2 dead after man shoots estranged wife, 2 others

Two people were dead and a third seriously injured after a distraught gunman from California stormed a small church in Clifton, N.J., where a group of immigrants from Kerala had gathered for their Sunday morning service and shot his estranged wife from an arranged marriage, her cousin and a church director in the head on November 23, authorities said.

Reshma James, 24, died about 4 p.m. the same day and Dennis John Malloosseril, 23, of Hawthorne, died late in the night, according to authorities. Silvy Perincheril, 47, of Hawthorne, N.J., James' cousin, remained in "very serious" condition Tuesday, authorities said.

The suspect, Joseph "Sanish" Pallipurath, 27, of Sacramento, was arrested after a nationwide manhunt at 11:40 p.m. November 24 in Monroe City, Ga., Passaic County Prosecutor James F. Avigliano told Desi Talk.

The U.S. Marshals Service and the Passaic County Sheriff's Department helped in the search for Pallipurath, Avigliano said.

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Tilda launches new ad targeting young and old Indian Americans

A new Tilda Basmati rice commercial uses a series of fleeting images to give viewers a flavor of the past and present, in an effort to appeal to the young and old alike.

'Stolen from the Past' - shot like a Bollywood epic - tells the story of the popular brand of Basmati rice and it all starts with a couple who go to a fancy Indian restaurant.

The ad shows the couple sharing a romantic meal. The man orders Basmati rice and the order is fed through to the kitchen via the latest restaurant EPOS technology. The head chef finds an empty bag of Tilda Pure Basmati. He phones an order, and the scene jumps back to Victorian London.

A man calls the order through. We step back in time again to the 1800s, where a young boy picks up the order. He runs through the streets of London to an office where the order is then telegraphed. At every turn, the viewer travels back in time.

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Commonwealth Games in trouble over village project

The games village being built on the banks of the Yamuna, one of India's major rivers flowing through the capital city, is the subject of a legal case after a petition raised environmental concerns over the project.

The Delhi High Court last week asked an expert to submit a report on whether the village, to house around 8,500 athletes and officials, should be allowed at the spot.

The CGF coordination commission held a meeting to review the games preparations and its chairman Austin Sealy said the village would be the best built for a Commonwealth Games.

"However, the Federation is aware of an issue affecting the village is presently before the courts in India and therefore considers it inappropriate to comment on the matter other than to note that any change, at this late stage, to the Games village arrangements would seriously jeopardize India's hosting of the Games," he said in a statement.

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Shekhar Kammula's first production under his home banner Amigos Creations

'Avakai Biryani', Shekar Kammula's first production under his home banner Amigos Creations was released on November 14. Directed by his associate Anish Kuruvilla, the film stars Kamal Kamaraju and Bindu Madhavi in lead roles.

Avakai (mango pickle) represents the true Hindu, especially of North Andhra or coastal region. At the same time, biryani, the Hyderabadi cuisine, could be equated to Muslim culture. The film was named after a love story between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy.

The film revolves around Akbar Kalam, played by Kamaraju, an orphan living in the village of Devarakonda, on the Telangana border.

He divides his time as a newspaper boy in the morning, driving an auto rickshaw in the day and studying for BCom in the night.

He is a follower of Masterji, played by Rao Ramesh), the leader of this small village.

Purushottam, played by Kameshwara Rao and family, uprooted by Polavaram project relocate themselves in Devarakonda. He wants to earn his living by putting up a hotel.

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New York City Bar's honorary degree for former Pakistan Chief Justice

The New York City Bar Association presented an honorary degree to Iftikhar Muham mad Chaudhry, Pakistan's ousted Chief Justice at the association's office in Manhattan on November 17.

The award was bestowed in absentia last January, as Chaudhry was under house arrest after his ouster and the suspension of the Pakistani Constitution by President Musharraf a year ago.

On November 14, 2007, the City and State Bars, along with several other organizations, held a rally of approximately 700 lawyers on the steps of the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan in support of Chief Justice Chaudhry and the Pakistan Lawyers Movement, a press release said.

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JUS Punjabi TV celebrates launch on DISH Network

JUS Punjabi TV, the first American-Punjabi Television Network, celebrated its October 22 launch on DISH Network with a dinner reception and press conference in the Penthouse in Midtown Manhattan, New York on November 10.

The channel, which is already on Time Warner Cable and Verizon Fios, is available on channel 809 on DISH.

Speaking at the event, Penny Yogiraj Sandhu, Founder-President of JUS Punjabi LLC, said, "The U.S. market has a large concentration of Punjabi-speaking households who have been waiting for a long time for a Punjabi-genre channel like 'JUS Punjabi' that targets not only Indo-Punjabis and Sikhs, but also South Asians, Punjabi-speaking Pakistani-Americans, Guyanese-Americans, and other diverse ethnic groups.

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Citigroup to slash 52,000 jobs: shares slide

Citigroup Inc revealed plans to cut 52,000 jobs by early next year in Chief Executive Vikram Pandit's most dramatic move yet to restore profitability and bolster a sagging share price.

The cuts, announced on November 17, will affect 15 percent of Citigroup's workforce and come on top of 23,000 jobs eliminated between January and September as souring economies and global credit conditions cause the U.S. bank with the farthest reach worldwide to retrench.

The new cuts will leave the second-largest U.S. bank with about 300,000 jobs worldwide, down 20 percent from the end of 2007 and roughly the same number it had at the end of 2005.

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27th Nationwide Miss India USA to be held at Royal Albert's Palace

The 27th Nationwide Miss India USA is scheduled to be held at the Royal Albert's Palace in Fords on November 23. .The pageant is organized by the New York based India Festival Committee (IFC), the pioneer in organizing Indian pageants and fashion shows throughout the USA and the world, a press release said.

Part of the proceeds are to go to the Bihar Flood Relief. Prakash Jha, the renowned Producer/Director from Bollywood is scheduled to be attending the function.

In its 27th year, Miss India USA is the oldest Indian pageant outside of India. Many of the former winners have made a name in the entertainment industry and have had successful modeling careers.

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End of road for 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi'

Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,' once the top-rated show on Indian TV, went off air last week after the Bombay High Court on November 3 dismissed its producers' plea for an injunction halting the serial's cancellation.

Television content provider Balaji Telefilms Ltd had sought legal remedy last month after SGL Entertainment Ltd, a Star Group unit, terminated sourcing and telecasting the eight-year-old soap on the Star Plus channel.

"The High Court has dismissed Balaji's injunction," Ravi Kadam, who represented the Star Group in court, told Reuters.

"While they can still appeal to a division bench of the High Court, as of now the serial will go off air from November 6."

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Tribals in Jharkhand hail Obama victory as sign of change

Hundreds of tribal people beat drums, fired crackers and distributed sweets in Jharkhand on November 6 to celebrate Barack Obama's victory as the first black U.S. president-elect.

Tribals are among the poorest and most backward sections of Indian society and say they suffer racial discrimination in a country enjoying an economic boom in some areas.

When news of Obama's triumph reached Ranchi, hundreds in traditional tribal dress thronged to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, dancing and shouting slogans of optimism.

"The victory of Obama in U.S. election is indication that racial discrimination will end in all forms," Ajay Tirkey, the president of a tribal organization said.

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'Deshdrohi' - on Mumbai anti-immigrant violence

Violent confrontations between immigrants and locals in Mumbai, signs of the problems arising from unequal economic growth, are the focus of a new film about the hardships of immigrant life.

'Deshdrohi', or 'Traitor', tries to make sense of the conflict that experts say is a sign of the strains that inequality is placing on India as some areas enjoy an economic boom and others are left behind.

Anti-immigrant tensions have simmered over the years in Mumbai as thousands from the countryside and small towns arrived in India's most cosmopolitan city seeking to eke out a living as taxi drivers or menial jobs like laundrymen.

Many locals have resented the deluge, and a few politicians have made capital out of it.

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1,000 volunteers at 11 sites participate in Fall Planting Day

More than 1,000 volunteers at eleven forest restoration sites across the city participated in Million Trees NYC Fall Planting Day, a large-scale volunteer tree planting effort on November 7 and 8.

Volunteers planted a total of 15,000 trees to support Million Trees NYC, a component of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC initiative to create a sustainable New York City, a press release said.

Million Trees NYC is a joint initiative between the City and the New York Restoration Project to plant and care for one million trees throughout the five boroughs by 2017.

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Show of new paintings by Bhavsar opens November 25

If Rembrandt or Velasquez was to visit us in 2008, we would have been in perplexity explaining to the great Spanish and Dutch masters our notions of art, - what with Damien Hirst's 'Shark' preserved in 'formaldehyde' selling for more than $ 10 million, and Andy Warhol's identical soup cans for even more - had it not been for shows such as 'RANG: Natvar Bhavsar' opening at Sundaram Tagore Gallery in Chelsea November. 25. It runs through December 27.

Bhavsar's paintings are in the tradition of great art through the ages. They are the opposite of the sensational. The roller-coaster of the art market might induce us to lose sight of the verities of art. 'RANG: Natvar Bhavsar' will restore the balance.

While the materials, techniques, subjects, styles, patrons, etc, of art have changed over the ages, it has remained unchanged in its essence - creativity. The purpose of art is not to reflect, reproduce, or insert objects from life into its field - but to rival nature and repeat on a human scale the infinite creativity of God.

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Film-makers focus on poverty, despite United Nations row

Wim Wenders and Jane Campion are two of the acclaimed directors behind a collection of short films on the United Nations' fight against poverty, but the U.N.agency meant to sponsor the project has pulled out of it.

‘8', which premiered at the Rome film festival on October 23, brings together eight film-makers to illustrate the eight U.N.

Millennium Development Goals, set in 2000 and aimed at halving the number of extremely poor and hungry people by 2015.

Each director takes a different angle to show how poverty, climate change, lack of access to education and basic health facilities are affecting the world's needy but also those living in the rich West.

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Good news for workers addicted to social networking sites - Facebook, MySpace...

Good news for workers addicted to Facebook, Bebo and MySpace - a British think-tank says bosses should not stop their staff using social networking sites because they could actually benefit their firms.

The report by Demos said encouraging employees to use networking technologies to build relationships and closer links with colleagues and customers could help businesses rather than damage them.

Author Peter Bradwell said that while companies were using specific systems to share information, online social networking sites could also play a role, helping with productivity, innovation and democratic working.

However, he said there should be practical guidelines to limit non-work usage.

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10th anniversary concert for Silk Road Project at United Nations

The Silk Road Ensemble, the visionary international music project founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, launched its 10th anniversary season of celebratory performances, premieres of new works, and innovative educational programs, with a special United Nations Day Concert on October 24 at the General Assembly Hall of the UN.

Yo-Yo Ma (who is a United Nations Messenger of Peace) led the virtuoso musicians of the Silk Road Ensemble, from 11 different countries, in the performance.

Begun as a purely musical exploration, Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project now embraces a whole range of artistic and academic endeavors, school projects, seminars and workshops. Highights of the ensemble's 10th anniversary celebrations will include workshops in India and a new program for New York City schools.

Indian tablaist Sandeep Das, a member of the Silk Road Ensemble since 2000, was one of the performers at the inaugural concert.

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Subroto Bhattacharya to head Zee operations in the Americas

Subroto Bhattacharya, currently Territory Head - Europe, is appointed the new Territory Head - Americas for Zee TV USA, looking after USA, Canada, Caribbean and Latin America after Venkat Subramanian decided to move on.

Bhattacharya is part of the senior management of the Zee Group and the current head of the European Business of the Zee Group.

Bhattacharya has been part of the Zee group since 1996 in India looking after advertising sales for the channel.

Commenting on this appointment, Bharat Kumar Ranga, COO of International Business was quoted in a press release, "Bringing Subro to on board for Americas operations has been a conscious and strategic decision to strengthen a very strong leadership team at Zee TV USA.

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Nepal says off-season climbs rise after fee cut

The number of climbing expeditions to Himalayan mountains, including Mount Everest, has risen since Nepal reduced off season climbing fees three months ago, officials said on October 29.

Nepal is home to hundreds of mountains of which 326 peaks including the 8,850 meter (29,035 feet) Mount Everest are open to foreign climbers throughout the year.

While hundreds of climbers pay anything between $500 and $25,000 to ascend some of the lofty peaks during the popular March May climbing season, many mountains don't see a single climber during the rest of the year.

Nepal announced a 50 percent cut in the climbing fees in August for the three-month autumn season starting in September as incentive to off-season climbers and boost tourism, hit by years of Maoist civil war and political unrest.

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Tamil film on dare devil army officer is remake of Bollywood blockbuster

'Aegan' is a Tamil action and romantic film, directed and co-written by Raju Sundaram and produced by Ayngaran International. Starring Ajith Kumar, Nayantara and Suman in the lead roles, the film was released on October 25.

The film revolves around a dare devil army officer, Major Shiva, played by Ajith Kumar, who, on behalf of his ailing father and the ambition of a lieutanent general returns to college in Ooty. Whilst protecting the general's daughter, he attempts to reconcile with his step-brother, Narain, played by Navdeep, from his father's illegitimate relationship.

Furthermore, he has to ward off the international criminal John Chinnappa, played by Suman, who is trying to kill the genral, an exaide of his who has turned police approver.

How Major Shiva manages to solve all three problems forms the crux of the story.

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Japanese climbers find footprints of abominable snowman

Japanese climbers returning from a mountain in western Nepal said on October 21 they had found footprints they think belonged to the abominable snowman or Yeti.

"We saw three footprints which looked like that of human beings," Kuniaki Yagihara, a member of the Yeti Project Japan, said in Kathmandu, after returning from the mountain with photographs of the footprints.The climbers, equipped with long-lens cameras, video cameras and telescopes, said, however that they did not see or take any photographs of the creature.

The Yeti is said to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and is largely regarded by the scientific community as a mythical creature.

Yagihara, 61, said the creature's footprints were found on snow at an altitude of about 4,800 meters in the Dhaulagiri mountain range in western Nepal.

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Wable's ‘For Flow' opens at ‘Theatre for New City', November 6

A surprising multi-faceted work by emerging playwright of Indian descent, Kesav M. Wable, ‘For Flow,' opens at ‘Theatre for the New City' Nov. 6.

Born in Canada, Wagle spent his first 10 years in Bangalore before moving to the U.S. with his family in 1990. His parents are both physicians who live Philadelphia. It closes Nov.23.

Theatre for the New City (TNC) in Lower East side Manhattan is a Pulitzer Prize winning community cultural center known for its high artistic standards and widespread community service.

TNC produces 30-40 premieres of new American plays per year, at least 10 of which are by emerging and young playwrights. Many influential theater artists of the last quarter century have found TNC's Resident Theater Program instrumental to their careers, among them Sam Shepard, Moises Kaufman, Richard Foreman, Charles Busch, Maria Irene Fornes, Miguel Piñero and Academy Award Winners Tim Robbins and Adrien Brody.

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