Kingfisher buys Stake in Air Deccan

Vijay Mallya's UB Group, the operator of Kingfisher Airlines, finalized a deal to buy 26 per cent stake in Air Deccan. The deal will be worth 5.5 billion rupees ($135 million). UB Group would pay 155 rupees per share to acquire 35.22 million shares of Deccan Aviation Ltd. A 26 percent stake would make the UB Group the largest shareholder of Air Deccan.

Deccan Aviation's MD Capt. G.R. Gopinath told reporters that the two airlines would be run as independent entities. Capt. Gopinath would continue to be the Chairman of the Deccan Aviation Ltd. Vijay Mallya would be the Vice-Chairman. Gopinath also said that Air Deccan would maintain its policy of lower cost service to the passengers.

NO TOBACCO DAY TODAY: Smoking and cessation tips

Today, May 31st is observed as a No Tobacco Day. This day was created by the member states of World Health Organization in 1987 to control the tobacco epidemic and make people aware of the hazards of tobacco. This year their main goal is to raise the awareness about different types of tobacco products and to encourage its strict regulation in all countries.

There is one thing that we all should remember, even though only one day is assigned as no-tobacco day, but the efforts towards its reduction should be made throughout the year. On this note, let us talk a bit about smoking.

Addiction to smoking

In olden days, people enjoyed smoking due to ignorance of the health hazards, offering tobacco for chewing and smoking was considered as an honour to the recipients and no one thought of its after effects. When your parents were young, people could buy cigarettes and smoke pretty much anywhere - even in hospitals! Ads for cigarettes were all over the place.

Today, we are aware of the ill effects of smoking. Smoking is restricted or banned in almost all public places and cigarette companies are no longer allowed to advertise on buses or trains, billboards, TV, and in many magazines. Even it is made mandatory to the cigarette manufacturers to print on the wrapper “smoking is injurious to health” to warn the smokers. Thanks to the media – today almost everyone knows about the diseases caused by smoking i.e. cancer, emphysema and heart diseases, its role in shortening the life span, and above all the cost, a smoker spends thousands of bucks on cigarettes in a year, but even after all this the smoking continues, why is it so?? Yes, the answer is very loud and clear, addiction.

No one is a born smoker; its the circumstance that make a smoker and then an addict. Most of the smoking begins in teenage - they smoke either to flaunt their maturity or because their friends do and this façade slowly and steadily moves on to become addiction.

Some tips for smoking cessation

Deep breathing: This method is most efficacious in quitting if done on a daily basis. Whenever there is a craving for cigarette, do the following: Inhale deeply taking in as much air as you can and then very slowly exhale. During exhalation, purse your lips so that the air comes out slowly, close your eyes, let your chin gradually sink over onto your chest, and visualize all the tension slowly draining out of your fingers and toes out of your body.

Fluids consumption: Drink as much water as you can as water helps in detoxifying your body and remove all the toxins from your body.

Reduce sugar, coffee, and alcohol: Avoid taking these items as much as possible as these create the craving for tobacco and may cause hindrance in the way of quitting.

Cigarette substitute: Whenever you feel like having a cigarette, you can use a substitute for it like chewing gums or cinnamon sticks. Lozenges and nicotin patches can also be used.

Exercise: Exercise along with deep breathing will couple the quitting process. Even if you cannot afford to go to gym, just do daily walking and jogging and it will do wonders for you.

Make yourself busy: Try to engage yourself in some work so that your mind is distracted from cigarettes.

Family support: It is also important that your family knows about your quitting so that they can support you during your mood swings in the quitting period.

Self control: The most important thing for quitting is self control. Even after you quit, sometimes due to stress or some other pressure you may be tempted to have “just one” but remember this “one” can take you back into the vicious circle of smoking again.

Staying smoke free will give you a whole lot more of everything - more energy, better performance, better looks, more money in your pocket, and, in the long run, more life to live!

Miss Japan Riyo Mori Crowned Miss Universe 2007

Riyo Mori, the 20-year old dancer from Japan was crowned Miss Universe 2007 at a gala function held at Mexico City. Natalia Guimaraes of Brazil emerged as the first runners-up and Ly Jonaitis of Venezuela finished second runner-up. India's Pooja Gupta entered the top ten list, but faltered then after.

Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico crowned Mori before a huge gathering. Mori not only beat 76 other contestants, she overcame the stiff challenge from the favorites from Venezuela, Brazil, Korea and the USA.

Violence over Reservation, 6 People Dead in Rajasthan

A spat of violence in Rajasthan claimed at least 6 lives. The Gurjjar community in Dausa were protesting over reservation issue when the incident took place. They were demanding their status to be changed from OBC to ST. The police had to open fire to disperse the violent mob. Six people and two policemen were killed in the clash.

Situation is still tense and the state administration has rushed into the spot. Jaipur-Agra national highway has been sealed to avert any untoward incident. The Rajasthan home minister has called an emergency meeting to resolve the crisis. The incident yet again exposed Rajasthan government's inability to maintain law and order in the state.

Aishwarya's Film Career

Aishwarya Rai, the blue-eyed beauty with a million dollar sparkling smile has achieved a lot in her life in a small timeframe, preponderance in the whole film industry as well as settlement in her personal life, now being recognized as Mrs. Aishwarya Abhishek Bachchan. There was a lot of turmoil as far as her film career is concerned, but she did prove herself and made her way all the way up to the top inscribing herself as one of the finest and most refined artist of today’s time.

For all my readers out there who love Ash and her work, here is a brief review of her career line from the start till now.

Beginning of Ash’s film career

Ash in Iruvar

After becoming Miss India World in 1994, she started her film career with the Tamil film ‘Iruvar’ with Mohanlal directed by Mani Ratnam in 1997. She made her entrance into bollywood with ‘Aur pyaar ho gaya’ which turned out to be a big flop at the box office. She was touched with fame in her third movie ‘Jeans,’ which was a critical and commercial hit and for which she was awarded the Filmfare best actress award South. After this success, she did a lot of bollywood films of which some superhits were ‘hum dil de chuke sanam’ and ‘taal’ in 1999, in which she cracked the ice with her performance and got the best actress award for the former. In 2000, she made a special appearance in Mohabbatein, which too turned out to be a hit. It was this time period during which a lot was going on in her personal life too with her link ups with Salman as well as Vivek Oberoi. In 2002, again she bagged the best actress award Filmfare for the highly acclaimed film ‘Devdas,’ which became a turning point in her life. Her performance in this film was simply marvelous, which caught the West attention and she got to do some Hollywood projects. This film topped the hit list overseas too and received a special screening at Cannes Film Festival.

Ash and Hollywood

Ash on coverpage of TIME

As she got popularized in the West, definitely her unmatchable beauty being one of the reasons, she got chosen by the TIME Magazine in 2004 as one of the ‘100 most influential people’ and in 2003 appeared on the cover of Time. She also appeared on ‘Late Show with David Letterman,’ a month later. She was also featured on the ‘Women across the globe’ segment. Parallel to all, this she also acted in a Bengali film ‘Choker Bali’ in 2003, which was an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s novel.

Since 2002, she became a regular personality at the Cannes Film Festival and was also a member of jury at Cannes in 2003. As a result of her tremendous fame, a wax figure of this beauty was displayed in London’s Madame Tussaud’s Wax museum, in October of 2004. The same month her foreign film ‘Pride and Prejudice’ was released, which was an inspired Indian version of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice, which although did not do well in India, got a good appraisal in UK. Her next venture ‘Mistress of Spices’ was critically acclaimed though did not do well commercially. She also made her appearance in the closing ceremony of 2006 Commonwealth Games showcasing the Indian culture on behalf of the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi.

Ash and Abhishek

Ash n abhishek

Ash and Abhishek first came together in the movie ‘Bunty aur Babli’ in which she did a special role in a dance sequence ‘Kajra re’. This was the beginning of a new relationship which culminated into marriage two years later. After this two releases at the end of 2006 ‘Umrao Jaan’ and ‘Dhoom 2’, which also co-starred Abhishek. Umrao Jaan though did not do well, but she got a special attention for her role in Dhoom 2. ‘Guru’ a Mani Ratnam’s film was released in 2007 which also paired the two together, which was a great success at the box office.

Ash’s latest releases

The Last Legion

Her most recent film ‘Provoked’ based on the book ‘Circle of light’ was released on April 6th, 2007 in India and UK. In this movie, she portrays a real life character. This movie got a lot of appreciation in UK and was critically acclaimed all over the world. At the end of April, her first American film ‘The Last Legion’ was released in Russia and Netherlands. By August of 2007, this film is expected to be released in North American theaters.

It is now heard that she will continue her work even after marriage, so let us all hope to see much more of her acting extravaganza in future, what say guys!!!!!!

Emotional Outburst Outside Mecca Masjid

After the shocking incident last Friday in Hyderabad on the Mecca Masjid, an emotional outburst was witnessed from the people who came here this Friday to pay namaz. Tight security has been put around the mosque with five metal detectors at the entrance and 24 CCTVs and thousands of policemen present outside.

After the prayers, there was chaos outside the mosque as some people started pelting stones and shouting slogans and others spitting angry words and the police had a hard time controlling the mob.

A person suspected to have supplied the explosives for the blast has been picked up by the police from Jalna in Maharashtra. As per the information got from the sources, such explosives are not made in Andhra Pradesh and it is most likely transported via road from Bidar. Police team is on its search for more of such explosives in Bidar.

The “taqts” of the Mecca Masjid that was smashed during the blast will be rebuilt by the government. The explosion, which killed 11 people and injured 30, also destroyed two of the four rectangular taqts that bore testimony to the city's bygone era. “We will reconstruct the taqts. Money is not a constraint. We have asked the archaeology department to restore them immediately,” said Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Minister for Minority Welfare.

HIGH ALERT IN UTTAR PRADESH: EXPLOSIVES SEIZED

High alert has been declared in entire Uttar Pradesh after explosives were seized from the Faizabad railway station early Wednesday following the Tuesday's serial blasts. 10 kg of explosives and 20 kg of ammonium nitrate was recovered while searches after the blasts, as per PP Sharma, DIG (Faizabad). Following this, security has been tightened throughout the UP.

U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati called this a “conspiracy” on the part of BJP and Samajwadi party. “We see a major conspiracy behind the blasts and our government is conducting a thorough probe into it. Ever since our party has formed the government in UP, the Samajwadi Party and the BJP are using unfair means to win back their lost mandate. My government will not allow these parties to succeed in their mission,” said Mayawati.

She also made it clear that these incidents are not going to detriment her in any way and she will take strict action against these anti-social activities.

Medical Breakthrough on Baldness

Baldness is one of the biggest dilemmas of people today. Those suffering from it can now heave a sigh of relief as University of Pennsylvania has come out with a key to cure hair loss.

It was most common notion up until now that the dormant hair follicles cannot generate hair, but now it has been found that by genetic based remedy it is now possible to regenerate hair from those hair follicles. Every hair follicle has the potential to produce one hair and there are around 10,000 hair follicles on a human head.

According to the study, during the wound healing process stimulation can result in restoration of the skin along with the hair follicles and oil glands. This change can be brought on by the Wnt proteins, which play a major role in follicle development. This breakthrough has been successful when tested on mice and now this technique may bring smile to the face of millions. Dermatologist George Cotsarelis gave a much more info on this subject explaining that the Wnt proteins have the capacity to reduce the scarring resulting in repletion of normal skin with all its components. He further added that with the introduction of this protein, scientists would be able to double the growth of hair follicles.

Dr Vera Price, scientific advisory board member of Follica and director of San Francisco Hair Research Centre said, "This is an extremely exciting discovery and shows promise for treatment of follicular disorders such as hair loss and unwanted excess hair."

Another plus point of this research is that along with eradicating the baldness problem it will also prove to be a treatment for acne, overgrowth, and scalp conditions.

This medical breakthrough may definitely prove to be boon for all those who are suffering from hair and scalp ailments. Various hair restoration methods like painful hair implantation and flap surgery are money and time consuming and the results are also skewed, so this technique is looked upon with a lot a hope and belief that ultimately this would turn out to be the solution for hair loss.

BAGHDAD’S GREEN ZONE ATTACKED – TONY BLAIR SAFE

On British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s farewell visit to Baghdad, he was greeted with three mortal rockets that were slammed into the green zone, the most heavily fortified area, where he was to meet the Iraqi leaders. A projectile also exploded outside the green zone area. One person was injured as per the U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor. At the time of this attack, Tony Blair was in conference with Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and President Jalal Talabani after a private talk with them.

In reference to the conference with the leaders, Blair reiterated that Britain would always support them and asked for a quick reconciliation between the tribal leaders and others associated with the violence to improve the situation altogether. He also asserted on much greater involvement of the Sunnis in the political process. "Blair did not win an agreement from the Iraqi leaders to hold new provincial elections, the spokesman said. We can't speak for them, but we are confident they are moving in the right direction on elections", said the spokesman. He also mentioned about the perpetuated optimistic approach of coalition officials in regards to some tribal leaders in Anbar province throwing out the Al-Qaida’s rebels in their community.

"Britain does not favor talks with foreign terrorists", he said, "but would support moves to bring those whose violence was motivated by concerns about whether their community will have a place in the new Iraq into the political sphere".

Blast in Hyderabad: 5 Killed

In a gruesome incident, unidentified terrorists exploded a bomb in the 17th-century Mecca Masjid compound near Charminar in Hyderabad, killing at least five people and injuring 45 others. The blast took place in the compound of the mosque while Friday prayers were on. The injured have been rushed to nearby Osmania Hospital. The situation deteriorated with people protesting against the police and security agencies.

Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh appealed for calm between Hindus and Muslims. About 10,000 people usually attend Friday prayers at the mosque, which is located in a Muslim neighborhood of Hyderabad, and the blast sparked a panic. Hyderabad is on high alert and search operations are on to nab the culprits.

CHOCOLATES….CHOCOLATES….ITS ALL ABOUT CHOCOLATES!!!!!

Chocolates are something that titillates your taste buds immaterial of what your age is. It is one of those delicacies that has the potential of bringing a smile on the face and creating a voluptuous delight. It is always associated with love and passion. Even though most of us adore chocolates but very few people know that along with its luring effect, it is also beneficial for our health. Wondering how?

Chocolate contains A, B1, C, D, and E vitamins along with some trace nutrients and elements like iron, potassium, and calcium. Cocoa is considered as the highest natural source of magnesium the lack of which can result in hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, joint problems, and premenstrual problems.

Now the question is, if it is that much good for health then why the common notion of it being hazardous to health? Well, everything goes fine if the product is good. It is most important to know that which quality of chocolate is good for the body. The products of plain dark chocolate containing minimum 70% or more of cocoa solids are considered the healthiest and the best to satisfy chocolate craving as they have very less sugar contents, unsaturated fats, or hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVA) in it. Milk and chocolate lovers you can select those chocolates that have 30% chocolate solids (milk chocolate) or 30% chocolate butter (white chocolate).

So from now on, pick wisely and live happily with your loved ones keeping them happy too with goody goody chocs.

Most expensive chocolates

Chocolate market is one of the biggest markets in the economic world today; variety of chocolates, variety of flavors, and variety of prices…..from the local ones to the most expensive ones. Every product has its own consumer market. So all chocolate lovers out there wanna know about the most expensive chocolate brands of the world……..here the list goes……




Knipschildt Chocolates: This brand Knipschildt Chocolatier was founded in 1996 by Fritz Knipchildt, rated in the top three chocolate brands by the “Gourmet Magazine”. It is made of the classical recipes. Their specialty is the chocolate truffle, which is specifically made for those who like the bittersweet taste and it comes in a 10 oz gift box; Valrhona coca powder and the French Black Truffle being its main ingredients. Its cost is $2600 per pound that amounts to Rs. 1, 14, 816 for 2.20 kg.



Noka Vintages Chocolates: Lovers of natural dark chocolates, here is the treat for you. These are made of cocoa from Venezuela, Ecuador, Trinidad, Cote d’Ivoire plantations. They are free of all the artificial preservatives and lecithin. Its rate is $854 that comes to Rs. 37,712.



Delafee: Thinking of giving a nice gift to someone you love then your wait is over, here comes the Swiss chocolate, a luxuriant delicacy with a combination of selected cocoa beans and edible gold sprinkled over the pralines. A box of eight pieces is priced $508, which comes up to Rs. 22, 433.



Godiva “G”: This chocolate named after Lady Godiva by Joseph Draps comprises of creamy caramels, ganaches, refined fruits and nuts, and pralines. It is a fine chocolate having all the good quality contents in it. Its cost is $120 per pound, which amounts to Rs. 5,299.





Richart chocolates: This brand was founded by Joseph Richart in 1925 on the Croix Rousse hill in Lyons, France. This is made of Criollo cocoa, which is supposed to be the best cocoa in the world. The company produces many flavors of chocolates to choose from, which can be categorized into balsamic, spiced, citrus, roasted, fruity, herbal, and floral. Its price is $120 per pound which is Rs. 5, 299.





Pierre Marcolini: This is made from the finest cocoa beans. One of its delicacy is the Truffle Bresilienne made of Caraibe, ganache, and glanduja and caramelized almonds. Its price is $102.50 per pound which comes to Rs. 4,526.




Debauve & Gallais: This brand is famous for making low calorie chocolates with high cocoa content. No preservatives or lecithin involved. The ingredients used are Peidmont hazelnuts, Perigord nuts, Turkish raisins, Spanish almonds, Turin chestnuts, and Antilles rum. It costs $94 per pound which is Rs. 4,151.

Chuao: This chocolate is made from the cocoa grown in Chuao region of Venezuela, hence the name “Chuao chocolatier.” It is a homemade chocolate and free of all artificial preservatives. This is made using the European technique. Its price is $79 per pound which is Rs. 3,488.


Richard Donnelly: This brand was found by Richard Donnelly in 1988, made from finest French and Belgian couvertures. He mainly concentrates on making simple, sophisticated flavors. Its price is $75 per pound which is Rs. 3,312.


Vosges Haut Chocolat: It consists of a variety of flavors including Naga milk chocolate with sweet Indian curry and coconut, Black Pearl dark chocolate with ginger and wasabi, Red Fire made with ancho and Chipotle chili, cinnamon and dark chocolate, Finnochio made with wild fennel pollen and dark chocolate, and Balsamico, which includes modena balsamic vinegar and Sicilian hazelnuts. Its price is $69 per pound which is Rs. 3,047.

Top Bollywood News Items of the Week

We have come up with a new idea. Now onwards, we will present a weekly round-up of the news events on Sports, Bollywood, Politics and Current Affairs. Here's a weekly round-up of the top Bollywood news items of the week. I hope it will go well with our readers.

1. India's top court Suspends Gere-Shetty kiss Cases: The Supreme Court of India suspended all legal proceedings against Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.

2. Shah Rukh Khan to bat with Brian Lara: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is likely to team up with former West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara, for a special appearance in 'Dulha Mil Gaya', the shooting of which has already commenced in Port-of-Spain.

3. Sikandar to debut in Gupta's "Woodstock Villa": Sikandar Kher, son of actress Kiran Kher, was on the radar of top Bollywood producers who wanted to launch him. But Sanjay Gupta pipped them and the newcomer is all set to make his debut in "Woodstock Villa".

4. "Spider-Man" croons to success in Bhojpuri: In India's eastern heartland, where English is rarely spoken, Hollywood's "Spider-Man 3" is blazing the box office with poetry, smart repartees and sweet nothings - all in Bhojpuri, a popular colloquial tongue.

5. Bollywood stars fail to pay Stamp Duty: New segments brought under the Stamp Duty Act of Maharashtra have failed to realise any significant revenues for the state with many of them from Amitabh Bachchan to Preity Zinta not paying up, a top official said on Sunday.

6. Win VIP tickets to the IIFA Celebrity cricket match!: All eyes will be on Yorkshire from 7-10 June 2007 as the glamorous International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards take the region by storm. Friday 8 June will see thousands of fans gather for the charity celebrity cricket match - where A-list stars and cricketers from Asia and England will battle for supremacy at the famous Headingley Stadium in Leeds!

7. Bollywood queen Madhuri Dixit ushers in Birthday quietly: Bollywood Queen Madhuri Dixit who is making a comeback in tinsel town with Yashraj films' 'Aaja Nachle' celebrated her 41st birthday quietly with family members.

8. Bollywood biggies set for Cannes: There's more to this year's Cannes film festival than its red carpet. The event promises to be a very big year for India with the focus being on our 60 years of independence coinciding with 60 years of Cannes. So, some of Bollywood's biggest names are going to hit the waterfront and they have their reasons too.

These are the Bollywood news updates for this week. Keep checking our website for more updates in the coming days.

War against Bangladesh: India wins the ODI Series 2-0

The third one-day international cricket match between India and Bangladesh at Chittagong was called off due to rain and bad weather. With this, India won the three match series 2-0. It can be recalled that India won both the ODIs at Mirpur by good margins. The abandonment of the third ODI came as a disappointment for Robin Utthappa and RP Singh who were set to play their first match in the series.

The series saw few positives for India with Dhoni, Gambhir and Piyush Chawla proving their mantle. However, the biggest worry still remains. That is Sehwag's poor form. It seems that Sehwag will get the boot soon. Even the Skipper and the main Selector expressed concerns over his poor performance. Bowlers also never performed to their potential and fielding was horrible. Although India won the series, their performance was not what we asked for.

Kapil Dev to head Zee Indian Cricket League

Despite the objections and non-approval from the BCCI, the Zee group headed by Subhash Chandra, finally announced the formation of the Zee Indian Cricket League. The League will explore the talents available in the country and train them as back up forces. Kapil Dev, a hard core critic of the BCCI and the Indian cricket in the recent days, has been appointed as the President of the league. Tony Greig, Dean Jones and Kiran More are the other members of the Zee Indian Cricket League.

At the press conference, Kapil Dev said that the legaue has a noble goal and it would pursue certain strategies to achieve it. There will be no clashes with the BCCI, he added. He also urged the BCCI to work closely with the Zee Indian Cricket League in order to revive Indian cricket and take it to a higher level.

According to reports, the Zee Group has signed some big guns of cricket world like Brian Lara, Glen McGrath, Inzamam, Damien Martyn, Darren Gough and Shane Warne to play in the league. The biggest talk of the movement is about former Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly. It is learnt that ICL is in touch with Ganguly and he might take a final decision to join ICL if he does not get a place in Team India.

Dayanidhi Maran Resigned

The feud within the DMK became intense with the latest development where Union Telecommunications & IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran was forced to resign from the Union Cabinet. His resignation became a formality after he was issued a show-cause notice from his party DMK. The DMK also made it clear that he would be dropped from the cabinet. It was alleged that Maran's brother, who runs "Dinakaran" deliberately published the survey on the behest of Dayanidhi Maran. Ironically, no action was taken Azhagiri's supporters who held Tamil Nadu ransom for a couple of days.

It is a big tragedy for the Indian Telecom industry. Dayanidhi Maran is a dynamic administrator and he did very well to take the telecom industry to its zenith. He gained popularity among the industry top bosses. Maran's departure shows the irresponsibility and lack of vision within the regional parties, which might be detrimental to the national growth and prosperity.

Australia wins Azlan Shah Cup Hockey, India gets Bronze

Australia yet again proved their prowess when the beat Malaysia 3-1 in the final to win the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament. The Aussies led from the front and completed the victory without any scare. Malaysia, despite losing the final, did a great job in the tournament. They managed to beat some of the big teams like India and Pakistan.

India has a reason to smile. After a dismal performance in the Asian Games and in the World Cup, India did well by winning a bronze medal here. They beat South Korea 1-0 in the bronze medal match. South Korea finished fourth. Earlier, Argentina beat Pakistan 4-2 in a classification match to finish fifth. Pakistan finished sixth. China and Canada finished seventh and eighth respectively.

Mayawati Sworn in as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh

The coalition era in Uttar Pradesh finally came to an end. Mayawati was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. She is 40th Chief Minister of the state. Mayawati took the oath for the fourth time; however, this time, she formed the govt. on her own. Nineteen others also took oath as cabinet ministers and 11 as state ministers. The included Naseemuddin Siddique, Ramvir Upadhayaye, Lalji Verma, Indrajit Saroj, Sukhdev Raj, Thakur Jaiveer Singh and Swami Prasad Maurya.

Mayawati’s name for the CM’s post was proposed by former minister Indrajit Saroj and seconded by BSP state chief Lalji Verma. The BSP had 206 legislators out of which 204 were present at the legislative meet. Two MLAs could not reach Lucknow on time. It is to be seen how Mayawati handles the caste equation within the party and the state.

Carnival of Sports #7

Greetings! Welcome to the 7th edition of the Carnival of Sports. We have selected 11 posts for this edition. I hope our readers will find the posts interesting and useful. Here are the posts in the order they were received.

Rickey Henderson presents Endy Chavez: Mensch of the Week posted at Riding with Rickey. Bear in mind that we get to see our boy Endy roughly once a month, and when we do, he manages to do pull off something mindblowingly awesome.

Baiguai presents Give Your Shoulders a Workout posted at Kung Fu Artistry. For those of you who are looking for more ways to work out your arms and shoulders...

Sean Cash presents Dever Broncos Mock Draft posted at NFL Draft Notebook. Sean says, "I know everyone is doing it, but I will chime in with my Bronco picks for the draft".

TheOperative presents Individual Sports posted at Cigars and Life. Typically, when people think of sports, they think of the most popular sports around them or the ones they grew up playing.

Jason Kirk presents The Shat Upon Shall Inherit A Ring? posted at Brick Cheney. With the impending NFL Draft -- the third holiest day my religion offers -- plus NBA playoff action and MLB "action," Brick's manifestoing this hereby Sports Week, and you can all gargle on something especially salty if that's a problem.

Conan Stevens presents Hardgainer Read This posted at Tall Muscle Actors Blog. Hardgainer is a bodybuilding term for someone who improves slowly, this article explains how to beat your hardgainer 'genetics' - also relevant to other sports that involve a lot of explosive training.

R Waldhoff presents Hank Aaron: Swallow Hard and Show Up posted at Britannica Blog. Former big leauge pitcher (and Cy Young and MVP winner) Denny McLain on Hank Aaron on Barry Bonds.

The Lazy Guy presents It's Time To Talk About Joe Smith & The Most Dangerous Job In The World posted at Lazy Guy. Joe Smith is a 23 year-old, right-handed, submarine throwing, relief pitcher who has been playing professionally for only a year. He split time between Single and Double A during his first professional season in 2006.

Shedwa presents Air Jordan Jumpman Jeter Vital posted at shedwa. Saw this billboard around Times Square today for the new Derek Jeter shoe, the Air Jordan Jumpman Jeter Vital, which is branded under Michael Jordan's line. Nothing special about it, just a shout out to the Yankees star.

Ajanta presents CricDigs - The Community of Cricket fanatics! posted at CricDigs - The Community of Cricket 'fan'atics!. The post talks about Australia's dominance in the world cricket.

Fyjwinsagain presents Fantasy Baseball Mailbag posted at Fantasy Baseball Tips & Tricks. This is an excerpt from the fantasy baseball blog that I recently started. In the blog I outline players and prospects to watch, answer questions, and cover other fantasy baseball related topics.

That concludes the seventh edition of the Carnival of Sports. Keep submitting your posts to the future editions of this carnival. I would appreciate if you promote this carnival on your blog.

Clashes in Karachi: 24 People Dead

At least 24 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in the clashes between the supporters of Pakistan President Pervez Musharaff and suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. Amidst tension and chaos, Justice Chaudhry arrived in Karachi to address a public rally. Media and intelligentsia in Pakistan termed the violence as "state-sponsored terrorism". The political crisis in Pakistan deepened further with the outbreak of fresh violence.

Pro-government and opposition activists armed with rifles exchanged fire. They also set vehicles on fire. According to latest reports, the attackers kept firing on the office of Aaj TV, injuring a journalist. President Musharaff held a meeting with the PM to discuss the ongoing tension in the country. The details of the meeting is not yet known.

Maya... Maya... Maya... in Uttar Pradesh: BSP All Set to form the Govt.

Everyone including the exit poll pundits predicted that there would be hung assembly in Uttar Pradesh, but Mayawati will emerge as the front runner. She would then require the support of others to form the government. However, Mayawati proved all wrong. She swept the Uttar Pradesh poll and is all set to form the next government there.

Out of the 402 seats, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won 207 seats. That became enough for her to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. It is certain that she would get the support of some independents.

The ruling Samajwadi Party suffered a setback in all parts of the sets and will have to contend with the No. 2 position. The biggest loser is the BJP, which was trying to revive its fortune in the politically important state. The party fared badly as compared to the last assembly elections in 2002. It slumped further in terms of seats and vote shares. There is no gain or no loss for the Congress, which relied on Rahul Gandhi's charisma to do a magic. But Maya surprised everyone with her social engineering tactics. She is the clear winner, no doubt about this.

Final Tally:

BSP - 208

SP - 97

BJP -50

Congress - 21

Others - 26

Tony Blair Resigns

Putting rest to all speculations and rumors, British Prime Minister Tony Blair finally announced his resignation. His term will be ended on 27 June, 2007. Blair announced his resignation at press conference. He was surrounded by all his cabinet colleagues. His successor will be announced on 27 June.

Blair proudly announced that Labor Party has ensured more jobs and more economic growth. "I knew my duty as a PM", he added. According to reports, Gordon Brown is more likely to be Blair's successor.

Delhi HC Stayed the Announcement of National Film Awards

The Delhi High Court stayed the announcement of the 53rd National Film Awards, slated for May 12, 2007. The court also directed the I&B Ministry to consider representations made by a jury member Shyamli Banerjee Deb, who alleged favouritism in the selection of films in certain categories. The categories that are in question include "Best Film" (Black), "Best Debutant Director" (Parineeta), "Best Actress" (Parzania), "Best Special Effects" (Anniyan) and "Best Screenplay" (Apaharan).

Dev argued that Sanjay Leela Bansali’s "Black" cannot be awarded the best film on the grounds that it was an adaptation of the English feature film "The Miracle Worker" of 1962. She also alleged that some of the above films were out of reckoning in the preliminary round, but were arbitrarily selected for the award at a later stage. The court fixed July 26 as the date for next hearing into the matter and asked the Ministry to file the reply by this date.

Shame in Tamil Nadu: Sibling Rivalry within DMK claimed 3 Lives

It seems that a section in Tamil Nadu has forgotten the word "tolerance" forever. Three employees of the Dinakaran Newspaper in Madurai were burnt to death when a mob ransacked the Newspaper office and set it into fire. The incident was the fall out of the sibling rivalry within DMK. Ironically, it was between Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi's sons.

Recently, Dinakaran published a survey in which 70 percent people in Tamil Nadu wanted Karunanidhi's son Stalin as his successor. Karunanidhi's elder son Azhagiri got only 2 percent votes. That irked the Azhagiri supporters who attacked the Newspaper's office in Madurai. Within a few hours, the violence spread all over Madurai and its neighboring areas. Highways were shut down and public vehicles were attacked. The hooligans threw petrol bombs, smashed windows of buildings and shouted slogans hailing Azhagiri.

Two of the victims were computer operators in Dinakaran, which is owned by Kalanidhi Maran (Sun Group), elder brother of union minister Dayanidhi Maran. A watchman on duty also lost his life in the attack. The government has ordered a probe and announced compensation for the family members of the victims.

The 10 Top Dating Websites that Serve You Better

When it comes to dating, there is hardly anyone who wants to be left behind. In today's busy world, it has become difficult to find a true match. But don't be panic, there are certain websites that will offer you guidance and useful information on dating related issues. They also play the role of a bridge between you and your prospective matches.

Some of the dating websites are free, while others charge nominal fee. However, there is a guarantee that you will get worth of your money. If you are single, but ready to mingle, put your hands up and take the plunge. I have compiled a list of top 10 dating websites of the world that serve by the people, for the people and of the people.

Please note that all the sites have same importance. The list does not have anything to do with their ranking.

1. FriendFinder.com: Friend Finder is one of the most popular dating websites. It is free for the users. The registration procedure is simple and short. The website adds thousands of pics every week. Hence, you will be able to browse through a large number of profiles with pics. It claims to have 1,714,195 active members, which is really amazing.

2. SimplyClicked.com: If you are looking for a completely free online dating service, your search is ended here. Simply Clicked.com is easy to use with the requirement of a single user name. You can meet thousands of people online and chat with them. You can also meet your matches in your own locality. Sounds interesting? Take a tour of the site.

3. DreamMates.com: DreamMates.com has some unique features for its users. It offers three communities called "Dating", "Romance" and "Intimate". So, it depends on you which community you want to join. Despite of the heavy traffic, the site is very fast and you will find it easy to navigate from one page to another.

4. Date.com: Date.com is one of the oldest dating websites. It is also known as the "community with millions of singles". Finding a match is rather easy on date.com/ All you have to is just simply click the "show interest" link and your prospective matches will be informed about it. Once they approve your request, you can chat with them. The community area on dating.com features dating tips and few other interesting stuff.

5. Match.com: Match.com has registered a high growth rate over the years. It just getting better and better. Match.com features a large number quality singles with pics. And the interesting part is that you can add up to ten pictures on your profile. If you think that it will charge a high fee, then you are wrong. There is no registration fee and it is completely free of cost.

6. MatchMaker.com: Have you heard about Lycos? MatchMaker.com is one of the oldest dating websites and is owned by Lycos. It's a well developed site with advanced features. Registration process is easy and quick. You can find scores of single profiles with pics. According to reviews found on the web, the site has a good success rate when it comes to making a perfect match.

7. DreamMatches.com: Dream Matches is a 100% free dating service provider for a select group of hot singles. You can apply to join; however, your candidature will have to be approved by a panel of judges. Only the best looking people get the final nod. Still it's very popular, as people love to try their luck there. The website has advanced features such as video chat, instant messaging, online games, file sharing and many more.

8. DreamDates.com: DreamDate is a very broad and flexible site. The registration process requires less time. Ratio between men and women users is quite even. It has a solid instant messenger called "Click2Talk". It makes chatting much easier. The "featured members" category is a unique feature that lets users connect to best single matches.

9. AmericanSingles.com: According to a study, Americans have the highest rate of dating plans in the world. That clearly underlines the importance of Americansingles.com. The site caters the demands of millions of single people in America. The site has instant messaging and live chat facilities. You can also browse scores of good profiles as per your requirements.

10. OutPersonals.com: The list will be incomplete if we do not mention this one. Anybody, who is looking for a gay partner, can visit Outpersonals. This one caters the needs of people who searches for same sex matching. A large number of photos have been listed in personals sections. Chatting is quite easier here. The site has several chat rooms that will help you interact with others.