Showing posts with label become. Show all posts
Showing posts with label become. Show all posts

Friday, 25 April 2014

Djokovic to become a father




PARIS: World number two tennis star Novak Djokovic announced on Thursday that he and girlfriend Jelena Ristic are expecting their first child.

The Serbian six-time Grand Slam winner is currently sidelined with a right wrist injury picked up at last week´s Monte Carlo Masters but announced the good news on his twitter account. "Jelena is pregnant !!! We will soon be parents," the 26-year-old winner of 43 ATP titles tweeted on his account @DjokerNole.

The expectant couple have been dating since 2005 and recently got engaged in September 2013.

Djokovic, who is unsure when he will be fit enough to return, is recovering from his injury by spending a few days in Athens. (AFP)

Thursday, 24 April 2014

Ahmed Shehzad tipped to become Pakistan T20 captain



KARACHI: Dashing young opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad is likely to be named as Pakistan’s next Twenty20 captain, according to sources close the cricket board.

Following Pakistan’s failure to reach the knockout stage of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh earlier this month, which ultimately led to Mohammad Hafeez resigning as the national team skipper, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already started deliberating as to who would be the next captain.

According to sources, PCB chairman Najam Sethi is heavily backing the credentials of Ahmed, who has never led Pakistan in any format at the international level but is set to become one of the youngest cricketers at the age of 22 to be handed the reins of captaincy of the national side.

Moin Khan, the chief selector-cum-Pakistan team manager, has reportedly given his consent in favour of Ahmed with the formal announcement from the cricket board expected to be made in a day or two.

Hafeez, who also captained Pakistan at the World Twenty20 in 2012 when Sri Lanka hosted the event, shouldered responsibility for his country’s first-ever preliminary-round exit while announcing his resignation after a meeting with the PCB chief in Lahore a day after his arrival from Dhaka.

Veteran all-rounder and former captain Shahid Afridi was mentioned in some quarters as Hafeez’s successor as the next Pakistan T20 skipper, but his hard-hitting utterances at team’s lacklustre performance in Bangladesh upon his arrival in Karachi landed the 34-year-old in trouble when the PCB issued him a show-cause notice for the same.

With Misbah-ul-Haq’s position as the Pakistan captain - both in Test and One-day International formats - quite safe at the moment, the PCB is now mulling naming Ahmed as the T20 skipper.

However, the elevation of Ahmed — who made his Test debut during Pakistan’s last series against Sri Lanka in the UAE in December/January after having made his international debut in April 2009 — could be a risky proposition since he is prone to losing his cool.

Ahmed, who sadly has held a history of disciplinary issues since his international debut at the youth level, was fined 50 per cent of his match fee after his altercation with veteran Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan during the third game of the ODI series in Abu Dhabi last December.

Ahmed Shehzad tipped to become Pakistan T20 captain



KARACHI: Dashing young opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad is likely to be named as Pakistan’s next Twenty20 captain, according to sources close the cricket board.

Following Pakistan’s failure to reach the knockout stage of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh earlier this month, which ultimately led to Mohammad Hafeez resigning as the national team skipper, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already started deliberating as to who would be the next captain.

According to sources, PCB chairman Najam Sethi is heavily backing the credentials of Ahmed, who has never led Pakistan in any format at the international level but is set to become one of the youngest cricketers at the age of 22 to be handed the reins of captaincy of the national side.

Moin Khan, the chief selector-cum-Pakistan team manager, has reportedly given his consent in favour of Ahmed with the formal announcement from the cricket board expected to be made in a day or two.

Hafeez, who also captained Pakistan at the World Twenty20 in 2012 when Sri Lanka hosted the event, shouldered responsibility for his country’s first-ever preliminary-round exit while announcing his resignation after a meeting with the PCB chief in Lahore a day after his arrival from Dhaka.

Veteran all-rounder and former captain Shahid Afridi was mentioned in some quarters as Hafeez’s successor as the next Pakistan T20 skipper, but his hard-hitting utterances at team’s lacklustre performance in Bangladesh upon his arrival in Karachi landed the 34-year-old in trouble when the PCB issued him a show-cause notice for the same.

With Misbah-ul-Haq’s position as the Pakistan captain - both in Test and One-day International formats - quite safe at the moment, the PCB is now mulling naming Ahmed as the T20 skipper.

However, the elevation of Ahmed — who made his Test debut during Pakistan’s last series against Sri Lanka in the UAE in December/January after having made his international debut in April 2009 — could be a risky proposition since he is prone to losing his cool.

Ahmed, who sadly has held a history of disciplinary issues since his international debut at the youth level, was fined 50 per cent of his match fee after his altercation with veteran Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan during the third game of the ODI series in Abu Dhabi last December.

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Ukraine’s Crimea seeks to become an independent state

crowd  chanting "Rossiya! Rossiya!" and waving the Russian tricolour. (Reuters)
crowd chanting "Rossiya! Rossiya!" and waving the Russian tricolour.

The Crimean parliament voted on Tuesday that the Black Sea peninsula will declare itself an independent state if its residents agree to split off from Ukraine and join Russia in a referendum. Crimea’s regional legislature today adopted a “declaration of independence of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.” The document specified that Crimea will become an independent state if its residents vote on Sunday in favour of joining Russia in the referendum.
Western nations have said they will not recognise the vote as legitimate. But the move might be used as an attempt to ease tensions with Crimea existing as a self-proclaimed state without Russia moving quickly to incorporate it into its territory.
After a brief war between Russia and Georgia in 2008, some leaders sin Georgia’s breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia also asked to join Russia, but their request was never granted. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s acting president today called for the formation of a national guard and for the mobilisation of reserves and volunteers into the country’s armed forces.
Oleksandr Turchynov asked the national parliament to approve turning the country’s Interior Ministry troops into a National Guard “to defend the country and citizens against any criminals, against external and internal aggression.” Turchynov said that the mobilisation will include those who have previously served in the army and volunteers. Russian forces have strengthened their control over Ukraine’s Crimea region in the run-up to a referendum set for Sunday on whether to split off and become part of Russia.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who will fly to Washington to meet with Barack Obama tomorrow, called on Western nations to defend Ukraine against a nation “that is armed to the teeth and that has nuclear weapons.”

Ayushmann Khurrana: I think I have become a one-take artist because of Rishi Kapoor

Speaking on the title of the film, Ayushmann admitted that he too has committed his share of mistakes in life.
Speaking on the title of the film, Ayushmann admitted that he too has committed his share of mistakes in life.
VJ turned actor Ayushmann Khurrana says he has learnt to be a one-take artiste thanks to industry veteran Rishi Kapoor with whom he is sharing screen space in their upcoming film ‘Bewakoofiyan’.
It is for the first time that Ayushmann will be seen with the senior actor in a film, which stars Sonam Kapoor as the female lead.
Rishi is known to be temperamental but Ayushmann had a good experience of working him.
“He cannot tolerate incompetency, he wants everybody around him to be competent and should be professional. I think it just rubs on you because if you are a learner in life then you need to take cues from an experienced actor like him,” Ayushmann told PTI.
“He believes in giving one take shot as he feels it becomes mechanical if you give more than two takes. I think I have become a one-take artist because of him,” he said.
Speaking on the title of the film, Ayushmann admitted that he too has committed his share of mistakes in life.
“I have committed my own set of blunders while anchoring. In personal life I have done lots of Bewakoofiyan like when I got married I just had Rs 10,000 in my hand. I had spent all the money that I had earned for my wedding and honeymoon,” he said.
“But it seems destiny had something else in store for me. It could have been a ‘Bewakoofi’ (foolish) if you are not settled and you are getting married, as it becomes difficult,” he added.
The film, directed by Nupur Asthana, is a love story set in times of recession.
“I am affected by recession… I am jobless. My girlfriend (played by Sonam) earns more than me. Rishi Kapoor is playing Sonam’s father in the film who is against their marriage.
“This guy has to make sure that her father is happy and they get married. I think every film has a one liner which are simple but how you treat the film is important,” he said.
The promotions of this film started a bit late but Ayushmann is happy with the way things are shaping up. It is set to release this Friday.
“My films are never promoted ‘Vicky Donor’ or ‘Nautanki Saala’… I don’t know how it is to be on the other side. I am sure they (makers of ‘Bewakoofiyan’) have certain strategy in mind and it will do well,” he added.

Friday, 7 March 2014

Crimea Voted to become a part of the Russian Federation

Authorities in Crimea voted to accelerate secession from Ukraine and unanimously backed a law that declared the territory to be part of the Russian Federation on 6 March 2014.
The cabinet had decided to take the decision by referendum in 10 days. MPs of Crimea had voted by 78 votes to nil for the territory to leave Ukraine.
A referendum on more autonomy for the region due on 30 March 2014 was brought forward to 16 March 2014. Now the residents had the option to unify the Black Sea peninsula with Russia.

After the law was initiated, the Crimean government asserted that all Ukrainian troops on the territory of Crimea should either leave or be treated as occupiers. Crimea is planning to introduce the rouble and readopt Russian state symbols.
Russia has welcomed the decision of the Crimean Government and Russian Parliament DUMA had begun work on a bill that would make it easier for Russia to join new territories.
While on the other hand, the Ukrainian government had started the procedures to dismiss Crimea's assembly and to block the referendum. They are claiming the move as completely illegal and anti-constitutional.
The move was highly criticized by member of European Commission and USA. They opined that the proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the constitution and international law.
About Crimea
The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an autonomous parliamentary republic within Ukraine and is governed by the Constitution of Crimea in accordance with the laws of Ukraine.
The capital is the city of Simferopol, located in the center of the peninsula. Crimea's area is 26,200 square kilometers.

Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Review: Total Sipayaa's music may become popular after film's release

Yami Gautam, Ali Zafar, Kirron Kher in Total SiyapaaTotal Siyapaa packs in some good numbers, writes Joginder Tuteja.

One expects a fun score for the film Total Siyapaa, which is a comedy of errors.

Ali Zafar is the central protagonist, as well as the singer-composer for the soundtrack. Not just that, he also writes most of the songs, with Kumaar and Aqeel Rubi chipping in.

The title song, Total Siyapaa, is quite humorous. Kirron Kher's dialogues pepper this three-minute piece a la the song Maa Da Laadla Bigad Gaya (from Dostana). The track is an all round show by Ali Zafar (with Kumaar contributing on lyrics).

It has a good rhythm and the song also has an eye-catching music video that features Ali and the other members of the film’s cast, Yami Gautam and Kirron Kher, quite prominently. Expect this one to play as the end credits roll, though one does feel that in the album it comes way too early.

Next up is Palat Meri Jaan, which is a chartbuster all the way.

It starts slow, and rightly so, as by the time the hook of Palat Meri Jaan arrives, you have been sufficiently warmed up by Ali Zafar's soft vocals.

A romantic number that has a lively feel to it and is well complimented by a well shot video, Palat Meri Jaan moves on seamlessly to the antara portions that have a feel-good factor that seldom fails. This one deserves to be played on loop.

There is a Spanish sound in the beginning of Nahin Maloom. Ali Zafar sings this song which has a rhythmic feel that is well complimented by the overall melody.

With prominent use of the guitar, this number maintains a good pace right through its four-minute odd duration. Ali is joined by Fariha Parvaiz, an established singer in Pakistan for many years.

Together they ensure that Nahin Maloom is an entertaining number.

Ali continues his stint behind the mike for Asha, which is leading lady Yami Gautam’s name in the film.

A conversational number, this one too is high on beats, but with a certain child-like feel to it. It is a sweet sounding number and is situational. Like Nahin Maloom, the picturisation will determine whether it has a long run.

The album concludes with Bulley Shah's traditional number Chal Buleya. A slow-moving sombre track, it shows a different facet of Ali Zafar. He sings it well, with the right amount of pathos. However, the number is strictly situational and one hopes that it doesn't slow down the pace of Total Siyapaa which is expected to be a fun-filled film.

Total Sipayaa starts off quite well with a cracker of a number in the title track. It is followed by one more number (Palat Meri Jaan) which can easily rise up the popularity charts.

The rest of the songs, though decently tuned and sung, are primarily situational and may become popular after the release of the film.

Tuesday, 25 February 2014

LUMS to Become Cashless Campus with MCB Lite

P1010098 Copy LUMS to Become Cashless Campus with MCB LiteMCB Bank Ltd (MCB) and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) have signed MoU to transform LUMS into a ‘cashless’ campus.
This project will showcase MCB Lite – the world’s 1st socially connected mobile wallet – specially designed to provide digital payments convenience in socially connected groups of people such as the LUMS student body, faculty and staff on campus.
Together MCB and LUMS intend to make LUMS the first completely cashless campus in Pakistan where students, faculty and various other stakeholders will be able to carry out transactions using their mobile phones or the accompanying MCB Lite Visa Card. 
During the course of this project, MCB will pilot various cutting edge technologies such as Near-Filed-Communications and Mobile Point-of-Sale terminals.
On the occasion of signing the MOU, LUMS Vice Chancellor Dr. Sohail Naqvi stated that, “We are excited about this partnership with MCB. This is an excellent opportunity for our students to carry out research and development on a live banking platform.  We want LUMS to be a hotbed of innovation in mobile banking and technology to help define the future of consumer financial platforms for Pakistan as well as the rest of the world.”
About this new initiative, Head of Digital Banking at MCB, Qasif Shahid, expressed that “MCB sees LUMS as a driver of innovation and behavior change in the Pakistani society.  The university is full of bright and intelligent people open to adopting new, innovative technologies and payment types.” He further added, “We want students and faculty to experience the convenience of digital money and adopt these new payments types and business models in other aspects of their lives as well. Ultimately, we would love to see some of these intelligent individuals innovating and taking this concept further in directions not imaginable as yet.”
Sohail Malik, Head of Alliances & Loyalty added “MCB Lite is the most innovative and convenient financial product in the world, and LUMS is the 1st school of Pakistan getting their premises completely digitized and cashless through this unique and innovative product”