Monday, 7 January 2013
Pujara in but Sehwag not named in sqaud for first three ODIs vs England
Selectors on Sunday included Cheteshwar
Pujara in India's squad for the first three
of the five-match ODI series against
England, beginning from January 11.
Virender Sehwag has not found a place.
Pujara had a decent performance against
Alastair Cook in the Test series last month
and while India tasted repeated defeats
and have even conceded the ODI series
against Pakistan, Pujara's inclusion was
being expected by many, especially after
a torrid 200 from 150 deliveries against
Madhya Pradesh in Rajkot (venue for the
opening ODI vs England) recently.
His inclusion is being looked at a strategy
to add stability to a rickety Indian batting
line-up with the top-order shattering
each time against Pakistan's determined
bowling unit. England too are expected to
hit hard.
In a scenario where wins scripted by a
strong of solid performances are of
utmost importance, the faith in Sehwag
looked rattled. It was reported a day
earlier (Saturday) that selectors Saba
Karim and Vikram Rathore had spoken to
Sehwag in a one-on-one conversation.
Squad: MS Dhoni (Captain), Gautam
Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar
Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj
Singh, Suresh Raina, R. Ashwin, Ravindra
Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Shami
Ahmed.
Pujara in India's squad for the first three
of the five-match ODI series against
England, beginning from January 11.
Virender Sehwag has not found a place.
Pujara had a decent performance against
Alastair Cook in the Test series last month
and while India tasted repeated defeats
and have even conceded the ODI series
against Pakistan, Pujara's inclusion was
being expected by many, especially after
a torrid 200 from 150 deliveries against
Madhya Pradesh in Rajkot (venue for the
opening ODI vs England) recently.
His inclusion is being looked at a strategy
to add stability to a rickety Indian batting
line-up with the top-order shattering
each time against Pakistan's determined
bowling unit. England too are expected to
hit hard.
In a scenario where wins scripted by a
strong of solid performances are of
utmost importance, the faith in Sehwag
looked rattled. It was reported a day
earlier (Saturday) that selectors Saba
Karim and Vikram Rathore had spoken to
Sehwag in a one-on-one conversation.
Squad: MS Dhoni (Captain), Gautam
Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar
Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj
Singh, Suresh Raina, R. Ashwin, Ravindra
Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Shami
Ahmed.
India beat Pakistan by 10 runs in a low-scoring thriller
Pakistan, resilient, clinical and
professional all through their current tour
of India, sacrificed those virtues on
Sunday (January 6), throwing away a
golden chance of completing the first
whitewash in India-Pakistan One-Day
International cricket.
The denizens of New Delhi had braved the
coldest day of the winter so far to fill
Feroze Shah Kotla, and they found their
warmth in a face-saving Indian win by ten
runs in a fascinating cricket match that
wasn't always of the highest standard but
which microcosmed everything the 50-
over game is about. India made a
spectacular defence of their modest 167,
cashing in on Pakistan's strange bout of
nerves and questionable shot selection,
to ensure that they kept the series margin
down to 1-2.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, having recovered
from a sore back that had threatened to
keep him out of the game, chose to bat
on winning the toss but another top-
order failure catalysed by continued
excellence from Junaid Khan and
unflagging persistence from Mohammad
Irfan reduced India to 37 for three. Saeed
Ajmal then chose the perfect time to
register his best ODI figures, five for 24,
as Pakistan ruthlessly cut off all escape
routes, sending India crashing to 167 all
out with a massive 6.2 overs left
unutilised.
There was enough in the conditions even
in the second part of the match to keep
the quicker bowlers interested, and
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed,
on debut after replacing Ashok Dinda,
exploited those conditions quite
beautifully. Bhuvneshwar picked up
Kamran Akmal, opening the batting
instead of Mohammad Hafeez who
sustained a finger injury while trying to
catch Dhoni off his own bowling, and
Younis Khan during an unchanged 10-over
burst of two for 32 while Shami was
distinctly unfortunate not to court any
early success as India were all over
Pakistan.
The threat in the bowling was backed up
by energy and enthusiasm in the field
where India were positively electric, but
that was briefly neutralised by the form
of Nasir Jamshed and the stabilising
influence of Misbah-ul-Haq. From 14 for
two, they steadied the ship with a stand
of 47, and Pakistan seemed to have
wrested back control, particularly with
Misbah adding a further 52 for the next
wicket with Umar Akmal, preferred to
Azhar Ali for the match.
A regulation chase was very much on the
cards at that stage when a mid-innings
collapse undid all the good work as India's
fielding touched glorious heights. Virat
Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and
Ajinkya Rahane, coming in for Virender
Sehwag, were all spectacular, pulling off
one stunning stop after another, to
sustain the pressure under which Pakistan
finally cracked.
From being in total control, Pakistan lost
their way through the middle stages,
Jadeja turning in a wonderful spell of left-
arm spin bowling. In the end, it came
down to 23 off the last two overs, well
beyond even Hafeez whose brief flurry
ended when he smashed Ishant Sharma
to Yuvraj Singh at midwicket, triggering
delirium in the stands and overwhelming
relief in the middle as Pakistan were
dismissed for 157.
India were caught betwixt and between
when they batted, their recent travails
accelerating the germination of the seeds
of doubt. The desire to attack was
overwhelmed by the necessity for
survival, especially against Junaid who was
once again outstanding with his
tremendous skill and excellent control.
India brought Rahane in for Sehwag but
Rahane failed to seize his chance, falling
early to Irfan. Gautam Gambhir began
positively but strangely found the going
difficult as he spent more time in the
middle, while Kohli was all at sea against
Junaid, unable to fathom which way the
ball was moving and being repeatedly
beaten on the outside edge and inside.
It was in the fitness of things that Junaid
accounted for Kohli, eliciting an outside
edge smartly taken low at second slip by
Younis. By then, Gambhir had already
made his way back, half-heartedly waft-
swatting a short, wide delivery from Irfan
and unerringly picking out the point
fielder.
Yuvraj began in a blaze of boundaries but
closed the bat-face in Hafeez's first over
to lose off-stump, bringing Dhoni into the
middle with his team once more in deep
trouble. Dhoni had come in at 29 for five
in the first ODI and 70 for four in the
second. This time, the scoreboard read 63
for four, and he was again required to
rebuild the innings in the company of
Raina. The two added 48, by some
distance the highest partnership of the
innings, Dhoni smashing Hafeez for two
towering sixes and exhibiting the
aggression he had forsaken in the
previous games.
Raina took his time, content to bat in
Dhoni's shadow, and India were just
about starting to get their innings back on
track when the brilliance of Ajmal shone
through. Ajmal has had a largely quiet
tour, his three wickets in one over in
Kolkata notwithstanding. With India
threatening a recovery, Ajmal struck
paydirt, sliding one through to trap Raina
in front and then dismissing R Ashwin,
also leg before, with a sharply turning
offbreak the very next delivery.
As he has done throughout the series,
Dhoni kept the fight going until he cut Gul
hard but straight to Umar Akmal at point
to be dismissed in an ODI at home for
the first time in seven innings. Jadeja
lashed out towards the end but without
much support, India failing to bat out
their 50 overs for the second time in four
days.
professional all through their current tour
of India, sacrificed those virtues on
Sunday (January 6), throwing away a
golden chance of completing the first
whitewash in India-Pakistan One-Day
International cricket.
The denizens of New Delhi had braved the
coldest day of the winter so far to fill
Feroze Shah Kotla, and they found their
warmth in a face-saving Indian win by ten
runs in a fascinating cricket match that
wasn't always of the highest standard but
which microcosmed everything the 50-
over game is about. India made a
spectacular defence of their modest 167,
cashing in on Pakistan's strange bout of
nerves and questionable shot selection,
to ensure that they kept the series margin
down to 1-2.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, having recovered
from a sore back that had threatened to
keep him out of the game, chose to bat
on winning the toss but another top-
order failure catalysed by continued
excellence from Junaid Khan and
unflagging persistence from Mohammad
Irfan reduced India to 37 for three. Saeed
Ajmal then chose the perfect time to
register his best ODI figures, five for 24,
as Pakistan ruthlessly cut off all escape
routes, sending India crashing to 167 all
out with a massive 6.2 overs left
unutilised.
There was enough in the conditions even
in the second part of the match to keep
the quicker bowlers interested, and
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed,
on debut after replacing Ashok Dinda,
exploited those conditions quite
beautifully. Bhuvneshwar picked up
Kamran Akmal, opening the batting
instead of Mohammad Hafeez who
sustained a finger injury while trying to
catch Dhoni off his own bowling, and
Younis Khan during an unchanged 10-over
burst of two for 32 while Shami was
distinctly unfortunate not to court any
early success as India were all over
Pakistan.
The threat in the bowling was backed up
by energy and enthusiasm in the field
where India were positively electric, but
that was briefly neutralised by the form
of Nasir Jamshed and the stabilising
influence of Misbah-ul-Haq. From 14 for
two, they steadied the ship with a stand
of 47, and Pakistan seemed to have
wrested back control, particularly with
Misbah adding a further 52 for the next
wicket with Umar Akmal, preferred to
Azhar Ali for the match.
A regulation chase was very much on the
cards at that stage when a mid-innings
collapse undid all the good work as India's
fielding touched glorious heights. Virat
Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and
Ajinkya Rahane, coming in for Virender
Sehwag, were all spectacular, pulling off
one stunning stop after another, to
sustain the pressure under which Pakistan
finally cracked.
From being in total control, Pakistan lost
their way through the middle stages,
Jadeja turning in a wonderful spell of left-
arm spin bowling. In the end, it came
down to 23 off the last two overs, well
beyond even Hafeez whose brief flurry
ended when he smashed Ishant Sharma
to Yuvraj Singh at midwicket, triggering
delirium in the stands and overwhelming
relief in the middle as Pakistan were
dismissed for 157.
India were caught betwixt and between
when they batted, their recent travails
accelerating the germination of the seeds
of doubt. The desire to attack was
overwhelmed by the necessity for
survival, especially against Junaid who was
once again outstanding with his
tremendous skill and excellent control.
India brought Rahane in for Sehwag but
Rahane failed to seize his chance, falling
early to Irfan. Gautam Gambhir began
positively but strangely found the going
difficult as he spent more time in the
middle, while Kohli was all at sea against
Junaid, unable to fathom which way the
ball was moving and being repeatedly
beaten on the outside edge and inside.
It was in the fitness of things that Junaid
accounted for Kohli, eliciting an outside
edge smartly taken low at second slip by
Younis. By then, Gambhir had already
made his way back, half-heartedly waft-
swatting a short, wide delivery from Irfan
and unerringly picking out the point
fielder.
Yuvraj began in a blaze of boundaries but
closed the bat-face in Hafeez's first over
to lose off-stump, bringing Dhoni into the
middle with his team once more in deep
trouble. Dhoni had come in at 29 for five
in the first ODI and 70 for four in the
second. This time, the scoreboard read 63
for four, and he was again required to
rebuild the innings in the company of
Raina. The two added 48, by some
distance the highest partnership of the
innings, Dhoni smashing Hafeez for two
towering sixes and exhibiting the
aggression he had forsaken in the
previous games.
Raina took his time, content to bat in
Dhoni's shadow, and India were just
about starting to get their innings back on
track when the brilliance of Ajmal shone
through. Ajmal has had a largely quiet
tour, his three wickets in one over in
Kolkata notwithstanding. With India
threatening a recovery, Ajmal struck
paydirt, sliding one through to trap Raina
in front and then dismissing R Ashwin,
also leg before, with a sharply turning
offbreak the very next delivery.
As he has done throughout the series,
Dhoni kept the fight going until he cut Gul
hard but straight to Umar Akmal at point
to be dismissed in an ODI at home for
the first time in seven innings. Jadeja
lashed out towards the end but without
much support, India failing to bat out
their 50 overs for the second time in four
days.
Virender Sehwag not part of India's plans for 2015 World Cup: Report
He may be the highest individual scorer
in ODI cricket but Virender Sehwag's
recent slump in form coupled with what
many feel is a lackluster approach to the
game, has cast serious doubts over his
future in the team. This after he was
dropped for the opening three ODIs
against England on Sunday.
In a report published in ESPN Cricinfo,
Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) sources have been quoted as
saying that Sehwag is not part of the
team's broad plans in the run-up to the
2015 50-over World Cup. Focus instead is
on players like Cheteshwar Pujara who
has been included in the side named for
the upcoming series starting January 11
(Friday). It has further been reported
though that the selectors did not
deliberate much on MS Dhoni and his
captaincy. This despite the team suffering
a string of defeats in the recent past.
India's record in all formats of the game
has been rather dismal with even home
conditions not proving to be of much
help. Of the several reasons being
outlined, one of the main is the lacking
form of India's batsmen, especially the
top-order. While Dhoni said the top-order
needs to be more patient when playing in
ODIs, players like Gambhir, Kohli and
Sehwag have hardly troubled the
opposition. Sehwag in particular has
looked jaded with just 35 runs in the first
two ODIs played against Pakistan before
being dropped for the final match.
Speaking to NDTV, Gavaskar said that a
hint of attitude and approach may have
also contributed to Sehwag being
dropped. He however continued to
believe that the 34-year-old is a match-
winner. "A little spell out of the team
may perhaps make him (Sehwag)
understand what it means to play for
India," he said.
If BCCI sources are to be believed
however, Sehwag's future in the team
looks bleak. Ahead of the title defense in
Australia two years from now, the
intention is to give a chance to youngsters
to prove their skill and be prepared for
the biggest tournament in cricket.
in ODI cricket but Virender Sehwag's
recent slump in form coupled with what
many feel is a lackluster approach to the
game, has cast serious doubts over his
future in the team. This after he was
dropped for the opening three ODIs
against England on Sunday.
In a report published in ESPN Cricinfo,
Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) sources have been quoted as
saying that Sehwag is not part of the
team's broad plans in the run-up to the
2015 50-over World Cup. Focus instead is
on players like Cheteshwar Pujara who
has been included in the side named for
the upcoming series starting January 11
(Friday). It has further been reported
though that the selectors did not
deliberate much on MS Dhoni and his
captaincy. This despite the team suffering
a string of defeats in the recent past.
India's record in all formats of the game
has been rather dismal with even home
conditions not proving to be of much
help. Of the several reasons being
outlined, one of the main is the lacking
form of India's batsmen, especially the
top-order. While Dhoni said the top-order
needs to be more patient when playing in
ODIs, players like Gambhir, Kohli and
Sehwag have hardly troubled the
opposition. Sehwag in particular has
looked jaded with just 35 runs in the first
two ODIs played against Pakistan before
being dropped for the final match.
Speaking to NDTV, Gavaskar said that a
hint of attitude and approach may have
also contributed to Sehwag being
dropped. He however continued to
believe that the 34-year-old is a match-
winner. "A little spell out of the team
may perhaps make him (Sehwag)
understand what it means to play for
India," he said.
If BCCI sources are to be believed
however, Sehwag's future in the team
looks bleak. Ahead of the title defense in
Australia two years from now, the
intention is to give a chance to youngsters
to prove their skill and be prepared for
the biggest tournament in cricket.
Asaram Bapu says Delhi braveheart responsible for her gang-rape too
Spiritual guru Asaram Bapu has landed
himself in a controversy after he said the
girl who was gang raped in Delhi on
December 16 and later died in a
Singapore hospital was responsible for the
heinous sexual assault
"Those men were drunkards. The girl
should have folded her hands and begged
them to leave her and called them
brothers. in any situation the mistake
happens because both sides are
responsible. she should not have boarded
the bus in the middle night...you can't
clap with one hand, "he told a
congregation in Tonk in Rajasthan.
Last month, a 23-year-old student and
her boyfriend were beaten with an iron
rod, allegedly by the six men who have
since been arrested for a crime that led to
national protests and outrage. The couple
was attacked after they boarded a bus.
Amanat (NOT her real name) was then
raped by the men after which the couple
was thrown onto the road, battered and
naked.
himself in a controversy after he said the
girl who was gang raped in Delhi on
December 16 and later died in a
Singapore hospital was responsible for the
heinous sexual assault
"Those men were drunkards. The girl
should have folded her hands and begged
them to leave her and called them
brothers. in any situation the mistake
happens because both sides are
responsible. she should not have boarded
the bus in the middle night...you can't
clap with one hand, "he told a
congregation in Tonk in Rajasthan.
Last month, a 23-year-old student and
her boyfriend were beaten with an iron
rod, allegedly by the six men who have
since been arrested for a crime that led to
national protests and outrage. The couple
was attacked after they boarded a bus.
Amanat (NOT her real name) was then
raped by the men after which the couple
was thrown onto the road, battered and
naked.
In letter, Chief Justice asks for fast- track courts for crimes against women
After the national outpouring of sorrow
and anger over the gang-rape and death
of a young medical student in Delhi, the
Chief Justice of India has written to all
high courts, asking for fast-track courts to
be established to expedite the cases of
crimes against women.
The Chief Justice of India, Altamas Kabir,
has asked high courts of all states to
coordinate with state governments for
the infrastructure needed to commission
these special courts.
In his letter, Justice Kabir writes, "The
tragic incident involving the brutal gang
rape and subsequent death of young
physio-therapy student in Delhi on 16
December has engaged the attention of
all and sundry in the national and
international arena. The spontaneous
outburst of outrage and anger is the
measure of how the incident has let an
indelible mark and shaken the conscience
of the nation. Rape is not only physical
barbarism but afflicts the very soul of a
victim."
Last week, Justice Kabir inaugurated a
fast-track court in South Delhi's Saket
district that will handle the trial of the
five men accused of raping and killing the
student. A sixth man arrested for the
crime is a minor and will be tried
separately by a court for juveniles.
At a meeting with Home Minister Sushil
Kumar Shinde last week, representatives
of all state governments asked the Centre
to fund courts that will handle cases of
crimes against women.
The notoriously slow legal system is seen
as one of the reasons why sexual
offenders remain largely unpunished in
India.
and anger over the gang-rape and death
of a young medical student in Delhi, the
Chief Justice of India has written to all
high courts, asking for fast-track courts to
be established to expedite the cases of
crimes against women.
The Chief Justice of India, Altamas Kabir,
has asked high courts of all states to
coordinate with state governments for
the infrastructure needed to commission
these special courts.
In his letter, Justice Kabir writes, "The
tragic incident involving the brutal gang
rape and subsequent death of young
physio-therapy student in Delhi on 16
December has engaged the attention of
all and sundry in the national and
international arena. The spontaneous
outburst of outrage and anger is the
measure of how the incident has let an
indelible mark and shaken the conscience
of the nation. Rape is not only physical
barbarism but afflicts the very soul of a
victim."
Last week, Justice Kabir inaugurated a
fast-track court in South Delhi's Saket
district that will handle the trial of the
five men accused of raping and killing the
student. A sixth man arrested for the
crime is a minor and will be tried
separately by a court for juveniles.
At a meeting with Home Minister Sushil
Kumar Shinde last week, representatives
of all state governments asked the Centre
to fund courts that will handle cases of
crimes against women.
The notoriously slow legal system is seen
as one of the reasons why sexual
offenders remain largely unpunished in
India.
Clashes in Maharashtra town: 4 people killed, injured include 113 cops
Four people have been killed and around
176 people - 63 locals and 113 policemen
- injured after clashes broke out between
members of two communities at Dhule in
north Maharashtra, official sources said.
The violence started after a fight broke
out at a street food stall and soon spread
to Machibazar and Madhavpura areas of
the city, they said, adding police used
water cannons to disperse the mob.
"The clash between two communities
broke out at around 3 pm yesterday.
Police first resorted to lathicharge, and
later firing. Some people were killed and
others received minor injuries. The Rapid
Action Force (RAF) and State Reserve
Police personnel are there and the
situation is peaceful right now," Deven
Bharti, IG, Law and Order, Maharashtra
said this morning.
Curfew was imposed in the area after
violence and is still in place. Two cases
have been registered against unknown
people for rioting, arson, destruction of
public property and deterring a public
servant from discharging his duty.
Sources say the police had to resort to
firing as the situation went out of control,
adding that the deaths could be because
of bullet injuries.
Post-mortem reports are awaited to
ascertain the exact cause of death.
When contacted, Shiv Sena MLA from
Dhule Sharad Patil told PTI that a police
sub-inspector and an assistant police
inspector were among those injured.
35-year-old man Kailash Waghare was
seriously injured in the incident after
being hit by a bullet and admitted to a
local hospital, he said.
176 people - 63 locals and 113 policemen
- injured after clashes broke out between
members of two communities at Dhule in
north Maharashtra, official sources said.
The violence started after a fight broke
out at a street food stall and soon spread
to Machibazar and Madhavpura areas of
the city, they said, adding police used
water cannons to disperse the mob.
"The clash between two communities
broke out at around 3 pm yesterday.
Police first resorted to lathicharge, and
later firing. Some people were killed and
others received minor injuries. The Rapid
Action Force (RAF) and State Reserve
Police personnel are there and the
situation is peaceful right now," Deven
Bharti, IG, Law and Order, Maharashtra
said this morning.
Curfew was imposed in the area after
violence and is still in place. Two cases
have been registered against unknown
people for rioting, arson, destruction of
public property and deterring a public
servant from discharging his duty.
Sources say the police had to resort to
firing as the situation went out of control,
adding that the deaths could be because
of bullet injuries.
Post-mortem reports are awaited to
ascertain the exact cause of death.
When contacted, Shiv Sena MLA from
Dhule Sharad Patil told PTI that a police
sub-inspector and an assistant police
inspector were among those injured.
35-year-old man Kailash Waghare was
seriously injured in the incident after
being hit by a bullet and admitted to a
local hospital, he said.
Alleged hate-speech giver Owaisi asks police for four-day exemption
Akbaruddin Owaisi, the politician from
Andhra Pradesh whose hate speeches
have landed him in a series of court
cases, will be examined by doctors at a
government hospital, said sources.
Mr Owaisi,who flew into Hyderabad from
London today, was meant to appear
before the police upon his return but
sought exemption for four days, citing
medical issues.
The police has said it will base its decision
on the advice of government doctors. He
has been accused by the police of waging
war against the state and promoting
communal hatred.
Mr Owaisi, a state legislator from the
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), has
been recorded on camera delivering
inflammatory speeches as he toured
Andhra Pradesh in December. A speech in
the Nirmal town of Adilabad has been
viewed more than 80,000 times on
YouTube. He also faces police cases for
another speech he made in Nizamabad on
December 8.
His brother, Asaduddin Owaisi, is a
Member of Parliament.
Since the MIM ended its alliance with the
ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh in
Novenber last year, Mr Owaisi and other
leaders have been aggressively asserting
their religious identity.
Andhra Pradesh whose hate speeches
have landed him in a series of court
cases, will be examined by doctors at a
government hospital, said sources.
Mr Owaisi,who flew into Hyderabad from
London today, was meant to appear
before the police upon his return but
sought exemption for four days, citing
medical issues.
The police has said it will base its decision
on the advice of government doctors. He
has been accused by the police of waging
war against the state and promoting
communal hatred.
Mr Owaisi, a state legislator from the
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), has
been recorded on camera delivering
inflammatory speeches as he toured
Andhra Pradesh in December. A speech in
the Nirmal town of Adilabad has been
viewed more than 80,000 times on
YouTube. He also faces police cases for
another speech he made in Nizamabad on
December 8.
His brother, Asaduddin Owaisi, is a
Member of Parliament.
Since the MIM ended its alliance with the
ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh in
Novenber last year, Mr Owaisi and other
leaders have been aggressively asserting
their religious identity.
'Amanat' case: after chaos in court, judge orders in-camera trial
The judge in a South Delhi court has
ordered an in-camera trial for the five
men accused of raping and murdering a
physiotherapy student on a bus in Delhi.
There was drama through today in the
court after the men were brought to the
court complex in Saket in a large police
van. Till 2 pm, they had not been brought
into the court-room. Proceedings are now
expected to start at 2:45 pm after the
judge agreed to the public prosecutor's
request for an in-camera trial. The public
prosecutor had cited a "threat to the
under-trials."
The proceedings till then were marred by
chaos as lawyers sporadically shouted
against an advocate who has volunteered
to defend the accused, describing him as
a publicity seeker. The Saket Bar
Association had said none of its members
would defend the man accused of the
crime that united India in anger and grief,
corroborated by large protests in cities
like Delhi.
ML Sharma, a lawyer, said the families of
the accused men had approached him to
defend them. The judge today said he
would not be allowed to meet the
accused on the court premises and could
go to Tihar Jail to sign the
'vakalatnama' (contract with the lawyer)
The accused are expected be given copies
of the chargesheet. Once the defence
counsel has been appointed and he goes
through the charges, the case can then be
shifted to a special fast-track court, that is
expected to hold daily hearings.
The police has said it has forensic
evidence to establish their guilt. The
defendants could face the death penalty
if convicted.
A sixth man who was on the bus, who is
17, is to be tried in a separate court for
juveniles. The police says he was the
most depraved of the group.
Police have pledged 'maximum security'
during the hearing at the court amid fears
for the defendants' safety. A man was
arrested last week as he allegedly tried to
plant a crude bomb near the home of one
of the men.
On December 16, the student and her
boyfriend watched a movie at a South
Delhi mall. They then boarded a school
bus that was running illegally at night. The
driver, according to the police, had
decided to go for "a joyride" with his
friends. The couple were led to believe
the school bus was a private or chartered
bus, hundreds of which operate in Delhi
to compensate for thin public transport.
Once they boarded the bus, the six men
allegedly hit them with an iron rod before
taking turns to rape the young woman.
The pair were then thrown out of the
moving vehicle.
"The blood of the victim tallied with the
stains found on the clothes of the
accused," said Rajiv Mohan, part of the
prosecution team, said on Saturday in
court.
ordered an in-camera trial for the five
men accused of raping and murdering a
physiotherapy student on a bus in Delhi.
There was drama through today in the
court after the men were brought to the
court complex in Saket in a large police
van. Till 2 pm, they had not been brought
into the court-room. Proceedings are now
expected to start at 2:45 pm after the
judge agreed to the public prosecutor's
request for an in-camera trial. The public
prosecutor had cited a "threat to the
under-trials."
The proceedings till then were marred by
chaos as lawyers sporadically shouted
against an advocate who has volunteered
to defend the accused, describing him as
a publicity seeker. The Saket Bar
Association had said none of its members
would defend the man accused of the
crime that united India in anger and grief,
corroborated by large protests in cities
like Delhi.
ML Sharma, a lawyer, said the families of
the accused men had approached him to
defend them. The judge today said he
would not be allowed to meet the
accused on the court premises and could
go to Tihar Jail to sign the
'vakalatnama' (contract with the lawyer)
The accused are expected be given copies
of the chargesheet. Once the defence
counsel has been appointed and he goes
through the charges, the case can then be
shifted to a special fast-track court, that is
expected to hold daily hearings.
The police has said it has forensic
evidence to establish their guilt. The
defendants could face the death penalty
if convicted.
A sixth man who was on the bus, who is
17, is to be tried in a separate court for
juveniles. The police says he was the
most depraved of the group.
Police have pledged 'maximum security'
during the hearing at the court amid fears
for the defendants' safety. A man was
arrested last week as he allegedly tried to
plant a crude bomb near the home of one
of the men.
On December 16, the student and her
boyfriend watched a movie at a South
Delhi mall. They then boarded a school
bus that was running illegally at night. The
driver, according to the police, had
decided to go for "a joyride" with his
friends. The couple were led to believe
the school bus was a private or chartered
bus, hundreds of which operate in Delhi
to compensate for thin public transport.
Once they boarded the bus, the six men
allegedly hit them with an iron rod before
taking turns to rape the young woman.
The pair were then thrown out of the
moving vehicle.
"The blood of the victim tallied with the
stains found on the clothes of the
accused," said Rajiv Mohan, part of the
prosecution team, said on Saturday in
court.
Saturday, 5 January 2013
Two killed in major fire at oil storage facility near Surat
Surat: Two people have been found
dead a day after fire broke out at a
petrol storage tank of state-owned
Indian Oil Corporation's (IOC) Hazira
terminal near Surat in Gujarat.
The identities of the two victims are
not known yet. However, officials say,
there were workers inside the storage
facility when the fire broke out.
According to officials, at least 70 per
cent of one of the five petrol storage
tanks, which caught fire yesterday
afternoon, has been charred by the
blaze. Around a hundred fire tenders
are still fighting to control it.
The tank had almost 5,000 kilolitre of
petrol, half of its capacity, when it
caught fire.
Oil Minister Veerappa Moily is
expected to visit the site today.
This is the second major fire at IOC
storage depots since 2009. On
October 29, 2009, a fire broke out at
its Jaipur terminal which was blamed
on non-observance of normal safety
procedures. The Jaipur depot fire
raged for 11 days, killed 11 people
and resulted in losses worth Rs 280
crore.
Hazira is a so-called 'white-oil
terminal', housing a tank farm to
store petrol and diesel. It has five
petrol storage tanks and four diesel
tanks.
dead a day after fire broke out at a
petrol storage tank of state-owned
Indian Oil Corporation's (IOC) Hazira
terminal near Surat in Gujarat.
The identities of the two victims are
not known yet. However, officials say,
there were workers inside the storage
facility when the fire broke out.
According to officials, at least 70 per
cent of one of the five petrol storage
tanks, which caught fire yesterday
afternoon, has been charred by the
blaze. Around a hundred fire tenders
are still fighting to control it.
The tank had almost 5,000 kilolitre of
petrol, half of its capacity, when it
caught fire.
Oil Minister Veerappa Moily is
expected to visit the site today.
This is the second major fire at IOC
storage depots since 2009. On
October 29, 2009, a fire broke out at
its Jaipur terminal which was blamed
on non-observance of normal safety
procedures. The Jaipur depot fire
raged for 11 days, killed 11 people
and resulted in losses worth Rs 280
crore.
Hazira is a so-called 'white-oil
terminal', housing a tank farm to
store petrol and diesel. It has five
petrol storage tanks and four diesel
tanks.
People were afraid to help us: Delhi gang-rape victim`s friend
New Delhi,
January 5: The
male friend of
the Delhi gang-rape victim - the only
witness in the case - on Friday spoke for
the first time in front of the nation and
exclusively told Zee News that his friend
was “positive” and wanted to live even
after the horrific incident that took place
on the night of December 16.
''I wish I could have saved her,'' the friend
exclusively told Zee News Editor Sudhir
Chaudhary.
The victim’s friend explained to Zee News
in detail what exactly happened on that
fateful night of December 16.
He said that no one came to their help
when they were lying on the road. After
being thrown off the bus, the duo reached
hospital after two to two-and-a-half hours.
The victim’s friend said that since
December 16, protests have been
happening and people are on the streets.
“Many things have come out in the media,
but people have been interpreting it as per
their convenience. I want to tell them
what we faced that night. I want to tell
what I faced, what my friend faced,” he
told Zee News, expressing hope that
people could take a lesson and save others’
lives in future.
He said that the six accused had lured
them into boarding the bus on the night of
December 16.
“The occupants of the bus, which had
tinted windows and curtains, had laid a trap
for us. They were probably involved in
crimes before also. They beat us up, hit us
with an iron rod, snatched our clothes and
belongings and threw us off the bus on a
deserted stretch.
“The bus occupants had everything
planned. Apart from the driver and the
helper, others behaved like they were
passengers. We even paid Rs 20 as fare.
They then started teasing my friend and it
led to a brawl. I beat three of them up but
then the rest of them brought an iron rod
and hit me. Before I fell unconscious, they
took my friend away.
“From where we boarded the bus, they
moved around for nearly two and a half
hours. We were shouting, trying to make
people hear us. But they switched off the
lights of the bus. We tried to resist them.
Even my friend fought with them, she tried
to save me. She tried to dial the police
control room number 100, but the accused
snatched her mobile away,” he said.
“Before throwing us off the bus, they
snatched our mobiles and tore off our
clothes in order to destroy any evidence of
the crime,” he added.
“After throwing us off the bus, they tried to
mow us down but I saved my friend by
pulling her away in the nick of time. We
were without clothes. We tried to stop
passersby. Several auto rickshaws, cars and
bikes slowed down but none stopped for
about 20 to 25 minutes. Then, someone on
patrolling, stopped and called the police,”
he told Zee News.
The victim’s friend rued the fact that three
PCR vans arrived at the scene after about
30 to 45 minutes, but wasted time in
deciding under which police station’s
jurisdiction the case fell.
He said nobody, including the police, gave
them clothes or called an ambulance.
“They were just watching us,” he said,
adding that after repeated requests,
someone gave him a part of a bed sheet to
cover his friend.
“My friend was bleeding profusely; I was
more concerned about her. But instead of
taking us to a nearby hospital, they (police)
took us to a hospital (Safdarjung) that was
far away.”
The victim’s friend said that he carried his
badly injured friend to the PCR van on his
own as “the policemen didn’t help us
because my friend girl was bleeding
profusely and they were probably worried
about their clothes”.
“Nobody from the public helped us. People
were probably afraid that if they helped us,
they would become witnesses to the crime
and would be asked to come to the police
station and court,” he told the channel.
“Even at the hospital, we were made to
wait and I had to literally beg for clothes. I
asked one ‘safai karamchari’ to give me
some clothes or curtains and he asked me
to wait. But the clothes never came. I
then borrowed a stranger’s mobile and
called my relatives, but just told them that
I had met with an accident. My treatment
started only after my relatives came,” he
said.
“I was hit on the head. I was not able to
walk. I was not able to move my hands for
two weeks,” he said, detailing the injuries
he suffered on that horrific night.
“My family wanted to take me to our
native place but I decided to stay in Delhi
in order to help the police. It was only
after the doctors’ advice that I went back
to my home and started private treatment
there.”
“When I had met my friend in the hospital,
she was smiling. She was able to write and
was positive. I never felt that she did not
want to live,” he said.
“She had told me that if I wasn’t there, she
would not have filed the complaint. I had
decided that I would ensure the culprits
are punished,” the victim’s friend said.
He said that his friend was also worried
about the cost of the treatment. “I was
asked to be with her to give her strength.”
“When she gave the first statement to the
lady SDM, only then I came to know what
had happened with her. I couldn’t believe
what they did to her. Even when animals
hunt, they don’t mete out such brutality to
their prey.
“She faced all of this and told the
magistrate that the accused should not be
hanged but burnt to death.”
“The first statement she gave to the SDM
was correct. She had given that statement
with a lot of effort. She was coughing and
bleeding while giving the statement. She
was on ventilator support. There was no
pressure or interference at all. But when
the SDM said that she had faced pressure,
all her (friend’s) efforts went in vain. It is
wrong to say that the statement was made
under pressure,” the victim’s friend told
Zee News.
When asked what suggestions he would
like to give in order to ensure that such
incidents don’t recur, the victim’s friend
said, “The police should always try to
ensure that the victims are taken to the
hospital as early as possible and not waste
precious time looking for government
hospitals. Also, witnesses should not be
harassed so that they come to the court to
testify.”
He said that one cannot change mindsets
by lighting candles. ''You have to help
people on the road when they need help,”
he added.
“Protest and change should not only be for
her but for the coming generations as
well.”
The victim’s friend said that he wanted the
Justice Verma committee - set up by the
government to suggest measures to
improve women’s security - to make the
law easier for complainants.
“I would like to tell Justice JS Verma,
Justice Leila Seth and Gopal Subramanium
that we have a lot of laws, but the public is
afraid of going to police as they wonder
whether the police will register an FIR or
not. You are trying to start fast-track courts
for one issue, but why shouldn’t every case
be fast tracked,” he said.
He further said that “only he can tell what
he has gone through… what I have faced…”
He disclosed that “no one from the
government has contacted me so far to ask
about my treatment. I have been paying
for my own treatment so far.”
When asked why people don’t want to talk
about such issues in public, the victim’s
friend said, “In our society, we try to hide
such things. If something bad has
happened with us, then we try to hide
thinking what will the other person say.
Also because our friends and relatives talk
behind our back about such incidents, that
we try to prevent them from becoming
public.”
“If I had decided not to file the complaint
and just call the incident an accident, this
case would not have become this big.”
He rued the people’s indifference towards
him and his friend when they were lying on
the road. “They (the people) had cars, they
could have taken us to the hospital. Every
minute was important for us. But they
didn’t. Who will change this attitude?” he
asked.
He said his mental condition was so bad
after the incident that he was not able to
sleep properly. “I didn’t share this with
anyone. When such a thing happens to us,
we often ask ourselves: ‘Am I to blame for
this? Why did I go to the mall? Why did I
board that bus?’ I was not able to even
speak properly for two weeks.”
He said that if his friend was “treated in a
better hospital, she would have probably
been alive today.” It may be noted that
the gang-rape victim was first treated at
the Safdarjung Hospital before being
shifted to a hospital in Singapore, where
she passed away.
He went on to say that one of the police
officials wanted him to say that the police
were doing a good job in the case.
“Why did they want to take credit for doing
their duty? If everyone does their work
well, nothing more needs to be said in the
matter,” he said.
''We have a long battle to fight,'' he said
further, adding, “If I didn't have lawyers in
my family, I would not have been able to
fight this.”
The victim’s friend also told Zee News, ''I
was in the police station for four days
rather than being in a hospital where I
would be treated. I told my friends that I
had met with an accident.''
''The internal judgement of the Delhi Police
should prompt them to assess for
themselves if they have done a good job or
not,'' he added.
''If you can help someone, help them. If a
single person had helped me that night,
things would have been different. There is
no need to close Metro stations and stop
the public from expressing themselves.
People should be allowed to have faith in
the system,'' he went on to say.
''I never had thoughts of leaving her and
running away. Even an animal would not do
that. I have no regrets. But I wish I could
have done something to help her.''
“She has awakened us. If we can carry on
this fight with her name, it would be
tribute to her,” he said.
January 5: The
male friend of
the Delhi gang-rape victim - the only
witness in the case - on Friday spoke for
the first time in front of the nation and
exclusively told Zee News that his friend
was “positive” and wanted to live even
after the horrific incident that took place
on the night of December 16.
''I wish I could have saved her,'' the friend
exclusively told Zee News Editor Sudhir
Chaudhary.
The victim’s friend explained to Zee News
in detail what exactly happened on that
fateful night of December 16.
He said that no one came to their help
when they were lying on the road. After
being thrown off the bus, the duo reached
hospital after two to two-and-a-half hours.
The victim’s friend said that since
December 16, protests have been
happening and people are on the streets.
“Many things have come out in the media,
but people have been interpreting it as per
their convenience. I want to tell them
what we faced that night. I want to tell
what I faced, what my friend faced,” he
told Zee News, expressing hope that
people could take a lesson and save others’
lives in future.
He said that the six accused had lured
them into boarding the bus on the night of
December 16.
“The occupants of the bus, which had
tinted windows and curtains, had laid a trap
for us. They were probably involved in
crimes before also. They beat us up, hit us
with an iron rod, snatched our clothes and
belongings and threw us off the bus on a
deserted stretch.
“The bus occupants had everything
planned. Apart from the driver and the
helper, others behaved like they were
passengers. We even paid Rs 20 as fare.
They then started teasing my friend and it
led to a brawl. I beat three of them up but
then the rest of them brought an iron rod
and hit me. Before I fell unconscious, they
took my friend away.
“From where we boarded the bus, they
moved around for nearly two and a half
hours. We were shouting, trying to make
people hear us. But they switched off the
lights of the bus. We tried to resist them.
Even my friend fought with them, she tried
to save me. She tried to dial the police
control room number 100, but the accused
snatched her mobile away,” he said.
“Before throwing us off the bus, they
snatched our mobiles and tore off our
clothes in order to destroy any evidence of
the crime,” he added.
“After throwing us off the bus, they tried to
mow us down but I saved my friend by
pulling her away in the nick of time. We
were without clothes. We tried to stop
passersby. Several auto rickshaws, cars and
bikes slowed down but none stopped for
about 20 to 25 minutes. Then, someone on
patrolling, stopped and called the police,”
he told Zee News.
The victim’s friend rued the fact that three
PCR vans arrived at the scene after about
30 to 45 minutes, but wasted time in
deciding under which police station’s
jurisdiction the case fell.
He said nobody, including the police, gave
them clothes or called an ambulance.
“They were just watching us,” he said,
adding that after repeated requests,
someone gave him a part of a bed sheet to
cover his friend.
“My friend was bleeding profusely; I was
more concerned about her. But instead of
taking us to a nearby hospital, they (police)
took us to a hospital (Safdarjung) that was
far away.”
The victim’s friend said that he carried his
badly injured friend to the PCR van on his
own as “the policemen didn’t help us
because my friend girl was bleeding
profusely and they were probably worried
about their clothes”.
“Nobody from the public helped us. People
were probably afraid that if they helped us,
they would become witnesses to the crime
and would be asked to come to the police
station and court,” he told the channel.
“Even at the hospital, we were made to
wait and I had to literally beg for clothes. I
asked one ‘safai karamchari’ to give me
some clothes or curtains and he asked me
to wait. But the clothes never came. I
then borrowed a stranger’s mobile and
called my relatives, but just told them that
I had met with an accident. My treatment
started only after my relatives came,” he
said.
“I was hit on the head. I was not able to
walk. I was not able to move my hands for
two weeks,” he said, detailing the injuries
he suffered on that horrific night.
“My family wanted to take me to our
native place but I decided to stay in Delhi
in order to help the police. It was only
after the doctors’ advice that I went back
to my home and started private treatment
there.”
“When I had met my friend in the hospital,
she was smiling. She was able to write and
was positive. I never felt that she did not
want to live,” he said.
“She had told me that if I wasn’t there, she
would not have filed the complaint. I had
decided that I would ensure the culprits
are punished,” the victim’s friend said.
He said that his friend was also worried
about the cost of the treatment. “I was
asked to be with her to give her strength.”
“When she gave the first statement to the
lady SDM, only then I came to know what
had happened with her. I couldn’t believe
what they did to her. Even when animals
hunt, they don’t mete out such brutality to
their prey.
“She faced all of this and told the
magistrate that the accused should not be
hanged but burnt to death.”
“The first statement she gave to the SDM
was correct. She had given that statement
with a lot of effort. She was coughing and
bleeding while giving the statement. She
was on ventilator support. There was no
pressure or interference at all. But when
the SDM said that she had faced pressure,
all her (friend’s) efforts went in vain. It is
wrong to say that the statement was made
under pressure,” the victim’s friend told
Zee News.
When asked what suggestions he would
like to give in order to ensure that such
incidents don’t recur, the victim’s friend
said, “The police should always try to
ensure that the victims are taken to the
hospital as early as possible and not waste
precious time looking for government
hospitals. Also, witnesses should not be
harassed so that they come to the court to
testify.”
He said that one cannot change mindsets
by lighting candles. ''You have to help
people on the road when they need help,”
he added.
“Protest and change should not only be for
her but for the coming generations as
well.”
The victim’s friend said that he wanted the
Justice Verma committee - set up by the
government to suggest measures to
improve women’s security - to make the
law easier for complainants.
“I would like to tell Justice JS Verma,
Justice Leila Seth and Gopal Subramanium
that we have a lot of laws, but the public is
afraid of going to police as they wonder
whether the police will register an FIR or
not. You are trying to start fast-track courts
for one issue, but why shouldn’t every case
be fast tracked,” he said.
He further said that “only he can tell what
he has gone through… what I have faced…”
He disclosed that “no one from the
government has contacted me so far to ask
about my treatment. I have been paying
for my own treatment so far.”
When asked why people don’t want to talk
about such issues in public, the victim’s
friend said, “In our society, we try to hide
such things. If something bad has
happened with us, then we try to hide
thinking what will the other person say.
Also because our friends and relatives talk
behind our back about such incidents, that
we try to prevent them from becoming
public.”
“If I had decided not to file the complaint
and just call the incident an accident, this
case would not have become this big.”
He rued the people’s indifference towards
him and his friend when they were lying on
the road. “They (the people) had cars, they
could have taken us to the hospital. Every
minute was important for us. But they
didn’t. Who will change this attitude?” he
asked.
He said his mental condition was so bad
after the incident that he was not able to
sleep properly. “I didn’t share this with
anyone. When such a thing happens to us,
we often ask ourselves: ‘Am I to blame for
this? Why did I go to the mall? Why did I
board that bus?’ I was not able to even
speak properly for two weeks.”
He said that if his friend was “treated in a
better hospital, she would have probably
been alive today.” It may be noted that
the gang-rape victim was first treated at
the Safdarjung Hospital before being
shifted to a hospital in Singapore, where
she passed away.
He went on to say that one of the police
officials wanted him to say that the police
were doing a good job in the case.
“Why did they want to take credit for doing
their duty? If everyone does their work
well, nothing more needs to be said in the
matter,” he said.
''We have a long battle to fight,'' he said
further, adding, “If I didn't have lawyers in
my family, I would not have been able to
fight this.”
The victim’s friend also told Zee News, ''I
was in the police station for four days
rather than being in a hospital where I
would be treated. I told my friends that I
had met with an accident.''
''The internal judgement of the Delhi Police
should prompt them to assess for
themselves if they have done a good job or
not,'' he added.
''If you can help someone, help them. If a
single person had helped me that night,
things would have been different. There is
no need to close Metro stations and stop
the public from expressing themselves.
People should be allowed to have faith in
the system,'' he went on to say.
''I never had thoughts of leaving her and
running away. Even an animal would not do
that. I have no regrets. But I wish I could
have done something to help her.''
“She has awakened us. If we can carry on
this fight with her name, it would be
tribute to her,” he said.
DAVID SONGS REVIEW
Director Bejoy Nambiar brings his film-
making craft to the Tamil audience with
his ambitious bilingual project David.
Apart from reuniting with Prashant Pillai
for the second time, Bejoy has roped in
several contributors to make up for the
soundtrack of David. The film stars
Vikram, Jiiva, Tabu, Isha Sharvani and Lara
Dutta.
Vaazhkaiye (The Theme Of David)
Singers: Siddharth Basrur
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
Electronic duo Bramfatura from Mumbai
brings their distinct sound to the
mainstream film audiences. The duo
keeps it fairly straight-up and direct with
a fair share of intricacies thrown into the
mix, and they have managed to give due
importance to the vocal melodies, and
they have succeeded a great deal in their
execution.
Maria Pitache
Singers: Remo Fernandes, Vikram
Lyrics: Remo Fernandes, V. Elango
Originally a local folk tune from the
Daman islands, but has been sped up and
reworked lyrically to suit the film’s needs.
As always with the case of Remo’s
compositions, he plays all the instruments
and arranges the music himself. Chiyaan
Vikram lends his voice for the tune and
he pulls it off casually. His drunken
blathering is simply delightful and shows
that he’s had a lot of fun singing the tune,
in the company of Remo.
Kanave Kanave
Singers: Anirudh
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
Anirudh delivers his contribution to the
film’s soundtrack in his familiar sound.
The track is soulfully rendered by the
composer and the accompanying
symphony elevates the emotions of the
song. The melodic hook is quite direct and
easy to comprehend as it reoccurs
throughout the song in different forms
and shapes. Both in sound and lyrics the
song paints a picture of sadness, still the
track is a gripping and engaging
composition.
Manamay
Singers: Karthik, Prashant Pillai
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
Prashant Pillai turns the composition into
a percussion overdrive by featuring the
talented Tao Issaro. Karthik tactfully finds
room for his vocals amidst the pounding
drums and serves his purpose rather well.
Prashant Pillai’s vocal interludes give the
song a lot of grit and intensity,
additionally supported by Mohanrajan’s
lyrics.
Iravinil Ulavavaa
Singers: Naresh Iyer, Shweta Pandit
Lyrics: Yugabharathi
A joyful melody composed yet again by
Prashant Pillai, who worked with Bejoy
Nambiar in his first film Shaitaan. The soft
tune has some exquisite moments like its
chorus and the interludes that distinguish
it from being just another romantic duet.
Both the singers deliver a fine
performance individually and together.
Prashant Pillai cleverly peppers the song
with various instrumental bits and effects
that ensures that the listener finds
something new with each listen.
Theerathu Poga Poga Vaanam
Singers: Joyshanti, Nirali Kartik
Lyrics: Joyshanti, Mohanrajan
This is a song that will throw you off your
seat and get you to dance almost
instantly. First the strained yodeling and
then the French utterances provide the
perfect foil for the Carnatic style of
singing that follows suit. The track rests
heavily on an irresistibly groovy guitar/
banjo lick. Maati Baani make the most of
the opportunity to show off their skills at
encompassing various world musical
styles and packaging it competently. Two
thumbs up to this motley crew !
Machi
Singers: Sanjeev Thomas
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
A no-nonsense punk rock tune that you
just cannot sit and dissect, because that’s
not how you enjoy punk rock! Modern
Mafia have all the makings of a hit song
with a solid tune with and a memorable
sing along chorus. Local rocker Sanjeev
Thomas obliges with his voice and offers
the required levels of brazenness. There
is some cheeky Arnie mimes included for
some comic relief as well, but the only
beef that one could have with the tune is
probably the mixing, as the closing guitar
solo is buried under the overpowering
vocal chorus. Still, it doesn’t stop the
song from starting a riot!
Light House Symphony
Singers: Remo
Lyrics:
The legendary Remo Fernandes
demonstrates his genius in this
composition. First the surf music like
ukulele jam accompanied by flute and
whistle and then exploding into a scat
where he employs non-lexical vocals for a
segment that’s a mix of samba and salsa.
Remo shows his prowess at the string
instrument, flute, vocals, percussions and
even whistling as he builds this joyous
beach tune.
Manamay (Dub Step Version)
Singers: Karthik
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
Dubstep has far become the flavor of the
season and every track seems to have an
official or unofficial dubstep remix and the
same goes for David as well. Dub Sharma
turns the track upside down and inside
out with a lot of sharp and unpredictable
twists and turns along the way. Possibly
the only way dubstep could ever be!
Verdict: David isn’t just a great
soundtrack, it’s destined to be a trend-
setter.
making craft to the Tamil audience with
his ambitious bilingual project David.
Apart from reuniting with Prashant Pillai
for the second time, Bejoy has roped in
several contributors to make up for the
soundtrack of David. The film stars
Vikram, Jiiva, Tabu, Isha Sharvani and Lara
Dutta.
Vaazhkaiye (The Theme Of David)
Singers: Siddharth Basrur
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
Electronic duo Bramfatura from Mumbai
brings their distinct sound to the
mainstream film audiences. The duo
keeps it fairly straight-up and direct with
a fair share of intricacies thrown into the
mix, and they have managed to give due
importance to the vocal melodies, and
they have succeeded a great deal in their
execution.
Maria Pitache
Singers: Remo Fernandes, Vikram
Lyrics: Remo Fernandes, V. Elango
Originally a local folk tune from the
Daman islands, but has been sped up and
reworked lyrically to suit the film’s needs.
As always with the case of Remo’s
compositions, he plays all the instruments
and arranges the music himself. Chiyaan
Vikram lends his voice for the tune and
he pulls it off casually. His drunken
blathering is simply delightful and shows
that he’s had a lot of fun singing the tune,
in the company of Remo.
Kanave Kanave
Singers: Anirudh
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
Anirudh delivers his contribution to the
film’s soundtrack in his familiar sound.
The track is soulfully rendered by the
composer and the accompanying
symphony elevates the emotions of the
song. The melodic hook is quite direct and
easy to comprehend as it reoccurs
throughout the song in different forms
and shapes. Both in sound and lyrics the
song paints a picture of sadness, still the
track is a gripping and engaging
composition.
Manamay
Singers: Karthik, Prashant Pillai
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
Prashant Pillai turns the composition into
a percussion overdrive by featuring the
talented Tao Issaro. Karthik tactfully finds
room for his vocals amidst the pounding
drums and serves his purpose rather well.
Prashant Pillai’s vocal interludes give the
song a lot of grit and intensity,
additionally supported by Mohanrajan’s
lyrics.
Iravinil Ulavavaa
Singers: Naresh Iyer, Shweta Pandit
Lyrics: Yugabharathi
A joyful melody composed yet again by
Prashant Pillai, who worked with Bejoy
Nambiar in his first film Shaitaan. The soft
tune has some exquisite moments like its
chorus and the interludes that distinguish
it from being just another romantic duet.
Both the singers deliver a fine
performance individually and together.
Prashant Pillai cleverly peppers the song
with various instrumental bits and effects
that ensures that the listener finds
something new with each listen.
Theerathu Poga Poga Vaanam
Singers: Joyshanti, Nirali Kartik
Lyrics: Joyshanti, Mohanrajan
This is a song that will throw you off your
seat and get you to dance almost
instantly. First the strained yodeling and
then the French utterances provide the
perfect foil for the Carnatic style of
singing that follows suit. The track rests
heavily on an irresistibly groovy guitar/
banjo lick. Maati Baani make the most of
the opportunity to show off their skills at
encompassing various world musical
styles and packaging it competently. Two
thumbs up to this motley crew !
Machi
Singers: Sanjeev Thomas
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
A no-nonsense punk rock tune that you
just cannot sit and dissect, because that’s
not how you enjoy punk rock! Modern
Mafia have all the makings of a hit song
with a solid tune with and a memorable
sing along chorus. Local rocker Sanjeev
Thomas obliges with his voice and offers
the required levels of brazenness. There
is some cheeky Arnie mimes included for
some comic relief as well, but the only
beef that one could have with the tune is
probably the mixing, as the closing guitar
solo is buried under the overpowering
vocal chorus. Still, it doesn’t stop the
song from starting a riot!
Light House Symphony
Singers: Remo
Lyrics:
The legendary Remo Fernandes
demonstrates his genius in this
composition. First the surf music like
ukulele jam accompanied by flute and
whistle and then exploding into a scat
where he employs non-lexical vocals for a
segment that’s a mix of samba and salsa.
Remo shows his prowess at the string
instrument, flute, vocals, percussions and
even whistling as he builds this joyous
beach tune.
Manamay (Dub Step Version)
Singers: Karthik
Lyrics: Mohanrajan
Dubstep has far become the flavor of the
season and every track seems to have an
official or unofficial dubstep remix and the
same goes for David as well. Dub Sharma
turns the track upside down and inside
out with a lot of sharp and unpredictable
twists and turns along the way. Possibly
the only way dubstep could ever be!
Verdict: David isn’t just a great
soundtrack, it’s destined to be a trend-
setter.
Enjoy being on top - Shah Rukh Khan tells Deepika Padukone on birthday
Mumbai, January
5: Bollywood
'baadhsah' Shah
Rukh Khan
Saturday wished actress Deepika Padukone
a 27th birthday full of love and luck, and
wished her ''happiness being on top of the
list''.
''Deepika Padukone happy birthday. May
Allah give you all that you wish for and
more, happiness being on top of the list.
Lots of love, have a good life,'' the 47-year-
old tweeted to the actress.
Deepika made a dream Bollywood debut
opposite Shah Rukh in the 2007 movie ‘Om
Shanti Om’. They have reunited for
forthcoming film ‘Chennai Expresss
5: Bollywood
'baadhsah' Shah
Rukh Khan
Saturday wished actress Deepika Padukone
a 27th birthday full of love and luck, and
wished her ''happiness being on top of the
list''.
''Deepika Padukone happy birthday. May
Allah give you all that you wish for and
more, happiness being on top of the list.
Lots of love, have a good life,'' the 47-year-
old tweeted to the actress.
Deepika made a dream Bollywood debut
opposite Shah Rukh in the 2007 movie ‘Om
Shanti Om’. They have reunited for
forthcoming film ‘Chennai Expresss
India vs Pakistan 2012, 3rd ODI - Preview
Battered and
bruised by yet
another series
defeat, India's struggling cricketers will
seek to restore some pride when they go
into the third and final one-dayer against
arch-rivals Pakistan here tomorrow with
the future of some of the under-
performing stars at stake.
The collective failure of the top order
batsmen even in home conditions has hurt
the team badly in recent times and the
hosts will need a huge spark of inspiration
to prevent the spirited Pakistanis from
achieving a 3-0 clean sweep.
Clearly, the pressure will be on the Indians
who have been plagued by an inexplicable
form slump of their star batsmen while the
limited and inexperienced bowling
resources have compounded the misery
for the hosts who have now sunk to a new
low with the recent debacles.
With the series already out of their grasp,
the Indians may experiment by giving a
chance to some of their bench players but
whether they can change the team's sliding
fortunes remains to be seen in a day-night
game which will start at noon to neutralise
the dew factor.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in good
form with the bat, has been at a loss to
explain the repeated failures and there
have been suggestions that he should
promote himself up the order considering
the poor form of the top half.
The hosts lost the first game in Chennai by
six wickets and the second in Kolkata by 85
runs to give their arch foes their first series
win on Indian soil since 2004-05.
Unless the Indians put up a far better
display, the Ferozeshah Kotla could be a
witness another drubbing for Dhoni and his
struggling men.
Ajinkya Rahane, who has surprisingly not
played a single match despite his decent
showing in the two T20 games prior to the
ODI series, is almost certain to feature in
the playing eleven tomorrow.
bruised by yet
another series
defeat, India's struggling cricketers will
seek to restore some pride when they go
into the third and final one-dayer against
arch-rivals Pakistan here tomorrow with
the future of some of the under-
performing stars at stake.
The collective failure of the top order
batsmen even in home conditions has hurt
the team badly in recent times and the
hosts will need a huge spark of inspiration
to prevent the spirited Pakistanis from
achieving a 3-0 clean sweep.
Clearly, the pressure will be on the Indians
who have been plagued by an inexplicable
form slump of their star batsmen while the
limited and inexperienced bowling
resources have compounded the misery
for the hosts who have now sunk to a new
low with the recent debacles.
With the series already out of their grasp,
the Indians may experiment by giving a
chance to some of their bench players but
whether they can change the team's sliding
fortunes remains to be seen in a day-night
game which will start at noon to neutralise
the dew factor.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in good
form with the bat, has been at a loss to
explain the repeated failures and there
have been suggestions that he should
promote himself up the order considering
the poor form of the top half.
The hosts lost the first game in Chennai by
six wickets and the second in Kolkata by 85
runs to give their arch foes their first series
win on Indian soil since 2004-05.
Unless the Indians put up a far better
display, the Ferozeshah Kotla could be a
witness another drubbing for Dhoni and his
struggling men.
Ajinkya Rahane, who has surprisingly not
played a single match despite his decent
showing in the two T20 games prior to the
ODI series, is almost certain to feature in
the playing eleven tomorrow.
Barack Obama's ad team used cable TV to outplay Mitt Romney
As political experts assess Republican Mitt
Romney's failed U.S. presidential bid, an
analysis of how his campaign and
President Barack Obama's winning team
used cable TV to target ads at specific
groups of voters may offer some valuable
tips for the future.
During the final weeks before the
November 6 election, with polls showing
a tight race, Obama's campaign exploited
cable TV's diverse line-up to target
women on channels such as Food Network
and Lifetime and men on networks such
as ESPN.
The Obama team used the fragmentation
of cable TV's audience to its fullest
advantage to target tailored messages to
voters in battleground states.
Meanwhile, Romney's campaign relied on
a more traditional mass saturation of
broadcast TV. The Romney camp was
entirely dark on cable TV for two of the
campaign's last seven days.
"We don't know why. This was a week
before the election and you're in the fight
for your life," said Timothy Kay, political
director for NCC Media, a cable TV
industry consortium.
The race had narrowed to key counties in
several battleground states, the kind of
isolation ideally suited for cable's
geographical targeting and niche-
marketing capabilities.
Republican Party operatives dismayed by
Romney's defeat continue to debate what
went wrong in a campaign awash in cash
and run by a candidate with a business
background. The former Massachusetts
governor's campaign, like Democrat
Obama's, spent a record-setting amount
of cash; in Romney's case, it was $580
million in 20 months.
Obama's campaign outspent Romney's
campaign on advertising by as much as
$200 million, according to a Reuters
analysis. But when spending by pro-
Romney and pro-Obama outside groups is
considered, Romney had the edge in
overall TV advertising spending.
Republican consultants and advertising
experts said Romney had enough money
to compete with Obama's final advertising
effort. Yet Obama cruised to a
commanding Electoral College victory
after a final concentration on a small
group of battleground states.
"In market after market, the Obama
campaign ended up putting more ads on
target than the Romney campaign did,"
said Ken Goldstein, president of Kantar
Media's Campaign Media Analysis Group,
a nonpartisan consulting firm that tracked
political ads and worked with both
campaigns.
Stephanie Kincaid, who managed
Romney's advertising campaign, declined
to answer questions and referred
inquiries to top Romney campaign officials
Stuart Stevens and Russell Schriefer, her
bosses at The Stevens and Schriefer
Group, a political consulting firm. They did
not respond to phone calls.
OBAMA'S ADVANTAGE
Cable television political advertising
jumped from $136 million in 2006 to
$650 million in 2012, although broadcast
TV still garnered 80 percent of the
campaign advertising spending last year.
Even with major broadcast networks and
their affiliates, the Obama campaign
appeared to out-perform the Romney
camp.
A campaign spending review shows the
Obama camp frequently spent far less
than Romney for ads aired by the same
stations during the same shows.
For example, a review of TV station filings
with the Federal Communications
Commission showed Romney, on the
Sunday before Election Day, paid $1,100
for an ad aired during CBS's "Face the
Nation" program on WRAL in Raleigh,
North Carolina. Obama paid $200 for a
comparable ad on the same station
during the same program.
Part of the reason for the Obama
campaign's pricing advantage is that the
president faced no Democratic primary
challenge and was able to buy autumn TV
time months in advance when the slots -
like airline tickets - were discounted.
Romney faced a tough battle for the
Republican nomination.
The Romney campaign also simply did not
have enough bodies to handle the labor-
intensive business of planning, negotiating
and placing ads on hundreds of TV stations
simultaneously, according to several
Republican consultants and media analysts
who asked not to be identified.
Obama's campaign had 30 full-time media
buyers. The Romney campaign relied
heavily on a single person, Kincaid, with
help from one or two others from time to
time, according to sources close to the
campaign. Senior officials with the
campaign declined to discuss its
advertising staffing.
"It's the equivalent of having a budget
the size of a Coca- Cola commercial
campaign and having two people
managing it, where a Madison Avenue
agency might have 50 people," said NCC's
Kay. Kincaid and her small staff were
overwhelmed, according to numerous
political vendors who dealt with them.
Jim Margolis, an Obama campaign senior
adviser whose firm GMMB handled its
advertising, said the campaign also took
advantage of information provided by
companies like Rentrak Corp, a Portland,
Oregon-based company that monitors the
digital boxes attached to TVs in
households using satellite dishes.
EXPLOITING FRAGMENTATION
In the past, political advertisers relied on
the major networks rather than cable TV
in a quest to reach the most television
viewers.
But cable TV's increasing popularity has
brought dramatic fragmentation to
television viewership. In many markets,
cable offers a hundred or more channels,
giving advertisers a chance to target
specific demographics.
For instance, the Obama campaign
identified zip codes surrounding Ohio tire-
manufacturing plants and purchased cable
ads touting Obama's efforts to block tire
imports from China.
Obama ran 600,000 cable ads to the
Romney's 300,000 around the nation
during the campaign, said NCC's Kay.
Obama's cable TV push started in April.
Romney's began in September.
Obama's team also mixed and matched
its messages to sharpen the appeal in key
counties.
"My impression was there was much
more examination and analytics done
with the Obama campaign," Kay said.
"The Romney campaign had the same
rigid schedule in every state."
 © Thomson Reuters 2013
Romney's failed U.S. presidential bid, an
analysis of how his campaign and
President Barack Obama's winning team
used cable TV to target ads at specific
groups of voters may offer some valuable
tips for the future.
During the final weeks before the
November 6 election, with polls showing
a tight race, Obama's campaign exploited
cable TV's diverse line-up to target
women on channels such as Food Network
and Lifetime and men on networks such
as ESPN.
The Obama team used the fragmentation
of cable TV's audience to its fullest
advantage to target tailored messages to
voters in battleground states.
Meanwhile, Romney's campaign relied on
a more traditional mass saturation of
broadcast TV. The Romney camp was
entirely dark on cable TV for two of the
campaign's last seven days.
"We don't know why. This was a week
before the election and you're in the fight
for your life," said Timothy Kay, political
director for NCC Media, a cable TV
industry consortium.
The race had narrowed to key counties in
several battleground states, the kind of
isolation ideally suited for cable's
geographical targeting and niche-
marketing capabilities.
Republican Party operatives dismayed by
Romney's defeat continue to debate what
went wrong in a campaign awash in cash
and run by a candidate with a business
background. The former Massachusetts
governor's campaign, like Democrat
Obama's, spent a record-setting amount
of cash; in Romney's case, it was $580
million in 20 months.
Obama's campaign outspent Romney's
campaign on advertising by as much as
$200 million, according to a Reuters
analysis. But when spending by pro-
Romney and pro-Obama outside groups is
considered, Romney had the edge in
overall TV advertising spending.
Republican consultants and advertising
experts said Romney had enough money
to compete with Obama's final advertising
effort. Yet Obama cruised to a
commanding Electoral College victory
after a final concentration on a small
group of battleground states.
"In market after market, the Obama
campaign ended up putting more ads on
target than the Romney campaign did,"
said Ken Goldstein, president of Kantar
Media's Campaign Media Analysis Group,
a nonpartisan consulting firm that tracked
political ads and worked with both
campaigns.
Stephanie Kincaid, who managed
Romney's advertising campaign, declined
to answer questions and referred
inquiries to top Romney campaign officials
Stuart Stevens and Russell Schriefer, her
bosses at The Stevens and Schriefer
Group, a political consulting firm. They did
not respond to phone calls.
OBAMA'S ADVANTAGE
Cable television political advertising
jumped from $136 million in 2006 to
$650 million in 2012, although broadcast
TV still garnered 80 percent of the
campaign advertising spending last year.
Even with major broadcast networks and
their affiliates, the Obama campaign
appeared to out-perform the Romney
camp.
A campaign spending review shows the
Obama camp frequently spent far less
than Romney for ads aired by the same
stations during the same shows.
For example, a review of TV station filings
with the Federal Communications
Commission showed Romney, on the
Sunday before Election Day, paid $1,100
for an ad aired during CBS's "Face the
Nation" program on WRAL in Raleigh,
North Carolina. Obama paid $200 for a
comparable ad on the same station
during the same program.
Part of the reason for the Obama
campaign's pricing advantage is that the
president faced no Democratic primary
challenge and was able to buy autumn TV
time months in advance when the slots -
like airline tickets - were discounted.
Romney faced a tough battle for the
Republican nomination.
The Romney campaign also simply did not
have enough bodies to handle the labor-
intensive business of planning, negotiating
and placing ads on hundreds of TV stations
simultaneously, according to several
Republican consultants and media analysts
who asked not to be identified.
Obama's campaign had 30 full-time media
buyers. The Romney campaign relied
heavily on a single person, Kincaid, with
help from one or two others from time to
time, according to sources close to the
campaign. Senior officials with the
campaign declined to discuss its
advertising staffing.
"It's the equivalent of having a budget
the size of a Coca- Cola commercial
campaign and having two people
managing it, where a Madison Avenue
agency might have 50 people," said NCC's
Kay. Kincaid and her small staff were
overwhelmed, according to numerous
political vendors who dealt with them.
Jim Margolis, an Obama campaign senior
adviser whose firm GMMB handled its
advertising, said the campaign also took
advantage of information provided by
companies like Rentrak Corp, a Portland,
Oregon-based company that monitors the
digital boxes attached to TVs in
households using satellite dishes.
EXPLOITING FRAGMENTATION
In the past, political advertisers relied on
the major networks rather than cable TV
in a quest to reach the most television
viewers.
But cable TV's increasing popularity has
brought dramatic fragmentation to
television viewership. In many markets,
cable offers a hundred or more channels,
giving advertisers a chance to target
specific demographics.
For instance, the Obama campaign
identified zip codes surrounding Ohio tire-
manufacturing plants and purchased cable
ads touting Obama's efforts to block tire
imports from China.
Obama ran 600,000 cable ads to the
Romney's 300,000 around the nation
during the campaign, said NCC's Kay.
Obama's cable TV push started in April.
Romney's began in September.
Obama's team also mixed and matched
its messages to sharpen the appeal in key
counties.
"My impression was there was much
more examination and analytics done
with the Obama campaign," Kay said.
"The Romney campaign had the same
rigid schedule in every state."
 © Thomson Reuters 2013
From spy to source to convict
Looking back, John C. Kiriakou admits he
should have known better. But when the
FBI called him a year ago and invited him
to stop by and "help us with a case," he
did not hesitate.
In his years as a CIA operative, after all,
Kiriakou had worked closely with FBI
agents overseas. Just months earlier, he
had reported to the bureau a recruiting
attempt by someone he believed to be
an Asian spy.
"Anything for the FBI," Kiriakou replied.
Only an hour into what began as a relaxed
chat with the two agents did he begin to
realize just who was the target of their
investigation.
Finally, the older agent leaned in close
and said, by Kiriakou's recollection, "In
the interest of full disclosure, I should tell
you that right now we're executing a
search warrant at your house and seizing
your electronic devices."
On Jan. 25, Kiriakou is scheduled to be
sentenced to 30 months in prison as part
of a plea deal in which he admitted
violating the Intelligence Identities
Protection Act by emailing the name of a
covert CIA officer to a freelance reporter,
who did not publish it. The law was
passed in 1982, aimed at radical
publications that deliberately sought to
out undercover agents, exposing their
secret work and endangering their lives.
In more than six decades of fraught
interaction between the agency and the
news media, John Kiriakou is the first
current or former CIA officer to be
convicted of disclosing classified
information to a reporter.
Kiriakou, 48, earned numerous
commendations in nearly 15 years at the
CIA, some of which were spent
undercover overseas chasing al-Qaida and
other terrorist groups. He led the team in
2002 that found Abu Zubaydah, a terrorist
logistics specialist for al-Qaida, and other
militants whose capture in Pakistan was
hailed as a notable victory after the Sept.
11 attacks.
He got mixed reviews at the agency,
which he left in 2004 for a consulting job.
Some praised his skills, first as an analyst
and then as an overseas operative; others
considered him a loose cannon.
Kiriakou first stumbled into the public
limelight by speaking out about
waterboarding on
television in 2007, quickly becoming a
source for national security journalists,
including this reporter, who turned up in
Kiriakou's indictment last year as
Journalist B. When he gave the covert
officer's name to the freelancer, he said,
he was simply trying to help a writer find
a potential source and had no intention or
expectation that the name would ever
become public.
In fact, it did not surface publicly until
long after Kiriakou was charged.
He is remorseful, up to a point. "I should
never have provided the name," he said
Friday in the latest of a series of
interviews. "I regret doing it, and I never
will do it again."
At the same time, he argues, with the
backing of some former agency colleagues,
that the case - one of an unprecedented
string of six prosecutions under President
Barack Obama for leaking information to
the news media - was unfair and ill-
advised as public policy.
His supporters are an unlikely collection
of old friends, former spies, left-leaning
critics of the government and
conservative Christian opponents of
torture. Oliver Stone sent a message of
encouragement, as did several professors
at Liberty University, where Kiriakou has
taught.
Whatever his loquaciousness with
journalists, they say, he neither intended
to damage national security nor did so.
The leak prosecutions have been lauded
on Capitol Hill as a long-overdue response
to a rash of dangerous disclosures and
defended by both Obama and his
attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr.
Neil H. MacBride, the U.S. attorney for
the Eastern District of Virginia, hailed
Kiriakou's conviction in a statement,
saying: "The government has a vital
interest in protecting the identities of
those involved in covert operations.
Leaks of highly sensitive, closely held and
classified information compromise
national security and can put individual
lives in danger."
The leak case is a devastating turn for
Kiriakou, a father of five who considers
himself a patriot, a proud Greek-American
from Pennsylvania steel country.
After he was charged last January, his
wife, though accused of no wrongdoing,
resigned under pressure from her CIA job
as a top Iran specialist. The family had to
go on food stamps for several months
before she got a new job outside the
government. To make ends meet, they
rented out their spacious Arlington, Va.,
house and moved to a rented bungalow a
third the size with their three young
children (he has two older children from
his first marriage).
Their financial woes were complicated by
Kiriakou's legal fees. He said he had paid
his defense lawyers more than $100,000
and still owed them $500,000; the
specter of additional, bankrupting legal
fees, along with the risk of a far longer
prison term that could separate him from
his wife and children for a decade or
more, prompted him to take the plea
offer, he said.
After Kiriakou first appeared on ABC,
talking with Brian Ross in some detail
about waterboarding, many Washington
reporters sought him out. I was among
them. He was the first CIA officer to
speak about the procedure, considered a
notorious torture method since the
Inquisition but declared legal by the
Justice Department in secret opinions
that were later withdrawn.
Kiriakou, who has given The New York
Times permission to describe previously
confidential conversations, came across as
friendly, courteous, disarmingly candid -
and deeply ambivalent about what the
CIA called "enhanced interrogation
techniques."
Kiriakou seemed shellshocked, and
perhaps a little intoxicated, by the flood
of publicity his remarks on ABC had
received and the dozens of interview
requests coming his way. We met for
lunch a couple of times in Washington and
spoke by phone occasionally. He
recounted his experiences in Pakistan -
the CIA later allowed him to include
much of that material in his 2009 memoir,
"The Reluctant Spy."
From court documents and interviews, it
is possible to piece together how the
case against Kiriakou took shape. When
he first spoke on ABC in 2007, the CIA
sent the Justice Department a so-called
"crimes report" - a routine step to alert
law enforcement officials to an apparent
unauthorized disclosure of classified
information. At least half a dozen more
referrals went to Justice as he continued
to grant interviews covering similar
ground.
Then, in 2009, officials were alarmed to
discover that defense lawyers for
detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had
obtained names and photographs of CIA
interrogators and other counterterrorism
officers, including some who were still
under cover. It turned out that the
lawyers, working under the name of the
John Adams Project, wanted to call the
CIA officers as witnesses in future military
trials, perhaps to substantiate accounts of
torture or harsh treatment. But initial
fears that al-Qaida might somehow be
able to stalk their previous captors drew
widespread coverage. FBI agents
discovered that a human rights advocate
hired by the John Adams Project, John
Sifton, had compiled a dossier of
photographs and names of the CIA
officers; Sifton had exchanged emails with
journalists, including Matthew A. Cole, a
freelancer then working on a book about a
CIA rendition case in Italy that had gone
awry; and Cole had exchanged emails
with Kiriakou. The FBI used search
warrants to obtain access to Kiriakou's
two personal email accounts.
According to court documents, FBI agents
discovered that in August 2008, Cole -
identified as Journalist A in the charging
documents - had asked Kiriakou if he
knew the name of a covert officer who
had a supervisory role in the rendition
program, which involved capturing
terrorist suspects and delivering them to
prison in other countries.
Kiriakou at first said he did not recall the
name, but followed up the next day with
an email passing on the name. (Sifton,
Cole and federal prosecutors all declined
to comment.)
Kiriakou and his wife, Heather, struggled
with how to explain to the children that
he is going away, probably in mid-
February. They settled on telling the
children that "Daddy lost a big fight with
the FBI" and would have to live
elsewhere for a while. Max cried at the
news, Kiriakou said. He cried again after
calculating that his birthday would fall on
a weekday, so it would be impossible to
make the trip to prison to share the
celebration with his father.
should have known better. But when the
FBI called him a year ago and invited him
to stop by and "help us with a case," he
did not hesitate.
In his years as a CIA operative, after all,
Kiriakou had worked closely with FBI
agents overseas. Just months earlier, he
had reported to the bureau a recruiting
attempt by someone he believed to be
an Asian spy.
"Anything for the FBI," Kiriakou replied.
Only an hour into what began as a relaxed
chat with the two agents did he begin to
realize just who was the target of their
investigation.
Finally, the older agent leaned in close
and said, by Kiriakou's recollection, "In
the interest of full disclosure, I should tell
you that right now we're executing a
search warrant at your house and seizing
your electronic devices."
On Jan. 25, Kiriakou is scheduled to be
sentenced to 30 months in prison as part
of a plea deal in which he admitted
violating the Intelligence Identities
Protection Act by emailing the name of a
covert CIA officer to a freelance reporter,
who did not publish it. The law was
passed in 1982, aimed at radical
publications that deliberately sought to
out undercover agents, exposing their
secret work and endangering their lives.
In more than six decades of fraught
interaction between the agency and the
news media, John Kiriakou is the first
current or former CIA officer to be
convicted of disclosing classified
information to a reporter.
Kiriakou, 48, earned numerous
commendations in nearly 15 years at the
CIA, some of which were spent
undercover overseas chasing al-Qaida and
other terrorist groups. He led the team in
2002 that found Abu Zubaydah, a terrorist
logistics specialist for al-Qaida, and other
militants whose capture in Pakistan was
hailed as a notable victory after the Sept.
11 attacks.
He got mixed reviews at the agency,
which he left in 2004 for a consulting job.
Some praised his skills, first as an analyst
and then as an overseas operative; others
considered him a loose cannon.
Kiriakou first stumbled into the public
limelight by speaking out about
waterboarding on
television in 2007, quickly becoming a
source for national security journalists,
including this reporter, who turned up in
Kiriakou's indictment last year as
Journalist B. When he gave the covert
officer's name to the freelancer, he said,
he was simply trying to help a writer find
a potential source and had no intention or
expectation that the name would ever
become public.
In fact, it did not surface publicly until
long after Kiriakou was charged.
He is remorseful, up to a point. "I should
never have provided the name," he said
Friday in the latest of a series of
interviews. "I regret doing it, and I never
will do it again."
At the same time, he argues, with the
backing of some former agency colleagues,
that the case - one of an unprecedented
string of six prosecutions under President
Barack Obama for leaking information to
the news media - was unfair and ill-
advised as public policy.
His supporters are an unlikely collection
of old friends, former spies, left-leaning
critics of the government and
conservative Christian opponents of
torture. Oliver Stone sent a message of
encouragement, as did several professors
at Liberty University, where Kiriakou has
taught.
Whatever his loquaciousness with
journalists, they say, he neither intended
to damage national security nor did so.
The leak prosecutions have been lauded
on Capitol Hill as a long-overdue response
to a rash of dangerous disclosures and
defended by both Obama and his
attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr.
Neil H. MacBride, the U.S. attorney for
the Eastern District of Virginia, hailed
Kiriakou's conviction in a statement,
saying: "The government has a vital
interest in protecting the identities of
those involved in covert operations.
Leaks of highly sensitive, closely held and
classified information compromise
national security and can put individual
lives in danger."
The leak case is a devastating turn for
Kiriakou, a father of five who considers
himself a patriot, a proud Greek-American
from Pennsylvania steel country.
After he was charged last January, his
wife, though accused of no wrongdoing,
resigned under pressure from her CIA job
as a top Iran specialist. The family had to
go on food stamps for several months
before she got a new job outside the
government. To make ends meet, they
rented out their spacious Arlington, Va.,
house and moved to a rented bungalow a
third the size with their three young
children (he has two older children from
his first marriage).
Their financial woes were complicated by
Kiriakou's legal fees. He said he had paid
his defense lawyers more than $100,000
and still owed them $500,000; the
specter of additional, bankrupting legal
fees, along with the risk of a far longer
prison term that could separate him from
his wife and children for a decade or
more, prompted him to take the plea
offer, he said.
After Kiriakou first appeared on ABC,
talking with Brian Ross in some detail
about waterboarding, many Washington
reporters sought him out. I was among
them. He was the first CIA officer to
speak about the procedure, considered a
notorious torture method since the
Inquisition but declared legal by the
Justice Department in secret opinions
that were later withdrawn.
Kiriakou, who has given The New York
Times permission to describe previously
confidential conversations, came across as
friendly, courteous, disarmingly candid -
and deeply ambivalent about what the
CIA called "enhanced interrogation
techniques."
Kiriakou seemed shellshocked, and
perhaps a little intoxicated, by the flood
of publicity his remarks on ABC had
received and the dozens of interview
requests coming his way. We met for
lunch a couple of times in Washington and
spoke by phone occasionally. He
recounted his experiences in Pakistan -
the CIA later allowed him to include
much of that material in his 2009 memoir,
"The Reluctant Spy."
From court documents and interviews, it
is possible to piece together how the
case against Kiriakou took shape. When
he first spoke on ABC in 2007, the CIA
sent the Justice Department a so-called
"crimes report" - a routine step to alert
law enforcement officials to an apparent
unauthorized disclosure of classified
information. At least half a dozen more
referrals went to Justice as he continued
to grant interviews covering similar
ground.
Then, in 2009, officials were alarmed to
discover that defense lawyers for
detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had
obtained names and photographs of CIA
interrogators and other counterterrorism
officers, including some who were still
under cover. It turned out that the
lawyers, working under the name of the
John Adams Project, wanted to call the
CIA officers as witnesses in future military
trials, perhaps to substantiate accounts of
torture or harsh treatment. But initial
fears that al-Qaida might somehow be
able to stalk their previous captors drew
widespread coverage. FBI agents
discovered that a human rights advocate
hired by the John Adams Project, John
Sifton, had compiled a dossier of
photographs and names of the CIA
officers; Sifton had exchanged emails with
journalists, including Matthew A. Cole, a
freelancer then working on a book about a
CIA rendition case in Italy that had gone
awry; and Cole had exchanged emails
with Kiriakou. The FBI used search
warrants to obtain access to Kiriakou's
two personal email accounts.
According to court documents, FBI agents
discovered that in August 2008, Cole -
identified as Journalist A in the charging
documents - had asked Kiriakou if he
knew the name of a covert officer who
had a supervisory role in the rendition
program, which involved capturing
terrorist suspects and delivering them to
prison in other countries.
Kiriakou at first said he did not recall the
name, but followed up the next day with
an email passing on the name. (Sifton,
Cole and federal prosecutors all declined
to comment.)
Kiriakou and his wife, Heather, struggled
with how to explain to the children that
he is going away, probably in mid-
February. They settled on telling the
children that "Daddy lost a big fight with
the FBI" and would have to live
elsewhere for a while. Max cried at the
news, Kiriakou said. He cried again after
calculating that his birthday would fall on
a weekday, so it would be impossible to
make the trip to prison to share the
celebration with his father.
Four dead after six hour police standoff at a Colorado home
A gunman barricaded inside his Colorado
home fired shots at police from a second-
story window before he was killed as
police officers stormed the home
Saturday. Once inside, they found the
bodies of three other adults, authorities
said.
The suspect, whose name was withheld
by police, held officers at bay for nearly
six hours after neighbors reported gunfire
at 3 a.m. inside the modest townhome in
the Denver suburb of Aurora, said police
Sgt. Cassidee Carlson. It wasn't known if
officers shot the suspect or if he shot
himself.
Investigators said two men and a woman
appeared to have been killed before
officers arrived.
The shootings occurred about four miles
(6.4 kilometers) southeast of the Aurora
Mall, where 12 people were killed and
dozens were wounded by a gunman at a
midnight showing of the Batman film,
"The Dark Knight Rises," on July 20. The
man charged in that shooting, James
Holmes, goes to court Monday for a
preliminary hearing in which prosecutors
will present their case against him.
In the latest incident, the suspect shot at
police who approached the front of the
home with an armored vehicle and fired
tear gas around 8:15 a.m. He was killed
when he fired at officers from the second-
story window about 45 minutes later,
Carlson said.
"After we arrived on scene, there were no
more shots fired up until he fired at us,"
Carlson said. "During this time he was all
over the house. He moved furniture. He
was throwing things. He was agitated. He
was irrational."
A large front window was missing in the
two-story townhome, the window's mini-
blinds in disarray. Bullet holes marked
two upstairs windows, and neighbors
milled about outside.
A fifth person escaped unharmed and
called police to report that she saw three
people inside the home who "appeared
lifeless," said Carlson, who declined to
elaborate about the woman's escape.
A motive for the killings was unknown,
and police had yet to say what weapon or
weapons were used. Investigators
wearing gloves and carrying evidence bags
were going over the crime scene.
Police declined to release the victims'
names.
"We have an idea of who they are, but we
obviously want to confirm their identities
with the coroner," said Carlson, who
declined to release the relationship
between the victims and the shooter.
Officers evacuated neighbors' homes
during the standoff and used a bullhorn
to communicate with the gunman, urging
him to surrender.
Next-door neighbor Melissa Wright, a
nurse who treated victims of the July
movie theater shootings in Aurora, said
she was in her second-floor bedroom
when she saw the gunman start shooting
from his own bedroom window. She said
she didn't know what he was shooting at,
and that she quickly dropped to the floor.
"I hit the ground pretty fast," Wright said.
Wright said she slid on her belly to the
first floor of her home and told police
what she saw upstairs. Officers quickly
entered her home.
Wright said she knew the gunman as
Sonny Archuleta - a name used by police
officers trying to negotiate with the man
with the bullhorn. Wright said the
townhome may have been inhabited by
the gunman, the gunman's wife, her
father and another man.
The July movie theater shootings
prompted Colorado Gov. John
Hickenlooper - just before the Newtown,
Connecticut, elementary school massacre
- to say it is time to debate gun control.
It's expected to be a heated topic at the
Colorado Legislature this year.
Aurora, just east of Denver, is one of
Colorado's largest and most diverse cities
with more than 335,000 residents. It is
home to Buckley Air Force Base as well as
the sprawling University of Colorado
Health Sciences Center campus, where
James Holmes studied neuroscience
before the movie theater shootings.
home fired shots at police from a second-
story window before he was killed as
police officers stormed the home
Saturday. Once inside, they found the
bodies of three other adults, authorities
said.
The suspect, whose name was withheld
by police, held officers at bay for nearly
six hours after neighbors reported gunfire
at 3 a.m. inside the modest townhome in
the Denver suburb of Aurora, said police
Sgt. Cassidee Carlson. It wasn't known if
officers shot the suspect or if he shot
himself.
Investigators said two men and a woman
appeared to have been killed before
officers arrived.
The shootings occurred about four miles
(6.4 kilometers) southeast of the Aurora
Mall, where 12 people were killed and
dozens were wounded by a gunman at a
midnight showing of the Batman film,
"The Dark Knight Rises," on July 20. The
man charged in that shooting, James
Holmes, goes to court Monday for a
preliminary hearing in which prosecutors
will present their case against him.
In the latest incident, the suspect shot at
police who approached the front of the
home with an armored vehicle and fired
tear gas around 8:15 a.m. He was killed
when he fired at officers from the second-
story window about 45 minutes later,
Carlson said.
"After we arrived on scene, there were no
more shots fired up until he fired at us,"
Carlson said. "During this time he was all
over the house. He moved furniture. He
was throwing things. He was agitated. He
was irrational."
A large front window was missing in the
two-story townhome, the window's mini-
blinds in disarray. Bullet holes marked
two upstairs windows, and neighbors
milled about outside.
A fifth person escaped unharmed and
called police to report that she saw three
people inside the home who "appeared
lifeless," said Carlson, who declined to
elaborate about the woman's escape.
A motive for the killings was unknown,
and police had yet to say what weapon or
weapons were used. Investigators
wearing gloves and carrying evidence bags
were going over the crime scene.
Police declined to release the victims'
names.
"We have an idea of who they are, but we
obviously want to confirm their identities
with the coroner," said Carlson, who
declined to release the relationship
between the victims and the shooter.
Officers evacuated neighbors' homes
during the standoff and used a bullhorn
to communicate with the gunman, urging
him to surrender.
Next-door neighbor Melissa Wright, a
nurse who treated victims of the July
movie theater shootings in Aurora, said
she was in her second-floor bedroom
when she saw the gunman start shooting
from his own bedroom window. She said
she didn't know what he was shooting at,
and that she quickly dropped to the floor.
"I hit the ground pretty fast," Wright said.
Wright said she slid on her belly to the
first floor of her home and told police
what she saw upstairs. Officers quickly
entered her home.
Wright said she knew the gunman as
Sonny Archuleta - a name used by police
officers trying to negotiate with the man
with the bullhorn. Wright said the
townhome may have been inhabited by
the gunman, the gunman's wife, her
father and another man.
The July movie theater shootings
prompted Colorado Gov. John
Hickenlooper - just before the Newtown,
Connecticut, elementary school massacre
- to say it is time to debate gun control.
It's expected to be a heated topic at the
Colorado Legislature this year.
Aurora, just east of Denver, is one of
Colorado's largest and most diverse cities
with more than 335,000 residents. It is
home to Buckley Air Force Base as well as
the sprawling University of Colorado
Health Sciences Center campus, where
James Holmes studied neuroscience
before the movie theater shootings.
Mahindra forays into motorcycle segment, unveils two 110 cc models
Domestic auto-maker Mahindra has
forayed into the motorcycle segment with
two 110 cc models.
Mahindra 2 Wheelers Ltd, part of the
Mahindra group, unveiled two new
motorcycles - Centuro and Pantero - at a
function last evening.
"Pantero should be out in the next couple
of weeks and Centuro a few weeks
thereafter," said Anoop Mathur, president
- two wheeler sector and member of the
group executive board, Mahindra and
Mahindra Ltd.
Mr Mathur, however, did not disclose the
prices. Designed completely in-house at
the Mahindra R&D Centre in Pune and
powered by the MCi-5 engine
manufactured at the company's
Pithampur facility in Madhya Pradesh, the
motorcycle models possess intelligent
and class-defining features targeted at
distinct consumer segments, the company
said.
The company has invested Rs 100 crore in
the research and development of the
products but "it is difficult to give total
investment in product development as
there is a lot of common platform
sharing", Mr Mathur said.
forayed into the motorcycle segment with
two 110 cc models.
Mahindra 2 Wheelers Ltd, part of the
Mahindra group, unveiled two new
motorcycles - Centuro and Pantero - at a
function last evening.
"Pantero should be out in the next couple
of weeks and Centuro a few weeks
thereafter," said Anoop Mathur, president
- two wheeler sector and member of the
group executive board, Mahindra and
Mahindra Ltd.
Mr Mathur, however, did not disclose the
prices. Designed completely in-house at
the Mahindra R&D Centre in Pune and
powered by the MCi-5 engine
manufactured at the company's
Pithampur facility in Madhya Pradesh, the
motorcycle models possess intelligent
and class-defining features targeted at
distinct consumer segments, the company
said.
The company has invested Rs 100 crore in
the research and development of the
products but "it is difficult to give total
investment in product development as
there is a lot of common platform
sharing", Mr Mathur said.
Four shot dead near scene of US cinema massacre
A gunman killed three people before
police killed him in turn on Saturday in a
shooting in a house in Aurora, Colorado,
scene earlier this year of a massacre in a
cinema, local media reported.
NBC television's local affiliate KUSA
reported that police had said that one
survivor escaped from the house, where
an "armed and dangerous" man had
earlier barricaded himself inside with
hostages.
Aurora made global headlines in July after
a horrific shooting at a movie theater that
left 12 people dead and 58 others
wounded during the first midnight
screening of the latest Batman film, "The
Dark Knight Rises."
On Saturday, several homes were
evacuated and roads were closed for
safety reasons before the gunman was
shot by police, according to KUSA.
Earlier, while the siege was still ongoing,
local police officer Sergeant Cassidee
Carlson had told the station: "We've been
able to contact him intermittently... We
haven't been able to keep contact with
him."
The Aurora cinema shooting revived
America's perennial gun control debate, a
dispute that only intensified last month
when a gunman attacked a Connecticut
elementary school and killed 20 young
children and six staff members.
police killed him in turn on Saturday in a
shooting in a house in Aurora, Colorado,
scene earlier this year of a massacre in a
cinema, local media reported.
NBC television's local affiliate KUSA
reported that police had said that one
survivor escaped from the house, where
an "armed and dangerous" man had
earlier barricaded himself inside with
hostages.
Aurora made global headlines in July after
a horrific shooting at a movie theater that
left 12 people dead and 58 others
wounded during the first midnight
screening of the latest Batman film, "The
Dark Knight Rises."
On Saturday, several homes were
evacuated and roads were closed for
safety reasons before the gunman was
shot by police, according to KUSA.
Earlier, while the siege was still ongoing,
local police officer Sergeant Cassidee
Carlson had told the station: "We've been
able to contact him intermittently... We
haven't been able to keep contact with
him."
The Aurora cinema shooting revived
America's perennial gun control debate, a
dispute that only intensified last month
when a gunman attacked a Connecticut
elementary school and killed 20 young
children and six staff members.
Genelia D'Souza is face of husband Riteish Deshmukh's cricket team
Many eyebrows were raised when news
emerged that Riteish Deshmukh had
purchased a celebrity cricket team.
However, it is not much of a surprise to
hear that the actor has chosen his
actress-wife Genelia D'souza to be the
face of his team.
Previously, Riteish was an active player in
Sohail Khan's team. A source says, "Now
Riteish has big plans for his own team. He
has already produced his first Marathi film
and is soon going to do his second
production."
The actor says, "Yes, Genelia is the brand
ambassador. In fact, she has even
designed the look of the team. She is part
of my life as well as my work."
emerged that Riteish Deshmukh had
purchased a celebrity cricket team.
However, it is not much of a surprise to
hear that the actor has chosen his
actress-wife Genelia D'souza to be the
face of his team.
Previously, Riteish was an active player in
Sohail Khan's team. A source says, "Now
Riteish has big plans for his own team. He
has already produced his first Marathi film
and is soon going to do his second
production."
The actor says, "Yes, Genelia is the brand
ambassador. In fact, she has even
designed the look of the team. She is part
of my life as well as my work."
Harbhajan Singh eyes a comeback to the national squad
Out-of-favour India off-spinner and
Punjab skipper Harbhajan Singh on
Saturday said he is determined to perform
in the upcoming Ranji Trophy quarterfinal
clash against Jharkhand and stage a
comeback to the national side for the
one-day series against England.
"I'll put my best in the quarter final
match against Jharkhand and try to return
to the Indian team," the 32-year-old
cricketer said on the sidelines of his
team's practice session at Keenan stadium
here.
Harbhajan, however, refused to comment
on the recent performances of the Indian
team in the ongoing ODI series against
Pakistan.
Asked about the possibility of a come
back to the Indian team for the
forthcoming limited-over series against
England, to be decided tomorrow, Singh
said his responsibility would be to
perform in the Ranji match against
Jharkhand.
"I have come here to play cricket and my
responsibility is to perform to my best,"
he said.
"I am looking forward to tomorrow's
match against Jharkhand, which is an
important match for either of the team to
move forward," he added.
"We have been performing well and
reached this stage. We'll have to keep
the momentum and did not want to take
the host team lightly," he said.
Asked about the home team, Singh said
he knew some of the players such as in-
form left-handed batsmen Saurabh Tiwary
and Ishank Jaggi.
"Tiwary belonged to Mumbai Indian team
in the IPL, while I played against Jaggi.
They are good cricketers," he said.
Punjab skipper Harbhajan Singh on
Saturday said he is determined to perform
in the upcoming Ranji Trophy quarterfinal
clash against Jharkhand and stage a
comeback to the national side for the
one-day series against England.
"I'll put my best in the quarter final
match against Jharkhand and try to return
to the Indian team," the 32-year-old
cricketer said on the sidelines of his
team's practice session at Keenan stadium
here.
Harbhajan, however, refused to comment
on the recent performances of the Indian
team in the ongoing ODI series against
Pakistan.
Asked about the possibility of a come
back to the Indian team for the
forthcoming limited-over series against
England, to be decided tomorrow, Singh
said his responsibility would be to
perform in the Ranji match against
Jharkhand.
"I have come here to play cricket and my
responsibility is to perform to my best,"
he said.
"I am looking forward to tomorrow's
match against Jharkhand, which is an
important match for either of the team to
move forward," he added.
"We have been performing well and
reached this stage. We'll have to keep
the momentum and did not want to take
the host team lightly," he said.
Asked about the home team, Singh said
he knew some of the players such as in-
form left-handed batsmen Saurabh Tiwary
and Ishank Jaggi.
"Tiwary belonged to Mumbai Indian team
in the IPL, while I played against Jaggi.
They are good cricketers," he said.
Traffic advisory for India-Pakistan match
The Delhi Police has issued a traffic
advisory for the third India-Pakistan One-
day International at Ferozeshah Kotla on
Sunday, asking match-goers to park only
in designated areas and saying the public
should avoid the roads around the area,
an official said.
"There is very limited parking for labelled
vehicles in the proximity of the stadium.
There is no parking for general vehicles in
the proximity of the stadium," said Joint
Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra
Garg on Saturday.
"No vehicle shall be allowed to be parked
on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg and Jawaharlal
Nehru Marg near the stadium," he said.
Spectators can park their vehicles at Mata
Sundari and Shanti Van parking in the
central Delhi.
Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and
Delhi and District Cricket Association
(DDCA) will run special ferry service from
Pragati Maidan and New Delhi Metro
Stations for spectators.
General public is advised to avoid Rajghat
to J.L.N. Marg, Kamla Market to Raj Ghat,
Turkman Gate to Delhi Gate and Ram
Charan Agarwal Chowk to Delhi Gate
during the match.
For security reasons, electronic items like
laptop, camera, transistor, digital diary,
remote controlled car-keys are not
allowed.
Spectators are also advised not to bring
food packets, water bottles, cigarette
lighter, match boxes and knives.
advisory for the third India-Pakistan One-
day International at Ferozeshah Kotla on
Sunday, asking match-goers to park only
in designated areas and saying the public
should avoid the roads around the area,
an official said.
"There is very limited parking for labelled
vehicles in the proximity of the stadium.
There is no parking for general vehicles in
the proximity of the stadium," said Joint
Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satyendra
Garg on Saturday.
"No vehicle shall be allowed to be parked
on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg and Jawaharlal
Nehru Marg near the stadium," he said.
Spectators can park their vehicles at Mata
Sundari and Shanti Van parking in the
central Delhi.
Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and
Delhi and District Cricket Association
(DDCA) will run special ferry service from
Pragati Maidan and New Delhi Metro
Stations for spectators.
General public is advised to avoid Rajghat
to J.L.N. Marg, Kamla Market to Raj Ghat,
Turkman Gate to Delhi Gate and Ram
Charan Agarwal Chowk to Delhi Gate
during the match.
For security reasons, electronic items like
laptop, camera, transistor, digital diary,
remote controlled car-keys are not
allowed.
Spectators are also advised not to bring
food packets, water bottles, cigarette
lighter, match boxes and knives.
Sachin Tendulkar is a step ahead of Sir Donald Bradman, feels Hanif Mohammad
Legendary Pakistan batsman Hanif
Mohammad feels that Sachin Tendulkar is
"a step ahead of Don Bradman" when it
comes to batsmanship.
"Whatever Sachin has achieved on cricket
field is remarkable. For many, Bradman is
the greatest to have ever graced the
cricket field but for me Tendulkar is even
a step ahead of Sir Don in terms of
cricketing achievements," Hanif told
mediapersons here on Saturday.
Hanif, who once held the world record for
highest score in Tests, is however not
happy about the timing of Tendulkar's
retirement.
"Sachin's retirement has affected the
team badly. Sachin announcing his
retirement just a day before the
commencement of Indo-Pak series
surprised many including me. It was a
wrong decision," 78-year-old Hanif, who
had made his Test debut at the Kotla six
decades back, stated.
Hanif feels that something must be wrong
although he is unaware as to what
prompted Tendulkar to take such a
decision.
"There was something which prompted
him to announce his retirement from the
ODI cricket but we don't know what were
the circumstances. The timing of his
decision was not correct."
Hanif, who is one of the four brothers,
who has played Test cricket for Pakistan,
also defender India's under-fire skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"Dhoni as a captain has done a lot for
Indian cricket. He has also improved as a
batsman. There is nothing wrong in his
captaincy. It's a different thing that team
is losing the matches. Winning and losing
is part of the game," he said.
Hanif picked Pakistan's bowling attack as a
main difference between the two sides.
"Our team has a good combination. We
have a good bowling attack and the team
has also clicked as a batting unit. The
team spirit is quite evident when the
players take the field. Our bowling attack
has performed to the level," he said.
Mohammad feels that Sachin Tendulkar is
"a step ahead of Don Bradman" when it
comes to batsmanship.
"Whatever Sachin has achieved on cricket
field is remarkable. For many, Bradman is
the greatest to have ever graced the
cricket field but for me Tendulkar is even
a step ahead of Sir Don in terms of
cricketing achievements," Hanif told
mediapersons here on Saturday.
Hanif, who once held the world record for
highest score in Tests, is however not
happy about the timing of Tendulkar's
retirement.
"Sachin's retirement has affected the
team badly. Sachin announcing his
retirement just a day before the
commencement of Indo-Pak series
surprised many including me. It was a
wrong decision," 78-year-old Hanif, who
had made his Test debut at the Kotla six
decades back, stated.
Hanif feels that something must be wrong
although he is unaware as to what
prompted Tendulkar to take such a
decision.
"There was something which prompted
him to announce his retirement from the
ODI cricket but we don't know what were
the circumstances. The timing of his
decision was not correct."
Hanif, who is one of the four brothers,
who has played Test cricket for Pakistan,
also defender India's under-fire skipper
Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"Dhoni as a captain has done a lot for
Indian cricket. He has also improved as a
batsman. There is nothing wrong in his
captaincy. It's a different thing that team
is losing the matches. Winning and losing
is part of the game," he said.
Hanif picked Pakistan's bowling attack as a
main difference between the two sides.
"Our team has a good combination. We
have a good bowling attack and the team
has also clicked as a batting unit. The
team spirit is quite evident when the
players take the field. Our bowling attack
has performed to the level," he said.
C Rangarajan for higher taxes for super rich
Pitching for higher rates of taxes for super
rich, Prime Minister's economic advisor C
Rangarajan today said that the
forthcoming budget could look at
imposing surcharge on income above a
threshold.
"... one need not disturb the structure of
income tax system as it is now. But add a
surcharge for income above particular
level. I believe as we go along, we need
to raise more revenues and the people
with larger incomes must be willing to
contribute more," he told reporters on
the sidelines of Financial Inclusion Day
seminar.
His suggestion comes ahead of the
Budget for 2013-14 for which Finance
Minister P Chidambaram has started
consultations with different interest
groups.
India taxes income at three rates - 10 per
cent, 20 per cent and 30 per cent. These
rates were fixed in 1997 by then Finance
Minister P Chidambaram.
Interestingly, recently at a lecture to
honour Raja Chelliah, Chidambaram had
called for a debate on the need of
inheritance tax in India, wondering if the
country had paid enough attention to
accumulation of wealth in the hands of a
few.
Earlier this week, the US Congress voted
for raising taxes on rich Americans, as part
of resolutions of crisis over the so-called
fiscal cliff. The US legislation raises taxes
on individual earning more than USD
400,000 per year, and on couple earning
more than USD 450,000.
The veteran economist, a former RBI
governor, also stressed on fiscal discipline
to promote growth.
"We need to bring down the fiscal deficit
over next few years. For this purpose, we
need to act on expenditure side and as
well as revenue side. On the expenditure
side, we must focus on how to prune the
subsidies and reduce them as a
proportion of GDP," Mr Rangarajan said.
rich, Prime Minister's economic advisor C
Rangarajan today said that the
forthcoming budget could look at
imposing surcharge on income above a
threshold.
"... one need not disturb the structure of
income tax system as it is now. But add a
surcharge for income above particular
level. I believe as we go along, we need
to raise more revenues and the people
with larger incomes must be willing to
contribute more," he told reporters on
the sidelines of Financial Inclusion Day
seminar.
His suggestion comes ahead of the
Budget for 2013-14 for which Finance
Minister P Chidambaram has started
consultations with different interest
groups.
India taxes income at three rates - 10 per
cent, 20 per cent and 30 per cent. These
rates were fixed in 1997 by then Finance
Minister P Chidambaram.
Interestingly, recently at a lecture to
honour Raja Chelliah, Chidambaram had
called for a debate on the need of
inheritance tax in India, wondering if the
country had paid enough attention to
accumulation of wealth in the hands of a
few.
Earlier this week, the US Congress voted
for raising taxes on rich Americans, as part
of resolutions of crisis over the so-called
fiscal cliff. The US legislation raises taxes
on individual earning more than USD
400,000 per year, and on couple earning
more than USD 450,000.
The veteran economist, a former RBI
governor, also stressed on fiscal discipline
to promote growth.
"We need to bring down the fiscal deficit
over next few years. For this purpose, we
need to act on expenditure side and as
well as revenue side. On the expenditure
side, we must focus on how to prune the
subsidies and reduce them as a
proportion of GDP," Mr Rangarajan said.
Vodafone gets reminder on USD2 billion tax dues
British telecommunications carrier
Vodafone Group Plc said on Saturday it
has received a reminder from Indian tax
authorities on disputed tax dues over its
2007 acquisition of Indian mobile assets.
Vodafone, the world's biggest mobile
operator by revenue, said in a statement
the reminder does not include a deadline
for payment.
"Vodafone has replied to this reminder,
stating that it continues to believe that
no tax is payable on the above
transaction," the statement said.
Britain-based Vodafone, the largest
overseas corporate investor in India, has
repeatedly clashed with Indian authorities
over a string of tax and regulatory issues
since it bought into the country in 2007.
A year ago, the Supreme Court ruled in
favour of Vodafone in a five-year, $2
billion battle with Indian tax authorities
arising from its acquisition of Hutchison
Whampoa's Indian mobile business.
The government later amended 50-year-
old tax laws enabling it to make
retroactive tax claims on long-concluded
corporate deals.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up a
panel to review the changes after global
business groups criticised the move. The
panel has recommended that the law to
tax deals retrospectively should be
scrapped, but the government is yet to
make a final decision.
Earlier on Saturday, an Indian newspaper
reported that tax authorities had asked
Vodafone to pay 140 billion rupees,
including interest on the tax dues.
Last April, Vodafone threatened the
Indian government with arbitration
proceedings in its fight over the
retrospective tax proposal.
Vodafone Group Plc said on Saturday it
has received a reminder from Indian tax
authorities on disputed tax dues over its
2007 acquisition of Indian mobile assets.
Vodafone, the world's biggest mobile
operator by revenue, said in a statement
the reminder does not include a deadline
for payment.
"Vodafone has replied to this reminder,
stating that it continues to believe that
no tax is payable on the above
transaction," the statement said.
Britain-based Vodafone, the largest
overseas corporate investor in India, has
repeatedly clashed with Indian authorities
over a string of tax and regulatory issues
since it bought into the country in 2007.
A year ago, the Supreme Court ruled in
favour of Vodafone in a five-year, $2
billion battle with Indian tax authorities
arising from its acquisition of Hutchison
Whampoa's Indian mobile business.
The government later amended 50-year-
old tax laws enabling it to make
retroactive tax claims on long-concluded
corporate deals.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set up a
panel to review the changes after global
business groups criticised the move. The
panel has recommended that the law to
tax deals retrospectively should be
scrapped, but the government is yet to
make a final decision.
Earlier on Saturday, an Indian newspaper
reported that tax authorities had asked
Vodafone to pay 140 billion rupees,
including interest on the tax dues.
Last April, Vodafone threatened the
Indian government with arbitration
proceedings in its fight over the
retrospective tax proposal.
25 Maharashtra fast-track courts only for women cases
The Maharashtra government will
earmark 25 out of 100 fast-track courts
across the state exclusively to deal with
women-related cases, Home Minister
R.R. Patil announced in Mumbai on
Friday.
He said that the Bombay High Court
would be requested to do whatever was
necessary so that women-related cases
can be disposed of quickly and in a
timebound manner.
"The state government will also request
the centre to make laws pertaining to any
type of atrocities on women stricter in
the wake of the recent gang-rape of a
woman in Delhi," Patil assured a
delegation of Nationalist Congress Party
women's wing led by city president Chitra
Wagh.
The delegation members vociferously
demanded that atrocities on women like
molestation or rape should be made non-
bailable offences attracting either life
terms or death penalty.
The home minister said the security of
women, minors and senior citizens would
be given top priority and warned that
offenders would not be spared.
earmark 25 out of 100 fast-track courts
across the state exclusively to deal with
women-related cases, Home Minister
R.R. Patil announced in Mumbai on
Friday.
He said that the Bombay High Court
would be requested to do whatever was
necessary so that women-related cases
can be disposed of quickly and in a
timebound manner.
"The state government will also request
the centre to make laws pertaining to any
type of atrocities on women stricter in
the wake of the recent gang-rape of a
woman in Delhi," Patil assured a
delegation of Nationalist Congress Party
women's wing led by city president Chitra
Wagh.
The delegation members vociferously
demanded that atrocities on women like
molestation or rape should be made non-
bailable offences attracting either life
terms or death penalty.
The home minister said the security of
women, minors and senior citizens would
be given top priority and warned that
offenders would not be spared.
Delhi shivers at 2.9 degrees
The capital got no respite from the bitter
cold as the minimum temperature today
settled at 2.9 degrees Celsius - four
notches below average. The Met office
has forecast a clear day ahead.
"The city was enveloped by the fog in the
morning, but the day will be clear. The
maximum temperature would hover
around 15 degree Celsius," an India
Meteorological Department (IMD) official
said.
Visibility at 8.30 a.m. was 600 metres
and humidity was 94 per cent, the IMD
official said.
Friday's maximum temperature was five
notches below average at 15.7 degree,
while the minimum temperature saw the
season's lowest at 2.7 degrees Celsius -
four notches below average.
cold as the minimum temperature today
settled at 2.9 degrees Celsius - four
notches below average. The Met office
has forecast a clear day ahead.
"The city was enveloped by the fog in the
morning, but the day will be clear. The
maximum temperature would hover
around 15 degree Celsius," an India
Meteorological Department (IMD) official
said.
Visibility at 8.30 a.m. was 600 metres
and humidity was 94 per cent, the IMD
official said.
Friday's maximum temperature was five
notches below average at 15.7 degree,
while the minimum temperature saw the
season's lowest at 2.7 degrees Celsius -
four notches below average.
Actor Sarathkumar collects blankets for people battling cold
The plight of hundreds of homeless
people suffering in freezing cold in Delhi
has struck a chord down south in
Chennai.
Moved by NDTV's efforts to provide them
with blankets, popular actor Sarathkumar
is collecting blankets to be sent to Delhi.
"I'm sad that even people in Kashmir feel
the low temperature. Seeing your scroll
on NDTV I want to do my bit. We shall
collect around 800 to 1000 blankets and
drop them at your office in Chennai or
Delhi," he told NDTV.
The 'Supreme Star' as he is fondly called
also tweeted a few times saying "let us all
donate a blanket to the cold stricken
brethren and families in Delhi".
Another tweet said "no money only
blankets to brave the cold which is 4
degrees in Delhi".
The actor who was an MP in the Rajya
Sabha when he was with the DMK, is now
an elected MLA from Tenkasi in
Tamilnadu and has his own party, All
India Samathuva Makkal Katchi.
To a question on whether India had failed
its people, with many battling biting cold
without a roof over their heads, Mr Sarath
replies saying, "yes we have failed but
with more growth there is also
opportunity and I hope with good
governance and economic development
we could end this inequity".
people suffering in freezing cold in Delhi
has struck a chord down south in
Chennai.
Moved by NDTV's efforts to provide them
with blankets, popular actor Sarathkumar
is collecting blankets to be sent to Delhi.
"I'm sad that even people in Kashmir feel
the low temperature. Seeing your scroll
on NDTV I want to do my bit. We shall
collect around 800 to 1000 blankets and
drop them at your office in Chennai or
Delhi," he told NDTV.
The 'Supreme Star' as he is fondly called
also tweeted a few times saying "let us all
donate a blanket to the cold stricken
brethren and families in Delhi".
Another tweet said "no money only
blankets to brave the cold which is 4
degrees in Delhi".
The actor who was an MP in the Rajya
Sabha when he was with the DMK, is now
an elected MLA from Tenkasi in
Tamilnadu and has his own party, All
India Samathuva Makkal Katchi.
To a question on whether India had failed
its people, with many battling biting cold
without a roof over their heads, Mr Sarath
replies saying, "yes we have failed but
with more growth there is also
opportunity and I hope with good
governance and economic development
we could end this inequity".
21-year-old woman found stripped, dead in Noida
A 21-year-old woman was found stripped
and murdered near her house in Noida
today. The family of the victim, who had
been missing since yesterday night,
suspects that she might have been raped
before being killed.
The woman, a resident of Chotpur colony,
left office - she worked at an export
house located in Sector 65 in Noida - at
around 9 pm and headed home with four
of her female colleagues, according to the
police.
After reaching outside her colony, the
victim's colleagues went their separate
ways while she proceeded towards her
house.
When she did not return till 10 pm,
worried family members began a frantic
search for her and also approached the
cops. But they allege that the police did
not take the matter seriously and refused
to lodge a missing person complaint.
She was finally found this morning, lying
dead and stripped of all clothing, on the
roadside near Pushta area in Sector 63,
with injury marks all over her body.
The victim's body has been sent for post-
mortem.
"An autopsy is being conducted by a panel
of three doctors. Appropriate legal action
would be initiated after the outcome of
the post-mortem report is made known,"
said Praveen Kumar, Senior
Superintendent of Police, Noida.
and murdered near her house in Noida
today. The family of the victim, who had
been missing since yesterday night,
suspects that she might have been raped
before being killed.
The woman, a resident of Chotpur colony,
left office - she worked at an export
house located in Sector 65 in Noida - at
around 9 pm and headed home with four
of her female colleagues, according to the
police.
After reaching outside her colony, the
victim's colleagues went their separate
ways while she proceeded towards her
house.
When she did not return till 10 pm,
worried family members began a frantic
search for her and also approached the
cops. But they allege that the police did
not take the matter seriously and refused
to lodge a missing person complaint.
She was finally found this morning, lying
dead and stripped of all clothing, on the
roadside near Pushta area in Sector 63,
with injury marks all over her body.
The victim's body has been sent for post-
mortem.
"An autopsy is being conducted by a panel
of three doctors. Appropriate legal action
would be initiated after the outcome of
the post-mortem report is made known,"
said Praveen Kumar, Senior
Superintendent of Police, Noida.
Hate speech row: Akbaruddin Owaisi to surrender, announces his brother at rally
Andhra Pradesh politician Akbaruddin
Owaisi, who has been booked in three
different cases for making alleged
inflammatory speeches, will surrender
once he returns from London, his brother,
Asaduddin Owaisi, said in a rally tonight.
"My brother will not run away from the
law," Asaduddin Owaisi, a Member of
Parliament, said at a rally in Old Eidgah at
Tandur, 150 km from Hyderabad.
"We are not against Hindus. We are
against the BJP and Kiran Kumar Reddy,"
he said. Mr Reddy is the Chief Minister of
the Congress government in Andhra
Pradesh. Mr Owaisi's MIM withdrew
support from Mr Reddy's government last
year.
Akbaruddin Owaisi, who is a MIM
legislator, has been booked in two first
information reports for allegedly using
inflammatory language against a particular
community during public speeches last
month. Mr Owaisi was directed to appear
before the police in Adilabad district on
January 7 and in Nizambad town on
January 8.
The legislator from Chandrayangutta is
reportedly in London for treatment.
Owaisi, who has been booked in three
different cases for making alleged
inflammatory speeches, will surrender
once he returns from London, his brother,
Asaduddin Owaisi, said in a rally tonight.
"My brother will not run away from the
law," Asaduddin Owaisi, a Member of
Parliament, said at a rally in Old Eidgah at
Tandur, 150 km from Hyderabad.
"We are not against Hindus. We are
against the BJP and Kiran Kumar Reddy,"
he said. Mr Reddy is the Chief Minister of
the Congress government in Andhra
Pradesh. Mr Owaisi's MIM withdrew
support from Mr Reddy's government last
year.
Akbaruddin Owaisi, who is a MIM
legislator, has been booked in two first
information reports for allegedly using
inflammatory language against a particular
community during public speeches last
month. Mr Owaisi was directed to appear
before the police in Adilabad district on
January 7 and in Nizambad town on
January 8.
The legislator from Chandrayangutta is
reportedly in London for treatment.
Give rapists harsher life term, says Congress in recommendations to judicial panel
Amid a growing national clamour for
death penalty for rapists in the wake of
the death of a 23-year-old medical
student in Delhi, the Congress on
Saturday sent its recommendations to a
panel constituted to review existing laws
on crimes against women.
In its suggestions to the commission,
headed by retired Supreme Court judge
Justice JS Verma, the party said the death
penalty should be awarded only in the
'rarest of rare cases'. It also reportedly
favours life imprisonment for those
accused of rape and has recommended
for a harsher sentence as compared to
the present 20 years.
The recommendations came a day after
the senior Congress leaders - including
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde,
Finance Minister P Chidambaram,
Defence Minister AK Antony and Delhi
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit - met to
finalise the party's suggestions to be sent
to the Justice Verma commission. At
yesterday's meeting, the party reportedly
concluded that the punishment awarded
should be proportionate to the crime
committed.
The Congress, in its proposal to the panel,
has also expressed concern at the existing
law for juveniles. Yesterday, the party
said there was need for a re-look at the
definition of juvenile in cases of sexual
assault on women.
"There is definitely a need for a re-look at
this issue, especially in the light of
heinous crimes committed. We are aware
that children should be given a second
chance to reform but in cases such as this
(Delhi gang-rape), it certainly merits a re-
look," party spokesperson Renuka
Chowdhary said on Friday.
The suggestion comes at a time when
details have emerged of how one of the
six accused, who raped Amanat (NOT her
real name), and is allegedly a minor,
turned out to be the most depraved - he
raped her twice, once when she was
unconscious, police say.
A court in Delhi today took cognisance of
the charges against the other five accused
and has also issued production warrants
to them to appear before it on Monday at
12:30 pm.
death penalty for rapists in the wake of
the death of a 23-year-old medical
student in Delhi, the Congress on
Saturday sent its recommendations to a
panel constituted to review existing laws
on crimes against women.
In its suggestions to the commission,
headed by retired Supreme Court judge
Justice JS Verma, the party said the death
penalty should be awarded only in the
'rarest of rare cases'. It also reportedly
favours life imprisonment for those
accused of rape and has recommended
for a harsher sentence as compared to
the present 20 years.
The recommendations came a day after
the senior Congress leaders - including
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde,
Finance Minister P Chidambaram,
Defence Minister AK Antony and Delhi
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit - met to
finalise the party's suggestions to be sent
to the Justice Verma commission. At
yesterday's meeting, the party reportedly
concluded that the punishment awarded
should be proportionate to the crime
committed.
The Congress, in its proposal to the panel,
has also expressed concern at the existing
law for juveniles. Yesterday, the party
said there was need for a re-look at the
definition of juvenile in cases of sexual
assault on women.
"There is definitely a need for a re-look at
this issue, especially in the light of
heinous crimes committed. We are aware
that children should be given a second
chance to reform but in cases such as this
(Delhi gang-rape), it certainly merits a re-
look," party spokesperson Renuka
Chowdhary said on Friday.
The suggestion comes at a time when
details have emerged of how one of the
six accused, who raped Amanat (NOT her
real name), and is allegedly a minor,
turned out to be the most depraved - he
raped her twice, once when she was
unconscious, police say.
A court in Delhi today took cognisance of
the charges against the other five accused
and has also issued production warrants
to them to appear before it on Monday at
12:30 pm.
An Italian teacher who kills celebrities on Twitter
Fidel Castro, Mikhail Gorbachev and Pope
Benedict XVI -- Italian Tommasso
Debenedetti has killed them all in fake
tweets aimed at exposing shoddy
journalism that have earned him global
notoriety.
The latest victim of Debenedetti's unusual
hobby is British author JK Rowling, whose
death in an accident he announced from a
fake Twitter account purporting to belong
to fellow writer John Le Carre.
"Death works well on Twitter,"
Debenedetti, who is in his 40s and says
he teaches literature at a school in Rome,
told AFP in a phone interview.
Debenedetti said that when he saw his Le
Carre account had 2,500 followers
including journalists from major British,
German and US media, "I decided to
make John Le Carre say JK Rowling had
died".
Debenedetti said the tweet was then
retweeted hundreds of times and a
Chilean television station even gave the
false news as fact.
The literary fake artist says his aim in all
of this is to "show that Twitter has
become a news agency -- the least
reliable in the world.
"Unfortunately, journalism works on
speed. False news spreads exponentially,"
he said, pointing out that retweets by
journalists lend credibility to rumours
even if they are not actually published.
"In the end, everyone forgets what the
original source was," said Debenedetti,
who in perhaps another slight of hand
insists his first name be spelled
"Tommasso" and not the more usual
"Tommaso".
Among his many claims to Internet
infamy, Debenedetti boasts of having
forced Vatican spokesman Federico
Lombardi to deny the pope had died after
sending a false tweet purportedly from
the Vatican's Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone.
He claims his tweet announcing the death
of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made
the price of oil go up and that another
one about the demise of last Soviet
leader Gorbachev prompted someone to
go and update his Wikipedia page with
the day of his death.
Debenedetti calls these his "games" and
appears unconcerned about any unease
they may cause, saying that he comes out
and claims the rumour as his own
invention within an hour of sending the
first tweet.
"I only target leading figures who have all
the means at their disposal to respond
very quickly. I would never announce the
death of a lesser-known writer or my next
door neighbour," he said.
"I don't want it to go too far. I'm not a
crook."
Journalists "should be more prudent and
carry out all the necessary checks,
particularly in local media, local radio and
Internet sites which fall most easily into
this trap," he said.
"I just want to show up the fragility of
social media, where anyone can be
anyone," he said.
Debenedetti also has a more postmodern
literary side and he has created false
Facebook pages for writers Umberto Eco
and Mario Vargas Llosa, quoting them
saying improbable things that they never
said.
The grandson of a famous Italian literary
critic, he has also authored dozens of fake
interviews with famous writers which he
says he has managed to place in a variety
of media as the real thing.
It was Debenedetti's made up interview
with Philip Roth that revealed his
elaborate ruse after some US journalists
asked the famous writer about some
comments against US President Barack
Obama quoted in some media that he
had in fact never made.
Debenedetti does not regret his actions,
saying only: "I just wanted to see how far
I could take it."
Benedict XVI -- Italian Tommasso
Debenedetti has killed them all in fake
tweets aimed at exposing shoddy
journalism that have earned him global
notoriety.
The latest victim of Debenedetti's unusual
hobby is British author JK Rowling, whose
death in an accident he announced from a
fake Twitter account purporting to belong
to fellow writer John Le Carre.
"Death works well on Twitter,"
Debenedetti, who is in his 40s and says
he teaches literature at a school in Rome,
told AFP in a phone interview.
Debenedetti said that when he saw his Le
Carre account had 2,500 followers
including journalists from major British,
German and US media, "I decided to
make John Le Carre say JK Rowling had
died".
Debenedetti said the tweet was then
retweeted hundreds of times and a
Chilean television station even gave the
false news as fact.
The literary fake artist says his aim in all
of this is to "show that Twitter has
become a news agency -- the least
reliable in the world.
"Unfortunately, journalism works on
speed. False news spreads exponentially,"
he said, pointing out that retweets by
journalists lend credibility to rumours
even if they are not actually published.
"In the end, everyone forgets what the
original source was," said Debenedetti,
who in perhaps another slight of hand
insists his first name be spelled
"Tommasso" and not the more usual
"Tommaso".
Among his many claims to Internet
infamy, Debenedetti boasts of having
forced Vatican spokesman Federico
Lombardi to deny the pope had died after
sending a false tweet purportedly from
the Vatican's Secretary of State Tarcisio
Bertone.
He claims his tweet announcing the death
of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made
the price of oil go up and that another
one about the demise of last Soviet
leader Gorbachev prompted someone to
go and update his Wikipedia page with
the day of his death.
Debenedetti calls these his "games" and
appears unconcerned about any unease
they may cause, saying that he comes out
and claims the rumour as his own
invention within an hour of sending the
first tweet.
"I only target leading figures who have all
the means at their disposal to respond
very quickly. I would never announce the
death of a lesser-known writer or my next
door neighbour," he said.
"I don't want it to go too far. I'm not a
crook."
Journalists "should be more prudent and
carry out all the necessary checks,
particularly in local media, local radio and
Internet sites which fall most easily into
this trap," he said.
"I just want to show up the fragility of
social media, where anyone can be
anyone," he said.
Debenedetti also has a more postmodern
literary side and he has created false
Facebook pages for writers Umberto Eco
and Mario Vargas Llosa, quoting them
saying improbable things that they never
said.
The grandson of a famous Italian literary
critic, he has also authored dozens of fake
interviews with famous writers which he
says he has managed to place in a variety
of media as the real thing.
It was Debenedetti's made up interview
with Philip Roth that revealed his
elaborate ruse after some US journalists
asked the famous writer about some
comments against US President Barack
Obama quoted in some media that he
had in fact never made.
Debenedetti does not regret his actions,
saying only: "I just wanted to see how far
I could take it."
7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes US off Alaska coast
A major 7.7-magnitude earthquake shook
an area in the Pacific Ocean off the coast
of the US state of Alaska early Saturday,
the United States Geological Survey
(USGS) said.
The epicenter of the quake, which
occurred at 1328 GMT, was located 102
kilometers (63 miles) west of Craig,
Alaska, according to the USGS.
There were no immediate reports of
casualties or damage.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said
there was no widespread threat of a
tsunami at this time, but it issued a
regional warning affecting the Alaskan
coast in the proximity of the epicenter.
The earthquake reading was based on the
open-ended Moment Magnitude scale
used by US seismologists, which
measures the area of the fault that
ruptured and the total energy released.
an area in the Pacific Ocean off the coast
of the US state of Alaska early Saturday,
the United States Geological Survey
(USGS) said.
The epicenter of the quake, which
occurred at 1328 GMT, was located 102
kilometers (63 miles) west of Craig,
Alaska, according to the USGS.
There were no immediate reports of
casualties or damage.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said
there was no widespread threat of a
tsunami at this time, but it issued a
regional warning affecting the Alaskan
coast in the proximity of the epicenter.
The earthquake reading was based on the
open-ended Moment Magnitude scale
used by US seismologists, which
measures the area of the fault that
ruptured and the total energy released.
Asif Ali Zardari announces cash prize for top-scorers against India
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on
Friday, announced an award of Rs 500,000
to the highest Pakistani run scorers in
each of the three cricket matches won by
the country's cricket team in India.
Zardari also announced an award of Rs
500,000 for the highest Pakistani wicket
takers in each of matches, presidential
spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Having won the first two ties in the three
match series, Pakistan has already
pocketed the ODI series on their India
tour, that marks the resumption of
cricketing ties between the arch rivals
after the Mumbai terror attacks on 2008.
Earlier Pakistan beat Mahendra Singh
Dhoni's men in the first T20 played on the
tour, but India levelled the series by
winning the second T20.
Friday, announced an award of Rs 500,000
to the highest Pakistani run scorers in
each of the three cricket matches won by
the country's cricket team in India.
Zardari also announced an award of Rs
500,000 for the highest Pakistani wicket
takers in each of matches, presidential
spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
Having won the first two ties in the three
match series, Pakistan has already
pocketed the ODI series on their India
tour, that marks the resumption of
cricketing ties between the arch rivals
after the Mumbai terror attacks on 2008.
Earlier Pakistan beat Mahendra Singh
Dhoni's men in the first T20 played on the
tour, but India levelled the series by
winning the second T20.
Selectors speak to under-fire Virender Sehwag
With speculation building over the likely
axing of Virender Sehwag from India's
ODI team for the home series against
England, selectors Vikram Rathore and
Saba Karim had a long chat with the
under-fire opener ahead of the third and
final ODI against Pakistan here on
Sunday.
Rathore and Karim, in turns, held
discussions with Sehwag for more than 20
minutes each during the Indian team's
training session at the Feroze Shah Kotla
grounds here on Saturday.
In between two batting stints at the nets,
Sehwag was seen in a one-to-one
conversation with each of the two
selectors.
Rathore first spoke for more than 20
minutes after Sehwag had his first hit.
After that Karim was seen having an
animated chat with the beleaguered Delhi
opener.
The two selectors, after some time, also
had a discussion with Indian captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which lasted for
around 15 minutes.
There has been intense speculation that
one among Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir
would be getting the boot when the
selection committee, headed by Sandeep
Patil, meet here on Sunday to choose the
team for the five-match home ODI series,
starting in Rajkot on January 11.
The Delhi duo have failed to provide a
good start for some time now and that
has hurt the team most.
Gambhir, though, might escape the axe
on the back of hitting two centuries and
two half centuries for 388 runs at an
average of 38.80 in his last 10 matches.
Sehwag, on the other hand, has managed
just one fifty in his last 10 ODI innings
with scores of 31, 4, 34, 3, 15, 96, 30, 5, 0
and 20 for a total of 238 runs at a dismal
average of 23.80.
axing of Virender Sehwag from India's
ODI team for the home series against
England, selectors Vikram Rathore and
Saba Karim had a long chat with the
under-fire opener ahead of the third and
final ODI against Pakistan here on
Sunday.
Rathore and Karim, in turns, held
discussions with Sehwag for more than 20
minutes each during the Indian team's
training session at the Feroze Shah Kotla
grounds here on Saturday.
In between two batting stints at the nets,
Sehwag was seen in a one-to-one
conversation with each of the two
selectors.
Rathore first spoke for more than 20
minutes after Sehwag had his first hit.
After that Karim was seen having an
animated chat with the beleaguered Delhi
opener.
The two selectors, after some time, also
had a discussion with Indian captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which lasted for
around 15 minutes.
There has been intense speculation that
one among Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir
would be getting the boot when the
selection committee, headed by Sandeep
Patil, meet here on Sunday to choose the
team for the five-match home ODI series,
starting in Rajkot on January 11.
The Delhi duo have failed to provide a
good start for some time now and that
has hurt the team most.
Gambhir, though, might escape the axe
on the back of hitting two centuries and
two half centuries for 388 runs at an
average of 38.80 in his last 10 matches.
Sehwag, on the other hand, has managed
just one fifty in his last 10 ODI innings
with scores of 31, 4, 34, 3, 15, 96, 30, 5, 0
and 20 for a total of 238 runs at a dismal
average of 23.80.
MS Dhoni doubtful as India look to restore some pride against Pakistan
Licking the wounds of yet another series
defeat, India's struggling cricketers will
seek to restore some pride when they go
into the last one-dayer against arch rivals
Pakistan here on Sunday with their
captain M S Dhoni being a doubtful starter
because of a sore back.
The collective failure of the top order
batsmen even in home conditions has
hurt the team badly in recent times and
the hosts will need a huge spark of
inspiration to prevent the spirited
Pakistanis from achieving a 3-0 clean
sweep.
Dhoni's injury has compounded India's
misery and the team management will
wait till Sunday before taking a final
decision on his availability for the match.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has
been called up as a back-up.
"If at all somebody is doubtful, it's me. I
have a sore back and we have called
Dinesh Karthik as back up", Dhoni said.
Yuvraj Singh also skipped the practice
session but Dhoni made it clear that
there were no injury problems with him.
"Since it was an optional practice session,
Yuvraj did not come," he said.
Clearly, the pressure will be on the
Indians who have been plagued by an
inexplicable form slump of their star
batsmen while the limited and
inexperienced bowling resources have
compounded the misery for the hosts
who have now sunk to a new low with
the recent debacles.
With the series already out of their grasp,
the Indians may experiment by giving a
chance to some of their bench players but
whether they can change the team's
sliding fortunes remains to be seen in a
day-night game which will start at noon to
neutralise the dew factor.
Dhoni, in good form with the bat, has
been at a loss to explain the repeated
failures and there have been suggestions
that he should promote himself up the
order considering the poor form of the
top half.
defeat, India's struggling cricketers will
seek to restore some pride when they go
into the last one-dayer against arch rivals
Pakistan here on Sunday with their
captain M S Dhoni being a doubtful starter
because of a sore back.
The collective failure of the top order
batsmen even in home conditions has
hurt the team badly in recent times and
the hosts will need a huge spark of
inspiration to prevent the spirited
Pakistanis from achieving a 3-0 clean
sweep.
Dhoni's injury has compounded India's
misery and the team management will
wait till Sunday before taking a final
decision on his availability for the match.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has
been called up as a back-up.
"If at all somebody is doubtful, it's me. I
have a sore back and we have called
Dinesh Karthik as back up", Dhoni said.
Yuvraj Singh also skipped the practice
session but Dhoni made it clear that
there were no injury problems with him.
"Since it was an optional practice session,
Yuvraj did not come," he said.
Clearly, the pressure will be on the
Indians who have been plagued by an
inexplicable form slump of their star
batsmen while the limited and
inexperienced bowling resources have
compounded the misery for the hosts
who have now sunk to a new low with
the recent debacles.
With the series already out of their grasp,
the Indians may experiment by giving a
chance to some of their bench players but
whether they can change the team's
sliding fortunes remains to be seen in a
day-night game which will start at noon to
neutralise the dew factor.
Dhoni, in good form with the bat, has
been at a loss to explain the repeated
failures and there have been suggestions
that he should promote himself up the
order considering the poor form of the
top half.
Family of ex-chief of Army, VK Singh, alleges bugging attempt at his house
An official from the Army reportedly
attempted to remove telephone lines
from former chief of Army General VK
Singh's house in Delhi Cantonment on
Saturday.
According to reports, a Major from the
Signals Regiment of the Army came to
the retired general's house today with his
team and tried to take away the
telephone lines installed. General VK
Singh was not present at the house.
The official did not have authorisation
required, say General VK Singh's family
members. He reportedly attempted to
take away the telephone lines forcibly
but was not allowed to leave the
residence by General VK Singh's wife. The
retired army chief's family has alleged
that the official was attempting to bug
the telephone line at their residence. The
army has denied the allegation, saying
the incident was a result of a minor
miscommunication.
Officials from the Delhi Police and the
military police later reached General VK
Singh's residence.
General Singh has had a bitter
relationship with the government over
the past two years. He took the
government to court over a row involving
his date of birth when he was in office as
the Army chief. After his retirement in
May, he has been seen with ant-
corruption activist Anna Hazare and yoga
guru Baba Ramdev, slamming the
government for alleged corruption.
General Singh was also present at India
Gate during the protests after the gang-
rape of a 23-year-old medical student in
Delhi last month.
attempted to remove telephone lines
from former chief of Army General VK
Singh's house in Delhi Cantonment on
Saturday.
According to reports, a Major from the
Signals Regiment of the Army came to
the retired general's house today with his
team and tried to take away the
telephone lines installed. General VK
Singh was not present at the house.
The official did not have authorisation
required, say General VK Singh's family
members. He reportedly attempted to
take away the telephone lines forcibly
but was not allowed to leave the
residence by General VK Singh's wife. The
retired army chief's family has alleged
that the official was attempting to bug
the telephone line at their residence. The
army has denied the allegation, saying
the incident was a result of a minor
miscommunication.
Officials from the Delhi Police and the
military police later reached General VK
Singh's residence.
General Singh has had a bitter
relationship with the government over
the past two years. He took the
government to court over a row involving
his date of birth when he was in office as
the Army chief. After his retirement in
May, he has been seen with ant-
corruption activist Anna Hazare and yoga
guru Baba Ramdev, slamming the
government for alleged corruption.
General Singh was also present at India
Gate during the protests after the gang-
rape of a 23-year-old medical student in
Delhi last month.
Delhi gang-rape case: five accused to appear in court on Monday
A Delhi court has taken cognisance of the
charges against the five men accused of
the murder and rape of a 23-year-old
medical student in the national capital,
whose assault and death united the
country in sorrow, anger and a
determination to press for stronger laws
to protect women.
The court has also issued production
warrants to all the accused - Ram Singh,
Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and
Akshay Thakur - to appear before it on
Monday at 12:30 pm. The next date of
hearing has been fixed on January 10 at
the Saket court.
The sixth accused in the case is 17 years
old, according to a school document, and
has been kept at a juvenile home since he
was arrested. His matter will be taken up
by the Juvenile Justice Board on Monday.
Police sources say this particular accused
committed some of the most barbaric
acts. A close associate of the medical
student's male friend's family has said he
will file a petition seeking that the
juvenile be tried as an adult.
In addition to rape and murder, the police
have charged the five men with
destruction of evidence and criminal
conspiracy. Results of DNA tests
conducted on these five men, aged 19 to
35, allegedly link them to the crime. If
convicted, they could face the death
penalty. (DNA tests establish guilt, says
prosecution)
"We have filed all the evidence," Rajiv
Mohan, public prosecutor, told the court
on Saturday.
"The blood of the victim tallied with the
stains found on the clothes of the
accused," he added, saying that police had
recovered possessions stolen from the
medical student and her friend, who were
thrown out of the vehicle at the end of
their ordeal.
Mr Mohan has asked for a closed trial and
requested that the court protect the
identity and privacy of the woman and
her family.
The evidence presented by the police will
include testimony recorded by the
student while she was critical in hospital,
and the account of her male friend who
was with her on the bus they boarded
after watching The Life of Pi at a South
Delhi mall.
Six men, allegedly drunk, then began
assaulting them with an iron rod before
they gang-raped the student. An hour
later, they threw the couple onto the
road. The police says that the man driving
the bus tried to run the young girl over,
but her friend managed to push her out
of the way. He has reportedly recovered
from his injuries and is helping the
investigation.
The attack wounded and shamed India,
triggering public demand for tough new
rape laws, better police protection for
women and faster trials for cases of
sexual assault. Students have led near-
daily protests in Delhi.
A series of missteps by the government
in its handling of public sorrow and rage
over the student's case deepened the
perception that it is estranged from the
people. A committee of legal experts,
headed by retired Supreme Court judge JS
Verma, is reviewing criminal laws and will
suggest what changes can or should be
made for laws that handle sexual assault
crimes. The team will submit its report
within a month.
charges against the five men accused of
the murder and rape of a 23-year-old
medical student in the national capital,
whose assault and death united the
country in sorrow, anger and a
determination to press for stronger laws
to protect women.
The court has also issued production
warrants to all the accused - Ram Singh,
Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and
Akshay Thakur - to appear before it on
Monday at 12:30 pm. The next date of
hearing has been fixed on January 10 at
the Saket court.
The sixth accused in the case is 17 years
old, according to a school document, and
has been kept at a juvenile home since he
was arrested. His matter will be taken up
by the Juvenile Justice Board on Monday.
Police sources say this particular accused
committed some of the most barbaric
acts. A close associate of the medical
student's male friend's family has said he
will file a petition seeking that the
juvenile be tried as an adult.
In addition to rape and murder, the police
have charged the five men with
destruction of evidence and criminal
conspiracy. Results of DNA tests
conducted on these five men, aged 19 to
35, allegedly link them to the crime. If
convicted, they could face the death
penalty. (DNA tests establish guilt, says
prosecution)
"We have filed all the evidence," Rajiv
Mohan, public prosecutor, told the court
on Saturday.
"The blood of the victim tallied with the
stains found on the clothes of the
accused," he added, saying that police had
recovered possessions stolen from the
medical student and her friend, who were
thrown out of the vehicle at the end of
their ordeal.
Mr Mohan has asked for a closed trial and
requested that the court protect the
identity and privacy of the woman and
her family.
The evidence presented by the police will
include testimony recorded by the
student while she was critical in hospital,
and the account of her male friend who
was with her on the bus they boarded
after watching The Life of Pi at a South
Delhi mall.
Six men, allegedly drunk, then began
assaulting them with an iron rod before
they gang-raped the student. An hour
later, they threw the couple onto the
road. The police says that the man driving
the bus tried to run the young girl over,
but her friend managed to push her out
of the way. He has reportedly recovered
from his injuries and is helping the
investigation.
The attack wounded and shamed India,
triggering public demand for tough new
rape laws, better police protection for
women and faster trials for cases of
sexual assault. Students have led near-
daily protests in Delhi.
A series of missteps by the government
in its handling of public sorrow and rage
over the student's case deepened the
perception that it is estranged from the
people. A committee of legal experts,
headed by retired Supreme Court judge JS
Verma, is reviewing criminal laws and will
suggest what changes can or should be
made for laws that handle sexual assault
crimes. The team will submit its report
within a month.
Delhi Police refute allegations of lapses made by 'Amanat's' friend
The Delhi Police on Saturday refuted
allegations levelled by the male friend of
the 23-year-old medical student who was
gang-raped and brutally beaten up on a
moving bus in South Delhi on December
16. The friend had alleged that the
policemen argued over jurisdictional area,
losing precious time that might have
proven crucial in saving her.
In a short explanation, the Delhi Police
said that the Police Control Room van got
a call at 10:22 pm on the night of the
incident about two people, including a
woman, lying on the road in a pool of
blood.
Police claimed that two rescue vans
reached the spot within minutes and took
the victims to hospital 33 minutes after
receiving the first distress call.
"The PCR call was received at 10:22:20.
Call broadcast to PCR vans and Van Z-54
was directed to spot," a statement from
the Delhi Police said.
"Meanwhile, PCR van E-42 reached the
spot on its own at 10:26 - in four
minutes. Van Z-54 reached spot at 10:28
i.e. within 5.5 minutes of the call. It left
the spot with victims at 10:31 i.e. within
three minutes. It reached Safdarjung
Hospital within 24 minutes at 10:55. All
records as per GPS (Global Positioning
System)," said the statement.
Breaking his silence for the first time
since the horrific gang-rape, Amanat's
(NOT her real name) friend yesterday said
he wished he could have saved the 23-
year-old woman. He also blamed the
police for delaying taking them to hospital
for over two hours as three PCR vans
fought over jurisdiction.
allegations levelled by the male friend of
the 23-year-old medical student who was
gang-raped and brutally beaten up on a
moving bus in South Delhi on December
16. The friend had alleged that the
policemen argued over jurisdictional area,
losing precious time that might have
proven crucial in saving her.
In a short explanation, the Delhi Police
said that the Police Control Room van got
a call at 10:22 pm on the night of the
incident about two people, including a
woman, lying on the road in a pool of
blood.
Police claimed that two rescue vans
reached the spot within minutes and took
the victims to hospital 33 minutes after
receiving the first distress call.
"The PCR call was received at 10:22:20.
Call broadcast to PCR vans and Van Z-54
was directed to spot," a statement from
the Delhi Police said.
"Meanwhile, PCR van E-42 reached the
spot on its own at 10:26 - in four
minutes. Van Z-54 reached spot at 10:28
i.e. within 5.5 minutes of the call. It left
the spot with victims at 10:31 i.e. within
three minutes. It reached Safdarjung
Hospital within 24 minutes at 10:55. All
records as per GPS (Global Positioning
System)," said the statement.
Breaking his silence for the first time
since the horrific gang-rape, Amanat's
(NOT her real name) friend yesterday said
he wished he could have saved the 23-
year-old woman. He also blamed the
police for delaying taking them to hospital
for over two hours as three PCR vans
fought over jurisdiction.
How to make money from your blog:
Many people who write blogs today
simply want to share their opinion on
something. But then there are the
business-minded folks, who have found a
way to use blogs, or Web logs, to bring in
a little extra cash too.
If you're interested in taking it further —
blogging for bucks, if you will — here are
five strategies that could turn your blog
into a moneymaker.
1. Sell advertising.
This is likely the most common means of
leveraging a blog to generate income. If
yours happens to become a well-known
blog, or one that is well-received in a
particular niche, it's always possible to
sell ad space on your own. For Bing Blogs
and services such as Google's AdSense or
BlogAds, bloggers can establish ad
programs. AdSense's — which lets you
select several ads that are consistent with
the content of your blog — pays you
based on how many readers click on the
ads for further information. Even better,
it's free. BlogAds, on the other hand,
hooks bloggers up with would-be
advertisers and levies a commission in
return for any ad placements that result.
"The nice thing, too, is that the ads are
relatively unobtrusive," says Scott Allen,
co-author of The Virtual Handshake:
Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online.
2. Help sell others' products.
Here is another click-through opportunity.
Affiliate programs enable your blog to
serve as a conduit between readers and
online sites offering various goods and
services. One popular choice is
Amazon.com. If, for instance, you offer
book reviews or even just mention a book
in passing in your blog, an affiliate
program provides a means for your
readers to click directly from your blog to
Amazon to obtain further information
about the book. If they break out the
checkbook or charge card, you get paid as
well.
3. Solicit contributions.
Not every blog-related income
opportunity involves hawking goods or
services. As Blanche DuBois said in A
Streetcar Named Desire, consider relying
on the kindness of strangers. Ask for
contributions. If, for instance, your small-
business blog supports a cause or issue in
some fashion — say you repeatedly
mention tax reform, health care or some
other topic — you can always ask for
reader support. Even if you've attracted a
group of regular followers who simply
enjoy reading what you have to say, they
may be willing to underwrite their loyalty
with a little financial help. Programs such
as PayPal make it easy to establish a
simple on-site contribution collection
button. "There are lots of worthy 'cause'
blogs that would qualify for donations
from grateful members of the blog
community," says Las Vegas
communications consultant Ned Barnett.
4. Market your services in your blog.
Many people associate blogs exclusively
with a cyberspace-based soapbox — a
place to shout your opinions and little
more than that. Granted, blogs are an
ideal venue to share your thoughts with
others, but don't overlook their capacity
to generate new business as well. When
appropriate, work in references to what
you do and, in turn, what you may be able
to offer any would-be client or customer
who may be reading your blog. That can
spread your opinion and your business
moxie at the same time."Instead of short
commentaries that begin a dialogue with
readers, as many blogs do, I write the
equivalent of journal articles that
demonstrate my abilities, strategies and
perspectives on specific issues," Barnett
says. "When it resonates, it means
money. Since starting this approach, I
have generated three new paying clients
and brought in about $10,000 on revenue
— directly attributable to specific blogs."
5. Use a blog to deepen your existing
customer relations.
Nor does any marketing material inserted
in blog content have to be limited to
bringing in completely new business. By
using a blog to regularly communicate
with existing clients as well as other
readers, you can take advantage of the
opportunity to fully inform them about
everything your business does. That may
expand your readers' understanding of
the full scope of your products or
services."My blog has helped existing
clients determine the range of my skills
and services," says Ted Demopoulos of
Demopoulos Associates, a Durham, N.H.
consulting and training concern. "One
client who had only used me for training
in the past was surprised at my range of
expertise and is now using me for a
consulting project. Another who only
used me on technical projects is now
considering me for a more business-
oriented project."
simply want to share their opinion on
something. But then there are the
business-minded folks, who have found a
way to use blogs, or Web logs, to bring in
a little extra cash too.
If you're interested in taking it further —
blogging for bucks, if you will — here are
five strategies that could turn your blog
into a moneymaker.
1. Sell advertising.
This is likely the most common means of
leveraging a blog to generate income. If
yours happens to become a well-known
blog, or one that is well-received in a
particular niche, it's always possible to
sell ad space on your own. For Bing Blogs
and services such as Google's AdSense or
BlogAds, bloggers can establish ad
programs. AdSense's — which lets you
select several ads that are consistent with
the content of your blog — pays you
based on how many readers click on the
ads for further information. Even better,
it's free. BlogAds, on the other hand,
hooks bloggers up with would-be
advertisers and levies a commission in
return for any ad placements that result.
"The nice thing, too, is that the ads are
relatively unobtrusive," says Scott Allen,
co-author of The Virtual Handshake:
Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online.
2. Help sell others' products.
Here is another click-through opportunity.
Affiliate programs enable your blog to
serve as a conduit between readers and
online sites offering various goods and
services. One popular choice is
Amazon.com. If, for instance, you offer
book reviews or even just mention a book
in passing in your blog, an affiliate
program provides a means for your
readers to click directly from your blog to
Amazon to obtain further information
about the book. If they break out the
checkbook or charge card, you get paid as
well.
3. Solicit contributions.
Not every blog-related income
opportunity involves hawking goods or
services. As Blanche DuBois said in A
Streetcar Named Desire, consider relying
on the kindness of strangers. Ask for
contributions. If, for instance, your small-
business blog supports a cause or issue in
some fashion — say you repeatedly
mention tax reform, health care or some
other topic — you can always ask for
reader support. Even if you've attracted a
group of regular followers who simply
enjoy reading what you have to say, they
may be willing to underwrite their loyalty
with a little financial help. Programs such
as PayPal make it easy to establish a
simple on-site contribution collection
button. "There are lots of worthy 'cause'
blogs that would qualify for donations
from grateful members of the blog
community," says Las Vegas
communications consultant Ned Barnett.
4. Market your services in your blog.
Many people associate blogs exclusively
with a cyberspace-based soapbox — a
place to shout your opinions and little
more than that. Granted, blogs are an
ideal venue to share your thoughts with
others, but don't overlook their capacity
to generate new business as well. When
appropriate, work in references to what
you do and, in turn, what you may be able
to offer any would-be client or customer
who may be reading your blog. That can
spread your opinion and your business
moxie at the same time."Instead of short
commentaries that begin a dialogue with
readers, as many blogs do, I write the
equivalent of journal articles that
demonstrate my abilities, strategies and
perspectives on specific issues," Barnett
says. "When it resonates, it means
money. Since starting this approach, I
have generated three new paying clients
and brought in about $10,000 on revenue
— directly attributable to specific blogs."
5. Use a blog to deepen your existing
customer relations.
Nor does any marketing material inserted
in blog content have to be limited to
bringing in completely new business. By
using a blog to regularly communicate
with existing clients as well as other
readers, you can take advantage of the
opportunity to fully inform them about
everything your business does. That may
expand your readers' understanding of
the full scope of your products or
services."My blog has helped existing
clients determine the range of my skills
and services," says Ted Demopoulos of
Demopoulos Associates, a Durham, N.H.
consulting and training concern. "One
client who had only used me for training
in the past was surprised at my range of
expertise and is now using me for a
consulting project. Another who only
used me on technical projects is now
considering me for a more business-
oriented project."
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