof the past year – mass arrests, policebrutality, politically motivated trials -demonstrate that Waheed cannot betrusted to hold a free and fairelection,” he said on the website of hispolitical party.Nasheed’s party colleagues said hewould not leave the Indian HighCommission despite the Maldiviangovernment’s assurance that he wouldnot be arrested. Nasheed took refugeat the Indian mission in Male onWednesday afternoon fearing arrestfollowing a warrant by a local court inconnection with the alleged detentionof the chief judge of a criminal courtduring his presidency in January2012.Nasheed, who became the firstdemocratically elected president ofMaldives in 2008, was ousted last yearin what he called a coup, followingprotests against the judge’s arrest.Waheed, then the vice-president,succeeded him.

  • Vidya Willing To Lose It For Farhan

    Vidya Willing To Lose It For Farhan

    The actress is working hard on sculpting herself back to shape for her next with the athletic actor. There was a particularly heart wrenching scene in The Dirty Picture, in which Silk, who has abused her body after being rejected in love, struggles to fit into her clothes. Vidya Balan, who had put on 12 kilos to essay the role of the buxom actress, looked chillingly convincing as her love handles and jelly belly refused to be contained by the tight clothes.

    The Dirty Picture was followed by Kahaani (where Vidya played a pleasantly plump pregnant woman) and recently Ghanchakkar, but the weight stuck on to Vidya as did the tag of one of the most successful actresses.

    Fresh from sweeping almost all the major awards, the actress tolod about her determination to lose that extra flab and fit into yet another challenging role. At a Bandra cafe, taking dainty sips of her black coffee and nibbling on cracked wheat and ragu with pepper, she looks radiant and as we realise, slimmer than we had last seen her. And then we learn: Vidya has already lost 9.5 kg in less than five weeks.

  • Obama Says Public Deserves To Know More On Drones

    Obama Says Public Deserves To Know More On Drones

    WASHINGTON (TIP): President Barack Obama saidon Thursday that Americans needed more than just hisword to be assured he was not misusing his powers inwaging a secret drone war overseas.The president was asked about the debate over thedeadly tactic, a backbone of the US campaign againstAl-Qaeda, and whether the Constitution allows the useof drones against Americans who have turned againsttheir country.”It is not sufficient for citizens to just take my wordfor it that we are doing the right thing,” Obama told anonline forum sponsored by Google.The president, who has said he is working withCongress to provide more oversight of the clandestinedrone war against Al-Qaeda, was also asked what was tostop the US government from using unmanned aerialvehicles at home.”There has never been a drone used on an Americancitizen on American soil,” Obama said in the GooglePlus “Fireside Hangout.”

    “The rules outside the United States are going to bedifferent than the rules inside of the United States inpart because our capacity, for example, to captureterrorists in the United States is going to be verydifferent than in the foothills or mountains ofAfghanistan or Pakistan.Debate about the use of drones has slowly beenmounting following the September 2011 killing in Yemenof cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior Al-Qaeda operativewho was an American citizen.The president said that he was working with Congressto ensure that the public was also able to understand theconstraints and legal rationales of the US drone war.”I am not somebody who believes that the presidenthas the authority to do whatever he wants, or whatevershe wants, whenever they want, just under the guise ofcounter terrorism,” he added.

    “There have to be checks and balances on it.”Some observers, including prominent senators, areconsidering whether a special court should monitor thesecret drone war.Missiles fired from unmanned aircraft have becomethe Obama administration’s weapons of choice in itswar against Al-Qaeda.The administration’s legal rationale for the targetedkillings was leaked to the media ahead of Senatehearings last week on the nomination of Obama’s topcounterterrorism adviser John Brennan to head theCIA.The guidelines allow the use of drone strikes againstUS citizens suspected of being senior Al-Qaedaoperatives, even if there is no evidence they are activelyplotting an attack.Some administration critics have questioned thelegality of drone strikes against US citizens, whileothers fear that raining death from the skies may domore harm than good in increasing anti-US sentiment.

  • Deepika to don a new look in Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani

    Deepika to don a new look in Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani

    After playing the hot Veronica in Cocktail and steaming the screen with her hotness in Race 2 Deepika plays a complete new avatar.

    Now she will be seen in a girl next door avatar in her upcoming movie Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani.

    For the first time Deepika will be seen wearing spectacles onscreen. Although she has been seen in specs a lot of times in real life specially while travelling but this is the first she will be seen wearing them onscreen.

    Source from the movie say, She is carrying off the look very well.

    Deepika is playing the lead role opposite Ranbir Kapoor, in Yeh Jawani hai Deewani directed by Ayan Mukerji.The movie has just completed shooting in Kashmir.

  • Italian PM Assures ‘Correct Governance’ Of Finmeccanica

    Italian PM Assures ‘Correct Governance’ Of Finmeccanica

    ROME (TIP): Italian PrimeMinister Mario Monti hassaid that his governmentwould guarantee the “correctgovernance” of statecontrolleddefence firmFinmeccanica followingarrest of its chief executiveon corruption charges in theRs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopterdeal with India.”The government was ableto intervene with somemeasures to guarantee thecorrect governance of thecompany and the wholegroup,” Monti said. The primeminister had earlier promisedto do “whatever necessary toclean up” Finmeccanica. Healso assured that theprosecution would do its dutyin the case of Finmeccanica’sjailed ex-chief executiveofficer Giuseppe Orsi.

    “I am sure that theprosecution in this case willdo its duty as in other similarcases,” he told reporters. Orsiwas arrested by Italianagencies on Tuesday as partof their probe related tointernational corruption in acase involving the payment ofbribes in the Rs 3,600 croredeal for 12 VVIP helicoptersto India.In February 2010, India hadinked the deal to acquire the12 three-engine AW-101helicopters fromAgustaWestland for IAF’selite CommunicationSquadron, which ferries thePresident, PM and otherVVIPs.

    The deal came under thescanner of Italian agenciesafter allegations of kickbacksgiven in India surfaced.Finmeccanica, Italy’sbiggest defence contractor,appointed Alessandro Pansaas the new CEO to succeedOrsi.Earlier, economy ministerVittorio Grilli had said thathis ministry was working tomake sure thatFinmeccanica adopts asystem of governance thatprovides managementcontinuity, protectsshareholders’ interests andguarantees transparentdecision-making.

  • Sunny Leone Files Fir Against Krk

    Sunny Leone Files Fir Against Krk

    Actress Sunny Leone is “emotionally and mentally disturbed” after Kamaal R. Khan (KRK) claimed that she had made the controversial statement – “Rape is not a crime, it’s just a surprise”. The actress has now filed an FIR against KRK. “Sunny is emotionally and mentally very disturbed with the false allegations levied by Kamaal Khan against her, and the cheap and demeaning jokes that he is continuously posting on his twitter account in her name, thereby outraging her modesty openly on a public platform,” Rizwan Siddiquee, lawyer of the actress, said.

    “Resultantly, she has been crying inconsolably and is not in a proper frame of mind to even talk to the media with regard to such built-up controversies surrounding her.”

    He added: “As the acts committed by Kamaal Khan are largely cognizable, to protect her legitimate rights and interest we have filed an FIR under Sections 500, 504, 509 of the Indian Penal Code together with Section 66 A of the Information Technology Act 2000.

  • 17 Indians On Death Row Return After Uae Court Frees Them

    17 Indians On Death Row Return After Uae Court Frees Them

    AMRITSAR (TIP): The 17 men whoreturned to India on Tuesday after asgood as cheating death in the UAE couldneither praise god enough nor controltheir emotions on seeing their families.Convicted in the 2009 murder of aPakistani national, they could get awayonly because crores were paid as ‘bloodmoney’ for their pardon.They and their family membersthanked SPS Oberoi, a Dubai-basedbusinessman who contested their casesand ensured their safe return.The men, most of whom had paidhefty amounts to agents to secure’highly paid’ jobs abroad, were arrestedin Sharjah for the murder of Misri Khanand for injuring one Mushtaq Ahamdduring a brawl over the sale of illegalliquor.

    A court later sentenced them todeath.But following the intervention ofOberoi, president of the Sarbat Da BhalaTrust, Khan’s family agreed to accept Rs8 crore in Pakistan currency as bloodmoney in return for pardoning them. InJuly 2011, compensation was also paid toAhmad’s family.All the men denied they had a hand inKhan’s death and claimed they had beenimplicated in a false case.”I was so shocked I started tremblingwhen the judge pronounced the deathsentence; it seemed the end for all of us,”said Dharmapla Singh of Jhoke TehalSinghwala in Ferozpur district.

    Hisfamily had paid Rs 1 lakh to an agent forgetting him a job in Dubai. “None of uswill ever cross the Indian border again,”said Dharampla, a father of two. “It ishell out there if one goes illegally.”Kashmir Singh of Rattukae village inTarn Taran district went to Sharjah toensure a better future for his twodaughters. “I am thankful to be alive,” hesaid. “It is better to have two meals hereand live with one’s family than to be injail under constant threat of the noose.”Kuldeep Singh of Kukrana village inMoga district said: “My elder brotherdied of shock when he heard about mydeath sentence. It was a tough time forthe family, but now I am back to takecare of them.”

  • Telecom Firms With Cancelled Permit To Stop Operations Immediately: SC

    Telecom Firms With Cancelled Permit To Stop Operations Immediately: SC

    The bench also directed to immediately put on fresh auctionthe entire 2G spectrum for the licences cancelled by it

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The SupremeCourt held that telecom companieswhich were unsuccessful in availingfresh 2G spectrum and those which didnot participate in the auction processwill cease to operate “forthwith”.However, telecom companies whichwere successful in the fresh auctionheld on November 12 and 14, 2012 willbe asked to start their services in therespective circles immediately, thecourt ruled. “The telecom companieswhich have been unsuccessful in thebidding and those after the cancellationof the licences did not participate inthe fresh auction are directed to ceasefrom continuing from operationforthwith and the successful bidderswill immediately start in theirrespective circles,” the court said.

    A bench comprising justices G SSinghvi and K S Radhakrishnandirected that those telecom companieswhich were allowed to continueoperation after scrapping of theirlicences by February 2, 2012 judgementwill have to pay the reserved pricefixed for the licences in the first roundof the auction held in November 2012.The apex court by its interim ordershad extended the deadline for them tocontinue with the operation.The bench clarified that the apexcourt’s Feb 2, 2012 judgement will notbe applicable on telecom companiesholding the spectrum with 900 MHzband.’The February 2, 2012 order will haveno bearing on litigation relating to 900MHz band,’ the bench said, adding thatit (900 MHz band spectrum) was not thesubject matter before it.The bench also directed toimmediately put on fresh auctionentire 2G spectrum for the licencescancelled by it.

  • 26/11 Accused Lakhvi Enjoys Vvip Treatment In Pak Jail

    26/11 Accused Lakhvi Enjoys Vvip Treatment In Pak Jail

    NEW DELHI (TIP): It’s not only theLashker-e-Taiba (LeT) top boss Hafiz Saeedwho roams freely in Pakistan, but even hisnext-in-command Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi,imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for hisrole in the 26/11 attacks,moves out of theprison from time to time to visit his familyand friends. Lakhvi, who is treated as a VVIPwithin the confines of the high-securityprison, enjoys these outings under a thicksecurity cover facilitated by the jailauthorities, sources in the Indian securityestablishment have told TOI.Lakhvi, who was the prime motivator ofthe 26/11 attack module, monitoring thecarnage from the LeT control room in Karachiand giving blow-by-blow instructions to theterrorists, is using as many as five differentcellphones inside the jail to communicate withLeT commanders and cadres.

    According tointelligence sources, he freely makes calls tokeep tab on the outfit’s operations and givespep-talks to his terror associates.According to a senior official of the securityestablishment, Lakhvi’s detention in AdialaJail is even better than a house arrest. While aperson under house arrest cannot leave thepremises of his detention or receive anyvisitors unless authorized by the detainingauthority, Lakhvi not only has a smooth trafficof visitors — most of them terrorcommanders seeking his guidance and advice— but is also allowed to use vehicles andsecurity for meeting his family and terrorassociates outside the jail premises.

    It is suspected that the child that Lakhvireportedly fathered during his incarcerationwas thanks to these “outings”. Abu Jundal, the26/11 handler who was deported last year andis on trial here, had told his interrogators herethat Lakhvi, during one of their meetings inAdiala Jail, had informed him that the prisonauthorities had allowed his wife to visit him inprison in 2010 to perform conjugal rights,following which their son was born.The secretly-arranged “paroles”notwithstanding, Lakhvi’s stay at the jail is noless comfortable. His “cell” in Adiala Jail isreally a well-appointed suite with all modernfacilities, including a television set. He hasaccess to newspapers and moves within thejail without any restrictions.

    “He is kept ingood humour by the jailors and prison staff,under what the security agencies believe arestanding instructions from Pakistani stateagencies like the ISI,” a senior intelligenceofficer told TOI.In fact, the jail authorities even arranged abirthday celebration for their most-covetedprisoner sometime last year.Agencies here believe that Lakhvi wasarrested as Pakistan was under pressure fromthe Western nations to bring the 26/11masterminds to book. Arresting Saeed, whoenjoys the confidence of both the PakistaniArmy and the ISI, was not an option. So, aconvenient arrangement was worked out toshowcase Lakhvi’s arrest as Pakistan’scommitment to bring 26/11 perpetrators tobook, while ensuring that he was not isolatedfrom his family or his ‘work’ as a terrorcommander.

  • Movie Review-Murder 3

    Movie Review-Murder 3

    Cast: Randeep Hooda, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sara Loren
    Direction: Vishesh Bhatt
    Genre: Thriller
    Duration: 2 hours 1 minute

    STORY: A wildlife photographer’s girl mysteriously goes missing. He’s quick to move his new love into his eerie home. One who holds the key to the mystery.

    MOVIE REVIEW: Love, always, is a question of life and death. And if it’s a Bhatt enterprise – Death it is! Swifter and slicker! Devoid of remorse, regret or redemption. Exposing the obsessive in the romantic; the fear in fantasy. Love bloodied with lust and lingerie, sin and satin.

    With bare bodies caught between hot-beds and cold coffins. So there, the ‘Murder’ franchise is back – to kill love the third time over. Vikram (Randeep) a hotshot wildlife photographer (shoots ‘wild’-live women too) woes and seduces a waitress Nisha, (Sara) who moves into his huge, haunting home.

    He’s passionate by night and philosophical by day, brooding and bedding with intensity. Nisha, the damselin- daze, is flustered by Vikram’s cryptic conversations and supernatural sights and sounds in the house.

    The vital signs are cliches, like windows clattering, strange vibrations, and flickering lights. More often, the bathroom scenes steams up the suspense and waters it down just as quickly. But there’s a bigger mystery lying here. Vikram’s ex-girlfriend, Roshni’s (Aditi) sudden disappearance makes him the prime suspect in the case, with cops tracing the ‘body of evidence’.

    With more mystery than grisly murders, debutant Vishesh Bhatt works around a story (a remake of a Spanish thriller) that’s ‘fleshy’ enough (minus the sex and eroticism of a ‘Murderesque’ series) creating an eerie setting, with sombre moods and suspicious characters.

    He solely relies on the strength of the story without glossed-over effects and style, which is commendable. The first half ghost-walks into a comfort zone (with songs, romance et al); while the second half terrifyingly twists, with raging emotions and shuddering shock value. Randeep smoothly builds tension with his silent and mysterious performance.

    Aditi’s deranged act and traumatic breakdown at betrayal is impressive. Sara only adds beauty to the horror. The lilting music (Pritam) intonates the thriller. ‘Murder 3’ is a decent remake, the story stands out in this genre. It thrills in spurts but bleeds in parts.

    This one’s no bloody Valentine, but watch it if you like it twisted.

  • President Pranab Mukherjee May Turn Down 5 More Mercy Pleas

    President Pranab Mukherjee May Turn Down 5 More Mercy Pleas

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Union homeministry is learnt to have recommendedrejection of mercy petitions in five morecases as it seeks to speedily dispose of allthe cases of death row convicts pendingwith it.Seeking to have a swift closure on thecases of those who have filed mercy pleasagainst capital punishment awarded tothem, the ministry has sent all the pendingfiles to President Pranab Mukherjee for afinal call.Sources said that seven cases involvingthe fate of nine people have been sent to thePresident, with the ministryrecommending rejection of the mercy pleasin five cases. It has and left the tworemaining ones open for commutation ofdeath sentence to life imprisonment withthe rider that the life term means jail forthe entire life of the convict and not just 20years or 14 years in prison.

    The President had sent the files to Unionhome minister Sushilkumar Shinde onOctober 30 for his review and opinion.Shinde sent the files back within 100 daysin a major shift from the pattern wheredecisions on mercy petitions wereindefinitely delayed with files shuttlingbetween the home ministry and theRashtrapati Bhavan.Though the case-wise recommendationsfor convicts were not known as both thehome ministry and Rashtrapati Bhavancontinue to remain tightlipped on mercypetition files, the seven cases relate tomultiple murders, including one in which arape convict out on bail killed five membersof the victim’s family.

    While two files were sent to RashtrapatiBhavan on February 9 (the day ParliamentHouse attack case convict Afzal Guru washanged), the remaining five files weredispatched last month.The mercy files, which have beenpending for years while moving to and frobetween Rashtrapati Bhavan and the homeministry, saw unprecedented movement oflate, resulting in two quick hangings(Ajmal Kasab and Afzal Guru) within lessthan three months. Mukherjee had rejectedthe mercy plea of Kasab on November 5,and Guru on February 3.The files, which are now with PresidentMukherjee, include the longest pendingcase of Gurmeet Singh of Uttar Pradesh,who was convicted for killing 13 membersof a family on August 17, 1986.

    The otherscases are of Suresh and Ramji, also fromUP, who were convicted for killing fivemembers of their brother’s family andDharampal from Haryana, who hadmurdered five members of the family of agirl he had raped in 1993. He had murderedthe family while on bail in the rape case.The other cases are of Sonia, daughter ofa former Haryana MLA, and her husbandSanjeev, who drugged and killed eight ofher family in Hisar in 2001, including herparents. Sunder Singh from Uttarakhand isconvicted for rape and murder on June 30,1989, Jafar Ali from Uttar Pradesh who wasconvicted for killing wife and five daughterin 2002 and Praveen Kumar of Karnataka,convicted for killing four members of afamily on February 23, 1994.

    Mukherjee has so far disposed of mercypetitions of eight death row convicts in fivecases.The President has also rejected themercy petitions of Saibanna NingappaNatikar (Karnataka: convicted for killingwife and daughter) and mercy petitions ofslain forest brigand Veerappan’s associatesGnanaprakash, Simon, ‘Meesai’ Madaianand Pilavendran, who were sentenced todeath for killing 22 police personnel in 1993.However, the mercy petition of Atbir(Delhi), who was convicted for murder ofhis step-mother, step-sister and step-brotherover property, was commuted to lifeimprisonment by the President.

    Strained mercy:
    1,455 persons awarded death penaltyin India from 2001 to 2011Sentences for 4,321 persons werecommuted from death penalty to lifeimprisonment during the same period.Highest number of death penalty wasimposed in Uttar Pradesh (370)followed by Bihar (132), Maharashtra(125), Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (95each), Madhya Pradesh (87),Jharkhand (81), West Bengal (79),Delhi (71), Gujarat (57), Rajasthan (38),Kerala (34), Odisha (33), Haryana (31),Assam (21), Jammu & Kashmir (20),Punjab (19), Chhattisgarh (18),Uttarakhand (16), Andhra Pradesh (8),Meghalaya (6), Chandigarh and Daman& Diu (4 each), Manipur and HimachalPradesh (3 each), Tripura andPondicherry (2 each) and Goa (1)No death penalty imposed inArunachal Pradesh, Mizoram,Nagaland and Sikkim and UnionTerritories of Andaman & NicobarIslands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli andLakshadweepSentences of 4,321 persons werecommuted from death penalty to lifeimprisonment in the country during2001-11.

  • Vayalar Ravi Apologises As Activists Fume At Comment

    Vayalar Ravi Apologises As Activists Fume At Comment

    NEW DELHI (TIP): OverseasIndian Affairs Minister VayalarRavi apologised after hiscomment with sexist innuendoagainst a woman journalist fromKerala landed him in troublewith women activists and the BJPdemanding his resignation.“I’m sorry for the comment. Ihave already conveyed my regretfor the remark to the TV channelin which the journalist works,”Ravi said. But NationalCommission for Womanchairperson Mamta Sharma saidthe commission would probe thematter.

    “Coming from theposition of power and maturity, itis really highly deplorable that hehas made such a sexistcomment,” said rights activistRanjana Kumari.She said the issue should beraised in parliament as “this hasbecome almost a habit of thepolitical class”. “If he lostcontrol, definitely apology isjustified,” said BJP spokespersonNirmala Sitharaman.Information and BroadcastingMinister Manish Tewari saidRavi has apologised for hiscomments and the matter shouldrest there.

    The woman journalist hadsought Ravi’s reaction on demandto make Rajya Sabha DeputyChairperson P J Kurien standtrial in the Suryanelli sex scam.Ravi responded with a swipe atthe reporter, asking if she had apersonal grudge against Kurien.“Do you have anythingpersonal against Kurien? I’m sureyou do. Has something happenedbetween you and him in thepast?” Ravi said as his commentswere caught on camera.

  • Explicit Keira Knightley’s Chanel Ad Banned

    Explicit Keira Knightley’s Chanel Ad Banned

    British actress Keira Knightley’s Chanel advert has been discontinued during children’s programming and termed as unsuitable for viewing by younger viewers. Keira, 27, who shot to fame in the hit 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, is the face of Chanel perfume Coco Mademoiselle.

    The ad for the perfume shows Keira photographed on a bed and the photographer unzipping her clothes after which she is shown covered by a bed sheet and lying near the photographer. Chanel defended the ad, saying it was common in perfume ads to show sexual content.

    Keira is an Oscar nominated actress and one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood.