Tech-savvy Iceland online for new constitution

REYKJAVIK, Iceland — How do you write a new constitution in the 21st century? You go where the people are -- online. That was the decision of tiny but tech-savvy Iceland, which is overhauling its constitution in the wake of an economic catastrophe, and has turned to the Internet to get input from citizens.
The 25-member council drafting the new constitution is reaching out to Icelanders online, especially through social media sites Facebook and Twitter, video-sharing site YouTube and photo site Flickr.
Iceland's population of 320,000 is among the world's most computer-literate. Two-thirds of Icelanders are on Facebook, so the constitutional council's weekly meetings are broadcast live on the social networking site as well as on the council's website.
"It is possible to register through other means, but most of the discussion takes place via Facebook," said Berghildur Bernhardsdottir, spokeswoman for the constitutional review project.
When the North Atlantic island nation gained independence from Denmark in 1944, it simply took the Danish constitution and made a few minor adjustments, such as substituting the word "president" for "king."
A thorough review of the constitution has been on the agenda ever since, but action came only after the crisis in 2008, when Iceland's main commercial banks collapsed within a week, the krona currency plummeted and protests toppled the government.
"To me, it has long been clear that a comprehensive review of the constitution would only be carried out with the direct participation of the Icelandic people," said Iceland's Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir, one of the champions of the constitutional review since taking office in 2009.
She says it is a "distinct possibility" that the draft constitution will be put to the people in a referendum before Iceland's parliament debates final approval.
The 25 members of the constitutional council were elected by popular vote from a field of 522 candidates aged 18 and over. The council is basing its work on a 700-page report prepared by a committee that took into account the findings of 950 randomly selected Icelanders -- the National Forum -- who met for a day to discuss the division of powers, conservation and protection, foreign relations and more.
But, the Internet component is still the most direct route for most Icelanders to weigh in. Members of the public must provide their names and addresses, and can then submit online recommendations, which are approved by local staff to avoid Internet heckling. The ideas are then passed on to the council, and are open for discussion online.
"The sort of argumentative and negative discussion that has been common on Icelandic blogs and news sites, especially since the economic collapse, has been almost entirely absent," Bernhardsdottir said.
Recommendations have spanned a wide range of topics, from improving the treatment of livestock to making it easier for authorities to seize stolen property, said Thorvaldur Gylfason, a professor of economics at the University of Iceland and a member of the council.
Suggestions approved by the council -- including livestock protection -- are added to the draft constitution, which is accessible online and open for comment.
It remains to be seen whether Icelanders can unite behind the most emotionally charged sections of the proposed constitution, such as nature conservation and ownership of Iceland's natural resources. Major power projects, the threat of a global water shortage and fierce controversy over the rights to natural resources such as fishing grounds and geothermal energy have made Icelanders keenly aware of the value of their environment.
"The proposed constitution defines access to clean and unspoiled nature as a human rights issue," Gylfason said. "This strengthens the position of those who wish to seek justice as a result of environmental damage."
Another new clause tackles the contentious issue of who owns natural resources. When Iceland's fisheries management system was introduced in the 1980s, certain companies were awarded fishing quotas for a nominal fee, giving them exclusive and lucrative rights to fishing grounds.
"This clause has been eagerly awaited by the nation and stipulates that Iceland's resources, including its fishing grounds, are the property of the nation," which therefore has the right to the resources, Gylfason said.
The draft constitution is due to be completed by the end of June, though the council may ask for an extension of one month. After that, it will be sent to Iceland's parliament for debate and approval.

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Jennifer Connelly gives birth to daughter

Jennifer Connelly has given birth to her third child.
The 40-year-old actress - who has 13-year-old Kai with David Dugan and seven-year-old Stellan with husband Paul Bettany - welcomed daughter Agnes Lark into the world on May 31, her spokesperson has confirmed.
The baby was born at the couple's home in New York in a scheduled water birth.
Jennifer's representative said: "Everyone is healthy and doing well. The family is very excited."
Jennifer - who married Paul in 2003 after two years of dating - revealed earlier this year she had suffered badly with morning sickness during her third pregnancy.
She said in January: "The first three months were very sketchy. You know how like you have your cell phone and you have to stand in one spot? It was like that with nausea. I had to stand in one spot, which happened to be in front of my refrigerator, which was open with me dipping pretzels in cream cheese and stuffing them in my mouth."
The 'Dilemma' star has previously highlighted the importance of being a mother, and said it made her change her life.
She said: "Becoming a mother has made all the difference in terms of learning to take responsibility for myself and my life.
"Parenthood changed the way I do everything. The biggest thing for me is wanting my kids to grow up safely and have happy lives. For me, that's enough."

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Fasting Indian yoga guru's condition deteriorates

NEW DELHI — A charismatic Indian yoga guru has continued his hunger strike for a seventh day despite doctors advising hospitalization because of loss of weight and dehydration. Yogesh Chandra Sharma, a senior doctor, said Friday that Baba Ramdev has lost 5.5 kilograms since he started fasting. He also says Ramdev was suffering from low blood pressure and low pulse rate.
Ramdev's protest campaign is part of a public push to demand government accountability after a series of corruption scandals such as improper telecoms licensing, illegal land acquisitions and irregularities in staging last year's Commonwealth Games.
Ramdev has agreed to take lime water and honey, but refuses to end his hunger strike in his north Indian ashram in Haridwar.

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Ahmedabad: 18 killed as truck runs over sleeping pilgrims

Ahmedabad, 09 Jun 2011: At least 18 pilgrims sleeping near the roadside were killed and ten others injured after they were run over by a speeding truck near here today.
The mishap took place on the Dholka-Bagodara Highway this morning when a group of people were sleeping near a road side `dhaba’ (eatery) at Beghwa crossroad.
The pilgrims were going to attend the `urs’ fair at a `dargha’ in Bhadiyad village of Dholka, about 20 km from here, police said.
According to the police, the truck lost control and ran over them. Sixteen persons, including nine women, were killed on the spot while two others died in hospital.
The injured were admitted at various hospitals in Dholka town and Ahmedabad, police said.
The truck involved in the accident was from Madhya Pradesh. It was going from Katni in Madhya Pradesh to Vakaner in Rajkot.
The vehicle’s driver and cleaner are absconding, police said, adding further investigations were on.

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Black money: 18 Indians on Liechtenstein List

The list of Indians with accounts in LGT Bank, in European tax haven Liechtenstein, that is now with the government shows that 18 individuals collectively put away Rs 39.66 crore during 2002-04 in trusts with the bank.
These individuals (see below) include businessmen in Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai and members of their families. Their total tax penalty has been estimated at Rs 24.27 crore and recoveries have already begun from 17 of the 18 named.
The list, accessed by The Indian Express, is now with the Enforcement Directorate. A copy has to be sent to the CBI as the Supreme Court has said that either the National Intelligence Agency or the CBI should go after sources of these deposits rather than just rely on the Income-Tax Department for unearthing alleged income concealment and tax evasion.
The agencies have to probe whether these LGT deposits were involved with any alleged money laundering or whether the money parked abroad is proceeds from terrorist activities, drug peddling, smuggling, arms deals or activities against national security.

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Ramdev says he wants to set up nationalist force

Under attack for his proposal to raise an armed force, Baba Ramdev on Thursday said he was not trying to train terrorists or Maoists but only wanting to set up a “nationalist” force.

“I am not making terrorists, Naxalites and Maoists. I am only developing a nationalist force. It is for self-defence,” Baba Ramdev, who is continuing his fast against corruption, told his followers at Patanjali Yogapeeth.

He was reacting to a volley of criticism on his plans to raise a 11,000-strong force to deal with police and anti-social elements attempting to disrupt his anti-corruption campaign.

“If our women are able to safeguard themselves then nobody will dare to harm them and if our men are able then they can defend any Ramlila ground-type attack,” he said.

“My words should be taken in the right context. People should understand what I have said.I want to train them for self-defence. Shaastra means knowledge and shastra means self-defence,” Baba Ramdev said, referring to his comments on Wednesday that young men will be trained in both shaastra (vedas) and shastra (weapons).

Criticising the yoga guru, Home Minister P. Chidambaram had said on Wednesday that “by making that statement, he (Ramdev) has exposed his true colours and true intentions. Let him do so and the law will deal with that. You have to observe some discipline“.

“It is anti-national and we have to take action,” said V. Narayanswamy, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Congress said Baba Ramdev’s call for an armed rebellion is a serious issue and hoped that the government will take appropriate action to uphold the Constitution and maintain law and order.

The yoga guru, who is on a fast since June 4 demanding that black money stashed away abroad be brought back, said his hunger strike will continue till his demands are met.

“Fast will continue till my objective is achieved. I do not care even if I die. The fast will go on,” Baba Ramdev said.

He also said that his trust Patanjali Yogapeeth will bear all expenses for the treatment of people injured in the police action at Ramlila grounds, especially Rajbala who has been grievously hurt.

Doctors attending to Baba Ramdev here have said that his condition is deteriorating.

“He is stable but continuously losing weight. We have asked him to end fast soon,” they said.

Meanwhile, scores of volunteers have been deployed around ‘yagya shala’, where Baba Ramdev is holding his fast and are keeping a close vigil on the visitors.

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AT&T/T-Mobile merger on the hot seat as Sprint files to block it

Looks like the Federal Communications Commission wants a lot more data from AT&T before the agency will green light its bid to acquire T-Mobile. The FCC has posted no less than 50 questions for the telco, asking the wireless giant to defend the very first claim that its public interest statement makes in defense of the marriage.
"AT&T faces network spectrum and capacity constraints more severe than those of any other wireless provider," the opening AT&T document contends:

and this merger provides by far the surest, fastest, and most efficient solution to that challenge. The network synergies of this transaction will free up new capacity—the functional equivalent of new spectrum—in the many urban, suburban, and rural wireless markets where escalating broadband usage is fast consuming existing capacity. This transaction will thus benefit consumers by reducing the number of dropped and blocked calls, increasing data speeds, and dramatically expanding deployment of next-generation mobile technology.

But the FCC wants a lot more help with this constraint assertion. To justify AT&T's claim, the agency is asking the company to provide "all plans, analyses, and reports discussing the relative network spectrum capacity constraints of the Company and other mobile wireless service providers, including any relevant pricing, traffic and spectrum efficiency assumptions."
The agency would also like AT&T's definition of what actually constitutes a spectrum constraint, "including the factors involved in making that determination in any relevant area." And it would like to know if the company considered any alternatives to buying T-Mobile to solve the alleged dilemma. Has it considered boosting its network capacity? Adding additional cell sites? Expanding backhaul? "Acquiring new spectrum?"

A full and complete analysis

Actually, AT&T wants to do some more spectrum buying too. It's seeking the FCC's blessing to buy licenses from Qualcomm and Knology of Kansas, and five public interest groups want the Qualcomm transaction rolled into the T-Mobile merger application process. Both proceedings "should be combined to enable a full and complete competitive analysis," Free Press, Public Knowledge, the Media Access Project, and two other groups urged. Agreed, say MetroPCS, Sprint, and Rural Celluluar Association in their own filing.
Meanwhile, two states have launched or are considering investigations of the deal. The Lousiana's Public Utilities Commission's probe was open for comments as of Thursday, with a 15-day period for third parties to file protests and a 45-day window for AT&T to respond.
California's State Public Utilities Commission has asked its staff to prepare a document that would "launch a proceeding to gather information and to review the merger proposal in light of relevant state law and public policies." The CPUC will vote on whether to approve the document on June 9. And Hawaii, Arizona, and West Virginia may look at the merger, too.

Twin Bell duopoly?

Since May 31 is the last day for Petitions to Deny the merger, Sprint has submitted its petition to the FCC. The smaller telco is probably the most outpoken critic of the proposed union.
"The Commission faces a stark choice in this proceeding," Sprint says:

It can reject AT&T’s bid to take over T-Mobile and extend the last two decades of robust competition in the wireless industry-competition that has promoted economic growth and advanced U.S. global leadership in mobile communications. Or the Commission can approve the takeover and let the wireless industry regress inexorably toward a 1980s-style duopoly. A duopoly of the two vertically-integrated Bell companies would result in less choice for consumers and higher prices. A Twin Bell duopoly would stunt investment and innovation. No divestitures or conditions can remedy these fundamental anti-consumer and anti-competitive harms. AT&T’s takeover of T- Mobile must be blocked.

That alleged duopoly (Verizon and AT&T) would control 82 percent of post-paid subscribers, Sprint warns, more than 78 percent of wireless revenue, and 88 percent of all profits. "The Twin Bells' market dominance would dwarf Sprint, the sole remaining national carrier, and the rest of the wireless industry, thereby creating an entrenched, anti-competitive duopoly," the filing contends.
While all Petitions to Deny are due by the end of Tuesday, the public can still file oppositions or supportive comments through June 10 and replies to oppositions through June 20. The Commission's comment page for the proceeding is here.

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Samsung tries to gain access to unannounced next-gen Apple devices

Samsung's latest maneuver in what appears will be a long, drawn-out legal battle with Apple over mobile device copying is a bold one. The company filed a "reciprocal expedited discovery request" asking to see samples of Apple's expected, though unannounced, next-generation iPhone and iPad hardware.
The motion was filed shortly after Apple was granted an expedited discovery request which sought to gain access to upcoming Samsung hardware that is believed to infringe on Apple's design patents and trade dress. Apple had already claimed Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones and Galaxy Tab crossed the line between inspiration and rip-off, and Apple sought access to announced new products to determine if Apple should add them to its lawsuit against Samsung or potentially file an injunction barring their release.
The judge agreed with Apple's request to examine the Droid Charge, Infuse 4G, Galaxy S II, Galaxy Tab 10.1, and Galaxy Tab 8.9 because images Apple had submitted to the court in its original complaint showed "reasonable basis" for Apple's belief that Samsung's latest products might be "designed to mimic Apple's products."
(We have to note that we have seen a Galaxy Tab 10.1 "special edition," and there is a resemblance to the iPad 2.)
"In particular," wrote Judge Lucy Koh in her decision, "the design and appearance of Samsung's forthcoming products and packaging are directly relevant to Apple's trademark, trade dress, and design claims. Because these claims are subject to consumer confusion and 'ordinary observer' standards, the products themselves and the packaging in which they are sold are likely to be central to any motion for preliminary injunction."
The motion does not allow Apple to thoroughly examine the products, however—only its counsel may do so.
Samsung's lawyers last Friday filed their own motion to gain similar expedited access to Apple's next iPhone and iPad hardware designs. Samsung claims that the evidence goes directly to defending itself from an expected preliminary injunction that could bar Samsung from releasing some of the mentioned products (or result in the Droid Charge or Infuse 4G being pulled off the shelf since they have already been released).
An important difference between Apple's motion and Samsung's however, is that the five products that Apple sought discovery for had already been announced and in most cases shown or released to the press. Judge Koh cited that particular fact in her decision. Samsung, on the other hand, is attempting to gain access to hardware that it merely believes Apple has in the works—Apple has made no public revelation about its next-generation hardware, even though it is likely that the company has prototypes floating around somewhere in its headquarters.
Former IP attorney Nilay Patel reasoned that Samsung may have merely filed this motion in hopes that it can gain additional leverage against Apple. Patel argued that it doesn't seem likely that Samsung's motion would be approved, at least not based on the reasoning that Koh used to approve Apple's request. At the same time, Apple could merely file an injunction against Samsung's products citing similarities with current iPhone and iPad hardware, making Samsung's request to examine future devices moot.
Neither company has yet filed formal responses to the initial complaints in either Apple's original lawsuit or Samsung's ensuing countersuit.

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Apple updates iWork to add iPhone, iPod touch support

Apple announced on Tuesday that it has updated its iWork productivity suite for iOS with universal versions compatible with both the iPhone and iPod touch. Though originally released for the larger iPad, you can now use the iOS-flavored iWork to create and edit word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation files on Apple's pocket-sized mobile devices.
iWork includes Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, and Apple developed iPad versions when the device was originally launched in April 2010. When we reviewed the apps then, we noted that the iPad's 10" touchscreen worked pretty well and that Apple had done a fairly impressive job of translating the desktop apps to its tablet. However, we also warned that its formatting limitations, awkward file access, and inability to print were likely to be serious problems for most users.
Apple has since improved file access a bit by adding iDisk support and adding AirPrint to iOS, which allows wireless printing to a select few HP printers. And while Apple has apparently done a lot of work to shoehorn iWork's iPad interface onto the 3.5" screen of the iPhone, users are likely to run into those same limitations we outlined last year.
You can open files created in iWork for Mac or corresponding Microsoft Office applications, edit them, and even send the changes back to the desktop. However, formatting can get bungled in the process, and performing anything other than minor edits using the iPhone or iPod touch's tiny keyboard would probably give even the most ardent smartphone typist a headache. The new iWork versions are compatible with the iPhone 3GS and third-gen iPod touch, though a comment from Apple SVP Phil Schiller seems to suggest the small-screen versions work best with Retina display devices.
"The incredible Retina display, revolutionary Multi-Touch interface and our powerful software make it easy to create, edit, organize and share all of your documents from iPhone 4 or iPod touch," Schiller said in a statement.
Still, the ability to edit office-type documents right from your phone is pretty impressive in and of itself, and we imagine it could come in handy in emergency situations. We think Apple went in the right direction by building universal apps, so users that already have the iPad versions can get the new iPhone version as a free update.
All three updated apps—Pages, Numbers, and Keynote—are available now in the App Store for $9.99 each, or as a free update to existing users.

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India, Pakistan to continue talks on Siachen

India and Pakistan on Tuesday agreed to continue discussions to demilitarise Siachen glacier, where ceasefire has held good for the last eight years. Both sides presented their respective points of view and suggestions to resolve the outstanding issue.

Describing the 12th round of talks on the issue as having been held in a “frank and cordial” atmosphere, a joint statement at the end of the two-day parleys here said that it contributed to “an enhanced understanding of each other's position on Siachen. They also acknowledged that the ceasefire was holding since November 2003. Both sides presented their positions and suggestions towards the resolution of Siachen.”

Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar led the Indian delegation while his Pakistan counterpart Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Athar Ali headed the delegation from the other side. The Pakistan side presented a non-paper (unofficial paper) on Siachen.

Both sides to meet again

“Both sides agreed to continue the discussions in a meaningful and result-oriented manner. They agreed to meet again at a mutually convenient date in Islamabad,” the statement said.

Sources in the government said the non-paper was handed over to the Indian side towards the conclusion of the discussions which would be perused in due course. While the Pakistan side sought to push for demilitarising the glacier, described as the highest battleground in the world, India had conveyed that Islamabad needed to dismantle the terror camps operating on its soil.

Terror camps

On the eve of the talks, New Delhi's clear and unequivocal stand on it was articulated by Defence Minister A.K. Antony who said in Kannur that dismantling of terror camps in Pakistan was the key to solving the problems between the two countries. He said India had reports that 42 such camps were present in Pakistan.

Among the issues that remained to be sorted out, the sources said, was modalities to authenticate the 110-km Actual Ground Position Line in the Saltro-Ridge-Siachen region. The Indian Army holds a dominant position on the ridge.

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Headley worked with FBI for capture of Mumbai mastermind

CHICAGO: After his 2009 arrest, confessed Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley worked with FBI agents to try to engineer the capture of Sajid Mir, a suspected mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, according to testimony in a US court.

Headley aka Daood Gilani, Washington born son of a Pakistani father and an American mother, also proposed to US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) setting up Ilyas Kashmiri, another kingpin for a missile strike, ProPublica, an investigative news site reported Tuesday.

Headley testified in Chicago Federal court that during two weeks of interrogation in October 2009 he worked with FBI agents to try to lure Sajid Mir, a member of the Pakistan based Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT) terrorist group and a suspected mastermind of the Mumbai attack, out of Pakistan so he could be arrested.

The attempt failed, Headley testified, and Mir remains a fugitive.

Headley also offered to travel undercover to the tribal areas of Pakistan and present Ilyas Kashmiri, an Al Qaeda-connected leader indicted in the Denmark plot, with an ornate sword that Headley suggested could be outfitted with a homing device to set up a US missile attack, according to his testimony.

Kashmiri, commander of the Pakistani-based terrorist organisation Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI), was behind a plan to carry out Mumbai-style shooting attacks in Britain, France, Germany and Denmark, ProPublica said citing counter-terror officials.

Tuesday's cross-examination featured excerpts of Headley's videotaped interrogation by FBI agents after his arrest last October.

In contrast to his restrained demeanour on the stand, Headley was animated, almost frantic, as he told the agents he wanted to help them make arrests in the case, the video showed, ProPublica said.

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Govt pacifies Ramdev, talks tough to Anna

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made an appeal to yoga guru Ramdev to call off his fast against black money. The appeal came after Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee wrote to Ramdev on the efforts taken by the government to combat black money.
While the government has been aggressively pacifying Baba Ramdev, Anna Hazare has been hearing some straight talk from the government.
At the heart of the dispute is whether the Prime Minister should come under the purview of the Lokpal Bill. While Anna and most of his team remain adamant on that demand, Baba Ramdev has shown some flexibility by saying that the Prime Minister and higher judiciary should be kept away from the Lokpal purview.
"All people holding constitutional posts should come under the Lokpal Bill. The inclusion of the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India is a tricky question. If questions are raised on the integrity of a person sitting at the head of a democracy, then how will democracy survive? And if you doubt the head of the judicial system then how can you assume that the Lokayukta will be more honest?" Ramdev said.
These words by Baba Ramdev were like music to the ears of the UPA, which has been working overtime to break the ranks of the civil society groups. Within no time, the yoga guru's statement was interpreted by the government nominees on the Lokpal group of ministers as a split within the civil society.
Home Minister P Chidambram said, "There is no unanimity within the civil rights groups themselves on the crucial question of the Prime Minister being kept within the Lokpal or not."
Having paid a price for one fast, the government is edgy over Ramdev. Government sources are confident of stopping Ramdev and that they won't get it wrong again.
The BJP too got into the act with the party president writing a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to consider Ramdev's blackmoney campaign seriously. However, the BJP also stated that it was in favour of the Prime Minister being brought under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill.
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said, "When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, he said that the Prime Minister should be brought under the ambit of Lokpal."
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has now written to all state Chief Ministers seeking their views on the matter. This comes as an indication that the government believes it has the upper hand in this battle.

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Baba Ramdev: 'No question of calling off fast'

New Delhi:  Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has said he will go ahead with his hunger strike against corruption from June 4 despite the government's appeal asking him to reconsider his plan.

"My hunger strike will go ahead. There is no question of calling off the protest plan till my demands are met and till talks reach a satisfactory conclusion," Baba Ramdev told NDTV speaking from Madhya Pradesh, where he is conducting a yoga camp.


Baba Ramdev had earlier said he will start a 'satyagraha' against corruption and black money and go on an indefinite fast from June 4, demanding that the government bring back black money stashed in tax havens abroad.

Over 32 lakh netizens are believed to have registered online for Baba Ramdev's anti-corruption campaign.
With civil society activists building pressure on the government over the corruption issue, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) met in New Delhi yesterday to discuss the matter.

Sources say the government, after facing a difficult situation created by Anna Hazare's fast-unto-death last month, is keen to avoid recurrence of such a situation.

The two-hour meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is believed to have deliberated on ways that could be adopted to deal with the matter.

The Cabinet has also decided to set up a fresh panel to draw an estimate of the black money parked in foreign shores.

The CCPA meeting, among other things, is understood to have also discussed the possibility of deputing some minister to talk to Ramdev and persuade him not to go ahead with his hunger strike.

Earlier, the government had deputed Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Sudhir Chandra to persuade him but the effort failed. (With PTI Inputs)
 

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Telangana stir revival nears, more forces sought

HYDERABAD:� With Telangana parties and organisations planning to revive the statehood agitation next month, the state police have requisitioned additional Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF) as a precautionary measure. Already 17 companies of CPMF have been deployed in the state since the regional agitation began in 2009.

Though police termed the request for CPMF as a precautionary measure, sources said the deployment would be necessitated in view of the possibility of the situation turning volatile after June 10, the deadline set by Telanagna protogonists for the Centre to make an announcement on Telangana. Congress MPs from the region have been stating that they will join the movement directly if the Centre does not announce its decision by� then.

Director-general of police K Aravinda Rao told Express that a request for 20 more companies of CPMF was made to the Centre. “The request for more forces, however, is just a precautionary measure,'' he said. The additional forces from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are likely to reach the city at the earliest.� Aravinda Rao said the bulk of the forces would be deployed in the Telangana region. This time, however, the Border Security Force (BSF) will not be deployed. �

Sources said the forces would be deployed across the 10 districts of Telangana and particularly where large-scale violence and arson were witnessed in the past two years. Apart from the Osmania University in the city, incidents of violence rocked Warangal, Medak and Karimnagar districts. Police sources said Kakatiya University is another hot- bed of separatist movement and they apprehend trouble in Warangal district.

Apart from these districts in Telangana region, the police are anticipating trouble in the Seemandhra districts of Anantapur and Visakhapatnam where the student JACs are strong and spearheading the Samaikyandhra movement.

The incidents of violence in Karimnagar and Warangal during the TDP's Ranabheri are also giving the police a hint of the possible deterioration of law and order in the coming days. Intelligence agencies have warned the police of possible attacks on people's representatives from the region by Telangana protagonists demanding their resignations.

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Hussey stars as Chennai wins IPL

The clinical Chennai Super Kings clinched their second Indian Premier League title in a row with a 58-run thrashing of Royal Challengers Bangalore in a lop-sided final.

Opener Murali Vijay cracked 95 runs off just 52 balls to help the defending champions pile up 5 for 205 before Ravichandran Ashwin removed Bangalore's openers early, ensuring a fine win for the hosts at a packed Chidambaram Stadium.
League-topper Bangalore, which was seeking its maiden IPL title, folded up at 8 for 147 off 20 overs.
It was Chennai's eighth win on the trot at home this season, underlining its dominance in home conditions.
The home team owed its win to Vijay whose record 159-run stand for the first wicket with Australian Michael Hussey (63) set the platform for a winning total after captain MS Dhoni elected to bat first.
Their stand surpassed the 155-run partnership between Adam Gilchrist and Venkatsai Laxman against Mumbai in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008.
"I was concentrating on just converting my start today, as it hasn't always happened this season," said Vijay, named man of the match.
"This (Chennai) is a special unit to be part of and to retain the title feels really great."
Bangalore's chase was derailed early with off-spinner Ashwin (3 for 16) getting rid of the dangerous Chris Gayle for a duck in the very first over.
Gayle, who still finished as the highest run-getter with 608 runs from 12 innings, offered an outside edge which was snapped up by Dhoni behind the wickets.
Gayle's dismissal triggered a collapse with Bangalore losing their next six wickets inside 11 overs to be reduced to 6 for 70, a situation from which they could never really recover.
Saurabh Tiwary offered some resistance with an unbeaten 42 but the other Bangalore batsmen simply caved in under pressure.
"It would have been a much better game if we could have put up a bowling performance like on Friday (against Mumbai) but it was not to be," Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori said.
"I think 160-170 would have been chaseable but their openers took the game away from us."
Vijay, pointed out as the weak link in the Chennai line-up after an indifferent run with the bat in the tournament, decided to make amends at the big stage, unleashing six sixes and four fours in his blazing knock.
Hussey also impressed, hitting three sixes and as many boundaries in his 45-ball innings before holing out to Abhimanyu Mithun near the boundary ropes off left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad.
Vijay, who seemed to struggle in hot and humid conditions during the later part of his innings, missed out on a well-deserved century when he offered a simple catch to Vettori off paceman Sreenath Aravind.
Aravind struck again off the very next ball to remove Dhoni, caught off a full toss by Virat Kohli after making 22 which included two sixes in one over by Gayle.
Gayle also picked up two wickets in two balls, sending back Albie Morkel and Suresh Raina in the 20th over with his wily off-breaks.

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live cricket

now live MI VS KKR Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

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Andhra Pradesh SSC Results 10th Examination 2010

10 th class RESULTS

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I still cry and get stressed: SRK

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has transcended geographical boundaries and won hearts of millions with his charismatic screen presence, says he doesn't consider himself a star.
"The reason I say I am not a star is because I am completely human. I still cry, I still laugh, I crack jokes, I get stressed, I feel disturbed but I think you people love me so much because I could be human," he told reporters on Wednesday at the music launch of his latest production ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’, releasing on June 17.
"Even though I have this pedestal where I stand which says I am a big star but actually I am nobody till I work hard to make you smile," added the 45-year-old.
To give a Midas touch to the film, Shah Rukh has appeared in a promotional song of the film ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’.
"It's not an item number. It's the beginning of the film. The music and the lyrics of course make it a peppy number," he clarified.
This directorial debut of Roshan Abbas is also launching two new faces - Zoa Morani and Satyajeet Dubey. Actor Giselle Montario of ‘Love Aaj Kal’ fame and Ali Fazal who did a small role in Aamir Khan-starrer ‘3 Idiots’ play lead roles in the film.
Set in a school, ‘Always Kabhi Kabhi’ is about four unique youngsters trying to compete with pressure of growing up and many firsts that everyone experiences in high school.
As today's school life has changed a lot, King Khan could hardly identify with any except the determination of the youths to accomplish their goal.
"The youth part of the film is the same as it was in my time, but the way they deal with their life has changed. There are many things in the film that I have not done in my school life. So there are many things I couldn't identify with," said Shah Rukh.
"Life has changed so much. But the thing that the film says, follow your dream, I could easily identify with. I never thought that I would come to Mumbai and do so much of work but yes I always aspired to be an actor or a sportsman. The film also shows that we should do something that I am willing to do instead of choosing the way where I can lead an easy life," he added.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Postpones Hollywood Comeback to Focus on Personal

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10 best apps for Galaxy Tab 10.1, Xoom, and Android Honeycomb in general

You'd hope an app with a hefty $16.99 pricetag would have a lot of features. Fortunately, Quickoffice Pro HD has the guns to back up the expense. Essentially a cloud-based Office suite, you hook up your Google Docs, Dropbox, Box, or MobileMe accounts to QuickOffice, and then you can create, access and share Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents. One of my favorite features in QuickOffice is its speech recognition, so if you aren't comfortable with typing on a tablet yet, and you don't have a bluetooth keyboard, you can dictate blocks of text.

Spectral Souls Another expensive app at $14.76, Spectral Souls is a full-scale tactical role playing game that shines especially brightly because it's exclusive to Android. Android doesn't yet have anything quite as graphically mind-blowing as Infinity Blade on iOS, but Spectral Souls is no less impressive thanks to its sheer size. Hyperdevbox Studio says it has "hundreds of hours" of gameplay, 82 characters, and 52 different soundtracks.
Dolphin Browser HD The first third-party Android exclusive browser has gained lots of traction since debuting on Android 1.6 late last year, garnering more than a million downloads since that time. This tablet-centric version has a big, clean UI, and supports the use of plug-ins such as Adobe Flash. It is a solid alternative browser, and we're quite big fans of those.
Opera Mobile 11 Speaking of alternative browsers, Opera users have a full Honeycomb-compatible version of Opera Mobile 11 that delivers the familiar Opera experience with general reliability, although like other Android versions of Opera, it is comparatively a very large application download.
Electrum This lightweight and affordable drum machine application has been around for more than two years and has gotten a UI overhaul for Honeycomb tablets. It's a good app for what I like to call "junk musicians," or people who don't need a full production suite with oodles of plug-ins, and who are quite satisfied with the ability to build their own sample set and then sequence it.
Newsr Chris Stewart, the maker of Tweetcomb, made Google Reader app Newsr in an admirably clean and simple fashion. First, there's no linking out; all content, including flash video, is kept inside the text window on the right side of the interface, and articles can be shared via bluetooth, email, Facebook or Twitter all from within the app. Google Reader is a good way to centrally store RSS feeds, but has never had the best interface. This is definitely an improvement.
Drawing Pad There are a couple of drawing applications for Android tablets, but none has the beautiful interface of Drawing Pad. Tools show up exactly as they could in real life, so if you want to paint with brushes, a drawer full of color-daubed brushes opens; if you want colored pencils, a drawer full of them opens up. It's very appealing, and makes the app a lot more fun to use than others on the platform.
Google Body It's hard to believe this is a free app. You're presented with a zoomable, scalable 3D rendering of a human body which can be viewed as different layers (bones, muscle, circulatory, etc) or can be searched like a map of named body parts. On the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, this app is as smooth and fast as can be.
Android Movie Studio Unveiled just four months ago, the first video editing package for Android is extremely exciting. It's got fewer features than Windows Live Movie Maker and iMovie, but the fact that you can capture a video right on your Android device, then apply filters, titles and music to it, and directly upload it to YouTube really brings new meaning to "in-camera edit."
Angry Rirds Rio Let's face it, any mobile application top ten is going to find a way to include Angry Birds if it wants to be genuine. It's the Citizen Kane of mobile gaming. But sequel Angry Birds Rio is worthy of being included as well because it's essentially the same game with other animals as targets instead of pigs, and it looks and handles beautifully on Honeycomb tablets like the Galaxy Tab 10.1.Big Disappointments
Bank of America Mobile Banking This application has been downloaded five million times, yet it only supports the old Android screen size profiles, so what you see in the image above is what you'll see on your Honeycomb tablet. Furthermore, with the most recent update, Motorola Atrix users began complaining that the app didn't work for them, and it has not been fixed or addressed yet. It's odd that one of the United States' biggest consumer financial institutions should have such a poorly supported mobile banking application.
Chuzzle This PopCap title is noteworthy because it's an exclusive to Amazon's Appstore for Android. Unfortunately it lacks support for ANY Android Tablets. That isn't to say it doesn't work, it just is not formatted to fit the screen, so you will be able to play the game, but all the effects and layers are in all the wrong places. The main reason it is so disappointing is that it's a featured download on the front page of the Amazon Appstore, and it was the free download of the day while Google I/O was going on, meaning a big chunk of new Android tablet owners tried to get it, only to be disappointed by the lack of support.

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Indian communication satellite GSAT-8 successfully launched

India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-8 was on Saturday successfully launched by Arianespace from Kourou in French Guiana to give a boost to direct-to-home services in the country.

GSAT-8 was injected into space by European launcher Arianespace’s Ariane 5 rocket which lifted-off at 02.08 am (IST), with Japan’s ST-2 spacecraft as co-passenger.

French Guiana is a region of France on the North-East coast of South America.

Weighing 3,100 kg at lift-off, GSAT-8 is one of the heaviest and high-powered satellites built by the Bangalore-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation.

An ISRO team, which witnessed the launch, expressed delight over the successful mission.

“I am extremely happy to announce that ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan near Bangalore has confirmed the reception of signals from GSAT-8 and taken charge of the command and control of GSAT-8 immediately after its injection into the geo-stationary transfer orbit,” ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said.

“...This (the launch) is another great moment for us...,” he said.

Radhakrishnan said the user community in India was looking forward for the operationalisation of the 24 high-power Ku band transponders into the Indian National Satellite system.

ISRO officials said the launch was doubly gratifying as the space agency had lost two satellites last year in two unsuccessful GSLV missions launched from the home soil. ISRO was desperately looking to augment transponder capacity, which is in great demand.

Built by Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric Company, ST-2 would be operated by the ST-2 Satellite Ventures joint company of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (SingTel) and Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom Company Ltd.

GSAT-8 carried 24 transponders to augment India’s Ku-band relay capabilities -- primarily for direct-to-home TV broadcast services -- with a coverage zone including the entire Indian subcontinent.

Additionally, GSAT-8 carried the two-channel GAGAN system for aircraft navigation assistance over Indian airspace and adjoining areas.

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Rajinikanth put on dialysis, doing well

The Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre in the city, where actor Rajinikanth has been admitted, on Thursday confirmed that the actor's condition necessitated advanced treatment, including haemodialysis.

Latha Rajinikanth, the actor's wife, accompanied by her son-in-law actor Dhanush, and S.Thanikachalam, Director, Cardiac Care Centre, SRMC, under whose care the actor has been admitted, met journalists at the hospital and gave details for the first time about the treatment protocol being followed to nurse the actor back to health.

This came on the heels of an announcement from the hospital on Wednesday night that Mr. Rajnikanth was shifted to the intensive care unit. Mrs. Rajinikanth said, “He is doing well now. It was an infection that created an imbalance, starting with the stomach. There is also a respiratory infection.”

The decision to move him to the ICU was prompted by the need to give him appropriate treatment in a completely sterile zone. Responding to a question if a trip abroad was being contemplated for medical treatment, she said it was “not necessary.”

Dr. Thanikachalam said the actor had a gastro-intestinal problem that led to the respiratory distress and the cause was identified. While initially it was thought that Mr. Rajinikanth would be fine with drugs and injections, on noticing the fluid accumulation in his body, the treatment was changed.

“Because of various consequences, there was fluid overload which necessitated advanced treatment, ultra filtration and haemodialysis,” the hospital release said.

Symptomatic relief

Apparently, these interventions have led to symptom relief, which doctors claimed was the first sign of recovery.

Haemodialysis is a procedure performed to assist the kidney carry out its tasks of filtering the blood and removing fluids from the body.

The blood will be passed through a dialysis machine which will clean it up and then, the pure blood is sent back to the patient.

Such a procedure may be necessary briefly when the kidney is acutely disturbed because of an injury or infection in the short run, more likely in this case. It would also be the pre-organ transplant option when kidney function persistently deteriorates over a long period of time and leads to shutdown of the organ.

On Thursday, Mr. Rajinikanth is said to have taken food — two idlis, a vada and plaintain stem rasam that his wife made. He also appeared cheerful, and even cracked jokes, Dr. Thanikachalam said. The laboratory parameters are also improving, and the hospital is hoping the superstar will be able to return to his private room in a couple of days.

Actor Dhanush thanked Mr. Rajinikanth's fans for their prayers and wishes, and urged them not to panic in response to a number of rumours being floated about the star's health.

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Even as Rajinikanth fans all over the State continued to hold special prayers and homams, doctors treating the Superstar said on Friday that he is on the path of recovery and will be shifted to an ordinary ward in a day or two.

"He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit only to be in a safe and sterile environment in order to avoid any infection. Rajini is much better now. And there is nothing to worry about his health," sources in the Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre (SRMC) said.

On Friday, South Indian Film Artistes Association president and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi supremo R Sarath Kumar called on Rajini at the hospital and wished speedy recovery. DMDK chief Vijayakanth called on the Superstar on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Dhanush has decided to throw a party for his winning a National Award for 'Aadukalam', only after the Superstar, who is his father-in-law, returns home from hospital. "That will happen soon," the actor has tweeted on his microblogging page.

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Day in pics: May 16

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi presents a bouquet to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after the swearing-in ceremony at Madras University Centenary Auditorium in Chennai on Monday. Photo: PTI
 West Indies' captain Darren Sammy, right, successfully appeals for the LBW of Pakistan's Umar Akmal, rear, to dismiss him for 47 runs, during the second innings on the fourth day of their first cricket Test match in Georgetown, Guyana, Sunday May 15, 2011. Photo: AP
 Russia's Maria Sharapova shows children the trophy at the end of the women's final match against Australia's Samantha Stosur, at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 15, 2011. Maria Sharapova stormed to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Sam Stosur in the Italian Open final Sunday for the biggest clay-court title of her career. Photo: AP
 Morelia's Adrian Garcia, left, fights for the ball with Cruz Azul's Isaac Romo, center, during a Mexican soccer league semifinal match in Morelia, Mexico, Sunday, May 15, 2011. Photo: AP

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Bowled over! Famous cricketer-actress link-ups

Madhur Bhandarkar's latest offering 'Heroine', which was unveiled with Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan in the lead, at the 64th Cannes Film Festival, has a rather interesting film poster. On the bottom-right corner of the poster that's designed like a film magazine cover, it reads 'Scoop! Caught in the act with cricketer 'friend'' leading us to speculate that Bhandarkar must have taken inspiration from the numerous link-ups between actresses and cricketers! in.com takes a look at the stories, some that remained just rumours and others that went public...

MS Dhoni & Lakshmi Rai

Before Captain Cool decided to settle down with his Sakshi, reports constantly suggested a blooming romance between Dhoni and Kannada actress Lakshmi Rai. Though the actress denied rumours of a relationship several times, she once admitted that if Dhoni asked her to marry him, she wouldn't mind. Guess this one's gotten away, Lakshmi!

 

Sourav Ganguly & Nagma

Tongues were set wagging when a married Sourav Ganguly was linked to actress Nagma. Ganguly at the time was the skipper of the Indian team and reports said that his wife Dona was on the verge of seeking a divorce. Eventually however the reports died down with Nagma indirectly hinting in an interview with a magazine in 2003 that the two parted as Ganguly's career was at stake.

 

Yuvraj Singh & Kim Sharma

The Bollywood actress and Prince of Punjab dated for four long years before splitting. Rumours of them getting back together frequently made for the gossip pages in tabloids but Kim finally moved on and got married to Kenyan businessman Ali Punjani last year.

 

Yuvraj Singh & Kim Sharma

The Bollywood actress and Prince of Punjab dated for four long years before splitting. Rumours of them getting back together frequently made for the gossip pages in tabloids but Kim finally moved on and got married to Kenyan businessman Ali Punjani last year.

Mohammed Azharuddin & Sangeeta Bijlani

Kicking up a huge controversy at the time, former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin divorced his first wife Naureen and married Bollywood actress Sangeeta Bijlani in 1996. Bijlani herself at the time was linked to Salman Khan and the two men have shared cool vibes ever since. However their 14-year-long marriage went kaput last year when the couple filed for divorce after rumours of an affair between Azharuddin and badminton player Jwala Gutta surfaced.

 

Zaheer Khan & Isha Sharvani

It wasn't love at first sight when Bollywood actress Sharvani first bumped into Zak at a party in 2005. However as they continued to meet each other at events, love grew though the couple called it quits in 2007. Their bond was however too strong to break and they came together again in 2010 and recent reports following the World Cup victory also suggest that the two might soon even tie the knot.

 

Sreesanth & Riya Sen

While filming together for a jewellry ad, reports began to suggest that the Kochi Tuskers bowler may be dating Riya Sen. However, Riya herself put the rumours to rest when she tweeted that she was not dating Sreesanth and had simply attended the Kochi matches for promotions.

 

Irfan Pathan & Anusha Dandekar

Recent reports suggested that just more than a casual friendship may be brewing between MTV VJ Anusha Dandekar and Delhi Daredevils all-rounder Irfan Pathan. Reports suggest that the VJ even went to meet him at his hometown, Vadodara.

 

Virat Kohli & Sarah-Jane Dias

Another girl who seems to have got a cricketer smitten is former Miss India Sarah-Jane Dias. According to reports, Dias and Royal Challengers Bangalore player Virat Kohli met at a popular club in Bangalore and have hit it off since.

 

Harbhajan Singh & Geeta Basra

Bhajji found love in Punjabi kudi and actress Geeta Basra who famously has been spotted at parties and at matches when the spinner plays. Rumours have it that Singh even introduced Basra to his mother thought the actress claims that the two are only good 'friends' and she is presently focussing on her career.

 

Sreesanth & Shriya Saran

Another Southern hottie who was linked to Sreesanth was Shriya Saran, after the two were spotted at a fashion party. However Saran quickly refuted all reports saying that she hardly knew the cricketer.

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‘One crore girls vanish every year'

About one crore girls vanish every year through foeticide or other forms of killing, Governor of Uttarakhand Margaret Alva said here on Wednesday. She was addressing a seminar on women's rights here organised by Congress leader Janet D Souza's non-governemental organisation ‘Parivartan.' “We call it the disappearing sex. One crore girls die every year or are not allowed [to be born],” Ms. Alva said.

On the issue of ‘honour killings,' she said: “What is happening in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh? Khap panchayats tell married couples to live like siblings. Couples are killed. We call it dishonour killings,” Ms. Alva said. While there were many laws protecting the rights and entitlements of women, 80 per cent of the women were not aware of them, and mostly, women were told to put up with domestic violence.

She stressed on the need to sensitise the implementation machinery to make legislation more effective. “Till today, there are thousands of dowry-related deaths. There are many complaints of the police not registering cases. No one comes to help the women. If a woman is suffering domestic violence, others prefer not to meddle with the family's affairs. If laws have to be implemented effectively, we have to think about how to go about it. Jail officers, bureaucrats, court, lawyers and NGOs need to be sensitised about legislation on women. Crores of rupees are being spent on this,” she said.

‘Appoint women judges'

Pointing to the large number of male judges at family courts, Ms. Alva called for the appointment of women judges. Most of the health programmes for women focussed on issues related to child-bearing, while other health issues were neglected. “Health initiatives only look at pre-natal, post-natal problems. Don't women's bodies suffer from other ailments? Is there a post-menopause programme? Since a woman is done having children, she can be left to die,” Ms. Alva said.

Criticises idolisation

She also came down heavily against the traditional idolisation of women. “Men ask ‘What do women want?' Are they not worshipped as Lakshmi and Saraswathi? Isn't the President a woman? Isn't the person heading the United Progressive Alliance a woman? But, this is not victory. Don't turn us into idols; treat us like human beings. Give us the right to life, to live and to die peacefully,” Ms. Alva said.

Speakers called for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha. Advocate Mrunalini Deshmukh said women were becoming aware of their rights as a growing number were filing for divorce. “In a year, there are at least 10,000 cases not just of divorce, but of child custody and maintenance,” she said.

Veteran journalist Pratima Joshi said that the Mahila Ayog in Maharashtra had almost become defunct. She also said that along with the grant of 33 per cent quota, there must be an assurance that the seats would go to women party workers and not to the kith and kin of leaders in power.

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Governor's report jolts BJP

The special report of Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj to the Union government has come as a rude shock to the BJP and, in particular, the legislators who only a few days ago regained their membership of the Assembly and affirmed their support to the leadership of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa early on Sunday.

Although the contents of the Governor's report have been kept confidential, sources in the State government told The Hindu that it was evident that the report contained a recommendation for severe action (possibly President's rule and dissolution of the Assembly) in the light of the orders of the Supreme Court in the case relating to disqualification of legislators.

The Chief Minister and top leaders of the State unit of the BJP, including president K.S. Eshwarappa, expressed their shock over the developments.

The BJP has decided to take the Governor head on as it made all efforts during the day to convince him that the ruling party enjoys a comfortable majority and that there is no necessity even for a trial of strength on the floor of the House.

Incidentally, the Governor refrained from even meeting the 10 legislators who wanted to individually submit their letters of support to the government. He told the Ministers who called on him that with Sunday being an office holiday he was not in a position to meet them.

All eyes are now on the action that the Centre will take over the Governor's report.

Ten of the 11 BJP legislators who were camping along with the five Independent legislators in New Delhi over the past two days had, prior to their return to Bangalore, submitted a letter to the Governor about their support to the Chief Minister and this put to rest all speculation relating to the survival of the government.

The legislators concerned said: “We wish to put to rest all such speculation and we hereby confirm that we continue to be MLAs of the BJP and that we extend unqualified support to the government led by B.S. Yeddyurappa.”

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NDA to meet Manmohan over Karnataka crisis

Taking on Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj for recommending President’s Rule in the State, the National Democratic Alliance on Monday decided to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demand his dismissal and asked Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to parade all MLAs supporting him in front of the President.

“The NDA strongly condemns the action of Governor of Karnataka in sending a report to the Central government. The Governor’s conduct is partisan. It defies all Constitutional norms and principles. There is absolutely no doubt that the Yeddyurappa government enjoys an overwhelming majority in the Assembly,” senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley told reporters.

He maintained that as a result of the Supreme Court judgement, the 11 suspended MLAs have been held to be members of the BJP and were bound by its whip.

The NDA decided to meet the Prime Minister to raise this issue and demand recall of Mr. Bhardwaj.

“We intend to raise two specific issues with the Prime Minister. Firstly, this report is unconstitutional and obviously must be rejected by the Central government. And secondly, the governor of Karnataka repeatedly is indulging in unconstitutionality. And so, for defying the Constitution he should be recalled as Governor,” Mr. Jaitley said.

The NDA leadership has also asked Mr. Yeddyurappa to bring MLAs backing him to the capital and parade them in front of President Pratibha Patil to prove that he has the numbers.

“We shall take all the MLAs supporting the government to the President and demonstrate our strength in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan since a floor test is no longer required,” Mr. Jaitley said.

The “urgent meeting” of the NDA leaders was held at the residence of their working president L.K. Advani to discuss the issue arising out of Mr. Bhardwaj’s report which is said to have recommended President’s Rule in Karnataka.

Mr. Jaitley maintained that these 11 suspended MLAs have taken back the letter they wrote on October 6, 2010 withdrawing support to the Yeddyurappa government.

“The MLAs have themselves said they support the government,” he added.

The NDA maintained that 121 MLAs support Yeddyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka while the opposition has only 97 in the 225-member Assembly.

The BJP is also miffed at Mr. Bhardwaj for not heeding to the Chief Minister’s advice to call a special session of the Assembly on Monday.

“The logical course would have been to have a floor test. As long as a government is in majority the Governor is bound by the Constitution to act as per its advice. Bhardawj has acted unconstitutionally in not going by the advice of the council of ministers,” Mr. Jaitley said.

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Badrinath Audio Launch / Badrinath Audio Songs Release

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Nagachaitanya in Tv9 studio PART- II

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Nagachaitanya in Tv9 studio PART- I

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Indian Businessman owns the 'First Flying Car'

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'Blaster' Sehwag out of IPL

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tv 9 special

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News X - UK bookie calls Indian model to fix up meeting with Bhajji

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Banks wait to react to Sony fraud

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Banks are seeking to reassure their customers after it emerged this week that 3m Sony customers in the UK may have fallen victim to a huge data breach.
Hackers are believed to have stolen personal information from customers of Sony’s PlayStation Network, Sony Online Entertainment and Qriocity film, which are used by customers to purchase films and play online games. More than 100m people worldwide could be affected.
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Credit card details, along with names, addresses, e-mails, dates of birth and phone numbers may have been exposed.
Sony, which revealed the full extent of the attack this week, said there was no evidence so far that the information had been used illegally.
However, there has been confusion over what action customers should take, with one customer claiming his bank had told him to cancel his credit card. Lloyds, the bank in question, said this was not the advice it should have given and it did not plan to cancel cards until it had been provided with more information from Sony.
Sandra Quinn at the UK Payments Administration said that UK bank customers who have an account with Sony did not need to do anything at present.
“Once Sony has worked out what is lost, it will advise us and we will advise the banks. The banks can then decide whether to reissue cards or flag accounts in potential danger,” she said.
Banks said they were waiting for more information from Sony before deciding how to react.
Barclays said it was not proactively replacing customers’ cards nor advising customers to cancel their cards. If customers were concerned, it said it would check their accounts for unusual activity and flag accounts at risk.
The cost of fraud to the UK is more than £38bn each year. Customers who spot unusual activity on their credit or debit card should contact their providers immediately. But banks say that the strength of their fraud detection software means they often spot irregularities before the customer does.
HSBC said customers should be reassured that unless they were contacted regarding suspicious transactions, there was no need to worry.
Victims of fraud should take immediate action by changing online passwords, particularly if they use a simple password or the same one for different accounts. Consecutive numbers, and the word “password” are among the most commonly used security codes and are easily guessed by hackers.
All UK banking customers are protected by the Payments Services Regulations and there is no cap on the compensation that can be paid out in the case of fraud.
The National Fraud Authority says that a leading potential source of fraud is identity theft, whereby thieves use personal information to set up lines of credit in a victim’s name. This can ruin the victim’s credit score and prevent them from taking out mortgages or credit cards in the future.
The National Fraud Authority recommends that all consumers carry out a credit check each year with one of the three UK agencies: Experian, Equifax and Call Credit. There are also subscription services that monitor accounts and alert the holder of any suspicious activities.
It you are a victim of fraud you can also report the details to Action Fraud, which will add the incident to its crime database, which is used to track activity.
Sony has apologised to its customers and has offered to pay for identity theft protection.

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Japan's innovative kissing machine

It's sort of gross, but hey. Whatever makes you happy.
Tokyo's Kajimoto Laboratory is working on a "kiss transmission device" that, when you hook it up to the internet, facilitates a lip-locking experience with someone remotely.
How?
 
Well. It involves a device that looks a bit like a breathalyzer — a plastic box with a movable straw attached.
By twirling the plastic straw around with your tongue, you move another plastic straw, which is connected to another little plastic box with a straw that is ideally in someone else's mouth. Hopefully someone you like.
The device is still under development, but ideally the computer would be able to read and store your "kissing information," then play it back on any given long and lonely night.
It's being billed as a device to lessen the "love miles" between long distance lovers, but Nobuhiro Takahashi, a graduate student and researcher at the University of Electro-Communications, dangles another titillating possibility.
"If you have a popular entertainer use this device and record it, that could be hugely popular if you offer it to fans," Takahashi says.
In this video, Takahashi gives the device a trial run.

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Obama pushes Pakistan on bin Laden

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Antibiotics May Help in Controlling Spread of HIV

Researchers from the University of Melbourne have come up with the notion that HIV virus can be weakened by the use of antibiotics like ADCC. Study co-author, Stephen Kent said that the use of good quality of ADCC at an early stage can help in stopping the virus from taking hold on one's body.
For the research, a team of researchers led by Ivan Stratov and Professor Kent employed a brilliant technology in their lab to find out how ADCC attacks the virus and stops it from spreading. Doctor Stratov has told that after finding subsequent evidence of ADCC potential of hampering the HIV virus, his team will now work on designing HIV vaccines which will provoke ADCC and will make it impossible for the virus to escape from its grips.
Australian suffering from HIV is treated with drugs that restore the immunity system. This method of treatment doesn't help patients to survive longer. It is believed that the successful invention of HIV antibiotic will help patients to survive.
Kent and his team have been working on the experiment for more than 10 years. Their 10 years of effort has finally begun to show results. It has been told that the researchers were themselves aghast when they witnessed the control of antibiotic over the virus. And now they are hoping that HIV virus through the use of antibiotics could be eliminated at a tender stage.

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Syrian authorities detain hundreds in fresh raids

BEIRUT: A rights activist says Syrian security forces are conducting house-to-house raids across the country, detaining hundreds of people as part of a widening crackdown on anti-government protests.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says the arrests are zeroing in on the demonstrations’ organizers and participants.

Abdul-Rahman says Monday’s raids are focused in the central city of Homs, the coastal city of Banias, some suburbs of the capital Damascus and villages around the southern flashpoint city of Daraa.

The continued crackdown suggests that Assad’s regime is determined to crush the uprising by force and intimidation, despite rapidly escalating international outrage and a death toll that has topped 630 civilians since the unrest began in mid-March, according to rights groups.

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Mallika Advices Kangana On How To Enter Hollywood

Mallika Sherawat has been offering Kangana Ranaut advice on how to enter Hollywood. The sex siren treats Kangana like a younger sister.

A source close to Mallika said, "Kangana is curious about Hollywood and keeps asking Mallika about her experiences. She has even promised to help Kangana with her Hollywood contacts. Mallika feels Kangana can try her luck, too, and is giving her advice." .

Both the actresses feature together in Double Dhamaal. As reported in September last year Mallika had avoided co-star Kangana's overtures during the first schedule of Double Dhamaal making their co-stars Sanjay Dutt, Ritiesh Deshmukh and Arshad Warsi uncomfortable. But this catfight ended soon. .

The source added, "Initially, Kangana thought Mallika behaved like a diva, while Mallika couldn't understand why Kangana was so friendly with the guys. But Kangana has always been friendly with all her co-stars from Emraan Hashmi to Hrithik Roshan, Arshad, Ritiesh and Sanju whereas Mallika prefers to keep to herself while shooting." .

"It was during the second schedule that the two became good friends with Mallika even posting pictures of Kangana and her to disprove the theory that she and Kangana didn't get along. One of Kangana's first invites for her birthday party went to Mallika," added the source.

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Battle for YSR's legacy

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India's Supreme Court court suspends Ayodhya ruling

India's Supreme Court has suspended a ruling over the fate of the Ayodhya holy site, where Hindu zealots destroyed a mosque in 1992.

Last December the Allahabad High Court said the land should be divided and that the razed 16th Century Babri Masjid should not be rebuilt.
Hindu and Muslim groups appealed against that verdict, which the court on Monday described as "strange".
This case was launched well before 1992 and centres around who owns the land.
But the destruction of the mosque sparked off some of the worst communal violence in recent Indian history - nearly 2,000 people died in subsequent religious riots across the country.
In December's ruling the Allahabad court said that the site should be split, with the Muslim community getting control of a third, Hindus gaining control of another third and the remainder going to a minority Hindu sect, Nirmohi Akhara, which was one of the early groups to pursue a share of the land in the case.
On Monday, the Supreme Court put the judgement on hold, saying it was "strange". It also said that the division of the disputed land has "opened a litany of litigation".
Hindus claim the site of the Babri Masjid is the birthplace of their deity, Ram, and want to build a temple there.
Muslim groups have argued that the Allahabad court's ruling appeared to be based not on evidence but on the professed beliefs of Hindus.

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Osama bin Laden dead: protests in Pakistan

Pre-dominantly Muslim Pakistan has yet to see any major backlash after US special forces killed bin Laden early on Monday, not far from the capital Islamabad.But his death has angered Islamists, with one major hardline political party calling on Pakistan's government to end its support for the US war on militancy.

"Jihad (holy war) against America will not stop with the death of Osama," said Fazal Mohammad Baraich, a cleric.

Protesters shouted "Down with America" at a demonstration near the city of Quetta, capital of Baluchistan province in the southwest.

"Osama bin Laden is a shaheed (martyr). The blood of Osama will give birth to thousands of other Osamas."

Others burned American flags.

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