Goa bids tearful adieu to Boris [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 03:34:11 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (3) ] PANAJI: It was as if nature felt the grief that flooded the island of Divar on Saturday afternoon. As thousands of mourners accompanied the funeral cortege of junior sous chef Boris do Rego, who died in the terrorist attack on Taj, Mumbai, the sky lay overcast, thunder threatening to release the tears in the sky.Mourners, a number that neither the village sarpanch nor its parish priest has seen in recent times, had trouped in from every corner of the state, including Canacona and Valpoi. Friends of Boris and his father, renowned Goan chef Urban do Rego, had flown in from Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi.The dirge ran deep.
Mumbai Attacks:Goan Chefs's last frantic call for help [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 03:54:29 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (1) ] Panaji (IANS): "Kevin... Kevin" were the last frantic cries for help of 25-year-old Boris Rego, a trainee chef in Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, when he called his brother in Goa Thursday afternoon, even as a battle raged in the background between security forces and terrorists who had laid siege to the hotel.
Boris Rego, who was a native of the Divar island, near Panaji, had been working as a management trainee at the Mumbai five star hotel since June 28.
Speaking to reporters at his Divar home Friday morning Boris's brother Kevin Rego said that authorities in Mumbai had informed him by telephone of his brother's death late Thursday evening.
"His (Boris Rego's) last call came in at 2:30 p.m. (Thursday) There was commotion in the background. All he said was 'Daddy..., Kevin... Kevin'. Then his voice trailed off and there was silence," Kevin Rego said, as he recalled the last conversation with his sibling, with tear-filled eyes.
Boris Rego worked at the Shamiana, a 24-hour restaurant at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel.
"The restaurant was full to capacity and Boris was working in the open kitchen, when the terrorists barged in and started shooting," Kevin Rego said, adding that Boris Rego had been sneaking telephone calls to his brother and father in Goa, even as the terror-drama unfolded Thursday night.
Mumbai attacks kill 86, police shoot four gunmen [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 12:43:43 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (6) ] MUMBAI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - At least 86 people were killed in attacks by gunmen in India's commercial hub Mumbai and security forces began moving on two luxury hotels where foreign hostages were being held, officials and witnesses said on Thursday.
The attacks by small groups of gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades on the hotels and other sites in the city came amid state elections, including in Kashmir, and risk destablising the country ahead of national elections next year.
Police said they had shot dead four gunmen and arrested nine suspects. They said 12 police were killed, including Hemant Karkare, the chief of the police anti-terrorist squad in Mumbai.
"The situation is still not under control and we are trying to flush out any more terrorists hiding inside the two hotels," said Vilasrao Deshmukh, Maharashtra state chief minister.
Deshmukh told a news conference the situation was not yet contained.
Wednesday November 26, 2008
Veg prices dip in Belgaum,Goa likely to benefit [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 02:40:48 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] Reduction in prices of vegetables in Belgaum is expected have a similar effect in Goa, bringing much relief to consumers in both places. The harvest season in Belgaum district is at its peak while good rains during the last week of September have also played an important role in bringing down the prices of vegetables. Given the fact that Goa depends largely on the inflow of vegetables and fruits from Belgaum, changes in prices of vegetables in Belgaum have an immediate effect on vegetable prices in Goa. Prices of tomatoes that had toucked Rs 35 a kilo in Belgaum last month have now come down to as low as Rs 12 a kilo. Prices of all other vegetables too have come down significantly. For instance, the wholesale rates for 10 kilos of some vegetables at Belgaum on Tuesday were cabbage (Rs 70-80), tomatoes (Rs 60-80), brinjal (Rs 80-90) and beans (Rs 80-90). Even if retailers add a 50 percent profit margin on the wholesale rates, vegetables are now available at a substantially cheaper rate than previous month. For instance, the retail prices per kilo of vegetables in Belgaum on Tuesday were tomatoes (Rs 12-14), beans (Rs 18-20), cauliflower (Rs 20), potatoes (Rs 9) and onions (Rs 6-8). “Looking at the trend of the inflow of vegetables in the last couple of days, these prices are likely to come down further,” stated Kaka Patil, president of the Cantonment Wholesale Vegetable Market Association.
Goa stakes claim to be 'Cannes of the east' [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 02:47:26 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] PANAJI, India (AFP) — Goa's chief minister wants to rebrand India's most prestigious film festival along the lines of Cannes in the south of France, but the pledge has set him on a collision course with organisers.
"Like Cannes, we want the festival to be known by the Goa name. We will brand the festival as the Goa Festival," Digamber Kamat said late Saturday at the launch of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
About 60 foreign-language films and 80 Indian films are to be shown before the 39th annual festival ends on December 2, including the country's Academy Award entry "Taare Zameen Par" and Bollywood favourites.
Officials in the resort state have previously asked India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Directorate of Film Festivals to give it more responsibilities during the event.
Baga stretch facing security risk [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 03:03:50 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (1) ] PANAJI- The Baga stretch, one of the famous tourist spots in Southeast Asia, overflowing with shacks, restaurants, hotels, is facing what could potentially be a major security risk, especially given that it is already on the terrorists? radar. Due to its narrow approach road and haphazard parking it becomes difficult for a car to move comfortably here even on a week day. Taking into consideration this catastrophe waiting to happen, the police have written to the PWD suggesting remedial measures. Goa boasts of some of the world?s most beautiful beaches along its 100 km coastline - pristine stretches of golden sands bordering the magnificent Arabian Sea. The state became popular in the mid-eighties when the charter flights arrived and it began to change. The sleepy character gave way to boom time with the number of visitors skyrocketing from 1,26,130 in 1996 to 23,42,649 in 2006. The parking outside restaurants on the Baga stretch spills on to the road and traffic moves at a snail?s pace through the narrow, winding, village road. Weekends and the period from Christmas to New Year are the most crowded and subsequently face the highest risk.
IFFI will be branded after Goa: Kamat [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 11:42:55 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (4) ] Panaji (PTI): Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat on Saturday said that the International Film Festival of India(IFFI) would be branded after Goa as the state was a permanent destination for the event.
"IFFI has moved from strength to strength. Ultimately, the aim is to brand Goa and we want that the festival should be known by a Goan name," Kamat said while participating in `The Big Picture Conference' organized by Confederation of Indian Industry on the sidelines of IFFI 2008 here.
Kamat said when Goa was selected as the venue for the event, many questions were raised and it was said that Goa did not have a film culture.
"Those who made such statements did not know the contribution of Goans to the film industry. Veterans like Dattaram Wadkar, Lata Mangeshkar, K Vaikunth and various others are from Goa," he added.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice Nelson A Britto came down heavily on the investigating officers in the sensational German minor rape case.
The German minor's mother Fadela Fuchs had accused Goa state Education Minister Atanasio Monseratte's son Rohit and Public Works Department Minister Churchill Alemao's nephew Warren of sexually exploiting her 14-year-old daughter.
She had then withdrawn the case against Monseratte. Human rights lawyer Aires Rodrigues alleged that the alleged victim's mother was doing so under duress as she was disillusioned with the way the case was moving.