The Filmfare pre-award bash sure was a fun do, more so for Bangalore boy Gulshan Devaiah, who was spotted along with his wife Kalliroi and friend Kalki Koechlin.
The actor couldn’t contain his excitement when he spotted Madhuri Dixit seated next to him. He told the diarist that she was probably wondering what was wrong with him and his wife as they kept stealing glances at her.
Though Devaiah was tonguetied and couldn’t get a picture with her, he did send the diarist this post party snap with Kalki and Varun Dhawan, looking all relaxed after a night of partying.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / January 17th, 2014
Kodagu district qualifies to be an eco-sensitive zone with its picturesque landscapes, coffee plantations, and more importantly as it is the principal catchment of Cauvery river, said members of Coorg Wildlife Society here on Thurdsay. The catchment area provides almost 50% of the total water flow into the river.
“It’s in national interest that the district gets the tag,” the members said. Its environment and ecology are under serious threat due to development projects for Kerala, urbanization and invasive tourism.
Tourism is flourishing in Kodagu but the need of the hour is a set of strong regulations, officials pointed out. “Tourist resorts are mushrooming here without proper clearances. They occupy pristine landscapes and consume massive amounts of water. There should be a cap on further licences for resorts until there is a proper evaluation on the carrying capacity for tourism in the district,” said Col C P Muthanna, president, Coorg Wildlife Society.
Land conversion and urbanization are other major threats to Kodagu. Plantations and agricultural lands are increasingly being converted for commercial purposes, affecting the landscape. “Kodagu is one lung space which is increasingly being clouded,” said Suresh Heblikar of Eco Watch, Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development. “Do not overexploit Kodagu in the name of development,” said Heblikar, urging the government to take care of all aspects while thinking of economic development of the region.
Main demands
* A stretch of 55 km through Kodagu has been earmarked for Mysore-Kozhikode power line. At least 2000 trees have been felled along the 5-km stretch of reserve forests. There is another 50-km stretch, of which 30km is coffee plantations, which has to be cleared for this power line. That calls for cutting of 50,000 more trees. This area, close to Nagarahole National Park, could now more instances of man-animal (elephant) conflict. Significantly, this area of South Kodagu is also the catchment of Lakshmantheerta river which is the primary water source for Mysore and an important tributary of the Cauvery. Ongoing work for this power line needs to be suspended with immediate effect.
* There are plans to connect Mattanur airport to Mysore and Bangalore through Kodagu with a four-lane highway, which again will involve massive tree-felling operations.
*A rail link between Kushalnagar and Kerala is being planned through Kodagu, for which funds have been sanctioned. The line may be extended once work is over on the announced stretch, which will destroy the landscape and affect indigenous communities of Kodagu.
* MoUs signed during the Global Investors Meet in 2012 needs to be reviewed and permission granted only to the projects which will benefit Kodagu without damaging its ecology.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Cityu> Bangalore> Power Lines / TNN / January 17th, 2014
Kodava culture is on the verge of extinction as it is not receiving the right kind of encouragement and patronage, said president of the women’s wing of Somwarpet Kodava Samaja Bachinadanda Rita Kushalappa, here, recently.
She was speaking during the inauguration of a get-together, organised by the Samaja. “The rich Kodava culture should be introduced to children in the primary school level itself. Parents should take the first step in this direction,” she said.
She called upon Kodava women, in the taluk, to enrol with the Samaja.
Former district Scouts and Guides commissioner Manavattira Sharadha Mandanna said, Kodavas are being reduced to a minority population in the district due to migration of the people to other districts, States and nations, in search of better opportunities.
Non-residents
“At least, those who are residing in the district should strive to take steps to safeguard the interest of the Kodava people. Those who are residing should encourage their counterparts in Kodagu district. They should contribute whenever possible,” she said.
Women took part in several cultural programmes and games. Samaja secretary Apadanda Asha Viraraj, vice-president Paruvanda Saru Ramappa, Biddatanda Seetha and others were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Somwarpet (Kodagu Dist.) / DHNS – January 15th, 2014
Former India sprinter Ashwini Nachappa today expressed happiness over ace long jumper Anju Bobby George’s upgraded gold medal in an event that she took part in eight years ago and said the nation is proud of her feat though it has come after so long.
“Whether it is eight years, a gold medal is a gold medal. She was at the peak of her performance at that point of time. We cherish those moments when she won the silver and we are happy that she got the gold, of course for other reasons,” Nachappa said during a promotional event here today.
“She is extremely happy and we are very proud that she got a clean chit and the one who cheated got caught,” the 46-year-old former athlete told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of a Puma running relay event for school children in three cities – Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai.
Anju’s second place finish at the 2005 Monaco World Athletics final was upgraded to a gold medal yesterday, following a confirmed dope violation by Russian competitor Tatyana Kotova who had stood first but has now been stripped of her place after her sample was found to contain traces of a banned substance when it was tested again.
Nachappa, who is president of ‘Clean Sport India’, also warned that doping is rampant in India – even at the grassroot level.
“I believe that the performance enhancing drugs have become rampant even in our country. Among young children, it is such a dangerous trend. I am connected with athletics and when I see the junior meets that takes place, it is actually quite frightening. You go to any national championship, you see syringes on the ground, in the toilets.”
She wanted young athletes as well as the coaches to be educated about the dangers of dope.
“I think we need to have a broader education, not just within the classrooms but on the field also, not just with the children but also with our trainers, because after all kids will not know what they are taking till a certain age. They are not educated enough and believe in coaches. You have got to be sensitive on these issues.
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> PTI Stories> National> News / by Press Trust of India / Mumbai – January 15th, 2014
The santhe is a precursor to the India International Coffee Festival./ File Photo: H. Vibhu
BMRCL wants to create a cultural hub at the Rangoli Metro Arts Centre
This weekend, take a stroll down the M.G. Road boulevard, home to the Rangoli Metro Arts Centre. Get reintroduced to the coffee bean, learn more about the art of coffee — right from the plant to its energising beverage form — shop for not just coffee powder but also jewellery made of coffee beans, and peek into the coffee museum.
Organised by the Women’s Coffee Alliance India, a coffee lover’s collective that aims at empowering less privileged women in the coffee production chain, the event, ‘Coffee Santhe’, is slated to be held on January 11 and 12 between 2.30 and 8.30 p.m. Events include displays on coffee and beans, arts and crafts competitions for children, and a latte art competition, said Sunalini Menon, coffee quality control expert. “People don’t even know what a coffee plant looks like. We’re also selling coffee plants such as the Robusta and Arabica varieties,” she said.
The santhe is a precursor to the India International Coffee Festival, to be held from January 21 to 26 in the city, organised by India Coffee Trust and the Coffee Board.
Other events to be held over the weekend include storytelling by Deeptha Vivekanand, a storyteller from Ever After, who will perform at the Rangasthala Auditorium. Held along with the Kid and Parent Foundation, the sessions will be held on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. Also on the schedule are interactions with septuagenarian Malathi Rao, who will entertain children with her vast knowledge trove, and a photo exhibition organised by the Akshaya Patra Foundation featuring photographs of children.
Vasanth Rao, general manager (finance) at Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd., said the plan is to transform this stretch into a vibrant arts and cultural hub. “We are clear we do not want to feature any social/political activism. This should be a place that showcases excellence, and we want it to explore more niches and give people an unusual experience,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bangalore / by Staff Reporter / Bangalore – January 11th, 2014
The 5th India International Coffee Festival, the flagship event of the coffee sector, will be held in Bangalore from January 21-25.
The event is being organised by the India Coffee Trust and promoted by the state-run Coffee Board of the Union Commerce Ministry. About 1,000 delegates and 10,000 visitors are expected to participate.
“We have two additions to the event: there will be ’Launchpad’ for launching new blends, products, services and technologies. The other would be coffee themed quiz,” Coffee Board Chairman Jawaid Akhtar told reporters here.
For the first time, the Board will give away the ‘Barista Championship’ awards for best roaster, curer, exhibitor and for latte art, he added.
With the ‘Changing Face of Coffee’ as theme of the festival, the event would comprise of conference and exhibition on the coffee sector.
The conference aims to capture the changes taking place in the coffee sector and will discuss current trends related to production as well as take a close look at the prevailing market scenario.
It will focus on issues such as health aspects of coffee, innovative and alternate channels of coffee delivery to consumer among others.
There will be workshops on processing, brewing, roasting, espresso making, cooking with coffee, art on silk and coffee entrepreneurship.
A trip to Coorg, called ‘Coffee Trail to Coorg,’ will be conducted at the end of the festival.
The first three editions of the festival were held in Bangalore, the traditional coffee capital of the country, whereas the fourth edition was organised in Delhi.
Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the major coffee producing states in the country.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home / by PTI / New Delhi – January 09th, 2014
BCIL has signed up with the Centre for Rainforest Ecology [CRE] for a collaborative platform that will be created at Zed Acres in the lush Kopatti valley of Coorg, a 20-minute drive from Madikeri.
This rainforest patch of BCIL is over 70 acres with 4 mountains, and two perennial, roaring streams that form part of the campus. The rich flora and fauna at Zed Acres marks the rare tertiary stage succession rainforest that Zed Acres is. The Company had acquired this land in 1997 only because of its receiving 24 feet of annual rainfall, or over 7200 mm.
The CRE, headed by Gowrishankar, a core environmentalist, is a rare organisation dedicated entirely to training experts on high-end ecology and rainforest programme at the Post Masters levels for specialized professionals in biology, taxonomy, herpetology, ornithology and other upper reaches of scientific research. Says BCIL’s Dinesh, who created the collaboration, “As an environmentalist myself, I have worked with the Whitaker farm and Romulus Whitaker and his son for many years. Gowrishankar is a fine researcher who will know how to guide the highest values on such biodiversity research at Zed Acres.”
Dinesh envisages the further populating of Zed Acres with a very responsible, and eco-conscious, tourism initiative that will host extremely discerning nature-lovers at the tastefully designed set of chalets that Zed Acres will launch early next year. Plans are afoot for completion of the facilities that will offer a truly out-of-the-world, deep-ecology experience of this rainforest patch.
The world coffee tree map, shows Yemen the first country of coffee tree
by Fakhri al-Arashi
Through out the international coffee conference all over the world , Japanese coffee traders classified Yemen as the homeland of coffee and the first source of the coffee tree in the world. The Japanese adore coffee, much akin to westerners’ passion for wine. Despite its small quantities, the quality and price of Yemeni coffee have earned it a special category in the Japanese coffee market. The sole coffee store in Tokyo that serves Yemeni coffee offers cups from $15-$19.
Ibrahim Moka is an organization in Japan consisting of 22 members. It is also a coffee brand, whose name derives from a Yemeni entrepreneur who found himself in a position to respond to Japan’s interest in Yemeni coffee.
Over the past five years, the 22 members of the Ibrahim Moka association visited Yemen in order to learn more about the reality of the coffee farms and growing regions in Yemen. “Driving to Bani Ismael far atop the Haraz mountains, the group crossed 9km in 7 hours, pushing off-road through hard, mountainous terrain,” said Ibrahim, one of the group’s hosts. “We were traveling in an old Toyota Land Cruiser, and we eventually reached a point 5500 feet above sea level. Once we safely concluded our journey, the head of the Japanese team said, ‘we do not have these cars in Japan, but they were made for Yemen’s mountains.’”
While the trade volume of Yemen coffee to Japan does not reach levels of commercial profitability, Japan is still the major importer of Yemeni coffee. Three business companies in Yemen find the Japanese market very attractive to develop their business with Japan. Al-Kabous reported that their company exports between 150,000 – 160,000 tons of Yemeni coffee quarterly. Recently, al-Kabous shipped 142,000 tons of coffee to Japan.
In 2005, Ibrahim Moka paid a visit to Japan, where he visited a 200 year-old coffee shop in Tokyo. He also visited the affiliated museum. “I am a coffee businessman, but during my visit to the coffee museum, I was impressed by the layout, design, courtesy and presentation in the museum” said Ibrahim. The visit included a coffee-tasting session in which each person is entitled for 2 small cups of coffee.”
Ibrahim had the chance to visit the Japanese coffee association, which consist of 270 members. At the meeting, he presented Japan with a map of the history of coffee growth in Yemen, including its rises, falls, and challenges. Ibrahim came to know the good reputation of Yemen’s coffee in the roadmap of the coffee business in Japan. The Coffee museum even contains Yemeni post stamps reflecting coffee trees as a promotional tribute to Yemeni coffee.
“The price of coffee increased because of packaging and product selection. Buyers were looking to Yemen as the source of coffee, and for the love of coffee the Japanese designed specific pricing categories,” said Ibrahim. Yemeni coffee ranked first in terms of quality, though Jamaican coffee wins in terms of packaging. Yemeni coffee lacks certain final touches, but despite this it is still the most expensive coffee in Japan.
Over the past years, the Japanese coffee association has sought opportunities to help Yemeni farmers to increase coffee yields. “There were many Japanese associations working in Yemen on this task, and they tried to offer Yemeni farmers special tools to improve the quality and quantity of coffee they could produce. This even included offering training courses to the farmers and vendors,“ said Ibrahim. Recently, Yemen has had even more problems with its coffee production due to the political turmoil.
When we look to the past, we see a Japan very much involved in Yemen. They would spend days in tours of the old city, and some diplomatic missions would visit Sana’a’s hot baths (also known as the Turkish baths).
Japanese investors and visitors continued supporting Yemeni women in rural areas and they provided Yemen with equipment to support farmers in the rural areas as well. Ibrahim concluded, “I like Japan very much, and I have seen that each thing in the world has a place in Japan. I like the politeness and humility of the Japanese community.” We hope that Yemen can enjoy more of this country and its wonderful people in the future.
source: http://www.nationalyemen.com / National Yemen / Home> Business & Economics / December 08th, 2013
Circa 2002. India, still part of the World Group, were playing Australia in the first round of Davis Cup at Adelaide. Having lost the first three ties, captain Ramesh Krishnan decided to send a 22-year-old for the reverse singles match. A certain Bangalorean by the name of Rohan Bopanna, who was the youngest in the team, could not make his Davis Cup debut a memorable one as he lost to Scott Draper in straight sets and the Indians lost 0-5.
It’s been over a decade since Bopanna first played for the country, and this time, he is back in the squad as the senior-most player when India take on the Chinese Taipei in the Asia/Oceania Group I encounter starting in Indore on January 31.
Making a comeback after a two-year hiatus, the 33-year-old couldn’t have asked for a better start to the new year. “It’s obviously a great feeling to be selected again. I’m honoured to represent my country and this time, as the senior most player. I have been playing well and that has accounted for my selection. Looking forward to the year ahead,” he told TNIE.
In the absence of seasoned players Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, the onus is on Bopanna to lead the young brigade.
“I am happy to be part of this team with the youngsters and share all the experiences that I have learnt from Mahesh and Leander over the past decade. I shall do my best to motivate them and also use all my experience in the doubles event to help ease the pressures on Saketh (Myneni), who is making his debut,” he added.
What about the opponents? “Chinese Taipei have strong players. Lu (Yen-hsun), who is the number one player, has been in the top 100 for a few years now; (Jimmy) Wang just qualified to the main draw of the Australian Open. So it will definitely be interesting and hoping for some home support and great performance by us, which will aid us in pulling this through,” he further added.
The selection came as a blessing in disguise as it did wonders to Bopanna’s confidence ahead of the Australian Open. After finishing runners-up in Sydney, in only his second tournament with Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi post their renewed partnership, Bopanna hopes to taste success at Melbourne Park too. “It’s great to go into a Grand Slam feeling confident. We had a great tournament in Sydney. Even though we lost in the final, neither of us had lost a serve in the entire tournament, which is a big confidence booster. In the final, we had numerous chances. It was just that (Daniel) Nestor and (Nenad) Zimonjic played the crucial points better than us and we were slightly unlucky,” he said.
Of their blooming partnership, Bopanna said, “Me and Aisam have always had a great understanding and have had a reasonable amount of success. Since then, we have gained a lot of experience on the circuit, which should help us this year. We are enjoying playing with each other and are confident of our abilities as a team,” he added.
The Indo-Pak Express, seeded seventh, will play the Australian-French pair of Rameez Junaid and Adrian Mannarino in their opening round on Thursday.
Bopanna has joined hands with Slovenia’s Katrina Srebotnik and the second seeds will take on Raquel Kops-Jones and Treat Huey in the first round of the mixed doubles.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sport / by Kristhika Gopalkrishnan / Express News Service – Chennai / January 16th, 2014
Ashwini Nachappa takes part in the PUMA “School of Speed’’ event. / Photo: Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Former sprinter Ashwini Nachappa, who has taken initiatives to uplift lives of around 1800 slum children and orphans in Bangalore, reiterated a view that it is important to integrate academics and sports for the healthy development of school children. She has introduced the slum children to athletics and a handful of them have become state champions.
Taking part in the PUMA “School of Speed’’ debate, the 46 year old who is also vice-president of Clean Sports India (CSI) said: “I’m a product of the school games. It was mandatory to take part in school games. Our PT instructor took pride in showcasing talent outside the academics and class room. Today an average child has no place to go; be it sports, music and dance, all aspects of arts should be part of the school curriculum. Learning motor skill works wonders. And no child can excel without parental support.’’
The sports footwear and apparel company has decided to organise a unique relay running event “ school for speed’’ for boys and girls in the age group of 13-16 in Mumbai (MMRDA ground, Feb.9), Delhi (JNU campus, Feb. 15) and Bangalore (venue and date to be decided). Cricketer Yuvraj Singh who is the brand ambassador of the event said there were opportunities for him growing up in school and college in Chandigarh. “Sports helps in the development of a healthy mind in children.’’
The top winners of the pioneering event will get a chance to meet the world’s legendary athlete, Usain Bolt.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports> Athletics / by G. Vishwanath / Mumbai – January 15th, 2014
WELCOME. If you like what you see "SUBSCRIBE via EMAIL" to receive FREE regular UPDATES.
Read More »
