Rail Budget: Where the Re came from, where it went!

 Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu presented the Railway Budget at the Parliament on Thursday.

Highlights of the Railway Budget:

* No hike in passenger fares, freight rates

South Africa spinner Phangiso reported for suspect action

 South Africa's Aaron Phangiso has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action just weeks before the left-arm spinner will represent the national side at the World Twenty20 in India.

The 32-year-old was reported after helping his domestic Lions side into the final of South Africa's provincial 50-over competition on Wednesday when he took 2-38 in eight overs.

"Phangiso's action will now be scrutinised further in accordance with the CSA regulations," governing body Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Thursday.

"He is required to undergo independent analysis by a member of the ICC panel of human movement specialists and is permitted to continue bowling until the results of the testing are known."

Creating junior sports stars in Asia

Akshay Maliwal, a UC Berkeley grad and Aditi Maliwal, a Stanford University grad, are mentoring young sports athletes from Asia to get through to top US universities.

Read on to find out how the twins are setting a new benchmark in sports education and management.

Akshay Maliwal, 26, always had his heart on sports, even when he was as young as six.

His tryst with sport started with tennis. However, a shoulder injury caused him to change tracks and concentrate on golf.

He went on a prestigious golf scholarship to UC Berkeley with the aspiration of playing professional golf.

But, the course changed and he got lured into investment banking ultimately.

The calling was strong, however, he says, realising that in some way he wanted to get back into sports.

Thus, Akshay with his twin sister, Aditi Maliwal, also a student-athlete from Stanford University, ventured to start a sports management firm that caters to the growing needs of rising athletes in Asia.

"Asian athletes need proper guidance to compete on a global scale and AddedSport provides exactly that," he says.

Adding in the sports quotient

Starting as a sports management firm, AddedSport has grown into a team of ex-collegiate athletes across Asia, with a primary focus on the Indian market.

The firm spends a lot of time with individual athletes on structuring their athletic training, building their academic standing and ultimately mentoring them through to US universities.

"Usually, junior athletes are able to leverage their sport to receive scholarships for university and/or enter more prestigious universities than just being academically-driven. The Indian sub-continent has primarily focussed on placing highly academic-oriented students in top-tier universities. AddedSport's approach to placement is different. The sports we focus on are golf, tennis, squash, soccer, swimming, field hockey and track and field," Akshay adds.

Thus, the firm is essentially an athletic counsellor working towards placement of athletes in US universities.

The team consists of five ex-collegiate talent, selected based on their athleticism and interest to pursue the sport, with two types of clientele: ones who are actively competing locally, regionally and globally, while the other being students who have pursued sports recreationally and are looking to leverage their athlete and student profile.

After the student is selected the full development is taken on board by the firm and is provided professional counselling, with a devoted physiologist, coach, psychologist accompanied by constant guidance from the management for scholarships in foreign universities.

The firm usually charges a corporate fee between Rs 50,000 and 4,00,000, depending on the resources deployed for the development of the child.

Akshay tells us usually the fee is higher for children closing near to applying to colleges, since they need maximum work for building their profile.

Making junior sportstars

In the last two years, the firm has placed 42 clients over the last two years through the athletic route with 100 percent placements.

The co-founder says that 70 percent of them are Indians, while the other 30 come from Philippines, China, Malaysia and Singapore.

The start-up picks five kids from India and two from Philippines and China from humble backgrounds, training them to build their profiles and helping them get placed in universities abroad.

Why you *need* to know this man

His name is Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Out of the six feature films, Alejandro González Iñárritu has directed, every single one has found its way to the Oscars.

Best Picture, Best Foreign Film, Best Director, you name it, and there’s an Academy Award nomination or win linked to his creations.

Presently, his latest offering The Revenant, based on Michael Punke’s 2002 novel, is competing in a whopping 12 categories, including Best Director, at the 88th Academy Awards.

And, there’s a good chance he may take the trophy home again this year.

Who is this Iñárritu? Why is he hailed as a visionary and one of the finest filmmakers in the world today?

Here is everything you need to know:

Alejandro González Iñárritu and Leonardo DiCaprio at 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards. Image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

To begin with, his name is pronounced as Ah-leh-hahn-dro Gon-sah-les Ih-nyar-ee-too. Try saying it a few times and it’s not as hard as it looks.

He was born in Mexico on August 15, 1963 to Hector González Gama and Luz María Iñárritu. His father was a banker who started his own business after facing professional setback. Iñárritu has four siblings -- one brother and three sisters.

At the age of 17, following his expulsion from school due to poor grades, he took up a job as a commercial sailor and travelled across the Atlantic to gain experience.

During this time, he read a lot and the existentialist views in writers like Herman Hesse and James Joyce’s works left a deep impact on his discerning mind.

After his stint on the sea, he enrolled in Mexico’s Iberoamaricana University to do a course in Communications while pursuing his passion for music as radio DJ.

Next, he studied theatre under Polish-Mexican director Ludvik Margule while dabbling in advertising. Did you know he’s directed commercials for brands like Coca Cola and BMW?

The itch to do bigger and better led him to screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga.

After they collaborated on their first feature film, Amores Perros, wherein a car crash provides a common link into parallel lives, there was no looking back for Iñárritu who bagged the Critics Week Grand Prize and Young Critics Award at the Cannes Film Festival..

Nominated for the Best Foreign Film Oscar, it lost out to Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

Interestingly, Mani Ratnam’s Yuva is said to take stylistic inspiration from Amores Perros,

His partnership with screenwriter Arriaga bore fruit in their next two star-studded projects: 21 Grams and Babel.

21 Grams, which deals with the aftermath of an accident, fetched acting nominations for Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts at the Academy Awards.

Meanwhile, the anthology drama Babel, and the third one in the ‘Death trilogy’ headlined by stars like Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett scored six nominations (Best Picture, Direction, Editing, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Supporting Actress) out of which it won only one for Gustavo Santaolalla’s rousing soundtrack.

In his review of Babel, late film critic Roger Ebert observes, 'Iñárritu (born 1963) is one of three friends I have taken to calling the New Mexican Cinema, although other names should and will be included. Guillermo Del Toro made Pan’s Labyrinth, and Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men, and with Babel those three titles are among the adornments of recent cinema.'

Image: Javier Bardem in Biutiful

Interestingly, Del Toro (Pacific Rim, Hellboy), Alonso Cuarón (Gravity, Y Tu Mamá También) and Iñárritu co-founded a production company called Cha Cha Chá Films, which produced the 2008 super hit Rudo y Cursi directed by Carlos Cuarón (younger brother of Alonso).

Vote - Are you happy with the Railway Budget?

 The Railway Budget for 2016-17 spared passengers and freight from any increase in tariffs.

Railway Minister has announced several measures to ensure train travel is a pleasant and comfortable experience.

The Railways plan to make travel comfortable by generating over 65,000 additional berths, installing 2,500 water vending machines; introducing 'Mahamana Express' with modern refurbished coaches and 17,000 bio-toilets in trains.

Sanjay Dutt's release has brought good news to people like us

A Mumbai restaurant celebrates Sanjay Dutt's release by serving its signature dish Sanju Baba Chicken, FREE!

IMAGE: People queue up outside Noor Mohammadi restaurant to eat Sanju Baba Chicken. Photograph: Hemant Waje/Rediff.com

Noor Mohammadi restaurant, located at Bhendi Bazaar in South Mumbai, has a long queue snaking up the road on February 25.

Though the restaurant is well frequented by Mumbai's locals, today is a special day.

It is the day that Sanjay Dutt has been released from jail, and the restaurant's owner Noor Mohammadi Khalid Hakim is serving his signature dish, Sanju Baba Chicken, free of cost to his patrons.

"I heard on radio that this dish will be served free and that's why I came here to eat,” says Manohar Tambe, a sales executive from Chembur, an eastern suburb of Mumbai.

"I am very happy to see Sanjay Dutt as a free man. I have watched many of his films. Vaastavand Lagey Raho Munna Bhai are my favourites," he adds.

IMAGE: A waiter at Noor Mohammadi restaurant serves the dish. Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani

Khalid stands at the restaurant's entrance, and keeps a watch on the proceedings. He shouts at his customers, asking them to maintain a queue and not create chaos.

"As promised, I am serving 'Sanju Baba Chicken' free till midnight,” Khalid says.

This signature dish has been prepared according to the recipe given to Khalid by Sanjay Dutt himself, seven years ago.

A huge fan of Dutt, Khalid had asked the actor to inaugurate a family room in his restaurant way back in 1986, and Dutt had done so.

"We have been friends for more than 30 years now and I am very happy to see Sanjay Dutt out of prison,” Khalid says.

Novak Djokovic in Club 700!

The Serb reached the final in 19 of the last 20 tournaments he played, the last 17 at a stretch.

IMAGE: Novak Djokovic and other members of the 700-club 

Novak Djokovic joined an elite list of players when he defeated Malek Jaziri 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the Dubai Open.

The result made the Serb only the 12th -- third among active -- player in the Open Era (since 1968) to win 700 career singles matches.

In a sport as physical and rigorous as tennis, to win as many matches is an incredible achievement.

In Djokovic's case, it adds to an already enviable list.

Since scoring his 600th match victory -- defeating Milos Raonic in the final of the Paris Masters in November 2014 -- Djokovic has piled up an enviable 100-6 record, winning four of the five major titles during the time.

Don't chug off to rail-related stocks: Analysts

Experts caution that the rally in these stocks may fizzle out soon, as the overall market sentiment still remains weak.

 Railway-related stocks have underperformed the market so far in 2016, with counters such as Hind Rectifiers, Kernex Microsystems, Stone India, and Titagarh Wagons skidding 16-22 per cent. 

By comparison, benchmark indices - the S&P BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50  - have lost 10 per cent each during this period.

Analysts say the railway budget on Friday assumes significance.

It will be looked at for its potential to rejig the investment cycle and bring transformative change to transportation in India.

“In our talks with companies, most, including Concor, Gateway Distriparks, and Allcargo Logistics, are expecting the finance minister to announce measures for speedy implementation of the dedicated freight corridor, speedy implementation of the ongoing infrastructure projects, and faster rollout of the goods and services tax, which would help the industry to re-align infrastructure and improve it cost structure,” points out a Kotak Securities note. 

Recently, the government approved Rs 11,000 crore worth of capacity increase in the railways through construction of infrastructure for growth in passenger and freight traffic.

Though analysts expect the passenger fares to remain unchanged, rollout and expansion of high speed network, building of 200-kmph train coaches indigenously, upgradation of station complexes for comprehensive government services, skill development and implementation of new design coaches and vacuum toilets are some of the other expectations from the Railway Budget 2016, according to reports.

Given the underperformance of railway-related stocks, should you invest in these stocks ahead of the railway budget?

PHOTOS: Rohit shines as India crush Bangladesh in Asia Cup opener

 Rohit Sharma slammed a quickfire 83 to power India to a comprehensive 45-run victory against Bangladesh in the first match of the Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dhaka, on Wednesday.

- Scorecard

Put into bat, India posted a healthy 166 for six in their 20 overs courtesy of Rohit, who smashed seven fours and three sixes in his 55-ball knock. The young Hardik Pandya chipped in with an entertaining innings of 31 from 18 balls as the duo put on 61 runs from 29 balls for the fifth wicket to get the Indian innings back on track after a poor start.

However, Bangladesh never got going with the bat and finished on a disappointing 121 in their 20 overs.

Sabbir Rahman was the only batsman to get past the 20-run mark as he hit 44 off 32 deliveries but received no support, as the Bangladeshis played careless shots and lost wickets at regular intervals. 

IMAGE: Rohit Sharma hits a shot against Bangladesh. Photograph: Solaris Images

Earlier, put into bat by Bangladesh captain Mushrafe Mortaza, India suffered an early top-order collapse before Rohit built his innings by hitting seven fours and three sixes, silencing the 25,000 strong partisan Bangladeshi fans.

The Mumbai batsman was well complemented by young Hardik Pandya, who smashed a quick-fire 18-ball 31, including a huge six off Bangladesh’s 'wonder boy' Mustafizur Rahaman, and four boundaries at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.

The Rohit-Pandya fifth wicket stand yielded 61 runs from just 28 balls. Their 50 run stand came off just 17 balls.

While India were in trouble at 52 for three after first 10 overs, the next half saw them score a whopping 114 runs, primarily due to Rohit, who enthralled one and all with his dazzling stroke play.

When he was finally out to brilliant catch in the deep taken by Soumya sarkar, India had not only recovered but were also on way to setting a competitive target. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni finished the innings with a pulled six off Al-Amin Hossain (3/37).

IMAGE: Hardik Pandya in action during his quick-fire innings. Photograph: Solaris Images

Rohit also added 55 runs for the fourth wicket with Yuvraj Singh after India were reduced to 42 for three.

Rohit curbed his natural game in the beginning, taking into account the nature of the pitch and the position of his team.

In fact, he scored his first 20 runs off 24 balls with India managing only 52 runs in the first 10 overs.

I am looking forward to the next stage of my life: McCullum

 New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum expected to wake up on Thursday feeling "a bit dusty", hopefully with his cricket gear still intact rather than ceremonially burnt to a cinder and looking ahead to not doing a lot.

The 34-year-old McCullum retired from international cricket after his side's seven-wicket lossto Australia at Hagley Oval on Wednesday, which gave the visitors a 2-0 series win and propelled them back to the top of the world Test rankings.

McCullum's swan song was signalled last December after a chronic back injury finally forced him to acknowledge time was being called on his career.

"The time's right. And now I walk away comfortable with my decision and looking forward to the next stage of my life," McCullum told reporters on Wednesday.

"You walk away knowing that you've been able to front up and try to go out there and get a performance on the board and I guess now you're a little bit relieved."

'I walk away comfortable with my decision'

IMAGE: Brendon McCullum of New Zealand leads his team out during his final day of the Christchurch Test. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

An aggressive batsman with a superb eye and fast bat speed, McCullum could rip apart any attack when the mood found him.

It was perhaps somewhat fitting that the mood found him in his finale, rescuing his side from 32 for three on the first day to blast the fastest Test century ever witnessed, from 54 balls.

McCullum has acknowledged he would not go down as the best batsmen or cricketer in New Zealand's history and the statistics prove that.

From 101 Tests he finished with 6,453 runs, including 12 centuries, 31 half centuries and a Test average of 38.68.

However, his influence on the game since he assumed the captaincy in early 2013 is what many believe to be his legacy.

From a selfless innings that brought New Zealand's first Test triple ton against India in 2014 to a sheer determination in the field that exacerbated his back injury late last year and kept him out of several limited overs matches.

10 things you must know about Lenovo Vibe X3

Lenovo's fortunes and portfolio have been gathering pace especially since the release of the K3 Note, and the company has even declared that they do not plan on letting Lenovo branded phones play a second fiddle to their Motorola siblings.

With the release of Lenovo's Vibe X3, the company seems to be coming good on that promise, says Himanshu Juneja.

A good amount of thought has gone into the designing of the Vibe X3, but people should be forgiven if they get visions of the celebrated Moto X Style, as the inspiration is quite evident.

Surely, piggybacking somewhat on their own existing product is not against the rules.

So does the Vibe X3 comes with enough capabilities to pack a punch of its own, or will it be another case of being nearly there? Let us find out with a closer look.

Construction

Weighing a decent 172 gms, the Lenovo Vibe X3 is a good amalgamation of metal and plastic, and the combination gives a good overall premium feel. The chamfered edges gives it a nice aesthetic touch to boot, and along with the curved back, users should be able to easily wrap their hands on the device.

Lenovo did well to clad the entire front portion with Gorilla Glass 3 to provide protection for the notification LED, front camera and the sensor as well.

The rear is where things get a bit tricky. A textured back panel would have been good, as the present slippery nature of the back hampers in establishing a firm grip straightaway. Thankfully, there is clear plastic case being provided with the purchase to mitigate this effect.

Lenovo could have avoided the raised camera module which maybe of concerns for some as it will make the phone wobble when placed on a flat surface. Another blunder is the non-backlit nature of the soft keys. Lenovo could have gone for the onscreen buttons if the budget was getting too tight.

Lenovo would be banking heavily on the stereo speakers and the fingerprint scanner at the rear panel surely boosts the phone's credentials further.

As for the other button placement, the right edge carries the power button and the volume rocker. The left edge sports the dual SIM card slot, and the base is where one finds the microUSB port. The 3.5 mm audio jack is placed at the top and a pleasant feeling to find the IR blaster there as well.

Even after being billed as resistant to fingerprints, there were plenty of cleaning and wiping required. But the built quality leaves less room for complaints. It is indeed a well crafted phone.

Display

Lenovo has brought in a 5.5-inch full HD display. With a resolution of 1080 x 1920p, the 401 ppi pixel density ensures that there is no pixellations of the text or of any other content. There was a slight bluish hue to the display, but not heavy enough to disrupt the mood.

Contrast levels are very impressive, the colours vibrant, and the display is bright enough to be carried outdoors for reading pleasures. The option to change the colour balance is a good touch, allowing users to define the display with their own choice.

Specs

Lenovo planned this handset to be a strong mid ranger, and this was clear with the Qualcomm Snapdragon's 808 chipset inside. The fact that even Nexus 5X carries the same hardware should excite a good many owners.

The CPU consists of a Quadcore Cortex A53 (clocked at 1.2 GHz) and a Dualcore Cortex A57 (clocked at 1.8 GHz), making this a hexacore device.

There is the Adreno 418 for handling the graphics, while 3 GB of RAM rounds off a powerful mid range configuration. There is ample onboard storage in the form of 32 GB, and users can expand this via microSD card by upto 128 GB, but that will mean sacrificing the secondary SIM card slot.

Providing the extra hardware punch

Lenovo seems to be bundling something extra with the hardware capabilities here. The microUSB port on the Vibe X3 also enables the users to use the phone as a power bank.

Also, the audio output via the headphone jack is being claimed to be lossless and studio grade. The presence of Wolfson 8281 processor with ESS Sabre 9018C2M DAC with TI-OPA1612 OP Amps makes the Vibe X3 stand out in the given category.

The Vibe X3 is also compatible with TheaterMax headset, (sold separately for Rs 1,299). The Virtual reality headset is cheaper than competitors, and this provides another big advantage with the X3.

Connectivity

The phone is a 4G enabled device, and carries the usual set of connectivity options like WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth (ver 4.1) and even NFC. There is also the GPS navigational assistance option onboard.

Although advantageous, the choice of a hybrid SIM slot provides is generally not something very endearing to the customers. The harsh choice between extra storage memory or another SIM card should not be thrusted and a dedicated slot for both would have been much preferred.

The ODDEST Movie Titles

Chain Kuli Ki Main Kuli Ki, Fugly, Shamitabh, Jajantaram Mamantaram, Ki and Ka the list goes on...

'The director is Bal-KI and the actress is KA-reena. I am just an 'AND' in between ofKi and Ka,' wisecracked Arjun Kapoor at the trailer launch of his new movie Ki and Ka. 

Quite a strange title, don’t you think?

Basically, Ki and Ka stand for ladki (girl) and ladka (boy) in R Balki’s take on role reversal of genders in modern marriages. 

A movie title is an audience’s all-important first connect to the subject.

Whether it’s snappy, sensational, clever or bizarre, it’s prime objective is to pique our curiosity. 

Some filmmakers pick rather oddball titles to achieve that.

Take a look at recent examples. 

Shamitabh

Image: Dhanush and Amitabh Bachchan in Shamitabh

Balki’s 2015 offering Shamitabh is another one of the ilk.

Basically, the title is a blend of ‘sh’ in Dhanush and Amitabh of Amitabh Bachchan as it revolves around the partnership between a mute actor and a voice artist.

Singh is Bliing

Image: Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson in Singh Is Bliing

We could get Singh is King but Singh is Bling just seems like a contrived attempt at rhyming. Especially when Akshay Kumar plays neither a goldsmith nor Bappi Lahiri in the comedy. 

P:S: Did you know the title was suggested by his Brothers producer, Karan Johar?

Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

Image: Imran Khan and Anushka Sharma in Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

Vishal Bhardwaj’s satire featuring Pankaj Kapur, Anushka Sharma and Imran Khan, the media began speculating what the title implies.

Turns out, it’s the name of the three chief protagonists in the movie -- Hukum Singh Matru Sharma, Harphool Singh Mandola and his daughter Bijlee.

PK, Piku, Barfi, R…Rajkumar, Sheen

Image: Aamir Khan in PK

What do these movie titles have in common?

They’re all peculiar and the name of the central character in the movie. 

MII show fire: Report says safety norms flouted by organisers

 Safety instructions were neglected as LPG cylinders were brought by the organisers and kept under the stage of the Make in India event where a massive fire broke likely due to an electric spark coming into contact with combustible material, a probe into the incident in Mumbai has said.

The inquiry by the Mumbai Fire Department found that LPG cylinders were brought to the venue at Girgaum Chowpaty by the show organisers to create the image of Lord Ganesh, neglecting the safety instructions given in writing.

"LPG cylinders were brought in for creating image of Lord Ganesha with flames. The Mumbai fire brigade in its No-Objection Certificate dated February 11 clearly mentioned that LPG cylinders are not to be used," said the report submitted by the department to Maharashtra government on Wednesday.

Despite this, cylinders were stored under the stage, and when the fire broke they exploded, the 185-page report said. "The likely cause of fire is...defective electric circuit

'When people watch me, they should say this guy has nailed it'

'Once Tere Bin Laden was over, the stardom was over, six months of living the Shah Rukh Khan life was over...'

Pradhuman Singh returns withTere Bin Laden: Dead Or Alive.

When Pradhuman Singh's mother saw the trailer of the firstTere Bin Laden movie, she could not recognise her son.

Six years later, with the second filmTere Bin Laden: Dead Or Aliveready for release, she's very excited.

The young actor plays an Osama Bin Laden lookalike, and looks completely different than what he looks in real life. Yet, he says he completely relates with the character.

He tells Jahnavi Patel/Rediff.com why. 

How different is your character in the second Tere Bin Laden movie?

It isn’t different at all.

My look is completely the same as it was in the first film. We kept it that way because we wanted people to feel that it’s Noora (Pradyuman’s character in Tere Bin Laden), but his character in the second film is called Paddi Singh. His accent is also different in the two films.

He is a folk singer form Punjab, who comes to Mumbai to become a famous singer. Unfortunately, things don’t go right and the people in Mumbai call him a beggar. This is when he meets Manish Paul’s character, Sharma. Sharma tells this guy that he can become a star, not because of his voice but because of his face.

Noora was very content but Paddi is a bitter and frustrated person, as he wanted to become a celebrity.

Plus, he doesn't get famous as an actor, as Sharma had promised him.

Now, all he wants to do is wrap up everything but someone wants him dead and someone else wants him alive.  

Was it easy to play?

Yes. The first part had a certain innocence, the character was very different from what I am in real life. So I had put in a lot of effort. I was isolated for three months -- I was living with a rooster! I used to wear the pathani all day long. I wasn’t supposed to fool around on the sets.

This time, Paddi Singh was more free-flowing, more fun. I liked this character because it’s more me.

What was more challenging this time?

I have co-written the script, so that was challenging.

As an actor, the most challenging part was not to become complacent.

When people watch me (in theatres), they should say this guy has nailed it. I want that. I don’t know whether I’ve done it or not because, honestly, people who have watched the film have neither said that I'm great nor not good.

Director Abhishek Sharma did not push me too much but I wanted to push myself. I wanted to get the comic timing right, the words right, to have the same equation with Manish Paul that I had with Ali Zafar in the first part...

How to get the best deal on travel insurance

Keeping this in mind you can easily get the best travel insurance policy for yourself and your family. It is advisable to do some research before making any decision.

Usually travel insurance offers financial protection for your trips. It allows you to enjoy your trip without worrying about the several issues that can arise during the journey. A good, reliable travel insurance policy will make sure that you enjoy your holidays completely and can get the required financial assistance whenever you need it. But getting the best deal seems to be a daunting task.

To get the best deals on travel insurance, you should understand its concept, its pros and cons, and much more. Let us understand them all one by one.

What is covered in travel insurance?

• Trip cancellation: It works majorly when you have bookings that are non-refundable
• Trip interruption: This policy will compensate you for the costs incurred
• Medical emergencies: This is one of the major benefits that a travel insurance policy offers. It assists you in dealing with the prohibitive cost of looking for healthcare in a foreign country or fly back home for the required treatment.
• Loss of baggage: Under this you will get the required financial coverage in case of loss of baggage. It is really helpful when you are carrying valuables like electronics or jewellery.

PHOTOS: Masterful Messi's late double sinks Arsenal

 Barcelona's Lionel Messi broke free from Arsenal's shackles to score two late goals and put the Champions League holders on the brink of the quarter-finals with a clinical 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The irrepressible Argentine, along with strike partners Luis Suarez and Neymar, had been subdued for most of the last 16, first-leg tie but came alive late on, clinically finishing off a lightning counter-attack and then dispatching a penalty.

"They are 95 percent through to the quarter-finals certainly," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side had defended solidly for 71 minutes until crumbling, told reporters.

"It's a shame we didn't get any satisfaction because we put everything into it."

Luis Enrique's Barca side extended their unbeaten run to 33 matches and, barring something extraordinary in the return at the Nou Camp next month, will take their place in the last eight for the ninth season in a row.

"I liked everything we did tonight," the Spaniard told reporters.

IMAGE: Lionel Messi of Barcelona celebrates with Luis Suarez and Neymar. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Messi has proved a thorn in Arsenal's side on each of the last two occasions the teams have met in the Champions League.

In 2010 he scored four times in the last 16 second leg to send Barca through and a year later he struck twice in a 3-1 win in Spain after Arsenal had edged the first leg.

'It is not only the coach who is disappointed...but all of us'

 Bayern Munich were left to rue a number of missed chances in their Champions League last 16 first leg against Juventus on Tuesday after the Germans squandered a two-goal lead to draw2-2 despite dominating for much of the game.

"It is not only the coach who is disappointed. It is all of us," said Bayern winger Arjen Robben, who had netted in the 55th minute to give the visitors a two-goal cushion.

"We should have killed it off after the 2-0. What happened to us afterwards should not happen," said the Dutchman. "We should have been cooler and calmer."

The Bavarians were in commanding form for an hour, having boxed the Italians in, launching attack after attack with 70 percent possession in the first half.

IMAGE: Thomas Muller (second right) of FC Bayern Munich celebrates with his team-mate Robert Lewandowski (right) after scoring the opening goal against Juventus. Photograph: Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Goals from Thomas Mueller and Robben gave them a comfortable lead, but they wasted other chances that could have put the tie beyond doubt.

Arturo Vidal had a powerful volley saved, Mueller twice went close, while the normally clinical Robert Lewandowski was guilty of missing his share of chances.

'Railways have a 5x multiplier effect on the economy'

We hope there shall be more focus on existing projects and their completion rather than new projects.'
'Any new project announcements should be largely for decongesting the existing lines rather than new lines.'

Nandan Chakraborty, Managing Director, Institutional Equity Research, Axis Capital, which recently released a report Railway 360 Degree: ACTUALLY what will happen (.pdf file, external) tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com that the key challenge before Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will be to hike passenger tariffs, which, he says, 'always faces political resistance.'

The Railway Budget 2016-2017 will be presented in Parliament on February 25, 2016.

IMAGE: Passengers travel on an overcrowded train at Loni in Uttar Pradesh. Photograph: Anindito Mukherjee/Reuters

What role will the Railway Budget play in spearheading the Indian economy?

The Indian Railways are the public face of government (the single largest interface) of India, transporting the equivalent of Australia's population daily or 23 million passengers daily (2 per cent of India's population) and are a key indicator of the government's success for the public.

We hope the Railway Budget reiterates the government's continued commitment to its huge capex (capital expenditure) plan with a focus on decongestion projects.

Decongestion and increased throughput can lead to a significant reduction in logistics cost benefiting all industries.

The Indian Railways have a 5x multiplier effect on the larger economy.

What are the top three headwinds and tailwinds going forward for the Indian Railways?

Headwinds:

a. HR revamp

The Indian Railways employ 1.3 million (13 lakh) people and have 1.4 million (14 lakh) pensioners and thus any change requires to be done with kid gloves.

b. Passenger tariff hikes

Given the shortfall in volumes and the fact that DFC (dedicated freight corridor) once operational shall take away 70 per cent of the Indian Railways' freight revenue, a passenger tariff hike is a must. However, this continues to be highly political.

c. PPP (Public-Private Partnership)

Private capex is essential to achieve the Indian Railways's goals. However, the Indian Railways needs to adopt modern accounting and have an independent regulator in place in order to better align the risk reward ratio in PPP.

Tailwinds:

a. Strong support of the Prime Minister's Office which recognises the strategic importance of the Indian Railways.

b. Long term funding: With Rs 1.5 trillion (approximately $22 billion) of long term money locked in, the Indian Railways can now adopt a corridor approach rather than taking on a large number of small projects and commit themselves to outlays beyond the annual budget, which shall see interest from large well EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) players with far better execution.

Shocking! Why this police officer was beaten up

n a shocking first in Maharashtra's history, a mob attacked a police station last week, assaulted two policemen, dragged one of them out, paraded him with a saffrom flag and made him chant, 'Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji.'

In an exclusive interview, District Superintendent of Police Dr Dnyaneshwar Chavan tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com what really happened.

IMAGE: A video grab of a mob assaulting Assistant Sub Inspector Yunus Shaikh of the Pangaon police station, Latur, Maharashtra.

District Superintendent of Police Dr Dnyaneshwar Chavan, left, below, is in the eye of a storm.

Last Friday, February 19, two policemen under his charge, Assistant Sub Inspector Yunus Shaikh and Head Constable K Awaskar of the Pangaon police station were attacked by a mob inside the police station.

Shaikh was then forcibly taken to the spot, saffron flag in hand, and forced to chant 'Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji' where, the previous night (February 18), Awaskar and he had prevented a mob from erecting a saffron flag near a mosque in the communally sensitive Ambedkar Chowk.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted on Wednesday, February 24, that he has asked state Director General of Police Pravin Dixit and Minister of State for Home (Rural) Ram Shinde to travel to Latur and investigate the incident.

This is what DSP Chavan said when asked if the policemen in Pangaon felt insecure and unsafe: "This is, after all, a numbers game. When you are smaller in number compared to those who you face being larger in number... definitely (there is fear)..."

How many accused have you arrested in the attack on ASI Shaikh?

16 people have been arrested till now.

How many people have been registered as accused in the case according to the FIR (first information report)?

65.

By when will you arrest the rest?

Definitely, we have been making efforts to arrest the rest. They are absconding. They are not in the village (Renapur) as well as at their relatives' houses.

They may have left the district. Their mobile phones are also switched off. We will arrest them 100 per cent.

Could you tell us what exactly happened on the day of the attack and the previous night when ASI Shaikh and Head Constable Awaskar stopped people from erecting a saffron flag near Ambedkar Chowk, close to a mosque?

The gathering had plans to dig up the road and erect a (saffron) flag at the spot about which our officers came to know.

On that night there were two officers on duty. Yunus Shaikh was not alone. Awaskar was also there. These two along with two other policemen went to the spot in a jeep and convinced them not to erect the flag there.

They (the gathering which wanted to erect a flag) then went away with their flag at around 1.30 am. Our jeep maintained a vigil at the spot till 3.30 am.

Later, at around 8.30 am, the next morning, some 8 to 10 people came to the police station and threatened the officers there with a bandh and other consequences.

In another 15, 20 minutes, a big mob gathered outside the police station and seeing these two policemen inside the police station (Shaikh and Awaskar) the mob attacked them.

Both suffered head injuries as well as swelling of their hands and legs in this attack.

In the melee, Awaskar managed to escape, but the mob caught hold of the other police officer (Shaikh) and took him to the spot where they had asked the mob the previous night not to erect the flag.

Were these two officers asked by by their superiors to stop anybody from erecting flags at Ambedkar Chowk?

Listen my dear friend; This is our job to stop this nonsense.

How can we allow people erecting flags at any place that they want?

Once they erect such flags they refuse to remove it, leading to tensions in the area.

Once a saffron flag gets erected during one jayanti (birth anniversaries of historic figures), some people come and erect a blue flag on some other jayanti, and then again you have some people erecting a green flag.

This is how our society is evolving right now. People think they have done a great job when they erect such flags.

Why have you not added Yunus Shaikh as a complainant when it was he who was attacked and paraded by the mob asking him to raise slogans? Why make Awaskar the complainant?

Because of the attack on him (Shaikh), he was very nervous. He was not in a condition to give a statement properly.

He was conscious, but he was under mental trauma. So, we registered a complaint from Awaskar.

Is Yunus Shaikh stable now?

Yes, Shaikh and Awaskar, both are stable now.

Will you then add Yunus Shaikh as a complainant now?

Sir, you have started to change the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) now. For one crime there is always one FIR registered and then investigations are done.

So you are saying that the CPC doesn't allow you to name two complainants for an attack like this.

No. Only one FIR is filed in one incident.

Yunus Shaikh's son claims this will weaken the case against the rioters...

He must have said this to you. When I met him, when the IG (Inspector General of Police) met him, nothing of this sort has come to light.

If there are 10 people injured in a crime, we don't take complaints from all 10 people.

But here there were just two people who were attacked. And that too two policemen, who were attacked by the mob who entered a police station and dragged them out, paraded them in full public view.

Yunus Shaikh has claimed that the police did not help him when he had asked for reinforcements, informing them that a mob of over 100 people had attacked the police station.

The attack took place around 8.30 am and the reinforcements came only at 10.30 by when the assault was over and rioters had fled.

It is correct that the incident (the attack on the police station and the police officers; not once did Chavan refer to it as an 'attack'; he stuck to 'incident') started at 8.30 and he (Shaikh) informed about it (for additional police force) and three of our employees (policemen) were on their way at around 9 am to the police station, but the injured constable (Awaskar) met them on the way and informed them that just three policemen were not enough because it was a huge crowd and asked them to come back with a bigger force so that they (policemen in strength) could control them.

The distance between our police station (from where the reinforcements took off in a jeep) and the chowki (the police station where the attack occurred) is about 16 km. Because of bad roads any vehicle easily takes about 25 minutes to cover this distance.

Did Yunus Shaikh, when he called for help, not say that it was a huge mob?

When told that (informed by Yunus) it was a 100-plus mob and given that it was morning time and policemen were amid their shift (night to morning when they change their duties) change and also there were about 8 such processions organised that day (February 19, Shiv Jayanti) our force was distributed for duty at these places too.

Another rally was supposed to cross its way from around a mosque at 9 or 9.15 am. For that too we had to requisition policemen. There were about 105 processions across Latur district that day.

Isn't this the first time in Maharashtra that a policeman was dragged out by a mob from inside a police station and then attacked?

A policeman was paraded in full public view, forced to carry a saffron flag and chant 'Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji'.

Isn't this a huge failure on the part of the Latur police?

Also, such instances were not happening at all the 105 places you mentioned. Only Yunus Shaikh sent you a SoS, but still the police couldn't reach the spot in time with adequate force.

Asia Cup: Rohit blasts 55-ball 83 to power India to 166

20:57 
 B'desh 9-0 (2 ovs) vs India 166-6 | Scorecard

Ashish Nehra to open the bowling for India, who would be feeling quite comfortable after putting up a good total on a difficult wicket.

Nehra makes a good start, with five dot balls in a row to Soumya Sarkar, who tucks the last ball to fine leg for three runs to get off the mark.

Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the second over. He starts with a long hop which Sarkar cracks over point for a four to wake up the crowd, who had gone quiet in the last hour or so.

Sarkar picks a quick single before Mohammad Mithun picks one to get off the mark.

Bumrah gets one to slant across left-handed Sarkar, who is beaten three deliveries in a row as Bangladesh reach nine for no loss in two overs.

20:39  Rohit blasts 55-ball 83 to power India to 166:  
India 166-6 (20 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Mustafizur is back. Pandya plays his favourite slash off the first delivery and gets a boundary through thirdman. However, the left-arm pacer beats Pandya off the next two deliveries, bowling it full and wide outside the off-stump.

He drives the fifth ball down the ground for two runs and is beaten off the last ball but manages to steal a bye from the last ball of the over.

Al-Amin to bowl the final over of the innings. Pandya takes a single from the first ball before Rohit is dismissed off the next.

Rohit looks for a big shot over the leg side but fails to find the distance and is caught on the leg side after a superb innings of 83 from 55 balls, having hit seven fours and three sixes.

Two balls later, Pandya also perishes as he is caught at long-on after a quickfire innings of 31 from 18 balls, having hit four boundaries.

Dhoni smashes the fifth ball down the ground for two runs before he pulls the last ball over square leg for a six to end the innings in style.

India finish on a healthy 166 for six in their 20 overs.

The visitors managed to turnaround things in style after a horror start. They were struggling on 52 for three after 10 overs, but smashed 114 runs in the next 10 overs.

Rohit, who was dropped on 21, made the Bangladeshis pay big time as he blasted 83 from 55 balls, while Pandya played a crucial innings of 31 from 18 balls.

Al-Amin was the best bowler for Bangladesh as he took three for 37 but Mustafizur went for runs, giving away 40 in his four overs.

20:25  Rohit, Pandya on the attack as Bangladesh suffer: 
India 149-4 (18 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Mustafizur comes back. The first ball is a bit short as Pandya slashes it square past point for a four before he takes a single.

No stopping Rohit now as he lofts Mustafizur over midwicket for a six as Shakib on the fence makes a superb effort but is unable to hold on.

Pandya gets a thick outside edge as the fielder at thirdman fumbles giving away two runs. The left-arm pacer tries a bouncer but it slips down the leg side and is called a wide. India on fire at the moment, having smashed 33 runs from the last 11 deliveries.

The last ball is in the slot, full and on the pads as Pandya whips it over the midwicket fence for a six to make it 21 runs from the over.

India's run rate has touched the eight-runs per over mark as they race to 136 for four in 17 overs.

Al-Amin comes back. Rohit drives the first ball through the covers for two runs and takes one from the next.

The next ball is short and Pandya slashes it square for a four before crashing the next through midwicket for another boundary.

Another big over for India as 13 come from it to take the score to 149 for four in 18 overs.

Rohit has been batting superbly on 82 from 53 balls, while Pandya has stroked 24 from 10 balls.

20:14  Rohit blasts half-century rallies India: 
India 115-4 (16 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Mortaza comes back as Rohit drives the first ball to the deep on the off-side for a single and Pandya picks a single off the next.

Rohit goes after Mortaza as he comes down the track and lofts it straight down the ground and it carries all the way over long-off for a six. He pulls the next ball and gets it in the gap over midwicket for a four.

Rohit in full flow at the moment. He makes room and smashes the last ball through the covers for a splendid boundary.

Rohit has smashed his way to 72 from 49 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes, to take India to 115 for four in 16 overs.

20:10  Yuvraj out for 15, India lose 4th wicket:  
India 97-4 (15 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

The experienced Shakib comes back. Three singles from the first three balls before Yuvraj tries the reverse sweep but fails to connect followed by two singles from the last two balls of the over.

Mustafizur, who bowled just one over in his first spell, comes back for his second spell. Rohit steers the first ball to thirdman for a single before Yuvraj drives the second ball straight as the fielder at mid-off fails to stop it and gives away a four.

Four singles from the last four balls helps India sustain the momentum as they pick nine from the over to reach 90 for three in 14 overs.

Rohit drives the first ball of Shakib's third over down to long-off for a single to bring up his half-century, from 42 balls.

Yuvraj content to take the singles and bring his partner back on strike. Rohit goes down on one knee and sweeps Shakib square on the leg side for a four.

Yuvraj plays the slog sweep but ends up hitting it straight to the fielder at deep midwicket to fall for 15.

Hardik Pandya is sent in ahead of Dhoni as India look keen to attack the bowlers in the last five overs.

India are on course for a total around the 150-run mark as they reach 97 for four in 15 overs.

19:57  Rohit rallies India after horror start vs Bangladesh: 
India 76-3 (12 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Taskin comes back, replacing Shakib, who bowled just one over. The first ball is wide and full as Rohit goes after it but is beaten and the second ball is an exact action replay of the first.

Rohit (21) makes connection with the third ball, another half-volley, but hits is straight to the fielder at point who drops a straightforward chance.

Taskin drops short and wide as Rohit manages to hit it past point for a much-needed boundary for the Indians.

The next ball is even worse but Rohit has no complaints as he slashes a short wide ball over the thirdman fence for a six.

The last ball is steered fine but the fielder at thirdman run across but lets it go through his legs for another four.

14 runs from the over gives the Indian innings a slight lift as they reach 66 for three in 11 overs, with Rohit playing a good hand on 35 from 31 balls.

Yuvraj is happy to give the strike to Rohit, who is looking in good touch. He drives Mortaza through the covers for two runs before pulling the next ball fine for a four.

Yuvraj pulls the fifth ball to deep midwicket to bring up his 1000 runs in T20 Internationals, from 47 matches.

10 runs from the over, making it 24 from the last two, as India recover slightly to reach 76 for three in 12 overs.

19:46 
India 52-3 (10 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Spin from both ends as left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan comes into the attack. He makes a tidy start, giving away just four singles as both Rohit and Yuvraj look to milk the spinner around with taking any risks.

Rohit uses his feet to Mahmudullah, who drives it down to long-on for one and Yuvraj turns the third ball on the leg side for another single.

No fielder in the cover region inside the circle as Bangladesh are content to give away the single.

Five singles from the over takes India to 52 for three in 10 overs with Rohit on 21 and Yuvraj on five.

19:40  Raina falls for 13 as India continue to struggle with the bat:  
India 43-3 (8 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Off-spinner Mahmudullah comes into the attack. And he claims the key wicket of Raina, who is bowled for 13.

Three singles from the first four deliveries before Raina decides to attack the part-time spinner and ends up losing his wicket. He charged down the track but was beaten comprehensively and missed it completely to be bowled.

India sink further as they are reduced to 42 for three in the eighth over.

New batsman Yuvraj Singh gets off the mark with a single on the off-side.

19:34 
India 39-2 (7 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Al-Amin comes back as Mustafizur gets a break. Raina decides not to hold back as he makes room and crashes the second ball of the over through the covers for a four. That was risky but Raina makes his intent quite clear early on in his innings.

Two balls later, he attempts another lofted shot over the off-side but this time he is beaten all ends up.

Al-Amin bowls a poor delivery, short and wide, as Raina goes back and slashes it past point for the second four of the over. That was a gift!

Raina looks to heave the last ball over the leg side but is beaten again as the ball goes over the stumps.

India have struggled in the Powerplay as they reach 31 for two in six overs.

Rohit has not had much to do in the first six overs, facing just 11 balls for 10 runs. He defends the first ball of Mortaza's second over before turning the next ball through the leg side for two runs and then takes a single.

Mortaza attempts a bouncer to Raina but it is too high and is called a wide. The next ball is driven past point for two runs before taking a single and Rohit gets one from the last ball to retain strike.

19:25  Kohli fails with the bat, India in trouble:  
India 23-2 (5 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Another bowling change as captain Mashrafe Mortaza comes into the attack. The first ball is short as Rohit pulls but fails to make proper connection and gets two runs to deep square leg before taking a quick single to mid-off from the second delivery.

Kohli tries another big shot down the ground and this time he makes connection but ends up hitting it straight into the hands of the fielder at mid-off.

A poor innings from Kohli (8) as he looked to attack the bowlers on a difficult wicket for batting instead of trying to play out the new ball.

India in trouble as they are reduced to 22 for two in the fifth over.

Suresh Raina has a nervous poke outside the off-stump as Mortaza gets a bit of carry before he gets a single from the last ball.

19:20  India struggle after Dhawan's early dismissal: 
India 19-1 (4 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Taskin continues as Kohli has a close shave. He tries to drive the third ball but gets a thick inside edge which narrowly misses the stumps and goes behind the wicket for a four. Kohli takes a single from the next ball before Rohit is gifted two runs from the last ball courtesy of an overthrow as India reach 16 for no loss in three overs.

This is some contest now as Bangladesh's pace sensation Mustafizur Rahman is called into the attack and facing him is Virat Kohli, one of the leading batsmen in world cricket at the moment.

The first ball is quick but a bit wayward and is called a wide outside the off-stump. He defends the next ball before jumping down the track but fails to make any connection.

The third ball is a bit short as Kohli defends it off the backfoot and has a brief yes-no moment with Rohit as they deliberate over a single before backing out.

Mustafizur gets some extra bounce as Kohli flicks it off his hips past short fine leg for a couple. He again comes down the track and makes room but is beate yet again.

This is a good start for Bangladesh as India struggle to 19 for one in four overs on a wicket offering a lot of assistance to the pacers.

19:12  Dhawan out for 2, India lose early wicket:  
India 9-1 (2 ovs) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Pacer Al-Amin Hossain to bowl the second over. The first ball is wide as Dhawan steers it to thirdman where a slight fumble allows him to steal a second run. Two balls later, Hossain breaches through Dhawan's defences to bowl him.

The left-hander played down the wrong line and misses it completely to be bowled for two as India lose an early wicket.

Virat Kohli, who was rested for the Sri Lanka series, walks in at No. 3. He gets off the mark immediately with a single to thirdman. Rohit settles some nerves in the dressing room as he strokes the last ball of the over in some style through the covers for the first boundary of the match.

19:06 
India 2-0 (1 ov) vs B'desh | Scorecard

Taskin Ahmed to open the bowling for Bangladesh and gets a huge cheer from the local fans as he gets ready to bowl the first over.

Rohit Sharma on strike first up. The first ball comes in sharply as Rohit defends it awkwardly before he steers the next to thirdman for one to get off the mark.

Shikhar Dhawan gets a leg bye as he misses the flick off the next. Rohit goes after a wide short delivery but is beaten by some extra bounce and is lucky not to have edged it as two runs come from the first over.

18:33  Bangladesh elect to bowl, Dhoni fit to play:   Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has won the toss and has no hesitation in electing to bowl on a greenish-looking wicket in Mirpur.

They are playing four fast bowlers to take advantage of the conditions.

For India, Virat Kohli comes in to the playing eleven in place of Ajinkya Rahane.

18:30  Dhoni fit to play against Bangladesh:  The big news is that India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has recovered from his back spasms and will lead the team in the opening match against Bangladesh.

He has just walked out for the toss with Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza to a huge cheer from the fans at the Mirpur stadium.

18:05  Captain Dhoni skipped the batting and fielding sessions on Tuesday and instead had a light jogging session.

He then oversaw the batting session of Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya, offering them valuable inputs in the nets.

The big question for India today is whether captain Dhoni will be fit to play?

18:04   A green pitch on offer for today's match, says Harsha Bhogle, something which is rarely seen in the sub-continent.

"Never seen anything as green as this track at Mirpur on the sub -continent!," says Harsha Bhogle on Twitter.

17:59  India eye revenge against Bangladesh in opener:   Welcome to the coverage of the opening match of Asia Cup 2016 between hosts Bangladesh and India in Mirpur, on Wednesday.

It rained heavily earlier in the day leaving a big question over the match but the rain has stayed away for the last couple of hours and the conditions are quite okay at the moment.

The teams have arrived at the stadium and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has gone over to the pitch to have a look.