Indain Festival Vaisakhi/ Baisakhi (14 April 2011)

India is a land of festivals and celebrations, umpteen numbers of festivals are celebrated in the country throughout the year. One of the major festivals amongst them is Baisakhi. This festival is of immense significance amongst Hindu and Sikh community in the country. Hindus regard this day as the sacred day when Goddess Ganga descended on earth to serve mankind. It also marks the beginning of their new year. Amongst Sikhs, it is considered as the day when their 10th Guru Gobind Singhji laid the foundation of the sacred Khalsa Panth. The festival of Baisakhi is also an immense joyous occasion for farmers whose long awaited time of harvesting comes along with this festival.

Baisakhi is celebrated in different parts of India in a different manner; however one thing that remains the same is the zeal and enthusiasm of celebrations.

Vaisakhi is an important ancient harvest festival in the Punjab region and Baisakhi 2011 is a Sikh religious festival, which is celebrated on April 14 according to the solar Nanakshahi calendar. This Happy Vaisakhi/ Baisakhi 2011 is considered as the the beginning of Sikh New Year, which also marks the Hindu solar New Year in Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Nepal.

The auspicious Baisakhi/ Baisakhi/ Vasakhi festival is celebrated on first day of Vaisakh month (April-May) according to the Nanakshahi calendar. Baisakhi falls on April 13 every year and on April 14 once in 36 years. This variation in date is due to the fact that date of Baisakhi is reckoned according to the Indian solar calendar and not the lunar calendar.

This festival is of great importance in the Sikh religion, major activities of this festival begin from Gurdwaras. People wake up early and take bath in the holy river to mark the auspicious occasion and visit the near by Gurudwaars for the special prayer meeting organized for the day. After the Baisakhi ardas is over, people gather together to receive specially prepared Kara Prasad. This Prasad is then followed by a ‘langar’ or community lunch at the Gurudwara. After the Langar is over, people come out with the Baisakhi procession under the leadership of Panj piaras. The procession roams all over the city singing religious songs and performing Bhangra and Gidda.

Jwalamukhi Temple, Himachal Pradesh, thousands of devotees offer prayers to the Goddess on Baisakhi day. Ganga Punya bath is also performed on this day. On the same day of Baisakhi festival, Kerala New Year (Vishu), Tamil New Year (Puthandu), Bengali New Year (Pohela Baisakh), and Assamese New Year (Rongali Bihu), and Vaishakha festival in Bihar are also celebrated.

For the large farming community of the country, Baisakhi marks a New Year’s time as it is the season to harvest the rabi crop. On this occasion, the farmers of the country thank god for the plentiful crop and successful completion of their farming season. They also pray for good season ahead. They buy new clothes and feast along with their relatives and neighbors. The feast is accompanied by dancing and singing with the Nagara and Dhol music. At some places, a fair as well as wrestling bouts are organized to make the festival completely fun filled and enjoyable.

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Braxton Family Values Premiere Tonight at 9 PM

Southwest Atlanta resident she will be on Tuesday nights, at 9 p.m. She will be watching the new reality television show Braxton Family Values, the new reality TV show which gives viewers an inside look into the lives of singer Toni Braxton, her four sisters and their mother.

The 10-part episode which was shot mostly in the Atlanta area will air on the cable network We TV.

The longtime Atlanta radio personality has interviewed Toni Braxton—famous for hits such as "Another Sad Love Song" and "Un-break My Heart"—throughout the singer's career. The show will probably show further insight into her issues, Blackmon said.

“I know she is tired of talking about her bankruptcy and all that," Blackmon said, "but hopefully, the show will clear all of that and her health issues up."

After screening the premiere show which airs tonight at 9 p.m. Braxton Family Values, Blackmon will not be disappointed in the drama quotient, but the show is far more than about Toni's issues. The show flings open the curtain on the personal and professional lives of her sisters Tamar, Trina, Traci, Towanda and mother Evelyn.

As Toni relaunches her stage show, Tamar is biting at the bit to launch her own solo career. She is not shy about letting everyone know it, particular her husband who owns a record label and is Toni's best friend and manager.

Traci, however who is married and had a child at a young age feels trap and misses her former life being a back-up singer for her older sister. Now she feels like an outsider.

Towanda is growing tired of being Toni's assistance, and she is also dealing with marital issues. She and her husband, Andre Carter, who grew up in southwest Atlanta and graduated from Woodward Academy, have an open marriage.

Trina is sick of being judged by her sisters and she appears to be out of control when she receives a DUI right down the street from her mother's church.

After 35 years of marriage, mother Evelyn is single and ready to mingle again. But anyone she dates must first receive a majority vote of approval from the Braxton women.

One thing the show is not is a career extender for her, Toni said during a promotional interviews for the show. The idea to do the show came from the youngest sister Tamar back in 2007. It took a few years to convince all of the sisters to take part in the show and then it was shopped around to the different networks. They finally settled with We TV.

“My sister Tamar talked me into it because at first I said no I'm not doing the show,” Toni said. “I don't want people in my space. I don't want to have to answer things that people may assume from watching the show. And my sister said that's it, don't let them assume any more tell it, so then they hear it and there 's no more assumption.”

Any reason Blackmon is excited about seeing the show is because unlikely the other shows which have a predominantly female cast, the Braxtons are related which adds an additional dynamic to the show.

“Like the saying goes, 'You can chose your friends, but you are stuck with your family,'” Blackmon said.

“Because we’re not just friends. We don’t have to go home and not speak to each other until next season or whatever,” she said. “We have to deal with each other because we’re siblings and we became very, very close and now I feel like we can tell each other anything.”

“But I have to be honest it was a rough. The first for a few weeks was, the first couple months, actually it was pretty rough,” added Toni.

Video of Toni Braxton who is still considering Playboy Offer as per NEWS:

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Natalie Portman Dancing: 'Black Swan' Star As A Pre-Teen At Summer Camp

While her "Black Swan" body double claims that she secretly danced all of Natalie Portman's ballet scenes -- charges both "Black Swan" director Darren Aronofksy, choreographer Benjamin Millepied and co-star Mila Kunis vehemently deny -- there can be confusion about whose fancy footwork is on display in this video.

Footage from her turn in an early 90's summer camp production shows a pre-teen Portman leading a tap dancing and then ballet troupe in a series of quick, endearing routines. It's not exactly the New York City Ballet, but the Stage Door Manor Performing Arts Summer Camp, in the New York Catskill Mountains, is no anonymous venue, either. A prominent training ground for aspiring performers, Stage Door has propelled a large number of young dreamers to stardom.

Beyond Portman, Stage Door's alumni list includes Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Braff, Mandy Moore, Jon Cryer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bryce Dallas Howard and Lea Michele.

Portman studied ballet until she was 13 years old, and made her major big screen debut in "Leon: The Professional" in 1994. Her medieval stoner comedy, "Your Highness," debuted in theaters this weekend.

To see Portman perform, skip to 2:30 in the video. To watch her in another camp production, click here.

WATCH:

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'The Hangover 2': Liam Neeson Cut From Film, Replaced By Nick Cassavetes

Liam Neeson's brief appearance in "The Hangover Part II" is ending in a headache for all parties involved.

Neeson, who joined the cast of "The Hangover Part II" last fall for what was supposed to be a cameo role as a tattoo artist, has had his scene cut and his character recast due to scheduling conflicts. Variety reports that Neeson was needed for reshoots, but the Oscar nominee was unable to fit them into his schedule, as he's currently filming "Clash of the Titans 2."

With the film's May release date fast approaching, "Hangover Part II" director Todd Phillips decided to replace Neeson with actor/director Nick Cassavetes. This is the second time the role has been recast; originally, Mel Gibson was due to play the part, only to have Phillips rescind the offer after a cast and crew mutiny made it clear that they were uncomfortable working with the controversial star. Neeson was added in his place.

Cassevetes is perhaps best known for his directing work, including "The Notebook" and "Alpha Dog." He'll also appear in the upcoming film adaptation of "Atlas Shrugged."

“We were in a complete time crunch so I called up Nick and asked if he would do the part,” Phillips explained to Variety. “He came in and crushed it and that is the scene that you will ultimately see in the film. [I'm excited for everyone] to see the film. It turned out great.”

The loss of Neeson, while not crucial, deprives the film of some considerable star power and calling card. Neeson's latest film, "Unknown," opened at number one at the box office in February, marking his third number one film in less than twelve months.

"The Hangover Part II," of course, boasts some increased star power of its own. The breakout role for stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, each has seen increased success since the film's 2009 release. Cooper, Neeson's "The A-Team" co-star, proved a leading man capable of carrying a film to number one with his new thriller, "Limitless," while Helms got rave reviews for his winter comedy "Cedar Rapids." Meanwhile, Phillips and Galifianakis scored a $100 million hit with their fall comedy "Due Date."

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Japan Evacuation Zone: Government Expected To Extend Evacuations Over 18 Miles

Tokyo -- Japan plans to extend the evacuation zone around its crippled nuclear plant because of high radiation levels, local media reported Monday, with engineers no closer to regaining control of six reactors hit by a giant tsunami one month ago.
Concern at Japan's inability contain its nuclear crisis, caused by a March 11 earthquake and tsunami, is mounting with Prime Minister Naoto Kan's ruling party suffering embarrassing losses in local elections Sunday and neighboring China and South Korea voicing criticism.
Engineers at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant north of Tokyo said Sunday they were no closer to restoring the plant's cooling system which is critical if overheated fuel rods are to be cooled and the six reactors brought under control.
They are hoping to stop pumping radioactive water into the ocean Monday, days later than planned.
Four weeks after the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl quarter of a century ago, the government was moving to extend a 20 km (12 mile) evacuation zone due to high levels of radiation, the Asahi newspaper reported.
The government has so far refused to widen the zone, despite being urged to by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and countries like the United States and Australia advising its citizens to stay 80 kms away from the plant.
The Asahi said the government would extend the zone to 30 kms in certain areas, depending on wind direction, and residents would be given a week to prepare for evacuation.
The Japan Times said authorities would soon forcibly close the 20 km zone, stopping people returning to their shattered homes to pick through the rubble for belongings.
Fukushima Governor Yuhei Sato criticised the evacuation policy, saying residents in a 20-30 km radius were initially told to stay indoors and then advised to evacuate voluntarily.
"Residents in the 20-30 km radius were really confused about what to do." Sato told NHK television Sunday.
Media reports said that Sato would refuse to meet the president of Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) when he visits the area Monday.
It is Japan's worst crisis since World War Two after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and a huge tsunami battered its northeast coast, leaving nearly 28,000 dead or missing and rocking the world's third-largest economy.
POLITICAL FALLOUT
Japanese voters Sunday vented their anger at the government's handling of the nuclear and humanitarian crisis, with Kan's ruling Democratic Party of Japan losing nearly 70 seats in local elections.
The unpopular Kan was already under pressure to step down before March 11, but analysts say he is unlikely to be forced out during the crisis, set to drag on for months.
"The great disaster was a double tragedy for Japan. The first tragedy was the catastrophe caused by the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear accident. The other misfortune was that the disaster resulted in prolonging Prime Minister Kan's time in office," Sankei newspaper said in an editorial Monday.
In Tokyo, around 5,000 people took to the streets in two separate anti-nuclear protests Sunday.
China and South Korea have both criticised Japan's handling of the nuclear crisis, with Seoul calling it incompetent, reflecting growing international unease over the month-long atomic disaster and the spread of radiation.
Japan's economy, the world's third largest, is reeling from the triple disaster and several countries have banned or restricted food imports after detecting radiation.
More critically, the nuclear crisis and power shortages have disrupted Japan's manufacturing and electronics global supply chains, hitting computer and automakers in particular.
Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa Monday reiterated that the economy is likely to return to a recovery path once supply constraints caused by last month's earthquake and tsunami ease, and as exports grow.
RADIOACTIVE SEAWATER
TEPCO has struggled to regain control of its nuclear plant.
It is currently pumping nitrogen into reactors to counter a build up of hydrogen and prevent another explosion sending more radiation into the air.
"We cannot say what the outlook is for the next stage," Hidehiko Nishiyama, a deputy director-general of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said Sunday.
In a desperate move to cool highly radioactive fuel rods, TEPCO has pumped water onto reactors, some of which have experienced partial meltdown.
But the strategy has hindered moves to restore the plant's internal cooling system, critical to end the crisis, as engineers have had to focus how to store 60,000 tonnes of contaminated water.
Engineers have been forced to pump low-level radioactive water, left by the tsunami, back into the sea in order to free up storage capacity for highly contaminated water from reactors.

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Japan Nuclear Plant Fails To Stop Radioactive Water From Spilling Into Ocean

Japanese nuclear power plant operator TEPCO expects to stop pumping radioactive water into the ocean on Monday, days later than planned, a step that would help ease international concern about the spread of radiation from a smashed nuclear plant.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Democratic Party was likely to be punished at Sunday's local polls for his handling of the massive earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan's northeastern coast on March 11, killing 13,000 and triggering the world's worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

China and South Korea have also criticized Japan's handling of the nuclear crisis, with Seoul calling it incompetent, reflecting growing international unease over the month-long atomic disaster and the spread of radiation.

Japan is struggling to regain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that was damaged by the magnitude 9 quake and 15 meter tsunami.

The nuclear plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), has been pumping sea water into the reactors to cool the nuclear core, and then discharging the water, after it has become contaminated, back into the Pacific Ocean

TEPCO had planned to stop the discharge on Saturday, but work was interrupted by a powerful aftershock late on Thursday. The firm then pushed the target back to Sunday, a goal it failed to meet.

"We are making checks on remaining water, and the final check is scheduled for tomorrow," a company spokesman told a press briefing late on Sunday.

TEPCO was forced to start pumping sea water into the power plant after failing to restart the reactors' cooling systems after the quake. It has been pumping in nitrogen to cool the core, but officials say they are unsure of what to do next.

"We cannot say what the outlook is for the next stage," Hidehiko Nishiyama, a deputy director-general of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said on Sunday. "As soon as possible we would like to achieve stable cooling and set a course toward controlling radiation."

It is also grappling with a major humanitarian and economic crisis and facing a damages bill as high as $300 billion -- the world's biggest for any natural disaster.

Japanese who voted in local elections on Sunday were expected to shun Kan's ruling party, further weakening him and bolstering opponents who will try to force his resignation once the crisis ends. Results of the vote are expected on Monday.

Unpopular prime minister Kan was already under pressure to step down before the disaster, but analysts say he is unlikely to be dumped during the nuclear crisis, which is set to drag on for months.

ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTESTS

In Tokyo, around 5,000 people took to the streets in two separate anti-nuclear protests on Sunday. Some carried placards reading 'No More Fukushima' and 'No Nukes'; others danced and played musical instruments.

One group of demonstrators marched to the offices of the operator of the stricken plant, which has apologized to Japan, and neighboring countries, for the crisis.

Radiation from Japan spread around the entire northern hemisphere in the first two weeks of the nuclear crisis, according to the Vienna-based Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization.

Japan's economy, the world's third largest, is reeling from the triple disaster and several countries have banned or restricted food imports after detecting radiation.

More critically, the nuclear crisis and power shortages have disrupted Japan's manufacturing and electronics global supply chains, hitting computer and automakers in particular.

Power blackouts and restrictions, factory shutdowns, and a sharp drop in tourists have hit the world's most indebted nation.

Efforts to regain control of six reactors hit by the tsunami, which caused partial meltdowns to some reactor cores after fuel rods were overheated, has been hindered by 60,000 tonnes of radioactive water.

NISA said efforts to restore cooling systems were not making clear progress.

TEPCO wants to start moving some of the highly contaminated water out of the reactors and into a condenser, a key step toward restoring the critical cooling system.

"We may be able to use (electric) systems that are currently functioning for cooling, and that may speed up the cooling restoration. But there is no concrete and clear option," said NISA's Nishiyam
a.

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Ivory Coast: Ouattara Forces Commit Abuses, Human Rights

Ivory Coast — United Nations and French helicopters fired rockets on strongman Laurent Gbagbo's residence on Sunday in an assault the U.N. said was to retaliate for attacks by his forces on U.N. headquarters and civilians.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had authorized the strikes, accusing Gbagbo of using heavy weapons against Ivory Coast civilians and the U.N. forces trying to protect them.

Residents from nearby neighborhoods reported seeing two U.N. Mi-24 attack helicopters and a French helicopter open fire on the residence, where Gbagbo is holed up in a bunker. The residents couldn't be named for fear of reprisal.

An Associated Press reporter saw the helicopters take off from the French military base followed minutes later by explosions coming from the direction of the residence. Successive waves of French helicopters took off from the base in the following hours and additional bombardments could be heard.

Gbagbo has been living in a bunker in his residence in Abidjan for nearly a week. After a decade in power, he refuses to step aside even though the United Nations has ruled that he lost the November presidential election to Alassane Ouattara.

Forces loyal to Gbagbo were encircled at the presidential residence earlier this week but broke out on Saturday, ambushing a patrol of soldiers loyal to his rival and advancing downtown.

Pro-Gbagbo forces also attacked U.N. headquarters on Saturday and again on Sunday.

In New York, a statement issued by the U.N. secretary-general accused Gbagbo and supporters of saying earlier in April that they were willing to negotiate an end to the crisis but that "they, in fact, used that time to regroup their forces and redeploy heavy weapons."

Since then, Ban said, Gbagbo's forces have attacked U.N. peacekeepers, civilians and the Golf Hotel where Ouattara is holed up.

Ban said he authorized U.N. units, with backing from French forces, to carry out attacks aimed at eliminating Gbagbo's heavy weapons.

He urged Gbagbo again "to step aside immediately" and turn the government over to Ouattara.

In Ivory Coast, U.N. spokesman Hamadoun Toure said: "This is in retaliation for a series of attacks for the last three or four days not only against (the U.N.) but also against the civilian population – often with heavy weapons."

Toure said Sunday's airstrikes targeted the presidential palace and Gbagbo's residence, as well as military bases where heavy weapons had been identified.

Gbagbo has lost control of virtually the entire country in the last two weeks as forces loyal to Ouattara have swept down from the north and west into the commercial capital. U.N. and French forces joined the effort last week, and a first round of U.N. and French airstrikes destroyed much of his arsenal of tanks, mortars and other heavy weapons.

In the wake of the onslaught, Gbagbo and his top military men were negotiating a surrender early last week that had raised expectations the four-month political standoff was nearing an end. But he continued to assert he would not give up power and was the legitimate president of Ivory Coast.

"I am concluding that Mr. Gbagbo has lost contact with reality," said the U.N. peacekeeping mission head, Choi Young-jin.

The United Nations said the Golf Hotel in Abidjan where Ouattara is based came under attack late Saturday and one peacekeeper was injured. Rockets and mortars landed on the hotel grounds shortly after U.N. forces came under attack nearby, said U.N. spokesman Toure. One peacekeeper was evacuated to a hospital with serious injuries, he said.

Massere Toure, a communications adviser for Ouattara, denied the hotel itself was targeted by the attack, which she said started when a patrol sent out from the hotel was ambushed by forces loyal to Gbagbo. Toure confirmed that stray bullets and at least one mortar landed on hotel grounds during the fighting.

Ouattara's forces have repeatedly said they do not want to kill Gbagbo, a move that would stoke the rage of supporters of the strongman, who won 46 percent of the vote in last year's election.

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Russia Plans Space Program Expansion And Moon Base By 2030: Reports

Russia is planning a massive increase in its space launches and may even build a base on the moon as part of a manned mission to Mars in the next two decades, according to reports.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday that his country's plans go well beyond transporting crews to the International Space Station. With a 2010-2011 space budget estimated at 200 billion rubles ($7.09 billion), Russia is the world's fourth-largest spender on space after U.S. space agency NASA, the European Space Agency and France

"Russia should not limit itself to the role of an international space ferryman. We need to increase our presence on the global space market," Putin is quoted as having said at his residence outside Moscow. The meeting was planned specifically to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering space flight.

Other reports cite official documents which claim a manned Russian mission to Mars could be possible in 2030 following the creation of a moon base. "Above all, we are talking about flights to the moon and the creation of a base close to its north pole where there is likely to be a source of water," read one of the documents, according to the Telegraph.

Russian scientists are also said to have touted the moon as a potential source of energy, saying it contains large reserves of helium 3, a sought-after isotope that may be the key to a new way of generating power.

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Missing AP Photographer Altaf Qadri Found Safe In Libya

An award-winning Associated Press photographer covering the conflict in Libya was located Sunday after being missing for more than a day, the news agency said.

Altaf Qadri was safe and unhurt, and was on his way back to the AP offices in Benghazi, according to John Daniszewski, the agency's senior managing editor for international news and photos.

Qadri became separated from his colleagues near the eastern Libyan city of Ajdabiya while on assignment Saturday, according to the AP.

"We're very pleased that he has emerged unharmed while covering the violence in the area," Daniszewski said. "We thank all the people around the world who offered good wishes for his safe return."

Qadri, 35, won a World Press Photo award this year for his poignant photograph of relatives mourning over the body of a man killed in a shooting by Indian police in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Qadri, an Indian citizen, is a native of the Kashmiri city of Srinagar. He studied science at Kashmir University and worked as a computer engineer before taking a job as a staff photographer at a local Kashmiri newspaper in 2001.

In 2003, he joined the European Press Photo Agency and covered the conflict in Kashmir. In 2008, he began working for The Associated Press in the Indian city of Amritsar. His work has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world and has been exhibited in the United States, China, France and India.

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