COMMUNITY NEWS

Jacob De Souza: Scouts send school supplies to Kandahar
18 Feb: Mississauga News. When the 1st Sandalwood Scouts of Mississauga learned that Shirley De Souza, the sister of Colin, one of their leaders was a member of the Canadian military serving in Afghanistan, they wanted to send her a gift from home…De Souza had contacted his sister, who said a school near the base in Kandahar was in desperate need of supplies… Pack members collected five boxes of supplies to send to the school… 400 words. Click here. Shirley De Souza (Ex-Uganda) was featured in GVUK 2009-2.

Diane Saldanha: UTM biotechnology students capitalize on win
18 Feb: Mississauga News. Diane Saldanha, 23, is a member of the team of five biotechnology students from the University of Toronto Mississauga that won the right to compete at an international business competition at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She said, “Going in and being the underdogs and beating the MBA teams is really exciting…” For text, 328 words, click here.
For a profile of Diane Saldanha, click here.

Tanya Pereira opens Kids’ clothing outlet in LA
19 Feb: La Canada Valley Sun (LA, USA)… Tanya Pereira opened her new store last week - the Closet Exchange is a children’s new and gently-used resale clothing outlet… Pereira immigrated to the United States from India more than 30 years ago. Pereira, then 11, was the oldest of six children reared by a single mom. Her uncle had moved to this country from their homeland in Goa … Pereira and husband Neville, a civil engineer, moved to La Cañada five years ago. The couple have three children … 436 words. Click here.

UK: Dr Jayant Vaidya: Do Mammograms prompt unnecessary treatment?
20 Feb: The Guardian (UK). Some Health experts believe that the breast cancer screening programmes should be structured to identify women who have breast cancer which, left alone, "might never appear in a woman's natural lifespan"… Jayant Vaidya, a consultant surgeon at University College London says that there's no doubt that screening saves lives but that women aren't being fully informed about the process… Vaidya says that over diagnosis is an inevitability of the screening service… 1488 words. Click here.
For the GVUK Dr Vaidya supplement, click here.

Floyd Cardoz: Shrimp Gumbo
20 Feb: Village Voice (New York). Floyd Cardoz, the exec chef at Tabla, was recently named a James Beard semi-finalist in the Best Chef: New York City category. I love Tabla, but eating from Cardoz's cookbook, One Spice Two Spice, is a lot easier on the wallet--although you've got to do the work yourself. There are recipes for Tabla signatures like Goan spiced crab cakes… For photos and text, 835 words, click here.
For the GVUK Floyd Cardoz profile, click here.

Clarence Dias pleads guilty to possessing child pornography
20 Feb: MSN News. Clarence J. Dias, a United Nations consultant has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography … Prosecutors say the 65-year-old is expected to be sentenced next month to a conditional discharge and ordered to register as a sex offender… Dias is the director of the International Center for Law in Development. Click here.For a photo of him see GVUK 2009-4

Dr Lyndon da Cruz pioneers the bionic eye
23 Feb: Times of India. A UK based ophthalmologist of Goan origin, Dr Lyndon da Cruz, is credited with conducting the first three successful operations to implant artificial electronic retinal devices in the eyes of the blind. The device is called a bionic eye. Da Cruz is chief investigator and surgeon for bionic eye implants in London… Da Cruz, who was born in Mombasa, Kenya, migrated with his family to Australia where he studied medicine... In the UK, he trained further in retinal surgery… 375 words. Click here.
For a profile of Dr da Cruz, click here.

The De Souza Trust Goa Scholarships
23 Feb: British Council: The De Souza Trust Goa Scholarship provides financial assistance for self-motivated dynamic young people of Goan origin/ those holding Goan domicile to study or train in the UK…. The scholarship covers full or part tuition fees and the cost of a visa for the UK. Apply by post or online. Last date of application: Friday, 15 May 2009. For full details, 668 words, click here.

Longinus Fernandes: “Danny Boyle has brought me international recognition”
23 Feb: IANS. Danny Boyle signed Longinus Fernandes as choreographer for “Slumdog Millionaire” and mentioned his name in his Oscar acceptance speech. Fernandes is now on cloud nine with his newly found fame… The dance director said he is extremely happy that “Jai Ho”, which was choreographed by him, won an Oscar. He has also choreographed “O Saaya”, the other song in the rags-to-riches drama… 498 words. Click here.
For a video clip, 4 mins, of Longinus Fernandes performing in Indian Idol, click here.
Longinus Fernandes has his Goan roots in Assolna, South Goa and was in Regina Martyrum High School, Class of 1984.

UK: Looking For - Channel 4 TV Documentary
25 Feb: Channel 4. Are there three generations of Asian women in your family? Do you have great home video footage and photos? Would like to celebrate your life on TV? If the answer is yes, Please call Annabell Rebello, 0207 226 2577 or email: researcher@transparenttelevision.com before 3 March 2009 to find out more information and be part of this exciting project!

St-Britto's/Mary's/Xaviers> Celebrations in Goa >11-16 April 2009
25 Feb: Light up the embers and set the fire glowing. The BMX UK Committee are the gracious hosts of the 3rd reunion to be held at "Sunny, sandy, susegaad" Goa during Easter 2009. Do not miss this great opportunity to combine and celebrate, reminiscence and renew. A wonderful package awaits you in the land of your roots and arms of your school/college friends. It's an experience of a lifetime. All are invited. For further details visit Visit our website bmx-uk.org Contact: Astrid D'Souza: bookings@bmx-uk.org

Bettina Gracias: Radio play: Listen online.
25 Feb: BBC Radio 4. My Name is Iqbal Masih would tell a horrific story if it wasn't true …Iqbal Masih was sold by his father into bonded labour in a carpet factory when he was 4, in payment of an £8 debt… To listen online (before 4 Mar) click here.
For a photo and brief bio of Bettina see the TV section of GVUK 2006-28.

DEATHS

24 Feb: Bracknell, Berks, UK. MITA D'SOUZA (nee Viegas; ex Mombasa & Nairobi). Mother of Natasha & Aaron of Bracknell, Berks.). Daughter of Gaspar and Leonie Viegas of Bexleyheath, UK. Passed away peacefully after a bravely borne illness. Funeral arrangements to be announced later. Condolences to: Gaspar & Leonie Viegas, 48 Glynde Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 4ET. No visitors at the house please.

23 Feb: Mombasa, Kenya. AGNELO “SANA” DE SOUZA. Beloved husband of Jennifer de Souza. Loving father to Maureen de Souza. Brother of Sr Theckla De Souza (UK), Tony/ Belinda (Canada), Linda/Tony (Nairobi) and Lydia/ late Rui (Goa). Brother in law to Marie De Souza, Blanche Lobo, Alvit Abreu, Myrna Nazareth, Vivian Lobo, Andrew Abreu, Peter Abreu. Condolences: Tel: 254 41 474395. Cell: 0722 412 090 (Kenya). Email: jamkenya@hotmail.com (Jennifer) OR maureenpdsouza@hotmail.com (Maureen).

21 Feb: Caranzalem, Goa. AUGUSTA LIBERATA D'SOUZA. Wife of Cyril. Sister of Adelaide/late Peter, Sr Joanita (Canasso Sister), Patrick/Teresa, Avito/Alzira, Maxie/Helen (Toronto).

21 Feb: Sittingbourne, Kent, UK. ROSA JOANES. (Ex-Benaulim, Goa). Wife of late Caetano Joanes. Mother of Emiliano/Min, Eric, Casmiro/Melita, Philomena/late Cypriano, Matilda/Rosario. Grandmother of Jeannete/Vanessa/Desmond, Anne-Marie, Hazel/Heather, Christopher/Matthew/Julius, Kevin/Sabrina. Great-Grandmother of Elan, Lucas, Eithan, Bruno, Gabriela/Madalena Rosa. Funeral will take place on Wed 4 Mar, 1.30pm at Sacred Heart Church (63 West St, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1AN). Followed by burial at Sittingbourne Cemetery (Capel Road, Sittingbourne, Kent). Family flowers only. In lieu of flowers, donations to Diabetes UK are welcome. Please click here.

21 Feb: Missuaga, Canada. PATRICIA (PATSY) PEREIRA. Beloved wife of Dr. Dennyson Pereira. Loving mother of Anastasia, Karen and Noel. Dear sister of Georges (Sandra), Gladys (Edward), Sylvia (late Rui), Oswald (Colleen), Marina and the late Walter. Funeral Mass will be held at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Church, 5255 Thornwood Dr., Mississauga on Wed Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. Interment Assumption Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Missionaries of Charity, 185 Dunn Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M6K 2S1, 416-537-1391. For a profile of Dr Pereira, click here.

21 Feb: Mombasa, Kenya. THEODILINA FERNANDES (Aged 79 years). Wife of the late Jose Pedro Fernandes. Mother of Bob/Shirley (Slough, UK), Raymond/Monica (Slough, UK), Flavia/Bill (UK), Carmen (Mombasa), John (Slough, UK), Sue/Sal (Leicester, UK), Sandra/Robert (France), Joseph/Maria (Slough, UK), Maria/Quaid (Toronto). Grandmother of 18. Funeral on Fri. 27 Feb. Requim Mass at the Little Sisters of the Poor at 4 p.m. and thereafter burial at Mbaraki Cemetery. Condolences to : whizzkids@hotmail.com

20 Feb: Parra, Goa. WAVEL D'SOUZA. (Born 1952, Sacred Heart High School, Parra). Brother of Martina/Andrew D'Souza (Mombasa), Mavis/Tony de Sa (Moira) and Walter/Cecilia.

20 Feb: Chinchinim, Goa. JOAQUIM BENTO CRASTO. Husband of Janet Maria. Father of De Selma Alliex (Australia), Dr Chiquito Crasto (USA) and Mario. Father-in-law of Darryl Alliex (Aus), Cherie Crasto (USA) and Teresa Crasto.

19 Feb. Colva, Goa, CARMO FERNANDES (ex- Beira, Mozambique). Beloved husband of Alexandrinha. Father of Angela/Michael (UK), Leticia/Sanjiv, Gina/Swithun (Dubai), Petvin (Dubai), Lorraine. Brother of Evaristo, Ladislau/Joanita, Joaquina/Carmelina, late Nestor (all Portugal), Martha/late Jerome, late Clementina/late Francisco, late Jose/Teresa, Filomena/Celia, Herculano/Filomena, late Ricci, Marcus/Aramita, Fr Assis Dourado, Fr Martinho Dourado.

18 Feb: Pontypridd, S. Wales. FRANCISCO (CHIQUITO) SILVA ROSA. (aged 81; ex- Colva, Goa; ex- EAR&H Dar es Salaam/ Tanga/ Mombasa. Husband of late Clara Cotta. Father of Christopher and Maria Lourdes. Brother of Dr Antonio/Eliza (Australia). Brother-in-law of Sr Berta Cotta (Belgaum), Blasia/Sixto Mascarenhas (Wales) and late Alfredo Cotta/Selma (England). Funeral at St Dyfrig's Church, Pontypridd on Friday 27/02/09 at 1 pm followed by burial at Glyntaff Cemetery. Condolences to mlsilvarosa@hotmail.com

GREGORY FERNANDES

Gregory Fernandes Murder: Three to stand trial
23 Feb: Daily Echo (UK). Five teenagers charged in connection with the death of Gregory Fernandes are due to go on trial at Winchester Crown Court today… Three teenagers who were aged 15 and 17 at the time of the incident have been charged with murder, grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. Two other defendants are accused of grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. 231 words. Click here.

Gregory Fernandes Murder: Trial Commences
23 Feb: Winchester Crown Court. Three teenage boys have denied the murder of Gregory Fernandes in an alleged gang attack in Hampshire… A four-week trial has been earmarked for Winchester Crown Court on February 23, 2009. Click here.

Gregory Fernandes: Youths admit murder
23 Feb: BBC. Three teenagers have pleaded guilty to killing Gregory Fernandes, 32, from Goa, after he arrived on a ship near Southampton in October 2007. … Two 15-year-old boys of Fawley, who cannot be identified, admitted causing grievous bodily harm to Vinod Pitchilnaviram, 29. Sentencing will take place at a later date… 220 words. Click here.
Youth gang boasted: 'let's beat up a Paki'. 23 Feb: Daily Mail. 448 words. Click here.
For the Goan Association (UK) Gregory Fernandes Memorial Fund Appeal click here.

Video: Gregory Fernandes killed in 'racist attack'
23 Feb: BBC. Three teenagers have pleaded guilty to killing Gregory Fernandes in a "racially motivated" attack after he arrived on a ship near Southampton… They had faced a murder charge, which they had denied, and the prosecution accepted the lesser count… Floriano Fernandes, the sailor's father, told the BBC: "Even I've been in England… it wasn't like this before. I felt very safe, but now it seems to be very unsafe place, especially for Indians. 558 words + photographs of three of the accused and Gregory’s family in Goa. Click here.
For a BBC video clip of the family’s grief in Goa. 2m. 35s. Click here.
For links to more Press Reports click here.

Gregory Fernandes’ friend reveals details of the attack
24 Feb: BBC. Vinod Puthiyaniram, victim of a racist attack in Hampshire, which resulted in the death of his friend, Gregory Fernandes, has given details of what happened. He said the incident left him disturbed and shunned by his Indian community… He was only re-employed eight months after the attack because Hampshire police contacted his bosses to reassure them that he was not a "troublemaker". He adds, "England is safe. The people are nice and helpful - so we never think poorly of this." … Photos and text. 732 words. Click here.

Humble home is a shrine to Gregory Fernandes
25 Feb: Daily Echo (Southampton). A Hampshire clergyman has described the devastating impact that the death of a foreign sailor has had on his impoverished family in India. David Potterton, principal chaplain at the Sailors’ Society in Southampton, flew to Goa last summer to visit the parents of merchant seaman Gregory Fernandes. Mr Potterton said: “They live in a bungalow with walls and floors made of dung. They wanted to live in a brick built property and Greg was planning to rebuild it… 443 words. Click here.

Gregory Fernandes Murder: Shamefully, manslaughter plea has been offered
There is a feeling of outrage. I have received several messages from British sympathisers. One wrote: …I cannot believe that these scum bags have been allowed to plead guilty to a lighter sentence of manslaughter…I am so angry and upset…I was brought up to believe that the British Justice system was the best in the world and should be respected…I am ashamed… The western world could learn a lot from Goan family values.
Another wrote: I am a 68 year old Englishwoman…I feel great shame that a good and decent young man could be killed so brutally and cruelly by a gang of teenagers in what I knew as a quiet and trouble free part of England… I would like to send a financial contribution as I understand that Gregory was the family's breadwinner.
For the Goan Association (UK) Gregory Fernandes Memorial Fund Appeal click here.

FREIDA PINTO:

Slumdog Co-Stars 'Enjoying Real-Life Romance'
20 Feb: The Sun (UK). Slumdog Millionaire idols Freida Pinto and Dev Patel are dating off-screen, Anil Kapoor their co-star claimed yesterday on a US radio station. 495 words. Click here.

Freida's 2007 Goan 'wedding' pics?
21 Feb: The Sun (UK). Slumdog beauty Freida is apparently pictured in December 2007 with PR agent Rohan Antao at secret nuptials in Panjim, Goa. The pair are reported to have been an item since their time at St Xavier’s college in Mumbai and decided to get hitched on the spur of the moment… 168 words. Click here.

Dev & Freida shop for a ring
21 Feb: The Sun (UK). Dev took Freida to H. Samuel’s on Oxford Street on Valentine’s Day … They paid particular attention to one of the cabinets which was full of the more expensive rings stocked by the store chain. They didn’t buy anything in the end, but they certainly spent plenty of time studying the range… 409 words. Click here.

Freida Pinto’s Portuguese rib
21 Feb: Correio da Manhã (Portugal). Freida Pinto is the new darling of Hollywood. What few know is that the actress is descended from Portuguese in Goa who have emigrated to the neighbouring Karnataka between the XVI and XVIII centuries … Click here.

“Slumdog Ripped Our Love Apart”
22 Feb: News of the World (UK). Rohan Antao in an exclusive interview Rohan, 24, revealed how Freida: FORCED him to keep their engagement secret to boost her career. IGNORED his pleas to stop spending so much time with Dev. ENDED their 16-month relationship in a phone call while she was promoting Slumdog with her co-star … 1,111 words. Click here.

If Freida wants, she can call me: Wendell Rodricks
22 Feb: Daily News & Analysis. Credited with giving the movie's lead heroine and model -- Freida Pinto -- her first major break, Wendell, just back from a cruise in the Seychelles, says, "If Freida Pinto wants, she can call me… I put her on the Lakme Fashion Week ramp before anyone else did…She is a nice girl and I wish her well," he says nonchalantly… 355 words + photo. Click here.

Toronto: Jai Ho! Indians celebrate Slumdog's Oscar sweep
24 Feb: Toronto Star. From Mumbai to Mississauga, Slumdog Millionaire is being hailed as a breakthrough … in Mississauga, the Toronto suburb where Lydia Monteiro, the maternal aunt of Slumdog's female star Freida Pinto, moved five years ago, the happiness was equally palpable… She said, "It's good for Freida, who has worked so hard for this. She has wanted to be an actress since she was a little girl, putting on impromptu plays for the family. Many doors will open for her now."… 621 words. Click here.

From Mumbai to London for Freida Pinto
25 Feb: The Telegraph (UK). The toast of Hollywood after Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars on Sunday night, Freida Pinto will shortly be packing her bags for London to appear in Woody Allen's forthcoming film which will star Naomi Watts and Sir Anthony Hopkins. 244 words. Click here.

WHO THE BLEEP CARES?
Weekly column by Selma Carvalho.

Who the Bleep cares about Tiatrists?

16th February, 2009 was a landmark day for Goa’s entertainment industry. The Goan Tiatr Academy was finally inaugurated. One of the tiatrists honoured on this occasion was M. Boyer.

When I was an adolescent, my parents sent me to Goa to finish my last three years of college. It was the most wonderful time of my life for although I had been back every two years on holiday, it was the first time I would live there for an extended period of time. Here, I would discover its sun-kissed magic which over the centuries had lured explorers, conquerors and tourists alike. Alongside its charm, Goa would also reveal to me its parochial and casteist underbelly.

Long before Manuel Aguiar became known to the world as M. Boyer, he was known to me as my uncle. His father and my grandmother were siblings of the Aguiars from Ponda. My father’s earliest memories are of Boyer putting up small plays in the balcony of our ancestral house. In fact, Boyer’s debut performance was a play that opened in our native village. No matter what accolades, he won as a tiatrist, playwright and singer, he never put on airs and maintained his relationship with my grandmother, his aunt, till her death. Often, he would return to our village to celebrate the Maes Dos Pobres feast. In those days, even rarer than a sighting of M.Boyer, was the appearance of a car in the village. There was no tarred road leading up to our house, so he would park it quite a distance away and walk the mucky path to our pale yellow house with its red-tiled roof. Children would gather around the car to study it closely and women would peep through their windows to catch a glimpse of the tiatrist.

I had always grown up rather proud of the fact that he was my uncle, until I happened to have mentioned this in college. My friends in the Panjim College, resting majestically atop the Altinho, at the time, were from the upper-class, genteel homes of Bardez villages and the town-houses of the Latin Quarter in Fontainhas. I was ill-acquainted with the prejudice of caste and class consciousness that prevailed in Goan society. I was a novice in Goa’s bourgeoisie pretensions and rejection of what was perceived as plebian, common and vulgar. Goan society for decades has categorised tiatr to be the art form of the under-privileged classes, to be shunned by the elite. Perhaps this had something to do with its medium of delivery being Konkani. Someone singing third-rate mandos in a tourist hotel would be applauded but a performance in Konkani on a tiatr stage would earn a sneer.

It is in the Goan Diaspora that the tiatr rightfully earned its place as an art form that best encapsulates the pathos and comedy of Goan life. It is by sponsoring them on overseas tours that gave the tiatrist a much needed economic and emotional boost. If the tiatrist is feted today it is because he was redeemed in the Diaspora.

Perhaps what makes the Goan tiatrist an exceptional artist, is that he intimately understands the human heart; that it is fragile and vulnerable, given to comedy and pathos, and that it needs an audience to sustain itself.

Do leave your feedback at carvalho_sel@yahoo.com

TRAVEL & TOURISM NEWS:

Slumdog Millionaire: Seen The Film? Now See For Yourself
19 Feb: M2 Presswire. i-to-i is the world leader in meaningful travel, helping travellers to support more than 500 projects around the globe … Care for rescued street children in Goa, India. 4-12 week trip from £645 (Price does not include flights, insurance, visas, etc.). Click here.

Travel: Spice, sand and seaside luxury in Goa
19 Feb: The Mail (UK). By Natalie Pinkham. Acclaimed Australian journalist Philip Knightley (who has spent much of his life in Goa and is married to an Indian woman) told me: 'You'll either love it or hate it but you will not leave unmoved.' … I had an open mind as to what the locals would be like. We found them curious, generous and mild-mannered… We wanted to eat and live like the locals… we rechristened Delhi Belly the Goan Squat… 1783 words. Click here.

The Evolution of the Goan Carnival
20 Feb: Navhind Times. By Nomratha Fernandes. …The Catholic Church in Goa doesn’t approve of its celebrations with its arguable display of debaucheries… in the 1980s the Tourism Department decided to use this celebration as a means to attract tourists… a lot of vices entered the Goan carnival. Drugs, drinks and skimpy clothes saw its entry… 736 words. Click here.

Gatwick to Goa, 20 March, 14 nights, £268 return
19 Feb: Charter Flights. Also: Gatwick to Goa, 26 or 27 February, one-way, £189. Gatwick to Goa, 20 March, 7 nights, £279 return. East Midlands to Goa, 23 February, 7 nights, £330 return. Click here.

Goa fears charters will wind up early
20 Feb: Herald. The tourism industry in Goa is unlikely to get further respite with reports pouring in that the charter season could wind up earlier than expected this year… Russian charters are intending to wind up operations by April 25 instead of its original schedule of May 15… So far UK charters are winding up as scheduled by April end and Scandinavians by the first week of May… there is already a drop in arrivals from the UK by 30 per cent, 15 per cent from Scandinavia and 10 per cent from Russia… 318 words. Click here.

Carnival kicks off in Goa
21 Feb: Times of India. The spirit of festivity descended on Goa on Saturday … Thousands of revellers thronged the streets of Panaji … Similar carnival float parades will he organized in other important towns in the state, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa, over the next three days. 243 words. Click here.

Travel: Late Deals
21 Feb. Mirror. Seven nights in Goa from £430pp, at the four-star Isola Di Cocco Hotel flying from Gatwick on March 20. Telephone 0844 879 8200.
21 Feb: The Sun, It’s 31 ° C in Goa - 15 nights' B& B at the 3* Neelam Grand Hotel on Calangute Beach is £580. Leaves Gatwick March 21. Call 0844 879 8200…
22 Feb: Independent on Sunday. Departing this Friday, a 14-night holiday in Goa and/or Kerala costs £499 per person including flights, transfers and beach-front guesthouse accommodation. Goaway (020-7258 7800; goaway.co.uk).

Property prices unlikely to come down in Goa
22 Feb: Economic Times. While the global meltdown is seen to have hit property rates, prices in the country’s beach resort Goa are only stabilising, say real estate developers. It has, in recent years, attracted huge investment for holiday homes by non-resident Goans (NRGs), NRIs and domestic buyers, mainly from north India… 569 words. Click here.

FEMA Notices issued
23 Feb: Under Section 16(3) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, one company and its five directors and 10 other individuals in Goa have been issued notices for contravention of provisions of Section 6(3) of the Act read with relevant regulations of the RBI…. 103 words. Click here.

Gatwick to Goa: Depart: 27 Feb. £125 one way
23 Feb: Travelpack (UK). Call the Goa hotline. 08444 930 404 or click here.

Goa’s offshore casinos ordered off city limits
24 Feb: IANS. The six offshore casino-ships docked in the Mandovi river have been ordered off city limits within 15 days, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said on Tuesday … 286 words. Click here.

Law to protect tourists from touts sought
26 Feb: Times of India. Taking note of several cases of tourists being fleeced and harassed by touts, a parliamentary committee has strongly recommended enactment of a specific law to ensure their safety… 387 words. Click here.

Drug offenders top lookout list in Goa
26 Feb: Times of India. There have been 254 “look out circulars” issued between 2000 and 2008 by the Goa police against foreigners wanted for various offences in the state. Of these, 101 foreigners were involved in offences related Drugs… the majority of the LOCs were issued against Nepalis (51), followed by 41 against Britishers, 24 against Nigerians, 21 against Israelis and six against Russians… 331 words. Click here.

SCARLETT KEELING

Goa tecs fly to the UK
20 Feb: The Sun (UK). Indian police are to fly to Britain to interview the mother of murdered teenager Scarlett Keeling…Fiona, revealed the CBI’s plan to her ex-lover Rob Clarke. She urged him: “If you care about what happened to Scarlett you will volunteer to speak to them.” Goa tecs fly to the UK… 109 words. Click here.

CBI to record statement of Fiona
20 Feb: Herald. A two-member team of CBI is to record a statement of Fiona Mackeown in London on March 3 …The CBI team will also record the statement of Michael Mannion, who reportedly saw Scarlett being abused. The CBI officials say they now have a fair idea of the perpetrators of the crime … 149 words. Click here.

Scarlett funeral
20 Feb: Scottish Daily Record. Murder victim Scarlett Keeling, 15, will finally be laid to rest in the UK about a year after her death in Goa. It follows Richard Branson pledging to fly home her organs kept by Indian police. 39 words.

Final peace for Scarlett
20 Feb: Mirror (UK). Murdered British girl Scarlett Keeling can be laid to rest after her organs were released from India…Virgin will fly the organs for free to Scarlett's mum Fiona MacKeown in Hartland, Devon.

Anniversary of Scarlett's death marked at Hartland
20 Feb: North Devon Journal. Friends and family of Scarlett Keeling, gathered at Hartland to mark the anniversary of her death… Indian police were due to fly to Britain to interview Ms MacKeown next month but they now have to apply to a Women and Child's court before they will be able to do so. Ms MacKeown said: "Reports in Indian papers are claiming that the area's tourism industry income is down 30 to 40% and I'm hoping this and the world-wide media will keep the pressure on the government to do something… 314 words. Click here.

CBI seeks to probe Fiona Mackeown and Charles Carter
22 Feb: Herald. The CBI wants to seek judicial assistance to interrogate two important witnesses Fiona Makeown and Charles Carter… According to CBI, Charles Carter has detailed knowledge about the incident as he was one of the persons present at Lui’s Shack the night Scarlett died… The CBI has also submitted a detailed questionnaire which they want the two important witnesses to answer… 466 words. Click here.

CBI seeks Interpol help in Scarlett case
22 Feb: IANS. After unsuccessfully trying to meet Fiona Mackeown in Britain for over two months, India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought Interpol's help in recording her statement in the case of her daughter Scarlett Keeling's mysterious death a year ago… 339 words. Click here.

GOA NEWS HEADLINES

Football academy may be shifted from Goa to Punjab
21 Feb: PTI. The All India Football Federation's much hyped academy in Goa is likely to be shifted to Gurgaon unless the problem related to acquisition of land for its establishment gets resolved within 10 days. The academy is funded by Airtel and Manchester United … 278 words. Click here.

Global interest in feni to escalate with GI
21 Feb: Navhind Times. With the Geographical Indication (GI) in place, “Feni” stakeholders believe that worldwide interest in the beverage will spiral. So, it seems inexorable for exports to shoot up. But speaking to a cross section of experts in the trade coughed up varied opinions… 554 words. Click here.

The Courts Retrieve a Beach
21 Feb: Herald. Norma Alvares narrates how the courts intervened to restore the Vainguinim beach to the people … Nine years ago the High Court directed Cidade de Goa (run by Fomento Resorts) to reopen the public access to the beach and to demolish all the illegal structures. Fomento Resorts appealed but in a landmark judgment on 20 January 2009, the Supreme Court finally dismissed Fomento’s appeal. The Vainguinim beach was returned to the public after a gap of 17 years… 1301 words. Click here.

Carnival parade fails to enthrall revellers
21 Feb: Herald. King Momo pronounced the decree of fun and merriment thus setting the pace for four days of much-hyped Carnival festivities in the State, the first day of which hardly came close anywhere to glory mark. The parade along the river Mandovi was a damp squib from the start to the end with the floats and other activities hardly enthusing the people who came in large numbers… 374 words. Click here.
For a Part 1 of the JoaGoaUK’s video click here.

Video + Text: Boxing: Sonia Parab hopes to participate in the Olympics
23 Feb: Dagbladet.no (Norway). Sonia, aged 24 hopes to participate in the 2012 Olympics She started boxing at the age of 19 at the Tiger Boxing club in Goa run by the former Italian professional boxer Fabrizio Petroni and his wife, Daria. The club was started to give the local kids in Goa an opportunity to learn the sport. Fabrizio has been in Goa since 2001… 399 words. Click here.

‘Goa’s mining export revenue will fall 50 percent’
23 Feb: IANS. Goa’s Rs.60-billion low-grade iron ore exports are expected to fall 50 percent this fiscal, an industry leader said here Monday. 180 words. Click here.

Supreme Court orders notice be issued in Aires case
24 Feb: Herald. The Supreme Court has ruled that Divya Rane is a material witness in the case of the alleged telephone life threat by her husband to Adv Aires Rodrigues as the call was made on her mobile phone… The Supreme Court will also examine why the Police closed the case … 389 words. Click here.

FDA monitors illegal sale of medicine in Goa
24 Feb: Navhind Times. By Michael Fisher. … A lot of sales reps from outside Goa offload their stocks of ketamine, fortwine, sleeping pills, sidenafil (viagra) and other performing drugs during the tourist season … FDA inspectors are to stamp out such illegalities… performing drugs like Viagra are estimated to be around Rs 10 crores, growing at 3 to 5 per cent. CIPLA, a major manufacturer, alone has nine plants in Verna and is believed to be transporting over 150 trucks monthly around India… 567 words. Click here.

‘Investment climate turning bleak in Goa’
24 Feb: The Hindu. Goa’s investment climate is increasingly turning bleak as the impact of recession is adding to the already de-growth in investment and exports, according to president of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Nitin Cuncoliekar… 351 words. Click here.

Property prices stagnant but not dropping in Goa
24 Feb: Herald. While property prices in the country as a whole are tanking fast, real estate in Goa is presently stagnant, but are yet to go down significantly, say real estate developers. Over the last four years, Goa has attracted huge investments for holiday homes from overseas Goans, NRIs and wealthy North Indians… 399 words. Click here.

Goa Agitated by Shady Real Estate Deals
24 Feb: Inter Press Service. Simmering resentment against major, concrete development in rural Goa has now exploded in violent agitations against corrupt local administrations… Soter D’Souza blames Goa’s department of rural development for the growing unrest and violence against panchayats in the villages… the exodus of Goa’s landowning elite to foreign countries has exacerbated the issue because their lands, though mired in litigation, has attracted the real estate frenzy in Goa… Goans abroad should set up trusts for their lands and cultivate them... 1054 words. Click here.

When all the village was a stage
24 Feb: Times of India. Decades ago carnival entertainment was through skits that would take place in the yard in front of the village VIPs' houses… "The skits were sarcastic and there was a lot of song and music in them," remembers writer Joel D'Souza of Assagao… There are few carnival khells happening now and Salcete is the only taluka where these can still be found. 626 words. Click here.
For a video clip (9m.37s) of a traditional village carnival by JoeGoaUK click here

Blogger writing on civic issues assaulted in Goa
25 Feb: Express Buzz. Less than a month after an anti-mining web blogger in Goa was slapped with a Rs.5 billion defamation suit, another blogger was assaulted in the coastal town of Benaulim, allegedly for highlighting civic issues…Maximo Rodrigues, a civil society activist, was beaten up by four people Tuesday while he was taking photographs of an illegal construction in Benaulim to be posted on his blog. 440 words. Click here.

Goa tops in Foreign Investment inflow from NRIs
26 Feb: Herald. Global recession has had no impact on Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) from Indians abroad… Goa, with Rs 30 crore in FDI, was the highest investment attracting State… 136 words. Click here.

Goa to bring ordinance to save five-star resort
26 Feb: Times of India. Goa has decided to promulgate an ordinance to amend a 114-year-old law in order to save a portion of a five-star resort which had been ordered to be demolished by the Supreme Court. The court had ordered demolition of a portion of Cidade de Goa, owned by Fomento Resorts and Hotels. The portion houses 54 hotel rooms besides a health club, conference and business rooms and other facilities… 460 words. Click here.

Weekly Update
26 Feb: Weather: Max = 33.3; Min = 22.0. Humidity 66%
Exchange rates £= 71.82; $ = 49.95; Euro = 63.82

IN THE NEWS:

London: Hot Tickets: Meet Me At...
19 Feb: The Evening Standard. Chowki - 2-3 Denman Street, London W1. £12pp ex-drinks. This is the place for regional Indian dishes, and at decidedly un-Piccadilly prices. The menu changes regularly in order to feature three different regions of India ‹ for this month, March and April you can eat dishes from the Punjab, Goa and Lucknow… www.chowki.com/

Intercontinental cooking adds flavour to migrant's memoirs.
20 Feb: Irish Times. Book of the Day: The Settler’s Cookbook: A Memoir of Love, Migration and Food By Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Portobello Books 439pp, £20.00… Brought up in Uganda by Indian parents and now living in Britain, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s life is exemplary of many second- and third-generation migrant identities made distinctive by further foreign travel and settlement. Little has been written of Ugandan Indians (the Wahindi), some of whom managed to migrate to Britain after Idi Amin’s infamous policy of ridding his country of British passport-wielding Asians in 1972… 648 words. Click here.

Australia: Indians told to keep low profile
19 Feb: The Age (Aus). Indian students will be taught not to speak loudly in their native tongue or display signs of wealth such as iPods when travelling on trains at night, as part of a strategy to crack down on violent robberies. Robberies in Melbourne's western suburbs jumped by 27 per cent last financial year. Police estimated almost a third of victims were of Indian appearance… 796 words. Click here.

Nanny becomes new mother for boy saved from Mumbai massacre
21 Feb: The Telegraph (UK). Moshe Holtzberg was snatched to safety by his nanny, Sandra Samuel, from under the noses of the gunmen who brought carnage to India last November. Since that day, Sandra Samuel has rarely left his side and has now taken on the role as his second mother. Miss Samuel, 44, now sleeps in the same room as Moshe at his grandparents home in the northern Israeli town of Afula. Miss Samuel, who came to Mumbai from Goa, worked at the Chabad House for over four year … 682 words. Click here.

Indian pub attacks prompt pink knickers protest
21 Feb: The Guardian (UK). It was a protest that spawned a movement. Fed up with moral policing by radical Hindu groups who had attacked women in pubs and targeted unmarried couples celebrating Valentine's Day, a group of women decided to fight back – with pink knickers… 40,000 items of rose-tinted underwear, much of it apparently unwashed, ended up flooding the offices of the Sri Ram Sena … 678 words + photo. Click here.

Bond between two Jades
24 Feb: The Daily Express. Rolling Stone Mick Jagger's socialite daughter Jade is concerned about her namesake, dying reality TV star Jade Goody… She says: "I've just been spending time in India, where Jade's cause is really dominating the headlines and I'd just bought a house on the west coast, near Goa. I'd been spending a lot of time there. Because of my name, people kept confusing me with her… 243 words + photo Click here.

Postcard from Goa
25 Feb: San Francisco Chronicle. By Mark Morford… we were told it would be a nice gesture to pick up any garbage on the way up, so each of us grabbed a little black plastic garbage bag and began our short trek, silently and dutifully plucking the plastic bottles, cigarette butts, old flip-flops from the thorny brush as we walked and valiantly stepping over and around the random piles of animal droppings along the way, which we quickly realized were not, in fact, dropped by animals of the four-legged variety. Oh. Right. India… 1117 words. Click here.

India learns the meaning of divorce
25 Feb: The Guardian (UK), For middle-class women separation is now more of a status symbol than a taboo divorce is on the rise among the under-35s… 616 words + Comments. Click here.

Oliver Smart: Home to recuperate
26 Feb: Sheffield Star. Oliver Smart who was seriously injured in a blaze in a Bangkok nightclub has returned home, almost two months on, to recover from his ordeal… Oliver had travelled to Thailand to celebrate the new year with his girlfriend, after spending Christmas with his mum and stepfather Pauline and Mike Gent at their home in Goa, India, when tragedy struck. 221 words. Click here.

GOANET HIGHLIGHTS
BY CORNEL DACOSTA

The apostle St. Thomas is said to have first preached Christianity in what is today's Indian state of Kerala. Now, from this state, a controversial biography has emerged written by ex nun Jesme Raphael and titled ' Dedicated to Jesus Amen.' It reportedly alleges the prevalence of sexual abuse and lesbianism in Catholic convents. To find out more about this controversy click here.

In an interesting article by Vidyadhar Gadgill, titled ' When Religion is seen as above criticism it becomes a tool of Oppression', he argues that, religion is just one aspect of the human condition and it has various aspects of importance in people's lives...but it must be subject to at least the same standards of criticism, analysis and interpretation that other aspects of life are subject to.' Read more about this. Click here.

In the UK, the issue of a high level of deregulation or limited control in the workings of the financial markets, including banking, is deemed largely to have contributed significantly to the current financial crises. Consequently, authorities across the EU and indeed worldwide are currently hard at work to regulate financial markets closely, including nationalising or taking control of banks, to prevent a repetition of the financial crises. Yet, there has been an unusual discussion on Goanet claiming that, it is not the lack of financial regulation, but its excessive use that has brought about the present crises. This is definitely worth reading as a radically alternative perspective in an article titled 'How Regulation Caused the Financial Crises'. To find it, click here.

Is this a fair description of the Oscars?..."from a waning, viewer-losing one day a year show, they have made the Oscars resurrected in the interests of everyone, everywhere." Do see what Roland Francis, in his article 'The Thrill of the 81st Oscars' had much to praise this year's (22/2/09) event' Click here.

Finally, do enjoy two of JoeGoaUK's visual and aural contributions relating to the Goa Carnival 2009. For part 1 click here.
For part 2 click here.

Please visit the Goanet archives at http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/
To subscribe to Goanet send an email to subscribe@goanet.org

TRAVEL: Taste Takes Off. Travel Channel
Friday 27th Feb. 3:30 to 14:00. Delhi and Rajasthan, India (Part 11). Peta Mathias travels to Delhi where she finds a spice market that nearly chokes you to death and in Rajasthan she discovers two very different cuisines…

DOCUMENTARY: Angry Planet. Travel Channel 2
Friday 27th Feb. 18:00 to 18:30. Indian Monsoon. Nowhere on earth gets such an long period of intense rainfall as India in the summer monsoon season.

TRAVEL: Globe Trekker. Travel Channel
Friday 27th Feb. 22:00 to 23:00. Ultimate India. Ian Wright and his team of intrepid travellers.

TRAVEL: Islands In The Sun. SA Direct
Sunday 1st Mar. 00:15 to 01:00. Zanzibar. An aromatic spice island dating back to the days of sultans and slaves. Experience the tangible mystique that gives Zanzibar its unique character.

TRAVEL: Planet Food. Travel Channel
Sunday 1st Mar. 21:00 to 22:00. Goa. Angela May journeys to the Western Coast of India to sample the cuisine and culture of the thriving melting pot that is Goa. She starts with a traditional Goan breakfast of pao bhaji…

NEWS: Asian Network Report. BBC Radio Asian Network (Also online)
Monday 2nd Mar. 18:05 to 18:30. Caste Matters. Sathnam Sanghera investigates whether the lives of second and third generation Asians are affected by caste. Does caste still matter?

DOCUMENTARY: Bombay's Beatle. BBC Radio Four.
Thursday 5th Mar. 11:30 to 12:00. Sarfraz Manzoor visits Mumbai to meet some of the musicians who were recruited in 1968 by George Harrison to help him record his first solo project, the soundtrack to the psychedelic film Wonderwall.

DOCUMENTARY: Cash and Curry. BBC 2 London
Thursday 5th Mar. 19:30 to 20:00. Saira Khan meets those making millions from curry…While there are around 15,000 Indian restaurants and takeaways, no-one has yet done for Indian food what Strada or Pizza Express has done for Italian cuisine.

FORTHCOMING

See http://www.lanfranc.com/lanfranc_location_2000.pdf for help in locating Archbishop Lanfranc School, Croydon

UK: Retreats: Divine Retreat Centre, Potta
Renowned Rev. Dr. Augustine Vallooran of The Divine Retreat Centre- Potta, Kerala, India, to hold retreats at the following churches:
26 Feb. 7pm to 9.30pm. Dartford. St. Anselms RC Church, Dartford, Kent DA1 2HJ. Contact Clara: 01322 226816
27 Feb. 6.30pm- 9.30pm & 28 Feb. 3pm - 8 pm. Bristol. St. Nicholas of Tolentino RC Church. BS5 0RE. Contact Deacon Joseph Phillip: 0117 3306 886
1 Mar. 2pm to 7pm. Leicester. Sacred Heart Church, Leicester LE5 3HS. Contact: Lucy 0788 5277 200

Sat. 21 Mar. 7.30pm-1.00. Leicester Hawaiian Evening inclusive of Mothers Day Surprises at Our Lady of Good Counsel Hall, Peebles Way, Leicester, LE4 7ZB. Dancing to Say One Do One from London. Dress code: Hawaiian prints & florals. Food, Hawaiian surprises for everyone, fantastic raffle prizes. Bring your own drinks and enjoy with friends and family. Adult £10.00, 11-16yrs £3.00 and children below 11 free. Book early to avoid disappointment .Tel Clara 0116 2767336 or Victor 0116 2555891 or Joyce 0116 2664202. All cheques payable to Mrs Maria C Fernandes, 43 Marston Road, Leicester LE4 9FE.
£23.00 (Coach plus entrance ticket) Coach from London> Leicester> London with all facilities on board.Two stops: St.Boniface Church, Tooting SW17> Wood Green Tube Station. Closing date for Coach is 10th Mar. For availability & tickets please email clarafdes@yahoo.co.uk or contact Clara, 0116 2767336.

FOR LATER EVENTS SEE http://www.goanvoice.org.uk/