International Cricket Council chief says security is key to 2011 World Cup games

Security advice will be key when matches are allotted for the 2011 World Cup to be jointly staged in the Indian sub-continent, International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan said on December 21.

There have been concerns over the World Cup, to be jointly staged by India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, due to the refusal of major teams to tour Pakistan over player safety fears. The bilateral relations between India and Pakistan have also strained following last month's militant attacks in Mumbai. The Indian government this week refused permission for the cricket tour of Pakistan which was due to start next month.

"Of course, there has to be some concern about the next ICC World Cup to be played in those four countries," Morgan told a news conference. But I'm confident between the four countries we will have a very good World Cup.

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Film looks at mythical and legendary love of Salim with court dancer Anarkali

Even as K. Asif had begun his magnum opus Mughal-e-Azam' based on the legendary romance of Salim and Anarkali, years earlier, Filmistan came out with their presentation of 'Anarkali', in 1953, a good seven years before K.Asif's masterpiece.

The film starring Bina Rai, Pradeep Kumar, Kuldip Kaur and Mubarak was also a huge success at the box office whose highlight is a scintillating musical score by C Ramachndra.

The Anarkali-Salim legend is unsupported by historic evidence but the story of thwarted youthful love in conflict with convention and authority provides rich dramatic material with immense popular appeal. It is no surprise, therefore, that this popular legend has been filmed many times on the silver screen.

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India calls off next month's tour of Pakistan

India have called off next month's cricket tour of Pakistan, the government refusing permission amid simmering tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the militant attacks in Mumbai in November.

"We have received a letter from the government that the tour is not feasible under the prevailing circumstances," Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty told Reuters on December 18.

A senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said an official invitation had already been sent to Sri Lanka to play three tests, three onedayers and a Twenty20 match to replace the cancelled tour.

"It is disappointing for us but we were expecting this," PCB chief operating officer Salim Altaf told reporters in Lahore. "We believe cricket can help improve relations between the two nations."

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Holiday health tips, fire and carbon monoxide safety

Holiday lighting

• Never use electric lights on a metallic tree.

• Before using lights outdoors, check labels to make sure they have been certified for outdoor use. Use hooks or insulated staples (not nails or tacks) to hold lights in place and never pull or tug lights to remove them.

• Check decorative lights (even if they're new) for frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections before hanging them.

• Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.

• Inspect ladders for loose or missing screws, hinges, bolts and nuts.

• Ladders should be non-metal if used around electricity and should extend at least three feet past the edge of the roof. Avoid working alone when using ladders and working off the ground.

• Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house.

• Keep candles away from decorations, curtains and drapes or other combustibles. Never display lighted candles in windows or near exits and never use lit candles as tree decorations or near cut greenery.

• Always keep candles, matches and lighters out of the reach of children and do not leave children unattended in a room with lit candles.

Fire and carbon monoxide safety

• Ensure electrical outlets are not overloaded and smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are in good working order.

• Do not leave the stove unattended when cooking.

• Follow manufacturers' recommendations for safe operation of kerosene and propane heaters.

• Know and practice fire exit drills with your family.

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Qatar Airways switches nonstop flights to JFK

Qatar Airways has switched its nonstop flights to Doha from Newark to New York's JFK International Airport and is offering passengers bound for India the opportunity to connect from Doha to nine Indian destinations.

Passengers headed to the Indian subcontinent can now connect from Doha to New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Trivandrum, Hyderabad, Cochin, Nagpur and Kozhikode. Connections are also available from Doha to Colombo, Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Kathmandu and Dhaka.

The airline switched its nonstop Doha flights to JFK effective October 26.

Speaking to Desi Talk during a visit to New York, Al Rias, the airline's executive vice-president commercial, said that the flights to India offer a large selection of Indian entertainment and a choice of Indian cuisine prepared by renowned chefs.

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Posthumous human rights award for Benazir Bhutto

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto who was brutally shot down late last year while campaigning for office, is among 7 human rights activists to receive top United Nations awards.

The United Nations General Assembly on December 10, Human Rights Day, awarded its top human rights prize to seven global advocates ranging from a Congolese doctor who treats female victims of sexual violence, a nun who fought for indigenous rights before her murder in Brazil, and the assassinated Pakistani leader. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, her son, stood in for his mother at the December 10 ceremony at the UN.

The UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights, awarded every five years, was presented at a General Assembly ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

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Caroline Kennedy is seeking Hillary Clinton's Senate seat

Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F.Kennedy, will seek appointment to the Senate seat being vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton, according a spokesman for her campaign.

Kennedy is actively campaigning for the appointment and made phone calls to influential Democrats in the state on December 15 to seek their support. Among those she spoke with were Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, who endorsed her candidacy Dec. 15 night, and City Council Speaker Christine C.Quinn.

Kennedy's name was floated several weeks ago as a possible replacement for Clinton, who has been tapped by President elect Barack Obama to head the State Department. Kennedy spoke this month with New York Gov. David A. Paterson, who will be charged with filling the seat if Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state.

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Building bridges of music between New York, Istanbul and New Delhi

In a world marred by trans-border terrorism, the Carnegie Hall Cultural Exchange presented by the Weill Music Institute (WMI) at Carnegie Hall will bring music from across the world to New York high school students.

Throughout the year, New York City social studies students will explore the music and culture of a chosen country - this season the selected countries are Turkey and India - through sequential lessons while also exchanging ideas with their overseas peers via an online community. For each country being studied, the program also offers two interactive concerts at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall - featuring jazz artists from the United States and traditional musicians from the chosen country - that allow students, teachers, and musicians to connect in real time via Zankel Hall's distance-learning technology.

These simultaneous transatlantic concerts, broadcast live to and from each country's venue, also provide opportunities for the students to ask questions of the musicians as well as their peers across the ocean.

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In wreckage of Oberoi hotel

Standing outside the jammed office door of Mumbai's battered Trident-Oberoi Hotel, the thought hits us at about the same time: what if it's blocked by a booby trap?

Simon Hartley, a Briton working in the construction industry, and I have come back to retrieve our belongings from the Trident, a home away-from-home for us both, after elite troops ended a harrowing siege by Islamist militants.

A concierge has escorted us up to the 12th floor. The door to Simon's office looks as if it has been forced. The concierge and a guest services manager assure us the floor has been cleared, but we're not convinced. We want them to check again.

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Indian pair chasing pro dream get Pirates deal

Two Indian youngsters chasing the American baseball dream have taken an important first step when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed them up as non-draft free agents.

Left-hander Rinku Singh and Dinesh Kumar Patel pitched in front of scouts from the Pirates and other Major League organizations on November 12 before being chosen, a statement on the club website (www.pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com) said.

The players, with shoulder strength gained through their initial training to become javelin throwers, earned a U.S.training stint in May after topping a pitching contest in India, ‘The Million-Dollar Arm', which offered the winner $100,000.

Singh, 20, who won that contest and Patel, 19, will now take part in the Pirates' Minor League spring training next year.

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I don't think we could have envisioned any other actor in the role of Sidhu

A claimed producer and director Rohan Sippy met members of the South Asian media at an informal meeting at Utsav restaurant in midtown Manhattan, New York recently.

Sippy discussed his latest venture 'Chandni Chowk to China', the first ever Bollywood Kungfu comedy that takes the viewers from Chandni Chowk, New Delhi to Shanghai, China. The film is scheduled to be released worldwide on January 16, 2009.

"The film marries hilarious gags, breathtaking action, spectacular locations and heart stirring emotions," Sippy said.

The film stars Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone in a double role and Mithun Chakraborty. The film is co-produced by Mukesh Talreja and Ramesh Sippy and is being distributed by Warner Brothers in collaboration with Ramesh Sippy Films.

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Former Finance Minister to lead war on militants

Former Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, who led efforts to fend off the global financial crisis, now faces an even stiffer test - rescuing India's government from the wreckage of the Mumbai attacks.

The Harvard-educated Chidambaram was named on November 30 as the new home minister after the much-derided incumbent resigned following a year of militant violence which culminated in the three-day rampage through India's financial and cultural heart.

Chidambaram's four-year tenure as finance minister saw growth averaging about 9 percent, but high borrowing costs following a spurt in inflation and the impact of the global economic crisis are expected to trim it this fiscal year to near 7 percent.

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Who could be behind the Mumbai attacks and why?

Militants armed with automatic weapons and grenades attacked luxury hotels, hospital and a famous tourist cafe in India's commercial capital Mumbai late on November 26, killing at least 183 people.

• Who is behind the attacks?

The attacks were claimed by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen in an e-mail to news organizations. Deccan is an area of southern India.

But it is not clear if the claim is genuine, and analysts say the bombings are almost certainly the work of a different group.

The most likely perpetrators, they say, are either the Indian Mujahideen or Lashkar-eTaiba.

• Who are Lashkar-e-Taiba?

Lashkar-e-Taiba is one of the largest Islamic militant groups in South Asia, based in Pakistan and fighting Indian rule in Kashmir.

Security analysts say it is a well-funded and highly organized group that sympathizes with al Qaeda.

Lashkar-e-Taiba denied being behind the Mumbai attacks and said it condemned them.

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Pakistan offers India joint investigation of attack

Pakistan offered on December 2 to help India investigate the militant assault on Mumbai and said it would "frame a response" to an Indian demand that it hand over 20 of India's most wanted men.

India has blamed Islamist militants based in Pakistan for last week's attacks in India's financial capital that killed 183 people.

Pakistan has condemned the assault, denied any involvement by state agencies and vowed to work with India in its investigation.It has rejected what it called unsubstantiated allegations of complicity.

Tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the attacks has led to fears of renewed confrontation after Pakistan's civilian government had been trying to push forward a tentative peace process.

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Captured militant tells of training in Pakistan

The gunman captured during the attacks on Mumbai said he had undergone months of commando-style training in an Islamist militant camp in Pakistan, two senior officials involved in the investigation said.

The training was organized by the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, and conducted by a former member of the Pakistani army, a police officer close to the interrogation said, on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give his name.

"They underwent training in several phases, which included training in handling weapons, bomb making, survival strategies, survival in a marine environment and even dietary habits," another senior officer told Reuters.

The Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba made its name fighting Indian rule in Kashmir but was also blamed for an attack on the Indian parliament in 2001 that brought the nuclear-armed neighbors close to war.

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Jeev Milkha Singh grabs Singapore Open glory

India's Jeev Milkha Singh won a nail-biting Singapore Open on November 16 after Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els came agonisingly close to taking the $5 million Asian Tour event to a playoff.

Singh, who virtually sealed the Asian order of merit title with the win, started the day five shots behind leader Chapchai Nirat of Thailand but three birdies on the front nine helped him to the top of the leader board at seven under par.

Three-times major winner Harrington looked certain to force a playoff after a stunning fairway wood gave him the chance of birdie at the last, but the Irishman's five-foot putt leaked across the face of the hole.

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Story of fragmented family of 3 brothers who are united by music

Produced and directed by Subhash Ghai, 'Yuvvraaj' is musical story of fragmented family of three brothers - Deven Yuvvraaj, played by Salman Khan, Gyanesh Yuvvraaj played by Anil Kapoor and Danny Yuvvraaj, played by Zyed Khan - who are fighting and playing games with each other to inherit their father's wealth.

Music for the film is composed by none other than, A.R. Rahman, Ghai's favorite. The film was released on November 21.

According to Ghai, the film is about the arrogance and overconfidence of contemporary youth.

"Everyone wants to be a rock star, regardless of whether they have the morals to go with the appellation."

The story takes a curve, when Deven's girlfriend Anoushka, played by Katrina Kaif, comes in to explain to them the power of relationships over the power of money by using music to bind the love between them.

Deven Yuvvraaj is a happy-go-lucky person for whom life begins with himself and ends with his love Anoushka, a beautiful, angelic girl passionately in love with her violin and Deven.

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