Latest News Article

56th National film awards

2010-01-23T21:31:00.002+05:30

Director Bala has won the Best Director award for his film 'Naan Kadavul' at the 56th National Film Awards announced in New Delhi today. ‘Naan Kadavul’ set in the pilgrimage centre of Kasi is about the Aghori Sanyasis. A landmark film in Tamil ‘Naan Kadavul’ was critically well acclaimed when it released last year. Bala took nearly three years to make this film. The film is an adaptation of the Tamil novel 'Yelavathu Ulagam' by Jayamohan.

Bala was expected to bag this award for his Pithamagan in 2004. But Vikram got the Best Actor Award.

Surprisingly, the Best Make-Up award was also bagged by 'Naan Kadavul'. We hear that Bala is happy about winning the award and is more than happy in dedicating it to his mentor Balu Mahendra.

President Pratibha Patil will confer the Awards to the winners in March this year.

ICC Champions Trophy 2009 Schedule

2009-09-22T16:14:00.002+05:30

The sixth edition of ICC Champions Trophy will be played in Johannesburg and Centurion of South Africa from September 22nd to October 5th.

Eight teams are divided into two Groups A and B.
The following are the two groups:
Group A: Australia, India, Pakistan, West Indies
Group B: South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England

Each team will play with one another in their corresponding groups and the top two teams from each group will advance into the semi finals. are in Group A while

ICC Champions Trophy 2009 Games Schedule:
(All timings are mentioned in GMT+05:30)

Tue 22 Sep (D/N)
18:00 PM
Group B – Sri Lanka v South Africa
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Wed 23 Sep (D/N)
18:00 PM
Group A – Pakistan v West Indies
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Thu 24 Sep
13:00 PM
Group B – South Africa v New Zealand
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Fri 25 Sep (D/N)
18:00 PM
Group B – England v Sri Lanka
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Sat 26 Sep
13:00 PM
Group A – Australia v West Indies
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Sat 26 Sep (D/N)
18:00 PM
Group A – India v Pakistan
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Sun 27 Sep
13:00 PM
Group B – New Zealand v Sri Lanka
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Sun 27 Sep (S/N)
18:00 PM
Group B – England v South Africa
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Mon 28 Sep (D/N)
18:00 PM
Group A – India v Australia
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Tue 29 Sep (D/N)
18:00 PM
Group B – England v New Zealand
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Wed 30 Sep
13:00 PM
Group A – Pakistan v Australia
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Wed 30 Sep (D/N)
18:00 PM
Group A – India v West Indies
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Fri 2 Oct (D/N)
18:00 PM
1st Semi Final – A1 v B2
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Sat Oct 3 (D/N)
18:00 PM
2nd Semi Final – A2 v B1
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Mon 5 Oct (D/N)
18:00 PM
Final – 1st Semi Final winner v 2nd Semi Final inner
SuperSport Park, Centurion

Karizma ZMR | Hero Honda Karizma ZMR @ Rs. 91,000

2009-09-22T16:03:00.002+05:30

Hero Honda on Monday announced the launch of the Karizma ZMR, the next generation motorbike from the premium Karizma series.

The new Karizma ZMR is fuel injected (finally) and it develops 17.6bhp at 7000rpm and a peak torque of 18.35Nm. Hero Honda claims the max speed of new Karizma ZMR as 135Kmph. Along with the fuel injected engine, the Karizma ZMR FI also comes with the following changes

The new Karizma ZMR FI gets new front cowl with fairing mounted rear view mirror. It also gets contemporary LED tail lamps and split grab rails. The rear suspension is now gas charged and the rear brake is a disc one. The new Karizma ZMR FI also gets body graphics. The dash is new with digital speedo and circular analog tacho

The ZMR will be available in pearl white, moon yellow, panther black, sports red and vibrant blue. Priced at Rs 91,000, it will go on sale from the end of this month.

Habitable moons 'could to be spotted by 2014'

2009-09-20T13:48:00.001+05:30

British astronomers have claimed that thousands of moons capable of supporting life, like those shown in the popular Star Wars' flicks, could be scattered all over our galaxy, and are likely to be spotted by 2014.

A team at University College London hopes to track the habitable moons within the next five years, using a telescope launched by US space agency Nasa earlier this year to hunt out other planets.

According to lead astronomer Dr David Kipping, there are more than 12,500 stars within sight of Nasa's Kepler Space Telescope that have the potential for moons orbiting in areas of space where conditions could be favourable to life.

In fact, they have devised a new method for detecting moons in other solar systems -- known as exomoons.

Bhupathi's injury dents chances, India still leads tie 2-1

2009-09-20T13:23:00.000+05:30

India's fate in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie against South Africa is still hanging in balance as the visitors conceded the doubles rubber owing to Mahesh Bhupathi's injury in Johannesburg on Saturday.

India were trailing 3-6 6-3 0-4 when Bhupathi and his partner Rohan Bopanna opted out of the contest, which means that Sunday's reverse singles will decide which team will enter the World Group.

Friday's victories by Somdev Devvarman and Rohan Bopanna had put India in driver's seat and they were hoping to wrap up the tie today itself.

India still leads the tie 2-1 and need one more win out of two reverse singles, to be played at Ellis Park arena.

Somdev will lock horns with South Africa's number one player Rik de Voest and Bopanna will clash against Izak Van der Merwe in the match between the number two players.

Rorschach inkblot tests

2009-07-30T15:39:00.003+05:30

In a national survey in the U.S., the Rorschach was ranked eighth among psychological tests used in outpatient mental health facilities. It is the second most widely used test by members of the Society for Personality Assessment, and it is requested in 25% of forensic assessment cases, usually in a battery of tests frequently also including the MMPI-2 and the MCMI-III.

The Rorschach test, also known as the Rorschach inkblot test or simply as an Inkblot test is a method of psychological evaluation in which subjects' perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analyzed using, depending on the psychologist, intuitive insight, complex scientifically derived algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to try to examine the personality

Job Opportunities in Nomura India

2009-07-29T12:57:00.001+05:30

Nomura has a strong presence in India and offers a wide range of financial products and services. Visit the Career page on Nomura website shown below for job opportunities at Nomura India:
http://www.nomura.com/indiacareers
Nomura is a leading financial services group and the preeminent Asia-based investment bank with worldwide reach.

Related searches:
nomura, nomura holdings, nomura careers, nomura securities, shreyas bank

Rajan P Dev passes away

2009-07-29T12:54:00.002+05:30

Leading Malayalam and Tamil character artiste Rajan P Dev died in Kochi Wednesday at 6.30 in the morning. He was admitted at Lakeshore hospital after vomiting blood. He was under treatment for liver disease for a long time. He is survived by his wife Santha, daughter Ashamma and son Jibile Raj. Funeral ceremony will be held Thursday at 11 am.

Rajan P Dev is one of the most wanted character artistes has essayed many unforgettable roles in movies like Aniyan Bava Chettan Bava, Thommanum Makkalum, Commissioner, Achamakuttiyude Achayan, Chanthupottu, Chocolate and many more inMalayalam. He has acted in many Tamil films like Suryan, Gentleman, Periya Idathu Maappillai, Love Today, Kushi and the recently released Karthik Anitha.

He is a diabetic patient and recently he refused many film offers and went to his native village Angamali Kaladi (near Ernakulam) for taking rest.

Solar Eclipse 2009 | Surya Grahan of July 22

2009-07-21T20:28:00.005+05:30

Don’t watch the the sun during eclipse directly with your naked eye. Protect your eyes by a dark black plastic sheet or a eclipse viewer.

The longest solar eclipse of the 21st century will be seen tomorrow(22/07/2009).

A total eclipse occurs when the Sun is completely obscured by the Moon. The intensely bright disk of the Sun is replaced by the dark silhouette of the Moon.
The surya grahan will be seen on tomorrow at around 5:28am to around 7:40am (IST).

The Indian cities through which the shadow of total eclipse passes are Bhavnagar, Surat, Ujjain, Indore, Bhopal, Sagar, Jabalpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Gaya, Patna, Bhagalpur, Jalpaigudi, Guwahati and Dibrugarh.

The countries to witness the path of the Moon's umbral shadow are India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. China's largest city Shanghai will experience the total solar eclipse for five minutes.

Thousands of people across the country ready to see this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Next total solar eclipse will be seen 105 years later.
Related searches:
surya grahan, surya grahan 22 july 2009, surya grahan 2009 in usa, surya grahan timings, solar eclipse

Know the status of your Tata Nano booking

2009-06-24T23:43:00.002+05:30

Tata Nano customers to get allotment letters soon. Over 1.55 lakh Tata Nano customers, 70% of them from small towns, will begin getting allotment letters this week

The company would deliver the first one lakh cars by March 2010, while the handing over of the Nanos in the next phase to 55,021 customers would start thereafter.

The entire selection process was done through a computerised lottery.

Tata Motors confirms that the first 1 lakh owners are price-protected, and will get their Tata Nano at the ex- showroom prices, announced at launch on March 23.

Tata Motors has offered the unsuccessful applicants some schemes for its hatchback 'Indica' range, which would be additional to the existing schemes on the cars.

The company would roll out the Nanos from its Pantnagar facility, which has an annual capacity of 50,000 units. The car would also be produced from the company's Sanand unit in Gujarat once its goes on stream.

Know the status of your Tata Nano booking

Free 180 days Bitdefender Total Security 2009 License

2009-06-22T17:29:00.003+05:30

BitDefender Total Security 2009 provides comprehensive proactive protection against all Internet security threats, along with system maintenance and backup, without slowing down your PCs.

Improved: Scans all web, e-mail and instant messaging traffic for viruses and spyware, in real-time
Proactively protects against new virus outbreaks using advanced heuristics
Blocks attempted identity theft (phishing)
Improved: Prevents personal information from leaking via e-mail, web or instant messaging
NEW Instant Messaging Encryption.
NEW File Vault securely stores personal information or sensitive files.
Automatically modifies firewall protection settings to suit location
Wi-Fi monitor helps prevent unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network
Blocks access to inappropriate websites and e-mail
Schedules and limits kids’ access to Internet and to applications
Improved: Reduces the system load and avoids requesting user interaction during games.

System Requirements
Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (32/64 bit) or higher
800 MHz or higher processor
256 MB of RAM Memory (1GB recommended)
170 MB available hard disk space (200 recommended)

Windows Vista (32/64 bit) and Windows Vista SP1
800 MHz or higher processor
512 MB of RAM Memory (1 GB recommended)
170 MB available hard disk space (200 recommended)

Windows Home Server
800 MHz or higher processor
512 MB of RAM Memory (1 GB recommended)
170 MB available hard disk space (200 recommended)

Bitdefender Total Security 2009

Six Months Free License

Visit: http://www.bitdefender.de/site/Promotions/pcmag2009
The Promo license is only available for german users. If you are not from germany then open the above link with the german proxy given below:Proxy:http://www.surf-proxy.de/

Centre declared the CPI-Maoist a terrorist organisation

2009-06-22T15:46:00.002+05:30

On Monday, the Union Home Ministry has brands CPI-Maoist as terrorist organisation.
The notification, declaring Communist Party of India-Maoist as a terrorist organisation.

West Bengal's ruling Left Front on Monday said it was against banning the CPI (Maoist) and will counter such outfits politically, days after chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee stated that his government will give a serious thought to proscribing the Naxals.

Reacting to the ban on the Maoists, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat has said that it will not help any purpose.

Meanwhile, after a day mainly combing the surrounding areas, the security forces will on Monday attempt to open up several fronts on the Galtore route towards Lalgarh for easy movement of troops.

Bal Thackeray admitted in hospital

2009-06-19T22:10:00.004+05:30

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has been admitted in Lilavati hospital in Bandra on Thursday.

Thackeray, who set up the Sena in 1966 espousing the cause of the sons-of-the-soil.The foundation day function of the Shiv Sena, which completes 43 years on Friday, has been called off.

Thackeray was admitted to Lilavati hospital for what the Sena spokesperson described as a routine medical check up. The veteran Sena chief has been a regular visitor at the hospital for the last couple of years due to age-related problems.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan passed away

2009-06-19T21:47:00.002+05:30

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan died on Friday in San Francisco, USA. 88-year-old Khan died at his music centre at 10 am IST.Ustad Khan is survived by wife Mary, three sons and daughter.

Ali Akbar Khan was the first to cut a long player record of Indian classical music in the US and to give a sarod recital on American TV. Khan was also the first Indian musician to receive the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1991 and was nominated for Grammy Awards five times between 1970 to 1998

Ali Akbar Khan Biography
Born on April 14, 1922 in Shibpur village of Comilla district, now in Bangladesh, Khan took up music at the age of three, learning vocal music from his father and percussion from his uncle, Fakir Aftabuddin. His father also trained him in several other instruments, but Khan decided to concentrate on the sarodand on vocals.

A recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan, Khan gave his first public performance in Allahabad at the age 13 and made his first gramophone recording in Lucknow [Images] when he was in his early twenties.

Operation Lalgarh Begun in West Bengal

2009-06-18T16:01:00.006+05:30

Fifty villages in and around Lalgarh in West Midnapore district of West Bengal have been captured and declared a ‘free zone’ by Maoists.

At last West Bengal government has begun its offensive against the Maoists in Lalgarh near Kolkata with a large contingent of police and CRPF personnel.

The Centre has told the state government that the offensive must be led by its own police force and that Central forces will only assist them.

Near about 2000 tribals under the banner of People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, dug up roads amid reports that they were laying landmines to stop the security forces.

200 personnel of the elite COBRA trained in anti-Maoist operations alongwith 500 CRPF personnel have been deployed to deal with the situation.

Fiat Grande Punto Launched in India

2009-06-18T14:13:00.004+05:30

Italian car maker Fiat has unveiled its premium small car 'Grande Punto' in India. A week ago Honda launched its first small car Jazz. Fiat authority claims that it will set a new benchmark in design, comfort, safety and style.

Grande Punto will be available in both petrol and diesel versions, is priced between Rs.3.99-6.11 lakh (ex showroom, New Delhi).

FIAL is a 50:50 joint venture company between Italy-based Fiat SpA and Indian auto major Tata Motors. Grande Punto will roll out from its Ranjangaon facility, which has a current production capacity of 200,000 cars and 300,000 engines per annum. India will be the third country after Italy and Brazil where it will be manufactured.

About the Grande Punto

Grande Punto will be available in three engine options - 1200cc FIRE petrol, 1400cc FIRE petrol and 1300-cc Multijet fixed geometry turbo common rail diesel engine. While the petrol variants, which can deliver peak power of 67 bhp and 88.5 bhp respectively, would cost Rs.3.99-5.61 lakh, the diesel cars, with 74.5 bhp peak power, would be offered at Rs.4.85-6.11 lakh.

All versions of Grande Punto Active, Dynamic, Emotion and Emotion Pack - will be available in six color options - Bossa Nova White, Hip Hop Black, Minimal Grey, Medium Grey, Exotica Red and Electric Blue.

Megan Fox leaked photos

2009-06-15T15:20:00.005+05:30

After story 'Megan Fox Black Dress' you can still enjoy her 'Megan Fox leaked photos'.
A few months ago had some Megan Fox undressed photos that were leaked while she was filming her new movie Jennifer Body.

Megan said that, “I had body stickers on. They make these silicone stickers.”

Hollywood actress Megan Fox has decided not to sue the person who leaked her photo shots to the tabloids. She believes that karma will do the job for her.

New Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Launched

2009-06-15T14:53:00.006+05:30

Nokia has launched a cheaper version of Nokia 5800, named 5530 XpressMusic and looks like the much rumored 5900. It also has no physical keys, there’s a 3.2 MP camera too and 4GB aditional memory card.
This phone is expected to be priced in between Rs.13 to 14thousand and you can expect it to be in shops by 3rd quarter of 2009.
New Nokia 5530 XpressMusic Mobile Phone Live Demo:

Actor Shiney Ahuja deatined for 'raping' charge

2009-06-15T14:22:00.003+05:30

On Sunday night actor Shiney Ahuja's domestic help complained that Ahuja had raped her at his Oshiwara residence when she was alone in the afternoon.

Oshiwara police only detained actor Shiney Ahuja, no formal case was registered yet. Police awaiting for the reports of medical examinations of both Ahuja and the victim. Ahuja could be arrested if the reports confirm sexual assault.

Ahuja is reportedly living alone at his Oshiwara residence, though he is married.

Ahuja made his acting debut with Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. He bagged the Kalakar award for ‘Best actor in 2008’ for Khoya Khoya Chand.

MHT CET 2009 | MHTCET Result 2009

2009-06-14T15:57:00.001+05:30

Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHTCET)-2009 results for medical, engineering and pharmacy degree courses announanced on June 14, 2009 at 10 am. Results published on websites of DMER http://www.dmer.org/ and DTE http://www.dte.org.in/ Also check results on official website at http://www.dte.org.in/

Toni Trucks' Star Runners TV Movie released

2009-06-14T15:36:00.002+05:30

Star Runners TV Movie released on 13 June 2009. Toni Trucks was cast in the TV Movie Star Runners.
Star Runners Trailer Video:

David Carradine funeral ceremony Held on Saturday

2009-06-14T15:08:00.006+05:30

72-year-old American actor David Carradine funeral ceremony held on Saturday June 13, 2009, in Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.

Over 400 bereaved people, including many players and family members were joined to the private funeral of the actor David Carradine.

The funeral of actor David Carradine, held in Los Angeles 10 days after he was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room.

He was in Thailand filming his latest movie. Thai authorities are still investigating Carradine's death. A private pathologist ruled out suicide as a cause.

Carradine is survived by his wife, Annie Bierman, and four children.

Tim Sylvia vs Ray Mercer Fight Video

2009-06-14T15:00:00.002+05:30

Tim Sylvia vs Ray Mercer Video- Adrenaline MMA 3

Tim Sylvia vs Ray Mercer Fight Video at Adrenaline 3

Search Your Unclaimed Property at www.indianaunclaimed.com

2009-06-12T17:56:00.004+05:30

On Friday Attorney General Greg Zoeller will host a press conference to push the website, http://indianaunclaimed.com/, which is the best resource to quickly find out if your name is on the list.

It really highlights the fact that everyone throughout the state should check and see if they have money out there, especially during a down economy when people can use money the most.

Zoeller encourages people to not only check for their name on the list, but to look for family, friends and co-workers.

In Thursday's Indianapolis Star, an insert listed the names of people who are owed money in
Marion County. There will be another insert printed in next week's paper as well.

Bill Russell and His New Book 'Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend'

2009-06-12T17:40:00.002+05:30

Bill Russell, who in the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, led the Boston Celtics to 11 titles in his 13 seasons with the team, will be at the BJ’s in Framingham 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 12, to sign his new book “Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend”, which shares the path of his lifelong bond with Celtics’ previous coach, the legendary Red Auerbach. It offers a candid view of the racial barriers both men faced and how their relationship evolved from a player-coach to a supportive and profound friendship.

Russell will only sign his new book that must be purchased at BJ’s. A receipt must be provided to have your book signed, and signing will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.

BJ’s Wholesale Club is at 26 Whittier St., Framingham. If you are not a member, please go to www.bjs.com/about/news/content/item1,008.shtml to print a BJ’s 60-day shopping pass.

Shocking! Intimate Pictures of Hilton and Ronaldo

2009-06-12T16:46:00.005+05:30

Hilton clasp up to Cristiano Ronaldo on a sofa in MyHouse in Hollywood in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Courtesy: Pictures from TMZ

Demi Moore Bush | The company assembled

2009-06-12T13:23:00.003+05:30

The assembled superstars marveled not bad: In the film she jumped again and again and every time George W. Bush on the big screen showed Schimpftiraden sounded wild.

We are talking about Demi Moore, for a first screening of “Fahrenheit 9 / 11″ in LA seemingly no longer einkriegte. And it was not because she and the director Michael After the same name. What exactly Demi roared toward canvas had wanted to present a drama colleagues Leonardo DiCaprio, Chris Rock, Matthew Perry, Billy Crystal and Sharon Stone, however, not reveal.

Moore called it a “pathetic attempt to prevent people from the movie.” His documentary film is finally a choice and no commercials. Moreover, he also does not belong to political party.

The film is propaganda, no doubt. But it’s worth it, about him and about him to discuss - no matter what political Ansi.

Sesa Goa acquiring the mining assets of Dempo

2009-06-12T12:47:00.003+05:30

Sesa Goa, one of India's largest iron ore producers and exported the majority of its 12 million tonnes production in 2007/08 has acquired the mining assets of Dempo Group in the western state of Goa for 17.5 billion rupees ($368 million) to boost its output of iron ore.

Buy-out would help 'consolidate our iron ore business' and 'achieve great synergy', chairman of Sesa Goa said.

'The acquisition would be funded from its existing cash resources, which at the end of March had stood at 41.43 billion rupees', a company spokeperson said.

Dempo has mining leases over 1,800 hectares in Goa. The mining assets include processing plants, barges, jetties, transhippers and loading capacities at Mormugoa port. The company produced 3.94 million tonne of iron ore and sold 4.36 million tonne in the year ended March 31, 2009.

Satyam Executive willing to sell his shares

2009-06-12T12:20:00.005+05:30

A top executive of Satyam, who qualifies as an insider, expressed his willing to sell his shares in the tech firm in the open offer. That kicks off the share market on Friday.

The indications of the Satyam officer to sell in the open offer came as a surprise since market players believe that the recent spike in Satyam's stock price could limit Tech Mahindra's holding in Satyam to much less than the originally planned 51%, after the open offer ends. The compulsory open offer by Tech Mahindra is at Rs 58 per share, while the current market price is Rs 81. So logically if someone wanted to sell Satyam shares, he will rather sell in the market than offer at the public offer.

Over last three sessions, since Satyam announced its financial for the October-December quarter, the stock has been hitting the 10% upper circuit limit. Tech Mahindra stocks had also gained but witnessed profit taking on Thursday. As a result of the rally in Satyam stock, the combined market capitalisation of the two companies is over Rs 17,000 crore. This has pushed the TechMahindra-Satyam to be the fourth most valued software company in India.

Actor Johnny Palermo Died in a Rod Accident

2009-06-11T16:40:00.005+05:30

Actor Johnny Palermo and his girlfriend Alessandra Giangrande, died on June 8 '09 in an early morning car accident in North Hollywood. Actore's girlfriend Alessandra Giangrande was driving the vehicle. Giangrande’s brother was seriously injured.

27 year-old actor Johnny Palermo, who appeared in more than 30 TV shows, including Everybody Hates Chris, How I Met Your Mother, and CSI.He also appeared in Cold Case, General Hospital and Rules of Engagement. His last project, an indie film called Pizza With Bullets, is scheduled for release later this year.

Johnny Palermo was a good actor. His audiences will surely miss him.

2009 World Cup T20 Super Eight stage Match Schedule

2009-06-11T15:49:00.004+05:30

2009 World Tweenty20 cricket match schedule & timings for the Super Eight stage of the competition is as follows:
SUPER EIGHT MATCHES

DATE	TIME (IST)	VENUE	MATCH
June 11	6pm	Trent Bridge	NZ vs Ire
June 11	10pm	Trent Bridge	Eng vs SA
June 12	6pm	Lord's	Pak vs SL
June 12	10pm	Lord's	Ind vs WI
June 13	6pm	Oval	WI vs SA
June 13	10pm	Oval	NZ vs Pak
June 14	6pm	Lord's	Ire vs SL
June 14	10pm	Lord's	Ind vs Eng
June 15	6pm	Oval	Pak vs Ire
June 15	10pm	Oval	Eng vs WI
June 16	6pm	Trent Bridge	NZ vs SL
June 16	10pm	Trent Bridge	SA vs Ind

The top four teams from the Super Eight qualify for the finals:

Semi Final 1 - 18th June, Trent Bridge, E1 vs. F2

Semi Final 2 - 19th June, Oval, E2 vs. F1

Final - 21st June at Lord's

New 'Honda Jazz' Arrived in India

2009-06-10T16:30:00.006+05:30

Honda Car India has launched its new coolest car 'Honda Jazz' in the Indian market. Fitted with an all-new 1.2-litre petrol engine, the Honda Jazz is now one of the most expensive hatchbacks in India – the car is priced between Rs 6.98 – 7.33 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. ( Check Prices on your city. )

Launched in 2002, it was a little car with an implausibly spacious interior, ultra-frugal engines, unrivalled build quality and nimble handling, and it set a standard the rest have spent the past six years trying (and failing) to meet.

The Jazz is also supposed to offer a very good mix of performance and fuel efficiency. The car’s SOHC, i-VTEC 1.2-litre engine, which conforms to Euro IV emissions norms, produces 90 horsepower and 110Nm of torque, and delivers a mileage of up to 16.1km/l (as tested by ARAI).

View features of Jazz 1.2S Below:

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

SAFETY & SECURITY

CONVENIENCE

Virender Sehwag ruled out of World Twenty20

2009-06-09T23:18:00.004+05:30

India's most explosive batsman, vice-captain and opener Virender Sehwag ruled out of the Twenty20 World Championship with a shoulder injury.

Sehwag had sustained the injury during the Indian Premier League and missed both the warm-up matches and the game against Bangladesh.

The BCCI named Dinesh Karthik as his replacement in India's 15-member squad. Karthik is expected to arrive in London ahead of India's first Super Eights match against the West Indies at Lord's on Friday.

Sehwag may need a surgery to his injured shoulder and will return home after consulting medical experts here.

India play their next match against Ireland here on Wednesday.

Actor David Carradine Dead Photo Release

2009-06-07T14:00:00.005+05:30

The family of the late actor David Carradine is outraged over the publication of David Carradine death photo by a Thai tabloid.

American actor who made his name in the "Kung Fu" television series in the 1970s, was found dead in an upscale Bangkok hotel on Thursday with cords around his neck. According to police, the 72-year-old actor appeared to have hanged himself.

David Carradine (December 8, 1936 – June 3, 2009), born John Arthur Carradine, was an

American actor best known for his work in the 1970s television series Kung Fu and more recently in the Kill Bill films. He appeared in more than 100 feature films and was nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award.

Belmont Stakes Winners List

2009-06-07T13:47:00.004+05:30

Summer Bird and jockey Kent Desormeaux surprised everyone with a huge victory, the winning purse $1 million dollar.

Belmont Stakes Results :

1. Summer Bird — Jockey: Kent Desormeaux — Trainer: Tim Ice
2. Dunkirk — Jockey: John Velazquez — Trainer: Todd Pletcher
3. Mine That Bird — Jockey: Calvin Borel — Trainer: Bennie Woolley Jr.
4. Charitable Man — Jockey: Alan Garcia — Trainer: Kiaran McLaughlin
5. Luv Gov — Jockey: Miguel Mena — Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
6. Flying Private — Jockey: Julien Leparoux — Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
7. Brave Victory — Jockey: Rajiv Maragh — Trainer: Nick Zito
8. Mr. Hot Stuff — Jockey: Edgar Prado — Trainer: Eoin Harty
9. Chocolate Candy — Jockey: Garrett Gomez — Trainer: Jerry Hollendorfer
10. Miner’s Escape — Jockey: Jose Lezcano — Trainer: Nick Zito

ICC T20 Live Cricket Score Board | Live Match

2009-06-05T23:40:00.005+05:30

Watch England vs Netherland live streaming cricket match for free on your pc.
Here is England vs Netherland live streaming link: Click Here.

ICC World Cup Tweenty20 Matches LIVE

ICC World Cup Tweenty20 Matches: Live Score Board: Click Here

Jayam Ravi tied wedding knot to Aarthi

2009-06-04T21:16:00.003+05:30

Tamil filmstar Jayam Ravi tied wedding knot to Aarthi on 4th June 2009 morning at Park Sheraton Hotel, Chennai. Famous film personalities like Rajnikanth, Kamal Haasan, Jayaram, Arjun, Sundar C, Kushboo, Radha Ravi, Radhika Sarathkumar, Meena, Mohan etc were present on that occasion.

Few weeks back Jayam Ravi’s suicide attempt for marrying his girl Aarthi created a great confusion in film industry. Reports in past stated that Jayam Ravi’s parents didn’t give green signal for his love and so only Ravi attempted for suicide.Jayam Ravi debuted in the film Jayam directed by his brother M Raja.
His popular films are M Kumaran son of Mahalakshmi, Jayam, Something Something Unakkum Enakkum, Deepavali, Santhosh Subramaniam and Dham Dhoom.

Ravi was introduced as hero in film by his brother Raja in the movie Jayam released in 2002 produced by their father Mohan. It became a super hit and ultimately attached movie name as a prefix to his name.

Meira Kumar, the first woman LS Speaker

2009-06-03T23:38:00.003+05:30

Meira Kumar, the daugtar of Late Babu Jagjivan Ram unanimously elected as Lok Sabha Speaker on Wednesday and become the first woman to hold the top Constitutional post, vowed to be a "neutral person".

Meira Kumar said in her first press conference after being elected as speaker of the lower house of Parliament that she would be impartial and give equal opportunity to all members to express their views.

The new Lok Sabha Speaker also expressed her gratitude for being elected by saying that she is deeply honoured that she has been elected the first woman speaker of our great and vibrant democracy.

The 64-year-old was elected after a resolution moved by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and seconded by Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee was approved by a voice vote amidst thumping of desks by the entire House.

French Open at Roland Garros 2009 Schedule

2009-06-03T23:25:00.002+05:30

Men's Singles
First quarter

Rafael Nadal ESP (1) v Marcos Daniel BRA
Igor Kunitsyn RUS v Teimuraz Gabashvili RUS

Denis Gremelmayr GER v Andrey Golubev KAZ
Lleyton Hewitt AUS vIvo Karlovic CRO (26)

Robin Soderling SWE (23) v Kevin Kim USA
Denis Istomin UZB v Santiago Giraldo COL

Ilia Bozoljac SRB v Nicolas Kiefer GER
Frederico Gil POR v David Ferrer ESP (14)

Nikolay Davydenko RUS (10) v Stefan Koubek AUT
Diego Junqueira ARG v Paul Capdeville CHI

Nicolas Massu CHI v Daniel Koellerer AUT
Nicolas Devilder FRA v Stanislas Wawrinka SUI (17)

Nicolas Almagro ESP (31) v Agustin Calleri ARG
Ernests Gulbis LAT v Sam Querrey USA

Peter Polansky CAN v Philipp Petzschner GER
Florent Serra FRA v Fernando Verdasco ESP (8)

Women's Singles
First quarter

Dinara Safina RUS (1) v Anne Keothavong GBR
Vitalia Diatchenko RUS v Mathilde Johansson FRA

Nuria Llagostera Vives ESP v Julie Coin FRA
Ioana Raluca Olaru ROU v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova RUS (27)

Alisa Kleybanova RUS (23) v Polona Hercog SLO
Ai Sugiyama JPN v Aravane Rezai FRA

Michelle Larcher De Brito POR v Melanie South GBR
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro FRA v Jie Zheng CHN (15)

Victoria Azarenka BLR (9) v Roberta Vinci ITA
Maria-Emilia Salerni ARG v Kristina Barrois GER

Yvonne Meusburger AUT v Lucie Hradecka CZE
Edina Gallovits ROU v Carla Suarez Navarro ESP (22)

Iveta Benesova CZE (32) v Julia Goerges GER
Varvara Lepchenko USA v Alla Kudryavtseva RUS

Tamarine Tanasugarn THA v Camille Pin FRA
Sara Errani ITA v Ana Ivanovic SRB (8)

Sourav Ganguly all set to began his fresh innigns as tv commenter

2009-06-03T22:53:00.005+05:30

Sourav Ganguly, the most successful captain of Indian cricket, was signed by the official broadcasters of the T20 World Cup as a commentator for the upcoming showpiece event.

The formar Indian captain, who will commentate for ESPN Star Sports from the semi-final stage of the the ICC World Twenty20 in England. His co-commentators are Ian Chappell, Ian Bishop, Wasim Akram, Sanjay Manjrekar, Harsha Bhogle and Nasser Hussain.

STAR Cricket, the 24-hour cricket channel from the ESPN STAR Sports stable, will telecast live all the 27 matches of the ICC World Twenty20 from June 5-21, 2009.

Twenty20 World Cup Cricket 2009 Fixtures

2009-06-03T22:30:00.003+05:30

Twenty20 World Cup Fixtures - England 2009

Friday, June 5th 2009
England v Netherlands 17:30 Lords

Saturday, June 6th 2009
New Zealand v Scotland 10.00 The Brit Oval
Australia v West Indies 13.30 The Brit Oval
India v Bangladesh 17:30 Trent Bridge

Sunday, June 7th 2009
South Africa v Scotland 13.30 The Brit Oval
England vs Pakistan 17:30 The Brit Oval

Monday, June 8th 2009
Ireland vs Bangladesh 13.30 Trent Bridge
Australia vs Sri Lanka 17:30 Trent Bridge

Tuesday, June 9th 2009
Pakistan vs Netherlands 13.30 Lords
New Zealand vs South Africa 17:30 Lords

Wednesday, June 10th 2009
Sri Lanka vs West Indies 13.30 Trent Bridge
India vs Ireland 17:30 Trent Bridge

Thursday, June 11th 2009
TBA vs TBA 13.30 Trent Bridge
TBA vs TBA 17:30 Trent Bridge

Friday, June 12th 2009
TBA vs TBA 13.30 Lords
TBA vs TBA 17:30 Lords

Saturday, June 13th 2009
TBA vs TBA 13.30 The Brit Oval
TBA vs TBA 17:30 The Brit Oval

Sunday, June 14th 2009
TBA vs TBA 13.30 Lords
TBA vs TBA 17:30 Lords

Monday, June 15th 2009
TBA vs TBA
13.30 The Brit Oval
TBA vs TBA 17:30 The Brit Oval

Tuesday, June 16th 2009
TBA vs TBA 13.30 Trent Bridge
TBA vs TBA 17:30 Trent Bridge

Thursday, June 18th 2009
TBA vs TBA 17:30 Trent Bridge

Friday, June 19th 2009
TBA vs TBA 17:30 The Brit Oval

Sunday, June 21st 2009
TBA vs TBA 15:00 Lords

Air France flight missing with 228 passengers

2009-06-01T20:45:00.005+05:30

An Air France Airbus A330, Flight 447, carrying 228 people from Rio de Janeiro to Paris left Rio on Sunday at 7 p.m. local time (2200 GMT, 6 p.m. EDT) has crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after it ran into lightning and strong thunderstorms.

The flight was scheduled to arrive in Paris at 0915 GMT (5:15 a.m. EDT), according to the airport. Airbus declined to comment until more details emerge.

Brazilian Air Force has begun search operations for the wreckage.

The plane disappeared about 190 miles (300 kilometers) northeast of the coastal Brazilian city of Natal, near the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.

Experts opinion, the plane was not in the air any longer, due to the amount of fuel it would have been carrying.

Helpline: 0033157021055, 0033141565600

Sania Mirza to get engaged with her childhood sweetheart

2009-05-29T16:39:00.007+05:30

Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza will get engaged with her childhood sweetheart, Hyderabad-based Sohrab Mirza.The families of Sania and Sohrab have been friends for years.

23 year old Sobrab,the son of Adil Mirza and Noora Begum, owners of the Universal Bakers chain in the city, is a year older than Sania.

The marriage date has not been fixed.The pair were unlikely to tie the knot in the near future.

The 22-year-old Sania, who is the most successful woman tennis player of the country, will continue playing the game and her fiance Sohrab Mirza planned to pursue higher studies.

West Bengal Board of secondary Education class 10 Results

2009-05-28T20:30:00.001+05:30

West Bengal Board of secondary Education (WBBSE) Results 2009

West Bengal Board of secondary Education (WBBSE) Results to be announced today (May 28, 2009. Thursday ) at 9am.

Click below links to get WBBSE 2009 Results:
http://www.wbbse.org
http://www.tathyabangla.org.in
http://www.indiaresult.com
http://www.westbengaleducation.net
http://www.indiaedu.com/

WBBSE 2009, West Bengal bse, West Bengal Madhyamik

Deccan Chargers beat Bangalore Royal Challengers in IPL 2 final

2009-05-24T23:35:00.003+05:30

Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Deccan Chargers

Deccan Chargers beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by 6 runs to win the IPL 2.
It was one match that had all the components of a thrilling final. After 37 days of intense battle it was the Deccan Chargers who emerged Champions of the DLF IPL 2009.

Deccan Chargers, who had finished last on the points table last year, outclassed and outplayed their opposition Royal Challengers Bangalore in all aspects to lift the Trophy that was won by Rajasthan Royals in the first edition.

Tamil Nadu SSLC/HSC Examination Results 2009

2009-05-23T11:27:00.005+05:30

Tamil Nadu SSLC Examination Results 2009 will be available on 23 May, 2009 at 9:30 am in official website At http://www.tngdc.in

Students can register HERE to receive results by SMS. Text messages can be sent in the following format: (SSLC/OSLC/ASLC/MAT) to 54373.

SSLC results will also be avilable online at:
http://www.tnresults.nic.in
http://www.dge1.tn.nic.in
http://www.dge2.tn.nic.in
http://www.dge3.tn.nic.in
http://www.tngde.in
http://www.classontheweb.com

Tags: sslc tamil nadu, 10thresult, sslc 2009 tamilnadu , result 10th, 10result, schools9, pallikalvi , classontheweb, matriculation, tngdc

HSC 2009 Examination Results

CBSE Results to be announced today (22 May 2009)

2009-05-23T09:57:00.000+05:30

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 Board Examinations Results 2009 will be declared today (22 May 2009) at 10 a.m.
Official CBSE website http://www.cbse.nic.in
(Link 1) CBSE Class 12 Board Examination 2009
(Link 2)CBSE Class 12 Board Examination 2009
(Link 3)CBSE Class 12 Board Examination 2009

20 cabinet ministers to take oath in first lot, Arjun Singh left out

2009-05-22T17:05:00.004+05:30

A 20-member cabinet will be sworn in along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Rashtrapati Bhavan Friday evening in the first round of ministry formation. There will be four new faces among them.

Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, A K Antony, P Chidambaram, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, former Chief Ministers S M Krishna, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Sushilkumar Shinde, S Jaipal Reddy, Kamal Nath, Vayalar Ravi, Meira Kumar, Murli Deora, Kapil Sibal, Ambika Soni, B K Handique, Anand Sharma and C P Joshi,Veerappa Moily are among those who will be inducted in the Cabinet, Media Adviser to Prime Minister Deepak Sandhu said in a statement.

The names of law minister H R Bhardwaj, HRD minister Arjun Singh, water resources minister Saifuddin Soz and mines minister Sis Ram Ola do not find a place among those to be inducted.

CBSE Class 12 results, Girls continued to outshine boys

2009-05-22T16:25:00.000+05:30

Girls continued to outshine boys in the Class XII exam conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education with 81% students clearing the test.

Girls registered a pass percentage of 85.94 against 77.40 of boys.

A total of 6,37,976 students were registered for this year's exam. This year's pass percentage marks an increase of 0.09% over the pass rate of last year.

Chennai region registered the best performance by students as 92.06% students cleared the test. The pass rate of regular students is 82.69% as compared to 49.72% of private students. A total of 63,644 students have been placed in compartment this year.

Students of Jawahar Nehru Vidyalayas (JNV) have registered over 94% pass rate against 92% last year. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan (KVS) have witnessed good performance by students with 91.32% pupils clearing the test.

About 82% students of government schools have cleared the test.

Students, who are not satisfied with their marks, can apply for their verification to the respective regional offices within 21 days from declaration of results.

The CBSE had announced the results for Ajmer, Panchkula and Chennai regions on Wednesday.

JKBOSE Toppers List

2009-05-18T17:00:00.000+05:30

Congratulation to all those who secured top positions in Jammu Kashmir State Level Merit List of Higher Secondary Education.

- Merit List of JKBOSE Faculty of Science
1. 336801 DIPESH GUPTA, ROMESH CHANDER, SUNITA GUPTA 687 91.6
R S Jagriti Niketan HSS, Kathua
2. 226755 SURESH KUMAR, RAJ KUMAR, RATNA DEVI 681 90.8
Akhnoor, GHSS (Boys)
3. 109722 RADHIKA GUPTA, KAMAL KISHOR, MADHU GUPTA 678 90.4
Model Academy HSS, B C Road, Jammu
4. 103797 MONIKA CHIB, MAHAVIR DALJIT SINGH CHIB, NEELAM CHIB 677 90.3
St Peter’s HSS, Karan Bagh, Jammu
5. 109719 POONAM AGGARWAL, NARESH AGGARWAL, MAYA 671 89.5
Model Academy HSS, B C Road, Jammu
5. 144784 ALOK BHAT, SHOBAN KRISHEN BHAT, VEENA BHAT 671
Vishwa Bharti Public HS, Akalpur Morh
5. 144787 RAHUL JALALI, ASHOK KUMAR JALALI, VIJAY KUMARI JALALI 671
Vishwa Bharti Public HS, Akalpur Morh
6. 157723 ANISH GUPTA, VIJAY GUPTA, USHA GUPTA 668 89.1
Dewan Badrinath Vidya Mandir HSS, Jammu
7. 104752 BHAWANI SHARMA, BHUSHAN KUMAR GOSWAMI, SUSHEELA DEVI 667 88.9
Shiksha Niketan HSS, Jeevan Nagar
7. 106700 SONIKA SUDAN, SHIV KUMAR SUDAN, SUNITA SHARMA 667
Kotwal National Institute of Teaching
7. 109721 PRAKRATI KHER, AJIT KHER, REENA KHER 667 88.9
Model Academy HSS, B C Road, Jammu
7. 138714 SURAJ CHALOTRA, KULDEEP RAJ, KUSAM CHALOTRA 667
Shiksha Niketan HSS, Jeevan Nagar
8. 138701 DIXIT GUPTA, TILAK RAJ GUPTA, SHASHI GUPTA 666 88.8
Shiksha Niketan HSS, Jeevan Nagar
8. 226757 AMAN MAHAJAN, ANIL GUPTA, VEERTA MAHAJAN 666
Akhnoor, GHSS (Boys)
8. 748726 VIKRAM SINGH, SANTOSH KUMAR, KIRAN MANHAS 666
Green Model HSS Doda
9. 147721 ADITYA VERMA, ROMESH CHANDER, NIRMAL VERMA 665 88.7
S R M L HSS, Parade Ground
10. 144788 ABHISHEK KOUL, NEERAJ KOUL, VIJAY KOUL 662 88.3
Vishwa Bharti Public HS, Akalpur Morh

- Merit List of JKBOSE Faculty of Commerce
1. 174760 SUHEL GUPTA, SUSHIL KUMAR GUPTA, NEENA GUPTA 696 92.8
S M Jain HSS, Jammu
2. 172702 VIPEN SHARMA, OM PRAKASH SHARMA, NEELAM SHARMA 666 88.8
S R M L HSS, Parade Ground
3. 136786 URVASHI AGGARWAL, VISHNU KUMAR AGGARWAL, SUSHMA AGGARWAL 660 88.0
S M Jain HSS, Jammu
3. 171752 ASHIT MAHAJAN, SHAM MAHAJAN, TARUNA MAHAJAN 660
Dewan Badrinath Vidya Mandir HSS, Jammu
4. 172701 ASHOK KUMAR, SHOB NATH, AMARAVATI 656 87.5
S R M L HSS, Parade Ground
5. 171753 SHIVANK KABRA, ANIL KABRA, SUNITA KABRA 654 87.2
Dewan Badrinath Vidya Mandir HSS, Jammu
6. 136782 KANIKA JUNEJA, VINOD KUMAR JUNEJA, NEERA JUNEJA 653 87.1
Vidya Peeth Public HSS Chogan Salathian
7. 136702 SHIVANI KHAJURIA, VIJAY KHAJURIA, SUNITA KHAJURIA 642 85.6
Mubarak Mandi, GHSS (G)
8. 137803 POOJA TALASHI, RAMESH TALASHI, PINKY TALASHI 640 85.3
Vishwa Bharti Public HSS, Akalpur
8. 172700 MUKESH KUMAR, TARSEM KUMAR, NIMO DEVI 640
S R M L HSS, Parade Ground
9. 640739 NEERAJ GUPTA, RAMESH KUMAR GUPTA, RANI DEVI 638 85.1
Udhampur, GHSS (B)
10. 135743 MAMTA PRUSTY, PANCHANAND PRUSTY, DAMYANTI PRUSTY 636 84.8
Shiksha Bhavan HSS, Bakshi Nagar
10. 135806 SHEETAL SONI, MOHAN SONI, LATA SONI 636
S P HSS, Exchange Road, Jammu

- Merit List of JKBOSE Faculty of Arts1. 750820 PRETY BHAGAT, SUBASH KUMAR, KAMLA DEVI 623 83.1
Green Model HSS Doda
2. 638781 SANJEET SINGH, DHARAM SINGH, SHANTI DEVI 614 81.9
Udhampur, GHSS (B)
3. 734719 SHANNU DEVI, HUSHIAR SINGH MANHAS, SANTOSHA DEVI 612 81.6
Thathri, GHSS (G)
3. 750822 SANGEETA RANA, PRITAM SINGH RANA, KRISHNA RANA 612
Green Model HSS Doda
4. 119700 RUPALI SHARMA, SHIV KUMAR PADHA, VISHANO DEVI 611 81.5
Shiksha Niketan HSS, Jeevan Nagar
4. 119703 CATHLEEN KAUR, ONKAR SINGH RAINA, SHEEL KOUR 611
Shiksha Niketan HSS, Jeevan Nagar
5. 750827 SANA REHMAN, AB RAHMAN, MEHMOODA BEGUM 609 81.2
Green Model HSS Doda
6. 118761 AMNEET KAUR, MANMOHAN SINGH, SATNAM KAUR 605 80.7
Shastri Nagar, GHSS (Girls)
6. 119704 EKTA CHOUDHARY, RAM LAL, CHAMPA DEVI 605
Shiksha Niketan HSS, Jeevan Nagar
7. 119707 BHANU PRIYA SHARMA, JANAK RAJ SHARMA, CHANDER PRABHA SHARMA 596 79.5
Shiksha Niketan HSS, Jeevan Nagar
8. 333722 MEGHA SHARMA, RAJINDER KUMAR, SATYA DEVI 590 78.7
R S Jagriti Niketan HSS, Kathua
9. 815738 SUKHWINDER KOUR, BALWINDER SINGH, GURMEET KOUR 589 78.5
Adarsh Vidya Peeth, HSS Samba
10. 538740 NAHIDA KOSER, MOHD ASLAM, BEGUM JHON 588 78.4
Plangarh, GHSS (G)

LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran dead ?

2009-05-18T16:44:00.000+05:30

Liberation of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief Velupillai Prabhakaran has reportedly been shot dead along with his son Charles Antony and other Tiger commanders.

Unofficial reports said Prabhakaran was ambushed and shot dead while trying to flee Special Forces who closed in on the last rebel fortification.

A Sri Lankan military spokesman said that there has been no identification of Prabhakaran as yet.

On Sunday, four senior rebel leaders were killed in fighting, the army said.

“This battle has reached its bitter end. We have decided to silence our guns,” the LTTE’’s diplomatic chief, Selvarajah Pathmanathan, said in a statement posted on the pro-rebel web site http://www.tamilnet.com on Sunday

A day before, Sri Lanka’’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa had declared victory after troops seized the entire coast for the first time since the war erupted in 1983.

Maruti Suzuki Ritz launched | Maruti Suzuki

2009-05-15T15:00:00.000+05:30

India’s number one carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Limited has launched its premium compact car Ritz, also known as Maruti Spalsh, in India.
This would be the company’s latest model to be placed in the same price range which already has other models like Maruti Suzuki A-Star and Maruti Suzuki Swift.
Maruti Suzuki Ritz’s Striking Features:

Fuel efficient K12M engine
Two front airbags
Attractive looks
Bharat Stage IV Compliant
Well-designed Headlamps
ABS Brakes
Fog Lights
Power windows and mirrors
Central locking
Smart Distributor Less Ignition (SDLI) system
The car will available with two engine options:

New K-series 1.2 litre, four-cylinder, 85PS Petrol engine
1.3 litre, 16-valve DDiS, 75PS Diesel engine
Maruti Suzuki Ritz Price will be around 4.5 to 5.5 lacks.
More information on Maruti Suzuki Ritz

SRMEEE 2009 exam results

2009-05-14T14:38:00.000+05:30

SRM University has announced the SRMEEE 2009 exam results. These results can be checked on SRM University website - http://srmist.org

The SRMEEE 2009 Rank can be checked on this link :

http://srmist.org/srmweb/admissionsReport/onlineRank09.jsp

You need to enter your SRMEEE - 2009 Exam register number to check your SRMEEE 2009 Rank.
Results for these Courses:

1. B.Tech
2. B.Arch
3. B.Des
4. M.Tech
5. MBA
6. MCA
7. M.Arch
8. M.S. Total Quality Management
9. M.S. Nano Technology

Plus 2 results | TNresults | Pallikalvi | TN Higher Secondary board Result 2009

2009-05-14T13:26:00.000+05:30

Tamil Nadu Higher Secondary board exam result 2009 declared on 14/05/2009. Results 2009 can be check from TN Board Results website - www.tnresults.nic.in
Also check TN Board Results 2009 (Plus two) here below:
www.pallikalvi.in
www.squarebrothers.com
www.indiaresults.com
www.dge1.tn.nic.in
www.chennaionline.com

Direct link to check TN Higher Secondary Result 2009 (+2) -
www.tnresults.nic.in/hsc/hsc.htm

The students can register for free at the website of the Tamilnadu school education department, www.pallikalvi.in, to get their marks via SMS.
BSNL subscribers can send a message in the following format : Send HSC to 54373 to get the results on their mobile phones.

Exit Poll 2009 | 15th Lok Sabha | Indian Elections Results | Live Chat

2009-05-13T19:23:00.000+05:30

Exit poll as the name suggests is the poll carried out when the voters exit from the polling booth. In other words, it is a kind of survey carried out by various non-governmental organisations (news channels, press etc.) to know about the possible outcome of the polls and made predictions based on the information collected. In this process the voters are enquired about the party they had voted for when they came out of the polling station/booth.

The decision from the EC has come following a notification from the Supreme Court of India. In its notification the SC had said that EC has the right and authority to put a ban on the exit and opinion polls during election time and it should implement the ban.

After the last phase of polling today ,various Tv channels who conducted the Exit polls 2009 for the elections will relays the results on Television.

15th Lok Sabha Elections Result to be announced on 16th May 2009.

Exit polls on television news channels show that the Congress-led UPA has been projected to have an edge over NDA and others in the Lok Sabha elections which are expected to produce a highly-fractured verdict.

'Headlines Today' channel gave Congress and its allies 191 seats against 180 to BJP and its allies. The Left parties, which played a crucial role in the outgoing Lok Sabha with 60 seats, has been projected to get 38 while 'Others' including the BSP are set to get 134 in a House of 543.

'India TV' channel said UPA would get between 195 seats and it could go up to 227 if 32 seats of RJD, LJP and SP are added. The channel has given NDA 189 and the Third Front 113. 'Others' are projected to get 14 seats.

Elections » Live Chat: Ask Dr Prannoy Roy

NDTV Opinion Poll Results

MHADA Results online at MHADA Website on May 19, 2009

2009-05-12T15:09:00.000+05:30

The fate of lacs of applicants for the allotment of 3863 Flats under Mhada Scheme is soon going to be decided. Mhada is going to held a draw by lottery to declare the successful applicants on Tuesday, 19th May,2009.
Around 4.35 Lac applicants are trying their luck to get a pie of the 3863 flats. Out of these, 5300 applications have been rejected due to lack of documentation. The list of applicants who are eligible to participate in the draw has been put on the Mhada Website. The lottery draw will be held at Rangsharada Auditorium at Bandra (W).
The list of valid applications has been uploaded at the Mhada website http://www.mhada.maharashtra.gov.in/
N.B: If you want to witness the lottery process, Mhada will distribute free passes on First cum first serve basis between 11-2 PM at the Mhada Head-office at Bandra (E). Results will also be displayed outside the Auditorium on the LED Screen.

Airtel India’s biggest music company now

2009-05-12T14:37:00.000+05:30

Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel has now become the country’s biggest music company, overtaking the industry leader Saregama, on the back of its music-related value-added mobile services.
Bharti Airtel, flagship company of Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Group, recently entered into an exclusive multi-million dollar deal with Machester United here, under which it would offer its mobile subscribers access to the mobile content related to the British soccer club.
Late last year, Bharti Airtel had bagged the ‘Best Mobile Music, TV or Video Service´ award at the GSMA Asia Mobile Award 2008 at Macau. Airtel’s Music-On-Demand was awarded for creating a uniquely intuitive, personalised user experience of music on mobile.
Airtel had bagged the prestigious award among stiff competition from global leaders such as Telstra Corporation, Australia, Geodesic Inc, US, Artificial Life Inc, Hong Kong and Gracenote, US.

PSEB 2009 8TH CLASS RESULTS | 8TH CLASS PSEB

2009-05-12T14:24:00.000+05:30

Result of 8th class pseb, pseb mohali Punjab School Education Board 8th Class Result 2009.
Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Mohali has announced Calss VIII Results on official website. Fill out your Roll number and other details at following address to know your Result for Class VIII (8th).

PSEB 8th Class Result 2009
Register Your Roll Number to Get Result by Email
Annual Examination Session 2009.
For more details,
contact: PSEB- Punjab School Education Board
Vidya Bhawan, Phase-8,
S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali) Pin-Code.160062
Phone:- 0172-3047444,0172-3047445

HSE Kerala exam results

2009-05-12T13:44:00.000+05:30

Government of Kerala

Higher Secondary Examination Results 2009

Announced on 12 May 2009.

DHSE Plus Two Examination (HSE) Results 2009
http://keralaresults.nic.in/dhse09/dhse09.htm

Vocational Higher Secondary Examination (VHSE) Results 2009
http://keralaresults.nic.in/vhse09/vhse09.htm

Also search results here: http://www.cdit.org

Beginner’s guide to iPhone

2008-08-22T22:18:00.000+05:30

So you got your Apple iPhone. After months of waiting, your dear gadget is in your hands.

But not sure, how to get started. Asking yourself, where do I begin? How to connect it with your PC? How to sync it with iTunes? How to sync contacts with applications? All this bothering you bigtime? Worry not.

Here's help. We bring you a beginner’s guide on how to go about setting up your iPhone.

To start using any of iPhone's features, you must activate your iPhone by signing up for a service plan with iPhone's service carrier (Airtel or Vodafone in India) and registering your iPhone with the network.

Remember, relationship executives of your service provider will activate and tether the handset before they handover the same to you. Every iPhone 3G needs `tethering' before one can start using the handset.

The handset is connected to PC through USB and connects to iTunes. The PC needs to be connected through Internet. The process takes around 3-5 minutes depending upon the Internet connectivity of the PC.

Registering iPhone with iTunes will enable iTunes to identify your iPhone when it's connected to your computer and help you manage its content.

You can sync information with your PC and media from iTunes, and create backups of your iPhone's content and settings. Also, you can create an iTune's store account, or specify an existing account, to enable purchases with iPhone. iTunes also records iPhone's serial number, in case you need it for service or in case of loss.

To register download and install the latest version of iTunes from www.itunes.com/download. Connect iPhone to a USB 2.0 port on your PC or Mac using the cable that came with your iPhone. Now, follow the instructions given on the screen to register iPhone and sync iPhone with your contacts, calendars and bookmarks on your computer with music, video and other content in your iTunes library.

In the Set Up your iPhone screen, select, "Automatically sync contacts, calendars and bookmarks" to configure those items to sync when you connect iPhone to your PC. Or, you can also customise settings in iTunes. Ringtones, music, audiobooks, podcasts, video content and purchased applications are synched from your iTunes library.

You can sync contacts with applications such as Mac OX X address book, Microsoft Entourage, Yahoo address book, Google address book, Windows address book, Vista contacts or Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007.

To sync with Yahoo address book, you only need to click Configure to enter your login information when you change your Yahoo ID or password after you have set up syncing.

You can sync calendars from applications such as iCal and Microsoft Entourage on Mac or from Microsoft 2003 or 2007 on a PC.

You can sync email account settings from Mail on a Mac and from Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007 or Outlook Express on a PC. Account settings are only transferred from your computer to iPhone. Changes you make to an email account on iPhone don't affect the account on your computer. iPhone works with MobileMe, Microsoft Exchange and many of the popular email systems. For many of the popular email accounts, iPhone automatically enters most of the settings for the user. To add an account on iPhone: From iPhone's Home screen, tap Settings. Tap, "Mail, Contacts, Calendars," then Tap Add account. Tap an account type (Microsoft Exchange, Mobile Me, Google, Yahoo, AOL, Google or any other). Enter your account information and tap Save. Your service provider or system administrator provides the accounts settings a user needs. Please note that if you turn on contacts or calendars in a Mobile Me or Exchange account, syncing for contacts or calendars in iTunes is turned off.

For enterprise environment, users may be able to set up accounts and other items on iPhone by installing a configuration profile. Configuration profiles provide a way for system administrators to quickly set up your iPhone to work with the information systems at your company. For example, a configuration profile might set up a user's iPhone to access the Microsoft Exchange servers at work, enabling iPhone to access his Exchange email, calendars and contacts. Configuration profiles can also configure multiple settings on iPhone in one go. Here's how to go about it, using your iPhone, open the email message or download the configuration profile from the website provided by your system administrator. Once the configuration file opens, tap Install. Enter passwords and other information as required.

Unless, iPhone is syncing with your computer, you can disconnect it from your computer at any time. When iPhone is syncing with your computer, iPhone shows, "Sync in progress." If you disconnect iPhone before it finishes syncing, some data may not get transferred. When iPhone finishes syncing, iTunes shows "iPhone sync is complete."

Late bloomers

2008-06-26T16:38:00.000+05:30

Let's NOT talk about sex, baby, appears to be India's approach to sex education. The country's teenagers have come in as the oldest to get formal sex education in a new global sex survey.

The 26-country Durex survey on sexual confidence reveals that Indians only formally learn about sex between the ages 15 and 16, falling far behind countries like Mexico, UK and US where teenagers get formal sex ed between 12 and 13. The world average age is 13.

And, like their peers in other countries, youngsters are not getting their education from school or their parents but from friends and peers and the media. Educational institutions (10-12 per cent) fall even lower than parents (22 per cent) as a sex education source.

Parents failing Parents are the single most impactful source of sex education. "Most students say they had never had a meaningful discussion about sex with either parent, yet for well over half of them, at least one parent believed that there has been such a discussion," Durex said.

The study revealed that comprehensive sex education between the ages of 11 and 16 is vital for people to develop sexual confidence in life. It also showed that those who have more confidence are better equipped to protect themselves against STIs and unwanted pregnancies.

"There was no such thing as sex education at school in India when I grew up, not even in urban areas. Sex education is now starting to be implemented but it's still patchy and stirs debate and #8230; I mainly got my information from friends and double-checked what they told me through books or magazines or, more recently, the internet," Durex quoted a 34-year-old media consultant as saying.

HT City attempted recently to get a round up of sex ed implementation in local schools. Most principals refused to respond to our enquiries.

Education Minister Vasant Purke triggered protests in the assembly earlier this year when he announced his decision to introduce sex education from class IX to XI. Barkha Singh, chairperson for Delhi Commission of Women said the cultural scenario has changed so much that a student of class VIII is mature enough to understand anything. "It will be beneficial for girls to know about sex, as these days they attain puberty at an early age.

This makes it necessary to introduce sex education from class VIII onwards." Girls and boys choose to get their information differently, the survey found.

Males were more likely to use magazines, the Internet, TV, radio or institutional sources while females chose parents, family and doctors. Talk's healthy Professor Carl Latkin of the Department of Health, Behaviour and Society at Johns Hopkins University said: "Social marketing and school based sex education programmes may want to consider promoting discussions among peers and family to make the topics socially acceptable and healthy norms sustainable.

" India, and most Asian countries, also fell behind Western countries on their level of confidence on how to protect themselves from HIV-AIDS (75.3 per cent), and even lower on level of confidence on how to avoid pregnancy (73 per cent). Surprisingly Asian countries had high levels of confidence in knowing how to have a happy and fulfilling sex life with India scoring 74 per cent.

Free Download 15000 Video Clips with Adobe Media Player

2008-06-21T23:54:00.000+05:30

A personal video library and internet TV content management tool

Enlarge pictureAdobe Media Player is a rich Internet application based on Adobe AIR operating system runtime that allows the management of Internet TV content on Windows and MacOS operating systems. It provides online or offline access to 15000 pieces of video content formed by video clips and TV shows.

Adobe Media Player, as a desktop video content organizer, permits users to download and stream videos from major providers: among other leading television broadcasters, MTV Networks (MTVN) as well as CBS have just added new content to the catalog in Adobe Media Player. For example, CBS contributed with video clips and complete episodes of shows like Flashpoint, Million Dollar Password and Greatest American Dog.

Greg Clayman, executive vice president of digital distribution and business development at MTVN appreciates the performance of Adobe Media Player, "Adobe Media Player has emerged as a fantastic platform for audiences to access and interact with our content, and we’re excited to expand our content offering on the media player with more and more of our hit programming".

On the other hand, Jim Guerard, vice president of Dynamic Media at Adobe stated, "With Adobe Media Player, we are helping to redefine next-generation TV experiences. With over 400 shows including new popular programs such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report, it’s clear that we're spurring a seismic shift in how content is distributed and consumed."

The Adobe Media Player application, besides providing a high-quality HD playback of FLV videos, also gives users the possibility to view videos at different resolution values (480i, 720p or 1080p). Custom video feeds can also be added and, as a consequence, the new video content from Internet TV shows will be received automatically. New video content is continually added in a searchable catalog in order to be easily discovered by viewers.

The distribution of Internet video content through the Adobe Media Player application will definitely bring new perspectives for publishers as well as pleasant experiences for viewers (consumers). If you want to manage video content with the Adobe Media Player application, it is available for download for free for Windows and respectively MacOS operating systems.

courtesy

Establish contact with your inner energy

2008-06-05T20:20:00.000+05:30

The pressures of life are so great that they begin to affect us physically and mentally. Most of us experience anxiety, fear, depression and phobias.

Our mental state can cause stress-related illnesses. Studies have shown that when we are angry or upset, the body releases hormones that prepare us for “fight or flight”.

Since societal norms dictate that we deal with problems calmly and rationally, we tend not to “fight or take flight”, but face the situation, keeping our feelings bottled up. The result? Our hormones go berserk, causing diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, breathing problems, digestive disorders, headaches, muscle pain and skin rashes. The solution is not necessarily to fight back or run away, for those reactions can create still more problems in our relationships. We need to find some acceptable way to overcome stress.

Meditation contributes to physical and mental well-being. It is safe, effective, and costs nothing. Once we learn how to meditate, we carry within us a ready remedy which we can use at any time and place.

Meditation brings about physical relaxation. It puts us in a state where we are absorbed in an enjoyable, blissful experience, and we become oblivious to the problems of the outer world.

In meditation, we select a pose in which we can remain quiet and calm. The process of meditation helps our attention focus on a point between and behind the two eyebrows. In this way, we withdraw attention from our outer body. The body then becomes as relaxed as it is in sleep.

Studies show that in meditation, brain waves function at a frequency where there is a sensation of peace and total relaxation. Through meditation on the inner light and sound we receive an added bonus. It puts us in contact with a radiant energy coming from states beyond the physical world. It is a powerful current of divine love, consciousness and bliss.

It is a spiritual experience beyond measurement. This current is within each person and can be contacted at the third or single eye. It provides us with much more than physical relaxation. It bathes us in an intoxication stronger and more lasting than any external intoxication. Our body, mind and soul experience waves of ecstasy permeating through every part of us.

This experience arises from our innermost self, our soul, coming in contact with its own essence in the form of the current of light and sound. This stream was the force that brought everything into being. Our soul is a drop of that essence. This creative power, the current which flows from it and our soul are said to be all love, consciousness and bliss.

We are only aware of our body and mind. We are oblivious to our true nature, the soul. In meditation, when the body and mind are stilled, we become aware of our nature as soul. When the soul is withdrawn and collected at the third eye, it is at the contact point with the inner light and sound.

When the soul meets the current it is magnetised. It is like a water droplet resting on a tabletop. If you run a stream of water across it, the drop will attach itself to the rivulet and merge in it. Similarly, when our soul concentrates at the point where the current begins, at the third eye, it will be drawn to merge in it. We then start to travel on this current. Our soul rises above consciousness of the body and enjoys a journey into higher realms.
Courtesy

UP Board 10th class results 2008

2008-05-30T13:31:00.000+05:30

The Uttar Pradesh Board of High Schools & Intermediate Education will announce the High School (Class 10) results 2008 on 30th May, 2008 at 02:00 pm (IST).

The results of the High School Examination 2008 will be available on:

www.ExamResults.net
http://www.upeducation.net/

Results of CBSE Class X today for 5 regions

2008-05-30T11:16:00.000+05:30

CBSE Class X results for Ajmer, Allahabad, Delhi, Guwahati and Panchkula regions are being declared today 29 May 2008.
You can now easily check CBSE Board 2008 class X Result online from the following list of websites.
Click the below stared links to get better results.
cbseresults.nic.in
examresults.net ( go here for exams news )
results.gov.in ( go here for exams news )
cbseguess.com ( CBSE info site )
indiaresults.com ( go here for exams news & results )

Madhyamik 2008 ( West Bengal ) results on May 28

2008-05-26T15:46:00.000+05:30

The results of Madhyamik Pariksha 2008, both regular and external, will be announced on May 28 at 9 am. Candidates will also receive marksheets from the school the same day.Students may get result from following websites :-
http://www.wbbse.org/
http://www.wbbse.co.in/
http://www.banglarmukh.com/
http://www.tathyabangla.org.in/
http://www.indiaresult.com/
http://www.westbengaleducation.net/
http://www.indiaedu.com/

To get result on SMS
type wb10 Roll No and send to 57777 ( for BSNL ) ,
send to 57333,54242,54545 ( from any mobile),
send to 57969(vodafone) ,
send to 51234 ( Reliance).

Central Board Of Secondary Education ( CBSE class 10th )/Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE Class 12th )

2008-05-23T15:23:00.000+05:30

1. Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE Class XII) Results 2008
- Announced on 21st May 2008 at 08:00 Hrs. IST
( Chennai, Ajmer and Panchkula regions )
click here for result -- Results by IVRS School Wise Results

2. Class XII Exam Results 2008 - Announced on 23rd May 2008 at 08:00 Hrs. IST
( Delhi, Guwahati and Allahabad regions )
click here for result -- Results by IVRS School Wise Results
3. Class X Exam Results 2008 - To be Announced

*Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Examination Results 2008 - Class XII, Class X, PMT, PDT Exam Results.
You can now easily check CBSE Board 2008 class X and XII Result online from the following list of websites.If you know more sites for better results you can write those websites name in below comments. cbse.nic.in is the CBSE main website.
Click the below stared links to get better results.
cbseresults.nic.in
examresults.net ( go here for exams news )
results.gov.in ( go here for exams news )
cbseguess.com ( CBSE info site )
indiaresults.com ( go here for exams news & results )

Tax filing tips for Non Resident Indians

2008-05-20T22:13:00.000+05:30

Filing of tax returns in India by a Non Resident Individual depends on the taxability of income earned by the individual which in turn depends on his/her residential status (as per tax laws). Here are some tips for you.

Who is a Non resident in India?

As per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (Act), an individual is considered to be a tax resident of India if he is:

a) Physically present in India for 182 days or more in that tax year; OR

b) Physically present in India for 60 days in that tax year and 365 days or more in the preceding four tax years. However, if an Indian citizen leaves India during the previous year for the purpose of employment outside India or as a member of the crew of and Indian ship, the period of ’60 days’ is extended to ‘182 days’.

The above two conditions are termed as the basic conditions of residency. If neither of these two basic conditions are satisfied, the individual is classified as a NRI.

Which income of NRIs is taxable in India?

Income received or deemed to be received or income accruing or arising or deemed to accrue or arise in India by NRIs are India sourced income and hence, are taxable in India. More often, NRI is also taxed in the country where he is a resident. This situation of “double taxation” (ie taxed in India as well as in the country of which the NRI is a resident) can be avoided by appropriate planning considering the provisions of the relevant Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement ( or Tax Treaty) entered by India with the relevant country and availing the benefits of the same, if any.

Why NRIs are required to file Income Tax returns in India?

If an individual has a tax obligation in India, the domestic tax laws of India requires filing of a Return of Income. A NRI may be required to file the Income Tax return in India under the following circumstances :

a) Earning from India sourced income exceed the maximum amount chargeable to tax thus resulting in tax obligation,

b) Taxes have been withheld in excess of income offered to tax thus resulting in a refund situation.

c) To enable the NRI to claim treaty benefits in the country of his residence ie the country in which his global income is consolidated and taxed.

d) To become tax compliant as per India tax laws.

However, it will not be necessary for a NRI to file a Return of Income in India if his total income consist only of investment income or income by way of long term capital gains or both and if the tax deductible at source under the provisions of the Act has been deducted from such income.

Filing of Return of Income by NRI in India – Procedures and issues

a) The first step to filing the Return would be making an application for allotment of Permanent Account Number (“PAN’) in a prescribed Form No. 49A. Earlier the application for PAN was required to be made only in physical form but now PAN can be applied online through website from anywhere in the world. The PAN is to be quoted in all correspondences relating to Income Tax including Return of Income.

b) Appropriate form of Return of Income applicable for the NRI based on the source of income needs to be selected out of the following as may be applicable:

ITR 1 – For Individuals having Income from Salary/ Pension/ family pension & Interest or income from agricultural activities

ITR 2 – For Individuals not having Income from Business or Profession or on account of being a partner in a partnership firm

ITR 3 – For individuals who are partners in a partnership firm and does not carry out any other business or profession

ITR 4 – For individuals having income from a proprietary business or profession

c) Presently there are two options available to the NRIs to file their return of income viz. Electronic filing or Physical filing.

Under Electronic filing, the NRI will have to get the tax return uploaded on the Income Tax website with a Digital Signature (NB: Digital signature is required to be separately obtained from specified Digital Signature Issuing Authorities). However if the file is uploaded without a digital signature, the individual will have to print Form ITR-V and submit the same with the Return physically. In such cases, the process of filing return will be completed only on physical filing of ITR-V.
Under Physical filing, the individual will have to file the respective ITR form along with the Acknowledgment form with the Income Tax Officer. The return needs to be signed and verified by the individual personally or where he is absent from India, by the individual himself or by some person duly authorized by him in this behalf in which case the person signing the return should hold a valid power of attorney from the individual which shall be attached to the return.

Consequence of not filing Return of Income by NRI

If individuals file their returns after the last date of filing Return of Income, they will be charged interest at the rate of 1% per month of delay. Further, if such a return is filed after one year from the end of the tax year concerned, apart from the interest, they will also be liable for a penalty of Rs 5,000. The due date of filing the return of income by a NRI is July 31. However, if the NRI is a working partner of a firm whose accounts are required to be audited, then the due date is September 30.

Some Practical issues faced by a NRI in preparation and filing of Return of Income in India :

a) Examining Treaty Benefit – The tax years of countries are usually different (See table below).

Country Tax Year
India April 1 to March 31
United Kingdom April 6 to April 5
Australia July 1 to June 30
Germany, Switzerland, Denmark January 1 to December 31

The residential status needs to be examined very carefully to ascertain whether treaty benefit would be available to the NRI. Peculiar situations could arise for an individual as he could be a resident of both countries or a non resident of both countries as per the tax treaty (this is possible in case of highly mobile employees) for a particular period of the tax year. Where an individual is a resident of both countries, the residential status for the purposes of the tax treaty is determined by applying the ‘tie breaker’ test in the tax treaty. This is essential, since the country of residence relieves the burden of double taxation by giving either the credit for taxes paid in the source country or the country in which the individual is not a resident sparing the income that has suffered tax in the country in which he is a resident. On the other hand, where a NRI is considered to be a non resident of both countries, he is not entitled to the tax treaty benefits and thus would be governed by the respective domestic tax laws of those countries relating to residence and taxability.

b) Ascertaining Jurisdiction – If the NRI is outside India, for him to ascertain the right jurisdiction where his return is required to be filed poses a big challenge. In most of the cities, dedicated international jurisdiction is available for filing of the Return of Income by NRIs. However, this may get smoothened with gaining popularity of online filing through websites.

c) Address – A local address is required to be entered in the Return of Income. This poses a problem since the NRIs who visit India for a short period find it difficult to find a local address to be given in the Return of Income. To overcome this problem, generally address of the local office in which the NRI works is mentioned in the Return of Income.

d) Bank details – It is mandatory to provide Bank Account details in the returns in case of refunds. NRIs who are visiting India for a short period do not intend to open a Bank Account in India but are forced to open Bank account in India for tax compliance

e) Physical filing of Return of Income – If the return is intended to be filed physically and the NRI is outside India, verification and signing of the Return of Income poses a problem as, in such circumstances, return needs to be signed and verified by the individual himself or by some person duly authorized by him in this behalf in which case the person signing the return should hold a valid power of attorney from the individual which shall be attached to the return.

f) Online Filing of Return of Income – The online filing of Return of Income requires ‘Digital Signature’ which to obtain requires adherence to a separate procedure.

ICSE ISC results 2008

2008-05-18T22:26:00.000+05:30

Results of the Indian School Certificate (ISC) and Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) examinations for Class XII and Class X will be declared on 20th May 2008 at 3.00pm.
The results can be accessed at:
www.cisce.examresults.net
www.cisce.ilfsets.com
www.cisce.my-lyceum.net
www.cisce.ndtv.com
www.cisce.indiaresults.com
www.cisce.mysuccess.in
Results can also be accessed through SMS on GSM mobiles by typing in ICSE or ISC followed by the index number in the message text (ICSE T5331009) and sending it to 6767 or 6388 or 676733 or 676744 or 676750 or 7333 or 4545.
Through voice response system at the following numbers: 66602140, 66602139, 26476547. Add 011 for calls from outside Delhi.
Students can view their results individually, schools can use their personalised password to access the results of their students.

West Bengal & CBSE Examination Results - 2008

2008-05-18T13:52:00.000+05:30

WEST BENGAL BOARD OF MADRASAH EDUCATION RESULTS - 2008
( To be published on 19th May,2008 after 12 noon )

WEST BENGAL COUNCIL OF HIGHER SECONDARY EDUCATION ( CLASS - XII ) RESULTS - 2008
( To be published on 20th May,2008 )

2008 CBSE results

Register here to get your Results by E-mail

Please keep watching this page...

Andhra Pradesh:10th Class SSC Results 2008, Andhra Pradesh

2008-05-15T22:27:00.000+05:30

Kindly check out here for all the information related to Andhra Pradesh Secondary School Certificate ( SSC ) Examination. [10th Class Results]. This exam is conducted by the Andhra Pradesh SSC Board.

Check additional links for this information - Andhra tenth class results
You need to enter you HT No. Hall Ticket Number to see your 10th Class, SSC Exam Result.

http://www.educationguide.co.in/
http://www.educationguide.co.in/Results.aspx
http://results.nic.in/
http://results.gov.in/
http://www.manabadi.com/ manabadi
http://www.schools9.com/ schools9
http://www.aarvy.com/ aarrvy
http://nettlinxresults.net/ nettlinxresults.net
Search for any URL above to get the result.

Kerala State SSLC results 2008

2008-05-13T12:11:00.000+05:30

SSLC results published on 13th May 2008

Get RESULT in your E-MAIL BOX - SSLC result of Keral will be sent to your E-mail address.

More information on SSLC Results :
http://www.examresults.kerala.gov.in/
http://www.kerala.gov.in/
http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/
http://www.sslcexamkerala.gov.in/
http://www.manoramaonline.com/sslc

IPL News: Rajasthan Royals Defeat Deccan Chargers By 8 Wickets

2008-05-09T23:30:00.000+05:30

An inspired performance by the bowlers backed by a powerful knock by Yusuf Pathan helped Rajasthan Royals to mark an easy 8-wicket win over Deccan Chargers in their 30th IPL encounter.
Earlier, Deccan Chargers failed to capitalise on Adam Gilchrist's useful knock and managed 140 for eight after being put in to bat in their Indian Premier League match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
The Chargers lost opener Herschelle Gibbs (19 off 20 balls) and Scott Styris (13 off 11) before they could make much of an impact.
But that did not distract skipper Adam Gilchrist who scored at ease playing some electrifying strokes. He gathered 61 valuable runs off just 49 balls and laid a solid foundation for the Chargers. His entertaining knock included nine fours and a six.
The Chargers' stand-in skipper got out in the 14th over while trying to slash a wide delivery from paceman Siddharth Trivedi but ending up edging it to wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat.
The Chargers lost their way after Gilchrist's dismissal as Shahid Afridi (1), Rohit Sharma (5) and Sanjay Bangar (3) were sent packing by a disciplined Royals' attack which was aided by some fine fielding.
The visitors then lost two more wickets in D Ravi Teja (6) and RP Singh (2) cheaply, but Venugopal Rao (23 off 11) stayed at the other end and his late assault helped his side touch the 140 mark. Rao hit three fours and a six in his cameo knock.

For the hosts, skipper Shane Warne was the pick of the bowlers returning two for 20, while Trivedi was impressively economical conceding only eight runs in his three overs.

IPL 2008 : We are the winners: Shah Rukh Khan

2008-04-21T16:18:00.000+05:30

Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders play their first match on Sunday and the superstar says “his team are the declared winners".

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan told, "Being an actor I have always thought everything in larger-than-life perspective. Knight Riders' matches will also be no exception. Being a little tongue-in-cheek, at Eden Gardens, we will exhibit two helmets - an 18-carat gold-plated and a diamond studded one respectively to show the other teams that we are the declared winners. The matches are just child's play for us."

"I believe it's my duty to entertain people whether it's in films or in the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. Though I am not going to dance at the gallery, I will be present at Edens."

According to him, the match will surely be a star-studded affair.

"Rani (Mukerji), Bipasha (Basu) and Kareena (Kapoor) have verbally confirmed their presence. With Kareena nowadays we get a Saif Ali Khan for free. So Saif can also be expected. I personally will try to convince John (Abraham) and Karan (Johar) to fly down as well. I have personally invited Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi to come and cheer for us at the Edens," Shah Rukh said.

King Khan is surely doing his bit, while the people Kolkata have already made their plans for the matches.

"We have arranged for a procession from Hatibagan in central Kolkata to the Eden Gardens. Twenty belly dancers will dance their way to the ground on a 16-wheeled container trailer," said Arnab Roy, joint secretary of the Shah Rukh Khan Fans Club.

Roy said this is the first time in the history of Edens that supporters will enter the grounds with drums and play them at the gallery.

"We will also decorate the gallery with Knight Riders flags, banners and festoons. Shah Rukh has promised to help us deck up the gallery," he added.

Fans and fan clubs of Sourav Ganguly, captain of the Knight Riders, and Shah Rukh have arranged mass screening of all the matches at select places across the city.

Golden-black billboards and posters of the 'Knights' - with their faces painted in gold - are evoking much excitement in all Kolkatans irrespective of age.

Ticket sales for the IPL matches began here Monday. And since then, there have been long queues outside the Cricket Association Of Bengal (CAB) ticket counters every day.

"All the tickets for the first two Knight Riders matches at Edens - on April 20 against Deccan Chargers, and April 29 against Mumbai Indians - are sold out. I am sure tickets for the other five matches will also sell like hot cake once Kolkatans get the taste of the first match at Edens," said CAB joint secretary Amitabha Bandopadhyay.

Out of the 14 matches of the Kolkata Knight Riders, seven will be played at the Eden Gardens ground here.

The first match of the IPL kicked off Friday with the Knight Riders emerging victorious over the Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Chinnasawmy Stadium in Bangalore.

As the team's slogan goes, its all about "Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo" (Do, Fight, Win) for the "King's Men".

UK's royal family photos on display

2008-04-21T16:14:00.001+05:30

Rare royal photographs including of a handwritten note by five-year-old Prince Charles to his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, with crayon hugs and kisses, have been displayed in an official pictorial biography of the Prince to mark his 60th birthday on November 14.

The note, with drawn lines to help the heir to the British throne keep his writing straight, was written to the Queen Mother on the maiden voyage of the Royal Yacht Britannia in April 1954.

The young Prince and his sister Princess Anne, then aged three, boarded at Portsmouth before sailing to Tobruk in north Africa to reunite with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh who were on the final stages of a post-Coronation tour.

The book, Charles, Prince of Wales: A Birthday Souvenir Album, traces his official and family life through material selected from the Royal Archives, the Royal Photograph Collection and his personal collection.

It covers his childhood, schooldays and life at Cambridge University where he read archaeology and anthropology.

It also covers his investiture as the Prince of Wales, his marriage to Lady Diana, the births of princes William and Harry, and his marriage to the Duchess of Cornwall.

The book shows some of the Prince's favourite toys - a trolley of wooden bricks decorated with the words "Prince Charles Express" and a green Sunbeam Coupe pedal-car which he used to up and down the Grand Corridor at Windsor Castle.

Olympic torch relay begins in Malaysia

2008-04-21T16:02:00.000+05:30

The Olympic torch relay on Monday began its Malaysian leg at the Independence Square with hundreds of commandos guarding it to ward off any possible disruption and curious onlookers eager to get a glimpse of the flame.

Police escorted away three people, one Chinese monk and two Japanese nationals, for allegedly waving pro-Tibet banner at the Square before the relay started.

Malaysian authorities have made stringent security arrangements in city's key areas from where the flame will pass through in its four-hour journey and threatened to take action against those disturbing public order.

The president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia, Imran Tuanku Ja'afar was the first of the 80 torch bearers to begin the relay after a brief ceremony at the Square.

Almost 1000-strong police posse are on duty to guard the flame as the torch bearers began the 16.5-km relay between the sprawling Independence Square to the iconic Petronas twin Towers.

Several Chinese gathered to watch the send-off, carrying China's flag and Chinese language banners that read: "The Torch will spread around the world," and "No one can split China."

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Yatim Rais has said the government will take all measures to ensure the relay is successful and safe.

Rais said this leg of relay is a reflection of the close ties Malaysia has with China.

Malaysia's multi-ethnic population comprises 25 per cent ethnic Chinese.

Next US president may not push n-deal: Blackwill

2008-04-21T15:45:00.000+05:30

Former US ambassador to India Robert Blackwill, who has also been a chief lobbyist for New Delhi in Washington, on Sunday said the next American president might not have as much stake in the nuclear deal as the current administration does.

"If I may be characteristically blunt, the next American president will not have the same sunk costs in the US-India civil nuclear agreement that this president (George W Bush) and the top of the administration has," Blackwill said at the first International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)-Citi India Global Forum here.

He said that while US will not pay any price if the deal does not go through, "India will pay a substantial price in its future energy policy, and its lack of civil nuclear assistance from the outside world".

On the hurdles that the deal has encountered in Indian domestic politics, Blackwill said: "I would say, but perhaps you would not agree, that coming from a democracy myself that furiously debates such agreements, and in which its own domestic politics are deeply engaged, I do not criticise India and its great democracy for struggling with the domestic political implications of that agreement."

The Left parties that support the Manmohan Singh government have been strongly opposed to the deal.

The former envoy added that if the nuclear deal was not reached this year, "it would not produce a large bump in the US-India bilateral relationship".

Blackwill also hoped that the next US president would not return to the pre-2001 pattern of "lecturing" India on nuclear weapons.

"They (Indians) did not have much tolerance before, and they have none now. That would be a substantial irritant in the relationship if it were to occur."

Further, he said, "the same thing is true of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which conceivably could be a high priority for the next American president, depending on how our election turns out."

"Again, I hope very much that the administration to come does not wear out its welcome in New Delhi with urgings regarding the CTBT," said Blackwill.

New technology to beat exam cheats

2008-04-21T15:40:00.001+05:30

Students who laugh all the way to examination centres not because their preparations are sound but because they already know the questions, had better watch out.

Technology is coming in to address two of the biggest issues that education in India faces: leakage of question papers and forgery of marksheets and certificates.

Institutions like Bangalore University and Visveswaraya Technological institute are considering a technology that will enable them to print question papers at the examination venue just an hour before the test.

As for the forgery prevention technology that involves putting barcodes on marksheets, the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, implemented it last year, and several others like Bangalore University are now planning to adopt it.

In the traditional question paper distribution method, these papers are printed at a central site and sent out to different exam centres where they are expected to be kept in "safe" custody until the exam date. The trouble is that leakages happen either at the central printing site or the exam centre.

With the new technology, the question paper is converted into a digital format and encoded (so that nobody can read it). This is then stored in a server as a PDF attachment in an email.

A special printer is installed at the exam location. The printer, connected to the internet, will locate the email from the server, decode the attachment and print the desired number of copies.

Only on Saturday, the West Bengal joint entrance exam — which was to be held on Sunday — was postponed after the physics, chemistry and biology papers were leaked and two persons were arrested in Midnapore, where the three papers were being sold for Rs 2.5 lakh.

A spokesperson of the MNC providing the solution said, "No one can locate the mail in the system except for the printer customized for it. Also, only the authorized person can log on to the printer. The printer will have an in-built setting to print only a specified number of question papers."

The spokesperson said one pilot project is under way in Karnataka. "The Karnataka IT department has looked at the technology and is planning to suggest to registrars of universities to implement it," he said.

As for the barcoding system for marksheets, Bangalore University has completed a pilot project and is expected to implement it soon.

BU vice-chancellor H A Ranganath said, "We have received the presentation from companies and are now finalizing our plans."

Money can buy you happiness: Study

2008-04-06T16:09:00.001+05:30

They say "money can't buy you happiness" but a new study has proved the opposite.

Researchers at Wharton Business School have carried out the study and found that inhabitants of richer nations are happier than those of poorer countries, the Financial Times has reported.

Their finding contradicts years of wisdom that higher national gross domestic product often did not translate into a greater overall sense of well-being.

In fact, according to the researchers, Professor Justin Wolfers and Betsey Stevenson, this established view, known as the Easterlin Paradox, is not true.

Based on the analysis of data spanning over half-a-century and 132 countries, they claim that if a country is richer, its people also tend to be happier - in other words, the higher the GDP, the wider your smile.

The researchers reached the conclusion partly owing to improved international statistics, covering more nations - poor and rich - and a greater number of happiness surveys which were conducted over the past three decades.

"I think a lot of people found it politically comforting to find that income only mattered for the very poor and once we satisfied our basic needs it didn't matter," Prof Wolfers was quoted by the financial daily as saying.

Their study paper will be discussed next week at an economic conference of Brookings, a leading think-tank in the United States.

BlackBerry may have to move servers to India

2008-04-06T16:07:00.001+05:30

The home ministry has summoned Canadian firm Research In Motion (RIM) — makers of the BlackBerry device — along with service providers on April 9 to resolve the issue of monitoring text communication exchanged from the phone.

Though the government has made it clear that there are no plans to ban BlackBerry services, the move is aimed to address the concerns of security agencies by asking RIM to move some of its servers to India, sources in the home ministry said.

The meeting on April 9 will also be attended by officials of the department of telecommunication (DoT), which has already contacted RIM over the issue. The Canadian firm is expected to submit its reply during the meeting. Meanwhile, service providers Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance have supported DoT’s demand that RIM should set up servers in India for monitoring purposes.

The issue arose after Tata Teleservices was denied permission by the home ministry to launch BlackBerry services due to security concerns. The ministry has sought access to all text communications made through BlackBerry devices at any given time, which is currently not done as the data is transferred in encrypted format.

As BlackBerry does not allow any interception, the Centre sees this as a security threat, particularly in the current scenario where terrorist organisations are using the Internet to communicate.

Chelsea keep United in sights

2008-04-06T15:49:00.000+05:30

Chelsea kept the Premier League title race alive after a strike by Salomon Kalou added to a first-half own goal by Richard Dunne secured a comfortable two-goal victory over Manchester City that moved Avram Grant's side to within two points of leaders Manchester United.

With just five games remaining, Grant's side still face a major challenge if they are to overhaul United, who face Middlesbrough on Sunday.

But with Sir Alex Ferguson's side still to visit Stamford Bridge, this result ensures the battle for the championship is by no means over despite the apparent unease at the club.

By contrast, defeat was a massive blow to City's hopes of qualifying for Europe and manager Sven Goran Eriksson now faces a major task if he is to prevent the season ending in an acute sense of anti-climax.

Chelsea's midweek Champions League defeat to Fenerbahce in Istanbul had done nothing to ease the growing tension surrounding Grant's position and reports immediately before this game that the long-serving and popular assistant manager Steve Clarke is now looking to quit Stamford Bridge only reinforced the view that there are deep-seated problems at the club.

Against such a backdrop, Grant desperately wanted an early lift and that duly came after just six minutes when City captain and centre-back Richard Dunne put through his own goal.

With the vital return leg with Fenerbahce looming 72 hours later, Grant had omitted striker Didier Drogba from his 16-man squad but that did nothing to dilute Chelsea's firepower and a swift incisive early move involving Kalou, Michael Essien and Nicolas Anelka culminated with Dunne sliding Anelka's cross past his keeper Joe Hart.

That was precisely the start Chelsea needed and with City's form having apparently deserted them since the turn of the year, the London club should have taken control.

Eriksson's side have been in free-fall since mid-season when they still harboured hopes of a top-four finish and came into this game having won just three of their previous 15 league games and still painfully short of a consistent goal-scorer.

Indeed, Anelka's contribution to the opening goal will have been particularly frustrating for Sven-Goran Eriksson, the City manager, who this week lamented his failure to persuade Anelka to pass up the opportunity to join Chelsea and rejoin his former club when the Frenchman left Bolton in January.

Eriksson had heavily criticised his players following last weekend's dismal defeat at Birmingham but they showed considerably more spirit as they battled to cancel out Chelsea's lead in the remainder of the first half.

Martin Petrov twice came close from distance and only timely interventions from visiting defenders Juliano Belletti and Alex prevented City from drawing level.

The half-time interval, however, brought an abrupt end to City's response and in a brief three-minute spell Chelsea reasserted their authority by claiming another goal and should have put the game beyond reach.

The crucial second goal came eight minutes after the restart, a product of a series of one-twos between Kalou and Essien that prised open the City back-four and culminated with Kalou rounding Hart and stroking the ball into the empty net.

A minute later it should have been three when Anelka found space behind the home defence before Hart snuffed out the danger with an excellent save and the keeper denied the Frenchman again, tipping his header onto the bar and then reacting superbly to swat the ball off the goal-line.

The contest, though, was effectively over and Grant's side could afford themselves the luxury of coasting through the remainder of the game in anticipation of Tuesday's clash with Fenerbahce, knowing they were still well and truly in the title race.

RP Singh dropped, Pathan retained for 3rd Test

2008-04-06T15:45:00.000+05:30

India bolstered their bowling attack for next week's third and final Test against South Africa by including fit-again paceman Ishant Sharma and recalling medium-pacer Munaf Patel to a 16-man squad on Sunday.

Patel replaced fast bowler Rudra Pratap Singh who went wicketless in the second Test. Singh had also failed to bag any wickets in the drawn first Test in Chennai.

Watch: Munaf, Powar selected for Kanpur Test

The 19-year-old Sharma has been out of action since returning from an impressive tour of Australia, due to injuries to his foot and finger, and missed the first two Tests against South Africa, while Munaf last played a Test in December.

The visitors went 1-0 up in the three-Test series on Saturday after winning the second game in Ahmedabad by an innings and 90 runs inside three days.

Indian selectors also recalled off-spinner Ramesh Powar in the squad. "The team is keen to play three spinners and hence Powar has been added to the line-up," Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah said.

Powar, who has played two Tests, has been named partly as cover for skipper and leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who suffered a groin strain in the drawn first Test and did not seem fully fit in the second.

Shah said both Sharma and Kumble would be subject to fitness tests on April 10, a day before the final Test starts in Kanpur. The hosts will be without talismanic batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who aggravated a groin injury in the first Test which ruled him out of the remaining part of the series.

Squad: Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Ishant Sharma, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel.

Zimbabwe poll battle goes to court, Mugabe defiant

2008-04-06T15:11:00.000+05:30

Zimbabwe's main opposition party goes to court on Saturday to force the release of results from the presidential poll one week ago amid signs President Robert Mugabe plans to fight tenaciously to extend his 28-year rule.
Lawyers representing Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change will ask a high court in Harare for an order compelling election officials to issue the results immediately, ending a delay that has raised suspicions of a tainted vote.

The MDC claims Tsvangirai defeated Mugabe and should be declared president of the economically devastated African nation, but independent observers say the MDC leader did not win an outright majority and faces a run-off against Mugabe.

The court case will begin at 0800 GMT, according to MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa. "We want an urgent release of the results, within four hours of the court order," he said.

"We're fighting the anxiety, disappointment, speculation and rumours as a result of this delay." Senior officials with Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party served notice on Friday that they would back the 84-year-old veteran in the second round of voting, ending speculation earlier in the week that they might ask him to step down.

The ZANU-PF also said it would challenge some of the results of the parliamentary election, which showed it lost control of the lower house. Preliminary results from the upper chamber show Mugabe's party with a slim plurality of the seats.

It is not clear when the run-off would occur. Zimbabwean law requires that it be held within three weeks, but the ZANU-PF hinted on Friday that the timing might be changed.

The hardening of the ruling party's position has punctured the guarded optimism that had emerged among Zimbabwe's opposition and Mugabe's critics in the West, who hoped the ex-liberation war fighter would concede defeat. Former colonial ruler Britain and the United States, both of whom have applied sanctions on Mugabe and his top officials, have criticised the election delay and suggested it could be the precursor to a rigged result.

Mugabe's government is widely accused in the West of stealing previous presidential and parliamentary elections, and his removal is seen by Washington and London as necessary to rebuilding Zimbabwe's shattered economy.

Zimbabweans are struggling with inflation of more than 100,000 percent -- the highest in the world -- mass unemployment and chronic shortages of meat, bread, fuel and other basic necessities.

Worries that tensions could explode rose on Friday when liberation war veterans, a pro-Mugabe group that has in the past intimidated government opponents and violently occupied white-owned farms, attacked the MDC for claiming victory.

"These are all provocations against us freedom fighters," veterans' leader Jabulani Sibanda told a news conference. He added that the veterans would repel any attempt by white farmers to reclaim properties seized by Mugabe. "It now looks like these elections were a way to open for the re-invasion of this country (by the British)," he said.

The farm seizures, which were part of a policy by Mugabe's government to redistribute land to poor blacks, are often blamed for the devastation of Zimbabwe's agricultural sector. Once a net exporter of food, the country has seen production fall sharply since the seizures began in 2000 and now relies on food imports and handouts to feed its people.

Top Sri Lankan minister killed in bomb blast

2008-04-06T14:27:00.000+05:30

Sri Lankan military personnel examine the site of bomb explosion in Gampaha. The blast killed several people including highways minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.

A senior Tamil minister and vocal critic of the LTTE was among at least 11 people killed on Sunday when a powerful blast ripped through a ceremony marking the traditional New Year outside the Sri Lankan capital.

More that 50 others were also injured in the blast which occurred in the western district of Gampaha, about 25 kms from Colombo. Highways Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had gone there to attend the function, media reports here said.

The Defence Ministry blamed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for the attack.

55-year-old Fernandopulle, who was a member of Sri Lanka's failed peace talks with the Tamil Tigers, has become the second minister to have been assassinated this year.

D M Dassanayake, Minister for Nation Building, was killed in a bomb blast days after the government pulled out of a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers.

Google to sell DoubleClick division

2008-04-04T13:40:00.001+05:30

Facing prickly questions about possible conflicts of interest, Google Inc will sell a recently acquired service called Performics that helps websites improve their ranking on online search engines, including Google's.
The decision comes three weeks after Google picked up Performics as part of the online search leader's $3.2 billion purchase of online ad service DoubleClick.

In other fallout from the DoubleClick deal, Google reportedly is preparing to eliminate about 300 jobs in the biggest purge in the Mountain View-based company's 9-year history. The New York Times reported Google's layoff plans on its website, citing an unnamed person with direct knowledge of the upcoming cuts.

Google did not immediately respond to inquiries about the reported layoffs, but Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive, acknowledged layoffs were possible in a note published when the DoubleClick deal closed.

Including the roughly 1,500 workers picked up in the DoubleClick acquisition, Google now has more than 18,000 employees worldwide.

Although 300 jobs represent less than 2 per cent of Google's total payroll, it still figures to a jarring move for a company that prides itself on pampering its employees.

The streamlining also signals Google may be watching its expenses more closely amid concerns that the slowing US economy will curb the ad spending that has driven the company's rapid earnings growth.

Rising worries about a possible slowdown has contributed to a 33 per cent decline in Google's market value so far this year, wiping out about $70 billion in shareholder wealth.

Intel rolls out Atom chips

2008-04-04T13:13:00.000+05:30

Intel Corp is rolling out five new Atom microprocessors and a collection of chips designed for portable gadgets that access the Internet and for other uses, as the world's largest chipmaker uses its marketing muscle to help create a new market.

The low-power, tiny Atom chips will come in speeds of up to 1.86 gigahertz and Intel says that speed, plus other technologies designed into the chip, make it the fastest processor that consumes 3 watts of electricity or less.

The recently named Atom family of processors is part of Intel's effort to have chips designed with Intel Architecture the fundamental blueprint of its semiconductors in myriad computing devices from what it calls mobile Internet devices, or MIDs, all the way up to high-performance computers .

Intel is making the announcements at its Intel Developer Forum conference on Wednesday in Shanghai, the company said. "Global Internet growth continues unabated," said Anand Chandrasekher, who runs Intel's Ultra Mobility Group.

"The best Internet experience is still on the PC, but users want to carry that experience with them." That is where the Atom and Centrino Atom, come in. The Centrino Atom also includes a single-chip with integrated graphics called Intel System Controller Hub that allows for PC-like capabilities and long battery life for devices that fit in a user's pocket.

"Intel is really pumping this category," said Roger Kay, an analyst with market research firm Endpoint Technologies Associates. "That said, mobile Internet is here. For them this is really a great potential business."

Intel said that the features of the Atom processor the "brains" of an electronic device and its system controller hub would help device makers create a range of MIDs with differing functions and designs.

Chandrasekher said major device makers are already planning to adopt Atom, with more than 20 manufacturers coming out with products using the processor.

As far as MIDs, those will start shipping in May, he said. He said Intel expects about 30 per cent of these MIDs to have both WIFI short range high-speed wireless Internet access and WiMax longer-range high-speed access designed into them.

MID device makers include Asus, Fujitsu, Lenovo, NEC, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp and Toshiba, among others, and prices will probably average about $500, with some priced higher than that or lower, depending on the functions, Chandrasekher said.
The small size of the Atom processor the die of the chip is less than 25 square millimeters, or about a 10th of the low-cost Celeron desktop and notebook PC chip also lets Intel target the embedded market.

Embedded chips are used in devices such as portable cash registers, robotics for industrial manufacturing, kiosks, patient monitoring and car "infotainment" systems. The economics of the diminutive chip are appealing, Kay said, noting Intel gets nearly 2,700 Atom processors from a single dinner-plate-size silicon wafer.

He estimates Intel could yield about $30,000 per wafer with a gross margin of around 50 per cent, not far off the gross margin of its mainstream PC chips.

He put Intel's approximate cost-per-chip for Atom at about $11. "If you start looking at that number, then the profitability of one of these things sold at $45, or even $160, they're fantastically profitable," Kay said.

Still, do not expect the MID and this new market to take off right out of the gate. "The world often divides half way between the reality on the ground and where Intel would like it to go," Kay added. "It'll likely go a little more slowly than Intel would like."

What if Martin Luther King had lived?

2008-04-04T13:08:00.000+05:30

The preacher in him would have continued speaking out against injustice, war and maybe even pop culture. He would likely not have run for president. He probably would have endured more harassment from J Edgar Hoover.

Four decades after the Rev Martin Luther King Jr. fell to an assassin's bullet, colleagues and biographers offer many answers to the question: What if he had lived?

For his children, however, the speculation is more personal. They know their lives would have turned out differently had they had their beloved father to guide and teach them.

Instead, history moves on, remaking the world in myriad ways. America has grappled with issues of race and inequity without the benefit of King's evolving wisdom. A generation has come of age celebrating him in a national holiday, like other figures of the frozen past.

But given the trajectory of his life - from his appearance on the national scene during the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott of 1955 to his death on a second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968 - some of those closest to him have a good idea what King might be doing now, and where we might be as a country.

In the months before his death, King was speaking out against the growing US involvement in Vietnam and was working with other civil rights leaders on a Poor People's Campaign, with a march on Washington scheduled for that May. He was in Memphis that spring day to support striking sanitation workers.

Were King alive today, the disciple of Mahatma Gandhi would most certainly be speaking out against the Iraq war, says King biographer David J. Garrow.

Nuclear deal can still be done: US

2008-04-04T12:31:00.000+05:30

The US says its stalled civil nuclear deal with India could still be done before President George Bush leaves office next January, while conceding that it may have to be taken up by his successor.

"No. We certainly believe it is still possible for this deal to move forward and for our Congress to have an opportunity to consider it," State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said Thursday, denying suggestions that the administration was losing hope about getting it done during Bush's tenure.

"It ain't over till it's over," he said, suggesting: "Congress will be in session for quite a bit ways more this year and we would certainly hope to have an opportunity to present them with this agreement and give them a chance to vote on it."

"We do, though, respect the fact that there are still issues that the Indian political system needs to work through," Casey said, referring to the opposition of Indian government's Left supporters that has put the deal in a limbo.

"That's been the case for a while, but we certainly hope we can get there."

Recalling the public comments of US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's comments during his recent visit to Washington, he said: "We certainly would like to see this deal concluded as soon as possible."

However, acknowledging it would be tough to beat the clock, Casey said: "And we, of course, have our own calendar in terms of elections and a legislative timetable.

"So certainly, I think time is running out to be able to give this current Congress the opportunity to consider this arrangement."

"Obviously, though, there would be opportunities in future congresses and with the future administration to move forward on this," Casey said conceding that Bush may have to rest content with leaving what he hoped would be his legacy to the next occupant of the White House.

"We continue to believe that the civil nuclear deal is good, not only for India and for the United States, but also good in terms of strengthening the non-proliferation regimes that are out there," he said.

"And that's why Mohamed El Baradei, director general, International Atomic Energy Agency, among others, has endorsed it and supports it," Casey said. "But we also understand that the Indian government has some decisions to make and has some internal issues that it needs to resolve before it can move forward."

Reflecting the US view that the nuclear deal was the symbolic centrepiece of its new strategic partnership with India, he said: "The other thing I think is important to remember, though, too, is there really has been - and this arrangement is symbolic of it - a tremendous change and very positive change in overall US-Indian relations.

"And frankly, regardless of whether this arrangement is passed in the next year or not, one thing that I don't think will change is the continuing strengthening and deepening of the US-Indian relationship that has begun under this Administration, and we certainly hope will continue into the future," Casey said.

Asked if non-completion of the deal would raise concerns about the reliability of the Indian government to honour future agreements, the spokesman said: "We've had a good relationship with India.

"We have now strengthened that relationship over the past few years, broadened it, deepened it in terms of our economic interests, in terms of some of our political cooperation. I expect that's going to continue."

"Certainly, we believe this is an important deal, something that is important for the people of both countries, and we'd like to see it move forward," he repeated.

"And we certainly haven't given up on the idea that it, in fact, could move forward during the course of the coming year. So let's see where we wind up before we start issuing any kind of final judgments on it," Casey said.

Asked if Nick Burns, Washington's former chief negotiator on the deal who quit a couple of months ago was still working on it, the spokesman suggested he "is certainly keeping close tabs on this" even though he was not directly participating in the meetings with Rice and Mukherjee.

Besides Rice, US ambassador to India David Mulford and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who had been involved in the discussions from the beginning on achieving the nuclear agreement and in trying to move it forward, were still involved in it, he said.

US image improves, but India ahead: Poll

2008-04-03T23:36:00.001+05:30

he US image abroad has begun to improve after worsening for years, but the United States is still viewed more negatively than the European Union, Brazil, China, India and Russia, said a BBC World Service survey.

The survey, conducted in 34 countries, found that positive views of US influence have risen by about 4 percentage points over the past year. The average positive rating was 35%, versus an average negative rating of 47%.

Among countries where the poll has been conducted in four consecutive years, positive views of the United States were expressed by an average 32% of the population, versus 28% a year ago. The poll, released on Tuesday, listed no margin of error. US public image plummeted around the world in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Bush administration tried to counter the trend by creating a public diplomacy unit within the state department.

Pollsters involved in the BBC World Service project said the US presidential elections appeared to be behind the changing views of the United States. "It may be that as the US approaches a new presidential election, views of the US are being mitigated by hope that a new administration will move away from foreign policies that have been so unpopular in the world," said Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland.

Despite the modest improvement for the first time in four years, public opinion of the United States was still overwhelmingly negative. The average negative rating was 47%, versus 52% a year ago. By comparison, the European Union had a 52% positive rating, Brazil's was 44%, China 47%, India 42% and Russia 35%. The United States was viewed more positively than North Korea, but more negatively as well.

US influence in the world was viewed most positively in Kenya, the Philippines, Israel, Nigeria, Ghana, and Central America, where well over 50% of those questioned had positive views of the US. It had its lowest positive ratings from Mexico, Argentina, Egypt, India and Russia, where fewer than 20% of those questioned had a good impression of the US. The United States was viewed most negatively by people in Turkey and Egypt.

Hillary focuses on incentives for job 'insourcing'

2008-04-03T23:15:00.000+05:30

Taking forward her campaign against outsourcing, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton has unveiled a policy initiative which seeks to incentivise "insourcing" of jobs within the US while cutting tax benefits to companies shipping employment abroad.

The "insourcing" plan unveilied in Pittsburgh, billed by Hillary's campaign as "groundbreaking", provides USD seven billion per year in new tax benefits and investments to help companies create high-paying, high-quality jobs in the US and to compete in the global economy.

"We reward companies like Exxon-Mobil who park USD 56 billion in profits overseas because they don't have to pay a dime in US taxes on those profits. And we are using your tax dollars to reward companies that ship your jobs overseas," Clinton said.

"My insourcing agenda is based on a different approach. I believe our government should get out of the business of rewarding companies for shipping jobs overseas, and get back into the business of rewarding companies that create good, high-wage jobs with good benefits right here in America," she added.

The Clinton Campaign has said that she will eliminate the tax incentives and lax enforcement that make it easier to ship jobs and capital overseas by ending "deferral" that rewards moving jobs overseas.

Nine railway stations to come up in Kashmir Valley

2008-04-03T23:08:00.000+05:30

With trains set to chug along the picturesque Kashmir Valley this summer, Railways have drawn a plan to set up nine railway stations in the region.

The railway stations would come up at Anantnag, Baijpora, Pampore, Kakapora, Awantipora, Rajvoser, Srinagar and Budgam and Baramulla, said sources in the Northern Railways.

Some of these stations have already come up and others are in the process of completion, sources said adding that one car shed for repairs too has come up at Budgam.

Over 15 bogies, three engines and track repair vehicle have already been sent to the valley.

The trial run of the inaugural train was conducted in February. The trial started from central Badgam district railway station and ended at Panzgam railway station in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The rail project is being commissioned in two phases.

In the first phase, the rail link between south Kashmir's Anantnag district and north Kashmir's Baramulla district will be completed while in the second phase, railway operations between the valley and the rest of the country will begin.

India reviews Olympic torch security

2008-04-03T23:04:00.000+05:30

Indian officials met on Thursday to review security for the country's leg of the Olympic torch relay after China's foreign minister called his Indian counterpart to seek assurances.

The torch's passage is a potential magnet for anti-Chinese protests by Tibetan exiles and their supporters who have staged demonstrations outside China's Embassy in New Delhi and in their adopted home town of Dharamsala following unrest in Lhasa.

National Security Adviser, MK Narayanan, called the meeting of top officials with the Olympic torch run due in India on April 17.

"We have to be concerned about the Tibetan protests which are happening in many places," Suresh Kalmadi, the president of the Indian Olympic Association, told reporters after attending the security meeting.

"The Olympic torch does not belong to China only, it belongs to all nations."

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi spoke to Pranab Mukherjee on the telephone.

A Foreign ministry statement issued a day later said India would take the necessary measures to ensure the passage of the Olympic torch was a success.

Media reported that the length of the relay route could be curtailed to a third of the planned 9 km (5 miles) to discourage protesters. But Kalmadi denied this.

Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia refused this week to carry the Olympic flame in protest against China's response to the recent unrest in Tibet.

India and neighbouring Nepal have seen almost daily protests by Tibetan exiles. Last month, a small group scaled the wall of the Chinese embassy compound in the Indian capital, prompting an angry China to summon India's envoy to Beijing.

Protests continued on Thursday as well in the Buddhist pilgrim town of Bodh Gaya in eastern India, where hundreds of monks marched carrying pictures of what they said were victims of a Chinese crackdown in Tibet.

In Nepal, China's ambassador Zheng Xianglin urged Kathmandu to take tougher action against exiled Tibetans who he said were staging almost daily protests with "no ideas about the truth" of events in Tibet.

On Thursday, Tibetan protest groups in Nepal said they had called off demonstrations until elections were over in the Himalayan state next week.

Nepali police have used force to break up demonstrations and have detained hundreds of Tibetan refugees, later freeing them.

Like India, Nepal considers Tibet as part of China and does not allow refugees to organise political activities against Beijing, a key donor to the Himalayan nation.

Desktop Robot Picture

2008-04-03T22:53:00.000+05:30

Researcher for Japanese electronics giant Toshiba, Daisuke Yamamoto, displays the prototype model for the new desktop-sized robot called the ‘ApriPoko’, which can recognize human voices and operate electronic devices such as televisions and air conditioners, at the company’s laboratory in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture. The company claims the 27-cm tall robot can learn human languages, like infant speech development.

Commonwealth Bank Series: Men who made a difference

2008-03-04T22:56:00.000+05:30

India has won the challenge that is considered the toughest in the world of cricket. By winning the the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia, the Indians have once again proved that they are the only ones who can put the world champions on the back foot.

The series will be remembered not just for the controversies and fascinating cricket, but also for opening a treasure trove of Indian talent and stellar performances by veterans like Sachin Tendulkar that made a remarkable difference to the show.

Sachin Tendulkar: The veteran’s performance laid the foundation for India’s spectacular show in both the finals. The master blaster maintained his good form with a solid 91-run knock in the second final of the CB Series at Gabba and a brilliant hundred, his 42nd ODI ton, in the first final at Sydney.

MS Dhoni: A few months back what seemed impossible has been turned to reality by Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s young brigade. The captain has yet again proved his leadership skills leading the Men in Blue to a historic series victory Down Under.

Harbhajan Singh: He has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The off-spinner, however, returned to form with a bang in Sunday’s final by claimimg the crucial wickets of Mathew Hayden and Andrew Symonds and again dismissing Symonds in the second final on Tuesday.

Gautam Gambhir: With 425 runs in 9 matches in the CB Series, left-hander Gautam Gambhir is in great form. His batting consistency can unnerve the home side.

Ishant Sharma: Ishant Sharma, the young Delhi lad has been the find of the tour. Though could not play in Tuesday’s match due to a finger injury, his fearless and brave spirit has strengthened India’s bowling armoury.

Praveen Kumar: Praveen Kumar is yet another promising find for India in this series. His 4 for 31 against the Lankans put India on the road to the finals. His opening spell against the Australia in the first final gave India the much-needed breakthrough in the match. The Australians will certainly not take him lightly.
Source

Khan vs Khan at Filmfare Awards

2008-03-02T22:49:00.000+05:30

Welcome to the 53rd Fair One Filmfare Awards. They are being brought into your living room tonight courtesy Sony Entertainment Television, 8 pm, Black Lady, red carpet and all.

With Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan playing masters of ceremony and chief pranksters, the lovely Vidya Balan a valiant foil to their masti. It’s a Khan vs Khan show as SRK matches wit and audacity with rockstar Saif in gags that will have you cracking up with their bawdy irreverence to Bollywood.

What didn’t the Bollywood Badshah and Chhote Nawab do! They ran a spoof on debutant award winner Ranbir Kapoor’s towel dropping act from Saawariya , holding onto their own towels, thankfully. And another one saw them, well, rip co-host Vidya Balan of the bizarre costumes she wore in Heyy Babby. Celina Jaitley, they did not spare for her makeup. In this delightful manner, the duo kept the show alive, fresh and moving, making sure even their hapless victims seated below enjoyed a chuckle at their own expense.

The event, held at the Yash Raj Studios on February 23, was as fine a tribute to the world of Hindi cinema as it was a platform for the industry’s talented top stars to show what high energy they are capable of when unleashed outside of a camera. In the audience, there were black tie and velvet gown moments of suspense before the award envelopes were opened.

On stage, there was dhoom and dhamaka provided by Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Vivek Oberoi and Neil Nitin Mukesh.And then there was drama, too, as in when Rishi Kapoor accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award from his first co-star, Dimple Kapadia, and shared the honour with wife Neetu Singh.

In the midst of their tears and laughter, Rishi was overheard calling up his mother Krishna Kapoor who could not make it to the function. Tonight’s telecast of the 53rd Fair One Filmfare Awards is for Mrs Kapoor and others like her who could not be at Yash Raj to witness the spectacular show unfold live on stage.

Take your seat at 8 pm and watch the stars as they accept their awards.

Source

iPod Classic 160GB

2008-03-01T19:02:00.000+05:30

If you thought all we've been doing lately is sit around, think again. After a lot of effort we managed to get our greedy paws on the monstous iPod Classic 160GB, which launched just a few months ago. Who said persistence doesn't pay? (For those who came in late, the Classic is merely a fancy name given to the sixth generation of what is commonly known as the 'video iPod'.)

Unlike any of its earlier attempts at making the perfect video player, Apple has finally given the world a power-packed, neatly revamped iPod. The Classic has inherited many of its predecessor’s traits, but there are new features too.
Design and Features
The 160GB Classic is the fattest member of the iPod family, with dimensions of 4.1 x 2.4 x 0.53 mm. The 80GB is obviously slimmer, and weighs a bit less, but then the 160GB is for power users. If you're one, nothing but nothing is going to stop you from buying this.

The shell of the player has been 'aluminized', making it sturdier. Apart from this and the size, the player looks like the previous generation of iPods. If there’s a change then it would be the look and feel of the interface. After the iPhone, it was only a matter of time before Apple infused a toned-down version into its other products.

A cool split-screen effect lines up menus on the left and images for selection on the right. Coverflow has been included, but it feels different without a touchscreen interface. That said, it still does what it’s meant to do – get you started with album artwork. Navigation is taken care by the click wheel. If you want to know how to add album artwork, please check out my feature on soft fixes for iPods.

Coverflow is brilliant, with or without the touchscreen. But it’s a tad sluggish if the player is stuffed to the brim. Frankly this is something I expected, considering the 160GB of data on a hard drive. The worst thing, however, is that this sluggishness trickles down to the most basic functions, such as navigating through the device. This can be downright irritating. However, it plays music efficiently.

The chromed rear adds to the elegance, the only grouse is that it’s a fingerprint magnet. The screen is a good 2.5-inch color LCD with LED backlight supporting 320 x 240 pixel resolution at 163 pixels per inch, and now offers crisper video contrast and brilliant sharpness. But more on that in the next section...
Everything else remains the same. You get a calendar, contacts, alarms – and yes, a screen lock feature that lets you use a 4-digit password to activate the screen. One of the most appreciated new features is a direct access to the shuffle function on the fly. You can reach it via the middle button now.
However, value addition isn't the only change the Classic has gone through. The AV output feature has been very inconveniently removed. You can set a maximum volume limit, so that you don’t go damaging your ear. You can also use the player as a portable hard drive.
Music
The sound certainly feels more refined compared to the fifth generation, and this too was expected. The player supports MP3, AIFF, WAV and AAC, plus Apple lossless and Audible files. Native WMA files aren't supported, but protected AAC files work – provided they are bought from the iTunes store.
The music quality as usual is brilliant. Apple has worked on the sound, giving a more punch-packed output. The mid-level frequencies are more responsive now. The company should have included manual EQ settings as well, but I don't suppose any amount of bad press is going to get Apple to do that!
There are, however, loads of presets for different genres of music. The earphones provided are pretty good. FM Radio still eludes the iPod, for reasons I can't quite understand.

Video
Video format support include H.264 video, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio, M4V, MP4, and MOV file formats. Video conversion can be a pain, and iTunes is yet another pain in the posterior. You still can't drag and drop, and support for third party applications like Winamp have been removed.
This is bad, considering it requires the new iTunes to work with it, and is mighty slow. God help you if you have a slow machine! I tested the same movie with the 30GB iPod, and found that the black levels are much truer in the Classic, and some of the issues I faced with the fifth generation iPod (such as mosaic compression) have been minimized.
Start up time for videos is fast, and you won’t face any trouble even while the videos change (or music, for that matter). It’s the navigation that's a bitch. But you have to realize that once the player is full, the 160GB of content can be quite a handful to manage efficiently.
The Verdict
The battery life is amazing – I'm sure Apple's worked on it. It’s fatter and can hold strong for long. I managed to watch a little more than two movies of approximately 2.5 hours each. Music playback is equally well-matched, with about 10 hours of playback.
If iTunes puts you off and you're seriously inconvenienced by the absence of drag-and-drop, perhaps you could consider the Creative Zen Vision:M (30GB). It costs Rs 10,500 in gray and Rs 14,600 officially, while the 160GB costs Rs 14,000 in gray and Rs 20,400 in Apple Stores.
All said, if you're the type who commutes long distances and/or travel often, and want to carry all your music and movies, look no further than the 160GB iPod Classic. As of now, the warranty is global, so even gray pieces are covered. In any case the product's a steal, so go for it!

Source

Deepika is nominated for two awards.

2008-02-24T14:56:00.000+05:30

Deepika is nominated for two awards. The first one is already in her kitty. No surprises for guessing who won the FairOne Fresh Face of the Year

Looking regal in a black off-shoulder Gauri and Nainika gown, the leggy beauty was unperturbed with all the attention coming her way. Deepika confesses, “Its hardly any attention”.

When we probed her for more, Deepika continues, "I am looking for more. It always feels nice to see people recognizing you on the streets. And my head is planted firmly on the ground because of the upbringing that I have got”. She reveals, "Tonight I will party with my family."

Now with Papa and Mama Padukone in Bangalore, does family mean Ranbir and his family?

Sharapova storms into Qatar Open semi-finals

2008-02-23T15:02:00.000+05:30

Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova maintained her unbeaten record in 2008 as she thundered her way to the semi-finals of the Qatar Open with a victory in less than an hour on Friday.

The strident brevity of Sharapova's 6-1, 6-0 win over Caroline Wozniacki, a promising 17-year-old Dane, suggested she is unofficial favourite for her second title of the year as well provided her with her 12th successive victory in all competitions.

"It was a pretty solid performance apart from one game in the second set," said Sharapova.

"I felt pretty comfortable from the beginning. I was aggressive. I served and returned pretty well and felt pretty good."

Sharapova had the physical strength and the self-confidence not only to rush and harass her less powerful opponent, but also to hit through the desert wind which, though less fierce than during the previous two days, remained a constant annoyance.

She was helped by an error-spoilt start from her young opponent, enabling her to open up and take a few more risks quite early on.

When this too succeeded Sharapova was able to conduct the match at a bullying pace, hurrying between points and games to maintain the steamrollering effect.

Wozniacki received plenty of demonstrative advice during the interval between sets from her father-coach Piotr, a former professional footballer in Poland.

But though this may have helped her to hold serve in the opening game of the second set, she was unable to find much consistency, and, despite having changed to a racket with a different tension, was quickly under pressure again.

"I had to treat her with respect, because she had nothing to lose out there," added Sharapova.

"She's in a quarter-final of a tier one tournament against one of the top players, so for her it's about taking experience and playing freely - which is sometimes dangerous."

Sharapova now plays Agnieszka Radwanska, the elder of two rising sisters, the first Polish woman ever to make the world's top 20, and someone who could perhaps produce that danger.

Sharapova has plenty of motivation for victory as it was the Pole who knocked her out of the US Open last year.

"I don't like losing to an opponent twice in a row, so I am quite excited about getting an opportunity to play her again and give myself a chance to beat her," said the Russian.

Radwanska achieved her first Grand Slam quarter-final in Australia last month and has now reached her first WTA Tour semi-final with a three-hour 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win, having been behind in all three sets against another 18-year-old, Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.

"It is tough to play, and tough to serve and there were so many breaks," Radwanska said.

"That's one reason why it lasted so long (three hours). But anyway I will be ready tomorrow."

Earlier another Russian, Vera Zvonareva, an unseeded former top ten player, reached a semi-final for the second time this year, overcoming Sybille Bammer, the 15th seeded Austrian.

Bammer, the only mother playing regularly at the top level of the game, upset Svetlana Kuznetsova, the second-seeded former US Open champion, in a ferocious gale on Thursday but this time fell away tiredly to a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 defeat.

Source

Cold air makes PC memory vulnerable

2008-02-23T14:55:00.000+05:30

Want to break into a computer's encrypted hard drive? Just blast the machine's memory chip with a burst of cold air.

That's the conclusion of new research out of Princeton University demonstrating a novel, low-tech way hackers can access even the most well-protected computers, provided they have physical access to the machines.

The Princeton report shows how encryption, long considered a vital shield against hacker attacks, can be defeated by manipulating the way memory chips work.

The researchers say the ease of their attack raises fears about the security of laptop computers increasingly used to store sensitive information, from personal banking data to company trade secrets, to national security documents.

Freezing a dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, chip, the most common type of memory chip in personal computers, causes it to retain data for minutes or even hours after the machine loses power, the report found. That data includes the keys to unlock encryption. Without freezing, the chip loses its contents within seconds.

Hackers can steal information stored in memory by rebooting the compromised machine with a simple program designed to copy the memory contents - before the computer has a chance to purge sensitive data, according to the study.

Laptops left in hibernation or sleep mode, or simply not turned off at all, are the most vulnerable to the new type of attack.

"These risks imply that disk encryption on laptops may do less good than widely believed," according to the report, which was published this week by researchers from Princeton, the Electronic Frontier Foundation digital rights group, and Wind River Systems software company. "Ultimately, it might become necessary to treat DRAM as untrusted, and to avoid storing sensitive confidential data there, but this will not be feasible until architectures are changed to give software a safe place to keep its keys."

Researchers have known since the 1970s that cooled DRAM chips can retain their contents long after power to them is extinguished, but the researchers said they believe their study is the first security paper to focus on the phenomenon.

National security agencies may also have been aware that the types of breaches outlined in the study are possible, the researchers said, but added they weren't able to find evidence of that in any publications.

The attacks were carried out by spraying an upside-down canister of multipurpose duster spray directly onto the memory chips, freezing them to minus 50 degrees Celsius, about minus 60 Fahrenheit.

One challenge faced by the researchers was the threat that booting the system will automatically overwrite some parts of the memory.

To make sure the contents were retained, they used small, special-purpose programs known as memory-imaging tools, which can be loaded over a network connection or a USB device, to save images captured from the memory chip. The attacks even work when the DRAM chip is removed and transferred to a machine set up by the hacker.

Special programs were then used to correct errors in the recovered memory contents and reconstruct the keys used for encryption.

The researchers said their results suggest that "this faith in the strength of disk encryption may be misplaced," arguing that a moderately skilled attacker can bypass many widely used encryption products - including BitLocker, included with some versions of Windows Vista; Apple's FileVault; open-source TrueCrypt; and dm-crypt - if a laptop is stolen while it is powered on or suspended.

"The use of encryption is not, by itself, necessarily an adequate defense, and data in stolen laptops may be compromised even when encryption is used," the researchers said.

Courtesy: Times of India

Britain urges companies to look for opportunities in India

2008-02-23T14:49:00.000+05:30

Britain has urged companies in the west Midlands to look beyond established economies and exploit export opportunities offered by India and China.

British Trade Minister Lord Digby Jones, who visited India in January with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, regretted that too many companies in the region were content to do business with established markets such as the US and Europe.

"There are enormous opportunities available and we don't want to look back in five years time and say 'I wish I had done something then' because it could be too late by then," Jones said at a conference on international trade.

"We are a diverse region and I urge local companies to take advantage of the immense export potential being generated by the new high growth markets, not only China and India but also Mexico, Turkey, South Africa and Saudi Arabia," he said.

"These markets, among others, are expected to be a major source of both trade and foreign direct investment in the future. The economies of the emerging countries are growing at a much faster rate than established markets."

He said manufacturing companies, especially those in the automotive and aerospace sectors were best placed to benefit, while those involved in new technology and telephony could also do well.