Bridal fashion show held in Dallas

DALLAS: A large number of people thronged the Park Plaza Dallas to attend FunAsia bridal fashion show presented by Prince photography.

Various stalls of different products for men and women were setup where people took a keen interest in local fashion designers’ work.

The brides and fashion models walked the ramp while local artists also performed at the beginning of the show.

Program organizer Nizar Ali and Monicca Sharmaa Kolluri thanked the participant
Nizar Ali also announced more events in the near future.

Chaand Raat Mela will be held on July 28th in Dallas Meena Bazaar.

Survey shows unemployment not under control

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Survey 2013-14 reveals that the unemployment rate in Pakistan has increased to 6.2 percent compared to 5.6 percent in 2009-10. The unemployment is the highest in Punjab.
According to the Survey, unemployment remained same in the urban areas while it increased in rural areas from 4.8 percent in 2009-10 to 5.1 percent in 2012-13.In Pakistan, according to the Economic Survey, unemployment rate is increasing in both Agriculture mechanization is major cause of reducing absorption capacity of this sector.

Although industries are being setup in some rural areas, however, employment generation opportunities due to these industries is not comparably higher.The unemployment rate in urban areas is even more than in rural areas. This high rate of unemployment is mainly due to two reasons, first is rural urban migration which is cause increasing urban population whereas job opportunities are not increasing accordingly.

The province wise comparison shows that the number of unemployed people increased in Punjab from 2.10 million in 2010-11 to 2.28 million in 2012-13. The number of unemployed people increased in Punjab is more as compared to other provinces. The apparent reason of high unemployment in Punjab is highest population among all provinces.

In case of Balochistan 0.10 million people are unemployed in 2012-13 an increase of almost 0.3 million people as compared to 2011-12. The main reasons of this increasing unemployment are bad infrastructure, law and order situation and lack of business and industrial activities.

The employment rate in Sindh decreased from 5.2 percent in 2011-12 to 5.0 percent in 2012-13. Whereas the rate in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan increased to 6.1 percent, 8.5 percent and 4.0 percent respectively as compared to the same period.

According to gender break-up, the Economic Survey 2013-14 shows that the female unemployment rate increased to 9.0 percent in 2012-13 as compared to 8.9 percent in 2010-11.While male unemployment ratio surge to 5.4 percent in said periods as compared t0 5.1 percent.

Province wise break-up shows that female unemployment rate in Sindh increased to 8.2 percent in 2012-13 from 7.2 percent in 2010-11, however, male unemployment rate in Sindh declined to 4.4 percent from 4.8 percent in comparison under review.

During 2012-13 in Punjab, female unemployment rate remained stable to 8.3 percent while male unemployment rate increased to 5.2 percent from 4.7 percent in periods under review.Interestingly, female unemployment rate in Balochistan decreased to 7.0 percent from 7.9 percent while male unemployment rate surged to 3.6 percent from 2.5 percent in said periods.

The data on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showed similar statistics to Balochistan as female unemployment rate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa decreased to 16.3 percent from 16.5 while male unemployment rate increased to 6.7 percent in 2012-13 from 5.9 in 2010-11.

The overall main causes of unemployment are rising population, law and order situation, lack of technical education and shortage of skill training institutes.“Youth is also facing many challenges but some of these are common in the overall labour market,” states the Survey.

However, government is well aware of these issues and focusing on long term investment in human capital through formal and informal education and strategically strengthening the links between education, skill development and the labour market would greatly benefit youth in the long term, it concluded.

US must lead globally but show restraint: Obama

WEST POINT: President Barack Obama says the United States must lead on the world stage, but also show restraint before rushing into military operations overseas.

Obama is outlining his foreign policy vision for his final two years during a commencement address at the US Military Academy.

Obama says the US is emerging from a long period of war. But he says isolationism isn´t an option in the 21st century.

He says the US will use force when necessary, but is stronger when it doesn´t act alone.

Obama also says he plans to work with Congress to increase support for the Syrian opposition.

The speech comes a day after Obama offered a blueprint for ending the US military engagement in Afghanistan. (AP)

Those who repeatedly aired objectionable show equally cognisable: SIC

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Sahibzada Hamid Raza has said causing any harm to journalists, damaging the media houses or destroying their property was not at all allowed either by the Shariah or the law.

“We have no concern with those who are spreading incendiary sentiments against the working journalists/media persons. It is Allah Almighty alone Who knows what someone has in his heart. By adopting peaceful means, we have approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It will be the Supreme Court that will decide what was behind the sordid episode, whether deliberate or unintentional. Any channel or website that has committed such disrespect is culpable,” he said while addressing a press conference at the National Press Club. He declared that to repeatedly air the controversial matter was equally cognisable.

President PFUJ Afzal Butt, president NPC Sheharyar Khan and president RIUJ Ali Raza Rizvi were also present on the occasion.Sahibzada Hamid Raza said that the role of journalists could not be ignored. “Whatever the situation, the journalists have always played their effective role in an effective manner. No journalist was involved in the disrespectful show in the morning transmission of Geo, therefore the journalists, media-workers, DSNG vehicles and offices of channel establishments should not be damaged.” He said that they had knocked on the door of the court and this matter should be resolved in the courts and not on the roads.

To a question, he said had there been no delay of 36 hours, the question of issuing a Fatwa would have had never arisen. He said any other channel airing the disrespectful show again was culpable as the first one.

He said that they had issued the ‘fatwa’ first against the suicide killings that was corroborated by the Mufti-e-Azam, Saudi Arabia. Speaking on the occasion, Afzal Butt said that they were not a party to the war between the media houses. “However, we can never tolerate disrespect to the Ahle Bait.” He said in the current crisis, more than 35 media persons had been attacked. “An attempt was made to put two houses on fire. In order to cope with such a situation, the PFUJ has initiated a dialogue with scholars of different schools of thought.”

He said that working journalists are labourers who work with their pens and they have absolutely no hand in the formulation of the policies of media houses. “Therefore, any conspiracy to target them would be condemnable.”

Pilot dies as plane crashes at California air show

FAIRFIELD: A pilot who had thrilled audiences for decades with acrobatic stunts was killed when his vintage biplane crashed upside-down on a runway at a California air show.

Sunday´s tragedy brought to a quick halt the "Thunder Over Solano" show at Travis Air Force Base, which was attended by an estimated 100,000 spectators. No one else was injured.

The Air Force identified the pilot as Edward Andreini, 77. Federal Aviation Administration records show he was the registered owner of the 1944 Stearman biplane, a World War II-era plane commonly used to train pilots.

Andreini was trying to perform a maneuver known as "cutting a ribbon" where he inverts the plane and flies close to the ground so that a knife attached to it can slice a ribbon just off the ground, Col. David Mott, 60th Operations Group commander at the base, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Andreini´s website said audiences would be "thrilled at the sight of this huge biplane performing double outside loops, square loops, torque rolls, double snap rolls, and ... a heart-stopping, end-over-end tumble maneuver."

It said he had flown since he was 16.The plane, flying low over the tarmac, crashed and caught fire, letting off a thick plume of black smoke seen in video of the aftermath.

Roger Bockrath, a retired photojournalist who was photographing the afternoon show, chronicled the routine and witnessed the crash. He said Andreini, flying into a sometimes gusty wind, passed on two attempts before trying a third time, hitting the tarmac and sliding to a stop in an open field.

"He got down too low and hit the tarmac. He skidded about 500 feet and just sat there. The plane was essentially intact, just wrong side down," Bockrath told The Sacramento Bee.

Bockrath said nearly 2 1/2 minutes went by before someone appeared with a fire extinguisher. By then, the aircraft was fully enflamed and collapsing from the heat. He said it took a total of five minutes before fire crews arrived.

The National Transportation Safety Board is heading up an investigation. Lynn Lunsford of the FAA said the FAA was already on site and will be a member of the team. (AP)

South Asian spring bridal show organized in Plano

DALLAS: Creative edge hosted a South Asian Spring Bridal Show in the city of Plano, Texas, where local boutique, elegant and eye catching dresses showcased a new concept with a cutting edge fashion show.

The program was organized by Raza Beg and Imrana Siddiqui, who have put together an amazing line up of performers, with new and upcoming models from the local area as well as a Boogie Woogie Winner "Nisa Ahmed" and Miss Texas India "Meenakshi Awasthi".

The headlining Fashion Show presented Ruby Bhandari with Silk Threads and Upcoming Desi Stand Up Comic & Mcee Sanjeev Sharma, New Talent from STEREO NATION, Ruben, oNe & Aitch as well as a local young talent Marvinn Dass and Anil Lovely Sanger. RJ Vaibhav also presented with artist and models and number of models presented their cat walk wearing the gorgeous bridal dresses.

Silk dresses were especially liked by the participants of this show along with Sponsored by co-owner Yousuf Begg of "YAAR MUSIC"

Program ended with Ali Pervaz Mahdi's vocal performance where he entertained the audience with his magical performance. The program stayed on till late at night which was enjoyed by a large number of audience in presence.

Chelsea put up a superb show to dent Liverpool title chances

LIVERPOOL: An untimely slip by Steven Gerrard inadvertently helped Chelsea claim a 2-0 win over Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday that reignited their title ambitions.

The Liverpool captain lost his footing in first-half injury time, enabling Demba Ba to run through and score, with Willian adding a late second as Jose Mourinho´s side moved to within two points of the summit.

The result brought Liverpool´s 11-game winning streak to an end and although it resurrected Chelsea´s title chances, the chief beneficiaries by the end of the day were Manchester City.

Mourinho, who travelled separately from his squad because he is ill, will now turn his attention to Wednesday´s Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid, with the tie in the balance at 0-0.

Anfield was already simmering when Luis Garcia, scorer of the decisive goal when these sides met in the 2005 Champions League semi-finals, was paraded to fans before kick-off, raising the noise levels even further.

Mourinho had made seven changes to his starting XI, awarding a full debut to 20-year-old Czech centre-back Tamas Kalas, and the visitors set out to spoil the game right from kick-off.

They were dallying over free-kicks within minutes of the whistle being blown, while Gerrard at one point had to wrench the ball from Mourinho´s grasp as the Chelsea manager attempted to prevent a quick throw-in.

Chelsea were the first side to threaten, however, with home goalkeeper Simon Mignolet obliged to parry a shot from Ashley Cole.

At the other end, Luis Suarez teed up Philippe Coutinho to volley into the side-netting and then found Mamadou Sakho with a drilled cross, only for the Frenchman to hoist the ball over the bar from close range.

Suarez also curled an effort over, but Chelsea finished the half strongly, and after the unmarked Kalas had headed badly wide from a corner, Gerrard´s nightmare moment let the visitors in.

After letting a pass from Sakho run under his foot, the England captain slipped as he tried to recover.

As Anfield gasped, Ba stole in, racing through and calmly threading the ball past Mignolet.

Liverpool resumed their assault on the Chelsea goal after the interval, but a deflected Gerrard effort that Mark Schwarzer saved easily was the best they could muster in the early stages.

Rodgers responded by sending on the fit-again Daniel Sturridge and Schwarzer was obliged to exert himself fully moments later, plunging to his left to repel a Joe Allen volley.

Chelsea, however, carried a threat on the counter-attack and it took a fine one-handed save by Mignolet to prevent Andre Schurrle from making it 0-2.

Allen and Gerrard each saw long-range efforts saved by Schwarzer, while the Liverpool captain could only plant a header straight at the goalkeeper from Suarez´s dinked cross.

Suarez had one last chance in injury time, when a punch from Schwarzer fell straight to him, but the goalkeeper palmed the Uruguayan´s shot away.

Chelsea had the last word, with Fernando Torres racing clear and unselfishly teeing up fellow substitute Willian for an easy tap-in that Mourinho celebrated by thumping his chest on the touchline. (AFP)

Modi says Rahul Gandhi's gaffes funnier than Kapil Sharma show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rahul Gandhi's gaffes should be telecast on TV instead of comedian Kapil Sharma's show, Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, said on Sunday, mocking the Congress vice-president's elections speeches, which, he said, were full of gaffes.    

"I feel the TV serial of Kapil Sharma [Comedy Nights With Kapil] will shut down in a few days. TV people should gather these Rahul Gandhi [YouTube] videos and show them and the entire tiredness of the elections will go away. You won't have to do anything [else] for entertainment," Modi said at a rally in support of party candidate Uma Bharti in Jhansi in UP.

Modi, the Gujarat Chief Minister, recalled Rahul Gandhi's three speeches, saying they had glaring gaffes.

"This morning I saw my friend, Rahul Gandhi's statement, and I laughed so much that my stomach hurt. What are they saying? Will such people run the Congress, leave the nation aside?" Modi said.

"He [Rahul Gandhi] was in Gujarat yesterday and these days, mother-son have developed a lot of love for Gujarat. They praise Gujarat day and night. Mother speaks somewhere, son speaks somewhere else. Mother speaks one lie and son speaks two lies," he said.

"He [Rahul Gandhi] said: 'Tell me Modi-ji, there is no lokayukta in Gujarat and the day lokayukta comes, this chowkidar [security guard] will go to jail'," Modi said, referring to the Congress vice-president's speech in Bhavnagar on Saturday.

Rahul bhaiya, slow down. Why are you spreading such lies? I will tell you. Rahul bhaiya, those who are writing your speeches, they are bent on destroying you, it seems. And your mother's adviser, with whom you do not get along, may be he is providing you with such false speeches," Modi said, amid cheering from the crowd.

"You should know. There is a lokayukta is Gujarat. Not only this, the same lokayukta has given a probe report which was tabled in the last Assembly session. In that report, a minister at the Centre, whose father was once the chief minister of Gujarat and who stole from the forests, ate up forest wood, the current lokayukta has held that Mr Amarsinh Chaudhary guilty. Amarsinh-ji has passed away and that is why we did not want to do politics and that is why we were silent. We never mentioned it. We respect departed souls. And you lie like this?" he said.  

Referring to another Rahul Gandhi speech, Modi said: "Gujarat's population is six crore, but Rahul baba said there are 27,000 crore jobs lying vacant in Gujarat! ... You have exceeded world's population!"

"The other thing he said, I can't repeat. Okay, I will tell half of it. It's on YouTube. I have said that there has been a White Revolution in Gujarat and the state now provides milk to other states. On this, he [Rahul Gandhi] said something on which I laughed as well as felt ashamed. Can there be leaders like this?" Modi said.

"He said a third thing. This is also on YouTube. He is the Congress' PM candidate and look at his intelligence: He said in Gujarat, two in one children are malnourished. Did you understand?" Modi said.

"I don't know what kind of fate I have that I have to face such people. If there was someone wise, we could have had a conversation," he said.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/modi-says-rahuls-gaffes-funnier-than-kapil-sharma-show/1/357837.html

Pentagon scientists show off life-size robot

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel got a first-hand look at a life-size robot that resembles Hollywood's "Terminator," the latest experiment by the Pentagon's hi-tech researchers.

But unlike the cinematic version, the hulking Atlas robot is designed not as a warrior but as a humanitarian machine that would rescue victims in the rubble of a natural disaster, officials said on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-2-inch (187 centimeters) Atlas is one of the entrants in a contest designed to produce a man-like life-saver machine, the brainchild of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The competition, which will require the bots to navigate rough terrain and enter buildings, was created in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima quake and tsunami disasters.

DARPA, the Pentagon's research arm known for futuristic projects often evoking science fiction, showed off the Atlas robot to Hagel, but except for LED lighting, the humanoid was apparently switched off on a "static" display.

Brad Tousley, head of DARPA's Tactical Technology Office, told Hagel that Hollywood has created unrealistic expectations of what real robots can do. Building robots that can climb ladders, open doors and carry objects requires daunting feats of engineering and computer science, he said.

Scientists also showed Hagel the latest technology for prosthetics, including a mechanical hand that responds to brain impulses and a prosthetic arm controled by foot movements.

A wounded veteran who once worked with Hagel in the 1980s demonstrated one of the devices, giving the Pentagon chief a thumbs up with his prosthetic left arm.

"It's the first time in 45 years, since Vietnam, I'm able to use my left hand...," said Fred Downs, who lost his limb in a landmine explosion during the war.

He controled the device using two accelerometers strapped to his feet, manipulating the elbow, wrist and fingers.

Hagel hugged Downs and shook his mechanical hand.

"He and I worked together many years ago," said Hagel, referring to a stint in the Veterans Administration during Ronald Reagan's presidency. "How you doing, Fred? How's your family?"

Hagel said the new technology would have a dramatic effect on the lives of wounded soldiers.

"This is transformational," he said. "We've never seen anything like this before."

Justin Sanchez, a medical doctor and program manager at DARPA who works with prosthetics and brain-related technology, showed Hagel a video of a patient whose brain had been implanted with a sensor, allowing her to control a mechanical arm with her thoughts.

Scientists then displayed a shiny black mechanical hand and arm that responds to brain impulses, and said sensors would be attached to allow the fingers to send sensations back to the brain.

The tactile feedback system should be operational within a few months, officials said.

"People said it would be 50 years before we saw this technology in humans," Sanchez said. "We did it in a few years."

DARPA managers showed Hagel other technologies, but reporters were ushered out after the first three demonstrations due to concerns about revealing military secrets.

A US defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity said Hagel was given an update on "PLAN X," a cyber warfare project, a system to link tactical air controllers using tablets and a new long-range anti-ship missile that would be less dependent on global navigation systems.

Nawaz, Zardari show their strength to ambitious people

 

DUBAI: It would be a little too early to say that battle lines have been drawn, but serious polarisation has begun to show between forces, both political and apolitical, on the issue of General Musharraf’s fate and the once blurred lines are now getting clearer by the day.
After meeting a number of well-informed people, both in khaki and civvies over the last week in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, it was apparent that the uncertainty below the surface is simmering, with everyone waiting for the other to blink.

Supporters and opponents of the political and security establishment are also coming out in the open, judging the fast pace of the developments behind the scene. The expected cooling down of the face-off led by the Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has not yet happened and despite PM Sharif’s return from China four days back, General Sharif has not called on him. Khawaja Asif’s attempts to talk to the khakis have reportedly not produced any result so far.

The pro-Musharraf elements have started rallying and raising the temperature, day by day, degree by degree. The MQM has been in the forefront to stir the pot. The Sindh Assembly scenes of tearing up papers, shouting slogans as if it was the Bhaati Gate of Lahore or Chowk Yadgar of Peshawar and the immediate calls for protests in Karachi to be followed by the rest of Pakistan, are some of these signs.

Although, Haider Abbas Rizvi of MQM, a serious leader of the party, explained to me that the issue was of their missing persons and extra-judicial killings, the timing seems more linked to the tensions created by the Musharraf trial. The missing persons have been missing for years and killings have been going on also for years, both by security people and by rival political groups.

Likewise, the PML-Q and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain have come out in the open to support Musharraf. Dr Tahirul Qadri has announced his plans to fill the streets again in early May and Musharraf’s lawyers have been blatantly taunting the military to save their ex-chief.

The government camp has also rallied its supporters and the Nawaz-Zardari meeting on Tuesday was a major attempt to demonstrate the strength of the political side to the security establishment.

Statements that came after the meeting focused on protecting and preserving democracy, although no one has given any indication that the democratic set-up was or could be under any threat. So basically it was a show of muscle that politicians will again gang up if anyone had any overt or covert ambitions.

Nevertheless, some high profile political and non-political intermediaries have been working overtime for a rapprochement so that things do not spin out of control. One of these intermediaries, in a long talk, discussed the options the opposing sides have if things do not quickly settle down for better.

First, the military options; all concede that General Raheel Sharif has been embarrassed before his boys as he had taken upon himself to solve the matter. A military strategist and a political busybody told me identical stories separately in two cities. The script for Musharraf’s exit had been carefully written by trusted people, to the last dot. It was for his safe flight on a special private jet that had arrived at Islamabad. But hawks prevailed and the government side had second thoughts at the fag end of the deal, after Musharraf and his side had honoured their word — Musharraf had left the ICU, drove to the court, was indicted, challenged his indictment and said a few political words and the court, as expected, left it to the executive to let him go by removing his name from the ECL. That is where the government side went off the designated track.

The same night, almost in anger, Musharraf was switched from the AFIC to his home in Chak Shahzad, without even the knowledge of the civil authorities. He had been taken into protective custody by his boys.

This deadlock was not taken lightly by the Pindi boys. So what are General Raheel’s options, the informed intermediary went on. “Three options are obvious. One that he tells his commanders that he had failed and was quitting, so that someone else should pick up the thread. Obviously, if he resigns, one of those under him would have to be named as the new chief. A crisis would develop.

“The second option was that the boys be asked to suggest what the chief should do and Gen Raheel would then act accordingly. No one is ready to predict what the collective decision could be but those who know the boys don’t expect candies and cookies coming to Islamabad from Pindi.

“The third possibility was that the standoff may be allowed to continue but Musharraf could be whisked out in some manner that gives everyone a face-saving solution. He could take off from Islamabad for Karachi and then the plane develops ‘a fault’ or the weather ‘goes wrong’ or the control tower of Karachi develops a ‘malfunction’ and his flight lands in Dubai.”

Once he is out, the establishment then applies some sort of a go-slow on a few fronts where the political government needs them most. The talks with the Taliban get broken and when they retaliate, the security around key places is somehow found to be slack or something similar happens to bring the government under pressure.

The report by our Lahore correspondent Amir Mir that a warning has already been sent to the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Group to pick up one side — TTP or the state of Pakistan — could mean strategists are already working overtime to fix potential loopholes.

The message would be: “Without taking over or disturbing the democratic set-up, the military has enough aces up its sleeve.”The options for politicians are tricky. If the government sticks to the hard line, does not reprimand big talkers like Khawaja Asif and Saad Rafique and the Musharraf trial gets underway on a fast track, as indicated by the special court, matters could get much worse.

Politicians are grouping together and will come closer if they feel the heat of a growing threat. But if a new army chief has to be appointed, an Oct 12, 1999-like situation may develop. Mian Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari must have discussed these options in their one-on-one whispers. But both Sindh and Punjab would be divided, the MQM going with Pindi as it needs badly needed oxygen in London and Punjab politicians behaving like they always do, go with the stronger party.

Balochistan and KP would not matter much but Imran Khan has said repeatedly that he would not support any out-of-the-constitutional box solution, yet Imran’s old and time-tested top leadership has always been cozy with the Pindi boys, barring a few oldies. So will Imran also face a split? May be, say insiders.

The media would be a big player but already splits are visible on the lines being seen in the political spectrum. The West and the US would be confused at best and indifferent at worst because they have their vested interests in coming weeks and months. They would like a strong government in Islamabad that can deliver.

When I had asked a top US diplomat in Islamabad last week whether he favoured a “Track-2” between Pindi and Islamabad, his response was a big laugh, with a crisp comment: “It is badly needed.” But he shrugged off a suggestion to play any role.

The bottomline is that someone, somewhere who can inject some sense, must intervene now and try to get utopian, frivolous issues off the plate, as both the military and the government have plenty of real issues to tackle.

“We don’t need another five-year fight to restore democracy again, and for whom, the politicians, who are themselves proving that the type of democracy they are practising cannot handle the dirty fish in their ranks, it cannot envisage real enemies and true friends and cannot time its moves properly. It has to offer real solutions to real problems,” said a Karachiite, known to be well-informed.

PCB issues show cause to Afridi

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a show cause notice to Shahid Afridi for his remarks about captaincy while talking to media on his return from Sri Lanka.

According to sources the PCB is unhappy with the hard-hitting all-rounder for talking to the media without prior permission.

Sources also revealed that Shahid Afridi has submitted his reply to the show cause notice stating that he always talks to the media, and only spoke his mind.

In his reply Shahid has also said the impression that he was desperate for the captaincy is wrong.

Talking to media after his return from Sri Lanka he had said that he was willing to accept any challenge for the Pakistan team and labeled the negative approach of batsmen for the defeat against West-Indies in the T-20 World Cup.

Halcyon days of Italian fashion honoured in London show

LONDON: From its birth in post-war Florence through to Milan's modern-day creations, a new London show is celebrating the glory days of the "Made in Italy" brand, which today is facing an uncertain future.

Spectacular gowns and accessories from top designers and forgotten brands showcase the craftsmanship and style that helped rebuild Italy and its global reputation after World War II.

The exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum is entitled "The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014", but it has a nostalgic air, a reminder of how Italy's standing in the fashion world has declined.

The marketing of Italy as the home of fashion began at the time of the Marshall Plan, the US aid package that helped rebuild parts of Europe destroyed and demoralised by war.

With the vision of charismatic businessman Giovanni Battista Giorgini, the funds helped Italian fashion play a key role in national reconstruction - and give Paris a run for its money.

Giorgini succeeded in attracting international buyers, including US department stores, and organised the first major show in February 1951, where models sporting elegant dresses and casual beach wear worked the catwalk at his Florence home.

"The fact that Giorgini convinced these buyers to come and add Florence after Paris on their fashion route really brought the international press and buying power to Italy for the first time," explained exhibition curator Sonnet Stanfill.

Italy's international reputation for style was ingrained by the semi-mythical "Sala Bianca" shows, held in Florence's sumptious Palazzo Pitti and captured on black and white film.

Among those early designers, Emilio Pucci is the only brand currently shown on the runway.

Others disappeared into obscurity, including Vanna and Emilio Schuberth, who is represented at the London show by a stunning strapless robe in various shades of pink.

Cinema and its glamorous stars served as a unique shop window for Italian designers, thanks to the many movies filmed in the Cinecitta studios in the 1950s and 1960s.

A Sorelle Fontana dress worn by Hollywood star Ava Gardner and a Bulgari necklace and emerald-and-diamond ring given by Richard Burton to his lover Elizabeth Taylor, who filmed Cleopatra in Rome, are among about 100 exhibits on show.

Combining expert craftsmanship and lower-than-Paris prices, Italian designers drove a booming export market, profiting from a thriving textile industry and local skill clusters: Como for silk, Biella (Piedmont) for wool and Prato (Tuscany) for leather.

In the 1980s, Milan became the capital of Italian fashion and the "Made in Italy" brand became an effective marketing tool worldwide.

Marked by a stunning pair of Dolce & Gabbana black boots encrusted with stones, and Valentino and Armani evening dresses, the final part of the exhibition explores the latest big names in Italian fashion.

It also looks at the uncertain future of an industry plagued by economic difficulties and the advancing age of its designers.

"I was very aware of the debate that is swirling around Milan at the moment. If (renowned fashion writer) Suzy Menkes referred to London as a fashion laboratory, where does that leave Milan?" asked Stanfill.

"I think the fact that the Camera Nazionale della Moda (Italy's national fashion council) has created a new position, that of CEO, and appointed a British female executive, Jane Reeve, to that position, indicates its own self-awareness that there needs to be a change," she added.

It is a sentiment expressed by the designers themselves in a film shown at the end of the exhibition.

"Italian fashion needs really to wake up... we need fresh blood," argues Jacopo Etro, creative director of accessories and leather at Etro. He claims the high number of designers aged over 70 is blocking progress.

Mariano Rubinacci, chairman of the eponymous tailoring company, complains of "unbelievable taxes" while Angela Missoni, creative director of Missoni, bemoans a lack of government support.

It is a message that may be particularly poignant for new Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, 39, who saw the exhibition on Tuesday evening during a visit to London.

In Indian Ocean waters, India, China show maritime prowess

Earlier this week, China requested India for permission to deploy four naval vessels in the waters of the Andaman Sea, as the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 widened across the waters of the Indian Ocean.

India turned down the Chinese offer to search its own backyard, and replied to the formal request by detailing its extensive search efforts under way in the Indian Ocean, including the deployment of four naval warships and the new P-8I aircraft, all demonstrating the capabilities of the Indian Navy.

The search for MH370 is undoubtedly an entirely humanitarian exercise, and one that has become unprecedented both in scale and in terms of international cooperation - a dozen countries, including several embroiled in maritime disputes over the South China Sea, have put aside their spats as they have willingly followed Malaysia's lead in the search for the Boeing.

At the same time, the search has also served to demonstrate the new capabilities of the navies of Asia - navies that have been fast modernising at a time of record increases in military spending across the region.

China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has in recent days rapidly deployed eight vessels to scour the South China Sea. On Friday, warships were sent to search the southern Indian Ocean, where four Indian naval warships are also deployed in the search for debris.

Experts in India and China said this week the search has underlined an often ignored aspect of India-China relations.

While the long-running boundary dispute across the Himalayas has remained at the focus of attention for most observers, the fast-expanding engagement - and encounters - between their navies as they spread their presence across the Indian and Pacific Oceans has sometimes been ignored, said Lou Chunhao, a strategic affairs expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing.

"Now, China under [President] Xi Jinping is paying more attention to 'going west', and as India 'looks east', there will be more interaction [in the Indian and Pacific oceans]," he said.

Mr. Lou was speaking at a rare event in Beijing highlighting India-China relations in the maritime domain. The event was being held to mark the launch of what is possibly the first ever Chinese translation of an Indian book on foreign policy, according to the Chinese publishers, authored by foreign affairs expert C. Raja Mohan on the growing India-China maritime rivalry.

"China's dependence on the Indian Ocean region is continuing to grow, for energy imports from the Gulf, resources from Africa, and trade with Europe," Mr. Raja Mohan said.

Since December 2008, China has been involved in Gulf of Aden anti-piracy operations. Earlier this year, the PLAN held its first-ever major exercise in the Lombok Strait in the southern Indian Ocean.

This year, President Xi Jinping also launched a new "maritime silk road" initiative aimed at boosting trade links and maritime engagement with littoral countries in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

With China's maritime presence in the Indian Ocean set to expand along with its economic interests, the question for India - and its strategic community - was how to engagement with this new reality.

"You cannot build a great wall against Chinese maritime presence," Mr. Raja Mohan said.

In India, most commentaries still highlight China's so-called "string of pearls", referring to port projects China is involved in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh that some analysts suggest may later become military bases, although there is, as yet, no evidence to suggest so.

China has maintained these are purely commercial. "Chinese ships going to the Indian Ocean region and the only purpose is for security of energy supplies," said Ma Jiali, a senior South Asia scholar at the China Reform Forum. About the Hambantota project in Sri Lanka, he said it was to be remembered that the project was first offered to India, which turned it down.

Mr. Raja Mohan said Indian and Chinese strategic communities were "talking past each other for most of the time". He hoped the translation of his book would "begin a process of getting Chinese books translated into English, and Indian books into Chinese, and getting strategic communities to understand each other a lot better".

His book has been translated by the official China Publisher Group. Xiao Qiming, who heads the China Democracy and Legal System Publishing House, which is a subsidiary, said the idea was to begin direct interaction between both countries on strategic issues, rather than, as was the case at present, rely on third-party works from western sources.

"By publishing in China, this will given an opportunity for us to understand political and diplomatic ideas of India, and we hope this will add value to taking forward maritime cooperation between the two countries," he said.

Amitabh Bachchan lends voice to reality show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’

 

Big B will be introducing director Rohit Shetty.

Summary

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has lent his voice for the opening episode of the action-adventure show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’.

The show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi – Darr Ka Blockbuster’ starts tonight. Big B will be introducing director Rohit Shetty, who is the host of this season, sources said.
Bachchan had done a special song in Rohit’s directorial venture ‘Bol Bachchan’.

The fifth season of this TV reality show has an interesting line-up including actress Mugdha Godse, Niktin Dheer, Ranvir Shorey, choreographer-actor Salman Yusuff Khan, Rajniesh Duggal, Dayananad Shetty known as Daya, Gurmeet Choudhary and his wife Debina, TV actress Pooja Gor, stunt woman Geeta Tandon, couple Gauhar Khan and Kushal Tandon, Karanvir Bohra and wife Teejay Sidhu, Femina Miss India International and IPL host Rochelle Maria Rao, model Deana Uppal and Ajaz Khan.

The show this time has been shot in Cape Town, South Africa.

We don’t need any reality show to prove our love: Gauahar Khan

The 30-year-old actress, who will again be seen with Kushal in upcoming TV show 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' after their stint in 'Bigg Boss', says she does not need any reality show to keep their relationship going.

Gauahar Khan might have expressed her love for actor Kushal Tandon on a reality show but the actress now wants to keep her relationship private.
The 30-year-old actress, who will again be seen with Kushal in upcoming TV show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ after their stint in ‘Bigg Boss’, says she does not need any reality show to keep their relationship going.
“We had expressed our love for each other on a reality show but now it has become very personal. We don’t need any reality show again to prove how much we love each other. Joining the same show together was just a coincidence. It’s not a medium to keep our relationship going. I am just loving the whole idea of being in love,” Gauahar told PTI.
The couple met on ‘Bigg Boss’ and love blossomed between the two on show, which Gauahar won.
The ‘Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year’ actress says she is happy with the way Kushal brings the best in her and helped her on the Colors’ stunt-dare reality show.
“Kushal is one of the best human beings I have ever met. He backs me up whenever I need him and at the same time he keeps me pushing till I achieve the goal, He helps me to bring out the best in me,” Gauahar said.
The fifth season of ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ will be hosted by filmmaker Rohit Shetty and will have celebrities like Dayanand Shetty, Salman Yusuff Khan, Mugdha Godse, Ranvir Shorey among others. The show will be on air from March 22.
Gauahar says Rohit is the show’s best host, which is based on the American ‘Fear Factor’.  “I took part in the show to overcome every possible fear in my life. And when I heard that Rohit (Shetty) is hosting the show, I grabbed the offer. I feel he is the best host till now. He is encouraging and very big factor for all of us on the show to complete all the task,” she said.
Apart from her small screen commitments, the actress is all geared up to release her first film, whose last set of schedule she will shot soon.

Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra to produce TV show on social issues

Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty's show is said to have a different format as compared to 'Satyamev Jayate'.

There have been frequent rumours about Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra planning to produce a TV show and now, Raj Kundra recently revealed that they will indeed be making a show which will deal with social causes tentatively titled ‘Sone Ka Dil’.
Denying the comparisons with Aamir’s popular show ‘Satyamev Jayate’, this show is said to have a different format where the team will honour the people who are working towards development in the society by presenting gold medals or coins as well as promote NGOs where Raj and Shilpa will also be donating for these charitable causes.
Though currently the airing slot and the rest of the details of the show are being worked out, Raj announced that they have found thirteen people from different parts of India whose efforts will be acknowledged in the show.
He also added that they have shot a music video for the show titled Bharat Bhagya Vidhata which is sung by Altamash Faridi and composed by Palash Muchhal.

NASA images from space show North Korea shrouded in darkness

(CNN) -- Give an astronaut on the International Space Station a digital camera and you're bound to end up with some astounding images -- especially if they're flying above North Korea.

When the space station passed over East Asia one night recently, a member of NASA's Expedition 38 crew took a series of photographs that show just how off-the-grid the Hermit Kingdom really is.

While thriving cities and major roads are seen glowing across South Korea and China, the landscape between the two countries is so dark that it's difficult to tell where the sea ends and North Korea begins.

Pyongyang "appears like a small island," says NASA, noting that the light emission from the North Korean capital is equivalent to the smaller towns of its neighbor to the south.

The space agency, which turned the images into a timelapse video, says city lights at night are a good indicator of the relative affluence of cities.

Looking at the images, it's hardly a surprise that energy use is dramatically different on either side of the 38th parallel. In South Korea, per capita power consumption is 10,162 kilowatt hours while in North Korea the figure is 739 kilowatt hours, according to World Bank data.

Geneva motor show set to make tracks out of crisis

PARIS: The Geneva Motor Show will kick off next week on an optimistic note as the long-suffering European car market appears to finally have swerved out of the slow lane.
Luxurious sports cars, high-end SUVs and city cars will be bumper-to-bumper at the show one of the auto industry's biggest and most diverse events as it cruises out from under the long shadow of industry crisis.
Carmakers and analysts alike say the worst of the difficulties are now in the rear-view mirror.
"The worst of the crisis is over, so the mood should be good," Juergen Pieper, a car industry analyst with German bank Metzler, told AFP.
New car registrations in the European Union slipped just 1.7 percent last year, to 11.8 million cars sold, after five years of far more brutal falls.
But sales are finally expected to pick up this year, according to German car industry analyst Stefan Bratzel.
By how much remains to be seen: the most cautious observers expect sales to remain flat while the most optimistic are gearing up for three-percent market growth.
"The markets fell really low, so obviously they will have to start picking up at some point," EY analyst Jean-Francois Belorgey said, adding that northern Europe was doing better than the south of the continent.
France remained a dark spot on the European map, seeing car sales in 2013 fall to their lowest level in 15 years with little prospect of growth this year, while Italy also touched rock-bottom, selling just 1.3 million cars.
"The economic fundamentals in France and Italy remain fragile," Belorgey acknowledged.
And despite the expected upturn this year, Europe's car industry remains plagued by overcapacity and profitability issues for mid-range carmakers, according to credit insurance and analysis group Euler Hermes, pointing to several recent factory closings, at PSA, Opel and Ford.
Range of new models:
German carmakers, who sell heavily in North America and Asia where sales especially at the high end are up, are meanwhile doing quite well.
Their international presence allows them to counter still sluggish sales in Europe and keep their factories running at full-tilt.
Volkswagen raked in a net profit of 9.1 billion euros ($12.6 billion) last year, while Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz and Smart among others, posted a record net profit of 8.7 billion euros.
And the German manufacturers are aiming for even better traction with a range of new products, including the Volkswagen's third generation Audi TT and a new BMW compact.
France's Renault and Italy's Fiat have seen far more modest profits, while PSA Peugeot Citroen suffered a 2.3-billion-euro loss last year, although it hopes a cash injection from the French state and China's Dongfeng will put it on the road to recovery.
Despite their continued hardship, French carmakers should play a more central role at this year's Geneva Motor Show, where smaller city cars are expected to get more attention than previously.
"They are presenting a number of important new products," Pieper said, listing for instance Renault's launch of a new Twingo, which will face off against the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 108.
Such small, punchy city vehicles will as always have to battle for attention with exceptional, luxury cars at the 84th edition of the Geneva car show.
While the show will not feature last year's overwhelming display of extravagant machines priced over the million dollar mark, there will still be plenty to see for car enthusiasts.
Ferrari's new version of its California T sport car and Lamborghini's new Huracan, both priced at round 200,000 euros, will likely draw crowds.
But perhaps the most popular attraction at this year's show, set to open to the public from March 6-16, will be something in between: super trendy SUVs and crossovers.
Porsche, once known only as a sport car maker, will for instance speed into the mid-size SUV range with its new Macan, in the hope it will prove as popular as its big sister Cayenne, which accounts for more than half of the carmakers sales.
American carmaker Ford is meanwhile revving up to unveil a third installment of its hugely popular compact Focus the world's most sold model.