Today News

Sun TV to produce Endhiran Movie

 

Chennai Dec. 17: In a sudden turn of events, Sun Pictures, a division of Sun Network, announced on Wednesday that Endhiran, set to be the most expensive project in Indian films featuring superstar Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai will be produced by them from now on. The multi-lingual production had hit a roadblock midway due to financial problems but now the Rajini fans have much to cheer about as it’s back on rails. Mr Rajinikanth along with director Shankar met Sun chairman Kalanidhi Maran at the latter’s Boat Club bungalow to seal the production pact. “I am very happy and feel honoured to work in the first production of Sun Pictures,” said a beaming Rajinikanth. He expressed confidence that Endhiran would be “a huge hit.”

Sharing the superstar’s enthusiasm, Mr Maran said, “This is a big moment for Sun Pictures and we are confident this film will be India’s biggest-ever movie. We are so happy to be associated with superstar.” Sun’s COO Hansraj Saxena said he had approached Mr Rajinikanth two years ago and insisted that Sun’s first production should star him. “We are proud it has happened.” Endhiran had gone on floors with Mumbai based Eros International and Ayngaran International being announced as co-producers. Shooting for the sci-fi spectacular started in Peru in September. Source: Deccan

Satyam calls off Maytas deal

 

Hyderabad Dec. 17: Pummelled by investors and threatened with legal action, Satyam Computers in a pre-dawn move backtracked on its controversial $1.6 billion plan to acquire Maytas Infra and Maytas Properties. The decision was SMSed to mediapersons at 3.45 am on Wednesday, but it did not put the lid on the 10-hour drama. “We have decided not to move ahead with the acquisition in deference to the investment community views,” the SMS said. Later in the day, word went around that the company may placate shareholders by dipping into its Rs 8,392-crore cash reserves, probably in the form of a buyback.

The company CFO, Mr Srinivas Vadlani, said: “We will take the decisions in few days... buyback is one of the option... (it) being one of the investor friendly measures that we may consider,” he said.  But as markets opened, broking houses predicted that the scrip would under perform and that the company’s image had been severely dented. The Satyam scrip duly lost 30 per cent or Rs 68.45 on the Bombay Stock Exchange to end at Rs 158, wiping off Rs 5,000 crore from the company’s market cap. The company’s market cap now stands at Rs 10,650 crore. More... Source: Deccan

Fortis to add 17 hospitals by 2011

 

Chennai Dec 17: Healthcare major Fortis Healthcare Ltd will be adding 17 hospitals to its network, with a focus on expanding its presence in the southern and western parts of the country, over the next three years. The Delhi-based company, which currently has a network of 23 hospitals across 9 states in the country, is expecting that a total investment of $500 million would be required to achieve this target.

Mr Shivinder M Singh, CEO and managing director, Fortis said, “Our network will be expanded through a combination of acquisitions, management contracts and Greenfield projects. The total investment required would be to the tune of $500 million (close to Rs 2,500 crore), of which a part will come from Fortis and the rest from the partnering hospitals for respective projects. Our focus will be on expanding our presence in the southern and western region and at least half of the new hospitals will be in this region.” More... Source: Deccan

Bush shoe-thrower is brought before judge

 

Baghdad, Dec. 17: The Iraqi journalist who became a star in the Arab world when he hurled his shoes at visiting US President George W. Bush and called him a dog, appeared before a judge on Wednesday, his brother said.

Mr Durgham al-Zaidi said he and another brother were told by the investigating judge that 29-year-old Muntazar al-Zaidi “had cooperated well,” but gave no details. Under Iraqi law, Mr Zaidi faces up to seven years in jail for “offending the head of a foreign state.” Mr Durgham al-Zaidi said his brother had been taken to Ibn Sina hospital in the heavily fortified Green Zone after being badly beaten by security guards and suffering a broken arm and ribs, as well as injuries to an eye and a leg.

He was unable to say whether Muntazer had sustained the injuries while being overpowered during Sunday’s protest or after his arrest.There was no immediate information about the journalist’s condition on Wednesday. Mr Zaidi grabbed the world’s attention on Sunday when he threw his shoes at Mr Bush. Source: Deccan

Indian student gets life for murder in UK

 

London Dec. 17: Indian student Nagraj Kumar Nalloori has been found guilty of his fellow student Samrajyo Jyothirmai Vempala’s murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and will be eligible for parole only after serving 25 years in jail.  The 25-year-old student of Wolverhampton University was sentenced at Birmingham crown court on December 12. The West Midlands police has not released any details of Nalloori’s conviction and said on Wednesday that it is awaiting legal clearance for some aspects of the judgment.

Nalloori’s lawyer was unavailable for comment and so was the prosecutor in the case, Michael Burrows QC. A resident of Vijaywada, 23-year-old Samrajyo Vempala, known as Jyothi, was found murdered at her residence at Handsworth, a suburb of Birmingham, on May 6. She used to share the house with three other Indian students, including Nalloori.

Two post-mortems conducted on Samrajyo had revealed that she had died of head injuries. The police had found Samrajyo dead on arrival and Nalloori was admitted to hospital after being found with self-inflicted injuries on his neck and wrists. The police had also found “I love you” written on one of the windowpanes with blood, which later was identified as that of Nalloori. More... Source: Deccan

CM: Give kids Tamil names

 

Chennai Dec. 17: Lamenting that the Tamil zeal seemed to be on the wane among the you-nger generation, chief minister M. Karuna-nidhi on Wednesday called upon Tamils to give Tamil names to their newborns. “Even among those practising rationalism give me their wedding invitation cards carrying images of Vinayaka or Venkatachalapathy. When I question them about this, they mumble that they were forced by the sambandis to do so. And when it comes to naming their children, they choose non-Tamil names,” the chief minister said, after solemnising the marriage of former vice chancellor of Bharathidasan university Jagadeesan’s son Kathiravan with Krishnakumari at the Anna Arivalayam here.

“We are anguished to see non-Tamils invading the families of rationalists and followers of self-respect movement. One should have concern for the future and not forget the struggle and sacrifice of the Dravidian leaders,” he said. Referring to Muthamizh Kavalar K.A.P. Viswanatham, known for his passion for Tamil language, Mr Karunanidhi said, “it is surprising how this scholar’s descendent has been named Jayashree.” Turning to the newly weds, he said even if they beget 10 children, they should give them all Tamil names. Source: Deccan

SMS was sent from Thanjavur

 

Thanjavur Dec. 17: The SMS threatening to blow up railway stations at important places in the state has now been traced to Thanjavur, and the sleuths of Q branch and railway police are on the lookout for the sender.

An SMS from the mobile number 9789805227 was received in the mobile of CBI SP Raju on Monday at 11.26 pm threatening to blow up some important railway stations including Tiruchy, Tambaram, Egmore, Madurai and Coimbatore at 9.30 am on December 16 (Tuesday). The official also received another SMS made from the same mobile (9791480869) at 11.29 pm. The officer passed on the information to Q branch IG Shankar Jiwal who in turn alerted the state railway police.

Following the receipt of the alert, security at all railway stations was beefed up on Tuesday and the passengers were subjected to a thorough search with metal detectors. Sniffer dogs were also pressed into service. However, the threat proved to be a hoax. Meanwhile, the police in Chennai traced the first SMS to a prepaid SIM card purchased in the name of Govindan, a resident of Ramakrishnapuram in Arulananda Nagar in Thanjavur. Chennai police passed on this vital information to Thanjavur police.

Subsequently, the sleuths of Q branch and special branch besides state railway police rushed to the spot and conducted inquiries. They also conducted inquiries at other places including Ammanpettai near here. Inquiries with the SIM card agents revealed that the SIM card had been purchased from some other town after furnishing the Thanjavur address but the SMS had been sent from Thanjavur town. Source: Deccan

Puducherry to go wi-fi

 

Puducherry Dec. 17: Puducherry will go wi-fi and the union territory will be mapped digitally to help tourists locate their places of interest and reach them via the shortest route at the click of a mouse. The digital mapping will cover the distinct Tamil and French settlements and provide all information required by tourists and local residents.  PWD Minister M.O.F.H. Shahjahan told Deccan Chronicle “The wi-fi facility will be initially introduced in the boulevard region and extended to other parts of the union territory.”  “We are planning to cover the entire city through wi-fi (wireless fidelity),” he said. 

This would make the Web accessible from anywhere in the city.

“Important locations and landmarks including banks, hotels, hospitals, police stations and public utility services will be incorporated in the map,” the minister said. The mapping, to be done through Geographical Information Systems (GIS), will provide data for applications like spatial planning, environment protection, utility management and traffic regulations. Meanwhile IT department officials said Puducherry would soon become a paperless administration with the launch of an e-governance project in the next three months. Conventional methods of despatch and transfer of files would be eliminated in a phased manner, they said. pTo start with the government would establish a State Wide Area Network (SWAN) and create backend computerization of citizen services. The project would be funded by the union government. Source: Deccan