Month: January 2010

Apple unveils revolutionary iPad tablet

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San Francisco, January 28: Apple CEO Steve Jobs has unveiled the iPad, a tablet-style computer that resembles the iPhone, but larger.

“It’s so much more intimate than a laptop and so much more capable than a smart phone,” Jobs said Wednesday at the device’s highly anticipated debut in San Francisco.

Jobs demonstrated how the iPad is used for surfing the Web with Apple’s Safari browser. He typed an e-mail using an on-screen keyboard and flipped through photo albums by flicking his finger across the screen.

Jyoti Basu’s brain removed for preservation

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Kolkata, January 28: Doctors from the state-run S.S.K.M. Hospital Wednesday successfully removed the brain of deceased Marxist leader Jyoti Basu and preserved it in their laboratory.

‘We have successfully taken out Basu’s brain. It was more or less in a good condition,’ hospital’s anatomy department head Ashis Dutta told IANS.

The doctors carried out the dissection Wednesday afternoon. The process continued for almost one-and-half hours.

The mortal remains of Basu were handed over to the hospital authorities Jan 19 for purpose of medical research, in keeping with his wish.

Good intentions and bad ideas: What we should do about Haiti’s orphans

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New Delhi, January 28: As a parent, I’ve been watching and avoiding my television with equal measures of panic and denial for the last couple of weeks. I’m not alone. My friend A., a mother of two called the other night to tell me, “Those kids act just like mine. They walk around just like mine. They look scared and lost just like mine would, and it makes me feel crazy to just sit here.”

Sania Mirza’s engagement broken off

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Hyderabad, January 28: It seems that the beginning of New Year hasn’t as good as Indian Tennis sensation Sania Mirza had expected. After crashed out of seasons’ first Grand Slam Australian Open, Sania Mirza’s off the field life has been in trouble.

Yes, the 23-year-old Hyderabadi girl’s engagement has been broken off.

According to the sources, Sania Mirza’s father Imran Mirza has called off her engagement to Mohammed Sohrab Mirza.

Britain Ignores Anti-Muslim Hatred: MCB

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London, January 28: Many of Britain’s sizable two-million-strong Muslim minority are dispirited by their government’s failure to tackle surging anti-Islam hostilities in the European country and want to see divisive action being taken to address that.

“Amongst many British Muslim communities, there is a growing disenchantment at the lacklustre response from our political leaders to speak out against anti-Muslim hatred,” Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), wrote in a letter to the Home Secretary and posted on the group’s website.

Teenage girl rescued from Haiti rubble after 15 days

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Port-au-Prince, January 28: A teenage girl was pulled alive from under a collapsed house in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, 15 days after Haiti’s devastating earthquake.

She was severely dehydrated and had a leg injury but was conscious when she was dragged out of the rubble by French and Haitian rescuers.

“I don’t know how she happened to resist that long. It’s a miracle,” said rescue worker J.P. Malaganne, adding that the girl, named Darline, was happy, shocked and crying.

Economic storm over, devastation remains: Obama

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Washington, January 28: US President Barack Obama declared in his State of the Union address that the worst of the economic storm had passed, but that a trail of devastation was left behind.

Obama said his administration’s early actions last year had staved off a repeat of the 1930s Great Depression.

“And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed, but the devastation remains,” Obama said.

Obama added he would veto any finance bill that does not contain “real reform.”

Barriers No Answer to Iraq Insecurity

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Baghdad, January 28: The latest wave of deadly attacks in Baghdad exposed security lapses that cannot be simply beaten with cordons and concrete barriers that shield government buildings but fail to protect helpless civilians, experts believe.

“The problem is bigger than that,” Muhammad al-Zayyad, security expert and consultant for a private foreign company in Baghdad, told.

Three suicide bombs rocked three hotels in Baghdad Monday, two of which are favoured by Western journalists and security contractors.

Rupee gains 12 paise against dollar

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Mumbai, January 28: The rupee today appreciated by 14 paise to 46.24 a dollar in early trade on capital inflows into stocks by foreign funds. At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) market, the rupee appreciated by 12 paise to 46.24 a dollar.

The rupee yesterday closed lower 24 paise at 46.36, a three-week low. Dealers said rupee gained against the dollar in line with surging stock markets.

The benchmark Sensex rose by 203.21 points, or 1.24 per cent, to 16,493.03 points in opening trade today.

—PTI

Iran, North Korea more isolated over nuclear ambitions

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Washington, January 28: Iran and North Korea have become increasingly isolated in the world because of their nuclear ambitions, US President Barack Obama has said.

During his first State of the Union address Wednesday night, Obama cited UN Security Council sanctions approved in June against Pyongyang, after the Stalinist state detonated a nuclear device. The sanctions ban North Korea from exporting weapons and call on nations to intercept suspected arms shipments.

Sania Mirza’s calls off engagement

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Hyderabad, January 28: Indian tennis sensation- Sania Mirza’s engagement, with a childhood friend, Mohammed Sohrab Mirza, has been called off.

The 23-year-old’s father, Imran, who also coaches Sania and manages her career, confirmed annulling of the relationship.

Sania too refused to give the exact reasons, just confirming the news.

“We were friends for half a decade, but found ourselves incompatible during our engagement period. I wish Sohrab the best in life,” she said.

Mohammed Sohrab, studying business in the United Kingdom, and Sania were formally engaged last July.

Ladies’ kite club, where passion meets a soaring business

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Mysore, January 28: You have heard of ladies’ clubs, but a ladies’ kite club? Kite flying may not be one of the usual hobbies that you hear women take to, but here in Mysore, 10 women who love the sport have come together to form this unique club of women-only kite flyers.

Chopping vegetables, taking care of her family and tending to the household chores like any other homemaker would, there is nothing that seems out of the ordinary about Kavita Bylokenda – one of the members of the club – at the first instance.

Hand her a kite, and she metamorphoses into a different person.

Pak bomber becomes millionaire

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Islamabad, January 28: A Pakistan youth took away Rs5 million from a bank branch after posing as a ‘suicide bomber’ while showing the bank officials a suicide jacket, detonator and wires wrapped around him.

A youngster in his early 20s entered the United Bank Limited’s Karor city branch in the Bhakkar Division of Punjab the other day and demanded Rs5 million from the cashier, showing him a threatening letter. “I would blow myself in a jiffy if you refuse the amount,” officials quoted him as saying.

Pak seeks PM’s apology for advert gaffe

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Islamabad, January 28: Taking note of the inclusion of the picture of a former Pakistani air chief in a full-page advertisement issued by the women and child development ministry, a spokesman for the Pakistan air force has said prime minister Manmohan Singh should apologise to the people of Pakistan for hurting their feelings.

While ordering an inquiry into the faux pas, two days ahead of Republic Day, the prime minister’s office had apologised to the general public for having included the picture of former Pakistani air chief Tanvir Ahmed in the advertisement.

Sensex gains 203 pts in opening trade on global cues

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Mumbai, January 28: The Bombay Stock Exchange benchmark Sensex today surged by 203 points, or 1.05 per cent, in opening trade on fresh buying by funds, driven by rally on the global bourses. The 30-share index rose by 203.21 points to 16,493.03 points.

The BSE barometer had lost over 1,351 points, or almost 7.7 per cent in the previous six trading sessions. The wide-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty rose by 59.25 points, or 1.22 per cent to 4,912.35 points.

India likely to face a bloody summer

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New Delhi, January 28: India could witness a series of heightened terrorist activities in the coming months as Pakistan steps up efforts to push more trained terrorists into Kashmir and other parts of the country. The infiltration is a part of Pakistan’s strategy to whip up the Kashmir issue and divert attention from its domestic problems. Well-placed sources in the home ministry said Pakistan also wants to force India to break the ceasefire between the two countries.

Pak players can come in as replacements in IPL

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Mumbai, January 28: Pakistan players could get a chance to play in the Indian Premier League but for that to happen, a lot of things need to fall in place. The first and foremost requirement is, of course, that the franchisees need to have a change of mind.

One way to bring Pakistan players in is through replacement. Each team can get a replacement if a foreign player in their roster gets injured before the start of the IPL. The replacement can be made from an exhaustive list of 96 players first released by the IPL.

Flight operations normal at IGI

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New Delhi, January 28: After remaining disrupted for the past two days due to dense fog, air operations at the IGI airport were normal today. “Though there was shallow fog, the runway visibility was around 1,000 metres which was good enough for normal flight operations,” an airport official said, adding all domestic and international flights were operating as per schedule.

Evil:” Black goat” sacrified for Zaradari every day

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Karachi,January 28:A black goat is slaughtered almost daily to ward off ‘evil eyes’ and protect President Asif Ali Zardari from ‘black magic’. Does this, and the use of camel and goat milk, make the beleaguered president appear to be a superstitious man?
Well, not to his spokesman. “It has been an old practice of Mr Zardari to offer sadqa (animal sacrifice). He has been doing this for a long time,” spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Dawn on Tuesday.
But his detractors would see in his new-found religiosity a sign of nervousness in the wake of the scrapping of the NRO.

Childhood obesity ups heart disease risk

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Washington, January 28: Childhood obesity increases the risk of developing heart disease and stroke even in those with no known cardiovascular risk factors, a new study finds.

Metabolic syndrome, consisted of abdominal obesity, elevated triglyceride and decreased HDL levels, hypertension and impaired glucose tolerance, places youngsters at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes in early adulthood.

India has to tread a fine line with Rajapaksa

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New Delhi, January 28: Mahinda Rajapaksa may have won the election, but the manner in which the Lankan army has surrounded opponent Sarath Fonseka’s hotel, reinforces the general view that the president has been running a brutal regime.

India is uneasy, but is unlikely to make noise. While New Delhi officially denied Fonseka sought its help, sources in the government said otherwise.

However, there is little chance India will go out on a limb for the former army chief. It is keen that things settle down quickly and the president pays full attention to rebuilding war-torn Jaffna.

US needs to gear up; India’s not waiting: Obama

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Washington, January 28: Asserting that he would not accept second-place for the United States, President Barack Obama has given a call to fix “the problems that are hampering our growth” lest nations like India, China and Germany overtake it.

“From the day I took office, I have been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious – that such efforts would be too contentious, that our political system is too gridlocked, and that we should just put things on hold for awhile,” he said Wednesday.

Obama vows to keep pressure on Al Qaeda

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Washington, January 28: US President Barack Obama has vowed to intensify the fight against Al Qaeda in the wake of last month’s attack on a Detroit-bound airliner.

“We are filling unacceptable gaps revealed by the failed Christmas attack, with better airline security and swifter action on our intelligence,” he said in his first State of the Union address Wednesday evening.

A Nigerian man is suspected of carrying out the attempt to bomb the airliner as it descended toward Detroit on Dec 25. The plot failed when the explosives hidden in his underwear failed to detonate.

India waits and watches as UK unveils Afghan plan today

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New Delhi, January 28: On the eve of the crucial London conference on the future of Afghanistan, New Delhi wants the proposed reconciliation process with the Taliban to be “transparent and inclusive” as any wrong move could have a destabilising effect on the security from the Ferghana Valley to the Bay of Bengal.

Maoist commander gunned down

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Talpukuria, January 28: Joint forces gunned down a Maoist commander after a 10-hour exchange of fire at Belpahari on Wednesday. Eleven Maoists and their supporters were also arrested.

“Acting on intelligence input, we began operation at Talpukuria village in Belpahari at 8.30 am. A Maoist commander was shot dead.

We have his body. We also arrested 11 villagers, of which six are members of the Maoists squad.

The rest are from the PCAPA who helped the Mosists,” said SP, West Midnapore, Manoj Verma.