Sunday 22 January 2012

Breaking News

Breaking News


One third of UK adults 'plan to spend less this year'

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 03:39 AM PST

A growing number of people in the UK plan to cut back on their spending this year, a survey has suggested.

One in three adults now plan to spend less in 2012, a rise from October when 19% said they would cut back, the Resolution Foundation think tank said.

About a quarter of those surveyed said they expected their finances to get worse this year.

However, a similar proportion of people currently in work said they still expected a pay rise.

The survey comes just days after official figures showed the UK's unemployment rate had risen to the highest level for 16 years.

On Thursday, the Nationwide Building society said that consumer confidence in the UK had fallen to "a low ebb" in December.

Figures on Friday showed that retail sales rose 0.6% in December after heavy discounting in shops in the run-up to Christmas.
'Real worry'

As well as planning to reduce spending, the Resolution Foundation said that more people were now saving. Those making monthly savings rose to 30% from 22% in October.

One in five said they could not afford a holiday this year.

"Families that are already hard-pressed are preparing for yet another very tough year ahead, with a big rise in the numbers planning to cut back spending as well as trying to save and reduce their debts," said Gavin Kelly, the think tank's chief executive.

"Given this gloomy backdrop it's a real worry that a new round of cuts to tax credits planned for April will further dampen the spending power of low to middle-income families.

"The longer households cut back on spending, the longer it will be before we see real economic recovery."

The survey of 1,993 people was carried out by Ipsos Mori on behalf of the Resolution Foundation.

Ascot to refund spectators made to wear orange stickers

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 03:36 AM PST

Ascot will refund Saturday's spectators who were labelled with orange stickers for breaching new dress codes.

The rules, which require male premier enclosure ticket holders to wear a jacket and tie, were not enforced, but the stickers were issued as a warning.

"No customers should be expected to pay for such an experience," Ascot chief executive Charles Barnett said in a statement.

The move is likely to cost Ascot a five-figure sum.

This week it was announced that women must wear hats rather than fascinators - a cross between a hair accessory and a mini hat - in the Royal Enclosure at Royal Ascot.

For racedays outside the royal meeting, the new course dress code states: "In Premier Admission, gentlemen should wear a jacket and tie, smart trousers or smart jeans, no trainers. There will be an announcement on the day allowing jackets to be removed, should the weather be hot.
Continue reading the main story Ascot hat

    Ladies should dress for a smart occasion; hats are encouraged but not compulsory

Ascot dress code

"Ladies should dress for a smart occasion; hats are encouraged but not compulsory. Children should be dressed smartly."

Small orange stickers were affixed to the clothing or badges of racegoers who breached the dress code, a policy described by some as "patronising and humiliating".

"It is clear that we let down many of our premier enclosure customers yesterday with a well-intentioned but misguided policy," Barnett said.

"We have taken the view that all premier enclosure visitors yesterday will receive a full refund."

Barnett said Ascot was refunding racegoers as a gesture of goodwill, and urged them to retain their visitors' badge in order to claim back the cost of admission.

He added: "We have worked very hard for many years to establish ourselves as a benchmark for customer service and are making this statement today to reinforce that we will not allow our reputation as a welcoming sports venue to be tarnished by an isolated lack of judgement on our part.

"We will work through the logistics of the refunds tomorrow. Most people will have booked in advance or paid by card on the day but we will look after cash customers too and anyone who still has their admission badge should hold onto it."

Ascot spokesman Nick Smith told BBC Sport: "We are trying to bring in a new dress code but didn't want on day one to turn anyone away and genuinely thought we were treading quite softly.
Analysis
Continue reading the main story

    Ascot have rightly apologised but this kind of thing sets racing back when there is a lot of talk about a new dawn for the sport, with a new chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority. The course has done much to modernise itself but this was clearly a retograde step

Cornelius Lysaght BBC racing correpondent

"Because we haven't got just one premier enclosure admission point, it was not feasible to talk to people as they came in and so they were advised as they entered the escalators to level four.

"The idea of the tiny orange stickers was that staff would see who had already been advised so they didn't hassle them for the rest of the day."

Smith said the new rules were part of a move to restore formality at the course and the stickers were designed to identify dress that would be unacceptable at future meetings.

"Everything behind the thinking appeared to make a lot of sense, but it's clear that targeting people like this gave out the wrong message," he said.

"We used a very small little tag, not a huge sign saying 'you are wearing the wrong dress'.

"The intention wasn't to be heavy-handed so we apologise. We haven't had many complaints, but we are sure we will get some.

"It was clearly the wrong thing to do and there will not be orange tags next time. We will advise people politely, although this may unfortunately mean people are advised more than once."

There is no formal dress code in the course's grandstand for racedays outside the royal meeting, but the rules state "bare chests are not permitted at any time".

Men are required to wear a jacket and tie in the grandstand at Royal Ascot, although the restriction does not apply to the Silver Ring.

Court validation required for immunity: Ramday

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 03:33 AM PST

KARACHI:(apsenews.com) Former Supreme Court Judge, Justice (retired) Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday said that in order to claim immunity one has to appear before the Supreme Court.

He further said that even former President Pervez Musharraf had asked for immunity and had not made a decision while sitting at home.

Ramday who was speaking to Geo News' senior anchor Kamran Khan said the NRO review petition did not state anything about immunity.

'The NRO case only motioned the letter written by Attorney General in 2008.'

Commenting further on the letter written to Swiss authorities, the former Supreme Court Judge said this had no relation to criminal cases.

International teams must be able to perform everywhere: CA official

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 03:27 AM PST

MELBOURNE: A Cricket Australia board member Harry Harinath has rubbished suggestions that the pitches being used in the ongoing Test series in Australia have been designed to give the home team an advantage and said an international team must be able to play on all kind of tracks.

Reacting to left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra's comments that there appeared to be a change in both appearance and behaviour of the Test venue's pitches in Australia, Harinath said part of playing Test cricket was performing regardless of the conditions.

"The current Indian team is not a bad team. It's a good team, but for reasons unknown to me they're not performing," said Harinath.

"But there should be no complaints about the pitches. If you're an international standard player, you should be able to play on all sorts of pitches.

"When our players go to India, they've got to play on what is available there. You can't have the same pitches all over the world; they change from place to place," he added.

Nehra had toured Australia in 2003-04 and felt at that time the pitches only had bounce but weren't so seaming.

Harinath said it was important for world cricket that India remained a competitive side, even after losing the series to England 4-0 and facing the prospect of a whitewash in Australia.

"Every team has periods of success and failure. What we do well in Australia is we prolong the periods of success...if you have a good system you can shorten the periods of failure. The pathway and the training -- it's all very important," Harinath was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

India's win is more important than Tendulkar's 100th ton: Gambhir

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 03:23 AM PST

ADELAIDE: The series is out of grasp but Indian opener Gautam Gambhir said the debacle has not affected his team's motivation and it is focussed on winning the fourth and final Test to avoid a whitewash against Australia.

"Every Test is special. You have to be motivated. There is no lack of motivation. You shouldn't be playing cricket if you are not motivated," said Gambhir after the team's practice session ahead of the match starting on Tuesday.

"The thing is, you don't get bad in one or two series. Just two series back, we were the world's best. That's when your character comes out--you try to back each other and support each other. Back your own team when the entire squad is down," he added.

Gambhir said he puts a lot of premium on his side doing well here -- more than even the elusive 100th international hundred of Sachin Tendulkar.

"It's more satisfying for me if India wins the Test than if Tendulkar scores his 100th century. When you play for the country, you want the team to win and not individuals to get records.

"The 0-3 scoreline hurts far more than Tendulkar not getting his 100. If India can make it 1-3, it would be far satisfying than if Tendulkar gets his hundred (and India ends up still losing)."

Gambhir conceded that the Australian attack has been a cut above the rest but yearned for that one session which could turn thing around in the final Test.

"In England, there was a lot of lateral movement. Here, they had an inexperienced attack. But they have been tremendous and never let us off the hook. They always kept us under pressure, even with three seamers and a spinner," said Gambhir.

"They have kept coming at us. There were no easy runs even in the middle session. In the first session, it always does a bit but then it gets flatter. Still, credit to them, they were hitting those areas even in the middle session and not allowing us to score freely," Gambhir said.

"Indians are known to bat freely. We have a middle order who are boundary-hitters. But they never let us hit those boundaries."

The left-handed opener still believed things change in international cricket quickly and his team has the wherewithal to turn around the corner.

"It's a new Test and we have to be positive. There's a month and a half of cricket still left in the series and we have to look to do well here and carry the momentum in one-dayers.

"I haven't seen the wicket but they have given us sporting wickets in this series...one good session could turn things around. We have seen it in India where we were made to follow on and went on to win the Test."

Gambhir admitted his form has been disappointing in the series and he was nervous to start with. But things have picked up lately for him.

"The conditions are very different. There's a lot of bounce. To start with, you are far more nervous and in anxiety poke at the ball.

"Gradually, you get the feel of bowlers and what's their game plan. I hadn't known it at the start of the series. Then you start preparing differently and work out the areas where you could score runs.

"It was disappointing initially but then after Sydney, I felt far more comfortable in first innings in Perth."

The Delhi opener though has no plans to change his batting style for the series.

"Whatever your game plans are, you need to stick to it. You can't change it in the middle of Tests or you get confused. In international cricket, you need to have a game plan where you score runs, what's your strength, what you need to be careful about," Gambhir said.

"Test cricket is about percentage cricket. You need to cut down on a lot of areas where the bowlers can get you out."

Ben Hilfenhaus has been the chief tormentor for Gambhir in this series but the latter didn't want to rush into a judgment if the right-arm swing bowler is already a top-notch performer.

"He made his debut in Mohali and played well. But it's his own backyard and the difference is in conditions. You can judge him after how he performs in the sub-continent. But he's bowled very well and he's their main bowler who has always taken wickets."

Gambhir reiterated that the failure has been collective and it isn't proper to lay it at the door of the openers or middle-order.

"It's not one or two players. Sometimes openers don't give the start and middle order does well. On other occasions, openers start well and middle order disappoints. But things can turn around quickly."

The regular opener didn't think lack of practice matches in proper conditions was the issue which hurt his unit in this series.

"Practice games are a personal thing. Some take it lightly. I always take every game very seriously. We had just two games before the Tests and I wanted to get the feel of the wicket, feel of bounce and stuff.

"But then bowlers in practice matches are not what you get in Tests. In Tests, its' a different ball game."

Scottish independence: 'Basic answers' needed from SNP

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 03:15 AM PST

The deputy prime minister has called for "basic answers" on the referendum for Scottish independence.

The Scottish government is due to launch its consultation on the referendum process on Wednesday.

Nick Clegg said the SNP needed to outline the case for defence, taxation and currency in an independent Scotland.

The Scottish government said it would set out its detailed proposals this week.

The SNP has set a referendum date of autumn 2014, with other parties calling for the vote to be held sooner.

Mr Clegg told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that the Nationalists now needed to make a detailed case of how an independent Scotland would function.

He said: "I really think at a time when the central argument is about the wisdom of wrenching Scotland out of the United Kingdom let's focus on that debate.

"And let's get the SNP to provide basic answers.

"You would have thought for a party whose whole, sole purpose in life is to advocate independence they would have been able to provide answers about what it means for defence, for taxation, for investment, the currency, and that's what I think we should focus on."
Continue reading the main story
SNP position     Unionist position

Wants the referendum in the autumn of 2014
   

Wants the referendum "sooner rather than later"

Backs a "yes/no" ballot but is open minded on including a second "devo max" question
   

Wants a one question "yes/no" ballot

Wants 16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in the referendum
   

Backs the status quo with 18 and over able to vote

Wants a special commission to conduct the referendum
   

Wants the Electoral Commission to oversee the vote

Scottish Secretary Michael Moore has also called for a "comprehensive explanation" from the Scottish government for delaying an independence referendum vote until 2014.

However, Mr Moore also welcomed "positive signals" that the first minister may be willing to drop his opposition to the Electoral Commission overseeing the referendum.

Alex Salmond has suggested a separate commission could be created to run the referendum.

The launch of the SNP consultation on the referendum will be followed by a meeting between the first minister and Scottish secretary on Friday.

Mr Moore said: "I hope that they will agree with us that it is in Scotland's interests to have the vote sooner rather than later and provide a comprehensive explanation of how any delay, and the associated uncertainty, could be in the interests of the Scottish people and economy."

The Artist wins Producers Guild Award

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 03:04 AM PST


The Artist has continued its awards success, taking the top honour at the Producers Guild Awards in Los Angeles.

Producer Thomas Langmann received the award for his work on the silent film, which collected three Golden Globe prizes last week.

The film beat nine others to the title, including The Descendants, War Horse, Moneyball, The Help and Bridesmaids.

There was also British success for Downton Abbey, which won in the long-form television category.

"When Michel Hazanavicius and I dreamed of making The Artist, we knew we were dreaming of writing a love letter to American cinema," Langmann said in his acceptance speech.

"We never knew in return we would get a taste of the American dream."

Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin picked up best-produced animated film, beating the likes of Cars 2, Rango, Puss In Boots and Kung Fu Panda 2.
Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie received a special award for her film, In the Land of Blood and Honey

Other award winners included Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest for best-produced documentary, which explores the journey of influential hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest.

Angelina Jolie received the Stanley Kramer award - a prize recognising films that highlight provocative social issues - for her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, which she also wrote and produced.

Spielberg was also awarded the David O Selznick achievement award and comic-book legend Stan Lee received the Vanguard award, presented by Spiderman actor Tobey Maguire.

In the other TV categories, Modern Family was named best-produced television comedy for a second consecutive year.

Colombia's Farc rebels destroy radar station

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 02:59 AM PST

Farc rebels in Colombia have destroyed a radar installation, disrupting civil aviation in the south and west of the country, the government says.

Around 100 guerrillas bombarded the mountaintop installation with home-made missiles, killing one of the police guards and and smashing the equipment.

Officials said it would take several months to repair the radar, which is also used to monitor drug trafficking.

President Juan Manuel Santos has condemned the attack.

"When the Farc attacks sites that affect the civilian population it shows their weakness and desperation," he said.
Fierce battle

The radar station on Cerro Santana, in a remote mountainous area of the southern Cauca region, was under sustained attack for more than 12 hours.

Rebels bombarded the installations with gunfire and explosive missiles made out of cooking gas canisters.

The 18-strong police garrison fought back, supported by helicopter gunships. Army troops eventually arrived to restore control of the area and pursue the guerrillas.

The director of Colombia's civil aviation authority, Santiago Castro, said it could take months to repair the radar station, which controlled air traffic across a large area of southern and western Colombia.

"The solution we are considering to ensure the safety of flights is to space out their frequency. We don't know if the number of flights will have to be reduced, but there will be delays," Mr Castro said.

The disruption could also affect flights to neighbouring Panama and Ecuador.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) are the country's largest left-wing rebel group, and have been fighting since the 1960s.

In recent years they have suffered a series of setbacks, losing thousands of fighters and several of their top commanders.

But they remain a powerful force in large areas of rural Colombia, thanks in part to money gained from the cocaine trade.

Earlier this month the Farc's new leader - known as Timochenko - indicated that he was interested in peace talks with the government.

But President Santos has reiterated that there can be no negotiations until the rebels cease all attacks and release the hostages they are holding.

Should access to online pornography be blocked?

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 02:52 AM PST

If you switch to a new provider for your internet access later this year, you will be forced to make a choice: do you want access to adult content or not?

If you are with one of the big four providers, you won't be able to get online until you answer. It's a fresh step taken to protect younger teenagers from hardcore material, which is sometimes seen by children who have barely started secondary school.

But the move is controversial, alarming firms which say they run lawful sites already restricted to adults - and those who fear for the free nature of the internet.

Nathan Lyon hopes to get Adelaide berth

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 10:41 PM PST

ADELAIDE: Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who worked as an assistant curator till last year, sparked off another round of mind games on Saturday by declaring that the home team may go in with four pacers in the final Test.

Lyon is apprehensive because curator Damien Hough, under whom he worked as a groundstaff, has left a bit too much dry grass on the pitch. "There's still a fair amount of grass out there, so I'm not sure what the line-up is going to be," Lyon said.

"They may go with four quicks again. We'll have to wait and see what Pup (captain Michael Clarke) and (coach) Mickey (Arthur) come up with. It will be a great opportunity if I can come out here against the Indians on Tuesday, but if the nod doesn't go my way, I'm pretty sure the boys will be able to get the job done."

Lyon's concerns may well be misplaced as both Clarke and Arthur are in favour of going into a Test match with a spinner. So, in all probability, Lyon will replace Mitchell Starc in the playing XI.

Lyon, who was made to carry the drinks in Perth after Australia chose to field an all-pace attack, said he used the window to work on his bowling, batting and fielding. "I used all that time possible that I could use to make myself a better player," said Lyon, who earlier in the week picked Shane Warne's brain in order to improve his performance with the ball.

On Saturday, he was seen taking tips from former captain Ricky Ponting during nets. "I'm just trying to keep executing my stock ball to the best of my ability," Lyon explained. "Of course, changes of pace and natural variation all come into it, but I've been working hard with Ricky, especially on my bowling in the nets because he is one of the best (in the game)."

Dutch teen completes historic, controversial solo sail around the globe

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 10:37 PM PST

( apsenews.com) -- Some 518 days after she first set off alone in her sailboat, 16-year-old Laura Dekker glided into a Caribbean port on Saturday to complete her historic, and controversial, voyage around the globe.

The Dutch citizen arrived in Sint Maarten around 3 p.m. (2 p.m. ET), her spokesman Anton Van de Koppel told CNN. And a picture linked from Dekker's official website Saturday shows her standing behind a group of children holding a sign, "Congratulations Laura Dekker ... Welcome back to St. Maarten."

While other teens have made similar sea voyages -- some of them without stopping, as Dekker did -- the Dutch girl unofficially appears to be the youngest to do so sailing alone. In 2010, Australian Jessica Watson finished a non-stop, unassisted solo circumnavigation days before her 17th birthday.

But sailing journalists have said, and her team didn't dispute, that her route was less than 21,600 orthodromic (or, in the same direction for a great circle) nautical miles, which is the length of the equator and the distance generally used for round-the-world sailing records.

Dekker states on her website that she traversed about 27,000 nautical miles on her own solo voyage aboard her 38-foot yacht, which she has dubbed Guppy. She was 14 when she began August 21, 2010, in Gibraltar and then headed west across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific, through the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and ultimately to her final destination in the Caribbean.

The trip almost didn't happen -- not because of problems at sea, but rather due to a high-profile legal fight by Dutch authorities to prevent the teen from setting sail, for her own safety.

In August 2009, Dekker was put under state care for two months, following her parents' refusal to prevent her from undertaking the voyage.
Here I am having almost circumnavigated the whole world. Yes, that idea is slowly sinking in... But I don't really believe it.
Laura Dekker

Then, in October 2009, a Dutch court ruled the girl couldn't sail around the world because she was not considered experienced enough to do so. But it left the door open for a future trip, deciding that she could depart if she fulfilled certain requirements the court had established for her.

"As a 13-year-old girl, it was never my intention to be the center of world news," Dekker wrote on her blog three days before docking in Sint Maarten.

"Now, after sailing around the world, with difficult port approaches, storms, dangerous reefs, and the full responsibility of keeping myself and the Guppy safe, I feel that the nightmares the Dutch government organizations put me through, were totally unfair," she added.

Dekker made stops in numerous coastal sites during her trip, in places such as the Galapagos Islands, Bora Bora and Cape Town, South Africa. According to multiple published reports, including in the St. Maarten newspaper Today, she had once planned to return to Gibraltar by going through the Suez Canal, but altered her route and headed around South Africa toward Sint Maarten to avoid pirates.

The day before docking for the last time, she reflected on the early days of her voyage, including her initial time in the Caribbean more than a year earlier.

"It feels like it was just yesterday but at the same time it seems like it was an eternity ago," wrote Dekker, who was actually born on a boat in port in New Zealand. "Back then I had no idea I would be back now with a life load of new experiences and 27,000 nautical miles under Guppy's keel.

"But here I am having almost circumnavigated the whole world. Yes, that idea is slowly sinking in... But I don't really believe it."(CNN) -- Some 518 days after she first set off alone in her sailboat, 16-year-old Laura Dekker glided into a Caribbean port on Saturday to complete her historic, and controversial, voyage around the globe.

The Dutch citizen arrived in Sint Maarten around 3 p.m. (2 p.m. ET), her spokesman Anton Van de Koppel told CNN. And a picture linked from Dekker's official website Saturday shows her standing behind a group of children holding a sign, "Congratulations Laura Dekker ... Welcome back to St. Maarten."

While other teens have made similar sea voyages -- some of them without stopping, as Dekker did -- the Dutch girl unofficially appears to be the youngest to do so sailing alone. In 2010, Australian Jessica Watson finished a non-stop, unassisted solo circumnavigation days before her 17th birthday.

But sailing journalists have said, and her team didn't dispute, that her route was less than 21,600 orthodromic (or, in the same direction for a great circle) nautical miles, which is the length of the equator and the distance generally used for round-the-world sailing records.

Dekker states on her website that she traversed about 27,000 nautical miles on her own solo voyage aboard her 38-foot yacht, which she has dubbed Guppy. She was 14 when she began August 21, 2010, in Gibraltar and then headed west across the Atlantic Ocean, through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific, through the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and ultimately to her final destination in the Caribbean.

The trip almost didn't happen -- not because of problems at sea, but rather due to a high-profile legal fight by Dutch authorities to prevent the teen from setting sail, for her own safety.

In August 2009, Dekker was put under state care for two months, following her parents' refusal to prevent her from undertaking the voyage.
Here I am having almost circumnavigated the whole world. Yes, that idea is slowly sinking in... But I don't really believe it.
Laura Dekker

Then, in October 2009, a Dutch court ruled the girl couldn't sail around the world because she was not considered experienced enough to do so. But it left the door open for a future trip, deciding that she could depart if she fulfilled certain requirements the court had established for her.

"As a 13-year-old girl, it was never my intention to be the center of world news," Dekker wrote on her blog three days before docking in Sint Maarten.

"Now, after sailing around the world, with difficult port approaches, storms, dangerous reefs, and the full responsibility of keeping myself and the Guppy safe, I feel that the nightmares the Dutch government organizations put me through, were totally unfair," she added.

Dekker made stops in numerous coastal sites during her trip, in places such as the Galapagos Islands, Bora Bora and Cape Town, South Africa. According to multiple published reports, including in the St. Maarten newspaper Today, she had once planned to return to Gibraltar by going through the Suez Canal, but altered her route and headed around South Africa toward Sint Maarten to avoid pirates.

The day before docking for the last time, she reflected on the early days of her voyage, including her initial time in the Caribbean more than a year earlier.

"It feels like it was just yesterday but at the same time it seems like it was an eternity ago," wrote Dekker, who was actually born on a boat in port in New Zealand. "Back then I had no idea I would be back now with a life load of new experiences and 27,000 nautical miles under Guppy's keel.

"But here I am having almost circumnavigated the whole world. Yes, that idea is slowly sinking in... But I don't really believe it."

Don't ban Salman Rushdie

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 10:32 PM PST

Shriya Saran gets chatty with TOI on Salman Rushdie, sexy item numbers and more...

She has a smouldering, hot aura, which makes men go weak in the knees. But, those who judge oomphy gal Shriya Saran of Sivaji: The Boss fame merely by her looks, are in for a shock. Behind that comely exterior lies a woman, who's very sensitive to her surroundings and a trained Kathak dancer, whose candid takes on life are extremely endearing. In a candid chat with PT, Shriya gets chatty on life, love and more...
Does it bother you that Salman Rushdie will not be a part of Jaipur literature fest, especially since you are also doing a film based on Rushdie's Midnight's Children, directed by Deepa Mehta... Keeping a man like Salman Rushdie away from the fest is illogical! Look at his body of work! We are the largest democracy in the world, so to take an autocratic view on Rushdie's visit to India is uncalled for! If people's sentiments have been hurt, they have a right to voice them. But don't ban him, please!

You had said that Sivaji: the Boss changed your career, but now that you are integral part of Bollywood, do you feel a special connect with Shivaji - the Maratha warrior too? It's really strange, but I find a connect with Shivaji Raje through Rajinikanth. Rajini sir is born a Marathi, he's a superstar in Tamil film industry and a national icon too. He started his life as an ordinary man and reached the pinnacle. This is how Shivaji Raje's life also traversed from common to extraordinary.

You have openly admitted that you admire Anna Hazare. Now that his movement has slowed down, do you feel disappointed? Anna comes from a small village and yet he inspired the entire nation to fight the menace of corruption head-on. That is not a small achievement. He may have withdrawn in a shell, but at the right time, he will revert to take the battle forward. It's a great honour that he will be watching our film Gali Gali Chor Hai, which deals with corruption.

Does it rankle you that Veena Malik is doing Channo - a sizzling item number in the film and not you? I couldn't have done Channo even if I wanted to because I am playing a homemaker in the film.

If you were given a chance, what would be your first choice for doing an item number? I'd love to do Munni or Sheila because Malaika and Katrina look great in these numbers. Alas, I'm still waiting to do my first item number! Shriya Saran gets chatty with TOI on Salman Rushdie, sexy item numbers and more...

She has a smouldering, hot aura, which makes men go weak in the knees. But, those who judge oomphy gal Shriya Saran of Sivaji: The Boss fame merely by her looks, are in for a shock. Behind that comely exterior lies a woman, who's very sensitive to her surroundings and a trained Kathak dancer, whose candid takes on life are extremely endearing. In a candid chat with PT, Shriya gets chatty on life, love and more...
Does it bother you that Salman Rushdie will not be a part of Jaipur literature fest, especially since you are also doing a film based on Rushdie's Midnight's Children, directed by Deepa Mehta... Keeping a man like Salman Rushdie away from the fest is illogical! Look at his body of work! We are the largest democracy in the world, so to take an autocratic view on Rushdie's visit to India is uncalled for! If people's sentiments have been hurt, they have a right to voice them. But don't ban him, please!

You had said that Sivaji: the Boss changed your career, but now that you are integral part of Bollywood, do you feel a special connect with Shivaji - the Maratha warrior too? It's really strange, but I find a connect with Shivaji Raje through Rajinikanth. Rajini sir is born a Marathi, he's a superstar in Tamil film industry and a national icon too. He started his life as an ordinary man and reached the pinnacle. This is how Shivaji Raje's life also traversed from common to extraordinary.

You have openly admitted that you admire Anna Hazare. Now that his movement has slowed down, do you feel disappointed? Anna comes from a small village and yet he inspired the entire nation to fight the menace of corruption head-on. That is not a small achievement. He may have withdrawn in a shell, but at the right time, he will revert to take the battle forward. It's a great honour that he will be watching our film Gali Gali Chor Hai, which deals with corruption.

Does it rankle you that Veena Malik is doing Channo - a sizzling item number in the film and not you? I couldn't have done Channo even if I wanted to because I am playing a homemaker in the film.

If you were given a chance, what would be your first choice for doing an item number? I'd love to do Munni or Sheila because Malaika and Katrina look great in these numbers. Alas, I'm still waiting to do my first item number! Shriya Saran gets chatty with TOI on Salman Rushdie, sexy item numbers and more...

She has a smouldering, hot aura, which makes men go weak in the knees. But, those who judge oomphy gal Shriya Saran of Sivaji: The Boss fame merely by her looks, are in for a shock. Behind that comely exterior lies a woman, who's very sensitive to her surroundings and a trained Kathak dancer, whose candid takes on life are extremely endearing. In a candid chat with PT, Shriya gets chatty on life, love and more...
Does it bother you that Salman Rushdie will not be a part of Jaipur literature fest, especially since you are also doing a film based on Rushdie's Midnight's Children, directed by Deepa Mehta... Keeping a man like Salman Rushdie away from the fest is illogical! Look at his body of work! We are the largest democracy in the world, so to take an autocratic view on Rushdie's visit to India is uncalled for! If people's sentiments have been hurt, they have a right to voice them. But don't ban him, please!

You had said that Sivaji: the Boss changed your career, but now that you are integral part of Bollywood, do you feel a special connect with Shivaji - the Maratha warrior too? It's really strange, but I find a connect with Shivaji Raje through Rajinikanth. Rajini sir is born a Marathi, he's a superstar in Tamil film industry and a national icon too. He started his life as an ordinary man and reached the pinnacle. This is how Shivaji Raje's life also traversed from common to extraordinary.

You have openly admitted that you admire Anna Hazare. Now that his movement has slowed down, do you feel disappointed? Anna comes from a small village and yet he inspired the entire nation to fight the menace of corruption head-on. That is not a small achievement. He may have withdrawn in a shell, but at the right time, he will revert to take the battle forward. It's a great honour that he will be watching our film Gali Gali Chor Hai, which deals with corruption.

Does it rankle you that Veena Malik is doing Channo - a sizzling item number in the film and not you? I couldn't have done Channo even if I wanted to because I am playing a homemaker in the film.

If you were given a chance, what would be your first choice for doing an item number? I'd love to do Munni or Sheila because Malaika and Katrina look great in these numbers. Alas, I'm still waiting to do my first item number!

Congress backs Rahul but BJP distrustful of Varun

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 10:25 PM PST

NEW DELHI: A new book on Rahul Gandhi makes a comparison between him and his cousin who, it feels, is "practically isolated" in his party BJP.

"To a large extent, it boils down to the choices which Rahul and Varun and their fathers or mothers have made. While Rajiv enjoyed the goodwill of the people, Sanjay was almost hated for his policies," the book titled 'Rahul' by journalists Jatin Gandhi and Veenu Sandhu says.

"While Rahul makes an extra effort to be seen as secular, Varun has done just the opposite. While the Congress would like nothing better than to see Rahul as Prime Minister of India, the BJP remains distrustful of Varun because he is, at the end of the day, a Gandhi," it says.

The book notes that BJP leaders have often pulled up Varun for his deviation from party line. "In Rahul's case, any variance becomes the new party line," it adds.

While one is "openly celebrated" by the party as its next Prime Ministerial candidate, the book says, "the other (Varun) often stands practically isolated within his party".

On Rahul's 'Mission 2012', the book says that he hoped to "re-jig" Mayawati's social engineering formula to regain his party's winning combination in UP though Congress winning 21 seats in 2009 general elections from UP made the BSP chief to focus on wooing Dalits and Muslims even at the cost of losing Brahmin votes.

After launching the party's efforts to regain hold in UP, the book says the Congress, just like the BSP, hoped to select candidates for the 2012 Assembly elections in 2011.

However, it says, "after the Congress suffered heavy losses in Bihar (assembly polls), the party cadres which had been working on the grand plan to wrest UP from Mayawati seemed to lose direction."

The book notes that Bihar assembly results in 2010 showed that Rahul's formula of doing away with alliances had boomeranged on the party.

The book also points out that his performance in Parliament in the current Lok Sabha is dismal as he spoke only once since May 2009.

"From May 2009 till the Monsoon session of 2011, Rahul had not asked a single question...MPs from other parties had, on an average, asked 119 questions in the two years of 15th Lok Sabha...He had performed better as a first time MP in the UPA-I but only in comparison to himself," it says.

No comments:

Post a Comment