NEWS

Kochi: Indu Thampy is crowned as Hair Omax Miss Kerala at a glittering ceremony held at Le Meridian on Thursday evening. Manju Raj is the first runner-up and Sonel Devraj is the second runner-up. Impresario is the event management company which is conducting the show and 22 participants took part in the final. Delhi designer Digvijay Singh, fashion columnist of Hindustan Times Vinod Nair, fashion photographer from Mumbai Nisha Kutty, actor Anoop Menon, Actress Ranjini, cameraman P Sukumar, writer Anita Nair, Medimix MD Pradeep, Linguard CEO Charles, Vijay Babu from Surya TV are the panelist. Hairomax were the chief sponsors.

The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) will open a new park on August 12 in the heart of the city for Kochiites to spend their leisure time.
The park, named ‘GCDA Nandanam’, has a total land area of 15,000 square feet and is built on the western side of the GCDA headquarters at Kadavanthra.
The park will be inaugurated by GCDA chairperson M C Josephine. “The park was built without doing any damage to the trees and the environment. The 50yearold mahogany, red palm, royal palm and various flower plants are sure to make the park a beautiful place, where families will like to spend the evenings,” Josephine said.
Nandanam park has a walkway with a length of 120 metres paved with tiles.
There is also a 300squarefoot pond at the centre with a fountain next to it. There will be a special play area for children. Park benches, statues and paintings are another attractions at the park.
“A variety species of cropped plants and the 500squarefoot of beautiful meadow laid with Mexican grass add to the beauty of the park,” the contractor M R Chandran Pillai said.
Noted environmentalist A Aravindksha Menon will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural function.

Kerala lost it again in the pre quarter of the Santhosh Trophy Tournament 2010 to Mizoram. Mizoram won it with a score line of 1-0. The goal was scored in the second half.  Last year also Kerala lost it in the pre quarter. Kerala reached the pre quarter by beating Assam (5-2).

Thiru Kochi bus routes:

Aluva-Aroor temple (buses would ply through both Padma and Menaka, Thopumpady, Edakochi);
Aluva-Fort Kochi (through Padma/Menaka, Thopumpady);
Aluva-Poothotta (Padma/Menaka, Vytilla, Tripunithura);
Aluva-Chottanikkara (Padma/Menaka, Vytilla, Tripunithura);
Ernakulam-Thevara-Pookattupady (Padma/Menaka, Kaloor, Edapally, Kalamassery); Thevara-Eloor ferry (Menaka, Kaloor, Edapally, Kalamassery);
Thevara-Aluva (Menaka, Edapally, Kalamassery, Mupathadam, Kadungaloor);
Aluva-Kumbalam North (Menaka, Vytilla, Kundanoor);

Ernakulam-Kumbalanghi-Kakkanad (Thopumpady, Perumpadaph);
Ernakulam-Mattancherry (Thopumpady, Menaka);
Thevara-Cheranaloor (Menaka, Edapally);
Thripunithura-Cheranaloor (Menaka, Chitoor);
Ernakulam-Kannamaly-Amritha Hospital (Thopumpady, Menaka, Kaloor, Edapally);
Thevara-Cooperative Medical College (Menaka, Edapally, HMT);
Ernakulam-Panangad-Kakkanad-Infopark (Padma, Vytilla, Kundanoor, Madavana);
Ernakulam-Kakkanad-Wellingdon Island (Menaka/Padma, Naval Base);
Thripunithura-Thripunithura circular (Eroor, Vennala, Alinchuvadu, Kaloor, Menaka)
Aluva-Manjummel-Thripunithura (Padma, Edapally, South Kalamassery, Glass Factory).

The Kerala Football team made into the prequarter of the Santhosh Trophy Tournament. Kerala beat Assam to reach the quarter.  In a must win match Kerala won with 5 goals angainst 2.  It was 2-1 for Kerala in the first half.  The self goal conceeded by Assam started the scoring sheet.  Justin, Sakeer, Bijesh and Subair scored for Kerala.

The Kochi Corporation Special Council on Wednesday passed a resolution to amend the earlier decision to allot land to various trusts for the construction of memorials of some former leaders in the city.
The amendment came in the wake of widespread protests from various quarters against the civic body’s move to allot land to construct memorials to former minister T K Ramakrishnan, E K Narayanan, and former councillor Koru Asan.
“The T K Cultural Centre has informed the Corporation that it did not require the civic body’s land for construction of the T K Ramakrishnan Memorial as the state government has offered them the required land for its construction,” Mayor Mercy Williams said.
The Mayor said the Corporation would not allot land for the construction of memorials for Narayanan and Koru Asan. “Instead of allotting land to any outside organisations, the Corporation will prepare the project report and will undertake the construction works and maintenance of the memorials,” Mercy Williams said.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader A B Sabu alleged that the Mayor’s decision to dismiss the council without holding discussions on the resolution is mysterious.
“The Mayor did not even allow time for the Councillors to discuss the issue before passing the resolution. It is anti-democratic and a denial of the Councillor’s basic rights,” Sabu said.
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Shenoys theatres intorduces a new way of booking the tickets. That is called efuel. For this you have to buy a recharge card from the theatre. The card costs from Rs 300/- to Rs 1000/- . The process is same as of mobile recharge coupons. You have to scratch the card and the number you get must be entered in the website www.shenoys.in . The cards are available at Rs 300/- , Rs 500/- and  Rs 1000/-  .  A service Charge of 5% will be  applicable for all eFuel Cards. Helpline no : 9388175559

Former President and distinguished scientist Dr A P J Abdul Kalam said here today India would be a developed country by 2020 with the support of science.

Interacting with the students at Bharath Vidhya Bhavan Auditorium in a programme organised by ‘Swadeshi Science Movement’, he said he wished to call this kind of support of science as second independence movement.

He revealed his vision of ideal country in 2020 when there would be no fear of terrorist attacks or internal security threat.

Both agriculture and industry would be self-sufficient and distance between villages and cities reduced.

Mr Kalam, in his vision 2020, said water supply, education and transport facilities will benefit the entire country.

There were no alternative to science and technology for achieving this vision, Mr Kalam added. He also revealed India stood 16th in using science and technology to attain economic growth while South Korea and America topped. Pointing out the need for skilled scientists to lead students to attain heights in all spheres of life, Dr Kalam said Nobel Prize Winner C V Raman was such a person and added he would be ready to lead children on similar path as the successor to Dr Raman.

In a fairly active trade, prices of copra Alapuzha and ginger varieties rose at the spices market here today on good demand amidst restricted arrivals from the producing regions.Black pepper eased on good supply coupled with mild stockists offerings. Copra Alapuzha gained Rs 25 per quintal to Rs 3,675 from last weekend’s closing level of Rs 3,650.

Ginger bleached and unbleached both advanced by Rs 10 to Rs 200 and Rs 220 per kilo each from Rs 190 and Rs 210 previously. However, Black pepper softened by Rs 3 per kilo to Rs 168/188 from last Saturday’s closing level of Rs 171/191.

Other spices ruled steady. Following are today’s closing rates in rupees with previous rates in brackets:

Black Pepper (per kilo) 168/188 (171/191), ginger bleached (per kilo) 200 (190), ginger unbleached (per kilo) 220 (210), copra office Alapuzha (per quintal) 3,675 (3,650), copra office Kozhikode (per quintal) 3,450 (3,450), copra Rajapur Mumbai (per quintal) 5,100 (5,100) and copra edible Mumbai (per quintal) 4,200 (4,200).