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Thursday, October 22, 2009

Colombian cocaine kingpin gets 45 years in US jail

Colombian cocaine kingpin gets 45 years in US jail
MIAMI – A court in Miami sentenced Colombian drug kingpin Diego Montoya to 45 years in prison following his guilty plea on trafficking, murder and racketeering charges.
Montoya, 48, whose Norte del Valle cartel once supplied well over half the Colombian cocaine smuggled into the United States and Europe, had agreed to serve the time as part of a plea deal back in August.
Once an FBI top-ten fugitive, he also signed a document detailing his rise to the top of Colombia's cocaine underworld.
Prosecutors estimate that between 1990 and 2004, Norte del Valle exported more than 1.2 million pounds (500 tonnes) of cocaine, worth in excess of 10 billion dollars, from Colombia to the United States. Read More

21 killed in Indian train crash

MATHURA, India – A Delhi-bound Indian express train ploughed into the back of another near the Taj Mahal town of Agra early Wednesday, killing up to 21 and injuring more than 20, police said.
Local police said 21 had died while railway officials put the toll at 13 from the early morning crash on tracks outside the town of Mathura, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Agra in northern India.
Rescuers, working with mechanical cutters amid a huge crowd of onlookers, battled to free people trapped in a badly mangled carriage that bore the brunt of the collision.
The engine of one train had rammed inside the last carriage of a train in front, reserved for the disabled and luggage. Bloodied bodies and people were pulled from the wreckage before being ferried to local hospitals.
"The number of dead from today's accident is 21," a spokesman for local police superintendent B.D. Polson told AFP, adding that 20 were injured in the crash at 5:30 am local time (0000 GMT) that involved two express trains.
Local railway manager Rajendra Dutt Tripathi said 13 were dead and 22 injured. Read More

USA History

History of the United States

The first known inhabitants of what is now the United States are believed to have arrived over a period of several thousand years beginning sometime prior to 15,000–50,000 years ago by crossing Beringia into AlaskaSolid evidence of these cultures settling in what would become United States territory is dated to around 14,000 years ago.



Research has revealed much about the early Native American in North America. Christopher Columbus' men were the first documented settlers from the Old World to land in the territory of what is now the United States when they arrived in Puerto Rico during their second voyage in the year 1493. Juan Ponce de León, who arrived in Florida in 1513, is credited as being the first European to land in what is now the continental United States, although some evidence suggests that John Cabot might have reached what is presently New England in 1498.
The arrival of Europeans began the colonial history of the United States. The Thirteen Colonies, British colonies that would become the original US states, were founded along what is now the country's east coast beginning in 1607. Various other European powers also founded settlements in what would become US territory, both before and later. Due to growing dissatisfaction with British rule, the thirteen British colonies fought the British army in the American Revolutionary War of the 1770s and issued a Declaration of Independence in 1776. In early 1781, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union of the States were established, six months before the end of hostilities in the Revolutionary War. Two years later, Britain officially recognized the sovereignty and independence of the United States in the Treaty of Paris. After the nation split along state lines in 1861, the Civil War—the deadliest war in US history—reunified the country. In the nineteenth century, westward expansion of United States territory began, encouraged by the belief in Manifest Destiny, in which the United States would occupy all of North America east to west, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. By 1912, with the admission of Arizona to the Union, the US reached that goal. The outlying states of Alaska and Hawaii were both admitted in 1959.
Ratified in 1788, the US Constitution serves as the supreme law in organizing the government; the Supreme Court is responsible for upholding Constitutional law. Many forms of social progress started in the nineteenth century; those advancements have been widely reflected in the Constitution. Slavery was abolished in 1865 by the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; the following Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments respectively guaranteed citizenship for all persons naturalized within US territory and voting for people of all races. In later decades, civil rights were extended to women and African-Americans, following effective lobbying from social activists. The Nineteenth Amendment prohibited gender discrimination in voting rights; later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial segregation in public places.
The Progressive Era marked a time of economic growth for the United States, advancing to the Roaring Twenties. However, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 led to the Great Depression, a time of economic downturn and mass unemployment. Consequently, the U.S. government established the New Deal, a series of reform programs that intended to assist those affected by the Depression. The New Deal had varied success. However, once the US entered World War II in December 1941, the economy quickly recovered, so much that the US became a world superpower by the dawn of the Cold War. During the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union were the world's two superpowers, but with the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States became the world's only superpower. Read More

Quick Tour of Firefox Add-On

About the Delicious Bookmark Add-on
The Delicious Bookmarks Add-on enhances your existing Firefox bookmarking system with a new set of tools to help you create, manage and search your bookmarks.
From now on all your bookmarks will be instantly accessible both in your Firefox browser and from your bookmarks page on the Delicious website. This means that any changes you make to your bookmarks in either location will be synchronized. For example adding or deleting a Delicious bookmark in Firefox will add or delete it from your bookmarks page on Delicious. Learn more...
Here's what you need to know to get the most out of this powerful new tool. Read More

In Fraud Case, a Deal That Lost Millions

In Fraud Case, a Deal That Lost Millions
Raj Rajaratnam, the authorities say, masterminded one of the biggest insider-trading schemes in a generation.
But if Mr. Rajaratnam was trading on insider information, apparently he was not very good at it.
A close examination of the trades that led to his arrest last week reveals a startling fact: In all, Mr. Rajaratnam lost millions from what prosecutors characterize as illegal trading.
One bad trade, in the shares of the chip maker Advanced Micro Devices, cost his hedge fund, the Galleon Group, $30 million. That loss more than wiped out the profits that prosecutors claim Mr. Rajaratnam and his accomplices reaped with their scheme.

Read More

Friday, August 28, 2009

Kidnapped Girl Found 18 Years Later

Kidnapped Girl Found 18 Years Later

The stepfather of Jaycee Dugard, the South Lake Tahoe 11-year-old girl abducted from in 1991, told News10 Wednesday night that family members believe authorities have found the now 29-year-old Jaycee alive.“It’s an absolute miracle if it is her…can you imagine this after 18 years?,” Probyn said in a telephone interview.The amazing news of Dugard’s return came after a Concord police officer confirmed to News10 that local agencies were investigating the claims of a woman who allegedly walked into a Contra Costa County law enforcement office Wednesday and said she was kidnapped 18 years ago.Probyn, a contractor who now lives in the southern California community of Orange, said Jaycee’s mother Terry received a call at her job with the Riverside School District from the FBI Wednesday afternoon.Probyn said the agent on the phone identified himself and said, “We’ve got Jaycee.” Terry then had a phone conversation with the woman authorities believed to be her long-lost daughter, a conversation that left Terry “positive” that Jaycee was home, Probyn said.He said his wife thought Jaycee sounded normal and not like she was mistreated over the last 18 years. Terry said that “(Jaycee) remembered a lot,” according to Probyn, who was in “complete shock that (Jaycee) is alive.”Terry Probyn told Carl that the FBI didn’t get into where Jaycee was or who she was with for the past 18 years, but said “she was with some people and…they are in custody.” Probyn said he had no idea about the identity of those “people.”

Big Brother 11 Episode 22

With plans to backdoor Russell, Jeff saved Kevin with the veto in Big Brother 11 Episode 21.
Michele’s losing her closest ally and upset about it. Maybe she should have chosen someone borderline reliable as a partner.
Russell agrees this was a smart move. He just doesn’t have to like it. Jeff finds Russell’s threats thoroughly amusing. He’s happy to be getting rid of this nutcase who blows up all the time at everybody.
Russell’s plan: Kevin should stab Natalie in the back and keep him in the house instead. Really?
Then there’s yelling and yelling and more yelling. Can this moron just be voted out already?
Lydia greets Jessie with a hug. Then she pretends to beat him up so she doesn’t lose face after having told Julie Chen what she would do. Yeah, that’ll last.
As a reward for making it to the final five, the ridiculous/stupid/pointless have/have not thing is over.
Jeff thinks the elimination of Russell will make his game.
Natalie would just like to thank her fellow houseguests in advance for keeping her in the house, since they’ve already told her that they will. With that said, it’s time to vote.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Venezuela's sixth Miss Universe crown!!

Miss Universe 2009, the 58th Miss Universe pageant was held at the Atlantis Paradise Island, in Nassau, Bahamas on August 23, 2009.It made history when an outgoing queen crowned her successor from the same country, Stefanía Fernández, Miss Venezuela, was crowned Miss Universe 2009 by outgoing titleholder Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela. 83 countries and territories competed for the title and the pageant will broadcast live on NBC and Telemundo.

The presentation show, rehearsals, dress rehearsal and the grand final took place at the Imperial Ballroom, in the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.
The presentation show, rehearsals, dress rehearsal and the grand final took place at the Imperial Ballroom, in the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.

Creating history
It was the second consecutive year that a contestant from the oil-producing South American country, which is famous for its beauty queens, won the Miss Universe title. Fernandez beat 83 contestants for the title, including first runner-up Miss Dominican Republic. Kosovo was named second runner-up, Australia third and the contestant from Puerto Rico was fourth runner-up.








Miss Venezuela
Miss Trujillo, Stefania Fernandez, 18, was crowned Miss Universe 2009 during a ceremony televised live that lasted over 2 hours, at Bahamas. The 5'10'' beauty received the crown and sash from the hands of Dayana Mendoza, the outgoing Miss Universe. She becomes Venezuela's 6th beauty queen to conquer the Miss Universe crown. Stefania won the “Miss Elegance”, “Best Body” and “Best Face”, titles at Miss Venezuela 2008.
For More Information about this topic pls visit following links

Thursday, August 20, 2009

MICHAEL JACKSON

MICHAEL JACKSON NEWS TILL NOW

June 25th 2009 - Multiple news sources have annouced that Michael Jackson is dead. He died in a Los Angeles hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Update 26th June 2009 (UK time) Jermaine Jackson has confirmed Michael Jackson collapsed at his home and was later pronounced dead Thursday June 25th 2.26 pm


It is not my intention to update the site with gossip and legal wrangling's that may go on now that Michael Jackson has sadly passed away. In the future when things have settled down I will update the Michael Jackson news section with any entertainment related news, such as any Tribute concerts or shows, Jackson family entertainment news and any future releases of Michael Jackson music.

Michael Jackson Funeral News.
No news has been confirmed regarding the funeral of Michael Jackson. However it is rumored that the Jackson family have not ruled out a public funeral.

Update: Its been reported that the Jackson family are considering an independent autopsy of Michael Jackson's body. This is likely to delay any funeral date announcement.

Update: The Jackson family are reportedly gathering to discuss Michael Jackson's funeral arrangements.

Update, June 29th Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson attended the BET Awards. When asked about Michael's Jacksons funeral he stated that no plans had yet been finalized.

Update June 30th Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson gave a press conference last night and confirmed no funeral plans were yet in place. He did imply that a funeral for someone as hugely popular as michael Jackson couldn't be private.

Pubilic Viewing of Michael's Body The Jackson family have announced there will be no public viewing of Michael Jackson's body.

Michael Jackson Funeral Date: Early reports say Michael Jackson funeral service will be held on Sunday 5th July. There will be a public memorial service for Michael Jackson on Tuesday 7th July. For infomration on how to get a ticket (if you can genuinely attend) see the See Staples Center web site.

I don't know what religion Michael Jackson was, obviously a private matter in his life and I tried to keep this site focused on his talent and the entertainment.
There were alot of rumours that Michael Jackson was a Muslim like his older brother Jermaine Jackson, so if that is the case it might be a Muslim funeral. I guess in time we will find out this type of information.
Millions of fans are asking "Where is Michael Jackson's Funeral?" and "Where is Michael Jackson's Funeral?" Where possible they will want to travel to pay there respects. This could be one of the biggest funerals in the world since Princess Diana died over 10 years ago.

See this page for information regarding Michael Jackson's death and how teh news broke and the susquent das leading up to his Memorial service.
  • June 2009 Michael Jackson dies aged 50.

  • March 2009 Michael Jackson to perform at the O2 Arena, London

  • September 2008 Bravo Legend and Pamela not dating Michael

  • August 2008 Michael's 50th Birthday

  • July 2008 Track with Akon leaked online, titled "Hold My Hand"

  • February 2008 Thriller 25th Anniversary album released!

  • January 2008 New Single The Girl is Mine 2008 with will.i.am

  • December 2007 Epic unveil forthcoming 25th Anniversary of Thriller

  • November 2007 Michael appears on cover of Ebony magazine..

  • October 2007 Michael appears on cover of Italian Vogue magazine.

  • March 2007 Michael ends rumours. Michael Arrives in Japan, attends V.I.P party.

  • February 2007 Michael's vocals on new track.

  • January 2007 Michael staying in the U.S.A. Jermaine finishes 2nd in CBB.

  • December 2006 Not selling Neverland. Attends James Brown funeral.

  • November 2006 Access Hollywood Interview aires. Michael in London to collect award from the WMA.

  • October 2006 Michael Denies Female Clothes.

  • September 2006 Album News, Child Custody Case Settled,

  • August 2006 Fire At Neverland, Takes On Legal Conspiracy

  • July 2006 Visionary Chart Positions, Trial Against Schaffel, XtraJet Recorder Sentenced.

  • June 2006 Moving To Europe?

  • May 2006 Michael accepts MTV Legend Award in Tokyo

  • April 2006 Michael Signs New Record Deal

  • March 2006 Visionary Singles released

  • February 2006 Visionary Box set released

  • January 2006

  • June 2005 Down to the Jury

  • May 2005 Defence continues 14th -31st May

  • May 2005 Defence begins ( up to May 13th)

  • April 17th -30th 2005 Including Mother and Ex Wife on the Stand

  • April 2005 Trial Continues

  • March 2005 19th-31st Opening Statements and Witnesses

  • March 2005 1st-18th Opening Statements and Witnesses Feburary 2005 The trial continues, Jury Selection, Delay, Illness, Resumes

  • January 2005 The trial commences December 2003 - 2004 News not related to the allegations.

  • November 2003 New Single "One More Chance" Greatest Hits Album and Dvd.

  • Aug - October 2003 Very Latest- New Single news

  • July 2003 Jackson 5 to reform? Michael working on new creative content June 2003 New buisness advisor and future work projects.

  • May 2003 Back To Gary Indiana

  • April 2003 Release of Private Home Movies

  • March 2003 Lisa Marie speaks of Michael

  • Feburary 2003 "Living With Michael Jackson" latest

  • January 2003 Various

  • December 2002 Avram court case, new material, billboard award

  • Sept-November 2002 Avram court case, baby balcony, bambi award

  • June-August 2002 Sony Music dispute, MJ in UK

Don Hewitt's '60 Minutes' remains timeless and elegant

The newsmagazine has stuck to its sober approach even during this shrill era.

When it comes to reporting news, and even the less-urgent doings of the world, plainness is a virtue. The awfulness or delight of any truly awful or delightful story will speak for itself; complex issues do not benefit from screaming.
The stopwatch that ticks through the CBS television newsmagazine "60 Minutes" perfectly encapsulates the straightforward, unadorned approach that the program -- created by Don Hewitt, who died Wednesday at age 86 -- has maintained since it went on the air in 1968 (a year in which there was much screaming, from many sides).

This is just a slice of time out of the turning world, it says; and in form as well as content, "60 Minutes" stands in elegant relief against the network newsmagazines that followed in its wake, shows whose video-game graphics and summer-blockbuster music cues pummel the viewer into a state of fear or rage even before a word is spoken.

More Information visit: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-hewitt20-2009aug20,0,3942679.story

Monday, August 10, 2009

SWINE FLU

SWINE FLU:Are You Affected? Check OUT!
As you all know about the outburst of swine flu epidemic spreading rapidly the world in it's grip.It's been declared as World Disease. Until Today AUG 10 '09 in India alone 782 Reported Cases. 511 Cases Cured until now. But also 6 Reported Deaths.

SO DO Not JUST READ ,please look around, somebody might need help !!

So I just am concerned for Exbiian's ,and also the world revolving around them and trying to provide some knowledge, through which a calamity can be averted.
SO PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE THIS.You never know the person next to you might be affected.
Knowledge is the first step here. So please do read the Entire Section as it is been released by Medical Authorities for educating people.
I hope this will be taken in positive response from EXBII. :)

SWINE FLU FACTFILE

What are the symptoms?

Swine flu symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular flu and include fever of over 100.4°F, fatigue, lack of appetite, and cold. Some people with swine flu have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms.

So, how do you know if you have flu or just cold?
There is one clue: when you have the flu, you feel flu symptoms sooner than you would cold symptoms, and they come on with much greater intensity. With the flu, you may feel very weak and fatigued for up to 2 or 3 weeks. You'll have muscle aches and periods of chills and sweats as fever comes and goes. You may also have a stuffy or runny nose, headache, and sore throat.

Can I compare flu symptoms with cold symptoms?

Yes. The following chart can help you compare flu symptoms with cold symptoms. Use it to lean the differences and similarities between flu and cold symptoms. Then, if you get flu symptoms, call your doctor and ask about an antiviral drug.



Symptoms / Cold / Flu
Fever / Rare / Characteristic, high 100-102 degrees F); lasts 3-4 days

Headache / Rare / Prominent

General aches, pains / Slight Usual; /often severe

Fatigue, Weakness / Quite mild / Can last up to 2-3 weeks

Extreme Exhaustion / Never / Early and prominent

Stuffy Nose / Common / Sometimes

Chest Discomfort,Cough / Mild to moderate; hacking cough / Common; can become severe

You cannot confirm if you have swine flu just based on your symptoms. Like seasonal flu, pandemic swine flu can cause neurologic symptoms in children. These events are rare, but, as cases associated with seasonal flu have shown, they can be very severe and often fatal.

Doctors may offer a rapid flu test, but what you need to understand is a negative result doesn't necessarily mean you don't have the flu. Only lab tests can definitively show whether you've got swine flu. State health departments can do these tests.

Source: WebMD

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Powerful typhoon hits China

1 million evacuated as powerful typhoon hits China

BEIJING — A powerful typhoon toppled houses, flooded villages and forced nearly 1 million people to flee to safety on China's eastern coast before weakening into a tropical storm Monday.

Named Morakot, the storm struck after triggering the worst flooding in Taiwan in 50 years, leaving hundreds missing or unaccounted for and bringing down a six-story hotel. It earlier lashed the Philippines, killing at least 22 people.
Morakot, or emerald in Thai, slammed into China's Fujian province Sunday afternoon as a typhoon carrying heavy rain and winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour, according the China Meteorological Administration. At least one child died after a house collapsed in Zhejiang province.
By early Monday, the storm packed winds of 52 miles per hour (83 kilometers per hour) and churned at about 6 mph (10 kph), it said.
Hundreds of villages and towns were flooded and more than 2,000 houses collapsed, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
People stumbled with flashlights as the storm enveloped the town of Beibi in Fujian in darkness, Xinhua said. Strong winds uprooted trees or snapped them apart, while farmers used buckets to catch fish swept out of fish farms by high waves.
Village officials in Zhejiang rode bicycles to hand out drinking water and instant noodles to residents stranded by deep floods, while rescuers tried to reach eight sailors on a cargo ship blown onto a reef off Fujian, Xinhua reported.
About 1 million people were evacuated from China's eastern coastal provinces.
Morakot hit Taiwan late Friday and crossed the island Saturday causing the worst flooding in half a century.
Authorities used helicopters to drop food Monday at mountainous Shiaolin village in southern Kaohsiung county, which was hit by a massive landslide. Bad weather prevented the helicopters from landing, and official Yang Chiu-hsing said rescuers were prevented from approaching Shiaolin by road because bridges and roads had been damaged by floods.
Taiwan's CTI and ETTV Cable News reported more than 100 houses in the community may have been buried in the landslide, leaving some 1,000 villagers unaccounted for.
Outside of Shiaolin, Taiwan's Disaster Relief Center said Morakot killed 12 people and another 52 were missing, including 14 people whose makeshift home was swept away. Two policemen were washed away while helping to evacuate villagers in southeastern Taitung county.
The government set up a task force to coordinate relief work in the worst-hit counties in the south, where many towns and villages remained inundated by floodwaters, officials said.
In Japan, meanwhile, Typhoon Etau slammed into the western coast Monday. Twelve people were killed in raging floodwaters and landslides and 10 others were missing, police said.
In the northern Philippines, the death toll from Morakot rose to 22 Monday with 18 injured and four missing, including three European tourists who were swept away.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Indian Film Actor Murali Passed Away

Actor Murali, a national award winner and one of the eminent actors in Malayalam died in a hospital, Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday night following a brief illness.
An acute diabetic patient, Murali was admitted in a private hospital yesterday and the end came as he suffered a heart attack, as confirmed by the hospital sources. Murali, 55, is survived by wife Shailaja and daughter Karthika .

Murali had acted in around 200 films in his 30-year career. Last week he had just come back from Cape Town in South Africa, where he was shooting for Tamil actor Surya’s Aadhavan, directed by K.S Ravikumar and produced by Udayanidhi Stalin.

He won the National award (Bharath) for the best actor in 2001 for his performance in Neythukaaran (Weaver) and had won four State awards as well. Njhaattadi (1979) directed by the late 'Bharat' Gopi was his first film. His notable films include Panchagni, Lal Salam, Venkalam, Amaram, Champakulam Thachan, Ghershome, Ekaantham, Chamayam and Meenamaasathile Sooryan.

In theatre, his role of 'Ravana' in the play Lankalakshmi directed by C N Sreekantan Nair had been widely appreciated. The funeral will take place today, Friday -evening at 5 pm with state honours, till then his body will be kept at the VJT Hall in Thiruvananthapuram.

Georgians still displaced by war

Around 30,000 people forced from their homes by last year's war between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia are still displaced.

Amnesty International said most were ethnic Georgians, who even now lacked basic services and suffered hardship. Friday marks the first anniversary of the start of the five-day conflict in which Russia defeated the Georgians who sent their troops into South Ossetia.


Vigils will be held across the area as people remember the hundreds who died. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is due to address the nation following a day of ceremonies, including a nationwide day of silence.
Earlier, bonfires were lit across the country at midnight local time.

'Omnipresent sports'
In a new report published a year after the beginning of the conflict, Amnesty International said it had found that 30,000 civilians from both sides were still unable to return to their homes.

Bonfires were lit in Georgia at midnight to mark the anniversary of the war A total of nearly 200,000 were displaced by the fighting. Of the 38,500 people who fled South Ossetia for Russia, all but 4,000 were thought to have been returned, the human rights group said.

A further 138,000 ethnic Georgians were displaced by the fighting, but 18,500 who fled South Ossetia and the district of Akhalgori remain displaced. Most have been provided with compensation or temporary accommodation, as well as basic furniture and facilities.
However, their biggest problems remained the remoteness of some of the settlements, which deprived the inhabitants of easy access to hospitals, schools and places of work, Amnesty said. Many people are still dependent on aid.

"An omnipresent sense of tension and insecurity prevent many people from returning to their homes and carrying on with their lives," Amnesty said in a statement. "Many of the people who have returned are facing a new reality brought about by the conflict, a reality in which they struggle to rebuild their lives and livelihoods," it added.

Blame game
On Thursday, Georgia's government repeated its claim that its assault on South Ossetia was a response to a secret Russian invasion.

Russia denied it was first to move, and accused the Georgian government of "a pre-planned criminal act".

The BBC's Richard Galpin in Tskhinvali says the causes of the war last August remain a hotly contested issue, with both Russia and Georgia continuing to blame each other.
Much of the South Ossetian capital is still in ruins But many diplomats believe Mr Saakashvili acted rashly, walking into a trap laid by the Russians. Tensions had been rising ever since Mr Saakashvili came to power five years ago determined to move Georgia out of the Russian sphere of influence, in particular by applying to join Nato, our correspondent says.
One of the easiest ways for Moscow to put pressure on him was through South Ossetia and the other breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, which lies on Russia's southern border, he adds.
The Georgian president had pledged to restore his country's territorial integrity and he was clearly impatient to do this, our correspondent says, so Russia developed ever closer relations with the two regions.

The West's decision to recognise the independence of Kosovo early last year may have been a turning point for Moscow, which in response moved as close as possible to recognising South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states without explicitly saying so, he adds. Soon after, both Russia and Georgia started preparing for war.

Russia began building up its military positions in both breakaway regions, while in Tbilisi, Western diplomats kept trying to stop President Saakashvili from launching an attack, respected analysts say.

In early August, skirmishing between Georgian and South Ossetian forces turned into an all-out assault on Tskhinvali by the Georgian military. In response, Russia invaded deep into Georgia.
But our correspondent says it is still unclear where exactly the Russian forces were on the night of the Georgian attack on South Ossetia.

Blackberry Curve 8520 From Airtel at Rs.15990

Bangalore: Bharti Airtel, an Indian telecom company has launched the BlackBerry Curve 8520 at Rs.15,990 in India, targeting young professionals and students in collaboration with the manufacturer of the device, the Canada-based Research in Motion (RIM). Before India, 8520 was launched in U.S. and Canada by RIM. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 will be available nationally from Airtel's authorized outlets through Bharti Teletech across India from August 7.

As for the feature, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 comes with a standard full-QWERTY and Wi-Fi support. It is quite light weight as well, tipping the scales at just 106 grams. The phone comes with 256 MB flash memory and a 512 MHz CPU (central processing unit). It supports memory expansion hot swappable micro SD or SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards and supports cards of up to 16 GB. There is nothing much to talk on the camera front. The 8520 comes with a two megapixel camera with support for video recording. The battery is a 1150 mAhr, one good for up to 4.5 hours of talk time and 17 days of standby time.

Most of the analysts feel that the launch of BlackBerry Curve 8520 follows that of Nokia's E-series phones that have most of the standard BlackBerry features and are available at a price starting from Rs.12,500. Frenny Bawa, Vice President, RIM said, "The launch of BlackBerry Curve 8520 in India on Tuesday was not a reaction to Nokia's E-series. We are pioneers in smartphone. We do not need to react to any market development."

Currently, the cheapest device available from the BlackBerry stable is the 8700g, which is a basic enterprise email device available for around Rs.9,990. It has no camera or other multimedia features. The most expensive one is the BlackBerry Bold, which costs around Rs.31,990. BlackBerry also offers the Pearl series of phones that do not have a Qwerty-enabled keyboard and are available for Rs.23,990. In early January, Vodafone Essar launched the BlackBerry Storm, a touchscreen phone, for Rs.27,990.

According to research firm Gartner, out of the 120 million mobile phones sold in India every year, 4-5 percent are smartphones, and Nokia has around 60-70 percent of the market share in this segment. The 8520 is launched targeting virtually untapped segment of young professionals and retail consumers who have been inching to get their hands on a BlackBerry device but were intimidated by the pricing of the earlier models. Naveen Mishra, Analyst (communications research) at IDC India said, "India is a young market in that more than 50 percent of mobile phone users are under the age of 35. They are looking for a phone that fulfills both their enterprise and personal needs, including email as well as entertainment. This phone has made BlackBerry more approachable to 20-25-year-olds, who make up the largest chunk of high-end mobile users in the country."

The new model is likely to be available in different skin colours, contrary to its signature colour, black. Currently, RIM has approximately a 28.5 million BlackBerry subscriber base across the world.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Foreign tourists held in Iran: Kurdish official

A senior Kurdish security official said on Saturday that three tourists, believed to be American, who disappeared close to northern Iraq's border with Iran, had entered Iranian territory and been arrested.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Michel Jacksons Doctors Office Raided By Drug Agents

Houston: U.S. drug enforcement agents and Los Angeles police on Wednesday raided a Houston clinic owned by Conrad Murray, the doctor who was with pop icon Michael Jackson when he died, looking for evidence of manslaughter.

Obama defends health care reforms

Obama defends healthcare plans
President Barack Obama has defended his plans for health reform in a news conference broadcast live in the US. Mr Obama pledged to push through a reform package by the end of the year that would reduce health costs, increase choice and widen coverage.
Congress is currently debating various proposals, and lawmakers are struggling to reach agreement.
Mr Obama said he now saw "broad agreement" on passing a reform, but a few issues still needed working out. The president has made passing a health care reform bill the top priority of his first year in the White House. In the past 10 days, he has embarked on an aggressive push to promote his plans, as members of Congress argue over the details of reform.

The BBC's Jane O'Brien in Washington says this is the first big test of Mr Obama's political strength and a measure of how far he is prepared to bend to achieve his agenda.
Any failure will be seen by his opponents as a major personal defeat, she says.

More information visit: BBC News

Bin Laden son 'believed killed'


Bin Laden son 'believed killed'

It is not known if Osama Bin Laden was in the same location as his son One of Osama Bin Laden's sons is believed to have been killed by a US missile strike in Pakistan earlier this year, a US intelligence official says.
The official told National Public Radio agents were "80 to 85%" sure Saad Bin Laden was dead, but added that without a body it was hard to be certain.

The son was not deliberately targeted and happened to be "in the wrong place at the wrong time", the official said.
Saad Bin Laden was active in al-Qaeda but not a major player, he added.
House arrest "We make a big deal out of him because of his last name," the senior intelligence official told the US-based radio station.

Saad Bin Laden was Osama Bin Laden's third son and in his late 20s.
US intelligence agencies believe he fled to Pakistan after spending several years under house arrest in Iran.

He was probably killed by a Hellfire missile fired from a US Predator drone, the official said.

He gave no date for the strike, saying only it was "sometime this year".

It is not known if he was in the same location as his father, who is believed to be hiding in the rugged mountainous tribal area that runs along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The US has stepped up its drone attacks on targets linked to al-Qaeda and Taliban militants in the area.

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