Mamata painting auctioned in New York for USD 3000

 Kolkata, Oct 25,2012:  Purple flowers on a bed of green leaves in acrylic and oil on canvas by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been auctioned in New York for USD 3000 dollars, her first painting to be sold abroad. With a reserved price of USD 2500, five bids were made before the painting titled 'Flower Power' was sold at 3000 USD to Sundaram Tagore Gallery, a spokesperson of the US-based NGO Children's Hope India which auctioned the painting to raise funds for the welfare of underprivileged children in India, told PTI. The auction was held at a gala event in New York City to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the NGO. Founded in 1992 by a group of Indian American women professionals, Children's Hope India sponsors health, education and vocational programmes for thousands of children in India. Among other items, a cricket bat with the signature of Team India members including M S Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar was auctioned for 15,000 USD. Out of about 200 paintings made so far by the Trinamool Congress supremo, this was was the first time her work went abroad. She has held three exhibitions so far. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien, who was also present during the auction, said the NGO had requested the chief minister to contribute a painting. Since it was for a good cause she readily agreed. She painted it two months ago at her office, said the party leader. Another painting was sent to Israeli Ambassador Alon Ushpiz in Delhi last week. He paid a courtesy visit on the CM and wanted to buy one of her paintings. Banerjee said she would gift it, said Derek, who had organised Banerjee's first sale-cum-exhibition in 2005. Titled '25 Hours In A Day', the first lot was sold for Rs four lakh. The second exhibition in 2007 fetched Rs 14 lakh and the proceeds were donated to the victims of Nandigram violence. Ahead of the last year's Assembly elections, her collection of 95 paintings were sold out within three days for a staggering price of more than a crore of rupees. The proceeds were used for the party's poll expenses. Derek said Banerjee's fourth exhibition with 50 paintings would be held in Kolkata early next year.

PMEAC expects near 6 pc GDP growth in current fiscal

New Delhi, Oct 25,2012:  Faced with subdued manufacturing sector performance, Prime Minister's key advisor C Rangarajan today lowered the growth projection for the current fiscal to 6 per cent from 6.7 per cent estimated earlier. The disturbing area is manufacturing, therefore one may have to revise estimates downwards. It is quite possible for the economy to pick up in second half and give a growth rate close to 6 per cent for the year as a whole, Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) Chairman C Rangarajan told PTI in an interview. The PMEAC, in its 'Economic Outlook for 2012-13' report released in August had projected the Indian economy to grow at 6.7 per cent. The Indian economy grew at a faster pace of over 8 per cent in two consecutive fiscal before falling to a nine year low of 6.5 per cent in 2011-12.
 Rangarajan said the economic growth in the second (July-September) quarter would be around 5.5 per cent, as recorded in the first quarter, as the recent set of industrial output data does not show any improvement. Industrial output in the April-August period this fiscal was 0.4 per cent, down from 5.6 per cent in the same period in 2011-12. Rangarajan said that the growth would recover in the second half on the back of good agriculture produce and some pick-up in industrial activities in the key infrastructure areas.
 I see a strong pick up in the growth of key manufacturing sectors like coal, power, road and railways. The monsoon has turned out to be little better than what was expected, therefore agriculture production may do better than what was originally expected, Rangarajan said. He said the growth in manufacturing production was low in the second half of 2011-12 fiscal and hence the benefit of lower base would accrue in the current fiscal, which could push up the growth. Rangarajan said the public sector undertakings (PSUs) with huge resources should go ahead and utilise the funds in order to expand capacity, increase investment and production. What is needed is strong action at the ground level in order to see production and capacity creation targets as laid down for the year are achieved. This will act as catalyst to higher growth, Rangarajan added.

Indian man loses bid to buy Brazilian woman's virginity

New York, Oct 25,2012: A Japanese man fended off strong competition from an Indian to secure a date with a 20-year-old Brazilian student, who sold her virginity for a USD 780,000 after putting it up for on-line auction for charity. Catarina Migliorini, sold her virginity to Natsu, from Japan, who won the competition against a big-spender from India, Rudra Chatterjee and American bidders Jack Miller and Jack Right. The physical education student  who said she will use the cash to build homes for poverty-stricken families  was the subject of 15 bids, the 'New York Daily News' reported. Catarina's move sparked outrage across the globe as she revealed that she would be followed every step of the way by an Australian crew for a documentary film called Virgins Wanted. I saw this as a business. I have the opportunity to travel, to be part of a movie and get a bonus with it. The auction is just business, I'm a romantic girl at heart and believe in love. But this will make a big difference to my area, she told Folha newspaper. Catarina will be delivered to her buyer on board a plane between Australia and the US  being interviewed before and after loosing her virginity at a secret location. Natsu will retain a right to be anonymous, without his picture appearing in the media, the report said. Catarina previously said she wanted to plough the money  USD 20,000 and 90 per cent of the final auction price  into a non-governmental organisation that will construct modern houses in her home state of Santa Catarina. She signed up to the project two years ago when she saw an advertisement by Thomas Williams Productions looking for virgins to film.

A Sharmila Tagore gets honorary degree from Edinburgh University

 London, Oct 25,2012:  Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore has been given an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Edinburgh Napier University for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. The 67-year-old actress, who is the great grand-niece of noted poet Rabindranath Tagore, joined leading figures from the world of foreign affairs, education and almost 1000 students at the ceremony to collect the award. It is indeed a privilege to be conferred an Honorary Degree by Edinburgh Napier University. It recognises the significant influence of Indian Cinema on the global cultural arena and the small role that I have played in its history. As we celebrate a hundred years of Indian Cinema, this is both a happy and humbling moment, Sharmila said while accepting her Doctorate. The honour comes just months after the University's Institute for Creative Industries opened The Scottish Centre for Tagore Studies (ScoTs), the first centre of its kind in the UK. ScoTs promotes Indian culture, education, philosophy, art and literature by highlighting the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. With a glittering career spanning six decades, Sharmila has won National Film Awards and Filmfare awards for her performances in films like 'Apur Sansar', 'Kashmir Ki Kali', 'An Evening in Paris', 'Aradhana'and 'Amar Prem'. Sharmila has had an astonishing career and her films are enjoyed all over the world. She is an excellent ambassador for Indian culture and at the same time, through her various charity endeavours, is a strong advocate for the educational rights of children in India, said Professor Dame Joan Stringer, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University.

Mukesh Ambani richest Indian for 5th yr; networth dips: Forbes

New York, Oct 25,2012:  Mukesh Ambani has retained his position as the world's richest Indian for the fifth year in a row, despite a decline in his networth to USD 21 billion, according to an annual rich list released today.Although Ambani's networth declined for the third year in a row, including a plunge of USD 1.6 billion in past one year, his fortune remains more than 30 per cent above that of the second-ranked Lakshmi Mittal, as per business magazine Forbes' latest annual ranking of 100 wealthiest Indians. Steel baron Mittal's networth fell by USD 3 billion to USD 16 billion.Ambani, who heads energy-to-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries group, and Mittal are followed by IT czar Azim Premji (USD 12.2 billion), construction major and Tata group's major shareholder Shapoorji Pallonji group patriarch Pallonji Mistry (USD 9.8 billion) and drugmaker Sun Pharma's Dilip Shanghvi (USD 9.2 billion) in the top-five.Mukesh's younger brother Anil Ambani is ranked 11th (USD 6 billion), as he movs up two positions from 13th last year.Others in top 10 include Adi Godrej at 6th position (USD 9 billion), followed by Savitri Jindal (USD 8.2 billion), Shashi & Ravi Ruia (USD 8.1 billion), Hinduja Brothers (USD 8 billion) and Kumar Mangalam Birla (USD 7.8 billion). Telecom czar Sunil Mittal and Gautam Adani have moved out of the top 10 and are now ranked 12th and 16th respectively. Last year, Mittal was ranked sixth and Adani was seventh.Even as the networth of top-ranked persons like Ambani and Mittal fell, the collective wealth of India's richest 100 rose by 3.7 per cent (USD 9 billion) to USD 250 billion in the past one year, Forbes said. In the preceding year, the total wealth of India's 100 richest had fallen by 20 per cent.The number of billionaires has risen to 61, from 57 last year. Sun Pharma's Shanghvi has made his debut in top five this year.

Gavaskar to receive BCCI's lifetime achievement award

 Mumbai, Oct 25,2012:  Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar will be conferred the Col C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award at the annual BCCI awards function. The BCCI's Col C K Nayudu Award Committee met here today and decided to confer the honour on the legendary opener, a release from BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said. The award comprises a trophy, citation and a cheque for Rs 25 lakh. Gavaskar will receive the honour at the BCCI Awards Ceremony, to be held shortly. Gavaskar represented India in 125 Tests from 1970-71 to 1986-87, scoring a record 774 runs in his debut series in the West Indies. He was the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Tests, and the first to play 100 consecutive Tests. He was the first batsman to score hundreds in each innings of a Test thrice and was the first batsman to surpass Sir Don Bradman's tally of 29 Test centuries. He led India in 47 Tests and his greatest triumph as captain was India's victory in the World Championship of Cricket, a limited-overs tournament featuring all the then Test-playing nations, in 1984-85. Post retirement, he became a cricket expert. He was also the chairman of the BCCI's Technical Committee, and the chairman of the ICC's Cricket Committee.
 Meanwhile, the committee has also decided to honour seven individuals posthumously with Special Award for their outstanding contribution to Indian cricket. The yesteryear cricketers -- Vijay Merchant, Vinoo Mankad, Dattu Phadkar, Vijay Manjrekar, Ghulam Ahmed, M L Jaisimha and Dilip Sardesai -- will receive a trophy and cheque of Rs 15 lakh at the award ceremony.

Matteson produces magical 63, Woods trails by three

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 25,2012:  American Troy Matteson produced a magical eight-under-par 63, thanks to four closing birdies, including a closing hole "slam-dunk", as he put the shade on Tiger Woods in the first round of the $6.1 CIMB Classic here Thursday.Matteson revelled in steamy conditions at the Mines Resort and Golf Club to lead by one stroke from countrymen Brian Harman, Robert Garrigus and Jeff Overton, who finished runner-up here last year.In form Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar, who has won twice on the Asian Tour in the past two months, was a further stroke back with American Tom Gillis while 14-time Major champion Woods, Malaysia's Danny Chia and Jbe Kruger of South Africa were amongst those in tied seventh place on 66.
Woods, the tournament's top draw, lit up his back nine with five birdies to end the day three behind the leader. He struggled with a cold putter on his outward nine, missing two short putts on eight and nine to turn in level par before lighting up his inward stretch with five birdies.
"I felt in control on the back nine. Towards the end of the front nine, I was hitting it really well. Just missed a couple of short putts on eight and nine but I was hitting it really well. Just continued it and it felt really good on the back nine. I hit some really good shots," said Woods, who is returning to Malaysia for the first time since his triumph in the World Cup of Golf in 1999.
"Turning at even par, I felt like I just got run over there. It felt like I had to shoot something at least three, four under par on that back nine, and I happened to get one more, which is nice. It's going to take something like 20-plus to win the tournament, so got to be aggressive and go get it."
Two-time PGA Tour winner Matteson, making his debut at the CIMB Classic, was flawless and closed out his round with a birdie from the greenside bunker.
"The pin is really tricky on 18. I thought I hit a pretty good shot in there, and it just barely landed over the bunker and trickled back in the bunker, left me on the upslope. I knew I'd be doing good if I could leave myself seven or eight feet for par, and it bounced and slam dunked in the hole," he said.
Defending champion Bo Van Pelt shot a 70 to lie in tied 30th place.

Indian Auto component firms set to make a splash at China Expo

 Beijing, Oct 25,2012: Top Indian Auto component manufacturers are set to make a big splash at the three-day China International Auto Parts Expo beginning here tomorrow. More than 80 Indian companies would be taking part at the India show being organised during the expo event. The event will provide the Indian auto industry an opening into Chinas automobile market, which is currently the leading global market, said Nagraj Naidu, Trade Consular of the Indian Embassy here.
 The show is being co-hosted by the Indian mission and the Confederation of Indian Industry. India Show in Beijing assumes greater significance in the context of enhanced economic and strategic cooperation between the two nations, said an official. The event is organised in an year, which has been declared as the Year of India-China Friendship and Cooperation, pledging to push the strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, CII Representative in China, E.B Rajesh said. Also a 19 member Business delegation, including CEOs will take part in the event.
 It will be led by S Gopalakrishnan, President Designate of CII and Executive Co-Chairman Infosys Technologies Ltd and include Rajive Kaul, CII Past President and Chairman of NICCO Corporation Ltd. The delegation will call on senior Chinese Government leaders and discuss new areas for collaboration for enhancing trade and investment between the two countries, Rajesh said. More than 80 Indian companies are participating in the three day exhibition.  The India Pavilion will showcase the wide variety of top class Indian auto parts, a CII press release said.
 This included engine, body and chassis systems, high technology equipment and parts, innovative hybrid energy parts etc along with maintenance and tuning equipment and general components, it said.  CII is also organizing the India-China Business Seminar tomorrow coinciding with the inauguration of India Show. Leading Indian companies like Tata, Aditya Birla, Reliance Industries, Infosys, Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, NIIT, among others, will be participating in the event.
  This will also provide a good opportunity for the local companies to interact with them and explore new areas of cooperation, the CII release said. .  During the occasion, the Indian organisers will be releasing a book titled Retracing the Path to Prosperity  Lessons from India-China Business Partnership.
 This will showcase the contributions of Indian companies that have invested in China.  The book will also be a good reference for the potential investors to understand the strategies adopted by the successful Indian Corporates in China.     Further, as part of the India Show an Indian food & wine festival is being organised by Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
  Participants will also be able to witness an Indian Cultural and Dance Performance organised by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).   The Indian Ministry of Commerce & Industry and CII attach great importance to this show as it will help enhance ties between two emerging economies and build Brand India in China, the release said.

Sleep apnea can reduce severity of heart injury: Study

 Houston, Oct 25,2012:  People suffering from sleep apnea may suffer less severe heart injury during an acute non-fatal Myocardial Infarction (MI) compared to those without the condition, according to a new study lead by an Indian-origin researcher. In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a person's breathing is disrupted during sleep because their airway becomes narrowed or blocked, causing pauses or decreases in air flow. Although the new findings do not contradict the widely accepted view that sleep apnea is a risk factor for heart disease that can lead to a heart attack, it do suggest that obstructive sleep apnea can provide some heart protection in the event of a heart attack, lead investigator Dr Neomi Shah said. Shah is the associate director of the pulmonary sleep lab at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. The study entitled, Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Acute Myocardial Infarction Severity: Ischemic Preconditioning, screened over 6,000 hospitalised patients on the cardiology units at Montefiore found that this degree of cardioprotection can reduce the severity of the heart attack. A number of factors led to this conclusion. First, acute MI patients with severe sleep apnea tended to have a lower median level of peak Troponin-T compared to those without OSA.  Troponin-T is a marker in the blood for myocardial cell death and it accurately predicts the severity of a heart attack. In addition, patients with OSA had lower levels of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) as compared with non-OSA patients. CPK is an enzyme found in the blood and when it is high, it usually indicates that there has been an injury or stress to muscle mass. These novel findings suggest that OSA may be cardioprotective in the acute phase of a MI. Our results appear to be contrary to existing literature that identifies obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to be a risk factor for Myocardial Infarction, said Shah. While our data do not refute a widely accepted view that sleep apnea is a risk factor for the development of a coronary artery disease related event such as a Myocardial Infarction, our study suggests that obstructive sleep apnea can provide a degree of cardioprotection during the acute phase of a Myocardial Infarction.

Indian origin author chronicles her life in book

 Melbourne, Oct 25,2012:  A new book providing fresh insight into the Indian tradition of arranged marriages has been launched here. The Deranged Marriage by a British Australian journalist of Indian origin Sushi Das chronicles her life growing up in London of 70's with strict Indian parents who tried to arrange her marriage. The book discusses her and her family's journey from India to Britain and adjusting in the western world under a strict Indian traditions. The journalist turned author said her book was not about criticising all arranged marriages but only for people to understand that it was not meant for everybody. But the book is not just her take on arranged marriage, it also illustrates the responsibilities on migrant population. The interesting novel from Das can be seen as many stories, from Indian migrants to Indian wedding to relationships, weaved into in one story.