Bhagvad Gita faces legal ban in Russia

Moscow, Dec 17 (IANS) Bhagvad Gita, one of the most sacred Hindu religious texts, is facing a legal ban and the prospect of being branded as 'an extremist' literature across Russia, with a court in Siberia's Tomsk city all set to deliver its final verdict Monday in a case filed by state prosecutors.

The final pronouncement in the case will come just two days after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was here for a bilateral summit meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev from Dec 15 to 17.

The case, which has been going on in Tomsk court since June this year, seeks to get a Russian translation of 'Bhagvad Gita As It Is' written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), on the Hindu religious text banned in Russia and declaring it as a literature spreading 'social discord', apart from rendering its distribution on Russian soil illegal.

In view of the case, Indians settled in Moscow, numbering about 15,000, and followers of the ISKCON religious movement here have appealed to Manmohan Singh and his government to intervene diplomatically to resolve the issue in favour of the Hindu religious text, an important part of Indian epic 'Mahabharat' written by Sage Ved Vyasa.

The ISKCON followers of Russia have also written a letter to the Indian Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi seeking immediate intervention, lest the religious freedom of Hindus living here be compromised.

'The case is coming up for a final verdict on Monday in Tomsk court. We want all efforts from Indian government to protect the religious right of Hindus in Russia,' Sadhu Priya Das of ISKCON and a devotee of a 40-year-old Krishna temple in central Moscow, told IANS.

The court, which took up the case filed by the state prosecutors, had referred the book to the Tomsk State University for 'an expert' examination Oct 25 this year.

But Hindu groups in Russia, particular followers of the ISKCON, say the university was not qualified, as it lacked Indologists.

The Hindus had pleaded with the court that the case was inspired by religious bias and intolerance`from a majority religious group in Russia, and have sought that

their rights to practice their religious beliefs be upheld.

The prosecutor's case also seeks to ban the preaching of Prabhupada and ISKCON's religious beliefs, claiming these were 'extremist' in nature and preached 'hatred' of other religious beliefs.

'They have not just tried to get the Bhagvad Gita banned, but also brand our religious beliefs and preachings as extremist,' Das said.

In fact, the ISKCON devotees have taken up the matter with the Indian embassy in Moscow too, apart from writing to the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi, for an early diplomatic intervention, before things get worse and the court passes an adverse verdict banning the 'Bhagvad Gita' and Krishna consciousness teachings.

In the Nov 1 letter, addressed to Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterji, ISKCON's New Delhi branch Governing Body Commissioner Gopal Krishna Goswami, said the prosecutor's affidavit claims Lord Krishna 'is evil and not conforming to Christian religious view'.

Goswami also urged Singh to accord priority to the matter during his Moscow stay and to take it up with the Russian authorities.

Indian diplomatic corps officials at the embassy here, who were unwilling to be named, told IANS that they have been following up the case since the time it was brought to their notice earlier this year and that they had also taken up the matter at the appropriate levels in the Russian government to get the case either withdrawn or get the defence to fight the case to obtain a favourable verdict.

Officials at the Indian Prime Minister's office, who are part of the Indian delegation accompanying Singh, confirmed the case and the letter they received from ISKCON in this regard to IANS.

'This matter is receiving the highest attention and the Indian embassy officials in Moscow have been instructed to follow up the case with the Russian authorities,' they said.

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/-bhagvad-gita--faces--extremist--branding--legal-ban-in-russia.html

Chidambaram had no role in fixing spectrum pricing: Sibal

New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) Communications Minister Kapil Sibal Saturday strongly refuted accusations by Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy that P.Chidambaram as finance minister had a role in fixing the entry fee for new players and hence should be prosecuted in the spectrum scam.

Sibal said Chidambaram was being maligned by the opposition, although he as finance minister had not played any role in issuing letter of intents (LoI) to new players or fixing the entry fee at Rs.1,650 crore.

'It is preposterous to suggest that P.Chidamabaram had any role in fixing the entry fee or issuing the LoIs,' Sibal told reporters here adding that Chidambaram had in fact recommended for an increase in entry fee, which was not agreed by A.Raja.

Swamy has sought to make Chidambaram a party in the spectrum case, saying the decision on spectrum pricing was taken in 2008 jointly by him and then communications minister A. Raja, who is lodged in Tihar Jail since Feb 2.

A special CBI court has allowed Swamy to again depose before it as a witness to prove his claim of the home minister's alleged complicity in the spectrum scam.

Department of Telecommunications, under Raja's tenure, had issued LOIs on Jan 10, 2008. This too, Sibal said was done without the knowledge of Chidambaram.

'There was no meeting between the Finance Minister and A.Raja prior to Jan 10, 2008 on this issue,' said Sibal.

He added that the CBI had in fact found nothing wrong with Chidambaram's conduct during his tenure as finance minister.

'Therefore any attempt by the opposition to foist any culpability on P.Chidambaram is not only irresponsible but is yet another desperate attempt to make the institution of parliamentary democracy disfunctional,' Sibal said.

'P.Chidambaram is a valued colleague and has discharged his responsibilities without fear or favour and absolute integrity and devotion,' he said.

Want Poonam Pandey to strip on your mobile?

 

Model Poonam Pandey is best known for her stripping promise to the Indian cricket team during the World Cup. She now takes her stripping fame worldwide by signing up for a strip poker game to be available in many mobile platforms

Poonam has tied up with a US-based mobile gaming company and her game will be available for Android and iOS platforms

Commenting on her decision to strip for a mobile game, she said, “Yes, I have signed a contract with an American company. It is like the famous Teen Patti card game. They will first show my video when the game starts. As the player starts clearing various levels of the game, I will start stripping. I don't mind stripping, but to what stage I will be doing it, I can't say that now.”

While Poonam Pandey fans would like to brush up their poker skills before this game reaches app stores, Poonam is a bit hesitant to go all the way

On whether or not she would completely strip, Poonam says, “However, reaching the level where I will have to strip fully may be really tough."

Poonam chuckles, adding, “I am excited because I will be exposed to such high-profile international gaming for the first time and it will help me reach out to my fans worldwide.” Her technical assistant, Micky added, “It is like gambling, just that there is no money involved here one one gets enticed by Poonam's visuals.”

http://in.movies.yahoo.com/photos/want-poonam-pandey-to-strip-on-you-mobile--1323077499-slideshow/want-poonam-pandey-to-strip-on-you-mobile--photo-1323077375.html

World's first sex school opens in Austria

London, Dec 1 (IANS) While many people may think it's an activity which should be best learned behind closed doors, an enterprising Swedish schoolmistress thinks otherwise.

Ylva-Maria Thompson has opened the world's first international sex school for teaching the art of being better lovers, the Daily Mail reported.

The Austrian International Sex School in Vienna offers 'hands on' lessons in seduction for 1,400 pounds a term. The 'headmistress' says anyone over the age of 16 can enrol at 'the world's first college of applied sexuality'.

Students of the course are expected to stay in a co-ed dormitory block where they're expected to practice their 'homework'. By the end of their course, they are awarded a qualification.

The school head said: 'Our core education is not theoretical, but very practical. The emphasis is on how to be a better lover.

'Sexual positions, caressing techniques, anatomical features. And we teach people hands on.'

School's spokesperson Melodi Kirsch exuded confidence that the school would be a great success.

The school, however, has already turned controversial in Austria with it raunchy advertisments showing a couple making love having already invited ban by Austrian TV.

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/worlds-first-sex-school-opens-austria-035815296.html

Facebook hit with unsolicited porn, violent videos

By Alistair Barr

REUTERS - Facebook Inc said on Tuesday that it is investigating a rash of unsolicited graphic images that hit some users' accounts this week.

The images, Internet links and videos depicting pornography and violence have hit some people's Facebook newsfeeds in recent days.

"We experienced a coordinated spam attack that exploited a browservulnerability," Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a statement emailed to Reuters. "Our efforts have drastically limited the damage caused by this attack, and we are now in the process of investigating to identify those responsible."

Facebook does not know yet who was behind the attack and a motive was not clear, Noyes added during an interview with Reuters.

Facebook users were tricked into pasting and executing "malicious" javascript in their browser URL bar, which led to them unknowingly sharing the content, Noyes explained.

Facebook engineers have been working to reduce this browser vulnerability, he added.

Facebook and other "Web 2.0" sites are easy targets for such attacks because they pull in a lot of content from outside sources, according to Paul Ferguson, senior threat researcher at Trend Micro Inc.

"It seems every other day there is some new Facebook 'threat,' but this is just the new reality of Web 2.0 and social networking," Ferguson said. "It is 'low-hanging fruit' for criminals."

(Reporting by Alistair Barr in San Francisco and Jim Finkle in Boston, editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Matthew Lewis)

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/facebook-hit-unsolicited-porn-violent-videos-193601769.html

Europe crisis can affect Indian economy: Pranab

Kolkata, Nov 13 (IANS) Emphasising that he will not hesitate to take harsh measures to control sovereign debt and fiscal deficit of the country, union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Sunday said the financial crisis in Europe is likely to affect the Indian economy.

He also said that taking into account the current global economic scenario, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate will be less than the targeted nine percent at the end of this fiscal.

'I am worried and disturbed because I do not want the situation where sovereign debt would be too high and fiscal deficit unmanageable,' Mukherjee said at a programme organised by industry body Assocham here.

He said the financial crisis in Europe was likely to create adverse impact on the country's economy.

'The lesson we can draw from the experiences in Europe is that leaving the golden path of fiscal regulation and control will not help the existing economy, particularly the economy of big countries like India,' he said.

'We have to come back to fiscal consolidation,' he stated. 'We have to be taught... and I can assure you that as a finance minister, I will not hesitate to take the taught decisions at an appropriate time,' Mukherjee said.

Source:
http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/Europe-crisis-affect-Indian-ians-736641471.html

Nokia announces launch of Lumia family phones

New Delhi, Nov 14 (IANS) Finnish mobile handset manufacturer Nokia Monday announced the launch of Nokia Lumia family of smartphones based on Windows Phone in India.

The Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710 will be available in select retail stores across key cities and towns in mid-December. Both devices will be available for pre-order starting early December.

Lumia 800 is equipped with floating glass display, 16 GB internal user memory, an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, and 512 MB programme memory.

Lumia 710 has a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and 512 MB RAM.

The global price of both the models are $580 (approx Rs.29,000) and $380 (approx Rs.19,000), respectively.

'Consumer research shows that Nokia Lumia offers the only truly differentiated experience in smartphones and we are enhancing that with signature Nokia capabilities,' said D. Shivakumar, managing director, Nokia India.

'The Lumia family, on the back of strong Symbian enhancements in Belle, positions us strongly to consolidate our lead in the Indian smartphone market,' he added.

These phones deliver functions such as Nokia maps and drive, which delivers a full-fledged personal navigation device with free, turn-by-turn navigation voice guided navigation in 50 languages including Hindi and dedicated in-car-user-interface.

Maps for 100 countries and 750 cities in India are available on Windows Phone Marketplace, free to download on Nokia Lumia devices only

Nokia Music and the all new MixRadio a free, global, mobile music-streaming application that delivers hundreds of channels of locally relevant music.

These services will be available in India in the first half of 2012.

Nokia also unveiled a complete, made over look for its retail network. More than 5,000 of its top retail outlets selling the Nokia Lumia range across the country will sport a new identity.

The rebranding elements include a strong visual experience including 3D and 2D in-store branding and a live device environment across all stores.

Source:
http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/Nokia-announces-launch-Lumia-ians-1446702171.html?x=0

Facebook privacy changes may soon require user consent

On Sunday 13 November 2011, 3:39 PM

London, Nov 13 (ANI): Facebook will soon require its users' consent before making any changes to the social networking site that results in exposing their profiles and activities to a wider audience.

The social network earlier announced alterations to its members' settings without asking for consent.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the social networking giant is now changing its policy after an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission.

The report suggested the site has also agreed to privacy audits by an independent organisation over the next 20 years.

However, it said the FTC does not prescribe how consent should be obtained, the BBC reports.

"Facebook has historically been extremely resistant to transparency in its own operations, so we welcome measures that would force the company to obtain express consent of its users," said the London based advocacy group Privacy International.

"However, it seems likely that the FTC's demands will only present a temporary obstacle in the path of Facebook's ambitions to collect its users' information," the firm added.

The FTC's intervention is being linked to the Washington-based campaign group, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), that filed a complaint in December 2009 claiming that privacy setting changes "violate user expectations, diminish user privacy and contradict Facebook's own representations".

EPIC noted that the website's users, security experts and others had voiced opposition to the change. (ANI)

Source:
http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/Facebook-privacy-changes-soon-ani-1070119740.html

Man tries to hurl shoe at Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: A man tried to throw his shoe at Pervez Musharraf when he was addressing a gathering in London, a media report here said Saturday. It was the second such attempt on the former Pakistan president.

The attempt was made when Musharraf was addressing the Kashmiri community in Luton, reported Geo News. Security personnel promptly caught hold of the man and took him out of the venue.

Another man raised slogans against Musharraf. This is not the first time that an attempt was made to throw a shoe at Musharraf.

In February this year, a man threw a shoe at Musharraf when he was addressing a gathering in Britain. The shoe didn't hit the former military dictator.

Musharraf ruled Pakistan for nine years after taking power in a bloodless coup in 1999. He stepped down in 2008 and left Pakistan. He now lives in London.

An Iraqi journalist, Muntazar al Zaidi, threw his shoes at US president George Bush in 2008, sparking a string of copy-cat attacks.

Later, shoes were tossed at Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Man-tries-to-hurl-shoe-at-Musharraf/articleshow/10616911.cms

The truth about Ash’s pregnancy

Aishwarya’s publicist rubbishes tabloid, Mumbai Mirror for fabricating stories of a possible C Section. Here's the truth

This is in regard to the article published by Mumbai Mirror dated 2nd November 2011 titled, “Bachchans pick Marol hospital for New B”. Coincidentally, this is the same publication that earlier carried another piece on Ash, titled ‘Pregnant Pause’ which stated that Mrs Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was incapable of conceiving due to some ailment. While the paper has taken a 360-turn, Ash’s agents accuse the publication of now trying to insinuate that there is a possibility that Ash has pre-decided the date of her delivery.

Here are lines from the article in Mumbai Mirror, followed by the joint-quote from Aishwarya and Seven Hills Hospital’s spokesperson:

1: Says source, “There is a possibility of Aishwarya going in for a C Section delivery 11.11.11.”
Spokesperson’s response: “Yet again, ridiculously insinuating such an esteemed and respected family would actually turn nature’s course for such blind sensationalized beliefs. There is a limit to time and again attributing such regressive remarks like marrying her off to a tree or actually planning delivering her baby just for the sake of a sensational journalism. How can journalism allow for such irresponsible reporting with regards to such intimate and personal decisions in a lady’s life.  Excitement and curiosity aside, how can we allow for this to go on and on- this is disgusting….as a woman, as I am sitting on the 3rd of November and if by the will of God and nature’s turn, she does end up delivering on the date mentioned, will this fictitious bit of article remain with her for the rest of her life? And as an international public icon, is this what she will be tagged with for the rest of the life? This is not what she needs to go through at this happy moment in her life.”

2. “Every time Aishwarya makes a trip to the hospital extra precaution is taken to safeguard her privacy says a source. The sonography section is barricaded and curtains drawn to keep away other curious patients, revealed our source.”
Spokesperson’s response: “This is the most ridiculous remark from a  fictitious source– when have women been on a stage when sonographies are done in any hospital and on any woman."

3. “Well-placed sources at the hospital revealed that the gynecologist especially comes for Aishwarya’s appointment at 7.30 am, usually before other patients start trickling in.”
Spokesperson’s response: “This is totally false and baseless.”

4. “However we cannot ever predict a baby’s arrival, so we have booked the room from the 10th to the 15th, added the source.”
Spokesperson’s response: “Who is this source to have booked a room on the first place?”

Commenting on this article, Dr. Pai, Head of Radiology and Vice President, Seven Hills Hospital says, “The report published in a daily tabloid in regards to Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s delivery at Seven Hills has taken me by surprise. The information and details are a figment of someone’s imagination. 7.30 am appointments and a C SECTION for the 11th as declared in the news piece have no resemblance to the truth and such stories only put the medical fraternity in bad light.  It may be added that a sonography is a personal procedure and is not performed in open wards hence it would not be different for any patient; each is entitled to their privacy.  Twisted details mislead the people of this country to believe and follow what a writer may see has good ‘masala’ newsprint.”
Adds Aishwarya’s publicist, “It is unfortunate that such false and fabricated news is being created to influence minds. Such articles as the lead in a daily go against the basic responsibility of print reporting and show case misinformation that could effect the huge following into believing that such wonderful moments of ones lives as a gift of life are open to personal preferences.  As a lady, I would feel that we should provide a more responsible attitude to such misinformed articles.”

Source:
http://in.movies.yahoo.com/news/the-truth-about-ash%E2%80%99s-pregnancy.html

BMW 6-Series coupe launched in India‎

The all new, third generation, BMW 6 Series Coupé offers enhanced comfort and elegant design while taking sporting performance to the next level . With a choice of class-leading diesel and petrol engines, combined with an all new chassis, the new BMW 6 Series Coupé offers dynamic performance while ensuring maximum efficiency.

BMW has launched the 2012 6 Series Coupe in India. The 6-Series coupe is the hard top version of the convertible that was launched in March this year.

Market introduction with three engine variants: BMW 650i Coupe with eight-cylinder power unit (300 kW/407 hp), BMW 640i Coupe with a six-cylinder in-line petrol engine (235 kW/320 hp), BMW 640d Coupe with a six-cylinder in-line diesel engine (230 kW/313 hp).

All engine variants combined with an eight-speed Sport automatic transmission as standard equipment; BMW EfficientDynamics measures that have no peer in the segment (including Auto Start-Stop function and ECO PRO mode for the BMW 640i Coupe and BMW 640d Coupe); optimised efficiency combined with a significant 30 kW, 35 kW and 20 kW power increase over predecessor models (BMW 650i, BMW 640i and BMW 640d, respectively).

Captivating aesthetics, top-class performance, an exclusive interior and exceptionally innovative equipment features give the third-generation BMW 6 Series Coupe “dream car” its credentials.

Newly developed suspension; only car in the segment available with Electric Power Steering and optional Integral Active Steering; Driving Experience Control as standard equipment, Dynamic Damper Control and Adaptive Drive optional.

First car in the segment with Adaptive LED Headlights for low and high beam, including cornering function, fog lamps and rear lights also implemented with LED technology.

Standard BMW iDrive control system with free standing control display; unrivalled range of BMW ConnectedDrive features, including the latest generation of BMW Head-Up Display (with high-definition, full-colour-spectrum graphics); also available: Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, lane change warning, lane departure warning, rear-view camera, Surround View, Speed Limit Info, BMW Night Vision and Parking Assistant.

 

Driving pleasure tailored to individual preferences by virtue of unique equipment options, including comfort and sports seats, active seats, seat ventilation, exclusive Nappa leather, ceramic applications, and a newly developed, model-specific Bang & Olufsen high-end surround sound system.

The hearts of sports car aficionados with an eye for luxury and innovative technology will beat a little faster at the sight of the new BMW 6 Series Coupe.

The new BMW 6 Series Coupe impresses with its irresistible design and inspires with even sharper driving dynamics than its predecessor, noticeably optimised by virtue of its comfort features and added space.

In its own attractive manner, it combines superior sportiness with exclusive touring comfort and 460 litres of luggage space.

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/photos/bmw-6-series-coupe-launched-in-india--1319001991-slideshow/bmw-photo-1318999190.html#crsl=%252Fphotos%252Fbmw-6-series-coupe-launched-in-india--1319001991-slideshow%252Fbmw-photo-1318999162.html

India thrash England again in huge win

New Delhi, (AFP): World champions India rattled England once again with bat and ball to win the second one-dayer by eight wickets on Monday and take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Seamer Vinay Kumar returned with his best international figures of four for 30 as a lacklustre England were shot out for 237 in good batting conditions at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground in New Delhi.

Virat Kohli then smashed an unbeaten 112, his seventh one-day century, and Gautam Gambhir made 84 not out as the under-strength hosts surpassed the modest target under lights in the 37th over.

Tempers flared in the second session between England's fielders and India's batsmen, forcing the umpires to intervene on at least three occasions.

India, depleted by the absence of seven World Cup-winning stars due to injury or poor form, will wrap up the series if they win the third match in Mohali on Thursday. The hosts had won the first game in Hyderabad by 126 runs last Friday.

A series win will help Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men make amends for the disastrous tour of England recently where they were blanked 4-0 in the Test series before losing the one-dayers 3-0.

Kevin Pietersen's 46 was the top score for England as wickets tumbled at regular intervals after captain Alastair Cook won the toss and elected to bat on an easy-paced pitch. Fast bowler Tim Bresnan gave England a lifeline when he removed both openers, Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane, by the seventh over to make India 29-2.

But Delhi team-mates Kohli and Gambhir delighted some 30,000 home fans with an 209-run winning partnership to take India home. England had made a disastrous start, losing openers Cook and Craig Kieswetter before a run had been scored.

Cook slashed the fifth ball from Praveen Kumar to point, while Kieswetter edged Vinay to Kohli at slip in the second over. The shackles were broken when Praveen conceded 17 runs in his third over as Jonathan Trott smashed three consecutive fours and Pietersen also helped himself to a boundary.

Trott made a fluent 34 with seven fours when he was caught behind off Vinay to reduce England to 48-3 by the 10th over. Ravi Bopara helped Pietersen add 73 for the fourth wicket before India hit back by removing both batsmen in the space of four deliveries.

Bopara was leg-before to off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for 36 and Pietersen was caught behind chasing a wide ball from seamer Umesh Yadav.

Samit Patel and Jonathan Bairstow carried the total past the 200-run mark from a shaky 121-5, adding 86 for the sixth wicket before both fell in quick succession. Patel (42) was trapped leg-before by Yadav and Bairstow holed out in the deep off Ravindra Jadeja after making 35.

Source:
http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article?id=item/2.0/-/story/cricket.yahoonews.com/india-thrash-england-again-huge-win-20111017/

Obama begins campaign-style jobs tour in key states

MILLERS CREEK, N.C. (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sought on Monday to turn up the heat on Republicans for blocking his jobs bill as he started a campaign-style bus tour across states vital to his 2012 re-election chances.

Hitting the road again, this time in North Carolina and Virginia, Obama struck a populist tone and argued that Congress should pass at least parts of his $447 billion jobs package that was defeated as a whole last week.

"We're going to give members of Congress another chance to step up to the plate and do the right thing," Obama told a cheering crowd at the airport in Asheville, North Carolina, the starting point for his three-day trek in a black armored bus.

As Senate Democrats prepared to force a vote this week on one of Obama's jobs proposals, which would give states money to employ teachers, the president mocked the Republicans who had blocked his original bill.

"Maybe they just couldn't understand the whole all at once. So we're going to break it up into bite-size pieces so they can take a thoughtful approach to this legislation," he said.

The president's strategy is to force Republicans to accept his proposals or be painted as obstructionists getting in the way of economic recovery as campaigning for the November 2012 presidential and congressional elections heats up.

"I need you to give Congress a piece of your mind," he told about 2,000 supporters packed into a high school gymnasium in Millers Creek, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains.

"Tell them what's at stake here. There are too many of our fellow Americans hurting and you can't stand by and do nothing. Now is the time to act," he said.

Republicans saw Obama's jobs package as laden with wasteful spending and counter-productive tax hikes for wealthier Americans who tend to be entrepreneurs and job creators.

Their disagreement has extended the deadlock that brought the United States to the edge of sovereign default in August when Democrats and Republicans failed to agree on deficit cuts as part of a deal to raise the U.S. debt ceiling.

That impasse makes it unlikely that any major steps to spur hiring will be passed before the 2012 election, when Obama will be judged for his economic stewardship.

TOUGH ROAD IN 2012

The White House billed Obama's trip -- his second bus tour through small-town America since he visited the rural Midwest in August -- as a chance to reconnect with ordinary citizens.

His itinerary spans two traditionally conservative states he won in 2008 but which polls show he is in danger of losing in his bid for a second term. North Carolina is also site of the Democratic presidential convention next summer.

But the White House said the bus tour was official business with all costs covered by taxpayers, not from Obama's campaign coffers.

Onlookers lined the streets in front of gas stations, fast-food restaurants and shopping malls as Obama's bus, with dark-tinted windows and red and blue flashing lights, led a long motorcade across the green, rolling hills.

Some cheered and snapped photos with their cellphones but a few turned their thumbs down as the string of vehicles passed, and others held protest signs including one reading: "No more massive government spending programs. They don't work."

The bus tour is taking place well over a year before the election, during a period when incumbent presidents generally are spending their campaign time raising money.

Obama's focus on retail politicking at this stage suggests he realizes he has a tough road in 2012 and has to start early to hammer home his message that Republicans are refusing to join with him in finding ways to fix the U.S. economy.

In Millers Creek, Obama derided the jobs plan Republicans presented last week as an attempt to roll back environmental standards and Wall Street regulations without having the wealthy pay any more taxes to help those struggling.

But Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, said the Republican ideas that would require a balanced budget, promote foreign trade and push offshore energy exploration would have a more meaningful jobs impact than the "sugar high" of Obama's recommended stimulus.

Buck also questioned why Obama was on the road and not working with lawmakers to find compromise. "This bus tour looks a lot like the kind of political game the president has said the American people are tired of," he said.

At a Southern barbecue restaurant where Obama stopped for lunch, diners expressed mixed views of the Democrat's record.

"This isn't 'Obama Country' but I voted for him once and I'll vote for him again," said Howard Ward, 76, a retired textile manager. "He's doing the best he can with jobs. But it's going to be very close in this state in 2012."

An elderly woman sitting nearby shook her head as she ate a barbecue chicken sandwich. "He hasn't done anything to fix the economy. He doesn't deserve a second chance," she said.

(Additional reporting by Laura MacInnis, Thomas Ferraro and Steve Holland; Editing by Will Dunham and Cynthia Osterman)

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/obama-begins-campaign-style-jobs-tour-key-states-231527041.html

BlackBerry outage could accelerate shift to iPhone

By Jim Finkle and Ashley Lau

REUTERS - John Stuart has been chained to his BlackBerry for years, first as a systems manager for Wall Street bank Morgan Stanley and then as chief information officer for Beverly Hills Wealth Management.

But this week, Stuart ordered an iPhone from Apple Inc, ending his 7-year relationship with BlackBerry maker Research in Motion.

His move highlights how even security-conscious banks and IT managers, who have been among RIM's most loyal customers, are starting to defect, lured by improvements in rivals that challenge the BlackBerry's much-vaunted safety features.

"RIM has always been at the top of their game when it comes to device management. Apple has caught up," Stuart said.

The BlackBerry has been losing ground in the business market to the iPhone and, to a lesser extent, devices running Google Inc's Android software, as companies gradually allowed their employees to choose their own mobile devices.

This week's massive BlackBerry network outage, which spanned four continents, is likely to speed up RIM's decline, analysts said.

Many banks already allow employees to choose their devices and the BlackBerry outage is likely to push more in that direction, according to Julie McNelly, an analyst with Aite Group, who advises financial institutions on data security.

"The barn door is already open. Most of the horses are already gone," she said. "This could potentially accelerate the process."

The BlackBerry used to own the corporate market because companies believed RIM was best at protecting enterprise data and prevent the theft of corporate secrets.

The outage highlights RIM's Achilles heel: the fact that all BlackBerry messages are routed through its own data centers means information is more secure, but it also creates a single point of potential failure.

Messages sent through phones from Apple and other vendors do not travel through any central network, so they do not have that same weakness.

While that has meant rival phones were less secure in the past, many security experts say the iPhone has caught up to the BlackBerry, thanks to improvements in Apple's latest iOS software. And for Android phones, a proliferation of third party security software have also helped.

"In most ways, iOS is at least as secure as BlackBerry, namely in malware prevention, exploit prevention, etc.," said Charlie Miller, principal research consultant with Accuvant and a highly regarded expert on mobile security.

He said the BlackBerry is still superior in data encryption and manageability, but added that "reliability obviously is a problem recently for Blackberry."

CONSUMERIZATION

Apple is a big winner when workers get to pick their own phones, a trend known as the consumerization of IT. The iPhone 4S hit store shelves on Friday and thousands of people lined up around the world to get it.

Companies can save money when they let employees buy their own phones and pay their own monthly bills. All IT managers have to do is install software that makes it possible for employees to securely access corporate networks.

At Credit Suisse, which only started this year to open its network to Apple and Android devices, about one-third of its 25,000 BlackBerry users have already switched phones.

That has saved the European bank millions of dollars, according to Stephen Hilton, Credit Suisse's global head of technology infrastructure services.

"We are seeing very rapid adoption of this 'consumer technology' platform," Hilton said. "I suspect this (outage) would be another reason why people may reconsider."

An Aite Group poll of 402 wealth managers conducted before the outage found that 45 percent would choose an iPhone or iPad, compared to 14 percent for a BlackBerry.

A survey released this week by Enterprise Mobile Device Management, sponsored by Intel Corp's McAfee Inc, found that 44 percent of iPhone users were "completely satisfied" with their device, compared with 34 percent for Android smartphones and 16 percent for BlackBerries.

"It's a tough situation to be in," Forrester Research analyst Christian Kane said of RIM. "Nobody is going to necessarily stop supporting a device over an outage. But it doesn't do any favors for RIM," said Kane, who helps big companies decide how quickly they should open up their mobile networks.

It's a mark of the inroads that rivals have made into the corporate market when this week's BlackBerry outage was shrugged off by many on Wall Street.

One finding of an informal Reuters survey of more than 25 financial firms was that a lot of people simply were not bothered by the service interruption, compared to the panic that ensued when the BlackBerry went down in April 2007 and again in February 2008.

Wells Fargo said some people saw intermittent disruption to some services; at least two regional banks and one investment bank also said problems were irregular at best and limited to only some employees.

One Wall Street banker said he would not have even noticed had his firm's IT department not said something.

"We allow and support a broad range of mobile devices, and expect we will continue to do so. These devices have been stable for a long time, and while we are not happy about the recent outage, we have no immediate plans to discontinue use of the product," a spokeswoman for JPMorgan Chase & Co said in an e-mail.

It is hard to estimate BlackBerry's corporate market share as RIM does not give out much information. But its share of the global smartphone market fell to 11.7 percent in the second quarter from 13.0 percent in the first quarter, according to estimates from Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney.

In contrast, Android's share rose to 43.4 percent from 36.4 percent, and Apple's rose to 18.2 percent from 16.9 percent.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston and Ashley Lau in New York; Additional reporting by Ben Berkowitz and Paritosh Bansal; Editing by Tiffany Wu and Richard Chang)

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/blackberry-outage-could-accelerate-shift-iphone-204934760.html

Hyundai Launches EON at 2.69 lakh

 

Hyundai’s latest offering Eon is an amalgamation of style, comfort, utility and economy. D-Lite: Rs. 2,69,999, D-Lite with AC option: Rs. 2,91,869, Era: Rs. 3,11,869, Magna: 3,36,869, Magna (O): Rs. 3,46,869, Sportz: Rs. 3,71,869

Hyundai’s Eon will be available with 0.8 L iRDE engine delivering 56PS@5500rpm of maximum power and 7.65Kgm@4000rpm of peak torque.

The super-efficient 814cc petrol engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and gives a mileage of 21.1kmpl (ARAI figures) making Eon the most fuel-efficient car in the segment.

Hyundai’s design and development center at Namyang in Korea has worked in sync with its Hyderabad-based R&D center to firm up on the fluidic design of Eon which is fresh, appealing and exceeds the expectations of the entry-level segment customer.

Eon is completely designed on Hyundai’s new signature philosophy of ‘fluidic design’ and main emphasis has been laid on adequate occupant space, impeccable style and premium interiors, a rarity in the category.

The car’s distinctive design sports a youthful profile with low roofline projecting modern, futuristic and sporty image of the car.

Adoption of fluidic design philosophy is evident inside Eon as well, given its excellent symmetry in design and layout. The Eon boasts of rich interiors with comfortable seating comparable to mid and high compact segment cars.

Indian culture inspired main character lines based interior styling also respects Indian customer’s need of efficient space management. Eon offers unmatched space with best in class width, wheel base and boot space.

The emphasis on space does not end at a spacious cabin and a large boot as Eon comes with multiple storage space which has been innovatively created for enhanced customer convenience. Among other important and utilitarian features are multiple bottle and cup holders, a spacious glove box and practically designed dashboard for storing small utility items.

The car possesses features specially developed for buyers of low compact segment. Centrally positioned AC vents with rotary type knobs ensure efficient and effective all-round cooling in the cabin to manage temperature around the year. Other thoughtful convenience features include front power windows, internally adjustable mirrors, tilt steering, keyless entry, remote fuel & tail gate opening, central locking, front door full armrest, front room...

The car is loaded with a fabulous infotainment system which comes with a 2-DIN integrated type audio with features like Radio/CD/MP3/USB/Aux-in/i-Pod connectivity for unlimited music access.

Speaking at the launch of the much-awaited entry level car, Mr. H W Park, MD & CEO, HMIL, said, “Hyundai has always led the way when it comes to innovations and with the Eon we wish to continue our legacy in India of producing world-class products.

Eon has been specifically built keeping in mind varied Indian conditions and special requirements of our esteemed Indian customers.

The Eon will further expand our market share in the fast-growing small car segment in the Indian market.”

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/photos/hyundai-launches-eon-at-2-69-lakh-1318500801-slideshow/#crsl=%252Fphotos%252Fhyundai-launches-eon-at-2-69-lakh-1318500801-slideshow%252Feon-photo-1318503546.html

I am not in a race with Anna Hazare: Sachin Tendulkar

On the morning of September 28, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, the world's most feted batsman, walked into his new Rs 76 crore, three-storey home on Perry Cross Road in Mumbai's Bandra suburb. Accompanied by his mother, wife and two children, Tendulkar distributed sweets to slum children who waited outside the seven-foot-high walls to pay homage to their cricket god. A home of his own has been one of Tendulkar's special dreams. And he was thrilled to have it finally come true.

But there is one dream the nation has been waiting for to come true ever since Tendulkar scored his 99th hundred during the World Cup at Nagpur against South Africa on March 12: his 100th century. It will be the crowning glory of a career that has spanned 22 years and 33,076 runs (Tests and ODIs) and 199 wickets (Tests and ODIs).

And there is another that the master blaster doesn't speak of much: To help provide quality, affordable education to the eight million children who are out of school. At Mumbai's Yash Raj Studios on September 18, he spent six hours offering cricketing tips to underprivileged students from across India via satellite, raising Rs 7 crore in donations to be spent on an estimated 140 schools in India that lack facilities like libraries, drinking water, specialised teachers and toilets. The organisers, Coca-Cola India and Charities Aid Foundation, hope to replicate the project every year to include more schools across the country. Next year, the figure could double.

At 38, after 22 years in the game in which he has smashed most batting records, he is not done with cricket. Excerpts from an interview with Deputy Editor Shantanu Guha Ray of India Today.

Q: Will anyone in India talk cricket after the whitewash in England? Perhaps not the best time to start this school project?

Tendulkar: I have said this before, defeats do not depress me. They motivate me. I know I did not get too many runs in the series and had to return hurt. But one series does not impact my game. One loss does not take away my fans.

You are raising cash for 140 schools this year. Next year the figure is set to double. This could mean a lot of time away from the game. In India, these efforts often get politicised.

It all depends on you. If it's selfless, then no one will point fingers. If efforts to do social work are couched in selfish motives, then they will die a premature death. Why would my efforts get politicised? I have values I inherited from my father. He helped many. Anyone, even a postman knocking on our door would get a glass of water and some sweets. I want students to rush to school every day. They should feel happy going to school. I must ensure that they have facilities.

So you want to do in education what Anna Hazare is doing to eradicate corruption?

He's doing his work, I am doing mine. I don't think our efforts should be compared. This isn't a I versus him race.

Will social work take up most of your time after cricket?

I have not announced my retirement. I am doing something along with my career as a cricketer.

What prompted your sudden focus on children's education?

This is not a recent thing with me. In fact, I have been thinking about it for some time. I think more than corruption, ensuring quality education, drinking water and proper sanitation to millions in India is a bigger challenge. We have set a high goal of a corruption-free nation but are resigned to lower expectations when it comes to education. We have the world's largest number of children who do not have access to education. I don't understand why. Schools across India do not have teachers, libraries, playing grounds and even toilets. I do not want to see empty classrooms, empty libraries. I do not want to see cattle grazing on fields meant to be cricket or football grounds.

And the girl child...

We have one of the lowest female literacy rates in Asia. There are over 200 million illiterate women in India. This low literacy negatively impacts not just their lives but also their families' and the country's economic development. A girl's lack of education also has a negative impact on the health and well-being of her children. Tell me, why should a girl return home after the first class because there are no proper toilets in her school?

Does this bother you because your daughter enjoys certain privileges at school?

She does and so did I. That's how we both know what others miss out on. It's not just about education. It's about bringing the underprivileged into the mainstream. I want to do it. I call it a new chapter in my life.

As a student, did you enjoy any special facilities?

The only facility I enjoyed as a student was when I was allowed to represent Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and granted permission for special classes.

Your celebrity status will lead to chaos if you were to visit a slum.

I could visit when the city sleeps. I would like to visit them unannounced.

What if the Prime Minister calls upon you to perform a bigger role for the country?

He hasn't called me yet (laughs). Maybe he wants to see me playing some more cricket. I will see when the call does come.

[Reproduced From India Today. © 2011. LMIL. All rights reserved]

Source:
http://cricket.yahoo.com/blogs/article-i-am-not-in-a-race-with-anna-hazare-sachin-tendulkar_15848

Millions of BlackBerry users cut off for third day

On Wednesday 12 October 2011, 3:19 PM

By Georgina Prodhan

LONDON (Reuters) - Millions of BlackBerry users around the world were left without text communication services for a third day on Wednesday as Research in Motion struggled to fix what it said was a switching failure in its private network.

Users in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India suffered patchy email service and no access to browsing and messaging, ratcheting up negative sentiment towards a company already losing market share to Apple and Samsung.

RIM, which had said on Tuesday that services had returned to normal, said later the problems had actually spread beyond EMEA and India to Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

"The messaging and browsing delays ... were caused by a core switch failure within RIM's infrastructure," it said. "As a result, a large backlog of data was generated and we are now working to clear that backlog and restore normal service."

The service disruptions are the worst since an outage swept north America two years ago, and come as Apple prepares to put on sale its already sold-out iPhone 4S on Friday.

"It's a blow upon a bruise. It comes at a bad time," said Richard Windsor, global technology specialist at Nomura.

"One possibility could be that it encourages client companies to look more at other options such as allowing users to connect their own devices to the corporate server and save themselves the cost of buying everyone a BlackBerry."

Many companies, no longer seeing the need to pay to be locked into RIM's secure proprietary email service, have already begun allowing employees to use alternative smartphones, particularly Apple's iPhone, for corporate mail.

RIM has made inroads into the youth market attracted by its free BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service, partially compensating for its losses in the corporate market. But new products like its PlayBook tablet computer have been poorly received.

Following a dismal set of quarterly results and a plunge in its share price, some investors are now calling for a break-up, sale or change of management at the company.

Increasingly frustrated users tweeted their frustration on Wednesday, while RIM's own official Twitter feed was last updated on Tuesday night, saying problems were being resolved and it was sorry for the inconvenience.

Veteran British entrepreneur Alan Sugar, who founded electronics company Amstrad in 1968, tweeted: "In all my years in IT biz, I have never seen such an outage as experienced by Blackberry. I can't understand why it's taking so long to fix."

Some customers used humour to deal with the situation. One joke making the rounds on Twitter said: "What did the one BBM user say to the other? Nothing."

(Editing by Greg Mahlich)

Source:
http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/Millions-BlackBerry-users-cut-reuters-1440588478.html?x=0

Ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh dies

NEW DELHI: Renowned ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, 70, passed away at 8.10 am in Lilavati Hospital on Monday morning.

Jagjit Singh was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital on September 23 after he suffered brain haemorrhage in suburban Bandra where a life-saving surgery was performed on him.

"Jagjit Singh passed away at 8.10 am after having a terrible haemorrhage," Dr Sudhir Nandgaonkar, hospital spokesperson, told PTI.

He is survived by his wife Chitra Singh.

Jagjit Singh was born in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. He had four sisters and two brothers and he is known as Jeet by his family.

Popularly known as "The Ghazal King", he gained acclaim together with his wife in the 1970s and 1980s, as the first ever successful duo act (husband-wife) in the history of recorded Indian music.

Recipient of Padma Bhushan award, he has sung in several languages including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and Nepali.

His popular ghazals include, Meri zindagi kisi aur ki, mere naam ka koi aur hai, Apni marzi se kahan apne safar ke hum hain, Wo jo hum mein tumme qaraar tha, Patta-patta boota-boota haal hamaara jaane hai, Hoshwalo ko khabar, etc.

Jagjjit Singh has also sung for popular movies like Arth, Prem Geet, Sarfarosh and Tarqeeb.

Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ghazal-maestro-Jagjit-Singh-dies/articleshow/10297844.cms

358-yr-old Taj Mahal 'in danger of collapsing within 5 years'

London, Oct 5 (ANI): The Taj Mahal will collapse within five years unless urgent action is taken to fix its rotting foundations, campaigners warn.

The 358-year-old marble mausoleum is India's most famous tourist attraction, bringing four million visitors a year to the northern city of Agra.

But the river crucial to its survival is being blighted by pollution, industry and deforestation.

Campaigners believe the foundations have become brittle and are disintegrating.

Cracks appeared last year in parts of the tomb, and the four minarets, which surround the monument, are showing signs of tilting.

The Taj Mahal was built by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan, who was grief-stricken by the death of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in childbirth.

A campaign group of historians, environmentalists and politicians say time is running out to prevent a 'looming crisis'.

"If the crisis is not tackled on a war-footing, the Taj Mahal will cave in between two and five years," the Daily Mail quoted Ramshankar Katheria, the MP for Agra who is leading the campaign, as saying.

"The architectural wonder of the world is losing its shine, and if this persists the minarets may also collapse since the wooden foundation - beneath the wells - is rotting due to lack of water.

"No one has been allowed to go into the foundations for the last three decades. If everything is fine, what have they got to hide?"

Professor Ram Nath, a historian who is one of the world's leading authorities on the Taj, said: "The Taj stands just on the edge of the river Yamuna which has now dried up.

"This was never anticipated by its builders. The river is a constituent of its architectural design and if the river dies, the Taj cannot survive," he added. (ANI)

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/358-yr-old-taj-mahal-danger-collapsing-within-051249049.html

Kapil Sibal launches tablet computer

New Delhi, Oct 5 (ANI): Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal launched 'Akash' (a 35 dollar tablet) here on Wednesday.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, an extremely delighted Sibal said with the launch of Akash, India demonstrates to the world that it has not faltered in its resolve to secure the future of the children.

"There are some moments in history, which will be milestones recognized by future generations. This is one such moment. Today, we see the beginning of dram realised. A dream in which every student in every corner of the country will have access to technology that defines the 21st century. Today, we reach for the sky and achieve what others said was impossible. Today, we demonstrate to the world that we will not falter in our resolve to secure our future for our children. Today we celebrate 'Akash' and ponder over it and understand for ourselves what it means for our educational system and for our children," said Sibal.

"But let me not limit the achievements of this great enterprise to only our children. Akash ultimately is a device, it is a low cost device, which will enable the children of the world to access information. Let me send out a message not to just our children, but the children around the world. This is not just for us," he added.

A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen.

It often uses an onscreen virtual keyboard, a passive stylus pen, or a digital pen, rather than a physical keyboard. (ANI)

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/kapil-sibal-launches-tablet-computer-114415480.html

Facebook sued over tracking logged out users

London, Oct 2 (ANI): A group of users have sued Facebook after it emerged that the social networking giant tracks its users' online activities after they are logged out.

Australian technologist Nik Cubrilovic recently claimed that when the user is logged out of Facebook, rather than deleting its tracking cookies, the site merely modifies them, maintaining account information and other unique tokens that can be used to identify its users.

Facebook then admitted its cookies could have been used to track people, adding that the company has now fixed the problem.

But 10 public interest groups have asked the US Federal Trade Commission to investigate Facebook's tracking of internet users, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

They have urged the commission to examine whether Facebook's new ticker and timeline features increased privacy risks for users by combining biographical information in an easily accessible format.

According to the report, the lawsuit that has been filed by Perrin Aikens Davis, of Illinois, seeks class status on behalf of other Facebook users in the US.

Davis seeks unspecified damages and a court order blocking the tracking based on violations of federal laws, including restrictions on wiretapping, as well as computer fraud and abuse statutes.

Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes, however, said in a statement that this 'complaint is without merit' and that they 'will fight it vigorously'. (ANI)

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/facebook-sued-over-tracking-logged-users-061442988.html

Hazare turns blogger; joins Facebook, Twitter

Mumbai, Sep 29 (IANS) Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare seems set to take the virtual world by storm. He Thursday became a blogger and even joined social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.

The blog, with posts in English, Hindi and Marathi, is titled 'Anna Hazare Says' and can be accessed on: https://annahazaresays.wordpress.com.

In his inaugural post, Hazare wrote: 'It is after a long time that I am directly communicating with you. Henceforth, it is from this blog that I will be constantly in touch with you.'

'We started a movement demanding that Janlokpal Bill be passed in India and slowly the crusade spearheaded into a full-fledged non-violent revolution spilling on to the Ramlila grounds,' he added.

The activist said he found the support of the people and his young friends as overwhelming as they came forward from every corner of the country and their cries awakened India from its deep slumber.

'Their cries not only shook the very roots of our country but people from world over who had fallen prey to injustice, corruption took active part in the movement.

'The entire movement was infectious. This was the beginning of a revolution. It was the beginning of India's second struggle for independence,' Hazare said.

The 74-year old leader pointed out that parliament gave an assurance that it would put forward some of the demands from the Jan Lokpal Bill and get them approved.

'But assurance doesn't necessarily mean law. A bigger fight awaits us,' Hazare urged.

The activist warned that the movement still 'has a long way to go and very soon it will acquire a non-violent, but intense flavour of a nation-wide revolution'.

'To enable a one-to-one conversation with you I will soon embark on my journey throughout India. I will address problems faced by people at every step of life... Interactive communication on this blog will start very soon. You can share your queries, problems thoughts and emotions with me,' Hazare appealed.

He also wrote on his blog that he has joined Facebook and Twitter.

Source:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/hazare-turns-blogger-joins-facebook-twitter-141522834.html

PCB to use Akhtar book in court case

Karachi, September 28 (AFP): Pakistan cricket authorities said on Wednesday they would use confessions made by retired paceman Shoaib Akhtar in his autobiography in court to justify disciplining the former international.

In the book, launched last week in India, Akhtar confessed to ball-tampering and other violations of conduct during a 14-year career that was marred by injury and discipline problems before his retirement in April this year.

The book, "Controversially Yours", has riled Indian fans and media alike with harsh comments on batting greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, claiming the duo were not "match winners."

Akhtar's appeal against a record seven million rupee (then $82,400) disciplinary fine imposed three years ago is pending in the Lahore high court.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) legal adviser Taffzul Rizvi said excerpts of the book will now be used in court against the one-time world's fastest bowler.

"In a writ case it is important for someone to have clean conduct and in his autobiography Akhtar has confessed to breach of discipline and has not come out clean, so we will use them in the court case," Rizvi told AFP.

Akhtar was banned for five years after he criticised the PCB for axing him from the central contracts in early 2008.

His suspension was later reduced to 18 months, and although the fine was imposed, he was allowed to play international cricket.

In October 2007, Akhtar was banned for 13 matches and fined 3.4 million rupees for hitting teammate Mohammad Asif with a bat just days before the Twenty20 World Cup in September in South Africa.

"Akhtar has confessed to all breaches of contract which justifies PCB's action of 2008," said Rizvi. "He has also violated his central contract which remains intact until year after a player's retirement," said Rizvi.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt also took a swipe at Akhtar.

"Akhtar is talking nonsense and we will take action officially once we get the book," Butt said earlier this week. "His comments can hamper our efforts of reviving cricket series with India."

Former captain Shoaib Malik, who Akhtar described as "a stooge of former PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf," said no one should take the book seriously.

"We should not take him seriously and his allegations are not worthy of response," said Malik.

Source:
http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article?id=item/2.0/-/story/cricket.yahoonews.com/pcb-use-akhtar-book-court-case-20110928/

Akhtar won’t respond to Sachin

After kicking the hornet's nest with sensational claims in his autobiography 'Controversially Yours', former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar didn't shy away from raising a new controversy when he said that 'it is beyond his dignity to respond to Sachin's snub.'

How To Sell A Cricket Book

In an interview with NewsX, the pacer took on Pakistan Cricket Board and Wasim Akram once again. He also clarified why Tendulkar was scared of him during the Faisalabad Test.

"Tendulkar was suffering from tennis elbow during that time and was having difficulty holding his bat (pulling), so we decided to target his head and get him out. We wanted to scare him off with barrage of bouncers. And I felt - that particular day - Sachin was scared, he was uncomfortable against me," Akhtar said.

Shoaib also maintained his stand that Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were not match-winners - atleast when he was around.

The speedster lashed out at PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, calling him a mad man. The pacer said "Ijaz Butt handled the match-fixing issue very badly, he just can't think straight. He has made Pakistan cricket a joke."

Following criticism of Akhtar's remarks, Butt expressed concern that cricket ties between both boards could be strained. However, BCCI re-assured the PCB tat Akhtar's jibe will not affect the renewal of Pakistan-India cricket ties.

On Wasim Akram, the pace bowler said it was not him but others in the team who did not want to play under him. "Though I respected Akram as a bowler, he was abusive and had bad attitude," Akhtar added.

Akram earlier said that no one but the 'Rawalpindi Express' himself was responsible for the setbacks in his career. "I know, Shoaib knows and the entire world knows that he himself is responsible for destroying his career. Nobody helped him (in destroying his career)."

Union minister and Mumbai Cricket Association president Vilasrao Deshmukh said that Shoaib Akhtar should apologise to Sachin Tendulkar for his controversial claims.

A promotional event of Akhtar's book launch scheduled to be held today in Mumbai was called off because of the adverse reaction to his unflattering remarks against top Indian players in his tell-all autobiography. Bangalore has also said no to his book launch, which was supposed to take place on Tuesday.

Source:
http://cricket.yahoo.com/blogs/article-akhtar-won-t-respond-to-sachin_15809