Signs of the times: A vital reunion

KARACHI: 

Salman Ahmed seems to be nostalgic about his days with Junoon and Vital Signs and his forthcoming projects are a clear reflection of that. It started with Junoon’s 20th anniversary album and then took the form of a ‘Vital Junoonian’ for ‘Naya Pakistan’. This time around, he has announced a Vital Signs reunion.

This time around, the reunion is divided amongst two projects or two social causes as one may say. The first one is Salman’s collaboration with Polio Plus, UNICEF, WHO and the local and federal governments for a campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan.

Junaid Jamshed and Shahzad Hasan (Shahi) from Vital Signs will be joining him to compose a song, based on Mirza Ghalib’s ghazal ‘Mushkilain mujh par pari itni kay aasan hogayin’. A picture of all three of them together was tweeted by Ahmed, earlier this week.

“The music video that I’m producing is titled Overcoming All Challenges. This song will also be featured on Junoon’s 25th anniversary album next year,” Ahmed tells The Express Tribune.

The plan is to air the video on all major TV channels, feature it in popular health shows, morning shows and current events programmes. They will also screen it in schools and colleges with a Q and A session with the students.

“The music video will pay tribute to the fearless health workers,  raise the urgent issues of child and maternal health and will feature prominent Pakistanis, united to see a healthy, educated and Polio-free nation,” says Salman.

On the other hand, is the actual Vital Signs reunion, where apart from Shahi, Junaid and Salman, veteran Shoaib Mansoor is on board and Rohail Hyatt has also been approached.

“We have invited Rohail to be a part of the project and are hopeful that he will also be on board for the special song that I have composed. Junaid and I are singing it as a duet,” adds Salman.

The song is currently being recorded at Shahi’s studio.

Filmmaker Shoaib Mansoor, the backbone of Vital Signs, has not only written the Vital Sign’s reunion song, but will also be producing a special music video to celebrate the occasion.

“The reunion song is based on Shoaib Mansoor’s beautiful and uplifting poetry. Shoaib will be producing a special music video on the reunion. This is all part of a campaign to help promote national unity and cooperation. The idea is mushrooming as we speak,” says Salman.

Last time, when Salman and his former band members announced a reunion track, people got anxious to listen to Junaid’s bittersweet vocals in a typical vital signs groove, however, he ended up saying just a few lines. Will it be any different this time around?

“We are both singing in harmony” says Salman.

The Express Tribune tried to approach Rohail, Junaid and Shahi, but none of them responded to clarify their participation in the project. Salman, however, seems optimistic and has dedicated this reunion to a greater cause than just celebrating a certain number of years.

“They are my brothers and friends and we are united in their support. Pakistan can only overcome its challenges, if people stay united. As artistes, we feel it’s our responsibility to give voice to the voiceless heroes across the country,” says Salman.

No matter how much we wish to see the whole of Vital Signs get together, even for a single soundtrack, one must not forget Salman’s habit of announcing reunions. Earlier this year, he announced a Junoon reunion with Ali Azmat, which was blatantly denied by the former Junoon vocalist.

As far as the campaign is concerned, two new polio cases were reported while this interview was being drafted. But Salman is optimistic.

“As Ghalib wrote: ‘Mushkilein mujh par pari itni kay aasaan hogayeen’. I feel confident that polio will soon be history in Pakistan,” he says

I am given a lot more than what I deserve: SRK

MUMBAI: Shahrukh Khan, who has huge fan following all over the world, says he has been given a lot more than what he deserves.

“It’s been 25 years that I have been working… initially you want money, then fame, happiness for family, awards, rewards and no matter wherever you reach… you come back to the core and realise only what you want is to bring smile on peoples faces,” Shahrukh told reporters during the announcement of the Got Talent World Stage Live.

“I feel I have been given a lot more than what I deserve and I have to return it to them…I owe them. I want to be on sets and want to work harder …Lights Camera Action…Ohhh no, he is gone,” he said.

The actor, who is all set to host the show, said, “When you feel that you are talented that’s the end.”

“Even today, when I go on the sets, I get nervous before my first shot. The way to live life is not to know your talent,” he added.

“Performing art is a pure act of passion and love. I am glad to associate with Got Talent World Stage as a host. I feel talent has no competition. I feel a host is as good as the show content is and this show is bigger than the host,” said Shahrukh.

Got Talent World Stage Live is first of its kind global on ground extension of the Got Talentfranchise premiering in India. The event will feature performances by 10 Indian and international talents each.

Potential acquisition: T-Mobile offer is real, says Iliad’s founder

NEW YORK: 

French telecom upstart Iliad’s founder said that the company’s offer for US-based T-Mobile is “real” and that he is open to working with partners on a deal.

“Our offer is fair, and it is the only one that is real,” Xavier Niel told the Wall Street Journal. Referring to the purported interest in T-Mobile by US rival Sprint, Niel said: “You cannot compare our bid with an offer that doesn’t exist.”

Iliad’s bid, announced on Thursday, came as a surprise and drew scepticism about whether the relatively small French group could outmanoeuvre Sprint, which is controlled by the large Japanese group SoftBank.

Iliad offered $15 billion for 56% of T-Mobile, which is the fourth largest US wireless group and is majority owned by Germany’s Deutsche Telekom.

Niel said he was open to working with partners on such a deal.

“If there are people that want to accompany us, we are open,” he said.

“There are no formal discussions with anybody at this stage. But there are some people with whom we have talked.” Niel said the French firm is a good match for T-Mobile.

“We and T-Mobile are made of the same DNA. We are both aggressive challengers,” Niel said in the interview.

He added that T-Mobile’s Chief Executive Officer John Legere “has done a great job at starting to animate competition, but we can do more.”

The Iliad offer was described as 42% above what T-Mobile’s price had been before reports of a potential Sprint tie-up began circulating.

Iliad, still majority owned by Niel, carved out a major slice of the French home telecoms market through innovative offers and aggressive pricing with its “Free” brand. It was awarded a mobile phone licence in 2009.

The French firm said a deal with T-Mobile was a good fit because both firms have been “disruptive” by offering lower prices and new services to challenge major rivals.

Bilateral relationship: Japan’s PM tells Brazil ‘Abenomics’ working

BRASILIA: 

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe touted the success of his economic policies on a visit to Brazil and said it was time for the two nations to expand their trade and investment partnership.

On the first visit to Brazil in a decade by a Japanese prime minister, Japanese banks extended $700 million in loans to boost Brazilian soy and corn exports to Japan and build ship platforms for Brazil’s burgeoning offshore oil industry. Abe told Brazilian business leaders that Japan has closed a 15-year deflation cycle since his stimulus policies began to kick in and there is great potential to expand trade and investment with Latin America’s biggest economy. “With Japan growing again, we can grow with other nations,” he said in comments to executives translated by an interpreter.

Brazil’s state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA signed up for a $500 million loan from Mizuho Bank Ltd to build eight platforms for deep-water oil production. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC), the main banking unit of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, agreed to loan Brazilian agribusiness company Amaggi $200 million for soy and corn projects that will improve shipments to Japan.

Brazil’s state development bank BNDES agreed to join forces with Japan’s bank for international cooperation, JBIC, to look for areas to promote investment by small and medium-sized Japanese companies in Brazil.

Besides shipbuilding, Japanese companies are interested in investing in the infrastructure Brazil needs to continue growing. A plan to build a high-speed train between Brazil’s two largest cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, is particularly promising, officials said.

Japan is Brazil’s sixth largest trading partner, with two-way trade of $15.7 billion in 2012. Brazilian agribusiness is the second-largest supplier of corn and soybeans to Japan. Japan’s enthusiasm for Abe’s economic stimulus policies has waned this year after the country’s growth sagged and investors grew impatient for more drastic structural reforms. Rousseff thanked Japan for opening its market to Brazilian pork last year, but she asked for the lifting of a ban on Brazilian beef that Japan and a few other countries still have in place due to a mad cow scare.

Brazil’s Vale SA, the world’s largest iron ore miner, inked an agreement with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals Corp (JOGMEC) to strenghen cooperation in coal mining in Mozambique. Vale also renewed ties with JBIC for financing iron ore, coal and other mining projects.

The Japanese leader met Brazilian football stars who have played in Japan and thanked them for helping develop the sport in his country. Among them was Zico and Dunga, Brazil’s newly-appointed coach who played in Japan for three years and was Japan’s coach for another three.

Partner turned foe? Microsoft sues Samsung, claims contract breach

NEW YORK: 

Microsoft has sued Samsung in US federal court, claiming the South Korean giant had breached a contract over licensing of technology used in the fiercely competitive smartphone market.

“After becoming the leading player in the worldwide smartphone market, Samsung decided late last year to stop complying with its agreement with Microsoft,” the US technology firm’s deputy counsel said in an online post.

The complaint filed in federal court in New York alleges Samsung is failing to make payments for patented Microsoft technology used in smartphones and tablets.

Samsung did not immediately respond to the request for comments.

Microsoft contends the South Korean consumer electronics colossus is not adhering to a contract from 2011, and said it filed the court action after months of painstaking negotiation.

The legal pact involved Samsung paying to use Microsoft intellectual property, according to the post by deputy counsel David Howard.

Samsung’s smartphone sales have quadrupled since the contract was signed as the company grew from shipping 82 million Android-powered handsets in 2011 to shipping 314 million three years later, Microsoft maintained.

Samsung has become a smartphone goliath, and the biggest maker of handsets powered by Google’s free Android software.

“Samsung predicted it would be successful, but no one imagined their Android smartphone sales would increase this much,” Howard said.

After Microsoft made a deal last year to buy Nokia’s smartphone business, Samsung stopped abiding by the cross-licensing contract, the US company says.

Microsoft said in the filing that Samsung used the Nokia business acquisition as grounds to step away from the licensing deal.

The company closed the deal for Nokia’s smartphone business in April with some adjustments from the announced price of $7.52 billion.

Nokia was the world leader in mobile phones before the introduction of Apple’s iPhone in 2007 and the onslaught of Android phones, mainly from Samsung.

Microsoft in June opted for the Android operating system from archrival Google for its new Nokia smartphone, in a move aimed at regaining momentum in the competitive mobile sector.

Microsoft said the Nokia X2 was “designed to introduce the ‘next billion’ people to the mobile Internet and cloud services.”

The device is an updated version of a phone unveiled by Nokia before Microsoft acquired the handset division of the Finnish giant.

Microsoft said that Android software incorporates some of its patented technology and the company’s practice is to license the intellectual property to handset makers.

Samsung has been a longtime Microsoft partner, making an array of computing devices powered by the US company’s software, including a version of Windows for mobile devices.

“Microsoft values and respects our partnership with Samsung and expects it to continue,” Howard said.

“We are simply asking the court to settle our disagreement, and we are confident the contract will be enforced.”

Microsoft said that this is the first time it has sued Samsung and that its intent is to get the royalty money due under terms of the contract, along with interest charges for overdue payments

Ronaldo refuses to rule out Man Utd return

The 29-year-old, who spent six seasons at Old Trafford, admits he would be open to returning to his former club and has praised the arrival of Louis van Gaal

Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to rule out a return to Manchester United in the future and maintains his “love” for his former club.

The 29-year-old joined Real Madrid from the Red Devils in a €94 million deal in 2009 after spending six seasons at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo, who will not face United in Saturday’s pre-season friendly in Michigan due to fitness concerns, admits he sees his former club as a "second family" but reiterates that he is happy to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu for now.

"Manchester United are one of my favourite clubs, everyone knows that every time when I speak about Real Madrid I speak about Manchester United, I loved it there," Ronaldo told reporters.

"I was 18 years old when I joined, I won everything there, the people treat me like a god there so I appreciate that and, in the future, who knows.

"I remember when we played there against Manchester United in the Champions League. Their affection killed me, I was so happy.

"I had fantastic moments and I appreciate this club. For me, it’s one of the best clubs in the world and I have passion for this club.

"Some players I am still in contact with because, when I was there, I created a good relationship with everybody - not just the players, but all of the staff.

"It was like my second family there, so I’ll not forget that the people treat me good. I love Manchester United and to go back... With football you never know.

"Of course, I’m happy at Real Madrid - it’s my home, my club - but Manchester United treated me unbelievable so you never know."

Ronaldo also believes United will prosper under Louis van Gaal’s guidance following their worst-ever Premier League campaign last season under fired coach David Moyes, who had replaced Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

"It will be a better season for sure. My feeling is Van Gaal is a fantastic coach, he showed that all the time for Netherlands, the team played unbelievable at the World Cup, and I hope that Man Utd come back like the people know," he added.

No rush decision on Reus from Bayern - Rummenigge

The chairman of the Bundesliga champions has commented on speculation linking the Dortmund star to his club, suggesting that no move has been made as of yet

Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has insisted that no rush decision will be made with regards to their pursuit of Marco Reus.

The Dortmund star has recently been mooted to follow former team-mates Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski to the Allianz Arena having starred for Jurgen Klopp's men for two seasons now.

However, the chairman of the Bavarian side has claimed that no agreement is in place yet and was vague regarding a future bid due to the topsy turvy nature of modern day football.

"I like to give myself a year in advance to make transfer decisions," the 58-year-old told Bild when asked about whether Pep Guardiola's men would bid for Reus. "But this cannot be done in the football of football any more.

"In the past we have tried to clarify our transfers early, but today the philosophy is different.

"

Reus was tipped to star for Germany at this summer's World Cup in Brazil, but an ankle ligament injury saw the 25-year-old miss the tournament altogether, which Joachim Low's men ultimately won.

The 25-year-old is currently back in training with Dortmund as they prepare for their assault on the Bundesliga in the forthcoming campaign.