22 August, 2013

Creator of fake video must apologise to Amitabh Bachchan: Narendra Modi

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sought an apology from the creator of a fake online video, which allegedly used the Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan's voice to praise the BJP strongman.

"The author of the fake video should take action immediately and apologise to Amitabhji", Modi said on micro-blogging site Twitter on Thursday in response to Bachchan's demand for action against the person who uploaded it.

Nirbhaya case: Supreme Court allows juvenile board to give verdict

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) to deliver its verdict in the December 16 gang rape-cum-murder case involving a minor.

The apex court, however, admitted a plea seeking fresh interpretation of the term "juvenile" in the statute on the basis of mental and intellectual maturity of minor offenders instead of the age limit of 18 years while fixing their culpability.

A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam agreed to hear former MP Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking fresh interpretation of the term "juvenile" but said the JJB can go ahead with pronouncing the verdict in the case.

Fresh ceasefire violations by Pakistan

Pakistani army violated the ceasefire twice by firing mortar shells on LoC posts in two sub-sectors of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, drawing retaliation from Indian forces.

"There were two ceasefire violations by Pakistan last night", defence spokesman Col RK Palta said on Thursday.

There was Pakistani firing along LoC on several Indian forward posts in Hamirpur sub-sector of Poonch district from 9.30 last night, Col Palta said.

They fired automatic weapons and medium mortar shells, he said, adding, "Our troops retaliated effectively and exchanges continued till 10.30pm".

Google celebrates Claude Debussy's 151st birth anniversary

Google on Thursday remembered Achille-Claude Debussy, a French composer of impressionist music, with an animated doodle on his 151st birthday.

Born on August 22, 1862, Claude Debussy's love for music was evident from his childhood.

Debussy started taking piano lessons at seven. At the age of ten, he entered the Paris Conservatoire, a college of music and dance. Here Debussy spent 11 years studying music composition and playing instuments with some of the best musicians and composers of his time. Claude Debussy was also experimental and argumentative.

Manish Tewari's suggestion of licensing journalists undemocratic, Editors Guild says

Editors Guild of India described I&B minister Manish Tewari's suggestion of licensing journalists as an "undemocratic" practice and a tool of totalitarian states to control the media.

"The reporting of facts and the expression of ideas is the right of every citizen and to require the passing of a test and the possession of a licence issued by the government would be a violation of the very concept of freedom," N Ravi, Editors Guild of India president, said.

He said Tewari's suggestion that journalists should be tested and licensed to practise the profession, like doctors and advocates was a recipe for the total state control of media."In this age of citizen journalists, bloggers and social media and internet users , it would be ridiculous to introduce any restriction on who should practise journalism even if it were possible to enforce it," Ravi said.

Tewari had suggested on Monday that the media industry should consider holding a common examination for journalists, on the lines of those conducted by the Bar Council, after which journalists could be given license to pursue the profession . Ravi said the right to freedom of expression was guaranteed under Article 19 (1) of the Constitution and it was open to every citizen to practice it through the media subject only to restrictions on the grounds specified in Article 19(2).

"People with varying qualifications, ideas and interests should be allowed unrestricted access in the exercise of their right to free speech through the media," he said, adding the media deals with the whole gamut of issues touching on the society— from political, economic and social issues to health, religion, art, literature , cinema, music and travel . He said unlike the professions of law and medicine, "there was no fixed or identifiable collection of works or coherent body of knowledge on which a journalist could be tested."

5th Test: Watson's 176 guides Australia to 307/4 on Day 1

Shane Watson's magnificent 176 put Australia in command at 307 for four on the first day of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England at The Oval on Wednesday.

Rohan bags double crown; Malvika, Ritika triumph at State Badminton

For the first time in the Nagpur badminton history, city players have won four titles in a single state tournament.

The fifth and last day of the first Maharashtra State Sub-Junior (U-13 and U-15) Ranking Badminton tournament at Aurangabad turned out to be a memorable one for the Nagpur shuttlers.

Interestingly, all the four titles in the U-13 section were claimed by Nagpur making a complete sweek. All the winners are from Centre Point School.

Rafael Nadal wins Rogers Cup

Spain's Rafael Nadal jokingly bites the trophy after defeating Canada's Milos Raonic in the Rogers Cup final match in Montreal.