CHIRANJEEVI - THE REAL "MEGASTAR"

Chiranjeevi, the Megastar of Tollywood today, was born on 22 Aug 1955 in "Mogaltur", a small village in 'West Godavari' District in Andhra Pradesh to sri Venkat Rao and Anjana Devi. He grew up in his native village with his grand parents, while his family was else where because of his father's occupation. The sense of descipline and hard work which he still embraces were introduced at a very young age in his life and the tough childhood he had being the eldest in his family have helped him to handle many such events of higher proportion with great expertise in the later stages of his life.
Little did he imagine, even in the wildest of his dreams, that he would, one day, be a Megastar and rule the Telugu Film Industry. Years later, this youngster called "Chiru" in the Film Industry , with his hard work and dedication to his proffession, could make it really big in the field hitting the limelight, with an unparallel fan following emulating his every act, word, dress and dance. What makes this ordinary human being such an extraordinary one - god knows!
After graduation, Chiranjeevi moved to Madras to seek a career in his chosen field of acting in the Film Industry. To get himself ready for the stage, he joined in an acting school in Madras. After struggling for some time, he took to acting by appearing in small roles in films like "Pranam Kareedu" and "Punadhi Rallu". He, from that modest beginning to this date, has acted in 132 films. Throughout his career he has been through a lot of ups and downs but every time he came back with extra persevrance and won his way through people's hearts with wonderful performances in his films. Chiranjeevi got married to Surekha, the daughter of veteran actor sri "Allu Ramalingaiah". Chiru has always been a family man - being blessed with two daughters Sushmita & Srija and a son Ramcharan Tej.
And as Chiru becomes the most popular hero, he has lived a royal life, travelled widely from one country to another around the world almost every time in the delightful company of filmi celebreties who act, sing and dance with him. He acted in a lot of best movies to date and had been able to deliver splendid action-packed movies. With all these talents in him, it isn't a big surprise to know that he has been one of the highest paid movie actors in the Indian Film Industry. Be it actor, star or megastar - Chiranjeevi has been acknowledged as being one of the most successful actors in the history of the Telugu Motion Picture Industry. We, in our site, would like to highlight the remarkable work Chiranjeevi has shared with the movie-going-public for the last 20 years. ENJOY!
As Chiranjeevi completes 20 years of his entry into the films and in all the achievements and honors, there's no sign of pride but he's still going successfully with a string of hit films. Chiru tells his fan association: " Among the many skilled performers who toil in front of the camera, only a few are excellent actors. A fewer still are those with the vague and elusive traits we call star quality. At the intersection of these groups is the most selected group of all, a tiny number among whom Chiranjeevi stands out. The reality is - i am an actor. My fans perceive me as a Megastar".
Above all, on Oct 02 1998 he started Chiranjeevi Eye & Blood Bank and Charitable Trust to give back to the people whatever he could on the humanitarian ground thus demonstrating a new dimension in his personality.

WONDERFUL DOG

Australia win third successive World Cup title

Ricky Ponting's team created history on Saturday by winning the Cricket World Cup for the third consecutive time, and fourth overall. Winners in 1999, 2003 and 1987, Australia cruised to an easy win against Sri Lanka in the ninth edition of the tournament at Barbados in West Indies.
Man of the Match Adam Gilchrist's record-breaking innings powered his team to a momentous total of 282 runs in the stipulated 38 overs at the Kensington Oval. In reply, though the Sri Lankans showed grit and guts initially, the defending champions restricted them to 215 for eight in the rain-inflicted match.
Sri Lanka, champions in 1996, were set a revised target of 269 off 36 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis system after rain halted play for 12 minutes during their run chase.
Gilchrist and fellow left-hander Matthew Hayden's stand of 172 was a new first-wicket record for a World Cup final, surpassing the 129 shared by England's Mike Brearley and Geoff Boycott during the West Indies' 92-run win at Lord's in 1979.
This was ace speedster Glenn McGrath's last match, his fourth successive World Cup outing. The 37-year-old bowler, who was declared the Man of the Tournament, could not have hoped for a better farewell.
Sri Lanka innings
Unlike holders Australia, the Lankans lost the first wicket early. In the first ball of the third over, Gilchrist caught the ball behind the stumps to dismiss Upul Tharanga off Nathan Bracken. The opener, who hit a four off the first delivery of the innings, returned to the pavilion for an insignificant score.
Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara maintained a 116-run stand as the latter completed his 40th ODI half-century in the 20th over. But, soon Brad Hogg despatched the wicketkeeper-batsmen for 54.
Michael Clarke scalped the key wicket of Jayasuriya under overcast skies. The ball, keeping very low, turned away from him and dashed into the off stump as the batsman walked back at 63 off 67 balls.
Shane Watson trapped the valuable wicket of skipper Mahela Jayawardene, and with it Lanka's hope of a 1996 redux became grim.
The next three overs cost Sri Lanka a wicket each, but by then, the winner was all but declared. In the 30th over, McGrath and Clarke effected the run out of Dilshan (14). Clarke despatched Chamara Silva in the next for 21. Arnold made his exit from the show, also his last international match, in the 32nd over off McGrath's bowling for a forgettable score.
After the last delivery of the 33rd over, with hopeless natural light, the Aussies made a huddle and started celebrating their still-unofficial-victory, only to the annoyance of the field umpires. Aleem Dar, even suggested that the teams come back on Sunday and complete the remaining three overs.
Jayawardene came to the field to talk to Bucknor and Bowden. The stands for the presentation ceremony had been brought in and packed off with equal speed. It was finally decided that the match would continue, despite abject darkness.
In the last ball of the 33rd over, Gilchrist stumped Malinga off Andrew Symonds's delivery. The decision was left to the third umpire, who took a considerable time before declaring the obvious.
Two overs and four runs later, two-time champions Australia were declared winners of the 2007 Cup.
Australia innings
Electing to bat, Australia were off to a good start as openers Gilchrist and Hayden compiled a 100-run partnership within 17 overs.
In the 21st over, Gilchrist struck a scintillating century off just 72 balls - the fastest in a World Cup final. It was his 15th ODI century which included thirteen boundaries and eight sixes.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene grabbed a catch at cover dismissing Hayden off Lasith Malinga's bowling. The batsman walked back for 38. Dilhara Fernando followed suit to uproot centurion Gilchrist after a splendid show with the bat. He hammered 149 off 104 before giving an easy catch to Chamara Silva at midwicket.
Ricky Ponting was run out in Andrew Symonds' attempt to take a run which was not there in the 36th over. The skipper hit 37 off 42 balls. Malinga struck back to remove Shane Watson in the next over for a paltry score.
After a rain-delayed toss, the World Cup final match between Sri Lanka and Australia was reduced by 12 overs due to heavy showers for over two hours.
The revised playing conditions meant that three bowlers would be permitted to bowl a maximum of eight overs each while two a maximum of seven.
Sri Lanka played in their second World Cup final following their win over Australia in 1996, 11 years ago.
Teams
Australia: Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist (wicketkeeper), Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Hogg, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait, Glenn McGrath.
Sri Lanka: Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara (wicketkeeper), Mahela Jaywardene (captain), Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando.

McGrath 5th in all time great bowlers

Glenn McGrath, who retired from international cricket after Australia's cricket World Cup win against Sri Lanka on Saturday, finished his career in fifth place in the all-time LG-ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers.McGrath, who was named as Player of the Tournament after taking 26 wickets, is one of only five players to have ever reached 900 rating points, the mark of a true great.The New South Wales bowler reached his highest rating of 903 points during the seven-match ODI series against South Africa in March 2002.The only players ahead of him in the all-time list are fast bowlers Joel Garner of the West Indies, New Zealand's Richard Hadlee and South Africa's Shaun Pollock, along with Sri Lanka spin-wizard Muttiah Muralidaran.McGrath's haul of wickets in the tournament that ended with Australia's record-breaking third successive triumph in the event, is the biggest haul in a single Cricket World Cup.The 37-year-old paceman, who was a part of victorious teams in 1999, 2003, and the latest one in the Caribbean, as well as the 1996 tournament, where Australia lost in the final to Sri Lanka, finished with 71 wickets from 39 matches spread over the four events.He was well clear of his nearest rival Wasim Akram of Pakistan, who captured 55 wickets in 38 matches.In 250 ODIs, McGrath has taken 381 wickets at an average of just over 22 runs each.The 37 year-old also finishes his career in fifth spot in the all-time LG ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, achieving his highest rating of 914 rating points during the Ashes series against England in 2001. In the all-time list for Test bowlers, England's fast-medium genius Sydney Barnes, who played for England for 13 years from 1901, tops the table.Barnes only played 27 Tests during his career but in that time he captured 189 wickets at an average of 16.43 and achieved the highest rating of any bowler in history when he reached 932 points in February 1914.Barnes' predecessor in the England team George Lohmann is in second spot while Pakistan legend Imran Khan is in third position while Muralidaran lies fourth.In 124 Tests, McGrath took 563 wickets at 21.64, with only his former team-mate Shane Warne (708) and Muralidaran (674) ahead of him in the success stakes.

Gol Gappa

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup All Purpose Flour1 cup Semolinapinch Milk(for making dough)½ tsp. Baking Soda2 tbsps. Clarified ButterSalt to tasteVegetable Oil for frying(for deep frying)pinch Gorbanzo Beans(boiled, according to need)½ cup tamarind(seedless, soaked in 1½ cup water)½ tsp. Black Salt½ tsp. Dry Ginger(powder)½ tsp. All spice powder1½ tsps. Red Chilies(powder)

DIRECTIONS:(FOR DOUGH)

With the maida, sooji, baking powder and salt make a dough by adding milk.
Roll small rotis and cut into small size circles using a cutter.
Deep fry all of them on low heat.
(FOR CHUTNEY)
Add all ingredients in tamarind soaked water and stir well.
(FOR SERVING)
serve Gol Gappa with chutney and chana.

Absolut truth? Ads say so

On Planet Absolut, the Curse of the Billy Goat is lifted and the Chicago Cubs win the World Series ... well, at least play in the World Series.Not only that, but politicians are identified by the length of their noses and men get pregnant.In New York, images of fine art replace the ads that dominate the electronic billboards surrounding Times Square.Such are the intimations of a $33 million to $35 million advertising campaign soon to be unveiled by Swedish vodkamaker Absolut, the premium vodka that dominates the world market but is losing market share in the U.S."Our consumers are intelligent and we hope they have a gut reaction that sparks conversations and challenges them to think about their vision of an 'Absolut' world," said Tim Murphy, senior brand director of New York-based Absolut Spirits Co.The billboard ads should jar some discussions in Chicago between Cubs and White Sox fans over the meaning of a Billy Goat sitting in a stadium's empty stands.Cubs fans will be able to say the goat is seated in Wrigley Field awaiting the start of this fall's Series. Cubs haters, however, could just as easily propose that in an Absolut World the curse lives on because of the empty seats.The Goat part of the campaign will debut on a billboard across from Wrigley Field on July 1 and will be joined by hundreds of billboards around Chicago and suburbs -- "except the South Side.""That's Sox country," said Jeremy Miller, a spokesman for the ad agency TBWA/Chiat/Day/New York, which developed the campaign. (The ad agency apparently understands that you don't put a Cubs billboard south of Roosevelt Road.)'Seeing with fresh eyes'Rob Smiley, the agency's creative director, said the campaign is "not necessarily about perfection, but about making the world better by seeing it with fresh eyes."Most of the outdoor advertising is tailored to local markets. The Billy Goat billboard only appears in Chicago, for example.Absolut's global campaign kicks off May 15 with a television commercial depicting a "pillow fight" battle between protesters and police on a street in Uruguay. It is to be rolled out in 12 international markets, including Germany, where it will debut on Friday.In addition to New York and Chicago, localized versions of the Absolut campaign will appear in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Las Vegas.

Are you a night owl?

Have you stayed awake for hours at night, struggling for some much-needed sleep? Well, anxiety or stress need not be blamed every time, for researchers have found a genetic mutation responsible for making you a 'night owl'. A genetic mutation called the "after-hours gene" may explain why some people are night owls, it is revealed in the journal Science on Friday. The 'night owl syndrome' makes it quite difficult to function in a world where the normal pattern dictates night as the time for sleep. But the latest discovery could also hold clues for pharmacologists working to develop drugs to help people adjust to shift work or jet lag, reports the Telegraph. There are further implications for the study of causes of some psychiatric disorders. The altered gene, named "after hours" or Afh, is a variant of a gene called Fbxl3, which had not been linked to the body clock that keeps our metabolism, digestion and sleep patterns in tune with the rising and setting of the Sun. By monitoring laboratory mice, scientists noticed that instead of following the typical 24-hour pattern some animals had body clocks that stretched to a 27-hour day. It was then discovered that their DNA had the after-hours version of the Fbxl3 gene, one of a large family that controls the breakdown of specific proteins within body cells. In other research, scientists have identified a part of the brain that affects how we deal with seasonal change. The research will help our understanding of the causes and consequences of seasonal affective disorder and could also shed light on why we crave more food in winter. Gerald Lincoln, of Edinburgh University's Centre for Reproductive Biology, said: "Surprisingly, the circannual body clock works on a 10-month cycle. "We reset our body calendar every summer, when increased light inhibits the production of melatonin. This could explain why sunshine makes us feel happier." Symptoms of delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS), popularly called the 'night owl' syndrome include the inability to fall asleep at night and excessive daytime sleepiness. If this problem continues over a three or four-month period, DSPS is probably the cause. This syndrome makes it difficult to function in a world where the normal pattern dictates night as the time for sleep. Because DSPS can cause employment, relationship and other difficulties, it can lead to unhappiness and depression.

$100 laptop to cost $175

The founder of the ambitious $100 laptop project, which plans to give inexpensive computers to schoolchildren in developing countries, has revealed that the machine for now costs $175, and it will be able to run Windows in addition to its homegrown, open-source interface. Nicholas Negroponte, the former director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab who now heads the non-profit One Laptop Per Child project, updated analysts and journalists on where the effort stands, saying "we are perhaps at the most critical stage of OLPC's life." That's partly because at least seven nations have expressed interest in being in the initial wave to buy the little green-and-white "XO" computers — Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, Thailand, Nigeria and Libya — but it remains unclear which ones will be first to pony up the cash. The project needs orders for 3 million machines so its manufacturing and distribution effort can get rolling. The ever-optimistic Negroponte didn't sound worried, however: He expects mass production to begin by October, and he said many other countries, including Peru and Russia, have been inquiring about taking part. The XO machines will be made by Quanta Computer Inc, the world's leading manufacturer of portable computers. Quanta agreed to take a profit of about $3 per machine, less than what it gets from mainstream PC companies, Negroponte said. Even so, the machine — which boasts extremely low electricity consumption, a pulley for hand-generated power, built-in wireless networking and a screen with indoor and outdoor reading modes — now costs $175. The One Laptop project takes an additional $1 to fund its distribution efforts. Negroponte’s team has always stressed that $100 was a long-term target for the machines, but recently publicized figures had put it in the $150 range. Negroponte says the cost should drop about 25 percent per year as the project unfolds.

Indian mangoes land in US after 18 years

The first batch of 150 boxes of choicest Alphonso and Kesari mangoes in 18 years arrived here from India to the delight of Indians who had been lusting for luscious fruit for years. "But they would have to wait for a few more days before they can buy them in the market as the fruit needs to be ripened before being released for sale," said Bhaskar Savani who is distributor and was personally present at the airport when the Air-India flight bringing the cargo landed late on Friday night. The formal launch of the mangoes will be done in Washington DC on May 1, he said. Mangoes from Mexico and other central American countries are available in the United States but Indians often complain that they do not taste like the ones India produces. Nor do the Americans have the number of varieties available back home. Savani said the distributors expect Langra, Chausa, Mallika and Dussheri to follow to give consumers a choice of varieties. The distributors are in negotiations with Costco chian, which sells merchandise in bulk, for distributing the mangoes and some fast food chains have shown interest in retailing mango shakes. The US had stopped import of mangoes from India 18 years ago as it felt Indian farmers were using too much pesticide. It has taken sustained negotiations over several years to get the fruit back into the US market. The US Department of Agriculture has imposed the condition that the mangoes would be irradiated to ensure that no exotic plant diseases are introduced in the country. However, irradiation also increases the shelf life of the fruit. The distributors say that they expect a huge and ever increasing demand for the Indian mangoes with the rising Indian population here and locals developing taste for Indian varieties. India is the largest producer of mangoes in the world, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the total output. It has some 1000 varieties.

smuggle people scam Rs 8,00,000 per person

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Babubhai Katara, arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle people abroad, has told police that he was paid Rs 800,000 for every person he helped to go abroad illegally, with his aide and travel agents pocketing most of the money made in the deals. "I was given only Rs 800,000. I really don't know if they charged Rs 3 or 4 million for sending people abroad with me," Katara told officers interrogating him. He stated this when confronted with statements of his aide Rajender Gampa and some travel agents that they used to charge Rs 3 to 4 million from each person who flew abroad in the company of the MP on the latter's family's passports. Police say they have evidence that Katara and his associates were involved in flying out at least 12 people to the US and Britain. The Gujarat politician had personally taken six people with him. "They have fooled me," a police official quoted the MP as telling investigators during interrogation. "Though he was paid a handsome amount, it were the agents and others involved in the human trafficking racket who arranged for the passports and clients and so took a larger share of the booty," a senior police official told the media. "Our investigations show that these travel agents were in some kind of agreement with the MPs and paid them a fixed amount every time they smuggled out a client abroad. Katara was given Rs 800,000. The rest of the money was distributed among the MP's aides and agents," the officer added. Katara, who had reportedly earned around Rs 3.5 million through human trafficking, was apparently not aware that Sunder Lal Yadav, a travel agent, earned more than him simply by arranging the clients and documents. The investigating officer also revealed that travel agents identified people who could cough up Rs 3 million to travel abroad. The agents had a wide and well-organised network spread through the small towns and cities in Punjab to the big cities in Andhra Pradesh. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police, which is conducting the investigation, has identified five travel agents involved in the racket. Three are from Punjab (Joginder Singh, Santhu Masih and Harbhajan Singh), Hyderabad and New Delhi. The racket came into light April 18 when Katara was arrested at the airport here while trying to fly out a woman, Paramjeet Kaur, and a 15-year-old boy Amarjeet Singh on the passports of his wife and son.

Alcohol more harmful for women

The brain-damaging effects of alcohol strike women more quickly than men, a new study conducted in Russia confirms. Female alcoholics performed worse on a number of tests of neurocognitive function compared with males, Barbara Flannery from RTI International in Baltimore and her colleagues found. However, Flannery cautioned that the findings aren’t good news for alcohol-dependent men. “Women are vulnerable to the extent to which they will experience the negative consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism more rapidly than men, but men will also experience it — the same kinds of effects,” she said. Other physiological effects of alcoholism, such as heart and liver damage, are known to occur more quickly in women than in men, a phenomenon known as “telescoping,” Flannery and her team note in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. To determine whether the same occurs in the brain, they had 78 alcoholic men and 24 alcoholic women, between the ages of 18 and 40, complete a series of brain function tests. Sixty-eight non-alcoholic men and women also took part in the study as a control group. The duration of alcohol use was significantly longer for men than women, at about 15 and 11 years, respectively, as was the duration of alcohol dependence, at 8 and 5 years. A greater percentage of men were college educated and employed full time. However, women reported binge drinking significantly more often than men, at 91% vs 72%. Before completing the tests, all of the alcoholics had been abstinent from alcohol for three to four weeks. Compared with the alcoholic men, the researchers found that alcoholic women performed worse on tests of visual working memory, cognitive flexibility, and spatial planning and problem solving

Flannery pointed out that women metabolise alcohol quite differently than men do. A woman will experience the alcohol effects faster than a man of the same weight. One reason is that men have more water in their bodies, which better dilutes alcohol’s effects. Women may also have less of an enzyme that converts alcohol into an inactive substance. “I think it’s important that women understand this,” Flannery said, and it’s also important to remember that alcoholism is underdiagnosed in men and women. More studies should be done in different populations, she added, to confirm the results

Happy wedding

Newly-wed couple Abhishek and Aishwarya come out after offering prayers at the Tirupati temple near Chennai.

India's rupee hurts exporters

India's rupee is showing new muscle as it scales nine-year highs against the dollar, alarming exporters who sell most of their goods to the United States. India's Federation of Indian Export Organisations says the appreciation of the rupee has "severely eroded the profitability of exporters." The partially convertible rupee has risen by around 11 percent against the dollar since last July, helped by inflows from investors eager to invest in India's booming economy. "Its appreciation reflects the underlying strength of the Indian economy and, of course, (broad-based) dollar weakness," said Deepak Lalwani, director at London-based Astaire Securities. But until lately, dealers say, the central bank had been intervening by selling rupees to make sure the Indian currency does not rise too quickly, and to keep a lid on export prices. Now though, market players say, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has eased off from intervention as it seeks to wrestle down inflation in Asia's fourth-largest economy, which is growing by around nine percent. "The bank has its eye firmly on (capping) inflation," said DK Joshi, principal economist at Indian credit rating agency Crisil.

'Drinking tea can prevent skin cancer'

Drinking at least two cups of tea daily can protect you from developing skin cancer, says a new study, but scientists call for more research to strengthen the findings. Tea's disease-fighting properties appear to protect the body against Squamous cell carcinomas and Basal cell carcinomas - most common forms of skin cancers usually caused by too much exposure to the sun's rays - that grow slowly over a period of months or even years, the researchers say. Squamous cell carcinomas normally appear on the face and turn into an ulcer-like growth that doesn't heal. Basal cell carcinomas normally show up as a painless lump that gradually expands in size. Although they do not normally spread through the body, they still need be removed through surgery. In the latest study, carried out at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire in the US, the scientists analysed over 1,400 patients aged between 25 and 74 years with one of the two types of tumour, reported the online edition of Daily Mail. They compared their diet, drinking habits and lifestyle with a similar group who did not have cancer. They found that regular tea drinkers were 65 percent less likely to have squamous cell carcinoma and almost 80 percent less at risk of a basal cell carcinoma. The biggest benefits were seen among long-term drinkers, especially those who downed several cups a day for more than 40 years. Judy Rees, who led the research, said: "The constituents of tea have been investigated for their activity against a variety of diseases and cancers. But the most potent appear to be polyphenols." These are antioxidants that block the damaging effects in the body of molecules known as free radicals. But she stressed more research was needed to confirm it is the tea and not some other lifestyle factor which is protecting against the illness.

LARA’s RUN ENDS

Umpire Rudi Koertzen picks the bails up while West Indies captain Brian Lara walks off after being run out against England during the Super-Eight ICC World Cup cricket match at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Saturday. Lara scored 18 runs in his final international cricket match.

Delhii Heights

Abi [Jimmy Shergill] and Suhana [Neha Dhupia] are a newly-wed couple who live in a building complex called Delhii Heights. They work for rival companies. In the same society live Timmy [Om Puri], his wife Ruby [Kamini Khana] and their daughter Sweety. Abi’s friend Bobby [Rohit Roy] and his wife Saima [Simone Singh] also live in the same complex.
Then there is Lucky [Vivek Shauq], a cricket bookie, a hilarious character in itself. Also, there are four boys, residents of Delhii Heights, who keep running after girls and pulling each others' legs.
The material hasn’t been explored to the optimum. An exciting screenplay would’ve only taken the graph of the film upwards. Also, a number of scenes are unnecessary and seem forced in the narrative. The writing lacks vision.
Jimmy Shergill is a complete natural. Neha Dhupia evidently seems conscious of the camera at all times, and Rohit Roy manages to emote.
Music [Rabbi Shergill] is pleasant. ‘Tere Bin’ is the best track of the enterprise; its one number you carry home after the show has concluded. Cinematography is striking. Dialogues don’t leave much of an impact.
Overall, Delhii Heights, a movie which you won’t enjoy...

Doc in dock for “false” postmortem report

After the arrest of a Karnal-based pharmacist, who was allegedly an expert in making false pellet injuries in medico-legal cases, two more officials of the Haryana health department are in the dock for allegedly "doctoring" a postmortem examination report.
The Haryana state vigilance bureau yesterday arrested a medical technician posted in the Nuh government hospital in Mewat district for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 2 lakh on behalf of a doctor, who was to prepare a “false” postmortem report.
SP, vigilance, Gurgaon, Rajbir Deswal, who himself led the raiding party, told TNS on the phone that the body of Raghbir Singh(55) of Mintkola village was brought to the hospital for postmortem. Raghbir had a fight with someone a few days ago. He died on April 17, reportedly following a heart attack. However, his family members wanted a postmortem report which would implicate those with whom Raghbir had a fight.
Deswal said a deal was allegedly struck with Dr Lal Singh through Noorudin, medical technician, and Sharif, a middleman, for Rs 2 lakh.
After the complainant approached the bureau, a trap was laid. Permission to conduct a raid was obtained telephonically from financial commissioner, health, Urvashi Gulati. The vigilance team, accompanied by city magistrate of Mewat Satvir Maan, raided the hospital and recovered Rs 2.40 lakh from Noorudin. Deswal said the recovered amount included Rs 2 lakh given to him by the complainant for the “false” postmortem report. He said it was being ascertained from where Rs 40,000 came. Noorudin was arrested on the spot. Dr Lal Singh and Sharif were allegedly missing.
Deswal said two postmortem examinations were conducted in the hospital on Tuesday. While details of one were duly recorded in the register, the report related to Raghbir was incomplete.
He said the bureau arrested assistant district attorney Sher Singh posted in the Haryana Urban Development Authority while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 3,000 on April 17. Similarly, Nain tehsildar Deep Chand of Rewari was wanted in a bribery case in which a petition writer had been arrested. Noorudin was today remanded in police custody for two days.

Women forced to beg in Saudi Arabia by her husband

Nishat Ajij, a doctorate in Urdu and PG in journalism, has alleged that she was forced to beg in Saudi Arabia by her husband Mirza Adnan Baig and his family.
31 -year old Nishat was taken for ride by her husband who introduced himself as an assistant manager in seven star hotel in Saudi Arabia to impress her though he was merely a driver.
These are the revelations made by Nishat in an exclusive interview in Jaipur on Thursday.
She said “ I have filed a petition in the session court of Tasmin Khan against my husband who forced me to beg during my Haj pilgrimage at Makka in Saudi Arabia .I was given some empty polythene bags to collect the offerings from the pilgrims and survive on it.No money was given to me by my in- laws and husband.”
“I was shocked to know that my husband is not well educated and he is simply a driver in the hotel though he had given his designation as an assistant manager with annual package of Rs 3.75 lakh,” she said.
Nishat’s counsel Ajay Jain said “ the judge has passed an interim order and asked Baig to pay Rs ten thousand per month as maintenance charges to my client -Nishat.”
He said “ I had pleaded in the court that Baig’s family committed atrocities on my client and locked his flat in Jaipur which had left her without a shelter.”
Nishat got married to Baig on May 2,2006 in Jaipur and went to Saudi Arabia on Oct 2006 to stay with the family which has been residing there since past 45 years.
She said “ I regret that I could not cross check my husband’s credentials prior to my marriage which has ruined my life.”
Sunita Chaturvedi ,a local journalist said “Nishat held the post of joint secretary of Rajasthan media women’s group and I had advised her not to accept a marriage proposal from a person whom you do not know .but destiny did not favour her and she went ahead with her plan."
"we feel sorry for her as end of the marriage is unfortunate and it has completely shattered her,” she said.
A senior advocate Usman Khan said that he had tried to settle the dispute between two families through dialogue but in vain.
He said “I know them hence I tried for reconciliation. I also talked to Baig’s grand father Gulam Mustafa in Saudi Arabia who vehemently denied all the allegations levelled by Nishat against her husband.”

He blows balloons from his ears

Yes, we all know that ears are meant for hearing. But exceptions prove the rule. In this case, Sanjay Sharma, 34, is proving that ears can also be used for blowing balloons and taking showers.
"It's all a result of yoga. I practice yoga and do exercises every day in the morning," says Sharma.
Two years back, while taking a bath in the local river Banas, Sharma decided he wanted to use his ears to sprinkle out water. So he blocked his nose and mouth and used a yoga technique to exhale.
And hey presto! A spurt of water came out of his ears. Later, he tried the same technique for blowing up balloons and eventually succeeded.
"I saw a boy blowing up a motorcycle tube through his mouth on a local news channel. I thought of doing something unique too and started trying to blow up a balloon from my ears - and I did it," Sharma, a resident of Badliyas village in Bhilwara district over 250 km from Jaipur, said.
"After six months of practice I did the same in front of my friend and he was very surprised," he added.
Sharma has yet not publicised his skill or given any public demonstration. But he generally does it for people who agree to buy him plenty of sweets, especially milk cake, which he likes the most.
Sanjay normally uses a small plastic pipe to blow up the balloons. One end of the pipe is fixed into the balloon, while the other end is fixed to his ear.
After blocking his nose and mouth he pumps air in the balloon through his ears. He takes 5-7 minutes to blow the balloon properly.
Sanjay is the son of Bhanwar Lal Sharma who is a physical training instructor in a local school. He has participated in state level football competitions and also represented the state in a cycling competition.

WEDDING BELLS OF ASH & ABHI

A man plays shehnai near the sand sculpture of actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai made by Sudarshan Pattnaik at Puri beach on Thursday.

Spiders discover joy of sex

In a first in the annals of animal evolution, tiny spider relatives have rediscovered the capability to mate, that their arachnid ancestors had long lost. There are 45 known species of these spider relatives, mites known as Crotoniidae, which are roughly the size of a pin head, at 1.5 millimeters across. The Crotoniidae reproduce by having sex, which wouldn't be too strange except that they are very similar physically to Camisiidae, a family of some 80 mite species that all reproduce asexually via parthenogenesis, in which females give birth to young without having sex with males. Evolutionary biologist Katja Domes at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany and her colleagues examined genetic sequences in two Crotoniidae species and a diverse range of 13 other mite species. Their calculations show the sexual Crotoniidae evolved from the asexual Camisiidae, the first known reversal to sexuality from asexuality within the animal kingdom. (The only other known such reversal is a plant, the mouseear hawkweed.) The Crotoniidae and the Camisiidae are types of mites known as oribatids, where parthenogenesis is unusually widespread, seen in nearly one-tenth of the roughly 10,000 known oribatid species. Scientists know many parthenogenetic oribatids produce rare, sterile males, suggesting the ability to produce functional males was preserved but "dormant" in the Camisiidae and reactivated in the Crotoniidae. When it comes to why the Crotoniidae regained sexuality, Domes noted these mites often colonise trees. Tree-dwelling oribatids are nearly all sexual, while soil-dwelling oribatids such as Camisiidae are predominantly parthenogenetic. If plenty of resources are available over a long time to a species, as they are with soil-dwelling mites, parthenogenesis seems to be favored, Domes said. On the other hand, an environment with fewer resources and more enemies, such as one that tree-dwellers face, "could have caused the return to sexual reproduction in the Crotoniidae and may also be an explanation for the origin of sex in the first place," she said

Likely menopause aids: Walking, yoga

Women who engage in physical activities such as walking and yoga may be able to reduce some of the physical and emotional problems that can come with menopause, researchers say.Writing in the April issue of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, the researchers say they found improvements in women described as having been sedentary before the study.

The research was led by Steriani Elavsky of Penn State University.For the study, the researchers took 164 women and divided them into three groups. For four months, one group walked, one did yoga and one remained inactive.Menopause, and sometimes the years before and after it, can be accompanied by hot flashes, night sweats, irritability and emotional problems. In some studies, menopausal women who reported being physically active seemed to have fewer problems.In this study, the women taking part in the walking and yoga programs also said the problems associated with menopause decreased and their overall quality of life improved. "Interestingly," the researchers said, "yoga participants also appeared to benefit in the sexual domain."

Pounding waves

A young boy reacts as pounding waves from high tide smash into the seawall at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire on Tuesday. A nor'easter left a swath of devastation from the beaches of South Carolina to the mountains of Maine, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people.

Gere-Shilpa on-stage kiss evokes protests

Richard Gere's on-stage kissing and hugging of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty during an AIDS awareness function here triggered a plethora of protests in several towns on Monday against the "obscene" act, with some people even burning effigies of the Hollywood star.
The function, organised on Sunday evening at the Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar here, saw Gere, Shilpa and brawny Bollywood actor Sunny Deol participating in the programme to raise AIDS awareness among the trucker community.
While celebrating the 'Seena Taan Ke' event to highlight the contribution of truckers and the importance of safe sex practices, Gere, overwhelmed by Shilpa's appreciation, held her hand and kissed it. He later hugged her tightly, bent over her and planted several kisses on her cheeks in full public view.
A giggly and embarrassed Shilpa said: "Yeh thoda zyada ho gaya tha (This was a little too much)."
The kissing episode has raised the hackles of several conservative groups, with reports of protests coming in from Kanpur, Varanasi (both in Uttar Pradesh) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Jaipur.
"This is an intolerable and obscene act. It is against the values, culture and traditions of the nation. Gere must apologise," said a protester at Indore.
"This act has hurt the sentiments of people. This should not have happened publicly," said another protester. People came out on the streets in hundreds to protest and burned the effigies of Gere. They are demanding that he apologise to Shilpa and the country.
In the HIV-AIDS programme, organised by the Transport Corporation of India (TCI) Foundation, the social arm of Group Transport Corporation of India and the Hero Project, Shilpa had lavished praise on Gere just before the kissing episode took place.
"I thank Gere that he took out time to visit India. It is appreciable to see how intensely he feels for this issue. And we all must recognise his efforts and give our contribution in the best possible way, for this great cause," she said, addressing the crowds.
Shilpa had made international headlines a few months ago when British TV star Jade Goody hurled racist abuses at her on the reality show Celebrity Big Brother.
Dale Bhagwagar, spokesperson and publicist to Shilpa, said the media should concentrate on the cause of AIDS awareness rather than make an issue out of Richard Gere's kisses.
Gere has been associated with the Heroes project - a three-year national initiative by him and Parmeshwar Godrej - that aims at reducing the stigma about HIV/AIDS by educating people and advocating behavioural change.
According to the TCI foundation, 40 percent of the country's five million truck drivers are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

Ash-Abhi wedding

The Bachchans have left no stone unturned as far as the security for the Abhi-Ash wedding is concerned. Security arrangements will be all- encompassing across the areas covering Jasla and Pratiksha, and the 10th Road of JVPD scheme. Hi-tech electronic equipment have been installed and besides this exceptional security surveillance, not less than 300 security guards will be on their toes for the sake of top-notch political and social glitterati who will be attending India's most publicised wedding this year. The kadak bandobast is a given considering the who's who of India's political and social arena will be attending the wedding. Reveals a top police official (who's identity has been kept confidential on his request) "There will be a host of A-listers from the political and social arena but only Balasaheb Thackeray and Mulayam Singh Yadav will be allowed their personal security." The issue at the hand now is whether the 10th road will be open for traffic on the wedding day. There might be strong opposition from the public for doing this since such an arrangement is technically illegal.

This teacher not fit to be in service

A teacher found misbehaving with a girl student of an engineering college when assigned the duty of her guardian in hospital during her illness was not found to be fit to continue in the service by the Supreme Court. It also set aside an order for his restoration on the job.
The court took note of the girl’s statement on how the behaviour of the teacher had traumatised her after he became physical with her in the garb of providing her solace during her illness in spite of her repeated protests and preventing him from doing so by a fellow student.
The judgement was delivered by a Bench of Justices A.K. Mathur and Lokeshwar Singh Panta 14 years after the incident that took place in March, 1993.
“I did not like his behaviour. I remained in mental tension for many months. Whenever I think about this incident, I felt uncomfortable and hated myself. I am unable to bear this tension,” said the victimised girl in her statement as recorded in the judgement written by Justice Panta for the Bench.
Setting aside the order of the Allahabad High Court, which restored the service of L.M. Upadhyay, mathematics lecturer of Kumaon Engineering College in Uttarakhand, the apex court said the impugned verdict was not “legal and justified”.
Though Upadhyay had resigned from the service after the incident came to light, fearing condemnation, he later moved the high court, taking a plea that he was forced to resign under duress by the Principal.
The court took into account the reports of the Dean, Students Welfare (DSW), and magisterial inquiry against the teacher.

India successfully test fires N- capable AGNI 111

India on Thursday test fired its nuclear capable 3,000 km intermediate range ballistic missile Agni-III from the Interim Test Range (ITR) at the Wheeler's Island in the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast.
Minutes after the launch Defence Ministry said that the test fire was successful.
The indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile, blasted off at 10.52 am from a fixed platform with the help of an auto launcher in the launch complex-4 of the ITR, located about 72 km from here, Defence sources said.
The sleek missile vertically roared into the clear sky leaving behind a thick column of white and yellow smoke, eyewitness accounts said.

'The Tudors'

In the first episode, King Henry VIII, the young and ambitious monarch of England, prepares for war with France but is dissuaded by the diplomatic manipulation of his powerful Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, who proposes that the King sponsor a "Treaty of Universal Peace." The harmony of the King's domestic affairs is threatened, however, when he discovers that Elizabeth Blount, the young and beautiful lady-in-waiting to his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, is pregnant with his child.

Delhii Heights

Abi [Jimmy Shergill] and Suhana [Neha Dhupia] are a newly-wed couple who live in a building complex called Delhii Heights. They work for rival companies. In the same society live Timmy [Om Puri], his wife Ruby [Kamini Khana] and their daughter Sweety. Abi’s friend Bobby [Rohit Roy] and his wife Saima [Simone Singh] also live in the same complex.
Then there is Lucky [Vivek Shauq], a cricket bookie, a hilarious character in itself. Also, there are four boys, residents of Delhii Heights, who keep running after girls and pulling each others' legs.
The material hasn’t been explored to the optimum. An exciting screenplay would’ve only taken the graph of the film upwards. Also, a number of scenes are unnecessary and seem forced in the narrative. The writing lacks vision.
Jimmy Shergill is a complete natural. Neha Dhupia evidently seems conscious of the camera at all times, and Rohit Roy manages to emote.
Music [Rabbi Shergill] is pleasant. ‘Tere Bin’ is the best track of the enterprise; its one number you carry home after the show has concluded. Cinematography is striking. Dialogues don’t leave much of an impact.
Overall, Delhii Heights, a movie which you won’t enjoy...

Muslims no longer minority in UP, rules HC

In a landmark judgement, the Allahabad High Court on Thursday held that Muslims cannot be treated as a religious minority anymore in Uttar Pradesh. Justice S N Srivastava gave the ruling after considering various criteria including the population of Muslims as enumerated in the census reports of 1951 and 2001. The judgment, which is likely to cause polarisation among political parties, comes two days ahead of the first phase of the crucial Assembly elections in UP starting on Saturday. The court said the UP government should treat members of the Muslim community as equal to those belonging to the non-minority communities without discrimination in accordance with law. The judgment was given on a writ petition filed by a madarssa of Ghazipur district, challenging out-of-turn grant-in-aid to certain other minority institutions. The court also asked the UP government to treat all Muslim institutions applying for grant-in-aid at par with non-minority institutions without any discrimination

‘Namastey London’

The intrinsic message of ‘Namastey London’ is that true love means giving, rather than demanding. The movie’s protagonist Arjun (Akshay Kumar) is the embodiment of this.
Jazz (Katrina Kaif) is a brat, born and brought up in Phoren. She thinks partying and drinking in pubs is all that there is to life. Here, Papa Manmohan Singh (Rishi Kapoor) enters the scene and demystifies the generation gap. Now, Papa takes Jazz on a joy ride to India where he forcefully makes her marry apna desi munda Arjun (Akshay). Later she educates dad that this wedding does not stand a chance to be authenticated in UK, reason she likes someone else (Clyde Stenden).
Arjun takes the whole movie on his swing in the second half as he applies a simple strategy to win back Katrina. The character does not do anything extraordinary which makes it even more believable (Ajay Devgan of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). The movie draws sympathy to all its characters in pieces. Initially, people feel for Jazz aka Jasmeet (Katrina Kaif), then towards Arjun (Akshay Kumar), Manmohan Singh (Rishi Kapoor) etc.
NAMASTEY LONDON fits the description of a true-blue Hindi film to the T. Writer Suresh Nair’s screenplay is most convincing, the writing is foolproof, with no loose ends. Only thing, while the first hour moves at a lightening pace, the pace drops in the second half. In fact, minimal trimming in the post-interval portions would only make the narrative tighter. Another aspect that might curtail its prospects [at smaller centres mainly] is the generous usage of English language at vital points.
Himesh Reshammiya’s music is excellent. The tunes come instantly on your lips and what elevates the songs are its picturization. ‘Chakna Chakna’ and ‘Dilruba’ are compositions that merit a mention. Jonathan Bloom’s cinematography is exceptional. The D.O.P. does complete justice to the stunning locales of U.K. as also the lush green fields of Punjab. Dialogues [Ritesh Shah, Suresh Nair] are natural to the core.
Akshay Kumar certainly leaves his mark throughout the flick. One of the coolest performances of the star. Katrina justifies her role, duly because of the accent she carries. She authentic for the part she's playing. Rishi Kapoor has reinvented himself. Clye Stenden too plays his part with utmost ease.Upen Patel is getting better and better. Surprisingly, Riteish has done maximum justice to his special appearance.

Chappell's farewell party will have to wait

The Indian cricket board will give a farewell party to coach Greg Chappell, a top official said here on Thursday. But the party will have to wait for a while as the Australian is taking a flight out of the country on Friday.
Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said a decision to this effect would be taken at the working committee here on Saturday.
"The farewell cannot happen now as he is leaving India tomorrow. But it will be given the next time he is here," Shah said. "We will take a formal decision on this at the working committee here on Saturday."
Chappell resigned on Wednesday on completion of his tumultuous two-year contract with the BCCI, ending with India's exit from the World Cup in the West Indies recently.
There is a precedent of giving farewell to the national coach. Chappell's predecessor John Wright the first foreign coach of the Indian team was presented a handcrafted crystal bar set when he was leaving in April 2005.
The idea of gifting the bar set, which cost nearly Rs.60,000 had come from then Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and current skipper Rahul Dravid, who played key roles in getting him the job.
But now, it is highly unlikely that the players will come forward with a similar move, given their allegedly acrimonious relationship with Chappell, who is a former Australia captain.
During Chappell's stint, India played 62 One-day Internationals, won 32 and lost 27. Three matches ended in a no result. In Tests India did better. They played 18 matches, won seven, lost four and drew seven.