Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Get Rid of Aging Problem

Antioxidants are intimately involved in the prevention of cellular damage -- the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases. The scientific community has begun to unveil some of the mysteries surrounding this topic, and the media has begun whetting our thirst for knowledge. Athletes have a keen interest because of health concerns and the prospect of enhanced performance and/or recovery from exercise. The purpose of this article is to serve as a beginners guide to what antioxidants are and to briefly review their role in exercise and general health. What follows is only the tip of the iceberg in this dynamic and interesting subject.

Endurance exercise can increase oxygen utilization from 10 to 20 times over the resting state. This greatly increases the generation of free radicals, prompting concern about enhanced damage to muscles and other tissues. The question that arises is, how effectively can athletes defend against the increased free radicals resulting from exercise? Do athletes need to take extra antioxidants?

Because it is not possible to directly measure free radicals in the body, scientists have approached this question by measuring the by-products that result from free radical reactions. If the generation of free radicals exceeds the antioxidant defenses then one would expect to see more of these by-products. These measurements have been performed in athletes under a variety of conditions.

Glutathione (gamma-glutamyl-cysteinyl-glycine; GSH) is the most abundant low-molecular-weight thiol, and GSH/glutathione disulfide is the major redox couple in animal cells. The synthesis of GSH from glutamate, cysteine, and glycine is catalyzed sequentially by two cytosolic enzymes, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and GSH synthetase. Compelling evidence shows that GSH synthesis is regulated primarily by gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase activity, cysteine availability, and GSH feedback inhibition. Animal and human studies demonstrate that adequate protein nutrition is crucial for the maintenance of GSH homeostasis. In addition, enteral or parenteral cystine, methionine, N-acetyl-cysteine, and L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylate are effective precursors of cysteine for tissue GSH synthesis.

These initial products position OXIS for a feasible entry into the wellness market with a lot of room for expansion. This paves the way for solid partnerships with leaders in the industry with an established customer base or those with the capacity to build one. The ultimate goal is to be regarded as a health partner. For now, it may be penny stocks for OXIS, but with more nutraceutical products lined up (including functional foods like nutrition bars and energy beverages sold over the Internet and through multi-level marketing, infomercials, direct mail, and retail outlets), the future of OXIS is secure and will benefit people all over, allowing them to be healthy and young.

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Friday, June 18, 2010

Mark Gonzalez enjoying 'dream' tournament

Chile winger Mark Gonzalez has double reason for wanting to prolong his "dream" first appearance at a FIFA World Cup.The 25-year-old former Liverpool player was born in Durban and then lived in Johannesburg until the age of 10 as his father Raul, also a Chile international, played in South African football. Gonzalez, who appeared as a late substitute in Chile's impressive 1-0 win over Honduras on Wednesday, still has family in the country and is keen to visit them.

Gonzalez, now a CSKA Moscow player, said: "I think playing in the World Cup is the greatest thing that can happen to a soccer player. It is a dream come true. I don't know how to express how happy I feel or how we feel to be here. I have seen a few of my family, my uncle and a few cousins, but I haven't seen them all yet. They were at the game but I am looking forward to playing in Johannesburg or Pretoria so I can see more of them."

Chile will play in Pretoria in their final Group H match against Spain but they will have to reach the knockout stages to travel to the capital. The South Americans, in their first finals since 1998, can take a big step towards the second round if they can see off Switzerland in Port Elizabeth next Monday.

After that they must then turn their attention to their tough clash against European champions Spain and Gonzalez hopes to come into his own for that particular game. The former Real Betis and Real Sociedad player said: "I know all their players, their qualities and their skills. I know everything about their team. We all know what Spain are, they have very important players and are very dangerous. But we know we have the supporters in Chile and the family behind us. That is a very big motivation. It is the first time we have played a World Cup and we just want to do our best."

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Chelsea to kick off title defence at home to West Brom

Champions Chelsea will kick off their title defence at home to promoted West Bromwich Albion on August 14, the Premier League announced on Thursday.In other headline clashes of the opening day fixtures, Newcastle United will mark their return to the top flight with a mouth-watering trip to Old Trafford against runners-up Manchester United.Blackpool's opening Premier League fixture will be at home to Wigan Athletic before trips south to Arsenal and Fulham. They will also play at Manchester United on the final day of their first season in the top flight since 1971.

Arsenal, third last season, kick off their campaign with a tough starter against Liverpool at Anfield while Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester City, the side they pipped for the final Champions League qualifying position last term.Newcastle's match at Old Trafford is a re-run of the start of the 2008/09 season, at the end of which the Magpies were relegated and United went on to win the title.

The two clubs drew 1-1 on that occasion. Last season's top two will have to wait until Dec. 18 for their first encounter, with United travelling to Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea will then visit Old Trafford on May 7, two weeks before the end of the season.Avram Grant's first league game as West Ham United manager, after leaving relegated Portsmouth, will be at Aston Villa.

Switzerland beats Spain

World Cup favourites Spain crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat to unfancied Switzerland in their opening game of the tournament on Wednesday.A rock solid defence and a tremendous goalkeeping effort from Diego Benaglio saw the Swiss take the lead in the 51st minute through Gelson Fernandes and sustain wave after wave of pressure to hold on for the win in the Group H clash.

The victory was Switzerland's first-ever over Spain in 19 games dating back 85 years.
Fernandes' scrambled goal was exactly the type pundits said the Swiss might score against a Spanish team whose slick passing game failed to convert territory and overwhelming possessional advantage into anything concrete.A long, straight goalkick was picked up by striker Eren Derdiyok, whose path was blocked by an onrushing Iker Casillas.In the melee, the ball squirted into the path of defender Gerard Pique who fell as he twisted trying to clear the ball, and the Cape Verde-born Fernandes was left with the easiest of tap-ins.

Derdiyok could have made it two for the Swiss but saw his prod with the outside of his foot rebound off the post in the 74th minute.Spain will be left kicking themselves after dominating much of open play, while Vicente Del Bosque's selection policy will be questioned after the positive impact of strikers Jesus Navas and Fernando Torres off the bench.But the Spanish, fielding the backbone of the side that won Euro 2008, did have their chances.In the first tame 45 minutes, Pique's shot was parried by Benaglio, and David Villa made a real hash of a cross rather than shooting.

Benaglio, who saw key Fulham defender Philippe Senderos limp off with an ankle injury after half an hour, was tested more as Spain pressed in the second-half after going behind to Fernandes' goal.In short succession, Villa was thwarted by a diving Benaglio, Andres Iniesta saw a curling effort miss the posts by a metre, and Torres twisted and fired high and wide.Alonso then saw a 30-yard bullet of a strike come back off the woodwork with Benaglio well beaten. Navas had a shot well saved by the Swiss keeper and went narrowly wide shortly after.But the Swiss, often playing with nine of their 10 outfield players behind the ball, held on for the historic win and gave themselves hope of progressing to the second round, as they did four years ago in Germany.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Great Opening for FIFA 2010

The ceremony was followed by the first game of the tournament between the hosts and Group A rivals Mexico.Africa is staging the World Cup for the first time, with 32 nations competing in 64 games until the final on 11 July.Nelson Mandela was due to attend the opening ceremony but withdrew following the death of his great-granddaughter.Zenani Mandela, 13, died in a car crash when travelling home from the pre-World Cup concert in Johannesburg on Thursday.

She was one of the 91-year-old anti-apartheid icon's nine great-grandchildren.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation released a statement saying it would be "inappropriate" for Mandela, a former South African president, to be at the opening ceremony."We are sure that South Africans and people all over the world will stand in solidarity with Mr Mandela and his family in the aftermath of this tragedy," added the statement."We continue to believe that the World Cup is a momentous and historic occasion for South Africa and the continent and we are certain it will be a huge success."

The 40-minute ceremony began with a five-plane military flypast over the stadium, which resembles a huge African cooking pot.A group of drummers and dancers performed a 'Welcome to Africa' song that included an introduction to all 10 tournament's venues.The next sequence saw a gigantic beetle show off its football skills with the Jabulani - the official football of the finals - before large pieces of cloth were used to show a map of the continent.Musicians and artists from the other African finalists - Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria - also had their chance to perform in a joint sequence.

Mandela's World Cup message

Multiple Grammy Award winner R Kelly then sang the ceremony's showpiece song, 'Sign of a Victory' with South Africa's Soweto Spiritual Singers.But one of the loudest cheers was reserved for Mandela, whose image appeared on screens to a message of hope from him in song.Not everyone made it to their seats by the start, with traffic problems delaying some fans.But Archbishop Desmond Tutu and president Jacob Zuma were in attendance, along with the likes of United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, Mexican president Felipe Calderon, Prince Albert of Monaco and United States vice-president Joe Biden.

The global TV audience for the tournament will be made up of viewers in more than 215 countries and will run into hundreds of millions.The festivities began in earnest on Thursday, with Shakira among the artists at a vast pre-tournament concert in Soweto.The Colombian pop star performed the official World Cup song Waka Waka and was joined by a cast of international stars, including the Black Eyed Peas and Alicia Keys, along with African stars Amadou & Mariam and Hugh Masekela.

Since it was chosen as the first African host of the World Cup in 2004, South Africa has spent about 40bn rand (£3.55bn) on stadiums, transport infrastructure and upgrading airports.

Friday, May 14, 2010

US will burn soon: Taliban claimed

Pakistan Taliban militants have warned America that it will soon "burn" while calling for Pakistan's rulers to be overthrown for following "America's agenda".The United States is convinced Pakistani Taliban militants allied with al-Qaida and operating out of northwestern Pakistani border regions were behind an attempted car bomb attack in New York's Times Square on May 1.

The Pakistan Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing. If confirmed, it would be the first time their members were involved in an an attempted attack in the West.A Pakistan Taliban spokesman, in a video message said, repeated a claim of responsibility, saying: "The movement proved what America could not have even imagined ... It was just an explosive-laden vehicle which did not explode. "But it (America) will see, all imperialist forces will see that it will explode also and America will also burn," said the spokesman, Azim Tariq, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of a rock face and speaking in Urdu.

America's allies would meet the same fate, he said. "They can neither eliminate the mujahideen nor jihad, nor they can harm Islam," he said, referring to Muslim holy warriors and holy war. "Instead, they will have to die themselves, they will be burnt themselves, they will have to dig their own graves," said the spokesman, sporting a long black beard and turban.Pakistan has been battling its homegrown Taliban, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban, and who have been accused of numerous suicide bombings killing hundreds of people across the nuclear-armed country. But Tariq denied responsibility for bombings in public places, saying authorities wanted to malign the militants with such attacks. Tariq spoke of fighting in various places in Pakistan saying his men were holding their own and the security forces, which he said were being paid with US aid money, were suffering significant losses. "They are being defeated," he said.

Tariq did not refer specifically to any attacks abroad, but said mujahideen "wherever they were, in any part of the world" were supporting each other.
Analysts have long doubted the Pakistan Taliban, operating out of remote mountains along the Afghan border, had the sophistication to plan and execute a bomb attack in a Western country on their own. They can, however, support and train people who are able to travel to the West and carry out attacks.Tariq said the Pakistani people were being sacrificed for the sake of the United States by their own government, which he called un-Islamic.

"Now is a time to remove them from power as soon as possible. All their policies are anti-Islam, anti-people," he said. "Jihad will continue as long as the ruling coterie and the unholy army continue to follow the American agenda," he said. Pakistan has been cooperating with US investigators trying to determine what links the Pakistani-American man suspected of carrying out the attempted Times Square bombing, Faisal Shahzad, had with militants in Pakistan.

Dhoni has last chance in Asia Cup

He's had a six-year honeymoon since his international debut in 2004, been hailed as 'Captain Cool' and led India to the inaugural T20 World Cup title and the No. 1 ranking in Tests. But Mahendra Singh Dhoni may be about to suffer the first major setback of his career.With India failing to win a single Super 8 match in two straight T20 World Cups, there is talk of replacing Dhoni as captain in both one-dayers and T20. However, sources have told TIMES NOW that after India's shocking exit, the BCCI is now going to put captain MS Dhoni under probation.

Sources told TIMES NOW that Asia Cup in June will be Dhoni's last chance to redeem himself as skipper. If Dhoni fails to lead India to win in Asia Cup then he may face the axe.The BCCI is now going to closely monitor Dhoni's performances as skipper in the tournaments to come and decide on his fate as the captain of the T20 & ODI side.

India have had some high profile crashes in World Cup's under Dhoni specially the T20 World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy last year and now BCCI's patience seems to be running out on Dhoni specially with the ODI World Cup at home less than an year away.Sources have also told TIMES NOW that the man most likely to replace Dhoni will be Virender Sehwag. Viru has been the leader of India's batting lineup for the last decade and his carefree attitude and fresh ideas may work in his favour, but Viru's poor fitness record is well known and that may work against him.Gautam Gambhir is the other contender for Dhoni's throne. Gauti is a team-man and popular in the dressing room, but his inexperience of leading sides at the highest level may work against him.

It is possible that India will have a new captain as early as next month when the selectors name the squad for Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. While Sehwag seems the front-runner for the top job, Dhoni will continue to lead the team in Tests, where India is No. 1 in ICC rankings.The series of "blunders" by Dhoni in team selection, batting order and tactics are likely to be held against him.

In fact, some insiders say that the change of guard is aimed at achieving two objectives — one, signalling the BCCI's deep displeasure with Dhoni for speaking "out of turn", and two, deflecting attention from the BCCI which can't be absolved of blame for its failure to prepare the team.What's making it easier for the administrators to seriously think of axing Dhoni is his below-average form. His tendency to frequently promote himself in the batting order has apparently led to murmurs amongst batsmen who find themselves being constantly shunted up and down the order.

Those claiming to know the selectors' also point out 'shortcomings' like Dhoni's inability these days to come up with his trademark big hits. They cite the crunch match against Sri Lanka in which Dhoni walked in with Gambhir and Raina having provided a perfect platform, but failed to provide impetus. Worse, someone like Yusuf Pathan, who could have taken on the Lankan spinners, got just a few balls to face.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Kasab gets death penalty

Judge M L Tahaliyani has awarded the death sentence to Pakistani terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab. The judge felt Kasab’s crime fell under the judicial definition of "rarest of rare" and death by hanging was well deserved.Kasab was given the death penalty on four counts. The court said there was no chance of Kasab reforming.

Kasab will now set out on a long journey where legal and moral issues will be considered by authorities for years, even decades, before he is finally put to death.Immediately after pronouncement of the death sentence judge Tahaliyani will have to send his order for confirmation to the Bombay HC. He is bound by the Section 366 of the Criminal Procedure Code to do so. In normal cases it is the convicted man who goes in appeal to the HC but where it is the case of his life being taken away, the trial court must send the case papers to the high court.

The Bombay HC will call for all the evidence and weigh it at its own discretion. It is a practice for the high court to be satisfied on the facts as well as the law of the case, that the conviction is right, before it proceeds to confirm the sentence. This could take a few months.Even after the high court has given its nod to the death sentence, Kasab has the option of going in appeal to the Supreme Court. For instance last year Surinder Koli, the man whose death sentence in the Nithari case was confirmed by the Allahabad High Court, went in appeal to the Supreme Court. His petition is still pending. Similarly, Kasab's appeal too would be considered in detail by the highest court as it looks at all the arguments in favour of and against the death sentence.

Going by past record, the longest wait in execution of the death sentence will start once it is out of hands of the judiciary and into the domain of the government. After the Supreme Court too gives assent to the death sentence, Kasab will have the legal right to file a mercy petition before the President of India under article 72 of the Constitution. While this petition is pending Kasab's execution will stay suspended — maybe for decades.

When Kasab will hang????

Hanging 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab may be sooner said than done as the death sentence given by the special court in Mumbai on Thursday will now have to be endorsed by the Supreme Court and, in case of a mercy petition, will require the president's assent.The entire process could take years if not decades as there are at least 52 people still waiting for presidential assent on their execution, while nearly 300 others condemned to the gallows by lower courts are awaiting the apex court's endorsement.

As Kasab, the lone Pakistan-based terrorist caught alive in the Mumbai terror attack, has been tried under various charges of terrorism under India's latest anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004, by a special anti-terror court, he will be entitled to approach the Supreme Court directly to challenge the trial court verdict, including his death sentence.
And even if the apex court conducts an expeditious hearing over his appeal, it is highly unlikely that the final decision in the case will be taken in less than five years, say legal experts.

For, even if the apex court decides in favour of the death sentence, Kasab will be entitled to seek a review of the verdict. And in case, if the apex court sticks to its stand, he may approach it a third time with what is known as a curative petition, raising some question of law.In case the apex court again decides against Kasab, he will still have the freedom to approach the President of India with a mercy petition to seek commutation of his death sentence into life or outright release under Article 72 of the constitution.Kasab was among 10 Pakistani gunmen who struck in Mumbai in November 2008 in India's worst terror attack that left 166 people dead. Other than Kasab, the nine others gunmen were killed by security forces.The list of prisoners already condemned to the gallows in India but waiting presidential assent for execution includes Mohammed Afzal Guru, convicted for his role in the December 2001 parliament attack case.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lalit Modi will head family business

Putting to rest persistent reports about strained — even estranged — relations between himself and his son Lalit Modi, industrialist K K Modi sprang to his son's defence on Monday and declared that the 46-year-old would succeed him as head of the Rs 3,500-crore group's flagship company, Godfrey Phillips India (GPI), the makers of Marlboro, Four Square and Red & White cigarettes.

"Lalit is the seniormost member of the K K Modi family, he is meant to take over the business," the 73-year patriarch told TOI. Lalit is, at present, an executive director in GPI. Modi senior, however, did not have a date in mind for the succession.It's clear that K K Modi is putting his weight behind his son, who has dominated headlines for the past few weeks, mostly for the wrong reasons.

"Lalit is the most brilliant and intelligent member of the family and has created something no one has been able to do so far," he said referring to the IPL. "I only wish he had done it for the K K Modi group."

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

IPL:Billion-dollar deal papers go missing

This isn't just another missing document. Among the scores of papers that have allegedly gone missing from the BCCI headquarters here, are the papers relating to the highly controversial $1.64 billion TV rights contract between BCCI, Multi-Screen Media (MSM) and World Sports Group (WSG) involving a suspect "facilitation" fee of $80 million. They are not with BCCI, nor apparently with suspended IPL chief Lalit Modi.

The contract deals with IPL TV rights for nine years from 2009 onwards that were renegotiated after the original deal signed in 2008 for $1.02 billion was terminated. Papers of such a huge contract are normally kept with care for future reference so that it is observed by the parties concerned in letter and spirit.Income-tax authorities are looking for these papers, and the BCCI is flabbergasted by their absence. The suspended IPL chief is understood to have been the key person who negotiated this tripartite deal between BCCI and MSM — a Sony subsidy — and WSG (Mauritius).

BCCI sources said the papers were simply not there and admitted that the deal was very suspicious as after the 2008 contract was cancelled, the rights were parked with WSG (Mauritius) for a few days before being given back to MSM. In a recent interaction with BCCI, a senior Sony representative said MSM had been threatened with loss of telecast rights.
BCCI members said that along with the WSG-MSM contract, papers related to digital, image rights awarded to Global Cricket Ventures — a firm held by Elephant Capital where Modi's step son-in-law Gaurav Burman has a stake with his brother — are also untraceable.

As for the broadcast deal, the facilitation fee of $80 million which MSM had agreed to pay WSG translates into Rs 425 crore. Out of this, Rs 125 crore has been paid, and the remaining amount was to be paid over the next seven years. The decision to park rights with a company in a tax haven is seen as a bid to facilitate payments in a manner where tracing the end beneficiaries would be near impossible.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Sania weds Shoaib


Tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik tied the nuptial knot on Monday (April 12) as the two families advanced the high-profile marriage by three days after a tumultuous build up to the wedding.Originally, the marriage was to take place on April 15 although stories on the re-scheduling of the marriage kept coming in the media.

"The nikah has now completed. Please pray for the couple," Sania's spokesperson Rucha Nayak said.Clad in a red saree, which her mother Nasima wore in her nikah 25 years ago, Sania thus became the second wife of the Pakistani cricketer, who divorced his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui last week.Shoaib wore a black sherwani, designed by Shantanu and Nikhil, for the nikah ceremony held at hotel Taj Krishna.The two families surprised everyone this morning by announcing through the spokesperson that marriage has been preponed.The 'Mehendi' ceremony is scheduled for April 13, Sangeet on April 14 and reception will be held on April 15 as scheduled, the spokesperson said.

The build up to their marriage has been controversial due to Shoaib's first marriage with local girl Ayesha.Ayesha had alleged that Shoaib married her over phone before dumping her without a divorce due to her weight problems.Shoaib initially denied the allegations and claimed that Ayesha duped him into a phone marriage by sending photographs of a different woman. The all-rounder, however, finally agreed to divorce her after being pressurised by community leaders.

Courtsey: TOI
Image Courtsey:tv9

Monday, April 12, 2010

Will yuvraj exit Kings XI after IPL3???

Kings XI Punjab's 'icon' Yuvraj Singh could be up for grabs in this year's auction for IPL 4. IPL sources say one of the two new franchisees has already expressed interest in bidding for him if he becomes available. Several of the existing franchisees are also said to be interested in acquiring his services.On Sunday, Yuvraj himself didn't rule out the possibility of leaving Kings XI. He told Times Now he would take a final call after considering the new rules for IPL 4. This non-committal attitude is in sharp contrast to someone like Shane Warne, who has declared that he would love to stay on with Rajasthan Royals if he gets a hefty pay hike.

TOI had first reported on April 2 that Yuvraj was not keen to play for Kings XI even before IPL 3 began. But as an icon player, he had to complete his three-year contract.As of now, IPL rules state that a team can try to retain four Indians and three foreigners. They will be put up for auction only if they are not satisfied with the offer made by their existing employers. However, new teams are demanding a level playing field and asking for all players to be put up for auction again. The IPL governing council will take a decision on the issue after IPL 3 concludes.

Interestingly, Kings XI Punjab's co-owner Ness Wadia has gone on record as saying that the concept of icon player has not suited all teams - an obvious dig at Yuvraj, who has struggled in this year's edition of the tournament.Meanwhile, franchisees are undeterred by Yuvraj's poor form this year. "If a cricketer like Yuvraj is in the auction, every team will go for him. He has gone through a bad phase but that doesn't devalue his stature as a cricketer," an IPL team official told TOI.

Yuvraj himself has shown signs of getting back into his stride in recent matches. "I am well aware of my game and I know what I have to do to get back in the grove... I agree that my form has not been great, but it can get better. I am coming out of a very serious wrist injury. I had to go through a lot of training sessions.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Gold rises for fifth straight day

Precious metal prices ended higher on Wednesday, 07 April 2010. Prices rose despite a strong dollar mainly on anticipation of higher demand in coming months. It was fifth straight rise for the yellow metal.Generally, a stronger dollar pressures demand for dollar-denominated commodities, such as crude oil and gold, which become more expensive for holders of other currencies and also vice versa.

On Wednesday, gold for June delivery ended at $1,153 an ounce, higher by $17 (1.5%) an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Last week, gold ended higher by 1.8%. In FY 2010, gold touched a high of $1,154 in January. For the month of March, gold slid 0.4%. For the first quarter of this year, gold rose by 1.7%, its sixth quarterly rise. On a year to date basis, gold is higher by 5.1%.

On Wednesday, May Comex silver futures ended higher by 27 cents (1.5%) at $18.2 an ounce. For the month of March, silver ended higher by 5%. For the first quarter of this year, silver rose by 3%. On a year to date basis, silver is higher by 6.9%.

In the currency market on Wednesday, the euro came under pressure following renewed concerns about Greece and its ability to manage its finances. The dollar hit an eleven-month high against the euro earlier Wednesday. Greek bonds were hit a day earlier as investors reacted to uncertainty about how the joint European-International Monetary Fund aid package agreed to last month would function. The dollar index, which measures the strength of the dollar against basket of six other currencies rose by almost 0.5%. The dollar index gained about 0.7% in March and rallied 4% during the first quarter. The dollar index has gained 5.3% this year till date.
Gold had ended FY 2009 higher by 24%. Silver futures had ended 2009 up 50%. The dollar index had lost 4.2% against its counterparts last year.

Last year, after hitting a low at $807.30 per ounce on 15 January 2009, gold futures rallied almost 51% to hit an all-time high at $1217.40 per ounce during early December of 2009 but fell from those levels at the end. Silver futures had hit a low at $10.42 on 15 January 2009 and hit a high at $19.30 per ounce on 2 December 2009. Like gold, silver also ended lower than its all time high level.At the MCX, gold prices for June delivery closed higher by Rs 232 (1.4%) at Rs 16,788 per ten grams. Prices rose to a high of Rs 16,798 per 10 grams and fell to a low of Rs 16,560 per 10 grams during the day's trading.

At the MCX, silver prices for May delivery closed Rs 351 (1.3%) higher at Rs 27,629/Kg. Prices opened at Rs 27,340/kg and rose to a high of Rs 27,668/Kg during the day's trading.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Indian American Yahoo co-founder joins Obama team

US President Barack Obama has appointed Chandigarh-born Srinija Srinivasan, 40, one of the three co-founders of Yahoo! as a member of the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.Srinivasan, currently vice-president and Editor-in-Chief at Yahoo! was herself a Presidential Scholar in 1989, a prestigious honour that is awarded to over a 100 high school students each year for outstanding achievements ranging from academia, arts and leadership.

In naming Srinivasan and 11 others to the Commission, Obama said: "The Commission on Presidential Scholars is charged with recognizing the future leaders of our country and honouring them for their outstanding achievements."I am grateful that these impressive men and women have agreed to serve on this commission and help a new generation realize their potential and pursue their dreams."

The eleven will join the National Teacher of the Year, Anthony Mullen, as members on the Commission, the White announcement said.Since joining the company as its fifth employee in 1995, Srinivasan has led a range of editorial and policy functions, beginning with the organization and evolution of the Yahoo! Directory, it noted.

She has overseen network editorial standards and original content development, guided the company's corporate responsibility arm, and directed policy issues including privacy and data use, advertising standards, youth safety, community guidelines, and accessibility.Prior to joining Yahoo!, Srinivasan was involved with the Cyc Project, a ten-year artificial intelligence effort to build an immense database of human commonsense knowledge.

She chairs the Board of Trustees for SFJAZZ, a non-profit organization dedicated to jazz creation, presentation, and education. She is also a member of the 2000 class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.She holds a BS with distinction from Stanford University in Symbolic Systems, and was honoured as a Presidential Scholar in 1989.

Courtesy: Times of India

75 security personnel killed in Chhattisgarh Maoist ambush

In the bloodiest attack on security forces, Naxals trapped and gunned down 75 personnel during a joint "Operation Green Hunt" offensive against the ultras in the thick forests of Mukrana in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, one of the strongholds of the Maoists.The incident occurred between 6 am and 7 am when nearly 100 personnel comprising CRPF and state police were returning after opening a road for the troops to begin an operation against the Naxals.While 74 of those killed were CRPF personnel, including a deputy and an assistant commandant, one was a head constable of the district police.

Dantewada Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra said the Naxals first blew up a vehicle carrying the CRPF personnel near Chintalnar-Tarmetla village in the district.
Immediately after the blast, the CRPF personnel and a few police personnel tried to take cover when they came under heavy fire from hundreds of Naxals, well entrenched on the adjacent hillock.The CRPF team had been camping in the interiors of Tarmetla jungles for the last three days as part of a combing operation and area domination exercise, Mishra said.

The attack shook the Centre and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Home Minister P Chidambaram over telephone to make an assessment of the situation. Both of them expressed shock over the attack and grief over the loss of lives.The National Security Council met under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister and is understood to have discussed the deadliest Maoist strike. Chidambaram, some of his cabinet colleagues and the three service chiefs attended the meeting.

While the Prime Minister called it a "horrific" incident, Chidambaram said it showed the brutality and savagery of the Maoists.Rattled by the "very high" casualty, Chidambaram said something must have gone "drastically wrong" in the joint operation as the personnel seemed to have walked into a trap.Bodies of the 75 personnel have been recovered from the site of the attack suspected to have been carried out by about 1000 Naxals, Inspector General R K Vij said.The Naxals had planted IEDs which blew up an anti-mine vehicle killing the lone occupant, the driver. This was followed by heavy exchange of fire between the remaining CRPF personnel and the Maoists.Seven of the injured CRPF men have been evacuated for treatment from the forest area, he said.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Shoaib refuses to apologise

Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, whose passport was taken away by police, on Monday said he will not leave India till he clears his name and that he was being emotionally blackmailed by Ayesha who claims to have married him.Appearing before the media with Sania Mirza, who he is going to marry on April 15, by side, he said he has not done anything wrong and questioned why Ayesha was not appearing in public to make her allegations.

Both he and Sania said they were from respectable families with the tennis star adding that "to see my future husband like this (answering questions about marriage) is painful for both the families".Shoaib was questioned at Sania's house this morning by a team of police officials who took his passport and alerted immigration authorities after asking him not to leave India.

"I'm here for the marriage and to clear my name. I'm not leaving the country. Inshallah, I'll clear my name. I have no objections (to police taking the passport) and I'm cooperating with the police and Indian government. I have got respect for the authorities and I will do everything to clear my name. I'm ready to face any type of questions. I'll get my passport in the evening," Shoaib said.

Though police did not disclose much about their investigations in the case registered on the basis of the complaint filed by Ayesha's father MA Siddiqui, officials said Shoaib told them during questioning that he was tricked into the marriage.Asked about the allegations by Ayesha Siddiqui, who claims she was pregnant through Shoaib, he said, "I just want to ask something. I don't know her exactly why she is making these allegations behind the camera. Where is she. Ten years back I was 18-years-old. Find out her age."

He said first she has to prove (the marriage) in a court of law but maintained that the 'nikahnama' was invalid. Better leave the issue to courts, he said.Sania interjected to say that "we are all from very respectable families. These are questions people (don't) face before getting married. That is not what we want. We want to clear his name and as Indian, it's my responsibility and our responsibility to let police investigate."

She also questioned the 'nikahnama' saying "If there was no 'nikah', it cannot be proved. If the court proves, then he will do whatever is required. If it is not proved by them, then we know, our families know what to do."Sania also asked the media to leave the issue to the court, saying it's not right to discuss it in public.
"Of course I'm upset (to face questions) but we are happy that we are together and we are happy that we are getting married," she said.Shoaib ridiculed the Siddiqui family's demand for divorcing their daughter before the impending marriage saying, "I know only Maha apa (elder sister). Please for God's sake how can they ask me to divorce her."

To a question whether they have made an offer of money to sort out the issue, Shoaib shot back saying "Why one million, say one billion."Sania said they were not going for any out-of-court settlement. Maintaining that calling names was not good, she said the chief Qazi of Hyderabad has already held that there can be no telephone 'nikah'.

Again when asked whether he had stayed with Ayesha in hotels, Shoaib replied he was still in the dark about who was Ayesha. "I have met only 'apa' which means elder sister."e said his family would definitely be coming for the marriage.

"I want to respect all. I'm not like them. Till (the alleged marriage) is not proved I cannot be touched by anybody," he said.

Asked what were his plans, he said he was waiting for the report of investigations.
"They are investigating it and I'm sure they would not find anything because I did nothing. Once that news comes then I'll decide what to do," he said.He said he spoke to Pakistan High Commissioner who said he had the government's backing.Earlier in the day, Dr Shams Babar, the relative of the Siddiquis, addressed a press conference outside their residence in Banjara Hills, claiming that Ayesha had a miscarriage and that information on it was part of "several proofs" that were handed over to the police to "nail" Shoaib.

He said even now what they were demanding was only an apology and divorce from Shoaib and not any monetary compensation."He should acknowledge the marriage with Ayesha and now give her divorce. If he does so we are prepared to drop the charges against Shoaib," Babar said."We do not want any monetary damages or help from Shoaib. If the things are set right, we have no objection to the proposed marriage of Shoaib and Sania Mirza. It's (an issue) only between Siddiqui's and Shoaib Malik," he said.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Sania will marry Shoab Malik...

She's India's tennis ace. He's a high-profile Pakistani cricketer. And they're all set to get married in Hyderabad early next month.Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik are planning a small, private ceremony in Hyderabad, but their match will inevitably generate huge interest in their respective countries.The couple will be based in Dubai, though Sania will continue to play tennis and represent India, while Shoaib will turn out for Pakistan. The alliance has been blessed by both families.
"This is the biggest day of my life. I have been in the media glare for too long, and would appreciate a little privacy at this very personal moment," Sania, 23, told TOI.

Shoaib, 28, has pledged Sania his support: "I fully understand what it takes to be an international sportsperson. I'll support Sania in her career as long as she wishes to play.""Representing India at the 2012 Olympics is very important for her, and I will be the proudest husband if she can win a medal for her country," he said.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Now Yahoo accounts hacked in China

The Yahoo e-mail accounts of foreign journalists based in China and Taiwan have been hacked, according to a Beijing-based press association.Rival Google has been involved in a high-profile row with the Chinese government following similar cyber-attacks against Gmail accounts.he Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (FCCC) has confirmed eight cases of Yahoo e-mail hacks in recent weeks.Yahoo said it condemned such cyber-attacks.But the FCCC accused Yahoo of failing to update users about the situation.

"Yahoo has not answered the FCCC's questions about the attacks, nor has it told individual mail users how the accounts were accessed," a spokesman told the news agency.Yahoo said in a statement that it was "committed to protecting user security and privacy".Clifford Coonan, a reporter for the Irish Times, told the AFP news agency that he had an error message when he logged into his Yahoo account this week.

"I don't know who's doing it, what happened. They (Yahoo) haven't given any information, but it seems to be happening to journalists and academics in China, so that's why it's a little suspicious," he said.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Ronaldo wants to maintan its Winning momentun

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo declared that los Merengues must beat Barcelona and win all of the rest of their games to claim the league title after they defeated Atletico Madrid 3-2 at the Bernabeu.Three goals in 15 second half minutes completed a rapid comeback for Madrid having trailed 1-0 at the break and although Diego Forlan converted a penalty, Madrid went on to win more comfortably than the score line suggested.

"We played very well and created many chances. We played with a great character and I'm happy," Ronaldo said afterwards, according to AS."With the attitude we have we can beat anybody, but we can't afford to go behind, if we score first it is hard to beat us."Many people think it [the Barcelona tie] will be key, but let's see, we have to beat Barcelona and win the rest of our games. You have to be consistent, because we have an obligation to do well at home."

Ricky Martin is a Gay


Martin, who has sold more than 60 million albums in a career spanning three decades, said on his website that he felt "blessed to be who he was".He added that he had kept his sexuality hidden so far because advisers had told him coming out could hurt his career.His biggest hit is Livin' La Vida Loca - a 1999 single that reached number one in more than 20 countries.Martin, who fathered two children with a surrogate mother two years ago, said on his website: "Today I have accepted my homosexuality as a gift that gives me life."He said his decision to write his memoirs had helped him to free "things that were too heavy to keep inside".Martin began his career in the 1980s with the Puerto Rican boy-band, Menudo.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Moscow hit by two consecutive terrorist attack

At least 37 people have been killed after two female suicide bombers blew themselves up on Moscow Metro trains in the morning rush hour, officials say.Twenty-four died in the first blast at 0756 (0356 GMT) as a train stood at the central Lubyanka station, beneath the offices of the FSB intelligence agency.About 40 minutes later, a second explosion ripped through a train at Park Kultury, leaving another 13 dead.The FSB said it was likely a group from the North Caucasus was responsible.The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says no group has yet said it carried out the attacks, but past suicide bombings in the capital have been carried out by or blamed on Islamist rebels fighting for independence in Chechnya.

In February, Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov said "the zone of military operations will be extended to the territory of Russia... the war is coming to their cities".At an emergency meeting with senior officials, President Dmitry Medvedev vowed to uphold the "policy of suppressing terror and the fight against terrorism"."We will continue operations against terrorists without compromises and to the end," he said.Federal security forces have scored a series of successes against militants in the North Caucasus in recent weeks. In February, at least 20 insurgents were killed in an operation by troops in Ingushetia.

Emergency services ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova said the first explosion tore through the second carriage of a train as it stood at Lubyanka at the peak of the rush hour.The station, on both the busy Sokolnicheskaya and Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya lines, lies beneath the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB).

"I was moving up on the escalator when I heard a loud bang, a blast. A door near the passage way arched, was ripped out and a cloud of dust came down on the escalator," an eyewitness named Alexei told Rossiya 24 TV channel.

"People started running, panicking, falling on each other," he said.The second blast at Park Kultury, which is six stops away from Lubyanka on the Sokolnicheskaya line, came at 0838 (0438 GMT). It struck at the back of the train as people were getting on board."I was in the middle of the train when somewhere in the first or second carriage there was a loud blast. I felt the vibrations reverberate through my body," one passenger told the RIA news agency.
"People were yelling like hell," he said. "There was a lot of smoke and within about two minutes everything was covered in smoke."More than 100 people were injured in the two attacks, 30 of them badly, officials said.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

US CreditCard Hacker Sentenced

Computer hacker Albert Gonzalez has been jailed for 20 years in the US for his part in stealing the details of more than 130m credit and debit cards.One judge described the crime as "the largest and most costly example of computer hacking in US history".

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to three cases of fraud at his trial last year.Gonzalez was sentenced to 20 years for the first two cases on Thursday, and 20 years and one day on Friday for the third. The terms will run concurrently.The judge in the third case said he had to serve the extra 24 hours because the crime had been committed when he was working for the US Secret Service as an informant, reportedly receiving as much as $75,000 a year.

As part of a plea agreement, Gonzalez also agreed to hand over $1m that he had buried in his parents' garden, a condo in his hometown of Miami, a car, a diamond ring and several expensive watches.

Gonzalez was accused last August, along with two Russian co-conspirators, of hacking into the payment systems of retailers.They targeted more than 250 US companies including payment processor Heartland Payment Systems, food and drink store 7-Eleven and American supermarket Hannaford Brothers Co.

Gonzalez was found to have used SQL injection attacks to exploit weaknesses in payment software programmes and access data, stealing millions of customer card details.He blamed "curiosity and addiction" for his crimes.Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the Department of Justice said that on a daily basis "cyber criminals try to steal the debit and credit card numbers of unsuspecting American consumers."

"These sentences - some of the longest ever imposed for hacking crimes - send a powerful message to hackers around the globe that US law enforcement will not allow them to breach American computer networks and payment systems, or illegally obtain identities."

Friday, March 26, 2010

BCCI announces 15 member Indian team for T20 world cup

Karnataka pacer R Vinay Kumar was, on Friday, rewarded for his consistent domestic performance as he was named in India's 15-member squad for Twenty20 World Cup starting in the West Indies next month.The 26-year-old Vinay Kumar, who has been impressive in the ongoing IPL, was the only new face in the squad to be led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Barring Vinay's inclusion and the recall of Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner Chawla, there were no major surprises in the squad announced by the BCCI secretary N Srinivasan after a selection panel meeting.Pacers Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth and RP Singh, who were in the provisional 30-member list, failed to figure in the squad while spinners Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra also missed the bus.Delhi batsman Virat Kohli, who was in the ODI squad against South Africa last month, was also left out of the squad for the event to be held in the Caribbean from April 30 to May 16."We have selected the best team for the Twenty20 World Cup. We are happy with the performance of every member of the team. They have shown consistency," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth said after picking the squad.

"The Twenty20 World Cup is still one month away and we hope that this team will do well in the event," he said.

Srikkanth also said as of now there is no worry. "Everyone is hundred per cent fit and all the fitness certificates have been submitted to the Board. All the members are fit and fine," he said.

Ashish Nehra, who has not played a single match in the ongoing IPL because of a rib cage injury, has been included in the squad with the selectors expecting the gangling paceman to be fully fit for the mega event.Vinay has forced his way into the team on the back of his consistent performance in domestic cricket, claiming 46 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. He has so far captured 202 wickets in 54 first class matches with eight for 32 his best figures.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Osama's new threat

World's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden has warned that al-Qaida will kill American soldiers if the self-confessed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is executed. "The day America will take such decision [to execute Khalid Mohamed and any others] it would have taken a decision to execute whoever we capture," Bin Laden said in the latest audio record, broadcast on Al-Jazeera.

He also said that US president Barack Obama was "following the footsteps of his predecessor", a reference to George Bush, the former US president. "The politicians in the White House were practicing injustice against us and still they are. Especially by supporting Israel in its continuous occupation of Palestine. "They used to think that America across the oceans is protected from the rage of the oppressed until our reaction was loudly heard at your home on the 9/11 with God's help," he said in the recording.

Osama's threat comes as Obama administration has announced it would try Khalid Mohammed and four other accused at a New York courthouse just steps from where the World Trade Centre once stood. Sheikh Mohammed and the other accused are detained at Guantanamo as they await trial over the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed close to 3,000 people, most in New York.
Osama bin Laden's last audio recording was released on January 24, earlier this year in which he claimed responsibility for alleged attempted attack on an airliner on Christmas Day and vowed there would be further attacks on the US unless Obama took steps to resolves the Palestinian situation.

American Revolution

Before there was the American Revolution that lead to the creation of the United States of America, there was Leisler's Rebellion in New York, which lasted from 1689 to 1691, during the brief republican period in England, which deposed the king's representative, instituted democratic government and attempted to put in place redistributive economic policies. Like the first French Revolution (1789), that followed a century later along the same lines, it failed. When the English Civil War was won by a new British monarch, he dispatched a new Governor-General to New York who was returned to power under force of arms and the leaders of Leiser's Rebellion were gruesomely executed for treason.

Similarly, in 1754 in Albany, New York, at the Albany Congress, Benjamin Franklin proposed to delegates from nine American colonies the formation of a union of the American colonies under a constitution similar to that of the Articles of Confederation (1781) adopted after the Declaration of Independence (1776) and before the current United States Constitution (1789) and Bill of Rights (1791) were adopted. This proposed Albany Congress union would have retained the British monarch as a nominal supreme leader (along the lines of Australia today). It was approved unanimously by the delegates at the conference but failed to receive approval from the colonial legislatures, so the idea was dormant for a while. Franklin mused that it might have prevented the revolutionary war and the British acts that led up to it, if it had been adopted.

All of which is to say that there are dress rehearsals in history, but they don't get as much press.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Bangalore will take on Chennai

On a roll with three successive wins, a Jacques Kallis-propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore juggernaut runs into a staggered but robust Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.RCB have been on a wild run, notching up three consecutive wins since their defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in their tournament opener.

Their batting have come alive with Kallis leading the batting brigade with a bevy of unbeaten and match-winning knocks like 65, 89, 44 and 66 in the last four ties.The supremely talented Manish Pandey has also been in rollicking form, producing cameos that have left even seasoned cricketers bewildered on the field.The 21-year-old, who has been shortlisted for the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean islands, has not only destroyed bowling attacks with impunity but has also caught the eye with his outstanding fielding.RCB have another big hitter in Robin Uthappa, who virtually butchered Sreesanth, plundering 25 runs in one eventful over off the emotive Kings XI Punjab paceman.

Having been part of the triumphant T20 World Cup team in South Africa, Uthappa would be itching to win back his place in the Indian team with more blazing performances in the IPL.Besides their batting, RCB have also jelled well as a bowling unit, restricting Rajasthan Royals (92) and Mumbai Indians (151) to modest scores in the their last two outings.Speedster Dale Steyn, hat-trick man Praveen Kumar and last match's hero R Vinay Kumar have done their job pretty well, giving skipper Anil Kumble the liberty to tease and lure batsmen to their doom with flight and guile.

All-rounder Kallis have also contributed with the ball and have chipped in whenever the team needed him most.Considering their match-winning performance over the last week, RCB should start favourites. But they would make a mistake if they take Chennai Super Kings for granted.

For Chennai, Matthew Hayden, who destroyed Delhi Dare Devils with a blistering 43-ball 92, could be dangerous anywhere, anytime. So could Suresh Raina, captaining the side in place of the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni.Raina's men, who have lost two of their first four games, should be an incensed lot and last night's nail-biting Super Over defeat to Kings XI Punjab is bound to play on their mind.

Chasing a modest 136, CSK could only manage to tie the game. And when it mattered most, they fell excruciatingly short in the one-over eliminator, throwing a life-line to Punjab who had lost three games on a trot.Defeats like these could be demoralising but, on the converse, could also trigger performances which are much above their potential. But for that to happen, they would have to consign the dramatic loss to history before the game starts.The wheels of fortunes can change quickly in a T20 game. A different venue and a bouncy and lively wicket could produce different results. With two teams of equal professional ilk and skill challenging each other, Tuesday's night game should be an enthralling fare

Sunday, March 21, 2010

IPL franchises will recover their money: Modi

Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi did not expect today's bidding to generate an amount so staggering but he assured the franchise owners that there is no reason why they cannot make profit.

Sahara (USD 370 million) and Rendezvous (USD 333.33 million) paid a total of USD 703 million - nearly Rs 3,235 crore - to bag the Pune and Kochi franchises respectively and the amount is bigger than the collective worth of Rs 2,840 of the original eight franchises.

"I was indeed a little bit surprised by the amount. Honestly speaking, I thought the winning bid would be USD 300-320 million. So it was USD 40-50 million higher than my expectation. The bidders must have done their numbers well," Modi said.

He, however, assured that the franchisees can make enough money out of the league.

"We are just two-year-old and every team that has been run well must be making profit. If not, they are probably marginally short of making profit," he told CNN-IBN channel.

Buttressing his case, Modi said, "Sports is one of the leading businesses of the world today. English Premier League, NFL, NBA, Spanish League, Bundesliga - these capture the imagination of the youth and the people. Build a strong base and your future is defined

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Yahoo CEO indicates turnaround could take years

Yahoo Inc. CEO Carol Bartz says she hopes investors growing impatient for her to turn around the slumping Internet company remember how long it took for Steve Jobs to revive Apple Inc.In a Tuesday meeting to celebrate Yahoo's 15th anniversary, Bartz reminded reporters that Apple still struggled after Jobs became CEO in 1997. That marked his return to a company he had co-founded two decades earlier.

It wasn't until Jobs unveiled the iPod in late 2001 that Apple's profits and stock price began to soar again. Apple has become even more prosperous in the last few years as the company developed ever-sleeker computers and trendy gadgets, such as the iPhone and the iPad, a computer tablet scheduled to hit the market later this month.Jobs "knew the DNA (at Apple) better than anyone and it took him four years," Bartz said. "I know people want to see magic things happen (at Yahoo). The magic things happening are deep inside our little system here."

Yahoo's stock price has gained nearly 30 percent since Bartz became CEO nearly 14 months ago, even though revenue and earnings have sagged. The shares closed at $15.73 Tuesday, down 6 cents.Apple's stock price had climbed by about 50 percent 14 months after Jobs' returned as CEO. The shares dipped 14 cents Tuesday to close at $208.85. That's a 37-fold increase from where they stood whenApple named Jobs CEO in September 1997.

Yahoo shareholders will probably be happy if Bartz can push Yahoo's stock price above $33. That's what Microsoft Corp. said it would pay to buy Yahoo in its entirety in May 2008 only to withdraw the bid after Yahoo balked at the offer.
Bartz, 61, is working under a four-year contract that expires in early 2013.
The challenges facing Bartz have been compounded by the worst U.S. recession in 70 years. The economic uncertainty depressed online advertising, the main source ofYahoo's income.

Yahoo's quarterly revenue has declined in five consecutive quarters. Bartz expects the downturn to end with a modest revenue gain during the current quarter ending March 31.To help sell more advertising, Bartz has been trying to persuade Web surfers to spend more time on Yahoo's services instead of dwelling at increasingly popular hangouts such as Facebook.

Toward that end, Yahoo has renovated its front page and committed to spending more than $100 million on a marketing campaign that started last fall. Bartz said Tuesday that she has been disappointed with the marketing campaign's performance so far in the United States, but likes what she has seen in other markets, particularly in the United Kingdom and France. She saidYahoo is tweaking its commercial messages in the United States.Yahoo is feeling confident enough to expand its payroll and buy more startups.

Bartz eliminated 800 jobs shortly after she became CEO, but Yahoo added 700 employees during the final three months of this year. The work force will expand again this year, Bartz said Tuesday, although she declined to specify by how much.
Yahoo has been a seller so far this year. In the first two months of the year, it sold e-mail provider Zimbra and the online help-wanted site HotJobs in a deal that still requires regulatory approval.Bartz said Yahoo is mostly interested in small companies that have a "good idea with good little teams." That mirrors the philosophy of rival Google Inc., which has bought eight companies in the past seven months, including a photo editing software service Picnik that works with Yahoo's Flickr site.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

IIM site hangs, lakhs of students clueless about results

After the computer servers crashed on the first online common admission test (CAT) for B-schools, the results fared no better with a glitch-ridden system causing untold agony to lakhs of students. For more than three hours on Sunday, students couldn't see their results on www.cat.iim.in, which couldn't take the excess load. The problem was fixed only after 6pm.The candidates were informed about the blocking of scorecards at 3.45pm through a terse web message: "We are experiencing unusually heavy load on scorecard access server. We'll reopen the server after three hours." Not surprisingly, perhaps, the convener of the CAT committee, Satish Deodhar, could not be contacted all through Sunday.

Meanwhile, only IIM-Ahmedabad and IIM-Shillong declared the list of shortlisted candidates on Sunday. The other six IIMs are expected to release their list of selected candidates over the next two days. The CAT scores of candidates are used for admission to eight IIMs and around 120 B-schools in the country.After the first-ever online CAT -- in November 2009 -- turned into a fiasco due to a virus attack, the wait for its results seemed almost endless for the candidates. The results were earlier scheduled to be declared on January 22.
But then the second phase of CAT exam had to be conducted on January 30 and 31 for students who faced problems appearing in the first phase.

The results, which were postponed to February 15, were further deferred till Sunday. Nearly 2.4 lakh students had appeared for CAT 2009 of which almost 7,000 of them were left in the lurch due to failure of the system at various centres across the country. The unavailability of the scorecards on Sunday only added to the anxiety of the candidates.Arindam Lahiri, academic director, Career Launcher, said, "The system seems jinxed. It happens every year: the server becomes slow when the results are declared as every one tries to access it at the same time." He added,"But it had to be shut this time probably because it was a Sunday and the rush was too heavy."

Delhi boy Vivek Gupta was one of the students who scored a 100 percentile in CAT 2009. Gupta, an electronics engineer from IIT Roorkee, worked in an MNC after graduating in 2008 but left the job to prepare for CAT. "I started studying for CAT only three or four months before the exam. I think my background at IIT helped me crack CAT," said Gupta (24) from Pitampura. He further said, "I've got a call for an interview from IIM Ahmedabad. I would love to study there."

In Bangalore, Sunday's glitch upped tension levels among students. Sumana S, a private firm employee, couldn't stop weeping after trying for hours to access her result. "I worked hard for CAT. This is my third attempt and I really want to make it. I've been trying to access my CAT score for three hours now. My register number doesn't feature in either IIM-Ahmedabad or Shillong. I am getting worried," she said.

Ahmed (name changed), a final year engineering student, said he learnt about the results in the morning but got to see them only in the evening. "When I logged on, the website was flashing that the results were declared. When I clicked on it, I got a dead page. I kept trying. However, in between, some people could access the results but for a short time. There was an announcement from IIMs that the results will be declared at 3pm, then it got postponed to 6.45pm. But we got the results before that," he explained.Arjun Mohan, an engineer who is into sales and consulting, is one of the shortlisted candidates for IIM-A. "I couldn't access my score but I have been shortlisted for IIM-A. I learnt about the results around 11am and tried for a good two hours. This is my second attempt and I was keen on IIM-A and IIM-B," he said.
By the end of a wracking Sunday, all the candidates managed to get their results, much to their relief.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Sania Mirza's engagement called off

Sania Mirza hasn't had the best of starts to the 2010 season - on and off court. A broken service game is one thing,but a broken engagement and a broken heart,is quite another.Earlier in the week, the 23-year-old's father Imran, who coaches Sania and manages her career, called off his daughter's engagement to Mohammed Sohrab Mirza. Sania was formally engaged to the fellow Hyderabadi and longtime friend, now studying business in the United Kingdom, at a luxury hotel near her home last July.
The Indian star categorically refused to get into the why and what of the matter, but confirmed her engagement was off. "We were friends for half a decade, but found ourselves incompatible during our engagement period.

I wish Sohrab the best in life," she said.Even before the two got engaged, questions were doing the rounds about whether Mohammed could cope with the demands of being life-partner to a widely-traveled, hugely-popular athlete. Sania, who has been struggling with the differences for the last couple of months, hasn't taken the break-up well as her results on court show. However, she's doing what she always does at a time of crisis - surround herself with family and friends.As it stands, Sania will have to turn her focus to the courts, and in time might find comfort there. She flies out to Kuala Lumpur late on Friday, where she leads India's challenge in the Fed Cup Asia Oceania Group II competition, starting February 2.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Pak players should have been picked up for IPL-3: SRK

As a perceived snub to Pakistani players by the Indian Premier League spark a spat between neighbouring countries, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, an IPL franchisee himself, believes they should have been picked."I truly believe they (Pakistan players) should have been chosen," Khan, co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), said.Khan, however, said that since "some issues" were involved the matter could have been handled by the IPL "respectfully".No Pakistani player was bought by the eight Indian clubs during an auction on Tuesday for the third edition of the glitzy IPL despite the Pakistan team being the reigning world champions in the Twenty20 format of the cricket tournament.Rooting for the Pakistani players, Khan said they are the best T20 players in the world. "They are the champions, they are wonderful but somewhere down the line there is an issue and we can't deny it," he told a news channel.

Khan said it was humiliating to him as a KKR owner that no one bid for the Pakistani players despite them being put up for auction."We are known to invite everyone. We should have. If there were any issues, they should have been put on board earlier. Everything can happen respectfully," he said."Everyday we blame Pakistan, everyday Pakistan blames us. It is an issue," Khan, who had five players from Pakistan playing for KKR in IPL's first edition, said.Khan felt that the youth should circumvent all that is said about India and Pakistan by the politicians and say, "It (Pakistan) is a great neighbour to have. We are great neighbours, They are good neighbours. Let us love each other.""Let me be honest. My family is from Pakistan, my father was born there and his family is from there," he said.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Padma Lakshmi beats Aishwarya Rai

Supermodels Padma Lakshmi and Lakshmi Menon have beaten Indian actresses Aishwarya Rai and Freida Pinto in a most desirable women poll conducted by a portal.According to the top 99 women poll by askmen.com, Padma Lakshmi has grabbed the 15th spot while Menon sits at the 45th position leaving behind "Slumdog Millionaire" star Pinto and former Miss World Aishwarya in 50th and 63rd positions respectively. "I am delighted that the readers of this portal have chosen to include me on their list. I am extremely flattered," the website quoted Padma as saying.Beating all of them, however, is Canadian actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, who tops the list. It also features singer Beyonce Knowles at sixth position, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz and "Tranformers" star Megan Fox at seventh and 11th spots respectively.After a six-week long voting period, six million votes decided the ranking of these beautiful women.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

IIT graduates annual salary drops and NIT graduates increased

The average annual salary of graduates of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology has dropped by five % while that of the National Institutes of Technology graduates has increased by six %.The average annual salaries of IIT graduates has dropped by 5% to Rs 5.88 lakh in 2009, according to the 5th IDC-Dataquest T-School 2009 Survey of 111 engineering colleges across the country.

Though the drop in the annual salary of IIT graduates has been ascribed to global recession, according to the survey, interestingly the average salary of NIT graduates has improved by 6% to Rs 4.36 lakh."Another reason for the drop in the annual salary of IIT graduates is that many bright students of IITs opted for higher studies instead of entering the job market," the survey pointed out.The highest annual salary received by an engineering graduate was from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT), New Delhi, who received Rs 45 lakh from Schlumberger, the survey said.Due to the global slowdown, the average annual salary of engineering graduates countrywide stagnated at Rs 3.5 lakh.But the average annual salary of engineering graduates in BPO/ IT industry was a shade higher at Rs 3.6 lakh.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

All IPL teams agreed to shun Pak players

What was suspected after Tuesday’s auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is now confirmed - there was indeed a consensus among the team franchisees that none of them would bid for the Pakistani players.Underlying this consensus were ambiguous signals from officialdom. Union sports minister MS Gill went on record on Wednesday insisting that neither his ministry nor the government had in any way nudged IPL teams to treat Pakistani players as untouchables. However, sources in the Indian cricket board (BCCI) gave TOI details of what transpired in the run-up to the auction, which suggest a more nuanced reality.

According to the sources, the BCCI initially told the franchisees that they could bid for Pakistani players and treat them just like cricketers from any other part of the world. Around the middle of December, the board also assured the teams that it would chip in with help for visas and other diplomatic clearances from the government.However, when team owners asked the board "what guarantee will the franchisees have?", the board spoke to some government officials in the last week of December and reverted with the message that the government - understandably - couldn’t give "any guarantee". The prospects of possible terror attacks clearly contributed to this message.Hence the IPL teams ignored the Pakistan players in auction as there was "no guarantee" from the government that these players would get visas and other clearances.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Glory for Avatar

Blockbuster sci-fi epic Avatar has been named best film drama at the Golden Globe awards, boosting its chances of further glory at the Oscars in March.Its director James Cameron was also honoured at the event, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep won the best actress prizes, with Jeff Bridges and Robert Downey Jr taking home their male equivalents.Ricky Gervais hosted the event, the first of 2010's major Hollywood awards.Presented each year by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Globes often indicate who and what will go on to receive Academy Awards.

The Canadian film-maker previously won a Golden Globe for directing Titanic, which went on to win 11 Academy Awards in 1998.But he steered clear of the self-aggrandising language of his "king of the world" Oscar acceptance speech, heaping praise upon Bigelow, and addressing his actors in Na'vi, the language created for his blockbuster film.As Cameron accepted his prizes, it was revealed that Avatar had remained top of the US box office for a fifth week.Worldwide takings for the film now stand at $1.6 bn (£979m), setting it on course to top Titanic's $1.8 bn (£1.1bn) haul this week - which would make it the top-grossing film of all time.

Friday, January 15, 2010

JP Morgan Chase reports $3.3bn profits

Wall Street bank JP Morgan Chase has reported profits of $3.3bn (£2bn) for the last three months of 2009.That compares with the $702m profits reported last year, at the height of the financial crisis.Net revenues for the quarter totalled $25.2bn - higher than a year ago but below the previous quarter's.Total profits for the year were $11.7bn, the bank said, up from the $5.6bn it made in 2008, with $6.9bn made from investment banking alone.The bank paid a total of $26.9bn in pay and bonuses over the year, with investment bankers earning a total of $9.3bn.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Father of Pentium Chip - Vinod Dahm

Its really a high time to know more about the great personality Vinod Dahm who invented the pentium chip,on which today more than 90% of computers run.He is suitably known as the father of the Pentium processor. Vinod was born in Pune, India in 1950. He received his initial education at Pune. Vinod earned his bachelor's degree from the Delhi College of Engineering, in Electrical Engineering in the year 1971. After completing his engineering, Vinod worked briefly in Delhi for Continental Devices- a semiconductor company. To pursue advance studies, Vinod went to the US in the year 1975. There, he joined the University of Cincinnati to pursue a Masters in Electrical Engineering. After his masters, in 1977, Vinod joined the National Cash Register (NCR) at Dayton, Ohio. There, he worked as a team member of the NCR's memory design group. While working at the NCR, Vinod Dahm received many patents.During one of his presentations,Intel was so impressed with their knowledge and offered him to work with them.And what happened after that you people know very well......

Haiti Earthquake

The quake Tuesday flattened much of the capital of 2 million people, wrecking buildings great and small – from shacks in shantytowns to President Rene Preval's gleaming white National Palace, where a dome tilted ominously above the manicured grounds.Hospitals, schools and the main prison collapsed. The capital's Roman Catholic archbishop was killed in his ruined office at the main cathedral. The head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission was missing in the ruins of the organization's multistory headquarters.

Several buildings belonging to the archdiocese collapsed, killing at least 100 priests and seminarians, the Vatican said.At a triage center improvised in a hotel parking lot, people with cuts, broken bones and crushed ribs moaned under tent-like covers fashioned from bloody sheets."This is much worse than a hurricane," said Jimitre Coquillon, a doctors assistant. "There's no water. There's nothing. Thirsty people are going to die."

Haiti's leaders struggled to comprehend the extent of the catastrophe – the worst earthquake to hit the country in 200 years – even as aftershocks reverberated."It's incredible," Preval told CNN. "A lot of houses destroyed, hospitals, schools, personal homes. A lot of people in the street dead. ... I'm still looking to understand the magnitude of the event and how to manage."

Preval said thousands of people were probably killed, but it was "too early to give a number."Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive predicted the death toll could reach 100,000.The international Red Cross said a third of the country's 9 million people may need emergency aid, a burden that would test any nation and a crushing catastrophe for impoverished Haiti.

President Barack Obama promised an all-out rescue and humanitarian effort, and U.S. officials said they were responding with ships, helicopters, transport planes and a 2,000-member Marine unit, as well as civilian emergency teams from across the U.S.
"We have to be there for them in their hour of need," Obama said.

The U.S. Embassy had no confirmed reports of deaths among the estimated 45,000 Americans who live in Haiti, but many were trying to find a way out of the country.
Governments and aid agencies from around the world began marshaling supplies and staffs, but the obstacles proved frustrating just one day after the powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit. Power and phone service were out.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Google Vs China

Google Inc said it may pull out of China because it is no longer willing to accept censorship of search results and after hackers coordinated a sophisticated attack on email accounts of human rights activists using its Gmail service.Google's surprise announcement on Tuesday came shortly after an adviser to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she will announce a technology policy next week to help citizens in other countries to gain access to an uncensored Internet.
More than 20 other companies were also attacked by the China-based hackers, Google said. Google said the hackers had tried to access the Gmail email accounts of Chinese human rights activists but only managed to access two unidentified accounts, and then only headlines and other data such as when the account was created.It did not say what information the hackers tried to access from the other corporations, nor which they were. Google said it was now notifying the other affected corporations, adding that it was working with the US authorities.