Maha govt to support Kalyan International Film Festival - Business Standard

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the state government would extends its support to the five-day Kalyan International Film Festival on the lines of other global cinematic events being held in the state.

Fadnavis was speaking as a chief guest last night at the first Kalyan Film Festival here.

He said that presently there were only two international film festivals held in Maharashtra one the Pune International Film Festival and the other MIFF (Mumbai International Film Festival), both of which have come a long way in entertaining film buffs and theatre lovers.

He said that present day TV and cinema have given immense scope to youth to showcase their talent.

As many as 35 movies including 15 Marathi films and 10 foreign language films were screened at the Kalyan Festival.

The main attraction of the fest was that films were screened in tents with the traditional projector bringing alive the yesteryears of Indian cinema Touring Talkies.

Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde, Kalyan-Dombivili MC Mayor Kalyani Patil, Bhiwandi MP Kapil Patil, and half a dozen MLAs from the region were present at the function.

Veteran actor Ramesh Deo, Seema Deo and Anuradha Podwal were given the Life Time Achievement Awards on the occasion by the Chief Minister.

A fair Innings: MS Dhoni - Financial Express

Summary

The timing of Dhoni’s decision to retire from Tests may not accord him much grace, but is pragmatic

MS Dhoni, arguably one of India’s top cricket captains, announced his retirement from Test cricket yesterday. Some had seen it coming, especially retired Indian cricketers, from their vantage points in the commentators’ box. On the other hand, fans took to the comments sections of online news publications with outpourings of shock and lamentation, even though Dhoni will continue playing the other two formats of international cricket, one-dayers and T-20. Then, there were those who could only voice relief and welcome the news.

It is easy to stand with Dhoni’s detractors, given his poor show in the ongoing Test series against Australia. It is also true that Dhoni was just one defeat away from equalling the ignominious record for most defeats as captain. At the same time, India reached the coveted no.1 spot in the ICC Test rankings under his captaincy—and maintained the rank for a respectable 21 months. Polarising as it is, the narrative of the Dhoni story in the Test format will likely change to one of how the captain hung up his cricketing shoes mid-series, against Australia, definitely India’s bitterest rival. But, in the end, Dhoni did choose a pragmatic exit over lingering on in the hopes of bowing out with grace.

AirAsia tragedy: bodies, debris found in Java Sea - The Hindu

After three days of intense search, debris of the missing AirAsia aircraft carrying 162 people was found on Tuesday in the Java Sea off Indonesia, but only three bodies have been retrieved so far as mystery remained over the cause of the crash.

Only three bodies have been retrieved and not 40 as previously stated by naval officials, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said.

The bodies were spotted along with debris floating in the Java Sea off the Indonesian part of Borneo, close to the area where contact was lost with the aircraft on Sunday

Family members of those aboard AirAsia Flight 8501 collapsed in agony on Tuesday as images of debris and a bloated body flashed across Indonesian television screens, proof that the plane crashed into the sea two days earlier with 162 people on board.

The low-cost carrier vanished on Sunday halfway through a two-hour flight between Surabaya, Indonesia and Singapore after encountering storm clouds, sparking an international hunt with dozens of planes, ships and helicopters.

On the third day of searching, the first signs of the jet were found in shallow, aqua waters only about 16 km from the plane’s last known coordinates — A life jacket, an emergency exit door. Parts of the jetliner’s interior, including an oxygen tank, were brought to the nearest town, Pangkalan Bun. Another find included a bright blue plastic suitcase, completely unscratched.

First Adm. Sigit Setiayanta, Naval Aviation Center commander at Surabaya Air Force base, told reporters six corpses were spotted about 160 km from Borneo island.

Rescue workers were lowered on ropes from a hovering helicopter to retrieve bodies. Efforts were hindered by 2 metre waves and strong winds, National Search and Rescue Director SB Supriyadi said, but several victims were later picked up by a navy ship.

Supriyadi had been on the aircraft and saw what appeared to be more wreckage under the water, which was clear and a relatively shallow 20 to 30 metres. Television coverage of the discovery sent a spasm of pain through the room at the Surabaya airport where relatives were waiting for news. It is not clear what brought the plane down. The last communication indicated the pilots were worried about bad weather. They sought permission to climb above threatening clouds, but were denied due to heavy air traffic. Four minutes later, the jet disappeared from the radar without issuing a distress signal.

The plane’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders, or black boxes, have yet to be recovered. Scott Hamilton, managing director of aviation consultancy Leeham Co., said in a post on his website that autopsies may provide some of the earliest clues about what happened.

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U'khand Governor Qureshi moved to Mizoram - The Indian Express

Four months after he had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against NDA government’s move to remove him from the post of Governor of Uttarakhand, Aziz Qureshi was on Tuesday transferred to Mizoram for the remaining of his term. Though there are no fixed parameters, a governor is appointed generally for five years.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Qureshi said: “I have no issues serving Mizoram. It is also part of India. I still have two more years to go.”

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Governor K K Paul will replace Qureshi in Uttarakhand. “Paul will continue to hold the additional charge of Manipur till further orders,” read a communication from President Pranab Mukherjee’s office.

West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi has been asked to discharge the functions of Meghalaya Governor.

In a petition filed in the apex court, Qureshi said he was appointed by the President and only he had the authority to remove him. Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami had telephoned Governor Qureshi on July 30 and asked him to consider quitting in wake of a remark he made on rape incidents in Uttar Pradesh, of which he was holding additional charge then.

In an affidavit to the Supreme Court in August, Goswami had said Qureshi’s actions were not “behoving the status of the Governor” and showed the constitutional office in “very poor light” apart from “bringing it into disrespect”.

Drones to keep eye on Bengaluru revellers - Times of India

BENGALURU: New Year revelry will not be the same in Bengaluru this time around as police will put in place unprecedented crowd-management and surveillance techniques. The measures come three days after an explosion killed a woman on Church Street, off MG Road.

On Wednesday night, a drone equipped with a CCTV camera will fly 50 feet above MG Road, Brigade Road and Church Street and keep a hawk's eye on revelers. The revelers will be frisked before being allowed to enter the three hotspots of revelry.

Once the size of the crowds reaches what police believe are saturation points, interlocked barricades will be erected and entry prohibited. Police are tightlipped on the number of revelers expected.

Armed policemen equipped with night-vision binoculars will be stationed atop 10 watch towers to be erected along the area.

Police commissioner M N Reddi told TOI: "This year, we will do a lot of frisking. Once we think these roads are overcrowded, we will not allow others to enter these roads till the number of people goes down."

The focus is on restricting access. Police are not keen on tactics like corralling or kettling - where police contingents contain and force crowds to leave from predetermined points.

"There will be compartmentalization and restricted access to these roads. We will manage the crowd in such a way that these areas will never be overcrowded," Reddi said.

All entry points to the three roads will be barricaded. Hand-held metal detectors and door-frame metal detectors will be deployed to screen revelers.

Additional commissioner (law and order) Alok Kumar said: "The drone-mounted camera will focus on MG Road, Brigade Road and Church Street. Trials were conducted on Tuesday." Revelers will not be allowed to carry backpacks and bags in these areas.

Mirrors will be used to screen every vehicle parked and moving in the area. Ten watch towers will be erected on the three roads. Gun-toting policemen will keep a watch on revelers using night-vision binoculars. Four more watch towers will be erected on Commercial Street and in Indiranagar.

Police said 75 CCTV cameras - 25 belonging to the city police and 50 borrowed from private players - will be deployed on MG Road and neighbourhood. Eight CCTV cameras will be installed on Commercial Street and in Indiranagar.

Strict vigil

* Police personnel deployed: 20 ACPs, 91 inspectors, 220 sub-inspectors, 333 ASIs, 992 head constables, 2092 constables, 86 head constables and constables, 1,300 home guards and 47 KSRP and CAR platoons

* 12 mounted police personnel

* 10 watch towers on MG Road and adjacent areas; four more in Commercial Street and Indiranagar

* 75 CCTV cameras in CBD areas, eight in Commercial Street and Indiranagar

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=surveillance techniques,off MG Road,new year,MG Road,Church Street

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MSD DECLARES: India loses calm keeper - The Indian Express

By: Sriram Veera

Why are you still captaining? What excites you?” It’s 2012, India were in the middle of a masochistic tour of Australia, he had by then already said he would quit Tests by the end of 2013, speculations about rifts within the team were floating, when MS Dhoni was asked that direct question. We were in a press conference and the question, at least the way it tumbled out of my mouth, was probably harsh but that was that.

Dhoni didn’t stare. Too long at least. He looked into the eye, turned his head away to nothing in particular and said: “Not for the sake of it. It’s an interesting responsibility given to me… the challenge (excites me), the challenge to be with the senior guys, to groom the youngsters to keep the dressing-room atmosphere good. Leading a side is all about when the team is not doing well.”

It’s a good revealing answer. May be devoid of the joy of captaincy which did come through on the long hours under the sun overseas when he would often let things meander. Perhaps, the retirement of the seniors appealed to his sense of responsibility and he pushed that decision to quit Tests by an year, to now.

The timing, the manner, the secrecy, the abruptness was typically Dhoni. He hadn’t called his team-mates to his wedding; he wasn’t going to tell them now before the decision to quit. The timing is right for he had long failed to convince that he could really change his tepid captaincy style.

It’s the schizophrenia of Dhoni’s captaincy, and as Test batsman, that startles even after all these years. How can a man who was so imperious in limited-overs format be so tame with bat in Tests? How can a captain who was pretty good in India be so rudderless overseas? It’s no surprise that he has first quit the format he was least successful in.

Every captain has a shelf-life, but importantly every captain has a place and time where he fits. Arjuna Ranatunga was the freedom fighter that a then young vulnerable Sri Lanka needed to be confident to compete with international teams. Same with India. Sourav Ganguly’s passion was needed to inspire a young new India, coming out of the controversies of match-fixing; Rahul Dravid’s approach that led to a few controversial sackings of big players and also the re-establishment of some prodigal sons helped to reign in some big egos.

And Dhoni’s calmness was just what the star-heavy Test team needed, someone to give them the space to do their own thing. That bunch of individuals, who were self-aware and mature, didn’t need much work. They didn’t need a passionate Ganguly; they needed a nonchalant Dhoni and he took them all the way to No 1 spot in Tests. As a captain, he was all about control. And Indian conditions allowed him to micro manage. The big totals piled up by his batsmen would give him the scoreboard pressure he sought, and he could then let continued…

AirAsia tragedy: bodies, debris found in Java Sea - The Hindu

After three days of intense search, debris of the missing AirAsia aircraft carrying 162 people was found on Tuesday in the Java Sea off Indonesia, but only three bodies have been retrieved so far as mystery remained over the cause of the crash.

Only three bodies have been retrieved and not 40 as previously stated by naval officials, Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said.

The bodies were spotted along with debris floating in the Java Sea off the Indonesian part of Borneo, close to the area where contact was lost with the aircraft on Sunday

Family members of those aboard AirAsia Flight 8501 collapsed in agony on Tuesday as images of debris and a bloated body flashed across Indonesian television screens, proof that the plane crashed into the sea two days earlier with 162 people on board.

The low-cost carrier vanished on Sunday halfway through a two-hour flight between Surabaya, Indonesia and Singapore after encountering storm clouds, sparking an international hunt with dozens of planes, ships and helicopters.

On the third day of searching, the first signs of the jet were found in shallow, aqua waters only about 16 km from the plane’s last known coordinates — A life jacket, an emergency exit door. Parts of the jetliner’s interior, including an oxygen tank, were brought to the nearest town, Pangkalan Bun. Another find included a bright blue plastic suitcase, completely unscratched.

First Adm. Sigit Setiayanta, Naval Aviation Center commander at Surabaya Air Force base, told reporters six corpses were spotted about 160 km from Borneo island.

Rescue workers were lowered on ropes from a hovering helicopter to retrieve bodies. Efforts were hindered by 2 metre waves and strong winds, National Search and Rescue Director SB Supriyadi said, but several victims were later picked up by a navy ship.

Supriyadi had been on the aircraft and saw what appeared to be more wreckage under the water, which was clear and a relatively shallow 20 to 30 metres. Television coverage of the discovery sent a spasm of pain through the room at the Surabaya airport where relatives were waiting for news. It is not clear what brought the plane down. The last communication indicated the pilots were worried about bad weather. They sought permission to climb above threatening clouds, but were denied due to heavy air traffic. Four minutes later, the jet disappeared from the radar without issuing a distress signal.

The plane’s cockpit voice and flight data recorders, or black boxes, have yet to be recovered. Scott Hamilton, managing director of aviation consultancy Leeham Co., said in a post on his website that autopsies may provide some of the earliest clues about what happened.

RELATED NEWS

Key developments in disappearance of AirAsia jet December 28, 2014

Search area expanded in hunt for AirAsia plane December 30, 2014

Missing jet believed to be ‘at bottom of sea’December 29, 2014

Differences between MH370 and AirAsia incidents December 29, 2014

Missing aircraft: Sushma writes to Indonesian minister December 29, 2014

Allianz is lead insurer for AirAsia plane December 29, 2014

Search resumes for missing AirAsia flightDecember 29, 2014

Missing AirAsia plane was delivered in 2008December 29, 2014

Missing flight is 3rd Malaysia-linked incident December 28, 2014

What's happening with search for Flight MH370? December 30, 2014

AirAsia’s Airbus A320-200 overshoots runway December 30, 2014

More In: World | International | News