Paris, Nov 1 (IANS) World No.2 Roger Federer was stunned at the BNP Paribas Masters quarterfinals here by Canada’s sole representative in ATP rankings top 10, Milos Raonic while Briton Andy Murray too exited the tennis tournament.“I’m accepting this defeat,” said the former top-ranked Swiss, who Friday night lost in straight sets to miss the 2,884,675 euros event’s semifinals, reports Xinhua.Raonic, 23, fired 21 aces in a 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over the 33-year-old Federer, who led 6-0 in all of their previous encounters.“This was the biggest win for...
Friday, October 31, 2014
Catalonia unruffled by Spanish challenge to independence vote
Madrid, Nov 1 (IANS/EFE) Artur Mas, leader of the regional administration in Catalonia, said that he plans to press ahead with a symbolic vote on independence despite a fresh legal challenge from the Spanish government.Mas originally planned a formal independence referendum Nov 9, but Spain’s Constitutional Court effectively blocked it by agreeing to hear the central government’s motion against the plebiscite.Mas then changed tactics, by presenting an informal ‘citizen participation process’ that would exclude the use of official voter rolls.The...
'Garm Hawa' to re-release on Children's Day
New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) M.S. Sathyu’s National Award winning movie “Garm Hawa”, which was India’s entry for the Academy Awards in the best foreign film, will re-release across theatres in select Indian cities Nov 14.PVR Director’s Rare will release the movie, digitally restored by Indikino Edutainment, in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad.Sathyu is “touched” by the gesture.“The film tells a tale of the troubled times when the Partition ran family-deep. Showcasing this film to the people today will help bring about an empathetic...
US praises Cuba's contribution in fight against Ebola
New York, Nov 1 (IANS/EFE) US Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, praised Cuba’s contribution to the fight against Ebola in West Africa, and said that her country is very grateful.“Although I did not encounter them personally, I have to commend Cuba for sending 265 medical professionals to the affected countries so quickly,” said Power, who recently returned from a trip to Africa, during a Reuters Newsmaker panel discussion in New York Friday.“We are working side by side, as it were,” the diplomat said, though adding that the US and Cuban efforts...
One dies as spacecraft explodes in US
San Francisco, Nov 1 (IANS/EFE) One person was killed and another badly injured when Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo exploded over southern California’s Mojave Desert after takeoff on a test flight, the California Highway Patrol said.The spacecraft normally flies with two pilots.“During the test, the vehicle suffered a serious anomaly resulting in the loss of SpaceShipTwo,” Virgin Galactic said on Twitter Friday.The company said it was working with authorities to determine the cause of the accident.NBC News said witnesses saw at least one person...
Britain to repay part of First World War debt
London, Oct 31 (IANS) British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne Friday announced that the British government will pay off part of the country’s First World War debt as part of the redemption of bonds stretching as far back as the 18th century.The Treasury will redeem 218 million pounds ($350 million) of debt from the 4 percent Consolidated Loan Feb 1, 2015, Xinhua reported citing a British government statement.The so-called “4 percent Consols” was first issued by then British chancellor of the exchequer Winston Churchill in 1927, partly...
When Pierce Brosnan tried being Cary Grant
Los Angeles, Oct 31 (IANS) Hollywood star Pierce Brosnan has shared that he studied Cary Grant’s movies very carefully to get inspiration in the initial years of his career.The former “James Bond” actor made the revelation in an interview to Loaded magazine, reports contactmusic.com.“The first audition I went on was for (the 1982 US TV series) ‘Remington Steele’, and I got the job. And I had no idea what to do. Bob Butler was the director, and he said, ‘It’s an old movie.’ So I looked at Cary Grant movies and tried to be Cary Grant,” Brosnan said.He...
Congress central leadership does not consult state unit: Gnanadesikan
Chennai, Oct 31 (IANS) A day after resigning as Congress’ Tamil Nadu unit chief, B.S. Gnanadesikan Friday charged the party high command with not consulting the state leadership on party issues.Speaking to reporters here, Gnanadesikan, who Thursday sent in his resignation “to enable the leadership reconstitute a new state unit”, said the party high command does not consult the state unit on any party related matters.He also attacked the decision to remove the pictures of late party leaders K.Kamaraj and G.K.Moopanar from party membership cards.“Only...
Assam bandh: Normal life hit; over 70 detained, released
Guwahati, Oct 31 (IANS) Normal life was affected across Assam Friday in the wake of a Bajrang Dal-sponsored 12-hour dawn-to-dusk bandh to press for the arrest of AIUDF chief Badaruddin Ajmal, ban on the party and sealing of madrassas in the state.Police said over 70 bandh supporters were detained all over the state for trying to enforce the bandh. All the detainees, including popular Assamese singer Krishnamoni Chutia, were, however, released later.There were a few incidents where bandh supporters took to the streets and prevented movement of people...
Only 5 km road built in Gurgaon in 10 years: Haryana minister
Gurgaon, Oct 31 (IANS) Only 5 km of new roads were built in Gurgaon in the 10-year rule of the Congress, Public Work Department and Public Health Engineering Minister Rao Narbir Singh told media after his first meeting with Gurgaon administrative officials.“I was surprised to know that just 5 km of new roads were built in Gurgaon district during last decade. It is on the official record,” Singh said.The BJP’s first ever chief minister in Haryana, Manohar Lal and his nine ministers took oath of office Oct 26.Earlier, Singh had asked all officials...
New computerised driving-testing system to eliminate corruption
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) A camera-based innovative driving testing system that will ensure a technology-oriented assessment of the driving quality of license-seekers without human intervention will be inaugurated by union Road Transport, Highways & Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari in Pune Saturday.This technology at the Institute of Driving Training & Research (IDTR) will enable promotion of a corruption-free platform for granting driving licenses and selection of drivers, ensuring the applicant’s quality.The camera-based system has been...
Sensex, Nifty touch record highs for second consecutive day (Roundup)
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Friday touched a record high of 27,894.32 points, surpassing previous high of 27,390.60 points hit Thursday.Good buying was observed in capital goods, banking, auto, oil and gas, healthcare, metal and IT, while selling pressure was seen in consumer durables sector.The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 27,439.06 points, closed trade at 27,865.83 points, up 519.50 points or 1.90 percent from the previous day’s close at 27,346.33...
Punjab to promote tourism along Shivalik hills
Chandigarh, Oct 31 (IANS) To exploit the tourism potential of sub-mountain regions of Shivalik hills along its border with Himachal Pradesh, the Punjab government Friday announced the setting up of the Shivalik (Dhauladhar) Tourism Development Board.Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal will head the board.“There is ample scope for development of religious-cultural tourism sites into live spaces in the state. Punjab will not only attract tourists from within the country and abroad but also attract investors and hence increase revenue and economic...
Court reserves order in Musharraf's high treason case
Islamabad, Oct 31 (IANS) A special court here Friday reserved judgement on dismissing the high treason case against Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf and others till Nov 21.A three-judge bench headed by Justice Faisal Arab resumed hearing of the case earlier in the day during which Musharraf’s counsel Farogh Naseem submitted a rejoinder in the court, Geo News reported.A cutting of former Punjab governor Khalid Maqbool’s statement published in Daily Dunya newspaper was also presented before the Bench in which he had mentioned that everyone...
Pune FC down Churchill 3-0 in Durand Cup
Raia (Goa), Oct 31 (IANS) I-league side Pune FC began their Durand Cup campaign in style with a comfortable 3-0 win over Churchill Brothers SC in a Group IV quarter-final stage match of the 127th Durand Cup here Friday.Goals from mid-fielders Dhanpal Ganesh (7th minute), Arata Izumi (51st) and substitute striker Thongkhosiem Haokip (65th) handed coach Karim Bencherifa a convincing win in his first competitive game in charge at the Raia Sports Complex. Tuff Laxmi Prasad SC is the other team in the group.But it wasn’t all rosy for Pune as their goalkeeper...
Fadnavis sworn in as Maharashtra CM, nine ministers also take oath
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in as the chief minister of the first BJP government of Maharashtra at a gala public function here Friday.Nine other ministers also took the oath.Maharashtra Governor C. V. Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy to Fadnavis (44) and the others at a glittering ceremony in the sprawling Wankhede Stadium witnessed by over 30,000 people.Present on the historic occasion were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, business tycoons, film personalities, sportspersons...
test New Zealand PM invites Indian cricket fans to 2015 World Cup
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) With 100 days to go before the commencement of the 2015 ICC World Cup, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key Friday invited Indian cricket fans to visit his country during the Feb 14-March 29 event, to be co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.Key tweeted a link that had New Zealand cricket legend Richard Hadlee inviting Indian travellers to visit their country during the mega event in an official welcome video.Hadlee is the countrys brand ambassador for the sporting extravaganza.The upcoming cricket World Cup 2015 to be co-hosted...
This is testing Israels Temple Mount reopens amid tension
London, Oct 31 (IANS) Israeli police Friday reopened a key Jerusalem holy site after its closure amid tension following the shooting of a Jewish activist.The Temple Mount or al-Haram al-Sharif was reopened ahead of Muslim Friday prayers, but with restrictions on worshippers as a security measure, BBC reported.Entry was restricted to men over 50.On Thursday night, hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of Motaz Hijazi amid a heavy police presence.The burial passed off without incident, police said.Hijazi, 32, was shot after opening fire when...
This is testing Israels Temple Mount reopens amid tension
London, Oct 31 (IANS) Israeli police Friday reopened a key Jerusalem holy site after its closure amid tension following the shooting of a Jewish activist.The Temple Mount or al-Haram al-Sharif was reopened ahead of Muslim Friday prayers, but with restrictions on worshippers as a security measure, BBC reported.Entry was restricted to men over 50.On Thursday night, hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of Motaz Hijazi amid a heavy police presence.The burial passed off without incident, police said.Hijazi, 32, was shot after opening fire when...
India to launch electronic toll collection at 350 highway plazas: Minister
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Launching an electronic toll collection (ETC) system for the Delhi-Mumbai highway, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari Friday said such a facility will be extended to as many as 350 plazas by the end of next year.“In the coming time, this system will get revolutionalised. This is our step towards a digital India. I have given orders that before March, there should be over 350 such tolls,” the minister said at an event here to launch the project.“This will help in savings of as much as Rs.27,000 crore due to delays caused at...
Israels Temple Mount reopens amid tension
London, Oct 31 (IANS) Israeli police Friday reopened a key Jerusalem holy site after its closure amid tension following the shooting of a Jewish activist.The Temple Mount or al-Haram al-Sharif was reopened ahead of Muslim Friday prayers, but with restrictions on worshippers as a security measure, BBC reported.Entry was restricted to men over 50.On Thursday night, hundreds of people gathered for the funeral of Motaz Hijazi amid a heavy police presence.The burial passed off without incident, police said.Hijazi, 32, was shot after opening fire when...
President asks NITs to adopt villages
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee has asked each of the 30 National Institutes of Technology (NITs) to adopt five villages and turn them into model ones – on the lines of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.He was speaking at a two-day conference of directors of National Institutes of Technology at Rashtrapati Bhavan here Thursday.Mukherjee said he noticed that NIT Jamshedpur was already working with seven villages, NIT Uttarakhand with 20 and NIT Jaipur with five.He said villages can be transformed...
Fadnavis is first BJP CM of Maharashtra
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in as the chief minister of the first BJP government of Maharashtra at a gala public function here Friday.Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao administered the oath of office and secrecy to Fadnavis, 44, at a ceremony in Wankhede Stadium witnessed by over 30,000 people.Present on the occasion were Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, business tycoons, film personalities, sportspersons and celebrities. Fadnavis is first BJP CM of Maharash...
Posco not to quit Odisha project
Bhubaneswar, Oct 31 (IANS) South Korean steel major Posco Friday said it would not pull out of its Rs.52,000-crore steel project at Jagatsinghpur in Odisha.“We are waiting for 10 years. We wouldn’t quit. No, never,” Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Posco India Gee Woong Sung told media persons here.The Posco CMD met Chief Secretary Gokul Pati at the state secretariat here and discussed various issues, including land transfer, in order to expedite work on its proposed mega steel plant near Paradip.The meeting was attended by steel and mines...
Daylight saving risk to diabetics?
New York, Oct 31 (IANS) The twice annual ritual of setting clocks for daylight saving time can affect diabetics adversely, especially those who use insulin pumps.“Some diabetes patients who use insulin pumps may forget to change the clock that is found in these devices,” said Saleh Aldasouqi, associate professor of medicine at Michigan State University in the US.“Forgetting to change the time can result in insulin dosing errors that can be harmful,” Aldasouqi added.Daylight saving time or summer time is the practice of advancing clocks by an hour...
When Sadhil took tips from Manish Paul
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Child star Sadhil Kapoor will play host to TV star Manish Paul on the “Captain Tiao” show. He also learned some hosting tricks from his celebrity guest.Manish will be seen at his comical best in the episode of the chat show.Sadhil, who has been hosting “Captain Tiao” for a year now, got to learn the secret of good hosting from Manish who has hosted shows like “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa” and “India’s Got Talent”, read a statement.From hosting reality shows to making a career in acting, Manish will be seen answering the little host.The...
'The Shaukeens' not a 'sleazy comedy'
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Veteran actors Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor and Piyush Mishra are seen chasing young girls in their forthcoming offering “The Shaukeens”, but they refuse to tag it as a cheap comedy.“It is not a sleazy comedy. There are no double meaning dialogues of the film and you can watch the film with family. The treatment is simply comedy. In the end of the film, there is a message also that men shouldn’t be like this,” Piyush told reporters here Friday.Helmed by “Tere Bin Laden” director Abhishek Sharma, “The Shaukeens” also stars Lisa...
Can holidays happen without smartphones?
Washington, Oct 31 (IANS) If you are planning your next holiday, apart from your passport and travel money, do not forget to carry your smartphone with you.A research shows that 69 percent of Britons are unable to go on holiday without their smartphones.Moreover, a third of those surveyed actually used their smartphones more when they travel than they do at home.“While 89 percent take their smartphones away with them, 90 percent say that they feel that keeping devices with them on holiday actually enhances their travel experience,” said a survey...
Sena to attend Fadnavis' swearing-in, after all
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) In a last-minute development, the Shiv Sena has called off its planned boycott of chief minister-designate Devendra Fadnavis’ gala swearing-in ceremony here, a party official said here Friday afternoon.Accordingly, the top Sena leadership, including party president Uddhav Thackeray, senior leaders, legislators and parliamentarians are expected to attend the oath-taking ceremony at Wankhede Stadium Friday.The development followed a telephonic talk between Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah and Uddhav Thackeray a short...
21 IS fighters killed in US-led airstrikes in Syria
Damascus, Oct 31 (IANS) Twenty one Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in US-led airstrikes against the Sunni radical group’s positions in the predominantly Kurdish town of Kobane on the Syrian-Turkish border, a monitoring group said Friday.An IS commander and a Danish IS fighter were among those killed, Xinhua reported citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.The US-led anti-terror coalition has recently focused its strikes against the IS positions in Kobane, also known as Ayn al-Arab, to keep the group from capturing that strategic...
Gadkari to attend Nepal Infrastructure Summit
Kathmandu, Oct 31 (IANS) India’s Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Jairam Gadkari will deliver the inaugural speech in the first ever Nepal Infrastructure Summit-2014 in Kathmandu Nov 11.The summit, organised by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), will be held here Nov 11-12 with more than 400 investors, policy makers, government officials, architects and engineers participating.Diplomats, representatives of real state development companies, banks and financial institutions, and educational and research institutions from...
15 killed in Turkey road accident
Ankara, Oct 31 (IANS) At least 15 people were killed and 28 injured in a road accident in Turkey Friday.The mishap occurred in Isparta province, Hurriyet news reported.The bus was carrying a group of workers, mostly women, employed in an apple plantation near Yalvac district, officials said.Many of the injured are in serious condition.According to investigators, the accident is believed to have been caused by brake failure.The bus first crashed into a wall on the roadside before falling into a ditch. 15 killed in Turkey road accid...
President pays homage to Sardar Patel
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee Friday paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the occasion of his 139th birth anniversary.Mukherjee paid floral tributes to Patel at Rashtrapati Bhavan.On the occasion, the president also flagged off the ‘Run for Unity’ from the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.The run saw participation by around 2,000 residents and staff of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President’s Bodyguard, the Army Guard, ITBP and the Delhi Police.Patel was born Oct 31, 1875. President pays homage to Sardar Pa...
Neera: farmers' lucky charm, drinkers' delight
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 31 (IANS) After waiting in the wings for long, thanks to bureaucratic delays, neera, a coconut water-based non-alcoholic drink, appears to have finally come of age and is all set to become the coconut farmers’ lucky charm and the drinkers’ delight.Tapped from the bunches on coconut trees, neera is sweet and a proven health drink, while toddy, also from the same source, has an alcohol content of five to eight percent. Hence there was a long delay in rewriting the excise rules for neera.In simple terms, the difference between...
'The Best Of Me' an ideal date film (IANS Movie Review)
Film: “The Best Of Me”; Cast: James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke Bracey, Liana Liberato, Caroline Goodall, Sebastian Arcelus, Gerald McRaney; Director: Michael Hoffman; Rating: ***Do you believe in the stars, romance and second chances in life? If you do, then this film is for you.The story captures the enduring power of true love and the wrenching choices one faces when confronted with second chances.Based on the novel of the same name by Nicolas Spark, “The Best Of Me” is the elusive love story of star-crossed lovers, Dawson Cole and Amanda...
New twist to Goa's peculiar 'dual nationality' issue
Panaji, Oct 31 (IANS) Portugal’s new consul general in Goa has given a new spin to the simmering row on the eligibility of indigenous Goans for Portuguese nationality, an issue that has forced the state government to approach the central government for help.On a day when Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar attended a meeting at the home ministry in Delhi seeking a ‘dual nationality-type’ for thousands of Goans who have opted for Portuguese nationality under Portuguese laws for some of its former colonies, Rui Caravalho Baceira told IANS that the...
Toddlers copy peers to fit in, apes don't
London, Oct 31 (IANS) The tendency to adjust behaviour and preferences just to fit in a group or community appears in children at an age as early as two years — but not so in our close relatives like chimpanzees and orangutans, a new research shows.“Our research shows that children as young as two years of age conform to others, while chimpanzees and orangutans instead prefer to stick with what they know,” said lead researcher Daniel Haun from Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.The researchers earlier found that...
Technology to improve dog-human relationship
New York, Oct 31 (IANS) If a dog is a friend to some, it could be a guide to others and thanks to a new high-tech harness equipped with a suite of technologies, dog lovers can now track the physical and emotional stress of their pets and send appropriate signals to them.“We have developed a platform for computer-mediated communication between humans and dogs that opens the door to new avenues for interpreting dogs’ behavioural signals and sending them clear and unambiguous cues in return,” said co-lead author David Roberts from North Carolina State...
Radcliffe's favourite 'Harry Potter' character? Sirius Black
Los Angeles, Oct 31 (IANS) Actor Daniel Radcliffe finds Sirius Black as his favourite character from the popular film franchise “Harry Potter”, which made him a global star.The 25-year-old actor says that while he always liked the character, it was actor Gary Oldman’s portrayal of him in the movie which made him feel all the more enamoured with it.During a chat on Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) App, Radcliffe was asked to name his favourite “Harry Potter” character, reports contactmusic.com.He replied: “Probably Sirius. Like I always loved the character,...
Selflessness is gift of motherhood: Olivia Wilde
Los Angeles, Oct 31 (IANS) Actress Olivia Wilde’s priorities have changed ever since she has become a mother. She says selflessness is a quality that comes naturally once a woman delivers a child.The 30-year-old gave birth to her first baby, boy Otis, with fiance Jason Sudeikis in April.“The amazing thing about becoming a parent is that you will never again be your own first priority,” Wilde said at an event here, reports eonline.com.“The gift of motherhood is the selflessness that it introduces you to, and I think that’s really freeing. And in...
Austrian cyclist sets new world hour record
Paris, Oct 31 (IANS) Matthias Brandle of Austria set a new cycling world hour record with his 51.85-km effort, adding more than 700 metres to the old mark set by Germany’s Jens Voigt last month.Brandle, three-time Austrian time-trial champion, set the new record at Switzerland’s Aigle velodrome Thursday, reports Xinhua.“I knew after 30 minutes that I was going to succeed,” said the 24-year-old.“The first minutes were easy and then I wanted to go a lot faster. Halfway through, things became more complicated and I started to feel pain.”“I am very...
Norway to send troops to Iraq
Oslo, Oct 31 (IANS) Norway announced that it will send 120 soldiers to Iraq.The soldiers will not “be in direct combat with the forces of the Islamic State (IS). They shall, instead, assist with capacity building of Iraqi security forces”, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said Thursday.Norwegian soldiers will be stationed in Erbil and provide counselling and support for Iraqi security forces in areas near Baghdad, Solberg said.Norwegian Defence Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said that the purpose of the contribution is to strengthen Iraq’s...
1984 riots a dagger through India's chest: Modi
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was “like a dagger pierced through India’s chest”.“Our own people were murdered, the attack was not on a particular community but on the entire nation. It was like a dagger pierced through India’s chest,” Modi said while referring to the riots in his address on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that is being observed as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’.“It is unfortunate that on the birth anniversary of the man who dedicated his life in uniting the...
China captures 180 economic crimes suspects abroad
Beijing, Oct 31 (IANS) China has captured 180 economic crime suspects abroad since a campaign began in July, the ministry of public security said Thursday.The suspects were apprehended in 40 countries and regions: 104 were arrested by the police and 76 returned to China to give themselves up. The number surpassed that of last year, Xinhua quoted the ministry as saying.A total of 44 among them are involved in economic cases worth of over 10 million yuan each, it added.China launched the Fox Hunt 2014 operation in July to “block the last route of...
Another Bangalore school girl raped, suspect arrested
Bangalore, Oct 31 (IANS) A physical training teacher at a private school was arrested Thursday for allegedly raping a six-year-old student twice this week, a police official said.“We have arrested the accused, Jaishankar, on a complaint by the victim’s parents that he had allegedly raped their young daughter twice in the school in Indirangar area,” Additional Commissioner of Police Alok Kumar told reporters.A criminal case was registered against Jaishankar under sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and section...
JK Laxmi Cement Q2 net profit soars 197 percent
New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) JK Laxmi Cement Thursday reported a 197 percent rise in net profit for the second quarter ended September at Rs.30.61 crore as against Rs.10.30 crore in the period July-September 2013 on the back of increased volumes.The company posted double digit growth of 11 percent and 13 percent in production and sales respectively in the quarter in question over the corresponding quarter over the previous year.Increased volume enabled the company to achieve sales of Rs.638.35 crore in July-September 2014 which is higher by 27 percent...
Soria named coach of Bolivian national team
La Paz (Bolivia), Oct 31 (IANS) The Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) has named Mauricio Soria as coach of the national football team for the 2014-2018 period.FBF head Alberto Lozada Thursday said Soria, who up to now served as interim coach, was chosen to lead the team to the 2015 Copa America in Chile, and the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, reports Xinhua.A pleased Soria told reporters, he would officially be team coach during Bolivia’s Nov 18 friendly against Venezuela.“I’m no longer going to head the team as interim coach, and...
Bollywood is getting more sophisticated: Hollywood's Michael Hoffman (IANS Interview)
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) Hollywood director Michael Hoffman says the Hindi film industry is not only finding space at international festivals but is also becoming more “sophisticated” while remaining rooted.“Bollywood is shifting and changing. Bollywood is getting more sophisticated and broader but still maintaining the roots of Indian cinema,” Hoffman, who is here to promote his movie “The Best of Me”, told IANS in an interview.“It’s getting more respect from all over the world, and even at the (international film) festivals it is making its place,”...
Union Carbide ex-chief Warren Anderson is dead
Washington, Oct 31 (IANS) Warren Anderson, who headed Union Carbide when a gas leak in its Bhopal pesticide plant killed thousands, is dead, the New York Times reported.Anderson died Sep 29 at a nursing home in Vero Beach, Florida, aged 92, the Times said. His death, not announced by his family, was confirmed from public records.Anderson flew to Bhopal four days after the world’s worst industrial disaster and was arrested. But after paying bail he left India and never returned to face trial.Indian authorities made multiple requests to extradite...
ICC chief greets Nepal, Uganda for moving up in world league
Dubai, Oct 31 (IANS) International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman N. Srinivasan Friday congratulated Nepal and Uganda for qualifying for ICC World Cricket League Division 2 (WCL Div.2), which will be played in Namibia Jan 17-24, 2015.Nepal and Uganda sealed their progression after reaching the final of Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 in Kuala Lumpur Thursday.In the final, Nepal defeated Uganda by 62 runs and the two sides will now join hosts Namibia, Canada, Kenya and the Netherlands in WCL Div.2.“The two finalists competed consistently...
Low key birthday celebrations for Chandy
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 31 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy celebrated a low-key 71st birthday Friday. He visited the church, heard people’s complaints and met school children.The morning began with the routine meeting with a crowd and discussing their problems.He also met school children from two local schools who greeted him with roses.“He is a person who does not believe in celebrations. After meeting people, he went to the state party headquarters to attend the commemoration meeting of (late prime minister) Indira Gandhi,” a close...
Austrian cyclist sets new world hour record
Paris, Oct 31 (IANS) Matthias Brandle of Austria set a new cycling world hour record with his 51.85-km effort, adding more than 700 metres to the old mark set by Germany’s Jens Voigt last month.Brandle, three-time Austrian time-trial champion, set the new record at Switzerland’s Aigle velodrome Thursday, reports Xinhua.“I knew after 30 minutes that I was going to succeed,” said the 24-year-old.“The first minutes were easy and then I wanted to go a lot faster. Halfway through, things became more complicated and I started to feel pain.”“I am very...
Australians looking for surrogate mothers in India denied visas
Canberra, Oct 31 (IANS) Childless Australian couples looking for surrogate mothers in India are being denied visas to enter the country, media reported Friday.Surrogacy advocates said India had effectively frozen out Australians from the surrogacy industry following recent revelations that a child was abandoned in India by an Australian couple, ABC reported.“India has put a freeze on all new applications for new intended Australian parents wanting to engage in surrogacy,” said Sam Everingham from Surrogacy Australia.He said couples trying to embark...
Australia, US lift sanctions imposed on Fiji
Canberra, Oct 31 (IANS) Australia and the US have lifted sanctions they imposed on Fiji after the 2006 coup, media reported Friday.Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop Friday began a two-day visit to Fiji, and expressed hope the two countries could begin a new and improved relationship together, Xinhua reported.Both Australia and the US imposed several sanctions on Fiji, mainly relating to visa restrictions, following the bloodless coup by former military commander Frank Bainimarama.Australia also withheld the sale of military equipment and...
Acting with one's wife even more exciting: Hiten Tejwani
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IANS) TV actor Hiten Tejwani is joining the cast of “Meri Aashiqui Tumse Hi”, which stars his wife and actress Gauri Pradhan Tejwani. He is “excited” to work with his real life partner in the show.Hiten and Gauri were the leading pair in “Kutumb”, which went on air in 2001, and after many years, they are sharing the screen space once again.“Any role for an actor is exciting, but acting with your (one’s) wife is even more exciting. We’ll be spending more time on the sets now. Earlier, we used to shoot on different locations, now...
Thursday, October 30, 2014
'Roar' - a bore you may abhor (IANS Movie Review - Rating: **1/2)
Film: “Roar – Tigers of the Sundarbans”; Cast: Abhinav Shukla, Achint Kaur, Nora Fatehi, Ali Quli Mirza and Subrat Dutta; Director: Kamal Sadanah; Rating: **1/2If you’re looking for a rewarding cinematic experience with a coherent plot and well-rounded characters, then “Roar” may just prove a bore that you’d probably abhor.But if you’re the sort (like me) who grants leeway to movies for stretching its neck out beyond the domain of the conventional, then “Roar” has quite some visual swagger and splendour to it.Consider this. It’s shot entirely in...
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