Ranbir's tribute to Raj Kapoor

anbir Kapoor is paying tribute to his grandfather – the legendary Raj Kapoor in Anurag Basu's Barfee. The actor has four looks in the film and one look is inspired by the hit comic character Mr Bean.

Though he plays a deaf-mute in the film, the movie is essentially a comedy with the feel of a Charlie Chaplin movie. Ranbir has been telling people on the sets that the film reminds him of how his grandfather tackled the genre of comedy and he was looking to do exactly that. Now, he has certainly got us eager hasn't he?

Microsoft files EU competition complaint against Google

Microsoft Corp stepped up its rivalry with Google Inc. - AP

Microsoft Corp stepped up its rivalry with Google with a formal complaint to EU antitrust regulators, claiming Google systematically thwarts Internet search competition.
It is the first time Microsoft itself the target of anticompetition action in the United States and Europe has filed a complaint with regulators over competition issues.
In its complaint on Thursday, Microsoft claims Google engages in a ‘pattern of actions’ that unfairly impede competition.
Google controls more than 90 per cent of the Internet search advertising market in Europe, well ahead of Microsoft's Bing, which is struggling to make inroads into Google's market share.
Google is already under investigation by the European Commission after complaints from three small firms, one of them owned by Microsoft.
Google did not seek to counter Microsoft's claims publicly, but indicated it was not overly concerned by the complaint.
"We're not surprised that Microsoft has done this, since one of their subsidiaries was one of the original complainants," Google spokesman Al Verney said.
"For our part, we continue to discuss the case with the European Commission and we're happy to explain to anyone how our business works."
The European Commission said it would review Microsoft's allegations.
"The Commission takes note of the complaint and, as is the procedure, will inform Google and will ask for its views on it. No further information will be given," EU Commission spokeswoman Amelia Torres said in an emailed statement.
RAISING PROFILE OF EU PROBE
Microsoft's complaint will raise the profile of the Commission's ongoing investigation into Google, said Christopher Thomas, a partner at law firm Hogan Lovells.
"Microsoft becoming a formal complainant does make a difference. Those other three companies are of a certain size and are not anything like Microsoft with its resources and determination," he said.
"There will be new issues that the Commission will have to look at now that a player as significant as Microsoft has gone on record."
Microsoft said it felt it was time to challenge Google on legal grounds directly. Last year the company publicly encouraged companies to question Google's practices.
"As troubling as the situation is in the United States, it is worse in Europe," said Brad Smith, Microsoft's top lawyer, on a blog on the company's website.
"That is why our filing today focuses on a pattern of actions that Google has taken to entrench its dominance in the markets for online search and search advertising to the detriment of European consumers."
Specifically, the suit charges that Google hurts competition by "walling off" content on its YouTube site, so other search engines can't display accurate results; by making it difficult for Microsoft's mobile phone software to show videos from YouTube; by blocking access to content owned by book publishers which Google has copied and stored; by not allowing advertisers to use their own data about customers garnered from Google on other sites, such as those owned by Microsoft; by blocking websites from using competing "search boxes"; and by making it expensive for potential competitors to Google to advertise online.
"We readily appreciate that Google should continue to have the freedom to innovate. But it shouldn't be permitted to pursue practices that restrict others from innovating and offering competitive alternatives," said Microsoft's Smith in his blog.
"That's what it's doing now. And that's what we hope European officials will assess and ultimately decide to stop."
Microsoft has been fined a total 1.68 billion euros by the Commission for antitrust infringements in Europe.

Preliminary census results show 1.2 billion Indians

India's population has touched 1.2 billion (121 crore), indicating a rise of 17.64 per cent over the previous figure, according to preliminary results of the 15th Census released on Thursday.
It is also 17 per cent of the world population.

The population of the country has increased by more than 181 million during 2001-11. The absolute addition is slightly lower than the population of Brazil, the fifth most populous country in the world.

The population of India, at 1,201.2 billion, is almost equal to the combined population of the US, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together (1214.3 million).

Astonishingly, the combined population of just two Indian states - UP and Maharashtra - is bigger than that of the US.

The male population has grown by 17.19 per cent to reach 620 million (62 crore) while the female population has risen by 18.12 per cent

he count, however, also indicated a continuing preference for male children over females in a country where female infanticide is still common and the government has banned hospitals from revealing the sex of unborn children to their families.


A gender breakdown among children showed fewer girls than boys are being born or surviving, with 914 girls for every 1,000 boys under the age of 6, compared to 927 for every 1,000 in the last census. Child sex ratio in 2011 is 914 female against 1,000 male--the lowest since Independence.

"This is a matter of grave concern," Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner C. Chandramauli, who released the numbers, said.

Highest population density is in Delhi's north-east district(37,346 per sq km) while the lowest is in Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh (just one per sq km).

Uttar Pradesh has the largest proportion of the country's population at 16 per cent, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (nine per cent each), West Bengal (eight per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (seven per cent).
The literacy rate seems to have risen to 74 per cent nationwide for people aged seven and older, from about 65 per cent in the last census.

Officials added it would require up to a year of data analysis before official numbers could be released.

World Cup gets Rs45cr tax relief

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has landed Rs 45 crore ($10 million) bonanza with the Indian cabinet on Thursday exempting the income earned during the World Cup from tax.

At a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the cabinet approved the finance ministry's proposal to exempt the 2011 World Cup from income tax.

"The financial implication will be nearly Rs45 crore," the finance ministry said in a statement.

The cabinet had approved a proposal in 2005 to amend the Income Tax Act, 1961, to exempt the income of both residents and non-residents arising from an international sporting event conducted in India.

Salman, Farhan speak up for actor Shiney Ahuja

Salman Khan, Arshad Warsi and Farhan Akhtar have spoken up for Shiney Ahuja after he was setenced to seven years in jail for rape.
"Seven years? Seven years is a lot! I have been locked up myself, so I know what happens," said shocked Salman, who himself has had brief stints in jail. The 45-year-old was embroiled in a hit-and-run case as well as in a black buck shooting case
"I hope he (Shiney) is innocent, and if anyone is trying to frame him, that person should come out in the open. Seven-year jail term is too long, especially if someone has lied about it," added Salman.
A court on Wednesday sentenced Shiney after he was found guilty of raping his maid in 2009. The actor broke down when judge P.M. Chauhan of the Sewri fast track sessions court delivered the judgement.
The verdict came despite the maid turning hostile during the trial.
Arsahd Warsi feels the judiciary should not target actors ‘blatantly’.
"Murderers, terrorist n corrupt politicians r walking free n Shiney Ahuja gets 7yrs...," Arshad posted on his Twitter account.
"I am NOT saying he's right but don't forget that Kassab (sic) is still enjoying our hospitality. Do you know the no of rapes that happen in our country on a daily basis by influential and connected ppl... Those cases r not even registered.”
"My point is all criminals should be punished equally, it's not fair to make an example of an actor only because it makes news," added Arshad.
Producer-director Farhan Akhtar wishes that Shiney has the strength to face the court verdict.
"He has pleaded against the decision. If he can prove it wrong, he will come out. At the end of the day, we have a legal system in the country," Farhan told reporters at a promotional event of his film ‘Game’ at Novotel Hotel here Thursday.
"If you do something wrong, you have to go through punishment. I wish him all the strength. Hopefully, it would be proved that he is innocent," he added.
Shiney was arrested June 15, 2009 after medical tests on the maid confirmed sexual assault.
The 20-year-old maid had in June 2009 lodged a police complaint alleging she was raped by Shiney, 37, while she was at work at his residence, following which the actor was arrested.
In August 2009, the case was moved to a fast track court. Shiney was granted bail in October 2009 citing lack of evidence.
After more than a year, the maid in September 2010 told the court that the rape never took place. The medical examination in June 2009, however, confirmed rape.
She also stated before the judge that she made the serious charge against Shiney because of pressure from a woman who introduced her to the actor.
Shiney's lawyer Shrikant Shivade said that relying mostly on the police complaint filed against the actor, the court did not accept the maid's version that she was not raped as the judge felt that she gave false evidence.
In a 109-page chargesheet, Shiney was accused of rape, criminal intimidation and holding his maid hostage.
In his defence, Ahuja had argued that he was being framed.

Sri Lanka call up veteran Vaas as Murali sweats

Sri Lanka were sweating over the World Cup final fitness of Muttiah Muralitharan and Angelo Mathews on Thursday as 37-year-old seamer Chaminda Vaas and Suraj Randiv were called-up as cover.
"Chaminda Vaas and Suraj Randiv will be included in the Sri Lankan squad for the World Cup final as cover for the injured (Muttiah) Muralitharan and (Angelo) Mathews," Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.
Vaas, 37 and Randiv, 26, were due to fly out to Mumbai later Thursday ahead of Saturday's title match against India.
Muralitharan, who turns 39 next month, has played through the six-week tournament despite suffering hamstring and groin injuries, a side strain and a troublesome knee.
But coach Trevor Bayliss insisted on Thursday that Muralitharan, who will retire after Saturday's final, will play against India.
"Chances are good that Murali will play," said Bayliss. "He completed 10 overs in the semi-final, and such is the character of the man that he will play even with discomfort."
All-rounder Mathews, 23, picked up a right-side strain while fielding during Tuesday's semi-final win against New Zealand.
Sri Lanka, 1996 winners and 2007 finalists, want to win the cup for legendary spinner Muralitharan who will retire after a world record haul of 800 Test and 534 one-day wickets.
Vaas, who was part of the 1996 winning team, played his last Test in July 2009 having taken 355 wickets.
He has 400 one-day wickets but his last international was against India in August 2008 where he dismissed Yuvraj Singh for a duck.
Randiv, who made his one-day debut against India in 2009, has taken 22 ODI wickets.
He last played when Sri Lanka toured Australia for a one-day series last year.

IAF chopper to fly Gilani to Mohali

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will fly down to India's Chandigarh city and he will then leave for India-Pakistan World Cup semi-final venue at Mohali by an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter on Wednesday morning, a media report said.

The News International qouted sources as saying that Gilani will go to Chandigarh in a special plane and then the IAF chopper will ferry him to Mohali where explosive cricketing action will be witnessed by him and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh.

Gilani will return to Islamabad the same night.

The media report said a delegation of about 50 people will accompany the prime minister. Some federal ministers and members of the parliament are expected to be a part of the prime minister's entourage.

Sources said that the protocol division of the Foreign Office has begun arrangements for the visit on an emergency basis.

Gilani may proceed to London on a private visit immediately on his return from India on Wednesday night, as his son is sick and admitted to a hospital there, media reports said.

Supreme Court thrashes govt over black money, security to Hasan Ali

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rapped the central government for not doing enough to trace the sources of money stashed by multi-billion tax evader Hasan Ali Khan and others in foreign banks based in tax havens.
An apex court bench of Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy and Justice S.S, Nijjar said: "No consistent efforts have been made to trace the sources of money (stashed away). Fact remains that even today we have not made any progress in tracking the sources of money."
The court directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to have video as well as audio recording of its investigation of Hasan Ali and others accused of money laundering.
It also directed the central and Maharashtra governments to provide adequate security to Hasan Ali and his family members.
The court asked the ED to produce before it the transcripts and CD of the interrogation done by Maharashtra Police officer Ashok Deshbhratar of Hasan ali some time back.

The court has permitted Deshbhratar to implead himself, if he so wished, in order to assist the court in the matter.