Sreesanth joining in BJP

The presence of cricketer Sreesanth and actor Sudeep at an Iftaar meet by BJP's minorities' wing on Tuesday at Palace Grounds raised many eyebrows.

It also gave rise to the speculations that the stars are keen to join BJP as their careers are at the fag end. "No way, I will continue to play cricket," said Sreesanth when sought to know his interest in politics.

Sudeep had earlier bid to contest to contest from Jagalur constituency on a BJP ticket. But his recent success in films may just delay his plans, sources said.

Chief minister Jagadish Shettar and deputy chief minister R Ashoka along with a host of ministers attended the party. "There is misconception that BJP is anti-Muslim.

But it's not true. The ruling party has done enough for their welfare in the last four years," Shettar said overwhelmed by the felicitation he received from the minority leaders.

About 500 people attended the gala feast that began exactly at 6.10pm but Shettar arrived late on the scene and left early.

Around 12 items were served and the menu included mutton biryani, fried brinjal, kebab and chicken curry. Dates were served to break the fast.

Indian Independence Day 2012 Celebrated Photos and Video

India will complete 65 years of Independence from the colonial rule in the year 2012 and will celebrate it's 66th Independence Day.

Independence Day Video

August 15, Independence Day, is celebrated in a mood of joy and happiness- no rituals, just festivities. It is also a national holiday, with educational institutions, private and government organizations remaining closed, but for official celebrations in the morning.

Schools and colleges mark the day with cultural activities, drills, flag hoisting and distribution of sweets. Government as well as private organizations celebrate it similarly.

Families and friends get together for lunch or dinner, or for an outing. Housing colonies, cultural centres, clubs and societies hold entertainment programmes and competitions, usually based on the freedom theme.

The Prime Minister of India sets the mood by hoisting the national flag and addressing the nation from the Red Fort, the historical monument in Delhi. This is accompanied by a march-past of the armed and police forces. Similar ceremonies are held in all the state capitals. The Prime Minister's address and the march-past are relayed live on national television.
    
In cities, one sees a sudden burst of saffron, white and green, the Indian tri-colour. The media goes to town with a variety of contests, promotions and programmes related to Indian independence. Television channels show patriotic movies and relentlessly play patriotic songs from old and new Hindi movies. Billboards on roadsides for different brands pay their tribute to the nation.

Everyone seems to have something going for them. Shops and petty tradesmen sell a range of Independence Day merchandise such as flags, stickers, tee-shirts and greeting cards. Street urchins hawk paper and plastic flags and tri-coloured balloons to motorists at traffic signals.

Though a trifle commercial and jingoistic, what lies beneath the celebrations is the national spirit of gaiety, pride and hope for a better future. A spirit and hope that is renewed each year.

Pope's butler ordered to trial for theft

A Vatican judge on Monday ordered the pope's butler and a fellow lay employee to stand trial for allegedly pilfering documents from Pope Benedict XVI's private apartment, a scandal that embarrassed the Vatican and exposed infighting and alleged corruption at the highest levels.

The indictment accused Paolo Gabriele, the butler arrested at the Vatican in May, of grand theft, a charge that carries one to six years in jail on conviction if the pope does not choose to pardon his once-trusted aide.

While the Vatican had insisted throughout the investigation that Gabriele, a 45-year-old married laymen who lives with his family in Vatican City, was the only person under investigation, the indictment also orders trial for Claudio Sciarpelletti. He is a 48-year-old layman and computer expert in the Secretariat of State office and is charged with aiding and abetting Gabriele.

The Vatican has promised a public trial. Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said both defendants would be tried together before a three-judge panel, in late September at the very earliest, since the Vatican tribunal is on summer recess until. Sept. 20. A trial date is expected to be announced after the court resumes work.

Striking Kerala nurses threaten to end lives

Three Kerala nurses on strike threatened to commit suicide yesterday by jumping off their hospital’s terrace. The three nurses readied to make the suicidal plunge as the strike by a section of the nurses in Kothamangalam Mar Baselious Hospital, numbering around 100, entered its 114th day.
As news of the suicide threat spread, a huge crowd thronged the hospital shouting slogans against the management. They crowd then blocked the adjoining national highway linking Kochi and Dhanushkodi.
The police had to baton charge the crowds on couple of occasions when some of them started pelting stones as tensions rose.
An Independence Day rally led by the municipal chairman was passing through the area and the agitating crowd and rally participants started shouting slogans against each other, sparking more tensions.  
Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan spoke to the nurses’ representative and called up Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Finally a deal was brokered and the hospital announced that the demands would be met. The protest was then called off.
However, as soon as the protesters left, the hospital reneged on the deal. The strike has resumed. 
Earlier Labour Minister Shibhu Baby John claimed “we have been involved in settling their (nurses) issues and statutory policies are now being followed by the hospital management.
“My officials have held numerous talks to settle the issue and now it appears that the strike is getting prolonged because of rivalry between two nurses’ unions.”
Top officials of the police, district administration and labour department are camping at the site.

Labour Minister Shibhu Baby John said that the police and hospital management are doing their best to pacify the nurses to see that better sense prevailed and they came down from the terrace. 

Suresh Gopi's ‘Kodeeshwaran’ silences critics; tops the charts!

There might have been jokes galore on the ‘Kodeeshwaran’ show that have been doing the rounds on social networking websites, but looks like the makers of the programme are having the last laugh! The super success that the show has garnered has in fact managed to silence its critics.

The reality game show that is being hosted by Suresh Gopi has raced to the top position among the television programmes in the prime time slot, within a few days after it was aired.

Suresh Gopi has created a niche for himself with his unique presentation style and has wooed over even hesitant television viewers. There have been reports that several similar game shows are being planned by other channels to counter the popularity that ‘Kodeeshawaran’ has already achieved!

Actor Mohanlal returns to olive green

Lt. Col (Hon) Mohanlal receiving the guard of honour at

Kannur: Actor Mohanlal who hold a honorary titke of Lt. Colonel arrived here Friday to attend the annual refresher training programme of the 122nd Battalion of the Territorial Army. 

Mohanlal who arrived at around 10 am in the morning met with officials of the Territorial Army. He later attended a friendly football match hosted by the TA

Mohanlal was awarded the honorary title of Lt. Colonel in Territorial Army in 2009 July.

Persecution forces 60 Hindu families to migrate to India

Amid increasing cases of violence and lack of security against their community, 60 Hindu families from Balochistan and Sindh have decided to migrate to India, Express Newsreported on Thursday.

Four out of the 60 families left for India during midday via Samjhota Express from Lahore Railway Station. The rest of the families are expected to travel by today.

According to Express News correspondent Aftab Bukhari, five families residing in Aatma Raam Haweli – joint residence – vacated it this morning in order to move out to India.

Bukhari said that the families had complaints that their shops were looted, their houses were raided by unknown men and their women were forcefully converted.

He said that the visas on their passports were not permanent, however, he said that chances of them coming back to Pakistan were slim.

A resident in the locality informed Express News that the families who have vacated their houses had to sell them off at half price.

Express News’ correspondent from Lahore, Naeem Qaiser, reported that the families have been planning on leaving since the last 6-8 months.

Kerala to introduce contributory pension scheme for government staff

The government has issued orders approving, in principle, the proposed contributory pension plan for government employees. The plan is proposed to apply to new recruits joining service from next year.

The employees would be required to contribute 10 per cent of their pay and dearness allowance to the pension fund. The government would also make a contribution to the fund.

Pensions would be available to employees who contribute to the fund for a specified number of years. Payment of full pension by government would be discontinued.

Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan, CPI State Secretary Pannian Raveendran and the Joint Council of State Service Organisations have decried the decision to introduce contributory pension scheme.

The Opposition Leader said in a statement here on Thursday that the order to undermine statutory pension and impose ban on appointments was a challenge to the people and demanded its withdrawal.

NASA's rover Curiosity lands on Mars‎ Photos And Videos

The Mars science rover Curiosity landed on the Martian surface shortly after 10:30 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday to begin a two-year mission seeking evidence the Red Planet once hosted ingredients for life, NASA said.


Mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Los Angeles burst into applause and cheered as they received signals relayed by a Mars orbiter confirming that the rover had survived a make-or-break descent and touched down within its landing zone.

NASA described the feat as perhaps the most complex achieved in robotic spaceflight.

Moments later, Curiosity beamed back its first three images from the Martian surface, one of them showing a wheel of the vehicle.


“I can’t believe this. This is unbelievable,” said Allen Chen, the deputy leader of the rover’s descent and landing team.

The car-sized rover apparently came to rest at its planned destination near the foot of a tall mountain rising from the floor of Gale Crater in Mars’ southern hemisphere, mission controllers said.



The $2.5 billion Curiosity project, formally called the Mars Science Laboratory, is NASA’s first astrobiology mission since the 1970s-era Viking probes.

The landing marks a major victory and milestone for a U.S. space agency beleaguered by budget cuts and the recent loss of its 30-year-old space shuttle program.

“It’s an enormous step forward in planetary exploration. Nobody has ever done anything like this,” said John Holdren, the top science advisor to President Barack Obama, who was visiting JPL for the event. “It was an incredible performance.”

The exact condition of the one-ton, six-wheeled, nuclear powered vehicle upon its arrival could not be immediately ascertained.


NASA plans to put the rover and its sophisticated instruments, touted as the first full-fledged mobile science lab sent to another world, through several weeks of engineering checks before starting its two-year surface mission in earnest.

The landing capped a journey of more than eight months across more than 350 million miles (567 million km) of space since the Mars Science Lab was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

"Cinema Company" Movie Review

After a hit in 'Pappy Appacha', which did not bring much applauds to its director, Mamas is all set to bring credits to himself with his second movie 'Cinema Company'. The movie which is based on dreams, friendship and cinema. The film is about four dreamy filmmakers, who waste much of their time criticizing the new flicks at the Box Office. On the 'Cinema Company', may come across as one of those mundane friendship stories, but the fact of the matter is that the film talk about the dreams and relationships beyond barriers and also attempts to stimulate the lost feelings in relationships.

The movie has Basil as Badri, Sanjeev as Paulachan, Shruthi as Fazal and Panicker as Paru, four happy- go- lucky youngsters who meet at an International Film Festival and end up as good friends. While Paulachan is an aspiring actor, Panicker is always busy filming short films with his handy cam, Fazal is exceptionally good at writing and Paru is basically a jingle maker and singer. Their love for films has not been taken in the right spirit by others who tease them for wandering aimless, without any serious jobs.

Parudeesa Malayalam Movie Gallery

Parudeesa Malayalam Movie Sexy Stills Gallery of Shweta Menon

Parudeesa is the latest mollywood cinema of actress Swetha Menon.

The story revolves around the life of Swetha Menon who is working as a servant in a seminary.

There are lot of sexy scenes in the movie Parudeesa in which Swetha Menon washes clothes wearing Lungi Blouse and Thorthu.

Photo of Shweta Menon in Lungi and boise will be added soon.

Presently photos of Swetha Menon wearing half saree and skirt is available in this photo gallery.

The other cast of the movie Parudeesa are Sreenivasan, Jagathy Sreekumar and a new actress Shafna who also made glamorous show in traditional dress in this cinema.

R .Sarath's, "Parudeesa", is the story of a conservative Catholic priest and his idealistic clashes with a firebrand verger. The plot is set in a rustic village background. Sreenivasan, Jagathy Sreekumar and Shweta Menon are playing leading characters in "Parudeesa". The credit of the script goes... Read Synopsis

Director: R .Sarath
Producer: Thampi Antony

Cast: Sreenivasan, Shweta Menon, Indrans, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Jagathy Sreekumar  Complete Cast & Crew

 

No takers for Santhosh Pandit?

Considering the crowd which thronged cinema halls for the first screening of Santhosh Pandit's debut film - Krishanum Radhayum in October 2011, people expected something similar or more for the actor-cum-director's second film, Superstar Santhosh Pandit. But the crowd is nothing like the earlier one, say theatre owners.

Apparently, the ones who turned up said they were disappointed with the film, since the technical aspects were far better than the original. "The crowd expected poor editing and cinematography, like inKrishnanum Radhayum. But Superstar Santhosh Pandit is almost like a mainstream film in terms of these aspects and therefore it was of no interest to them. The reason why they rushed to the earlier film was to have some fun at the expense of the film, to enjoy themselves. This one didn't offer such possibilities."

Food poisoning in capital; Four hospitalized

Four persons working with QRS were admitted to General Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram with suspected food poisoning.

They were identified as Anoop, Clement, Nandu and Gokul. They fell ill after they had biriyani from an Onam restaurant at Pulimoodu here.

The police sent a notice to close the restaurant after a complaint was filed. The hotel owner said the QRS employees had never eaten Biriyani from his restaurant, but parotta and beef.

However, the team that inspected the eatery found residues of biriyani there.

Fraser Pryce Wins 100m, Regains Title of World's Fastest Woman‎

Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce successfully defended her gold in the women’s 100m sprint Saturday, earning the title of world’s fastest woman and outsprinting world champion Carmelita Jeter of Team USA.

Fraser-Pryce, who finished in 10.75 seconds, became the first woman to repeat in the 100m since Gail Devers of the U.S. did it in 1992 and 1996, according to the Associated Press.

Jeter, running in her first Olympics at 32, took silver, finishing three hundredths of a second behind Fraser Pryce.

The long-anticipated showdown was billed as a classic battle between the Americans and Jamaicans, with a total of five runners from the two countries considered contenders for the crown. In the end, it came down to Pryce, who won gold in the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and again at the 2009 world championships, and Jeter, who won gold at the 2011 worlds and owns the second-fastest time in history, 10.64 (the world record, 10.49, was set by Florence Griffith Joyner in 1988).

Manju Warrier is finally back

First the good news. Come Vidyarambham day, which is considered auspicious to start anything new, and Manju Warrier will return to the limelight with a Kuchipudi performance at the Nritha Manadapam at Guruvayoor Sreekrishna Temple. And the bad bit? She doesn’t have any plans yet to return to the silver screen.

Says Manju, who bowed out as an actress after her marriage to Dileep in October 1998 when she was at the height of her film career: “It is too early to consider even dancing as a career though I still love to perform.”

The two-time Kalathilakam winner will have a solo hour-long performance on October 24, to be choreographed by her guru Geetha Padmakumar. She will perform six items in the span of one hour. “I am thrilled and looking forward to perform before a great gathering,” Manju says. “I can’t disclose more as two more months are left for the performance.”

Before bowing out of the entertainment world to become a homemaker, Manju had become a darling of the masses and also had won critical acclaim as one of the finest actresses Malayalam cinema had ever produced. She is still remembered for her roles in Aaram Thampuran, Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu,Kanmadam and Sallapam to name just a few.