The Indian Panorama

Month: October 2014

  • JAYALALITHA MOVES SC FOR BAIL

    JAYALALITHA MOVES SC FOR BAIL

    Urges apex court to grant urgent hearing after High Court had refused her earlier bail plea

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, denied bail by Karnataka High Court following her conviction and four year sentence in a graft case, moved the Supreme Court for bail on October 9.

    The AIADMK chief, who is behind bars for the last 12 days, challenged the High Court order which refused her bail plea. She urged the apex court to grant an urgent hearing on her plea on Saturday during the mentioning hour. Jayalalitha said she has been sentenced only for four years and is also suffering from various ailments as grounds for her immediate relief.

    She said as chief minister she did not misuse her powers in this case.

    She also cited grounds of being a senior citizen and a woman in a bid to get out of jail.

    The 66-year-old veteran politician was denied bail by the High Court on October 7 despite the Special Public Prosecutor not objecting to grant of conditional bail.

    In her petition seeking immediate bail, Jayalalitha maintained that the charge of amassing wealth during 1991-96 when she was chief minister for the first time was false and that she had acquired property through legal means. She also contended the trial court had overlooked several judgements and not considered the binding nature of various income tax orders and decisions of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, which had accepted the income and the level of expenditure pleaded by her. There “are no grounds” to give bail to Jayalalitha. Corruption amounts to “violation of human rights” and leads to economic imbalance, the High Court judge had said. The HC also rejected bail pleas of Jayalalitha’s close aide Sasikala and her relatives V N Sudhakaran, disowned foster-son of the former chief minister, and Ilavarasi, who have also been sentenced to four years jail in the 18-year-old case.

  • SC asks CBI if it intends to examine Chidambaram

    SC asks CBI if it intends to examine Chidambaram

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on October 9 if it proposed to examine former finance minister P. Chidambaram on the clearance given to the Aircel-Maxis deal over which charges had been filed some time ago.

    BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy told the court that while charges on deal had already been been filed, there seemed to be no progress on CBI’s part to seek clarifications on the nod given by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) at Chidambaram’s behest.

    The apex court bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice S.A. Bobde asked senior counsel K.K. Venugopal, appearing for the CBI, to apprise the court on this count at the next hearing, fixed for Oct 16.

  • Survey gives BJP, allies 154 seats in Maharashtra

    Survey gives BJP, allies 154 seats in Maharashtra

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A survey carried out in Maharashtra ahead of the October 15 assembly elections has given BJP and allies 154 of the 288 seats, but Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray tops the popularity chart as chief ministerial candidate.

    Incumbent Prithviraj Chavan is the second choice for chief minister though his party Congress is predicted to get an abysmally low 25 seats.

    Percentage wise, BJP has been placed way ahead of its rivals by 36.50 per cent votes followed by 17.10 per cent of Shiv Sena and 11.97 per cent of Congress.

    The survey conducted by ‘The Week’ and Hansa Research, paints a gloomy picture for Sharad Pawar’s NCP, which is projected to get only 17 seats and 5.85 per cent votes.

    Pawar is the fifth choice for the chief minister’s post and stands behind MNS leader Raj Thackeray and BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis.

    Shiv Sena is predicted to be the second largest party after BJP with 47 seats, while Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, according to the survey, is likely to get 10 seats. MNS is predicted to get 5.11 per cent votes. The survey has given 20 seats to Independents with 4.71 per cent votes and 15 to other parties with 6.79 per cent votes.

    After 15 years of running coalition government in Maharashtra, Congress and NCP have parted ways and BJP-Shiv Sena’s old alliance has also fallen apart paving the way for a five-cornered contest, with MNS being the fifth player which has recently made noises favourable to Shiv Sena.

    BJP is going to polls with smaller “Mahayuti” allies. It has worked out a seat-sharing deal with Mahadeo Jankar’s Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Raju Shetty’s Swabhimani Shetkari Paksha, Shiv Sangram and RPI.

    PARTIES IN THE FRAY
    BJP, SHIV SENA, NCP, CONGRESS & MNS

  • Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg in India, looks to work with PM Modi on connecting villages

    Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg in India, looks to work with PM Modi on connecting villages

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, was in India recently. Star-struck audience assembled to hear the 30-year-old billionaire on his first ever business trip to India.

    Mark appeared a little awkward to begin but soon after a few slides into the presentation on his pet theme –
    Internet.org, an ambitious project aimed to bring internet access to the unconnected billions – the awkwardness ebbed.

    Over some 20 minutes or so Zuckerberg, a self-professed atheist, held forth with near religious zeal on his desire to bring the next five billion people on to the Internet. “Connectivity cannot be the privilege of the rich,” he told the 500 or so people assembled in Delhi’s Taj Palace hotel, many of them Facebook’s top customers in India, a bunch of internet entrepreneurs and assorted media.

    It also helps that this vision aligns with his business, whose future growth in large parts depends on getting more and more people embrace the Internet. India is a crucial piece in achieving his internet for all mission, launched last August and is a joint initiative of Facebook, Ericsson, MediaTek, Nokia, Opera, Qualcomm and Samsung.

    And Zuckerberg (or Zuck as he is called by friends), unsurprisingly perhaps, was lavish in his praise about the country which he has visited only once before in 2010 to attend a friend’s (Dropbox founder Aditya Agrawal) wedding and when he was photographed in a sherwani dancing barefeet. “Culturally this is the country that is very forward leading in science, engineering and research that make the benefits of connectivity here very profound for all,” said Zuckerberg, who is worth around $34 billion and the third richest American in the technology industry.

    In India, he said, the impact will be even more profound “because you have some of the best engineers in the world and a vibrant technology industry”. On Friday, he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an avid user of Facebook who exploited its networking and communicative abilities to the hilt during his successful election campaign and has also sought to make it an integral part of his administration. Modi’s verified Facebook page currently has nearly 2.3 crore “likes” or followers, and almost all major government departments and ministries have Facebook pages.

  • NORTH KOREA LEADER KIM IS STILL IN CHARGE, HAS INJURED LEG: SOURCE

    NORTH KOREA LEADER KIM IS STILL IN CHARGE, HAS INJURED LEG: SOURCE

    BEIJING/SEOUL (TIP): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in firm control of his government but has hurt his leg, a source with access to the secretive North’s leadership said on October 9, playing down speculation over the 31-year-old’s health and grip on power. North Korea’s state media, which usually chronicles Kim’s whereabouts in great detail, has not made any mention of his activities since he attended a concert with his wife on Sept. 3. The source said that Kim hurt his leg while inspecting military exercises. “He ordered all the generals to take part in drills and he took part too. They were crawling and running and rolling around, and he pulled a tendon,” the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity. “He injured his ankle and knee around late August or early September while drilling because he is overweight. He limped around in the beginning but the injury worsened,” the source said. Kim, who has rapidly gained weight since coming to power after his father died of a heart attack in 2011, had been seen walking with a limp since an event with key officials in July, which would imply he may have aggravated an earlier injury. Kim needs about 100 days to recuperate, said the source, whose information could not be independently verified. “Kim Jong Un is in total control,” said the source, who has close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing. Friday is the 69th anniversary of the founding of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, an event Kim has marked in the past two years with a post-midnight visit to the Pyongyang mausoleum where the bodies of his father and grandfather are interred. If Kim does not turn up, it could fuel speculation over the state of his health and whether he may have been sidelined in a power struggle, experts said. “The longer he remains out of the public eye, the more uncertainty about him, and the status of his regime, will grow,” said Curtis Melvin, a researcher at the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. Not Kim’s first absence North Korean officials have denied that Kim’s public absence since early September is health-related and a U.S. official following North Korea said this week there were no indications he was seriously ill or in political trouble. It remains unclear why a leg injury would keep Kim out of the public eye for so long, although this is not the first time he has been missing from public view. In June 2012, six months after coming to power, state media failed to report on or photograph him for 23 days. He re-surfaced the next month at a dolphinarium. Speculation that Kim’s unusually long absence from public view may be due to ill health was fuelled by a North Korean TV report late last month that said he was suffering from “discomfort”. Some Pyongyang watchers also suggest that Kim may have been sidelined in a power struggle, a scenario they say was reinforced by the unexpected visit on Saturday of a high-level delegation to the closing ceremony of the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Another interpretation of that visit holds that it was meant to convey stability in Pyongyang.

  • Anti-EU UKIP party wins first elected seat in British parliament

    Anti-EU UKIP party wins first elected seat in British parliament

    CLACTON-ON-SEA, ENGLAND (TIP): Britain’s anti-EU UK Independence Party won its first elected seat in parliament on October 9 by a wide margin. In the English seaside town of Clacton-on-Sea, UKIP candidate Douglas Carswell won 21,113 votes or 60 percent of the vote, giving him a majority of 12,404. Carswell, formerly the sitting parliamentarian from Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative party, had triggered the by-election by defecting to UKIP. Cameron’s party came second with 8,709 votes or 25 percent of the vote. Labour came third with 3,957 votes. Turnout was 51 percent. UKIP’s success highlighted the threat it poses to Cameron seven months before a national election and its ability to split the mainstream Conservative party’s vote casting a cloud over its re-election prospects in 2015.

  • Suicide car bomb kills 10 in Iraq’s Baquba

    Suicide car bomb kills 10 in Iraq’s Baquba

    BAQUBA: A suicide car bomb blast at a police checkpoint in the Iraqi city of Baquba Thursday killed at least 10 people and wounded 11, security and medical sources said. “At least 10 people, including seven policemen, were killed when a suicide attacker rammed his car bomb into a police checkpoint at an entrance of the Shifta neighbourhood,” an army officer said. Shifta is a central district of Baquba, a city which lies around 60 kilometres northeast of the capital Baghdad. The army officer said the attack occurred at around 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) and also wounded 11 people, including seven policemen. A senior local police official and a doctor at Baquba general hospital both confirmed the casualty figures. Baquba is the capital of the restive and religiously mixed province of Diyala, where Kurdish peshmerga, federal forces and allied militia have been battling the Islamic State jihadist group.

  • Clashes break out in Central African Republic capital

    Clashes break out in Central African Republic capital

    BANGUI, Central African Republic: Clashes in Central African Republic’s capital have resulted in ”many casualties,” the International Committee for the Red Cross said Thursday, marking the most significant violence in the city since a United Nations force took over peacekeeping last month. A crash following an attack on a convoy killed one UN peacekeeper and injured at least seven others, Vannina Maestracci, associate spokeswoman for the UN secretary-general, said in New York. It was the first death of a peacekeeper since the UN took over peacekeeping duties from an African Union force. The violence complicated relief efforts. Doctors Without Borders said its staff was staying home Thursday because of the dangers, and the ICRC said its workers ”were subjected to direct threats” as they tried to recover bodies. ”It’s truly regrettable that such actions can jeopardize any attempt to help the wounded,” said Antoine Mbao Bogo, the national president of the Central African Red Cross. His organization provided an initial tally of 12 deaths, but staffers did not have access to all neighborhoods. The violence began Tuesday when a former fighter with a mostly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition was killed by anti-Balaka Christian militias who mutilated his body before burning it, witnesses said. The man had been accused of launching two grenades, one in an anti-Balaka stronghold in the north of the city, prompting the anti-Balaka fighters to chase after him. ”He was chased by anti-Balaka fighters who caught him, killed him and burned his body,” Bangui resident Wilfried Maitre said. Reprisal attacks ensued, with Muslim fighters killing two people, including the driver of a taxi, witnesses said. Other taxi drivers then staged a protest, raising tensions. Later on Wednesday, anti-Balaka fighters paraded through the streets, showing off their weapons and shooting into the air, said Pieterjan Wouda of Doctors Without Borders. ”That’s something we haven’t seen in a long time,” he said. Heavy weapons could be heard Thursday morning, Wouda said, adding that Doctors Without Borders staff would be staying home because it was not safe to move around. The mostly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition toppled the president of a decade last year, installing its chief, Michel Djotodia, as the country’s new leader. Widespread human rights abuses combined with escalating violence in the capital in December and January led to Djotodia’s resignation. The country is currently headed by transitional President Catherine Samba- Panza. At least 5,000 people have died over nine months of sectarian violence in the country. The International Crisis Group warned last month that the transition was at risk of falling apart. ”The main armed groups are in disarray, lack clear leadership, seek to expand their areas of control and pursue banditry as much as politics,” the group warned.

  • HONG KONG PROTESTERS VOW TO FIGHT ON AS TALKS COLLAPSE

    HONG KONG PROTESTERS VOW TO FIGHT ON AS TALKS COLLAPSE

    HONG KONG (TIP): Crunch talks between Hong Kong’s democracy protesters and the government have been called off, just hours after demonstrators vowed to ratchet up their occupation of key parts of the city if their demands were not met.

    The collapse of the talks, which were due to take place Friday, plunges the Asian financial hub into fresh crisis with protesters refusing to retreat from their barricades and an equally intransigent government rejecting further negotiations.

    Parts of Hong Kong have been paralysed for almost two weeks by demonstrations calling for Beijing to grant full democracy to the former British colony and for city leader Leung Chun-ying to resign.

    Although the crowds have shrunk dramatically from their peak of tens of thousands last week, the government’s decision to cancel the talks triggered a swell in numbers once more as pro-democracy campaigners gathered to hear the response from their leaders.

    Around 1,000 gathered at the main protest site outside government headquarters in the central Admiralty district late Thursday, a AFP reporter at the scene said.

    China announced in August that while Hong Kongers will be able to vote for Leung’s successor in 2017, only two or three vetted candidates will be allowed to stand — an arrangement the protesters dismiss as “fake democracy”.

    Hopes of a breakthrough were dashed Thursday evening as Leung’s deputy Carrie Lam announced the government was pulling out of talks with the Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS), which has been at the vanguard of the protests.
    “The basis for constructive dialogue has been undermined. It’s impossible to have a constructive meeting tomorrow,” Lam said.

    Her announcement came merely hours after a coalition of pro-democracy leaders gathered at the main protest site and vowed to ramp up their civil disobedience campaign if the talks broke down.
    “Hong Kong people will not retreat,” HKFS president Alex Chow had told reporters. “The Occupy movement must be ongoing.”
    Student leaders have urged officials to return to the negotiating table, labelling the government response an
    “international joke”.

    There was frustration among demonstrators after the government announced it had pulled out of the talks.

    “I’m very disappointed,” said Jason Coe, a 30-year-old tutor at Hong Kong University who was offering students at the protest help with their homework.

    “Last week the government were basically saying ‘Talk to us or we’ll use violence’. These protesters are willing to talk, they want to negotiate and the government has taken that away from them. I’m very worried about what will happen now.”

    Pro-democracy lawmakers threw their weight behind the protests, saying they would disrupt the workings of the Hong Kong government by gridlocking the parliamentary committees they control.

    “Hong Kong has entered an era of disobedience and non-cooperation,” pro-democracy lawmaker Alan Leong told the crowds.

    The threat was issued as embattled city leader Leung came under pressure to explain why he kept large payments from an Australian company secret, with pro-democracy lawmakers saying they would try to impeach him.
    Fairfax Media reported October 8 that Leung received two payments totalling HK$50 million ($6.5 million) from Australian engineering firm UGL during a deal struck in December 2011 —months before he took office, but a week after he announced his candidacy.

    At the time UGL was purchasing the insolvent property services firm DTZ, where Leung was a director and chairman of its regional operations.

  • MH17 victim found wearing oxygen mask: Dutch minister

    MH17 victim found wearing oxygen mask: Dutch minister

    LONDON (TIP): Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans has said that one of the passengers on the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 had an oxygen mask on, media reported on October 9.

    His revelation casts doubt on the theory that all 298 passengers on board died instantly when the plane was hit by a missile over Ukraine July 17, BBC reported.

    An initial report last month said flight MH17 broke up in mid-air after being hit by “objects” that “pierced the plane at high velocity”.

    He mentioned the oxygen mask during an interview on Wednesday night aired on Dutch TV in which he was taken to task about an emotive speech he gave to the UN four days after flight MH17 was downed.

    “But do you know that someone was found with an oxygen mask on their mouth — and so they had the time to put it on?” Timmermans said during the interview when asked if he had created an image that had not really taken place.

    He went on to say that nothing could be ruled out about the 298 victims’ final moments.
    The official inquiry into the MH17 disaster has not made any mention of an oxygen mask being found on one of the victims.

    But several experts have concluded that the plane would have disintegrated too quickly for the passengers to have known anything about it.
    The plane had been flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it crashed in eastern Ukraine July 17.

    Although investigators were unable to visit the crash site because of fighting in the area, their initial report pieced together photographic evidence of the wreckage as well as cockpit and air traffic control data.

    They said it pointed to “an in-flight break up” and added there was “no evidence of technical or human error”.

    The plane was hit while flying at 33,000 ft and debris was found over a wide area of eastern Ukrainian territory held by pro-Russian rebels.

    The plane had 298 people on board, of whom 196 were Dutch. So far, 262 of the victims have been identified.

  • New mass graves found in missing Mexican students case

    New mass graves found in missing Mexican students case

    IGUALA, MEXICO (TIP): Mexican authorities have found four new mass graves in the investigation into the disappearance of 43 students after suspects said some of the young men were buried there, officials said october 9.

    Four new suspects took investigators to the site of the pits, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Mexico City, but the number of bodies remains unknown, said attorney general Jesus Murillo Karam.

    “They say there are remains of students,” Murillo Karam said, possibly dashing hopes among parents who refuse to believe their sons have died.

    The four clandestine graves are “relatively” close to the location of another mass grave found last weekend in the southern state of Guerrero that contained 28 unidentified bodies, he said.

    Authorities say it will take at least two weeks to identify the bodies through DNA analysis.

    The case has outraged Mexicans, who held protests across the country Wednesday to demand the return of the students, in a nation that has lost tens of thousands of people to drug violence since 2006.

    Authorities say the students vanished after Iguala police officers working with the Guerreros Unidos gang shot at their buses in a night of violence on September 26 that left six people dead and 25 wound

    Surveillance cameras showed several students being taken away in patrol cars.

    Murillo Karam said there are several lines of investigation into the motive but that the city’s mayor, Jose Luis Abarca, his wife and the public security director are wanted for questioning.

    The mayor’s wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda Villa, is the sister of two late members of the Beltran Leyva drug cartel, which founded the Guerreros Unidos.

    The mayor, his wife and public security director have apparently gone into hiding.

    Murillo Karam did not elaborate, but Mexican media, citing an intelligence services report, say Abarca’s wife asked police to confront the students because she feared they would interrupt a speech she was giving that night.

    The mayor then reportedly told the police chief to teach a lesson to the the students, who are from a teacher training college known as a bastion of protests.

    The students say they were in Iguala to raise funds, though they had commandeered the buses to return home, a common practice among the radical aspiring teachers.

    Guerrero chief prosecutor Inaky Blanco said authorities did not arrest Abarca before he disappeared last week because he has immunity as mayor, which has yet to be revoked.

    Abarca requested a 30-day leave of absence before vanishing a few days after the attacks.

    Blanco said Abarca faced state charges of negligence for preferring to stay at a party and go to bed instead of stopping the violence.
    The mayor “left the victims at the mercy of public security members,” Blanco said.

    Four more municipal police officers have been arrested on homicide charges in the case, in addition to 22 who were detained last week.

  • Bang Bang | Movie Review

    Bang Bang | Movie Review

    Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Danny Denzongpa Direction: Siddharth Anand
    Genre: Romance
    Duration: 2 hours 36 minutes

    Story: After 150 years, an Indian robs the Kohinoor diamond. And thus begins the cat-and-mouse game as the international mob and the Indian Secret Service (ISS) officials hunt him down.

    Review: Siddharth Anand’s Bang Bang makes more noise and little sense. This desi adaptation of the 2010 Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz action thriller, Knight And Day, has charm in abundance, primarily because of its effervescent lead pair — Rajveer/Jai ( Hrithik Roshan) and Harleen (Katrina Kaif). But it lacks coherence. Disbelief is writ large on the face, right at the start.

    Picture this – India’s most wanted, Omar Zafar (Danny Denzongpa), who is to be extradited to India, escapes from a maximum-security prison in Britain because his aide Hamid Gul (Jaaved Jafferi) blows up the place like it is a cardboard edifice. They also kill the honest ISS agent, Viren Nanda (Jimmy Sheirgill) in the process. Next, Zafar suggests that he can actually hold up the UK-India extradition treaty by getting an Indian to rob the Kohinoor. Really?

    Aimed at providing more style than substance, the film makes you comfortably numb in the first 20 minutes itself. So you may perhaps just raise an eyebrow as you watch Katrina, a bank receptionist from Shimla (with a liberal grandmother who tells her to go chase love), on a global escapade — London, Prague, Greece… in the company of a “psychopathic schizophrenic” jewel thief, Hrithik, after meeting him on one blind date.

    If you’re still looking to make sense, Hrithik has a back-story on why he attempted to steal the Kohinoor. Or why he chose guns over roses. Kaif, convinced of his good intentions, is happy to cling to him with gay abandon.

    Anand’s film has no grammar. But it compensates with breathtaking locales and stylishly choreographed stunts. It also works as a show reel for the bronzed Roshan with his six-pack abs and the enviable midriff of Kaif wearing a red polka-dotted bikini top. Their horseplay caters to an audience that is low on IQ and high on adrenalin!

    Full marks to the lead pair for not being overwhelmed by the commotion around them. Especially Hrithik, who knows the job at hand is silly, but never slips up.

  • NARGIS FAKHRI BEHIND HRITHIK ROSHAN’S BANG BANG DARE

    NARGIS FAKHRI BEHIND HRITHIK ROSHAN’S BANG BANG DARE

    Nargis Fakhri joins Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan and other marketing geniuses’ league by coming up with the ultimate ‘Bang Bang Dare’ marketing idea. The only difference is that the actors promote their own films but Nargis did it for her friend Hrithik Roshan.

    The Bang Bang dare that has caught on like a rage on social networking websites, where Hrithik dares his B-town friends to do a daring act, was actually Nargis’ idea. Nargis, who is good friends with Hrithik, stimulated this idea in Hrithik’s mind and he started the Bang Bang dare campaign on Twitter. The honest man that he is, Hrithik has also given credit to Nargis for coming up with this amazing idea for his film’s promotion.

    While only big male stars are known for coming up with masterstroke marketing ideas, Nargis

  • Actors gossip more than actresses: Shraddha Kapoor

    Actors gossip more than actresses: Shraddha Kapoor

    Shraddha Kapoor has repeatedly been pitched against the likes of Alia Bhatt and Parineeti Chopra but looks like the actresses share a great bond.

    So, who between the two is the toughest competitor for Shraddha? “Actually we are a trio; our names are taken in the same breath. There is definitely healthy competition between us. Both, Alia and Parineeti are amazing actors and both are very different actors. The best part is that we are constantly working and have movies in hand, we are busy, so nothing to complain about,” says Shraddha.

    She, in fact, thinks that actresses hardly indulge in catfights and in lighter vein, even added how the scanner should be put on their male counterparts when told that the men in Bollywood are not heard complimenting each other the same way as the actresses. Shraddha immediately reacts, “Why do they say that girls gossip? Boys gossip more than girls. Just because there is a term coined catfights, the blame is put on the girls. In fact, boys are more chugli khors and they do it secretly. Actors gossip more than actresses, they are more curious than girls. The only difference is that the boys do it secretly,” she said.

  • ELIZABETH HURLEY SINGLE AGAIN

    ELIZABETH HURLEY SINGLE AGAIN

    Actress-model Elizabeth Hurley is single again after splitting from her businessman boyfriend over the summer of this year.
    The “Bedazzled” star reportedly enjoyed a six-month romance with former banker David Yarrow after parting ways with retired cricketer Shane Warne in 2013, but the relationship has now come to an end, reports contactmusic.com.

    Hurley confirmed the news in a post on Twitter saying: “I’ve been happily single since June; I am not dating any of my exes. You heard it from the horse’s mouth, loyal followers.”

  • LENA HEADEY MAKES NEWS

    LENA HEADEY MAKES NEWS

    LENA HEADEY’S NUDE SCENE COST ‘GAME OF THRONES’ PRODUCERS $50,000 PER DAY

    Game of Thrones producers reportedly shelled out 50,000dollars per day to film the nude scene on Lena Headey.
    The producers of war drama series hired more than 200 security guards to make sure that Headey’s controversial nude scene was kept secret, TMZ.com reported.

    Local shopkeepers were forced to shut down for a short amount of time and mobile phones were also banned from the set.

    The scene will sees Headey emerging naked from a church and having to walk through a town back to the King’s Landing castle.

  • Deliver Us From Evil | Movie Review

    Deliver Us From Evil | Movie Review

    Cast: Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris, Joel McHale
    Direction: Scott Derrickson
    Genre: Horror
    Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes

    Story: Two police officers from the Bronx, Sarchie (Bana) along with his partner Butler (McHale), investigate the latest in a series of gruesome incidents. Despite being witness to the worst that humanity has to offer in terms of crime, they realize that this particular case has some seriously sinister undertones.

    Review: It would take a lot to truly shock officer Sarchie, who has nerves of steel and would not think twice about putting his own life on the line when it comes to doing his duty as a cop. Sarchie and his equally adept partner Butler receive a call one night to investigate an incident at the Bronx Zoo.

    The case seems like something not too far removed from the kind of issues they usually handle on an almost day-to-day basis, but soon, more gruesome details come to light. A woman visiting the zoo suddenly and inexplicably kills her baby. When they question her, she mouths strange curses in Latin and sounds far beyond deranged.

    A rather unconventional whisky-swilling priest named Mendoza (Ramirez), who also looks like he has been to hell and back, meets Sarchie and tries to tell him the woman is demonically possessed. However, she is actually the victim of an individual who is literally a conduit to hell.

    Derrickson (who has also directed The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Sinister) throws in pretty much everything you’d expect from this genre – an elaborate exorcism, mutilated corpses, sinister signs and so on. Sarchie’s wife Jen (Munn) might not have much screen time, but she portrays her role effectively.

    While it isn’t in the league of, say, Insidious or The Ring, Deliver Us From Evil packs in a mixed bag of thrills that is, at times, deeply disturbing by virtue of using the kind of horror tropes that are more psychological than gory.
    Rather than being a gore fest throughout, the film is more about an examination of the protagonist’s faith in God as well as how he deals with the guilt of past sins that he has not confessed.

  • KARVA CHAUTH

    KARVA CHAUTH

    the fast of Karwa Chauth is of particular importance to all Hindu married women in India. They believe that the festival ensures prosperity, longevity and well-being of their husbands. The origin of this festival was based on a very sweet and noble idea. Though this idea has lost its true sense as today the whole outlook of this festival has changed.

    In the ancient time, girls used to get married at a very early stage, and had to go and live with their in-laws in other villages. After marriage, if she faces any problem with her in-laws or her husband, she would have no one to talk to or seek support from. There used to be no telephones, buses and trains long ago. Her own parents and relatives would be quite far and unreachable. Thus the custom started that, at the time of marriage, when bride would reach her in-laws, she would befriend another woman there who would be her friend or sister for life. It would be like god-friends or god-sisters. Their friendship would be sanctified through a small Hindu ceremony right during the marriage.

    Once the bride and this woman had become god-friends or god-sisters, they would remain so all their lives and recognize the relation as such. They would also treat each other like real sisters.

    Later in life, if she faces any difficulty related to her husband or in-laws, she would be able to confidently talk or seek help from each other. Thus, Karwa Chauth was started to as a festival to celebrate this relationship between the once-brides and their god-friends (god-sisters). Fasting and praying for husband came later and is secondary. It was probably added, along with other mythical tales, to enhance the festival. The husband would always be associated with this festival, because the day of starting this holy friendship between two god-sisters was essentially the day of bride’s marriage to him. Thus, praying and fasting for him by his wife during a celebration of her relationship with the god-friend would be quite logical.

    Hence, the festival of Karwa Chauth was to renew and celebrate the relationship between god-friends (god-sisters). It had a tremendous social and cultural significance when world was not having the way to communicate and move around easily.

    Regional Significance
    Karwa Chauth festival has an extraordinary observance rate among married women in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. This is a significant day for married women as they keep fast for the long-life and well-being of of their husbands. The way of celebrating Karwa Chauth vary from each other on regional basis.

    Punjab : The festival of Karwa chauth is one of the most important festival for married women in Punjab. Few days before this auspicious festival, all the markets in Punjab gets flooded with various accessories and decorative items including bangles, beautiful sarees, embroidered suits, stalls of sweets and eatables. Number of artists from different cities like Agra, Jaipur, Delhi, etc gather here with their special mehndis to decorate hands of women. In some parts of Punjab, young damsels too keep the fast in the hope of winning a loving husband.

    KARVA CHAUTH1

    Celebrations
    The day of Karva Chauth is celebrated mostly amongst the entire North Indian community settled either in India and other parts of the world. The most important aspect of this day is that a dawn to dusk fast is undertaken by the North Indian ladies and seeing the moon they finally break the fast. The Karva Chauth fast is unique perhaps because nowhere in the world does a wife go without food or water just to pray for the longevity and well-being of her husband.

    In modern day, with all the trappings of commercialization attached, Karva Chauth, the big fasting day has turned into a full-fledged event. The event is growing bigger with each passing day. Karva Chauth celebrations promise to grow bigger with each passing year. The Halwais, the Mehendi and Churiwallis have traditionally been busy on this auspicious day. But joining the bandwagon in recent times are the beauty parlour owners, the event managers and the restaurant owners.

    Karva Chauth special eateries are gearing up for now. Cashing in on the popularity of
    ‘eating out’ most restaurants have special menus for this special day. No wonder almost every happening-eating joint around town is offering plenty of attractive options to choose from. Various clubs organize special events on this festive day with various stalls, bumper Tambola and even a dance competition. With so much feasting and fun added to it, fasting had never been so good before.

    Tradition of Fast
    In Hindu Dharam, the goal of life is Self-realization or the attainment of God and fasting has been a much sought after path to attain this. All Hindu fast have a deep spiritual and religious significance. According to Hindu scriptures, fasting helps create an attachment with the God by establishing a harmonious relationship between the body and the soul. This is thought to be imperative for the well being of a human being as it nourishes both his/her physical and spiritual demands.

    Karwa Chauth Fast
    ‘Karwa Chauth’ is a ritual of fasting observed by married Hindu women seeking the longlife, well-being and prosperity of their husbands. Married women keep a strict fast and do not take even a drop of water. It is the most important and difficult fast observed by married Hindu women. It begins before sunrise and ends only after offering prayers and worshiping the moon at night. No food or water can be taken after sunrise. The fast is broken once the moon is sighted and rituals of the day have been performed. At night when the moon appears, women break their fast after offering water to the moon.

    Importance Of Fasting
    Hindus believe it is not easy to unceasingly pursue the path of spirituality in one’s daily life. Therefore a worshiper must strive to impose restrains on to get the mind focused. And one form of restraint is fasting. However, fasting is not only a part of worship, but a great instrument for self-discipline too. It is a training of the mind and the body to endure and harden up against all hardships, to persevere under difficulties and not give up.

    Medicative Properties
    The ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda sees the basic cause of many diseases as the accumulation of toxic materials in the digestive system. Regular cleansing of toxic materials keeps one healthy. By fasting, the digestive organs get rest and all body mechanisms are cleansed and corrected. A complete fast is good for heath, and the occasional intake of warm lemon juice during the period of fasting prevents the flatulence..

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  • THINGS CLUTTER YOUR LIVING ROOM

    THINGS CLUTTER YOUR LIVING ROOM

    If you have been thinking to renovate your home and get rid of the clutter for the longest time, then this festive season is the right time to start. However, if do not want to spend a lot and still want your house to look organised, then here’s a tip. Just get rid of these five simple things and you can change the look of your living room instantly.

    That jumbo music system and stacks of music CDs
    That big four-CD-changer music system cum cassette player with four huge speakers covering a complete wall of your living room, might have an emotional value, but it definitely adds to the clutter. Simply replace it with a sleek sound bar that would be hardly noticed but has an effective sound quality, and you will notice that the room looks less cluttered.

    Candles
    You definitely had a romantic evening in mind when you picked up those scented candles. However, they are now lying unattended in various corners coated with loads of dust. Get rid of those candles and buy lights that are easy to clean and can be used for a longer duration. Make sure they are all hanging ones so that the floor remain de-cluttered.

    Bean bags
    A lot of people buy bean bags to have a relaxed sitting arrangement, however, they are rendered redundant after a while as they trigger back problems. They then just lie there occupying a lot of space and we end up dumping things on it which adds to the clutter. Make way for a smart pair of antique wooden or recliners that will occupy less space and will prove useful as well.

    Artificial plants
    This is one of the most useless things in anybody’s living room, as they do not add any charm to the room whatsoever. In fact, a lot of feng shui and vastu experts warn for keeping artificial plants in homes as they have some kind of negative energy. Get rid of them as they attract a lot of dust and occupy unwanted space. Invest in real plants instead.

    Miniature artifacts
    Not many people can maintain an art-house like interior; as it needs a lot of cleaning. Miniature artifacts and handicrafts definitely enhance the look of your living room and make it look arty, it equally makes your house look dingy and unkempt if they are not dusted and maintained from time to time. If de-cluttering your house means having a clear space, then miniature artifacts need to be got rid off. In fact, a less-cluttered house looks bigger and better.

  • HAIR TREATMENTS TO GET THE MOP BACK

    HAIR TREATMENTS TO GET THE MOP BACK

    Even when you wear your best outfits and the most expensive shoes, if your hair is limp and untidy, the entire painstakingly-put-together look goes for a toss. A halo of healthy and wellgroomed hair framing a nicely done-up face can take your `looking awe some’ quotient, up by quite a few notches.

    When pampering your hair, you must actually make sure that you are also taking ample care of your scalp -for the simple reason that healthy roots are the crux of a healthy crop of hair.

    There are some special types of treatments recommended by the city trichologists, that can help maintain a healthy scalp.

    PLATELET RICH PLASMA VAMPIRE HAIR RESTORATION

    The Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is also called the vampire treatment or the Dracula Therapy because one’s own blood is used in this procedure. A little amount of blood is extracted and then the PRP is extracted from it in the centrifuge machine. The natural growth factors are then injected in the scalp.

    GROWTH FACTOR DELIVERY TO ROOTS
    This is another new technology that stimulates hair growth from roots. It is a combination of two non-invasive techniques.Nutrients and growth factors are delivered directly to hair roots and follicles to strengthen it. And this is followed with a pulsed magnetic stimulation to enhance the growth factors in one’s hair. It also repairs hair roots and stimulates hair growth.

    SCALP COVERING SYSTEM

    Dr Shah says that hair thinning happens because of the male hormone testosterone, which some people may be surprised to know is present in women as well. He adds, “It is possible to fight hair thinning using advanced treatments like scalp covering treatments that use plant stem cells.Taking care of diet to include hair foods and correcting lifestyle to reduce stress will also help.The instant permanent scalp cover treatment can be done in two hours under local anaesthetic gel.”

    PHOTOBIOTHERAPY TREATMENT
    There are different techniques that can rejuvenate the scalp, explains trichologist Dr Apoorva Shah. The hair rejuvenation therapy or the photobiotherapy treatment is one of the latest advancements in hair and scalp care. The treatment works on the principle of a beam of low level cold laser treatment and has been proven as a breakthrough for fuller and stronger hair.

    LASER HAIRGROW SYSTEM
    This is another noninvasive, soft laser technology (LLLT) that improves microcirculation to your hair follicles and repairs and strengthens roots.

    TAKE PRECAUTIONS
    Trichologist Dr Snehal Sriram says, “Don’t neglect that little itching and dandruff -as it could intensify and weaken the roots. Use an anti-fungal shampoo two to three times a week. Keep it on the scalp for five minutes for best results.”

  • Scam targets Dallas Morning News subscribers

    Scam targets Dallas Morning News subscribers

    DALLAS (TIP): Subscribers of The Dallas Morning News are being targeted in a scam that asks readers to send hundreds of dollars to an out-of-state address to renew their subscription to the paper. The scam resembles those aimed at subscribers to other newspapers across the country. In the most recent local incident of a scheme that’s apparently been going on for several months, The News’ subscribers reported receiving a notice in the mail last weekend that asked for nearly $600 for a year’s worth of newspapers. The paperwork encouraged them to order or renew their subscription by paying online or sending payment to an Oregon P.O. box. The Dallas Morning News is aware of the scam and has taken action to stop it from succeeding, said the newspaper’s chief marketing officer, Jason Dyer, who oversees circulation. “At times, these things pop up and we deal with them,” he said. Dyer said the newspaper sent an email to subscribers several weeks ago warning them of the scheme and also posted social media alerts after the most recent incident. He said The News has alerted authorities in Texas and Oregon. Separately, the paper’s advertisers have received requests for credit card information from people posing as representatives of The News. The company sent letters to its advertisers about this last month. Last weekend’s subscription notices set off red flags for some readers who worried that other subscribers, particularly the elderly, might get confused and succumb to the fraudulent bill. “I knew it was a scam immediately,” said Patricia Biczynski of North Dallas. “Probably we were targeted because we are seniors … you know, just some vulnerable seniors who might just go ahead and pay.” Though the mail didn’t fool her, Biczynski warned other readers to look out for the nondescript envelope that asks for return payment to Readers Payment Services. The scam has been going on since at least August under several names, including Associated Publishers Network and Publishers Distribution Services. Vince Felchle, who said he has subscribed to the paper for more than two decades, said he also received the notice over the weekend. Alarm bells went off for Felchle because he has an auto-payment tied to his credit card and the envelope for return payment didn’t say anything about The News, he said. “I was tempted to cut out my name and send it back and say, ‘Nice try,’” he said. “But you don’t want to give these people anything to go on.” He advised others to stay “very alert” and pay attention if “it doesn’t feel right” to avoid falling victim to the scheme. Any authentic subscription renewal notices from this paper will ask that payments go to: The Dallas Morning News, P.O. Box 630054, Dallas, TX 75263-0054. When in doubt, call Customer Care at 1-800-925-1500 or email customercare@dallasnews.com.

    (Source-Dallas News)

  • CEASE FIRE

    CEASE FIRE

    Both sides need to serve national interest, not pride

    The Indian Defense Minister has warned Pakistan if it persists with its ‘adventurism, our forces will make the cost… unaffordable’. With a heavier Indian presence along the border, the cost has already become unaffordable for Pakistan. Unfortunately, with a weak government there and a military establishment that has an axe to grind, few in Pakistan are likely to be bothered by the cost in terms of civilian or even military casualties. That is the dynamics that has determined India-Pakistan relations, post Musharraf. As to what exactly is happening on either side of the border is hard for anyone not inside the top security echelons to know. But who fired the first bullet is not what matters. What matters is who has the confidence to hold fire, even momentarily, to give ceasefire a chance. The government in India is stable and secure, headed by a Prime Minister against whom one charge that cannot be leveled is of being weak or unsure. In fact, ever since Modi took over, the Indian response on the border has been unusually strident. Certain utterances by the Home Minister, or even the Defense Minister and a few other BJP leaders, referring to a changed and strong government in India are, therefore, jarring. It gives the impression that some of the decisions may be determined by the fact that the BJP leadership wants to be seen as strong, and not guided purely by security calculations. India may have the ability to respond overwhelmingly to any military initiative by Pakistan, but it stands to suffer on many counts in Jammu and Kashmir, which has seen a relatively peaceful period and is going to the polls. On its part, the Opposition too has been making matters worse by saying the government is doing nothing.

    Civilians are dying on both sides, and that is not collateral damage, as both armies would have us believe. It is targeted firing, and is doing good to neither side. As things stand, only one side has the stature to exercise restraint. India has sent Pakistan the message that needed to be conveyed. Now let us not make the message the news.

    (The Tribune, Chandigarh)

  • FOOD COMBOS TO MAKE YOU LEAN

    FOOD COMBOS TO MAKE YOU LEAN

    Eggs and Mango: Gives you firm skin

    There’s no need to apply several products to get good, firm skin. Just eat some eggs and mango, especially now that the fruit is in season. Eggs are naturally rich in amino acids that are essential for formation of skin-plumping collagen. And mango, which is rich in Vitamin C, works with these acids to boost collagen production. This helps build back lost stores in the body, which can significantly improve the appearance of skin.
    DO IT RIGHT: To give a boost to your next breakfast, pair an omelette with a cup of fresh mango chunks, which supply nearly an entire day’s supply of Vitamin C.

    Red Bell Peppers and Black Beans: Gives you better Immunity

    They look good at the veggie market and are expensive. But here’s a good reason to buy them. You’ll absorb more immune-boosting plant iron by adding in some red bell peppers on your plate. Iron in black beans is hard for the body to absorb, however, adding a dose of Vitamin C-rich produce like red peppers converts the iron into a type that’s easier for the body to use.
    DO IT RIGHT: There are great recipes online that show you how to mix your beans with red bell peppers and make the meal a tasty one too.

    Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Tomatoes: Gives you protection from diseases

    Tomatoes boast of four major carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene) besides three potent antioxidants (betacarotene, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C) which may help fight cancer and heart disease. These protective chemicals are better absorbed with extra-virgin olive oil, which is high in healthy monounsaturated fats.
    DO IT RIGHT: Leave the tomato skin on, since it is packed with phytochemicals.

    Extra-virgin olive oil is the least processed form, so it contains the most beneficial compounds. Store it away from heat and light to prevent it from going rancid.

    Broccoli and Tomatoes: Gives you protection against cancer

    Both are individually known to have cancer-fighting properties, but research has shown that together they are the Hulk of cancerfighting foods. Scientists found consuming tomato and broccoli at the same time was more effective at slowing the growth of cancerous prostate tumours than eating either vegetable alone.
    DO IT RIGHT: Have one-and-a-half cups of broccoli along with twoand-a-half cups of fresh tomato, with pizza or spaghetti.

    Oatmeal and Strawberries: Gives you a healthier heart
    Oats contain two important phytochemicals called avenanthramides and phenolic acids, which are known to work with Vitamin C to reduce harmful effects of bad cholesterol and help prevent plaque build-up that lead to heart attacks.DO IT RIGHT: Enjoy a half cup of sliced strawberries with your morning bowl of oatmeal.

    Green Tea and Lemon: Gives you a healthier heart
    Green tea, a rich source of powerful antioxidants called catechins, is known to help improve the heart’s health. However, according to studies only about 20 per cent of these compounds are absorbed by the human body. Adding lemon juice to green tea has been shown to increase the catechins level to 80 per cent.
    DO IT RIGHT: After brewing yourself a cup of green tea, squeeze in the juice of one whole lemon.

    Cinnamon and Whole Grain Toast: For quicker weight loss
    Sprinkling cinnamon on your toast may help keep your blood sugar at a healthier level, which prevents dips in your energy and spikes in your hunger level. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, cinnamon was found to slow the rate of stomach emptying after meals and reduce the rise in blood sugar after meals to negate more bingeing later.

  • EXERCISES TO REDUCE EYE STRAIN

    EXERCISES TO REDUCE EYE STRAIN

    Do you find yourself squinting your eyes and rubbing them in irritation often? Owing to the exposure of the computer screens and mobile phones in our daily lives, a lot of people have started experiencing blurred vision, itchiness and headaches on a daily basis.

    Here are a few simple exercises to help rejuvenate and reduce the strain on your eyes.

    Palming

    Rub your hands together for about 10 to 15 minutes till they’re slightly warm, now place them upon your eyes. Don’t touch the eyeballs directly, instead just keep your hands lightly over your eyes.

    Repeated blinking

    Blinking every three or four seconds helps in reducing eye strain. When we watch television or work on the computer we tend to blink less, allow your eyes to rest by blinking every few seconds.

    Focus on a distant object

    Choose an object that is about six to ten meters away from you and focus solely on it for a few seconds without moving your head much. This gives some respite to the ciliary muscles that tend to be under a lot of stress.

    Eye Rolling

    Try rolling your eyes, tracing as big a circle as possible. Repeat about four times, then close your eyes, focus on your breathing and relax.

  • HOW TO BEAT FATIGUE AT WORK

    HOW TO BEAT FATIGUE AT WORK

    Do you often doze off on your desk at work?

    Fatigue is a major workplace hazard. It reduces your performance and productivity. Many studies have revealed that jaded people are often incompetent at work, and are thus paid less! To put it simply, fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy that does not go away even when you rest. People may feel fatigued in body or mind (physical or psychological fatigue). But what is the cause of fatigue?

    Most of the time, it can be traced to one or more of your daily habits or routines. It is usually a result of physical exertion, poor eating habits, emotional stress, boredom, lack of sleep or weight.

    With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can regain vitality and boost your energy levels.

    ALWAYS BE ACTIVE Walk over to your colleagues instead of using the chat messenger or email to communicate with your workmates. Take the stairs instead of the lift if your workstation isn’t too high up in a building. Park your car a little further off and walk to your office. You may think that these small moves don’t really matter, but your body is silently burning calories. You need to burn only 3,500 calories to lose 12 kg of weight.Even if you don’t remember the math, your body keeps count of every single move you make, or don’t make.

    GO FOR SMALL MEALS If you are used to eating three big meals a day, break it up into six to eight meals, and eat every two hours. Remember this, digestion is a calorie-burning activity in itself. Your body burns calories to digest the calories you eat. Eating at longer intervals fails to give your digestion sys tem a good workout. Apart from breakfast, lunch and dinner, go for mini meals (a fruit or biscuits) during your mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack breaks.

    HAVE A HEARTY BREAKFAST Not eating breakfast isn’t smart – you may think you are eating less food during the day by directly going for your mid-morning tea or lunch, but not eating breakfast makes you gain weight! Because your body has been starved of food while you were sleep ing, it needs food within an hour of waking up, to get its various systems running smoothly (including me tabolism). So, when you skip breakfast, your body panics because it thinks it’s starving and stores the next meal you eat in its fat reserves.

    SLEEP ON TIME Sleep deprivation causes weigh gain and makes people tired very easily. There are two main factors that regulate appetite. Leptin is the satiety hormone (which gives you the signal that you are full) while ghrelin is your hunger hormone (which gives you the signal that you are hungry). There are studies that suggest sleep deprivation causes both leptin and ghrelin to malfunction, leaving you with the feeling of not being full enough or making you feel hungry even when you may not need food.