Showing posts with label Seeks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seeks. Show all posts

Monday, March 5, 2012

Museum seeks royal plane wreckage

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
24 February 2012 Last updated at 10:06 GMT Maharaja Hanwant Singh Maharaja Hanwant Singh died in a plane crash in 1952 A museum in India's Rajasthan state has asked Jodhpur Central Jail to hand over the wreckage of an aircraft that crashed in 1952, killing Maharaja Hanwant Singh and his mistress.

The remains of the light aircraft were found in the jail's cellar last year, nearly 60 years after the crash.

Officials think the wreckage was kept in the jail because it was bad luck.

The museum is yet to decide what they will do with the plane's wreckage once they get possession of it.

The Maharaja of Jodhpur, Hanwant Singh, died in the plane crash with his mistress Zubeida while he was campaigning in newly independent India's first general elections in 1952.

The light aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, was the flying maharaja's favourite.

Though he was married to royal princess Krishna Kumari, he spent his last days with Zubeida.

Popular museum

The wreckage was left unattended in the Jodhpur jail for decades.

According to the jail officials, the wreckage was found when staff there looked through a pile of rubble.

"First we thought it could be a wreckage from the Indo-Pak war, when Pakistan bombs hit the city and some inmates were killed. But later we found it is the wreckage of the late Maharaja Hanwant Singh's plane," a senior officer of the jail told the BBC.

The Mehrangarh Museum Trust, founded in 1972 by Maharaja Gaj Singh has sent a formal letter to the jail authorities seeking possession of the wreckage.

Jodhpur Jail Superintendent AR Niazi told the BBC the issue would be referred to the government for the final decision.

The director of the trust, Mahendra Singh Nagar, said it was not clear what they would do with the wreckage, "but it will be part of the museum trust".

The wreckage of the plane in Jodhpur Central Jail The wreckage is kept in the jail

The Mehrangarh Museum draws a large number of tourists - over 70,000 foreign visitors and 400,000 Indians, annually.

Hanwant Singh fielded candidates in the country's first general elections and gave the Congress Party a tough challenge.

He himself won a state assembly seat as well one in the Indian parliament.

But he died in the plane crash before the results were declared.

Noted film producer Shyam Benegal's film Zubeidaa highlighted the mistress's story. It was written by Zubeida's son Khalid Mohammed.


View the original article here

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Museum seeks royal plane wreckage

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
24 February 2012 Last updated at 10:06 GMT Maharaja Hanwant Singh Maharaja Hanwant Singh died in a plane crash in 1952 A museum in India's Rajasthan state has asked Jodhpur Central Jail to hand over the wreckage of an aircraft that crashed in 1952, killing Maharaja Hanwant Singh and his mistress.

The remains of the light aircraft were found in the jail's cellar last year, nearly 60 years after the crash.

Officials think the wreckage was kept in the jail because it was bad luck.

The museum is yet to decide what they will do with the plane's wreckage once they get possession of it.

The Maharaja of Jodhpur, Hanwant Singh, died in the plane crash with his mistress Zubeida while he was campaigning in newly independent India's first general elections in 1952.

The light aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, was the flying maharaja's favourite.

Though he was married to royal princess Krishna Kumari, he spent his last days with Zubeida.

Popular museum

The wreckage was left unattended in the Jodhpur jail for decades.

According to the jail officials, the wreckage was found when staff there looked through a pile of rubble.

"First we thought it could be a wreckage from the Indo-Pak war, when Pakistan bombs hit the city and some inmates were killed. But later we found it is the wreckage of the late Maharaja Hanwant Singh's plane," a senior officer of the jail told the BBC.

The Mehrangarh Museum Trust, founded in 1972 by Maharaja Gaj Singh has sent a formal letter to the jail authorities seeking possession of the wreckage.

Jodhpur Jail Superintendent AR Niazi told the BBC the issue would be referred to the government for the final decision.

The director of the trust, Mahendra Singh Nagar, said it was not clear what they would do with the wreckage, "but it will be part of the museum trust".

The wreckage of the plane in Jodhpur Central Jail The wreckage is kept in the jail

The Mehrangarh Museum draws a large number of tourists - over 70,000 foreign visitors and 400,000 Indians, annually.

Hanwant Singh fielded candidates in the country's first general elections and gave the Congress Party a tough challenge.

He himself won a state assembly seat as well one in the Indian parliament.

But he died in the plane crash before the results were declared.

Noted film producer Shyam Benegal's film Zubeidaa highlighted the mistress's story. It was written by Zubeida's son Khalid Mohammed.


View the original article here

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Daughter-in-law seeks reward in capture of U.K. fugitive

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - The daughter-in-law who turned in captured British fugitive Edward Maher is trying to claim $158,000 in reward money offered 19 years ago when Maher allegedly stole $1.6 million from an armored van.

Jessica King turned Maher in to authorities in southwest Missouri this month, according to her lawyer Brandon Potter of Springfield, Missouri. She hired Potter to help her get a reward offered by the British firm Securicor, which owned the van held up in Felixstowe, England, Potter said.

Maher, 56, is being held on a charge of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He awaits possible extradition to the United Kingdom in the 1993 robber case.

Maher, dubbed "Fast Eddie" in British media after his disappearance, told the FBI he had been using the name of his brother, Michael Maher, and went to the U.S. in 1998 because he was wanted for a crime in the UK.

King recently learned from her husband, Lee King, about Maher's background, Potter said. Maher later confronted her, saying "I know that you know" and threatened to kill her if she said anything, Potter said.

But she went to police in Ozark, Mo., leading to Maher's arrest.

"When you look at it from a legal standpoint, it was the right thing to do," Potter said on Monday. "He was on the run."

Jessica King is in the process of divorcing her husband, whom she married in October, Potter said.

Potter said there were possible conditions attached to the reward, such as that Maher be convicted and that the cash be returned. But he said there are common law precedents dating back to the 1800s that should help King claim rights to the reward.

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Peter Bohan)


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Friday, February 24, 2012

Murdoch Seeks New Start with Tamer Sunday Tabloid

The new Sunday edition of Rupert Murdoch's British Sun tabloid, to be launched with a huge advertising campaign and a print run of around 3 million this week, is expected to be more family-friendly and less salacious than its predecessor, The News of the World.

Rupert MurdochAmid the fall-out of a phone-hacking scandal that triggered the arrest of a string of Sun journalists, industry insiders believe The Sun on Sunday, whose launch is being personally led by Murdoch himself, looks likely to be heavier on fashion and football and lighter on the sex and scandal for which the News of the World was renowned.

Before it was ignominiously closed down last year The News of the World, founded in 1843, wallowed in muck-raking sensationalism designed to amuse and shock in equal measure.

Its fondness for page one headlines packed with puns and sexual innuendo was legendary.

A couple of its more memorable headlines included "Andrew and the Sex Slave Beast" and "My Big Fat Gypsy Divorce at Just 19."

In contrast, The Sun typically leads on more mainstream news stories with irreverent front-page headlines such as "Bin Bagged" when Osama bin Laden was killed.

David Mulrenan, head of UK press at media buyer ZenithOptimedia, told Reuters the new Sun on Sunday was likely to be a much tamer beast than its defunct predecessor.

"It's going to be a lot less salacious than the News of the World, and probably open up a lot more of the family market," he said.

He said The Sun on Sunday would go some way to filling the gap in the Sunday market, and that advertisers who pulled out last year over the revelation that the News of the World had hacked the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler were likely to pile into the Sun on Sunday at its launch.

Murdoch penned a tweet on Thursday reflecting his optimism about the new title that boasted: "We're completely sold out for advertising!"

The speed at which the new paper is being rolled out - it was announced only six days before its scheduled first appearance on newsstands - came as a shock to rivals, advertisers and even the staff. It will launch at a price of 50 pence (78 cents), undercutting rivals. The price of the Saturday edition will also be cut to 50 pence from 60 pence.

"The key thing for them will be the audience because that is the way they make their money, they're less reliant on advertising," Alun Lucas at media buyer MEC Manchester told Reuters. "So they'll be aggressive in recruiting the readers and then the advertisers will follow."

The launch will pose a host of challenges both within the company and for rivals and advertisers, compounded by the fact it is happening at such a frantic pace.

How, for instance, will staff working across the seven-day title manage to reserve exclusive stories for Sunday in the way that the News of the World used to do, by holing up sources in safe houses or hotels for days before publication to keep them from talking to other journalists?

Should rivals respond with a cover price cut of their own, at a time when they are already facing long-term structural decline as fewer people buy newspapers?

And should advertisers commit to the new title when in reality they know very little about what it will look like?

Clueless

Sources within News International [NWSA  Loading...      ()   ] and media buyers who have met the paper's commercial team have suggested that with just days to go until the launch, staff are under intense pressure and working frantically to pull the paper together.

Journalists are offering stories but do not know how much space they will have or if their ideas are even wanted. Few have any idea of job roles or titles and the commercial team is struggling to articulate what the new paper will look like.

"The commercial team have been doing a roadshow to advertisers and at the start of the week they appeared to be totally clueless," one media buyer said, asking not to be named.

"Clients need to be persuaded that it's a good environment to advertise in, yet we don't know the cover price, the pagination, the editorial slant."

One former News of the World reporter said the company did not seem to have any concrete plans. "They seem to have announced the launch, made a big fuss and are now frantically trying to get the first copy out, and they'll figure the rest out later," the former employee said.

News groups including News International have been examining ways to cut costs in recent years, with closer cooperation between the daily and Sunday papers seen as one option.

In the eyes of many News of the World journalists, who have not been approached about a job on the new title, the new seven-day plan is simply a way to save money, while boosting morale as Murdoch challenges his critics with a new launch.

He shut the News of the World down in July when it was selling an average of 2.7 million copies.

Media consultancy Enders estimates that some 55 percent of the News of the World's sales have since been picked up by rival publishers, such as Trinity Mirror's [TNI-GB  Loading...      ()   ] Sunday Mirror or Richard Desmond's Daily Star Sunday, while the remaining 45 percent have dropped out of the market altogether.

As well as being the market leader, the News of the World was also impressive in that its readers came from a higher demographic in terms of age and spending power compared with other tabloids, making it even more appealing to advertisers.

Industry insiders believe The Sun on Sunday will also be more family- and female-orientated, with the glossy Fabulous magazine, which was previously attached to the News of the World, making a return, and a host of columnists providing fashion, money and food advice writing in its pages.

Nancy Dell'Olio, the ex-girlfriend of former England soccer team manager Sven Goran-Eriksson, will have a spot writing about style, while ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane is writing an article for the debut edition.

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

View the original article here

Museum seeks royal plane wreckage

24 February 2012 Last updated at 10:06 GMT Maharaja Hanwant Singh Maharaja Hanwant Singh died in a plane crash in 1952 A museum in India's Rajasthan state has asked Jodhpur Central Jail to hand over the wreckage of an aircraft that crashed in 1952, killing Maharaja Hanwant Singh and his mistress.

The remains of the light aircraft were found in the jail's cellar last year, nearly 60 years after the crash.

Officials think the wreckage was kept in the jail because it was bad luck.

The museum is yet to decide what they will do with the plane's wreckage once they get possession of it.

The Maharaja of Jodhpur, Hanwant Singh, died in the plane crash with his mistress Zubeida while he was campaigning in newly independent India's first general elections in 1952.

The light aircraft, a Beechcraft Bonanza, was the flying maharaja's favourite.

Though he was married to royal princess Krishna Kumari, he spent his last days with Zubeida.

Popular museum

The wreckage was left unattended in the Jodhpur jail for decades.

According to the jail officials, the wreckage was found when staff there looked through a pile of rubble.

"First we thought it could be a wreckage from the Indo-Pak war, when Pakistan bombs hit the city and some inmates were killed. But later we found it is the wreckage of the late Maharaja Hanwant Singh's plane," a senior officer of the jail told the BBC.

The Mehrangarh Museum Trust, founded in 1972 by Maharaja Gaj Singh has sent a formal letter to the jail authorities seeking possession of the wreckage.

Jodhpur Jail Superintendent AR Niazi told the BBC the issue would be referred to the government for the final decision.

The director of the trust, Mahendra Singh Nagar, said it was not clear what they would do with the wreckage, "but it will be part of the museum trust".

The wreckage of the plane in Jodhpur Central Jail The wreckage is kept in the jail

The Mehrangarh Museum draws a large number of tourists - over 70,000 foreign visitors and 400,000 Indians, annually.

Hanwant Singh fielded candidates in the country's first general elections and gave the Congress Party a tough challenge.

He himself won a state assembly seat as well one in the Indian parliament.

But he died in the plane crash before the results were declared.

Noted film producer Shyam Benegal's film Zubeidaa highlighted the mistress's story. It was written by Zubeida's son Khalid Mohammed.


View the original article here

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Chinese Firm Seeks Halt of iPad Sales in Shanghai

A Chinese technology firm sought to halt the sale of Apple's iPads across the affluent city of Shanghai, arguing at a local court hearing on Wednesday that the U.S. firm had infringed on its trademark.

Previous court rulings in favour of Proview Technology (Shenzhen) have covered specific retailers in smaller cities, but a Shanghai order, if imposed, would eat into one of Apple's biggest markets in China.

Proview lawyers argued, at times emotionally, that an immediate halt of iPad sales be implemented in China's commercial hub, which is the home to three of the country's five Apple [AAPL  Loading...      ()   ] stores.

Apple defended its right to use the trademark in China and said Proview had no ability to produce or sell its own device under the same name.

"Proview has no product, no markets, no customers and no suppliers. It has nothing," Hu Jinnan, a partner at Guangdong Shendadi law firm, which is representing Apple in the case, told the court.

"Apple has huge sales in China. Its fans line up to buy Apple products. The ban, if executed, would not only hurt Apple sales but it would also hurt China's national interest."

The Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court has not said when it will issue its decision, but Roger Xie, a partner at Grandall Legal Group representing Proview, said it was likely to be soon. Apple would in any case have the option to appeal should it lose.

Highlighting the strong interest in the case, some 100 reporters gathered around the court building while the hearing was taking place. Some local residents took the opportunity of the media attention to voice their own grievances over local authorities, holding up banners in front of the assembled TV cameras.

Series of Court Battles

Proview says it owns the iPad trademark in China and a Shenzhen court ruled in its favour last December.

Apple disputes Proview's ownership of the trademark, saying it bought the rights to the name in China from Proview in 2009. The firm has appealed against the Shenzhen judgment, with a higher court hearing set for Feb. 29 in China's southern province of Guangdong.

Following the Shenzhen case, Proview has launched a multi-pronged approach to get Apple's iPads off the shelves in the world's second-biggest economy, with mixed success.

Xie reiterated that Proview is open to settle the case out of court with Apple.

"Both sides have willingness to negotiate," Xie told reporters outside the court.

"Official negotiation hasn't started yet, and both sides will submit their plans before the talks. A settlement outside the court is quite possible."

Apple's iPad has a huge lead over rival tablet PCs in China, with a 76 percent market share. It has three Apple retail stores in Shanghai, with the two other flagship stores in Beijing.

But it is not only the consumer market in China that is important for Apple because the country is also a major production base for the iPad and other Apple products.

Proview, a financially troubled technology company, has already petitioned Chinese customs to stop shipments of the iPad in and out of China, although authorities have indicated such a ban would be difficult to impose.

Over the past week, Proview's efforts have borne fruit as local media reported that some cities have started enforcing Proview's request to remove iPad.

Proview's lawyers said last week it had won a lawsuit in the southern city of Huizhou against a retailer selling Apple's iPads, possibly boding well for its case in Shanghai. Proview's parent, Hong Kong-listed Proview International [0334.HK  Loading...      ()   ] , was the first Taiwanese technology company to list in Hong Kong and by the end of the 1990s numbered itself among the top five computer monitormakers.

In 1999 it partnered with U.S. chip maker National Semiconductor to launch the I-PAD, a stripped-down desktop computer whose main selling points were itsInternet connectivity and ease of use.

Proview continued to grow, shifting from computer monitors to become the world's third-largest OEM manufacturer of flat panel TVs. But by August 2009, when Apple began trademark talks through a proxy, Proview had been badly hammered by the financial crisis.

Trading of its stock was suspended in Hong Kong in August 2010 after creditors in China went to court to recover assets. The company faces delisting in June if it cannot provide the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a viable rescue plan.

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

View the original article here