MUMBAI: You can?t control the wind, but you can adjust your sail -And that?s what the business leaders; CEO?s and business heads of corporate India discovered at the FORBES INDIA AQUASAIL REGATTA- INVITATION SERIES. Forbes India, the country?s most influential business magazine and Aquasail, the pioneer in leisure sailing in India hosted the first ever world-class corporate sailing regatta series in India.

A sailing regatta is the perfect way to introduce people to the amazing sport of sailing. There is competition against a backdrop of fun. Regattas are a superb platform for socialising, networking and coming together to indulge in this very thrilling activity. In all their glory, the beautiful Beneteau First 7.5s, anchored at water front area of the historic Gateway of India, made a picturesque backdrop for the business professionals gathered?just before they readied to say ahoy! Thereafter the beautiful yachts dotted the Mumbai horizon as corporates raced with each other on the high seas. The Beneteau 7.5?s are modern, sporty, high performance sailing yachts suited for both novices and professional sailors. A highly qualified and a very passionate team of instructors from Aquasail, ensured the safety and pleasure of sailing.

Enjoying this unique experience were spotted Sabyasachi Hajara, Chairman and MD, The Shipping Corporation of India, Vikas Agnihotri, CEO, Religare Macguire Private Wealth, Amar Babu, MD Lenovo, Robert Taylor, Director, Agrinergy, Jalaj Dani, VP, Asian Paints, Praveen Vashishta, CEO Howden, & Pramod Rao, MD, Zicom?with the others at the second leg of the Forbes India Aquasail Regatta. A cheerful crowd hailed Robert Taylor, Yogi Sriram, Rajesh Jejurikar, Praveen Vashishta & Anita Vashishta as the winners from the 1st session and Aashish Sonawala, Anita Parekh, Punita Parekh, Niraj Parikh & K Bobby as winners from the 2nd session. The winners were cheered later in the evening over a simple ceremony.

This fun-filled afternoon included how to sail & race camp, power boat clinic and harbour cruising. The guests experienced the joy and thrill of sailing and the fun of racing and they raced with fervour.

Shakeel Kudrolli of Aquasail India observed, ?The amazing response to the regatta has strengthened our belief that sailing can be promoted as a lifestyle in India and can be made as popular as other places in the world. I thank the sponsors who have taken the initiative and come on board with us to provide this amazing platform.?

Speaking on this occasion, Ms. Priyanka Tiku, Marketing Head, Forbes India said, ?This is a superb platform to get all the industry leaders together and interact. It is our constant endeavour to engage with our readers & partners and to ensure that they receive the best from us. The Forbes India Aquasail Regatta Invitation Series was aimed at bringing this unmatchable world class experience for its readers & partners in India and we are glad that everyone had a great time.?

The Forbes India Aquasail Regatta Invitation Series has been supported by exclusive brands like Citibank, Autohangar, Provogue, Jet Airways, Cox & Kings and Nautica. The final session of this exciting exclusive sessions will be on Saturday 8th May 2010.

Each series will have 2 sessions and 4 teams participating in each session. Each team will consist of 6 members. The high octane race will last for 20 minutes per session. The winners gets a chance to win Gifts, felicitations and certificates.
 

MUMBAI: On a daily basis, journalists throughout the world risk their lives to bring people the latest news. BBC World Service will be marking World Press Freedom Day, which takes place on Monday 3 May, with a range of programming around press freedom, the safety of journalists and impunity. Content will explore the issues associated with working in areas of conflict, journalist security, corruption and investigative journalism.

Peter Horrocks, Director, BBC Global News, says: "Spanning the last decade, two journalists on average are killed every week, attempting to deliver untold stories and crucial news to people around the world. This is just the tip of a range of intimidating activities against journalists and news organisations, such as hi-tech jamming of satellite television news services by countries like Iran. Our audiences have clearly demonstrated that they place a high value on impartial news, information and debate. A free and open media is imperative to ensure the survival and diversity of quality international news. In support of this, the BBC‘s international news services are choosing to mark World Press Freedom Day, with content that aims to highlight the importance of global press freedom for audiences everywhere."

English Network
Highlights on the English language network are expected to include an interview with Roxana Saberi, the American journalist who was imprisoned and accused of spying in Iran in 2009, an overview of the Reporters without Borders annual report on press freedom, and a co-production interview with Robert Mukombozi, the Rwandan journalist in exile in Australia, from The World Today and Network Africa.

BBC Diplomatic Correspondent Paul Adams reports on the impact of online journalism, questioning whether we have passed through the golden age of a free press. Are we heading for a glorified ?blogocracy? where there is plenty of opinion but not enough money to fund the journalism which holds governments to account? Additionally, online, Vincent Dowd will provide a history of signal blocking.

Language Services
BBC Hausa, BBC Swahili, and BBC para Africa (Portuguese for Africa) will be exploring the state of press freedom in Nigeria, Rwanda and Angola respectively, while the French for Africa service, BBC Afrique, looks to the future of the media in Benin and at its successes.

BBC Persian will be taking into account the state of press freedom in Iran and how it has changed since the presidential election. The radio service will offer a discussion programme looking at the global ramifications of press freedom in Iran, the Middle East and across the world. BBC Persian TV will broadcast an episode of HARDtalk featuring an interview with an Iranian state TV and radio journalist, Reza Valizadeh. He left the country five months ago after the post election unrest and talks to presenter Enayat Fani about the increasing pressures on journalism in the post election period. Critically acclaimed BBC interactive programme, Nobat-e Shoma (Your Turn) will lead an online debate and a live televised programme discussing the impact of constraints on the Iranian media and the wider region.

BBC Pashto will present an overview of the media panorama in Afghanistan which now includes more than 500 media outlets. Additionally, it will be documenting the difficulties faced by female journalists in the country, as well as a discussion with the Head of the Afghan Journalists? Association, Rahimullah Samandar, on press freedom.

BBC Chinese will have a web forum with an audience participating in a debate on press freedom and restrictions in China, and will explore the issues brought about by proliferation of media there.

BBC Serbian will look at the unresolved cases of some journalists who disappeared during the Milosevic era, and will be trying to shed some light on their fate.

Finally, BBC Uzbek will be running audio postcards from reporters on the ground, talking about practicalities and difficulties of reporting on Uzbekistan. An interview will also be broadcast with William Horsley, Chairman of the Centre for Freedom of the Media.
 

MUMBAI: No day is enough to thank your mother and tell her how much she means to you! But this Mother?s Day STAR CJ Alive helps you make your mother feel extra special and thank her for the years of love, support, care and understanding that she?s always given you, with the perfect gift. Offering an array of gifting options, STAR CJ Alive - India?s premium home shopping channel brings you exquisite jewellery, stunning sarees, time-saving household appliances and state-of-the-art digital gadgets to make your mother feel that she?s more than worth it.

This is your chance to make your mother feel on top of the world with the ideal present (complete with special gifts absolutely free) from STAR CJ Alive. Friends will come and go but your mother will be your best friend till the end of time. So, make your mother feel extraordinary with diamonds - every woman?s best friend, with stunning diamond jewellery from Asmi only on STAR CJ Alive. This jewellery also comes with a pearl bracelet and a Polo crystal dial watch absolutely free. Also available on STAR CJ Alive is an American diamond necklace from Sia with a free gift of a pearl necklace set and a VLCC voucher.

Your mother could even have her wardrobe enhanced with exquisitely designed sarees from Jashn which come with a free duffel bag. Or she could opt for Satya Paul?s summer collection complete with a free wallet combo ? all this only on Star CJ Alive.

How about helping your mother get more free time for herself with the best in technology by gifting her some hassle-free home appliances? And to help you lend your mother a helping hand, STAR CJ Alive offers a Whirlpool washing machine (with a Reebok watch and Polo Club Duffle bag absolutely free) and a Whirlpool Grill Microwave Oven (with a Reebok watch, Microwave Starter Kit and Bajaj Steam Iron - all 3 absolutely free).

For STAR CJ Alive - India?s premium home shopping channel, it?s all about transforming lifestyles. And in true STAR CJ Alive style, it promises to transform the way you express your love for your mother this Mother?s Day with an array of exciting gifts and even more attractive offers.

To find out best how you can express your love for your mother this Mother?s Day, tune in to catch STAR CJ Alive daily from 10 am ? 2 pm and 10 pm ? 12 midnight on STAR Utsav.
 

MUMBAI: At its Annual General Meeting today in New Delhi, the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) reiterated its commitment to high standards and guidelines pertaining to the working of PR agencies and consultancies.

The AGM also welcomed the Home Minister, P Chidambaram?s reported view to regulate the public relations industry and is ready to assist in any way in the formation of any regulation if and when required.

The PRCAI, set up in 2003, has self regulatory guidelines on ethics and standards and these norms are followed by all the 19 members that are part of the industry association. PRCAI President, Sharif D Rangnekar, said there was a need to underline the commitment that India?s leading PR agencies have towards ethical operations and transparency. ?There is a growing view in the media that PR consultancies indulge in systems and processes that are inappropriate. We at PRCAI have clearly followed guidelines that are common in most developed markets. Transparency and ethics is what our members and the association stands for. In fact, the PRCAI is modeled on the PRCA UK structure,? he added.

In addition to ethical standards, the PRCAI has over the years developed and adopted guidelines on management systems and efficiency. The PRCAI when set up had a mission to establish benchmarks in standards, knowledge, ethics and expertise and to encourage and promote the progression of the Public Relations Industry in India, while endorsing the effectiveness of professional and ethical services. At the AGM today the mission was reiterated with an objective to constantly adopt better practices keeping in mind transparency and corporate governance.

MUMBAI: History has fostered many untold stories, mysteries and unsolved riddles that have intrigued generations. This Week on TIMES NOW Hidden Truth takes you deep inside the dungeons of a mysterious world that co-exists with the one we live in! An alternate and stark reality that threatens our existence and cripples the system - this is The Underworld.

This alternate existence that rose its head in the 80‘s and 90‘s, shook the soul of Mumbai and exists in its nondescript by lanes even today. TIMES NOW gets into the by lanes of this forbidden world, from the people who did everything to guard the system, to the dark lords themselves and the men in uniform.

Hear the ruthless stories of blood bath from a sharp shooter who claims to have given up his links with the Underworld. A bookie who reveals how players from the underworld watch every ball of a cricket match and a top notch Producer and Director recalls the menacing extortion calls he received.

Also on the show one faceless Mumbaikar who has dared to be part of human intelligence, shares notes about the clandestine network with the police in an attempt to thwart the underworld‘s attempt to captivate the city again!

Catch all of them and their horrific stories of the business of death and deceit,
on ‘Hidden Truth‘, on Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 and 2:30 pm only on TIMES NOW.

MUMBAI: Befriend Koalas and Kangaroos; walk on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, cityscapes to public art. On the show, this week, Anchor Neha Dixit gives you list of top 10 things to do in the city of Melbourne? From the distinctive sights, sounds and smells of the largest seal colony in Australia to a living, breathing historic village? full of stories.

It brings all the Melbourne has to offer wrapped with a Billy on the boil and dampers roasting on a stick.

Catch ?10 Things to do before you say Bye!? this Tuesday, 4th May, 2010 at 10:00 pm and repeat telecast on Saturday, 8th May, 2010 only on NDTV Good Times.