Pakistan erects mobile towers near LoC, worries India

In what Indian security officials find alarming, Pakistani mobile phone service providers are believed to have erected nine mobile towers in their territory along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

In February this year, the Vigilance and Telecom Monitoring Cell of the Department of Telecommunications conducted a survey at 44 locations on the Indian side of the LoC - the de facto borderline that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. It found that at 39 locations, Pakistani mobile signals reached Indian territory.

”Pakistan has erected nine mobile towers in its territory along the LoC with its signal reaching our side of the land,” a top security official said on condition of anonymity.

This news is available on NDTV 24×7. DirecTV makes it possible to access this channel in the US and also guarantees excellent picture and sound quality.

Jeev tied 9th in Japan Tour

A steady opening round of two-under 68 had Jeev Milkha Singh placed tied ninth in his first appearance on the Japan Tour this year at the 120 million Yen Crowns Tournament at the Nagoya Golf Club Wago Course on Thursday.

Jeev got off to a strong birdie-birdie start and picked up one more shot on the 16th hole but not before dropping his lone bogey on the 12th.

Kiyoshi Miazato and Tatsuhiko Takahashi blasted identical four-under 66 to share the opening round lead.

I saw this news on NDTV 24×7. This channel is excellent for NRIs for the latest news related to India. In the US this channel is available through DirecTV.

Daredevils lose to Punjab Kings

NDTV Reports: Delhi Daredevils’ hopes of continuing their winning spree were dashed in Mohali as Kings XI Punjab beat them by four wickets and recorded their second win of the DLF IPL tournament.

Kings XI did not start well despite restricting Delhi Daredevils for 158 runs as they lost two wickets in first two overs. But they recovered from the early hiccups with the help of Simon Katich’s knock of 75 runs and Yuvraj Singh’s unbeaten 40.

Glenn McGrath started off in the way only he can and made early roads in the Kings XI batting line-up with Karan Goel’s wicket.

Mohd. Asif followed the bowling pro and struck in the second over and got dangerman Kumar Sangakkara, who drove Punjab to their first win.

Simon Katich and Mahela Jayawardene took up the repair job before Shoaib Malik took a brilliant return catch of the latter and sent him for 15 runs. Simon Katich, who continued with his job and was well adjudged as the Man of the Match, had a winning sign off from the tournament as he along with his compatriot Brett Lee will be returning to Australia on Monday.

Good going Kings XI… This must’ve definitely made the owner of the team, the dimple-cheeked Bollywood actor Priety Zinta very happy. Watched the post match analysis of this match on NDTV 24×7. Was very interesting. NDTV 24×7 is available here in the US on DirecTV.

Mumbai, Kings XI look to open account

Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians clash on Friday in a high-octane event of the Indian Premier League after both teams lost their first two matches.

Kings XI and Mumbai Indians are languishing at the bottom of the points tally and will hope to pocket their first win when they meet at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium.

While Kings XI have an array of stars in its side, Mumbai Indians, led by Sachin Tendulkar, are the costliest IPL franchise. Both teams will look to justify their ‘favourite’ tag.

The Mumbai team will be hoping to have Tendulkar take charge and inspire the team.

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Loots Bosman, Ankeet Chavan, Siddharth Chitnis, Gaurav Dhiman, Dilhara Fernando, Harbhajan Singh, Sanath Jayasuriya, Musavir Khote, Dhawal Kulkarni, Lasith Malinga Abhishek Nayar, Ashish Nehra, Manish Pandey, Rajesh Pawar, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohan Raje, Luke Ronchi (wicket-keeper), Pinal Shah, Swapnil Singh, Yogesh Vijay Takawale, Dominic Thornely, Saurabh Tiwary, Robin Uthappa, Vikrant Yeligati.

Kings XI Punjab: Yuvraj Singh (captain), Irfan Pathan, Ramesh Powar, Sreesanth, James Hopes, Simon Katich, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara (wicket-keeper), Kyle Mills, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ajitesh Argal, Piyush Chawla, Pankaj Dharmani, Rishi Dhawan, Karan Goel, Uday Kaul, Sahil Kukreja, Wilkin Mota, Nitin Saini, Vikram Singh, Sunny Sohal, Tanmay Srivastava.

This would be a battle to watch out for as both the teams’ fortunes in the tournament depend on the outcome of the match. I’m looking forward to the post match analysis on NDTV 24×7.  DirecTV is the satellite TV service in the US that offers NDTV 24×7…

No one can stop me on my day: Sehwag

NDTV Reports: After his buccaneering unbeaten 94 powered Delhi Daredevils to a comprehensive win against the Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad on Tuesday night, Virender Sehwag said none can really stop him when he gets going and it was one of those days.

After the hosts put on a modest 142 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs, Sehwag led from the front and slammed an unbeaten explosive 41-ball knock of 94 to guide his side to an easy nine-wicket victory in just 13 overs.

“Someone asked me yesterday what would be our strategy and I just told him if the day belongs to me, none can stop me. And it was such a day,” said Sehwag whose swashbuckling innings earned him the Man of the Match award.

Sehwag was especially harsh on Andrew Symonds and Sanjay Bangar and he in fact milked 30 runs off an over from the Australian all-rounder.

His opposite number VVS Laxman said the batsmen did not put enough runs on the board to give the bowlers any cushion in the match.

“You see 142 was just not enough. We did not capitalise on the first six overs and then lost wickets at regular intervals. It is not easy for a new batsman to come and start playing his shots. we could not concentrate enough.

“It’s extremely disappointing to lose in such a manner in front of the home crowd,” Laxman rued.

It really was an exhilarating performance by Sehwag who seems to be back in his element. The Deccan Chargers i think are a fabulous team with some explosive players; Symonds, Gilchrist and Afridi to name a few. Guess it just wasn’t their day.

Sarkar Raj’s first look on Ash-Abhi anniversary

NDTV Reports: Unveiling of the first look of Ram Gopal Varma’s Sarkar Raj, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya, on Sunday will coincide with the couple’s first wedding anniversary.

The film, which hits the theatres on June 6, will be Aishwarya and Abhishek’s first release together after their marriage.

Though the couple is in Miami to celebrate their first anniversary, where Abhishek is shooting for Dostana with John Abraham, megastar Amitabh Bachchan chose the day to unveil the first look of the film.

Sarkar Raj, a sequel to Godfather inspired Sarkar, will have the three Bachchans for the first time. Aishwarya and Abhishek will join the event via video conference from Miami.

Bachchan had insisted that the couple should be seen together on the anniversary and not separately as he said that the first anniversary of Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan would be an eventful day and in fact for the Bachchan family.

Sources said the Big B is looking at the minute details of the event. He wanted to test the technology himself and has been doing dry runs with the event management agency.

In fact, he even asked Ram Gopal Varma to create a special look for the event. Varma gave it the ambience of Sarkar’s Den, which Bachchan has fallen in love with.

I loved Sarkar and am eagerly awaiting the release of this new movie. It will be a treat to watch the three Bachchan’s together. Watched this news on the entertainment show of NDTV 24×7 called ‘Night Out’ . NDTV 24×7 is available here in the US on DirecTV…

Anil Kapoor’s new Tashan

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/videopod/default.aspx?id=27049

Check out this interview of Anil Kapoor who’s talking about his new movie Tashan. He’s an amazing actor who has been in the industry for two decades now and is still going strong. Way to go Anil! As the industry becomes more organised, it will be easier for great actors like Anil to find exciting roles even at thier age.

Soha to miss Olympic torch relay

Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan on Tuesday said that she will not be a part of the Olympic torch relay in New Delhi this week for ‘’strong personal reasons.”

”I fully support the Olympic relay and am saddened at the disruptions in its path in various parts of the world as well as the violence in Tibet. But I can’t run due to strong personal reasons,” Soha, who was initially a part of the relay with actor brother Saif Ali Khan and Rang de Basanti co-star Aamir Khan, told reporters.

On suggestions from sports fraternity that only sportspersons should run the Olympic torch relay, Soha said representatives from various fields belonging to the country through which torch relay passes, should be welcomed to run.

NDTV 24×7 brought this news to me. It is an excellent news channel for NRIs. This channel is available in the US through DirecTV. You can now receive the latest news about India on your TV through NDTV 24×7.

US Sikhs face prejudice: Survey

NDTV Reports: On Baisakhi, instead of celebrating, Sikhs in New York gathered on the steps of City Hall to protest.

Under the principals of their faith, Sikhs are mandated to leave all hair on their bodies uncut, wrapping the hair on their heads underneath a turban. In the years since 9/11, misperceptions about their appearance have led to hate attacks against Sikhs across the country.

A new survey by a Sikh advocacy group has revealed fresh, startling statistics about the deep level of prejudice against the Sikh community after 9/11 because of the way they look.

Forty one per cent of New York City’s Sikhs have faced verbal abuse.

Half of the New York’s Sikh students have been harassed in school, based on their religion or national origin.

One in ten report that they have been refused employment or a job promotion because of their Sikh identity.

Like Sathari Singh, a subway train driver, who after 20 years of working for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was told after 9/11 that he could not wear his turban to work. Singh refused and sued the MTA. Now he still has his job but has to wear a MTA logo on his pagdi.

”I consider it an advertising logo and some thing religious is not a venue for advertising. This is desecrating. Moreover, I did not wear the patch in the first 24 years that I worked there,” said Sathari Singh, MTA employee.

”I just felt that it was another attempt to harass us and brand us and treat us differently,” he added.

The report ”Making our Voices Heard: A Civil Rights Agenda for New York City’s Sikhs,” includes a list of recommendations for government agencies to live up to their promise of equal rights for all-ranging from language access at area hospitals to better training for law enforcement officers and educators.

”Saying that every man is equal is not enough. It is time that every Sikh American should not be afraid to walk out of their home in their own city and in their own country,” said Neha Singh, Sikh Coalition.

This is startling news coming from America. New York city is called the cultural melting pot of the world but seven years after September 11 this latest report’s findings have yet again highlighted the fact that Sikhs in the US suffer from significant issues of bias and discrimination in all walks of life.

India retain No. 2 spot in Tests

NDTV Reports: India defeated South Africa by 8 wickets on the third day of the final Test on Sunday and squared the three-Test series 1-1.

Off-spinner Harbhajan bagged 4-44 and part-time spinner Sehwag 3-12 as South Africa, having conceded a 60-run lead on the third day, were shot out for 121 in their second innings on a turning track with unpredictable bounce.

It was the first time that two back to back Tests in India had finished within three days as the hosts held onto their 2nd place in the ICC Test Rankings.

It was heartwarming to see India win the Kanpur test. It was long overdue but India couldn’t have done it without Bhajji or the Prince of Kolkata Ganguly. Cant wait to hear the comments of Ajay jadeja on the NDTV cricket show this evening. I’m thankful to DirecTV for bringing NDTV 24×7 here to the US.