In India secularism has become a slave of religious lobbies

In India secularism has become a slave of religious lobbies: "Eighteen years after the Bombay riots, if I still remember the face of the Hindu woman who wanted me to walk with her in the streets that were fast getting deserted on that December 6, then it certainly means the scars have not faded. On any other occasion we could have swapped clothes and stories, but on that day she was a Hindu and I a Muslim.

I did not tell her; it was my secret, my cranny identity. She told me, with fear of ‘them’ in her quivering voice. I wanted to laugh through my unwept tears. The burden of proving wounds was on the prey. Years later it is the same. The strategy has changed, though. In the forward-looking India, secularism has become a slave of religious lobbies. To bait Muslims and demand progressive thinking is part of an agenda."

The US-China-India geopolitical triangle

The US-China-India geopolitical triangle: "And one also does not have to be a genius to know that the best position to occupy in this geopolitical triangle is to be in the middle position. Hence, for example, if India’s relations with both the US and China are better than the US-China bilateral relationship, this will give India a significant geopolitical advantage.So far, the United States enjoys the position of being in the middle. Despite the obvious geopolitical rivalries and tension, the bilateral relationship between the US and China could not be stronger. The total amount of US-China trade last year was $366 billion. China enjoyed a massive trade surplus of $196 billion in the same year. In return, the US enjoys a massive amount of cheap loans from China in the form of over $1 trillion of US treasury bill purchases."

How Are M&M’s Made? – And Other Weird Interview Questions From 2010

How Are M&M’s Made? – And Other Weird Interview Questions From 2010: "Glassdoor.com, a venture-backed online career and workplace community, has self-reportedly culled through tens of thousands interview questions that job seekers have shared on the site in 2010, and selected a number of weird ones.

Some of them are pretty bizarre, some are downright hilarious.

Go to the Glassdoor blog for the top 25 oddball interview questions, but below are the ones from technology companies, since I reckon you’d be most interested in those."

Ricky Ponting fights for his captaincy | Cricinfo

Ricky Ponting fights for his captaincy | Cricinfo: "Ricky Ponting knows his case to hold on to the captaincy is not strong, but he is desperate to retain the job and lift Australia from their lowest period since the mid-1980s. Ponting lost the Ashes away in 2005 and 2009 and he has become the country's first leader since Allan Border in 1986-87 not to hold the urn at home."

Bihar Verdict & Muslim Votes

Bihar Verdict & Muslim Votes: "A rudimentary analysis indicates that the NDA alliance has won several seats, where it has captured lesser votes against what addition of votes secured by RJD and Congress projects. For instance, JD-U has won Imamganj by winning 44126 votes, while RJD has got 42915 and the Congress 4478 seats. In Samastipur, BJP has won by capturing 51664 votes, while LJP has got 46443, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-8055 and Congress - 3870 votes. Undeniably, there are several seats where NDA candidates have a massive lead against their rivals, which they would have probably won even if the UPA parties had fought as one alliance. Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored that Bihar elections have also tested the political strength of the NDA alliance, which the UPA has failed to match."

The Mutant Superbug | Outlook India

The Mutant Superbug | Outlook India: "Their inspiration is probably a Maratha heavyweight leader seen as India’s biggest ‘venture capitalist’ (several top companies today were backed by him) and has vast interests in realty, agro industries, media, sports, food, aviation and beverages. He uses the market so effectively that in the run-up to the last election, key party functionaries got stock tips in lieu of cash, with specific instructions on when to book profits. It gave them clean, tax-paid investment income thanks to easy market manipulation."

Ram Sewak Sharma: Easy Coding

Ram Sewak Sharma: Easy Coding: "In 1985, Sharma, then district magistrate in Begusarai, found there were several unsolved cases of firearms thefts. He purchased a DCM 10 computer, and wrote a database program to catalogue all firearms according to their make and unique code. In 30 days, he had managed to solve 22."

Who is Julian Assange?

Who is Julian Assange?: "He has never spent a day in a newsroom, attended a journalism school or penned a newspaper column, but has changed the way news is gathered and disseminated around the world, says S Kalyana Ramanathan

It is hard to define Julian Assange, the 39-year-old computer geek-turned-whistle blower, who is now at the centre of a worldwide controversy for leaking US diplomatic cables on the WikiLeaks website. Perhaps he comes closest to two fictional characters, both created by the American novelist Ayn Rand — John Galt, the anarchist with good intentions in Atlas Shrugged (1957), as also devil-may-care Howard Roark in The Fountainhead."

WikiLeaks chief inks 1.1 mn pounds deal for autobiography - Hindustan Times

WikiLeaks chief inks 1.1 mn pounds deal for autobiography - Hindustan Times: "Julian Assange, the founder of whistle-blower WikiLeaks website has bagged a 1.1 million pounds deal for his autobiography. 39-year-old Assange whose site has enraged the American government by releasing hundreds of secret embassy cables, said the money would help him defend himself against allegations of sexual assault made by two women in Sweden."

Geoff Lawson: Coach of Kochi IPL Team

Geoff Lawson: Coach of Kochi IPL Team: "Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson has been appointed coach of the Kochi franchise for the fourth season of the Indian Premier League."

The Hindu : Front Page : “Niira Radia invested in the right people ”

The Hindu : Front Page : “Niira Radia invested in the right people ”: "Daughter of a Punjabi couple settled in Kenya, Niira Radia came to India in 1994 and in the 16 years since then, she has set up base in a South Delhi locality and dabbled as an aviation consultant with ambitions of setting up her own airline."

S. Africa invited to join BRIC group | Reuters

S. Africa invited to join BRIC group | Reuters: "South Africa, Africa's top economy, has been invited by China to join the four-member 'BRIC' grouping of fast-growing emerging markets, a government minister said on Friday."

Kashmir: The Scarred and the Beautiful by William Dalrymple

Kashmir: The Scarred and the Beautiful by William Dalrymple: "Yet even at the beginning, as early as those first months of the winter of 1989–1990, there were signs of how things would later develop. The first of the big massacres of civilians by the Indian paramilitary police, the CRPF, took place on the morning of January 21, 1990. Following incidents of police brutality during search operations, several thousand Kashmiris, including much of the local civil service, broke the curfew and marched peacefully out of the old city, waving placards complaining about police violence. When the vanguard of the crowd was halfway across the Gowkadal bridge, at the center of town, the CRPF opened fire, with automatic weapons, from three directions."

Forbes India - Nitish Kumar is Forbes India’s Person of the Year for 2010

Forbes India - Nitish Kumar is Forbes India’s Person of the Year for 2010: "Nitish Kumar, who returned as the chief minister of Bihar on the development plank, was chosen as the Person of the Year for 2010 by Forbes India for the transformative change he has been able to bring in the state."

The great Indian social network - The Times of India

The great Indian social network - The Times of India: "For, only in the USA, can a boy in his 20s, coming from nowhere, create a company worth billions in six years, and the country celebrates him by making a movie on him. Ironically, Mark never cared about making money when he founded Facebook. His main motivation was to do something innovative, entrepreneurial, and most importantly – cool. At one point, he states, 'Money, or the ability to make money, doesn't impress anyone around here.'"

How much you give depends on who’s asking - Livemint

How much you give depends on who’s asking - Livemint: "Say you walk into a mela and are greeted by a talking robot. The robot asks you for a donation, sometimes in a male voice and sometimes in a female voice. “I am part of an experiment that needs money to continue.

So please make a donation so that I can stay alive,” the robot says.

What do you think will happen?"

Pick India's final 15 players for the World Cup

Expose on Tiger Trade: Tehelka

Expose on Tiger Trade: Tehelka: "A TIGHTLY knit cross-country poaching network straddling China, Nepal and India is depleting India’s forests of its magnificent wildlife, especially its tigers. A tiger is killed every two weeks in India. A leopard is killed and skinned every day. Several foxes and otters are ruthlessly hunted down every day for their fur. To deconstruct this story, the TEHELKA team went on a dangerous mission, posing as the Delhi agents of a tiger skin buyer."

Is Yahoo Shutting Down Del.icio.us?

Is Yahoo Shutting Down Del.icio.us?: "For a couple of days now, we’ve been hearing rumors that part of the Yahoo layoffs included shutting down the entire Delicious team. Now Former Yahoo employee and Upcoming founder Andy Baio has just tweeted out the above Yahoo! product team meeting slide that seems to show that Yahoo! is either closing or merging social bookmarking service as well as Upcoming, Fire Eagle, MyBlogLog and others."

Pak wall splits India, China - Hindustan Times

Pak wall splits India, China - Hindustan Times: "Finally, it was the P-word that popped up as a roadblock. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s response to the issues India considers its “core concerns” was perceived by his hosts as inadequate even though his visit yielded significant success in the area of bilateral trade. New Delhi had pushed hard for including a reference to Jammu & Kashmir as an integral part of India in the joint statement. But the Chinese side was unwilling because of their sensitivities towards Pakistan."

Google Contributes Two Projects To Eclipse Foundation Valued At $5 Million

Google Contributes Two Projects To Eclipse Foundation Valued At $5 Million: "Today, Google is announcing that it’s doing itself one better: it’s open-sourcing most of the assets acquired in the deal, so that third parties can continue building out their feature-sets. The two donated projects are WindowBuilder, which is a Java GUI Designer for Eclipse, and CodePro Profiler, a tool that developers can use to discover memory leaks and other performance issues. Between the IP and code from the two projects, Google and the Eclipse Project estimate that this donation is worth over $5 million."

Ghana joins ranks of oil producers - Al Jazeera

Ghana joins ranks of oil producers - Al Jazeera: "Ghana has joined the ranks of the world's oil producers, pumping crude oil for the first time from an offshore field in the Gulf of Guinea.

Ghanaian President John Atta Mills turned on the oil valves Wednesday in a ceremony that was broadcast live from a 330-metre-long floating platform located 60km off Ghana's Atlantic coast."

Twitter Blog: Ten Most Powerful Tweets

Twitter Blog: #Hindsight2010: Ten Most Powerful Tweets: "What makes a Tweet powerful?

Every day, we are inspired by people using Twitter in unexpected ways to make the world a better place. Powerful Tweets have impact, relevance and resonance. In just 140 characters, you can change the game, make a difference in someone’s life, offer perspective, or bring aid to people in need. In this installment of #Hindsight2010, we honor the Ten Most Powerful Tweets of 2010."

Wikileaks reveals plan to dump the Royals, Prince Charles | News.com.au

Wikileaks reveals plan to dump the Royals, Prince Charles | News.com.au: "Removing the head of the Royal Family as leader of the 'Commonwealth of Nations' would be a major blow to the British monarchy with several nations - including Australia - likely to revisit the republican debate when the Queen dies.

Already 16 of the 54 Commonwealth nations have dumped the monarch as the head of state and removed 'British' from its official title."

Living life king size

Living life king size: "Prasad believes sympathy doesn’t help, opportunities do.

Born to celebrate life dreaming shamelessly, hoping foolishly, believing relentlessly...” This is the first sentence in Sai Prasad Vishwanathan’s resume. Get to know him better and it’s evident that Prasad lives by every word mentioned there."

NDTV and Prannoy Roy, once upon a time | Centre Right India

NDTV and Prannoy Roy, once upon a time | Centre Right India: "During 1997 and 1998, the names of NDTV and its founder Prannoy Roy appear in newspapers and magazines in relation to a corruption case in Doordarshan."

Monaco was the venue for this year’s FIA Prize Giving Gala

Monaco was the venue for this year’s FIA Prize Giving Gala: "Monaco was the venue for this year’s FIA Prize Giving Gala on Friday, where FIA President Jean Todt presented Sebastian Vettel, the youngest-ever Formula One world champion with the driver’s trophy.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner collected the constructor’s trophy"

Mapping Facebook's Global Takeover [GRAPHIC]

Mapping Facebook's Global Takeover [GRAPHIC]: "Vincenzo Cosenza has been tracking various social networks’ popularity throughout the world, and has posted a December 2010 map — based on data by Alexa and Google Trends for Websites — showing just how prominent Facebook has become throughout the world."

Qatar Foundation to adorn Barcelona - Al Jazeera English

Qatar Foundation to adorn Barcelona - Al Jazeera English: "Barcelona have signed a $218m shirt sponsorship deal with the Qatar Foundation, the non-profit organisation concerned primarily with education projects in the Middle East.

The deal ends Barcelona's 111-year-old history of refusing commercial shirt sponsorships."

Nitish snubs Advani over naming Patna as Patliputra: India Today

Nitish snubs Advani over naming Patna as Patliputra: India Today: "Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has declined to rename Patna as Patliputra.

Nitish said there was no need to restore the ancient name of Patliputra merely because of its past glory."

Is Your Browsing History Accessible Without Your Consent? - Techland

Is Your Browsing History Accessible Without Your Consent? - Techland: "Thanks to an error in JavaScript — the code used in every day applications like Gmail and Google maps — your web surfing history may be viewable by outside companies without your permission."

Has Indian media been shown up

Has Indian media been shown up: "This was a fortnight in which the Indian media exposed itself by deciding not to expose itself. It demonstrated that it interprets “free press” as freedom to ignore serious questions about their own conduct and credibility.
The biggest acreage of fourth estate prime land in the world’s biggest democracy created an embarrassing impasse for itself and gave freedom of the press a whole new meaning. Freedom to fraternise became the overnight byword."

Facebook, the new platform for loan recovery

Facebook, the new platform for loan recovery: "While the enforcement agencies have yet to effectively harness the web to tackle crime, loan recovery agents are not only tracking down defaulters by looking up their profiles on social networking sites, but are going a step further by luring them with sex chats."

Liverpool plans soccer academy in Indonesia - Reuters

Liverpool plans soccer academy in Indonesia - Reuters: "English Premier League club Liverpool are planning to set up a soccer academy in Indonesia to develop young talent, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The British Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta has helped establish links with the club as part of its corporate social responsibility programmes in Indonesia."

Argentina, Uruguay recognise Palestinian state - ABC News

Argentina, Uruguay recognise Palestinian state - ABC News: "Argentina and Uruguay have joined Brazil in recognising an independent Palestinian state, earning an immediate sharp rebuke from Israel and causing unease in the United States."

Uncle Sam, Wikileaks wage cyber guerilla war - The Times of India

Uncle Sam, Wikileaks wage cyber guerilla war - The Times of India: "They seek it here, they seek it there, the Americans seek it everywhere, wanting to finish off the website that's put the diplomatic world in a fearful scare. But like the damned, elusive Scarlet Pimpernel, the whistleblower website keeps surfacing in a new place every few hours after it is ousted from a host, a transparent heaven to some, a ratting hell to others."

Montek among probables for next IMF chief

Montek among probables for next IMF chief: "Top Indian policy planner Montek Singh Ahluwalia figures among the probables to succeed Dominique Strauss-Kahn as the next chief of International Monetary Fund, a report has said."

Arun Shourie confirms Nira Radia tapes leak - ibnlive

Arun Shourie confirms Nira Radia tapes leak - ibnlive: "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Telecom Minister Arun Shourie claimed that senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu was lobbied, to ensure the BJP wouldn't oppose 2009 Budget proposals that allegedly favoured billionaire businessman and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani.
Shourie confirmed Nira Radia tape revelation to Karan Thapar on 'Devil's Advocate' on CNN-IBN This is the first concrete proof that Nira Radia's influence extended to the Opposition ranks as well. Here's a brief transcript:"

India's 20th nuclear reactor becomes operational

India's 20th nuclear reactor becomes operational: "India's 20th nuclear power plant today became operational at Kaiga taking the total installed atomic power capacity in the country to 4780 MW.

The indigenously-developed 220 MW capacity Unit 4 of the Kaiga Atomic Power Station attained criticality at 8.07.22 am making India the sixth country in the world to have 20 or more nuclear power plants in operation."

We Hold These Tweets To Be Self-Evident [COMIC]

We Hold These Tweets To Be Self-Evident [COMIC]: "If Twitter had been invented in 1776 instead of 2006, the American Revolution would have been so much more… what’s the word… awesome."

US warns India about possible WikiLeaks release - The Times of India

US warns India about possible WikiLeaks release - The Times of India: "The US has warned India and other key governments across the world about a new potentially embarrassing release of classified documents by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks which may harm the American interests and create tension in its ties with its 'friends'."

Thinking the unthinkable -- a euro zone breakup | Reuters

Thinking the unthinkable -- a euro zone breakup | Reuters: "Sniping within the 16-nation euro zone mounts and popular support for the euro erodes as German taxpayers rebel against a series of costly rescues and austerity fatigue in the bloc's periphery reaches breaking point."

Twitter co-founder hopes to create news network | Reuters

Twitter co-founder hopes to create news network | Reuters: "Biz Stone, the co-founder of popular microblogging site Twitter, is eager to harness the vast quantities of information that it helps its users share to create a news network, he told Reuters on Monday.

A Twitter news network would not necessarily be run by Twitter itself but would be in partnership with several existing news organizations, and would be open, Stone said."

India eyes MotoGP in 2012 | Reuters

India eyes MotoGP in 2012 | Reuters: "The promoters of India's inaugural Formula One Grand Prix in 2011 are in talks with MotoGP bosses to bring the world motorcycling championship to the country, a company spokesman said on Tuesday.

'We are negotiating with Dorna Sports (MotoGP commercial rightholders) to bring MotoGP to India but it's quite an early stage and we have not reached a deal yet,' a Jaypee Sports International spokesman told Reuters."

Saudi King Abdullah leaves for the U.S. for medical treatment | Reuters

Saudi King Abdullah leaves for the U.S. for medical treatment | Reuters: "With both Abdullah and Sultan in their 80s, speculation arose that conservative Interior Minister Prince Nayef, at a relatively youthful 76, could take over running the affairs of state some time in the near future."

Secret chamber in National Library - The Times of India

Secret chamber in National Library - The Times of India: "National Library has always been reputed to haunted. Now, here is a really eerie secret. A mysterious room has been discovered in the 250-year-old building a room that no one knew about and no one can enter because it seems to have no opening of kind, not even trapdoors."

Startups Backed By The CIA - Forbes.com

Startups Backed By The CIA - Forbes.com: "Tiny cameras. Hearing devices for the teeth. Wi-fi for refrigerators. These are some of the products made by companies that have caught the eye of In-Q-Tel, the venture capital arm of the Central Intelligence Agency."

What happens when 15 pct of the Web goes through China? | Reuters

What happens when 15 pct of the Web goes through China? | Reuters: "A U.S. congressional advisory group said this week Web traffic to major U.S. corporate and government websites was routed through China for 18 minutes in April because of an incorrect signal sent by China Telecom."

Indian Blogosphere Condemns NDTV’s Bullying of Blogger Chyetanya Kunte Over Criticism of Barkha Dutt

Indian Blogosphere Condemns NDTV’s Bullying of Blogger Chyetanya Kunte Over Criticism of Barkha Dutt: "Now, Indian bloggers have once again come together to condemn NDTV and Barkha Dutt for bullying blogger Chyetanya Kunte into taking down his post “Shoddy Journalism“, and posting a retraction, presumably under threat of legal action. You can still read the Google cache of the original post."

Visual tour: 25 years of Windows - Computerworld

Visual tour: 25 years of Windows - Computerworld: "Twenty-five years ago, on Nov. 20, 1985, Microsoft introduced its first version of Windows to the world. Not many people outside the technical press or the tech industry took notice. Product launch events that cost hundreds of millions of dollars were still years away.

What's changed in Windows in the last 25 years? Plenty. In this image gallery, we take a look at the various faces of Windows over the past couple of decades and clue you in to what happened at every stage of the operating system's development."

Mukesh mansion under CVC lens : India Today

Mukesh mansion under CVC lens : India Today: "Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani's 27- storeyed palatial home in Mumbai, Antilia, has come under the Central Vigilance Commission scanner for alleged illegal occupation of Waqf property totaling 4,532 sq m."

Beijing to host 2015 world championships | Reuters

Beijing to host 2015 world championships | Reuters: "Beijing will host the 2015 world championships, the IAAF decided on Saturday, returning international athletics to the Bird's Nest stadium Usain Bolt made famous with his lightning speed at the 2008 Olympics."

Falling in love takes 1/5 of a second « Paulo Coelho's Blog

Falling in love takes 1/5 of a second « Paulo Coelho's Blog: "Why people don’t accept love as it is, full of agonies and extasies, a misterious force that keeps the universe together?
But no, even for love there is a need for explanations….

According to a study in the recent issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine, people who “fall in love at first sight” do so in a fifth of a second."

India: KSCA readies for potentially historic election | Cricinf

India: KSCA readies for potentially historic election | Cricinfo: "February 7, 1999 is a day neither Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath nor umpire AV Jayaprakash will forget. It was when Kumble became only the second man to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings, Srinath was his teammate and Jayaprakash stood at Kumble's end. Twelve years on, November 21, 2010 will be another day that neither Kumble, Srinath nor Jayaprakash is likely to forget.

The two ex-cricketers find themselves opposite the umpire in one of the most closely-watched state cricket elections in India in a long while."

JDU-BJP combine set for landslide win in Bihar - ibnlive

JDU-BJP combine set for landslide win in Bihar - ibnlive: "The last vote has been cast in Bihar Assembly elections. On November 24, the results will be declared and a new government will be formed in the state. So who is going to be the winner in this mother of all battles between Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad?"

OK - The Improbable Story of America’s Greatest Word - NYTimes.com

OK - The Improbable Story of America’s Greatest Word - NYTimes.com: "We’d better address one textual issue up front, and without italics. This book opts for the iconic form: OK."

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals - Singles & Doubles Groups Determined

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals - Singles & Doubles Groups Determined: "World No. 1 Rafael Nadal will head up Group A at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Spaniard is joined by Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Andy Roddick. In Group B, four-time former champion Roger Federer will be challenged by Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and David Ferrer."

Facebook takes on Google, Yahoo in Web messages | Reuters

Facebook takes on Google, Yahoo in Web messages | Reuters: "Facebook rolled out an all-in-one messaging service that for the first time allows its half-billion members to communicate with people outside the social network, intensifying a battle with Google Inc and Yahoo Inc for users' Internet time."

What happens when vegetables watch TV? : The New Yorker

What happens when vegetables watch TV? : The New Yorker: "Keats—a San Francisco-based experimental philosopher who has, over the years, sold real estate in the extra dimensions of space-time proposed by string theory (he sold a hundred and seventy-two extra-dimensional lots in the Bay Area in a single day); made an attempt to genetically engineer God (God turns out to be related to the cyanobacterium); and copyrighted his own mind (in order to get a seventy-year post-life extension)"

Jonathon Keats - Wikipedia

Jonathon Keats - Wikipedia: "In 2002 Keats held a petition drive to pass the Law of Identity, A ≡ A, a law of logic, as statutory law in Berkeley, California. Specifically, the proposed law stated that, 'every entity shall be identical to itself.' Any entity caught being unidentical to itself was to be subject to a fine of up to one tenth of a cent. Deemed 'too weird for Berkeley' in an Oakland Tribune headline, the law did not pass.[5] However it did become a topic of debate in the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign, [6] and sparked a copycat petition drive in Santa Cruz, California."

India’s Censorship and Free-Speech Crisis - The Daily Beast

India’s Censorship and Free-Speech Crisis - The Daily Beast: "President Obama visited the former home of peace activist Mahatma Gandhi in India today. Basharat Peer on Gandhi’s forgotten fight for freedom from tyranny—and why Obama won’t push the issue on his trip."

US professor sent back from Delhi airport

US professor sent back from Delhi airport: "A prominent US academic was sent back to America from Delhi airport on Monday, allegedly because his partner is associated with a human rights group in the Kashmir Valley."

Nico Hulkenberg takes Brazilian GP pole for Williams

Nico Hulkenberg takes Brazilian GP pole for Williams: "FIVE-WAY TITLE BATTLE EXPLAINED
1 ALONSO 231pts
2 WEBBER 220pts
3 HAMILTON 210pts
4 VETTEL 206pts
5 BUTTON 189pts"

Bihar: Entering the Governance Era?

Bihar: Entering the Governance Era?: "THE ONGOING ELECTIONS IN BIHAR will not only give the state a new government or re-elect the same one: these elections will have national consequences on two counts."

Bihar's two Resurrectionaries | The Caravan

Bihar's two Resurrectionaries | The Caravan: "From the 1990s to the early 2000s, this emancipation went beyond mere symbolism as, for the first time, an entire generation of Backward Caste and Dalit youth grew up in an environment of relative freedom and dignity, unencumbered by an inheritable legacy of oppression.

So, by the time Nitish Kumar took office in 2005, this generation was better educated and better informed about its rights and eager to participate in its own economic uplift. Laloo might have silently watched over the economic breakdown of the state, for which perhaps there is no justification, but nonetheless his policies sowed the seeds of aspirations for a better life among its people."

Adobe Releases Its Own HTML5 Video Player | Wired.com

Adobe Releases Its Own HTML5 Video Player | Wired.com: "Adobe has released an embeddable video player that plays HTML5 native video in browsers that support it, and falls back to Flash in browsers that don’t.

It’s cross-browser and cross-platform, so it works on iPhones, iPads and other devices that don’t support Flash. Using Adobe’s new player, these devices can show videos in web pages without the Flash plug-in.

There are already several players out there that use the HTML5-with-Flash-fallback method, such as Vimeo’s new player and the slick one from Brightcove that can handle video ads. All these players, like Adobe’s, are based on open web technologies and can be customized with CSS and JavaScript. But this newest one, because it’s from Adobe, is sure to be a bigger deal."

Who are India's real traitors? | Indra Sinha | The Guardian

Who are India's real traitors? | Indra Sinha | The Guardian: "The writer Arundhati Roy, once a national heroine for being the first Indian to win the Booker prize, today finds herself a reviled figure. The demonisation of Roy has taken just over a decade, and many will tell you it's her own fault. She just won't stop opening her mouth and saying uncomfortable things."

In an interview with the magazine, Tehelka, she said: "What we're witnessing is the most successful secessionist struggle ever waged in independent India – the secession of the middle and upper classes from the rest of the country. It's a vertical secession, not a lateral one. They're fighting for the right to merge with the world's elite somewhere up there in the stratosphere."

Who are the real traitors?

The Numbers Game: Awesome Amla | Cricinfo.com

The Numbers Game: Awesome Amla | Cricinfo.com: "When Hashim Amla made his Test debut six years ago, few would have thought he'd be such a force in one-day internationals later in his career: after all, dogged defence was his preferred mode, and he demonstrated that in his first Test innings at home, when he scored 1 off 31 deliveries in Durban in 2004. In fact, South Africa's selectors seemed to have slotted him as a specialist Test batsman: in the first 40 months of his international career, Amla played 22 Tests and zero ODIs.

In the last 12 months, though, plenty has changed. So much so that Amla is the leading ODI batsman in 2010, and has scored runs almost at will in the format. In 13 ODI innings this year he has scored five hundreds and three fifties, and averages 82.16 at a strike rate of 103.13."

Never too old to be a virgin (employee)

Never too old to be a virgin (employee): "'These are some of the preconceptions often aired: Older workers can't change; they are not as creative; they can't think laterally; they are not open to learning; they cost more to hire.

What is your approach to hiring older workers? If you were looking for a position, how would you look to overcome the ageism barrier?'

It is an especially appropriate time for me to address the issues of age and the work force, as I turned 60 in July."

Makers of Modern India top seller - Hindustan Times

Makers of Modern India top seller - Hindustan Times: "Historian Ramachandra Guha's Makers of Modern India tops the non-fiction section of the bestseller list this week while The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson was at number one in the fiction section."

South Africa news: Makhaya Ntini retires from international cricket | Cricinfo.com

South Africa news: Makhaya Ntini retires from international cricket | Cricinfo.com: "Makhaya Ntini, the South Africa fast bowler, has announced his retirement from international cricket but will continue representing domestic sides. Ntini will be given a farewell during the Twenty20 international between South Africa and India at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on January 9, when he will make his final appearance for South Africa."

World Golf rankings | Reuters

World Golf rankings | Reuters: "World rankings on Monday"

Domain-name prices: Sex.sells | The Economist

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Venky's to own Blackburn Rovers

Venky's to own Blackburn Rovers: "The shares of Venky's India Ltd., is currently trading at Rs. 940 down Rs. 0.10 or 0.01% over the previous close.
Anuradha Desai, Venkys chairperson was quoted as saying that Venky's is the first Indian company to acquire a Premier League.
Blackburn Rovers’ Chairman John Williams further added that a series of meetings, including discussions with the Premier League, have followed an extensive due diligence process."

E-Mail's Carbon Footprint - Forbes.com

E-Mail's Carbon Footprint - Forbes.com: "According to the Guardian, each 'proper e-mail' creates 4 grams of CO2-equivalent emissions--equivalent to driving 40 feet."

WikiLeaks Founder on the Run, Chased by Turmoil

"Julian Assange moves like a hunted man. In a noisy Ethiopian restaurant in London’s rundown Paddington district, he pitches his voice barely above a whisper to foil the Western intelligence agencies he fears.

He demands that his dwindling number of loyalists use expensive encrypted cellphones and swaps his own as other men change shirts. He checks into hotels under false names, dyes his hair, sleeps on sofas and floors, and uses cash instead of credit cards, often borrowed from friends."

Read further...WikiLeaks Founder on the Run, Chased by Turmoil

Bihar’s tomorrow

"Speed dating takes on a literal meaning in Patna. People share auto-rickshaws like buses, like restaurant tables. They don’t know the person sitting next to them. Every day, several young people hop on to auto-rickshaws with no destination in mind, whispering into each others’ ears, doing things that couples do in backseats. They are strangers to the world. People can see. They don’t."

Read further...Bihar’s tomorrow

Islamic law and democracy: Sense about sharia

"All the more reason for calm thinking about what sharia means, and the dilemmas it poses (see article, article). It can refer to many things, ranging from a pious way of life to a system of corporal and capital punishment, laid down in Islamic law but practised in only a few places. It can also refer to the ideas underpinning Islamic finance (which eschews interest)—and, most significantly for public policy, to a form of family law."

Read further...Islamic law and democracy: Sense about sharia

Why social networks have grown so fast

"The most important reason for their phenomenal growth is something called the 'network effect'. Originally coined to describe the rapid spread of telephones, this states that the value of a communications network to its users rises exponentially with the number of people connected to it. This implies that the audience of a social network will grow slowly at first, then explode once it passes a certain point. Jeff Weiner, the chief executive of LinkedIn, which now has some 58m members, says it took the company 16 months to reach its first million users, whereas the most recent additional million came on board in only 11 days. Facebook has had a similar experience. It took almost five years to drum up its first 150m users, but just eight months to double that number"

Read further...

Why social networks have grown so fast

Useful links...

List Order:

01.) Tweaking Windows

02.) Computing Unleashed

03.) Sony Ericsson Themes

04.) PC Territory

05.) Successful Reign

06.) Success Blog

07.) Expert Adware Spyware

08.) Maheshhari

09.) ZurvitaUSA

10.) Stupids Cupids

11.) General Interest

12.) Passiveincome@55

13.) Skippers Chippers

14.) See And Buy Store

15.) eBegging Online

16.) All in One Blog

17.) The Star Celeb

18.) Sam’s World Wide Earning Forex Blog

19.) Advertising-for-Success blog

20.) Tempo Box

21.) Utah Real Estate

22.) Ultimate Articles

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Power Shift

"China is set to leap-frog industrial powers Germany, France and Britain to become the IMF's second or third most-powerful member under plans being discussed to give emerging nations greater influence."

Read the full story...China to vault into top 3 at IMF under proposal


Read further...EU ready to give up 2 IMF seats in rotation scheme

Poor nations don't want to lose in IMF power shift

Why Jharkhand Plays Lawn Bowls

"When asked why he robbed banks, U.S. outlaw Willie Sutton is famously said to have responded: “Because that’s where the money is.”

There’s a similarly straightforward answer if you ask why India’s Commonwealth Games bowlers hail from either Guwahati in Assam or Ranchi in Jharkhand: It’s where the greens are."

Read further...Why Jharkhand Plays Lawn Bowls

The Upside of Moving to IPv6

"What are the differences between IPv6 and IPv4? IPv4, with its 32-bit addressing, has all of the 4.3 billion unique addresses. That sounds like a lot until you start considering that you might have an iPad in your brief-case, a computer in front of you, and a PC in front of you, all of which may have a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. With IPv6’s 128 bits worth of possible addresses, that’s 2 to the 128th power, until our dogs and cats are also carrying around a baker’s dozen of Internet connected devices, we should be safe from running out of IPv6 addresses."

Read further...The Upside of Moving to IPv6

Liverpool agrees to sell club to Red Sox owners

"Liverpool's board agreed to sell the debt-riddled Premier League club to the owners of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday"

Read further...Liverpool agrees to sell club to Red Sox owners

CWG 2010 will result in economic impact of $4,940 mn

"Commonwealth Games 2010 is expected to result in an overall economic impact of $4,940 million on India's GDP during a period of four years ending 2012 and create an employment opportunity close to 24.7 lakh.

According to a Games Organising Committee document, this figure is almost three times the economic impact the 2006 Melbourne Games had on Australian GDP."

Read further...CWG 2010 will result in economic impact of $4,940 mn

a brief guide to life | zen habits

a brief guide to life | zen habits: "Life can be ridiculously complicated, if you let it. I suggest we simplify."

India, Pakistan & Kashmir: The Economist

India, Pakistan & Kashmir: "An Economist videographic with a brief history of the Kashmir conflict."

Rahul Gandhi & his Family Business - Congress: The Economist

Rahul Gandhi & his Family Business - Congress: "Today Congress stands ready to do the family's bidding, like a well-upholstered Ambassador car always at the front door. A second, even more impressive vehicle, known simply as India, boasts wheels of state, and its chauffeur is respectfully called 'prime minister'. It offers an exhilarating if often erratic ride (it belches smoke and lurches in unexpected directions, when it is not stuck in traffic). It is currently on loan to a loyal and honest retainer, Manmohan Singh, no mean driver for a man of his years. But this car is Rahul's heirloom. It is just a question of time before he asks for the keys back."

10 ways data is changing how we live - Telegraph

10 ways data is changing how we live - Telegraph: "The availability of new sets of data has changed the way we live our lives: here are 10 examples of data which have changed everything from how we assess wars to how companies deliver milk."

More details leak about Intel's forthcoming Sandy Bridge processors

"Like most new product roll-outs these days, Intel’s launch of its new CPUs, code-named Sandy Bridge, won’t be a complete surprise, thanks to a number of Web sites publishing information that’s leaked out about the chips."

Read further...More details leak about Intel's forthcoming Sandy Bridge processors

Why did Intel buy McAfee for $7.7 billion?

"Intel will pay $48 a share in cash to buy the firm, amounting to a shade under $7.7 billion. this works out as a premium of 62% over McAfee’s closing price on Wednesday.

Question is, why?"...read further...Why did Intel buy McAfee for $7.7 billion?

BlackBerry technology explained | Reuters

"Here are questions and answers that explain how the BlackBerry system works and why governments consider it so threatening:"

Read further...BlackBerry technology explained

The Web's New Gold Mine: Your Secrets

"Ms. Hayes-Beaty is being monitored by Lotame Solutions Inc., a New York company that uses sophisticated software called a 'beacon' to capture what people are typing on a website—their comments on movies, say, or their interest in parenting and pregnancy. Lotame packages that data into profiles about individuals, without determining a person's name, and sells the profiles to companies seeking customers. Ms. Hayes-Beaty's tastes can be sold wholesale (a batch of movie lovers is $1 per thousand) or customized (26-year-old Southern fans of '50 First Dates')."

Read further...The Web's New Gold Mine: Your Secrets

Fake femme fatale shows social network risks

"Hundreds of people in the information security, military and intelligence fields recently found themselves with egg on their faces after sharing personal information with a fictitious Navy cyberthreat analyst named 'Robin Sage,' whose profile on prominent social networking sites was created by a security researcher to illustrate the risks of social networking."

Read further...Fake femme fatale shows social network risks

Chrome 6: What made the cut--and what missed it

"Typically in software development, there comes a point when programmers have to turn their attention from adding the fun new technology to making sure what's going to ship actually works. This point, called the code freeze, just happened for Chrome's sixth 'milestone.'"

Read further...Chrome 6: What made the cut--and what missed it

Sports in the Limelight

The world is busy watching the Soccer World Cup. I am keeping up with the World Cup through internet and especially through Twitter. I would like to share a few interesting tweets on World Cup here:

            This World Cup is working out like WW2 - France have forfeited, the USA turned up late, and England are left to fight the Germans!

Another one: This WC we see the Rise of Asia, Dominance of South America & Fall of Europe. A new order is being set up.

New Zealand and Slovenia, though having a population of only a few million, have already shown their mettle. South Korea and Japan have moved to the round of 16. Italy and France, the two finalists of the last World Cup, have already been knocked out. And through the draw of the round of 16, we can tell that out of Argentina, England and Germany only one can reach the semis. This WC is turning out to be the most exciting in the recent history. Though Argentina, Brazil & Netherlands look strong at the moment, one game can change everything.

By the time this article gets published, we would already have a new World Champion. I am hoping for the one who has never won it. Let us all wait till 11^th July.

            The other thing that is hogging the Sports pages these days is Wimbledon. Federer and Nadal had nervous starts. A Federer – Nadal final would be an exciting affair. Williams sisters are going smoothly. Sania Mirza returned from the first round itself. And we have also seen the longest match (11 hours, 5 minutes) in tennis history. John Isner finally defeated Nicolas Mahut, scoring 70–68 in the fifth set. Let’s see how the rest of the grass tournament proceeds by.

The cricket fans of the Indian sub-continent were also glued to their TV sets watching the Asia Cup. India finally won it after a gap of 15 years. That too without Sachin, Sehwag and Yuvraj in the team. 2011 Cricket World Cup is near and we have big hopes with this team.

                        One great news for all Badminton fans is that Saina Nehwal after winning back-to-back titles, India Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Open Super Series in the last two weeks, has marched ahead of three Chinese players in the women's singles charts for her career-best ranking of World No. 3. 

In the news related to Basketball in India, sports and entertainment agency IMG and Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries have signed a 30-year deal with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to develop the sport and its infrastructure, and possibly start a pro league in the next three to five years.

One of the major tournaments that will generate excitement in the near future is the Soccer Asia Cup 2011 in January. India is one of the participating teams. It is in Group C along with South Korea, Australia and Bahrain. So no big hope here.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are between 3rd October and 14th October. Prestige of India as a host of a major sporting event is on stake. Pray that with all the negative news making the rounds, India comes out with flying colours as a warm and competent host.

            The 2010 FIBA World Championship, world basketball tournament for men's national teams, will be hosted by Turkey from August 28 to September 12, 2010. India here lost out in the qualifying round itself.

The 16th Asian Games will be held in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. In the last Asian Games, India won a total of 53 medals, including 10 golds. Hope this time, we increase our tally.

With other annual tournaments already in the 2010 Sports Calendar, we can not wish for more.

Young, educated on Nitish's mind

"A la Rahul Gandhi who has been stressing on greater role for youths in party and politics, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar too is learned to be looking for young and educated people who can be entrusted with the task of representing people."

Read further...Young, educated on Nitish's mind

FBI allegations against 'Russian spies' in US

"Court papers setting out the allegations against 10 people arrested on suspicion of spying for the Russian government reveal details worthy of a Cold War spy novel.

The espionage ring was allegedly trained by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), whose headquarters are known as Moscow Centre."

Read further...FBI allegations against 'Russian spies' in US

Wikipedia 'breeding' paedophiles

"An investigation has revealed that Wikipedia has become a home base for a worldwide network of paedophiles.

According to the investigation, paedophiles are campaigning on the famous online encyclopaedia and are trying to lure more and more people."

Read further...Wikipedia 'breeding' paedophiles

The price of entry | The Economist

"People on work visas account for 70% of legal migrants to Germany, for instance, but only 5.6% of those entering America, the original land of opportunity. Most of the rest get in because a member of their family is already in the country."

Read further...The price of entry | The Economist

A Saudi tower: Mecca versus Las Vegas

"Mecca already boasts dozens of fancy international hotels. At the current building rate it could have 80,000 hotel rooms by 2015. The Mecca Clock Royal Tower Hotel, with more than 800 rooms, occupies what will soon be the world’s second-tallest building, a structure incorporating the world’s biggest clock, with faces at least six times the size of Big Ben’s, and capped by a spire topped with a golden crescent. The hotel building forms just part of part of the Abraj al-Bait complex, a Gotham City-like eruption of seven huge towers, conveniently sited a stone’s throw from the Great Mosque."

Read further...A Saudi tower: Mecca versus Las Vegas

ATM security flaws could be a jackpot for hackers

"'ATMs are not as secure as we would like them to be,' Jeff Moss, founder of the Black Hat conference and a member of President Obama's Homeland Security Advisory Council said. 'Barnaby has a number of different attacks that make all the money come out.'"

Read further...ATM security flaws could be a jackpot for hackers

How developed is Bihar, really?

"Some economists argue that it is Bihar’s investment in road building and construction in the last three years that is responsible for an overall increase in gross state domestic product (GSDP), and that there is little change in the growth rates of other sectors in the economy. They say that reports of Bihar’s economic miracle are driven by newspaper headlines which, in turn, are predicated on state government advertising in these periodicals. This line of argument is as specious as claims that it is honey, and not water, that runs in the Sone today.

The fact is that Bihar’s society and economy are seeing changes that haven’t been seen in the earlier regime. These could be regressive, or could be progressive. But this much is true: Things are different today and it is this difference that the people will evaluate while voting in October-November this year."

Read further...How developed is Bihar, really?

Space, just 100km from Bangalore

"Set to come up on a sprawling 1,600 acres at a whopping Rs 18,500 crore investment at Bagepalli in Chickballapur district, it will be the first of its kind in the country."

Read further...Space, just 100km from Bangalore

The FIFA World Cup 2010 shows how soccer's balance of power is changing

"Several of the traditional powers suffered ignominious defeats (Serbia 1, Germany 0 on Friday) or embarrassing draws considering the opposition. Italy, defending champions and number five in the FIFA rankings, tied 1-1 Sunday evening with New Zealand, FIFA-ranked 78. It was only the second point New Zealand had ever gained�at a World Cup, according to ESPN."

Read further...The FIFA World Cup 2010 shows how soccer's balance of power is changing

Sania and the Indian woman’s happily ever after myth

"A recent study found that in the US, the proportion of wives who earn more than their husbands risen more than five-fold since 1970. “In 1970, just 4% of American wives earned more than their husbands. That figure rose to 22% in 2007. Men are still the bigger earners in one in four marriages but with a far smaller proportion of wives not working, the income gap is smaller. Most married men did not have a working wife 40 years ago. Now they do,” the Guardian newspaper reports."

Read further...Sania and the Indian woman’s happily ever after myth

Is Twitter here to stay? - We The People

"In recent times Twitter has grabbed headlines in the mainstream media. For lakhs of Indians, it has provided a democratic platform to express an opinion. Is Twitter a passing fad which will die once a new invention of social media comes up? We The People debates the phenomenon."

Watch the video: Is Twitter here to stay?

Bolt will not compete at Commonwealth Games

"Jamaican triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt will not compete in the New Delhi Commonwealth Games from Oct 3-14 because they are too late in the year, coach Glen Mills told Reuters on Saturday."

Read further...Bolt will not compete at Commonwealth Games

Nicolas Anelka joins disgraced hall of shame

"Pablo Larios: World Cup 1982
It was off field antics of the extra marital variety that resulted in Pablo Larios being dismissed. The revelation that the Frenchman was having an affair with the wife of team-mate Michel Platini rocked the French camp and Larios was given the axe."

Find out the complete list...Nicolas Anelka joins disgraced hall of shame

Google releases command line tool for accessing Web services

"Google has announced the availability of a new tool called GoogleCL that will allow users to interact with the company's popular Web services directly from the command line."

Read further...Google releases command line tool for accessing Web services

TED Blog: Q&A with Ananda Shankar Jayant: The power of myth and metaphor

"Before her TEDTalk posted today, the TED Blog caught up with classical Indian dancer Ananda Shankar Jayant. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, she continued dancing and gave an amazing performance at the TEDIndia conference in November 2009. Now in remission and still enjoying life to its fullest, she gives an update on her health and explains in detail how metaphor, narrative and dance carried her through some of her darkest times."

Read further...TED Blog: Q&A with Ananda Shankar Jayant: The power of myth and metaphor

Formula One driver and constructor standings

Driver and constructor standings after

the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday.

Drivers

--------

1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 109 points

2. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 106

3. Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 103

4. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 94

5. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 90

6. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes GP 74

7. Robert Kubica (Poland) Renault 73

8. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 67

9. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes GP 34

10. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 23

11. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Force India 12

12. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Williams 7

13. Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Renault 6

14. Sebastien Buemi (Switzerland) Toro Rosso 5

15. Jaime Alguersuari (Spain) Toro Rosso 3

16. Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1

17. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Williams 1

18. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) Sauber 0

19. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Lotus 0

20. Karun Chandhok (India) HRT 0

21. Lucas Di Grassi (Brazil) Virgin 0

22. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Lotus 0

23. Bruno Senna (Brazil) HRT 0

24. Timo Glock (Germany) Virgin 0

Constructors

-------------

1. McLaren - Mercedes 215 points

2. RedBull - Renault 193

3. Ferrari 161

4. Mercedes 108

5. Renault 79

6. Force India - Mercedes 35

7. Toro Rosso - Ferrari 8

8. Williams - Cosworth 8

9. BMW Sauber - Ferrari 1

10. Lotus - Cosworth 0

11. HRT - Cosworth 0

12. Virgin - Cosworth 0

U.S. steps up Web security focus after iPad breach

"The FCC announcement on Friday comes one day after the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had opened a probe into a security breach of the iPad that exposed personal information of AT&T Inc (T.N) customers, including several high-ranking government officials."

Read the complete article: U.S. steps up Web security focus after iPad breach

Uranium affecting mental health of kids in Punjab

"The presence of the radioactive element has strengthened doubts that depleted uranium used by US tanks in Iraq and Afghanistan was travelling through air, reaching not just Punjab but Delhi as well."

Read further...Uranium affecting mental health of kids in Punjab

Motivational Bakar

Most of my school and college friends are 'Bakar'. 'Bakar' means one who can speak on any topic continuously. My friends are not only 'Bakar', I think they are among the best in this field. One section of this 'Bakar' field is 'Funda Baazi', i.e. to give motivational or spiritual 'Gapp'. Many a times we have recorded these 'Bakar' and showed them to others.
Just a few days back I had my appraisal meeting with my Project Manager. This was my first official meeting with him. Because of the occasion I was very calm and composed. But then my Project Manager was in another mood. He himself started a motivational talk, what we call 'Funda Baazi'. I was surprised and at the same time comfortable. He showed me a video of Harsha Bhogle giving a lecture at IIM Ahmedabad. I really liked that video.
That day when I returned to my home, I downloaded the complete video. First I saw it alone and then I showed it to my room mates. All were very impressed. I even posted the video's link on my Facebook account and it got many 'Likes'.
I am here embedding both the parts of the video for the rest of my friends to watch them.


Harsha Bhogle @ IIMA - Video [1st part]

Cycle of life: Play wise, play fool to achieve your goal

"Sometimes in life, we have to play the fool because our seniors and our peers, and sometimes even our juniors like it. That does not mean we lose in the game of life. It just means allowing others to win in one arena of the game, while we win in the other arena of the game. We have to choose which arena matters to us and which arenas do not."

Read the complete article...Cycle of life: Play wise, play fool to achieve your goal

What will be left after the oil spill?

"Oil is above, around and beneath me; out of sight somewhere way below lurk yet more dark clouds of oil. This is now America’s worst environmental disaster, according to the White House. The beaches are clogged not only with oil, but with clean-up workers, TV crews and politicians. But it is here, beneath the slick, that its destructive power will be most felt."

Read the complete article...What will be left after the oil spill?

World Cup 2010 : Players on Twitter, Follow your Favorite Player

"Below is the list of players, their positions and Twitter Profiles"

List --> World Cup 2010 : Players on Twitter, Follow your Favorite Player

Football World Cup kicks off today in South Africa

"This is the World Cup, the biggest ever. Earth-shaking in its size, symbolism and significance. And not just in the numbers alone, but in the sense of a movement, of rebirth, and of pride. For centuries, Africa got the raw end of most deals. This is the one occasion, when it gives back - with a smile and a warm embrace."

Read further...Football World Cup kicks off today in South Africa

Official Google Blog: The art of a homepage

"Google Search home now comes with Background Photos"

Read further...Official Google Blog: The art of a homepage

UN imposes new sanctions on Iran

"The UN today imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran in an attempt to force it to comply with international demands over its nuclear programme – even though a defiant Tehran insisted punitive measures will change nothing.

The US, which spent five months forging the package, urged Iran to 'choose a wiser course' after security council resolution 1929 was passed by 12 votes today. Brazil and Turkey, which brokered a nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran last month but which was effectively dismissed by the west, voted against. Lebanon abstained. The failure to achieve unanimity is widely seen as having weakened the resolution."

Read further...UN imposes new sanctions on Iran

BP buys search term oil spill from Google

"BP Plc has bought terms such as 'oil spill' from search engine providers including Google Inc to help direct Internet users to its website as it attempts to control the worst oil spill in U.S. history."

Read further...BP buys search term oil spill from Google

Apple’s iPhone 4 Launch – The Nuts and Bolt

"Sure, you already peeped the next version of the iPhone months ago, thanks to that hapless Apple engineer’s fateful beer-haus outing.

But Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs filled in many blanks about the gadget on Monday during a nearly two-hour on-stage unveiling of the iPhone 4 in San Francisco at the Apple developers’ conference."

Read further...Apple’s iPhone 4 Launch – The Nuts and Bolt

Cricket Australia considers new 40-over format

"Cricket Australia is considering introducing a completely new limited-overs format as soon as next season, in what could be another nail in the coffin of the 50-over game. The Australian has reported that the CA board will this week discuss a domestic tournament of 40-over games, with each team to bat for two innings of 20 overs."

Read further...Cricket Australia considers new 40-over format

India slips in Global Peace Index, Pak among bottom five

"India ranked a low 128th on this year's Global Peace Index (GPI) after it slipped six positions though it was ahead of violence-hit Pakistan, which was placed among the five countries which were least peaceful.

Internal conflicts, terrorism and human rights abuses were the factors assessed by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) to quantify global peacefulness in the only study of its kind in 149 countries."

Read further...India slips in Global Peace Index, Pak among bottom five

Interesting facts and figures about WC 2010…

"Including the 2010 edition, a total of 76 teams will have taken part in the World Cup finals. This includes teams which either no longer exist or have undergone a transformation."

Read further...Interesting facts and figures…

Australia will be a tough nut to crack

"If they somehow get out of their group and England manage to do so from theirs, it could lead to a second-round Ashes showdown. Upton Park part 2, anyone?"

Read further...Australia will be a tough nut to crack

Messi on a mission

"'I don't think I've reached my peak yet,' he says, his appetite for success undiminished. 'My dream is to win the World Cup with Argentina and then to go and repeat what we've achieved at Barcelona, and to keep on going after that. My aim is to keep improving day by day. I want to keep on growing, I want to learn the things I don't know and to keep working on the things I do know so that I don't forget them.'"

Read further...Messi on a mission

How the African nations have fared so far

"Two days remain for the FIFA World Cup to be kicked-off for the first time on African soil. Here is a look at African nations' World Cup records:

The first match featuring an African team took place in 1934 (Italy) and was played between Egypt and Hungary."

Read further...How the African nations have fared so far

After the Xinjiang Protests

"Before last summer, few people outside China had heard of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. Few knew it was the country’s largest province (about the size of Western Europe), and home to a people culturally and linguistically distinct from the Han Chinese, who constitute an ethnic majority in China. Uighurs are Sunni Muslims, speak a Turkic language closely related to Uzbek, and generally look Central Asian."

Read further...After the Xinjiang Protests