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Boeing shows off Poseidon, India is first Global buyer
India will be the first international customer of the Boeing P-8I Poseidon, a variant of the P-8A Poseidon, US Navy's newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft showcased by the Boeing Company.
Ceremonially rolled out on Thursday at the Boeing facility in Renton, Washington, the P-8A, a derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations.
"The P-8A Poseidon will equip the US Navy with the most advanced multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft in the world," said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Integrated Defence Systems.
"The Poseidon is also the latest in a decades-long Boeing tradition of working closely with the Navy and other customers to deliver a wide range of platforms that meet their most critical mission requirements."
As the replacement for the US Navy's P-3C Orion aircraft, the P-8A will provide greater payload capacity, significant growth potential, unprecedented flexibility and interoperability, and advanced mission systems, software and communications, Albaugh added.
"The P-8A programme is an outstanding example of evolutionary acquisition at work," said Capt. Mike Moran, US Navy maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft programme manager.
India is buying eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the Indian navy at a total cost of $2.1 billion with each aircraft costing about $220 million. These aircraft would replace Indian Navy's aging Tupolev Tu-142M maritime surveillance turboprops.
Boeing will deliver the first P-8I to India by 2013 and the remaining seven by 2015. Interest has been expressed by many other countries, including Australia and Italy.
The P-8A for the US Navy is built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems and GE Aviation.
The team currently is assembling and testing the first five P-8As as part of the programme's System Development and Demonstration contract, awarded in 2004.
The integrated Navy/Boeing team will begin formal flight testing of the P-8A later this year. The US Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As, and initial operational capability is planned for 2013.
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Marriage made in heaven or on TV? Rakhi will Decide on Sunday
Will she? Won't she? Rakhi Sawant moved from being an outspoken item girl to a coy bride, and now the question whether she will actually get married through her televised swayamvar has middle class India in a thrall.
Rakhi Sawant moved from being an outspoken item girl to a coy brid
The "wedding" is slated for Sunday on her show Rakhi ka Swayamvar -- which saw Rakhi choosing the most suitable groom from a list of 16 in 25 episodes -- and excitement is peaking.
"It has to be the Canadian guy", "She will walk out without marrying", "There will be a wild card entry", "The contestants would be asked to choose between money and Rakhi", "Who cares?"... just some of the random thoughts and queries of the many viewers that NDTV Imagine added after the reality show began June 29.
Dressed in Indian finery and suitably demure, Rakhi shortlisted five grooms and even went to their homes to get to know the families. As the feisty bit actress who hit the limelight with her outrageous statements, not to forget the kissing controversy with singer Mika, played the ideal Indian bahu, viewers happily tuned in every weeknight.
On Sunday, the speculation will come to an end when Rakhi announces whom she will marry.
"It's likely that the show is a farce, because most of the shows that generate huge publicity are planned for that purpose. Maybe she will marry him for the show, with a pre-nuptial agreement and then annul the marriage...unless the chosen one is rich enough to stay with," said Jaya Kumar Mathur, a housewife.
There are others who did not share Jaya's cynicism and said Rakhi could actually be looking for true love.
According to Saniya Mehta, for instance, it is quite possible she will settle down with one of the final three contenders - Toronto-based Gujarati boy Elesh Parujanwala, young aspirant Manas Katyal and businessman Chhitiz Jain, both of whom stay in New Delhi.
"But unless the groom shifts to Mumbai, which is Rakhi's workplace, her life would not be smooth after the show. She should take her decision carefully," said Mehta who feels Parujanwala is the best suitor for the item girl.
Channel officials are equally clueless.
"It would be a big decision for Rakhi. There is new speculation every day about the climax of the show, but even we can't tell anything as of now. Ultimately what will happen on Sunday will be entirely Rakhi's call," Nikhil Madhok, vice president (marketing and communications) of NDTV Imagine said.
"If she says she wants to marry the same day, we are all set with the preparations. If not, it's for her to decide because it's her life," he added.
The preparations are grand. Whatever the decision, Rakhi will be dressed in a Neeta Lulla creation and wear jewellery designed by Farah Ali Khan, including a necklace worth Rs 3 million.
Of course, like any other grand Indian wedding, a multi-cuisine buffet dinner will be laid out. The menu, planned by Rakhi herself will include Gujarati, Punjabi and Maharashtrian delicacies.
The guest list will be equally impressive, including TV celebrities as well as Bollywood stars. Rumours are rife that Bollywood's ace director Karan Johar, who invited Rakhi on his chat show Koffee With Karan is expected to be one of the invitees.
The show, the first of its kind in India, has brought unprecedented TRP (television rating points) success for NDTV Imagine. The premiere of the one-hour show saw ratings soar to 3.5%. The channel is hoping that Sunday's episode will be even better.
In the original American show, The Bachelorette, the contestant in many cases didn't get married or the marriage didn't last too long, with the one exception. Trista Rehn marriedphysiotherapist Ryan Sutter in the maiden season of the show in 2003 and now has two children.
So will it be happily ever after for Rakhi too? Advertisement
Obama more bartender than mediator at beer Summit
US President Barack Obama played bartender-in-chief on Thursday at a "beer summit" of the main players in a racially charged case that he hoped would be a "positive lesson" in a national dialogue on race.
Obama, the first black US president, said it was a "friendly, thoughtful" conversation over beer at the White House with prominent Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, who is black, and police Sergeant James Crowley, who is white.
Crowley arrested Gates, a well-known documentary filmmaker, for disorderly conduct on July 16 after a confrontation at the professor's home, sparking a media frenzy as Gates, 58, accused the policeman of racial profiling. Crowley, who had taught courses against racial profiling, denied that.
Obama inflamed the situation by saying he thought police "acted stupidly" in arresting his friend.
"I have always believed that what brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart," Obama said in a statement after the meeting in a garden outside the Oval Office.
"I am confident that has happened here tonight, and I am hopeful that all of us are able to draw this positive lesson from this episode."
Race remains a prominent and sensitive issue in the United States, which has struggled to overcome a legacy of slavery, segregation and discrimination.
Crowley said it as a private and frank discussion, adding he and Gates have different perspectives.
"I think what you had today was two gentlemen who agreed to disagree on a particular issue," Crowley told reporters. "I don't think that we spent too much time dwelling on the past. We spent a lot of time discussing the future."
Asked about the president's contribution to the meeting, Crowley said: "He provided the beer."
Gates said he and Crowley had been cast together "through an accident of time and place" and must use the opportunity "to foster greater sympathy among the American public for the daily perils of policing on the one hand, and for the genuine fears of racial profiling on the other hand."
Obama's job approval rating has fallen from 61 percent in mid-June to 54 percent now, in part due to his handling of the Gates-Crowley situation, a Pew Research Center poll found.
Obama and the White House had tried to lower expectations for the gathering, saying there would be no big announcements and portraying it as just three guys having a beer.
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Season 2 of 10 Ka Dum to have more Episodes
Season 2 of Salman Khan's 10 ka Dum has got an extension. The show will have eight more episodes than originally planned. Initially, the second season was to have 16 episodes. It will now have 24.
A source reveals, "It was Salman's idea. He wanted a longer season. Also, he doesn't feel he needs to rely on the star power of the contestants. The guests on the new episodes won't be celebrities."
Danish Khan, VP marketing Sony confirms, "Yes we are adding eight more episodes to the season. Now we will go on till 24 episodes."
When asked if there would be more non-celeb guests this season he adds, "We have had an episode with two common men who got us great ratings. So there's no such set format."
There are plans to end the season with a bang. "We want to do something spectacular. But that will be decided later." Advertisement
Wanna view the private World of Shah Rukh Khan?
A television series on a science and lifestyle channel is all set to take you there soon.
For six months, cameras will shadow the actor in India and across the globe, to present viewers a rare peek into the life of the superstar. Says SRK, "The idea of the series is both exhilarating and unique as it showcases aspects of my life that have seldom been seen in the public domain. I look forward to welcoming you all into my life." Advertisement
World's sexiest woman faces media Boycott
The editors of America's biggest male websites seem to believe that they have given fans an overdose of Megan Fox this summer, so they've decided to boycott news related to her for a day.
Section of the media has vowed to disengage her from the limelight and not cover any news related to her nor publish her pictures on one particular day.
"We're joining in the media blackout and giving our readers a one-day reprieve from the woman we've been drowning in all summer," the Daily Express quoted James Bassil, AskMen.com editor, as saying.
The Transformers star has made a lot of news in the past year and has been regularly voted as the sexiest women in the world.
Now, websites serving men fantasies are planning to replace Fox with some other hottie as the pin-up girl.
Eric Rogell at TheBachelorGuy.com said: "It's time to give another young actress a shot at the attention. We're taking a one-day break from covering Megan's latest nail polish colour and instead promoting another Next Big Thing."
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Salman's girl flaunts her bu-tt!
Remember Ali Larter who played Salman's love interest in the forgettable film Marigold. She gave an eyeful of her derrière to the onlookers recently.
She was walking around Beverly Hills recently, when she put her purse down to find some change, and revealed her butt.
Apparently this is not for the first time that she has revealed her 'ass'ets, she was caught in a major wardrobe malfunction when her top slipped to reveal more than was necessary at a prominent nightclub.
So was it a publicity gimmick Ali?
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Saina down with chickenpox
India’s ace shuttler Saina Nehwal’s World Championships campaign suffered a setback as bad health took toll on her preparations. She has been contracted with chickenpox.
The news was coninfirmed by her coach Pullela Gopichand and he added that she would be fit for the World Championships.
Her father Harvir Singh Nehwal also expressed hope that the gutsy shuttler would gain complete fitness before the tournament since she has been in good form this year and the title in the upcoming Championships would do justice to her hard work. Advertisement
Chand Reconverted for Money'
Says Fiza, as she takes on the Bhajan Lal family for 'mentally torturing' her. She tells Jayita Bandyopadhyay Chand's punishment should be death
God save a man from the wrath of a woman wronged! And in this case, God save Chander Mohan alias Chand Mohammad alias Chander Mohan from his wife of few months Fiza alias Anuradha Bali.
A veteran of religious and marital volte-face, Haryana's former deputy chief minister has changed his religion again, this time returning to his native Bishnoi clan. But if a fuming Fiza is to be believed, he is not ready to give her up. "Koi mujhe is pagal se bachao (someone save me from this madman). He announced to the world that he has become a Hindu and then today evening sent me a word through a friend that he has done so under his mother, Jasma Devi's pressure. He said, 'Maa mujhe majboor ki hai. Woh mere saath khadi thi. Aur mujhe paisa chahiya tha ilaaj ke liye. (My mother has forced me. She saw to it that I changed my religion. And I had no choice but to obey her as I needed financial help for my treatment),'" said Fiza, the former assistant advocate-general of Haryana. Chander Mohan had been recently hospitalised after suffering a fractured hip, which as Fiza alleges, was the handiwork of his mother!
"Agar dalia daan karne se sab kaam ho jata, toh phir har paapi yehi karta. (As a part of his purification ceremony, Chand donated 100 quintals of dalia at a gaushala). He has gone insane and even his mother needs to see a good psychiatrist. He says his mother is his life, so why did he marry, that too twice? He could have hidden in his mother's lap forever. He and his family are mentally torturing me," said Fiza, who vouches to remain a Muslim till death.
Fiza took on Chander Mohan's father, former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal too: "Bhajan Lal had said he would die but never let his son return to the Bishnoi fold. So what happened now? He forgot his own promise!"
While the Bishnoi community leaders have accepted Chander Mohan, Fiza feels Muslim leaders will never forgive her husband. "If the laws of Shariyaat are to be followed, Chand Mohammad's punishment is death. Islam bans such frivolous conversions," she said.
Her parting shot: "This man changes his religion every second day, his wife every third day and party, every fourth day. But I will not take him back again, though he is still trying to stay in touch with me. I have not yet withdrawn my police complaint and his behaviour is only making me angry." Advertisement
I want to be a Mom! Paris Hilton
Still on a lookout for a perfect match, Paris Hilton recently told FOX Pop Tarts about her dream of becoming a mother someday.
Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of Paris, Not France, the socialite-actor said, "Of course I want to have a family and be a mom. I want to be like my mom who is amazing and she has four beautiful children so I'd love to have that one day."
The blonde beauty also explained how her party girl image is completely inconsistent with the reality that is her busy and taxing lifestyle. "When I lived in NY, when I was 16, everyone used to think I was just a party girl but there's a lot of work that goes into it and it is not just about being photographed and going to parties."
She went on to add, "I have to travel the world promoting my brand, I have to be designing. I have to be doing so many things so it's not just all fun and games." Advertisement
Pak players approached by Bookies in Colombo: Report
The menace of match-fixing reared its ugly head again on Wednesday with a media report claiming that Pakistani cricketers were approached by bookmakers in Colombo during the recently-concluded Test series against Sri Lanka.
A mainstream Urdu daily claimed in a report that some unidentified Indian bookies approached several Pakistani players during the second and third Tests against Sri Lanka in Colombo earlier this week.
Yawar Saeed, the Pakistan team manager, was quoted as saying by the newspaper that the incidents did happen but the team management took appropriate steps to erase any chances of further contacts between the players and the bookies.
Yawar said the players have been strictly told to avoid such people and if anybody approaches them they should immediately inform the team management about it.
According to details, the alleged `Indian` bookies contacted the players during the second and third Test matches in Colombo, inviting them for lunches and dinners.
According to Yawar, they were Mumbai-based bookies who probably are "in action again to try and get matches fixed".
The report has added fuel to suspicions of foul-play in Pakistan`s 0-2 defeat in the Test series against Sri Lanka. Pakistan lost the first two Tests from seemingly winning positions and then failed to win the final one in spite of having the upper hand. That match ended in a draw.
Pakistan cricket was hit hard by allegations of match-fixing in the nineties and resulted in a life-ban on former captain Saleem Malik and fines on several other players. Advertisement
Madonna Turns Journalist to Write about religion
Queen of Pop’ Madonna has turned journalist for Israel's biggest-selling newspaper.
The 50-year-old pop star's article on her conversion to the Jewish cult of Kaballah has been displayed prominently on the front page of Yediot Ahronot with a byline.
The article titled 'How My Life Changed' was translated into Hebrew by the paper and an excerpt of it was published on Wednesday while the full article will be published on Friday.
In her article, the singer describes her religious awakening more than a decade ago.
Madonna who was born a Christian had alienated the Church with her antics including her many sexually explicit stage shows where she had appeared crucified.
She is an astute follower of Kaballah and has adopted the Hebrew name of Esther and studies Jewish mysticism.
The singer had also made a private pilgrimage to Israel in 2004 and will perform in two shows in the country in September as part of her 'Sticky & Sweet' international tour. Advertisement
Deepika Hopes to tie rakhi to Dhoni
Deepika has proposed to tie a rakhi to Indian cricket skipper M S Dhoni on Rakshabandhan day. But before you start guessing, this Deepika
is not the Bollywood heartthrob with whom Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh's names were linked sometime back.
She is the budding archer from Jharkhand who brought laurels to the country by bagging a gold medal in the 11th Youth World Archery Championship in US on July 16 this year.
Busy practising at the Tata Archery Academy with Olympic glory on her mind, Deepika has plans to come to Ranchi on August 5 and go to Dhoni's home to tie the rakhi.
"I've always revered him as an elder brother and when I bagged a gold medal in US, I thought if I approach him on Rakhsabandhan he may not refuse me," the 15-year-old told TOI with a glint in her eyes.
Deepika, hailing from a nondescript village, Katamkuli, in the Ranchi district has been a sports-lover since childhood. Showing that lack of money and facilities could not stop a focused individual from succeeding, she joined the Saraikela-Kharsawan Archery Academy for a brief period before coming to the Tata academy where coach Dharmendra Tiwary began grooming her up.
Her father Shiv Narayan Mahto is an auto driver in Ranchi and mother Geeta Devi is a nurse in a government hospital in Tupko. Deepika never got a chance to go to school for formal education but appeared in the final exams directly this year and passed it.
"Though I secured second division in the matriculation exam, I was happy because I could continue with my education," she said. Deepika is now doing her intermediate at Kareem City College in Jamshedpur.
Deepika gives a lot of credit to the Tata academy for her development as an archer. "As a child I never picked up bow and arrow because I had no scope for that. But my mother acknowledged my interest and agreed to send me to the academy in Saraikela despite financial constraints," she said.
"The gold medal in the World Youth meet has brought me to the centrestage and now I have to live upto the expectations of people. For that I am putting in the best effort," she said.
Deepika gets up at 6.30 in the morning and after practising for 10 hours everyday retires to bed by 10 in the night. In this packed schedule, she spares one hour daily for studies. Talking about her training, Deepika said, "Apart from physical exercises, we are taught special tricks to control breath and undergo imagination training so that while participating in an event we are not nervous."
She added that she was groomed to face international competition while participating in events in Turkey and Bangkok. "I was a bit nervous in US but mental training and presence of Purmina madam (her coach) helped me." Advertisement
Teacher removes clothes of Tribal girls, takes ‘Measurements’
In a shocking incident, a teacher allegedly removed upper clothes of eight Adivasi girl students of fifth standard of a government school near Tyonda in Vidisha on the pretext of taking measurements for their uniforms.
The shameful act of the teacher has now forced the eight girls of Ganjbasoda's Nurpur Education Guarantee Scheme School to discontinue their studies.
The incident that took place on July 24 about five km from Tyonda came to light when the girls complained to their parents about it, District Education Officer Manish Verma said in Vidisha on Wednesday.
He said the parents in a complaint alleged that the Guruji (teacher), Sanjeev Sharma, had allegedly removed the upper clothes of eight Adivasi girl students on the pretext of taking measurements for their uniforms in a closed classroom after calling two students at a time.
Once he made them to remove their upper clothes, he took the measurement with his fingers, instead of an inch-tape, Verma said. The students also alleged that the teacher had misbehaved with them when they were half-naked in the closed classroom, the DEO said.
The angry villagers went to the school but by then, Sharma had left after locking the premises following which they complained about the matter to the DEO.
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The Curious case of Irfan Pathan
In the annals of Indian cricket
, Irfan Pathan remains an enigma.
On one hand is an Irfan, who happens to be a precarious swinger of the cricket ball. When the cherry is at its reddest, he can even take a hat-trick in the very first over of a Test match (v Pakistan at Karachi, 2006). When in rhythm, he is unplayable, unleashing yorkers at will, much to the peril of even the best in business like Adam Gilchrist and Steve Waugh (India’s tour to Australia 2003-04). So what if he was just a teenager making his debut against the world champions in their own backyard!
Chirpy, animated, enjoying every moment of his game, a team man to the core, relentless in pursuit of excellence.
Then there is the other Irfan who happens to crop up every now and then. He doesn’t swing, has no pace and can be mistaken for a part-timer. Pakistan’s leg-spinner Shahid Afridi has clocked higher than him on speed gun, it is rumoured. He cuts a lonely figure in the cricket field. He looks lost, almost like a child on his first day in school!
The latest instance of the second Irfan turning up was during the recent Twenty20 World Cup in England.
He played three games and looked largely listless. Giving more than 7 runs per over, he lacked penetration, picking just one wicket in the 7 overs he got to bowl amidst conditions largely conducive to swing bowling.
Consequently, as India made an unceremonious exit from the World Cup, he faces the axe again, as selectors decide in favour of Ashish Nehra for the forthcoming short trip to the Caribbean.
That was not how it was when he was baptised into international cricket by fire...five years ago.
Irfan’s career has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride.
As he notched up one impressive performance with the ball after another, word spread… about a curly haired teenager. Next up was India’s historic tour to Pakistan, where he drew rave reviews from none other than the original Sultan of Swing - Wasim Akram, as also from legendary Imran Khan.
His rise had just begun. Within a year, having established his bowling credentials, he impressed with his batting prowess as well. Soon he was being hailed with the ultimate of compliments - that of being the next Kapil Dev!
And then, in the summer of 2005, came the Greg Chappell era, which in retrospect, can also be termed as a turning point in his career.
A vital cog to Chappell’s wheel of fortune from the onset, Irfan quickly became the blue eyed boy for the hard nosed Aussie. He began batting at number three as a part of Chappell’s attempt to infuse flexibility in the team.
While Irfan the batsman did post a few decent outings, Irfan the bowler suddenly began losing his zip. He lost his swing, then the speed…confidence, and soon his place in the side.
With too many people telling him what to do, Irfan’s mind was filled with clutter. No longer the cheery boy next door enjoying a simple game of cricket, he seemed a man weighed down by the burden of expectations of an entire nation. Sent back home in middle of a tour from South Africa in December of 2006, and with a career at the crossroads at the age of just 22, Irfan’s cricketing arc seemed at it’s lowest ebb.So, Irfan got down to the basics. He embraced the daily grind of domestic cricket to fight his way back into the team. Empty stadiums, sub-standard playing conditions, pedestrian opposition could not douse the fire in his belly.
Like a man possessed, he practiced hard. Day in…day out.
Soon…the results began to show. Among the many positive things that followed post the Greg Chappell era after the 2007 World Cup debacle, was re-emergence of Irfan Pathan as a bowler.
Soon…the results began to show. Among the many positive things that followed post the Greg Chappell era after the 2007 World Cup debacle, was re-emergence of Irfan Pathan as a bowler.Things began falling into place for him. With his swing back, Irfan laid claim to the new ball yet again.
And then came…the most defining moment. A part of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s young brigade at the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, Irfan was among the show stoppers as India shocked the world the lift the World Cup! The icing on the cake was when he was adjudicated man of the match in the pulsating final against Pakistan.
His cricketing life had come full circle. He marked his return to the place where he had made his debut with a man-of-the-match performance at Perth that helped India crush the mighty Australians in what was their invincible fortress.
Though inconsistent with the ball, Irfan has only taken positive strides with the bat.
Another Kodak moment in his career was when he, along with his elder brother- Yusuf, eked out an astonishing victory from a hopeless position for India against Sri Lankans at Colombo.
But just when everything seemed to be getting back on the track, Irfan again faced omission following the Twenty20 World Cup disaster….and now would not be a part of the Champions Trophy extravaganza in South Africa.
A veteran already, at the age of 25, one hopes Irfan does full justice to his immense potential. He may be the final jigsaw that could transform India into a winning combination at the 2011 World Cup. Advertisement
Mallika Sherawat going nu-de in Hissss?
When we first saw the promos of Mallika Sherawat starrer Hissss, we got the impression that she has indeed given a nude shot in the film. There were sequences seen in the extended promo that showed a nude butt shot of Mallika sliding in the mud and turning into a deadly snake.
We were in fact the first ones to have reported about it back then. While it suggested it was her, we have now found out that it is actually a body double used instead of Mallika.
So what actually happened to this dare bare attitude girl who once shed all her inhibitions on screen? It is learnt that when the shoot for the shot was going to take place, she requested to the film's director Jennifer Lynch that she would not be able to do the scene and it would be better to use a body double. Jennifer perhaps understood her predicament and canned the shot with a body double.
But this hasn't been the first instance when Mallika has chickened out of giving a nude shot. Apparently, she was earlier supposed to do a nude scene in Mahesh Bhatt's Murder (2004) but when she reached the sets she developed cold feet. Advertisement
Sikhs now a Part of Queen Elizabeth's Royal Guards
The Queen of Britain will now have two Sikhs in her Royal Guards for her safety, reports
According to media reports, Signaler Simranjit Singh will be the first soldier to go about his duties wearing a turban. The second one is Lance Corporal Sarvjit Singh who will be ensuring the Queen’s security.
Simranjit will serve in Wiltshire while Sarvjit will be part of the Army Air Corps based in Suffolk.
This is the first time Sikhs have been appointed to guard the monarchs. Advertisement
Savita Bhabhi tests India's patience for po-rn
In the land of the Kama Sutra, it was the cartoon escapades of a buxom, sexually liberated married woman that finally proved a broken taboo too far for the Indian government censors.
Savita Bhabhi, the star of her eponymous online porn strip, had titillated up to 60 million visitors monthly until the government asked Internet service providers to block the site in June.http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/images/Savita.jpg
Now she lives on in the heated debate surrounding her sudden demise.
The government issued the orders under laws normally applied to websites deemed to be a threat to national security, prompting fans to question why the axe fell on a cartoon featuring a libidinous housewife rather than the more explicit material easily accessible on the Internet.
While not entirely Indian in its creation -- Savita Bhabhi is the brainchild of Puneet Agarwal, a 38-year-old British businessman of Indian-origin -- observers say the storyline may have hit too close to home for government censors.
"Bhabhi" means "sister-in-law" in Hindi -- specifically an older brother's wife -- and the name was ostensibly chosen to highlight her status as a married woman, making her promiscuity more scandalous.
Still, it is unclear whether the government was more outraged by what it viewed as an assault on Indian values or by the cartoon's graphic depictions of sex.
Pornography is a thorny issue in India, but the private cubicles fitted in internet cafes show that, despite the prudish veneer, there is an appetite for x-rated material in this culturally conservative nation.
A survey conducted last year by India Today magazine found that three out of five men and one out of five women approved of pornography, which is illegal but widely available in India.
From softcore magazines to underground movie theatres offering adult entertainment for labourers and truck drivers in regional languages, there has always been an element of secrecy involved in procuring and consuming so-called "blue" goods in the country.
"Whether they accept it or not, most Indians are exposed to porn," says Tushar Amin, editor of men's magazine FHM India.
"To come out in the open and say that we watch this is something that takes balls, and we don't have them as of now. But the fact is that everyone does it."
While locally-made pornography -- featuring both voluntary actors and those forced into the trade -- has always found an audience, Savita Bhabhi was marketed as India's first global porn star, with around 30 percent of web traffic coming from outside the country.
The coyly-scripted sexual scenes -- where she romps with everyone from a servant boy to a bra salesman -- have even been translated into French and Mandarin.
Sociologist Gita Chadha of Russell Square International College in Mumbai says the cartoon's internationalisation has been a source of both pride and shame for Indians.
"There are those who are glorifying the fact that it is the Indian sari-clad woman who is shown as a so-called liberated and independent person," she says.
"But there are those who are looking at it in terms of 'How could they do this to our mother, sister or daughter?'"
Even those involved in the adult entertainment industry accept the limits of creative expression in countries like India, says self-styled "Indian Playboy" Richard Menon, founder of US-based erotic film production house Ecstasyvision.
"The Savita Bhabhi comics were great," says Menon, who moved to the United States in 1989, but adds: "I feel that it offended a lot of people and traditions."
Menon believes the website ban was "justified keeping in mind what India is."
"It has to do with how mature a society is amongst other factors."
But Chadha and Amin agree that given the reach of the internet and the lack of control over the distribution of pornography on the street, bans like the one on Savita Bhabhi are futile.
"In a democracy particularly they don't work and in an economy that is becoming more and more open to global markets it's almost impossible," says Chadha.
"We are not yet ready to accept the fact that we have the emotional or societal maturity to watch porn," adds Amin. Advertisement
Munna Bhai Turns 50(Dutt’s the way)
Aman Kanth
In the Indian film industry, Sanjay Dutt is no ordinary name that passes by as just another Bollywood actor. Tall, brawny, brooding, impulsive are some of the adjectives which aptly define this macho actor who ruled the hearts of his fans during the 80s, 90s as well as in the contemporary cinema scene.
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Born on 29th July 1959 to yesteryears’ celebrated superstar Sunil Dutt and Nargis, the life and times of Sanjay Dutt are nothing short of a perfect movie script, interspersed with tragedy and a great sense of loss. Yet, despite all odds, Sanjay stoically met the challenges of life and has moved on with dignity.
Popularly known as ‘Deadly Dutt’ among close friends for his impulsive ways, Sanjay is known to be a gentle giant whose jolly demeanour has charmed many. He started his Bollywood innings in 1981 with ‘Rocky’, a movie that gave him instant recognition and stardom. However, with films like ‘Vidhaata’, ‘Naam’, ‘Hathyar’, ‘Sadak’, ‘Saajan’, ‘Yalgaar’, ‘Khalnayak’, ‘Gumrah’, ‘Vaastav: The Reality’, ‘Kaante’, ‘Munnabhai MBBS’, ‘Parineeta’ and ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’, Dutt proved his mettle and became a household name with an inimitable celeb status in an industry known for the ubiquitous Khans.
Down, but not out!
Despite enjoying thumping success in his halcyon days, Sanjay Dutt never had an ordinary life- a life coalesced with success and failure. Battling drug addiction during his school days, the tragic demise of Nargis (she died of cancer) in 1981 in the very year when Sanjay made his remarkable debut in Bollywood, left a deep impact on the actor’s psyche. For someone so close to his mother, the actor was down with a great sense of loss and became a severe drug addict.
He underwent a lot of emotional and psychological trauma and, meanwhile, delivered quite a few Box Office duds which virtually sealed his fate at Bollywood. Yet, the fighter that he is, Sanjay bounced back post a rigorous drug rehab stint in America and surprised Bollywood with his new avatar.
Hailed as the second innings of Sanjay, it was like a rebirth of the star who underwent a complete image makeover- the lanky actor had over night transformed into a macho hunk. Sanjay’s long mane became a trendsetter in Bollywood and was vastly emulated by co-stars.
Yet, as luck would have it; adversity continued to wreck Sanjay’s private life. Earlier, if it was the sad demise of Nargis, now it was the death of his first wife Richa Sharma (1996). Having lost his mother and wife to cancer, the actor faced the tragic blow with all his fortitude and never let the sorrow pin him down. The actor, who has a daughter (Trishala) with his first wife, married Rhea Pillai in 1998 and had an amicable divorce in 2005.
Tryst with destiny!
Sanjay’s woes did not end here as one of the major catastrophies was yet to appear in the form of illegal possession of arms. This is one of the darkest chapters in the life of the actor that still holds its grip on his fate.
When the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts rocked India, Sanjay Dutt’s name astonishingly featured as an accused and he was branded as a terrorist. On 19th April 1993, Sanjay was arrested for illegal purchase of arms from criminals involved in the blasts. The news of Sanjay’s arrest was a rude shock to the entire film industry and his fans as the actor spent sixteen months as an undertrial until the Supreme Court of India granted him bail in October 1995. The bail was just a momentary reprieve to the actor because his name figured as one of the co-accused in the Mumbai blasts case – an accusation that virtually ruined his image beyond repair.
The era marked umpteen court appearances for Sanjay Dutt who was charged of possessing illegal arms and destroying the same. However, with the charge of being a terrorist quashed against the actor, Sanjay was slapped with six years of rigorous imprisonment for buying pistols, AK 59 assault rifles and ammunitions from the Mumbai gangland on 31st July 2007.
The actor’s plea that he bought arms in order to save his family from the fear of Hindu-Muslim clashes fell on deaf ears. Dutt was jailed but was soon granted bail by the Supreme Court and his appeal for an exoneration is pending.
Sanjay and ‘Gandhigiri’
Hemmed by controversies and misfortunes on all sides, Sanjay stood on the threshold of oblivion until providence smiled on him again and blessed him with super hits like ‘Munnabhai MBBS’, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ – movies which portrayed Sanjay as an affable goon with a heart of gold – Murli Prasad Sharma.
These two movies worked wonders for the sagging fortunes of Sanjay thereby giving him a new lease of life in Bollywood as well as catapulting his political career with Samajwadi Party. This decision did not go down with his sisters who publicly distanced themselves form Dutt, saying theirs was Congress family. On January 2009, Dutt was scheduled to contest Lok Sabha elections on behalf of Samajwadi Party. However, the actor had to pull out from the elections in March 2009 as the Supreme Court declined to adjourn his conviction.
Presently, the actor is happily married to Dilnawaz Shiekh, popularly known as Manyata Dutt and is actively involved in Bollywood and politics. A versatile actor and a genial human being, Sanjay is enormously loved and respected in the film fraternity. In spite of living a life under duress, Dutt never gave away the zest for life and lived a king-size life.
Battered by the bereavement of a loving mother in Nargis and first wife Richa Sharma, Sanjay faced the trial of terrorism charges and finally the death of a doting father Sunil Dutt without a sigh and fortitude. He not only conquered his deadly drug addition but also triumphed over personal tragedy. Irrefutably, Sanjay Dutt is a born survivor who faced scores of ups and downs in his personal and professional front with humility.
On 29th July 2009, Sanjay Dutt celebrates his 50th birthday. Wishing all success and glory to this maverick actor, Happy Birthday Sanju Baba! Advertisement
The Sex scandal that led Omar to quit
It's a scandal that tainted the entire gamut of the Jammu and Kashmir establishment -- politicians, ministers, police and paramilitary officers as well as bureaucrats.
On Tuesday, the 2006 sex scam resurfaced after the Opposition linked the otherwise "Mr Clean" Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to the massive racket.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allegation -- that Abdullah was 102 in a list of accused prepared by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) -- forced the Chief Minister to step down, triggering a political crisis just when the Valley was getting back to normal after three months of protest demonstrations over human rights violations.
The scam broke in April 2006 after police discovered two video CDs showing Kashmiri women being sexually exploited.
The investigations led to the unearthing of a massive prostitution racket initially said to involve two ministers of the then Congress-PDP government, a deputy inspector general of the Border Security Force, 10 senior police officers, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and many businessmen. Police said 43 women, including a minor, were in the ring run with the patronage of influential men.
There were others, including senior politicians, who were named in the scam but against whom no evidence was found.
In the months that followed, the entire valley saw huge violent protests with mainstream and separatist groups joining hands.
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The two factions of the separatist Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Asiya Andrabi of the Dukhtaraan-e-Millat and the then opposition National Conference of Abdullah joined to condemn the scam.
The Kashmir Bar Association and political groups raised doubts over the credibility of the state government to investigate the racket.
Following the huge public and political outrage, the state government then handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 1, 2006.
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court also took notice of media reports and ordered that the CBI investigation be monitored at the highest level of the state judiciary.
A woman, Sabina of Srinagar, was arrested and named "kingpin of the sex scandal". Police alleged that Sabina was running a brothel in Srinagar luring young girls with jobs and monetary benefits and forcing them into prostitution.
Two ministers - G.M. Mir of the Congress and independent legislator Raman Matoo - were arrested in the scam. Also arrested were BSF DIG (deputy inspector general) K.S. Padhi, former additional advocate general of the state Anil Sethi, IAS officer Iqbal Khanday and some police officials.
It was also reported that senior security officials detained in the sex scandal told the CBI that Sabina's network was, in fact, a source of information for them about terrorists who visited her brothel in the heart of old Srinagar.
The case was transferred to a Punjab court Sep 4, 2006 after a Supreme Court order when Kashmir Bar Association and separatists threatened defence lawyers.
The CBI is yet to complete its investigation and the case is still going on in a sessions court in Punjab. The accused are out on bail. Advertisement
Sanjay Dutt busy shooting on his 50th Birthday
Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who turns 50 on Wednesday, plans to have a quiet birthday in Cape Town, South Africa where he is shooting for his forthcoming comedy “No Problem”.
"As of now, Sanjay will be spending his birthday shooting for a film in Cape Town,” ace stunt director Allan Amin, who is a very close friend of the actor, told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
After trying his luck in politics, the actor is back to studios and is currently shooting for “No Problem” with Suniel Shetty, Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor and Paresh Rawal. His wife Manyata has already joined him there, but if media reports are to be believed, his sisters Priya and Namrata have abstained from his birthday celebrations.
For Sanjay, also known as Sanju and Munnabhai to loved ones and fans respectively, life has come full circle at 50 with a battle with drug addiction to being convicted under arms act in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
But Sanjay, who made his debut with “Rocky” in 1981, is going strong despite a chequered personal life.
The actor was recently seen in “Luck”. The film didn't strike gold at the box office, but he got accolades for doing age and death defying stunts in the thriller.
Amin, who has directed most of Sanjay's action sequences in films like “Mission Kashmir” and “Kidnap”, says it is the actor's daring nature that keeps him going.
"I have been working with him since his first film 'Rocky' and it's amazing how even today, he is as daring in nature as he was then,” said Amin.
"Sanjay and I have literally grown together. We came to the industry at the same time and it feels wonderful to see how he has grown over the years. I hope that he prospers for many more years to come,” he added.
Arshad Warsi, who played his side kick Circuit in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's hit “Munnabhai” series, describes Sanjay as the coolest person in Bollywood.
"Sanju is a zero complex guy. He has no issues with anybody or anything. He is also not insecure like other actors who'd get other actors' scenes chopped to keep their own part. It's just too cool working with him and that is why our comic timing and everything match," Warsi had said.
Of late, Sanjay has also found ways of keeping himself looking cool with his fetish for tattoos.
While he already had a couple of tattoos, he has been undergoing frequent inking recently. Just last month, Sanjay got five more tattoos -- including the names of his parents -- legendary actors Sunil Dutt and Nargis.
This year, he also decided to enter politics by joining the Samajwadi Party and was later appointed its general secretary. Though controversy followed him even there, Sanjay faced it with a smile.
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Aishwarya Rai and Shahrukh Khan Ready to work again ?
Now here's a funny story: Their seven-year-old cold war has finally ended and Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai will be seen together in SRK’s home production. Shooting for the film will start in 2010. Years ago, Aishwarya’s sudden ouster from “Chalte Chalte” led to a professional breakup between the two.
In fact, the subsequent cold war between Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh only made matters worse. But now SRK and Ash have buried the hatchet and come together once again.
I don't buy this . Aishwarya Rai is too bitchy to forgive and forget. Shah Rukh Khan can pass a Aish's as his co-star
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