Apple to enter smaller Indian towns with iPhones, iPads

KOLKATA: Apple may soon be slugging it out in the trenches with Samsung and other smartphone rivals as India country head Maneesh Dhir and telecom business chief Sanjay Kaul seek a rapid increase in the pace of growth in India, a market that it has neglected until recently.
While the iPhone has always been an object of desire, Apple wasn't able to make a big dent in India because of pricing issues peculiar to this country - handsets aren't subsidised by contracts as in other parts of the world. Until recently, this was taken to mean that Apple wasn't really interested in pushing sales in the world's largest mobile market after China, while companies such as Samsung have pitched their products hard in India.
Samsung leads the India smartphone market with a 36% volume share, according to research firm Canalys, while Apple's was 2% in the April-June quarter. Apple's value share is higher at 5%, it said.
To their credit though, Dhir and Kaul have tried to work around their constraints by offering iPhones and other devices on installment, tapping a considerable vein of pent-up demand.
Dhir and Kaul are now putting the next piece of their strategy in place. Apple wants to enter smaller Indian cities and towns with iPhones, iPads and iPods as it feels these markets can deliver on its bid to grow fast.
"Apple has realised that if it wants to grow fast in India, it has to look beyond the metros," said the CEO of one of India's retail chains. "The company wants to grow upwards of 30% year-on-year in India and feels the smaller markets would play a critical role since the aspiration level of Apple products amongst the youth and rich is growing there as well."

Dhir joined Apple India three years ago from AOL Inc, where he was the global head for international business, and changed the way Apple was doing business in the country. He hired Kaul from BlackBerry India, expanded the team threefold to more than 150 executives, strengthened the Apple exclusive stores network, shortened the gap between the launch of new models overseas and in India and spearheaded the company's thrust on iPhones.
Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged the importance of India for the first time in July while announcing the April-June results, declaring that iPhone sales in the country grew 400% during the quarter, albeit on a small base. The company also reported double-digit growth in India's iPad sales.
The new marketing vision for India was unveiled on Monday evening at a meeting with 20 CEOs and senior executives of the country's top multi-brand telecom and electronic retail chains. Apple India's senior executives spelt out plans to enter the top 50 tier II and III markets in India by selling its phones, tablets and portable music players at their outlets in an exclusive corner or a shop-in-shop, said three people who attended the meeting. They requested anonymity since Apple officials had asked them to keep details of the meeting confidential.
Apple spokesperson in London did not respond to a questionnaire emailed on Wednesday.

Advani gives credit to President Pranab for withdrawal of ordinance on MPs

New Delhi: There is no end to the ordinance on convicted MPs and MLAs row. Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch LK Advani has now taken on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and blamed her for Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's outburst. LK Advani has written a blog saying that Sonia Gandhi advised Rahul to oppose the ordinance and that she too must take the blame for undermining Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. 

The senior BJP leader has said Rahul not only insulted the PM through his 'nonsense' comment but also the UPA. ALSO SEE My words may have been strong but sentiment was honest: Rahul on 'nonsense ordinance' In his blog he has also credited the BJP with informing the President why the ordinance was a bad idea. In fact in the title of the blog, 'It's Pranab da, not Rahul, who saved the situation', Advani has given credit to President Pranab Mukherjee for the withdrawal of the ordinance. 

Advani gives credit to President Pranab for withdrawal of ordinance on MPs In his blog he has also credited the BJP with informing the President why the ordinance was a bad idea. Following is the full text of Advani's blog on the ordinance row: It's Pranab da, not Rahul, who saved the situation With the Cabinet deciding on Wednesday to withdraw the Ordinance as well as the Bill pending before Parliament in respect of convicted MPs and MLAs yet another ugly chapter in the unflattering history of the UPA Government has ended.

 That most of the media reports on this development have described it as a victory for Rahul Gandhi is a comment on how superficial the media generally has become these days. In fact, when just before departing from the US after his meetings with President Obama and Pak PM Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh observed that he would discuss with his Cabinet after his return what the party's Vice President has said about the Ordinance, I commented to a friend that all that Rahul Gandhi had said about the Ordinance in his three-and-a-half minute speech was that the Ordinance was "complete nonsense" and deserved to be "torn" and "thrown away." What was there in this outburst which the PM could possibly discuss with his Cabinet? After all, Rahul Gandhi had not given a single argument why he felt the Ordinance was wrong. 

In contrast, when on September 26 evening, accompanied by our leaders in the two Houses, Smt Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitley, I went to Rashtrapati Bhavan, and presented to the President a four-page representation, our memo elaborated why we of the BJP regarded the Ordinance not only unconstitutional and illegal, but also immoral, besides being procedurally wrong inasmuch as the Bill which the Ordinance sought to replace had been already referred to a Standing Committee of the Rajya Sabha. I recall that it was on Tuesday 24 September that the Cabinet approved the Ordinance to protect convicted MPs, MLAs, in effect negating the Supreme Court's order. The first reaction from the Opposition was Sushma's tweet that BJP would oppose the Ordinance. 

She consulted me shortly thereafter and we decided to approach the Rashtrapati and urge him not to sign the Ordinance. When she sought an appointment from Rashtrapati Bhavan, she gathered that the President had gone to Puducherry and would return only on September 26 at 4.00 pm. We met him at 5.30 pm that day and were with him for 45 minutes or so. At the end of our meeting we got the clear impression that he was convinced that the situation merited his intervention. When shortly thereafter TV channels began relaying that he had summoned Shinde and Sibal, and still later, Kamalnath, it became evident that things had started moving. It seems these Ministers were told that the President had reservations about signing the Ordinance. This must have alarmed the Ministers. 

The President returning the Ordinance to the Government unsigned would have been a major setback for Government. It is then perhaps that Soniaji may have thought of doing some damage control using Rahul for the purpose. It is obvious however, that no one advised him how precisely he was to carry out this task. The objective would have been fully served if Rahul had simply said that the decision taken by the Government needs to be reviewed. What he said instead has made The Indian Express (October 3, 2013) write a caustic editorial captioned "Losing Face". The sub heading runs: "He may have won, but Rahul Gandhi has rubbed off more of the UPA's authority."

 Rahul's victory is really confined to rubbing off U.P.A's authority, and not merely the Prime Minister's. From Day One, UPA has always meant Dr. Manmohan Singh and Smt. Sonia Gandhi. So, the 'nonsense' slur hurled at the Cabinet approved ordinance cannot apply only to the PM and His Ministers. Soniaji must also share responsibility. Speaking to Barkha Dutt (NDTV) on board PM's Special Aircraft on his way back home, Dr. Manmohan Singh stressed that the Ordinance had been cleared at a meeting of senior Congress leaders including the Party President Sonia Gandhi, held on September 21.

 The victory that has come to the country by withdrawal of this illegal and immoral ordinance has thus been thanks only to the Rashtrapati, who has proved that UPA would err seriously if it assumed that like most other Congressmen who had earlier occupied the high office of President, he too would remain a rubber stamp President ! Tailpiece The concluding paragraph of THE INDIAN EXPRESS editorial mentioned in the above blog reads as follows: Manmohan Singh has ruled out the possibility of leaving office, but there is no missing the sense of resignation about the rest of his term. 

Rahul Gandhi has not followed up his ambush with a fuller explanation of his position on these bills. His views on matters of governance are unknown, but his capacity to disrupt the government's decisions has been proven. Now, his silence will only seem louder and more suspenseful. Whether or not this move pays off politically for the Congress in the upcoming election, for its remaining term, its government has effectively lost face.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/advani-blames-sonia-for-advising-rahul-to-oppose-ordinance-on-mps/426295-37-64.html?utm_source=ref_article

New Delhi: There is no end to the ordinance on convicted MPs and MLAs row. Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch LK Advani has now taken on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and blamed her for Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's outburst. LK Advani has written a blog saying that Sonia Gandhi advised Rahul to oppose the ordinance and that she too must take the blame for undermining Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The senior BJP leader has said Rahul not only insulted the PM through his 'nonsense' comment but also the UPA. ALSO SEE My words may have been strong but sentiment was honest: Rahul on 'nonsense ordinance' In his blog he has also credited the BJP with informing the President why the ordinance was a bad idea. In fact in the title of the blog, 'It's Pranab da, not Rahul, who saved the situation', Advani has given credit to President Pranab Mukherjee for the withdrawal of the ordinance. Advani gives credit to President Pranab for withdrawal of ordinance on MPs In his blog he has also credited the BJP with informing the President why the ordinance was a bad idea. Following is the full text of Advani's blog on the ordinance row: It's Pranab da, not Rahul, who saved the situation With the Cabinet deciding on Wednesday to withdraw the Ordinance as well as the Bill pending before Parliament in respect of convicted MPs and MLAs yet another ugly chapter in the unflattering history of the UPA Government has ended. That most of the media reports on this development have described it as a victory for Rahul Gandhi is a comment on how superficial the media generally has become these days. In fact, when just before departing from the US after his meetings with President Obama and Pak PM Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh observed that he would discuss with his Cabinet after his return what the party's Vice President has said about the Ordinance, I commented to a friend that all that Rahul Gandhi had said about the Ordinance in his three-and-a-half minute speech was that the Ordinance was "complete nonsense" and deserved to be "torn" and "thrown away." What was there in this outburst which the PM could possibly discuss with his Cabinet? After all, Rahul Gandhi had not given a single argument why he felt the Ordinance was wrong. In contrast, when on September 26 evening, accompanied by our leaders in the two Houses, Smt Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitley, I went to Rashtrapati Bhavan, and presented to the President a four-page representation, our memo elaborated why we of the BJP regarded the Ordinance not only unconstitutional and illegal, but also immoral, besides being procedurally wrong inasmuch as the Bill which the Ordinance sought to replace had been already referred to a Standing Committee of the Rajya Sabha. I recall that it was on Tuesday 24 September that the Cabinet approved the Ordinance to protect convicted MPs, MLAs, in effect negating the Supreme Court's order. The first reaction from the Opposition was Sushma's tweet that BJP would oppose the Ordinance. She consulted me shortly thereafter and we decided to approach the Rashtrapati and urge him not to sign the Ordinance. When she sought an appointment from Rashtrapati Bhavan, she gathered that the President had gone to Puducherry and would return only on September 26 at 4.00 pm. We met him at 5.30 pm that day and were with him for 45 minutes or so. At the end of our meeting we got the clear impression that he was convinced that the situation merited his intervention. When shortly thereafter TV channels began relaying that he had summoned Shinde and Sibal, and still later, Kamalnath, it became evident that things had started moving. It seems these Ministers were told that the President had reservations about signing the Ordinance. This must have alarmed the Ministers. The President returning the Ordinance to the Government unsigned would have been a major setback for Government. It is then perhaps that Soniaji may have thought of doing some damage control using Rahul for the purpose. It is obvious however, that no one advised him how precisely he was to carry out this task. The objective would have been fully served if Rahul had simply said that the decision taken by the Government needs to be reviewed. What he said instead has made The Indian Express (October 3, 2013) write a caustic editorial captioned "Losing Face". The sub heading runs: "He may have won, but Rahul Gandhi has rubbed off more of the UPA's authority." Rahul's victory is really confined to rubbing off U.P.A's authority, and not merely the Prime Minister's. From Day One, UPA has always meant Dr. Manmohan Singh and Smt. Sonia Gandhi. So, the 'nonsense' slur hurled at the Cabinet approved ordinance cannot apply only to the PM and His Ministers. Soniaji must also share responsibility. Speaking to Barkha Dutt (NDTV) on board PM's Special Aircraft on his way back home, Dr. Manmohan Singh stressed that the Ordinance had been cleared at a meeting of senior Congress leaders including the Party President Sonia Gandhi, held on September 21. The victory that has come to the country by withdrawal of this illegal and immoral ordinance has thus been thanks only to the Rashtrapati, who has proved that UPA would err seriously if it assumed that like most other Congressmen who had earlier occupied the high office of President, he too would remain a rubber stamp President ! Tailpiece The concluding paragraph of THE INDIAN EXPRESS editorial mentioned in the above blog reads as follows: Manmohan Singh has ruled out the possibility of leaving office, but there is no missing the sense of resignation about the rest of his term. Rahul Gandhi has not followed up his ambush with a fuller explanation of his position on these bills. His views on matters of governance are unknown, but his capacity to disrupt the government's decisions has been proven. Now, his silence will only seem louder and more suspenseful. Whether or not this move pays off politically for the Congress in the upcoming election, for its remaining term, its government has effectively lost face.

Read more at: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/advani-blames-sonia-for-advising-rahul-to-oppose-ordinance-on-mps/426295-37-64.html?utm_source=ref_article

US police launch inquiry after deadly car chase

 

An investigation is under way after a police chase through the heart of Washington DC ended with a woman driver shot dead and two officers injured.

Police and the FBI quickly sealed off and searched a house in Stamford, Connecticut, believed to be the woman's home, officials said.


Her car had rammed security gates at the White House and police opened fire as she sped off towards Capitol Hill.

A one-year-old girl was taken unharmed from the car by police.

The shooting happened two weeks after 12 people were killed and three injured in a shooting at the nearby Washington Navy Yard.


The woman has not been officially identified.

Although the reason for Thursday's incident is unclear, police said it was neither an act of terrorism nor an accident.

The incident began at 14:12 (18:12 GMT) when the driver of a black Infiniti sedan rammed security fencing at the outer perimeter of the White House, police told reporters.

Add caption

Tourists, congressional staff and senators watched as a convoy of police vehicles chased the car down Constitution Avenue outside the Capitol, where the two houses of Congress meet.

Footage showed the car at one point surrounded by police but the driver managed to escape, speeding around a roundabout and past the north side of the Capitol.

Images showed police pointing guns at the car before the driver rammed a Secret Service vehicle and carried on driving. 


Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier told reporters that officers shot and killed the woman on a road just north-east of the Capitol.

She said Capitol Police and Secret Service officers had fired on the vehicle in two different locations during the incident.There was no sign that the woman had been armed.

Two US Senators 'heard gun shots'.Capitol Police briefly locked down the building where lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Senate were debating how to end the current government shutdown.Police said the two injured officers were in good condition and expected to recover.

Later, Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said the FBI was executing a search warrant at a Stamford address in connection with the investigation.


Police had cordoned off a condominium and the surrounding area, he said.


The Washington Post, quoting law enforcement officials, said the car was registered to a 34-year-old mother and police believed it was she who had been behind the wheel.

The newspaper said a friend of the family was acting as a spokesman and that the family would release a statement.

Endgame near in J&K's Keran sector after 10 days

NEW DELHI: The Army's ongoing " Operation Shala Bhata" against the large group of intruders in the Keran sector in J&K has now entered the "terminal phase" after 10 days, with the remaining militants being pinned down to a smaller area after being surrounded from three sides by Indian soldiers.

"We have foiled one major attempt to resupply the trapped infiltrators with food, ammunition and radio batteries from across the LoC, with active connivance of the Pakistan Army. But smaller bids to resupply them could have gone through. Our aim is not to allow any one of the infiltrators to escape back across the border, the only route now open to them," said a senior officer on Thursday.

With intermittent gunfire still underway in the thickly-forested Shala Bhata region, the Army says it will take "some more time" to "sanitize" the "800x300 metre" area to which the intruders have now been restricted after the "initial contact" was spread across a "4 to 5km frontage" on the night of September 24.

In the major operation backed by additional forces, helicopters and spy drones in the high-altitude area, the Army till now claims to have killed 15 of the 35-40 intruders, suspected to be a mix of militants and Pakistani "special troops" armed with rifles, light machine guns and radio sets. Five Indian soldiers have also been wounded in the fierce encounter.

Pakistan on Thursday strongly denied its troops were involved in the infiltration bid, dubbing it "a blatant lie and baseless allegation", much like it had done after the beheading of an Indian soldier in Mendhar on January 8 as well as the killing of five Indian soldiers killed in Poonch on August 6.

But defence minister A K Antony blamed Pakistani Army's "specialist troops" and border action teams (BAT) for both the incidents. The assessment is that Pakistani Army has been steadily upping the ante since January, especially after Nawaz Sharif was elected the PM in May. Apart from around 150 ceasefire violations being recorded since January, the number of militants who have tried to infiltrate into J&K has jumped to over 210 already this year.

Even in the ongoing operation in Keran, Army officers say that while "no definitive evidence of regular Pakistan Army troops being involved has been found so far", the way the major infiltration bid unfolded on September 24 and the "sustained fight-back" clearly showed the Pakistani Army's imprint in the incident.

"There is definite assistance being given to the intruders from the launch pads on the LoC," said an officer. Srinagar-based 15 Corps commander, Lt-General Gurmeet Singh, who is overseeing the overall operation, had himself called it a "BAT-cum-infiltration bid" on Wednesday.

The Pakistani Army is keeping a close tab on the 778km-long LoC, striking swiftly whenever it detects "tactical lapses" by Indian soldiers. Much like the earlier beheading and cross-border ambushes, the "BAT-cum-infiltration bid" in the Keran sector came during the changeover of battalions, just after the 20 Kumaon Regiment had handed over charge to the 3/3 Gorkha Rifles. Units being posted out of forward areas are known to become complacent, while the ones replacing them are still to come to grips with their new deployments.

Not just Lalu: Nitish Kumar also involved in fodder scam?

Patna: If Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad is in jail, why is Chief Minister Nitish Kumar free? That is the big question doing the rounds in the political circles in Bihar at the moment. After all, didn’t one of the prime accused in the fodder scandal, Shyam Bihari Sinha, confess to the CBI that he also paid Nitish, (in the Samata Party then), Rs 1 crore of the scam money as election expenditure in 1994? It was finally Lalu’s association with Sinha, the central figure in the scam, which saw him thrown behind bars. Bihar’s opposition parties have started raking up the issue with great energy after the conviction of the RJD chief, particularly after the Jharkhand High Court on 20 

September directed the CBI to explain why Nitish and his party colleague Shivanand Tiwari should not be arraigned as accused in the fodder scam. PTI PTI Tiwari, according to Sinha’s confession, had demanded and received Rs 30-35 lakh from the syndicate of scamsters.

 The court has asked CBI to file its reply by 22 November, when it is scheduled to be taken up for hearing. If the agency fails to come up with a convincing reply, Nitish could be in serious trouble. The court was responding to a writ petition filed by a social activist Mithilesh Kumar Singh based on the confessional statement of Sinha obtained via RTI. 

The statement of Sinha reveals, according to Singh, that the scam money was given to scores of politicians, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar, Shivanand Tiwari and others. “If on the very basis (of the confessional statement of Sinha), Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and others could be made accused in the fodder scam, why did the CBI refuse to include the names of Nitish Kumar and Shivanand Tiwari in the list of the accused?” asked Singh. According to documents, which Singh claims to be in his possession, Sinha had paid money to Nitish Kumar in two installments—first Rs 1.40 crore for election purposes and then Rs 5.50 lakh for shopping by the leader during his trip to Australia. The air ticket, too, was arranged by the scamsters. He alleged that Shivanand Tiwari was paid money in three installments.

 “I have sufficient proof against Nitish Kumar and his colleagues,” said Singh. Smelling blood, the entire opposition – the BJP, the CPI-ML and even the RJD – has virtually ganged up on Nitish, demanding that the CBI also make the Bihar chief minister an accused in the scam. The parties have started hitting the street over the demand and mobilizing public opinion. The development has left the chief minister worried. It partly explains why he has suddenly gone silent, not even reacting to the incarceration of his arch rival in Bihar politics.

 “The CBI’s silence over the involvement of Nitish Kumar, Shivanand Tiwari, Lalan Singh and others in the fodder scam is mysterious and we want to know why their names have been left out,” CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said at a press conference in Patna. “Were the leaders let off because they were with the NDA government at the Centre when the CBI started investigating the case? BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad is now saying that there was proof of Mr Kumar’s involvement in the fodder scam case too,” he added. 

The fodder scam had surfaced in 1996 and a year latter, Lalu, who was the chief minister of Bihar then, was sent to jail after being chargesheeted. He had hoped for reprieve from the United Front government – of which Lalu’s Janata Dal was a key ally – at the Centre headed by two prime ministers, HD Deve Gowda and then IK Gujaral. However, it collapsed in two years after a shaky existence. It followed the formation of the NDA government headed by AB Vajpayee. It brought more trouble for Lalu and relief to Nitish, who was then a partner in the ruling alliance. BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad, who was the lawyer for Sushil Kumar Modi, a petitioner who had filed a PIL in the court in the fodder scam, has also gone public, saying Nitish would follow Lalu.

 “Elder brother (Lalu Prasad) is in jail (in the fodder scam) and it is now the turn of the younger brother (Nitish Kumar). His (Mr Kumar’s) name figures in the fodder scam and hence he too will have to go to jail,” Prasad told a party rally. Sushil Kumar Modi, former deputy chief minister and one of the original petitioners in the scam, said. “The imprisonment of Nitish Kumar and his colleagues is inevitable,” he told the media. However, Shivanand Tiwari denies all such allegations. “Such allegations against us are quite old and I will welcome it if the CBI investigates our involvement in the case,” Tiwari has been quoted as saying in a local daily, reacting to allegations against them. 

Another senior leader and minister in the Nitish Kumar government, Bhim Singh, refused comment. Senior BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy has attacked the chief minister, saying the latter’s growing closeness to the Congress was possibly an outcome of the apprehension that the CBI could frame him in the fodder scam. “It’s high time Nitish Kumar should tell the masses what forced him to close ranks with the Congress” said Rudy. All eyes are now fixed on the reply CBI submits to the court. If Nitish also falls prey to the scam, the politics of Bihar would be headed for uncertain times.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/not-just-lalu-nitish-kumar-also-involved-in-fodder-scam-1151953.html?utm_source=ref_article

Firstpost India Not just Lalu: Nitish Kumar also involved in fodder scam? by Manoj Kumar Oct 4, 2013 #bIhar #BJP #CBI #Fodder Scam #HD Deve Gowda #HowThisWorks #India #Jharkhand High Court #Lalu Prasad Yadav #Mithilesh Kumar Singh #Nitish Kumar #Politics #Ravishankar Prasad #RJD #Shivnand Tewari #Sushil Kumar Modi 26 0 2 41 CommentsEmailPrint Patna: If Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad is in jail, why is Chief Minister Nitish Kumar free? That is the big question doing the rounds in the political circles in Bihar at the moment. After all, didn’t one of the prime accused in the fodder scandal, Shyam Bihari Sinha, confess to the CBI that he also paid Nitish, (in the Samata Party then), Rs 1 crore of the scam money as election expenditure in 1994? It was finally Lalu’s association with Sinha, the central figure in the scam, which saw him thrown behind bars. Bihar’s opposition parties have started raking up the issue with great energy after the conviction of the RJD chief, particularly after the Jharkhand High Court on 20 September directed the CBI to explain why Nitish and his party colleague Shivanand Tiwari should not be arraigned as accused in the fodder scam. PTI PTI Tiwari, according to Sinha’s confession, had demanded and received Rs 30-35 lakh from the syndicate of scamsters. The court has asked CBI to file its reply by 22 November, when it is scheduled to be taken up for hearing. If the agency fails to come up with a convincing reply, Nitish could be in serious trouble. The court was responding to a writ petition filed by a social activist Mithilesh Kumar Singh based on the confessional statement of Sinha obtained via RTI. The statement of Sinha reveals, according to Singh, that the scam money was given to scores of politicians, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar, Shivanand Tiwari and others. “If on the very basis (of the confessional statement of Sinha), Lalu Prasad, Jagannath Mishra and others could be made accused in the fodder scam, why did the CBI refuse to include the names of Nitish Kumar and Shivanand Tiwari in the list of the accused?” asked Singh. According to documents, which Singh claims to be in his possession, Sinha had paid money to Nitish Kumar in two installments—first Rs 1.40 crore for election purposes and then Rs 5.50 lakh for shopping by the leader during his trip to Australia. The air ticket, too, was arranged by the scamsters. He alleged that Shivanand Tiwari was paid money in three installments. “I have sufficient proof against Nitish Kumar and his colleagues,” said Singh. Smelling blood, the entire opposition – the BJP, the CPI-ML and even the RJD – has virtually ganged up on Nitish, demanding that the CBI also make the Bihar chief minister an accused in the scam. The parties have started hitting the street over the demand and mobilizing public opinion. The development has left the chief minister worried. It partly explains why he has suddenly gone silent, not even reacting to the incarceration of his arch rival in Bihar politics. “The CBI’s silence over the involvement of Nitish Kumar, Shivanand Tiwari, Lalan Singh and others in the fodder scam is mysterious and we want to know why their names have been left out,” CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said at a press conference in Patna. “Were the leaders let off because they were with the NDA government at the Centre when the CBI started investigating the case? BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad is now saying that there was proof of Mr Kumar’s involvement in the fodder scam case too,” he added. The fodder scam had surfaced in 1996 and a year latter, Lalu, who was the chief minister of Bihar then, was sent to jail after being chargesheeted. He had hoped for reprieve from the United Front government – of which Lalu’s Janata Dal was a key ally – at the Centre headed by two prime ministers, HD Deve Gowda and then IK Gujaral. However, it collapsed in two years after a shaky existence. It followed the formation of the NDA government headed by AB Vajpayee. It brought more trouble for Lalu and relief to Nitish, who was then a partner in the ruling alliance. BJP leader Ravishankar Prasad, who was the lawyer for Sushil Kumar Modi, a petitioner who had filed a PIL in the court in the fodder scam, has also gone public, saying Nitish would follow Lalu. “Elder brother (Lalu Prasad) is in jail (in the fodder scam) and it is now the turn of the younger brother (Nitish Kumar). His (Mr Kumar’s) name figures in the fodder scam and hence he too will have to go to jail,” Prasad told a party rally. Sushil Kumar Modi, former deputy chief minister and one of the original petitioners in the scam, said. “The imprisonment of Nitish Kumar and his colleagues is inevitable,” he told the media. However, Shivanand Tiwari denies all such allegations. “Such allegations against us are quite old and I will welcome it if the CBI investigates our involvement in the case,” Tiwari has been quoted as saying in a local daily, reacting to allegations against them. Another senior leader and minister in the Nitish Kumar government, Bhim Singh, refused comment. Senior BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy has attacked the chief minister, saying the latter’s growing closeness to the Congress was possibly an outcome of the apprehension that the CBI could frame him in the fodder scam. “It’s high time Nitish Kumar should tell the masses what forced him to close ranks with the Congress” said Rudy. All eyes are now fixed on the reply CBI submits to the court. If Nitish also falls prey to the scam, the politics of Bihar would be headed for uncertain times.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/not-just-lalu-nitish-kumar-also-involved-in-fodder-scam-1151953.html?utm_source=ref_article

Telangana LIVE: Bandh in Seemandhara; AP CM convenes meet

Hyderabad: The emotive state bifurcation issue has once again flared up in Andhra Pradesh after the union cabinet set up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to work out the modalities for creation of Telangana, India’s 29th state.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram will head the GoM. Hyderabad will be the joint capital of Telangana and Seemandhara for 10 years and after that Seemandhara will have to establish its own capital.

The cabinet decided to go ahead with the Telangana despite the stiff opposition from leaders from the Seemandhara region. Tourism Minister Chiranjeevi has already resigned from the government while another heavyweight, HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju, offered to quit but was asked to continue by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Textiles Minister KS Rao had also offered to quit, reports said. Also, Congress' V Aruna Kumar, MP from Rajahmundry, tendered his resignation both from the party and Parliament in protest over the decision. 

The Jaganmohan Reddy-led YSR Congress party has called for a 72-hour bandh in protest against the cabinet’s decision. 

The bandh is expected to be near total in the entire Seemandhara region and would be felt in cities like Vijayawada and Vishakapatnam.

The Seemandhara Lawyer Joint Action Committee (JAC) has also called a 48-hour-bandh in the 13 districts of Seemandhara and the Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) Association has called for 48-hour blockade of national highways.

By approving Telangana, the Congress has stood to its poll promise; however, the party is yet to decipher how the issue will play out in Seemandhara and Rayalaseema where YSR Congress party has emerged a potent force. 

Jagan’s release on bail after spending 16 months in jail in a corruption case was seen as a sign of the emerging tactic understanding between the YSR Congress Party and the Congress.

However, Jagan dropped a bombshell on the Congress by praising Narendra Modi – implying that he has kept his options open. "What I want Narendra Modi to do is, I appreciate Modi as an administrator, I want Modi to change this entire system in bringing every party on to a secular platform in the interest of the nation," he said. 

Another cause of worry for the Congress is Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. The CM has already made it more than clear that he is willing to stake his chair for a united Andhra Pradesh.

His opposition may make it that more difficult for the Congress to go ahead with the Telanaga plan.

Kiran Reddy convened an emergency meeting at 11.30 am today with ministers, MPs, MLCs and MLAs from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema to discuss the developments following the Union Cabinet's approval of bifurcation of the state. 

A decision on en masse resignation by ministers and legislators is expected to be taken at the meeting.

Suddenly the Top Smartphone price decreased!!!!

இன்றைய மொபைல் மார்கெட்டில் ஏராளமான நிறுவனங்களின் மொபைல்கள் விற்பனைக்கு வருகின்றன. அண்மையாக சில ஆண்டுகளில் நிறைய மொபைல் கம்பெனிகள் உருவாகி விட்டன. சில வருடங்களுக்கு முன்னர் நோக்கியா, சோனி, சாம்சங் போன்ற நிறுவனங்களே மக்களிடத்தில் மிகவும் பிரபலமாக இருந்தன. இந்திய மொபைல் நிறவனங்கள் எதுவும் சில ஆண்டுகளுக்கு சொல்லிக்கொள்ளும் வகையில் இல்லை. இன்று இந்திய மொபைல் நிறுவனங்களான மைக்கிரோமேக்ஸ், கார்பான் மற்றும் செல்கான் போன்றவைகள் மக்களிடையே வேகமாக பிரபலமாகி வருகின்றன. மார்கெட்டில் பல நிறுவனங்களின் மொபைல்கள் அதிகம் வருவதால் தொழில் போட்டிகள் நிலவுகின்றன. இதை சமாளிக்க பல முன்னனி நிறுவனங்களின் ஹை ரேஞ் ஸ்மார்ட்போன்கள் அதிரடியாக விலை குறைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது அவைகளை பற்றி கீழே உள்ள சிலைட்சோவில் பார்க்கலாம்.

பிளாக்பெர்ரி Z10

பழைய விலை- ரூ.43,490 புதிய விலை- ரூ.24,490 பிளாக்பெர்ரி 10 இயங்குதளம், 4.2 அங்குல தொடுதிரை, 1.5 Ghz டூயல்-கோர் ஸ்நாப்டிராகன் ப்ராசெசர், 2 ஜிபி ரேம், 8 எம்பி கேமரா, 16 ஜிபி உள்நினைவகம், 4ஜி என பல அம்சங்களை இது கொண்டுள்ளது.

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357174

 

 

நோக்கியா லூமியா 

625 பழைய விலை- ரூ.19,489 புதிய விலை- ரூ.13,990 4.7 இன்ஞ் டிஸ்பிளே விண்டோஸ் போன் 8 ஓஎஸ் 1.2GHZ டியுல் கோர் பிராசஸர் 512எம்பி ராம்

8ஜிபி இண்டெர்னல் மெமரி 5மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா 0.3மெகாபிக்சல் பிரண்ட் கேமரா 4ஜி, 3ஜி, wi-fi 2000mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357175

 

நோக்கியா லூமியா 925 பழைய விலை- ரூ.33,999 புதிய விலை- ரூ.27,790 4.5 இன்ஞ் அமோலெட் டிஸ்பிளே விண்டோஸ் போன் 8 ஓஎஸ் 1.5GHZ டியுல் கோர் பிராசஸர் 1ஜிபி ராம் 16ஜிபி இண்டெர்னல் மெமரி 8.7மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா 1.2மெகாபிக்சல் பிரண்ட் கேமரா 3ஜி, wi-fi 2000mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357176

 

 

சோனி எக்ஸ்பீரியா Z1 

பழைய விலை- ரூ.44,990 புதிய விலை- ரூ.38,990 5இன்ஞ் புல் ஹச்டி டிஸ்பிளே, 2.2GHZகுவால்கம் ஸ்னாப்டிராகன் 800 பிராசஸர், 2ஜிபி ராம்,

16ஜிபி ரோம், 20.7 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா, 2மெகாபிக்சல் பிரண்ட் கேமரா, 64ஜிபி எக்ஸ்பேண்டபுள் மெமரி புளுடூத், wi-fi, 3ஜி, ஆன்டிராய்ட் 4.2.2 ஜெல்லிபீன் ஓஎஸ் 3,000mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357178

 

 

ஹச்டிசி பட்டர்பிளை 

பழைய விலை- ரூ.45,990 புதிய விலை- ரூ.35,899 5இன்ஞ் டிஸ்பிளே, 1.5GHZ பிராசஸர், 2ஜிபி ராம், 16ஜிபி ரோம்,8 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா, 2.1மெகாபிக்சல் பிரண்ட் கேமரா, 32ஜிபி எக்ஸ்பேண்டபுள் மெமரி புளுடூத், wi-fi, 3ஜி, ஆன்டிராய்ட் 4.1 ஜெல்லிபீன் ஓஎஸ் 2020mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357179

 

சாம்சங் கேலக்ஸி எஸ் 4

 பழைய விலை- ரூ.41,500 புதிய விலை- ரூ.34,999 5 அங்குல AMOLED திரை, 1.6GHZ கூவாட் கோர் பிராசஸர், 2ஜிபி ராம், 13 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா,

2மெகாபிக்சல் பிரண்ட் கேமரா, புளுடூத், wi-fi, 3ஜி, ஆன்டிராய்ட் 4.2.2 ஜெல்லிபீன் ஓஎஸ் 2600mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357180

 

 

மைக்கிரோமேக்ஸ் கேன்வாஸ் ஏ116

 பழைய விலை- ரூ.14,499 புதிய விலை- ரூ.12,990 5இன்ஞ் எல்சிடி டச் ஸ்கிரீன் ஆன்டிராய்ட் 4.1.2 ஓஎஸ் 1.2 GHz கூவாட் கோர் பிராசஸர்,

8 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா 2 மெகாபிக்சல் பிரண்ட் கேமரா டியூல் சிம் 32ஜிபி எக்ஸ்பேண்டபுள் மெமரி 2100 mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357182

 

 

மைக்கிரோமேக்ஸ் கேன்வாஸ் ஏ111

 பழைய விலை- ரூ.12,999 புதிய விலை- ரூ.9,999 5.3இன்ஞ் எல்சிடி டச் ஸ்கிரீன் ஆன்டிராய்ட் 4.1 ஓஎஸ் 1.2 GHz கூவாட் கோர் பிராசஸர் 8 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா ,விஜிஏ பிரண்ட் கேமரா டியூல் சிம் எக்ஸ்பேண்டபுள் மெமரி 2100 mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357186

 

 

 

ஆப்பிள் ஐபோன் 5 

பழைய விலை- ரூ.45,500 புதிய விலை- ரூ.36,000 4இன்ஞ் டச் ஸ்கிரீன் ஏ6 1.2 GHz டியுல் கோர் பிராசஸர் ஐஓஎஸ்6 ஓஎஸ் 1ஜிபி ராம்(RAM)

8 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா 1.2 மெகாபிக்சல் பிரண்ட் கேமரா 16 ஜிபி, 32 ஜிபி, 64 ஜிபி இன்டெர்னல் மெமரி 4ஜி எல்டிஈ 3ஜி,2ஜி Wi-Fi, மைக்கிரோ யுஎஸ்பி ,

புளுடூத் 1440 mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357189

 

 

 

லினோவோ K 900 

பழைய விலை- ரூ.32,999 புதிய விலை- ரூ.23,790 5.5இன்ஞ் ஐபிஎஸ் டிஸ்பிளே, 1920*1080 ரெசலூஸன் பிக்சல்ஸ் 2GHZ டியுல் கோர் பிராசஸர், 2ஜிபி ராம்,

ஆன்டிராய்ட் 4.2ஜெல்லிபீன் ஓஎஸ், 13மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா, 2மெகாபிக்சல் பிரண்ட் கேமரா, 3ஜி, wi-fi, புளுடூத், 2500mAh பேட்டரி

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html#slide357193

 

 

 Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/top-smartphones-available-low-price-in-india-006418.html

சோனி எக்ஸ்பீரியா C ஸ்மார்ட்போன் ஆன்லைன் விற்பனையில்

சோனி நிறுவனம் சோனி எக்ஸ்பிரீயா Z1 உட்பட இன்னும் சில சாதனங்களை இந்தியாவில் அண்மையாக வெளியிட்டது. இந்நிறவனத்தின் எக்ஸ்பீரியா மாடல் ஸ்மார்ட்போன்களில் ஒன்றான சோனி எக்ஸ்பீரியா C இம்மாதத்தில் வெளிவரும் என்ற தகவல் முன்பே தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டது. இப்பொழுது இந்த மொபைலின் ஆன்லைன் விற்பனை தொடங்கிவிட்டது. 

 

இந்த ஸ்மார்ட்போனின் ஆன்லைன் டீல்ஸ்களை பார்பதற்க்கு முன் அதன் சிறப்பம்சங்களை பார்ப்போம். 5இன்ஞ் டிஸ்பிளே, 1.2GHZ கூவாட் கோர் பிராசஸர், 1ஜிபி ராம், 4ஜிபி ரோம், 8 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமரா, விஜிஏ பிரண்ட் கேமரா, 32ஜிபி எக்ஸ்பேண்டபுள் மெமரி புளுடூத், wi-fi, 3ஜி, ஆன்டிராய்ட் 4.2.2 ஜெல்லிபீன் ஓஎஸ் 2390mAh பேட்டரி ஆன்லைனில் இந்த ஸ்மார்ட்போனின் விலை ரூ. 20,490 ஆகும். கீழே உள்ள சிலைட்சோவில் இந்த மொபைலின் ஆன்லைன் டீல்ஸ்களை பாருங்கள்.

 

 

Read more at: http://tamil.gizbot.com/mobile/sony-experia-c-online-deals-006419.html
 

ஹார்மோன் மாற்றத்தால் 2 வயது ஆண் குழந்தைக்கு தாடி, மீசை...

விழுப்புரத்தில் 2 வயது ஆண் குழந்தைக்கு ஹார்மோன் மாற்றத்தால் முகத்தில் தாடி, மீசை முளைத்துள்ளது. விழுப்புரத்தைச் சேர்ந்த 2 வயது ஆண் குழந்தைக்கு உடலில் திடீர் மாற்றங்கள் உண்டாகி இருப்பதாகவும், முகத்தில் பெரியவர்களைப் போல் மீசை, தாடி போன்றவை முளைத்திருப்பதாகவும் கூறி அவனது பெற்றோர், அவனை புதுவை ஜிப்மர் மருத்துவமனைக்கு அழைத்துச் சென்றனர். 

அவனைப் பரிசோதனை செய்த ஹார்மோன் துறை உதவி பேராசிரியர் டாக்டர் சதீஷ், அவனது உடலில் ஹார்மோன்கள் மிகவும் அதிக அளவில் இருந்ததைக் கண்டறிந்தார். மேலும், ஸ்கேன் செய்து பார்த்தபோது, மூளையின் அடிப்பகுதியில் உள்ள ஹார்மோன்களின் தலைமையிடமான ஹைப்போத்தாலமசில் ஒரு கட்டி வளர்ந்திருப்பதும் தெரியவந்தது. முதற்கட்ட சிகிச்சையாக அவனுக்கு ஹார்மோன்களை கட்டுப்படுத்த 3 மாதத்திற்கு ஒரு முறை சிறப்பு மருந்துகள் ஊசி மூலம் மருத்துவர்கள் செலுத்தினர். 

ஆனால் அது முழுமையான மாற்றத்தை ஏற்படுத்தவில்லை. மேலும், அந்த மருந்து இன்னும் 10 முதல் 12 வருடங்களுக்கு தொடர்ந்து செலுத்த வேண்டும். அத்தோடு, வெளிநாடுகளில் இருந்து இறக்குமதி செய்யப்படும் அந்த மருந்தின் விலையும் அதிகமாகையால், பெற்றோர் பணப்பிரச்சினையில் சிக்கி அவதிப்பட்டனர். எனவே, சிறுவனின் பிரச்சினைக்கு நிரந்தரத் தீர்வளிக்க முடிவு செய்த மருத்துவர்கள், மூளையின் அடிப்பகுதியில் இருந்த கட்டியை அறுவைச் சிகிச்சை மூலம் அகற்றத் தீர்மானித்தனர். அதன்படி, நரம்பியல் அறுவை சிகிச்சை துறை கூடுதல் பேராசிரியர் டாக்டர் ரூபேஷ்குமார் தலைமையில் அறுவைச்சிகிச்சை நடைபெற்றது.

 அறுவைச்சிகிச்சையின் வெற்றியைத் தொடர்ந்து, இனி சிறுவனின் ஹார்மோன் அளவு வயதுக்கு ஏற்ப சரியாக காணப்படுகிறது. இனி அவனுக்கு ஊசி மருந்து தேவைப்படாது என மருத்துவர்கள் நம்பிக்கைத் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

Read more at: http://tamil.oneindia.in/news/tamilnadu/a-boy-2-years-old-battle-with-beard-and-mustache-184673.html

லாலுவுக்கு சிறை தண்டனை: மேல்முறையீடு செய்வோம்- ஆர்.ஜே.டி!

தீவன ஊழல் வழக்கில் பீகார் முன்னாள் முதல்வரும் ராஷ்டிரிய ஜனதா தளத் தலைவருமான லாலு பிரசாத் யாதவுக்கு 5 ஆண்டுகாலம் சிறைத் தண்டனை விதிக்கப்பட்டிருப்பதை எதிர்த்து மேல்முறையீடு செய்வோம் என்று ராஷ்டிரிய ஜனதா தளம்(ஆர்.ஜே.டி) தெரிவித்துள்ளது. 

அதே நேரத்தில் காங்கிரஸ் மற்றும் பாரதிய ஜனதா கட்சித் தலைவர்கள் இத்தண்டனையை வரவேற்றுள்ளனர். லாலுவின் ராஷ்டிரிய ஜனதா தளத்தினரோ, இத்தண்டனையை எதிர்த்து மேல்முறையீடு செய்வோம் என்று கூறியுள்ளனர். இது குறித்து கருத்து தெரிவித்த அக்கட்சியின் செய்தித் தொடர்பாளர் மனோஜ் ஜா, நாங்கள் எப்போதும்போல ஒற்றுமையுடன் இருக்கிறோம். எங்களது ஆதரவு தளம் அப்படியே இருக்கிறது. லாலுதான் எங்களது தலைவர். லாலு மிகவும் அப்பாவி. நாங்கள் மேல்முறையீடு செய்வோம் என்றார். 

அக்கட்சியின் மூத்த தலைவர் ரகுவன்ஸ் பிரசாத், நிச்சயம் லாலு பிரசாத் சிறையில் இருந்து வெளியே வருவார் என்று நம்பிக்கை தெரிவித்திருக்கிறார். பாரதிய ஜனதாவின் செய்தித் தொடர்பாளர் ரவிசங்கர் பிரசாத் கூறூகையில், ஊழல்வாதிகள் சட்டத்தின் பிடியில் சிக்கியே தீர வேண்டும் என்பதை இத்தண்டனை விவரம் உறுதிப்படுத்தியிருக்கிறது என்றார். 

காங்கிரஸ் கட்சியின் ஜெகதாம்பிகா பால், ஊழல் முறைகேடுகளில் சிக்கினால் இதுபோன்ற தண்டனையை அனுபவிக்க நேரிடும் என்பதை எம்.எல்.ஏ, எம்.பிக்கள் உணர்ந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்றார்.

Read more at: http://tamil.oneindia.in/news/india/we-will-appeal-higher-court-against-lalu-conviction-rjd-184675.html

இன்று தெலுங்கானாவுக்கு மத்திய அமைச்சரவை ஒப்புதல்? சீமாந்திராவில் வன்முறை- பதற்றம்!

தனித் தெலுங்கானா மாநிலம் அமைப்பதற்கு மத்திய அமைச்சரவை இன்று ஒப்புதல் அளிக்கும் என்று வெளியான தகவலால் சீமாந்திராவில் வன்முறை வெடித்து பதற்றம் நீடித்து வருகிறது. ஆந்திராவை பிரித்து தனித் தெலுங்கானா மாநிலம் அமைக்க மத்திய அரசு முடிவு எடுத்தது. 

ஆனால் இதற்கு கடலோர ஆந்திரா, ராயலசீமாவை உள்ளடக்கிய சீமாந்திராவில் கடும் எதிர்ப்பு கிளம்பி 2 மாத காலமாக போராட்டங்கள் நடைபெற்று வருகின்றன. இந்த நிலையில் இன்று மாலை நடைபெறும் மத்திய அமைச்சரவைக் கூட்டத்தில் தெலுங்கானா தனி மாநிலத்துக்கு ஒப்புதல் தெரிவிக்கப்பட இருக்கிறது என்று தகவல் வெளியானது. 

இதனால் சீமாந்திரா போராட்டங்கள் வன்முறையாக வெடித்தன. விசாகப்பட்டினம் உள்ளிட்ட பல மாவட்டங்களில் காங்கிரஸ் தலைவர்களின் சிலைகள் அப்புறப்படுத்தப்பட்டன. காங்கிரஸ் தலைவர்கள், மத்திய அமைச்சர்கள், தெலுங்கானா ஆதரவு எம்.பிக்களின் உருவபொம்மைகள் எரிக்கப்பட்டன. பல இடங்களில் போலீசாருக்கும் போராட்டக்காரர்களுக்கும் இடையே மோதல் நிகழ்ந்தது. இதனால் அனந்தபூர், திருப்பதி, விசாகப்பட்டினம், நெல்லூர் உள்ளிட்ட சீமாந்திராவில் பதற்றமான நிலைமை நீடித்து வருகிறது.

Read more at: http://tamil.oneindia.in/news/india/protests-break-in-seemandhra-over-telangana-issue-184677.html

லாலுவிற்கு 5 ஆண்டு சிறை

ரூ. 38 கோடி , கால்நடை தீவன ஊழல் வழக்கில் ராஷ்ட்ரீய ஜனாத தள கட்சித்தலைவர் லாலுபிரசாத் யாதவிற்கு சிறப்பு கோர்ட் ஐந்து ஆண்டுகள் தண்டனை விதித்து தீர்ப்பளித்தது. கடந்த செப். 30-ம் தேதி நடந்த விசாரணையில் லாலு உள்ளிட்ட 45 பேர் குற்றவாளி என அறிவிக்கப்பட்டனர். தண்டனை விபரம் ஒத்தி வைக்கப்பட்டு, இன்று அறிவிக்கப்பட்டது. அப்போது, லாலுவிற்கு 5 ஆண்டுகள் சிறை தண்டனை விதித்து நீதிபதி தீர்ப்பளித்தார்.

LIVE: Lalu Prasad Yadav sentenced to five years in prison for Fodder Scam

Lalu Yadav, convicted in the fodder scam, was sentenced to five years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh. He also stands disqualified from the parliament post sentencing.

Former Bihar chief minister Jagannath Mishra and Janata Dal-United MP Jagdish Sharma too were sentenced to four years imprisonment in the case.

RJD spokesperson states that they will appeal the sentence in a higher court.

The sentencing infodder scam case announced today by the CBI court that has convicted 44 individuals including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav

As Yadav's lawyer completed arguments in the case on September 17, special CBI Judge PK Singh will pronounce the judgment in the case No RC 20 A/96 today. Yadav moved the Jharkhand High Court and later the Supreme Court, seeking change of the judge in the case.Both the courts dismissed his petition, and directed him to complete argument in the case before the CBI court. Yadav had in his petition alleged that trial court judge PK Singh was biased against him as he is a relative of PK Shahi, Education Minister in the Nitish Kumar Government in Bihar, "who is his (Yadav''s) biggest political enemy".

Authorities in Bihar sounded an alert across the state, apprehending trouble after the court pronounced verdict in a multi-crore fodder scam case involving Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The case pertains to alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the 1990s. The FIR was lodged by Bihar government in February 1996 but the case was transferred to CBI a month later. CBI had investigated the scam for a year and the charge sheet was filed in 1997. The charges were framed in 2000 following which the Special CBI court commenced trial against Lalu Yadav and 44 other accused.

RJD's plea had faced stiff opposition from JD-U leader Rajiv Ranjan who submitted that it would be a ‘travesty of justice’ if the judge is transferred at the far end of the trial. He submitted that it would give a wrong impression to the entire country if the judge is transferred and raised a question on RJD supremo's petition seeking transfer of the judge who has been hearing the case since 2011.

The fodder scam also known as "Chara Ghotala" involved the siphoning of funds from the Bihar Government treasury. The alleged theft spanned over several years, and many Bihar state government administrative and elected officials across multiple administrations were allegedly engaged in it.

Additionally, there are also allegations that they were involved in the fabrication of "vast herds of fictitious livestock" for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly procured. The fodder scam was unearthed in Bihar in 1996 when Lalu Prasad was the Chief Minister of the state. He had resigned from the post in 1997 after a court issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with one of the cases.

Besides the RJD supremo, other accused persons include former Bihar Chief Minister Mishra and JD(U) MP Jagdish Sharma.

The judgement in the fodder scam is likely to have a bearing on Bihar politics, as the RJD chief will face immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member if convicted as per a Supreme Court order that an MP or legislator would stand disqualified immediately if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more.

The government later promulgated an ordinance to undo the apex court order, prompting opposition BJP to allege that it had been done to protect Lau Prasad Yadav in case he is indicted in the fodder scam.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi has, however, slammed the ordinance as "complete nonsense" which should be "torn up and thrown away," leaving its fate uncertain.

The RJD chief faces immediate disqualification as Lok Sabha member under a recent Supreme Court order that an MP or MLA would stand disqualified immediately if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more and under some other laws even without jail sentence.

The August judgement of the Supreme Court struck down a provision in the electoral law that provided protection to sitting MPs and MLAs by allowing them to continue in their posts if they appeal against a lower court conviction and secure a stay of the order.

Lalu would have got protection from disqualification if the ordinance promulgated by the Centre was cleared by President Pranab Mukherjee but he is said to have some reservations and raised questions over it.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi has compounded problems by attacking the ordinance and calling for its withdrawal, virtually sealing its fate.

RJD spokesperson Manoj Jha said they would challenge the order in a higher court after the sentence is known.

We will fight this issue electorally: Lalu's son Tejaswi

"We will appeal in the high court against the order. We will also take up the issue in the people's court. We will give a fitting reply in the polls," Tejsawi told reporters after his father was taken to jail.

Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said that the law is taking its own course in the fodder scam case surrounding former Bihar chief ministers Jagannath Mishra and Lalu Prasad Yadav, and assured his party’s full support to the RJD during this tough time.

Meanwhile, expressing his sadness over Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad Yadav’s conviction in connection with the multi-crore fodder scam, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said the former will provide evidences of his innocence before a higher court.

RJD Chief Lalu Prasad will appeal in the Jharkhand High Court against his conviction in a fodder scam case, his family said on Monday and alleged he had fallen victim to 'conspiracy' by his rivals.

Credits: dnaindia

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Eating healthy breakfast helps increase fertility in women

Eating more calories in the morning breakfast can have a positive impact on women with problems of infertility, a new study has revealed.

Research, conducted by Prof. Oren Froy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Prof. Daniela Jocabovitz and Dr. Julio Weinstein from Tel Aviv University and Wolfson Medical Center, showed that a big breakfast increases fertility among woman who suffer from menstrual irregularities.

The study examined whether meal times have an impact on the health of woman with menstrual irregularities due to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). The experiment was carried out at Wolfson Medical Center on 60 women over a 12-week period.

The women were divided into two groups and were allowed to consume about 1,800 calories a day. The difference between the groups was the timing of their largest meal. One group consumed their largest meal, approximately 980 calories, at breakfast, while the other at dinner.

The findings showed improved results for the group that consumed a big breakfast. Glucose levels and insulin resistance decreased by 8 percent, while the second group ("dinner") showed no changes.

Another finding showed that among the “breakfast” group, testosterone levels decreased by nearly 50 percent, while the “dinner” group level stayed neutral. In addition, there was a much higher rate of ovulating woman within the “breakfast group” compared to the “dinner” group, showing that eating a hearty breakfast leads to an increase in the level of fertility among woman with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

The study is published in journal Clinical Science.

Olive Ridley turtle released

Special ArrangementNayani the Olive Ridley turtle being released into the sea.

A female Olive Ridley turtle rescued by the Tree Foundation in February was released into the sea on Wednesday. The turtle named ‘Nayani’ was taken on a boat three kilometres off shore from Periya Neelankarai fishing village and released. Rehabilitating injured turtles calls for more volunteers. To contribute, contact: 94443 06411.

Credits: thehindu

Supervolcano that transformed Mars found

Mars was devastated by an enormous supervolcano eruption that spewed ash into the atmosphere billions of years ago and covered the landscape

The dark color indicates younger material Photo: ESA/Mars Express/Freie University

A vast crater on the surface of Mars may have been created by an exploding supervolcano rather than a meteorite impact, new research suggests.

Scientists using data from spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet have found evidence for what they believe is the remnants of an ancient supervolcano that erupted on the Martian surface.

Similar supervolcanoes can be found on Earth underneath Yellowstone National Park, Lake Toba in North Sumatra, Indonesia, and the Canary Islands off the west coast of North Africa.

Such an eruption would have drastically altered the climate on Mars by sending huge amounts of ash and gas into the atmosphere.

Data sent back by the Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars a year ago, has suggested there was a major catastrophic event , such as a volcanic eruption, that occured four billion years ago and destroyed the Martian atmosphere.

The newly identified supervolcano, which is thought to have been active in the first billion years of Mars' 4.5 billion year existence, could be one of a number at the time that caused this change.

The remains of the volcano were spotted in images of the Arabia Terra region of Mars. The terrain is heavily pitted with impact craters, but scientists studying images of a large circular basin called Eden Patera noticed it lacked the typical raised rim and splash marks beyond that come from asteroid strikes.

Instead the 52 mile wide and one mile deep basin had a series of rock ledges similar to bathtub rings that form after a lava lake slowly drains.

The basin is also ringed by faults and valleys that occur when the ground collapses due to activity below.

This led experts to suggest the basin is actually a volcanic caldera that caused when a large body of magma loaded with dissolved gas rose through the thin crust to the surface. This caused the supervolcano to blow its contents over a huge area.

“This highly explosive type of eruption is a game-changer, spewing many times more ash and other material than typical, younger Martian volcanoes,” said Dr Jacob Bleacher, a volcano specialist at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre.

“During these types of eruptions on Earth, the debris may spread so far through the atmosphere and remain so long that it alters the global temperature for years.”



Eden Patera, one of several sites on Mars that may be the footprints of ancient supervolcanoes. Red colors are relatively high and purple-gray colors are low

The researchers, whose findings appear in the journal Nature, believe the massive eruptions may have been responsible for spreading the volcanic debris that is found elsewhere on Mars but have never been linked to a known volcano.

The scientists have identified a number of other candidate volcanoes in the area.

“If just a handful of volcanoes like these were once active, they could have had a major impact on the evolution of Mars,” said Dr Bleacher.

Supervolcanoes are typically defined as a volcano capable of expelling more than 240 cubic miles of rock and ash should it explode.

The biggest known supervolcano eruption on Earth was when Lake Toba in Indonesia, which threw out 672 cubic miles of debris when it erupted approximately 74,000 years ago.

The La Garita Caldera in Colorado is thought to have ejected around 1,200 cubic miles of rock and ash when it exploded more than 27 million years ago.

Glen Coe in Scotland is also thought to have been formed as a result of a supervolcano explosion.

Joseph Michalski, a geologist at the Planetary Science Institute and Natural History Museum in London who was a co-author on the paper, added that their findings may now make it easier to identify other ancient volcanoes on Mars.

They used images taken by Nasa's Mars Odyssey, the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter along with ESA's Mars Express oribter.

Dr Michalski said: “On Mars, young volcanoes have a very distinctive appearance that allows us to identify them.”

“The long-standing question has been what ancient volcanoes on Mars look like. Perhaps they look like this one.”

Credits: telegraph

Star, ESPN bag BCCI sponsorship rights for 2013-14 season

The BCCI on Thursday awarded the title sponsorship for all international series and the domestic tournaments in India for the year 2013-14 to Star Private Ltd and ESPN at the base price of Rs. two crore per fixture, considerably low compared to their previous deal with Airtel.

“The Marketing Committee has awarded the Title Sponsorship Rights for all series to be played in India in the 2013-14 season to Star India Pvt. Ltd and ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd, at a fee of Rs 2 crore per international match,” BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.

Mr. Patel said the bidders had the option of “bidding for either the series between India and Australia, or the series between India and the West Indies, or both.”

There are two international series currently scheduled during the period — the seven-match ODI series and a T20 game between India and Australia, followed by two Tests and three ODIs against the West Indies.

Sponsorship rights will extend to domestic events such as Irani Cup, Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Vijay Hazare, Deodhar Trophy and Raj Singh Dungarpur Trophy.

The new deal comes after Airtel’s partnership with the BCCI ended this year.

The telecom giant had won the sponsorship rights in 2010 for all international and domestic matches scheduled in India.

The three-year contract, running from September 1, 2010 to March 31, 2013, was worth Rs 3.33 crore for each international fixture. Airtel was also allowed branding on stumps and fixed slots for in-stadium advertising as part of the deal.

There was a three-month window for Airtel to negotiate an extension of the contract, but with no further discussion on the matter, the BCCI’s marketing committee floated fresh tender document last month.

Credits: thehindu

10 questions for Abhinav Kashyap, after watching ‘Besharam’

Dear Abhinav ‘Box-Office’ Kashyap,

 I just watched Besharam and I am angry because I paid Rs 280 for a ticket to watch Ranbir Kapoor channel a Looney Tunes character while dressed as a North Indian lout. Technically, you’ve stolen Rs 280 from me and I would ideally like it back. However, instead of demanding a refund, I’d like to ask you 10 questions and if you can answer them, we’re square. 

Does that sound like a deal? Awesome! Here we go: 

Q1: How much time did you and Rajeev Barnwal spend on the script? 

I ask this because it seems like it was written mostly on the fly. Aside from the hackneyed ‘I will patao this girl no matter what’ plotline – which has formed the backbone of countless masala flicks – the rest of the film seems to be an assortment of scenes that involve Ranbir Kapoor playing a rogue-ish mechanic named Babli, chewing scenery in the sleaziest manner possible. Which brings me to… Image from the official Besharam Facebook page

Q2: How would you describe your command over Hindi? Dodgy? Non-existent? Imaginary? 

Because the last time I checked, besharam meant ‘shameless’, not ‘disgusting’. 

Perhaps you think language is open to interpretation. But really, was there no other way to show Babli is shameless without repeated shots of him picking his nose, adjusting his ‘family jewels’ (always accompanied by one of those annoying ‘poinngg’ sound effects, so that we know this is supposed to be funny), thrusting his pelvis, caressing his chest hair and so on? 

Q 3: Have you watched Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!? 

Babli is supposedly an expert car thief, and his ‘entry scene’ shows him making off with a fancy car from a housing society car-park. I presume you’ve watched Dibakar Banerjee’s seminal 2008 film, in which Abhay Deol does a similar thing with much more credibility and panache. Also, he doesn’t end up getting tailed by the police and nearly damaging the car, which would defeat the purpose, don’t you think? 

Q 4: What did you do to Jaaved Jaafferi? 

The man’s a great actor and possibly the funniest guy you had around on your sets, but you reduced him to a forgettable, caricature-ish villain. 

Q5: Is Pallavi Sharda a bad actress or did you just give her a terrible role? 

She lives in a lower-middle-class Delhi home, but drives a Mercedes and works on a Macbook Pro in a fancy glass office. But, obviously, she falls in love with a complete good-for-nothing because he helped her recover the car he stole from her. Moreover, you give her precious little to do except call Babli ‘besharam’ every now and then (at one point, she does this twice in the space of 60 seconds) and bust a move (during which Ranbir always overshadows her). She can barely emote, has little screen presence and at no point is there any real passion between the hero and her. What gives? I think you need to share some of the brickbats here. 

Q6: In real life, do you laugh when people get hit in the crotch? 

I’m imagining Rohit Shetty, Sajid Khan and yourself hanging out at your place on a Friday night, drinking beer and watching videos of people getting hit in the crotch. Say it isn’t so, Abhinav. 

Q7: What were your precise instructions to Lalit Pandit when it came to the background score? 

There is music in nearly every scene: happy music, sad music, aggressive music, plans-are-being-hatched music etc. If Besharam was supposed to be a giant, irreverent spoof on masala films with a little Jim Carrey from Ace Ventura/The Mask thrown in, at least attempt to maintain some sort of tonal consistency through the score. Instead, Pandit goes all out, filling each scene up with what sounds like temp music, with not a single element standing out. 

Q8: How did you get Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh to agree to do this film in which they spend a fair amount of time bickering over the former’s impotence and digestion problems? 

I have nothing more to say about this. This is genuinely baffling. 

Q9: Are you now over your little ‘casting coup’ of getting three Kapoors to share screen space? 

Because, when I was watching the movie, I could practically hear you giggling with glee as you set up multiple scenes where the real-life parents and son made indirect references to being real-life parents and son. You’re like that annoying guy we all knew in college, who’d crack a lame joke and give himself a high-five.

Q10: Would you pay Rs 280 to watch this movie? 

Think long and hard before you answer this one. And for heaven’s sake, stop giggling just because I said “long and hard”. Besharam. 

Awaiting your reply, 

Yours sincerely, 

A Viewer With Half A Brain.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/10-questions-for-abhinav-kashyap-after-watching-besharam-1149799.html?utm_source=ref_article

Krrish 3 release date advanced to November 1

Krrish 3 is the sequel to 2006 film Krrish

Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan on Thursday (October 3, 2013) confirmed that his much-awaited movieKrrish 3 will now release on November 1 instead of November 4.

"It was a decision taken by the distributors and exhibitors that the film should come on November 1. I agreed with them, so now the movie will release on November 1," Rakesh Roshan said.

Diwali falls on November 3, which is a Sunday.

"Diwali is coming on a Sunday, so it is good to release the film before that," he added.

Krrish 3, the third film in the franchise that began with Koi Mil Gaya in 2003, features Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Vivek Oberoi and Kangana Ranaut in key roles.

Credits: ndtv

Now, Chhota Shakeel threatens Sonu Niigaam

Singer-turned-actor Sonu Niigaamhas become the latest Bollywood personality to approach the police over threat calls from anunderworld don believed to be based in Pakistan.

He has told senior police officers that Chhota Shakeel, member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, made multiple calls and sent several texts last month asking him to cancel his deal with an event management company and sign up with another the don has chosen. The firm is handling his world tour next year.

Shakeel threatened Niigaam that if he did not comply, he would malign his image by 'exposing' his friendship with an influential woman from a prominent family in Mumbai.

Niigaam is out of the city on a scheduled programme and has not yet recorded his detailed statement or filed an FIR, said an officer. He was also not available to TOI for comment. But a report mentioning the threat to Niigaam has been prepared and sent to departments concerned. It's also been decided to provide him police protection.

"The gangster recommended a person's name and wanted Niigaam to organize the (world tour) concerts through him. We asked Niigaam to provide all the details and register an FIR. He is busy and we expect him to visit us soon," said a senior crime branch officer. Most police officers remained tight-lipped on the details.

Niigaam has planned a world tour in 2014 in which he, along with other film stars, will perform around 12 stage shows in different countries and signed an agreement with a company to handle the event.

But Shakeel wants Niigaam to sign a new agreement with Altaf, who is based in Dubai. "Nigam has already signed the agreement and legally, he can't cancel it. But Shakeel and Altaf are pressuring him to sign a new one," said an officer.

Last month, Shakeel as well as Altaf called Niigaam several times. When Niigaam refused to entertain the calls, Shakeel began sending texts with details of his personal life in a bid to blackmail him. In one SMS, he claimed that he had an audio recording of Niigaam's private conversation with his influential woman friend and threatened to circulate it.

A police source said the overseas events involving Bollywood stars are money-churners and the underworld often tries to get lucrative organizing rights through their fronts.

Credits: timesofindia

Benedict Cumberbatch And Emma Watson Voted Sexiest Movie Stars (NEWS)

Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma Watson have been voted to be the toppers of the Sexiest movie stars list as per Empire Online poll which though isn’t totally unexpected as they have managed to make quite an impression on the world audience as a whole.

Not unexpected but pleasantly surprising, 23 year Emma glided her way to the top leaving Scarlett Johansson and Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence behind in the second and third place. I think her transition from Hermione to this new concoction of class, talent, brain and style hasn’t escaped people’s attention and the result is refreshing.

Starring in movies like the Perks Of Being A Wallflower and The Bling Ring she has already given adequate legitimacy as to her acting chops and her originality.

The Fifth Estate and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch is a hot favourite especially after playing Sherlock and votes have poured in enough to push him past existing hot favourites, Henry Cavill, Ryan Gosling and Tom Hiddleston to the number one spot.

Sexier than Henry Cavill and Robert Pattinson-though deserving in his own right I feel that’s quite an achievement for an actor who’s not too frequently tagged under the label.

Credits: celefeeds

Samsung wants to connect Galaxy Gear smartwatch to TVs

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Gear smartwatch is seen as an extension of the smartphone, but research is under way to see how the wearable device could work with electronics such as TVs.

Galaxy Gear smartwatch

The smartwatch, which was introduced earlier this month, has a 1.6-inch screen and can show email, text or call notifications from a Galaxy smartphone. The watch is not able to connect to the Internet on its own, but works with a Galaxy smartphone so users can also view Web content, complete eBay transactions, map out locations or even receive weather information.The watch will initially connect with Galaxy devices such as the Galaxy Note 3, but Samsung is looking into how the smartwatch could be used with its Smart TVs and other networked devices, said Ryan Bidan, director of product marketing at Samsung.

Samsung has wirelessly linked up its smartphones, TVs and tablets so content can be easily shared across devices. But the smartwatch works best with smartphones for now, and there are fewer reasons to link it to tablets and even fewer for its Smart TVs, which are not portable and have no cellular connectivity.

The company is relying on developers to find specific ways to use the watch with TV sets, Bidan said. Samsung is hosting its annual developer conference toward the end of October in San Francisco, and Bidan said some solutions could emerge there.

The emerging wearable device market is gaining momentum and companies are investigating possibilities of products like smartwatches and glasses.

The Gear will run a variety of apps, including some with augmented reality.

One application being explored by Samsung for smartwatches is health, where TVs could be applicable. Information from a diet-tracker, fitness tracker or pedometer on the Gear can be transferred for use on a TV. Samsung already offers the S-Health app for Galaxy smartphones and tablets, and developers could create a health app for Samsung's Smart TVs.

One obvious use of the smartwatch is as a no-frills TV controller, said Roger Kay, president and principal analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates.

For example, users could change channels or volume. It could also be used to receive alerts from TVs or digital video recorders, but Kay had some reservations about those uses.

"Even though that could be done, it seems inelegant," Kay said. "The user experience could be wobbly."

The smartwatch won't make a good content player or storage device, Kay said. But it could be used to receive notifications or to change temperature on ovens, Kay said.

"The idea of using it as a control point for [electronics] would be an obvious thing," Kay said.

The Gear will be compatible with Galaxy Note 3 on release, but support will be extended to more Galaxy smartphones and tablets this holiday season, Samsung executives said.