NEWS 4 U

NEW RECORD

2008-08-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

Aug. 9: Michael Phelps of United States checks the time of the men's 400-meter individual medley heat during the swimming competitions in Beijing.

RUSSIA VS GEORGIA

2008-08-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Georgia 'pulls out of S Ossetia'

Russia has expanded the conflict with air strikes against targets in Georgia

Georgia says its forces have withdrawn from the separatist enclave of South Ossetia, and that Russian troops are now in control of the regional capital.

An interior ministry spokesman told the BBC it was not a military defeat but a necessary step to protect civilians from a "humanitarian catastrophe".

Georgia says Russia has brought an additional 10,000 soldiers across its frontiers, readying for a raid.

Earlier, Russian jets bombed a military airfield close to the Georgian capital.

There was no independent confirmation of the attack, although the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, who is in Tbilisi, said he had heard a loud explosion about the same time.

Hancock grabs heroic $107.3M

2008-07-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Will Smith's box-office superpowers remain intact. Smith's Hancock - the story of a boozing, foul-mouthed superhero who dresses like a street bum - led the July 4 weekend with a $66 million debut, according to studio estimates.

That raised the total for Sony's Hancock to $107.3 million since it opened on Tuesday night to get a jump on the holiday.

It was a familiar place for Smith, one of Hollywood's most-consistent draws. Hancock is his fifth movie to open at number 1. The others were Men in Black and its sequel, Independence Day and Wild Wild West.

"Will Smith, Mom, apple pie and the Fourth of July. It doesn't get any better," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "People just so relate to him and the characters that he plays. They totally embraced it as something different, something fresh."

The previous weekend's top flick, the Disney-Pixar animated tale WALL-E, slipped to second place with $33.4 million. Its 10-day total is $128.1 million.

Overall business slipped for the first time in a month. The top 12 movies pulled in $158.7 million, down 4 per cent weekend last year, when Transformers opened at No 1 with $70.5 million, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

Revenues this summer are at $2.22 billion, about 2 percent ahead of Hollywood's record pace in 2007, when summer revenues topped $4 billion for the first time.

Hancock co-stars Jason Bateman as a public-relations man who tries to give an image-makeover to Smith's cranky character. Charlize Theron plays Bateman's wife, who has her own reasons for wanting the superhero to stay out of her life.

It was the second-best opening weekend for Smith, following last December's I Am Legend at $77.2 million, and was his eighth-straight movie to open at No. 1.

Hancock did not get great reviews, but it doesn't matter. A guy like Will Smith is arguably the most-bankable star in the world," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. "He's utterly likable and he's real, and that permeates from the screen to the audience."

Overseas, Hancock pulled in an additional $78 million in 50 other countries.

TOMMY VS PAM

2008-07-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

Tommy shows off Pam pictures

Rocker Tommy Lee shows off intimate snaps of ex-wife Pamela Anderson to his friends and is "proud" to be in a relationship with the star.

Lee, who reunited with Anderson again earlier this month, shows his pals personal photos of the Baywatch beauty but only if they are nice to him, reports contactmusic.com.

"Tommy is as proud to be Pam's man as he was when they first got together. Pam is 41 but she still looks every inch the Playboy bunny she was and Tommy has the proof. If you're really nice to him he'll even show you"

SANIA AND SHAHID KAPOOR

2008-07-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Nothing to hide about Sania: Shahid

Shahid Kapoor has served up an ace. When asked about rumours of a love match with the golden girl of Indian tennis Sania Mirza, the actor says he has nothing to hide about his relationship with her.

Shahid is far from needled about questions related to his personal life. "Sania is my favourite tennis player. I have met her and talked to her. I have nothing to hide about my relationship with her. She can be as good a friend as many other actresses in the film industry. What else can I say?" says Shahid.

While reports in the media may claim that Shahid and Sania are inseperable and were even seen spending hours together on the sets of Vishal Bharadwaj's Kaminay, the Bollywood star insists it is his recent reticence that has fueled speculations.

"I have always been a very private person. I don't like talking about myself. I am not as accessible to the media on every issue as I used to be earlier. Maybe that is why people write what they want to write about me. But that is how I want to live my life now. If today I am romantically linked to so many women, I think it is only because I have become such a private person," he says.

In fact tinsel town seems unable to make up its mind about Shahid's current love interest.

Besides Sania who has been paired with the teen heartthrob after they were spotted at Bangalore's Windsor Sheraton last year, Kismat Konnection co-star Vidya Balan and Amrita Rao are being touted as the other possible candidates to fill the gap left by Kareena Kapoor's unceremonious exit.

The two split after four-and-a-half years of a torrid affair.

Shahid himself admits that his single status could be the reason why gossip mills have gone into an overdrive. "Sure, that could be true," he says.

Sania has chosen to remain silent on the issue and her family too has refused any comments on the relationship between the tennis star and Shahid.

CRUDE OIL TUMBLES

2008-07-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

Crude oil fell sharply on Thursday following two days of declines, dragged down further by a massive sell-off of natural gas.
The slide accelerated amid growing concerns about the weakening U.S. economy.
Light,sweet crude for August delivery was down $4.08 at $130.52 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices have fallen about $14 in just the past three days.
"This market is acting much different than it has during this entire bull run," said James Cordier, president of Tampa, Florida-based trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com. "I think it's because the fundamentals are finally turning from extremely bullish to slightly bearish. But slightly bearish is enough to tip the market."
Natural gas futures for August delivery fell as much as 8.2 percent in the day, the biggest one-day drop in nearly a year. Natural gas fell 13.8 percent on Aug. 20, 2007, according to Nathan Golz, researcher at Wachovia Securities in St. Louis.
Prices for the key heating, cooking and power generation fuel have tumbled more than 20 percent since their peak before the Fourth of July, and are now trading at their lowest point since April.
The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report that natural gas inventories held in underground storage in the lower 48 states rose by 104 billion cubic feet to more 2.31 trillion cubic feet for the week ending July 11. That is despite the fact that supplies are 2.1 percent below the five-year average for this time of year.
Oil prices fell more than $10 over the previous two days on growing concerns that inflation and other economic concerns could reduce demand for crude. A surprisingly large gain in oil and refined fuel inventories in the U.S. prolonged the sell-off, because it suggested more supplies were heading into storage rather than consumers' fuel tanks.
The price for a barrel of oil briefly dipped below $130.
Reports of a pre-dawn explosion that damaged an oil pipeline in Nigeria's restive south — the sort of threat to supply that has helped fuel crude's recent rally — did little to prop up prices on Thursday.
A Nigerian military official said the blast on a pipeline owned by Agip, a subsidiary of the Italian energy giant Eni SpA, "affected output," although he did not say by how much.
Col. Chris Musa, head of the Bayelsa State military, also did not say how severe the damage was, and declined to comment on what might have caused the explosion or whether it had resulted in any casualties.
The company said a sudden drop in pressure led it to halt production on pipelines carrying 47,000 gallons of oil a day.
Attacks on oil industry infrastructure in the past two years have slashed oil output by almost a quarter in Nigeria, Africa's top crude producer.
In other Nymex trading, heating oil fell 6.62 cents to $3.7748 a gallon, while gasoline futures slipped fell 9.92 cents to $3.1802.

CHINA SUPPORTS INDIA

2008-07-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

China may not object to N-deal in IAEA

On the eve of India presenting its case on the Indo-US nuclear deal before the IAEA, China hinted on Thursday for the first time it may not be a stumbling block when the safeguards accord comes up before the global nuclear watchdog for approval.

''I believe countries could, under the presentation of fulfilling international obligations, carry out peaceful cooperation in peaceful (use of) nuclear energy and I hope the relevant issues can be resolved through negotiations between relevant parties,'' Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters in Beijing.

Liu's remarks came close on the heels of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the G-8 summit in Japan early this month.

After the talks, India had voiced confidence that there would be no ''difficulty'' from the Chinese side when the matter comes up before the NSG.

China, one of the five recognised nuclear powers, is a key member the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), whose approval is needed for India to secure international cooperation for nuclear commerce.

''We have taken note that the US and India are making further contact on this (nuclear) issue,'' Liu said.

The spokesman was responding to a query if China is planning to raise any objections when India's case comes up before the IAEA.

With the G-8 countries on board over the deal after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meetings with leaders of the rich nations in Japan recently, India had stated that it does not expect any problem in the IAEA and NSG over securing their approvals and exemptions required to take the deal forward.

PEACEFUL ENGLAND

2008-07-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

Recorded crime figures show fall

There were 5m recorded crimes last year

Police-recorded crime in England and Wales fell 9% in the 12 months to March, latest figures suggest.

The first reliable figures for knife crime showed there were 22,000 offences last year.

The statistics also show that while the risk of being a victim is at its lowest ever level, people still think that the rate is going up.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she was "extremely pleased" with the overall reduction.

The annual crime report for 2007-2008 reveals the longest recorded period of falling crime - down 48% from 1995.

It shows there were five million recorded crimes. All the main categories were down, including violent crime and sex offences, but drug offences were up 18%, gun crime was up 2% and murder was up 3%.

Map of crime hotspots

Scotland compiles its statistics separately and its annual crime report is due to be published in September.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland published its 2007-2008 crime report in May.

It showed a 10.5% drop from the previous year, making it the lowest level of crime recorded since 1998.

Home Office experts say the latest figures show that offences are concentrated in hotspots - some of which have experienced localised increases in crime - and are not evenly spread around England and Wales.

They also say the figures mirror trends in falling crime seen throughout the developed world.

The annual report combines police-recorded crime and statistics from the British Crime Survey (BCS), a victimisation survey which asked 47,000 adults about their experience of crimes.

For the types it covers, the BCS can provide a better reflection of the true extent of crime because it includes ones that are not reported to the police and crimes which are not recorded by them.

The BCS showed the risk of being a victim of crime has fallen from 24 to 22%, the lowest level recorded since the survey began in 1981.

However, 65% of people said they thought rates had gone up nationally. But the same proportion again thought crime had fallen locally.

The overall picture from the survey was that crime was down 10% to 10.1 million crimes. It also showed that 947,000 violent offences were caused by alcohol.

Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said local communities and police should be "very encouraged" that their efforts to cut crime were paying off.

The home secretary, meanwhile, said the government had exceeded its reduction target, but was committed to doing more "so that everyone feels improvement".

She acknowledged that "knives are still being used in the most serious violent incidents" and said the Youth Crime Action plan published this week was part of a wider package of measures aimed at tackling the problem.

Serious violent crimes involving a blade have previously been bundled with other attacks, but since April last year officers have recorded them separately in light of growing public concern.

Police recorded 22,151 offences involving knives last year in England and Wales, including grievous bodily harm, attempted murder, woundings and robbery but not murder.

It amounts to an average of 60 knife offences every day.

The statistics include a force-by-force breakdown of knife crime, with the highest number of offences - 7,409 - recorded in London.

Gordon Brown said he wanted to make carrying a blade as "unacceptable" as having a gun on the streets.

"It is because we have identified the problem of knife crime, and particularly in some hotspots of the country, that we have stepped up our action dramatically," he said.

"We will do everything in our power to prevent people having knives."

MC CAIRN FOR SCHOOLS

2008-07-17T11:23:00.001-07:00

McCain in black education pledge

Republican US presidential hopeful John McCain calls for improvements to the schools in black districts.

MC CAIRN FOR SCHOOLS

2008-07-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

McCain in black education pledge

Republican US presidential hopeful John McCain calls for improvements to the schools in black districts.

15 YEAR WIN DRAUGHT

2008-07-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

India vs Sri Lanka: More than just a contest
Thursday, July 17, 2008

The India-Sri Lanka Test series promises to be of immense interest, as India will look to end the 15-year win drought on Lankan soil. Adding zing to the great contest would be a few mini yet high-voltage rivalries. Here’s a rundown of the mini clashes that you need to watch out for in the battle between the two neighbours:

OLYMPICS REHARSAL

2008-07-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Sparkling delight: Fireworks explode over the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

NEW MISS UNIVERSE

2008-07-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

NHA TRANG, Vietnam — Miss Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on Monday in a contest marked by the spectacle of Miss USA falling during the evening gown competition for the second year in a row.

An elated Dayana Mendoza received the crown from her predecessor, Riyo Mori of Japan, then prepared to meet a gaggle of reporters. Miss Venezuela, 22, was once kidnapped in her homeland and says the experience taught her to remain poised under pressure.

Tension got under the skin of Crystle Steward of Texas, the second Miss USA in a row to fall during the Miss Universe pageant. She tripped on the train of her bejeweled evening gown as she made her entrance.

During the 2007 Miss Universe contest in Mexico City, Miss USA Rachel Smith also tumbled during the evening gown competition and became an unintended star on You Tube, where the video was shown over and over again.

Like Smith, Stewart quickly stood up after her fall and continued as if nothing had happened.

Stewart, 26, is a motivational speaker and former track and filed star who is working on a book called "Waiting to Win." The Houston native plans to open a character-development school for young children and has worked with children with autism in the Texas schools.

The final five contestants included four from Latin America: Miss Mexico, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Colombia and Miss Venezuela. Rounding out the final five was Miss Russia.

Miss Colombia finished second.

Miss Thailand won the prize for best national costume and Miss El Salvador was chosen by her peers as Miss Congeniality.

During her interview with the judges, Mendoza was asked who she thought has it easier in life, women or men.

"God made us to share and have differences," she replied, then highlighted what she regards as the different thought processes of men and women.

"Men think that the faster way to go to a point is to go straight," she said. "Women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curves."

The NBC show was hosted by talk show star Jerry Springer and Spice Girl Melanie Brown and broadcast live to hundreds of millions of viewers in 170 countries.

Eighty contestants gathered in the seaside city of Nha Trang, Vietnam, vying to succeed reigning Miss Universe Riyo Mori of Japan.

Sporting yellow, green and orange bikinis, the 15 semifinalists strutted across the stage during the swimsuit competition to the sounds of Lady Gaga, who belted out the pulsating "Just Dance" in a platinum blond wig. Miss Vietnam, Lam Thuy Nguyen, was greeted with a roar from the Vietnamese audience.

The final 10 then competed in the evening gown event.

They performed in front of a panel of judges that included international fashion experts and Donald Trump Jr., whose father, the real estate magnate and TV star, co-owns the pageant with NBC.

This year's contestants spanned a wide range of experiences and aspirations.

Miss Albania was a professional basketball player. Miss Argentina says she has paranormal experiences. Miss Antigua & Barbuda is fascinated by snakes. Miss Angola was in a plane crash while trying to escape a conflict during her country's civil war.

The show has been a publicity bonanza for Vietnam, where beauty contests are popular. The contest featured segments on many of the nation's most popular tourist destinations, such as Hue, Hoi An, Sapa and Ha Long Bay.

The program set has been dominated by iconic Vietnamese images, such as bamboo trees, conical hats and lotus flowers.

The tuxedoed Springer made a grand entrance on a motorbike -- the vehicle of choice in Vietnam, where the streets are teeming with millions of the speeding two-wheelers.

NEW BORN BABY NAMES

2008-07-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Where'd Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie get those baby names?

Unusual celebrity baby names are in the news again with this weekend's birth of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's twins.

Not Isla Marcheline and Amelie Jane, as had been initially and erroneously reported a few weeks ago.

Instead, Angelina and Brad named their new son and daughter Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline.

Some readers have been wondering where they got those names. According to "The Baby Name Bible" author Linda Rosenkrantz, interviewed at People.com:

1. Shaking the Family Tree: Knox is a Scottish-English-Irish surname and the middle name of Brad's grandfather, Hal Knox Hillhouse. Léon is the name of Angelina's great-great grandfather.

2. The X-Factor: The Jolie-Pitts' two other sons, Maddox and Pax, have an x in their first names.

3. Mother Complex: Vivienne is the French form of Vivian, which may reflect her birthplace or heritage. Or it could be a name in Pitt's family, because their baby boy is named for people from both parents' families. Marcheline is the French name of Angelina Jolie's late mother, who was of French-Canadian and Native American ancestry.

Siddharth Anand is Bips-struck!

2008-07-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Bipasha is hot and that is certainly not news to anyone! However, director Siddharth Anand has a different story to tell!

"Bachna Ae Haseeno has three girls in it along with Ranbir - Deepika, Minissha and Bipasha. Deepika is a close friend, Minissha is a pal, Ranbir is a childhood friend and all are practically newcomers. When Bipasha came to picture, since I was directing her for the first time, I got awed by her presence! She is also comparatively senior to all the other actors and she looks scorching hot all the time", confessed Siddharth!

He further added, "Bipasha plays a modern girl-next-door girl of Mumbai who is not fashion conscious but is extremely well dressed giving the impression of being a model in the film. Besides, Bipasha is a kind of girl who cannot look clumsy! She is always stylish and making her do my scenes was a pleasure."

Music director Vishal Dadlani casually added, "Bipasha does a song called 'Lucky Boy' in the film where she dances on a stage and the moment I saw her doing that song I couldn't resist myself! I went running downstairs to the studio where she was rehearing and told her how hot she looked! She said, 'thank you' in a tone which felt like 'I know tell me something new"!

Is John listening? We'd love to know if Bips leaves John in awe of her too!

SAVE ANTARTICA

2008-07-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON: Scientists have determined that the ecosystem of the Antarctic Peninsula is changing fast, driven by warming waters and a loss of sea ice.

According to a report in Discovery News, these findings have been made by three researchers who have spent decades studying Antarctica's denizens.

These researchers have observed interconnected changes at the bottom of the Earth that are changing the ecology of Antarctica over just decades after some 30 million years of relative isolation.

"The changes are profound," said Hugh Ducklow of the Marine Biological Research Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

He and colleagues James McClintock of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and William Fraser of Polar Oceans Research Group in Sheridan, Montana, compiled their findings from studying different aspects of the Antarctic ecosystem.

Nowhere on Earth is climate change happening faster than on the neck of land stretching north from the Antarctic continent more than 900 miles toward South America.

The average midwinter temperature on the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950, five times the global average.

The changes the researchers see begin at the base of the food web, with phytoplankton - tiny photosynthetic organisms that, in Antarctica, are evolved to live in the sea ice.

As the extent of sea ice has decreased, so has the amount of phytoplankton.

"Sea ice is not just ice, it's a habitat for organisms," said Ducklow.

Juvenile krill, tiny shrimplike organisms that serve as the main food source for Adelie penguins and baleen whales, graze on the phytoplankton under the sea ice.

"Juvenile forms of krill are not as strong swimmers as adults," said Ducklow. "By congregating on the underside of the ice, they get a shelter from predators, and it's where the food is," he added.

Krill have been declining for decades, although sea ice decline may not be the only reason.

With less krill to feed on, organisms at the top of the food chain like Adelie penguins suffer. Their populations have been decreasing in the central and northern Antarctic peninsula.

The Adelie penguins also rely on the sea ice directly.

In winter, they use the sea ice to get out to hotspots of food. As this shrinks, their food will be too far away to swim to.

It is clear that the ecosystem that emerges will be different from the one that has existed in isolation for millions of years.

According to Ducklow, "We're seeing things happen rapidly there. It's a good wakeup call for us that there is climate change, and ecosystems really are responding to it.

ECO NIGHT CLUB

2008-07-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

LONDON: Welcome to Surya -- self-styled "world's first ecological nightclub" where cyclists and walkers get free admission to a club with dance floor so high-tech that it generates its own electricity when people move on it.

The brainchild of 35-year-old property developer Andrew Charalambous, aka Dr. Earth, Surya has its own wind turbine and solar energy system, with the plan to donate any surplus electricity to local residents. When clubbers need a rest from strutting their stuff on the dance floor they can relieve themselves at the latest air flush, waterless urinals and low flush toilets as well as taking the opportunity to freshen up with the club's automatic taps.

If Princes Harry and William and their aristocratic friends, who are frequently spotted at Boujis or Mahiki, want to attend Surya they will have to sign a pledge to work towards curbing climate change like all patrons attending the club in north London.

"Unless we stop preaching to people and use an inclusive philosophy we're never going to create the revolution to combat climate change," Charalambous said, explaining why he has invested one million pounds in the club.

"It's also about creating avenues of thought. Imagine what you could achieve if big corporations adopted this kind of initiative."

At the age of 23, Charalambous stood as a Conservative parliamentary candidate against the late Labour MP Bernie Grant and backed Boris Johnson's successful campaign to become London mayor. A qualified barrister, now worth in excess of 100 million pounds, his latest business venture will recycle glass, metal, plastic and paper products used in its bar, with Charalambous promising to donate part of the club's profits to charity. The dance floor uses the concept of piezoelectricity, where crystals and ceramics create a charge to generate electricity.

"We estimate that if you had loads of clubbers dancing vigorously it would provide 60 per cent of the club's energy needs," said Charalambous. "With the wind turbines and solar power we aim to provide the energy needs of 14 to 20 local residents. We are the first free energy-donating business in the world."

However, Charalambous' claim that his club is the "world's first ecological nightclub" has raised the hackles of the Sustainable Dance Club (SDC) in the Netherlands. "They are not sustainable in our rules," SDC spokesman Vera Verkooijenat said, ahead of the September launch of Wvatt, which has been dubbed the "world's first sustainable dance club". "It's not only the nightclub, it's the whole organisation that should be sustainable."

But Charalambous dismissed the criticisms, arguing the SDC's complaints were typical of the attitude of some holier-than-thou environmental activists, as he defended the idea behind Surya, the Sanskrit term for the Sun God. "They've been talking about it for a while, but they haven't done it," said Charalambous. "They want to preach to people and that's the wrong way go about it." The club, in Pentonville Road, Islington, opens later on Thursday.

OBAMA MUSLIM PICTURE

2008-07-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

A US magazine cover depicts Barack Obama as a Muslim and his wife Michelle as a terrorist (AFP Photo)

WASHINGTON: Barack Obama's campaign says a satirical New Yorker magazine cover showing the Democratic presidential candidate dressed as a Muslim and his wife as a terrorist is "tasteless and offensive".

The illustration on the issue that hits newsstands on Monday, titled "The Politics of Fear" and drawn by Barry Blitt, depicts Barack Obama wearing what is commonly construed by Western media as traditional Muslim garb - sandals, robe and turban - and his wife, Michelle - dressed in camouflage, combat boots and an assault rifle strapped over her shoulder - standing in the Oval Office.

The couple is doing a fist tap in front of a fireplace in which an American flag is burning. Over the mantel hangs a portrait of Osama bin Laden.

"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton. "But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

In a statement on Monday, the magazine said the cover "combines a number of fantastical images about the Obama and shows them for the obvious distortions they are."

"The burning flag, the nationalist-radical and Islamic outfits, the fist-bump, the portrait on the wall? All of them echo one attack or another. Satire is part of what we do, and it is meant to bring things out into the open, to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful, and the absurd.

The statement also pointed to the two articles on Obama contained inside the magazine, calling them "very serious."

Republican John McCain's campaign spokesman, Tucker Bonds, agreed that the cover was "tasteless and offensive."

Already the cover was generating controversy on the Internet. The Huffington Post , a left-leaning blog, said: "Anyone who's tried to paint Obama as a Muslim, anyone who's tried to portray Michelle as angry or a secret revolutionary out to get Whitey, anyone who has questioned their patriotism - well, here's your image."

WORLD NEWS

2008-07-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

China fake tickets case: India steps in

Indian officials approached the Public Security Bureau of the Chinese government with regard to the case of 150-odd Indian students, who have been sold air tickets that did not work at the check-in counters at Beijing and Shanghai airports.

86 indicted for coup bid in Turkey

A Turkish prosecutor indicted 86 people on charges of plotting to overthrow a government accused by militant secularists of leading Turkey by stealth towards Islamic rule.

B'desh incorporating 'no' vote option

The draft law has suggested that voters should be allowed to cast "no" votes if they do not find any of the contestants worthy of their votes.

Russian laser show blinds revellers

Dozens of young revellers were blinded by a laser show at a dance and music festival near Moscow last week and doctors fear the damage may be irreparable.

Australia: 'World's oldest blogger' dies

Australian Olive Riley, considered the world's oldest blogger, has died. She was 108.

Indian students stranded in China

Nearly 150 Indian medical students are stranded in airports and other places in China after discovering that the air tickets they bought were fakes.

'No Mideast peace without Syria'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Sunday that talks with Damascus were key to solving problems in the Middle East, during a visit to France.

Reform talk: Obama woos Hispanics

Obama promised Hispanic Americans, a key voting bloc, to press for immigration reform and improved access to health care in his first year if elected to the White House.

Scores of US kids in Pak madrassas

A Pakistani filmmaker has launched a campaign to secure the release of 78 US teens from a Taliban-backed madrassa in the country.

FACTS ABOUT HEALTH

2008-07-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Public email documents disappear

Laws in all but a handful of states give the public acces government email. But what if that email was intentionally deleted or routinely purged?

Malaria cure in its sticky secret

Malaria kills up to three million people every year, mostly in tropical parts of the world. The disease is spread by mosquitoes that inject victims with microscopic parasites that infect healthy red blood cells.

'Fear' cells in brain identified

Scientists in the United States have identified brain cells linked to fear, paving the way for a more effective treatment of post-traumatic stress and other anxiety disorders.

Smoking can boost memory

Nicotine has long been known to have a stimulating effect on the brain.Scientists have suggested that smoking can help boost memory and concentration.

Asthma linked to thunderstorms

Researchers have explored the link between thunderstorms and asthma attacks in the first-ever exhaustive study that has significant bearing on public health.

Is music key to happiness?

Humming tunes is known as a good stress buster. Now, a new research suggests that people who sing regularly are happier than their non-singing counterparts.

Transforming carbon emissions

The 'green carbon' technology takes this normally exhaustive process and simplifies it, thus producing a useful, benign material while transforming carbon emissions instead of simply sequestering it.

Half the world will be obese by 2030

With waistlines increasing rapidly around the world, a group of researchers predict that by 2030, almost 58% of the world's population will be overweight or obese.

If you are fat, the weather must be bad

A team of scientists at Aberdeen University has found that Scotland's dismal weather makes it more difficult for people to shed those extra pounds.

JULY CRICKET ITENARY

2008-07-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Date	Teams and Match	Venue
Wed, 02	India vs Pakistan, 10th Match, Super Four Pakistan beat India by 8 wickets	National Stadium, Karachi
Thu, 03	Sri Lanka vs India, 11th Match, Super Four India beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets	National Stadium, Karachi
Fri, 04	Bangladesh vs Pakistan, 12th Match, Super Four Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets	National Stadium, Karachi
SUN,05	Sri Lanka vs India, Final Match Sri Lanka beat India by 100 runs	National Stadium, Karachi
Thu, 10 - Mon, 14	England vs South Africa, 1st Test	Lord's, London
Fri, 18 - Tue, 22	England vs South Africa, 2nd Test	Headingley, Leeds
Wed, 23 - Sun, 27	Sri Lanka vs India, 1st Test	Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo
Wed, 30 - Sun, 03	England vs South Africa, 3rd Test	Edgbaston, Birmingham
Thu, 31 - Mon, 04	Sri Lanka vs India, 2nd Test	Galle International Stadium, Galle

FEMALE GAURD FOR DHONI

2008-07-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

	BCCI issues legal notice to Pan Parag The BCCI issued a legal notice to Kothari Products Limited for "unauthorised" use of photographs and footage featuring Indian cricketers in their advertisement.

	Female bodyguards for Dhoni The Jharkhand Police have deployed these special guards in view of the hysterical reactions with which female fans have greeted Dhoni in recent months.

	CA worried about Champions Trophy security The reluctance of players like Andrew Symonds to tour Pakistan for the Champions Trophy is not an immediate concern for Cricket Australia.

LATEST BHAPPENINGS

2008-07-12T10:41:00.000-07:00



Krishna and Rajesh Talwar, accused in Aarushi murder case, being taken to jail after being produced at CBI court in Ghaziabad on July 11, 2008		. Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Prakash Karat, in a media briefing in New Delhi, on Tuesday, July 8, 2008. Communist allies on Tuesday withdrew support to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's four-year-old coalition government.

BOLLYWOOD HOTS

2008-07-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Movies


It's Rakhi's honesty that made 'Zoom' zero in on her as the host of its new spicy Bollywood-based programme called The Rakhi Sawant Shows.		Macho man: Zayed Khan married to Malaika Parekh Khan who is half Persian and half Indian.

HOLLYWOOD CELEBS

2008-07-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

Celebs


Spice Girl Melanie Brown poses at the 48th Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco on June 12, 2008.		Mariah Carey performs at the ABC Good Morning America Summer Concert series at Times Square in New York.