September 21st, 2009
Sep.21 (ANI): With the security situation improving and insurgency showing signs of abating, the Tripura Government has scrapped the convoy escort system along the 70 kilometre stretch of the Assam-Agartala National Highway 44.
Since 1993, vehicles have not been allowed to ply without security escorts through the Assam-Agartala national highway 44 due to militant activities.
The highway lies between Chakmaghat in West Tripura District and Manu in Dhalai District.
“It was in practice for the last 16-years almost. And the reasons for withdrawing the convoy is that now we have gained confidence, the problem of extremism is in control and the moral of the extremist groups is very low, lots of surrenders have taken place and they are a daily phenomenon,” said A. Chaturbedi, Inspector General of Police of Tripura
During the past year, around 200 militants of All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), including some ultras carrying rewards of Rs.250, 000 each and Interpol arrest warrants for them, fled their camps in Bangladesh and surrendered to authorities in Tripura.
Tripura shares an 856-km international border with Bangladesh on all its three sides, and the NH 44 is the only highway that connects the state with the rest of the country through Assam.
The restricted and slow movement of vehicles along National Highway has hampered the economy to a great extent. It is expected that the removal of the escort system will boost business activities in the state.
People from all walks of life have welcomed the decision to withdraw of highway security escorts.
“Since the escorting of vehicles has been withdrawn now we will be able to move from here to other parts of India faster. The necessary items of daily requirement shall now reach in the state in less time and the prices will also come down. Students like me can now move to and fro between their house and college even if the distance is a long one,” said Barist Reang, a student in Tripura
“This is a big help for us as we shall now be able to move faster on this road and save time and make profit. We welcome this move,” said Amar Singh, a lorry driver.
Meanwhile, to avoid any untoward incidents, patrolling by paramilitary troopers along the National Highway and static deployment at certain strategic locations have been intensified. (ANI)
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tripura cheers Somdev’s Davis Cup victory
September 21st, 2009
Agartala, Sep 21 (IANS) Crackers were burst, people danced on the streets and boxes of sweets were passed around - it was celebration time in Agartala Monday as residents cheered tennis sensation and local boy Somdev Devvarman’s victory in South Africa that took India to Davis Cup world group for the first time in 11 years.
Sports lovers, cutting across age, rejoiced at Somdev’s sensational win over South African Rik De Voest in the reverse singles play-off in Johannesburg Sunday.
Somdev’s father Pravanjan Devvarman, a retired income tax commissioner, said: “We are very proud of him. He put up a very good show against Rik De Voest.
“Somdev gave his career’s finest presentation in the contest and we really expect that he would play some good tennis in the future,” Pravanjan told IANS in Agartala just after wishing his son by phone.
Somdev’s relatives termed his victory as “historic” for Indian tennis.
“We are proud of him and we are certain he will do better in the coming days,” said Dayamay Debbarman, Somdev’s uncle.
Somdev visited his home in Agartala two months back and was given a reception by the Tripura Tennis Association.
“Somdev’s success proves beyond doubt that there is no dearth of talent in the northeast and that all these bright youngsters need a platform or an opening to prove their capability and ability,” Tripura Sports Council secretary Kamal Saha told IANS.
“With Somdev’s performance, now the world would know better about the northeast, where despite no scope for developing tennis, there are capable players in the region,” he added
Somdev belongs to Tripura’s royal family. He is the grandson of Tripura’s late royal scion Bikramendra Kishore Debbarman, popularly known as Bidurkarta.
Tripura Tennis Association secretary Sujit Roy said: “Somdev’s father Pravanjan excelled in table tennis and cricket during his student life.
“We are really thrilled by Somdev’s performance and energy. This boy, who descended from Tripura’s tribal nobility, will earn much credit for India in future in the field of sports,” Roy said.
“After Somdev came second at the Chennai Open in January this year, the Tennis Federation of India (TFI) decided to develop a tennis court in Agartala for him at a cost of Rs.200,000.”
Tripura Tennis Association has requested the Tripura government to provide land for the proposed tennis court.
Agartala, Sep 21 (IANS) Crackers were burst, people danced on the streets and boxes of sweets were passed around - it was celebration time in Agartala Monday as residents cheered tennis sensation and local boy Somdev Devvarman’s victory in South Africa that took India to Davis Cup world group for the first time in 11 years.
Sports lovers, cutting across age, rejoiced at Somdev’s sensational win over South African Rik De Voest in the reverse singles play-off in Johannesburg Sunday.
Somdev’s father Pravanjan Devvarman, a retired income tax commissioner, said: “We are very proud of him. He put up a very good show against Rik De Voest.
“Somdev gave his career’s finest presentation in the contest and we really expect that he would play some good tennis in the future,” Pravanjan told IANS in Agartala just after wishing his son by phone.
Somdev’s relatives termed his victory as “historic” for Indian tennis.
“We are proud of him and we are certain he will do better in the coming days,” said Dayamay Debbarman, Somdev’s uncle.
Somdev visited his home in Agartala two months back and was given a reception by the Tripura Tennis Association.
“Somdev’s success proves beyond doubt that there is no dearth of talent in the northeast and that all these bright youngsters need a platform or an opening to prove their capability and ability,” Tripura Sports Council secretary Kamal Saha told IANS.
“With Somdev’s performance, now the world would know better about the northeast, where despite no scope for developing tennis, there are capable players in the region,” he added
Somdev belongs to Tripura’s royal family. He is the grandson of Tripura’s late royal scion Bikramendra Kishore Debbarman, popularly known as Bidurkarta.
Tripura Tennis Association secretary Sujit Roy said: “Somdev’s father Pravanjan excelled in table tennis and cricket during his student life.
“We are really thrilled by Somdev’s performance and energy. This boy, who descended from Tripura’s tribal nobility, will earn much credit for India in future in the field of sports,” Roy said.
“After Somdev came second at the Chennai Open in January this year, the Tennis Federation of India (TFI) decided to develop a tennis court in Agartala for him at a cost of Rs.200,000.”
Tripura Tennis Association has requested the Tripura government to provide land for the proposed tennis court.
Three arrested with fake currency in Himachal
September 25th, 2009
SHIMLA - Three people were arrested in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district with fake currency amounting to Rs.36,000, police said Friday.
“Three people were arrested Friday from Bijora for possessing fake currency worth Rs.36,000,” Additional Director General of Police I.D. Bhandari told IANS.
He said the arrested men belonged to Amritsar in Punjab. He refused to reveal their identity as the matter is under investigation.
“The currency notes were of Rs.500 denomination. Initial investigations reveal they were here to exchange the fake notes,” he said. Kullu is a district headquarter town, some 250 km from here.
The Kullu district has long been notorious for cultivation of high-quality cannabis, which attract a large number of smugglers.
SHIMLA - Three people were arrested in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district with fake currency amounting to Rs.36,000, police said Friday.
“Three people were arrested Friday from Bijora for possessing fake currency worth Rs.36,000,” Additional Director General of Police I.D. Bhandari told IANS.
He said the arrested men belonged to Amritsar in Punjab. He refused to reveal their identity as the matter is under investigation.
“The currency notes were of Rs.500 denomination. Initial investigations reveal they were here to exchange the fake notes,” he said. Kullu is a district headquarter town, some 250 km from here.
The Kullu district has long been notorious for cultivation of high-quality cannabis, which attract a large number of smugglers.
Indian tennis' youth brigade ready for the challenge
25th of Sept 09
New Delhi: Good times are rolling again for Indian tennis as a new generation has stepped forward and staked claim to carrying on the country's rich tennis legacy. It's no longer just Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi; young guns like Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri are also ready to take on the world.
Somdev is not only a good guitarist but also a very promising tennis player with a never say die attitude, a willingness to learn and most importantly respect for his peers.
The young man from Tripura is ready to rock and roll.
"I have been playing really well. i have had some good results of late and hopefully I will be able to use that momentum and do well in the next few months. The goal is to try and break into the top 100 sooner rather than later," Somdev says.
Within a year Somdev has cemented his place as India's top singles player. No one can forget the way he dominated former world No.1 Carlos Moya at the Chennai Open in January. Now his Davis Cup heroics against South Africa have made him a household name.
"He has been a rock for the team in the last few ties and we expect him to win every time he plays for us," says Bhupathi.
Indian tennis has been searching for successors to the Paes and Bhupathi legacy for quite some time now and that search might be over.
It's not just Somdev but also Bhambri who has been making waves in the junior circuit. He has now started to make the transition to the top flight.
"To come out winning and to play one of their two singles player on the last day and to play away from home.. I think it definitely is a good achievement," says former tennis great Ramesh Krishnan.
With Rohan Bopanna also finding his feet after his injury layoff it won't be easy selecting the next Davis Cup team.
But these young men need to go much beyond Davis Cup. They need to blaze a new trail on the singles circuit.
New Delhi: Good times are rolling again for Indian tennis as a new generation has stepped forward and staked claim to carrying on the country's rich tennis legacy. It's no longer just Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi; young guns like Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri are also ready to take on the world.
Somdev is not only a good guitarist but also a very promising tennis player with a never say die attitude, a willingness to learn and most importantly respect for his peers.
The young man from Tripura is ready to rock and roll.
"I have been playing really well. i have had some good results of late and hopefully I will be able to use that momentum and do well in the next few months. The goal is to try and break into the top 100 sooner rather than later," Somdev says.
Within a year Somdev has cemented his place as India's top singles player. No one can forget the way he dominated former world No.1 Carlos Moya at the Chennai Open in January. Now his Davis Cup heroics against South Africa have made him a household name.
"He has been a rock for the team in the last few ties and we expect him to win every time he plays for us," says Bhupathi.
Indian tennis has been searching for successors to the Paes and Bhupathi legacy for quite some time now and that search might be over.
It's not just Somdev but also Bhambri who has been making waves in the junior circuit. He has now started to make the transition to the top flight.
"To come out winning and to play one of their two singles player on the last day and to play away from home.. I think it definitely is a good achievement," says former tennis great Ramesh Krishnan.
With Rohan Bopanna also finding his feet after his injury layoff it won't be easy selecting the next Davis Cup team.
But these young men need to go much beyond Davis Cup. They need to blaze a new trail on the singles circuit.
India over the moon with water discovery
25th of Sept 09
NEW DELHI: John Brumby, the premier of Australian state of Victoria, Friday proposed to give separate transportation and safe housing for Indian
students studying in Australia. Union Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, after a meeting with a nine-member delegation led by Brumby, said: "It is a proposal by the Australian government. It will be examined by the India-Australia joint working group." Asked whether separate housing would create a "ghetto feeling" among the Indian students, Ravi said the proposal is not meant just for Indian students. "It is meant for all international students studying in Australia," Ravi said. Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, both Ravi and Brumby said they had "useful and productive" discussions concerns of the Indian student community in Victoria. They have been a string of attacks on Indian students in Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney, causing a furore in India. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria. Brumby admitted that some of the attacks had racial elements. Reiterating that Victoria is a safe place for Indians to live and study in, Brumby said: "Steps would be taken to ensure the safety of the students. We have toughened our laws related to the racial crimes. We will inform the Indian government on the follow-up of the crime investigations by Australian police." "The government of Victoria will not tolerate any crimes against Indian students," Brumby said. Ravi said the recent attacks on Indian students would not prevent Indians from investing in Australia. "The people of India consider Australia as a friendly nation," Ravi said.
NEW DELHI: John Brumby, the premier of Australian state of Victoria, Friday proposed to give separate transportation and safe housing for Indian
students studying in Australia. Union Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, after a meeting with a nine-member delegation led by Brumby, said: "It is a proposal by the Australian government. It will be examined by the India-Australia joint working group." Asked whether separate housing would create a "ghetto feeling" among the Indian students, Ravi said the proposal is not meant just for Indian students. "It is meant for all international students studying in Australia," Ravi said. Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, both Ravi and Brumby said they had "useful and productive" discussions concerns of the Indian student community in Victoria. They have been a string of attacks on Indian students in Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney, causing a furore in India. Melbourne is the capital of Victoria. Brumby admitted that some of the attacks had racial elements. Reiterating that Victoria is a safe place for Indians to live and study in, Brumby said: "Steps would be taken to ensure the safety of the students. We have toughened our laws related to the racial crimes. We will inform the Indian government on the follow-up of the crime investigations by Australian police." "The government of Victoria will not tolerate any crimes against Indian students," Brumby said. Ravi said the recent attacks on Indian students would not prevent Indians from investing in Australia. "The people of India consider Australia as a friendly nation," Ravi said.
India over the moon with water discovery
25th of Sept 0
India over the moon with water discovery
By Naseeb Chand (AFP) – 5 hours ago
BANGALORE, India — India on Friday hailed the discovery of water on the moon as a triumph for its lunar programme as the country aims to cement its reputation as a serious player in the space industry.
The mood among India's space scientists has gone from disappointment last month when its Chandrayaan-1 satellite mission was prematurely aborted to jubilation with news of a major discovery made in partnership with NASA.
"India should be proud that Chandrayaan discovered water on the moon," said a smiling G. Madhavan Nair, chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), at a press conference to discuss the findings.
"For the first time in the history of space research, water is confirmed on the moon. It is acknowledged the world over that this is a real discovery and a path-breaking event for the Indian space agency," he added.
In one of the three papers published in the latest edition of the journal Science on Thursday, researchers said they had analysed light waves detected by NASA-made instruments on board the Indian satellite and two other US probes.
The reflected light waves showed a chemical bond between oxygen and hydrogen -- proof, the researchers said, of the existence of water on the moon's surface.
Until now, scientists had advanced the theory that, except for the possibility of ice at the bottom of craters, the moon was totally dry.
There could also be more to come from India's space agency once massive amounts of data beamed back to the national space centre in Bangalore are analysed, Nair added.
"There could be much more interesting facts. We will talk about all of it once we have concrete data analysis report," he said of the data which "has filled the computers in ISRO as well in NASA".
India launched Chandrayaan and fired a probe onto the moon's surface late last year in an event that the national space agency hoped would bring it international recognition.
The probe's landing vaulted India into the league of space-faring nations led by the United States and regional neighbours Russia, China and Japan, and was seen as a symbolic and proud moment in the country's development.
But there was disappointment last month when Chandrayaan lost contact with its controllers and the mission was aborted only 10 months into a planned two years.
Nair said India's Moon Impact Probe "had picked up strong signals of water particles" which were corroborated by data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scanners.
Indian newspapers headlined their front pages with news of the discovery on Friday and cable television included discussions of the event marked by thinly disguised patriotic fervour.
"One Big Step For India, A Giant Leap for Mankind," said The Times of India. "Water on moon: Chandrayaan's stunning find," headlined the Hindustan Times.
The mission cost 80 million dollars, less than half the amount spent on similar expeditions by other countries, and India is keen to use its cost advantage to capture a large slice of the satellite business.
The euphoria over Chandrayaan came on top of celebrations over India's successful launch Wednesday of seven satellites -- six of them foreign -- in a single mission.
India began its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to cut dependence on overseas agencies.
The latest discovery was made possible by US-made technology, however.
The NASA-developed "Moon Mineralogy Mapper", or M3, is a high-tech scanner that tracks the reflection of sunlight off the moon's surface to determine soil composition.
The new research used input from two other probes equipped with M3-type instruments, which also detected the chemical signature for the presence of water.
The American spacecraft Cassini passed near the moon a decade ago on its way to Saturn, while a third probe, also American, called Deep Impact, passed near the moon in 2005 to gather data with an instrument similar to M3.
The new data came just two weeks before a NASA probe is to crash into the surface near the moon's southern pole to see if water can be detected in the dust and debris released by the impact.9
India over the moon with water discovery
By Naseeb Chand (AFP) – 5 hours ago
BANGALORE, India — India on Friday hailed the discovery of water on the moon as a triumph for its lunar programme as the country aims to cement its reputation as a serious player in the space industry.
The mood among India's space scientists has gone from disappointment last month when its Chandrayaan-1 satellite mission was prematurely aborted to jubilation with news of a major discovery made in partnership with NASA.
"India should be proud that Chandrayaan discovered water on the moon," said a smiling G. Madhavan Nair, chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), at a press conference to discuss the findings.
"For the first time in the history of space research, water is confirmed on the moon. It is acknowledged the world over that this is a real discovery and a path-breaking event for the Indian space agency," he added.
In one of the three papers published in the latest edition of the journal Science on Thursday, researchers said they had analysed light waves detected by NASA-made instruments on board the Indian satellite and two other US probes.
The reflected light waves showed a chemical bond between oxygen and hydrogen -- proof, the researchers said, of the existence of water on the moon's surface.
Until now, scientists had advanced the theory that, except for the possibility of ice at the bottom of craters, the moon was totally dry.
There could also be more to come from India's space agency once massive amounts of data beamed back to the national space centre in Bangalore are analysed, Nair added.
"There could be much more interesting facts. We will talk about all of it once we have concrete data analysis report," he said of the data which "has filled the computers in ISRO as well in NASA".
India launched Chandrayaan and fired a probe onto the moon's surface late last year in an event that the national space agency hoped would bring it international recognition.
The probe's landing vaulted India into the league of space-faring nations led by the United States and regional neighbours Russia, China and Japan, and was seen as a symbolic and proud moment in the country's development.
But there was disappointment last month when Chandrayaan lost contact with its controllers and the mission was aborted only 10 months into a planned two years.
Nair said India's Moon Impact Probe "had picked up strong signals of water particles" which were corroborated by data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scanners.
Indian newspapers headlined their front pages with news of the discovery on Friday and cable television included discussions of the event marked by thinly disguised patriotic fervour.
"One Big Step For India, A Giant Leap for Mankind," said The Times of India. "Water on moon: Chandrayaan's stunning find," headlined the Hindustan Times.
The mission cost 80 million dollars, less than half the amount spent on similar expeditions by other countries, and India is keen to use its cost advantage to capture a large slice of the satellite business.
The euphoria over Chandrayaan came on top of celebrations over India's successful launch Wednesday of seven satellites -- six of them foreign -- in a single mission.
India began its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to cut dependence on overseas agencies.
The latest discovery was made possible by US-made technology, however.
The NASA-developed "Moon Mineralogy Mapper", or M3, is a high-tech scanner that tracks the reflection of sunlight off the moon's surface to determine soil composition.
The new research used input from two other probes equipped with M3-type instruments, which also detected the chemical signature for the presence of water.
The American spacecraft Cassini passed near the moon a decade ago on its way to Saturn, while a third probe, also American, called Deep Impact, passed near the moon in 2005 to gather data with an instrument similar to M3.
The new data came just two weeks before a NASA probe is to crash into the surface near the moon's southern pole to see if water can be detected in the dust and debris released by the impact.9
Friday, September 11, 2009
Dems answer Obama's call for action on health care
11th of Sept 09
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders wrestling with health care legislation are confronting a host of knotty issues such as medical malpractice, abortion, illegal immigrants and Medicaid, all the while predicting passage of sweeping health care legislation within a few months.
"That's the legislative process," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said as she and other Democrats shifted from praising President Barack Obama's health care speech this week to the less glamorous task of trying to negotiate a bill that will pass muster with a host of opposing factions.
"As issues emerge, let's drill down on the public option, let's drill down on what this means to small business, let's drill down on what this means to seniors," Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday.
Increasingly, events in the Senate Finance Committee appeared pivotal, precursor to likely votes in both the House and the Senate by early October.
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., has said he will convene the committee the week after next to vote on legislation that would meet Obama's goal of expanding access to health care, providing consumer protection to those with coverage and slowing the growth of medical spending overall.
Still unclear was whether Baucus would get a bipartisan deal after months of negotiating with two other Democrats and three Republicans on his committee — the so-called Gang of Six. If he doesn't, Baucus has said he'll go it alone, but a bipartisan compromise is still in play, with another meeting set for Friday.
Aides were reviewing lists of proposed changes from members of the group — primarily the Republicans — touching on issues that included how much states must pay for a proposed expansion of Medicaid, prohibiting federal funding of abortion, reducing medical malpractice costs, ensuring illegal immigrants don't get insurance and a possible phase-in of coverage for legal immigrants.
Support from two of the Republicans — Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Mike Enzi of Wyoming — looked uncertain. The third, Olympia Snowe of Maine, was a surer bet for Baucus.
Baucus said Obama's speech to Congress and the nation on Wednesday helped create momentum for his group "and also the recognition that changing the system is an inevitability."
With that comes the desire to "work a little harder to see if we can figure out a way," Baucus said.
Whatever bill the Finance Committee approves must be blended with legislation approved earlier in another panel, and is expected to reach the Senate floor by early October. In the House, the three committees with jurisdiction have already passed bills and Democratic leaders were working to combine them before bringing a package to the floor.
Presuming both chambers pass legislation, then would come the daunting task of melding the two bills and bringing the finished product back for final votes in both chambers.
The initial House bill is likely to include a new government-run insurance plan to compete with the private market, but Baucus long ago embraced establishing nonprofit cooperatives instead, and it appears unlikely liberals have the votes in his committee to overrule him.
Baucus and many other senators believe a so-called public plan would be unlikely to get the 60 votes needed to advance in the 100-member Senate. Obama has spoken repeatedly in support of a public plan and did so again in his speech, but he also left room for alternatives like the co-op or a fallback option that would trigger the public plan only if private companies weren't offering enough choices.
The trigger alternative was getting attention from a number of moderate Senate Democrats who met with Obama at the White House on Thursday, according to several who attended. Some moderates oppose a straight-up public plan.
"His willingness to be flexible on that reassured members of our group," said Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. "His willingness to say what matters here is the ends, we shouldn't obsess about the means."
The moderates also responded to Obama's commitment in his speech to holding down costs.
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders wrestling with health care legislation are confronting a host of knotty issues such as medical malpractice, abortion, illegal immigrants and Medicaid, all the while predicting passage of sweeping health care legislation within a few months.
"That's the legislative process," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said as she and other Democrats shifted from praising President Barack Obama's health care speech this week to the less glamorous task of trying to negotiate a bill that will pass muster with a host of opposing factions.
"As issues emerge, let's drill down on the public option, let's drill down on what this means to small business, let's drill down on what this means to seniors," Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday.
Increasingly, events in the Senate Finance Committee appeared pivotal, precursor to likely votes in both the House and the Senate by early October.
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., has said he will convene the committee the week after next to vote on legislation that would meet Obama's goal of expanding access to health care, providing consumer protection to those with coverage and slowing the growth of medical spending overall.
Still unclear was whether Baucus would get a bipartisan deal after months of negotiating with two other Democrats and three Republicans on his committee — the so-called Gang of Six. If he doesn't, Baucus has said he'll go it alone, but a bipartisan compromise is still in play, with another meeting set for Friday.
Aides were reviewing lists of proposed changes from members of the group — primarily the Republicans — touching on issues that included how much states must pay for a proposed expansion of Medicaid, prohibiting federal funding of abortion, reducing medical malpractice costs, ensuring illegal immigrants don't get insurance and a possible phase-in of coverage for legal immigrants.
Support from two of the Republicans — Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Mike Enzi of Wyoming — looked uncertain. The third, Olympia Snowe of Maine, was a surer bet for Baucus.
Baucus said Obama's speech to Congress and the nation on Wednesday helped create momentum for his group "and also the recognition that changing the system is an inevitability."
With that comes the desire to "work a little harder to see if we can figure out a way," Baucus said.
Whatever bill the Finance Committee approves must be blended with legislation approved earlier in another panel, and is expected to reach the Senate floor by early October. In the House, the three committees with jurisdiction have already passed bills and Democratic leaders were working to combine them before bringing a package to the floor.
Presuming both chambers pass legislation, then would come the daunting task of melding the two bills and bringing the finished product back for final votes in both chambers.
The initial House bill is likely to include a new government-run insurance plan to compete with the private market, but Baucus long ago embraced establishing nonprofit cooperatives instead, and it appears unlikely liberals have the votes in his committee to overrule him.
Baucus and many other senators believe a so-called public plan would be unlikely to get the 60 votes needed to advance in the 100-member Senate. Obama has spoken repeatedly in support of a public plan and did so again in his speech, but he also left room for alternatives like the co-op or a fallback option that would trigger the public plan only if private companies weren't offering enough choices.
The trigger alternative was getting attention from a number of moderate Senate Democrats who met with Obama at the White House on Thursday, according to several who attended. Some moderates oppose a straight-up public plan.
"His willingness to be flexible on that reassured members of our group," said Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind. "His willingness to say what matters here is the ends, we shouldn't obsess about the means."
The moderates also responded to Obama's commitment in his speech to holding down costs.
Facebook is now Lite
ll ya'll frustrated with the superfluous apps updates, or the loading time on your Facebook homepage, can heave a sigh of relief. The 'Lite' version of the social networking site has finally arrived. Facebook had introduced Facebook Lite a couple of weeks ago for and had enabled it for a select few to try out. Reports say that this additional version is now available all across US and apparently in India as well.
As we had mentioned in our last post on this, many Facebook fans aren't lucky enough to get on with the virtual socializing 'fast enough'. Browsing through pages and pages of updates, latest pictures, links to videos, and all that, sure consumes a lot of bandwidth. This Lite-r version will work wonders for them to stay connected with this popular medium.
Here's what Facebook is saying on the matter (emailed to Techcrunch):
"We decided to roll out Facebook Lite in the U.S. to give users a simple, expedient alternative to facebook.com, and hope that it will fill this need. While the majority of our user base is outside the United States, we're always working to enhance the new user experience even in markets where facebook.com is easily accessible. We have also found that people who are new to Facebook tend to be most interested in a simpler experience, focus on establishing their network of friends and communicating with them by writing on their walls, sending messages, and looking at pictures. We have introduced the Lite site with these new users in mind."
Start experiencing the Lite-n-crispy Facebook here [http://lite.facebook.com/].
Follow Techtree on TwitterRelated LinksSecurity lapse compromises Facebook privacyNimbuzz Inks Deal With Spice MobilesNow Make Calls From Your iPod TouchTAG KEYWORDSfacebook facebook lite application faster lite
As we had mentioned in our last post on this, many Facebook fans aren't lucky enough to get on with the virtual socializing 'fast enough'. Browsing through pages and pages of updates, latest pictures, links to videos, and all that, sure consumes a lot of bandwidth. This Lite-r version will work wonders for them to stay connected with this popular medium.
Here's what Facebook is saying on the matter (emailed to Techcrunch):
"We decided to roll out Facebook Lite in the U.S. to give users a simple, expedient alternative to facebook.com, and hope that it will fill this need. While the majority of our user base is outside the United States, we're always working to enhance the new user experience even in markets where facebook.com is easily accessible. We have also found that people who are new to Facebook tend to be most interested in a simpler experience, focus on establishing their network of friends and communicating with them by writing on their walls, sending messages, and looking at pictures. We have introduced the Lite site with these new users in mind."
Start experiencing the Lite-n-crispy Facebook here [http://lite.facebook.com/].
Follow Techtree on TwitterRelated LinksSecurity lapse compromises Facebook privacyNimbuzz Inks Deal With Spice MobilesNow Make Calls From Your iPod TouchTAG KEYWORDSfacebook facebook lite application faster lite
9/11: US remembers on September 11 anniversary
11th of Sept 09
US remembers on September 11 anniversaryMemorial services are being held across the US to mark eighth anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. Published: 1:01PM BST 11 Sep 2009 Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will speak at the Pentagon to mark eighth anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks Photo: REUTERS Nearly 3,000 people died when the four planes crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. Ceremonies are to be held at these sites and all Americans have been encouraged to contribute to a national day of service. President Barack Obama and defence secretary Robert Gates will speak at the Pentagon, where 184 people died, and meet members of the victims' family and lay a wreath. Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said Mr Obama would "speak about what the day means and the sacrifices of thousands, not just at the Pentagon, but in Pennsylvania and certainly and most obviously in New York". Vice-President Joe Biden will attend a ceremony at the site of the World Trade Center towers in New York. There will be four moments of silence there - one for each of the times a plane crashed into the towers and also for the collapse of the towers. The names of more than 2,700 victims from the site will be read out by family members and volunteers who helped in the aftermath of the attacks. Ground Zero still remains a building site eight years on despite plans to build a permanent memorial, a museum and five new skyscrapers. Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State, will speak at the site of the United Airlines Flight 93 crash where the names of the 40 people on board will be read out. For the first time, the anniversary has been designated as a national day of service. Americans have been encouraged to contribute their labour and time in the memory of the victims. Conservation projects, aid packages for soldiers and other volunteer work are some of the activities members of the public are taking part in. Some have expressed concern that this may divert the focus away from the act of remembrance. Debra Burlingame, whose brother died at the Pentagon, told the Associated Press news agency, "I greatly fear at some point we'll transition to turning it into Earth Day where we go and plant trees and the remembrance part will become smaller." About 1,000 US troops in Afghanistan marked the occasion with a 9.11km (5.5 mile) run at their Bagram base in Kabul. Two other bases also took part.
US remembers on September 11 anniversaryMemorial services are being held across the US to mark eighth anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. Published: 1:01PM BST 11 Sep 2009 Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will speak at the Pentagon to mark eighth anniversary of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks Photo: REUTERS Nearly 3,000 people died when the four planes crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. Ceremonies are to be held at these sites and all Americans have been encouraged to contribute to a national day of service. President Barack Obama and defence secretary Robert Gates will speak at the Pentagon, where 184 people died, and meet members of the victims' family and lay a wreath. Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said Mr Obama would "speak about what the day means and the sacrifices of thousands, not just at the Pentagon, but in Pennsylvania and certainly and most obviously in New York". Vice-President Joe Biden will attend a ceremony at the site of the World Trade Center towers in New York. There will be four moments of silence there - one for each of the times a plane crashed into the towers and also for the collapse of the towers. The names of more than 2,700 victims from the site will be read out by family members and volunteers who helped in the aftermath of the attacks. Ground Zero still remains a building site eight years on despite plans to build a permanent memorial, a museum and five new skyscrapers. Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State, will speak at the site of the United Airlines Flight 93 crash where the names of the 40 people on board will be read out. For the first time, the anniversary has been designated as a national day of service. Americans have been encouraged to contribute their labour and time in the memory of the victims. Conservation projects, aid packages for soldiers and other volunteer work are some of the activities members of the public are taking part in. Some have expressed concern that this may divert the focus away from the act of remembrance. Debra Burlingame, whose brother died at the Pentagon, told the Associated Press news agency, "I greatly fear at some point we'll transition to turning it into Earth Day where we go and plant trees and the remembrance part will become smaller." About 1,000 US troops in Afghanistan marked the occasion with a 9.11km (5.5 mile) run at their Bagram base in Kabul. Two other bases also took part.
School ignored many warnings - Delhi - City
11th of sept 09
NEW DELHI: Just when it had seemed the story of Delhi government schools could only get rosier from here came Thursday's shocking stampede at a Khajoori Khas school that left five children dead. What added to the chagrin of victims' parents was the fact that despite several warnings from the police, the school had made no effort to rectify the structural flaws in the building or to step up security.
The school authorities were so lax that even when some 1,200 students were being shunted through a 4.5 feet wide staircase, there were no teachers to maintain order. Girls who survived the ordeal talked of being pushed and shoved by rowdy boys. Though the rains had been continuing since Wednesday night, the altered seating plan had not been decided in advance, causing the last minute melee.
Even as education department implements its ambitious Roopanatar to change the way government schools look, the building of Government Senior Secondary Boys/Girls School Khajoori Khas did not even follow the National Building Code (NBC) of India. The stampede happened in the only staircase leading to the second floor of the building. According to an expert, there should have been at least two staircases. "The staircase should have railings and not walls on either side to prevent mishaps,'' he added. This one was bounded by walls on either side making it a death trap.
According to NBC, a school should have fire safety measures like fire extinguisher, hose reel and other fire-fighting equipment in place but the school has none of these. There is just one gate which gets overcrowded in the afternoon when the girls' school gets over and the boys' school starts.
A local resident whose daughter studies in the school said: "The girls are often teased and pushed by the boys when the shift changes.''
According to a parent, Attar Singh, a resident of Khajoori Village, "There are no guards even though it is a girls' school'' something which police feel could also have helped in preventing the eight fatal accidents on the Maujpur- Khajoori Khas stretch in past one year involving students from the school.
The hutments (temporary arrangement) where the boys took their exams were in bad shape and despite repeated reminders from parents, the school authorities never got them repaired, alleged another parent. Government denials flew thick and fast. Education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, said: "All reports about the school building being in a bad state and the stairs being narrow are false. The building is in good condition and the stairs are five feet wide.''
Officials, in fact, claim that whatever lapses may have taken place, it would have been the responsibility of the school authorities. Said a senior official, "The fact that seating plans were changed at the last minute because of the rains is indicative of the irresponsible attitude of the staff. Why weren't enough teachers deployed to supervise the change of examination hall?''
Admitted director of education, Chandrabhushan Kumar, "Nothing like this has happened ever before. Walls collapsing because of heavy rains or some such incident is still understandable, but not a stampede." And while Kumar wouldn't comment on the role of staff for the incident no teachers or staff was injured at a time when government schools are breaking stereotypes, it raises many uncomfortable questions for his department.
NEW DELHI: Just when it had seemed the story of Delhi government schools could only get rosier from here came Thursday's shocking stampede at a Khajoori Khas school that left five children dead. What added to the chagrin of victims' parents was the fact that despite several warnings from the police, the school had made no effort to rectify the structural flaws in the building or to step up security.
The school authorities were so lax that even when some 1,200 students were being shunted through a 4.5 feet wide staircase, there were no teachers to maintain order. Girls who survived the ordeal talked of being pushed and shoved by rowdy boys. Though the rains had been continuing since Wednesday night, the altered seating plan had not been decided in advance, causing the last minute melee.
Even as education department implements its ambitious Roopanatar to change the way government schools look, the building of Government Senior Secondary Boys/Girls School Khajoori Khas did not even follow the National Building Code (NBC) of India. The stampede happened in the only staircase leading to the second floor of the building. According to an expert, there should have been at least two staircases. "The staircase should have railings and not walls on either side to prevent mishaps,'' he added. This one was bounded by walls on either side making it a death trap.
According to NBC, a school should have fire safety measures like fire extinguisher, hose reel and other fire-fighting equipment in place but the school has none of these. There is just one gate which gets overcrowded in the afternoon when the girls' school gets over and the boys' school starts.
A local resident whose daughter studies in the school said: "The girls are often teased and pushed by the boys when the shift changes.''
According to a parent, Attar Singh, a resident of Khajoori Village, "There are no guards even though it is a girls' school'' something which police feel could also have helped in preventing the eight fatal accidents on the Maujpur- Khajoori Khas stretch in past one year involving students from the school.
The hutments (temporary arrangement) where the boys took their exams were in bad shape and despite repeated reminders from parents, the school authorities never got them repaired, alleged another parent. Government denials flew thick and fast. Education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, said: "All reports about the school building being in a bad state and the stairs being narrow are false. The building is in good condition and the stairs are five feet wide.''
Officials, in fact, claim that whatever lapses may have taken place, it would have been the responsibility of the school authorities. Said a senior official, "The fact that seating plans were changed at the last minute because of the rains is indicative of the irresponsible attitude of the staff. Why weren't enough teachers deployed to supervise the change of examination hall?''
Admitted director of education, Chandrabhushan Kumar, "Nothing like this has happened ever before. Walls collapsing because of heavy rains or some such incident is still understandable, but not a stampede." And while Kumar wouldn't comment on the role of staff for the incident no teachers or staff was injured at a time when government schools are breaking stereotypes, it raises many uncomfortable questions for his department.
Sincere about 26/11 probe: Pakistan Foreign Office
7th of Sept 09
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Pakistan on Monday reiterated its sincerity in bringing the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice, saying India should assist in the process instead of making allegations on Islamabad's intentions.
"India should not doubt our sincerity in handling this case. Instead of levelling allegations they should provide us with concrete proof so that we could take this case forward in a meaningful way," Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit told BBC radio in an interview.
"We want to make it clear to India that this is a purely judicial matter and the governments of Pakistan and India cannot do anything about this," he added.
"Only the court can take a decision on the dossiers," he maintained, and pointed out that court proceedings had begun against five culprits involved in the Mumbai attack.
"The matter is now in the court and it is incorrect to comment on this," the spokesperson contended.
About the comments of Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Pakistan's "unwillingness" to prosecute Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, who New Delhi says is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, Basit termed this against the spirit of the Sharm-al Sheikh joint declaration between the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers.
Speaking to TV news channel NDTV in New Delhi, Chidambaram said: "(While) covering up is a very strong word, there is for some strange reason (an) unwillingness to take investigation forward (by Pakistan)."
The home minister's statement came after Pakistan rebuffed the sixth and latest dossier as being a "rehash" of earlier information on Saeed and which was deemed inadequate to start a prosecution.
Revealing details of what India had given in the dossiers, Chidambaram said: "We know when (lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir) Kasab first met Hafiz Saeed and where. We know what Hafiz Saeed told the trainees. We know at least a couple of places where the training took place and that Hafez visited those training camps."
Further, India has also said Hafiz Saeed had given the terrorists aliases as well as tested their skills.
"We know that he (Saeed) was accompanied by a person described as major general sahib. Hafiz Saeed told this person to set up 10 targets. Kasab fired at target number 4," said Chidambaram.
He added that Saeed had made the "farewell call" and also issued the "final instructions" to the 10 terrorists in the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners.
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Pakistan on Monday reiterated its sincerity in bringing the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice, saying India should assist in the process instead of making allegations on Islamabad's intentions.
"India should not doubt our sincerity in handling this case. Instead of levelling allegations they should provide us with concrete proof so that we could take this case forward in a meaningful way," Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit told BBC radio in an interview.
"We want to make it clear to India that this is a purely judicial matter and the governments of Pakistan and India cannot do anything about this," he added.
"Only the court can take a decision on the dossiers," he maintained, and pointed out that court proceedings had begun against five culprits involved in the Mumbai attack.
"The matter is now in the court and it is incorrect to comment on this," the spokesperson contended.
About the comments of Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Pakistan's "unwillingness" to prosecute Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, who New Delhi says is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, Basit termed this against the spirit of the Sharm-al Sheikh joint declaration between the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers.
Speaking to TV news channel NDTV in New Delhi, Chidambaram said: "(While) covering up is a very strong word, there is for some strange reason (an) unwillingness to take investigation forward (by Pakistan)."
The home minister's statement came after Pakistan rebuffed the sixth and latest dossier as being a "rehash" of earlier information on Saeed and which was deemed inadequate to start a prosecution.
Revealing details of what India had given in the dossiers, Chidambaram said: "We know when (lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir) Kasab first met Hafiz Saeed and where. We know what Hafiz Saeed told the trainees. We know at least a couple of places where the training took place and that Hafez visited those training camps."
Further, India has also said Hafiz Saeed had given the terrorists aliases as well as tested their skills.
"We know that he (Saeed) was accompanied by a person described as major general sahib. Hafiz Saeed told this person to set up 10 targets. Kasab fired at target number 4," said Chidambaram.
He added that Saeed had made the "farewell call" and also issued the "final instructions" to the 10 terrorists in the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners.
CBI to probe YSR helicopter crash
7th of Sept 09
HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will probe the helicopter crash that killed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and four others, as the central government accepted the state's recommendation in this regard Monday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had agreed to the state's request, state Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy told reporters.
She said the state government has sent a formal letter to the central government recommending a CBI probe.
"Chief Minister K. Rosaiah also spoke to Chidambaram over phone in this regard and the union home minister agreed to the request," she said.
The move for a CBI probe comes amid reports not ruling out sabotage and conspiracy in the helicopter crash. Questions asking if the helicopter exploded in the air are also being raised.
There are also doubts whether the helicopter had an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). There are also alleged lapses on part of state officials, technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of the chopper and the Air Traffic Control.
"There are several doubts in the minds of the eight crore people of this state about the crash. The government decided to go for a thorough inquiry and place all the facts before the people," Sabita Indra Reddy said.
The state government has also ordered a probe by a two-member expert committee comprising M.R. Reddy, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) official and expert on VIP security, and H.S. Kola, former director general, civil aviation, she said.
"The expert committee will probe the incident from all angles. It will go into the causes of the crash and also what happened after the incident."
The committee has been asked to submit a report in two days. The government will extend all possible help to the committee.
"If the committee requires officials for its job, we will provide them," the home minister said.
"The committee would cover all aspects including preceding circumstances during and after the helicopter crash," said a statement from the chief minister's office.
Rosaiah said that the government views the incident very seriously and is determined to bring out all details and facts.
The decision to recommend a CBI probe and form a two-member expert committee was taken in a meeting chaired by Rosaiah and attended by the home minister, Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy and Director General of Police S.S.P. Yadav besides other top officials.
The state government has already ordered a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state police while the central government appointed a panel of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct an inquiry.
"All these inquiries are to ensure a probe from all angles and to clear even a minor doubt. There are several doubts like he (YSR) should not have flown in bad weather, whether the helicopter had no-objection certificate and whether it was checked properly by the concerned officials," she said.
YSR, his special secretary, chief security officer and two pilots were killed Wednesday when a Bell 430 helicopter carrying them from Hyderabad to Chittoor district crashed in the dense Nallamalla forest in Kurnool district.
Their charred bodies and the chopper's wreckage were found the next day after one of the biggest search operations by the Indian Air Force.
Meanwhile, Chandrasekhara Reddy, an advocate, has filed a public interest litigation in the high court seeking a thorough probe into the crash. The petitioner said the helicopter crashed due to a bomb explosion.The move for a CBI probe comes amid reports not ruling out sabotage and conspiracy in the helicopter crash. Questions asking if the helicopter exploded in the air are also being raised.
There are also doubts whether the helicopter had an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). There are also alleged lapses on part of state officials, technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of the chopper and the Air Traffic Control.
"There are several doubts in the minds of the eight crore people of this state about the crash. The government decided to go for a thorough inquiry and place all the facts before the people," Sabita Indra Reddy said.
The state government has also ordered a probe by a two-member expert committee comprising M.R. Reddy, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) official and expert on VIP security, and H.S. Kola, former director general, civil aviation, she said.
"The expert committee will probe the incident from all angles. It will go into the causes of the crash and also what happened after the incident."
The committee has been asked to submit a report in two days. The government will extend all possible help to the committee.
"If the committee requires officials for its job, we will provide them," the home minister said.
"The committee would cover all aspects including preceding circumstances during and after the helicopter crash," said a statement from the chief minister's office.
Rosaiah said that the government views the incident very seriously and is determined to bring out all details and facts.
The decision to recommend a CBI probe and form a two-member expert committee was taken in a meeting chaired by Rosaiah and attended by the home minister, Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy and Director General of Police S.S.P. Yadav besides other top officials.
The state government has already ordered a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state police while the central government appointed a panel of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct an inquiry.
"All these inquiries are to ensure a probe from all angles and to clear even a minor doubt. There are several doubts like he (YSR) should not have flown in bad weather, whether the helicopter had no-objection certificate and whether it was checked properly by the concerned officials," she said.
YSR, his special secretary, chief security officer and two pilots were killed Wednesday when a Bell 430 helicopter carrying them from Hyderabad to Chittoor district crashed in the dense Nallamalla forest in Kurnool district.
Their charred bodies and the chopper's wreckage were found the next day after one of the biggest search operations by the Indian Air Force.
Meanwhile, Chandrasekhara Reddy, an advocate, has filed a public interest litigation in the high court seeking a thorough probe into the crash. The petitioner said the helicopter crashed due to a bomb explosion.
HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will probe the helicopter crash that killed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and four others, as the central government accepted the state's recommendation in this regard Monday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had agreed to the state's request, state Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy told reporters.
She said the state government has sent a formal letter to the central government recommending a CBI probe.
"Chief Minister K. Rosaiah also spoke to Chidambaram over phone in this regard and the union home minister agreed to the request," she said.
The move for a CBI probe comes amid reports not ruling out sabotage and conspiracy in the helicopter crash. Questions asking if the helicopter exploded in the air are also being raised.
There are also doubts whether the helicopter had an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). There are also alleged lapses on part of state officials, technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of the chopper and the Air Traffic Control.
"There are several doubts in the minds of the eight crore people of this state about the crash. The government decided to go for a thorough inquiry and place all the facts before the people," Sabita Indra Reddy said.
The state government has also ordered a probe by a two-member expert committee comprising M.R. Reddy, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) official and expert on VIP security, and H.S. Kola, former director general, civil aviation, she said.
"The expert committee will probe the incident from all angles. It will go into the causes of the crash and also what happened after the incident."
The committee has been asked to submit a report in two days. The government will extend all possible help to the committee.
"If the committee requires officials for its job, we will provide them," the home minister said.
"The committee would cover all aspects including preceding circumstances during and after the helicopter crash," said a statement from the chief minister's office.
Rosaiah said that the government views the incident very seriously and is determined to bring out all details and facts.
The decision to recommend a CBI probe and form a two-member expert committee was taken in a meeting chaired by Rosaiah and attended by the home minister, Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy and Director General of Police S.S.P. Yadav besides other top officials.
The state government has already ordered a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state police while the central government appointed a panel of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct an inquiry.
"All these inquiries are to ensure a probe from all angles and to clear even a minor doubt. There are several doubts like he (YSR) should not have flown in bad weather, whether the helicopter had no-objection certificate and whether it was checked properly by the concerned officials," she said.
YSR, his special secretary, chief security officer and two pilots were killed Wednesday when a Bell 430 helicopter carrying them from Hyderabad to Chittoor district crashed in the dense Nallamalla forest in Kurnool district.
Their charred bodies and the chopper's wreckage were found the next day after one of the biggest search operations by the Indian Air Force.
Meanwhile, Chandrasekhara Reddy, an advocate, has filed a public interest litigation in the high court seeking a thorough probe into the crash. The petitioner said the helicopter crashed due to a bomb explosion.The move for a CBI probe comes amid reports not ruling out sabotage and conspiracy in the helicopter crash. Questions asking if the helicopter exploded in the air are also being raised.
There are also doubts whether the helicopter had an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). There are also alleged lapses on part of state officials, technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of the chopper and the Air Traffic Control.
"There are several doubts in the minds of the eight crore people of this state about the crash. The government decided to go for a thorough inquiry and place all the facts before the people," Sabita Indra Reddy said.
The state government has also ordered a probe by a two-member expert committee comprising M.R. Reddy, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) official and expert on VIP security, and H.S. Kola, former director general, civil aviation, she said.
"The expert committee will probe the incident from all angles. It will go into the causes of the crash and also what happened after the incident."
The committee has been asked to submit a report in two days. The government will extend all possible help to the committee.
"If the committee requires officials for its job, we will provide them," the home minister said.
"The committee would cover all aspects including preceding circumstances during and after the helicopter crash," said a statement from the chief minister's office.
Rosaiah said that the government views the incident very seriously and is determined to bring out all details and facts.
The decision to recommend a CBI probe and form a two-member expert committee was taken in a meeting chaired by Rosaiah and attended by the home minister, Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy and Director General of Police S.S.P. Yadav besides other top officials.
The state government has already ordered a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state police while the central government appointed a panel of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct an inquiry.
"All these inquiries are to ensure a probe from all angles and to clear even a minor doubt. There are several doubts like he (YSR) should not have flown in bad weather, whether the helicopter had no-objection certificate and whether it was checked properly by the concerned officials," she said.
YSR, his special secretary, chief security officer and two pilots were killed Wednesday when a Bell 430 helicopter carrying them from Hyderabad to Chittoor district crashed in the dense Nallamalla forest in Kurnool district.
Their charred bodies and the chopper's wreckage were found the next day after one of the biggest search operations by the Indian Air Force.
Meanwhile, Chandrasekhara Reddy, an advocate, has filed a public interest litigation in the high court seeking a thorough probe into the crash. The petitioner said the helicopter crashed due to a bomb explosion.
Sincere about 26/11 probe: Pakistan Foreign Office
7th of Sept 09
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Pakistan on Monday reiterated its sincerity in bringing the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice, saying India should assist in the process instead of making allegations on Islamabad's intentions.
"India should not doubt our sincerity in handling this case. Instead of levelling allegations they should provide us with concrete proof so that we could take this case forward in a meaningful way," Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit told BBC radio in an interview.
"We want to make it clear to India that this is a purely judicial matter and the governments of Pakistan and India cannot do anything about this," he added.
"Only the court can take a decision on the dossiers," he maintained, and pointed out that court proceedings had begun against five culprits involved in the Mumbai attack.
"The matter is now in the court and it is incorrect to comment on this," the spokesperson contended.
About the comments of Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Pakistan's "unwillingness" to prosecute Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, who New Delhi says is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, Basit termed this against the spirit of the Sharm-al Sheikh joint declaration between the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers.
Speaking to TV news channel NDTV in New Delhi, Chidambaram said: "(While) covering up is a very strong word, there is for some strange reason (an) unwillingness to take investigation forward (by Pakistan)."
The home minister's statement came after Pakistan rebuffed the sixth and latest dossier as being a "rehash" of earlier information on Saeed and which was deemed inadequate to start a prosecution.
Revealing details of what India had given in the dossiers, Chidambaram said: "We know when (lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir) Kasab first met Hafiz Saeed and where. We know what Hafiz Saeed told the trainees. We know at least a couple of places where the training took place and that Hafez visited those training camps."
Further, India has also said Hafiz Saeed had given the terrorists aliases as well as tested their skills.
"We know that he (Saeed) was accompanied by a person described as major general sahib. Hafiz Saeed told this person to set up 10 targets. Kasab fired at target number 4," said Chidambaram.
He added that Saeed had made the "farewell call" and also issued the "final instructions" to the 10 terrorists in the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners.
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Pakistan on Monday reiterated its sincerity in bringing the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice, saying India should assist in the process instead of making allegations on Islamabad's intentions.
"India should not doubt our sincerity in handling this case. Instead of levelling allegations they should provide us with concrete proof so that we could take this case forward in a meaningful way," Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit told BBC radio in an interview.
"We want to make it clear to India that this is a purely judicial matter and the governments of Pakistan and India cannot do anything about this," he added.
"Only the court can take a decision on the dossiers," he maintained, and pointed out that court proceedings had begun against five culprits involved in the Mumbai attack.
"The matter is now in the court and it is incorrect to comment on this," the spokesperson contended.
About the comments of Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Pakistan's "unwillingness" to prosecute Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, who New Delhi says is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, Basit termed this against the spirit of the Sharm-al Sheikh joint declaration between the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers.
Speaking to TV news channel NDTV in New Delhi, Chidambaram said: "(While) covering up is a very strong word, there is for some strange reason (an) unwillingness to take investigation forward (by Pakistan)."
The home minister's statement came after Pakistan rebuffed the sixth and latest dossier as being a "rehash" of earlier information on Saeed and which was deemed inadequate to start a prosecution.
Revealing details of what India had given in the dossiers, Chidambaram said: "We know when (lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir) Kasab first met Hafiz Saeed and where. We know what Hafiz Saeed told the trainees. We know at least a couple of places where the training took place and that Hafez visited those training camps."
Further, India has also said Hafiz Saeed had given the terrorists aliases as well as tested their skills.
"We know that he (Saeed) was accompanied by a person described as major general sahib. Hafiz Saeed told this person to set up 10 targets. Kasab fired at target number 4," said Chidambaram.
He added that Saeed had made the "farewell call" and also issued the "final instructions" to the 10 terrorists in the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners.
Monday, September 7, 2009
my life in short..
7th of Sept 09
hush... it sucks... i mean its full of mysterious happenings and i won't be able to make it happen to the most wonderful one... everything gets messed up and i go to inferiority.. worries are extending and extend my pressure to a great extend.... feel like everything is upon me... though the exagerrations are somehow true noe... he he... doesn't mean its always like dat.... pf course i used to be the the most true one... every relations seems like fading away... don't get the exact feelings to go on with anything.... just have to go on with what is on .... precautions are ofcourse no doubt the important one.... just going on... best of luck.....
hush... it sucks... i mean its full of mysterious happenings and i won't be able to make it happen to the most wonderful one... everything gets messed up and i go to inferiority.. worries are extending and extend my pressure to a great extend.... feel like everything is upon me... though the exagerrations are somehow true noe... he he... doesn't mean its always like dat.... pf course i used to be the the most true one... every relations seems like fading away... don't get the exact feelings to go on with anything.... just have to go on with what is on .... precautions are ofcourse no doubt the important one.... just going on... best of luck.....
Sincere about 26/11 probe: Pakistan Foreign Office
7th sept 09
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Pakistan on Monday reiterated its sincerity in bringing the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice, saying India should assist in the process instead of making allegations on Islamabad's intentions.
"India should not doubt our sincerity in handling this case. Instead of levelling allegations they should provide us with concrete proof so that we could take this case forward in a meaningful way," Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit told BBC radio in an interview.
"We want to make it clear to India that this is a purely judicial matter and the governments of Pakistan and India cannot do anything about this," he added.
"Only the court can take a decision on the dossiers," he maintained, and pointed out that court proceedings had begun against five culprits involved in the Mumbai attack.
"The matter is now in the court and it is incorrect to comment on this," the spokesperson contended.
About the comments of Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Pakistan's "unwillingness" to prosecute Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, who New Delhi says is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, Basit termed this against the spirit of the Sharm-al Sheikh joint declaration between the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers.
Speaking to TV news channel NDTV in New Delhi, Chidambaram said: "(While) covering up is a very strong word, there is for some strange reason (an) unwillingness to take investigation forward (by Pakistan)."
The home minister's statement came after Pakistan rebuffed the sixth and latest dossier as being a "rehash" of earlier information on Saeed and which was deemed inadequate to start a prosecution.
Revealing details of what India had given in the dossiers, Chidambaram said: "We know when (lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir) Kasab first met Hafiz Saeed and where. We know what Hafiz Saeed told the trainees. We know at least a couple of places where the training took place and that Hafez visited those training camps."
Further, India has also said Hafiz Saeed had given the terrorists aliases as well as tested their skills.
"We know that he (Saeed) was accompanied by a person described as major general sahib. Hafiz Saeed told this person to set up 10 targets. Kasab fired at target number 4," said Chidambaram.
He added that Saeed had made the "farewell call" and also issued the "final instructions" to the 10 terrorists in the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners.
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Pakistan on Monday reiterated its sincerity in bringing the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to justice, saying India should assist in the process instead of making allegations on Islamabad's intentions.
"India should not doubt our sincerity in handling this case. Instead of levelling allegations they should provide us with concrete proof so that we could take this case forward in a meaningful way," Foreign Office spokesperson Abdul Basit told BBC radio in an interview.
"We want to make it clear to India that this is a purely judicial matter and the governments of Pakistan and India cannot do anything about this," he added.
"Only the court can take a decision on the dossiers," he maintained, and pointed out that court proceedings had begun against five culprits involved in the Mumbai attack.
"The matter is now in the court and it is incorrect to comment on this," the spokesperson contended.
About the comments of Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Pakistan's "unwillingness" to prosecute Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, who New Delhi says is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, Basit termed this against the spirit of the Sharm-al Sheikh joint declaration between the Pakistani and Indian prime ministers.
Speaking to TV news channel NDTV in New Delhi, Chidambaram said: "(While) covering up is a very strong word, there is for some strange reason (an) unwillingness to take investigation forward (by Pakistan)."
The home minister's statement came after Pakistan rebuffed the sixth and latest dossier as being a "rehash" of earlier information on Saeed and which was deemed inadequate to start a prosecution.
Revealing details of what India had given in the dossiers, Chidambaram said: "We know when (lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Amir) Kasab first met Hafiz Saeed and where. We know what Hafiz Saeed told the trainees. We know at least a couple of places where the training took place and that Hafez visited those training camps."
Further, India has also said Hafiz Saeed had given the terrorists aliases as well as tested their skills.
"We know that he (Saeed) was accompanied by a person described as major general sahib. Hafiz Saeed told this person to set up 10 targets. Kasab fired at target number 4," said Chidambaram.
He added that Saeed had made the "farewell call" and also issued the "final instructions" to the 10 terrorists in the Nov 26-29, 2008 Mumbai attacks that claimed the lives of over 170 people, including 26 foreigners.
CBI to probe YSR helicopter crash- Politics
7th sept 09
HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will probe the helicopter crash that killed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and four others, as the central government accepted the state's recommendation in this regard Monday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had agreed to the state's request, state Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy told reporters.
She said the state government has sent a formal letter to the central government recommending a CBI probe.
"Chief Minister K. Rosaiah also spoke to Chidambaram over phone in this regard and the union home minister agreed to the request," she said.
The move for a CBI probe comes amid reports not ruling out sabotage and conspiracy in the helicopter crash. Questions asking if the helicopter exploded in the air are also being raised.
There are also doubts whether the helicopter had an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). There are also alleged lapses on part of state officials, technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of the chopper and the Air Traffic Control.
"There are several doubts in the minds of the eight crore people of this state about the crash. The government decided to go for a thorough inquiry and place all the facts before the people," Sabita Indra Reddy said.
The state government has also ordered a probe by a two-member expert committee comprising M.R. Reddy, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) official and expert on VIP security, and H.S. Kola, former director general, civil aviation, she said.
"The expert committee will probe the incident from all angles. It will go into the causes of the crash and also what happened after the incident."
The committee has been asked to submit a report in two days. The government will extend all possible help to the committee.
"If the committee requires officials for its job, we will provide them," the home minister said.
"The committee would cover all aspects including preceding circumstances during and after the helicopter crash," said a statement from the chief minister's office.
Rosaiah said that the government views the incident very seriously and is determined to bring out all details and facts.
The decision to recommend a CBI probe and form a two-member expert committee was taken in a meeting chaired by Rosaiah and attended by the home minister, Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy and Director General of Police S.S.P. Yadav besides other top officials.
The state government has already ordered a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state police while the central government appointed a panel of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct an inquiry.
"All these inquiries are to ensure a probe from all angles and to clear even a minor doubt. There are several doubts like he (YSR) should not have flown in bad weather, whether the helicopter had no-objection certificate and whether it was checked properly by the concerned officials," she said.
YSR, his special secretary, chief security officer and two pilots were killed Wednesday when a Bell 430 helicopter carrying them from Hyderabad to Chittoor district crashed in the dense Nallamalla forest in Kurnool district.
Their charred bodies and the chopper's wreckage were found the next day after one of the biggest search operations by the Indian Air Force.
Meanwhile, Chandrasekhara Reddy, an advocate, has filed a public interest litigation in the high court seeking a thorough probe into the crash. The petitioner said the helicopter crashed due to a bomb explosion.The move for a CBI probe comes amid reports not ruling out sabotage and conspiracy in the helicopter crash. Questions asking if the helicopter exploded in the air are also being raised.
There are also doubts whether the helicopter had an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). There are also alleged lapses on part of state officials, technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of the chopper and the Air Traffic Control.
"There are several doubts in the minds of the eight crore people of this state about the crash. The government decided to go for a thorough inquiry and place all the facts before the people," Sabita Indra Reddy said.
HYDERABAD: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will probe the helicopter crash that killed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and four others, as the central government accepted the state's recommendation in this regard Monday.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had agreed to the state's request, state Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy told reporters.
She said the state government has sent a formal letter to the central government recommending a CBI probe.
"Chief Minister K. Rosaiah also spoke to Chidambaram over phone in this regard and the union home minister agreed to the request," she said.
The move for a CBI probe comes amid reports not ruling out sabotage and conspiracy in the helicopter crash. Questions asking if the helicopter exploded in the air are also being raised.
There are also doubts whether the helicopter had an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). There are also alleged lapses on part of state officials, technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of the chopper and the Air Traffic Control.
"There are several doubts in the minds of the eight crore people of this state about the crash. The government decided to go for a thorough inquiry and place all the facts before the people," Sabita Indra Reddy said.
The state government has also ordered a probe by a two-member expert committee comprising M.R. Reddy, retired Indian Police Service (IPS) official and expert on VIP security, and H.S. Kola, former director general, civil aviation, she said.
"The expert committee will probe the incident from all angles. It will go into the causes of the crash and also what happened after the incident."
The committee has been asked to submit a report in two days. The government will extend all possible help to the committee.
"If the committee requires officials for its job, we will provide them," the home minister said.
"The committee would cover all aspects including preceding circumstances during and after the helicopter crash," said a statement from the chief minister's office.
Rosaiah said that the government views the incident very seriously and is determined to bring out all details and facts.
The decision to recommend a CBI probe and form a two-member expert committee was taken in a meeting chaired by Rosaiah and attended by the home minister, Agriculture Minister Raghuveera Reddy and Director General of Police S.S.P. Yadav besides other top officials.
The state government has already ordered a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state police while the central government appointed a panel of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct an inquiry.
"All these inquiries are to ensure a probe from all angles and to clear even a minor doubt. There are several doubts like he (YSR) should not have flown in bad weather, whether the helicopter had no-objection certificate and whether it was checked properly by the concerned officials," she said.
YSR, his special secretary, chief security officer and two pilots were killed Wednesday when a Bell 430 helicopter carrying them from Hyderabad to Chittoor district crashed in the dense Nallamalla forest in Kurnool district.
Their charred bodies and the chopper's wreckage were found the next day after one of the biggest search operations by the Indian Air Force.
Meanwhile, Chandrasekhara Reddy, an advocate, has filed a public interest litigation in the high court seeking a thorough probe into the crash. The petitioner said the helicopter crashed due to a bomb explosion.The move for a CBI probe comes amid reports not ruling out sabotage and conspiracy in the helicopter crash. Questions asking if the helicopter exploded in the air are also being raised.
There are also doubts whether the helicopter had an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). There are also alleged lapses on part of state officials, technical personnel responsible for the maintenance of the chopper and the Air Traffic Control.
"There are several doubts in the minds of the eight crore people of this state about the crash. The government decided to go for a thorough inquiry and place all the facts before the people," Sabita Indra Reddy said.
Buddhadeb not planning to quit: CPM -
7th Sept, 09
NEW DELHI: Absence of West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Kerala state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan dominated CPM’s politburo more than the discussion on rectification document and the current political situation.
Party sources said rumours of Buddhadeb planning to step down was a figment of imagination. “He has not been keeping well. Doctors have advised him rest,” West Bengal state secretary Biman Bose said.
“Buddhadeb has been down with viral fever which has relapsed. Problem is that he is not taking off. Even the party has advised him to take rest,” another leader said. He is now likely to go to a hill station in the state for three-four days. “There is no question of any leadership change,” the leader added. The party said Buddhadeb would attend the next politburo meeting scheduled on October 10 and central committee meeting from October 23 to 25.
The larger issue, party sources said, was the relentless attack on CPM cadre in West Bengal. Bose presented a detailed report on violence in the state and steps being taken by the party. “The spree of killings by the Trinamool and Maoists have not stopped after the Lok Sabha elections. In the Lalgarh area, the Maoists continue to indulge in targeted killings of CPM cadres and supporters,” the party said.
NEW DELHI: Absence of West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Kerala state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan dominated CPM’s politburo more than the discussion on rectification document and the current political situation.
Party sources said rumours of Buddhadeb planning to step down was a figment of imagination. “He has not been keeping well. Doctors have advised him rest,” West Bengal state secretary Biman Bose said.
“Buddhadeb has been down with viral fever which has relapsed. Problem is that he is not taking off. Even the party has advised him to take rest,” another leader said. He is now likely to go to a hill station in the state for three-four days. “There is no question of any leadership change,” the leader added. The party said Buddhadeb would attend the next politburo meeting scheduled on October 10 and central committee meeting from October 23 to 25.
The larger issue, party sources said, was the relentless attack on CPM cadre in West Bengal. Bose presented a detailed report on violence in the state and steps being taken by the party. “The spree of killings by the Trinamool and Maoists have not stopped after the Lok Sabha elections. In the Lalgarh area, the Maoists continue to indulge in targeted killings of CPM cadres and supporters,” the party said.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Is Nokia Finally On The Offensive Now?
Sep 03, 2009
At the Nokia World 09 underway in Stuttgart, Nokia seems to be telling the world that it STILL is the world's number one mobile phone manufacturer even though its dominance might have been challenged by relative new comers. Whenever we say newcomer, the first thing that comes to the mind is undoubtedly, Apple. When Apple introduced the iPhone back in 2007, it was a revolutionary device right from the design to its UI. Two years after its introduction, many devices have tried to be an iPhone killer but none of them really managed to cause any dent into the sales of the iPhone, let alone kill it. However, by 2009 we have a relative flood of new devices that are actually capable of doing things way better than the iPhone and they look good whilst doing it as well, a key iPhone feature! So, we now have the Android with the Sense UI on HTC, Palm with its extremely slick WebOS and Nokia with Series 60 Version 5! What? Series 60?
Well, sadly, that is what most Nokia high-end devices use nowadays. This single "feature", which has been instrumental in Nokia gaining a lion's share of the smartphone market in the early 2000s might just have caused Nokia to lose its share dramatically over the past few quarters. And while analysts were wondering what they were going to do about it, they come with the N97, yet ANOTHER Series S0 handset! Sure, the N97 is a highly capable device, it can do stuff the iPhone can only dream of, but what fails it is the OS, which, no doubt, is good. But whenever you use S60 now, (especially after you use Android or the iPhone OS) you feel that it's no longer up there. Yes, it has the apps, it can multitask, it's got sleeker and tries to more than make up for its old pedigree with it's new looks and transition effects. But it does feel a generation old. So, Nokia was actually left with a very good OS that it can't let go as it has worked so well for them and at the same time, the future of it's devices was at risk as they were still clinging on to an old platform.
Therefore, in 2009, at the Nokia World, they come up with the N900 Internet Tablet, a device that might just change the way you look at a Nokia device from now. The move seems to be a kind of acceptance by the company that it had been slow to react to the advent of the likes of RIM, Apple, Google to what has been traditionally Nokia's home turf. With the N900 and its usage of the Linux based Maemo 5 Operating System, Nokia has taken it's first little step at distancing it from Series 60 (Not Symbian!). With the Open Source Symbian OS still under development, Nokia has to have a buffer OS that is not only capable but also delivers on the UI scheme of things. This is where Maemo seems to have fitted fine. Even thought the N900 is positioned as a tablet PC with phone abilities, it has more or less grabbed the flagship Nokia crown from the N97 already and for a good reason! The Maemo 5 has a nice UI, it can multitask, it is open and can do most things better than the iPhone and for the same reason, Nokia has reasons to believe it has finally got its act together and delivered a really compelling device. Will the N900 and Maemo be able to replicate the success of its earlier S60 platform? What about the upcoming Symbian OS that is separate from the Maemo? Will the Maemo ever come to normal devices? These would be the things we will be on the look out for in the future. With the Ovi Store in place, Nokia already has a platform where it can take on the likes of the Apple App Store. So, even that front seems to have been covered.
Nokia is also hoping to capitalize on its unlimited music service, as evident from its new launches yesterday. The new X series with two new devices, the X6 and the X3, seems to be an extension of Nokia's XpressMusic service and come with Nokia's Comes with Music service that is awaiting a global launch soon. They are not actually in hurry to ditch S60 as evident by the launch of the N97 Mini yesterday. However, the most distinct product to grace a Nokia showroom will undoubtedly be its Booklet 3G, which is Nokia's first attempt at making a PC, a netbook that runs Windows. By doing this, it will be the first pure mobile phone company to venture into PC making. A move that will, no doubt, give it a head start in this field. Apart from all these, the company is also concentrating on becoming more of a service provider and less of a traditional phone maker. This is clear from its Ovi branded initiatives, that range from its Ovi suite of mobile music, maps, games and other services.
At the Nokia World 09 underway in Stuttgart, Nokia seems to be telling the world that it STILL is the world's number one mobile phone manufacturer even though its dominance might have been challenged by relative new comers. Whenever we say newcomer, the first thing that comes to the mind is undoubtedly, Apple. When Apple introduced the iPhone back in 2007, it was a revolutionary device right from the design to its UI. Two years after its introduction, many devices have tried to be an iPhone killer but none of them really managed to cause any dent into the sales of the iPhone, let alone kill it. However, by 2009 we have a relative flood of new devices that are actually capable of doing things way better than the iPhone and they look good whilst doing it as well, a key iPhone feature! So, we now have the Android with the Sense UI on HTC, Palm with its extremely slick WebOS and Nokia with Series 60 Version 5! What? Series 60?
Well, sadly, that is what most Nokia high-end devices use nowadays. This single "feature", which has been instrumental in Nokia gaining a lion's share of the smartphone market in the early 2000s might just have caused Nokia to lose its share dramatically over the past few quarters. And while analysts were wondering what they were going to do about it, they come with the N97, yet ANOTHER Series S0 handset! Sure, the N97 is a highly capable device, it can do stuff the iPhone can only dream of, but what fails it is the OS, which, no doubt, is good. But whenever you use S60 now, (especially after you use Android or the iPhone OS) you feel that it's no longer up there. Yes, it has the apps, it can multitask, it's got sleeker and tries to more than make up for its old pedigree with it's new looks and transition effects. But it does feel a generation old. So, Nokia was actually left with a very good OS that it can't let go as it has worked so well for them and at the same time, the future of it's devices was at risk as they were still clinging on to an old platform.
Therefore, in 2009, at the Nokia World, they come up with the N900 Internet Tablet, a device that might just change the way you look at a Nokia device from now. The move seems to be a kind of acceptance by the company that it had been slow to react to the advent of the likes of RIM, Apple, Google to what has been traditionally Nokia's home turf. With the N900 and its usage of the Linux based Maemo 5 Operating System, Nokia has taken it's first little step at distancing it from Series 60 (Not Symbian!). With the Open Source Symbian OS still under development, Nokia has to have a buffer OS that is not only capable but also delivers on the UI scheme of things. This is where Maemo seems to have fitted fine. Even thought the N900 is positioned as a tablet PC with phone abilities, it has more or less grabbed the flagship Nokia crown from the N97 already and for a good reason! The Maemo 5 has a nice UI, it can multitask, it is open and can do most things better than the iPhone and for the same reason, Nokia has reasons to believe it has finally got its act together and delivered a really compelling device. Will the N900 and Maemo be able to replicate the success of its earlier S60 platform? What about the upcoming Symbian OS that is separate from the Maemo? Will the Maemo ever come to normal devices? These would be the things we will be on the look out for in the future. With the Ovi Store in place, Nokia already has a platform where it can take on the likes of the Apple App Store. So, even that front seems to have been covered.
Nokia is also hoping to capitalize on its unlimited music service, as evident from its new launches yesterday. The new X series with two new devices, the X6 and the X3, seems to be an extension of Nokia's XpressMusic service and come with Nokia's Comes with Music service that is awaiting a global launch soon. They are not actually in hurry to ditch S60 as evident by the launch of the N97 Mini yesterday. However, the most distinct product to grace a Nokia showroom will undoubtedly be its Booklet 3G, which is Nokia's first attempt at making a PC, a netbook that runs Windows. By doing this, it will be the first pure mobile phone company to venture into PC making. A move that will, no doubt, give it a head start in this field. Apart from all these, the company is also concentrating on becoming more of a service provider and less of a traditional phone maker. This is clear from its Ovi branded initiatives, that range from its Ovi suite of mobile music, maps, games and other services.
Exploding iPhones: Apple Says All Well
Aug 31, 2009
After reports of exploding iPhones came in from France, Apple says that after investigating the cases, it was sure that the explosion was not caused by the product being faulty. In a statement to the BBC, Apple said, "The iPhones with broken glass that we have analyzed to date show that in all cases, the glass cracked due to an external force that was applied to the iPhone." The investigation was internal and was done in as a counter measure to the European Commission investigation that was launched after the reports of the first exploding iPhones first came in.
So, what Apple is saying here is that the explosions have been either manually induced or that the product was made to go undergo an external force that caused it to crack and that there was no explosion at all
Apple also refuted charges regarding the battery heating problem and has said that there have been no such complaints from any consumer so far regarding heating issues. Note that this is for the just launched iPhone 3GS. The statement adds that so far only single digit, unconfirmed heating related issues have been spotted.
However, Frenchman Frank Benoiton, who was an iPhone owner insists that his iPhone cracked "just like that" and that no external force was applied to it and nor was the phone dropped. To make things difficult for Apple, a British family has sought a refund from Apple after their iPod exploded after a fall. As a safety measure, the European Commission has issued a warning against buying the iPhone using its rapid-alert system, Rapex, which warns of dangerous consumer products.
After reports of exploding iPhones came in from France, Apple says that after investigating the cases, it was sure that the explosion was not caused by the product being faulty. In a statement to the BBC, Apple said, "The iPhones with broken glass that we have analyzed to date show that in all cases, the glass cracked due to an external force that was applied to the iPhone." The investigation was internal and was done in as a counter measure to the European Commission investigation that was launched after the reports of the first exploding iPhones first came in.
So, what Apple is saying here is that the explosions have been either manually induced or that the product was made to go undergo an external force that caused it to crack and that there was no explosion at all
Apple also refuted charges regarding the battery heating problem and has said that there have been no such complaints from any consumer so far regarding heating issues. Note that this is for the just launched iPhone 3GS. The statement adds that so far only single digit, unconfirmed heating related issues have been spotted.
However, Frenchman Frank Benoiton, who was an iPhone owner insists that his iPhone cracked "just like that" and that no external force was applied to it and nor was the phone dropped. To make things difficult for Apple, a British family has sought a refund from Apple after their iPod exploded after a fall. As a safety measure, the European Commission has issued a warning against buying the iPhone using its rapid-alert system, Rapex, which warns of dangerous consumer products.
Exploding iPhones: Apple Says All Well
Aug 31, 2009
After reports of exploding iPhones came in from France, Apple says that after investigating the cases, it was sure that the explosion was not caused by the product being faulty. In a statement to the BBC, Apple said, "The iPhones with broken glass that we have analyzed to date show that in all cases, the glass cracked due to an external force that was applied to the iPhone." The investigation was internal and was done in as a counter measure to the European Commission investigation that was launched after the reports of the first exploding iPhones first came in.
So, what Apple is saying here is that the explosions have been either manually induced or that the product was made to go undergo an external force that caused it to crack and that there was no explosion at all
Apple also refuted charges regarding the battery heating problem and has said that there have been no such complaints from any consumer so far regarding heating issues. Note that this is for the just launched iPhone 3GS. The statement adds that so far only single digit, unconfirmed heating related issues have been spotted.
However, Frenchman Frank Benoiton, who was an iPhone owner insists that his iPhone cracked "just like that" and that no external force was applied to it and nor was the phone dropped. To make things difficult for Apple, a British family has sought a refund from Apple after their iPod exploded after a fall. As a safety measure, the European Commission has issued a warning against buying the iPhone using its rapid-alert system, Rapex, which warns of dangerous consumer products.
After reports of exploding iPhones came in from France, Apple says that after investigating the cases, it was sure that the explosion was not caused by the product being faulty. In a statement to the BBC, Apple said, "The iPhones with broken glass that we have analyzed to date show that in all cases, the glass cracked due to an external force that was applied to the iPhone." The investigation was internal and was done in as a counter measure to the European Commission investigation that was launched after the reports of the first exploding iPhones first came in.
So, what Apple is saying here is that the explosions have been either manually induced or that the product was made to go undergo an external force that caused it to crack and that there was no explosion at all
Apple also refuted charges regarding the battery heating problem and has said that there have been no such complaints from any consumer so far regarding heating issues. Note that this is for the just launched iPhone 3GS. The statement adds that so far only single digit, unconfirmed heating related issues have been spotted.
However, Frenchman Frank Benoiton, who was an iPhone owner insists that his iPhone cracked "just like that" and that no external force was applied to it and nor was the phone dropped. To make things difficult for Apple, a British family has sought a refund from Apple after their iPod exploded after a fall. As a safety measure, the European Commission has issued a warning against buying the iPhone using its rapid-alert system, Rapex, which warns of dangerous consumer products.
Publisher rushes 5,000 copies of Jaswant Singh's book to Gujarat- Politics
5 Sep 2009
NEW DELHI: The publishers of expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh's controversial book "Jinnah: India, Partition -Independence" have released about 5,000 copies to the markets in Gujarat, on Saturday.
Delhi based Rupa and Company the publisher of the book succeeded in sending these many copies within 24 hours of revoking the ban put by the Gujarat Government.
The Gujarat High Court, on Friday revoked the ban put on the book by the Narendra Modi led government.
Gujarat Government banned the book on August 19, within two days after its release saying, the book might create communal disturbances in the state and was also derogatory of India's first Home Minister of India Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
The chairman of Rupa and Company R. K. Mehra said that there has been a tremendous demand for the book. The publishing house has sent the books to Baroda, Ahmedabad and other cities of the state.
Mehra added that over 1,000 copies each were sent by air from New Delhi and Mumbai as soon as they came to know about the High Court's decision.
The remaining copies have been sent on Saturday by train. The Gujarati translation of the book would soon hit the stands in the state, he said.
In its decision the High Court observed that the government's notification violated the fundamental rights of citizen.
Reacting to the judgment an elated Jaswant Singh had said he was thrilled and felt vindicated but voiced his dismay at courts having to intervene in the matter.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Gujarat Government on a petition filed by Singh the challenged the ban.
Not only intellectuals, but people from different strata of society have also shown an interest in the book, in which Singh has praised Jinnah and described him as a leader who had strong faith in united India, while blaming Sardar Patel for the partition in 1947.
NEW DELHI: The publishers of expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh's controversial book "Jinnah: India, Partition -Independence" have released about 5,000 copies to the markets in Gujarat, on Saturday.
Delhi based Rupa and Company the publisher of the book succeeded in sending these many copies within 24 hours of revoking the ban put by the Gujarat Government.
The Gujarat High Court, on Friday revoked the ban put on the book by the Narendra Modi led government.
Gujarat Government banned the book on August 19, within two days after its release saying, the book might create communal disturbances in the state and was also derogatory of India's first Home Minister of India Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
The chairman of Rupa and Company R. K. Mehra said that there has been a tremendous demand for the book. The publishing house has sent the books to Baroda, Ahmedabad and other cities of the state.
Mehra added that over 1,000 copies each were sent by air from New Delhi and Mumbai as soon as they came to know about the High Court's decision.
The remaining copies have been sent on Saturday by train. The Gujarati translation of the book would soon hit the stands in the state, he said.
In its decision the High Court observed that the government's notification violated the fundamental rights of citizen.
Reacting to the judgment an elated Jaswant Singh had said he was thrilled and felt vindicated but voiced his dismay at courts having to intervene in the matter.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Gujarat Government on a petition filed by Singh the challenged the ban.
Not only intellectuals, but people from different strata of society have also shown an interest in the book, in which Singh has praised Jinnah and described him as a leader who had strong faith in united India, while blaming Sardar Patel for the partition in 1947.
India's first male quintuplets alive and kicking - Mumbai
5 September 2009
MUMBAI: A 24-year-old woman delivered a set of quintuplets in a span of three minutes on Friday at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, Andheri. The first all-male set of quintuplets - incidentally, also the lone survivor set in India - and Sabira Khan, their proud mother, are all doing well.
"The set was conceived naturally. This, apart from being the first survivor set in India, is the eleventh all-male set and the seventeenth set of natural conception in the world," said Dr Suchitra Pandit, the gynaecologist who operated upon Sabira. The average weight of the babies is 800 gram. The first was born at 12:36 pm and the last at 12:39 pm, say the doctors who performed the operation.
Incidentally, this is not the first delivery for Sabira. "Our first son is 10 months old now. It is only by God's grace that I've got five more sons in the month of Ramzan, and on a Friday," said Ubaid Khan, the ecstatic father. He runs a garments business at Naya Bazaar.
The quintuplets did not seem to have caused much of a problem to their mother. "Sabira's case was referred to us by another doctor. It was a big decision on our hospital's part to take up such a case. We needed a lot of preparation, both mental as well as in terms of equipment,'' said Dr Vinay Joshi, consultant pediatrician.
"When Sabira was referred to us on Monday, we did not know what to do. She was in her 28th week of pregnancy and had a history of a leak (passing water). Plus, one of the babies had less fluid surrounding him. Sabira also had a slightly higher pulse rate," said Dr Pandit, adding that the whole team had practised four drills before the delivery.
"The babies will have to be kept in the ICU for at least two months," said Dr Joshi.
MUMBAI: A 24-year-old woman delivered a set of quintuplets in a span of three minutes on Friday at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, Andheri. The first all-male set of quintuplets - incidentally, also the lone survivor set in India - and Sabira Khan, their proud mother, are all doing well.
"The set was conceived naturally. This, apart from being the first survivor set in India, is the eleventh all-male set and the seventeenth set of natural conception in the world," said Dr Suchitra Pandit, the gynaecologist who operated upon Sabira. The average weight of the babies is 800 gram. The first was born at 12:36 pm and the last at 12:39 pm, say the doctors who performed the operation.
Incidentally, this is not the first delivery for Sabira. "Our first son is 10 months old now. It is only by God's grace that I've got five more sons in the month of Ramzan, and on a Friday," said Ubaid Khan, the ecstatic father. He runs a garments business at Naya Bazaar.
The quintuplets did not seem to have caused much of a problem to their mother. "Sabira's case was referred to us by another doctor. It was a big decision on our hospital's part to take up such a case. We needed a lot of preparation, both mental as well as in terms of equipment,'' said Dr Vinay Joshi, consultant pediatrician.
"When Sabira was referred to us on Monday, we did not know what to do. She was in her 28th week of pregnancy and had a history of a leak (passing water). Plus, one of the babies had less fluid surrounding him. Sabira also had a slightly higher pulse rate," said Dr Pandit, adding that the whole team had practised four drills before the delivery.
"The babies will have to be kept in the ICU for at least two months," said Dr Joshi.
I am on right track to break into top 100: Somdev
NEW DELHI: India's No. 1 tennis player Somdev Devvarman, after a breakthrough performance in the US Open, has now set his sights on breaking into the top 100.
Somdev is the first Indian to qualify for the US Open in eight years and is ranked 161 in the world.
Speaking to TIMES NOW, Somdev, on his dream of making into the top 100, said that he is getting his chances and that it is time for him to step up his ranking. He said, "It's time to step up. It's been a great experience, hopefully, there will be more."
Expressing optimism that he can do well in the coming days, he said, "I am playing well against top 30 players and am on the right track. I have 6 to 7 years of tennis left in me, so there's no looking back now.'
Related Articles I want to win next Davis Cup tie for India: Somdev I want to be ready for the challenges ahead: Somdev Somdev loses but takes heart at US Open Somdev storms into second round at US Open Somdev qualifies for US Open main draw
Somdev is the first Indian to qualify for the US Open in eight years and is ranked 161 in the world.
Speaking to TIMES NOW, Somdev, on his dream of making into the top 100, said that he is getting his chances and that it is time for him to step up his ranking. He said, "It's time to step up. It's been a great experience, hopefully, there will be more."
Expressing optimism that he can do well in the coming days, he said, "I am playing well against top 30 players and am on the right track. I have 6 to 7 years of tennis left in me, so there's no looking back now.'
Related Articles I want to win next Davis Cup tie for India: Somdev I want to be ready for the challenges ahead: Somdev Somdev loses but takes heart at US Open Somdev storms into second round at US Open Somdev qualifies for US Open main draw
I am on right track to break into top 100: Somdev
5 September 2009
NEW DELHI: India's No. 1 tennis player Somdev Devvarman, after a breakthrough performance in the US Open, has now set his sights on breaking into the top 100.
Somdev is the first Indian to qualify for the US Open in eight years and is ranked 161 in the world.
Speaking to TIMES NOW, Somdev, on his dream of making into the top 100, said that he is getting his chances and that it is time for him to step up his ranking. He said, "It's time to step up. It's been a great experience, hopefully, there will be more."
Expressing optimism that he can do well in the coming days, he said, "I am playing well against top 30 players and am on the right track. I have 6 to 7 years of tennis left in me, so there's no looking back now.'
Related Articles I want to win next Davis Cup tie for India: Somdev I want to be ready for the challenges ahead: Somdev Somdev loses but takes heart at US Open Somdev storms into second round at US Open Somdev qualifies for US Open main draw
NEW DELHI: India's No. 1 tennis player Somdev Devvarman, after a breakthrough performance in the US Open, has now set his sights on breaking into the top 100.
Somdev is the first Indian to qualify for the US Open in eight years and is ranked 161 in the world.
Speaking to TIMES NOW, Somdev, on his dream of making into the top 100, said that he is getting his chances and that it is time for him to step up his ranking. He said, "It's time to step up. It's been a great experience, hopefully, there will be more."
Expressing optimism that he can do well in the coming days, he said, "I am playing well against top 30 players and am on the right track. I have 6 to 7 years of tennis left in me, so there's no looking back now.'
Related Articles I want to win next Davis Cup tie for India: Somdev I want to be ready for the challenges ahead: Somdev Somdev loses but takes heart at US Open Somdev storms into second round at US Open Somdev qualifies for US Open main draw
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