IFC picks up ‘Freaks,’ ‘Undeclared’ reruns

July 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Building on its strategy of showcasing off-center comedies that appeal to young men, IFC has picked up reruns of Judd Apatow’s short-lived comedies “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared.”

The two cult favorites, which lasted for just 18 and 17 episodes, respectively, helped launch the careers of Jay Baruchel, Jenna Fischer, James Franco, Seth Rogen and Jason Segel.

“Freaks and Geeks” will premiere on IFC on Friday at 11 p.m., and encore on Mondays at 11 p.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m. “Undeclared” will debut on IFC this fall. A previously unaired episode of “Undeclared” will make its U.S. TV debut on IFC.

(please visit our entertainment blog via www.reuters.com or on blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

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Sir Michael Caine has no plans to retire

May 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 4 (ANI): Legendary actor Sir Michael Caine has assured fans that he won”t be retiring from films anytime soon.

Despite turning 77 in March (10), the ‘Get Carter’ star has no plans to give up his career.

Caine, whose career spans over five decades with appearances in more than 100 movies, insisted that he would bow out of the limelight when he stops getting job offers.

“No. My theory is, the movie business retires you. There won”t be any fanfare or announcement. I”ll just fade away like the old soldier I am,” the Daily Express quoted him as telling Maxim magazine. (ANI)

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Quiet Policy Change Roils Billion-Dollar iPhone Apps Market

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

If you make an app for the iPhone, it has to be done Apple’s way or the highway.

That’s the upshot of new iPhone developer rules, released Thursday without fanfare, even as Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced myriad details of the company’s new mobile operating system to a packed room of reporters.

The changes affect the so-called developer’s agreement required to access tools for building apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. They add significant new restrictions to software makers hoping to create products for Apple’s mobile devices, which happen to be among the most sought-after in the world. More than a billion apps have already been downloaded so far from Apple’s App Store, creating a billion-dollar software business nearly overnight. It’s also led media companies, including Wired.com owner Condé Nast, to make big bets on emerging platforms such as Apple’s iPad tablet.

With so much at stake, some software developers on Thursday bristled at the new agreement, which for the first time appears to bar any app built using “intermediary translation” tools, such as those made by Adobe, from running on its various mobile devices. Instead, apps must be written directly in Objective-C and other approved languages.

“So much for programming language innovation on the iPhone platform” said Joe Hewitt, developer of the Facebook iPhone app, via Twitter. “I’m upset because frankly I think Objective-C is mediocre and was excited about using other languages to make iPhone development fun again. It’s so hard to reconcile my love for these beautiful devices on my desk with my hatred for the ugly words in that legal agreement.”

Apple has exercised tight control from the start over the iPhone platform, at first refusing to provide a software developer kit, or SDK, of any kind. Under pressure, Jobs ultimately relented, spawning a massive outpouring of creativity. More than 150,000 apps have made their way to the App Store so far.

But Apple’s grip over the iPhone has not loosened — and on Thursday appeared to tighten considerably.

While the long-term implications of the policy change are not certain, immediate losers appear to be providers of software that translates applications built originally for other platforms, like the web, to run natively on the iPhone OS.

A number of companies have created tools offering flexibility to developers who wish to code in different languages and port their software into native iPhone apps. The best-known example of such a tool is Adobe’s Packager for iPhone. The tool lets people build apps using the company’s Flash development tool, then export those apps to an iPhone-native format so they can run on Apple’s mobile devices, which don’t support Flash.

The Packager for iPhone is in public beta now, but will be a part of Adobe Creative Suite 5 when it’s released later this spring.

Adobe’s Creative Suite is widely used by the publishing industry and by videogame designers, and Apple’s new rule throws a wrench into their plans to publish iPad and iPhone versions of their magazines, newspapers and games using Adobe’s tools.

Other cross-compilers (as they’re known) are made by smaller companies like Appcelerator, which are scrambling at the news of Apple’s latest curveball.

“It seems like it will be difficult for Adobe to get around this restriction,” said Ross Rubin, an NPD analyst, regarding the updated iPhone developer agreement. “Apple wants to ensure developers use the technologies exposed in its tools and wants to avoid being an assimilated platform. It extends the Flash ban and says Apple is willing to risk doing without certain content rather than ceding control to Adobe.”

Apple did not return emails or phone calls seeking comment.

“We are aware of the new SDK language and are looking into it,” an Adobe spokesman said in a statement e-mailed to Gadget Lab. “We continue to develop our Packager for iPhone OS technology, which we plan to debut in Flash CS5.”

The policy change comes amid a chilling in relations between Apple and Adobe. Addressing his staff shortly after announcing the iPad, Jobs railed against Flash, calling it buggy. He also threw barbs at Adobe for being “lazy,” as first reported by Wired.com.

In the past, Apple’s agreement stipulated that applications “may only use documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple” and barred the use of private APIs.

The same portion of the new iPhone Developer Program License Agreement now reads:

3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).

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A-League in turmoil as Gold Coast wobbles

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The A-League faces the biggest crisis in its five-year history, with glamour club Gold Coast United on death row and Football Federation Australia (FFA) unable to guarantee its survival.

After just one season Gold Coast’s future is under a huge cloud, as the competition’s richest benefactor Clive Palmer considers whether to pull his financial backing from the club.

It comes just days after the FFA bailed out fellow expansion club North Queensland Fury when owner Don Matheson decided to walk away, as he was unable to afford to keep the club going.

And A-League chief executive Archie Fraser has also resigned from his job overseeing the troubled competition, which now has all three Queensland-based sides either under FFA control or facing uncertain futures.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley refused to guarantee that Gold Coast – home to Socceroo star Jason Culina and gun New Zealand striker Shane Smeltz – will be part of the competition next season.

But he says iron ore magnate Palmer has not handed back the club’s licence, and the FFA is “hopeful he will continue his commitment” to the club he launched amid fanfare and largesse less than two years ago.

“We have to gauge the level of community support, the level of commercial interest, the level of corporate support in any given city, in any given market that we have an A-League club operating,” Buckley said.

“Over the course of the next few weeks and months we will assess that on the Gold Coast.

“We’re certainly hopeful they will be [in the A-League next season] and… we will work collectively with Gold Coast to try and bring about that outcome.”

The FFA has endured a testy relationship with Palmer, whose regular criticism of the governing body and controversial crowd cap did little to win favour with either football administrators or Gold Coast fans.

While United threatened to take the minor premiership until the penultimate round, it drew an average crowd of only 5,392 – the worst in the competition.

Even more troubling for the FFA is that Gold Coast’s predicament means both A-League expansion clubs have hit major hurdles after just one season in the competition.

The news Palmer was considering pulling his funding took Gold Coast players and staff by surprise on Friday.

Chief executive Clive Mensink, a friend and relative of Palmer, is adamant Gold Coast will continue on in 2010/11.

But he did indicate Palmer, who is currently involved in a $3 billion float of his business holdings and is believed to have spent nearly $5 million on Gold Coast to date, may be open to sharing or off-loading the club’s licence.

“It’s a bit of a surprise but at the end of the day there are parties interested in the club and if that is the case we’re happy to have a chat – commercially you would be mad not to,” Mensink said.

“(Palmer) says there may be people involved in his overseas dealings that may be tying in with the club as well but there is nothing there at the moment.”

Should Gold Coast collapse, Melbourne Heart’s pending addition for 2010/11 means the A-League will be able to run a 10-team competition next season.

Gold Coast would become the second A-League club in five years to disappear, with New Zealand Knights canned in 2007 after two disastrous seasons.

Meanwhile, Adelaide United looks set to emerge from FFA control in time for the new season, with a consortium led by local businessman Alan Young getting the green light on Friday to eventually take over the club.

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Tight security at Vaishno Devi shrine ahead of “Navratri”

September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Katra, Sept 18 (ANI): Security has been beefed up at the famous Vaishno Devi Temple near Jammu ahead of the nine-day “Navratri” festival.

Paramilitary and police personnel are patrolling and frisking people at important points in Katra, which is thronged by thousands of devotees every year, especially during Navratri.

The nine-day Navratri festival will begin from Saturday and the authorities claim to be in full control of the situation.

“There is much fanfare in Katra during Navratra festival and the inflow of tourists also rises manifold during those days. We have made proper security arrangements. We have taken the help of the CRPF. This time, we also have one contingent of Haryana police,” said Ashok Sharma, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

The devotees making their way to the shrine were also put through rigorous checking, a routine, exercised with extra care, considering the sensitive nature of the shrine and keeping recent threats in mind.

The devotees complied without complaining.

“There was not much trouble during the security check. We were checked several times but we did not face any problem. It was all done very safely,” said Vijay Kumar, a devotee.

‘Navratri’, which literally means nine nights, is observed twice a year.

The festival lasts for nine days in honour of nine manifestations of Durga, goddess of power ,and fall in the months of April-May and September-October.

It is believed that during the Navratri, Goddess Durga descends on earth to rid it of the demons and blesses her devotees with happiness and prosperity. (ANI)

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First Ashes cricket pitch brought back to life

June 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, June 29 (ANI): The first cricket pitch used for an Ashes series on English soil has been returned to sporting use after seventy years.

According to The Telegraph, veteran international cricketers stepped onto the wicket at Sheffield Park near Uckfield in East Sussex to play a match more than a century after a game was first played there.

Back in 1884 it hosted a warm-up match between the first Australian touring side to try for the Ashes here, and an English side captained by W G Grace.

Henry Holroyd, the Third Earl of Sheffield, a keen cricket supporter, created the pitch. During his day crowds approaching 25,000 came to enjoy first-class matches that often featured Grace, a friend of Lord Sheffield.

Cricket then was accompanied by “a fanfare of fireworks and hundreds of fairy lights which illuminated the glorious parks, water and pavilions, swathed in silks and fauna”, according to one historian.

Lord Sheffield’s influence arguably contributed to Australia’s cricketing dominance in the modern era, as he put up 150 pounds to fund a inter-state competition called the Sheffield Shield, which continues to this day.

However, on his death in 1909, the country estate was sold. The pitch was dug up during the First World War and used for growing wheat. It became a cricket pitch again between 1918 and 1939 and thereafter was converted into a military base for the Canadian armoured division during the Second World War.

Trees were later planted on it before ownership passed to the National Trust, which converted it back to a field again.

Having lain fallow for decades, the pitch has been restored after the Trust allowed a local side called the Armadillos to restore it.

On Sunday former internationals including Australians Dean Jones and Rodney Hogg, and Englishmen John Snow, John Lever and Martin Bicknell took to the pitch in a match between the old rivals – Lord Sheffield’s Australian XI and Old England XI.(ANI)

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Brisk business anticipated ahead of Puri Jagannath Yatra

June 23, 2009 By 1 Comment

Puri, June 23 (ANI): Ahead of the world famous Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra or, chariot festival, which witnesses convergence of innumerous devotees from all around, local shopkeepers here anticipate a brisk business.

Shop owners and locals anticipate good profits during the annual chariot festival as they expect huge turnover of tourists this year as well.

Besides local shopkeepers, hoteliers also fetch some good earnings during the festival.

“We do good business during rath yatra (chariot festival). Earlier we used to earn around three thousand but now we earn up to rupees ten thousand,” said Manoj Kumar, a local shopkeeper.

The chariot festival will begin on Wednesday (June 24. It is marked by an elaborate procession accompanied by great fanfare.

Amid tight security, the festival is celebrated by pulling the chariots of Lord Jagannath, along with sister Subhadra and brother Balram from the temple, through the city’s decorated streets.

Hundreds of thousands of people converge here from all over the world to participate in the massive procession.

Authorities said that preparations have been in full swing for the festival and arrangements have been made for the benefit of the pilgrims.

“Hotel industry plays a major role in this Rath yatra (chariot festival) because they accommodate most of the tourists. This year also we are taking same steps as earlier,” said Ashok Meena, Revenue Development Commissioner (RDC).

The Yatra is a round trip from the main temple to another nearby temple where the idols of the deities rest for seven days before their return to the main temple.

The Jagannath temple, about 60 kilometres from Bhubaneswar, is one of the holiest places for the Hindus in India. By Sarada Lahangir (ANI)

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Britney appears calm, composed at cousin’s wedding in Louisiana

May 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 25 (ANI): Pop star Britney Spears attended her cousin sister Laura Lynne Covington’s wedding in Louisiana, where she appeared to be very calm and composed.ritney, who was the “honorary” bridesmaid at the wedding, enjoyed the wedding with her loved ones.

“When her brother walked her down the aisle, she looked stunningly calm and beautiful,” People magazine quoted a source as saying.

“She was very pretty, low-key. She was not the centre of everything, just pretty and calm and collected,” the source added.

Despite her celebrity status, Britney did not steal way the attention from the bride and allowed the day to be a complete bride’s day, as there was no fanfare.

“There was no fanfare. With all the star power Britney and her family command, it was still the bride’s day,” the source added. (ANI)

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Hitler’s ‘self-portrait’ may be a fake

May 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, May 10 (ANI): A self-portrait by Adolf Hitler, which sold at an auction for 10,000 pounds – ten times its reserve price, is now being denounced as fake.

When the painting, signed “A. Hitler 1910″, was sold amid much fanfare last month, the auctioneer’s historical documents expert boasted about the amount of interest that it had received.

However, the same “expert” now admitted that the painting might be a fake after Mandrake pointed out to him that it was, in fact, likely to be a painting of Clapper Bridge on Dartmoor, reports The Telegraph.

“It’s impossible to know exactly if they are genuine,” says Richard Westwood-Brookes, of Mullocks auction house, which sold the picture along with 12 other watercolours that it claimed were by the Nazi leader.

“It’s like if someone gave you a piece of wood and said ‘this is from the Battle of Trafalgar’, you wouldn’t be able to tell 100 per cent if it was. You can never be entirely sure.

“Nobody came forward despite a huge amount of publicity before the sale to say that the paintings were fake,” he added.

Historian David Irving, who initially denounced the “Hitler Diaries” that were published by The Sunday Times in 1983 as forgeries, says he “hopes the buyer has a money-back guarantee”.

He says: “I warned all concerned that the paintings are all fakes. I have handled perhaps a score of genuine Hitler artworks, usually sold by the people, close friends, to whom Hitler had given them. They were all catalogued at one time.” (ANI)

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MKU to showcase Instavest Ballistic over vest in Turkey at IDEF 2009

May 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, April 29 (ANI/Business Wire India): MKU, a global defense solutions company and a pioneer in personal and vehicle protection solutions, is launching the acclaimed Instavest Ballistic over vest in Turkish market during the IDEF 2009.

The IDEF show is in Istanbul starting from April 27-29. The over vest met an equally good reception at LAAD 2009, Latin American Aerospace and Defence Show, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Latin American countries have shown great deal of interest in the world’s quickest Release mechanism.

The Instavest ballistic over vest features advanced features and an innovative design to offer enhanced protection and comfort to the user. MKU claims that Instavest is the most revolutionary and advanced ballistic vest available in the world today.

It was regionally launched officially amongst much fanfare by MKU at IDEX ’09 at Abu Dhabi earlier this year in February.

Instavest features a new quick release jettison system, which divests the vest immediately from the user’s body within a split second in a single action. MKU claims that this new vest, for which it has filed a patent, will change the way soldiers perceive and use a Quick Release Vest.

It claims that Instavest is the fastest quick release vest in the world, both, in terms of taking it off and then reassembling it and putting it on.

“Although there are some other quick release ballistic vests available in the market – all have cumbersome systems to jettison the vest of the users body, once taken off, it is a very cumbersome process to reassemble the jacket back again due to the various wire systems used in the vests, it takes a lot of training and time for a soldier to put it back again and then also chances are that a normal soldier would not be able to put reassemble it a manner which will ensure a safe jettison in the eventuality of an emergency”, said Manish Khandelwal, the Business Manager – Personal Protection, MKU.

Manish is also the inventor of Instavest, he claims that ‘Instavest from MKU is a jacket that is advanced by design, it is a product which is a result of a lot of research and field trials – it uses no wires or metal parts’.

Manish claims that putting the Instavest on and off is so simple that a person can jettison the vest in less than a second in a single action and then reassemble and put it back on in less than 45 seconds.

The quick release function is the latest specification which some of the best armies in the world demand as mandatory for their regular issues vests, this system is provided for emergency scenarios which would need the soldier to jettison off the vest along with all the equipment and load on it, in emergency situations which require split second reflexes and decisions.

Some of the common scenario where Instavest would prove to be the split second difference between life and death for the soldiers could be described as ‘in an overturned vehicle with soldiers in full battle dress’, in combat zones ‘when the soldier needs to evade enemy onslaught and have to run through treacherous terrain like jungles etc in an evasive action’ or ‘when he needs to jump into waterbeds to avoid being caught’.

Wading through shallow waters is another scenario where soldiers might need to jettison of their load to avoid drowning. Instavest would be a boon for wounded soldiers who can get can be immediately treated by Doctors by just releasing the vest with a single and split second action (ballistic vests normally cannot be torn of or cut through and in all cases need to be divested completely before a soldier can be treated).

The difference between Instavest and some other quick release vests would be the use of this system not only in emergency situation but in normal situations because of the ease of reassembling and putting it back on. It is believed that soldiers normally avoid using the quick release function in vests except in emergency situations because of the cumbersome and difficult process of reassembly.

The quick release feature is not the only claim to fame of the Instavest from MKU – It features and is compatible with the most advanced new age combat requirements. This is the first vest which uses no metal parts in the system to avoid injuries due to secondary fragments and offers absolutely the latest and best solutions in ballistic protection.

The vest has been anthropometrically designed to provide unobtrusive movement in different positions common for a soldier to take a stance in, during and in combat situations, it is compatibility with NBC gear and host of other equipment and devices. It features a new advance load distribution and a rifle butt rest system for added comfort.(ANI)

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Bitter pill: Showtime passes on Tim Robbins drama

April 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – And then there were none.

In a surprising move, Showtime on Friday passed on Tim Robbins’ well-regarded pharmaceutical-drama pilot “Possible Side Effects.”

That makes it 0-4 for the premium cable network, which originally ordered four pilots in this go-round, including “Side Effects.”

In the past week, Showtime passed on the other three pilots, the “L Word” spin-off starring Leisha Hailey, the Matthew Perry/Peter Tolan comedy “The End of Steve” and the comedy “Ronna and Beverly.”

The dismissal of “Side Effects” is noteworthy because the project was penned and directed by Oscar winner Robbins and attracted top talent, including Ellen Burstyn, Josh Lucas and Tim Blake Nelson.

It is said to have tested very highly, and with the other three pilots out of contention, it was considered a shoo-in for a series order.

Industry observers on Friday were scratching their heads over Showtime’s decision, with some pointing to the show’s subject matter as a potential reason.

“Side Effect” takes a scathing look at the pharmaceutical drug industry, focusing on a dysfunctional family behind a major drug concern.

As a premium cable network, Showtime does not rely on advertisers, but its parent company CBS Corp. does, and pharmaceutical companies are among the top TV advertisers.

Like several other pilots rejected by Showtime, “Side Effects” might be shopped elsewhere.

(Editing by Dean Gooodman at Reuters)

(please visit our entertainment blog via www.reuters.com or on blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

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Michael Caine has no plans to retire from films

April 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, April 13 (ANI): Legendary actor Michael Caine has no plans to retire and would act as long as he is offered gritty roles.

The two-time Oscar winner has appeared in over 100 films throughout his lengthy career.

However, the 76-year-old star insists that he would keep on acting – as long as he is offered descent roles.

“I don’t think you ever retire from films – films retire you. Sometimes, if you’re unfortunate, after your first film. What happens is you say ‘I’m going to retire’. And then someone turns up and gives you this script. So you’re not retiring,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

“I don’t have my next movie and I’m not looking for one. But someone will give me a script possibly and I’ll work again. If someone doesn’t give me a script that I want to do, I’ll retire.

“But there won’t be a great announcement or fanfare of trumpets. I just won’t do anything. I’ll stay at home and do what I always do, which is cooking, gardening and writing,” he added. (ANI)

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Azharuddin pitches in Moradabad for a different game and ‘long innings’

April 8, 2009 By 1 Comment

Moradabad, April 8 (IANS) After playing for 16 years on the cricket fields, former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin is ready to play a completely different game, promising the people of Moradabad that he was was here for a ‘long innings’ in politics.

Azharuddin looked cool in blue jeans, matching blue T-Shirt and dark glasses, preferring this casual outfit to the trademake kurta-pyjama of a typical politician. Many in the crowd, specially the young, copied his jaunty style and raised collar.

‘I have come here to stay and will stay here,’ Azharuddin, who belongs to Hyderabad, told a gathering of his party workers in a jam-packed hall in this crowded city famous for its brass industry.

Azharuddin told his excited Congress party workers: ‘I have been a captain of the cricket team and I believe in playing a long innings. Some people tell me that I have already won the elections, but for me victory is not decided till last ball of the match,’ he said in fluent Hindi.

Azharuddin reached Moradabad, 180 km from Delhi Tuesday, in a black Ford Endeavour to begin an intense phase of campaigning in a state where the Congress has not really been in the reckoning for many years.

As soon as he got down from his car, a large crowd gathered there, with people struggling to have a glimpse of the cricket star who was making his debut in politics.

‘I have come here to see my hero. I have been his fan for long and feel fortunate to see him in real life,’ Pervez Alam, a local resident who said he will vote for him, told IANS.

Azharuddin listened patiently to all speakers of the district Congress committee even as he gave autographs and posed for snaps with youngsters who had come to meet the former stylish wristy batsman.

‘I thank for all the advice. Advices had helped me in the game of cricket and will help me here also. I will learn a lot from all of you,’ he said.

Azharuddin, 46, joined the Congress party Feb 19 amid much fanfare. He was initially being considered as a candidate for Secunderabad, adjacent to his home city of Hyderabad. Tonk in Rajasthan and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh too were considered for him before the party leadership settled on the ‘brass city’, where Muslims constitute 45 percent of the population.

Moradabad, with a population of over 1.7 million, is famous for manufacturing brass, aluminium, iron and glass products and lies in the sugarcane belt of Uttar Pradesh. The brass industry is having a bad time in the global economic recession and the expectations from a local MP is that he would be able articulate their problems in New Delhi and find solutions to them.

Farmers of the region, as anywhere else in the country, face a lot of hardship like lack of power, poor returns of their crops and delayed payments by sugar mills.

Azharuddin took note of their problems. ‘Don’t think that I am a celebrity who is unaware of the problems of farmers. When I was young I used to work in the fields of my aunt. Even now I am ready to work for you and with you in your fields to solve your problems.’

Asked about the hate speeches made by Varun Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pilibhit, only 150 km from here, Azharuddin said: ‘He should avoid making such statements. Such statements send a wrong message to the youth and would not get him votes.

‘The common man needs solution to their everyday problems – rather than issues that divide people and incite hatred.’

His main rival is Thakur Sarvesh Singh of the BJP, who is the sitting state legislator from the Thakurdwara constituency who is known to be close to party president Rajnath Singh. The third important candidate is Rizwan Ahmad of the Samajwadi Party who commands support of the substantial Turk community among Muslims.

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Israel to set peace agenda in coming weeks, Netanyahu says

April 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Jerusalem – Israel will set its peace agenda in the next few weeks, new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday as he opened the first cabinet meeting of his government.

“In the coming weeks we will complete the formulation of our policy to advance peace and security,” he told the ministers at the weekly cabinet session in Jerusalem.

The cabinet, sworn in last Tuesday night, also appointed a 12-man inner cabinet, which will take decisions on political and security matters.

In addition to Netanyahu himself, the forum includes Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Defence Minister Ehud Barak, Regional Development Minister Silvan Shalom, Intelligence Affairs Minister Dan Meridor and Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon, and six other ministers.

The approach the Netanyahu government will take toward peace with the Palestinians is being eagerly awaited, since the premier, while saying that Israel wanted a “comprehensive peace” with the Arab and Muslim world, has refused to explicitly endorse a Palestinian state being set up alongside Israel.

In addition Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has openly rejected the so-called “Annapolis process,” named after a peace conference which laid the groundwork for ongoing Israeli-Palestinian talks to settle the conflict between the sides.

The peace talks, which continued throughout 2008, entered a hiatus late last year when Israel began its election campaign which culminated in the February 10 poll.

However, Lieberman, in a speech when he assumed his duties as foreign minister Wednesday, did say Israel would adhere to the road map peace plan of the quartet of the US, EU, Russia and United Nations, which, like the Annapolis process, has as its final aim the establishment of Palestinian statehood.

But the road map is a performance-based initiative and the new foreign minister made it clear that Israel would not skip over any of the stages to arrive quickly at the end of the process.

Launched amid much fanfare in 2003, the road map quickly ran into a quagmire afterwards, as Israelis and Palestinians accused each other, and the international community accused them both, of not complying with its clauses.

As a first stage, the plan calls on the Palestinians to combat militants and on Israel to freeze all settlement activity and to uproot dozens of settlers’ outposts erected without formal government approval throughout the West Bank over the past eight years.

Lieberman gave as his reasoning for his rejection of Annapolis the fact that the process was never formally ratified by the Israeli government or parliament, whereas the roadmap was.

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Gandhi’s idol worshipped at Orissa temple

April 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

ROURKELA (ORISSA): Mahatma Gandhi is revered all over the country, but people at a sleepy little village off Sambalpur town in Orissa remember him
in a very special way – by worshipping his idol in a temple.

The temple at Bhatra village attracts people of all religions and castes who offer their obeisance to the idol of Gandhiji sitting under the Tricolour.

Pramod Kumar, president of the Gandhi temple development committee, said the temple symbolizes communal amity among the people in western Orissa.

”People of all faiths from different parts of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand come to Gandhi temple which promotes peace and communal harmony,” he said.

The temple’s head priest, Kalia Bagh, a Dalit, said followers of Gandhi read out the teachings and writings of Gandhiji after arati in the morning and evening.

The temple was the brain-child, Abhimanyu Kumar, an ex-MLA. The 85-year-old Kumar recalled, ”We were not allowed entry into temples at the village and elsewhere condemned as we are as untouchables. So in 1971 after I became an MLA the idea of construction of a temple dedicated to the man who abolished untouchability struck me.”

The bronze statue of Gandhi was sculpted by students of the Khalikote Art College in Ganjam district, Kumar said expressing his gratitude to the then revenue minister of Orissa, Brajamohan Mohanty, for granting Rs 5000 towards meeting the cost of the statue.

The local villagers not only offered money, but also lent a hand in the construction and the temple was inaugurated by the then chief minister of Orissa, Nandini Satpathy, with much fanfare on April 11, 1974.

On Gandhi Jayanti, Martyrs Day, Republic Day and Independence Day a large number of followers throng the temple to celebrate. Dalit youths after offering prayers take a vow to “shun violence and liquor”.

”We get peace when we perform prayer in the Gandhi temple chanting Hare-Rama-Hare-Krishna,” said Jitendra Raiguru, a local resident.

With no financial support from either government or any organisation, the management occasionally faces problems in running the temple, but the 150-odd Dalit families of the village see to it that the lamp does not go off.

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Nine-day ‘Navratri’ festival begins

March 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi/Mumbai, Mar 27 (ANI): The nine-day ‘Navratri’ festival began across India with religious fervour on Friday.

In New Delhi, devotees queued up outside the temples early in the morning to pay their obeisance to Goddess Durga.

“Today is the first Navratri so we have come here to pay obeisance. We have firm faith in goddess. She has always listened to our prayers and fulfilled them,” said Vijay Singh, Bhandari, a devotee.

“Navratri”, dedicated to Goddess Durga is celebrated twice in a year, during the spring and the autumn season.

In Maharashtra, people celebrated the festival of ‘Gudi Padwa’, the Hindu New Year, with traditional fervour.

An essential part of ‘Gudi Padwa’ is the specially decorated sticks, called “gudis”, which symbolise the nature’s bounty.

A huge procession was taken out in Mumbai men, women and children wearing traditional dresses and participating in tableaus. It was organised in a bid to revive the festival, which has been losing some of its charm, owing to the increasing popularity of the Western New Year.

“We are welcoming the Hindu New Year on Gudi Parva with much fanfare and gaiety,” said Ajith Bedekar, a resident.

‘Gudi Padwa’ is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month, and is celebrated as New Year’s Day by Maharashtrians.

It is the same day on which great king Shalivahana defeated Sakas in battle.

This is also first day of Marathi Calendar. This festival is supposed to mark the beginning of spring.

According to the Gregorian calendar this would fall sometime at the end of March and the beginning of April. (ANI)

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Fanfare and gaiety mark Holi celebrations in Manipur

March 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Imphal, Mar 13 (ANI): Residents in Manipur indulged in revelry as they celebrate the five-day long Yaoshang festival, which coincides with ‘Holi’.

They start preparing in advance for the festivities as they set up thatched huts and other paraphernalia for the festivities.

These begin with residens taking out a procession to a local temple and playing with colours, after offering prayers to the deity.

Later, the people burn the thatch huts and children go from house-to-house seeking money for the festivities.

The main highlight of Yaoshang is the Thabal Chongba dance where girls and boys form a huge circle by holding hands and dance and sing.

Since this is an annual affair, there is lot of excitement amongst the people.

“I’m very excited. After all this is once a year affair.,” said Albert, a resident.

Yaoshang is a five-day affair celebrated on full moon day and is one of the major festivals of the region.

Celebrated in the month of Phagun (February-March), according to the Hindu calendar, Holi is associated with the uninhibited expression of love and affection. The festival also marks the onset of spring.

Celebrated at the onset of spring, the festival also holds a mythological importance – that of the triumph of good over evil. By L C K Singh (ANI)

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Oram may not play in IPL

March 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Wellington, Mar 6 (ANI): New Zealand all rounder Jacob Oram has expressed reservations about playing in next month’s Indian Premier League after the terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan.

Oram is contracted to the Chennai Super Kings for 675,000 dollars a year, but Oram said on Thursday that no amount of money would persuade him to put his life in danger.

Oram admitted that the eight deaths in Lahore on Tuesday, coming so soon after the Mumbai terror attacks in November, in which more than 170 died, had unnerved him and made touring India no longer a straightforward exercise.

“The IPL financially has opened doors that I only dream about, but I’m married now and it would take a lot for me to turn a blind eye to what has gone on,” The Dominion Post quoted Oram, as saying.

“I know the players’ associations are trying to up the security at the IPL. Obviously I have to find out a little bit more about it. If we can be assured of our safety then I wouldn’t say no to it just yet, but if it gets worse then we’ve seriously got to look it.”

Oram admitted that he would still think twice about his involvement in the Twenty20 showpiece, even if security experts gave the green light.

“After what happened in Mumbai late last year and after what happened last night, it keeps raising questions. Before that I would have no worries about going to India, but now there are questions to be asked.

“Heath Mills (New Zealand Cricket Players Association Chief Executive), FICA (the world players’ association) and the ICC are looking into the security measures there because last year, during the IPL, it was such a circus feeling with all the fanfare,” Oram said.

“Now, reality has hit home and you know that when you are on the sub continent, things that we take for granted here, like safety and freedom of doing what you want to do, are not available over there,” he added.

New Zealand Cricket said on Thursday that the end-of-year tour to Pakistan would not go ahead, but later said the tour was “unlikely”.

Oram said he felt sorry for Pakistani players and its administrators because future matches would have to be played at neutral venues. (ANI)

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“Big Bang Machine” to be re-started later this year

February 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Feb 9 (ANI): An official statement from CERN indicates that the Large Hadron Collider, popularly known as the “Big Bang Machine”, will be up and running in time to deliver the first batch of data for experts to begin experiments by the end of the year.

The LHC, the biggest atom-smashing machine ever built, straddles the borders of France and Switzerland and is operated by Cern, the European particle physics laboratory near Geneva.

It is designed to simulate the “Big Bang”, which started the universe 15 billion years ago, by smashing sub-atomic particles together at energies never before achieved.

But, it suffered a catastrophic malfunction soon after being switched on last September amid a fanfare of publicity.

Officials and scientists from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which built the 4 billion pounds device, have been in talks this week about when to re-start it.

They have also discussed what caused the LHC to grind to a halt and how to prevent similar incidents happening in the future.

According to a report in the Telegraph, CERN have now said that they hope the machine will be up and running in time to deliver the first batch of data for experts to begin experiments by the end of the year.

A final decision on the exact date to switch it back on is expected to be taken soon.

The breakdown on September 19 was blamed on a faulty electrical connection, which led to a leak of super-cold helium causing damage estimated at 20 million pounds.

As a result, 53 of the magnets used to accelerate sub-atomic particles around the machine’s 17-mile underground tunnel had to be brought to the surface for repair or cleaning.

Two further “suspect connections” have since been found and engineers are working to remedy the problem, this week’s meeting in Chamonix was told.

CERN said that if the plans for re-starting the LHC are approved, it will start producing physics data late this year, through to the end of 2010.

“These recommendations represent the best way forward for the LHC and for the field of particle physics in general,” said Steve Myers, CERN’s Director for Accelerators, who chaired the meeting.

“CERN’s priority for 2009 is to get collision data for the experiments, but with caution as the guiding principle. The recommendations made to the CERN management are cautious, while achieving the goal of running this year,” he added. (ANI)

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