Wednesday 13 August 2014

Mulayam Singh Yadav's pungent take on teaming up with Mayawati - News Spear

Mulayam Singh Yadav's pungent take on teaming up with Mayawati - News Spear





New Delhi: Sharing the stage with old rival Nitish Kumar this week, Bihar politician Lalu Prasad Yadav suggested that Uttar Pradesh arch-enemies Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati should also come together against the BJP. Mulayam Singh responded today, “If Lalu mediates, I will join hands with Mayawati.”
The Samajwadi Party leader has been at daggers drawn with Mayawati for nearly two decades. Former enemies coming together became the political flavor after Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav, both former Chief Ministers of Bihar, vowed to campaign together for upcoming by-polls, to arrest the march of the BJP, which swept the state in the national election. The two leaders are also testing waters for state elections next year.

“Our alliance has sent a good message to everyone,” Lalu said at a public rally in Hajipur of his new partnership with Nitish Kumar, who he referred to as his younger brother.”I appeal to Mulayam Singh and Mayawati to enter a maha-alliance too,” he added. Mulayam’s response came two days later: “Lalu unka (Mayawati) haath pakad le aayen toh hum haat mila lenge (If Lalu brings Mayawati, I will join hands with her).”

The Uttar Pradesh rivals suffered similar humiliation in the national election, with the BJP bagging 71 of the state’s 80 seats. Mulayam’s party won just five seats and Mayawati none at all. 

On their joining forces against the BJP, Nitish Kumar’s colleague and Janata Dal United leader Sharad Yadav said, “I will just say that what happened in Bihar, we initiated it. Whatever happens in future, whether this kind of partnership can be broadened, we will see and let you know.” 
Uttar Pradesh votes in 2017 for a new assembly. But the BJP has made it clear that it will work hard in the crucial state to consolidate on its splendid performance of May. 

Saturday 9 August 2014

Experts fear US airstrikes may not be sufficient to combat militancy in Iraq - News Spear

Experts fear US airstrikes may not be sufficient to combat militancy in Iraq - News Spear



Washington (ANI): Analysts are concerned that US President Barack Obama’s authorization of air strikes in Iraq may not be sufficient to control the incessant al Qaeda-inspired militancy in the volatile country.
According to The Washington Times, Retired Army Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik said that the strikes Friday against artillery and mortar positions of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) were “necessary but not sufficient” to seriously confront threat now posed to the region and to the wider world.
Gen. Dubik said there needs to be a more comprehensive strategy rooted in the security interests of the United States. He added that the key security problem facing the US is the creation there of an Islamic state, basically a sanctuary for terrorists – the very sanctuary that the army has been fighting for 13 years now to prevent.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Dell Dailey, who headed the US Joint Special Operations Command during the early 2000s and later served as the State Department’s counterterrorism coordinator, said that despite the recent deployment of a small number of US “advisers” to Iraq, the administration has failed to outline how Iraqi forces will be empowered, the report said.
Gen. Dailey said the move to begin bombing without a plan for what comes next “shows a lack of strategic vision, adding that it looked like something that’s been dreamed up inside the White House and not dreamed up at US Central Command. Obama sanctioned airstrikes in Northern Iraq against the Islamic State fighters to avoid a possible ‘ genocide ‘.
According to Stuff.co.nz, Obama said that he allowed use of American air power to protect American workforce in the Kurdish capital Arbil. The US, after withdrawing its forces from Iraq at the end of 2011, did not intend to get involved into a war again, said Obama. He added that the Iraqi government had requested help from the Unites States.
Obama authorized airstrikes amid fears of a humanitarian disaster that has forced thousands of Iraqi minority Yazidis sect to flee from their homes to Sinjar mountain where they are reportedly stranded.
Many Iraqi Christains have also escaped from their homes. According to reports, many Iraqis are trapped on a Mountain near Mosul due to violence.

Study claims social media can harm mental health - News Spear

Study claims social media can harm mental health - News Spear





London (ANI): A new study has suggested that social media like Twitter and Facebook can be harmful to one’s mental health . A 31-year-old woman was looked for the “Twitter psychosis” case after she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Berlin after a mental breakdown, Metro.co.uk reported.
According to the doctors the woman spent several hours a day reading and writing messages, neglecting her social relationships and even skipped her meals and regular sleeping hours.
The woman apparently believed that celebrities and organizations were using Twitter to try and reach out to her, and that there were symbols hidden within her feed and account.
According to the authors the amount of symbolic language (caused by the limitation of 140 characters per Twitter message), the automated spam responses with seemingly related content, and the general interactive features of Twitter might combine several aspects that could induce or further aggravate psychosis.
The study is published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.

Monday 4 August 2014

Even bullets can't kill Samsung Galaxy Mega owners! - News Spear

Even bullets can't kill Samsung Galaxy Mega owners! - News Spear





Washington (ANI): Samsung Galaxy Mega saved a life during a gun fight in Xinjiang, China. A fight broke out in a sandwich shop in Xinjiang. It is said that a man dropped his wallet and another picked it up and said that he’d buy himself a drink from the money.
The comment, supposedly made for fun, caused disturbance which then led to the fight. The man who made the comment pulled out a knife, while the other man pulled out his gun and shot him, CNET reported.
The bullet entered the man’s arm and body, before encountering his shirt pocket. There lurked the Galaxy Mega and there, the pictures reveal, was the bullet hole in it. The big size of Samsung Galaxy Mega somehow saved a man’s life, the report said.

Maneka Gandhi projects son Varun as UP Chief Minister candidate - News Spear

Maneka Gandhi projects son Varun as UP Chief Minister candidate - News Spear



Pilibhit:  Union Minister Maneka Gandhi apparently thinks that her son Varun could reform Uttar Pradesh if he becomes chief minister of India’s largest state. Varun Gandhi, 34, is a parliamentarian who won May’s election from Sultanpur, a constituency that neighbours those represented in Parliament by his estranged cousin and aunt, Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, the top two leaders of the Congress party.

On Saturday, at a speech in her constituency of Pilibhit, Maneka Gandhi said that Uttar Pradesh is in a state of decline courtesy of the ruling Samajwadi Party, which is headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mrs Gandhi, 57, suggested that Pilibhit is being deliberately over-looked for development because Mr Yadav is “punishing” it for electing her.

“Had our party been in power, it would be our right to help you and if Varun were Chief Minister, then think of how much Pilhibit would benefit,” she said. “This (Varun for Chief Minister) is Maneka Gandhi’s personal opinion, it’s too premature to comment on such issues,” said senior BJP leader Laxmikant Bajpai.

The Gandhi family has been estranged since 1980. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1984, had two sons, Sanjay and Rajiv. The former, who was Varun’s father, represented Amethi till he died in a plane crash. After his death, Rajiv Gandhi, who was married to Sonia, became the MP from Amethi. Rajiv and Sonia have two children – Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. 

Varun joined the BJP in 2004, along with his mother.

Saturday 2 August 2014

Now only 2 free other bank ATM withdrawals in a month - News Spear

Now only 2 free other bank ATM withdrawals in a month - News Spear





Mumbai: The number of free withdrawals from other bank ATMs is soon set to come down from five a month to two for account holders in cities. The highest authority Reserve Bank of India has also asked the banks to keep the current system going in rural areas and give them details of the ATMs and areas.
The bad part of the decision is, if the consumers have taken two free withdrawals from a third party bank and do not have a company ATM nearby, they will have to pay Rs 20 as a charge to take out the cash.
It is believed that the banks have been talking on the free usages and that the fee that they are supposed to pay each other for the customers using other ATMS than their ATM. Their argument still lies as the free access is being tainted and that the ATM holders have raised their frequency of withdrawals.
The present fee decided is Rs 15 but the Banks are fighting to increase the sum to Rs 20. Nevertheless, other banks which depend on bank’s ATM, end up paying fee to the other banks are now wanting the fee to be only Rs 15 and not more than that. Sources have said that the interbank interchange fee will go up by 10 percent.
A company executive of a bank when asked about the same said, “From the customer point of view, the existing regime should continue. For the market to develop the freedom of ATM operators — including white-label ATM operators — should not be restricted and price points should not be dictated by inter-bank interchange charges.”
The history reveals that access to a third party ATM was made free in April 2009 and they ended up paying Rs 18 to other banks for each withdrawal. RBI then agreed to put a fee after five withdrawals and made a limit of Rs 10,000 from other bank ATMs. There is also a rush in creating third party ATMs i.e. companies make ATMs for the banks and pickup rent on a monthly basis. In past few years the number of ATMs have moved up at a much higher pitch than before from 74,00 to more than a lakh.

Monday 28 July 2014

Audi fans enjoy Q-series off-roading experience in Noida - News Spear

Audi fans enjoy Q-series off-roading experience in Noida - News Spear



New Delhi (ANI): Fans of German automobile manufacturer Audi experienced the superlative style, performance and Quattro technology of the Audi SUVs, namely Q3, Q5 and Q7, recently in Noida.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Sarvajit Verma, CEO Audi Delhi West and Audi Noida said, “The Q drive is to further give our discerning customers the opportunity to experience the legendary Audi Quattro technology on a specially created terrain for an unforgettable not be missed experience. The Q drive experience is aimed at providing a hands-on experience of what Quattro has to offer”.
The Q-series , which shares propulsive power continuously between all four wheels, has influenced almost 40% of the total sales, a jump from 18-20 percent and its still on the rise.
The event allowed the fans to experience the Quattro prowess in scenic environment and off-road conditions.
audi

Curfew relaxed in Saharanpur for 4 hours - News Spear

Curfew relaxed in Saharanpur for 4 hours - News Spear



Curfew relaxed in Saharanpur for 4 hours

Saharanpur (ANI): The two day long curfew in Saharanpur has been lifted for a few hours in selected areas of city to let the people stock up on essential items. The curfew had been in place since Saturday after clashes took place between two groups over a disputed land.
District Magistrate (DM) of Saharanpur, Sandhya Tiwari toldANI, “The curfew has been relaxed for a few hours in the city. People have started to come out to purchase daily need items. There is nothing to be afraid of as of now.”
Pushpender Singh, a mechanical worker said, “Common people are the worst targets of curfew. We could not buy necessary items and medicines. Even now only few parts have been opened which are of no big help. The area where we have major shops is closed.”
The four hour window has also resulted in long queues outside the petrol pumps. On Saturday morning violent clashes had erupted in Saharanpur amongst two groups who reportedly clashed over a patch of disputed land close to the city’s railway station.
DM had yesterday indicated that the situation in the area was returning towards normalcy and claimed that no new instance of violence had occurred since it all started yesterday.
Till now nine FIRs have been filed and 38 people have been arrested post the clashes which led to three deaths.

Friday 25 July 2014

India pulls chain to derail Global Trade deal, refuses to ratify customs deal - News Spear

India pulls chain to derail Global Trade deal, refuses to ratify customs deal - News Spear





Geneva, Switzerland: At the World Trade Organisation meeting in Geneva, the agenda was pretty clear – its 160 members were to meet over two days to conclude a long running deal on global trade that was agreed at talks in Bali last December. This is a protocol that the WTO calls the “Trade Facilitation Agreement” and aims to overhaul customs regulations.
But the worst fears of the delegates came true. As the clock ticked, talks were suspended on Day 1 (Thursday) as India seemed determined to block this protocol. Why? Because of concerns over another part of the Bali agreement that directly impacts India’s massive food subsidy programmes — and India believes that these concerns have still not been addressed.
India said it would veto the agreement until it gets what it wants on food subsidies and stockpiling. “India is of the view that the Trade Facilitation Agreement must be implemented only as part of a single undertaking including the permanent solution on food security,” Indian Ambassador Anjali Prasad told the WTO meeting.
India’s food subsidy programmes help over 500 million poor by providing cheap food to them. It maintains a stock pile of food to ensure that it always has a reliable supply of food. WTO rules allow countries to keep food reserves as long as they don’t, “have the effect of providing price support to producers.”
But what is market distorting and what isn’t is also complicated. 
“This is important so that the millions of farmers and the poor families who depend on domestic food stocks do not have to live in constant fear. To jeopardize the food security of millions at the altar of a mere anomaly in the rules is unacceptable,” Ms Prasad said. 
In any case, by linking the food security issue with this trade protocol, India plunged the entire deal into the abyss of hopelessness. “The credibility of the WTO is at stake here. Why should member countries come back and offer sacrifices if some others just don’t want to keep their promises,” said a delegate on condition of anonymity.  
Many small and developing countries have supported India. A member of the South African delegation told this reporter that she thought that India was doing a great job. Cuba too was sympathetic to India’s stand it is known. But the US has reacted very critically to India’s stand. 
“Today we are extremely discouraged that a small handful of members in this organisation are ready to walk away from their commitments at Bali, to kill the Bali agreement, to kill the power of that good faith and goodwill we all shared, to flip the lights in this building back to dark,”  US ambassador to the WTO, Michael Punke, said in a statement.
The WTO has seen this happen before. Many countries are accusing India of using brinkmanship to push its agenda. On the one hand India has managed to get its way resisting global pressure and bringing its concerns on food to the top of the agenda. On the other hand, many countries are accusing India of blocking a deal with large potential benefits to the world economy. 
There are still a few more days to go before the July 31 deadline.

Audi India set to launch the much-awaited Audi A3 Sedan on 7th August, 2014 - News Spear

Audi India set to launch the much-awaited Audi A3 Sedan on 7th August, 2014 - News Spear



Spear Auto Desk: Come 7th August, 2014, Audi will debut the next big Audi Audi A3 Sedan in India. With this launch, Audi is poised to create a new compact luxury sedan segment here. This car was showcased in the Auto Expo 2014 and has generated a lot of interest. Taking a cue from that, the company has strategically decided to produce the car in India even before its launch. Other models, such as sedans A6 and A4; SUVs Q5, Q7 and Q3 which are locally produced now were imported as completely built units (CBUs) at the time of launch.
India is a very promising market for Audi. With the upcoming launch of the next big Audi – the Audi A3 Sedan, we will be creating a new segment, that of the compact luxury sedan, in India. The Audi A3 sedan will attract an entirely new customer segment into the Audi family. We have decided to start the local production of the A3 Sedan right from the launch phase as we are convinced that this model is the right product for the Indian market at the right time. We are confident that the A3 Sedan will set new benchmarks and will further consolidate our leading position in the luxury automobile market in India,” said Mr. Joe King, Head of Audi India.
“The local production of the Audi A3 Sedan in India is in continuation of our growth strategy and consistent focus on the Indian market.” Audi Board Member for Production, Hubert Waltl said.
Audi A3
According to Mr. King, the Audi A3 Sedan would fit between the compact luxury hatchback and the entry luxury sedan segment and cater to the young and affluent section of the society. The increasing affluence of Indian customers at a younger age bodes well for the Audi A3 in India.
The luxury afficiandos already seem attracted to the technology and advanced features of this car. The Audi A3 Sedan will be available in both petrol and diesel variants. Word is out that the car is bundled with Audi’s top-end sedan features like the MMI with touch sensitive control panel and a sleek and retractable 7” high resolution pop up display, a 2- zone deluxe auto Air conditioning with wide diffuse and spot diffuse options, panoramic sunroof and 180 watt output, 10 speakers with 6 channel amplifiers. The Audi A3 Sedan is also the first car in the luxury compact segment to offer 425 litres (15.01 cubic feet) boot space.
Globally, Audi A3 has been a huge success and was voted ‘World Car of the Year’ in 2014 overcoming 23 other rivals. The Indian customers are expected to lap up this car and are waiting for the announcement of price on August 7th. Earlier this year, Audi became the first luxury car maker in India to cross sales of 10,000 units in a calendar year and financial year.

Kick review: Tailor-made for Salman Khan fans - News Spear

Kick review: Tailor-made for Salman Khan fans - News Spear



Mumbai:If you are not a Salman Khan fan then you might not like his latest release Kick. Anyways the story goes somewhat like this… Shaina (Jacqueline Fernandez), a psychiatrist, is pining for her ex-boyfriend, Devi Lal (Salman Khan). Supercop Himanshu Tyagi (Randeep Hooda) is looking for the mysterious, masked thief Devil who goes around pulling of spectacular stunts.
Within the first half hour, the only ones who don’t know that Devi Lal is Devil are Shaina and Himanshu. What follows for the next few hours is a procession of shots showing Khan walking, Khan driving, Khan dancing, Khan in a hoodie, Khan in a colourful kurta, Khan in black, Khan with a beard, Khan without a beard, Khan with tears in his eyes, Khan striding, and Khan’s ass being kicked.
That’s Rs 100 crore in Sajid Nadiadwala’s kitty, apparently.
A Nadiadwala film starring Khan isn’t expected to throw up surprise twists, which makes it easy to write a spoiler-free review of Kick because everyone knows who’s going to win the cop versus robber game, when the robber is played by Khan. If Robin Hood and Mother Teresa had a lovechild and that child was raised by Mithun Chakraborty, his name would be Devi Lal Singh.
Kick
Salman Khan as Devi Lal
Devi Lal, is a genius and a daredevil, so much so that his back story has to be shown as an animated sequence. Real people can’t do justice to his awesomeness (and no one is going to let any child do the frightfully dangerous and idiotic stunts that little Devi Lal pulls as a kid). There are even a couple of scenes in which we see Devi Lal grow up so that we are treated to an animated version of Salman Khan doing a few tricks. It looks more credibly real and has more expression than Khan himself manages, but maybe the cartoon was just being human. (There’s something almost poetic about the animated Khan possessing expression and the human Khan looking like a statue stolen from Madame Tussaud’s.)
Kick is supposed to be the story of an adrenaline junkie who’s constantly looking for a new and better high. Instead, all we see Khan do is beat people up and dance badly, which may well be how he gets an adrenaline rush. In actuality, Kick is an attempt by Khan to show himself as a heroic good samaritan. Devi Lal in Kick doesn’t enter the world of crime because of greed, but because he has a cause that is expected to make cherubs clap and angels weep with gratitude. In reality, it’s a little creepy but we’ll get to that later.
There isn’t much by way of suspense in this film, but it does raise a few questions. Like, for instance, how much were the real actors in the cast paid for being in Kick? If they’ve negotiated well, then this is what we hope acting in Kick has earned the following:
Nawazuddin Siddiqui: a house
Randeep Hooda: a house and a car
Sanjay Mishra: a luxurious vacation
Rajit Kapoor: the right to demand a better wig.
Predictably, the only ace up the film’s sleeve is Siddiqui, who manages to have some fun as Devil’s arch nemesis. The one scene in Kick that has some crackle is Siddiqui’s final encounter with Khan.
Ironically for a film about a guy who is bored and whose only ambition in life is to feel a heady rush of pleasure — yes, boys and girls, that’s what Devi Lal means when he says he’s looking for a ‘kick’ — Kick is a spectacularly dull film. Nadiadwala is clearly aware of this because why else would Salman Khan as Devi Lal make his grand entry and then, within seconds, remind us he’s also Dabangg’s Chulbul Pandey?
Devi Lal enters the film, driving a curious vehicle that is part bike, part car and completely ridiculous. He whisks a bride, groom and bride’s friend out of a wedding, and as he is making his exit, one random member of the wedding band lands on the bike’s bumper. Instead of howling in agony at the pain that one imagines follows a man’s crotch hitting unyielding metal, the man sees Devi morph into Chulbul Pandey. HIs eyes glaze over and he plays the Dabangg tune.
That’s basically what Nadiadwala expects audiences across the country to do: see their beloved Bhai (who is, helpfully, also called Bhai in the film) and not notice anything else, least of all how painfully idiotic the script, acting, stunts and twists in Kick are. No one expects the writing to be good in a Nadiadwala film, but Kick is just terminally lazy.
For instance, Himanshu grimly informs his team that Devil’s three crimes show a pattern: Devil targets people who have made headlines and the robbery is done on holidays. Who’s victim number four? A peon who hasn’t made headlines. So much for pattern. More absurdly, Devil sends a handwritten note to the police along with a mug shot of the man he says he’s going to rob. What do Himanshu and the rest of the police force do? They erupt in a frenzy of investigation to find Mr Mugshot. Why use the handwriting to catch the criminal when you can go hunting through the haystack of Delhi’s population to find the man in the mugshot?
The worst part of Kick isn’t that Nadiadwala and Khan take themselves seriously, but that they think their audiences are fools. The audience won’t notice that the characters and plot twists make no sense. Devi Lal, who is supposedly a gold medallist engineer and has made headlines with inventions like hyper-real holograms, becomes a thief because he needs Rs 11 lakh for a medical emergency. Really? He couldn’t get a loan? Sell his hologram technology? Or here’s a radical thought: get a job.
The audience won’t care that Shaina essentially kidnaps a patient from a hospital because he’s her ex-boyfriend and she wants revenge on him because he’s forgotten her. As far as she knows, he’s got “retrograde amnesia”, but why should she, a doctor, care about those details? He didn’t recognise her. He must be punished. How? By “healing” him so that he remembers her, and then dumping him. She doesn’t realise that all Devi Lal wants is to get into her home. Once she figures out she’s been a pawn in his plan, you’d think she’d be doubly mad, but no. Shaina and her need for vengeance are conveniently forgotten. And of course the audience won’t care about details like if a man jumps out of a building in Poland, it’s highly unlikely he will land in London, the only city that has red double decker buses and a place called King’s Cross.
Will the audience find anything creepy about the fact that Devi Lal feels a “kick” because a little girl, lying in bed, smiles at him? Only if they’ve read about Woody Allen. How does this girl end up in Devi Lal’s care? She has a “chest tumour” and because her parents can’t find the money for her treatment, they leave her in a children’s home and jump off a building. How is getting orphaned supposed to help a sick little girl? Because their suicide note will waft to Devi Lal, naturally. So now this girl has the guilt of her parents’ suicides and a guardian who gets a “kick” when she smiles at him. If that doesn’t turn her into a violent psychopath, maybe she’ll grow up to star in the Indian remake of Kick Ass.
But there are two wonderful, heartening and life-affirming things that one can take away from Kick. Early on in the film, you can see Khan being kicked on his bottom by Mithun Chakraborty. Unfortunately, we aren’t shown Chakraborty’s foot making contact, but the suggestion is plain and this is one illusion that we’ll gladly buy. More importantly, this is the last time we’ll see Salman Khan in a film in 2014.
That gave us a kick.

Thursday 24 July 2014

Kiran Bedi, Brinda Karat come out in support of Sania Mirza - News Spear

Kiran Bedi, Brinda Karat come out in support of Sania Mirza - News Spear





New Delhi (ANI): Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi today said that the elected representatives who are opposing Sania Mirza’s appointment as the brand ambassador of Telangana are involved in small talk and wasting everyone’s time.
Bedi told ANI, “These elected representatives are involved in very small talk. This is small talk and wasting big time of everyone. A daughter remains a daughter, she doesn’t lose the roots in her country, and some of our elected people refuse to grow up. If a man marries outside the country he is not called an outsider then why should a woman be called that?”
Bedi also added, “Sania is not only the pride of India but she is also now the pride of Pakistan. Is that not great?” The tennis player also found support from CPI leader Brinda Karat who said that only a perverted and twisted mind can give such statements adding that the comments must be dismissed outright.
Sania Mirza , too, has expressed her hurt and anguish over her being branded an outsider by some elements in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) post her appointment as a brand ambassador for the state of Telangana. In a statement issued here, Sania said, “I strongly condemn attempts to brand me as an outsider. I am an Indian and will always remain an Indian till the end of my life. It hurts me that so much time of politicians is being wasted on a petty issue.”

Facebook's Q2 profits double on back of strong mobile ad sales

Facebook's Q2 profits double on back of strong mobile ad sales





Washington (ANI): Social networking company Facebook’s profit has doubled reaching 791 million dollars while its total revenue rose from 1.8 billion dollars to 2.9 billion dollars in the second quarter of 2014.
Facebook’s more than a billion users reportedly use mobile devices to go online that amounts to 62 percent of the company’s overall advertising tallies in the second quarter.
Facebook’s sales from mobile devices are increasing at a rapid pace. Almost 1.1 billion users accessed the site at least once using a mobile device. Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he was delighted to see the company’s performance on mobile devices but there was a lot more to do.
Google, the fastest growing network is expected to have a decrease in profits while Twitter is likely to reach three percent this year, reports CNET. Zuckerberg further said that he intended to go slow and make greater profits in the long run. The company gave extensive details on advertising and other items.

CII welcomes Cabinet approval to 49 percent FDI in insurance - News Spear

CII welcomes Cabinet approval to 49 percent FDI in insurance - News Spear





New Delhi (ANI): Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Thursday welcomed the Union Cabinet’s approval to the proposal to raise the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap in the insurance sector to 49 percent from the existing 26 percent.
“CII welcomes the Cabinet’s approval to increase FDI limit in Insurance from 26 to 49 per cent with full Indian management and control, as it will help attracting the much needed long term capital for the sector which can have multiplier effect on the state of economy especially in meeting the huge infrastructure financing requirements”, said CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee.
“This has been a long standing demand of CII and therefore, CII recommends that the InsuranceLaws (Amendment) Bill be taken on priority in the current session of parliament for passage”, Banerjee added.
He further emphasized that capital infusion in the insurance sector, through greater FDI, would ensure innovations on product design and distribution, better risk management, introducing superior technology and greater investments.
” CII believes the end result will be sizeable improvement in the insurance penetration and density for the Indian economy which is considerably lower when compared with other emerging economies,” said Banerjee.

India’s Modi was an over-sharing politician. Now he’s a silent prime minister - News Spear

India’s Modi was an over-sharing politician. Now he’s a silent prime minister - News Spear





Washington Post: “You campaign in poetry, but govern in prose” goes a well-known saying by Mario Cumo, the New York politician. In India, leaders campaign in talk mode, but they prefer to govern in silent mode. For years, former prime minister Manmohan Singh was bitterly attacked for being too silent, a trait that eventually became a metaphor for his ineffective leadership. Many called his 10-year rule “a decade of official silence.” But it was going to be vastly different with the new prime minister, Narendra Modi.
During his four-month-long campaign this year, Modi spoke breathlessly on almost every national and local issue. He gave stump speeches, blogged, tweeted, Facebooked. India’s youths had finally found in the 63-year old Modi a leader fit for a generation of over-sharers and hyper-communicators. Now journalists, political pundits and opposition politicians have begun asking why Modi has gone silent. What happened to the promise of a leader who weighed in on every issue that consumed the nation?
“Narendra Modi brought with him the promise of a leader who will not be a mute spectator,” the Headlines Today channel said last month. “Is silence going to be the norm when it comes to complex issues like crimes against women?” “Why has our current prime minister, who is a 24×7 communicator, suddenly fallen silent on matters that are making front-page news, have been headlined in the international press, and have worked the Twitterati up into a tizzy?” wrote Caravan magazine.
The Business Standard newspaper called it “Narendra Modi: Silent PM 2.0?”
Instead, he gives long speeches on his vision for the nation — when he inaugurates a train line or attends the launch of a space rocket. Even as he encourages his colleagues in the government to open Twitter accounts to disseminate official news, he has put a gag on them. He has instructed them not to speak to reporters out of turn, to be wary of sting operations and not allow anyone into their offices with cellphones or cameras, or even pens.
He has also ended a political culture in which prime ministers took large contingents of journalists with them on foreign trips. The result is “a virtual news drought for 24×7 media,” complain local journalists.
“All the officers are under strict orders … not to have any connection with media,” Kumar Ketkar, a political commentator, blogged Tuesday on NDTV.com, a 24×7 news Web site. Calling it a “Gestapo-style” vigil, he said, there is “constant surveillance of the offices to keep tab on who meets whom and to check on whether ministers are spending evenings at social parties.”

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Salman Khan’s Kick ready to hit more than 5,000 screens, widest release ever - News Spear

Salman Khan’s Kick ready to hit more than 5,000 screens, widest release ever - News Spear





Mumbai: The high point of this film might be Salman Khan, but there is another highlight – ‘Kick’ marks the directorial debut of Sajid Nadiadwala, known for producing the biggest potboilers like ‘Housefull’ and ‘Heropanti’ as well as ’2 States’ and ‘Highway.’ Superstar Salman Khan’s ‘Kick‘ is set to kick up a storm. The action thriller will hit over 5,000 screens in India on Friday (July 25) as well as 42 other countries including non-traditional markets like France, Germany, Morocco and Maldives.
“Yes, Kick is one of the films which will get the widest release. In India, the film has got around 4,400 screens and close to 700 screens abroad, which is outstanding,” distributor Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines stated. If the film’s high point is Salman Khan, there is another highlight – ‘Kick‘ marks the directorial debut of Sajid Nadiadwala, known for producing the biggest potboilers like ‘Housefull’ and ‘Heropanti’ as well as ’2 States’ and ‘Highway.’
The makers are hoping to cash in on the Eid celebrations by releasing it during the festive season. “This time Salman Khan is back on Eid with Sajid Nadiadwala’s ‘Kick‘ and we are hoping to recreate the magic and success of his earlier movies during this period,” said Amrita Pandey, VP and Head, Marketing & Distribution, Studios, Disney India.
“It will release in over 42 countries, which includes non-traditional markets like France, Germany, Morocco and Maldives. We are also exploring delayed releases in Egypt, Taiwan and China. Eid is a family occasion and we want to give people a reason to celebrate it with ‘Kick’,” added Pandey. The advance bookings for “Kick” started Wednesday and Thadani says that the data promises a bumper opening for the movie which stars Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez as the female lead.
“As far as the advance booking is concerned, the film is going on full swing be it single screens or multiplex. I am confident the film will have a bumper opening,” he said. Sanjay Ghai from Mukta Arts Delhi said: “The Friday shows have already been booked and we hope the film will be beyond a blockbuster.”
According to reports, “Kick” is sold out in Dubai too. Why not?  In the past, Salman’s Eid releases “Wanted” and “Ek Tha Tiger” turned out to be gold spinners.
kick

Shiv Sena MPs forcibly make fasting Muslim staffer to eat - News Spear

Shiv Sena MPs forcibly make fasting Muslim staffer to eat - News Spear





Mumbai: In a highly disgusting and insensitive act, 11 Shiv Sena MPs allegedly forced a Muslim catering supervisor to break his Ramzan fast at Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi last week.  The MPs were apparently angry over not being served Maharashtrian food, a daily reported. Snubbing religious sentiments, the Shiv Sainiks forced Arshad Zubair S, who was fasting for Ramzan, to eat a chapati. 
The incident took place when a group of around 15 MPs were discussing complaints about the lack of services at the sadan.  Indian Railways’ IRCTC immediately suspended the catering service in protest.  IRCTC complained in writing to the Maharashtra Resident Commissioner, saying the employee had been “deeply pained and hurt… as religious sentiments are attached”. 
According to the daily, the Resident Commissioner apologised to IRCTC and Arshad, and asked to “meet him personally (to) convey the sentiments of our government”. The Maharashtra government has vowed to take an “appropriate action”. 
The 11 Shiv Sena MPs named in the letter are – Sanjay Raut (Rajya Sabha), Anandrao Adsul (Amravati), Rajan Vichare (Thane), Arvind Sawant (Mumbai-South), Hemant Godse (Nashik), Krupal Tumane (Ramtek), Ravindra Gaikwad (Osmanabad), Vinayak Raut (Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg), Shivaji Adhalrao Patil (Shirur), Rahul Shewale (Mumbai-South Central) and Shrikant Shinde (Kalyan)..
After the report came to light, Raut called the allegations ‘baseless’. Sawant refused forcing catering supervisor to eat. Adsul defended the act, saying since food was of poor quality, the MPs asked the attendant to taste and check the quality and they did not know his religion. Condemning the facilities at Maharashtra Sadan, Vichare said the incident should not be given a communal colour.  
In reaction to the incident, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majid Memon said an investigation must take place in the case and strict action should be taken against people involved. NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar said Shiv Sena isn’t a responsible party and it has always been a group of anti-social people. Another NCP leader Nawab Malik said the Residence Commissioner should take up this matter with Delhi Police and all involved in the case should be arrested. 
Congress leader said the MPs should tender a public apology since there is no place for this kind of majoritarianism. It is absolutely reprehensible and should be condemned in the strongest possible manner, added Tewari. Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal, meanwhile, described the incident as “highly condemnable”, adding he knows the government would not take any action against this, “but it must”. 
CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury demanded that Parliament should clearly state that such acts won’t be tolerated. In an e-mail sent to Resident Commissioner Bipin Mallick on July 17, IRCTC deputy GM Shankar Malhotra wrote: “Today there was a meeting of 12-15 MPs at New Maharashtra Sadan in the Press Conference Hall in which they were complaining about the services of Electrical, civil, housekeeping, catering, etc which they are facing from the last several months in the premises of Maharashtra Sadan.” 
“The entire delegation along with the electronic media and Manager, Maharashtra Sadan, walked inside the public dining hall and started throwing chafing dish covers in the buffet area. They also issued physical threats to the kitchen and service staff while using highly objectionable language. The specific incident happened with the Resident Manager/IRCTC, Sh. Arshad who was forced to consume full chapati whilst he was having fast on the eve of Ramzan. The concerned has been deeply pained and hurt on this account as religious sentiments are attached.” 
Malhotra said that the MPs “demanded [a] Maharashtrian caterer in the NMS [New Maharashtra Sadan]. It may be noted that this is not the first time that such an incident has happened. We have received no support from the NMS management in this regard.” 
In his complaint, which was forwarded to Mallick, Arshad said, “All the guests along with media reporters and staffs of Maharashtra Sadan got into kitchen where I was getting the orders prepared. They caught me and put the chapati into my mouth. I was wearing a formal uniform set as prescribed by IRCTC and everybody in the panel also knew my name as ‘Arshad’ as I was wearing the name tag. Even then they inserted chapati in my mouth which caused my fast to break on the eve of Ramzan. I was hurt with the thing they have done as religious sentiments are concerned.”

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Now, Indexeus search engine will expose hackers' credentials - News Spear

Now, Indexeus search engine will expose hackers' credentials - News Spear





Washington (ANI): Indexeus, a new search engine, enables users to look up login credentials from over a hundred hacks, including the recent high-profile Adobe and Yahoo dumps.
However, the search engine exposes the credentials from only those websites and forums that are quite popular with the hacker community, The Verge reported. It means that the search engine is trying to market itself to the same hackers who it is trying to expose.
Hackers can also pay a fee of one dollar per record to get their credentials removed from the search engine. A disclaimer on the website reads that the search engine does not aim to reveal somebody’s private information but wants to spread awareness.
However, the European Union’s “Right to be Forgotten” ruling has forced its founder, identified as 23-year-old Jason Relinquo of Portugal, to change the website’s policies and offer a free blacklisting option to all the users.