Mirchi's Blog from Indiashines - Mirchi - Hot Topics of the Day

Iraqi officials interrogate Bush shoe protest man

mirchi — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:56:56 +0000

An Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes, and insults, at George Bush during the US president's surprise visit to Iraq is being questioned over whether anybody paid him for the protest as footage of the incident plays continually on the internet and rolling news channels.Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Iraq to demand the release of Muntadar al-Zeidi, who is being held at the headquarters of the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.Al-Zeidi, who shouted "dog" at Bush as he threw his footwear at him, is being interrogated over whether he acted alone. He is also being tested for alcohol and drugs, according to an Iraqi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. His shoes were being held as evidence, the official added.Al-Zeidi's colleagues said the journalist was kidnapped last year by Shia militias and released after his employers, the TV station al-Baghdadia, intervened.The Bush trip, which saw him visit Afghanistan today, was conducted amid deep secrecy. It was intended to round off on a high note the policy that has most defined his presidency, but it is being overshadowed by what happened at the press conference Bush held yesterday with al-Maliki.At the press conference, Bush said the Iraq conflict had been necessary, adding: "The war is not over."Al-Zeidi then shouted: "This is the end!" before hurling his shoes, one at a time, at the US leader from a distance of about 12ft.Bush ducked as the first shoe flew close above his head, hitting the wall behind him. He ducked again to avoid the second shoe, as Iraqi security men pounced on al-Zeidi and dragged him screaming out of the room.The US president appeared untroubled by the incident, and later quipped: "All I can report is, it is a size 10." But the disruption was clearly unwelcome on his fourth and final visit to Iraq. It was also pregnant with symbolism. In the Arab world, throwing shoes at somebody is considered a serious insult, as is even showing them the soles of one's footwear, as jubilant Iraqis demonstrated when the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled in Baghdad during the 2003 invasion.Bush travelled to Afghanistan today, he spoke to US soldiers and marines at a hangar on the tarmac at Bagram airbase. But the president's message on progress in the region was having trouble competing with the footage of the shoe attack.As reporters gathered for another Bush press conference, at Hamid Karzai's presidential palace in Afghanistan's capital, some of the journalists jokingly egged on colleagues to again hurl shoes at the president. They did not.Speaking before the shoe incident, Bush said of the five and a half-year occupation: "The work hasn't been easy, but it has been necessary for American security, Iraqi hope and world peace ... I'm just so grateful I had the chance to come back to Iraq before my presidency ends."The security pact, approved by the Iraqi parliament three weeks ago, provides for the removal of US troops from Iraqi cities by the middle of next year and a full withdrawal by 2011. But there are already signs that the agreement is running into problems. Most importantly, its timetable will have to be squared with that of the incoming president.Barack Obama has said consistently that he will pull US forces out of Iraq within 16 months, security conditions permitting. He is likely to highlight that ambition early on in his term, which begins on 20 January.The provision to evacuate US personnel from Iraqi cities by mid-2009 has also been drawn into question. Over the weekend, the top US commander in the country, General Ray Odierno, said US troops would remain in several cities beyond next summer, acting in a support role as part of "transition teams".Doubt has also been cast on the legal basis of the new pact, which leaves the US occupation without the cover of a UN mandate.Bush landed in Baghdad on Air Force One after an 11-hour flight and began the visit with talks with the president, Jalal Talabani, and his aides. "I've known these men for a long time and I've come to admire them for their courage and their determination to succeed," Bush said.

Govt moves against terror, approves Central agency

mirchi — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:04:29 +0000

The Union Cabinet on Monday approved amendments to the law to provide for a tough legal measure and the setting up of a National Investigating Agency (NIA) to combat terror. The Cabinet, which had an unscheduled meeting, gave its approval to the proposal to amend the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and the setting up of the NIA, an official spokesman said. The Cabinet also approved a proposal for amendment to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Act. There were no details available on what the CISF amendment was but it comes amid demands that key private sector installations be given security cover by the para-military force, which guards state-owned facilities, installations, and undertakings besides airports. The spokesman said the bills will be introduced in Parliament, which is currently in session.

After Dawood, Masood and Memon, Pak denies India access to Mumbai attack mastermind

mirchi — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:56:02 +0000

Pakistan has ruled out giving India access to Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhwi, who is learnt to be behind the Mumbai terror strikes. Pak has said that only its authorities can question Lakhwi to ascertain whether he had any link to the attacks. Pakistan defence minister Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar said India's "concerns" can be discussed through a joint investigation mechanism which Islamabad has proposed to be set up to probe the Mumbai attacks. "May be we can have a joint investigation mechanism and find out who these culprits are," Mukhtar said. He said Pak officials will question Lakhwi, who was arrested in the crackdown against terrorists, to find out whether there is any linkage to the Mumbai terror attacks. Lakhwi's name figured during questioning of Ajmal Kasav, the only terrorist caught during the Mumbai attacks, by Indian investigators. "We do not have to rush into things. We have to move slowly to get hold of the right kind of people who could be involved or are alleged to be involved (in Mumbai attacks). I really do not know who they are. We are trying to find out. We will find out. There is no reason why we would not find out," he said. Mukhtar said the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack are "scared" of improvement in relations between India and Pakistan. "They are scared of these countries becoming trading partners and gaining confidence of each other," he said. Mukhtar said the meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, discussed the "pros and cons" of incidents "happening around us" and ways to continue the war against terror and to help Pakistan's neighbours fight the menace.

Ex-England cricketer Chris Lewis arrested over £200,000 cocaine haul

mirchi — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:32:08 +0000

A former England cricketer will appear in court today charged with drug smuggling after £200,000 of cocaine was found hidden in fruit tins. Chris Lewis, 40, is due to appear at Crawley Magistrates' Court after being arrested by UK Border Agency staff at Gatwick when 4kg of cocaine was found during a routine search of luggage arriving from St Lucia. The drugs were in a liquid form hidden in the tins, said an official. The fast bowler, who played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals in the 1990s, was held along with Chad Kirnon, 26, a basketball player. They were questioned by Customs officials and then charged. Bob Gaiger, a HM Revenue & Customs spokesman, said: “This was an excellent detection by UK Border Agency officers. HMRC, together with UK Borders Agency,(UKBA) play a vital role in the fight to prevent illegal drugs from entering the UK and in protecting our communities from the violence and corruption that always accompany this hideous trade.” A spokesman for the UKBA said Lewis, from Brent, North London and Kirnon, of Islington, North London, arrived together on a flight which landed at 6am. “They had arrived on a flight from St Lucia. UKBA officials were carrying out checks on the baggage from that flight.During the course of that search they discovered the cocaine in fruit tins.” Mr Lewis, who was born in Guyana, represented Nottinghamshire, Surrey and Leicestershire and made his England debut in a one-day match against West Indies on his 22nd birthday in 1990. He averaged 14 runs with the bat in one-day internationals and taking 66 wickets. He was a more accomplished Test cricketer, scoring 1,105 runs at an average of 23 and taking 93 wickets. He retired from county cricket in 2000 because of a persistent hip injury. Earlier this year he joined Surrey to play in 20/20 matches, but with little success. He was labelled “The Prat without a Hat” by a tabloid newspaper after sunstroke forced him off the field during an England tour of the West Indies in 1994. It emerged that he had shaved his head before the match and not put any suncream on.

Fire at new wing of the Taj hotel in Mumbai

mirchi — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:09:16 +0000

A fire broke out between the 20 and 21st floor of the Taj Hotel's new building in south Mumbai early on Tuesday.Fire officials here said the building, one of the sites of the November 26 terror attacks, was empty when the incident happened.There are no casualty reports in the incident and though the cause of the fire is still unknown, unofficial sources attributed it to faulty wiring.The operation to put out the fire is still on, the officials added.

Google Earth accused of aiding terrorists

mirchi — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:05:56 +0000

An Indian Court has been called to ban Google Earth amid suggestions the online satellite imaging was used to help plan the terror attacks that killed more than 170 people in Mumbai last month. A petition entered at the Bombay High Court alleges that the Google Earth service, "aids terrorists in plotting attacks." Advocate Amit Karkhanis has urged the court to direct Google to blur images of sensitive areas in the country until the case is decided. There are indications that the gunmen who stormed Mumbai on November 26, and the people trained them, were technically literate. The group appears to have used complex GPS systems to navigate their way to Mumbai by sea. They communicated by satellite phone, used mobile phones with several different SIM cards, and may have monitored events as the siege unfolded via handheld Blackberry web browsers. Police in Mumbai have said the terrorists familiarised themselves with the streets of Mumbai's financial capital using satellite images, according to the sole gunman to be captured alive. The commandos who stormed the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai said the militants had made a beeline for the building's CCTV control room. The legal petition also follows unconfirmed reports that Faheem Ahmed Ansari, a suspected militant who was arrested in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in February, said he was shown maps of Indian locations on Google Earth by members of Lashkar-e-Taiber, the Pakistan-based terrorist faction that Indian officials are convinced was behind the Mumbai attacks. Ansari was carrying a fake Pakistani passport and a list and maps of nine targets in southern Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal hotel and other sites attacked last month, a senior police officer told The Times. Security agencies have called for the wealth of data available on Google Earth to be limited for several years amid fears the freely available application may prove invaluable for militants planning terrorist attacks. In 2005, the operators of Australia's nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights called on the internet giant to censor images of the plant, warning that the images could be used by terrorists. Earlier, the satellite photographs of the installation would have been available only to a handful of government agencies and NASA, they said. In the same year, it was reported that Google omitted to blur the roof of the White House in Washington when it updated the images available on Google Earth – something it had done previously. South Korea and Thailand also complained after the layout of air bases was revealed. The Mumbai terrorists concentrated their attacks in south Mumbai, a popular tourist location. However, the plea filed with the Bombay High Court claims that Google Earth includes "absolutely no control to prevent misuse or limit access" to details of nearby sensitive locations, such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. The complaint comes just weeks after India said it would launch its own version of Google Earth. The project, dubbed Bhuvan (Sanskrit for Earth), is being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), which is based in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of the subcontinent. It comes as India redoubles its efforts to reap profits from its 45-year-old space programme, long criticised as a drain on a country where 700 million people live on USD2 a day or less. Bhuvan will use a network of satellites to create a high-resolution, birds-eye view of India – and later, possibly, the rest of the world – that will be accessible at no cost online and will compete with Google. Isro officials say Bhuvan will provide images of far greater resolution than are currently available online – particularly of the subcontinent, a region where large areas remain virtually unmapped. The agency intends to refresh its images every year – a feature that would give it an edge over its biggest rival and help keep track of the frenetic pace at which India's cities are growing. About 2.5 million people used Google Earth in the UK last month, according to Neilsen, the web analysts, making it the web's seventh most popular application behind tools such as Apple's iTunes (fourth with 5.7 million users) and Windows Live Messenger (first with 14.8 million).

Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Maulana Masood Azhar under house arrest

mirchi — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:29:28 +0000

Pakistani authorities have reportedly imposed restrictions on the movement of Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Maulana Masood Azhar and confined him to his home despite turning down India's demand for handing him over.Azhar, who was freed by Indian authorities along with two other terrorists in exchange for passengers of an Indian Airlines flight hijacked from Kathmandu to Kandahar in 1999, has been confined to his multi-storey building in Model Town area of Bahawalpur, The News daily reported on Tuesday.The report quoted official sources as saying that Azhar's activities had been restricted in the wake of India's demand to hand him over along with criminals Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon.There was no official word on whether Azhar had been restricted to his home. The Pakistan Army on Monday confirmed it had launched an operation against banned militant groups.Lashker-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhwi is among over 20 militants arrested during the crackdown, sources said.The Pakistan government on Monday turned down India's demand to hand over Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon. The demand had been made in a demarche handed over by India in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.Azhar's movements have been restricted in the past too when India had demanded his handing over. There have been reports in recent months that Azhar and the Jaish had stepped up activities, including the raising of funds and organising large rallies, in the Bahawalpur area.The militant leader was being held in an Indian jail when he was released by the Indian government in exchange for passengers of the airplane hijacked by several Pakistani terrorists and taken to Kandahar.

Firing in New Delhi Airport - Normal despite shooting report

mirchi — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:25:48 +0000

A scare was triggered at the Indira Gandhi International airport in the wee hours on Friday after a sound similar to gunshots were reportedly heard from the facility. The control room of the CISF received a call at around 1.10 am from passengers that they heard sound of gunshots from one of the gates of international departure lounge of the airport, official said. "We received a call that some passengers heard a sound similar to two gunshots, but there were no eyewitnesses. No evidence has so far come up to suggest that it was a firing and we cannot confirm it as a gunshot," Udayan Banerjee, DIG, CISF and incharge of security at Delhi airport said. "After the sound, the CISF and Delhi Police deployment swung into action and intensified the checking at the airport," he said adding the passenger movement is normal and arrival and departure is also functioning smoothly. Delhi police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said, "a call was received that three to four rounds of firing has taken place at the airport but no one was injured." "We are not yet sure whether any firing actually took place. We are verifying the facts," Bhagat added. CISF officials said all preventive measures have been taken and a security drill has been put in place. Airports across the country were on Thursday put on high alert in the wake of intelligence reports that terrorists from Pakistan or Afghanistan may strike using a hijacked aircraft even as the Indian Air Force said it was ready to counter a 9/11-type aerial attack on New York. Additional contingents of CISF and police inside and outside the Delhi airport has already been deployed, authorities said.

YouTube, the latest terror tool

mirchi — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:56:40 +0000

Islamic extremists are being instructed on how to use the popular video-sharing site YouTube as a way to disseminate propaganda videos, a US-based terrorism monitor said. Militants are being encouraged to use the online site through postings on other Islamic forums on the Internet, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. Last week, an extremist authored step-by-step instructions on posting video to YouTube, which he described as "one of the most famous and biggest international sites that publish sections of videos from all over the world." The posting encourages readers to post scenes of Western forces coming under attack to, it says, "shame the Crusaders by publishing clips of videos showing their losses, which they hid for a long time." Islamic extremists have long used the Internet as a tool to communicate with supporters and distribute propaganda but the latest posting specifically coaxes militants towards YouTube and touts it as a user-friendly tool. "I say that the YouTube site is one of the easiest sites to record and upload the clips," the posting states, pointing readers to the software they might need to publish on the Internet. "I ask you, by Allah, as soon as you read this subject, to start recording on YouTube, and to start cutting and uploading and posting clips on the jihadist, Islamic, and general forums," the posting states. YouTube, a unit of Google Inc, could not immediately be reached for comment on how it might respond to the types of postings described in the message. The message author calls for a "YouTube Invasion" by militants and includes several screenshots showing step by step instructions on how to create a YouTube account and to upload material. The video-sharing site has often been a chosen venue for users to post controversial clips and other material. In March, Pakistani authorities ordered Internet service providers to block the website after it ran material deemed insulting to Islam.

The united state of India

mirchi — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:57:39 +0000

Even for a country experiencing the widest possible variety of terrorist attacks, alarmingly recurring at shorter intervals, the terrorist blitzkrieg on Mumbai has chillingly numbed and outraged the nation. The anger, revulsion, distress, disgust, shame and initial helplessness, rising to a crescendo of revenge, have all been captured in images that will continue to torment each one of us. The display of selfless courage and valour in defeating the terrorists will, likewise, evoke salutes of pride, raising the bar of patriotism higher. Clearly, there is a need to overhaul the entire system and rid ourselves of the perennial weaknesses in our intelligence gathering and security apparatus that permit such terrorist attacks to take place. On previous occasions, many suggestions to strengthen and modernise our security forces, and an improved coordination between various agencies involved, have been discussed in this column. Alas. Nothing substantial has happened despite a plethora of reports and recommendations. These were reiterated at the post-Mumbai all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister. It is only hoped that these will now merit the urgency that is required. At a time when the country should have demonstrated its united will in battling terrorism, it is unfortunate that the BJP refused to be party to any common declaration of such resolve at the all-party meeting. Recollect that after the terrorist attack on the Parliament, the country rose as one in denouncing and declaring the determination to defeat terrorism, despite serious differences over the manner in which the then Vajpayee government was handling matters of internal security. The BJP, however, choosing to utilise this terrorist attack for improving its electoral fortunes by sharpening communal polarisation, refused to join the rest of the country in condemning and combating terrorism. Make no mistake: if the Hindu-Muslim divide deepens, then the terrorists have succeeded to the extent of destabilising our society. Seeking an electoral dividend by deepening this divide only emboldens terrorism further. In fact, terrorism and communalism feed off each other. Recollect that the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (the lone surviving terrorist, in Mumbai, admitted that he belongs to the LeT) had, on the eve of the 1999 elections, stated: “The BJP suits us. Within a year they have made us into a nuclear and missile power. Lashkar-e-Tayyeba is getting a good response because of the BJP’s statements. It is much better than before. We pray to God that they come to power again. Then we will emerge even stronger.” (Hindustan Times, July 19, 1999). India cannot afford to be thus sandwiched. Have al-Qaeda and the Taliban reached Indian shores? Do these outfits now see India as a US ally? It appears so. If the government has decided to go ahead with the nuclear deal, and emerge as the preferred partner of the US in this part of the world, shouldn't costs of such an alliance have been assessed in advance? Should not have India been prepared for what it means to be seen as aligned with US strategic interests in the so-called ‘war against terror’? Why should civilians be victims of this not having been thought through, and of internal security not having been beefed up?From all information furnished by the government, these terrorists had come by sea from Karachi to execute a carefully prepared, diabolically planned attack. Foreign territory and facilities have, obviously, been used to mount these attacks. Soon after 9/11, the UN Security Council adopted a unanimous resolution (Resolution 1373) against terrorism. Accordingly, all countries are obliged to deny “safe havens to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts”. The UN also created a committee to monitor the implementation of this resolution. The decision that all countries are obliged to prevent those who commit terrorist acts from using their respective territories against other countries and citizens must now be invoked by India. This is required for marshalling international support to advance in our struggle against terrorism.Much is being talked about the manner in which the US had dealt with 9/11. Remember that after images of the second plane plunging into the twin tower, the next set of images the world saw were of Ground Zero. There was no live telecast of blood, dead bodies, rescue operations etc. The nation dealt with the tragedy with dignity. Even the fiercest champions of freedom of expression cannot condone the competitive rival live footage of the details of the movement of security forces, which facilitated the terrorists' assaults. We all will have to put our minds together to arrive at an acceptable solution in such situations (which mercifully would not be allowed to recur) in the future.Finally, these attacks took place on iconic symbols of modern India in Mumbai — a hotel and hospital, properties of Parsis, another hotel, the property of a Sikh, a home owned by Jews and the busiest railway station — the property of all Indians. This was an attack on India’s syncretic civilisational ethos. This can be defeated only by India united in its diversity. Any cynical effort to draw political mileage and electoral dividends by perpetuating a communal divide can only give a further lease of life to such anti-national terrorists.

Pakistan should respond urgently in Mumbai terror probe: Rice

mirchi — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:04:48 +0000

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday asked Pakistan to cooperate “fully and urgently” with India to bring the perpetrators of the brazen Mumbai terror attack to justice and stressed a greater “intelligence sharing” between India and Pakistan. Addressing a joint press conference with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Rice promised India cooperation in probing the terror attacks and asked Islamabad to be “transparent” in its support to New Delhi in fighting terror. “Pakistan has to respond fully and urgently. I have noted that President Zardari has pledged support to India. We expect that the pledge will be fulfilled fully and completely,” Rice said in her opening statement. Earlier in the day, Rice also met Home Minister P. Chidambaram and discussed intelligence sharing to combat terrorism. “I have spoken with the home minister, and we are looking at reforms in India. The US has experience in counter terrorism. The special focus has to be on terror financing and intelligence sharing,” Rice said. Talking about the role of what Pakistan President Zardari termed non-state actors plotting terror attacks from Pakistani soil, Rice said: “There are non-state actors confined in a state. There has to be very direct and tough action against them. The investigation is still underway. It needs greater intelligence sharing among them (India-Pakistan).”

Citigroup to slash 50,000 jobs: Report

mirchi — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:04:38 +0000

Financial services major Citigroup is planning to slash as many as 50,000 jobs in the next five to six months and also intends to reduce costs by 20 per cent, says a media report. Quoting people close to the company, television channel CNBC said the number of jobs cuts may rise as high as 50,000 in order to bring the company's workforce to about 300,000 worldwide. "These people say these cuts will occur in a relatively shorter period of time, such as over the next five or six months," CNBC said in a report published on its website today. Further, the report noted that Citi would cut expenses by as much as 20 per cent. "Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit plans to make a dramatic statement on Monday morning about major cut-backs in the struggling firm's workforce aimed at calming market fears that the troubled financial services giant isn't taking the steps necessary to address its many ills, which include a bloated cost structure...," CNBC said quoting people close to the company. Further, the report attributing to a person close to the firm said, "The object here is for the people to take notice... The exact number is still a moving target but it will be dramatic." On Friday, the Wall Street Journal had reported that Citi would be handing out pink slips to at least 10,000 employees. In October, Citi had posted a net loss of USD 2.8 billion for the third quarter and said that its head count was cut down by about 11,000 employees during the period. Meanwhile, in the first three quarters of this year, the company has reduced its workforce by about 23,000 heads.

Chandrayaan-1 - From launch to landing - Indian moon mission’s journey

mirchi — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:46:34 +0000

India’s first probe into moon landed on the lunar surface Friday night after riding on Chandrayaan-1, the country’s first unmanned spacecraft to the moon, after travelling around 384,000 km in 24 days days after blasting off from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh Oct 22.Soon after the launch at 6.22 a.m. the spacecraft carrying 11 scientific payloads was put in an orbit of 22,860 km apogee (farthest point to the earth) and 225 km perigee (nearest point to the earth). This is how Chandrayaan-1 reached the lunar orbit and then sent the moon impact probe (MIP) with the colours of the Indian national flag painted on its sides to the lunar surface.Oct 23, first orbit raising exercise: apogee 37,900 km, perigee 305 km, 11 days to go round the earth.Oct 25: apogee 74,715 km, perigee 336 km. 25 and half hours to orbit the earth.Oct 26: apogee 164,600 km, perigee 348 km. Enters deep space. Takes 73 hours to go round the earth.Oct 29: apogee 267,000 km, perigee 465 km. Six days to orbit the earth.Oct 29: The terrain mapping camera successfully tested. First pictures, of northern coast of Australia from a height of 9,000 km and of southern coast from a height of 70,000 km. ISRO says “excellent imagery”. Nov 4: Reaches 380,000 km from earth, just around 4,000 km from moon. Nov 8: Chandrayaan-1 successfully enters lunar orbit around 5.15 p.m. and India becomes the fifth country to send a spacecraft to moon. The others are United States, former Soviet Union, Japan and China. The European Space Agency (ESA), a consortium of 17 countries, has also sent a spacecraft to moon. Nov 9: Chandrayaan-1 nudges closer to moon, orbiting over its polar regions at 200 km periselene (nearest point from moon) and 7,500 km aposelene (farthest point from moon).Nov 10: The spacecraft moves to 187 km from the moon (periselene) and 255 km away (aposelene), orbiting elliptically once in every 2 hours and 16 minutes over the polar regions of the moon. Nov 11: Chandrayaan-1 moves into further lower orbit of 102-km periselene and 255-km aposelene.Nov 12: Placed in the final circular lunar orbit of 100 km, spinning around the poles of the moon every two hours.Nov 13: Excitement builds ahead of the landing of the moon impact probe (MIP) on lunar surface Nov 14 night.Nov 14 morning: Countdown begins at ISRO’s ground command and tracking centre in Bangalore.Nov 14 afternoon: Former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam arrives at the command and tracking centre to be part of the ‘India on Moon’ mission.Nov 14 evening: At 8.06 p.m. Chandrayaan-1 releases the MIP.Nov 14: At 8.31 p.m., the MIP covers the 100 km distance, taking “beautiful pictures of the lunar surface” as it descends.At 6.22 am on Oct 22, ISRO chief G. Madhavan Nair said: “Our baby is on way to the moon.”On Nov 14 night, he said: “We have given the moon to India.”

Indian probe lands on moon, sends images

mirchi — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:42:44 +0000

An Indian probe landed on the moon on Friday, the Indian Space Research Organisation announced, in a milestone for the country's 45-year-old space programme. The probe touched down on the moon at 8:34pm (1504 GMT), 25 minutes after it was ejected from an unmanned spacecraft orbiting the moon, spokesman S. Satish said."During its descent from Chandrayaan-1 an onboard video camera transmitted lunar pictures to the ISRO command centre," Satish said in the southern Indian city of Bangalore where the national space agency is headquartered.Scientists monitoring the probe cheered as ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair announced the success of the country's first lunar mission, which began on October 22 when a rocket transported Chandrayaan-1 into space.The probe, carrying three instruments and with the Indian flag painted on its outer panes, settled in a crater in the moon's south pole.Nair said the landing was perfect."We have now successfully put our national flag on the lunar surface," he told a news conference."The moon has been very favourable to us and this is a very productive and fruitful mission," he said, and added: "We have also emerged as a low-cost travel agency to space," referring to the mission's 80-million dollar tag.Chandrayaan-1 is on a two-year orbital mission to provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topographical characteristics of the moon's surface.Buoyed by its success, ISRO plans to send a second unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2012 and separately launch satellites to study Mars and Venus.India started its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to reduce dependence on overseas agencies.It first staked its case for a share of the commercial launch market by sending an Italian satellite into orbit in April last year. In January, it launched an Israeli spy satellite.India is also hoping the mission will boost its space programme into the same league as regional powerhouses Japan and China.As well as looking to grab a larger slice of the global commercial satellite launch market, India, Japan and China also see their space programmes as an important symbol of their international stature and economic development.But India still has a long way to go to catch up with China which, together with the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency, is already well established in the commercial launch sector.China's immediate goal is the establishment of a space lab, with Beijing's long-term ambition to develop a rival to the International Space Station, a project involving the US, Russia, Japan, Canada and some European countries.Japan has also been boosting its space programme and has set a goal of sending an astronaut to the moon by 2020.Japan's first lunar probe, Kaguya, was successfully launched in September last year, releasing two baby satellites to study lunar gravity and other projects.

Barack Obama Presidential Victory Speech - Yes We Can & Full text of US president-elect Barack Obama’s victory speech

mirchi — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:03:10 +0000

Text of US president-elect Barack Obama’s speech in Chicago after winning the presidential election: OBAMA: Hello, Chicago. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America.It’s the answer that led those who’ve been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain. Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he’s fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor Palin for all that they’ve achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton … and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years … the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady … Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia … I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us …to the new White House.And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother’s watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you’ve given me. I am grateful to them.And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe … the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best _ the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.To my chief strategist David Axelrod … who’s been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics … you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy … who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.“I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime, two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.“Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.AUDIENCE: Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!OBAMA : There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years _ block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can’t happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let’s resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.Let’s remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.For that’s the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we’ve already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight’s about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons _ because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America _ the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.AUDIENCE : Yes we can.OBAMA: When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.AUDIENCE: Yes we can.OBAMA: She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.AUDIENCE: Yes we can.OBAMA: A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.AUDIENCE: Yes we can.OBAMA : America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves _ if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Assam serial blasts: Police release sketch of suspect

mirchi — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:07:27 +0000

Police on Tuesday released the sketch of a suspect in the October 30 serial blasts in Assam that claimed 84 lives. Police said the sketch tallied 77 per cent with the person suspected to be responsible for the explosion at the deputy commissioner's office compound in Kamrup where the chief judicial magistrate's court is also located. The person, dressed in a white kurta, was said to be of fair complexion with short hair and a thin moustache. The sketch was prepared on the basis of inputs from five witnesses in the CJM Court who saw the person suspiciously moving around the compound, the sources said. Special artists from Kolkata were called to prepare the sketch with the help of the criminal investigation department (CID) of the Assam police. Five more sketches of other suspects are being prepared which will be released soon, the sources said. var zz=0;var sldsh=0; var bellyaddiv = \' \';sldsh=1; var stindex=100; var stp=150; var taglen=0; var tmp; var tagcheck = new Array(\"div\",\"span\",\"br\",\"font\",\"a\"); var storycontent = document.getElementById(\"storydiv\").innerHTML; var firstpara = storycontent.substring(0,storycontent.toLowerCase().indexOf(\"\")).toLowerCase(); function findptt(cnt){ zz++; if(zz == 10)return; var xxx=-1,yyy=-1; var ccnt = cnt; for(ii=0; ii < tagcheck.length; ii++){ xxx = ccnt.indexOf(\"= 150){ return; }else{ var tmp2 = ccnt.substring(0,xxx); tmp2 += ccnt.substring((yyy+xxx),ccnt.length); findptt(tmp2); } }findptt(firstpara); if(firstpara.length

Pall of gloom descends on Arpana Jinaga's home

mirchi — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:25:18 +0000

A pall of gloom is descended on the residence of Arpana Jinaga, a software professional who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in United States few days ago. Arpana, the elder daughter of Basavraj Jinaga, a professor at the city-based JNTU, was a topper in studies and had set her own mark in chip designing. "She was a brilliant student and had a dynamic personality," was how her relatives and family friends said after consoling her parents at their house here. Efforts are being made to get an emergency visa from the US Consulate in Chennai, a family friend of Jinaga's said adding the family of Nirmala Jinaga (mother of Arpana) from Gadag district in Karnataka, were distant relatives of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yedyurappa. A young inventor in the highly technical field of chip designing, Arpana Jinaga, had emerged as one of the top 20 winners in Digital Signal Controller Design Contest by preparing the design for Communications Jammer. The Hyderabadi girl was the only participant from Asia to have secured a place on the list, conducted at international level by Microchip Technologies Inc. in the USA in 2004. Arpana wanted to do her PhD and enter the world of research in Electronics Engineering and planned to finally become a professor, family sources said. While purusing her B Tech in Electronics and Communication, Arpana presented her project in the contest, based on the chip dsPIC30F, which was released by Microchips Technologies. She had put a lot of effort to prepare the design for Communications Jammer, the chip was new and had never been worked on before. Arpana worked from the scratch on the completion of the design and worked for almost 18 hours a day during the one-and-a-half month vacation period, they said. It was the hard work that saw her through among the highly experienced experts, working in the field of embedded systems from America, Europe and Asia, family sources said. Her design was declared the 16th best in the world, of all the designs they had received, for which she received a shield and the prize which was a 'Filter Design Software.' After completing her Engineering, she had also stood third in the IEEE Student Design Contest conducted by IEEE Hyderabad, which was her first step in the field of embedded systems.

Breaking News: Indian student Arpana Jinaga from Andhra Pradesh killed in US

mirchi — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:58:57 +0000

Breaking News! Arpana Jinaga (24) [Her LinkedIn Profile], from Andhra Pradesh was found dead under mysterious circumstances inside her flat in Seattle. Arpana Jinaga was working as a software engineer with EMC Corporation and was simultaneously pursuing MS at Seattle. According to her family sources, Arpana was killed sometime on Friday evening (US time).Surprisingly, the gruesome murder of Arpana Jinaga came into light after three days. The Seattle police are investigating the matter. They suspect robbery as the motive behind the murder. Arpana Jinaga had completed her engineering from a Hyderabad-based private engineering college in 2005. Here real LinkedIn profile - http://www.linkedin.com/pub/2/343/2B7Arpana's father BC Jinaga is a professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and also heads the School of Information Technology. According to sources, Arpana was among the top-20 professionals of embedded systems in the world. The cause and circumstances of her murder is not yet known.Arpana Jinaga (24), pursuing her MS degree at Seattle, was killed sometime on Friday evening (US time), family sources said here on Tuesday. The tragedy came to light three days after the crime and an investigation has begun, they said. The motive for the murder was not immediately known. Jinaga, who completed her engineering from a city-based private engineering college in 2005, was working as a software engineer and simultaneously pursuing MS. She is among the top-20 professionals of embedded systems in the world, the sources said. Jinaga's father, B C Jinaga, is a professor with the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University here and heads the School of Information Technology. The murder of Jinaga comes close on the heels of a string of murders of students of Indian origin from Andhra Pradesh. Soumya Reddy, a post-graduate student, was killed by an unidentified assailant in Chicago in September this year. Another post-graduate medical student A Srinivas was found murdered in Pennsylvania in March while A Kirankumar and K Chandrasekhar Reddy, both PhD students, were shot dead at Louisiana University in December 2007.

Gambhir and Laxman get twin double centuries

mirchi — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:34:43 +0000

Record breaking double centuries to Gautam Gambhir and V.V.S Laxman lifted India to a commanding 613 for seven and into control of the third cricket test against Australia. Anil Kumble's declaration after Laxman reached the his double hundred left Australia with 15 overs to survive until stumps Thursday on the second day of the match. Simon Katich was 29 not out and Matthew Hayden was unbeaten on 16 as the openers cut the deficit by 50 runs. Gambhir and Laxman's twin double centuries _ the first time two Indian batsmen have scored double centuries in the same test innings _ raised further questions over the depth of Australia's bowling. Laxman, who finished unbeaten on 200, continued the onslaught against the wilting tourists in the wake of Gambhir's marathon 206. "Its a huge task for the Australians," Laxman said. "One or two quick wickets will definitely put a lot of pressure on them, and getting 600 and defending for the next three days will be a Herculean task." The talented right-hander combined with Gambhir in a 278-run fourth-wicket partnership that significantly reduced Australia's chances of recording the victory it needs to square the four-match series after losing the second test by 320 runs last week. Laxman resumed the second day on 54 and played some strong drives and worked the ball cleverly during his sixth century _ and his second double _ against Australia. "I was very keen to contribute and very happy to do that," Laxman said. "It was very important to put up a good score to put pressure on the Australians." His 13th hundred, in his 99th test, came when he stroked Cameron White for four through cover, bringing up his 10th boundary from his 171st delivery. Laxman continued to flay the visiting attack in the second session and he reached 200 by lofting Michael Clarke over mid-on for two. His innings lasted 301 balls and he hit 21 fours. His highest score of 281 came against Australia in 2001, when India rallied to win the series after losing the first test and being forced to follow-on in the second. Gambhir's innings, which lasted 550 minutes and 380 balls, finally came to an end when he inside-edged Shane Watson and was bowled in the second session. The hosts resumed Thursday at 296-3, with Gambhir going back to the crease knowing he would face a disciplinary hearing at the close of play after being charged by the match referee for his collision with Watson on day one. But he showed no constraints, quickly posting his 150 in the second over of the morning and moving freely toward his maiden double-century, which came with a glance off Brett Lee. He had a reprieve on 176 when his edge to legspinner White could not be taken by a diving Hayden at slip. Gambhir's career-best score _ including 26 fours and one six _ helped India to 435-4 when he departed. Sourav Ganguly fell nine runs later when he drove part-time spinner Katich to Ricky Ponting at short cover. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who hit two fours and a six from one Katich over, was removed for a quickfire 27 when he edged Watson to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. The Australians took only three wickets on the first day and the pacemen were flat again on the second. Paceman Stuart Clark _ who bowled well without taking any wickets in 33 tight overs _ said it had been a long two days, but the team was trying not to focus on the result. "Im not sure weve thought about saving or not saving the test," he said. "We want to post a reasonable total tomorrow, bat again on the next day and see what happens. Were just worrying about batting and seeing how many we can get in the first innings." Watson was the only quick bowler to break through until Mitchell Johnson trapped Kumble lbw for 45 shortly before the declaration. Johnson finished with 3-142 while Watson picked up 2-66 from 20 overs. Another serious concern for the visitors is that the pitch is expected to produce uneven bounce and more turn from day three. But Clark said the surface remains good for batting. "I dont think it holds that many demons at the moment."

Assam serial blasts: 61 dead, over 470 injured

mirchi — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:31:50 +0000

61 people were killed and about 470 injured in serial blasts in Guwahati and three other districts of Assam as suspected HuJI militants struck terror in the hub of North-East, considered by far the worst attack.The first of the 13 bombs, suspected to have been planted by Bangladesh-based HuJI members, went off at around 11.30 AM under the Ganeshguri flyover near the high-security capital complex housing the Assembly building, followed by explosions at Paltan Bazar and Fancy Bazar in Guwahati.Around the same time, bombs also went off in crowded market places of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts in lower Assam.Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi put the toll at 61 dead and 470 injured. Of the six blasts in Guwahati, RDX was used in two of the explosions, he said adding a special task force was being set up to unearth the conspiracy behind the blasts.Black smoke billowed from the Deputy Commissioner's Office housing the district courts, which bore the brunt of the attacks in Guwahati, as vehicles, including a number of cars, turned into mangled heaps of metal.Police suspected that the bomb was planted in the court complex on a two-wheeler. At least 25 people were killed and 235 injured in the blasts in Guwahati where an indefinite curfew was clamped following protests by residents, who accused the police of delayed action.While 19 were killed and 64 injured in Kokrajhar, 12 died in Barpeta where 46 others were wounded. Five people were injured in Bongaigaon, said Principal Secretary (Home) Subhash Das.A red alert has been sounded across the state and army has also been put on alert in view of the security situation, he said after Gogoi held a review meeting with his cabinet colleagues and top officials.

India plans manned lunar mission by 2015

mirchi — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:06:33 +0000

ISRO has revealed that it plans a moon mission and that it would gear up for this complex and challenging task.After the successful launch of the lunar mission Chandrayan I, India now aims to send a man to the moon and that could happen as soon as by 2015. Having entered the elite club of six who have sent spacecrafts to the moon, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has revealed that it plans a moon mission and that it would gear up for this complex and challenging task. Along with India, the elite six consist of the U.S., former Soviet Union, European Space Agency, China and Japan. "Now we have a little bit of breathing time (after today's launch), we are looking how we can design a capsule, which can carry two astronauts onboard a GSLV rocket. This is a very complex and challenging task, first of all to conceive a module, which can predict the condition of human life in space. It is a big challenge in terms of technology and realization," said G Madhavan Nair, ISRO Chairman. He also stated that the astronaut selection and training, along with improving the safety standards are also key issues that are considerably complex to handle. "Considering all these, we have prepared a project report and this had been cleared by the Space Commission and is awaiting the government approval. Based on this, we will have the first man mission from Indian soil before 2015," said he. "ISRO would try to handle the proposed mission without any help from countries that had prior experience in manned missions. It will be completely driven by us. However, if there is any scope for meaningful collaboration, we will consider it," G Madhavan Nair added

Bollywood - Box Office Analysis

mirchi — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:56:49 +0000

First weekend performance of latest releasePeople have actually been asking two questions - a) Are there actually two films by the name of HARI PUTTAR - A COMEDY OF TERRORS and RAFOO CHAKKAR - FUN ON THE RUN, b) Have these two films actually released? Such low were the two films on hype and further low on substance (as claimed by the poor souls who actually gathered courage to watch them on their Friday release), that even before the film's first show ended, the writing was clear on the wall. The two films are as dead as dust and would find it difficult to survive beyond their opening weekend. With DRONA and KIDNAP seeing a Thursday release, the two films have failed to survive even a week's run. One wonders if even 10 lakhs apiece would be possible for these two films once the collections are out!Last week's moviesA small film that has managed to gain some moolah, courtesy a bountiful opening weekend, WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR has gathered 6.5 crores from the box office in it's first week. The film had seen a medium level release though (over 400 cinemas) which made recovery even easier for this UTV film. The film has been excellent in Mumbai with 1.7 crores coming in while Delhi too has been good with excess of 85 lakhs. The film won't really do a WEDNESDAY at the box office since the word of mouth is just good (not terrific as was the case with the Neeraj Pandey thriller) and competition from DRONA and KIDNAP is immense as well. However, the movie has comfortably sailed through and is already an above average earner.On the other hand SAAS BAHU AUR SENSEX is a major flop and hasn't done well for Tanushree Dutta who believed that this movie would find an audience. With a mere 1 crore coming from across the country, SAAS BAHU AUR SENSEX has failed miserably and is hardly being seen in it's second week. Chances are low that even DVDs would be able to salvage this poor movie which also suffered from bad reviews and negligible word of mouth. As for HULLA, it is a total downer and a colossal disaster. What else can one term a movie like this which in it's entire week run nets a pathetic 13 lacs from across the country!From the pastComparatively 1920 has managed to survive reasonably well in it's second week too when one thought that the film may do it's maximum business in it's first weekend, get return on investment and then say goodbye to the box office. However, the film fell by a reasonable 55% in it's second weekend and earned another 2.5 crores. With 8.5 crores already in it's kitty and 10 crores very much on the cards, 1920 is a comfortable above average runner at the box office.Success story of A WEDNESDAY is akin to that of JAB WE MET and earlier VIVAH, both of which had managed to grow from strength to strength week after week. The film is doing rock steady business at the box office and taking minimal fall. In it's third week, the film saw only 20% drop, hence managing to earn another 2 crores for itself. A film made on shoestring budget, A WEDNESDAY has already earned more than 7.5 crores for itself and 10 crores doesn't look far away. With a HIT tag already bestowed upon it, one now waits to see if the film manages to survive till Diwali and reach 15 crores mark to earn a SUPERHIT tag for itself!ROCK ON is another HIT of the season and after seeing less than 50% fall in it's 4th week, it saw another 2.5 crores coming in. At close to 25 crores, the film is a good HIT at the box office and is continuing to run at a few shows till date. If the makers play their game smartly and release the DVDs soon on the stands, the film would do bumper business on home entertainment as well since the movie is finding immense appreciation all over.PHOONK is managing to survive as well and though not many would have given this Ramu film much of a chance before it's release, the fact is that it is continuing to rake in moolah even in it's 5th week. With 15 lakhs more coming in, the film is inching towards the 11 crores mark. Meanwhile BACHNA AE HASEENO is now eyeing 38 crores after being in the running for 6 weeks. The film collected 30 lakhs more in the week gone by. SINGH IS KINNG earned slightly more than that (35 lakhs) and has now crossed the 75 crores mark.In the futureKIDNAP and DRONA release today and the verdict is already out (the film released on Thursday all over) that KIDNAP has taken a better opening than DRONA. However, the fact is that none of the two films has found appreciation (KIDNAP is average to below average while DRONA is already showing signs of rejection). By the time the first weekend is through, picture would be crystal clear. However, if one has to term the state of Bollywood for the moment, it is that it would have to wait for KARZZZZ on 17th October to bring back the smiles.

Gujarat - Low intensity blast - 2 dead, 8 injured

mirchi — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:59:04 +0000

At least two persons were dead and 8 others injured when a low intensity blast occurred in Sabarkantha in Gujarat, late Monday night. Besides the reports coming in from Malegoen in Maharastra also stated that one person is dead and seven injured in yet another blast that occurred in the vicinity of a mosque. The blast took place in sukabazar area of Modasa town. Sabarkantha is a Muslim dominated area and the blast is reported to have taken place at a time when a large crowd had congregated in the market for Eid shopping. The bomb is believed to have been implanted on a motorbike. The police have condoned off the area and the injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals. The people have been asked not to panic and remain indoors. The Gujarat police is taking the incident very seriously as earlier in the day 17 crude bombs were recovered from a rubbish bin in Ahmedabad. According to reports, all the bombs have been defused by the bomb disposal squad. The recovery of bombs near Kalupur Darwaza a day before the beginning of the state’s famous nine-day long Navaratri festival has sent terror waves across Gujarat. It has further increased the tensions of police, who will now have to ensure the fixation of metal detectors on the entry gates of all Navaratri functions. A probe into who placed the bombs into the dustbin is on. No further detail on the incident is available yet. As many as 22 co-ordinated serial blasts ripped across Ahmedabad city on July 26 killing at least 56 people and injuring more than 100. A day later, nearly two dozen live bombs were found in Surat.

Delhi Blast - Serial blasts rock Delhi - Photos & Videos & Chronology of Delhi blasts

mirchi — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:38:43 +0000

Delhi Blast - Serial blasts rock Delhi - Photos & Videos PHOTOS after the 5 Blasts in DELHI A man lies on the road, after a bomb explosion in New Delhi.People carry an injured woman after a bomb explosion in New Delhi.An Ambulance carrying wounded people drives away following a blast at connaught place in central New Delhi.Bomb explosion rock Barakhambha road in New Delhi.A security official inspects a blast site in New Delhi.Police secure the area following a blast in New Delhi.A blast victim being rushed to a nearby hospital in New Delhi.Chronology of Delhi blastsApril 14, 2006: Jama Masjid, 14 injured in 2 blasts October 29, 2005: Sarojini Nagar, Paharganj, Govindpuri, 59 killed, 155 injured in 3 blasts May 22, 2005: Liberty, Satyam Cinemas, 1 killed 60 injured in 2 blasts August 11, 2001: South Extension, 2 injured in a blast May 20, 2001: CGO Complex, none killed or injured in a blast May 9, 2001: Army Headquarters, Dalhousie Road, one injured in 2 blasts June 18, 2000: Red Fort, 2 killed in a blast March 16, 2000: Sadar Bazaar, 7 injured in a blast February 27, 2000: Paharganj, 8 injured in a blast January 6, 2000: Old Delhi Railway Station, 20 injured in a blast June 3, 1999: Chandni Chowk, 27 injured in a blast April 16, 1999: Holambi Kalan Railway Station, 2 killed in a blast Nov 30, 1997: Twin blasts in Red Fort area leaves three killed and 70 injured. Oct 26, 1997: Twin bomb blasts in Karol Bagh market leaves one dead and 34 injured. Oct 18, 1997: One killed, 23 hurt in twin bomb blasts in Rani Bagh market. Oct 10, 1997: One killed, 16 injured in three bomb blasts at Shantivan, Kauria Pul and Kingsway Camp areas. Oct 1, 1997: Thirty injured in two bomb explosions near a procession in the Sadar Bazar area. Jan 9, 1997: 50 injured in bomb blast opposite the Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO. May 23, 1996: At least 16 people killed in bomb blasts in Lajpat Nagar Central Market.

Delhi Bomb Blasts Report with Video - 20 killed, 90 injured in 5 blasts across Delhi

mirchi — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:57:59 +0000

Twenty people have so far been reported killed and 50 injured in 5 serial bomb blasts in crowded places across Delhi. The blasts took place in Karol Bagh, Connaught Place, Greater Kailash-I and Barakhamba Road in a span of 40-50 minutes. One explosive device was defused near the high-security India Gate area. Terror outfit Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the blasts. The first explosion rocked Gaffar market area of Karol Bagh in central Delhi at 6.15pm. The explosive was kept near a car. The impact of the blast was so severe that an auto was thrown up several feet.This was followed by the blasts in Connaught Place area.In Barakhamba Road, one of the bombs was suspected to be hidden near Nirmal tower. The second blast in the CP took place near Gopal Das tower. Both the buildings house private offices and banks. The third blast took place in Central Park. In the GK-I blast, ten shops were damaged in the explosion that took place at around 6:40 pm. The bombs were hidden in a dustbin.Preliminary examination of the blast site said that low intensity ammonium nitrate tied to integrated circuit had been used in almost all the serial blasts. Timer devices were used in all the blasts.Two persons have been detained by the police for questioning. The police says that a 12-year-old boy may be able to provide clues.Prime Mininister Manmohan Singh has condemned the blasts and appealed for calm. (With PTI inputs)

Breaking News - New Delhi - Serial blasts rock busy market areas across Delhi

mirchi — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:25:57 +0000

A series of bomb blasts have been reported from busy markets across Delhi. First blast took place in an auto rickshaw at Ghaffar market of Karol Bagh in west Delhi.Another explosion was reported at Connaught Place's Central Park area. Yet another blast rocked Greater Kailash in south Delhi.The Greater Kailash market has been shut down after blast.

Delhi - Explosion rocks Karol Bagh area - Blast in Gaffar market area

mirchi — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 18:53:35 +0000

An explosion rocked a busy market area in the central Delhi this evening leaving over 20 people injured, police said. The blast took place in Gaffar market area, which is famous for sale of foreign goods, in the evening. The nature of explosion was yet to be ascertained, police said. Injured have been taken to Sucheta Kriplani Hospital

Breaking News: Two blasts in Delhi; several injured

mirchi — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 18:51:59 +0000

Two explosions rocked Delhi one after the other on Saturday evening. The first explosion was reported in Karol Bagh’s famous Gaffar Market’s MCD market. According to eyewitness accounts, nearly 30 people have been injured; of these at least 8 seriously. A second blast has been reported in Central Park of Connaught Place near Pallika Bazaar. The blast in Karol Bagh took place in a CNG auto-rickshaw and was followed by a blast in the cylinder kept on a scooter right behind it. Ambulances rushed to the spot as soon as the incident was reported. The injured have been rushed to nearby nursing homes and Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The first blast took place at 6:20 pm. The second blast followed 30 seconds later. The MCD market is located in a very congested area of Karol Bagh and has several mobile phone shops. The blast in CP took place at Nirmal Bhavan’s parking lot. Three people have been reported injured have been rushed to the hospital.

BMW 2: Delhi cops arrest driver, victim fights for life

mirchi — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:39:53 +0000

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday arrested Utsav Bhasin, suspected to be behind the wheel of the BMW that ran over two people on Thursday morning. A case of rash and negligent driving has been registered against him.Bhasin was arrested from the Kashmiri Gate area of the Capital and has been taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for tests. Meanwhile, the victim, 25-year-old Anuj Aditya, is still battling for his life. Aditya and his friend Marikant Thakur were hit by the speeding vehicle early on Thursday morning in the Lajpat Nagar area of south Delhi. After hitting the men, a panicky Bhasin broke open the window panes of the car, to escape as the vehicle got locked from inside, police an eyewitness as saying. They abandoned the BMW – bearing a VIP number plate - at a petrol station 300 m from the accident spot and fled in another car. Twenty-year-old Bhasin is a resident of Punjabi Bagh and an alumnus of a prominent Delhi school while the girl traveling with him is a class XII student at the same school. Bhasin's father is an industrialist based out of Bahadurgarh in Haryana and is presently in China on a business tour.The car bears a VIP registration number from Haryana, a police official said.Meanwhile, victim Anuj Aditya's family is considering organ donation if he does not survive the accident. Doctors say the other victim has sustained injuries but has no memory of the accident, a condition called post-traumatic amnesia.

Another BMW hit-and-run: Driver arrested

mirchi — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:36:58 +0000

The son of a Delhi-based industrialist was arrested on Friday from the inter-state bus terminus (ISBT) on charges of critically injuring two people when he rammed his BMW into a motorcycle and fled the scene. Utsav Bhasin, who was arrested from ISBT at Kashmiri Gate, was allegedly driving the BMW when the accident occurred early on Thursday near Moolchand in south Delhi. Police said Utsav, who had studied at Delhi Public School, was missing after the incident took place. Utsav is the son of industrialist Narendra Kumar Bhasin, who owns the BMW car and is currently in China for a business deal. The victims - Mrigank Srivastav and Anuj Singh - were admitted to the AIIMS trauma centre. While Srivastav who was riding the motorcycle was showing some signs of recovery, Singh was stated to be in a critical condition. After the accident, Utsav tried to flee from the spot but had to abandon the car as it was damaged. The other occupant was his sister Sakshi. The BMW car being driven at very high speed rammed into the motorcycle in the under-construction BRT corridor near Lajpat Nagar around 2.25 am on Thursday. While the two riders of the motorcycle lay injured, the driver of the car sped away, only to abandon the vehicle half a kilometre away. Both occupants of the car are residents of West Punjabi Bagh. Police added that the ownership of the car had been traced to Golden Rollers Private Limited which had its registered office in Sultanpur near Sonepat. he company in question is owned by Narendar Kumar Bhasin, Utsav's father. According to the police, the BMW 525i, registration number HR 26 AK/0020, which was allegedly being driven at at a very high speed hit the Pulsar motorcycle (DL4S/AW/6977) from behind and then dragged it for a few metres. The car finally stopped half-a-kilometre from the spot after hitting a pole and climbed onto the pavement. The car was damaged on the left side, and glass shards lay scattered inside. A party coupon, slippers and other documents were also found inside. Meanwhile, the motorcycle rider was identified as Mrigank Srivastava (25), while pillion rider was Anuj Singh (24). Police said Anuj suffered more serious injuries as he was reportedly not wearing a helmet and fell as Mrigank tried to control the vehicle after being hit. The two were coming from PVR Saket and were headed towards Nizamuddin. A Delhi Police motorcycle patrol spotted the two and immediately informed the PCR van stationed near Moolchand which rushed the two to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where the condition of Anuj was stated to be critical. He had suffered head and spinal injuries. Though Mrigank was declared out of danger, he was still too traumatised to make a statement. Autorickshaw driver Vijay Kumar who was standing near the spot where the car was abandoned told police that he saw a man and a woman getting out from the car after breaking the window panes and running away. They took out the keys of the car and after walking a bit, boarded an autorickshaw and fled. The police have also recorded the statements of other witnesses. Said DCP (south) HGS Dhaliwal: "We have registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the car driver and have impounded the vehicle. Utsav, who was behind the wheels, will be arrested." An extra cautious Delhi Police also called in experts from the forensic division of CBI to inspect the car and the spot. "The CFSL report will help us to establish that it was the BMW which hit the motorcycle as there were colour impressions of the car on the bike," said a senior police officer.

The New Nuclear morals and its consequences

mirchi — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:37:10 +0000

India has almost crossed the decades-long nuclear hurdle--- yes almost. With just that "little matter" of the US Senate and House remaining to be taken care of before the final seal is put on what is the most historic and certainly the most controversial foreign policy decision in both countries in recent times. And George Bush is expected to pamper, persuade, molly coddle and if necessary bull doze his way through the naysayers just as he did with the "spoilers" in the NSG, last week.Both Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and George Bush have staked their all, more so the former, in getting this deal through. They should be mighty pleased with the developments so far. More than them are those mighty corporates and industries who deal in nuclear commerce and technology. One can almost hear them smacking their lips in expectation of the huge anticipated benefits to their company's bottomline, both in US and India, not to say France, Russia and other countries. The tens of thousands of crores of rupees which is expected to flow out of this deal not just in the area of nuclear technology, is bound to keep the bourses happy for years.But what is this deal all about? In simple and, for some, unpalatable terms, it means India has been rewarded with this extra-ordinary concession by both the NSG and the IAEA, for having cocked a snook at the world nuclear order. It has been rewarded after having been a willful deviant. It has been placed above all the countries which have refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) and even some who have signed it. It has been given a status which no other country in the world with nuclear weapons enjoys. It is the only country which is not a recognized nuclear weapons power, but has been allowed to pursue its weapons programme. It is the only country which can indulge in nuclear commerce with other countries, without having signed the NPT. And all this and more, courtesy--- the US and George Bush.No wonder, after the July 2005 meeting between Bush and Dr.Singh and when the architecture of this deal was put in place, many wondered whether this will in fact become a reality. Peaceniks as well non-proliferation lobbies across the world were up in arms against this offer of Bush. Why is he doing it? They asked. In fact even today, the much revered New York Times is asking it. He says that he is doing it to keep India under control from proliferating nuclear weapons. More importantly he says, nuclear power is necessary to clean up the world from non-renewable sources of energy. But everyone knows the world, and certainly India will have to continue to rely on these "undesirable" non renewable sources like coal, for many many decades, and the nuclear power is just going to be a small component of our requirement even after spending those lip-smacking tens of thousands of crores on new nuclear power plants.Well, let's now divert a little bit. Towards the hypocrisy and morals of the various players in this entire drama, which has gripped the nation. When in 1998, a young Atal Behari Vajpayee-led NDA Government conducted the nuclear explosion in Pokhran, there was euphoria alright, but there was also consternation. Consternation because just a few days later Pakistan also exploded and for the first time since the two nations came into existence as independent entities, a military parity had been established. Before the explosion, India's military might was far superior to Pakistan. But with both nations declaring themselves as nuclear power, it hardly mattered who had more soldiers or fighter jets or tanks or submarines. All it needs now is a threat of unleashing a nuclear missile to bring all of them to a grinding halt.Now let's divert a little bit more. Why is America offering the juicy deal? It is obvious. It wants to prop up India as a strategic counter to the Chinese in this part of the world. That the western powers have never been comfortable with the growing clout of the Chinese is an open secret. Just when the relations between the two countries, India and China, was stabilising, US by offering this deal to bring India on par with China over the years, has successfully drawn a wedge. It was evident when an uncomfortable China tried to put a spoke in the NSG and India reacted with a midnight demarche to the Chinese envoy. American establishment in Washington must be watching this war of words with glee.Now that the seed of suspicion has been re-sown, surely there would be more room for tensions between the two Asian powers in future, and that's what Americans want.Now some more diversion--domestic this time. It is most ironical that in 1998, when Vajpayee and his ilk were thumping their chests in celebration, both Congress and left parties were sulking. They both felt that by conducting these tests, which they felt was not really necessary, as anyway world knew we were capable of producing nuclear weapons, we had given Pakistan an opportunity to follow suit. They also worried about the international consequence.But Vajpayee dramatically declared, that India would observe voluntary moratorium on further tests. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam and company declared that there is no need for further tests as India had figured out all that is needed for our weaponisation programme. This is what was sold to the world also, and in fact this is what has finally clinched us the NSG waiver and IAEA approval and by all indications the US Senate and House approval too soon. But the BJP as well as the left parties are now opposing all this, because they feel the deal in IAEA and NSG has castrated our future testing possibilities!Now for the final diversion. By offering this deal to India, which no doubt is a responsible but officially not recognized nuclear weapons power, what has the US and the world nuclear order achieved? It has given countries like Iran, Pakistan, North Korea and other potential nuclear weapons power an inferiority complex, and worse a feeling of being discriminated against. Now is this the best thing to happen, considering the global tensions being witnessed? Well, purely from the point of view of "supreme national interest" India should not be bothered about all this and should start enjoying its special status in the world order without being a NPT signatory and all the new technology which will start flowing in.Now the final word--- or rather question--- has all this ensured a peaceful, progressive, conflict-free world for our future generations?

Breaking News: Earthquake hits Dubai

mirchi — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:03:10 +0000

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from high-rise buildings across Dubai as earthquake tremors from nearby Iran shook the city.Workers in locations across the city - from Garhoud to Jebel Ali - report feeling tremors at around 3.15pm. The quake was also felt in Sharjah and Ajman, according to local media.There are no reports of injuries in the UAE.The quake's epicentre, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, was in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.An official at the Dubai Meteorological Office could not confirm this but told Emirates Business that there "are no plans to close [Dubai] airport".Abu Dhabi Meteorological Office could not be contacted for comment.Several high-rise buildings along Sheikh Zayed Road have been evacuated. Local sources say that the Reuters building in Media City and another building in Silicon Oasis have also been cleared.

Markets abuzz ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi

mirchi — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:16:24 +0000

Mumbai, Sept 2 (ANI): Markets are abuzz with activity in Mumbai ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, which begins on Wednesday.Markets were decorated beautifully as shopkeepers displayed their wares in interesting ways to attract the customers.Miniature temples, crowns, thrones to seat the Ganesha idols, and an array of varied decorative items are some of the items that are most sought after.For the people, the festival is an occasion of great joy and even the hike in prices of the materials because of inflation could do little to dampen their festive spirits.“It is our biggest festival and comes once a year, so we prepare for it with great enthusiasm. But this year, the things are a little expensive due to inflation,” said Manoj, a customer.The shopkeepers are a happy lot, as the festival spells booming business for them.“The market grows by ten per cent every year. As nowadays people are becoming more religious, so they flock the markets ahead of the festivals resulting the market to grow every year,” said Gulshan Rane, a shopkeeper.Meanwhile, considering the recent terror attacks in the country, security has been beefed up in Mumbai.CCTV’’s have been installed at the pandals apart from routine fire extinguishing devices and other safety measures.“We have installed CCTV cameras to keep a track on the visitors visiting the pandals. The visitors should come in queues to avoid stampedes. There will be separate queue for ladies and children. It is very important to make these arrangements to avoid any untoward incidents,” said K.L. Prasad, Joint Commisioner of Police, Mumbai.Policemen have been deployed to guard the pandals. They have also been stationed around the city at crowded places to keep a check on any untoward incident.Special arrangements are being made to ensure safe and smooth festival.The ten-day long festival that marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha is celebrated with great fanfare across the state.During the festival, Ganesha idols are worshipped at hundreds of ”pandals” or makeshift tents before they are immersed in water bodies.For years, Ganesh Chaturthi was a personal or private affair, celebrated at homes.But at the turn of the century, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, freedom fighter and social reformer, converted it into a public event, using it as a platform to fight the British colonial rule.The festival is very popular in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra. (ANI)

Ganesha promotes communal amity in Moradabad

mirchi — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:13:38 +0000

Chandausi (Uttar Pradesh): Far away from the communal divides and caste and creed factors of Uttar Pradesh, many Muslim sculptors are demonstrating communal amity by making Lord Ganesha idols for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Scores of Muslim artisans in Chandausi town of Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district are busy meeting the deadline to supply idols to their Hindu patrons from far and near. They are focused on sculpting attractive idols of Lord Ganesha, as these idols are required on Vinayak Chaturthi festival, which falls on September 3 (Wednesday) this year. According to the members of the Muslim community, their involvement in the success of the Mela gives them a great feeling that all religions are equal.“The Muslim community residing in the Raj Mohalla renders its full support in making of the Ganesha idols. There is no discrimination among the Hindus and the Muslims. We work together all day and night for 15 days,” said Abdul, an artisan. Saleem, another artisan, said: “We like to make idols. We work together in a way, as we are members of one family. I have been coming here to make tableaux for past 21 years and I like doing it. This year I am making an idol of Hanuman.” Ganesha is regarded to be the index of all auspicious beginnings. Hindus, on the other side, are quite appreciative of Muslim sculptors’ contribution for Ganesh festival and term it to be a perfect example of communal amity that has stood fast in the region for centuries. “Ganesh Chaturthi Mela has been presenting its wonderful tableaux for a very long time where people from all the religions participate without any hatred and abhorrence. They give free service in making the God's idols. They encourage for all to see a wonderful procession of the idols,” said Lala Ganeshi Ram, Vice President, Mela Committee, Chandausi.

Deepika, Farah Kiss & Make Up?

mirchi — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:04:16 +0000

There have been reams and reams written about the fallout between Deepika Padukone and here mentor Farah Khan. The actress has been bombarded by the media, which labelled her as being ungrateful for not keeping in touch with the director who launched her. It all began when Farah gave birth to her triplets and Deepika failed to visit her in hospital. Little did people realise that the actress was very busy post Om Shanti Om with her forthcoming films. She was travelling and working nonstop for quite a while now. Following the release of Bachna Ae Haseeno, the actress finally has some time on her hands. She is believed to be going home after ages to celebrate Ganapati. But it seems that the actress has used the time to even catch up with Farah. The duo apparently even visited designer Manish Malhotra's office together to discuss Deepika's look and clothes for her appearance in Billoo Barber, which is being produced by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Priyadarshan. Maybe it was the SRK factor that did it, but the fact that Farah accompanied the actress to the designer's office, proves that all is well between them. Farah is also choreographing a song for the film as well. Besides SRK, the film also stars Irrfan Khan and Lara Dutta in the lead roles.