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MS Dhoni surpasses Mohammad Azharuddin in ODI wins as captain

2014-09-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Birmingham: Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday became the most successful Indian captain ever in the one-dayers after India's nine-wicket thrashing of England in the fourth ODI.

Edgbaston win was Dhoni's 91st ODI victory as skipper and he surpassed Azharuddin's tally of 90 ODI victories as captain. (Getty Images)

Tuesday's win at the Edgbaston was Dhoni's 91st ODI victory as skipper. He surpassed Mohammad Azharuddin's tally of 90 ODI victories as captain.
Azharuddin took nine years between 1990 and 1999 and 174 matches to get to his mark while Dhoni did it in only seven years and 162 matches.
33-year-old Dhoni now has a realistic chance of becoming the first Indian to lead the country in 100 ODI victories. He has scored 8098 runs from 246 ODIs so far, averaging 53.27 with a career strike rate of 89.31.
Dhoni's record as captain against England in ODIs is better than any of his predecessors, with 17 wins and five losses out of 25 matches (two tied and one no result).
The Edgbaston win was also India's eight straight ODI win in England, a successful run that started in the Champions Trophy last year.
Dhoni's captaincy may have come under the scanner after the 1-3 Test debacle against the Alastair Cook-led side, but his batting form has been consistent.
The wicketkeeper-batsman slammed four half-centuries in the Test series and also struck a fine 52 at Cardiff in the second ODI.
A man not known to chase numbers, Dhoni also registered another record as wicketkeeper in the third ODI on August 30.
He now has the most international stumpings (131) and is now ahead of Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka, who has 129 stumpings to his name.
While Dhoni achieved his milestone in 381 matches, Sangakkara took 563 matches to get to his mark.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/ms-dhoni-surpasses-mohammad-azharuddin-in-odi-wins-as-captain/495859-78.html

India vs Zimbabwe 2013 Live Score: 4th ODI at Bulawayo

2013-08-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

TEAM NEWS: Shikhar Dhawan has been rested while Vinay Kumar is out with a niggle. Zimbabwe remain unchanged. India lead the series 3-0.

For India, the last two games in Bulawayo present the opportunity to test their bench strength further; for hosts Zimbabwe, it's two games to rectify flaws in all departments.

India have already sealed the series by winning the first three ODIs, which were played in Harare.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketnext/india-vs-zimbabwe-2013-live-score-4th-odi-at-bulawayo/411092-78.html

Political parties oppose SC verdict on disqualifying convicted MPs

2013-08-01T00:40:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: All political parties on Thursday opposed the Supreme Court's verdict on disqualifying convicted MPs. They also opposed the court's ruling that those behind bars can't contest elections. The parties voiced their dissent in an all-party meeting which took place just a few days before the monsoon session of Parliament, which will commence on August 5.

The apex court had ruled that any person in the custody of police will be temporarily barred from contesting elections. The court had also ruled that a person can't contest elections if he or she is in judicial or police custody. This ban shall be in place only as long as the person is behind bars.

The BJP also hit out at the government as leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said, "The government wants 64 items in a small session of 16 sittings. Its unrealistic." Her counterpart in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley also voiced his concern on the issue and said, "Only 12 effective days with 64 legislations is unrealistic."

Two days after the Congress Working Committee endorsed the creation of separate state of Telangana, the BJP said it will support the bill on Telangna. " Bill on Telangana should be brought in this session itself. We are in favour of passing the Telangana bill," said Sushma.

The Opposition also raised a number of issues to be discussed in the session and that includes Uttarakhand tragedy, bad economy, falling rupee, CBI and IB issue. The party want the government to consider their concerns on Land Bill and Food Security Bill. "Land and Food Security Bills should be brought with the amendments we have suggested," Sushma said.

Meanwhile, Jaitley also asked the government to have a constructive attitude towards the issues raised by them.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/political-parties-oppose-sc-verdict-on-disqualifying-convicted-mps/411099-37-64.html

Live: Crucial meet between BJP and RSS to decide poll strategy begins

2013-08-01T00:36:00.001-07:00

New Delhi: 11:20 am: The crucial meet between BJP and RSS has begun to decide poll strategy for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

11:02 am: Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's Campaign Committee Chief Narendra Modi has arrived for the crucial BJP-RSS meet to finalise their poll strategy.

Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will meet later on Thursday to finalise their poll strategy. This is their first meeting after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's anointment as poll campaign panel chief and senior leader LK Advani's rebellion.

BJP's strategy for the assembly and general elections will be discussed at the meeting. Meanwhile, sources say Modi supporters are pushing for his elevation as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate ahead of the November assembly polls. "I am very confident that Narendra Modi will be India's next Prime Minister," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said.

The BJP's strategy for the monsoon session of Parliament is also expected to be discussed. The meet will be attended by Modi, BJP President Rajnath Singh and other senior BJP leaders. Top RSS leaders Bhaiyaji Joshi, Dattatreya Hosabale and Suresh Soni will also attend the meet. But LK Advani is out of town and will meet RSS leaders later.

The BJP had early declared that Narendra Modi-led team that will manage the campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Former party chief Nitin Gadkari has been given a prominent role in the team.

The party's central election campaign committee will be headed by Modi and work under the guidance of president Rajnath Singh and veteran leaders AB Vajpayee and LK Advani. Twenty sub-committees have been formed, which will report to the central campaign committee.

The BJP had early declared that Narendra Modi-led team that will manage the campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Former party chief Nitin Gadkari has been given a prominent role in the team.

The party's central election campaign committee will be headed by Modi and work under the guidance of president Rajnath Singh and veteran leaders AB Vajpayee and LK Advani. A 20 sub-committees have been formed, which will report to the central campaign committee.

The decision to elevate Modi as poll panel chief was opposed by its former ally and many party leaders. The Janata Dal United broke its 17-year-old alliance with the BJP in view of Modi's elevation.

Many leaders including Shatrughan Sinha have been supporting LK Advani to be named as BJP's PM candidate. He even praised JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as the prime ministerial material.

Former BJP's Delhi Vice President, Aamir Raza Hussain had called Modi a divisive leader who was not as acceptable to Muslims as LK Advani or Sushma Swaraj. He had resigned after his statement against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi which anguished the party.

The factions in BJP

Gujarat Chief Minsiter Narendra Modi aides argue that he be anointed as PM candidate since last vestige of opposition in JD(U) has already made an exit.

Modi aides also see Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan emerging as a contender post-assembly polls.

The second view is to take a call on the issue only after assembly polls in November. They believe any announcement now may digress party's campaign being planned in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Third view is to not announce any PM candidate and approach the polls with Modi only as campaign committee chief. Proponents of this idea underline the need and groundwork for building post-poll ties in case of a hung House.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/live-crucial-meet-between-bjp-and-rss-to-decide-poll-strategy-begins/411079-37-64.html

United Andhra activists call for bandh as Congress clears Telangana

2013-07-31T00:47:00.001-07:00

Hyderabad: A day after the Congress cleared the creation of Telangana, united Andhra Pradesh activists have called for a bandh in nine coastal districts of Andhra and four districts of Rayalaseema. Protestors have also threatened to stall bus services while a few schools are shut.

Heavy security has been deployed, but no prohibitory orders have been put in place. But life is normal in Hyderabad and Telangana districts.

This comes as Telangana is all set to be 29th state of India. The ruling Congress on Tuesday reluctantly agreed to create a new state of Telangana by dividing India's 4th largest state Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier on Tuesday, the UPA partners met to formally endorse the division of Andhra Pradesh. It was followed by a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting chaired by Sonia Gandhi. The hour-long meeting gave its green signal to a new state. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which has been in the forefront of Telangana movement, welcomed the decision, but it was very cautious. However, TRS supporters broke into celebration as soon as the news of Congress giving the green signal for Telangana came out.

TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao said that his party is fine with Hyderabad being the joint capital. "Certainly I am happy; it's wishes of the people. Now the Bill has to be finally passed. We are happy. Fine with Hyderabad as joint capital of both state," Rao said.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress-led UPA government for timing the Telangana decision just before the crucial 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Though Modi welcomed the decision on Telangana by calling it 'victory of people's power' but he did not waste the opportunity to criticise the Congress for delaying the decision over the statehood for Telangana over all these years.

The announcement was received with a sense of loss by the people and politicians of Seemandhra and some parts of Andhra Pradesh also witnessed sporadic protests. The Bill proposing Telangana may not be introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The 10 districts of Telangana region will be a part of the new state and Hyderabad will be a joint capital with Seemandhra for the next 10 years. The 10 districts in Telangana are Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Nalgonda, Hyderabad, Mahbubnagar, Rangareddy, Medak, Nizamabad. The 13 districts of Seemandhra are Srikakulum, Vizianagaram, Vishakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Cuddapah, Chittoor, Ananthapur, Kurnool. Out of 42 Lok Sabha seats and 294 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradehs, Telangana is likely to have 17 Lok Sabha seats and 119 Assembly seats.

The Congress has also assured Seemandhra that its concerns will be addressed. But, the real concern is Seemandhra's reluctance to cede state capital Hyderabad to Telangana. The TRS which had earlier promised to merge the party with the Congress is also miffed by the attitude of the Congress and eagerness to claim all the credit.

Hyderabad falls within the geographical boundaries of Telangana and Seeemandhra will face a very peculiar situation as it capital will be far away from its boundaries.

TRS leader KT Ramarao said that it is impractical to keep Hyderabad as capital of Andhra Pradesh as will not have geographical connect with the rest of state after Telangana's creation. "The CWC clearing Telangana is a welcome decision. We will wait for the Bill to be passed in Parliament. Hyderabad can be an interim capital," said Rao

Source:http://ibnlive.in.com/news/united-andhra-activists-call-for-bandh-as-congress-clears-telangana/410783-37-64.html

Delhi: JNU student attacks friend with a sharp object, consumes poison

2013-07-31T00:41:00.001-07:00

New Delhi: A third year student of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University consumed poison after attacking his female friend with a sharp object on Wednesday.

Both the students have been taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Both are third year students and were reportedly in a relationship.

More updates awaited

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/delhi-jnu-student-attacks-friend-with-a-sharp-object-consumes-poison/410840-3-244.html

Mayawati welcomes Telangana, renews demand to divide UP into 4 states

2013-07-31T00:38:00.000-07:00

Lucknow: Taking a cue from the Telangana statehood announcement, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has reiterated her demand of dividing Uttar Pradesh into four smaller states. Welcoming Telangana, Mayawati on Wednesday said, "We welcome this decision of making Telangana, the BSP always advocates smaller states and governance units."

Reiterating her demand for dividing Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said that the Centre should take a decision on it soon. "It's been a long time since the BSP government sent a proposal to divide UP into four states. BSP demands that the Central government takes a decision on state reorganisation and forms four smaller states - Purvanchal (Eastern UP), Harit Pradesh (Western UP), Bundelkhand and Awadh Pradesh (Central UP)," Mayawati said.

She also urged the MPs from Uttar Pradesh to put pressure on the government to take a prompt decision on the state's division.

Mayawati's government had in November 2011 got a resolution passed in the state Assembly to divide Uttar Pradesh into four states. The Opposition had then called the passing of the resolution dictatorial.

What does Mayawati's proposal of diving the state mean for Uttar Pradesh?

Purvanchal or Eastern UP will have 32 districts and home town of seven Prime Ministers of India, Allahabad could be its capital. The holy city of Varanasi or Gorakhpur have also been proposed as the capital city.

Central UP or Awadh Pradesh, which is so far not in the demand list of any political party, will get 14 districts with the present capital Lucknow, city of nawabs as its proposed capital.

Harit Pradesh, comprising 22 districts in west UP has Meerut as its proposed capital.

Jhansi or Banda is the proposed capital of Bundelkhand, which has been the demand for the Congress party and it gets 7 districts.

Vidarbha, Gorkhaland statehood demands intensify too

As a fallout of the Telangana decision by the Congress, pro-Vidarbha activists have called for rallies in Delhi and Vidarbha region in Maharashtra on August 5. "I have sent a letter to the Congress President as it was her promise that whenever there is a consideration on Telangana, there will be a consideration on Vidarbha too. So, I just wanted to remind her that our demand is more genuine and an emotional one, said Vilas Muttemwar, a Congress leader from Nagpur.

Another uprising is on in the Darjeeling hills where the demand is to carve out a Gorkhaland from West Bengal. Gorkhaland activists are holding a 72-hour bandh during which angry street protests were witnessed in the region on Tuesday. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Chief Bimal Gurung has resigned as the head of the Gorkha territorial administration. The Morcha will be calling for an indefinite bandh in the hills from Saturday onwards. "I am resigning from the post of the chairman of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration because it wasn't allowed to fuction properly and there was a lot of government interference," Gurung said.

Targeting the Centre, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee again alleged it was trying to interfere in the affairs of the state through its agencies and reiterated that there was a conspiracy to dismiss her government, which was running well.

She wrote on her Facebook page, "Telangana cannot be compared with Darjeeling. When everything is settled, why Delhi is insisting to disrupt peaceful situation and play with fire? It is reported that Delhi has directed the GTA persons to go in for a separatist movement. Darjeeling is a part and parcel of our state. We are united and we will remain united. Any conspiracy hatched by a political party and Union Government will be defeated by the people of Darjeeling and West Bengal."

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mayawati-welcomes-telangana-renews-demand-to-divide-up-into-4-states/410836-3-242.html

onia Gandhi meets Manmohan Singh, discusses Telangana

2013-07-30T00:37:00.001-07:00

New Delhi: 12:10 pm: Congress President Sonia Gandhi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ahead of the Congress Working Committee, which is scheduled to meet at 5.00 pm on Tuesday. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy along with PCC chief will also meet the PM at 4 pm. The PM will then meet Andhra Congress leaders after the UPA meet. Sushil Kumar Shinde, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Digvijaya Singh also met Sonia Gandhi

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy arrived in Delhi to express his reservation over Telangana.

11:37 am: Andhra Congress leaders to meet Rahul Gandhi at 12.30 pm to discuss Telangana. Meanwhile, Human and Resource Development Minister Pallam Raju after meeting Digvijaya Singh said that any decision on Telangana will have long term implications in Andhra Pradesh.

11:08 am: Seemandhra leaders met Congress senior leader Digvijaya Singh. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has left for New Delhi to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi to express his reservation over Telangana.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said that the BJP's stand is clear on the Telangana issue. "We do not know what the Congress is doing as they have not taken us in loop. Our stand is clear, We Created 3 states when we were in power, there is no question of opposing it we are in favor of it. The Congress is delaying it from a long time. They should understand it is as a very sensitive issue, there party men are speaking in different voices."

On what is likely to be the D-Day for Telangana, efforts are on to delay the decision. Late on Monday night top Congress leaders met Andhra Pradesh MPs who are in favour of a united Andhra. The MPs are believed to have told Congress leaders that they will lose if Telengana is created.

They urged Congress to defer the decision. However, sources have told CNN-IBN that Congress has said that the decision is almost taken.

Meanwhile, Andhra Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy has denied reports that he is quitting. He will be in the capital on Tuesday to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi to express his reservations on Telangana.

But Andhra Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja has expressed confidence that everything will be finalised on Tuesday and has said that Hyderabad will be Telangana's capital. "Everything will be settled today. We are 100 per cent positive that Telangana is going to be a reality and Hyderabad will be the capital. There are no apprehensions and no dispute at all," Raja said.

UPA allies are likely to discuss the Congress Core Group's proposal to create a separate state on Tuesday. The Congress Working Committee is set to meet after that meeting at 5.30 on Tuesday evening where the proposal is likely to be discussed.

The CWC is then likely to pass a resolution, which may endorse creating a separate state of Telangana. The CWC resolution may address other demands for separate states and is likely to suggest setting of a state reorganisation committee.

Allies are expected to agree with the government's proposal. Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is likely to explain the security repercussions of the proposal.

Amidst all the politics, security remains the top priority. An additional 1,000 paramilitary personnel have been sent to Andhra Pradesh by the Union Home Ministry to deal with any situation arising out of a decision on Telangana.

The additional forces, along with the existing 1,200 paramilitary personnel, are expected to be deployed in Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema regions, where protests may erupt if the Centre takes a decision in favour of bifurcating Andhra Pradesh for the creation of Telangana state.

Sources said apart from the central forces, 200 personnel of the Karnataka Armed Police and 100 personnel of Tamil Nadu Armed Police are stationed in Hyderabad and its adjoining areas.

The Telangana Tangle:

Pro-Telangana:

TRS

BJP

CPI

Anti-Telangana:

CPI(M)

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)

Undecided:

Congress

Telugu Desam Party

YSR Congress

(With additional information from PTI)

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/live-sonia-gandhi-meets-manmohan-singh-discusses-telangana/410536-37-64.html

'Bajatey Raho' review: Alas, it could've been so much better

2013-07-27T00:20:00.002-07:00

Cast: Dolly Ahluwalia, Ravi Kissen, Tusshar Kapoor, Ranvir Shorey, Brijendra Kala, Vishakha Singh, Vinay Pathak

Director: Shashant Shah

Fine actors can make poor films just a little bit easier to endure. Nowhere is that more evident than in a film like 'Bajatey Raho'. This comedy, directed by 'Challo Dilli''s Shashant Shah has a harebrained plot with so many holes, you could shoot footballs through them. But the film's brisk pace and its terrific ensemble cast are exactly the ointment required to help with the pain.

Mummyji ('Vicky Donor''s Dolly Ahluwalia) assembles a team of allies to avenge the death of her bank manager husband who was wrongly framed in a fraud masterminded by his corrupt boss Sabharwal (Ravi Kissen). Her son Sukhi (Tusshar Kapoor), his friend Ballu (Ranvir Shorey), Sukhi's girlfriend Manpreet (Vishakha Singh), and a close family friend Mintoo (Vinay Pathak) assist her in coming up with a series of scenarios to rob Sabharwal, so they can repay the very people he swindled using her husband. They resort to everything from sting operations and false raids, to romantic enticements and elaborate cons in their grand plan to serve comeuppance to their offender.

It's not a wildly inventive premise, and the cons are pulled off a little too conveniently. The climax too is a melodramatic mess that could set off a migraine. And yet it's hard not to root for the gang when you have such endearing characters. Tusshar Kapoor's Sukhi is an earnest cable guy who ironically hangs on to his fair business principles even as he's involved in this revenge plan. Sukhi is assisted by a smart kid nicknamed Kabootar (Hussan Saad), who helps the gang with all their tech requirements. But no one deserves more praise than Brijendra Kala who nails it as Sabharwal's trusted assistant Bagga, always ready with an SMS joke, bringing both laughs and a lump in your throat with his pitch-perfect performance.

Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak get lesser screen time to do their shtick, yet neither disappoints in limited scenes. It's Dolly Ahluwalia, however, who steals the film as the feisty Punjabi matriarch, determined to deliver payback. Long after the film loses steam, she remains the best thing on screen.

'Bajatey Raho' isn't particularly clever; in fact it reeks of lazy writing. But given the poor standard of recent Bollywood comedies, it's far from unwatchable. I'm going with two-and-a-half out of five. Alas, it could've been so much better.

Pran's body taken to Shivaji Park crematorium, last rites to begin

2013-07-13T00:31:00.003-07:00

Mumbai: Legendary actor Pran's body, adorned with flowers, was taken to the Shivaji Park crematorium here Saturday morning.

The body was kept overnight at the Lilavati Hospital, where Pran, Bollywood's most loved villain, breathed his last late Friday evening. He was 93.

His last rites will reportedly be conducted at the electric crematorium in Dadar west around 12:30 p.m. Among the early attendees from Bollywood include veteran writer Gulzar.

Pran's film repertoire included over 400 projects in over six decades of his association with cinema.

He had not been keeping well since the past few months, and he was in and out of the hospital lately.

He is survived by his wife Shukla, sons Arvind and Sunil, and daughter Pinky, as well as his beloved grandchildren.

During his long and prolific career, Pran was marked for his roles as a villain, hero and even a character artist.

On May 10, he was conferred the coveted Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Lifetime Achievement, the highest honour of Indian film industry, at his home, by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/prans-body-taken-to-shivaji-park-crematorium-last-rites-to-begin/406237-8-66.html

Parties hit out at Narendra Modi for 'clarifying' 2002 Gujarat riots, demand apology

2013-07-13T00:23:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: Political parties have hit out at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his controversial comments on the 2002 riots. While the Congress demanded an apology from him, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said it was shameful that Modi was "justifying" the riots.

In an interview to Reuters, Modi claimed he was innocent in the Gujarat riots and said "I would feel guilty only if I did something wrong". "While driving if a puppy comes under the wheel, will it be painful or not? Of course it is...I'm a human being. If something bad happens anywhere, it is natural to be sad," he added.

The Congress was quick to react to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader's statement and said Modi's words are "totally against the idea of India". "Thousands of people were killed in the communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 and in the backdrop the analogy used by Narendra Modi needed to be strongly condemned. There is no place for such a comparison in civilised India," party General Secretary Ajay Maken said on Friday.

"It is reflective of his perverse mindset. It is totally against the idea of India....We are unable to understand as to what is the intention of raising such things before the elections," Maken, who is the head of the AICC Communications department, said.

The CPI(M) also lambasted Modi for "justifying and trivialising" the 2002 riots, saying he was not ready even now to express regrets for it. "It is utterly shameful that he is justifying the genocide and using inappropriate examples and analogies to trivialise the enormity of it," senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said.

The Gujarat Chief Minister later defended his "puppy" remark on Twitter saying, "In our culture every form of life is valued & worshipped. My original interview with Reuters http://nm4.in/138jss0...People are best judge."

Modi also came under the attack for his "Hindu nationalist" statement. He had in his interview said, "I am nationalist. I'm patriotic. I am a born Hindu. Nothing is wrong in that. So yes, you can say I'm a Hindu nationalist."

Hitting out at Modi for making this comment, Congress General Secretary Digivijaya Singh tweeted, "Shouldn't we all be Nationalist Indians rather than Hindu Nationalist or Muslim Nationalist or Sikh Nationalist or Christian Nationalist?"

Minority Affairs Minister Rehman Khan also condemned the statement saying, "There is nothing called Hindu or Muslim nationalist, there is only Indian nationalist."

"No one can change the character of any person. This is just the beginning of unveiling of his character, more will come out in future. Nitish always said Modi is fascist, Modi always treated minority with contempt," JD(U) leader Sabir Ali said.

The BJP, however, has been backing its leader saying Modi's statements are being misinterpreted. "People should read the interview completely and then speak, people are misinterpreting the interview, they are making a controversy on false interpretations," party spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman said.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/parties-hit-out-at-narendra-modi-for-clarifying-2002-gujarat-riots/406213-37-64.html

Oil companies may hike petrol prices by Rs 3 per litre

2012-03-30T19:09:00.001-07:00

New Delhi: State-owned oil firms are pushing for at least Rs 3 per litre hike in petrol price from April 1 to cover part of the spike in cost of raw material.
"We are losing Rs 6.43 per litre on petrol and after adding 20 per cent sales tax, the desired increase in rates in Delhi is Rs 7.72 per litre," a senior oil company official said.
"We understand that it will be difficult to raise rates by Rs 7.72 per litre in one go but a Rs 3 or even Rs 4 a litre increase is feasible," he said.

As per practice, oil companies are due to review fuel prices on Saturday. Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) use fortnightly average of benchmark oil price and exchange rate to fix the price to be paid to refineries on 1st and 16th of every month.
If the changes do not reflect in retail selling price, they become losses in the books of oil firms.
The international price of gasoline (against which domestic petrol prices are benchmarked) have risen from $109 a barrel at the time of last revision in December 2011 to $133-134 per barrel.
Oil firms had last revised dates on December 1 when rates were cut by Rs 0.78 per litre. Petrol at IOC pumps in Delhi is currently priced at Rs 65.64 per litre and the rates vary by a couple of paise at the pumps of BPCL and HPCL.
Petrol price was freed from government control in June 2010 but public sector companies continue to informally consult their parent Oil Ministry before taking a decision.
"We are holding consultations," the official said, dropping hints that oil firms have so far not received a go ahead from the government for raising prices.
Oil firms lost about Rs 4,500 crore this fiscal on selling petrol below cost. The government does not compensate them for this loss as petrol is a decontrolled commodity.

Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/news/oil-cos-may-hike-petrol-prices-by-rs-3-per-litre/244274-3.html

South Carolina Primary Results: Newt Gingrich Upsets Mitt Romney, Shakes Up GOP Race

2012-01-21T20:43:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney was likely never as much of a lock as the mainstream media seems to believe, but Saturday's South Carolina primary results still came as a surprise.

Newt Gingrich rose from the political ashes for the second time with two strong debate performances this week and pulled off an unlikely win in the Palmetto State.

With 40 percent of the vote to Mitt's 27, and nearly all precincts reporting, Newt won big and turned the fluid Republican presidential race on its head once again.

Only a week ago, Romney seemed likely to win all three of the initial contests, a scenario that would have put him on a relatively clear path to the nomination.

But with Thursday’s announcement that Rick Santorum actually won Iowa, followed by today's results, Romney is now a front-runner who has lost two of three.

The result marked a swift, extraordinary turnaround in Gingrich’s fortunes, after he finished well out of the top three in both Iowa and New Hampshire.

So maligned was his candidacy that Newt himself had conceded his campaign might be over for good by tonight if he failed to turn in a strong performance.

He did turn in such a performance, and as such, the quest to represent the GOP against President Barack Obama in November is quite far from over.

This marks the first time that three different Republican candidates have won the first trio of contests in what has been an unpredictable race from the start.

Since 1980, every South Carolina GOP primary winner has gone on to win the nomination, but whether Gingrich can continue that streak is far from certain.

Romney has by far the most formidable financial resources and organization, giving him a big edge Florida, which holds its primary January 31, and beyond.

Santorum finished third and Ron Paul fourth in South Carolina. The candidates square off in a debate once again Monday night in Tampa. Stay tuned ...

Read more celebrity gossip at: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/south-carolina-primary-results-newt-gingrich-upsets-mitt-romney/#ixzz1k9uW6gT4

Heidi Klum and Seal Divorce Reports Surface on Internet

2012-01-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

The supermodel is said to be pursuing a divorce from the singer after six years of marriage citing "irreconcilable differences."

After six years of marriage, supermodel Heidi Klum and husband Seal headed for divorce court according to reports published Saturday.
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The host and executive producer of Lifetime's Project Runway is expected to file divorce papers in L.A. County Superior Court as a early as next week, citing "irreconcilable differences," according to TMZ.

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The pair, who have three biological children, Henry, 6, Johan, 5, and Lou, 2, as well as Klum's 7-year-old daughter from her previous marriage, Leni, whom Seal adopted in 2009, were married May 10, 2005.

On each wedding anniversary, they have renewed their vows in themed celebrations, including a masquerade ball, "white trash" and Hindu ceremonies.

Seal will be out of the country acting as a coach on the Australian version of NBC's The Voice (alongside Keith Urban, Joel Madden and Delta Goodman).

Klum recently launched a sneaker collection with New Balance exclusively for New Balance and a jewelry line, Wildlife by Heidi Klum, for QVC.

People magazine also published a report on the pair's rumored split.

THR reached out the the couple's representatives, but there is no official statement at this time.

Paterno In 'Serious' Condition

2012-01-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - The health of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, who was fired last November in the wake of a child sex abuse scandal involving an assistant coach, has deteriorated and his status is serious, a family spokesman said on Saturday.

"Over the last few days Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications. His doctors have now characterized his status as serious," a statement said.

The Paterno family said it would have no further comment on the situation and asked that their privacy be respected "during this difficult time."

Paterno, 85, disclosed on November 18 that he had treatable lung cancer. He has been in and out of the hospital since then for treatment with radiation and chemotherapy, and after he fell at home in December and broke his pelvis.

The winningest coach in major college football history, Paterno was head coach at Penn State for 46 years. University trustees ousted him for failing to tell police what had been passed on to him about the alleged sex abuse.

Longtime Paterno assistant Jerry Sandusky faces 52 counts of sexual abuse of boys over a period of 15 years, including some incidents at the football complex on campus. Disclosure of the charges against Sandusky shocked the university and led to one of the biggest scandals in college sports history.

A Penn State graduate assistant testified to a grand jury that he told Paterno in 2002 that he witnessed Sandusky assaulting a boy in the showers at the football building. Paterno said he passed the information on to his boss, then Athletic Director Tim Curley. But no one told police, and the abuse continued for years, according to prosecutors.

Trustees of the university fired Paterno on November 9 with four games remaining in the football season. His ouster sparked demonstrations by students who felt he was treated unfairly, and anger among some alumni. The two top officers of the university trustees stepped down this week.

University President Graham Spanier was fired along with Paterno, and Curley and a former finance official in the athletic department face charges of lying to a grand jury about the alleged abuse.

Sandusky is under house arrest awaiting trial on the abuse charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

Source: http://www.myvictoriaonline.com/pages/12061463.php?contentType=4&contentId=9819533

Spokesman: Joe Paterno in serious condition

2012-01-21T20:29:00.000-08:00

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Joe Paterno's doctors say the former Penn State coach's condition has become "serious" after he experienced complications from lung cancer in recent days.

The winningest major college football coach of all time, Paterno was diagnosed shortly after Penn State's Board of Trustees ousted him Nov. 9 in the aftermath of the child sex abuse charges against former assistant Jerry Sandusky. Paterno's been getting treatment since, and his health problems were worsened when he broke his pelvis — an injury that first cropped up when he was accidentally hit in preseason practice last year.

"Over the last few days Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications," family spokesman Dan McGinn said in a brief statement Saturday to The Associated Press. "His doctors have now characterized his status as serious.

"His family will have no comment on the situation and asks that their privacy be respected during this difficult time," he said.

Paterno's sons Scott and Jay both took to Twitter Saturday night to refute reports that their father had died.

Complete coverage: Penn State scandal

Wrote Jay Paterno: "I appreciate the support (and) prayers. Joe is continuing to fight."

The 85-year-old Paterno has been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family had called minor complications from his cancer treatments. Not long before that, he conducted his only interview since losing his job, with The Washington Post. Paterno was described as frail then and wearing a wig. The second half of the two-day interview was conducted by his bedside.

The final days of Paterno's Penn State career were easily the toughest in his 61 years with the university and 46 seasons as head football coach.

Sandusky, a longtime defensive coordinator who was on Paterno's staff in two national title seasons, was arrested Nov. 5 and ultimately charged with sexually abusing a total of 10 boys over 15 years. His arrest sparked outrage not just locally but across the nation and there were widespread calls for Paterno to quit.

Paterno announced late on Nov. 9 that he would retire at the end of the season but just hours later he received a call from board vice chairman John Surma, telling him he had been terminated as coach. By that point, a crowd of students and media were outside the Paterno home. When news spread that Paterno had been dumped, there was rioting in State College.

Police on Saturday night had barricaded off the block where Paterno lives, and a police car was stationed about 50 yards from his home. A light was on in the living room but there was no activity inside. No one was outside, other than reporters and photographers stationed there.

Trustees said this week they pushed Paterno out in part because he failed a moral responsibility to report an allegation made in 2002 against Sandusky to authorities outside the university. They also felt he had challenged their authority and that, as a practical matter, with all the media in town and attention to the Sandusky case, he could no longer run the team.

Paterno testified before the grand jury investigating Sandusky that he had relayed to his bosses an accusation that came from graduate assistant Mike McQueary, who said he saw Sandusky abusing a boy in the showers of the Penn State football building.

Paterno told the Post that he didn't know how to handle the charge, but a day after McQueary visited him, Paterno spoke to the athletic director and the administrator with oversight over the campus police.

Wick Sollers, Paterno's lawyer, called the board's comments this week self-serving and unsupported by the facts. Paterno fully reported what he knew to the people responsible for campus investigations, Sollers said.

"He did what he thought was right with the information he had at the time," Sollers said.

Sandusky says he is innocent and is out on bail, awaiting trial.

The back and forth between Paterno's representative and the board reflects a trend in recent weeks, during which Penn State alumni — and especially former players, including Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris — have questioned the trustees' actions and accused them of failing to give Paterno a chance to defend himself.

Three town halls, in Pittsburgh, suburban Philadelphia and New York City, seemed to do little to calm the situation and dozens of candidates have now expressed interest in running for the board, a volunteer position that typically attracts much less interest.

While everyone involved has said the focus should be on Sandusky's accusers and their ordeals, the abuse scandal for Paterno put a sour ending on a sterling career. Paterno won 409 games and took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and those two national championships. More than 250 of the players he coached went on to the NFL.

With his thick glasses, rolled up khakis and white socks, Paterno was synonymous with Penn State and was seen in many ways as the archetypal football coach.

Google closing Picnik, along with a number of other services

2012-01-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

Google's New Year clear out will involve shutting down a number of services, including the web-based photo-editing service Picnik. Google bought the company behind the popular website two years ago and said it will move some of its editing tools to Google+ in April as it continues its drive to push more users to the social networking site.

Google has announced it will be retiring the online photo-editing service Picnik, together with a number of other products that the web giant feels “replicate other features, haven’t achieved the promise we had hoped for or can’t be properly integrated into the overall Google experience.”

Services that are affected besides Picnik include:

- Google Message Continuity (GMC): support to be ended. “Current GMC customers will be able to use GMC for the duration of their contract.”

- Google Sky Map: to be open-sourced. Google will be “collaborating with Carnegie Mellon University in a partnership that will see further development of Sky Map as a series of student projects.”

- Needlebase: to be retired on June 1, 2012.

- Social Graph API: “The API isn’t experiencing the kind of adoption we’d like, and is being deprecated as of today.” To be fully retired on April 20, 2012.

- Urchin: “New Urchin Software licenses will no longer be available after March 2012.”

“Changing products that people love is hard….But we’re excited to focus on creating a beautifully simple, intuitive user experience across Google—an experience that will change the lives of millions of people,” Google’s vice president of product management Dave Girouard wrote on the company’s official blog explaining the decision.

Picnik, which was bought by Google two years ago, will be retired on April 19, however, Picnik announced on its homepage that some of its photo editing tools will be moved to Google+, the new social networking site which this week claimed to have 90 million users.

Until Picnik’s closure, users will have the chance to try its premium services for free, and anyone that’s already paid for them will receive a full refund.

Picnik is undoubtedly a very popular product, with an interface that makes photo editing a breeze. Anything from a simple crop to advanced special effects are offered, and the online tools will no doubt be missed by many.

It’s not clear yet how many of Picnik’s photo-editing tools will be pushed across to Google+, but what if you don’t want to open a Google+ account but would still like a quick and simple web-based solution when it comes to tweaking your pics?

Here are some suggestions that should help you out:

FotoFlexer – very similar to Picnik in look and feel; offers many effects, including distortions; ability to work with layers, too. One imagines this site is going to see a big increase in traffic once Picnik disappears from the scene.

Phixr – not such a clean interface; consider it as a simplified version of Picnik. Offers a few interesting options such as noise removal and ‘fun effects.’

befunky – another site which operates along the same lines as Picnik, though befunky feels a little clunkier to use. Still, it offers lots of editing options and may appeal to some, especially those who like to jazz up their images with stickers and such like.

iPiccy – nice, clean interface; lots of options for editing and adding effects. The site is currently in beta, but we can see this one becoming pretty popular with those who enjoy using Picnik.

pixlr – a more Photoshop-looking interface, with a comprehensive set of adjustment tools. Decent filter list. Much more powerful than Picnik, but may be daunting for some. Clean interface though and well worth a look.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/google-closing-picnik-along-with-a-number-of-other-services/

Police info about threat not true, am very angry: Rushdie

2012-01-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

New York: An 'angry' Salman Rushdie claims he has found out that the intelligence provided to him by Rajasthan police about threat to his life if he attended the Jaipur Literature Festival was concocted to prevent him from going to India.

Rushdie took to microblogging site Twitter to vent his anger and responded to reports in Indian media that said "Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie."

Rushdie tweeted, "Rajasthan police invented plot to keep away Rushdie' I've investigated, & believe that I was indeed lied to. I am outraged and very angry."

Responding to a comment to his tweet, Rushdie said he does not know if the false intelligence information was given by Rajasthan police under instructions from someone.

"Don't know who gave orders. And yes I guess the same police who want to arrest (authors) Hari, Amitava, Jeet and Ruchir. Disgusting," he said responding to a comment on whether it is the same police who now want to arrest writers

for reading passages of his banned work 'The Satanic Verses' at the festival.

Rushdie also posted a link to a news report that said local intelligence officials in Rajasthan had "invented" information about the assassination plot against him to keep him from attending the literary event. His accompanying tweet read, "Here's the story. Astonishing."

The author had dropped plans to attend the literature festival saying he was informed by intelligence sources in Maharasthra and Rajasthan that paid hitmen from the Mumbai underworld will "eliminate" him if he came to India.

Rushdie had expressed doubts about the "accuracy" of the intelligence but said in a statement that it would be "irresponsible" on his part to still attend the festival and put the lives of other authors and participants in danger.

In protest, authors Amitava Kumar, Hari Kunzru, Ruchir Joshi and Jeet Thayil had read passages of 'The Satanic Verses', a controversial 1988 novel by Rushdie that is banned in India. Police are now demanding to see tapes of the

recordings of the authors reading from the banned book.

Source:http://ibnlive.in.com/news/police-info-about-threat-not-true-salman-rushdie/223069-2.html

Ex-Army chief General Shankar Roychowdhury backs General VK Singh in age row

2012-01-21T20:14:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: In the government vs Army Chief row, former army chief General Shankar Roychowdhury has come out in support of General VK Singh becoming the first former Chief of Army Staff to do so. He said that Defence Minister AK Antony should have overruled his bureaucrats in the age row.

He feels that the government should have acted with more understanding on the VK Singh age controversy. Speaking on this week's 'Devil's Advocate' to Karan Thapar, he said Defence Minister should have ideally overruled his bureaucrats who were advising him on the matter.

"I wouldn't want to name names but certainly the government could have handled the case better with having regard and respect for a chief of a service. I think they should have shown more understanding rather than go by the pages of an order which directs that if you go by change of birth you should have out it in before completion of five years of service. They should have given it more consideration," he said.

When asked whether the government should be blamed for the controversy, he said, "I would not say that in respect of the Defence Minister because he is a very fine person. But certainly the Ministry of Defence which is the arm of the government which more or less controls the defence services. They have been guilty of not putting a broad approach to it."

Holding the civil servants responsible, he said, "This is a case where the minister also should have exercised his judgement and taken a decision on the case. Perhaps, he should have overruled the bureaucratic advice he was getting. That would have been better."

Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/news/exarmy-chief-backs-gen-singh-in-age-row/223064-3.html

Bipasha's moves at the 'Jodi Breakers' music launch

2012-01-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

Do you have the moves like Bipasha?: Bipasha Basu showed off some sexy moves at the music launch of 'Jodi Breakers'.

Bipasha Basu, Madhavan and other cast members at the music launch.

Bipasha showed off her perfect body at the music launch.

The music launch of 'Jodi Breakers'.

Milind Soman at the music launch.

Milind Soman and Mrinalini Sharma at the music launch.

Here's the 'Jodi Breakers' ladies and gentlemen!

Bipasha and Madhavan at the launch.

Bipasha shows off some moves to co-star Madhavan.

Lets go dancing! Bipasha and Madhavan.

Dipannita Sharma performs at the launch.

Bipasha Basu arrives at the launch.

Dipannita Sharma at the music launch.

Mrinalini Sharma at the launch.

Omi Vaidya at the music launch.

Other stars at the music launch.

Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/5682-0.html

42 per cent Indian kids malnourished, stunted: report

2012-01-10T00:27:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: India has the highest number of stunted children in the world. Almost 42 per cent of the children in the country numbering over 61 million are malnourished and stunted according to the Hunger and Malnutrition Report released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday. The report says that one in three malnourished children in the world is an Indian.
The Prime Minister's called the findings a national shame while pointing out that only one in five Indian children had acceptable levels of nutrition. The report reveals that malnutrition is extremely severe in 73,0000 households in 112 districts in seven of the poorest states.
"The problem of malnutrition is a national shame," the Prime Minister said while releasing the first-ever citizens' report on child malnutrition.
The statistics in the HUNGaMA (Hunger and Malnutrition) report say that every third malnourished child on the planet is an Indian. The report, on the survey conducted by Naandi Foundation, has been made at the insistence of the Citizens' Alliance against Malnutrition.
Manmohan Singh said that the government cannot rely solely on the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to tackle malnutrition. "Despite impressive growth in our GDP, the level of malnutrition is unacceptably high," he said.
Pointing out that India had not succeeded in reducing the levels of malnutrition fast enough, he said, "Though the ICDS continues to be our most important tool to fight malnutrition, we can no longer rely solely on it."
"What concerns me is that 42 per cent of our children are still underweight. This is an unacceptably high occurrence," he said.
The Prime Minister has announced multi-sectoral programmes for 200 districts that have high malnutrition levels.
100 worst districts are in the poorer states. "The result of the survey is both worrying and encouraging," the Prime Minister said. He pointed out that the survey reports high levels of malnutrition, but it also indicates that one child in five has reached an acceptable healthy weight during the last seven years in 100 focus districts.
"This 20 per cent decline in malnutrition in the last seven years is better than the rate of decline reported in National Family Health Survey-III," he said.
The Prime Minister called for the civil society, entrepreneurs, business communities to bring malnutrition below acceptable levels. He said that policy makers and programme implementers need to clearly understand many linkages - between education and health, sanitation and hygiene, drinking water and nutrition and then shape their responses accordingly.
Here's the full text of the Prime Minister's speech on the HUNGaMA report:
There are nearly 16 crore children in the country below the age of 6 years. In the years to come, these children will join our work-force as scientists, farmers, teachers, data operators, artisans, service providers. Several of them will become social workers like many of you in this hall. The health of our economy and society lies in the health of this generation. We cannot hope for a healthy future with a large number of malnourished children.
As I have said earlier and I repeat that the problem of malnutrition is a matter of national shame. Despite impressive growth in our GDP, the level of under-nutrition in the country is unacceptably high. We have also not succeeded in reducing this rate fast enough.
Ladies & gentlemen,
The first step in addressing the challenge of malnutrition lies in understanding it clearly. And it is for this reason that studies like the HUNGaMA survey are so important. I would like to compliment the Citizen’s Alliance against Malnutrition, Nandi Foundation, Mahindra & Mahindra and other partners and supporters of the Alliance for carrying out this very significant survey. I understand that the surveyors have reached more than 73,000 households in 112 districts across 9 states. To measure more than one lakh children and talk to 74,000 mothers is indeed an extraordinary accomplishment.
The results of this survey are both worrying and encouraging. The survey reports high levels of malnutrition, but it also indicates that one child in five has reached an acceptable healthy weight during the last 7 years in 100 focus districts. This 20% decline in malnourishment in the last 7 years is better than the rate of decline reported in NFHS 3. However, what concerns me is that 42 per cent of our children are still underweight. This is an unacceptably high occurence.
We have always believed that a mother’s education level, economic status of the family, sanitation and hygiene, status of women in the family, breastfeeding and other good child rearing practices affect children’s nutrition. The HUNGaMA survey has broadly validated these hypotheses.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Though the ICDS continues to be our most important tool to fight malnutrition, we can no longer rely solely on it. We need to focus on districts where malnutrition levels are high and where conditions causing malnutrition prevail. Policy makers and programme implementers need to clearly understand many linkages -- between education and health, sanitation and hygiene, drinking water and nutrition – and then shape their responses accordingly.
These sectors can no longer work in isolation of each other. Health professionals cannot solely concentrate on curative care. Drinking water and sanitation providers cannot be oblivious to the positive externality of their actions. The school teacher needs to be aware of the nutritional needs of the adolescent girl. And above all, the Anganwadi workers should be aware of their contribution to nation building by focusing on the care of our young citizens.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I chair a National Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges, which met a year ago and decided four things:
- To launch a strengthened and restructured ICDS,
- To start a multi-sectoral programme for 200 high burden districts.
- To initiate a nationwide communication campaign against malnutrition.
- And to bring nutrition focus to key programmes of agricultural development, research and development in agriculture, PDS, mid-day-meals programme, drinking water and sanitation, health etc.
The Ministries concerned are taking necessary action to implement these four decisions. We hope to see positive outcomes of these efforts.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me end by once again congratulating all those who have contributed to this report. The HUNGaMA report is an excellent example of how people from diverse areas can and should come together for a noble cause. It is my sincere hope that the report will enhance our understanding of the challenge of malnutrition and will help shape better policy responses to it.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/every-3rd-malnourished-child-is-an-indian-report/219417-3.html

UP polls: EC to decide whether Mayawati's statues should be covered

2012-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

Lucknow: Less than a month to go before the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the curtains could come down on Chief Minister Mayawati's biggest public promotion campaign yet, that includes the statues of herself and the BSP's election symbol, the elephant.
The Election Commission is likely to take a decision on Saturday on whether to cover up all the statues. A decision will be taken at its meeting on Saturday evening. Several rival parties complained that the statues gave the BSP an undue advantage as they clearly promoted the party.
The model code of conduct states that the pictures of all candidates on public property must be covered during elections. The same logic would apply to statues as well.
Last year, Mayawati had inaugurated the 33-acre Dalit Prerna Sthal or the Ambedkar Park in Noida. Mayawati spent Rs 650 crore for the development of the park, which has several statutes of Dalit leaders.
The park has 24 pink sandstone elephants, 12 life-size statues of Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram and the UP Chief Minister herself.
The estimated cost of each statue is over Rs 6 crore and each elephant statue costs Rs 70 lakh. In fact Mayawati spent Rs 2500 crores on five such major parks across UP.

Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/news/up-polls-mayawatis-statues-likely-to-be-covered/218531-37-64.html

Day 2 at Auto Expo 2012

2012-01-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

Two-wheel beauty: A model sits on a Yamaha FZ1 motorcycle during a press preview of Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

A model poses near the new version of Hyundai Sonata displayed at the Hyundai stall during Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

A model sits on a TVS scooter during a press preview of Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

A model poses with TVS new RTR-250 bike during the Auto Expo, in New Delhi January 6, 2012.

A model poses with the Hyundai Veloster at the India Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

A model stands besides a General Motors (GM) concept Chevrolet EN-V car during the Auto Expo , in New Delhi January 6, 2012.

Visitors check out BMW's Mini Cooper which will be launched in India shortly, during a press preview of Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

A foreign model stands next to a Yamaha motorcycle during the Auto Expo press preview, in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

Kenichi Ayukawa, left, managing officer and xecutive general manager for global automobile marketing, and Shinzo Nakanishi, second right, managing director of Maruti Suzuki, launch the Ertiga, a compact multipurpose vehicle, at the Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

A model stands besides a General Motors (GM) Chevrolet Volt car during the Auto Expo , in New Delhi January 6, 2012. General Motors Co said on Thursday it has developed a proposed fix to the battery pack for the Chevrolet Volt to eliminate the risk of a fire being triggered days after a crash. GM said it would strengthen structural protection for the 400-pound lithium-ion battery in the Volt by adding steel reinforcements and take other steps to prevent coolant fluid from leaking and triggering a fire

Enthusiasts look at Renault's electric concept car Dezir during a press preview of Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

People take a look at new offerings from Peugeot which will shortly re-enter the Indian market during a press preview of the Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

A model stands beside a General Motors (GM) Chevrolet Camaro car during the Auto Expo , in New Delhi January 6, 2012.

Ducati Asia Pacific CEO Mirko Bordiga, front, poses for the media with the newly unveiled Monster 795 at the press preview of Auto Expo, in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

Dezir, an electric concept car, is displayed at the Renault stall during Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012. The five-day long automobile event begins Saturday.

Enthusiasts take pictures of a Ferrari California during the press preview of Auto Expo, in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

Enthusiasts look at an Italian luxury car Maserati during the press preview of Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012.

People visit the stall of Harley Davidson motorcycles at the India Auto Expo in New Delhi India, Friday, Jan. 6, 2012.

An Indian motorcycle enthusiast looks at a model of Harley Davidson at the press preview of Auto Expo in New Delhi on Friday, January 6, 2012. The five day long automobile event begins Saturday.

Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/5587-1.html

Project Runway All Stars: Premiere Recap

2012-01-05T22:00:00.001-08:00

After much hype and some delays, we have finally arrived at the premiere of Project Runway All Stars with some of the best designers from previous seasons.

We have a new host, new judges and the drama of all the designers they have brought back. Since they are all stars, there will be no immunity as they compete to win their own boutique in select Nieman Marcus stores and online, a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine and a position as guest editor for one year, $100,000 in office equipment and space from HP and a cash prize of $100,000. I would have to agree...this is the ultimate prize package, I mean if you are a designer!

We get to meet the new host, supermodel Angela Lindvall (boring and definitely no Heidi) and the new judges, fashion designers Georgina Chapman and Isaac Mizrahi. We'll see how they do, but I think I am going to be bored with these people.

Let's kickoff the season with the first ever All Stars Fashion Show, comprising of one recent work the designers have done and 30 minutes to get their model ready. There was no point to this besides the designers giving sass and the judges saying it will be an exciting season...thanks!

The designers get a video message from Giancarlo Giammetti and Valentino and oh boy, do the queens come out. Anthony Williams and Austin Scarlett waving fanning their faces so they don't pass out. Michael Costello covering his mouth in shock and Jerell Scott wiping away tears...15 minutes into show and they annoy me. It's going to be a long season.

First challenge: the unconventional challenge. Austin won the first ever unconventional challenge back on the first ever episode and now "pressure" is on for him in this one. They will have to create a look using materials from a 99 cent store. To put the twist on it, they must create a piece inspired by the look they had shown during the fashion show.

Shopping time and Michael and April both buy mop heads, so Michael is afraid April's dress is going to kick his butt...probably if you are afraid before even started. How did you make it to All Stars?

How can you replace Tim Gunn? I can't wait for the next regular season...I need my regular peeps back, but alas...enter Marie Claire editor-in-chief Joanna Coles. Sweet P is making a ruffle dress, Gordana kisses Joanna's butt and Elisa wants to lick her thumb and give Joanna her blessing. Apparently Elisa is as crazy as she looks.

Want to know a bad combination in the studio? That would be a plastic dress and a hot glue gun. Austin didn't know that and the gun sat on his dress and melted a hole in his dress. He finds it at the end of the night and hopes he can fix it in the morning, to which he patches it up for the runway.

The 13 designers will go down to 12 tonight, so let's get to this runway show already. Neiman Marcus Fashion Director Ken Downing will be throwing his two cents into the mix tonight as a guest judge. It's kind of amazing to see how they took 99 cent products and made them into these dresses. I'm impressed...maybe they are all stars after all.

Austin, Mila, April, Anthony, Kara, Kenley and Michael did enough to design one more week, which leaves us with Rami, Sweet P, Elisa, Jerell, Mondo and Gordana.

We see love for Rami, Jerell and Mondo and no love for Sweet P, Elisa and Gordana. After some deliberation, the judges give the win to Rami. Jerell, Mondo and Gordana are safe. Will it be Sweet P or Elisa going home? The terry cloth dress wins out and Sweet P is safe and our first designer going home is Elisa.

Project Runway All Stars airs Thursdays at 9/8c on Lifetime.

Source: http://www.realitywanted.com/newsitem/4967-project-runway-all-stars-premiere-recap

DASH Diet nabs top ranking from U.S. News & World Report; TLC, Mayo Clinic and Weight Watchers score high

2012-01-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the DASH diet tops for health and weight loss.

A diet designed to combat high blood pressure turns out to be the healthiest eating plan on the market, lowering cholesterol and melting fat without gimmicks.

That’s the finding of U.S. News & World Report, which ranked the DASH diet No. 1, for the second year in a row, in its annual survey.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)diet is high on fiber, low on fat and includes eight to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

It doesn’t make any crazy promises: one website promoting the regimen even notes that dieters “initially may find it hard to implement and sustain.’

But it doesn’t require paid memberships, prepackaged food or very restrictive menus.

The U.S. News expert panel cited its “nutritional completeness, safety, ability to prevent or control diabetes, and role in supporting heart health.’

DASH is endorsed by the National Institutes of Health — and another no-frills plan created by the federal research agency was ranked No. 2 on the list.

The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes or TLC diet is a set of guidelines for how many calories, fat, sodium and cholesterol a person should take in a day.

There are lists of recommended foods and sample menus, but it

requires a "do-it-yourself" approach — on contrast to the hand-holding provided by some commercial diets.

Three diets tied for third place: Weight Watchers, the Mayo Clinic Diet, and the Mediterranean Diet.

The WW PointsPlus plan that slimmed down Jennifer Hudson was deemed a winner for its emphasis on fruits and vegetables, online and group support, and handy guides to eating in and out of the house.

Mayo’s plan was considered very effective at fighting diabetes, less so at taking off major poundage. The Mediterranean Diet’s emphasis on fruits and vegetables, olive oil and fish gave it an edge.

What diets should people avoid?

The trendy Dukan Diet, a four-phase plan that starts off with a menu of 68 protein-only foods, was blasted as

overly restrictive, unnecessarily complicated and just plain "idiotic."

The Paleo Diet, based on the lean meats and greens our cave-dwelling ancestors ate, scored at the bottom because it would be too hard for the average dieter to follow.

Here’s the full list of U.S. News & World Reports Best Diets Overall

1. DASH Diet

2. TLC Diet

3. Weight Watchers

3. Mayo Clinic Diet

3. Mediterranean Diet

6. Volumetrics Diet

7. Jenny Craig Diet

8. Biggest Loser Diet

8. Ornish Diet

10. Vegetarian Diet

11. Slim-Fast Diet

12. Flat Belly Diet

12. Nutrisystem Diet

14. Abs Diet

14.South Beach Diet

14. Vegan Diet Overall

17. Eco-Atkins Diet

17. Glycemic-Index Diet

17. Zone Diet

20. Macrobiotic Diet

20. Medifast Diet

22. Atkins Diet

22. Raw Food Die

24. Dukan Diet

24. Paleo Diet

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/dash-diet-nabs-top-ranking-u-s-news-world-report-tlc-mayo-clinic-weight-watchers-score-high-article-1.1000490#ixzz1ieeKt3iS