Zoozoos(The best of 2009)

The white egg-headed alien-like animated characters called 'Zoozoo' that captured the imagination of millions during the IPL Season 2, were indeed human. They were created by the ad agency Ogilvy & Mather to promote Vodafone's value-added services. The commercials were shot by ad filmmaker Prakash Varma, over a period of 10 days with a total budget of 30 million rupees.

The popular 'Zoozoos' struck a chord with audience across all ages and also in the social media, with Facebook garnering over 3 lakh fans. Women were cast in the shoot, as the bodysuits required thinner limbs. The sets were huge and an illusion was created that the characters were much smaller than human. These lovable characters are here to stay.

SEBI directs MFs not to ask for NOCs from investors

Making it easier for mutual fund investors to switch their distributors, market regulator SEBI on Friday said it is doing away with the practice of obtaining a no objection certificate (NOC) from existing distributors.

In a circular to all mutual funds and asset management companies (AMCs) the market regulator said, "You are advised to ensure compliance with the instruction of the investor informing his desire to change his distributor and or go direct, without compelling that investor to obtain an NOC from the existing distributor."

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said that MF industry body Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI) in September mandated 2007 that AMCs will act on instruction of the investors if they desire to change their distributor.

"It appears that this mandate is not being followed by the mutual fund industry...Some AMCs are insisting on the investor procuring a No Objection Certificate from the existing distributor for this switch over," SEBI said.

The market regulator said it has come to notice that unwarranted hardship was being caused to investors in mutual fund schemes.

Mutual fund tracking firm ValueResearch Online CEO Dhirendra Kumar said, "The decision is pro-consumer in spirit and will drive distributors to provide satisfactory after-sales services to investors. As investors would have the choice to switch their existing distributor if they are unsatisfied with its performance."

The NOC clause had been introduced in the first place to curb practice of mostly high net worth investors constantly changing distributors based on pass-backs received or promised. However in 2003, SEBI prescribed a code for distributors whereby pass-backs to investors were prohibited.

In 2007, AMFI withdrew the NOC clause and a working group recommended that when an investor indicated his desire to change distributor, the AMC should act on the instruction. It also deemed that once the distributor was changed, the trail commission thereafter for all business done by old distributor maybe payable to new distributor on a prospective basis.

An industry official said that though the Sebi move was in favour of investor, it may lead to some aggressive distributor luring customers with some cash incentives among other things.

Audi A3 TDI is 'Green Car' of the year

Green and performance luxury needn't be mutually exclusive concepts. That's a core belief at Audi. Today, that philosophy paid off with the all-new A3 TDI earning the prestigious title of 2010 Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto show.
The 2010 Audi A3 TDI arrived at U.S. dealerships last month and initial sales have been promising. The A3 TDI is the latest example of the fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions benefits provided by the critically acclaimed TDI clean diesel product line, following the wildly popular Q7 TDI, which launched in June 2009.
The revolutionary TDI 2.0 engine available in the A3 delivers 140 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque, yet achieves an EPA-estimated 42 mpg highway fuel economy that is the best of any luxury car sold in America. That means the Audi A3 TDI achieve 50 per cent better fuel economy than a comparable gasoline engine.
TDI clean diesel technology was first developed by Audi 20 years ago and has come to signify the brand's commitment to trailblazing automotive performance executed in an environmentally responsible way. In addition to setting the new industry standard in fuel efficiency, the 2010 A3 TDI remains a stylistic pacesetter as well.
Toyota Motor Corp's market-leading hybrid was widely seen as the front-runner for the prize by virtue of its huge commercial success and its status as the most fuel-efficient mass-market sedan on the road. But Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car, said jurors were impressed that the Audi A3 with TDI, which stands for turbo diesel direct injection, achieved "50 percent better fuel efficiency than the gasoline-engine (A3 model) without sacrificing anything." "The Audi A3 TDI really defines what a 'green' car should be," added Cogan.

Positive global markets push Sensex up

Indian stock markets were moderately up amid positive global cues. Asian stock markets were mostly up on Thursday, with Japan surging more than 2 per cent.

The Sensex was up 83 points at 17,253 while Nifty added 22 points to trade at 5,145.

Overnight, US stock market struggled but held its ground on Wednesday as an upbeat assessment of the economy from the Federal Reserve offset drops in banks and energy companies. The Dow fell 18.90, or 0.2 per cent, to 10,452.68. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index edged up 0.38, or less than 0.1 per cent, to 1,109.24, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 9.22, or 0.4 per cent, to 2,185.03.

"As long as market stay above 5100 levels, investors can take a long position," says Siddharth Sthalekar, manager of derivative sales at Edelweiss Securities. He remains bullish on pharma, metal and some banking stocks.

In the Indian markets, metal, realty and healthcare stocks saw some buying action. Among the Sensex stocks, Sterlite Ind, Hindalco, RCom and Bharti were up between 1.5 per cent and 2.4 per cent.

Maoists kill securityman as polling begins in Jharkhand

Ranchi: Maoist rebels targeted a polling team killing one securityman in Giridih district on Wednesday morning as the second phase of polling for 14 of the 81 Assembly seats in Jharkhand began.

"Maoist rebels triggered an IED (improvised explosive device) blast when polling team members were going to the polling booth around 0500 hrs IST. In the blast one security personnel of CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) has been killed. Polling team members were going by foot when the blast took place," Jharkhand Police spokesperson VH Deshmukh told IANS.

The blast took place near Teliabahiyar village under Pirtand police station of Giridih district, about 190 km from Ranchi.

Due to security reasons, polling hours have been shifted to 0700 hrs IST -1500 hrs IST.

There are 259 candidates in the fray in the second phase.

Four helicopters of the Indian Air Force and Border Security Force have been pressed into service for heightened surveillance.

Around 35,000 security personnel including paratroopers have also been deployed.

The fate of six former ministers, including All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) President and former home minister Sudesh Mahto, will be decided in this round of polling.

Another key candidate is Masi Charan Munda, 34, a jailed Maoist who is contesting from Khuti constituency on a Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) ticket.

Obama asks Pak to fight 'cancer' of extremism

West Point (USA): US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the United States would not tolerate Pakistan allowing its territory to be a safe haven for militants and urged Islamabad to fight the "cancer" of extremism.

In an address to unveil a new strategy for the eight-year war in Afghanistan, Obama said a cancer had taken root in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan and promised US help to end it.

"We will strengthen Pakistan's capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe-haven for terrorists whose location is known and whose intentions are clear," Obama said.

"We need a strategy that works on both sides of the border," he added, outlining a plan to send 30,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan.

Obama praised Pakistan for its recent efforts to rout extremism in the Swat region and South Waziristan. "There is no doubt that the United States and Pakistan share a common enemy," he said.

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Obama to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan
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Obama flayed for pullout deadline in Afghanistan

But he offered no details on how the United States would help Pakistan fight extremism.

In October, the United States pledged a new aid programme for Pakistan, tripling nonmilitary assistance to $1.5 billion a year for the next five years. But Pakistan's military complained there were too many conditions attached.

"Going forward, the Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan's security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed," said Obama.

The pledge for a closer relationship comes as Pakistan's civilian government is teetering. Some officials in Islamabad fear the US surge in Afghanistan will further destabilize their country.

Obama tried to allay those concerns, saying his new strategy would help stabilise the region.

"I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of the violent extremism practiced by al-Qaeda."

SeNsex joins globaL Rally As DubAi feArs fAde

Indian stocks posted big gains on Tuesday on buying support amid positive global markets. Investor sentiments in most global markets were lifted as worries about the potential fallout from the Dubai's debt crisis abated.

Dubai World has said it is in talks with lenders to restructure about $26 billion in debt out of the estimated $59 billion it owes.

The Sensex advanced 272 points to close at 17,198 while Nifty added 89 points to finish at 5,122. On the BSE, gainers easily outnumbered losers by 2,025 to 720 while 75 stocks remained unchanged.

Most of the Asian stock markets were up 1 per cent or more, with the Japanese stocks up close to 2.5 per cent. In early trade European markets had posted gains of at least 1.5 per cent or more. And Dow futures indicated a firm opening on Wall Street.

Rajesh Jain, director & CEO of Marwadi P-Sec Securities, said markets have shrugged off the Dubai crisis in some way, expecting the Middle East problem not to have a cascading effect over the global financial system.

Despite the Dubai crisis and the recent correction, some fresh buying has been seen in Indian markets, he said. “If markets succeed in getting past 5,200, then it may reach pre-budget levels of around 5500,” he said.

In the Indian markets, the realty sectoral index on the BSE was up over 6 per cent. Unitech lead the realty gainers with an 11 per cent surge. DLF and HDIL were up close to 5 per cent.

Auto, healthcare, banking, oil & gas and metal stocks also recorded good gains, with their sectoral indices up over 2 per cent. Global metal prices rebounded on Monday, rising as fears over a Dubai debt crisis eased and the dollar resumed its decline. Auto stocks were under focus as many manufacturers reported good November numbers.

Among the Sensex stocks, Tata Motors was up over 6 per cent to be the biggest percentage gainer among the pack. Sun Pharma, DLF, and M&M saw nearly 5 per cent gains. Sensex heavyweight RIL was up over 3 per cent.

Pharma major Cipla was up nearly 3 per cent after NDTV Profit reported that leading the Indian drug manufacturer is in talks with the world's largest pharmaceutical firm, Pfizer Inc, for a strategic alliance which would serve to Pfizer's needs in the emerging markets.

Online CAT failed due to 'virus attacks'

The Chairman of the IIM Directors' Forum, Samir Barua, addressed a press conference over the failure of the CAT (Common Admission Test) examination that went online this year.

Barua said that virus attacks caused the systems to fail. However, he said that the tests would be rescheduled.

"Those who could not take the test will be rescheduled. We empathise with students," said Barua.Meanwhile, the director of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is constantly in touch with his counterparts in other IIMs to solve the problems, institute officials said in Ahmedabad on Monday.

"This is for the first time that the computer-based CAT was introduced with a window of ten days. And as we saw, there were some initial hiccups during the delivery of exam," they said.

"This is an entirely a new experience for us where 2.41 lakh student are taking the on-line test," they added.

Barua has been in constant touch with other institutes since Sunday and is trying to find out a solution to the problem, they said.

The computer-based test was marred by technical glitches on the very first day on Saturday, soon after it started.

Students faced problems in logging at the exam centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Bhopal.

Series of Naxal attacks in Jharkhand

A series of Maoists attacks have been reported from Jharkhand on the first day of the bandh called by Naxals in the state.

Maoists have blown up the Maha-guang railway station under the Chakrad-Harpur Division in Jharkhand.

The incident took place hours after they blew up the railway track on the same line.

Located on the Howrah-Mumbai arm of the golden quadrilateral, Chakrad-Harpur Division plays a vital role on the South Eastern Railway.

A school building was also blown up in the Pipra village and another railway track was also blown up on the Dhanbad Howrah line.

One year on, India-Pakistan chill deepens

One year on, after seven dossiers given by India linking Pakistani militants to the Mumbai terror strike, reminders about bringing the attackers to justice and two meetings between leaders of the two countries, the dialogue process remains in deep freeze.
Hours before terrorists struck Mumbai on the night of Nov 26 -- to begin a 60-hour terror siege that killed 166 people -- Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi were posing before photographers in New Delhi and declaring their conviction that the peace process was irreversible.
A little while later, 10 Pakistani terrorists blew away that feel-good picture of bonhomie and subcontinental camaraderie.
The chill set in deep in the weeks that followed with the Pakistani spin machinery accusing India of troops build-up and New Delhi denying the charges.
India launched an unprecedented exercise to mobilise international opinion to pressure Pakistan into acting against the perpetrators of the carnage.
Under global pressure and the US throwing its weight behind India, Pakistan started token crackdowns on terror outfits and banned the Jamaat- ud-Dawa, a front for the Lashker-e-Taiba, the chief suspect behind the Mumbai attacks, and put its founder Hafiz Saeed under house arrest.
On Jan 5, India submitted the first dossier providing to Pakistan extensive evidence and leads establishing the complicity of Pakistani nationals in the Mumbai attacks. In response, Pakistan raised 30 questions. New Delhi also responded, but with little by way of action from the Pakistani side.
Finally, on Feb 12, Islamabad made a dramatic confession, admitting that Pakistani nationals were involved, the first time it has done so in a terror attack in India.

Air Force can use fire against Naxals : Antony

New Delhi, Nov 25 (ANI): The Union Government on Wednesday clarified that there is no permission required to exercise the right to self-defence. The Indian Air Force (IAF) had asked for permission to fire on naxals to avoid any ambiguity.
Replying to a question raised by lawmakers K Malaisamy and N R Govindarajar over IAF asking for permission to open fire during anti Naxal operations, Defence Minister A K Antony said: "While permission is not required to exercise the right to self-defence, based upon past experience and intelligence input the Indian Air Force has sought approval of the Government for 'Rules of Engagement' for self-defence. These have been proposed to avoid any ambiguity and damage/injury to the helicopter and to the occupants."
Earlier, the IAF had approached the Defence Ministry for permission to fire on Maoists if their copters are attacked.
The IAF has deployed copter to assist the state forces in their combat against Maoists in Central India.
Replying to another question raised by Bala Apte over the production of Light Combat Helicopter, Antony said : "The design and development programme for Light Combat Helicopter was approved in October 2006. The first prototype (technology demonstrator) is expected to get the initial operation clearance by around mid 2011."

Google apologises for offensive Michelle Obama image

London, November 25 (ANI): Google has issued an apology for a racially offensive image of Michelle Obama that pops up on its search engine when users hunt for snaps of the US First Lady.
The California-based Internet giant posted a text ad above the rude photo that ended up as the number-one result for Mrs Obama on its site.
The ad reads: "Sometimes our search results can be offensive. We agree.", reports the Daily Express.
Netizens clicking on the ad are taken to a letter from the company that says its results "can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries", and adds that Google does not endorse content on these websites.

I don't know who to deal with in Pakistan: Manmohan Singh

With power virtually resting with the army in Pakistan even in a democratic regime, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wonders "who to

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deal with" or negotiate with in Islamabad.

"I think the most important force in Pakistan is the army," he said in a TV interview on Sunday coinciding with his four-day state visit to US when asked who he thought was running Pakistan right now?

"And there is democracy. We would like democracy to succeed and flourish in Pakistan. But we have to recognize that the power today rests virtually with the army."

Asked if he felt he had a partner in Pakistan right now with whom he can negotiate, Manmohan Singh said: "Well, I don't know whether we have a partner right now."

The Prime Minister said when General Pervez Musharraf was the president of Pakistan, "I used to ask him. And he said, 'Well, I am the army. I represent the armed forces. I represent the people.' Now I don't know who to deal with."

Asked if looking at the situation in Pakistan, he was worried about the collapse of the state and the nuclear weapons moving into the hands of either some radical element within the army or terrorists, Manmohan Singh said: "Well, we worry about all these contingencies."

"But we have been assured by the Americans that they are satisfied that's not going to happen."

Asked if he saw any prospects for productive negotiations on Kashmir with Pakistan as he was reportedly close to some kind of a deal with Musharraf, he reiterated that while there can be no redrawing of borders, greater people-to-people contacts would make borders irrelevant.

"Well, I have publicly stated that there can be no redrawing of borders," he said "But our two countries can work together to ensure that these are borders of peace, that people-to-people contacts grow in this manner in which people do not, I think, worry whether they are located on this side of the border or that side.

"If trade is free-trade, people-to-people contacts and our both countries competing with each other to give a life of - to enable the people on both sides to lead a life of dignity and self

Obama says diversity strength of United States

President Barack Obama says one of the United States' strengths is its diversity and a family gathering in his home "looks like the United Nations."A Chinese student on Monday asked Obama what he would do to foster diversity. Obama cited his own story as a son of a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya. He says his sister is half-Indonesia and is married to a Chinese-Canadian husband.Obama is meeting with young people in Shanghai. He also told the students that education of girls and treatment of women and children is a barometer for a nation's success. He says the United States respects other traditions and cultures, but will speak out on principles it finds important including women's and children's rights.

NASA ready for Atlantis launch, so is Twitter

All systems are go for the launch of US space shuttle Atlantis, for a construction and delivery mission to the International Space Station. The blast off is scheduled for 1 am (IST) on Tuesday; NASA's countdown is going smoothly and even the weather is looking exceptionally good for the launch. Forecasters put the odds of acceptable weather at 90 percent.NASA test director Steve Payne said Sunday morning that even though everything seems to be lining up perfectly, he and his team are "always waiting for the shoe to drop" and always vigilant.Atlantis will carry tons of spare parts for the International Space Station. The crew of six will return to Earth with a seventh astronaut, Nicole Stott, who's been living at the space station for nearly three months.The launch will also see Kennedy Space Center's first 'tweetup' - about 100 space fans who have gathered to report the event on Twitter.

China provided Pakistan with kit to make N-bombs: Report

China provided Pakistan with a "do-it-yourself" kit and weapons grade uranium for making two nuclear bombs in 1982, a leading American daily said on Friday quoting notes made by disgraced Pakistani scientist A Q Khan.The Washington Post said the deliberate act of proliferation was part of a secret nuclear deal struck in 1976 between Chinese leader Mao zedong and Pakistan's prime minister Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto."Upon my personal request, the Chinese Minister... had gifted us 50 kilograms of weapon-grade enriched uranium, enough for two weapons," Khan wrote in a previously undisclosed 11-page narrative of the Pakistani bomb programme.Khan prepared the notes for Pakistan's intelligence after his January 2004 detention for unauthorised nuclear commerce, the daily said.The Post said it obtained Khan's detailed accounts from Simon Henderson, a former journalist at the Financial Times who is now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and who has maintained correspondence with Khan.In a first-person account about his contacts with Khan in the September 20 edition of the Sunday Times, Henderson disclosed several excerpts from one of the documents.According to Khan, the daily said, the uranium cargo came with a blueprint for a simple weapon that China had already tested, supplying a virtual do-it-yourself kit that significantly speeded Pakistan's bomb effort.

Did Kingfisher pilots abandon passengers as plane skidded?

Pilots of the Kingfisher aircraft that skidded off the Mumbai runway ran away from the plane leaving the engine running.Sources have told NDTV it has even been caught on camera.The Kingfisher plane, which was carrying 42 passengers, was rapid and came down vertically almost nose down on the runway.Sources and some eyewitness have told NDTV that the plane landed much ahead of the touchdown point, and even after the aircraft had halted, both its propeller engines were running at full speed.Generally, when an aircraft comes to a halt, its engines gradually slow down before shutting, which did not happen in this case.On landing, left engine scrapped the ground and propeller blades broke. Fire and Ground safety reached the aircraft in a minute after it landed but could not start rescue since engines were on at full blast.The ATC meanwhile was constantly asking if pilots could hear them because they wanted engines to shut down. But ATC got no response from cockpit for five minutes.Meanwhile, since left propeller engine had slowed down since it had scrapped the ground, the right was on. To shut the right engine, the rescue crew sprayed foam on it.The pilots came out from the top hatch of the cockpit even before safety crew had reached the spot and while the engine was till running. A kingfisher van took the pilots away.

Online activists hijack 300 Facebook groups

Activists claimed to have seized control of nearly 300 Facebook community groups in a self-proclaimed effort to expose how vulnerable online reputations are to tampering.A contingent that identified itself as Control Your Info (CYI) claimed credit for commandeering 289 Facebook Groups, saying it was simple to get into poorly protected administrative settings at the website."This is just one example that really shows the vulnerabilities of social media," said a blog post at controlyour.info."If you chose to express yourself on the Internet, make sure the expressions are your own and not a spammers. This isn't some kind of scare tactic, nor is it a hack, it's a feature that can be used, and is being used, in bad ways." CYI claimed its motives were pure and that the move was more of a "take-over" than a computer hack of Facebook groups.Facebook Groups are themed chat venues that users of the social networking service can join to socialise online with people who share interests."Facebook Groups suffer from a major flaw," said a message on the CYI blog."If an administrator of a group leaves, anyone can register as a new admin. So, in order to take control of a Facebook group, all you really have to do is a quick search on Google."

I-T officials grill Koda on money laundering

Income Tax officials are questioning former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda today in connection with the Rs 4000-crore money-laundering scam that spans several countries and could involve some big politicians and top bureaucrats. Koda spent a week in hospital evading the taxmen. Now, the noose is tightening around him, with one of his close associates admitting to the Enforcement Directorate of hawala transactions worth Rs 40 crore rupees.Even as he told income tax interrogators that he was too sick to meet them, Madhu Koda spent hours meeting hundreds of supporters at his house in Ranchi on Monday.Koda has been accused of laundering 4000 crore with the help of a few close friends. After raids began at his house and the offices of his associates around the country, Koda's stomach began hurting. So seriously that he spent a week in hospital. Doctors went on record to deny that they were helping him stay in hospital to avoid being arrested. The entire situation was made more suspicious by the fact that Koda's key accomplices, Binod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary, are on the run.Unfortunately for him, Binod's brother Vikas has been caught and now details are emerging on exactly how Koda's 4000 crore were disguised and managed. Vikas Sinha has allegedly confessed on Monday that he laundered 40 crores for Koda by channeling the money into four fake companies. He also bought land for Koda in Jamshedpur and Ranchi. Other details shared by Vikas: that Koda used channels in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Liberia to launder his money; and that Koda traded in the bullions or commodities market in Mumbai, which is largely unorganized, and therefore hard to track.Also interrogated on Monday, Devendra Mukhiya, a close aide of Koda's who reportedly ran a finance company in Jamshedpur in which he invested Koda's money. "I have met Koda only two or three times. That does not make me an accused," says Mukhiya.

Suicide blast in Peshawar, 4 killed

At least four people have reportedly been killed in a suicide blast in Peshawar. Pakistani media says another seven people have been injured. The blast took place near Latifabad Chowk, Peshawar. Police have cordoned off the area, rescue teams have been rushed to the site. According to reports, a suicide bomber in a rickshaw detonated his explosives near a group of police constables in northwest Pakistan's main city of Peshawar, killing four people Monday, police said.The attack was the latest in a string of strikes that have killed more than 300 people over the past six weeks. The bloodshed appears aimed at distracting the government from its offensive against the Taliban in the South Waziristan tribal region.Seven other people were wounded in the blast at Pathang Intersection on the well-known Ring Road around the city, police official Shaukat Khan said. TV footage showed a crane lifting the rickshaw's carcass to clear the road.The bomber was likely heading to a more crowded area but decided to set off his explosives when police stopped the rickshaw to check it, senior Peshawar police officer Liaquat Ali Khan said.The attacker killed a police constable, the rickshaw driver and a passer-by, police said."Despite all the security arrangements you cannot stop one who is bent upon killing himself and others," said Sahibzada Anis, a local government official. "Our police are rendering their lives to save citizens but these kinds of incidents are hard to stop."Peshawar has been struck several times during the recent surge of strikes. A late October explosion in the city leveled a market, killing around 112 people in the deadliest attack to hit the country since 2007.The government has pledged to press ahead with the offensive in South Waziristan despite the assaults. The U.S. supports the operation because Pakistan's tribal belt is home to many militants involved in attacks on Western troops across the border in Afghanistan.Pakistan's army has pitted some 30,000 troops against up to 8,000 militants, including many Uzbeks and other foreign insurgents who have long taken refuge in the lawless tribal areas.

R R Patil back as Maharashtra home minister

A year after 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, R R Patil is back in the saddle as the Home Minister of Maharashtra.The senior NCP leader, who was forced to resign over the 26/11terror attacks, has got back his old portfolio. NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar will handle Power portfolio, in addition to the Water Resources Ministry he already handled earlier. NCP leader Jayant Patil, who was Home Minister in the outgoing government, now has the Rural Development Ministry, party sources said.Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal continues to hold his Public Works portfolio While NCP's Sunil Tatkare, who was Power Minister in the earlier government, would be the new Finance Minister.And as per the seat sharing deal struck, Congress's Narayan Rane will take charge of Revenue.The newly formed Maharashtra Government will be holding its first Assembly session on Monday.

34 die due to incessant rain in Tamil Nadu

Thirty-four people have lost their lives in Tamil Nadu over the last one week following incessant rain. Thirteen people died in Tamilandu's Nilgiris district on Monday following house collapse and other rain related incidents.Most of these casualties are due to wall collapses and electrocution in the Niligiris, Virudhnagar, Ramanathapuram and Dindigul districts. Schools will remain closed on Monday in Chennai and many districts. The northeast monsoon set in a week ago and the met office has forecast intermittent showers on Monday.

Google set to challenge Microsoft

To tap the fast growing web and personal computers market, internet giant Google is working on an operating system

, a move that is likely to pose a stiff challenge to Microsoft's dominance.

"We are working on an operating system... we feel, when other operating systems became part of the Web, the world was not connected the way it is today," Google Global Sales Operations and Business Development President Nikesh Arora said.

"Whether our operating system replaces the existing ones, I don't know. Customers will choose that," he said, while speaking at the HT Leadership Summit here.

In July, Google announced plans to launch its own operating system for personal computers. The planned open source 'Google Chrome Operating System' is expected to be available in the second half of 2010.

Microsoft has about 90 per cent share in the global market for operating systems.

"Google Chrome Operating System is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially aim at netbooks... Later this year, we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome Operating System will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010," Google had said in a blog.

The blog, which was written by Vice-President (Product Management) Sundar Pichai and Engineering Director Elinus Upson, said the operating systems that browsers run on were
designed in an era where there was no web.

Kerala's coconut oil gives it diabetes?

At many of Kerala's clinics, a chart warns of different oils and how much saturated fat they contain. At the very top of that list, sits Coconut Oil. And now, doctors are worried that's to blame for Kerala's rate of diabetes, highest in the country, with 21 out of every 100 people testing positive.

A survey conducted by the Kesavadev Trust, famous and trusted for its work in diabetes awareness and research, has shared these startling results. The average age of Kerala's diabetics has fallen dramatically in the last six years, from 65 to 34.

So, why are so many young men and women becoming diabetic? The Trust blames coconut oil used for cooking in most homes; because younger people are eating lots of deep-fried meals, their cholesterol levels are leaping. Cholesterol is to blame for 70 per cent of the state's diabetes.

"The more shocking revelation is the silent prevalence of high cholesterol and very high blood pressure (BP). Even among the younger generation, we see more than 300 level of cholesterol commonly in Kerala population," says Dr Jothydev, a leading diabetologist.

Thirty-six-year-old Bindu was diagnosed with diabetes three years ago. She says she's never been fond of dessert or sweets, and her family has no history of diabetes. "When I was told I have high sugar, I was scared and shocked to say the least. But at that time my weight was much more than normal," she sighs.

Doctors say Kerala's high literacy rate could be why its population is aware of the need to get tested. Just last week, the World Diabetes Congress held in Canada announced that India is the diabetes capital in the world. Kerala seems to have done its bit to help India earn that title.

Pilot found dead in Chennai home

A pilot with Kingfisher Airlines has been found dead in his apartment in Chennai. The police suspect this is a case of suicide. The body was found decomposed on Sunday evening, leading the police to believe that he died several days ago.

The police have recovered sleeping pills from his bedroom.

Police said neighbours of the pilot, Krishna Narayanan, had complained that a foul smell was emanating from the house following which they broke open the door of the house.

"The body was found on the cot of the house. It was suspected that the death occurred some five to six days ago," they said.

The body has been sent for post mortem.

The 28-year-old pilot had been on leave for two weeks. His parents are expected to arrive on Monday from Malaysia.

(With PTI inputs)

Pakistan: Blast in Rawalpindi, 20 killed

A blast has reportedly destroyed the front of a popular hotel on Mall Road in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Pakistani media report at least 20 people have been killed. At least 25 people are reported injured, 12 are in critical condition. Cars parked near the hotel have been blown up.

The blast took place at 10:40 am outside the Shalimar Hotel. Mall Road, where it's located, is one of the busiest roads in the city.

The police has moved into the area and cordoned it off. Rescue teams have been sent in.

More details are awaited.

Fire still blazing at IOC site, Gehlot orders report

Jaipur: The fire at the IOC fuel depot in Jaipur continues to rage for the fourth day even as the flames died down in eight of the 11 storage tanks. Two more bodies were spotted at the burning IOC fuel depot in Jaipur on Sunday, pushing the toll to 10.

“The spate of flames is much reduced in the remaining three tankers and it may die down by Monday,” said Jaipur collector Kuldeep Ranka at the site of the fire on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.

He assured that all measures have been taken to ensure that the fire does not spread further.

The fire spread to the roof of the building of a private electronic and instrument company Genus, 200 metres from the IOC complex wall, at about 0700 hrs IST on Sunday. However, it was extinguished by firemen within two hours, said chief fire officer Ishwar Lal Jat.

Though the premises of Genus Overseas Ltd were badly damaged, there was no casualty as no one was present there, he said.

• Authorities slept as Jaipur oil depot caught fire

• In Pics: The IOC inferno in Jaipur

The Rajasthan High Court on Sunday held a special hearing on a PIL alleging that the state government has failed in disaster management as it has not been able to control the fire.

The two charred bodies spotted on Sunday have been identified as those of Kriparam Meena and Ramniwas who worked as chargemen at the depot, IGP (range) BL Soni told PTI.

There are reports about residents in areas adjacent to the fire site complaining of respiratory infection due to smoke emanating from the storage tanks, Ranka said.

Seven bodies have so far been identified and the rest of them have been kept at the SMS hospital mortuary, said Soni, adding, they were handed over to relatives after completing necessary formalities.

The other 34 injured persons are being treated at a number of hospitals in the state capital, Soni said.

A large number of partially burnt official files and documents were recovered from the fields of seven nearby villages, he said.

Besides papers, scrap of aluminium sheets, iron rods, nuts and bolts were also collected from near the site by the police and rescue team.

All these material have been handed over to the IOC, Soni added.

When asked whether any police case has been registered in connection with the fire and related deaths, the IGP said no IOC official came to lodge a complaint.

Twelve trains passing through Jaipur-Sawaimadhopur rail section were diverted to other routes, a railway spokesman said.

Similarly, 95 buses on the Jaipur-Kota highway have also been diverted to other routes, officials said.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan government has directed state officials to prepare a survey report and adopt a follow-up action plan with regard to the incident.

Chairing a high-level review meeting with his cabinet colleagues and senior officials, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot asked the administration not to leave any stone unturned in extending assistance to the victims and ensure that the fire does not spread further, an official release said.

Centre offers olive branch to Naxals, J&K separatists

The Centre on Friday said it will persuade the state governments to talk to the Maoists on aspects like land reforms and land acquisitions if they stop violence.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram made it clear that no talks could be held in an atmosphere of violence. "We never said lay down the arms. We said halt the violence and talk. If they halt violence, the Centre will persuade the state governments to talk to them on issues like land reforms, land acquisitions," he told media persons in New Delhi
"If they halt violence, we will facilitate talks. I cannot ask state governments to talk when there is widespread violence," Chidambaram said.He said if the Maoists are "serious champions of the poor", they should come forward for talks.
The Home Minister said Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh had attempted to hold talks with the Maoists but the moves were "futile".He said the Cabinet Committee on Security has decided to provide help to the states affected by the Naxal violence. The Home Minister also hinted at reaching out to Kashmiri separatist groups.
"The Centre wants to hold quiet talks, quiet diplomacy with Kashmiri separatist groups to understand the contours of proposals each side would have," he said.
During the press conference, the Home Minister announced the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau chief P C Haldar as interlocutor for talks with Northeast insurgent groups NDFB and DHD-J.
He also announced the appointment of Lt Gen Madan as interlocutor for groups demanding Gorkhaland statehood.

Air force copter crashes in Doda; 1 dead

An Indian Air Force chopper crashed and plunged into Chenab river in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. One of the four people on board has died in the mishap. The body of Wing Commander Garg has been found. The three others are missing.The IAF chopper, which was on a regular sortie, was flying low over the river Chenab when it got caught in a cable fire of a bridge and crashed into the water reservoir of the Baglihar hydroelectric power project at Tringel in Doda district.It was returning from Nawapachi area of Kishtawar district.The army and police have launched a rescue operation, he said.IAF carries regular sorties to mountain-locked Nawapachi area to transport ration, arms and ammunition for the troops stationed there.

Fire at oil depot in Jaipur; 6 killed, 150 injured

Nearly 19 hours after it started, the fire at the Indian Oil Corporation's fuel depot in Sitapura industrial area on the outskirts of Jaipur is still raging.Six people have been killed and 150 are injured. Six people are also said to be missing.300 army men are helping with rescue, as some people are feared trapped in the depot. Experts from MathuAmong those who were evacuated were all the patients, doctors and staff of a government hospital and engineering and medical students of 10 hostels.The IOC has said that they have disconnected the underground pipeline connecting the oil well and the depot.The administration is also taking all precautionary measures to secure a nearby Indane gas bottling plant. Cold water mixed with foam has been sprayed on the pipeline of LPG storage tankers located near the petroleum depot to keep it cool and unaffected from the heat generated from the fire.Assistant Fire Officer at the site has said the intensity of fire has been reduced to 75 per cent and by evening it would die down when the fuel gets fully burnt.Within minutes two dozen fire extinguishers were rushed to the spot but given the 80 lakh litres of petroleum products in the depot the fire spread, rapidly engulfing the entire depot. Soon the state government was forced to seek help from the Union Petroleum Ministry."It is a terrible blaze. I have spoken to the Petroleum Minister who is sending a team of officials to the site," Ashok Gehlot, the Chief Minister of Rajastan, said on Thursday. The blaze could be seen from up to 20 km. The surrounding area has been evacuated and power cut off. The injured have been rushed to three major hospitals of Jaipur including the SMS hospital. "I was working when there was a sudden explosion. All the glass around us was shattered and it fell on us. We ran away from the spot," said one of the injured. While all the 12 tanks in the IOC depot caught fire, a larger tragedy was averted as the LPG cylinders remained safe. The IOC says it will let the fuel burn itself out. People are keeping their fingers crossed that soon the worst will be over.

NDTV Impact: Police search for train-jackers

It took less than 10 hours for NDTV's Joydeep Ray to find some of the men involved in holding a Rajdhani train hostage on Monday for 5 hours. Travelling into the forests between Jhargram and Banstala in West Bengal, Joydeep met Dhanpati Mahato, a senior leader of the PCPA or People's Committee Against Police Atrocities.Mahato said he was one of the senior people who plotted and executed the attack. 200 armed men had stopped the train on its way from Bhubaneswar to Delhi. The 1200 passengers and 2 train drivers on board were freed only when central reserve police forces arrived in the area after 7 pm, forcing the PCPA's members to take cover in the forests nearby.After that, two FIRs were filed but against unknown people. It remains unclear why the railway police are not able to take specific names. But they say that after watching the NDTV interview with Mahato, they are now combing the same area that the NDTV correspondent visited to find those who openly acknowledge their role in the train-jacking. Mahato told NDTV, "We thought if we stopped the train, the District Railway Magistrate or some other officials would come. The PCPA has never stopped trains before...we wanted to warn the Centre."

Bodies of CPM workers killed in Naxal attack found

Maoists have struck again in West Bengal. Naxals have killed two CPM worker and kidnapped three others in the state. Hacked bodies of CPM workers Tapan Mudi and Diliil Mahato have been found in the Sharpura forest of West Midnapore. Both men were kidnapped on Wednesday night.Three others allegedly kidnapped by Maoista on Wednesday night from the Goaltore area are still missing.The man killed, Tapan Mudi, was called out of his house by strangers in a village near Binpur in West Midnapore at 9.30 on Wednesday night. He never returned. A few hours later, his body was found in a forest nearby.The police is approaching the corpse with caution. Naxals often rig the bodies of their victims with explosives, or lie in wait nearby to ambush policemen who come to collect the bodies.Reacting to the incident, Sitaram Yechury says, "This is unfortunately the news we are getting. So far 70 of our cadres have been killed in the past few weeks. This is the level of violence they are perpetuating there. The basic aim is to try and eliminate CPM workers in these areas. This has again proved the nexus between Mamata and Maoists. Take the case of the train that was hijacked, everything was cleaned up, except the graffiti demanding Chattradhar Mahato's release. Why was that not wiped off." Three other party workers were abducted by tribal agitators from Goaltore area in restive West Midnapore district on Thursday. On Tuesday, supporters of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) seized the Bhubaneswar-Delhi Rajdhani Express at Banstala in the district, but it was freed by security forces after a five-hour hostage drama. All passengers were safe.West Midnapore has been witnessing unrest since November last year against alleged police atrocities at Lalgarh. The agitation started after police raided the homes of tribals, shortly after West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and then union ministers Ram Vilas Paswan and Jitin Prasada narrowly escaped a landmine blast at Salboni.The PCPA under the leadership of Chhatradhar Mahato had "liberated" Lalgarh and had run free for nine months before the central forces and the local police recaptured the areas.

American's terror plan for India was serious

India is sending a team of intelligence officials to question the American who was allegedly planning Mumbai-like terror attacks in cities across India. David Coleman Headley has been arrested by the FBI for planning attacks against India and Denmark. Indian intelligence officials want exclusive access to him in America, instead of joint questioning with the FBI. Sources reveal that the Indian Government has been informed that Headley's plot was bigger what the FBI has revealed so far. India is also worried by information that Headley's handler was Pakistani-based terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri.THE FBI says on its website that Headley, an American citizen, was allegedly working with top Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives, based in Pakistan. The agency also claims that Headley was in touch with a prominent Indian actor who his associates and he referred to as Rahul."Headley and a Pakistani-Canadian, Tahawwur Hussain Rana , were planning to attack the offices of the Danish newspaper that published cartoons of Prophet Mohammed ; also on their target list, cities in India.

Double-Dip Recession Unlikely: ECB Official

It is unlikely that the euro zone would fall back into recession soon after exiting it, European Central Bank Governing Council member Axel Weber said on Thursday.He also said there were no risks to price stability in the policy-relevant medium-term horizon.
"There are several factors, in the euro zone as well as in other major economies, that point to a fairly benign outlook and that make a double-dip recession very unlikely," Weber said in the text of a speech to be given at the Israeli Presidential Conference.He said continuing economic stimuli, improvement in confidence and absence of inflationary risks were contributing to the improved outlook. Deflationary fears have all but disappeared, Weber also said. He also said the global economic turnaround after the freefall was striking."We have seen a remarkable stabilization around the world in recent months," he said. "It is safe to say that we have overcome the worst." But Weber warned of undue economic optimism. "Forecast risks are still elevated, and there is no reason to be overly optimistic given the fragility of the recovery."
Weber, who also heads the German Bundesbank, also said now was not the time to exit from measures employed to fight the financial crisis.
"Given the macroeconomic outlook, there is surely no need to rush for the exit at the current juncture," he said. "However, to stabilize expectations and to safeguard public confidence it is essential to develop a credible exit framework now." The ECB has cut its main refinancing rate to a record-low 1.0 percent, offered unlimited liquidity to banks and started a 60 billion euro covered bond purchase program to aid the ailing economy.
The ECB's exit and monetary policy stance was determined by risks to price stability, Weber said, but added inflation was not a concern right now."Risks to price stability ... are fortunately currently not present at the policy-relevant time horizon." Inflation in the euro-zone has been negative in recent months and was -0.3 percent year-on-year in September.
ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet has said he expects inflation to turn positive in the coming months. Weber also said the ECB's non-standard instruments allow for a flexible exit and can take financial market fragility into account, if needed.
"I am fairly confident that monetary policy in the euro area will manage an orderly exit," he said.Turning to financial markets, Weber said market conditions have improved, but there could also be setbacks. "Market conditions ... have improved significantly in recent months, in fact even more so than the real economy, but the situation is still fragile and temporary backlashes are likely," Weber said.
Global imbalances must be reduced to achieve sustainable long-term growth, he also said, but added this should not be done by propping up demand in countries with current account surpluses.
Rather, clogged up adjustment channels, including mandated foreign exchange rates, should be looked at, he added.Weber also said governments should start their fiscal exit as soon as the recovery has firmed up. "Which means no later than 2011."

CBI searches DoT offices

The Criminal Bureau of Investigation on Thursday searched offices of the department of telecommunication in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of 2G spectrum to some of the new players.
CBI sources said a team of its sleuths were conducting searches at the Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi after registering a case in this connection last evening.
The sources said that all records pertaining to the allocation of spectrum to new players in January 2008 will be taken to see if there were irregularities in the process. None of the DoT official was available for comments.In 2008, eight new players were given licences along with bundled 4.4 MHz spectrum to start mobile services.
The telecom ministry had come under attack for doling out spectrum very cheap compared to its actual market value. CVC had recommended a CBI probe into the procedures followed for selecting companies for giving 2G spectrum.
Eyebrows were raised when two of the new players -- Unitech Wireless Services and Swan Telecom -- sold part of their stake at huge premium within days of getting the licences.
The government had given telecom licence along with start up spectrum at Rs 1,651 crore (Rs 16.51 billion) for pan-Indian services.

Microsoft launches Windows 7, eyes PC sales rebound

Microsoft Corp launched Windows 7 on Thursday in its most important release for more than a decade, aiming to win back customers after the disappointing Vista and strengthen its grip on the PC market.
The world's largest software company, which powers more than 90 percent of personal computers, has received good reviews for the new operating system, which it hopes will grab back the impetus in new technology from rivals Apple Inc and Google Inc."It's the first really significant release of Windows in a decade," analyst Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest Securities told Reuters Television. "Given the missteps around Vista, people really questioned Microsoft's relevancy in the technology space. So this is a critical first step for Microsoft regaining that credibility."The new system -- which is faster, less cluttered and has new touch-screen features -- comes almost three years after the launch of Vista, whose complexity frustrated many home users and turned off business customers.
The success of Windows -- which accounts for more than half of Microsoft's profit -- is crucial for Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to revive the company's image as the world's most important software firm."I have to say I'm chomping at the bit," Ballmer told an audience of Microsoft customers and partners in Toronto on Wednesday, adding that he is ready to make sales calls himself on Windows 7.
Sales won't immediately impact the bottom line of Microsoft, which is expected to post a lower quarterly profit on Friday.

Mathura train collision: Case against 'unknown persons'

The Uttar Pradesh police have registered a case against "unknown persons" after it emerged that the Mewar Express had come to a sudden halt because the emergency chain was pulled, following which the Goa Express rammed into it, killing 22 people.The case has been registered under sections 223 (escape from confinement due to negligence of a public servant) and 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension) of the IPC, SSP (Mathura) B D Paulson said.In Kota (Rajasthan), Additional Superintendent of Police, Bhupendra Sahu, refused to comment on whether an escape attempt by a criminal on the train led to the accident but added, "All the three officials involved in the incident have been suspended and an inquiry has been ordered."The office of Senior Superintendent of Police, Mathura City, had earlier said it has received two separate complaints -- one relating to the train accident and the other being that of an accused escaping from custody of Rajasthan policemen.It is alleged that Munna Sazid, an accused in a robbery case, was being taken from Kota to the national capital by the Delhi-bound Mewar Express for a hearing in a Tees Hazari court.He was being accompanied by three police constables of Rajasthan Police -- Ashok Kumar, Veerendra and Bahadur. At the Mathura station, Sazid asked for permission to go to toilet.As soon as the train started gaining speed, he pushed one of the constables and jumped from the train prompting the police officials to pull the chain to bring it to halt, according to the complaint. Maintaining that the issue of who pulled the chain to stop the train was yet to be established, Paulson said the three Kota constables had come to his office at around 1500 hrs to lodge an FIR on the escape of the criminal, while the accident had occurred in the wee hours on Wednesday.The constables told the SSP that Sazid escaped in the confusion after the accident. On the issue of delay in registration of the complaint, they said that they could not do so earlier as the entire staff was busy at the accident site.But, the constables could not explain how the criminal, who was handcuffed and tied with a rope, managed to free himself and escape, police said.Police said they were probing if Sazid's escape may have led to chain pulling that brought Mewar Express to a sudden halt.

Although Mahatma Gandhi was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize but the coveted honour has gone to several individuals who believed in and propagated the Gandhian philosophy of peace and non-violence globally.
Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States, is latest in this club of Gandhian followers to have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Prominent followers in the recent past have been Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and the Dalai Lama.
Obama, the first African American president of the United States, has been an avid admirer of Mahatma Gandhi. Only recently he told a group of students he would like to have dinner with Mahatma Gandhi. The Father of the nation Gandhi's contribution and influence in the rise of Obama is being acknowledged too.

Meet the 2009 Nobel Prize Winners

US President Barack Obama was picked up as the surprise winner of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his "extraordinary" efforts to strengthen international diplomacy, hardly less than a year after coming to power.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics, a statement released by the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, lauding his vision of a world without nuclear weapons. It was because of Obama's effort that multi-lateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play, the statement said.
Forty eight-year-old Obama is the fourth US President to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The prize committee said the US President's vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations.
Obama was honoured "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," it said.
"Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened," it said.

Deccan Chargers favourites against Somerset

Reigning IPL champions Deccan Chargers have the balance tilted so heavily in their favour that only complacency can derail them in Saturday's banana skin encounter against Somerset.Under the inspirational Adam Gilchrist, the Chargers, at least on paper, possess an arsenal of explosive batsmen and fiery bowlers who helped the franchisee script an incredible turnaround and become the reigning Indian Premier League winner in South Africa.Gilchrist may have quit international cricket but the swashbuckling left-hander still can tear apart any bowling attack, as he did frequently in the second IPL in South Africa.The tournament will also be special for controversial all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who would like to make a statement after Australia dumped him on disciplinary grounds.For them, Rohit Sharma will be hoping to replicate the same form that made him such a hot property in Twenty20 cricket and the youngster is also trying to force his way into Team India with some brilliant knocks in the Champions League.Having VVS Laxman and Scott Styris will also lend solidity to the side and the presence of RP Singh, Chaminda Vaas and Pragyan Ojha in the bowling unit would mean the Chargers would not have to worry much when it comes to defending totals.In such a situation, expectation would be sky-high but Gilchrist said they are not allowing it to bog down the team."We don't carry any extra burden," Gilchrist said, adding that there is a "Deccan Chargers culture" in the team and all of them are determined to do well.Laxman, who shone for Lancashire in county cricket, hoped to continue his good form in the Champions League also.Somerset, on the other hand, would rely heavily on captain Justin Langer and Marcus Trescothick to make their mark in the high-profile event.Maintaining that playing in the Champions League is a "great opportunity" for the team, Langer has said his teammates would have to get their act right to script an upset."There is no dearth of talent in the team and we have to do well in the big moments," he said.

NASA bombs the moon, no big splash

The world's search for water on the moon has taken a giant step forward with a first-of-its kind experiment by NASA. The American space agency successfully crashed two space crafts one after the other on the south pole of the moon, in a search for hidden ice.Instruments from the trailing craft confirm that a large empty rocket barrelled into the moon at 5 pm, followed four minutes later by a probe with cameras taking pictures of the first crash, and gathering signatures of water.But the big live public splash NASA had hoped for didn't quite happen. Screens got blurred and no immediate pictures of the crash or the large plume of lunar dust were seen.The idea was to confirm the theory that water, a key resource if humans are ever going to go back to the moon, is hidden below the barren moonscape.Recently the Indian lunar mission Chandrayaan had returned images that water was found on the moon as a thin invisible film. Till the scientific analysis is completed, the mystery of water on the moon remains largely unsolved.

Gunmen attack Pakistani army HQ, 8 dead

Suspected militants dressed in army uniforms attacked Pakistan's army headquarters on Saturday, killing four guards and triggering a battle in which four gunmen were killed, military officials said.
The brazen attack on the tightly guarded headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi came as the army prepares a major offensive against Pakistani Taliban militants in their northwestern stronghold on the Afghan border.
The gunmen drove in a white van to a main gate at the sprawling complex, opening fire and throwing at least one grenade when challenged, security officials said.
The gunmen then exchanged fire with soldiers for about 40 minutes. Four gunmen and and four guards were killed but two of the gunmen escaped, military officials said.
"Two terrorists are still missing, a search operation is on," said a military official who declined to be identified.
Another military official said some firing had been heard and a helicopter was helping in the search for the two gunmen.Dawn television said the fleeing gunmen had taken two military men hostage.
Al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants have launched numerous attacks in Pakistan over the past couple of years, most aimed at the security forces and government and foreign targets.
The militants have attacked military targets in Rawalpindi before.
Television pictures showed the militants' white van, its doors open, where the gunmen abandoned it by concrete barriers outside the gate.
OFFENSIVE LOOMS
The attack came a day after a suspected suicide car-bomber killed 49 people in the city of Peshawar in an attack the government said underscored the need for the all-out offensive.
Early this year, the militants pushed to within 100 km (60 miles) of Islamabad, raising fears for nuclear-armed Pakistan's stability. An exasperated U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the government appeared to be "abdicating" to the militants.
The United States needs Pakistani help against militants crossing into Afghanistan to battle U.S.-led forces there.But in late April the security forces launched a sustained offensive in the Swat valley, 120 km (80 miles) northwest of Islamabad, largely clearing Taliban from the region.
The militants suffered another big blow on Aug. 5, when their overall leader, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in an attack by a missile-firing U.S. drone aircraft in South Waziristan.
Mehsud's death and reports of infighting about who would take over as leader raised hopes that the militants were in disarray.
But in recent weeks violence has been picking up after a relative lull following Mehsud's killing.
The government ordered the army to go on the offensive in South Waziristan in June and security forces have been launching air and artillery strikes, while moving in troops, blockading the region and trying to split off factions.
The army has declined to say when it would send in ground troops.

At least 11 AI flights cancelled as pilots stay away from work

At least 11 flights of Air India were on Saturday cancelled as a section of its pilots did not report to work to protest reduction in their productivity-linked incentives.

Besides a Kabul-bound international flight from the capital, seven domestic flights to Mumbai, Lucknow, Aurangabad, Pune, Chennai, Srinagar and Indore-Bhopal were cancelled.

In Chennai, two international flights to Colombo and Sharjah and one domestic flight to Madurai were cancelled due to the agitation by executive pilots.

In Kolkata, a flight to Aizawl was cancelled as the pilot reported sick.

However, Air India spokesperson Jitendra Bhargava claimed that flight operations were largely unaffected by the agitation. "Only 11 flights have been cancelled whereas all other flights have taken off since morning," he said.

It was not clear as to how many pilots had not reported for duty as there were claims and counter-claims.

While Bhargava said that only 11 pilots had not reported for duty, representative of executive pilots Captain R.K. Bhalla said that the number of absentee pilots was much higher.

Bhargava said the agitating pilots were expected to meet the Air India management tomorrow in Mumbai to discuss their demands.

Don't withdraw economic stimulus: PM at G20

Pittsburgh: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concluded his engagements at the G20 Summit in US with a clear victory for India and other emerging economies in getting a greater say in the affairs of the global financial system and its regulation.

The Prime Minister also managed to convince the developed world that the time was not ripe to withdraw the stimulus packages aimed at helping countries - especially the developing and poor economies - overcome the worst economic crisis in eight decades.

"With the rise of Asia, with growth of India, China and Brazil, the economic decision-making has to take into account the views of these countries if it is to have an optimum impact," Manmohan Singh said at a post-summit news conference on Friday night.

"We have agreed that the G20 will henceforth be the premier forum for international economic issues. This is an important development broadening the global governance structure," he said.

"Interdependence in a globalised world means that no country, however powerful it may be, can take on the entire burden of economic adjustment and economic decision-making," he added.

Man held for threatening PM, Sonia Gandhi

Ranchi: A man has been arrested from a Jharkhand village for allegedly issuing threat letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister P Chidambaram, police said on Saturday.

Dhananjay Kumar Mehta was arrested in Narayanpur village of Latehar district, 145 km from state capital Ranchi, on Friday. A pistol, some live cartridges and other documents were found in his possession, the police claimed.

"Mehta issued threat letters to PM, Sonia Gandhi and Chidamabaram in July this year. He was also issuing press releases in name of Abhayji, who is zonal commander of CPI-Maoist (Communist Party of India-Maoist). He got a letter pad of CPI-Maoist printed," a senior police officer told IANS.

"Mehta had called a five-day strike in Palamau region of the state by issuing a press release," the officer added.

The threat letter issued to Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi said, "Both PM and Sonia Gandhi will meet their fate like former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi."

"We are interrogating Mehta to ascertain why he issued such letters and press releases," another police officer said.

Pay Rs 1,000 for spitting in swine flu-hit Pune

Pune: Spitting in public places in Pune can now cost you Rs 1,000 with Pune Municipal Corporation announcing the increased fine in view of swine flu pandemic in the city.

The corporation announced the hike from present Rs 25 to Rs 1,000 with effect from Saturday.

An order issued by PMC commissioner Mahesh Zagde said the measure was taken because the H1N1 virus can "remain alive in sputum for eight to nine hours".

The nuisance detection squads of civic administration would take action against the offender.

The Commissioner issued the order using special powers vested in him under Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act to deal with epidemics.

The virus has so far claimed 61 lives in the city since August 3 with unceasing number of fresh positive cases being reported daily.