News India-Times

Gulzar gets lifetime award at 11th Osian's film festival

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:56:00 +0000

The 11th edition of the annual Osian's-Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema commenced in New Delhi Oct. 24 evening with legendary lyricist Gulzar getting the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.

"I really want to thank Osian's and all people for this honor bestowed upon me. The journey (cinematic and poetic) that I have gone through has been really beautiful. A person needs these kind of acknowledgements because they give creative satisfaction to an artist," said Gulzar.

"I have been doing my work with full sincerity since all these years and I'll continue giving my best," he added.

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Lindsay Lohan to shoot documentary in India

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Lindsay Lohan, who is keen to put her bad girl reputation behind her, is flying to India next month to shoot a documentary highlighting the trafficking of children in Bihar.

The "Mean Girls" star, who has hit headlines for her stints in rehab and drunk-driving arrests, has teamed up with the BBC Network for the charity work, reported contactmusic.com.

"I'm going to India soon, actually, before Thanksgiving. And I'm doing a documentary for the BBC Network. It all happened actually when I was in Dubai. I like to support charities. I think it's important to kind of have a voice when you can have one and make a difference," said Lohan.

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Indian Weightlifting Federation faces ban, drops Asian meet

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

India's national weightlifting federation has pulled out of hosting the Asian junior meet in December as it faces a possible suspension following a spate of positive dope tests by its lifters.

"We've declined to host it," Indian Weightlifting Federation secretary B.R.Gulati said Oct. 27.

Seven Indian lifters, including international medallists, were caught in out-competition tests conducted last month by the international body as well as national anti-doping officials.

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Sikh groups lend support for November 3 shutdown

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Various Sikh organizations, including Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Oct. 28 announced they would support the call for a Punjab shutdown Nov 3 to mark 25 years of anti-Sikh riots.

"All educational institutions and other offices falling under the management of DSGMC would remain close on Nov 3 to pay homage to thousands of innocent Sikhs who were killed 25 years ago on this day," said Parmjit Singh Sarna, the president of the DSGMC in a statement. The shutdown call was given by radical Sikh organizations Dal Khalsa and Khalsa Action Committee, to protest the killings of thousands of Sikhs 25 years ago. Manjit Singh Calcutta, chairman of Shiromani Panthic Council, said: "The massacre of Sikhs is a big blot on the face of India's so-called secularism. Though 25 years have passed but the country's justice system has failed to bring the perpetrators to book."

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Captain Dhoni leads India to big win over Australia

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Aquickfire century by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni set up India's 99 run victory over Australia on Oct. 28 as the home team levelled the one-day series 1-1.

Man of the match Dhoni hit 124 off 107 balls, putting on 119 for the fourth wicket with Gautam Gambhir (76) and 136 for the next with Suresh Raina (62) to propel India to 354 for seven after they lost the toss in the day-night game.

After India compiled their highest one-day total against Australia, paceman Praveen Kumar took two early wickets including skipper Ricky Ponting for 12, to help Dhoni's team bowl out the visitors for 255 in 48.3 overs.

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One-third of world's child brides from India-UNICEF

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:00 +0000

More than a third of the world's child brides are from India, leaving children at an increased risk of exploitation despite the Asian giant's growing modernity and economic wealth, according to a UNICEF report.

Nearly 25 million women in India were married in the year 2007 by the age of 18, said the report released Oct. 6 which noted that children in India, Nepal and Pakistan may be engaged or even married before they turned 10.

Millions of children are also being forced to work in harmful conditions, or face violence and abuse at home and outside,

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Growing up in India in America

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:29:00 +0000

This August, I had the pleasure of attending Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America's Vivekananda Family Camp in Tolland, Mass. The campsite is nestled in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains, on hundreds of acres of land with well-equipped facilities owned and maintained by the Girl Scouts of America. The wooded area is just yards away from a scenic lake.

This was actually my fourth summer at camp; in fact, most people come back year after year, and a few have been coming for an astounding 10 or more years. Part of the reason for this, I believe, is our struggle for identity as young Indians born and raised in the United States.

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Robbers target Indian homes looking for gold

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:59:00 +0000

Indian and South Asian homes have been targeted in a months-long series of daytime breakins in Northern Virginia by burglars looking for gold that mirror a disturbing trend seen in other parts of the U.S. as well.

"The burglars are discerning. They have taken 22-karat pieces but left behind sterling silver and well-crafted costume jewelry," the Washington Post reported Oct. 17.

"They have sifted through floor-length gowns lovingly stored in closets and plucked every custom-made sari threaded with gold and worth thousands, disdaining saris worth only hundreds," it said.

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Wall Street villains?

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:30:00 +0000

Then federal authorities came to arrest Anil Kumar, 51, a partner at the global consulting firm McKinsey & Co., for alleged insider trading with Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of Galleon Management, it is reported he fainted at the door and had to be hospitalized.

Kumar's colleagues at McKinsey are shocked as are Silicon Valley friends, who know him as a careful and smart man who never discussed inside information. In fact, Kumar was so trusted, McKinsey sent him to India back in 1998 to set up its India Knowledge Center, a data backbone for Wall Street investors, the Financial Times reports.

To friends and colleagues, Kumar and Rajiv Goel, one of the directors at Intel Capital who is also accused of insider trading, were generous and philanthropic.

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Clinton justifies concessions for nuclear India

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:48:00 +0000

The Obama administration wants India as its partner in reshaping the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) asserted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She was delivering a major policy speech on nuclear non-proliferation at the U.S. Institute of Speech Oct. 21.

Her comments come in the midst of seemingly contradictory stands taken by President Obama on the U.S.-India civil nuclear agreement and his calling for complete disarmament, urging the signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Non Proliferation Treaty by non-signatories including India. Secretary Clinton stepped in to square the two, or at least she tried. Whatever `concessions' had been made to India were an expression of confidence in that country, she indicated.

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Sania Mirza in semi-finals of Japan Open

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:01:00 +0000

India's Sania Mirza entered the semi-finals of the Japan Open tennis Oct. 16 after second-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli withdrew while trailing 4-6, 02 due to a shoulder injury.

Mirza now plays fourth seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone, who didn't even need to take the court after seventh-seeded Melinda Czink pulled out due to a right foot injury.

The 22-year-old Hyderabadi said she was glad to outplay a top 15 player.

"You always like to win match point, so it was unfortunate the match ended this way.

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`Really sexy' Bollywood dancers rock Buckingham Palace

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000

After honoring a bhangra singer and choosing Sikhs to be her personal bodyguards, Britain's reigning monarch has notched up another first by hosting a racy Bollywood dance in her gentle royal residence.

Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Phillip and Princess Michael of Kent were among British royals who watched dancers from the British Asian group Nutkhut swing to the throbbing rhythms of Bollywood tunes in steps that could have come right out of a film set in Mumbai.

The event, an advance reception in honor of the October-end visit by President Pratibha Patil, was held Oct. 13

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A presidential diwali

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Amidst sacred chants, a diya was lit. But this simple act, repeated across the world as Hindus celebrated Diwali, was so much more special. This was at the White House, and it was none other than President Obama who was lighting the diya. It was historic and it was a first.

On Oct. 14, in the East Room of the White House, Obama lit a ceremonial lamp in the presence of 200 Asian Americans, with a Hindu priest chanting sacred lines from the Upnishadas.

It was the first time that a U.S. president attended Diwali celebrations at the White House.

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Sakhi celebrates 20th anniversary of working with women

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:06:00 +0000

Sakhi, one of the oldest women's organizations n the United States servng South Asian women, held its 20th anniversary gala recently at the Manhattan's Prince George Ballroom. More than 270 supporters gathered to commemorate the organization's dedication to and numerous achievements in quelling domestic violence.

The diversity of the crowd was a testament to Sakhi's tremendous community outreach efforts over the years. Women, in glittering saris and cocktail dresses, and men, in tra ditional Indian attire and business suits, of various ethnic backgrounds, age groups and professions mingled in the lobby, sipping cocktails and surveying the silent auction, which included a selection of original art, jewelry and destination vacations.

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Founder of Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., dies

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:10:00 +0000

Ben Ali, the founder of Ben's Chili Bowl diner, a landmark in Washington's black business and entertainment district and a frequent stop for politicians and celebrities, has died.
He was 82.

Ali died of congestive heart failure Wednesday night at his home, his daughter-in-law Sonya Ali said Thursday. Ben Ali was born in 1927 and opened the restaurant with his wife, Virginia, in an old movie house in 1958, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and integrating public schools.

It became a longtime fixture in the black business community, serving up bowls of chili and its trademark chili-covered halfsmokes.

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Office rage in the sky, slugfest in the cockpit

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:30:00 +0000

The sight of airline cabin crews trying to mollify enraged passengers has become all too common. But a recent Air India flight added a twist when crew members mid-flight started punching each other in front of startled passengers.

Accounts of what happened differ now that everyone's back on the ground. Exactly who started the brawl and why got a bit lost in the clouds, though one flight attendant has accused a crew member of trying to molest her. What no one disputes is that with New Delhi-bound Flight IC844 cruising at 30,000 feet over Pakistan at around 4 a.m.
Saturday, the cockpit and cabin crews broke into fisticuffs.

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Dushahra Festival in New Jersey attracts huge crowds

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Nearly 15,000 people from the tri-state area attended the 11th Dushahra Festival at the Lake Papaianni Park in Edison, N.J., Oct. 4, organizers said.

Hosted by Indo American Festivals Inc., the celebration began with a cultural program followed by Ram Leela, a press release said.

Mangal Gupta, founder and chairman of Indo American Festivals, described the event as "the best Dushahra Festival celebration in 11 years."

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Royal tribute to a sculptor

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:50:00 +0000

A flying pellet of red wax shot from a cannon in one room and a giant, train-sized lump of the same material moving glacially across another welcome to the world of Anish Kapoor.

London's Royal Academy is staging a retrospective of the Indian-born artist, although at a press preview on Tuesday he rejected the description and pointed out that several of the works in the exhibition were new or recent.

"I wanted a show while I was alive and kicking," he said in a recent interview about the show, a rare honor at an institution that usually recognizes artists when they are dead.

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That man from Chidambaram

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:16:00 +0000

While India is going wild about Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, 57, Ramakrishnan, 57, the Cambridge scientist who is one of three to win the coveted Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the scientists himself seems less than enthralled.

The Indian Prime Minister, the President, cabinet ministers and Ramakrishnan's old classmates and former institutions where he studied or worked, are all sharing in the pride of his award.

Not so Ramakrishnan, who in interviews, including the one he gave to this reporter, played down his role in the research and credited his co-winners with having a larger role in the findings.

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Editor and publisher of Gujarat Times dies

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:20:00 +0000

Pakash Parekh, editor and publisher of Gujarat Times, died of Gujarat Times, died of heart failure at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Oct. 1. He was 65. He was suffering from ill health for over a year and had undergone a heart transplant surgery in May.

He was born Dec. 20 in Amravati, Maharashtra, and completed his B.Sc. from Nagpur University. He received his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, and joined Kirloskar Consulting in Pune in 1967.

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Adobe's Narayen joins Dell's board

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:34:00 +0000

Computer maker Dell announced Sept. 29 it has inducted Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer of Adobe, to its board of directors. Narayen, 46, joined the Dell board immediately but will have to stand for election at Dell's next shareholders meeting. "As CEO of one of the world's largest and most diversified software companies, Shantanu will provide us with valuable insight as we develop and deliver IT solutions to customers," said Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell.

"In addition, he brings strong operational expertise and experience, leading a company known for its innovative culture and growth."

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Naeem Khan's spring collection part of New York Fashion Week

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:08:00 +0000

Fashion designer Naeem Khan presented his Spring 2010 collection at his studios in New York City on Sept. 18.

Part of the New York Fashion Week, the event included a jewelry presentation by Khan's wife, Ranjana.

Described by Khan as "punkraj," the collection included hues of fuchsia, sterling silver and white crystal on exquisite fabrics with intricate embroidery work, the New York Fashion Week Web site said.

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Dadasaheb Phalke award for music legend Manna Dey

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:13:00 +0000

Ninety year old playback legend Manna Deywho belted out evergreen songs like "Ae mere pyaare watan" and "Zindagi kaisi hai paheli" is being honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest honor in Indian cinema, his family said Sept. 30.

"We got a call from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry Sept. 29 to inform us about the award (for 2007). We are very happy for him," his family member Anuradha Dey said.

Born as Prabodh Chandra Dey May 1, 1919 to Purna Chandra and Mahamaya Dey, the singer was a name to reckon with in the Hindi film industry from the 1950s to the 1970s. He has recorded more than 3,500 songs over the course of his career.

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Church hut collapse kills 23 in Nepal

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:16:00 +0000

At least 23 people, including women and children, were killed in their sleep in Nepal when a three-storey bamboo hut used for a church function collapsed, police said on Wednesday.

The accident injured 62 people, Rajendra Man Shrestha, a police superintendent, said from Dharan, 200 km (125 miles) east of the Nepali capital of Kathmandu. "The cause of the accident is under investigation. All the injured people have been taken to a local hospital," Shrestha said.

Christians account for less than one percent of majority Hindu Nepal's 27 million people.

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Bollywood's Lever brings comedy act to Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (PressMart Team) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Bollywood actor and comedian Johnny Lever performed in Chicago recently and sought to spread his message as a peace activist and healer through prayer. Chicago Bible Church hosted Lever on Sept. 4.

The event attracted more than a thousand guests, according to organizers. Lever spoke of his son's recovery, as well as that of Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan, through prayer, and performed comedy and mimicry acts.

Lever was introduced by the Rev. Shekhar Kallianpur, and was presented a plaque by the Rev.Samuel Vallabhdas.

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