Bollywood's most glamorous couple appears on `Oprah'

Described by their host as the "most famous movie star couple on the planet," Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Sept. 28.

This was the couple's first joint interview and they took on questions about their courtship, marriage, life and work in an episode titled "Meet the Most Famous People in the World," news reports said. The couple also shared an on-screen kiss (a sweet peck on the cheek).

In introducing the couple, Winfrey said: "India's Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan have 5 billion,

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Autumn arrivals: Ministers, diplomats, officials

September is one of those travel junket months for lawmakers in many countries including the United States and India. It also coincides with `serious' events like the start of the annual United Nations General Assembly meetings and the World Bank/International Monetary Fund roundups.

This year there is also the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate that President Obama formed in March, which will see representatives from 17 countries including India, converge here. Not to mention the Group of 20 meetings in Pennsylvania scheduled for Sept. 245-25. Not least of all, these visits build up the momentum for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's November state visit to this country.

These are apart from the already stepped up high level interchanges that have become a feature of U.S.-India bilateral relations.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

India in Davis Cup World Group after 11 years

Somdev Devvarman carried India to the elite World Group for the first time in 11 years with a sensational 4-6, 67(3), 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-4 win over South Africa's Rik De Voest in the first reverse singles of play-off at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena here Sept. 20.

India won the tie 4-1 as 17 year-old junior Australian Open champion,Yuki Bhambri, came up with a splendid performance daviscup.com in rallying from a set down to put it across Izak van der Merwe 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the inconsequential fifth rubber reduced to best of three sets after India took unbeatable 3-1 lead.

India, who last played in the World Group finals in 1998, needed to win just one reverse singles Sept. 20 to wrap up the tie in their favor.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

13 year old addresses world leaders at Climate Change Summit

A 1 P d 3-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh in India dressed down President Obama and more than 100 other heads of state urging them to recognize the energy and potential in children and youth. An environmental activist since she was 6, Yugratna Srivastava of Lucknow, spoke to world leaders at the United Nations Summit on Climate Change, Sept. 22, on behalf of the world's three billion youth and children.

"Leaders have to agree on a more fair, just and action oriented post-Kyoto agreement adopted and implemented by all the countries," Yugratna said she told the leaders at the Summit. "They have to seal the deal in Copenhagen," Yugratna exhorted them, she told Desi Talk.

Students in her school, she said, had gone crazy about how famous Yugratna had become. "I get hundreds of mails from them every day about me being on this or that channel or newspaper.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the epaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Submission deadline for journalism awards extended

The New York Community Media Alliance has announced an extension in the submission date for the 2009 Ippies Award to Sept. 30.

The awards, described as the only journalism award in New York to honor journalistic excellence in the ethnic and community media, will be given at a ceremony Dec. 3.

New categories introduced this year are "Best coverage on education issues" and "Best multi-media coverage in any of the editorial categories."

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Indian line umpires make their mark at US Open

Tennis fanatics focused on the breathtaking play by stars at the US Open may get a bird's-eye view also from another kind of players those behind the lines. This year's US Open saw at least five Indian line umpires officiating at the games. And while they may not seem as imposing as the chair umpire, they are his backbone.

In fact, line umpires came into the limelight this year, after American tennis star Serena Williams threatened one who assigned her a foot fault during her semifinal match with Kim Clijsters. Williams' conduct resulted in her being penalized, and she lost the match.

With at least three line umpires assigned to specific lines on the court, they get to cover the perimeters and center service lines, plus keep a hawk's eye on foot faults etc., using hand signals and yells to communicate their decisions to the chair umpire.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Asian institute to honor Kiran Bedi

India's renowned policewoman Kiran Bedi will receive the Leadership Award from the City University of New York's Asian American / Asian Research Institute.

The award will be presented to Bedi at the 8th Annual Banquet on November 12, CUNY announced September 14. More than 400 guests from throughout the 23 CUNY institutions, as well as leaders from government, business, media and community organizations, the university said.

Bedi is India's first and highest ranking (retired in 2007) woman officer. She joined the Indian Police Service in 1972.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Film festival in New York City to highlight Sikh heritage, traditions

Powerful documentaries, compelling stories and bhangra beats will be part of the Sikh International Film Festival 2009 to be held at the Asia Society in New York City from Sept. 18-19. Presented by the Sikh Art and Film Foundation, the festival aims to celebrate the heritage, traditions and culture of the Sikhs and the immigrant experience.

"1984 and the Via Dolorosa Project" and "My Mother India" will start the Feature Session on Sept. 18, marking the 25th anniversary of the anti-Sikh riots across India in the aftermath of the assassination of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The emotionally charged session ends on an upbeat note with the world premiere of "Flying Sikhs: A History of Sikh Fighter Pilots," which showcases the contributions of Sikhs toward the allied victories in World War I and II.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com/

Salman Khan returns to action with `Wanted'

Known for his macho image, Salman Khan is back with a full-on actioner with "Wanted - Dead or Alive" releasing Sept. 18. The actor promises "mind-blowing" fight sequences in the thriller directed by ace choreographer Prabhudheva.

"There is a lot of action in the film and it is going to be mindblowing. Mind you, it has all been done by me and not by a body double," Salman had said about "Wanted".

"We haven't even used the usual cable work that much, so it's been very difficult and I even pulled a hamstring during one of the running sequences that took three months to heal. But it has all been worth the effort," the 43-year-old actor said.

To read the full article, click here...
T read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Gayatri Chetna Center is inaugurated in Piscataway, New Jersey

The Gayatri Chetna Center of Northeast America was inaugurated in the presence of the patron heads of All World Gayatri Pariwar Dr. Pranav Pandya and Shailbala Pandya, Aug. 29-30 in Piscataway, N.J.

Organized by the Gayatri Parivar Yug Nirman Yojna of Northeast America, the celebrations also included a Gayatri Murti Pran Pratistha Mahaotsav, where idols of Lord Ganesh and Lord Hanuman were installed.

More than 9,000 people attended the first day of the Aug.29 inauguration, which commenced with a Kalash Yatra Pujan, a press release said.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Moon mission aborted after contact lost with spacecraft

India terminated its first mission to the moon on Aug. 30, a spokesman for the national space agency said, a day after scientists lost all contact with an unmanned spacecraft orbiting the moon.

"Our efforts to establish contact have failed. The mission has been terminated," said S. Satish, spokesman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

"There was no point continuing with the mission."

Communications with the Chandrayaan-1 craft broke down early on Aug. 29. The cause of the malfunction is being investigated.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

4 honored for service to community at Indian American Night

The 13th annual Indian American Night was held at the Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater at the Eisenhower Park on Long Island, N.Y., Aug. 23. Presented by the Indian American Forum, the event was part of the 2009 Summer Concert Series sponsored by the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums.

The program, which began with a kite festival, included music auditions, yoga, dance performances by students from various dance schools on Long Island and a concert by "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" American finalists Vishal Bhalla and Rasika Shekhar.

Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi and other elected officials attended the event. Rajeshwar Prasad, one of the founding members of the India Association of Long Island (IALI)

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com

Somdev, Sania sail through first round at United States Open

India's two tennis stars, Sania Mirza and Somdev Devvarman, did well on the first day of the US Open at Flushing Meadows, Queens, moving on to their respective second rounds in the tournament scheduled from Aug.31-Sept. 13.

Mirza, 22, went toe-to-toe with Olga Govortsova of Belarus Aug.31, beating the Belarusian in a tough match 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. While Mirza's first set was a breeze, she encountered tough resistance in the second, and the third saw an up-and-down route to her victory against the 20-year-old from Minsk. Mirza, who was nursing a wrist injury last year that kept her out of the 2008 US Open, will face Italian 10th seed Flavia Pennetta next.

Devvarman, 24, cruised into the second round in the men's singles after beating Portugal's Fredrico Gil 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets in his opening match the same day.

To read the full article, click here...
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.desitalk.com