Powered By

Free XML Skins for Blogger

Powered by Blogger

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Some General Knowledge Questions & Answers

Questions:

1. What programming language is GOOGLE developed in?

2. What is the expansion of YAHOO?

3. What is the expansion of ADIDAS?

4. Expansion of Star as in Star TV Network?

5. What is expansion of "ICICI?"

6. What does "baker's dozen" signify?

7. Who is the only man to have written the National Anthems for two different countries?

8. From what four word expression does the word `goodbye` derive?

9. How was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu better known?

10. Name the only other country to have got independence on Aug 15th?

11. Why was James Bond Associated with the Number 007?

12. Who faced the first ball in the first ever One day match?

13. Which cricketer played for South Africa before it was banned from international cricket and later represented Zimbabwe ?

14. The faces of which four Presidents are carved at Mt.Rushmore?

15. Which is the only country that is surrounded from all sides by only one country (other than Vatican )?

16. Which is the only sport which is not allowed to play left handed?

**************************************************************************


I'm sure that you didn't answer even any five of them so here are the Answers


***************************************************************************


Answers:


1. Google is written in Asynchronous java-script and XML, or its acronym Ajax .

2. Yet Another Hierarchy of Officious Oracle

3. ADIDAS- All Day I Dream About Sports

4. Satellite Television Asian Region

5. Industrial credit and Investments Corporation of India

6. A baker's dozen consists of 13 items - 1 more than the items in a normal dozen

7. Rabindranath Tagore who wrote national anthem for two different countries one is our 's National anthem and another one is for Bangladesh- (Amar Sonar* *Bangla)

8. Goodbye comes from the ex-pression: 'god be with you'.

9. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu is none other Mother Teresa.

10. South Korea .

11. Because 007 is the ISD code for Russia (or the USSR , as it was known during the cold war)

12. Geoffrey Boycott

13. John Traicos

14. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln

15. Lesotho surrounded from all sides by South Africa .

16. Polo.

***************************************************************************

Hi-Tech Criminals boom year


Keyboard and mouse
Hi-tech criminals took on a new tack in the past year

If 2007 was witness to the rise of the professional hi-tech criminal, then 2008 was the year they got down to work.

"The underground economy is flourishing," said Dan Hubbard, chief technology officer at security company Websense.

"They are not just more organised," said Mr Hubbard, "they are co-operating more and showing more business savvy in how they monetise what they do."

Statistics gathered by firms combating the rising tide of computer crime reveal just how busy professional cyber thieves have been over the last twelve months.

Sophos said it was now seeing more than 20,000 new malicious programs every day. 2008 was also the year in which Symantec revealed that its anti-virus software now protected against more than one million viruses.

The vast majority of these malicious programs are aimed at Windows PCs. Viruses made their debut more than 20 years ago but the vast majority of that million plus total have been created in the last two-three years.

Tidal wave

Criminal gangs generate so many viruses for two main reasons. Firstly, many variants of essentially the same malicious program can cause problems for anti-virus software which can only reliably defend against threats it is aware of.

Secondly, in the past security firms have tended to focus on the big outbreaks. By staging a series of small outbreaks the criminals hope to go unnoticed while their family of viruses racks up victims.

Spam in e-mail inbox, BBC
Spammers use tempting subjects to trick people into opening messages

Another statistic from Sophos reveals how the tactics of the online criminal groups are changing.

Before 2008 the preferred method of attack was a booby-trapped attachment circulating by e-mail.

Provocative, pornographic and personal subject lines were used to trick people into opening the attachment. Anyone doing so risked having hi-tech criminals hijack their home computer and turn them to their own nefarious ends.

In 2008, said Graham Cluley from Sophos, the main attack vector started to shift. Increasingly, he said, attackers have tried to subvert webpages by injecting malicious code into them that will compromise the computer of anyone that visits.

By the close of 2008, said Mr Cluley, Sophos was discovering a newly infected webpage roughly every 4 seconds.

The type of page being booby-trapped had also changed, he said. Prior to 2008 gambling, pornographic and pirated software sites were much more likely to be unwitting hosts for the malicious code used to hijack visitors' machines.

In 2008 the criminals turned their attention to mainstream sites that had very large audiences and were vulnerable to the code-injection attack.

Bug report

For Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure, 2008 was the year in which some hi-tech criminals got much more sophisticated.

The best example of this, he said, was the virus known as Mebroot.

"We saw it very early in the year and it continues to be a very complicated case," he said.

One of its most remarkable features is its built-in bug reporting system, said Mr Hypponen. When Mebroot is detected or malfunctions revealing its presence it sends off a report to its creators who then turn out a new version with the bug fixed.

Windows badges, Getty
Most attacks are aimed at PCs running the Windows operating system

"It's amazing that the bad guys were capable of pulling this off," said Mr Hypponen.

Dan Hubbard from Websense said 2008 was also notable for some hi-tech criminals turning away from viruses completely and embraced another way to make money.

Many, he said, were turning out bogus security programs that look legitimate but do not work. Once installed they purport to carry out a detailed scan of a machine and always turn up many instances of spyware and other malicious programs.

Cleaning up a machine using one of the bogus security programs always involves a fee, said Mr Hubbard.

"They are testing legal boundaries that are a grey area right now," said Mr Hubbard.

In mid-December 2008 the US Federal Trade Commission won a restraining order to shut down several firms that ran so-called "scareware" scams.

Research by Israeli security company Finjan suggests that up to five million people around the world have fallen victim to such scams.

A US court granted the FTC an injunction which stopped those behind the scareware products advertise their products, from making false claims about their efficacy and froze assets in the hope that duped customers could be refunded.

2008 also saw other big successes against criminals. In mid-November spam volumes around the world plummeted briefly following the closure of US network firm McColo.

Despite this, said Mr Hypponen, 2008 was a good year for the bad guys. The successes, he said, came due to action by ISPs, other net bodies and the media rather than from the action of law enforcement agencies.

This was mainly due, he said, to the trans-national nature of hi-tech crime that made it very difficult to quickly carry out an investigation and make arrests.

"The vast majority of these cases do not seem to go anywhere," he said.

Mobile markets are driven by Smartphones


Blackberry Storm
Fans of high-end phones were spoiled for choice in 2008

There is no doubt that 2008 was the year of the smartphone.

The last 12 months has seen the launch of iconic devices such as the iPhone 3G, Google G1, Blackberry Storm and Nokia N97.

It also saw the emergence of the electronic ecosystems needed to get the most out of such handsets.

But all is not rosy in the smartphone garden. The popularity of these devices has brought to light several problems that look set to become acute in 2009.

Customer control

"It was a goodish year," said Andrew Bud, chairman of mobile firm Mblox and director of the Mobile Entertainment Forum.

One of the high spots, he said, was the knock-on effect the launch of innovative smartphones had on the mobile market.

Many were using them to get at popular social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo, said Mr Bud.

"We've also seen the emergence of applications as a whole new content category," he added.

Alongside the launch of the Apple and Google smartphones went shops that gave away and sold applications to run on the high-end handsets.

Nokia Remix event, Nokia
Nokia's Comes With Music could set trends for 2009

Apple said more than 100 million applications had been downloaded from its App Store between July and September.

For Steven Hartley, senior analyst at Ovum, the popularity of the smartphone was a signal that older technologies were coming of age.

"3G has really started to deliver on its promise," he said. "That's again something that has been talked about for a long time."

The success of 3G has been attributed to the use of a technology known as High Speed Packet Access (HSPA).

Dan Warren, director of technology at the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) Association, described HSPA as: "the original 3G service on steroids".

Mr Warren said data rates looked set to get a further boost in 2009 thanks to a follow-up technology known as HSPA+.

He said: "HSPA+ will start to become prevalent in 2009. It takes you up to 42Mbps but the maximum at the moment is 7.2Mbps in the UK."

Switch off

But despite the good news for the mobile world 2009 is unlikely to see that success continue.

For a start, said mobile analysts CCS Insight, 2009 will see sales of handsets shrink.

"This will be the first time the market has contracted since 2001," said an end of year report from CCS.

The firm said this slowdown could be blamed on the global economic downturn that will hit every part of the mobile industry.

The only place to buck these trends will be markets in developing nations, said the report. In particular, it said, India, sub-Saharan Africa and China still have low penetration rates by the standards of mature economies such as the UK.

Handsets production line, AFP/Getty
Handset sales look set to dip in 2009 following years of growth

But, said Mr Hartley from Ovum, more customers in some markets will be a mixed blessing.

"As more and more people get a mobile you are going down the value pyramid," he said. "You get a lot of people but every single one is not going to be generating a lot of revenue."

The important thing that mobile operators have to get right in 2009 is increasing the numbers of people paying for data traffic, he said.

But, added Mr Hartley, the problem with pushing people towards using more data on the move is the knock-on effect it has on the infrastructure operators need to support those customers.

The global downturn could mean operators will find it hard to raise the capital needed to cope with significant growth, he said.

For Mr Bud from Mblox the growth of mobile broadband highlights another pressing issue for operators - how they price data plans.

Research by Mblox showed a huge discrepancy between the amounts people using different operators in different countries will pay when downloading or browsing the web.

In the UK, it found, some folk will pay about £10 to download a two megabyte music track. By contrast in Germany, on some tariffs, customers will only pay 24 cents (22p) a megabyte.

The confusion that results was holding back the growth of mobile data services, said Mr Bud. Few people were willing to risk downloading as they were worried about racking up huge charges.

In some cases, he said, their fears were being justified. In the summer of 2008 one unlucky Vodafone customer returned home from a holiday in Portugal to a phone bill in excess of £31,000.

He racked up the bill by using his phone to download an episode of Prison Break and several music tracks while on holiday abroad.

"The price consumers see should be the price they pay," said Mr Bud.

A new year is upon us and the Chinese tell us it is the year of the ox - steadfast and patient.

But what are the main news events we should expect over the coming 12 months?

Four top BBC correspondents will be joining Stephen Sackur for BBC Radio 4's Correspondents Look Ahead.

Here they predict the biggest news story of 2009, and explain what they are looking forward to most and least. Each also notes something entertaining they expect to happen.

Stephen Sackur
Stephen Sackur
Presenter, Correspondent's Look Ahead and Hard Talk

Justin Webb
Justin Webb
North America Editor

Lyse Doucet
Lyse Doucet
BBC World News special correspondent

paul mason
Paul Mason
Economics Editor, Newsnight

James Robbins
James Robbins
Diplomatic Correspondent

STEPHEN SACKUR, PRESENTER, CORRESPONDENT'S LOOK AHEAD
Stephen Sackur
What will be the biggest story in 2009?

The world's leading man in 2009 will undoubtedly be Barack Obama. As the curtain rises on his presidency he wants us all to intone "Yes, We Can." A more useful three-word mantra may be "Hold on tight."

In fact it's going to be a big year for global democracy. Indians, South Africans, Indonesians, Israelis also go to the polls. Jacob Zuma, Binyamin Netanyahu, some of the names of 2009 are already familiar. But look out for imprisoned Marwan Barghouti to become de facto leader of the Palestinians in the next year.

What are you looking forward to most?

2009 promises new beginnings and a whole lot of political excitement. Much of it generated by that man Obama. His presence in the White House will make a difference. The Guantanamo prison camp will be closed, knee-jerk anti-Americanism will lose its populist appeal in much of the world. Elections in Iran and Afghanistan will ask serious questions of those who practise political Islam.

What are you looking forward to least?

Across the western world a generation of young adults raised in an era of virtually full employment will experience something not seen since their grandparents were kids - a full-blown economic slump.

And the impact will indeed be global. In China the 20th anniversary of the violent suppression of the Tiananmen protests will be marked by a new wave of street protest. This time not from student democrats, but from furious laid-off workers suddenly out of love with the market economy.

Can you foresee any entertaining events/developments in 2009?

England will win back the Ashes in a glorious summer of cricket. Did I say realism was here to stay?

Who do you most want to interview in 2009?

Robert Mugabe. If you'll allow me to indulge in a little wishful thinking, I imagine him announcing his decision to go in the middle of a tense encounter on the BBC's HARDtalk.

JUSTIN WEBB, NORTH AMERICA EDITOR

Justin Webb

What will be the biggest story in 2009?

The honeymoon will last: I think the biggest story here will be the Obama administration's transformation of American life. Americans, buffeted by events at home and abroad, are willing to let the new team have a go at trying their solutions.

It'll be non-ideological in appearance - that is Obama's way - but I think America will look and feel very different by the end of the year with genuine progress made towards much wider access to healthcare, and a new respect for science and rational solutions to problems.

What are you looking forward to most?

I am looking forward to seeing the Republicans re-group. One of the biggest issues here is going to be the shape of the new party as it gets itself going again and the fight between Sarah Palin and her supporters and the other wings of the party will be fascinating - it will begin as the year ends (with the mid-term elections then less than a year away).

What are you looking forward to least?

Leaving America. (Justin will be returning to the UK to present the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.)

Can you foresee any entertaining events/developments in 2009?

We will be visited by strangers from another planet. Perhaps.

Who do you most want to interview in 2009?

Vice-President Joe Biden. He is famously ill-disciplined when it comes to staying on message and just might say something newsworthy.

LYSE DOUCET, WORLD CORRESPONDENT

Lyse Doucet

What will be the biggest story in 2009?

The effects of the worldwide economic slowdown. What impact will it have on key international initiatives - everything from moves to cut greenhouse gas emissions to badly needed aid programmes in places from Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Africa, can Robert Mugabe really continue to hold on to power? Or will Zimbabwe implode?

What are you looking forward to most?

I am really looking forward to seeing what will be the impact of a new US administration headed by Barack Obama on intractable conflicts such as the Middle East peace process; age-old rivalries between India and Pakistan; and the violence described by the US as genocide in Darfur. What difference can a new diplomacy and a president described as "transformational" make?

What are you looking forward to least?

The media frenzy around Barack Obama will continue with every "first" trip to every country and crisis. It may drown out other voices and strategies already in place on the ground.

In 2008, wherever I travelled around the world there was a sense of waiting for the next US president. Will this, over time, create resentments about America's might and also irritate other players like Russia and Europe, if not China?

Can you foresee any entertaining events/developments in 2009?

Barack Obama's first trip to Kenya. Bill Clinton travelling with Hillary as the spouse of the Secretary of State. And will Prince William and Kate Middleton marry? Also, will the shoe protest started by the Iraqi journalist who threw his at President Bush, continue to gather steam with shoes being thrown everywhere?

Who do you most want to interview in 2009?

Taleban leaders to find out what they really want in Afghanistan.

PAUL MASON, ECONOMICS EDITOR, NEWSNIGHT

Paul Mason

What will be the biggest story in 2009?

The biggest story in 2009 will be not the recession, which is a certainty, but any short term recovery - which would be a big surprise. The governments of the G7 have thrown everything they have at the financial crisis, we've had about $1 trillion in debt write-off and maybe $12 trillion worth of nationalisations and credit guarantees.

There is a chance - just a chance - that this will induce a V-shaped recession: short and sharp. But if, by the end of the year the arrows are pointing downwards, then a whole series of secondary effects will kick in that make a severe and long recession likely.

What are you looking forward to most?

What I am looking forward to most is the US legal system moving into the indictment stage on some of the people at the top of the banking and insurance industry who clearly mis-stated the scale of their liabilities.

I am also looking forward to seeing the Chinese leadership grapple with a rising tide of wage demands from its restive workforce - I think this is now on the cards.

What are you looking forward to least?

What I'm looking forward to least is the impact of unemployment: it will not be the wiping out of whole industrial towns that we lived through in the 1980s, instead it will take out demographic slices.

The generation least prepared for it are young people - anybody who's got used to buying drinks at the pub on a credit card is going to have a very sobering time. In the dole queue nobody asks you whether you want whipped cream or an extra shot. I am not looking forward to how people will react.

Can you foresee any entertaining events/developments in 2009?

What's going to be fun? Not much! I am looking forward to the release of the movie of Atlas Shrugged with Angelina Jolie, but for kitsch value rather than anything else. It's all about why free market capitalism is a great idea, and state intervention terrible. Perfect timing.

JAMES ROBBINS, DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
James Robbins

What will be the biggest story in 2009?

The testing of Barack Obama as President. When he moves from the calm of formulating his vision as a candidate to the storm of providing leadership as president.

What will he be able to change in the United States and in the wider world?

What are you looking forward to most?

Any unambiguous sign that change is taking hold - change in Zimbabwe; change in the Middle East; change in the governance and supervision of the financial sector; change in Iran; change in Afghanistan and in Pakistan

What are you looking forward to least?

Hearing empty rhetoric from any number of leaders. Worse still "pledges" to deliver at some time in the future on climate change and limiting carbon emissions, or promises to deliver the Millennium Development Goals, unless those leaders can show conclusive evidence that they are on track to meet existing pledges.

Can you foresee any entertaining events/developments in 2009?

This will be the Year of the Gorilla - part of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Three of the four gorilla species are listed as "critically endangered". They are victims of man's exploitation of the earth's resources... yet they are relatives, aren't they?

Who do you most want to interview in 2009?

Barack Obama, obviously. Any of China's top leadership. North Korea's leader, Kim Jung-Il, to assess his health, as much as anything else. And Stevie Wonder - an inspiration to many and and a believer in the power of music as a force for good.


Our correspondents will discussing what 2009 may bring on The Correspondent's Look Ahead on BBC Radio 4. Listen live at 20.00 GMT, Friday, 2 January 2009 or catch up on the BBC iPlayer.

Also, you too can share your thoughts for the year ahead on Listener's Look Ahead, from 13.15 GMT on Saturday, 3 January 2009 on BBC Radio 4. E-mail the programme at lookahead@bbc.co.uk or call in live on the day on 03700 100 444 (Calls cost no more than calling 01 and 02 geographic landline numbers. Lines open at 12:30 GMT on Saturday, 3 January.)


Isreali's Gaza Attack!

Israel says it is ready for "long weeks of action" as it continues its fiercest air assault on Gaza for decades to stamp out militant rocket attacks.

Palestinian officials say 10 people died in the latest attacks, taking the death toll to over 360 since Saturday. Four Israelis have died in rocket fire.

Israeli Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit rejected any ceasefire until the threat of rockets was removed completely.

A UN human rights monitor accused Israel of "shocking atrocities".

Richard Falk - the special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories - said the international community must put more pressure on Israel to end its attacks on Gaza.

"Israel is committing a shocking series of atrocities by using modern weaponry against a defenceless population - attacking a population that has been enduring a severe blockade for many months," Mr Falk said in a BBC interview.

The UN says at least 62 of the Palestinians killed so far have been women and children, and it is calling for an investigation into attacks which causing heavy civilian casualties.

Coastal clash

Israeli jets attacked targets linked to the Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, for a fourth day, hitting a number of government buildings and security installations.

Forty people were said to have been wounded in Tuesday's raids.

"The Israeli army must not stop the operation before breaking the will of the Palestinians, of Hamas, to continue to fire at Israel," Mr Sheetrit told Israel Radio.

The Israeli military "has made preparations for long weeks of action," added Matan Vilnai, a deputy defence minister, in another interview.

One air strike on Tuesday killed two sisters, the oldest aged 11, riding in a donkey cart in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, Palestinian medical sources said.

Separately, Israeli naval vessels confronted pro-Palestinian activists seeking to break the Gaza blockade by boat about 45 miles (70 kilometres) off the Israeli coast in international waters.

The activists said one vessel had rammed them after they ignored warnings to turn back. Their boat, carrying 3.5 tonnes of medical aid, is now trying to reach Lebanon.

Israel has massed forces along the boundary with Gaza and political leaders have not ruled out ground operations.

The Egyptian-Gaza border was sealed on Tuesday morning after trucks carrying aid and some wounded Palestinians were allowed to cross on Monday.

European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to to meet in Paris later (1730 GMT) to discuss the escalating crisis.

The meeting, hosted by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, is expected to consider the idea of an humanitarian aid corridor, and how to bring additional aid to Gaza's beleaguered 1.5m population.

Angry protests

Dozens of centres of Hamas strength, including security compounds, government offices and tunnels into Egypt, have been hit since Israel started its massive bombing campaign on Saturday morning.

Palestinian children search the ruins of a destroyed house following an Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip, 29 December 2008

Israel says its aim is to end the rocket attacks by Hamas-linked militants - of which there have more than 60 since Monday morning.

There have been angry protests against the offensive in many cities across the Arab world and in several European capitals.

The strikes began less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007.

Analysts say Israeli political leaders were under pressure to act against rocket fire with a general election looming in early February.

Israel dismantled its strategic settlements and military bases in Gaza in 2005 but has kept tight control over access in and out of the narrow coastal strip and its airspace.

GAZA VIOLENCE 27-30 DECEMBER
Map of attacks in and around Gaza
1. Ashdod: First attack so far north, Sunday. Woman killed in second rocket attack, Tuesday
2. Ashkelon: One man killed, several injured in rocket attack, Monday
3. Sderot: rocket attacks
4. Nevitot: One man killed, several injured in rocket attack, Saturday
5. Civilian family reported killed in attack on Yabna refugee camp, Sunday
6.
Israeli warplanes strike tunnels under Gaza/Egypt border, Sunday
7. Three brothers reported killed in attack on Rafah, Sunday
8. Khan Younis: Four members of Islamic Jihad and a child reported killed, Sunday
9. Deir al-Balah: Palestinians injured, houses and buildings destroyed, Sunday
10. Interior ministry and Islamic University badly damaged, Monday
11. Gaza City port: naval vessels targeted, Sunday
12. Shati refugee camp: Home of Hamas leader Ismail Hanniyeh targeted, Monday
13. Intelligence building attacked, Sunday
14. Jebaliya refugee camp: several people killed in attack on mosque, Sunday 15. Bei Hanoun - two girls killed in air strike, Tuesday

Monday, December 29, 2008

A small glass of wine a day could keep dementia at bay, at least for women



Drinking a small glass of wine a day could delay the onset of dementia in women, according to a new study.

Dementia is a degenerative condition that affects memory, attention, language and problem solving

For the study, researchers at the University of Glasgow analysed the performance of more than 5,800 people aged from 70 to 82 in a range of memory and language tests.

The results among male participants were similar, but women who consumed between one and seven units of alcohol a week performed significantly better than those who rarely drank or were teetotal.

The researchers concluded that drinking a small amount might delay cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.

"We were interested in exploring the effects of alcohol on memory, thinking and cognition," the Telegraph quoted David Stott, professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Glasgow, as saying.

"We found that modest amounts of alcohol in women seem to be associated with a delay in cognitive decline, such as speed of thought and how you use language and words. If these become serious, they can be signs of dementia.

"This is not an endorsement to drink to excess - large amounts of alcohol will damage your brain - but the occasional tipple may do you some good," he added.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.(ANI)

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Obama's 'green dream'

Barack Obama's choice of words as he announced new officials for his climate and energy team at the weekend could hardly have been more pointed.

Success isn't just down to "ensuring the facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology," he said; "it's about listening to what our scientists have to say even when it's inconvenient - especially when it's inconvenient".

obamaap203.jpg

In other words; in contrast to my predecessor, I'll listen to the same scientists that Al Gore listens to, and I'll act on what they say.

In fact, by appointing scientists such as John Holdren to his inner circle - "one of the most passionate and persistent voices of our time about the growing threat of climate change" - the president-elect has ensured that some of those voices will be in his ear all the time.

Whatever your views on climate change, there's no doubt that the switch from the Bush to Obama administrations promises a massive seachange in environmental politics.

It could bring changes in all sorts of issues, including management of the oceans, a particular interest of Jane Lubchenco who comes in as head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Some US fisheries are among the best managed in the world and spreading that sort of knowledge could restrain the free-for-all that still pertains in many of the world's fishing grounds.

But there's little doubt that the first significant action will occur in the arena of climate change.

Mr Bush is often referred to as a president who didn't accept that humans were changing the climate; but at least in public, he did, as long ago as 2001. His administration also endorsed two major reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2001 and 2007 - the latter concluding it was "very likely" that human activities were changing the climate.

But he stopped short of endorsing strong domestic or international action to cut emissions. His administration pursued agreements through bodies such as the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate and the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum (Apec) that would have allowed emissions to rise.

At the Asia-Pacific Partnership's inaugural meeting in Sydney in 2006, Mr Bush's energy secretary Samuel Bodman said the private sector would solve the climate problem because industry heads cared about the future.

From 20 January, the approach will be radically different.

The domestic long-term climate goal of reducing emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050 is ambitious and in line with IPCC science. But by 2050, Mr Obama will be long gone from office, and so what he manages to implement during the only four years he is assured of having in office is, perhaps, more pertinent.

If he follows through on the strategy he mapped out during his election campaign, the domestic measures we can expect to see over the next couple of years include:


  • establishment of a nationwide carbon market which will join up with other systems such as Europe's Emissions Trading System

  • mandated improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency (perhaps tied to a rescue package for the ailing US car industry)

  • "weatherization" of one million homes each year to save energy

  • an expansion in the use of renewable technologies and - perhaps - nuclear

Pledging is, of course, much easier than acting. Over the last month we have seen European leaders watering down their much-vaunted climate and energy package, and Australia (where Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has changed climate policy just as Mr Obama intends to) adopting emissions targets for 2020 well below the 25-40% range that the IPCC recommends - both in response to business pressures.

foodgetty203.jpg

Mr Obama will not be immune from similar pressures. The two key advantages he holds, I would suggest, are the traditional honeymoon that most change-espousing leaders enjoy when they enter office, and the fact that US energy efficiency is so poor that it should be possible to make some major fuel-saving improvements at minimal cost.

On the international scene, he has pledged to "re-engage" with the UN process, and that has been warmly welcomed in a number of capitals.

So far, all has been sweetness. But that is not guaranteed to continue.

Developing countries might say - indeed, did say at the recent UN climate talks in Poland - that they have been looking for US leadership on the issue.

But that doesn't necessarily mean they will be happy to follow where Mr Obama wants to lead them. At a news conference during the UN talks, John Kerry - a key ally - emphasised that the US will only approve a new global deal if major developing countries accept some form of restrictions on their own emissions.

Mr Kerry's words were generally written up in positive terms by the media. But putting on a more sceptical hat, there were hints of an uncompromising US that would, as it does on so many other issues, be attempting to set an agenda that the rest of the world should follow.

And this, I think, is the problem that may lie ahead for Mr Obama. Applauding his intention to lead is one thing; but it's entirely possible that the tight timescale of the UN climate process will quickly lead to a situation where the US is demanding - or being seen to demand - that developing countries must sign up to this or that, or there won't be a deal.

That's particularly true in the light of recent research showing that carbon cuts in developed countries alone cannot lead to the kind of global reductions that the IPCC believes are necessary to avoid "dangerous" climate change.

However fresh and fragrant Mr Obama wants to appear, the US is still the US, with an image formed over a much longer timespan than a single presidency.

In some capitals, it is still seen as the country that more than any other has developed economically on the back of carbon emissions that now threaten to wreak climatic carnage on the poor, and thus has no right to tell anyone else to do until it pays some penance for its history.

If governments are to agree a new global deal on climate change by the end of next year, the US is going to have to listen as well as to lead; and that, perhaps, ought to be the first piece of advice that Dr Holdren gives his new president.

Study Finds Air Pollution Harmful For Patients After Heart Attack



Tiny particles in air pollution can be dangerous for people with heart attack as it can hinder their heart's ability to conduct electrical signals, Harvard University researchers report.

The tiny particles emitted from air pollution can cause ST-segment depression in people with serious coronary artery disease. This dysrhythmia can indicate inadequate blood flow to the heart or inflammation of the heart muscle, according to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

For the study, the researchers from the Harvard University studied the electrocardiograms of the 48 patients, who had recently been hospitalized for heart attack, unstable angina or worsening symptoms of coronary heart disease over the course of a year.

Lead researcher Dr. Diane R. Gold, an associate professor of medicine and environmental health and his team found that the instances of ST-segment depression increased with every increase in the particles and black carbon in the air.

Effects were seen greatest within the first month after hospitalization and for patients who had been hospitalized for a heart attack or had diabetes, showed unusual changes called ST-segment depression.

For patients who have just been discharged from hospital after a heart attack, guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology suggest that patients should avoid heavy traffic because of the stress of driving.

Authors of the study now say heart-disease patients should limit their time outdoors if they live in a highly polluted city. It is not known how the carbon and air particles cause ST-segment depression and researchers say that further research is needed to evaluate whether the pollution-related ST-segment depression.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Happy Birthday Earthrise



Forty years ago, the biggest TV audience in history tuned in to watch humankind's first close encounter with another world, as the crew of Apollo 8 reached lunar orbit. Here, the Apollo historian and film-maker Dr Christopher Riley gives his perspective on the mission and how that Christmas Eve of 1968 changed the world.

Back in 1948, the British astrophysicist Sir Fred Hoyle predicted that when spaceflight enabled us to see the whole Earth from space, the view would change us forever.

Hoyle would have to wait another 20 years before humans would get to see this view with their own eyes, when the crew of Apollo 8 became the first astronauts to leave Earth orbit.

By then, a handful of satellites had snapped a number of breathtaking portraits of the Earth from afar and even a stunning shot of the Earth rising above the Moon's surface from lunar orbit.

But on Christmas Eve 1968, none of the astronauts on board Apollo 8 were ready for the opportunity to witness their own Earthrise.

In all the months of training and preparation which had preceded the mission, no-one had thought to schedule an attempt for the crew to glimpse and record the most moving of sights, as their jewel of a home planet, suspended in the blackness of space, rose from behind the barren lunar horizon.

The blue marvel

For the first three orbits, preoccupied by the Moon and their latest TV broadcast, the spacecraft was not orientated to give them a chance to see the Earth.

But as Apollo 8 nosed its way back from the far side of the Moon for the fourth time, it was Frank Borman who first spotted the view by chance from a window, his reaction captured by the on board tape recorder.

"Oh, my God! Look at that picture over there!" he exclaimed. "Isn't that something…"



After a quick joke about the fact that it was not in their flight plan to photograph it, the crew abandoned protocol and scrambled to get a snap of the occasion with their stills camera.

The Hasselblad only had a black and white film magazine in, resulting in the image above - the first photograph of Earthrise taken by a human as he watched it happen.

But Borman's first historic picture is rarely reproduced.

Not content with this first monochromatic image, the astronauts rushed to find a colour film, and Bill Anders managed to snap two more frames which became the choice of photo editors for the rest of history.

Green rise
These images, along with hundreds of other still pictures taken of the whole Earth during Apollo's nine flights to the Moon, helped to drive the momentum of a burgeoning green movement during the 1970s.

They fuelled an awareness of the vulnerability of the Earth which still resonates with us today and shapes our behaviour, as Fred Hoyle predicted it would.

Only 24 human beings have ever laid eyes on a view of the whole Earth from space. But thanks to a new generation of missions carrying high-resolution cameras beyond Earth orbit, moving HD footage of the whole planet is now available for all of us to marvel at.

In 2007, the Japanese lunar mission Selene transmitted back the first movies of Earthrise from lunar orbit since Apollo.

Even more ambitious, a Nasa project called The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) was conceived at the end of the 20th Century.

Page last updated at 00:14 GMT, Wednesday, 24 December 2008
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Happy Birthday Earthrise

Earth rise, photographed by the Apollo 8 crew
The first Earthrise to be witnessed by a human

Forty years ago, the biggest TV audience in history tuned in to watch humankind's first close encounter with another world, as the crew of Apollo 8 reached lunar orbit. Here, the Apollo historian and film-maker Dr Christopher Riley gives his perspective on the mission and how that Christmas Eve of 1968 changed the world.

Back in 1948, the British astrophysicist Sir Fred Hoyle predicted that when spaceflight enabled us to see the whole Earth from space, the view would change us forever.

Hoyle would have to wait another 20 years before humans would get to see this view with their own eyes, when the crew of Apollo 8 became the first astronauts to leave Earth orbit.

By then, a handful of satellites had snapped a number of breathtaking portraits of the Earth from afar and even a stunning shot of the Earth rising above the Moon's surface from lunar orbit.

Oh, my God! Look at that picture over there! Isn't that something…
Frank Borman

Apollo 8 crew member

But on Christmas Eve 1968, none of the astronauts on board Apollo 8 were ready for the opportunity to witness their own Earthrise.

In all the months of training and preparation which had preceded the mission, no-one had thought to schedule an attempt for the crew to glimpse and record the most moving of sights, as their jewel of a home planet, suspended in the blackness of space, rose from behind the barren lunar horizon.

The blue marvel

For the first three orbits, preoccupied by the Moon and their latest TV broadcast, the spacecraft was not orientated to give them a chance to see the Earth.

But as Apollo 8 nosed its way back from the far side of the Moon for the fourth time, it was Frank Borman who first spotted the view by chance from a window, his reaction captured by the on board tape recorder.

"Oh, my God! Look at that picture over there!" he exclaimed. "Isn't that something…"
Earth rise, photographed by the Apollo 8 crew
The stills were taken orbiting the Moon's equator, with north at the top

After a quick joke about the fact that it was not in their flight plan to photograph it, the crew abandoned protocol and scrambled to get a snap of the occasion with their stills camera.

The Hasselblad only had a black and white film magazine in, resulting in the image above - the first photograph of Earthrise taken by a human as he watched it happen.

But Borman's first historic picture is rarely reproduced.

Not content with this first monochromatic image, the astronauts rushed to find a colour film, and Bill Anders managed to snap two more frames which became the choice of photo editors for the rest of history.

Mystery film

Perhaps more surprising than the unexpected nature of this historic photo-op is that during the rest of the mission, whilst the crew did spend time photographing and commenting on views of the Earth, they did not think to film an Earthrise on their 16mm movie cameras.

These Data Acquisition Cameras, as they were called, were carried to record technical mission moments.

The Apollo 8 crew would use them to film each other messing about during quiet moments; so they weren't averse to deviating from their flight plan.

But it seems that they were too busy with their other scheduled tasks that Christmas Eve to film mankind's first Earthrise.

This stunning high-definition movie of an "Earthrise" was filmed by the Japanese space probe, Selene

The profound juxtaposition of such a vibrant, vulnerable, living blue and white marble of a planet rising from the stark grey lunar landscape was not captured on moving film until the Apollo 10 and 11 crews filmed it the following year.

By the fourth expedition to lunar orbit on Apollo 12, filming the Earth rising from behind the Moon had lost its magic and was only captured once through a slightly fogged window. It was the last Earthrise ever filmed during the Apollo era.

Green rise

These images, along with hundreds of other still pictures taken of the whole Earth during Apollo's nine flights to the Moon, helped to drive the momentum of a burgeoning green movement during the 1970s.

They fuelled an awareness of the vulnerability of the Earth which still resonates with us today and shapes our behaviour, as Fred Hoyle predicted it would.

These images helped to drive the momentum of a burgeoning green movement during the 1970s

Only 24 human beings have ever laid eyes on a view of the whole Earth from space. But thanks to a new generation of missions carrying high-resolution cameras beyond Earth orbit, moving HD footage of the whole planet is now available for all of us to marvel at.

In 2007, the Japanese lunar mission Selene transmitted back the first movies of Earthrise from lunar orbit since Apollo.

Even more ambitious, a Nasa project called The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) was conceived at the end of the 20th Century.

Its mission was to stream a continuous live colour image of the Earth from a million miles out in space. The data from DSCOVR was designed to help with modelling climate change.
Al Gore, who had supported the project from its conception, also suggested that such live footage of the whole Earth broadcast continuously over the internet would provide a powerful modern reminder of the fragility of our home planet - in the way that those first hand snapped Apollo pictures had done all those decades earlier.

"Goresat" as it was dubbed was never launched under the Bush presidency.

Some suggest that DSCOVR would not have helped the cause of an administration committed to a path of oil dependency.

Today, the satellite still rests in storage at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland awaiting a more enlightened presidency to give it a green light.

Perhaps, under a new administration, and to mark the 40th anniversary of humankind's first vision of the Earth from space, that time has now come.

Dr Christopher Riley is the co-producer of the documentary feature film In the Shadow of the Moon and curates the online Apollo film archive project Footagevault

How an old phone can make money



It is unlikely that the global recession has completely dampened people's enthusiasm for new gadgets this Christmas.

But for cash-strapped consumers with a shiny new mobile in their hands, there is a way of making money from their old, unwanted handsets.

According to mobile phone trade-in website FoneBank, only 20% of UK consumers are recycling their mobiles but those that do can recycle their old mobiles for cash.

A survey it conducted to find out what people did with their mobile found that 28% put them away in a drawer while 23% simply threw them away.

"It's crazy that a lot of people out there are still just chucking their phones in the bin when they no longer have any use for them," said Mark Harrison, director of Fonebank.

The need to recycle electronic devices such as phones, PDAs and digital music players is more than just a financial one as many contain materials that can be harmful to the environment.

The main problem lies with the batteries used to power the phones, some of which contain toxic substances such as cadmium, which can contaminate the water table.

Mobile phones now come under the WEEE directive, a piece of European legislation which aims to reduce the amount of electronic waste that ends up in landfill sites.

It requires member nations to collect and recycle the equivalent of 4kg of e-waste for every person living in the country.

Manufacturers, importers and retailers of electronic equipment are obliged to put systems in place that allow customers to recycle their obsolete devices free of charge although households are under no obligation.

Fonebank recycled around 10,000 phones in November, the majority of which are earmarked for Africa, Pakistan, India and South East Asia.

"It is a lot more difficult to buy a brand new phone in Africa and they are prohibitively expensive, so a good, second-hand phone is very attractive," said Ollie Tagg, director of Fonebank.

Right thing
During November Fonebank sent out £200,000 worth of cheques, with an average per person of £50, although an iPhone can raise much more.

"One of the most popular ones traded in during October was Nokia's N95 which can raise £102 for the owner," said Mr Tagg.

"People recycling their phones make a bit of money and feel they are doing the right thing. The whole process takes three minutes online and then they just have to stick their phone in a jiffy bag," he added.

This year Fonebank has teamed up with Oxfam to donate a minimum of 10% of the value of the phone to aid the charity's work in the developing world.

Other charities, including Age Concern and the British Red Cross, are also offering people the chance to donate phones.

During December some six million handsets will have been exchanged.

And for those who really can't be bothered to post off their old handset there are other ways of recycling them.

"I have spent literally hundreds over the years on toys for my kids but the thing they've liked the most are old mobiles, particularly ones that flip and flash," one respondent to the FoneBank survey revealed.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

'Satyam banned from World Bank'



NEW YORK: Software major Satyam Computer Services has reportedly been banned from doing any off-shore work with the World Bank after forensic ex
perts and bank investigators discovered that spy software was covertly installed on workstations inside the bank's Washington headquarters, allegedly by one or more contractors from Satyam Computer Services.

According to a FOX News report, apart from Satyam, two IP intrusions have been reported from China, and there have been six intrusions in all.

Investigators say that the software, which operates through a method known as keystroke logging, enabled every character typed on a keyboard to be transmitted to a still-unknown location via the Internet.

Upon its discovery, bank officials shut off the data link between Washington and Chennai, where Satyam has long operated the bank's sole offshore computer center responsible for all of the bank's financial and human resources information.

"I want them off the premises now," World Bank President Robert Zoellick reportedly told his deputies. But at the urging of CIO De Poerck, Satyam employees remained at the bank as recently as October 1 while it engaged in "knowledge transfer" with two new India-based contractors.

Satyam is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange and boasts having two billion dollars in sales and more than 150 Fortune 500 companies as clients.

In 2003, Satyam won a lucrative five-year "sole source" contract to design, write and maintain all of the World Bank's information systems. The contract, which began at $10 million, had grown to over $100 million by 2007. This year, the contract was not renewed. Satyam has declined to comment.

FOX News claims that outsiders have raided the World Bank Group's computer network, one of the largest repositories of sensitive data about the economies of every nation, repeatedly for more than a year.

It is still not known how much information was stolen. But sources inside the bank confirm that servers in the institution's highly restricted treasury unit were deeply penetrated with spy software last April. Invaders also had full access to the rest of the bank's network for nearly a month in June and July.

The crisis comes at an awkward moment for Zoellick, who runs the world's largest and most influential anti-poverty agency, which doles out $25 billion a year, and whose board represents 185 member nations.

This weekend, the bank holds its annual series of meetings in Washington, and just in advance of those sessions, Zoellick called for a radical revamping of multilateral organizations in light of the global economic meltdown.

Zoellick is positioning himself and the bank as an institution that can help chart a new path toward global financial stability. But that reputation, more than ever, depends on the bank's stable information infrastructure.

According to internal memos, "a minimum of 18 servers has been compromised," including some of the bank's most sensitive systems, ranging from the bank's security and password server to a Human Resources server "that contains scanned images of staff documents."

One World Bank director told FOX News that as many as 40 servers have been penetrated, including one that held contract-procurement data. It took ten days for bank officials to detect that they'd been invaded. Once they did, they shut down all external servers, except for e-mail, which it turns out the invaders were already using as their entrance point.

A World Bank spokesman, however, rubbished the Fox News story, saying it is riddled with falsehoods and errors.

GHAJINI Review



Cast: Aamir Khan, Asin, Jiah Khan
Director: AR Murugadoss
Music: AR Rahman


Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editor, Films, NDTV

At the recently held Indian Screenwriters’ Conference in Mumbai, writer-director Abbas Tyrewala lamented the lack of villains in Bollywood. He said that clearly defined villains used to be our staple diet.

This was true until sometime in the mid-1990s, when happy smiling families and yuppies in designer clothes took over. Well, I'm happy to report that the villain is back.

Ghajini, played ferociously by Pradeep Singh Rawat, is the kind of villain who wears thick gold chains and rings on every finger. He is defiantly brutal - he runs a pharmaceutical company but for reasons never explained, he likes to smash iron rods into human heads and forces young girls into both prostitution and organ trade.

He has one gold tooth, wears shiny white shoes and keeps a posse of henchmen so ugly that they look like they were airlifted from Ram Gopal Varma's last film. And of course Ghajini routinely drops lines like: aise marenge ki uska nakhun bhi nahi milega and my personal favourite: short-term memory loss patient mujhe kya yaad dilaayega.

Ghajini, director A R Murugadoss's remake of his Tamil blockbuster, is a throw back to what Hindi films used to be: a three hour extravaganza of romance, comedy, action, set-piece songs and drama.

It's a standard revenge film given a fresh twist with a dash of Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed Memento. Like that film, the protagonist here, Sanjay Singhania played by Aamir Khan, is hit on the head and suffers from short-term memory loss. He cannot remember anything for more than 15 minutes.

So, he tattoos his body with instructions: the most important one being that his girlfriend Kalpana was murdered, and he must find the murderer and kill him. The film is riddled with logical loopholes but Murugadoss, who also wrote it, doesn't give you enough time to think about them.

So, you never ask how Sanjay, the fabulously wealthy owner of a cellphone company, conducts a lengthy romance with Kalpana, played by debutant Asin, pretending to be an ordinary man? Or why Ghajini, a master-thug and expert killer, doesn't have a gun when he needs it the most? Or why the key conflict, which leads to Kalpana's death, is such a random imposition on the script?

Instead, you are caught up in the mystery of how a superbly stylish businessman becomes a killing machine who routinely cracks necks and in his introduction scene, plunges a broken tap into a man's stomach. Ghajini isn't for the faint-hearted. The violence is gory and elemental. The climax is pure man-on-man combat with lots of crunching bones.

For Aamir, Ghajini is a 360 degree turn from the sensitive teacher he played in Taare Zameen Par. With a buffed up, eight-pack body, here he is a brutal killer in a murderous rage. Watch him as he explodes with grief and then just as quickly forgets it. It's a memorable performance indeed.

Thankfully Asin is less animated than she was in the Tamil version. Some of their romantic scenes, and particularly her death are nicely done.

Ghajini isn't a great film or even a very good one but I recommend that you see it. It is, as we used to say in the old days, paisa vasool.

Rating : 3.5/5

Monday, December 22, 2008

Indian Court Rejects Mother's Plea To Abort 26-Week-Old Fetus With Heart Defect



An Indian court on Monday refused a mother's plea to abort a 26-week fetus with a serious heart defect, saying the law does not permit such late-term abortions.

The 31-year-old mother, Niketa Mehta, and her husband Haresh found out after 24 weeks that the fetus had a complete congenital heart blockage and malpositioned arteries that could, doctors told them, require a pacemaker implantation soon after birth.

Abortions are legal in India until the 12th week of pregnancy. Between 12 and 20 weeks abortions are allowed if either the mother or the fetus faces a health risk. The case challenged the country's 37-year-old Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTP) that permits abortions after 20 weeks only if there is a risk to the mother.

The Mehtas argued that they believe they won't be able to afford to care for the baby or endure the trauma, and, therefore, they should be allowed to terminate the life of their unborn baby. A pacemaker operation costs nearly $2,500.

However, the Bombay High Court on Monday ruled that a predicted disability is no ground for abortion. The court, which consulted medical experts, said doctors had found little evidence the child would suffer serious problems.

A committee of doctors appointed last week by the court to assess the risks if the baby was allowed to be born told the court on Monday that there were "least chances" of the baby being born with a handicap. The committee also added that it could be risky for the mother if she had an abortion at such an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects with one in every 125 babies affected by the same. Of approximately 40,000 babies born with it, 4000 die in the first year. Nearly 82 percent of babies diagnosed with congenital heart disease survive the first year of life while 78 percent of babies diagnosed with congenital heart disease survive to adulthood.

It was not clear whether the Mehtas would file an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Gunman 'requests Pakistan help'



India says the sole surviving gunman from last month's Mumbai (Bombay) attacks has sought help from Pakistan.

The request came in a letter handed to Pakistani diplomats in Delhi.

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab, who is in Indian custody, admitted in the letter that he and the other attackers were from Pakistan, Indian officials said.
Pakistani officials say they are studying the contents of the letter. Islamabad has so far refused to acknowledge the gunmen were Pakistani.

Relations between the two countries have been severely strained since the attacks, in which more than 170 people were killed.

Earlier, India's Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the international community had not done enough to exert pressure on Pakistan, which denies any involvement in the attacks.

On Monday fighter jets flew low over three major cities in Pakistan amid the heightened tension.

'Legal aid'
India's foreign ministry said the acting high commissioner of Pakistan had been handed the letter from the gunman on Monday evening.
"In his letter addressed to the Pakistan High Commission, Kasab [Qasab] has stated that he and the other terrorists killed in the attack were from Pakistan and has sought a meeting with the Pakistan High Commission," the ministry said.

Reports suggested the letter contained a request for legal help from Pakistan. Indian lawyers have so far refused to represent Mr Qasab in court.

Pakistani officials confirmed receipt of the letter and said they were examining its contents.

The Pakistani government is under intense pressure to act decisively against militants operating on its soil.

Addressing Indian envoys from across the world, Mr Mukherjee accused Islamabad of "denial" and "shifting the blame" for last month's attacks.
"We have so far acted with utmost restraint and are hopeful that international community will use its influence to urge the Pakistani government to take effective action."

But Mr Mukherjee said that although there had been "some effort so far by the international community... this is not enough. Much more needs to be done."

His statement was the latest in a series of strongly worded diplomatic warnings from India.

The BBC's Chris Morris in Delhi says the Indian government is clearly determined to maintain pressure on Islamabad to act.

India has blamed Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for the attacks, which began on 26 November and lasted three days.

Last week, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari said claims that the sole surviving attacker had been identified by his own father as coming from Pakistan had not been proven.

The two hotels caught up in the attacks, the Trident-Oberoi and Taj Mahal Palace, reopened for business on Sunday.

No lay-offs, no matter how bad it gets: HCL



New Delhi: HCL Technologies, one of India’s leading Information Technology firm, will not fire its employees even if the economic situation gets worse over the coming months, the company’s chief executive officer told Hindustan Times. The company, like other corporates is cutting costs through other 0measures like reducing transport and electricity bills amongst others.

“We have not and will not lay off no matter how bad it gets, even if recessionary trends get worse,” said Vineet Nayar, CEO, HCL Technologies.

HCL Technologies employs around 55,000 employs across 19 countries. Nayar said that the company’s hiring plans were on track but declined to put a number to the target. On expected salary hikes for financial year 2010, Nayar said that the company will take a decision around June next year.

“We will take a decision around June and expect that most of the bad news will be behind us by then,” said Nayar.

“We will cut costs from all corners, through better utilisation of electricity, reducing cycle time from desire to implement of a project, controlling transportation and vendor bills,” he said. He declined to comment on how much the company is likely to save through these initiatives.

© Copyright 2008 HT Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Study Finds Missed Vaccinations Kill 1.4 Million Children Worldwide



The U.N. children's agency reports about 1.4 million children under the age of five die unnecessarily each year from measles, whooping cough and other diseases preventable by vaccines.

According to the report, about 130 million children are born each year, and since 1990, about 70 percent have received the vital immunizations - up from some 20 percent under the age of 1 in 1980.

Since then, however, efforts to reach the remaining 20 or 30 percent who need help - mainly in poor countries - are lacking.

Dr. Peter Salama, UNICEF's chief of immunizations, says about $1 billion is now being spent on childhood immunization and about $1 billion more is needed to reach a goal set in 2002 of bringing vaccines to at least 90 percent of children worldwide under the age of one by 2010.

A UNICEF report focuses on the divide between vaccinations in rich and poor nations. In 2003, 90 percent of children in industrialized nations had proper immunizations. Those in west and central Africa, however, are at just 52 percent.

Overall, the report states 103 countries have a 90 percent protection rate against measles, while 16 are likely to achieve that rate by 2010. Another 55 need improvements, while 16 must reverse declining immunization rates.

Michael Jackson On Death Bed



World famous pop star Michael Jackson is on death bed now. British News Daily Sunday Express broke this news and entire fans of Michael Jackson across the world are dumped in grief with this. Jackson has been suffering from lung disease and fighting for life in hospital. His blood circulation is also holding problem and doctors say that he is battling with life's last moments.

Obese Kids More Likely To Have Headaches, Study Says



Migraines and headaches are more common in overweight children and teenagers, a new study has found. It is the first national study to look at possible links between obesity and headaches in kids.

Lead researcher Andrew Hershey, a pediatric neurologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center studied 913 children and teenagers for six months. The study found that chronic headaches are common in childhood, with the prevalence of one out of four to one out of 10 kids.

Heavy kids with headaches may have low leptin levels a hormone that causes a feeling of fullness after eating. This can encourage overeating suggesting a tie between their extra weight and headaches.

The more overweight a child is, the more headaches and the worse the pain, the author said adding that the effects of headache declined with the weight loss in many children. Helping kids get into the normal weight range could prevent years of pain and disability. The study is published online in the journal Headache.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Nurses In U.K. Use Mobile Phones To Track Patients



A new scheme under trial in the United Kingdom will permit better monitoring of the health of Britons with chronic ailments using a standard mobile phone.

The cellular phone would need a special software which patients with asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure may use to key in details of their condition and treatment such as blood sugar levels and insulin shots taken.

Upon entering the data, the information will be automatically send to a hospital database, where a nurse will analyze it and text back action that needs to be taken. By tapping technology, complications are caught before it worsens without requiring the sick person to visit their doctor.

At the same time it will cut hospital admissions for long-term patients by up to 90 percent and save the National Health Service money.

The software, which costs $370 (250 pound) a year, was produced by t+ Medical and used by eight primary care trusts in Walsall, Oxfordshire, Norfolk and Norwich, Newham, Southampton, Leicester, North East Essex and Calderdale.

According to the International Communications Market report made by Ofcom, more Britons are increasing their use of the mobile phone from a traditional gadget for talking to updating their friends of what they have been up to. One example is sending their video grabs while engaged in an activity, which will no longer require words to explain what happened.

In 2007, Britons made 99 billion minutes of calls and 972 text messages using their mobile phones. The survey said 59 percent of Britons also used their phones as cameras.

Cancer Communication Research Project Awarded $8.6 Million NIH Grant



The National Cancer Institute (NCI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a second grant to the Center for Health Enhancement Systems Studies (CHESS) to continue their work on cancer communications research.

CHESS's five-year, $8.6 million grant will fund investigations into problems associated with cancer communication in the rapidly changing communication environment, according to a statement from the center's home, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"We're thrilled to be able to continue the work that we've done in the last five years to improve the quality of life for patients with cancer," Beth Burnside, deputy director for the project and assistant professor in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, said in the statement.

The NIH grant will fund three studies:
Interactive Cancer Communication Systems (ICCS) in Lung Cancer: Evaluating Survival Benefits - examining quality of life outcomes following patients use of the communication system during advanced cancer treatment.Interactive Cancer Communication Systems' Directed Physical Activity Enhancement for Colon Cancer Survivors - providing information and support for newly diagnosed colon cancer survivors to increase physical activity, decrease distress and improve quality of life.Effectiveness of the CHESS E-Health Cancer Support Intervention in Population-based Care - providing information about the business and clinical cases for the interactive cancer communications system in the context of real-world use for cancer patients' care.

Study: Smoking Teenage Girls Face Wider Waistlines Later In Life



Teenage girls who smoke cigarettes are at an increased risk for developing not only lung cancer later in life, but thicker waistlines as well, researchers say.

While girls who smoke 10 cigarettes or more a day as teens have an increased risk of developing a wide waistline later in life teenage boys don't appear to have the same risk, said lead study author Suoma Saarni, a researcher with the Department of Public Health in Helsinki. But she said scientists don't know why that is true.

Researcher found that girls who smoke 10 cigarettes per day or more are at greatest risk, particularly for abdominal obesity, with waist sizes an average 1.34 inches larger than nonsmokers' waists as young adults.

The study followed thousands of twins and is published in the February 2009 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

"My hunch is that women are more likely to smoke for weight control, especially in adolescence," Sherry Pagoto, assistant professor in clinical psychology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said in a statement . "When people do quit smoking, one of the reasons they gain weight is that they increase their consumption of foods. They'll start snacking at the times they used to smoke."

Chemical Found In Baby Bottles May Not Be Safe, Panel Rules

The Food and Drug Administration's determination that a widely-used chemical found in baby bottles is safe contained mistakes and should be redone, an FDA panel unanimously ruled.

The chemical, bisphenol-A, or BPA, is also found in many other plastic products.

The FDA science board stated in a report released earlier this week that the FDA ignored several government-funded studies linking exposure to low doses of BPA to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, hyperactivity and cancer in laboratory animals.

The FDA based its findings that BPA is harmless only on studies funded by the chemical industry, according to the panel's report.

The panel also stated in the report that BPA's margin of safety is "inadequate."

Friday, December 19, 2008

Ghajini Lyrics



Aye Bachchu:
(Jhoom Le Jhoom Jhama Jhoom Jhamak Jhoom
Pairon Mein Ta Ta Thaye Jhoom Tumaak Tum) - 2
Aye Bachchu

Aye Bachchu Tu Sun Le, Mere Dil Ka Ye Order
Ab Khul Ke Jeele Tu, Koi Seema Na Border
Halka Sa Nasha Hai, Masti Ki Wine Mein
Jeene Ka Hai Chaska, Toh Aaja Line Mein
Suno Yaaron Suno Ek Raaz Gehraa
Kiston Mein Kya Jeena, Lambee Saans Lo Zara

Muthiyon Ko Kassona Inhe Khol Do
Dil Mein Kya Rakhna Chalak Bol Do
Gun Guna Lo Muskuralo, Zindagi Toh Sikhtati Hai Yehi
Lehralo Balkhalo, Hum Qaidi To Nahin
Jhoom Le Jhoom Jhama Jhoom Jhamak Jhoom
Pairon Mein Ta Ta Thaye Jhoom Tumaak Tum
Lehron Ke Sang Chap Chap Chaapak Cham
Dol Tu Dum Dum Dum Dumaak Dum
Jhoom Le Jhoom Zoom, Oh Zara Jhoom Le Jhoom Zara
Suno Yaaron Suno Ek Raar Gehraa
Kiston Mein Kya Jeena, Lambee Saans Lo Zara
Muthiyon Ko Kassona Inhe Khol Do
Dil Mein Kya Rakhna Chalak Bol Do..

Oh Jhoomo Zara Yeh Bhi Kya Hai Jeena ?
Oh Jhoomo Zara Tum Ho Nageena
Jhoomo Jhoomo Jhoom Jhoom Mere Sung
Mastiyon Ki Kashti Kholo, Kinaro Ko Bye Bye Bolo
Aao Nah Hawa Ke Sung Holo Dolo Dolo Dolo Dolo Mere Sung

Aye Bachchu Tu Sun Le, Mere Dil Ka (Ye Order)
Ab Khul Ke Jeele Tu, Koi Seema Na Border
Halka Sa Nasha Hai, Masti Ki Wine Mein
Jeene Ka Hai Chaska, Toh Aaja Line Mein

(Jhoom Le Jhoom Jhama Jhoom Jhamak Jhoom
Pairon Mein Ta Ta Thaye Jhoom Tumaak Tum
Lehron Ke Sang Chap Chap Chaapak Cham
Dol Tu Dum Dum Dum Dumaak Dum) - 2
(Jhoom Le Jhoom Zoom, Oh Zara Jhoom Le Jhoom Zara) -


Behka Main Behka:
Behka Main Behka, Woh Behki Hawa Si Aai
Ek Hi Nazar Mein Sab, Manzil Wanzil Paaye
Hatke Alag Si Thi, Bilkul Juda Si
Na Hi Adaayein, Na Ko Aangraii
Behka Behka Main Behka Behka
Mehka Mehka Yeh Maan Hai Mehka
Behka Min Behka, Woh Behki Hawa Si Aai
Ek Hi Nazar Mein Sab, Manzil Wanzil Paaye

Dhadkan Dhak Dhak Dhak Dhak Dhak Hue
Dil Tha Tha Tha Tha Tha Thayee
Chal Dagmag Mag Dagmag Mag Hue
Jhoomoo Mein Jhamak Jhamajham
Rasta Takoon Takoon Takoon Takoon Takoon Mein
Pal Pal Jagoon Jagoon Jagoon Jagoon N Main
Baar Baar Badal Karwat, Usko Sochoon Mein
Behka Behka Main Behka Behka
Mehka Mehka Yeh Maan Hai Mehka
Guzare Jahan Se Woh, Raunak Udaaye
Chalke Nadi Si Woh, Mujhko Bhigoti Jaaye...
Woh Gun Gunaaye, Nagene Lutaaye
Khaata Sa Bachpan, Meethi Shararat
Thoda Resham Hai, Thodi Nazakat
Kabhi Sharmaye, Kabhi Lehraye
Usmein Saahil Hai Aur Jaane Kitni Gehraii
Behka Main Behka, Woh Behki Hawa Si Aai
Ek Hi Nazar Mein Sab, Manzil Wanzil Paaye
Hatke Alag Si Thi, Bilkul Juda Si
Na Hi Adaayein, Na Ko Aangraii

Behka Behka Main Behka Behka
Mehka Mehka Yeh Maan Hai Mehka
Uski Boli, Jaise Phoolon Ki Toli
Uska Chalna, Rituein Badalna
Jhoot Bhi Uske Sachche Lagey Achchhe Lagey
Sach Se Bhi Bade Lagey..
Rahon Mein Uski, Haath Baandhe Palke
Bichaaye Hue Sar Ko Jhukaye Huey
Khusboowon Se Chaaye Hue
Tkataki Lagaye Hue Saath Saaath Jaane Kitne
Saare Mausam Khade Rahein..
(Behka Main Behka, Woh Behki Hawa Si Aai
Ek Hi Nazar Mein Sab, Manzil Wanzil Paaye) - 2
Hatke Alag Si Thi, Bilkul Juda Si
Na Hi Adaayein, Na Ko Aangraii
(Behka Mein Haan Behka Behka Main
Behka Mein Haan Behka Behka Behka Mein) - 3


Tu Meri Adhuri Pyas Pyas:

Hmmmmm Mm…
Tu Meri Adhuri Pyas Pyas, Tu Agayi Mann Ko Ras Ras, Aab Tho...
Tu Meri Adhuri Pyas Pyas, Tu Agayi Mann Ko Ras Ras
Aab Tho Thu Aaja Pass Pa..., Hain Guzaaarish
Hain Haal To Dil Ka Tang Tang, Thu Rang Ja Mere Rang Rang
Bas Chalna Mere Sang Sang, Hain Guzaaarish
Kehde Thu Han Tho Zindagi, Chainon Se Chhutke Hasegi
Moti Hunge Moti Rahon Meinnn, Yeh Yeh Yeh
Tu Meri Adhuri Pyas Pyas, Tu Agayi Mann Ko Ras Ras
Aab Tho Thu Aaja Pass Pas..., Hain Guzaaarish

Sheeshe Ke Khwaab Lekke, Raaton Mein Chal Raha Hon
Takrana Jao Kahin...
Aasha Ki Lon Hain Roshan, Phir Bhi Toffan Ka Dhar Hain
Lon Bhuj Na Jaye Kahin...
Bas Eak Haan Ki Guzaarish, Phir Hogi Khusiyon Ki Baarish
Tu Meri Adhuri Pyas Pyas, Tu Agayi Mann Ko Ras Ras
Aab Tho Thu Aaja Pass Pas..., Hain Guzaaarish
Hmmm Mmm Mm Mmm Mmm Mm Mmm Hmmmmm Mm…
Oho Ohhhhhhhhhh Oho Ohhhhhhhhh..

Chanda Hain Aasman Hain, Aur Badal Bhee Gane Hain
Yeh Chandaaa Chup Jaye Na...
Tanhayi Das Rahin Hain, Aur Dhadkan Bad Rahi Hain
Eak Pal Bhi Chain Aaye Na...
Kaisi Aajab Dastaan Hain, Bheechainiyan Baas Yahan Hain Oh
Tu Meri Adhuri Pyas Pyas, Tu Agayi Mann Ko Ras Ras
Aab Tho Thu Aaja Pass Passsssss, Hain Guzaaarish
Hain Haal Tho Dil Ka Thang Thang, Thu Rang Ja Mere Rang Rang
Bas Chalna Mere Sang Sang, Hain Guzaaarish
Tu Meri Adhuri Pyas Pyas, Hmm M M M Hmmm

Latoo Latoo Latoo Main:
Latoo Latoo Latoo Main, Us Pe Latoo
Nachayenge
Nachayenge
Latoo Latoo Latoo Main, Us Pe Latoo
Latoo Latoo Latoo Mein
Aye Lala Aye Lala Aye Lala..
Palak Kyun Phadke Re, Dil Kyun Dhadke Re
Thirak Si Jaoon Re, Kyun Mein Sharamaan Re
Aaj Ye Kaun Aaya, Khushbuwon Sa Chaaya
Chal Mein Ghungroo Hai Mausam Hai
Oh Oh Oh Oho Yaar
Yaar Yaar Yaar Mera Yaar Yaar Yaar Yaar
Yaar Yaar Yaar Mera Yaar Yaar Yaar
(Latoo Latoo Latoo Main, Us Pe Latoo) - 2
Yaar Yaar Yaar, Yaar Yaar Yaar Mera Yaar
Yaar Yaar Yaar Mera Yaar Yaar Yaar
Uske Aane Se Bus Jaaye, Soone Soone Maan Ka Ilaka
Nachayenge, Woh Bus Kar De Ishaara
Aur Mein Boloon Jo Hukm Ho Aaqa Nachayenge

Masti Mein Tee Woh Hai
Jeene Mein Jee Woh Hai
Seene Mein See Woh Hai
Dhak Dhak Dhak Har Dhadkan Mein Woh
Pani Mein Pa Who Hai
Dhani Mein Dha Woh Hai
Maani Mein Maa Woh Hai
Saazon Mein Har Har Sargam Mein Woh
Luft Kya Uski Ashiqui Mein Hai
Usko Ghoonth Ghoonth Mein Pee Loon
Zindagi Chayen Chayen Main Jee Loon
(Latoo Latoo Latoo Mein, Uspe Latoo) - 2
Yaar Yaar Yaar Yaar Yaar Yaar Mera Yaar
Yaar Yaar Yaar Mera Yaar Yaar Yaar
O Palak Kyun Phadke Re, Dil Kyun Dhadke Re
Thirak Si Jaoon Re, Kyun Mein Sharamaan Re
Aaj Ye Kaun Aaya, Khushbuwon Sa Chaaya
Chal Mein Ghungroo Hai Mausam Hai
Oh Oh Oh Oho Yaar
Yaar Yaar Yaar Mera Yaar Yaar Yaar Yaar
Yaar Yaar Yaar Mera Yaar Yaar Yaar Yaar Yaar
(Latoo Latoo Latoo Main, Us Pe Latoo) - 3