Suicide bombers attack US base in Afghanistan

Suicide bombers tried unsuccessfully to storm a US military base near Afghanistan-Pakistan border in a daring attack on a major American installation, officials said Tuesday. Six insurgents detonated their vests after being surrounded.

The attack came a day after a suicide bomb outside the same base killed 10 civilians and wounded 13 others. The fighting was still going on early Tuesday, said US coalition spokesman 1st Lt Nathan Perry. There have been no American deaths, he said.

The militants failed to gain entry to Camp Salerno in Khost city after launching waves of attacks just before midnight on Monday, said Arsallah Jamal, the governor of Khost. The base is just a few miles from Pakistan's border.

Gen Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman, said Afghan soldiers, aided by US troops, chased and surrounded a group of insurgents, and that six militants blew themselves up when cornered. Seven other militants died in those explosions and a rolling gun battle, he said.

"(The Afghan National Army) is saying that anytime we get close to them, they detonate themselves," Jamal said.

At least 13 insurgents and two Afghan civilians died in the attack, officials said. Five Afghan soldiers were wounded in the fighting, Azimi said.

The Taliban appeared to confirm the account. Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said 15 militants had been dispatched for the attack on Salerno. Seven blew themselves up and eight returned to a Taliban safehouse, he said.

Jamal said the bodies of at least two dead militants were outside the checkpoint leading to the base's airport, both of whom had on vests packed with explosives, Jamal said. It wasn't clear if those militants were among the dead in Azimi's count.

Militants have long targeted US bases with suicide bombers, but coordinated attacks on such a major base are rare.

The attack comes a day after the top US General in the region, Maj Gen Jeffrey J Schloesser, issued a rare public warning that militants planned to attack civilian, military and government targets during the celebration of Independence Day on Monday.

More than 3,400 people � mostly militants � have been killed in insurgency-related violence this year, according to an Associated Press count based on figures from Western and Afghan officials.

Mush`s fate hangs in balance as Pak coalition meets to decide successor

After quitting as the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf now faces an uncertain future.

The former Army Chief announced his exit in a televised address on Monday to avoid the threat of impeachment charges by the ruling PPP-PML(N) coalition government, nine years after he grabbed power in a bloodless military coup.

Speculation swirled that Musharraf's decision came after a deal brokered by Pakistan's powerful military and the United States to avoid criminal charges, but it remained unclear where he would spend his retirement.

Where�s Mush headed?

Musharraf is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia soon with his family to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca, following which he will decide whether to live outside Pakistan.

Reports said today that Musharraf will remain in the country for some time before travelling to Saudi Arabia. He does not want to give the impression that he is fleeing the country to avoid charges that were levelled against him by the coalition.

After announcing his resignation during a televised address yesterday, Musharraf left the Presidency in the heart of Islamabad and went to his camp office in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi, where he is expected to stay for a few days.

Following his trip to Saudi Arabia for Umra, a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time of the year, Musharraf will spend some time outside Pakistan. This could include a trip to the US to see members of his close family, a source said.

Musharraf's younger brother Naved, a doctor, lives in Chicago, while his son Bilal has a residence in Boston.

A senior coalition official said that Musharraf might also head to London or Turkey, but his aides insisted he would return after his religious duties in the Gulf Kingdom.

Reports have suggested that Musharraf resigned following an agreement with the ruling coalition, which would provide him security and not try him after declaring any of his actions as unconstitutional.

The US, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani are guarantors to the agreement.

Musharraf initially wanted to stay in Pakistan and demanded protection from the government but changed his mind after his close aides convinced him that he might never be safe in the country.

New software allows blind people surf the Internet from any PC

Richard Ladner, a professor of computer science at the University of Washington (UW), revealed that the software – dubbed WebAnywhere – can read aloud Web text on any computer with speakers or headphones. “This is for situations where someone who’s blind can’t use their own computer, but still wants access to the Internet: At a cyber caf, a school, at a friend’s house, etc,” said Ladner. Doctoral student Jeffrey Bigham developed WebAnywhere under Ladner’s supervision. Unlike current screen-reading software, WebAnywhere is the first accessibility tool to be hosted on the Web – meaning it doesn’t have to be downloaded onto a computer.It processes the text on an external server located in UW, and then sends the audio file to play in the user’s Web browser.“You don’t have to install new software.

So even if you go to a heavily locked-down computer, say at a library, you can still use it,” Bigham said.While testing, the researchers asked a few visually impaired people to use it to do three things – check email, look up a bus time table and search for a restaurant’s phone number. People using WebAnywhere – which, so far, works only in English – were able to successfully complete all three tasks, using a variety of machines and Internet connections.

Farm worker receives double arm transplant

Cool News:

Surgeons have performed the world’s first double arm transplant.

The 16-hour operation was carried out last Friday on a farm worker who lost both arms in an accident.

The 54-year-old man was given the arms of a teenage boy who is believed to have died in a road crash.

Plastic surgeon Professor Edgar Biemer and his colleague Christof Hoehnke led a surgical team of 30 to perform the operation at a clinic in Munich.

The patient, who lost his arms in a threshing machine six years ago, is said to be recovering well from the surgery. Doctors said he regained consciousness on Sunday and smiled at his wife.

Naina Devi temple stampede: 129 bodies idenitifed

Anandpur Sahib, August 4: As many as 129 out of 150 people killed in the stampede at Naina Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur district have beenidentified and the bodies handed over to their relatives, officials said on Monday.

"Identity of 129 deceased have been known and their bodies were handed over to their relatives. Efforts are on to identify the remaining 17 bodies," Ropar Deputy Commissioner B Purshartha said.

At least 146 devotees, including 30 children and 38 women, were killed and more than 50 injured yesterday in a stampede at the temple shrine triggered by rumours of a landslide.

"The Punjab Government is providing all kind of assistance to the relatives of victims for transportation of bodies from Bhai Jaitta civil hospital here," he said.

As many as 104 dead were from Punjab. While 58 from Patiala, ten belonged to Sangrur and nine Bathinda. Six dead were from Barnala, eight from Mansa, two each from Ropar and Ferozepur, one each from Muktsar and Ludhiana.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who visited the hospital and the site of the incident, assured that the state government in coordination with the Himachal Pradesh will improve the infrastructure at the shrine to ensure "maximum safety" of the pilgrims.

The Himachal Pradesh Government has ordered a commissioner-level inquiry into the incident.

Both the Punjab and Himachal Pradesh Government had already announced an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh each to the dead and free treatment for the injured.

This was the second such incident at the hill shrine as in 1981, as many as 53 pilgrims lost their lives after a similar stampede.

Sex and the city forbidden, but let the Games begin

Vikas Katoch, Aug 4: Whatever happened to the Mongolian prostitutes? Where have all the "money boys" gone?

Looking for a high-class hooker in the lobby of a five-star hotel? It could be a tough assignment.

Anyone hoping for some readily available sex-for-sale in Beijing during the Olympics may be in for a shock. China is clearly keen to portray a squeaky clean image at the Summer Games and picture postcard Beijing is a top priority.

Prostitution is illegal in China. Banished after the Communist revolution in 1949, it returned with a vengeance in the 1980s when the country embarked upon economic reforms and started opening to the outside world.

For prostitutes and pole dancers alike, pickings now are slim. They cannot wait for the Olympics to end.

Climbing down from her pole in a sparsely populated bar in Beijing's Sanlitun area, 22-year-old Yang Shuo sighed.

"Business is OK but it could be better," she said. "It's the Olympics, you know. Police are cracking down on places like this."

Looking out on a tacky bar filled with a handful of customers, she said: "I am looking forward to the Olympics finishing."

For the oldest profession in the world, drumming up clients at the Olympics is hard work.

"Business is terrible," confessed one prostitute as she strode up to a passing westerner in a downtown Beijing street offering "Sex, Sex, Sex".

"We have been thrown out of the hotels," said the woman in her mid-30s, wearing a low-strung orange top. "We have to do our business on the streets and cut our prices."

CLOSED FOR RENOVATION

She normally charges 600 yuan ($90) for three hours. The special Olympic price is now down to 500 yuan.

Another student found dead in Asaram Bapu's school

A five-year-old boy was found dead Thursday in the bathroom of a residential school of spiritual leader Asaram Bapu in Chhindwara town of Madhya Pradesh, the police said. This is the second death of a student in the school in the past three days.

According to police, Vedant Kumar was found unconscious in the bathroom of the 'gurukul' in Parasia road locality in Chhindwara town, 275 km from here.

On Tuesday evening, another five-year-old, Ramkrishna Mohan Yadav, was found dead in similar conditions in the gurukul.

A large number of people, many of them anxious parents, gathered outside the school but were not allowed by the authorities to meet the students. There are 371 students studying in the school.

"We will arrange the meeting of children with their parents and guardians as soon as the situation normalises. We are worried that clashes may occur in the town as has been the case in Ahmedabad, where two children died in mysterious circumstances," Deputy Inspector General of Police K. Beaphay told IANS.

Two students Deepesh Vaghela, 10, and his cousin Abhishek Vaghela, 11, of a gurukul run by Aasaram Bapu's ashram went missing July 4 in Ahmedabad. Their bodies were found from the nearby Sabarmati riverbed July 6. Allegations of shoddy police probe led to widespread protests and clashes in the city.

"Apparently both the deaths appear to be accidental and no injury marks have been found on the body of either child. We are, however, inquiring into the matter," the official said.

More bombs found in Surat

Seven more bombs were found in this south Gujarat city Tuesday by the afternoon, taking the number of unexploded bombs found here in the past three days to 12. The first lot had been found Sunday, a day after serial blasts in Ahemdabad killed at least 50 people and injured 200.

Four bombs were found on Sunday and one late Monday evening. More unexploded bombs could pop up before the day ends, said a police constable.

Most of the bombs found here Tuesday were in the Varacha area. The first was found in the morning behind the Labeshwar police post when a provision store owner was opening his shop at about 9 a.m. As he was pushing his shutters up a packet fell down. He immediately called the police. Police inspector V.B. Patel reached the spot with the bomb disposal and dog squads.

A little while later another bomb was found near Baroda bridge in Santoshnagar area close to a garment shop, Mahavir Fashion. The bomb was placed inside an electric meter box. It was defused. Both bombs were found within an hour and defused.

On Tuesday afternoon, another bomb was found on the branches of a peepul tree close to the Matawadi police post in the Varacha area and defused. Even as the cops were heaving a sigh of relief, they had to rush to Varacha's mini diamond market where four more bombs four. All four were defused.

The bomb found late Monday night was also in the Labeshwar area. All the bombs found in the neighbourhood were planted withing a kilometre of one another.

None of the bombs found in Surat so far has exploded, leading to all sorts of theories here on whether the city was being used as a staging post and a cache by the terrorists on their way to Ahmedabad.

PM praises people of Gujarat for their resilience

Ahmedabad, July 28: Commending the people of Gujarat for the resilience shown by them in the wake of terror attacks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said such attempts to destroy social fabric and demoralise people will not succeed. Singh, who met Chief Minister Narendra Modi, visited hospitals and enquired about the welfare of victims of Saturday's serial blasts in the city that left 49 dead and several injured. The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Shivraj Patil, said he had come to express "our solidarity with the people of Gujarat in their hour of crisis". "I commend the people of Gujarat for the resilience they have shown. These terrorist acts are aimed at destroying our social fabric, undermining communal harmony and demoralising our people," he said. Singh also announced enhancement of ex-gratia payment from Rs one lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh each to next of kin of those killed in the terror attacks.

Police Prepared Three Sketches

Aug 02: Investigators probing last week's serial bomb blasts in the city have prepared sketches of three suspects as Gujarat remains on high-alert, a senior police official said on Saturday.

"We have prepared three sketches of suspects based on description given by an eye-witness who saw them planting the bombs in different parts of the city," Joint Commissioner of Police Ashish Bhatia said.

"We have decided to not make those sketches public at this stage as it will hamper the probe," he added.

Police is conducting regular combing operations and security has been tightened in vital locations of the state.

On the forensic report of bombs, Bhatia said, "It seems that the material for bombs came from outside the state.

But it is likely that they were assembled here. Since, items like batteries and watches are found locally, we believe that the assembly could have been done here."

Victims admitted at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital have described the series of events leading to bomb blast to police officials, said Bhatia.

Bomb blasts rock Indian state

Gujarat has been shaken by months of violence

A series of bomb blasts have rocked the commercial capital of the Indian state of Gujarat.

About a dozen people were injured in three explosions in the city of Ahmedabad, police and hospital sources said.

Police said bombs went off in a market area and on buses during morning rush hour.

No-one has admitted planting the devices.

Gujarat, in western India, has been hit by Hindu-Muslim violence since February this year, when a train carrying Hindu activists from the disputed holy site at Ayodhya was attacked by a Muslim mob.

Consecutive blasts

Police said the first of Wednesday's bombs exploded in the market area of Gurukul, a mainly Hindu neighbourhood, followed by a second blast five minutes later at a bus terminal in the mixed Hindu-Muslim district of Geetamandir.

More than 1,000 people have died in Hindu-Muslim fighting

Shortly afterwards a third device went off on a bus in the Hindu-Muslim neighbourhood of Vasana.

Police said Wednesday's bombs were not of a sophisticated type.

"It appears that the bombs... are crudely made bombs and intended to create a panic," a police spokesman told Reuters news agency.

Sectarian violence

Nearly 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, have died in riots, which have destroyed large parts of Ahmedabad.

Human rights groups say at least 2,500 people have been killed, including women and children targeted in revenge attacks.

The violence has also led many people to flee their homes.

Security forces in the state are on high alert following the recent fighting.

Earlier this month, the Indian Government deployed an extra 1,000 specially-trained riot police to Gujarat to help the local police force contend with the trouble.

Last week, soldiers who had been sent to Gujarat were redeployed to the Indian-Pakistan border amid rising tension between the two countries.

Bush call up Indian PM

India US-PM

In what may be described as a significant move towards the progress of the Indo-US Nuke deal after the Parliament high drama, American President George Bush called up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday night and discussed the future of the deal.

"The heads of both the states expressed their desire to see the US-India civil nuclear issue move forward as expeditiously as possible," US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in a statement, zeenews portal reported.

Bush told Singh he looks forward to continuing to work with his government to strengthen the United States India strategic relationship, Johndroe said, adding that they had also discussed stalled World Trade Organizations talks.

Bush and Singh "discussed the importance of all leading WTO members making contributions to a breakthrough that will put the Doha Round negotiations on a path to conclude an ambitious agreement before the end of the year," Johndroe said.

The telephone conversation came ahead of Bush's White House talks on Monday with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan, India's neighbour and nuclear rival.

The United States and India have been working to secure the international support necessary for their controversial nuclear cooperation agreement, reached in 2005, to win approval.

India said on Thursday it was sending out envoys to lobby for the final international clearances, a diplomatic offensive coming after the UPA government survived a hard-fought confidence vote in Parliament sparked by Left's opposition to the pact.

Meanwhile, India's Minister of State in External Affairs Ministry, Anand Sharma discusses N-deal with Rice.

The US has lauded India's "deep resolve" to go ahead with their nuclear deal as Secretary of State Condoleezza met Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma twice to discuss the "next steps" for finalising the pact.

External Affairs Ministry sources said Rice and Sharma had a meeting on Thursday on "issues related to concluding the historic deal" within hours after they first met last night.

"Both the leaders discussed the next steps for finalising the deal," the sources told agencies.

The two leaders also met last night on the sidelines of ASEAN ministerial meet here and talked on the "entire gamut of issues" relating to the civilian nuclear deal.

They had a "very good" meeting during which Rice appreciated India's "deep resolve to go ahead with the historic nuclear deal", sources said after the first round of talks.

The deliberations reflecting the urgency India and the US were attaching to the nuclear pact assume significance as the IAEA Board of Governors meets on August 1 to consider the agreement for approval.

Manmohan N-powered: Home safe

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 (New Delhi)

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday won a vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha with a comfortable margin belying predictions of a close contest on a day marred by unseemly scenes over allegations of bribery. The Prime Minister's motion expressing confidence of the House in the Council of Ministers was carried with 275 votes in favour and 256 against. In a House with an effective strength of 541, it was not immediately clear how many abstained. The results were announced after nearly an hour when officials corrected the initial figures, which showed 253 votes in favour of the motion, 232 against and 2 abstentions in a total vote of 487. In the din caused by BJP members demanding Prime Minister's resignation and shouting down his speech, Singh laid his reply to the debate on the table of the House. As Opposition members pressed for a division, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee ordered voting by electronic voting machine. Even before the final result was announced, ruling alliance members went to the Prime Minister and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to greet them on the victory in the confidence motion, the first in over four years of this government. The Prime Minister sought the confidence of the House after the Left parties, which provided outside support since May 2004, withdrew it on the issue of government operationalising the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal by approaching the IAEA. The two-day debate on the motion was often acrimonious but it took an entirely different turn after BJP members shocked the House by producing bundles of currency notes alleging bribes by the Samajwadi Party to them to abstain from voting. Four BJP members, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, were permitted to vote from the inner lobby of the House through slips on account of their ill-health.

BJP MPs lodge complaint against SP with Lok Sabha

BJP MPs Ashok Argal, Mahavir Bhagora and Fagan Singh Kulste - who had dramatically leveled the charges of bribery during the trust vote on Tuesday - have now filed formal complaints with the Lok Sabha secretariat.

The MPs had alleged in the House that they were offered Rs three crore each for abstaining in the trust vote. Thereafter, the secretariat on Wednesday night asked them to present their version officially, sources said.

The Lok Sabha witnessed unprecedented drama on July 22 when the BJP members walked in the middle of the House flashing wads of currency notes claiming that it was given by a Samajwadi Party leader as bribe. (With PTI inputs)

FIH awards 2010 World Cup to India

Sports:

The provisional status is over now. India has been officially allotted the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup for 2010 and it would be hosted at New Delhi.
The decision was announced by International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Els van Breda Vriesman at the conclusion of two days of meetings with Indian hockey officials in Hyderabad, on Friday.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) had earlier provisionally allotted the 2010 World Cup to Delhi with the condition that the Indian Hockey Federation would fulfill certain provisions listed the Project Promoting Indian Hockey, initiated by the International Olympic Committee in collaboration with the Indian Olympic Association and the FIH.
With IOA suspending IHF and installing an ad hoc committee to deal with men's hockey matters in India, the IOA directly negotiated with the FIH.
The World Cup would be organised as a joint venture between FIH and the IOA with the profits from it being pumped back into developing hockey in India via the Project Promoting Indian Hockey, Vriesman said.
At the meeting it was also decided to have one body to govern both men's and women's hockey in the country. The IOA has given provisional recognition to the Indian Hockey Confederation, a joint body of IHF and the Indian Women's Hockey Federation (IWHF). It would be officially confirmed after the IOA General Assembly in November.

The IHC will be later be renamed as 'Hockey India', Kalmadi announced. The IOA and FIH also announced that Ric Charlesworth's resignation as technical advisor of Indian hockey has been accepted, ending his role with Indian hockey.

Woman accuses grandson of rape in Delhi

The accused says he raped his grandmother to teach her a lesson as she was unnecessarily harassing his wife::

New Delhi: In a bizarre case, a 28-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after his 78-year-old grandmother accused him of rape in their southwest Delhi home, the police said.

The victim in her police complaint said her grandson Kuldeep consumed alcohol and raped her on Tuesday in their Jaffarpur Kalan home when his wife and one-year-old daughter were away.

The police said the elderly woman was taken to Rao Tula Ram Hospital where doctors confirmed a sexual assault.

“Kuldeep said he raped his grandmother to teach her a lesson as she was unnecessarily harassing his wife,” said a police official.

The police said Kuldeep, a labourer, was living with his grandmother since his childhood though his parents lived in another house. The accused got married three years ago.

Aarushi murder scares New Delhi kids

Noida/New Delhi: The brutal murder of teenager Aarushi Talwar and her family's domestic help has hit the city's children. They are now wary of servants and some are even scared of their own parents!

Many student helplines have been ringing continuously ever since Aarushi's dentist father Rajesh Talwar was arrested for her murder. And schools, set to open after summer vacations, are now gearing up to discuss the issue with their students and provide counselling wherever necessary.

The Delhi Public School (DPS) in Noida, where 14-year-old Aarushi studied, plans to hold a prayer meeting apart from counselling sessions.

"We will have discussions and prayer meetings with the students once the school reopens. We have our team of counsellors and we are all geared up to tackle the issue," Nina Sehgal, principal of DPS (Noida), told IANS.

Psychologist Aruna Broota said children have indeed been very scared ever since the murders took place.

"They tell me that they don't want to sleep with their parents any more. Some who don't have problems with their parents want the servants out, especially male," revealed Broota, who said she had talked to children aged 6-10 years.

DPS (Noida) apart, many other schools also admit that kids are stressed and will need emotional help.

"Children are stressed and insecure and we will definitely organise counselling sessions for them," said Anuradha Sharma, principal of Ryan International School (Noida).

But Asha Prabhakar, vice principal of Bal Bharti Public School, said it was better not to talk about the issue as the case was not yet solved.

"We have our own team of counsellors to tackle the issue and help both children and parents. But the case remains unsolved and nothing has been established. So, we have decided not to remind students about it and not to talk to them about it," she said.

Said Ashna Sirohi, Aarushi's friend and classmate: "There should be a discussion between students and counsellors regarding the issue. People have sullied her character and it's high time that things should get cleared."

Aarushi was found dead in her Jalvayu Vihar apartment in suburban Noida May 16. The Noida police initially named the Talwar's servant Hemraj as the prime suspect but retracted after his body was found on the terrace of the house the next day.

Effect Life West Bengal

Bengal bandh affects life, many trains cancelled

Life was thrown out of gear in West Bengal and movement of trains hit during the 12-hour bandh called by Left parties on Thursday to protest against the hike in fuel prices.
Long distance and EMU trains services were affected due to blockades at different stations in Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol and Malda divisions since early morning, Eastern Railway sources here said.
As many as 16 trains including Howrah-New Delhi Poorva Express, Howrah-Ranchi Shatabdi Express, Udyan Abha Toofan Express, Howrah-Dehradoon Express, Kanchunjungha Express and Ananya Express were cancelled, a E R release said.
City streets wore a deserted look as all vehicles were off the roads.

Fuelprices Increased

Petrol price hiked by Rs 5, diesel by Rs 3; LPG to cost Rs 50 more

New Delhi, June 04: The Central government on Wednesday announced a steep hike in domestic fuel prices, effective midnight tonight. The price of petrol has been hiked by Rs 5 per litre, while the price of diesel has gone up by Rs 3. The domestic LPG will now cost Rs 50 more per cylinder. The price of kerosene oil, meanwhile, has been left untouched. The announcement with regard to the revision of fuel prices was made by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora at a press conference.

Earlier in the day, the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs met to discuss the surging global oil prices and approved the hike in domestic fuel prices. The government said the hike will push inflation up by 0.5%.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the nation at 8:30 pm tonight to explain why his government has raised the fuel prices. The Left parties, meanwhile, have announced week-long nationwide protest against the hike beginning tomorrow.

City

Hey, I am a CBSE topper too

Usually when the school principal is away, it is good news for students but not in the case of Powai resident Srishti Kar, who lost her share of limelight amongst the city toppers at CBSE, despite having scored as much, because her principal was away and could not share her scores with the media.

“Yes, I was so sad when I learnt that there were two toppers with 98 per cent from the city featured by all newspapers in the city. It was a little disappointing to not be one of them despite having gotten equal marks,” said Srishti.

Srishti learnt of her scores from her father who is currently in Dubai. “We were having problems accessing the internet here so Dad saw my marks and read it out to me. All of us including my grandparents and my mom jumped with joy. I can never forget this. I am elated at the thought of having scored this much. This was certainly not expected,” said Srishti.

Osama in northern Pak: Afghan official

Osama in northern Pak: Afghan official

A top Afghan intelligence official said on Wednesday that his agency received information several months ago that Al-Qaida figurehead Osama bin Laden is hiding in northern Pakistan bordering Afghanistan.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that bin Laden was said to be in a mountainous region in Chitral, a Pakistani region facing Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar.

Pakistani officials have in the past said that the world's most wanted man was hiding in Kunar, a claim strongly rejected by Kabul.

''We've received new information that he is hiding in Chitral. We got the information about his presence in that area about four, five months ago,'' the Afghan intelligence official said.

US authorities have also said previously that the fugitive Al-Qaida chief had taken refuge in Chitral and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar is also in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Thousands of US and NATO soldiers are based in Afghanistan hunting for the pair and fighting back an Al-Qaida-backed insurgency the Taliban launched after they were ousted from government in 2001.

( Blackberry Pearl Diamond)

Here's another designer phone from Alexander Amosu. Amosu has given a gold and diamond look to Blackberry Pearl. The limited edition Blackberry Pearl comes in three variants. Pearl Gold Edition offers choice of solid white gold, yellow gold or platinum. Pearlific comes in solid gold with intricate diamond pattern designs. The Pearl Diamond is modeled in solid gold and hand cut diamonds. Also, diamonds of Pearl Diamond are recyclable and reusable. So, whenever the user wants to discard their cell phone, he will just have to transfer the glittery rocks on to a something newer. The phone is priced at approx $90,000.

Most expensive cell phones

Goldvish Le million made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most expensive phone. The hand-crafted cell phone made of 18-carat white gold, mounted with 120-carat VVS-1 graded diamonds. The phone comes in platinum or white and yellow solid gold studded with diamonds. The phone has a TFT display and supports 176x220 pixels. The phone has Bluetooth, Java, EDGE, WAP and USB port. The phone was first introduced in September 2006 in Europe at the Millionaire Fair. There are only 100 of these phones made and it is only available on special request. GoldVish also make the ‘Illusion’, which comes in 15 different incarnations, encrusted with diamonds. The phone is priced at $1,000,000.

Apple's top-selling gadget iPhone too has a diamond Avtaar, courtesy London-based designer Alexander Amosu. Amosu created gave iphone its diamond look. The phone has 420 cut diamonds with a total of 5.65 carats. The ornate iPhone comes in steel, 18 carat white or yellow gold, with options of white, black or pink sapphire diamonds. The diamond-encrusted Apple iPhone by Amosu comes with one-year free international concierge service. The phone is available at $41,000 approximately. Amosu is also the man behind Nokia's limited edition N95 (8GB).

Cell phone maker Nokia last year launched two third-generation (3G) 8800 series mobile phones, 8800 Arte and 8800 Sapphire Arte. The phone brings 3G capabilities to the Nokia 8800 series. Priced at $1,350, Nokia 8800 Arte comes with a 3.2 megapixel auto focus camera and 8x digital zoom. For data sync, the phone offers a microUSB connector. Other features include 2.0" QVGA 240x320 pixels, OLED display with up to 16 million colours, anti-fingerprint coating on metal and glass and 1 GB built-in memory space. Tapping the phone twice reveals an analogue clock. The Tri-band phone is made of exclusive metal including glass and metal. The phone has exclusive ringtones composed by internationally-renowned DJ duo Kruder & Dorfmeister.

Cricket

Rahul Dravid denies reports of quitting
NEW DELHI: Bangalore Royal Challengers skipper Rahul Dravid has denied reports of qutting the team and parting ways with Vijay Mallya-owned team after there were rumours of him being unhappy with the team and management.

Dravid said to a news channel: "Reports of quitting Bangalore Royal Challengers not true. I have enjoyed the experience of playing in the IPL T-2O matches. I have a 3-year contract and hope to fulfill it."

Earlier, there were rumours that the Vijay Mallya-owned IPL franchise - Royal Challengers - is likely to receive a jolt as its 'icon' player and skipper Rahul Dravid was believed to have expressed interest in parting ways with Mr Mallya for the league's second season.

Dravid, according to insiders in the franchise as well as BCCI, was unhappy with the way the team management has dealt with the players.

"I have had no discussion with Rahul Dravid, but he is performing well personally which I am pleased about. The other players also need to play to their abilities," Mr Mallya told Economic Times. When contacted, Dravid told ET: "I have nothing to say at this stage."

A senior BCCI official said that Dravid has had an informal discussion with board officials on his exit from Royal Challengers. "There is an issue with Dravid, as he is unhappy with his team, and post the first IPL season, we will have to look into the matter."

Mother's Day History

Mother's Day History
Origin of Mother's Day goes back to the era of ancient Greek and Romans. But the roots of Mother's Day history can also be traced in UK where a Mothering Sunday was celebrated much before the festival saw the light of the day in US. However, the celebration of the festival as it is seen today is a recent phenomenon and not even a hundred years old. Thanks to the hard work of the pioneering women of their times, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis that the day came into existence. Today the festival of Mothers day is celebrated across 46 countries (though on different dates) and is a hugely popular affair. Millions of people across the globe take the day as an opportunity to honor their mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support and well wisher.

Earliest History of Mothers Day
The earliest history of Mothers Day dates back to the ancient annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology.

Ancient Romans, too, celebrated a spring festival, called Hilaria dedicated to Cybele, a mother goddess. It may be noted that ceremonies in honour of Cybele began some 250 years before Christ was born. The celebration made on the Ides of March by making offerings in the temple of Cybele lasted for three days and included parades, games and masquerades. The celebrations were notorious enough that followers of Cybele were banished from Rome.

Early Christians celebrated a Mother's Day of sorts during the festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Christ. In England the holiday was expanded to include all mothers. It was then called Mothering Sunday.


History of Mother's Day: Mothering Sunday

The more recent history of Mothers Day dates back to 1600s in England. Here a Mothering Sunday was celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter) to honor mothers. After a prayer service in church to honor Virgin Mary, children brought gifts and flowers to pay tribute to their own mothers.

On the occasion, servants, apprentices and other employees staying away from their homes were encouraged by their employers to visit their mothers and honor them. Traditionally children brought with them gifts and a special fruit cake or fruit-filled pastry called a simnel. Yugoslavs and people in other nations have observed similar days.

Custom of celebrating Mothering Sunday died out almost completely by the 19th century. However, the day came to be celebrated again after World War II, when American servicemen brought the custom and commercial enterprises used it as an occasion for sales.

History of Mother's Day: Julia Ward Howe

The idea of official celebration of Mothers day in US was first suggested by Julia Ward Howe in 1872. An activist, writer and poet Julia shot to fame with her famous Civil War song, "Battle Hymn of the Republic". Julia Ward Howe suggested that June 2 be annually celebrated as Mothers Day and should be dedicated to peace. She wrote a passionate appeal to women and urged them to rise against war in her famous Mothers Day Proclamation, written in Boston in 1870. She also initiated a Mothers' Peace Day observance on the second Sunday in June in Boston and held the meeting for a number of years. Julia tirelessly championed the cause of official celebration of Mothers Day and declaration of official holiday on the day. Her idea spread but was later replaced by the Mothers' Day holiday now celebrated in May.

History of Mother's Day: Anna Jarvis
Anna Jarvis is recognised as the Founder of Mothers Day in US. Though Anna Jarvis never married and never had kids, she is also known as the Mother of Mothers Day, an apt title for the lady who worked hard to bestow honor on all mothers.

Anna Jarvis got the inspiration of celebrating Mothers Day from her own mother Mrs Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis in her childhood. An activist and social worker, Mrs Jarvis used to express her desire that someday someone must honor all mothers, living and dead, and pay tribute to the contributions made by them.

A loving daughter, Anna never forgot her mothers word and when her mother died in 1905, she resolved to fulfill her mothers desire of having a mothers day. Growing negligent attitude of adult Americans towards their mothers and a desire to honor her mothers soared her ambitions.

To begin with Anna, send Carnations in the church service in Grafton, West Virginia to honor her mother. Carnations were her mothers favorite flower and Anna felt that they symbolised a mothers pure love. Later Anna along with her supporters wrote letters to people in positions of power lobbying for the official declaration of Mothers Day holiday. The hard work paid off. By 1911, Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

History of Mother's Day: Present Day Celebrations

Today Mothers Day is celebrated in several countries including US, UK, India, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan and Belgium. People take the day as an opportunity to pay tribute to their mothers and thank them for all their love and support. The day has become hugely popular and in several countries phone lines witness maximum traffic. There is also a tradition of gifting flowers, cards and others gift to mothers on the Mothers Day. The festival has become commercialised to a great extent. Florists, card manufacturers and gift sellers see huge business potential in the day and make good money through a rigorous advertising campaign.

It is unfortunate to note that Ms Anna Jarvis, who devoted her life for the declaration of Mothers Day holiday was deeply hurt to note the huge commercialisation of the day.