Fashion fund bonaza for young Indian designers

New Delhi, May 10 - There is encouraging news for the next generation of designers with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the country's apex body of designers, partnering with Vogue India for a fashion fund.

The fund, similar to the ones existing in the US, UK, Italy and China among others aims to give the younger crop of fashion designers the much needed additional push in terms of cash, mentorship and opportunities, including retail options at major stores, to promote their fledgling business.

ÒThe fashion industry in India has grown over the years.

Over three to four thousand graduates come out every year from fashion institutes. While some branch out into merchandising, export industry and other allied fields, some enter the league of designers who have to struggle to find their place in the fashion world which already has veterans with over 25 years of experience,Ó says Sunil Sethi, President, FDCI.

A recent industry report by Assocham projects that the designer wear industry in India which is growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 40 per cent is likely to cross the Rs 11,000 crore mark by 2020.

A jury featuring renowned fashion designers Manish Arora Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Suneet Varma as well as retail experts like Alka Nishar and Tina Tahiliani will shortlist 5 finalists from 20 chosen designers.

The winner will win a grand cash prize, which is being finalised, as well as a one year business or marketing or PR mentorship with an industry professional. In addition, the winner will get the opportunity to partner with a leading retailer that will help commercialize the winner's collection, get access to Wills 

Lifestyle India Fashion Week and feature in Vogue India.

Past winners of the Vogue Fashion Fund from other countries include Joseph Altuzarra, Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler in America, as well as Christopher Kane and Erdem Moralioglu in the UK.

Sunil Sethi says that while FDCI-owned Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week provides a platform for designers to do business at the various fashion and couture weeks sometimes even at subsidised rates, there is no funding or Òhandholding processÓ existing for the new designers.

ÒMany years ago when Manish Arora, Anamika Khanna and Rajesh Pratap Singh showcased at the Paris Fashion Week it was the only time when there was some sort of grant from the Government, otherwise we do not have a fashion fund,Ó says Sethi.

The jury for the Fashion Fund would not be looking for raw talent but for designers possessing a couple of years of experience and a solid business plan.

 ÒWhether it is with publicity, managing his business or getting attached to a retail sector, the fund will cater to specific requirement of the designer so he or she should have a business module in place and we will provide him a suitable platform,Ó says Sethi.

Veteran designers are upbeat about the idea.

ÒThe challenge for any new talent today is to find a strong foothold that provides stability for the brand and yet let it remain creative. The Fund understands the need of the hour and is looking to empower that hidden talent which has the future potential to be a successful brand in cutting edge design that celebrates Indian aesthetics,Ó says Suneet Varma.

The Fund is poised to be an annual event.

China tightens Internet regulations in Tibet

Beijing, May 5 - China has tightened Internet regulations in Tibet, arguing that this was required to avert any attempts by supporters of the Dalai Lama to create Òethnic disharmonyÓ in a region that has been rocked by a spate of self-immolations.

From now on, the Internet service providers and users in Tibet Autonomous Region are required to register their details with the local Internet watchdog, according to new regulations, the official media reported today.
The reason why the Tibet government made the real identity registration mandatory was due to the complicated ethnic and religious reality, Xu Zhitao, an official on Tibet-related issues the Communist Party of China Central Committee told state-run Global Times.

ÒIt is possible for extremists and separatists to take advantage of the Internet to create, forward and spread rumours that may paralyse ethnic unity in Tibet to their advantage,Ó Xu said.
ÒThe outbound Dalai (Lama) clique may also make use of online rumours in a bid to undermine local stability,Ó he said.

The new regulations were part of tightening of security measures in Tibet in the light of a spate of self-immolation attempts, calling for the return of the Dalai Lama from his exile.
Over 30 Tibetans, mostly Buddhist monks and nuns, have attempted self immolations in recent months.
The new regulations said Internet access and online information providers, Internet data centres and domain name registration centres are required to register the real names of individual Internet users and company details when providing Internet services to them.

The government has issued a total of 16 rules directing all Web users to provide a supplementary registration of their real name information, if they have not yet registered their identity with local Internet access providers and the Internet watchdog, within 60 days.

An employee from the Internet Office of the Tibet local government said that it was a pilot move to lay down real-name registration rules for Internet services nationwide.
Local residents were already required to provide their personal information when obtaining Internet access since early last year.

Internet information providers running news, publications, and other news services are required to keep a record of published information, including time and websites for at least 60 days, the regulation said.

I-T begins scrutiny of Reebok India accounts

New Delhi, May 5 - The Income Tax department has begun scrutiny of financial documents and transactions of global sportswear manufacturer Reebok after its owner Adidas recently announced commercial irregularities in its India operations.

 The I-T department has collected documents related to sales and purchase made by the firm during the last financial year and few others, including trade receipts processed by the company.
 ÒCertain government/regulatory bodies were seeking clarifications about Reebok India Company in regards to the announcement made on Monday (May 2). We have shared the required details with them,Ó the Adidas group said in a statement.

 The I-T authorities, who visited the corporate office of the firm in Gurgaon few days back to obtain certain documents, are also scrutinising TDS payments made by the company, sources said.
 On May 2, German sportswear maker Adidas had said it found some commercial irregularities to the tune of 125 million euro in Reebok India.

 The details of the irregularities have not yet been disclosed.
 Adidas is also in the process of restructuring Reebok India's business which might cost the company 70 million euro.

 As a part of the restructuring the group might shut down one-third of its 900 Reebok stores in India.
 ÒThe implementation of new commercial initiatives and terms could result in a reduction of our Reebok franchise store base by about one-third, as we focus on maximising our future returns in the market,Ó Adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer had said earlier.

 I-T sources said during the course of investigations, they may summon the officials and accountants of the firm for explaining transactions to them.

Oldest Buddhist Lotus Sutra manuscript now in new book

New Delhi, May 4 - The Gilgit Lotus Sutra manuscript an ancient scripture containing the teachings of Buddha and discovered by cattle grazers inside a Buddhist stupa in 1931 has now been released in a laminated facsimile edition.

The book, a joint initiative by the National Archives of India, the Institute of Oriental Philosophy and the NGO Soka Gakkai International was launched here last evening. The National Archives will make the copy available to universities and scholars on request.

The manuscripts, which date back to the 5th century were discovered inside a wooden box in a circular chamber within a Buddhist stupa and the cattle grazers who found it in three stages took it to the Wazir of Gilgit who in turn sent it to Srinagar to the Maharajah of Kashmir.
Subsequently British archaeologist Aurel Stien studied them and announced their discovery to the world.

ÒMuch work on our cultural thought and norms has been done abroad and scholars have painstakingly worked at learning ancient scripts in order to understand the true meaning of what they have studied. It is fitting that we in India take care to preserve what we have, knowing that it is of relevance not just to us in India but the rest of the world as well,Ó said Sangita Gairola, Culture Secretary after releasing a copy of the edition.

The manuscripts, said Lokesh Chandra, historian and Chairperson, International Centre for Indian Culture apply a value system to Asia for the last 1,600 years. ÒIt is the rarest of sutras that speaks about the gross national happiness, which is the happiness of each individual. Even Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymn had mantras from the Lotus Sutra,Ó said Chandra.

Solutions to health concerns of vulnerable people must: USAID

New Delhi, May 4 - There is a pressing need for finding innovative and sustainable health solutions to address concerns of the Òmost vulnerable peopleÓ in the country who survive on less than USD 2 per day, US Agency for International Development (USAID) said here today.

Addressing a conference here, USAID Mission Director Willian Hammink said that a large gap exists in the Indian health sector when it comes to addressing the needs of the people living at the bottom of the society.
ÒThere is a large gap when it comes to improving the health of the country's most vulnerable people, a significant percentage of whom live on less than USD 2 a day with very limited access to health care service and productsÓ, Hammink said.

He was addressing the Health Confluence-2012 conference, organised by the USAID with an aim of providing opportunity to the private sector companies to develop market-based health solutions in the country.

The USAID-Market-based Partnership for Health (MBPH) programme is one such example of our commitment to engage the private sector in finding solutions for health sector, he said.
ÒMBPH has designed and implemented various commercially viable business model through private partnership on a range of public health issues such as family planning, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, hygiene promotion, water and indoor air pollutionÓ, USAID officials said.

Praising the Indian track record of innovation in the health sector, Hammink said, ÒOver the last six decades, India has made substantial gains in health... nowhere is the potential for such solutions stronger than in India with its vibrant private sector and spirit of entrepreneurshipÓ.

He added that the programme has successfully achieved all its goals with some Ògame-changing innovations from the private sector in health systems and service deliveryÓ.

Girls tops UPSC civil service exams in India

New Delhi, May 4 - Two top slots in the coveted Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examinations 2011 have been achieved by women candidates.

 According to the results announced today, Shena Aggarwal, who holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here, has topped the examination. Whereas, Rukmani Riar, a Master of Arts (Social Entrepreneurship) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, has got second rank.

 While the third position is bagged by Prince Dhawan, who had done Master of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

 The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2011 was conducted on June 12. As many as 4,72,290 candidates applied for this examination, out of which 2,43,003 wrote the test.

 According to a release by the Department of Personnel and Training, 11,984 candidates were declared qualified for the main written examination held in October-November, 2011 out of which 2,417 candidates were selected for the personality test conducted in March-April, 2012.

 Finally a total of 910 candidates -- 715 male and 195 female -- have been selected for appointments to various central services like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.

 The list of selected candidates includes 420 General (including 21 physically challenged), 255 Other Backward Classes (including 8 physically challenged), 157 Scheduled Castes (including four physically challenged) and 78 Scheduled Tribes candidates among others, it said.

The result also showcases the pan-Indian distribution of successful candidates in the examination. Among the top 25 candidates, there are candidates claiming domicile from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

The top 25 candidates include alumni from some of the premier educational institutions of the country, including AIIMS, IIM and IITs. ÒAn alumnus of London School of Economics also figures in the top 25,Ó it said.

 The family background of top 25 candidates show diverse representation from all walks of the life which include farmer, teacher, businessman, army personnel, low and middle level government servants, doctors, advocate, professor and civil servants.

 Among them, six have made it to the merit lift in their first attempt; seven in second attempt; nine in third attempt; and one each in fourth, fifth and sixth attempts. As many as 12 have already been recommended to services other than IAS on the basis of Civil Services Examinations of previous years.
 Of the top 25 candidates - 13 appeared from Delhi; three from Jaipur, two each from Mumbai & Chandigarh; and one each from Hyderabad, Chennai, Dispur, Patna and Jammu Centres.
 UPSC, which conducts the examination, has opened a 'Facilitation Counter' near the Examination Hall Building in its campus.

 Candidates can obtain any information or clarification regarding their examinations on the working days between 10 am -5 pm in person or over telephone nos 011- 23385271, 23381125, 23098543.
 Results will also be available on the UPSC's Website (http//www.upsc.gov.in.). ÒHowever, marks are likely to be available on the website within 15 days from the date of declaration of resultsÓ, the release added.

Many Indian-Americans involved in USD 452 mn Medicare fraud

Washington, May 3 - A number of Indian-Americans were among 107 people charged across seven different cities for their role in a Medicare fraud involving a whopping USD 452 million, in one of the biggest busts by US authorities.

Those arrested included doctors, nurses, social workers, health-care company owners in Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, Detroit, Chicago, Tampa and Baton Rouge.

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force charged 107 people for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately USD 452 million in false billings, the Department of Justice said in a statement.

This is the highest amount of alleged false Medicare billings involved in a single takedown in the Strike Force's 5-year history.

In an indictment unsealed yesterday, prosecutors accuse Hoor Naz Jafri, a naturalised US citizen from India, and Roslyn F Dogan of Òa pattern of brazenly disregarding legal and administrative processesÓ at their Baton Rouge clinics.

Jafri, faces eight counts of conspiracy and health care fraud. Dogan faces four counts. If convicted, Jafri faces up to 80 years in prison, and Dogan up to 40 years. Prosecutors want them jailed until trial.

Both defendants face forfeiture of at least USD 37.9 million. A preliminary sentencing guidelines analysis shows that the prison sentence for both defendants, based on indicted and relevant conduct, would be life.

In Detroit, the FBI arrested 19 people at 10 facilities accused of USD 50 million in Medicare fraud, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Of those charged in Detroit at least 4 are Indian-Americans --Sachin Sharma, 36, Dana Sharma, 29,

Madhur Thawani, 27, and Ankit Patel, 27, from Michigan.
ÒThe day of stealing from taxpayers is over,Ó US Attorney Barbara McQuade said in announcing the Detroit charges.

The FBI apprehended 59 suspects in South Florida, including the owner of two mental health businesses called Healthcare Solutions Network, The Miami Herald reports.

Those charged are accused of a range of serious offenses, including health-care fraud, conspiracy to commit health-care fraud, money laundering, and violations of the anti-kickback statutes.

The scheme involved paying kickbacks to co-conspirators who unlawfully obtained Medicare beneficiary information, which was used to submit the phony claims.

Earlier, FBI agents raided nine locations across Detroit and seized 14 bank accounts in connection with the fraud investigation.

Death on NYC train platform leads to USD 180,000 mystery

New York, May 3 - The mystery began with a heart attack, a man with a past, and a bag of money that federal authorities now want to keep.

Last August, a retired Teamster union member from Boston stepped off an Amtrak train in New York City and collapsed on the platform at Pennsylvania Station. As medics tried to revive him, police searched his backpack for identification.

Inside, they found the stuff that ÒLaw & OrderÓ episodes are made of: USD 179,980 in cash, bundled with rubber bands and tucked inside two plastic bags.

That raised some eyebrows. So did the dead man's background.
William P Coyman, 75, a lifelong resident of Boston's Charlestown section, had a criminal history dating to 1955.

His record included prison time in New Hampshire after he was caught with a pile of cocaine and USD 20,000 that had just been stolen from a department store.
Coyman's old union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 25, was notorious for its organised crime ties in the 1990s.

Years ago, Coyman's name was mentioned in news articles about allegations that union officials were shaking down Hollywood film crews and forcing producers to give cushy film set jobs to gangland hoodlums. He'd worked as a driver on some of the films in question.

Police brought in a drug-sniffing dog, which indicated traces of narcotics in both Coyman's backpack and briefcase, according to a court filing.

Investigators contacted one of Coyman's relatives, who said he had been working as a courier for a company called 180 Entertainment and was supposed to have been delivering cash from Boston to Philadelphia when he died.

Agents looked into the company and found that its registered headquarters was a small house in a blue-collar section of Philadelphia, with personal watercraft and two luxury cars parked in the driveway.

All this made the Drug Enforcement Administration very suspicious.
In February, federal prosecutors in New York asked a judge for permission to keep the cash as the suspected proceeds of drug dealing.

Reached by the AP in California, Coyman's son, also named William, declined to speak about the situation, other than to say that the money didn't belong to the family.

Accor to hire over 1,100 employees in India this year

New Delhi, May 3 - Hospitality firm Accor today said it will hire 1,100 people in India this year to meet the needs of its growing network.

The company plans to operate 90 hotels in India by 2015.
It already has 3,600 employees here, the company said in a statement.

ÒWe expect to create significant job opportunities across all segments varying from luxury to upscale, mid-scale and economy to low-cost,Ó Accor India Regional Director Human Resources Ashwin Shirali said.
In April, Accor opened five new hotels in India and six more will be opened in 2012, the company said.

ÒBy the end of 2012, Accor will operate 23 hotels (4,572 guest rooms) in India and remains on track to achieve its development ambition of 90 hotels by 2015,Ó it said.

Accor is determined to hire young versatile talented staff that could be trained to multitask at various levels and will be capable of supporting the broad portfolio of properties, further experiencing faster career advancement, it added.

Lufthansa to cut 3,500 jobs worldwide

Berlin, May 3 - German carrier Deutsche Lufthansa AG will slash 3,500 administrative jobs worldwide in the coming years, as part of cost cutting measures.
 Faced with fierce competition and higher fuel costs, Lufthansa today reported a 379 million loss in the first three months of 2012.

 Unveiling cost-cutting steps, the airline said the proposed moves are expected to result in the loss of 3,500 full-time jobs in administrative departments worldwide.

 ÒWe can only safeguard jobs for the long term and create new openings if we reorganise the administrative functions and accept job losses now,Ó Deutsche Lufthansa AG's Chairman of Executive Board and CEO Christoph Franz said in a statement.

 Fierce competition as well as increased fuel costs, the air traffic tax imposed in Germany and Austria and costs of emissions trading in force in Germany since 2012, all impacted the company's quarterly performance.

 According to the company, double-digit million euro savings are expected from the optimisation of local traffic within the airline group and expenses in administrative areas are to be cut by 25 per cent.
 ÒHigher taxes, fees and charges put a massive strain on our quarterly result. It was well down on last year despite record revenue.

 ÒWe cannot wait until politicians also recognise the damage that one-sided taxes and charges do to aviation and to Europe's reputation as a place to do business,Ó Franz noted.

'The bigger the eyes the faster the animal'

Washington, May 3 - Mammals which have bigger eyes compared to their body size are more likely to be the fastest runners in the animal kingdom, researchers have found Animals with bigger eyes usually have better visual acuity which is beneficial when moving quickly, said study author Chris Kirk, an associate professor of anthropology at University of Texas, Austin.

ÒEye size is one of the most important factors for understanding visual abilities and the evolution of visual adaptations,Ó Kirk told LiveScience.

ÒIn vertebrates, increases in eye size can benefit both acuity (detail vision) and sensitivity (vision in dim light).Ó Some animals rely more on senses other than eyesight, but for many it plays an important role. This seems to be especially true in fast runners, the researchers said.

ÒIf you can think of mammals that are fast like a cheetah or horse, you can almost guarantee they have got really big eyes. This gives them better vision to avoid colliding with obstacles in their environment when they are moving very quickly,Ó Kirk said.

To figure out what factors influence the eye size, the researchers collected measurements of eye size, body size and running speed in 50 mammals.

The findings, published in the journal Anatomical Record, showed that 89 per cent of the variation in eye size among these mammals was due to body mass and maximum running speed.

ÒYou start looking at comparative data and one thing that will always influence eye size is body size. An elephant is always going to have bigger eyes than a mouse,Ó Kirk said.
Even after adjusting for body size, the researchers found a significant effect of running speed on eye size.

ÒThere is going to be the effect of body mass, but when you look at maximum running speed in isolation or when you hold body mass constant, it's still significantly related to eye size,Ó Kirk said.


And when you combine maximum running speed and body mass as two variables influencing how big an eye is, they can tell almost all of the differences observed between species, the researchers said.
Interestingly, humans seem to buck this trend, Kirk said.

ÒWe have large eyes, comparable to those of fast runners, like wolves, but our maximum running speeds are pitifully slow compared with other mammals.

ÒI'm often reminded of the Pekingese dog that I grew up with, who could run faster on four tiny legs than I could run on two long legs.Ó ÒAt least in the case of humans, it's safe to conclude that fast running was not the selective factor that led to the evolution of our large eyes,Ó Kirk added.

Adidas plans franchise business model change for Reebok India

New Delhi, May 2 - To lower cost and ensure better accountability from its partners, German sportswear maker Adidas, which is undertaking an accelerated restructuring of its business activities in India, is in the process of changing its franchise business model for the Reebok brand.

Adidas, which has recently found some Òcommercial irregularitiesÓ at Reebok India, had last year communicated to its Reebok franchisees in India about its intention to discontinue the 'Minimum Guarantee (MG) model' in the country.

ÒUnder the new leadership team, management is undertaking an accelerated restructuring of its business activities, including significant changes to its commercial business practice, as part of the course of actions to protect the Group's interests in India,Ó Adidas has said.

The restructuring is a part of a long-term strategic business plan 'Route 2015', it said.
At present 900 Reebok outlets are operational in India.

According to a Delhi-based franchisee, who did not want to be identified, ÒSince the last six to seven months Reebok was working to abolish the MG model and work on a rent plus margin model with its franchisees in India.Ó The MG model enables a franchisee to retain a part of total sales done by a store to cover high investment costs of setting and operating an outlet in an expensive location.
ÒThe management had communicated to its franchisees that they were not willing to work on the MG model and wanted to work on a model that guarantees fixed margin of about 35 per cent to a franchisee,Ó the franchisee said.

However, since the top management change that happened in March, there has been no communication from the company, he added.
A few other Reebok franchisees based in Delhi and Rajasthan confirmed that the company was planning a model change.

Earlier this week, Adidas had issued a statement from Germany that said the company had discovered commercial irregularities at Reebok India.
ÒThe currently estimated maximum negative impact could be up to a pre-tax amount of Euro 125 million,Ó it had said.

The restructuring could lead to additional one-time charges in the remaining quarters of 2012 in an estimated amount of up to Euro 70 million, it had said.

Casein exports will benefit Indian farmers, say dairy makers

 New Delhi, May 2 - The government's decision to allow exports of casein and its products, a value added milk item, will benefit farmers, dairy products makers said today.

 ÒIt's a welcome step. We have been demanding lifting curb from outbound shipment of casein for long,Ó R S Sodhi, the Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which sells products under the Amul brand, said.

 Sodhi said the government should have lifted prohibition from export of milk powder also as the country is having surplus milk production presently.

 ÒIt will be advantageous for farmers,Ó Narendra Nagar, Director (Operation), Paras, said.
 He said the decision would have no bearing on consumers but will prove beneficial for the dairy farmers.
 Indian Dairy Association President N R Bhasin said, ÒWe neither welcome it nor are opposed to it.Ó ÒIf casein stock available with producers is allowed to export then there is no problem. However, if manufacturing of casein for exports is started then it could lead to shortage of milk. We think casein import in limited quantity should be allowed,Ó he added.

 The Government had banned exports of casein and milk powder in February last year, after the country experienced a shortfall of the important food commodity.

 Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) today issued a notification allowing export of casein and casein products, a long pending demand of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and the dairy industry.
 Casein is a protein compound extracted from milk.

China may prefer cotton from US, Bangladesh instead of India

Beijing, May 2 - China, the biggest importer of Indian cotton may look to buy the commodity from US and Bangladesh due to recent decision by India to first ban its exports and later reverse it.
ÒChina is traditionally India's biggest buyer of cotton.

The changeable policies impacted China's enthusiasm to purchase cotton from India. Besides, cotton from the US is a good alternative to India's supply,Ó Chen Jing, an analyst with CITICS Futures Company said.
ÒThe opening of exports of cotton from India will add to the already ample supplies in the cotton market and push down prices in the international market,Ó he told state run Global Times.

The decision by Indian government to ban cotton exports last month came as a surprise as cotton yarn and fabric exports to China amounted to USD 3.1 billion last year.
The ban was subsequently reversed.

On March 31, China suspended its cotton purchases from the international market.
The country had begun a programme of buying cotton last September in order to replenish government reserves, and also to stabilise domestic farm prices and hedge against price volatility.

In April, China resumed buying cotton from the US by purchasing 90,964 bales, which was 63 percent of the 1,44,805 bales sold to all foreign buyers in the week ending April 19, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.

ÒChina will continue to buy cotton from the international market since the global price is lower than the domestic one.

ÒThe US and Bangladesh are likely to be the priority suppliers due to their steady supply and stable policies,Ó Hu Biliang, an agriculture researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said.
ÒChina's demand for cotton is expected to decline in the next few months given the dramatic drop in exports of textile products recently,Ó he said.

India is world's most optimistic market: Nielsen

New Delhi, May 1 - India has once again emerged as the most optimistic market in terms of consumer confidence, but there is still some amount of cautiousness when it comes to spending spare cash, says a Nielsen survey.

 This is the ninth consecutive quarter wherein India has retained the tag of the world's most optimistic market with an increase of one point in consumer confidence to 123.

 ÒIndia once again topped the global index indicating a high level of confidence amongst consumers, who are optimistic yet cautious,Ó Nielsen India Managing Director Justin Sargent said.

 ÒThis optimism is reflected in Indian consumers' increased confidence in job prospects, which is a good sign for the economy. However, job security is still a cause for concern and consumers are still cautious when it comes to spending spare cash,Ó he added.

 India is followed by Saudi Arabia at 119. Indonesia and the Philippines shared the third most optimistic nation tag with an index point of 118.
 Meanwhile, Hungary was the most pessimistic market with 32 index points, followed by Greece (37) and Portugal (39).

 According to the latest global consumer confidence findings from Nielsen, a provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, confidence in the first quarter of this calender year increased in 38 out of 56 markets, fell in 16 markets and remained flat in two.

 ÒHouseholds around the globe experienced brighter personal situations in terms of jobs and personal finances last quarter, especially in the US and Asia, which was reflected with improved consumer confidence and higher discretionary spending,Ó Venkatesh Bala, Chief Economist at The Cambridge Group, a part of Nielsen, said.

 While global economic conditions are more stable than the last quarter of 2011, underlying economic conditions are still Òfragile and fluidÓ in many parts of the world, and could affect consumer confidence for the coming quarter, Nielsen added.

 The survey suggests that while consumers are neither as confident nor comfortable with the economy as they would like to be, they are expressing a pent-up demand to spend as they did prior to the recession, Bala added.

 ÒSuch a desire for psychological release through the various forms of discretionary consumption reported in the Nielsen surveyall of which act as stress-relieversis understandable after three years of relentless belt-tightening and uncertainty,Ó he said.

 The survey tracks consumer confidence, major concerns and spending intentions among more than 28,000 Internet consumers in 56 countries.

E-waste disposal rules come into force in India

New Delhi, May 1 - Rules aimed at reduction in use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment by putting the onus of e-waste management on manufacturers today came into effect with the Central Pollution Control Board issuing guidelines in this regard.

As per the guidelines of Hazardous Waste Management Division of Central Pollution Control Board, an arm of the Union Environment Ministry, there is a need to encourage recycling of all useful and valuable material from e-waste so as to conserve the ever depleting natural resources.

Putting the onus of environmentally safe e-waste disposal on the manufacturers, it said, the producer is responsible for Òsetting up collection centres or take-back (electronic) systems either individually or collectivelyÓ. The decision about the mechanism for collection can be decided by individual producer in accordance with their company policy.

However, such details shall be specified while obtaining authorisation from State Pollution Control Boards.
The e-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 was notified in advance in May last year to give various stakeholders adequate time to prepare themselves and also to place the required infrastructure for its effective implementation.

ÒThese rules shall apply to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer, collection centre, dismantler and recycler of e-waste involved in manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electrical and electronic equipment,Ó the guidelines said.

However, the rules will not apply to lead acid batteries as covered under the batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001, Micro and small enterprises as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 and radio-active wastes as covered under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.

India drafting policy for better security to sailors

 New Delhi, May 1 - The government is drafting a policy aimed at providing better security to Indian sailors and other seafarers in the wake of several incidents of hijacking of ships by pirates off the Somali Coast.
 ÒThe ministry is drafting measures for security of the seafearers, but we cannot disclose any other information now as the proposal at a preliminary stage,Ó a Shipping Ministry official said.

 Around 500 Indian seafarers have been held hostage by Somali pirates off the Caribbean Coast in the past four years.

 Some of the hostages were crew members of the ships -- MV Iceberg-I, MV Rak Afrikana, MV Suez, MV Asphalt Venture, MV Savina Caylyn, and MV Sinin -- which were hijacked by the pirates in 2011.
 Meanwhile, as per the latest report on the pirate activities released by the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) in March this year, Somali pirates around the Horn of Africa are holding 236 crew members as hostage from eight vessels.

 According to EU NAVFOR, of the 236 sailors now held hostage by the pirates in the region, 32 are Indians and includes seven members from the ship Asphalt Venture'. The ship was, however, released.

 Asphalt Venture was hijacked on September 28, 2010, in the Somali Basin and was released after intervention by anti-piracy forces on April 15, 2011. However, the pirates took 15 of the vessels crew as hostage, demanding more ransom.

 Shipping Minister G K Vasan had earlier said that India and US could explore the possibility of working together to counter piracy on the basis of the 2006 Indo-US Framework for Maritime Security Cooperation. This provides for expanding cooperation in areas such as counter-piracy and littoral security.

alifornia's Realignment Is Really "Prisoner Dumping" Says Carl Hilliard

SAN DIEGO, May 1, 2012 - California's solution for failing to administer an effective prison system is to shift the prisoner burden from the state to local counties. The state calls this shift, which resulted in a transfer of approximately $5.9 billion in responsibilities to local counties, realignment. Carl Hilliard, a candidate for San Diego County Supervisor, Third District, labels the move "prisoner dumping."

"We would fail the citizens of our community and the victims of crime to follow the state's example and dump prisoners who have no jobs, are hooked on drugs, mentally ill, likely not rehabilitated and equally likely to commit another crime onto our streets," says Hilliard.

Beginning last October, California state prisons began moving "non-non-non" (non-serious, non-sexual, non-violent) offenders into county jails, the county probation system and county courts. By summer the number of former state prisoners is expected to reach 6,000, including prisoners with the highest maintenance costs – those with medical problems and mental health issues, as well as prisoners with prior histories of violent crimes who are serving sentences for lesser offenses—costing San Diego County $100 million in the first year alone.

"Get Sacramento out of the way," says Hilliard, "and we will do a better job of handling the costs without jeopardizing public safety. Here's what we need to do."

1. Return exclusive control over property tax to local governments. Put an end to mandates, funded or not, as well. We can manage our revenues if they are not required to control the state's overspending. 
2.  
3. Give local governments exclusive control of funds for county courts. The state's financial problems have spilled over into county court budgets to the point where courtrooms are closed and offenders cannot be prosecuted. We're in a better position locally to make our communities safer by dealing with core issues like mental illness, drug addiction and rehabilitation through resident drug-treatment programs, split sentences and other means. 
4.  
5. Use validated risk assessment to manage the jail population. With the right tools, like a certified risk-assessment program and electronic monitoring, along with mandatory participation in substance-abuse programs and community-based service counseling, the county can identify prisoners who could be released without harm to the community, rather than occupying a jail cell until bail can be posted. 
6.  
7. Release low-risk prisoners with electronic monitoring instead of building more jails. Accommodating a growing population of low-risk offenders by building more jails does more to increase maintenance and staffing costs, and create a significant long-term financial burden for taxpayers, than it does to rehabilitate. Let's consider an alternative, such as the housing and reentry program for female prisoners that has a remarkable 78 percent success rate. The program's cost is far less than the cost for incarceration. An electronic monitoring system rings up at $2.50 a day, a minuscule amount compared to the $50 per day tab for incarceration.

India Increased Import of Arms

New Delhi, India, April 30, 2012 -The Stockholm international Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has reported 38% increase in the value ofarms imported by India during 2007-11 compared to the period 2002-06.

Acquisition of defence equipment both from foreign as well as indigenous sources is in accordance with the modernization programme of the Armed Forces as per Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP), Five Year Services Capital Acquisition Plan (SCAP) and Annual Acquisition Plans (AAPs).

The amount of expenditure incurred on capital acquisition for modernisation of Armed Forces through imports during 2007-11 is as under :-

(Rs. in crore)

Year	Amount spent on foreign procurement
2007-08	10166.08
2008-09	10184.95
2009-10	13411.91
2010-11	15443.01

With a view to achieve greater self reliance in Defence production, the Defence Industry was opened up for Indian Private Sector participation in may 2011 with FDI permissible upto 26%, subject to licensing.  Government has announced Defence Production Policy in January, 2011.   

The ‘Make’ Procedure  was promulgated in 2006 to encourage indigenous development.  Besides, the government has included a new categorisation ‘BUY & MAKE (Indian)’ in the Defence Procurement Procedure in November, 2009 to encourage indigenous production.  There is also provision for 30% offset obligation in all Capital Acquisitions categorised as Buy (Global) or Buy & Make with ToT where the estimated cost of the acquisition proposal is Rs.300 crore or more.

This information was given by Minister of Defence Shri A.K. Antony in written reply to Shri Uday Singh and others in Lok  Sabha today.

Telecom Consumers Complaint Monitoring System Launched in India

New Delhi, India, April 30, 2012 -Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( TRAI) today launched a facility to monitor complaints from telecom consumers.

Called Telecom Consumers Complaint Monitoring System (TCCMS) portal www.tccms.gov.in  , it would facilitate the telecom consumers  in locating the “Consumer Care Number”, “General Information Number” and contact details of the complaint centre and Appellate Authority of their service provider. The portal would also help access the website of their service provider’s complaint monitoring portal to track the current status of their complaints or appeals lodged with their service provider complaint centre or Appellate Authority.

This portal will also help TRAI in monitoring the status of redressal of complaints lodged by the consumers with the service providers.  It is felt that this portal will help enhance the effectiveness of the grievance redressal mechanism.

My Way Tool Helps Americans Eat Their Way to Health

CENTENNIAL, Colo., April 30, 2012 - Are you a "Cost Slicer," "Time Tackler" or "Family Chef?" These are just three of the eight "eating personalities" being introduced to help Americans learn more about how they can eat healthier. Following the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPlate icon, comes the introduction of the My Plate, My Way interactive eating personality assessment tool developed by the beef checkoff. This tool will help Americans—many of whom strive to eat healthier, but struggle to make it work for their needs and circumstances—better understand their eating "personalities." Living healthier starts by making small steps toward an active lifestyle with a diet filled with nutrient-rich foods, including lean beef.

Research shows that people who follow a personalized eating plan have greater success at meeting dietary goals than those following a standard diet. (1) Therefore, the information and resource personalization further aids in success for Americans to adopt healthy eating habits. (1)

To determine the user's eating personality, a short quiz asks a series of simple questions. Once completed, users receive information and resources—including tips and recipes—tailored to the personality assessment, thereby guiding healthier individual eating choices. The profiles include:

• Lean Lover - "I'm always looking for foods and recipes to help me lose or maintain weight."
• Buff and Cut - "Food is a means of building muscle."
• Cost Slicer - "I have to stick to my budget."
• Health Seeker - "Food does more than fill me up—it has many health benefits!"
• Family Chef - "Family time is precious to me, so my meals have to please the whole gang."
• Time Tackler - "Just because I'm short on time, doesn't mean I want to compromise taste and health."
• Flavor Saveur - "It's all about the taste!"
• Two-Stepper - "I'm no top chef, but I'm willing to try to make a recipe if I think I can do it."

"We developed this tool because we know Americans are trying to eat healthier, but find it difficult to fit healthy choices into their lives," says Shelley Johnson, RD, Associate Director, Food and Nutrition Communications for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, which contracts to manage programs for the beef checkoff. "The My Plate, My Way tool helps Americans identify simple ways to find success in healthy eating and choose nutrient-rich foods they love like lean beef."

"As a registered dietitian, I know first-hand that there are many ways to build a healthy diet," said Kerry Neville, MS, RD, a registered dietitian specializing in nutrition and culinary communications. "The My Plate, My Way tool is not only fun to use, but provides valuable, usable information Americans can take with them in making better eating choices based on the latest science and research."

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are a set of recommendations set forth by the federal government to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity. The visual component of the guidelines, called MyPlate, depicts how a healthful plate of food should look, is a great starting point for nutrition success, and is perfectly complemented by the My Plate, My Way tool.

About The Beef Checkoff Program
The Beef Checkoff Program ( www.MyBeefCheckoff.com ) was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval. 
 
About the National Cattlemen's Beef Association
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is a contractor to the national Beef Checkoff Program, which is administered by the Cattlemen's Beef Board. Consumer-focused and producer-directed, NCBA and its state beef council partners work together as a marketing organization on behalf of the largest segment of the food and fiber industry.

The Beatles' Restored Yellow Submarine Feature Film Set For Theatrical Release In May

Once upon a time...or maybe twice...there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland...

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2012 - The Beatles' classic 1968 animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, has been digitally restored and will be presented on the big screen in select theaters across the United States in May. EMI and Apple Corps Ltd. have teamed with D&E Entertainment to give Beatles fans of all ages the opportunity to come together and share in this visually stunning movie and soundtrack.  On May 5 at the famed Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, Yellow Submarine will start its theatrical campaign with an 8pm screening.

Currently out of print, the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr. and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc.  Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film's restored photochemical elements.  This was all done by hand, frame by frame. The restored film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 5 (June 4 internationally), and the film's songtrack album will be reissued on CD on the same date.

Yellow Submarine aficionado John Lasseter (Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios) wrote in his essay for the DVD and Blu-ray packages, "As a fan of animation and as a filmmaker, I tip my hat to the artists of Yellow Submarine, whose revolutionary work helped pave the way for the fantastically diverse world of animation that we all enjoy today."

"We are ecstatic and honored to have been selected and entrusted to give Yellow Submarine a theatrical campaign," stated Evan Saxon and Doug Kluthe from D&E Entertainment.  "We're setting up matinee screenings so parents can share with their children as well as evening screenings for all to enjoy.  The digital cinema presentation will be the absolute best viewing experience and representation of the hard work put into the film."

Directed by George Dunning, and written by Lee Minoff, Al Brodax, Jack Mendelsohn and Erich Segal, Yellow Submarine began its voyage to the screen when Brodax, who had previously produced nearly 40 episodes of ABC's animated Beatles TV series, approached The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein with a unique vision for a full-length animated feature. 

Yellow Submarine, based upon a song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, is a fantastic tale brimming with peace, love, and hope, propelled by Beatles songs, including "Eleanor Rigby," "When I'm Sixty-Four," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "All You Need Is Love," and "It's All Too Much."  When the film debuted in 1968, it was instantly recognized as a landmark achievement, revolutionizing a genre by integrating the freestyle approach of the era with innovative animation techniques.

Inspired by the generation's new trends in art, the film resides with the dazzling Pop Art styles of Andy Warhol, Martin Sharp, Alan Aldridge and Peter Blake. With art direction and production design by Heinz Edelmann, Yellow Submarine is a classic of animated cinema, featuring the creative work of animation directors Robert Balser and Jack Stokes with a team of animators and technical artists.

"I thought from the very beginning that the film should be a series of interconnected shorts," remembered Edelmann.  "The style should vary every five minutes or so to keep the interest going until the end."  These styles included melding live-action photography with animation, 3-dimensional sequences and kaleidoscopic "rotoscoping" where film is traced frame by frame into drawings.  The entire process took nearly two years, 14 different scripts, 40 animators and 140 technical artists, ultimately producing a groundbreaking triumph of animation.


Yellow Submarine synopsis:
Once upon a time… or maybe twice, there was an unearthly paradise called Pepperland, a place where happiness and music reigned supreme. But all that was threatened when the terrible Blue Meanies declared war and sent in their army led by a menacing Flying Glove to destroy all that was good.  Enter John, Paul, George and Ringo to save the day!  Armed with little more than their humor, songs, and of course, their yellow submarine, The Beatles tackle the rough seas ahead in an effort to bring down the evil forces of bluedom.

Production credits
Running Time: 89 minutes
Director - George Dunning
Producer - Al Brodax
Screen story - Lee Minoff
Screenplay - Lee Minoff, Al Brodax, Jack Mendelsohn, and Erich Segal
Art Director - Heinz Edelmann
Animation directors - Robert Balser and Jack Stokes
Production Executive - John Coates
Music Producer and Supervisor - George Martin
Story based on a song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

Featuring music by The Beatles

May-10	Anchorage, AK	Century 16
May-21, May-22, May-26	Juneau, AK	Gold Town Theater
May-10, May-12	Birmingham, AL	Rave Lee Branch 15
May-10, May-12	Huntsville, AL	Rave Valley Blend 18
May-10, May-12	Daphne, AL	Jubilee 12
May-10, May-12	Orange Beach, AL	Rave Wharf 15
May-10, May-12	Montgomery, AL	Rave Festival Plaza 16
May-10, May-12	Little Rock, AR	Rave Colonel Glenn 18
May-10	Conway, AR	Cinemark Town Centre
May-10, May-17, May-19	Surprise, AZ	Surprise Pointe 14
May-10, May-17, May-19	Phoenix, AZ	AMC Desert Ridge 18
July-21	Tucson, AZ	The Loft Cinema
May-10	Tucson, AZ	Century 20 El Con
May-10	Tucson, AZ	Century Park Place 20
May-10, May-12	Bakersfield, CA	Valley Plaza 16
May-10, May-17, May-19	Anaheim , CA	Anaheim Garden Walk
May-10, May-17, May-19	Downey, CA	Downey Cinema 10
May-10, May-17, May-19	Monrovia, CA	Monrovia Cinema 12
May-10, May-17, May-19	Pico Rivera, CA	Pico Rivera Cinema 15
May-10, May-17, May-19	Buena Park, CA	Buena Park Metroplex 18
May-10, May-17, May-19	Vista, CA	Vista Metroplex 15
May-10, May-17, May-19	San Clemente, CA	San Clemente Cinema 6
May-10, May-12	Los Angeles, CA	Rave 18 & IMAX
May-10, May-12	Los Angeles, CA	Rave Baldwin Hill Crenshaw Plaza 15
May-11, May-13	Los Angeles, CA	Aero Theatre
May-10, May-17, May-19	Redlands, CA	Redlands Cinema 14
May-10, May-17, May-19	Apple Valley, CA	Apple Valley 14
May-10, May-17, May-19	Temecula, CA	Ultra Star Tower 10
May-10, May-17, May-19	Thousand Oaks, CA	Muvico Thousand Oaks 14
May-10, May-12	Murrieta, CA	Cal Oaks 17
May-10	Orange, CA	Century Stadium 25
May-10	Huntington Beach, CA	Century Huntington Beach
May-10, May-17, May-19	Los Angeles, CA	Arclight Hollywood
May-10, May-17, May-19	Sherman Oaks, CA	Arclight Sherman Oaks
May-10, May-17, May-19	Pasadena, CA	Arclight Pasadena
May-10, May-17, May-19	El Segundo, CA	Arclight Beach Cities
May-10	Monterey, CA	Cinemark Monterey Cannery Row
May-10, May-17, May-19	Cathedral City, CA	Cinemas Mary Pickford
May-10	Rancho Mirage, CA	Century at The River
May-10	Redding, CA	Cinemark Redding 14
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Sacramento, CA	The Crest Theatre
May-10	Roseville, CA	Century Roseville 14
May-10	Sacramento, CA	Century 16 Greenback Lane
May-10	Rocklin, CA	Blue Oaks Century Theatre
May-10, May-17, May-19	Oceanside, CA	Mission Marketplace 13
May-10, May-17, May-19	San Diego, CA	Mission Valley Cinemas
May-10, May-12	San Diego, CA	Gaslamp 15
May-10, May-12	Brentwood, CA	Rave Brentwood 14
May-10, May-12, May-16, May-19	San Francisco, CA	4 Star Theatre
May-10, May-12, May-16, May-19	Berkeley, CA	Rialto Cinemas Elmwood
May-10, May-11	San Leandro, CA	The Historic Bal Theatre
May-10, May-17, May-19	San Francisco, CA	AMC Loews Metreon 16
May-10, May-17, May-19	Cupertino, CA	AMC Cupertino Square 16
May-10, May-12	Rohnert Park, CA	Rohnert Park 16
May-10	Union City, CA	Century 25 Union Landing
May-10	Milpitas, CA	Century 20 Great Mall
May-10	Daly City, CA	Century 20 Daly City
May-10	Pleasant Hill, CA	Century 16 Downtown Pleasant Hill
May-10	Walnut Creek, CA	Walnut Creek 14
May-10	San Francisco, CA	Century San Francisco Centre 9
May-10	San Jose, CA	Century 20 Oakridge
May-10	Redwood City, CA	Redwood Downtown 20
May-10	San Bruno, CA	Century at Tanforan
May-10, May-12	Carbondale, CO	Movieland 7
May-10	Colorado Springs, CO	Cinemark Tinseltown USA
May-10, May-17, May-19	Highlands Ranch, CO	AMC Highlands Ranch 24
May-10, May-17, May-19	Westminster, CO	AMC Westminster Promenade 24
May-10	Lakewood, CO	Century 16 Bel Mar
May-10, May-17, May-19	Plainville, CT	AMC Plainville 20
May-10, May-12	Hartford, CT	Bow Tie Palace 17 & Odyssey Theater
May-10, May-12	Manchester, CT	Rave Buckland Hills 18 & IMAX
May-10, May-12	New Haven, CT	Bow Tie Criterion Cinemas
May-10, May-12	Greenwich, CT	Criterion Cinemas at Greenwich Plaza
May-10, May-12	Norwalk, CT	Bow Tie Regent 8 Cinema
May-10, May-12	Enfield, CT	Enfield 12
May-8, May-12	Washington, DC	E Street Cinema
May-10, May-17, May-19	Pompano Beach, FL	Muvico Pompano 18
May-10	Davie, FL	Cinemark Paradise 24
May-10, May-12	Melbourne , FL	Avenue 16
May-10	Jacksonville, FL	Cinemark Tinseltown USA
May-10, May-17, May-19	South Miami, FL	AMC Sunset Place 24
May-10, May-17, May-19	Aventura, FL	AMC Aventura 24
May-10, May-17, May-19	Hialeah, FL	Muvico Hialeah 12
May-10, May-12	Pensacola, FL	Rave Pensacola Bayou 15
May-10, May-12	Destin, FL	Destin Commons 14
May-10, May-17, May-19	St. Petersburg, FL	Muvico Baywalk 20 & IMAX
May-10, May-17, May-19	Tampa, FL	Muvico Starlite 20
May-10, May-17, May-19	Palm Harbor, FL	Muvico Palm Harbor 10
May-10, May-17, May-19	Tampa, FL	Muvico Centro Ybor 20
May-10, May-12	Port St. Lucie, FL	Rave St. Lucie West 14
May-10, May-17, May-19	Wellington, FL	Movies at Wellington
May-10, May-17, May-19	West Palm Beach, FL	Muvico Parisian 20 & IMAX
May-10, May-17, May-19	Lawrenceville, GA	AMC Discover Mills 18
May-10, May-12	Kahului, HI	Kahala 8
May-10, May-11, May-12	Cedar Rapids, IA	Cedar Rapids Galaxy 16 Cine
May-10, May-12	Davenport, IA	Rave Davenport 53 & IMAX
May-10	West Des Moines, IA	Century 20 Jordan Creek
May-10, May-11, May-12	Bloomington, IL	Bloomington Galaxy 14 Cine
May-18, May-19, May-20, May-24	Champaign, IL	The Art Theatre
May-10, May-17, May-19	Chicago, IL	AMC River East 21
May-10, May-17, May-19	Rosemont, IL	Muvico Rosemont 18
May-8, May-12	Chicago, IL	Century Centre
May-10	Evanston, IL	Century 12 Evanston/ CineArts 6
May-10, May-12	Peoria, IL	Rave Grand Prairie 18
May-10, May-12	Fort Wayne, IN	Rave Jefferson Point 18
May-10, May-17, May-19	Indianapolis, IN	AMC Showplace Indianapolis 17
May-10, May-12	Plainfield, IN	Rave Metropolis 18
May-10, May-17, May-19	Olathe, KS	AMC Studio 30
May-10, May-12	Louisville, KY	Rave Stonybrook 20 & IMAX
May-10, May-12	Okolona, KY	Rave Preston Crossings 16
May-10, May-12	Baton Rouge, LA	Rave Mall of Louisiana 15
May-10, May-12, May-16, May-19, May-26	Arlington, MA	The Regent Theatre
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Gloucester, MA	Cape Ann Community Cinema
May-10, May-17, May-19	Boston, MA	AMC Boston Common 19
May-10, May-12	West Springfield, MA	Rave West Springfield 15
May-10	Hadley, MA	Cinemark at Hampshire Mall
May-10, May-12	Annapolis, MD	Bow Tie Harbour 9
May-10, May-17, 19	Owings Mills, MD	AMC Owings Mills 17
May-10, May-17, May-19	Baltimore, MD	AMC Loews White Marsh 16
May-8, May-12	Baltimore, MD	Harbor East Theatre
May-10	Hanover, MD	Cinemark Egyptian 24
July-8, July-10	Ann Arbor, MI	Michigan Theater
May-10, May-12	Ypsilanti, MI	Rave Ann Arbor 20 & IMAX
May-10	Canton, MI	Emagine Canton
May-10	Royal Oak, MI	Emagine Royal Oak
May-10, May-12	Kalamazoo, MI	Rave Cityplace 14
May-10, May-16, May-19	Duluth, MN	Zinema 2
May-10, May-17, May-19	Roseville, MN	AMC Rosedale 14
May-10, May-17, May-19	Edina, MN	AMC Southdale 16
May-8, May-12	Minneapolis, MN	Lagoon Cinema
May-10, May-12	Rochester, MN	Rochester Galaxy 14 Cine
May-10, May-11, May-12	Cape Girardeau, MO	Cape West 14 Cine
May-10, May-11, May-12	Springfield, MO	Campbell 16 Cine
May-10, May-11, May-12	St. Charles, MO	St. Charles Stadium 18
May-10, May-11, May-12	St. Louis, MO	Ronnies 20 Cine
May-10, May-11, May-12	O'Fallon, MO	O'Fallon 15 Cine
May-10, May-12	Des Peres, MO	De Peres 14 Cine
May-10, May-12	Chesterfield, MO	Chesterfield Galaxy 14
May-10, May-17, May-19	Charlotte, NC	AMC Carolina Pavilion 22
May-10, May-17, May-19	Concord, NC	AMC Concord Mills 24
May-10, May-12	Durham, NC	Southpoint 17 & IMAX
May-18, May-20	Winston Salem, NC	Aperture Cinema
May-10, May-12	Omaha, NE	Rave Westroads 14
May-10, May-16, May 19	Ocean, NJ	Clearview's Cinema Middlebrook 10
May-10, May-16, May 19	Parsippany, NJ	Parsippany Cinema 12
May-10, May-16, May 19	Hoboken, NJ	Hoboken Cinemas
May-10, May-16, May 19	South Orange, NJ	Clearview's South Orange
May-10, May-12	Hazlet, NJ	Hazlet 12
May-10, May-12	Manville, NJ	Reading Cinemas Manville
May-10, May-17, May-19	Cherry Hill, NJ	AMC Cherry Hill
May-10, May-12	Voorhees, NJ	Rave Ritz Center
May-10, May-12, May-16, May-19	Santa Fe, NM	CCA Cinematheque
May-21, May-25, May-26, May-28	Albuquerque, NM	Guild Cinema
May-10	Albuquerque, NM	Century Rio 24 Plex
May-10, May-12	Las Vegas, NV	Rave Town Square 18
May-10	Las Vegas, NV	Century 16 South Point
May-10	Sparks, NV	Century Sparks
May-6, May-7	Albany, NY	Spectrum 8 Theatres
May-10, May-17, May-19	New York, NY	AMC Empire 25
May-5	New York, NY	Ziegfield Theatre (Premiere)
May-10, May-16, May 19	Great Neck, NY	Clearview's Squire Cinema
May-10, May-16, May 19	New York, NY	Clearview Chelsea
May-10, May-16, May 19	Yonkers, NY	Clearview's Central Plaza Cinema
May-10, May-12	New York, NY	Village East Cinemas
May-10, May-12	New York, NY	East 86th St. Theatre
May-10, May-12, May-17	Brooklyn, NY	IndieScreen
May-10, May-12	Schenectady, NY	Bow Tie Movieland
May-10, May-12	Milford, OH	Rave Milford 16
May-10, May-12	West Chester, OH	Rave West Chester 18
May-10, May-12	Cincinnati, OH	Western Hills 14
May-10, May-12, May-19	Cleveland Heights, OH	Cedar Lee Theatre
May-10	Valley View, OH	Cinemark at Valley View
May-10, May-11, May-12, May-16, May-18, May-20	Columbus, OH	Gateway Film Center
May-10, May-12	Grove City, OH	Rave Grove City 14
May-10, May-12	Columbus, OH	Polaris 18
May-10, May-12	Beavercreek, OH	The Greene 14
May-10, May-12	Perrysburg, OH	Rave Levis Commons 12
June-1, June-2, June-3, June-4, June 5, June-6, June-7	Portland, OR	Clinton Street Theater
May-10	Portland, OR	Century Clackamas Town Center
May-10	Stroudsburg, PA	Cinemark Stroud Mall
May-10, May-17, May-19	Bensalem, PA	AMC Neshaminy 24 & IMAX
May-10, May-16, May 19	Wayne, PA	Clearview's Anthony Wayne
May-10, May-12	Center Valley, PA	Promenade 16
May-10	Pittsburgh, PA	Cinemark Robinson Township
May-10	Moosic, PA	Cinemark 20
May-10, May-12, May-19, May-29	Providence, RI	Cable Car Cinema
May-10, May-17, May-19	Columbia, SC	AMC Dutch Square 14
May-10, May-12	Chattanooga, TN	Rave Eastridge 18 & IMAX
May-10, May-12, May-17	Nashville, TN	The Belcourt Theatre
May-8, May-13	Austin, TX	Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane
May-9, May-12	Austin, TX	Alamo Drafthouse Village
May-10, May-12	Austin, TX	Alamo Drafthouse Lamar
May-11, May-13	Austin, TX	Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek
May-10	Pflugerville, TX	Cinemark Tinseltown USA
May-10, May-12	Hurst, TX	Rave Northeast Mall 18
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Arlington, TX	Studio Movie Grill Arlington
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Dallas, TX	Studio Movie Grill Dallas Royal Lane
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Plano, TX	Studio Movie Grill Plano
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Lewisville, TX	Studio Movie Grill Lewisville
May-10, May-12	Fort Worth, TX	Rave Ridgmar 13
May-10, May-12	Hickory Creek, TX	Rave Hickory Creek 16
May-10	Plano, TX	Cinemark West Plano
May-10	Plano, TX	Cinemark Legacy
May-10	Frisco, TX	Cinemark Frisco Square
May-10	El Paso, TX	Cinemark Tinseltown USA
May-10	El Paso, TX	Cinemark West
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Houston, TX	Studio Movie Grill Copperfield
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Houston, TX	Studio Movie Grill City Centre
May-10, May-12	Houston , TX	Yorktown 15
May-10	The Woodlands, TX	Cinemark Tinseltown 17
May-10	Katy, TX	Cinemark 19
May-10	Webster, TX	Cinemark 18
May-10	Pearland, TX	Cinemark at Pearland
May-10	Cypress, TX	Cinemark 12 Cypress
May-10	Lubbock, TX	Cinemark Movies 16
May-10, May-17	Lubbock, TX	Drive In USA
May-10	Snyder, TX	Cinema Snyder
May-10	College Station, TX	Cinemark Movies 18
May-10, May-12, May-16, May-19	Sandy, UT	Megaplex Jordan Commons
May-10	West Jordan, UT	Cinemark 24 Jordan Landing
May-10	Draper, UT	Cinemark Draper
May-10	Farmington, UT	Cinemark Farmington at Station Park
May-10	Chesapeake, VA	Cinemark Chesapeake Square
May-10, May-12	Richmond, VA	Bow Tie Movieland at Boulevard Square
May-10, May-12	Fairfax, VA	Rave Fairfax Corner 14
May-10, May-17, May-19	Alexandria, VA	AMC Hoffman 22
May-10, May-16, May-19, May-26	Winchester, VA	Alamo Drafthouse Winchester
May-10, May-12, May-13	Burlington , VT	Merrill's Roxy Cinema
May-19	Seattle, WA	Admiral Theater
May-8	Seattle, WA	Guild 45th Theatre
May-8, May-12	Milwaukee, WI	Oriental Theatre