Step-by-Step guide to Facebook Conversion Tracking

Step 1: Once you log in to your ‘Ads Manager’ tab, click on the Conversion Tracking button on the left side bar.

Step 2: Then click on the ‘Create Conversion Pixel’ tab to begin the process.

Step 3: You will be directed to this pop-up, which will ask you for a:

1. Name: An appropriate name will help you remember what you are tracking. (Example: Lead Generation – GATE Ad)

2. Category: This will help you decide the type of action that you want to track on your site. You can choose from the following:

1. Checkouts

2. Registrations

3. Leads

4. Key Page Views

5. Adds to Cart

6. Other Website Conversions

(For the purpose of this example, we have selected ‘Leads’).

Step 4: You will be able to see a pop-up window with a JavaScript code. This is the code that you will have to add to the page where the conversion will happen. This will let you track the conversions back to ads which you are running on Facebook.

The code should be placed on the page that a user will finally see when the transaction is complete.

Here is the tricky part. The code should not go on all pages. For that matter, it should not even go to the landing page of your product. The code should be placed on the page that a user will finally see when the transaction is complete.

For Example: If you want to track when students register for your GATE coaching, paste the code on the registration confirmation page/thank you page and not on the form that they need to submit.

How do you confirm that your conversion is working properly?

1. Check that the javascript snippet has been placed on the correct conversion page. Visit the page where the pixel has been embedded, right click and go to ‘View Page Source’ to find the pixel. The code should have the tag of the HTML. See image below.

2. Check that Facebook is receiving the conversion events from your website. Go to the conversion tracking tab in your Ads Manager account. There you will see a list of the conversion tracking pixels that you have created. If the conversion tracking pixel has been successfully implemented and a conversion event has been recorded, it will be reflected in the Pixel Status column. If the status shows active, it means that the page which contains the pixel has been viewed by users. If it shows inactive, it means that over the last 24 hours, the page with the pixel has not been viewed.

3.Later, when you  create your Facebook ad , you need to check the track conversions box under the campaign, pricing and schedule tab to enable tracking.

Watch Thuppakki Movie Online HQ (youtube)

Vijay’s Thuppaki Review – First Day First Show Report

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One of the key reasons for Thuppaki’s sky high expectations is because the movie marks the beginning of Vijay’s strategy to working with top rung directors (barring Shankar’s Nanban which was a faithful remake of 3 Idiots). This is probably the best line-up of crew members and technicians for a Vijay movie. On the casting side, Kajal Aggarwal, Vidyut, Sathyan, Jayaram have provided the required support for Vijay to showcase his talent.  Does the script keep you engaged throughout the running time of 2 hour 45 minutes? Will Thuppaki uplift the festive mood this Diwali? Definitely, Yes.

The story opens in Mumbai with a bomb blast in a public bus. Jagdish (Vijay) is on a mission to find the terrorist gang and people behind the blast. There are twists and unexpected turns along the way. The story has enough ammo to fire up Vijay’s fan base.

Thuppakki is Vijay; Vijay is Thuppakki

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Vijay has carried the movie from start to finish with his self-assured confidence and trade-mark style. The script makes frequent switch-overs from intense sleeper cell scenes to commercial love/comedy scenes. Vijay was able to make some bumpy transitions look convincing with his acting abilities. As always, Vijay dances effortlessly and comedy comes to him naturally. Vijay’s costumes, pleasant looks and mischievous expressions will surely win him more female fans. Vijay looks fit and younger in his toned muscular physique.

Story, Direction and Screenplay

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AR Murugadoss’ engaging story is narrated in gray tones balanced with commercially colourful compromises. The movie may have minor similarities to Ramana which has worked out well again. Murugadoss has done his homework by consulting ex-CBI chief Karthikeyan and the details are blended in nicely while dumbing it down for audience. AR Murugadoss has intentionally slowed down the pacing and narration in critical scenes (e.g., Hospital security chief conversation in the terrace) to get the message across. The dialogues about common people’s (un)willingness to put their life at risk to fight terrorism are well written and delivered by Vijay. Also, the hero putting his sister in a high-risk operation provides the impetus and emotional connect with the audience.

It is interesting to note that the villain (Vidyut) tracks down the hero instead of other way around, which is usually seen. Another aspect which is told subtlely is Vijay’s undercover act passing off as a common man similar to the way terrorist sleeper cells operate. Vijay’s exterminating the sleeper cell operations in Mumbai is not revealed to his lover, family or others (except his cop friend Sathyan). This aspect could have been underlined a bit for additional impact and stronger appreciation for Jagdish’s character.

The love/comedy scenes and songs definitely stick out like sore thumb since they are not integrated well with the story line. It is understandable why AR Murugadoss had to make these compromises. We are pointing this out without really complaining since such intrusions have become essential to satisfy the fan base and common audience with diverse set of expectations.

Highlights 

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• Stylish portrayal of Vijay in anti-terrorism operations have a perfect closure with mass elements. For instance, scenes such as simultaneous execution of 12-for-12 sleeper cell killings at precisely the same minute, sister rescue scenes with sniffer dog, and the final scene where he symbolically blows up the ship with his hand gesture and subsequent punch dialogue before villain killing are sure treats for fans.
• AR Murugadoss seems to have taken a tip from his association with Aamir Khan in Ghajini Hindi remake. Upon Aamir’s insistence, some emotional scenes involving Asin’s memory were added after climax action sequences in Hindi version. AR Murugadoss has used similar finish in Thuppakki giving a nice emotional touch and meaning to the movie by extolling the virtues of army.
• Kajal has done her role exceptionally well in perking up the lighter moments with her expressions, dance moves in songs and chirpy love scenes laced with humour. Kajal has good scope in both “Antarctica” song (interesting concept) and “Alaika Laika” (showcasing her dance moves). Kajal’s presence enlivens the scenes and songs for people looking for relief from action scenes.
• Santhosh Sivan‘s Cinematography and Sreekar Prasad‘s editing keep the narration tight despite relatively long running time. The candid capture of Mumbai adds to the style and character of the city. Santosh’s fast working style is critical to the successful shooting of scenes in real locations in Mumbai. Harris scores big in the final minutes with his song (“Poi Varavaa“) dedicated to army jawans which is sure to leave a lump in your throat. Harris’ BGM keeps up the pace and makes the operations look convincing with his theme track.

What could have been better?

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• Song picturizations look low-budget. Almost 4 out of 5 songs solely rely on Vijay’s dance moves, which gets a bit repetitive for general public. AR Murugadoss and Santhosh Sivan have pulled out some of the old tricks of picturizing the songs in big stadiums, by using bright incandescent lights in the background to make it look richer. Vijay’s introduction song “Kutti Puli Kootam” and opening fight scenes are speed breakers right after the word “go”.
• Screenplay could have been tighter. Even though the individual scenes were riveting, the bigger purpose required to latch the audience interest lacks full conviction. The objective of killing the head of sleeper-cell (Vidyut) lacks macro-connection resulting in lack of depth for Vijay vs Vidyut’s clash. Some of the lengthy climax fight sequences in the ship could have been trimmed. The final 10+ minutes of man-to-man combat scenes with Vidyut led to some chatter among audience.

Bottomline

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With right promotions and word of mouth reaching out to neutral and family audience, Thuppakki is well positioned to get tagged along with Ghilli and  Pokiri.

Reviewer Rating – 

 

Terror list goof-up: CBI suspends officials

Image via Wikipedia

Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai: In more embarrassment for the Central government another man – Feroz Rashid Khan named in India’s Most Wanted list of terrorists allegedly hiding in Pakistan was found to be in Arthur Road Jail.

Feroz Rashid Khan, 51, stands 24th on the list of most wanted fugitives supposed to be hiding in Pakistan. Feroz was arrested by the crime branch of Mumbai police from a village in Navi Mumbai in connection with 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which had forwarded Feroze Khan‘s named to the Home Ministry for the list has owned up the mistake.

“They (the CBI) have admitted the mistake for erroneously including Feroze Khan in the list,” home ministry spokesperson Onkar Kedia told a news agency.

Kedia said the CBI had named 40 people and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had included 10 suspected terrorists in the list.

The CBI, the official said, “has written to the Home Ministry saying that they had forgotten to remove the name from the list although the accused was in their custody”.

He said the NIA has checked up its list and stands by the names forwarded. The CBI is now rechecking the names of 40 people it had given.

The CBI promptly suspended an inspector and transferred two senior officers for the error, said a statement from the agency.

Agency spokesperson Dharini Mishra said: “After first lapse was discovered on May 17, the CBI ordered an enquiry. The lapse has occurred on the part of the official in cancelling the name from the list.”

CBI had issued an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Khan in 1994 but the notice was not withdrawn even after the agency has got his custody.

“CBI has conveyed to the Home Ministry that the lapse was on the agency’s part. When CBI forwarded the list to MHA, they forgot to delete the name of this person,” a Home Ministry spokesperson said.

Khan is alleged to have facilitated transport and distribution of arms and ammunitions during the blast and subsequently.

Mumbai police had alleged that following Dawood Ibrahim’s instructions, Khan arranged for landing of arms allegedly used in the blast.

MHA sources have reportedly said that the CBI failed to inform the Home Ministry about Feroz’s name during compilation of the list.

Earlier, the case of Wazhul Kamar Khan being in the list had left the government red faced. Khan has been living in Mumbai suburb Thane’s Waghle Estate with his mother, wife and children, after he was let off on bail. He was also involved in the 2003 Vile-Parle and Ghatkopar blasts besides the 2002 Mumbai Central station blasts.

The CBI had later removed the name of Wazhul from the list and its website.

Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday had accepted that the inclusion of Wazhul Kamar Khan in the list of most-wanted fugitives given to Pakistan was a “mistake”.

The Indian government had handed over the list of 50 most wanted fugitives to Pakistan shortly after the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in a US covert operation near Islamabad. The move was aimed at increasing the pressure on Pakistan to hand over fugitives wanted by India, including JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim but now after another gaffe coming to surface, the list is turning into a source of embarrassment for the Central government.

With IANS inputs

Related articles

• Second goof-up: CBI cracks the whip (hindu.com)
• It was a ‘genuine mistake:’ Chidambaram (hindu.com)
• Another goof-up in list given to Pakistan (hindu.com)
• Another goof-up in most wanted list (hindu.com)
• Wazhul: Why my name on the list? (hindu.com)
• 2G scam: After Pakistan, Shahid Balwa under scanner for China links (mediaon2g.com)
• India’s List of ‘Most Wanted’ Fugitives in Pakistan. (ramanan50.wordpress.com)
• Sleeping with friends or foes?? (naziaiftikhar.wordpress.com)
• Pressure Mounts On Pakistan From India (dekerivers.wordpress.com)
• No bail for alleged Taliban conspirator (edition.cnn.com)

Change Mobile Service Provider without Changing Mobile Number

You might not happy with your current mobile service provider but you probably don’t like to switch another mobile service provider because you don’t want to change your current mobile number.
Here is good news for those who are not happy with their current mobile service provider. Now you can change your mobile service provider without changing your mobile number. It means your mobile number belong s to you and not belongs to service provider for your lifetime.
TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) has declared that MNP( Mobile number Portability) will available from 20th September 2009 in selected cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore etc. and from 20th march 2010 it will be available in all over India. This means you are able to change your mobile service provider without changing mobile number from March 20 2010 all over India.
TRAI also declared that there will be small amount of fee for changing your mobile service provider from current service provider to new and the maximum time within two days.
You can get details on:
http://www.dot.gov.in/as/MNP/AS-1%20Amend.%206-5-2009.pdf

Now you are free to choose your desired mobile service provider without changing your mobile number because now there is no hassle in switching from one mobile service provider to another without changing your most valuable, distributed and known mobile number
The decision of MNP (Mobile Number Portability) is beneficial to consumer because it will increase the quality of service provider and bring down the calling/sms/validity/roaming rents or prices. Department of Telecommunication is already in the process implementing MNP in major metro cities.
The Tentative MNP (Mobie Number Portabitlity) is as follows
1)Don’t end up with current service provider till bind up with new service provider.
2) Pay any dues of current service provider or do settlement.
3) Contact new desired service provider which will start the process of MNP by contacting your current service provider.
4) Your desired new service provider will contact you at this time keep your mobile details handy like your number, registered name , address, pin etc.
5)After confirmation new service provider will activate their service on your mobile number.

Related Articles

• Mobile Number Portability (aronnirmal.wordpress.com)
• Mobile Number Portability in Rest of India from 20th January (espreson.com)
• First in India: Mobile Number Portability Service flag-off in Haryana on 25th November (espreson.com)
• India Introduces Mobile Number Portability (pcworld.com)
• Mobile number portability to be applied nationwide from 20th January (panasianbiz.com)
• MNP (Mobile Number Portability) : Change Your Mobile Service Provider Without Changing Your Mobile Number (ritusays.wordpress.com)
• “Loop mobile number portability in India – Wanna move?” and related posts (etechreviews.net)
• “Mobile number portability in India: It has finally arrived” and related posts (etechreviews.net)
• Mobile Number Portability: Top 7 Reasons to ditch your Mobile operator! (trak.in)
• What is UPC (Unique porting Code) for MNP Process | Telecom (amitbhawani.com)

‘Raavanan’ audio from Sony Music

The years most anticipated film Mani Ratnam’s tri-lingual: ‘Raavan’ in Hindi, ‘Raavanan’ in Tamil and ‘Villain’ in Telugu is slowly getting revealed.

Sony Music has bagged the music rights of Tamil and Telugu versions and will be releasing the audio very soon. Maestro A R Rahman is said to have done a splendid job as usual for a Mani film.

The Hindi music will be launched in Mumbai on April 24 and ARR will be performing live at the audio release of Mani Ratnam’s ‘Raavan’ for a select audience from Bollywood and the media at Yash Raj Studios. India’s favourite music composer A R Rahman is taking a break from his current world tour to perform live at the launch.

‘Raavanan’ is a modern version of the Ramayanam with reference to Ravanan kidnapping Seetha and Raman going in search of his wife. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plays Seetha in all three versions and Abhishek Bachchan and Vikram play Raavan in Hindi and southern versions respectively. Vikram plays Ram in the Hindi version there by making his debut in Bollywood.

Nita Ambani’s Photos Gallery With Her Short Biography

Nita Ambani is the wife of Mukesh Ambani. She is actively involved in various philanthrophic activities in the fields of education, human resources and disaster relief.

Nita Ambani, born on 1st Nov, 1963, grew up in the suburbs of Mumbai and hails from a middle class family.

Her father was a senior Birla executive. Nita Ambani has always had a keen interest in Indian classical dance and wanted to pursue a career in dance.

While her mother aspired for her to become a chartered accountant, Nita Ambani now holds qualifications as a teacher and an interior designer.

Nita Ambani is a Commerce Graduate from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce & Economics, Vile Parle, Mumbai University.

Nita Ambani has been working as part of the Dhirubhai Ambani Foundation. Nita Ambani is also part of Reliance Industries and UNAIDS partnership which is aimed towards halting and reversing the HIV epidemic in India.

Nita Ambani is spearheading Project Drishti, a unique initiative by RIL and NAB, with a vision to give sight to sightless people from the underprivileged segment at no cost.

Nita Ambani was recipient of the Samaj Seva Vishwa Bhushan at the Bharat Nari Shakti award function which was held on the International Women’s Day in 2005.

Modi to go to court to stop Monday’s IPL meeting

Officials investigating his alleged financial shenanigans visited Lalit Modi for the second time in less than 24 hours at his hotel in Mumbai. After spending close to six hours with them, Modi left the Four Seasons in his BMW and headed to Mukesh Ambani’s office in Nariman Point. He spent 45 minutes with the owner of the Mumbai
Indians, and later, flew by helicopter to DY Patil stadium to watch the Deccan Chargers take on the Chennai Super-Kings. (Read: Modi questioned about IPL broadcast rights deal)

Clearly, this is not a man who’s ready to give up his fight to survive as the Chairman and Commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL). But just in case you need to hear him say it, just rewind to earlier this week when he told jostling reporters that there is “no chance” of him resigning, even though his colleagues say they will force him out. And if its action and not words you want, well, Modi plans to go to court on Friday to stop Monday’s meeting where the IPL Governing Council plans to force him out.

Modi is the protagonist (or the villain, depending on who you talk to) in a cricket fairytale turned horror story. The funding of all team-owners and associates of the IPL is being carefully scrutinized by the government. Modi’s detractors say he has inflicted this inquiry on the world of Indian cricket with a series of careless tweets earlier this month. (Read: Lalit Modi takes on BCCI with e-mails)

The tweets targeted then minister Shashi Tharoor by questioning his support to and involvement in the consortium that won the franchise last month for the new Kochi team. The fallout was swift. Tharoor was forced to resign, and the government ordered a multi-agency inquiry into the IPL. (Read: Shashi Tharoor resigns after Congress says enough)

From proxy ownership by rich and powerful players to illegal foreign funding from tax havens like Mauritius, the investigation could blow the cover off both the IPL, and its elite guard. (Read: Nationwide IPL crackdown, SRK, Preity teams feel the heat)

The validity of Monday’s Governing Council meeting has been challenged by Modi. As Commissioner, he says, it’s up to him to call meetings. He made his point in no uncertain terms in an email to Shashank Manohar, the man who many say will replace him as IPL Chief. Manohar is currently the President of cricket’s finial body in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Modi has threatened to go to court on Friday to stop Monday’s meeting. Manohar, and others on the IPL governing council, say that won’t change their minds.

What Modi has suggested is that the meeting be postponed to give him some more time to prepare his defense. If that’s not acceptable, he says, he will not attend the meeting.

Manohar says Modi can be voted out even if he’s absent. In an interview to NDTV, Mansoon Ali Khan Pataudi, who is also on the governing council, said Modi will only make things worse for himself if he skips the session. Pataudi said it behooves Modi to request an extension in person. (Read & watch:

Modi

: If Modi skips Monday meet, he’s out)

Modi’s defense strategy, by his own admission, will be anchored on the argument that every decision that he took was sanctioned by the Governing Council. Everyone’s guilty, if crimes were committed. So far, his camp has released emails that show he was turned down when he requested that the stakeholders of all IPL teams be publicly named. (Read: Lalit Modi’s email suggested revealing all IPL stakeholders)

Manohar was among those who rejected Modi’s suggestion, but that, Manohar says, is because it would have violated confidentiality clauses in agreements with team-owners.

Income tax officials meanwhile continued, on Thursday, to visit the offices of IPL team-owners to survey documents of ownership. In Lucknow, on Thursday, the Sahara offices were checked out; Sahara bought the Pune team last month. The headquarters of GMR, which owns the Delhi Daredevils, were also surveyed. On Wednesday, the offices of team-owners in Kolkata, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Chennai were all frequented by Income Tax officials. (Read: Income Tax inquiries: Sahara surveyed, KKR summoned)

At the same time, Modi was asked in person at the Four Seasons hotel for a copy of the telecast rights’ contract – a deal worth billions of dollars, and one that allegedly allowed Modi a kickback. A few hours before Modi was questioned, the offices of the two companies who hold broadcast rights for the IPL, World Sports Group and Multi Screen Media, were raided. (Read: Telecaster denies any wrong doing in IPL deal)

Sources say the inquiry by tax officials will continue into next week. The goal is to assess income and expenditure of all IPL team-owners. Officials say major sponsors and advertisers of IPL will also be investigated.

Sensex off lows; DLF,Jaiprakash Asso, HDFC down

MUMBAI: Benchmarks pulled back from early morning lows but were still in the red in line with Asian peers. Realty and oil&gas led the decline while FMCG and banks resisted the fall.

“The weak link for the market appears to be fears of an adverse outcome of the RBI’s annual policy meet next week. Even the bulls will have to wait a bit more before they see the Nifty cross 5400.

A sudden bout of selling pulled the market down despite inflation being steady.What is more disturbing is that fund flows have started to taper off. Even the FIIs, who till recently were pouring money at a steady pace have turned a bit cautious.

Its still early days as far as results are concerned. So, the volatility will prevail for a while amid a mix bag of earnings. In any case, the market seems to be looking far ahead at FY12 numbers. Today we see a sluggish opening and another choppy session. A rebound cannot be ruled out after Thursday’s selloff,” said India Infoline report.

At 10:55 am, Bombay Stock Exchange’s Sensex was at 17,593.46, down 45.80 points or 0.26 per cent. The index touched a high of 17649.44 and low of 17529.55 in trade so far.

National Stock Exchange’s Nifty was at 5259.25, down 14.35 points or 0.27 per cent. The 50-share index hit a high of 5277.25 and low of 5237.55.

BSE Midcap Index was down 0.10 per cent and BSE Smallcap Index moved 0.21 per cent higher.

Amongst the sectoral indices, BSE Oil&gas Index declined 0.71 per cent and BSE Realty Index fell 0.67 per cent. BSE FMCG Index was up 0.56 per cent and BSE Healthcare Index moved 0.25 per cent higher.

ICICI Bank (1.35%), ITC (1.22%), Sun Pharma (0.54%), Tata Motors (0.48%) and Hindustan Unilever (0.24%) were amongst the top Sensex gainers.

DLF (-1.98%), Jaiprakash Associates (-1.48%0, HDFC (-1.30%), Grasim Industries (-1.24%) and Sterlite Industries (-1.17%) were the top index gainers.

Market breadth was negative on the BSE with 1108 declines and 1354 advances.

Meanwhile, the US stocks posted their sixth straight day of gains on Thursday as an encouraging profit forecast from United Parcel Service lifted transportation shares, though concerns about a rise in weekly jobless claims limited the market’s advance.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 21.46 points, or 0.19 per cent, to end at 11,144.57. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index edged up 1.02 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 1,211.67. The Nasdaq Composite Index gained 10.83 points, or 0.43 per cent, to close at 2,515.69.

Asian counters were trading in the red. The Nikkei fell 1.50 per cent, Kospi slipped 0.70 per cent and Hange Seng declined 1.29 per cent.

Two killed in Mumbai apartment shootout

A 14-year-old girl was shot dead after being taken hostage by her neighbour following an altercation over repair and renovation in an apartment complex here Thursday morning. The man was gunned down and two policemen injured in an effort to save the girl, police said.

Additional Police Commissioner (West) Amitabh Gupta said 65-year-old retired customs official Harish Madoria went on a shooting spree after a scuffle with his neighbour Ketan Mehta and took the latter’s daughter Himani hostage outside their home in Saujanya Apartments in Bhardawadi in Andheri West.

‘They had some argument over some private matter and Madoria is said to have taken Himani hostage,’ Gupta told reporters.

Neighbours alerted a police patrol which attempted to rescue the girl.

At this, Madoria opened fire killing the girl and injuring two policemen, Gupta said.

Police retaliated, wounding Madoria who later succumbed to his injuries.

The injured policemen – identified as Uday Patil and Phalke from D.N. Nagar police station – have been taken to a nearby hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, Madoria and Mehta had been at loggerheads for some time over matters related to the housing society.

IPL-3 opens with a bang

MUMBAI: Last but not the least. Maestro Sachin Tendulkar was the last of the eight IPL-3 captains to sign the Spirit of Cricket board but the got the loudest cheers from the packed 55,000 DY Patil stadium when the event was inaugurated with much fanfare on Friday night.

The next best cheers were reserved for Deepika Padukone, who showed she could have been a gymnast if not a baddy star like dad Prakash should sport had continued to catch her fancy. The suppleness she showed when dancing some of her famous numbers showed how serious she took her job. She had been rehearsing till midnight on Thursday.

International performers Lionel Richie, Ali Campbell of UB40’s and Bjorn Again produced a ‘dhamaka’ that could only be rivalled by the fireworks that came at the tailend of their performances.

Performers wearing LED costumes brought a glow to darkness. A brief video collage titled “Journey of IPL” showed willowy cricketing figures in outlines on black. Like the film positives of the past.The great action shots the ghostly figures depicted was symbolic of the dhamaka that is to come in the days to come as the real business of T20 cricket gets under way.

BSNL Launches 3G Services in Mangalore

Of late, BSNL has been on a continuous 3G launch spree as some of you might have noticed. Its services were launched in Kerala, Bangalore  and some cities of Andhra Pradesh not long ago. This was after the launch in a few cities in North India and in the metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

It’s the turn of coastal town Mangalore to go 3G now with BSNL announcing the commencement of 3G services in the city. The expansion of services to Mangalore is a part of BSNL’s expansion plan to equip 32 towns across Karnataka with 3G. All district headquarters in the state are slated to be 3G enabled in the next two months.

BSNL is also increasing the number of towers under its aegis to support 3G services. The number of towers in Karnataka will jump from 3,000 to 6,000 very soon. Anyway, if you happen to be a lucky resident of Mangalore and use a BSNL connection, you might want to check the 3G service now!

Review : Striker

Striker is the kind of film that fills you with regret. There is skilful direction here, some nicely etched moments and commendable performances and yet the film never gathers enough momentum to make an impact. Striker never becomes the film it could have been.

Striker is the story of Surya, played by Siddharth, a poor boy distinguished by one talent – a fierce ability to play carrom. Unfortunately this puts him on the radar of Jaleel Bhai, played by Aditya Pancholi, the local goon who runs gambling rackets in Malwani, the far-flung suburb of Mumbai, where Surya lives.

Surya resists the temptation to gamble with his talent but when fate deals him some cruel blows, he finds himself across a carrom board playing for serious money. Eventually Surya’s entanglement with Jaleel Bhai, ends as it must, in destruction and violence.

Director Chandan Arora delves into the fascinating under belly of a seemingly innocuous sport.

Shooting mostly in locations around Mumbai, he creates a textured atmosphere. Mumbai’s claustrophobic spaces and its pressure cooker environment with everyone on the make is nicely captured.

Arora’s tutelage under Ram Gopal Varma shows in the numerous intriguingly grim faces that pop into the frame. He even resuscitates Pancholi, who makes a hulking, meaning bhai.

Siddharth whom we last saw in Rang De Basanti
, is also very good as the angst-ridden Surya who plays his life out on the board. But the surprise here is Ankur Vikal, Slumdog Millionaire’s Mamman, who plays Surya’s friend Zaid. Zaid is a constantly grinning opportunist whose beatific smile can’t disguise his death wish. Zaid says that he has grown up under the shadow of swords and gambles big but eventually the odds catch up with him.

But all of this talent is let down by the film’s weak and bewilderingly meandering script, also co-written by Arora.

Striker goes back and forth between 1992 and the 1980s. I’m not sure that this movement adds anything to the film. But worse, the plot seems to randomly lurch from one point to another without adding up to a larger whole.

Events don’t unfold organically, they seem patched on. So Surya has two romantic sub-plots that are largely feeble.

His voice-over, which links up the various years is so insistent that it becomes annoying. And beyond a point, the various bhais and carrom games and deals blur into tedium. Even at two hours, Striker feels too long.

Eventually then, Striker just isn’t compelling enough for a trip to the theater. But there are many good things here. So I recommend that you wait for the DVD.

Pak to hold inter-ministerial meeting on Indian talks offer

Pakistan will hold high-level confabulations in Islamabad on Wednesday to discuss India’s
offer for Foreign Secretary-level talks amid its insistence that such a meeting should lead to the full-fledged resumption of the composite dialogue.

Pakistan is in a dilemma over the Indian offer of talks which is confined to discuss terrorism and is in the process of formulating a response.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will chair the inter-ministerial meeting at the Foreign Office to assess the Indian offer of talks, after which a clearer picture of Pakistan’s response is expected to emerge.

The meeting is expected to be attended by representatives of the interior and defence ministries and the intelligence agencies, including the ISI.

India’s offer for talks, conveyed by Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao last month, was the subject of in-house consultations at the Foreign Office on Monday.

India has offered February 18 and 25 as possible dates for a meeting of the Foreign Secretaries. During Monday’s consultations, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir favoured the adoption of a cautious approach by Pakistan and made it clear that any parleys with India should lead to the eventual resumption of the composite dialogue that was stalled in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai
terror attacks, the sources told PTI.

India has offered Foreign Secretary-level talks as part of a “practical and pragmatic” approach to seek redressal of its core concern of cross-border terrorism.

New Delhi has underlined that the proposed Foreign Secretary-level talks would not mean resumption of composite dialogue even though it is ready to discuss whatever issue Pakistan raises, including Balochistan, as it wants to deal with the situation in a “mature” and “confident” manner.

There was resistance in Pakistan to accepting talks under a new framework or holding parleys that did not lead to the restoration of the composite dialogue, the sources said.

During any parleys, there would have to be some sort of understanding that composite dialogue would be revived, they said.

When Rao conveyed the offer of talks to Bashir, she gave no indication about the resumption of the composite dialogue that began in 2004. She only said India was willing to discuss terrorism and other issues “hurting” bilateral relations.

On the other hand, Pakistan has been insisting on the resumption of the composite dialogue process that covers eight issues, including the Kashmir dispute.

Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit has said that the two countries already have an established framework for parleys and there is “no need to reinvent the wheel”.

At the same time, the Foreign Office is faced with a dilemma as it does not want Pakistan to be seen as spurning the Indian offer for talks.

Meanwhile, the Daily Times newspaper quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Pakistan might adopt a “tough stance” over India’s offer for talks and press for “result-oriented dialogue” linked to a timeline for resolving all outstanding issues, including the Kashmir dispute.

The daily said Pakistan is wary of an “open-ended” peace process that could linger for years without any tangible progress on key issues that have impacted bilateral relations for decades.
Pakistan wants a “fruitful engagement that will result in the solution of real problems and help bring peace,” it said.

Islamabad would also seek New Delhi’s assurance that it will not unilaterally suspend the peace process in case of a terrorist attack by “non-state actors,” the sources added.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik has been summoned to Islamabad to attend consultations at the Foreign Office and brief the government on his meetings with Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary Rao.

The peace process was suspended by India after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008. Since then, India has linked the resumption of talks to Pakistan taking action against the perpetrators of the attacks.

From rags to riches… in just three days: The real-life Slumdogs walk the red carpet at the Oscars

Just three days ago they were washing in dirty water and wearing rags, just another couple of Mumbai’s 2.5million slum children.

But this morning the real-life slumdogs dressed in brand new clothes, hastily purchased from American shops, to join the A-list stars walking the red carpet at the Oscars.

Plucked from obscurity to star in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog millionaire, their lives seem unlikely to ever be the same again. The change from barefooted urchins to tuxedo-clad darlings of Hollywood has been so abrupt that Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail hung his head in shyness as he clutched the hennaed hand of nine-year-old co-star Rubina Ali.

From rags to riches: Three days ago Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail was washing in dirty water, this morning he and co-star Rubina Ali are walking the red carpet at the Oscars

His reticence is understandable. For while the child actors initially returned to their lives in the slums after the 30-days of filming they have now made a remarkable journey.

Azharuddin’s home is a flimsy structure made of tarpaulins and blankets in the overcrowded Behrampada shanty area, where rats crawl around in daylight and sewage runs untreated as children play barefoot.

He couldn’t have come further from his place on the lowest rung of Indian society.

And after his initial shyness Azharuddin joined his co-stars in running after James Bond actor Daniel Craig to ask for his autograph. The British star happily obliged and spent a few minutes signing his name for the young stars.

More…

• Angelina Jolie and Kate Winslet win the battle of the red carpet in classic black
• British film Slumdog Millionaire sweeps the board as it wins SEVEN Oscars

Child stars: Slumdog millionaire actors Rubiana Ali, left, youngest Latika, and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, youngest Jamal, hold hands as they arrive for the 81st Academy Awards

After that the youngsters rounded on Meryl Streep, who was so overcome that she kissed them all and signed their autograph books.

Slumdog Millionaire tells the uplifting story of a boy from the slums who wins the jackpot on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

The movie has grossed £70million worldwide, made British director Danny Boyle the darling of Hollywood and turned lead actors Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto into big names.

Rubina Ali Qureshi, 9, left, straddles a blocked drain next to an open area strewn with garbage near her home in a slum in Bandra, suburban Mumba

But following their taste of glamour the youngsters will still return to the homes where they live in squalor on the outskirts of Mumbai.

Boyle and producer Christian Colson said the child actors were paid ‘three times the amount of an annual adult salary’ for what amounted to a month’s work, although he has refused to give an actual figure.

A cheer for Hollywood: The cast of Slumdog Millionaire join director Danny Boyle, bottom right with glasses, on the red carpet

But their parents have raised worries that following the Oscars they will be ‘forgotten about’.

Boyle and Colson have strenuously denied claims that any of the children have been exploited.

In a statement, they said they ‘paid painstaking and considered attention to how Azharuddin and Rubina’s involvement in the film could be of lasting benefit over and above the payment they received for their work’.

Three days ago: Mohammed Azharuddin relaxes on a cot along with his father outside their shanty in the Behrampada slums of Mumbai on February 19

Obama’s special envoy arrives in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan: President Barack Obama’s special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan arrived in Afghanistan on Thursday, the United States Embassy here said, one day after a coordinated series of Taliban suicide attacks in Kabul underscored the deteriorating security in the capital and across the country.

Security forces in Kabul remained on high alert Thursday, not only in preparation for the arrival of the envoy, Richard Holbrooke, but also because a Taliban spokesman claimed eight bombers remained at large in the city and were still “looking for a chance.”

The spokesman described Wednesday’s attacks as retaliation for the mistreatment and torture of Taliban prisoners.

The suicide bombers and Taliban gunmen struck government buildings at three sites in Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and wounding 57. It was a complex and highly organized attack that demonstrated the ease with which the insurgents could penetrate even a heavily fortified place like Kabul.

At the Justice Ministry, five Taliban guerrillas armed with explosives and Kalashnikov rifles killed two guards, stormed inside and took control of the building for more than an hour. Frightened employees, including the justice minister, barricaded themselves in their offices while the armed men stalked the halls for victims. At least 10 people were killed, including two who were shot in the cross-fire between government forces and the insurgents, security officials said.

In addition to the eight bombers who struck the Justice Ministry, Taliban militants also attacked the Education Ministry and the directorate for prisons. All eight attackers at the three sites were killed, the Interior Ministry said.

Afterward, security forces carried the mangled bodies of the attackers out of the Justice Ministry building and, in a sign of deep disrespect of Muslim tradition, dumped the bodies unceremoniously on the concrete forecourt.

Earlier Thursday, Holbrooke met with a former Pakistani prime minister and opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, in the Pakistani city of Lahore. His tour of the region was part of a ground-up review of American policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan ordered by Obama, who met with Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday to discuss plans to bolster American force levels here.

The brazen nature of the Taliban attacks was certain to influence the debate among administration officials over the strength of the militants, who control much of the countryside and have steadily encroached on Kabul.

The attacks also highlighted the fluid and murky nature of the insurgents’ ties with terrorist networks in Pakistan’s tribal areas, which Holbrooke visited briefly on Wednesday under Pakistani military escort.

One senior official in Washington said initial intelligence indicated that Wednesday’s attack was probably planned or supported by the Pakistan-based network of Jalaluddin Haqqani.

Haqqani’s group was also implicated in the attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul last summer and might have had the assistance of members of Pakistan’s intelligence agency in that operation, American officials have said.

The attacks on Wednesday were the most audacious since the embassy assault. And in an eerie echo of the attacks in Mumbai, India, in November, which Indian and American intelligence officials say have been traced to a Pakistani militant group, the Taliban gunmen on Wednesday sent three messages to Pakistan seeking the “blessing of their mastermind,” said Amrullah Saleh, director of the Afghan national intelligence service.

Moments later, they began “indiscriminate killing” inside the Justice Ministry, Saleh said. Officials said 21 people had been detained, but it was not clear what linked them to the attacks.

The multiple coordinated strikes cloaked Kabul, a dusty and chaotic city of four million, in panic for the entire day. Miles of Kabul’s principal thoroughfares were blocked off, as police officers and soldiers rushed to reinforce scores of checkpoints.

Hours later, there were fears that other bombers were still roaming Kabul. In addition to the eight bombers who struck the Justice Ministry, the Education Ministry and the directorate for prisons.

Across the city, many streets were empty as residents were too scared to go outside. The attacks clearly unnerved Afghan officials.

“The enemy still has the capability to bring this amount of weapons and explosives inside the city of Kabul and find their way to government institutions,” said Hanif Atmar, the interior minister. He promised new and strict security measures that would be “uncomfortable” for residents, but necessary. Many parts of the capital are already sectioned off for security, and foreign embassies sit behind layers of checkpoints and blast walls.

The most confidence-shaking attack, at the Justice Ministry, began about 10 a.m., when five Taliban fighters took over three of the building’s four floors. The ministry is in the heart of the capital, a few hundred yards from the presidential palace. 

Employees locked their doors and dived for cover inside their offices. There was “chaos on all four floors,” said Habib Mushakhas, a senior ministry official, after the police rushed him out of the building. “I heard an explosion, then a firefight. There was a lot of blood in the corridors. I saw one dead body.”

A little more than an hour after the attack, security forces counterattacked. Scores of soldiers and police officers rushed into the building and scaled ladders onto upper floors. More than 20 shots were fired. Soon after, ambulances took several police officers and soldiers away, their feet hanging off of stretchers poking out the open doors. It was not clear whether they were wounded or dead.

Eventually, the police and soldiers retook enough of the building to begin evacuating dozens of survivors. Then they rushed children out from the kindergarten classroom inside the ministry.

The police also began removing civilian bodies. By early afternoon they said they felt confident that they had defeated the gunmen, and they called an impromptu news conference in the Justice Ministry’s forecourt.

But minutes later they realized that one Taliban attacker was still inside, and a handful of different security forces — the police, the Afghan Army and national intelligence officers — went searching for him. A nervous commander barked into his radio, “Try to recognize each other, and don’t shoot our own guys.”

A radio call came from a commander inside the building. “We’ve cornered him,” he said. “Could you order us to shoot? We are worried because we think there are children and other civilians around.”

Two commanders outside talked. “What should we do?” one said. “Shoot him!” said the other.

Moments passed, and the commander inside the building said: “There’s nobody here. We should attack.”

“Attack!” came the response from a commander outside.

About 60 shots were fired over the next 20 minutes. Finally, the last gunman was dead. But so, too, were two more civilians whose bodies were brought outside and laid on stretchers. Security officials later said two hostages were killed in the cross-fire as government forces killed the last gunman.

All of the gunmen had worn suicide-bomb vests, but none of the vests had detonated. The government forces had defused and stripped them from the bodies, which bore large gashes and bullet holes, or had arms ripped partly from shattered shoulders.

As security forces fought to take back control of the Justice Ministry, a single Taliban suicide bomber was killed as he tried to attack the Education Ministry.

Across town, two more Taliban bombers killed and wounded more people at the Prisons Department. One bomber blew himself up at a security checkpoint in front of the prisons building, while witnesses said the other bomber used the distraction to run inside.

Gholam Farouk Wafa, a 35-year-old policeman, said he was attending a training class inside with 60 other policemen when they saw a clean-shaven man with a large backpack come to the door. One of the policemen fired two shots at him, and the man fled upstairs, where he detonated his bomb, Wafa said.

Reporting was contributed by Lynsey Addario, Abdul Waheed Wafa and Sangar Rahimi from Kabul; Taimoor Shah from Kandahar, Afghanistan; David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt from Washington; and Mark McDonald from Hong Kong.

Mumbai attacks not discussed with Holbrooke, says Pakistan

Stresses need for resolving Kashmir dispute for peace in the region

ISLAMABAD: On his first day of meetings with the Pakistani leadership here, U.S. Special Representative Richard C. Holbrooke heard that Pakistan would be better able to combat terrorism and militancy in its north-western frontier regions with “a calm” eastern front, and the need for resolving the Kashmir issue for peace in the region.

Without explicitly pushing for an expansion of his mandate to include India, Pakistan’s civilian leaders told the special envoy that “a regional” approach was required to deal with the issues of terrorism, militancy and extremism.

They stressed that American missile strikes and other incursions inside Pakistani territory were “counterproductive,” and urged the U.S. to hurry instead with proposed legislation for more non-military financial aid to Pakistan to spur economic development in the country, particularly its tribal regions. They also called for dialogue with “reconcilable elements” of the Taliban for peace in Afghanistan.

Contrary to expectation that the Mumbai attacks would figure in the discussions, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said “interestingly enough, in our interaction, [the] Mumbai [attacks] did not surface.”

The Minister virtually ruled out any move by Pakistan for the inclusion of India or Kashmir in Mr. Holbrooke’s mandate but said he had flagged the importance of good relations with India.

“Let us be very clear. His mandate is Pakistan, Afghanistan. Period,” Mr. Qureshi said in response to questions at a press conference after his meeting with the U.S. official.

“But having said that, I did point out that if Pakistan has to focus on its western front, a calm eastern front is in everybody’s advantage.” He thanked the U.S. for playing a “positive role in defusing tensions” with India after the Mumbai attacks.

Calls for early resolution

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who also met Mr. Holbrooke, urged that the Kashmir issue had “bedevilled” India-Pakistan relations for over six decades and called for an “early resolution of the dispute” to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.

Mr. Holbrooke, who said as he arrived on Monday that he had come to “listen and learn the ground realities” in Pakistan, also met President Asif Ali Zardari as well as Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

According to official statements on the meetings, President Zardari emphasised the need for a “cohesive and integrated regional approach” to defeating extremism and terrorism.

Similarly, Mr. Gilani is said to have told Mr. Holbrooke that Pakistan would “like to engage with the U.S. to build a new global strategic consensus for peace, security and stability in the region.”