The royal will be presented with all six sketches when she visits Leicester next week along with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as part of the first leg of the Queen’s diamond jubilee tour. Kate will make a special visit to the Leicester-based DMU to look at all six designs from students of the prestigious footwear programme, and will announce her favourite design on the same day.

The internationally recognised DMU Footwear Design degree, that in 2004 awarded Jimmy Choo with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts, selected the final six students from a hundred applicants – whittling the competition to a shortlist comprising British students Sam Sawkill, Kay Yeng Cheng, Summer Spencer, Tabitha Duffield and Becka Hunt along with Asian representative Mei Chun Lai.

Head of DMU’s footwear degree, Kevin Guildford, said: “We were thrilled when the Palace asked for six designs for the Duchess to choose from.

“It’s the most fabulous opportunity for the students who couldn’t hope for a bigger fashion icon to endorse their designs. Whoever wins is bound to be starting a brilliant career.”

Mei Chun Lai, whose design is called the ‘Dragon Year’, said: “The concept comes from this being the year of the dragon and its shape is inspired by a lantern. I wanted to show my culture and background through my design. I didn’t expect to get this far. It’s such a great honour to be selected for the final six!”

The winning student will receive the opportunity to create a pair for the royal to wear. De Montfort University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard said: “What a huge honour and magnificent opportunity this will be for the winning student. When asked who their first commission was for at their first job interview, they will be able to reply – The Duchess of Cambridge, the world’s leading fashion icon. Opportunities like this are exactly what our students can expect when they come to DMU, a university which is becoming known worldwide for its quality and distinctiveness.”

The shoes that the Duchess chooses will be made-up and presented to her within a few weeks of her visit to the university.

Fairytale-inspired heels by Kay Yeng Cheng.

Chinese New Year-inspired heels by Mei Chun Lai.

Kate and Prince William's coat of arms-inspired heels by Summer Spencer.

Kate's engagement ring-inspired heels by Becka Hunt.

Feminine and elegant heels by Tabatha Duffield.

English-rose inspired heels by Sam Sawkill.

SS: What does the Kingfisher crisis mean for domestic travel?

MA: Currently with the cancellation of flights, passengers are distressed and in the long run could possibly see an increase in prices if demand outstrips supply.

SS: What does the current situation say of the overall aviation sector in India?

MA: Due to the heavy regulation and high prices of aviation fuel and airport taxes it’s difficult to run a profitable business – but not impossible, as shown by Indigo. The government needs to take a hard look if it wants this to be a sustainable business where investors put their money.

SS: What solutions can be offered towards the Indian aviation sector such as more foreign investment and licensing, etc?

MA: Allowing FDI investment could be an option. Reducing fuel surcharges, special incentives for airlines that fly non- profitable sectors etc. are also options to consider.

SS: Can you tell me a bit more about the special markdown of Rs 500 offered by Yatra on all revised booking of tickets through the company’s website and call centre to its customers? What inspired such a move and what response have you received?

MA: We have launched this initiative over the weekend as we had started receiving complaints from our customers about the stress they were facing with regards to their travel plans. Yatra.com is positioned as a hassle free travel service provider and we could not wait and watch this. We have offered our customers a Rs 500 discount voucher in case they cancel their tickets and book again to fly by the 29th. The response is positive and customers are happy at this proactive move. Yatra.com’s brand philosophy of creating happy travellers is what motivated us to think of this offer.

Revelations that Olympus has been hiding losses for more than 20 years have resulted in its shares plunging 29% in Tokyo and possibilities of facing criminal complaints and shareholder lawsuits against the company and its former executives.

New Olympus president Shuichi Takayama, who replaced former CEO Michael Woodford in late October, alleged that top executives had used acquisitions to hide massive losses on bad investments: “I was absolutely unaware of the facts I am now explaining to you. The previous presentations were mistaken…. We have conducted extremely improper accounting.”

Olympus faced a serious blow to its reputation following an expose by Mr Woodford that blew the whistle on questionable fees paid as part of M&A transactions. The company denied wrongdoing over a staggering $687 million payment to a Wall Street financial advisor that was equivalent to a third of the $2 billion paid to acquire British medical equipment maker, Gyrus Group Plc. This shocking revelation triggered the Olympus scandal, resulting in the dismissal of the British whistle-blowing CEO on Oct 14; usual fees for advisors border on 1-2 percent of the deal value.

Olympus Corp. President Shuichi Takayama bows in apology during a press conference in Tokyo Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011. Pic:AP

Olympus has accepted that this purchase was one of those used to hide long-standing investment losses, and Mr Takayama has today accused the company’s previous leadership for not being able to account for these losses.

While Mr Woodford maintains that the Olympus board should resign, stating: “The position of the board and non-execs is untenable now”, Mr Takayami defends: “I have no intention to step down at this moment because my responsibility is to fix this company.”

Ryosuke Okasaki, chief investment officer at ITC investment partners, told Reuters: “This is very serious. Olympus admitted it has made false entries to cover is losses for 20 years. All people involved in this over 20 years would be responsible. There is a serious danger that Olympus shares will be delisted. The future of the company is extremely dark.”

Those who have tendered their resignations as a consequence to the ongoing scandal include Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and company auditor, Hideo Yamada. Executive Vice-President Hisashi Mori has been dismissed on grounds of being involved in the cover-up. The company is considering legal action against these individuals.

Mr Takayama has confirmed that all data has been handed over to an independent panel of six who are currently examining the company’s former deals.

The Olympus scandal casts light on the weaknesses in Japanese corporate governance, which include employing too few independent directors on company boards.

Since being slapped with a 15 million yuan ($2.4 million) tax bill by the Chinese government, supporters of the outspoken artist have flooded his studio and home with donations via electronic, postal and even manual means – sometimes even folding bills into paper planes that have been flown into his home.

According to the English edition of the state-run Global Times: “Some experts have pointed out this could be an example of illegal fundraising. Since he’s borrowing from the public it at least looks like illegal fundraising.

“It is absolutely normal for a certain number of people to show their support for him with donations. But these people are an extremely small number when compared with China’s total population. Ai’s political preference along with his supporters’ cannot stand for the mainstream public, which is opposed to radical and confrontational political stances.”

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Pic: AP.

Ai, who was earlier held under house arrest for almost three months this year, aroused international outcry over the blatant violation of his human rights by the Chinese government. He was released without charge in June, only to be accused of tax evasion. His family and supporters are convinced that the detention was in response to the artist’s social and political activism, and Ai himself has expressed his belief that this recent tax bill was in retaliation to his activism.

The tax demand is in regard to late fees and fines for Beijing Fake Cultural Development, the company that handles the artist’s affairs but was registered to his wife. Reports claim that despite Ai being the ‘designer’ at the company, authorities have held him liable as the ‘actual controlling person’ of the firm.

However, the Chinese people are making a statement with their generous donations, with over 16,000 contributing towards the astronomical bill – with students even selling their books to raise money for the cause.

Speaking to the Guardian, the 54-year-old artist said: “It’s a beautiful thing. We don’t need the money, but we need attention for the public to understand what is going on.

“They really want to express an opinion … so we will temporarily hold their money for them and then return it.”

“This is just a voluntary action by citizens,” he told China Real Time (WSJ). “They’re telling me it’s a way to help me out and show solidarity. I don’t need the money, but I care about their support.”

Ai Weiwei has promised to repay all his supporters and has clarified the financial help as loans, not donations. The artist needs to make a payment of 8 million yuan in order to challenge the charge, which he feels is unjustified. However, it remains unclear how the artist would be legally able to challenge the tax bill as all the company’s documents have been confiscated by the police and no one has access to them.

Earlier, the artist had said that he would have to post his father’s house as bond in order to raise funds to pay the tax bill.

A letter found in the Abbottabad compound where Bin Laden was gunned down by a unilateral US raid mentions several names he considered for the terror network that would better represent his vision of a holy war with the West, a US official has disclosed to AFP on conditions of anonymity.

The terror mastermind was worried that the name ‘Al-Qaeda’ which means ‘the base’ was not sufficiently religious and did not reinforce the message of the group.

“It was sort of like brand-imaging,” the official said.

Osama bin Laden. Pic: AP.

Some of the alternatives that Bin Laden was considering included Taifat al-Tawhed Wal-Jihad (Monotheism and Jihad Group) and Jama’at I’Adat al-Khilafat al-Rashida (Restoration of the Caliphate Group).

The official explained that the terror leader was unhappy that the original name of his group — Al-Qaeda Al-Jihad (The Base of Holy War) – was now being widely referred to only as Al-Qaeda, thus dropping the reference to religious war.

“His concern was that the Al-Jihad part was dropped and it was short-handed to just al-Qaeda. From his perspective, that sort of separated the religious aspect of Al-Qaeda’s mission. And that allowed the West to portray it as an organization and not tied to a …religious movement,” the source said.

“What he was being frustrated by was that most people were seeing the fight against Al-Qaeda for what it really is — it’s an effort stop a violent organization not a war on religion. That bothered him.”

News about the letter, first reported by the Associated Press, quickly started a stream of online parodies, including satiric contests to select Al-Qaeda’s new name.

54-year-old Ruyati binti Sapubi was beheaded after she confessed to Saudi Arabian officials that she had murdered her employer, accusing him of abusing her. The incident took place without the knowledge of Indonesia and it has been revealed that Saudi Arabia has since apologised to Jakarta for the lack of information regarding the situation.

This ban follows several incidents of harsh treatment meted out to Indonesian migrant workers in the Middle Eastern country; about 1.5 million Indonesian citizens are employed in Saudi Arabia, many of them as domestic help.

The ban would come into effect on August 1 and continue until both countries can work out a policy of fair treatment to migrant workers.

Indonesian Labour ministry spokesperson, Dita Indah Sari, said that the department would be working closely with other government agencies and would also make efforts to tighten regulations concerning overseas domestic work.

Saudi Arabia is yet to comment on the situation.

On Tuesday, the UN General Assembly confirmed the 67-year-old South Korean former diplomat to lead the international body for the next five years, four days after they approved his nomination for the position. Mr Ban was unopposed and the vote in his favour was unanimous between the Assembly’s 192 member states. His second term will begin on January 1, 2012 and continue through to 2016.

Analysts and diplomats consider Mr Ban to be a strong ally of the United States; his supporters assert that the UN leader has placed the organisation on the map addressing issues of consequence such as the recent unrest in the Middle East and climate change.

Thanking the UN member states for the “great honour”, Mr Ban said: “Clearly we have far to go. Too many people lack basic human rights. Too many people are hungry. Too many children die needlessly every day. Seldom has the United Nations been more relevant and never has it been more necessary.”

Critics commend Mr Ban’s work in the United Nations such as that demonstrated in the ‘Arab Spring’ and recognise him for his self-deprecating manner and his imperfect English that instantly strike a chord with his audience.

However, he has been criticised for his incorrigible travels across the world and his unimpressive record for negations. International rights groups have also accused him of being too soft on certain countries, including China, providing the re-elected Secretary-General with a mixed reaction for his actions at the head of the UN and more expectations pegged on him for his second term.

Suu Kyi has sent a recorded video message to be broadcast at a hearing Wednesday at the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on East Asia, said the US Campaign for Burma advocacy group and Representative Don Manzullo.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, has spent most of the past two decades under house arrest but was freed in November. Wednesday’s hearing is due to discuss last year’s widely criticized election in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

The hearing “will highlight these sham elections and Burma’s difficult road ahead,” Manzullo, a Republican from Illinois who heads the House subcommittee, said in a statement.

“I am excited to share the videotaped testimony,” he said, “so everyone can hear of the junta’s continued military offensives against ethnic groups and the dire human rights situation in Burma.”

The military-backed regime has announced a political transition amid talks with the United States on improving relations. But Washington and opposition groups say the changes are little more than cosmetic.

The United States has voiced concern and urged Myanmar’s government forces to cease hostilities after recent clashes in northern Kachin state, which has sent ethnic minority refugees fleeing across the border to China.

The pro-democracy leader, who recently turned 66, enjoys popular support in the US Congress. In 2008, Ms Suu Kyi was awarded the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal; however, she has not visited Washington to receive the award. Senator John McCain had earlier visited the internationally-distinguished leader during his travels to Asia, where he recognised her as a “personal hero of mine for decades”.

On Friday, two South Korean soldiers positioned to guard at Gyodong island, just a mile south of the North Korean coast, fired at the passenger jet which was carried 119 civilians from China as it approached Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.

This is one episode among many that demonstrates the increasingly troubled relationships on the divided peninsula.

In spite of the apology, it has been announced that the two soldiers will not face charges for the incident.

Spokesperson Colonel Lee Bung-woo said: “The military sincerely apologises to our people for causing worries over the incident.” However, Col Lee also maintained that the marines will not be punished for their actions as they had acted in line with the rules of engagement, according to the Yonhap news agency.

It has been revealed that the military will now reinforce training for its soldiers at frontline guard posts so that they are able to accurately make a distinction between civilian and military aircrafts.

The military pair in question had fired a total of 99 rounds towards the aircraft for approximately four minutes immediately after reporting to their platoon leader spotting, what they believed, to be a North Korean warship. Due to the South Korean Asiana aircraft being out of range from the soldiers’ fire, it received no damage and its passengers remained unharmed.

Yonhap news agency had previously quoted a Marine Corps official stating: “The firing continued (for) about 10 minutes but the plane was too far off the rifle’s range and it did not receive any damage,” according to a report by AFP.

It has been claimed that the airliner was following a normal route from the Chinese city of Chengdu.

The militants, at least one of whom was in army uniform, got into a compound housing the police station in the crowded main central market area, near the Afghan presidential palace, defence ministry and other official buildings.

Five civilians were among the dead along with three policemen and one officer from Afghanistan’s intelligence agency, interior ministry spokesman Najib Nikzad said. Ten civilians and two police were wounded.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest embarrassing breach at a supposedly secure location in Kabul, which comes weeks before limited foreign troop withdrawals are due to start from Afghanistan.

One of the attackers detonated his explosives at the entrance to the compound, allowing his two accomplices into the building, the interior ministry said.

Once inside, they fired at police, sparking a gun battle which lasted for around two hours before the pair were killed.

“Three suicide attackers with weapons and explosive vests attacked the police station,” Nikzad said.

“One of them detonated himself in front of the gate of the station and two others were killed following a firefight with police,”.

“In this incident, three policemen, one intelligence officer and five civilians were killed and two police, along with 10 other civilians were wounded.” he added.

The finance ministry said two of its employees who worked nearby were among those who died.

Parts of the city centre were sealed off following the attack and hundreds of people were evacuated.

At least one of the men was dressed in Afghan army uniform, according to local television which showed pictures of what it said was his dead body.

The Taliban have carried out similar brazen attacks in the past against Afghan security forces in Kabul.

The attacks follow closely after Afghanistan Prime Minister Hamid Karzai declared the United States’ effort to open peace talks with the Taliban. Critiques have commented that despite the possibility of potential peace, this is bound to be a summer of violence in an attempt to weaken the other side for negotiations.

This statue that boasts to be twice the size of New York’s Statue of Liberty and taller than China’s Spring Temple Buddha, which at 128m rules as the tallest statue in the world, will be located in the Indian state of Gujrat.

With a vision to be at a height of 182m to forever capture the spirit of India’s ‘Iron Man’, bidders are already being invited from across the world to undertake this project; the latest issue of the Economist has a full-page advert inviting tenders.

Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi, wrote about the project in his official blog in October last year, stating that the memorial will serve as a “source of inspiration”.

Mr Modi wrote that the statue would act as a “high-tech museum, chronicling 90 years’ history of India’s freedom fighters” and will also be developed as a research centre for “preserving the unity and integrity of India”.

“Thus, it would be standing high not just in meters and feet but much more in terms of academic, historical, national and spiritual values,” he added.

Mr Modi has said that he expects the project to be complete in three years and that it would be called the “Statue of Unity”. The project is expected to cost £162 million and proposals are to be handed in by July 11.

Sardar Patel was a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, father of the Indian nation. Mr Patel was also the first home minister of independent India.

The 59-year-old Al-Qaeda veteran has been branded an “armchair general” by US officials, alleging that the new leader has no combat experience, charisma or leadership skills – calling to question his ability to control and hold onto the terrorist outfit as a unified body.

Admiral Mike Mullen, a prominent US military officer and chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: “As we did both seek to capture and kill – and succeed in killing – bin Laden, we certainly will do the same thing with Zawahiri”.

Zawahiri, who was for several years bin Laden’s personal physician and closest confidante, has faced a barrage of scorn and anxiety since he was chosen leader of the terror network.

CNN’s national security analyst, Peter Bergen, analysed: “It doesn’t suggest a vast reservoir of accumulated goodwill for him.”

US defense secretary, Robert Gates, has warned that news of Zawahiri being chosen as Al-Qaeda’s leader should remind us of the threat that the terrorist organisation constantly poses: “First of all I think we should be mindful that this announcement by Al-Qaeda reminds us that despite having suffered a huge loss… Al-Qaeda seeks to perpetuate itself, seeks to find replacements for those who have been killed, and remains committed to the agenda that bin Laden put before them.”

The defence secretary did not hesitate to joke that it was “probably tough to count votes when you’re in a cave,” stating that the new leader faces “some challenges.”

“Bin Laden has been the leader of Al-Qaeda essentially since its inception. In that particular context he had a peculiar charisma that I think Zawahiri does not have. I think he was much more operationally engaged than we have the sense Zawahiri has been.”

This most-wanted man is swiftly gathering global criticism. It remains to be seen how he utilises his position as leader and if he is able to hold onto the terrorist network that bin Laden infamously formed or whether this new leadership would fragment the group.

We are a unique species, aren’t we? Not humans. Indians, I mean. No other race speaks or spells like we do.

Take greetings for example.

A friendly clerk asking me for my name is apt to start a conversation with, “What is your good name?” As if I hold that sort of information close to my heart and only divulge my evil pseudonym. Bizarre.

I call these Indianisms.

Which got me thinking about a compilation, a greatest hits of the 10 most hilarious Indianisms out there. And here they are. The most common ones, and my favorites among them.

1. ‘Passing out’

When you complete your studies at an educational institution, you graduate from that institution.

You do not “pass out” from that institution.

To “pass out” refers to losing consciousness, like after you get too drunk, though I’m not sure how we managed to connect graduating and intoxication.

Oh wait … of course, poor grades throughout the year could lead to a sudden elation on hearing you’ve passed all of your exams, which could lead to you actually “passing out,” but this is rare at best.

2. ‘Kindly revert’

One common mistake we make is using the word revert to mean reply or respond.

Revert means “to return to a former state.”

I can’t help thinking of a sarcastic answer every time this comes up.

“Please revert at the earliest.”

“Sure, I’ll set my biological clock to regress evolutionarily to my original primitive hydrocarbon state at 1 p.m. today.”

3. ‘Years back’

If it happened in the past, it happened years ago, not “years back.”

Given how common this phrase is, I’m guessing the first person who switched “ago” for “back” probably did it years back. See what I mean?

And speaking of “back,” asking someone to use the backside entrance sounds so wrong.

“So when did you buy this car?”

“Oh, years back.”

“Cool, can you open the backside? I’d like to get a load in.”

4. ‘Doing the needful’

Try to avoid using the phrase “do the needful.” It went out of style decades ago, about the time the British left.

Using it today indicates you are a dinosaur, a dinosaur with bad grammar.

You may use the phrase humorously, to poke fun at such archaic speech, or other dinosaurs.

“Will you do the needful?”

“Of course, and I’ll send you a telegram to let you know it’s done too.”

5. ‘Discuss about’

“What shall we discuss about today?”

“Let’s discuss about politics. We need a fault-ridden topic to mirror our bad grammar.”

You don’t “discuss about” something; you just discuss things.

The word “discuss” means to “talk about”. There is no reason to insert the word “about” after “discuss.”

That would be like saying “talk about about.” Which “brings about” me to my next peeve.

In a move that is being criticised widely, India’s prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) has set a cut-off of a 100% for candidates to be considered on the College’s first list in order to pursue a degree in its reputed BCom Honours programme.

And it’s not just SRCC, Hindu College and Lady Shri Ram College for Women, who are also part of Delhi University, have increased their cut-off percentages to 99% and 97% respectively.

A press release from Delhi University on the subject of cut-off requirements states: “Colleges have exercised abundant caution in declaring the first cut-off list. Aspirants for admission are advised not to get discouraged. Most colleges are expected to announce four more lists with lower cut-offs.”

Although there are four more cut-off lists to be announced on June 21 and 27 and July 2 and 8 which are bound to create more realistic cut-off marks, the concept of a first cut-off list considering a 100% score is frightening for students and parents alike.

Vineet Kanabar, a recent graduate from Ahmedabad’s popular MICA College, told this columnist: “It’s a reflection of how unidimensional the criteria for success is in society. It was always an inevitability though…It should be interesting if it [the criticism surrounding these numbers] forces the educators into reforming the system and what these reforms will be.”

Parent and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah, who has two children studying in Delhi, expressed his disbelief on Twitter: “Worry? I’m terrified for my sons because in five years, when Zamir[Mr Abdullah's son] moves to college, the cut-offs will be even more insane.” He further asked: “If 100 per cent is the minimum requirement to be considered for admission, are there kids coming with more than 100 out of 100…With these kinds of cut-off marks I would have been doing a correspondence course because I wouldn’t have even got a “pass course” admission.”

India has always been home to strict academic expectations wherein a degree qualification often is a fabric to respect in society. The more elite the scope of education, the better recognised amongst peers and family has often been the case in the country. However, rocketing requirements to be even considered for such degrees is raising concern in a society where rejection can result in grievous results. These outrageous cut-off marks can serve one of two purposes – the hope is that this incident will be crucial in instigating a reform of the education system in India; otherwise, this could serve as the starting point to a spiralling habit of elitism and a disinterest and drop-out rate in academic study.

There have also been accounts that villagers did not try and obstruct the humiliating incident as the offenders were armed.

This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred in Pakistan; police chief, Mohammad Ali Gandapur, told the BBC that a resident of the village had complained to the elders that two men had had sexual relations with his wife. The village council had then advised the complainant to divorce his wife.

However, four armed men went onto accost the mother of one of the men, disrobed the woman and humiliated her in front of the village. However, only two of the seven men who have had complaints registered against them have been arrested so far for the act.

The Hindustan Times in India offers an insight:

The incident occurred in the wake of a woman in Neelor Bala becoming pregnant while her husband was away in Lahore.

She accused two local men of having raped her.

The woman’s husband took the matter to the village jirga headed by Basheer Abbasi and Raqeeb on June 8.

The jirga decided that the woman should immediately divorce her husband and the two men accused of rape should be punished. The man forced his wife to file for divorce.

After returning home, the husband of the woman and his three brothers reached the house of one of the men accused of rape and dragged his mother on to the streets.

They beat the mother with rifle butts and allegedly paraded her naked.

Police said the matter was brought to their notice by some rights activists and they registered a case against jirga members.

Civil society activists have caused an uproar since the incident and offered the victim legal and moral support. Campaigners have also stressed on the difficulty to achieve justice for women abused in Pakistan. And the bare fact that often women are punished for their sons’ or husband’s acts raises concerns over the human rights abuses prevalent in parts of the country.

Indian newspaper, Hindustan Times, reports that the actress had spoken to Mr Husain a month before his death where he had expressed regret at not being able to return to India. The feisty artist was living in exile after he was forced to flee when his naked portrayal of the goddess Bharatmata caused an uproar within Hindu fundamentalists.

Trying to contain her emotions, Madhuri remembers her final conversation with Husain. “The last time I spoke to him was more than a month back. He was so excited about that  project on 100 Years Of Cinema. He would always be filled with excitement and never get tired of his work. I think his work was his stress-buster. Most of us need a break from our work, no matter how much we love it. Not Husain Saab.’

Husain died in London on Thursday at age 95.

Speaking from Denver, Madhuri said: “As usual he was very excited about this latest brainchild. His zest for life and his ideas always made me feel older than him.”

Taking a deep breath, Madhuri sighs: “It’s very difficult to believe Husain Saab is gone. It’s like losing someone very near to you. If as you say I was some part of his huge legacy then I am very very proud of being part of what Husain Saab created. He is certainly someone who made a difference to my life.”

Diplomatically evading the issue of Husain’s enforced exile away from India, Madhuri finally burst out: “Whenever we spoke he was so charged. He would get sad only when he talked about not being home in India. Husain Saab was one of the more liberal people I knew. He believed in all religions and he experienced life to the fullest. Yes, I’ll miss him.”

In Madhuri’s home in the US, MF Husian is a household name. “Even my children know about him. When I told my son Husain Saab is no more he was like, ‘Aw Mom, is he really gone?’

The article further explains the relationship between the painter and his muse:

Most of all Madhuri remembers the 90-plus icon’s gusto for existence. “He was restless and fidgety. Always on the move. I was tempted to tell him, ‘Husain Saab, slow down, so I can catch up with you.’ My association started with him when he saw me in ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’. He saw it umpteenth times. I guess he liked my screen presence. I learnt a lot from my interaction with him.”

This excerpt from the Daily Telegraph is an informative eulogy:

Mr Husain, known as ‘India’s Picasso’, emerged as its most successful international artist in the 1980s after his work caught the attention of a number of wealthy and influential patrons including the Hinduja brothers and the American collectors Chester and Davida Herwitz.

He died in London, aged 95, on Thursday, five years after he was forced to flee India amid protests and legal actions by Hindu fundamentalist groups who objected to his naked portrayal of the goddess Bharatmata.

Although the works had been painted in 1970, they provoked an outcry amongst Hindu militant groups when they were reprinted in 1996.

Over the following ten years he was charged with ‘hurting the sentiments’ of Hindus, faced a series of court cases, and his Mumbai home was attacked by a powerful street gang.

He eventually left India for Qatar to concentrate on his work free of legal distractions, but told friends he yearned to return and see out his days in Mumbai.

Fellow Indian painter and sculptor Jatin Das said the people and government of India had failed to appreciate his greatness as an artist.

“The present Indian society is so black and white, prosaic and materialistic that there is no place for a painter, thinker, poet or philosopher.

“Husain was one of the greatest artists India had produced. Because of the threat he went in exile and the government, society and people neither pleaded to him to come back nor provided protection. He must have died very sad because he longed for India every time,” he said.

“Officially he died as a Qatarian national but at heart he was an Indian, he was a man of Bombay, he was sad and died lonely,” he added.

This is a reflection of the country’s increasing economic clout and presents a stark depiction of the polarised wealth within its population. This new ‘caste’ of uber-rich millionaires will continue to get richer, forecasts the collaborative study between the Mumbai financial group and the Indian ratings agency, even as tackling poverty remains one of the country’s biggest problems.

This spurt has been prompted by the ability of these individuals to take risks and increase their profits unlike India’s previous cautious investors.

However, it looks like this leap in numbers in millionaires will little affect the country’s poor as the report tends to suggest that those with money want to keep it within the family.

India’s Business Today carries an excerpt from this new study, Top of the Pyramid – Decoding the Ultra HNI (High Networth Individual:”While a minority contended otherwise, the desire to preserve wealth for the future and transfer wealth to the family was fairly universal.”

“It is important in the case of a family business. You would want your ideals, legacy to continue with your blood only,” answered an inheritor, also part of the study.

The magazine also analyses parts of the report to reveal that from a response group of more than 150 UHNIs interviewed for the study, 60% agreed that they want to ensure that they have enough money in order to pass the wealth onto the next generation. This is followed by a need for social security (53% of the respondents) and that for regular income (47.5%).

It is alarming for a country that has seen an increase in its number of billionaires from 49 last year to 55 this year, that a transfer of wealth to help those in need is seen as less of an option than buying extravagant gifts such as helicopters. Granted that charity forms a part of society in India; the question is, will an additional 158,000 millionaires help make a difference?

While maintaining that merit and not nationality should guide selection of the new International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief, India will in all likelihood support French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde for the job.

Lagarde, on a day’s visit to India, met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today and got a favourable response. Mukherjee said he would even talk to Mexico’s central bank governor, Agustin Carstens, to dissuade him from contesting and build a consensus around Lagarde. He told Lagarde the selection should be through consensus.

When the post had fallen vacant and Lagarde, backed by some European countries, announced her candidature, government representatives had said it was time to end the practice of reserving the post for someone from Europe.

Christine Lagarde. Pic: AP.

According to sources, Mukherjee today told Lagarde that New Delhi “appreciates” her credentials.

However, publicly, he said, “There is no assurance. We are working on a consensus.” Lagarde said, “We had an excellent meeting. We were able to review quite a few issues.”

Lagarde also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

New Delhi’s decision to support Lagarde is based on the fact that India enjoys good relations with France, a major power in Europe.

Mukherjee told Lagarde, “When I was the finance minister in 1982, IMF was headed by a French person. When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the finance minister in the early 90s, IMF had another French chief. This time, I am the finance minister and you are contesting for the IMF top post.”

Mukherjee, however, did tell Lagarde that the selection should be on merit. “The candidate should be outstanding. The candidate should be considered irrespective of his or her country of origin,” he said.

SS: Ms Lagarde has complimented India on the “affection” shown to her. Seeing as Montek Singh Ahulwalia, India’s candidate for the IMF job who was disqualified for being above the maximum cut-off age, is a personal friend to the French candidate, this looks like a situation with positive results. However, it is yet to be seen what the commitments Ms Lagarde would have to promise to in order to receive this emerging economy’s backing – reports indicate that these are transparency in setting countries’ voting shares at the IMF and continued momentum on reforms to give emerging markets greater representation, according to Cornell University professor and adviser to the IMF, Eswar Prasad.

This follows the incidents of Saturday when Baba Ramdev, the Indian Yoga leader, who was on a fast unto death calling on the government to respond to issues of corruption, was removed in a police crackdown where several peaceful protestors were injured.

This has encouraged the civil society activists to write a letter directed to the Indian finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, criticising the action meted out to Ramdev and his supporters and questioning the government’s motives in confronting and eradicating corruption in the state.

Indian activist Anna Hazare, 73, right, speaks with yoga guru Ramdev. Pic: AP.

“…all these developments had raised doubts in our minds whether the government was at all serious in dealing with corruption and having a strong Lokpal Bill. However, what happened on Saturday night at Ramlila Grounds further strengthened our doubts. Helpless and unarmed people, who were protesting peacefully against corruption, were assaulted without any provocation. Media reports indicate that this was done after government failed to reach an agreement with Swami Ramdev. Is that a sufficient provocation to assault unarmed people in the middle of the night? The high-handed and brutal manner in which the Grounds were evacuated shows that the government was committed to crush the people raising their voice against corruption.

“All the above developments have raised very serious doubts about the intentions of the government. Is the government really serious in dealing with corruption, especially when the government is facing such severe criticism on account of so many scams?” the letters asks.

The group has also accused the government of systematically trying to curtail the powers of the Lokpal bill – the prime minister, MPs and middle and lower sections of bureaucracy were all attempting to be exempt from the reach of the watchdog. This might even mean that the Bill would have powers over a measly 300-odd population of officers and ministers, negating its entire reason for existence.

The activists are now attempting to reschedule the next meeting slotted for June 10 as that would collide with other engagements of Anna Hazare.

Council chiefs in Britain’s second city met with trade unions Friday after plans to outsource computer jobs to India sparked an angry response.

Birmingham City Council bosses held talks with members of Unite, Britain’s biggest trade union, for talks over what Unite says is the first outsourcing of British local authority jobs to India.

Employees have already been recruited from India to shadow workers in the city in central England.

The jobs come under Service Birmingham, a joint venture between the council — Europe’s largest local authority, representing more than one million people — and business process outsourcing firm Capita.

Capita took on 17 support staff in its information technology and human resources departments in India, and could recruit another 38 in August. Unite claims the number could rise to 100 by 2012.

“It beggars belief that council workers will be forced to train workers from overseas to do their jobs so Capita and Birmingham Council can lift and shift them abroad,” said Unite national officer Peter Allenson.

“We fear this could be just the tip of the iceberg and other councils could follow suit. Thousands of public sector jobs could go.”

Service Birmingham says nobody in the city has lost their job as a result of the move.

English local authorities are facing cuts in central government funding as Prime Minister David Cameron’s administration tries to cut Britain’s record budget deficit.

SS: Outsourcing jobs to the subcontinent has raised substantial concern among Britons as the belief is that doing so undermines the potential of Britain and its jobseekers. This seems like a valid concern in the face of cuts and job losses under the new Coalition government; it’s no wonder then that there is considerable protest over losing potential jobs in the country to another for cheaper costs.

Asserting that it was unacceptable to blame Beijing for the recent events, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Hong Lei, said: “Hacking attacks are an international issue. China is also a victim. The so-called statement that the Chinese government supports hacking attacks is a total fabrication out of nothing. It has ulterior motives.”

The situation arose when it was alleged that Chinese hackers stole Gmail login details of hundreds of top US and South Korean officials, journalists, military personnel and Chinese political activists in what is not the first standoff between the world’s largest search engine and a country reputed for its censoring powers. However, Google has not directly blamed the Chinese government, but has stated that the hacking originated in Jinan – suspected to be a hub of cyber espionage in the country. The company has also warned about a “phishing scam” and alerted its users over it in a public statement.

Google security team engineering director, Eric Grosse, had earlier blogged: “We recently uncovered a campaign to collect user passwords, likely through phishing. The goal of this effort seems to have been to monitor the contents of these users’ emails, with the perpetrators apparently using stolen passwords to change peoples’ forwarding and delegation settings.

“Google detected and has disrupted this campaign to take users’ passwords and monitor their emails. We have notified victims and secured their accounts. In addition, we have notified relevant government authorities.”

There have been reports that the While House has been investigating these allegations but did not believe that US officials had had their personal email accounts breached, according to news service AFP.

Despite China’s denials, this incident of cyber-attacks has heightened tensions between US, UK and China. Cyber-attacks remain a very real threat and as the world progresses, hi-tech software allows for sophisticated cyber warfare that could be fatal without the use of a single bullet.

Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris made the observation during the opening of a three-day military seminar hosted by the government to share the lessons of its victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009.

The conference in the capital Colombo began amid a renewed push by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and some Western nations for an international probe into allegations war crimes happened in the quarter-century conflict’s last phase.

“The entire body of international law must be revisited,” Peiris, a law professor, told the conference. “It was developed during a time of war between state actors. Surely the principles have to be revamped, because it is asymmetrical now.”

The LTTE, born in the 1970s era of liberation movements with the stated aim of creating a separate state for Sri Lanka’s Tamils, later landed on U.S., British and 30 other nations’ terrorism lists due to its prolific use of suicide bombings.

Rights groups have urged a boycott of the seminar called “Defeating Terrorism-Sri Lankan Experience”, which Sri Lankan ally and top weapons supplier China is co-sponsoring.

Sri Lanka invited 53 countries, and at least 40 including Russia, Brazil, and other Asian and African nations sent delegates, officials said. Several Western nations declined invitations, although the United States sent a military attache.

SS: In the face of increasing evidence suggesting war crimes in Sri Lanka from “both sides” during the war along with outcry from its citizens regarding several home policies, including the mandatory military-style leadership training for undergraduates, the country needs to assess these issues foremost. Even though these war crimes allegations have been denied by Sri Lanka, there is widespread opinion that if the country is truly sure of the falsity of these accusations, a UN investigation should be allowed in the country.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met in New Delhi today to discuss a range of bilateral issues of regional and international interest to both countries, with Dr Singh stating that terrorism needs to be fought “on all fronts and not selective”.

In a joint conference with Ms Merkel, the Indian prime minister announced: “We discussed the developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Terrorism is a serious challenge which will have to be fought on all fronts and not selectively.”

The German Chancellor, along with a delegation of four ministers, has arrived in India today to discuss trade links between Germany and the emerging market of South Asia. Several influential businessmen also form part of the delegation. The mission will also be travelling to other parts of Asia including Singapore.

The one-day stop which also includes a meeting with Indian president, Pratibha Patil, concluded with collaboration between India and Germany on four agreements for cooperation in vocational research, medical research, science technology and nuclear physics.

Germany has announced yesterday that it will phase out its atomic plants by 2022, a major decision and an international first for a leading nation in reducing nuclear tragedies as that recently experienced in Japan’s Fukushima plant; India, however, has announced new plans to dramatically increase its nuclear power capacity and are in talks to build new plants across the country. These have been held with Russian, French, Japanese and US groups, in order to help realise this goal.

On the topic of nuclear energy and its use, Dr Singh said: “Today our nuclear energy is three per cent of our total energy generation. Our capacity is less than 5,000 MW. We want to raise it to 20,000 MW by the year 2020”, promising to ensure that safety requirements would be of the highest standard.

Giles is a Red Shirt activist living in the UK after having fled from Thailand facing lèse majesté charges for his book, A Coup for the Rich. In this article, he writes about the Thai government’s new effort, the Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism (TCIJ).

Exposing the new ‘Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism’

Today Suchada Jakpisut announced a new “investigative” website named the “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” which claims to expose wrong-doing in Thai society.

But before you get excited, just consider a few hidden facts about this site.

1.  “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” is fully funded by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, a Thai Government organisation which gives money to NGOs. Thai Health Promotion Foundation is funded by ‘sin taxes’ collected by the Government from producers and importers of alcohol and tobacco.

2. Try searching for key issues in Thailand’s political crisis in the “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” website. You will find NOTHING on lèse majesté, state murders of unarmed demonstrators last year, the secret military budget or corruption in the Democrat Party. But you will find an article “exposing” Yinglak Shinawat, leader of the Peua Thai Party… and there is about to be an election….

3. At the bottom of the website for “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” you will find links to various organisations which have been tainted with supporting the Military-backed Government: for example, the Thai journalists association, SEAPA, the Election Commission and the National Human Rights Commission.

4. More interesting links closely connected to the “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” are organisations set up or run by Prof. Dr. Charas Suwanmala, former Dean at Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. He rose to fame when he organised an anti-red shirt rally in the centre of Bangkok. He has been involved with “Thailand Democracy Watch”. This is based at Chulalongkorn University, the university which gave my book “A Coup for the Rich” to the Secret police, resulting in my prosecution for lèse majesté. “Thailand Democracy Watch” never once criticised the 2006 coup or any destruction of Democracy since.

5. Another site linked to the “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” is “Thailand Political Database” set up by the same Prof. Dr. Charas Suwanmala along with an organisation calling itself “Siam Intelligence Unit”. The steering committee of the “Thailand Political Database” has such illustrious characters as Wira Somkwamkit (PAD extremist who crossed over into Cambodia to start a war), Dr Monkol Na Songkla (ex-military-appointed Minister in the junta’s government of 2006) and Yellow Shirt media personality Jermsak Pintong.

So the “Thailand Information Center for Civil Rights and Investigative Journalism” is just another “GNGO” (Government-backed Non-Government Organisation), or in other words a Government media site pretending to be an NGO.