New Delh: Hyundai Sonata was the title sponsor of the Ambassadors Cup held over the weekend at the Jaipur Polo Ground in the capital where Chief of Army Staff General V K Singh was the chief guest at the final match.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd?s (HMIL) association with polo is yet another expression of its commitment to promoting sports in India. Globally Hyundai is associated with many sports; it has tie-ups with top tournaments in football and cricket. The keenly contested tournament had six teams vying for the top honors.

Commenting on the polo tournament, HMIL Marketing and Sales Director Arvind Saxena said, ?We are delighted to be associated with the Indian Polo Association for the Hyundai Sonata Ambassadors Cup 2012. The Sonata is a premium offering from Hyundai, tie-up with the Indian Polo Association that promotes a fine sport like polo provides a great match for both the Sonata and polo.?

Giving company to the impressive Sonata at the venue was the luxury SUV Santa Fe and segment leader Verna. Also present were the international three-door Veloster and the yet-to-be-launched Elantra in the executive segment.

Besides the Hyundai Sonata team the five other teams that competed in the tournament were Jindal Steel and Power, Vayamtech, Hyatt Regency, Black Dog and Sahgal Stud/APRC. The final match on a Sunday afternoon drew a large number of polo enthusiasts to the venue. The impressive tunes from the army band stationed at the grounds lent an air of grandeur to the event.

MUMBAI: Australian leg-spinner Steven Smith has replaced his compatriot Mitchell Marsh in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Pune Warriors India for the DLF IPL 2012.

Sahara Adventure Sports MD Sushanto Roy said, "Steven Smith is one of the brightest talents to emerge onto the international scene in recent times. We have no doubt that he will excel for us with both bat and ball".

Smith was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad during the 2010 season. He was acquired by Kochi Tuskers Kerala for the 2011 season, but was forced to miss the tournament due to injury.

Mumbai: Following the success of Vogue, GQ and Cond? Nast Traveller, publishing group Cond? Nast India launched their 4th magazine title, the Indian edition of AD Architectural Digest at the Aman in New Delhi on 9th March 2012. AD showcases the very best of international and Indian architecture and design, inspiring readers and design enthusiasts to create the homes they?ve always dreamt of. As the 9th edition of the magazine after U.S., Italy, Germany, France, Mexico, Russia, Spain and China, AD is the international design magazine that brings the most beautiful homes in the world and contemporary homes of the affluent Indian. The launch event of AD was held in association with India Design Forum (IDF) and supported by Absolut Elyx and Maserati.

Prominent design personalities, architects and socialites attended the launch celebrations including Deepika Padukone, Suzanne Roshan, Tarun Tahiliani, Rajshree Pathy, Manish Arora, Suneet Varma, JJ Valaya, Ritu Kumar, Raghavendra Rathore, Kalyani Chawla, Tikka Shatrujit Singh, Jitish Kallat, Rajeev Sethi, Navin Ansal, Sandeep Khosla, Bharat Sikka, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, Yashodhara Raje Scindia, Narain Karthikeyan, AD Singh, Kabir Bedi, Simone Singh, Aditi Govitrikar among others. The elegant Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone, who graces the cover of the inaugural March issue of AD unveiled the launch issue along with Alex Kuruvilla, MD, Cond? Nast India and Manju Sara Rajan, Editor, Architectural Digest India. A host of eminent speakers of the India Design Forum (IDF) were also present.

The launch of AD saw the lawns of The Aman transform into a large living area with a blend of traditional and contemporary designs by famous Art Director, Sumant Jayakrishnan whilst Delhi-based design duo Thukral and Tagra conceptualized an awe-inspiring art installation that set the tone for the evening. Thukral and Tagra concocted a wall of boxes with each box being "just another brick in the wall." The boxes fitted together to create a mural inspired by the sprawling houses that signify the heart of contemporary India.

Recognized as the world?s design bible, Architectural Digest is the most trusted authority on design, architecture and living. The Indian edition offers exclusive access to extraordinary people, places and things and aspires to introduce the best of modern living to readers.

Commenting on the occasion, Alex Kuruvilla, Managing Director of Cond? Nast India said, "Having established leadership in the luxury lifestyle space with Vogue, GQ and Conde Nast Traveller, and with a rapidly increasing affluent audience we feel the time is right to introduce AD Architectural Digest in India. The affluent Indian will settle for only the best and AD provides just that - the most beautiful homes in the world!"

Manju Sara Rajan, Editor shared, "The editorial content of our bi-monthly magazine will have photo spreads of some of the best homes in the world, feature stories on the latest developments in architecture and design, plus loads of practical advice and solutions for home improvement. AD aims to become an essential resource for home-owners planning luxurious spaces." She further added, "By showcasing the best of contemporary Indian design and key international trends, AD will help readers visualize, plan, adapt and innovate homes to reflect the personalities of the people who live in them."

Young, successful, a new homeowner, design enthusiast and a globe trotter, Deepika Padukone shared her thoughts on being on the AD launch cover, "Interiors are something that I?ve been passionate about since my childhood days? I kept telling my mother that when I grow up, if I didn?t become an actor, I?d want to be an interior designer. Being on the cover of AD for me is a sense of achievement. Also, I think a home should reflect your own personality-AD was my research!"

Mumbai: A majority of married women in India experience domestic violence and the United Nation Population Fund Report puts that number at around two-thirds. It estimates as many as 70 per cent of married women in the country between the age of 15 and 49 are victims of beating, rape or forced sex.

Life OK?s drama series, `Saubhagyavati Bhava? seeks to highlight the plight of women who experience such abuse through the story of Jhanvi, a newly wed middle-class housemaker. Her husband Viraj suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) and the character is surprisingly both, abusive and charming at once, leaving Jhanvi physically, mentally and emotionally tortured.

To get the message across and beyond the small screen and to help alleviate the pain of women suffering this torture in everday life, Life OK has tied up with Breakthrough?s Bell Bajao initiative. The 360-degree campaign encourages men to be catalysts in bringing down cases of domestic violence.

As part of this tie-up, Life Ok and Bell Bajao will jointly host ?awareness camps? to educate people about domestic violence and its impact on society. In addition, Life Ok will use Breakthrough?s resources to train people from diverse backgrounds and communities (such as youth from marginalized backgrounds, local leaders and opinion makers, service providers, staff of government agencies, teachers, health workers) to convey knowledge, share ideas and to reshape individuals. The footprint of this initiative is spread across 7 districts in Uttar Pradesh and 5 districts in Delhi and Karnataka.

?Domestic violence is a persisting problem in our society, and it?s only through such powerful initiatives can we try and change this. The tie-up between Life Ok?s Saubhagyvati Bhava and Bell Bajao is symbiotic, and we hope to reach out to our viewers, including men, to help us in bringing about this change in society. Healthy relationships are the key to happiness in life; this is the philosophy of Life OK and its content and we hope to help everyone achieve this happiness,? says Ajit Thakur, general manager, Life OK.

?For us human rights must live in every home so that women enjoy equality and freedom? says Sonali Khan, Vice President Breakthrough India.? Saubhagyavati bahava" is entering people?s homes and raising the issue of domestic violence and is trying to shake people out of their inertia. We believe that this partnership with Life OK will help spread Bell Bajao?s message to a large audience. I am sure that this serial will get people to think and hopefully act to stop violence."

Mumbai: The day which showcased the results of prestigious municipal polls Live on several channels, saw growth in TV viewing by 8% in Maharashtra. Marathi News, on the same day saw a jump of 6 fold in viewership. Surprisingly a Marathi News channel ? Star Majha - was the most viewed TV channels in universe, even bigger than Hindi and Marathi GECs.

STAR Majha was clearly leading all the channels with 8.79% viewership share followed by Sony Entertainment TV with 7.21%. Refer the grid below.

With the flagship election property ?Kaul Marathi Manacha?, STAR Majha led the marathi news bunch with 48% market share where, IBN Lokmat stood at 28% & Zee 24 Taas at 24% - making it the preferred news channel of every Maharashtrian.

On the fateful day, Marathi News Genre reached out to 4.1 Mn more viewers as compared to past four week?s average. On comparison within the channels, STAR Majha was sampled by 22% more viewers than IBN Lokmat & 23% more than Zee 24 Taas viewers, reaching out to total 6.5 Mn in all Maharastra. IBN Lokmat & Zee 24 Taas were sampled by 5 Mn viewers each.

In extension of increase in eye-balls, the average Marathi News viewer was glued for 56 mins more than a usual day in the past weeks. The commanding content aired on STAR Majha was able to hold back its viewer for a longer duration. Where the consumption of STAR Majha was for a solid 53 min on an average by a viewer on the day, it was only for 40 min by IBN Lokmat viewer & 33 min by a Zee 24 Taas viewer.

Special coverage on polls was the major property of the day for the Genre. Where, ?MAHAPALIKANCHA MAHACOVERAGE? of STAR Majha collected 41 GRPs with 14 hrs of airing across the day. ?MAHAPALIKANCHA RANSANGRAM? of Zee 24 Tass garnered 23 GRPs in 17 hrs & ?FAISLA JANTECHA? of IBN Lokmat which was aired for 22 Hrs collected 28 GRPs.

(Source: TAM Peoplemeter System, TG: CS 15+ ABC, Market: Maharashtra)

MUMBAI: Homs, Syria ? considered one of the most dangerous places CNN has ever covered ? is at the heart of a one-hour special documenting the challenges and dangers faced by a CNN team while on assignment there. As told by the journalists who risked their lives to get into Homs and the CNN news executives tasked with keeping them safe, ‘72 Hours Under Fire‘ gives viewers an inside look at the complexities and risks involved in getting the story out of Syria.

‘72 Hours Under Fire‘ airs Saturday, March 10 at 1430 IST , Sunday, March 11 at 0730 and 1530 IST

?Homs is as challenging an editorial operation as we have encountered,? says Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director of CNN International.

The experienced team CNN sent into Homs included Beirut-based correspondent Arwa Damon, photojournalist Neil Hallsworth and security risk advisor Tim Crockett. ‘72 Hours Under Fire‘ chronicles their journey into and out of Homs, the dangers they faced while newsgathering and reporting there and why this assignment was different than previous ones. Damon, Hallsworth and Crockett are interviewed by CNN anchor Michael Holmes, who also narrates the documentary.

?We are taking the unusual step of covering our journalists? experience in Homs because it is another piece of the untold story in Syria,? says Mark Whitaker, executive vice president and managing editor of CNN Worldwide. ?The fact that the Syrian government doesn?t want the world to know what is happening in places like Homs, and the enormous effort and courage it has taken for Western journalists to cover the brutal crackdown there, is part of the story. We thought it was important to take our viewers behind the scenes to see and feel that part of this conflict, too.?

Since the unrest began in March of last year, thousands of civilians in Syria have been killed by Syrian forces. The indiscriminate shelling in the opposition stronghold of Homs by the Syrian government made it incredibly difficult for the CNN team to reach their desired destination. Maddox, who admits to feeling ?anxious? about this assignment, says the team?s mission depended upon a ?fragile series of connections? that took a great deal of research and time to put into place.

?I actually wrote a letter home for the first time, to my family?when this trip was going to materialize,? says Damon. ?There was a lot of unknown going in and sometimes you get that gut feeling. I felt in this particular case ? on this particular trip ? I had to do it.?

Helped by opposition activists to reach the besieged Homs neighborhood of Bab Amr, Damon and crew visit a makeshift clinic that lacked the equipment and expertise to help many of their patients. The clinic, which Damon says is ?bombarded all the time and constantly under risk,? is staffed by two doctors and around 20 volunteers, each of whom has undergone just 15 days of training. The crisis in Homs is palpable, and the number of wounded civilians is overwhelming.

When asked about her motivation for going on this assignment, Damon speaks of the importance of physically being on the ground in Homs in order to fully understand what residents are experiencing.

?You have to be in it ? seeing it, smelling it, listening to it ? so that at the end of the day you can do justice to what the people are suffering. And [the activists] know by having us there, it?s going to help tell that story.?

‘72 Hours Under Fire‘ also reveals the tough choices news executives like Maddox were constantly having to make, including pulling the team out of Syria before Damon wanted to leave.

CNN has extensively covered Syria throughout the year-long uprising. CNN has had four correspondents ? some who have made multiple trips ? report from inside Syria for all CNN networks and platforms. Many programs across CNN?s networks have focused on Syria, including Anderson Cooper 360?, which has covered Syria in more than 50% of their shows since March 2011. CNN is committed to Syria and will continue to find ways to bring this story to viewers.