Current Breaking News India, Breaking News, Current News, Latest Hot News

Google Street View to Lunch in India in The Coming Weeks

2011-05-26T04:11:00.000-07:00

Internet giant Google on Thursday launched its ambitious "Street View" project in India to provide detailed panoramic images of life in a country of 1.2 billion people.

The 360-degree photographic mapping service, which is already in operation in more than 25 countries, will begin gathering data in the southern city of Bangalore, a technology hub where many Internet firms are based.

Google said in a statement that information collected by special cameras mounted on cars and three-wheelers would allow users around the world to access street-level imagery and explore the city.

Source: http://news.smh.com.au/

Osama Bin Laden Dead

2011-05-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON: Osama bin Laden, the glowering mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed thousands of Americans, was killed in an operation led by the United States, President Barack Obama said on Sunday.

A small team of Americans carried out the attack and took custody of bin Laden's remains, the president said in a dramatic late-night statement at the White House.

A jubilant crowd gathered outside the White House as word spread of bin Laden's death after a global manhunt that lasted nearly a decade.

"Justice has been done," the president said.

The development comes just months before the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centers and Pentagon, orchestrated by bin Laden's al-Qaida organization, that killed more than 3,000 people.

The attacks set off a chain of events that led the United States into wars in Afghanistan, and then Iraq, and America's entire intelligence apparatus was overhauled to counter the threat of more terror attacks at home.

Al-Qaida organization was also blamed for the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa that killed 231 people and the 2000 attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors in Yemen, as well as countless other plots, some successful and some foiled.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

The Tea Party's Growing Influence

2011-03-27T11:28:00.000-07:00

The rising influence of the Tea Party makes it all but certain the grass-roots movement will have a role in the 2012 presidential contest, but what that will be is as open as the GOP field.

This week, two of the movement's most prominent Congressional supporters hinted they may make a run at the White House. GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann's announcement Thursday that she may launch an exploratory committee for president and Republican Sen. Rand Paul's suggestion he is mulling a bid are signs the movement that began two years ago is quickly moving onto the presidential stage.

Tea Party groups across the country demonstrated their effectiveness last fall by helping Republicans recapture the House and grow their numbers in the Senate. However, the various Tea Party groups that pride themselves on having a loose affiliation with each other and no central leader have yet to show whether they can rally behind one candidate to win a national election.

"Never happen," said Jennifer Duffy, senior editor at the Cook Political Report. "That doesn't mean in individual states they will not be a force."

At the very least, Tea Party activists feel the presence of a Tea Party candidate will force other GOP candidates to lean toward their defining principles.

"A high-profile Tea Party candidate will push everyone on the campaign trail in the direction of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free markets," said Mark Meckler, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots.

The fact that there is no clear front-runner in the race provides an opportunity for a Tea Party candidate to secure the nomination outright, said Frank Donatelli, a Republican political consultant who worked for President Reagan.

"There probably is room in our field for a candidate with strong outsider credentials that is anti-establishment and has some links to the Tea Party," Donatelli said.

Judson Phillips, founder of the Tea Party Nation, compared the chances of a Tea Party-supported candidate to those of Barack Obama when he was running for the Democratic nomination.

Phillips said Obama beat Hillary Rodham Clinton partly because of the grass-roots base that Obama campaign forged through its website. He said the Tea Party, through its various umbrella groups and websites, already has a similar system in place, meaning any Tea Party-supported candidate will have a small army of volunteers ready to go.

Who that will be is a mystery.

Tea Party voters won't blindly rush to a self-described Tea Party candidate, but will rally behind those who have walked the Tea Party talk, said Whit Ayres, co-founder of Resurgent Republic, a group that promotes conservative free-market principles.

Ayres said governors who have balanced their budgets and cut spending could fare better with Tea Party voters than candidates who simply pushed for such initiatives in Washington.

"You'd have to give the edge to any candidate who has a demonstrated record of accomplishment in statewide office," Ayres said.

Former House majority leader Dick Armey argued it wasn't necessary for Tea Party activists to centralize their electoral power because most of them adhere to a common set of principles that will bind them together.

"When the world was swooning over (former Florida governor Charlie) Crist, this movement found Rubio," the Texas Republican said, referring to Tea Party favorite Sen. Marco Rubio. "The idea becomes bigger than the man."

He was hopeful that the Republican establishment would embrace the Tea Party message to avoid a split within the GOP ranks heading into the presidential election.

Some Tea Party activists are hoping that a fall rally will help them find the ideal candidate.

Tea Party groups around the country will be asked to send one delegate each to Kansas City in September for the Freedom Jamboree, said William Temple, a retired federal employee from Brunswick, Ga., who is organizing the event.

Each delegate will vote in a straw poll, which Temple hopes will unify support behind the Tea Party candidates for president and vice president heading into 2012.

"We don't want another 2008 where we get a John McCain who has to get rescued by a Sarah Palin," Temple said, referring to the GOP's presidential and vice presidential candidates in the 2008 election. "We want our Sarah Palin at the start."

Souce: usatoday.

India Beats Australia in World Cup Quarter Final Match

2011-03-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

Yuvraj Singh was India's hero yet again as the hosts ended Australia's 12-year-reign as World Cup champions with a five wicket quarter-final victory on Thursday.

The left-hander's unbeaten 57 - his fourth fifty of a tournament where he is averaging over a hundred - saw his team home after they'd been wobbling at 187 for five.

But India reached their target of 261 with 14 balls to spare.

Victory set up a dream semi-final against arch-rivals Pakistan in Mohali on March 30.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting scored his first international century in over a year in a total of 260 for six.

But it wasn't enough to maintain his team's bid for an unprecedented fourth straight World Cup title and fifth in all.

India, aiming for a first World Cup title since 1983, needed 54 to win off the final 10 overs.

Yuvraj eased fraying home nerves with a square-driven four off Brett Lee and, with erratic speedster Shaun Tait (one for 52 in seven overs) conceding 13 runs in the 41st over, the target became well under a run-a-ball.

Yuvraj struck a brilliant straight six off Tait before ending the match with a four off Lee.

He was well-supported in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 74 by Suresh Raina (34 not out).

Ponting was previously involved in a controversial incident which could have seen Gambhir out for nought when he dived forward at square leg for a possible catch before suggesting he was uncertain as to whether the ball had carried.

The umpires referred the decision but replays showed the ball bouncing well in front of Ponting.

Opener Sachin Tendulkar looked in sublime touch.

But Australia denied him his 100th international hundred when he was caught behind off Tait for a fluent 53 during which he became the first batsman to score 18,000 one-day international runs.

Gambhir and Virat Kohli batted steadily in a stand of 49 before Kohli (24) slapped a full toss from part-time spinner David Hussey straight to Michael Clarke at short mid-wicket.

Now the question was could the remaining batsman avoid panic.

Unfortunately for India, left-hander Gambhir couldn't.

One ball after surviving a run-out, he set-off for a non-existent single and was well-beaten by Cameron White's throw to David Hussey having made 50 and been in a position to win the match for India.

Instead, at 168 for four, the pressure was back on India and that only increased when skipper MS Dhoni fell for seven after a cut off Lee was well caught by a diving Clarke at point.

Earlier, Ponting's 104 was his first hundred since he made 106 against the West Indies in a one-day international in Brisbane last year.

Ponting, who'd managed just 102 runs at 20.4 in five previous innings this tournament, had come into the match amidst reports he could be quitting international cricket completely after the World Cup.

Nevertheless the 36-year-old demonstrated his enduring class in a 118-ball innings featuring a six and seven fours.

He was out late on when he reverse-swept Ravichandran Ashwin straight to Zaheer Khan at short third man.

Source: Emirates247

Bill Gates and Melinda in India

2011-03-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

Philanthropist and software titan Bill Gates on Wednesday said the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation were in talks with the Government of India to introduce new vaccines to bolster the rate of immunisation in the National Rural Health Mission programme.

In Bihar to visit community health workers and State officials to witness first-hand the launch of a five-year $80 million grant, Mr. Gates talked of discussions with the Government of India to introduce new vaccines to combat measles, diarrhea and pneumonia, specifically mentioning the introduction of the Pentavalent five-in-one vaccine in the Indian health scene.

Speaking at a press conference later in the day, Mr. Gates said the pilot tests of the vaccine (Pentavalent) were to be introduced in two States and would help in curing hundreds of thousands of children in the country.

“We are working with low-cost manufacturers to introduce these vaccines, which included a second dose of measles and some pneumococcal vaccines to combat pneumonia,” Mr. Gates said.

Lauding the efforts of Bihar's Health Ministry to expedite the immunisation rate, Ms. Gates, in her maiden visit to the State, appreciated the rate of immunisation coverage over the last six years.

“The rate has gone up to an impressive 65 per cent since 2005…we could not be more impressed,” she said.

The Bihar government had signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Foundation in May, 2010 with the aim of developing, testing and scaling innovative solutions to improve the health of families in the State.

The partnership project, christened “Ananya,” purports to assist the State government to meet its goal of reducing mortality rates of mothers, infants and children under the age of five by as much as 40 per cent by 2015, with services being focused on the 1000-day period between pregnancy and the child's first 24 months.

NGOs such as CARE, World Health Partners and the BBC World Service Trust will work with communities and individuals in Bihar to improve community and individual health standards. While CARE will focus on improving the quality and delivery of family health services, WHP will concentrate on establishing a sustainable State health network to combat diseases such as tuberculosis, diarrhea and kala-azar (Visceral Leishmaniasis).

Source: Thehindu.com

Tags: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Microsoft

India beat West Indies

2011-03-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

Thats performance by Yuvraj Singh 113 Runs and 2/18. Yuvraj, who had already scored three fifties this tournament. And also Man-of-the-Match Yuvraj Singh took two wickets to complement his hundred.

West Indies batsmen simply could not handle the conditions and pressure, crumbling in front of a disciplined home team effort. West Indies lost their last eight wickets for just 34 runs to get all out for 188.

Now India take on Australia, the defeated West Indies face Group A winners Pakistan.

Tag: India beat West Indies

100th anniversary of International Women's Day is Tuesday

2011-03-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday launched the "100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges" on the eve of the100th anniversary of International Women's Day, which marks the economic, political and social achievements of women.

One hundred women from 92 countries gathered at the State Department to begin a three-week professional exchange program in the United States.

Secretary Clinton told them that investing in women is the right thing and can help alleviate problems like poverty and hunger. "For me, investing in women and girls is smart. It pays off," she said.

She called the women "pioneers" in business, academics, civil society and government, and she said their actions inspire her and others.

Clinton also recognized the achievements of some of the participants. "Raquel Fernandez from Paraguay connects with women and girls trapped in a life of servitude," she said. "In Sudan, Aisha Humad, where's Aisha? Aisha is empowering women by teaching them to stand up for themselves and to stand up for their own rights."

The women are taking part in the International Visitor Leadership Program, which brings 5,200 current and emerging leaders to the United States to engage with their American peers and to experience life in the United States.

Clinton has long worked to make women's rights a key U.S. foreign policy issue, when she was first lady in the 1990s and now as secretary of state. Monday was the first of a series of events that will be held during the coming year to highlight key foreign policy issues that directly affect women and girls worldwide.

Clinton called the women "ambassadors" for their countries. She said government relations are not the only way to deal with global challenges.
"Ultimately, I think it is people-to-people relationships that make a difference and that can really give you the strength to keep going through very difficult times," said Clinton.

After Clinton's speech, the women asked questions of Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale, Assistant Secretary of Education Ann Stock and Clinton's chief of staff Cheryl Mills.

One woman from Latin America left the panelists momentarily speechless.

"Do you think now that your country is ready for a woman as a president? I am not sure any of the three of us should answer that," she said.

Clinton's chief of staff Cheryl Mills said she does not think the U.S. is quite ready to elect a woman as head of state.

"I certainly think it is the case that our country demonstrated ably in the last election that they are more than willing to support women in a leadership role and more than willing to actually see a woman as their leader," said Mills. "But I think for getting over that final hurdle, I think we are a little bit away."

Secretary Clinton was a U.S. senator when she campaigned for president in 2008. She lost the Democratic Party nomination to her then-Senate colleague Barack Obama.

The 100th anniversary of International Women's Day is Tuesday. Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama will mark the day by honoring 10 women from around the world with the International Women of Courage Awards at a ceremony in Washington.

Source:voanews.com

ANNE HATHAWAY'S OSCARS 2011

2011-02-28T21:19:00.000-08:00

As Oscars 2011's leading lady, it was no surprise that Anne Hathaway was keen to make her mark on the best dressed lists and she didn't fail, wowing in a scarlet Valentino gown. But then came the costume changes! Thanks to her presenting duties, the starlet swiftly changed from the ravishing red creation into a subsequent eight different dresses throughout the evening. Now that's dedication to fashion!

Ind vs Eng: India once more time with poor bowling and Match Ends in a tie

2011-02-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

India staged a brilliant comeback after being almost taken out of the game by Andrew Strauss, aptly supported by Ian Bell with Zaheer Khan digging in deep for an extraordinary spell that saved the game for the home team.

It was a day ruled by batsmen with over 600 runs being scored but what would trouble Indian skipper Dhoni the most was the lack of sting in the bowling in two consecutive games that had tense moments despite the batsmen firing from all ends.

Tendulkar celebrated playing in a World Cup match on home soil after a gap of fifteen years with his 98th international century that was elegant, fast and most importantly, sublime. It was his fifth century in a World Cup, the most by any batsman in the history of the sport.

The fielding was ordinary from both the sides but the home team was seen more wanting in that department, something to be worked upon in the coming week. England lost their way once their captain departed, making a mess of the good efforts with the bat while the Indians kept their nerve to put them on top of their group despite the tied game.

Just when things looked all set for England, they called for the batting powerplay and India was given a window of opportunity as pacer Zaheer claimed Ian Bell (69) to bring a new twist to the tale. The very next delivery changed the equations drastically as Andrew Strauss (158) was out plumb in front of the wickets.

Zaheer was spitting fire in Bangalore as he claimed his third quick wicket in the form of Paul Collingwood (1), who was clean bowled with an angling delivery. Harbhajan Singh spun into action as soon as India sniffed victory, claiming Matt Prior (4) to expose the English tail with the run-rate climbing steeply.

The wickets came at a time when a miracle breakthrough was required from the home team and the introduction of the speed mainstay of the squad proved to be the right decision for Dhoni.

Andrew Strauss had played a captain’s innings as he held fort from one end, slamming a fantastic 158 to provide some stability to the English outfit.

The tactics of rotating the strike freely paid rich dividends to the visitors as all the batsmen scoring briskly, helping the total go past the 200-run mark in lesser balls. The decision making did not give any help to the Indian cause either as Ian Bell slammed a fifty after being given not out to a Yuvraj delivery.

The first breakthrough came via a sensational caught and bowled by Munaf Patel to get rid of Kevin Pietersen (31). It was a superb reflex catch on a rebound in the tenth over that finally got a new pair of English feet on the crease.

In the Indian innings, Sachin Tendulkar’s spectacular century had set the tone for a formidable 338 all out against England despite the team not managing to complete playing out the entire 50 overs.

It was a clinical and effective display of the willow’s prowess by Dhoni’s men as Sachin (120), Gambhir (51) and Yuvraj (58) made their mark at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, giving enough reasons to the Indian fans to cheer their throats hoarse.

England did manage to stop a complete carnage with two wickets in two balls (Yuvraj and Dhoni) towards the death. Soon after, Virat Kohli (8) and Yusuf Pathan (14) fell while trying to up the ante. Harbhajan was out plumb in front of the wicket for a duck and this sudden array of wickets falling did give a breather for the visitors, not letting the target go beyond the psychological barrier of 350 runs.

Sehwag (35) had started off the proceedings against England in his signature style – sending the ball past the boundary on the first delivery itself. The ball flew just past the fingers of the slip fielder and the early nerves were calmed.

Giving Sehwag company at the other end was Sachin, who saw the Delhi blaster tease the English side, lobbing three possible catches in the first over that could not be taken. However, the ball found the bat’s edge more often than not for Viru, ending his campaign with the bat for the day.

The tied result places India on the top but going into the later stages with a similar bowling and fielding display would surely end India’s chances of winning the trophy. India now face Ireland on Sunday, 6th March.

Bangalore: Cricket was the ultimate winner in one of the most gruesome ODI battles ever fought as England tied the nail biting encounter against India.

Source: zeenews.com

Godhra train attack was Planned, 31 convicted

2011-02-22T20:21:00.000-08:00

Godhra: A Sessions Court at the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad on Tuesday delivered the crucial judgement in the Godhra train fire of 2002, convicting 31 people and acquitting 63 others. The verdict was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge PR Patel, who convicted 31 people of criminal conspiracy in the train burning case.

The court agreed that the conspiracy to set the coach on fire was hatched at Aman Guest House, belonging to one Razak Kurkur, and the fuel used to burn the train was also was stored there. Kurkur and another prime accused Haji Billa have been found guilty but another main accused, Maulana Umarji, has been acquitted.

The court also acquitted Godhra Town Municipality chief Mohammad Abdul Rahim Kalota, Nannu Mian Chowdhary and Mohammad Ansari.

Special Public Prosecutor JM Panchal said that the court upheld that the burning of the train was a pre-planned conspiracy.

"The conspiracy theory has been accepted by the court and 31 convicted of criminal conspiracy. The motive of conspiracy was to set the train on fire. The vestibule was cut and the coach was set on fire. There can be no debate on judicial verdict. The verdict is based on oral evidence and eyewitness accounts," said Panchal.

Out of 31 convicted, the sentencing of 25 people will be taken up on Friday. A total of 134 people were chargesheeted in the case out of which 16 are absconding while 13 have been released for lack of evidence.

Defence lawyer IM Munshi said his clients would appeal against the verdict.

"We are not satisfied with the judgement. There are many contradictions. We will have to appeal in the higher court. We will wait for the quantum of punishment and then appeal in the higher court," said Munshi.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the verdict in the case.

"This is the time for people to introspect who have used the issue for petty political gains. Those who were questioning this incident itself need to do some soul searching. The larger issue that attack on kar sevaks was a conspiracy has been established," said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was set on fire on February 27, 2002, killing 59 kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The train burning incident sparked off the Gujarat riots in which over 1,000 people were killed.

The trial conducted inside the Sabarmati Central Jail began in June 2009.

Source: ibnlive.in.com

India win against Australia in warm-up match

2011-02-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

Australia’s vulnerability against spin bowling was exposed yet again as Piyush Chawla made life tough for the Aussies during the warm up match at Bangalore on Sunday.

Chawla (4/31) bowled his googlies and leg breaks with such effect that left the Aussies out of sorts. Michael Clarke, Cameron White, David Hussey and Callum

Ferguson perished in Chawla’s dream second spell of 5-0-9-4.

India were all out for 214 with a top score of 54 from Virender Sehwag. Ashwin played a crucial innings at the end chipping in a useful 25 runs.

However, the Aussies managed to score just 176 (all out) thanks to some very good spin bowling from Piyush Chawla. This is a confidence building win for India ahead of the World cup.

Source:bharatchronicle.com

Egypt protests Worsen Stranded Indians on way Back

2011-01-31T20:20:00.000-08:00

There is a huge concern for Indians in Egypt as the mayhem continued. Air India will begin evacuation flights from Cairo on Sunday. 290 members of embassy officials families likely to return on February 1. Most international flights are cancelled, only flights from gulf regions have been operating. Hundreds of Indian tourists, businessmen are stranded in Cairo.

According to the recent reports pouring in, at least 150 protestors are feared dead as the crisis worsens.

Minister for External Affairs SM Krishna said the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) is closely monitoring the situation. It has advised against non-essential travel to Egypt

“All Indians are safe. In our estimate there are about 3,600 Indians in Egypt and and 2,600 of them are in Cairo. Governemnt of India will provide adequate help to those wanting to come back to India,” SM Krishna, External Affairs Minister.

Many of the Indians in Egypt are engaged in white collar jobs, many are doctors and engineers. Unlike the other parts of the Gulf there aren’t many Indians doing labour-oriented jobs. Around 300 Indians are there are businessmen-cum-tourists. Families of the embassy’s staff are likely to be brought back on Sunday night or Monday early morning.

As of now there are no reports of attacks on Indians or their properties.
Earlier, succumbing to pressure from international quarters, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak gave the first indications of an impending resignation.

The President made Egypt intelligence chief Omar Suleiman his new Vice-President indicating a possible handover of power. Defying a government-imposed curfew, thousands of demonstrators marched undeterred near the parliament building in Cairo on Saturday.

Police fired teargas and live ammunition at them but they regrouped in many places throughout the city. Protesters tore down posters of Mubarak's son Gamal, who many believe is being groomed to succeed him.

The violent protests and civil unrest have also caused all outbound international flights from Cairo to be cancelled leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

Egyptians armed with guns, sticks, and blades have formed vigilante groups to defend their homes from looters after police disappeared from the streets following days of violent protests.

Banks, junctions and important buildings previously guarded by the police and state security were left abandoned on Saturday and civilians have quickly stepped in to fill the void.

Police withdrew from the streets when the army was sent in to take over security in Cairo. Witnesses have since seen mobs storming supermarkets, commercial centres, banks, private property and government buildings in Cairo and elsewhere.

Several government buildings were set ablaze during days of protests against President

Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. They were often left to burn without the intervention of authorities.

President Hosni Mubarak clung to power on Saturday, replacing his cabinet in an effort to appease angry Egyptians who demonstrated in their tens of thousands to demand an end to his 30-year rule.

Despite dozens of deaths in Friday's clashes, people turned out in the streets on Saturday in defiance of security forces and said they would carry on protesting until Mubarak quits.

The demonstrators, many of them young urban poor and students, complain of repression, corruption, and economic despair under Mubarak, who has held power since the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat by Islamist soldiers.

Source:http://ibnlive.in.com

Massive winter system spans 2,000 miles - threatens Midwest cities

2011-01-31T20:10:00.000-08:00

CNN) -- Several major Midwest metropolitan areas are bracing for a massive winter storm system that threatened to dump a foot or more of snow and bring potentially debilitating winds.

Political and emergency personnel leaders in Oklahoma City, St. Louis and Chicago, among other locales, vowed they were prepared to weather the storm. The leaders of several states, many of which have already had a difficult winter, also commandeered their forces even as they urged people to stay home.

"Folks should batten down the hatches and hold on," Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said. "The most likely place to get hurt is out on the road."

As much of its strength, the system's immense size sets it apart. As of Monday evening, the National Weather Service had posted winter storm warnings, watches or advisories in at least 29 states in a 2,000-mile space stretching from the Southwest to the Northeast.
"A storm of this size and scope needs to be taken seriously," said Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The worst conditions are expected in parts of seven states where blizzard warnings were in effect Monday night. The Monday night forecast of fierce winds, strong snow and minimal visibility covered an area as far south and west as Oklahoma, as far north as Wisconsin and as far as east as Indiana.

Several inches linked to the system had fallen by 7 p.m. Monday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a winter storm warning extended throughout the state. A similar warning was in effect as far away as Boston, where snow could start Tuesday and continue through Wednesday night.

Still, some of the biggest concerns entering Tuesday were in cities like Chicago.

According to the National Weather Service, snowstorms that drop over 15 inches of snow occur about once every 19 years in Chicago. The last time this happened was in January 1999, when 21.6 inches of snow was recorded in the city.

Officials have added 120 garbage trucks with specially attached snow plows to the city's fleet normal of 274 trucks in expectation of heavy snowfall, said Jose A. Santiago, executive director of the city's Office of Emergency Management.

Snowfall could reach a rate of two and three inches per hour with northeasterly winds of 25 mph to 40 mph, creating dangerous "white-out" conditions across the entire Chicago metropolitan area, the weather service reported.

Blizzard or near blizzard conditions are expected as far south as Oklahoma City on Tuesday, where snow accumulations there will be measured in feet, not in inches.
Oklahoma's governor, Mary Fallin, released a statement on Monday declaring a state of emergency for all 77 counties in the state.

"This disaster declaration will make sure we can prepare for the winter weather ahead of the storm," Fallin said. "We encourage all Oklahomans to prepare for the storm before it arrives."

The mayor of Oklahoma City, where snow was set to start falling late Monday, had a message for citizens as well: stay off the streets. Mick Cornett noted that most city and state government offices would be closed Tuesday and asked that local businesses do their best to keep their employees home as well.

Oklahoma City officials are urging residents to make early provisions -- such as stocking up on water, batteries, medications and canned foods in case power outages occur. The storm is expected to have snowfall rates of up to 3 inches per hour, according to the weather service.

"We're not strangers to weather," said Michelann Ooten, public information officer with Oklahoma City's emergency management operations. "We've been working on this since last week." Ooten said her office had already contacted FEMA to secure generators and supplies in case emergency shelters are needed.

Very heavy snowfall is expected from Oklahoma northeastward through Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. The National Weather Service forecast office in Norman, Oklahoma, warns that a "potentially dangerous winter situation" is developing, with travel becoming extremely dangerous or impossible across the state by Tuesday morning.

"Combined snow totals from the Monday afternoon through Wednesday may exceed a foot and a half across much of northern Illinois and far northwest Indiana," the weather service said.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay tried to cut short a trip to New Mexico to head home in time for the storm, only to have his flight canceled due to the weather, his chief of staff Jeff Rainford said.

"So he's one of the (thousands) stranded as well," said Rainford.

CNN St. Louis affiliate KSDK indicated the storm could be "historic" in that eastern Missouri metropolis, saying it could rival a 1981 system that left 13.9 inches of snow in St. Louis and some surrounding areas with more than 2 feet.

By early afternoon on Monday, a long list of early school closures was already being released by media in Missouri.

"It's precautionary," said Terry Gravemann, president of Duchesne High School, a private school in St. Charles, a small city northwest of St. Louis. Gravemann said worried parents were eager to know what time school will be closing.

Other cities likely to be affected during the week include Milwaukee, Cleveland, Providence and the New York state cities of Buffalo, Syracuse and Albany.
Heavy snowfall won't be the only hazard from this major storm system. Subfreezing temperatures could coat trees, power lines and roads in ice from Missouri to southern Illinois and eastward into central Indiana, forecasters said.

Ice accumulations of up to three-quarters of an inch will be possible, and they are likely to combine with gusty winds to cause tree branches to fall on power lines, according to forecasters.

With temperatures expected to drop well below zero by Wednesday, parts of the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma will experience some of the coldest air this season, Morris said.

Strong winds will combine with the cold temperatures to create extremely dangerous wind chills of 20 to 35 below zero across the southern Plains, according to forecasts.

But the storm's wrath won't end there. Severe thunderstorms are likely to develop along a trailing cold front from a main low-pressure area. That sets up a significant potential for tornadoes in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama.

High winds, heavy snow and ice could present major problems for travelers, on the roads and in the air.

Monday will be the best day to travel over the next four or five, said HLN meteorologist Bob Van Dillen.

For people who have plans to fly in the region this week, several carriers will let them make changes to their itineraries.

United Airlines has issued a travel waiver for passengers traveling to, from or through Chicago from Tuesday through Thursday. Travelers will be able to alter their travel plans without fees or get a full refund if their flight is canceled.

American Airlines is allowing travelers who are scheduled to fly on Monday through Thursday from more than 30 airports in the Midwest -- including those in Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee -- to change their plans without penalty.

Delta was planning to issue a travel waiver for the Midwest and another for the Northeast on Monday, said spokesman Anthony Black.

AirTran passengers traveling through two dozen cities, including Chicago, St. Louis and Boston, can change their reservation without penalty.

Source:cnn.com

Miss Universe Wants To Meet Salman

2011-01-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

Miss Universe 2010 Jimena “Ximena” Navarrete Rosete of Mexico has said she wants good roles in Bollywood films, reports Hindustan times.

Miss Universe who was in Delhi, said, she loved everything about India.

“I haven’t seen many Hindi films, but the actors are all so handsome, and they can dance, too!” she gushes.

The beauty queen, who is in the country as part of a 10-day tour to promote designer Sanjana Jon’s Celebrate the Girl Child Campaign, is all set to meet actor Salman Khan when she flies to Pune, after a visit to the Shirdi shrine.

“I’ve heard so much about Salman. I really want to see some of his films, too,” she says.

Ask her if she’d ever consider doing a Bollywood film, and she says, “Why not? I can’t sing or dance as well as Indian actors, but I’d be more than willing to learn. I hope someone makes me an offer.”

Bollywood isn’t the only Indian thing she’s going gaga over.

“I love spicy food. I think I’ll feel at home here,” she beams.

Since this trip is choc-a-bloc with charity commitments, Ximena plans to make another visit to India soon enough, and is collecting all the holiday tips she can.

“This tour is all about work, but my next trip will be all for leisure. I’m absolutely going to ask all the people I meet for tips on where to go and what to do, and come back fully prepared to play the accidental tourist,” she says.

Source: Indiatvnews

Michelle Obama takes part in Wal-Mart's Announcement

2011-01-20T20:22:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON — Walmart, the nation's largest grocer, says it will reformulate thousands of products to make them healthier and push its suppliers to do the same, joining first lady Michelle Obama's effort to combat childhood obesity.

The first lady accompanied Walmart executives Thursday as they announced the effort in Washington. The company plans to reduce sodium and added sugars in some items, build stores in poor areas that don't already have grocery stores, reduce prices on produce and develop a logo for healthier items.

"No family should have to choose between food that is healthier for them and food they can afford," said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart's U.S. division.

As the largest grocer in the United States, Walmart's size gives it unique power to shape what people eat. The grocery business is nearly twice the size of No. 2 competitor Kroger.

Mrs. Obama said the announcement has "the potential to transform the marketplace and help Americans put healthier foods on their tables every single day."

The nation's largest retailer plans to reduce sodium by a quarter and cut added sugars in some of its private label products by 2015. It also plans to remove remaining industrially produced trans fats. The foods Walmart will concentrate on are products like lunch meats, fruit juices and salad dressings, items that contain high levels of sugar or sodium that consumers don't know they're ingesting.

A number of foodmakers have made similar moves, lowering sodium in their products based on shopper demand and increasing scrutiny by health groups. Bumble Bee Foods, General Mills, Campbell Soup Co., PepsiCo and Kraft Foods all announced sodium reductions to their products last year.

And Tampa-based Sweetbay Supermarket used Harvard Medical School nutritional experts years ago to come up with a grading system for its Guiding Stars shelf labels for healthier foods.

But it is the weight Walmart swings with producers that can turn its commitment to a public interest issue into game changer.

For instance, Walmart accounts for 16 percent of all products made by Kraft Foods. Walmart collects about 17 percent of all grocery dollars spent in the Tampa Bay area.

So its initiatives are hard for big food producers to ignore, especially for brands that compete with Walmart's own Great Value label. Once Walmart got religion about recycling and packaging reduction goals a few years ago, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever within a year decided to reformulate all their laundry detergents to concentrated forms that needed half the plastic bottles. In 2006, after a successful test in the Tampa Bay area, Walmart introduced a $4 generic prescription drug program, leading rival retailers to follow suit.

During the news conference Thursday, Andrea Thomas, Walmart's senior vice president of sustainability, acknowledged those industry efforts but said, "Our goal is not to supplant these efforts, but to encourage their widespread adoption. We see our role as a convener and a catalyst."

Walmart said it would reduce prices on fruits and vegetables by $1 billion a year by attempting to cut costs from the supply chain. The company also said it would work to reduce price premiums on healthier items made with more expensive ingredients.

"Our customers often ask us why whole wheat pasta sometimes costs more than regular pasta made by the same manufacturer," Thomas said.

Mrs. Obama has a history of working with Walmart. She once served on the board of Westchester, Ill.-based TreeHouse Foods, a supplier for the store, but resigned in 2007 while her husband was campaigning for the presidency. Barack Obama had criticized the store over wages and benefits it pays employees.

The five-year plan to make thousands of its packaged foods healthier came out of discussions the company has been having with Mrs. Obama, who has made healthy eating and reducing childhood obesity the centerpiece of her agenda. Aides say it is the first time Mrs. Obama has thrown her support behind the work of a single company.

The plan sets specific targets for lowering sodium, trans fats and added sugars in a broad array of foods, including rice, soups, canned beans and snacks like potato chips.

In addition, Walmart will work to eliminate any extra cost to customers for healthy foods made with whole grains, said Leslie Dach, Walmart's executive vice president for corporate affairs. By lowering prices on fresh fruits and vegetables, Walmart says it will cut into its profits but hopes to make up for it in sales volume.

"This is not about asking the farmers to accept less for their crops," he said.

The changes will be introduced slowly, over a period of five years, to give the company time to overcome technical hurdles and to give consumers time to adjust to foods' new taste, Dach said. "It doesn't do you any good to have healthy food if people don't eat it."

The Partnership for a Healthier America, a nonprofit organization that works with the first lady on her Let's Move initiative to reduce childhood obesity, will monitor the company's progress.

The company says it will also address the problem of "food deserts" — a dearth of grocery stores selling fresh produce in rural and underserved urban areas — by building more stores.

That effort could mean little in the bay area. Walmart has been adding stores close to low income neighborhoods here as fast as city governments will allow them for a decade.

A range of studies has shown that low-income people, especially those who receive food stamps, face special dietary challenges because eating healthy costs more and healthier food is harder to get in their neighborhoods.

Times staff writer Mark Albright contributed to this report, which contains information from the Associated Press and New York Times.

Source: tampabay.com

Wipro Q3 - 9.60 % increase in consolidated net profit.

2011-01-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

Mumbai: IT major Wipro today reported a 9.60 per cent increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,318.8 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2010.

The company had a net profit of Rs 1,203.2 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, Wipro said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

For the fourth quarter ending March 31, Wipro expects revenues from IT services business to be in the range of USD 1,384-1,411 million, a sequential increase of 3 to 5 per cent, the filing added.

"We announced the appointment of T K Kurien as the CEO of IT Business and Executive Director, Wipro with effect from February 1, 2011.

The Joint CEO structure was one of the key factors that successfully helped us navigate the worst economic crisis of our times," Wipro Chairman Azim Premji said.

Net income from sales rose to Rs 7,829.3 crore for the December quarter as against Rs 6,977.4 crore in Q3 FY10, it said.

The board of directors have proposed an interim dividend of Rs 2 per equity share on the face value of Rs 2 to its shareholders.

IT services business, which contributed 76 per cent of the total revenue during the reporting quarter, added 36 new clients, the company said.

"The operating margins for IT Services Business was flat, despite lower working days and drop in utilisation," Wipro Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer Suresh Senapaty said.

The company's IT services revenue grew by 15 per cent at Rs 7,829 crore, over the same period last year.

The company added 3,591 net employees in this quarter taking the total head count to 1.19 lakh employees as of December 31.

It had cash and cash equivalents to the tune of Rs 6,487.8 crore as on December 31, 2010.

On standalone basis, Wipro posted a marginal dip in net profit at Rs 1,223.7 crore for the reported quarter. It had a net profit of Rs 1,231.2 crore in Q3 FY'10.

Source: biz.zeenews.com

Anne Hathaway cast as Catwoman in 'Dark Knight Rises'

2011-01-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

Catwoman is returning to the big screen, and Anne Hathaway is putting on the claws. Christopher Nolan announced in a statement Tuesday that Hathaway will join Tom Hardy and Christian Bale in his latest 'Batman' film, 'The Dark Knight Rises,' according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story," Nolan said.

Hardy, who starred in Nolan's last film 'Inception,' will play Batman's nemesis Bane. News broke of Hardy's casting back in October.

"I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman's most formidable enemies," Nolan said.

Hathaway has long been on Nolan's shortlist of actresses, which included names like Jessica Biel and Keira Knightley, vying for a part in the forthcoming 'Batman' film. Actresses have been testing for the part opposite Bale for the last few weeks, the report says.

Catwoman was iconically portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer in Tim Burton's 1992 smash 'Batman Returns.' Halle Berry starred in a spinoff film not related to the 'Batman' franchise in 2004.

This is the second time Bane will be included in a 'Bat' film -- he was Poison Ivy's muscleman in 'Batman & Robin' in 1997.

Before Nolan's confirmation, rumors swirled that Hardy would play Dr. Hugo Strange.

'The Dark Knight Rises' will be released on July 20, 2012.

Source: Popeater.com

PM says I'm not an astrologer, "Price Rise"

2011-01-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: Under attack for surging inflation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has exuded confidence that prices would stabilise by March but said certain factors were beyond the control of the government.

Refusing to hazard a guess on inflation numbers, he said, "I am not an astrologer. But I am confident that the price situation would be brought under control... We will be able to bring price stability by March." He was speaking to reporters after the Cabinet reshuffle.

Hitting the common man hard, the overall inflation for December, 2010 went up to 8.43 per cent while the food inflation stood a high level of 16.91 per cent for the week ended January 1.

The Opposition is up in arms against the government and has accused that an economist Prime Minister have failed to check rising prices.

The price situation got worsened after prices of onion, tomato and other vegetables spiralled and these are selling at Rs. 50-60 a kg in retail markets.

Frequent upward revision of petrol prices by oil companies have also added to the woes of the people.

Singh said, "There are certain factors which are beyond our control. Despite the problem, I am confident that we will be able to bring price stability by March."

Inflation has brought in a double whammy for the common man who is not only made to pay more for his daily needs but burdened with high interest rates on borrowings as well.

To rein in rising inflation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been tightening the monetary policy by raising key interest rates. It is expected that the RBI may further raise key rates when its reviews the credit policy on January 25.

Source: Ndtv

Sania Mirza News: Mirza crashed out from the Australian Open

2011-01-17T03:56:00.000-08:00

Melbourne: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza crashed out from the Australian Open with a fighting 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 defeat at the hands of former World No.1 Justine Henin in her first round match in Melbourne on Monday.

Sania Mirza was on top of her game in the first set, winning it in a tie breaker but from there on, Henin upped the ante and did not let the Indian slip away with the match. The Belgian remained on course of another Grand Slam, seeded 11th in the tournament as she won the next two sets with ease despite some good show of volley and serve by the Indian.

Unseeded, Sania has earlier reached the third round of the tournament twice, in 2007 and 2008.

She had picked her first Grand Slam title at the 2009 Australian Open. Partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi, she had won the mixed doubles title beating Nathalie Dechy (France) and Andy Ram (Israel) 6–3, 6–1 in the final.

Source: zeenews

Sharapova Latest News

2011-01-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

Sharapova produced a Jekyll and Hyde performance in out-slugging her Thai opponent for a first victory in Melbourne since winning the tournament in 2008.

"I wish I could be number one in the world today," said Sharapova, whose career was disrupted by shoulder surgery after her Australian Open triumph.

"But every day is a process. I had a really long time to think about whether I wanted it or not, and I certainly did. Now it's a challenge to get back to where I want to be, trying to win grand slams and get to number one."

As a teenager, Sharapova was frequently compared with glamour girl Kournikova, who left women's tennis in 2003 without winning a singles title.

Sharapova has since won three grand slam crowns to firmly silence the doubters, but she performed more like Kournikova -- whose serve often let her down -- against Tamarine.

Ten double-faults twanged from the racquet of Sharapova, striking the first fashion statement of the tournament in a lilac dress and orange visor.

Her blazing ground strokes came to the rescue, however, and carried the 14th seed safely through.

"I was definitely a little bit nervous in the first game," said the 23-year-old Sharapova after exorcising the ghosts of her 2010 first round flop.

She did not compete at the event in 2009.

"Last year I played first match on center (court) and lost. I really didn't want that to happen again. In the middle of the first set, I started swinging a little bit."

Maria Sharapova, who has failed to hit the heights since shoulder surgery in late 2008, opened the match horribly flat, coughing up two double-faults and dropping the game to love.

However, she cranked up the volume and hit back immediately, some ferocious returning giving her a love break and she continued trying to hit the fur off the ball, taking the first set in 25 minutes.

Sharapova, whose model looks have helped make her the world's highest-paid sportswoman, suddenly lost her way at the start of the second and had to fight back from 3-1 down.

The trademark Sharapova grunting grew louder as she dug deep, going up 5-3 with a scorching forehand and sealing the win with a clinical crosscourt backhand put-away.

Showered and smiling, Sharapova credited new coach Thomas Hogstedt for helping turn her game around.

"I've worked with Thomas since the middle of November," said the Russian, who has taken a break from coach Michael Joyce after six years together.

"I like the work ethic that's he's brought."

Before leaving, Sharapova found time to jokingly admonish a smitten reporter from New Zealand whom she had earlier accused of being a stalker for carrying a cardboard sign saying "I am NOT a stalker."

"I don't know why you're here. That shouldn't have happened," she said with a laugh. "You even have a sign. Oh my goodness, that's wrong!"

Source: reuters.com

Pamela Anderson 'Crazed' fan arrested after he tried to board her train.

2011-01-07T01:06:00.000-08:00

Pamela Anderson was left terrified after seeing a man feared to be a crazed fan was arrested by police after a violent altercation with officers at Liverpool Lime Street railway station.

According to the Mail, Anderson had just finished performing the role of the Genie in a theater production of “Aladdin” and was getting ready to return to London when the man tried to board the train car.

Source:dailymail.co.uk

Lindsay Lohan quotes "Mahatma Gandhi"

2011-01-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

In her first Twitter message since November 26, Lindsay Lohan has revealed her New Year's resolution - to follow in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi.

The troubled starlet quoted Gandhi in her first Twitter post of the New Year and promises to take it "one step at a time."

"Today is the first day of the rest of my life 'The future depends on what we do in the present.' -Mahatma Gandhi," the New York Daily News quoted her as tweeting on Saturday.

"One step at a time," she added.

This is the first time Lohan has used the social networking site since allegedly getting into a fight with a former Betty Ford Center employee on December 12.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com

Pamela Anderson PETA ad banned in Hong Kong

2010-12-30T22:16:00.000-08:00

An ad sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) featuring Pamela Anderson has been banned from Hong Kong's airport.

The "Cruelty Doesn't Fly" spot features the star acting as an airport security guard who removes furs and leathers from passengers and shows a couple nude from behind.

PETA Asia's vice president Jason Baker told The AFP: "Given the groping that you see at security checkpoints and the nudity that you see in body scans we're surprised that our lighthearted ad was deemed too risqué."

A spokesman for the airport said that the ad - which is also banned in Boston and New York City - is "considered inappropriate" for its potentially offensive content.

Source: digitalspy.co.uk

Cong blames Sanjay for Emergency Excesses

2010-12-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: The Congress has severely criticised Sanjay Gandhi's coercive family planning experiment during the Emergency - calling it arbitrary and authoritarian.

The party has made it's view official by putting it down in a book to mark it's 125th anniversary.

For decades, Congress has preferred caution while discussing its Sanjay Gandhi years even though the Gandhi scion was roundly criticised for several of his policies.

It was his family planning policy of getting men forcibly sterilized that earned him the title of an autocrat.

For the first time ever, the congress has decided to break its silence on the issue. The book called 'The Congress and the making of the Indian nation' has Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as its chief editor.

Released on the occasion of its 125 years celebration, it says," Over enthusiasm led to compulsion in enforcement of programmes like compulsory sterilisation and clearance of slums."

"Sanjay promoted slum clearance, anti dowry measures and promotion of literacy...but in an arbitrary and authoritarian manner. This led to much to the annoyance of the popular opinion."

While Congress never misses a chance to speak of Rajiv Gandhi's legacy, it has so far consistently steered clear of discussing or mentioning Sanjay Gandhi. His son Varun's decision to join the BJP made that silence more intense.

Interestingly in its 125th year, the party has made another departure by even including a chapter on Narasimha Rao in the book - a PM who has usually been the party's favourite fall guy.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com

England crush Australia

2010-12-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

England wrapped up a crushing innings and 157-run victory over Australia in the fourth Test to retain the Ashes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Australia's humiliation was complete when Ben Hilfenhaus was the last man out before lunch on the fourth morning, caught behind off Tim Bresnan for a duck after Ryan Harris was unable to bat because of an ankle injury.

There was only going to be one outcome after Australia were routed for a ground record low of 98 on Sunday's opening day after Andrew Strauss won the toss and put the Australians into bat on a greenish wicket.

Advertisement: Story continues below
The English responded with a towering 513 to hold an impregnable 415-run innings lead which Australia found totally beyond them.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was left unbeaten with a defiant 55 including four fours and a six in Australia's second innings of 258 for nine.

Tim Bresnan finished as England's best bowler with 4-50 off 21.4 overs, while England number three Jonathan Trott was named man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 168.

It was the first time England had won the Ashes Down Under since Mike Gatting's team claimed the series 2-1 in 1986-1987.

Back then England won the series and the Ashes after their innings and 14-run victory at the MCG.

Australia can still level the series if they can fight back and win next week's fifth Sydney Test, but the Ashes are gone.

England last won at the MCG in 1998 with Dean Headley taking 6-60 in the second innings as the tourists won by just 12 nail-biting runs.

The heavy defeat was only Australia's second in their last 12 MCG Tests, the previous coming two years ago against South Africa by nine wickets.

England crush Australia to retain cricket Ashes
Robert Smith
December 29, 2010 - 12:44PM
England wrapped up a crushing innings and 157-run victory over Australia in the fourth Test to retain the Ashes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

Australia's humiliation was complete when Ben Hilfenhaus was the last man out before lunch on the fourth morning, caught behind off Tim Bresnan for a duck after Ryan Harris was unable to bat because of an ankle injury.

There was only going to be one outcome after Australia were routed for a ground record low of 98 on Sunday's opening day after Andrew Strauss won the toss and put the Australians into bat on a greenish wicket.

Advertisement: Story continues below
The English responded with a towering 513 to hold an impregnable 415-run innings lead which Australia found totally beyond them.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was left unbeaten with a defiant 55 including four fours and a six in Australia's second innings of 258 for nine.

Tim Bresnan finished as England's best bowler with 4-50 off 21.4 overs, while England number three Jonathan Trott was named man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 168.

It was the first time England had won the Ashes Down Under since Mike Gatting's team claimed the series 2-1 in 1986-1987.

Back then England won the series and the Ashes after their innings and 14-run victory at the MCG.

Australia can still level the series if they can fight back and win next week's fifth Sydney Test, but the Ashes are gone.

England last won at the MCG in 1998 with Dean Headley taking 6-60 in the second innings as the tourists won by just 12 nail-biting runs.

The heavy defeat was only Australia's second in their last 12 MCG Tests, the previous coming two years ago against South Africa by nine wickets.

It was England's 20th win in 54 Ashes Tests at the MCG.

A small crowd, dominated by the celebrating Barmy Army and other English supporters, witnessed the final rites with the Australian fans giving up on a lost cause.

Australia lost Mitchell Johnson in the second over of the final day, bowled by Chris Tremlett for six.

Haddin and Peter Siddle stalled England's victory push with some lusty hitting in a 86-run partnership with both clubbing sixes off spinner Graeme Swann.

Siddle finally fell for his Test best 40 when he hoisted Swann to Kevin Pietersen on the long on boundary.

Hilfenhaus only lasted four balls before the axe finally fell on Australia.

The crushing loss, the sixth biggest behind England's innings and 579 run win at The Oval in 1938, will heap further pressure on embattled Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

It was Ponting's third loss of an Ashes series following his earlier defeats in England in 2005 and last year.

Given the lack of experience in the scarred Australian team Ponting is expected to hold on to the captaincy for next week's Sydney Test, fitness permitting with his fractured little finger.

Australia's next Test after Sydney is not due until August against Sri Lanka.

Boston airports open again

2010-12-28T04:01:00.000-08:00

New York's three regional airports opened for business again on Monday evening after a record blizzard dumped more than 50 cm of snow on the region and shut down transport.

The Federal Aviation Administration said that departure delays were about 15 minutes at John F. Kennedy, Laguardia and Newark airports. The major Boston airport was also open again.

Arriving flights at Philadelphia airport had delays of two hours or more, the FAA said. Limited train service was moving again, while snowplows struggled to clear major road arteries.

The storm whipped through the North-East from Sunday to Monday, stranding tens of thousands of travellers trying to return home after the Christmas holiday. Elizabeth, New Jersey, just south of Newark, was covered by one of the highest depths of 81 cm.

More than 6,000 flights were cancelled during the 24-hour blizzard. Wind gusts of more than 110 km per hour continued to play havoc with snow-clearing efforts.

The snowfall was the fifth-largest on record for New York, according to Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty who spoke at a news conference. It dumped more snow on New York than any previous December total.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Salman didn’t make me cry: katrina kaif

2010-12-23T21:51:00.000-08:00

Recently to declare the 56th Idea Filmfare awards open, Katrina Kaif spoke.

The questions were only to get more inquisitive, the inevitable one revolving around her recent appearance on the Salman Khan hosted show Bigg Boss.

Without batting an eyelid, the actress responded, "Oh, I didn't feel awkward at all. As for the rumours that I cried after Salman 'insulted' me on his show, I can tell you that the last time I cried on any set was during the shooting of Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. We had shot for 22 hours straight and I was stretched beyond my breaking point."

Kat dumps the Khans...

2010-12-21T01:24:00.000-08:00

While she was conspicuous by her absence at Sohail Khan's bash, Kat did take the trouble to attend a top audit guru Bimal Parekh's soiree.

Salman's ex-lover Katrina Kaif gave his brother's party a miss. Katrina was invited for the bash but she chose not to attend it. Instead, she was seen chilling out at Bollywood's favourite chartered accountant Bimal Parekh's bash in South Mumbai around the same time.

Our top source from Bollywood says, "Katrina chose Bimal's party as a priority. That party was attended by many bigwigs like the Ambanis, Aamir Khan, Prasoon Joshi and Rakeysh Mehtra, to name a few."

Was it because Salman bullied her to nearly tears in the Bigg Boss house on Friday evening by making fun of her Hindi, calling her an 'expiring actress' in Tees Maar Khan and asking her 'Bhayankar lag rahi ho.

Aur aap ne abhi Ranbir aur Imran ko pakda hai kaam karne ke liye, aur kitna neeche jayengi aap. Was Katrina still nursing those wounds and didn't want to face Salman Khan at the bash?

A friend of Katrina Kaif stood up for her and said, "Katrina had an early morning shoot to attend. She was supposed to shoot a commercial on Sunday morning. She wanted to make sure that she looks good for that commercial. She would have been tired if she had attended Sohail's bash as well."

Couldn't she have come in to Sohail's party for a few minutes at least, considering the fact that Salman's parivaar is so close to her even after her break-up with Salman? If Karan Johar and Farah Khan could attend both Sohail's and Bimal's bash, why couldn't Katrina do the same?

Despite text messages and calls, Katrina chose not to revert. Too many invitations on her desk, we presume.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Pamela Anderson sets record number of Playboy magazine's January 2011....

2010-12-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

PAMELA Anderson has graced the cover of Playboy magazine's January 2011 issue by channeling actress Anita Ekberg's famous scene in the 1960 film La Dolce Vita.

In the scene, Ekberg's character cavorts half-naked in Rome's Trevi Fountain in a slinky black dress, similar to the one Anderson wears.

It is Anderson's 13th cover since her debut in the men's glossy in 1989 and a record number of covers in the magazine's 57-year history.

In the text accompanying the eight-page nude pictorial released yesterday, the former Baywatch star and PETA representative showcases a work of poetry that urges readers to do good.

"Please let's show the good in us ... The brilliance ... The wonderful ... It's abundant - it's just not tapped as it should be," she writes.

Urging politicians to put money to good use, she ends with the note: "May all your bombs be bombshells."

Pamela Anderson has two children with her ex-husband, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

In October, Playboy head Hugh Hefner tweeted that Anderson was shooting the pictorial in the Mansion swimming pool in a tribute to the famous Italian film.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/

Tendulkar 50th Test hundred.

2010-12-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

Sachin Tendulkar has reached where no other man may reach again. At 7.36 pm Indian time, he pushed Dale Steyn through a heavily manned cover for four, bringing up his 50th Test hundred.

While it is a milestone to be celebrated, it is a job only half done in the Centurion Test, where India are hanging by a thread.

Tendulkar, playing his 175th Test, is on his fifth Test tour of South Africa and India have won just one match here, in 2006.

He has 11 hundreds against Australia, nine against Sri Lanka, seven against England, six against South Africa, five against Bangladesh, four against New Zealand, three each against West Indies and Zimbabwe and two against Pakistan.

Source: Yahoonews

AB de Villiers smashed the fastest century by a South African

2010-12-18T02:39:00.000-08:00

AB de Villiers smashed the fastest century by a South African, while Jacques Kallis continued batting steadily to give the hosts complete control against India, on day three of the first Test at SuperSport Park, in Centurion, on Saturday.

South Africa were 556 for three in 116 overs, have stretched their lead to 420 runs.

De Villiers came out attacking as he slammed a quickfire century from just 75 balls, having hit 11 fours and five sixes, including two in a row to complete his hundred.

At the other end, Kallis was as solid as ever as he made 161 from 220 balls, having hit 12 boundaries and four sixes. The two batsmen scored at more than six runs per over as they added 160 runs in 23.3 overs for the fourth wicket to humiliate the Indian bowlers.

Source: http://www.rediff.com

Google laest News : Google rebuffs Connecticut over Street View

2010-12-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

Google laest News : Google rebuffs Connecticut over Street View

WASHINGTON: Google Inc has told the Connecticut attorney general's office that it will not comply with its requests for information about its Street View cars collecting personal information.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November, had issued a civil investigative demand, similar to a subpoena, to determine exactly what information had been scooped up by the Street View cars.

Google's Street View cars, which take panoramic pictures of city streets, inadvertently collected data from unsecured wireless networks in more than 30 countries, Google disclosed in May.

"I am disappointed by Google's failure to comply with my information demands," Blumenthal said in a statement. "We will review any information we receive and consider whether additional enforcement steps -- including possible legal action -- are warranted."

"Google's story has changed from claiming it only collected fragments to acknowledging possible capture of full emails, making review of the data even more urgent," he said. Blumenthal takes up his U.S. Senate seat in January.

A Google representative told Blumenthal's office in a telephone call that the company did not intend to comply with the information request, a Blumenthal spokesperson said.

Google did not respond to Reuters questions about Blumenthal's information request.

The company has been the subject of numerous inquiries around the world over the Street View data collection.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission closed an investigation into the issue but the Federal Communications Commission still has one open.

Google initially said information was limited to "fragments" of unencrypted data because the cars were always moving and because the cars' wireless equipment automatically changed channels about five times a second. But the company acknowledged in October that the cars actually collected more extensive information, including complete emails and passwords.

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Elizabeth Hurley has denied she is to divorce her Husband

2010-12-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

Actress Elizabeth Hurley has denied she is divorcing her husband, businessman Arun Nayar, after announcing a split from him earlier this week. The 45-year-old model, who confirmed she had separated from Nayar "months ago" after it was revealed she had been romancing Australian former cricketer Shane Warne, insists much of what has been speculated about her future is untrue, reports contactmusic.com.

"Bored now of silly speculations: no one is divorcing anyone yet, no one is fighting over money and I have no plans to go to Australia. Enough!" she tweeted.

It was reported that Nayar's family was shocked at Hurley kissing Warne and were "glad" the couple split three years after they married.

"Liz never mentioned she was seeing anybody when she met her in-laws in October. The family is actually glad they have separated," said a source.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com

POP STAR BRITNEY SPEARS WANTS FULL TIME CUSTODY OF SONS

2010-11-25T21:17:00.000-08:00

Britneyzone

London, Pop star Britney Spears reportedly wants to apply for sole custody of her sons and take care of them full-time.

The 28-year-old singer, who has been under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears since her much-publicised breakdown in January 2008, has reportedly told ex-husband Kevin Federline she wants to get back custody of her sons, Sean Preston, 5, and four-year-old Jayden James, and have the boys live with her and current partner Jason Trawick, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Federline still officially has sole custody of the boys, although the youngsters split their time between both parents.

'It's getting harder and harder for her to hand the boys back to Kevin after each visit. Britney dreams of marrying Jason and having the kids live with them - she'd even like to have more children too,' said a source.

'She won't be happy until the boys are with her full-time. All she wants is to get her life back, without having to ask her dad's permission to do everything,' the source added.

Federline, however, has told his ex-wife, who sees the boys every week, he wants to keep custody of their sons, who live with him and his girlfriend Victoria Prince in Los Angeles.

'Britney and Kevin's relationship is amicable - Kevin likes Jason and knows he's a stable influence on Britney. He's told her she can visit them every day but there's no way he's handing them over full time,' said the source.

Under the terms of their current custody agreement, Spears pays Federline $15,000 a month to look after the kids and promised to continue giving him the sum even if he gives the children back, an offer the former dancer refused.

'At first, Britney Spears thought it was because he was afraid of losing the money, so she offered him an out-of-court settlement, meaning he'd get the money regardless of who the boys live with. But he's told her he fears she's still too unstable and could go off the rails again,' the source said.

The pop star's conservatorship order could come to an end within the next few months following a meeting she had with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Reva Goetz in October to assess her general wellbeing in regards to making a decision on handing back control of her affairs.

Source: mynews.in

Mila Kunis says she looked “gross” in person when she dropped 20 pounds

2010-11-24T01:22:00.000-08:00

Actress Mila Kunis says she looked “gross” in person when she dropped 20 pounds to play a ballerina in “Black Swan,” but was amazed at how she looked onscreen. The 5’3’’ star dropped down to 95 pounds for the role, where she plays a ballerina alongside Natalie Portman.

I could see why this industry is so f—ked up, because at 95 pounds, I would literally look at myself in the mirror and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I had no shape, no boobs, no ass … all you saw was bone. I was like, ‘This looks gross!

In real life, it looked disgusting,” she told E! in an interview. “But in photographs and on film, it looked amazing.

It took the actress five months to drop the 20 pounds, she said. By the end, she described her look to People magazine as “Gollum from ‘Lord of the Rings.”

Portman told the magazine she started training a year ahead of time and eventually worked her way up to eight hours of training a day.

And while Mila Kunis said she was happy to gain the weight back, she said it did take some getting used to. She told her mom, “it might take me a little time to be OK with having a little more fat on me.

Source: foxnews.com

Freida Pinto "Slumdog Millionaire" Girl has Ruled out Starring in a Bollywood Movie

2010-11-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

chillyflicks

Freida Pinto "Slumdog Millionaire" has Ruled out Starring in a Bollywood Movie.

The 26 Year Old Freida Pinto is an Mumbai-born actress and professional model. Freida Pinto "Slumdog Millionaire" has Ruled out Starring in a Bollywood Movie because of No quality Control.

Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson arrived in Mumbai late Monday

2010-11-15T20:20:00.000-08:00

Mumbai: "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson arrived in Mumbai late Monday amid media frenzy, resulting in a scuffle at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport here.

The 43-year-old, who has travelled all the way from Los Angeles to be a guest on Colors` reality show "Bigg Boss 4", was dressed casually in a grey ganji top with a plunging neckline, and a pair of jeans.

She even sported aviators and left her trademark blonde hair open, as she came out of the airport at 10.50 p.m. - more than two hours later than the scheduled time of her arrival.

Even though it was raining, several media persons waited with their still and video cameras to catch a glimpse of Pamela.

As soon as she moved out of the airport, all hell broke loose as media persons surrounded her, blocking every way to her car.

Dspite the heavy security and five brawny bouncers, Pamela was pushed back to a glass wall of the airport.

The scenario became so out of control that she had to turn back inside and move out from a different exit.

In the meantime, a scuffle also broke out between a photographer and a policeman, following which, a few other media persons retaliated as well.

Other travellers ended up facing the brunt of the frenzy as they weren`t able to leave the airport unless the actress did.

Pamela will be entering the "Bigg Boss 4" house in Lonavala Tuesday morning.

She will stay with other housemates for three days, and is expected to boost the oomph factor on the show by leaps and bounds.

She has been reportedly paid Rs.2.5 crore for her stint on the show, and she is very "excited".

Source: zeenews.com

Charlie Sheen has filed for divorce from his third wife Brooke Mueller.

2010-11-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen has filed for divorce from his third wife Brooke Mueller.

In papers filed in Los Angeles, the 45-year-old cited irreconcilable differences and revealed the couple signed a prenuptial agreement.

Sheen wants joint custody of their twin sons while his wife, who has also filed for divorce, wants sole custody.

Both say in legal papers that they separated after an argument in Aspen, Colorado, on Christmas Day.

A police report, released in August, stated Mueller feared for her life during the argument.

Sheen was sentenced to 30 days at a rehabilitation centre after pleading guilty to assault.

Last week, the actor was accused of causing damage to a hotel room in New York.

After hotel security reported Sheen was disorderly, the actor voluntarily went with authorities for a psychiatric evaluation.

However, Sheen's publicist said he went to hospital because he had "an adverse allergic reaction to some medication".

Sheen's ex-wife, actress Denise Richards, was staying at the Plaza in a different room with their two children, Sam and Lola.

Sheen and Richards divorced acrimoniously in 2006 after four years of marriage.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk

Katrina at Golden Temple in Amritsar.

2010-11-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Katrina at Golden Temple in Amritsar at late night..

Katrina Kaif was on her way to the city of Patiala for a film shoot for Yash Raj Films. Katrina Kaif was in White Beautiful Dress with Cover of her Face...

Super Model Adriana Lima - looks like a million bucks....

2010-10-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

Foxnews: Super Model Adriana Lima sure looks like a million bucks, and we're not talking about that $2 million bra she's rockin.

Holiday creation in New York City Wednesday at the lingerie giant's downtown location.

The fantasy bra will also appear on the runway for the holiday 2010 fashion show, which usually takes place in December.

But it's no ordinary piece of underwear. It's 142 carats, including 60 carats of white diamonds, sapphires and topazes.

Source: blogs.foxnews.com

Apple's iPad have failed in Sales

2010-10-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

San Francisco - Sales of Apple's iPad have failed to meet the steadily rising expectations for the touchscreen tablet device, letting some of the air out of the enthusiasm that has built on Wall Street in recent weeks.

Apple's shares slipped more than 6 per cent in after-hours trading after it said it had sold 4.2 million of the devices in the three months to the end of September, below the 5 million that some had projected. It sold 3.3 million after being introduced part of the way through the prior quarter.

Meanwhile, Steve Jobs stepped up the rhetoric in his battle with Google, whose Android software has emerged as the main rival for both the iPad and iPhone. The Apple chief executive predicted that consumers would be disappointed by smaller tablets running Android which are expected to be launched in the next six months.

He also said the proliferation of online stores for Android applications would force developers to work much harder to distribute their apps than they do with Apple's single, supervised store for iPhone and iPad programs.

Moreover, he said, Android's use on more than 100 handset models meant that programmers would have to focus on a limited range of display styles and functionality, so that not all of their software would run equally well on all versions.

Jobs said that Google's portrayal of its software system as "open" and Apple's as "closed" was a "smokescreen", and that the real difference was that Apple's combination of hardware, software and third-party commerce was integrated and more effective.

He went on to take aim at plans for Android-based competitors to Apple's iPad, saying that a seven-inch display was too small to provide high-quality applications for a tablet. He said Apple had decided not to make an iPad in that size for that reason.

Jobs' comments came as Apple reported earnings of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 a share, for its fourth quarter, up from $2.53 billion or $2.77 a year earlier, and well ahead of Wall Street's consensus estimates of about $4.03. Revenue soared 67 percent to $20.3 billion from $12.2 billion. The company's shares slipped back after rising 10 percent in the past week ahead of the earnings report and a Wednesday update to the Mac computer line.

The biggest contributor to the profit surge was Apple's stronger than expected sale of 14.1 million iPhones, 91 percent more than in the year-ago quarter.

Jobs said that the volume had made the iPhone more popular than Research in Motion's BlackBerry, based on that company's most recent quarter, and that the iPhone 4 might have regained the shipment lead Apple ceded to smartphones running Android software earlier in the year.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/

The World's Longest Railway Tunnel in Switzerland

2010-10-12T23:35:00.000-07:00

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is a CHF 9.83 billion railway tunnel under construction in Switzerland. After 14 years engineers are finally poised to make a breakthrough as they aim to create the world's longest railway tunnel.

With a length of 57 km (35.4 mi) and a total of 151.84 km of tunnels, shafts and passages, it will be the world's longest tunnel on completion, surpassing the record holder, the Seikan Tunnel. This tunnel is Open in Public in December 2017...

Sachin Tendulkar 6th Double Century in Test.....

2010-10-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

Sachin Tendulkar 6th Double Century in Test. And Second double century against Australia

Sachin Tendulkar scored yet another double century of his legendary Test career.

Tendulkar, who was unbeaten on 191 at the end of the third day's play, reached the landmark in the sixth over of the day.

This is Tendulkar's second double century against Australia, the first one being an unbeaten 241 in Sydney in January 2004.

Tendulkar is the only batsman in the world to hit a double century in ODI cricket.

Tendulkar is the only man to post 1,000 runs in a calendar year on six occasions -- with Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Brian Lara hitting this milestone five times.

His superb knock took Tendulkar's aggregate for the year so far to 1194 runs at an average of 99.5.

On Day 3, Tendulkar wrote another record by his name by making a 150-plus score for the record 20th time, surpassing Brian Lara's 19. He also became only the third batsman, after David Gower and Jack Hobbs to score 3000 Test runs against Australia.

On the second day of the Test, Tendulkar had passed 14,000 Test runs, taking just 12 innings to race there - the fastest he has ever gone from one 1,000-run mark to the next.

Tendulkar now has 95 international centuries, including 46 in ODIs.

With just five centuries left to complete a ton of tons in international cricket, Tendulkar is expected to complete the 50 Test centuries by the time the three-Test series against New Zealand ends next month.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

CWG - Vijay Kumar and Gurpreet Singh win Gold Medal in 25m Rapid Fire Pistol

2010-10-07T01:24:00.000-07:00

CWG -Gold Medal opeinig today with Vijay Kumar and Gurpreet Singh. Vijay Kumar and Gurpreet Singh did the nation proud by striking gold in the men's 25m rapid-fire pistol (pairs) event.

The duo also set a new Games record of 1162 points. Kumar scored 587 points while Singh scored 575 points. The two piped Malaysia by 18 points.

This was India's 12th Gold medal and the seventh in shooting.

In other sports, Indian women archers beat their Malaysian counterparts 223-219 to win bronze medal in the compound section. This is India's sixth bronze medal.

India now have 26 medals and are second in the medal's tally behind Australia.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in

Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor Now on Shakira Dance Steps.....

2010-10-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor are heavily inspired by Shakira. The two top actresses are all set to impress fans with special jigs in their upcoming films that are styled on the Latin pop star's moves.

While Kareena performs a Shakira-style belly jiggle in the title track of Golmaal 3, Katrina will try to match similar steps in the highlight number of Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan.

Both dances are inspired by Shakira's hit numbers Waka waka and Hips don't lie.

"We needed create something extra in Golmaal 3 and our choreographer, Ganesh Hegde, added a few hot belly dancing steps inspired by Shakira's Waka waka for Kareena," says the film's director Rohit Shetty.

According to Shetty, the song is meant to add oomph in the otherwise male-dominated film, which stars Ajay Devgn, Shreyas Talpade, Arshad Warsi and Aamir recalls Tusshar Kapoor.

"Kareena's moves were chalked out keeping her glamorous image in mind. But she has added her own inputs. I feel Indian heroines can perform such dances more beautifully," Shetty says.

The actress is the only heroine in Golmaal 3. Although Shetty denies it, the grapevine has it that she insisted on being cast as the sole heroine.

Kareena, of course, will face stiff competition from rival Katrina's Sheela ki jawani number.

Farah, who is also an ace choreographer, had asked Katrina to lose weight so that she could get in shape for the sexy ghagracholi ensemble she dons in Tees Maar Khan's belly dance.

In fact, Katrina reportedly plays an item girl in the film and Farah roped in a Brazilian dancer to train her. "Katrina was pepped up about this dance because it gives her a chance to showcase her dancing skills," a unit source says.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in

India Win the 1st Test Against Australia, And Lead The Two Match Series 1-0

2010-10-05T02:14:00.000-07:00

India won the Mohali Test against Australia. Laxman guides India to historic win over Australia. The final day of the 1st test between India and Australia will be remembered for Ishant Sharma – the unassuming, lean, tall fast bowler and the experienced VVS Laxman.

Ishant took the responsibility when big names like Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni failed to make an impact when expected.

VVS Laxman overcame his sore back to become the hero of a nail-biting one-wicket victory for India

scores: Australia 428 and 192; India 405 and 216-9. Laxman -73(79). VVS Laxman is the hero for India

Ayodhya Judgment Day....

2010-09-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

ibnlive.in.com (Delhi): A 60-year legal battle ends today (30 Sep) as the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court will pronounce the verdict in the Ayodhya title suit in the Babri Masjid and Ram janambhoomi case. The verdict is one of the longest running and contentious cases of independent India

As the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court prepares to adjudicate on one of the longest running and contentious cases of independent india the Babri Masjid-Ram janambhoomi dispute. Here’s a look at what really are the legal issues involved in the case and what is likely to be decided by the courts.

It’s the longest running legal dispute in India. Call it what you will - Babri dispute or Ram Mandir dispute - it all simply boils down to who owns 60 sq ft by 40 ft land in Ayodhya. A place where the Babri Masjid used to stand till December 6, 1992.

It’s a dispute which actually dates back to 1885 when the first petition was filed by the head of the Nirmohi Akhara asking for permission to offer prayers to Ram Lalla inside what was known as the Babri Masjid.

That permission was never given. But the following year in 1886, district Judge of Faizabad court..F.E.A Chamier gave his verdict - "It is most unfortunate that a masjid should have been built on land specially held sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 356 years ago, it is too late now to remedy the grievance."

Since then, that is, from 1950 onwards a total of five title suits were filed in the Allahabad High Court, four in favour of Hindus and one from the Sunni Waqf Board - all staking claim to the title of the plot of land of the Babri Mosque.

It’s these title suits, which are now going to be decided by this three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court that comprises Justice Agarwal, Justice Sharma and Justice Khan who now have to answer the following questions:

First, did a temple exist at the disputed site before 1528 when Mir Baqi constructed the Babri Masjid?

Second, whether the suit filed by Sunni Waqf Board in 1961 was barred by time limitation?

Third, was Ayodhya really the birth place of Lord Ram? And is there evidence to show that Hindus have been worshipping this place for a long time.

Fourth, if Muslims had abandoned the mosque in 1934?

Fifth, and was the appearance of Ram Lalla's idols inside the Babri Mosque area really an act of miracle?

These are all questions which have been deliberated extensively over the past six decades. The challenge before the court is that it is being asked to give its verdict not just on matters of fact but also matters of faith.

" Courts go by facts, not by what you or someone else may feel. Faith is not something that courts pay any special attention to," said Harish Salve.

There is yet another legal dimension to the Ayodhya dispute. The criminal case, which was filed against several top Sangh Parivar leaders including L.K. Advani himself. That case continues to linger. On September 24, once the civil aspect of the case gets clearer, it will be the criminal aspect, perhaps, which will gain in prominence.

Source:http://ibnlive.in.com

Lindsay Lohan and Drug Test

2010-09-18T03:46:00.000-07:00

Actress Lindsay Lohan was reported on Friday to have failed a drug test imposed as a condition of her early release last month from a Los Angeles rehabilitation program.

Celebrity news site TMZ.com said the "Mean Girls" actress had tested positive for cocaine in a court-ordered test last week. Under the terms of probation set in August, Lohan would be sent back to jail for 30 days if the reports prove correct.

Lohan's lawyer Ed McPherson told Reuters he had "thus far been unable to confirm any of it, but I am trying to find out."

Us Weekly magazine's website quoted Lohan on Friday as saying "I'm fine. They're all nuts."

The career of the once promising actress was sidelined in 2007 by a drunk driving and cocaine possession charge, erratic behavior and late night partying. Lohan said at the time she was addicted to drink and drugs and went to rehab three times that year.

After violating her probation in the 2007 case, Lohan served two weeks in jail in August, followed by 22 days of a three month residential drug rehab program.

On her release she was ordered to undergo random testing twice a week and attend drug counseling and behavioral therapy classes.

TMZ.com on Friday quoted an unidentified source connected with Lohan as saying; "People with addiction problems don't get better magically, and she's really been making an effort to make herself better."

Lohan has kept a low profile since being released from rehab but Us Weekly said she was seen partying late into the night last weekend at a New York night club.

Source: http://in.reuters.com/

Leaving One In Seven Americans In Poverty

2010-09-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Washington: The ranks of the working-age poor climbed to the highest level since the 1960s as the recession threw millions of people out of work last year, leaving one in seven Americans in poverty.

The overall poverty rate climbed to 14.3 percent, or 43.6 million people, the Census Bureau said Thursday in its annual report on the economic well-being of US households. The report covers 2009, President Barack Obama's first year in office.

The poverty rate climbed from 13.2 percent, or 39.8 million people, in 2008.

The share of Americans without health coverage rose from 15.4 percent to 16.7 percent — or 50.7 million people — mostly because of the loss of employer-provided health insurance during the recession. Congress passed a health overhaul this year to address rising numbers of the uninsured, but the main provisions will not take effect until 2014.

The new figures come at a politically sensitive time, just weeks before the Nov. 2 congressional elections, when voters restive about high unemployment and the slow pace of economic improvement will decide whether to keep Democrats in power or turn to Republicans.

The 14.3 percent poverty rate, which covers all ages, was the highest since 1994. Still, it was lower than estimates of many demographers who were bracing for a record gain based on last year's skyrocketing unemployment. Many had predicted a range of 14.7 percent to 15 percent.

Analysts credited in part increases in Social Security payments in 2009 as well as federal expansions of unemployment insurance, which rose substantially in 2009 under the economic stimulus program. With the additional unemployment benefits, workers were eligible for extensions that gave them up to 99 weeks of payments after a layoff.

Another likely factor was a record number of working mothers, who helped households by bringing home paychecks after the recession took the jobs of a disproportionately high number of men.

"Given all the unemployment we saw, it's the government safety net that's keeping people above the poverty line," said Douglas Besharov, a University of Maryland public policy professor and former scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.

Other census findings:

_Among the working-age population, ages 18 to 65, poverty rose from 11.7 percent to 12.9 percent. That puts it at the highest since the 1960s, when the government launched a war on poverty that expanded the federal role in social welfare programs from education to health care.

_Poverty rose among all race and ethnic groups, but stood at higher levels for blacks and Hispanics. The number of Hispanics in poverty increased from 23.2 percent to 25.3 percent; for blacks it increased from 24.7 percent to 25.8 percent. The number of whites in poverty rose from 8.6 percent to 9.4 percent.

_Child poverty rose from 19 percent to 20.7 percent.

In 2009, the poverty level stood at $21,954 for a family of four, based on an official government calculation that includes only cash income before tax deductions. It excludes capital gains or accumulated wealth, such as home ownership.

As a result, the official poverty rate takes into account the effects of some stimulus programs in 2009, such as unemployment benefits as well as jobs that were created or saved by government spending. But it does not factor in noncash government aid such as tax credits and food stamps, which have surged to record levels in recent months. Experts say such noncash aid tends to have a larger effect on lowering child poverty.

Beginning next year, the government plans to publish new, supplemental poverty figures that are expected to show even higher numbers of people in poverty than previously known. The figures will incorporate rising costs of medical care, transportation and child care, a change analysts believe will add to the ranks of both seniors and working-age people in poverty.

Source:http://www.zeenews.com

Kajol Gave Birth To A Baby Boy On Monday Morning

2010-09-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

Bollywood star Kajol gave birth to a baby boy on Monday morning at Lilawati hospital. Their first born is aa baby girl. Kajol and Ajay Devgn got married in 1999.Kajol gave birth to the child at 9.20 am. Sanjay Dutt, a close family friend of both Ajay and Kajaol, was first the reach the hospital to congratulate them. The close family members of both stars were there at the hospital when Kajol gave birth to baby boy. Shahrukh Khan sent a message to them in twitter

"Bringing life on earth is the most beautiful gift of God.Allah bless Ajay & Kajol with happiness & health. son of a devgun wow masha allah.,"

Madhur Bhandarkar congratulated the couple on the micro-blogging site saying, "Congratulations Ajay & kajol on the birth of your baby boy. Ganpati baapa moraya..."

It may be recalled that Ajay Devgan and Kajol recently visited Shirdi after celebrating daughter Nysa`s birthday on April 20. The couple went on the pilgrimage to seek the blessings of Shirdi`s Sai Baba before the birth of their second child. They also visited Ajmer Sharif couple of months ago.

Source: http://www.news24online.com/

Twitter - News

2010-08-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

New York: You see it everywhere: your friend on Facebook trying to get you to "like" their employer's new page while another friend pleads for you to follow such-and-such account on Twitter. It doesn't matter that you're a 20-something and they're tweeting about how to make the most of retired life - everyone knows that the more followers you have, the more influence you'll have, right? Whoever has the most followers wins, right?

Wrong. According to the latest research from HP Labs, it's not necessarily how many followers you have, but how passive or active they are in spreading the word.

In a video interview, researcher Dr. Bernardo Huberman frames the questions examined in HP's study, saying "In a world where all information is crowdsourced, how is it that an agenda gets set? There are zillions of messages there, millions of people and somehow, some things end up bubbling all the way to the top and grab the consciousness of a lot of people."

"There's an enormous amount of passivity in the social network," Dr. Huberman goes on to say, explaining that some people can have an enormous number of followers, but not much influence, while others can have fewer followers but much more influence.

The study finds that "the correlation between popularity and influence is weaker than it might be expected. This is a reflection of the fact that for information to propagate in a network, individuals need to forward it to the other members, thus having to actively engage rather than passively read it and cease to act on it."

Despite this claim, the report offers a top 10 list of Twitter users with the most influence, not one having fewer than 40,000 followers, and some, such as @rww, @google and @breakingnews, with more than a million followers. The top 10 accounts, given in no apparent order in the summary of the report, were @mashable, @jokoanwar, @google, @aplusk, @syfy, @smashingmag, @michellemalkin, @theonion, @rww and @breakingnews.

The list was created by way of an "IP Algorithm", which assigns a "relative influence score and passivity score to every user" by looking at how they interact with other users, the influence they have on other users, and by studying "the propagation of web links on Twitter over time."

Source: http://www.ndtv.com

Current News

Rahul Mahajan and Kolkata Model Dimpy Ganguly

2010-07-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: The wedding of small-time Kolkata model Dimpy Ganguly and slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan's son Rahul was the reality TV wedding of the year.

But in less than four months, it's hit a sour note with Dimpy accusing Rahul of physical abuse and walking out.

She says Rahul allegedly punched, kicked and dragged her by the hair.

"Rahul beat me up early on Thursday morning after waking me up to know the contents of a message that had beeped on my phone. When I asked him to go back to sleep, he flew into a rage and began hitting me. He punched, kicked and dragged me by hair," the 22-year-old model told a TV channel.

Soon after, she was back in the Mahajan family home but says she needs time to think.

"He says he has regretted what he did. I need some time alone to think," Dimpy said.

Dimpy had married Rahul with much fanfare on the Imagine TV reality show "Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega" in March this year.

This is the second time that Rahul, who was also involved in a drug abuse case, has been accused of domestic violence.

His first wife Shweta Singh, who was his childhood friend, had accused him of physically abusing her. The couple got divorced in 2008 after which Rahul participated in Colors' reality show "Big Boss". He continued to be in the limelight for his closeness with co-contestants Monica Bedi and Payal Rohatgi.

Incidentally, Rohatgi too has alleged harassment by Rahul, saying he has been calling her asking for a second chance.

"I just don't want to be harassed anymore. That's about it. I don't want to speak to him. He is a married guy," Rohatgi said.

Senior BJP leader Pratap Ashar, a close associate of Pramod Mahajan who was present at the live wedding function of Rahul and Dimpy, refused to be drawn into the controversy saying that he did not know anything.

As the heir to his father's political legacy, Rahul Mahajan had it all. But he has squandered his legacy with allegations of drug abuse and repeated domestic violence.

Rahul's first marriage ended after allegations of violence. His television stint was an attempt to restore his battered image, but the real life re-run could come in the way.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com

Current News

Mumbai Gas Leak

2010-07-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI: At least three people have died and over 60 people taken ill after chlorine gas leaked from cylinders in south Mumbai's Sewri area in the wee hours on Wednesday, a fire brigade official said.

The gas leakage was reported in the vicinity of Lal Bahadur Shastri College at 0400 hours this morning, the official said. The leak was noticed when people started complaining of burning eyes, breathlessness and vomiting sensation, the fire brigade official said.

"Following the complaint, our men rushed to the spot to plug the leakage. However, four of our men also took ill and have been rushed to nearby hospitals," Uday Tatkare, Chief Fire Officer, said.

Around 59 persons have been rushed to nearby JJ hospital. Further probe is on as to what led to the leakage, the official said.

As a precautionary measure, people residing in and around the area have been evacuated, the official said.

The source of the leakage was traced to a scrap yard in the Mumbai Port Trust premises, adjacent to the L.B.S. College in Sewri in south-central Mumbai.

As preliminary measures, water was thrown on the gas cylinders stored in a container in the scrap yard while experts were summoned to deal with the situation, the official said.

Also, nearly 400 people staying in the vicinity were evacuated. The condition of the victims admitted to the Sir J.J. Hospital is reported to be stable.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Breaking News, Latest News

Ronnie James Dio

2010-05-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

Ronnie James Dio, the metal legend who replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, has died aged 67.

Dio announced last year he was suffering from stomach cancer.

"My heart is broken," a statement by his wife Wendy Dio said.

"Many, many friends and family were able to say their private goodbyes before he peacefully passed away.

"Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us.

"Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss.

"Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever," she added.

Dio first achieved prominence in 1975 when he joined Rainbow, a group led by former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.

"Ronnie had a unique and wonderful voice. He will be sadly missed in the rock and roll world," Blackmore said in a statement.

Dio moved to Black Sabbath, the leading exponents of heavy metal, after Osbourne was ousted in 1979.

He recorded three albums with the band before quitting.

He reportedly complained there were not enough photos of him in the artwork for the group's 1982 album Live Evil, while guitarist Tony Iommi referred to Dio as a "little Hitler".

In 1982, Dio formed his own band with former Black Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice.

Their group enjoyed success the following year with the album and song Holy Diver.

It recorded 10 vastly inconsistent studio albums amid frequent line-up changes until 2004.

Dio briefly rejoined the remains of Black Sabbath to record the 1992 album Dehumanizer, but by that stage the group had already lost most of its fans.

In 2006, Dio reunited with Iommi, Appice and Black Sabbath bassist/lyricist Geezer Butler under the banner Heaven And Hell.

The group toured and released an album last year.

In November Dio disclosed that he had been diagnosed with the early stages of stomach cancer and would immediately start treatment.

Two months ago he reported that the main tumour had shrunk considerably and his visits to a cancer clinic in Houston had been reduced.

But earlier this month Heaven And Hell said it would cancel an upcoming tour of Europe because of Dio's illness.

Dio will be best remembered for his soaring vocal prowess and a trademark dark stage persona.

He reportedly popularised the "devil horn" hand gesture, one of metal's references to the dark side.

"Horns at half mast. Such a huge loss," said Scott Ian, rhythm guitarist with metal group Anthrax, which toured with Dio's band in 2004

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/

Plane Crash Continue

2010-05-12T04:39:00.000-07:00

An eight-year-old Dutch boy was the sole survivor when a Libyan plane arriving from South Africa exploded on landing at Tripoli airport today, killing more than 100 people, officials said.

Afriqiyah Airways listed 93 passengers and 11 crew members on board its flight 8U771 from Johannesburg.

"I can confirm the crash but not the number of the dead," said Bongani Sithole, an official of the airline at Johannesburg airport. "We hear that it happened one metre (yard) away from the runway."

A Libyan security official earlier told AFP that all those on board the Airbus A330 had died but an airport official said in fact a Dutch boy had survived and been rushed to hospital near Tripoli.

There was no immediate indication of the cause of the crash, which occurred as the Afriqiyah Airways plane was landing after a flight from Johannesburg at around 6 am (9.30 IST).

"It exploded on landing and totally disintegrated," the security official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The crew members were all Libyan nationals, the official added.

An AFP correspondent said the crash site had been sealed off by security officials and ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen rushing between the airport and the capital, about 50 kilometres apart.

The wreckage could be seen in the distance but no plumes of smoke were evident. Weather conditions were good at Tripoli this morning, with only light clouds in the sky.

Afriqiyah Airways said on its website that it operates an Airbus fleet.

It started operations with five leased planes and signed a contract with Airbus at an exhibition in Paris in
2007 for the purchase of 11 new planes, the website said.

It was founded in April 2001 and at first fully owned by the Libyan state. The company's capital was later divided into shares to be managed by the Libya-Africa Investment Portfolio.

Last June, a 12-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a Yemeni plane crash off the Comoros.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/

Tag: Current news

Ash cloud

2010-05-10T03:22:00.000-07:00

Ash cloud disruption to flights could last all summer as there are no signs that the eruption from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland is about to end.

But just where the ash plumes will drift and on which days is anybody’s guess.

This means that no one can really advise would-be holidaymakers if it is a good idea or not to take a trip involving air travel this summer.

Those who have booked flights will do well to wish for southerly or south-westerly winds.

The south-western is the prevailing wind affecting the Republic of Ireland and if this blows, as it normally does for much of the summer, then any ash clouds from Iceland will drift north towards the North Pole.

What has been happening lately – and this is what has been keeping the weather so unseasonably cold – is that north-westerly winds have been blowing.

This has caused the major disruption that affected Ireland and UK airports last month and the recent delays and cancellations of the last few days.

A Met Office spokeswoman said today: “We’re all at the mercy of the volcano and there is just no way of knowing how long it will continue to erupt.

“We would normally be getting south-westerly winds at this time of year and it’s pretty unusual to have northerly winds dominating the weather.

“It’s very much a day-to-day situation at the moment. The volcano died down a bit for a spell and has now got more active.”

Amid the imponderables, what is certain is that concerted efforts by airlines, engine manufacturers, aviation authorities and weather forecasters have led to a new understanding of how much of a threat to plane safety volcanic ash represents.

New guidelines have been drawn up that should mean that, even if the “wrong” winds blow ash plumes right over the Republic of Ireland, there will be no repeat of the complete shutdown of Irish airspace that occurred last month.

A Civil Aviation Authority spokesman said: “We are now in a much better position to cope with the ash-cloud problem.

“We know now that aircraft engines can cope with certain concentrations of ash. This means we can better assess which areas of airspace have to be closed.”

Source:http://www.breakingnews.ie

Recent Post: Katrina Kaif, Super Eight clash

Super Eights Clash - Australia beat India by 49 runs

2010-05-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Australia beat India by 49 runs in their opening Super Eights clash at the ICC World Twenty20 after a supreme display with bat and ball in Barbados.

Shane Watson (54) and David Warner (72) got Michael Clarke's side off to a fine start and inspired a total of 184-5.

India then self-destructed in reply, slipping to a dreadful 50-7 as Dirk Nannes (3-25) applied huge pressure.

Rohit Sharma (79 not out) led a mini fightback with some brutal late hitting but his team were bowled out for 135.

Mahendra Dhoni's side still have every chance of qualifying for the semi-finals but will be hoping for an immediate return to winning ways against West Indies on Sunday.

Australia, meanwhile, continue to make a mockery of entering the tournament unseeded and look genuine contenders to go on and win a first World Twenty20 title.

Aggressive batting certainly led the way for Clarke's side but it was the performance of their pace attack that will surely send shivers down the spines of every other team left in the competition.

Unlike India, Australia had got used to the pace and bounce of the Barbados wicket against Bangladesh on Wednesday and wasted little time in using that experience as Warner and Watson began a brilliant opening stand.

The latter was unable to get Harbhajan Singh away first up but made up for it by tucking into Ravindra Jadeja's first offering with three clubbed sixes, one of which went over the roof of the main stand.

Warner was also aggressive at the other end, sending one huge maximum back over the head of a seething Zaheer Khan, who had returned after being rested against South Africa.

The left-hander was well and truly into his stride when Dhoni decided to give Jadeja another chance and this time Warner promptly launched the hapless spinner's first three deliveries into the stands.

That meant Jadeja had disappeared for six successive maximums spanning two overs, and although the 21-year-old gave up just a single from his remaining three balls figures of 0-38 in his two overs told their own story.

Watson had raced to 54 by the time he was bowled by Yusuf Pathan going for an almighty cart over the leg-side but Warner and new batsman David Hussey gleefully continued the carnage.

"I believe we have the best two openers in Twenty20 cricket in the world at the moment," Clarke said.

"I think they bat fantastically together, left-hand, right-hand combination, both very aggressive but if they need to take their time they don't seem distressed too much.

"They are two wonderful players and I am blessed to have them on my team."

Little left-hander Warner eventually edged Yuvraj Singh to wicketkeeper Dhoni for an impressive 72 that contained seven sixes, one more than Watson had managed in his equally dominant knock.

In an otherwise under-par bowling display from India it was all the more impressive that the excellent Harbhajan conceded only 15 from his four overs, but his efforts were not enough to stem the scoring.

Hussey joined in the fun with 35 from 22 balls before he was predictably caught in the deep although any hopes of a score over 200 were dispelled by some much improved India bowling at the death.

Not that their batsmen were able to continue the momentum, however, as Australia's much-vaunted pace attack made good use of a responsive pitch.

Murali Vijay (2) looked all at sea before gifting a leading edge off a fired-up Nannes to cover before Gautam Gambhir (9) top-edged the same bowler to mid-wicket.

In-form Suresh Raina could only manage five before an ill-advised hook went straight up and was held by Clarke - despite several Australia fielders putting a name on the catch.

A win was already a near impossibility for India and things went from bad to worse when the excellent Nannes yorked Yuvraj for just one.

Dhoni (2) then heaved Steve Smith to David Hussey on the boundary while Pathan (1) - so dangerous at the Indian Premier League - was sent packing after Warner took a sprawling catch in the deep.

Sharma salvaged pride with some lusty hitting in what would otherwise have been a memorable innings but Australia still closed out an emphatic victory when Shaun Tait shattered Ashish Nehra's stumps.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/8668473.stm

Google on Monday snapped up a top Canadian startup

2010-05-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Google on Monday snapped up a top Canadian startup, which pioneered a 3D interface technology for Mac and Windows PCs.

Called Canada's hottest software startup, Toronto-based BumpTop has been acquired by the search engine for reportedly between $30 and $45 million, according to reports. However, there were no details of the deal by the two sides.

Set up just three years ago, BumpTop has pioneered touch-screen software that allows use of multiple fingers at a time on a multiple touch screen.

Called 'desktop workspace,' the software allows users to organise pictures, documents and videos much more intuitively. Users can perform many functions with their fingers, including dragging of items into docks, and playing around with photos on desktop.

Though Google has not specified how its will use this pioneering technology, it is certain that it will use touch-screen software in its smart phones based on its Android operating system.

Since its Android operating system is basically geared for touch-screen technology, rather than keyboard technology, Google's mobile market strategy is aimed at taking on Apple's iPhone and iPad that use touch screen technology.

The acquired Toronto company will no longer sell its software independently after May 7.

In a statement on its website on Monday, it said, "Today, we have a big announcement to make: we're excited to announce that we've been acquired by Google! This means that BumpTop (for both Windows and Mac) will no longer be available for sale. Additionally, no updates to the products are planned.''

The acquisition of BumpTop is the fifth such deal by the Mountain View-based Google within a month as part of its strategy to take on Apple.

Just last week, it had acquired Labpixies that develops social games for mobile services and Facebook. Agnilux, Plink, and Episodic are the other three acquisitions made by Google within a month.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Google-acquires-3D-software-pioneer-to-take-on-Apple/H1-Article1-539083.aspx

Greece has accepted an international aid package worth 110 billion euros (US $146 billion) over three years

2010-05-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Greece has accepted an international aid package worth 110 billion euros (US $146 billion) over three years, Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker said Sunday.

The bailout deal includes a promise by Greece to cut its budget deficit to 3 percent of gross domestic product by 2014, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said.

The package was negotiated by the European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund.

Of the overall amount, 80 billion euros will be made available through euro-area members, with up to 30 billion available in the first year, Juncker said. The first disbursement of bailout money will be made before May 19, Juncker said.

The program will "help restore confidence and safeguard financial stability in the Euro area," Juncker said.

Greece had a choice between "destruction" and saving the country, and "we have chosen of course to save the country," Papaconstantinou said.

President Barack Obama spoke by phone with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou about the agreement Sunday, according to the White House.

"(Obama) welcomed the ambitious reform program announced by the Greek authorities, as well as the significant support that was agreed to by the IMF and Eurozone members," the White House said in a statement. "The two leaders discussed the importance of implementation going forward."

Olli Rehn, the commissioner of Eurogroup, said "the steps being taken, while difficult, are necessary to restore confidence in the Greek economy and to secure a better future for the Greek people."

The head of the European Commission on Sunday praised the Greek government for committing to "a difficult but necessary reform process."

The program "constitutes a solid and credible package," Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in a statement.

The planned austerity measures are unpopular among Greeks. Protesters clashed with police Saturday during May Day demonstrations, and strikes have been announced for later this week.

May Day observed around the world

Papaconstantinou confirmed Sunday that the government would tighten its belt significantly, despite the protests.

"The expenses of the public sector will go down very considerably," he said.

The program includes cuts in the salaries of public-sector workers, including lawmakers, higher taxes on cigarettes, fuel, gambling and luxuries, an increase in the value-added tax consumers pay on purchases, and an increase in the retirement age for women in the public sector, Papaconstantinou said.

Prime Minister George Papandreou earlier Sunday tried to rally the country behind the government.

"I know that our compatriots are being asked to make big sacrifices, but the alternative way would be disastrous and painful for us," he said in a televised Cabinet meeting.

"It's not a pleasant decision for me, for any of us, but we are here to make the right decisions for our country," he insisted.

He spoke a day after Greek protesters clashed with police who fired tear gas during the annual May Day rally in Athens.

Waving red flags, the crowd at times surged toward the line of police, who wore helmets and carried riot shields. The police pushed them back each time.

Protesters threw objects toward police, and scattered fires were burning on the streets.

Seven police officers were injured, police said. Nine people were arrested -- three for attacks on police and six for theft from stores.

Twenty-seven people were questioned in connection with violence. A van belonging to state broadcaster ERT was set on fire.

About 12,000 people were protesting in Athens, and rallies were also taking place in the northern city of Thessaloniki, a police spokesman said.

Protesters there smashed two ATMs, the glass frontage of a bank, and a car, but no one was arrested or being questioned, the spokesman said.

The Greek government is facing a large deficit and massive debt, ultimately threatening the stability of the euro. The currency is used by 16 countries across Europe, including Greece.

Greece's national debt of 300 billion euros ($394 billion) is bigger than the country's economy, and some estimates predict it will reach 120 percent of gross domestic product in 2010.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/05/02/greece.bailout/index.html

Katrina Kaif: Raajneeti' is inspired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi

2010-04-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Contrary to speculations that her role in 'Raajneeti' is inspired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Katrina Kaif says that she watched election campaign videos of the UPA chairperson's daughter Priyanka Vadra to get the right look and body language.

"Priyanka is a young, strong, independent and modern leader with the right blend of values. My character is not based on her. I just watched her campaign videos to observe her body language and how she campaigns and interacts with the crowds," Katrina said.

The 25-year-old actress said that she is not playing Sonia Gandhi in Prakash Jha's political thriller. She said she has not modeled her look on any politician.

"Prakashji himself chose the sarees I wore as a politician. Every body knows I spent my early years in England and my mother is English and even Sonia Gandhi has a foreign connection. So the comparison was logical."

Katrina said she had her initial apprehensions before accepting the film as there was no song, dance, romance which she enjoys a lot.

"When I first heard the script during the making of New York, I made up my mind the refuse the film. I felt this was not my kind of space. Why should I do serious films which I don't enjoy. I had only heard about Prakash Jha's reputation," she said.

"When I heard the narration from him during our meeting, I realised that this film has as much excitement as any other film I am doing. I realised that I was being prejudiced towards Prakashji and did not like it," Katrina recalled.

Speaking about the film, Katrina said "Raajneeti" itself is a very popular subject. "Politics is not just about what's happening in the government or the Lok Sabha...it's about politics in life, families and relationships," she added.

Katrina said there was also a paradox between the characters of the epic "Mahabharata". "The characters in the film and the epic share the same character traits and complexities," she said.

The actress said the political side of her character comes in much later in the film."My character refuses to accept that the person she loves does not reciprocate her feelings. She has no self respect in love," Katrina said.

"In real life, all of us experience rejections, sometimes in hurtful ways. I was honest to myself as I could while saying the character Indu. One has to find a connect to the character you are essaying," she said.

Source:
http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_i-watched-priyanka-vadra-s-videos-to-get-rajneeti-look-katrina-kaif_1375869

Narendra Modi and Gujarat government

2010-03-11T21:14:00.000-08:00

Ahmedabad: Reacting to the SIT's summons in connection with Ehsan Jaffery murder case in 2002 riots, Gujarat government Thursday night said the Chief Minister will cooperate with the process of law.

"The state government and the Chief Minister would cooperate with the process of law," Gujarat government spokesperson Jaynarayan Vyas said.

He, however, refused to comment further saying whatever is required to follow the process of law will be done by the state government.

Acting on the complaint of Zakia Jaffery, widow of slain MP Ehsan Jaffery, the Supreme court constituted Special Investigation Team has summoned Modi, directing him to appear before the authority on March 21.

Jaffery has accused Modi and 62 others of hatching a conspiracy to carry out anti-minority riots in the state in 2002 following burning of a coach of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra railway station in February 2002 in which 59 people, mostly karsevaks, died.

Over 1,000 people, mostly belonging to the minority community, were killed in the riots which had engulfed the state for several months

Source: http://www.zeenews.com/news610573.html

Tag: Breking News, Current News

Opened fire in front of the Pentagon

2010-03-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

HOLLISTER, Calif. – The man who opened fire in front of the Pentagon had a history of mental illness and had become so erratic that his parents reached out to local authorities weeks ago with a warning that he was unstable and might have a gun, authorities said Friday.

It's still unclear why John Patrick Bedell opened fire Thursday at the Pentagon entrance, wounding two police officers before he was fatally shot. The two officers were hospitalized briefly with minor injuries.

Bedell was diagnosed as bipolar, or manic depressive, and had been in and out of treatment programs for years. His psychiatrist, J. Michael Nelson, said Bedell tried to self-medicate with marijuana, inadvertently making his symptoms more pronounced.

"Without the stabilizing medication, the symptoms of his disinhibition, agitation and fearfullness complicated the lack of treatment," Nelson said.

His parents reported him missing Jan. 4, a day after a Texas Highway Patrol officer stopped him for speeding in Texarkana. Bedell told the highway patrolman he was heading to the East Coast, and began acting strangely — sitting on his knees by the side of the highway and turning off his cell phone when it would ring.

Bedell said it was his mother calling, prompting the patrolman to answer the phone and talk briefly with her. Family friend Reb Monaco said Kaye Bedell asked the officer to take him to a mental health facility, but that the son refused.

The patrolman let Bedell go after issuing a speeding ticket and a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia, including a pipe and a green plastic box with marijuana residue.

The next day, Kaye told deputies in California that her son had no reason to travel to the East Coast because he had no friends or family there and she and her husband were worried about his mental state, San Benito County Sheriff Curtis Hill said.

Hill also said Bedell's parents found an e-mail from their son that indicated he had made a $600 purchase from a shooting range in the Sacramento area that could have been a gun or ammunition.

The 36-year-old Bedell returned to his parent's home Jan. 18, telling them "not to ask any questions" about where he had been. But he left after that, and his parents didn't know where he went.

Little is known about his trip east, but authorities know he spent time in Reno, where Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley said he was arrested on Feb. 1 with two ounces of marijuana in his car but no weapons.

The Bedell family put out a statement Friday saying they were "devastated as a family by the news."

"We may never know why he made this terrible decision," the statement said. "One thing is clear though — his actions were caused by an illness and not a defective character."

Investigators were trying to unravel a bizarre series of Internet postings that suggested Bedell was fascinated with conspiracy theories, computer programming, libertarian economics and the science of warfare.

Curiously, Bedell also proposed in 2004 that the Pentagon fund his own research on smart weapons. The 28-page proposal outlined his idea for DNA nanotechnology research that might "provide significant new capabilities for the Department of Defense and the individual warfighter."

That document is the first tangible link to surface connecting Bedell and the Pentagon.

On the day of the attack, Bedell left his green, 12-year-old Toyota in a nearby mall parking garage.

The six-foot tall, blue-eyed software devotee approached the Pentagon entrance Thursday evening wearing a jacket, dress shirt and pants, seeming like any other end-of-the-day commuter.

Bedell, the officials say, opened fire with a 9 mm handgun just five feet from the nearest officer, Marvin Carraway. Fellow officer Jeffery Amos ran out of a nearby guard booth to confront Bedell, as did a third, unidentified officer. All three officers gave chase and fired at Bedell, who was struck in the head and left arm.

Witness Dan Namisi said he had just emerged from the Metro station, headed for a bus home, when he heard a "pop." The Uganda native hit the ground, and the next thing he knew, officers swarmed over him and put handcuffs on him.

Namisi says he was searched repeatedly, but officers didn't ask him many questions during the three hours they held him. He said he may have attracted attention because he cut one of his hands when he dropped to the ground and the hand was bloody.

"I'm still very traumatized by it," Namisi said in a telephone interview. "In my experience they don't put you in a police car unless you're in trouble."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Friday called the two wounded officers to express his "appreciation for their service, their bravery and their professionalism," said Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell.

Gates was not at the Pentagon at the time of the shooting because he was attending meetings at the White House.

The assault at the very threshold of the Pentagon — the U.S. capital's ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001 — came four months after a deadly attack on the Army's Fort Hood, Texas, post allegedly by a U.S. Army psychiatrist with radical Islamic leanings.

Hatred of the government motivated a man in Texas last month to fly a small plane into a building housing Internal Revenue Service offices, killing an IRS employee and himself.

The shooting resembled one in January in which a gunman walked up to the security entrance of a Las Vegas courthouse and opened fire with a shotgun, killing one officer and wounding another before being gunned down in return fire.

___

Associated Press writers Matt Apuzzo and Devlin Barrett in Washington, D.C.; Juliana Barbassa and Marcus Wohlsen in San Francisco; Haven Daley in Hollister, Calif.; Gillian Flaccus in Newport Beach, Calif.; Danny Robbins in Dallas; Matt Barakat in Arlington, Va.; and Scott Sonner in Reno, Nev.; contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/

Water on Moon

2010-03-02T20:06:00.001-08:00

New York: Breaking News! According to latest reports, the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) has discovered millions of tonnes of water on the Moon. NASA's instrument on Indian spacecraft, Chandrayaan- 1, has made these revelations.

The Chandrayaan - 1 has captured images of at least 40 craters from two to 15 kilometres in diameter, all partially full of ice.NASA estimates there could be at least 600-million metric tonnes of ice in the newly explored area.

NASA had already confirmed the presence of water on the Moon's surface. The leading space agency believes that the water available on Moon's surface can sustain the human presence on the Moon.

Source: http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/technology/1059-nasa-finds-huge-water-on-moon.html

Baghdad: Car Bomb 27 people

2010-02-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

A suicide attacker detonated a car bomb on Friday alongside a crowd of Shiite pilgrims walking to a holy city south of Baghdad, killing at least 27 people and wounding 60, Iraqi police officials said.

Shiite pilgrims have been targeted by several bombings in recent days, and Friday's attack struck during the culmination of a pilgrimage in which hundreds of thousands walked to the city of Karbala to mark a Shiite holy day.

The blast occurred shortly after noon just east of one of three main entrances to Karbala, a police official said. At least 60 were wounded in the explosion, he added.

Two mortar rounds hit the same area after the car bomb exploded, the official said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise.

The attack came at the height of the pilgrimage when the roads around Karbala, 80 kilometres south of Baghdad, were clogged with people trying to reach the city by today, another police official said.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to release the information.

The Arbaeen holy day marks the end of 40 days of mourning after the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure.

The attack was just a short distance from where a motorcycle bomb exploded two days earlier, killing dozens. On Monday, a female suicide bomber killed at least 54 pilgrims in an attack just north of Baghdad.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/car-bomb-kills-27-shiite-pilgrims-in-baghdad/576125/

Kim Kardashian has touched down in Miami

2010-02-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

Kim Kardashian has touched down in Miami, in advance of Sunday's big Super Bowl game. It's going to be a clash of the E! reality show gals as Kim's sweetie Reggie Bush takes the field for the New Orleans Saints and Kendra Wilkinson's hubby, Hank Baskett, will be playing for the opposing team, the Indianapolis Colts.

Not only that, but Kim and Holly Madison are hosting the annual Leather and Laces bash at the Paris Theater on Saturday, the same night Kendra throws a party at Passion Nightclub in the Hard Rock Hotel. And those are just two of the many Super Bowl parties in the works.

Meanwhile, Kim blogged today about her newest venture - racing. "I actually have my own Nascar racing car!" Check it out here.

Source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/02/kim-kardashian-arrives-in-miami-for-super-bowl-/1

Model Katie Price latest news

2010-02-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

(icelebz) Model Katie Price and her boyfriend Alex Reid have married in Las Vegas, a spokesman for the couple has said.

The pair tied the knot in a "private, simple" ceremony at 1600 local time (midnight GMT) on Tuesday.

Price, 31, and cage fighter Reid, 34, who won reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother last week, have been dating for about seven months.

They said in a statement: "We are very much in love and look forward to the future together."

'Down to love'

The couple added: "We can't wait to get back and celebrate our marriage with our friends and family who we know fully support our wishes."

Price - formerly known as the model Jordan - and Reid are due back in the UK later this week.

The couple's publicist said in a statement: "Their decision to marry has not been made with any pre-conceived commercial plan or media deal in place, and their reason for getting married is purely down to their love for each other."

Price used a magazine interview this week to reveal she had plans to marry Reid.

"This year I will marry Alex and I'm going to have his kids," she said.

Last year Price apologised on live TV for her behaviour since she split with former husband Peter Andre.

Reality shows

During her exit interview on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Price said: "For the last seven months I have acted like a right twit and I'm sorry if I upset people."

She also revealed that she had split from Reid, who had also flown to Australia where the show is made.

She said at the time: "It's best that I'm on my own. I don't want a relationship... I'm not with him, no."

Reid, who was booed on the launch night of Celebrity Big Brother, said after he won: "What an amazing, fantastic start to a new year."

When presenter Davina McCall asked him how he had turned the public's perception around, he said: "I'm speechless. My whole agenda in here was just to be myself. I know I'm a good guy."

Asked by McCall: "Who is Alex Reid?", he said: "He's a man, he's passionate, he's going to win a fight in three months. I'm a fighter and I'm a man in love."

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8494848.stm

Google want to launch store for selling online business software

2010-02-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

Internet giant Google Inc is planning to launch a store for selling online business software, a media report says.

Attributing to people briefed by the company, 'The Wall Street Journal' (WSJ) stated, "Google Inc is preparing to launch a store selling online business software that integrates with its Web services, enlisting software developers in its battle against Microsoft Corp."

The people in knowledge of the development said the store would sell business software designed by outside developers to integrate and add capabilities to Google Apps, such as enhanced security features or the ability to import contacts.

Google Apps provides web-based email, word-processing and spreadsheet functions.

"Google could announce the new store a revamped version of its Solutions Marketplace site that features third-party programs as soon as March," the report said.

Google eventually plans to allow customers to purchase its partners' software through the site, taking a cut for itself and sharing some revenue with developers, WSJ attributed the report as saying.

Moreover, Google would allow users to quickly access their purchased applications through the menu at the top of their screens within Gmail or Google Docs, it added.

According to Google, more than two million businesses are using the paid or free version of Google Apps.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com

Obama latest about

2010-02-01T20:40:00.001-08:00

By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY

The Obama administration will seek Congress' help in overhauling a key part of the 8-year-old No Child Left Behind education law.

The proposal would rework the way the federal government judges public schools, scrapping a requirement that states increase the percentage of students meeting standards each year, though it allows states to set their own standards.

TATE OF THE UNION: Seeking up to $4B in new education spending
'09 IN REVIEW: Obama's K-12 policy didn't change much

In its place, President Obama wants lawmakers to consider rewarding states that show progress toward internationally benchmarked, nationally developed standards.

The administration detailed the

proposal on Monday as Obama released his 2011 budget. It comes as Obama seeks to make his mark on the next version of No Child Left Behind, the nickname for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Obama and Arne Duncan, his Education secretary, have long said No Child Left Behind doesn't hold states to high enough standards. On a conference call Monday, Duncan told reporters the law "often does little to reward progress" of schools that help students achieve — and lets states set standards that are too low to allow U.S. children to get into college or compete internationally.

"In too many states, those standards are too low, and the existing law doesn't provide states with incentives to raise their standards," Duncan said. "In fact, quite the opposite is true."

Though discussions with lawmakers continue, Duncan made it clear Monday he's looking for a new vision of academic standards. He said the law, which requires that 100% of students become proficient in math and reading by 2014, allows states to water down standards in what he called a "race to the bottom."

The law "did a great job of exposing the achievement gap and demanding accountability, but it had many other shortcomings," he said.

Duncan stressed that he's seeking Congress' help. "We've made no decisions about 2014. ... Everything's on the table."

U.S. Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who chairs the House Education Committee, said he's hoping to reauthorize the law over the next few months. "It's a real opportunity to rethink some of the federal role" in education, he said.

Duncan also said several popular programs face cuts or consolidations, including Teach For America, which got an $18 million grant this year. He said the elite teacher training program will have to compete for funding. But the move may actually benefit it, because the program will be eligible for a larger competitive grant, he said.

"We think there's a great chance for programs that are doing a great job to actually increase their funding," Duncan said. "It's an expanded pool of resources, and we want the best to rise to the top."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-02-02-nochild02_ST_N.htm

Courteney Cox

2010-01-29T20:14:00.000-08:00

Courteney Cox has dismissed reports of pregnancy. Earlier, American magazine Star had claimed that the Friends star was pregnant with her second child with husband David Arquette.

It was hinted that she looked curvier than usual at this month's Golden Globes, reports the Daily Star. However, Cox’s spokesperson has said cleared the air saying, "She is not pregnant," reports GossipCop.com. The couple has a five-year-old daughter, Coco.

Source:http://www.hindustantimes.com/Courtney-Cox-dismisses-pregnancy-reports-/H1-Article1-503107.aspx

Bill Gates latest news

2010-01-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Bill and Melinda Gates said on Friday they would spend $10 billion over the next decade to develop and deliver vaccines, an increased commitment that reflects progress in the pipeline of products for immunising children in the developing world.

Over the past 10 years, the Microsoft co-founder's charity has committed $4.5 billion to vaccines and has been instrumental in establishing the GAVI alliance, a public-private partnership that channels money for vaccines in poor countries.

By increasing immunisation coverage in developing countries to 90 percent, it should be possible to prevent the deaths of 7.6 million children under five between 2010 and 2019, Gates told reporters at the World Economic Forum.

Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organisation described Gates' commitment to vaccines as "unprecedented" and called on governments around the world and the private sector to match it with "unprecedented action".

Vaccination rates have already climbed remarkably in recent years, with even a poor African country like Malawi now boasting coverage rates similar to those in many Western cities.

"Over the last 10 years, the success of both increased vaccine coverage and getting new vaccines out has been phenomenal," Gates said.

More cash is now needed to make the most of new vaccines becoming available, including ones against severe diarrhoea and pneumococcal disease from GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Pfizer.

"We can take immunisation to the next level, with the expanded uptake of new vaccines against major killers such as pneumonia and rotavirus diarrhoea," Chan said in a statement.

She said an extra two million deaths in children under five could be prevented by 2015 by widespread use of new vaccines and a 10 percent increase in global immunisation coverage.

Further off, Glaxo is also in the final phase of testing a vaccine against malaria that Gates said could slash deaths from the mosquito-borne disease.

Gates warned against the risk of governments diverting foreign aid funding for health towards climate change, arguing that health should stay a top priority -- not least because better health leads to a lower birth rate.

Curbing the globe's population growth is critical for tackling global warming.

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-45811820100129?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

Sania Mirza's breaking news

2010-01-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

Tennis star Sania Mirza's family has reportedly called off her engagement to Mohammad Sohrab Mirza. Sania got engaged to long time friend Mohammad in Hyderabad in July 2009.

According to a media report, she confirmed it saying, "We were friends for half a decade, but found ourselves incompatible during our engagement period. I wish Sohrab the best in life".

Sania's father Imran, who coaches and manages her career, called off his daughter's engagement to Sohrab Mirza.

Sohrab is currently studying business management in the United Kingdom. Sania, who is in Melbourne, has crashed out of Australian Open.

She will go to Kuala Lumpur on Friday for Fed Cup Asia Oceania Group 2 competition.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Sania-Mirza-s-engagement-called-off/H1-Article1-502538.aspx

Shah Rukh Khan: franchisees can recruit Pakistani players

2010-01-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, Wednesday said there was a need for creating an environment where Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees can recruit Pakistani players with ease.

Shah Rukh, who was here to promote his upcoming film, told mediapersons that but for the fact that his team had exhausted it`s quota of foreign players by picking up Shane Bond, he would have loved to have the Pakistani players in Kolkata Knight Riders.

"It is essential to create a conducive environment," Khan said, pointing out that his team had a number of Pakistani players in the first season of IPL.

None of the 11 Pakistani players was picked in last week`s auction, leaving the cricketers angry and humiliated. The issue snowballed into a diplomatic row with Pakistan calling it a deliberate ploy of India and an insult.

IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi and franchise owners Friday denied any "conspiracy" to keep the Pakistani players out of the third edition of the cash-rich Twenty20 league tournament.

Modi and the city-based team owners also said they owe no explanation as to why they did not pick any Pakistani player at the auction.

However, they later let it be known that the decision was based on commercial considerations since it was not certain that the Pakistani players bought at the auction would be available to the franchisees for the matches.

Source:
http://spicezee.zeenews.com/articles/story52399.htm

Tiger Woods wife Elin called off their divorce

2010-01-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles: The wife of Tiger Woods has called off their divorce after visiting the golfing superstar at a clinic where he is undergoing rehab for sex addiction, a website reported.

The report said that Elin Nordegren spent five days at the rehab centre participating in the therapy for Woods, who apparently cheated on her with at least a dozen women during their marriage.

"She was happy when she came home," a source told RadarOnline.com. "Things went well."

The report was corroborated by people.com, which quoted a friend of Nordegren as saying she hopes to save her marriage because she doesn't want to raise their two children without a father.

"Elin wants a solid family life," a source told People. "She wants to keep her family together even if she and Tiger live together as friends instead of lovers."

source: http://www.zeenews.com/news599225.html

katrina kaif and Hrithik

2010-01-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

Katrina Kaif is selecting her roles with utmost care. Her projects in 2010 are apparently handpicked to enhance her reputation as an actor.

Among her films is the upcoming Zoya Akthar road movie set in Spain with Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol and Hrithik Roshan. Surprising, because with three actors in the project, it would seem theres little space for a female lead. But Zoyas yet untitled film casts Katrina with Hrithik Roshan for the first time ever, and Katrinas part is said to be something she has never played before .

Though Katrina is unwilling to reveal some potentially explosive chemistry with Hrithik, Farhan Akhtar, who is himself on the verge of being seen with an exciting new star, speaks guardedly about the subject. Its too early to talk about it, but yes, if Katrina does come into our project, she will be cast opposite Hrithik. He is the only one who gets to romance his love interest. Abhay and I have no love interest in the film. Farhan adds that the bonding among the three costars is the backbone of Zoyas film.

Katrina has never worked with a woman director before, and neither has she worked with Hrithik. Shooting for the film starts in April.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Kat-to-romance-Hrithik-now/articleshow/5501587.cms

recent story

obamas

Britney Spears latest

2010-01-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

BRITNEY Spears' strange behavior, like speaking only in the voice of a male cartoon character and loitering at a hotel down the street from her house rather than going home, continued to fuel speculation about her well-being, The Sun has reported.

Spears reportedly found it tough to readjust to life at home after spending most of last year on tour and began staying at the Mondrian Hotel a few days every couple of weeks with her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James.

The former Mickey Mouse Club member insisted on speaking in the voice of character Stewie from the cartoon Family Guy, complete with faux British accent, while staying at the trendy Los Angeles hotel. Sources there said she is a frequent visitor to the hotel despite living just down the road.

"She has no reason to be here," one source said.

"Last time she had staff running around after her kids, as they both caught the flu and she had no medicine for them.

"She uses the gym, is waited on and she uses the babysitting service."

People close to the star worry that her erratic behavior and failure to resume a normal life after being on tour are signs that another breakdown could be imminent.

In 2007, the pop star suffered a widely-publicized nervous breakdown following her divorce from Kevin Federline during which she shaved her head and attacked a photographer's car with an umbrella.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/britney-spears-displays-bizarre-antics-at-la-hotel/story-e6frfn09-1225822376881

Gautam Gambhir latest News

2010-01-22T20:15:00.000-08:00

DUBAI: India opener Gautam Gambhir maintained his top rank and Sachin Tendulkar moved two rungs up to 13th in the ICC rankings for Test batsman, issued on Friday.

ICC Rankings

Test Rankings (Team)
Test Batting
Test Bowling
Test All-Rounder

By virtue of his century against Bangladesh in the second innings of the first Test which India won by 113 runs, Gambhir has further consolidated his position in the batting chart with 881 rating points, a huge 38 points ahead of second placed Graeme Smith of South Africa.

Tendulkar, who registered his 44th Test century in the same match, occupies the 13 spot in the chart with 744 points under his kitty, while his teammate VVS Laxman has also gained two spots to be placed 15th. However, Rahul Dravid has slipped five places to the 19th spot.

Meanwhile, among bowlers Harbhajan Singh is the lone Indian in the top-10. The off-spinner is in the sixth spot with 705 points.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma has also gained nine places in the latest rankings and now sits in 16th position, while leg-spinner Amit Mishra rose 10 places and has moved up to 45th position after a good show in the first Test against Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al-Hasan's seven wickets in the match -- including 5-62 in the first innings -- has helped the 22-year-old gain nine places to the 15th spot.

The bowling chart is headed by South African Dale Steyn, followed by Australia's Mitchell Johnson.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/india-in-bangladesh-2010/top-stories/Gambhir-holds-on-to-top-spot-in-ICC-Test-rankings/articleshow/5488663.cms

Obama’s banking reforms

2010-01-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON, DC- President Obama joined Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve; Bill Donaldson, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission; Congressman Barney Frank, House Financial Services Chairman; Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman of the Banking Committee and the President’s economic team to call for new restrictions on the size and scope of banks and other financial institutions to rein in excessive risk taking and to protect taxpayers.

Note here how Geithner and Summers just become part of “the President’s economic team”, while Volcker gets top billing. This is, as Simon Johnson says, an important change of course — and it’s one which is being supported by both Dodd and Frank, so there’s a good chance it can pass. After all, the Republicans tend to hate Wall Street even more than the Democrats.

The President’s proposal would strengthen the comprehensive financial reform package that is already moving through Congress.

This is also a good sign: in the wake of Dodd making noises about softening existing legislative proposals, Obama has come out and said, quite rightly, that we should push hard in the opposite direction, and tighten them up.

“While the financial system is far stronger today than it was a year one year ago, it is still operating under the exact same rules that led to its near collapse,” said President Barack Obama. “My resolve to reform the system is only strengthened when I see a return to old practices at some of the very firms fighting reform; and when I see record profits at some of the very firms claiming that they cannot lend more to small business, cannot keep credit card rates low, and cannot refund taxpayers for the bailout. It is exactly this kind of irresponsibility that makes clear reform is necessary.”

OK, so this is populism. But populism in the service of a good cause is no great sin.

The proposal would:

1. Limit the Scope-The President and his economic team will work with Congress to ensure that no bank or financial institution that contains a bank will own, invest in or sponsor a hedge fund or a private equity fund, or proprietary trading operations unrelated to serving customers for its own profit.

This is a good idea, but cutting back on prop trading, in particular, is going to be hard. Goldman Sachs has told me repeatedly that they don’t have prop trading: everything they do is ultimately for the benefit of their clients. Absent a corner of the trading floor with a big flashing “prop desk” sign above it, in practice it’s very hard to draw the line between the kind of daily trading that any broker dealer has to do, on the one hand, and proprietary trading for a bank’s own account, on the other. Both of them involve the bank taking risk and making money, after all.

The restriction on sponsoring hedge funds and private-equity shops makes sense: after all, the in-house hedge funds at Bear Stearns played a large role in its demise. The banks will just spin off those holdings to shareholders, I don’t think this is a big deal for them.

2. Limit the Size-

The President also announced a new proposal to limit the consolidation of our financial sector. The President’s proposal will place broader limits on the excessive growth of the market share of liabilities at the largest financial firms, to supplement existing caps on the market share of deposits.

I love this. It’s bank liabilities which cause systemic risk: that’s why it’s bank liabilities which are subject to the bank tax. And as too-big-to-fail banks increasingly rely on wholesale liabilities rather than a more stable deposit base, it’s important to place some kind of restrictions on the degree to which they can do so. In his press conference, Obama said that banks should not be allowed to stray too far from their mission of serving depositors: he’s moving, here, towards a vision of narrow (or at least narrower) banking. Good for him.

Banks stocks are down in the wake of the speech, but not dramatically: it’s easy to get overexcited about a 6% fall in JP Morgan’s share price while forgetting that it’s still over $40 a share, compared to less than $15 in March. Indeed, its all-time high, back in 2007, was barely over $50. Let’s get the Republicans on board with this, and push it through. It’s probably our last chance to enact meaningful financial reform this generation.

Source: http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2010/01/21/three-cheers-for-obamas-banking-reforms/

Kylie Minogue latest news

2010-01-20T20:22:00.000-08:00

Pop princess Kylie Minogue has set a billion pulses racing by confessing that she fancies women.

The 41-year-old singer said that she has never had a lesbian relationship but is attracted to women, reported Sun online.

"I fancy girls too!..I have been attracted to some women. Although I have been attracted to women, I have never done anything with them," said Minogue in a interview to Spanish magazine Max Mexico.

The 'Chiggy Wiggy' singer who is dating Versace model Andres Velencoso, 31, said that she is a "natural flirt."

The confession comes after a string of stories linking Minogue with women.

Just three weeks ago she visited the 7th Heaven lapdancing club in the chic French Alpine resort of Chamonix.

British pole-dancers Faye O'Neill, 27, and Katrina Redfern, 20, told how the Australian beauty was "transfixed" as she watched them perform a sexy routine.

Minogue has also previously joked about becoming a lesbian because of her huge gay fan base, and admitted to being attracted to late US actress Tallulah Bankhead.

"I'd go gay for her. She was a fascinating and exotic woman. There was so much to admire about her. She lived life to the full, maybe a little too fully. I want to release the inner Tallulah in me," she had said.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/I-fancy-girls-too-says-Kylie-Minogue/H1-Article1-500003.aspx

Haitian Start Applying to Stay in U.S

2010-01-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

Miami — More than 100 Haitians crammed inside a Catholic church Tuesday to ask questions about a federal government designation that will allow possibly hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian immigrants to work in the U.S. and send money home during the next 18 months.

Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas said Haitians will be able to start filing their applications for the Temporary Protected Status on Thursday, the day official notice of the program is expected to be published in the Federal Register. Only those in the U.S. before the earthquake hit their Caribbean homeland a week ago will be eligible.

Mayorkas warned that applications sent before Thursday would likely to be delayed.

Haitians have already started showing up at centers to get help filling out the forms.

At Notre Dame d'Haiti Catholic Church in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood, Randy McGrorty, head of Catholic Charities Legal Services, fielded questions, mostly in Creole, about whether applicants could bring family members from Haiti, whether they could qualify for college financial aid and whether they could get any help paying the $470 application fee.

Although the government has cautioned the protection is only temporary — 18 months to be exact — some of those applying hoped it would lead to a longer reprieve.

Julie Bermane, 19, of Miami, said she has lived in the U.S. since she was 3 but because she was here illegally has been unable to go to college or get a job.

"There's a lot of things in my life that I want to do, but this stuff has been holding me back," she said. If her application is granted, she said, "I can go out and see the world."

The agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, is expecting about 100,000 to 200,000 applications.

"We are drawing on expertise from the past" to be ready for the onslaught, said Mayorkas, who also cautioned applicants to be wary of people who may try to scam those looking for help filling out applications.

The U.S. has granted temporary protected status to about 350,000 people from a handful of Central American and African countries.

Mayorkas is heading to Miami on Wednesday to meet with community members to educate people on the process and take calls from around the country.

More meetings will be held in Orlando and Tampa, as well as Newark, New Jersey and New York City, where the highest concentrations of Haitians live.

Mayorkas said the agency has redesigned its Web site, www.uscis.gov, so information about Haiti can be easily found in English, French and Creole.

source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583408,00.html

Oscar race

2010-01-19T21:39:00.000-08:00

By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY

Having secured its first major best-picture award this weekend, Avatar ignites an Oscar race that has had no clear front-runner.

And, depending on whom you ask, it still doesn't.

Though James Cameron's sci-fi soap opera nabbed the best-drama prize Sunday at the Golden Globes, his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow, won best picture for gritty war drama The Hurt Locker from the Broadcast Film Critics Association on Friday.

The split wins are dividing camps over which movie has the edge leading up to the announcement of Academy Award nominees Feb. 2.

THE GLOBES: Lighthearted, yet serious, ceremony

THE WINNERS: The best in film, television

THE AFTER-PARTIES: The revelry, and the revelations

Avatar, a $300 million spectacle of computer effects and 3-D animation, is Oscar's lumbering giant. With a box-office haul of $505 million in the USA and an additional $1.1 billion overseas, it is on track to be the highest-grossing film of all time.

The Hurt Locker, meanwhile, was made for $11 million, released in June and has earned a modest $13 million. Some analysts believe that Oscar voters, who bestowed Cameron with a raft of Oscars for 1997's Titanic, may see Bigelow as David to Cameron's Goliath.

"No woman has ever directed a movie that won best picture, and the academy likes to make history," says Access Hollywood's Scott Mantz. "Avatar is a shoo-in to win technical awards, but I'm not sure the academy is going to buy the story and dialogue."

David Poland of MovieCityNews.com says Avatar's sweep and groundbreaking effects will give it the advantage. "Avatar is such a clear front-runner and almost a lock to win because everything else is very good, but not the movie you have to vote for," he says. "The industry knows it's not just about effects. That this is also more than a billion-dollar movie worldwide is a stunning achievement."

Tom O'Neil of awards site TheEnvelope.com says both films have marks against them. No sci-fi film has captured best picture. And Hurt Locker "will have to overcome several things, including having no stars, making no money and being about Iraq."

Let's not forget there will be eight other horses in the race, including the acclaimed Up in the Air, says Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger.

"Avatar turned a corner and gained some momentum" with its Globes win, Karger says. "But there's no runaway front-runner. It's nice to have a race this year."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2010-01-19-oscars18_ST_N.htm

Playboy offered $850,000 to Lindsay Lohan for nude pose

2010-01-19T20:41:00.000-08:00

London, September 2: Playboy bosses want Lindsay Lohan to pose nude for the men's magazine and have offered her over $850,000 for it.

The magazine has offered the huge amount to her for baring it all and this time they have nearly doubled their previous offer, reports thesun.co.uk.

"Playboy has been asking her for years, but it's only now she's excited about doing it," said a source.

Source: http://www.news24online.com/ViewDetails.aspx?NewsID=22406

Kevin Rudd: Australians must become more productive

2010-01-18T20:31:00.000-08:00

MELBOURNE (AFP) – Australians must become more productive or risk losing their famously relaxed lifestyle as the population ages and the workforce shrinks, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has warned.

While Australians were urged in the past to "populate or perish", Rudd said the country now needed to boost productivity as the population becomes increasingly elderly and the tax revenue from workers falls.

"It is productivity growth that must play the central role in building Australia's future economic growth," Rudd said in a speech delivered in Melbourne late Monday.

It is estimated that Australia's population will grow from the current 22 million to 36 million by 2050 thanks to surging birth rates and rising immigration.

At the same time, increasing life expectancy means the proportion of those citizens aged 65 or over will jump to almost one in four by that time.

These demographics mean that public finances will be burdened with the increased costs of looking after the elderly at the same time as a smaller proportion of Australians will be contributing to tax revenues, Rudd said.

"With a smaller proportion of Australians in the workforce, the size of the national economic pie will grow more slowly, and as a result, average family incomes will grow at a slower rate than we've become accustomed to," he said.

"Unless we make big changes, we will either generate large, unsustainable budget deficits into the second quarter of the century, or else we'll need to reduce government services -- including health services -- as the needs of an ageing population become greater."

Rudd said productivity growth had fallen to 1.4 percent in the first decade of this century.

"If we let this trend of lower productivity growth continue, Australia will struggle to meet the major challenges facing our economy in the decades ahead," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100119/wl_asia_afp/australiapoliticsproductivityageing

Haiti quake: 50,000 people were killed

2010-01-14T21:59:00.000-08:00

Between 40,000 and 50,000 people were killed in the Haiti quake, the International Red Cross said.

"The main figures have been given by the Haiti government, and they are talking about 40,000 to 50,000 people having been killed," said Xavier Castellanos, head of the Americas zone of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

"The scale of this event means the toll will be high and the figure given by the government is likely the right one," he said.

Castellanos added that "at least three million people had been directly affected. That's to say a third of the population."

Haitian officials had earlier warned that the overall death toll from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that ripped across the poorest nation in the Americas on Tuesday may top 100,000.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/40-000-to-50-000-killed-in-haiti-quake-red-cross/567695/

Haiti Strongest earthquake

2010-01-13T01:53:00.000-08:00

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Dazed and injured Haitians sat on darkened streets pleading for help Wednesday and untold numbers were trapped in tons of rubble brought down by the strongest earthquake to hit this poor Caribbean nation in more than 200 years.

The extent of destruction from Tuesday afternoon's 7.0-magnitude tremor was far from clear — and estimating the number of casualties was impossible, save for the dead lying among thousands of collapsed buildings in Haiti's capital.

The ornate National Palace crumbled into itself, the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping mission collapsed, and swaths of rickety shacks lay in shambles. Clouds of dust thrown up by falling buildings choked Port-au-Prince for hours.

The United States and other nations began organizing relief efforts, alerting search teams and gathering supplies that will be badly needed in Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.

Associated Press journalists found the damage staggering even for a country long accustomed to tragedy and disaster.

Aftershocks rattled the city as women covered in dust clawed out of debris, wailing. Stunned people wandered the streets holding hands. Thousands gathered in public squares long after nightfall, singing hymns.

It was clear tens of thousands lost their homes and many perished in collapsed buildings flimsy and dangerous even under normal conditions.

"The hospitals cannot handle all these victims," Dr. Louis-Gerard Gilles, a former senator, said as he helped survivors. "Haiti needs to pray. We all need to pray together."

An Associated Press videographer saw a wrecked hospital where people screamed for help in Petionville, a hillside Port-au-Prince district that is home to many diplomats and wealthy Haitians as well as the poor.

At a destroyed four-story apartment building, a girl of about 16 stood atop a car, trying to peer inside while several men pulled at a foot sticking from rubble. The girl said her family was inside.

U.N. peacekeepers, most of whom are from Brazil, looked for survivors in the ruins of what had been their five-story headquarters. U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said late Tuesday that "as we speak no one has been rescued."

Le Roy said many U.N. personnel were missing, including mission chief Hedi Annabi, who was in the building when the quake struck. Some 9,000 peacekeepers have been in Haiti since a 2004 rebellion ousted the president.

Much of the National Palace pancaked on itself, but Haiti's ambassador to Mexico, Robert Manuel, said President Rene Preval and his wife survived the earthquake. He had no details.

The 7.0-magnitude quake struck at 4:53 p.m., centered 10 miles (15 kilometers) west of Port-au-Prince at a depth of just 5 miles (8 kilometers), the U.S. Geological Survey said. USGS geophysicist Kristin Marano called it the strongest earthquake since 1770 in what is now Haiti.

The temblor appeared to have occurred along a strike-slip fault, where one side of a vertical fault slips horizontally past the other, said Tom Jordan, a quake expert at the University of Southern California. The quake's power and proximity to Port-au-Prince likely caused widespread casualties and structural damage, he said.

"It's going to be a real killer," he said.

Most of Haiti's 9 million people are desperately poor, and after years of political instability the country has no real construction standards. In November 2008, following the collapse of a school in Petionville, the mayor of Port-au-Prince estimated about 60 percent of buildings were shoddily built and unsafe in normal circumstances.

Tuesday's quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, but no major damage was reported there. In eastern Cuba, houses shook but no significant damage was reported.

With electricity knocked out in many places and phone service erratic, it was nearly impossible for Haitian or foreign officials to get full details of the devastation.

In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said that U.S. Embassy personnel were "literally in the dark" after power failed.

"They reported structures down. They reported a lot of walls down. They did see a number of bodies in the street and on the sidewalk that had been hit by debris. So clearly, there's going to be serious loss of life in this," he said.

The Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, said at least two Americans working at its Haitian aid mission were believed trapped in rubble.

"Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said Henry Bahn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official visiting Port-au-Prince. "The sky is just gray with dust."

President Barack Obama offered prayers for the people of Haiti and said the U.S. stood ready to help. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. was offering full assistance — civilian and military — and a national organization of registered nurses called for nurse volunteers to provide care in Haiti.

Venezuela's government said it would send a military plane with canned foods, medicine and drinking water and provide 50 rescue workers.

Mexico, which suffered an earthquake in 1985 that killed some 10,000 people, planned to send doctors, search and rescue dogs and infrastructure damage experts.

Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian-American author whose books about Haiti have won the National Book Award and the Pushcart Prize, was unable to contact relatives in Haiti. She sat with family and friends at her home in Miami, looking for news on the Internet and watching TV news reports.

"You want to go there, but you just have to wait," she said. "Life is already so fragile in Haiti, and to have this on such a massive scale, it's unimaginable how the country will be able to recover from this."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com

PARIS HILTON has decided to marry

2010-01-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

MY bud PARIS HILTON has decided she wants to marry her boyfriend DOUG REINHARDT.

The heiress, 28, right, told me: "I wouldn't rule out a wedding in 2010. With how amazing everything is going between us, I see a very bright and happy future.

"He's taught me how real love can feel. He's also taught me how to grow up and be domestic. I'm not going out as much now."

And Doug apparently feels the same, saying: "Paris is the most beautiful girl in the world. I am so in love with her - I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world. She is gorgeous, smart, funny and kind.

"My family loves her, and she would make the perfect wife."

Source:http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/showbiz/xs/668486/Paris-Hilton-plans-to-tie-knot-with-Doug-Reinhardt.html

Zarine Khan: Katrina Kaif Is So Beautiful

2010-01-12T01:55:00.000-08:00

Ndtv Movies: Debutante Zarine Khan doesn't mind being compared to her Veer co-star Salman Khan's girlfriend Katrina Kaif and says that the actress is so beautiful that even she couldn't take her eyes off.

Being compared to Katrina Kaif is a huge compliment for me because I feel she is very beautiful. When I am compared to her, I feel overwhelmed. I have met her a couple of times and she is so beautiful that even I couldn't take my eyes off her," Zarine told IANS.

"Being compared to her is always a delight. Personally speaking, when I see myself in the mirror, I find no similarities."

Zarine, who is playing female lead with Salman in Veer, says that she wanted to be a doctor and that acting happened to her by chance.

"I was always a very brilliant student, but not a nerd type. I wanted to be a doctor. But I couldn't continue my studies due to a financial crisis and the responsibility of my whole family fell on my shoulders. Acting happened by chance. Now I can be everything - a doctor, pilot, everything," said Zarine.

"I was a struggling model and was looking for some kind of work to take care of my family. I was doing very small print ads now and then for saris to earn money to run my house. One day I was home surfing the net when I got a call from Mukta Arts. They called me on the sets of 'Yuvvraaj'. There I met Salman.

"Salman is a huge actor and I am one of his great fans. I started talking to him like his fans would do. I had no clue that he was planning to take me in his film (Veer). Finally, when I asked for his autograph, he said, 'No sweetheart you will sign autograph for the world'. Later I got to know that he has selected me for this film," she added.

Though Salman chose Zarine, she had to pass an audition test.

"They had auditioned lots of girls because the female lead has two different looks in the movie - one is Indian and other Western. Whoever they auditioned looked good in either of the looks, not both. Some had language problem too. They tried me and I was lucky enough to fit into both the characters and they signed me," said Zarine.

Veer is directed by Anil Sharma and produced by Vijay Dalani and Sunil A. Lulla. The makers kept Zarine's name secret for a long time.

"Even I got strict instructions to keep it a secret from friends and family. I was allowed to give some clue to my parents," she said.

"Even I got strict instructions to keep it a secret from friends and family. I was allowed to give some clue to my parents," she said.

Asked why they were hiding her, she said: "I don't know. I was too junior to question them why they are asking me to do so. I just did what they asked me to do."

Set in colonial India, the film encapsulates a period when Britons enslaved India with their divide and rule policy and kings and nawabs fell for it, except for the Pindaris who preferred death to dishonour and fought till their last breath. Salman plays one of the bravest and strongest Pindari soldiers.

"It's a love story set in the backdrop of a war for independence. I play a Rajasthani princess," said Zarine.

Salman is known as an angry man, but Zarine got to know the caring and understanding side of his personality.

"I had heard that he is a very tough guy, he hardly speaks. But he spoke to me very nicely... may be because I met him first as a fan. In due course I realised whatever has been written about Salman is not true. He is so sweet. He has a heart of gold. He is a very genuine man.

"While shooting sometimes I couldn't understand some parts of my role. I used to be scared that Salman would get angry. But he used to patiently explain how to go about it," said Zarine.

She has already bagged a few offers but she hasn't signed any as she is waiting for the release of Veer Jan 22.

Source: http://www.ndtvmovies.com/movie_story.aspx?section=Movies&Id=ENTEN20100125429&keyword=bollywood&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA

Simon Cowell and American Idol

2010-01-11T21:14:00.001-08:00

Allvoices: PASADENA, California - There has been a lot of speculation recently about whether outspoken Simon Cowell will follow in the footsteps of Paula Abdul, leaving the American Idol Show. Today he confirmed at the TV Critics Association Winter Press Tour this is indeed his last season on the popular Fox TV series. He signed his X Factor contract live onstage.

He says the reason for his departure is to focus on The X Factor, which will debut in America in the fall of 2011. He will be an executive producer, along with being a judge on the show.

The X Factor is a British format reality talent competition produced and developed by Simon Cowell. Contestants of all ages are welcome on the show where judges will critique and mentor the wanna be big stars.

Simon has been saying for a while now this was his last year on American Idol, so it shouldn't be a total shock. He said he needed a new challenge and wants to leave Americal Idol while it still remains on top and is bigger and better than it's ever been before..

He stated, "I've had the best eight or nine years of my life doing this job. I never would have wanted to walk out when the show was number 21 in the ratings. I wanted to leave on a high. It's been a fantastic time. I think right now America needs a second, different type of show, and I'm going to put my absolute heart and soul into this."

Do you think Simon Cowell is replaceable?

Source: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5000579-simon-cowell-bids-a-farewell-to-the-america-idol-show

Miley Cyrus News

2010-01-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

Dailyfill -- Miley Cyrus felt "alive" when she performed karaoke with her friends.

The 'Hannah Montana' star recently returned to her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, and loved being able to hang out with her pals and do the regular things she can't do when she's in Los Angeles.

She said: "I got on the plane to Georgia, and I was lying in my mom's lap and crying and saying, 'I'm so happy to be getting out of Los Angeles.'

"I went out every night with my friends. I did karaoke. I danced. All this stuff would've been such a big deal in Los Angeles: Who's she with? Why is she dancing? I felt alive and real. It's so much easier to know who you are when there aren't a thousand people telling you who they think you are. I felt like I was really figuring myself out. Usually I have someone whispering in my ear, but I was on my own."

However, although she enjoyed being with her friends, the 17-year-old singer-and-actress never felt she fitted in when she was growing up because she was so determined to be a star.

Miley - daughter of 90s singer Billy Ray Cyrus - told Harper's Bazaar magazine: "I never felt at home anywhere. I almost felt like I didn't belong because no one understood the singing or the acting. They thought it was glamorous, but they didn't see that it was work. I knew it was hard work because of my dad, and I never wanted that. I wasn't stoked to walk a carpet because that just seemed normal to me."

Source: http://www.dailyfill.com/Miley-Cyrus--Taking-Her-Fame-For-Granted-46366/

Palestinians killed in Gaza blast

2010-01-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Gaza, Jan 10 (IANS) Three Palestinians were killed in an explosion in central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah late Sunday, medical sources and witnesses said.

The witnesses said that a group of Palestinian militants were about to fire rockets into Israel from the east of the town when a powerful blast rocked the area, Xinhua reported.

The Israeli army told Xinhua it was checking if the explosion was a result of an Israeli attack on the fighters.

Hospital officials said a fourth gunman was seriously injured.

Security sources said an Israeli missile hit the group shortly after they fired the first rocket into an Israeli target beyond an electric fence that marks the borderline.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20100110/896/twl-three-palestinians-killed-in-gaza-bl.html

Germany And Snow

2010-01-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

BBC: German households have been advised to stock up on food, medicines and drinking water as the nation braces for a blizzard that is heading its way.

Germany's Civil Protection Office (BBK) says heavy snowfalls expected on Saturday could trigger local power cuts and severely disrupt public transport.

The snow is already more than 30cm (one foot) deep on the isle of Ruegen, off Germany's Baltic coast, ZDF TV says.

In Switzerland, heavy snow has cut the flow of lorries through Alpine tunnels.

The busy Gotthard and San Bernardino tunnels were temporarily closed to heavy goods vehicles on Friday, the Swissinfo news website reported.

Snowdrifts

Gale-force winds and drifting snow are expected to bring traffic to a standstill in many parts of Germany.

The German authorities say the situation is exacerbated by shortages of grit for clearing roads.

Airports have called in extra staff and rail operators have warned of delays.

Households have been advised to keep three or four days' worth of provisions, including alternative cooking fuel in case of power cuts. Among the essential items listed by the BBK is a battery-powered radio, for checking weather reports.

Spreading south

In the UK, the worst winter for decades has led to a fear for energy supplies as temperatures dropped to -22C (-8F).

"What is being forecast for the weekend could lead to chaotic traffic conditions and potentially leave large parts of Germany completely paralysed," warned the Auto Club Europa.

In cities like Duesseldorf, Red Cross workers were setting up heated tents for emergency accommodation as up to 10 homeless people have frozen to death in recent weeks because of the cold weather.

In the Netherlands, icebreakers have been deployed to clear shipping routes such as the Twente canal, the harbours of Almelo and Enschede and the Ijsselmeer inland sea.

Northern Spain is expecting more heavy snowfalls while the country's south has been hit by severe floods.

France is also braced for more snow. Meteo France warned: "The amount of snow expected is significant, exceptional even".

Parts of France - notably the south-western region of Provence - are without power and suffering transport delays after up to 20cm of snow fell in recent days
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8448095.stm

Mrs. Robinson's affair with

2010-01-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

DAVID MORGAN - BELFAST, Northern Ireland – A political scandal riveting Northern Ireland has a certain cinematic feel: an affair by 58-year-old woman named Mrs. Robinson with a 19-year-old male lover.

Five separate Facebook groups with hundreds of followers have sprung up, lampooning the affair and comparing it to the 1967 film, "The Graduate."

But there is a serious side to the story of Iris Robinson, who also happens to be a member of Parliament and the wife of Peter Robinson — Northern Ireland's government leader.

The BBC reported that Iris Robinson allegedly solicited 50,000 pounds ($80,000) from businessmen so her young lover could open a restaurant — without disclosing the fact to lawmakers.

Iris Robinson has said she would not seek re-election because she was suffering clinical depression that left her unable to function in public life and revealed that she attempted suicide. She also begged forgiveness from her husband, Peter, and the public.

"Everyone is paying a heavy price for my actions. ... I am so, so sorry," she said.

Peter Robinson, who in 2008 succeeded the Rev. Ian Paisley as head of Northern Ireland's government and its major Protestant political party, vowed Friday to stay on following the revelations about his wife.

"I will be resolutely defending attacks on my character and contesting any allegations of wrongdoing," Peter Robinson said after the BBC investigative team in Belfast exposed the scandal. He stressed that he hadn't known key details of his wife's affair before the program.

On Wednesday, Peter Robinson invited four journalists to his home to give his own agonized account of his family's private turmoil — an unprecedented display from a man renowned for an icy demeanor.

The Robinsons neglected to mention the nub of the BBC report: That Iris Robinson's lover, 39 years her junior, had received third-party cash from her that should have been disclosed to Parliament.

The BBC interviewed the former boyfriend, Kirk McCambley, now 21, who had a relationship with Iris Robinson in 2008 that lasted several months. She had been friends with the boy's father, who died earlier that year.

"She looked out for me to make sure I was OK," McCambley told the BBC.

He said Iris Robinson, now 60, gave him two checks for 25,000 pounds ($40,000) each, but she then asked him for 5,000 pounds ($8,000) back, possibly to donate to the evangelical Protestant church she attends.

The BBC said Peter Robinson was aware of the financial deal — which should have been reported to British parliamentary standards authorities in both Belfast and London. Peter Robinson denies having known about the deal.

Even before the scandal, Iris Robinson had caused her husband political problems when she condemned homosexuals as revolting and called on them to seek help from psychiatrists and Christianity.

"Just as a murderer can be redeemed by the blood of Christ, so can a homosexual," she said.

The Robinsons have been married for 40 years and have three grown children. When Iris joined her husband in Parliament in 2001, they became the United Kingdom's first husband-and-wife lawmakers.

The exposure of Iris Robinson's affair had Protestants and Catholics united in gossip Friday — including at the Lock Keepers Inn, McCambley's thriving cafe on a popular River Lagan walkway.

McCambley himself spent most of the morning standing outside the inn talking on his cell phone. Then he carefully walked across an icy river bridge to a waiting car without speaking to journalists who had also poured into the inn.

"It is just such a surprise, to think with someone so young," said Janice Richards, 33, sipping tea with her baby asleep beside her in a stroller.

Another customer, 43-year-old Carol Blaney, leaned over and agreed furtively: "I know there is the whole political thing. But to me it is the fact he is so young."

Peter Robinson's many political rivals in Northern Ireland have questioned whether he can remain head of a shaky coalition with Irish Catholics _the central achievement of the province's 1998 peace accord. Many within his own Democratic Unionist Party — a movement with a deeply conservative Protestant base — expressed doubts about his political survival as well.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, the senior Irish Catholic in the coalition, sought an urgent meeting Friday with Robinson but failed to get one. The two have had an increasingly tense relationship in the past year.

The political tensions coincide with ongoing attacks by IRA dissidents against police and British soldiers in Northern Ireland. On Friday, IRA dissidents badly injured a policeman when a booby-trap bomb exploded under his car as he drove to work.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/

Deepika Padukone in 2010 calendar

2010-01-07T20:59:00.000-08:00

Bollywoodmantra: Whether Deepika Padukone is totally nude or partly, it can’t be known but Dabboo Ratnani’s new 2010 calendar shows her in a nude posture. “I wanted to make her look sensual, but aesthetic. Last year, I had shot her in a sari, so this is in total contrast. She strikes a thinking, dreamy pose, and I have used lighting to match her mood, said Dabboo. Deepika Padukone poses bare on a sofa.

Every year Ratnani has something unique stored for his calendar and this time too he has used some yesteryears shades, black and white. Like every year this year too the stars has kept their diary vacant for Ratnan’s photo shoot.

Many bigwigs of Bollywood posed for the calendar. “The 2010 calendar includes the Big B, Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kajol, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, John Abraham, Sonam Kapoor and Kangna Ranaut among others. The first-timers on his calendar include Asin, Farhan Akhtar, Genelia D'Souza and Imran Khan this year”. Ratnani feels that every star looks hot in his calendar. "They are all my friends and go out of their way to cooperate. For me they all look hot."

Source:

http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/news/deepika-padukone-goes-nude/5245/

Salman khan Katrina and Aish

2010-01-07T20:42:00.001-08:00

Timesofindia: Mumbai’s space crunch is beginning to affect even Salman Khan. Yesterday, he found himself trapped between two of his exes at Mehboob Studio - Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif.

The instinct to run in a situation like this is natural, and Salman is only a man after all even if he insists on wearing a loin cloth in Veer. He succumbed to it instantly, looking wildly about him, muttering, ‘Yeh kya ho raha hai? Pagal ho gaye ho kya?’

Our heart bleeds for Salman. Sandwiched between two beautiful women and not even able to enjoy it. Instead, it was probably his worst nightmare come true.

How did he land himself in such an unenviable spot? This is how the disastrous love(lorn) triangle came together: Aishwarya was shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish at Mehboob Studios in Bandra since morning. Two hours later, Katrina Kaif walked in to shoot for an ad and her vanity van was parked a short distance from Aishwarya’s. An hour later, Salman walked in for interviews of Veer.

To his horror, he found his van parked between Aishwarya and Katrina’s vans. He couldn’t run and couldn’t hide in his van either. Despite muttered protests, his van was not moved as there was no other decent place to give the interviews.

Bechara Salman had to be content with giving most of his interviews outside his van, with Aishwarya and Katrina waltzing in and out of their respective vans every now and then. As it is Salman’s accent appears and disappears at will. We wonder what kind of bytes the media ended up with? Very high pitched ones, we think!

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Salman-cant-run-from-Kat-Ash/articleshow/5419074.cms

Onece Again Dhoni and Kohli

2010-01-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

Ndtv: Mahendra Singh Dhoni led from the front with a crafty unbeaten 101 as India recovered from early jolt to register comprehensive six-wicket win over Bangladesh in the third match of the cricket tri-series here on Thursday.

Chasing 297 for victory under lights, India were precariously placed at 51 for three before Dhoni combined with Virat Kohli (91) and Suresh Raina (51 not out off 43) to steer the team to victory with 15 balls to spare.

Dhoni not only notnched up his seventh ODI century but paced his innings brilliantly to share a 152-run foruth wicket stand with Kohli to put India on course of the victory.

Source: http://cricket.ndtv.com/astorypage/ndtv/id/spoen20100124626/story07012010_222100.html

Priyanka Chopra And Dostana 2

2010-01-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

Zee News - Mumbai: It’s not only her fans that go gaga over Priyanka Chopra! The stunning lass now boasts of a strong fan base from inside the industry.

The diva who had won many hearts with her desi girl act in ‘Dostana’ has smitten director Tarun Mansukhani to such an extent that now the filmmaker is trying to squeeze her in the sequel to the hit film. Even though the script of the film has no place for Piggy Chops, her ardent fan Tarun is making sure he gives her a scene or two in the film.

The sequel of the film that has making rounds for quite some time now has Katrina Kaif playing a romantic interest to Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. But if Tarun has his way, Priyanka too will be seen in the film for a brief period of time.

Confirming the news a source told a daily, “It’s a face-off between Katrina and Priyanka. However, it is not a bitchy or dramatic scene, but a comic and light-hearted one. Priyanka makes her entry when the Desi girl track (Priyanka’s song from ‘Dostana’) starts playing. The boys in the club then start looking at her instead of Katrina. The latter gets upset that the focus has shifted to Priyanka and breaks into a sexy dance with her. Priyanka’s presence in the film was decided even before Tarun started scripting the film. In fact, she had personally told Tarun that she wanted to be part of the sequel.”

And even though Tarun admitted to Priyanka’s presence in the film but denied having decided on a scene for her. Talking to a daily, he said, “Yes, Priyanka will surely be part of the film. She’s not just my favourite actress but also a very dear person. She has an important role. However, I am yet to figure out where and how she will appear as I am still in the scripting process.”

Source: http://spicezee.zeenews.com/articles/story50643.htm

Sexual Harassment In Karnataka

2010-01-06T20:19:00.001-08:00

Ndtv - In Karnataka an allegation has been made against a senior IAS official by a woman who claims the man wanted sexual favours from her in a revenue case.

"Because of sanctioning the order he demanded relationship with me in a wrong way. You would know what he demands. When I refused he started harassing me, like cancelling the orders. He used his DC post pressure and other influences. After that, day by day he started using his influence and disturbing me. He made my life miserable. Now also, I am under treatment," said the woman.

This woman alleges that a Karnataka state official - who was a DC at the time - demanded sexual favours from her. She took her complaint to the Governor, the Chief Secretary, High Court - and finally went to the Lokayukta.

"I held an inquiry and in the inquiry I found there was material to proceed against this officer and I made a recommendation to the government that you should hold an inquiry, Santosh Hegde from Lokayukta said.

"Very surprising is that such officers are being promoted and given super time scale, they could become the senior most bureaucrats in the state. What will be the faith of the people?" Hegde added.

Despite several assurances, nothing was done. The official who is accused by the woman would not comment.
Source: http://www.ndtv.com/news/cities/ias_accused_of_sexual_harassment.php