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Israeli Embassy Car Blast in Delhi

2012-02-14T00:43:00.000-08:00

Blast rips through Israeli Embassy car in Delhi

Monday's attempted assassination of an Israeli diplomat in New Delhi — and Tel Aviv's reflexive indictment of Tehran for the incident — threatens to put India bang in the middle of escalating tensions in West Asia and raises new fears about its vulnerability to international terrorism.

Tal Yehoshua Koren, an embassy official who is also the wife of Israel's defence attaché, sustained serious injuries when a bomb fixed to her Innova car went off at 3.15 p.m., less than 500 metres from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence. Ms. Koren was on her way to pick up her children from school.

The diplomat, who was travelling on the back seat, sustained serious injuries as the blast ripped through the vehicle's metal body. Her driver, Manoj Sharma, lost control of the car after the explosion, and was injured when it crashed into a road divider. Delhi residents Manjeet Singh and Arun Sharma, who were driving behind the van, were also injured.

Eyewitnesses said the injured diplomat and her driver were evacuated by passers-by. “People rushed to the car,” said bystander Ravi Singh. “An Air Force fire truck later doused the flames.”

Delhi Police Commissioner B.K. Gupta said eyewitnesses confirmed that “a device had been affixed to the vehicle by a motorcyclist” who passed the car. Police sources told The Hindu that they were sifting through high-resolution images obtained from closed-circuit cameras installed in the area.

Also on Monday, police in Tbilisi, Georgia, defused an identical magnetic explosive device shortly before the attack. Interestingly, similar devices have been used to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists in attacks in Tehran last year — attacks western media have attributed to Israel's secret service, Mossad.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com

Hooch kills 24 in Odisha

2012-02-08T02:33:00.000-08:00

24 die after consuming spurious liquor in Odisha

At least 24 people died in Odisha after consuming spurious liquor laced with medicines, authorities said.

The victims from Cuttack and Khordha districts fell ill Tuesday after taking the drink that officials said contained drugs used to treat cough and cold and to dress wounds.

District Collector S.N. Girish told IANS that among the dead was Baidhar Bhoi, the brew seller. He was the first to die -- Tuesday morning.

Other deaths took place during Tuesday. The toll climbed to 24 Wednesday afternoon.

The toll may increase further as nearly 20 were in critical condition.

According to officials, people from several areas had gone to Tukuliapada village in Cuttack district to buy the drink Monday night.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said a judicial commission led by a retired Odisha High Court judge will probe the deaths.

Excise Commissioner Sudarsana Nayak said the medicines used in the brew contained a high percentage of alcohol.

Three people, who are relatives of the liquor kingpin, have been arrested.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/hooch-kills-24-odisha-084034263.html

How Facebook uses your data

2012-02-05T23:04:00.000-08:00

Last week, Facebook filed documents with the government that will allow it to sell shares of stock to the public. It is estimated to be worth at least $75 billion. But unlike other big-ticket corporations, it doesn't have an inventory of widgets or gadgets, cars or phones. Facebook's inventory consists of personal data - yours and mine.

Facebook makes money by selling ad space to companies that want to reach us. Advertisers choose key words or details - like relationship status, location, activities, favorite books and employment - and then Facebook runs the ads for the targeted subset of its 845 million users. If you indicate that you like cupcakes, live in a certain neighborhood and have invited friends over, expect an ad from a nearby bakery to appear on your page. The magnitude of online information Facebook has available about each of us for targeted marketing is stunning. In Europe, laws give people the right to know what data companies have about them, but that is not the case in the United States.

Facebook made $3.2 billion in advertising revenue last year, 85 percent of its total revenue. Yet Facebook's inventory of data and its revenue from advertising are small potatoes compared to some others. Google took in more than 10 times as much, with an estimated $36.5 billion in advertising revenue in 2011, by analyzing what people sent over Gmail and what they searched on the Web, and then using that data to sell ads.

Hundreds of other companies have also staked claims on people's online data by depositing software called cookies or other tracking mechanisms on people's computers and in their browsers. If you've mentioned anxiety in an email, done a Google search for "stress" or started using an online medical diary that lets you monitor your mood, expect ads for medications and services to treat your anxiety.

Ads that pop up on your screen might seem useful or, at worst, a nuisance. But they are much more than that. The bits and bytes about your life can easily be used against you. Whether you can obtain a job, credit or insurance can be based on your digital doppelganger - and you may never know why you've been turned down.

Material mined online has been used against people battling for child custody or defending themselves in criminal cases. LexisNexis has a product called Accurint for Law Enforcement, which gives government agents information about what people do on social networks. The Internal Revenue Service searches Facebook and MySpace for evidence of tax evaders' income and whereabouts, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been known to scrutinize photos and posts to confirm family relationships or weed out sham marriages.

Employers sometimes decide whether to hire people based on their online profiles, with one study indicating that 70 per cent of recruiters and human resource professionals in the United States have rejected candidates based on data found online. A company called Spokeo gathers online data for employers, the public and anyone else who wants it. The company even posts ads urging "HR Recruiters - Click Here Now!" and asking women to submit their boyfriends' email addresses for an analysis of their online photos and activities to learn "Is He Cheating on You?"

Stereotyping is alive and well in data aggregation. Your application for credit could be declined not on the basis of your own finances or credit history, but on the basis of aggregate data - what other people whose likes and dislikes are similar to yours have done. If guitar players or divorcing couples are more likely to renege on their credit-card bills, then the fact that you've looked at guitar ads or sent an email to a divorce lawyer might cause a data aggregator to classify you as less credit-worthy.

When an Atlanta man returned from his honeymoon, he found that his credit limit had been lowered to $3,800 from $10,800. The switch was not based on anything he had done but on aggregate data. A letter from the company told him, "Other customers who have used their card at establishments where you recently shopped have a poor repayment history with American Express."

Even though laws allow people to challenge false information in credit reports, there are no laws that require data aggregators to reveal what they know about you. If I've Googled "diabetes" for a friend or "date rape drugs" for a mystery I'm writing, data aggregators assume those searches reflect my own health and proclivities. Because no laws regulate what types of data these aggregators can collect, they make their own rules.

In 2007 and 2008, the online advertising company NebuAd contracted with six internet service providers to install hardware on their networks that monitored users' internet activities and transmitted that data to NebuAd's servers for analysis and use in marketing.

For an average of six months, NebuAd copied every email, Web search or purchase that some 400,000 people sent over the Internet. Other companies, like Healthline Networks Inc, have in-house limits on which private information they will collect. Healthline does not use information about people's searches related to HIV, impotence or eating disorders to target ads to people, but it will use information about bipolar disorder, overactive bladder and anxiety, which can be as stigmatizing as the topics on its privacy-protected list.

In the 1970s, a professor of communication studies at Northwestern University named John McKnight popularized the term "redlining" to describe the failure of banks, insurers and other institutions to offer their services to inner city neighborhoods. The term came from the practice of bank officials who drew a red line on a map to indicate where they wouldn't invest. But use of the term expanded to cover a wide array of racially discriminatory practices, such as not offering home loans to African-Americans, even those who were wealthy or middle class.

Now the map used in redlining is not a geographic map, but the map of your travels across the Web. The term "weblining" describes the practice of denying people opportunities based on their digital selves. You might be refused health insurance based on a Google search you did about a medical condition. You might be shown a credit card with a lower credit limit, not because of your credit history, but because of your race, sex or ZIP code or the types of websites you visit.

Data aggregation has social implications as well. When young people in poor neighborhoods are bombarded with advertisements for trade schools, will they be more likely than others their age to forgo college? And when women are shown articles about celebrities rather than stock market trends, will they be less likely to develop financial savvy? Advertisers are drawing new redlines, limiting people to the roles society expects them to play.

Data aggregators' practices conflict with what people say they want. A 2008 Consumer Reports poll of 2,000 people found that 93 per cent thought Internet companies should always ask for permission before using personal information, and 72 per cent wanted the right to opt out of online tracking.

A study by Princeton Survey Research Associates in 2009 using a random sample of 1,000 people found that 69 per cent thought that the United States should adopt a law giving people the right to learn everything a website knows about them. We need a do-not-track law, similar to the do-not-call one. Now it's not just about whether my dinner will be interrupted by a telemarketer. It's about whether my dreams will be dashed by the collection of bits and bytes over which I have no control and for which companies are currently unaccountable.

Crib death horror continues at BC Roy

2012-01-31T00:38:00.000-08:00

Crib death continued to stalk BC Roy Memorial Hospital for Children on Monday with the death of three more babies. The number of crib deaths in the past 48 hours rose to eight, taking the toll to 31 since Friday.

On Monday, Domkal's eight-month-old Ashiya Khatun, Gaighata's one-month old Jaya and a six-month-old male baby from Chapra lost their lives at the hospital. According to hospital sources, all of them were referred from other hospitals in a serious condition.

"Reasons for the deaths include bronchial pneumonia, septicemia and meningitis. In fact, two babies who had congenital heart ailment were suffering from pneumonia as well. All of them were brought in a serious condition. There has been no negligence on part of the hospital staff," said hospital principal Dr Mala Bhattacharya.

Hospital sources corroborated the principal's comment, saying five to six deaths per day in this hospital was nothing 'abnormal'. They explained that the hospital gets about 70-80 cases referred from districts everyday, apart from patients who are brought to the hospital directly. Most of these referral cases are critically ill babies.

At present, BC Roy has 400 beds. A 30-bed unit sick neo-natal care unit was set up after the crib death incidents in July. Despite the expansion, not much has been achieved in controlling crib death. The state's only referral hospital for children has been dogged by crib death from time to time, with 21 babies dying in 48 hours in July last year.

"It is mostly the babies brought from district hospitals who die here. Therefore, there is the need to upgrade facilities and improve services in peripheral hospitals," said Dr MK Chatterjee, paediatrician and ex-principal of BC Roy hospital.

On Monday, the hospital authority met health officials, including director medical education Dr S K Bandyopadhyay, to report on the recent spate of baby deaths. Bandyopadhyay gave a clean chit to the hospital saying the infants were already in critical condition before being brought to the hospital.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Crib-death-horror-continues-at-BC-Roy/articleshow/11692892.cms

Uttarakhand elections result 2012

2012-01-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

Uttarakhand elections: 70 per cent polling recorded

Nearly 70 per cent polling was recorded in the Uttarakhand Assembly elections, which sealed the fate of 788 candidates including Chief Minister B C Khanduri and state Congress president Yashpal Arya.

The polling to elect 70 legislators to the state Assembly largely remained "incident-free".

About 70 per cent of the 63 lakh voters exercised their franchise till the end of polling at 5PM, state Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi told PTI.

The polling, which began on a dull note in the morning, picked up momentum as the day progressed.

Only 10 per cent polling was recorded during the first two hours till 10 AM. However, as the day progressed, the number of voters reaching the polling stations increased.

Tight security arrangements were made for the election, which largely remained incident-free, Raturi said. The counting of votes will take place on March 6.

There are over 63 lakh electorates in the state where the ruling BJP is locked in a close fight with Congress.

Chief Minister B C Khanduri, former Chief Ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Nityanand Swami and N D Tiwari and Assembly Speaker Harbans Kapoor were among the early voters.

Khanduri, who is BJP's chief ministerial candidate, said, "There is a very good response (from the people for the party)... We feel we will form the government comfortably but again it is for the people to decide."

After casting his vote, senior Congress leader Tiwari told reporters that there are bright chances of a change (of power) in the state. "People have seen the government of other party (BJP) in the past five years. I hope that they would now give a chance to Congress," he said.

The elections will also decide the fate of top state leaders including Khanduri from Kotdwar, Nishank from Doiwala, the Leader of the Opposition Harak Singh Rawat from Rudraprayag and Arya from Baajpur seats.

13/7 Mumbai blasts case cracked

2012-01-23T05:13:00.000-08:00

13/7 Mumbai blasts case cracked, 2 from Bihar arrested: ATS

Maharashtra ATS on Monday claimed to have made a major breakthrough in the July 13 triple blasts in the city last year that claimed 27 lives, with the arrest of two of the accused hailing from Bihar.

Naqi Ahmed Wasi Ahmed Sheikh (22) and Nadeem Akhtar Ashfaq Sheikh (23) were arrested on January 12 but the mastermind of the crime Yasin Bhatkal, a top Indian Mujahideen operative, and the planters of the IEDs used in the blasts are still evading arrest, Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Rakesh Maria told reporters.

Maria said while Naqi came to Mumbai in September 2010, Nadeem, his co-villager, from Bihar's Darbhanga district, was living in Antop Hill area of the city.

Naqi, according to Maria, came in touch with Ahmed Zarar Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal alias Imran in 2008.

He said Nadeem was called to Delhi by Bhatkal and handed over a cloth packet containing the explosive and detonators used in the blast that was handed over to Naqi.

Naqi, he said, was given Rs 1.5 lakh by Bhatkal as commission for the crime in which at least Rs 10 lakh, received through hawala channels, was used. He said Naqi and Nadeem had stolen two Activa scooters that were used for carrying out the explosions. Two motorcycles also stolen by them and kept for future use have also been recovered from Bihar.

Rubbishing media reports that Naqi was innocent and that he was being tortured in police custody, Maria said he was aware of Bhatkal antecedents.

Naqi not only assisted Bhatkal in scouting for an apartment in Habib Building in Byculla but also paid the money for accommodation, the ATS chief said.

Maria said while Bhatkal and two others, who had planted the explosives and whose names he refused to divulge lest it would hamper investigations, were eluding the police dragnet, another accused in the case--Haroon Rashid Naik--had already been arrested by ATS in a counterfeit currency case.

Naik, he said, had been arrested in August last year and ATS would on Monday seek a transfer warrant for him from the court. "We need the custody of Naik from Mumbra for investigation of economic trail and conspiracy in the case," he said.

Maria trashed media reports that Bhatkal was in the city for several months after the blasts and that he was to visit the landlady of the Byculla apartment when he got the whiff of impending action by Mumbai police due to lack of coordination between Delhi police's special cell and Maharashtra ATS and escaped.

Brahmaputra Mail accident with Jharkhand goods train

2012-01-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

Four dead in Jharkhand goods train accident

Four people were dead and 14 people injured when the Brahmaputra Mail collide with a stationary goods train at Karanpurato station of Jharkhand's Sahibganj district Wednesday morning.

"Four people have been killed in the accident. Fourteen were injured, two critically," Deputy Commissioner of Police Arun Kumar Singh of the district, 500 km from here, told IANS over phone.

"A sleeper coach of the Brahmaputra Mail got derailed. Rescue operation is on," he added.

A railway official said: "The goods train was standing as it's engine developed a snag. The passenger train hit it." The incident took place at 5.50 a.m.

The Brahmaputra Mail was going to New Delhi from Dibrugarh. A relief train has reached the spot.

How Designer Evening Dresses stands popular among all dresses?

2012-01-09T00:45:00.000-08:00

In the past few years the attention of women has tending headed for designer evening dresses. Earlier these dresses only meant for rich and high class women. Now a days, women from middle class also start consider having a collection of these dresses. The reasons that it is fast becoming popular as evening wear is shown below

First-rate Quality dresses

It is enhanced in provisions of quality as contrasted to the schedule evening dresses. To start with, the cloth used for designing designer dresses is of greater quality. In addition, the shiny flecks, beads and other trimmings used for designer dresses are genuine in nature.

Better-quality Stitching dresses

The famous designers who make designer dresses are specialist in as long as the most excellent stitch to these dresses. These designers are capable and skilled and use the preeminent of their familiarity to sew these dresses in the most appropriate way.

Extensive Life dresses

Since better quality clothes and improved stitching, the costume can provide for longer than the normal costume. Designer dresses uphold their appearance and worth for long and grant the unsurpassed price for money.

Cyclone Thane in TamilNadu Updates

2011-12-30T22:56:00.000-08:00

Cyclone Thane kills 33 in southern India

Cyclone Thane, with a wind speed of 140 kilometers (85 miles) per hour, has lashed the coastal districts of southern India, killing at least 33 people.

The cyclone ripped through the coast between Cuddalore city in Tamil Nadu state and the union territory of Pondicherry on Friday, according to India's National Disaster Management Authority.

Officials say the deaths have been mostly due to building collapses and electrocution caused by heavy rainfall and strong winds, which have uprooted trees and power lines.

Cuddalore is the worst-hit region, with an estimated 5,000 fishermen's homes damaged.

The bad weather has also affected trains and flights in the region.

The cyclones that form frequently over the Bay of Bengal bring widespread destruction and flooding to India's southern and eastern coasts.

Miss Venezuela Eva Ekvall dead

2011-12-21T05:34:00.001-08:00

Former Miss Venezuela dies of breast cancer at 28

Former Miss Venezuela Eva Ekvall, whose struggle with breast cancer was closely followed by Venezuelans, has died at age 28.

Her family said Ekvall died Saturday at a hospital in Houston.

Ekvall was crowned Miss Venezuela at age 17 in 2000, and the following year she was third runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico. She went on to work as a model, actress and television news anchor.

She also authored a book, "Fuera de Foco" ("Out of Focus"), about her struggle with cancer, which included images by Venezuelan photographer Roberto Mata.

She told the newspaper El Nacional in an interview last year after the book was published that "I needed to send the message of the need for cancer prevention."

On the cover was a portrait in which she appeared with makeup and her head shaved. The book also included images of her while going through chemotherapy.

"I hate to see photos in which I come out ugly," Ekvall told El Nacional. "But you know what? Nobody ever said cancer is pretty or that I should look like Miss Venezuela when I have cancer."

At the time, she was hopeful of overcoming cancer and wanted to write more.

Ekvall's family said in a statement Sunday that her remains were being cremated in Houston on Monday and that a service is to be held in Venezuela once her remains are returned to the country.

Ekvall said in a 2007 interview published in Venezuelan news media that although her mother is Jamaican and her father is American of Swedish and Hungarian descent, "I feel more Venezuelan than anybody."

Britney Spears Engagement Ring with Jason Trawick.

2011-12-19T05:38:00.000-08:00

Britney Spears’s ‘Princess’ Engagement Ring.

Britney Spears and her fiance Jason Trawick made their debut as an engaged couple at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on Friday evening.

The pair, who originally planned to be in the city to celebrate Trawick's 40th birthday, made it a double celebration after getting engaged the night before. Us Weekly broke the news.

Spears wore a pale pink dress as she proudly showed off the three carat Neil Lane sparkler given to her by her former agent beau.

"This is something they've both wanted for a long time," a source explains to Us. "It's a way to cement their family. They're both extremely happy and can't wait to become man and wife."

Jessie J 2012 goals

2011-12-19T05:31:00.000-08:00

I want to gain more weight in 2012: Jessie J

Most New Year resolutions include dieting. Not for Jessie J. The British singer says her goal for 2012 is to gain more weight.

Jessie J says she's "been working hard this year" and that "it's important to know when you need to gain weight, or when you need to lose weight and be healthy."

The 23-year-old is known for her slim figure and skin tight outfits.

She released her debut CD "Who We Are" earlier this year. It's double platinum in the United Kingdom, where she has four Top 10 hits, including the No. 1 tune "Price Tag." That song has reached the Top 40 in America.

The singer also plans to shave her head for charity.

Says Jessie J: "I want to make a difference in the world."

Sleeping pills can be fatal

2011-11-24T04:35:00.000-08:00

A recent study found those who took sleeping tablets were 36 percent more likely to die at any given time than others.

In the study American researchers focused on a brain enzyme called calcium kinase, which controls sleep in humans, said researcher Fiona Macrae, Daily Mail reported.

In an experiment conducted by the researchers, a drug was given to mice that stopped the enzyme to work in the brain and making the animal sleep more.

Encouragingly, the doses used were minimal, a study in the Journal of Neuroscience reported.

"Sleep, one of the most mysterious regular shifts in consciousness, is regulated by a delicate balance between biological processes, the environment and behaviour, but the mechanisms involved in the regulation are not well understood," said Subimal Datta, researcher, Boston University.

"Current treatments for sleep disorders do not achieve the ideal behavioural outcome, and are usually accompanied by many undesirable side effects," he said.

"A more specific, fine-tuned approach to treating these disorders by promoting alertness and treating insomnia would greatly benefit public health," he added.

Lack of sleep is linked to a host of health problems, from heart disease and memory loss to diabetes.

Tops and seats for your car

2011-10-13T01:20:00.000-07:00

Auto Seat Covers for affordable.

Everybody likes to own a car. It is considered as a prestigious property in some places whilst it is quite common to own in others. Cars are generally quite expensive depending upon its features. So everybody expects it to be of the best quality when they invest in it so much. Buying a car alone isn't enough. Maintaining it is even more important. Cars play a critical role in our lives. Of course you can also make use of bikes instead of cars. But the bikes are too dangerous and it can be quite injuries when you get involved in accidents. Buy affordable auto seat covers here.

We use either of them a lot to travel a lot. Without them we simply have to walk all the way or use public transport systems to reach our destination. Either ways we cannot travel comfortably to our respective destinations as for the former, you'll take more time than usual to reach. Imagine in the kind of hectic environment we are living in, walking all the way at all times? It will make things harder for us. Thus it is necessary that we own cars for our comforts.

Nonetheless, more than buying one it is important that we take good care of them. Maintaining it on a regular basis is very important to sustain its longevity. And when it comes to maintenance prevention is always better than cure. We misuse cars a lot thus it is important that we take good preventive measures in order for it to sustain the misuse. We accomplish these preventive measures with the help of accessories. Every car needs its accessories just like every home needs its decorative items.

Accessories help you to maintain the car and at the same time make it look more gorgeous. When it comes to accessories there are two categories. You have interior accessories. You have exterior accessories. Interior accessories are more related to the car's performance. It generally contains the engine and other technical equipments used for empowering the car. It is important that the maintenance you do allows the car to sustain its longevity and at the same time gives you a great performance for several years. Thus in order to get both, it is important that the accessories you buy and use are off good qualities.

Exterior accessories are related to the exterior parts of the car. These accessories allow you the car to sustain wear and tear and improve its longevity. Generally as such we misuse the cars. In order to sustain them the car parts should be protected with accessories. Seat covers form a major role amidst them. They are a must for all cars. They are usually made up of leather and they come in various designs, colors and styles for making your interior look good. Tops on the other hand can be used only for convertible cars. If you own a model which can have an open top as well as a closed one you can make use of quality tops. Installations of these tops are also pretty easy. All the necessary details are available online for your information. Do your thorough research and buy quality accessory products.

For more info on Auto Seat Covers visit http://www.topsandseats.com

Ana Ivanovic Novak Djokovic wedding

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ana Ivanovic gossips on Novak Djokovic´s wedding

The former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic said that, she feels either may not invited to wedding ceremony of fellow country mate and good friend Novak Djokovic.

The four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who has been dating with her long time girl friend Jelena Ristic planning to marry soon in this year. The Report says that, Djokovic and Jelena Ristic will marry in October or November, as the wedding ceremony will be held at a traditional church in his home town Monaco in Serbia in front of his family and friends. Recently, the couple also appears on the cover page of a Serbian edition of Hello Magazine.

The 2011 US Open champion Djokovic wants to enjoy his married life like Roger Federer, who has been spending his career experience with wife Mirka Vavrinec along with his twin daughters Myla Rose and Charlene Riva. Serbian star Djokovic and Ivanovic have been best friends, since their childhood and both the players are excited to watch each other matches at the Grand Slam tournaments.

The 24-year-old Djokovic, who has withdrawn from the 2011 China Open and Shanghai Rolex Masters in Beijing, where he wants to marry Jelena Ristic, during this break time. Djokovic hopes to play his next tournament at Basel Indoor courts in Switzerland, which will begin at 31st October, 2011.

Fire at Paragon footwear factory: Bangalore

2011-09-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

Paragon footwear factory at Peenya here was engulfed in a massive fire on Friday September 30.

As per reports, 13 fire engines have been rushed to the spot. The incident occured at around 3 pm.

Firefighters are struggling to douse the fire, and even after three hours, the fire is yet to be brought under control, it is learnt.

The factory had several stocks of PVC materials used in footwear.

No casualty has been reported as yet.

Peenya is an industrial area in Bangalore which houses factories of several well-known companies.

Two airliners in near miss over Hong Kong

2011-09-27T02:29:00.000-07:00

Two Hong Kong-bound flights carrying more than 600 people narrowly missed each other over the Asian city, according to officials, after pilots scrambled to react to warning signals.

A Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 arriving from New York and a Dragonair Airbus A330 from Taiwan were both told to hold off landing due to bad weather on September 18 but strayed into each other's path.

Airline officials said they were one nautical mile (2,000 metres) apart at the same altitude southwest of Hong Kong airport when the traffic collision avoidance system warning sounded.

The Dragonair pilot put his aircraft, carruying 284 passengers and 12 crew, into an immediate climb while the Cathay flight, with 299 passengers and 18 crew on board, descended to resolve the conflict.

According to Hong Kong's former civil aviation chief the two planes came within six seconds of impact, based on their distance and normal aircraft speed.

"The chance of a crash is absolutely high. The passengers really came back from hell," Albert Lam told The Standard newspaper.

A spokesman for Cathay Pacific, which also owns Dragonair, said that there had been a "loss of separation" but said: "There was no risk of collision and at no time was the safety of the flights compromised.

"At the closest, they were one nautical mile (2,000 meters) apart when abeam from each other with increasing vertical separation."

Both flights landed at the airport without incident, 14 minutes apart.

Cathay said the incident has been reported to civil aviation authorities and pledged to cooperate with the probe.

Shanghai subway crash injures dozens

2011-09-27T02:20:00.000-07:00

A subway train in China's commercial center of Shanghai has smashed into the back of another train, injuring dozens of people.

Local reports say the accident Tuesday on Line 10, one of the city's newest lines, may have been caused by problems with the signaling system, similar to a crash in July on one of China's high-speed train lines.

Shanghai TV says more than 100 people were taken to hospitals for treatment. The exact number of injuries could not be immediately confirmed.

Shanghai, a city of 23 million, has rapidly expanded its subway system in recent years. Some lines have had problems with faulty signaling, doors not opening properly and poorly trained operators.

Facebook tracks you even after logging out

2011-09-27T01:33:00.000-07:00

Facebook tracks what you do online even when you're logged out.

An Australian technologist has claimed that Facebook can track the web pages you visit, even when you are logged out of the social networking giant.

According to Wollongong-based Nik Cubrilovic, when the user is logged out of Facebook, rather than deleting its tracking cookies, the site merely modifies them, maintaining account information and other unique tokens that can be used to identify its users.

This simply means that any time you visit a web page with a Facebook button or widget, your browser is still sending personally identifiable information back to Facebook.

"Even if you are logged out, Facebook still knows and can track every page you visit," Cubrilovic wrote in a blog post.

"The only solution is to delete every Facebook cookie in your browser, or to use a separate browser for Facebook interactions," he added.

Cubrilovic said he tried to contact Facebook to inform it of his discovery but did not get a reply, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

He said there were significant risks to the privacy of users, particularly those using public terminals to access Facebook.

"Facebook are front-and-centre in the new privacy debate just as Microsoft were with security issues a decade ago," Cubrilovic said.

"The question is what it will take for Facebook to address privacy issues and to give their users the tools required to manage their privacy and to implement clear policies - not pages and pages of confusing legal documentation, and 'logout' not really meaning 'logout'," he added.

Should pregnant women wear high heels?

2011-09-27T01:25:00.000-07:00

Is it safe for pregnant women to wear high heels?

Have you ever worn a pair of knee-high, 5-inch platform boots? It's like operating two mechanical bulls with your feet. Reality star and celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe is a pro at it. She also happens to be pregnant. Is it a health risk to be rocking mega heels in your third trimester?

It is if you ask foot doctors. In June, the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists issued a warning for all pregnant women to avoid the extra lift. Shoes with too much height put both mom and baby in danger. "High heels alter your posture, shorten your calf muscles and place increased pressure on your back and knees," podiatrist Lorraine Jones told the BBC. "In pregnancy this places extra pressure on your joints when they are already under strain—which can result in a host of foot, leg and back problems."

High heels also leave pregnant women for vulnerable to spills. Because your center of gravity changes with a baby bump, balancing on heels is a challenge after 25 weeks, even for stiletto veterans. Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Lilly Allen all lost their footing while wearing high heels at appearances during their pregnancy.

That's not to say pregnant women should turn strictly to flats. The SCP recommends supportive pumps with a 1.2-inch heel on average. The tilt distributes the weight of your body in a more therapeutic way so the soles of your feet aren't bearing all the burden. Still got those Easy Spirits from the '80s? Now's a good time to break them out. They may not be head-turners but at least they're vintage.

Happy Birthday Dev Anand

2011-09-27T01:16:00.000-07:00

Bollywood's 'Young Man' Celebrates 88th Birthday

Bollywood's yesteryear evergreen star Dev Anand celebrated his 88th birthday on Monday September 26.

Of late, Dev Anand has been busy promoting his upcoming movie 'Chargesheet' and is also working on a sequel to his 1971 movie titled 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna'.

Several celebrities from Bollywood conveyed their wishes to the star. Anupam Kher wrote a birthday note on social networking site Twitter that read, "Dev Saab is one of the main reasons for me being in films. Bunked school to watch his movies. Happy Birthday YOUNG man. You inspire us."

Film maker Madhur Bandarkar wrote, "Wishing Dev Anand saab many happy returns of the day. Have an evergreen rocking birthday blast Sir!!!"

Also actor Riteish Deshmukh and Subhash Ghai have written birthday wishes for Dev saab.

Speaking about his plans for his birthday, earlier, Dev Anand said, "I have lots of fans waiting at my office to wish me; they will shake my hand and not want to leave my hand. I don't have the guts to stay away from my fans because they have come to me with so much love and so it becomes my duty to spend time with them."

Japanese Encephalitis Virus

2011-09-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

Three more kids die of Japanese encephalitis, toll 332

Three more children succumbed to the killer Japanese encephalitis virus Monday, taking the toll in eastern Uttar Pradesh to 332, officials said.

“Of these, 305 are children and 27 adults,” an official spokesman told IANS.

As many as 1,942 cases of Japanese encephalitis were detected during the current monsoon season, when the virus spreads, the spokesman added.

The districts to be affected by the disease were Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Maharajganj, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti, and Siddharth Nagar, he said.

K.P. Kushwaha, who heads the encephalitis unit at the BR Medical College in Gorakhpur that has become the nodal centre for dealing with JE said that they also received a lot of patients from neighbouring Bihar.

As per hospital records, about 250 patients admitted over the past two months were from Bihar.

Kareena Kapoor's birthday

2011-09-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday To Kareena Kapoor

Kareena Kapoor News Updates! Despite loads to celebrate, looks like actress Kareena Kapoor’s birthday today will be a low-key affair.

The actress along with beau actor Saif Ali Khan has postponed the big celebration to a later date due to Saif’s father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s ill health.

According to sources, the actor will be shooting for a brand commercial in the first half of the day and then spend the evening with her family. The family had apparently been making elaborate plans to celebrate her birthday with a lavish party to celebrate her recent success, they have postponed it for now.

“Concerned for Saif’s father, Bebo and Saif are both in no mood to party at present. They only hope for his full recovery. It’s a sensitive issue and the mood is naturally sombre,” added the insider.

Kareena says, “We are all really worried and hope that he gets well soon.” As for her birthday, she says, “It’s the people around me who make my birthdays special, so whether it’s a lavish bash or a quiet dinner, it’s just as special for me.”

Unlike several actors, Kareena reveals that getting a year older doesn’t worry her at all. “Heroines may have a short shelf life, but actresses don’t,” she smiles. “Besides, I’m not the kinds to chalk out plans for the future. I believe in ‘living the now’ and enjoying it to the fullest. And right now, I’m in a happy space professionally and personally,” adds.

So, what’s the birthday wish going to be? “I’m working with the best in the industry, be it actors or filmmakers and I have a great guy to come back home too. What else can I ask for?” she smiles. More hits? “Hits are always welcome, but for me my happiness also has much to do with my family and friends, so just wishing for happiness always,” she signs off.

Bomb Blast in Turkish capital

2011-09-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

Blast kills 3, wounds 15 in Turkish capital

News Updates! A suspected car bomb went off near a high school in the Turkish capital on Tuesday, igniting other vehicles and killing three people in a nearby building, the interior minister said. The blast also wounded 15 people.

The explosion was "highly likely to be a terrorist attack," said Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin. "The explosion occurred in a place where car and people traffic is intense. It looks like the intension was to inflict as much harm to people as possible."

The parked car was purchased a week ago but it was not yet registered.

Kurdish rebels fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey have recently escalated their attacks on Turkish targets, but Islamist and leftist militants have also carried out some bombings in this NATO member and U.S. ally.

Kurdish rebels were blamed for a small bomb attack in the Mediterranean resort town of Kemer that wounded 10 people, including four Swedes on Aug. 28. Turkish warplanes bombed suspected rebel hideouts in northern Iraq last month in response to the escalation of attacks by the guerrillas.

The bodies of three people were found in a building near the car that exploded in downtown Ankara, Sahin said. Fifteen people were also wounded, he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said police had information that a bomb was planted on the car, although other officials quoted a witness as saying that a burning gas canister had been tossed onto the vehicle.

The explosion sparked a series of blasts in adjacent vehicles.

Reyhan Altintas, a neighborhood administrator, said she rushed outside after hearing a loud blast. It was followed by three other blasts, apparently caused by cars catching fire.

At least five of the wounded were in serious condition, said Sahin.

"I had never heard anything like it in my life," witness Adnan Yavuz said of the initial blast. "Then came another explosion and parts of a car dropped from the tree."

The wounded were initially treated in the school yard before medics rushed to the scene and whisked them away to hospitals, NTV television said. Authorities evacuated the school as worried parents rushed to pick up their children.

Earthquake toll over 80

2011-09-20T02:02:00.000-07:00

India 68; as more bodies are found in Sikkim

News Updates! Around 68people have died in India, 50 of them in Sikkim, in the devastating earthquake which measured a forceful 6.8 on the Richter scale. Most of the deaths have been reported in north Sikkim.

The quake hit parts of North India at around 6 pm on Sunday and was centred on the Sikkim-Nepal border, 64 kilometres north-west of Gangtok. Casualties have also been reported from neighbouring Bihar and West Bengal.

At least 20 people have also died in Nepal and Tibet. India's Home Secretary RK Singh has said the death toll may rise further.

''The number of deaths reported by the state government of Sikkim is 50. This may increase further as rescue and relief teams reach into the interiors. The number of deaths in West Bengal are reported to be 12 and in Bihar 6.''

Nearly 36 hours after the region's worst earthquake in 60 years, rescue operations remain the biggest challenge - rain and landslides are severely hampering the efforts; bad weather is not allowing helicopters to land, Indian Air Force planes are air-dropping food. There was a fresh landslide in Gerkhola, located 30 kms from the Sikkim border. This landslide has now been cleared.

Meanwhile, helicopters with Quick Reaction Teams have landed in Mangan, Sikkim - the epicentre of the quake. The helicopters are carrying two medical teams with doctors and paramedics. Getting to Mangan is still a challenge, though, as many roads are closed due to the bad weather. Other problems are also playing a part. There have so far been 10-12 landslides between Mangan and Filong.

A road to Mangan has been opened by the army. Approximately 200 Army troops including medical teams are now in Mangan. This is not the highway though but an alternate route that has been opened by the army

More than 6,000 Army jawans are being used to provide assistance to those affected. Around 2,000 people have taken shelter at Army camps.

Among the toughest parts of the recovery is the operation to re-open National Highway 31A which connects Sikkim to the rest of the country. It is needed to bring in food and other supplies.

There are other challenges facing the state. Sikkim's Chief Minister Pawan Chamling cannot use his office. Water and power supply remain erratic; phone towers have been hit, making communication tough. In the capital Gangtok, more than 100,000 buildings have been severely damaged. Government offices and hospitals have been left unusable.

Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to visit Gangtok today but now her trip stands cancelled. Before her visit the West Bengal Chief Minister said her priority was to ensure that National Highways 31A and 55, damaged by landslides, were repaired urgently so that food and other supplies could be transported more easily.

Read more at:

Sikkim Earthquake

2011-09-19T05:46:00.000-07:00

Sikkim earthquake toll climbs to 66.

Earthquake News Updates: Sikkim earthquake toll climbs to 66, rescue work hampered by landslides.

Landslides and inclement weather today hampered rescue operations in quake-hit Sikkim as the death toll in the 6.8 magnitude tremblor mounted to 66, including 39 in the Himalayan state.

The earthquake, which struck last evening, left a trail of devastation damaging roads, buildings and other structures, uprooting mobile phone towers and snapping communication and power lines. After shocks made people panic in several areas forcing them to spend the night outdoors.

West and South districts in Sikkim remained inaccessible to the Army due to landslides and inclement weather and rescuers were facing an uphill task to reach these areas, Major General S L Narasimhan, GOC 17 Mountain Division told reporters here.

Sikkim accounted for 39 deaths alone, with most casualties taking place in the North District and in towns and villages like Rangpo, Dikchu, Singtam and Chungthang located along the course of Teesta river, officials in the district control room said.

Eight persons travelling in a bus of Teesta Urja Limited in North District are presumed dead as their vehicle got stuck under debris caused by a landslide, Narasimhan said. This, however, has not been incorporated in the official figure of those killed.

The overnight toll climbed to 66 which included six deaths in West Bengal and seven each in Bihar, Nepal and Tibet, official reports said. Over a hundred people have been injured.

Narasimhan said army has launched 'Operation Madad' in Gangtok and other areas by deploying over 2,500 troops."We are also sending teams to Darjeeling and Kalimpong (in West Bengal)," he said.

A group of 14 tourists were rescued by the army from north Sikkim last night, Narasimhan said.

In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced Rs two lakh as ex-gratia to next of kin of those killed in the earthquake and Rs one lakh each for those seriously injured.

10 Most Hated Jobs In America

2011-09-17T02:06:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Hated Jobs by Workers in United States

At one time or another, we have all known at least one person who has hated his or her job. That person may have suffered silently or vented constantly, but at the end of the day there was no question this person was truly unhappy with where they spent at least 40 of his or her waking hours every week, for 51 weeks a year.

The reasons for job dissatisfaction vary. Low pay, irregular hours, and lack of a window seat are all assumed to be culprits, and to be sure they can all contribute to a bad attitude on the job. These are actually not the primary factors driving a worker to regard tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock sharp with dread and ill will, however, according to one resource.

CareerBliss is an online resource that bases job satisfaction on multiple factors, including workplace culture, coworkers, and the boss.

According a survey of hundreds of thousands of employees conducted in 2011, CareerBliss determined the 10 most hated jobs, rated on a scale of 1 to 10. In almost all cases, respondents reported that the factors causing the most job dissatisfaction were not lousy pay or a desk near the bathroom. CareerBliss found that limited growth opportunities and lack of reward drove the misery index up more than anything else.

Read about the 10 jobs with the highest levels of employee unhappiness. The results may surprise you.

1. Director of Information Technology

For all the press that teachers and nurses get for their long hours, low pay and thankless tasks, it may be surprising to see the most hated job was that of information technology director, according to CareerBliss. After all, the salary's pretty good and with information technology such a prevalent part of everyday business, an IT director can hold almost as much sway over the fate of some companies as a chief executive.

Still, IT directors reported the highest level of dissatisfaction with their jobs, far surpassing that of any waitress, janitor, or bellhop. Of those who responded to the survey, one simple, five-word response summed up the antipathy very well: "Nepotism, cronyism, disrespect for workers."

2. Director of Sales and Marketing

A director of sales and marketing plans implements efforts to promote companies and generate business. Responsibilities often include budget management, public relations, and employee training.

Sales and marketing directors reported the second-highest level of job dissatisfaction of all survey respondents. The majority who responded negatively cited a lack of direction from upper management and an absence of room for growth as the main sources of their ire.

3. Product Manager

"Product manager" is a wide-ranging job title that takes on many meanings, depending on the company and its sector. In some cases, the job requires simply evaluating what products are best suited to a company's business model, and in others marketing, resource management, and scheduling are involved.

The level of job dissatisfaction was very high for this position. One respondent complained that it restricted growth, saying that it was "very hard to grow up the ranks." Another was less polite and said "the work is boring and there's a lot of clerical work still at my level."

4. Senior Web Developer

Senior web developers design, maintain, and develop applications for the Internet. With every business expected to have some kind of Internet presence these days, developers are found working in every type of company, in a full-time, part-time, or freelance capacity.

A senior developer is expected to be fluent in client-side and server-side contexts, and know his or her way around Python, Ruby, or whatever other arcane technology requires taming. Senior developers reported a high degree of unhappiness in their jobs, attributable to a perception their employers are unable to communicate coherently, and lack an understanding of the technology.

5. Technical Specialist

A technical specialist "leads the analysis, definition, design, construction, testing, installation, and modification of medium to large infrastructures," according to CareerBliss. This means that if a company wants to design a project, the technical specialist evaluates it to see what's possible and what isn't.

The job is a lead position that requires intimate knowledge of engineering; familiarity with Linux helps, too. However, technical specialists reported that for all their expertise, they were treated with a palpable level of disrespect. They cited a "lack of communication from upper management" and felt their "input was not taken seriously."

6. Electronics Technician

Electronics technicians maintain, troubleshoot and collect monthly measurement data for electronic systems. They work in every sector and can be employed with the phone company, a chain of fast-food restaurants, or the U.S. Navy. Whatever the case, technicians work on-site and off-site, have constant contact with clients, and must have an ability to quickly solve complex technical problems under intense pressure.

Employee dissatisfaction in this job is attributable to several factors. One respondent complained of having "too little control," while another had a litany of complaints: "Work schedule, lack of accomplishment, no real opportunity for growth, peers have no motivation to work hard, no say in how things are done, hostility from peers towards other employees."

7. Law Clerk

Clerkships are among the most highly sought-after positions in the legal profession. A law clerk assists judges as they write opinions, and the ones who get the job are almost always near the top of their class at law school. Six justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, including Elena Kagan and current Chief Justice John Roberts, were all law clerks early in their careers.

The job clearly beefs up a resume. Yet law clerks still report high levels of dissatisfaction. The hours are long and grueling, and the clerk is subject to the whims of sometimes mercurial personalities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported the job brings in a median salary of $39,780 a year—not exactly striking it rich—and those looking for advancement within the position simply will not find it.

8. Technical Support Analyst

Technical support analysts help people with their computer issues. This typically amounts to calmly communicating technical advice to panicked individuals, often over the phone, and then going on site to find the client simply hadn't turned the printer on.

Technical support analysts often work in a variety of environments, and they may be required to travel at a moment's notice, sometimes on holidays or weekends. After all, there's no telling when a client's computer-whiz nephew might make a minor tweak to his machine, with disastrous results.

In the words of one of the respondents, "You can do better, really."

9. CNC Machinist

CNC machinists operate computer numerical control machines. For the uninitiated, this is a machine that operates a lathe or a mill. On the upside, it renders obsolete processes that used to be performed by hand, at a slow pace and with high risk to the operator's life and limb.

Now that the CNC operator has had most of the physical hazards of manufacturing replaced by a machine, there's not a lot to do but push buttons and perform equipment inspections to make sure the coolant is at a safe level. Since it's a specialized skill, the job offers no room for advancement, which caused respondents to report a high degree of dissatisfaction.

10. Marketing Manager

A marketing manager is responsible for overseeing advertising and promotion. This involves developing strategies to meet sales objectives, based on the study of such factors as customer surveys and market behavior.

According to CareerBliss, respondents in this position most often cited a lack of direction as the primary reason for job dissatisfaction. The most optimistic respondent described it as "tolerable," and gave it the faintest praise possible by saying, "It's a job." (In this labor market, that's not such a bad thing.)

Planet with two suns 'discovered'

2011-09-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

Astronomers claim to have discovered a planet which orbits two suns, like the fictional planet Tatooine in the " Star Wars" sci-fi film.

An international team, which made the finding through NASA's Kepler spacecraft, says the planet, called Kepler-16b, is about 200 light years from Earth and is believed to be a frozen world of rock and gas, about the size of Saturn.

It orbits two stars that are also circling each other, one about two-thirds the size of our sun, the other about a fifth the size of our sun. Each orbit takes 229 days; the stars eclipse each other every three weeks or so.

Alan Boss, a researcher at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington DC and a member of the team, was quoted by the media as saying, "You would never get constant daylight because the two stars are so close together.

"They would come together in an eclipse every 20.5 days and then move apart again. As their separation increased, they would go down at different times, and that could make cocktail hour hard."

In fact, the team, led by Laurance Doyle at the Carl Sagan Centre for the Study of Life in the Universe at the Seti Institute in California, spotted the planet after noticing unusual signals in data collected by the Kepler spacecraft.

Images captured by Kepler's camera showed two stars orbiting each other and producing eclipses as they moved in front of one another. Both stars were small in comparison with our own sun, at about 69 and 20 per cent of the sun's mass.

On closer inspection, the footage revealed further eclipses that could not be explained by the movement of the two stars, or an additional third star. Instead, a subtle drop in light from the stars, which amounted to a dimming of only 1.7 per cent, was attributed to an orbiting planet.

The astronomers turned next to a ground-based telescope, the Whipple Observatory in Arizona. With this, they monitored the shifting velocity of the heaviest star as it moved around in its orbit.

Those observations gave Doyle's team the details they needed to reconstruct the orbits of the stars and its planet.

They showed that the two suns orbit each other every 41 days at a distance of about 21 million miles. The planet completes a circular orbit around both stars every 229 days at a distance of 65 million miles, according to the findings published in the 'Science' journal.

Josh Carter, another team member, added: "Kepler-16b is the first confirmed, unambiguous example of a circumbinary planet - a planet orbiting not one, but two stars. Once again, we're finding that our solar system is only one example of the variety of planetary systems nature can create."

Harvest Festival of Onam

2011-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Keralites celebrate harvest festival of Onam

People of Kerala celebrated 'Thiru Onam', the final day of their harvest festival, 'Onam' on Friday.

The ten-day festival was celebrated with both fervour and enthusiasm across the state.

The festival is greatly awaited across Kerala, as it is believed that this harvest festival heralds both prosperity and happiness in people's lives.

The festival also holds significance as it is celebrated once the granaries are full, a sign of affluence for a poverty-ridden country.

The ten day festival began on 'Atham' which was celebrated on August 31 and ends on 'Thiru Onam' in the month of 'Chingam' (August to September).

According to popular legend, the harvest festival marks the return of King Mahabali to meet his beloved subjects.

In accordance with this mythological belief, the town of Kochi witnessed a procession to welcome King Mahabali.

Men and women were seen dressed in beautiful traditional attires to participate in the procession.

Similar celebrations were witnessed in state capital Thiruvananthapuram where women dressed in traditional attire decorated their houses and made traditional floral carpets known as 'Pookalam'.

The traditional 'Ona-pookalam' usually contains ten rings, indicating the ten-day rituals, during celebrations of Onam.

The festival of 'Onam' is marked with various festivities which include women performing various dance performances and men playing musical instruments to celebrate the auspicious occasion.

Kerala is known as the land of god and its an amazing place to visit, there are many places too in this world to visit be it India, USA, UK or anywhere.So Pack your bags, take a tour and Book worldwide vacation rentals

Anna weak but in good spirits

2011-08-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

He is in good spirits but looks weak after fasting for 12 days at the age of 74.

Anna Hazare is recovering well in a largish room on the 13th floor of Gurgaon-based Medanta Medicity hospital whose Chairman and Managing-Director Naresh Trehan was giving the nation live updates about the Gandhian's health while he was fasting at the sprawling Ramlila Grounds till Sunday morning.

Trehan and other doctors continue to monitor him closely and hope to release him from the hospital later this week. Sitting up in his bed, Hazare receives a bouquet and a "get well soon" card from someone for whom he had created a crisis a few days ago -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

On day three of his stay in the hospital, some of Anna's ssociates are allowed in his room. Kiran Bedi, using her cellphone, sits in a sofa. Arvind Kejriwal is standing next to Hazare's bed and Manish Sisodia has just brought-in the Prime Minister's bouquet.

"How are you feeling Annaji," asks a PTI reporter. "I am OK," says the Gandhian in a feeble voice gesticulating his hand to indicate so. Admitted in 'In-Patient Department (IPD)', the Gandhian wearing 'dark sea-green' patient's uniform is most of the time using hand gestures to communicate.

Outside the hospital, a large battery of mediapersons, both print as well as electronic, were present so that not to miss any opportunity to get a glimpse or an update of Hazare. However, heavy security has been deployed in and around the Hospital entry points to prevent any intrusion, either by media or supporters.

Noting that Hazare was "doing well and is stable", the doctor attending to him, Yatin Mehta, said he walked for sometime in his room today.

Lease of life to Rajiv Gandhi's killers

2011-08-30T06:18:00.000-07:00

Madras HC gives lease of life to Rajiv Gandhi's killers

The Madras high court on Tuesday stayed for eight weeks the hanging of the three convicts sentenced to death for conspiring to assassinate former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Hearing the petitions filed by Murugan alias Sriharan, T Suthendraraja alias Santhan and AG Perarivalan
alias Arivu that their death sentence be commuted, the high court ordered an interim stay on the hanging pending disposal of the case.

The court has ordered notice to the union government returnable in eight weeks.

On Aug 11, President Pratibha Patil rejected the mercy petitions of Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan - all linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) - and sentenced them to death for their involvement in Gandhi's 1991 assassination.

Rajiv Gandhi, who was prime minister 1984-89, was killed by a suicide bomber called Dhanu at an election rally in Sriperumbudur near Chennai May 21.

Fourteen other people also lost their lives in the blast.

The three condemned prisoners, who were due to hang September 9, had on Monday moved the high court to commute their sentence to life imprisonment.

Arguing for Perarivalan, senior counsel Ram Jethmalani said the clemency petition was rejected by the President after 11 years and the delay is prima facie wrong.

He said a notice seeking explanation for the delay should be sent.

Urging speedy disposal of mercy petitions, Jethmalani had said earlier that if there was a delay of two years, then the death sentence would be commuted to life imprisonment. This provision was later changed.

Lokpal Bill crisis: Govt talks to Anna Hazare

2011-08-25T02:53:00.000-07:00

Govt talks to Anna Hazare directly, shift in strategy.

As part of its efforts to convince anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare to end his hunger strike, the government is trying to approach him directly, rather than through his associates.

So senior leaders from Anna's home state of Maharashtra are in touch with Anna himself. Among those engaging with the 74-year-old Gandhian are Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Anna has been fasting for ten days and doctors are worried about his health.

Two ministers - Pranab Mukherjee and Salman Khursheed - are conducting the official talks with activists Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal. But the government believes that the trio is more inflexible than Anna. So it's also routing compromise formulae to Anna.

Last night's talks between the activists and the ministers ended in disaster. "We are back to Square One," said a visibly-dejected Mr Bhushan. The ministers refuted that version of events, arguing that a new round of talks today will continue the efforts to find a solution.

The exit route from this emergency may have been provided by the Prime Minister in Parliament this morning. Anna has vowed not to end his fast till his activists' Jan Lokpal Bill is discussed in Parliament. The PM said that all existing versions of the Bill including the government's can be debated by the House; the best points of each can then be sent to a committee for detailed analysis and feedback.

The Lokpal is a new agency that will be empowered to fight corruption among public servants. How it should be selected and who it should apply to are among the points of dispute between Team Anna and the government. However, a compromise has been reached on all but two points. The government has still not agreed to the activists' demand that the Lokpal should be allowed to investigate junior bureaucrats; it has also refused to create a parallel Lokpal in each state.

Source:

3D printing

2011-08-20T02:12:00.000-07:00

Does 3D printing have a market?

Now I have seen it all. Three-dimensional printing. I did not believe it, but below is a short video of how it works. The more technology advances, the more printing is redefined. Just check out the video put out by National Geographic on June 23, 2011, focused on 3D printing.

Z Corporation out of Burlington, MA, has created the Z-Printer that scans and copies items using two printer heads, high tech composite materials and a scanner. The part comes out fully manufactured, assembled and ready to go. This device looks like a printer, acts like a printer and, I guess, is a printer.

Everyone was amazed when digital printing hit the industry, and now another innovation is blurring yet another industry, manufacturing. While most of us print in two dimensions, this printing device prints 3D and with moving parts. They have a printer head to color and a printer head to bind the composite. It starts with scanning the object, choosing the colors you want, and hitting print.

The original idea of this printer was for making parts during space exploration as traditional methods won’t work in space, but this opens up many opportunities to think outside the box to quickly produce objects as one would make multiple copies.

Just think how fast the printing industry has evolved over the past decade with variable data, QR Codes, PURLs, large format, and digital printing. Now we have 3D printing.

Orphan Elephants, Kenya

2011-08-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

Facebook aims to replace texting

2011-08-10T05:57:00.000-07:00

Facebook has launched an instant messaging service for mobile phones, similar to BlackBerry Messenger.

The dedicated app, for iPhones and Android devices, allows users to contact individual friends or groups of people.

Its release comes a month before Apple is due to unveil a similar product.

Attention has been focused on mobile messaging recently because some of the London rioters were known to have used it to co-ordinate their movements.

So far Facebook's mobile messenger is only available in the United States, but it is expected to eventually roll out in other countries.

The social network's 750 million users already have the ability to send messages through the website, and on Facebook's original smartphone app.

Its new application adds the option to send directly to a mobile phone via SMS, and also to include location information.
Bad timing?

Facebook's timing has raised a few eyebrows within the industry, given the debate around BlackBerry Messenger's role in the recent UK rioting.

However, it is likely that its decision to launch in the US now was influenced by the impending Arrival of Apple's iOS 5 and its integrated messenger.

Stuart Miles, the founder of Pocket-lint.com, told BBC News that Facebook might be able to make mileage out of its compatibility with more than one phone system.

"Apple will be iPhone to iPhone, like Facetime. The same as BBM which is Blackberry to Blackberry. [Facebook] will be Android to iPhone, so theoretically it can only benefit from the platform," said Mr Miles.

"The big question you have to ask is how long will it be before Google+ has a messaging service built-in."

Cyber attack on Seoul's Unification Ministry

2011-08-10T00:55:00.001-07:00

The South Korean ministry which handles relations with North Korea has been targeted by hackers in the latest of a series of online attacks on government and corporate websites, an official said Tuesday.

The hackers, using Chinese IP addresses, planted malicious software in the email account of a lawmaker's aide to try to attack the unification ministry's website.

Kim Young-Pil, an official at the ministry's cyber security centre, told Yonhap news agency the National Intelligence Service alerted the ministry about the attempted attack.

The security centre asked the lawmaker's aide Monday to change his password or close the email account and the ministry website was not disrupted.

Kim said there have been constant attempts to hack into the ministry's computer network, but did not elaborate.

The South's defence ministry last month said it would expand its cyber warfare unit to combat a growing number of Internet attacks from North Korea. The ministry said its cyber command, launched in January last year, would increase the number of personnel from 400 to 500.

Isolated, communist North Korea -- which has a tense relationship with its southern neighbour -- reportedly maintains elite hacker units.

Seoul has accused Pyongyang of staging cyber attacks on websites of major South Korean government agencies and financial institutions in March this year and in July 2009.

Pyongyang rejected those allegations, accusing Seoul of inventing the charges to raise tensions.

In May South Korea said a North Korean cyber attack paralysed operations at one of its largest banks.

Trust and Hardworking – Search engine genie’s way of life

2011-08-01T04:21:00.000-07:00

Our boss Mr.Vijay has been with us throughout the growth period of our company. He has only one style of working. Regardless what we are paid we do quality work for all clients. Search engine genie follows the same principle what Google used to do. We follow don’t be evil policy. Searchenginegenie.com reflects what type of work we do in our company. Search engine genie is not behind money yes we need money to survive in this competitive industry but we don’t care we give best for everyone we work for.

Our quality level remains the same for clients paying 100$ month to 12000$ a month. Everyone is treated the same way. When a client is not happy we do our best to satisfy him with promises that we can deliver the results. 99% of the cases we delivered the results but if a client is not satisfied we offered him more work. One of recent searchenginegenie.com client was not happy with results we immediately offered to work 3 months for free and within a month he was happy with our results. He never asked us to work for free anymore. Search engine genie follows strong quality control principles in working premises. We follow best work ethics and strive to give best customer satisfaction. Working hard is only one side of the story getting the best out of our work is the primary stuff. We do both successfully.

Search engine genie respects client’s privacy. We never disclose our clients unless we get approval from client to be disclosed on our website or used for reference. Certain clients we sign NDA and we never disclose their name online or by any means.

Search engine genie is ever exploring areas to provide best service to customers and bring out ideas that will make this world of internet a successful and wonderful world to be. Search engines are good to people and we at searchenginegenie.com are good to the search engines. Search engine genie prefers it is important to keep a mutual understanding between the search engines and the seo companies. We do our best to achieve 100% approval rating from search engines.

Google social network: The 5 key features of Google+

2011-07-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

Google+ is the tech giant's latest attempt to crack the social network market.

Google+ is the tech giant's latest attempt to break the social network hoodoo that surrounds the company. After the failure of Google Buzz and Wave to garner public support there is a belief that the company may finally have figured out how to do social.

The service allows users to share photos, links and videos with friends, family and acquaintances. The key difference between Google's offering and similar social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, is the user's ability to target their sharing with specific people instead of the default "share with everyone" approach.

"Online sharing is awkward. Even broken. And we aim to fix it," the company said.

Google+ also allows video chat and instant messaging features that allow conversations to be shared with up to ten people at once.

The service is only available to a limited number of people at present but Google intends to open out a public version in the coming months.

IB Times takes a look at the five key features of Google+ as drawn from various news outlets:

1. Circles

Google+ bears more than a passing resemblance to Facebook, users can personalise lists of friends and stream news feeds, according to the Washington Post. The key difference, and one that Google have been quick to identify, is the feature encourages users to group their friends together by category -- eg. school friends, relatives, work colleagues etc. Circles aims to streamline one of Facebook and Twitter's key disadvantages: what we share with close friends doesn't necessarily need to be shared with our boss.

"We found that people already use real-life circles to express themselves, and to share with precisely the right folks. So [...] we brought Circles to software," Google said.

The feature allows the user to assign people to different groups (which only the individual can see) by dragging and dropping their contact card into specific lists.

2. Using the '+'

One of the key features of Google+ is its streamlined approach to online sharing. Google has described the process as "awkward, even broken" and their new network aims to fix that.

Google+ is integrated into the navigation bar at the top of almost all Google products, which allows users to keep track of their Google+ notifications without doubling back to the main Google+ homepage.

A drop-down window on each page allows users to keep track of on-going conversations, post their own comments or do nothing at all.

3. Vertical integration

The company have created a group called the Data Liberation Front that is supposed to make accessing data from Google products even easier.

Previously, moving large amounts of data around a user's apps was painfully slow but with Google+ the entire process has been streamlined.

PC World reports, "clicking on the cog in the upper right hand corner and selecting "Google+ settings" from the social network's home page brings you to a revamped Google Accounts page. From there, you can select the Data Liberation tab. And with just a few clicks you can download data from your Picasa Web Albums, Google profile, Google+ stream, Buzz and contacts."

4. Sparks

Sparks seems to be Google's answer to Twitter -- a means of posting and keeping track of news and content of interest to the user from around the web.

The feature seems to be the least successful aspect of Google+, at least amongst those who are operating the beta version. Users input a list of interests, topics and news stories and 'Sparks' identifies links from individuals and organisations which might be of interest. Currently, the feature doesn't incorporate suggestions from people the user follows, which makes it a less engaging aspect than Google perhaps intended.

5. Hangouts

Although Google+ has been billed as a "Facebook killer", 'Hangouts' seems to be targeting the market currently occupied by Microsoft's latest purchase, Skype.

The feature allows users to pull groups together for a simultaneous video chat.

"Whether it's inside a pub or on a front porch, human beings have always enjoyed hanging out [...] By combining the casual meetup with live multi-person video, Hangouts lets you stop by when you're free, and spend time with your Circles," Google said.

What is Google Plus?

2011-07-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Google's Latest Social Network: Google Plus [PICS]

In this video I introduce the new Google+ social network, give a quick tour of the current functionality and touch on some of the potential implications and possibilities for business owners and website developers.

Android is Google Plus's Edge A Video Tour

How Facebook can topple Google

2011-07-12T02:11:00.000-07:00

Mark Zuckerberg is a man in a hurry. Not even ten days have lapsed since Google announced its social networking product Google Plus, and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg played the master strategy of killing two birds with one stone by announcing the Facebook Skype tieup.

The first one is pretty obvious, of getting close to Google's worst enemy, Microsoft which bought Skype last month, and second, not to be underestimated, to play the role of the kingmaker in the clash of the titans.

The Kingmakers

Let's face it. Facebook can never really be what Microsoft or Google really is. Social networking has its limitations and a peak beyond which it just cannot go. Google and Microsoft have utilitarian enterprise values. Till man exists so will software. Till software exists so will the demand for services provided by companies like Google, Microsoft and others. But in this battle, the Yahoos, Twitters and Facebooks of the world play a very crucial role, that of deciding who wins and who loses or who gets on top and who remains the underdog.

In my last column on Google Plus I had mentioned on how Facebook is the real thorn for Google. Let's understand this better. In the war between Google and Microsoft, guess who supplies the monetary assistance to Google for its ammunition to fight the mightiest software company on this planet Microsoft? It is the advertiser. Google monetizes content through Adsense. The guerrilla attacks on Microsoft by launching free versions of what's cash cow for Microsoft i.e. Operating systems, Word processors and Office tools are all financed by the advertiser. Everything good here. No one even came close to Google in terms of advertising. Google has literally become an advertising Mogul. Problem now is that Facebook is a far far superior platform for advertising. Reason for this is the profiling of users. Based on Geography, Interests, Demographics and the minutest detail no one comes even close to Facebook. They have the masses.

Solving the Revenue Puzzle

Facebook has the masses and the absolutely stunning profiling of its users. In other words, it has the stickiness to attract the advertisers. Google's war ammunition is supplied by the advertisers to fight Microsoft as is its growth. In other words, Google needs Facebook or an equally powerful social networking platform, something it has been trying for years now. Facebook lacks the enterprise appeal for obvious reasons, it has no software or utility value as such. Another crucial element in this battle is the Open Source. If Open Source seems small think of Wordpress, the world's most popular publishing platform or Linux just to get an idea of the power Open Source holds.

Microsoft has been trying to get them in its fold (read my story Microsoft strips to Seduce Linux when it did something unheard of, it opened its source code). For now Open Source is friendly with Google. Apparently, Open Source is one of the foundations for Google's success. Ironically, Google is one of the biggest privacy violators. Coming from the school they do, the least they could have was transparency. Facebook lacks the enterprise appeal and it also doesn't have the support of Open Source. Microsoft, even though shaken by free versions of its cash cows by Google has a solid revenue model which in spite of all pressures and turmoil are here to stay and Microsoft has proved that time and again. Microsoft Office is still the dominant market leader and so is their OS.

Google versus Microsoft is a saga that can be compared to none in the history of enterprise. The turnaround times of new products to outdo each other, new strategies can possibly be termed as some of the best case studies and precedent for future corporate battles. While in the earlier times corporate battles were fought over years or even decades, this is probably the first time a startup, Google, challenged the then mightiest company on earth, Microsoft and in less than 5 years of its launch Google became enemy no. 1 for Microsoft. Not many companies have enjoyed the success Google got so easily. It wasn't competing just on products, Google shook the very foundation on which the software enterprise model was based on. It changed the rules of the game. Facebook did the same for social networking, something Google and Microsoft tried many times but couldn't succeed. Facebook holds power for its mass appeal.

The Bottomline

In simple words, Facebook has the masses. What can hurt Google the most is the advertisers leaving Google for Facebook. The Facebook and Skype association is probably the best missile Microsoft has so far. It's time for some overhauling and clearing of rusted neuro pathways of Google, which did work at one time, if its wants to survive. For now its advantage Microsoft and a huge one at that.

Sachan death

2011-07-12T02:09:00.000-07:00

Sachan's death is murder, not suicide: Report

Contradicting the Uttar Pradesh government's claim that it was a suicide, a judicial probe that went into the mysterious death of Deputy Chief Medical Officer Y S Sachan has concluded that it was prima facie a case of murder.

The report submitted by Chief Judicial Magistrate Rajesh Upadhyaya was presented before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court during the hearing of a PIL seeking a CBI probe into the death.

The CJM had submitted the report to the acting district judge, District Magistrate, Lucknow and SSP yesterday.

Arrested on charges of financial irregularities, Sachan was found dead inside the toilet of Lucknow district jail hospital on the night of June 22.

He was also named as the key conspirator in the murder case of CMO B P Singh in April following the arrest of three shooters hired to kill him.

After Sachan's death, the government and police had initially claimed that he committed suicide. The post mortem report, however, revealed nine injury marks on the body including the neck, elbows, wrists and thigh.

While Sachan's family cried foul and demanded a CBI inquiry, the state government ordered a judicial probe into the incident.

The CJM has recorded the statements of Sachan's wife Malti and brother R K Sachan, besides jail staff and inmates while conducting the judicial probe.

Murder 2

2011-07-12T02:04:00.000-07:00

'Murder 2' is a desperately dark film.

Starring: Emraan Hashmi, Prashant Narayanan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sulagna Panigrahi

Director: Mohit Suri

The sequel to Murder is nothing like the first part of the frenetic franchise. And Jacqueline Fernandez who has been built up in Murder 2 as the next Mallika Sherawat is nothing like the overrated Mallika.Thank God for that! Fernandez exudes an unbridled sunniness even when pouting in the bare minimum. Alas, she doesn't have much to do in Murder 2 except swathe the dark drama in a spot of sunshine.

God knows this film about the devil-unleashed, surprisingly written by a woman (Shagufta Rafique) needs that little of sunshine. It is a desperately dark film. The characters are wretchedly unhappy. No matter which side of the moral line they are positioned they are standing screaming into the abyss that is suburban life. These people need serious help.

This then, is the world Mahesh Bhatt has bequeathed to us. Take it and bleed it.

Director Mohit Suri who earlier took us on a jolting trip through the world of prostitution, pimps and desperate cops in Kalyug takes the same route again. On this occasion the journey is far more ruthless and rigorously implemented to create horror repugnance and hatred for a word that we've created for coming generations.

In the typical Mahesh Bhatt style Murder 2 doesn't waste time in back-projections and story build-up. He goes straight for the kill. With trenchant immediacy director Mohit Suri (back in Kalyug form after the misfire that was his last film Crook) tells us the story of a psychopathic killer who kills prostitutes with the pleasure that makes your stomach churn and look anxiously towards the future about your daughter who is just stepping into the big wide world.

Who knows if the man sitting next to her in the movie theatre is a closet-nutcase with a collection of hacksaws in his house, and not to carve up the Christmas turkey.

Prashant Narayanan as the psychopath plays the character at such an even pitch he makes your blood freeze in fear and revulsion. Here's a man who could be that ghoul who butchered all those kids in the Nethra killings and then ate them up without a burp.

The 'hero' in Murder 2 is a burn-out suspended cop who makes money out of criminals, stays sullen and haunted throughout the film except when he goes for the kiss, and offers his girlfriend a wad of notes after making love. To buy the fridge, he says. Naturally the lady freezes.

Force of habit, we say. Hashmi has done this kind of a role repeatedly. The kissing and vigorous bedroom activities are quickly taken care of in the first 15 minutes. Wouldn't want the lovers of the serial kisser to feel they're being cheated in favour of the serial killer.

The wacked-out killer in Murder 2 doesn't eat his victims. He just cuts them down to sighs and groans and shrieks of pain and records their dying voices to get his rockers off.

The plot seems original. The narration is clenched and the characters driven by a desperate urge to assert themselves before death rings their doorbell.

The savagery with which the college-going call girl (Sulagna Panigrahi) is brought to her gruesome death becomes a metaphor for the loss of innocence and the triumph of diabolism that is often garbed in designer labels these days.

Murder 2 is not a pleasant film to view. The psychopath's killings are done in graphic detail. The storytelling offers no respite from the brutality. Most of the time we are looking at happenings that we would rather not see. But see, we must.

Murder 2 is a mirror of our amoral venomous times when no relationship is sacred anymore. Mohit Suri remains in command of the murky material and traumatized characters. While most episodes hold together in a riveting rhythm of life's most unsavoury truths, the sequences featuring Prashant Naraynan work better than the rest of the film. He lends the proceedings a credibility that is unsettling.

Karunanidhi reaches Tihar jail

2011-06-21T05:42:00.000-07:00

DMK chief to meet Kanimozhi in jail

Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) patriarch M Karunanidhi reached Tihar jail in New Delhi on Tuesday evening to meet his daughter Kanimozhi.

This will be Karunanidhi’s second meeting with Kanimozhi at Tihar jail.

On May 23 evening, the 87-year-old former Tamil Nadu chief minister met his youngest daughter at the Superintendent's office in Tihar jail and spent over one hour with her.

Kanimozhi’s mother Rajathi Ammal, her husband Aravindan and DMK Parlimentary Party leader T.R. Baalu accompanied the DMK chief.

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the bail plea of DMK MP Kanimozhi, forcing her to go back to the Tihar jail where she is lodged since her arrest on May 20 in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

The DMK lawmaker has been asked by the Supreme Court to approach the trial court again for her bail in the case involving rigged sale of telecom licences for 2G spectrum and airwaves to favoured companies by the then telecoms minister A Raja, belonging to her party DMK.

The apex court said she can move the special court for bail for bail under a provision that allows for "leniency for women, children and old people in matters of bail." after the charges are framed by the investigating agency CBI.

Kanimozhi is a stake holder in the Kalaignar TV, which is allegedly one of the beneficiaries of the 2G scam money. She has been chargesheeted as the controlling mind behind the TV company by the CBI.

The CBI has chargesheeted Kanimozhi as a co-conspirator in the scam and for allegedly accepting a Rs 214 crore bribe in the 2G spectrum allocation scandal that saw her party colleague and former Telecoms Minister A Raja going to Tihar jail.

70,000 children infected by HIV in India

2011-06-10T02:23:00.000-07:00

An estimated 70,000 children are infected with HIV in the country and the ailment is caused to most of them by parent-to-child-transmission (PTCT), according to a recent finding by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

Participants of a UNICEF-state AIDS Prevention and Control Society seminar in Kolkata said, quoting NACO estimates, that a small proportion of these children are infected by unsafe injections and blood transfusions.

"UNICEF supports the government in its effort to halt and reverse the HIV/AIDS outbreak in India to reduce the transmission of HIV from infected mothers to their children," the country chief of UNICEF, HIV and AIDS, Ivonne Camaroni told on the sidelines of the seminar on Thursday.

With 21,000 children infected every year through PTCT, the UNICEF wanted to provide strategic supplies of drugs and commodities, improve the capacity of staff by developing innovative communication approaches for prevention and care and helping to improve monitoring and reporting systems.

The possible factors behind infection of children were mother-to-child transmission, blood transfusion and HIV positive mothers not having availed prevention facility during pregnancy, Camaroni said.

Shankar’s Nanban for Deepavali?

2011-06-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

Shankar's Nanban shooting in Endhiran land!

Shankar's much awaited multistarrer Nanban (remake of Aamir Khan's Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots) will reportedly grace theatres this Deepavali.

The film is making brisk progress and the producers have confirmed that it will be a Deepavali 2011 release.

In the film, Vijay will appear as the unorthodox genius Rancchod Das, which was played by Aamir Khan. Jiva and Srikanth will appear as the naïve Farhan Qureshi and Raju Rastogi, which were played by Madhavan and Sharman Joshi respectively. S.J. Suryah will play the role of Chatur (Omi Vaidya). Ileana D'Cruz will appear in the role played by Kareena Kapoor and Sathyaraj will appear as the insensitive professor Virus, played by Boman Irani.

It’s almost confirmed. And only an official announcement has to be made. That ‘Nanban’, the Vijay-Srikanth-Jeeva starrer directed by Shankar, will see the light of the day on the day of lights- Deepavali.

A Tamil remake of Hindi blockbuster ‘Three Idiots’, ‘Nanban’ is busy taking shape in Coimbatore, Ooty, Andaman and Amsterdam. “Most parts of the shoot are over and Shankar will commence post-production soon,” say sources.

It is to be noted here that Shankar would take enough time for post-production since the director would never be ready for any compromise on the end product. “Since this is his first remake, he is putting extra efforts.”

With Ileana playing the role played by Kareena Kapoor in the Hindi original, Sathyaraj is doing the character of a college principal, who is the heroine’s father. Anuya has an important role, that of Ileana’s elder sister.

Shankar’s upcoming ‘Nanban’ needs no introduction among you movie-buffs. The movie is being shot at a full spree, and we had earlier told you that the team flew down to Coimbatore to shoot a few important scenes.

The below image taken at the sets of ‘Nanban’ confirm the earlier suggestions on who plays what role in ‘Nanban.’

Ilaya Thalapathi Vijay doubtlessly, dons the role of the protagonist, earlier played by Aamir Khan as Rancho or Phunsukh Wangdoo. This role is that of a casual college student, who is brainy yet has a cool approach towards life, adding a spark and happiness in the lives of all those around.

What’s interesting is that, we can see in this picture, Jeeva full of finger rings, of course, he plays the role played by Sharman Joshi as Raju Rastogi. One who hails from a poor family and is burdened with the duties of his family’s livelihood, sister’s wedding and is scared to death, does a million poojas, thus, explaining the rings (pleasing the Lords).

Srikanth plays the role earlier played by Madhavan, that of Farhan, one of those young people pushed into engineering for the heck of it, whereas his passion truly lies elsewhere.

What do you film lovers feel about this image? Tell us in here…

Maharastra raises drinking age to 25 yrs

2011-06-02T04:11:00.000-07:00

If you are below 25 you will not be allowed to drink hard liquor anywhere in the state. Fresh restrictions have been imposed on liquor consumption. The legal drinking age for rum, gin, whisky, vodka and country made liquor has been fixed at 25 years.

This decision was taken during state cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said that the "legal drinking age for these hard drinks was 1 years previously".

The legal drinking age for the consumption of mild beer has similarly been fixed at 21 years. The provisions are a part of the government's new de-addiction policy, which was cleared by the cabinet of ministers.

The new policy also includes provisions that allow sale of only two liquor bottles (or 750 ml) a week to one permit holder. Penal action has been proposed for those violating this norm. Citizens will also be required to take permission from the excise department or the local police officials for serving alcohol during public functions, including birthdays and marriage parties.

Action would be taken against those flouting this norm, said Sachin Ahir, minister of state, social justice department, which formulated the policy. The local police station and excise officials will also have powers to revoke the drinking permit and initiate criminal action against someone found creating nuisance after getting drunk at a public function.

The policy also empowers the district collector to declare three additional dry days on "special" occasions apart from the nine statewide dry days. While the state excise department has claimed that most of the provisions, including the revised drinking age limits, had already been incorporated in the act, Shivajirao Moghe, minister, social justice department, said that the new policy would aim to enforce these.

A plan to stop issuance of new permits for liquor shops was shelved following objections raised by other departments. The cabinet agreed to take action against sale on liquor by retired and acting servicemen, who have been allotted shops under government quota.

The government has also decided to retain the norm of disallowing setting up of bars or liquor vends 75 m and 50 m respectively from schools, state government offices, gardens, religious sites, state and national highways in municipal corporation limits and 100m in other areas.

Yeddyurappa wins trust vote

2011-06-02T04:06:00.000-07:00

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has sought trust votes for four times since he led the BJP to victory in the 2008 Assembly poll.

The BJP government in Karnataka headed by B.S. Yeddyurappa on Thursday won confidence vote in the Assembly 119-0 amid a walkout by the Congress and Independents and a boycott by the JD(S).

Law Minister S. Suresh Kumar pressed for division of votes, as Congress members trooped out with Independents following suit. The JD(S) had earlier announced its decision to boycott the ten-day session.

The sudden decision to go in for the trust vote was taken by the BJP Legislature party meeting here on Wednesday apparently to blunt the Opposition campaign against the government and to set at rest speculation about its strength following the recent political turmoil in the State.

The recommendation by Governor H.R. Bhardwaj to impose President’s rule in the wake of Supreme Court striking down the disqualification of 11 BJP rebel MLAs and five Independents was rejected by the Centre.

Mr. Yeddyurappa moved a one-line resolution stating “this House expresses confidence in the ministry led by me” after the House completed obituary references to members and dignitaries who passed away during the inter-session period.

This is the fourth time Mr. Yeddyurappa has sought a trust vote after he led BJP to victory in the 2008 Assembly polls.

Mr. Yeddyurappa, whose party won 110 seats out of 224 and fell short by three numbers for a simple majority, formed the government with the support of six Independents on May 30, 2008.

He proved his majority in the first week of June 2008.

On October 11 2010, Mr. Yeddyurappa faced the floor test under a directive by Mr. Bhardwaj after 16 MLAs, including 11 BJP rebels withdrew support from his government.

Though the trust vote was voice-based, Mr. Bhardwaj rejected it on the ground that the due procedure of head count was not followed.

37 feared killed in Assam bus accident

2011-05-31T02:25:00.000-07:00

Assam wedding bus crash leaves 27 dead

A wedding celebration turned into a mourning in Assam when a bus carrying the groom and 42 more people plunged into a gorge after hitting a wooden bridge, officials said Tuesday.

A total of 37 people have been feared killed, but six survived miraculously.

The accident occurred around 11 p.m. Monday near Charabari village in Kamrup district, about 30 km off Assam's main city of Guwahati.

The bus was on its way from Guwahati to Tihu in Nalbari district.

"The marriage rituals at the bride's home in Tihu were to take place early Tuesday, and the bus was on its way with the groom when the accident took place," Police Officer A. Das said.

The dead included the groom and their relatives.

Rescue workers have so far managed to fish out 28 bodies and efforts are on to recover more bodies.

According to witnesses, the driver failed to notice the wooden bridge without any railings or signposts and the bus plunged into the deep gorge.

"Six people were rescued by locals and admitted to hospitals, while 28 bodies have been recovered so far," the police officer said.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has ordered an enquiry into the accident.

"We have already ordered an enquiry to find out why the wooden bridge had no railings or signposts alerting drivers about the bad condition of the bridge," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.

"Immediate steps are being taken to make a concrete bridge there. Besides, a statewide alert has been sounded to look for such vulnerable bridges that need urgent repair or attention," he added.

Gogoi also announced a compensation of Rs.100,000 each to the next of kin of those killed and Rs.50,000 each to the six injured.

Locals, however, accused the district and police authorities of failing to react promptly after the accident.

"The NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) was informed around 11 p.m. and they arrived at the accident site only around 7 a.m. Tuesday, saying they don't have night vision equipment and hence came in the morning," local community leader Bhabesh Bora told IANS.

7 dead in suicide attack in northern Afghanistan

2011-05-31T02:20:00.000-07:00

Top general wounded, 7 dead in suicide attack in northern Afghanistan

A top coalition general wounded in a suicide attack Saturday in northern Afghanistan -- one that left seven dead and eight others hurt -- said weeks earlier that he'd charged international troops to "show Afghans ... respect," in part to contrast with brazen actions by the likes of the Taliban.

The attack in Taloqan occurred at a high-level meeting of Afghan and coalition officials in a governor's office, a provincial spokesman said. A Taliban spokesman said that the group, whose fight to resume control in Afghanistan has picked up in recent months, was responsible.

Maj. Gen. Markus Kneip, a veteran German office and the regional head of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force across nine provinces of northern Afghanistan, is in stable condition after suffering non-life threatening injuries, a German general said. The provinces border Turkmenistan east to China.

A soldier since 1975, Kneip is also senior commander of all German troops in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, according to a biography on the military alliance's website. He returned in February to the position, which he also held in 2006, leading more than 12,000 coalition troops from 16 countries.

In an April press briefing coordinated by the U.S. Department of Defense, Kneip said he'd noticed a "huge difference" in the coalition commitment to the region compared to five years earlier, saying "we are doubling and tripling our efforts." He also spoke of the "huge burden" placed on coalition troops "to be careful with their actions" in order to win over Afghans.

"We ask them to follow these rules (to) distinguish our actions from the Taliban, who take advantage of children, who take advantage of children, and put (suicide attackers) in, which is a cruel doing," Kneip said, according to a transcript of his answers on the U.S. Department of Defense website.

The attack came at a meeting, held in the governor's office in Taloqan, "to talk about security in this region, especially after the demonstrations in recent days," German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters.

He was referring to a May 18 incident in which German soldiers shot in front of their camp a number of demonstrators -- angry about NATO airstrike that killed four insurgents, including two armed females -- who they allege had become violent.

Provincial government spokesman Faiz Mohammad Tawhidi blamed protesters whom he said threw grenades and "opened fire on protesters and security forces." Two German soldiers and four Afghan guards were injured during the clashes, according to the German military.

"New trust was to be initiated," de Maiziere said of Saturday's meeting.

The meeting attendees included high-ranking authorities from the Afghan National Police, the Afghan National Army and ISAF members, said an interior ministry spokesman, Zemaray Bashari.

In a telephone interview, Taliban spokesman Zabulliah Mojahed said, "Our sacrificed mujahedeen targeted the high-ranking Afghan authorities together with the international forces who were attending a security meeting as advisers and they were planning to launch an operation against the Taliban in the north in this meeting."

"After our mujahedeen found (out) about this meeting, then it was targeted by our suicide bomber," he told CNN from an unknown location.

Two Germans were killed, as was thepolice chief of Takhar province, Shah Jahan Noori; and the regional police chief, Gen. Dawood Dawood, said Faiz Mohammad Tawhidi, a spokesman for provincial Gov. Abdul Jabar Taqwa.

Dawood Dawood was a veteran anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban resistance commander. His roles since the Taliban's ouster include being one of Afghanistan's lead point-persons in trying to stifle the production of opium poppies -- from which the drug heroin is made.

The governor's secretary and two guards were also killed, said Qari Sadiqullah, secretary of the provincial council. Most of the wounded suffered burns, he said.

Taqwa himself was wounded, his spokesman said.So, too, were three German soldiers, according to de Maiziere.

The German general told reporters that Kneip and other commanders had participated Saturday morning in a memorial ceremony for a German soldier who had died Wednesday near Kunduz.

ISAF spokesman Rear Adm. Vic Beck condemned what he called "the senseless murder of these Afghans and coalition members who have fought so hard for the people of Afghanistan.

"ISAF will remain relentless in our support to our Afghan partners to find those responsible and bring them to justice," he said.

The attack came two days after eight U.S. troops died when two improvised explosive devices blew up in Shorabak District, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Kandahar, according to ISAF.

That region -- on the opposite end from where Saturday's attack occurred -- has been the site of a spate of recent violence, after Taliban forces unleashed multiple attacks earlier this month in their so-called spring offensive.

Chennai Super Kings - IPL Champion 2011

2011-05-31T01:54:00.000-07:00

Chennai Super Kings – Where Champions Are Made.

There’s a well known saying that goes, ‘Champions are made, not born’. Chennai Super Kings are a prime example of that adage. Here is a team that comprises of an eclectic mix of players from different cultures, languages and experiences, who when playing under the same banner, manage to win trophies regularly. So, what makes them different from the other 9 teams who can boast of similar compositions?

CSK’s march to their 2^nd consecutive title began well before the first ball of IPL-4 was bowled. When it was announced that two teams were going to be added to the tournament and that there were going to be fresh auctions, CSK and Mumbai Indians might have been the only two teams who would have felt a touch of frustration with the whole thing. It took them three seasons to find a winning balance to their side, and now it looked like they had to start all over again. It was then they made a decision, which not only ensured that three seasons of hard work wouldn’t go to waste, but it also made sure that they would retain a loyal fan base.

It was a simple but effective plan. Retain a maximum of four players, which was allowed according to the rules. Then, in the auctions, fight hard to retain as many CSK players, as possible. Sure enough, after retaining MS Dhoni, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina and Albie Morkel, the management fought hard to get the band back together. There were some notable losses in the likes of Murali and Balaji, but they managed to get some good additions to the squad like Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Suraj Randiv and Scott Styris. The message to the other teams at the end of the auctions was clear – We know what players we want, and we have got them.

That’s why this victory will be special to the team. Each player brought something to the table, and made CSK a winning unit. It is one thing to have all the big names of the sport in a team, but it is completely another matter to forge these talents into one single champion side. At the heart of CSK’s 2^nd IPL triumph, was a core of players who complemented each other’s skills and brought an ‘X’ factor to the side. Here’s a look at the men who brought the title home:

The old warrior

Michael Hussey is all old school. He can identify more with someone like Rahul Dravid than a Chris Gayle. In a tournament featuring some of the world’s finest T20 openers, he stood out for a bloody minded focus on getting the runs through well placed singles and twos, with the occasional big shots. On the field, he can put some of the younger players to shame with his commitment; but his value to the side goes beyond his performance on the ground. In a short time, he has proved to be a major inspiration for the likes of Vijay and Badrinath, who have benefitted from his experience and insight. That’s what sets him apart in the side – a selfless player who when not winning matches of his blade, inspires others to do the same.

The young tyro

Murali Vijay can be one of those infuriating bunch of players, who will perform well in the IPL, but when it comes to the international scene, fail to find that same consistency; but when he does perform, he does so in style. He was a major part of CSK’s revival in the last season and played a winning hand in the Champions League victory as well. This season, he had a stop-start kind of tournament with some fine knocks interspersed throughout the last 8 weeks; but when it came to the big day, he raised his game again. While everyone was waiting for fireworks from Dhoni or Gayle, Vijay stole the show with his trademark big hits and intelligent running with Hussey. With that tournament winning innings, he repaid the management for their faith in retaining him before the auctions, and also served notice to others, that he is still one of the finer openers in the country.

The Talent

Suresh Raina is not nicknamed ‘the Talent’ for nothing. One of the finest young batsmen in the world, he is the only batsmen to rack up more than 400 runs in each of the IPLs so far. He can bat, bowl, field and if needed, step in as captain too. After a slow start in the early part of the tournament, he managed to strike a semblance of consistency towards the end, culminating in a blistering knock against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first play-off which sealed CSK’s place in the final. In addition to all these, he brings much more to the side. If Dhoni is the head, Raina is the heart of the team. Players love to talk about ‘enjoying each others’ success’; Raina embodies it. When an opposition wicket falls, watch out for Raina. Within seconds, he will be all over the bowler or fielder, hugging them or ruffling their hair, and just lifting the spirit of the squad in a general sense. Now that he is the stand in captain for the ODI team in the tour to West Indies, be prepared for more of it.

The crisis specialist

Subramaniam Badrinath is the Michael Hussey of Indian cricket. He has spent a decade scoring mountains of runs in the domestic circuit, hoping for a prolonged run in the national side. While his chances have been limited due to the wealth of talent, he remains as one of the integral members of the Super Kings. While the team got off to a mixed start in the early part of the tournament, Badri remained as the one consistent run getters in the side with as many as five half centuries, which is the most in this season. His value comes to the fore, when CSK is in a bit of bother; he strides in, strokes the ball around elegantly and props up the score. On the field, he is fully committed, diving around, plucking catches and effecting run-outs. For all his efforts in this tournament and the domestic circuit in the past year, he has been rewarded with a trip to the West Indies. He has proved that if you try just hard enough, and refuse to quit, you will get your just rewards.

The Master

It will be an understatement to say that MS Dhoni is having a good year. He entered this year’s IPL fresh off winning the World Cup of his own blade, and proceeded to prove that he has still got the Midas touch. In the very first game against the Kolkata Knight Riders, he won the game with some sharp captaincy; and throughout the rest of the tournament, he chipped in with some typically bruising knocks and remained safe behind the stumps; but it is his leadership which makes him a vital part of CSK. His ability to stay calm and think logically under pressure ensures that CSK is always one step ahead of the opposition, and his team mates are secure in the knowledge that no matter how dire the situation may be for them, they got one of the world’s finest skippers who’s got their back. If CSK are to become the Manchester United of cricket, according to R Ashwin’s hopes, MS Dhoni remains the best bet of making that happen.

The jack of all trades

Albie Morkel might not be in the radar of the South African selectors, but when it comes to CSK, he is the resident all-rounder of the side. With the ball, he is a steady new ball operator who can get crucial wickets or keep the run rate down. With the bat, he provides firepower along with Dhoni, which is a major reason why the openers don’t have to always go slam-bang at the start of the innings. Of all the foreign players in the squad, he is the one constant from season one who has proved his value to the side time and again. For CSK to remain a potent force in the coming years, he will be expected to be a vital cog in the team’s fortunes.

The tweaker

Ravichandran Ashwin might be the only bowler in the world, who could make a cut-throat gesture to Gayle and get away with it. He can also lay claim to being the only bowler who managed to keep the big Jamaican quiet and get his wicket as an added bonus; but his importance to the side goes beyond just one scalp. In the span of two years, he has shot to prominence as one of India’s finest spinners in the shorter formats, if not the finest; and he’s got the IPL to thank for it. While he was known around the domestic circuit as a canny off spinner, the IPL gave him the chance to showcase his skills in front of a wider audience and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He played major roles in CSK’s resurgence in the last season and the Champions League triumph. To prove that he is not a one-season wonder, he maintained the same degree of control and skill throughout this tournament which culminated in a match winning performance in the final; and this was after a potentially life threatening blow to his head in the play-off game. In this manner, he has proved that even without Murali, CSK has a classy off spinner to spearhead their attack.

The fast and furious

Doug Bollinger was not really a household name in India, when he made his debut for CSK midway through last season. Since then, he has come a long way, establishing himself as a fan favorite among the legions of CSK fans, and led the bowling attack with venom, which has been vital to all three triumphs of the Super Kings over the last year. Till he came on to the scene for CSK, it was well known that the team was light in the bowling department; now along with Ashwin, Morkel, Bravo and Jakati, he is part of a well rounded attack which ensures CSK’s dominance in all forms of their game. Whether it is at the start of the innings or at the death, Doug the Rug is hard to get away, and that’s why he is CSK’s most valuable pace bowler.

So, there you have it. These players along with the likes of Saha, Srikkanth, Bravo, Jakati and the others are the reasons why CSK are such a good side. Apart from their own skills as players, they have learnt quickly, how to complement each other and play together as a winning team. While the IPL’s brief history has seen turmoil and upheavals when it comes to other teams, it is nice to see that one team atleast in on its way to establishing itself as one of the finest cricket teams in the world.

Bring on the Champions League!

Bipasha Basu detained at the Mumbai Airport

2011-05-27T02:27:00.000-07:00

Bipasha Basu detained by Mumbai customs department

After Minnisha Lamba, it was actor Bipasha Basu's turn to be intercepted by Customs officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Thursday.

Basu, who was returning from London, was asked to pay Rs 12,000 as duty after undeclared goods, including sun-glasses, shoes and perfumes worth Rs 65,000 was found in her bags.

“She was not detained. She was asked to pay duty and let off,” said Additional Commissioner, Customs, Mahendra Pal.

“She was going through the green channel. The value of the goods was not significant enough, so we just asked her to pay duty and let her go,” said a Customs official at the airport.

Last week, Lamba ran into trouble with the Customs after she was found to be carrying undeclared diamond jewellery worth Rs 31 lakh.

Pakistan suicide bomb attack

2011-05-27T02:20:00.000-07:00

35 killed in northwest Pakistan suicide bomb attack

The death toll in a devastating suicide car bomb attack in northwest Pakistan on Friday rose to 36 as more bodies were pulled out of the rubble of buildings that collapsed when the attacker detonated his explosives-laden vehicle in a congested area of Hangu city.

Two more bodies were retrieved from the debris today, officials in Hangu said. At least 10 policemen were among the dead.

Over 50 people were injured in the deadly attack carried out by the Pakistani Taliban to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden in a US raid on May 2.

The bomber detonated his explosives near several government offices and a court complex in the heart of Hangu city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Masood Afridi said an estimated 450 kg of explosives was used in the attack.

The condition of several of the injured is critical and officials said they feared the death toll may rise further.

The powerful blast severely damaged several government buildings, including the offices of the district police chief and the district administration chief.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan accepted responsibility for this attack in phone calls to reporters.

He warned the Taliban would soon carry out "bigger attacks" as revenge for bin Laden's killing.

Cities across Pakistan have witnessed a string of deadly attacks in the wake of the al-Qaida chief's death.

Blind ‘can develop bat-like sonar’

2011-05-27T02:09:00.000-07:00

In ray of hope for the blind, a research has found that visually challenged people can develop “sonar”, that is, learning to navigate like bats by “seeing” objects from sounds reflected off them.

It’s well-known that bats use a biological version of sonar, called echolocation, to find their way around at night.

That blind humans could do it too was suspected but not known. Now, Canadian researchers have proved that they can.

Intriguingly, they did so by using a part of the brain normally involved in processing visual images. They discovered this by carrying out brain scans on two male volunteers, aged 43 and 27, who had both been blind since childhood.

Each was asked to stand outside and try to perceive different objects such as a car, a flag pole and a tree by making clicking noises and then picking up their very faint echoes. Tiny microphones were placed in the volunteers’ ears to record the outgoing and incoming sounds.

The men later had these sounds played back to them, while their brain activity was monitored using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. During playback, they were able to identify which object was which from the echoes.

The fMRI scans showed that these echoes were being processed by brain regions normally used to process visual information; no echo-related activity was seen in the auditory brain areas, which would be expected to process sound, ‘The Daily Telegraph’ reported.

The 43-year-old, who’s lost his sight earlier, performed better. His eyes were removed at 13 months due to a rare cancer called retinoblastoma. The same test on sighted people showed no ability to echolocate, and no echo-related activity in their visual brain regions.

Dr Mel Goodale from the University of Western Ontario, led the study, said: “It is clear that echolocation enables blind people to do things that are otherwise thought to be impossible without vision, and in this way it can provide blind and vision-impaired people with a high degree of independence in their daily lives.”

The study has been published in the ‘Public Library of Science One’ journal.

Rupee gains 12 paise versus dollar

2011-05-27T02:04:00.000-07:00

The Indian rupee gained another 12 paise to Rs. 45.18 per US dollar in early trade on Friday on sustained selling of dollars by banks and exporters amid dollar weakness overseas and firm domestic equity markets.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange, the domestic unit opened higher at 45.19/20 per dollar as against Thursday’s closing level of 45.30/32 per dollar and improved further to 45.18 before quoting at 45.24/25 per dollar at 10.30 a.m.

It hovered in a range between 45.18 and 45.25 per dollar in morning deals.

Sustained selling of dollars by banks and exporters amid dollar weakness overseas and firm equity markets mainly boosted the rupee value against the dollar, a forex dealer said.

The euro rose against the dollar yesterday on the back of a report that China and other Asian investors are interested in buying Portuguese bailout bonds.

Meanwhile, oil was higher in Asian trade today as the U.S. currency weakened against the euro, boosting investor appetite for dollar-priced commodities, including crude, analysts said.

New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for July delivery, gained 29 cents to $100.52 a barrel.

IIT-JEE results 2011

2011-05-25T02:35:00.000-07:00

IIT-JEE 2011 results declared

The much awaited results of Joint Entrance Exam-2011 for admissions to various courses in the 15 IITs, IT-BHU and ISM Dhanbad were declared by Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur on Wednesday at 8 am.

This year IIT-Kanpur was the nodal agency for conducting the Joint Entrance Exam. A total of 4,68,240 candidates appeared in JEE-2011 out of which 13,602 candidates have been declared qualified to seek admission for 9618 seats in the IITs.

Immadi Prudhvi Tej (Registration no. 6076440) who appeared in JEE from IIT-Madras zone has topped this year's All India list of successful candidates.

While Shubham Mehta of IIT-Bombay zone bagged the second position in the merit list, Archit Gupta of IIT-Kanpur zone got 14th position and is almsot the zone topper.

Dravyansh Sharma with AIR 7 has topped the IIT-Delhi zone. Amol with AIR 41 has been declared as the topper of the IIT-Guhawati zone. Ankit Jalan with AIR 45 and Kunal Chawala with AIR 6 have topped IIT-Kharagpur and IIT-Roorkee zone respectively.

Among girls, this year 1,491 students could qualify. A total of 1,08,647 girls had appeared in JEE-2011.

Janga Varun of IIT-Madras zone has secured AIR 9 in JEE-2011 and is the country topper in the OBS category. Similarly, Ashish Sonone with AIR 718 is the country topper in the SC category. Banoth Ramakrishna with AIR 77 and Pratyush Nalam with AIR 408 are the toppers ST and PD (Physical Disable) categories.

Indian Maoists killed 10 policemen

2011-05-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Nine Indian police 'killed, mutilated 'by Maoists

Suspected Maoist rebels killed at least nine Indian policemen and then mutilated their bodies in a gruesome attack in the eastern state of Orissa, a top police officer said on Tuesday.

The policemen from Raipur, the capital of the neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh, had gone on an anti-Maoist sweep through a remote and forested area near the border with Orissa before coming under attack.

"Police have recovered the bodies of nine security personnel from the gunbattle site and all have been mutilated by the Maoists," a spokesman for Chhattisgarh police, Rajesh Mishra, told AFP.

"The Maoists have done this to create terror among the forces," he added.

A search party has been sent out to try to find a 10th member of the team whose whereabouts are unknown, he said.

Raipur police chief Mukesh Gupta and other police sources told AFP that the victims were ambushed when they were returning from their mission in a tractor after their police jeep had broken down in the forest.

The attack took place 40 kilometres (25 miles) inside Orissa in Nuapada district, about 175 kilometres from Raipur.

On other occasions in the past, the Maoists have either mutilated the bodies or tied land mines on them to frighten other police involved in the fight against the insurgents.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh condemned the attack and told reporters that "the mutilation of bodies has exposed the real face of the left-wing extremists."

The Maoist movement, which began in 1967, feeds off land disputes, police brutality and corruption, and is strongest in the poorest and most deprived areas of India, many of which are rich in natural resources.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the insurgency India's main internal security threat and has urged state governments to increase welfare measures, especially in Maoist-hit regions, to help counter the ultra-leftists.

Some 171 suspected left-wing guerrillas were killed last year along with 713 civilians in Maoist-linked violence compared to the previous year's tally of 591. A total of 285 policemen also died in 2010.

More girls being aborted selectively

2011-05-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

Selective abortion of girls in India prevented about 4.2 to 12.1 million girls from being born between 1980 and 2010, with the largest number of girls being aborted in the 1990s decade, a latest survey has shown.

Selective abortion of girls, especially for pregnancies after a first born girl, has increased substantially in India. Most of India’s population now live in States where selective abortion is common, says the study “Trends in selective abortions of girls in India: analysis of nationally representative birth histories from 1990 to 2005 and census data from 1991 to 2011’’ published in the latest edition of The Lancet.

The 2011 census has revealed about there were 7.1 million fewer girls than boys aged 0-6 years, a substantial increase in the gap of 6 million fewer girls recorded in the 2001 census and 4.2 million fewer girls recorded in the 1991 census. These declines in girl to boy ratios are larger in better-educated and in richer households than in illiterate and poorer households, and now imply that 90 per cent people in India live in States where selective abortion of girls is common.

In the study, the authors analysed census data to determine absolute numbers of selective abortions and examined over 250,000 births from national surveys to estimate differences in the girl-boy ratio for second births in families in which the first born child had been a girl. The Lancet article is written by Prof. Prabhat Jha, Centre for Global Health Research, Dalla Lala School of Public Health, University of Toronto and colleagues from India including the former Registrar-General of India, D. Jayant K. Banthia.

The study has found that this girl-boy ratio fell from 906 girls per 1000 boys in 1990 to 836 in 2005: an annual decline of 0.52 per cent. Declines were much greater in mothers with 10 or more years of education than in mothers with no education, and in wealthier households compared with poorer households. But, if the first child had been a boy, there was no fall in the girl-boy ratio for the second child over the study period, strongly suggesting that families particularly those that are more wealthy and educated, are selectively aborting girls if their first born child I also a girl.

After adjusting for excess mortality rates in girls, the authors ranges estimates the number of selective abortions of girls rose from 0-2.0 millions in the 1980s, 1.2-4.1 million in the 1990s, and to 3.1-6.0 million in the 2000s. Each 1 per cent decline in child sex ratio at 0-6 year age implied between 1.2 and 3.6 million more selective abortions of girls.

The authors point out that between 2001 and 2011 censuses, more than twice the number of Indian districts showed declines in the child sex ratio compared to districts with no change or increases. They also point out that a Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act in 1996 to prevent the misuse of techniques for the purpose of prenatal sex determination has been effective nationally but a reliable monitoring and reporting of sex ratios by birth order in each district could be a reasonable part of any effort to curb the growth of selective abortions of girls,’’ the paper recommends.

Spy agency 'planned' Mumbai attack

2011-05-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

PAKISTAN government's spy agency was involved in planning the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, a US court has heard.

David Coleman Headley, a US-Pakistani who has already pleaded guilty to helping plan the massacre, told a Chicago court Pakistan's notorious Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) supported the Kashmir-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba and ''co-ordinated'' with the banned militants in the lead-up to the attacks in India's largest city.

Headley's evidence compounds the embarrassment for Pakistan's military over a massive security failure on Sunday night when more than a dozen Taliban militants stormed a naval base in Karachi, killing 10 security personnel.

In November 2008, militants stormed Mumbai by boat, launching at least 10 co-ordinated attacks. They laid siege to the city for more than 60 hours, killing 166 people.

Headley was giving evidence in the trial of his childhood friend Tahawwur Rana, who is accused of helping him conduct surveillance ahead of the attacks, as well as aiding a plot to bomb a Danish newspaper for publishing cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.

Rana has pleaded not guilty. Headley agreed to testify in exchange for prosecutors not seeking the death penalty.

Headley joined Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2001 and was taught hand-to-hand combat at training camps. He told the court Lashkar-e-Taiba and ISI regularly ''co-ordinated''. He said a ''navy frogman'' from Pakistan attended a planning meeting for the Mumbai attacks and he identified a co-defendant previously only known as ''Major Iqbal'' as a member of ISI.

''They co-ordinated with each other. The ISI provided assistance to Lashkar … financial and military,'' Headley said.

The possibility of ISI's involvement in the Mumbai attacks was raised in diplomatic cables sent from the US embassy shortly after the attacks, WikiLeaks has revealed. But Pakistan has rejected the allegations. ''ISI and serving officers did not provide support to David Headley, and ISI had nothing to do with the Mumbai attacks. David was a double agent, he is not a credible witness,'' a Pakistani embassy spokesman said in Washington.

In Karachi, the armed insurgents breached the supposedly secure military compound using only two ladders and held off troops in a gunfight for more than 17 hours, blowing up two P-3C Orion surveillance planes.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the militants apparently knew about a gap in the coverage of two security cameras, and chose that location to get inside.

Four militants died in the subsequent siege - three were shot and one blew himself up - and another two were believed to have escaped, he said.

Displaying pictures of the dead attackers, Mr Malik called on Pakistanis to unite against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

''I regret that some of us believe they are our friends and are praying for them. I appeal to the nation to consider who is the real enemy,'' he said.

Speculation continues over the fate of the Taliban's spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, who was reported killed in the country.

While Taliban spokesmen have dismissed the reports by an Afghan TV station yesterday as ''pure propaganda'', Mullah Omar, the de facto head of state of the Taliban's ''Islamic emirate'' in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, is, at least, missing.

9 million users connect to 3G in 4 months

2011-05-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

As many as 9 million consumers have taken a third generation (3G) mobile connection since the services were launched in the country four months ago.

This number assumes significance when one considers that there are only 11 million wireline broadband customers till date.

The leader of the 3G pack is Bharti Airtel with 3 million subscribers followed by Tata DoCoMo with 1.5 million users. Idea Cellular, Vodafone and BSNL have over a million 3G customers each. Reliance Communications did not give out its numbers but sources said that it also has close to a million 3G connections. “The initial trend clearly shows that 3G is giving a boost to broadband uptake in the country. Wireless is the way forward,” said Mr Alok Shende, Principal Analyst, Ascentius Consulting.

The initial numbers have added up despite the poor quality of service being experienced by consumers. While 3G is expected to give data speeds of about 500-600 kbps, consumers across the country are complaining of frequent call drops, poor speeds and erratic connectivity as operators have not yet fully set up their networks. “There is no excuse for operators to offer poor 3G connectivity given that technology is available to them.

The initial uptake shows that there is a huge pent-up demand for broadband and operators should use that opportunity. At present, they are not even doing personalised marketing to high-end consumers who already have a 3G handset,” said Mr Kunal Bajaj, Director of technology advisory firm Analysys Mason. Another issue is the high cost of roaming. Most operators are charging as much as Rs 15 per MB of data even if the subscriber is roaming on the same network.

But operators say that these are only teething troubles and they are well on their way to meet the target of 100 million 3G connections by 2015 as projected by analysts. Mr Shireesh Joshi, Chief Marketing Officer -Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said, “The initial response from customers has been overwhelming - but we believe the revolution has just begun. The game changing differentiator for 3G in India will be content and services and not price points.”

Taliban denies reports of Mullah Omar's death

2011-05-23T03:39:00.000-07:00

Taliban denies reports of Mullah Omar's death

A spokesman says the fugitive Taliban leader is alive in Afghanistan. There is no confirmation of reports by several media outlets that he died in Pakistan.

A Taliban spokesman on Monday vehemently denied a swirl of rumors that the movement's spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, had died or been killed.

The spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said by telephone that Omar -- the one-eyed, self-declared "commander of the faithful" who has long been thought to be hiding in Pakistan -- was alive and well in Afghanistan, directing the group's military campaign.

Nonetheless, the wildfire-like spread of the reports -- aided by social media such as Twitter -- reflected the intense degree of speculation surrounding Omar's fate, which has dramatically heightened since Navy SEALs killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden three weeks earlier in his Pakistan hideout.

A spokesman for Afghanistan's main intelligence service, Lutfullah Mashal, told the Associated Press that he had information that Omar had been moved from Pakistan's Baluchistan province -- the seat of the Taliban leadership council known as the Quetta shura -- to the North Waziristan tribal agency, with the knowledge of former Pakistani intelligence chief Hamid Gul. The news service said Gul denied the allegation.

Afghanistan's Tolo television took it a step further, citing unidentified sources in the country's National Directorate of Security, or NDS, as saying Omar had been killed while in the process of being moved within Pakistan.

Nearly a decade ago, in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, Omar defied Western demands to hand over Bin Laden, instead providing him shelter. Both men then became the subject of international manhunts, with multimillion-dollar bounties on their heads.

Omar fled on the back of a motorbike into the mountains outside Kandahar, at the time the Taliban's base of operations, and was thought to have made his way across the border to Pakistan. Bin Laden was tracked to the mountains of Tora Bora, in eastern Afghanistan, but he too slipped away.

Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, called reports of Omar's death propaganda meant to shake the confidence of the group's fighters in the field. Since Bin Laden's death, the movement has also dismissed reports that its leadership had entered into talks aimed at beginning peace negotiations with the West or the government of President Hamid Karzai.

Officials with NATO's International Security Assistance Force said they were aware of reports of Omar's death, which surfaced Monday morning on Pakistani television and were picked up by several other news outlets.

"There is certainly a great temptation to start giving comments on this, or getting into speculation, but this is not what I am going to do here now, because what we really need, of course, is a confirmation on what has really happened," ISAF spokesman Brig. Gen. Josef Blotz told reporters in Kabul.

"We need to wait," he said.

The revelation that, at the time of the SEALs' raid, Bin Laden had been living for about five years in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad revived longstanding anger in Afghanistan over Pakistan's presumed sheltering of other militant figures.

Despite Pakistan's furious public protests that the U.S. raid violated its sovereignty, President Obama told the BBC this week that the United States would act again if it had reason to think another senior terrorist leader was hiding on Pakistani soil.

Pakistan naval base siege ends

2011-05-23T03:34:00.000-07:00

16 die as Pakistan naval base siege ends

Pakistani security forces Monday ended a 15-hour siege here of a key naval base that terrorists stormed overnight, sparking fierce battles that left 16 people dead, officials said.

The dead included 12 security personnel and four of the attackers who exploded themselves at PNS Mehran naval base in one of the worst and most aduacious of terror attacks in Pakistan in recent times.

Four terrorists were arrested, media reports said. The attack targeted P-3C Orion aircraft, two of which were destroyed.

The terrorists reportedly took hostage a number of people, including Chinese military personnel. Their fate was not immediately known.

A large number of terrorists, their number estimated between 10 and 25, stormed the base Sunday night, Xinhua reported citing local media reports. They were armed with automatic weapons, rocket launchers and grenades.

The mayhem began in no time as the armed men scattered in the complex with one aim: kill and destroy.

Over 20 bomb explosions quickly shook the otherwise heavily-guarded naval facility Sunday night.

Four equally powerful blasts were also heard at the nearby air force base. Television footage showed thick smoke billowing from the area.

Fierce gunfights raged through the night as reinforcements of security forces rushed to the base.

The Pakistani Taliban, which is opposed to Islamabad's pro-US policies, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, Xinhua said.

At one point, the terrorist retreated into a building within the base holding hostages as human shield to fight back the navy commandos, Rangers and security personnel.

Pakistani commandos supported by helicopters battled the terrorists.

Four militants who had camouflaged themselves in dark outfits were arrested, Geo News reported.

After 15 hours of intermittent fighting, the security forces managed to regain control of the complex, BBC reported.

A police official said 12 security personnel were killed.

The terror attack comes within three weeks of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's killing May 2 in Abbottabad by US commandos. The Taliban had vowed retaliation.

Earlier reports said four foreigners were killed. They were believed to be US engineers working at the air force base.

But a spokesperson from the US consulate denied the report.

It was the third militant attack on the navy in Karachi in a month.

At least five people were killed and 18 injured in a bombing of a Pakistan Navy bus here April 28, two days after twin blasts blew up two naval buses killing four people.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack.

On May 13, Pakistani Taliban suicide bombers blew themselves up near a paramilitary training centre in Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing over 80 newly-trained personnel.

Last week, a Saudi consulate official was gunned down in Karachi.

2G scam

2011-05-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

2G scam: Morani's bail plea dismissed

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here Monday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Cineyug Films' founder Karim Morani, named as co-conspirator in the 2G spectrum allocation scam , and asked him to appear before the court Tuesday.

Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini said: "Morani's bail application is dismissed. He will have to appear before the court tomorrow at 10 a.m."

Morani had been exempted from personal appearance in court due to ill-health.

The CBI's first chargesheet April 2 had named, besides former communication minister A. Raja, former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa, Raja's aide R.K. Chandolia, Swan Telecom's Vinod Goenka, Unitech's Sanjay Chandra and three executives of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group: Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara.

In its April 25 supplementary chargesheet, the CBI named DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar as co-conspirators after it traced an illegal money trail of Rs.214 crore in the scam.

The supplementary chargesheet also named Karim Morani as well as Asif Balwa and Rajiv B. Aggarwal of Kusegaon Realty.

Except for Morani and Pipara, who is in judicial custody at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, all those named in the CBI chargesheets are in Tihar Jail.

Iceland volcano ash to hit UK by Tuesday

2011-05-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

Ash cloud moves towards UK airspace

Ash from Iceland's Grimsvotn volcano expected to affect Heathrow by the end of the week

Airlines and airports have been warned to expect ash from an erupting Icelandic volcano to arrive in UK airspace by Tuesday, with the possibility that it could affect Heathrow by the end of the week.

Europe's air traffic control organisation, Eurocontrol, told airlines and airports on Monday that particles from the Grimsvotn volcano could reach Scotland by 1am on Tuesday and southern England by Thursday or Friday, depending on wind direction.

An aviation industry source said if the volcano continues to erupt at same intensity ash cloud could reach the west of the UK on Thursday or Friday, but the Met Office has low confidence in the forecast because of a prevailing low pressure system.

However, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was confident that a new Europe-wide safety regime introduced after the Eyjafjallajokull eruption last year would reduce disruption significantly and avoid the continental shutdown that stranded millions.

Under previous guidelines, aeroplanes were summarily grounded if there was any volcanic ash in the air. Now, airlines can fly through ash plumes if they have a safety case demonstrating that their fleets can handle medium or high-level densities of ash.

A CAA spokesman said most major airlines already have safety cases for medium-density ash clouds.

"We are in a much better position than last time," he said. "Safety will still be paramount but we will be able to drastically reduce disruption compared to last time, provided there is not a huge amount of high-density ash." The spokesman said a similar level of ash to the Eyjafjallajokull incident would not result in a mass-grounding. "It will be a different picture."

BAA, the owner of Heathrow, Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, has convened a crisis support team to prepare for a reduction in flights, as airlines and airports await a further briefing from National Air Traffic Services (Nats). "We are working closely with the CAA and Nats in preparing contingency plans if ash enters UK airspace," it said.

Under the new ash guidelines, cloud densities are split into three levels: low; medium; and high. Once Nats assigns a particular density of ash to a section of airspace, airlines must prove that they have the safety case to fly through it. A low density cloud is 2g of ash per ten cubic metres of air, with medium being 2g to 4g of ash per ten cubic metres of air. Anything above 4g is deemed high density.

The Grimsvotn volcano began erupting on Sunday, causing flights to be cancelled at Iceland's main Keflavik airport after it sent a plume of ash smoke and steam 12 miles (19km) into the air. Experts have said the eruption was unlikely to have the dramatic impact that the Eyjafjallajokull volcano had in April 2010.

"At the moment if the volcano continues to erupt to the same level it has been, and is now, the UK could be at risk of seeing volcanic ash later this week," said Helen Chivers, Met Office spokeswoman. "Quite when and how much we can't really define at the moment."

Chivers said the weather situation is set to be different to last year, with the wind direction set to change continuously.

She added: "If it moves in the way that we're currently looking, with the eruption continuing the way it is, then if the UK is at risk later this week, then France and Spain could be as well."

While the ash has grounded aircraft in Iceland, it is not anticipated that it will have a similar impact in the rest of Europe.

Dr Dave McGarvie, volcanologist at the Open University, said that the amount of ash reaching the UK "is likely to be less than in the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption", and said the last two times Grimsvotn erupted it did not affect UK air travel.

"In addition, the experience gained from the 2010 eruption, especially by the Met Office, the airline industry, and the engine manufacturers, should mean less disruption to travellers."

The April eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, in south-east Iceland, caused the worst disruption to international air travel since 9/11. Flights across Europe were cancelled for six-days stranding tens of thousands of people and was estimated to have cost airlines £130m a day.

Eurocontrol said in a statement: "There is currently no impact on European or transatlantic flights and the situation is expected to remain so for the next 24 hours. Aircraft operators are constantly being kept informed of the evolving situation."

Deadly tornado ravages Missouri

2011-05-23T03:14:00.000-07:00

A massive tornado has cut a deadly swath through a Missouri city, turning homes into rubble, destroying the local high school, ripping huge chunks out of a hospital and reportedly killing at least 24 people.

The tornado, which struck the city of Joplin near the border with Oklahoma and Kansas, was the deadliest of 46 tornadoes reported to the National Weather Service in seven American states on Sunday.

Asked about a report that 24 people had died, Joplin city spokeswoman Lynn Onstot said grimly that officials were "afraid it may be more", the Associated Press reported.

"Our fear is that's a low number," she said.

"It's a warzone," Scott Meeker from the Joplin Globe newspaper told Agence France-Presse.

"We've got hundreds of wounded being treated at Memorial Hall (hospital) but they were quickly overwhelmed and ran out of supplies so they've opened up a local school as a triage centre."

People clawed through the rubble looking for friends, family and neighbours after the late afternoon storm tore buildings apart and turned cars into crumpled heaps of metal.

Flames and thick black smoke poured out of the wreckage of completely unrecognisable homes and water gushed out of broke pipes as shocked survivors surveyed the damage, early photos showed.

A tangled medical helicopter lay in the rubble outside St John Regional Medical Center, which took a direct hit.

The hospital staff had just a few moments' notice to hustle patients into hallways before the storm struck the multi-storey building, blowing out hundreds of windows and leaving the facility useless.

Triage centres and shelters were set up around the city of about 50,000 people, which is about 260 kilometres south of Kansas City.

Emergency management officials rushed heavy equipment to Joplin to help lift debris and clear the way for search and recovery operations.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated National Guard troops, and US President Barack Obama sent condolences to families of those who died in storms in Joplin and across the Midwest.

The same storm system that produced the Joplin tornado sparked tornadoes from Oklahoma to Wisconsin.

At least one person was killed in Minneapolis. But the devastation in Missouri appeared to be the worst of the day, eerily reminiscent of the tornadoes that killed more than 300 people across the US south last month.

"You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing. That's really what it looked like," said Kerry Sachetta, the principal of a flattened Joplin High School.

"I couldn't even make out the side of the building. It was total devastation in my view. I just couldn't believe what I saw."

Onstot said the twister was on the ground for nearly six kilometres.

It hit the hospital and a commercial area including a construction store, numerous smaller businesses and restaurants and a grocery store.

An untold number of homes were destroyed and reduced to ruin.

The emergency manager at the neighbouring county of Springfield-Greene County was told at least 24 people were killed before he rushed over to help, a spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse.

With many phones down in the area, it was difficult to get further confirmation.

"It's so devastating we can't even grasp it at this point," Rob Chappel of the Jasper County coroner's office told AFP.

"We're still trying to rescue victims that are still trapped. With it being so dark and no electricity, everyone has underestimated how much is just gone."

Chappel said authorities probably wouldn't know the exact death toll before late Monday at the earliest.

Governor Nixon warned that the storms were not finished.

"These storms have caused extensive damage across Missouri, and they continue to pose significant risk to lives and property" Nixon said in a statement late Sunday.

"As a state, we are deploying every agency and resource available to keep Missouri families safe, search for the missing, provide emergency medical care, and begin to recover," he added.

President Barack Obama sent his "deepest condolences" to victims and said the national government stood ready to help Americans as needed.

Patio Misters

2011-05-20T03:22:00.000-07:00

Working Principle of the Patio Misters

Patio misting systems adopt the principle of evaporative cooling method and are known to reduce the temperature by around 30 degrees. To obtain the full cooling effect, the patio mister

has to be installed at least 10 feet off the ground. Due to this height, the patio misting system would also get a sufficiently wide coverage.

Using mist nozzles and a high pressure water pump, tiny water drops are generated and sprayed over the area to be cooled. Interestingly, the place does not get wet nor does it leave any moisture residue on the furniture or any other equipment located in the area.

The main operating principle of the system may be called as flash evaporation. It is produced by an interaction of the water droplets caused by the misting nozzles and the pressure at which the mist is being produced. Obviously, it is the misting nozzles that are chiefly responsible for making the flash evaporation possible.

Water is dispersed flowing via the misting nozzles using a water line close to the patio area. The position of the mist line systems can be anywhere as long as the chosen area has a water source nearby.

The misting fans oscillate and keep continuously spraying a fine mist to a distance of 5 or 6 feet in front of the system, totally drying the atmosphere and cooling the air temperature - producing the effect of a powerful air conditioner. However, you have the choice to allow the fan to oscillate or keep in a fixed direction.

The low pressure patio misting system kit is available in the market and the kit comprises of a mist line, a filter to prevent clogging, misting nozzles, a closure valve, clips for mounting and connecting hose. Make it a point to buy brass misting nozzles as they are durable and trouble-free and also easier to clean. You need to take extra care when purchasing the nozzles as the nozzle is the most critical part.

It is the quality of the nozzle that determines the effectiveness and durability of the entire patio misting systems. The mist lines are however available in varying lengths and you can select the appropriate length depending on the area you wish to cool.

It is quite easy to identify a reliable supplier of high pressure patio misting systems. When you search the Internet, you will come across several suppliers who will offer excellent quality mist systems at affordable process. You can even choose a portable misting fans or a total misting system depending on your needs.Misting fans are also available in different sizes - ranging from 12"to 48"; and you can choose the size and type that best meet your needs.

If you decide to install high pressure misting and fogging systems, you can avail the overhead water lines. The water will get sprayed downwards in the form of a fine mist. If you have installed a quality outdoor patio misting system, you need not fear the summer heat and instead enjoy the outdoors in comfort during the summer months.

You can visit www.cool-off.com site for more details on patio umbrellas, fog system, misting nozzles, portable misting, water misting system, high pressure misting, industrial cooling, patio misting, high pressure misting systems

Argentina plane crash

2011-05-19T02:05:00.000-07:00

Argentina plane crash kills all 22 people on board

A small plane has crashed in southern Argentina, killing all 22 passengers and crew on board, officials say.

The plane went down in the Patagonian province of Rio Negro, after issuing a distress call, the operating company Sol Airlines said.

Rescuers were sent to the crash site near the town of Los Menucos.

A local hospital director said no one had been found alive and that "everything was destroyed and burned", Argentine media reported.

The plane, a Saab 340 turboprop with capacity for 34 people, was carrying 19 passengers, including a baby, and three crew.

It was on a flight between Neuquen near the Andes to Comodoro Rivadavia.

Wreckage was found some 25km (15 miles) south-west of Los Menucos.

Argentine media reported that the plane, which crashed on Wednesday night local time, may have iced up.

However, a statement from Sol Airlines said there was so far no indication of what had caused the crash.

The company said it received an emergency communication from the plane at just before 2100 local time (2400 GMT ) about halfway into the flight.

Los Menucos Mayor Mabel Yahuar said a man had seen a ball of fire fall from the sky and alerted the authorities.

But it was difficult for emergency services to reach the crash site, given the terrain and that it was night, she said.

"There's no mobile phone signal in the area. It is an uninhabited place and really cold," Ms Yahuar was quoted as saying by Clarin newspaper.

Venus Williams and Serena Williams

2011-05-17T01:44:00.001-07:00

Venus and Serena Williams lead clinic at Southeast tennis center

“The center is so important because, for us, it brings us full circle, growing up in Compton, California,” said Venus Williams, center (in black). “Coming back is similar because we see young people who really are us.”

Nearly every parent brought a camera, and every reporter wielded a tape recorder.

But the 150 children who descended on the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center on Thursday weren’t awestruck by the 20 Grand Slam titles or superstar status of their guest instructors.

And they weren’t concerned about whether Venus and Serena Williams plan to return to competition at next month’s French Open or at Wimbledon in June.

They just wanted to become better tennis players. And the near hour-long clinic with the Williams sisters gave them a chance to do just that.

“Serena is an excellent teacher!” proclaimed Tierra Holloway, 14, among those who hit with the four-time and current defending Wimbledon champion. “Every time she gave me advice, when I went back on court I hit better. She gave me many compliments on my tennis. And she told me my hair was pretty.”

The clinic, set to blaring music and emceed by the Washington Kastles’ exuberant coach, Murphy Jensen, was followed by an evening gala that also featured the sisters — all to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the tennis center.

With help from the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, the $5.1 million center has provided a safe place to play, learn and study for more than 2,000 children since 2001, using free tennis lessons as the lure.

Almost from the moment Cora Masters Barry envisioned the state-of-the-art complex in Ward 8, the Williams family — led by Oracene Price, Venus and Serena’s mother and a friend of Washington’s former first lady — has been a spirited supporter.

Said Venus Thursday: “The center is so important because, for us, it brings us full circle, growing up in Compton, California. Coming back [to Ward 8] is similar because we see young people who really are us. And it’s a great opportunity for us to really stay grounded and continue to do what’s important and to give back.”

The Williams sisters’ ascendance to the top of professional tennis is among the more remarkable stories in sports. Coached by their parents in a crime-ridden suburb of Los Angeles, they learned as young girls to hit with remarkable power and compete with ferocious will. And in 2002, they reached No. 1 in the world in turn.

But each has been sidelined by injury over the past year. And women’s tennis has suffered for it, as has the standing of American tennis. The last American to win a Grand Slam who was not named Williams was Andy Roddick, in 2003.

Serena hasn’t competed since winning Wimbledon, her 13th Grand Slam, last July 3. After cutting her right foot on in a freak accident four days later, she underwent two surgeries. Then in early March she was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital with a blood clot in one of her lungs and had a hematoma removed.

She resumed practicing just last week, triggering an Internet sensation after posting a photo of herself from the workout wearing a hot-pink bodysuit, later explaining that the form-fitting design provided compression that was helpful to her recovery.

Venus, 30, withdrew from the Australian Open with a hip injury in the third round. She hasn’t competed since, sidelined further by an abdominal injury.

Neither put a timetable on her return Thursday.

“I’m feeling better,” Serena said. “Just starting training a little later than I suspected. But it’s going slow and steady.”

Added Venus: “Of course our goal is [to return to competition] sooner rather than later. The one thing we learned from being away from the game is how much we love it. [Not competing] gives us opportunities to be out here, where normally we wouldn’t be able to. So we made the best of our time to do positive things.”

Thursday’s on-court vibes were positive, indeed, as boys and girls lined up to trade shots with Venus and Serena. Then the sisters moved to adjacent courts to work more closely with advanced students, who smacked the ball straight back at the champions without a trace of intimidation.

On one court, Venus, wearing black leggings and top, patiently demonstrated proper follow-through of a forehand for a tiny girl, taking her right hand in hers to complete the stroke in tandem.

“She’s not a yelling teacher,” Kayla Williams, 12, said about Venus. “She’s like a quiet teacher. She actually shows you instead of yelling at you!”

Serena, meantime, organized her charges into doubles teams, stood back and studied their skills.

“You guys are doing excellent!” said Serena, in green-and-white tie-dyed style capris and coordinated top. “But I want you to work on your consistency. If you have to hit it softer, hit it softer.”

Then she proceeded to rip a forehand to one corner of the court.

“She’s making her comeback right here at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center!” Jensen bellowed into his microphone. “She’s BACK!”

NASA preps shuttle Endeavour for final flight

2011-05-16T04:17:00.000-07:00

Space shuttle set to liftoff on its last mission Monday morning.

After repairing problems that derailed space shuttle Endeavour's first launch attempt, NASA is prepping for a Monday morning lift-off.

The shuttle is set for an 8:56 a.m. ET launch at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This will be Endeavour's final space flight before it is retired. After this mission, only one more shuttle flight is scheduled before the entire shuttle fleet is retired.

Endeavour's initial launch date was scrubbed just three and a half hours before its scheduled liftoff late last month. The liftoff was cancelled because of problems with two heaters associated with the shuttle's Auxiliary Power Unit. The unit provides hydraulic power during the shuttle's ascent and entry.

With that problem now fixed, NASA worked overnight between Sunday and Monday to get the shuttle ready to go. A little before midnight, technicians were fueling the shuttle's external fuel tank with more than 500,000 gallons of super cold liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

Endeavour is headed for a 16-day mission to bring equipment, spare parts and experiments to the International Space Station. The mission originally was scheduled for 14 days -- the extra two days were added just last week.

The shuttle is carrying aloft a piece of equipment that will search space for some of the biggest mysteries of physics -- antimatter and dark matter. The AMS (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer) particle detector will be installed and operated on the International Space Station.

Endeavour also is carrying a six-man crew, including a computer programmer who built software for spacecraft before becoming an astronaut.

Greg Chamitoff will serve as a mission specialist on Endeavour's final space flight. Chamitoff was an engineer and a software developer, working for companies like Atari Computer and IBM before joining NASA, where he developed software applications for three years before training to go into space.

50 most-wanted fugitives hiding in Pakistan

2011-05-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

India lists 50 most-wanted fugitives hiding in Pakistan

Turning more heat on Pakistan, India today released a list of 50 "most-wanted fugitives" hiding in that country. The list includes underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, 26/11 mastermind and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and dreaded terrorist Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi and has been given to the Pakistan government, which has continuously denied that terrorists and criminals that India wants are hiding there.

Hafiz Saeed, who is involved in Mumbai terror attack and various other attacks in India, tops the list which also includes Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, the main accused in the 2001 Parliament attack case. He was released in exchange of hostages in the Khandhar hijack episode in 1999.

The government's action comes in the midst of acute discomfort for Pakistan which has been tying itself in knots over the charge of sheltering al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a unilateral US Special Forces action in Abbottabad on May 2.

The list includes names of al Qaeda operative Illyas Kashmiri, who is accused of transnational crime and conspiracy to commit various terrorist acts in India, close associates of Dawood Ibrahim, Memon Ibrahim alias Tiger Memon, Shaikh Shakeel alias Chhota Shakeel, Memon Ayub Abdul Razak, Anis Ibrahim Kaskar Shaikh, Anwar Ahmed Haji Jamal and Mohammed Ahmed Dosa, all involved in the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai.

Hizbul Mujahideen chief Sayeed Salauddin, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front founder Amanullah Khan, Punjab terrorists Lakhbir Singh, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Ranjit Singh alias Neeta and Wadhawa Singh were also named as most-wanted fugitives.

Names of Mumbai terror attack case accused Sajid Majid, Major Iqbal, Major Sameer Ali, Sayed Abdul Rehman alias Pasha and Abu Hamza were also included in the list of fugitives.

Here's the full list:

Mohd Hafiz Saeed;
Sajid Majid;
Syed Abdur Rehman;
Major Iqbal;
Ilyas Kashmiri;
Rashid Abdullah;
Major Sameer Ali;
Dawood Ibrahim
Memon Ibrahim;
Shaikh Shakeel;
Memon Ayub;
Anis Ibrahim Kaskar Shaikh;
Anwar Ahmed;
Munaf Abdul;
Mohd Tainur;
Mohd Ahmed Dosa;
Javed Patel;
Slaim Abdul;
Riyaz Abu Bakar Khatri;
Khan Bashir;
Yakub Khan;
Mohd Shafi;
Irfan Ahmed Feroz Abdul,
Ishaq Atta,
Sagir Sabir Ali,
Aftab Batki,
Maulana Mohd,
Mohd Yusuf Shah,
Cheema QAzam,
Syed Zabuiddin,
Ibrahim Athar,
Azhar Yusuf,
Mistri Zahur,
Sayeed Shahid,
Shakir Mohd,
Abdul Rauf,
Aminullah Khan,
Suffiah Mufti,
Nachan Akmal,
Khan Wazhul,
Yakub Khan Channeparambil Mohd,
Lakhbir Singh,
Paramjit Singh,
Ranjit Singh,
Wadhawa Singh,
Aabdu Hamza,
Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi,
Amir Reza Khan

Osama in Abbottabad for 5 years

2011-05-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

Osama in Abbottabad for 5 years, says wife: Pak report

While the US-led forces were hunting for Osama bin Laden in Pakistan's unruly tribal areas for years, the Al Qaeda chief had been living a secluded life in a million-dollar mansion in the Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad for five years, according to one of his wives.

The Yemeni woman said bin Laden had been living in the compound in Abbottabad for the past five years, Geo News Channel quoted unnamed senior Pakistani military officials as saying.

Bin Laden usually confined himself to two or three rooms and never went outside, she told the officials.

The report said that women and children found in the compound included three wives of bin Laden. One of the women was injured in the firing.

The military officials also said that bin Laden's daughter, found in the compound, had told them that she had seen her father being killed on the upper floor of a building and then dragged down a flight of stairs.

A woman killed during the raid, previously described in some accounts as bin Laden's wife, was actually the wife of a Pakistani guard of the Al Qaeda leader, the officials were quoted as saying.

The officials said the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies were not informed about the US raid.

They contended that Pakistan had given the US a lot of information on bin Laden's whereabouts in the past two years, including intelligence gleaned from intercepts of some phone conversations in May and August last year.

California Printing - A Local Printing Company

2011-05-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

California Printing- Printing For Your Business.

If you have a business concern that needs the service of printing of logos, stationery or even flyers, then you must look around for the right company that fulfills the task of printing for your organization.

If you are put up in California, looking out for a best printing company that will look after everything that you desire for. Then come to us, at Corporate Color Printing, Inc. and we will show you how it is done.

We are here to help you out for all your printing jobs that you need to be done. Whether it is a small job or a large one, come to us for your printing needs and you will be impressed by our hard work and dedication we put into every project.

You will not get disappointed for the reason that we are here to get the job done, with professionalism that you need for your business and it will leave a good impression to your clients and customers which you always needed.

For more information about us as a printing company in California, please log on to our website and click on the links which is appropriate to your particular interests. You can e-mail us or you can contact at 714-434-9322 where a friendly subordinate will take up your call and answer any of your queries that you may have.

We are here to help you out with all types of print jobs, if you want a printing company in California; you need to look no further. Our printing service, are business cards, newsletters, posters, post cards, banners and much more. We will also offer you sample designs.

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Osama bin Laden Dead

2011-05-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

Osama Bin Laden is dead Facebook Page goes viral.

Celebrations erupted in the United States over the news that Osama bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world, was killed by American forces in Pakistan. But the triumphant mood was tinged with caution as security forces braced for possible revenge attacks.

President Obama announced in a rare Sunday night televised statement to the nation that bin Laden, public enemy Number 1, was killed in a raid by Navy Seals in Abbotabad, a scenic military town just 100 miles away from the capital Islamabad.

"We will be true to the values that make us who we are," Obama said in a late night address Sunday. "And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror: Justice has been done."

The United States first received a tip in August that the mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks was hiding in a million-dollar mansion with 12 to 18 foot walls.

The evidence that bin Laden was hiding there was largely circumstantial and he had not been seen, sources told ABC News, and officials did not know where he may be in the sprawling compound that is located about 1,000 feet away from the Pakistan Military Academy.

In March, Obama authorized the development of a plan for the United States to bomb bin Laden's compound with two B2 stealth bombers dropping a few dozen 2,000-pound bombs, sources tell ABC News. But when the president heard the compound would be reduced to rubble, he changed his mind, because it would mean there would be no evidence to present to the world that the head founder and leader of al Qaeda was indeed dead. Plus, all 22 people in the compound including women and children and likely many neighbors would also be killed.

The president wanted proof, and he wanted to minimize collateral damage, sources say. So he instead authorized this risky operation, scheduled for a time of little moonlight, so U.S. helicopters could enter into Pakistan low to the ground and undetected.

The operation was authorized Friday morning and was originally planned for Saturday night, but on Friday, for weather reasons, it was pushed to Sunday.

Four helicopters swooped in to the compound and the Navy Seals fought a close quarters gunbattle. They ordered bin Laden to surrender, but the 54-year-old who had vowed he would not be caught alive, did not surrender. He was shot twice in the head, and his body was quickly taken away by U.S. forces for a DNA test to confirm his identity.

Bin Laden's DNA was matched with that of one of his sisters who died in Boston and whose brain was kept by the United States.

Sources tell ABC News he was buried at sea in accordance with Islamic law.

The news was marked by jubilance, as crowds gathered at Ground Zero in New York and outside the White House in droves, chanting "USA, USA."

Congratulations poured in, with even former vice president Dick Cheney, a leading critic of the Obama administration, congratulating the president.

"Today, the message our forces have sent is clear -- if you attack the United States, we will find you and bring you to justice," Cheney said in a statement.

There were even some unusual praises from groups denounced by the United States, like the Muslim Brotherhood.

"With bin Laden's death, one of the reasons for which violence has been practiced in the world has been removed," Essam al-Erian, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's governing body, told Reuters.

Bin Laden's death of also prompted security alerts in the U.S.

In New York City, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly ordered the shift that was to go off duty at midnight be held over this morning to increase police presence in the subway system during this morning's rush hours. He also ordered that all members of the NYPD remain alert in the aftermath of the announcement of bin Laden has been killed.

Security was also stepped up at the site of the 9/11 attack and in New York subways.

Washington police were also put on heightened alert and officials said there would be a show of force, especially near transit hubs, hotels and government buildings.

Philadelphia's Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey instructed dispatchers to ensure there are hourly checks on all mosques and synagogues in the city and police were put a heightened alert until further notice.

U.S. embassies have been put on high alert since the news was revealed, and the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are reminding security forces around the country to be vigilant for suspicious activity amid concerns about possible retaliation.

Air India Cancels 126 Domestic Flights

2011-04-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

AI estimates total loss of Rs 26.5 cr due to pilot strike.

National carrier Air India Ltd. said it canceled 126 local flights Friday as a strike by a group of pilots against what they say are unfair wage practices entered its third day.

Cancellations over the three days and a freeze on fresh ticket bookings have cost the airline 265 million rupees ($5.98 million) in lost revenue, Air India said.

"The number of flights successfully operated [Friday] was 39," the airline said.

Long-haul international flights are operating normally, said the airline, which usually runs 320 local and overseas flights daily.

The Indian federal government merged Air India and Indian Airlines in August 2007, but the company--which has a workforce of 31,000--hasn't been able to bring several departments under one common salary structure.

This has led to strikes by different sections of its workforce on numerous occasions in the past few years.

The ongoing strike was called by former Indian Airlines pilots, belonging to a union named Indian Commercial Pilots Association, who are now flying with Air India.

Air India employs a total of 1,500 pilots.

The airline said it had to cancel 57 flights on the first day of the strike and 96 on the second.

Air India says that the Indian Commercial Pilots Association strike is illegal due to an earlier assurance by the union to the Delhi High Court that it wouldn't strike work.

The airline has said that no strike is legally permitted as a case is pending before a tribunal set up to look into issues such as pay parity and to make recommendations on different productivity-linked incentive schemes.

It sacked seven striking pilots till Thursday and suspended four more. It didn't elaborate in the statement if more employees will be fired.

US charges Pakistanis over Mumbai attack

2011-04-27T02:13:00.000-07:00

Four newly-indicted figures are linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba that is blamed for the deadly raid.

Four Pakistanis have been charged as co-conspirators in the 2008 attack on Mumbai that killed 166 people, including six Americans, US prosecutors said in Chicago.

The four who were charged on Monday, had been previously mentioned, but not named, in indictments charging American David Headley and Tahawwur Rana, Pakistani-born Chicago businessman, with helping to identify targets in India's commercial capital.

Headley and Rana have also been charged in a plot to attack a Danish newspaper that was never carried out.

Headley pleaded guilty in March 2010 and is cooperating with US investigators about making several trips to India, and later to Denmark, to scout targets for the coordinated and deadly attack.

Rana has been held since his arrest in 2009 as a conspirator with Headley, and his US trial is scheduled to begin on May 16. His attorney was not immediately available for comment.

New indictments

All of the four newly-indicted figures are linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, the armed group that is blamed for the attack on Mumbai.

Those newly indicted were Sajid Mir, Abu Qahafa, Mazhar Iqbal, and a fourth defendant known only by the alias "Major Iqbal."

All four are believed to be in Pakistan.

They were charged with six counts of aiding and abetting the murder of US citizens.

Other charges related to the Mumbai attack included providing support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, identified as a terrorist organisation by the United States.

Mir was also charged in the plot against Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper after it published cartoons of Prophet Muhammad that enraged many Muslims and prompted protests.

Patrick Fitzgerald, US attorney in Chicago, had requested the superseding indictment handed up by a grand jury on April 21 charging the four to be sealed to give the government time to alert US agencies and consult foreign authorities.

The Mumbai attack strained already tense India-Pakistan relations.

India has said it is not satisfied with the pace of Pakistan's investigation, and has demanded more people be put on trial for the attack, including Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Mourners for Sathya Sai Baba

2011-04-26T02:07:00.000-07:00

PM Manmohan Singh to join mourners for Sathya Sai Baba

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh headed Tuesday to join mourners in southeast India paying respects to Sathya Sai Baba , a charismatic Hindu guru who had millions of followers worldwide.

Huge crowds have descended on Sai Baba's ashram in Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh state to bid a final farewell to the spiritual leader who died of multiple organ failure on Sunday aged 85.

Grieving devotees including poor villagers, foreign pilgrims and cricket stars such as Sachin Tendulkar have filed past the corpse on display in a transparent casket.

Singh, a Sikh who described Sai Baba as "an inspiration to people of all faiths", was expected to pay his final respects on Tuesday evening along with Sonia Gandhi , leader of the ruling Congress party, and other dignitaries.

Sergey Eliseev , 41, from Nizhniy Novgorod in Russia, said he had travelled to Sai Baba's hometown when the guru fell seriously ill.

"I was attracted by his teachings and principles," he said after queueing for hours in the heat to see the body. "I came to Puttaparthi on hearing that he was in hospital.

"I wanted to see him in person but I could see only his body now. I am at peace, though sad that I could not meet him when he was alive."

Eliseev said he would return home after the funeral on Wednesday, when Sai Baba will be buried in the custom of Hindu holy men instead of cremated.

Sai Baba's followers believe he had magical powers to conjure objects out of thin air, visit people in their dreams, perform miracles and cure terminal illnesses.

He had ashrams in 126 countries and also ran a network of hospitals, clinics and schools that were often free due to funds donated by the faithful.

However his critics accused him of being a persuasive fraudster who used his huge popularity to avoid being investigated over allegations of murky financial practices and sexual abuse.

Sai Baba, who had a mass of frizzy black hair and always wore saffron robes, claimed to be the reincarnation of a former holy man, Sai Baba of Shirdi, who died in 1918.

Madhav Gangadhar, 24, a post-graduate student at Sai Baba's university in Puttaparthi, said she believed her guru would himself be reincarnated.

"He will be born again," she said. "He has been a living god in human form for me. He may have left the body but his soul is immortal."

Ten killed in accident near Sattenapalli

2011-04-25T02:57:00.000-07:00

Ten women killed as tractor falls into stream

Ten women were killed in an accident when the tractor - trailer in which they were going for work plunged into the Nagarjuna Sagar canal near Sattenapalli in Guntur district on Monday morning.

All of them were agricultural workers belonging to Sundarayya Colony in Sattenapalli town. Police and local people who rushed to the scene of the mishap could recover nine bodies. The condition of one among the four persons injured is critical.

A total of 24 workers were travelling in the ill - fated vehicle. According to eye - witness accounts, the vehicle fell into the canal when the driver was taking a right turn into an agricultural field on the outskirts of Sattenapalli. In - Charge Collector A Sarath and Superintendent of Police A Ravi Chandra visited the accident spot.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has directed the District Collector to help provide emergency and adequate treatment to the injured and compensation as per norms.

Suresh Kalmadi arrested

2011-04-25T02:43:00.000-07:00

Kalmadi arrested by CBI in CWG scam case

Suresh Kalmadi has been arrested - a formal announcement is likely this afternoon - for allowing and in some cases inducing corruption in the Commonwealth Games that were held in India in October last year.

Mr Kalmadi was interrogated this morning by the CBI for the fourth time about a slate of contracts that saw the most expensive firms being hired for equipment and services. These include conspiring with a Swiss firm that supplied the Timing-Scoring-Results System (TSR) for the Games at exorbitant rates.

Mr Kalmadi served as the Chairman of the Organising Committee that has been drenched in corruption charges. Team Kalmadi was allegedly in the habit of handing out contracts to firms that provided equipment or services at exorbitant rates; reasonable bids from other firms were allegedly ignored.

Several of Mr Kalmadi's closest aides have already been arrested- including Lalit Bhanot, who served as the Secretary General of the Organizing Committee and V K Verma who was its Director General.

While Mr Kalmadi's own role has long been suspect, the CBI believes it finally has enough evidence to prove his corruption. "Better late than never," was the official response of the BJP to the news of Mr Kalmadi's arrest. In November, Mr Kalmadi, who is a heavyweight Congress politician from Pune, was fired as the Secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

The Queen's Baton Relay which kickstarted the Games was held in London in September 2009. A London-based firm named AM Films was hired by Mr Kalmadi to provide taxis, portable toilets and massive public TV screens for the ceremony. Mr Kalmadi sanctioned transfers of huge amounts of cash to AM Films and its owner, Ashish Patel, even though there was no signed contract.

Mr Kalmadi later told NDTV that because London officials had requested equipment at the last minute, he did not have the time to process a contract. AM Films charged phenomenal amounts for its services. The financial track record of Mr Patel proved to be dubious. And then emails surfaced that showed Mr Kalmadi's close aides instructing Mr Patel for what rates to charge the Committee.

A team from the CBI has reportedly met with Mr Patel in London, and is encouraging him to turn approver. It has also discovered that three other bids made by other UK firms for the Queen's Baton Relay function were forged - most likely in an attempt to prove that due process had been followed in considering offers from a series of companies.

Mr Kalmadi's associates had first said that AM Films had been suggested as a potential contractor by the Indian High Commission in London. It was soon proved that the emails brandished by the Organizing Committee to prove this were doctored.

Sathya Sai Baba passed away

2011-04-25T02:36:00.000-07:00

Devotees shocked after hearing death news.

Spiritual leader with a huge following to get state funeral on Wednesday; lakhs of devotees expected to pay homage at Prashanthi Nilayam.

The mortal remains of Sri Sathya Sai Baba kept in the Sai Kulwant Hall in Prashanthi Nilayam at Puttaparthi on Sunday. The body will be kept in this huge and ornately decorated hall on Monday and Tuesday for devotees to pay their final respects, before being interred there on Wednesday Morning.

HYDERABAD: Iconic spiritual leader Sri Sathya Sai Baba passed away at Puttaparthi in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday morning, leaving behind millions of mourning devotees in India and abroad, and a sprawling system of educational, medical and philanthropic services that has huge resources at its command. He was 85.

He had bravely battled complications of the heart, lung and kidney for four weeks. The end came at 7.40 a.m., after 28 days of intense anxiety among his followers and frenetic activity by doctors of the Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences (SSIHMS). The medical team gave him expert care but could not save his life as multi-organ failure set in. After his admission to the hospital on March 30, a cardiac pacemaker was implanted. As his condition deteriorated, doctors put him on a ventilator system and on dialysis.

The formal announcement was made by SSIHMS Director Dr. A.N. Safaya. He declared in a statement that the spiritual leader “is no more with us physically. He left his earthly body due to cardio-respiratory failure.”

A few hours later, the body was shifted in an ambulance from the hospital to the Sai Kulwant Hall in Prashanthi Nilayam, about 7 km away. The mortal remains will be kept in this huge and ornately decorated hall, regularly used for congregations and for Sai Baba's elaborate birthday celebrations, on Monday and Tuesday for devotees to pay their final respects.

The body will be interred in the hall on Wednesday, April 27, around 8 a.m.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who flew into Puttaparthi along with Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, declared State mourning for four days and a holiday in Anantapur district on Wednesday. He said Sai Baba would be given State honours at the funeral.

As news of the demise spread, thousands of devotees began thronging Puttaparthi. There was chaos on the narrow Gopuram Street leading to Prashanthi Nilayam. Police personnel had a tough time controlling the surging crowd at the gates of the ashram.

It became apparent after some time to the authorities that the decision to keep the body in the Sai Kulwant Hall instead of at the 50,000-capacity stadium in the town would pose difficulties in managing the crowds whose number during the next three days is expected to reach nearly five lakhs.

A host of national and State leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, BJP leader L.K. Advani, and several Governors and Chief Ministers condoled the death of Sai Baba.

A steady stream of leaders, including Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, BJP president Nitin Gadkari, Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu and Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi, reached Puttaparthi to pay their respects.

The future

After the passing of Sai Baba, a vast empire spread across Puttaparthi, Bangalore, Kodaikanal, Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai, and overseas centres, needs to be administered as effectively as before. The spiritual guru was the Chairman of the Sathya Sai Central Trust that manages funds pouring in from devotees across the globe, as well as the affairs of a string of service and spiritual organisations.

The Trust, which has as its members well-known persons such as the former Chief Justice of India, P.N. Bhagwati; the former Central Vigilance Commissioner, S.V. Giri; former IAS officer K. Chakravarthi, who is the Trust Secretary since 1994; and the former CII president, V. Srinivasan, has now to select an eminent person acceptable to the devotees to chair the Trust.

This is no mean task, considering numerous reports of internal differences between Sai Baba's relatives, particularly his nephew R.J. Ratnakar, a member of the Trust, and some other Trustees.

Four Armymen killed in copter crash

2011-04-22T04:28:00.000-07:00

Four Army personnel were killed in a Dhruv helicopter crash in north Sikkim near the Sino-India border, days after a Pawan Hans chopper went down in the northeast claiming 17 lives.

Wreckage of the advanced light helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, which had gone missing on Thursday, was traced in the Shiv Mandir area by Army choppers at 9.30 a.m on Friday and ground parties reached the spot an hour-and-a-half later, Eastern Army Command sources said.

The bodies of two pilots and two soldiers were found at the spot, they said.

“Though it seems that the helicopter had crashed due to the inclement weather in the region, a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the reasons behind it,” they said.

The sources said the helicopter was carrying two pilots of the rank of major and two technicians, one of whom was a junior commissioned officer while the other a non-commissioned officer.

The helicopter had taken off in tandem with another Dhruv yesterday at 9.30 a.m. from Sewak road base in Siliguri on a routine training exercise but lost contact with it around 11.30 a.m. over the Shiv Mandir area.

The chopper was flying at about 15,000 feet near the Yumisamdong area which is now under a thick blanket of snow and covered with dense forest.The area is around 15 km north of Lachung village in north Sikkim.

The army had on Thursday launched a major search operation but had postponed it after five hours till the morning due to inclement weather.

On April 19, a Russian-origin MI-17-2 chopper -- owned by Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd (PHHL) -- crashed claiming 17 lives after it took off from Guwahati for Tawang.

Dhruv is an indigenously-developed helicopter and has been inducted into the Army and the IAF. A total of five accidents involving the ALH Dhruv have taken place in the last six years including two fatal ones.

In the first incident in 2005, the whole fleet of the chopper was grounded after it experienced a forced landing in Andhra Pradesh due to problems in the tail rotor.

In 2007, before the Aero India, two pilots were killed in a Dhruv crash involving IAF’s aerobatic display team Sarang.

Similar incidents had taken place in 2009 and 2010 also. A Dhruv helicopter of the Ecuadorian Air Force hit the ground after veering off course while flying in formation with two other helicopters over an air force base near Quito.

In 2010, a Dhruv helicopter team of the Indian Air Force was forced to make a crash landing while rehearsing for the “Vayu Shakti” show.

Abhishek Bachchan - Aishwarya Rai Wedding

2011-04-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

Abhishek Bachchan - Aishwarya Rai 4th wedding anniversary

The latest buzz in tinsel town is related to the Bollywood star couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, which has successfully completed four years of marital bliss.

While it was being said that the duo would be having a working anniversary, junior Bachchan, who is busy with the promotions of his Rohan Sippy film ‘Dum Maro Dum’ that releases this Friday, is taking out some time from his busy schedule to be with his gorgeous wife on their big day.

Reportedly, Abhi is slated to spend the first half of the day fulfilling his work obligations in Hyderabad, and then he will board a flight to his home in the evening, to celebrate his fourth marriage anniversary with family and friends.

“The two are planning to take off on a romantic week-long holiday soon after Ash returns from Cannes next month and before Abhishek launches into his next project”, disclosed a close.

Informing that Ash would be heading off to Cannes alone this time, an insider revealed, “Abhishek will be shooting in Russia for Players. And the 15-day long schedule will make it impossible for him to be by Aishwarya’s side at the red carpet event”.

Big B upbeat about his son’s anniversary
It seems that Amitabh Bachchan is more excited about his son’s anniversary and though four years have passed since Abhi and Ash got married, he said that he felt that it all happened only recently.

Writing on his blog www.bigb.bigadda.com, the ‘Shehanshah of Bollywood’ posted, "It's Abhishek and Aishwarya's wedding anniversary today the 20th of April and have wished them before they turned in. Cannot imagine it's been four years!”

Everyday with Ash is special, says Abhi
Meanwhile, revealing that every day that he spent with his lovely wife was special for him, Abhishek said that while family comes first for them, they cannot run away from their work also.

Admitting that the constant media attention did have its toll, he said, “We may be actors, but we are like any other normal couple too. We never let the lines blur”.

Well, we hope that the couple remain happily married forever, and here’s wishing them a ‘Happy Marriage Anniversary’.

Deepika Padukone - tattoo queen

2011-04-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

Deepika Padukone clearly loves her tattoos

Deepika Padukone clearly loves her tattoos. First it was the RK tattoo at the base of her neck and then another one depicting an anklet. No wonder, she was chosen as an ambassador by the organizers of the first Tattoo Convention.

The remixed version of the iconic song 'Mit Jayee gham’ sees Deepika sporting a scorpion tattoo and swinging to the tune with an attitude. After watching the song, IndiaInk Invention got in touch with her and requested her to visit their first ever convention which took place on Sunday, 10th April 2011.

However, the actress was shooting in London for ‘Desi Boyz’ and was unable to attend the convention.She forwarded the invitation to the ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ team. Abhishek Bachchan, Prateik and Rohan Sippy attended the convention instead.

Manoj Thakur, Partner at Par Excellance Entertainment says, "Deepika Padukone’s absence was felt, especially at an event that she would have readily identified with. With her own much-written about the tattoo at the base of her neck and the cutting-edge tattoo she’s seen sporting in the movie, she would have been the perfect ambassador for this tattoo expo."

The cast of Dum Maro Dum launched the special Dum Maaro Dum tattoo at the convention.

Kim Kardashian Reclaims as Queen

2011-04-18T02:23:00.000-07:00

Kim Kardashian Reclaims Top Spot as Queen of the Gossip World

Reclaiming the throne as queen bee of the web, the curvaceous Kim Kardashian climbed from runner-up to the top spot on the GossipCenter Hot 45 list thanks to another full-throttle week in the spotlight.

The E! reality beauty displaced last week’s chart-topper Britney Spears as she was able to hold off strong charges from the always-intriguing Lady Gaga and up-and-coming actress Jennifer Lawrence.

Let’s see how this all played out.

She’s certainly no stranger to topping the GossipCenter Hot 45 List, and Miss Kardashian did it again thanks to a publicity-drawing battle with Cosmopolitan Turkey over the mag’s recently released cover shot.

While she lashed out at the publication, the 30-year-old has since made nice – even agreeing to pose for a “redo” cover to be released at an unannounced future date. Kim also drew eyeballs after offering up a juicy interview to Life & Style in which she openly chatted about her desire to marry and start a family with her NBA player beau, Kris Humphries.

Coming in at a close second place this week was “Born This Way” singer Lady Gaga – who never fails in garnering attention. Currently in the midst of tour duties, Gaga’s big week included a risqué spread to go along with her cover issue of the May 2011 installment of Harper’s Bazaar.

Helping to solidify her runner-up finish, the 25-year-old was the focus in what became a viral video – as she had a slip-up while performing at a concert in Houston over the weekend (April 10) during which she lost her balance somewhere in between her piano and its bench before taking a frightening fall. Fortunately, the spill didn’t slow her down, as Gaga got right back up to continue on with the Lone Star State show.

Rounding out the Hot 45 List top three was the lovely and talented Jennifer Lawrence. The 20-year-old Kentucky native shot up the ranks to land her highest finish ever thanks to the release of a can’t-be-missed lingerie spread adorning the pages of the May 2011 issue of GQ magazine. The “Winter’s Bone” babe also is featured on the cover of the latest installment of Teen Vogue after having recently been named as the lead actress in the much-awaited movie “The Hunger Games.”

As for the big movers of the week, Katie Couric ascended from obscurity up to the 14th position thanks to her highly publicized return to the “Today” show as part of her promotional tour for her new book “The Best Advice I Ever Got”. The “CBS Evening News” star chatted with her former co-anchor Matt Lauer while admitting it was “weird” to be back. Joining Katie as a high-riser was Catherine Zeta-Jones, as the 41-year-old actress soared from #206 all the way to the 27th slot upon breaking news telling that she checked into Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut on April 6th. The hospitalization has since been confirmed to have been initiated so that Catherine could receive treatment for Bipolar disorder.

Not having as much luck as the previously mentioned stars, the latest edition of the Hot 45 List rankings saw quite the downward trend for YouTube sensation Rebecca Black. Following a few strong weeks in which she placed in the top 30, the “Friday” singer seems to have lost a bit of her luster – as she slipped all the way to #153 by week’s end.

The Gossip Center Hot 45 List is calculated by looking at the popularity of the site's hottest stories, and determining which stars are on the rise, and who is crashing and burning. All of the articles, pictures and videos on the Gossip Center Network are scanned for activity, and the rankings are updated several times a day.

Deadly Storms in China Kill At Least 18

2011-04-18T02:19:00.000-07:00

Violent thunderstorms have lashed parts of China's southern industrial heartland of Guangdong province, leaving 18 people dead and scores injured.

The provincial Civil Affairs Bureau says hail, rain and gale-force winds Sunday afternoon struck Guangdong's capital, Guangzhou, along with the nearby cities of Foshan, Dongguan and Zhaoqing.

The bureau said Monday that victims were struck by falling objects and collapsing walls and work sheds, with 155 people injured and 380 left homeless. About 2,500 acres (1,000 hectares) of crops were damaged.

The region is home to much of China's crucial export manufacturing sector, although there was no immediate indication of serious damage to assembly lines.

Actor Trevor Bannister dies at 76

2011-04-18T02:15:00.000-07:00

Are You Being Served? star Trevor Bannister dies at 76

The actor suffered a heart attack on Thursday at his allotment in Thames Ditton, Surrey, John Bannister said.

The actor was best known for his role as ladies' man Mr Lucas in the 1970s BBC sitcom set in a department store but he also worked in the theatre.

"He was a good lad, we were all very fond of him," Mr Bannister told BBC News.

He added his brother had been doing some repair work on his shed when he became ill.

Frank Thornton, who appeared as Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served?, told the BBC he had "many, many happy memories" of his co-star.

"He was a very good friend over a long time," he said.

"We often met with him and his wife - he was recently at my 90th birthday celebrations in January and that was the last time we saw him. We shall miss him sorely."

Born in Durrington, Wiltshire, and the youngest of three children, Bannister did two years' National Service before going to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

During his career, which spanned five decades, he appeared in TV shows including The Avengers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Saint and Z-Cars.

He also made regular appearances in the theatre and in pantomime.

More recently, the actor had a stint in the long-running BBC series Last of the Summer Wine.

In 2009, the actor led the tributes to his Are You Being Served? co-star Wendy Richard and gave a reading at her funeral.

Speaking to the BBC at the time about his experiences of working on the sitcom, he said: "The joy of that particular show was the fact that most of us had known each other before we came to do it.

"We loved working with each other and had a lot of respect for each other. I think that fun and enjoyment conveyed itself through the screen."

He is survived by his second wife Pam and three sons Simon, Timothy and Jeremy.

Iraq suicide car bombs kill nine

2011-04-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

Two suicide car bombs have exploded in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, killing nine people and wounding 20.

A security official said the cars were queuing to enter the Green Zone when they exploded. Iraqi soldiers were among the casualties.

The heavily fortified Green Zone houses many foreign embassies and Iraqi government offices.

A BBC correspondent in Baghdad says these are the first suicide bombings in the capital this year.

Violence in Iraq has dropped significantly from the height of the insurgency five years ago, but almost daily shootings and killings still continue.

The attacks come amid preparations for an Arab summit in the international zone next month, though this is widely expected to be postponed because of the turmoil in the Arab world.

Deepika Padukone with Rajinikanth

2011-04-18T01:48:00.000-07:00

Deepika stretches to star with Rajni

Deepika Padukone, whose character in Rajinikanth’s Rana is at par with the South superstar, is literally burning midnight oil to get into the skin of her role before she starts shooting next week.

The actor is undergoing training in Vajra Mukti, a traditional martial art form. She’s also expected to learn Sanskrit while she’s completing her month-long London schedule of Desi Boyz with John Abraham and Akshay Kumar. The Om Shanti Om star, supposedly, does her homework for Rana after packing up everyday.

Deepika, however, has learnt Bharatanatyam in her growing up years, which is another essential requirement for her role. A member of Desi Boyz’s unit explains, “She just needs to brush up on the dance form. She trained in Bharatanatyam when she was staying in Bangalore, but didn’t practice it much in the last couple of years. To a certain extent, it’s the same case with Vajra Mukti. Deepika had trained in karate for Chandni Chowk To China.”

When prodded some more, Deepika’s associate informs that on the London outdoor shoot that wraps up on April 20, the actor is working on her body’s flexibility for the action scenes with Rajnikanth, who has already started shooting with director KS Ravikumar. “Her formal training in Vajra Mukti will start after she reaches Chennai. Its techniques are similar to kung fu, karate, jiu-jitsu and boxing. It’s associated with weapons wielded by hands and involves grappling and striking skills.”

Deepika admits, “There are some intense action scenes. I’m preparing my body first for the month-long martial art training. I have dealt with fight scenes before, but this time it’s something totally unimaginable.”

The star, it’s learnt, ends her day by learning Sanskrit from her south-Indian school teacher, since a part of Rana is set in the 17th century. She’s also undergone Hindi language polishing for Prakash Jha’s Aarakshan. Rana, produced by Soundarya (Rajni’s daughter), wraps up in the last quarter of the calendar year. Deepika’s part will be shot across 100 days in six months, keeping her date diary in mind. The actor, who green-signalled the film even before the narration was completed, beams, “Ideally, I’d have worked my dates as per Rajni sir’s requirements. I feel apologetic that he was forced to plan schedules to accommodate me!”

Kan Aide Details Nuclear Crisis

2011-04-16T02:08:00.000-07:00

The crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant reached a "highly critical" condition in the first two weeks after a massive earthquake and tsunami crippled its reactors, a key aide to Prime Minister Naoto Kan said Saturday.

"We were in a very critical situation, where we had to consider several worst-case scenarios," premier Kan's special adviser Goshi Hosono said in a television program.

He said that the situation was today much more stable as plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501.TO) has managed to slowly bring down the temperatures at the reactors to safer levels.

"Compared with where we were, we have little by little gained control back over the nuclear plant. Now it's been more than a month, and the situation is much stabler," Mr. Hosono said.

The Atomic Energy Society of Japan released a report on its assessment on the Fukushima Daiichi reactors Friday, saying that the nuclear fuel has partially melted and that the molten part apparently has settled in granular form at the bottom of the pressure vessel.

It said this posed less of a threat than if the material had massed together but said that a long interruption of cooling for two or more days could create new serious risks. As major aftershocks continue to hit the region, there are concerns that power supplying the temporary pumps could again be disrupted.

Mr. Hosono said that one of the greatest issues at present is how to deal with the thousands of tons of radioactive water that has been used to cool the reactor cores and is now radioactive -- in some cases 100 million times the radioactivity normally found in a nuclear plant.

Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama said setting up a system to purify contaminated cooling water is the key to a long-term solution to the crisis.

When the earthquake and tsunami hit on March 11, the complex was left without electricity. In the initial days, the nuclear fuel was left partially or sometimes even fully exposed, according to regulators, creating dangerously high temperatures and a buildup of hydrogen that led to massive explosions at three of the four main units.

Since then, various work forces including Japan's Self Defense Force have poured tens of thousands tons of waters into the reactors. Temperatures within the reactor now range from 90-200 degrees centigrade, well below the 1,000 plus degrees required for a chain nuclear reaction to take place.

Government and Tepco officials have said there was no choice but to pour water as cooling down the fuel rods was and is the priority. However, this has created a new problem of a large amount of water contaminated with radioactivity.

As the most urgent dangers have receded, operators have begun to face the issue of how to deal with the water, estimated at 50,000 to 60,000 tons, or enough to fill 20 to 24 olympic-sized swimming pools.

The government Friday released an analysis of the 10,000 tons of water it had expelled from the plant over the previous week to make room for the more radioactive waste water. It said that since much of the water had come from the initial tsunami, it had only a low level of radioactivity and after its release had no discernable impact on the marine environment.

This was not the case with the highly toxic water that continues to come from the No. 2 reactor, believed to be the most heavily damaged with an estimated 70% of its fuel rods partly or completely melted. A small leak of this water had caused a spike in radioactivity in the nearby ocean and toxicity levels have slowly fallen since the leak was plugged on April 6.

To restrict the flow of potentially polluting water out of the plant, Tepco has put up screens around the ocean inlets at the plant and on Friday began use of a mineral agent known as zeolite that can absorb radiation. It has applied the mineral in the ocean and said it would also use it to treat other water at the plant.

While China and South Korea expressed strong concerns about the release of the water, Russia has taken a more reserved view.

"We understand that Japan did not have any other choice but to release the radioactive water," Vladimir Uiba, head of Russia's Federal Medical-Biological Agency, said at a Friday press conference in the Russian Embassy in Tokyo. "We would have done the same had we been in the same situation."

Tumour vaccine will be ready

2011-04-15T02:05:00.000-07:00

Tumour vaccine will be ready by 2013-end.

A ''universal'' vaccine, which is part of a new generation of drugs that use the body's own defenses to fight the disease, stopping tumours in their tracks, could be available in just two years.

The TeloVac jab could revolutionise the treatment of cancer.

But it is hoped it will be effective against many other tumours, including those of the skin, lung and liver. Breast and prostate cancers may also be within its grasp.

Rather than attacking the cancer cells, like many existing drugs, it harnesses the power of the immune system to fight the tumours.

It works by encouraging the immune system to seek out and destroy an enzyme called telomerase. Found at high levels in many cancer cells, telomerase effectively makes them immortal, allowing them to live on when healthy cells would die – easing the growth and spread of the tumour.

If the latest study, which is funded by Cancer Research UK, proves the jab's worth, it could be available to treat advanced pancreatic cancer by the end of 2013. In time, it could be used earlier in the disease – and even to prevent it.

"We strongly believe this has the potential to overcome the limits of other current cancer vaccines and become part of the standard of care not only for pancreatic cancer but for various other types of cancers," the Daily Mail quoted Dr Jay Sangjae Kim, the founder of GemVax, the Korean company developing the TeloVac vaccine, as saying.

"In other words, a truly 'universal' vaccine will be available in the near future," added Kim.

Top 10 Ways to Say 'I Love Me'

2011-04-14T03:27:00.000-07:00

You've said it to your spouse, your mom, your best friend. Now how about uttering the three li'l magical words for yourself, for a change? Here's how you can bring about a sea change in the way you look at life.

1) Work out: Your body will thank you for it as you get older. Not just to lose a few inches and wriggle into those skinny fit jeans, but also for stronger bones and general well-being. If a workout routine is already part of your schedule, great going. Change it from time to time to maximize benefits.

2) Change the way you look: Get your hair cut/styled differently or dress up differently every now and then (sporty to feminine, desi to not-so-desi or vice-versa). Guilty of not having changed your hairdo or revamped your wardrobe for as long as you can remember?

3) Kitchen queen: Cooking — not under pressure, that is — can be extremely therapeutic. Whether you’re the kind that enjoys experimenting or following recipes to the T, make a resolve to cook with fresh, wholesome ingredients. Cut out the preservatives and additives. What you eat is what you are.

4) Get back to an old hobby: Loved painting? Playing the guitar? Or good ol' reading till your eyes hurt? Embrace it again. Lump in the throat guaranteed.

5) Pick up a new one: Being open to learning can be the key to feeling and even looking younger than your years. Graphology or gardening, salsa dancing or singing, the world's your stage.

6) Be "young" again: Do the things that you associate with your younger days — whether it's playing hopscotch, indulging a finger painting session, going pub hopping, getting together for a musical jam session or just calling in sick at work and lolling around all day in bed.

7) Nurture life: Remember the "care for an egg like it's your baby" project we had to complete in school? It made us feel responsible for another "life". Those averse to/done with procreation could bring home a pet or a plant.

8) Talk to yourself: We live in noisy times — incessant cacophony thanks to the television, the telephone, traffic, people, et cetera. When was the last time you spoke to yourself without anyone around? Try it. It'll make you feel childlike and help you reconnect with yourself.

9) Listen to yourself: There are some things we can't share with everyone; most people have at least one secret that no one knows. Listen to yourself. Beats paying a shrink to do the same any way.

10) Cry: If you feel like it, that is. Bottled up emotions can be dangerously toxic. The sad part being the negative terms — weak, wimp, baby girl — associated with shedding tears. Few people really let you cry. Else have a good, long weep when you're by yourself.

Egypt detains Mubarak for 15 days

2011-04-13T02:25:00.000-07:00

Mubarak and sons detained amid corruption probe

Egypt's prosecutor general has ordered the detention of former President Hosni Mubarak, ahead of an investigation into corruption and abuse allegations.

Mr Mubarak, 82, is in hospital after reportedly suffering heart problems. His detention order will be in place for 15 days, state TV reported.

His sons Alaa and Gamal have also been detained amid allegations of corruption and violence, police say.

Mr Mubarak stood down in February after a popular uprising against his rule.

Since then, tens of thousands of protesters have staged weekly Friday protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square, demanding that he stand trial.

At least 360 people are thought to have been killed during the protests, as police opened fire and cracked down on the crowds. Rights groups say the figure is much higher.

There are also widespread allegations of corruption and abuse of power under Mr Mubarak's 30-year rule.

"The prosecutor general orders the detention of former President Hosni Mubarak and his sons Gamal and Alaa for 15 days pending investigation after the prosecutor general presented them with the current state of its ongoing investigations," said a post on the prosecutor general's Facebook page on Wednesday.

he announcement came a day after Mr Mubarak had been admitted to hospital with heart problems, although reports indicated that he was well enough to undergo questioning.

The former Egyptian leader had been keeping a low profile in Sharm el-Sheikh, a Red Sea resort, after fleeing to his holiday villa there when he was overthrown.

Late on Tuesday, a crowd of about 2,000 people had gathered outside the hospital, demanding that the sons be arrested.

As a police van with drawn curtains took away the two brothers for questioning, the crowd pelted it with water bottles, stones and their flip-flops, the AP news agency reported.

On Wednesday morning the pair were transferred to Tora prison complex in Cairo, home to other fallen officials and and some of the country's most notorious political prisoners.

Speculation that the younger son, Gamal, was being groomed to take over from his father helped to galvanise Egypt's protest movement.

Gamal, an investment banker, was a high-ranking member of President Mubarak's ruling party. His close associates were billionaires and held top positions in the ruling party and the government.

Mr Mubarak, along with his sons and their wives, have been banned from leaving the country. The family's assets have been frozen.

In a pre-recorded audio message on Sunday, he broke his silence of the last two months to say his reputation and that of his sons had been damaged and he would work to clear their names.

On Tuesday, Egyptian soldiers and police moved into Tahrir Square in Cairo and ended a sit-in by protesters demanding civilian rule and swifter prosecution of former officials.

A military council has been ruling Egypt since Mr Mubarak stepped down

Asin, Jacqueline Fernandes and Zarine Khan

2011-04-13T02:19:00.000-07:00

Asin, Jackie, Zarine to don a bikini for 'Housefull 2'?

In their short Hindi film career so far, Asin, Jacqueline Fernandes and Zarine Khan have not yet been seen in a bikini. This may just about happen when the trio comes together in Sajid Khan's 'Housefull 2'.

"When Lara Dutta, Deepika Padukone and Jiah Khan came together in 'Housefull', there was a clear requirement for them to don a bikini", says a friend of Sajid, "In fact as a director, Sajid had set expectations right at the narration stage itself that since the film was young, colourful and was being shot at exotic locales, it was the 'demand of the script' for the girls to be seen in their bare minimum."

Now it appears that this 'demand of the script' could well be extended in the film's sequel as well since 'Housefull' too would have glamour playing an integral part.

Meanwhile producer Sajid Nadiadwala is shying away from sharing any details by stating that it is way too early to reveal whether Asin, Jacqueline and Zarine would really turn out to be the newest bikini babes to strike in Bollywood. He admits though a call would be taken based on how the script turns out on paper.

"When you shoot on a beach, it makes sense to have the girls in bikinis. Hence the reason why that was the case in 'Housefull'", says Sajid, "Since 'Anjaana Anjaani' was set on a road, it was not required for Priyanka (Chopra) to get into a bikini. Sajid (Khan) would take the final call around whether the three girls would be needed to get into a swim wear or not."

One can only foresee that it won't be much difficult for both the Sajids to create a 'demand in the script' here!

'Chief minister saheb, I love you'

2011-04-13T01:59:00.000-07:00

"I love you, chief ministersahib!" playback singer Usha Uthup shouted out to Prithviraj Chavan at the culmination of a raucous evening celebrating womanhood at the Laadli Media Awards at the NCPA on Friday.

As the audience whooped and cheered, Uthup stole the limelight for a minute from legendary Kathak dancer Sitara Devi. It was not easy, considering the dancer had just patted Rani Mukherjee on the head as if she were a small child, criticized Uthup's weight and asked the chief minister in no uncertain terms for a house.

This was not your usual evening at the NCPA, but that's hardly surprising when you unleash such a group of incredible, feisty women to celebrate womanhood. It was ceremony of the third Laadli National Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity that commend those who present news, issues and programmes that address India's gender imbalance.

Members of the media and women who have achieved exceptional things in their fields were presented the awards. Homai Vyarawalla, India's first woman photojournalist, was presented the Laadli of the Century Award, while the Laadli Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Devi and Sindhutai Sapkal, who put a child marriage and desertion behind her, set up an orphanage and inspired a Marathi biopic.

The ceremony was compered by Pooja Bedi and masterminded by Dolly Thakore. Although the evening was one of rejoicing and singing along to I Will Survive with Uthup, it had a serious message. To fix the skewed gender ratio takes more than valuing the birth of the girl child; we must celebrate her whole life and potential.

Rani Mukherjee, in an ethereal white sari, said: "It's not just about not killing the foetus if it's a girl. Wanting a daughter is so important because then her life is celebrated after birth."

Chavan admitted that he wasn't planning to attend the awards function, until a jolt last week changed his mind. "I didn't think I could make it today. But, when a week back the census figures were released, I thought this state needs all the help from NGOs and therefore I took time off from the assembly session," he said.

"I would like to assure you that the Maharashtra figures which showed us in poor light are like a wake-up call. The state is working on falling numbers but we need all the support and ideas. Let's cooperate and work together to end this evil and to create an equal society."

Ralph Swimwear Title 2011

2011-04-13T01:53:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Hawkins lookalike Kahili Blundell wins Ralph Swimwear title.

SYDNEY girl Kahili Blundell has won the Ralph Australian Swimwear Model of the Year competition.

The Crows Nest bikini babe beat more than 2000 girls from all over Australia and New Zealand to claim the coveted title at Sydney's Star City Casino last night.

"I feel more than special right now, I'm blown away and so honoured to be given this position," Blundell said.

"I was expecting him to call another number and I stood there thinking 27, is that me?

"It's also my boyfriend's birthday, but I realised it was me and I was shivering."

The 21-year-old Jennifer Hawkins lookalike works as a personal assistant and dabbles in makeup artistry in her spare time.

Even though Blundell has been exposed to the harsh world of modelling for three years, she admits the past couple of months have been especially hard.

"Since November I've been training every week for this, thinking about it every night," she said.

"I've been brought up to eat very healthy, so I don't have too much trouble doing that, but I definitely exercise a lot. I've been working very hard so thank god it's all paid off."

Last night's runway extravaganza saw the 38 finalists strut their stuff in multiple catwalk parades donning not much more than their fake eyelashes, fake tans, hair extensions and, of course, skimpy bikinis while their boisterous boyfriends feasted on meat pies, prawns and oysters and wolf-whistled from the audience.

After the beauties were whittled down to the final 12, reigning champ Emmi Moore handed over her sash and title to the Blundell.

"I've been doing this for three years now and this is exactly what I've been dreaming and hoping for," Blundell said.

"I'm open to any opportunity and I love challenges. I've obviously done well in the bikini field, so I might just continue on this track for a little while."

Burlesque performer Sina King from Melbourne took home runner-up while second runner-up went to 21-year-old aspiring writer Tiffany Baker from Fremantle, Western Australia.

Belarus arrests Minsk bombing suspects

2011-04-13T01:50:00.000-07:00

BELARUS has arrested two suspects over the attack on the Minsk metro that killed 12, including a man suspected of planting the bomb at the station, deputy prosecutor general Andrei Shved said on Wednesday.

"The first investigative actions are being carried out on these two people with lawyers. The first confessions have been obtained," he said, quoted by the Interfax-Zapad news agency.

"With a great deal of probability we can assume that one of the detained is the perpetrator," he added, pointing to video evidence from the Minsk metro.

The Oktyabrskaya subway station hit by the blast on Monday is within 100m of the presidential administration building.

Yesterday the Health Ministry said that 126 victims of the blast were hospitalised, and 22 of them remain in critical condition.

Viktor Sirenko, the chief doctor of the Minsk Emergency Hospital, said many victims had their legs or arms missing.

President Alexander Lukashenko suggested outside forces could be behind the blast.

Katrina Kaif, Vivek Oberoi In Krissh 3?

2011-04-12T03:22:00.000-07:00

Krissh 3 is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated projects of the year.

Even as the scripting of the Hrithik Roshan starrer is being finalised, B-town is abuzz with rumours that actor Vivek Oberoi might be joining the cast of the mega project, and that too as the villain!

Katrina Kaif and Chitrangada Singh are already a part of the proposed cast, supposed to play the roles of the female lead and the vamp respectively. While there were also talks that Priyanka Chopra might be a part of the cast, Katrina’s inclusion has put those rumours to rest.

Another highlight, of course, is the fact that the hot Chitrangada will be seen in a completely different character in ‘Krissh 3’. There were also reports that indicated that Rakesh Roshan wants to wait and watch for Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra.One to release as he wants to make ‘Krissh 3’ India’s best film so far as hi-octane visual effects and action sequences are concerned.

‘Krissh 3’, starring Hrithik Roshan in the lead role, is expected to go on the floors by the end of the year.

Zaheer Khan to tie with Isha Sharvani

2011-04-12T02:59:00.000-07:00

Zaheer Khan to tie the knot soon with Isha Sharvani.

Sorry girls, yet another eligible bachelor, Zaheer Khan, may soon go off the list straight into Isha Sharvani's arms said report today.

The report says that "soon after India emerged victorious at the World Cup 2011, and Zaheer Khan finished as the highest wicket taker of the tournament, his proud parents were reportedly insistent on getting the best bowler (read, flavour) of the season married. And their wish was Zaheer's command! We hear Zaheer is planning to walk the aisle with his long time girlfriend and Bollywood actress Isha Sharvani very soon."

Their love story is almost like a movie script. Isha was performing during an event in 2005. Zaheer was there. They got introduced and kept bumping into each other at various social dos. And before long they were seeing each other. However, after two years of dating they decided to call it quits. Both went their seperate ways. And were not in touch till they met again in 2010.

Isha and Zaheer decided to give love a second chance. "True love deserves a second chance and Zaheer Khan and Isha Sharvani are doing just that," said Hindustan Times. And now, it seems their decision was the right one.

The pretty damsel, who began her Bollywood career with Subhash Ghai’s ‘Kisna’ opposite Vivek Oberoi did not deny this news when contacted by a tabloid. Nonetheless, she preferred to keep it simple by saying, 'I really don’t want to comment on this.'

So, will they get married this year? We are waiting a confirmation, yet again.

ICC World Cup 2011 Photos

2011-04-08T03:26:00.000-07:00

ICC World Cup 2011 Photos, Images and Stills.