Bhutto killed by suicide bomber
Pakistan has been plunged into turmoil after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
Britain joined international condemnation of the murder, which looks certain to cause the postponement of elections next month, something many hoped would pave the way for a return to full democracy.
Ms Bhutto was shot moments after leaving a rally of her opposition Pakistan People's Party in the city of Rawalpindi. The gunman then blew himself up.
There were immediate chaotic scenes outside the hospital where she died but calls for restraint from across the world.
Although the attack bore the hallmarks of Islamic extremists, the assassination sparked fury against the regime of President Pervez Musharraf.
Her party described Ms Bhutto as a "martyr". Her long-term political rival, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, described her as a "sister" and pledged to "take the revenge on the rulers".
In Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband spoke of deep shock and paid tribute to a leader he said "knew the risks" of her return from exile.
"My thoughts and sincere condolences go to Ms Bhutto's family at this terrible time, as well as to the families of all those who lost their lives in this senseless attack," Mr Miliband said.
"Benazir Bhutto showed in her words and actions a deep commitment to her country. She knew the risks of her return to campaign but was convinced that her country needed her. This is a time for restraint but also unity.
"All those committed to a stable future for Pakistan will condemn without qualification all violence perpetrated against innocent people. In targeting Benazir Bhutto extremist groups have in their sights all those committed to democratic processes in Pakistan. They cannot and must not succeed."
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Breaking: Benazir Bhutto Killed In Attack
Breaking: Benazir Bhutto Killed In Attack
Jane Roh
Outraged supporters of Benazir Bhutto have taken to the streets following confirmation that the Pakistani opposition leader was assassinated today.
Bhutto had just spoken at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, and was getting into a car when a gunman opened fire. The apparent assassin then blew himself up. There are conflicting reports on how she was killed. Some witnesses said she had been shot in the neck and chest, while a doctor at the hospital that treated her told the New York Times she had shrapnel wounds but would not confirm she had been directly shot.
At least 15 other people were also killed in the attack, according to various news reports. Bhutto, 54, had ended a self-imposed exile in October after reaching a power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf is wildly unpopular among Pakistan's Islamists and democratic reformists alike, but has been courted by Washington as a necessary ally in the war on terror.
"I found her to be a very, very brave woman with a clear vision for her own country [and] for Afghanistan," said Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who said he'd met with Bhutto earlier today. "We in Afghanistan condemn this cowardice and immense brutality in the strongest possible terms. She sacrificed her life for Pakistan and for the sake of this region."
Karzai has accused Musharraf of accomodating extremists and not clamping down hard enough on al-Qaida and Taliban fighters along their tumultuous shared border.
"Her murderers must be brought to justice and Pakistan must continue the path back to democracy and the rule of law," said Rudy Giuliani, the first presidential candidate to release a statement on the attack. "Her death is a reminder that terrorism anywhere -- whether in New York, London, Tel-Aviv or Rawalpindi -- is an enemy of freedom. We must redouble our efforts to win the terrorists’ war on us."
(President Bush made a brief statement condemning Bhutto's murder from his ranch in Crawford. We are waiting for the networks to air it.)
Bhutto had escaped an attempt on her life shortly after she returned to Pakistan on Oct. 18. That bombing, blamed on Islamic extremists, killed at least 126 and wounded 248.
Musharraf was accused of failing to provide sufficient security for Bhutto. The former prime minister, still incredibly popular in her Pakistan People's Party (PPP), had vowed on her return to protect her country from Islamic extremists and from Musharraf, whom she viewed as a dictator. The two engaged in a tug-of-war over when Musharraf would step down as head of the Pakistani military, which he finally did late last month but not before taking the extraordinary steps of suspending the constitution and imposing martial law.
Bhutto's assassination will undoubtedly exacerbate an already precarious situation in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif, another former prime minister and fellow Musharraf foe, may step into the void in time for the coming elections, but it is not clear how Musharraf hangs on to power without yet more extraconstitutional measures.
Because Pakistan is a nuclear-armed country within reach of al-Qaida and the Taliban, the ripple effects of this crisis are potentially quite serious. India, also a nuclear power and a rival, has reason for immediate concern if Pakistan destabilizes further. News of her death sent investors running toward gold, a safe-haven commodity.
The White House, which was already agonizing over its relationship with Musharraf, cannot risk chaos in Islamabad and will have to consider direct intervention.
"We will have to devote a lot of effort to make sure things don't" worsen in the region, said Sen. John McCain, speaking to supporters at a campaign stop.
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, a former U.N. ambassador, called for Bush to break with Musharraf once and for all.
"President Bush should press Musharraf to step aside, and a broad-based coalition government, consisting of all the democratic parties, should be formed immediately. Until this happens, we should suspend military aid to the Pakistani government," Richardson said. "It is in the interests of the U.S. that there be a democratic Pakistan that relentlessly hunts down terrorists. Musharraf has failed, and his attempts to cling to power are destabilizing his country. He must go."
The Politicker has compiled more candidates' reactions, while AP has statements from world leaders.
Source: Breaking: Benazir Bhutto Killed In Attack article in the The Gate
Jane Roh
Outraged supporters of Benazir Bhutto have taken to the streets following confirmation that the Pakistani opposition leader was assassinated today.
Bhutto had just spoken at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, and was getting into a car when a gunman opened fire. The apparent assassin then blew himself up. There are conflicting reports on how she was killed. Some witnesses said she had been shot in the neck and chest, while a doctor at the hospital that treated her told the New York Times she had shrapnel wounds but would not confirm she had been directly shot.
At least 15 other people were also killed in the attack, according to various news reports. Bhutto, 54, had ended a self-imposed exile in October after reaching a power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf is wildly unpopular among Pakistan's Islamists and democratic reformists alike, but has been courted by Washington as a necessary ally in the war on terror.
"I found her to be a very, very brave woman with a clear vision for her own country [and] for Afghanistan," said Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who said he'd met with Bhutto earlier today. "We in Afghanistan condemn this cowardice and immense brutality in the strongest possible terms. She sacrificed her life for Pakistan and for the sake of this region."
Karzai has accused Musharraf of accomodating extremists and not clamping down hard enough on al-Qaida and Taliban fighters along their tumultuous shared border.
"Her murderers must be brought to justice and Pakistan must continue the path back to democracy and the rule of law," said Rudy Giuliani, the first presidential candidate to release a statement on the attack. "Her death is a reminder that terrorism anywhere -- whether in New York, London, Tel-Aviv or Rawalpindi -- is an enemy of freedom. We must redouble our efforts to win the terrorists’ war on us."
(President Bush made a brief statement condemning Bhutto's murder from his ranch in Crawford. We are waiting for the networks to air it.)
Bhutto had escaped an attempt on her life shortly after she returned to Pakistan on Oct. 18. That bombing, blamed on Islamic extremists, killed at least 126 and wounded 248.
Musharraf was accused of failing to provide sufficient security for Bhutto. The former prime minister, still incredibly popular in her Pakistan People's Party (PPP), had vowed on her return to protect her country from Islamic extremists and from Musharraf, whom she viewed as a dictator. The two engaged in a tug-of-war over when Musharraf would step down as head of the Pakistani military, which he finally did late last month but not before taking the extraordinary steps of suspending the constitution and imposing martial law.
Bhutto's assassination will undoubtedly exacerbate an already precarious situation in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif, another former prime minister and fellow Musharraf foe, may step into the void in time for the coming elections, but it is not clear how Musharraf hangs on to power without yet more extraconstitutional measures.
Because Pakistan is a nuclear-armed country within reach of al-Qaida and the Taliban, the ripple effects of this crisis are potentially quite serious. India, also a nuclear power and a rival, has reason for immediate concern if Pakistan destabilizes further. News of her death sent investors running toward gold, a safe-haven commodity.
The White House, which was already agonizing over its relationship with Musharraf, cannot risk chaos in Islamabad and will have to consider direct intervention.
"We will have to devote a lot of effort to make sure things don't" worsen in the region, said Sen. John McCain, speaking to supporters at a campaign stop.
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson, a former U.N. ambassador, called for Bush to break with Musharraf once and for all.
"President Bush should press Musharraf to step aside, and a broad-based coalition government, consisting of all the democratic parties, should be formed immediately. Until this happens, we should suspend military aid to the Pakistani government," Richardson said. "It is in the interests of the U.S. that there be a democratic Pakistan that relentlessly hunts down terrorists. Musharraf has failed, and his attempts to cling to power are destabilizing his country. He must go."
The Politicker has compiled more candidates' reactions, while AP has statements from world leaders.
Source: Breaking: Benazir Bhutto Killed In Attack article in the The Gate
Benazir Bhutto assassinated in Pakistan
Benazir Bhutto assassinated in Pakistan
Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack on Thursday, just two months after the former premier returned from exile for a political comeback. Bhutt, a two-time former prime minister, had jsut addressed a campaign rally for next month's parliamentary elections when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the venue, killing her and at least 10 other people.
Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack on Thursday, just two months after the former premier returned from exile for a political comeback. Bhutt, a two-time former prime minister, had jsut addressed a campaign rally for next month's parliamentary elections when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the venue, killing her and at least 10 other people.
Girl Okay After Screwdriver Goes Into Head
Girl Okay After Screwdriver Goes Into Head
A Minnesota family enjoyed a particularly merry Christmas this year, with their 2-year-old daughter home and relatively unharmed less than a week after she stabbed herself in the eye with a screwdriver.
A Minnesota family enjoyed a particularly merry Christmas this year, with their 2-year-old daughter home and relatively unharmed less than a week after she stabbed herself in the eye with a screwdriver.
Raw Video: Benazir Bhutto Dies In Suicide Blast
Raw Video: Benazir Bhutto Dies In Suicide Blast
Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto dies after suicide attack. The former Prime minister had just left a rally where she was speaking.
Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto dies after suicide attack. The former Prime minister had just left a rally where she was speaking.
Benazir Bhutto Killed In Blast
Benazir Bhutto Killed In Blast
Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a suicide attack.
Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a suicide attack.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Plexiglas-like DVD to hold 1TB of data
Plexiglas-like DVD to hold 1TB of data
A TeraDisc could hold up to 250,000 high-resolution pictures or 40 HD movies
by Lucas Mearian
At the upcoming CES conference in Las Vegas, one company plans to demonstrate the ability to store half a terabyte of data on a DVD disc that is made of a polymer similar to Plexiglas.
Israel-based Mempile Inc. said its TeraDisc DVDs will offer 1TB of storage for consumers in the next few years -- and corporations will be able to use the technology to permanently store data at a fraction of the price of spinning disk and tape, according to Dr. Beth Erez, Mempile's chief marketing officer. Today's high-definition DVDs hold a maximum of 50GB in formats such as HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
With 1TB capacity, a TeraDisc could hold up to 250,000 high-resolution photos or MP3s, or about 40 HD movies or 115 DVD movies. While that may seem like an unnecessary amount of capacity for anything but the largest professional needs, Tom Coughlin, a storage analyst at Coughlin Associates in Atascadero, Calif., said HD formats for movie distribution are already four times the current 1080-pixel resolution currently used for consumer HD retail movie distribution. Over the next 10 years, both studio and consumer HD products will multiply by 10 times the current resolution.
"If HD now is 25GB, you can easily have something that's 300GB or larger in the future. So I think we've not reached the limits of resolution that people want in their entertainment devices," Coughlin said.
Another company offering DVD storage is Cambridge, England-based Plasmon PLC, which relies on the same blue-laser technology used by Blu-ray and HD DVD. Plasmon's technology, called Ultra-Density Optical (UDO technology) can write up to 60GB on a proprietary DVD format platter for corporate data archive use. Plasmon sells automated libraries, which can store terabytes of data. Pricing varies, but Computerworld found a 60GB UDO platter for $60 on Pricegrabber.com. Plasmon's road map envisions 240GB discs, and it offers drives for use in automated libraries and stand-alone drives for desktops. The DVDs are available in both first-generation 30GB and second-generation 60GB models.
Similarly, TDK is working on next-generation Blu-ray Disc technology that will offer up to 200GB on a DVD platter.
Mempile's DVD drives will initially retail for between $3,000 and $4,000, and a 700GB platter -- the first model expected out around 2011 -- will sell for $30, according to a Mempile spokeswoman. Until now, Mempile had demonstrated writing and reading data on 100 layers within a .6mm thick substrate material that in total can hold 500GB. The company plans to begin retailing its product next year. Over the next three years, the company expects to increase the disc's thickness to the industry DVD standard of 1.2mm, which will allow it to record 5GB on each of 200 layers, spaced 5 microns apart, for a total of 1TB of capacity. According to a company white paper, the technology road map calls for a 5TB DVD "a few years down the road."
Unlike HD DVDs, which use blue lasers to record and read data off a reflective surface on top of a polymer substrate, Mempile's TeraDisc drives use more powerful red-laser technology to write and read. The Mempile drive has two lasers, one that tracks and one that reads and writes. The drive uses a CD-like system for tracking data in the substrate. Erez said his company's technology writes bits at the molecular level, changing the color of florescent molecules in the Plexiglas-like material to record the data.
Erez said traditional HD DVD technology, which reflects light back to an optical reader, causes signal deterioration and background noise, where writing and reading through a clear substrate offers a cleaner signal that is more efficient for data transfer. "We have no noise in looking at the 200th layer or the second layer or the 10th," Erez said.
Erez said the TeraDisc technology can also be used for network-based backup for archive purposes. Mempile is manufacturing the TeraDisc technology using polymers produced by chemical developer Arkema Inc., which also produces hoses and gaskets for cars and polyethylene packaging for foods, among other things.
Source Plexiglas-like DVD to hold 1TB of data article on ComputerWorld.com
A TeraDisc could hold up to 250,000 high-resolution pictures or 40 HD movies
by Lucas Mearian
At the upcoming CES conference in Las Vegas, one company plans to demonstrate the ability to store half a terabyte of data on a DVD disc that is made of a polymer similar to Plexiglas.
Israel-based Mempile Inc. said its TeraDisc DVDs will offer 1TB of storage for consumers in the next few years -- and corporations will be able to use the technology to permanently store data at a fraction of the price of spinning disk and tape, according to Dr. Beth Erez, Mempile's chief marketing officer. Today's high-definition DVDs hold a maximum of 50GB in formats such as HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
With 1TB capacity, a TeraDisc could hold up to 250,000 high-resolution photos or MP3s, or about 40 HD movies or 115 DVD movies. While that may seem like an unnecessary amount of capacity for anything but the largest professional needs, Tom Coughlin, a storage analyst at Coughlin Associates in Atascadero, Calif., said HD formats for movie distribution are already four times the current 1080-pixel resolution currently used for consumer HD retail movie distribution. Over the next 10 years, both studio and consumer HD products will multiply by 10 times the current resolution.
"If HD now is 25GB, you can easily have something that's 300GB or larger in the future. So I think we've not reached the limits of resolution that people want in their entertainment devices," Coughlin said.
Another company offering DVD storage is Cambridge, England-based Plasmon PLC, which relies on the same blue-laser technology used by Blu-ray and HD DVD. Plasmon's technology, called Ultra-Density Optical (UDO technology) can write up to 60GB on a proprietary DVD format platter for corporate data archive use. Plasmon sells automated libraries, which can store terabytes of data. Pricing varies, but Computerworld found a 60GB UDO platter for $60 on Pricegrabber.com. Plasmon's road map envisions 240GB discs, and it offers drives for use in automated libraries and stand-alone drives for desktops. The DVDs are available in both first-generation 30GB and second-generation 60GB models.
Similarly, TDK is working on next-generation Blu-ray Disc technology that will offer up to 200GB on a DVD platter.
Mempile's DVD drives will initially retail for between $3,000 and $4,000, and a 700GB platter -- the first model expected out around 2011 -- will sell for $30, according to a Mempile spokeswoman. Until now, Mempile had demonstrated writing and reading data on 100 layers within a .6mm thick substrate material that in total can hold 500GB. The company plans to begin retailing its product next year. Over the next three years, the company expects to increase the disc's thickness to the industry DVD standard of 1.2mm, which will allow it to record 5GB on each of 200 layers, spaced 5 microns apart, for a total of 1TB of capacity. According to a company white paper, the technology road map calls for a 5TB DVD "a few years down the road."
Unlike HD DVDs, which use blue lasers to record and read data off a reflective surface on top of a polymer substrate, Mempile's TeraDisc drives use more powerful red-laser technology to write and read. The Mempile drive has two lasers, one that tracks and one that reads and writes. The drive uses a CD-like system for tracking data in the substrate. Erez said his company's technology writes bits at the molecular level, changing the color of florescent molecules in the Plexiglas-like material to record the data.
Erez said traditional HD DVD technology, which reflects light back to an optical reader, causes signal deterioration and background noise, where writing and reading through a clear substrate offers a cleaner signal that is more efficient for data transfer. "We have no noise in looking at the 200th layer or the second layer or the 10th," Erez said.
Erez said the TeraDisc technology can also be used for network-based backup for archive purposes. Mempile is manufacturing the TeraDisc technology using polymers produced by chemical developer Arkema Inc., which also produces hoses and gaskets for cars and polyethylene packaging for foods, among other things.
Source Plexiglas-like DVD to hold 1TB of data article on ComputerWorld.com
Zuleikha Robinson arrives at the premiere of The Great Debaters
Zuleikha Robinson arrives at the premiere of The Great Debaters at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007.
Dirty Dancing on New York's 'N' Train
Four women in New York gave an impromptu pole dancing show aboard a subway train.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Orangutan prefers blondes
Orangutan prefers blondes
Reuters, Fri Oct 5, 2007
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Sibu the Orangutan has miffed his Dutch keepers by refusing to mate with females and showing sexual interest only in tattooed human blondes.
Apenheul Primate Park hoped Sibu would become its breeding male when he arrived two years ago, but orangutans aren't his type.
"He chases them, or ignores them, but he doesn't do what he should do," said a spokeswoman for the park.
Instead, Sibu fancies his female keepers, especially blondes. That, the spokeswoman said, was common for orangutans but Sibu has a fetish for tattoos, harking back to a heavily tattooed keeper who reared him.
"Orangutans have special interests in special subjects. Sibu happens to like tattoos," she said.
The park hasn't given up on Sibu, 31. He showed an amorous interest in a female Orangutan while living in England and keepers hope he will find love when reunited with her in a new enclosure in Chester, England.
Source: Orangutan prefers blondes
Reuters, Fri Oct 5, 2007
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Sibu the Orangutan has miffed his Dutch keepers by refusing to mate with females and showing sexual interest only in tattooed human blondes.
Apenheul Primate Park hoped Sibu would become its breeding male when he arrived two years ago, but orangutans aren't his type.
"He chases them, or ignores them, but he doesn't do what he should do," said a spokeswoman for the park.
Instead, Sibu fancies his female keepers, especially blondes. That, the spokeswoman said, was common for orangutans but Sibu has a fetish for tattoos, harking back to a heavily tattooed keeper who reared him.
"Orangutans have special interests in special subjects. Sibu happens to like tattoos," she said.
The park hasn't given up on Sibu, 31. He showed an amorous interest in a female Orangutan while living in England and keepers hope he will find love when reunited with her in a new enclosure in Chester, England.
Source: Orangutan prefers blondes
Customs find beetles stuffed with cocaine
Customs find beetles stuffed with cocaine
Reuters, Fri Oct 5, 2007
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch customs officers found 100 dead beetles stuffed with cocaine while examining a parcel from Peru, Dutch authorities said Thursday.
The little drug couriers' bodies had been slit open and filled with a total of 300 grams of cocaine, with an estimated street-value of 8,000 euros ($11,270).
"This is a very striking method of smuggling. We have never seen anything like this before," said government spokesman Kees Nanninga.
Officers decided to open the parcel after scanning it and seeing what appeared to be insects inside.
Source : Customs find beetles stuffed with cocaine
Reuters, Fri Oct 5, 2007
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch customs officers found 100 dead beetles stuffed with cocaine while examining a parcel from Peru, Dutch authorities said Thursday.
The little drug couriers' bodies had been slit open and filled with a total of 300 grams of cocaine, with an estimated street-value of 8,000 euros ($11,270).
"This is a very striking method of smuggling. We have never seen anything like this before," said government spokesman Kees Nanninga.
Officers decided to open the parcel after scanning it and seeing what appeared to be insects inside.
Source : Customs find beetles stuffed with cocaine
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
'The complete man' Raymonds to dress women now!
'The complete man' Raymonds to dress women now!
Staff Reporter, Economic Times, 5 Sep 2007
NEW DELHI: Leading apparel manufacturer Raymond Ltd, which forayed into the premium women western-wear market with the launch of ColorPlus Women on Wednesday, has earmarked investments of Rs 400-500 crore in the current year for capacity expansion.
"We would be investing Rs 400-500 crore in the current year on manufacturing and retailing," Raymond Chairman and Managing Director Gautam Hari Singhania told reporters here.
He said the company had plans to increase the number of its outlets across the country to 1,000 from about 430 at present in the next three years.
Aiming for a share in the Rs 800-crore premium women western-wear market, Raymond launched the ColorPlus Women range of apparels which would be available through 175 points of sale in the next three years.
The company expects revenues to the tune of Rs 150 crore from this segment in the next two-three years. The ColorPlus Women range would include day-wear, sports wear, business wear as well as formal wear.
"ColorPlus Women will vie for a significant part of the Rs 800 crore premium western womens wear market, which is growing at 20 per cent annually," Singhania said.
By the end of the year, Raymond is looking to open five exclusive ColorPlus Women stores as well as 12 lifestyle stores. The brand would be launched in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad.
Singhania said Raymond is also mulling introducing a kids wear range under the ColorPlus brand in one year.
Source : 'The complete man' Raymonds to dress women now! article on EconomicTimes.com
Staff Reporter, Economic Times, 5 Sep 2007
NEW DELHI: Leading apparel manufacturer Raymond Ltd, which forayed into the premium women western-wear market with the launch of ColorPlus Women on Wednesday, has earmarked investments of Rs 400-500 crore in the current year for capacity expansion.
"We would be investing Rs 400-500 crore in the current year on manufacturing and retailing," Raymond Chairman and Managing Director Gautam Hari Singhania told reporters here.
He said the company had plans to increase the number of its outlets across the country to 1,000 from about 430 at present in the next three years.
Aiming for a share in the Rs 800-crore premium women western-wear market, Raymond launched the ColorPlus Women range of apparels which would be available through 175 points of sale in the next three years.
The company expects revenues to the tune of Rs 150 crore from this segment in the next two-three years. The ColorPlus Women range would include day-wear, sports wear, business wear as well as formal wear.
"ColorPlus Women will vie for a significant part of the Rs 800 crore premium western womens wear market, which is growing at 20 per cent annually," Singhania said.
By the end of the year, Raymond is looking to open five exclusive ColorPlus Women stores as well as 12 lifestyle stores. The brand would be launched in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad.
Singhania said Raymond is also mulling introducing a kids wear range under the ColorPlus brand in one year.
Source : 'The complete man' Raymonds to dress women now! article on EconomicTimes.com
India still on priority list for manufacturing: Intel
India still on priority list for manufacturing: Intel
BS Reporter / New Delhi September 05, 2007
India still remains high on the list of manufacturing sites for Intel - the world's largest chip-maker.
"Manufacturing in India is important for Intel, but the government was slow in coming out with its semiconductor manufacturing proposal and missed the window. We had to commit ourselves to options like Vietnam and China," said Craig Barrett, chairman, Intel, who was here today.
"We don't have any plan to set up a plant here now. We have enough capacity in the current manufacturing plants, and do not need any new plant," he added.
In the absence of a well-documented plan for the semiconductor policy by the government when Intel began its discussions, the chip-maker announced its $2.5 billion investment to build a micro-chip plant in north-eastern China in March. This will be Intel's first semiconductor plant in Asia with the production of chipsets to begin in 2010.
The company is also in "serious talks" with the Indian government government and private companies for rolling out WiMAX infrastructure. "We are a major contributor to base technology, hence WiMAX is also of importance to us," said Barrett who has advised the government to "use the spectrum allocation with the best possible technology and not specific to any technology."
According to a report by research firms Maravedis and Tonse Telecom, India will have 13 million WiMAX subscribers by 2012. French technology major Alcatel has already set up a research and development centre in Chennai to develop WiMAX technology, and trial runs have been on in Baramati, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore.
Barrett was in Delhi to announce the collaboration between Intel’s World Ahead Programme with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). Intel has partnered with 16 organisations including NIIT, Educomp Solutions, Fortis Healthcare, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Apollo in India, to provide the progamme their expertise in connectivity, education and medical care.
Source : India still on priority list for manufacturing: Intel article on Business-Standard.com
BS Reporter / New Delhi September 05, 2007
India still remains high on the list of manufacturing sites for Intel - the world's largest chip-maker.
"Manufacturing in India is important for Intel, but the government was slow in coming out with its semiconductor manufacturing proposal and missed the window. We had to commit ourselves to options like Vietnam and China," said Craig Barrett, chairman, Intel, who was here today.
"We don't have any plan to set up a plant here now. We have enough capacity in the current manufacturing plants, and do not need any new plant," he added.
In the absence of a well-documented plan for the semiconductor policy by the government when Intel began its discussions, the chip-maker announced its $2.5 billion investment to build a micro-chip plant in north-eastern China in March. This will be Intel's first semiconductor plant in Asia with the production of chipsets to begin in 2010.
The company is also in "serious talks" with the Indian government government and private companies for rolling out WiMAX infrastructure. "We are a major contributor to base technology, hence WiMAX is also of importance to us," said Barrett who has advised the government to "use the spectrum allocation with the best possible technology and not specific to any technology."
According to a report by research firms Maravedis and Tonse Telecom, India will have 13 million WiMAX subscribers by 2012. French technology major Alcatel has already set up a research and development centre in Chennai to develop WiMAX technology, and trial runs have been on in Baramati, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore.
Barrett was in Delhi to announce the collaboration between Intel’s World Ahead Programme with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). Intel has partnered with 16 organisations including NIIT, Educomp Solutions, Fortis Healthcare, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Apollo in India, to provide the progamme their expertise in connectivity, education and medical care.
Source : India still on priority list for manufacturing: Intel article on Business-Standard.com
Bhairavi Desai leads taxi strike in New York
Bhairavi Desai leads taxi strike in New York
Parveen Chopra, Indo-Asian News Service, New York, September 05, 2007
Fewer taxis were seen on the roads in New York and it was taking longer to hail one as the two-day strike by a section of the city's 13,000 cab drivers started on Wednesday morning. Drivers of yellow cabs -- about 60 per cent of them are South Asian - have been protesting the installation of GPS software and credit card readers by the government.
The strike has been organised by the New York Taxi Workers' Alliance, which claims to represent 7,000 taxi drivers. Advocating the cabbies' cause in the media is the Alliance's executive director, Bhairavi Desai.
Profiled by Time magazine and named by Ms Foundation as one of 10 female role models, Desai's work with the Alliance has gone on for more than a decade, bringing changes to the lives of the cabbies, but often pitting her against the New York establishment.
In 1998, she organised the largest one-day taxi strike in city's history, over low pay and long hours for the drivers. She was able to unite Indian and Pakistani drivers despite the tensions on the subcontinent because of nuclear tests by India and Pakistan.
The history and women's studies graduate from Rutgers University, 36-year-old Desai lives in New Jersey.
While Mayor Michael Bloomberg has downplayed the likelihood of a widespread disruption by the taxi strike, the city has empowered taxis to pick up multiple passengers and the transit system has added some buses.
A rival cabbies coalition, the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, has mounted a counterstrike operation. It sent dozens of volunteers to taxi stands at the city's airports and the main rail terminal asking drivers not to join the stoppage.
At issue is a requirement for the installation in each cab of a high-tech system that permits credit card payments, has a touch-screen monitor that lets passengers watch television and follow their ride on an electronic map, and includes a global positioning device, which tracks the cabs' travels. In exchange, the transport authorities agreed to raise fares by 26 per cent.
Drivers, however, have said that the global positioning device and automated system recording each trip are too invasive, and that transaction fees charged by credit card companies eat into their profits. The system can also delay the start of their metres because drivers must log on before every fare, they said.
The drivers also said the TV monitor at the back of their seat heats up after a few hours of use and the constant sound of the television can be disorienting.
Source : Bhairavi Desai leads taxi strike in New York article on HindustanTimes.com
Parveen Chopra, Indo-Asian News Service, New York, September 05, 2007
Fewer taxis were seen on the roads in New York and it was taking longer to hail one as the two-day strike by a section of the city's 13,000 cab drivers started on Wednesday morning. Drivers of yellow cabs -- about 60 per cent of them are South Asian - have been protesting the installation of GPS software and credit card readers by the government.
The strike has been organised by the New York Taxi Workers' Alliance, which claims to represent 7,000 taxi drivers. Advocating the cabbies' cause in the media is the Alliance's executive director, Bhairavi Desai.
Profiled by Time magazine and named by Ms Foundation as one of 10 female role models, Desai's work with the Alliance has gone on for more than a decade, bringing changes to the lives of the cabbies, but often pitting her against the New York establishment.
In 1998, she organised the largest one-day taxi strike in city's history, over low pay and long hours for the drivers. She was able to unite Indian and Pakistani drivers despite the tensions on the subcontinent because of nuclear tests by India and Pakistan.
The history and women's studies graduate from Rutgers University, 36-year-old Desai lives in New Jersey.
While Mayor Michael Bloomberg has downplayed the likelihood of a widespread disruption by the taxi strike, the city has empowered taxis to pick up multiple passengers and the transit system has added some buses.
A rival cabbies coalition, the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, has mounted a counterstrike operation. It sent dozens of volunteers to taxi stands at the city's airports and the main rail terminal asking drivers not to join the stoppage.
At issue is a requirement for the installation in each cab of a high-tech system that permits credit card payments, has a touch-screen monitor that lets passengers watch television and follow their ride on an electronic map, and includes a global positioning device, which tracks the cabs' travels. In exchange, the transport authorities agreed to raise fares by 26 per cent.
Drivers, however, have said that the global positioning device and automated system recording each trip are too invasive, and that transaction fees charged by credit card companies eat into their profits. The system can also delay the start of their metres because drivers must log on before every fare, they said.
The drivers also said the TV monitor at the back of their seat heats up after a few hours of use and the constant sound of the television can be disorienting.
Source : Bhairavi Desai leads taxi strike in New York article on HindustanTimes.com
Maguire swaps vows with Meyers
Maguire swaps vows with Meyers
Staff Reporter, Times Of India, 5 Sep 2007
Maguire and Meyer, who met early in 2003 and have kept their relationship fairly low profile, are parents to 9-month-old daughter, Ruby.
Actor Tobey Maguire tied the knot with his long time girlfriend Jennifer Meyers on Sept 3, 2007 in Kona on Hawaii's Big Island.
The couple swapped vows in front of a small group of family and friends including Leonardo DiCaprio and Lukas Haas.
The thrilled bride couldn’t help gushing about how excited she was for the future.
"Let's just say this is truly the best time of my life," E! Online quoted Meyer, as saying.
"I'm walking on air. I'm getting married, starting a family and have an amazing company," she added.
Maguire and Meyer, who met early in 2003 and have kept their relationship fairly low profile, are parents to 9-month-old daughter, Ruby.
The Spider-Man star had earlier revealed to Parade magazine in April that settling down with his family and having stability in life meant the most to him.
"Growing up the way I did, I had a very serious ambition to make some money, to have some security and comfort in my life," People quoted Maguire as telling the mag.
"I'm at that stage where I have to start thinking about where I want Ruby to grow up and go to school...Even though L.A. is pretty laid-back, maybe it would be a good idea to try a different, less ambitious kind of atmosphere," he said.
Source : Maguire swaps vows with Meyers article on Times Of India
Staff Reporter, Times Of India, 5 Sep 2007
Maguire and Meyer, who met early in 2003 and have kept their relationship fairly low profile, are parents to 9-month-old daughter, Ruby.
Actor Tobey Maguire tied the knot with his long time girlfriend Jennifer Meyers on Sept 3, 2007 in Kona on Hawaii's Big Island.
The couple swapped vows in front of a small group of family and friends including Leonardo DiCaprio and Lukas Haas.
The thrilled bride couldn’t help gushing about how excited she was for the future.
"Let's just say this is truly the best time of my life," E! Online quoted Meyer, as saying.
"I'm walking on air. I'm getting married, starting a family and have an amazing company," she added.
Maguire and Meyer, who met early in 2003 and have kept their relationship fairly low profile, are parents to 9-month-old daughter, Ruby.
The Spider-Man star had earlier revealed to Parade magazine in April that settling down with his family and having stability in life meant the most to him.
"Growing up the way I did, I had a very serious ambition to make some money, to have some security and comfort in my life," People quoted Maguire as telling the mag.
"I'm at that stage where I have to start thinking about where I want Ruby to grow up and go to school...Even though L.A. is pretty laid-back, maybe it would be a good idea to try a different, less ambitious kind of atmosphere," he said.
Source : Maguire swaps vows with Meyers article on Times Of India
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Geetanjali is a drug addict
Geetanjali is a drug addict
Staff Reporter, Times Of India, 5 Sep 2007, TNN
In the shocking wake of former model Geetanjali Nagpal being found living off the streets in Delhi, a victim of drug abuse and alcohol addiction, BT explores what makes people from the glam world reach this sorry state.
Is it stress and the inability to take fame and success that comes their way at an early age. Or something else?
Fashion photographer Akash Srivastaav, who met Geetanjali Nagpal at a party in Goa in 1997, recalls how he went up to her and said that she looked like model Ediesedwick from the Andy Warhol factory. “She had the aura of pulling you towards her. She laughed and said, ‘Though not as pretty as her.’ I was stunned that she knew what I was talking about as very few at that point had heard about Ediesedwick.”
Fashion in India was all about being pretty and angelic, then. Every model and shoot they would do were about the beautiful side of beauty. “But Geetu, as we called her, was a kind of rebel in fashion. The way she would hold her cigarette or sit, there was a sense of absolute decadence in her right from that time. We called her hateli, a term that signified headstrong, or dimag khiska, because she was wild and totally against the establishment. She didn’t care about anything or anybody. All she wanted was to be in a world of her own which didn’t follow any norm,” said Akash.
He also remembers once when he was about to shoot her, she just disappeared from the studio leaving everyone in a tizzy. Hours of searching led them to beneath a huge table inside the studio, “where madam was cozily sleeping”. Akash added, “During the years that I knew her, she never did drugs, at least not in front of me. She would occasionally drink wine. But there was an edginess in Geetu all the time. She would always say that she is intelligent and never believed in the concept of beauty.”
Delhi photographer Amir Rajpal, who shot Geetanjali Nagpal some 14 years back, remembers her as having lovely eyes, a beautiful body and a very good attitude. He can’t believe the state she is in today.
“She used to hate the sight of people smoking. How could she take to drugs herself? She was such a level-headed girl with no nakhras. God knows what went wrong, but I still can’t believe that the girl lying on a Paharganj street is her.”
Designer Rocky S doesn’t know her, but said, “When models start out early in life and get addicted to a starry life, they automatically gravitate towards destruction. The glamour world is a very high stress job, and to keep it up, at every step they resort to such abuses.” However, Manish Malhotra, who also did not know Geetanjali, refuses to believe that stress could have driven her to such measures. “The decision to ‘do it’ or ‘not do it’ is very personal. I have a lot of stress in my job too, but I don’t even smoke, so why blame it all on stress. Young models must understand that they need to look good, fresh and their job should lead them to enjoy life, not destroy it,” he advised.
Textile revivalist and designer Ritu Kumar does not recollect Geetanjali’s name or face for Noyonika and Sushmita were the leading models then. But she said, “Somehow, what she resorted to seems to be the most unfortunate episodes that could happen to a good model.”
Achala Sachdev, former model and choreographer now, added, “Who knows, maybe she had a drug problem even before she entered the modelling scene. Blaming stress as the reason is so passe. Why don’t young models understand that everyone here wants to make money, fame and enjoy life. Drugs can only add on to the problems.”
Source : Geetanjali is a drug addict article on Times Of India
Staff Reporter, Times Of India, 5 Sep 2007, TNN
In the shocking wake of former model Geetanjali Nagpal being found living off the streets in Delhi, a victim of drug abuse and alcohol addiction, BT explores what makes people from the glam world reach this sorry state.Is it stress and the inability to take fame and success that comes their way at an early age. Or something else?
Fashion photographer Akash Srivastaav, who met Geetanjali Nagpal at a party in Goa in 1997, recalls how he went up to her and said that she looked like model Ediesedwick from the Andy Warhol factory. “She had the aura of pulling you towards her. She laughed and said, ‘Though not as pretty as her.’ I was stunned that she knew what I was talking about as very few at that point had heard about Ediesedwick.”
Fashion in India was all about being pretty and angelic, then. Every model and shoot they would do were about the beautiful side of beauty. “But Geetu, as we called her, was a kind of rebel in fashion. The way she would hold her cigarette or sit, there was a sense of absolute decadence in her right from that time. We called her hateli, a term that signified headstrong, or dimag khiska, because she was wild and totally against the establishment. She didn’t care about anything or anybody. All she wanted was to be in a world of her own which didn’t follow any norm,” said Akash.
He also remembers once when he was about to shoot her, she just disappeared from the studio leaving everyone in a tizzy. Hours of searching led them to beneath a huge table inside the studio, “where madam was cozily sleeping”. Akash added, “During the years that I knew her, she never did drugs, at least not in front of me. She would occasionally drink wine. But there was an edginess in Geetu all the time. She would always say that she is intelligent and never believed in the concept of beauty.”
Delhi photographer Amir Rajpal, who shot Geetanjali Nagpal some 14 years back, remembers her as having lovely eyes, a beautiful body and a very good attitude. He can’t believe the state she is in today.
“She used to hate the sight of people smoking. How could she take to drugs herself? She was such a level-headed girl with no nakhras. God knows what went wrong, but I still can’t believe that the girl lying on a Paharganj street is her.”
Designer Rocky S doesn’t know her, but said, “When models start out early in life and get addicted to a starry life, they automatically gravitate towards destruction. The glamour world is a very high stress job, and to keep it up, at every step they resort to such abuses.” However, Manish Malhotra, who also did not know Geetanjali, refuses to believe that stress could have driven her to such measures. “The decision to ‘do it’ or ‘not do it’ is very personal. I have a lot of stress in my job too, but I don’t even smoke, so why blame it all on stress. Young models must understand that they need to look good, fresh and their job should lead them to enjoy life, not destroy it,” he advised.Textile revivalist and designer Ritu Kumar does not recollect Geetanjali’s name or face for Noyonika and Sushmita were the leading models then. But she said, “Somehow, what she resorted to seems to be the most unfortunate episodes that could happen to a good model.”
Achala Sachdev, former model and choreographer now, added, “Who knows, maybe she had a drug problem even before she entered the modelling scene. Blaming stress as the reason is so passe. Why don’t young models understand that everyone here wants to make money, fame and enjoy life. Drugs can only add on to the problems.”
Source : Geetanjali is a drug addict article on Times Of India
Biggest War Games In Bay Of Bengal Begin
Biggest War Games In Bay Of Bengal Begin
NEWSPOST India, Tuesday, 4th September, 2007
Warships from India, the US and three other nations Tuesday began the biggest war games in the Bay of Bengal, aimed at improving inter-operability between their navies, even as the Left parties staged demonstrations against the drill.
Malabar-2007, as the Sep 4-9 exercise is named, features 25 vessels participating in interception and dissimilar air combat exercises, as also surface and anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction and VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure) operations to counter piracy and terrorist acts at sea.
Given this vast scope, the operational area of Malabar-2007 stretches from Visakhapatnam on the eastern seaboard to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that guard the approaches to the Strait of Malacca, considered the world's busiest waterway.
The Malabar series is now in its 13th year. The drill has previously been a bilateral India-US engagement and has been expanded for the first time to also include Japan, Australia and Singapore.
Just as the war games began, veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu flagged off a protest march from Kolkata, attacking the UPA for its 'tilt' towards the US.
'The UPA government is trying to turn the country into the American fold which is against the common minimum programme on the basis of which the Left is extending support (to the government),' Basu told party workers.
'This is against the country's independent foreign policy,' he added.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat and his Communist Party of India (CPI) counterpart A.B. Bardhan would lead processions against the drill from Kolkata and Chennai respectively that would converge at Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
The US Navy will have the largest representation during Malabar-2007 with 13 warships, including the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz that generated much heat when it dropped anchor off Chennai in July.
The other vessels include the conventionally powered carrier USS Kitty Hawk, the nuclear submarine USS Chicago, two guided-missile cruisers, and six guided-missile destroyers.
Seven warships, including the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, will represent the Indian Navy. Viraat's Sea Harrier jets and Sea King helicopters, and the Indian Air Force's Jaguar deep-penetration strike aircraft will also be seen in action.
Australia will be represented by a frigate and a tanker, Japan by two destroyers and Singapore by a frigate.
New Delhi has repeatedly sought to allay apprehensions that the drill had military overtones.
'There is no military alignment. It's only an exercise,' Defence Minister A.K. Antony has said of Malabar-2007 that runs Sep 4-9.
'Our armed forces exercise with most of the important countries. Every year this is expanding...India's importance is growing. Almost all countries want to engage with us. It's a good thing. It's a recognition of India's prestige and reliability,' the minister maintained.
China, which has not officially commented on the drill, is known to be unhappy over the event as it is being conducted in the Bay of Bengal for the first time. China has been cultivating naval cooperation with Bangladesh and Myanmar to gain access to the Bay of Bengal. China has also been strengthening military cooperation with Sri Lanka.
Given the Left opposition, the Indian government was at one time known to have considered postponing or even cancelling the drill but the Indian Navy put its foot down, saying the logistics involved made any delay impossible.
Source : Biggest War Games In Bay Of Bengal Begin article on NEWSPOST India
NEWSPOST India, Tuesday, 4th September, 2007
Warships from India, the US and three other nations Tuesday began the biggest war games in the Bay of Bengal, aimed at improving inter-operability between their navies, even as the Left parties staged demonstrations against the drill.
Malabar-2007, as the Sep 4-9 exercise is named, features 25 vessels participating in interception and dissimilar air combat exercises, as also surface and anti-submarine warfare, maritime interdiction and VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure) operations to counter piracy and terrorist acts at sea.
Given this vast scope, the operational area of Malabar-2007 stretches from Visakhapatnam on the eastern seaboard to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that guard the approaches to the Strait of Malacca, considered the world's busiest waterway.
The Malabar series is now in its 13th year. The drill has previously been a bilateral India-US engagement and has been expanded for the first time to also include Japan, Australia and Singapore.
Just as the war games began, veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu flagged off a protest march from Kolkata, attacking the UPA for its 'tilt' towards the US.
'The UPA government is trying to turn the country into the American fold which is against the common minimum programme on the basis of which the Left is extending support (to the government),' Basu told party workers.
'This is against the country's independent foreign policy,' he added.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat and his Communist Party of India (CPI) counterpart A.B. Bardhan would lead processions against the drill from Kolkata and Chennai respectively that would converge at Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
The US Navy will have the largest representation during Malabar-2007 with 13 warships, including the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz that generated much heat when it dropped anchor off Chennai in July.
The other vessels include the conventionally powered carrier USS Kitty Hawk, the nuclear submarine USS Chicago, two guided-missile cruisers, and six guided-missile destroyers.
Seven warships, including the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, will represent the Indian Navy. Viraat's Sea Harrier jets and Sea King helicopters, and the Indian Air Force's Jaguar deep-penetration strike aircraft will also be seen in action.
Australia will be represented by a frigate and a tanker, Japan by two destroyers and Singapore by a frigate.
New Delhi has repeatedly sought to allay apprehensions that the drill had military overtones.
'There is no military alignment. It's only an exercise,' Defence Minister A.K. Antony has said of Malabar-2007 that runs Sep 4-9.
'Our armed forces exercise with most of the important countries. Every year this is expanding...India's importance is growing. Almost all countries want to engage with us. It's a good thing. It's a recognition of India's prestige and reliability,' the minister maintained.
China, which has not officially commented on the drill, is known to be unhappy over the event as it is being conducted in the Bay of Bengal for the first time. China has been cultivating naval cooperation with Bangladesh and Myanmar to gain access to the Bay of Bengal. China has also been strengthening military cooperation with Sri Lanka.
Given the Left opposition, the Indian government was at one time known to have considered postponing or even cancelling the drill but the Indian Navy put its foot down, saying the logistics involved made any delay impossible.
Source : Biggest War Games In Bay Of Bengal Begin article on NEWSPOST India
Eurostar sets Paris-London rail record
Eurostar sets Paris-London rail record
By Chris Bryant, FT.com, September 4 2007
Eurostar recorded a record time of just over two hours on its inaugural journey on a new high speed rail line carrying trains from Paris to the refurbished St Pancras station in London.
The train, travelling at speeds of up to 202mph, took two hours, three minutes and 39 seconds to complete the Paris-London route via the Channel Tunnel, a journey which normally takes two hours and 35 minutes.
It was the first time a train had run on High Speed One, a £5.8bn British high speed rail line, which from November 14 will cut the average journey time between London and Paris by 20 minutes.
Eurostar removed food service trolleys and ran only half-full in its atemtp break to compete journey in two hours, but was thwarted by a speed restriction on the line near Calais.
When regular services from St Pancras begin in November the journey will take a more sedate two hours and15 minutes at a maximum speed of 184mph.
Eurostar hopes the time-saving will help it increase passenger numbers from 8.3m this year to 10m by 2010 and from November passengers will be able to buy through-tickets from stations in northern Britain to the continent.
“Today marks Britain’s entry into the European high-speed rail club,” Richard Brown, Eurostar chief executive, said. “We can now run trains at high speed all the way from the Channel Tunnel to London, making journeys between cities quicker, more convenient – and far greener than flying.”
Eurostar trains currently trundle through south London into Waterloo station at speeds of between 60 and 90 mph.
The new 25-mile section of high speed track allows trains to reach 140mph in tunnels to the east of the City before it emerges at St Pancras in central London, north of the Thames.
“Now the French people can finally forget Waterloo,” Guillaume Pepy, chairman of Eurostar, joked.
London and Continental Railways, the company responsible for the new line, a new £100m station at Ebbsfleet and the refurbishment of St Pancras, hopes it will lead to £10bn of investment in deprived parts of East London.
High-speed domestic services will begin in 2009 cutting the journey time between Ebbsfleet and St Pancras to 17 minutes.
During the 2012 Olympic Games the line will carry high-speed shuttle services between St Pancras and a new station at the Olympic site in Stratford.
“This project is about much more than just transporting passengers from London to the continent,” Rob Holden, LCR chief executive, said. “Its about the creation of a piece of infrastructure that will be a catalyst for the regeneration some of the most deprived areas of Britain.
Source : Eurostar sets Paris-London rail record article on FT.com
By Chris Bryant, FT.com, September 4 2007
Eurostar recorded a record time of just over two hours on its inaugural journey on a new high speed rail line carrying trains from Paris to the refurbished St Pancras station in London.The train, travelling at speeds of up to 202mph, took two hours, three minutes and 39 seconds to complete the Paris-London route via the Channel Tunnel, a journey which normally takes two hours and 35 minutes.
It was the first time a train had run on High Speed One, a £5.8bn British high speed rail line, which from November 14 will cut the average journey time between London and Paris by 20 minutes.
Eurostar removed food service trolleys and ran only half-full in its atemtp break to compete journey in two hours, but was thwarted by a speed restriction on the line near Calais.
When regular services from St Pancras begin in November the journey will take a more sedate two hours and15 minutes at a maximum speed of 184mph.
Eurostar hopes the time-saving will help it increase passenger numbers from 8.3m this year to 10m by 2010 and from November passengers will be able to buy through-tickets from stations in northern Britain to the continent.
“Today marks Britain’s entry into the European high-speed rail club,” Richard Brown, Eurostar chief executive, said. “We can now run trains at high speed all the way from the Channel Tunnel to London, making journeys between cities quicker, more convenient – and far greener than flying.”
Eurostar trains currently trundle through south London into Waterloo station at speeds of between 60 and 90 mph.The new 25-mile section of high speed track allows trains to reach 140mph in tunnels to the east of the City before it emerges at St Pancras in central London, north of the Thames.
“Now the French people can finally forget Waterloo,” Guillaume Pepy, chairman of Eurostar, joked.
London and Continental Railways, the company responsible for the new line, a new £100m station at Ebbsfleet and the refurbishment of St Pancras, hopes it will lead to £10bn of investment in deprived parts of East London.
High-speed domestic services will begin in 2009 cutting the journey time between Ebbsfleet and St Pancras to 17 minutes.
During the 2012 Olympic Games the line will carry high-speed shuttle services between St Pancras and a new station at the Olympic site in Stratford.
“This project is about much more than just transporting passengers from London to the continent,” Rob Holden, LCR chief executive, said. “Its about the creation of a piece of infrastructure that will be a catalyst for the regeneration some of the most deprived areas of Britain.
Source : Eurostar sets Paris-London rail record article on FT.com
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tara enters semifinals
Tara enters semifinals
Special Correspondent, The Hindu, August 30, 2007
NEW DELHI: Tara Iyer worked her way past Varatchaya Wongteanchai of Thailand 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the $10,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Thursday.
On a day when the top-seeded Rushmi Chakravarthi and Isha Lakhani went out without a fight, Tara kept the Indian hopes alive along with Ankita Bhambri.
After racing away with the first set, Tara found herself in a spot of bother when she lost the second set despite bouncing back from 1-4 to 4-4.
In the decider, Tara opened well with a break of serve in the first game, but lost her serve in the very next game.
Tara raced to a 5-2 lead but could not close out the match in the eighth game as she uncharacteristically dropped serve at love.
The Thai girl came up with a last-ditch effort as she saved three match points from 0-40 in the ninth game, hitting three spectacular winners in a row including one on serve.
Tara, capitalised on her fourth match point and forced the Thai to hit a backhand long.
In the semifinals, Tara will meet Nungnadda Wannasuk.
The second-seeded Tangphong had pulled out with a back injury on Wednesday itself. Rushmi continued to find qualifier Kyung-Yee Chae a tough nut to crack and lost to her for the second time in successive weeks.
The 29-year-old Rushmi was unable to hit with her usual flair on the fast courts as she was slow to the ball, and the Korean left-hander was far too crafty and consistent while scripting a 6-2, 6-1 win.
Ankita proved too good for the fourth-seeded Isha Lakhani and raced to victory 6-2, 6-1.
It was the 11th win in 13 international meetings for Ankita against Isha.
The gutsy Isha lost her cool early in the match as she could not get a grip over the proceedings and was lucky to get away without being fined for a torrent of abuse that was mainly directed at her own incompetent display.
The results: Singles (quarterfinals): Kyung-Yee Chae (Kor) bt Rushmi Chakravarthi 6-2, 6-1; Ankita Bhambri bt Isha Lakhani 6-2, 6-1.
Tara Iyer bt Varatchaya Wongteanchai (Tha) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha) w/o. Montinee Tangphong (Tha).
Doubles (semifinals): Sophia Mulsap-Varatchaya Wongteanchai (Tha) bt Ankita-Sanaa Bhambri 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha)-Tara Iyer bt Rushmi Chakravarthi-Sandhya Nagaraj 6-1, 6-4.
Source : Tara enters semifinalsarticle in The Hindu
Special Correspondent, The Hindu, August 30, 2007
NEW DELHI: Tara Iyer worked her way past Varatchaya Wongteanchai of Thailand 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the $10,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Thursday.
On a day when the top-seeded Rushmi Chakravarthi and Isha Lakhani went out without a fight, Tara kept the Indian hopes alive along with Ankita Bhambri.
After racing away with the first set, Tara found herself in a spot of bother when she lost the second set despite bouncing back from 1-4 to 4-4.
In the decider, Tara opened well with a break of serve in the first game, but lost her serve in the very next game.
Tara raced to a 5-2 lead but could not close out the match in the eighth game as she uncharacteristically dropped serve at love.
The Thai girl came up with a last-ditch effort as she saved three match points from 0-40 in the ninth game, hitting three spectacular winners in a row including one on serve.
Tara, capitalised on her fourth match point and forced the Thai to hit a backhand long.
In the semifinals, Tara will meet Nungnadda Wannasuk.
The second-seeded Tangphong had pulled out with a back injury on Wednesday itself. Rushmi continued to find qualifier Kyung-Yee Chae a tough nut to crack and lost to her for the second time in successive weeks.
The 29-year-old Rushmi was unable to hit with her usual flair on the fast courts as she was slow to the ball, and the Korean left-hander was far too crafty and consistent while scripting a 6-2, 6-1 win.
Ankita proved too good for the fourth-seeded Isha Lakhani and raced to victory 6-2, 6-1.
It was the 11th win in 13 international meetings for Ankita against Isha.
The gutsy Isha lost her cool early in the match as she could not get a grip over the proceedings and was lucky to get away without being fined for a torrent of abuse that was mainly directed at her own incompetent display.
The results: Singles (quarterfinals): Kyung-Yee Chae (Kor) bt Rushmi Chakravarthi 6-2, 6-1; Ankita Bhambri bt Isha Lakhani 6-2, 6-1.
Tara Iyer bt Varatchaya Wongteanchai (Tha) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha) w/o. Montinee Tangphong (Tha).
Doubles (semifinals): Sophia Mulsap-Varatchaya Wongteanchai (Tha) bt Ankita-Sanaa Bhambri 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Nungnadda Wannasuk (Tha)-Tara Iyer bt Rushmi Chakravarthi-Sandhya Nagaraj 6-1, 6-4.
Source : Tara enters semifinalsarticle in The Hindu
Nokia introduces new internet services brand
Nokia introduces new internet services brand
By Ivan Gale, Staff Reporter, Gulfnews, August 30, 2007
London: Nokia announced a new internet services brand called Ovi, featuring gaming, music and navigational services, that will appear on select Nokia devices in the UAE beginning in October.
Following on the success of Web 2.0, or the personalisation of the internet through social networking and file-sharing, Nokia is seeking to bring the internet to its mobile users.
The Finnish mobile phone giant will launch two web portals, the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage, from which users may access music and games, respectively, via PCs and download them to mobile devices. Nokia Maps will offers maps and city guides more directly to compatible mobile devices, while other Internet based services are expected in the coming months.
From a company that once produced rubber boots and now is known as the world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia's latest move sends a clear endorsement of the transformative power of the internet.
"Whether you call it Web 2.0 or something else, its clear people are using the internet far beyond its original role," said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia's president and CEO, during a press conference in London yesterday announcing the new service.
"Great companies renew themselves as the world changes," he said, "and this world doesn't work the way the old world did."
Featuring a new user interface catering to the latest music, gaming and Internet needs of its users, Nokia will introduce its first Ovi-compatible device, the N81, to the UAE starting in October. When Ovi's music portal launches, Nokia officials confirmed it will include Arabic titles, while an Arabic-language version of Ovi will be released sometime in 2008.
The introduction of a fully-fledged gateway for internet services is a culmination of 18 months of investing in online properties for Nokia. Recently it acquired music site Loudeye, media sharing site twango and mapping service gate5.
It also represents a second effort at gaming. Although Nokia introduced n-gage gaming system on mobile phones since 2003, it underperformed initial expectations. Now, with a more sophisticated suite of hardware and software on its latest N-Series phones, Nokia believes the time is now right to begin a fresh push.
Part of this optimism stems from its own successes, and also from observing the dramatic rise in portable gaming devices.
Kallasvuo said Nokia shipped 80 million converged devices in 2006, and this is expected to climb to 120 million units this year. Meanwhile, he said the global gaming market was 25 billion euros, and more than a third of that came from portable devices.
Source : Nokia introduces new internet services brand article in Gulfnews
By Ivan Gale, Staff Reporter, Gulfnews, August 30, 2007
London: Nokia announced a new internet services brand called Ovi, featuring gaming, music and navigational services, that will appear on select Nokia devices in the UAE beginning in October.
Following on the success of Web 2.0, or the personalisation of the internet through social networking and file-sharing, Nokia is seeking to bring the internet to its mobile users.
The Finnish mobile phone giant will launch two web portals, the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage, from which users may access music and games, respectively, via PCs and download them to mobile devices. Nokia Maps will offers maps and city guides more directly to compatible mobile devices, while other Internet based services are expected in the coming months.
From a company that once produced rubber boots and now is known as the world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia's latest move sends a clear endorsement of the transformative power of the internet.
"Whether you call it Web 2.0 or something else, its clear people are using the internet far beyond its original role," said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia's president and CEO, during a press conference in London yesterday announcing the new service.
"Great companies renew themselves as the world changes," he said, "and this world doesn't work the way the old world did."
Featuring a new user interface catering to the latest music, gaming and Internet needs of its users, Nokia will introduce its first Ovi-compatible device, the N81, to the UAE starting in October. When Ovi's music portal launches, Nokia officials confirmed it will include Arabic titles, while an Arabic-language version of Ovi will be released sometime in 2008.
The introduction of a fully-fledged gateway for internet services is a culmination of 18 months of investing in online properties for Nokia. Recently it acquired music site Loudeye, media sharing site twango and mapping service gate5.
It also represents a second effort at gaming. Although Nokia introduced n-gage gaming system on mobile phones since 2003, it underperformed initial expectations. Now, with a more sophisticated suite of hardware and software on its latest N-Series phones, Nokia believes the time is now right to begin a fresh push.
Part of this optimism stems from its own successes, and also from observing the dramatic rise in portable gaming devices.
Kallasvuo said Nokia shipped 80 million converged devices in 2006, and this is expected to climb to 120 million units this year. Meanwhile, he said the global gaming market was 25 billion euros, and more than a third of that came from portable devices.
Source : Nokia introduces new internet services brand article in Gulfnews
All set for GSLV-F04 take-off on Sept. 2; countdown starts today
All set for GSLV-F04 take-off on Sept. 2; countdown starts today
Chennai, Aug. 31 (PTI): The countdown for the launch of a rocket from Sriharikota, about 100 km from here, carrying India's communication satellite INSAT-4CR, will start today.
"The countdown for the launch will start today afternoon," ISRO sources told PTI.
The 49-metre tall rocket will be launched at 4.21 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, they said.
The GSLV-F04, the fifth in the GSLV series, will put INSAT-4CR into a Geosynchronous Transfer orbit of 170 km perigee and 35,975 km apogee with an orbital inclination of 21.7 degrees, about 16 minutes and 40 seconds after lift off.
"The satellite will carry 12 high-powered KU-band transponders for DTH services, video picture transmission and Digital Satellite News Gathering," the sources said.
The satellite will subsequently be manoeuvred into geostationary orbit using its own propulsion system.
ISRO scientists have taken all efforts to ensure that the vehicle does not meet the same fate of its predecessor, the GSLV-F02, in July 2006, when it had strayed away from its path, forcing scientists to destroy it, 56 seconds after take off.
Source: All set for GSLV-F04 take-off on Sept. 2; countdown starts today appearing in The Hindu
Chennai, Aug. 31 (PTI): The countdown for the launch of a rocket from Sriharikota, about 100 km from here, carrying India's communication satellite INSAT-4CR, will start today.
"The countdown for the launch will start today afternoon," ISRO sources told PTI.
The 49-metre tall rocket will be launched at 4.21 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, they said.
The GSLV-F04, the fifth in the GSLV series, will put INSAT-4CR into a Geosynchronous Transfer orbit of 170 km perigee and 35,975 km apogee with an orbital inclination of 21.7 degrees, about 16 minutes and 40 seconds after lift off.
"The satellite will carry 12 high-powered KU-band transponders for DTH services, video picture transmission and Digital Satellite News Gathering," the sources said.
The satellite will subsequently be manoeuvred into geostationary orbit using its own propulsion system.
ISRO scientists have taken all efforts to ensure that the vehicle does not meet the same fate of its predecessor, the GSLV-F02, in July 2006, when it had strayed away from its path, forcing scientists to destroy it, 56 seconds after take off.
Source: All set for GSLV-F04 take-off on Sept. 2; countdown starts today appearing in The Hindu
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Sony software makes PCs vulnerable, researchers say
Sony software makes PCs vulnerable, researchers say
By Jim Finkle, Tue Aug 28, 2007
BOSTON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Software included with high-end memory sticks sold by Sony Corp can make personal computers vulnerable to attack by computer hackers, according to researchers with two Internet security firms.
Sony's MicroVault USB memory stick and fingerprint reader includes software that creates a hidden directory on the computer's hard drive, researchers with Finnish security software maker F-Secure Corp (FSC1V.HE: Quote, Profile, Research) reported on the company's blog on Monday.
Such software that hides itself, which is known as a root kit, leaves room for hackers to secretly infect personal computers, they said.
Software that is installed on such hidden drives is not only invisible to the human eye; some types of computer security software are unable to detect viruses and other types of so-called malware, or malicious software, stored on them.
F-Secure's blog posting said it attempted to contact Sony before alerting the public about the software, but the company had not replied.
Sony spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa said he could not immediately comment on the situation.
On Tuesday, researchers with McAfee Inc. said they had confirmed the vulnerability described by F-Secure.
"The apparent intent was to cloak sensitive files related to the fingerprint verification feature included on the USB drives," said McAfee spokesman Dave Marcus. "However, software creators apparently did not keep the security implications in mind. The application could be used to hide arbitrary software, including malicious software."
This is not the first time F-Secure has found Sony software installing hidden directories on the drives of its customers. In 2005 there was a similar situation involving the electronics maker's digital rights management software, security experts say.
Source : From Reuters article - Sony software makes PCs vulnerable, researchers say
By Jim Finkle, Tue Aug 28, 2007
BOSTON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Software included with high-end memory sticks sold by Sony Corp can make personal computers vulnerable to attack by computer hackers, according to researchers with two Internet security firms.
Sony's MicroVault USB memory stick and fingerprint reader includes software that creates a hidden directory on the computer's hard drive, researchers with Finnish security software maker F-Secure Corp (FSC1V.HE: Quote, Profile, Research) reported on the company's blog on Monday.
Such software that hides itself, which is known as a root kit, leaves room for hackers to secretly infect personal computers, they said.
Software that is installed on such hidden drives is not only invisible to the human eye; some types of computer security software are unable to detect viruses and other types of so-called malware, or malicious software, stored on them.
F-Secure's blog posting said it attempted to contact Sony before alerting the public about the software, but the company had not replied.
Sony spokesman Chisato Kitsukawa said he could not immediately comment on the situation.
On Tuesday, researchers with McAfee Inc. said they had confirmed the vulnerability described by F-Secure.
"The apparent intent was to cloak sensitive files related to the fingerprint verification feature included on the USB drives," said McAfee spokesman Dave Marcus. "However, software creators apparently did not keep the security implications in mind. The application could be used to hide arbitrary software, including malicious software."
This is not the first time F-Secure has found Sony software installing hidden directories on the drives of its customers. In 2005 there was a similar situation involving the electronics maker's digital rights management software, security experts say.
Source : From Reuters article - Sony software makes PCs vulnerable, researchers say
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
A Virgin Mary-themed urinal? Only in China.
A Virgin Mary-themed urinal? Only in China.
Tue, 07/10/2007 - 10:43am.
Anyone who has traveled to the Middle Kingdom would agree that the country's public restroom facilities leave a lot to be desired. Well, in Chongqing, a city of 31 million people in south-central China, they've had enough. Not content with the rudimentary squat units found everywhere in China, the city has pursued some innovative ideas that are meant to make the experience not just easier, but a little more fun.
First came round, open air urinals on the city's infamous "Foreigners Street," featuring tiny waist screens that left little to the imaginations of passers-by. Then came news of outdoor sinks, pictured at right, that made the hand-washing experience, um, different. Now comes news that the city has opened the world's largest restroom. The four-story, 1,000-stall facility features TVs, a soothing soundtrack piped throughout, crocodile- and Virgin Mary-themed urinals, and stalls with no roofs for those who prefer to relieve themselves al fresco. Says a local government official:
Tue, 07/10/2007 - 10:43am.
Anyone who has traveled to the Middle Kingdom would agree that the country's public restroom facilities leave a lot to be desired. Well, in Chongqing, a city of 31 million people in south-central China, they've had enough. Not content with the rudimentary squat units found everywhere in China, the city has pursued some innovative ideas that are meant to make the experience not just easier, but a little more fun.
First came round, open air urinals on the city's infamous "Foreigners Street," featuring tiny waist screens that left little to the imaginations of passers-by. Then came news of outdoor sinks, pictured at right, that made the hand-washing experience, um, different. Now comes news that the city has opened the world's largest restroom. The four-story, 1,000-stall facility features TVs, a soothing soundtrack piped throughout, crocodile- and Virgin Mary-themed urinals, and stalls with no roofs for those who prefer to relieve themselves al fresco. Says a local government official:
We are spreading toilet culture.... After they use the bathroom [people] will be very, very happy.
Heyy Babyy: A heady mix
Heyy Babyy: A heady mix
Smriti Kiran, Friday, July 20, 2007, Sydney
Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan, cheekily referred to as 'the studly and the soulful' is hardly an onscreen pair that leaps out of the page. But they are shaking it up for Sajid Khan's debut film Heyy Babyy.
If you thought they went together as well as rasam and masala chai, it's not surprising.
Whether it was the onscreen banter, the endless stream of pranks, the crazy onscreen situations they got to enjoy, Bollywood's hot new jodi are ready to make audiences say hey baby.
The tagline may as well tell you that Vidya is the woman who makes the three grown men cry. She did that off screen as well, though through tears of laughter.
It was double the fun for Vidya with a brand new look to enjoy. Comedy is never as easy as it looks, except when you are surrounded by a bunch of comedians.
We are not even talking about their roles in the film where, it must be said Akshay's Arush has met his match with Vidya's Isha, so watch the sparks fly.
Smriti Kiran, Friday, July 20, 2007, Sydney
Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan, cheekily referred to as 'the studly and the soulful' is hardly an onscreen pair that leaps out of the page. But they are shaking it up for Sajid Khan's debut film Heyy Babyy.If you thought they went together as well as rasam and masala chai, it's not surprising.
Whether it was the onscreen banter, the endless stream of pranks, the crazy onscreen situations they got to enjoy, Bollywood's hot new jodi are ready to make audiences say hey baby.
The tagline may as well tell you that Vidya is the woman who makes the three grown men cry. She did that off screen as well, though through tears of laughter.
It was double the fun for Vidya with a brand new look to enjoy. Comedy is never as easy as it looks, except when you are surrounded by a bunch of comedians.
We are not even talking about their roles in the film where, it must be said Akshay's Arush has met his match with Vidya's Isha, so watch the sparks fly.
Vidya Balan enthralls with new look
Vidya Balan enthralls with new look
Smriti, Swati, Friday, July 27, 2007, Mumbai
She lured countless people with her on screen simplicity and innocence when Vidya Balan created waves in Parineeta and subsequently Lage Raho Munnabhai she was all but tagged the girl next door.
In her next film, Heyy Baby she looks and acts different and it is designer Manish Malhotra who has helped Vidya evolve.
The timeless charm of Madhubala, the ethereal beauty of Meena Kumari - it was these legends that Vidya Balan was compared to when she first burst onto the screen, an actress who seemed to belong to a time gone by until now.
If old world charm can take you only so far then it's time for a quick makeover which Vidya got in hey baby where she is for the first time cool and contemporary.
"The image or the imagery that Parineeta created was so strong that in spite of the fact that I have done other films, where it has not been completely Indian, people spoke about Parineeta.
"I think in that sense this is going to be, I don't want to call it the next departure but I do feel its really different for me. It works for me. It works for us. So I think it should work for others. It would be a fresh lease of life. At least people will stop telling me you know we want you to look different," said Vidya Balan, Actress.
Now if you want to shift gears altogether, turn the image around. If you are looking to grab some global glam then designer Manish Malhotra is your man.
"I think the character here is basically that she is intelligent, educated. She lives in Australia and she has turmoil in her life. She is not a character that she is wearing short skirts, sexy clothes, bikini and halter tops which Vidya loves wearing. She loves exposure.
"I had to tell her no Vidya no short skirts. I had to beg her for that and she said no I want to wear these hot clothes but we said no. So we worked on the whole look according to the character and that actually is a bit tougher. Simplicity is more difficult to do than ornate stuff," said Manish Malhotra, Fashion Designer.
Well we will know it works when she hits the screen. Fans will whistle and say, what else, Heyy Baby!
Smriti, Swati, Friday, July 27, 2007, Mumbai
She lured countless people with her on screen simplicity and innocence when Vidya Balan created waves in Parineeta and subsequently Lage Raho Munnabhai she was all but tagged the girl next door.In her next film, Heyy Baby she looks and acts different and it is designer Manish Malhotra who has helped Vidya evolve.
The timeless charm of Madhubala, the ethereal beauty of Meena Kumari - it was these legends that Vidya Balan was compared to when she first burst onto the screen, an actress who seemed to belong to a time gone by until now.
If old world charm can take you only so far then it's time for a quick makeover which Vidya got in hey baby where she is for the first time cool and contemporary.
"The image or the imagery that Parineeta created was so strong that in spite of the fact that I have done other films, where it has not been completely Indian, people spoke about Parineeta.
"I think in that sense this is going to be, I don't want to call it the next departure but I do feel its really different for me. It works for me. It works for us. So I think it should work for others. It would be a fresh lease of life. At least people will stop telling me you know we want you to look different," said Vidya Balan, Actress.
Now if you want to shift gears altogether, turn the image around. If you are looking to grab some global glam then designer Manish Malhotra is your man.
"I think the character here is basically that she is intelligent, educated. She lives in Australia and she has turmoil in her life. She is not a character that she is wearing short skirts, sexy clothes, bikini and halter tops which Vidya loves wearing. She loves exposure.
"I had to tell her no Vidya no short skirts. I had to beg her for that and she said no I want to wear these hot clothes but we said no. So we worked on the whole look according to the character and that actually is a bit tougher. Simplicity is more difficult to do than ornate stuff," said Manish Malhotra, Fashion Designer.
Well we will know it works when she hits the screen. Fans will whistle and say, what else, Heyy Baby!
Bachchans in Sarkar sequel
Bachchans in Sarkar sequel
Radhika Iyer, Saturday, July 28, 2007, Hyderabad
Its family bonding at its best, the junior Bachchans and the big B all rolled into one action-packed film that's a sequel to Ram Gopal Varma's hit Sarkar
While shooting for the film at a hospital in Hyderabad, the three took some time off their busy schedules and spent time with cancer patients.
The Bachchan brigade along with director Ram Gopal Varma were shooting at the Kaminini hospital in Hyderabad.
Though the sets remained out of bounds for the media, the stars did spend some time with cancer patients in the hospital
The three will also embark on a world tour together sometime next year.
Radhika Iyer, Saturday, July 28, 2007, Hyderabad
Its family bonding at its best, the junior Bachchans and the big B all rolled into one action-packed film that's a sequel to Ram Gopal Varma's hit SarkarWhile shooting for the film at a hospital in Hyderabad, the three took some time off their busy schedules and spent time with cancer patients.
The Bachchan brigade along with director Ram Gopal Varma were shooting at the Kaminini hospital in Hyderabad.
Though the sets remained out of bounds for the media, the stars did spend some time with cancer patients in the hospital
The three will also embark on a world tour together sometime next year.
Dutt sentenced for six years
Dutt sentenced for six years
NDTV Correspondent, Tuesday, July 31, 2007, Mumbai
Actor Sanjay Dutt has been sentenced to six years in prison for illegal possession of arms in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
Last November he had been convicted for the illegal possession of a 9 mm pistol and an AK 56.
While delivering the last batch of sentences in the 1993 blasts trial, Judge Kode said that the actor's possession of these weapons was an imminently dangerous act and that he showed scant respect for the law.
Dutt's bail was immediately cancelled and he was taken into custody right away. He has been fined a sum of Rs 25,000.
He will be kept at the Arthur Road jail. Although he asked for some time to surrender, the prosecution opposed this.
Dutt will now be kept in the same cell as his associate and co-convict Yusuf Nalwalla. However, Dutt's lawyers said that they will appeal in the Supreme Court.
Soon after the verdict was pronounced Dutt asked the judge to be allowed to call his daughter.
Earlier, the judge had refused the probation report of Dutt and other accused Yusuf Nullwala and Kersi Adajania.
Dutt: I honestly thought I would get the benefit of probation. I have to wind up a few things.
Judge Kode: Don't get upset. I have got a duty to do. This is not the final court.
Dutt: You are like family to us.
Judge Kode:This is a momentary thing. You can appeal in a higher court.
He also said that Dutt committed the offence and also made others do so. He further observed that Dutt made Nullwala an offender by making him destroy the weapon.
"Sanjay with folded hands asked the court that considering his past record he should be given a few days to put in an appeal in the SC. However we opposed this plea. The TADA court accepted our argument and rejected his bail plea," said Ujjwal Nikam, Special Public Prosecutor.
Nullwala has been sentenced to five years in prison while Kersi gets two years in jail.
One of the aides of Sanjay Dutt, Russi Mulla who was also accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case has been let off by the special TADA court.
Mulla will be given probation on surety of Rs 1 lakh and will be under observation for a year.
The trial in the Mumbai serial blasts case finally came to an end with all 100 convicted being sentenced. The serial blasts on March 12, 1993 had killed 257 people.
NDTV Correspondent, Tuesday, July 31, 2007, Mumbai
Actor Sanjay Dutt has been sentenced to six years in prison for illegal possession of arms in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.Last November he had been convicted for the illegal possession of a 9 mm pistol and an AK 56.
While delivering the last batch of sentences in the 1993 blasts trial, Judge Kode said that the actor's possession of these weapons was an imminently dangerous act and that he showed scant respect for the law.
Dutt's bail was immediately cancelled and he was taken into custody right away. He has been fined a sum of Rs 25,000.
He will be kept at the Arthur Road jail. Although he asked for some time to surrender, the prosecution opposed this.
Dutt will now be kept in the same cell as his associate and co-convict Yusuf Nalwalla. However, Dutt's lawyers said that they will appeal in the Supreme Court.
Soon after the verdict was pronounced Dutt asked the judge to be allowed to call his daughter.
Earlier, the judge had refused the probation report of Dutt and other accused Yusuf Nullwala and Kersi Adajania.
Dutt: I honestly thought I would get the benefit of probation. I have to wind up a few things.
Judge Kode: Don't get upset. I have got a duty to do. This is not the final court.
Dutt: You are like family to us.
Judge Kode:This is a momentary thing. You can appeal in a higher court.
He also said that Dutt committed the offence and also made others do so. He further observed that Dutt made Nullwala an offender by making him destroy the weapon.
"Sanjay with folded hands asked the court that considering his past record he should be given a few days to put in an appeal in the SC. However we opposed this plea. The TADA court accepted our argument and rejected his bail plea," said Ujjwal Nikam, Special Public Prosecutor.
Nullwala has been sentenced to five years in prison while Kersi gets two years in jail.
One of the aides of Sanjay Dutt, Russi Mulla who was also accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case has been let off by the special TADA court.
Mulla will be given probation on surety of Rs 1 lakh and will be under observation for a year.
The trial in the Mumbai serial blasts case finally came to an end with all 100 convicted being sentenced. The serial blasts on March 12, 1993 had killed 257 people.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
'I was offered cash to blow up Kanishka'
'I was offered cash to blow up Kanishka'
By India Times correspondent, May 1, 2007
TORONTO: A career criminal testifying at the Air India inquiry said he was offered a suitcase full of cash by Sikh militants to blow up the plane but he turned down the offer and instead warned police about the plot months before the bombing in 1985.
Gerry Boudreault testified behind a white curtain as he described a series of 1984 meetings with militants who wanted guns and explosives and were willing to pay him $180,000 to get a bomb on an Air India flight.
Boudreault, whose identity was not released at the inquiry, has previously testified publicly in an unrelated 1994 hearing that he told police in advance about the Air India plot.
Air India Flight 182 exploded and crashed off Ireland on June 23, 1985, killing 329 people.
Despite a criminal record spanning 40 years, Boudreault said he only met with the plotters because he wanted more information to pass on to the police. "I wanted to prevent an airplane from being blown out of the sky".
"They wanted somebody who had access to the plane in Montreal so they could put a bomb on it," he was quoted as saying by Canadian daily Vancouver Sun.
He said they showed him a briefcase full of cash, so he knew they were serious.
He kept the police apprised of developments after each meeting with the militants, he added. One Vancouver officer laughed at him and said "that will never happen," Boudreault said during his testimony.
Boudreault claimed that the police were suspicious of his story, thanks to his criminal antecedents.
"I never claimed to be a white angel," he stated.
Source : 'I was offered cash to blow up Kanishka' article on IndiaTimes.com
By India Times correspondent, May 1, 2007
TORONTO: A career criminal testifying at the Air India inquiry said he was offered a suitcase full of cash by Sikh militants to blow up the plane but he turned down the offer and instead warned police about the plot months before the bombing in 1985.
Gerry Boudreault testified behind a white curtain as he described a series of 1984 meetings with militants who wanted guns and explosives and were willing to pay him $180,000 to get a bomb on an Air India flight.
Boudreault, whose identity was not released at the inquiry, has previously testified publicly in an unrelated 1994 hearing that he told police in advance about the Air India plot.
Air India Flight 182 exploded and crashed off Ireland on June 23, 1985, killing 329 people.
Despite a criminal record spanning 40 years, Boudreault said he only met with the plotters because he wanted more information to pass on to the police. "I wanted to prevent an airplane from being blown out of the sky".
"They wanted somebody who had access to the plane in Montreal so they could put a bomb on it," he was quoted as saying by Canadian daily Vancouver Sun.
He said they showed him a briefcase full of cash, so he knew they were serious.
He kept the police apprised of developments after each meeting with the militants, he added. One Vancouver officer laughed at him and said "that will never happen," Boudreault said during his testimony.
Boudreault claimed that the police were suspicious of his story, thanks to his criminal antecedents.
"I never claimed to be a white angel," he stated.
Source : 'I was offered cash to blow up Kanishka' article on IndiaTimes.com
Being happy makes you beautiful: Drew Barrymore
Being happy makes you beautiful: Drew Barrymore
Bureau Report, April 30, 2007
Washington, April 30: Drew Barrymore believes that the secret to being beautiful lies not in looking good, but in being happy.
The ‘Music and Lyrics’ star, who recently topped People magazine’s first 100-strong Most Beautiful list, insisted that happiness is what makes people look good.
“I just think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness,” Contactmusic quoted her, as telling the mag.
Barrymore admitted that though it was “fun” to watch people who are outwardly beautiful, she would rather be around people who made her “laugh and feel good”, rather than someone who only looked beautiful but made others uncomfortable.
"If somebody walks into a room and they're drop-dead gorgeous and sexy, it's really fun to look at. But if somebody is giving of their spirit and they make you laugh and feel good, that's a whole other level of beauty," she added.
Barrymore will now be seen on the big screen opposite Aussie hunk Eric Bana in their new film ‘Lucky You’, which hits theatres on May 4 this year.
Source : Being happy makes you beautiful: Drew Barrymore article on ZeeNews.com
Bureau Report, April 30, 2007
Washington, April 30: Drew Barrymore believes that the secret to being beautiful lies not in looking good, but in being happy.The ‘Music and Lyrics’ star, who recently topped People magazine’s first 100-strong Most Beautiful list, insisted that happiness is what makes people look good.
“I just think happiness is what makes you pretty. Period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness,” Contactmusic quoted her, as telling the mag.
Barrymore admitted that though it was “fun” to watch people who are outwardly beautiful, she would rather be around people who made her “laugh and feel good”, rather than someone who only looked beautiful but made others uncomfortable.
"If somebody walks into a room and they're drop-dead gorgeous and sexy, it's really fun to look at. But if somebody is giving of their spirit and they make you laugh and feel good, that's a whole other level of beauty," she added.
Barrymore will now be seen on the big screen opposite Aussie hunk Eric Bana in their new film ‘Lucky You’, which hits theatres on May 4 this year.
Source : Being happy makes you beautiful: Drew Barrymore article on ZeeNews.com
Hrithik is I-T payer no 1; Bachchans do it as family
Hrithik is I-T payer no 1; Bachchans do it as family
Bureau Report, April 30 2007
Mumbai, April 30: Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan has emerged as the top advance Income Tax payer in 2006-07 while Bachchans have done it as a family.
Hrithik paid a little over Rs 15 crore, Amitabh Bachchan paid close to Rs 14.25 crore while superstar Shah Rukh Khan paid around Rs 14 crore, Income Tax Department sources told reporters here today.
Mumbai film fraternity pays around Rs 400 crore in taxes altogether which includes technicians as well as those attached to other departments engaged in film production, an Income Tax source added.
With Aishwarya joining the Bachchan clan following her marriage with Abhishek, the family has become the top tax payer in Bollywood. The Bachchan family paid around Rs 25 crore in taxes in the year ended March 31, the sources said.
Bachchan's son Abhishek paid around Rs 4.75 crore, Aishwarya around Rs 5 crore while the company AB Corp shelled out about Rs 1.44 crore, they said.
Mumbai region, which topped Income Tax collection in the country, recorded more than 40 per cent growth in 2006-07.
The total income tax collection in MUMBAI region last year was Rs 74,000 crore as compared to Rs 53,000 crore in 2005-06.
Source : Hrithik is I-T payer no 1; Bachchans do it as family article in ZeeNews.com
Bureau Report, April 30 2007
Mumbai, April 30: Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan has emerged as the top advance Income Tax payer in 2006-07 while Bachchans have done it as a family.
Hrithik paid a little over Rs 15 crore, Amitabh Bachchan paid close to Rs 14.25 crore while superstar Shah Rukh Khan paid around Rs 14 crore, Income Tax Department sources told reporters here today.
Mumbai film fraternity pays around Rs 400 crore in taxes altogether which includes technicians as well as those attached to other departments engaged in film production, an Income Tax source added.
With Aishwarya joining the Bachchan clan following her marriage with Abhishek, the family has become the top tax payer in Bollywood. The Bachchan family paid around Rs 25 crore in taxes in the year ended March 31, the sources said.
Bachchan's son Abhishek paid around Rs 4.75 crore, Aishwarya around Rs 5 crore while the company AB Corp shelled out about Rs 1.44 crore, they said.
Mumbai region, which topped Income Tax collection in the country, recorded more than 40 per cent growth in 2006-07.
The total income tax collection in MUMBAI region last year was Rs 74,000 crore as compared to Rs 53,000 crore in 2005-06.
Source : Hrithik is I-T payer no 1; Bachchans do it as family article in ZeeNews.com
Sunday, April 29, 2007
'I'm marrying Jassi next Year'
'I'm marrying Jassi next Year'
By Subhash K Jha
After Aishwarya, chances are tv's own dream-girl Mona Singh, a.k.a Jassi might be the next bride- in - wedding from our rapidly relationship-friendly entertainment industry.
Though apni Jassi remains characteristically coy about expressing her love her Man-Everyday Karan Oberoi who sings for the Band Of Boys and now also co-anchors Zee's Antakshari, is gallant enough to stand by his lady-love through her career and other individual impulses.
Says Karan, "We haven't finalized a date yet. But yes, our marriage is definitely on next year. I leave it entirely to Mona. She has Bollywood aspirations. I don't.
For me music everything. And even if the Band Of Boys is reduced to a band of one (me) I'd still continue to sing. When I did a film Kiss Kiss Ko with the Band Of Boys, the others were watching. I was just listening to myself sing."
The reason Mona has been quiet about her relationship with Karan is because her parents had issues about their friendship.
Karan and Mona's parents bonded big-time in Malaysia. "We were shooting for Jassi Jaisi…Koi Nahin. That's when her parents realized I'm not a bad sort. Jassi and I are so alike. And so are our families.
We're both from army backrounds. Our dads are retired army officers. But what really bonds us is our small-town roots. We haven't forgotten where we've come from."
Karan met Mona for the first time during the shooting of Jassi … in Mauritius. "After that we kind of drifted apart, only to be brought together again for the serial. Thank God For Jassi ….But yes, celebrity relationships are endangered by excessive attention."
Which explains why Mona has kept mum about her man. Says Karan, "We in the entertainment business lead fish-bowl lives. But I guess we've to learn to cope with the attention. Patience and mutual understanding always helps."
Will Mona continue to work after marriage? " What she should or shouldn't do after marriage is not for me to decide. What she does with her life beyond her relationship with me is entirely prerogative. She can do as she pleases. And I stand by her in whatever she does."
Karan who met and fell in love with Mona while shooting for the historic Jassi Jaisi…Koi Nahin isn't doing any serials at the moment. "I decided to anchor Antakshari because I love music. And Zee allowed me to host it my way.
I love kids and interacting with them. Besides we've a very enthusiastic team which doesn't think the way the home medium has been lobotomized into thinking."
As for his tenure with the Band Of Boys, Karan says he has just done another music video with them. "We should be out with another album soon. In the meanwhile I'm doing a whole lot of shows."
Source : 'I'm marrying Jassi next Year' article on SantaBanta.com
By Subhash K Jha
After Aishwarya, chances are tv's own dream-girl Mona Singh, a.k.a Jassi might be the next bride- in - wedding from our rapidly relationship-friendly entertainment industry.
Though apni Jassi remains characteristically coy about expressing her love her Man-Everyday Karan Oberoi who sings for the Band Of Boys and now also co-anchors Zee's Antakshari, is gallant enough to stand by his lady-love through her career and other individual impulses.
Says Karan, "We haven't finalized a date yet. But yes, our marriage is definitely on next year. I leave it entirely to Mona. She has Bollywood aspirations. I don't.
For me music everything. And even if the Band Of Boys is reduced to a band of one (me) I'd still continue to sing. When I did a film Kiss Kiss Ko with the Band Of Boys, the others were watching. I was just listening to myself sing."
The reason Mona has been quiet about her relationship with Karan is because her parents had issues about their friendship.
Karan and Mona's parents bonded big-time in Malaysia. "We were shooting for Jassi Jaisi…Koi Nahin. That's when her parents realized I'm not a bad sort. Jassi and I are so alike. And so are our families.
We're both from army backrounds. Our dads are retired army officers. But what really bonds us is our small-town roots. We haven't forgotten where we've come from."
Karan met Mona for the first time during the shooting of Jassi … in Mauritius. "After that we kind of drifted apart, only to be brought together again for the serial. Thank God For Jassi ….But yes, celebrity relationships are endangered by excessive attention."
Which explains why Mona has kept mum about her man. Says Karan, "We in the entertainment business lead fish-bowl lives. But I guess we've to learn to cope with the attention. Patience and mutual understanding always helps."
Will Mona continue to work after marriage? " What she should or shouldn't do after marriage is not for me to decide. What she does with her life beyond her relationship with me is entirely prerogative. She can do as she pleases. And I stand by her in whatever she does."
Karan who met and fell in love with Mona while shooting for the historic Jassi Jaisi…Koi Nahin isn't doing any serials at the moment. "I decided to anchor Antakshari because I love music. And Zee allowed me to host it my way.
I love kids and interacting with them. Besides we've a very enthusiastic team which doesn't think the way the home medium has been lobotomized into thinking."
As for his tenure with the Band Of Boys, Karan says he has just done another music video with them. "We should be out with another album soon. In the meanwhile I'm doing a whole lot of shows."
Source : 'I'm marrying Jassi next Year' article on SantaBanta.com
New name, new career for Bollywood star
New name, new career for Bollywood star
by Jeremy Page, April 27, 2007
Aishwarya Rai, the Bollywood megastar, is to carry on acting after her marriage last week, breaking the mould for Indian actresses who generally retire after tying the knot.
But in a careful nod to Indian tradition, the former Miss World has adopted the surname of her new husband, Abhishek Bachchan, and decided to live in the Bachchan family home in Bombay.
The decisions were announced by her father-in-law, the 66-year-old screen legend, Amitabh Bachchan, whose own wife, Jaya, largely gave up acting after their marriage in 1973.
They reflect the delicate balancing act Bollywood actresses must still perform to maintain their allure as screen sirens, without offending their deeply conservative fans.
“Jaya and I have insisted that Aishwarya must continue with her acting career. There is no problem or issue with us,” Mr Bachchan senior told The Times of India in his first interview since the wedding.
“They will live with us,” he said. “This decision came voluntarily from both Abhishek and Aishwarya.” He added that his 33-year-old daughter-in-law wanted to use his surname and had already signed her first autograph as Aishwarya Bachchan.
If the new Mrs Bachchan continues her career, as her father-in-law’s comments suggest, it would set a precedent for Bollywood actresses.
For decades they have concealed and delayed wedding plans in order to maintain the illusion that they are single and eligible to play young romantic leads. Once married they typically retire and have children, returning to the screen years later to take on more matronly roles.
But industry insiders say that the new Mr and Mrs Bachchan – dubbed “Abhi-Ash” by Indian media – could exploit their status as Bollywood’s hottest couple by making several films together in the next few years.
The couple are considered India’s equivalent of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and any film they appear in is almost guaranteed to be a box-office success.
Source : New name, new career for Bollywood star article on TimesOnline.co.uk
by Jeremy Page, April 27, 2007
Aishwarya Rai, the Bollywood megastar, is to carry on acting after her marriage last week, breaking the mould for Indian actresses who generally retire after tying the knot.
But in a careful nod to Indian tradition, the former Miss World has adopted the surname of her new husband, Abhishek Bachchan, and decided to live in the Bachchan family home in Bombay.
The decisions were announced by her father-in-law, the 66-year-old screen legend, Amitabh Bachchan, whose own wife, Jaya, largely gave up acting after their marriage in 1973.
They reflect the delicate balancing act Bollywood actresses must still perform to maintain their allure as screen sirens, without offending their deeply conservative fans.
“Jaya and I have insisted that Aishwarya must continue with her acting career. There is no problem or issue with us,” Mr Bachchan senior told The Times of India in his first interview since the wedding.
“They will live with us,” he said. “This decision came voluntarily from both Abhishek and Aishwarya.” He added that his 33-year-old daughter-in-law wanted to use his surname and had already signed her first autograph as Aishwarya Bachchan.
If the new Mrs Bachchan continues her career, as her father-in-law’s comments suggest, it would set a precedent for Bollywood actresses.
For decades they have concealed and delayed wedding plans in order to maintain the illusion that they are single and eligible to play young romantic leads. Once married they typically retire and have children, returning to the screen years later to take on more matronly roles.
But industry insiders say that the new Mr and Mrs Bachchan – dubbed “Abhi-Ash” by Indian media – could exploit their status as Bollywood’s hottest couple by making several films together in the next few years.
The couple are considered India’s equivalent of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and any film they appear in is almost guaranteed to be a box-office success.
Source : New name, new career for Bollywood star article on TimesOnline.co.uk
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Film Industry Champion Valenti Dies
Film Industry Champion Valenti Dies
by Natalie Finn, 26 Apr 2007
There's a reason why kids under the age of 17 can't see a rated-R movie and why Hollywood almost did away with award screeners a few years ago. Jack Valenti is that reason.
The film industry lobbyist and creator of the modern-day movie rating system died Thursday at his Washington D.C. home due to complications of a stroke he suffered last month. He was 85.
Valenti, who cut his teeth in politics serving on President Lyndon Johnson's staff in the 1960s, assumed the role of president of the Motion Picture Association of America in 1966 and didn't relinquish the position until 2004, when the seemingly tireless champion of copyright protection finally retired.
"Jack was a showman, a gentleman, an orator and a passionate champion of this country, its movies, and the enduring freedoms that made both so important to this world," MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman, who took over when Valenti left, said in a statement. "He also embodied the theatricality of our industry with his conviction, quick wit and boundless energy. In a very real sense, he was the ultimate leading man."
Shortly after joining the MPAA, Valenti did major studios a good turn by doing away with the Hays Code—the 1930s-era set of rules that let studios know what was "morally acceptable" and affected how filmmakers approached onscreen sex and violence for years—and installed a set ratings guide, otherwise known as G, M (which later became PG), R and X.
But while Valenti was an ardent supporter of artistic freedoms, he wanted to keep a tight rein on what was done with those films after they were made, in all their Hays-free glory.
A fierce and outspoken foe of intellectual-property theft, Valenti was an early critic of VCRs, a device that he warned would bring about the end of the film industry, with its seeming capacity for rampant copying.
"I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone," he told Congress in 1982.
And although he was wrong about video cassette recorders, which actually helped to revive the industry by allowing movie lovers to take in a film at home, Valenti was no less vigilant in later years when it came to anything he perceived as a threat to creative property rights.
The Hollywood and Washington insider helped get the Digital Millennium Copyright Act signed into law in 1998, seeing it as a necessary piece of legislation to curb the encroaching threat of Internet piracy.
Several years later, Valenti was the driving force behind the MPAA's attempt to bar studios and production companies from passing out DVD screeners, an award season staple and a key way for filmmakers to ensure that industry bigwigs (aka Academy voters) will get a chance to view their movies.
A court injunction overturned the ban in 2004, a major blow against Valenti's largely unshakeable authority during his four-decade tenure.
But while his later years with the MPAA were pocked with controversy, Valenti's legacy is intact.
A former Army pilot who flew more than 50 combat missions during World War II, Valenti was known as a charismatic and personable leader who felt just as comfortable around Hollywood luminaries such as Elizabeth Taylor and Kirk Douglas as he did around D.C. politicos.
The Houston native authored five books about politics and the movie biz, including the recently completed memoir This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood, which is due out in June, and maintained an active public speaking schedule. He had been scheduled to kick off a six-city book tour on June 5.
Valenti is survived by his wife of 45 years, Mary, daughters Courtenay Lynda and Alexandra Alice, son John Lyndon, and two grandchildren.
Source : Film Industry Champion Valenti Dies article on Eonline.com
by Natalie Finn, 26 Apr 2007
There's a reason why kids under the age of 17 can't see a rated-R movie and why Hollywood almost did away with award screeners a few years ago. Jack Valenti is that reason.The film industry lobbyist and creator of the modern-day movie rating system died Thursday at his Washington D.C. home due to complications of a stroke he suffered last month. He was 85.
Valenti, who cut his teeth in politics serving on President Lyndon Johnson's staff in the 1960s, assumed the role of president of the Motion Picture Association of America in 1966 and didn't relinquish the position until 2004, when the seemingly tireless champion of copyright protection finally retired.
"Jack was a showman, a gentleman, an orator and a passionate champion of this country, its movies, and the enduring freedoms that made both so important to this world," MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman, who took over when Valenti left, said in a statement. "He also embodied the theatricality of our industry with his conviction, quick wit and boundless energy. In a very real sense, he was the ultimate leading man."
Shortly after joining the MPAA, Valenti did major studios a good turn by doing away with the Hays Code—the 1930s-era set of rules that let studios know what was "morally acceptable" and affected how filmmakers approached onscreen sex and violence for years—and installed a set ratings guide, otherwise known as G, M (which later became PG), R and X.
But while Valenti was an ardent supporter of artistic freedoms, he wanted to keep a tight rein on what was done with those films after they were made, in all their Hays-free glory.
A fierce and outspoken foe of intellectual-property theft, Valenti was an early critic of VCRs, a device that he warned would bring about the end of the film industry, with its seeming capacity for rampant copying.
"I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone," he told Congress in 1982.
And although he was wrong about video cassette recorders, which actually helped to revive the industry by allowing movie lovers to take in a film at home, Valenti was no less vigilant in later years when it came to anything he perceived as a threat to creative property rights.
The Hollywood and Washington insider helped get the Digital Millennium Copyright Act signed into law in 1998, seeing it as a necessary piece of legislation to curb the encroaching threat of Internet piracy.
Several years later, Valenti was the driving force behind the MPAA's attempt to bar studios and production companies from passing out DVD screeners, an award season staple and a key way for filmmakers to ensure that industry bigwigs (aka Academy voters) will get a chance to view their movies.
A court injunction overturned the ban in 2004, a major blow against Valenti's largely unshakeable authority during his four-decade tenure.
But while his later years with the MPAA were pocked with controversy, Valenti's legacy is intact.
A former Army pilot who flew more than 50 combat missions during World War II, Valenti was known as a charismatic and personable leader who felt just as comfortable around Hollywood luminaries such as Elizabeth Taylor and Kirk Douglas as he did around D.C. politicos.
The Houston native authored five books about politics and the movie biz, including the recently completed memoir This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood, which is due out in June, and maintained an active public speaking schedule. He had been scheduled to kick off a six-city book tour on June 5.
Valenti is survived by his wife of 45 years, Mary, daughters Courtenay Lynda and Alexandra Alice, son John Lyndon, and two grandchildren.
Source : Film Industry Champion Valenti Dies article on Eonline.com
Sony launches PlayStation 3
Sony launches PlayStation 3
by Pritika Ghura, New Delhi, April 26, 2007
Sony India announces the launch of PlayStation 3, a computer entertainment system on Thursday in the Capital. This next generation home entertainment gaming console provides high definition quality product which allows consumers to play games, watch movies and videos, listen to music and share photos. This game console also enables one to browse the Net and is 40 times faster than Play Station 2. Priced at Rs 39,990, it aims to tap the growing gaming industry in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Masaru Tamagawa, managing director of Sony India Pvt Ltd says, "The innovative PS3 system features power technologies and capabilities that have never been brought together in one system, including the Cell Broadband Engine, BD drive and online connectivity as standard features. The result is a breathtaking new interactive world to explore eye-popping multimedia functionality and a fully integrated online experience."
"Other features of Playstation 3 are new SIXAXIS wireless controller that allows gamers to physically turn, twist and bank their controllers to command the on-screen action and the Blue-ray Disc that provides a high definition gaming and movie experience and 50 GB of data capacity for video game developers to store content. This is five times higher than capacity of a DVD," says Tim Stokes, sales and marketing director of Sony India.
Though PS3 has been successfully launched in Europe, North America and Europe, the launch plan in India includes the 60 GB version and region-free gaming, a model slightly different from the one offered in Europe.
Strokes adds that Sony has to keep four things in mind when they launch a gaming console in India -- price, gaming content, investment and timing. "Seeing the boom in Indian economy, we have launched it at the same time when PS3 is being launched in other parts of the world."
As per the NASSCOM figures, the gaming industry in India is worth $45 million, which includes mobile and PC gaming. "It is expected to reach $425 million by 2010," says Jayant Sharma, chairman and CEO of Milestone Interactive Software Limited.
Source : Sony launches PlayStation 3 article on HindustanTimes.com
by Pritika Ghura, New Delhi, April 26, 2007
Sony India announces the launch of PlayStation 3, a computer entertainment system on Thursday in the Capital. This next generation home entertainment gaming console provides high definition quality product which allows consumers to play games, watch movies and videos, listen to music and share photos. This game console also enables one to browse the Net and is 40 times faster than Play Station 2. Priced at Rs 39,990, it aims to tap the growing gaming industry in the country.Speaking on the occasion, Masaru Tamagawa, managing director of Sony India Pvt Ltd says, "The innovative PS3 system features power technologies and capabilities that have never been brought together in one system, including the Cell Broadband Engine, BD drive and online connectivity as standard features. The result is a breathtaking new interactive world to explore eye-popping multimedia functionality and a fully integrated online experience."
"Other features of Playstation 3 are new SIXAXIS wireless controller that allows gamers to physically turn, twist and bank their controllers to command the on-screen action and the Blue-ray Disc that provides a high definition gaming and movie experience and 50 GB of data capacity for video game developers to store content. This is five times higher than capacity of a DVD," says Tim Stokes, sales and marketing director of Sony India.
Though PS3 has been successfully launched in Europe, North America and Europe, the launch plan in India includes the 60 GB version and region-free gaming, a model slightly different from the one offered in Europe.
Strokes adds that Sony has to keep four things in mind when they launch a gaming console in India -- price, gaming content, investment and timing. "Seeing the boom in Indian economy, we have launched it at the same time when PS3 is being launched in other parts of the world."
As per the NASSCOM figures, the gaming industry in India is worth $45 million, which includes mobile and PC gaming. "It is expected to reach $425 million by 2010," says Jayant Sharma, chairman and CEO of Milestone Interactive Software Limited.
Source : Sony launches PlayStation 3 article on HindustanTimes.com
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HUBBLE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HUBBLE
by Alan Boyle, April 24, 2007
Today marks the 17th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope's "birth" in space, and in a reversal of the usual routine, it's traditional for the Hubble team to give a gift. This time, astronomers are offering a wide-angle panorama of the Carina Nebula - a blazing-hot cosmic cookery that may be much like the environment that gave rise to our own solar system.
"It's one of the biggest and brightest star-forming regions in the sky," Nathan Smith, an astronomer at the University of California at Berkeley, told me Monday. "But this is the first time we've taken a large-scale view with the Hubble Space Telescope."
In fact, the Carina picture is one of the largest panoramic images ever taken with Hubble's cameras - more than 423 megapixels' worth, assembled from 48 frames taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys.
The finished image shows a 50-light-year-wide inferno where ultraviolet radiation from monster stars carve into the landscape of cool gas and dust. About a dozen of the stars are thought to be at least 50 to 100 times as massive as our sun. One of those stars is Eta Carinae, a popular observational target that is in the last stages of its brief, explosive life. In this picture, Eta Carinae is just one bright blip toward the left edge of the frame. This annotated image helps you locate Eta Carinae and other major features in the panorama.
The winds of radiation from the brightest stars compress the surrounding shells of cold hydrogen gas, sparking a second wave of starbirth. How does this chain reaction work? To figure that out, astronomers color-coded the image, using additional data from the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. Red represents sulfur, green stands for hydrogen, and blue corresponds to oxygen emissions.
Smith, a leader of the research team behind the image, said the new image gave him a clearer picture of what's going on within the nebula. "With a 10 times sharper view, we have a much higher degree of certainty than before," Smith said.
For example, earlier pictures revealed bright linear features coming out of the darker regions of the nebula - and Hubble's sharper image confirmed exactly what those features were.
"We see them very clearly to be jets of ionized gas, coming out of globules of molecular gas and dust," Smith said. "What that signifies is that there's a star being born inside that dark cloud that's ejecting this material. ... It's proof that star formation is occurring there."
Studying the nebula, with Hubble as well as other telescopes, could tell astronomers whether planets are capable of forming amid the harsh conditions seen in places like the Carina Nebula. And the effort also could tell us something about the origins of our own solar system, 4.6 billion years ago.
"There's evidence that our own solar system was exposed to the death of a very massive star when it was young. ... Here we have a laboratory where we see young stars forming right now, right next to massive stars that are going to explode," Smith said. "That gives us a window to the environment where we think our own solar system might have formed."
Today's birthday portrait is just one of the nearly 500,000 pictures taken by Hubble since its launch aboard the shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990. The Hubble team calculates that the space telescope has made nearly 100,000 trips around Earth, racking up 2.4 billion frequent-flier miles in the process - the equivalent of a trip to Saturn and back.
More than 30 trillion bytes of data have been sent back to Earth over those 17 years. Each day, another 10 billion bytes come back to Earth, and 66 billion bytes of data are transmitted from Hubble's archives to astronomers throughout the world. Hubble's team says all those bytes have spawned nearly 7,000 scientific papers, making the telescope "one of the most productive scientific instruments ever built." This 6.5-megabyte PDF file hits Hubble's high points.
How long will Hubble last? NASA wants to upgrade the telescope one last time, and that final servicing mission is now scheduled to lift off in August or September of 2008. Mission planners figure that should keep Hubble in good shape until 2013. By that time, NASA hopes the James Webb Space Telescope will be ready for launch, with Hubble eased into retirement at the ripe old age of 23.
Who knows? Maybe even then, there'll be some life left in the old telescope. So here's wishing Hubble and its handlers a happy 17th birthday ... and many more to come. For more stunners from space, check out our Space Gallery, as well as the Hubble Web sites maintained by the Space Telescope Science Institute and the European Space Agency.
Source : HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HUBBLE article on MS NBC
Scientists break worldwide Internet speed record
Scientists break worldwide Internet speed record
By Mark Raby, April 25, 2007
Tokyo (Japan) - A group of researchers in the Internet2 consortium has set a new record for sending data through the Internet at more than nine gigabits per second.
The team broke the old record of 7.67 Gbps, which was set last December. Using modified protocols, they were able to send data across a 20,000 mile path at a constant rate of 9.08 Gbps.
At this speed, a high definition version of a movie could be downloaded in just a few seconds, instead of over 40 hours on a typical broadband connection.
Source : Scientists break worldwide Internet speed record article on TGDaily.com
By Mark Raby, April 25, 2007
Tokyo (Japan) - A group of researchers in the Internet2 consortium has set a new record for sending data through the Internet at more than nine gigabits per second.
The team broke the old record of 7.67 Gbps, which was set last December. Using modified protocols, they were able to send data across a 20,000 mile path at a constant rate of 9.08 Gbps.
At this speed, a high definition version of a movie could be downloaded in just a few seconds, instead of over 40 hours on a typical broadband connection.
Source : Scientists break worldwide Internet speed record article on TGDaily.com
Mac hacked through QuickTime flaw
Mac hacked through QuickTime flaw
Hack-a-Mac contest winner exploited a zero-day bug in QuickTime that could also expose Windows users.
By Joris Evers, April 24, 2007.
The security hole used to breach a MacBook in a hack-a-Mac competition last week lies in Apple's QuickTime media player, the flaw finder said Tuesday.
The vulnerability is related to how QuickTime handles Java, said security researcher Dino Dai Zovi. An attacker can exploit the bug through Safari or Firefox, he said. Initial reports were that the flaw was in Safari, Apple's Web browser.
"It is a vulnerability within QuickTime. Safari and Firefox on Mac OS X are vulnerable," Dai Zovi said. QuickTime is also widely used on Windows machines, so Windows users may also be at risk, he said. "At this time, Firefox on Windows is considered at risk," Dai Zovi said.
Security monitoring company Secunia deems the flaw "highly critical," one notch below its most serious rating. "This can be exploited to execute arbitrary code when a user visits a malicious Web site," Secunia said. Apple's most recent QuickTime security update was in March.
Shane Macaulay, a software engineer and a friend of Dai Zovi's, hacked into a MacBook using the QuickTime security hole on Friday. The computer was one of two offered as a prize in the "PWN to Own" hack-a-Mac contest at the CanSecWest conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The successful attack on the second and final day of the contest required a conference organizer to surf to a malicious Web site using Safari on the MacBook--a type of attack more familiar to Windows users.
Apple has declined to comment on the MacBook hack specifically, but spokeswoman Lynn Fox last week provided Apple's standard security comment: "Apple takes security very seriously and has a great track record of addressing potential vulnerabilities before they can affect users," she said.
Further details on the flaw are being kept confidential until Apple patches it. Dai Zovi has submitted the vulnerability to TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative bug bounty program. TippingPoint, which sells intrusion prevention systems, had offered a $10,000 prize for a Mac zero-day vulnerability to make the CanSecWest contest more appealing to hackers.
"TippingPoint has offered to purchase the vulnerability and I have agreed, payment is pending," Dai Zovi said.
Disabling Java in a browser shields a computer against attacks that exploit the flaw, Dai Zovi said. Macs are vulnerable by default because Apple ships QuickTime with the operating system. Windows users are only vulnerable if QuickTime is installed.
Source : Mac hacked through QuickTime flaw article on CNet News
Hack-a-Mac contest winner exploited a zero-day bug in QuickTime that could also expose Windows users.
By Joris Evers, April 24, 2007.
The security hole used to breach a MacBook in a hack-a-Mac competition last week lies in Apple's QuickTime media player, the flaw finder said Tuesday.
The vulnerability is related to how QuickTime handles Java, said security researcher Dino Dai Zovi. An attacker can exploit the bug through Safari or Firefox, he said. Initial reports were that the flaw was in Safari, Apple's Web browser.
"It is a vulnerability within QuickTime. Safari and Firefox on Mac OS X are vulnerable," Dai Zovi said. QuickTime is also widely used on Windows machines, so Windows users may also be at risk, he said. "At this time, Firefox on Windows is considered at risk," Dai Zovi said.
Security monitoring company Secunia deems the flaw "highly critical," one notch below its most serious rating. "This can be exploited to execute arbitrary code when a user visits a malicious Web site," Secunia said. Apple's most recent QuickTime security update was in March.
Shane Macaulay, a software engineer and a friend of Dai Zovi's, hacked into a MacBook using the QuickTime security hole on Friday. The computer was one of two offered as a prize in the "PWN to Own" hack-a-Mac contest at the CanSecWest conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The successful attack on the second and final day of the contest required a conference organizer to surf to a malicious Web site using Safari on the MacBook--a type of attack more familiar to Windows users.
Apple has declined to comment on the MacBook hack specifically, but spokeswoman Lynn Fox last week provided Apple's standard security comment: "Apple takes security very seriously and has a great track record of addressing potential vulnerabilities before they can affect users," she said.
Further details on the flaw are being kept confidential until Apple patches it. Dai Zovi has submitted the vulnerability to TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative bug bounty program. TippingPoint, which sells intrusion prevention systems, had offered a $10,000 prize for a Mac zero-day vulnerability to make the CanSecWest contest more appealing to hackers.
"TippingPoint has offered to purchase the vulnerability and I have agreed, payment is pending," Dai Zovi said.
Disabling Java in a browser shields a computer against attacks that exploit the flaw, Dai Zovi said. Macs are vulnerable by default because Apple ships QuickTime with the operating system. Windows users are only vulnerable if QuickTime is installed.
Source : Mac hacked through QuickTime flaw article on CNet News
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