Bolivia Gets World's Highest Cable-car System

EFT Report, La Paz: Bolivian President Evo Morales has inaugurated the world's highest cable-car system, which began carrying passengers between this capital and the adjacent city of El Alto at an elevation of some 4,000 meters above sea level.

The transport system gives the roughly 440,000 people who travel each day between these two cities in Bolivia's western highlands a significantly faster alternative.

The $235-million project, executed by the Austrian firm Doppelmayr, consists of 11 stations, 443 10-person cabins and three lines, only one of which is currently in service.

Once the entire network is operating, the cable-car system will run for 10 km and be able to transport up to 3,000 passengers per hour in each direction.

The cabins will depart every 12 seconds, and in the case of the recently inaugurated red line will allow passengers to travel between downtown La Paz and El Alto in 10 minutes.

The country's improved economic situation makes projects of this scale possible, according to Morales, who said the transport system also will provide a boost to tourism.

Local authorities, diplomatic officials and representatives of international organisations attended the inauguration ceremony Friday.

The standard fare is three bolivianos (just under 50 cents), although high-school and university students, disabled persons and the elderly will receive a 50 percent discount, the manager of the Mi Teleferico cable-car system, Cesar Dockweiler, told reporters.

Roughly 1,000 people - mostly Bolivians but also workers from 15 other countries - were involved in the construction phase, which began just over a year ago.

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Real Beat Atletico; Win 10th Champions League Title

EFT Report, Lisbon: Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 at the Estadio da Luz to clinch its 10th European Champions League Cup.

Godin put Atletico ahead in the 36th minute, with an effort from the penalty spot that looped over Casillas and went into the bottom-right corner of the net, Xinhua reported.

Sergio Ramos forced extra time and equalized in the 93rd minute with a dramatic header from the center of the box, following a cross by Luka Modric.

Bale made it 2-1 in the 110th minute with a header that went into an unguarded net, Marcelo scored a third with a left-footed effort to the top right corner and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed the victory through a penalty kick.

Real Madrid dominated the match from the start, with Atletico lacking concentration but showing good defense skills.

Diego Costa's hamstring in the ninth minute was jiggered and he was replaced by Adrian Lopez.

Gabi was penalized in the 22nd minute for stepping on Di Maria's heels.

Cristiano Ronaldo almost scored in the 28th minute with a free-kick from 30 yards, his effort bouncing in front of Courtois before the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball.

Gareth Bale wasted a chance four minutes later but his effort went wide of the far post.

Atletico have won this year's Spanish league and the Europea league both in 2010 and 2012, but hadn't been in the European Champions League Cup final for 40 years.

Real Madrid and Atletico had only met once in the European Cup, in 1959.

Real Madrid has won 102 league and cup games, while Atletico has won 46.

Over 60,000 Spanish fans flocked to the Portuguese capital to watch the match, one of the biggest derbies in history.

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Mary Kom Left Out of Commonwealth Games Boxing Squad

EFT Report, New Delhi: Five-time World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist M.C.Mary Kom failed to find a place in the three-member women's boxing squad for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after she lost in the selection trials in Patiala Friday.

Mary Kom was making a comeback to competitive boxing after two years following the birth of her third child. She lost out to Pinki Jhangra in the 51kg in the final of the three-day selection trials and failed to qualify for what would have been her maiden Commonwealth Games.

Mary Kom did dominate the bout but the Haryana girl was quick and was more aggressive than her Manipuri opponent. The 24-year-old Pinki shot into limelight in 2009 with a stunning win over Mary Kom in the nationals.

Women's boxing will be making its debut in three weight categories at Commonwealth Games, two years after making its maiden Olympic appearance.

Besides Pinki, the other two girls are former World Champion Sarita Devi (60kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg).

Meanwhile, an eight-member men's team was also finalized and it would be led by Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh (75kg), for whom it will be third Commonwealth Games. He won silver in 2006 and bronze in 2010.

The other members are L. Devendro Singh (49kg), Shiva Thapa (52kg), Sumit Sangwan (81kg), Mandeep Jangra (69kg), Dinesh Kumar (91kg) and Praveen More (+91kg).

In the Delhi edition of the 2010 Games, India's men boxers won seven medals, including three gold and four bronze.

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Sotheby’s Geneva Auction of Magnificent and Noble Jewels on May 13

Report by Santanu Ganguly:  On 13 May 2014, Sotheby’s Geneva auction of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels will present an impressive selection of signed and period jewels from private collections, some with noble provenance. The array of important diamonds in the sale includes the ‘Graff Vivid Yellow’, an exceptional 100.09 carat daffodil yellow diamond ring and the Victory Diamond, named in honor of the allied victory in World War II. Colored stones include an important 121 carat Burmese sapphire and an exquisite 12.46 carat Burmese ruby. Collectors of jewels from the 20^th century will be captivated by the Belperron jewels from the collection of Mme Picha-Eisenstein, a close friend of the celebrated designer Suzanne Belperron. 

David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland and Chairman of the Jewelry Department for Europe and the Middle East commented: “It is a very interesting and varied sale featuring fine colored gemstones, magnificent white diamonds, and a wide choice among many private collections of fine jewelry, some of them with noble provenance. Of particular interest to the collector will be the fascinating group of jewels by Suzanne Belperron which was formed by one of her close friends, Madame Mary Picha-Eisenstein; and a small but exquisite private collection of art nouveau jewels by René Lalique”.

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Film 'Baba Ramsaa Peer' to Releases on May 30

Report by Santanu Ganguly: The film Baba Ramsaa Peer, which was to release on May 5 will now hit theaters on May 30, 2014. This historical epic film is based on a renowned saint of Rajasthan Baba Ramsaa Peer. Aushim Khetarpal, who had produced Presidential award winning film “Shirdi Sai Baba”, is the producer of this film. Aushim plays dual role of that of a producer as well as an actor in the film. He will be seen portraying the central character of Baba Ramsaa Peer alongside Actress Gracy Singh.

Baba Ramsaa Peer was a 14^th century saint who was the first to spread the message of Hindu-Muslim unity. Hindus lovingly called him Baba and Muslims called him Peer, he was respected by both the sects. Baba was christened with this name by five Persian peers who had visited India in that era. Based on the story of this divine soul is the film “Baba Ramsaa peer” which is produced under the banner of Satish Tondon Production and Orient Tradelink Ltd.

The film has been shot in Mumbai, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Roncha village where Baba rests in his Samadhi. Rajasthani and Hindi are prominently used in the film. The music has a mix of folk music which is significantly in Gujarati,Rajasthani and Hindi which is likely to touch the audience soul.

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Ayesha Sultana’s 'Outside the Field of View' Exhibition Begins

Report by Santanu Ganguly: Experimenter presents Ayesha Sultana’s first solo exhibition, Outside the Field of View, starting 9 May 2014. Rooted in process and the act of making, the exhibition provides an insight into her ongoing investigation of drawing, of seeing space in continuum, of exploring gaps in visual memory and of looking at the periphery and what is overlooked in plain sight.

In a constantly evolving process, Sultana’s work cannot be identified as belonging to a single artistic tendency. She concurrently works in different mediums and techniques, but with a specific interest in the features of materials she uses in the act of making. This leads to other ways of looking and engaging, in the relevance of formal properties of various materials and the depth of meaning of the medium itself. Having discarded the narrative, she often uses drawing as a verb, of 'doing' whether by cutting, folding, piercing, layering, recording, tracing, removing, scratching and so on. A pair of works in the exhibition, made by photocopying for instance, are an extension of that process of investigation, taking its initial source from photography, and later enlarging and creating multiple copies of the same.

An attempt to make visible or to delve into what one can see, and simultaneously translating the visual information, is what engages Sultana. Through the primacy of drawing, this act of looking is to assimilate the experience of her surroundings and space. Space to Sultana seems relational, a field emerging as a result of matter and its parts, in the movement or weight of its fragments, not necessarily marked by a beginning or an end but a structure or a space that never ends – the periphery.

In another body of work, with found and her own photographs, an atmosphere of transience, a kind of abstracted, banal landscape emerges. The pictures may seem groundless, sometimes partially obliterated through solarizing and deliberate scratching off the surface.

The graphite drawings present configurations and arrangements of geometric shapes and spatial structures, in a frame-by-frame progression of image and time, once again bringing forth her interest in the visual understanding of continuation, direction and possibly a form of meditative infinity. On a more tangible level, the smooth surface of the paper is dark but reflective, creating frictions and ruptures and at times resembling metal; while revealing the mineral attributes of graphite and hence referring to the tension produced between the delicate, malleable quality of paper and the austere, detached physicality of graphite.

Counter tendencies of movement and stasis are also evident as an attempt to generate emptiness by filling up the surface. Through other elemental gestures and implications of plotting, measuring and erasure, splicing and filling in, Sultana makes whole, an image that is contained, yet changing. On the other hand, the repetitive marks of the graphite build up a rhythmic field, creating an overall tension that seems to act as a veil to some kind of disclosure.

Born in Jessore, Bangladesh, in 1984, Ayesha Sultana received a BFA in Visual Arts (2007) and subsequently a Post-Graduate Diploma in Art Education (2008) at the Beaconhouse National University in Lahore. From 2007-2009 she taught as Lecturer at the School of Visual Arts and Design at Beacon

house National University. Recent group exhibitions include B/Desh, Dhaka Art Summit, curated by Deepak Ananth; Cross-Casting, Britto Space, Dhaka, curated by Mahbubur Rahman; Listen Up! New Delhi, curated by Diana Campbell-Betancourt & Tim Goosens (all 2014); Samdani Art Foundation stand, India Art Fair, Delhi (2013); Senses 7, Dhaka Art Center; Freefall, Bengal Art Lounge, curated by Giorgio Guglielmino (2012); Rise to Ruin, Alhamra Art Gallery,

Lahore (2010) amongst others. Sultana recently completed a curatorial research residency at Gasworks, London (2013). She is a member of the Dhaka based artist run organisation, Britto Arts Trust. She is also the recipient of the Samdani Art Award 2014.

 

Experimenter was envisioned and started by Prateek & Priyanka Raja in 2009. Experimenter goes outside the hyper-commercial imperatives of the Indian art market, highlighting instead experimental and alternative artists from the entire South Asian subcontinent and artists globally who have a South Asian connection to their practice. Experimenter represents and manages the careers of some of the most exciting and celebrated contemporary artists from South Asia and the rest of the world, including, Bani Abidi, Raqs Media Collective, Naeem Mohaiemen,CAMP, Adip Dutta, Rathin Barman, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Mehreen Murtaza, Sanchayan Ghosh & Hajra Wahed. Experimenter’s artists exhibit at some of the most important international exhibitions and biennials like La Biennial de Venezia, Sao Paulo Biennale, dOCUMENTA, Sharjah Biennial amongst others and in museums such as New Museum NY, Guggenheim, NY, MoMA NY, Tate Modern, London, British Museum, London, MARCO, Rome, LACMA, SFMoMA, The BALTIC amongst several others. Experimenter also participates in major international art fairs such as Art Basel, Basel, Frieze Art Fair, London, Frieze, New York, Art Dubai, Dhaka Art Summit and India Art Fair.

AYESHA SULTANA

Outside the Field of View9 May – 26 June
Opening Preview: Friday, May 9, 6 – 8 pm

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Delhi LG Launches Mobile App for Traffic Alerts

EFT Report, New Delhi: Now traffic alerts will be available on mobile phones for Delhi motorists with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung launching an android-based application - dubbed as a "step to make life easier" for capital's residents on May 8, 2014.

Through this mobile application - a brainchild of Delhi Traffic Police - the commuters will also be able to report about faulty traffic signals.

Jung also inaugurated the upgraded website of the Delhi Traffic Police which will have new features like status of e-challans.

"This is a step to make people's life easier," said Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi on the occasion

The application, which can be downloaded from Google play Store, also has a feature to enable measuring of distances and calculating fares.

Besides, the application will also provide information on accident-prone areas and water-logged areas.

The application will be made available for Windows phones and I-Phone. 

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Motorsport: JK Karting Begins Friday, Sees 38 Entries

EFT Report, Hyderabad: The popular JK Tyre-MMS Rotax Max Kart Open championship commences here Friday with two rounds scheduled.

Conducted by Meco Motorsports and JK Tyre, it has received 38 entries thus far, a 15 per cent increase over previous year's response.

The event will see the country's top teams like Rayo Racing, Dark Don Racing, India Karting, Mohites Racing and Meco Racing. The new entrant this time is BPC Racing.

The competition will be held in three age-group categories - Micro Max, Junior Max and Senior Max. There is also a category for rookie drivers who have not won any race in the last five years as well as new entrants.

The first round will be held on Saturday. Following the qualifying round, there will be five races for each of the three classes and this will be repeated for the second round on Sunday.

The highest points from round one and round two in each of the classes will determine the top three in Overall and Rookie categories.

"We are in our 15th continuous year of promoting karting in the country and this kind of commitment and efforts are unparalleled," said Sanjay Sharma, head, motorsport, JK Tyre and Industries.

Akbar Ebrahim of Meco Motorsports said: "The Rookie Cup was introduced by us to give the newcomers an opportunity to get more prepared for the National Championship. It helps them to understand the level they need to be at when compared to the regulars, though not all regular karters take part in the Kart Open.

"Karting is most crucial for drivers planning to get into racing as this level of karting deals with very high speeds and enormous cornering speeds. It also teaches young kids what wheel-to-wheel racing is all about and disciplines them in a way that they start to respect the others."

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AirAsia India to Unveil Domestic Routes

EFT Report, New Delhi: A day after it was granted an air operator permit (AOP) by the safety regulator, AirAsia India said it soon expects to come out with its first line-up of domestic routes.

"Our priority will be to enable as many Indians as possible to travel by air, emphasizing on a focused and disciplined cost structure and most definitely keeping our fares low as well," a statement quoted chief executive Mittu Chandilya as saying.

The tripartite joint venture (JV) passenger carrier, modeled as a low cost carrier (LCC), was granted the operational permit by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Wednesday evening.

In another statement, airline Group Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said: "Our 12-year battle continues to make flying affordable against airport monopolies and incumbent airlines that have not been efficient. India will be a huge addition in realizing our promise of 'now everyone can fly'."

The new airline had received a no objection certificate (NOC) from the civil aviation ministry last September.

In April, the Commerce Ministry had given the nod for the foreign capital inflow by AirAsia Berhad, which will enable it to hold 49 percent stake in the JV. 

The airline JV is between industrial conglomerate Tata Sons, AirAsia Berhad and Arun Bhatia-promoted Telestra Tradeplace. 

Tata Sons will hold a 30 percent stake in the JV and Telestra Tradeplace 21 percent. The initial investment approved for the airline stands at Rs.80.98 crore.

Currently, there are six scheduled domestic airlines in the country - Air India, Jet Airways, JetLite, SpiceJet, IndiGo and GoAir. The operating licence of Kingfisher Airlines was suspended in 2012.

However, a public interest litigation in courts and a plea against the license with the Election Commission by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy may still put a spanner in AirAsia's scheme of things.

Even the DGCA's Chief Prabhat Kumar said the matter is still not final as the validity of the AOP is subject to the decision of the Delhi High Court.

The airline also has to get its operations schedule approved by the DGCA before it can start selling tickets.

However, aviation industry experts welcomed the long-awaited move.

"Welcome development. Long overdue. Will lead to enhanced competition, new routes and lower tariffs. The full impact will be seen in the winter of 2013," says Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy KPMG.

"The government needs to review the process of granting permits to global airlines. The FIPB had cleared AirAsia's proposal in April last year. The process should ideally be reduced to 3-4 month,"Dubey added.

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Air Taxi Service in Rajasthan Soon

EFT Report, Jaipur: The Rajasthan government is set to launch an air taxi service, which will help connect major industrial and tourism points in the state, officials said.

"As per the plan, approved by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje before the (Lok Sabha) election code of conduct came into effect (March 5), we will give on rent the state government-owned planes to individuals and organisations for flying in the state," a senior official of the general administration department said.

He said Rajasthan has two planes and airports are functional in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur. 

Work on airports is on in Kota and Ajmer while defence-owned airports are operational in Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer. The state also has a number of airstrips and helipads.

"To begin with, we will fly these two airplanes with a capacity of seven passengers each as air taxis and charge a minimum fare of Rs.10,000 per person. The condition is the planes will only fly when all seats are booked," he said.

Welcoming the idea, tour and transport operator Karan Singh said Rajasthan located in the north-west of India is the country's largest state in terms of area. Foreign tourists visiting the state have to skip important destinations due to absence of proper air connectivity or lack of quick means of transport.

"I think this air taxi service will not only help to open some of the virgin tourism sites in the state but also give a boost to the flow of tourists," he said.

Rajasthan with its heritage, culture, safaris, sand dunes, lush forests and wildlife continues to be one of the favourite tourism destinations in the world.

The foreign tourists are mostly from France, Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the US, Spain, Canada and Australia.

The state in the past couple of years attracted over 1.5 million foreign tourists and over 28 million domestic tourists.

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Kailash Kher to Perform in Badrinath on May 5

Report by Santanu Ganguly: After the devastating natural calamity that occurred causing destruction of property and man in Uttarakhand last year, Badrinath is once again ready and open for pilgrims. As the very well known tradition of opening the gates of the sacred Badrinath temple in May every year goes, this year, the port to God's abode will be opened on May 5. On this occasion, well known singer Kailash Kher will be performing in the courtyard of the temple and harmonize the pilgrimage of the devotees.

Excited about this venture, Kailash Kher said, "I'm very thrilled about going to Badrinath and showing my devotion to Lord Vishnu along with the other devotees. This is the first time that I'll be going there."

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CBSE JEE (Mains) Results Declared; Check Online

EFT Report, New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has declared the results of Joint Entrance Examinations (mains).

More than 12.78 lakh students had appeared for the exam and the final result will be known in July. The top 1.5 lakh students would be allowed to sit for the JEE (advanced) exam for admission to IITs.

CBSE conducts the JEE (mains) for admission to different NITs, IITs  and other centrally funded institutes. The board uploaded the answers of questions that were asked in the offline and online exams. 

Students could challenge the answers on payment of Rs. 1000 for each question, which would be refunded if they were correct.

The scores can be checked online at: http://cbseresults.nic.in/jee/jee_cbse_2014.htm

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Air India May Join Star Alliance by July

EFT Report, New Delhi: Indian national carrier, Air India is likely to be inducted into one of the largest interline networks of the world by July, a senior airline official said.

“In June, the board of the Star Alliance will call on a vote to either induct Air India or not. If the vote is in our favor, then Air India will be formally inducted from July,” Air India's chairman Rohit Nandan said on the sidelines of a formal event hosting the inter-airline accord's chief executive Mark F. Schwab here late Wednesday night.

According to Rohit Nandan, most of the the minimum joining requirements (MJRs) have been completed and the rest, which is mainly related to information technology (IT) aspect, is expected to be finished by mid-May. 

“Joining the Alliance will bring in immediate benefits of frequent fliers programs, lounge access the world over and single ticket travel across airlines and other such facilities for our passengers and same for the Star Alliance passengers travelling on Air India,” Nandan said.

Star Alliance chief executive Schwab said he was confident that Star's executive board members will take a favorable decision on Air India's induction. 

The meeting is expected to be held in London June 22-23. 

"I am hopeful of an endorsement of Air India. This is will happen when we meet in June with all other alliance member airlines,” Schwab said.

Schwab added that this was the right time for selection of Air India as the passenger carrier's performance on various parameters has improved and the Alliance itself has conducted safety and passenger satisfaction reviews of the airline. 

“We take a quarter of a million passenger reviews every year and we have also conducted a safety review of Air India. We see a very different airline from what it was, there has been improvement on all counts, there is service and infrastructure improvements. So, this is the right time for the induction,” Schwab said.

The arrangement is the largest among the three global interline unions with a total airline membership of 26 with 18,043 daily departures to 1,269 airports in 193 countries.

Air India has wanted to join Star Alliance ever since it was invited in 2007 as it entails benefits such as improved product offering, better service standards, access to new markets and premium customers and partnership with leading global carriers.

Formed in 1997, Star Alliance is a consortium of 26 airlines, including Lufthansa, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Swiss, among other major airlines of the world.

Currently, Air India operates flights to 59 domestic destinations and has a network of 31 international routes with a fleet of 111, which includes Airbus A-319, A-320, A-321, A-330, Boeing 737, B-777, B-747 and B-787 Dreamliners besides ATR-42 and CRJ aircraft.

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Carl Lewis to be Event Ambassador for TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014

Report by Santanu Ganguly: The incomparable Carl Lewis, an athlete who has won 10 spectacular Olympic medals that comprise nine gold and 10 World Championship medals, including eight gold, has been confirmed as the Event Ambassador for the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014, which will be flagged off from Sree Kanteerava Stadium on May 18 this year.

“It gives me great joy to come to India, a country I love and respect, to spread the magic of running and sport amongst the beautiful populace. In the last decade or so, India has witnessed a running revolution and the sport has grown manifold in terms of strength, popularity and interest generated,” said Carl Lewis about visiting India.

Carl Lewis’ presence at the TCS World 10K Bangalore - as one of the most successful Olympic athletes of all time - will be a historic day for the Indian running community. Running enthusiasts across the country will benefit immensely through the luminary’s advice, encouragement, and presence during the run.

“The TCS World 10K is an ideal blend of speed and endurance and I’m sure the run will attract many of the best in the world. It’s an honour for me to be associated with the event and witness, in action, these running enthusiasts. I hope my presence will only inspire and encourage them to reach greater heights of performance and success”, said the legendary Olympian talking about the run.

Vivek B. Singh, Jt. MD, Procam International, stated, “We are excited and privileged that the city of Bangalore will host the legendary Olympian Carl Lewis as Event Ambassador at the TCS World 10K Bangalore 2014. Apart from enriching us with his presence, I’m sure he will provide a further fillip to the world’s premier 10K in terms of charity and registrations. Procam has always endeavoured to bring to India the most distinguished sporting icons and hosting the ‘Sportsman of the Century’ is our gift to the running community for supporting us at every step of our journey.”

Procam International’s three long distance events, held in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, have had some of the world’s most distinguished sporting icons as Event Ambassadors. In line with Procam International’s efforts to bring to India some of the world’s most accomplished sportsmen to raise the profile of the sport of distance running, Carl will join this roll of stars and be present in Bangalore. In the days leading up to the event, he will meet and interact with the participants, the media as well as the sponsors and event partners.

Referred to as one of the most successful Olympic athletes of all time, Carl has competed in four Olympic Games. He won nine gold medals, including four at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. His Olympic gold medals came first in 1984 in the 100 metres, where he set an Olympic record by besting the next closest runner by a record eight feet, 200 metres, 4×100 metres relay and long jump.  At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Carl won gold in the 100-metre final and was credited with a world record. In the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Lewis jumped 8.67 m in the first round of the long jump. In the 4 × 100 m relay, Lewis anchored another world record, in 37.40 seconds, a time, which stood for 16 years. He covered the final leg in 8.85 seconds, winning two gold medals at the event. In 1996, Lewis qualified for the American Olympic team a record fifth time in the long jump.. He won gold and became one of only three Olympians to win the same individual event four times.

In his seventeen-year career, the dominant sprinter and long jumper often topped the world rankings in the 100-metre, 200-metre and long jump events beginning 1981 until the early 90s.

His world record in the indoor long jump has remained unbeaten since 1984 and a stunning 65 consecutive victories in long jump, achieved over a span of 10 years, is one of the sport’s longest undefeated streaks.

Over the course of his athletics career, Lewis broke ten seconds for the 100 metres 15 times and 20 seconds for the 200 metres 10 times. Not surprising that the International Olympic Committee voted Carl ‘Sportsman of the Century’, the International Association of Athletics Federations elected him ‘World Athlete of the Century’, and the American sports magazine Sports Illustrated named him ‘Olympian of the Century’. He is truly one of the most renowned Olympians of all time.

The sporting great announced his retirement from competitive sport after the 1996 Olympics. Carl’s work off the track helped give track and field its current professional status, enabling athletes to have more rewarding and longer-lasting careers in the sport.

Since his retirement, he has devoted his time to charity through the Carl Lewis Foundation, which he founded to support different charities including the College Fund (formerly known as the United Negro College Fund), The Wendy Marx Foundation (for organ donor awareness) and the UNCF Walkathon in Houston.

Other Luminaries who have been event ambassadors in the past include names like Linford Christie, Damon Hill, Donovan Bailey, Haile Gebrselassie, Michael Johnson, Mike Powell, Paul Tergat, Steve Ovett, Gail Devers, Dame Kelly Holmes, Dan O’Brien, Cathy Freeman, Kapil Dev and Vijay Amritraj among others.

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New York to Host 'Advanced Accounting for Income Taxes' Seminar

Event title	Advanced Accounting for Income Taxes
Date	May 15–16
Location	New York
Type	KPMG Learning event
Audience	Corporate accountants and financial executives
Description	This seminar is designed for individuals who are knowledgeable in the basic requirements for accounting and financial disclosures pertaining to income taxes, looking to master more challenging scenarios.
Highlights	http://www.execed.kpmg.com/content/courses/Advanced-Accounting-Income-Taxes.aspx

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IFRS - Practical Application and Comparison to US GAAP in New York

Event title	IFRS - Practical Application and Comparison to U.S. GAAP
Date	May 13–14
Location	New York
Type	KPMG Learning event
Audience	Executives of U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies and domiciled companies
Description	This intensive two-day seminar is intended to provide an understanding of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and some of the key differences between IFRS and U.S. Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and what is required to reconcile those differences.
Highlights	http://www.execed.kpmg.com/content/courses/IFRS-Practical-Application-Comparison-USGAAP.aspx

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'Accounting for Income Taxes' Seminar in New York From May 13–14

Event title	Accounting for Income Taxes
Date	May 13–14
Location	New York
Type	KPMG Learning event
Audience	Corporate accountants and financial executives
Description	This two-day seminar will help you apply ASC 740 (FAS 109, FIN 48) and associated pronouncements. It provides a conceptual and practical view of accounting for income taxes.
Highlights	http://www.execed.kpmg.com/content/courses/Accounting-Income-Taxes.aspx

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IPL 2014 Schedule, Time Table and Venue

Date	Match No	Venue	Match	Time
16.4.14	1	Abu Dhabi	MI vs KKR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
17.4.14	2	Sharjah	DD vs RCB	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
18.4.14	3	Abu Dhabi	CSK vs KXIP	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT | 14.30 local
18.4.14	4	Abu Dhabi	SRH vs RR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
19.4.14	5	Dubai	RCB vs MI	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT | 14.30 local
19.4.14	6	Dubai	KKR vs DD	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
20.4.14	7	Sharjah	RR vs KXIP	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
21.4.14	8	Abu Dhabi	CSK vs DD	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
22.4.14	9	Sharjah	KXIP vs SRH	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
23.4.14	10	Dubai	RR vs CSK	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
24.4.14	11	Sharjah	RCB vs KKR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
25.4.14	12	Dubai	SRH vs DD	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT | 14.30 local
25.4.14	13	Dubai	CSK vs MI	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
26.4.14	14	Abu Dhabi	RR vs RCB	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT | 14.30 local
26.4.14	15	Abu Dhabi	KXIP vs KKR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
27.4.14	16	Sharjah	DD vs MI	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT | 14.30 local
27.4.14	17	Sharjah	SRH vs CSK	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
28.4.14	18	Dubai	RCB vs KXIP	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
29.4.14	19	Abu Dhabi	KKR vs RR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
30.4.14	20	Dubai	MI vs SRH	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT | 18.30 local
2.5.14	21	Ranchi	CSK vs KKR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
3.5.14	22	Mumbai	MI vs KXIP	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
3.5.14	23	Delhi	DD vs RR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
4.5.14	24	Bangalore	RCB vs SRH	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
5.5.14	25	Ahmedabad	RR vs KKR	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
5.5.14	26	Delhi	DD vs CSK	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
6.5.14	27	Mumbai	MI vs RCB	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
7.5.14	28	Delhi	DD vs  KKR	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
7.5.14	29	Cuttack	KXIP vs CSK	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
8.5.14	30	Ahmedabad	RR vs SRH	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
9.5.14	31	Bangalore	RCB vs KXIP	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
10.5.14	32	Delhi	DD vs  SRH	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
10.5.14	33	Mumbai	MI vs  CSK	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
11.5.14	34	Cuttack	KXIP vs  KKR	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
11.5.14	35	Bangalore	RCB vs  RR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
12.5.14	36	Hyderabad	SRH vs MI	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
13.5.14	37	Ranchi	CSK vs RR	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
13.5.14	38	Bangalore	RCB vs DD	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
14.5.14	39	Hyderabad	SRH vs KXIP	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
14.5.14	40	Kolkata	KKR vs MI	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
15.5.14	41	Ahmedabad	RR vs DD	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
18.5.14	42	Chennai	CSK vs RCB	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
18.5.14	43	Hyderabad	SRH vs KKR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
19.5.14	44	Ahmedabad	RR vs MI	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
19.5.14	45	Delhi	DD vs KXIP	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
20.5.14	46	Hyderabad	SRH vs RCB	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
20.5.14	47	Kolkata	KKR vs CSK	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
21.5.14	48	Mohali	KXIP vs MI	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
22.5.14	49	Kolkata	KKR vs RCB	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
22.5.14	50	Chennai	CSK vs SRH	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
23.5.14	51	Mumbai	MI vs DD	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
23.5.15	52	Mohali	KXIP vs RR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
24.5.14	53	Bangalore	RCB vs CSK	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
24.5.14	54	Kolkata	KKR vs SRH	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
25.5.14	55	Mohali	KXIP vs DD	16.00 IST | 10.30 GMT
25.5.14	56	Mumbai	MI vs RR	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
27.5.14	Qualifier 1	Chennai	TBD vs TBD	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
28.5.14	Eliminator	Chennai	TBD vs TBD	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
30.5.14	Qualifier 2	Mumbai	TBD vs TBD	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT
1.6.14	FINAL	Mumbai	TBD vs TBD	20.00 IST | 2.30 GMT

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China Arte Brazil Begins in Sao Paulo

Report by Santanu Ganguly: “China Arte Brazil” exhibition kicked off in OCA, Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 10, and will continue till May 5, 2014. Curator Ma Lin and Tereza de Arruda organized the exhibition that will present over 110 works by 62 artists.

Ma Lin Section Artists List: He Chengyao,  Huang Jun, Li Shan, Li Yifan, Li Zhouwei, Liu Yongtao, Mou Huan, Ni Weihua, Qu Yan, Song Gang, Wang Jingsong, Wang Nanming, Wang Xiaosong, Wong Shun-kit, Wu Song, XU Weixin, Yang Kai, Yang Qian, Zhang Minjie, Zhang Jian-jun, Zhang Xiaotao.

Date: April 14-May 18， 2014

Venue: OCA， Sao Paulo

Organizer: Brazil Ministry of Culture, G11

Sponsor: HSBC Bank, Brazil

The Chinese Contemporary Art Landscape is complex, built from the dual influences of China’s own cultural background and trends in Western Art. How should we interpret Chinese contemporary art? How should we evaluate Western critiques of Chinese Contemporary art? In the Chinese art world, these questions are being rethought and discussed. Now, as the concept of “Chinese symbol” has been accepted internationally, the task of finding artists whose works extend beyond “Chinese Symbol” has been undertaken by only few curators and art critics in China. Of course, we can’t use one label to summarize all of Chinese Contemporary art, but can only provide a selection of Chinese Contemporary Art since 2000.

Through my curating section, I select 21 Artists for the China Arte Brazil exhibition, the theme is “Chinese Contemporary Art after 2000” and present with three parts. 

Part 1 “Art intervenes in Society” take Artist Wang Jingsong, Ni Weihua, Li Yifan, Qu Yan, Wang Nanming, He Chengyao, Xu Weixin and Zhang Minjie’s work as example, focus on talk about how the artists look for new art in  non-art, How the artists broke the boundary of art and present social problems throughout their works?

Part 2 “History, Memory and Future” through Li Shan, Zhang Jian-jun, Zhang Xiaotao and Song Gang different subject and artworks, from the imagination of the future, historical and current memory explore problems that people have overlooked.

Part 3 “ Image and Form” from different New Paintings and angles, such as Wong Shun-kit, Yang Qian, Huangjun, Mou Huan, Wu Song, Wang Xiaosong, Yang Kai, Li Zhouwei, Liu Yongtao’s works, discuss post-abstractionism, images, graffiti, strokes and other issues. The 21 artists in this exhibition are only examples of the development of Chinese contemporary art. Because of their different academic backgrounds, they show differences  creative tendencies in their works on the same theme.

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Michal Helfman, Eli Petel, Alexandra Zuckerman's Artworks in Delhi

Report by Santanu Ganguly:  MK Search Art is glad to announce “Michal Helfman—Eli Petel—Alexandra Zuckerman,” a presentation of artworks by Israeli artists Michal Helfman, Eli Petel and Alexandra Zuckerman. Conceived as three concise solo presentations, each artist will exhibit the work in one of the rooms of MK Search Art gallery space, which is located in a historical building in the center of the town of San Giovanni Valdarno in Tuscany, Italy.

Following these premises the exhibition will play with a variety of languages, references and media and on one hand it will underline the visible differences characterizing the practice of these three artists and on the other hand it will highlight possible connections between them. In fact the practices of Michal Helfman, Eli Petel and Alexandra Zuckerman are very distant from each other and yet these three artists belong to the same milieu, they know each other work and in some occasion have even worked together and shared ideas and engaged in conversations.

Working with video, sculpture, painting, drawing, installations and performance, the modus operandi of Michal Heflman (*1973, Tel Aviv) aims towards a deep analysis of issues such as history, violence and culture, issues that are presented through the notion of stage and its related vocabulary. Almost theatrical, ultimately all her works are “scenes” that the artist – who worked as a set designer for night clubs in Tel Aviv and studied dance for many years and now involves dancers in many of her videos and performances – constructs in order to use it as a channel for the distribution of themes that belong to the often tragic and always adventurous history of humankind. At MK Search Art Helfman will show the video A Duet for a Boy and a Flame (2010).

Often employing different media at the same time in order to create meta-linguistic installations and interventions, some very spectacular and some more minute, the work of Eli Petel (*1974, Jerusalem) is deeply rooted in his identity as Sephardic Iraqi-Jew, more generally defined as Oriental Jew or “Misrakhi” in Hebrew. However the multifaceted and easy to misunderstand notion of identity is for Petel just the starting point, a conceptual strategy, an excuse he uses to establish an inner and semi-spiritual dialogue between the artwork and the viewer. In fact all his works own a double nature: on one side they are surgically analyzing the history of art and the history and legacy of the state of Israel and of the Jewish people and on the other side they are all deeply emotional, spiritual and sentimental. At MK Search Art, Petel will exhibit a crying self-portrait – The Whiner (2010) – and picture of his hometown – East Jerusalem (2007-11).

Rooted in the history of painting, the sophisticated and laborious oeuvres of Alexandra Zuckerman (*1981, Moscow) result from different kind of traditions that the artist mixes without solution of continuity. From Medieval and early Renaissance paintings and tapestries to comic books; from fairy tales’ illustrations to Magritte’s iconic compositions; from Eastern European legends – the artist was born in Russia and immigrated to Israel at the age of 9 – to the figures depicted by Pierre Klossowski: all her artworks are full of déjà vu and yet completely contemporary and brand new. Executed through a unique and time-consuming technique invented by the artist – who prefers to work in her small domestic space in Jaffa –, Zuckerman’s tableaux are open windows to a parallel world. For MK Search Art she will present a pencil-on-paper triptych entitled After The Moon (2013).

April 12 - June 1, 2014

Opening: Saturday, April 12, 6:30 pm

MK Search Art, San Giovanni Valdarno/New Delhi

Italy: Corso Italia 14, 52027, San Giovanni Valdarno, Arezzo, Italy

India: B-5 Anupam Plaza Srl Aurobindo Marg Hauz Khas, New Delhi 10016

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