World Updates

Is Speakasiaonline a fraud ?

2011-05-14T07:37:00.001-07:00

Speak Asia Online, which claims to be based in Singapore, is spreading its multi-level marketing (MLM) wings in India under the pretext of online surveys. As is usual in any MLM scheme, this company also makes big claims about earnings, but fails to provide any documentary evidence for the same.

The company asks new customers or subscribers to pay Rs.11000 for becoming a panellist for one year. However, it says the fee is for its e-bulletin for one year. It clearly says: "You can remain a panellist and earn from Speak Asia only as long as your subscription to E-Bulletin is in force." This means, before earning a single penny, you need to pay the company upfront. After the one-year period, one needs to renew the subscription. There is no mention of renewal fees.

Although the company offers to pay for filling out surveys online, it fails to mention that for doing this job one requires minimum knowledge of English and the Internet.

The company website does provide links for all countries and major cities but directs all queries to its Singapore address only, which neither has a telephone number nor any email ID. Except India, the so called 'good income business opportunity' does not exist for other countries.

Speak Asia Online shows no evidence about the legality of its business or any registration certificate issued by government authorities. All the company can show as evidence is a registration certificate issued by the Singapore government. The issuing authority of this certificate, Registrarof Companies and Businesses, however, has clearly stated that the certificate of good standing or any of its contents shall not be reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted or otherwise distributed in any way without prior permission of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA), Singapore.

In addition, there is no mention of its promoter or top management on the site. In fact, there are no names on the website. All one can see is just names of its 'dealers' and their bank account numbers.

Speakasiaonline is not registered in India in any manner, and they don;t have any office in India.

Moreover Speakasia is claiming Airtel, Samsung, Bata, Nestle and so many other companies as their clients, but all Companies denied their any relation or association with Speakasia, In India RBI has started investigation against the company as well as the Goa and other State Governments.

According to Other news agencies Speakasia is just a fraud company, who is rotating the money of its customers, speakasia dnt have any confirmed source of Income as well no body is able to understands from where they are getting the money except than from their customers. They are just making fool of their customers.

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Al Qaeda confirmed the death of its leader Osama bin Laden

2011-05-06T10:11:00.001-07:00

DUBAI: Al Qaeda confirmed the death of its leader Osama bin Laden which it threatened to avenge, in a statement posted on jihadist Internet forums on Friday, the US monitoring group SITE Intelligence reported.

“We in al Qaeda organisation pledge to Allah the almighty and ask his help, support and steadfastness to continue on the path of jihad, the path walked upon by our leaders, and on top of them, Sheikh Osama,” SITE said, quoting the statement.

“We also stress that the blood of the mujahid Sheikh Osama bin Laden, may Allah have mercy upon him, weighs more to us and is more precious to us and to every Muslim than to be wasted in vain,” it said.

“We call upon our Muslim people in Pakistan, on whose land Sheikh Osama was killed, to rise up and revolt to cleanse this shame that has been attached to them by a clique of traitors and thieves who sold everything to the enemies.

“(We call upon them) to rise up strongly and in general to cleanse their country (Pakistan) from the filth of the Americans who spread corruption in it,” said the statement.

The statement came after US President Barack Obama said that American commandos killed bin Laden on Sunday in a covert operation in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad.

Technorati Tags: Al Qaeda,death of,Osama bin Laden

also said on Friday it will soon release an audiotape of slain leader Osama bin Laden that was recorded a week before he was killed by US commandos in Pakistan.

Reuters

Osama was captured alive, claims his daughter

2011-05-04T07:02:00.001-07:00

New Delhi: Osama bin Laden was captured alive by US forces but shot dead in front of family members, Osama's' daughter reportedly told Pakistani authorities.

NBC News has confirmed an earlier Al Arabiya report, which said the girl told the investigators that commandos had captured her father alive and that they shot him to death in front of the family ten minutes after they located him.

The report also says that the daughter was part of a group taken away after the raid.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney described the raid, saying the US team methodically cleared the compound, moving from room to room, before Bin laden was shot and killed. Osama bin Laden was unarmed when he was shot dead by US special forces, the White House said.

Osama bin Laden, the longtime leader of al Qaeda, was killed by US forces in a mansion about 60 km, north of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

The Pakistani intelligence official said he did not know who fired the shot that actually killed the terror mastermind.

US sources including a senior official and a congressional source familiar with the operation said bin Laden was shot in the head.

Three other men were also killed in raid, as was a woman who was being used as a human shield, senior administration officials said.

The US team was at the compound for about 40 minutes, the officials said. There were no casualties on the American side, although a US helicopter crashed during the raid due to mechanical problems. The helicopter was then destroyed for security reasons.

A senior administration official told reporters that Obama's administration did not share intelligence gathered beforehand with any other country including Pakistan for security reasons.

The official said only a small group of people inside the US government knew about this operation ahead of time. Another official said a small US team was involved in the operation; but the official would not confirm any US military involvement.

However, a senior defense official said US Navy SEALs were involved.

Technorati Tags: claims osama daughter,osama bin laden,osama killed,US army

Global reactions to the news of Osama bin Laden's death

2011-05-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

Washington: Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the most devastating attack on American soil in modern times and the most hunted man in the world, was killed in a firefight with United States forces in Pakistan on Sunday, President Obama announced.

In a dramatic late-night appearance in the East Room of the White House, Mr. Obama declared that "justice has been done" as he disclosed that American military and C.I.A. operatives had finally cornered bin Laden, the Al Qaeda leader who had eluded them for nearly a decade. American officials said bin Laden resisted and was shot in the head. He was later buried at sea.

The news touched off an extraordinary outpouring of emotion as crowds gathered outside the White House, in Times Square and at the Ground Zero site, waving American flags, cheering, shouting, laughing and chanting, "USA, USA!" In New York City, crowds sang the Star-Spangled Banner. Throughout downtown Washington, drivers honked horns deep into the night.

Global reactions to the news of Osama bin Laden's death

Barack Obama - US president

Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against al-Qaeda.

Tonight, we give thanks to the counter intelligence officials who have tirelessly worked, we give thanks to the men who carried out this operation.

Finally, let me say to the families, we have not forgotten your loss, today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country.

Tonight we are once again reminded that American can do whatever we set our mind to ... we can do these things not because of wealth and power but because of who we are.

Pakistan Foreign Office

The death of bin Laden is a "major setback to terrorist organisations around the world".

"This operation was conducted by the US Forces in accordance with declared US policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct action by the US forces, wherever found in the world."

Yousuf Raza Gilani - Pakistani prime minister

We will not allow our soil to be used against any other country for terrorism and therefore I think it's a great victory, it's a success and I congratulate the success of this operation.

Hamid Karzai - Afghan president

The killing of bin Laden is very "important news".

The Taliban must learn a lesson from this. The Taliban should refrain from fighting.

The war against terrorism is in its sources, in its financial sources, its sanctuaries, in its training bases, not in Afghanistan

Ismail Haniyeh - head of Hamas in the Gaza strip

We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We ask God to offer him

mercy with the true believers and the martyrs.

We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood.

Ghassan Khatib - Palestine Authority spokesperson

Getting rid of Bin Laden is good for the cause of peace worldwide but what counts is to overcome the discourse and the methods - the violent methods - that were created and encouraged by bin Laden and others in the world.

Benjamin Netanyahu - Israeli prime minister

This is a resounding triumph for justice, freedom and the values shared by all democratic nations fighting shoulder to shoulder in determination against terrorism.

The state of Israel joins together in the joy of the American people after the liquidation of bin Laden.

George W. Bush - former US president

This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001.

The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.

Michael Bloomberg - New York City mayor

The killing of Osama bin Laden does not lessen the suffering that New Yorkers and Americans experienced at his hands, but it is a critically important victory for our nation - and a tribute to the millions of men and women in our armed forces and elsewhere who have fought so hard for our nation.

New Yorkers have waited nearly 10 years for this news. It is my hope that it will bring some closure and comfort to all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001

Raymond Kelly - New York police commissioner

Killing of Osama bin Laden a "welcome milestone" for the families of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

David Cameron - British prime minister

Osama bin Laden was responsible for the worst terrorist atrocities the world has seen -- for 9/11 and for so many attacks, which have cost thousands of lives, many of them British. It is a great success that he has been found and will no longer be able to pursue his campaign of global terror.

The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world.

P. Chidambaram - Indian home minister

We take note with grave concern that part of the statement in which (US) President Obama said that the firefight in which Osama bin Laden was killed took place in Abbottabad 'deep inside Pakistan'.

This fact underlines our concern that terrorists belonging to different organisations find sanctuary in Pakistan.

Alain Juppe - France's foreign minster

Bin Laden's death is a "victory for all democracies fighting the abominable scourge of terrorism".

Angela Merkel - German Chancellor

Last night the forces of peace achieved a victory. But this does not mean that international terrorism has

been defeated yet. We must all remain vigilant.

Silvio Berlusconi - Italian prime minister

This is a great outcome in the fight against evil, in the fight against terrorism, a great outcome for the United States and for all democracies.

Benigno Aquino - Philippine president

The death of Osama bin Laden marks a signal defeat for the forces of extremism and terrorism.

It represents the death of the efforts of one man to stoke the fires of sectarian hatred and to promote terrorism on a scale unprecedented in the history of mass murder.

Franco Frattini - Italian foreign minister

Bin Laden's death at the hands of US forces "is a victory of good over evil, of justice over cruelty".

Anders Fogh Rasmussen - NATO secretary general

This is a significant success for the security of NATO Allies and all the nations which have joined us in our efforts to combat the scourge of global terrorism to make the world a safer place for all of us.

Robert Fisk - journalist

Osama bin Laden was the founder of al-Qaeda, but to suggest that he was in command, sitting in some computer cave, is completely rubbish.

He spent most of his time hiding, most of his time running from the US authorities.

I never thought he would hang around long in Afghanistan but in Pakistan he had a soft spot. He felt safer in Pakistan than he did in Afghanistan, and I think that is correct.

You have to realise that bin Laden is a very popular mind, even with the royalty.

He was saying things about the West, which their dictators wouldn't say, his condemnation of the West, and he had to say it from a cave.

He is a figure who would be reflected upon.

Steve Clemmons – The New America Foundation

It's game changing news.

We got used to the fact that Osama bin Laden was beyond our reach. He has slipped off the radar screen, he was a pop culture figure with a fanatic bent.

The Muslim world are going to continue to have to deal with those who are inspired by him but of course knocking off a symbol globally is significant.

Imtiaz Gul – political analyst

It has come as a big surprise to most of the Pakistanis, particularly the location. Many believed that he had been long dead.

It is very close to the Pakistani military academy.

"I'd presume that the Pakistani intelligence was involved to the extent, [since] previous [al-Qaeda members] had been captured with their assistance."

In most cases, the Americans wouldn’t tell the Pakistani security institutions where they were headed so in this case they (Pakistani intelligence) were probably on board but probably didn’t know where they (the US) were going to.

Mark Kimmit - Military Analyst/US Army Brigadier

This is not the end of the movement, this is not the end of the terrorism but this is the end of the chapter

Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value.

It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an al-Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years.

This organisation (al-Qaeda) is more than bin Laden, it may be symbolised by bin Laden, but it definitely is more than him.

Spiritual leader and Controversial Godman Sri Sathya Sai Baba dies in Puttaparthi

2011-04-23T21:55:00.001-07:00

Spiritual leader Sri Sathya Sai Baba died at the Sathya Sai super speciality hospital at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district today.
The 84-year-old was admitted to hospital on March 28 with breathing and heart problems. Early on Thursday morning, doctors had said his condition was very critical and most of his organs were not responding to treatment. The condition of his liver and his low blood pressure were causing concern, they had said.

Controversial Godman to some, miracle-man to others and revered as God by lakhs of his followers, Sathya Sai Baba had the rich, famous and powerful from the world of politics, business, films and sport flocking to his doorstep in Puttaparthi, the small Andhra Pradesh village that he made internationally famous.

Technorati Tags: Controversial Godman,sri sathya sai baba,satya sai baba,Sri Sathya Sai Baba died,Puttaparthi,Andhra Pradesh,miracle-man

India Celebrated 61 years of being a Republic

2011-01-26T07:12:00.001-08:00

January 26 is a very significant date in India's calendar, when it celebrates the establishment of free India as a Republic based on the ideology of justice and equality. Today, India celebrates its 62nd Republic Day.

Technorati Tags: India,India cultural,India heritage,indian military display,India celebrates 61 years,Republic Day,photographs

Date 26-Jan-2011

Posted By : Vikey

Gautam Gambhir goes to KKR for $2.4 million

2011-01-07T22:37:00.000-08:00

Kings XI Punjab, thus, not only lost their star Indian player, but also failed to bid successfully for their Sri Lankan top-order batsman Mahela Jayawwardene, who was grabbed by the new team in the block, Team Kochi.

However, the highlight of the first segment were Kolkata Knight Riders who grabbed two of their most priced possessions, all-rounder Yusuf Pathan (2.1 million USD) and opener batsman Gautam Gambhir (2.4 million USD).

Royal Challengers Bangalore purchased the most number of players as they bagged AB de Villiers (USD 1.1 millions), Zaheer Khan (USD 9 million) and Tilakaratne Dilshan (USD 6.5 million).

Players’ Auction: First Segment

AB de Villiers (South Africa): Base Price: 400,000 USD; Sold For: 1,100,000 USD to Royal Challengers Bangalore

Yuvraj Singh (India): Base Price: 400,000 USD; Sold For: 1,800,000 USD to Sahara Pune Warriors

Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka): Base Price: 400,000 USD; Sold For: 1,500,000 USD to Team Kochi

Kevin Pietersen (England): Base Price: 400,000 USD; Sold For: 650,000 USD to Deccan Chargers

Yusuf Pathan (India): Base Price: 300,000 USD; Sold For: 2, 100,000 USD to Kolkata Knight Riders

Ross Taylor (New Zealand): Base Price: 400,000 USD; Sold For: 1, 000,000 USD to Rajasthan Royals

Zaheer Khan (India): Base Price: 300,000 USD; Sold For: 900,000 USD to Royal Challengers Bangalore

Tilakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka): Base Price: 400,000 USD; Sold For: 650,000 USD to Royal Challengers Bangalore

Gautam Gambhir (India): Base Price: 200,000 USD; Sold For: 2,400,000 USD to Kolkata Knight Riders

Source - SatMax

Children greet an elephant carried on a truck in Siliguri

2011-01-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

Children greet an elephant carried on a truck in Siliguri yesterday as the animal was brought from Balurghat village of South Dinajpur to Siliguri. The forest team declared it will be released at Garumara National Park after it allegedly caused havoc in a village.

Pic/AFP/Mid-day

A Photograph of a Wedding in South India

2010-12-07T06:40:00.000-08:00

A Photograph of a Wedding in South India

Ayodhya will always be Ramjanmabhoomi for Hindus

2010-09-28T09:37:00.001-07:00

"Ayodhya will always be Ramjanmabhoomi for Hindus”

After a long struggle will Hindus can get back Ram temple in Ayodhya, its not easy to make a Hindu Temple in Hindus own Country.

Hindus are in majority in India as per population, but in regard of rights hindus are in minority, For Indian Government except than Hindu religion other religions are more important and respectful.

There is almost no unity in Hindus across the India, All Hindus are divided into their culture languages cast colors and their local issues.

If after this long wait we can’t make Ram Temple in our Hindus’ own country because of a non-Indian religion, this will be sad and shameful for all the Hindu community.

Every one is waiting for the Court decision, Government is much more careful about the Muslim rights, Government don’t want to get hurt their feelings.

Who will care for the rights of Hindus, BJP is no where in scene, VHP is silent.

In Hindu country Hindus are alone.

CWG 2010: Prince Charles to inaugurate multi-sport event

2010-09-27T08:44:00.001-07:00

London/New Delhi, Sep 27

The suspense over who will declare the Commonwealth Games open ended today with the announcement that Prince Charles will do the honours even as streams of international athletes continued to check in at the Games Village on a relatively controversy-free day for the organisers.

After weeks of scandals, star pullouts and criticism over the state of the Games Village, the hassled organisers heaved a sigh of relief as traditional powerhouses such as Australia, Canada and a second batch of English athletes checked in.

There were also no individual pullouts from the event today.

Confusion grew over who will open the event among Charles and President Pratibha Patil but the Brit Royal's office Clarence House ended it in the evening by issuing a statement, asserting that the heir-to-the-throne will inaugurate it.

Source PTI

Microsoft "Halo: Reach" sales hit $200 million on 1st day

2010-09-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

17th Sep 2010
Microsoft said its new videogame "Halo: Reach" had racked up $200 million in global sales on its launch day, building strong momentum for the November debut of the Xbox 360 maker's new gaming system.

"Halo: Reach," the latest in the blockbuster "Halo" series, is a key title for Microsoft heading into the holiday shopping season when it and archrivals Nintendo and Sony Corp clash with new products and look to reverse a recent sales slump in the $60 billion game industry.
Phil Spencer, vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said a lack of blockbuster games was to blame for the industry slowdown, and the success of "Halo: Reach" would support Xbox 360 console sales for the world's biggest software maker.
"We feel really good about where the 'Halo: Reach' numbers are," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the Tokyo Game Show, adding that the number of gamers who played "Reach" on Xbox Live, its online system, had topped that of "Halo 3," the previous title in the series, without providing figures.
"What 'Halo: Reach' numbers tell me is gamers are there. They are willing to buy the great experiences when they come out. In fact, that we are exceeding 'Halo 3' numbers out of the gate tells me that the industry is in a healthy state."
Spencer said the $200 million figure made "Reach" the biggest launch of any game or movie this year. "Halo 3" garnered more than $300 million globally in its first week. First-day global sales for "Halo 3" were not available.
"Reach," a prequel to the main "Halo" narrative, pits players against murderous aliens in a variety of settings, and provides better graphics, more complex fighting scenarios and new ways of playing with others online.
The "Halo" franchise has sold more than 34 million copies in its nine-year history, boosting the popularity of Microsoft's Xbox console.
The series has grossed nearly $2 billion in sales over its lifetime. The game is made by Bungie and Microsoft owns the rights to the franchise.
The basic version of "Reach" costs $60, with special editions priced at $80 and $250. Microsoft is also selling a special Xbox console plus the new version of the game for $400. An Xbox normally costs $200 or $300 depending on memory size.
Microsoft will begin selling its "Kinect" full-body motion-sensing game system from November 4, while Sony launched its "Move" motion-controlled gaming system on September 15.
Nintendo will sell a new version of its DS handheld device that can play games and show movies in 3D without glasses sometime before March 2011.
But Microsoft's Spencer was cautious about the outlook for 3D games.
"I really think 3D has to move along as a creative medium. Right now it's more of a soft medium and it kind of wears out," he said. "But in the long run, we are believers in 3D."

Source- Reuters

Pakistani trio admit they took money from Majeed

2010-09-04T07:42:00.000-07:00

London, Sep 4 Mired in a spot-fixing scam, the Pakistani trio of Salman Butt, Mohammed Aamir and Mohammed Asif have told the investigators that they took money from alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed but denied any wrongdoing.

The suspended trio, being grilled by Scotland Yard here, claimed the money they took from Majeed was on account of sponsorship contracts they had signed with different commercial organisations.

They insisted that they did not know that Majeed, working as an agent for them, was also a bookmaker.

"The players also showed their written contracts for these sponsorship deals to the police," Pakistan legal advisor Tafazzul Rizvi told Geo TV.

"The players have contested the allegation and also volunteered themselves for police investigations," he said.

According to reports, 50,000 pounds were recovered from the hotel room of Butt.

Source PTI

SC rap: Govt to allot 2.5 MT foodgrains for BPL (Below Poverty Line) families

2010-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, Sep 2 Acting on the directive of the Supreme Court, government today decided to release an extra 2.5 million tonnes of foodgrains to states for distribution among the poor but it will not not be free.

"As an interim ad-hoc measure, pending a final decision on the issue, the government is releasing an additional quantity of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and rice to the states at a BPL price for next six months," Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told reporters after a meeting of an Empowered Group of Ministers.

The meeting of the EGoM headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee came two days after the Supreme Court slammed Pawar for calling the court's Aug 12 on the issue as a suggestion.

Source :PTI

I am a practising Hindu: Julia

2010-08-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Pretty Woman Julia Roberts has converted to Hinduism in the hope of having a peaceful life in her next incarnation, and the Hollywood superstar regularly visits temples with her family to “chant, pray and celebrate.”

The 42-year-old American actor, who was born to Baptist and Catholic parents, is now a practising Hindu after visiting India while shooting her upcoming movie Eat, Pray Love, reported the Daily Telegraph.

Speaking to Elle, the Academy award-winning actor said she now goes to temples accompanied by her husband Daniel Moder and their three children, Hazel, Phinnaeus and Henry.

“I'm definitely a practising Hindu. I've been so spoiled with my friends and family in this life. Next time I want to be just something quiet and supporting,” said Roberts.

The Runaway Bride star was introduced to Eastern philosophy while shooting for Eat Pray Love, the movie based on the best-selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert about a recently-divorced woman travelling the world trying to find herself.

The character visits Italy for food, India for spirituality and Bali, where she finds love.

Roberts who is an avid follower of yoga and has a production company called Red Om Films, has been welcomed by Hindu leaders in the United States and Britain who hope that the conversion is not a “cheap publicity stunt” to promote her film, due for release in the U.S. and Canada on August 13.

Source PTI

Pak Hindu youth's coffin labelled as 'kaafir'

2010-08-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

Islamabad, Aug 4 The coffin of a promising young Pakistani Hindu social worker, killed in the recent airliner crash here, has been marked as "kaafir" or infidel, causing anguish and revulsion among his friends and netizens.

Prem Chand, 25, a bright spark from the minority Hindu community, was a member of the National Youth Parliament and was heading to Islamabad from Karachi to attend the organisation's last session when the Airblue flight crashed into the Margalla Hills on July 28, killing all 152 people on board.

Ehsan Naveed Irfan, a youth parliamentarian who identified Prem Chand's body, said the coffin was first marked in black with the word "kaafir" and this was then highlighted in red.

After identifying Prem Chand's body, his friends covered this by writing: "We love you ? from the youth parliament".

Source: PTI NEWS

US not prepared to deal with a nuclear attack: Pentagon report

2010-07-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK: America's ability to deal with a nuclear attack has been eroded over the years and the country is woefully unprepared for any kind of nuclear attack, a Pentagon report has suggested.
The report has urged the Defense Department to take steps to enhance nuclear survivability as terms its findings as a 'wake-up call' to Pentagon.

The threat of a nuclear exchange between Russia and the United States, that was rampant during the Cold War era, has receded with changing times. So has the US' capability to tackle the consequences of a nuclear attack, it said.

The United States no longer possesses the know-how to deal with an atomic assault, the study said, describing the lack of expertise as dangerous.

"The nation lacks a clear understanding of the response to nuclear radiation exposure," the report said.

"The technical expertise and infrastructure to help remedy the situation has decayed significantly. Investments in addressing nuclear survivability has declined precipitously," it laments.

It adds that the root cause of the situation lies in the "corporate point of view among the Department of Defense leadership" that has developed since the end of the Cold War about these matters.

The Pentagon study pointed out that a number of factors had contributed to the deterioration in such an ability, including the fact that since the First Gulf War the DOD has been focusing on building up conventional weapons, which had displaced the significance of nuclear deterrence.

"As a result... fewer and fewer military and civilian leaders have had experience with nuclear weapons and issues around them... and the downward spiral continues," it said.

The study warned that enhanced US capabilities in the conventional weapons arena may further push its enemies to adopt nuclear tactics and urged the DOD and the US government to change the prevailing indifference to nuclear deterrence.

"The task force also believes that this point of view is profoundly wrong and dangerous," it said.

"The task force is not sure how to change the mindset just described, other than to urge DOD leadership to heed the wake-up call that this report is intended to provide".

The report recommended that nuclear survivability should become a "routine issue" for the leadership like it was in the Cold War era but in the present context of "horizontal proliferation by both state and non-state actors".
Source PTI, Jul 23, 2010

Argentina thrashed by ruthless Germany

2010-07-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Another day, another giant felled. The Germans have marched into the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup crushing Argentina 4-0.

Three-time World Champions Germany produced a stellar performance in the quarter finals on Saturday to throw tournament favourite Argentina out of the World Cup, handing them a shocking 4-0 defeat.

Miroslav Klose scored two goals as he inflicted final nail on the Argentina’s coffin as he scored the fourth goal for the Germany.

Arne Friedrich scored the third goal for his team when he netted a ball which he got from Schweinsteiger.

Schweinsteiger waltzed through three defenders and pushed the ball into the path of Friedrich who tapped the ball into the empty net.

Miroslav Klose scored the second goal for Germany in the 68 minute of the match to give his side a 2-0 lead against Argentina. It was Klose’s 13th goal in the World Cup.

What a start for Germany! Thomas Muller scored a fine goal for Germany in the 3rd minute of the match to give his team a 1-0 lead against tournament favourite Argentina.

Schweinsteiger`s free kick delivery found Thomas Mueller who headed the ball past Argentina goalkeeper Romero from close range to give the Germans an early lead.

Both Argentina and Germany have announced their starting lineups for today`s quarterfinals clash in Cape Town.

Argentina coach Diego Maradona has indeed started with Lionel Messi as he had promised on Friday evening. The Barcelona forward was suffering with cold but did train yesterday.

However, centre-back Walter Samuel is still not fully fit and has not been included in the starting lineup.
Source: Agencies

Pak owes Turkey 8000 USD for Zardari's female guides

2010-07-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Islamabad: A Turkish court has ordered Pakistani authorities to pay USD 8,000 to five women who were hired as "guides" during President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to that country in 2008 but were never paid for their services, a media report said here on Friday.

The court ordered the Pakistani consulate in Istanbul to pay the amount to the women who were hired through a travel agency to "facilitate the entourage" during Zardari's visit, 'The News' daily reported.

Payment was later refused to the women, sparking a legal battle which was settled after the recent court order.

The payment was made after the partial freezing of the accounts of the Pakistan consulate in Istanbul as the court cautioned that further non-compliance could lead to the freezing of all official accounts as diplomatic missions do not enjoy immunity in civil suits.

The Consul General of Pakistan had hired the Turkish women as "guides" for two days in December 2008 even though there is no budgetary allocation for such services.

The women were hired from a non-registered tourism operator, casting doubts about the nature of their services.

A grade 20 official of the Customs Group, who was then the Consul General in Istanbul, had hired them. He is currently posted at a senior position in the Employees' Old-Age Benefit Institution in Karachi, the report said.

"Services of interpreters were hired by our Consulate in Istanbul for two days to facilitate the delegation. The requisite payment to the Turkish agency concerned has since been made and regularised," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told The News.

While the spokesman called these women "interpreters," nowhere in the documents has it been mentioned that they were hired for interpretation. These letters, copies of which are available, describe them as guides and facilitators for the entourage of the President.

A former Pakistani ambassador to Turkey, Lt-Gen Humayun Bangash, when asked whether he had ever hired such guides for official visits of the President to Turkey, rubbished the idea.

At the time the hiring of the girls was done, Iftikhar Shah was the ambassador and Wahid Khurshid Kanwar, the Counsel General in Istanbul. Shah's consent was apparently not sought.

Tariq Aziz-ud-Din, Shah's successor, pursued the issue, writing a bundle of letters back home seeking advice on how to pay the women and under what head since there was no allocation for such services.

Meanwhile, M/s Ozgun Travels went to court and had the consulate served with a notice for revised payment, inclusive of hiring charges plus the penalty of late payment.

Source PTI/NDTV

Indonesian police to sue magazine over pig cover

2010-07-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Jakarta: Indonesian police will sue a news magazine over a story on corruption because the cover depicted an officer with piggy banks, and pigs are considered dirty in Islam, the police chief said on Thursday.
The threat of legal action against the publishers of Tempo magazine, a respected Indonesian and English-language weekly, came days after it ran an in-depth feature on alleged police graft and embezzlement.

National police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri did not respond to the corruption allegations but said officers had been "hurt" and angered by the report, particularly the piggy banks on the cover.

He claimed that the magazine had depicted police as pigs, when in fact the cover shows a graphic of a uniformed officer with three piggy banks on leashes made of yellow crime-scene tape.

"The fact that we are illustrated as pigs hurts us a lot," Danuri told reporters after attending a service to mark the 64th anniversary of the establishment of the mainly Muslim country's police force.

PTI

Marilyn Monroe chest X-rays sell for $45,000

2010-06-28T07:19:00.001-07:00

Los Angeles: The apparently endless market for images of Marilyn Monroe now extends to inside the bombshell's body.

A set of three Monroe Chest X-rays from a 1954 hospital visit sold Sunday for $45,000 at the Hollywood Legends auction at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Julien's Auctions, which sold the X-rays, estmated that they would only fetch a total of about $3,000. Other Monroe-abilia that sold included a chair from her last photo shoot that went for $35,000.

The auction included items from other actresses, including a pair of earrings worn by Kate Winslet in "Titanic" that sold for $25,000 and a dress Audrey Hepburn wore when she starred opposite Fred Astaire in the musical "Funny Face" that fetched $56,250.

Source:.ndtv

Sri Lanka to deny entry to UN human rights panel

2010-06-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Colombo: The Sri Lankan government on Thursday declared that it would refuse visas for UN panel members appointed to investigate alleged human rights abuses during the civil war against Tamil rebels.

"We will not allow them to enter Sri Lanka," External Affairs Minister GL Peiris told a news conference.

The three-member panel was appointed to look into the allegations of human rights abuses by both sides during the last months of the 26-year conflict last year. Its members have so far made no request to visitSri Lanka.

"This exercise is not helpful and the timing is questionable," Peiris said of the investigation. "We have our own commission. Setting a separate UN panel will only complicate matters for our commission."

The commission appointed by the government last month is to look into the events and actions in the final months of the conflict before the army defeated the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam last May. It is not mandated to investigate any allegations ofhuman rights violations.

Colombo also slammed the European Union for imposing conditions for Sri Lanka's continued participation in the Generalised System of Preferences, which gives it preferential tariffs for trade with the EU.

The conditions include repealing sections of its emergency rules and the Prevention of Terrorism Act as well as adopting a nationalhuman rights action plan.

They also require that Sri Lanka invite UN teams to the country, including the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, and ensure that journalists can exercise their professional duties without harassment.

Sri Lanka Thursday said it rejected the conditions, even if they had to forego the EU's trade preferences.

"Some of these conditions are directly dealing with the internal matters of the country," Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. "We will not lose the country's sovereignty for money."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the EU office in Colombo said they were awaiting a formal response from Sri Lanka before they could comment.

The country is recovering after nearly three decades of conflict which claimed over 100,000 lives, mainly in the northern and eastern provinces where the LTTE was fighting for a separate state for the Tamil minority.

During the final weeks of the conflict some 7,500 civilians were killed according to UN estimates.

Source:http://ibnlive.in.com

Pak court orders ban on Google, Yahoo, seven other websites

2010-06-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

A Pakistani court has reportedly ordered a ban on nine leading websites, including Google and Hotmail, for allegedly posting blasphemous material though officials on Wednesday said they had not received any instruction to block the sites.

Media reports said the Bahawalpur bench of the Lahore High Court yesterday directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to immediately block nine websites, including Google, Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail, YouTube, Bing and Amazon, for publishing and promoting sacrilegious and blasphemous material.

Justice Mazher Iqbal Sidhu issued the order while hearing a petition filed by a man named Muhammad Sidiq who claimed these websites were publishing sacrilegious material. The judge also ordered the PTA chairman to appear in court on June 28 with relevant materials. Sidiq, in his petition, sought a ban on the websites for publishing blasphemous materials and twisting facts about the Quran.

Aslam Dhakkar, head of a local bar association, was quoted as saying that the court had given a historic decision. He said the legal fraternity in Bahawalpur would observe a strike today to protest the publication of blasphemous material by the websites. However, officials of the PTA said that they had received no instructions to block the websites. They said they had only seen media reports about the court's order.

Wahaj-us-Siraj, a spokesman for the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan, said his organisation had not received any directions from the PTA to block websites.

Pakistani authorities had blocked popular social networking website Facebook in May over the holding of a competition on blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Mohammed. The access to the website was later restored on the orders of the court.

Source:By: Agencies and Mid-day

Sex club owner teaches 7 years old daughter to pole dance

2010-06-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

The British mom, who injected her teen daughter with Botox, is now teaching her 7-year-old how to pole dance.

Sarah Burge, 50, who owns a sex club where pole dancers perform, sees nothing wrong in her daughter pole dancing, but parenting experts and child abuse campaigners have warned she is sexualizing Poppy far too young. "I am keeping Poppy healthy and happy, and if in the future she wants to be a real pole dancer, who am I to stop her?" the Sun quoted her as saying. "It's a great bonding experience for us to play on the pole together. "We spend hours trying out poses and positions and dancing to our favourite music. Poppy wants to be like pop star Miley Cyrus, who also dances on a pole. "There is no harm in a child having dreams. I'd rather have her be healthy and ambitious than sitting in front of the TV all day getting fat like most children," she stated. Burge, from Cambridge, accepts that fact that people would be shocked at her teaching a seven-year-old provocative dance moves, but she is least bothered about it.

"I could not care less what people think about me," she said. "People think of the pole as a sexual object, but does this mean kids are not allowed to slide down a pole on a climbing frame? "There are bad people out there who will have dirty thoughts about what Poppy is doing, but I will always protect her from men like that.

There are no paedophiles while she's pole dancing, there's no risk," she revealed. She also claimed she was preparing Poppy for the day when she inherits her swingers' club, called Madame Pink. "There are pole dancers in the club. This exercise is early training, so she knows what to look for in dancers and will be a successful boss of the club," she explained. Burge also supports Poppy's wish to have surgery when she is older. "Poppy wants a boob job when she is old enough, and what my daughters want, they get. She also wears high heels and make-up, it makes her feel pretty," she said. Dad Tony, 50, who took photos of Poppy pole dancing with her mum, sees pole dancing as an exercise. "They make a great team. There is nothing wrong with using the pole for fitness," he said. But Kidscape director Claude Knights said: "It is worrying because pole dancing is associated with sexual activities." "Pole dancing has connotations far beyond what a seven-year-old understands. If she was to say, ''We're doing gymnastics'' it would be different," he stated. Siobhan Freegard, of Netmums, who called Poppy's lessons "shocking" added: "Pole dancing is akin to striptease. Girls love it when mum gets involved in an activity with them, so the daughter is going to be massively influenced."

By: ANI

Auction Bid on Ebay for lunch with Warren Buffett Reaches at 80,000 $

2010-06-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Want to lunch with legendary investor Warren Buffett? All it takes is a few mouse clicks on online market place eBay, though you should be prepared to shell out thousands of dollars for an invite.

An online auction for having luncheon with billionaire Buffett is already in progress and the highest bid stands at $ 80,000 at present.

The opening bid for the auction, which began on June 6, was $ 25,000. The auction will close on June 11 at 7:30 pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).

Mr. Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is famed for his successful investment strategies and is well known for his personal integrity, the eBay website wrote.

The winner of the auction and seven others will get to dine with Mr. Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in New York.

"100 per cent of the proceeds go towards the benefit of non-profit organisation Glide Foundation," the website stated. The Glide Foundation is a San Francisco-based non-profit organisation that provides meals, health and child care, housing and job training for the poor and homeless.

The record amount which has been bid till now on the annual auction was $ 2,110,100 by Hong Kong-based investor Zhao Danyang in 2008.

Last year, Salida Capital Corp, a Toronto-based wealth management firm, had won the online auction for the power lunch with a $ 1,680,300 bid.

Previous auctions held by Mr. Buffett in favour of Glide Foundation in the past ten years have raised over $ 5.9 million.

Source: Press Trust of India