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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) has granted Chelsea's request for their Fifa transfer ban to be suspended pending a final decision.

Fifa had ruled the club could not sign players until 2011 after inducing Gael Kakuta to break his Lens contract.

But Chelsea appealed to Cas, which said on Friday: "Such sanctions are now stayed until the Cas renders its final decision in this matter."

The decision means Chelsea will be able to sign players in January.

for more details:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/8319573.stm

VILNIUS (2010 FIBA World Championship) – Former Latvia coach Kestutis Kemzura has taken charge of Lithuania’s national team after agreeing to personal terms with the country’s basketball federation.

Kemzura has replaced Ramunas Butautas, who resigned after Lithuania’s Qualifying Round exit at the EuroBasket in Poland.

As Lithuania will host EuroBasket 2011, they do not need to go through qualifying but Kemzura could lead the national side in official competition as early as next year if the country receives a wild card to play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

FIBA will announce in mid-December which four countries are to receive wild cards.

Kemzura, who is Lithuanian, served as the coach of BC Khimki Moscow Region in Russia until leaving the club early last season.

Before that, he was an assistant coach to Lithuania boss Antanas Sireika at EuroBasket 2005 and at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

He also worked alongside Russia boss David Blatt when the latter was the head coach of Dynamo St Petersburg and Benetton Treviso.

for more details:-
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/langid/1/newsid/36553/arti.html

David Haye will know just how big the task that lies ahead of him is later today.

The Londoner and giant Russian Nikolai Valuev will weigh in ahead of their world-title showdown at 3pm this afternoon, live on Sky Sports News.

There is no limit to make at heavyweight but the word in Nuremberg is that the champion, who stands at 7ft, will come in less than the 23 stones he has been known to weigh.

Valuev looks to have taken off around a stone, but even then will still have a massive weight advantage over the one-time cruiserweight.

Haye, who says his preparation couldn't have gone any better, is expected to come in at under 16 stones - and is likely to be giving six stones away.

"I haven't really got on the scales - I don't really know what I'm going to weigh," he said.

"I could be 15½stone, I could be 16, I really don't know and it doesn't bother me. As long as I am in optimum condition, which I am, I know the fight is going to go great."

Haye has been paying close attention to what he eats and has been using a high-energy diet.

It is designed to give him explosive energy as he bids to become the first man in 53 fights to knock Valuev out.

"I've just made sure my eating is as clean as possible, I haven't had any junk whatsoever," he said.

"Anything that has gone into my mouth has been organic, fresh and clean.

"A lot of heavyweights go out there and eat junk food. They think that just because they don't have to make weight, they shouldn't come in in prime condition. I don't believe in that ethos one bit."


for more details:-
http://www.skysports.com/haye/story/0,27000,17213_5677657,00.html

Hyderabad: Statistical highlights of the India-Australia fifth cricket one-dayer at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Thursday.

# Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman in ODI history to complete 17,000 runs.

# With his sublime 175-run knock Tendulkar bettered his own record for most centuries in ODIs, taking the tally to 45.

# Tendulkar became the third player to make 175 or more for a losing cause, joining Charles Coventry (194 not out for Zimbabwe against Bangladesh at Bulawayo on August 16, 2009 and Matthew Hayden (181 not out) for Australia against New Zealand at Hamilton on February 20, 2007.

# Tendulkar also became the first batsman to make nine hundreds (vs. Australia) against one opponent.

# Tendulkar`s runs` tally of 2995 vs Australia is now a record by a batsman against any opponent.

# Tendulkar became the first player to have got 60 Man-of-the-Match awards.

# Tendulkar and Herschelle Gibbs now share the record for the highest individual innings against Australia.

# With four scores of 150 or more, Tendulkar has emulated Sanath Jayasuriya`s tally in ODIs.

# India`s total of 347 is now the highest losing score in the second innings. Overall, it is third highest by a team batting second next only to the match-winning totals - 438 for 9 by South Africa against Australia at Johannesburg on March 12, 2006 and 350 for nine by New Zealand against Austraia at Hamilton on February 20, 2007.

# The Hyderabad game produced 697 for the loss of 14 wickets, which is a record in Australia-India ODIs.

# While batting in the second innings, India (347) posted their highest total in ODIs. This score is the second highest by a team losing the game, next only to Australia`s 434 for four.

# Australia (350/4) became the first team to post a total of 350 against India in India - their third overall against India.

# Shaun Marsh (112 off 112 balls) registered his maiden century.

# Shane Watson and Marsh shared a stand of 145, which is the the best partnership for the first wicket at this venue



for more details:-
http://cricket.zeenews.com/fullstory.aspx?nid=24832

ndira Gandhi was born on 19 November 1917 to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru. The Nehrus were a distinguished Kashmiri Pandit family and Indira was brought up in an intensely charged political atmosphere at her family residence, Anand Bhawan, where she spent her childhood years.

As the daughter of Jawaharlal and Kamala Nehru, she had inherited the freedom movement and the trials and tribulations that came along.

Special: Remembering Indira, 25 years later


for more details:-
http://www.ndtv.com/news/photos/album-details.php?id=774&Album=PHOTO_GALLERY&AlbumTitle=The+Gandhi+family+portrait

he Ford Motor Co. has turned its seat belt
into a marketing tool.

Ford
said on Thursday that beginning in 2010, it planned to be the first automaker to offer inflatable rear seat belts
, a technology aimed at reducing injuries to children and elderly passengers in a crash.

Like other automakers, Ford is trying to use the different technology as a way to attract new customers, particularly at a time when many vehicles come with six or more air bags and myriad other safety features. Ford also offers radar-enabled adaptive cruise control and amenities called MyKey, which allows parents to impose certain limitations on teenage drivers, and Sync, a system that permits hands-free interaction with mobile phones
and the vehicle's audio system.

Still, safety ranks low on the list of priorities for many shoppers. A survey earlier this year for the retailer CarMax ranked safety fifth out of six factors that consumers consider most important when choosing a vehicle, behind affordability, quality, performance and environmental factors but ahead of design.

Just 6 percent of respondents chose safety as their top priority.

Ford's seat belts contain an inflatable bag inside the shoulder strap and a small cylinder of cold compressed gas beneath the seat that is dispensed through the buckle when a crash is detected. The belts inflate less explosively than a traditional air bag and are designed to spread the force of a crash over an area of the body five times as large as regular seat belts do, Ford said.

Ford said children and older people commonly sit in the back seat and are more susceptible to being injured in a crash, particularly in the head, chest or neck, than other occupants of a vehicle.

"Vehicle safety has come a long away, but the focus has been on the front seat," said Stewart C. Wang, a trauma surgeon at the University of Michigan hospital and director of the university's Program for Injury Research and Education, who spoke at Ford's unveiling of the technology Thursday.

"We're very happy that attention is now being paid to improving occupant protection in the rear."

Ford plans to introduce the inflatable belts, which feel softer and thicker than ordinary seat belts but are similar in appearance, next fall as optional equipment on the redesigned 2011 Explorer sport utility vehicle.

Depending on how well it is received, the company will make the technology available on many models globally, said Susan M. Cischke, Ford's group vice president of sustainability, environmental and safety engineering.

Cischke said the price of the technology, which she called "one of the greatest breakthroughs in seat belt development in a long time" had not been determined.

A Ford spokeswoman, Jennifer Moore, said it would cost less than the $395 Sync system.

Ford first demonstrated the concept of inflatable belts in 2001. Another automaker, Toyota, is planning to offer a similar feature next year in the Lexus LFA, a $375,000 two-seat supercar.

Paul Mascarenas, Ford's vice president of engineering for global product development, said the automaker tested its belts in a variety of "out-of-position" situations, like a child whose head was slumped over the belt while asleep or who is sitting in front of the shoulder strap, to ensure that it could not be dangerous as some front-seat airbags can be to children or people sitting improperly.

"We tested it in as many positions as our engineering team can think of," Mascarenas said.

"We haven't found any case where it would be detrimental to someone."


for more details:-
http://www.ndtv.com/news/world/new_air_bags_for_rear-seat_passengers.php

In Pakistan's biggest battle against terrorists in South Waziristan, it is women who suffer the most.

At a registration centre in a stadium in Dera Ismail Khan, displaced people from war-torn South Waziristan line up to get food. There are only men in the queue, no women. Not because there are no women left here, but because according to custom, they are not to be seen in public, come what may.

Salahuddin Mehsud, spokesperson of the Mehsud community says: "We never let women out of the house according to our customs. That is why our committee decided that our women will not be allowed to come to get food. And we are thankful to the army who have respected our custom by allowing the male members to get food by showing the women's ID cards."

Asked what a woman who has no father, brother or husband would do, Salahuddin Mehsud says: "According to our tribal ways, her cousin or any other relative will help her. We will make sure no woman goes without her share of ration."

For the Mehsud tribe this is not the first military operation in their area. Baitullah Mehsud, Pakistan's enemy No. 1, hailed from here. There have been clashes between his gang of militants and the Pakistan army for many years.

Many believe that women suffer the most in conflict zones and in conservative societies like this one, their voices are never heard. So though the women from the Mehsud tribe are not allowed in public places, let alone give TV interviews, NDTV managed to get permission to speak to one woman who traveled for two days on foot from South Waziristan to the IDP registration centre in Dera Ismail Khan. For her own safety she has requested that her name or location not be revealed.

At a relative's house, where she has taken refuge, she relates how she escaped the fighting: "There was firing in our hometown, there were bombs. So we had to run, dodging the bullets and the bombs. A lot of people died. Our children had no warm clothes, it was bitterly cold. Some buildings collapsed due to the bombing and people were buried under the rubble. There was no way of getting them out, they died trapped under the rubble."

The woman is from Laddah, where the Taliban have their command and control structure. But Laddah has now been pounded by the army's jet fighters.

She describes life there: "My children used to get very scared when they used to see jet fighters hovering over our homes. They used to scream and run out of the house into the jungles. At night they would be scared to stay at home, they feared being bombed. Every time they heard an aircraft they used to scream and run out of home.

She also recounts how pregnant woman fleeing the fighting gave birth on the highway. Most of them died during childbirth along with their newborn babies. Families would leave the bodies there, covered by a sheet as there was no time for a burial. And if the mother survived, she would often abandon her child, for fear that she would not be able to provide for it.

The trauma of war for this mother has been so severe, she never wants to return home. "We are happy here, we do not want to go back to our homes. We cannot go back to war. My children's eyes have been spoilt due to all the gunfire and the smoke after the bombings. Their eyes are always red and watery. Everyone who was caught in the crossfire needed medical help. Some people got pneumonia from the cold, others were injured due to the bombings. But there were no doctors, no hospitals."

Her husband died in the fighting. She will have to depend on her male relatives to bring her handouts from the government, to feed her nine children.

for more details:-
http://www.ndtv.com/news/world/how_a_mother_of_9_survives_war_in_pakistan.php

A U.S. Army psychiatrist facing deployment to one of America's war zones killed 12 people and wounded 31 others on Thursday in a shooting rampage with two handguns at the sprawling Fort Hood Army post in central Texas. It was one of the worst mass shootings ever at a military base in the United States.

The gunman, who was still alive after being shot four times, was identified by law enforcement authorities as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, 39, who had been in the service since 1995. Hasan was about to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.

Clad in a military uniform and firing an automatic pistol and another weapon, Hasan sprayed bullets inside a crowded medical processing center for soldiers returning from or about to be sent overseas.

The victims, nearly all military personnel but including two civilians, were cut down in clusters. Witnesses told military investigators that medics working at the center tore open the clothing of the dead and wounded to get at the wounds and administer first aid.

As the shooting unfolded, military police and civilian officers of the Department of the Army responded and returned the gunman's fire. Hasan was shot by a first-responder, who was herself wounded in the exchange.

In the confusion of a day of wild and misleading reports, the major and the officer who shot him were both reported killed in the gun battle, but both reports were erroneous.

Eight hours after the shootings, Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone, a base spokesmen, said Hasan, whom he described as the sole gunman, had been shot four times, but was hospitalized in stable condition and was not in imminent danger of dying.

Hasan was not speaking to investigators, and much about his background - and his motives - were unknown.

Cone said that terrorism was not being ruled out, but that preliminary evidence did not suggest that the rampage had been an act of terrorism. Fox News quoted a retired Army colonel, Terry Lee, as saying that Hasan, with whom he worked, had voiced hope that President Barack Obama would pull U.S. troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, had argued with military colleagues who supported the wars and had tried to prevent his own deployment.

As a parade of ambulances wailed to the scene of the shootings, officials said the extent of injuries to the wounded varied significantly, with some in critical condition and others slightly wounded.

The rampage recalled other mass shootings in the United States, including 13 killed at a center for immigrants in upstate New York last April, the deaths of 10 during a gunman's rampage in Alabama in March and 32 people killed at Virginia Tech in 2007, the deadliest shooting in modern American history.

As a widespread investigation by the military, the FBI, and other agencies began, much about the assault in Texas remained unclear. Department of Homeland Security officials said the Army would take the lead in the investigation.

President Barack Obama called the shootings "a horrific outburst of violence" and urged Americans to pray for those who were killed and wounded.

"It is difficult enough when we lose these men and women in battles overseas," Obama said. "It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil."

The president pledged "to get answers to every single question about this horrible incident."

Military records indicated that Hasan was unmarried, had been born in Virginia, had never served abroad and listed "no religious preference" on his personnel records. He opened fire on soldiers obtaining medical clearance before and after their deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Three other soldiers, their roles unclear, were taken into custody in connection with the shootings. The office of Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, said they were later released, but a Fort Hood spokesman could not confirm that.

Fort Hood, near Killeen and 100 miles south of Dallas-Fort Worth, is the largest active duty military post in the United States, 340 square miles of training and support facilities and homes, a virtual city for more than 50,000 military personnel and some 150,000 family members and civilian support personnel. It has been a major center for troops being deployed to or returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The base went into lockdown shortly after the shootings. Gates were closed and barriers put up at all entrance and exit checkpoints, and the military police turned away all but essential personnel. Schools on the base were closed, playgrounds were deserted and sidewalks were empty. Sirens wailed across the base through the afternoon, a warning to military personnel and their families to remain indoors.

Military commanders were instructed to account for all personnel on the base.

"The immediate concern is to make sure that all of our soldiers and family members are safe, and that's what commanders have been instructed to do," said Jay Adams of the 1st Army, Division West, at Ford Hood.

Cone said the shooting took place about 1:30 p.m., inside what he called a Soldier Readiness Processing Center. The type of weapons Hasan used was unclear, and it was not known whether he had reloaded, although it seemed likely, given that 43 people were shot, perhaps more than once.

All the victims were gunned down "in the same area," Cone said.

As the shootings ended, scores of emergency vehicles rushed to the scene, which is in the center of the fort, and dozens of ambulances carried the shooting victims to hospitals in the region.

Both of the handguns used by Hasan were recovered at the scene. Investigators said the major's computers, cell phones and papers would be examined, his past investigated and his friends, relatives and military acquaintances would be interviewed in an effort to develop a profile of him and try to learn what had motivated his deadly outburst.

The weapons he used were described as "civilian" handguns. Security experts said the fact that two handguns were used suggested premeditation, as opposed to a spontaneous act.

Rifles and assault weapons are conspicuous and not ordinarily seen on the streets of a military post, and medical personnel would have no reason to carry any weapon, they said. Moreover, security experts noted, it took a lot of ammunition to shoot 43 people, another indication of premeditation.

It appeared certain that the shootings would generate a whole new look at questions of security on military posts of all the armed forces in the United States. Expressions of dismay were voiced by public officials across the country.

Hutchison was one of them. "Our hearts go out," she said. "These are soldiers who are ready to go out to Iraq or Afghanistan and their families were under stress already. This was just a terrible tragedy, and we don't even know the extent of it yet."

The Muslim Public Affairs Council, speaking for much of the Muslim community in the United States, condemned the shootings as a "heinous incident" and said, "We share the sentiment of our president."

The council added, "Our entire organization extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed as well as those wounded and their loved ones."

Cone said Fort Hood was "absolutely devastated."

News of the shooting set off panic among families and friends of the base personnel. Alyssa Marie Seace's husband, Pfc. Ray Seace Jr., sent her a text message just before 2 p.m. saying that someone had "shot up the SRP building," referring to the Soldier Readiness Processing Center. He told her he was "hiding."

Alyssa Seace, 18, who lives about five minutes from the base and had not been watching the news, reacted with alarm. She texted him back but got no response. She called her father in Connecticut, who told her not to call him because it might reveal his hiding place.

Finally, her husband, a mechanic who is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in February, texted back about 45 minutes later to say that three people from his unit had been hit and a dozen people in all were dead.

By late afternoon, the sirens at Fort Hood had fallen silent. In Killeen, state troopers were parked on ridges overlooking the two main highways through town. In residential areas, the only signs of life were cars moving through the streets. In the business districts, where signs on nearly every fast-food restaurant welcome the troops home, people went about their business.

In 1991, Killeen was the scene of one of the worst mass killings in American history. It took place as a crazed gunman drove his pickup truck through the window of a cafeteria, fatally shot 22 people with a handgun, then killed himself.

Fort Hood, opened in September 1942 as America geared up for World War II, was named for Gen. John Bell Hood of the Confederacy. It has been used continuously for armor training and is charged with maintaining readiness for combat missions.

It is a place that feels, on ordinary days, like one of the safest in the world, surrounded by those who protect the nation with their lives. It is home to nine schools - seven elementary schools and two middle schools, for the children of personnel. But on Thursday, the streets were lined with emergency vehicles, their lights flashing and sirens piercing the air as Texas Rangers and state troopers took up posts at the gates to seal the base.

Shortly after 7 p.m., the sirens sounded again and over the loudspeakers a woman's voice that could be heard all over the base announced in a clipped military fashion: "Declared emergency no longer exists."

The gates reopened, and a stream of cars and trucks that had been bottled up for hours began to move out.


for more details:-
http://www.ndtv.com/news/world/shootout_at_largest_us_army_base_12_killed.php

Athena Gurno thought her allergies were acting up when she started coughing in early October. But within days, Gurno, the 30-year-old mother of a young girl, was in a Seattle hospital, close to death from the H1N1 flu.

Desperate, her doctors tried a still-experimental drug called peramivir. After getting her second dose, Gurno started to recover, though she is still in intensive care, according to her father, John Spikowski.

"This saved Athena's life," Spikowski reported on a blog that tracks his daughter's progress.

Peramivir might also be a life saver for its developer, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, an unprofitable biotechnology company in Birmingham, Ala., that was founded in 1986 but has not yet had a drug reach the market.

On Thursday, the federal government ordered, on an emergency basis, 10,000 treatment courses of peramivir for its national stockpile. It is paying $22.5 million, or about $2,250 a patient. Shares of BioCryst rose nearly 13 percent, to $11.39.

Peramivir is given intravenously, making it usable by hospitalized patients who are too ill to take two approved flu drugs that work against the virus in similar ways - Tamiflu by Roche, which is typically given as a pill, or Relenza from GlaxoSmithKline, which is inhaled.

Late Thursday, the government announced orders for intravenous versions of Tamiflu and Relenza, which are much cheaper - a development that could force shares of BioCryst to give up some of their gains on Friday.

Peramivir, still being tested in clinical trials, is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for general use. But on Oct. 23, the FDA granted authority for the drug to be used in emergencies for patients hospitalized with H1N1 flu who cannot take or do not benefit from Tamiflu or Relenza.

Before that, peramivir had been available only through a more cumbersome "compassionate use" procedure. Of the 32 patients who received the drug that way, 29 were still alive, BioCryst said in late October.

Although there are still questions about peramivir's true effectiveness, some critics say the government moved too slowly to make the drug available, and that even now, access is too restricted. For each patient, doctors must call an 800 number or fill out a form on a Web site run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drug is then sent overnight from a central stockpile.

"If you have a critically ill patient, to delay therapy, it's just incomprehensible to me," said Dr. Richard Whitley, a professor at the University of Alabama and the president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. He said the drug should be distributed so that hospitals could have it in stock.

But Dr. Nicole Lurie, assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human Services, said the limited supplies made more general distribution impossible. Some doctors said they were satisfied with the existing system.

"I think it's fairly accessible," said Dr. Thomas M. File Jr., chief of infectious diseases at Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, who has treated a pregnant woman with peramivir. Some of the push to make the drug more widely available is coming from investors in BioCryst, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm. John Doerr, the company's technology guru, was in Washington this week making the case for greater availability of peramivir, according to a person who met with him there.

Other investors - both supporters of BioCryst stock and those betting the price will fall - have commented at government meetings on flu preparations, often without revealing their financial interests.

Anecdotes like Gurno's aside, the efficacy of peramivir is still in question, according to the government. While some clinical trials showed the drug had an effect in resolving flu symptoms, others did not show statistically significant differences between peramivir and either a placebo or Tamiflu.

The question for both investors and federal authorities is how much more of the drug BioCryst can sell. So far, the order has been far less than some investors had hoped, though the price of the order announced Thursday was higher than expected.

Lurie, the federal official, said there had been 237 requests to use the drug since the emergency use authorization was granted nearly two weeks ago. Many doctors want to provide the treatment for 10 days instead of the recommended 5, she said, so the 10,000 courses the government ordered might actually treat as few as 5,000 patients.

The government has the right to buy up to 30,000 more treatment courses at the same price.

BioCryst says it will have perhaps 40,000 more treatment courses available within a few weeks, and a total of 120,000 by the end of the year. It also says it has signed up partners to try to win sales in Brazil, Mexico, Israel and China.

"We're getting a lot of interest from countries outside the United States," Jon P. Stonehouse, the company's chief executive, said in an interview Thursday.

Shionogi, a Japanese drug company with licensing rights from BioCryst, ran its own clinical trials and this week applied for approval to sell the drug in Japan as a treatment for everyday flu, in competition with Tamiflu.

But in the United States, BioCryst plans to try to win approval for treatment only of hospitalized patients. It is now beginning phase three trials - the last stage before seeking FDA approval.

Virtually all the money to develop the drug comes from $180 million in grants from the Department of Health and Human Services. Yet the company gets to keep as profit anything it makes from selling the drug to the federal government or to other governments. Stonehouse defended the price of the drug, saying it would save the health system money by getting patients out of intensive care earlier. "The cost of being in the ICU and on a ventilator is extremely high," he said.

But peramivir will soon have competition. The federal government said late Thursday that it had also ordered 10,000 treatment courses each of intravenous versions of Tamiflu and Relenza, with options to buy 30,000 more courses of each.

Those drugs could not be used, however, until they received emergency use authorizations from the FDA.

The government is paying an average of only $450 a course for those other drugs - only one-fifth of what it is paying for peramivir.

Right now, Lurie said, peramivir is the only drug that can be used intravenously so the government had to pay a high price. "I would say that one of the things that happens in the market when you have competition is that the price drops."

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Belongs to: Swine flu scare


for more details:
http://www.ndtv.com/news/sci-tech/new_drug_for_swine_flu_offers_hope.php

Village watches Shahrukh, thanks to NDTV Greenathon

Press Trust of India
They neither had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of his blockbusters nor the popular TV shows anchored by the superstar.

Yet, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has a large fan following in a remote village in Orissa's Kendrapara district.

Reason: the remote village now has light after daybreak, courtesy the generosity of the King Khan.

Ahirajpur village under Rajnagar tehsil lays its claim to fame for the fact that it has come under solar energy harnessing project funded by Khan.

But for SRKs generous contribution, Ahirajpur would have still remained shrouded in darkness.

Khan had fully funded the project and The Energy & Research Institute (TERI) implemented the solar energy harnessing project as part of NDTV's Greenathon initiative titled Light a Billion Lives, said Biraja Prasad Pati, the local coordinator of the project.

It's a sort of dream come true for residents of this perennially backward village. Harnessing solar energy, recharging station has been installed in the village. People take home the cost-effective solar lantern after paying a fee of Rs 3 towards charging

for more details:
http://green.ndtv.com/ecowatch_read.aspx?id=NEWEN20090108597&cap=Village%20watches%20Shahrukh,%20thanks%20to%20NDTV%20Greenathon

Thirty-five passengers were feared when a local passenger bus rolled down into a deep gorge near Dehra in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh

According to preliminary investigations, overloading caused of the accident. Relief and rescue operations are on.

for more details:-
http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/35_feared_dead_in_himachal_bus_mishap.php

Mugdha Godse charmed us in Fashion, made us laugh in All The Best, and is all set to make us cry in this week's release Jail.

Whether the actress will have a hit hattrick with Madhur Bhandarkar's latest film remains to be seen. Meanwhile, you can chat with the actress and find out more about her -- and the movie -- before you catch it in theatres.

Catch Mugdha Godse on Rediff Chat on Friday, November 6, at 4 pm IST.


for more details:-
http://movies.rediff.com/movies/2009/nov/06/mugdha-godse-chat.html

Hyderabad: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday confirmed there was a definite Pakistani link to the terror plot uncovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US but said Indian security forces were capable of thwarting any attack.

"There is an obvious Pakistan link. If you have read the affidavit of the FBI agent filed in the court and reproduced in papers, there is a Pakistan link. David (Coleman) Headley visited Pakistan a number of times," Chidambaram told reporters after the passing out parade at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy here.

"I think on the advise of the FBI, two or perhaps more persons have been arrested in Pakistan. There is a definite Pakistani link," he said.

This is the first reaction from the Indian government to reports that terrorists were planning major attacks in the country.

US citizen Headley, 49, and Pakistani-born Canadian citizen Tahawwur Hussein Rana, 48, were arrested by the FBI in the US for plotting attacks in India at the behest of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

They reportedly told FBI during their interrogation that LeT planned attacks on National Defence College in New Delhi, two high-profile boarding schools in northern India and tourist destinations frequented by foreigners ahead of 26/11 anniversary.

Chidambaram, however, declined to answer queries on possible terror attacks on the eve of the first anniversary of Mumbai attacks.

"If there are any targets I will not tell you in public," he shot back when asked if the intelligence agencies received any inputs on the possible terror targets.

"Don't create alarm. Security forces are vigilant and perfectly capable of thwarting any attack. There is no reason to raise any alarm," he said.

On Indian Mujahideen, he said it was some kind of virtual organisation.

"Lots of people and lot of groups claim that they belong to Indian Mujahideen. We have arrested a number of people who claim to operate under the name of Indian Mujahideen whenever there was evidence. We will continue to apprehend anyone who does violent act in the name of Indian Mujahideen," he said.


for more details:-
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/obvious-pak-link-to-us-terror-plot-india/104688-3.html?from=tn

Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday produced one of the best innings in the history of one-day cricket as India came within three runs of victory over Australia in the fifth one-dayer.

After 20 years of international cricket, Tendulkar turned back the clock and his 45th one-day hundred evoked memories of some of his best knocks through his career.

Here's a collection of all you would want to know about the genius of Sachin Tendulkar and his latest milestone:

for more details:-
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-sachin-tendulkar/104689-5.html?from=tn

For years now, as a journalist I have been covering the day-to-day hearings of various terror trials. Attacks that have killed hundreds and have always attempted to butcher the 'spirit of Mumbai'. The Ghatkopar BEST bus blast, the 7/11 attack on crowded trains, blasts at Mulund, Vile Parle and the Bombay Central railway stations, the twin blasts that shook the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar, the series of bomb blasts by the Indian Mujahideen across the country and of course, who can forget the 1993 Bombay blasts.

But who is targeting us? Why the anti-India rhetoric that brainwashes innocent boys and sends them packing to the schools of fundamentalism? What is their agenda? What do they really want beyond Kashmir?

Questions that each time, the police across the country, the home ministry, the armed forces - every one - have answered by accusing Pakistan. Of Pakistan, being the "epicentre of terror" as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh put it. And of Pakistan-based terrorist organisations like the Lashkar-e-Toiba and others, all being blamed for masterminding such attacks with the covert backing of the ISI.

But what has always been somewhat missing is the 'undeniable' evidence that removes all such doubts about the elements in Pakistan who are supporting these acts. During the 1993 Bombay blast case, grenades were found with 'Made in Pakistan' seals. It was alleged, these were planted. The RDX which was smuggled in also came from Karachi. Again, it was argued, they could have been planted by India to malign Pakistan. The confessions given by the accused - most now convicted and the special TADA court has also upheld the veracity and voluntariness of their confessions - again revealed how Dawood Ibrahim with the help of Pakistan's ISI, planned what has till date been the deadliest attack on India. Again, these confessions, many claimed were forced out from the accused.

But when 26/11 happened, Pakistan was the one struggling to ward off the 'undeniable' proof collected by India and the US. On November 3, 2009 - day 127 of what is now popularly also known as the Kasab trial - the prosecution presented in court one such piece of evidence. Portions selected from the hours of telephonic conversations that took place between the terrorists in Mumbai, their various handlers in Pakistan and even a Generalbhai perhaps from the Pakistani Army. For the first time, we also got to hear how Israel was making desperate efforts - all the way from Washington - to save their citizens from the clutches of terrorists at Nariman House.

An interesting aside. During the negotiations, the Israeli official who goes by the name Levi asks the terrorist, what did he want. The terrorist immediately demands for the safe release of his colleague who had just been captured alive by the police at Marine Drive, Girgaon Chowpatty. The terrorist had earlier been told by his handlers monitoring the Indian media that Ismail - the seniormost of the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai - had been captured. Little did he or his handlers then know that it was the much-junior Ajmal Kasab who had been nabbed.

So when this part was played in the open court, Kasab began to giggle. Overjoyed, that after all, his handlers and colleagues did care for him and wanted him out. Happy, that it was for his release, the lives of several Jews was at stake. Numbed by the thought, that the Israeli government was almost made to crawl on its knees, forced to negotiate with his ilk, for his release in exchange for the lives of the Chabad House Jews.

In all probability, in Kasab's circles, this is the greatest achievement one can aspire for. A yet-to-be-'martyr' knocking at the doors of jannat. But little did Kasab know that his colleagues weren't even aware that he - Kasab - had been captured. And nor were they negotiating for him. It was for his buddy, Ismail, who had by then been killed by the Mumbai Police.

But moving beyond Kasab, these audio conversations throw some light into the dark and complex world of terrorists.

Hear them. At times, their all-too-apparent indoctrination, will make you shrink with fear. The casualness with which blood is spilled, hostages threatened will send a chill down your spine. At others, their stupidity will make you wonder how 10 buffoons - guided by their handlers - could take on the might of the NSG and the Indian Army.

Hear, the original audio conversations of what happened during the 26/11 attack. Tell us, what you think of the men who kept India hostage for 3 days.


for more details:
http://www.ndtv.com/news/blogs/ear_to_the_ground/how_pakistan_remote-controlled_the_attack.php

the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act became law, and the President hosted a reception to celebrate a victory decades in the making and steeped in blood and pain. Amongst those attending were the families of the victims for which the law was named, as well as civil rights community leaders. Below are the President’s remarks in full.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much, everybody. Thank you so much, and welcome to the White House. There are several people here that I want to just make mention of because they helped to make today possible. We've got Attorney General Eric Holder. (Applause.) A champion of this legislation, and a great Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.) My dear friend, senior Senator from the great state of Illinois, Dick Durbin. (Applause.) The outstanding Chairman of Armed Services, Carl Levin. (Applause.) Senator Arlen Specter. (Applause.) Chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the House, Representative John Conyers. (Applause.) Representative Barney Frank. (Applause.) Representative Tammy Baldwin. (Applause.) Representative Jerry Nadler. (Applause.) Representative Jared Polis. (Applause.) All the members of Congress who are here today, we thank you.

Mr. David Bohnett and Mr. Tom Gregory and the David Bohnett Foundation -- they are partners for this reception. Thank you so much, guys, for helping to host this. (Applause.)

And finally, and most importantly, because these were really the spearheads of this effort -- Denis, Judy, and Logan Shepard. (Applause.) As well as Betty Byrd Boatner and Louvon Harris -- sisters of James Byrd, Jr. (Applause.)

To all the activists, all the organizers, all the people who helped make this day happen, thank you for your years of advocacy and activism, pushing and protesting that made this victory possible. You know, as a nation we've come far on the journey towards a more perfect union. And today, we've taken another step forward. This afternoon, I signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. (Applause.)

This is the culmination of a struggle that has lasted more than a decade. Time and again, we faced opposition. Time and again, the measure was defeated or delayed. Time and again we've been reminded of the difficulty of building a nation in which we're all free to live and love as we see fit. But the cause endured and the struggle continued, waged by the family of Matthew Shepard, by the family of James Byrd, by folks who held vigils and led marches, by those who rallied and organized and refused to give up, by the late Senator Ted Kennedy who fought so hard for this legislation -- (applause) -- and all who toiled for years to reach this day.

You understood that we must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break bones, but to break spirits -- not only to inflict harm, but to instill fear. You understand that the rights afforded every citizen under our Constitution mean nothing if we do not protect those rights -- both from unjust laws and violent acts. And you understand how necessary this law continues to be.

In the most recent year for which we have data, the FBI reported roughly 7,600 hate crimes in this country. Over the past 10 years, there were more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation alone. And we will never know how many incidents were never reported at all.

And that's why, through this law, we will strengthen the protections against crimes based on the color of your skin, the faith in your heart, or the place of your birth. We will finally add federal protections against crimes based on gender, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. (Applause.) And prosecutors will have new tools to work with states in order to prosecute to the fullest those who would perpetrate such crimes. Because no one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are or because they live with a disability.

At root, this isn't just about our laws; this is about who we are as a people. This is about whether we value one another -- whether we embrace our differences, rather than allowing them to become a source of animus. It's hard for any of us to imagine the mind-set of someone who would kidnap a young man and beat him to within an inch of his life, tie him to a fence, and leave him for dead. It's hard for any of us to imagine the twisted mentality of those who'd offer a neighbor a ride home, attack him, chain him to the back of a truck, and drag him for miles until he finally died.

But we sense where such cruelty begins: the moment we fail to see in another our common humanity -- the very moment when we fail to recognize in a person the same fears and hopes, the same passions and imperfections, the same dreams that we all share.

We have for centuries strived to live up to our founding ideal, of a nation where all are free and equal and able to pursue their own version of happiness. Through conflict and tumult, through the morass of hatred and prejudice, through periods of division and discord we have endured and grown stronger and fairer and freer. And at every turn, we've made progress not only by changing laws but by changing hearts, by our willingness to walk in another's shoes, by our capacity to love and accept even in the face of rage and bigotry. In April of 1968, just one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, as our nation mourned in grief and shuddered in anger, President Lyndon Johnson signed landmark civil rights legislation. This was the first time we enshrined into law federal protections against crimes motivated by religious or racial hatred -- the law on which we build today.

As he signed his name, at a difficult moment for our country, President Johnson said that through this law "the bells of freedom ring out a little louder." That is the promise of America. Over the sounds of hatred and chaos, over the din of grief and anger, we can still hear those ideals -- even when they are faint, even when some would try to drown them out. At our best we seek to make sure those ideals can be heard and felt by Americans everywhere. And that work did not end in 1968. It certainly does not end today. But because of the efforts of the folks in this room -- particularly those family members who are standing behind me -- we can be proud that that bell rings even louder now and each day grows louder still. So thank you very much. God bless you and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

for more details:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/10/28/about-whether-we-value-one-another

Advantages of Radiata Pine MDF

Eximcorp offers specialty, application driven MDF, engineered to meet the challenges in design and performance by the mills in Australia and New Zealand. Its constituent wood fiber is Radiata Pine grown in the native plantations across Australia and New Zealand.

The Radiata Pine wood used in the manufacture of MDF is free from pollution by previous use or presence of foriegn substances that saves on cost of tools and helps smooth production flow at ends users factories.

Radiata Pine being softwood yields light weight fibers, more or less uniform in its density which ensures a significantly higher compression of fiber and resin in the same density of Panel made from hardwood like Rubberwood or Euclyptus or Re-cycled wood fibers. Usage of low formaldehyde emission UF or MUF resin makes it an environment friendly and safe product for your home and office.

Our Panels are dense, compact and brightest in the market in color and appearance. This ensures fewer colors application to achieve desired finish. A very high surface density and resin load in the Panels makes it absolutely smooth and free from porosity, which helps in minimising the absorption of any coating or paints on panel surface.

Following 'Drop test' will show the savings in cost of paints and labour charges while painting our Radiata Pine MDF panels,

(Explanation: Surface absorption is measured by allowing a measured amount of paint solvent to fall on the surface of a test panel supported at an angle of 60° to the horizontal and noting the length of board surface wetted before the toluene is absorbed. Boards with high surface absorption as indicated by a short length of wetting, will require higher paint coating weights to achieve a satisfactory paint finish.)

Low formaldehyde emission properties of MDF enables you to save on added fuel cost in air-conditioning by maintaining the normal Air Replacement Rate to keep your indoor air quality fresh and healthy as against a highly accelerated Air Replacement rate to keep the indoor air free from toxicity.

It is unrivalled in its quality and performance. Radiata pine MDF is the hallmark of consumer’s confidence in the market to-day.

for more detail:-
http://eximcorp.co.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=5&Itemid=33

eBay Inc. is an American Internet company that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide.

The majority of the sales take place through a set-time auction format, but subsequent methods include a substantial segment of listings in the "Buy It Now" category.

In addition to its original U.S. website, eBay has established localized websites in thirty other countries. eBay Inc. also owns PayPal, Skype,[2] StubHub, Kijiji, and other businesses.

for more details:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBay

Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of trees (and other woody plants). In a living tree it transfers water and nutrients to the leaves and other growing tissues, and has a support function, enabling woody plants to reach large sizes or to stand up for themselves. However, wood may also refer to other plant materials with comparable properties, and to material engineered from wood, or wood chips or fibre.

People have used wood for millennia for many purposes, primarily as a fuel or as a construction material for making houses, tools, weapons, furniture, packaging, artworks, and paper. Wood can be dated by carbon dating and in some species by dendrochronology to make inferences about when a wooden object was created. The year-to-year variation in tree-ring widths and isotopic abundances gives clues to the prevailing climate at that time.[1]

for more details:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood

Market Comments:

The second phase of central bank meetings occurred overnight and there was a hint that both the BOE and ECB were adopting a slightly more optimistic approach on their respective economies, though this did not stop the BOE from announcing a £25 bln increase to its quantitative easing programme. The total for its Asset Purchase facility was upped to £200 bln but the pace of disbursement on the remainder was extended to 3 months rather than one. Noted for its extremely cautious view on the state of the economy, the MPC this time suggested that a pickup in activity may soon be evident (albeit at a snail’s pace). With the increase in the QE measures at the lower end of market expectations, and the day’s economic data coming in better than expected, GBP survived an early sell-off and came back strongly, touching a 2-week high.

The ECB meeting by contrast was as steady as they come although Gov. Trichet was a tad more hawkish in his press conference than the market had expected. He said that interest rates were “appropriate” but it was comments that “not all liquidity would be needed in future” that got the EUR going, pushing it up to a one-week high.

Across the Atlantic, US productivity spiked 9.5% in Q3, no doubt reflecting the impact of stimulus measures and hefty job cuts by companies. The jobless claims showed a slight improvement with 512k jobs lost vs. 532k last week and, when compared with the slightly worse ADP report yesterday, may cloud the release of tonight’s non-farm payroll data. Equities liked the data, rebounding strongly, but the correlation between strong equities/weak dollar appeared to disengage with the greenback closing marginally higher on the Index. No doubt the uncertainty surrounding tonight’s jobs report was a factor influencing currency markets.

The major mover during the Asian session was the AUD (though only a 30 pip-or so rally) following the release of the RBA’s quarterly monetary policy report. An upgrade to near-term growth forecasts for 2009 to 1.75% from 0.5% and for 2010 to 3.25% from 2.25% proved the catalyst while revisions to headline CPI through December 2010 to 2.25% (though still within the target band of 2-3%) also helped. Overall an upbeat assessment with less spare capacity than originally thought, but nevertheless any increases in interest rates are likely to be gradual. The report acknowledged that consumption growth was showing signs of slowing as stimulus fades but forecast that spending would remain resilient.

The other headline in Asia concerned Fannie Mae, though Asian markets failed to show any reaction to the news. The mortgage lender has requested an additional $15 bln in additional funding by year-end after posting another net quarterly loss of $18.9 bln in Q3. The lender has already received some $44.9 bln in federal government assistance under a senior preferred-stock purchase agreement. Should the market decide to take notice then it should be another knock back for risk appetite.

An article in the China Daily suggested that the huge surge in deposits at China’s biggest bank could signal that the huge rallies in the country’s equity and property markets this year are sustainable and not just fueled by massive cash injections from the central bank. The report notes that deposits at the country’s four largest listed banks grew by Yuan 4.3 tln ($629.7 bln) during the first half of 2009, more than the Yuan 3 tln increase in loans from the same banks.

Looking ahead to tonight’s non-farm payroll numbers, the market is looking for a loss of 175k jobs in the payroll report and an increase in employment up to 9.9%. A print with a 10% handle would likely cause a dent to risk appetite (even though eventually the market sees it as inevitable) and the risk of a surprise would likely lie to this side. We note that Wednesday’s weak reading in the employment sub-component of the non-manufacturing ISM data is a definite negative for tonight though the ADP report could suggest a possible shrinking in the magnitude of payroll losses. All in all, a bit of a lottery.

Apart from the US employment data, other data points on the horizon include Swiss unemployment, UK PPI and German factory orders during the European session while the US session can look forward to Canada unemployment and US wholesale inventories. G-20 meeting in Scotland this weekend but nothing concrete or defining for currency markets is expected though individual finance minister may pass asides about the strength of their currencies versus the greenback.

Have a great weekend.

More analysis: Saxo Bank Market News & Analysis

Risk Warnings:

Saxo Bank A/S shall not be responsible for any loss arising from any investment based on any recommendation, forecast or other information herein contained. The contents of this publication should not be construed as an express or implied promise, guarantee or implication by Saxo Bank that clients will profit from the strategies herein or that losses in connection therewith can or will be limited. Trades in accordance with the recommendations in an analysis, especially leveraged investments such as foreign exchange trading and investment in derivatives, can be very speculative and may result in losses as well as profits, in particular if the conditions mentioned in the analysis do not occur as anticipated.

for more details:-
http://www.forextrading.com/Analysis/default.aspx?PubTypeID=1&PubChild=all

The World's largest Leather Research Institute, was founded on 24 April, 1948. CLRI made an initiative with foresight to link technology system with both academy and industry.

CLRI, today, is a central hub in Indian leather sector with direct roles in education, research, training, testing, designing, forecasting, planning, social empowerment and leading in science and technology relating to leather.

State-of-art facilities in CLRI support, innovation in leather processing, creative designing of leather products viz. leather garment, leather goods, footwear and development of novel environmental technologies for leather sector.

for more details:-

http://www.clri.org/

NEW DELHI: The imbroglio over the leadership issue in Karnataka continues, even as several senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders supporting Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, descended here on Sunday and called on the high command to press for his continuation.

Tourism Minister G. Janardhan Reddy, and his brothers, who have been spearheading the campaign for a change of leadership, are expected to arrive late on Sunday and call on the Central leaders on Monday.

The pro-Yeddyurappa group called on the Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani, party president Rajnath Singh, and senior leaders Ananth Kumar, Arun Jaitley, and Sushma Swaraj, among others.

Home Minister B.S. Acharya, Excise Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, Special Representative of the Karnataka government in the national capital and the former Union Minister V. Dhananjay Kumar, State party president D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar, Transport Minister R. Ashok, and PWD Minister C.M. Udasi, among others called on Central leaders. Besides, a group of MPs led by the State party president called on the top brass. Speaker Jagdish Shettar, whom the rebels are projecting as a replacement for Mr. Yeddyurappa, also called on Central leaders.

While Mr. Dhananjaya Kumar and Mr. Gowda told reporters that the Central leaders were against removing Mr. Yeddyurappa, Mr. Shettar declined to make any comment.

“We met almost all senior leaders of the party including Advaniji and they assured that there is no question of change of leadership in Karnataka,” Mr. Gowda said, speaking to reporters after the meetings. He also expressed confidence that there would be “good news” by Monday evening.

foe more details:-

http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/02/stories/2009110257350100.htm

Electronic mail, often abbreviated as email, e.mail or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages, designed primarily for human use. E-mail systems are based on a store-and-forward model in which e-mail computer server systems accept, forward, deliver and store messages on behalf of users, who only need to connect to the e-mail infrastructure, typically an e-mail server, with a network-enabled device (e.g., a personal computer) for the duration of message submission or retrieval. Originally, e-mail was always transmitted directly from one user's device to another's; nowadays this is rarely the case.

An electronic mail message consists of two components, the message header, and the message body, which is the email's content. The message header contains control information, including, minimally, an originator's email address and one or more recipient addresses. Usually additional information is added, such as a subject header field.

Originally a text-only communications medium, email was extended to carry multi-media content attachments, which were standardized in with RFC 2045 through RFC 2049, collectively called, Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME).

The foundation for today's global Internet e-mail service was created in the early ARPANET and standards for encoding of messages were proposed as early as, for example, in 1973 (RFC 561). An e-mail sent in the early 1970s looked very similar to one sent on the Internet today. Conversion from the ARPANET to the Internet in the early 1980s produced the core of the current service.

Network-based email was initially exchanged on the ARPANET in extensions to the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), but is today carried by the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), first published as Internet standard 10 (RFC 821) in 1982. In the process of transporting email messages between systems, SMTP communicates delivery parameters using a message envelope separately from the message (headers and body) itself.

For more details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail

A polymer is a large molecule (macromolecule) composed of repeating structural units typically connected by covalent chemical bonds. While polymer in popular usage suggests plastic, the term actually refers to a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a variety of properties.

Due to the extraordinary range of properties accessible in polymeric materials ^[2], they have come to play an essential and ubiquitous role in everyday life^[3] - from plastics and elastomers on the one hand to natural biopolymers such as DNA and proteins that are essential for life on the other. A simple example is polyethylene, whose repeating unit is based on ethylene (IUPAC name ethene) monomer. Most commonly, as in this example, the continuously linked backbone of a polymer used for the preparation of plastics consists mainly of carbon atoms. However, other structures do exist; for example, elements such as silicon form familiar materials such as silicones, examples being silly putty and waterproof plumbing sealant. The backbone of DNA is in fact based on a phosphodiester bond, and repeating units of polysaccharides (e.g. cellulose) are joined together by glycosidic bonds via oxygen atoms.

Natural polymeric materials such as shellac, amber, and natural rubber have been in use for centuries. Biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids play crucial roles in biological processes. A variety of other natural polymers exist, such as cellulose, which is the main constituent of wood and paper.

for more details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer

BANGALORE: It's become the 'holy grail' that every top Indian tech firm is chasing and talking about. After over a decade of growing their

More Infotech Stories Performance of top IT cos in Q1 India's top 10 BPOs The rise of multinational IT in India Key facts on India's IT industry

revenues at 20-30% every year, TCS, Infosys and Wipro are scrambling to arrest their linear, people-led growth by exploring different ways to ensure that they do not have to hire more in order to serve additional customers, and handle higher volumes of projects.

Together, the country's top three tech firms already employ over 3,00,000 staff between them, and pursuing non-linear growth is on top of their agenda. For Wipro, India's third biggest software exporter, the non-linear journey started some two years ago in an abandoned computer making unit, owned by the company's hardware division at Mysore, which has now evolved as its global services management centre. The centre caters to over 85 customers with around 1,000 staff.

While rivals TCS and Infosys are also pursuing non-linearity as part of their long term agenda, experts say Wipro may have done better in arresting people-led growth by pursuing an 'on demand hiring' strategy.

"To some extent, only Wipro has tried to break the one-to-one correlation between revenue growth and employee addition as it so demonstrated through FY09 – an effort initiated before the crisis intensified in September 2008 with the collapse of Lehman Brothers,” said Edelweiss analysts Viju George, Kunal Sangoi and Pratik Gandhi.

for more details:-
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5187561.cms

Listen up Alan Jackson fans! You are invited to drop by the Cracker Barrel restaurant in the Nashville suburb of Mount Juliet on Monday, November 2 at 9 a.m. to meet Alan and have items signed from the new Alan Jackson Collection. He had a hand in designing each item in the 41-piece collection, and it's all available exclusively at Cracker Barrel restaurants nationwide.

Notable pieces include the Alan Jackson Limited Edition Rocker (rocking chair) and the CD Songs of Love and Heartache, which includes such hits as "Here in the Real World," "Livin' on Love" and "Remember When." As a bonus, the CD also contains two new singles, "That's What I'd Be Like Without You" and "Nothing Sure Looked Good on You."

Of his life-long relationship with Cracker Barrel, Alan said, "I grew up in the South. It has been a part of my family since I was a young man. I've been very impressed with the variety and quality of the items we've put together. I think my fans and their families will appreciate everything in the collection."

Numbered tickets for the event will be distributed on a first come, first served basis, and no one is allowed to get in line for the tickets before 6 a.m., so no camping out! Cracker Barrel will serve breakfast throughout the event, which ends at 11 a.m.

for more details:-

http://countrymusic.about.com/

-- If you want to get a man to wash his hands, you might want to make your message downright disgusting.

Try this phrase: "Soap it off or eat it later." That was one of the best hand-washing motivators for men in a study published recently in the American Journal of Public Health.

The study took place in the restrooms of a highway service station in the U.K. during the summer holidays, when the roads were busy with travelers of all ages.

The researchers set up an electronic message display, written in capitalized flashing letters, in the men's and women's restrooms. All of the messages were about the importance of washing hands with soap. But the messages differed in their tone.

Some messages spelled out the risks of not washing your hands, such as "Water doesn't kill germs, soap does."

Other messages tapped into social norms, such as "Is the person next to you washing with soap?" Still more messages went for what the researchers call the "yuck factor," such as "Don't take the loo with you -- wash with soap."

For comparison, sometimes the message board was blank. Sensors on the restroom soap dispensers recorded how often people used soap.

Different types of messages motivated men and women to lather up.

"Disgust triggered the highest response in men but produced no significant response in women," write the researchers, who included Gaby Judah, BA, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Health.

Women were more responsive to messages that were about knowing the risks of not washing their hands.

"The only message that performed well in both genders was the normative message, 'Is the person next to you washing with soap," the researchers write.

Judah's team interviewed people after they left the restrooms, and most of them didn't recall seeing the hand-washing messages at all. The study also doesn't show whether people took enough time washing their hands.

But the findings do show that different messages may be more effective than others at getting people to wash their hands, Judah and colleagues note.

for more details:-

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=106850

A textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands.^[1] Textiles are formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or pressing fibres together (felt).

The words fabric and cloth are used in textile assembly trades (such as tailoring and dressmaking) as synonyms for textile. However, there are subtle differences in these terms in specialized usage. Textile refers to any material made of interlacing fibres. Fabric refers to any material made through weaving, knitting, crocheting, or bonding. Cloth refers to a finished piece of fabric that can be used for a purpose such as covering a bed.

for more details:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile

A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a set of instructions.

Although mechanical examples of computers have existed through much of recorded human history, the first electronic computers were developed in the mid-20th century (1940–1945). These were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs).^[1] Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space.^[2] Simple computers are small enough to fit into a wristwatch, and can be powered by a watch battery. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as "computers". The embedded computers found in many devices from MP3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are however the most numerous.

The ability to store and execute lists of instructions called programs makes computers extremely versatile, distinguishing them from calculators. The Church–Turing thesis is a mathematical statement of this versatility: any computer with a certain minimum capability is, in principle, capable of performing the same tasks that any other computer can perform. Therefore computers ranging from a mobile phone to a supercomputer are all able to perform the same computational tasks, given enough time and storage capacity.

for more details;-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer

Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, pig flu and sometimes, the swine) is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs.^[2] As of 2009, the known SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.

Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human influenza, often resulting only in the production of antibodies in the blood. If transmission does cause human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People with regular exposure to pigs are at increased risk of swine flu infection. The meat of an infected animal poses no risk of infection when properly cooked.

During the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing accurate diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 such transmissions have been confirmed. These strains of swine flu rarely pass from human to human. Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

for more details:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_influenza

Andhra Pradesh

Moily non-committal on CLP meeting

‘No move to take disciplinary action against Konda Surekha’

— PHOTO: P.V. SIVAKUMAR

NEW CHALLENGES: M. Veerappa Moily, AICC in-charge of A.P. affairs, chairs a meeting at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: AICC general secretary and AP affairs in-charge M. Veerappa Moily gave no commitment to Ministers and Congress leaders on the possible date for convening the much awaited meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) beyond saying that it would be held as early as possible.

The Congress leadership has decided to hold the CLP meeting to condole the death of its leader Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and formally elect Chief Minister K. Rosaiah as the new leader. When senior Congress leaders including Ministers who called on him suggested that the meet be held before GHMC polls slated on November 23, he merely said that the leadership was not averse to convening the meeting which could not be held so far due to floods in Andhra Pradesh and elections in three other States.

Mr. Moily’s remarks substantiate claims of a section of Congress leaders that the leadership was weighing pros and cons in convening the CLP meeting as some MLAs vowed to announce their support to Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy’s candidature. “The party is not likely to face any embarrassment in the run up to GHMC elections,” a senior leader said. The Ministers, however, claimed that Mr. Moily responded positively to their request.Responding to queries from reporters, Mr. Moily said the party leadership viewed Minister Konda Surekha’s decision to resign as a “personal” one and there was no move to initiate any disciplinary action against her. He termed as incorrect reports that supporters of Mr. Jagan were behind Ms. Surekha’s decision.

Asked about using Mr. Jagan for the party’s campaign, he said the Congress would utilise his services like that of any other MP as and when required.

On the possibility of Mr. Jagan contesting Pulivendula by-election, he said a decision on the issue would be taken only after the notification was issued and the party would first concentrate on winning the GHMC elections with a thumping majority in fulfilment of the dream cherished by YSR.

When asked whether any leader was prepared to take responsibility for the victory or loss of the party like YSR did before 2009 elections, Mr. Moily said it would be the collective responsibility of all the leaders.

for more details:-
http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/01/stories/2009110160600100.htm

We call it Nano, they don’t have to, says Vice-Chairman Ravi Kant BSE | NSE Price Seven months after the launch of Nano, Tata Motors is toying with the idea of letting local garage assemblers put together the world’s cheapest car and also sell it under a brand of their own. The company, which is revisiting the concept of distributed manufacturing mooted by Chairman Ratan Tata when he first talked of the Rs 1 lakh car several years ago, will become the world’s first to attempt such a "federal" structure of manufacturing. Speaking at The Economist Innovation conference in London on Friday, Tata Motors Vice-Chairman and former managing director Ravi Kant said with the new Nano plant likely to start commercial production in the last quarter of this financial year ending March 2010, the company may allow enterprising assemblers to set up micro-assembly sites across the country, with each producing some 10,000 cars a year. "We call it Nano, they (assemblers) don't have to," said Kant, who received the The Economist Innovation award 2009 (for business process) on behalf of Tata for developing and rolling out the world's cheapest car. Experts, however, said handing over the branding power to small assemblers may not be easy. For one, the perceived and actual safety of a car has always been associated with the brand. Tata Motors will have to be extra careful about safety concerns after a small number of Nanos sold in India reported technical problems last month, forcing the company to conduct a preemptive audit of the quality of cars already shipped as well as those in the inventory. “The Indian car market has still not come to this stage. Given that a car like Nano is three or four year’s investment, customers will still go for established brands from strong OEMs (original equipment manufacturers; in this case Tata Motors). So this idea may not fly very well,” said Abdul Majeed, leader, automotive practice, with PricewaterhouseCoopers in India. There would also be concerns about after-sales services and spare parts, he added. NANO FCTS * 80 per cent of Nanos sold in India so far are the middle-and top-end versions (priced way above Rs 1 lakh) * 45-50 per cent Nanos are chauffeur-driven in India * Tata Motors holds 37 patents connected with Nano * Assemblers from over 50 countries have shown interest in it * During its six-and-a-half years in development, the material costs of Nano went up three times, but the car came out on the promised price Ratan Tata spoke of distributed manufacturing when he first went public with his desire to make a Rs 1 lakh car, as Nano was referred to for years until it was christened. Though this idea was never officially abandoned, the company spent the next few years absorbed in developing the car and setting up the new plant, which had to be shifted in a hurry from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat owing to problems over land acquisition. The Sanand plant is expected to go into commercial production in the January-March quarter of 2010 with an initial capacity of 250,000 a year, scalable to 350,000. Nano is expected to be launched in Europe in 2011. Although its price here is yet to be decided, Kant said it may well be the cheapest to hit these markets. On the potential competition to Nano, Kant said it might take a combination of a global car maker and an Indian one to mount a credible challenge. “I am not saying it cannot be done alone, but we clearly have the first-mover advantage,” he said. for more details:- http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/tata-motors-mulls-letting-assemblers-brand-nano/375023/

A real-time clock (RTC) is a computer clock (most often in the form of an integrated circuit) that keeps track of the current time. Although the term often refers to the devices in personal computers, servers and embedded systems, RTCs are present in almost any electronic device which needs to keep accurate time.

Contents [hide] 1 Terminology 2 Purpose 3 Power source 4 Timing 5 Examples 6 See also 7 References

[edit] Terminology

The term is used to avoid confusion with ordinary hardware clocks which are only signals that govern digital electronics, and do not count time in human units. RTC should not be confused with real-time computing, which shares its three-letter acronym, but does not directly relate to time of day.

[edit] Purpose

Although keeping time can be done without an RTC^[1], using one has benefits:

• Low power consumption (important when running from alternate power)
• Frees the main system for time-critical tasks
• Sometimes more accurate than other methods

A GPS receiver can shorten its startup time by comparing the current time, according to its RTC, with the time at which it last had a valid signal.^[2] If it has been less than a few hours then the previous ephemeris is still usable.

[edit] Power source

RTCs often have an alternate source of power, so they can continue to keep time while the primary source of power is off or unavailable. This alternate source of power is normally a lithium battery in older systems, but some newer systems use a supercapacitor^[3], because they are rechargeable and can be soldered. The alternate power source can also supply power to battery backed RAM.

[edit] Timing

Most RTCs use a crystal oscillator^[4][5], but some use the power line frequency^[6] . In many cases the oscillator's frequency is 32.768 kHz.^[4] This is the same frequency used in quartz clocks and watches, and for the same reasons, namely that the frequency is exactly 2¹⁵ cycles per second, which is a convenient rate to use with simple binary counter circuits.

[edit] Examples

Many integrated circuit manufacturers make RTCs, including Intersil, Maxim, Philips, Texas Instruments and STMicroelectronics. The RTC was introduced to PC compatibles by the IBM PC/AT in 1984, which used a MC146818 RTC. Later Dallas made compatible RTCs, which was often used in older personal computers, and are easily found on motherboards because of their distinctive black battery cap and silkscreened logo. In newer systems the RTC is integrated into the southbridge chip.^[7]

Some microcontrollers have a real-time clock built in, generally only the ones with many other features and peripherals.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

1. ^ Ala-Paavola, Jaakko (2000-01-16). "Software interrupt based real time clock source code project for PIC microcontroller". http://users.tkk.fi/~jalapaav/Electronics/Pic/Clock/index.html. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
2. ^ US patent 5893044 Real time clock apparatus for fast acquisition or GPS signals
3. ^ Application Note 3816, Maxim/Dallas Semiconductor, 2006, http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/an_pk/3816
4. ^ ^{a b} Application Note 10337, ST Microelectronics, 2004, pp. 2, http://www.st.com/stonline/products/literature/an/10337.htm
5. ^ Application Note U-502, Texas Instruments, 2004, pp. 13, http://focus.ti.com/analog/docs/techdocsabstract.tsp?familyId=475&abstractName=slua051
6. ^ Application Note 1994, Maxim/Dallas Semiconductor, 2003, http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/an_pk/1994
7. ^ "ULi M1573 Southbridge Specifications". AMDboard.com. http://www.amdboard.com/ali_uli_m1573.html. Retrieved 2007-08-23.

for details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time_clock#Terminology