Asian News International

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Rahman Never Lets his Singers Get Nervous: Nikhita Gandhi

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Playback singer Nikhita Gandhi, who has crooned her first title track for A.R. Rahman in upcoming Tamil magnum opus “I”, says the double Oscar winning composer never lets his singers get nervous.

Nikhita’s song “Ladio” is already a chartbuster.

“I’ve recorded with Rahman sir in the past, but this was my first title track. When I walked into his studio to record ‘Ladio’, I experienced the ‘Oh my god!’ moment, but it lasted only for seconds because he doesn’t give his singers the time to get nervous,” Nikhita told IANS.

Two Versions of ‘Kitna’ for Different Audiences: Samuthirakani

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Actor-filmmaker Samuthirakani, who recently revealed that he will be releasing two different versions of his upcoming Tamil directorial “Kitna”, says the move is to cater to different sections of the audience.

While one version of the film will be two hours and 15 minutes long, the second one will stretch for three hours.

“The length of a film has become an important factor for the theatrical release of a film. As a creator, I don’t like to restrict my creativity for time. Therefore, I’ve decided to release two versions of my film in cinemas,” Samuthirakani told IANS.

NSA, NIA and NSG chiefs visit Burdwan blast site

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Three top security chiefs, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, will today asses the progress of the probe into the October 2 blast in Burdwan.

Doval along with NSG DG Jayanta Choudhury and NIA DG Sharad Kumar flew in a IAF special aircraft to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport here and immediately left for Burdwan by a chopper.

State secretariat sources had said that Doval was likely to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and senior state officials at the state secretariat today.

Cyclone Nilofar to turn severe in next 24 hrs

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Coastal districts in Gujarat would receive heavy to very heavy rainfall from Thursday as Cyclone Nilofar is reportedly going to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours.

Nilofar is expected to hit the land mass on October 28 morning with a wind speed of 90-100 kilometres per hour. Presently, it is located 1,270 kilometres west-southwest of western Mumbai.

According to the MeT Department, the storm, over west central and adjoining southwest Arabian Sea, has moved slightly northwards.

NDA can help chart new course for India: PM

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in power with its 400-odd MPs represents a big force with positive energy and can help chart a new course for the country.

“Let us think big. Let us think far. Let us think above politics,” Modi said while addressing NDA MPs at a post-Diwali high tea hosted by him at his residence.

All Shiv Sena MPs including Union Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete were present at the event, as suspense continued over whether the Uddhav Thackeray-led party will be part of the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

Indian Army to test their armour in Gujarat FSL

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Defence personnel will soon get ‘ballistic protection’ from Gujarat, as the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) here will be conducting tests for bullet-proof jackets and head gears used by the Indian Army.

“Gujarat FSL will soon tie-up with the Indian Army by signing an MoU to conduct ballistic tests for their armour like bullet-proof jackets head-gears,” Director of Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) J M Vyas told PTI.

Six members of marriage party killed, 18 injured in mishap in Punjab

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Six people were killed and 18 injured when a bus ferrying members of a marriage party overturned and fell into a drain after the driver who was allegedly in an inebriated state lost control of the vehicle in Punjab on Sunday night.

The incident occurred at village Miapur when the bus packed with members of the bridegroom’s party from Jammu was returning after the wedding ceremony in border village Patti, SSP, Tarn Taran, Manmohan Sharma said.

Younis Khan wants to play in ICC World Cup 2015

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Pakistan’s man of the match in the first Test win over Australia in Dubai, Younis Khan, is keen to play in next year’s World Cup despite the national selectors sidelining him for the one-day series against the Australians.

Younis, who scored twin centuries in the Dubai Test, said he was ready to play in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand if the selectors put faith in him.

Delhi colony still tense

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The police plans to make available milk and other essentials to the residents of east Delhi’s Trilokpuri Monday, three days since they were confined to their homes following a communal clash. The area is still tense.

Delhi Police Saturday prohibited unlawful assembly of people after a clash between a group of Hindus and Muslims over Diwali celebrations Oct 23.

“The situation in the area is still tense, but under control. We are planning to organise the distribution of milk and other eatables in the affected blocks of Trilokpuri,” a senior police official told IANS.

Marriott International eyes 70 hotels in India by 2018

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Hospitality major Marriott International plans to further expand its footprint in the country with an additional 49 hotels, which will take the total operational properties to around 70 by 2018, a senior company executive said. “We are in India since last 15 years and currently have 25 operating hotels under our various brands. We have another 49 properties in pipeline that are under various stages of construction.

Vasundhara Raje likely to expand Rajasthan ministry

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Ten months after taking charge, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is likely to expand her 12-member council of ministers on Monday.

Arrangements are being made at the Governor’s House for the swearing-in ceremony this afternoon, according to a senior official.

Governor Kalyan Singh will administer the oath to the new ministers.

Raje was sworn-in as Chief Minister on December 13 after a landslide victory for BJP which bagged 163 seats in the 200-member house. Raje had inducted nine cabinet ministers and three ministers of state on December 20.

Rupee up 8 paise to 61.19 against US dollar in early trade

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Maintaining its gaining streak for the fifth straight day, the rupee appreciated by eight paise to 61.19 against the US dollar in early trade at the Interbank Foreign Exchange today on increased capital inflows amidst selling of the American currency by exporters.

Besides, strengthening of the euro against the dollar in overseas market and a higher opening in the domestic equity market supported the rupee, traders said.

The rupee had gained four paise to close at over one-week high of 61.27 in the previous session on Wednesday.

Sensex starts on positive note

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A key Indian equities index started on a positive note Monday, opening nearly 110 points or 0.4 percent, on positive sentiments from the global economy, notably the US. This was the sixth straight day of positive rally on Indian stock markets.

But within minutes into trading, the gains were somewhat toned down with the sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange, slipping to 26,895.8 points, up 44.78 points, or 0.17 percent, over the previous close at 26,851.05 points. The index had opened at 26959.57 points.

Manipulative parents leave kids in distress later

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Teenagers whose parents exert more psychological control over them have more problems establishing friendships and romantic relationships later, found a study.

The researchers looked at whether parents’ greater use of psychological control in early adolescence can hinder teenagers’ development of autonomy in relationships with peers.

Parents’ psychological control involved tactics like using guilt, withdrawing love, fostering anxiety, or other tactics aimed at controlling youths’ motivations and behaviour, pointed out the researchers at the University of Virginia in the US.

Indian-American discovers stem cells to kill brain cancer

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In a breakthrough, a team of Harvard scientists led by an Indian-American researcher has discovered a novel way to fight deadly brain cancer with toxin-resistant stem cells.

Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital led by Dr Khalid Shah, who hails from Kashmir, experimented on mice and used genetically engineered stem cells that released cancer-killing toxins while leaving healthy cells unaffected.

The modified cells, most importantly, were able to release the tumour killing poison without succumbing to its effects.

Ashok Leyland ties up with Bank of Maharashtra for financing

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“Ashok Leyland and Bank of Maharashtra signed an MoU whereby Bank of Maharashtra will extend retail financing to customers of Ashok Leyland’s commercial vehicles,” the company said in a BSE filing today.

“With this tie-up Ashok Leyland will have access to 1,700 branches of Bank of Maharashtra and will be able to provide more efficient and effective service to its customers,” it added.

Commenting on the tie-up, Ashok Leyland CFO Gopal Mahadevan said: “The tie-up will help our customers get greater access to finance, especially in the West and South India.”

Xiaomi to talk to Indian authorities to sort out security concerns

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Stressing that it does not collect any user data without permission, Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Sunday said it will engage with Indian authorities to address the concerns about security of user’s data.

Last week, in an advisory, the Indian Air Force asked its personnel and their families to desist from using Chinese ‘Xiaomi Redmi 1s’ phones as these are believed to be transferring data to their servers in China and could be a security risk.

Telcos may raise mobile tariffs to pay for spectrum costs

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Industry body COAI has said mobile tariffs may go up soon as telecom operators are expected to pass on to customers the burden of spectrum cost they will incur in the upcoming auction.

The auction of airwaves is likely to be conducted in February next year.

“Definitely there will be an upward pressure on tariffs as the debt burden of telecom players will increase post auctions, they have to pass on the cost to customers,” COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said.

Female PSU insurance staff may get transfers of their choice

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Women employees of public sector insurance companies will soon be entitled to get posting at a place of their choice.

The Finance Ministry has asked the all public sector insurance companies, including LIC, to formulate women- friendly transfer policies so that they can get transfers at places where their husbands are working or parents are living.

LIC, GIC and five public sector general insurance companies are advised to frame a policy on posting or transfer with approval of board, a circular said.

Etihad drops plan to lease Boeing aircraft from Jet

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Jet Airways’ foreign equity partner, UAE-based Etihad, has dropped its plan to lease three Boeing 777 aircraft from the airline, putting the domestic carrier in a difficult situation, sources said.

These aircraft, B 777-300 ERs, were with the Turkish Airlines and have recently come back to Jet Airways after completing the lease period, an airline source told PTI here.

“Etihad had earlier sought to lease these aircraft as it wanted to deploy them on its international network. However, it has now indicated to the airline of not doing so,” the source said.

SEBI-DLF case may have wider ramifications for realty sector

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As realty giant DLF fights a three-year capital markets ban imposed by regulator SEBI, the case is being seen as one having wider ramifications for the entire real estate sector and the regulatory framework applicable to them.

SEBI barred DLF and six others, including the company’s chairman and other top executives, earlier this month from accessing capital markets for three years for “active and deliberate suppression” of material information at the time of its public offer more than seven years ago in 2007.

‘Diabetic mother may beget obese daughters’

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Women who developed gestational diabetes and were overweight before pregnancy were at a higher risk of begetting daughters who became obese later in childhood, said a research.

This is the first study of this kind directly linking maternal hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) to overweight offspring.