latest-news-india

8 killed, more than 50 injured in Mumbai Blasts

2011-07-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

At least 8 persons were killed and more than 50 people were injured, when three blasts rocked Mumbai within minutes of each other on Wednesday (July 13).

There is no official confirmation on the exact number of casualties. Meanwhile, the provincial government confirms terror strike.

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, was rocked by three blasts that took place in south Mumbai's Zaveri Bazar, Dadar in Central Mumbai, and Opera House in Charni Road.

More than 50 injured in Mumbai Blasts, says Maharashtra CM

2011-07-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Some 50 to 55 persons were injured in three bomb blasts that rocked Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithivraj Chavan said on Wednesday (July 13).

"As per preliminary reports, about 55 to 56 persons have been injured in the three blasts and they have been rushed to St George, Nair and KEM hospitals," he told PTI, a news agency.

He added that blasts were reported in Panchratna building in Diamond Market area at Opera House, Bank of India branch in Zaveri Bazaar near Mumbadevi temple and Kabutar Khana near Hanuman temple in Dadar west.

However, he refused to give any official confirmation on the exact number of casualties.

Meanwhile, state’s main opposition right wing Shiv Sena Party has urged the government to take strict action on those behind the blasts.

"There is chaos everywhere. This must be a terrorist act as it happened in three places," senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi said after reaching Dadar, one of the three sites of the blasts.

"I want that the government take immediate steps and find out who are people behind the blasts," Joshi said.

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, was rocked by three blasts that took place in south Mumbai's Zaveri Bazar, Dadar in Central Mumbai, and Opera House in Charni Road.

Police control room nos: 022-22621855/ 1983/ 5020

Three blasts rocks Mumbai, says police

2011-07-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Mumbai, July 13, Indian financial capital-Mumbai once again witnessed a series of blasts, police sources said on Wednesday. Local media reported that four persons have died in these blasts that took place at in the crowded Dadar, Opera House and Zaveri Bazar areas of the city.

The first explosion was reported from Mumbai’s famous Zaveeri Bazaar, an area of South Mumbai that is famous for its jewellery markets and Mumbadevi temple.

The second explosion was reported in a taxi in Dadar area, he said.

The third blast was reported from Opera House in Charni Road.

Meanwhile, an NIA team has been sent to Mumbai and all major Indian cities have been put on high alert.

Mumbai, the financial capital of India, has witnessed the worst-every militant strike of India, when 10 heavily armed personnel attacked two luxury hotels and a Jewish settlement and killed at least 166 people.

Salman Khan starrer Dabangg wins the national award

2011-05-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

Salman Khan starrer ‘Dabangg’ was declared the wholesome entertainer at the 58^th National Films Awards that was declared on Thursday (May 19, 2011). But, the south Indian movies outshines majority of Hindi movies in the top category. While Tamil movie 'Aadukalam' was named in six top categories, Malayalam film 'Adaminte Makan Abu' picked up four honours.

Here's the list of winners:

Best Film: 'Adaminte Makan Abu'
Best Hindi Feature Film: Do Dooni Chaar
Best 'Wholesome Entertainer of the Year' : Dabangg
Best Sports Film National Award: 'Boxing Ladies'
Best sci & tech film: Heart to Heart
Best film on social issues: Champions
Best English film - Memories in March
Best Art & Culture Film: Leaving Home (Indian Ocean Film)
Best Marathi Film: Mana Ayi Vacha
Best Kannada Film: Putukarna Highway
Best Children’s Film: Hejjegalu
Best Investigative Film: K R Manoj's 'A Pestering Journey' on Endosulfan victims
Best special effects: - Enthiran, Robot
Best Actor: Salim Kumar for Adaminte Makan Abu and Dhanush for Aadukalam
Best actress: Marathi actress Mitalee Jagtap Paradhar and Tamil actress Saranya
Best director: Vetrimaaran for 'Aadukalam'
Best supporting actress: Malayalam actress Sukumari
Best Male Playback Singer: Suresh Wadkar
Best Female Playback Singer: Rekha Bhardwaj for Ishqiya
Best Music: Vishal Bharadwaj for Ishqiya
Best audiography location sound recordist: Kamod Karade (Ishqiya)
Best re-recordist of the final mixed track: Debajit Changmai
Best cinematographer: Madhu Ambattu has won award for Adaminte Makan Abu.
Best production design: Sabu Cyril for Enthiran
Special jury award: Mee Sindhutai Sakpal

Batla House encounter still haunts its residents

2011-02-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

Two years have been passed since an infamous encounter took place at Batla House, where the police gunned down two militants belonging to the banned Indian Mujahideen outfit and also lost one of its highly decorated officers. But, the ghost of this infamous encounter still haunts the residents of this Muslim dominated locality.

There are innumerable incidents, where the residents of this colony were humiliated by multiple sections of the society including leading politicians and government officials. Being a resident of Batla House, I had also undergone through a series of horrible experiences. Sometimes, vicious comments of my friends disappointed me and sometimes, I had to undergone through a ‘Loyalty Test,’ that was especially framed by some employers for the residents of this area to check whether I am Indian or a terrorist.

But, what annoyed me the most was the words said by one of the officers of the UP Police. During his routine check up, he addressed me as “Ye Mian hai Batla House ka aur hamara dushman hai,” (This Muslim, who resides at Batla House is our enemy or anti-national). These words not only question fidelity of all the residents of my locality but also showcase the thinking of law enforcement authorities towards it. The words still haunt me.

I know this incident was just like a drop in ocean and there are many cases where the office bearers of security agencies and even some media houses touted this slum as the safe heavens for the militants. The main opposition of the country, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), even made this neglected colony as its main election issue during last Assembly Elections. The eye-catchy banners reading “Mushrooming Batla Houses,” were posted all across the national capital region to malign the image of this colony that accommodates a huge chunk of some highly literate Muslims.

Now the question arises, what the victimized residents of this colony—that is a home to some noted scholars and academicians of the country--will do and when the self-declared nationalists—the police and politicians, who themselves are involved in corruption, would stop this non-sense.

Honour Killings and the helpless legal system

2010-07-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Killing in the name of honour or pride is not a new term in Indian society, particularly in rural areas. The northern states of Haryana and UP have always been notorious for this henious crime, but the sudden surge in the cases of honour killing in metropolitan cities has undoubtedly shaken everyone.

The recent murders of a young couple and a woman, allegedly by their own brothers in the city like New Delhi not only highlights the darker side of Indian social system but also raised a question mark on the effectiveness of legal enforecement authorities.

These unjustified and brutual killings of youths, who dared to love or tie the nupital bond with their will, but against the wishes of their family members, only showed the helplessness of our legal system.

In most of the cases the victims had demanded police protection but their application remained unheard. Sarcastically, the alleged killers or the so-called crusaders of local customs showed no remorse for their crime. I heard one of the accused saying “we killed them for bringing disgrace for our family and we have no regret,” when he was asked by media persons.

These cases gives a sensational revealation that how the self-styled crusaders of tradition-preservation forces are involved in murders for the sake of dignity and pride.

Interestingly, the Khap Panchayats (local caste councils of elders), an influential local bodies formed to solve local issues, have played a crucial role in issuing diktats against young couples who dared to marry within the same gotra (clan), the thing which is against local customs and is regarded as one of the most henious crime.

Even politicians are seem to be reluctant in bringing tougher laws to protect the killings in the name of honour and dignity in the country. One of the finest examples of politician’s apathy is Haryana state, which has recorned a number of cases regarding caste related violence and honour killings. The state has witnessed a series of such incidents in the past few years.

The bigwigs of state politics, right from the state Chief Bhupinder Singh Hooda and main opposition leader Om Prakash Chautala to the businessman turned lawmaker Naveen Jindal, are trying to defend Khap Panchayat leaders saying that the khap panchayats are just like social organisations which have been doing social work for centuries.

Now, the question arises, whether our legal system is strong enough to provide full proof security to young couples who dared to marry within the same clan or against the wishes of their family members? I think the government must realise the sensitibility of the iisue and bring tougher laws to prevent these killings.

No army in anti-Maoists operation; a right step

2010-06-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

The federal government’s decision of not deploying army and air force in tackling Maoists is a praiseworthy effort. Right from the very beginning both the army and air force were reluctant in accepting active participation in anti-Maoist operations as they knew that if any such operation is launch then only poor, deprived and marginalised civilians particularly tribes residing in remote forest regions would suffer.

They were right as Maoists always use civilians as their safety shields. The red cadres have deep influence in tribal areas, among those who are residing in remote forest regions and are deprived of economic development or in many cases deprived of basic amenities viz. Food, Shelter and Clothes. I am doubtful whether these masses of the growing economic superpower of the world are capable of meeting their daily food requirements.

The majority of tribes doesn’t even aware of the outside world, their rights; they just know about their natural resources, which they claimed as their own. They oppose compulsory acquisition by legislature in the name of economic reforms.

Maoists gained some support by pledging their support to local villagers in their resistence against land acquisition by large companies. And there is no denying of the fact that communication gap coupled with corruption, justice denial and police atrocities on innocent masses only added fuel to the fire.

Civilians, residing in Maoist-infested belts, are caught between both stones of the mill and most of the times they find themselves on cross roads as both rebels and police are well aware about the power of the gun and both perties know how to use this.

Media reports suggest that there are some 20,000 fighters, out of which only some 8000 are hardcore fighters and are well versed in handling automatic weapons and explosives, rest are armored with traditional bows and arrows. So, it is unfair to use full-fledged power to crush rebels equipped with traditional weapons. The weapons that army uses are meant for causing maximum lethalties and in any case innocent civilians would only be the ultimate sufferers.

I think the country which gave the concept of ahimsa or non-violence to the world prefers diplomatic efforts to a full-fledged war. Nation’s interest must be given full priority and the government must appoint some envoys to reach rebels. I think the nation, which is the birth place of Gautam Buddha and Mahavira, must appoint goodwill ambassadors and try to reduce the communication gap.

This is the high time to take concrete steps as the Naxal (Maoist) Movement, which started in Naxalbari town of West Bengal, and has now spread in rural swathes of 20 of India's 28 states. The movement may derail the process of economic growth of Asia’s second largest growing economy.

Hundreds died in a series of violent incident involving red cadres killing police personnel and activists of opposition parties in central Chattissgarh and eastern West Bangal state. Recently a rail accident claims more than 70 lives in West Bengal state that claimed more than 70 lives. Officials claimed that the incident occurred after rebels sabotaged the track.

Google entering the 'smart TV' market, reports say

2010-03-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

(CNN) Google and its partners are looking to become the latest players to beam Web content onto your television, according to media reports.

The Web search giant, along with Intel and Sony, would integrate applications like Twitter and the Picasa photo site onto TV screens, according to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Both reports attributed news of the project, said to be in its early stages, to unnamed sources. Google did not return a message from CNN seeking comment.

Google would open its Android smartphone operating system to developers to use for the television project, according to the reports.

Projects based on the software could begin popping up as early as this summer, the Times reported.

The move would follow several established companies and some startups working to more fluidly combine Web content and television viewing.

Earlier this month, TiVo announced that subscribers will be able to pull Internet content, music and movies onto their televisions more easily with a new Premiere service.

The "Boxee Box," which won the title of "Last Gadget Standing" at January's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, lets users search and store Web content and either play it on television or share it on social-networking sites.

California-based company Roku has also rolled out a digital video player that integrates television, Web content and a video library.

What do you think? Would you welcome Google's entry into the TV business?

Facebook responds to massive phishing scheme

2010-03-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

(CNN) Facebook has responded to a an apparently massive attempt to steal passwords from its users.

"There's another spoofed email going around that claims to be from Facebook and asks you to open an attachment to receive a new password," read a post on the Facebook Security page.

"This email is fake. Delete it from your inbox, and warn your friends."

Facebook will never send users a new password in an attachment, the post says.

The messages claim to be from Facebook, with a return address that looks legitimate. A message sent twice to a CNN.com staffer reads:

Hey [user's name],

Because of the measures taken to provide safety to our clients, your password has been changed. You can find your new password in attached document.

Thanks,The Facebook Team.

McAfee security warned users in a blog post Wednesday that the link is a password stealer that becomes active when the user clicks on it. Once installed, malicious software, or malware, could potentially access all username and password information used on a computer, not just on Facebook, the post said.

Reports suggest the scheme continued to spread on Friday.

McAfee and Facebook urged users to not open the attachment and immediately delete the message, if up-to-date security software programs don't catch the message first.

Twin suicide attacks kill 39 in Lahore

2010-03-12T05:38:00.000-08:00

M Zulqernain
Lahore, Mar 12 (PTI) Terrorists today struck Pakistan's heartland of Punjab targeting the military as a pair of suicide bombers detonated their explosives seconds apart in the heavily-guarded cantonment area here, killing at least 39 people and injuring nearly 100 others.

In the second major attack in the city within a week, the bombers, who were on foot, hit vehicles of the Garrison Security Force patrolling the cantonment near a mosque in the busy R A Bazar area at 12.48 pm local time and the dead included 10 security personnel.

The area where the attacks occurred is full of residential and commercial complexes and also houses several security agency facilities. Within minutes of the explosions, it was swarmed with security personnel who stopped even media, including TV crew, from approaching the site of the blasts.

"Two suicide attackers struck the army vehicles which were on patrol.

China tells Google to obey laws or face consequences

2010-03-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

K J M Varma
Beijing, Mar 12 (PTI) Hardening its stance, China today said that world's leading search engine Google must obey its rules or "face the consequences" giving no indication whether it was ready to reach a compromise in the dispute over hacking.

It said the US internet company was welcome to stay and expand its business in China but at the same time it will have to face the consequence if it insists on doing things that violates China's laws and regulations.

"It is irresponsible and unfriendly if Google insists in doing something that goes against China's laws and regulations, and it will have to bear the consequence for doing so," said Li Yizhong, Chinese Minister of Industry and Information technology.

"Whether to withdraw from China or continue to stay is up to them," Yizhong told a press conference called to give details of China's talks with the company.

Guj riots: After Modi, Nalin Bhatt summoned by SIT

2010-03-12T05:34:00.001-08:00

Ahmedabad, Mar 12 (PTI) After Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the state's former BJP General Secretary Nalin Bhatt has also been summoned for questioning by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT in connection with the 2002 riots.

"I have been asked to appear before SIT tomorrow as I was the general secretary of BJP during the 2002 riots," Bhatt told PTI today.

A day after the Special Investigating Team(SIT) said it has summoned Modi to appear before it on March 21 for questioning in the communal violence at Gulburg society, opposition Congress and the ruling BJP also traded charges.

The Congress stepped up its demand for 60-year-old Modi's resignation saying he should do so on "moral grounds" following SIT summons.

"Modi has no right to be the chief minister once the SIT has summoned him. He should resign on moral grounds," Congress state in-charge P Sudhakar Reddy said.

Fresh communal clashes erupts out India's northern town

2010-03-12T05:27:00.000-08:00

Fresh communal clashes erupted out in Bareilly town of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state on Friday (March 12).

Reportedly the rioters set three shops and severaln trucks on fire.

The city has been put under curfew for since March 02 after clashes between two communities broke during a religious procession.

However, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court has given a clean to a senior Muslim cleric and directed police to close all investigations against him. The cleric was arrested by Police for envoking communal violence on Monday.

Indian Finance Minister rules out rollback of fuel price hike

2010-03-12T05:26:00.000-08:00

Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday (March 12) ruled out rollback of petrol and diesel price hike saying the nation's fiscal condition did not permit him to do so.

"I would have loved to respond to the request of the Opposition (for a rollback in auto fuel price hike, particularly diesel) but my financial condition does not permit me to do so," Mukherjee said while replying a debate in Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian Parliament.

"Kindly excuse me (from doing so)," he added.

India raised retail motor fuel prices by up to 7.75 percent last week, the first hike since July last, a move that will add to already high headline inflation.

The budget announced by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday (February 26) restored a 5 percent import tax on crude oil, which was removed in 2008 when global prices were at record highs, as part of a broader effort to raise revenue and cut fiscal deficit.

Pakistan announces 15 players squad for the Twenty 20 World Cup

2010-03-12T04:56:00.000-08:00

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced 15 players squad for the Twenty 20 World Cup on Friday (March 12).

The squad included Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal-the three players who are serving a six-month probation for disciplinary problems.

However, the board did not announce a captain and vice-captain tournament.

The players in the squad include Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Salman Butt, Saeed Ajmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Umer Gul, Khalid latif, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Hafiz, Hamad Azam, Mohammad Aamir, Mohammad Asif and Yasir Arafat while the reserve players include Shahzeb Hassan, Mohammad Samee, Raza Hassan, Naveed Yaseen and Sarfaraz Ahmed.

"Hurt Locker" wins 6 Oscars, best film

2010-03-12T04:33:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) Iraq war movie "The Hurt Locker," took the Oscars by storm on Sunday winning six of the major film honours, including best movie and director for Kathryn Bigelow who became the first woman to win that honour.

The drama about a squad of bomb defusing specialists and the emotional toll war takes on them also secured writer Mark Boal the Academy Award for best original screenplay, and claimed honours for film editing, sound editing and mixing.

"Hurt Locker" and Bigelow won Oscars over stiff competition from her ex-husband James Cameron, whose sci-fi adventure "Avatar" is the top-grossing movie ever with $2.5 billion at box offices and was seen as a favourite for best movie.

"This really is, there's no other way to describe it, it's the moment of a lifetime," Bigelow said.
"Avatar" earned 3 Oscars, but in technical categories -- visual effects, cinematography and art direction.

Veteran Jeff Bridges claimed best actor playing a drunken country singer in drama "Crazy Heart." The son of Hollywood star Lloyd Bridges, held his trophy high over his head, looking to the heavens and thanking his deceased parents.

"Mom and Dad, yeah," he shouted. "Thank you Mom and Dad for turning me on to such a groovy profession."

Sandra Bullock was named best actress for "The Blind Side" in a first for the actress once dubbed "America's Sweetheart" because she won so many early fans in her romantic comedies.

But for "The Blind Side," she took the part of a real-life, strong-willed mother who helps take a homeless youth off the street and makes him into a football success.

"Did I really earn this, or did I just wear you all down?" she joked on Oscar's stage.

Dark drama "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" earned two Oscars including supporting actress for Mo'Nique and adapted screenplay for writer Geoffrey Fletcher, who became the first African American to claim that honour.

Christoph Waltz won best supporting actor for his turn as a menacing Nazi officer in revenge fantasy "Inglourious Basterds," which follows a band of American Jews killing their enemies behind lines during World War Two.

"Up" was named best animated movie, and Argentina's "The Secret in Their Eyes" won best foreign language film.

(Editing by Mary Milliken and Sandra Maler)

Olympics-host Vancouver ranked world's most liveable city

2010-02-12T06:24:00.000-08:00

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Vancouver has again topped a list of the top 10 most liveable cities in the world, giving the Canadian west coast city an extra boost as it opens the 2010 Winter Olympics.

In the annual survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Vancouver scored 98 percent on a combination of stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure -- a score unchanged from last year.

The city has also topped the index since at least 2007.

In the 2010 ranking, there was little change in the top positions with Vienna, Melbourne and Toronto still taking the second, third and fourth positions and the top 10 dominated by Canadian and Australian cities which took seven of the 10 slots.

Johannesburg, which is hosting the soccer World Cup finals in June, came in 92nd place, the highest score in sub-Saharan Africa.

"Vancouver scores well across all categories in the survey and the forthcoming Winter Games contribute to a strong score in the cultural and sporting events category," said Jon Copestake, editor of the report, in a statement.

"Johannesburg has had well-documented crime problems, but performs better in other categories, with the highest overall liveability rating in sub-Saharan Africa."

The Economist Intelligence Unit survey ranked 140 cities on 30 factors such as healthcare, culture and environment, and education and personal safety, using research involving resident experts and its own analysts.

It said in a statement that these rankings were used by employers assigning hardship allowances as part of expatriate relocation packages.

New York was ranked 56th, two slots behind London which was at number 54, while Los Angeles ranked at number 47.

Zimbabwe's capital Harare scored the least, making it the list's worst city, with a rating of 37.5.

Following is a list of the top 10 most liveable cities as ranked by The Economist:

1. Vancouver, Canada

2. Vienna, Austria

3. Melbourne, Australia

4. Toronto, Canada

5. Calgary, Canada

6. Helsinki, Finland

7. Sydney, Australia

8. Perth, Australia

9. Adelaide, Australia

10. Auckland, New Zealand

The bottom 10 cities were:

1. Harare, Zimbabwe

2. Dhaka , Bangladesh

3. Algiers , Algeria

4. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

5. Lagos, Nigeria

6. Karachi, Pakistan

7. Douala, Cameroon

8. Kathmandu, Nepal

9. Colombo, Sri Lanka

10. Dakar, Senegal

Bollywood film sparks militant Hindu rage in India

2010-02-12T06:21:00.000-08:00

Rina Chandran
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Theatres in Mumbai turned fortresses on Friday for release of a Bollywood film whose star is locked in a duel with a radical Hindu group, sparking worries India's financial hub is being undermined by parochial politics.

Most cinemas began showing 'My Name is Khan' by afternoon after initial reluctance for fear of attacks by the hard-line Shiv Sena party.

"This is a slap in the face of the Sena," said a woman exiting a Mumbai multiplex, giving the thumbs-up sign.

The controversy was sparked by the film's hero Shah Rukh Khan's recent criticism that no Pakistani cricketers had been picked for the Indian Premier League.

Thousands of police in riot gear were deployed to protect cinemas with plainclothesmen also inside the halls. Police detained 2,000 Shiv Sena members as a precaution, and beat back protesters outside some theatres.

Protests also spread to some other Indian cities.

Analysts and politicians have warned the Sena's tactics may hurt Mumbai's image as a cosmopolitan city and its efforts to model itself as an international financial center like Dubai or Singapore. Mumbai is also home to the Bollywood film industry.

Shiv Sena, which runs the Mumbai municipality, draws political sustenance from hard-line Hinduism and an ultra-nationalism that includes strident opposition to Pakistan.

"I came to see the movie because it's been so controversial, and because I am a huge fan of Shah Rukh Khan," said Subhash Kandrep who was waiting for the first show at Inox in Mumbai.

"I don't see why a movie should not be shown just because some people are protesting over what Khan said."

The Sena, which upholds the rights of Mumbai's indigenous Marathi community, has in recent weeks also turned its ire on industrialist billionaire Mukesh Ambani and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar for remarks the Sena perceived as being anti-Mumbai.

The Sena's stance has triggered a heated debate across the country, with politicians, film stars and businesses weighing in.

Khan, arguably Bollywood's most successful star, plays an autistic man subject to racial bias in the United States after the September 11 terror attacks.

He kept up a torrent of tweets through the night from the Berlin film festival where his movie is showing. It was ironic, he said, that a film made for peace "has led to so much angst in my own house. My city. My country. Am I political or politically incorrect?"

Trade analysts say about 1.2 billion rupees ($26 million) is at stake, with Mumbai and Maharashtra state typically accounting for more than a quarter of a Bollywood film's revenues.

The skirmish in Mumbai comes as local politics have also rattled other cities in India, including the IT hub of Hyderabad, home to Indian operations of multinationals including Microsoft and Amazon, which has been repeatedly shut down over protests for the creation of a new state carved out of Andhra Pradesh state.

Google to build high-speed Internet network

2010-02-12T06:20:00.000-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Google Inc plans to build a super-fast Internet network for up to half a million people, a project that could pressure telecommunications companies to loosen their control of Web access in the United States.

The Internet company has locked horns with the likes of AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc over the issue of net neutrality: Google wants telephone companies to permit consumers to run any Web application they want, while carriers do not want to lose control of networks they have invested billions of dollars to build.

In building the test network, Google wants to demonstrate a carrier could easily manage complex applications that use a lot of bandwidth without sacrificing performance.

Google said on Wednesday it does not plan to build a nationwide network and its goal is only to develop a trial service at a "competitive price" to 50,000 to 500,000 people, offering Web speeds of up to 100 times faster than most consumers get today.

"In a big way, this is about Google wanting to make a case for net neutrality," said PRTM consultant Daniel Hays, adding that Google wants to "demonstrate these services can be provided profitably at satisfactory levels of performance."

In a blog describing the new network, Google imagined a doctor discussing and looking at three-dimensional medical images with a patient far away, students joining a class from various locations in 3-D, or someone downloading a high-definition movie very quickly.

Google said the network would run on fiber optic lines to homes, but declined to give more details.

FCC WELCOMES MOVE

Google asked cities and states interested in joining the experiment to apply to Google by March 26 and said it eventually would build the network in a number of U.S. locations. here th-gig-our-experimental.htm

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski immediately hailed the move, saying "big broadband creates big opportunities." The FCC is about a month away from submitting a national broadband plan to Congress.

Google's "significant trial will provide an American test bed for the next generation of innovative, high-speed Internet apps, devices and services," Genachowski said in a statement.

Google has long argued it can sell more Web ads -- the way it makes money -- by encouraging Internet use.

Analysts said they did not think Google would end up competing directly with carriers as it would cost the Internet company hundreds of billions of dollars to build a nationwide broadband network from scratch.

"If somehow they were able to widely deploy this, it would be bad for the cable and telecom folks. I'm skeptical the economics will work to allow them to deploy it widely," said Hudson Square Research analyst Todd Rethemeier.

A Verizon spokesman described the Google move as a "new paragraph" in the "exciting story" of Internet development.

AT&T declined to comment.

Google has had mixed success in previous attempts to become an Internet service provider. In 2006, it partnered with EarthLink Inc in an attempt to provide free wireless Internet access to the entire city of San Francisco. The plan fell through in 2007 over financial concerns.

At the same time, however, Google built a free wireless network across its headquarter's city of Mountain View, Calif.

Each of those attempts, however, leveraged wireless broadband access. This time, Google is dealing in hard lines.

HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?

Oppenheimer & Co analyst Timothy Horan said he suspected building out the trial broadband network would cost Google about $1,000 to $2,000 per subscriber if it bought unused fiber lines already underneath many cities.

"They can buy a lot of this stuff fairly inexpensively that's out there already," he said, adding that communications service providers, such as Level 3 Communications Inc, would have lines to sell to Google.

Google said it would pay for building the network itself without seeking financial partners or government subsidies and then charge consumer and business customers.

"We'll deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections," Google product managers Minnie Ingersoll and James Kelly wrote in the blog.

Google said it wanted the project to become an open-access network, enabling products such as Internet telephony.

"I think there are a lot of partnership opportunities and we are definitely interested in having those discussions," Ingersoll said.

Gisele Gives $1.5 Million to Haiti Relief Efforts

2010-01-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

(US Magazine.com) Gisele Bundchen has written a $1.5 million check to the Red Cross to aid the relief effort in Haiti, which was rocked Tuesday by a 7.0 earthquake that is believed to have killed at least 100,000 people.

The model -- who reportedly earned $35 million last year -- was prompted to pitch in after seeing the devastation done by this week’s earthquake, according to The Boston Globe.
Who are Hollywood's most generous celebs?

Other stars who are helping:
Haiti-born Wyclef Jean: He has already raised more than $1 million through his Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund.

Madonna: She has pledged $250,000. In a statement, she said told UsMagazine.com: "My prayers are with the people of Haiti. I can't imagine the terrible pain and suffering they are experiencing. Sadly the depths of the tragedy are just becoming known and the need for our support grows more urgent with every passing moment."

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: They are donating $1 million to Doctors Without Borders. Pitt's international advocacy group, Not On Our Watch - which he founded with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and producer Jerry Weintraub - also gave $1 million.

Lance Armstrong: His LiveStrong Foundation has pledged $250,000. Money will go to Doctors Without Borders and Partners in Health founded by Harvard professor Paul Farmer.

Alyssa Milano: The goodwill ambassador for UNICEF wrote a $50,000 check to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. She is asking U.S. corporations to match her donation.

Tyler Perry: $250,000
Ben Stiller: He's raising money for a school in Ceverine in Haiti through Save the Children. He also is asking fans for $10 donations charged to phone bills by texting "Haiti" to 90999.
See today's top celeb news photos

George Clooney: As Us reported Thursday, he is hosting a telethon Jan. 22 on MTV to raise funds.

David Blaine: The magician, who once shot a TV special in Haiti in 1999, is working with the Red Cross to raise funds for Haitian earthquake victims by performing his street magic for 72 hours non-stop, starting Friday at 9 a.m. in Times Square.

India’s Tata Communications Launches IP Exchange (IPX) to Enable Universal Service Interoperability for Mobile Network Operators

2010-01-19T07:37:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) Tata Communications, a leading provider of the new world of communications, today announced the launch of its IP Exchange (IPX) solution, which will enable mobile service providers to seamlessly and efficiently route all communication traffic, including voice, IP and signaling solutions, via one IP pipe while supporting end-to-end QoS, security, multilateral connectivity, and cascading payments.

With commoditization of voice and messaging driving down ARPUs, service providers are under increasing pressure to control costs. Moving to an IPX platform provides one IP gateway for many services and this helps mobile operators to protect their margins on roaming and international traffic termination.

As a universal service gateway, IPX also reduces overhead costs on network maintenance and service development as well as helps manage complexity from voice routing, service testing and partnerships. In addition, the network optimization provided by IPX empowers mobile network providers to make the tough migration to the new world of IP connectivity allowing increased bandwidth flexibility, global reach and ensured quality for converged services.

Currently, the interconnection of IP is optimized for public Internet, and service providers are unable to distinguish between voice and data services or guarantee quality connectivity to their end users. Tata Communications IPX creates a flexible ecosystem that allows mobile operators to tap into the company`s global MPLS network as an IP backbone for the secure transport of any form of application and rich media via any access network with varying service quality levels.

"Tata Communications IPX service provides an efficient, cost-effective and future-proof converged IP transport solution for MNOs to help them address their key challenges of protecting margins and growing revenues," said Christian Michaud, Senior Vice President, Product and Business Development, Global Voice Solutions, Tata Communications. "As the industry moves towards universal service interoperability, IPX will help service providers to optimize profitability and long-term growth by providing one connection for many services."
Tata Communications is a key member of the IP Interworking Alliance (IPIA), which engages operators and carriers in technical specifications and commercial templates for the IPX with the ultimate goal of facilitating global interworking of IP services.

"End-to-end delivery of innovative multimedia services calls for the efficient inter-working of fixed and mobile networks and the adoption of new business models. The IPX architecture provides a comprehensive commercial and technical solution to the interconnection, management and billing of IP traffic. IPX solutions like those from Tata Communications can help service providers balance their needs to ensure high service quality and to reduce costs," said David James, Principal Analyst Wholesale Telecoms at Ovum.

About Tata Communications
Tata Communications is a leading global provider of a new world of communications. With a leadership position in emerging markets, Tata Communications leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers.

The Tata Global Network includes one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks, a Tier-1 IP network, with connectivity to more than 200 countries across 400 PoPs, and nearly 1 million square feet of data center and collocation space worldwide.

Tata Communications` depth and breadth of reach in emerging markets includes leadership in Indian enterprise data services, leadership in global international voice, and strategic investments in operators in South Africa (Neotel), Sri Lanka (Tata Communications Lanka Limited), Nepal (United Telecom Limited), and subject to approval by the Chinese government, China (China Enterprise Communications).

Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India and its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange

India beat Sri Lanka by eight wickets

2010-01-10T07:09:00.000-08:00

India booked its birth in the finals of tri-nation cricket tournament on Sunday (January 10) after crushing Sri Lanka by eight wickets.

India chased the target of 214 runs in 32.4 overs.

Indian batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli made 71 run each.

India’s left hand seamer Zaheer Khan and legspinner Amit Mishra took three wickets.

Zaheer Khan was adjudged the man of the match award.

India will take on to Sri Lanka in the finals.

United States has plan to deal with Iran's nuclear program, says Top US commander

2010-01-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

Florida: The United States of America has developed contingency plans regarding Iran’s nuclear facility, Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command said on Sunday (January 10).

"It would be almost literally irresponsible if CENTCOM were not to have been thinking about the various 'what ifs' and to make plans for a whole variety of different contingencies," Gen. David Petraeus told CNN in Tampa.

The nuclear program of Iran was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States and Western European governments but was halted after the Islamic revolution in the country.

The US said that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb in its secret-nuclear facilities. Whereas, the Islamic Republic of Iran says that its programme is for peaceful purposes.

Israel has called Iran's nuclear program the major threat facing its nation.

Iran is holding out on a United Nations-backed deal on its nuclear program that includes enriching uranium. The country had until the end of 2009 to accept the deal offered by the "P5 plus one" -- permanent U.N. Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany. Instead, Iran countered, giving the West until the end of January to accept its own proposal.

Three Khans of Bollywood get together for 3 Idiots

2009-12-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

Actors and often termed rivals, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan may come together under the same roof at the premiere of Aamir’s film 3 Idiots.

Sources close to Aamir told a magazine that the actor personally called up Shah Rukh Khan, his toughest competitor in tinsel town, to be present on the occasion and King Khan, confirmed his presence.

Salman Khan, who has been closely bonding with Aamir Khan, too, gave his consent about his presence at the grand event.

To make the premiere one of the most memorable events, even Amitabh Bachchan, has accepted Aamir's invitation and will be registering his presence at the premiere of the flick.

Aamir and SRK were last spotted together at the star studded premiere of Paa. (Agencies)

Twitter named 'top English word'

2009-12-02T03:31:00.000-08:00

November 30 (ANI): Twitter, the popular phenomenon of social networking, has been named the top English word this year in a survey.

Texas-based Global Language Monitor put together a list of the top words and phrases and found that the word was more popular than Obama and H1N1, commonly known as the "swine flu".

Wrapping up the top five words were 'stimulus' and 'vampire', reports the Telegraph.
Founder Paul Payack said: "In a year dominated by world-shaking political events, a pandemic, the after effects of a financial tsunami and the death of a revered pop icon, the word Twitter stands above all the other words.

"Twitter represents a new form of social interaction, where all communication is reduced to 140 characters. Being limited to strict formats did wonders for the sonnet and haiku.
"One wonders where this highly impractical word-limit will lead as the future unfolds."

The top 15 words were:
1. Twitter
2. Obama
3. H1N1
4. Stimulus
5. Vampire
6. 2.0 - as in suffix attached to the next generation
7. Deficit
8. Hadron
9. Healthcare
10.Transparency
11.Outrage
12.Bonus
13.Unemployed
14.Foreclosure
15.Cartel (ANI)

Cholesterol Is Vital To Brain Development

2009-10-04T05:08:00.000-07:00

A group of Swedish researchers from medical university Karolinska Institutet, for the first time have confirmed that, a derivative of cholesterol is essential for the formation of brain cells.

The group was conducting an experiment on the neural cells of mice.

According to Professor Ernest Arenas, Karolinska Institutet, this might prove extremely helpful for the scientists on cultivating dopamine-producing cells outside the body.

As per the scientist, when special receptors are activated by the oxidised form of cholesterol, oxysterol, then it accelerates the creation of dopamine-producing neurons.

Embryonic cells if treated with oxidised cholesterol can also produce such dopamine-producing neurons. So such types of cells are vital to several brain functions and processes.

Professor Ernest Arenas also added that, such types of cells die during Parkinson's disease.

The study report said that, the same treatment also reduced the tendency of the stem cells to show much uncontrolled growth in the body.

"Oxysterol contributes to a safer and better cultivation of dopamine-producing cells, which is a great advancement since it increases the possibility of developing new treatments for Parkinson s disease," says Prof. Ernest Arenas.

The researchers are hopeful that, they could treat Parkinson’s patients using the transplanted dopamine- producing cells in place of dead cells. (source: India server)

Eight US troops killed in east Afghan battle

2009-10-04T04:54:00.001-07:00

(THE DAWN) KABUL: NATO has suffered its deadliest attack in Afghanistan in more than a year after eight US soldiers were killed in a firefight in the east of the country, the alliance said Sunday.

Tribal militia launched attacks on Saturday from a local mosque and a village in Nuristan province near the border with Pakistan, the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said in a statement.

‘Coalition forces effectively repelled the attack and inflicted heavy enemy casualties, while eight Isaf and two ANSF service members were killed,’ a statement said, referring to Afghan National Security Forces.

No exact details were given on the location of the firefight, which a Taliban spokesman claimed had killed 30 foreign and Afghan troops.

An Isaf spokesman told AFP later: ‘I can confirm that they (the foreign troops) were all American.’

The attack was the deadliest single incident for foreign forces since 10 French troops were killed in an ambush in eastern Afghanistan in August 2008.

Six Italian soldiers were killed in a massive suicide bomb in the capital Kabul last month.

Coalition forces are currently battling to quell a growing insurgency that is spreading across Afghanistan, nearly eight years after the Taliban were ousted from power.

Eastern Afghanistan has seen an escalation in insurgent-related violence recently as Taliban-linked militias spread their footprint beyond regions like Kandahar and Helmand provinces in the south, where they have long held sway.

The intelligence head of Nuristan province, Mohammad Farooq, told AFP that Saturday's attack took place in the province's Kamdesh region, near the lawless border with Pakistan, where al-Qaeda and Taliban sympathisers are based.

Isaf said the militants had fired on the coalition forces in outposts.

The Taliban were virtually wiped out in 2002 but are now on the march.

The London-based International Council on Security and Development think-tank estimates they now have a permanent presence in 80 per cent of the country.

The commander of the more than 100,000 Nato and US forces in Afghanistan, US General Stanley McChrystal, has described the Afghan security situation as ‘serious’ and reportedly requested up to 40,000 more troops.

The extra forces would be sent mainly to the north and west of the country, where troop numbers are lowest, the US military told AFP on Saturday.

Mariam Abou Zahab, from the Centre for International Studies and Research (Ceri) in Paris, said: ‘The Taliban are in a strong position. They want to show that they are everywhere.’

North and west Afghanistan were calm until the start of this year, but have seen a sharp deterioration in security in recent months, as Taliban insurgents intensified attacks before the August 20 presidential election.

Like in the south and the east, fighting between militants and international forces has now become a daily occurrence.

This year has been the deadliest year for foreign troops since 2001, with 394 deaths, 236 of them American, according to an AFP toll based on a tally by the independent icasualties.org website.

More than 1,430 soldiers have died since the start of US-led operations in 2001.

Political uncertainty has exacerbated the tenuous security situation as no result has yet been declared in the August 20 presidential poll, which was marred by fraud allegations.

Afghanistan's Western-backed President Hamid Karzai, accused of vote-rigging, leads preliminary results with 55 per cent of the vote, while his main rival Abdullah Abdullah has around 28 per cent.
Auditing of suspect ballots from more than 3,000 ballot boxes is due to start Monday, electoral officials have said.

Rescue efforts on as flood toll in Karnataka rises to over 130

2009-10-04T04:52:00.000-07:00

Rescue and rehabilitation efforts for the flood-hit in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have acquired an urgency after the death toll from incessant rains crossed to over 130.

The Army, Navy and Air Force have been called out for rescue and relief operations. At the Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bangalore, a around-the-clock flood relief cell has been set up to oversee relief work.

According to IAF sources, four helicopters have been conducting sorties in Karnataka's Bellary and Raichur districts. Six more helicopters are being deployed.

The Madras Engineering Group and Centre (MEGC) of the Indian Army has deployed 32 boats in rain-hit regions.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has said that Centre has been approached for emergency assistance and particularly described the situation in North Karnataka as grim and serious. He said the state government has released a sum of Rs 100 crore for relief and rescue operations.

According to official sources, over 26,000 houses have collapsed in North Karnataka.

Most of the eleven districts in the region are inundated, as all the rivers are flowing above the danger mark. Road and rail transport services have also been disrupted.

Union Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa had on Friday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Defence Minster A.K. Antony in rescue operations in the wake of the unprecedented flood situation. (ANI)

Rio de Janeiro to host 2016 Olympic Games

2009-10-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

COPENHAGEN - Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian city renowned for its scenic natural settings, gala carnival celebrations, samba and other music, and hotel-lined tourist beaches, was chosen as the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games after an International Olympic Committee vote in Copenhagen on Friday (October 02).

The Brazilian city beat Madrid for the right to host the Summer Games after Chicago and Tokyo were eliminated in earlier rounds.

U.S. September non-farm payrolls fall

2009-10-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers cut a deeper-than-expected 263,000 jobs in September, fuelling fears the weak labour market could impede the economy's recovery from its worst recession in 70 years.

The 21st straight monthly decline in non-farm payrolls helped to lift the unemployment rate to a 26-year high of 9.8 percent from 9.7 percent in August, according to a Labour Department report.

While the contraction in employment was worse than the 180,000 drop economists surveyed by Reuters had predicted, many believed it did not signal the start of a reversal in the trend towards stabilization of the labour market.

Some analysts even suggested September's reading might have been distorted by a sharp drop in government employment.

"I don't think it argues against a modest recovery in the U.S. economy ... but this is why we are not in a rapid V-shaped recovery. September was the payback month," Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services in Pittsburgh.

U.S. stocks opened lower on the data, but clawed back most of the losses on buying in technology and financial shares. Shares slipped this week as other data pointed to a levelling-off in the nascent U.S. recovery from a recession that began in December 2007.
U.S. Treasury prices rallied initially but then gave up those gains. Bond market investors are wary after a recent rally in U.S. government debt -- considered a safe investment weak economic times -- that has brought the benchmark 10-year note to its lowest yield since May.

Microsoft and Yahoo seal web deal

2009-07-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 29 July (BBC) Microsoft and Yahoo have held lengthy talks on a tie-up Yahoo and Microsoft have announced a long-rumoured internet search deal that will help the two companies take on chief rival Google.

Microsoft's Bing search engine will power the Yahoo website and Yahoo will in turn become the advertising sales team for Microsoft's online offering.

Yahoo has been struggling to make profits in recent years.

But last year it rebuffed several takeover bids from Microsoft in an attempt to go it alone.

Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer said the 10-year deal would provide Microsoft's Bing search engine with the necessary scale to compete.

I believe it establishes the foundation for a new era of internet innovation and development

Carol Bartz, Yahoo chief executive "Through this agreement with Yahoo, we will create more innovation in search, better value for advertisers, and real consumer choice in a market currently dominated by a single company," said Mr Ballmer.

In return for ceding control of its search engine, Yahoo will get to keep 88% of the revenue from all search ad sales on its site for the first five years of the deal, and have the right to sell adverts on some Microsoft sites.

Famed Indian actress Leela Naidu dies

2009-07-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

Famed Indian actress Leela Naidu has died in India's entertainment capital Mumbai on Wednesday (July 29) following a long illness.

Naidu, the 69-year old actress has featured in many films including highly acclaimed and award-winning 'Anuradha'.

Indian President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil consoled Naidu's death.

Naidu was a well known Hindi film actress who delighted Hindi movie lovers across the country with memorable hits like ''Anuradha,'' ''The Guru'' and ''Ye Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke''," she said.

Naidu, who was crowned Miss India in 1955 and renowned for her beauty, starred in films including the award-winning Anuradha.

No Balochistan dossier was given by Pakistan, says Indian Prime Minister

2009-07-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday (July 29) said that he was not provided any dossier by Pakistan on Balochistan.

He said that Yousuf Raza Gilani, Pakistani Prime Minister had not handed over any dossier to him during NAM summit in Egypt.

"I categorically say no such dossier was given to me," he said in Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian Parliament.

Singh met Gilani in Sharm-el Sheikh on the sidelines of the NAM summit.
Main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party accused accused the Prime Minister of compromising India's foreign policy with the mention of Balochistan and warned that New Delhi will face pressure from the international community on the issue in future.

Pak should fulfill its commitments on terror: PM

2009-07-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

New Delhi (PTI): Defending the India-Pak joint statement on Wednesday, in Parliament, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "It is impossible for any government in India to work for full normalisation of relations with Pakistan unless that country fulfills commitment to not to allow its territory to be used for terror against India".

Dr. Singh added that the people of India expect Pakistan to fulfill the commitment given in the joint statement of Vajpayee-Musharraf that Pak will not allow its territory to be used for terror against India. That is a common national consensus in India.
He also added that the Pak dossier makes it clear that LeT inspired, financed and executed the Mumbai attack and also this is the first time Pak formally briefed us on a terror attack in India.

Dr. Singh while speaking on the India-Pak joint statement added that Pakistan has said five persons, including Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakvi and Zarar Shah, have been arrested and 13 others declared as proclaimed offenders. He said that what India have got from Pakistan is much more than what it had got during NDA regime.

He said that Pakistan must shut down the terroist groups and organisations that still operate from there.

IANS report adds:

Pak admitted its nationals involved in terrorist attacks

Pakistan has admitted for the first time that its nationals carried out a terrorist attack in India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Wednesday.

"It is the first that they have admitted that their nationals in a terrorist organisation based in Pakistan carried out a ghastly attack in India," Dr. Manmohan Singh said in his reply to the debate in Lok Sabha on the India-Pakistan joint statement issued in Egypt.

He said that the admission was made in a dossier given by Pakistan just before he left for his visit to France and Egypt. "This is the first time that Pakistan has ever formally briefed us on the results of the investigations of any attacks," said the prime minister.

He said that the dossier detailed the planning and sequence of investigation by Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency, which also included the copy of first information report lodged, with photos of the arrested person.

"The Pakistan dossier states that the investigation has established beyond doubt that Lashkar-e-Taiba has planned that attack," Dr. Manmohan Singh said.

Jackson's father suspects "foul play" in death

2009-07-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's father said on Friday he suspected "foul play" in the death of his pop star son, as lawyers disclosed talks aimed at settling guardianship of the singer's two children with his ex-wife.

The previously unknown talks caused a Los Angeles court to delay by one week a key hearing over custody of the kids, who are now being cared for by Jackson's 79-year-old mother.

Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, told ABC News in a TV interview Friday that he was dumbfounded when he learned his son collapsed at home and was being rushed to the hospital.

"I just couldn't believe what was happening to Michael. I do believe it was foul play. I do believe that," he said, without elaborating.

The "Thriller" singer died suddenly over two weeks ago after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented Los Angeles mansion. He was 50. Since then, numerous media reports have surfaced about powerful prescription drugs found by police at Jackson's home after his June 25 death.

"I didn't know anything about the drugs," Joe Jackson said. "I didn't even know the name of them. But I do know that whatever he'd taken was to try to make him rest because he had been working so hard, and that drug was supposed to try and make him relax.

"But anyway he didn't wake up. He never woke up. Michael died in his sleep."

Toxicology reports are pending on the official cause of Jackson's death, but numerous media reports have said that the dangerous sedative Diprivan -- normally used in hospitals by anesthesiologists -- was found at the singer's home.

A ROW WITH ROWE?

Jackson family attorney and spokesman L. Londell McMillan, said his legal team is now in talks with attorneys for Jackson's ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, about the key question of who will care for his children.

A judge gave Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, temporary guardianship days after the singer's death, and a hearing to continue her role had been set for July 13.

"We are pleased that the child custody hearing has been continued over until July 20 to allow us to continue to make progress in our dignified and amicable discussions for the best interest of the children," McMillan told Reuters.

He declined to detail the discussions or say if Rowe, was seeking custody of the two children she bore Jackson while they were married in the late 1990s: Prince Michael Jr, 12, and Paris, 11. Jackson had a third child, Prince Michael II, 7, using a surrogate mother whose name has never been disclosed.

Last week, Rowe told a Los Angeles television station, "I want my children," but later that same day her attorney told reporters in a telephone conference call that although the quote was correct, its intention was distorted.

At the time, attorney Eric George said Rowe had not made a decision about whether she would seek custody of the two kids, and since then Rowe has not addressed the matter in public.

In a 2002 will, Jackson nominated his mother to be the guardian, but legal experts say Rowe can challenge the guardianship and possibly win custody of her two children.

"California law, like many states' laws, strongly favors children remaining in a family that was intact when they were born, even if it no longer is at this point," said Scott Altman, an expert in family law who teaches at the University of Southern California.

Costliest transfers ever in World Football History

2009-07-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

We can say that Football also means the shower of money. Below is the brief list of nine costliest transfers in the history of football.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo * 80 million pounds * Manchester United to Real Madrid - 2009
2.Kaka * 59 million pounds * AC Milan to Real Madrid - 2009
3. Zinedine Zidane * 46 million pounds * Juventus to Real Madrid - 2001
4. Luis Figo * 37 million pounds * Barcelona to Real Madrid - 2000
5. Hernan Crespo * 25.5 million pounds * Parma to Lazio - 2000
6. Gianluigi Buffon * 32.6 million pounds * Parma to Juventus - 2001
7. Robinho * 32.5 million pounds * Real Madrid to Manchester City - 2008
8. Christian Vieri * 32 million pounds * Lazio to Inter Milan - 1999
9. Andrei Shevchenko * 30.8 million pounds * AC Milan to Chelsea - 2006

Railway budhet 2009: Highlights

2009-07-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

Railway budget highlights:
Passenger and freight rates left unchanged across the board.
Railways earn net revenue of Rs8,121 crore in 2008-09.
Railways to pay higher dividend of Rs5,479 crore to the Centre in FY 2010.
Tatkal charges reduced from Rs150 to Rs100.
Ladies' specials on suburban train routes during peak hours.
'Izzat' monthly tickets of Rs25 (for up to 100 km travel) for people from the unorganised sector with an income of less than Rs1,500 per month.
New coach factory at Kanchrapara in West Bengal.
Cold storage facilities for farmers to store vegetables and fruits.
Talks to take over ailing wagon manufacturing units.
18,000 wagons to be acquired during the current year.
Railway medical colleges and rail hospitals on public-private partnership basis.
Student concession will cover madrassa students.
Special coaches for disabled and aged people.
50 stations to be developed along world-class standards.
375 stations to be upgraded as 'Adarsh' stations, with basic facilities such as drinking water, toilets and ladies' dormitories.
Availability of doctors on-board long-distance trains.
On-board infotainment services to be provided.
6,560 staff quarters to be constructed in 2009-10.
High-capacity double-decker A/C trains to be introduced.
57 new trains to be introduced.
12 non-stop trains to be introduced.
Accredited journalists to get 50% rebate; also once a year with spouse.
1,000 MW power plant proposed in tribal area Adra.
Cash surplus of Rs17,400 crore before dividend.
Railways have investible surplus of Rs12,681 crore.
Annual plan expenditure pegged at Rs36,336 crore.

British actor Kelly Brook has the world’s sexiest celebrity body

2009-06-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

Actress Kelly Brook, renowned for her toned figure, named the women with the sexiest body.

Brook beat Megan Fox in the survey of more than 1,500 UK men. Angelina Jolie came third ahead of Girl’s Aloud star Cheryl Cole – who was recently voted the world’s sexiest woman by FHM magazine – with ‘I Kissed A Girl’ singer Katy Perry rounding off the top five.

Kelly was also deemed to have the best breasts, beating TV host Holly Willoughby, Cheryl and Jessica Simpson. Ultra-slim Victoria Beckham was named the celebrity with the worst body.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen make waves on the Charles

2009-06-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

(Boston Herald) Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen caused quite a splash at Community Boating Inc . on Beacon Hill the other day when the New England Patriots QB/QT flipped his rented kayak and had to be fished out of the Charles River!

“They got wet,” said Someone Who Was There. “But they seemed to have a great time.”

According to our spies, Tom and Gi rented a pair of kayaks from the sailing club behind the Hatch Shell and the Community Boating bunch got them loaded in and on their way. At some point, however, Tom tipped over and couldn’t get back in the boat!

“He had to be rescued,” said our spy. “The launch guy went out and got him and got him back in the kayak. He’s been bragging about it ever since. He’s telling everyone he rescued Tom Brady.”

Well, he did!

“It was more embarrassment than real danger,” said Deep, er, River.

A spokesman for Community Boating confirmed that the couple had rented kayaks on Sunday but declined to provide any more deets.

Pats spokesguy Stacey James said he hadn’t heard about Tom’s kayak sack.
“He looked fine at the golf tournament,” he added.

Brady and his teammates teed off at the annual New England Patriots [team stats] Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament at The International in Bolton yesterday.

Although boating apparently isn’t his sport, Tom does just fine on dry land. He came in second in the longest-drive competition yesterday with a 281-yarder. Tedy Bruschi beat him with a 287-yard bomb.(Boston Herald)

Paris Hilton denies stripping allegations

2009-06-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

Socialite Paris Hilton has denied allegations that she once danced naked in front of wealthy businessmen during a party in Las Vegas. Reportedly sexy Hilton has joined the group of strippers and shed her cloths in front of party goers in Sin City.

Elizabeth Jawhary claimed on a website HollywoodInterrupted.com that the socialite once "flew down to Vegas.

However, a representative of Paris Hilton slammed such reports and termed it as a baseless allegations.

"(The reports are) totally untrue and a complete fabrication," the New York Daily News quoted the representative as saying.

Paris Hilton's brother eyeing a Music Career

2009-05-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

Barron Hilton, younger brother of celebrity Paris Hilton revealed that he is pursuing a career in music and recording tracks at his apartments.

"I want to be an international singer-songwriter," 19-year old Hilton tells The New York Post adding that he is "sick of all the Hilton stuff, where all anyone cared about was whether I was doing coke in the bathroom........ I'm done with partying and travelling."

Though the teenager brother of Paris Hilton has not been signed to a label, he has begun recording tracks in his New York's apartment.

The young Hilton also talked about his upcoming reality show with Viacom.
"It's gonna be like The Hills, but real. This is gonna show the meetings, the production side, the recording side," he added.

Celebrity Paris Hilton made forayed in the singing world in the year 2006 with LP Paris, which included the U.K. top five single "Stars Are Blind."

India's apex court orders probe of Modi's role in Gujarat riots

2009-04-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court on Monday asked Raghavan Committee, a special a special panel formed by it to look into Modi's role of Naredra Bhai Modi in 2002 Gujarat riots.

Court also asked the panel to investigate the role of 50 other politicians and government officials who allegedly aided and abetted statewide communal riots that sparked throughout the state after Godhra incident.

A bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and Asok Kumar Ganguly directed the panel headed by former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director R.K. Raghavan to particularly look into the allegations that Modi was involved in the killing of an MP in Ahmedabad's Gulbarga Society arson case.

More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in Gujarat in a frenzy of reprisals after the Godhra incident, in which 59 Hindus were torched alive by suspected Muslims in a train carriage.

Sonia Gandhi criticises the Third and Fourth Fronts

2009-04-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sonia Gandhi, Chief of India's ruling Congress party lashed out at the third and fourth front and said these fronts were only formed to grab power.

Addressing a public rally on Saturday (April 18) in Bhadrak of India's eastern Orissa state she said that newly formed fronts have no future.

"There are several fronts for grabbing power and chair. These fronts have no ideals, principles and also no future," said Sonia Gandhi.

Sonia further added that these fronts have no political agenda for the betterment of the country and welfare of the people except to criticise the UPA government at the Centre headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Gandhi also criticised state government for not utilising funds provided by the federal government in the development of state. The state, she said, had been pushed to backwardness due to "misrule" by the Naveen Patnaik government in the last nine years.

BJP rubbishes Rahul Gandhi's charge

2009-04-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

Bangalore (PTI): The BJP in Karnataka on Saturday rubbished Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's charge that the state government had failed to use Central grants, accusing the UPA government of meting out "step-motherly" treatment to the state.

"As against the plea for Rs 23,000 crore assistance for various projects by the BJP government, the Centre sanctioned only Rs 1700 crore," Transport Minister R Ashok said here.

Slamming Mr. Gandhi's reported assurance to sanction Rs 11,000 crore aid for Bangalore's development, Ashok, who is also party in-charge of the IT city, asked: "is he the Prime Minister to sanction funds?"

He claimed that it was BJP General Secretary Anantkumar who was responsible for bringing more funds for Bangalore's development when he held the Urban Development portfolio in the Vajpayee government.

State unit President D V Sadananda Gowda released the Kannada version of the BJP's poll manifesto.

Addressing public meetings at Gulbarga and Devanahalli near Bangalore on Friday, Mr. Gandhi had flayed the BJP government for its "failure" to use Central grants for the state's development.

India asks for ceasefire in Sri Lanka

2009-04-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

India, on Saturday (April 18) asked both the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE rebels to declare a ceasefire in the island nation.

"Our appeal to both the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE is to declare a ceasefire," External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in Jangipur of India's eastern West Bengal state.

A day before, Mukherjee said that Tamil civilian casualties in Sri Lanka was totally unacceptable to India and that Colombo should ensure their safety and security.

Sri Lanka's two-day humanitarian truce ended on Wednesday and the military announced it was now free to begin a final assault to end the 25-year war against the rebel Tamil Tigers.

Gisele Bundchen strips for Vanity Fair

2009-04-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen has peeled off her clothes for the cover of the latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine.

Apart from baring all in the pictures, the 28-year-old has also related how she was teased as a child by classmates who called her Olive Oyl after Popeye's stick-thin girlfriend, The Sun online reports.

She has also spoken in the magazine interview about her life with new husband, Ameican football star Tom Brady, and given out her thoughts on motherhood, ex-boyfriend Leonardo Dicaprio and adoption. IANS

Travel Picks: 10 Top International Wine Destinations

2009-04-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Wine tourists are a growing breed as wineries around the globe step up their game and offer visitors better services and gourmet food alongside wine tasting.

Forbes.com (www.forbes.com) has come up with 10 top international wine destinations assisted by George Taber, author of "In Search of Bacchus: Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism". The list is not endorsed by Reuters:

1. Castello Banfi, Tuscany, Italy
The Banfi winery was started by John Mariani, an American wine importer. One of the more gorgeous wineries in Tuscany, it boasts a beautiful castle with two great restaurants, a wine tasting room and cellar tour.

2. Montes, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Montes is among the most well-known Chilean wine producers, but it hasn't lost its eccentricity. "It's the only winery in the world I know where the wines are aged with Gregorian chants being played in the background," says Taber.

3. Ken Forrester, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Stellenbosch is considered one of the most beautiful wine areas in the world, with a Mediterranean climate and scenery reminiscent of the Napa Valley, without the crowds. Winemaker Ken Forrester made several trips to France's Loire Valley before applying his expertise back home in South Africa.

4. Fournier, Mendoza, Argentina
This winery is only about 10 miles from the Andes "so in the background you can see the snow-capped mountains all year long," says Taber. The winery has a modern design, almost like a spaceship that landed in the middle of the desert.

5. Leeuwin Estate, Margaret River, Australia
Margaret River is closer to Singapore than it is to Melbourne, so it's a long trip getting there. "It's a little pocket that makes just outstanding wines," says Taber. The beautiful landscape with old forests "is so isolated it's not so crowded -- you get wonderful service."

6. Felton Road, Central Otago, New Zealand
Relatively new to the wine world, Central Otago is also the southernmost wine region on the planet. Some areas, like the Gibbston Valley, are more aesthetically pleasing than others, such as the Bannockburn area, the site of Felton Road. But Otago's pinot noir superstars, such as Carrick, Mt. Difficulty, Akarua and Felton Road are all here in Bannockburn.

7. Bodegas Ysios, Rioja, Spain
The area has become famous in the past few years for architecture by the likes of Frank Gehry. Bodegas Ysios, designed by Santiago Calatrava, resembles the mountains that lie just behind it. "They also make great wine," says Taber.

8. Quinta do Portal, Douro Valley, Portugal
Reach this winery by driving along narrow, winding roads. If you're planning on tasting more than one glass of wine, consider staying the night. "They have a guest house hotel that has beautiful views," notes Taber.

9. Chateau Lynch-Bages, Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux is known to produce some of the best wines in the world. But until recently, the region did not have a reputation for beautiful views or a friendly tourist experience. Lynch-Bages now offers a hotel, restaurants and shopping.

10. Peter Jakob Kuhn Oestrich, Rhein/Mosel, Germany
This is one of the world's most romantic settings, with mountain-top castles and a friendly, welcoming winery. Don't be put off by the screw caps on all this winery's bottles, says Taber -- the wines are now the best and most consistent they've ever been.

Religious leaders to be consulted on national issues: Advani

2009-04-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

New Delhi (PTI): BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate L.K. Advani has promised to set up a "consultative mechanism" involving religious leaders if voted to power to discuss "issues facing the nation."

"It will be our endeavour to seek on a regular basis the guidance of spiritual leaders of all denominations on major challenges and issues facing the nation. For this, we shall evolve a suitable consultative mechanism," Mr. Advani said in a letter to religious leaders today.

The letter said to be send to more than 1,000 religiousleaders across the country, says it had been the lifelong ambition of Mr. Advani that "politics, governance and other national affairs should be guided by lofty ideals as enshrined in the concept of Ram Rajya (ideal state), popularised by Mahatma Gandhi."

"At the present crucial juncture in our nation's life, when people are looking for a decisive change, I seek your blessings, guidance and support with 'Sashtang Namaskar' (utmost reverance)," says the letter.

When contacted Mr. Advani's office said the copies of the letter have been send to Baba Ramdev, Shri Shri Ravi Shanker, Maulana Waihuddin and several archbishops of different churches.

Sonia-Advani war of words over PM hots up

2009-04-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

New Delhi (PTI): The war of words over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh escalated on Saturday with Leader of the Opposition L K Advani saying Mr. Singh has voluntarily abdicated his authority and the Congress president accusing him of speaking "rubbish".

"You have a situation in which the Prime Minister's office is held by a person who holds office but no authority.

And the person who has the authority has no accountability ...this is no democracy," Mr. Advani told CNN-IBN referring to Sonia Gandhi. He said this has "seriously affected" affected the functioning of the government.

Striking back, Ms. Gandhi in election meetings in Bihar and Jharkhand said Mr. Advani does not have any issues. "So, he is talking rubbish".

"I want to ask Advaniji what are his achievements ? I want to ask during the six-year tenure in Delhi when he was the Home Minister and the Deputy PM, what did he do for the farmers ? What did he do for the poor ? He did not do anything", she said.

Mr. Advani without elaborating said he was aware of some cases "where the PM (Mr. Singh) has proposed some action but he is not able to implement it unless he gets clearance from the Congress president."

Be on guard against divisive forces: Sonia Gandhi

2009-04-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

Khunti (Jharkhand) (PTI): Launching a scathing attack on communal forces, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday warned that such people with a 'mask of patriotism' were internally damaging the unity of the country.

"We should be on guard against such forces who are a threat to both unity and peace. These forces are against the prosperity of the nation," Sonia Gandhi said without naming any party.

Addressing a poll meeting in support of party candidate Niel Tirkey from the Khunti Lok Sabha constituency, Sonia Gandhisaid the people despite having different religious faith, desire peace and communal harmony.

Praising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's skill in controlling the economic condition of the country amid global slowdown, Ms. Gandhi claimed that in this hour the country required a strong and stable government which the Congress and its allies could only provide.

Kashmiri separatist leader Sajjad Lone to contest election

2009-04-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

SRINAGAR (Reuters) - Kashmir's senior separatist leader Sajjad Gani Lone, who has opposed Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region for decades, in a surprising move on Saturday said he would contest the imminent general elections.

Lone, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference and the first senior separatist to offer to contest an Indian election since a revolt broke out in Kashmir in 1989, said he wanted to take his struggle to parliament in New Delhi.
"Fighting elections is a change of strategy, not ideology," Lone told a news conference.

"I will contest polls with a commitment to use this mechanism as a method to represent the voice of the Kashmiri people and to take the strength and merits of our aspirations to the central stage of India," he said.

Lone, who led some of the massive anti-Indian demonstrations in Kashmir last year, will contest the elections in Baramulla, one of the six parliamentary constituencies in north Kashmir.

His sister, Shabnum Lone, a prominent lawyer, lost the state election last year in the same area.

Hardline separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a boycott of the April-May elections, but Lone said there was a need to change strategy after last year's state elections, which despite a boycott call saw a turnout of more than 60 percent.

That was seen as a gain for New Delhi, though many said it was a vote for better governance, not acceptance of Indian rule.

"Those who voted in assembly elections last year have compromised the blood of martyrs. I appeal to people to completely boycott the (general) election," Geelani said on Friday at a rally against the elections, which begin next week.

Lone walked out of Kashmir's main separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat (Freedom) Conference, after his father, senior separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in 2002.

In 2007 he put forward a peace plan entitled "Achievable Nationhood" to unify the divided territory, claimed both by India and Pakistan, and to give it autonomy.

The nuclear-armed South Asian rivals have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since independence from Britain in 1947. They began a peace process in 2004 but New Delhi suspended that dialogue after the Mumbai attacks last November.

Officials say more than 47,000 people have been killed in the Muslim-majority region in the revolt against Indian rule. Human rights groups put the figure at around 60,000 dead or missing.

Many Kashmiris said they were disappointed with Lone's decision. "It is a national shame. Today he is standing tall on 80,000 bodies," said Zubiar Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar. "History has never forgiven traitors."

Nano booking receives encouraging response on Day one

2009-04-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Mumbai/Dehra Dun, Apr 9 (PTI) Tata Motors has put 400 Nanos on display at as many outlets in the country and started accepting bookings from today.

"The booking signs are encouraging," a Tata Motors spokesperson told PTI here, without, however, disclosing any figures.

The company started accepting booking forms from today morning onwards through its financiers and Tata group companies such as Croma, Westside and the Nano website. The bookings will conclude on April 25.

"The website has received 2 crore hits. About 3 lakh visitors have walked into showrooms to catch a glimpse of the Nano," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, scores of people today rushed to book Nano on the first day of booking in Uttarakhand, where Tata Motors' Pantnagar plant had rolled out the car last month to announce its commercial launch.

Tata Motors dealers said the response was good and that they were receiving hundreds of queries every day about the booking for the world's cheapest car.
Nearly 2000 forms have been sold so far in Dehra Dun alone, they said.

Good-daughter-Katrina helping her mother to open an orphanage in Chennai

2009-04-05T04:17:00.000-07:00

A daughter is the closest friend of a mother, is proved by Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif. The glamourous doll joins her hands with her mother Suzanne to set up a home for abandoned baby girls in India's southern city Chennai.

"I'm currently looking to open a home in Chennai for baby girls. My mother is actively involved in the project and I'm with her. She is working tirelessly to figure out what governmental procedures needs to be taken care of to start the initiative. It is one of my dreams but there's lot of effort involved because if the girls are not adopted, we have to look after them till they turn 18. This involves lot of infrastructure and logistical support," says Katrina.

Katrina's mother has been working against female foeticide and is also associated with 'Hope Reach', a home to orphaned girls.

Deepika Padukone is fearful of snakes

2009-04-05T04:15:00.000-07:00

Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone shared a close proximity with snakes while shooting for the second issue of Harper's Bazaar in Thailand.

The OSO star asserted that she is an ophidiophobic.

"I have always had a phobia about snakes. I don't mind anything from lizards to insects, but I am terrified of snakes. We were given these fancy villas in the middle of a forest at a resort called The Banyan Tree. I was relaxing outside my room at night when I happened to look down near my feet and saw a huge snake, almost three feet long with it's hood raised, staring at me!" noted Deepika Padukone.

Deepika termed that incident as the scariest moment of her life.

"It was the scariest moment of my life. I jumped and screamed loudly. My mom was in her room and came out to see all the commotion was about but by that time the snake had slithered away," quoted by an Internet portal.

Deepika is ever ready for a noble cause. Despite of her busy schedule, the model-turned actor walked the ramp in Mumbai at LFW to raise funds for the victims of last year's Mumbai terror strikes.

"I walked the ramp at the last minute as I had to fly to Bangalore for the Bengaluru Marathon press conference. But since it was for the cause Mai Mumbai, I stayed back. The funds are going for 26/11 victims and provide infrastructure like ambulances and first aid so I had to be there. It was a good cause and Mumbai has given me so much," a website quoted.

Vin Diesel slams rumours of being gay

2009-04-05T04:13:00.000-07:00

Acclaimed Hollywood actor Vin Diesel slammed rumours that he is gay and kept his personal life secret.

"I'm not gonna put it out there on a magazine cover like some other actors," said the XXX actor.

Vin Diesel also asserted that he prefers to date in Europe where he's not as easily recognized.

Rahman brings pride to India

2009-02-23T03:05:00.000-08:00

Noted music director A R Rahman won two oscars for the Orginal Score and Original Song at the Academy Awards 2009.

Humble Rahman thanks everyone. “I want to thank everyone. The essence of the film is optimism and hope. All through my life I had the choice of love and hate…I chose love and I am here,” noted excited Rahman.

Besides original song and original score, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire won six Oscar awards for best feature film, direction, sound mixing, editing, adapted screenplay and cinematography.

Below is the full list of winners:

BEST PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire

LEAD ACTOR
Sean Penn in Milk

LEAD ACTRESS
Kate Winslet in The Reader

DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Departures - Japan

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black for Milk

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire

ANIMATED FEATURE
Andrew Stanton for WALL-E

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Kunio Kato for La Maison en Petits Cubes

ART DIRECTION
Donald Graham Burt for art direction and Victor J. Zolfo for set decoration on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

COSTUME DESIGN
Michael O'Connor for The Duchess

MAKEUP
Greg Cannom for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire

LIVE ACTION SHORT FIRM
Jochen Alexander Freydank for Spielzeugland (Toyland)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
James Marsh and Simon Chinn for Man on Wire

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki

VISUAL EFFECTS
Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

SOUND EDITING
Richard King for The Dark Knight

SOUND MIXING
Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty for Slumdog Millionaire

FILM EDITING
Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire

ORIGINAL SCORE
A.R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire

ORIGINAL SONG
"Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire

India celebrates 60th Republic Day

2009-01-26T03:18:00.000-08:00

New Delhi (PTI): Kaleidoscopic images of India's rich cultural diversity and the might of its military were on full display on the magnificent Rajpath here on Monday as the nation celebrated its 60th Republic Day amid an unprecedented security cover.

An impressive and colourful parade, a traditional attraction of the national event, marched down the thoroughfare connecting the Rashtrapati Bhawan and the historic India Gate as President Pratibha Patil took the salute from marching contingents.

Armed forces in battle regalia proudly marching before their supreme commander, scintillating show of air power, fascinating tableaux depicting the diverse culture and hundreds of colourfully-dressed dancing school children were part of the parade.

The march-past was watched by the Republic Day chief guest Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Defence Minister A K Antony and the country's top political and military brass, including UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, besides a large enthusiastic crowd that had gathered on either sides of the Rajpath.

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is recuperating from his bypass surgery in All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Antony performed all the customary duties of the Prime Minister during the Republic Day celebration.

Minutes before the parade began, Antony and chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force laid wreaths at 'Amar Jawan Jyoti', the British-era World War-I memorial at India Gate, where an eternal flame burns in memory of those who laid down their lives while defending the nation's frontiers.
Patil and her Kazakh counterpart arrived at the Rajpath escorted by the President's bodyguards riding well-trained, impeccably-bedecked horses.

Antony received the President and the nation's guest at the saluting dais in the absence of the Prime Minister.

A massive ground-to-air security apparatus was put in place in the national capital to prevent any 9/11-type terror attack, which the intelligence agencies had warned of. Snipers of the National Security Guards (NSG) were deployed at all high-rises all along the parade route.
The unfurling of the tricolour by Patil and the playing of national anthem by military bands followed by a customary 21-gun salute by 299 Field Regiment.

Gallantry awards

Maharashtra Police ATS chief Hemant Karkare, Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte and four others killed fighting Pakistani terrorists in Mumbai were among nine security personnel who received the Ashok Chakra, the country's highest peace-time gallantry medal.
Following this, the parade began, as four Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force flew past with the national flag as well as those of the three defence services slinging below.

The first to appear in the parade were winners of the Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra followed by mounted columns of the 61st Cavalry by Lieutenant Colonel Navjit Singh Sandhu.
Major General KJS Oberoi, General Officer Commanding of Delhi Area of the Army, led the parade.

Showcasing strength
The Army then showcased its impressive armoury before the nation including frontline T-90S battle tanks, indigenous Brahmos missile, OSA-AK system, the most modern and versatile air defence weapon.

The Chariot of Victory -- the state of the art infantry combat vehicle, the bullet proof vehicle Takshak Striker and the Network Operations Centre, which is capable of providing high quality information services in various terrains were also showcased.

The indigenously-built Advanced Light Helicopter 'Dhruv' of Army Aviation was also displayed.
Then colourfully-attired military contingents made their entry into the Rajpath.

The Army contingent included personnel drawn from the Parachute Regiment, Maratha Light Infantry Regiment, Rajput Regiment, Garhwal Rifles, Kumaon Regiment, Jammu and Kashmir Rifled, Ladakh Scouts, and Territorial Army (Punjab).

Smartly-dressed Navy personnel came along with a tableau depicting a model of INS Jalashwa, the replenishment vessel acquired in 2007 from the US to provide India major amphibious warfare capabilities.

The naval team comprising 144 men drawn from three Commands of the Navy was led by Lt Commander Anshul Awasthi.

The IAF displayed its air power in the form of a tableau showcashing some of its recent acquisitions including 'Hawk' Advanced Jet Trainer and SU 30 MKI air superiority fighter aircraft and the indigenous Rohini 3D radar. Its tableau was modeled on the IL-76 aircraft-mounted Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) that India purchased from Israelis. However, the system is yet to be inducted into the IAF.

The 148-strong IAF contingent, led by Squadron Leader Robinder Singh Zenda marched to the tunes of "Air Warrior".

The DRDO columns included Brahmos missile, advanced air defence missile, Akash surface-to-air missile and Agni-III ballistic missile.

Other contingents to march in the parade included veterans from the three services led by 85-year-old World War-II Flying Officer M M Shukla, Border Security Force's foot soldiers and their camel units, Assam Rifles, Coast Guard, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, Sashastra Seema Bal, RPF and the Delhi Police.

Bands from all these armed forces and paramilitary forces played martial tunes, as also the massed pipes and drums from several Army regiments.

Among the youth contingents were the NCC's senior division boys and girls cadets, along with their band, and the National Service Scheme.

Showcasing culture

The vibrant diversity of the country's traditional art and culture, industrial progress, scientific development and rich natural resources came alive when 18 tableaux, representing 12 states and six union ministries/departments rolled along the Rajpath, against last year's 26.
The colourful state tableaux were led by Andhra Pradesh which was a tribute to legendary saint Annamacharya followed by Assam which depicted the state's rich wildlife in its splendour.
Then came Madhya Pradesh which was a ode to a tribal leader, the local Robinhood, who was hanged by the British for being an anti-social.

Other states which followed were Kerala, Orissa, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand Tripura, Orissa, Kerala, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Maharastra.

The department of Science and Technology in its tableau presented the advancements made by India in the field of astronomy.

As the tableaux turned the corner, the little heroes who won the national bravery awards made their entry on decorated jeeps instead of elephants. Twenty children, including one posthumously, have been honoured with the award for exemplary courage.

Indian Railways showcased the prestigious Jammu to Baramulla new rail link in its tableau while Ministry of Power will highlight village electrification.

Unlike previous years, there was no elephant ride for the bravery award winning children because of "security reasons".

A colourful tableau on women's empowerment followed this.

Then came song and dance performances by North East Zone Cultural Centre followed by the dare devil motorcycle team of the Corps of Signals which performed some breathtaking stunts.

As the dare devils left, all eyes were towards the skies as IAF fighter jets roared over their heads.

The stupendous fly past, with precision and high speeds, included the Mi-35 armed choppers, the IL-76 transporters along with An-32s and Dorniers, and the IL-78 air-to-air refuller that can extend the range of fighters midair along with its Su 30 MKI fighter components.

These flying machines apart other fighters to fly over the Delhi skies were deep penetration strike fighters Jaguars and MiG-29s, and Su 30 MKI's performing their signature 'Trishul' formation.

The year's parade went on for a curtailed duration of about one-and-half hours in view of the security situation in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks. This year, the Defence Ministry allowed only two performances by school children.

From Books, New President Found Voice

2009-01-19T02:33:00.000-08:00

In college, as he was getting involved in protests against the apartheid government in South Africa, Barack Obama noticed, he has written, “that people had begun to listen to my opinions.” Words, the young Mr. Obama realized, had the power “to transform”: “with the right words everything could change -— South Africa, the lives of ghetto kids just a few miles away, my own tenuous place in the world.”

Much has been made of Mr. Obama’s eloquence — his ability to use words in his speeches to persuade and uplift and inspire. But his appreciation of the magic of language and his ardent love of reading have not only endowed him with a rare ability to communicate his ideas to millions of Americans while contextualizing complex ideas about race and religion, they have also shaped his sense of who he is and his apprehension of the world.

Mr. Obama’s first book, “Dreams From My Father” (which surely stands as the most evocative, lyrical and candid autobiography written by a future president), suggests that throughout his life he has turned to books as a way of acquiring insights and information from others — as a means of breaking out of the bubble of self-hood and, more recently, the bubble of power and fame. He recalls that he read James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright and W. E. B. Du Bois when he was an adolescent in an effort to come to terms with his racial identity and that later, during an ascetic phase in college, he immersed himself in the works of thinkers like Nietzsche and St. Augustine in a spiritual-intellectual search to figure out what he truly believed.

As a boy growing up in Indonesia, Mr. Obama learned about the American civil rights movement through books his mother gave him. Later, as a fledgling community organizer in Chicago, he found inspiration in “Parting the Waters,” the first installment of Taylor Branch’s multivolume biography of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

More recently, books have supplied Mr. Obama with some concrete ideas about governance: it’s been widely reported that “Team of Rivals,” Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book about Abraham Lincoln’s decision to include former opponents in his cabinet, informed Mr. Obama’s decision to name his chief Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, as Secretary of State. In other cases, books about F. D. R.’s first hundred days in office and Steve Coll’s “Ghost Wars,“ about Afghanistan and the C.I.A., have provided useful background material on some of the myriad challenges Mr. Obama will face upon taking office.

Mr. Obama tends to take a magpie approach to reading — ruminating upon writers’ ideas and picking and choosing those that flesh out his vision of the world or open promising new avenues of inquiry.

His predecessor, George W. Bush, in contrast, tended to race through books in competitions with Karl Rove (who recently boasted that he beat the president by reading 110 books to Mr. Bush’s 95 in 2006), or passionately embrace an author’s thesis as an idée fixe. Mr. Bush and many of his aides favored prescriptive books — Natan Sharansky’s “Case for Democracy,” which pressed the case for promoting democracy around the world, say, or Eliot A. Cohen’s “Supreme Command,” which argued that political strategy should drive military strategy. Mr. Obama, on the other hand, has tended to look to non-ideological histories and philosophical works that address complex problems without any easy solutions, like Reinhold Niebuhr’s writings, which emphasize the ambivalent nature of human beings and the dangers of willful innocence and infallibility.

What’s more, Mr. Obama’s love of fiction and poetry — Shakespeare’s plays, Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” and Marilynne Robinson‘s “Gilead“ are mentioned on his Facebook page, along with the Bible, Lincoln’s collected writings and Emerson’s “Self Reliance“ — has not only given him a heightened awareness of language. It has also imbued him with a tragic sense of history and a sense of the ambiguities of the human condition quite unlike the Manichean view of the world so often invoked by Mr. Bush.

Mr. Obama has said that he wrote “very bad poetry” in college and his biographer David Mendell suggests that he once “harbored some thoughts of writing fiction as an avocation.” For that matter, “Dreams From My Father” evinces an instinctive storytelling talent (which would later serve the author well on the campaign trail) and that odd combination of empathy and detachment gifted novelists possess. In that memoir, Mr. Obama seamlessly managed to convey points of view different from his own (a harbinger, perhaps, of his promises to bridge partisan divides and his ability to channel voters’ hopes and dreams) while conjuring the many places he lived during his peripatetic childhood. He is at once the solitary outsider who learns to stop pressing his nose to the glass and the coolly omniscient observer providing us with a choral view of his past.

As Baldwin once observed, language is both “a political instrument, means, and proof of power,” and “the most vivid and crucial key to identity: it reveals the private identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public, or communal identity.”

For Mr. Obama, whose improbable life story many voters regard as the embodiment of the American Dream, identity and the relationship between the personal and the public remain crucial issues. Indeed, “Dreams From My Father,” written before he entered politics, was both a searching bildungsroman and an autobiographical quest to understand his roots — a quest in which he cast himself as both a Telemachus in search of his father and an Odysseus in search of a home.

Like “Dreams From My Father,” many of the novels Mr. Obama reportedly admires deal with the question of identity: Toni Morrison’s “Song of Solomon” concerns a man’s efforts to discover his origins and come to terms with his roots; Doris Lessing’s “Golden Notebook” recounts a woman’s struggles to articulate her own sense of self; and Ellison’s “Invisible Man” grapples with the difficulty of self-definition in a race-conscious America and the possibility of transcendence. The poems of Elizabeth Alexander, whom Mr. Obama chose as his inaugural poet, probe the intersection between the private and the political, time present and time past, while the verse of Derek Walcott (a copy of whose collected poems was recently glimpsed in Mr. Obama’s hands) explores what it means to be a “divided child,” caught on the margins of different cultures, dislocated and rootless perhaps, but free to invent a new self. (The New York Times)

Pranab Mukherji says 26/11 conspirators must face Indian Justice

2009-01-16T03:28:00.000-08:00

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday (January 16) said that the preprators of last year's Mumbai attack must be handed over to face "Indian justice" and clarified that there is "no dilution" of that stand.

"The fact that dastardly terror crimes have been committed in India, therefore the perpetrators must face Indian justice. This is not an either or situation as these things are not mutually exclusive," said Pranab, while addressing media persons in India's national capital.

Indian foreign minister added that perpetrators must be handed over to India.
"We have never given up the demand that perpetrators of the terror acts should be handed over to India. There is no question of that we have given up that demand or we have climbed down," said Pranab.

Mukherjee also asked Pakistan to conduct a sincere and transparent investigation so as to unearth the entire episode.

Good reader, Aamir, updating his history knowledge

2009-01-16T01:53:00.000-08:00

Is Aamir Khan is working on another periodical? Surprised, these days, the Ghajini star is refreshing his history knowledge.

The renowned bollywood star is busy in reading the work of noted Indian historian and biographer Ramachandra Guha.

Aamir is going through 'India After Gandhi', a book on post independence India.

Khan described this book as informative.

"I’m reading a great book. Its called India After Gandhi, by Ramchandra Guha. It is a book on Indian History post 1947. Very informative," wrote Aamir in his blog.

He also expressed his gratitude to his fans.

"My sincere and heartfelt thank you for the responses y’all have sent for Ghajini. I am so happy that the film has gone down so well with audiences. I am thrilled with the big opening that the film got and the kind of history it creating at the box office. I am touched and deeply moved by the faith you have shown in me. Thank you," wrote overjoyed Aamir.

The actor is busy in shooting of his upcoming flick ‘3 Idiots’ at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore.

Meanwhile, Aamir's debut directorial venture 'Taare Zameen Par', has failed to impress the jury members at the 81st annual Academy awards.

A.R. Rahman bags the Golden Globe Award

2009-01-12T03:03:00.000-08:00

Indian music director A.R. Rahman bagged the prestigious Golden Globe Award for the best original musical score in "Slumdog Millionaire." He became the first Indian to win this rare award.

The Indian maestro won this eminent entertainment award for his musical score in the song "Jai Ho", for which Gulzar (eminent Indian lyricist) penned the lyrics.

"Slumdog Millionaire" bags three other awards for the best Picture/ Drama, Direction and Screenplay.

Slumdog Millionaire bags the Golden Globe Award for the best picture drama.

2009-01-12T02:57:00.000-08:00

Complete list of 66th Golden Globe Awards, are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment.

-Picture, Drama: "Slumdog Millionaire."
_Picture, Musical or Comedy: "Vicky Christina Barcelona."
_Actor, Drama: Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler."
_Actress, Drama: Kate Winslet, "Revolutionary Road."
_Director: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire."
_Actor, Musical or Comedy: Colin Farrell, "In Bruges."
_Actress, Musical or Comedy: Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky."
_Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight."
_Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, "The Reader."
_Foreign Language Film: "Waltz With Bashir."
_Animated Film: "Wall-E."
_Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire."
_Original Score: A.R. Rahman, "Slumdog Millionaire."
_Original Song: "The Wrestler" (performed by Bruce Springsteen, written by Bruce Springsteen), "The Wrestler."
TELEVISION:
_Series, Drama: "Mad Men."
_Actor, Drama: Gabriel Byrne, "In Treatment."
_Actress, Drama: Anna Paquin, "True Blood."
_Series, Musical or Comedy: "30 Rock."
_Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock."
_Actress, Musical or Comedy: Tina Fey, "30 Rock."
_Miniseries or Movie: "John Adams."
_Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Laura Linney, "John Adams."
_Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Paul Giammatti, "John Adams."
_Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Laura Dern, "Recount."
_Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Tom Wilkinson, "John Adams."
Cecil B. DeMille Award: Steven Spielberg.

Somdev Devvarman enters in Chennai Open finals

2009-01-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

India's emerging tennis sensation Somdev Devvarman entered the final of the $450,000 ATP Chennai Open tennis tournament.

Somdev created history when he bacame the first Indian to enter the finals of Chennai Open.

He will take on Marin Cilic, who surpassed Marcel Granollers of Germany 6-4, 6-3.
A wild card Devvarman's scheduled semi-final opponent, fifth seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany, withdrew citing a wrist injury.

Ramalinga Raju sent for judicial custody

2009-01-10T08:43:00.000-08:00

Former Chairman of Satyam Computer Services was was taken into judicial custody until Jan. 23.

Ramalinga and his brother B. Rama Raju was produced in court on Saturday (January 10) and was taken into judicial custody until Jan. 23.

Addressing reoprters in Hyderabad his lawyer S. Bharat Kumar said that he would move the bail plea of Raju brothers on Monday.

“Now he is taken to Chanchalguda central jail. His blood pressure was fluctuating abnormally and the honourable magistrate had directed the jail doctors to monitor his health constantly and provide treatment. Ramalinga Raju and his brother B. Rama Raju never sought the permission for the hospital treatment,” Kumar said.

Chairman and founder Raju resigned on Wednesday after revealing years of accounting fraud at Satyam, including an admission that about $1 billion, or 94 percent of the cash and bank balances on Satyam's books at end-September, did not exist. (Agencies)

Maratha's pride or shame

2008-10-21T05:43:00.000-07:00

It seems that Raj Thakre, the self crowned price of the Maratha Kingdom has no other work rather than spewing venom at the North Indians, the largest populist group of India. He feels no hesitation in humiliating the man of the millenium Amitabh Bacchan. I don't know what exactly he wants to do. Last Sunday, his men from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena attacked, beat and thrashed innocent students. These men not only disturbed the examination schedule but also manhandled the students from Bihar, one of the most economically backward state of India. One of those students die after MNS thrashing.

He challenged openly by saying "Arrest me and be ready to bear the consequences.... you will have to regret." This statement itself explains how degree of respect Mr Raj Thackeray is having towards law.

Under the tremendous pressure, the Govt. of Maharashtra has arrested Raj Thakrey and produced him to court and the court has ordered 2-week judicial custody for Raj. The court too faced the ire of his militia. His supporters pelted stones outside the Bandra court where he was produced.

Now, as a responsible Indian citizen we must raise voices against the activities of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Students designed a car that can run 180 km per litre of petrol

2008-09-11T04:55:00.000-07:00

Mechanical engineering students from the Rashtriya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, Bangalore, have developed a car "Garuda" which is capable of running 180 km per litre of petrol.

The car is the result of 'Project Garuda-RVCE Supermileage Car,' which was conceptualised by Nishant Sarawagi, the team leader, and seven of his mates: Bharat, Kayaan, Darshan, Jacob and Gautham.

Video: ANI

Also see: Garuda, the car that runs 180 km per litre!

All abot Big Bang Experiment

2008-09-10T04:42:00.000-07:00

Big Bang experiment gets underway | Graphic: All about the Big Bang test | Fearing doomsday, people turn to gods ahead of test

Deepika to do a comeo Billo Barber

2008-09-05T04:28:00.000-07:00

She was supposed to make her debut with a Priyadarshan, but she prefers Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om. Everyone can say that it was indeed the best choice made by Deepika Padukone.

Now after several years, Deepika Padukone is making a cameo appearance in the director's much-talked about Billo Barber. Besides Deeepika, Kareena Kapoor also makes a guest appearance in the movie. Priyadarshan gives credit to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for bringing her to the project.

'Salman' really tussy great ho....

2008-09-04T02:08:00.000-07:00

Often termed as a bad boy of bollywood, actor Salman Khan is too good at heart. Friends described him a ‘perfect friend' and his best pal Govinda can vouch for it!! Revathi, a veteran actress who has a rich experience of over 20 years with Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi movies describes Salman as a "very good human being."

At the home front, Sallu takes care of his nephews as his own kids, whether it be Arbaaz’s son Arhaan or Sohail’s son Nirvaan. Besides them, there are two more kids for whom Salaman is extra careful. These two kids are Myson and Myjaan, the name of the two doggies owned by Salman.

Secularism
Salman's family is the most perfect example of a true secular family. Recently, the Khan family has celebrated Ganpati with huge pomp and show on Wednesday at their bandra residence in Mumbai. Salman Khan along with brother Sohail Khan and Arbaaz Khan has brought home Ganesh idol to mark the occasion.

I can say "Salman Tussi Great Ho!"

Chak De India: a gold for India in Olympics

2008-08-11T05:57:00.000-07:00

Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra wins the first every first ever individual Olympic gold medal in 10 metres air rifle event. Bindra was fourth after qualifying but had a brilliant final round and even hit a near perfect 10.8 on his last visit to pull in front of Henri Hakkinen of Finland, who dropped to bronze with a poor final shot of 9.7.

Milestones Set by Abhinav Bindra

Made a junior world record score of 597/600 in 2001 Munich World Cup and won bronze
Gold in 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games
Became the first Indian shooter to win a World Championship gold
Recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2001.

Pooja Bedi enters in the cut-throat arena of blogging

2008-08-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

Apart from doing movies, partying and other social activities, another factor which is common among bollywood celebrities is blogging. After Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, and Ajay Devgan, actress and anchor Pooja Bedi has made her foray into the world of blogging.

After returning from a month long shoot of Khatron Ke Khiladi, the lady find a new addiction in the form of blog. She said in her blog, "Internet is one of the best things that has happened to us, And I have decided to make the best use of it. I was already very active on Facebook when one day it dawned to me that here s another way where not only can I express myself but also can connect to you guys more. So here I am."

Hope that we will see some more celebrity blogs in near future.

Aishwarya didn't loose nakshatra's endorsement to Katrina: Abhishek Bacchan

2008-08-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

Abhishek Bacchan has trashed the rumours about his wife Aishwarya Rai that she is losing out the Nakshatra diamond jewellery endorsement to Katrina Kaif. Addressing media persons on the sidelines of the Omega Olympics Evening he explains, "Nakshatra was discontinued by Aishwarya. It is false news that she lost out the endorsement to Katrina Kaif. Aishwarya had some conditions and the company did not come to terms with this, so she called it off.”

The actor flew in for the event from San Francisco, where he is busy with the “Unforgettable” tour.

Salman's blog explain his much hyped spat with SRK

2008-08-04T05:06:00.000-07:00

Actor-turned- anchor, Salman Khan writes candidly about his spat with Shahrukh Khan. Needless to explain that Sallu and Sharukh have some fight on Katrina's 24th birthday bash. Lets see what exactly Salman Khan quoted in his blog, “Ha ha ha... I told you...didn’t I? Ki Farak Painda Hai (How does it matter)...You keep whacking a stick in water, what will happen to the water? Nothing. If the person doing this does not know that, then what does one do? Laugh because it’s funny or feel sad because it’s sad?”

The expulsion of Katrina Kaif from Shah Rukh’s Temptation Reloaded Tour itself explains the level of sourness in Sallu-Shahrukh's friendship. Hope that we will see both the stars in coming time.

Another search engine is preparing to end the monopoly of Google

2008-08-01T05:34:00.000-07:00

It seems that Internet search has become the arena cut-throat arena among IT majors. Another search engine cuil.com is gearing up to end the monopoly of google, the name synonymous with the Internet search. A group of former engineers who have worked with IT majors, like Google , eBay, IBM and AltaVista have come up with an alternative called Cuil (pronounced cool). Cuil plans to not only break the monopoly of Google, but also change the surfing culture among users.

Cuil, which precisely means knowledge in Irish, is a start-up by led by husband-wife team Tom Costello (CEO of Cuil) and Anna Patterson, president, along with former colleagues Russell Power, vice-president of engineering, and Louis Monier, vice-president of products. Cuil has got venture funding of about $30 million from Tugboat Ventures, Greylock Partners and Madrone Capital Partners.

Court rejects bail plea of Dr. Rajesh Talwar

2008-05-27T03:35:00.000-07:00

Noida court has rejected the bail plea of Dr. Rajesh Talwar, the prime accused in the sensational Noida double murder case. This high profile murder case creates storm in the country.

The lawyer of Dr Talwar moved two bail applications on the grounds of health grounds and loopholes in the police investigations. Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Singh granted the application moved by police seeking custody after prosecution pleaded that his police remand was essential for further probe into the case.

Earlier police had remanded seven-day custody for Talwar, but the court allowed only three-day remand for the completion of the prosecution.

Arushi Talwar was found murdered in her Sec 25 residence, while her domestic help Hemraj was also found murdered on the terrace of the house. The police has detained Dr Talwar on the charges of double murder.

However, Dr Nupur Talwar, Arushi's mother and the wife of Rajesh is denying the police theory by saying that Rajesh loves his daughter too much to have killed her.

Father held in arushi's murder

2008-05-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

In a theatric turn in Noida's double murder case, police have detained Arushi’s father Dr. Rajesh Talwar on the charges of murdering his daughter and servant.

Talwar's extra material affair with Dr. Anita Durrani, his partner at his private dental clinic, is seems to be the root cause the murder. Anita Durrani has also been named an accomplice, while Arushi’s mother Nupur, has been detained for abettment and is being questioned.

Arushi’s parents, Dr. Nupur and Dr. Rajesh Talwar were questioned for five hours on Thursday night and again today at an undisclosed location, during which Dr. Rajesh made contradictory statements.

Police had earlier declared Hemraj as their suspect, but were red-faced when he was found murdered on the terrace of the Talwars’ home, a day later. (Agencies)

http://latest-news-india.blogspot.com/2008/05/court-rejects-bail-plea-of-dr-rajesh.html

Four persons are arrested in connection with Jaipur blasts

2008-05-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Police have detained four persons for questioning in connection with the Jaipur serial blasts. Police officials informed that the primary investigation reports hinted towards the involvement of Huji (Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami), a Bangladesh based militant organization. The four includes an injured man and a rickshaw puller.

Pink turns blood red, as blasts shakes Jaipur

2008-05-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone was celebrating the beautiful evening of Jaipur, unaware of the approaching 12 minutes, that are capable of bringing the drastic changes in their life. Eight serial blasts, a short span of 12 minutes, turn the streets of beautiful pink city and the evening into red, not by utilizing some artificial colours or pigments, but by using the blood and flesh of humans.

Some voices which were reciting Bhajans with their full devotion and enthusiasm, has converted into the elegy of sadness. All happens, in a span of just 12 minutes.

The markets scattered in the radius of around two kilometers, were rocked by eight serial blasts leaving around 70 dead and 200 injured. The manless streets of Tripolia bazaar, Johari Bazar, Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal and Choti Choupal, themselves narrating the saga of these unfortunate 12 minutes.

One of the deadliest quakes shakes China, buries more than 10000

2008-05-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

It seems that Asia has become the favourite destination of the natural calamities. After the killer cyclone at Myanmar, another disaster shook the most populous country of the world, killing more than 10000 people in a span of several minutes. The 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck 90 kilometers (56 miles) from the central city of Chengdu, home to 11 million people and the capital of Sichuan province.

In a gruesome incident, about 1,000 students and teachers were buried when their school building collapse in southwestern China.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li starrer "The Forbidden Kingdom" tops China's box office

2008-05-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

The Forbidden Kingdom, the first movie of the awesome Chinese duo, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, is susseccfully running across China. Directed by Rob Minkoff, the film is all about an American teenager Jason (Michael Angarano), who's magically transported to ancient China, where he teams up with a drunken kungfu master, Lu Yan (Jackie Chan); a mysterious and skillful Silent Monk (Jet Li) to help free a mythical monkey king.

Earliar, film pandits were of the view that this piece would hardly appeal to the Chinese since its script is geared towards American audiences.

Against all predictions, this Hollywood-Chinese co-production made $21.4 million since April 24, the day of its release, informs Tang Jingting, a spokeswoman for Chinese movie company Huayi Brothers, one of the film's investors in a telephonic interview.

A movie that makes more than $14 million in China is considered a hit and $29 million a major hit.

Earlier, this Kung Fu film has also performed well in US, earning $45.7 million since its release on April 18, according to Box Office Mojo, the box office tracking site. (Agencies)

Anushka Sharma to pair up with SRK in Aditya Chopra's next venture

2008-05-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

Bangalore model, Anushka Sharma is all set to pair up with Shah Rukh Khan in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. This film is the third directorial venture after eight years.SRK, shahrukh khan, king khan

"We were looking for a girl who could personify the spirit of Punjab and we have found her in Anushka", said Yash Chopra. He further adds, "While she has no previous acting experience, we have seen that unique spark in her that makes us confident that she will be a standout even opposite Shah Rukh. "

Anushka Sharma is the second Bangalorean after Deepika Padukone, to play the female lead opposite Shahrukh Khan in her first venture. (Agencies)

Britney Spears granted greater access to her sons

2008-05-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Pop diva Britney Spears must be feeling relaxed after a Los Angeles judge has granted more access to her sons, said, Mark Vincent Kaplan - the lawyer for her ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Till now, Federline has had the full custodian right over the children since January,2008, when Spears entered a psychiatric hospital.

The pop star's personal life spiraled out of control after her break-up from Federline in 2006. (agencies)

Madonna's short performance annoys French fans

2008-05-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

Pop queen Madonna frustrates her fans in France after turning up to a concert more than two hours late. Further, her 40-minute performance adds more fuel to the fire.

One fan, Melanie Monnier, said, "She is great, but the wait and the shortness of the show were a bit disappointed. There was a real lack of emotion."

The pop diva was dressed in a black T-shirt, trousers and big boots. She takes on the stage on a big chair by sipping champagne directly from the bottle, followed by her kissing scene with one of her female dancers - like she did with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards - before performing Hard Candy. (agencies)

Amitabh Bachchan to play the role of Bangladesh founder

2008-05-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, will play the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh. The film will be directed by Shyam Benegal, a veteran director who has won India's National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi five times.

Abhishek Bachchan will also a part of the film. He will play the role of a young Mujibur.

Film producer Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury said, "After getting the consent of Amitabh, I am now a relieved man. To project a person of the magnitude of Sheikh Mujib, I could not imagine no one other than him." (Agencies)

SBI to soon announce its general insurance partner

2008-05-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

BI, India's largest sender bank on Thursday said that it will shortly announce its non-life insurance partner.

Mr. O P Bhatt, Chairman, said in an interview that they have shortlisted certain companies for this purpose and with this month they will finalize the partner for the venture.

According to sources, SBI has shortlisted three partners from a list of nine. These includes Australia's IAG (Insurance Australia Group) besides one from Germany and the other from the US. The general insurance venture is expected to focus initially on SBI's corporate clients. (Agencies)

HDFC profit zooms by 40%

2008-05-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

The Housing Development Finance Corp., India's top mortgage lender, has reported a 40% in the net profit for the last quarter ended on the 31st March. HDFC, which is 11.75% owned by Citigroup, has posted a profit after tax of Rs 2,712.19 crore for the year ended March 31, excluding Rs 293 crore it earned through derivative exposure.

The company's PAT for the year is 54.74 per cent higher than the last fiscal when it earned Rs 1,741.98 crore.

The board has recommended a dividend of Rs 25 per share. (Agencies)

An IIT Delhi graduate appointed as 1st Nehru Professor at Cambridge

2008-05-01T05:09:00.001-07:00

Jaideep Prabhu, an IIT, Delhi graduate , was on Wednesday, appointed as chair of the Jawaharlal Nehru professorship of Indian Business and Enterprise at Cambridge University. Mr. Prabhu is currently working as the director of research and professor of marketing at Tanaka Business School, Imperial College in London. The IITan is suppose to take the charge of its new designation from September one.

He said delightedly, " I am honoured and privileged to have been elected to this professorship. India now plays a pivotal role in the global economy. With eight to nine per cent annual growth, rising foreign exchange reserves, a booming capital market and rapidly expanding FDI inflows, India is the second fastest growing major economy in the world."

This professorship is funded by a £3.2 million grant from the government of India. (Agencies)

An IIT Delhi graduate appointed as 1st Nehru Professor at Cambridge

2008-05-01T05:09:00.000-07:00

Apple launches an innovative line of iMac desktops

2008-05-01T04:21:00.000-07:00

Applie Inc. unleashes an innovative and superior line of its famous desktop brand, the all-in-one iMac desktops. Available in three three basic configurations: a 20-inch 2.4-GHz model, a 20-inch 2.66-GHz model, and a 24-inch 2.8- GHz model, these destops are really marvelous in their configuration. Lets see how the market will respond to this new range of products.

All these models are empowered with a faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors and an optional more powerful graphics processor on its high-end 24-inch model. The other attractive features of these models are 1066MHz system bus, 6MB of level 2 cache, and the most power graphics yet available on the system.

The 2.4-GHz iMac is offered with an ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT (128-MB memory). It is available at a retail price of $1,199, while the 2.66-GHz and 2.8-GHz models come with an ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO (256-MB memory) and retail for $1,499 and $1,799 respectively. The new iMac models are available now through Apple's retail and online stores.

Another attractive features of these desktops are an in-built Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, five USB 2.0 ports, Wi-Fi networking, AirPort Extreme 802.11n, a built-in iSight video camera, Gigabit Ethernet, one FireWire 400 port and one FireWire 800 port.

Microsoft remains undecided on Yahoo

2008-04-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Corporation's board met on April, 30th to discuss its deadlock on the $41.8 billion Yahoo Inc's takeover bid, but failed to reach a decision, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Meanwhile, the directors of the software giant suggest for adopting a hostile approach and appoint a proxy slate of directors to replace Yahoo's board.

Brad Smith, the top lawyer of Microsoft says that no meetings have been scheduled between executives, but he remains silent on the company's next move.

Tax relief brings buoyancy in the software sector

2008-04-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

The govt. proposed extension of a tax break brings a ray of hope for the software and outsourcing industry which was struggling against a US economic slowdown.

Shares of the software entity rises after the declaration of Finance Minister P Chidambaram that the govt, has extended the tax holiday on overseas income until March 2010.

"The new order will benefit ths small and medium software and BPO (business process outsourcing) firms", said Som Mittal, president of the National Association of Software and Service Companies, which represents the industry.

Akshay beats King Khan on small screen

2008-04-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

Bollywood actor, Akshay Kumar signs a record deal of whopping Rs 1.5 crore per episode, for a TV reality show Fear factor. The amount charged by the actor is much higher than what Shahrukh is getting (Rs. 75 lakh/ episode)for Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain.

Katrina and Hrithik Roshan to perform for IPL

2008-04-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif will perform in stadiums for Indian Premier League. Now, the cricket as well as glamour, available for the cricket crazy

India: the land of Classical Dances

2008-04-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

Music and dance are the integral part of Indian society. The culturally and religiously diversed people of India want to start there day with some sort of music, it may be religious bhajans, gurubani, naat, qawwali, etc. Apart from the music, dances also occupy an important position in India. It is believed that the gods created dance as a device for their amusement. Later, in order to please the gods, human beings enacted the tale and glory of the gods. Thus began a cycle of celebration manifested in the joyous abandon of movement and music. All the dance forms were structured around the nine 'Rasa' or emotions, Hasya (happiness), Shoka (sorrow), Krodha (anger), Karuna (compassion), Bhibatsa (disgust), Adhbhuta (wonder), Bhaya (fear), Viram (courage) & Shanta (serenity).

The following are the most post popular Indian Classical Dances:-

Bharatanatyam: Bharatanatyam is a classical dance having its origin in South India. Originated from Thanjavoor, Tamil Nadu, this classical dance is a 20th century refinement of Cathir, the art of temple dancers. Cathir in turn, is derived from ancient dance forms. The name 'Bharatanatyam' is derived from three basic concepts of Bhava, Raga and Thaala. It was known as "Daasiyattam" since performed by Devadasies in the temples of Tamil Nadu long ago. The modern Bharatanatyam was systematically regularized by well known 'Thanjavoor Brothers', Ponnayya, Chinnayya, Sivanandam and Vativelu.

The dance is performed in the stage as Nritham, Nrithyam and Natyam. Bharatanatyam is based on the theories of the books 'Natyasaasthram' and 'Abhinaya Darpanam'. Its sequence is Alarippu, Jathiswaram, Sabdam, Varnam, Padam and Thillana. After 'Thillana', with a 'Mangala Slokam' the dance program ends.

The Sultan of Najafgarh, moving successfully to conquer Chennai

2008-03-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

Indian batsman Virender Sehwag, replies critics with an unbeaten triple century (309 runs, 292 balls, 42X4, 5X6) as India scored 468-1 (106) at the end of day three of the first cricket Test here on Friday. Virendra Sehwag scored at the strike rate of 105.82. The flambuoyant batsmen from Delhi has breaked many records. He scored the third-quickest double-century in the Test history and also the highest score by an Indian against South Africa. The cricketer joined the elite club of Don Bradman and Brian Lara by scoring second triple century. The extravagant opener has also broke teammate VVS Laxman's record of 281, the highest individual score in Tests by an Indian in India, which he established against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2001.

In Nutshell:

This is the third-quickest double-century by any batsman in the Test history
He has joined the elite club of Don Bradman and Brian Lara by scoring second triple century
Surpasses the highest individual score (VVS Laxman's 281) in Tests by an Indian in India.

Court admits a complaint against Sonia Gandhi

2008-03-27T05:57:00.000-07:00

A Muzaffarpur court has charged Congress president Sonia Gandhi with outraging religious feelings of the Hindus in her portrayal as Goddess Durga in a poster at the party's Muradabad office in Uttar Pradesh. UPA chairperson is charged under three Sections of IPC: Sections 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), 295 (a) (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefes) and 120(b) (criminal conspiracy). District Judge H K Srivastava admitted the complaint filed by an advocate Sudhir Ojha against Sonia, Uttar Pradesh and Muradabad district party presidents.

Dalmiya arrested: release on bail

2008-03-26T04:36:00.001-07:00

Former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya was arrested on the charges of fraud, cheating and breach of trust. The former president of BCCI is accused of misuse and embezzlement of Rs 2.9 crore -- from funds meant for the 1996 World Cup. However, he was released on bail soon after his arrest.

Google supported 'white space' wi-fi

2008-03-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

Search engine giant google inc. is pressing the US government to allow the unlicensed frequencies of TV "white space" to be used for wi-fi. For this purpose, the company has written an open letter to regulators saying the US spectrum was a "once in a lifetime opportunity".

Now a cartoon Ambassador....

2008-03-26T04:24:00.001-07:00

Cartoon ambassador....doesn't it sounds like a funny joke. But friends, this is not at all a joke, Japan has recently created an unusual government post for promoting animation. So, after brand ambassadors, goodwill ambassadors, tourism ambassadors, etc., now the trend of cartoon ambassadors has started by Japan. The govt. has named a perfect figure to the position: a popular cartoon robot cat named Doraemon. Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura appointed the cat an ''anime ambassador,'' handing a human-sized Doraemon doll an official certificate at an inauguration ceremony, along with dozens of ''dorayaki'' red bean pancakes — his favorite dessert — piled on a huge plate.

Antique Buddha statue fetches a whopping $14.3 million

2008-03-26T04:21:00.000-07:00

A recetly discovered wooden sculpture of Gautam Buddha has fetched $14.3 million, a price the auctioneer calls a world record for any Japanese work of art. Christie's said the seated figure of Dainichi Nyorai, or the supreme Buddha, is attributed to 13th-century sculptor Unkei, considered one of the greatest carvers of the early Kamakura period (1190s). (Image provided by the auctioneer).