Bad infield fly rule call mars Cardinals victory over Braves in NL wild card game

It only took eight innings for baseball's umpires to register the worst call of the postseason and the Atlanta Braves paid a big price for it in their 6-3 National League wild card loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

With one out in the eighth inning and runners on first and second, Atlanta's Andrelton Simmons hit a fly ball to left field. The ball dropped in between backpedaling shortstop Pete Kozma and left fielder Matt Holliday and it looked as if the Braves would have the bases loaded with one out to stage a rally from their three-run deficit. Left field umpire Sam Holbrook, however, made a delayed infield fly rule call as the ball neared the ground. The call ruled Simmons out for the second out of the inning and an angry Turner Field crowd responded by showering the field with garbage.


Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez used the 18-minute delay that followed to put the game under protest. Major League Baseball denied the protest, however, because the infield fly rule is strictly a judgment call and not subject to any appeal. There is no distance mentioned in the infield fly rule language and an umpire must only determine that an infielder could have caught the ball with an ordinary effort.

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Robert Vadra: Will the truth ever come out?

Ten years ago, I bought a new apartment under construction in DLF Exclusive Floors, Phase V, Gurgaon. I took a loan from ICICI Bank to finance my purchase. I made it explicitly clear to the bank that I need the loan money disbursed to me on or before a certain date by which I needed to pay DLF the balance amount. After assuring me that the same would happen, ICICI Bank released the payment three days late. DLF charged me interest at 20 per cent per annum for the delay. I wrote to DLF and requested the Manager, Customer Services, to waive off the interest since the payment delayed by just three days was on account of the bank and I couldn't be blamed for it. DLF refused to do so, in a letter to me, which is still in my possession.

Ten years later, when I learnt that DLF gave away property worth Rs 300 crore for less than Rs 38 crore, it was hard to digest. The same firm who refused to forego Rs 2,191 to me knowing fully well that I was not personally responsible for the delay, let go Rs 262 crore to Robert Vadra. Wait, the story gets even more mysterious. DLF gave Vadra an interest free loan of over Rs 65 crore without any security to finance his acquisitions. Why? Robert says he has known the DLF owners for a long time and they are friends of his. Can anyone with a modicum of intelligence buy this explanation?

While it is okay to make concessions to friends, is it plausible to believe that the DLF owners willingly relinquished over Rs 260 crore to Robert purely on account of friendship? The Congress party came out in full strength to defend the party president's son-in-law with some leaders even calling up news channels to offer a sound byte on the issue. The leaders can't be blamed as they saw this as an opportunity to please Madam Sonia Gandhi. The Congress party has a history of rewarding loyalty and this issue gave a perfect opportunity to earn brownie points with the high command.

Resources : http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/rajengarabadu/707/63958/robert-vadra-will-the-truth-ever-come-out.html

English Vinglish’ review: It has a long lasting, feel good factor!

Resham Sengar

After a sabbatical of 15 years, Sridevi has returned to do a meaty role in ‘English Vinglish’ and post watching the film, I have just one word for the actress - FLAWLESS!

Gauri Shinde has donned the director’s hat to tell the story of Sashi (Sridevi), a middle-aged Maharashtrian housewife who earns her own money by making sumptuous ladoos (which happens to be her passion too) and selling them to the connoisseurs. A lot of women would identify with Sashi since she is one of those dedicated yet taken-for-granted homemakers who are ridiculed for their poor linguistic skills by their English speaking family. In the movie, Sashi finds herself being an object of constant potshots by her husband(Adil Hussain), who has little respect for her real talent and her 7th grade daughter who feels ashamed to even introduce her mother to her school folks.

So when an underestimated and belittled Sashi flies off to New York to lend a helping hand at her niece’s wedding, she smartly grabs the opportunity to enroll herself into English speaking classes that promise to teach the language within a period of flat four weeks. In no time, Sashi becomes the most committed student in her class, starts watching English films at night and doing her homework religiously- all to polish her English reading and writing skills and more importantly to earn respect that she duly deserves from her family. In the midst of her literary pursuit, she also finds her classmate cum friend – a Frenchman (an irresistible Mehdi Nebbou) getting attracted to her plain simple personality. Yet, despite several barriers that come her way, Sashi manages to achieve her goal (that includes ordering her meal at the café with super confidence) which could be an inspiration to many aspiring English learners.

Going beyond the ‘ordinary’ story of ‘English Vinglish’, it is a movie that teaches a lot of life lessons. First, it gives a peek into the feelings of those who are not good at reading and writing the language and find themselves becoming a subject of disdain and jibe whether at home or in public. Second, it is a crash course on mannerisms for all those ‘refined’ husbands and children out there who believe that the woman of the house is only worth taking nonsense; notwithstanding the fact that she goes out of her way to please them, without a complaint. Third, like I said before, the film is all about dedication towards one’s aims and a relentless pursuit towards your dream, come what may.

Sridevi as the de-glam Sashi looks completely stunning and gets very much into the skin of her character in the film. The way she emotes when she is looked down upon for her poor angrezi is worthy of a good round of applause. It is safe to say that after ‘Sadma’, Chaalbaaz’ and ‘Chandni’, she will always be remembered for her versatile act in ‘English Vinglish’. Clearly, this movie is one of her best works till date.

Moving on to film’s direction, kudos to Gauri Shinde for narrating a story which leaves such an impact on the viewers. Also, a special thanks to her (she has also written the story) for making a film on such a unique storyline which apparently has a close connection to the life of Shinde’s mother and perhaps, many other Indian women out there.

Amit Trivedi has given cool and foot tapping music to the film while designer Sabyasachi has done his job very well in dressing up Sridevi in colorful khadi sarees that suit her age and role.

Overall, ‘English Vinglish’ is a complete family entertainer and worth every penny! Yes, Sridevi is back!

Rating: 4 cheers to Sridevi, Gauri Shinde and the complete cast for their perfect job!


Sources : http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/movies/english-vinglish-review-it-has-a-long-lasting-feel-good-factor_120413.htm

Live Cricket Score: Australia vs Pakistan, ICC T20 World Cup 2012 match at Colombo

By CricketCountry Staff

Colombo: Oct 2, 2012

Pakistan will be desperate for a huge win against the marauding Australian side, when they clash in the crucial ICC World T20 Super Eights’ clash on Tuesday in Colombo.

Pakistan will have to pick up the pieces from their all-round failure against the arch-rivals and come up with an inspired performance against the unbeaten Australian side, which has been almost assured a semifinal berth with a commanding eight-wicket victory over South Africa in their last game yesterday. 

Aware that one more defeat will ensure their exit from the tournament if India manage to beat South Africa later in the evening today Pakistan, after a win and a loss, have to clinch it against Australia to have any chance of making the semifinals.

Australia are the in-form side of the tournament with the top-order batsmen in roaring form and the frontline bowlers among the wickets. 

The main worry for Pakistan would be swashbuckling Australian openers Shane Watsonand David Warner, who have become the most successful pair in the T20 Internationals. 

Against South Africa, Watson single-handedly guided the team to victory with a brutal 47-ball 70 and 2/29 while bowling. 

Teams:

Australia: David Warner, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Cameron White, George Bailey (c), Glenn Maxwell, Xavier Doherty, Matthew Wade (wk), Brad Hogg, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc.

Pakistan:  Mohammad Hafeez (c), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal (wK), Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan.

Catch live-scores and ball-by-ball commentary of the Australia vs Pakistan clash here

Video: Watch the preview to the Australia-Pakistan clash at the ICC World T20 2012

Super Eight Points Table  

ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2012: Match time table with group details 

FACT CHECK: Presidential debate missteps

CALVIN WOODWARD, Associated Press

Updated 9:33 p.m., Wednesday, October 3, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney spun one-sided stories in their first presidential debate, not necessarily bogus, but not the whole truth.

They made some flat-out flubs, too. The rise in health insurance premiums has not been the slowest in 50 years, as Obama stated. Far from it. And there are not 23 million unemployed, as Romney asserted.

Here's a look at some of their claims and how they stack up with the facts:

OBAMA: "I've proposed a specific $4 trillion deficit reduction plan. ... The way we do it is $2.50 for every cut, we ask for $1 in additional revenue."

THE FACTS: In promising $4 trillion, Obama is already banking more than $2 trillion from legislation enacted along with Republicans last year that cut agency operating budgets and capped them for 10 years. He also claims more than $800 billion in war savings that would occur anyway. And he uses creative bookkeeping to hide spending on Medicare reimbursements to doctors. Take those "cuts" away and Obama's $2.50/$1 ratio of spending cuts to tax increases shifts significantly more in the direction of tax increases.

Obama's February budget offered proposals that would cut deficits over the coming decade by $2 trillion instead of $4 trillion. Of that deficit reduction, tax increases accounted for $1.6 trillion. He promises relatively small spending cuts of $597 billion from big federal benefit programs like Medicare and Medicaid. He also proposed higher spending on infrastructure projects.

___

ROMNEY: Obama's health care plan "puts in place an unelected board that's going to tell people ultimately what kind of treatments they can have. I don't like that idea."

THE FACTS: Romney is referring to the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a panel of experts that would have the power to force Medicare cuts if costs rise beyond certain levels and Congress fails to act. But Obama's health care law explicitly prohibits the board from rationing care, shifting costs to retirees, restricting benefits or raising the Medicare eligibility age. So the board doesn't have the power to dictate to doctors what treatments they can prescribe.

Romney seems to be resurrecting the assertion that Obama's law would lead to rationing, made famous by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's widely debunked allegation that it would create "death panels."

The board has yet to be named, and its members would ultimately have to be confirmed by the Senate. Health care inflation has been modest in the last few years, so cuts would be unlikely for most of the rest of this decade.

___

OBAMA: "Over the last two years, health care premiums have gone up — it's true — but they've gone up slower than any time in the last 50 years. So we're already beginning to see progress. In the meantime, folks out there with insurance, you're already getting a rebate."

THE FACTS: Not so, concerning premiums. Obama is mixing overall health care spending, which has been growing at historically low levels, and health insurance premiums, which have continued to rise faster than wages and overall economic growth. Premiums for job-based family coverage have risen by nearly $2,400 since 2009 when Obama took office, according to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. In 2011, premiums jumped by 9 percent. This year's 4 percent increase was more manageable, but the price tag for family coverage stands at $15,745, with employees paying more than $4,300 of that.

When it comes to insurance rebates under Obama's health care law, less than 10 percent of people with private health insurance are benefiting.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/FACT-CHECK-Presidential-debate-missteps-3917656.php#ixzz28IzqhnBG

Cowboys need to control damage better

By Dan Graziano | ESPNDallas.com

As everyone shouts and scrambles this morning to figure out who's to blame for what happened to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, I'd like to suggest that we at least consider the Bears as one possible answer. Chicago has a good, tough team with an opportunistic defense that's built on forcing turnovers. They are well coached and understand where to press their advantages. I'm sure, for example, that forcing Brandon Marshall inside on short routes to limit the damage he might do on the outside seemed like a good idea to the Cowboys in their defensive meetings last week. The Bears saw it as a chance to get him matched up on linebackers, whom he could dominate with his size. They were right. Sometimes you get outplayed and outcoached. It's a tough league, and the other team's getting paid, too.

For me, the most disturbing thing about Monday night for the Cowboys was the way they fell apart once the game appeared lost -- the sloppy, unfocused and downcast way they played the fourth quarter when all they still had to play for was pride. For a team that's trying, as Jason Garrett has said, to "build a football program for the future," that part of the performance stands out as something that needs to be addressed.

There was a point in the game at which Tony Romo had thrown only three interceptions, and you could have reasonably said two were not his fault. Dez Bryant made a mistake that led to the first one (though I still think blame is shared there, as it appears Charles Tillman may have jumped the route and picked the ball anyway), and Kevin Ogletree's stone hands act caused the second. The third was a result of a poor, over-aggressive decision by Romo to try to make something happen. The fourth and fifth were just plain sloppy, and their effect was the eradication of Romo's benefit of the doubt. By running his interception total into the realm of the incomprehensible, he invited those who would blame him for every loss to blame him for the loss.

Once the Bears were up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the Cowboys were in the worst possible situation -- one in which Romo was trying to do too much and making bad decisions as a result. Adversity can be a very bad thing for Romo, and last night was an example of a guy flooring the gas pedal after blowing out a tire. When keeping it together would have showed his team a lot, even if a comeback wasn't possible, Romo fell totally apart.

Same thing happened on defense, where at the end of their first bad game of this season the Cowboys' defensive backs appeared to have left early to beat the traffic. It's no picnic trying to cover Marshall, but you are expected to try, and to do so for all 60 minutes. Marshall's 31-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter that put Chicago up 34-10 should have come in a gift bag with a note thanking him for visiting Cowboys Stadium. Contesting plays like that in the game's final minutes would have shown you something about this revamped Dallas defense, and it might have been something even more impressive and valuable than the high quality of its play in the first three games of the season.

And yeah, I know the defense was missing three starters, and I know Bryant dropped too many passes, and I know it's disheartening when you realize a game has slipped away from you, at home, with a billion people watching in prime time, etc. But that doesn't mean you just fold up like an umbrella and let the visiting team continue to embarrass you.

The Cowboys players were accountable after the game. They stood there and took responsibility for the loss and their many failures in it. And that does show you something about a team and give you reason to feel as though it has the kinds of solid citizens and dedicated professionals it needs to succeed. But they could have offered even more reason to feel that way if they'd appeared, in Monday night's fourth quarter, to be angry or upset about what was happening to them, or showed more determination to keep it from getting worse.

Monday's wasn't a game the Cowboys should have won. The Bears were in the NFC Championship Game two years ago. It's fair to say they're a little further along in their program than the Cowboys are in theirs. It would be far less of a surprise to see Chicago in this year's playoffs than it would to see Dallas there. That was true before the season started, and it's obvious this morning. The Cowboys are building something, and they have a ways to go.

But where they failed Monday was at the end, when they had a chance to use a tough loss to a tough team as a character-building experience. To show grit and determination in the face of insurmountable difficulty. When the going got tough Monday, the Cowboys collapsed utterly. And if I were a Cowboys fan or coach or player, that would bother me a lot more than the turnovers, the dropped passes or the loss itself.

Gandhi Jayanti celebration: K. Natwar Singh's tribute to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - the great communicator

New Delhi, October 2, 2012 | UPDATED 20:19 IST

Today is Gandhi Jayanti. The annual routine will be followed. Prayer meeting at Tees January Marg. Bhajans and wreath laying at Rajghat. Floral tribute in the Central Hall of Parliament. Twelve months later the same drill will be enacted. In between, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi will be all but forgotten.
I saw Gandhiji only once. That was in mid-June, 1945. His train had stopped for five minutes at Bharatpur station. The Mahatma was on his way to Shimla to attend a conference called by the Viceroy, Lord Wavell.
As the train approached the station all hell broke loose. I too was one of a huge crowd. I had taken my autograph book and Rs.5, the "Mahatma's fee" for getting his autograph.
As soon as the Frontier Mail came to a halt, there was an unseemly rush to reach the third class compartment in which he was travelling. I too ran, but to the other side of the train by jumping between two bogies. Several others did the same. I latched on to the window bars. I had a good look at him. He was in his half dhoti. The famous watch too I spotted. He was darker than I had imagined. It was impossible to get his autograph. The train moved. I had the Gandhi darshan.
In 1920, Gandhi arrived on the political scene of India like a whirlwind. He asked the prostrate people of India to stand up and hold their heads high. Non-violently he non-cooperated with the Raj. The message was loud and clear. It electrified India. He denounced the Raj, not the British people. Nevertheless, he did make the Raj stick in their throats.


Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mahatma-gandhi-jayanti-celebration/1/223056.html

General who led Op Bluestar attacked in London

Dipankar De Sarkar, Hindustan Times
London, October 01, 2012

Lt Gen Kuldip Singh Brar, who commanded Operation Bluestar to flush out Khalistani militants from the Golden Temple 28 years ago, was stabbed and wounded by suspected Khalistani extremists in central London on Sunday night.

Brar, 78, and his wife were walking to their hotel after dinner in the busy neighbourhood of Marble Arch when three men attacked him. After pushing his wife away, they stabbed him in the neck and face. Alerted by his wife’s screams, a passerby called the police and ambulance and the retired army officer was rushed to the hospital, where he was kept overnight before being discharged on Monday morning.

“Police were called at approximately 10.40pm to Old Quebec Street to attend to a man who had been assaulted. Officers and ambulance discovered a man in his 70s suffering from injuries caused by a knife,” a spokesman for London’s Metropolitan Police said. British police do not give out names until charges are pressed.

Brar was hospitalised in “a serious condition” but his injuries were “not believed to be life threatening”. No arrests have been made so far, but police have opened a case of attempted murder.

The Indian High Commission, which sees the attack as an assassination attempt, will press the British authorities to take swift action.

Brar, who is high on the extremists’ hit list, was without any security as he is on a private visit. Despite his age, he is believed to have fought back, kicking his assailants, who were bearded, according to his wife.
The assassination attempt was the first major attack on an Indian public servant on European soil since the murder of diplomat Ravindra Mhatre by Kashmiris in 1984 and will lead to renewed calls urging Western governments to crack down on anti-Indian militants.

HT is No. 1 in Delhi-NCR again

New Delh

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, October 02, 2012

You could call it a Perfect 10. Hindustan Times has been declared the No. 1 English language daily in Delhi for the 10th time in a row, according to the latest round (Q2, 2012) of the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) released by the Media Research Users’ Council on Monday. With a daily readership (Average Issue Readership or AIR) of 22.09 lakh in Delhi-NCR, HT has 75,000 more readers than its closest competitor, The Times of India (TOI). 

 

What’s more, HT has reaffirmed its status as the first-choice newspaper among the more educated and affluent households of Delhi-NCR, with a 2.32-lakh lead over TOI in SEC A (socio-economic classification A), a lead that’s jumped by over 30% since the last IRS round.

These results reconfirm that you place values like credibility and integrity above everything else. They also reaffirm for us your faith in our brand of journalism.

Our constant endeavour remains to empower you and take up issues that matter the most to you — from bijli-sadak-paani to matters of national importance, such as inflation and corruption.
And to make every effort to bring to you a newspaper that informs, entertains and simplifies the complex world around us.

Through our 'Delhi First' series, we have knocked at the doors of our administrators and raised issues that matter to you. Our 'You Read, They Learn' initiative, a project that has already made it possible for 4,291 underprivileged children to go to school, is an attempt to make a difference to the people around us.
In Mumbai, HT remains the clear No. 2 English daily with an AIR of 7.88 lakh, ahead of DNA and Mumbai Mirror. It has continued its journey on the growth trajectory, adding 72,000 readers in the last one year. With this round, HT has maintained its position as the No. 2 English broadsheet daily of Mumbai for the eighth time in a row, and reaches more than five lakh readers who don't read TOI.

Mint, HT Media's business daily, continues to hold its No. 2 position nationally, with 2.35 lakh daily readers. In addition, Mint has a strong unduplicated reach, with four out of five readers not reading any other business daily.

Hindustan, the group's Hindi daily, consolidated its No. 2 position among all newspapers in India with a total readership of 3.88 crore.

Will the Gulabi gang leader participate in Bigg Boss? Mystery continues

Published: Monday, Oct 1, 2012, 19:26 IST
Place: Lucknow | Agency: PTI

'Gulabi gang' leader Sampat Pal, who is known for her fight for women's rights, today said that she is yet to decide whether to participate in reality TV show Bigg Boss 6 or not.

"I have not yet said yes for my participation in Bigg Boss. I will be able to take any decision in this regard after October 4," Pal said.

"The organisers of Bigg Boss have approached me and I have told them that I am unable to accept the offer now...," the 65-year-old social activist said.

"I am in a dilemma over my participation in the reality show as I have to attend a World Women Conference in Brazil on October 28 and I give priority to issues related to women's rights," Pal said.

She admitted she did not know much about the reality show but said that she would talk to the organisers of the Women's Conference on October 4 and then decide her future course of action.

Replying to a question, she said that she might join Bigg Boss after attending the conference but it would not be at the cost of her priorities.

Pal, who runs 'Gulabi Gang' — a group of women known for taking up the cause of women facing violence, domestic or social, in Bundelkhand region - had contested assembly polls on Congress ticket from Manikpur in Chitrakoot district.

Kingfisher in talks with other airlines for safety checks

Press Trust of India | Updated On: October 02, 2012 08:39 (IST)

Taking a cue from Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh's statement that Kingfisher Airlines could approach other carriers for safety certification, the Vijay Mallya-

promoted airline has reportedly approached Air India and others for getting its aircraft checked for certification.

"Kingfisher Airlines is in talks with Air India, IndiGo and Jet Airways to get its aircraft certified by their engineers for flying," an airline source said on Monday evening.

All these carriers operate a mix of Airbus and Boeing fleet, while Kingfisher operates only Airbus planes.

“We can't allow Kingfisher to fly until their aircraft are certified. (Since) their engineers are on strike, they can get the planes certified by other engineers also," Mr Singh had said earlier in the day.

However, the minister warned that if the Directorate General of Civil Aviation finds that Kingfisher is not sticking to its schedule or violating safety norms, action will be initiated.

Significantly, Mr Singh ruled out shutting down the airline saying, "the government is not in the business of shutting down businesses", as that will "create a lot of problems”.

Even with the 3 per cent market share Kingfisher has, such a move will create havoc", the minister added.
 

Students fume over new National Eligibility Entrance Test schedule

TNN | Oct 2, 2012, 12.47AM IST

AMRAVATI/NAGPUR: Many postgraduate medical aspirants for Diplomate of National Board (DNB) who went to purchase the examination fee voucher on Monday were in for a rude shock. The number of forms currently available with the specified bank were insufficient to meet the demand. Pranjal Bobade, one of the aspirants, told TOI that "Only 175 forms have been provided to them while there are about 500-600 students appearing for DNB exam from Nagpur alone".

The exam conducting body, National Board of Examinations (NBE), has kept the last date as November 10 for purchasing of fee vouchers.

This however is not the only controversy which NBE finds itself in. The other exam it is conducting, National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET-PG) for PG courses has evoked a strong response from candidates. Thousands of postgraduate medical aspirants will now have to bear the brunt of what they called the wrong decision of the health ministry to conduct the NEET-PG, two months before the date announced by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The examination schedule of other medical entrance examinations fall during the same period which has led to confusion among medical students.

The notification released by MCI on September 23 pertaining to the examination schedule of NEET for PG courses has come as a shock for students. As per the notification, NEET has been slated from November 23 to December 6. The examination will be conducted by National Board of Examination this year. It is for the first time that the board has decided to conduct examination online in 33 cities in India. This is the maiden effort of conducting common entrance examination all over the country for admission to PG medical courses like MD and MS.

MCI had earlier said on its officials website that the PG entrance examination will be conducted in January 2013. Hence, students had planned their study schedules according to January 2013. But, MCI dropped a bombshell by declaring the examination schedule around two months early. Planning for the studies has gone awry due to the MCI decision. Interestingly, the examination dates for DNB, AIIMS Delhi NEET have come during the same time. AIIMS Delhi will be held on November 18 and DNB during November 17 to 20. PGI Chandigarh has not yet declared the examination dates but it is expected to fall during the same time. Moreover, the examination fee has also been hiked around fourfold for NEET.

Speaking to TOI, PG aspirant Dr Vishvajeet Gaekwad from Nagpur said, "MCI should have declared the schedule at least four months before examination. We have planned our studies as per January 2013 schedule. But the new dates have disturbed the study schedule. We are also baffled over the examination pattern. We have to study almost 20 subjects in two months which is impossible," he said.

Dr Rohit Mundhada said, "The medical body has informed students in time about the examination schedule. NEET is coming with other three examinations. Hence, within a span of 15 days, we have to travel to various places for appearing in four examinations which would be hectic."

Dr Apurva Rajmanya echoed the same views.

Dr Sarang Vajapeyi from Nagpur said, "Many students have been doing internship and chalked out study plans considering that the examination will be held in January. But now we have only two months for study," he said.

EXAM DATES
NEET PG Nov 23 - Dec 6
PGI Chandigarh Nov 11
AIIMS, DelhiNovember 18
DNB Nov 17-2o
 

Sanjjeev K Samyal, Hindustan Times Colombo, October 02, 2012

A court ruling that forced a Finnish ISP to block The Pirate Bay has angered the hacktivist group

By Jeremy Kirk

January 10, 2012 09:00 AM ET

IDG News Service - Anonymous has struck the websites of two anti-piracy organizations, a day after Finnish ISP Elisa blocked access to The Pirate Bay search engine in response to an injunction requested by one of the organizations.

The Finnish site for the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and the website for the Copyright Information and Anti-Piracy Centre (CIAPC) of Finland were both offline, apparently as a result of a distributed denial-of-service attack, said Antti Kotilainen , CIAPC's managing director. CIAPC does work for the IFPI, he said.

"It doesn't really affect our work but of course it's annoying," Kotilainen said.
The owner of the Twitter account "@anon_finland" took credit for the attack, writing on Monday that "we'll keep it down as long as want."

On Monday Elisa stopped its subscribers accessing The Pirate Bay and other associated websites and domain-name servers, to comply with a temporary injunction issued by a Helsinki court at the request of IFPI Finland in October. Elisa has filed an appeal with Helsinki's Court of Appeal, according to a company statement.

The IFPI is asking for injunctions that would force two other major ISPs, TeliaSonera and DNA, to block The Pirate Bay, Kotilainen said. Those rulings may be released as soon as next month, Kotilainen said.
If granted, the injunctions would mean the website would be blocked in about 80 percent of the Finnish broadband market, Kotilainen said.

The Pirate Bay enables users to search for torrents, or small information files that coordinate the download of content among people using the BitTorrent file-sharing system. For years, it has drawn the ire of the entertainment industry, who allege that most of the content it indexes has been shared in violation of copyright protections.

In November, IFPI Finland and music companies Warner Bros., EMI, Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment filed a civil suit in Finland against three men affiliated with The Pirate Bay: Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij and Gottfrid Svartholm Warg. The suit asks the court for compensation and for the three to stop infringing copyright, Kotilainen said.

Kotilainen said he holds little hope for compensation.
In April 2009, the three men plus Carl Lundstrm, were each sentenced to one year in prison in a Stockholm court for being accessories to crimes against copyright law. The court ordered that the four pay about 11 million Swedish kronor to Twentieth Century Fox and $54,000 to Sony Music Entertainment in Sweden. They were also supposed to forfeit 1.2 million Swedish kronor (US$140,000) in advertising revenue generated from the site.

In 2010, three of the four men lost an appeal, but they hope Sweden's Supreme Court will take on the case, according to the TorrentFreak blog.

Send news tips and comments to jeremy_kirk@idg.com

 

All-round responsibilities beckon Yuvraj, Kohli

Sanjjeev K Samyal, Hindustan Times
Colombo, October 02, 2012

Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh form the backbone of India’s batting but it will be their role as part-time bowlers that will be crucial to the team's fortunes in the all-important game against South Africa on Tuesday.
The failure of the five-bowler combination has broughtextra responsibility on the two star batsmen, and after their bowling success against Pakistan, India will be inclined to again go in with a four-bowler combination. 

As they did on Sunday, skipper MS Dhoni will rotate his specialist bowlers in the powerplay overs. But the key will be how India go about their game from the seventh over onwards.

Slick bowlingIt all worked to a nicety against Pakistan when Dhoni quietly slipped in a few overs through his part-timers, from the seventh to the 12th overs. Yuvraj gave nothing away with his brand of left-arm spin (3-0-16-2) and Virat exceeded expectations during a three-over spell (3-0-21-1). They floored Pakistan by snaring three top order wickets as well.

The final Super Eights game, however, might provide a different sort of challenge for Dhoni in terms of handling the fifth bowl-er's quota. South Africa batsmen know what awaits them and will be ready for it. There is always an element of risk with the part-timers and AB de Villiers' team will see it as a chink in India's armour. The two players will be targeted and how they handle the pressure as bowlers will be vital.

Dhoni said the role of his two key players would be crucial to the team's success. "When we play with seven batsmen, the part-timers' role becomes important. Virat is an option but it is crucial to have a left-armer, someone who takes the ball away from the right-hand batsman. Here Yuvi's role is very important."

Prized scalpsWhile their bowling is a bonus, Virat and Yuvraj are among the best in the business in their primary role as batsmen, and their wickets will be most sought after by the South African bowlers.

Virat added to his growing aura as the premier young batsman in the world with another swashbuckling half-century on Sunday. And his former coach Gary Kirsten was all praise.

"He is probably one of the stand-out batsmen in the world at the moment and we all know what he is capable of doing. He is one of those X-factor cricketers that other teams want to get out because he is not going to get out himself. He doesn”t throw his wicket away," said the SA coach.

Yuvraj has yet to get a big knock here but has improved with every outing. His 19 not out off 16 balls on Sunday was pleasing. "Yuvraj will take a lot of positives out of this innings and once he gets going, he is a terrific batsman to have in the side," said Dhoni.

Activist to politician: Kejriwal to announce his party today

Twelve days after his split with Anna Hazare, activist Arvind Kejriwal will formally enter politics on Tuesday with the announcement of a political party.

Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia said the announcement will be made at a function in the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.
The vision of the party, Constitution and selection of members and candidates will be stated at the function, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanthi.
An internal Lokpal will also be appointed by the party to probe cases of impropriety. The name of internal Lokpal, a retired judge, will also be announced on Tuesday.
Ahead of the announcement, Kejriwal and Sisodia met Anna Hazare, who is in the city to chalk out his future course of action with regard to an apolitical anti-corruption movement.
Hazare has been opposed to the movement turning political and parted ways with the pro-party group led by Kejriwal on September 19 after a meeting in New Delhi.
The veteran activist had attacked the Kejriwal-led group, saying they had not responded to his questions on how to present a political alternative to the people in the fight against corruption and dubbed the path of politics as one "full of dirt".
Kejriwal earlier said they were not entering politics to acquire power as politics is yet another tool for strengthening of the anti-graft movement.
The proposed party is likely to first test its strength in Delhi Assembly polls in 2013, skipping Assembly elections of 2012 in BJP-ruled Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
Earlier, the Kejriwal-led group had decided to form a preparatory committee consisting of 80-100 members, including some retired judges, to chalk out the details of formation of the party.
It was also decided that an internal Lokpal, having retired judges as its members, will be constituted to ensure internal discipline within the party. The preparatory committee, however, was not formed despite the plan of having its first meeting on August 26.

Govt spent Rs 1880 cr on Sonia’s foreign trips, says Modi

Jesar(Guj): Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today targeted Congress President Sonia Gandhi by claiming that Rs 1880 crore has been spent from the public exchequer on her foreign trips.

“To those Congress friends, who are accusing our government of uncontrolled expenditure, I want to ask: is it not true that on the foreign travels of the President of the Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, in the past three years, Rs 1,880 crore has been spent  from the public exchequer,” he said addressing a rally as part of his month-long pre-election tour of the state.

“This clearly means that more than the total yearly budget of Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Rajkot Municipal Corporation combined has been spent only on the foreign trips of Sonia Gandhi and on her luxury hotel stays,” he added.

Reuters

Modi said a response given by the government to an RTI application of a youth of Hisar in Harayana, published in a newspaper on July 12 this year, was the basis for his claim.

And so far, he said, the report has not not been denied either by the government or Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi will be launching Congress campaign for the state elections on coming Wednesday by addressing a huge rally of farmers in Rajkot. This will be the first visit of Gandhi in the poll-bound state.

“I want to ask the Delhi Sultanate what is the compulsion that they have to allow this uncontrolled spending of poor people of the country,” Modi said.

Modi alleged that Sonia Gandhi was getting all those facilities like a special flight, which are available only to the President and Prime Minister, from public funds though she was just an MP.

“Has the Central government by protocol given special status of head of state to Sonia Gandhi?” he asked adding, “Wasn’t this money spent from the state exchequer? From the money spent there, we can produce electricity for the whole Gujarat State.”

Modi also called upon farmers to ask Gandhi to given an explanation on why no drought relief package has been cleared for Gujarat’s Saurashtra region.

“We had submitted a memorandum to the Central government asking for an assistance of Rs 15,000 crore for
scarcity relief,” Modi said adding that farmers should raise the issue when Congress president is coming to the state.

Congress has selected Rajkot as the venue of the rally to be held by Gandhi, as the area is worst affected due to scanty rains and more than 15 farmers have committed suicide due to crop failure.

Congress plans to hold a massive farmer rally in Race Course Ground of Gujarat on October 3 in presence of Gandhi.

State Congress president Arjun Modhwadia is already camping in Rajokt to make the farmers’ rally of Gandhi a success.

PTI

Activist to politician: Kejriwal to announce his party today

PTI
New Delhi, October 02, 2012

Twelve days after his split with Anna Hazare, activist Arvind Kejriwal will formally enter politics on Tuesday with the announcement of a political party.

Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia said the announcement will be made at a function in the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

The vision of the party, Constitution and selection of members and candidates will be stated at the function, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanthi.

An internal Lokpal will also be appointed by the party to probe cases of impropriety. The name of internal Lokpal, a retired judge, will also be announced on Tuesday.

Ahead of the announcement, Kejriwal and Sisodia met Anna Hazare, who is in the city to chalk out his future course of action with regard to an apolitical anti-corruption movement.

Hazare has been opposed to the movement turning political and parted ways with the pro-party group led by Kejriwal on September 19 after a meeting in New Delhi.

The veteran activist had attacked the Kejriwal-led group, saying they had not responded to his questions on how to present a political alternative to the people in the fight against corruption and dubbed the path of politics as one "full of dirt".

Kejriwal earlier said they were not entering politics to acquire power as politics is yet another tool for strengthening of the anti-graft movement.

The proposed party is likely to first test its strength in Delhi Assembly polls in 2013, skipping Assembly elections of 2012 in BJP-ruled Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

Earlier, the Kejriwal-led group had decided to form a preparatory committee consisting of 80-100 members, including some retired judges, to chalk out the details of formation of the party.

It was also decided that an internal Lokpal, having retired judges as its members, will be constituted to ensure internal discipline within the party. The preparatory committee, however, was not formed despite the plan of having its first meeting on August 26.

‘Dexter’ Season 7 Premiere Review & Discussion

The Dexter season 7 premiere kicks off the moment that fans have been waiting to see since the series began. Dexter’s (Michael C. Hall) secret is now known by Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), and there’s no turning back. The Dark Passenger must now account for his actions, willingly or not.

And that’s essentially what we get in the episode. To satisfy fans’ need to see Dexter answer to Deb for his actions, a good portion of the episode is dedicated solely to Deb questioning her brother about anything and everything that comes to her mind. Their initial conversation, standing near Travis Marshall’s (Colin Hanks) slayed body, is satisfying enough for the anticipation it created. There’s not enough time to fully delve into what Deb has just witnessed, but the scene does provide some satisfaction.

Read Full Review Here : http://screenrant.com/dexter-season-7-premiere-review/
 

‘Once Upon A Time’ Season 2 Premiere Review

The Dementors have come to Storybrooke. Well, okay, technically they are un-dead, soul-sucking wraiths with black, tattered robes and gleaming red eyes with a fancy-sounding Chinese name; though, if I were JK Rowling, I’d be calling my lawyer. The wraiths, however, are just one of the new fairy tale characters to be introduced in the season 2 premiere of Once Upon A Time.

Chief among the newcomers are Mulan (Jamie Chung) and Aurora, portrayed by The Tutors actress Sarah Bolger, and better known to little girls everywhere as Sleeping Beauty. Theirs is the story that runs concurrent with what’s playing out in modern world, which makes sense, as Sleeping Beauty is the most quintessential of the “true love’s kiss” tales.

Read More Full Review : http://screenrant.com/once-upon-time-season-2-premiere-reviews/

Lindsay Lohan alleged hotel assault: Christian LaBella ‘stunned’ by his arrest, says uncle

By Nancy Dillon AND Tracy Connor / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Monday, October 1, 2012, 1:28 PM

Christian LaBella, 25, was initially charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment on Lindsay Lohan. The incident occurred at the W Hotel in Union Square, Sept. 29, 2012.

The congressional aide who tussled with Lindsay Lohan over cellphone pictures is “stunned” to find himself starring in the actress’ latest real-life drama.
“He doesn’t really understand why this is happening,” Peter Jessop said Monday of 25-year-old nephew Christian LaBella, who was arrested after the Manhattan brawl.
“It's a shame when a celebrity like that can use her publicist to tar a kid who has done nothing wrong.”
Lohan’s publicist, Steve Honig, scoffed at LaBella’s claims of innocence.
LINDSAY LOHAN TUSSLES WITH CONGRESSIONAL STAFFER IN MANHATTAN HOTEL ROOM OVER CELL-PHONE PHOTOS, TELLS COPS HE CHOKED HER

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/christian-labella-stunned-arrest-lohan-brawl-article-1.1172047#ixzz284j6N1op

Maruti Suzuki opens bookings for Alto 800

Maruti Suzuki has opened bookings online for its eagerly awaited small car the Alto 800. One can visit the official Alto 800 page (http://www.marutisuzukialto800.com/), complete the details and pre-book the car which will launch on October 16.

When CarWale contacted dealers in two major metros, they said that a booking for the Alto 800 could be confirmed by paying an amount of Rs 5000 and added that the car would be delivered during the Diwali holidays.

The new model, which is expected to help the small car major revive falling sales, will be powered by a new 796cc engine which is likely to give an ARAI-certified 22kmpl, a feature the company hopes to bank on due to the high price of petrol. The car will replace the existing base model Alto and will have a sub-Rs 2 lakh price allowing it to compete with the Tata Nano and the Hyundai Eon. It is also expected to have a CNG option at the time of its launch.

Read more about the Alto 800 in our upcoming cars section or have a look at out our story about the interior of the car.

Reference Site : http://www.carwale.com/news/9424-maruti-suzuki-opens-bookings-for-alto-800.html

Anupama Chopra's review: OMG Oh My God!

Anupama Chopra, Hindustan Times  September 29, 2012

Omg oh my God!
Direction: Umesh Shukla
Actors: Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Mithun Chakraborty
Rating: ** 1/2OMG Oh My God! is about something that touches all our lives - religion. It is a film about our relationship with God, how instead of being God-loving, we have become God-fearing. How religion has become a business run by godmen (here aptly referred to as 'salesmen') who aren't in fact very spiritual at all. A note to atheists and agnostics - the film is not an endorsement of those views. It insists on the existence of God.

Kanji Lalji Mehta, played by Paresh Rawal, is an avowed atheist who runs an antiques shop. Kanji is a wily salesman. He weaves tall tales around his wares and sells 200-rupee idols for thousands. The faithful are always ready to pay. As Kanji puts it: "Shraddha ka kaam hai, jitna dalo, utna kum."

One day, an earthquake destroys Kanji's shop. The insurance company refuses to pay, saying it was an act of God. So Kanji, defiant, furious and abandoned by his family, goes to court and sues God.

The story is an adaptation of a very successful Gujarati play, which later became a hit in Hindi and Marathi too. The original template is an Australian film called The Man Who Sued God. Sadly, here, a terrific play makes for limp cinema.

Director Umesh Shukla, who has also directed the play, is bogged down by the burden of Bollywood. So we must have an item number with Sonakshi Sinha and Prabhu Deva. Shukla must also make room for the mega-stardom of Akshay Kumar, who is both producer and God.

Akshay plays God, which would have worked well if the film didn't have to build him up so much. He is introduced with an elaborate action sequence, featuring tacky special effects, in which he rescues Kanji from religious fanatics. This God comes to earth on a snazzy motorcycle and wears, among other things, a long purple jacket. His face is always bathed in a strange, diffused light. And there are scores of frames of him just smiling benevolently or looking wisely into the distance.

Paresh is wonderful as the stubborn, smart and eccentric Kanji. He gets a few fiery scenes in court, but the film sags because the other characters are so flimsy. Mithun Chakraborty, in a hideous wig, plays a weird, fey guru. Govind Namdeo is a godman who constantly eats fruits and shakes with anger almost every time he speaks. Eventually OMG Oh My God! dissipates into a lecture. The intentions are good, but the preaching is boring.

Paresh Rawal, as usual, rises above the material. He is the force in this film.

Gandhi Jayanti: Kalam to unveil Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Florida tomorrow

PTI | Oct 1, 2012, 01.32PM IST
 
FLORIDA: Former President APJ Abdul Kalam will unveil a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and dedicate a memorial built by an association of Keralites here on Tuesday on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.

The memorial and the statue is built by Kerala Samajam at a cost of USD 49,000, a statement said.

Kalam will unveil the memorial and statue at Falcom Lia Park, it said, adding Florida Mayor Judy Paul will also attend the function.

Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of the "Father of the Nation", who was born on October 2, 1869.

The construction of the statue was conducted by Big Statue, a famous sculpturing company.

AXIS Bank to announce Q2 Result on Oct 15, 2012

A meeting of the Board of Directors of AXIS Bank Ltd will be held on October 15, 2012, inter alia, to consider and take on record and approve the Unaudited Quarterly / Half yearly financial results of the Bank for the quarter (Q2) / Half year (H1) ended September 30, 2012.

The AXIS Bank Ltd stock was trading at Rs.1130, down by Rs.6.75 or 0.59%. The stock hit an intraday high of Rs.1139 and low of Rs.1121.35.

The total traded quantity was 1.14 lakhs compared to 2 week average of 3.94 lakhs.

How Mahatma Gandhi replaced Britain's monarchs in offices

Mumbai: For nearly two years after India became independent, pictures of the king and queen of Britain continued to adorn government offices and departments.

It was only from June 2, 1949 that the government of then Bombay state ordered all offices to replace the photographs of British colonial rulers with those of Mahatma Gandhi, who by then had been assassinated.

In keeping with the principles of austerity practiced by the Mahatma, old frames from the British photos were used to mount pictures of the Father of the Nation, according to archival material released by Raj Bhavan here Monday, the eve of Gandhi Jayanti.

"The photographs of their majesties ... should be carried to a remote place where the frame and glasses should be removed. The frames and glasses which remain intact and neat and tidy should be used for framing Mahatma Gandhi's photographs," says the government resolution issued by the Political and Services Department of the government of Bombay.

The government resolution (GR) copies, issued by then chief secretary MD Bhat, were marked to the governor, premier of Bombay, the High Court, divisional commissioners, heads of government departments, ministers, collectors and chief administrators of Kolhapur and Sangli and special commissioner of Baroda.

"It is apparent from the GR and circular that the government advocated austerity while asking government departments to re-use the old photo frames in tune with the ideology of the new entrant to the photo frame, Mahatma Gandhi," a Raj Bhavan official said.

The resolution further said: "The actual material on which the photographs or portraits of the king and queen are photographed or portrayed should be stored in a safe place where there is no inflammable material nearby. The question as to what should be done with the photographs without frames will be decided after three years."

The GR also specified the kinds of pictures the government had approved for use in various offices.

It had approved pictures received from three agencies - Rex Photo Studio, Bombay, bust size 16 inches by 22 inches; Vanguard Studio, Bombay, size 14 inches by 17 inches; Dandi Kuch upright position, and Associated Photo Service, Delhi, bust size with folded hands size 10 inches by 12 inches.

The interesting aspect was that the GR also specified which government office should use which particular photograph of Mahatma Gandhi.

Later, in another GR issued on Oct 14, 1949, the prices for the three types of pictures were also communicated.

The first one, without frame, was fixed at Rs 30, the second one at Rs 18 and the third at Rs 8 per copy.

Today, no government office in the country is complete without a photograph of Mahatma Gandhi, displayed in a prominent location in its premises.

IANS