Celina JaitlyMore Pics Celina Jaitly is in a state of shock. The actress who also happens to be the brand ambassador of Egypt, tells Renuka Vyavahare, her take on the ongoing crisis and mayhem that has gripped the country.
You are the brand ambassador of Egypt. What's your take on the current crisis and lawlessness in Egypt?
The winds of change are blowing through Egypt. Whatever happens next will impact Egypt and its people in a big way. My prayers are that whatever the outcome ...it should be of a positive nature. My only fear is that extremist elements in Egypt might manipulate the current situation for nefarious ends. My hope and wish is, whatever change follows the protests, should...
Monday, January 31, 2011
Unsold at auction, Ganguly may get a lifeline for IPL 4
After remaining unsold at the 2011 IPL auction, Sourav Ganguly might finally get to play after all in the fourth edition of the Twenty20 event.
The former India captain got a lifeline ahead of the February 4 IPL governing council meeting after the BCCI’s letter to the franchises asking them to give their views on a few players who went unsold at the auction. According to sources, the letter specifically mentioned Ganguly’s name, along with Wasim Jaffer and VRV Singh. The franchises can buy them at their base price, which is $200,000 in Ganguly’s case.
“We have received a request that franchises — subject to them having enough balance on the salary cap to pay at least the reserve price of the...
Bring home the World Cup Sachin
New Delhi: Sir Don Bradman finished with a career average of 99.94 in Test cricket, distanced from that magical triple-figure average by a second-ball naught in his last innings at The Oval in 1948. Sixty-three years later, Sir Don's mirror image - as confessed by the magician himself - will try to cap a run-loaded career with a World Cup trophy and 100 international hundreds.Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who has shouldered the expectations of billions throughout his envious career and has been part of every World Cup since 1992, will once again have a crack at adding the elusive trophy to his shimmering cabinet.The gentle assassin came lose to winning it for India in 1996 (losing...
Two sisters shot dead by Lashkar militants in North Kashmir
Srinagar, (NI24) Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militantstonight shot dead two sisters after dragging them out of theirhouse in Sopore town of North Kashmir''s Baramulla district,the first major strike targeting civilians this year.
Arifa and Akhtar, daughters of Ghulam Nabi Dar, weregunned down by three militants, including a Pakistani, ataround 10 PM at Muslim Peer in Sopore town, 52 kms from here,Superintendent of Police Sopore Altaf Ahmad told PTI.
According to preliminary investigations, the threeLashkar militants barged into the house and forcibly took thegirls, aged between 16 to 18 years, police said.
"The girls were later shot dead by the militants nearthe Ziarat (shrine) Rahim Sahib. One...
Can't cancel 2G licences over CAG report: SC
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it cannot cancel the 2G liscences on the basis of CAG report.
The apex court adjourned the hearing on the matter till March 1 after giving the remark that any decision taken by the government on the issue will be subject to the outcome of the petitions pending before it.The remark has been given by a Supreme Court bench, comprised of Justice GS Singhvi and Justice AK Ganguly, on the plea by an NGO - Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL).The NGO has sought a direction from the Supreme Court for restraining the Government from regularising the licences of the telecom companies which failed to meet the roll-out obligations. Giving its remark on...
Sushma Swaraj will not file affidavit in Supreme Court on CVC issue
New Delhi, With home minister P Chidambaram stating that the Palmolein case against PJ Thomas was discussed by the CVC selection panel, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj today said she would not file an affidavit on the issue in the Supreme Court as there was "no dispute on facts now".
"The home minister has now admitted that I had raised the Palmolein case in the meeting and recorded my disagreement precisely for this reason," Swaraj, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, who was on the selection panel, said on Twitter.
Attorney general GE Vahanavati had stated in the Supreme Court last week that the panel for CVC, comprising the prime minister, home minister and Leader of Opposition, had not...
UP: ITBP aspirants go on rampage, torch vehicles
Bareilly: Tension broke out in Bukhara village on Tuesday when thousands of ITBP aspirants went on a rampage, torched a number of vehicles and pelted stones after they failed to submit their forms due to alleged mismanagement by the authorities.
Thousand of youths, who had gathered at the ITBP Bukhara camp to submit their recruitment forms and obtain a token for physical test, failed to get their forms deposited, sources said here.
Soon after that, they went on a rampage and torched seven buses including five of roadways, a petrol pump and a number of two-wheelers and indulged in brick batting, they said.
The agitating youths also pelted stones on AIR and Doordarshan offices there.
District...
Leakage of Tata-Radia tapes being probed: Govt tells SC
New Delhi,Government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it was taking seriously the issue of leakage of conversation between Tata chief Ratan Tata and corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and that an inquiry has been ordered into it. "The government views the disclosure of such information seriously and inthis context, an inquiry has been ordered," an affidavit filed by the government said.
It also denied the allegation of Tata that it had adopted a lackadaisical attitude on a petition filed by Tata.
"I deny that the government has adopted a lackadaisical attitude or that it was standing by and allowing leaked material of this kind to be freely distributed and published," the two-page affidavit...
'March of a million' in Egypt, army says won't use force
CAIRO: Preparations began Tuesday for the million people march in the Egyptian capital to oust President Hosni Mubarak as the army said that they will not "use force against the Egyptian people". Another million-strong march is being planned at the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria.
The fierce protests against Mubarak entered the eighth day Tuesday, with defiant demonstrators determined to end the octogenarian's 30-year rule.
The protests received a shot in the arm when the army said "freedom of expression" was guaranteed to all citizens using peaceful means.
"To the great people of Egypt, your armed forces, acknowledging the legitimate rights of the people" stress that "they have...
India remains “vulnerable”, new terror groups raising heads, says Chidambaram
NewDelhi,Feb 01 2011:Underlining that India remains “vulnerable” to terrorism, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said new groups are suspected to be behind some terror attacks that took place in recent years. “I must caution you that there is no let up in the attempts to infiltrate into India from across the India- Pakistan border. Besides, there are a number of modules operating within the country and new groups have raised their heads that are suspected to be behind some terrorist attacks that took place in recent years,” he said in his address at the ‘Meeting of Chief Ministers on Internal Security’ in New Delhi. The Minister said, “We cannot shy away from naming these groups or exposing...
Amnesty misfires as banned SIMI's 'extremists' walk free
Bhopal A routine practice of releasing prisoners on Republic Day, in accordance with norms set a decade ago, has blown up into an embarrassment for the Madhya Pradesh government, led by BJP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, after five activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) were released on January 26.
With the Bajrang Dal now demanding an inquiry and threatening street protests, the Ujjain police on Sunday called a few of the activists to Bhairavgarh police station, and subjected them to 12 hours of questioning.
It is not possible under the law to put the released activists back into jail, as is being demanded by the Bajrang Dal. Even their questioning was against the rules....
Egypt revolt helps create Islamic Middle East: Iran
TEHRAN: Iran said on Tuesday the uprising in Egypt will help create an Islamic Middle East but accused US officials of interfering in the "freedom seeking" movement which has rocked the Arab nation.
"With the knowledge that I have of the great revolutionary and history making people of Egypt, I am sure they will play their role in creating an Islamic Middle East for all freedom, justice and independence seekers," Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying on state television's website.
Salehi, who was officially endorsed by the Iranian parliament on Sunday as foreign minister, said the uprising in Egypt "showed the need for a change in the region and the end of unpopular regimes."...
India can eradicate Polio by 2013--Bill Gates
Bill Gates, chairman and co-founder of Microsoft Corp., contributes $200 million a year towards the cause of eradicating polio through Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The tech giant-turned-philanthropist is hopeful that India could eradicate the crippling, potentially deadly virus by 2013.
He hopes to stop the spread of polio, and make it the first infectious disease to be obliterated from the face of the earth since smallpox, which was wiped out in 1979.
In spite of the impressive gains made about the eradication of polio, “the last 1 percent remains a true danger,” he said.
About Poliovirus
Poliovirus is a human enterovirus composed of single stranded RNA genome and protein capsid.
The...
Australia's Ferguson gets ODI call
SYDNEY — Australia called up batsman Callum Ferguson on Tuesday for the sixth one-day international against England in Sydney after World Cup hopeful Shaun Marsh was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Ferguson, 26, will replace Marsh for the final two games of the seven-match ODI series, clinched by Australia with a 51-run victory in Brisbane on Sunday.
Nursing a hamstring injury, Marsh was unable to field at the weekend and team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said scans had confirmed a low-grade strain -- a blow to his World Cup hopes.
"He will be unavailable for the two remaining ODI games against England and his return to cricket will be determined by his progress over the next week," said...
U.S. not keen on removal of key Middle East ally
USA,Caught off guard by the sustained strength of the popular revolt in Egypt, President Barack Obama has responded publicly by hedging his bets--neither voicing support for President Hosni Mubarak nor calling for the outright removal of the longest-standing Arab ally of the United States in the Middle East.
The approach is winning him few fans among pro-democracy activists, in the Arab world and elsewhere, who once hoped he would embrace the "freedom agenda" championed by his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Grounded more in realpolitik than any altruistic notion about fomenting Middle East democracy, the White House's cautious call for an "orderly transition" to a new government reflects a more...
Rishi Kapoor busier than Ranbir Kapoor?
Actor Rishi Kapoor recently won the Best Actor Award (Critics) at the 56th Filmfare Awards for his performance in 'Do Dooni Chaar'. The Kapoor was mighty pleased at bagging this, while his son hosted the event. Rishi told us, "Unfortunately, I came in late, and didn't get to see Ranbit host, but I do hear that my son has been up to a lot of mischief," laughed Rishi.
However, talk about what we can expect from him in 2011, and he is quick to tell us. "There is Patiala House for starters. It'll be the next movie you'll see me in," said the actor. Rishi also confirmed that he is indeed a part of Karan Johar's 'Agneepath' remake. Then there's 'Housefull 2' and Rishi may just be a judge on the...
BlackBerry stock slips on India report
TORONTO: Shares of BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) slipped about two percent Monday after India rejected its offer for partial access to its encrypted corporate emails.
Since August last year, India has been seeking access to BlackBerry encrypted emails to counter threats to its national security. Since BlackBerry encrypted emails travel between smart phones through RIM's own servers and cannot be breached, BlackBerry has become the dominant enterprise smart phone globally.
The market slide in RIM fortunes Monday was also triggered by a report by Britain-based market research firm Canalys which said that Google's Android has upstaged Nokia's Symbian as the world's leading smart...
Is Bill Gates' fight against polio quixotic or practical?
Bill Gates is taking a tough stance on polio -- and not everyone in the research community agrees with it.
In the philanthropist's annual letter, in which he highlights the key issues he's focusing on as co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the founder of Microsoft began his yearly note on the issue of polio, so that it appeared above malaria and HIV/AIDS.
Polio, which once infected, paralyzed and killed countless children every year, is now all but eradicated: According to the World Health Organization, the estimated number of polio cases per year dropped from 350,000 in 1988 to less than 1,500 in 2010.
There would be many benefits to eradicating the disease entirely,...
'Dabangg' comes close with six nods; Shah Rukh Khan wins best actor.
NEW DELHI -- The 56th Filmfare Awards held Saturday night in Mumbai were swept by small budget film Udaan with seven nods, followed by last year's most successful blockbuster Dabangg, which picked six trophies including best film. Best director went to Karan Johar for My Name Is Khan, while the film's star Shah Rukh Khan won best actor with co-star Kajol winning best actress.
A major highlight of India's awards season, the Filmfare Awards are presented by Filmfare magazine.
Udaan -- which screened at Cannes last year -- revolves around a teenage boy's growing pains, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and won best film (critics award), best male supporting actor (Ronit Roy), best story, cinematography,...
Two heroines for Pawan Kalyan’s mafia movie
Pawan Kalyan’s mafia movie with tamil director Vishnuvardhan will go on floors from march 2011.
This story would be a prequel of BILLA.
Abburi Ravi who worked for Annavaram in past is penning dialogues.
Producers Neelima and Shobhu said in a press note “Script has already been finalized. It is going to be stylish action entertainer and it has two heroines. A newcomer has already been selected as one of the heroine,”
Yuvan Shankar Raja has already started composing tunes for this action fli...
AK Antony offers union cabinet post for Chiranjeevi !
Union defence minister A.K.Antony arrived in hyderabad today and PCC chief D.Srinivas recieved him at airport.
They both went to Chiranjeevi’s residence for urgent meeting.
The conclusion of meeting is that Antony requested Chiranjeevi to support congress party if no-confidence motion is putup in assembly and merge his party into congress, so that his charisma would be useful for congress.
In return, Chiranjeevi was offered union cabinet minister post in Dr.Manmohan Singh’s cabinet with Rajyasabha seat and 4 Prajarajyam MLAs will get state cabinet ministries.
Congress is trying to delay Y.S.Jagan’s new party registration with Election Commission and make sure that with Chiru’s charisma, he...
Afghan Photographer Wahidy Shoots Through the Burka
Farzana Wahidy is only 26 but she's had a storied life. As the first female Afghan photojournalist to work for international wire services, she taps into her own difficult years sneaking a secret education under the Taliban.
KABUL, Afghanistan (WOMENSENEWS)--Farzana Wahidy loves to capture women on film. Armed with her camera, this 26-year-old photojournalist from Afghanistan finds inspiration in chronicling the lives of her country's vastly beleaguered but "hugely intriguing, wonderfully colorful and always stirring" women.
She is the first female Afghan photographer working for international wires such as Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press.
Her work earned her the 2008 prestigious...
Now, minister DK Aruna gets threatening calls
MAHBUBNAGAR: After P Shankar Rao, it was the turn of minister D K Aruna to `receive' threatening calls. But Aruna said she is not concerned by such threats. The district police took up the matter suo motu and formed two special teams to inquire into the matter. In a related development, police unearthed six detonators on the Gadwal-Aiza road near Gadwal in the early hours of Sunday.
District SP Sudhir Babu said the detonators were recovered following a tip-off. "They are harmless and there's nothing to worry about. It could be the handiwork of some mischief-mongers," he said. He said they have formed teams to look into the threatening calls issue though there was no formal complaint from...
Raja and bureaucrats named in 2G probe report
NEW DELHI | Jan 31, 2011
Former telecom minister A Raja and at least seven bureaucrats have been reportedly named in the report submitted by a former judge who investigated allotment of telecom licences for 2G spectrum. Siddhartha Behura, former secretary of the department of telecom, and seven other officials of DoT have been named in former Supreme Court judge Shivaraj Patil's report. R K Chandolia, a confidant, of Raja has also been named in the report.
"We have identified the officials on whose...
Navy warship listing after collision, major fire rages
Mumbai,31 Jan 2011:Firefighters, along with Navy personnel, are battling a major blaze to salvage warship INS Vindhyagiri, which is listing after colliding with a merchant vessel in the Mumbai harbour. “Fire broke out soon after the ship collided with another vessel last evening. The Mumbai fire brigade was alerted early today,” fire brigade sources said. There is nobody on board the warship as everybody was evacuated last evening. In the morning, eight fire tankers were sent to douse the fire on board the ship, at naval dockyard, the sources said. The number has since gone up to 16, including six `Jumbo’ tankers, they said. An official said there was a dent in the warship due to the impact...
Pak has 110 N-weapons to edge ahead of India: US Report
WASHINGTON: Pakistan has doubled its nuclear arms stockpile to 110 warheads, developing new weapons to deliver them and significantly accelerating production of uranium and plutonium for bombs to edge ahead of India.
Islamabad's nuclear weapons stockpile now totals more than 110 deployed weapons in a sharp jump from an estimated 30-80 weapons fours years ago, 'Washington Post' reported.
"Pakistan has expanded its nuclear weapons production capability rapidly", the Post quoted David Albright President of the Institute for Science and International Security as saying.
Albright said that based on accelerated production of plutonium and highly enriched uranium, Pakistan may now have an arsenal...
Yeddyurappa claims threat to his life from 'black magic'
Mysore Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday claimed there was a conspiracy to eliminate him by taking recourse to "black magic" after efforts to use it to unseat him from power failed.
In remarks that are bound to raise the political heat in the state further, Yeddyurappa said, "Those who indulged in black magic to unseat me from power and failed are involved in it again".
"There is a conspiracy to eliminate me. I am not even sure whether I will return home after visiting Vidhana Soudha (state secretariat)," said Yeddyurappa, who has been facing unending troubles since becoming chief minister in 2008.
Yeddyurappa, who was instrumental in bringing BJP to power for the first time...
Oz college on verge of closure, fate of 4000 Indian students uncertain
Melbourne A Melbourne-based private institute is on the verge of financial collapse, threatening future of over 4000 students, including from India. Private college giant 'Carrick' has now sought financial help from Victorian government to guarantee its future. The institute is relying on a USD 10 million deal with Victorian public TAFE Holmesglen, The Australian reported. The deal, likely to be finalised by today, could result in Holmesglen securing up to 80 per cent of Carrick, it said. Carrick runs several vocational courses including hospitality, tourism, events, community welfare work, business marketing and hairdressing besides other bachelor degrees and English programmes....
India approves $12 billion POSCO steel mill
NEW DELHI | Jan 31,2011
India's environment ministry approved on Monday South Korean POSCO's plans for a $12 billion steel mill, a boost for the foreign investment climate after several setbacks for big ticket industrial projects.
The long-delayed clearance for India's biggest foreign direct investment -- as long as the company meets a series of environmental standards -- follows a year in which Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has blocked several projects, raising criticism he was jeopardizing India's growth story.
"Undoubtedly projects such as that of POSCO have considerable economic, technological and strategic significance for the country," the statement said. "At the same...
Investors face risks however Egypt plays out
LONDON | Jan 31, 2011.
If President Hosni Mubarak clings to power, investors will reprice Egyptian and regional assets to brace for weeks, months or possibly years of heightened political risk.
If he goes, global markets could still react with alarm, fearing a rising tide of unrest across the Middle East and possibly other authoritarian economies that could threaten energy supplies and potentially global economic recovery.
Mubarak sacked his government after four days of street protest, but made it clear he had no intention of giving in to demands from the street that he stand down. Tanks and troops deployed on the streets face rising numbers of demonstrators.
Egypt is entering uncharted...
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