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London: People in the Northern Hemisphere might be able to see the Mars with their naked eyes this weekend when it is at its closest to Earth in over two years.
Stargazers are excitedly waiting to see the Red Planet in the night sky, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday.
The event, known as an opposition, happens once every 26 months when the orbits of Earth and Mars align so that the two planets form a relatively straight line with the sun.
The opposition was expected to occur in the Northern Hemisphere at 11 p.m. EST this Saturday (4 a.m. GMT Sunday).
However, because of Mars's elliptical path around the sun, the red planet will be closest on Monday, when they will be about 100.7 million km apart.
With a telescope, gazers will be able to see the Red Planet's ice caps and surface details, the Mail said on Saturday.
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New Delhi: The government has announced that Lt General Bikram Singh, the Eastern Army Commander, will be the next Army chief.
Here's a press release by the government of India:
The Eastern Army Commander, Lt Gen Bikram Singh, PVSM,UYSM,AVSM,SM,VSM,ADC has been designated as the next Chief of Army Staff, in the rank of General, with effect from the afternoon of 31 May 2012. He will succeed the present COAS, General VK Singh, PVSM,AVSM,YSM,ADC, who retires from the service on 31 May 2012.
Lt Gen Bikram Singh was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment on 31 March 1972.
During his long and distinguished career, spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of Command and Staff appointments. He has commanded a Corps in the Northern Command. The General had served as Deputy Force Commander of a multi-nation UN Peace Keeping Mission in Congo. He had also served as UN Observer in Nicaragua and El Salvador during the early 90s.
Lt Gen Bikram Singh has studied with distinction at the Defence Services Staff College, the Army War College and the US Army War College, Pennsylvania. He has also done M.Phil in Defence Management from the Indore University.
He is a recipient of PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM and VSM Awards. He is also one of the Honorary ADCs of the President of India.
He is married to Mrs Surjeet Kaur, housewife and the couple have two sons.
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Patna: A CBI court has framed charges against former Bihar chief ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Jagannath Mishra in connection with a multi-crore fodder scam.
The case relates to fraudulent withdrawals of around Rs 46 lakh by officials of state animal husbandry department from Banka and Bhagalpur treasuries through fake enforced bills between 1994-96.
Charges have also been framed against ruling JDU MP Jagdish Sharma and former RJD MP R K Rana.
Mr Yadav, who was chief minister of Bihar then, alleges that he has been falsely implicated in the case and the "CBI had not procured gubernatorial nod for prosecution in this case".
The central investigative agency had charge sheeted them in this conspiracy angle case on March 3, 2003.
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Kangana Ranaut, who has already established herself as a youth style icon, will now take fashion cues from Rekha. For her role as slain gangster Manya Surve’s girlfriend in Shootout At Wadala, the young star has been asked to draw sartorial inspiration from yesteryear Bollywood divas, including the late Smita Patil.
“I play a Maharashtrian girl in the film, and since it’s set in the ’70s and early ’80s, I wanted to keep my style as authentic as possible,” says Kangana, who plays Vidya Joshi in the gangster film.
“When I think of fashion, Rekha is one person who clearly appears in my mind. She was so outrageous for that time,” adds Kangana, who has been cast opposite John Abraham for the first time. The Force actor will play Surve in the film, which tells the story of the first registered encounter by the Mumbai police in 1982.
Although the makers remain tight-lipped about the details, Kangana’s looks in the film will mirror her journey from being a regular college girl to becoming Surve’s moll. “Since my character in the latter half is that of a 30-year-old woman, I need to be very sexy. So Sanjay (director Sanjay Gupta) gave me references of these actors because they were considered to be the hottest,” she says.
The references in question are believed to be Patil’s looks from Namak Halaal (1982) and Shakti (1982). Shootout at Wadala boasts of a heavy-duty star cast including Anil Kapoor (as Isaque Bhagwan) and Manoj Bajpayee (as Sabir Kaskar). Ask Kangana if she fears being sidelined in this male-dominated film and she shoots back, “I won’t be. In a way, I’m the romantic force of the film.”
Brisbane:Outplayed on the field and dogged by persistent reports of a rift in the team, the demoralised and jaded Indian cricketers left for home on Saturday after the worst tour of Australia in the last 45 years.
As soon as Sri Lanka pipped Australia at the post in Melbourne last night, the Indian players started making their reservation plans to return home after a long and grueling tour during which most of the players struggled to perform.
The players with bases in Mumbai and south India -- Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Vinay Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin and the entire support staff -- took a morning flight to Singapore where they would board respective connecting flights to Mumbai and Chennai.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Praveen Kumar and Rahul Sharma left Brisbane this afternoon, again for Singapore where they would take the flight to Delhi.
Irfan Pathan and Parthiv Patel, with bases in Gujarat, will leave for home tomorrow.
The Indians were not exactly glued in front of their TV screens yesterday to watch the outcome of the Australia-Sri Lanka match which the latter won by nine runs in the final over.
The Indians were whitewashed 0-4 in the Test series and won just three matches, tied one and lost four during the subsequent tri-series which had Sri Lanka and Australia as the two other teams.
The last time the Indians suffered a 0-4 whitewash on Australian soil was in 1967-68. Twice they had lost a five-match series 0-4 in Australia -- in 1947-48 and 1991-92. This was the third whitewash Down Under.
As the crucial Australia-Sri Lanka match was going on in Melbourne, a few Indian cricketers wandered around in the market while a small group had dinner together. Only a few hooked themselves in front of television screens last night.
India had raised hopes for making it to the finals of the one-day series with an astonishing chase of 321 in 36.4 overs against Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval, Hobart earlier this week.
The Indians had finally liberated themselves on an otherwise suffocating three-month trip to Australia during which they were blanked 4-0 in the Test series and claimed just two matches in the triangular series.
Batsmen and bowlers suffered collective failures and only Virat Kohli, and to a lesser extent Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar, redeemed themselves during the debilitating tour.
The Indians, after a few days rest, would head for Bangladesh to play the Asia Cup, due between March 13-22. Post Asia Cup, it would be time for the fifth edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), starting April 4.
Direction: Anu Menon Actors: Ali Zafar, Aditi Rao Hydari Rating: ** 1/2
Towards the end of London Paris New York, there is a moment of unvarnished truth. Nikhil Chopra, a fledgling film director played by Ali Zafar, rails against the woman he loves – Lalitha Krishnan played by Aditi Rao Hydari. Among other things, he calls her a tease (preceded by a word that cannot be reproduced in a family newspaper). He wipes away tears and spews hurt and hate. It’s a tough scene but Zafar doesn’t falter. His rage rings true.
I wish the rest of London Paris New York were as well pitched. Written and directed by debutante Anu Menon, the film follows the crisscrossing paths of Nikhil and Lalitha over eight years. They meet, for one night only, in three different cities. What begins as a hesitant friendship evolves into passion and eventually a more mature love. The story echoes One Day, the Lone Scherfig film based on a best-selling novel, in which the man and woman meet on July 15 over twenty years.
Nikhil and Lalitha aren’t very different from Dexter and Emma in that film. Like Dexter, Nikhil is rich and somewhat spoilt and aimless. Like Emma, Lalitha is middle class and focused. But Lalitha, who stridently proclaims that she is a feminist and does work with an NGO, is slightly more annoying.
When an entire film is based on the meeting and parting of two individuals (who are thereby in every frame), it puts enormous pressure on the actors and writer. Both need to sparkle consistently. Even first-rate performers find it a tough act. One Day, which stars the Oscar-nominated Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, is a big bore. I admire producers Goldie Behl and ShrishtiArya for eschewing the star route and casting fresh faces; the choice of Hydari, who till now has been relegated to supporting roles, is particularly brave.
But then the leads are made to fit into that over-familiar glam styling and foreign locations. In the Paris segment, Hydari struts around in mini-skirts, boots and an intriguingly bad wig. The look of course reflects her state of mind but it feels false. Hydari has a luminous presence – even as the bua in Delhi-6, she made an impact. But here she seems to be working too hard to get the right mix of fluttering eyelashes, steeliness and vulnerability. Meanwhile Zafar relies too much on The Smolder – that smugly sexy look that the robber Flynn Rider gives Rapunzel in the Disney film Tangled.
The actors are also bogged down by the writing, which ranges from inspired (the climactic outburst mentioned above) to insipid. Too often, Menon resorts to formulaic character traits, so if Nikhil is a pretentious film school student, he must have a goatee and refer to Andrei Tarkovsky. London Paris New York has sufficiently seductive visuals of all three cities. In Paris, Lalitha, wearing only a sheet, has breakfast on a balcony with the Eiffel Tower looming large. It’s postcard perfect but also a little plastic. As is the film.
Starting today, Anupama Chopra becomes Hindustan Times’ film critic. Chopra has written on the Hindi film industry since 1993. Her work has been published in India Today, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety and Sight & Sound. She presented and scripted a weekly film review show, Picture This, on NDTV 24/7. She is the author of four successful books on cinema, including the internationally acclaimed Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema, and Sholay: the Making of a Classic, which won a National Award.
Boston: Singer Bruce Springsteen has taken to Facebook and Twitter to help find a missing Boston College student.
On both networks, Springsteen posted a missing person poster Wednesday of 21-year-old Franco Garcia of Newton. Garcia has been missing since he left a bar popular with Boston College students early on February 22. Springsteen also tweeted a request for anyone with information about the case to call the Newton Police Department.
Springsteen's son attends Boston College. Garcia was studying chemistry at Boston College and played clarinet in the symphony band.
Meanwhile, state police divers continued a search for Garcia at a Chestnut Hill reservoir, but turned up nothing. They also searched Garcia's home for clues on where he might be.
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Kolkata:Virender Sehwag had asked the selectors and the Board to rest him for the forthcoming Asia Cup, contrary to media reports that the opener was dropped. It is learnt that Team India physio Evan Speechly had submitted a fitness report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prior to the national selectors' meeting at the Cricket Centre yesterday. The report deemed that Sehwag and Zaheer Khan should be rested for the Asia Cup that runs from March 11 to 22.
Even captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher told the selectors that Sehwag was seeking rest after a strenuous tour of Australia. Later, chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth called up Sehwag to seek an update. Sehwag told Srikkanth he wanted rest, but would be willing to tour Bangladesh if the selectors insisted. (Also Read: Boss, Shut up, says angry Srikkanth to reporters)
Speaking from Australia
Yesterday, Sehwag told MiD DAY that he didn't want to hide an injury. Nothing to hide "I have back spasms. I need some rest. I have never kept my team management in the dark as far as fitness is concerned. "My injury is open for everyone to see. I have never hidden my injury before, or fitness problems. Even my shoulder operation was planned after consulting the then coach Gary Kirsten and skipper MS Dhoni."
Based on Speechly's report and the message from the team management, the selectors decided to rest Sehwag. It's puzzling that Srikkanth, who was aware of Sehwag's fitness-related issues, did not clear the air when asked if the batsman was rested or dropped.
It is also learnt that Sachin Tendulkar had conveyed his intention to play the Asia Cup to the management ahead of the selection committee meeting.
Injury concerns for Zak & Umesh: Srikkanth
Explaining the reason for Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav's exclusion, chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth said that they have been rested, but failed to furnish details of the injuries they are suffering from. However, a source in the selection committee said, "Zaheer has hamstring niggles while Umesh has been given rest after a long series." -- Sanjib Guha
Lucknow: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Babu Singh Kushwaha, former Family Welfare Minister of Uttar Pradesh, in connection with the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam. Mr Kushwaha is a prime accused in the scam and had been named in one of the FIRs filed by the CBI.
Mr Kushwaha, the most high-profile arrest in the case so far, was arrested immediately after the final phase of polling ended in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Kushwaha, a former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) minister, had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) just before the UP polls. Along with Mr Kushwaha, his close aide RP Jaiswal, a BSP MLA from Deoria, was also arrested, taking the number of people arrested in the case to eight.
Sources say Mr Kushwaha and Mr Jaiswal were produced before a Special CBI court in Ghaziabad this evening which sent them to CBI remand for 10 days.
In 2005, the UPA government launched the National Rural Health Mission Scheme. Huge amounts of money were to be sent to states to provide accessible and affordable health care to the poorest families in remote regions. The government's auditor has said that more than half of 8500 crores sent by the Centre to UP (from 2005 to 2011) have been embezzled.
The large scale bungling in the centrally funded programme involved not only heavy over-invoicing, but even fake supply of medicines and hospital equipment by fictitious firms as well as huge kickbacks in construction activity undertaken with a view to improving the available health services in government-run primary health centres in rural areas.
The scam saw corrupt bureaucrats and politicians siphoning away crores meant to improve health facilities. It was birthed in the Family Welfare department in Mayawati's government, which handled the huge funds sent by the Centre for the NRHM Scheme. Mr Kushwaha was sacked by Mayawati in April last year after the murders of three chief medical officers forced the government to acknowledge the deep-rooted graft in his department.
Two senior doctors affiliated to the department were murdered; another was found dead in a Lucknow jail in mysterious circumstances. In January, an officer with the UP Jal Nigam committed suicide allegedly because he was being investigated for his role in the scam. The Allahabad High Court has ordered the CBI to investigate the trio of deaths and the swindle entrenched in the department. Chief Minister Mayawati has, however, described the investigation into the swindle, and its findings, as a political conspiracy against her.
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Indore: The senior-most officer in charge of a jail is not the sort of position that you'd imagine comes with fancy perks. Think again. The superintendent of the central prison in Indore has a list of assets that would make a crorepati blush.
Raids by the anti-corruption Lokayukta police have found that the officer, Purushottaom Somkunwar, owns a hotel, three houses, four shops, one restaurant, and seven plots of land.
There's more: a hostel that's rented out, three luxury cars, and 14 acres of land in other parts of Madhya Pradesh.
Six lakhs in cash was found at his homes; another 55 lakhs rest in different bank accounts.
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Tigmanshu Dhulia's Paan Singh Tomar is yet another masterstroke from a consummate raconteur. Irrfan, an actor of standing, essays the character with aplomb. However, the second half of the film is slow, feel critics.
"Paan Singh Tomar, a film helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, has taken a really lonooooong time to hit the screens, but despite the holdup, the film remains as pertinent and relevant in today's times as it was when Dhulia envisioned it," writes Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama.
"As a cinematic experience, Tigmanshu takes us into the world of Paan Singh Tomar and enlightens us the reasons that impelled a sportsman to take law in his hands. That itself is its USP, for this is no typical vendetta fare. It is a factual account of a sportsman who brought honor to the country, but felt betrayed when he needed the country the most. In fact, Tigmanshu calls this cinematic endeavor a tribute to the sportsmen who won medals for the nation, but never got their due during the sunset of their lives. An incredible film, no doubt, but falls short of being memorable as the plot becomes another vendetta fare at some stage in the concluding reels," Adarsh adds.
"There are many such remarkable scenes in Dhulia's film -- a compelling biopic about a natural sportsman and an Indian steeplechase champion from a village in Madhya Pradesh, who upon retiring became a notorious dacoit (or a rebel as Tomar reminds us towards the beginning of the film. 'Dacoits are found in the parliament,' he says with a nearly straight face)," writes Aseem Chhabra, Rediff.
"Dhulia, who worked with Shekhar Kapur in the seminal Bandit Queen, enters the crevices of the badlands of Chambal river and makes you understand how bandits are born. But he also brings out the camaraderie of the jawans and the gentle humour of a unit are rather well brought out. The beauty of the movie is that it blends the personal with the larger social truths. Tomar may have been running in Tokyo but back home in his village, his family must suffer the same oppression and humiliation as others," writes Avijit Ghosh, TOI.
Direction "Tigmanshu Dhulia’s direction is very good. He has created the atmosphere of the village beautifully and has extracted very good work from his cast. However, the basic problem of the second half of the drama is something even his narration is not able to surmount. There’s not much scope for music (Abhishek Ray) but the songs in the background go well with the mood of the drama. Sandeep Chowta Projects’ background music is effective. Aseem Mishra’s cinematography is superb. Action scenes, composed by Kaushal-Moses, are appropriate. Sets (by Dhananjay Mondal) are nice. Aarti Bajaj’s editing is crisp," writes Komal Nahta, koimoi.com.
"An intelligent filmmaker, Tigmanshu Dhulia yet again shows his perfection at the art. He has surely created a niche for himself as a filmmaker, who adds certain elements to the film that make it believable. For instance, since the flick is set in 50s, the director puts a scene where the radio station makes a mention of a cancer-stricken Nargis Dutt. What adds to the glee is- though dragged at certain portions, the movie never loses momentum, thanks to the extremely captivating dialogues and performances," reports dailybhaskar.com.
"The division of fact and fiction becomes another vital scripting dilemma in such films. Too much reality and you sweep out the drama and the thrill. So director Dhulia sprinkles just the right amount of winning moments and even the slower sequences have something to bite on. Some of the memorable ones include Paan’s cue for love-making: luring his kids out of the house with some lemon juice to allow him enough privacy to get intimate with his wife (Mahie Gill). Then, Paan’s irrepressible gluttony that manifests itself intermittently makes for charming scenes like the one where he completes a race and instantly walks off track to attack a bunch of bananas," writes Kunal Guha for Yahoo.
Weak second half "The lone aspect that weighs the film downward is the fact that the narrative totters in the middle of the second hour, when the story doesn't really move frontward. Of course, one also comprehends that when you attempt a biopic, you have to stay true to the incidents that transpired in that person's life, but a cinematic adaptation can exclude a few episodes that aren't too imperative. Tigmanshu could've done that. Having said that, I'd like to add that PAAN SINGH TOMAR is yet another masterstroke from a consummate raconteur. The film seizes your attention for most parts and as you exit the screening, it's with a heavy heart, with a tinge of melancholy, which only indicates that the storyteller has succeeded in engaging your interest to something he wished to emphasize on," feels Adarsh.
"Dhulia gets it right all the time. But the transformation is too quick to be believable, my only problem with Paan Singh Tomar. Forgivable when pitted against the film as a whole. The length could have been worked upon too. Dialogue, as is true for most Dhulia films, is the strongest point of this one too," says Blessy Chettiar, DNA.
Cinematography "The cinematography [Aseem Mishra] is truly attention-grabbing, while the editing [Aarti Bajaj] is razor-sharp. The background score [Sandeep Chowta] is most appropriate. It augments the impact of numerous sequences," says Adarsh.
Performances "Irrfan, an actor of standing, essays the character with aplomb. Very evidently, the actor has trained rigorously with steeplechase coaches, since the role requires him to partake in this sport. At the same time, the role must have been physically and psychologically demanding and I yearn to affirm that Irrfan appears remarkably forceful in this complex part," writes Adarsh.
"Mahie Gill is an incredible talent and it comes to the fore yet again in this film. Two more actors who leave a solid impression are Vipin Sharma and Rajendra Gupta. Both excel in their respective characters. Nawazuddin Siddiqui sparkles in a brief role. Imran Hasnee is first-rate. The actor enacting the role of Paan Singh Tomar's son is effective. Brijendra Kala is fantastic as the news-reporter," adds Adarsh.
"Irrfan Khan lives the role of Paan Singh Tomar. He does a swell job, first as the athlete and then as the dacoit. Mahie Gill is extremely natural as Paan Singh’s wife. Zakir Hussain is good in a role (Inspector Rathore) that gives him limited scope. Vipin Sharma is natural as Major Masand. As the sports coach, Rajendra Gupta is endearing. Khan Jahangir Khan acts ably as Bhanwar Singh. Brijendra Kala is first-rate as the journalist. Imran Hasnee (as Matadeen, brother of Paan Singh), Swapnil Kotriwal (as Hanumantha Singh, son of Paan Singh) and Nawazuddin Siddiqui (as Gopi) lend excellent support as do Sitaram Panchal (as Ramcharan), Ravi Sah (as Balram, nephew of Paan Singh Tomar), Bano (as Paan Singh’s mother) and Rajeev Gupta (as the corrupt police officer). The rest of the cast also puts up a good show," writes Nahta.
"The movie works because Irffan makes Paan Singh Tomar come alive as an athlete, as a husband and as a dacoit. This is a flawless performance from a consummate actor. As his wife, Gill comes up with a rare restrained performance. There is humour as well a delicate intensity in the romantic scenes between the two. Dhulia gets great work from the remainder of the cast. The camerawork, especially of the ravines and the river, is excellent," writes Ghosh.
Conclusion "On the whole, Paan Singh Tomar shatters the standard rules of this genre. Besides, the film makes you cognizant that serious cinema can be uniformly delightful, like any other enthralling entertainer. If this variety of cinema allures you then chances are that you will take pleasure in watching Paan Singh Tomar. Recommended!" Concludes Taran Adarsh.
"Gritty and power packed Paan Singh Tomar is a tribute to the unsung heroes of sports in India. Dhulia’s direction and Irrfan’s integrity will make Paan Singh Tomar among the best movies of recent time," says Chettiar.
"On the whole, Paan Singh Tomar does not have the commercial ingredients to score at the box-office. Had the second half been more weighty, it could have worked reasonably well but with the post interval portion looking like a routine dacoit drama, that won’t be possible," sums up Nahta.
Mumbai, Feb. 29 -- Shekhar Suman's popular '90s TV show Movers & Shakers (M&S) returns with season 2 after almost a decade. Starting March 12, it is being planned as a mix of existing formats like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and hit US sketch show, Saturday Night Live.
Shekhar says, "On the show, I voice the common man's opinion and views. We will discuss politics, the economy and entertainment, making it topical." The previous season of the show, which ended in 2001, ran for three years on Sony TV and featured over 1,500 celebs from all walks of life. It will now be aired on SAB TV.
"It feels like a second honeymoon, like coming home and revisiting a friend. We have made some changes in the format with more celebs, and even clips from old episodes of M&S to see how the celebs and I have changed over the last 10 years," adds Shekhar.
The show will also have segments like film analysis, Shekhar's gags, a stand-up comedy act, along with a 10minute chat with the famous guests. "It will be a compact show, and I am keen to have new celebrities, as well as the ones I had in the earlier season. We plan to get Anna Hazare for the first episode. He represents the common man and is a righteous person. Firebrand politician Raj Thackeray is another person on our list," reveals Shekhar, adding they will need 22 celebrities every month.
Outplayed on the field and dogged by persistent reports of a rift in the team, the demoralised and jaded Indian cricketers left for home on Saturday after the worst tour of Australia in the last 45 years.
Virender Sehwag had asked the selectors and the Board to rest him for the forthcoming Asia Cup, contrary to media reports that the opener was dropped. It is learnt that Team India physio Evan Speechly had submitted a fitness report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) prior to the national selectors' meeting at the Cricket Centre yesterday. The report deemed that Sehwag and Zaheer Khan should be rested for the Asia Cup that runs from March 11 to 22.
