MUMBAI: Bold and classic ? this is the designer prediction for the country?s most glamorous racing event in Mumbai this year! India?s most prestigious race and the hottest social event Black Dog McDowell Indian Derby 2008 is back and this year with performances that will set the pulse racing for the Derby enthusiasts.

Black Dog McDowell India Derby 2008 will feature an extravaganza of horse racing, fun and fashion over the weekend and a series of tribute performances by the best across the globe.

The McDowell Indian Derby 2008 will offer an even bigger prize purse than last year. You could drive home a sparkling D segment limousine if you hit bull?s eye on the winner team.

The McDowell Indian Derby Weekend 2008 is to be held at Mahalaxmi Race Course, Mumbai on 2 & 3 of February 2008.

So, gear up to be at the helm of all the fun, festivity, glamour and glitz this Derby.

MUMBAI: TIMES NOW, India?s No 1 English News Television Channel is packing in all the action this week in the special preview of the forthcoming episode of Lead India, an initiative of The Times of India to identify new leaders for a new India.

Viewers can catch the special preview on TIMES NOW, the news partner for the Lead India campaign. The previews will run on news bulletins all day on Friday and Saturday before the episode airs on Star One at 8 pm on Saturday 19 January 08.

Excitement is at its peak this week with judges like the evergreen Bollywood star Anil Kapoor and Industrialist Shashi Ruia of Essar Group joining Dr Kiran Bedi, Javed Akhtar and Vikas Singh on Lead India.

In the forthcoming episode, contestants will get a one-in-a-million opportunity to interact with the British High Commissioner Mr. Richard Stag who will present a brief insight into the political scene in UK and his view of the scene in India. Mr. Stag will also be awarding contestants a scholarship for a Masters Programme at the prestigious London School of Economics.

The contestants battle it out with each having to present their views on various current social topics ranging from SEZs and cast reservations for medical students to sting operations and death penalties for rape cases. For the first time ever, the show will have an open discussion between the contestants and the audience which include renowned women?s welfare organisations, an NGO Swadesh Jagran Manch, management and medical institutes, minority welfare committees and political affiliation groups.

With just two more episodes to go, the excitement is spiraling up every second with heated discussions and loads of action as contestants tread carefully to become what we call ?the New National Leader?.

Watch as these contestants remake history and revive a nation long known for its great leaders. Stay hooked to India?s leading English News Channel. Stay hooked to TIMES NOW!!!

MUMBAI: Spend a night behind bars with Zone Reality?s Death Row Night. The following programmes mark the emotionally charged Special Event night: Women on Death Row: Profiles three women awaiting execution, each convicted of committing murder. This programme dramatically retells their stories, and examines the contradiction between the feminine, maternal and, in most cases, loving aspects of womanhood, with the horrible, rage-filled murders these women committed. Death Row Diaries: Takes an in-depth look behind some of the most compelling crime stories in America. Sentenced to death, those convicted reveal their secrets, motives and feelings about the crimes in their own words. Relatives of both the victims and convicted criminals give their thoughts on the crime and re-enactments reveal the chilling reality of what happened.

My Death Row Lover: Not sure what it does to the age old vow, till death do us part, but marrying a man on death row is definitely one very unique commitment. My Death Row Lover is a remarkable observational documentary that follows three women who began corresponding with Death Row inmates only to fall in love.

MUMBAI: Star Plus, India?s leading General Entertainment Channel is set to give its viewers a daily dose of spice and heartiness with a simple girl?s tale of big dreams Raja Ki Ayeegi Baraat, starting 21 January at 8 p.m.This weekday serial will air every Monday to Thursday. It?s the first time ever that Star Plus has taken the initiative to showcase huge palatial sets, vintage cars, horse races? thus creating a complete royal setting and offering the viewers a visual treat. Sunrise Telefilms will mark its first production venture with the primetime offering Raja Ki Ayeegi Baraat.

Intending to create an interesting mix of programming for the weekday prime time band, this will be Star Plus attempt to showcase a never before shown fiction drama on the lines of the ever popular fairytale Cinderella. Raja Ki Ayeegi Baraat is a story of Rani, a young girl from the village whose only dream is to make her family proud and happy. She is an innocent, shy and a very simple girl. Rani is very good in her studies and always tops in her class. Her mother has been the breadwinner of the family after Rani?s father passes away. Rani has a younger brother and a dadi who are very loving and dote on her.

Like every other girl her age, Rani has hopes, dreams and aspirations of her prince charming taking her away from her uninteresting, drab and routine life to give her the worlds best of material riches and plenty of love. However, Rani?s fate has something else in store for her..Will she be able to win the heart of her prince? And, will she be accepted as the Bahu of the Royal Family in which she works as a servant?

Says Anupama Mandloi, Senior Creative Director, Raja Ki Ayeegi Baraat will add to Star Plus innovative programming mix, which is packed with 100% entertainment for all ages ?- in short, it?s a complete entertainer for the entire family. We, at Star Plus, always look to introduce more variety and depth in the content offering to our viewers. Taking this endeavour forward, this January, we have first introduced the celebrity reality game show Kaho Na Yaar Hai and now with Raja Ki Ayeegi Baraat hope to give an interesting, unique, and distinctive story that is a class apart among the current range of television programmes.?

To watch out for a story which will make you smile, cry & live your fantasies stay tuned to the new show Raja Ki Ayeegi Baraat starting Mon-Thurs, 21 January, 8 p.m. only on Star Plus.

MUMBAI: One of the most popular international destinations for Indians, Australia has recognised India as a star performer. The Tourism Forecasting Council, Australia predicts an average annual growth rate of 17.4 per cent each year to 2016 for the Indian inbound market.

Of the total visitors from India in 2007, a high proportion were visiting Australia for a holiday and of these, approximately half visited Queensland - the Sunshine State of Australia. Queensland offers a relaxed, friendly lifestyle and a diverse range of exciting experiences and destinations that has to be visited to be believed.

To create awareness and visibility for Queensland, Australia and popular destinations like Gold Coast, Cairns and Islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Tourism Queensland will undertake its fourth road show in 2008 - Queensland on Tour- India 2008. This five-city road show will cover New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bangalore will take place from January 14th to 25th 2008. Queensland on Tour 08 will create an ideal platform for tourism operators from the Gold Coast and Cairns & the Great Barrier Reef to offer updates and new experiences for the Indian consumer. The operators will also be able to negotiate contracts with the Indian trade. And Tourism Queensland will unveil its new campaign -Family, Fun, Queensland for the coming season.

Family, Fun, Queensland is about differentiation between the family segment and other segments; it adds new attractions to the existing Queensland range. The campaign aims to create both agent and consumer awareness. Many travel agents seek assistance in putting together new products and itineraries which go beyond the regular series. By offering a suite of new attractions, this campaign will offer value and allow trade to select Queensland products suitable for their customers. Today, with internet and electronic media showcasing destinations across the world, consumers have become extremely savvy and conscious of attractions in foreign destinations and are keen to explore foreign shores. By targeting the consumer and, at the same time, educating the trade, the campaign will be working on a pull-and-push strategy besides taking advantage of word-of-mouth advertising and testimonials that work well in such a market. While the global strategy of Tourism Queensland is the ‘five pillar‘ approach (consumer, trade, media, aviation and digital), Family, Fun, Queensland Campaign will be tying in the consumer, trade, and media components with plans of the digital component being executed during the year.

According to Mr. Paul Buggy, Regional Director (Korea, India, Middle East, South Africa and Inbound), Tourism Queensland, "No holiday to Australia is complete without a visit to the Sunshine State - Queensland. Destinations like Gold Coast, Cairns & the Great Barrier Reef and the Islands of Great Barrier Reef offer holidaymakers an exciting blend of experiences, and the locals love sharing their coastal lifestyle and natural delights with tourists. Queensland is fast becoming a popular and preferred holiday destination for Indians and we have identified India as a significant future tourism opportunity in our Emerging Markets Strategy. With our roadshow, we are aiming to develop a strong marketing presence in India, working together with local trade to introduce competitive tourism packages and create more awareness about the promising destinations within Queensland in Australia."

MUMBAI: CNBC Awaaz - India‘s first dedicated Business and Consumer Channel in association with Reliance Money is set to launch Sainik Investor Camp in Mumbai at US Club on 19th January, 2007.The investor camp, to be organized across several strategic bases of the armed forces, will be hosted by Vivek Law, Network 18‘s leading anchor and CNBC Awaaz‘s Consumer Affairs Editor.

Sainik Investor Camp series is a path breaking initiative that travels across India to various army camps and helps generate awareness, educating the defence personnel across all levels of seniority on the importance of financial investments.

The Indian armed forces have their own unique set of financial requirements. They are the guardians of the nation‘s borders and airspace, but like everyone else, they too, spend endless hours worrying about their families - to keep them secure in all respects, provide their children the best education and lead a satisfied retired life. And the angst is all the more compounded because of the physical distances between them and their loved ones coupled with the perils of their job of guarding our borders. Taking into consideration all these factors - The Sainik Investor Camp is an effort taken by CNBC Awaaz, which will assist and guide the Indian armed forces with the importance and significance of wise financial investments.

Network 18‘s leading anchor and CNBC Awaaz- Consumer Affairs Editor, Mr. Vivek Law along with India‘s top ranked financial experts in the field of mutual funds, insurance, education and home loans, explain to the former defence personnel, the intricacies of finance and investing at this event.

The CNBC Awaaz Sainik Investor Camp in Mumbai features the leading experts in the area of financial security and investments, like:

• Sudeep Bandopadyaya, Director and CEO, Reliance Money

• Anuj Puri, Country Head and CEO, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj

CNBC Awaaz Sainik Investor Camp
Date: January 19, 2007
Registration Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: US Club, Mumbai