New Trains For Northeast India

New Delhi, Nov 13 : The Union Minister of Railways Dinesh Trivedi Friday announced the introduction of 26 new trains, extension of rail lines of eight trains and increase in frequency of five trains. Out of the 26 new trains to be introduced two would be for North-East India, namely Guwahati-Dimapur Express and Jaipur-Kamakhya Kavi Guru Express.

The 15669/15670 Guwahati-Dimapur Express will run on daily basis while the 19709/10710 Jaipur-Kamakhya Kavi Guru Express will run on weekly basis. 

Addressing a press conference, the Minister said : "The 26 new trains will be flagged off within a week or so by the local public representatives from different stations. The extension of trains and increase in frequency of trains will, however, is implemented with immediate effect."

In the Railway Budget 2011-12, announcement for introduction of 132 new trains, extension of 33 trains and increase in frequency of 22 existing trains was made. Of these, 42 new trains have been introduced, 24 trains extensions and 13 increase in frequency of existing trains has been implemented.

In order to cater to the surge of passenger traffic that is seasonal in nature, Indian Railways has followed a strategy of running trains on demand.

Recognizing the need to bridge the extremely large gap between supply and demand on one hand and limitations of terminal capacity and line capacity on the railways on the other, a close watch is kept on the wait-list of passengers as well as on important social and cultural events in the region.

Exercising operational innovations by way of utilizing spare maintenance capacity and ensuring optimum utilization of assets, special trains are run to the maximum extent feasible for clearance of passenger traffic. Special trains are run not only on traditional festivals and holidays but for also on region specific cultural events like Urs festival at Ajmer and the Durga Puja/Diwali and Chhat festivals.

Between April to September 2011, Railways carried approximately 4120.8 million passengers, which is 5.47% higher than the 3907 million passengers carried during corresponding period of last year. In case of originating passenger earnings, between April-September 2011, Railways have achieved originating earnings of approximately Rs. 14017.7 crore, which is 10.47% higher than the originating earnings of Rs. 12688.8 crore during corresponding period of last year.

Keeping in view the consistent and substantial growth in passenger traffic, Indian Railways will endeavor to introduce new trains, increase frequency of train services and extend some existing trains as announced in the Railway Budget 2011-12 during the course of the financial year and will also run special trains during important festivals and peak seasons this year.

Megan Fox's Super Sexy Makeup Ad

Megan Fox Goes Sexy For Glamorous Armani Makeup Ads

Megan Fox stars as a glamorous, '50s-style siren in her new ad for Armani Beauty.

In the commercial for the new Armani "Designing Lift" foundation, Fox channels Elizabeth Taylor, the Daily Mail says, with her dark hair coiffed into glamorous waves. Her shoulders are bare and dark makeup lines her eyes as the camera captures her in gauzy color.

Fox was previously the face of Armani's jeans, which you might remember from those devilishly sexy ads featuring Fox frolicking in her lacy underthings. She's since been dropped in favor of Rihanna, but we might like Fox's more subtle turn as a beauty model even more.

Model Lara Stone served as spokesmodel for the Giorgio Armani cosmetics line before Fox took over the crown last year.

Check out our screenshots of Megan and watch the commercial below.

 

Movie Made By Real Navy SEALs!

Even as we thank our troops for their selfless bravery overseas, it's hard to imagine what those acts of bravery actually entail. So, as we continue the Veterans Day celebration into the weekend, there's no better time to take a real glimpse into the battles we usually only read about.

There are plenty of war films, but "Act of Valor" stands above the rest: it stars actual Navy SEALs. It began as a Navy recruitment video, but eventually grew into a full-on feature, directed by Mike "Mouse" McCoy and Scott Waugh. The plot concerns the rescue of a CIA agent and a web of terrorist plots that must be taken down, and the action is as intense as the screen will allow.

This second trailer was revealed during the 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic, a college basketball game between North Carolina and Michigan State that took place aboard the USS Carl Vinson on Friday evening. The film hits theaters in February.

Manny Pacquiao Defeats Juan Manuel Marquez In Controversial Fight Decision

By TIM DAHLBERG

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao was taken to the limit Saturday night before escaping with a majority decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez in their welterweight title fight.

Pacquiao won on two scorecards, while the third ringside judge had it a draw. It was a narrow escape for the Filipino congressman, who took as much punishment as he got over 12 rounds.

The third fight between the two was as close as the previous two, and by the time they finished 12 arounds the outcome was still in doubt. Pacquiao won some rounds with sheer agression, while Marquez won others with brilliant counterpunching, keeping Pacquiao from getting inside.

Marquez was a 7-1 underdog, but it was clear early he would be in this fight. He picked Pacquiao apart with right hands almost every time he tried to get inside, and landed good hard flurries throughout the fight.

Pacquiao was the aggressor throughout, and landed some sharp punches of his own. But when the decision was announced, the crowd booed roundly and, once again Marquez had lost a close fight.

One ringside judge had it a 114-114 draw, while two others favored Pacquiao by 115-113 and 116-112. The Associated Press had it 114-114.

The sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena threw bottles and cans toward ringside after the decision was announced, with one full can hitting a ringside writer. Marquez, who had been bitter about the scoring in the first two fights, stormed out of the ring.

Pacquiao continued his remarkable run with the win, but it didn't come easy. He had trouble all night finding his range and, when he did get inside, Marquez often moved to the side and landed a counter right hand.

It was the third close fight between the two men, though this one was fought at 144 pounds instead of 125 as was their first fight seven years ago. That fight was a draw, while Pacquiao won a split decision in the second bout in 2008 at 130 pounds.

"My fans are very happy because they thought I won," Pacquiao said when asked about the crowd reaction.

Marquez fought going backward all night, and that might have been his undoing. While he landed well at times, Pacquiao was in his face most of the night.

"I got robbed," Marquez said. "I don't know what else I can do to win."

Pacquiao earned a minimum $22 million for the fight, while Marquez got $5 million

Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Marquez

Manny Pacquiao celebrates his majority decision victory against Juan Manuel Marquez in the WBO world welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 12, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Aircel Starts Pre-Booking iPhone 4S

Aircel today announced it will start pre-booking for the iPhone 4S from November 18, with the launch happening on November 25. This is line with what we have been exclusively reporting for over a fortnight now.

Both Airtel and Aircel will initiate the fanfare that usually happens with any iPhone launch on November 24, with sales starting from midnight in select stores in major cities.

Apart from the online pre-booking, we are also hearing at least one carrier might also have some online booking post the launch.

Our sources are indicating the carriers have received lower number of units than what they would have liked.

Apple is reportedly diverting a big chunk of its iPhone 4S inventory to Europe and the US, where the demand remains high despite reports of battery woes that have not been fully resolved with the recent iOS 5.0.1 update.

The shortage of iPhone 4S inventory is expected to continue till January, once the holiday season shopping frenzy in the west subsides.

Rockers Rejoice! Black Sabbath & Ozzy Reuniting

 

You're not being Paranoid. This is really happening.

It's been almost 33 years since Ozzy Osbourne first left Black Sabbath, so fans should be positively batty after hearing that all four original members of the band, including their legendary frontman, are reuniting for a 2012 tour.

And a new album!

Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward announced the news today at the Whiskey A-Go-Go in West Hollywood, where they played their first L.A. show 41 years ago.

Ozzy recently told Billboard that new Black Sabbath material wasn't available yet, it was "a very, very strong possibility. It's in the very early stages, so we haven't recorded anything yet."

Rick Rubin is onboard to produce the group's comeback album, which is expected to be ready by next fall. As for the tour, Black Sabbath will for starters headline the Download Festival in Donington Park, England, taking place June 8-10.

Mass, Not Music in Meghalaya

Church groups in Meghalaya want followers to pray, and not play music on Sunday. From politics to the arts, religious leaders want to control all spheres of public life. But people are fighting back equally hard

By Jaideep Mazumdar

This festival is known for good music and great atmosphere — riffing of guitar mixed with the sounds of drum roll and hysterical shouts. This year, however, before the show could begin, the popular Autumn Festival in Shillong was almost called off.

Reason: The concluding day of the festival fell on a Sunday and the local churches didn’t like it. They issued a diktat: Christians, who are in a majority in the state, ought not to be making merry on the day of ‘Sabbath’.

The music and culture-loving people of the state revolted; civil society leaders mobilized public opinion against the ‘festival-free Sunday’ concept, and the Shillong Press Club organized a debate which was telecast live by local TV channels.

As speaker after speaker blasted the Shillong Khasi Jaintia Church Leaders Forum (SKJCLF) for imposing their will on the people, the church leaders were nowhere to be seen.

Meghalaya’s former home minister Robert G Lyngdoh, who heads the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF) which organizes the festival along with the state government, criticized the church for “imposing its views on people in a secular state”.

Finally, the church bodies backed off and the Festival concluded on a grand note — on a Sunday.

The church leaders might have retreated this time but the SKJCLF had, in the past, successfully got this festival’s dates changed on similar grounds. Last year, organizers were forced to bring forward the festivities by a day because the concluding day was a Sunday.

Last year, the SKJCLF and other bodies like the North East India Christian Council mobilized support to oppose festivities on Sunday and the pressure had worked.

The youth wing of the Nationalist Congress Party had gone to the extent of saying it would oppose the festivities on a Sunday since Meghalaya was a “Christian state”. Earlier, in 2006, the church bodies had opposed the world’s largest drum ensemble organized by the MTDF in Shillong — a performance that gained an entry into the Guinness Book of Records — by calling it “devilish” and “pagan”.

This time the MTDF and civil society leaders are in a combative mood. But church groups haven’t given up either. They’ve issued statements that they would continue to oppose public functions on Sundays when Christians are meant to pray and rest as per their orthodox interpretation of the Old Testament.

That the church wields a lot of influence in public matters in Meghalaya is well known. And church bodies have not shied away from taking on a larger role in society that had evoked criticism from some quarters.

In 2002, the SKJCLF had asked the Meghalaya government to designate the body as the “official negotiator” to talk peace with the militant Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council. The state agreed and the SKJCLF helped bring the HNLC to the negotiating table.

Similarly, the Garo Baptist Convention also sought and got the primary role in negotiating a ceasefire with the A’Chik National Volunteer Council in the Garo Hills districts. Just last week, the National Council of Churches of India asked the Centre to lift the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Jammu & Kashmir and the North Eastern states. 

Church bodies are powerful in Nagaland and Mizoram, too, and often issue explicit codes of conduct to their followers. Last year, in Dimapur, Nagaland’s commercial town, all of a sudden markets started remaining shut on Sundays.

“Though nothing was stated explicitly, a whisper campaign against keeping shops and business establishments open on Sundays went on and we were told the powerful Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) was behind the shutdown move.

So we complied.

But people started getting inconvenienced because Sunday is the day of shopping for most, and so it was back to normal after some weeks,” says a prominent trader from Dimapur.

Source: Times of India

Jeje Lalpekhlua Ready For Scottish Rangers Trial

Rangers' Indian hopeful Jeje Lalpekhlua is thrilled the Scottish champions have decided to offer him and compatriot Sunil Chhetri trials.

The Pune FC striker will try out with the Glasgow club “Scottish Premier League champions” later this year and if they do manage to impress, they could be handed professional contracts.

"Everything is almost done. I am waiting for the date which will be conveyed to me by my agent," Jeje said.

"(Pune FC) is supportive, I’m sure that if I get a chance to play for Rangers, Pune will let me go."

The player, who hails from Mizoram, said it was his performances with the national team which earned him the plaudits.

"It is a great honour to get this opportunity along with one of the stars of Indian football (Sunil)," he said. "I think the good start to my international career helped attract interest from Rangers.”