Friday, April 30, 2010
Federal Court Dismisses Rosetta's Google Trademark Suit
A federal court in Virginia has dismissed Rosetta Stone's trademark infringement lawsuit against Google (NASD: GOOG), which had sought to keep the Silicon Valley technology giant from selling the company's trademarks or other similar terms as part of its AdWords advertising program.
Rosetta Stone, which sells language learning software and online services, said that the decision from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia will contribute to "consumer confusion" by allowing counterfeiters to sell "pirated copies of trademarked products to unsuspecting American consumers."
"We are deeply disappointed that Rosetta Stone was not given an opportunity to present at a public trial the facts underlying Google's practices and the motivation that led Google to adopt its current trademark policies," said Tom Adams, the president and CEO of Rosetta Stone.
The company said that it is considering an appeal.
Nithyananda scandal: Actress Ranjitha serves notices on Google, YouTube
Bangalore: Actress Ranjitha, on Thursday, termed the video clips telecast by television channels purportedly showing the tainted self-styled godman Paramahamsa Nithyananda engaging in acts of physical intimacy as “malicious.”
“Our client dissociates herself from the said video which has caused danger to her life, limb and property,” a Delhi-based law firm representing Ranjitha said, adding, “our client strongly objects to being referred to as one of the persons in the video.”
In her first comments made to the media after being embroiled in the alleged sex scandal, the actress said she had issued notices to search engine Google and video-sharing website YouTube, through the law firm, demanding the controversial clippings be removed with in 72 hours, ending 5 pm on Sunday.
The legal firm, PM Law Chambers (PMLC), said in a statement made to the press that it would take “appropriate action” against the Google and YouTube if the defamatory clippings were not
removed.
The law firm stated that several “persons have access to the illegally created clips, snippets of video, or are uploading or downloading the same on worldwide web, which is an offence in itself.”
When contacted, a senior official with Google’s global communications and public affairs wing in Bangalore, said he was unaware of the legal notice, and needed to check it with the Internet giant’s law department.
“The authenticity and originality of the alleged person featuring in the video taken clandestinely has to stand the test of admissibility before being treated as evidence in the Courts of Law,” PMLC said.
“The video clips, which clearly amount to gross violation of various laws of India, have malicious, diabolical and destructive intent, and are clearly aimed at bringing harm to the actress,” it said.
Those who were airing and publishing the video clips were doing so for commercial interests, it claimed, adding the actress had “authorised” the firm to initiate legal action against such persons.
Ranjitha, a “hard working, dedicated woman with high morals and has never been accused of any misdemeanor or wrong in the past 20 years,” believed that there was a conspiracy against her, by “vested interests”, who were behind the circulation of the “highly offensive videos.”
The statement requested the media to “respect her privacy, and her need to spend time with her family and recover and recoup” following the controversy.
It added that Ranjitha did not wish to discuss “this incident any further with the media and will stay away from her public life to spend time with her family to recover from this traumatic
allegation.”
The controversy over alleged sleazy activities of Nithyananda broke out on March 2 after TV channels aired the purported video footage showing the actress in intimate positions with him.
Tamil Nadu police registered various cases including rape against Nithyananda before transferring them to Karnataka where his ashram is headquartered at Bidadi, about 35 km from
Bangalore.
He was arrested from Solan in Himachal Pradesh on April 21 in a joint operation by Karnataka police and their counterparts in the hilly state.
Earlier, Nithyananda had stated that he was unwell and in samadhi when the video was shot. Lenin Karuppan, formerly a disciple of the swami, had claimed that he had arranged for the secret filming of the swami to expose him.
“Our client dissociates herself from the said video which has caused danger to her life, limb and property,” a Delhi-based law firm representing Ranjitha said, adding, “our client strongly objects to being referred to as one of the persons in the video.”
In her first comments made to the media after being embroiled in the alleged sex scandal, the actress said she had issued notices to search engine Google and video-sharing website YouTube, through the law firm, demanding the controversial clippings be removed with in 72 hours, ending 5 pm on Sunday.
The legal firm, PM Law Chambers (PMLC), said in a statement made to the press that it would take “appropriate action” against the Google and YouTube if the defamatory clippings were not
removed.
The law firm stated that several “persons have access to the illegally created clips, snippets of video, or are uploading or downloading the same on worldwide web, which is an offence in itself.”
When contacted, a senior official with Google’s global communications and public affairs wing in Bangalore, said he was unaware of the legal notice, and needed to check it with the Internet giant’s law department.
“The authenticity and originality of the alleged person featuring in the video taken clandestinely has to stand the test of admissibility before being treated as evidence in the Courts of Law,” PMLC said.
“The video clips, which clearly amount to gross violation of various laws of India, have malicious, diabolical and destructive intent, and are clearly aimed at bringing harm to the actress,” it said.
Those who were airing and publishing the video clips were doing so for commercial interests, it claimed, adding the actress had “authorised” the firm to initiate legal action against such persons.
Ranjitha, a “hard working, dedicated woman with high morals and has never been accused of any misdemeanor or wrong in the past 20 years,” believed that there was a conspiracy against her, by “vested interests”, who were behind the circulation of the “highly offensive videos.”
The statement requested the media to “respect her privacy, and her need to spend time with her family and recover and recoup” following the controversy.
It added that Ranjitha did not wish to discuss “this incident any further with the media and will stay away from her public life to spend time with her family to recover from this traumatic
allegation.”
The controversy over alleged sleazy activities of Nithyananda broke out on March 2 after TV channels aired the purported video footage showing the actress in intimate positions with him.
Tamil Nadu police registered various cases including rape against Nithyananda before transferring them to Karnataka where his ashram is headquartered at Bidadi, about 35 km from
Bangalore.
He was arrested from Solan in Himachal Pradesh on April 21 in a joint operation by Karnataka police and their counterparts in the hilly state.
Earlier, Nithyananda had stated that he was unwell and in samadhi when the video was shot. Lenin Karuppan, formerly a disciple of the swami, had claimed that he had arranged for the secret filming of the swami to expose him.
Apple enters mobile search big time
If it seemed Apple was encroaching Google’s business with its iAd platform, then the acquisition of mobile search company Siri is a transgression of note!
$200 million blown in the wind
Though this iPhone app company’s flagship product has only been downloaded around 250,000 times, various technology publications are putting the acquisition price at north of $200 million. With investors having put $24 million into the organization, the acquisition represents an 800 per cent return, which is quite healthy for the investors.
But it seems Apple has significantly overbid for this company. The theory for this price tag is two-fold: some believe Apple feared Google would swoop in and snatch Siri the same way Google snatched Admob, while other argue if you look at the purchase as a talent and technology acquisition as opposed to an iPhone app acquisition, $200 million is well worth it for entry in the mobile search market.
Smartphones, advertising, search
This Siri acquisition marks the third major market the former BFFs Apple and Google will be competing with each other in, namely smartphones, advertising and search.
Where Google Android is a competitor to iPhone OS, and Apple’s iAd is an arrow at Google’s AdWords and AdSense, this acquisition of a company whose product is a kind of virtual assistant is a slight play on the typical mobile archetype. In this regard, Google has other platforms like Aardvark to compete with this Apple move, but if anything, this move is definitely a sign that Apple no longer treats Google territory as precious ground that should not be tread on.
What is likely, as the recent HP acquisition of Palm shows, is that the company that wins big in the three industries Apple and Google are competing in will likely be among the largest in the world, making the obscene profits mobile advertising, search and mobile technology leaders tend to. Mobile search company Siri is merely a piece in a very interesting puzzle.
New HTC Droid Incredible Google Phone Is Selling Out (HTC, GOOG, VZ)
Google, HTC, and Verizon Wireless seem to have a hit on their hands.
The powerful new DROID Incredible smartphone, which went on sale yesterday, is already sold out in many of Verizon's retail stores.
It's also sold out on Verizon's website, first noted by Boy Genius Report.
In Brooklyn, N.Y., there are no Incredibles available at retail stores, according to a rep at Verizon's Atlantic Center store. We called around Manhattan stores and found many are sold out, but a few still have them in stock.
We also called two stores in central New Jersey: One at the large Bridgewater Commons Mall had Incredibles in stock. A store in Watchung did not have any in stock.
The amount of phones each store received varies. One said it sold five units, before running out. Another said it had sold a dozen, and still had a few in stock.
Assuming the sellout isn't just because of low supply levels, this is good sign for Verizon, HTC, and Google. Consumers are getting excited about Android-based phones. And so far, it's been without much advertising: Compared to the original Droid, which had a massive ad campaign, we've hardly seen any marketing for the new phone.
If Apple wasn't feeling pressure to get the iPhone on Verizon, news like this should help get the gears moving.
AP Technology NewsBrief at 5:19 p.m. EDT
(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Apple shutting Lala.com; `Cloud' music on horizon?LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Apple is shutting down Lala.com, the online music retailer it bought last year. The move comes amid speculation that Apple will soon offer a way for people to access songs from distant computers. A message posted on Lala's home page late Thursday says the service isn't accepting new users and will shut down at the end of May.
Power and Cooling Capacity Management for Data Centers Learn more, download free white paper.
Deploying High-Density Zones in a Low-Density Data Center Learn more, download free white paper.
Selecting an Industry-Standard Metric for Data Center Efficiency Learn more, download free white paper.
Preventing Data Corruption in the Event of an Extended Power Outage Learn more, download free white paper.
Guidance for calculation of efficiency (PUE) in real data centers Learn more, download free white paper.
Implementing Energy Efficient Data Centers Learn more, download free white paper.
Cooling Strategies for Ultra-High Density Racks and Blade Servers Learn more, download free white paper.
Amazon adding Twitter, Facebook to Kindle e-readerSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle e-reader is getting access to Facebook and Twitter, along with several other enhancements, as part of a software update being sent wirelessly to the devices. In a posting on Amazon's site, the company says the new software will let users share book passages on their Twitter and Facebook accounts. The update will also let people sort books and documents into collections and lock their Kindle with a password. There also will be larger font options and the ability to zoom in on PDF documents.
Cell phone sales up 22 pct as economy recoversNEW YORK (AP) _ The number of cell phones sold worldwide rose 22 percent in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, as both the economic recovery and an appetite for smart phones drove a rebound in sales, according to research firm IDC. Research in Motion Ltd., the Canadian maker of the BlackBerry smart phones, broke into the top five of the world's largest phone makers for the first time.
Samsung Q1 net profit surges to record highSEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ Samsung Electronics said net profit surged more than six-fold in the first quarter to a record high on strong demand and higher prices for memory chips as well as increased sales of mobile phones and flat screen televisions. Samsung earned 3.99 trillion won ($3.59 billion) in the three months ended March 31, the company said Friday. It recorded net profit of 582 billion won the year before.
Steve Jobs attacks Adobe Flash as unfit for iPhoneNEW YORK (AP) _ For iPhone users who've been wondering whether their devices will support Flash technology for Web video and games anytime soon, the answer is finally here, straight from Steve Jobs: No. In a detailed offensive against the technology owned by Adobe Systems Inc., Apple's CEO wrote Thursday that Flash has too many bugs, drains batteries too quickly and is too oriented to personal computers to work on the iPhone and iPad.
HP is Palm's Silicon Valley savior in $1.4B dealSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Palm Inc. a pioneer in the smart phone business that couldn't quite make the comeback it needed, has agreed to be bought out by Hewlett-Packard Co. for about $1.4 billion in cash. The two Silicon Valley companies announced Wednesday that the deal will see HP pay $5.70 for every Palm common share and certain preferred shares. Also included in the $1.4 billion price tag are payments for additional preferred shares, warrants and employee restricted stock units.
Search engine Baidu's Q1 profit jumps 165 percentBEIJING (AP) _ Baidu Inc., which operates China's most popular Internet search engine, said Thursday its first-quarter profit jumped 165 percent on a rise in revenue and numbers of advertising customers. Net income in the three months to March 31 rose to $70.4 million, or $2.02 a share, the Beijing-based company said. Revenue grew 60 percent to $189.6 million.
Microsoft reaches licensing deal on HTC phonesSEATTLE (AP) _ Microsoft Corp. says it has patents covering phones that use Google Inc.'s Android software _ but unlike Apple Inc., Microsoft has reached a licensing deal rather than suing over the software. Microsoft said Wednesday that it has reached an agreement that will give HTC Corp., a Taiwanese company that is a major maker of Android phones, the rights to use technology covered by Microsoft's patents in those phone. Financial terms were not disclosed.
AOL 1Q profit slumps as ads, subscriptions waneNEW YORK (AP) _ Very little went right for AOL Inc. in the first quarter as it cut way back on staff and tried to refocus its business. The Internet company said Wednesday that tumbling online advertising revenue, along with restructuring costs, led to a 58 percent drop in first-quarter net profit. AOL shares sank $3.66, or 13.1 percent, to $24.35 in afternoon trading.
Motorola posts profit, strong sales; stock jumpsNEW YORK (AP) _ Motorola Inc. posted an unexpected profit in the first quarter, as sales of its new phones outdid its own forecasts. It also gave an outlook that was brighter than Wall Street was predicting, and its shares jumped Thursday. However, it has lost its position as the largest U.S. maker of phones to Apple Inc. Motorola sold a total of 8.5 million phones in the quarter, while Apple sold 8.8 million iPhones. Four years ago, when the Razr was still popular, Motorola sold 46.1 million phones in the first quarter.
Power and Cooling Capacity Management for Data Centers Learn more, download free white paper.
Deploying High-Density Zones in a Low-Density Data Center Learn more, download free white paper.
Selecting an Industry-Standard Metric for Data Center Efficiency Learn more, download free white paper.
Preventing Data Corruption in the Event of an Extended Power Outage Learn more, download free white paper.
Guidance for calculation of efficiency (PUE) in real data centers Learn more, download free white paper.
Implementing Energy Efficient Data Centers Learn more, download free white paper.
Cooling Strategies for Ultra-High Density Racks and Blade Servers Learn more, download free white paper.
Amazon adding Twitter, Facebook to Kindle e-readerSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle e-reader is getting access to Facebook and Twitter, along with several other enhancements, as part of a software update being sent wirelessly to the devices. In a posting on Amazon's site, the company says the new software will let users share book passages on their Twitter and Facebook accounts. The update will also let people sort books and documents into collections and lock their Kindle with a password. There also will be larger font options and the ability to zoom in on PDF documents.
Cell phone sales up 22 pct as economy recoversNEW YORK (AP) _ The number of cell phones sold worldwide rose 22 percent in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, as both the economic recovery and an appetite for smart phones drove a rebound in sales, according to research firm IDC. Research in Motion Ltd., the Canadian maker of the BlackBerry smart phones, broke into the top five of the world's largest phone makers for the first time.
Samsung Q1 net profit surges to record highSEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ Samsung Electronics said net profit surged more than six-fold in the first quarter to a record high on strong demand and higher prices for memory chips as well as increased sales of mobile phones and flat screen televisions. Samsung earned 3.99 trillion won ($3.59 billion) in the three months ended March 31, the company said Friday. It recorded net profit of 582 billion won the year before.
Steve Jobs attacks Adobe Flash as unfit for iPhoneNEW YORK (AP) _ For iPhone users who've been wondering whether their devices will support Flash technology for Web video and games anytime soon, the answer is finally here, straight from Steve Jobs: No. In a detailed offensive against the technology owned by Adobe Systems Inc., Apple's CEO wrote Thursday that Flash has too many bugs, drains batteries too quickly and is too oriented to personal computers to work on the iPhone and iPad.
HP is Palm's Silicon Valley savior in $1.4B dealSAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Palm Inc. a pioneer in the smart phone business that couldn't quite make the comeback it needed, has agreed to be bought out by Hewlett-Packard Co. for about $1.4 billion in cash. The two Silicon Valley companies announced Wednesday that the deal will see HP pay $5.70 for every Palm common share and certain preferred shares. Also included in the $1.4 billion price tag are payments for additional preferred shares, warrants and employee restricted stock units.
Search engine Baidu's Q1 profit jumps 165 percentBEIJING (AP) _ Baidu Inc., which operates China's most popular Internet search engine, said Thursday its first-quarter profit jumped 165 percent on a rise in revenue and numbers of advertising customers. Net income in the three months to March 31 rose to $70.4 million, or $2.02 a share, the Beijing-based company said. Revenue grew 60 percent to $189.6 million.
Microsoft reaches licensing deal on HTC phonesSEATTLE (AP) _ Microsoft Corp. says it has patents covering phones that use Google Inc.'s Android software _ but unlike Apple Inc., Microsoft has reached a licensing deal rather than suing over the software. Microsoft said Wednesday that it has reached an agreement that will give HTC Corp., a Taiwanese company that is a major maker of Android phones, the rights to use technology covered by Microsoft's patents in those phone. Financial terms were not disclosed.
AOL 1Q profit slumps as ads, subscriptions waneNEW YORK (AP) _ Very little went right for AOL Inc. in the first quarter as it cut way back on staff and tried to refocus its business. The Internet company said Wednesday that tumbling online advertising revenue, along with restructuring costs, led to a 58 percent drop in first-quarter net profit. AOL shares sank $3.66, or 13.1 percent, to $24.35 in afternoon trading.
Motorola posts profit, strong sales; stock jumpsNEW YORK (AP) _ Motorola Inc. posted an unexpected profit in the first quarter, as sales of its new phones outdid its own forecasts. It also gave an outlook that was brighter than Wall Street was predicting, and its shares jumped Thursday. However, it has lost its position as the largest U.S. maker of phones to Apple Inc. Motorola sold a total of 8.5 million phones in the quarter, while Apple sold 8.8 million iPhones. Four years ago, when the Razr was still popular, Motorola sold 46.1 million phones in the first quarter.
Microsoft Echoes Apple: 'future of the Web Is HTML5'
Microsoft has bought a first-class seat on the Flash Bashing Express with an official statement on its IEBlog. Apple's sometimes-friend, sometimes-foe echoed ideas that Apple CEO Steve Jobs expressed in Thursday's Thoughts on Flash essay and put its own stake in the ground for the future of Web technologies.
Dean Hachamovitch, Microsoft's General Manager of Internet Explorer, cut to the chase rather quickly, by stating "the future of the Web is HTML5." He also said that Microsoft has been "deeply engaged" in the HTML5 process with the W3C, the standards body that drafts the specifications for how HTML5 should work. The company's Internet Explorer 9, now in beta for Windows users, features HTML5 support. Hachamovitch says that while the W3C does not specify a video format for video embedded in HTML5 sites, Microsoft has joined Apple in supporting H.264, and H.264 alone.
In a potential move to soften the blow to an already upset Adobe, Hachamovitch does end his piece with an acknowledgement that "despite [some] issues, Flash remains an important part of delivering a good consumer experience on today's web."
Of course, with the rise of the portable devices that don't support Flash--and especially the popularity of the iPhone and iPad--major publishers and content providers have quickly accelerated the adoption of HTML5 and H.264 to provide Flash-less video delivery. Or, in other words, while Flash may be the Web technology of today, don't think it will necessarily by the Web technology of tomorrow.
Besides taking sides in a contentious battle over the future of Web and desktop technologies (don't forget AIR, Adobe's bridge for delivering Flash applications to Mac, Windows, and Linux desktops), Microsoft's announcement is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the company competes directly with Flash and AIR with its Silverlight technology, which can be used to deliver multimedia via the Web or the desktop. Furthermore, it's the only technology which developers are allowed to use to build applications for Microsoft's upcoming Windows Phone 7 platform.
Second, there's no mention of Microsoft's own Windows Media video codec; Redmond could be hinting it plans to abandon Web aspirations for its own proprietary technology, or at least relegating it to any niches it already occupies.
Microsoft siding with Apple in the war on Flash could put a serious dent in future prospects for Adobe's technology, especially where the hot new market of portable devices is concerned. While Silverlight may live on as a platform for building apps for Windows and Windows Phone (assuming those devices catch on), Microsoft's embracing of HTML5 and H.264 could do a lot to help grant Apple's wish of "leaving the past behind."
Shine Labs Bone China Collection
Jim Henderson launched his San Francisco lighting and design company, Shine Labs, in 2009, after working as a lighting designer and manufacturer for more than 20 years. Henderson travels to Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand to find innovative lighting products and accessories that "shine" and artful objects that add personality to a room. His company's latest offering - the Shine Labs Bone China Collection - fits perfectly with this design philosophy.
"The material is really easy to live with," says Henderson. "It has this wonderful way it absorbs light and has a matte finish that's refreshing. They're unique and beautiful and kind of minimal and modern."
The striking ultra white, unglazed pieces work with various styles and decors and include bud, orchid and wall vases, napkin rings, plates, platters, votives and playful origami parrots. The collection, which retails for about $10 to $130, has subtle characteristics - like the delicate fluting seen on some of the vases.
Shine Labs' home accessories range from mod woodblock clocks ($108) and sleek LED task lamps ($312 and $504) to felted room dividers laser cut with cabbage roses and pop art florals ($130). The company's pendants are especially eye-catching - like the Moire Pendant Collection ($350) fabricated from wires; the gorgeous Cascade Pendant ($450) handmade from individually cut ivory organza petals affixed to a fabric diffuser and strung together to form "cascades"; and the Dolores Pendant ($176), handmade in San Francisco's Mission District from high-quality, die-cut wool panels sewn together to form a shade over a nickel-plated wire frame.
Shine Lab's products are featured in clubs, restaurants and hotels and sold in Anthropologie stores and select design showrooms. Henderson has plans to add an e-commerce site soon.
The Shine Labs Bone China Collection, available exclusively at DWM Interiors, 2 Henry Adams St., Suite 349, San Francisco; (415) 864-3857. Propeller, 555 Hayes St., San Francisco; (415) 701-7767. www.propellermodern.com. Shine Labs: (415) 626-5262 or www.shinelabs.com.
China Child Attacks: Are They Copycat Crimes?
In China this week three violent attacks on schoolchildren occurred in three days. Such strings of similar crimes seem unlikely to be coincidental. And experts who study criminology say that some crimes do seem to be contagious.
"Copycat crimes do occur," said Jeffrey Ian Ross, a criminologist at the University of Baltimore. "The power of suggestion is what's going on. People who have some sort of frustration, they have some sort of debt they want to settle – when they hear about what goes on somewhere else, it helps embolden them."
Though details are not available yet about the motivations of the three men who committed the crimes in China, they do seem to fit a pattern. In all three cases, a man entered a primary school or kindergarten and began attacking students. A fourth crime fitting that pattern occurred about a month ago in China.
Not a trigger
While news reports and public discussion of crimes can sometimes influence someone to carry out a similar act, research indicates that that person most likely would have committed some kind of crime regardless.
"You have a disturbed or already-established offender who most likely was going to do something anyway," said Ray Surette, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Central Florida. "What the media attention does is it shapes what sort of incident it is. Someone who's going to take a knife into an elementary school is probably disturbed enough that if he hadn't done that, he would have done something else."
Instead of acting as a trigger for a crime, media attention around an incident more likely acts as "a rudder," Surette said, steering a person toward a particular crime over other criminal options. But in some cases, the first crime may inspire a copycat to aim higher or do something more harmful than they would have imagined on their own.
Ross agreed that news reports are neither necessary nor sufficient to completely instigate a crime that otherwise would not have occurred.
"It's just one extra channel that the person is exposed to," Ross told LiveScience. "It may give them an idea about an alternative way to engage in crime."
Why do it?
The motivation among copycat criminals can vary.
Some, especially those who imitate particularly heinous or disruptive crimes, covet the fame the initial offender gained.
Some people think, "I wouldn’t mind seeing my face over the news, causing such havoc," Surette said. "Even being portrayed as a monster is attractive to certain individuals. Every sort of attention is attractive to some individuals."
But in fact, the majority of copycat crimes are non-violent offenses such as burglaries, Surette said. In most of these cases, criminals use information about an earlier crime, or even a fictional crime on film or television, to shape their own plans in the hopes of being more successful.
"With the bulk of copycat offenders, the goal is actually risk reduction," Surette said. "What they're hoping to pick up from the media is the techniques that will lower their risk of apprehension."
In these cases, the criminals don't crave attention, they dread it. They hope to learn from an earlier criminal's mistakes or successes to get away with a crime themselves.
In fact, copycat crime is simply another form of imitation, which is one of the basic socials skills of humans that allows us to reap the benefits of other people's trial-and-error efforts.
"We're hardwired for imitation – there's a real evolutionary advantage," Surette said. Many other species, such as chimpanzees, parrots and dolphins, also show this ability, he said.
What the media can do
Because of the risk of copycat crimes, some people question whether the media should report on some crimes at all. Officials in China have ordered domestic media not to heavily cover the attacks, the Wall Street Journal reported.
"The media has to be careful, no question about it, if it doesn’t want to contribute to people engaging in those sorts of crimes," Ross said.
Reporters should follow certain guidelines to reduce the risk of inspiring imitators, he said.
News stories should avoid "anything that raises the celebrity status," Surette said. "If you start running photos, their final words, if you emphasize and dwell on the social disruption and the damage even. You don’t want to give instructions; you don’t want to give techniques."
Japanese companies keen to set up bio-fuel plants in India
Japanese firms are coming to India to set up bio-fuel plants and others will collaborate with Indian firms in the area of sustainable energy development, said Kazuo Minagawa, Japan Counsel General in Chennai on Friday.
Delivering the inaugural address at a seminar on ‘Global warming and climate management' organised by the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IJCCI), he said that Allied Carbon Solutions, a bio-fuel company, launched a contract farming programme for jatropha cultivation near Madurai. Besides, the company will produce about 10 tonnes of crude jatropha oil daily. Allied Carbon plans to export the bio-fuel to the U.S. and Japan.
More firms are willing to come to India. In his welcome address, IJCCI president N. Krishnaswami said that Japan had been a role model in Asia for ‘clean environment' and ‘clean energy development' and India has to learn from Japan's experiences on these fronts.
The chamber plans to work in tandem with like-minded organisations in Japan and India. It also plans to work in co-operation with representatives of various countries in Chennai such as the U.S., Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and other ASEAN countries to pool their expertise and experiences in tackling global warming and climate management.
B.S. Raghavan, former Policy Advisor to the UN (FAO), said “these problems call for a total systemic approach, without which we cannot address it at all. A vigorous campaign has to be carried out among the vital stakeholders to create awareness.”
Mr. Raghavan said that people have to become the manipulators of change. This could be done through people-to-people networking, alliance, or coalition to find out the remedial measures.
S. Madhavan, CEO of Green Quotient Systems called upon the various stakeholders to calculate the carbon emitted by various lifestyle gadgets used in daily life.
BMW India’s NBFC arm may start operations by June
After entering India in 2006, the German luxury carmaker BMW has taken the Indian luxury car market by storm. Its claim to fame has been its journey to the top spot within a span of three years by zooming past ahead its German companion, Mercedes-Benz.
In fact, the company has recently announced that it plans to make its NBFC arm operational by June this year. It may be noted here that the company announced the launch of its NBFC arm last year.
Moreover, the company has also initiated its used car business and car leasing business to individuals in the last year to strengthen its presence in the Indian market. Clearly, thecompany has bullish plans for the country and is considering India as one of the topmost economies on the priority list.
With regards to plans for the NBFC, the automaker plans to invest around USD 50 million (Rs 220 crore) over the next 24-months for expansion of BMW-NBFC. Thecompany has recently launched the new 5 series in the Indian market.
The global bestseller has sold over 3,600 units of the 5 series in India since 2007.
Water dispute fuels Indo-Pak tensions
GUJRAT, Pakistan: A bitter dispute over limited water resources is fueling India-Pakistan tensions at a time when the South Asian neighbors are trying to rebuild trust and resume peace talks.
It’s a long-running feud that has worsened in recent months as a dry spell focuses attention on Pakistan’s growing water shortage. Three days of talks in March ended with both sides trading barbs and failing to reach a resolution.
The issue was raised Thursday when the leaders of the two countries met at a regional summit in Bhutan and agreed on the need to normalize relations, the Pakistani side said.
Further complicating the situation, extremists are trying to capitalize on allegations that India is stealing water from glacier-fed rivers that start in the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Independent experts say there is no evidence to support those charges, but they warn that Pakistani concerns about India’s plans to build at least 15 new dams need to be addressed to avoid conflict.
“If you want to give Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistani militants an issue that really rallies people, give them water,” said John Briscoe, who has worked on water issues in the two countries for 35 years and was the World Bank’s senior water adviser.
Farmers in Pakistan’s central breadbasket are certainly angry. “India has blocked our water because they are our enemy,” said Mohammad, a 65-year-old farmer in the town of Gujrat who goes by only one name.
His farm sits close to the Chenab River, which residents say has been shrinking since India completed a hydroelectric dam in its part of Kashmir in 2008. In some sections, water flows in only a tenth of the river bed, and nearby irrigation canals have dried up.
Indian officials blame any reduction on natural variation and climate change, which have hurt India as well. They add that Pakistan’s antiquated irrigation system wastes large quantities of water.
The United States has been seeking to reduce India-Pakistan tensions, hoping that would free Pakistan to move troops away from the Indian front to fight militants attacking US and NATO troops in Afghanistan from sanctuaries near the Afghan border.
“The issues of Kashmir and terrorism are going to be much more difficult if we don’t have an agreement on water,” said water expert Briscoe, now a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The origin of the water dispute can be traced to the creation of Pakistan and India in 1947, when the British Indian empire was partitioned. The split gave India control of the part of Kashmir that is the source of six rivers that irrigate crops in Pakistan’s agricultural heartland of Punjab province and elsewhere.
Under a 1960 agreement, Pakistan has the use of the three western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — and India, the three eastern ones — the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi.
India was granted limited use of Pakistan’s rivers for agricultural purposes, plus the right to build hydroelectric dams, as long as they don’t store or divert large amounts of water.
Pakistan is one of the driest countries in the world, and water availability per person has fallen from about 5,000 cubic meters (175,000 cubic feet) in 1947 to around 1,000 cubic meters (35,000 cubic feet) today. Most of the drop is a result of rapid population growth, but recent shortages have heightened suspicion about India.
Pakistan’s Indus water commissioner, Jamat Ali Shah, doesn’t accuse India of stealing water, but he says India isn’t providing information required under the 1960 pact to prove that it’s not.
“There should be nothing in the track record that shows India has violated the treaty,” said Shah. “But it is a fact that the track record is not clear.”
India denies any intention to cut off water to Pakistan and maintains that it has complied with the treaty. But as with other issues between the two countries, mistrust runs high.
“If he has the capacity to hurt me, the best that can be said about him is that he will use it for blackmailing and the worst is that he will use it to harm me,” said Shams ul Mulk, the former head of Pakistan’s Ministry of Water and Power.
Briscoe said the dams India is planning to build could give it the ability to choke off water to Pakistan if it wanted to pressure its neighbor.
India should provide automatic flow data to Pakistan, he said, while also warning that heated rhetoric on the Pakistan side would only embolden extremists.
Jamaat-e-Dawa, an alleged front group for the militant Lashkar-e-Taiba organization, issued a statement recently accusing India of using “her disputed occupation of Kashmir to carry out a deep conspiracy of turning Pakistan’s agricultural lands into barren lands and economically annihilating her through building dams and water theft.”
“If India continues with her water terrorism,” it added, “Pakistan must keep open the option of using force.”
The issue was raised Thursday when the leaders of the two countries met at a regional summit in Bhutan and agreed on the need to normalize relations, the Pakistani side said.
Further complicating the situation, extremists are trying to capitalize on allegations that India is stealing water from glacier-fed rivers that start in the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Independent experts say there is no evidence to support those charges, but they warn that Pakistani concerns about India’s plans to build at least 15 new dams need to be addressed to avoid conflict.
“If you want to give Lashkar-e-Taiba and other Pakistani militants an issue that really rallies people, give them water,” said John Briscoe, who has worked on water issues in the two countries for 35 years and was the World Bank’s senior water adviser.
Farmers in Pakistan’s central breadbasket are certainly angry. “India has blocked our water because they are our enemy,” said Mohammad, a 65-year-old farmer in the town of Gujrat who goes by only one name.
His farm sits close to the Chenab River, which residents say has been shrinking since India completed a hydroelectric dam in its part of Kashmir in 2008. In some sections, water flows in only a tenth of the river bed, and nearby irrigation canals have dried up.
Indian officials blame any reduction on natural variation and climate change, which have hurt India as well. They add that Pakistan’s antiquated irrigation system wastes large quantities of water.
The United States has been seeking to reduce India-Pakistan tensions, hoping that would free Pakistan to move troops away from the Indian front to fight militants attacking US and NATO troops in Afghanistan from sanctuaries near the Afghan border.
“The issues of Kashmir and terrorism are going to be much more difficult if we don’t have an agreement on water,” said water expert Briscoe, now a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The origin of the water dispute can be traced to the creation of Pakistan and India in 1947, when the British Indian empire was partitioned. The split gave India control of the part of Kashmir that is the source of six rivers that irrigate crops in Pakistan’s agricultural heartland of Punjab province and elsewhere.
Under a 1960 agreement, Pakistan has the use of the three western rivers — the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab — and India, the three eastern ones — the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi.
India was granted limited use of Pakistan’s rivers for agricultural purposes, plus the right to build hydroelectric dams, as long as they don’t store or divert large amounts of water.
Pakistan is one of the driest countries in the world, and water availability per person has fallen from about 5,000 cubic meters (175,000 cubic feet) in 1947 to around 1,000 cubic meters (35,000 cubic feet) today. Most of the drop is a result of rapid population growth, but recent shortages have heightened suspicion about India.
Pakistan’s Indus water commissioner, Jamat Ali Shah, doesn’t accuse India of stealing water, but he says India isn’t providing information required under the 1960 pact to prove that it’s not.
“There should be nothing in the track record that shows India has violated the treaty,” said Shah. “But it is a fact that the track record is not clear.”
India denies any intention to cut off water to Pakistan and maintains that it has complied with the treaty. But as with other issues between the two countries, mistrust runs high.
“If he has the capacity to hurt me, the best that can be said about him is that he will use it for blackmailing and the worst is that he will use it to harm me,” said Shams ul Mulk, the former head of Pakistan’s Ministry of Water and Power.
Briscoe said the dams India is planning to build could give it the ability to choke off water to Pakistan if it wanted to pressure its neighbor.
India should provide automatic flow data to Pakistan, he said, while also warning that heated rhetoric on the Pakistan side would only embolden extremists.
Jamaat-e-Dawa, an alleged front group for the militant Lashkar-e-Taiba organization, issued a statement recently accusing India of using “her disputed occupation of Kashmir to carry out a deep conspiracy of turning Pakistan’s agricultural lands into barren lands and economically annihilating her through building dams and water theft.”
“If India continues with her water terrorism,” it added, “Pakistan must keep open the option of using force.”
U.S. Transfers Aircraft To Pakistan Navy
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- In a move designed to further solidify relations between Pakistan and the United States, a ceremony was held at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on Friday morning to transfer ownership of a rebuilt P-C3 Orion aircraft from the U.S. Navy to the Pakistan Navy."Pakistan is in the middle of a war with violent extremists," Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Masiello. "It not only affects the nation, it affects the region. Their war is our war."Officials from Pakistan explained the importance of acquiring such a valuable strategic defense tool in the interdiction of terrorists, narcotics traffickers and secure the seas from piracy."Our ability to actually survey the sea is going to enhance, in a great manner, our ability to stabilize the American command," said Pakistan Vice Adm. Shahid Iqbal.Crews from Pakistan have been working with their American counterparts since last fall to become certified to operate and maintain the plane, as well as carry out their mission.
Pakistan hails dialogue with India
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 30 (UPI) -- Pakistani officials described the latest talks with India as "positive progress" and said they plan to continue dialogue.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi praised Thursday's meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and said he plans to continue talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna when the Indian Parliament's budgetary session ends May 7, the Press Trust of India reported Friday.
Former Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar described the meeting between the prime ministers, at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Summit in Bhutan, as "positive progress," the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
"This enhances expectations. I must say the credit goes to both sides for taking the initiatives," he said.
Meanwhile, Abdul Basit, spokesman for the Pakistani Foreign Office, said Pakistan is seeking long-term strategic relations with India. He said talks between the countries would include the dispute over Kashmir.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi praised Thursday's meeting between Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and said he plans to continue talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna when the Indian Parliament's budgetary session ends May 7, the Press Trust of India reported Friday.
Former Pakistani Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar described the meeting between the prime ministers, at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Summit in Bhutan, as "positive progress," the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
"This enhances expectations. I must say the credit goes to both sides for taking the initiatives," he said.
Meanwhile, Abdul Basit, spokesman for the Pakistani Foreign Office, said Pakistan is seeking long-term strategic relations with India. He said talks between the countries would include the dispute over Kashmir.
Jackie Chan tops Forbes China Celebrity List
Jackie Chan
Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan ranks number one in the recently released Forbes China Celebrity List of 2010. Taiwanese musician Jay Chou and Hong Kong singer and actor Andy Lau are in hot pursuit.
Chan, who held a concert in Beijing's Bird Nest in May 2009, became the first artist to perform in the National Stadium. Jay Chou didn't receive good reviews for his movies, but he got more attention for his work in the Hollywood film The Green Hornet with American actress Cameron Diaz. Meanwhile, Lau has starred in three movies, but his secret marriage to Carol Zhu that was exposed grabbed headlines.
Basketball forward Yao Ming continues to lead the list of celebrities from the Chinese mainland and actress Zhang Ziyi ranks fourth with 25 cover stories. Skit and sitcom actor Zhao Benshan is in the fifth place.
Writer Guo Jingming who edits Top Novel magazine is in 58th spot, while writer, blogger and racecar driver Han Han is 74th.
According to Forbes Chinese edition, the two standards for ranking celebrities are personal income and media exposure rate which is judged from 28 popular newspapers, 18 nationwide TV programs and cover stories in 29 magazines.
Hong Kong movie star Jackie Chan ranks number one in the recently released Forbes China Celebrity List of 2010. Taiwanese musician Jay Chou and Hong Kong singer and actor Andy Lau are in hot pursuit.
Chan, who held a concert in Beijing's Bird Nest in May 2009, became the first artist to perform in the National Stadium. Jay Chou didn't receive good reviews for his movies, but he got more attention for his work in the Hollywood film The Green Hornet with American actress Cameron Diaz. Meanwhile, Lau has starred in three movies, but his secret marriage to Carol Zhu that was exposed grabbed headlines.
Basketball forward Yao Ming continues to lead the list of celebrities from the Chinese mainland and actress Zhang Ziyi ranks fourth with 25 cover stories. Skit and sitcom actor Zhao Benshan is in the fifth place.
Writer Guo Jingming who edits Top Novel magazine is in 58th spot, while writer, blogger and racecar driver Han Han is 74th.
According to Forbes Chinese edition, the two standards for ranking celebrities are personal income and media exposure rate which is judged from 28 popular newspapers, 18 nationwide TV programs and cover stories in 29 magazines.
China Construction Bank plans big share issue
BEIJING — China Construction Bank said Friday it plans to issue new shares worth up to 75 billion yuan (11 billion dollars), as the country's lenders heed government orders to boost their capital base.
The bank, one of China's big four state-owned lenders, plans to sell up to 630 million Shanghai-listed A shares and up to 15.73 billion Hong Kong-listed H shares, according to a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
The size of the issue will be equivalent to no more than seven percent of the bank's existing A shares and H shares.
Proceeds from the rights issue will be used to "strengthen the capital base of the bank", it said.
The issue is still subject to approval from shareholders and regulators.
Chinese banks need to raise funds to meet regulatory requirements for capital after they issued a record 9.6 trillion yuan in new loans last year in response to government calls to support the country's massive stimulus efforts.
The central bank this week urged lenders to replenish their capital base to "strengthen their ability to resist risks and maintain financial stability", amid growing fears over bad debts.
Other major Chinese lenders including Bank of China and Bank of Communications have also announced plans to issue new shares worth tens of billions of yuan.
The bank, one of China's big four state-owned lenders, plans to sell up to 630 million Shanghai-listed A shares and up to 15.73 billion Hong Kong-listed H shares, according to a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
The size of the issue will be equivalent to no more than seven percent of the bank's existing A shares and H shares.
Proceeds from the rights issue will be used to "strengthen the capital base of the bank", it said.
The issue is still subject to approval from shareholders and regulators.
Chinese banks need to raise funds to meet regulatory requirements for capital after they issued a record 9.6 trillion yuan in new loans last year in response to government calls to support the country's massive stimulus efforts.
The central bank this week urged lenders to replenish their capital base to "strengthen their ability to resist risks and maintain financial stability", amid growing fears over bad debts.
Other major Chinese lenders including Bank of China and Bank of Communications have also announced plans to issue new shares worth tens of billions of yuan.
China lifts travel ban on people with HIV and Aids
China has announced that it is lifting the ban on anyone with HIV or Aids entering the country. The change in quarantine laws comes just days before the Shanghai World Expo is launched, an event the Chinese hope will attract around four million visitors from abroad.
Officially, the State Council said that the lifting of the ban was due to evidence that border control did very little to stop the spread of HIV. It also said that there is also a greater understanding of the disease in China now. The ban had lasted for 20 years. The cabinet also pointed out that enforcing the ban had proven extremely inconvenient when it was trying to host big events such as the Beijing Olympics. For such events, China recognised that a temporary lifting of the ban was the easiest way around the problem. It first did so in 1995, when Beijing played host to the World Women’s Conference.
Campaigner for the rights of those infected with HIV and medical professor, Zhang Beichuan, said that the lifting of the ban was a huge leap forward. He said that now the government was starting to view the disease as a public health issue, rather than a disease imported into the country by people who live corrupt lifestyles.
Many of the Chinese who have been affected by HIV are provincial farmers who contracted the disease when there was a push by biomedical companies to stock up their blood banks. Many farmers leapt at a chance to sell their blood to bolster their wages. Unfortunately, many of the blood collecting operations were not monitored and were unsanitary, allowing the rapid spread of HIV.
Officially, the State Council said that the lifting of the ban was due to evidence that border control did very little to stop the spread of HIV. It also said that there is also a greater understanding of the disease in China now. The ban had lasted for 20 years. The cabinet also pointed out that enforcing the ban had proven extremely inconvenient when it was trying to host big events such as the Beijing Olympics. For such events, China recognised that a temporary lifting of the ban was the easiest way around the problem. It first did so in 1995, when Beijing played host to the World Women’s Conference.
Campaigner for the rights of those infected with HIV and medical professor, Zhang Beichuan, said that the lifting of the ban was a huge leap forward. He said that now the government was starting to view the disease as a public health issue, rather than a disease imported into the country by people who live corrupt lifestyles.
Many of the Chinese who have been affected by HIV are provincial farmers who contracted the disease when there was a push by biomedical companies to stock up their blood banks. Many farmers leapt at a chance to sell their blood to bolster their wages. Unfortunately, many of the blood collecting operations were not monitored and were unsanitary, allowing the rapid spread of HIV.
Fashioning Trends
Fashion designer Surya Parvathi tells Liza George about her tryst with the stars and what fashion means to her
It was an advertisement in a newspaper that had Surya Pravathi sketching her dreams on paper. The ad, a designing contest by International Academy of Fashion, Ernakulam, helped her realise that her heart lay in designing. She soon joined the institute and later went on to join Apparel Leather Techniques, Bangalore, and PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore to study fashion and its intricacies.
“As a kid I loved designing, I remember sketching bridal dresses on pieces of paper and the back of my books. I hated tailoring though. So I designed my dresses and then had them tailor-made,” says Surya who upon graduating in fashion decided to try her hand in costume designing. With no strings with the film world, she managed to get hold of director Fazil's phone number and pleaded with him to give her a chance. Nayantara's first scene in white in Fazil's Vismaya Thumabathu was Surya's debut as a costume designer.
“When I started designing costumes for the big screen, I was keen on making them as attractive as possible. I chose materials that were rich in colour and further enriched them with embellishments. It was only later that I realised that heavily-worked outfits like those with Kantha work, for instance, look flat on screen. Likewise you don't need to use silk for a stylish look on screen, poly-cotton will do just fine.”
Real vs. reel clothes
Dressed in a simple yet elegant white-gold salwar-kurta, Surya looks chic and stylish. However the photographer insists that she change into another dress for the photo shoot. “See, what I mean? That which looks good in the real world may not look good in the reel world,” she says as she sportingly changes outfits.
According to Surya, dressing Mollywood stars is easy as they are not too fussy and have faith in their designer. “Dressing actors from other States, however, can prove tricky. They are particular about their dress, hair, make-up… even shoes. One such actor wanted her shoes to match the colour of her onscreen dress. They do not know how the Malayalam film industry works: the shots, the angles used…, the cinematographer rarely shoots the shoes; it's mostly a bust shot or a close-up of the face that they go for,” says Surya who has dressed stars like Samvritha Sunil, Navya Nair, Navneet Kaur and Parvathi Melton on screen.
In fact, her outfit for Parvathi in the song Chellatharmarae… for the movie Hello (kurta with Patiala) had textile retailers replicating such outfits for sale. “It felt great when a salesman in Kochi tried to sell me one referring to it as ‘Hello Kurta,'” laughs Surya.
Before she designs for the stars, she takes into account their preferences. “Some may prefer a deep neckline, while others don't like such stuff. Malayali actresses are not so particular about the fit of their clothes except when it comes to sari blouses. Actresses from other States, on the other hand, insist that their dresses fit them like a glove; they also insist that their clothes are the latest in terms of Bollywood fashion,” says the petite costume designer who has also launched her line of clothing called ‘Isra' in the city.
“Most people in the capital city are quite conservative when it comes to fashion. Kochiites are more open to the latest in fashion trends and do not mind paying for designer wear,” says Surya.
Colour co-ordination
“Fashion keeps changing from day to day. What's in today will be out tomorrow. The only outfit I believe will always remain in style are saris.” She foresees mixing and matching of clothes being the next in the fashion scene. “The only problem is that you need to have a sense of colour co-ordination while doing so.”
To Surya, being well-dressed is not just about wearing the right outfit, it is also about the right accessories and foot wear. “Sleek pieces of jewellery are in fashion. It's the same with footwear; keep it simple yet elegant. No bows or fancy embellishments on your shoes,” says Surya who adds that the right hair do is important too to complete the look. “Your hair has to suit your face, not what the latest trend is. It is the same with clothes. You should stick to what suits your complexion and your body type. Only then will you truly be in fashion.”
Sharmila walks the ramp with 92-year-old SEWA artisan
Sharmila Tagore sashayed down the ramp to showcase a new collection by the brand Hansiba, named after the oldest SEWA artisan.
Veteran actor and Censor Board chief Sharmila Tagore sashayed down the ramp with 92-year-old SEWA artisan Hansiba Ben to showcase a new collection by the NGO‘s Hansiba initiative here. The brand Hansiba is named after Hansiba Ben.
Also giving Sharmila company on the ramp Saturday was Venezuelan Ambassador Milena Santana Ramirez.
Sharmila walked the ramp in a red silk sari with a colourful border, designed by Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) artisans and French designer, Graham Hollick, to encourage the new collection – “Ananta - The Flamboyant Stitch”.
“I have kept track of the workings of SEWA since a long time. They have done good work in making Hansiba, a well-known brand. Today, I am wearing a Hansiba sari, not only because I support this initiative but also because it is so pretty and makes me look beautiful,” said Sharmila, 63.
Hansiba, the flagship brand of a prominent Gujarat women's self-help organisation, belongs to STFC (SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre), a non-profit organisation jointly owned and managed by over 3,200 rural artisans.
Right from the raw materials to the entire supply chain, it is managed by rural women. Hansiba as a fashion brand was launched by more than 15,000 women artisans.
Hansiba has its own stores in Ahmedabad, Delhi and Mumbai and is awaiting one in Bangalore.
Designer Donatella Versace is auctioning an internship at her New York office.
The highest bidder will not only work from the Versace office, but also get to visit a Donatella Versace and Christopher Kane show in Milan, at which the intern will get the opportunity to meet with Donatella, as well as receive a signed perfume bottle and T-shirt, femalefirst.co.uk reports.
The fashion icon has joined a charity auction for non-profit organisation, The Art of Elysium, and is offering a position at the fashion house which she co-founded. Donatella recently talked about how the current difficult economic climate leads more people to be innovative.
“You would say that when there is less money around everything becomes dull, but this means you kill the economy. Everything has to be more wearable, but more creative,” the website quoted her as saying.
“Less evening dresses maybe and more day clothes but recognisable with a strong personality.”
The auction is valued at $20,000 and ends May 13.
It'll be Bollywood extravaganza at Miss India finale
From Shahid Kapoor to Lara Dutta to Shilpa Shetty, Bollywood will make its presence felt in a big way at the Pantaloons Femina Miss India pageant grand finale here on Friday.
This year’s event will take place at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and 18 girls will vie for the crown,” Lara, a former Miss India, posted on her Twitter page.
“Just got off the stage rehearsing for my act for Miss India ‘10. Some wonderful memories,” she said.
Shahid posted: “(Will be) performing at Femina Miss India. Tomorrow should be fun with so many pretty ladies around.”
Celebrities like Vivek Oberoi, Neha Dhupia and composer Salim Merchant will also make an appearance.
“Performing at NCPA for the Miss India Pageant. (Will be) doing a mix of ‘O mere khuda’ and ‘Tere liye’,” Vivek Tweeted.
Neha, who was Miss India 2002, too is excited to perform on the same stage after so many years.
“Just finished rehearsing for the Femina Miss India contest, glad to be performing on the same stage that has made me the person I am,” she wrote.
Actress Shilpa and filmmaker Anurag Basu are expected to judge the event that will see 18 girls competing for the crown.
“Will be judging Miss India... looking forward to meeting the girls,” Shilpa wrote on the microblogging site.
The 34-year-old has also thrown open a contest on Twitter. She has asked people to send her questions that can be asked -- the best question will be chosen and asked by her at the event.
Vodafone To Launch Cheapest Mobile Phone In India, What Happened To Airtel’s Virtual Phone Numbers?
Earlier the mobile operator, Vodafone announced the world’s cheapest mobile phones priced at sub $15 at the Mobile World congress in February this year and now the company has announced the launch of it’s ultra low cost series with Vodafone 150 and Vodafone 250. Cheaper of the two Vodafone 150 is priced at Rs 700/- featuring 1.0” monochrome graphic display, polyphonic ringtones, alarm, calculator, torch and mini USB connector, Reportedly the battery life is claimed to 400 hours standby and 5 hours talk time.
Nokia, the leading manufacturer of mobile handsets in the country has also reportedly announced it’s plans to launch a $10 phone some time soon.
What happened to Airtel’s Virtual phone number’s ?
Now amid the cut-throat competition for the huge untapped ultra low cost mobile phone market which is up for grabs, I really wonder what happened to the Airtel’s virtual phone number. Airtel earlier announced Comviva’s virtual phone number’s where people can share one mobile handset with single SIM card but have 10 unique phone numbers.
We already know price of the mobile phone is the main hurdle in capturing the left over untapped mobile phone market in the country and virtual phone number is a great idea to tap some of this, but with the steep fall in prices of the mobile phones virtual phone numbers for sure seem to loose this race, What do you think?
The New BMW 5 Series Launched in India Image file
Sixth generation of the immensely successful BMW 5 Series is truly an “Exploration of Beauty”; Inspiring design, flawless workmanship, exhilarating drive, fascinating performance, the new BMW 5 Series shares the vehicle architecture of the BMW 7 Series conveying all the Sheer Driving Pleasure typical of BMW
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Friday, April 30, 2010 -- (Business Wire India)
The new BMW 5 Series was unveiled today at the exclusive BMW pavilion which has been specially constructed for the launch in India.
The new BMW 5 Series is available in two petrol variants – 535i and 523i and two diesel variants – 530d and 525d and can be ordered at BMW dealerships across India.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Peter Kronschnabl, President, BMW India said, “The 5 Series is the core model in our product portfolio. Each generation of the BMW 5 Series has been a winner and has played a major role in the company’s success around the world. And we intend to keep it that way in India. You can imagine what high expectations we have of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan: It has to live up to its highly successful predecessor both in terms of innovative technology and sales achievements.”
“Splendid design, flawless workmanship, driver orientation with ideally placed instruments and intuitive operation, the new BMW 5 Series embodies a formula to captivate the senses. The new BMW 5 Series is everything a BMW sedan is meant to be: aesthetic, dynamic and efficient.” Mr. Peter Kronschnabl, President, BMW India further added.
The BMW 5 Series has significantly contributed to the success and image of BMW in India. BMW India has sold over 3600 units of the 5 Series in India since 2007.
The all India ex-showroom prices in INR are as follows.
The new BMW 523i : 38,90,000
The new BMW 525d : 39,90,000
The new BMW 530d : 45,90,000
Note: Ex-showroom price excludes RTO registration charges, tax, insurance, handling charges; Octroi and entry tax (as applicable). The above ex-showroom prices are exclusive of sales tax / VAT applicable on sale to the customer. Prices and options are subject to change without prior notice.
The 523i, 525d and 530d will be produced at the BMW Plant Chennai. The 535i will be available as a CBU (completely built-up unit) and will have an ex-showroom price of INR 58,00,000.
The new BMW 5 Series will be available in Alpine White as non-metallic paintwork and in the following metallic colours: Space Grey, Titanium Silver, Black Sapphire, Havanna, Cashmere Silver, Deep Sea Blue, Milano Beige, Imperial Blue Brilliant Effect and Sophisto Grey Brilliant Effect.
Dakota leather is the standard upholstery for the new BMW 5 Series and is available in the following colour combinations: Oyster / Black, Black / Black, Vento Beige / Vento Beige, Oyster / Oyster dark and Cinnamon Brown / Black. The following interior trims are available: Fine-wood trim Ash Grain Brown and Fine-wood trim ‘Fine line” anthracite.
The new BMW 5 Series: Description in Brief
The sixth generation of BMW’s immensely successful four-door stands out through modern aesthetics in design, conveys all of the Sheer Driving Pleasure so typical of BMW and offers unparalleled luxury in the upper midrange segment.
The sophisticated aesthetics and dynamic looks of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan are the result of perfectly balanced proportions. Again in the typical style of the brand, the new BMW 5 Series Sedan boasts of a long and contoured engine compartment lid, short overhangs, a coupé-like flowing roofline as well as the longest wheelbase in the segment. The charismatic flair of the upright front section and the BMW kidney grill inclined slightly forward from certain perspectives, the stylish elegance of the side view and the muscular sportiness of the rear end all come together in typical BMW design language to provide an outstanding look of style and supremacy.
Within the interior, horizontal surfaces and exciting lines create a truly generous and harmonious ambience. The clear structure of the cockpit enhances the high level of driver orientation, while the stylish, modern design of the interior is further refined by top-quality material and tastefully composed colour combinations.
The new BMW 5 Series Sedan is entering the market with the world’s first straight-six petrol engine with Twin Power Turbo, High Precision Injection and Valvetronic (225 kW/306 hp) in the BMW 535i as well as straight-six petrol engine in the BMW 523i (150 kW/204 hp). The latest generation of straight-six diesels featuring an all-aluminium crankcase and common-rail direct injection develop 180 kW/245 hp in BMW 530d and 150 kW/204 hp in BMW 525d.
Eight-speed automatic transmission comes standard with the BMW 523i and the BMW 525d. Eight Speed Sports Automatic transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel is standard feature on the BMW 535i and the BMW 530d. With its innovative gear set configuration, a unique level of inner efficiency and optimised weight, the eight-speed automatic transmission combines outstanding gearshift comfort, dynamic performance and efficiency of the highest level.
The combination of a double track arm front axle and the Integral-V rear axle ensures supreme driving dynamics and motoring comfort all in one. Further efficiency is provided by Electric Power Steering (EPS) including Servotronic as standard feature for the first time in the BMW 5 Series. The clearly structured cockpit and intuitive controls enhance Sheer Driving Pleasure in typical BMW style to an even higher level, at the same time underlining the sophisticated ambience within the passenger compartment of the new BMW 5 Series. The driver-oriented cockpit in Black Panel technology, the multifunction steering wheel featured as standard, the two highly functional steering wheel columns, and the separation of driving and comfort functions further enhance the feeling of supremacy at the wheel.
BMW India
Headquartered in Gurgaon (National Capital Region) BMW India is a 100% subsidiary of the BMW Group. The initial investment in India is 1.1 billion Indian Rupees. The wide range of BMW activities in India include the establishment of a production plant in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and development of a dealer organisation across major metropolitan centres of the country. In medium term, BMW India has employed around 200 people; up to 600 additional jobs have been created in the dealer and service network. The BMW Plant Chennai produces the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series Sedans in petrol and diesel variants and has a capacity to produce 3000 units per year on a single shift basis. Presently, BMW India is present at 17 locations in the Indian market. BMW India has also established an International Purchasing Office (IPO) at its headquarters in Gurgaon. The IPO will focus on the development of exports from India to the BMW Group International Production Network and work towards increasing the sourcing share from India over the coming years.
The BMW Group
The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. The pre-tax profit for 2009 was euro 413 million, revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates. The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last five years.
Hakeemullah even if alive not in command of Pak Taliban anymore: Pentagon
Washington, Apr.30 (ANI): The Pentagon is unsure over the fate of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakeemullah Mehsud, but it is certain that the warlord does not exert any authority over the banned terror outfit anymore.
Speaking during a media briefing here, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said while Hakeemullah’s fate is still shrouded in mystery, it is believed that he is not in command of the Taliban.
“I certainly have seen no evidence that the person you speak of (Hakeemullah) is operational today or is executing or exerting authority over the Pakistani Taliban as he once did. So I don’t know if that reflects him being alive or dead, but he clearly is not running the Pakistani Taliban anymore,” The Daily Times quoted Morrell, as saying.
Earlier, a British daily quoted an Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) official as claiming that the Taliban chieftain, who was believed to have been killed in a US drone strike in South Waziristan in January, is alive.
“He (Hakimullah) is alive.He had some wounds but he is basically OK,” the official had said on conditions of anonymity.
Although neither the US nor the Pakistani agencies had confirmed Hakeemullah’s death, who was sworn in as the TTP chieftain following Baitullah Mehsud’s death in a similar missile attack in August last year, he was widely believed to have succumbed to injuries sustained during a missile hit in January.
Speaking during a media briefing here, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said while Hakeemullah’s fate is still shrouded in mystery, it is believed that he is not in command of the Taliban.
“I certainly have seen no evidence that the person you speak of (Hakeemullah) is operational today or is executing or exerting authority over the Pakistani Taliban as he once did. So I don’t know if that reflects him being alive or dead, but he clearly is not running the Pakistani Taliban anymore,” The Daily Times quoted Morrell, as saying.
Earlier, a British daily quoted an Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) official as claiming that the Taliban chieftain, who was believed to have been killed in a US drone strike in South Waziristan in January, is alive.
“He (Hakimullah) is alive.He had some wounds but he is basically OK,” the official had said on conditions of anonymity.
Although neither the US nor the Pakistani agencies had confirmed Hakeemullah’s death, who was sworn in as the TTP chieftain following Baitullah Mehsud’s death in a similar missile attack in August last year, he was widely believed to have succumbed to injuries sustained during a missile hit in January.
The people’s ‘Saarc’
L-R Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sri Lanka’s President Mahendra Rajapaksa, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley, Maldives’ President Mohamed Nasheed, Nepal’s Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani attend the 16th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Thimphu on April 28, 2010. –Reuters Photo/Rupak De Chowdhuri
The Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit will be over by the time these lines appear in print. But we can say that it was another attempt to scale the mountain of difficulties. The 15th people’s Saarc meeting was held in Delhi recently to impress upon the participants of the official Saarc summit in Thimpu, Bhutan, that South Asian countries will continue to lag behind in development until they realise the meaning of cooperation.
Representatives of human rights bodies, trade unions, women groups and others from the Saarc countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka — demanded a union of South Asian countries in the manner of the European Union, while retaining their individual identity and sovereignty. Some even saw the prospects of one market, one visa and one currency. The representatives (60 from Pakistan alone) “reaffirmed the South Asian people’s commitment to creating a South Asia free from all discrimination, exclusion and domination”.
Indeed, these are lofty ideals that are worth pursuing. The participants were not only passionate about them, they were also committed to rising above nationalism and parochialism to make the dream of a South Asia Union come true. Their speeches had no rancour, no bitterness and no allegation.
All the eight countries are different in their own way. Yet many of them were ruled by foreigners which has cast their outlook in a civilisational mould, reflecting their commonality. Unfortunately, they a seek solution to their basic problems, not from within the region but from outside.
This dependence is the fallout of their slavery. The British who ruled practically the entire region were ruthless masters. They used people in the region as brick and mortar to build the structure of their empire. Any big or odd stone that did not fit in was crushed or thrown aside. Not many rose to challenge the system. The efforts of the few who did were nipped in the bud. Others were eliminated.
Still this region, with its people of different traditions, defeated the British. In their journey towards independence, they fell and rose but reached their destination. It is a saga of suffering and sacrifice which is recalled even today.
South Asia has learned the lesson that every enslaved country does from humiliation. But what it has not learnt yet is that people have to make a joint effort to overcome problems. Together they can fight to determine the path they should take, the tactics they should adopt and the allies they should seek. All this demands an understanding that they are together. This cannot be assumed. A method has to be devised to ascertain their opinion, yes or no.
What do the people think? What do the participants in the struggle for the betterment of conditions feel? Their efforts sow the seed of accountability. If some are to be made answerable, they should have the powers to act. Who should such people be? How can they be spotted? Centuries ago, the English established themselves as the world’s supreme nation against rival claimants. Since then the idea of popular sovereignty has become an integral part of civilised governments. Some nations like France learned from England’s example.
We in South Asia are a watchful people. We were determined to throw out the yoke of foreign rule. We also wanted to devise a system to rule ourselves. Our experience was all that the British taught us — the different acts under which carefully selected people would come to the assemblies and parliaments to rule. Very few came directly elected by the people. That was our democratic system. Our struggle in different parts of the region was to have more and more elected representatives.
We shed each other’s blood, although we were independent. The subcontinent of India was partitioned into India and Pakistan on the basis of religion. When the constitution in the newly independent countries was framed, the people’s say was naturally the most.
The biggest achievement of the constitution was to keep the rights of the people supreme and to ensure that the nations did not substitute white masters with brown sahibs.
It was not a question of government alone. It was also a question of the constitutional guarantee whereby sovereignty stayed with the people. And does democracy mean only going to polling booths and registering votes? The answer to such questions may be able to tell whether democracy will survive in South Asia.
The people’s wishes — and prayers — would have yielded some results by this time had the hostility between India and Pakistan been overcome. Neither India nor Pakistan has been able to overcome the differences which go back a long way. In a way, it is the same old bias between Hindus and Muslims. Parochialism spoils the thinking of secular India when it comes to Pakistan. On the other hand, Pakistan has never adopted secularism even after Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s declaration that the state would have nothing to do with religion.
Between August 1947 and 2010, the two countries have engaged in three wars, apart from militaristic stances over the Rann of Kutch, Siachen and Kargil. Both are also nuclear powers. Still they love to hate each other. Kashmir and water are symptoms, not the disease.
The disease is the bias, suspicion and mistrust which appear in one form or the other. Even if one issue was to be solved, another would rear its ugly head because of the fundamental Hindu-Muslim divide. How do the two nations get away from this posture? The sooner we find an answer to this question, the stronger will be Saarc.
The writer is a senior journalist based in New Delhi.The Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit will be over by the time these lines appear in print. But we can say that it was another attempt to scale the mountain of difficulties.
The 15th people’s Saarc meeting was held in Delhi recently to impress upon the participants of the official Saarc summit in Thimpu, Bhutan, that South Asian countries will continue to lag behind in development until they realise the meaning of cooperation.
Representatives of human rights bodies, trade unions, women groups and others from the Saarc countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives and Sri Lanka — demanded a union of South Asian countries in the manner of the European Union, while retaining their individual identity and sovereignty. Some even saw the prospects of one market, one visa and one currency. The representatives (60 from Pakistan alone) “reaffirmed the South Asian people’s commitment to creating a South Asia free from all discrimination, exclusion and domination”.
Indeed, these are lofty ideals that are worth pursuing. The participants were not only passionate about them, they were also committed to rising above nationalism and parochialism to make the dream of a South Asia Union come true. Their speeches had no rancour, no bitterness and no allegation.
All the eight countries are different in their own way. Yet many of them were ruled by foreigners which has cast their outlook in a civilisational mould, reflecting their commonality. Unfortunately, they a seek solution to their basic problems, not from within the region but from outside.
This dependence is the fallout of their slavery. The British who ruled practically the entire region were ruthless masters. They used people in the region as brick and mortar to build the structure of their empire. Any big or odd stone that did not fit in was crushed or thrown aside. Not many rose to challenge the system. The efforts of the few who did were nipped in the bud. Others were eliminated.
Still this region, with its people of different traditions, defeated the British. In their journey towards independence, they fell and rose but reached their destination. It is a saga of suffering and sacrifice which is recalled even today.
South Asia has learned the lesson that every enslaved country does from humiliation. But what it has not learnt yet is that people have to make a joint effort to overcome problems. Together they can fight to determine the path they should take, the tactics they should adopt and the allies they should seek. All this demands an understanding that they are together. This cannot be assumed. A method has to be devised to ascertain their opinion, yes or no.
What do the people think? What do the participants in the struggle for the betterment of conditions feel? Their efforts sow the seed of accountability. If some are to be made answerable, they should have the powers to act. Who should such people be? How can they be spotted? Centuries ago, the English established themselves as the world’s supreme nation against rival claimants. Since then the idea of popular sovereignty has become an integral part of civilised governments. Some nations like France learned from England’s example.
We in South Asia are a watchful people. We were determined to throw out the yoke of foreign rule. We also wanted to devise a system to rule ourselves. Our experience was all that the British taught us — the different acts under which carefully selected people would come to the assemblies and parliaments to rule. Very few came directly elected by the people. That was our democratic system. Our struggle in different parts of the region was to have more and more elected representatives.
We shed each other’s blood, although we were independent. The subcontinent of India was partitioned into India and Pakistan on the basis of religion. When the constitution in the newly independent countries was framed, the people’s say was naturally the most.
The biggest achievement of the constitution was to keep the rights of the people supreme and to ensure that the nations did not substitute white masters with brown sahibs.
It was not a question of government alone. It was also a question of the constitutional guarantee whereby sovereignty stayed with the people. And does democracy mean only going to polling booths and registering votes? The answer to such questions may be able to tell whether democracy will survive in South Asia.
The people’s wishes — and prayers — would have yielded some results by this time had the hostility between India and Pakistan been overcome. Neither India nor Pakistan has been able to overcome the differences which go back a long way. In a way, it is the same old bias between Hindus and Muslims. Parochialism spoils the thinking of secular India when it comes to Pakistan. On the other hand, Pakistan has never adopted secularism even after Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s declaration that the state would have nothing to do with religion.
Between August 1947 and 2010, the two countries have engaged in three wars, apart from militaristic stances over the Rann of Kutch, Siachen and Kargil. Both are also nuclear powers. Still they love to hate each other. Kashmir and water are symptoms, not the disease.
The disease is the bias, suspicion and mistrust which appear in one form or the other. Even if one issue was to be solved, another would rear its ugly head because of the fundamental Hindu-Muslim divide. How do the two nations get away from this posture? The sooner we find an answer to this question, the stronger will be Saarc.
Taliban leader was not killed by drone strike, says Pakistan
Hakimullah Mehsud, a Pakistan Taliban leader, is thought to have survived a missile attack in South Waziristan in January despite US claims that he had been killed
The head of the Pakistan Taliban, whom the US believed it had killed earlier this year in a missile strike fired from an unmanned drone, appears to have emerged from the attack wounded but alive.
Intelligence officials in Pakistan revealed that electronic surveillance and information gathered from sources in the field have led them to believe Hakimullah Mehsud survived the drone strike in January in North Waziristan. His current position in the Taliban is unclear and some reports have said other leaders may have used the attack to exert their influence.
The Taliban had always insisted that Mehsud survived the attack on a mud-walled compound near the village of Pasalkot, although they refused to provide video evidence, saying it would give clues as to his whereabouts.
The Pakistan military were also cautious about claims over his death, even though the country's civilian leadership said it believed Mehsud was dead. It was the US that led the celebrations over the strike, with anonymous government officials telling reporters in Washington that intelligence suggested with "about 90 per cent certainty" that Mehsud had died from wounds sustained in the 14 January attack. They even went as far as to say they believed he had been buried in a plot in Pakistan's tribal areas.
Hakimullah Mehsud had assumed the position of Taliban leader after his namesake and commander, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a drone strike last summer. Later that summer, it was claimed the Hakimullah had also been killed – until he contacted journalists to disprove the reports.
Hakimullah's stronghold was in South Waziristan until Pakistani troops launched a major assault on his base there last autumn. He then shifted his camp to North Waziristan, which is where he was attacked in the January strike.
North Waziristan has been the location for many of the missile strikes launched by the US, and Mehsud had found sanctuary in an area controlled by Hafiz Gul Bahadur. The veteran warlord has enjoyed a non-aggression pact with the Pakistan army, although though it has come under strain in recent days as soldiers have been ambushed.
Whether the Pakistan army will now feel pressured to launch new operations in pursuit of Mehsud remains unclear.
The January drone strike against the Taliban leader happened just 72 hours after the release of a video which showed a Jordanian doctor, Human Khalil Abu-Mulal al Balawi, who killed seven CIA agents in Afghanistan last year, sitting with the Taliban leader. It is believed that the Taliban provided at least logistical support to the al-Qa'ida double-agent.
The Associated Press said that one senior intelligence official in Pakistan believed that since the attack in which Mehsud was wounded, his role within the movement has weakened and other senior leaders, such as Waliur Rehman, now overshadow him.
Mehsud's reported survival, first reported by The Guardian, will no doubt be considered something of a set-back by Washington. It also highlights the limitations of the use of drone strikes, a controversial programme which has been greatly expanded since President Obama came to office.
More than 30 strikes have occurred already this year, compared with a reported 49 in 2009. The strikes, which have killed large numbers of ordinary people, are deeply unpopular within Pakistan and have heightened public anger towards the US.
News that Mehsud is thought to be alive, emerged as the leaders of Pakistan and India met yesterday in Bhutan at a regional summit. Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani had their first substantive talks for nine months.
Indian officials said the talks had been positive and that terrorism and the alleged "slow progress" of Pakistan to investigate those behind the 2008 attacks on Mumbai had been on the agenda.
"The prime ministers ... agreed that co-operation between the two countries is vital for the people of South Asia to realise their destiny," said a senior foreign ministry official, Nirupama Rao.
Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, said he would soon be making contact with his Indian counterpart.
The head of the Pakistan Taliban, whom the US believed it had killed earlier this year in a missile strike fired from an unmanned drone, appears to have emerged from the attack wounded but alive.
Intelligence officials in Pakistan revealed that electronic surveillance and information gathered from sources in the field have led them to believe Hakimullah Mehsud survived the drone strike in January in North Waziristan. His current position in the Taliban is unclear and some reports have said other leaders may have used the attack to exert their influence.
The Taliban had always insisted that Mehsud survived the attack on a mud-walled compound near the village of Pasalkot, although they refused to provide video evidence, saying it would give clues as to his whereabouts.
Hakimullah Mehsud had assumed the position of Taliban leader after his namesake and commander, Baitullah Mehsud, was killed in a drone strike last summer. Later that summer, it was claimed the Hakimullah had also been killed – until he contacted journalists to disprove the reports.
Hakimullah's stronghold was in South Waziristan until Pakistani troops launched a major assault on his base there last autumn. He then shifted his camp to North Waziristan, which is where he was attacked in the January strike.
North Waziristan has been the location for many of the missile strikes launched by the US, and Mehsud had found sanctuary in an area controlled by Hafiz Gul Bahadur. The veteran warlord has enjoyed a non-aggression pact with the Pakistan army, although though it has come under strain in recent days as soldiers have been ambushed.
Whether the Pakistan army will now feel pressured to launch new operations in pursuit of Mehsud remains unclear.
The January drone strike against the Taliban leader happened just 72 hours after the release of a video which showed a Jordanian doctor, Human Khalil Abu-Mulal al Balawi, who killed seven CIA agents in Afghanistan last year, sitting with the Taliban leader. It is believed that the Taliban provided at least logistical support to the al-Qa'ida double-agent.
The Associated Press said that one senior intelligence official in Pakistan believed that since the attack in which Mehsud was wounded, his role within the movement has weakened and other senior leaders, such as Waliur Rehman, now overshadow him.
Mehsud's reported survival, first reported by The Guardian, will no doubt be considered something of a set-back by Washington. It also highlights the limitations of the use of drone strikes, a controversial programme which has been greatly expanded since President Obama came to office.
More than 30 strikes have occurred already this year, compared with a reported 49 in 2009. The strikes, which have killed large numbers of ordinary people, are deeply unpopular within Pakistan and have heightened public anger towards the US.
News that Mehsud is thought to be alive, emerged as the leaders of Pakistan and India met yesterday in Bhutan at a regional summit. Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani had their first substantive talks for nine months.
Indian officials said the talks had been positive and that terrorism and the alleged "slow progress" of Pakistan to investigate those behind the 2008 attacks on Mumbai had been on the agenda.
"The prime ministers ... agreed that co-operation between the two countries is vital for the people of South Asia to realise their destiny," said a senior foreign ministry official, Nirupama Rao.
Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, said he would soon be making contact with his Indian counterpart.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Microsoft introduced Windows Update for greater stability
In addition to the usual security bulletin, Microsoft has recently introduced several updates for Windows, which is not related to the strengthening of its protection from various threats. The most important of these was an update to the operating system Windows 7 32-bit, Windows 7 64-bit, Windows Server 2008 R2 64 bit and Windows Server 2008 R2 Itanium, aimed at enhancing their stability and reliability.
Note that Microsoft quite regularly pleases software platforms, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 update, it is aimed at improving the reliability and stability of their products. For example, in the latest service pack contains fixes to help solve the following problem:
Fatal crash in Windows Explorer and then re-opening when you try to access the element in the control panel, created by third parties
Unable to connect to the services SQL Server Analysis Services from applications in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 after installing Office Live Add-in 1.4 or Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5
Windows Explorer stops responding to user actions within 30 seconds when creating or renaming a file or directory after you install certain applications
Display within 30 seconds the Welcome screen when trying to log into the system if you install a solid color as your desktop background
Absence of a warning in case of simultaneous removal of more than 1000 files. The files are erased forever, and not transferred to the basket.
Another update is intended for those who installs the software package Microsoft Office 2010, and is intended to replace certain fonts, new versions. This update is available for operating systems, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows Server 2008 32-bit, Windows Server 2008 64 bit and Windows Server 2008 Itanium. In addition, released updates to address problems on computers with an activated function of BitLocker, as well as for Internet Information Services (IIS) version 7.0/7.5 and Windows Installer (MSI) version 4.5.
Note that Microsoft quite regularly pleases software platforms, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 update, it is aimed at improving the reliability and stability of their products. For example, in the latest service pack contains fixes to help solve the following problem:
Fatal crash in Windows Explorer and then re-opening when you try to access the element in the control panel, created by third parties
Unable to connect to the services SQL Server Analysis Services from applications in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 after installing Office Live Add-in 1.4 or Windows Live ID Sign-in Assistant 6.5
Windows Explorer stops responding to user actions within 30 seconds when creating or renaming a file or directory after you install certain applications
Display within 30 seconds the Welcome screen when trying to log into the system if you install a solid color as your desktop background
Absence of a warning in case of simultaneous removal of more than 1000 files. The files are erased forever, and not transferred to the basket.
Another update is intended for those who installs the software package Microsoft Office 2010, and is intended to replace certain fonts, new versions. This update is available for operating systems, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows Server 2008 32-bit, Windows Server 2008 64 bit and Windows Server 2008 Itanium. In addition, released updates to address problems on computers with an activated function of BitLocker, as well as for Internet Information Services (IIS) version 7.0/7.5 and Windows Installer (MSI) version 4.5.
Are Phone Manufacturers ''Abandoning'' Android?
Recent announcements are sketching a slight shift away from the Android platform.
Bloomberg (via BusinessWeek) reports that Google's Android alliance is showing signs of strain. Although more than 60,000 Android-based mobile phones are sold and activated each day, there is now an obvious shift within partners to steer away from Google's mobile OS... or at least, place the main focus on a variety of options. Verizon Wireless, which currently offers the popular Motorola Droid, is a prime example of the shift, declaring on Wednesday that it will not carry the Nexus One smartphone as previously intended.
So what's going on? Carl Howe, an analyst at Yankee Group, a Boston-based research firm, said that manufacturers are afraid of giving Google too much power. "I don’t think anyone wants to say, 'In addition to 70 percent of the search traffic in the world, we're going to give them a whole lot more business,'" he said. The fear is backed by Google's considerable jump in the mobile market, rising from 5.2-percent at the end of 2009 to 9-percent in February.
On the Motorola front, the company isn't exactly moving away from the Android platform. Instead, it announced that it will use location and navigation technology provided by Skyhood Wireless in future devices, territory previously dominated by Google's offering. HTC, which currently provides the Droid Eris and Droid Incredible, may develop a custom OS internally. Samsung already took this step, revealing its Bada mobile OS earlier this year.
Recent events may make the shift a bit more drastic. Wednesday Microsoft and HTC announced a deal that would allow the mobile phone manufacturer to use Android on its devices in exchange for royalties. Microsoft claims--as does Apple--that Google's Android OS infringes on their trademarks. Phone manufacturers could eventually deem the OS as problematic on both a legal and financial standpoint, and abandon Android altogether.
For now, there's still demand for Android. Google is currently playing "catch up" with the firmware, adding missing features and ironing out numerous bugs. A spokesperson for HTC said that the company still has a serious commitment to the Google platform, a good sign to say the least.
Bloomberg (via BusinessWeek) reports that Google's Android alliance is showing signs of strain. Although more than 60,000 Android-based mobile phones are sold and activated each day, there is now an obvious shift within partners to steer away from Google's mobile OS... or at least, place the main focus on a variety of options. Verizon Wireless, which currently offers the popular Motorola Droid, is a prime example of the shift, declaring on Wednesday that it will not carry the Nexus One smartphone as previously intended.
So what's going on? Carl Howe, an analyst at Yankee Group, a Boston-based research firm, said that manufacturers are afraid of giving Google too much power. "I don’t think anyone wants to say, 'In addition to 70 percent of the search traffic in the world, we're going to give them a whole lot more business,'" he said. The fear is backed by Google's considerable jump in the mobile market, rising from 5.2-percent at the end of 2009 to 9-percent in February.
On the Motorola front, the company isn't exactly moving away from the Android platform. Instead, it announced that it will use location and navigation technology provided by Skyhood Wireless in future devices, territory previously dominated by Google's offering. HTC, which currently provides the Droid Eris and Droid Incredible, may develop a custom OS internally. Samsung already took this step, revealing its Bada mobile OS earlier this year.
Recent events may make the shift a bit more drastic. Wednesday Microsoft and HTC announced a deal that would allow the mobile phone manufacturer to use Android on its devices in exchange for royalties. Microsoft claims--as does Apple--that Google's Android OS infringes on their trademarks. Phone manufacturers could eventually deem the OS as problematic on both a legal and financial standpoint, and abandon Android altogether.
For now, there's still demand for Android. Google is currently playing "catch up" with the firmware, adding missing features and ironing out numerous bugs. A spokesperson for HTC said that the company still has a serious commitment to the Google platform, a good sign to say the least.
Microsoft introduced a new Windows Live Messenger
General Director of Microsoft Corporation Steve Ballmer presented Windows Live Messenger the next generation. As the developer, the new Messenger is the first product announced a set of services for communication and file sharing Windows Live, which is now preparing to exit.
Messenger combines news social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn, allowing you to share information, post comments and send messages to all these networks from a single window, Messenger. In addition, it combines the renovation of other sites used by friends (Flickr, Livejournal, YouTube and others), even if the user did not enjoy them. Now this information is in one place, and in the section "Favourites" updates from people who are identified as the closest will be automatically displayed at the top of the list.
Here are some possibilities of the new Windows Live Messenger:
Social Renewal - to Messenger connect the most popular social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. Now you can get the comments left on the wall, to photos, commercials and other updates from your friends directly in the Messenger, these updates are structured according to the priority of friends;
Synchronized update status. When the update appears in the Messenger, the status can be automatically updated in the various social networks, and vice versa;
Built-in commenting: the user can comment on status updates in Messenger or information obtained from social networks directly in the Messenger and not to open additional pages;
Social update from Hotmail: all social updates from incoming Hotmail email can be displayed directly in the Messenger, so do not have to look them in different places;
Messenger Connect allows any website to integrate Messenger, allowing users to communicate and share files without leaving the web page. In turn friends on Messenger Users can receive updates from these sites, and they do not have to build on their profiles and networks;
HD video chat. New Messenger lets you chat via video in full screen mode in the resolution of high quality.
Integrating search results Bing makes it easy to add photos and videos from the Internet without leaving the conversation window;
One contact list. The new Messenger is designed so that by combining the network and update duplicate contacts;
Messenger for smartphones - download and install new version at the Windows Phone, iPhone, Blackberry and other popular smartphones. This will allow access to all contacts, start a conversation, share photos and update status.
New Messenger weekdays officially launched in the coming months. It will be available for download on the site download.live.com. Now this link to download the current version of Messenger and other programs, Windows Live Essentials.
Messenger combines news social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn, allowing you to share information, post comments and send messages to all these networks from a single window, Messenger. In addition, it combines the renovation of other sites used by friends (Flickr, Livejournal, YouTube and others), even if the user did not enjoy them. Now this information is in one place, and in the section "Favourites" updates from people who are identified as the closest will be automatically displayed at the top of the list.
Here are some possibilities of the new Windows Live Messenger:
Social Renewal - to Messenger connect the most popular social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. Now you can get the comments left on the wall, to photos, commercials and other updates from your friends directly in the Messenger, these updates are structured according to the priority of friends;
Synchronized update status. When the update appears in the Messenger, the status can be automatically updated in the various social networks, and vice versa;
Built-in commenting: the user can comment on status updates in Messenger or information obtained from social networks directly in the Messenger and not to open additional pages;
Social update from Hotmail: all social updates from incoming Hotmail email can be displayed directly in the Messenger, so do not have to look them in different places;
Messenger Connect allows any website to integrate Messenger, allowing users to communicate and share files without leaving the web page. In turn friends on Messenger Users can receive updates from these sites, and they do not have to build on their profiles and networks;
HD video chat. New Messenger lets you chat via video in full screen mode in the resolution of high quality.
Integrating search results Bing makes it easy to add photos and videos from the Internet without leaving the conversation window;
One contact list. The new Messenger is designed so that by combining the network and update duplicate contacts;
Messenger for smartphones - download and install new version at the Windows Phone, iPhone, Blackberry and other popular smartphones. This will allow access to all contacts, start a conversation, share photos and update status.
New Messenger weekdays officially launched in the coming months. It will be available for download on the site download.live.com. Now this link to download the current version of Messenger and other programs, Windows Live Essentials.
Shakira Says 'Waka Waka It's Time for Africa'
Colombian songstress Shakira is a true international star so it only makes sense that she was asked to compose a song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that will take place this summer in South Africa. And so she did!
Shakira's "Waka Waka It's Time for Africa" is very upbeat and positive, and we quite like it! And in true international style, the songstress mixes languages beautifully! We have already told you that Shakira doesn't only drop one hit after the other, she is also heavily involved in charity activity related to children's social justice, and she was recently honored with a medal from the International Labour Organisation for her work.
So how come a star like herself has decided to dedicate so much time and effort to those in need? Well, she simply follows the words of the Mahatma! "Gandhi used to say 'be the change you wish to see in the world,' and I've followed that maxim," Shakira told reporters at the event. Growing up in Columbia, Shakira saw a lot of poverty that "shaped my dream and my vision of social justice," she added.
A good voice and a good heart, we love it! So check out Shakira's "Waka Waka It's Time for Africa" for this year's FIFA World Cup and tell us if you dig the track
Shakira's "Waka Waka It's Time for Africa" is very upbeat and positive, and we quite like it! And in true international style, the songstress mixes languages beautifully! We have already told you that Shakira doesn't only drop one hit after the other, she is also heavily involved in charity activity related to children's social justice, and she was recently honored with a medal from the International Labour Organisation for her work.
So how come a star like herself has decided to dedicate so much time and effort to those in need? Well, she simply follows the words of the Mahatma! "Gandhi used to say 'be the change you wish to see in the world,' and I've followed that maxim," Shakira told reporters at the event. Growing up in Columbia, Shakira saw a lot of poverty that "shaped my dream and my vision of social justice," she added.
A good voice and a good heart, we love it! So check out Shakira's "Waka Waka It's Time for Africa" for this year's FIFA World Cup and tell us if you dig the track
DISMANTLE SAARC
With both China and Russia intending to be observers while Iran requests a full membership, the future of SAARC would ideally have looked quite sanguine if it had exploited its true potential.
Unfortunately the SAARC has miserably failed to live up to expectations with the Indo-Pakistan conflict overshadowing everything else. In fact the sideline talks of the two countries during the SAARC summits continue to attract more attention than the main SAARC conference itself, so much so the latter now looks more like a facilitating conference for Indo-Pakistan bi-lateral talks on Kashmir and terrorists.
As a result SAARC still remains the least united regional organization in the world with trade among the SAARC countries accounting for only 2% of the combined GDP of its nations. Even in neighbouring East-Asia this accounts to about 20 per cent while other regional bodies like the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the African Union (AU) have made major headway especially in trade.
If everything goes well, the UNASUR countries will eliminate tariff for non-sensitive products by 2014 and for sensitive products by 2019 --thus making the zone one single market.
The African Union has already begun a step-by-step process to establish an African Economic Community with a common currency and single a central bank by 2023.
With diverging security and political interests, and with culture being the only binding factor, the SAARC despite its strength –1.5 billion people-- or one fifth of the global population, remains directionless when it comes to collective strength. The inertia of the regional body had resulted in its member states becoming a bully victim of other regional bodies like EU which has a mere 500 million population. The need to plead for GSP plus concessions would not have arisen if South Asia had a vibrant economic zone.
While some 53 states work in tandem in the African Union for a common currency and some 27 states do business in the EU, the eight nations in the South Asian regional union which has been in existence for 17 long years have failed to achieve anything substantial so far.
The strength of the region India, the world’s fourth largest country by purchasing power parity (PPP) also remains its weakness as the gulf of power imbalance created by overpowering India is not something others could bridge.
If SAARC nations cannot work together due to conflicting interests, then the member states better dismantle the organization and join neighbouring regional bodies where there is better parity of status and reap whatever benefits available.
Unfortunately the SAARC has miserably failed to live up to expectations with the Indo-Pakistan conflict overshadowing everything else. In fact the sideline talks of the two countries during the SAARC summits continue to attract more attention than the main SAARC conference itself, so much so the latter now looks more like a facilitating conference for Indo-Pakistan bi-lateral talks on Kashmir and terrorists.
As a result SAARC still remains the least united regional organization in the world with trade among the SAARC countries accounting for only 2% of the combined GDP of its nations. Even in neighbouring East-Asia this accounts to about 20 per cent while other regional bodies like the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the African Union (AU) have made major headway especially in trade.
If everything goes well, the UNASUR countries will eliminate tariff for non-sensitive products by 2014 and for sensitive products by 2019 --thus making the zone one single market.
The African Union has already begun a step-by-step process to establish an African Economic Community with a common currency and single a central bank by 2023.
With diverging security and political interests, and with culture being the only binding factor, the SAARC despite its strength –1.5 billion people-- or one fifth of the global population, remains directionless when it comes to collective strength. The inertia of the regional body had resulted in its member states becoming a bully victim of other regional bodies like EU which has a mere 500 million population. The need to plead for GSP plus concessions would not have arisen if South Asia had a vibrant economic zone.
While some 53 states work in tandem in the African Union for a common currency and some 27 states do business in the EU, the eight nations in the South Asian regional union which has been in existence for 17 long years have failed to achieve anything substantial so far.
The strength of the region India, the world’s fourth largest country by purchasing power parity (PPP) also remains its weakness as the gulf of power imbalance created by overpowering India is not something others could bridge.
If SAARC nations cannot work together due to conflicting interests, then the member states better dismantle the organization and join neighbouring regional bodies where there is better parity of status and reap whatever benefits available.
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