India's ambitious Unique ID project dubbed "Aadhaar", which aims to give every Indian citizen a unique number mapped to biometrics, was launched on Wednesday in the Nadurbar district of Maharashtra. The Technoholik.com team got a sneak peek at the UIDAI (Unique ID Authority of India) tech centre in Bangalore, to tell you everything you need to know about the enrolment process.
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| Nandan Nilekani Chairman of Unique Identification Number |
The setup
The enrollment officer (EO) sits at right angles to you and enters data into a laptop. The insight of the Aadhaar team here is that the person getting enrolled must see what is being entered. Thus there's a monitor in front of you, which mirrors the enrolment officer's screen so that you can point out spelling mistakes or other errors. If the person getting enrolled is illiterate, he or she can nominate someone to accompany and verify. There's a small laser printer behind the EO's laptop and a webcam, fingerprint reader and iris scanner account for the remainder of the hardware setup. Unless, of course, you count the light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a white "roll-up" chart behind you for the "passport photo studio" effect!
Compulsory information
Name (first and last name compulsory but middle name optional), Gender (Male/Female/Transgender) and Date of Birth are the compulsory fields. Whereas postal address is also required, it's more for the sake of mailing your UID number than strictly being a proof of residence. The EO asks you for a PIN code and the city/district fields are automatically populated. The rest of the address is entered manually.
Supporting documents
The UID team acknowledges the fact that a large number of people may not have any supporting documents to prove their identity. In this case, one is allowed to bring another resident who is already in possession of an Aadhaar number to be an "introducer" by vouching for the person seeking to enroll. Of course, there is scope for fraud either with a colluding introducer or by just using fake supporting documents. However, the whole point of Aadhaar is that one can only fake one's identity once and this prevents large-scale "ghost identity" creation, which is the bane of most Indian government schemes. The great PAN (Permanent Account Number with the Income Tax department) card scam after all involved a single person creating thousands of different PAN numbers.
Photograph
A photograph is taken of the person getting enrolled, purely for the purpose of printing it out on the enrolment receipt, so that illiterate residents have some way of knowing that the receipt indeed belongs to them. Beyond that, the photograph serves no biometric or authentication purpose.
Biometrics
First there's an iris scan where you look into a binocular-like device held up to your eyes by the EO. After that it's the four fingers of each hand, followed by both thumbs (a process familiar to those entering the US) for your 10 fingerprints.
The wait
The EO makes you review the data entered one final time before giving you a laser-printed receipt. Whereas the residents of Tembhali, the "Aadhaar village", were to get their numbers today, the rest of us won't be that lucky. We'll only get to walk away with our receipts and have to wait for the actual number to be delivered by India Post!
Source : Times of India
Thursday, September 30, 2010 |
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Kingfisher Airlines may cut jobs, UB Group Chairman and CEO Vijay Mallya said today.
"There are several employees on our rolls whose presence in the organisation will be reviewed," the chairman of UB Group, of which Kingfisher is a part, told the annual general meeting of Kingfisher.
"We will look at some structural changes in combination of jobs, (and) job profiles as well but without any mass, large-scale layoffs. We are looking to rationalise our human resources cost base," he said.
But Mallya also said that Kingfisher was "not in the business of hiring and firing and generating unemployment".
He said Kingfisher planned to apply for more international flight routes to beat possible competition from SpiceJet and Indigo.
"We are looking at obviously applying for more routes because now SpiceJet is eligible to fly overseas, Indigo will be eligible to fly overseas next year. Before they come in and grab additional bilateral rights, we want to make sure Kingfisher has already secured these rights," Mallya said.
He said that with civil aviation staging a strong recovery, Kingfisher that had earlier deferred new aircraft purchases because of economic slowdown and general over-capacity in the sector, has decided to reactivate delivery stream from Airbus from 2012.
Besides, Mallya said that Kingfisher had cut non-fuel costs to the extent of Rs 530 crore in 2009-10, compared to the previous fiscal.
Thursday, September 30, 2010 |
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A Site which just looks like replica of Facebook was found on web today. This site was Created by an unknown user. This is a networking site for Aligarh Muslim University students. This is a replica of the social networking hub.
Visitors may confuse or might mistaken if they look at this site. Visitors may assume that face book has changed there logo, or a new company called AMU Commuinty brought face book application.
But the 'AMU Community' (
www.amucommunity.com) site is not even remotely connected to your favourite social networking website.
It is just a shocking copy of the original, frame by frame. Though the home page of the clone site does not have any information about its creators, the title bar of the site says, "AMU, Aligarh Muslim University". This university has 40,000 students and 2000 staff.
The site, which has 65 communities related to the University, even asks students for enrollment numbers. 'Zakir Hussain College of Engineering and Technology' is the most visited community with 104 fans.
Users even get points for profile updates and inviting friends and for every 1,000 points, they win a mobile recharge of Rs 20. Not surprising then that there is an update every five minutes.
The surprising thing is that AMU Community provides free mobile recharges to the networks which belongs to India. The network service providers are Airtel, Aircel, Idea, Vodafone,BSNL,Reliance and Tata.
Thursday, September 30, 2010 |
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India’s rising stock market and a booming economy that’s expanding by 8.5% have boosted the net worth of India’s richest people, according to the latest Forbes’ India Rich List.
The combined net worth of India’s 100 richest people is $300 billion, up from $276 billion last year. This year, there are 69 billionaires on the India Rich List, 17 more than last year.
Mukesh Ambani, head of Reliance Industries, has topped the latest Forbes’ India Rich List with a net worth of $27 billion, for the third consecutive time.
Steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, remains at No. 2 with a net worth of $26.1 billion. However both are less well off than they were a year ago.
Moving up to third position this year is IT outsourcer Wipro’s Azim Premji. His wealth increased to $17.6 billion from $14.9 billion last year amid an improving outlook for the sector. Also improving on their previous ranking to No. 4 are brothers Shashi and Ravi Ruia with $15 billion, more than their last year’s net worth of $13.6 billion.
The IPO of their Essar Energy in May, which raised $1.85 billion, was the largest ever listing in London by an Indian company.
“The record number of billionaires on this year’s Forbes list of 100 Richest Indians is yet another clear signal that the centre of gravity will increasingly shift to India and China over the next decade. Frontline Indian entrepreneurs have once again displayed their ability to harness the unprecedented wealth creation opportunities that exist in this part of the world.” says Indrajit Gupta, Editor of Forbes India.
The top four tycoons on the list are worth a combined $86 billion, short of the $180 billion record they set three years ago, and well shy of the $150 billion net worth of the four richest Americans. A notable gainer is Ajay Piramal of life sciences firm Piramal Healthcare (No. 37; $1.75 billion). Piramal talks about his plans in the cover story of the latest issue of Forbes Asia after recently selling part of his company to U.S.-headquartered Abbott Labs for nearly $4 billion.
Also a winner this year is 45-year old media mogul Kalanithi Maran. Ranked No. 17 with a net worth of $4 billion, up by 74% from last year’s $2.3 billion, he is the biggest gainer in percentage terms. The owner of Sun TV Network caused a stir this year when he took more than one-third stake in domestic airline SpiceJet. The list of India’s 40 richest can be found in the October 2010 issue of Forbes Asia, which is available on newsstands now. Forbes India will carry the full list of 100 Richest Indians in its collector’s edition, which hits the stands in India on October 1, 2010.
The top 10 richest in India are:
1) Mukesh Ambani; US$27 billion
2) Lakshmi Mittal; $26.1 billion
3) Azim Premji; $17.6 billion
4) Shashi & Ravi Ruia; $15 billion
5) Savitri Jindal; $14.4 billion
6) Anil Ambani; $13.3 billion
7) Gautam Adani; $10.7 billion
8) Kushal Pal Singh; $9.2 billion
9) Sunil Mittal; $8.6 billion
10) Kumar Birla; $8.5 billion
Thursday, September 30, 2010 |
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Australia's 43rd parliament opened on Tuesday, with a morning church service which Prime Minister Julia Gillard, an atheist, did not attend.
A traditional indigenous welcome ceremony followed, where local elders expressed hope for Australia's future."With this welcome I express the hope of a united reconciled nation."
Elections in August produced the country's first hung parliament since 1941.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard secured a second term for the ruling Labor party, after she won the support of three independents and a Green MP.
"We want this parliament to be productive both in its rules and procedures but also in its outcomes for the nation." said Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard
Opposition leader Tony Abbott said the circumstances of the new government were no excuse to not deliver on election promises.
"Yes, this is a finely balanced parliament, but the fact that it is a finely balanced parliament does not excuse the government of its duty to keep its election commitments. It does not excuse the government from its duty to be an effective government. They can lower expectations all they like here, but out there in the country the people of Australia expect a government that keeps its election commitment." said Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard
In the first major test of the new minority government, Gillard showed her control of parliament, when her choice for speaker of the house was elected unopposed.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 |
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Athletes from the traditional Commonwealth Games powerhouses of Australia and Canada along with competitors from New Zealand, Cook Islands and Samoa arrived in New Delhi early on Tuesday (September 28) to participate in the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
As teams continue to pour in, the games organisers raced to address complaints about dirty and unhygienic facilities six days before the start of the event.
India promised to have housing for the 8,000 athletes' ready by Wednesday (September 29), and said workers were labouring at double time to have all facilities ready for the opening ceremony on October 3.
The Games aimed to improve India's image as a rising power, but criticism of shoddy construction and dirty housing and security fears have instead raised questions about Asia's third largest economy.
More than 1,500 athletes who had arrived in New Delhi by Monday (September 27) were staying at the Games Village, the last big unfinished venue.
Many team members praised their facilities as roomy and clean, but other delegations have encountered problems, including Scotland's team, whose chief said "standards were just not good enough".
A snake was found in the room of a South African athlete and about 150 flats are still considered to be unhygienic, despite a weekend drive by workers to overcome the problems.
The Games Federation said all 71 nations will participate in the October 3-12 Games.
Some media said there had been a row between India and Britain over whether India's president or Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne who is acting on Queen Elizabeth II's behalf at the ceremony, would open the Games.
A spokesman for the British embassy, however, said Prince Charles would open the Games and denied there was any controversy.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 |
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With small business owners watching in the East Room of the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law a package of tax breaks and loan incentives aimed at helping small businesses grow and hire.
"Government can't create jobs to replace the millions that were lost in the recession. But it can create the conditions for small business to hire more people through steps like tax breaks."
The small-business bill, which was approved by the House last week, will likely be the last economic stimulus approved by Congress before the midterm elections.
Obama said "On top of the eight tax breaks we're already passed, we're adding eight more which will accelerate more than $55 billion in tax relief for the next year to businesses across the country."
Sponsors of the $42 billion bill say it will create 500,000 jobs. Critics argue that with the U.S. unemployment rate at 9.6 percent 15 months after the recession officially ended, these are small steps at a time when bold strides are required.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 |
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Hundreds of members of the National League for Democracy (NLD) gathered in the house of opposition's second leader U Tin Oo in Yangon on Monday (September 27) to commemorate the establishment of the NLD 22 years ago after the political unrest in 1988.
Many party members who took part in the ceremony were successful candidates of the 1990 election, in which the NLD won a land-slide victory.
Those results have never been recognised by the junta, and the NLD has not been allowed to form a government.
Many of the younger members of the NLD who took part in the ceremony wore white T-shirts with written message on them to supporting a boycott of the military decorated election to be held on November 7.
Myanmar's Election Commission disbanded the NLD earlier this month and was due to take effect last week, but the NLD says they will continue their political struggle.
"We will not accept the election that was organised under the 2008 constitution, and we will continue our political movements in a democratic way," said U Tin Win, one of senior committee member of the NLD which is now illegal.
Meanwhile, Myanmar Election Commission announced that the NLD's detained leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, will be allowed to vote in November's election, despite a constitutional ban on prisoners being allowed to vote.
Suu Kyi last month advised members of her now-defunct National League for Democracy (NLD) party not to vote in the election, the first since the 1990 polls.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 |
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Asian shares edged lower Tuesday, as Japanese investors eyed the yen and bilateral ties with China.
The Nikkei dipped as the Japanese currency remained near a post-intervention high with expectations that Japan may buy dollars again.
Consumer finance lender Takefuji planned to file for bankruptcy with $5.2 billion in debts, stemming in part from Japan's cap on interest rates at 20 percent and limiting the amount for individual borrowing.
Looking to attend to a sharp rift in ties, Japan announced Prime Minister Naoto Kan would attend an Asian and European leaders' meeting next week and try to meet with his Chinese counterpart.
Separately, Japan's Economics Minister Banri Kaieda said China's de facto ban on rare earth exports to Japan would have a big impact on the world's No. 3 economy.
Elsewhere in Asia, China's Ningbo Port declined in its Shanghai trading debut, after it raised $1.1 billion in its initial public offering.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 |
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Two days before its annual general body meeting (AGM), the Cricket Board's bigwigs have allegedly unearthed new financial irregularities in IPL 3 accounts through an internal audit on Monday.
The irregularities came to fore when the IPL's Governing Council met here today to go through the accounts of the third edition of the T20 league held in March-April with Lalit Modi as chairman.
"An amount of Rs 76 crore and 22 lakh through sale of hospitality tickets for the final (on April 25), the third place tie (held on April 24) and the two semifinals (all held in Mumbai) is unaccounted for," BCCI sources, who did not want to be named, said here.
"Hospitality ticket for the final cost Rs 1 lakh, Rs 80,000 for the third place tie and cost Rs 50,000 for the two semifinals. There is no account for these and there is no signed contract," the sources said.
"Only 30,000 tickets for the final have been accounted for while the stadium (D Y Patil Stadium) was packed to capacity as everyone had seen and it can hold 52,000 people. Over 20,000 tickets are unaccounted for," they said.
The final was held between eventual champions Chennai Super Kings, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians.
Sources also revealed there appeare to be irregularities in another deal wrapped up by Modi.
The Delhi-based company which got the deal (for supply of machines to screen spectators' bags at the match venues) existed only on paper and the invoice for a much lesser amount than shown in the accounts was sent to the Board by another Bangalore firm, the sources explained.
"The accounts show that the Delhi company, whose address turned out to be a guest house, had been given a contract for Rs 5.5 crore but the invoice we received from the Bangalore company for the same service was for Rs 1.5 crore out of which only Rs 70 lakh had been paid to it," the sources said.
"These things came to light when the Governing Council members sat together with the internal auditors. All these would be placed before the AGM (on September 29)," they said.
Seven members, including IPL interim chairman Chirayu Amin who is also a member of the three-man disciplinary panel set up by the Board to probe the alleged irregularities committed by Modi, did not attend today's meeting.
Amin and another GC member, Arun Jaitley, are conducting the probe in Delhi against Modi along with Jyotiraditya Scindia. Jaitley too could not attend the GC meeting.
Other absentees were ex-cricketers Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, along with Farooq Abdullah and I S Bindra.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 |
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday it will conduct mandatory check-ups of the financial sector of 25 systemically-important countries, including India, in efforts to prevent a repeat of the global financial crisis.
Until now, IMF financial sector evaluations have been voluntary.
The fund identified the 25 as: the United States, Britain, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, South Korea, Singapore, India, Japan, China, Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Hong Kong, Ireland, Russia, Mexico and Singapore. India among 25 nations to undergo IMF check-ups
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 |
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Many of us may have different kind of hobbies and there are very few people who make it as a profession and this 14-year-old swimmer Ananya Panigrahi, who has the ambitions as high as sky, is among one of them.
Pune-based swimmer Ananya Panigrahi has made her parents and the country proud as she is going to take part in the Commonwealth Games 2010 and she is also the youngest athlete to represent India in CWG 2010.
Ananya started swimming for fun when she was around five years old. Gradually, she started developing a passion for it.
Ananya used to swim in small pools and watched elders practicing their advanced swimming lessons and finally Ananya decided that she too will accomplish the same.
Ananya started practicing hard with zeal and won a bronze medal in the very first competition she participated in at the district level. She was only an 8-year-old at that time.
She went on to participate at the district and state levels by the time she was 11.
Brief profile of Ananya Panigrahi
Date of Birth: 15 Sep 1996
Birthplace: Benras, but living in Pune, Maharashtra.
Coach: Tapan kumar ( Ananya's father)
Achievements: National Sub-junior title in Kolkata (2008), National junior in Jaipur (2009), National championship in 100m and 200m backstrokes in Jaipur (2010), National Women's Swimming competition in Bhubaneswar (2009 ).
Ananya's hard work
Ananya has proved that nothing worth comes easy, with her hard work and determination she has established herself as the country's best swimmer in the under 14 category and has won as many as 38 medals and 86 certificates.
Worth mentioning are 5 gold medals, 6 silver medals and 1 bronze medal at the national level and 36 gold, 19 silver and 14 bronze medals at the state level.
Studies
Apart from swimming practices and studies this little champ also manages time to take part in the extra-curricular activities at school.
Even Ananya's school has been very supportive for her as she has to travel across the country for the various competitions.
Rising swimmer Ananya's dream
Ananya wishes to see herself as an internationally renowned sportsperson in the future. She believes that she is one of the better swimmers' the country has and aspires to become the best and make the country proud on the world map.
She feels tremendously happy for her achievements till date and looks forward to bag many more medals in the upcoming events.
Her dream is to achieve gold at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Now all Indian are looking forward at this little champ's performance in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, and hope she wins a Gold medal and make her parents and country proud.
Saturday, September 25, 2010 |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been honoured with the 2010 'World Statesman Award' by a US-based interfaith coalition for his commitment to democracy, freedom, human rights and peace in the service of humanity.
77-year-old Singh was awarded in absentia by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and Indian Ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, accepted the award on behalf of the Prime Minister at a glittering ceremony here.
In a recorded speech, Singh said: "I accept this award on behalf of the people who have lived in this sacred land for a millennia and have lived together."
"India has been guided since ancient times by the fundamental belief that while spiritual expression takes many forms and the journey for universal truth takes many paths, we are all united by our highest values, ideals and our inherent humanism," he said in the acceptance speech.
On the occasion, US Under Secretary of State William Burns, conveying his greetings, said: "There could truly be no better choice, and no better model of what integrity and statesmanship are all about on the world stage."
"A man of even temperament and remarkable modesty and humility, Prime Minister Singh has demonstrated clear vision and steely determination as a leader, bringing great benefit to India and to the rest of the world," he said.
Delivering the commendation address, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger applauded Singh for his leadership, which has been instrumental in the economic transformation underway in India.
He described Singh as a statesman with vision, persistence and integrity.
Emphasising on the close convergence of Indo-US interest in Asia including Afghanistan, he called for regional countries, particularly India, to play a greater role in pursuing ways to bring peace, stability and development in Afghanistan.
Ambassador Shankar, while accepting the award on behalf of Singh, thanked Rabbi Schneier, President of the Foundation, and said: "His extraordinary mission addresses one of the most important challenges for humanity and one that more than at any other time in human history is critical for the future peace and prosperity of our world which has become far more integrated and interdependent."
"In honouring Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the Appeal of Conscience Foundation has honoured a leader of extraordinary statesmanship, vision and intellect who is guiding the destiny of the world's largest democracy."
Thursday, September 23, 2010 |
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The government on Wednesday(September 22) banned bulk SMS and MMS for three days(72 hours) with immediate effect in view of the Ayodhya title suits verdict.
The Ministry of Communications issued the order in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The order has been issued to all mobile telecom service providers in the country for “banning all bulk SMS and MMS in all service areas with immediate effect for next 72 hours”.
The step comes two days before the verdict by the Allahabad High Court on the title suit of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute on Friday.
The government is apprehensive that some extreme elements may foment trouble by inciting communal passions after the delivery of the judgement.
Earlier in the day, Home Minister P. Chidambaram appealed for peace and caution against rushing to any inappropriate conclusion over the judgement.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 |
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Nano, the small car from the Tatas, is projected to become India's second best selling car next year, according to market research firm JD Power.
According to a report by JD Power, Nano will replace Hyundai's i10, which is slated to take the second position in 2010 after Maruti Suzuki's Alto. Tata Motor's Indica will be the third best seller this year.
"The Nano is projected to hold the number two spot in 2011 after Tata ramps up production," JD Power Asia Pacific Forecasting Senior Market Analysts Marvin Zhu and Ammar Master said in a joint article.
"By 2017, we think the top three models will be the Alto, Nano and Wagon R," it said.
Currently Alto is the highest selling car brand in the country, selling on an average of 25,000 units every month.
As per the report, the combined sales of mini and sub-compact vehicles would be 9,97,000 units in 2010, increasing to 3.14 million units by 2017.
The size of the Indian domestic passenger car market stood at over 15 lakh units in 2009-10 and it is growing at a rate of about 30 per cent every month in this fiscal.
Tata Motors had launched the Nano, touted as the world's cheapest car, in 2009 and is currently delivering the first lot of one lakh cars to the customers. It produces the car from Sanand in Gujarat and the facility has an installed capacity to produce 2.5 lakh units annually.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 |
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Hard as it is to imagine it amid the chaos of Commonwealth Games preparations in New Delhi and a million small mutinies across the country, an official US report has declared India to be the fourth most powerful nation/bloc in the world after the United States, China, and the European Union.
Issued jointly by the US National Intelligence Council (NIC) and the European Union's Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), the report "
Global Governance 2025" says the United States remains the world's most powerful country in 2010, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of the global power.
It is followed by China (12 per cent), and India (eight per cent). Japan, Russia and Brazil with less than five per cent each. Taken as a bloc, European Union comes second with 16 per cent of global power.
But an "International Futures model" measuring GDP, defense, spending, population and technology for individual states projects the relative political and economic clout of many countries will shift by 2025.
The power of the US, EU, Japan and Russia would decline while that of China, India and Brazil would increase, even though there would be no change in the power list.
By 2025, the United States' share of global power would decline from 22 per cent to 18 per cent, while China would rise up from 12 per cent to 16 per cent to displace EU (down to 14 per cent), making U.S and China as close 1-2. India will remain in third or fourth positions (depending on whether EU bloc is counted in or not) with its share of global power going up to ten per cent.
The 82-page report is the product of research and analysis by the NIC and EUISS following a series of international dialogues co-organized by the Atlantic Council, TPN, and other partner organizations in Beijing, Tokyo, Dubai, New Delhi, Pretoria, Sao Paulo & Brasilia, Moscow, and Paris with unnamed officials and strategic experts.
The report shows growing concern among Indian officials and analysts about China as they worry about an ''absence of an internal equilibrium in Asia to ensure stability.'' India, they concede, is not well positioned to help develop regional institutions for Asia given China's preponderant role in the region.
As a result, the report says, India is primarily interested in transforming global governance institutions. ''The Indians thought existing international organizations are 'grossly inadequate' to deal with mounting challenges...Many hoped the United States would continue to be very much part of the Asian region as a political, economic, and military power,'' the report observes.
It also cites some Indian experts fearing that a system developed by the West, which includes democracy and rule of law, would suffer as the East (read China) becomes more powerful. ''It would be a pity if the West does not hang together to influence the future,'' an Indian interlocutor is quoted as saying.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 |
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Driving car could lead to long-term health problems, suggests recent research.
Dr David Lewis, the psychologist credited with coining the phrase "road rage", warned stresses such as congestion and delays can raise blood pressure and lead to more serious issues further down the line.
However, he said travelling by bus could reduce mental stress by up to a third and produce long-term health benefit.
Lewis, of the University of Sussex, conducted an experiment with 30 commuters who made identical or similar trips as bus passengers and car drivers.
Each time, he recorded their heart rate and anxiety levels known as EDR.
The findings revealed average stress levels were 33 per cent lower on bus journeys.
"EDR can be a hidden stress - it's not as visible as 'white nuckle driving' or audible as road rage," the Sun quoted Lewis s saying
"This type of stress can have long-term physiological and emotional implications. Boarding a bus can produce significant long-term health benefits," added Lewis.
Alongside the data he recorded, Lewis also asked participants to rank their stress levels for each trip.
Some 93 per cent said they found driving more stressful.
"This study shows that driving in congested traffic now outweighs any previous benefits that driving in a private car once gave," added Lewis. (ANI)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 |
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Designer Erdem showed why he's a favourite with the world's first ladies at London Fashion Week on Monday. (September 20) The dressmaker of choice for the likes of Michelle Obama and the British Prime Minister's wife Samantha Cameron, his collection for Spring/Summer 2011 is likely to be seen on many famous women.
White chiffon with white applique and lace began the show, which was held in private gardens within a Georgian Square in Central London.
Colour crept in with Russian red showing up in the form of tiny flowers or a bright red lace dress. A dramatic floor length navy dress also came in lace.
Bright florals were a key theme. Dresses had nipped in waists and hemlines were fractionally a-line.
Backstage, Erdem told Reuters he was inspired by Russian ballet costumes.
"I did a show at the Victoria and Albert museum and I befriended the director and he gave me access to their archive of the Ballets Russes' costumes so I spent the summer in Blythe House which is their storage unit and going through their archives of costumes by (designer Leonard) Baskin and it was wonderful so I spent the summer really researching and surrounded by all these amazing Russian costumes."
The toast of the fashion world in London, the Candian-born designer has won several awards including a 200 thousand pound grant to develop his business into a global fashion brand.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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A fire on New York City's Harlem River bridge cut off commuter train service into and out of Grand Central Terminal on Monday (September 20), officials said.
Initial reports suggested it was caused by an electrical transformer, a spokesman for the city's Office of Emergency Management said.
A thick plume of smoke rose from the Harlem River bridge connecting Manhattan and the Bronx at 138th Street, suspending service on the Metro-North railroad that serves commuters north of the city.
A fire department spokesman said that no injuries were reported.
The fire took place about 5 miles (8 km) north of the United Nations, which was celebrating its annual General Assembly
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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Adding onto the woes of the transporters, the economic blockade clamped by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) on national highway in India's northeastern Assam state, entered its third day on Monday (September 20).
Hundreds of AASU activists halted more than 300 trucks bound for Nagaland on national highway 39 (NH-39) near Rangajan area in Golaghat district to stop supply of goods to the neighbouring state.
The blockade, began by the students organisation from the afternoon of Saturday (September 18), was to demand the immediate arrest of Nagaland police officials who beat up school students for blocking the highway on Wednesday (September 15).
The AASU workers vow to continue their agitation till both state governments take strict action against the accused police personnel.
"We condemn the incident of torture carried out by the Nagaland Police about which the Nagaland government has not done anything. We are protesting this by starting this economic blockade. Till the time we get justice we will carry out this agitation by the roadside," said Jatin Bora, Vice President, All Assam Students Union (AASU).
Meanwhile, the stranded transporters are facing acute shortage of food, drinking facilities and shelter.
"We came here around 2 at night and we are stranded here since then without any food or water. They are just telling us to park our vehicles some where outside on the road. But where will we park our vehicles? We are carrying fish and the storage water is spilling out. Where do we take our trucks?" said Dharma Rao, a truck driver from southern Andhra Pradesh state ferrying truckload of fish.
The trucks carrying livestock and fish are the worst hit with pigs other animals being ferries across dying due to starvation and heat.
The indefinite economic blockade has also created a rush among locals to stock up essential commodities.
The student leaders have sharply condemned Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam state, for the government's failure to deal with the issue and settle the border dispute.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Monday (September 20) congratulated the Afghan people on their weekend parliamentary elections, saying it really "speaks to their thirst for democracy."
Toner said that about 4 million Afghan citizens turned out to vote, despite threats by the Taliban.
"We congratulate the people of Afghanistan for carrying out what were fully Afghan-led parliamentary elections under extremely difficult circumstances," he said. "We believe the Afghan people can be proud that millions of their citizens, courageous men and women, went to the polls, exercised their democratic right to vote despite repeated threats and intimidation by the Taliban."
Toner also commended the Afghan National Security Services for their "excellent performance" in protecting the elections, adding that "this election saw significantly lower security incidents than last year's presidential elections."
Afghanistan's election watchdog, the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), on Monday said it had already received more than 700 complaints and estimated that figure would reach around 3,000 as grievances poured in over the next two days. Complaints came in from all around the country, and ranged from not having enough ballot papers at polling stations to late opening of polling centers to voters trying to vote with fake registration cards.
A leading domestic observer group, the independent Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA), called for cases of serious fraud, intimidation and violence to be referred to the justice system for prosecution.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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Maoists killed a village head and also three police personnel at various places in Chhattisgarh state of central India. Reportedly, the Maoists killed Kondu Ram, the Pradhan (village headman) of Madanwada village under Manpur Police Station in Rajnandgaon District of Central Chhattisgarh state.
The Maoists had kidnapped him on Friday (September 17) his dead body was found near a stream on Monday (September 20).
"They killed him brutally and threw him in the village. The villagers found his body yesterday morning, after which his body was brought and has been sent for the post mortem," said Jeetendra Meeda, Sub Divisional Officer, Rajnandgaon.
Meanwhile in Durg City of Chhattisgarh, suspected Maoists kidnapped six policemen out of whom three bodies were recovered,
Rajesh Mishra, Superintendent of Police Bijapur, mentioned that the news about the death the policemen was received from the villagers.
"Today police official of Bijapur has informed that six police officials, out of which four were constables, one head constable, one is ASI (Addition Sub Inspector) who were heading towards Bhadrakali and Tarlaguda police station from Bhopalpatnam they haven't reached yet. In connection with the same a villager has given information that dead bodies of three police personnel have been recovered, in search of which the police officials have already left. The bodies have been found in Repla village," said Mishra.
Meanwhile police officials in Durg district arrested a Maoist who played the role of a messenger in Maoist camp, carrying information from one place to another.
""Radheshyam Giri who is a resident of Sambandhpur and for the last five years he has been living in Raipur. He has been involved in Maoist activities, from Sambalpur. He was shifted to Raipur in which he was in charge of getting the injured treated and deliver the couriers and to commute the cadres who came there. We had suspected him for the same and as per a tip off he was arrested near Pulgaon Police Station," said Amit Agarwal, Superintendent of Police, Durg.
Maoist attacks have become more frequent this year, especially after the federal government launched Operation Green Hunt, a coordinated security offensive involving tens of thousands of police and paramilitary personnel to flush out the rebels from their jungle hideouts in central and eastern Indian states.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has termed the Maoists India's gravest internal security threat.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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The selection committee of Indian cricket team picked prolific youngster Cheteshwar Pujara ahead of middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh in the 15-man test squad for the upcoming series against Australia. Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Chairman of India's selection committee disclosed this in Chennai on Monday (September 20).
Pujara, the 22-year-old batsman from western Saurashtra city, got a call in the Indian team after a
consistent performances in domestic cricket.
"As you all know Pujara (Cheteshwar) has done very well in domestic circuit in the last couple of seasons. He is a good player. He has done very well in 'A' series and I think by sheer weightage of performance, I think he has muzzled his way in. I think you'll have to give credit to lot of domestic performances as well as the 'A' series and everything else. Overall I think we have selected the best team. I don't think there are any surprises or any what I call a surprise inclusion or surprise exclusion. I think as I said it is on sheer weightage of performance, talent and of course, fitness everything taken into account," said Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Chairman, India's cricket selection committee.
Meanwhile, an elated Pujara presently at Chandigarh termed his selection as a dream come true.
"Yes it is a great feeling because as a cricketer it is a like a dream coming true. So, I am very happy," said Chetershwar Pujara.
He added that it would be tough challenge to play against the mighty Australia on debut.
"It is a big challenge but as a cricketer it is a dream to debut against the world's best team. Australia has been number one in the past for a long time. So, playing against them will be a good challenge and I will try and do my best," Pujara said.
Pace bowlers Zaheer Khan and Shantakumaran Sreesanth have recovered from injuries to bolster the pace department of the team.
Khan, who was down with shoulder injury and Sreesanth, nursing an ailing knee, were out of action during India's three-Test tour of Sri Lanka.
The Indian squad, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni has nine batsmen, three medium-pacers and as many spinners.
India and Australia will play two Tests to be followed by three one-day internationals.
The Australia team, which arrived in India on Monday, start their tour with a three-day match in Chandigarh on Saturday (September 25).
Mohali city hosts the first Test match from October 1-5, while the second match will be held in southern Bangalore from October 9-13.
The Indian team as spelt out by Srikkanth would be Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, M Vijay, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, S.Sreesanth, Amit Mishra.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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With colourful and lively collection of traditional Indian dresses and composer duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant and singer Sunidhi Chauhan as their show stoppers, designers Bhumika and Shyamal Shodhan could not have wished for more. The atmosphere was both musical and colourful as the audiences were enthralled to see Salim and Sulaiman who walked the ramp in the beginning of the show.
The heaviest of velvets and the heavy glittering jewellery further decorated the evening.
Speaking to media persons in western Mumbai city on Monday (September 20), Salim expressed his happiness being a part of the show.
"I think it's a very special thing for all of us. Firstly the closeness, which we both share with Sunidhi and you know to be on a show as show stoppers. Moreover Shyamal and Bhumika are such amazing designers, their understanding of the Indian dresses is something which all of us really like," said Salim.
Meanwhile, designer Bhumika was delighted with the presence of such great singers.
"I think as I said earlier it's been a great experience as Sunidhi, Salim and Sulaiman everybody agreed. I think it was a great chance to showcase our designs on real life models. And they were wonderful. Models are expert in it, but when you have people who are so accomplished and are role models, you know it makes a very big difference and they were great on the stage and I think they were even more fabulous today," said Bhumika, one of the designers.
Sunidhi Chauhan, renowned Bollywood singer walked the ramp towards the end of the show.
The collection was called Bejewelled that included traditional Indian dresses lehengas, sherwanis, bandhgalas and jodhpur pants, skirts with cholis, achkans and sarees.
The colours used in the dresses were red, wine, green, beige and the fabrics chosen were hand woven brocades, silk, velvets, georgettes, raw silk and net.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, chief of India's northern state of Uttarakhand, on Monday (September 20) conducted survey of the various flood-affected districts of the state and also the landslide region near Haldwani that has disrupted the rail services.
Over the past two past two days, many areas in Uttarakhand state have been adversely affected by the cloud burst and flash floods leaving thousands of families homeless in the area without food and shelter.
This has been attributed to torrential rains experienced in the area over the past couple of weeks.
Among the worst affected were the people of the Baari village in the Almora district.
In view of the serious situation prevailing in the regions, the state chief Ramesh Pokhriyal visited the affected villages and interacted with the residents.
Around 100 metres of portion earth sank down due to which the railway track in Haldwani has been closed and the trains are running on the adjacent tracks till the time it gets repaired.
"Around 100 meter of portion sank down due to which the railway track has been closed and the trains are running on the adjacent tracks till the time it gets repaired," said Gautam, Senior Section Engineer, North East Railway, Haldwani
He also said as a precautionary measure the speed level of the trains have been restricted and as of now there are no signs of any danger.
Meanwhile, reinforcement teams are waiting for the water level to come down so that they can start the work immediately.
The monsoon this year has caused heavy floods in several parts of India like Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in the north and central Madhya Pradesh states, Uttarakhand causing heavy devastation to life and property.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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A day after the drive by shooting incident in India's capital, New Delhi in which two Taiwanese nationals were injured, the Chairman of the Organising Committee of Commonwealth Games Suresh Kalmadi, 2010 assured fool-proof safety for all participating athletes and visitors.
He said this on the sidelines of the event of formal inauguration of the swanky Media Press Centre (MPC) for the Commonwealth Games at New Delhi on Monday (September 20).
It was opened in the presence of India's federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni.
"We have taken all steps to ensure that the athletes will be safe. Right from the airport we will be receiving them, with escorts to the hotels and from the hotels to the venues. We have had many security commanders conference and they have satisfied with the security arrangements. We have 71 countries chef de missions here and they are happy with all security arrangements," Suresh Kalmadi said.
Stressing that all participating countries are unaffected by the shooting episode at the congested lanes of Jama Masjid, one of the biggest mosques and a famed tourist spot in the country, Kalmadi said there has been no withdraws due to the incident.
"As of today, all 71 countries are participating," added Kalmadi.
Inaugurating the state of the art MPC, Soni and Kalmadi hailed the facilities at the centre as world class and compared it with the one provided during 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Stung by negative reporting by the local media on various issues, Kalmadi requested the cooperation of media in projecting Delhi as a world-class city and making the games a grand success.
"The media can make or break any games. And especially the first three days, that's the days when the mood is set in for all the games. You all are our partners, I mean we have various stakeholders but one of the main stakeholders is the media. We have run through a very difficult time. There have been many incidents, which have been happening. But now we have come out of all that we are just 13 days to go for the games and I look forward to great cooperation from you all because we really have to show Delhi as a world class city," Kalmadi added.
The fully equipped media centre that will be run by the Press Information Bureau is spread over an area of 6,700 square metres and built on a budget of rupees 42 crores (420 million).
Said to be one of the largest media facilities in the history of the Commonwealth Games, it will cater to around 2000 journalists. Among these over 800 would be from abroad.
Equipped with wi-fi connectivity, special softwares for photojournalists, computers and hi-definition televisions sets, the media centre would accommodate 600 journalists at once.
Manned by around 1,000 trained volunteers, this MPC will also provide information on travel, ticketing and information about allied venues.
The MPC also has facilities like a post office, a convenience store, a pharmacy, a mobile store and a bank with foreign exchange services and ATMs.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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A declaration urging the UN and world leaders to place the battle against malnutrition at the heart of global development policies will be issued on Tuesday (September 20).
Women and girls suffer 60% of all malnutrition with gender discrimination and social practices contributing to female suffering, inequality and child and maternal deaths. At the heart of the African First Ladies Summit, hosted by GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition), is promoting effective solutions to reach maternal health goals (MDG5) and prevent child deaths (MDG4).
Food fortification has been identified as the most effective and cost efficient remedy, delivering development goals and reaching the poorest people most in need on a mass scale. It costs just 1cents per person per day. Currently only 19 of the 68 countdown countries are on track to meet the UN targets and with aid budgets under pressure, proven remedies must be embraced. Nutrition is crucially important to MDGs1,3,4 and 5.
Malnutrition (the lack of vital micronutrients) affects 2 billion people worldwide, with in 4 children in Africa physically and mentally stunted as a result.
Malnutrition is particularly hazardous for mothers and their unborn children. Zinc deficiencies mean that women are more likely to bleed to death in childbirth and a newborn has a window of just 1000 days to get the vitamins and miners they need to become healthy, productive citizens in later life.
Malnutrition Facts -the Economic and Humanitarian Costs: Malnutrition is an economic as well as an humanitarian disaster. It reduces a country's GDP by, on average,3% (up to 6% in parts of sub-saharan Africa).
A New Breed of African First Ladies: The First Ladies are part of a new breed who see their role as crucial in helping to solve the problems of their nations. As professional women in their own right (teachers, nurses, midwives and business leaders), they are able to fast track ideas for reaching the most disadvantaged of their country's people.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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Paris Hilton pleaded guilty on Monday (September 20) to cocaine possession and was fined 2,000 dollars by a Las Vegas judge and ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.
Hilton, 29, was also given a one-year, suspended sentence and warned that any new arrests in Las Vegas would result in her going to jail.
Hilton could have been jailed for up to four years on the cocaine possession charge, but she reached a plea deal with prosecutors over her arrest on the Las Vegas strip on August 28.
SOUNDBITE: Paris Hilton saying (English):
"I was in possession as well as telling the officer the purse was not mine."
Judge asking Hilton what drug she was carrying, (English):
"First of all, as to the possession, what did you possess?"
Hilton spent three weeks in jail in Los Angeles in 2007 for violating probation on a reckless driving charge. In July, she was briefly detained in South Africa on suspicion of marijuana possession but was released without charge.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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A set of bleachers collapsed injuring over 100 people on Sunday (September 19) at a car race in the southern Brazilian city of Quatro Pontes in Parana state.
Authorities said some 200 people were watching the race in the stand when the structure fell apart. Six people were rushed to a hospital in a neighboring city and two are still in hospital in serious condition.
Firemen at the scene said the company that organized the event did not call them to inspect the installation before the event. The city's government will investigate the causes of the accident.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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Grammy award-winning pop singer, Lady Gaga, addressed hundreds of her fans at a rally in Portland, Maine on Monday (September 20) to try and get the state's Republican senators to cast votes this week to help repeal the military's don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays.
With a big American flag in the background and doning big dark glasses and a black suit, Lady Gaga Gaga joined the Service members Legal Defense Network (SLDN) for the rally near the University of Southern Maine campus, and delivered an impassioned appeal to end the ban on openly gay and lesbian military service members.
"If you are not committed to perform with excellence as a United States soldier because you don't believe in full equality, go home! If you are not honorable enough to fight without prejudice, go home! If you are not capable of keeping your oath to the armed forces to defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and I will bear true faith and allegiance to do the same-- unless there is a gay soldier in my unit-- then go Home!" the pop sensation told the cheering crowd.
The measure, which faces a filibuster by U.S. Senator John McCain, needs 60 votes, including at least one Republican, to move forward. Gaga called out Maine Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to join Democrats in an effort to override McCain and end the discriminatory law.
Gaga is best known for her eccentric outfits and hits such as "Bad Romance," ''Paparazzi", "Alejandro" and "Poker Face."
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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It was a Bill Murray wonderland at Los Angeles' R&R Gallery where an artistic tribute to the actor and comedian has been unveiled. "Mr. Bill Murray, A Tribute to the Legend," was created by forty-seven artists and Murray fans and is a compilation of various Murray-themed paintings, sketches and other art mediums. R&R Gallery co-owner C.W. Mihlberger said the idea for the exhibit came to him in a unique way.
"Well, I took a bunch of acid one night and I was looking up into the stars and I thought I saw Bill Murray's face in the stars and then I was like. 'Why not do a show about it'. That's the truth."
Murray paintings were as unique as their inspiration; some depict specific film scenes, while others are simple pieces of admiration. How about Murray's face burned in a piece of toast?
"I think he's amazing. I think he really has inspired our generation. He's probably the comedic genius, at least in my opinion," said co-owner Martin Yamamoto.
The only thing missing at the exhibit opening; Murray himself, but his presence was more than felt.
The exhibit will remain open until the September 30.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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At least six people were shot dead and three vehicles torched in the Pakistani commercial hub of Karachi on Monday (September 20), police said.
Two people from the minority Shi'ite community, two from a religious Sunni group and two others affiliated to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were gunned down by unknown assailants in different neighbourhoods of the city.
One of the victims was killed in a crossfire when protesters from a Shi'ite funeral clashed with government security forces.
Local police said neither the reason for the killings -- nor those responsible -- were immediately known.
Later on Monday, unidentified people burned tyres after torching at least three vehicles
.
Karachi, home to the country's main port, stock exchange and central bank, has a history of factional, ethnic, religious and political violence. Since June, more than hundred people have been killed in targetted attacks
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 |
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Sachin Tendulkar was in in all major categories for ICC awards. His performance during the assessment period - August 24 2009 to August 10 2010 - scoring 1064 runs in 10 Tests, and 914 runs in 17 ODIs, including the first double-century in the history of the format.
Pakisthan Cricketer "
Umar Akmal" is in the race of emerging player of the year award.
The Short lists:
Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Virender Sehwag, Graeme Swann and Sachin Tendulkar
Test Player of the Year: Hashim Amla, Virender Sehwag, Dale Steyn and Sachin Tendulkar
ODI Player of the Year: Ryan Harris, Sachin Tendulkar , AB de Villiers, Shane Watson
Emerging Player of the Year: Umar Akmal, Steven Finn, Angelo Mathews and Tim Paine
Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year: Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Trent Johnson (Ireland), Kevin O'Brien (Ireland) and Mohammed Shahzad (Afghanistan)
Twenty20 International Performance of the Year: Michael Hussey 60* v Pakistan, Mahela Jayawardene 100 v Zimbabwe, Mahela Jayawardene 98* v West Indies, Ryan McLaren 5-19 v West Indies and Brendon McCullum 116* v Australia.
Women's Cricketer of the Year: Katherine Brunt (England), Shelley Nitschke (Australia), Ellyse Perry (Australia) and Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)
Umpire of the Year: Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Tony Hill and Simon Taufel
Spirit of Cricket: India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe
Members of the voting academy
Former players: Ian Healy, Moin Khan, Athar Ali Khan, Shaun Pollock, Bob Willis, Sidath Wettimuny, Kris Srikkanth, Ian Bishop, Jeremy Coney, Mpumelelo Mbangwa and Roland Lefebvre
Media: Jim Maxwell (Australia), Osman Samiuddin (Pakistan), Sayeed Uzzaman (Bangladesh), Neil Manthorp (South Africa), Mike Selvey (England), Ramil Abeynaike (Sri Lanka), Sharda Ugra (India), Fazeer Mohammed (West India), Richard Boock (New Zealand), Enock Muchinjo (Zimbabwe) and Ian Callender (Associate Representative)
Elite panel of ICC referees representative: Roshan Mahanama
Elite panel of ICC umpires representative: Rudi Koertzen
Chairman of ICC cricket committee: Clive Lloyd
Monday, September 20, 2010 |
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On the back of a decision taken by state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) the prices of petrol are set to rise from Monday midnight.
While Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has raised petrol price by
27 paise a litre,
Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) has upped prices by 28 paise a litre.
Following suite and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) too will be increasing petrol prices by 26-27 paise a litre in a day or two.
Earlier this month the government decided to increase the commission to petrol pump dealers. As a result of this petrol and diesel prices across the country became costlier by 11-12 paise a litre and 9-10 paise a litre, respectively.
Previously the three major oil marketing companies, Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation announced that they will have a uniform price for petrol and will revise the retail prices on a monthly basis.
Monday, September 20, 2010 |
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P K Bansal, India's federal Minister of Parliamentary Affairs said the visit of an all-party delegation in Kashmir would be successful in the context of various issues related to the uneasiness in the valley region.
He said this while briefing the media persons at Chandigarh on Sunday (September 19).
Earlier on Wednesday (September 15) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had convened an all-party meeting in New Delhi to consider the revocation of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the troubled valley region of Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation will arrive in Kashmir to assess the ground situation following a cycle of protest strikes and imposition of frequent curfew restrictions upsetting normal life over the past three months.
"Almost all parties are represented in this delegation which is going to Srinagar tomorrow. I do hope that we will be able to meet people from different cross sections of the society, have a view point, have a first hand information about what is the situation there, and then give those necessary inputs to the government to formulate its further action plan," said P K Bansal.
Further he opined that the delegation's visit would be fruitful as they will be able to meet people and get to know their problems.
"
It is only when we will meet people we will find that their difficulties are propped up or do rise, all those things have to be kept in mind. To be realistic you have to really wait and to see as to how all the initiatives work, but we have to continuously strive for working in that direction," said Bansal.
Meanwhile, in the national capital, New Delhi, Lal Krishna Advani, senior Leader of India's main opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party refused to commit anything about the delegation's visit.
"I would not like to anticipate anything. As you have asked how many people are going, about 35 to 36 people are going. Leaders from both the houses (of parliament) are going," said Advani in national capital New Delhi.
Palaniappan Chidambaram, India's Home (interior) Minister is leading this all-party delegation.
Kashmir has witnessed massive demonstrations, especially led by youths, against Indian rule in the last three months and more than 100 protestors have succumbed to firing by the security forces
Monday, September 20, 2010 |
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Julien MacDonald brought back the sex kitten to the London catwalks on Sunday (September 19) with an array of looks to entice. The Welsh designer also looked to parachutes for inspiration with lightweight parka jackets teamed with parachute straps, striped shorts and skirts and billowy blouses and capes.
Baby doll dresses inspired by Sharon Tate in "The Valley of the Dolls" brought a nostalgic 70s feel to the collection, with the decade also proving a popular source of ideas for designers from Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors in New York.
A few flashes of colour jolted the fashion pack on the runway including an orange empire dress topped with a red bomber jacket, yellow baby doll gown with encrusted jewels running down the front and blue baby doll dress with elongated skirt.
Sitting front row were Elle McPherson, Destiny's Child Michelle Williams, Olivia Palermo and television presenter Cat Deeley.
Backstage, MacDonald talked about his inspiration.
"I bought a parachute from the market in Portobello Road. I translated the parachute into a dress. The fabric of the season is parachute silk and I thought oh my god these girls look too much of an era so I thought what could I do to make them look absolutely fabulous? I took the English girls to Hollywood," he said.
London Fashion Week ends with menswear day on September 22.
Monday, September 20, 2010 |
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