News International: 31 July

1) Seoul condemns Taliban Execution: South Korean government condemned the killing of a second Korean hostage by the Taliban. In a fresh statement, the Taliban militants threatened to kill a third Korean hostage today unless their demands for a prisoner swap are accepted by 4:30 this afternoon (KST).

2) Australia on Dr. Haneef: It seems that the Australian government is trying to save its face in Dr. Haneef's case. Although there is nothing new, the immigration minister Kevin Andrews told the media that an Internet chat between Mohamed Haneef and his brother in India led to suspicions he had prior knowledge of the British terror plots. Hence, his VISA was cancelled.

3) New Iraq Deployment soon: The Pentagon will announce the next scheduled rotation of US troops of Iraq. The rotation will allow the military to maintain the current level of 15 combat brigades in Iraq, serving tours of duty lasting 15 months.

India wins the Trent Bridge Test

India registered a 7-wicket win over England in second test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. This is India's 5th test match win over England on their soil. India now leads the three-test match series 1-0. With one test match to go, it has become certain that India won't lose the series. Rather, it can eye a rare series over England on the British soil. And, India did it without a regular coach.

Chasing a victory target of 73, India started well with both Jaffer and Karthik defying the English bowlers. They added 47 for the first wicket. When it looked like India would register a 10-wicket victory, England paceman Tremlett struck thrice to remove Jaffer, Karthik and Tendulkar. However, Dravid and Ganguly did not let the England bowlers to do further damage and ensured India's victory. Zaheer Khan has been adjudged Man of the Match.

Interestingly, India won off a bye run. Whatever, it's a victory India would cherish for long. Now, all focus will be shifted to Oval, the venue for the third and decider test match of the series.

Bollywood Actor Sanjay Dutt Sentenced

The Special TADA Court finaly pronounced the verdict on Bollywood Actor Sanjay Dutt. It was a judgment which the whole country was waiting for long. Sanjay Dutt has been sentenced six years rigorous imprisonment. According to Judge Koda, Sanjay Dutt not only committed the offence, but also made others commit the same. And he committed the crime under complete knowledge.

Dutt's friend Yusuf Nullwala was sentenced to 5 years rigorous imprisonment and Rs. 25,000 fine, while the other accused Kersi Adjania was handed over a jail term of 2 years. Sanjay's bail bonds stand cancelled and he was taken straight to the Arthur Road jail. According to latest reports, Sanjay Dutt has decided to appeal against the judgement in the Supreme Court.

The TADA Court granted probation to Sanjay dutt's friend Russi Mullah. He was facing same charges. Russi Mullah will be relased on a surety bond of Rs. 1 Lakh for 1 year.

Sanjay Dutt was convicted under the Arms Act for possession of AK 56 rifles. The trial lasted for 13 years. When he was arrested 14 years ago, Sanjay was a young actor with hit movies like Khalnayak and Saajan to his credit. He was charged with receiving weapons used in the blasts from Abu Salem. Dutt had confessed that Salem accompanied by Samir Hingora and Hanif Kadawala, visited his home in January 1993 from who he bought one AK 56 rifle and magazines of 250 rounds.

Though Dutt claimed that he bought the weapons to protect his family, as they received threats during the 1992 Mumbai riots. However, after hearing about the blasts and Samir and Hanif's arrest, he asked another friend Yusuf Nulwalla to destroy the gun. However, the truth came out and the actor was arrested at the Mumbai Airport. He spent 16 months in the Arthur Road jail. Dutt was later covicted under the Arms Act, but was cleared of terrorism and conspiracy.

As the judgement was delivered today, the entire Bollywood was shocked. It was reported that Rs. 100 crore is at stake in Bollywood, as Sanjay is involved in these big projects. It's yet to be seen what steps will Sanjay take in the wake of this unprecedented verdict.

National News Update: 31 July

1) Reliance bags Sasan: The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) finally decided to award the controversial 4,000 MW Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project to Reliance Power Ltd (RPL), headed by Anil Ambani. The revised bid of Reliance Power of Rs. 1.19616 per kWh was the lowest of the three bids. The entire project is worth 200 bn crore rupees.

2) Dera Chief held, freed on Bail: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was arrested and questioned by the Punjab Police, in a case registered against him in Bathinda. However, he was released on a personal bail bond of Rs 1 lakh.

3) Goa Crisis: The BJP-led GDA decided to challenge the speaker's decision to allow a "minority" government to continue, in the Supreme Court. They will first meet President Pratibha Patil and then move to Supreme Court.

4) India on the Verge of Victory: India is all set to win the Trent Bridge test match, thanks to the spirited bowling by Zaheer Khan, who took 5 wickets in the second innings, to a match tally of 9. England were bowled out for 355 in the second inning, thus giving India a target of 73 runs to win the test match. Michael Vaughan scored 124. At stumps on fourth day, India were 10/0.

5) Sania moved to 31 in ATP Ranking: India's Sania Mirza moved to 31st spot in the latest ATP Rankings. Her spectacular performance in the last couple of weeks helped her to equal her career-best ranking.

6) Sreesanth Fined: India's pace bowler S. Sreesanth was fined 50% of his match fee for breaking ICC's Code of Conduct. He shoulder-barged England skipper Michael Vaughan during England's second innings in the Trent Bridge Test.

7) RBI hiked CRR: The Reserve Bank of India hiked the Cash Reserve Ratio by 50 basis points to 7 per cent. However, the bank rate remained unchanged at 6 per cent.

8) Gujarat Governor returns Religious Conversion Bill: Gujarat Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma returned a controversial amendment bill passed by the State Assembly. The The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (amendment) Bill, 2006 seeks to check religious conversion.

Breaking News: Murder of Democracy in Goa

In a clear example of murder of democracy, Pratap Singh Rane, the speaker of Goa Assembly, allowed the minority Congress Govt. in Goa to win the vote of confidence. Rane rejected the petition filed by the opposition GDA (Goa Democratic Alliance) for the disqualification of an independent MLA, but restrained two MGP MLAs and another Congress MLA from voting. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat won the trust vote by a voice vote amidst chaos and walkout by the entire opposition.

If that was not enough, the Speaker cast his own vote in favor of the Congress Government to get it through. It can be recalled that Pratap Singh Rane is a staunch congressman and was the former CM of Goa. The BJP-led GDA is in a shock, although it smelled the conspiracy before the vote of confidence and met President Pratibha Patil to complain against it. Now the GDA is planning to move to the Supreme Court to get justice.

News International: 30 July

1) Ruling Party tastes defeat in Japan: Japanese voters showed distrust in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the recently concluded elections. Several of Abe's most influential supporters crashed to defeat in the elections for half the seats in Japan's upper house. It was one of the worst losses suffered by Abe's Liberal Democratic Party in the past 52 years.

2) Film Director Ingmar Bergman Dies: Swedish director Ingmar Bergman died at the age of 89. He has been regarded as one of the great masters of modern cinema.

3) Brown meets Bush: US President George Bush and British PM Gordon Brown had a brief meeting at Camp David on Sunday. Brown described the US as Britain's most important ally.

4) Tour de France: Alberto Contador won the doping-scarred Tour de France on Sunday. Contador not only became the youngest champion in 10 years, but also became the first Spaniard to win the crown in 12 years.

5) Taliban extends Deadline for Korean Hostages: According to the latest reports, The Taliban in Afghanistan has extended the deadline for executing 22 South Korean hostages for another two days until Wednesday. Now the ball is in the court of the Afghan government to facilitate the talks with the Taliban guerrillas.

National News Update: 30 July

1) Nandigram Tense: The situation in Nandigram is tense again following the clashes between the Trinamool and CPM supporters. Yesterday's violence left 36 people injured. Trinamool congress has called for a 12-hour bandh to protest the police atrocities on its supporters.

2) Flood Situation in Bihar: At least 14 people died in current flood in Bihar which has wreaked havoc in 11 districts with several major rivers Ganga, Punpun, Bagmati, Kosi, Burhi Gandak and Adhwara flowing above danger line. Over two million people of nearly 300 villages have been badly affected.

3) Dowry case against HRD Minister Arjun Singh: A case under Anti-Dowry Act has been registered against Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh, his wife Beena Singh, son Abhimanyu Singh, grandson Abhijeet Singh and three others at a police station in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. However, the minister distanced himself from the allegations that his family has been harassing his grandson's wife for dowry.

4) Trent Bridge Test: Despite umpire Simon Taufel's controversial decisions against Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, India made 481 in the first innings, thus gaining a lead of 203 run lead over England in the first innings. Sachin scored 91, while Ganguly made 79.

5) Sania in West Bank Classic: Sania Mirza's dream run at the West Bank Classic WTA event, ended with the loss in the final, where she was beaten by top-seed Anna Chakvetadze of Russia. However, Sania teamed up with Shahar Peer of Israel to grab the doubles crown.

Dealers of Death: Sale of Fake Medicines biggest concern in India

Medicines save our lives. Can you ever imagine of taking fake medicines under any circumstances? Never, no one on this earth will take a chance with their lives. However, you want or not, many drug dealers in India sell the fake medicines without your knowledge. If you are buying medicines from an Indian medicine store, beware! Your life may be at risk.

Recently, the fake medicine seizures have been reported in China, Zimbabwe and Saudi Arabia. Even the EU has identified the sale of fake medicines as a growing problem. Now it's India's turn to get a taste of reality.

The recent seizure of fake medicines worth millions of dollars raised the alarm bell across India. The exposure made by a TV Channel just days after the case of female foeticide was reported from Orissa, an Eastern State of India. Ironically, the same state is again under the scanner, as most fake medicines were found there. Although the TV channel focused on a particular city of Uttar Pradesh, more skeletons have begun to tumble once the startling revelations were made public.

The investigations carried out by the authorities revealed a big nexus between drug dealers, some corrupt medical practitioners and drug control authorities. Such cases have been reported from many parts of India. Medicine stores and drug dealers are burying or destroying tons of medicines elsewhere in the country to escape from the law. It's really sad and unfortunate that such practice existed there for a long time and nobody even got a slight hint until the media intervened with a sting operation.

Despite the government crackdowns and seizure of fake medicines, people are in a dilemma whether to use the medicines or not. People, who take medicines out of compulsion, are not sure of their effectiveness. This startling revelation has sent a shock wave across the country. It seems that the fake drug dealers have expanded their base to the rural belt of India, where people can hardly make the difference between genuine and fake medicines.

Ironically, even the experts find it difficult to differentiate between the two in naked eye. The drug dealers use modern technology to apply the same labels and packaging on the fake medicines. If the government and administration fails to prevent the sale of fake medicines, then it will spell the doom for the entire population in India. It must be treated as a global issue, as fake medicine rackets exist in many parts of the world.

News International: 29 July

1) Power-sharing talks between Musharraf and Benazir: The bewildered Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and exiled leader Benazir Bhutto talked about power-sharing when the met in Abu Dhabi on Friday. According to CNN reports, the talks failed to progress, as Benazir pressed Musharraf to give up the military post.

2) Pilot killed at Ohio Air Show: A biplane stunt pilot died after his plane crashed in front of thousands of spectators during a Dayton, Ohio, air show. It can be recalled that another pilot was killed during an air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin a day before.

3) Taliban says NO to Hostage Talks: Taliban rebels ruled out further talks with the Afghan government over their remaining 22 South Korean hostages. They are firm on their demand for the release of militant prisoners.

4) Nicole Richie Sentenced: Celebrity socialite Nicole Richie was sentenced on Friday to four days in jail for driving under the influence of drugs -- following her TV co-star Paris Hilton for a stint behind bars this summer.

5) $20 billion Arms Sale to Saudis from the USA: The United States is developing a proposed $20 billion, 10-year arms sales package for Saudi Arabia, a senior administration official confirmed on Saturday. The proposed sale, is intended to upgrade the Saudi military's ability to counter possible Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf region.

6) Iraq wins Asian Cup Soccer: Iraq beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 to win the AFC Asian Cup Soccer in Jakarta. Korea beat Japan to secure third spot.

National News Update: 29 July

1) Sachin completes 11,000 in Test Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar became the third player to complete 11,000 runs in test cricket. He achieved this milestone while playing against England in the second test match at Trent Bridge.

2) Haneef's Homecoming: Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef, arrived in Bangkok on Sunday on his way to India. He later reached Bangalore in the night. It was a huge relief for him, as he was reunited with his family.

3) High Profile Sex Racket busted: An International Internet sex racket, involving Bollywood actresses and models, was busted in Nagpur. According to the sources, three girls, in their twenties, were arrested, while entertaining a dummy client from a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city.

4) Police Firing kills 8 People in AP: At least 8 people were killed when police opened fire on protesters in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh. The protesters were demanding land reforms in the district. The Andhra Preadesh government has announced a compensation of Rs. 5 Lakhs and house site each for the family members of the victims killed in the police firing.

News International: 28 July

1) Collision at Wisconsin Air Show: Two single-engine war planes collided while landing during the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture show, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin. One pilot has been killed while the other one got injured.

2) 4 killed, as News Helicopters Collide: Two helicopters belonging to KTVK-TV and KNXV-TV collided each other and then crashed to the ground in the downtown Phoenix, killing all 4 people on board. The helicopters collided as the stations were covering the police pursuit of a stolen white truck towing a trailer.

3) Red Mosque closed Indefinitely: The Pakistan government sealed the troubled Red Mosque in Islamabad after a suicide attack killed 15, including eight police officers, during clashes between Islamic extremists and security forces.

4) NASA to review Astronaut Alcohol Abuse: NASA has vowed to carry out a detailed investigation to flesh out an agency-ordered review of astronaut health care issues that included anonymous allegations of alcohol abuse.

News Update: 28 July

1) No VISA for Haneef, Allowed to Leave: The Australian Government has decided not to reinstate Dr. Md. Haneef's VISA, which was revoked on July 16, 2007. According to the Australian immigration minister, Haneef will be allowed to leave Australia. According to latest reports, Haneef will be returning in a Thai Airways flight via Bangkok from Brisbane.

2) Goa Floor Test on Monday: Goa governor SC Jamir has directed the Speaker of the Assembly to conduct the floor test in the house on Monday. The government decision came in the wake of the recent political turmoil that reduced the Congress Government to a minority.

3) Goa BJP MLAs meet Pratibha Patil: It will be a Goa test for newly appointed President Pratibha Patil. In an interesting development, Goa BJP MLAs, headed by Party President Rajnath Singh met Pratibha Patil to complain against governor SC Jamir. They demanded that BJP should be invited to form the government since the numbers are in its favor.

4) Kalam did not receive Papers on Afzal's Mercy Plea: Former President APJ Abdul Kalam denied allegations that he delayed taking a decision on the clemency petition of Mohammed Afzal Guru, who has been given death in the Parliament attack case. According to Kalam, he did not receive any papers from the ministry concerned.

5) England on back foot at Trent Bridge: Indian bowlers restricted England to 169/7 at the end of first day's play. Earlier, Indian skipper Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to field first.

According to latest reports, India took firm control of the test match after dismissing England for 198. Zaheer took 4 wickets, while Kumble got 3.

6) Hannah Foster Case: After the Indian courts closed all doors on him, Maninder Singh Kohli has been finally extradited to UK to face the murder charges in the Hannah Foster case.

Diesel Particles and Cholesterol Can increase Heart Risk

A new research has found that diesel fumes and cholesterol in combination can increase the heart disease risk.

The UCLA team of researchers conducted a study in which they combined the pollutants and the LDL and cultured them with the cells taken from the inner lining of the human blood cells. After culturing for a few hours they extracted the DNA for genetic analysis which showed activation of the genes promoting cellular inflammation. They also conducted the same test on mice with high cholesterol with the results being the same. The mechanism of this is still to be found out.

"The primary implication of our finding is that for people who have cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood cholesterol, simultaneous exposure to diesel air pollution can enhance damage by enhancing inflammation in the cardiovascular system," Dr. Andre Nel, chief of nanomedicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) reported.

The most saddening part of this research is that the damage caused by the combination of diesel particles and fat is multitude of what can be caused by both of them alone.

Discovery of a Bacterium that Converts Light into Energy

A new discovery is unraveled at Yellowstone National Park as they have detected a bacterium that can convert light into energy. Till today it was only plants that had the capacity to convert the light into energy via photosynthesis, but now even some bacteria has that potential although the arrangement, machinery, and the system is different.

This discovery was made in a hot spring at the park where colorful mats of microbes drift in the warmth. The study on how this conversion is taking place in the bacteria is going on. The name of this bacterium is candidatus chloracidobacterium thermophilum.

"Finding a previously unknown, chlorophyll-producing microbe is the discovery of a lifetime. I wouldn't have been as excited if I had reached into that mat and pulled out a gold nugget the size of my fist" states the co-author Don Bryant, a professor of biotechnology at Penn State University.

News Update: 27 July 2007

1) Blast near Lal Masjid: Radicals strikes back. In protest against the recent crackdown on Lal Masjid, protesters clashed with the police today. They tried to seize Lal Masjid and painted it with red color (the government had painted it with green). The Mosque was reopened for Friday Prayer for the first time since the bloody battle that claimed 102 lives.

According to latest reports, a powerful blast occurred outside the Mosque in which at least 13 people have been killed.

2) Charges against Haneef Dropped: The Australian court dropped all charges against Dr. Md. Haneef. He is all set to be released from prison and will be on his way back to India.

3) Yakub Memon gets Death Sentence: The designated TADA sentenced Yakub Memom to death in the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blast case. The other three members of Yakub family - Essa, Yusuf and Rubeena – were handed out life imprisonments. With this, 12 people have been handed over death sentence in the Mumbai blast case so far.

4) Sacred Temple Bull Shambo Slaughtered: Shambo, the temple bullock has been slaughtered, it was confirmed today in Wales. The six-year-old Friesian, which tested positive for bovine tuberculosis, was put down following a three-month fight by members of a Hindu community to keep him alive.

5) Benazir meets Musharraf: In the backdrop of radical movement against Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, former PM Benazir Bhutto held fresh talks with him and discussed the current political scenario. A new equation in Pakistan politics cannot be ruled out.

News Update: 26 July 2007

1) Political Crisis in Goa: The Digambar Kamat-led Congress government in Goa is on the verge of collapse, after the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak party (MGP) withdrew support to the coalition. Another independent MLA too withdrew support, while a Congress MLA resigned from the assembly. BJP leader Manohar Parikar staked claim to form the next government in Goa, with the support of these legislators.

2) New Army Chief: Lt Gen Deepak Kapoor, ar artillery officer, will take over as the new Army Chief of India. Currently, he is serving as the Vice Chief.

3) Kiran Bedi Hits Back: Kiran Bedi lashed out at the government for overlooking her for the post of Delhi’s police commissioner. She vowed to fight the injustice meted out to her. Bedi, a hot contender for the post, has been sidelined by the political and bureaucrats, who acted against her. She dared the people who are acting against her behind the scene, to come out in open and speak.

4) Bird Flu detected in Manipur: Bird Flu is back. The outbreak of the deadly disease in Manipur was confirmed by the Indian Government. The dangerous H5N1 strain was found among the dead poultry birds. The government has raised a high alert in all states in order to prevent the disease from spreading further.

5) Pakistan test-fires Babur Missile: In response to India's Brahmos, Pakistan successfully test-fired the Babur Cruise missile, which has a range of 700 kms. The Babur missile is VII of the Hatf series and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

6) Tatas to bag Jaguar, Land Rover: According to reports, Tata Motors has clinched the deal to buy Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. The deal is expected to be worth $1.5 billion. However, neither side confirmed the reports.

Kiran Bedi humiliated by UPA Government

The day when India celebrated for having its first Woman President, Superwoman Kiran Bedi, the first Woman IPS Officer of the country, was given a snub by the UPA government. The government appointed YS Dadwal as the Police Commissioner of Delhi. Ironically, Bedi is 2 year senior to Dadwal and has a more illustrious record as an IPS officer.

The reason behind giving Dadwal preference over Bedi is clearly unknown and unprecedented. The government sources say that Dadwal is a tough man and has good holds over the cops in Delhi. It can't be seen as a justifying reason, as Kiran Bedi is also considered a tough cop irrespective of her gender. The UPA government must answer why it humiliated a senior and popular cop like Kiran Bedi, who has both national and international fame to her credit.

News Update: 25 July 2007

1) Pratibha Patil takes Oath: At the 60th year of its independence, India got its fist Woman President, as Pratibha Patil took oath as the 13th President of the country. The swearing-in ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Several high profiles leaders like outgoing President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, PM Dr. Manamohan Singh, former PM AB Vajpayee, Opposition leader LK Advani, BJP President Rajnath Singh and LS Speaker Somnath Chatterjee were present.

Chief Justice of the Supreme court, KG Balakrishnan, administered the oath of office to Mrs. Patil. Union Transport Secretary, Christy Fernandes will be the new Secretary to Pratibha Patil.

2) Monica Walks Free: Monica Bedi's traumatic wait came to an end, as she was released from the Hyderabad prison after after she secured a bail from a court in connection with a case of passport forgery.

3) Harry Potter queues up for Tendulkar's autograph: It was a great sight! Harry Potter fame Daniel Radcliffe lined up in the queue to seek an autograph of Sachin Tendulkar at the end of Lord's test match. He called himself as a great fan of the Indian batting legend.

4) CCPA approves Nuke Deal Clause: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) and Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved the draft Indo-US nuclear cooperation agreement reached in Washington last week. The government gave the nod for the 123 Agreement to operationalize the nuclear deal, after all its concerns were properly addressed.

India 2007: Parents kill unborn Girl Children

--By Sagar Satapathy, Editor-in-Chief

Only a few months back, the 51st session of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) expressed concern over the state of girl children in different parts of the world and vowed to end the violence and atrocities against them. Despite the talks about women empowerment and equal rights to girls in every field including education and employment, India in 2007 brings no joy to the poor girl children who are being killed even before birth.

Blame it on modern ultrasound technology or lack of awareness among people, the fact is that female foeticide is rampant in India that celebrates 60th year of its independence. It's true that not all people in India do that. However, there are a significant number of people who still believe that having a girl child is a sin or bad curse. It happens mostly in rural belt of India where people have been subjected to government apathy and corrupt practice by the medical practitioners and other authorities.

It seems girl children in India are still struggling for freedom, though Indian-born women like Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, Sania Mirza and Aishwarya Rai have achieved more than what their male counterparts did. Still some parents are are not willing to accept a girl child and prefer boys over them.

In a gruesome incident, the police found more than 40 bags full of baby body parts outside an abortion facility in Nayagarh, Orissa, an eastern state of India. Local forensic experts suggest the remains are the product of illegal sex-selective abortions. The incident came to light first when a boy noticed seven infant bodies on the foot of a mountain on July 14 and reported it to the people. The owners of the abortion facility were arrested immediately and a crime branch inquiry has been ordered.

The incident create a shock wave across India. Surprisingly, more such bodies found in other states such as Maharashtra, Bihar and Rajasthan. Even such cases have been reported from other parts of Orissa. It clearly suggests that 'female foeticide' is rampant in India and parents kill their unborn foetus after the ultrasound analysis detects the gender of the babies.

The entire episode not only raised many questions before the public, but also it has put the government in a tight spot. India takes pride in electing its first Woman President only a week ago. However, killing of these infants and foetus clearly exposed the government and administration before the world. Is it the society we are looking for? The government and administration failed completely in preventing such heinous crime, which is a matter of concern for all.

There is no doubt that other parts of the world are also witnessing high abortion rates and atrocities against girl children. This is a global issue and must be addressed immediately. India is exposed before the world, as it has global presence and most countries still look to it for democratic reforms, electoral reforms and other health opinions. India is all set to become a superpower for its high growth rate, flexibility in business & investment and the global presence of the Indians. However, such heinous crimes may undermine its position. It's high time we take drastic steps to eradicate such evils from our society.

News Update: 24 July 2007

1) Shameless Andhra CM: It was not expected from a Chief Minister of a Indian state. The Andhra Assembly witnessed a new low, when the shameless Chief Minister YS Rajashekhar Reddy hurled verbal abuses at Opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu before the camera. "I will wipe you out. I will expose you in such a way that you will repent having born to your mother,” Reddy roared inside the house.

Ironically, the speaker refused to expunge the remarks from the record book. If a Chief Minister of a state behaves like a street fighter, just imagine where the state will be heading in future.

2) Sania wins Doubles Title in Cincinnati Open: Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek clinched the doubles title after a nail-biting final at the USD 175,000 Cincinnati Open tennis tournament here. Sania and her American partner defeated Russian Alina Jidkova and Tatiana Poutchek of Belarus 7-6(4) 7-5 to romp home. Earlier, Sania had lost in the semifinal match of the women's singles.

3) Dera-Sikh Clases: Six persons were injured when a Dera Sacha Sauda follower fired at them from his weapon in a village in Sirsa district of Haryana. Situation is tense, but under control.

4) Vice-President Elections: Najma Heptullah and Hamid Ansari filed their nomination papers for the forthcoming Vice-President elections. UNPA candidate Rashid Masood had already filed his nomination. Ironically, all the candidates have been selected not on merit, but on their community status. It's an unfortunate compulsion of Indian politics, thanks to the Congress Party and Left Front.

5) Lord's Test: The first cricket test match between India and England at Lord's ended in a draw. Rain and bad light stopped the play when India were precariously placed at 282/9, chasing a victory target of 380. Kevin Pieterson was adjudged man of the match for his knock of 134.

6) Six STF Jawans killed by Thokia Gang: While returning after eliminating Dadua in an encounter, the STF of UP Police was attacked by Thokia Gang that laid an ambush in retaliation of Dadua's killing. At least 6 STF jawans were killed in the ambush.

7) Five BJP MLAs suspended in Gujarat: The BJP suspended five rebel MLAs in Gujarat for anti-party activities. These MLAs not only launched a strong campaign against CM Narendra Modi, but also voted in favor of the UPA candidate in the presidential polls. The suspended MLAs are Gordhan Zadafia, Balubhai Tanti, Bavku Ughad, Bechar Bhadani and Dheeru Gajera.

VHP - Kanchi Seer’s Case Fabricated

VHP Vice President S. Vedandam disclosed to the reporters on Tuesday that Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati’s case is fabricated. He claims this to be an international conspiracy against the seer under which the center is pressurized to take action against him.

As an evidence to his verdict, he told reporters that in their inquiries with the bank in which mutt had the account it is clearly proven that no large-scale money withdrawal has been made and all the payments done were through cheques.

Vendandam also called the support of many regional and rational parties including AIADMK in this arrest as their political effort to project themselves as champions of secularism and nothing else.

Dadua Dacoit’s Terror Ends

UP STF at last succeeded in their efforts of trapping the dreaded dacoit of UP, Dadua, better known as Veerappan of North India. He was killed with his 9 companions in Chitrakoot district, UP. Both UP and MP Police Force had planned various operations to get hold of him, but all in vain because of his strong political ties and a very vast network of informers who informed him of each and every step of the police.

Dadua’s original name was Shiv Kumar Patel and till date he has 200 criminal charges against him. He also carried a reward of 5 lakhs on his head by the UP Police.

This time Police Force’s informer told them about his whereabouts and they immediately made plans to capture him. He was killed in an encounter with the STF personnel in the hilly area of Jhalmal Aehala hamlet in Chitrakoot. “A superior information gathering system and informer network helped in preparing comprehensive strategy,” said DGP Vikram Singh.

Various automatic weapons and large quantity of ammunition, phone chargers, and batteries were recovered from the site.

News Update: 22 July 2007

1) NDA fields Najma Heptullah for Vice-President: The NDA played a political masterstroke by fielding former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah as its candidate for Vice-President. Najma is the grandniece of Congress leader and freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

The election for Vice-President will be a three-cornered contest with the UPA-Left combine and the UNPA fileding their own candidates. Interestingly, all three candidates are Muslims.

2) Dadua Killed: Dreaded bandit Shiv Kumar Patel, alias Dadua was killed in an encounter with the UP Police's STF. He was wanted in over 200 cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion and carried a reward of Rs. 5 Lakhs on his head.

3) Dubai Tower is World's Tallest Building: The Burj Dubai in UAE became the tallest building in the world after the construction of its 141st floor was completed. The under-construction tower will use up 39,000 tonnes of steel and 1,42,000 square metres of glass.

Shekhawat Resigns as Vice President

After an embarrassing defeat by a political novice Pratibha Patil, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat took high moral grounds and resigned as the Vice President of India. It was a sad end to the career of a person, who never tasted failure and won every election or challenge with ease. However, he had to bite the dust because of the political mismanagement of his parent party, BJP.

Bhairon Shekhawat heavily relied on the "conscience vote" of members of other political parties. Unfortunately, his call failed to convince even his own partymen in some states and he finally ended up getting at least 8,000 votes less than expected. As the Vice President of the country and the Chairman of the Upper House, he did a commendable job and won many friends in all major parties. He always acted in an impartial manner and performed his duties as per the constitutional norms. However, he had to end his political career on a sad and embarrassing note.

"I accept my defeat with all humility", he said while resigning as the Vice President of the country. Shekhawat said, he would continue to work for the uplift of poor and deprived sections of the society so that they can enjoy their fundamental rights with dignity. After submitting his resignation, he gave up his official vehicle and returned from Rashtrapati Bhavan in his personal car. That marked the end of an era.

The 10 Mysterious Facts of Indian Sports

1) The famous cricketer who played Olympic Hockey for India - Nawab Pattaudi

2) A legendary Indian player whose statue is located at Berlin Square - Dhyan Chand

3) First Indian cricketer to be kissed in public by a woman fan - Abbas Ali Baig

4) India had won 8 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze medals in Olympic Hockey.

5) The Golden Era of Indian Hockey: India had won gold medals in Olympic hockey for consecutively six times (1928 - 1956).

6) Nevil D'Souza (India) is the only player to score a hattrick in the Olympic Football history.

7) First Overseas player of the Yorkshire County - Sachin Tendulkar

8) An Indian cricketer who was sent back from England tour after he allegedly "stole" a pair of socks from a departmental store - Sudhir Naik

9) India had qualified for the finals of the World Cup Football in 1952. However, the team could not take part, since it had never played with soccer shoes.

Breaking News: Pratibha Patil is the new President of India

It's official now. Celebrations began in the UPA and Left camp and in Maharashtra too. UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil became the first Woman President of India. She defeated the NDA-backed independent candidate BS Shekhawat by a huge margin of 306,810 votes. In total, Pratibha got 638,116 votes, while Shekhawat managed to get 331,306. Pratibha got 11,000 votes more than what was expected.

Although her victory was certain, for the first time, the Presidential elections in India became murkier with mud-slinging and a series of allegations.

Pratibha's victory is not only a setback for the BJP, but also it casted doubt on the future of NDA. While NDA ally Shiv Sena voted for Pratibha Patil, other allies like JD (S) and Trinamul Congress abstained from voting. The only consolation for NDA came from AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha, who supported the NDA-backed candidate at the eleventh hour.

Cross voting has been reported in several states and BJP is worst-affected. In Arunachal Pradesh, Shekhawat got only one vote although BJP has 9 MLAs there. Some BJP MLAs in Gujarat, Jharkhand and some other states defied the party to vote for Pratibha Patil.

After the result was announced, BJP President Rajnath Singh Said, "I accept this "arithmetical defeat".

Although Pratibha won the elections by a huge margin, the allegations against her and her family still remain. Now all eyes will be shifted to Bombay High Court where a petition is pending against Pratibha Patil for allegedly shielding her brother in a murder case.

News Update: 21 July 2007

1) Breakthrough in Nuke Deal: India and the US reportedly made substantial progress in official level talks over the civil nuclear deal and decided to refer the issue to respective governments for final review. The US Under Secretary Nicholas Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshanker Menon clinched the deal.

2) Prez Poll Counting Begins: Counting of the votes to select the 12th President of India began at 11 AM. The result is expected to arrive by 2 PM. UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil is all set to become the next President of India.

3) Govt to ban Smoking in Offices: According to Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss, all workplaces in India will be tobacco-free and this will come in force in about three to four months.

4) Lord's Test: After restricting England to a paltry 298 in the first innings, India lost the advantage and finished the day at 145/4. All the top order batsmen failed to rise to the occasion and perished cheaply. According to the latest report, India were bowled out for 201. James Anderson took 5 wickets.

5) No Charges against Haneef: Finally, the Australian Federal Police admitted that the charges filed against Dr. Mohammed Haneef were incorrect and his SIM card was not found at Glasgow Airport. It is expected that Haneef will be released soon.

6) Grenade Attack on Amarnath Piligrims: At least 6 people were injured when militants hurled grenades on the Amarnath piligrams at a base camp near Pahalgam.

Final Harry Potter Book Released

After months of suspense and hype, the seventh and last Harry Potter book - “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” - was officially released in London. Author of the series, JK Rowling read passages from the final book before 500 Harry Potter fans at the Natural History Museum. Thousands of fans dressed as wizards, witches and other characters from the book to bid a farewell to the imaginary character, Harry Potter.

Contrary to the predictions and speculations, it became clear that Harry Potter did not die in the final book. It was a huge relief for the Harry Potter fans across the world, who kept their fingers crossed ahead of the release of the book.

The book has been released in the UK, India and some other European countries. It is ready for the launch in the US in the morning. Publishers are expecting the book's sales to go into the millions within a few hours of its release. The book is the seventh in the series of novels. It could be recalled that the first Harry Potter book was published 10 years ago. After that, there was no looking back for JK Rowling, who became one of the world’s wealthiest women in the world.

Three Most Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is normally termed a “silent killer” because its vague symptoms often go unrecognized and by the time the person starts having severe problems the disease may have reached stage III or IV.

The treatment percentage of ovarian cancer is about 90% if treated in the earlier phase, but if delayed the cure percentage also decreases. One another reason for the high mortality rate due to this is the lack of proper screening techniques to detect ovarian cancer in its early phase.

A study in JAMA has recognized combination of three symptoms that occurred in 43% patients diagnosed with ovarian disease. The combination of these symptoms is:

1. Bloating: Unexplainable indigestion, gas, or bloating that is not relieved with over-the-counter antacids.
2. Increased abdominal size: Swelling and pain of the abdomen.
3. Urinary symptoms: An unusual feeling of fullness or discomfort in the pelvic region, pain, abnormal bleeding, and pain during sexual intercourse.

Although these symptoms are the most common found in patients suffering from the disease, this cannot be counted as a solid proof that the patient is having the ovarian disorder.

The study also has identified four characteristics, which strengthens the doubt in this direction. These characteristics are:

1. Frequency of symptoms
2. Severity of symptoms
3. When symptoms first occurred
4. Total number of symptoms reported

All these factors should be considered before the physician decides about going ahead with further intervention or not. The study authors have advised that women who are exper