Sonakshi: DABANGG is getting labelled as super hit

There are some movies that become super hit the moment their first look is revealed. DABANGG is pretty much turning out to be one such film and if response from both within and outside the industry is to be gauged, the prophecy may well come true. No wonder, debutant actress Sonakshi Sinha can be seen grinning from ear to ear with the Salman Khan starrer gaining hype with every passing day.

"Honestly speaking, we didn't realise the magnitude of the film when we started shooting," says Sonakshi, daughter of Shatrughan and Poonam Sinha, "It was only as the film progressed when we could see the changes both within the film as well as our own surroundings. DABANGG had started getting larger than life."

	view DABANGG stills

A year after the shooting commenced for the film, results are pretty much on display with the promos catching on like wildfire.

"Ask me about it," adds Sonam excitedly, "Just on the bases of song and talkie promos, people are labelling the movie as a super hit. Expectations have heightened up in a big way for sure."
Doesn't that lead to anxiety?

"No, not at all because we are confident of the product," she says firmly, "From cast to crew, everyone has worked so hard on the film. Also, because this is Arbaaz's first film as a producer, he has left no stones unturned. With people appreciating the look of the film, playing it's songs everywhere and talking about it, we are pretty content and satisfied that DABANGG is heading in the right direction."

Well, fingers crossed!

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Ranbir starves himself for Anjaana Anjaani

Irrespective of all his hits and flops, Ranbir Kapoor is one of the in-demand actors in Bollywood. Thanks, to his chocolate boy looks and professional attitude, that he has joined the league of the top actors who are working with the top banners in Bollywood. The promos of Ranbir's next movie Anjaana Anjaani, are quiet promising and different.

Buzz up!
The film is on the verge of completion with only a few scene left to be shot. The producer of the movie Sajid Nadiawala is putting his full efforts to finish the film as soon as possible. Reportedly, even Ranbir is trying hard to make the film a success. He shot for the film continuously from morning 10 to evening 5, without taking breaks in between for lunch or tea.


From the very first day of the shoots, Ranbir took his character so seriously that during the shoot he drenched Priyanka Chopra with soft drink so as to make the fighting scene between them, over a soft drink, look real. He was so much into the shoots that he didn't even realise that his co-actor Priyanka got hurt and was bleeding while shooting a running sequence for the film.

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Observing Ramadan? There's an app for that

The most ancient traditions of Islam are going high-tech, with a slew of modern offerings for those observing the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week.

Cell phone applications such as "iPray" or "iQuran" offer a beeping reminder of requisite prayer times, while the "Find Mecca" and "mosque finder" programs help the Muslim traveler in an unfamiliar city find the nearest place to pray.

"When I saw these applications for the first time, I thought: this is amazing," said James Otun, who has several Islamic applications on his Apple iPhone and iPad. "Whoever came up with this idea: God bless him or her."

The applications aren't just for Ramadan; there are Islamic-themed programs that help users find the nearest Costco offering foods prepared according to Islamic dietary rules, learn the correct Arabic pronunciations in a daily prayer, or count how many pages of the Quran they've read that day — all on a mobile phone.

There also are applications, or apps, for the holy books of several other religions, from the Catholic Holy Bible to the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture.

The first time Sumeyye Kalyoncu heard the Adhan — or call to prayer — through surround-sound speakers on her iPhone dock, she was overcome with nostalgia for her native Turkey. Such applications are especially popular in the U.S., Kalyoncu said, as U.S. mosques do not broadcast daily calls to prayer from external loudspeakers, as they do in Muslim countries.

"These are traditions and these have been in our lives for ages, like almost 15 centuries, so they seem very old," Kalyoncu said. "I think this is like combining together the technology and the things that we do daily."

Kalyoncu uses an iPhone app called iPray Lite, keeping track of requisite daily prayers with a program that simulates the clicking sound of prayer beads or the turning wheel of a handheld metal counter Muslims use to keep count of prayer repetitions. Using headphones, the 24-year-old says she can now fulfill her daily spiritual obligations by counting prayers on her iPhone on the commuter bus to Manhattan from her Edgewater home.

Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said the company doesn't track the more than 225,000 apps for its phones by category so she doesn't know how many are Islamic-themed. The programs aren't just offered by Apple; Nokia has a Ramadan suite for its cell phones that consolidates everything worshippers need to know to observe Islam's holiest month, in which Muslims worldwide observe daily daylight fasting.

Some apps are free. Those that are not generally range from about 99 cents to $2.99, although some are more expensive.

The dates of Ramadan still are determined by the lunar calendar, and calculations can differ among Islamic communities around the world. In North America, many Muslims will mark the first day of Ramadan on Wednesday.

But Islam never has been at odds with innovation, said Zinnur Tabakci, who runs an Islamic religious book and gift shop in Paterson, N.J..

"Islam is not against technology. Now you can do it easier, faster," said Tabakci, who recently supplemented the strings of traditional prayer beads and religious texts he sells with a wall of mobile phone accessories to keep up with demand.

"Islam started 1,400 years ago, and at that time, they didn't have that much technology, but they knew everything," he added.

The mosque Tabakci attends in Paterson, called Ulu Cami, or "Great Mosque," has gone high-tech, too. After 16 cameras were installed for security purposes, one innovative mosque attendee began using them to broadcast services live over the Internet so those too old, sick or otherwise unable to attend could watch daily prayers online from home. Mosque leaders say the live broadcasts have become especially popular among relatives of immigrants who like to tune in from overseas to hear the same prayers as their loved ones in New Jersey.

Otun, a technology aficionado, says the apps he uses on his iPhone and iPad make him a more observant Muslim. From the beeping reminder to stop and pray during his busy schedule running a limo service, to an app that tells him which nearby restaurants serve food prepared within Islamic guidelines, Otun says there's no longer an excuse to live an unobservant life.

"If you forgot to pray, you might not be responsible, because you're human; you forget and you can make it up later," said Otun, 35. "But not now that you have those apps, that might change things in God's level."

Otun's favorite application, called Find Mecca, is a compass-like program with an electronic indicator that changes from red to green when you've reached the requisite prayer angle of 58-degrees, Northeast, to ensure you're facing Mecca from any location — a requirement of all Muslims when praying.

Otun said he was amazed to see an image of Mecca on his cell phone screen for the first time, and to realize he could carry a library of religious texts with him everywhere.

"iPhone makes you emotional," he said. "I can't carry 10,000 pages of books, now, you have it in your phone — it's priceless."

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Rajya Sabha adjourned over Belgaum dispute

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Wednesday following the Shiv Sena's demand for an immediate discussion on the Belgaum dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka. As the house met for question hour, Shiv Sena members led by Manohar Joshi appealed to Chairman Hamid Ansari that a discussion be held on
the issue.

The chair, however, rejected the demand, stating that the matter was sub-judice and could not be taken up in the house.

At this, Shiv Sena members led by Joshi gathered near Ansari's podium. Despite repeated requests, they stood firm on the demand for the discussion, forcing the chair to adjourn the house for half-an-hour till 11.30 am.

The Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary row suddenly came to the limelight following the central government's affidavit in the Supreme Court early July that the disputed areas could not be made a part of Maharashtra merely because a majority of the population there speak Marathi.

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Commonwealth Games: Sheila does a debris check around Delhi

Unhappy over the slow pace of removal of rubble in the city preparing for the Commonwealth Games, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today visited various construction sites to supervise its progress.

Her visit came a day after the government extended the deadline for debris clearance to August 31 as various agencies like municipal corporation failed to remove rubble and construction waste from Commonwealth Games sites.

Dikshit visited Connaught Place, various parts of South and Central Delhi such as Paharganj and Karol Bagh where heaps of rubble can still be seen due to the ongoing construction and underground cabling work.

Senior officials accompanying her said that the Chief Minister personally supervised the progress in removal of rubble and other construction waste.

She also instructed the officials at the site to expedite the job at the earliest to initiate streetscaping work to give a presentable look to the city preparing for the mega sports event.

Dikshit had last month set an August 10 deadline for removal of construction waste across the city and ordered all civic agencies to strictly comply with it.

Civic agencies, including MCD and NDMC, however expressed their inability to clear the debris within the time frame and had sought extension till August 31 which is also the deadline for completing all construction work.

According to the government, 80,000 metric tonnes of debris has already been removed.

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Lata Mangeshkar moves HC to get notice quashed

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar has moved the Bombay high court, seeking relief from a notice issued against her by the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) in July this year. According to the petition, Mangeshkar, 80, had undertaken demolition of a dilapidated shed of her Jay Prabha Studio in Kolhapur in April this year after KMC issued her a notice.

The KMC notice, dated April 16, 2010, had directed Mangeshkar to demolish the shed as it was at least 60 years old and was in dilapidated condition. The notice also stated that if the shed was not demolished immediately, it could prove harmful to people travelling on the adjacent road and also to students of a nearby school. Mangeshkar was told that she would be held liable for any accident that took place because of the shed.

However, when the singer started demolition of the shed, KMC issued her two more notices on July 9 and 10, directing her to stop the demolition work. The notices were issued as KMC wanted Mangeshkar to retain the original iron frame of the shed. She was told to not make changes in the original construction, as it was classified under Heritage Grade-III structure.

“All the iron sheets and the roof were removed and when the work of removing the iron frame was in happening, the respondents (KMC) issued a fresh notice,” stated Mangeshkar’s petition. “My bonafide intention was only to avoid any accident, as the condition of the said shed and also the iron frame is very bad.”

In her petition, Mangeshkar has urged the high court to quash the KMC’s order, which has restrained her from carrying out further repair work. On Tuesday, a division bench of justice DD Sinha and justice Mridula Bhatkar directed the KMC’s counsel Srinivas Patwardhan to file a reply in four weeks.

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Ajay Devgan unhappy with KJo

It is almost as if Ajay Devgn is discovering new dimensions to his relationship with wife Kajol. If a very reliable trade source is to be believed, the actor is openly singing paens about his wife's talent. This is rather strange because Ajay and Kajol have been married for 11 years. And neither has gone gaga about each other in public, until now!

Anyway what prompted this diatribe is information saying that Ajay is not happy with the We Are Family promotions.

The source says, "Ever since the first interview for WAF appeared, Ajay felt that Kajol should have been positioned differently from Kareena."

According to information available, it is said that Ajay feels Kajol (quite obviously) is in a different league as an actress as opposed to the younger Kareena. And so he feels that Karan should give Kajol a different kind of placement in the whole publicity campaign instead of making it seem like Kajol and Kareena are on par."

BT asked Kajol if she was aware of her husband's "anguish" and as usual she spoke her mind. "Listen I don't know if Ajay is anguished or any such thing. If you say that he wants me to be more prominent than Bebo in the WAF campaign, I will understand. After all I'm his wife and he is bound to be biased towards me."

Kajol even joked that if this matter is true, then she would go home and advise her husband to take up the issue with her best friend Karan. Ajay, in defence of his bias, said, "Kajol is the best actress Bollywood has. I will naturally look out for her interests in every way and in every campaign. But honestly, who am I to complain about how Karan should go about with the publicity of his film? As for me being unhappy with Kajol being placed on par with Kareena, that's not entirely true. Like I said, Kajol is the finest actress around but Kareena is also very good in her own place. Bebo is a friend. She is also my heroine. I've done Golmaal Returns and Omkaara with her. I'm currently shooting with her for Golmaal 3. This is a very sensitive issue. I won't be a hypocrite and say that I like Kajol and Kareena equally. But I don't wish to start any controversy." Of course, when pushed to say who he would give his vote to, Ajay grinned sheepishly and said, "Kajol. She is terrific." Guess after Ajay it will be Saif Ali Khan's turn to pick his favourite. And no prizes for guessing which of the two Ks Saif will choose.

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NBFC stocks rise as RBI moots new banking licenses

Shares of major NBFCs today zoomed as much as 14 per cent after the Reserve Bank released the much awaited discussion paper on granting banking licenses to private players and non-banking finance companies.

Financial services provider Religare Enterprises led the gains and soared 13.8 per cent to hit a year high of Rs. 472.70 on Bombay Stock Exchange. The company is among the entities like Reliance Capital, IndiaBulls, IL&FS, IDFC, IFCI and Aditya Birla Nuvo, that are reported to be mulling entering the banking space.

Bajaj Auto Finance jumped 3.2 per cent to touch a year high of Rs. 622.50, while Anil Ambani-led Reliance Capital climbed 4.7 per cent to Rs. 795. Domestic financial institutions IFCI and IDFC also witnessed an upsurge of 5 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively.

“The market sentiment went up after the RBI’s proposal. Banking licence will be a sure shot way of making money. There will be a lot of wealth creation as it will be like RBI distributing gold to the contenders.” SMC Capitals equity head Jagannadham Thunuguntla said.

Aditya Birla Nuvo, which is a Birla group firm with a strong presence in financial services, rose 1.38 per cent to Rs 818. Bajaj Auto Finance jumped 3.2 per cent to touch a year high of Rs. 622.50.

As per market information, these players have firmed plans to enter the banking sector after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee mentioned in the Union Budget 2010-11 that fresh licences would be issued to private firms and NBFCs.

The RBI today released a discussion paper on giving new banking licenses and formulating regulations for the same to foster greater competition.

“The Reserve Bank is considering providing licenses to a limited number of new banks. A larger number of banks would foster greater competition, and thereby reduce costs and improve the quality of service,” the central bank said in a discussion paper.

The RBI also sought to know “whether industrial and business houses could be allowed to promote banks.” And, should NBFCs be allowed to convert into or promote banks.

The central bank has sought feedback on this as also business model for the new banks by September 30.

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Brokers` view on Tata Motors Q1 numbers

India`s largest automobile company, Tata Motors posted consolidated net profit of Rs 19.89 billion for the June 2010 quarter, a significant turnaround from a loss of Rs 3.28 billion in the corresponding quarter last year. Consolidated revenues grew 64.20% at Rs 270.56 billion for quarter ended June 2010 as against Rs 164.73 billion in the corresponding quarter previous year.

Post the positive results, shares of company traded higher by Rs 940.10, up Rs 21.15, or 2.30% at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Tuesday at 2:51 p.m.

Currently, shares of the company gained Rs 53.2, or 5.56%, to trade at Rs 1,010.50. The total volume of shares traded was 2,817,724 at the BSE (12.45 p.m., Wednesday).

In an exclusive discussion with Myiris.com, analysts discuss what they make out from the numbers and how have they positioned themselves in the stock:

Prabhudas Lilladhar:

Q1FY11 standalone results were disappointing: Tata Motors (Q,N,C,F)* posted a 62.60% y-o-y growth in its revenues at Rs 104 billion. Overall volumes grew by 47.6% y-o-y, whereas average realization/vehicle improved by 10% y-o-y on account of better product mix. EBITDA grew by 61.20% y-o-y at Rs 11.70 billion with EBITDA margins flat y-o-y at 11.3%. Sequentially, the raw material cost was flat at 70.5% of revenue on account of price hikes taken by the company to compensate for the higher raw material cost. On account of tight control over other expenses, the EBITDA margins expanded 120bps Q-o-Q. As a result the Adj. net profit grew by 25% Q-o-Q at Rs 4.60 billion.

Valuations: With signs of recovery in some of the key markets and aggressive cost-cutting measures, we have built-in a 21.7% volume growth at 0.24 million units in FY11E and an EBITDA margin of 14.5% at JLR. We value JLR at 3.5x FY12E EV/EBITDA multiple at Rs 510 a share. Our SOTP valuation stands at Rs 1,136 a share. We believe that an improvement in the core Commercial Vehicle (CV) business, coupled with recovery at the JLR front would lead to better stock price performance. Maintain `Accumulate`.

Emkay Global Financial Services:

Consolidated Sales: JLR was a show stealer. Revenues were above expectation as both Tata Motors (expectation of Rs 112 billion) and JLR (expectation of Rs 145 billion) surprised positively due to better product mix resulting in higher realisations.

Valuations: We have upgraded our FY11E and FY12E earnings by 63% and 65% to Rs 100.50 and Rs 122.50 respectively. The revision in estimates is due to volume upgrades in JLR along with upgrades in realizations and hence net profits. We have upgrades our rating on the stock from Hold to Accumulate and Target Price to Rs 1,140 (earlier Rs 810).

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Bharti adds 6,489 employees in Q1

The country's largest private sector telecom operator Bharti Airtel added 6,489 employees during the April-June period, taking its total headcount to 24,843 at the end of the first quarter of current fiscal.

As on June 30, 2010, the company had a total of 24,843 employees, against 18,354 staff for the quarter ended March 31, 2010, the company said in its quarterly report.

The cash and cash equivalents of the company stood at Rs 3,108 crore for June 2010, against Rs 710 crore in the same quarter ended June 2009.

The company today has reported a decline of 32 per cent in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,682 crore in the first quarter ended June 30, due to the foreign exchange losses.

The April-June quarter of current fiscal witnessed an adverse impact after dollar strengthened against rupee and several African currencies. As a result, derivative and exchange fluctuation loss stood at Rs 216 crore, as against the gain of Rs 279 crore in the same quarter in the previous year.

As on June 30, 2010, the company had an aggregate of over 18.33 crore customers consisting of over 17.69 crore mobile, 31.53 lakh Telemedia and 32.43 lakh Digital TV customers.

Its total customer base as on June 2010 increased by 71.3 per cent, compared to the base as on June 2009.

The company had a net debt of Rs 60,230 crore (USD 12,925 million) as on June 2010.

As on June 2010, the company had total assets of Rs 1,429,55 crore, and total liabilities of Rs 961,67 crore. The difference of Rs 467,88 crore was on account of equity attributable to equity holders of parent and non-controlling interest.

During the June quarter, the company incurred a capital expenditure of Rs 18,36 crore.

Shares of Bharti Airtel were trading at Rs 323.50 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, down 0.25 per cent from the previous close.

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Aamir, Rani at Peepli Live music launch

Rani Mukherjee, Karan Johar, Kiran Rao and Ayan Mukherjee to name a few cheered Aamir Khan as he turned drummer at the music launch of his upcoming movie Peepli Live in Mumbai. Here are a few snapshots from the event..

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I feel I'm in a dream world : Natha of Peepli Live

He got a role in Aamir Khan's movie, met his favourite actress Deepika Padukone and is basking in the spotlight of fame - it's a "dream world", says Omkar Das Manikpuri, who plays Natha in Peepli Live.

"I never thought that I would ever work in a film, neither did I plan to work in movies. Till now I feel that I am into some dream world," the Chhattisgarh-based theatre actor said.

"I would like to work more in this industry and especially with Aamir Khan. Aamirji is a person with a very big heart. He is so down to earth and speaks so well. He never lets me feel that I am with such a big actor, director and producer," Omkar said in an exclusive interview.

Directed by debutant Anusha Rizvi and prouduced by Aamir Khan Productions Pvt Ltd, Peepli Live is a satire on farmers' suicides and the subsequent response from the media and political parties.

"Though the story is complete fiction, such incidents are evident in rural central India," said Omkar.

He remembers his first day on the sets. "I was quite nervous on the first day. There was a big camera, people were setting lights, director was shouting silence. I got scared after seeing the setup. I was not sure whether I would be able to deliver or not. Then Anushaji said that there is of course some difference between performing on stage and in front of the camera, but it's not that big. She asked me to work as if I was on stage. But next day I was comfortable in front of the camera."

The cast and the crew had to follow a routine.

"Everything was time bound and there were some routine and discipline maintained on the sets and I liked that most about working in the film."

Omkara's favourite actress is Deepika and he has already met her thanks to Aamir.

"Now I want to work with Deepikaji. I had seen her film Om Shanti Om partly when it came on television. I couldn't watch the whole movie as I had to rush for rehearsals. Recently I saw her again in one of the song of Lafangey Parindey and I loved it. Aamirji introduced me to Deepikaji. I am very happy."

"I am associated with Habib Tanvir's Naya Theatre. I have spent almost 10 years in theatre. When Anushaji was casting for Peepli Live, she came to Naya Theatre and took audition of few actors. I auditioned for a small role. When Aamirji, Anushaji and all saw my audition, they liked it and cast me to play Natha," he said.

Read more at: http://movies.ndtv.com/Ndtv-Show-Special-Story.aspx?ID=567&StoryID=ENTEN20100149441&cp

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Kalki's bold sexual scenes leaked

Director Anurag Kashyap and his girlfriend Kalki Koechlin might not dream in their wildest dream that the screening of their film That Girl In Yellow Boots at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival would trouble them. Unfortunately, the bold sexual scenes of the film involving Kalki, has been leaked online after its screening at the film festivals.

It is said that Anurag and Kalki are not happy with the leak of the steamy scenes before its official release. They were over the moon when their film was selected for a premiere at the prestious film festivals but the leak of the hot scenes has disappointed them.

That Girl In Yellow Boots is a thriller about a girl in search of her father, who she hardly knew. It features Kalki Koechlin, Naseeruddin Shah, Shiv Kumar Subramaniam, Divya Jagdal and Kumud Mishra in the lead roles and is scheduled for release next month.

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Priyanka’s heart goes out for slum girls

Priyanka Chopra has always been in to promoting girl child education but now that she’s officially associated with UNICEF she is planning to go a step ahead. As a brand ambassador, she believes if she can influence masses she should use her star power. So, she is now planning to go door to door to speak to various families in small towns and villages. She is also planning to conduct lectures for them. The actress also made efforts to go to slums and meet the girls to understand the problem from grassroots level. While sharing her experience she said that it is indeed sad to see so many girls being subjected to work or get married at tender age instead of seeking education.

She hopes that all the parents would think like her parent who have brought her up to become an independent woman but is disappointed to know that even affluent families in the city like Mumbai do not give importance to the education of their girl child.

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Mumbai ship collision: Captain blames Captain

The Captain of the MSC Chitra, the ship carrying oil and pesticide that collided with another close to the Mumbai harbour on Saturday, has been granted interim bail by the Sessions court.

Captain Mandeleno Ranjit Martin had said in his bail plea that the collision happened because of a navigational error which was caused by the failure of radio communication. He said there was no error on his part and pointed out that he had been a part of the industry for 18 years

Martin also said in his bail application that there was no point of sending him to police custody as there was nothing to recover from him.

He added that the MV Khalijia, with which his ship had collided, was not fit to sail at sea and that it was the Captain of this ship who was responsible for the accident.


The Chitra had collided with the Khalijia on Saturday and tilted dangerously. A leak in the ship caused its cargo of oil to start pouring into the sea, causing a huge oil spill. To make matters worse, some containers detached from the ship and started floating. There were fears that these contained hazardous material, but those 31 containers were later found secure in the ship's hold.

The oil leak was finally plugged on Tuesday, but 800 tonnes of oil was spilt, double of what was thought earlier. Both the Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) have been closed. The Mumbai Port may not open till Friday. It will take days to clean up the slick and could take up to six to eight months to refloat the ship and tow it away. (Mumbai oil spill: Clean up to take 45 days)

A Singapore-based company will conduct salvage operations from Friday. A crane mounted on a ship has been placed next to the Chitra and preliminary clearing operations have begun.
First, the ships containers will be removed and oil will be pumped out and only then will the ship be towed to the shore.

Images shot by us show that the oil slick is affecting marine life and the environment.

we travelled to Uran in Raigad district to find out the impact of the spill, and the situation is scary. A snake which came in from the sea was covered in oil, and the mangroves here are bearing the brunt of the accident.

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JK: Militants attack Army convoy

A group of militants opened fire at an Army vehicle carrying soldiers in the Rajouri district of Jammu Kashmir on Wednesday, Aug 11.

Buzz up!
Reports said a passenger bus was caught in the crossfire killing a woman and injuring 17 civilians and two jawans.


The report further added that the Army truck came under attack in the Deraki Gali area of Thana Mandi early this morning.

Army troops retaliated and a heavy gunbattle followed which continued till last reports came in.

The bus passengers have been evacuated and the injured are admitted to a local hospital in Rajouri.

This firing took place after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed citizens to end violence in the Valley.

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Oppn for more relief to Bhopal gas victims

Dubbing as "paltry" the relief announced recently for Bhopal disaster victims, the Opposition on Wednesday demanded a substantial increase in it and asked the government to become a party to a petition filed in a US court to extract compensation from American firm Dow Chemicals.

Initiating a debate in the Lok Sabha on the 1984 gas tragedy, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj charged the then Rajiv Gandhi government with allowing Warren Anderson, then chief of Union Carbide in whose Bhopal plant the gas leak occurred, to "escape".

Demanding that Parliament pass a resolution scrapping the 1989 out-of-court settlement between Union Carbide and the government, she said what has been witnessed in Bhopal was "a case of corporate manslaughter" and not of "mere negligence".

She wanted India to take a cue from the Rs 90,000 crore compensation secured by the US from British Petroleum due to the recent oil spill in Gulf of Mexico to strengthen the case in a US court for more relief to the Bhopal victims.

India should become a party in the suit filed by some NGOs from Bhopal in the New York South court to get "thousands of crore as compensation" for the victims from Dow Chemicals, which now owns the assets of the Union Carbide, she contended.

In an hour-long speech, Swaraj said the victims of the tragedy have suffered "several betrayals" since the disaster struck 25 years ago and it was strange that some concerned judges, who handled the case, were "compensated adequately".

"One judge went on to become a member of the International Court of Justice, while another became head of several commissions and even a member of the Rajya Sabha. The gas victims were only deceived," she said.

She was also critical of former Chief Justice A S Ahmadi for a judgement that limited the punishment to the accused to only two years.

While a demand for compensation of Rs 3,900 crore was made, the government agreed for only Rs 615 crore in the 1989 settlement, Swaraj said.

Countering the charges, Manish Tewari (Cong) said the government had moved the US courts, which had ruled that the cases be pursued in India.

He charged the BJP with "doing politics over the dead bodies" of the victims of the tragedy.

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BJP seeks PM's explanation over J&K autonomy remark

Slamming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Kashmir peace formula in the Rajya Sabha today, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said autonomy for the state will not be tolerated because it would mean a reversal of Kashmir's integration with India and sought an explanation. "We are not in favour of giving

independence to Kashmir under the garb of autonomy. We are against disintegration of Kashmir from India. Do you think autonomy is a step in the right direction?" BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

"Whatever is possible within the Constitution of India without compromising the sovereignty of India and without compromising on Kashmir being a part of India, BJP is open to discussion on any other issue," BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said.

The principal Opposition party in Parliament targeted the Prime Minister to explain thoroughly the meaning of autonomy and termed the comment as unfortunate.

On Tuesday, during a meeting of representatives of different political parties from Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said, "If there is consensus among political parties on autonomy for the state, then it can be considered within the ambit of the Constitution."

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Observing Ramadan? There's an app for that

The most ancient traditions of Islam are going high-tech, with a slew of modern offerings for those observing the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week.

Cell phone applications such as "iPray" or "iQuran" offer a beeping reminder of requisite prayer times, while the "Find Mecca" and "mosque finder" programs help the Muslim traveler in an unfamiliar city find the nearest place to pray.

"When I saw these applications for the first time, I thought: this is amazing," said James Otun, who has several Islamic applications on his Apple iPhone and iPad. "Whoever came up with this idea: God bless him or her."

The applications aren't just for Ramadan; there are Islamic-themed programs that help users find the nearest Costco offering foods prepared according to Islamic dietary rules, learn the correct Arabic pronunciations in a daily prayer, or count how many pages of the Quran they've read that day - all on a mobile phone.

There also are applications, or apps, for the holy books of several other religions, from the Catholic Holy Bible to the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture.

The first time Sumeyye Kalyoncu heard the Adhan - or call to prayer - through surround-sound speakers on her iPhone dock, she was overcome with nostalgia for her native Turkey. Such applications are especially popular in the U.S., Kalyoncu said, as U.S. mosques do not broadcast daily calls to prayer from external loudspeakers, as they do in Muslim countries.

"These are traditions and these have been in our lives for ages, like almost 15 centuries, so they seem very old," Kalyoncu said. "I think this is like combining together the technology and the things that we do daily."

Kalyoncu uses an iPhone app called iPray Lite, keeping track of requisite daily prayers with a program that simulates the clicking sound of prayer beads or the turning wheel of a handheld metal counter Muslims use to keep count of prayer repetitions. Using headphones, the 24-year-old says she can now fulfill her daily spiritual obligations by counting prayers on her iPhone on the commuter bus to Manhattan from her Edgewater home.

Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said the company doesn't track the more than 225,000 apps for its phones by category so she doesn't know how many are Islamic-themed. The programs aren't just offered by Apple; Nokia has a Ramadan suite for its cell phones that consolidates everything worshippers need to know to observe Islam's holiest month, in which Muslims worldwide observe daily daylight fasting.

Some apps are free. Those that are not generally range from about 99 cents to $2.99, although some are more expensive.

The dates of Ramadan still are determined by the lunar calendar, and calculations can differ among Islamic communities around the world. In North America, many Muslims will mark the first day of Ramadan on Wednesday.

But Islam never has been at odds with innovation, said Zinnur Tabakci, who runs an Islamic religious book and gift shop in Paterson, N.J..

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Solutions available on a country-to-country basis: RIM to US

Canadian company RIM, the manufacturers of BlackBerry device, has told the United States that there are solutions available on a country-to-country basis to address security concerns regarding its service.

Research In Motion (RIM) officials conveyed the message to the US State Department at a meeting on Monday.

Following the concerns being raised by countries like India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the United States is in discussion with both RIM officials and these countries on the security related issues and uninterrupted access to the BlackBerry devices by people across the globe.

"It was very helpful for RIM officials to help us understand their global perspective. They indicated that their services are offered in almost every country in the world. There might be a handful that they do not have a presence,"State Department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters at a daily news conference.

"So they were giving us that kind of global perspective on the issues that have been raised in negotiations with multiple countries. They did not go into details of any specific negotiation," he said.

"It was very useful for us and I think at the end of the meeting, their perspective was that they believe that there are, again broadly speaking, solutions available that on a country-by-country basis can satisfactorily address and balance the regulatory security and access issues that are at stake," Crowley said.

The US and RIM recognise that there were a range of interests and it is important to balance these competing interests, the senior official added.

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