Rape-accused

New Delhi: One of the accused in the Delhi gang-rape has been declared a minor by the Juvenile Justice Board, a lawyer said here Monday.

“He is a juvenile. The Juvenile Justice Board declared the sixth accused as juvenile on the basis of the date of birth on his school certificate which mentions June 4, 1995,” said prosecutor Ishkaran Singh Bhandari after the hearing before the board.

The accused would turn 18 in June, he said.

Apart from the juvenile, five other accused were involved in the Dec 16, 2012 brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist in a moving bus. The five accused are facing trial in a fast-track court in Saket in south Delhi.

Mumbai: After hitting a record low of 56.40 against the dollar last week, Indian rupee strengthened for the third consecutive session Monday, helped by the Reserve Bank of India’s intervention and improved cues from the global markets.

The partially convertible rupee rose to 55.18 against a dollar Monday as compared to the previous day’s closing level of 55.37.
This is the third consecutive day of gain in the value of rupee. The Indian currency has strengthened by 2.2 percent in the last three trading sessions, the biggest gaining streak in almost three months.
The rupee has recovered in the last three sessions after hitting seven consecutive record lows in the previous seven trading sessions.

Washington: South Asians rated their lives worse in 2011 than most residents in other parts of Asia with nearly one in four Indians “suffering”, third highest after Nepal and Afghanistan, according to a new poll.

Including India (24 percent), at least one in five residents in Nepal (31 percent), Afghanistan (30 percent), Sri Lanka (22 percent), and Pakistan (21 percent) rated their lives poorly enough to be considered “suffering”, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.
Bangladesh is the only South Asian country where suffering is significantly lower than its regional neighbours, at 10 percent, the leading US opinion pollster said.
Gallup classifies respondents as “thriving”, “struggling”, or “suffering” according to how they rate their current and future lives on a scale of 0 to 10.
Those who rate their present life a 7 or higher and their life in five years an 8 or higher are classified as thriving, while those who rate both dimensions a 4 or lower are considered suffering. Respondents whose ratings fall in between are considered struggling.
The relatively high levels of suffering in South Asia likely reflect the economic turmoil, war, conflict, domestic terrorism, or separatist movements that have afflicted many of these countries in the past decade, Gallup said.
Additionally, most South Asian countries currently have higher levels of unemployment and corruption and lower levels of college education than the rest of Asia.
Relatively low levels of suffering in Bangladesh may be related to their educational attainment, Gallup said noting it was the highest in South Asia — 50 percent of the adult population has at least secondary or higher education.

Toronto: The sense of sophisticated design and architectural aesthetic that defines the King West residential neighbourhood is coming to King Street East.

Freed Developments, the builder/developer on the leading edge of King West’s metamorphosis from gritty industrial area to a hip, exciting place to live, is launching Sixty Colborne in the dynamic St. Lawrence market neighbourhood, where the history of Front St. meets the bustle of Bay St.

Residents of this intimate 281-suite, 25-storey boutique condominium will be steps from the tantalizing gourmet treats and fresh produce sold at the bustling St. Lawrence Market. The neighbourhood is a food lover’s delight, also boasting a diverse range of eateries ranging from small bistros to friendly pubs to fine dining establishments.

This vibrant downtown neighbourhood also is home to world-class dance, music and theatre performances at venues such as the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, quaint shops and unique home and design stores.

“It’s really a block from everything,” says Peter Freed of Freed Developments. “St. Lawrence Market is such an incredible place and the building (Sixty Colborne) is across from St. James Park. I love projects that have a park. Colborne St. is a jewel of a little street with some great buildings on it and it has a ton of character.”

The area is home to the Hockey Hall of Fame, the stately St. Lawrence Hall, St. James Cathedral, the historic Flatiron Building and a short stroll from the Victorian-era ambiance of the Distillery District with its boutiques, restaurants, breweries and art galleries.

As part of Old Town Toronto, the area is steeped in history yet close to the glittering modern towers of the financial district and to a host of public transit options, from subway to streetcar to VIA and GO train service.

While King West has appealed primarily to young professionals and artistic types, Freed anticipates a mix of mature buyers who are attracted by the convenient location and wealth of cultural, historic and culinary amenities available in the King East neighbourhood, as well as younger buyers who also appreciate everything the area has to offer.

Like all Freed projects, Sixty Colborne will be thoughtfully designed, reflecting a sophisticated design sensibility geared to an urban lifestyle. Award-winning architect Peter Clewes of architectsAlliance and Peter Freed have taken cues from the great heritage buildings in the area, yet imposed a modern twist to create a contemporary classic. The podium pays homage to the rich historical architecture of the neighbourhood, yet the dramatic curved entrance and modern tower speak to the present and future.

Toronto design firm Johnson Chou was chosen to create the interiors, where suites will boast a modern, clean aesthetic with open-concept floor plans with entertainment spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows to bathe the suites in natural light, airy 9-foot architecturally finished ceilings, and European-style contemporary kitchens with built-in, panel-ready appliances and natural stone or Corian countertops, and bathrooms with custom designed Corian vanities.

Suites are available in studio, one bedroom, one bedroom-plus-den, two bedroom and two bedroom-with-den configurations, with sizes starting at 435 square feet and up and priced from the upper $200,000s.

Balconies and terraces will encourage residents to embrace outdoor living. Gas line for outdoor barbecues is just one example of the amazing upgrades being offered at Sixty Colborne.

Among the hallmarks of Freed condominium projects are spectacular amenity areas and Sixty Colborne will be no exception, with a professionally designed fitness area and a stunning outdoor amenity space with terrace-level raised lounge area and swimming pool with glass wall surrounded by a huge cabana. Residents hosting out-of-town visitors will enjoy access to a fully furnished private guest suite. A 24-hour concierge will be on site to attend to resident needs around the clock.

The sales centre is at 60 Colborne St. For information, call 416-601-0060 or visit www.sixtycolborne.com

Imran Khan says that his wife Avantika’s invaluable suggestions have helped him in his career. “I have always felt that when Avantika sees my films, criticises something and points out some flaws, that is always correct, always spot-on. I always take her opinion into account,” said the 29-year-old who married his long-time girlfriend in January 2011.

His romantic comedy “Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu” is releasing Friday.

Meanwhile, the actor is pretty excited about working with Vishal Bhardwaj in ” Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola”, in which he will team up with Anushka Sharma, Shabana Azmi and Pankaj Kapur.

The film will go on floors on Valentine’s Day.

If you think two actresses can’t be friends, think again. There is a new dosti that’s being celebrated in tinsel town, Priyanka Chopra and southern star Ileana. The actress who is making her Bollywood debut with Anurag Basu’s forthcoming film Barfi has found her first Bollywood friend in Piggy Chops.
According to a unit hand, Priyanka Chopra who is shooting in Hyderabad for Krrish 3 got to know her Barfi costar Ileana is shooting next door for a Telugu film. She decided to surprise Ileana by visiting her on the sets. “Ileana was surprised and glad to see Priyanka since they met after a long time. The duo not only spent time chatting but also hung out after completing their respective shoots,” it was reported.

The film Bandhan was the second consecutive film starring Khanna and Mumtaz. After their first film together Do Raaste, filmmakers trying to capitalize on their successful on-screen chemistry, signed both Khanna and Mumtaz in their ventures. And the jodi never failed to work.

The film Bandhan, thanks to Narendra Bedi’s direction, Kalyanji Anandji’s hit music and the onscreen chemistry of Khanna and Mumtaz, went on to gross a formidable amount of Rs 2.8 crore in 1969.