Schumacher’s ex-boss writes off his chances of a glorious comeback

London, May 5 (ANI): Seven times Formula One champion Michael Schumacher’s former team boss has written off his chances of making a glorious comeback.

Ex-Renault chief Flavio Briatore, under whom Schumacher drove at Benetton, said that there is no way he will recapture his glory.

Asked if he expected Schumacher to improve during the season, Briatore said: “On the contrary, I think it will be harder and harder for him.”

“I don’t know how he can recover. The competition is so fierce. He made the decision to return without thinking that, in four years, the cars and tyres have changed massively,” The Sun quoted him, as saying.

Schumacher has been outraced by Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg and has finished a dismal 10th during the last race in China.

“I’ve always said it would be difficult for him to stay ahead of Rosberg. You can’t come back in such a competitive sport after four or five years. Alain Prost did, but only one season had gone by,” Briatore told Italy’s Autosprint magazine.

“Today, Michael has found some tough customers because in F1 there have never been drivers as good as this year. There’s Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel, Rosberg…” (ANI)

Thai riot police pull back from “red shirt” barricade

Thai riot police pulled back from a barricade erected by “red shirt” protesters in Bangkok’s Silom business district and the protesters also retreated to their camp behind it, a Reuters photographer said on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, tension in the area had risen as hundreds of riot police moved right up to the barrier, demanding it be dismantled. Protesters had climbed onto the barricade, made up mostly of tyres, and poured what appeared to be fuel over it, the photographer said.

A series of grenade blasts in that area killed three people late on Thursday. The government said the grenades were fired from the red shirt protest area. Leaders of the red shirts, who are demanding fresh elections, denied they were responsible.

(Reporting by Vivek Prakash; Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Thai police tell “red shirts” to clear barricade

Hundreds of riot police moved in front of a barricade erected by “red shirt” protesters in Bangkok’s Silom business district early on Friday and told them to dismantle it, television said.

Television pictures then showed some protesters pouring what a TV reporter said was fuel onto the barricade, which is made up largely of tyres, with sharpened bamboo poles inserted.

A series of grenade blasts in that area killed at least three people late on Thursday. The government said the grenades were fired from the red shirt protest area. Leaders of the red shirts, who are demanding a new election, denied they were responsible.

(Reporting by Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat; Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Aussie ‘heroes’ land crippled plane

The Australian pilots of a Cathay Pacific flight who managed to steer an Airbus A330 plane to safety at Hong Kong’s airport after both its engines malfunctioned have been hailed as heroes.

Cathay Pacific said in a statement that the plane’s left engine had shut down as the aircraft made its landing approach at Hong Kong’s international airport on Tuesday with 309 passengers on a flight from Surabaya in Indonesia.

The right engine also began to “cut out inexplicably, leaving the [pilots] to cope with dips and surges in power and the prospect of the plane plunging into the sea short of [the airport],” the South China Morning Post reported.

The emergency landing caused all four tyres on the left hand side of the plane to deflate, while two on the right side also deflated, the airline said.

Passengers were evacuated on emergency inflatable slides. There were eight injuries.

“It was an amazing piece of piloting in extremely testing circumstances,” one colleague of the two Australian pilots was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post.

“One engine was shut down completely and the other was going on and off. They effectively landed the plane on half an engine.

“Their stories will come out in due course when the investigation is complete but what they did was nothing short of heroic. It’s a miracle they managed to get the plane down safely,” the paper quoted another Cathay Pacific staff member as saying.

Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation department said it would investigate the “serious aircraft incident” and release a report in a month’s time.

Bike Insurance Warning for Unsafe Tyres

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM, Apr 11 (MARKET WIRE) —
Defective tyre related motorbike accidents have increased by 28%
according to new Department of Transport figures obtained by tyre safety
organisation TyreSafe.

As a result of dodgy and illegal tyres, MOT failures have also increased
to 26,000 a year – that’s 75 every day.

April is Tyre Safety Month and Tyre Safe, the UK’s leading tyre safety
organisation, is warning that motorcyclists are taking dangerous and
unnecessary risks with their lives by failing to look after their tyres
properly.

Bike insurance specialist Swinton Bikes has added that as riders bring
their bikes out of winter storage, they should carry out a thorough
inspection before heading out onto the road – or else face the prospect
of having to make a costly insurance claim.

Anthony Aronin, head of Swinton Bikes, said: “As the weather improves and
bikers get back on the road after a long winter, it is vitally important
that they check their machines are in good condition and are working
properly – including tyres, brakes and other safety features. These DfT
figures show a worrying jump in the number of tyre-related accidents, and
we would urge every biker to make sure their tyres are in a road worthy
condition.”

The latest road casualty figures available from the Department for
Transport show that in 2008 there was a 28 percent increase in the number
of motorcycles involved in an accident where illegal, defective or
under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor. This dramatic rise took
the tally to a three-year high of 88 accidents.

The level of neglect is further demonstrated with analysis of VOSA’s MoT
data. These figures show that in 2008/9 tyre related defects contributed
to more than 26,000 motorcycle MoT tests being failed, equivalent to
nearly 75 failures every day. This total represents an increase of just
under 1,500 failures over the previous year and more than 2,500 when
compared with 2006/7.

Throughout April, tyre and motorcycle dealers across the UK will be
hoping to help motorcyclists become safer by offering free tyre safety
checks. The checks will include a visual inspection, looking in
particular for any cracks, cuts or bulges in the tyre which can make it
both dangerous and illegal.

Examiners will also look for any irregular wear patterns which can be a
sign of problems with other components, set-up or riding style. Pressures
will be checked against the recommended levels with any necessary
adjustments made for any pillion or pannier loads. Finally, the tread
depth will be examined to make sure the tyre has sufficient tread to
remove water from the road surface and meets the legal minimum tread
requirements.

About Swinton

– With 580 branches nationwide Swinton is the UK’s largest high street
insurance retailer
– Unlike many other companies in the financial services industry, Swinton
is committed to keeping its branches open for business, and part of the
community
– Swinton provides a one-stop-shop for the insurance and related needs of
its clients, offering home, car, caravan, business, holiday, motorbike
and even classic car insurance
– With a dedicated team of advisors on hand at every branch to search a
panel of insurers to offer quality cover at competitive rates

Contacts:
SKV Communications
Anoushka Done, Anna Asamoah or Mairead Rodden
0161 838 7770
www.skvcommunications.co.uk

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

Qantas plane circles airport after flap scare

A Qantas plane has encountered problems during a flight between Sydney and Canberra, in the latest in a series of problems with the airline’s planes in the past fortnight.

Flight QF779 was preparing to land at Canberra Airport this afternoon when an indicator in the cockpit showed a defect with one of the plane’s wing flaps.

The pilot aborted the landing and circled the city before landing without incident half an hour behind schedule.

Qantas says engineers have checked the plane and it is now back in the air.

Another six Qantas planes have encountered problems over the past two weeks.

In one incident, a brake problem caused two tyres on a Qantas jet to burst during landing at Sydney Airport last week and a plane was grounded earlier this week because of a cracked windscreen.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is conducting a review of the airline’s work practices in response to complaints by the union representing Qantas engineers.

Qantas A380 blows two tyres landing at Sydney

Thu, Apr 1 02:32 PM

Australian carrier Qantas Airways Ltd said on Thursday it was investigating why an A380 superjumbo aircraft burst two tyres while landing at Sydney Airport on Wednesday.

The aircraft from Singapore with 244 people aboard blew two tyres when it landed about 8.20 p.m. (0920 GMT), sending showers of sparks and flames flying from its undercarriage.

No passengers were at risk at any point, Qantas said.

“It was not an emergency landing,” said a spokeswoman.

It was the first time a Qantas A380 suffered a tyre blowout since the airline first took delivery of the aircraft in 2008. Qantas has six A380s, which are used on routes to London, Singapore and the United States.

The incident was the second mechanical mishap on a Qantas aircraft in two days. A Qantas Boeing 747 bound for Singapore on Tuesday returned to Sydney shortly after takeoff when the pilot discovered a problem with an engine.

(Reporting by Michael Perry; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Teen faces court over Moora break-ins

Moora police have charged a 16-year-old boy in relation to a string of burglaries in the town over recent weeks.

The boy was arrested at his home on Sunday evening after a covert surveillance operation by officers.

Police allegedly uncovered a significant quantity of stolen property, including laptop computers, jewellery and other household items.

The juvenile made a brief appearance in the Perth Children’s Court yesterday and was refused bail.

He is due to appear again in the same court next month.

Meanwhile, two 18-year-old Geraldton men have been charged with vandalising and stealing from a local towing yard used by police.

The pair are accused of stealing alloy wheels and tyres from a number of vehicles which had been seized by police and stored at the yard.

It is alleged the men smashed the windscreens of up to 30 vehicles and stole a wall safe containing $1,100.

Officers yesterday raided properties at Drummond’s Cove and Sunset Beach where it is alleged they found thousands of dollars worth of power tools, wheel rims and tyres.

The men are due before the local magistrates court on Thursday.

Rare 1929 Austin starts in one crank after five decades!

London, Mar 30 (ANI): A rare Austin 12/4, which was found languishing in a garage, started in a single turn of handle, even after being unused for five decades.

Made in 1929, the car was owned by Roger Bulled’s late father, Leslie, who had been given it by his parents when it was brand new and straight off the forecourt.

And when Roger turned the starter handle, ready to fire up the engine for first time since 1961, he was amazed to hear it turn over as if it had been driven every day.

Bulled, 63, said he discovered the old car whilst going through his father’s possessions shortly after his death in 2008.

He was too frightened to start the engine up fully in case it ruined the car, but is now putting it up for sale to allow an expert to restore it fully and hopefully get it onto the road.

“I pumped up the tyres and they stayed up. The rubber is cracked but the inner tubes are obviously still intact, which is remarkable really,” the Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“And the engine turned over when we tried it with the starter handle, but I didn”t try to start her up in case I did any damage but I”m sure it would go. I”ve never seen another fabric bodied saloon, even in a museum,” he added.

The car is expected to attract interest when it goes under the hammer at Unique Auctions in Lincoln on April 5.

“The wheels alone are worth 100 pounds each, it”s incredible. Restoring it will cost a fortune, but for someone it will be a labour of love, and it will be lovely because you don”t see vintage cars around anymore,” said Terry Woodcock, the auctioneer. (ANI)

Whincup sets early pace at Albert Park

V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup says the non-championship status of this weekend’s races at the Australian Grand Prix will not affect the level of competition on the track.

The TeamVodafone driver topped the timesheets after Thursday’s 30 minute all-in qualifying session at the Albert Park street circuit, coming in just ahead of championship rival Garth Tander.

Whincup clocked a one minute and 57.931 seconds lap in the qualifying session, with Tander second-fastest with a 1:57.997.

New Zealand veteran Greg Murphy made it a Holden one-two-three, qualifying third fastest for Friday’s top 10 shootout with a 1:58.248 lap.

While the three sprint races to be held over the weekend mean nothing in terms of the championship ladder, Whincup was adamant there is still plenty of drive to come out on top, particularly after Tander’s double win in the Clipsal 500 earlier this month.

“There’s always a good battle here, it’s always a good race,” Whincup said.

“Everyone’s going to use their tyres this year because it’s compulsory, there’ll be no-one trying to save a set for somewhere else. That’s a good initiative that’s come in.

“We’re just going to crack it out and who knows? Hopefully we’ll all have the same tyre strategy, we’ll all just put our good tyres on at the same time and we all can just battle it out.”

Tander, who recovered from a disappointing opening two rounds in the Middle East to surge back into championship contention in Adelaide, said he was enjoying the early rivalry with Whincup.

“Shootout tomorrow is going to be a difficult one, that’s one of the hardest laps we do because we don’t drive the car until the shootout tomorrow and the track grip changes considerably because the F1 guys are running,” he said.

“[I'm] looking forward to that, certainly the battle we’re having with Jamie at the moment is enjoyable, the car, set-up wise, is very different to what traditionally we’d run here and it’s responding very nicely.”

Murphy is also hoping to impress at Albert Park after missing the season-opening round in Abu Dhabi and having a disappointing weekend in Adelaide after a promising start.

“We’ve got pressure on to start doing what we’d told everyone we were going to do, and that’s to be competitive,” he said.

“This is a pretty good start.”

The other drivers to qualify for Friday’s top 10 shootout were James Courtney, Rick Kelly, Jason Richards, Paul Dumbrell and Shane van Gisbergen.

The shootout will be held from 3:00pm (AEDT) and will determine pole position and the front five rows of the grid for the day’s 13-lap sprint race starting at 6.15pm.

-AAP

Tander snaps Whincup’s winning streak

Holden’s Garth Tander snapped Jamie Whincup’s domination of the V8 Supercar championship on Saturday, winning the opening race of the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.

Tander became the first driver other than Whincup to win a race this season, passing his Team Vodafone rival after a late yellow period and keeping the lead to the finish.

The Holden Racing Team driver beat Ford’s James Courtney and Holden’s Lee Holdsworth, with Whincup fourth.

Whincup, who had won the opening four races of the season, had led for much of Saturday’s 78-lap event.

But he lost speed badly after the race restarted with 20 laps remaining.

While his main rivals all switched to fresh front tyres, Whincup stayed out and his Holden’s handling suffered.

But Whincup extended his overall championship lead despite not winning, with nearest rival Mark Winterbottom enduring a wretched day after being shunted from behind by Ford rival Steven Johnson early.

The rear of Winterbottom’s Ford was badly damaged and, once the problem was eventually fixed, he limped around to finish 21st.

The second of the weekend’s 250-kilometre races will be held on Sunday.

- AAP

‘Intelligent’bicycle of the future is theft proof, self-inflates tires

London, Aug 13 (ANI): A design that makes bikes as “intelligent” as computers has been unveiled by British Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman.

Thanks to the revolutionary system, the bike can never be stolen and has puncture-proof tyres, and it could be in everyday use by 2029.

Its system has an “unbreakable” locking device which allows only the owner to open it via fingerprint recognition. Other features include puncture-proof self-inflating tyres, a mini computer that counts calories as the pedals turn, a spokeless, lightweight carbon fibre frame and solar-rechargeable lights, reports The Telegraph.

A battery-assisted motor, which is run by solar panels, takes over the pedalling after a long day and music accompanies the ride.

The bike could be created were a company willing to produce it, insists Boardman, as “everything in it already exists”.

“It’s simply a question of pulling it all together. If there was a budget behind it, it could be ready in two years,” he said.

According to Boardman, it may take up to 20 years for people to become comfortable with the concept.

“People like different, but if it’s too different it’s risky,” he said. (ANI)

Shutdown over killing of a professor cripples life in Manipur

Imphal, May 27 (ANI): Normal life came to a standstill in Imphal on Tuesday after the students’ union gave a call for a 24-hour shutdown to protest against the killing of a professor of Manipur University.

56 year-old Mohammad Islamudin, a professor of economics and former Dean of Students’ Welfare, was gunned down by unidentified persons on Monday in the university campus at Canchipur.

Earlier, the Pangal Students’ Organisation (PSO) had called for a 24-hour shutdown all over Manipur to protest against the brutal murder of their professor whom they held in high esteem.

Markets, businesses establishments, educational institutions, banks and offices of private enterprises remained closed, while public transport between Manipur and neighbouring states were suspended.

Local supporters came out in large numbers in Imphal and blocked roads restricting the movement of vehicles by setting on fire tyres and wooden logs.

“A professor was killed by unidentified gunmen, so we are protesting on behalf of the students to express our anger and also our grief against the killing,” said Sakhitombi Devi, a protestor. (ANI)

Cine-inspired-students make unique bike in Ludhiana

Ludhiana, May 19 (ANI): Inspired by Bollywood comedy ‘Golmaal Returns’, five students from Ludhiana have invented a unique three-wheeler motorbike, which can accommodate five to six people.

After watching the movie, they too thought of a bike, which could accommodate five people. And after a month’s labour the fantasy bike became a reality.

Students of automobile engineering, they started working on the bike as part of their course project and made the unique bike.

“We saw such a bike in the movie ‘Golmaal. Returns’. It had three tyres. We thought that this would be different from others. Hence we made thisroject,” said Kuldeep Saini, one of the inventors.

They are hoping that an automobile company will help them to get the bike on roads.

“We want some company to adopt our idea so that this bike can go on the road. We want this bike to reach the common man,” said Avtaar Singh, a inventer.

They bought a second hand Royal Enfield bike and used it as the basic structure

The bike with an engine of 350 cc capacity and mileage of 30 kilometres per litre is already making quite an impact on the roads in Ludhiana. By Karan Kapoor(ANI)

Cheryl Cole’s brother in ‘car theft and crash’ soup

London, Apr 14 (ANI): Pop star Cheryl Cole’s troubled brother Andrew Tweedy found himself in soup one more time, after he stole a car and crashed it badly.

Tweedy and the Audi car’s owner Lee were drinking at a mutual friend’s house when the incident took place.

According to reports, Tweedy took Lee’s car keys, ran away with the vehicle, and later sent the owner a message telling that the vehicle was with him.

“Lee, I have taken your car, sorry mate,” the Sun quoted the message as reading.

The paper further reported that upon crashing the car, the panicked Tweedy begged Lee not to inform the cops, as he would ask his celebrity sister to bail him out of the mess.

Lee, who was shocked to see the condition of his car, gave a nod to Tweedy’s pleas and decided not to inform police if he pays for the damage.

“When I saw my car I was devastated. All the tyres were popped, the wheels were smashed to bits, the wing and the bumper were hanging off. It was a total mess,” Lee said.

“He threw away the keys in panic and I can’t get into the car. He begged me not to tell the police,” he added.

However, tired of taking care of Tweedy’s mistakes, Cheryl decided not to bail him out this time and her brother was left helpless.

Lee finally decided to inform the police about the incident.

Tweedy has more than 70 convictions, and was jailed for 6 years in 1996 for a stabbing. (ANI)

Exports likely to fall in 2009-10: FICCI

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Amid falling overseas demand, India’s export sector is likely to post negative or flat growth in the current fiscal, said an industry lobby Sunday.

According to a survey conducted by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), about 61 percent exporters feel the export sector would not pick up in 2009-10 as the world economy continues to deteriorate.

Engineering goods, gems and jewellery, chemicals, marine products, tyres and leather sectors are expected to post negative or zero growth in exports.

On the other side, the export of processed food and agro-items like oil meals, sports goods and apparels will likely report a modest growth of 1-5 percent.

‘Exports of drugs and pharmaceuticals are likely to rise by over 13 percent in 2009-10, down from 23 percent last year, while handicrafts sector cannot specify the growth prospects because all depends on how the Western economies would cope with the meltdown,’ the survey said.

Nearly 56 percent of respondents found that the depreciation of rupee has had moderate positive effect on exports.

In 2008-09, handicrafts and marine products were estimated to see 25 percent fall in exports, the FICCI said.

Other major sectors that would see export fall are: gems and jewellery, leather, chemicals and allied items, tyres, ores and minerals.

The industry lobby, however, said the engineering sector, which posted 46 percent growth in the first half of last fiscal, was likely to meet the growth target set for the fiscal.

Australia, a symbol of the “old order” to open F1 season

Melbourne – Starting the Formula 1 season in Australia is almost a tradition. However, the fact of being a classic could turn against a Grand Prix at represents the “old order” in troubled times of change.

The top category of motorsport has been travelling “down under” since 1985, but the Australian Grand Prix has only been based in Melbourne since 1996. Since then, with one exception, the Victoria state capital always opened the season for the Formula 1 circus.

This year will be no different. On March 29, Albert Park is again set to dress up as a race track. The 20 cars on the grid are to burn their first tyres of 2009 on the road around the blue water of the lake in the public park.

Everything will, however, happen later than usual. The Grand Prix is set to start at 5 p. m., in line with a deal that organizers struck with Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

The short British tycoon wanted to turn the Australian race into another night-time show and threatened to take the Grand Prix somewhere else if Victoria authorities refused.

In the end, a compromise was reached whereby Ecclestone gets to improve TV audiences in Europe and Asia and Melbourne keeps its Grand Prix until at least 2015.

The time change is the only known portion of the price that the state of Victoria will have to pay to keep what is its great symbol in the field of sport, alongside the Australian Open in tennis.

The financial cost is a well-kept secret between Ecclestone and regional authorities.

“What I can say is that I believe we’ve achieved a good value-for-money outcome,” Victoria state Premier John Brumby said.

The Australian daily The Age, however, put the figure for 2009 at 47 million Australian dollars (some 31 million US dollars), well above the average Grand Prix, according to the newspaper.

“The government must show greater transparency over its use of taxpayer’s money,” the daily Herald Sun complained in turn.

“Disclosing the licence fee would simply tell our competitors how much they need to bid to steal the event off Melbourne,” said a government spokesman.

Sydney itself, always keen to pick a fight with its rival for leadership within Australia, volunteered as an alternative and was even willing to host a night-time race.

Melbourne is holding on to its sport symbol for now, but Formula 1 is in constant transformation. Following years of excessive spending, the financial crisis has hit the category with full force, and several of the oldest circuits either said goodbye or are in obvious trouble.

Ecclestone is 78, but his head never stops looking for new markets. As Canada, the United States and Frence fell off the Formula 1 season calendar – suffocated by financial problems, – Singapore, China or Bahrain joined the exclusive club in recent years.

He has insisted that he is not worried: there are four or five new candidates waiting for the chance to organize a Grand Prix, the F1 “supremo” said after scrapping Montreal from the 2009 programme due to a delay in payment of its fees.

Beyond the Spanish Grand Prix in Catalonia, Spain added a second race in 2008, the European Grand Prix in Valencia, which offers one of those urban circuits that Ecclestone loves so much. And India is close to hosting its own Grand Prix in 2011.

The “classics” are having trouble: Silverstone will no longer host the British Grand Prix in 2010, and Hockenheim, which takes turns with Nuerburgring in organizing the German Grand Prix, needs financial assistance to secure its survival.

A “new order” appears to be taking control of Formula 1, and Australia would do well to find its own place in it if it does not want to be left out altogether. In this context, Melbourne may well have inquired into the price of artificial lighting at Albert Park. (dpa)

Mercedes E-Class Coupe launched

Mercedes E-Class Coupe launched Geneva – Mercedes launched the E-Class Coupe in Geneva just three months after bringing out the saloon version, describing the two-door as the world’s most aerodynamically efficient series-production car.

Featuring no B-pillars and fully retractable side windows, Mercedes says the coupe has a drag coefficient with a Cd-figure of only 0.24. The new, four-cylinder engine consumes up to 17 per cent less fuel while at the same time offering more performance and torque.

A feature specific to the coupe is the Dynamic Driving package offering different suspension setups at the touch of a button. Other features include Adaptive Main Beam Assist, road sign recognition and an automatic emergency braking system.

According to Mercedes, the most economical of the four cylinder engines, the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Coupé, consumes only 5.3 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres and emits 139 grammes of CO2 per kilometre.

The improved fuel consumption has been achieved mainly by on-demand activation of the steering and fuel pumps, the use of tyres with low rolling resistance and an alternator control system which takes account of the current driving situation and the vehicle’s electrical power requirements. (dpa)

TVS Motors launches ’New 90-cc Scooty Sreak’ at Rs 36,480

TVS Motors launches ’New 90-cc Scooty Sreak’ at Rs 36,480 TVS Motors, the third largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India, has finally rolled out its new stylish and futuristic ‘Scotty Streak’ in the domestic market. The company’s latest scooterette targets girls in 16 to 20 age group.

The newly introduced 90 cc Scotty Streak, comes with sharp head lamps, LED tail-lamps, broad anti-skid tyres, and external fuel fill at the rear.

The company claims that bike is fitted with LiTech engine, which makes it lighter than comparative models of other manufacturers.

In addition, the four-stroke vehicle also comprises aluminum shock absorbers for stress-free ride even on bad roads.

On side of value addition, the company has installed a mobile charger outlet for cellphone charging and a lockable front glove box to store handy items.

The company has fixed price tag of Rs 36,480 for Scotty Streak and has selected Sania Mizra as its brand ambassador.

Presently, TVS Motors, which is known for wide range of scooters aimed at women along with Pep, Teenz and Teenz Electric, enjoying a 24 per cent market share among scooters in India.

Kylie Minogue’s lingerie ad voted ‘Best Cinema Commercial Of All Time’

London, Jan 27 (ANI): Kylie Minogue’s Agent Provocateur lingerie advert has been voted ‘Best Cinema Commercial Of All Time’.

The advert features the Aussie singer riding a mechanical bull in her sexy underwear.

The saucy ad, called Proof, caused a bit of a stir when it was released in 2001.

The ad came top of a poll conducted by cinema advertising sales house Digital Cinema Media.

“Cinema is about engaging and entertaining the audience, and this ad pulls off both elements perfectly in a fun and cheeky way,” the Telegraph quoted Fleur Castell, marketing and research controller for Digital Cinema Media, as saying.

“It’s great to see the top ads are cinema-only campaigns, proving cinema ads really are the nation’s favourite,” Castell added.

Steve Reeves, who directed the advertisement, said: “Creatives Mick Mahoney and Andy Amadeo came up with a spot that was not only specifically written for the cinema, but was also very very sexy and funny, a rare combination.”

“They were great to work with, ensuring that we came away with a cinema ad that was as confident as the product,” Reeves added.

Agent Provocateur beat off competition from the likes of the Guinness ‘Surfer’ advertisement, Diet Coke’s ‘Break’ and Carling Black Label’s ‘Dambusters’ to take the title.

Top Ten Cinema Advertisements are:

1. Agent Provocateur ‘Proof’ (2001)

2. The Orange Gold Spot (2008)

3. Maxell Tapes ‘Break the Sound Barrier’ (1982)

4. Dunlop Tyres ‘Tested for the Unexpected’ (1993)

5. Ford Puma ‘Bullitt’ (1997)

6. Diet Coke ‘Break’ (1994)

7. Bacardi ‘If’ (1991)

8. Guinness ‘Surfer’ (1999)

9. Carling Black Label ‘Dambusters’ (1990)

10. Sony Bravia ‘Balls’ (2005) (ANI)