Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Pakistan in command after Yousuf breaks world record

Pakistan in command after Yousuf breaks world record

Prolific batsman Mohammad Yousuf Thursday broke the 30-year-old world record of most test runs in a calendar year as Pakistan consolidated its position in the third and final cricket test against the West Indies.

Yousuf drove paceman Corey Collymore to a boundary through mid on to reach 48 and surpass the record of 1,710 runs made by former West Indies captain Viv Richards in 11 test matches in 1976.

The West Indies struggled to find the breakthrough in the first session on the fourth day with opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez (85) and Yousuf (78) guiding Pakistan to a commanding 241-2 at lunch.

It gave the home team a solid lead of 285 runs after the West Indies was bowled out for 260 in its first innings in reply to Pakistan's 304.

Yousuf hit 12 boundaries in his unbeaten knock off 101 balls and overshadowed Hafeez, who has hit seven fours in his patient six-hour undefeated innings.

Daren Ganga dropped Yousuf on 68 when he ran hard from deep midwicket but could not hold on to a diving catch off part-time leg-spinner Ramnaresh Sarwan in the second last over before lunch.

Yousuf, 32, has had a fabulous run of batting form in 2006 that saw the right-handed elegant batsman scoring eight test centuries — the most by any batsman in a calendar year.

He made two centuries in the home series against India early this year before compiling three each against England and the West Indies.

The West Indies pacemen found little assistance off the slow and low wicket of the National Stadium as Hafeez and Yousuf added 111 runs after resuming at the overnight 130-2.

Collymore found the edge of Yousuf's bat on couple of occasions, but due to slow nature of the wicket, the ball did not carry to the slip fielders.

When Yousuf reached 43, he overtook his countryman Zaheer Abbas' (583 runs) record of most runs by a Pakistani in a three-test series.

Pakistan leads the series 1-0 after a nine-wicket victory in the first test at Lahore, while the second test ended in a draw at Multan last week.

Source IHT.com

Karisma Kapoor denies comeback rumour

Karisma Kapoor denies comeback rumour

Rumours of actress Karisma Kapoor's return keep surfacing through one project or another. The latest was a report, which claimed that Karisma had agreed to be in director Onir's next film 'You & I'.

But the actress, who quit acting after tying the knot with Delhi-based businessman Sunjay Kapur, strongly denies the rumour."All these are just rumours. I haven't signed any film officially. Yes, I've been hearing a lot of scripts. But that's about it," Karisma Kapoor told the media.

Some time ago there was talk Karisma kapoor, who has showcased her versatility in films like Raja Hindustani, Zubeida and Dil To Pagal Hai, was returning to cinema with Ram Gopal Varma's Sholay, a rumour that both the actress and the filmmaker strongly refuted.

Earlier, Karishma Kapoor was supposed to serve as a judge on the dance contest Jhalak Dikhla Jaa. However, the price she asked for put the show's sponsors off and sent them scampering to Shilpa Shetty.

So, until her expectations from a renewed career are met by a vehicle she chooses, Karisma Kapoor is happy being a wife and mother.

Source: DNAIndia

Email id´s of cricketers

Email id's of cricketers

1.LAXMAN: available@home-only.com

2.GANGULY: nowdays@no_use.com

3.SACHIN: admitted@hospital.com

4.KAIF: good@for_nothing.com

5.SEHWAG: consistently@out_of_form.com

6.DRAVID: stick@crease_like_fevicol.com

7.PATHAN: takewickets@only_with_keyna.com

8. GREG CHAPPELL only_experiment@noresult.com

9. Munaf Patel only_line&length@nospeed.com

10.Harbhajan Singh no_spinpitch@nowicket.com

11. Suresh Raina why_i_am_there@god_knows.com

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Are they got ready for marriage

Are they got ready for marriage

Bollywood Lovebirds (hotest) Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachahan were spotted everywhere recently n public places as like other couples. This provides great buzz for media, bloggers like us. But every one left guessing about Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai's Marriage. Whats going on between these love birds.

Recently Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan performed puja and punaskaras in Varanasi a temple city in north India. Reports says that the puja will be done by married couples only. Both Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are not yet married and both haven't yet denied anything about the puja details. Are they both married secretly without telling anyone.

But that is not possible, because Aishwarya Rai had said the media that she will invite everyone for her marraige and it will not be a secret marriage. If we go by Aishwarya Rai's Words, what was that puja for. Why Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan did a puja which will be done by married Couples only. Where is Aishwarya Rai's family during the entire Drama in the temple.

Abhishek Bachchan, the son of Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, has been romantically linked to Aishwarya Rai for some time now. Both Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan been spotted in various places in romantic mood.But the Bachchans have been denying plans of their son getting married to the former Miss World.

Sometieme in August a leading Movie magazine has reported that Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan exchanged Garlands in Tamil nadu temple. hmm Exchanging garland is the symbol of marriage in Tamil nadu. Are they married in Tamil nadu?. hey Wait a minute, During October there was shooting of flim Guru which was directed by Maniratnam and Aishwarya Rai is the starer of that movie. Both Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai were there in Tamil Nadu alone () for the flim.

Is that Tamil Nadu Temple marriage is a Regarsal for real marriage. Are they ready for marriage. Both Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan are in their 30's are they ready for their marriage. Will this be the last love affiar of Aishwarya Rai.

Pamela Anderson Wants Amicable Divorce

Pamela Anderson Wants Amicable Divorce

Pamela Anderson is calling for an amicable – and quiet – split from Kid Rock, for the sake of her children, she says on her Web site.

"I'm very concerned with the press on mine and Bob's divorce. I know I have people who want to defend me or people who want to defend Bob, but my children can read," Anderson writes in the message, which was posted Tuesday. "I'd like to resolve this amicably – not fueling fires – and with dignity."

Anderson and Kid Rock, both filed for divorce earlier this week.

She adds: "Kids don't know the difference between fact and tabloid …does anybody?"

Anderson has two sons, Brandon, 10, and Dylan, 8, with her ex-husband, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. Rock (whose real name is Robert James Ritchie) has a 13-year-old son, Bob Jr., with former flame Kelley South Russell.

"Truth is," she writes, "Bob is great in many ways – we just don't belong together ... we mutually agree. I love my children, he loves his son ... we both have wonderful family and friends as support going thru this time."

Source People.com

Americans taking to learning Hindi in a big way

Americans taking to learning Hindi in a big way

Americans are taking to learning Hindi in a big way. Nearly 80-90 per cent of enrolments at graduate level language programme in US universities are Americans.

"In first and second-year Hindi the percentage of white American students is 10-20 per cent but at the advanced levels the percentage is 80-90 per cent, mostly graduate students," Herman Van Olphen, Professor, Asian Studies, University of Texas, Austin, told PTI in an email interview.

"The heritage (Indian background) student percentage is higher at the lower levels because most of them take Hindi on the side while majoring in pre-med (biology) or other fields," he said.

"We have trained thousands of students in Hindi in the last 45 years, although there have been many levels of training; some students study Hindi for only two years while others study for much longer periods," said Prof Olphen.

In States such as Texas, California, New York, and New Jersey, where large numbers of Indian immigrant live, Hindi classes have enrolled more and more heritage students until now they make up 80-90 per cent of the students studying Hindi. At the same time, the profile of advanced students at the graduate level has not changed that much, he said.

There are now some heritage students also who are making a career out of the study of India and study Hindi with the goal of using their language in research, but they are still a minority at this level, said Prof Olphen.

Source : Msn.co.in

Monday, November 27, 2006

Saina, Shikha raring to go

Saina, Shikha raring to go

Badminton and tennis are among the few disciplines in which India can expect to win medals at the Doha Asiad

MUMBAI: Shikha Uberoi kept smiling, while Saina Nehwal maintained a serious pose as if she was about to play the final of a championship. But when it came to answering questions, it was Saina who sounded more confident and positive, after the announcement of Qatar Airways as official partners of the Indian contingent for the 15th Doha Asian Games, here on Monday.

"I have been doing well and I will give my best shot at the Games," was Saina quick reply to a query. When asked about her statement after the World Junior Championship where she complained of fatigue, she clarified that scheduling of the ties took the toll on her. "The matches were tight and there was not much break. But I am all geared up for the Doha Games," Saina added.

What about the comparison with present coach Gopichand and veteran Aparna Popat? "What they have done, and how they played is different from what I am going to do. Today I have been assigned a job and I will do my best. And of course, Gopichand and Aparna's support is always there for me," she said.

Shikha too wants to come out with her best. "We are proud that we have been labelled as medal prospects for the country and we will give our best," said Shikha. "It will be my first tie with Mahesh (in mixed doubles) but given his experience I should be able to deliver."

Source DnaIndia

Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIP)

Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIP)

A policy, which provides for life insurance where the policy value at any time varies according to the value of the underlying assets at the time. ULIP is life insurance solution that provides for the benefits of protection and flexibility in investment. The investment is denoted as units and is represented by the value that it has attained called as Net Asset Value (NAV).

ULIP came into play in the 1960s and became very popular in Western Europe and Americas. The reason that is attributed to the wide spread popularity of ULIP is because of the transparency and the flexibility which it offers.

As times progressed the plans were also successfully mapped along with life insurance need to retirement planning. In today's times, ULIP provides solutions for insurance planning, financial needs, financial planning for children's future and retirement planning.

ULIP distinguishes itself through the multiple benefits that it provides to the consumer. The plan is a one-stop solution providing:

  • Life protection
  • Investment and Savings
  • Flexibility
  • Adjustable Life Cover
  • Investment Options
  • Transparency
  • Options to take additional cover against
  • Death due to accident
  • Disability
  • Critical Illness
  • Surgeries
  • Liquidity
  • Tax planning

This is just a general definition of an ULIP. But there are so many parameters which contributes to a decision about choosing the BEST ULIP in the market.

I have one of my best friend who is financial planner(Not an AGENT) from MNYL(Max New York Life), with the help of whom, I have invested Rs.50K(approx) in ULIP which i felt the best investment i have ever made. He does NOT charge you for consultation. If you need his help in understanding the how much to invest and where, Let me know your contact details. If you are interested to go ahead and take info, I can ask him to give a call you...

When we say ULIP or any Insurance related products, there will be IRDA guidelines for minimum locking period of 3 years. I dont know much about comparative analysys of various ULIP products from different players in the market, but surely i can talk about the ULIP i took from Max New York Life.

This ULIP has yielded 34% annualized profit returns in last 22 months. Fund Manager is Franklin Templeton, which is one of the MAJOR deciding factor when you think of MFs or ULIPs. As compared to shares( where you need to keep track ups and downs of share value on a daily basis) MFs and ULIPs are considered to be the safer ones as our funds will be managed by someone who is knowledgeable(e.g Franklin Templeton, Fidelity..etc)... You need to also look at the administrative charges which ULIP gets tagged with. Its just 20% for the 1st year and 3% flat for rest of the tenure..

If you want to know more about how much to invest and where, you need to sit with your financial planner and discuss your current savings and insurance policies and then decide how much do you need to keep aside for such investments.

As i mentioned in my last post, a friend of mine is a financial planner who can help you out with answers for your questions. He wont charge you for consultation... But before you speak to him you need to be ready with certain data... Let me know if you need any help.

Not my orginal post but took from a post of my friend's forum post

Aishwarya Rai in Chennai Spotted @ Satyam Cinemas with Abhishek bachan

Aishwarya Rai in Chennai Spotted @ Satyam Cinemas with Abhishek bachan

Yesterday night went to satyam Cinema's Satyam Theatre to watch Mission Impossible 3 night show with my buddies. When we got back after the show we saw someone we never would have thought we would…

A silver color Innova was parked just outside the rear door near the temporary parking area. There was a small flutter there, and I was shocked to person who came outside the door. It was Aishwarya Rai!!! She was simply dressed in a salwar. Without grabbing much attention, she quickly got into the Innova (Aishwarya Rai in an Innova, i thought. But hey! If Aishwarya Rai had come in an S-class she would have grabbed attention and people would have created havoc, brainy Ash!! ). And guess who was with her. The great Abhishek Bachan. He was sporting a jean and a cap and was unshaven. He too quickly got into the car.

The beauty goddess Aishwarya Rai did not impress me much, probably because I had just about 5 seconds to look at her or simply because I am not her big fan or anything. But I am sure I was lucky enough to see her in a around five feet range, which few people would get She looked exceptionally fair (of course!) and very slender. Aishwarya Rai definitely stands by the phrase “50-Kg Tajmahal” (but doubt if she is really 50kgs)

Anyways before anybody noticed, the pair (Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachan) was inside the car and the Innova drove away and got mingled with the pool of cars leaving satyam. Only around 30-40 people would have seen them, because everything happened so fast and before any crowds could gathered, they were gone with the wind.

The Innova number was Tn-07-AU-xxxx , sorry forgot the number, it was a Diesel Innova (model G) silver colour.

Both Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachan came to see MI-3, I am sure because at that point it was the only movie what was over. Also we were seated in the elite section which is the top most / expensive section of Satyam. They were not definitely in Elite. So I guess Satyam should have a secret cabin or a box which is not visible from outside for Celebs like Aishwarya Rai to watch movies without being caught by the prying eyes of the public. Clever satyam!!!

This was a post dated June 26th. I have taken from a blog which i forgotten its name

Indian Cricket Team

Indian Cricket Team and its problems

Recent days Indian Cricket team is facing lots of problems from various people. Currently Indian Cricket Team is performing badly in every games and the pressure to perform well is getting more and more daily. What is going on in Indian Cricket Team. Why Indian Cricket team is facing this kind of problem.

The Same team won 17 out of 24 ODIs continously and had a record of most successful team in chasing. This happened after Greg Chappell who is the current coach for Indian Cricket Team. But suddenlt the preformance of Indian cricket team is getting worse day by day and match by match. Why?

The current Indian Cricket team compraised of below members

  • Radhul Dravid (Captain)
  • Sachin Tendulkar
  • Virendar Sehwag (Vice Captain)
  • Mahendra singh Dhoni (Wicket Keeper)
  • Mohd. Kaif
  • Suresh Raina
  • Ajit Agarkar
  • Anil Kumble
  • Harbajan Singh
  • Irfarn Pathan
  • Zhaeer Khan
  • Dinesh Karthick

In the above list of players we have two wicket keepers, with Rahul Dravid as a backup wicket keeper who can take the gloves wheneer needed. three attacking batsman (Sachin Tendulkar, Virendar Sehwag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni), Three fast Bowlers, two spinners, and well know fielders. The current team compraises of specilist of all areas.

But then also the current Indian Cricket team is not able to win a match against countries like Australia, West Indies, South Africa. On Papers the team is looking absolutely without errors but in field the team performance is not upto the standards of any players. With Continous experiements of Greg Chappell in batting, bowling orders the team is suffering a little. But this cannot be the reason, because Greg Chappell did these same experiments when he had taken up the job as Indian Cricket Team Coach. During that time these experiments proved to be more valuable and provided great victories and more young players came out of these experiments.

Is the Expectation of Indian Cricket fans making an impact.

Well, With World cup nearing, each and every Indian Cricket fans are showing more and more expectaion on Indian Cricket team that this Indian Cricket team will win a world Cup. This is not an ordinary dream for some indian but a dream of one billion people. Is this expectation is creating any impact on the current Indian Cricket Team. I can say it impacts the team by 75%. Expectation of indian cricket fan will be there always and gets spiked high pitch during World Cup. In India Cricket is not just another game, It is a Religion which is followed by billions of people through out the country. Indian Cricket players are treated as Gods here and do special prayers and pujas during important matches.

If the Indian Cricket team is not performing well it is very common to see the protest in roads against players. Throwing stones burning engfies of players and their hoiuses Insecurity for the familty of Indian Cricket players makes a huge impact which is making them to do errors while playing. This makes them to give away their wickets thus loosing their form.

There are many more problems which i have spotted and will be giving an update soon.

Dalmiya demands Sourav´s recall

Dalmiya demands Sourav's recall

former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Jagmohan Dalmiya demanded that Sourav Ganguly must be included in the Indian Cricket Team. Jagmohan Dalmiya who popularised cricket in India and earned much of BCCI revenue, He backs Sourav Ganguly even during his bad patch phase. The reason which Jagmohan Dalmiya keep in front of people for inclusion of Sourav Ganguly into Indian Cricket team is that Sourav Ganguly is in form and he plays well in domestic cricket.

Well Sourav Ganguly has performed in Ranji Trophy in one match with a century in his bag. Does that single century is enough for incuding any player into Indian Cricket team. Already Indian cricket team is in huge trouble which is in a rectifying phase. The relation between Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sourav Ganguly is well known to all people of India. Sourav Ganguly stayed in the team as a Captain with the only support of Dalmiya not anything else. Now Jagmohan Dalmiya is demanding the inclusion of Sourav Ganguly in Indian Cricket team because he performed in one match.

We are not against Sourav Ganguly's inclusion but the way he must be included in a cricket team like Indian Cricket team must be a straight forward one. It must not be anything like single ton inclusion. If BCCI is not caring about this demand immediately there will be a big outburst from left backed parties in Bengal because for Left parties they need to secure vote bank nothing else. They don't know ABCD of Cricket and its rules, But they speak everything which is unwanted.

BCCI must throw this demand in dustbin and close the chapter of Sourav Ganguly and must concentrate on the development of Indian Cricket Team from its current problems.

Small quake rattles California

Small quake rattles California

A magnitude-4.1 earthquake rattled California's central coast, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, authorities said.

The quake struck at 8:06 pm (0936 IST) on Monday night and was centered about six kilometres west of Paso Robles, or about 153 kilometres southeast of Monterey, according to a preliminary report by the US Geological Survey.

It was followed three minutes later by a magnitude-2.1 aftershock. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Sgt Jason Nefores said his department had not received any calls about injuries or damage.

The quakes were near the location of a magnitude-6.5 earthquake in December 2003 that killed two women and caused at least $200 million in damage countywide.

During Recent times there were a lot of earthquakes happened all over world. On November 14th there was an earthquake in japan, last month there was an earth quake in Indonesia, India

Sunday, November 26, 2006

India carries out successful missile collision

India carries out successful missile collision

BHUBANESWAR (Reuters) - Two nuclear-capable ballistic missiles collided in mid-air off India's eastern coast on Monday in a successful test of an interception programme, a top scientist said.

The collision of the two Prithvi-II missiles occurred over the Bay of Bengal.

"The two missiles had a flight duration of six minutes before they blew up into a ball of fire over the sea after hitting each other," the defence scientist, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters by phone. "It was successful."

The test was done to observe the accuracy and operational effectiveness of short-range Prithvi missiles in providing an air-shield to Indian cities from neighbours Pakistan and China, both of which have arsenals of ballistic missiles.

Monday's test was carried out as Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee held informal talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, in New Delhi.

On Nov. 19, India successfully test-fired another Prithvi II into the Bay of Bengal.

Reuters India

India carries out successful missile collision

India carries out successful missile collision

BHUBANESWAR (Reuters) - Two nuclear-capable ballistic missiles collided in mid-air off India's eastern coast on Monday in a successful test of an interception programme, a top scientist said.

The collision of the two Prithvi-II missiles occurred over the Bay of Bengal.

"The two missiles had a flight duration of six minutes before they blew up into a ball of fire over the sea after hitting each other," the defence scientist, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters by phone. "It was successful."

The test was done to observe the accuracy and operational effectiveness of short-range Prithvi missiles in providing an air-shield to Indian cities from neighbours Pakistan and China, both of which have arsenals of ballistic missiles.

Monday's test was carried out as Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee held informal talks with his Pakistani counterpart, Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, in New Delhi.

On Nov. 19, India successfully test-fired another Prithvi II into the Bay of Bengal.

Reuters India

Who is Best, Sachin tendulkar or Brain Lara?

Who is Best, Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara?

The game of cricket has become more of a batsman oriented one, it is not because of lack of bowlers; It is because of the administrators, the supporters and obviously mind boggling batsmen. The 90s and early 2000s has seen batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar , Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh, Inzamam, Jacus Kallis etc. But now the most debated topic is who is best Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting does not come into the league coz he has not played much cricket like these two and one more reason which makes it easy for Ricky Ponting to score is he does not have to face the most terrorizing attack in today's world Cricket.

Now for Brian Lara and Tendulkar, who among them is the best? Me being just software professional and a scribbler (Don't think am good enough to be called a writer ). I can't give a verdict on this but I seriously can make a study about these two greats to find the greatest of the greats. I am not going to restrict myself to batting lets see what these two legends are made up of.

Brian Charles Lara, the prince-of-port-of-Spain started with cricket at an early age of 6. After playing fist class cricket a Youth world ups he made his debut against Pakistan at the age of 21. Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the Little Master started his cricket at an age of eleven but his persistence and sheer brilliance brought him into the national squad at the age of 16.

Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar have had their shares of great moments, injuries, victories, bad patches and losses. Though Sachin Tendulkar is the longest serving in international player, Brian Lara is just a year behind him. Both these players average more than 50 (55 and 53 respectively) in Tests. Having played more than 125 matches, Brian Lara has 34 centuries to his name compared to Sachin's 35.

If we look at how their careers have progressed Sachin Tendulkar had a solid start and was in an awesome form between his 51st to 100th tests. The progress has been deterred by injuries after that and the tests 126-132, is not a record the master might want to look at. Whereas Brian Lara's was a good start followed by some dip in form but after his 75th test Brian Lara's charts are just showing a rise. Brian Lara his 34 centuries to his credit out of which 9 are over 200. He has been known for his ability to play long innings and has also been time and again accused selfish for the same. Sachin Tendulkar does not have these many doubles centuries to his credit. Brian Lara made his first double in his 5th match but Sachin's came very late in his career. If a batsman is to be adjudged as the greatest only by the amount of huge scores made then Brian Lara wins it hands down. But will just huge scores help us win matches. Nopes most of them just end in a draw.

Test matches are all about innings and if we compare them both based on their various innings averages, they play equally well in the 1st match innings, Brian Lara plays it better in second match innings, Sachin Tendulkar is way ahead in 3rd match innings and better by a whisker in 4th. If the second innings which team plays is more important then Sachin Tendulkar is a better player (I am saying this coz time and again I have read arguments as Sachin Tendulkar does not play well in the second innings of his team). Also Brian Lara has been a part of a losing team in 62 tests when compared to Sachin's 37, this is given the fact that Indian team is accused of being big time losses. Sachin Tendulkar holds averages over 50 in tests played at home and away, whereas Lara's away test average is much below his home average and Sachin's away average.

Okie now if people ask me, is it just averages which define a batsman's greatness. The answer is big NO. In today's cricketing world a batsman can be called great for his runs (of course), skills, technique and his contribution to team's cause. This just need not be winning but it could also be saving from a loss. Both of these have amassed a lot of runs, their skill talent and techniques are time-tested. Their contribution to team's cause, well the stats suggests Brian Lara has been a part of a team which has won 32 tests and drawn 35 (61 & 68 averages) compared to Sachin's 41 (64 & 72). Sachin Tendulkar can also help by bowling.

With one day's ruling the contemporary era of cricket lets look their performances here too, before we can think of a conclusion. Sachin Tendulkar has played more ODIs than Brian Lara (nearly a 100). He has 14,479 runs and 142 wkts to his credit against 9948 runs and 4 wkts of Lara's.

Sachin Tendulkar has 40 centuries to his name out of which 15 are at home. Out of Lara's 19, 6 are at home. 1993 was the only year when Brian Lara scored more than 1000 runs in a year where as Sachin Tendulkar has done it in 1994,1996,1997,1998,2000,2003. Though Brian Lara has lost 134 out of his 283 matches (165 out of 371 for Sachin) he has better comparative average in the matches won for his team and in matches won while chasing.

But when it comes to the biggest of all, the world cup, Brian Lara's figures stand way below Sachin Tendulkar's. Even after being accused of unable to deliver in finals time and again, Sachin Tendulkar seems to have performed better than Brian Lara there. It can also be noted that Sachin Tendulkar has played about 36 finals compared to Lara's 19. Is this criterion to question the ability of the prince to bring his team to finals? With the recognition part of Match, Sachin Tendulkar holds the world record with 52 awards to Lara's 30.In this entire span of career Sachin Tendulkar has been captain and played under various captains but his name has not been a part of a lot of controversies whereas Brian Lara has had his date with it all.

Now all these are just numbers though they are huge, both these are master craftsmen, both their team struggles when they lose they get out but I should say Sachin Tendulkar has had more pressure on his shoulders. Tendulkar has been burdened with the traditional comparison with Bradman - an analogy made by the "The Knight" himself, who likened the diminutive Indian to himself in his younger days and he ahs carried the hopes of the Indian Crowd, the most emotional of the Cricketing crowds.

Now let us think of a conclusion (difficult part) who amongst these two will use call as the greatest batsmen, If it is ODIs Sachin Tendulkar wins it heads up, if it is tests there is a stiff competition but can still be called as 60-40 to Brian Lara due to the sheer amount of runs and massive sores. If the argument is taken for the greatest cricketer then Brian Lara doesn't stand anywhere near Sachin Tendulkar because Sachin Tendulkar is an all-rounder (At least when compared to Lara), a team man and the best cricketing personality around. (This is the Sophi touch ).

By Sophi,
http://bubblynitya.blogspot.com/

Nayantara - south Indian flim actoress Nayantara

Nayantara - south Indian flim actoress Nayantara

Nayantara in SareeDiana Kurien (born 18 November 1984 in Kerala, India), popularly known as Nayantara, is a south Indian actress and has acted in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam movies.

Nayantara born in Tiruvalla, Kerala. Nayantara was choosen by Director Satyan to cast opposite to Jayaram in Mansinakkare. Nayantara also played a role in which Ghost who falls in love with Hero in a movie.

Nayantara played opposite with top Tamil flim Heros like Saratkumar in Ayya. Nayantara acted with Rajnikanth who is
the highest paid actor in India in a flim named Chandramuki which is the successful movie till date.

Nayantara vallavan Lip Kiss lip LockingNayantara had been frequently linked with actor Silambarasan (Simbu) for her Lip kiss in Nayan's latest movie named Vallavan. Actually it is not a Lip Kiss But a lip Bite by Simbu in vallavan. This Lip Kiss in vallavan flim between Nayantara and Simbu created a lot of controversy in Tamil Flim Industry. when asked about that lip locking scene in vallavan, Nayantara said that, the flim script requires a lip locking scene and she was completely convinced with the lip locking kiss scene and the Scene was justified in its regards".

When reporters asked about the repeat of the Lip locking scene, Nayantara said she is not a smooching queen and the reputation and hot appeal is important to Nayantara. Later
Nayantara announced that she will not act in any lip locking or Lip kiss scene in any flims.Nayantara Vallavan Nayantara simbu

India win Asian Hopman Cup to earn place in Perth

India win Asian Hopman Cup to earn place in Perth

India won the inaugural Asian Hopman Cup on Sunday, sweeping aside Taiwan 3-0 in the final of the mixed team event. The victory earned them earn a wildcard into the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, from Dec. 30 to Jan. 5 when they will compete in Group B with Spain, Czech Republic and Croatia.

Group A comprises Germany, United States, Australia and Russia.

Sania Mirza gave the hosts a good start in her hometown, beating I-Hsuan Hwang 6-2 6-4 in 82 minutes. Rohan Bopanna defeated Ti Chen 6-3 6-4 in 74 minutes. The Indian pair compraised of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna who replaced Leander Paes then won the mixed doubles opening set 6-1 before the opposition conceded the match.

Sania Mirza, who enjoyed a breakthrough in 2005 when she became the first Indian to claim a WTA title and reach the top 50 in the rankings, said the event had given her useful practice ahead of the Asian Games, which open on Friday.

The 20-year-old Sania Mirza is hoping to win the mixed doubles gold in Doha with multiple grand slam winner Leander Paes. The pair won a bronze medal in the 2002 Asian Games in South Korea.

"I expect Doha to be tougher but it was good to play some matches in between to fine tune one's game," Sania Mirza said.

Drink Water on empty Stomach

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have provena its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningtitis, kidney and urine disea ses, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhoea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure main deseases:

1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days

2. Gastric - 10 days

3. Diabetes - 30 days

4. Constipation - 10 days

5. Cancer - 180 days

6. TB - 90 days

Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment for only 3 days. In the 1st week to be followed by daily treatment. This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Karisma Kapoor shapes up for a come back

Karisma Kapoor shapes up for a come back

The svelte star plans a comeback after a 3 year hiatus following her marriage in Sep 2003.

Karishma Kapoor bollywood actressKarishma Kapoor, Bollywood Bueaty who took a break from acting flims after her marriage to industialist friend Sanjay Kapoor in september 2003, is all set for a comeback to mainstream acting in Bollywood. Though Karishma Kapoor does not have a flim yet on hand, it is that there is no takers for Karishma Kapoor in bollywood. Karishma Kapoor is now handpicking selected flim projects that she is going to sign. There is a new rule from Karishma Kapoor, Flim must be good enough to merit sharing attention with her year and half old daughter Samira.

Rumors are that Karishma Kapoor is planning for a comeback under Yashraj flims banner who was interviewed by star news said that “I have been listening to a lot of scripts. It has to be such a good script that I will want to go on the sets and start shooting.”

Karishma Kapoor's Sister
Kareena Kapoor is also in Bollywood, when asked about acting with Kareena Kapoor, Karishma Kapoor said, Both of them are open to the Idea but they would not do for a sake of it. It must be a great script and both Kareena Kapoor and Karishma Kapoor must be comfortable with the script.

Karishma Kapoor is now waiting for a right flim for her comeback, which might be onir's "You and I", Karishma Kapoor might star in Sanjai Suri's flim too.

Karishma KapoorMeanwhile Karishma Kapoor seen in a lot of advertisements last year endorsing a lot of products. Currently Karishma Kapoor is promoting Euros jewelry brand

Much to the delight of her fans Karisma Kapoor hasn't let marriage and childbirth impact on her svelte form. She jests that running after her daughter keeps her in shape! Last month
Madhuri Dixit a long time Screen Goddess of Bollywood announced her comeback.

Believe its a comeback time to Bollywood, We are interested in seeing Kajol in this list, must do another flim with Sharuk Khan.

Hopman Cup: India to meet Chinese Taipei in final

Hopman Cup: India to meet Chinese Taipei in final

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna continued with their blistering form as India thrashed Japan 3-0 to book their berth in the final of the inaugural Asia Hopman Cup Mixed Team Tennis Championships here today.

Top seed India will play Chienese Taipei in the summit clash tomorrow, the latter blanking Thailand to come through at the SAAP Tennis Complex. Sania Mirza , 66th-ranked Indian who won her first WTA title in 2005, defeated Japanese rival Tomoko 7-5, 6-2 in the women's singles in an hour and 15 minutes.

Davis cupper Rohan Bopanna, who is ranked 259 on the ATP tour, overcome Yuihi Sugita 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 in the men's singles. In the doubles, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna thrashed Tomoko and Sugita 6-0, 6-1 in just 39 minutes. Rohan Bhoppana replaced Leander Paes due to an injury for Leander Paes

Sania Mirza was a bit shaky in the first set as she was broken twice but compensated for that by breaking her rival thrice, in the first, seventh and 11th games. The 20-year old Hyderabadi dominated the proceedings in the second set with three service breaks in the third, fifth and seventh games.

For Chienese Taipei, I-Hsuan Hwang defeated Nudnida Luanenam of Thailand 6-2, 6-1 in the women's singles before Ti Chen accounted for Weerapat Doakmaiklee 6-1, 6-4 in the men's singles against Thailand.

Thailand then conceded the mixed doubles.

Source : Google News

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Google Emails the Kama Sutra Worm!

Google Emails the Kama Sutra Worm!

Google has accidentally sent out an email containing the W32/Kasper.A@mm alias the "Kama Sutra" worm, a mass mailing worm, to nearly 50,000 members of a Google Video Blog group.

A statement posted on the Google Web site, attributed to the Google Video Team, says that some posts made to the Google Video Blog on Tuesday evening may have contained the "Kama Sutra" worm. The statement advises users to run antivirus programs to remove the worm, if they think they have downloaded it either from the group or the email.

A group used by Google to let subscribers know when "fun" videos are highlighted on it, any additions to this Google Video Blog are informed to subscribers via an email to the group's mailing list that is posted by none other than the Google Video Team.

An alarm was raised about the "Kama Sutra" worm in February this year, however it ultimately died down without causing much harm. The worm, as its name suggests, spreads under the guise of pornographic content, and was designed to overwrite files on infected computers on specific dates.

Of the latest episode, a Google spokesperson said that the Google Video Team was responsible for accidentally sending out the malicious email, but that now things are under control so as to prevent a re-run of the episode.

Google, of late, has been witness to many glitches. Just last month, there were reports of hackers having found a way to publish a fake post on Google's official Blog.

Meanwhile, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, Sophos, is of the opinion that Google isn't the only company to accidentally distribute malware on a mailing list, and that even security firms manage to do it at times.

Source : http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Google_Emails_the_Kama_Sutra_Worm/551-77099-643.html

Is breastfeeding in public a mum´s right?

Is breastfeeding in public a mum's right?

LAST month, a nursing mother was thrown off a plane about to take off in Vermont because she refused to cover up while breastfeeding her daughter.

"I'm not doing anything wrong and I will not cover up," Emily Gillette said, after a flight attendant offered her a blanket to cover herself.

In protest against Gillette's treatment, nursing mums across the US are now staging rolling breastfeeding sit-ins at the airline's counters, causing a huge embarrassment for the company (Mums begin 'lactivism' after airline bans breastfeeding).

Gillette has filed a complaint claiming the airline, Delta, has violated a state law that allows women to breastfeed "in any place of public accommodation".

The airline said breastfeeding on a plane was OK, as long as it was done discreetly.

Do you think the airline's actions were justified, or should women be able to breastfeed wherever and whenever they choose?

Source : News.com.au

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Angelina Jolie makes surprise visit to Cambodia

Angelina Jolie makes surprise visit to Cambodia

U.S. movie star Angelina Jolie has made a surprise visit to Cambodia, media reports said Thursday.

The 31-year-old actress, who adopted her 5-year-old son Maddox from Cambodia, is funding a nature conservation project in the country. Angelina Jolie briefly visited officials in Pailin, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold in northwestern Cambodia, said Keut Sothea, a deputy governor for the Pailin municipality.

He said Angelina Jolie had a brief discussion about a forest conservation project near Pailin with Ieng Vuth, another municipality deputy governor and the son of former Khmer Rouge Foreign Minister Ieng Sary.

Angelina Jolie promised up to 1.3 million U.S. dollars over five years for a forest conservation program that was approved by the Cambodian government in 2003. It is not clear when Angelina Jolie arrived in Cambodia or who had accompanied her. She has been filming a movie in India in recent weeks.

Last week Angelina Jolie and her husband Brad Pitt became embroiled in controversy after three of their bodyguards were arrested following a scuffle at an Islamic school in Mumbai. Parents at the school had accused the bodyguards of shouting, "You bloody Indians, you bloody Muslims," when they came to collect their children after classes.

Brad Pitt apologised Friday to Mumbai police over the incident and left to U.S.

Commuting Woes

Commuting Woes

Commuting from one place to another in metros is not just about reching destination, But reaching destination safely. In metros If we are lucky, we spend 1-2 hours everyday in commuting to our place of work and back.

Commuting here in India is now becoming evil everyday, Increase of Traffic in roads, buses and trains make things worse a lot. If you ever been to Mumbai you must experience traveling pleasure in Mumbai Local trains ( recently Angelina Jolie Went in Mumbai Trains). If you are new to the Mumbai trains you will feel like you are in a mid of a revolt where you fight for your way in and out of the train. If You want to get into the train Just stand in the center of the crowd. Then what you need to do........... Well Nothing! The crowd will do everything for your safe landing inside the train.

Below are some pointers for you to reach your destination safely.

  • Watch your elbows,
  • Always your hair must be tied ( Don't say it is old fashion, Your hair will be dragged)
  • Be practised to stand and walk in toes.
  • Be Practised in Standing in a single foot in the foot steps.
  • Don't be bothered about the Ironed dresses (better don't iron). When you come out of train your dress will be crushed, torned and whatever it may happen (sounds like whomsoever it may concern, yes it is you must accept it)

Ok Now those who go by road, Don't think its easy to be on road or on train, if you are in car, commuting during peak hours, be prepared for traffic, pollution, high Decibel sounds, continous Honks in red Signals, and get ready to get high Blood pressure levels. To add to this get ready for the ever never laid roads which has only digged ( for telephone, water, seawage) everywhere, Pits (by our Rain God blessing) and muddy road (You can cultivate rice there).

Don't be jealous on the bike riders for their Z cuts and moving front in traffic so fast when you are getting struck in the Traffic. Bikers are also probably cribbing about the sun burning down on them while they look at you chilling in your AC car. Well the grass is always greener on the other side! Don't care about those small scratches (bumper down, Body gets in) in the car because of all those previous great rides because without that you have high possibility of getting hit.

Frequent Hike of petrol prices, endless traffic, unfriendly roads, feeling frustrated because of violators (actually according to them you are violating rules) which makes your commuting a mess and unpleasent one. Do you have experience in commuting in less time. Share your ideas here

Thieves are Better than U.S. Secret Service

Thieves are Better than U.S. Secret Service

Theives once again proved to world that they are better than any police in world by stealing George Bush daughter's Bag in Argentina. Barbara Bush and her Sister jenna Bush were spending their holiday time (probably Drinking, famous for their pub activities) in Argentina. Both were under protection of Elite security force of USA, The U.S. Secret Service, One of the best Security service agency which provides security to president of United States and his familiy.

Last night Barbara Bush has lost her handBag and a cell phone from the restaurant in San Telmo, Buenos Aires, where both were dining. Reports says that Body gaurds were sitting nearby sourrounding both daughters and reporting that they haven't seen any theives work at all.

"The daughter of the president was on a tour in a typical tourist place, left her bag on the floor and it was stolen," Argentine Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez confirmed the incident Wednesday.

This incident now raises the question about the security which is provided to President's family. Meanwhile Argentine Police haven't recieved any complaint regarding this issue and the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aries haven't commented any. Both White house and U.S. Secret Service denied this report,

Its a Bravo act by whosoever because entering in lions den and showing tail in its face and escaping from there unharmed is not a simple act.

How secured is US President Family?

Santa Banta Jokes

Banta was busy removing wheel from his auto
A man asks banta y r u removing wheel from ur auto
Banta:cant u read the parking board..only for 2 wheelers
---------
Santa joined in a new job..1st day he worked till late evening on the computer.
boss was happy and asked what u did till evening
Santa: keyboard alphabets were not in order..so i made it order..
----------
santa : whats the guarantee 4 this mirror
shopkeeper:throw down frm 100 feet ,the mirror willnot break till 99 feet
santa : WOW!!thats greate pack 10!!
-----------
Banta is in mysoor palace
tourist guide: sir plz dont sit thr..Its tippu sultans chair
Banta:dont worry yaar i wil get up when he comes
-----------
Banta wated to make a std call to punjab, he wanted to save money..what he did?
he went to pujab and made a local call

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

No sex video

No sex video, lawyer

There is no "sex tape" involving pop star Britney Spears and estranged husband Kevin Federline, his lawyer said today.

After Britney Spears filed for divorce from the fledgling rapper this month, reports surfaced in the tabloid press that Federline had in his possession a videotape of the couple having sex and was considering making it public. "There is not a sex video of Kevin and Britney in existence," said Federline's divorce lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan. Representatives for Spears had no immediate comment.

"It goes without saying that the stories of Kevin attempting to sell such a video are patently false and anyone who reports that they have information of such attempts is either lying or reporting the lie of someone else," Kaplan said in a statement. Earlier this month a Los Angeles judge dismissed a lawsuit that Spears filed against Us Weekly, claiming that the magazine defamed her when it reported the existence of a sex tape. Superior Court Judge Lisa Hart Cole ruled that Spears, 24, could not be defamed because she had "put her modern sexuality squarely, and profitably, before the public eye."

After two years of marriage, Spears filed for divorce on November 7, citing irreconcilable differences with Federline and seeking sole custody of their children, one-year-old Sean Preston and James Jayden, who was born in September. Federline, 28, responded the following day with court papers seeking spousal support and custody of the children. Rumours had swirled for months that the marriage between the pop princess and aspiring rap artist had turned rocky. The duelling court papers and accompanying remarks by Kaplan that Federline was trying to "protect and safeguard the children" suggested a bitter split.

Spears shot to fame as a teenage sex kitten in 1999 and has sold more than 70 million albums to become one of the best-known celebrities in the world. Federline, who was a dancer in her music videos before their secret 2004 wedding, has lived in her shadow, often referred to as Mr Britney Spears, or K-Fed.

source : http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20802331-5006024,00.html

Love Marriage or Arranged Marriage, Which is better

Love Marriage or Arranged Marriage, Which is better

During the past century in India, parents are much opposed to Love marriage, According to parents Love marriage tends to go towards failure and it has no backings from society. But statistcs prove that Both forms of marriages are having equal chance of failure or success.

Love Marriage :

Love marriage happens when two opposite sexual people tends to think, live laugh with proper understanding. Before a love marriage, both Guy and Gal tends to understand each other (atleast on paper) by knowing their interest, Hobbies, characters, culture, views, and lot others. they tend to spend more time alone and share whatever they can to build the relationship. In love marriage both understands eachother needs, views, and there will be a spark of love between each other from the start. On a flip side still in India love marriage is considered as a social injustice and there is no social backup for those who do love marriage. Parents oppose these kind of marriage because they do not know anything about the Girl/Guy before marriage.

Arrange Marriage:

Arrange marriage is the one which is happening from the past in India. Arrange marriage tends to have a little slight ups in terms of failure or success in India. Parents of India still backing this type of arranged Marraige where parents select the Girl/ Guy for their son/ daughter. Parents enquire everything about the bride/groom (A full background verification which is happening in software industry) and get satisfied with the information they collect from various sourcecs. Once they get satisfaction they speak about other needs ( in the name of bride/groom's facility) for them. Arranged marriage has social backings from father, mother, in laws, reltion and everyone. On the flip side Both Bride and groom never know each other (now a little change in this) till the day they get married.

But parents argue that arranged marriage will lead to successful marriage life not the Love marriage which is not having any socical backings. So which is better type of marriage. Love marriage or Arranged Marriage. As parents say Love marriage tends to go towards Failure; What creates that failure. Since both guy and gal tend to know eachother before marriage what makes their marriage a failure life. A million Dollar Question that is to be asked.

In arranged marriage the compatibility plays a crucial part (all ten matchings must match - No matter the heart) in the selection process ( oops! we are not talking about the job vaccency here, but finding a suitable match for our son / daughter). Then the bridegoom's Families other needs ( to facilitate the living style of bride) plays another crucial factor in arranged marriage (is this reason of loosing this other needs in a love marriage stops parents). Parents tend to ask anything under sky and if the bride family accepts then the bride is selected for their son. Some community never ask the girl whether she likes the guy. they stop others mouth just by a single sentence, Parent's know what is good for their children.

Which marriage type is Better Love or Arranged, What is the solution to make a social injustice type of marriage to a acceptable type.

I have a solution where parents select/ approve a candidate (oops! again the Job term), and provide the employment as bride/ bridegroom and allow time for them to understand eachother. Hey are we talking something like a dating type. Yup it is a kind of dating where both parents accepts. There are number of dating sites available which helps you to choose perfect companion for your life. One such is bepenfriends.com.

but tell me, which type of Marriage is better for you.........

All Work And No Rest...!!!

All Work And No Rest...!!!

A long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered.

Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible.

Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself."

The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday to make more money, to gain power and recognition. We neglect our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.
One day when we look back, we will realize that we don't really need that much, but then we cannot turn back the time for what we have missed.

Life is not about making money, acquiring power or recognition. Life is definitely not about work! Work is only necessary to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life. Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time. You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts. Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence.

So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted. Live a balanced lifestyle and enjoy Life!

Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words ; they become actions.
Watch your actions ; they become habits.
Watch your habits ; they become character.
Watch your character ; it becomes your destiny.

From : http://newthoughtsfortheday.blogspot.com/2006/06/all-work-and-no-rest.html

Sania will partner with Rohan Bopanna in the Asian Hopman cup

Sania will partner with Rohan Bopanna in the Asian Hopman cup

An Injury to right finger of Leander Paes during masters cup in shanghai made leander paes to exit from Asian Hopman cup. Sania Mirza who had partnered with Leander paes now partners with Rohan Bopanna who is emerging as a countries most important player.

Rohan Bopanna now replaces Leander Paes in Asian Hopman Championship which begins on November 23 in Hyderabad. Sania Mirza is practicing for Asian Hopman cup at her home town Hyderabad. "I am Preparing for the tournament," said Sania Mirza, who was practicing at center court of SAAP tennis complex. Sania Mirza is also working on her Fitness with her new coach Heath Matthew. Sania Mirza was out of season due to elbow injury for a long time.

Sania Mirza seems to be not aware of the participation details of tennis ace Leander Paes, who was scheduled to be her mixed doubles partner for the upcoming Asian Hopman Cup beginning Thursday.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Indian origin Briton wins Miss Great Britain title

Indian origin Briton wins Miss Great Britain title

British-born Preeti Desai has become the first person of Indian origin to win the Miss Great Britain title replacing original winner Danielle Lloyd after she was stripped off the award for reportedly dating judge Teddy Sheringham and agreeing to pose for Playboy magazine.

The 25-year-old, from Guisborough, North Yorks will now represent Britain in the Miss Universe beauty pageant.

Preeti's family - mother Hema, father Jitu, and sister Anjlee are ecstatic at her win, according to the Sun newspaper.

Preeti gave all credit to her mum, who is recovering, from a serious illness.

'When she was crowned Miss Great Britain she rang to tell me and said, 'The crown is for you.' I burst into tears. I felt as if I won that crown. I felt as if I am Miss Great Britain. She only wants to see me happy - both my girls do. They want to see me smiling thanks to them I was able to overcome that dreadful illness,' Hema said.

'When I was 18 I decided to leave work and stay at home full time with her. We wanted to see her smile again. That's why winning this contest means so much, because it makes her happy - and that is priceless,' Preeti said.

Source IANS

DiCaprio saves co-star from gunman

DiCaprio saves co-star from gunman

Leonardo DiCaprio saved actor Djimon Hounsou by standing between him and a gunman.

According to contactmusic.com, Hounsou is uncertain why the alleged killer wanted to get him as they filmed the movie 'Blood Diamond' in Mozambique. But he is sure that he would have been seriously wounded or dead if not for DiCaprio.

Said Hounsou: "He stood in the way of somebody who was trying to shoot me. We went to eat somewhere and apparently somebody was threatening to kill me there. Leo said, 'Well, you're gonna have to go through me'. That was enough to make the gunman think twice and he fled the scene."

DiCaprio, however, has refused to discuss the matter during promotional interviews for the new film. He only talks about his great friendship with Hounsou. He said: "We became like brothers on this movie. We were together for six months."

Will you do that for your friend?

Source Msn.co.in

10 Dawood Ibrahimgang members deported

10 Dawood Ibrahim gang members deported to Mumbai from UAE

In a major blow to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, ten members of his gang were arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch here today after being deported from the UAE.

They were earlier in the custody of Dubai Police. Some of them are wanted in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, allegedly masterminded by Dawood Ibrahim, a senior police official said.

Asked about reports that Aarif, married to gangster Chhota Shakeel's sister, was among those arrested, Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy evaded a direct reply, saying he would comment on the matter "after some time".

Earlier this month, Abdul Rashid Hussaini Putter, also of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, was deported from Dubai to facilitate a probe into his alleged involvement in a fake currency racket in the metropolis.

Source : Hindu

From India With love - Brad Pitt

From India With love : Brad Pitt

Hollywood star Brad Pitt is so fascinated by India he's declared he'll soon be back, saying he has 'never seen a country like this.' In an interview Brad Pitt told a television reporter about his passion for Indian culture, 'I love Indian food. Chicken masala, dal and nan. I just love it.'

Brad Pitt says he's so fascinated by the chaos and life in Mumbai that he bought a motorbike to explore the city for himself.The
Hollywood star is in India with Angelina Jolie who's filming 'A Mighty Heart' in which she plays the part of Mariane, wife of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002 while investigating Islamic militants in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

Kate Hudson divorce from Chris Robinson

Kate Hudson divorce from Chris Robinson

It's a Divorcing time in Hollywood. Previously Britney Spears filed Divorce against Kevin and now it is Chris Robinson filed divorce from Kate Hudson. Their Marriage stood dteady for nearly Six long years. But Three months ago Chris Robinson announced sepration with Kate Hudson.

Chris Robinson a Black Crowes Rocker, cited Differences with kate Hudson and Looked for joint custody of their two year old son Ryder. Kate Hudson Acknowledged in mid august about their seperation. Same time it was rumored that she was romantically involved with Owen Wilson, but Rumor was denied by both Chris Robinson and Owen Wilson.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Human Rights Watch says Saddam was not given fair trial

Human Rights Watch says Saddam was not given fair trial

Human Rights Watch said Monday that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was not given a fair trial, claiming in a report that attorneys and judges undermined the legitimacy of the process by staging repeated walkouts and failing to uphold standards of international law. In a 97-page report, the group called the soundness of the guilty verdict "questionable" and said the Iraqi High Tribunal was not equipped to handle such a complex case. The document was based on observation of the trial and interviews with court officials, lawyers and other key parties, the group said.

The New York-based rights group said it found "serious procedural flaws," citing shortcomings in the timely disclosure of incriminating evidence. It also said that the defendants were not allowed to properly confront witnesses, and that the judges at times did not maintain an impartial demeanor. "The court's conduct, as documented in this report, reflects a basic lack of understanding of fundamental fair trial principles, and how to uphold them in the conduct of a relatively complex trial," the report said. "The result is a trial that did not meet key fair trial standards. Under such circumstances, the soundness of the verdict is questionable."

The chief prosecutor, Jaafar al-Mousawi, defended the trial Monday, calling it "fair and transparent." The verdict, he said, "was fair enough to a dictator who killed dozens of innocents." "There were only simple administrative flaws that did not affect the verdict," he said. On Nov. 5, the court sentenced Saddam and two other senior members of his regime to death by hanging for ordering the execution of nearly 150 Shiite Muslims from the Iraqi city of Dujail following a 1982 attempt on Saddam's life. The Iraqi court was created in 2003 after the U.S. invasion to prosecute cases of human rights violations in Iraq.

In the report, Human Rights Watch chastised defense lawyers for staging repeated walkouts, saying the tactic "created the strong impression that some counsel deliberately sought to delay or obstruct the course of the trial." Chief defense counsel Khalil al-Dulaimi, who voiced support for the report's conclusions, defended attorneys' frequent boycotts of the proceedings. "This was a political trial, not a legal one," he said by phone from Britain. "What can we do when the rights of the defense lawyers are breached in the courtroom, when they shut our mouths, when they threaten our lives?"

The report said defense lawyers were provided with inferior protection, with three being killed in the course of the trial. Witnesses, too, were left unprotected following their testimony, it said. Defense attorneys were inadequately trained in international criminal law and their performance was "generally poor," the report said. "No consistent and identifiable argument as to why the prosecution case was wrong or flawed was developed," it said. Human Rights Watch, which is against the death penalty in general, also said the death sentence against Saddam is "an inherently cruel and inhumane punishment," and "in the wake of an unfair trial is indefensible."

An appeals court is expected to rule on the verdict and death sentence by mid-January. Saddam's defense team must present an appeal to a higher, nine-judge panel by Dec. 5. Last week, Saddam's lawyer complained that the court was ignoring his requests for documents to appeal the guilty verdict. "The verdict against President Saddam Hussein is purely political and all the conditions of a fair trial — as stipulated under international law — have been gravely violated, including the right to appeal the verdict in a court of cassation," al-Dulaimi said in a written statement.

Source http://www.iht.com

Hair engages leading lawyer

Hair engages leading lawyer

Darrell Hair has hired a leading lawyer from the Marylebone Cricket Club in an effort to restart his international career, according to The Australian. The paper reported that Hair, who was sacked from the ICC's elite umpiring panel earlier this month, was "in delicate negotiations with the ICC".

"I am still trying to work a few things out," Hair said. "I can only say that I am extremely disappointed at the decision made by the ICC to remove me from the elite panel of umpires."I am considering my position and you will therefore appreciate that at this stage it would not be appropriate for me to comment further except to express my gratitude to all those who continue to show support for me."

His brother Denis told The Australian Hair had received offers to continue his first-class career in Australia's state cricket and England's county cricket. "He won't be satisfied unless he can gain reinstatement to the panel," Denis Hair said.

"It has been a very harrowing time for him considering all he was doing was his job. We as a family are upset and distressed by the accusations which have been made against him when all he was doing was upholding the laws of the game. His reward has been accusations of racism."

Denis Hair said suggestions his brother was racist were hard to accept given the pair had attended a school in New South Wales with students of many different nationalities. "We all played happily together," he said. "Anyone who knows Darrell would understand that this is not the way he looks at the world."

CirckInfo

Sania Mirza wins invitational doubles tournament

Sania Mirza wins invitational doubles tournament

Tennis icon Sania Mirza teamed up with Rushmi Chakravorty to beat the American duo Neha and Sikha Uberoi and win in the doubles of the Videocon Invitational Challenge Tennis Tournament at the Siliguri Indoor Stadium on Sunday evening.

The Sania Mirza-Rushmi pair beat the Uberoi sisters 5-7, 6-4 and 10-8 in a close contest.

In the singles, Sikha beat her 20-year-old sibling Neha, 6-4 in a single set match, while in a friendly tie Sania Mirza got the better of her mentor Mahesh Bhupati, 7-5.

The winning doubles pair got the Rs.1,25,000 prize money, while the runners-up had to be content with Rs.75,000. All the four players were given attractive trophies.

Sania Mirza, ranked 66 in the world now, obviously commanded the most attention from the crowd and drew loud cheers as she asked in Bengali if they (crowd) were all well. More applause followed as she asked if they would like her to play in Siliguri again.

Doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi, who was the special guest, congratulated the local administration and the people of Siliguri for making the event a grand success.

On behalf of the two Uberoi sisters, Sikha thanked the organisers for their effort.

The singles and doubles matches were played on a special Globosport green sheet made of quality timbre used recently in the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata.

The prizes were given away by West Bengal Urban Development Minister, Ashoke Bhattacharya and the Mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation Bikash Ghosh.

Source DNA Sport

UNICEF´s poster girl working as maid

UNICEF's poster girl working as maid

UNICEF's poster girl working as maidTen-year-old Chunchun Kumari's face stares at you from UNICEF's evocative poster, asking for an end to child labour.

It's part of the nationwide drive launched from October 10 this year after the government ban on child labour in homes and restaurants came into effect.

However, in a crude reality, Chunchun, an illiterate, is still working as a maid in a roadside dhaba in Patna.

Bitter irony

In their campaign against child labour, UNICEF has pasted posters bearing Chunchun's photograph all over Bihar.

But this young girl is still unaware of it except for the fact that it's her photograph and Chunchun has no other option but to support her family for a living.

"My parents are poor. That's why I have to work to support my family," she said.

Chunchun's parents say there has been no help from the UNICEF so far.

"The UNICEF authorities say that they want to abolish child labour. They clicked my daughter's photograph a month back. But they haven't helped my daughter. Since I am a poor person, I've no other option but to let my daughter work in a roadside eatery," said Baleshwar Das, Chunchun's father.

No compensation

However, UNICEF authorities say there was no agreement to compensate Chunchun's family in lieu of using her photograph for the poster.

"It's true that in our campaign against child labour, we have used a child's photograph. But that's just for the campaign, she is not our brand ambassador," countered Anupam Srivastav, Director (Communications), UNICEF, Patna.

Chunchun is still working as a child labour even though the UNICEF and the state government have used her as a brand ambassador in their fight against child labour.

It's a crushing reality of how serious the government is in its effort to curb child labour.

Source NDTV

Tropical Island Of Fiji

Tropical Island Of Fiji

Tour To Fiji

fiji ISlandsThe Republic of the Fiji Islands, or Fiji, is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago with two sizable islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, where the majority of inhabitants live, and is joined by over eight hundred islands, with about one hundred regularly inhabited. The name Fiji is the old Tongan word for the islands, which is turn derived from the Fijian name Viti.

If there's adventure in your soul, Fiji is the place to indulge it. The Fiji Islands in the South Pacific are an archipelago of over 330 islands packed with attractions that can be found no where else and offers a unique experiential opportunity for the visitor. Whether you seek Romance, Relaxation, Cultural Immersion, Cruising the Sea, or the Ultimate Eco-Tourism escapade, you'll find fulfillment here.

fiji IslandsA nature lover's delight, Fiji has an unspoiled, unique environment of extreme beauty and tranquility. Adrift for millennia in splendid isolation in the blue of the South Pacific it has escaped the evils of industrial progress, the incursions of dangerous animals, poisonous snakes, spiders and pestilent diseases such as malaria. It awaits your discovery.

Our 333 islands can sizzle with excitement or murmur with the quiet calm of pristine nature. Where else can you swim with huge, harmless manta rays congregating by the shore, snorkel over giant rainbow gardens of soft coral, or scuba dive the White Wall and famous Astrolabe Reef. Fiji is where the Cloud Breaker, the incredible six-metre wave found offshore at Tavarua, draws surfers from around the world.

It is also where you can float in the calm, quiet waters of a turquoise lagoon at sunset or walk alone through lush rainforest. It is where the sun shines almost everyday and when it does rain, people rush outside for a rainbath in the warm, brief downpour of a tropical shower which ends as quickly as it began. This is where life is lived for the joy of it all, where rushing is rude, and the name of a new friend is never forgotten. Fiji is where people wear flowers tucked in their hair, not to impress visitors, but because they like to.

History and Culture of Fiji

fiji Island BeachesFijians will hail you on the streets of Nadi and Suva and towns and villages in between, they will invite you to their native villages, and they will welcome you to their churches where song and music ring out above all else--for Fijians are nothing if not musical). On busy streets, in village markets, at home in their villages, many will be dressed in traditional garb. It is no show; it is the daily wear. Of course there are rousing events that tap into the culture, such as the kava ceremony in which you down a cloudy liquid to cement your welcome, but this is just as genuine. If you come to Fiji to throw yourself into the culture, fine; if what you most want is an exotic escape, a posh version of the deserted life Tom Hanks led in the movie "Castaway," which was filmed on a deserted Fiji island, then you've also come to the right place.

There are native villages scattered all across the islands. It's an edifying experience, whether you are traveling as a couple or as a family, to pay a visit to at least one of them. Most villages on the main roads announce themselves with a series of speed bumps reminding you to slow down (80 kilometers, or about 50 mph, is the speed limit in Fiji). Organized tours can be arranged, but it may be just as satisfying to meet a Fijian villager and be taken home on a personal visit. At some, you'll be able to buy hand-woven baskets and mats. Here and there are villages of traditional thatched cottages. The noblest structure--high peaked and set back from the others, on a village green--is occupied by the village chief. If you are admitted to his house for a kava ceremony or a short tete-a-tete, by all means accept. After ducking through the low door, you may be asked to sit down on the straw flooring opposite the chief. Talk as you would to any friendly respected personage, and don't forget to greet the chief with a hearty 'Bula'.