Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday lauded the cooperation extended by the media to the Justice Srikrishna Committee. He, however, appealed to the media to extend the same cooperation to the government. The best way to do that “is to avoid speculative stories on the committee's report.''
“After the report is made public on January 6, 2011, the media should communicate the contents of the report to viewers and readers in a fair, impartial and balanced way and promote sober and mature debate. Such debate will help the government to take appropriate decisions on the report,'' Mr. Chidambaram said.
“Now, all of us should look to the future. The past – and the unhappy incidents of the past – must be put behind us. Together, I am sure, we can agree on the path forward, a path that will bring satisfaction, happiness and prosperity to the people.''
Refusing to say anything on the contents of the report, Justice Srikrishna said the Home Minister assured them that he would convene a meeting of all political parties from Andhra Pradesh to discuss the contents of the report. “You pose all your questions to the government now,'' he said.
The committee's member-secretary, Vinod K. Duggal, said the report had given the “way forward.''
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Friday, December 31, 2010
Chidambaram's appeal to media
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Bowlers give India famous win
DURBAN: India concluded another famous win overseas — only its second in South Africa — in glorious sunshine on Wednesday afternoon when it dismissed the home side for 215 in its second innings here at Kingsmead.
The victory, by 87 runs and with more than a day to spare, was a fitting riposte by the world's best Test team after the beat-down it suffered in the first match in Centurion and after another lost toss that allowed South Africa the best of the conditions.
With the win, India levelled the series 1-1. The third Test will be played in Cape Town from Sunday, and if M.S. Dhoni's side can call upon the intensity it began Wednesday with, a historic series win in South Africa will be within reach.
India wanted to shift Jacques Kallis early on Wednesday. The firmness of his technique, especially in defensive play, and the intensity of his concentration when asked to bat time, makes Kallis a formidable blockade. South Africa's stroke-players feel secure in his presence, confident they can play around him with unhesitant bats.
The way South Africa started, it was clear A.B. de Villiers was charged with the duty of hustling the runs; Kallis would play Kallis. Fortunately for India, Sreesanth bowled an excellent first spell.
Close to best
Unlike a large part of the first innings, where he strove without success for control, Sreesanth was close to his best on Wednesday morning. He made Kallis play, getting just a touch of reverse-swing into the right-hander at a reasonable, but not rapid, speed (135 to 138 kmph).
What Sreesanth has always had, however, is the ability to bring into being, from seemingly nowhere, an unplayable ball. Even in the first innings, when his bowling was rarely better than mediocre, he managed a leg-cutter that got A.B. de Villiers.
The one that dismissed Kallis was every bit as difficult to evade: it climbed at a steep incline off a length that wasn't all that short; Kallis arched his back as he leapt, but the ball hounded the batsman, moving into him as it rose to hit glove and lob to gully.
The drama heightened when umpire Steve Davis asked the Indians to put their celebrations on hold while he confirmed with the third-umpire that Sreesanth hadn't over-stepped.
Kallis walked off when confirmation came, looking deeply anguished, but it didn't dismay de Villiers from playing insouciantly. Harbhajan Singh, who, like Sreesanth, began with a maiden, switched to bowling from around the wicket. De Villiers, with quick, decisive feet, and pliant, adjusting hands, countered the off-spinner.
Harbhajan won that little battle, an off-break from around the wicket making haste off the wicket to strike pad before bat. The trajectory and the turn were enough to both defeat de Villiers' stroke and satisfy all but one of the necessary conditions for an ‘lbw' judgment.
Height was the only issue — the ball-tracking technology estimated that the stumps would have been hurdled, comfortably.
If that was a marginal decision, understandable because it looked out in real time, the one that followed was poor. Zaheer Khan's delivery, from left-arm over, didn't come back enough to threaten the stumps, but Mark Boucher was still given his marching orders. An important wicket it was too, for Boucher is a dangerous stroke-player under pressure.
Zaheer worked Dale Steyn over, doing to Steyn what the South African fast-bowler had done to him — if not at the same pace, then certainly with the same intent. The left-armer asked for the extra over, making Ishant Sharma wait, and got his man, with the ball of fuller length from around the wicket.
Ashwell Prince (39 n.o.) held India up, first with Paul Harris and then with Morne Morkel. The left-handed Prince clipped the seamers off his legs when not pulling them, hitting the stroke with an economy of motion. His decision not to take the single, especially when batting with Morkel, was questionable, particularly given the defensive fields India set to the tail-ender and considering how comfortable he looked. South Africa's only chance was to force India to panic
India seal historic win in Durban, set up series decider in Cape Town
India scored a historic Test win in Durban, a venue where had fared poorly at in the past, and levelled the series 1-1 with a game left in Cape Town. Needing 303 to win this game and the series, South Africa were bowled out for 215.
With Zaheer Khan's return, India had a rejuvenated bowling attack in this game. The veteran seamer took six wickets in the match, including 3-57 in the second innings while S Sreesanth hit top form taking 3-45.
Sreesanth began the day in fine style for India when a vicious bouncer aimed at Jacques Kallis' nose was fended off Virender Sehwag behind the wicket.
India had some luck with the umpiring decisions today. Harbhajan Singh bowling over the wicket got AB de Villiers LBW. Hawk Eye suggested the ball would have gone well over the stumps.
The dangerous Mark Boucher was dismissed quickly by Zaheer. Umpire Steve Davis gave the LBW but replays showed the ball was missing off-stump.
With the ball reverse-swinging, Zaheer worked out the lower-order.
The win was set up primarily by the batting exploits of VVS Laxman, who is the only man in the Test match to cross 40. In the first innings he made 38, following it up with 96, mainly batting with the lower order.
Harbhajan showed good form, taking 4-10 in the first innings giving India a substantial lead of 74 in a low-scoring game.
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South Africa 2nd: 149 for 6 in 45.0 overs Run Rate: 3.31
India in South Africa, 3 Test Series, 2010-11
South Africa vs India
Kingsmead, Durban, 2nd Test
Toss won by: South Africa
Status : Play In Progress Batted First : India Batted Second : South Africa
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South Africa 2nd: 149 for 6 in 45.4 overs Run Rate: 3.26
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Priyanka starrer ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ – First look
She had been making news for considerable time the day since she signed the dotted lines for this Vishal Bhardwaj’s thriller ‘7 Khoon Maaf’…. And after a long wait, here’s is the first glimpse of the film’s poster –
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Bannered under UTV Motion Pictures and VB Pictures, ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Vishal. The film is out-and-out Vishal’s project because, besides producing, he has also written the script, music and background score.
The film is also written by Matthew Robbins while the music is done by Gulzar.
In ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ Priyanka Chopra plays the main protagonist who kills her seven husbands one by one – who range from old to young. Similary, Priyanka character will be shown in different ages, from 20 till 65.
Playing opposite to the actress are Naseeruddin Shah, John Abraham, Irrfan Khan, Annu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah's son Vivaan Shah, Neil Nitin Mukesh and a Russian actor Aleksandr Dyachenko. Neil is reported to be the youngest of her husbands.
According to sources, the film is based on the Ruskin Bond book, titled ‘Susanna's Seven Husbands’.
‘7 Khoon Maaf’ is expected to hit the screens on 18 February 2011.
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Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Apple MacBook Air 13 inch, things to know before you buy one
Bringing more delight for all who love to stay updated with technology, Apple’s MacBook Air comes refreshed and upgraded with something more for you to check out. Instead of adding just the regular simple upgrading such as CPU, GPU and Blu-ray drive, Apple introduces some excellent new hardware to its MacBook that is sure to have your interest aroused. The most prominent change in the new MacBook Air that is sure to catch one’s eye is its bigger screen of 13inch that allows better clarity and view.
Features
• It comes supported with Mac OS X 10.6.4 along with 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (6MB shared L2 cache), 2GB of 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM and 128GB of Flash storage capacity.
• The new MacBook has 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display having 1,440×900 native resolutions (16:10).
• There is no optical drive and ethernet port
• It is equipped with AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), two USB 2.0 ports, SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Reader and a mini DisplayPort video output socket.
• The device have all the regular features such as built-in stereo speakers, built-in FaceTime video camera (640×480 resolution), Internal omni-directional microphone, Bluetooth 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and built-in full-size non-backlit keyboard with 78 keys
• MacBook has Multi-Touch trackpad that supports Multi-Touch gestures
• The MacBook uses a built-in 50-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery along with 45W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system
• 0.11-0.68 x 12.8 x 8.94 inches (HWD)
• Light and portable, the weight of the MacBook Air 13-inch measures around 2.9 pounds
Pros
Surely a better and upgraded version than its predecessor, the new MacBook Air 13-inch from Apple not only comes with a captivating design but also many pros that are sure to make it the choice of all tech lovers. An SD slot with extra USB port, bigger battery, excellent graphics options, higher resolution and easily portable lightweight casing adds to the features of the device that comes at a price tag of $1,299.
Cons
Though the price of this laptop remains $200 less than the last 13-inch Air, the new MacBook Air’s cost still remains quite pricey. Other than this, the 2GB memory configuration adds another weakness to the laptop device.
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DHONI is 42 MIllions
M. S. Dhoni, the Indian Cricket Team captain, bagged a staggering 42 million USD endorsement deal. This deal has put Dhoni ahead of Tendulkar’s record. Tendulkar was once the most expensive sports person in India to get to endorse any product.
Popularity can take you places and in case of Dhoni, it has made him a multi millionaire. Dhoni was world’s highest paid cricketer last year and was earning 10 millions USD whereas Tendulkar was at 8 millions USD. With his current endorsement deal with Rhiti Sports Management now Dhoni has broken the record of Tendulkar’s deal of 180 crore with Iconix.
This good news has come to Dhoni’s life just after he got married, his marriage is proving to be very lucky for him. Hope it proves lucky for Indian cricket as well!
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Dhoni looking at grey areas, faith on Zaheer
Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Monday said the devastating defeat South Africa has forced the skipper to ponder on how to fare in the next match that is scheduled to be held on 26 December. Although the batsmen of India performed well, it was a good effort wasted. India’s last two wickets were claimed in 35
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5 flop films of 2010
5 flop films of 2010
this years top 5 bollywood movies.
"5 flop films of 2010"
- 5 flop films of 2010 Videos, Watch Free 5 flop films of 2010 Videos Online : IN.com (view on Google Sidewiki)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Exclusive Pics: Wankhede far from ready for the Cricket World Cup
With less than two months to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup, the Wankhede Stadium, which is supposed to host the final as well as two more matches, looks far from complete. Our reporters sneaked into the under-construction stadium and the pictures they brought tell the story.
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Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tendulkar, Sehwag in ICC shortlist for all-time greatest ODI team
Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, along with Virender Sehwag, today found a place in the list of players nominated for an ICC online poll to pick the all—time greatest team as part of one—day cricket’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
The retired Sourav Ganguly is also part of the list of openers, from which only two would make the final dream team.
“To mark the 40th anniversary of One-Day International cricket, the ICC’s official website is asking supporters from across the globe to select their choice of the greatest ODI match and team of all-time,” the ICC said in a statement.
Website www.icc-cricket.com is asking supporters to select a dream team from a shortlist of 48 players and pick their favourite game from a choice of 10 memorable matches.
Fans can select dream team and favourite game till January 2, with the choices set to be announced on January 5 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first-ever ODI match between Australia and England.
“With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 now less than two months away, excitement and interest in the one-day format of the game will certainly intensify. We know that fans will enjoy having the chance to remember some of the great games and great players that have played in ODI cricket during the past 40 years,” ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said.
The Australian ODI team from 1971 will also be presented to the crowd during the innings break of the first ODI match of the series between Australia and England at the MCG on January 16.
In the nominees for the Greatest ODI team of all time, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the lone Indian in the list of wicketkeepers.
However, no Indian has found a place in the list of middle-order batsmen and fast bowlers, while the legendary Kapil Dev has found a mention in the all-rounders’ nomination.
Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have made the list of spinners shortlisted for the dream team.
Two India match (the win over West Indies by 43 runs at Lord’s, 25 June 1983 and the triumph against Pakistan by five runs at Karachi, 13 March 2004) are there in the list of nominees for the greatest ODI match.
The shortlist for Dream Team:
Opening batsmen (2) — Saeed Anwar, Sourav Ganguly, Gordon Greenidge, Matthew Hayden, Sanath Jayasuriya, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Glenn Turner.
Middle—order batsmen (3) — Michael Bevan, Martin Crowe, Aravinda de Silva, Inzamam—ul Haq, Brian Lara, Javed Miandad, Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards.
All—rounder (1) — Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Andrew Flintoff, Richard Hadlee, Jacques Kallis, Imran Khan, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock.
Wicketkeeper (1) — Mark Boucher, MS Dhoni, Andy Flower Adam Gilchrist, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Moin Khan, Alec Stewart, Kumar Sangakkara.
Fast bowlers (3) — Wasim Akram, Allan Donald, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Chaminda Vaas, Waqar Younis.
Spinners (1) — Shahid Afridi, Carl Hooper, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Warne, Daniel Vettori.
Greatest ODI match of all—time:
West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs at Lord’s, 21 June 1975.
India beat West Indies by 43 runs at Lord’s, 25 June 1983.
Pakistan beat India won by one—wicket at Sharjah, 18 April 1986.
England won by three wickets against Australia at Sydney, 22 January 1987.
Australia won by one—wicket against West Indies at Sydney, 12 January 1996.
Australia tied with South Africa at Edgbaston, 17 June 1999.
Pakistan tied with Sri Lanka, at Sharjah, 15 October 1999.
India beat Pakistan by five runs at Karachi, 13 March 2004.
Bangladesh beat Australia by five wickets at Cardiff, 18 June 2005.
South Africa beat Australia by one—wicket at Johannesburg, 12 March 2006.
Keywords: All-time ODI team
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How Indira's Congress got its hand symbol
Bangalore: Eighty-year-old RK Rajarathnam vividly remembers the night of February 2, 1978 when Indira Gandhi, during an election campaign, came to his house in Madanpalle, Andhra Pradesh. She had just formed the new Congress (I) and the party was still without a symbol.
"AR Antulay and Buta Singh called me on the phone, kindly convey the message to Madam. Tomorrow by 10 am, if we don't give the choice, there won't be any symbol at all. I said Madam, hand will be easily recognisable. She just saw me like this. She immediately said, select hand, that's all," said RK Rajarathnam, Congress member.
Rajarathnam reminisces, "That house also gave power to all the people who visited my house that day. Madam Gandhi became the Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao became the PM, Chenna Reddy became Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Sharad Pawar became Chief Minister of Maharashtra."
The visit had its repercussions: The house was completely damaged by arsonists. "You are giving shelter to Indira Gandhi, you are going to suffer," Rajarathnam was told.
As the Congress celebrates 125 years of its existence, RK Rajarathnam is left with one last wish. That the hand that was born in his house over 32 years back will now handhold him in the twilight years of his life.
Rajarathnam says, "I was not recognised. Sonia Gandhi has to think of all these things."
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China's media launches search engine to rival Google
After taming Google into submission, China has launched a new search engine of its own to make foray into its 420 million strong net users' market, a move believed to be aimed at taking firm control of the web media.
Known as 'Goso.cn', China's very own search engine has been launched by the country's largest newspaper the People's Daily, which is the official daily of the ruling Communist Party of China.
The state-run media already holds sway over the country where the flow of information is tightly controlled, and the move to introduce its own search engine signifies its aim to take control of the web media as well.
The move came as blog news is catching up fast posing a direct challenge to the hold of official media in the country.
Google was involved in a face-off with the Chinese government in March this year after it shut down its Chinese search engine and re-routed mainland users to its uncensored site in Hong Kong, protesting cyber attacks.
Google, which resisted attempts of censorship for many months later gave in and got its license to operate in China renewed only after it agreed to abide by all restrictions.
Months later, the country's largest newspaper has launched a news search engine which came after six months of trial operations, state-run English dailies the China Daily and Global Times reported.
The launch of the People Search Engine is part of authorities' efforts to enhance the CPC international communication capacity, Zhang Yannong, president of People's Daily, said.
Given the fact that most of the rules and regulations of the information industry were set by foreign companies, and that several countries view development of the Internet as part of their national strategies, China must develop a search engine with independent technology, thus creating a good Internet environment for 420 million, China Daily quoted a 'netizen' Zhang as saying.
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It's official: Tees Maar Khan is a remake
We had earlier reported that Farah Khan's [ Images ] upcoming Tees Maar Khan seems to be a ripoff of Italian master Vittorio De Sica's After The Fox.
Now, it emerges that Khan and co-producers UTV have officially bought the remake rights from Metro Goldwyn Mayer.
"The plot of the film (of pretending to shoot a film to get away with a robbery) is the same as After The Fox, which is very funny," says Khan. "But for some reason, the film didn't do well at that point, I don't know why. And we've changed everything else. Akshay isn't a master of disguise, the girl isn't his sister, we're on a moving train, and the villains have been changed. Everything's made bigger and brighter, and more relevant to today's scenario."
"And I haven't tried even once to make Akshay act like Peter Sellers," she added.
Italian neorealist master De Sica, best known for the 1948 classic Bicycle Thieves, ventured into spoofy territory with After The Fox, a 1966 comedy featuring Peter Sellers as a master of disguise who mounts a fake film production in order to get away with a daring gold heist.
In the process, the filmmaker lampooned fellow filmmakers Michelangelo Antonioni [ Images ], Federico Fellini [ Images ] and himself, among various other cinematic luminaries. Clearly this gives Khan, the director of Om Shanti Om [ Images ], quite the room for Bollywood-spoofing.
"I'm always torn apart by critics for my stories, and this time I can say the joke's on them and the story is by Neil Simon," laughs Farah, two days ahead of Tees Maar Khan's release.
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010
FASTER is a 2010 Hollywood action drama
August 30, 2010 (Calcutta Tube): FASTER is a 2010 Hollywood action drama directed by George Tillman Jr. starring Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Maggie Grace and others. FASTER will be releasing in the USA on 24th November 2010. Sign up for the DVD release date for FASTER, check out the cast and crew, watch trailer online.
Synopsis
On the very day he’s released from a 10-year prison sentence, convicted bank robber Driver (Dwayne Johnson) hits the streets to take revenge on the men who bungled the job that got him busted and his beloved brother killed. But close on Driver’s tail are a driven cop (Billy Bob Thornton) on the one hand and a flamboyant contract killer (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) on the other. George Tillman Jr. directs this thriller that also stars Carla Gugino.
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Moview Review: Mirch Star: 2.5/5
Mirch is a sexy idea that doesn’t quite come to fruition. Inspired from sources as varied as the Panchatantra and Boccaccio’s Decameron, writer-director Vinay Shukla strings together four stories focusing on the complicated, fraught, deeply painful and yet life-sustaining games that men and women play with each other. Sex, lies, disguises, deviousness and tears are the weapons at hand and women, in one story literally, are on top.
Binding these stories together is the larger tale of a struggling filmmaker, Maanav played by Arunoday Singh, who narrates them to a potential producer.
Maanav worships at the alter of Bergman and Bimal Roy but the market insists that he cater to the multiplex.
So the producer drops lines like: Sex is as saleable as a star. Bas, vulgarity nahin honi chahiye.
Shukla deftly pulls off the first two stories, both set in ancient times, in which the women, played by Raima Sen and Konkona Sen Sharma, are happily adulterous and most importantly, unpunished.
Both cheat on their husbands and get away with it. It’s done so cleverly and both Raima and Konkona are so joyously wicked that you almost want to cheer them on.
Sadly, Shukla can’t maintain this when he moves to contemporary times. The modern day stories are also clever but they aren’t crafted as well as the first two. But what really bogs the film down is the larger framework that these stories are set in.
Shukla’s portrait of the uncompromised filmmaker is clumsy and heavy-handed.
We know that Maanav is a true artist because his house is filled with film books and he and his editor-girlfriend earnestly discuss Mughal-e-Azam and Kaagaz ke Phool.
Of course the hulking Arunoday Singh, who is frequently shirtless in the film, looks like he spends more time pumping iron rather than brushing up his Guru Dutt. Singh’s stiff performance doesn’t help either.
Eventually then, despite some good moments and smart writing, Mirch isn’t the spicy romp it could’ve been. I’m going with two and a half stars.
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Sheila’s sexy! But am I, asks Katrina Kaif
Bollywood hottie Katrina Kaif’s successful run at the box office doesn’t leave much to be desired. Probably that’s also why this ‘Sheila’ won’t be asking much from Santa to fill her stocking with this Christmas. “It’s already brimming with so many blessings and love that I’ve been getting from my well-wishers and fans, that I feel I’d be greedy if I ask for anything more,” says Katrina, adding, “But if I did have to ask for something, I’d hope for peace and happiness.” And more hits? “Hopefully, the blessings will ensure that I never run out of them,” she laughs.
The actor’s currently in a super-busy mode and even Christmas won’t see her slow down. “Oh, I’ll miss celebrating Christmas with my family, as I’ll be shooting for Mere Brother Ki Dulhan on X’mas. But it’s okay, I guess,” she says.
Happy that the year’s ending on a happy note for the star, she’s happier that the coming year’s promising to be equally interesting. Does that include hot numbers a la her sizzling act in Farah Khan’s soon-to-release film? “No, no, nothing on for now. Only Farah could’ve made me do that!” she’s quick to reply.
Never mind that the song’s earned her the sexy tag, Katrina reveals that it’s not something that motivates her choice of roles or films. “Being sexy is not something that I think about, it was just a role I was required to do and I am glad I could pull it off. So, Sheila’s sexy? Yes. Katrina’s sexy? I don’t know!” she says modestly about her oomphlicious avatar that’s raised the sensuality bar in Bollywood by several notches.
“What I do know however is that I’m not going to do roles or songs just to keep up that image,” she adds, insisting that she’s still as keen to do challenging roles like she did in Rajneeti. “If my role requires me to be sexy, then I’d do my best to look the part, but I don’t mind taking a complete U-turn and doing something absolutely non-sexy either.”
And while the actor’s up for experimental roles, she’s not so keen to experiment as far as her dating scene is concerned. “I’m not averse to marriage or kids, but it’s not even on my mind right now.” And what about love? “Well, I’m not thinking about that either and definitely won’t talk about it,” she smiles, returning to the comfort of her by-now famous stance, when it comes to the matters of the heart.
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Katrina cares more for Farah than Salman
Actress Katrina Kaif has impressed one and all with her latest item number 'Sheila Ki Jawaani', and the girl seems to be forever indebted to Farah Khan for she recently promised that all the money she earned by performing on the chakaas number, she would give a certain percentage of it to Tees Maar Khan director and choreographer, Farah Khan !
However, Farah proved to have a more magnanimous heart and inturn said that whatever money Katrina gave to her, she would pass on to Salman Khan's 'Being Human' foundation! Now with a noble thought like that, we're more than happy that 'Sheila' is such a huge hit!
Katrina confirmed, "Yes, I've promised that I'd give a certain percentage of the sum I earn performing on 'Sheila' to Farah. I'm grateful for the opportunity she gave me. She has portrayed me well, she taught me how to dance, so it's only right!" Farah, too, said, "I hope Katrina lives up to her promise, if she does, I'd give all the money she gives me to Salman Khan's 'Being Human' foundation. If good is happening to us, it's important that we do good for others as well."
And our dear Sallu is only smiling as Farah Khan practises 'being human'.
Read more: Katrina cares more for Farah than Salman - The Times of India .
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How criminals use Facebook to commit crime
London, Dec 20 (ANI): Think giving out basic personal information on Facebook is harmless? You might need to rethink, as a reformed burglar has given details on how a criminal can use your user account as a tool for committing a crime.
"The information people give out on Facebook, when linked up with other information freely available on the internet, is an absolute -goldmine for criminals," the Daily Mail quoted Michael Fraser, a reformed burglar who presents the BBC's 'Beat The Burglar' programme, as saying.
"One year, you might have a party and give out your address. A while later, you might tell everyone that it is your 30th birthday.
"So, if you've accepted me as a friend of a friend, I know your name, your address and your birth date.
"From that, I can go to 192.com and on there I can find out what you do for a living, how much your home is worth - and whether you're likely to be worth burgling.
"I might have already made up my mind because you've posted party -pictures on Facebook and I can see what kind of valuables you have in the house - and which rooms they're in. Then you go and tell your Facebook friends how much you're looking forward to going on holiday next Tuesday.
"I can go on to Google Street View and see actual photographs of your home. I can see if you have a burglar alarm, or whether there are any bushes in the garden to hide in. And I can see all the alleyways I can escape down. And, of course, I know you won't be at home.
"Burglars only burgle homes if they think they can get away with it. All of this information is likely to leave them feeling much more confident that they can," added Fraser.
Co-operative Insurance company revealed that 36 per cent of users regularly make use of them to broadcast their whereabouts when they are away from home.
"Once you accept a stranger into your Facebook account, they can begin what we call social -engineering - -delicately asking questions to build up information about you,' said Jason Hart, -senior vice -president of -CRYPTOCard Network Security.
"And that can cause havoc. Let's say they got your email address, then they could go to your email account pretending to be you and saying you have -forgotten your password.
"The account will then ask a security question - something like your favourite food or your first pet. Over the following weeks and months, it isn't hard for them to work -conversations round to subjects like that on Facebook.
"Once they have that secret -information, the email account will let them in. And once they are in there, they can find lots of sensitive information, such as your Amazon and eBay account history.
"They can then go to those sites pretending to be you and saying you have lost your passwords, and guess what happens then?
"Those sites send the passwords to your email account - the one that they have already conned their way into.
"Crooks who do this usually use the credit card details you have stored there to buy online gift vouchers that can be traded on the internet. It is a form of instant -currency.
"Even worse, if you have a PayPal account and have credit in it, your so-called friend could clean it out.
"Effectively, they have become an electronic version of you, they can change all your passwords and begin stealing from you.
"The message is simple: you wouldn't invite a perfect stranger into your house simply because they knocked on your door and said they wanted a look around. So why do it on Facebook?," Hart added. (ANI)
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Are Diet Foods Harmful?
Walk into a local shopping mall and you will see a lot of tetra packs with eye-catching labels like light or lite, low calorie, low fat, no fat, fat free, no sugar, sugar free, and zero calorie...all promising great taste and convenience. Unfortunately, behind the glitzy and tempting packaging, there are various side affects to these diet foods. So here are some of the major Diet foods that are available in the market along with their side effects:
Diet Sugar: It is the single most popular diet food. This product caught everyone like wild fire when people realized that excessive sugar intake leads to obesity. There are many sugar substitutes available in the market like:
Saccharin: It is no longer popular due to the fact that it is linked to urinary bladder tumors.
Aspartame: It is extremely popular, but high doses of it are known to be unhealthy for pregnant women, phenylketonurics, diabetics. It also has adverse effects on the memory.
Stevia: It is one of the latest product to hit the market. It is still too fresh and mass consumption effects have not emerged as of yet. It is still under testing condition.
Diet Aerated Drinks: It is another popular category of diet food. But many of the so called diet fizzy drinks have unhealthy levels of salt, aspartame, chemical preservatives and chemical colors. As a result, many people who consume such drinks have an unbalanced insulin and blood sugar.
Diet Confectionaries: This is one category which is catching very soon to feed the sweet tooth! They include diet chocolates, diet cookies, and high fibre biscuits. But these contain a high level of fat which is equally fattening and the sweetener is again aspartame which retards weight loss by interfering with the insulin metabolism.
Diet Foods for Breakfast: These include a wide range of breakfast food like diet jams, diet honey, Fruit juices, sugar free maida (white flour) products like sweet breads, buns etc. They promise to be the best start in the morning. The ones with added aspartame should be avoided. Also, any product made with maida should be avoided as it unhealthy and fattening even if it has no sugar.
Cholesterol Free Snacks: These are a wide array of munchies like diet namkeens, diet chips, cholesterol free nuts etc. These are a very good option compared to their counterparts as they are fried in healthy cholesterol free oil but they should be consumed in moderation.
Diet Margarine: It is very unhealthy and inadvertently leads to fat deposits in the heart due to the trans-fatty acids, so it is best avoided.
Sweet Clear Water: Though better than diet drinks, it still has some levels of aspartame. Besides nothing beats natural water!
When selecting a low calorie or low fat plan, make sure you are consuming a balanced and complete diet. Bottom-line, they can help you lose weight but every coin has a flip side. Besides, nothing beats natural food.
Tags: Diet, Health, Weight Loss, Drink, Obesity, Sugar, Food, Nutrition, Low Calorie, Low Fat
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WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING
Mirch
Tron: Legacy
Band Baaja Baaraat
No Problem
The Chronicles of Narnia - 3
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Hottest Victoria's Secrets Models
Non-Collaborative List
arrows1Gisele Bundchen
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arrows2Adriana Lima
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arrows3Heidi Klum
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arrows4Brooklyn Decker
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arrows5Miranda Kerr
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arrows6Tyra Banks
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arrows7Cindy Crawford
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arrows8Molly Sims
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arrows9Candice Swanepoel
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arrows10Selita Ebanks
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New York Police simulates Mumbai attack
Sensing that New York remains on the terrorist hit-list, the city police simulated a Mumbai-type attack to gauge its preparedness in the event of a similar strike that killed 166 people in India's financial hub more than two years ago.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) was one of the few which sent its team of investigators to Mumbai in the immediate aftermath of the 26/11 attacks to learn lessons from the terrorist strike in which ten gunmen went on a rampage.
Since then NYPD has taken several measures to prevent such an attack and has held several real time exercises, including the one which it conducted early this month.
"The Mumbai attack two years ago was a bit of a game changer," Mitchell Silber, head of the NYPD's intelligence analysis division, told 'The Wall Street Journal'.
"It was a model that most counter-terrorism practitioners hadn't really considered. The armed gunmen roaming around the city taking hostages, that wasn't something, we had seen by any 'jihadist' group. That was a real eye-opener," he said.
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Pak militants arrested and handed over to us: Iran
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Chabhar country in the wake of the suicide attack in the town of Pakistan said that his country on the earth to give active militants arrested and handed over to him. Chabhar related to the suicide bomber killed 40 persons. The tensions in bilateral relations because the two countries has grown.
According to statements published on the official website of Iranian President Ahmadinejad conducted by telephone Monday that Iran and Pakistan to eliminate terrorism in both countries demand. Ahmadinejad in Iran terrorists carrying out terrorist Agativdhioan identify, arrest and prosecution for their assigned them to Iran Zardari said Pakistan's intelligence department to order.
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Facebook founder meets head of China search engine
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg -- on holiday in China, where his global social networking site is blocked -- met with the head of the country's biggest search engine Baidu on Monday, a spokesman said.
Zuckerberg, 26, and Baidu chief executive Robin Li toured the company's offices in Beijing and had lunch together in one of the firm's "private dining halls", Baidu spokesman Kaiser Kuo told AFP.
"It makes sense -- he is interested in the Chinese Internet, he's made that very plain. Obviously this is one of the big dark spots for Facebook because it is blocked here in China," Kuo said.
"He has had a long-standing interest in China. I'm sure he wants to get the advice of someone who knows the Internet landscape well here."
Photos posted on popular web portal sina.com showed a smiling Zuckerberg -- wearing a khaki hooded sweatshirt -- walking with Li at the Baidu offices.
Zuckerberg, clearly keen to see his company crack the world's biggest Internet market of at least 420 million users, told an audience at Stanford University recently that he was "spending a lot of time" studying Chinese.
"It's kind of a personal challenge this year, I'm taking an hour a day and I'm learning Chinese. I'm trying to understand the language, the culture, the mind set -- it's just such an important part of the world," he said.
"How can you connect the whole world if you leave out a billion-six people?"
Zuckerberg and his girlfriend Priscilla Chan are on holiday in China, Kuo said, without providing details on the length of their visit or their itinerary, other than that they had visited the Tibetan Lama Temple in Beijing.
Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are blocked by the government, but many users on the mainland access them via virtual proxy networks.
Beijing has set up a huge online censorship system sometimes dubbed the "Great Firewall of China" that aggressively blocks sites or snuffs out Internet content on topics considered sensitive.
Zuckerberg's visit to Beijing comes after he was last week crowned Time magazine's "person of the year" -- the second youngest person to receive the honour.
Managing editor Richard Stengel said Zuckerberg's social networking service was "transforming the way we live our lives every day".
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Monday, December 20, 2010
worst PJs ever
To all the ppl who have been victims of PJs ... here's a few more of them .......
Q. What can you never eat for breakfast ?
A : Dinner.
Q. What gets wet with drying ?
A : A towel.
Q. Why is it easy to weigh a fish ?
A : Because it has its own scales.
Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state?
A : Liquid.
Q: what is the opposite of Nagpanchmi?
A: Nag do not punch me.
Q:now what is the inverse of Nagpanchmi? Come on.
A: I will punch the Nag.
Q.How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
A.Concrete floors are very hard to crack!
Q.If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall,how long would it take four men to build it?
A. No time at all it is already built.
Q.If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have?
A. Very large hands.(Good 1 na?)
Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
A. It is not a problem, since you will never find an elephant with one hand.
Q. How can a man/woman go eight days without sleep?
A. He/she sleeps at night.
Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
A. Wet.( sorry abt this)
Q. What looks like half apple ?
A : The other half.(Too cool )
Q. What happened when wheel was invented ?
A : It caused a revolution.
Now the time for the worst PJ u'd have come across ........
Q:Chintu's mom has three sons.What is the name of the other two?
A:Chin-1 & Chin-3 (maaf, this was the worst 1!)
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Kingfisher Calendar Launch
Kingfisher Calendar Launch
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Delhi Chief Minister's emergency meet as onion prices soar
New Delhi: A day after the Centre decided to suspend onion exports, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit has called an emergency meet to discuss price control. Onion prices in the Capital as high as Rs. 80/kg are raising concerns. Besides onions, tomatoes and garlic prices have also risen considerably.
At an emergency meeting held on Monday, it was decided that onion exports will suspended till January 15 in the wake of skyrocketing prices of the commodity.
Agriculture cooperative major Nafed, a regulating agency, has been asked to stop giving fresh clearance to exporters.
The government has also made exports almost impossible for those who are already in possession of 'no objection certificate' (NOC) given by the Nafed and 12 other agencies.
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Sachin stars in ICC CWC 2011 campaign
Sachin stars in ICC CWC 2011 campaign
The Indian great will be playing his sixth World Cup in 2011.
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Saturday, December 18, 2010
Will the next Wikileaks expose India's corrupt?
With Wikileaks set to disseminate another tranche of classified Pentagon [ Images ] documents, B Raman peers into the crystal bowl to see what this installment of the releases might contain
Wikileaks announced on Twitter, that it will be shortly releasing its third instalment of classified US documents.
The first instalment of 77,000 documents related to the American military campaign in Afghanistan. The second instalment of 400,000 documents related to the American military presence Iraq. According to the Twitter message, its third instalment will contain a much larger number of documents.
While Wikileaks did not say in its message what the third instalment of their release would cover. However, a Reuters despatch from Washington DC said that classified US diplomatic cables reporting corruption allegations against foreign governments and leaders are expected to feature in the official documents that Wikileaks plans to release. It added:"Three sources familiar with the US State Department cables held by Wikileaks say the corruption allegations in them are major enough to cause serious embarrassment for foreign governments and politicians named in them. They said the release was expected next week, but it could come earlier. The detailed, candid reports by US diplomats also may create foreign policy complications for the administration of US President Barack Obama [ Images ], the sources said. Among the countries whose politicians feature in the reports are Russia [ Images ], Afghanistan and former Soviet republics in Central Asia. But other reports also detail potentially embarrassing allegations reported to Washington from US diplomats in other regions, including East Asia and Europe.
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"Will the next Wikileaks expose India's corrupt?"
- http://www.rediff.com/news/column/b-raman-is-the-next-wikileaks-about-corruption/20101128.htm (view on Google Sidewiki)
Gifts That Keep on Giving
The year's hottest gift (remember Big Mouth Billy Bass, the singing fish and pinnacle of kitsch décor in the late '90s?) rarely is the most gratifying item to give or receive for the holidays. Instead, consider our annual list of thoughtful, personal gifts that will save the recipients money in the long run -- either by eliminating some of their recurring expenses or boosting their earning power.
in reference to: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111514/15-gifts-that-keep-on-giving?mod=oneclick (view on Google Sidewiki)Blue Nile Founder Explains Everything You Need to Know About Buying a Diamond Ring
In the market for a diamond ring? It's a process that can be filled with excitement, especially if you are getting engaged. But let's be honest -- it can also be stressful.
Luckily, if you're in that camp, your friends at Tech Ticker have some great advice from Michael Vadon, co-founder and chairman of Blue Nile, the online jeweler.
Vadon's advice for picking out a diamond ring:
Step 1: Start with a budget.
Step 2: Know what color jewelry she favors. Does she wear platinum or gold? This is key in determining the ring's band.
Step 3: When it comes to the famous four "Cs" (color, clarity, cut and carat), start with the cut. "The first thing I tell people is, you've got to go with the best cut diamond," Vadon says. "Whether or not they shine or sparkle is whether or not they're cut properly." So pick cut over carat, even if that means picking a smaller stone.
Step 4: After cut, focus on clarity. "If you're trying to save a little bit, you're gonna try to go with clarity in the 'VS' or 'S1' range," Vadon says. He adds that no one will know the difference: "To the naked eye, it will look absolutely clean and beautiful."
Faster Than 200 MPH
Whether you're behind the wheel of an outrageous sports car this holiday season or, like most of us, find yourself sprinting to find the shortest check-out aisle, chances are good you'll come to appreciate the importance of having the quickest top speed. Like little kids drawn to a toy store's display window, car enthusiasts of all ages are always drawn to the sparkling sheet metal and snarling engines of the world's fastest cars.
For this first round of flat-out speed demons, we've drawn up a list of the six fastest cars sold in North America. The rules are few, which seems only right when discussing cars built to breach 200 mph. All have to be street-legal, sold in the U.S., and available from a mainstream manufacturer. This meant excluding some pretty amazing vehicles, like the Hennessey Venom GT and Callaway SC606, along with exciting upstarts like the German-built Gumpert Apollo supercar. We'll get to these, and more, in a future story.
Choosing a winner was easy, since nothing short of a jet fighter delivers the performance of the top-speed champion in this list. Yet, more amazing is the fact that almost all the cars listed could be driven on a daily basis ñ even if doing so would probably make you the most generous contributor to your local Police Athletic League.
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best cars
World's Best New Boutique Hotels
We scoured the globe for the 20 best new boutique hotels. You'll meet the owners; you'll kick back on your own private balcony; you'll eat homemade granola each morning; you'll never want to leave.
Acapulco, Mexico
Hotel Boca Chica
Long before Cancún or Cabo, Acapulco was the king of Mexican resort towns—and the Hotel Boca Chica was its crown jewel, drawing everyone from Elvis to the Rat Pack. Now, after a three-year remodel, the Boca Chica has regained its former sparkle. The 36 rooms are lacquered white and flooded with light, and all have private balconies. Meanwhile, old Hollywood touches throughout—like lamps made from conch shells and latticed brickwork—serve as ever-present reminders of its storied past.
hotelbocachica.com, from $95.
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Romo gets engaged to 24-year-old former Miss Missouri
Tony Romo(notes) doesn't do much that isn't high-profile, but his relationship with 24-year-old sports reporter Candice Crawford has been decidedly low-key in the public. Perhaps it's because Crawford isn't famous in her own right like Romo's former flames Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson, or maybe it's because Romo has been hurt for the past two months, so there hasn't been opportunity for television cameras to focus on a worried blond looking on from a luxury box.
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Extreme Moments of 2010
When the earth cracks under your feet and splits into a crater the size of a three-story factory, you know that nobody's going to believe you unless they see it for themselves.
The next best thing: pictures. We can never resist the biggest, the brightest, the tallest, the smallest, that rare, fleeting moment -- like a sinkhole.
Photos: Stunning amateur images win big photo contest.
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Photos: Stunning amateur images win big photo contest:- http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/
Q+A-Why is Hero Honda preparing to break up?
TOKYO/MUMBAI (Reuters) - Japan 's Honda Motor and India's Hero Group are in discussions to review the structure of their joint venture, Hero Honda Motors, India's top seller of motorcycles.
Speculation has swirled since summer that Honda, the world's biggest motorcycle maker, would reduce its 26 percent stake in the 26-year-old venture to focus its energy on wholly owned unit Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, set up in 1999.
Media reported on Thursday that Honda has "formally decided" to sell its stake in Hero Honda.
Earlier media reports have the Munjal family's Hero Group acquiring Honda's 26 percent stake for $1 billion to $1.2 billion, a discount of about half to their market value, while Hero would pay bigger royalties to Honda for its motorbike technology. The Hero Group also owns 26 percent of Hero Honda.
Hero Honda's shares sank as much as 9 percent on Wednesday on news that a break-up agreement was imminent.
Both companies have declined to comment on the talks.
Below are some questions and answers on the reasons behind the discussions, and the likely aftermath.
WHY WOULD HONDA MOTOR WANT OUT OF HERO HONDA?
Companies prefer the freedom of making their own decisions, and having a partner often gets in the way.
When Hero Honda was formed in 1984, Indian regulations forbade foreign firms from owning 100 percent subsidiaries in the country. For Honda, entering India on its own without knowledge of the local market was risky anyway, and having Hero as a partner was valuable for the group's marketing expertise.
By the time the government relaxed those regulations in the 1990s, Honda had accumulated enough know-how to set up a wholly owned unit, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), in 1999.
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Now, Nano loan in 48-hours to boost sales
In a bid to push-up sales, Tata Motors, today announced a special finance scheme by which a customer will get a loan in 48 hours, for its small car Nano.
Tata Motors Finance (TMF) will provide finance up to 90 per cent for the Nano, at easy rates. TMF, which provides customer finance for all Tata Motors vehicles, is present in all the 540 passenger vehicles outlets of the company, Tata Motors said in a statement here.
Last week, the company announced a four-year or 60,000 kilometre manufacturing warranty on its small car Nano to woo customers.
"The Tata Nano will now come with a four year/60,000 km (whichever is earlier) manufacturer's warranty, at no extra cost. Besides being applicable on new deliveries, the warranty is also being extended to all existing owners of the car," the company said.
The company had said all new Nano customers will have an option to avail a comprehensive maintenance contract at Rs. 99 per month.
"These benefits will further enhance the satisfaction of Tata Nano users," it said.
From a sale of 9,000 units in July, Nano deliveries fell in every following month and touched a low of 509 units in November. Sporadic incidents of the small car catching fire have made it difficult for the company to push Nano sales, despite a number of assurances through various campaign initiatives.
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New Year bonanza: Nearly 20% jump in hiring, fatter pay
New Delhi: Bountiful days are in store on job street in the New Year, as in-bloom-again industry is expected to accelerate hiring by as much as 20 per cent and reward employees with an identical hike in salaries.
Notwithstanding a cautious start, hiring activities gathered momentum in the second half of 2010 and companies are estimated to have created over a million jobs in the organised sector alone.
Led by fast-growing sectors such as telecom, consumer durables and real estate, HR experts feel that hiring is most likely to jump 20 per cent in 2011. With escalation of the talent war between companies, pay packets too are expected to climb at a rate of about 20 per cent, they opined.
"There would at least be 20 per cent more hiring at the starting level and may be 10 per cent more at mid-management level as compared to second half of 2010. Almost all sectors of Indian economy would hire (in 2011)," staffing services firm Futurestep's Country Manager Asim Handa said.
Futurestep is part of global HR firm Korn/Ferry International.
Improving economic conditions, coupled with many companies' aggressive expansion plans, are expected to further fuel hiring activities, especially in the first half of 2010.
Recruitment firm TeamLease Services' Vice President, Rituparna Chakraborty, said the average hiring increase would be "anywhere between 10 to 18 per cent across sectors next year".
Global consultancy firm Deloitte India's Leader (Human Capital Advisory Services) P Thiruvengadam said recruitment levels have significantly improved in all sectors this year.
The sectors definitely creating jobs (next year) would be healthcare, life sciences, retail, infrastructure and manufacturing, among others, he added.
Online job portal Monster.com's Managing Director (India/ Middle East/South East Asia), Sanjay Modi, said India is going to emerge as a huge sourcing ground for global jobs across segments, positions and profiles.
Meanwhile, compensation is also likely to sail northward in 2011, as entities would mainly look to retain talent.
"I do not anticipate huge increases in salaries (in 2011), but performance would be rewarded and the levels of increase could be of the order of 11 to 18 per cent," Deloitte India's Thiruvengadam said.
TeamLease Services' Chakraborty said the hiring sentiment would be positive, especially for sectors such as consumer durables, FMCG, real estate and telecom.
"Salary growth will range anywhere from 10 to 20 per cent across these sectors next year," she noted.
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"New Year bonanza: Nearly 20% jump in hiring, fatter pay"
- http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/New-Year-bonanza-Nearly-20-yahoofinancein-2153389700.html?x=0 (view on Google Sidewiki)
Jayamala chargesheet reignites temple entry debate
Wednesday’s Kerala police action against Kannada actress Jayamala revives a debate over women’s entry rights at the Sabarimala shrine.
Some say she is lying, and that she couldn’t have ever gone inside a temple where women between 10 and 50 are barred, but others say she is being victimised because she spoke the truth.
The police filed a chargesheet against the Kannada actress, four years after she claimed she had entered the shrine and touched the idol of god Ayyappa in Sabarimala.
Her claim created a furore in Kerala.
Wednesday’s chargesheet says Jayamala, astrologer Parappanangadi Unnikrishnan and his Bangalorean assistant Raghupathy caused outrage and hurt religious sentiments in 1986, a full 24 years ago.
In November this year, Jayamala had approached the Karnataka High Court, seeking anticipatory bail, but the Kerala police had told the court they had no intentions of arresting her.
In 2006, Sanskrit scholar R Ganesh had argued in Deccan Herald that the question of who should be allowed into the sanctum “depends on the traditions of a shrine”.
He said, “The conventions of excluding women are seen in many places. The shrine of Annappa Daiva at Dharmasthala is a good example… some mosques have taboos for women. During the time of the Buddha, women were not allowed to enter the order of Buddhist monks.”
Jayamala (50) has served as president of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, and starred in blockbuster hits with the biggest Kannada movie icon, Rajkumar. She has also produced a Kannada film directed by the auteur Girish Kasaravalli.
In 2006, she claimed that she had entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple when she was 27.
After the story broke, and a debate raged, retired government official M P Bhattathiry put the ban on women’s entry in perspective:
“(The temple board) gives a smorgasbord of reasons: The eight kilometer trek to the temple along dense woods is arduous for women; Ayyappa is a bachelor God and his bachelorhood will be broken if he sees a woman; the forty-one-day penance for the pilgrimage, where one must live as abstemiously as a saint, cannot be undertaken by women – they are too weak for that; men cohorts will be enticed to think bad thoughts if women joined
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Planning an Overseas Trip? Some tips
Europe. Malaysia. Bali. These are destinations that most of us have always dreamed of going to whether alone or with family. A holiday overseas is a dream shared by almost everyone. But a holiday, a time to just relax and enjoy, can quickly turn into a nightmare if not planned properly. But you may ask, why plan when you can have more fun being spontaneous. Well, having fun by being spontaneous does not hold true all the time.
By planning, you:
1) Choose your destination avoiding last minute second thoughts
2) Make better use of your travel time
3) Learn about your destination
4) Manage your budget more effectively
5) Minimise risks
Here are some tips while planning an overseas trip.
The Itinerary
When you start planning your itinerary, ask yourself these questions and a good plan will emerge out of all the confusion in your mind.
1) What sort of trip do you want? A working holiday, extended trip, or a package tour?
2) When are you leaving and coming back? In a week's time, a month's time, a couple of month's time?
3) What is your budget?
4) Which overseas locations fit into your budget?
5) Does your trip dates match with the best time to be at the chosen location?
6) What are the best things (sights, weather, art, culture etc.) about the chosen places?
7) What facilities are available in regards to accommodation, food and transport? What is your budget for the same? Are there cheaper alternatives?
Also Read:
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Ileana D'Cruz To Star Opposite Ranbir Kapoor
Ileana D'Cruz, the diva of South Indian cinema, has been roped in to star opposite Ranbir Kapoor in the film Barfi, directed by Anurag Basu. Earlier, Priyanka Chopra has been signed to play the leading lady in the film. Ileana will play the second heroine in it.
It is learnt that after the script was ready Anurag Basu considered many other actors before Ileana, he also tried casting new faces, but finally after lots of back and forth decided to go ahead with Ileana only. The reason for choosing Ileana is that she is already a happening star in the South and most of all she plays the female lead in the Telugu remake of the Hindi blockbuster '3 Idiots'.
Bollywood is not my cup of tea: Shuttler Saina Nehwal
She’s back in her satellite resident city — Hyderabad — after a much-talked-about win at the Hong Kong Open at Wanchai, as Haryanvi lass Saina Nehwal is much at home in South India after being there for almost twelve years now. “I love dosas and idlis as much as aloo parathas and paneer butter masala now,” laughs the badminton champion and the darling of the sports season.
With festivity in the air, Nehwal seems to have got what she wants this year in her X’mas stocking and she’s looking forward to doing something that she hardly does —party! “It will be with a few close pals. We’ll just head to a restaurant and have dinner but that’s just about it. Because I have to be fit , I can hardly have the food I love.
Also, with the World Cup coming up next year and the Super Series — in which I play in Malaysia and Korea — I have to train hard every chance I get.”
For a 20-year-old girl, isn’t there something else her heart might desire? “For now it’s just the game. I’ve no time for studies or making friends as I practise eight hours a day. I do like to go shopping if I can snatch the time or then watch movies.”
After fellow sports stars Leander Paes, Brett Lee and others, is she also tempted to make her way into B-Town? “No, I’m not fascinated by Bollywood… it’s not my cup of tea,” admits the shuttler.
Right now, the London Olympics is top of Nehwal’
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Friday, December 17, 2010
Mark Zuckerberg wins Time person of the year: profile
Mark Zuckerberg has been announced as Time magazine’s person of the year 2010, “for changing how we all live our lives in ways that are innovative and even optimistic.”
Born in 1984 in White Plains, New York, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is one of three children.
Mr Zuckerberg excelled at science and classics at Ardsley High School before going on to Harvard to study computer science.
Mr Zuckerberg created the social networking site Facebook in his penultimate year at Harvard with his flatmates and fellow Harvard students Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin.
At first only available to Harvard students, Facebook’s popularity soon spiraled and the site expanded to surrounding universities.
Following a cash injection, Mr Zuckerberg dropped out of university and moved the headquarters of Facebook Inc. to Palo Alto, California.
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Big Boss 4 : Katrina kaif and Salman Khan face off.....
Today could be a awkward day. katrina Kaif the ex girl friend of Salman Khan wll meet face to face on Big Boss set. She will will enter the ‘Bigg Boss’ house tonight along with director and choreographer Farah Khan to promote her upcoming film ‘Tees Maar Khan’.
Ex girlfriend? Katrina Kaif says she is single. Salman Khans father says that Salman did not find the girl he is looking for. So, is it a split, or they are going to clarify it on Big Boss sets?
Some say that Sallu has decided to that may let bygones be bygones. Is that right? Whatever the truth may be, this is going to be a hot and spicy...
Priyanka Chopra in an autorickshaw
Priyanka Chopra's car broke down on her way to an event, so she hopped into a rickshaw and then obliged the driver with an autograph
in reference to:"Priyanka Chopra's car broke down on her way to an event, so she hopped into a rickshaw and then obliged the driver with an autograph"
- http://www.in.com/news/entertainment/priyanka-chopra-in-an-autorickshaw-16659112-ac8c412556525e14c3190f2aa3e2c72d6d1283b9-rph.html?utm_source=photogallery (view on Google Sidewiki)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Middle East peace process: Dead but not buried
The US has given up trying to persuade Netanyahu to stop building on occupied land as a prerequisite to talks...
The Middle East peace process died a quiet, undramatic death with the statement last week that the US had given up trying to persuade Binyamin Netanyahu to stop building on occupied land as a prerequisite to direct talks with the Palestinians. Few, however, are interested in burying the corpse.
The rightwing coalition under Mr Netanyahu is relaxed about the failure to restart the talks, because half the cabinet do not accept that they are occupying any land other than their own. And anyway, every day without a final status agreement is another day when the cement mixers can whirl and the cranes swivel. Palestinian leaders who recognise Israel are also reluctant to make good their pledges to resign, because they, too, would lose position, power and political meaning. Fatah has still legitimacy, but where would the Palestinian Authority be in Palestinian eyes other than as a surrogate for Israeli soldiers?
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Wednesday, December 15, 2010
WikiLeaks boss Assange gets bail but stays in jail
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has succeeded in securing a bail at a British court where he appeared in connection with a case of sexual misconduct.
The embattled whistleblower who was accused of sexual misconduct by two women in Sweden is resisting an extradition claim by the country.
Granting him bail on an amount of 240,000 pounds (Over Rs 1.5 crore), the court ordered Assange to adhere to strict bail conditions.
The 39-year-old Australian, who has earned the wrath of the US for leaking a huge cache of secret diplomatic documents, has been imprisoned for a week now after he
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
10 gadgets to look forward to in 2011
While many people are waiting until Christmas to receive some of 2010's best gadgets and technology, we're already looking forward to 2011.
Around this time we always get more and more excited about the potential for each year to top the last.
Of course, 2010 has been pretty damn good for gadget lovers, what with the tablet revolution and 3D, but we have faith next year can top it thanks to these great products.
1). BlackBerry Playbook
2). Nintendo 3DS
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Facebook revamps users' profile pages
Los Angeles:Facebook on Sunday unveiled new profile pages that give photos centerstage, allow users to highlight important friends and go into far more detail on their jobs.
Previous changes on the world's largest social networking site have sometimes resulted in criticism on how the company handles privacy issues, generating occasional backlashes against Facebook. The revamp comes amid ongoing speculation about when Facebook will launch an initial public offering.
Google Earth integrates Street View's 3D maps
By combining two services, Google has now made it possible to pick points on the globe, look at them from outer space, and then zoom all the way in for a street-level view.
Google has done this by pulling its Street View out of browsers and integrating it with Google Earth. The combination will be available with the new version 6 of Google Earth, reported the company in its blog.
Until now, Earth's global perspective allowed people to view continents and countries with satellite imagery, while Street View allows detailed views of cities, streets and residential areas. The images for View were obtained by cars that travelled around the world with special round-view cameras mounted on top.
Unlike Street View, which can be accessed via a browser, Google Earth has to be installed as a separate programme. But now, once that's done, people can head from a virtual outer space view all the way down to the front door of a house. Google says the transition will be seamless.
Of course, Street View isn't available for every house on Earth. For cities that haven't been catalogued yet, the new Google Earth can only zoom in to an aerial city view.
The new Google Earth also includes historical maps - a bombed-out post-war London, for example. Additionally, it has integrated 3D models of trees, meaning people touring virtual cities can also check out the foliage and take a walk around it.
Google says it has "dozens" of kinds of trees it can recreate digitally and that more than 80 million of them have already been added to Google Earth. Images from Street View are used to help decide where to put the trees and what kind of trees to install.
The new version of Earth is available for PCs using at least the XP system. Mac users need to have at least the Leopard 10.5.0 operating system installed. It is also...
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Friday, December 10, 2010
Two hours before 26/11 attacks, Hemant Karkare called me to say his life under threat: Digvijay Singh
In a startling revelation days after the second anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh has said that two hours before the first terrorists struck that evening, chief of the Maharashtra ATS Hemant Karkare called him to say that his life was “blighted by constant threats” from those opposed to his probe into the Malegaon blast in which Hindu extremists were accused.
Karkare was killed by the terrorists that evening. Days later, then Minorities Minister A R Antulay had to quit after he said that Karkare could have been a victim of “terrorism or terrorism plus something.” Speaking to The Indian Express today, Digvijay Singh said: “On November 26, 2008, at 7 pm, just about two hours before the attacks in Mumbai started, Hemant Karkare, the slain ATS chief rang me on my mobile and told me how his family and his life were blighted by constant threats from people annoyed by his investigations into the Malegaon blasts.
Bollywood loves white
Style gurus swear by black, but white, we feel is equally versatile. That, may be the reason why our Bollywood glam divas flaunt whites. Take a look
in reference to: http://in.omg.yahoo.com/galleries/photos/bollywood-loves-white-116-1.html#id-2 (view on Google Sidewiki)Kapil, Richards, Imran back India but Ranatunga bats for Lanka
NEW DELHI: Kapil Dev and Sir Vivian Richards feel that India are run-away favourites to win next year's ICC Cricket World Cup, but Imran Khan and Arjuna Ranatunga added a note of caution about their ability to soak in the pressure of playing at home.
That, in a nutshell, was how the former captains and legends in their own rights felt about how things will pan out in a couple of months' time as the marquee event starts on February 19.
"They are the No. 1 in the world (in Test matches) and have a volatile crowd behind them. They have something to defend. The team is going to South Africa where pitches will be different but it can prove to be helpful as they prepare for the World Cup," legendary West Indian batsman Richards, who was the member of the 1975 and 1979 World Cup winning squad, said.
'King Richards', however, wasn't too sure about how West Indies will perform although he admitted that the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard do have the talent to go the distance.
"Some prayer would obviously help," he said in lighter vein. "On a serious note, they do have the talent but they need to get things organised a bit. May be they need a catalyst who could inspire them like Arjuna did with the Sri Lankan team
"Kapil, Richards, Imran back India but Ranatunga bats for Lanka"
- http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article?id=item/2.0/-/story/cricket.yahoonews.com/kapil-richards-imran-back-india-but-ranatunga-bats-lanka-20101209/ (view on Google Sidewiki)
INDIA won by 8 wickets
ODI at MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai (Madras), , Fri 10 Dec 02:30 PM IST
NZ: 103/10 (27) RR: 3.81
IND 107/2 in 21.1 Overs
"INDIA won by 8 wickets"
- http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/livematch?mid=23303 (view on Google Sidewiki)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
India under pressure to accept legally binding pact at Cancun
The United States, India and China are not in favor of accepting a legally binding agreement, which is supported by other developed countries, and several nations within the G-77 including African nations and Least Developed Countries
Betwa Sharma/PTI
Cancun: As the climate change conference here winds down, India is coming under immense pressure to accept a “legally binding agreement” on climate change, which is causing rift within developing countries.
The United States, India and China are not in favor of accepting a legally binding agreement, which is supported by other developed countries, and several nations within the G-77 including African nations and Least Developed Countries.
“There is a concerted move by a group of developed countries using developing countries to put pressure on India and China to accept a legally binding agreement,” environment minister Jairam Ramesh said.
Pushing hardest for a legally binding treaties are small island nations, which are the most vulnerable to climate change.
Countries in India’s vicinity - Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal - are also supporting a legally binding agreement.
India’s close allies on the climate change issue - Brazil and South Africa - are also in favor of a legally binding agreement, which is causing divisions within the Basic group.
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