Akshay on 'Comedy Nights' as Kapil resumes shoot

The whole of Bollywood, including playback legend Lata Mangeshkar, director Rohit Shetty and Shah Rukh Khan, have extended their support to the comedy king of India, Kapil Sharma. The set of his show, Comedy Nights With Kapil, was recently destroyed by fire. 

And the first Bollywood entity, who will come down to Lonavala to grace the show since the mishap, is Akshay Kumar. We have been told that the actor will fly down to Lonavala to be a part of it. He will be accompanied by Ronit Roy.
Incidentally, singer Honey Singh was also supposed to come, but he had to leave to Dubai with Shah Rukh Khan for an event. Says a source associated with the show, "We are overwhelmed with the support we have got from every section of the industry. Akshay has anamazing sense of humour and we had a whale of a time the last time he had visited the set."

Akshay will join the show for the promotion of his upcoming flick BOSS. The actor last visited the show during the promotion of 'Once Upon Aye Time in Mumbai Dobaara'.

Google makes Rs 62 lakh offer to Kolkata student

MUMBAI: In what is touted to be the first international placement in the 82-year history of Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, an M-Tech student has received an offer of $100,000 (Rs 62.7 lakh) from Google. "This is also the highest salary offered to any of our students till date," says Pradipta Bandyopadhyay, dean of students, ISI.

Car sales remain weak ahead of festivals

NEW DELHI: Car sales continued to remain under pressure due to an uncertain economy and high interest rates as companies reported weak numbers ahead of the crucial festive season that begins later this week. Only companies with new models like Honda and Ford reported a double-digit growth in volumes as others like Hyundai, Mahindra, Toyota and Tata Motors reported a year-on-year decline in volumes in September, while market leader Maruti managed a 2% growth. 

India to be world's most populous nation by 2050: Study

The world's population will rise to 9.7 billion in 2050 from the current level of 7.1 billion and India will overtake China as the world's most populous nation, a French study said on Wednesday.

It is business as usual for most part on Day 1 of US government’s shutdown

WASHINGTON: The sun rose in the East, flights international and domestic are landing, power and water are still flowing through outlets, gas stations, stores, and malls opened, teachers, soldiers, teachers, policemen, firefighters and mailmen continue with their job, and traffic is sailing through lights that work. It is business as usual for the most part on Day One of the US government's shutdown. It is only when you head to the Statue of Liberty or the Smithsonian Museum or various National Parks (''CLOSED''), or call in to check on some government programs or payouts (voicemail), that you feel the first impact of the government shutdown that is expected to get worse the longer it lasts.

50% of IIT entrants not from coaching classes

MUMBAI: After the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) results, coaching classes get busy spinning success stories. Each student who makes it to the hallowed Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) may just be reduced to a rank, but it is their golden ticket to netting more candidates for admission. But information collected by the tech colleges reveals that close to half of those who make their mark in the entrance test prepare for the exam on their own. 

Time for Bill Gates to go, some top Microsoft investors tell board

NEW YORK/SEATTLE: Three of the top 20 investors in Microsoft Corp are lobbying the board to press for Bill Gates to step down as chairman of the software company he co-founded 38 years ago, according to people familiar with matter.

Gmail Android app may have ads soon

NEW DELHI: Gmail's app for Android may getads after the latest update. An application package file (APK) teardown report of the app's latest 4.6 version by tech website Android Policehas revealed that a new library called 'Ads' has been added and users can save their preferred ads as messages.

Gmail, which had remained ad-free until now in mobile apps, is rolling out this new feature along with the latest capability. The web version of the free email service already features ads, and now this would come to the Android app version as well.

The latest update for Gmail came out a few days back along with the updates for some other apps as well. Though no mention was made by Gmail about the ads feature, a closer examination of the new update brought forth the revelation.

The new update also brings in a cleaner design for conversation view and a number of tweaks such as checkmarks for selecting multiple messages. There are other features such as reminders for users in case there is an unsent mail in the drafts section.

It is not yet certain as to when Google would actually introduce ads via its app.

Advertising forms a bulk of earnings for Google; the company's total advertising revenue in April-June quarter stood at $12 billion, accounting for approximately 85% of its total revenue for the period. Online marketing research firm eMarketer has estimated that 33% of global online ad revenues for 2013 will be spent on Google networks. It also said that Google will take up around 53% of total mobile advertising revenue for 2013.

Tatas to sell South Africa’s Neotel to Vodafone arm

MUMBAI: India's largest private sector conglomerate Tata Group is selling South Africa'sNeotel seven years after it acquired a controlling stake in that country's second largest fixed line telecom operator to Vodafone's SA unit Vodacom. The deal is expected to value Neotel, in which Tata Communications holds 68.5%, at about $550 million.

Price of petrol down Rs 3.6/litre; non-quota LPG, diesel up

NEW DELHI: There's finally some cheer for consumers ahead of the festive season. State-run fuel retailers on Monday slashed petrol price by over Rs 3 a litre and raised diesel rate by 50 paise a litre, both excluding state taxes.

Struck by bird, Delhi-bound jet makes emergency landing

RANCHI: Around 100 passengers, including former chief minister Madhu Koda and wife Geeta, had a close shave when a Delhi-boundIndigo flight Airbus 320 was hit by a bird on Monday morning. 

Stolen Metro tokens put up on eBay for $6 each

BANGALORE: Namma Metro tokens have made it on popular online portal eBay, alongsidetransit tokens of New York City (NYC) Subway.

Since passengers are not allowed to keep tokens while exiting Metro stations, their sale on eBay is a punishable offence, say BMRC officials.

When CBI worked on a Sunday to nail Lalu

NEW DELHI: Lalu Prasad's prosecution in thefodder scam case was as dramatic as his political career itself. It was ordered on a Sunday afternoon in the backdrop of a shaky coalition government at the Centre surviving on Prasad's support and aCBI director fearing the loss of his own job. Joginder Singh, the then CBI chief, ordered his office to be opened and called in officials who were looking for a lazy Sunday. 

Micra vs i20 vs Polo GT TSI: Automatic Hatchbacks Comparison

With unbearable traffic conditions, owning an easy to drive and maneuverable hatchback is just not enough. This is where the little one foot wonders come in!

Congress relieved it won’t be accused of saving Lalu

NEW DELHI: Even as the tenor of Rahul Gandhi's castigation of the ordinance to save convicted MPs draws sniggers, Congress on Monday expressed relief that nobody was able to accuse it of shielding Lalu Prasad from disqualification in the wake of his conviction.

Maruti Suzuki to raise car prices from October 1

Maruti Suzuki will be increasing its vehicle prices by up to Rs.10,000 from October 1. The decision comes on the back of rising input costs and depreciating rupee

Panasonic to launch sub-Rs 5,000 feature phones

NEW DELHI: In a bid to strengthen its position in the Indian mobile phone market, Japanese electronics major Panasonic plans to come out with devices below Rs 5,000 by November this year.

The company has already launched four premium smartphone models since May, when it entered into the domestic market and aims to achieve a market share of 8% in first year.

"Panasonic is conscious of the market and demand for phones priced below Rs 5,000. Considering the same, we plan to come out with a feature phones below Rs 5,000 by November this year," Panasonic India managing director Manish Sharma said.

He said there is tremendous potential in the Indian smartphone market and the company is ready to invest more. "We have already launched four premium models since our entry into smartphone market and we will continue to offer a wide range of phones. We are looking at budget phones and may introduce them following up on these launches," Sharma said.

The company had launched its first quad-core smartphone Panasonic P51 for Rs 26,900 in May. This month, it came out with three new models in the price range of Rs 9,790 to Rs 16,490. "Our phones are targeted at the young generation, which is always on the lookout for better, faster and savvier smartphones on the go. The phones are apt for the always-on- the-go college youth and the premium executive class," Sharma added.

Supreme Court to decide N Srinivasan's fate

NEW DELHI: Whether N Srinivasan will be able to assume duty as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president or not will be decided on Monday by the Supreme Court.

Like Vidya, Salman too has tinted glass?

Actors Ajay Devgn and Vidya Balan have been reprimanded by traffic police for the tinted films in their cars. Vidya sweetly pays the fine every time but has requested the cops to let her keep the tinted film because she cannot handle the harsh sunlight.

As for Ajay, he bowled the cops over with his conscientiousness and had the tinted film removed immediately. The latest to join the bandwagon is
Salman Khan, who was on his way to South Mumbai in his high-end vehicle. 

It is said that the traffic cops stopped the vehicle at the Worli exit for the light tinted film. But once they spotted Salman Khan in it, the sombre mood immediately changed and the actor was greeted with a wide smile. The cops reportedly took pictures with the star on their mobile phones. The cops allegedly let off Salman with a light warning. Salman-struck kya?

Islamist gunmen attack Nigeria college, 50 students feared killed

POTISKUM: Suspected Islamic extremists attacked an agricultural college in the dead of night, gunning down dozens of students as they slept in dormitories and torching classrooms in an ongoing Islamic uprising in northeast Nigeria, the school's provost said.

Bhatkal busts evidence in German Bakery case

NEW DELHI: Home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde may have ruled out the possibility of any reinvestigation in the 2010 Pune German Bakery blasts case, but Indian Mujahideen's (IM) key operative Ahmed Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal, during interrogation, has not only exonerated Himayat Baig, sentenced to death in the case, but also busted the evidence collected by Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) that ensured Baig's conviction. 

Two techie brothers, aged 14 and 12, code their way to App Store

BANGALORE: They make an adorable pair in their neat formal suits and shoes. And when they start talking, they have crowds hanging onto every word they say, often having them in splits with their experiences.

Review: Sony RX 100 II camera

NEW DELHI: Great picture quality in a compact camera was like El Dorado. Everyone looked for it but no one found it. That was until 2012 when Sony came out with RX 100 digital camera. RX 100, in case you are curious, is a camera that has a big 1-inch image sensor inside it despite its small size. It also packs in a fast F1.8 lens. It promised very good image quality and when put to a test, delivered it. 

10km-tall monster cloud triggers rainfall in Kolkata

KOLKATA: Darkness engulfed the city on Friday afternoon as the sky was taken over by tall and voluminous clouds. A short spell of rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning, followed and provided the much-needed relief to the Kolkatans reeling under heat and humidity for the last few days.

Sanjay was expected home yesterday on sick leave

The authorities of Yerawada Central Jail have reportedly confirmed that Sanjay Dutt will be taking a 10-day break. The furlough has been granted to the actor for treatment of a leg ailment. 

He is expected to fly from Pune on a chartered flight belonging to a personal friend. Once home, the actor will get immediate medical attention. 

While his industry friends are rejoicing that Dutt will be home for a short period, they are fully aware that he needs his privacy to catch up with his twins — Shahran and Iqra — and wife Maanayata. 

Fortunately for Sanju, his sisters — Priya and Namrata — live just a floor below with their respective families. So, coming home will give him a chance to meet the entire khandaan.

Google's 'Hummingbird' hatches new search formula

MENLO PARK: Google has quietly retooled the closely guarded formula running its internet search engine to give better answers to the increasingly complex questions posed by web surfers.

Four SC verdicts that will change the way we vote

NEW DELHI: The combined effect of four landmark judgments from the Supreme Court, delivered in a span of just 80 days, has triggered a massive debate by touching crucial aspects of elections — from credentials and criminal antecedents of candidates to the right of voters.

Aadhaar, fingerprint scan enough to open bank account

MUMBAI: A few weeks after RBI governor Raghuram Rajanstressed on building credit histories of individuals based on theAadhaar number, one bank has introduced unique identity-based eKYC for opening loan and savings accounts.

Govt can seize properties that have no heirs, beneficiaries: HC

MUMBAI: At a time when land is at a premium in Mumbai and land-grabbing a common occurrence, the Bombay HC, in an order, has ruled that the state government can take over land if a property does not have any legal heirs or beneficiaries.

How come Srinivasan is still in charge of BCCI, asks SC

NEW DELHI: After demanding to know why N Srinivasan was still in charge of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Supreme Court on Friday ordered that even if he got re-elected as board president on Sunday, he would not take over till it adjudicated the petition against him. 

Actor's SUV stolen from outside Santa Cruz society

MUMBAI: In reel life, he was a master conman, stealing valuables from right under people's noses, but on Thursday, it was actor Abhay Deol's turn to be at the receving end. The Oye Lucky Lucky Oye star's Mitsubishi Pajero was stolen from outside his residential building in Santa Cruz (W).

Samsung copies Apple, announces gold Galaxy S4

NEW DELHI: It seems after witnessing the craze for the recently launched gold editions of the iPhone 5S, Samsung has also decided to tread the golden path. The South Korean smartphone giant has announced that it is bringing in two gold colour models of its flagship smartphone Galaxy S4. 

Nokia Lumia 1020: First impressions

NEW DELHI: Nokia has unveiled the Lumia 1020 smartphone in India though it is yet to announce the price tag. The manufacturer showed off many of the camera features and technologies that go into the phone at a media event on Thursday, but refused to divulge the price. While potential customers will be able to buy the smartphone on October 11, we got to spend some time with it at the event. Here are our first impressions of the Nokia Lumia 1020:

5-storey building collapses in Mumbai, no casualties so far

MUMBAI: At least five people are injured and 50 are feared trapped as a five-storey building came crashing down in a south Mumbai locality Friday morning, the BMC Disaster control unit said. 

The incident took place around 6am, catching a majority of residents in their sleep, when the BMC staff quarter building opposite Dockyard road collapsed. 

15 fire tenders and other rescue agencies have reached the spot.

Hyundai Grand i10 racks up 10,000 bookings

Hyundai's new hatchback, the Grand i10, has received strong customer response leading to over 10,000 bookings since its launch on September 3

Twitter launches emergency alerts for smartphones

SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter, which is preparing for its initial public offering, said it will help users receive special alerts from government agencies and aid agencies during emergencies. 

With deals worth Rs 17cr a year, Kohli beats Dhoni and Sachin in endorsements

MUMBAI: India's hottest young cricketer Virat Kohli is setting the world of brand endorsements alight. The Indian captain-in-the-making, whose exploits on the field, combined with his youth, good looks and never-say-die attitude, makes him a winner off the field too, has inked a Rs 10-crore per annum deal with German sports goods giant Adidas.

Modi's run to the PM’s seat in new Android game

NEW DELHI: Just a day after Narendra Modi-themed SmartNamo phones became available for pre-orders in India, a US-based company has released an Android game featuring the Gujarat chief minister.

BlackBerry slashes Z10 price by 31% in India

NEW DELHI: Smartphone maker BlackBerryhas seen its fortunes change drastically since the emergence of iPhones and Android devices. The company, whose market share in India has dropped to just 2% in India, saw poor market response to its top-end Z10 smartphone in the country. 

BlackBerry failure: A lesson for Apple, Samsung

SINGAPORE/JAKARTA: Indonesia has long been a surprising jewel in the crown of BlackBerry, a rare market where its devices enjoyed mass appeal. But the country also highlights the struggling company's failure to embrace the emerging economies that are leading smartphone sales growth across the globe.

Samsung working on cheaper Galaxy Note 3: Report

NEW DELHI: Samsung recently unveiled itsGalaxy Note 3 phablet, which has been priced at Rs 49,900 in the Indian market. Fans who feel dismayed by the exorbitant price tag of the new handset can take heart from rumours that a cheaper version of the device is in the offing. 

Kingfisher Airlines seeks HC nod to pay staff salaries

BANGALORE: Here is some good news for employees of Kingfisher Airlines who are said to have gone without wages for the past one year. 

United Breweries Holding Limited, which owns Kingfisher, has filed an application before the Karnataka high court seeking permission to pay Rs 13 crore towards one month's salary to employees of the grounded airline. 

"In view of the fact that Rs 379.75 crore is available in the fixed deposit, the applicant seeks leave of this court to pay an amount of Rs 13,07,14,523 being the quantum of one month's salary of 2,126 employees of Kingfisher Airlines for the month of August 2012, from out of the said amount in the deposit," UBHL stated in its application while seeking modification of the order passed on August 27. 

Veerappa Moily hints at petrol price cut

ANGALORE: Union petroleum minister M Veerappa Moily on Wednesday indicated the UPA government is working on a plan to reduce petrol prices but didn't specify the extent or the timing. 

"We are planning for an additional import of 11 million tonnes from Iran and pay them in rupees. This will save us 8.47 billion dollars,'' he said. 

Moily said the ministry also is considering reversing a decision that forced state transport utilities and other bulk consumers to pay market price for diesel and ruled out any plan to raise diesel prices for now. "We will positively consider allowing state fleets to purchase diesel at the subsidized price in view of the need to encourage public transport," he said. 

Trai moots nationwide portabilit

NEW DELHI: You may soon be able to retain your number even if you shift base to any other city across the country. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Wednesday recommended that mobile number portability (MNP) — which currently allows you to retain your number when you change operators within the same city — be implemented across India over the next six months, thus allowing a subscriber to have the same number even when he/she shifts base to another service area.

Mumbai world’s second most honest city: Survey

LONDON: India often finds itself embarrassingly high on the corruption index, rating among the most corrupt countries in the world. However, in a recent experiment, the country's commercial capital Mumbai presented a different picture. The ruse was a simple, abandoned wallet lying on the road, and recording how many people stumbling on it return it to its owner. This uncomplicated trick established Mumbai as the second most honest city in the world.

As falling rupee hits earnings from tourists, govt eyes easy visas

NEW DELHI: An average 7% growth in foreign tourist arrivals — nearly double the average 3.9% growth of foreign tourists worldwide -- should have had the government cheering. Instead, the low rupee-dollar exchange rate has resulted in "dollarless growth'' with foreign exchangeearnings dipping to negative in the last two months.

RBI bans zero interest loans on EMI to credit card holders

MUMBAI: In a move that is likely to dent retailers' festive season sales, the Reserve Bank of India has barred 'zero per cent interest' schemes offered by banks to credit card holders. Banks will now be able to recover dues through equated monthly installments only when customers are billed regular interest charges. 

QUIZ #10

I'm the part of the bird that's not in the sky. I can swim in the ocean and yet remain dry. What am I?

iPhone 5S available for Rs one lakh in grey market

NEW DELHI: Apple has not launched the iPhone 5S or 5C in India. But you can still buy one. The catch: You have to shell out big bucks for these devices. To be precise, the asking rate for the basic model of the iPhone 5S is between Rs 65,000 and Rs 1,00,000, depending on who you ask, and in which city.

Noida City Centre metro station sinking, experts don’t know why

NEW DELHI: Delhi Metro officials were carrying out routine inspections at the Noida City Centre station on September 16, when they found that a part of the platform had sagged and cracks had appeared in it.

US wants MNCs to have right to sue India abroad

There is growing pressure on the Indian government to incorporate a provision in an investment agreement with the US, which if invoked will have far-reaching implications in that it will allow multinational corporations to bypass the Supreme Court and sue the government for millions of dollars in foreign tribunals. 

Meet BlackBerry buyer, India-born Prem Watsa

TORONTO: As soon as Prem Watsa stepped down from Blackberry's board in August, speculation that he would launch a bid for the troubled smartphone maker started to swirl. Six weeks later, the man some call Canada's Warren Buffett has delivered, beginning a rescue project he once said could take four or five years. 

Narendra Modi-themed SmartNamo phones launched

NEW DELHI: A Gujarat-based group has launched two Narendra Modi-themed smartphones in India, named SmartNamo Saffron One and SmartNamo Saffron Two. The two smartphones are now available for pre-order at e-commerce website Snapdeal for an initial booking amount of Rs 999.

Indians, Chinese keep US B-schools in business

MUMBAI: Young graduates from India and China are powering the growth of full-time MBA programmes worldwide. In contrast, the share of working people planning to pursue an MBA—through online, executive or part-time mode—is plummeting.

Kenya terror attack: 20 Gujarati children missing, many feared dead

AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI: Nearly 20 children from Gujarati families settled in Nairobi are reported missing in the terrorist siege of Westgate Mall which was ended by Kenyan forces on Tuesday, the fourth day of the stand-off. President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that five al-Shabaab terrorists had been killed and 11 taken into custody.