MUMBAI: As Manchester United and Barcelona prepare for the grand finale, NewsX brings an exclusive preview of Champions League Final 2009 with - Goalpost: Night of Championships. The show will take a close look at each of the two teams and will analyze the team and their players‘ performances. The show will also share relevant statistical information, which will be the trigger point of discussions and analysis.

This half an hour show would feature the renowned former Nigerian striker Chima Okerie as the studio guest. Along with him, the panel will host other experts sharing their opinions including some key people from the leading soccer content provider goal.com.

MUMBAI: The much anticipated news is out! MySpace, the world?s premier social portal, today disclosed the three bands that will be performing at India?s first ever MySpace Secret Show. True to its commitment of presenting a platform for India?s growing non-mainstream music genres, the impressive line-up for the MySpace Secret Show includes MOTHERJANE, Scribe and Black. This gig is exclusive and free for MySpacers and will take place at Bandra Bandstand Amphitheatre in Mumbai on Friday May 29th from 6.30 PM onwards.

Going away from the popular Indy and Bollywood music categories, the MySpace Secret Show is here to provide a live platform for scores of young, avant-garde musicians. The concerts will be a medium to present alternative music genres, including rock, metal, folk, sufi, electronica, bhangda and so on.

Cochin based band ?MOTHERJANE? which won the "Asian Voice of Independent Music Awards (AVIMA)" for Best Asian Rock Act 2009 is eagerly awaiting the D-Day. Suraj, the lead singer of the band says ?It?s always great to be part of making history. With the number of independent artists and bands sprouting all over India, (maybe more than 15000 of them) the non-filmy music scene in India is on its way to become the biggest in the world. The secret shows are proof that a brand like MySpace is very aware a revolution is brewing?

Mumbai based band ?Scribe? known as India‘s torchbearer for hardcore and alternative rockers ?Black? will get the show started.

Eager to play for an exclusive clique of rock-music fans on their home-turf, Vishwesh from Scribe says, ?It couldn?t have been a better time for such an event to come our way, when we are planning to launch our upcoming album. It is an honour to be part of a revolution because we had always heard about Secret Shows happening abroad and now, we are a part of the first MySpace Secret Show in India.?

Talking about their excitement on performing at the first Secret Show, Shawn from Black says, ?We are very excited to be one of the performers at India?s first MySpace Secret Show. We look up to both the other bands that we will share the stage with on Friday. It?s definitely going to be a blast!?

Hari Krishnan, Country Manager, MySpace India says: ?MySpace India is excited to support and encourage independent musicians of all levels in India. We are very excited to have one of the hottest rock bands in India, MOTHERJANE, headline the very first Indian secret show. They have a great live act. We also expect great energy and performances from Mumbai?s own metal band Scribe, and upcoming rock act, Black. All in all, it should be a great night of Indian rock music.?

MUMBAI: India‘s largest online gaming company, Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd and Kwality Walls have received an overwhelming response in Mumbai for their ongoing national gaming tournament Paddle Pop Gaming League ‘09 (PPGL‘09).
The gaming league is hosted in six cities that includes Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Each city will have their own leagues akin to that of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The tournament is played on 4 games based on the Paddle Pop brand character and his new ‘Pyrata‘ adventure theme and the winning participants and teams stand a chance to appear on Cartoon Network and win Xbox consoles, PSPs and prizes from Giny & Jony, EA and Zapak Games.

As PC/internet games becomes increasingly popular amongst children, the thrill and the rewards attached to PPGL‘09 will definitely getting them ‘gaming‘ a lot more this vacation. The final round of the tournament will be played in the first week of June.

According to Zapak CMO Arun Mehra, "This time Paddle Pop Gaming League is in its second year and with the kind of response received, I am sure it will become an annual summer activity for years to come."

Commenting on the successful turnout, Kwality Wall Category Head Punit Misra says, "The Paddle Pop Gaming League has allowed the brand to engage with even more kids this year and so far, number of brand interactions online, is very encouraging! With Zapak as our strategic partner, we created this exciting and popular property last year and are looking to making it even bigger and better this year!"

MUMBAI: Your browser may not support display of this image.In a remarkable and hard-hitting new documentary CNN?s Arwa Damon looks at the tragic legacy for families ripped apart by sectarian violence in Iraq and the choices that they and the country now face ? justice and reconciliation or revenge through a renewed cycle of terror. She weaves together a series of profiles of those caught up in the terror and asks what they have in common, if they can return to ‘normal life‘ ? or if they are doomed to generations of a dysfunctional society plagued by daily horrors.

Your browser may not support display of this image.As a CNN correspondent based in Baghdad, Damon chronicled daily the grim tally of atrocities including kidnappings, torture, rape and murder committed by Shi‘a militias, Sunni insurgents and Al Qaeda. But she generally did so away from the streets as they were simply too violent and dangerous to report from. Now she seeks to understand the horrors of what millions of Iraqis lived through and how killers often still live in the same neighbourhood as their victims? families. She puts names to the nameless, turns the statistics into real life stories and asks whether it will happen again.

Your browser may not support display of this image.One such name is Raed, a 25-year-old business graduate who was killed by a militia for allegedly being an agent for the Americans. His hands and feet were chopped off before he was decapitated ? by people his family knew. As his father says: ?They were our neighbours, people who sold vegetables at the market, people we shared blocks of ice with in the heat of summer.? Now he swears he won?t rest until his son?s killers are brought to justice and that means only one thing - the killers? execution. Umm Haider trembles in anger as she says she will take matters into her own hands: ?If the government doesn?t do anything, we women ? and I am not a killer ? but I will blow myself up in the midst of their families.?

Abu Abdullah is a young father of three and until recently a Sunni insurgent commander. For him it was a simple equation ? kill or be killed. Pitted against Shi?a militia, he admits that he ?arrested a number of them and enforced the judgment of God on the killers? while if the US withdraws he is ready to take up arms again: ?A new battle will start to eliminate the occupiers, agents and government-led militias against the Sunnis.?

Dr Abdul Mohsin is one of a handful of doctors dealing with what seems a whole nation suffering from post-traumatic stress. He believes that 70% of Iraqis have suffered psychological trauma, a statistic borne out on the streets of Baghdad where children?s games are based on everyday reality ? playing ?soldiers on patrol? and even mock executions. Damon also hears from the director of the Baghdad morgue, a man who probably saw more bodies and grotesque proof of cruelty than just about anyone else. His facility now runs a grotesque slideshow as relatives scan photos of mutilated dead bodies in the hope of discovering what happened to their loved ones.

In ?INSIDE IRAQ: LIVING WITH THE ENEMY?, Damon shows in unflinching detail that although some think the worst may be over and security improving, reclaiming the streets may be less than half the battle. In a deeply embedded culture of fear and violence, as long as killers walk free and the bereaved have nowhere to turn, Iraq?s future may be doomed to repeat its past.

MUMBAI: Expanding its national footprint, IDEA Cellular, one of the leading telecom operators in the country has now entered Tamil Nadu, with the launch of its GSM mobile services in 130 towns across the state. IDEA?s 2.75G EDGE enabled network will progressively cover Chennai and over 500 towns and villages by the end of current financial year. The warm yellow of IDEA logo, symbolizing strength, vibrancy and vitality, will now be seen across the rural and urban landscape of the state.

Tamil Nadu, with a population of 67 million and teledensity of over 50% has been identified by IDEA as a key growth market in southern India. IDEA is a strong player in the region, with 25% of its overall subscriber base coming from three service areas of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. IDEA plans to set up a network of 2,400 cell sites by the end of March ?10.

With this launch, IDEA Cellular, an Aditya Birla Group Company will now cover nearly 90% of the telephony potential of the country, and is the 3rd largest private GSM player with over 44 million subscribers across 17 telecom circles.

Speaking on the occasion of launch of services in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Himanshu Kapania, Director - Operations, IDEA Cellular Ltd., said, ?We are happy to announce our entry into Tamil Nadu, as we expand across the country. We welcome the people of this state to join IDEA?s pan-India network. IDEA?s commitment to offer the best telephony experience for our customers will usher in a new dimension in mobile telephony experience for the people of the state.?

IDEA Cellular has launched its services in most of the main towns of Tamil Nadu including Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem, Tirupur, Erode and Vellore. IDEA?s services in Chennai Metro will be launched soon.

IDEA aims to provide the citizens of Tamil Nadu superior connectivity, whisper clear audio quality, zero call congestion and high capacity, ahead of time. IDEA?s 2.75G capable & 3G ready core network provides for all future technological enhancements.

IDEA will develop customer service with a robust retail network comprising of exclusive ?My Idea Stores?, ?Idea Points? and other outlets. The service network will be expanded to over 25,000 retail outlets and 60 Idea showrooms, shortly. Aimed at achieving visibility and real time experience, these customer touch points will significantly enhance IDEA?s distribution network and help reach out to its discerning customers across all segments.

IDEA is the leader in the introduction of value added services in the Indian mobile telephony market. With the launch of IDEA in Tamil Nadu, mobile users in the state will now have a rich experience while watching movie previews on IDEA TV, Voice chats, Instant Messenger, multimedia messages with video attachments, web-infotainment, high-speed video downloads, Java game downloads and other Internet-based multi-media experiences on their EDGE-enabled mobile phones.

As part of the inaugural offer, IDEA will introduce multiple tariff plans ranging from competitive special tariff vouchers, to variable talk time and validity offerings, based on the consumption and usage patterns of customers in Tamil Nadu.

Special Value Added Services being made available for IDEA subscribers in the state include ? Idea Vanavil, Tamil Ullagam, Thirukural Alerts on SMS, Rahu Kalam, Background Music, and Ring Back Tunes. ?Say Idea?, an exclusive product offering wide range of services like Dialer Tones, Star Special, Music Directors? Special, Song & Dance, Latest Movies, Jokes & Comedy Special and Devotional will also be introduced in Tamil Nadu.

MUMBAI: Carlton Palmer believes Manchester United have an extra trick up their sleeve, and will start as the favourites against Barcelona on Wednesday. The two sides go head-to-head on the biggest night of this football season, as the UEFA Champions League draws to an exciting climax with the eagerly-awaited Final in Rome?s Stadio Olimpico.

And all the action will be Live on TEN Sports (see schedule below), with Palmer among the panelists on the studio show. He will be joined by a special surprise guest, as they preview and analyze the match at half-time and full-time.

Barcelona did well to get past Chelsea in the Semi-Finals; but Palmer, a former England international, believes they?ll find it hard to repeat their exploits against an upbeat United. Without their natural back four, the Catalans won?t be able to start their attacking moves from their own half as easily, according to Palmer, who made a name for himself playing for Sheffield Wednesday. What?s more, the Red Devils will certainly do what Chelsea didn?t ? squeeze the game and not allow any space to midfielders Xavi and Iniesta, who can run amok given the slightest chance.

United, on the other hand, will hold the aces in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo?s pace and Wayne Rooney?s finishing quality up front. Ronaldo, the 2008 World Player of the Year, has scored some exceptional goals already in their campaign, most notably against Porto in the second leg of their quarter-final. And with Sir Alex Ferguson most likely to bench Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov, it seems as though the goal-scoring onus will once again be on him and Rooney. Palmer predicts they will deliver, helping Sir Alex?s side win 2-1 and become the first team to defend its UEFA Champions League title. If United do indeed manage that, they?ll also become only the second side since AC Milan?s late-80s outfit to become the undisputed champions of Europe for a second successive year. To commemorate the event, United?s fans are planning to display a huge image of Sir Matt Busby, under whom the team won its first European Cup in 1968.

Barcelona, meanwhile, will be hoping to ride on their Argentine striker Lionel Messi, who?s being touted by many as this year?s player of the year. Sir Alex has already said he?ll be captivated by the duel between Ronaldo and Messi, and the tie could well be decided by who comes out on top in that battle. Barcelona, for all the talk of Lionel Messi‘s brilliance, could badly miss the influence of Thierry Henry, who‘ll be short of match fitness following a knee ligament injury. Coach Pep Guardiola must also make do without suspended defenders Dani Alves and Eric Abidal for the most important game of the season. However, the Barca manager has warned his counterpart, Sir Alex, that his side knows how to exploit United?s weaknesses. So the battle between the two managers could well turn out to be the highlight of the most eagerly anticipated clash of the season.