The Asian Age – Diabetes capital splurges on sweets

Prashanth Vijayakumar

Chennai, 4 November 2012. Chennai might be the diabetes capital of the country, but a quick check of sweet stalls in the city shows that sales of sweets have been on the rise.

With Deepavali festival fast approaching, sweet stalls are at their artistic best to woo customers. Even stalls offering sugar-free sweets say that patronage is good.

Several sweet stalls have come up with creative ideas right from mahaladdu to bakshanam.

“This time, we have planned some innovative ideas, like Deepavali lunch and continuous 48-hour sweet stalls, and mahaladdu is 1 kg and bigger than Tirupati laddu,” said an official of Krishna Sweets.

Buyers of sugar-free sweets have increased and many shops have brought in varieties like sugar-free rasgollas to attract even the diabetics.

“This time, more customers are asking for sugar-free sweets, and varieties like dry fruits and honey are popular,” said Bhavin, a staff of Mansuk’s sweets.

Even homemakers in the city turn nostalgic when asked about home-made sweets “Though we buy sweets from shops, home-made sweets are always the best. Nothing more can bring happiness than making it for family and friends,” said Ms V. Nandhini, a homemaker.

Office-going women say that they prefer to buy sweets as it saves time. “Making sweets is a laborious task and needs great care; a good selection of sweets is all that is needed to set the celebration mood,” said Ms A. Geetha Vani, a banker.

http://www.asianage.com/chennai/diabetes-capital-splurges-sweets-322

The Tribune – India-Pakistan cricket ties to resume after 4 years; MHA gives nod to tour; first match on December 25

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30. Cricket buffs are in for a mega treat. The Ministry of Home Affairs today cleared Pakistan cricket team’s tour of India for a limited-over series beginning December 25 and said the government will provide foolproof security to the visiting team.

The arch-rivals have not played a bilateral series since Pakistan’s tour of India in 2007 after cricket ties were snapped following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

A delegation of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) met Union Home Secretary R K Singh here today. BCCI senior official and Union Minister Rajiv Shukla said the Board delegation discussed with the Home Secretary about security and logistical issues. “We have discussed all security aspects. The tour is on,” he told reporters here. The BCCI has finalised dates for the one-day series, with the first match due to kick off on December 25.

The series would comprise three ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals between December 2012 and January 2013. The ODI matches are likely to be played in Chennai, Kolkata and New Delhi and the Twenty20 games in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Central forces will be deployed to aid the state police in guarding the match venues.

In July, the BCCI had decided to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan by inviting the neighbouring country for a short series in December 2012-January 2013, to be sandwiched between the Test and ODI legs of the England team’s tour of India.

Apart from the security issues, the Union Home Ministry also gives visa clearance to Pakistani spectators.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121031/main1.htm

The Asian Age – Defiant PC says won’t step down

Asian Age Correspondent

New Delhi, 8 June 2012. Union home ministry P. Chidambaram on Thursday categorically ruled out his resignation in the wake of Madras high court decision in the election petition against him saying the verdict was not a setback for him but for his rival.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Chidambaram said, “I am astonished by the monumental ignorance displayed by certain political leaders. This is an election petition. There are 111 election petitions filed against members of 15th Lok Sabha”. Reacting to the demands of the opponents, he said those who make the demand for his resignation “do not have criminal case, do not have charges and have not been questioned under Criminal Procedure Code”. He ridiculed the demand for his resignation by BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.

The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Thursday declined Mr Chidambaram’s plea for dismissal of the election petition against him by the losing AIADMK candidate R.S. Rajakann-appan in Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. But the court struck down two paras in Mr Rajakannappan’s petition containing allegations against returning officer, government and bank officials. He said that the verdict was not a setback for him but for his rival.

Mr Chidambaram said he sincerely hoped that political leaders will read Order 6, Rule 16 of the Civil Procedure Code and understand what is the meaning of “strike out the pleadings”. “If pleadings are struck out, it is a setback to the election petitioner and not to me,” he clarified. He further said, “That application has been partly allowed and para 4 and 5 which contain allegations against returning officer, police officers, other government servants and bank officials have been struck out”.

When asked about the claim of the lawyer for Mr Rajakannappan that except para 4 and 5, all other charges in the petition have been accepted by the court, Mr Chidambaram said “pleadings have not been accepted. Now the trial is to start. Not one witness has been examined so far”. Reacting to Jayalalithaa’s charge that out of fear of facing the case he had moved court for dismissal of the petition only to delay the process, Mr Chidambaram said “Rivals are entitled to make these demands”.

http://www.asianage.com/india/defiant-pc-says-won-t-step-down-979

The Asian Age – CBI books and raids Maran brothers

Asian Age Corespondent

Chennai/New Delhi, 11 October 2011. Investigators from the CBI on Monday searched the premises of former IT & communications minister Dayanidhi Maran and his brother, Mr Kalanithi Maran, chief of Sun Network, in Chennai.

The searches were conducted at their bungalows at the posh Boat Club and the Sun TV office in connection with the controversial Aircel-Maxis deal that dragged Mr Dayanidhi Maran into trouble, forcing him to resign as textiles minister from the current Union Cabinet. Sources said the CBI sleuths also questioned Ms Suneeta Reddy, executive director of Apollo Hospitals, who holds stake in Aircel, and conducted searches at her residences and offices.

Sun Pictures, owned by the Maran family, is being probed by the Tamil Nadu crime branch CID in connection with a number of cheating cases filed against its COO. The CBI registered a case against Mr Dayanidhi Maran on Sunday in connection with the Aircel-Maxis deal and booked Mr Kalanithi Maran, Maxis owner T. Ananda Krishnan, senior executive Ralph Marshall and three companies — Astro, Maxis and Sun TV — on charges of criminal conspiracy under the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. After registering the case, the agency carried out searches at the residential and official premises of all accused persons at nine places in Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad. All the accused will be called for questioning, sources said.

CBI sources claimed that quid pro quo on the part of the then telecom minister has been established during the probe and that the probe has also revealed that files (related to spectrum allocation) of former Aircel chief C. Sivas-ankaran were deliberately delayed during Mr Maran’s tenure.

Sources said the CBI might have also used the opportunity to verify the allegation that BSNL was forced to set up a telephone exchange connecting the Sun TV office and Mr Dayanidhi Maran’s Chennai residence through dedicated underground cables when he was IT & communications minister. CBI officials and a BSNL official went up to the terrace of Mr Maran’s residence in Chennai and checked a communication tower there.

http://www.asianage.com/india/cbi-books-and-raids-maran-bros-974