San Diego: An American pilot who dismissed initial reports of what turned out to be the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour has died at age 96.


Kermit Tyler was on duty on December 07, 1941, when two privates reported a large blip on their radar screen. Tyler famously responded, "Don't worry about it," thinking it was a flight of US B-17 bombers. 

Those words haunted Tyler for years, though historian Daniel Martinez says congressional committees and military inquiries that looked into what happened at Pearl Harbour did not find the pilot at fault. 

Tyler's daughter, Julie Jones, says her father died January 23 in San Diego after suffering two strokes in the last two years. 

 New Delhi: The Delhi High court has sought an explanation from MCD for not adopting modern technology for re-laying the city roads for better quality as the scheduled time for hosting the Commonwealth Game in October is approaching fast. 

In an order, Justice Kailash Gambhir sought a detailed affidavit from the civic agency by April 7 and asked MCD to consult the Central Road and Research Institute to introduce a proper mechanism for relaying the roads. 


The court said the agency had assured it to adopt international standards to ensure better life tenure of roads during the monsoon in September last year but nothing has been done so far. 

MCD shall indicate as to whether they have acquired two machines namely jetpatching and infra red heater and within how much time the machines will be functional on the roads of Delhi," said the order. 

The court was hearing a petition seeking direction to the city government and MCD for not taking appropriate steps to maintain better quality of roads with the onset of monsoon.

 New Delhi: India has asked Pakistan to hand over two Pakistani Army officers beilved to be part of the Mumbai attacks terror plot, claimed reports on Friday. 

The specific demand is believed to be part of the new dossier handed over to Pakistan Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir by his Indian counter Nirupama Rao during their keen watched talks in Delhi yesterday. 


The two Army officers have been identified as Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali. 

Major Iqbal is the first serving Pakistani Major to be named by India however it is still unclear weather Major Samir Ali is still serving with the Pakistan Army or has retired. 

India has also reiterated its demand for handing over JuD chief Hafiz Saeed and providing access to Al-Qaida commander Ilyas Kashmiri. 

Kashmiri is the man named by US terror suspect David Headley as his mentor 

Reports claim that India has in total asked Pakistan to hand over 33 terrorist including those five accused already in Pakistani custody to be handed over in the 26/11 case, along with three suspects, including Muzamil, Abu Hamza, Usman and Abu Kafa. 

It has been reported that the dossiers has given substantial evidence suggesting that Pakistan has given safe heaven to 17 Indian Mujahideen and seven Khalistani militants. 

Bashir has in return assured India of full co-operation on 26/11 case but dismissed the Indian dossier on Hafiz Saeed terming it as "literature, not evidence". 

Pakistan’s cautious response to Indian demand threatens the success of Indo-Pak engagement in future. 

Although, the two sides did not issue a joint declaration, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said that the Indo-Pak talks were constructive, but there is an overriding need to restore trust and confidence between the two nations. 

New Delhi: President Pratibha Patil on Monday said that checking inflation

The President also reiterated the government’s commitment to bringing forth a legislation to ensure food security.

The country's food inflation touched a decade high of about 20 percent in December before moderating to around 18 percent in February.

"The ‘aam aadmi’ was and is at the core of this promise, the ‘aam aadmi’ had to be protected against the ravages of the worst-ever global economic crisis since the Great Depression and against the failure of the monsoon in large parts of the country in mid 2009," she said.

"My government has combined a caring and sensitive approach in dealing with the immediate economic and social problems, has taken measures to strengthen the nation's security and has proceeded with a desire to accommodate disparate political regional voices."

She also expressed confidence that the Indian economy would grow by 7.5 percent in 2009-10 and at an even higher pace of 8 percent in the coming fiscal. In 20011-12 fiscal, the government is targeting an even higher growth rate of 9 percent, she added.

On the security front, the President said India was ready to explore a "meaningful" relationship with Pakistan if it seriously addresses the threat of terrorism.

Outlining the government's approach in the run-up to the talks between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir on February 25, the President said, "India is ready to explore a meaningful relationship with Pakistan if Pakistan seriously addresses the threat of terrorism and takes effective steps to prevent terrorist activities against India."

According to the President, infiltration of terrorists from across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir has gone up.

"Government remains vigilant against all forms of challenges posed by terrorism. Zero tolerance of terrorist activities is our principal policy. We have to keep constant watch and innovate against global terrorist groups," she said.

Jaipur: Neither the heroics of Jacques Kallis, nor the last moment struggle by Wayne Parnell and Dale Steyn could save South Africa, as a nail-bitting, nerve wrecking first one-dayer came to an end with India grabbing a 1-run victory at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Sunday.

With a complete top and middle order collapse, Kallis seemed like waging a lone battle. His stupendous 89 runs made him the highest scorer of the match.

Winning the toss early in the day, stand-in skipper Kallis opted to field first. Hoping to make complete use of the ‘high-scoring’ pitch, India’s batting campaign started on an absolutely contrary note as the hosts lost Sachin Tendulkar (4) in the second over itself.

The onus, thus, came on Virender Sehwag (46) and Dinesh Karthik (44) to make-up for the loss. Both the batsman, however, fell short of their respective half-centuries by a few runs.

Later, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) too couldn’t do much to repair the damage. After a series fall of wickets earlier in the game, Suresh Raina, along with Virat Kohli (31), gave some stability to the team’s score.

Though the spectators missed the delight of a strong partnership in the Indian innings, it was Suresh Raina’s short yet powerful innings of 58 runs that gave them the much needed entertainment. He was the only batsman in the Indian line-up to Raina claimed his 15th ODI fifty with the help of six boundaries and a super six before Jacques Kallis played the spoilsport, getting him caught by Mark Boucher. That was also the 250th ODI wicket for Kallis.

Towards the end of the Indian innings, Ashish Nehra (16 not out) played a short cameo with Praveen Kumar (13), leading India to a competitive score of 298/9.

Chasing a difficult but achievable score of 299 runs, the Proteas campaign was first hit by the loss of the opening pair, Loots Bosman and Herschelle Gibbs, soon after they crossed 50 for their team.

It was then when Kallis came into the front foot and kept on fighting till, until Sreesanth played the spoilsport and bowled him out for 89 runs. Sadly, none of the batsman could be of much support to Kallis.

Towards the end, to say that the commitment of Wayne Parnell (49) and Dale Steyn (35) was par excellence would be shame. The duo almost changed the game in favour of the visitors in the last 15 minutes. Both the batsmen hit some big shots in a hope for a miraculous triumph, but unfortunately couldn’t succeed.

With just three runs needed from a ball to win the match, it was the final run-out of Parnell by Dhoni that at last gave India the thrilling 1-wicket victory.


Ravinder Jadeja’s exploits with the bat (22 runs of 20 balls) and the ball (2 for 29 runs) earned him the Man of the Match award

Doha: Libya has given the Swiss embassy in Tripoli until 12 noon on Monday to hand over a Swiss national who has taken refuge there so he can serve out a jail sentence, a TV news channel reported from Qatar.

Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa had issued the ultimatum to European diplomats in Tripoli, said the channel.

The station was referring to Max Goeldi, who a Libyan appeal court sentenced to four months in jail for having overstayed his visa and illegal business activity.

Goeldi and another Swiss businessman, Rashid Hamdani, were convicted of identical charges.

But while those against Hamdani were dropped in January, Goeldi's original 16-month sentence was only reduced to four months on appeal.

Relations between Libya and Switzerland have been strained since July 2008, when Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son Hannibal was arrested in the Swiss city of Geneva after two domestic workers complained he had mistreated them.

The row escalated when Libya swiftly detained and confiscated the passports of Hamdani and Goeldi.

It deteriorated further last year when a tentative political deal between Swiss and Libyan ministers unravelled.

New Delhi: A 26-year-old married woman, who was pursuing MBA from a private institution, allegedly committed suicide in her east Delhi residence this morning and police have arrested her husband on charges of dowry harassment.

The incident was reported from Mayur Vihar Phase-I this morning. The victim identified as Puja Saini was married to Sandeep, an employee at a real estate firm.

The victim's brother, Manoj, found her hanging at her house when he came there after getting a message from Sandeep, who was in office, that Puja was not responding to his telephone calls.

Manoj alleged that Sandeep was constantly harassing his sister for dowry.

"Sandeep told Manoj that he had an argument with Puja in the morning and then he left for his office. After reaching the office, he tried to contact Puja several times, but she did not attend the calls. He contacted Manoj and asked him to visit his house and meet Puja," a senior police official said.

Manoj went to the house and knocked the door several times. As there was no response, he peeped into the house through the window only to find Puja hanging, the official said. Police were subsequently informed.

On a complaint filed by the brother, Sandeep was arrested and an SDM-level enquiry has been ordered. Puja and Sandeep got married on February 27, 2008.

The body has been sent to Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital for post mortem.

The Delhi High Court today dismissed a PIL seeking reduction of the permissible age limit for consumption of alcohol from 25 to 21.

A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Mukta Gupta rejected the argument taken by the petitioner's lawyer that a survey was conducted and many people recommended for lowering the age limit.

"We are not in agreement with your argument," the Bench said and dismissed the PIL filed by Community Against Drunken Driving, an NGO, seeking the court's direction to the government for appropriate changes in the Excise Act.

According to the petitioner, in various other states the age limit is fixed to 21 and in Delhi it is fixed for 25.

The organisation has claimed a survey was conducted by the NGO among the youngsters and it was recommended by them was the age limit should be relaxed for youngsters.

Washington: Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that chicken retina outperforms humans in ability to see colour.

They have mapped five types of light receptors in the chicken's eye. They discovered the receptors were laid out in interwoven mosaics that maximized the chicken's ability to see many colours in any given part of the retina, the light-sensing structure at the back of the eye.

"Based on this analysis, birds have clearly one-upped us in several ways in terms of colour vision," says Joseph C. Corbo, senior author and assistant professor of pathology and immunology and of genetics.

"Colour receptor organization in the chicken retina greatly exceeds that seen in most other retinas and certainly that in most mammalian retinas," he added.

Corbo plans follow-up studies of how this organization is established.

He says such insights could eventually help scientists seeking to use stem cells and other new techniques to treat the nearly 200 genetic disorders that can cause various forms of

.

The US today said Indian parliament needs to act upon the "critical" nuclear liability bill to take forward the Indo-American nuclear deal which had reached "almost the finishing line".

US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer said there were "a couple of small issues we have to resolve" but replied in the negative, when asked if the deal had hit a road-block.

"Liability bill first and foremost. That's critical...that's something (Indian) Parliament needs to act upon," he said, expressing hope this "very helpful, very important legislation for America and for India" would be passed in the next session.

"We are very hopeful, I am an optimist that this (bill) will get through in the next session of Parliament," he said.

Roemer said both countries were "very close" to the completion of reprocessing agreement. "We are very close. I think we will resolve that in the next couple of weeks. We are getting there. We are very close".

He said the two nations had made "great strides... almost to the finish line (on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal)".

Kolkata: Virender Sehwag slammed a blazing century off just 87 balls to give India a solid platform in the second Test against South Africa. Sehwag’s blistering knock consisted of 16 fours and two huge sixes.

Giving him company was Sachin Tendulkar, who also looked good during his stay at the crease.

During his 19th century on Monday, which is also his maiden ton at Eden Gardens, Sehwag was in his typical murderous mood, putting every South African bowler to the sword.

He started with faster bowlers Steyn and Morkel, hitting them with utmost ease in the beginning of the innings, and then, once left-arm spinner Paul Harris arrived on the scene, Sehwag bludgeoned him all over the park to fetch his entertaining century.

Virender Sehwag completed a quick-fire half-century off just 41 balls to take India close to hundred at lunch on Day 2. India were 97/2 with Sehwag was playing on 52 while Sachin Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 9.

Sehwag slammed 8 fours and a huge six over extra cover in his 45-ball knock that helped India start their innings in style.

Morne Morkel inflicted the second blow for South Africa when he induced an outside edge from M Vijay which was brilliantly caught by AB de Villiers behind the wicket. Vijay made just 7. When Vijay got out India were 82/2.

Live Scorecard: India Vs South Africa »

Just when South African had no clue whatsoever who to get the Indian openers out, a terrible misunderstanding between Gambhir and Sehwag cost India their first wicket in the form of Gautam Gambhir.

Sehwag, who helped India reached 72 for no loss, first called Gambhir for the second run and then rejected it which found Gambhir stranded at the middle of the pitch.

Gambhir played a sedate knock of 25 off 38 balls with the help of three fours and lent an ideal support to the maverick Sehwag.

After dismissing South Africa for just 296 runs, Indian openers- Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir- added salt to the visitors’ plight by playing some ruthless shots in the beginning of the Indian innings.

Sehwag, in particular, showed no respect for the South African faster bowlers and started to play shots all over the place. He helped India cross 50 off just 47 balls.

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan ended the 35-run last wicket partnership by removing Wayne Parnell to bowl South Africa out for 296 runs in the first innings of the 2nd Test here on Monday.

Zahher Khan, who plumbed Parnell for 12, emerged as the most successful bowler for India as he picked up 4 wickets for 90 runs.

Resuming the Day 2 at 266/9, the No. 10 and 11 Wayne Parnell and Morne Morkel added 30 valuable runs which might prove to be extremely important in the due course of the match.

Earlier on Day 1, Harbhajan Singh’s triple strike, which preceded double blows rendered by Zaheer Khan, proved cornerstones to India’s fightback that helped them script a dramatic comeback post tea in the second Test at Kolkata on Sunday.

After hosts had spent the first two sessions indulging in futile leather hunt, South Africa slumped from 218/1 at one stage, to 261/9 to send the holiday crowd at Eden Gardens into raptures.

At stumps, the South African score stood at 266/9 after bad light ended play roughly 30 minutes before the schedule.

In a sequence of events eerily similar to the ones that took place at this very venue 9 years ago, South Africa, like Australia then, seemed to be cruising along with debutant Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla stroking fluent centuries.

The script had been flowing like a dream for South Africa, who after winning the toss and despite losing Graeme Smith (4 runs) cheaply, hardly seemed to take a wrong step.

The duo blunted Indian bowling with effortless ease and during their 209 run-stand for the second wicket, it appeared that South Africans would take firm control of the Kolkata Test on day one itself.

Petersen was the first to fall, when having secured his maiden century, he failed to capitalize, was induced to a thick edge by Zaheer to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.

He struck 16 fours as he made exactly 100 runs, scoring at a relatively brisk pace (164 balls).

South Africa went into tea at 228/2.

Post tea, South Africa’s fortunes spiraled downwards, when Amla fell in the first over. Trying to pull a delivery from outside the off-stump, Amla managed only an edge, to Dhoni again.

He made 114 runs off 166 balls, a knock that was punctuated with 14 boundaries and a six.

Amla was Zaheer’s third wicket after the left-hander had added yet another successful chapter to his domination over Graeme Smith in the morning.

This was the fourth time Zaheer got the better of Smith, having dismissed him cheaply, clean bowled, in the Nagpur Test as well.

VVS Laxman then took a brilliant catch running backwards from leg slip, which spelt the doom for dangerman Jacques Kallis (10 runs), while gifting Harbhajan Singh his first wicket.

Ashwell Prince (1) and JP Duminy (0) fell off successive deliveries off Harbhajan.

Zaheer than made matters worse for the visitors with a direct hit to run-out AB De Villiers, which left South Africa reeling at 254/7.

Ishant then nailed the eighth nail in South Africa’s coffin with the wicket of Paul Harris, before Amit Mishra too then got into the act, trapping Dale Steyn LBW, capping off a remarkable turnaround to the proceedings in the process that saw 7 wickets fall in the final session.

Zaheer was finally rewarded for his lion-hearted efforts, ending with figures 3/77, while his partner in crime- Harbhajan too broke away from the shacles off bad form, finishing with figures of 3/60 at close.

Ishant, who subjected Amla to a barrage of short-pitched deliveries, manages a solitary wicket, as did Mishra.

For the Proteas, who lead the series 1-0, Smith had decided to take the field despite suffering a finger injury at practice 2 days ago. However Mark Boucher was ruled out with a back spasm, paving way for Alviro Petersen.

Meanwhile India, who need to win not only to salvage the series, but also to retain their numero uno ranking in Tests, replace Wriddhiman Saha with VVS Laxman.

New Delhi: In a move aimed at ensuring a paperless administration in the MCD, the civic body has undertaken a massive exercise to microfilm the records of its meetings for the last 50 years.

The measure will help in better record-keeping and more space saving as the MCD prepares to shift to its new headquarters at the Civic Centre by the beginning of the next financial year.

"In the office of the municipal secretary, the records of the meetings of the MCD Standing Committee and House for the last 50 years are there. The microfilming will help in better maintenance of the records while also saving space," an MCD official said.

Some 1200 volumes of records, consisting of over six lakh folios are being kept at the office.

Leader of MCD House Subhash Arya, in his speech on the civic body's 2010-11

, also talked about the project last week. "This will be a key step to ensure a paperless administration when the MCD shifts to the Civic Centre," the leader of the ruling BJP had said.

The Civic Centre is nearing completion and the MCD plans to move its various offices there by April.

The microfilming project will cost the MCD around Rs 3.5 crore, the provision for which has already been made.

Microfilming, or compression of images to such a small size that they cannot be read without optical assistance, is a popular method of document preservation.

New Delhi: A telephone call claiming that a bomb has been planted in a cinema hall here sent the security agencies into a tizzy this evening but it later turned out be a hoax and police arrested one person in this regard.

A call was received at Sangam Cinema in south Delhi's R K Puram at 6:44 pm that a bomb has been placed in the hall, a senior police official said.

Police was informed and Bomb disposal teams and dog squads were rushed to the spot.

After searches at the multiplex, which is screening Shahrukh Khan-starrer 'My Name is Khan', police declared the call as a hoax.

Police arrested one Radhe Shankar, a resident of Nand Nagri, after technical surveillance, the sources said.

Jakarta: Authorities removed a statue of Barack Obama from a park in the Indonesian capital due to a public backlash and moved it on Monday to a nearby elementary school that the US president attended as a child.

The bronze statue, inspired by a childhood photograph of a 10-year-old Obama in shorts with a butterfly perched on an outstretched thumb, had been targeted by critics since it was erected in the Jakarta park last December.

Detractors argued that an Indonesian hero should have been honoured instead, noting that Obama still could pursue policies that hurt Indonesia's interests.

Obama, whose American mother married an Indonesian after divorcing his Kenyan father, went to school in the capital from 1967 to 1971 and is regarded fondly by most Indonesians.

Edi Kusyanto, a teacher at the affluent government school Obama attended, said the 43-inch (110-centimetre) statue would be standing in the school grounds by the time the president visits Jakarta from March 20-22.

"There is no controversy about the statue being here. Everyone at the school welcomes it," Kusyanto said.

The statue was erected with private funds raised by the Jakarta-based nonprofit group Friends of Obama Foundation, but Jakarta Gov Fauzi Bowo is paying for its relocation.

New Delhi: Terming that the Babri masjid demolition and Gujarat riots left a scar on the country's face, Union Minister Sachin Pilot today said the government was taking all measures to ensure the welfare of Muslims but the activists countered him alleging that the community members were being targeted for their religion.

Participating in 'Doha debate' at St Stephens College here on whether Indian Muslims were given a fair deal, Pilot said "we regretted the Gujarat riot. Babri Masjid has been a scar on our face but justice has not been denied. We guarantee that nothing of this sort will happen in future."

Speaking against the motion, the minister said the Constitution has provided equal opportunity to everyone irrespective of their religion and Muslims have enjoyed democracy for the last 60 years.

"Anybody who understands India and its ethos will completely disagree that the Muslims are being targeted in the country. Muslims have become President, Vice President and held many important posts," he said.

Disagreeing with Pilot, Seema Mustafa, editor of Covert magazine, said Muslims have always faced discrimination and the Sachar Committee report have proved it. They are being labelled as terrorists and sometimes appeased groups.

"Government of India, political parties and also the Muslim leaders who mostly belong to the elite and upper class should be held responsible for the present condition of the Muslims," she said.

Spain: Apple Inc. rocked the wireless business by combining the functions of a phone and an iPod. Now, more than two years later, Microsoft Corp. has its comeback: phone software that works a lot like its own Zune media player.

The software, which was unveiled Monday at the Mobile World Congress, is a dramatic change from previous generations of the software that used to be called

. But Microsoft is, for now, sticking to its model of making the software and selling it to phone manufacturers, rather than making its own phones.

Microsoft's mobile system powered 13.1 percent of smart phones sold in the U.S. last year, according to research firm In-Stat. That made it No. 3 after Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and the

. But Microsoft has been losing market share while Apple and Google Inc.'s Android gained.

All the while, the market is becoming increasingly important. People are spending more and more time on their phones, and the devices steer people to potentially lucrative Web services and ads.

Phones with the new software will be on the market by the holidays, Microsoft said. All four major U.S. carriers will offer phones, just as they sell current Windows phones.

The new ones won't be called "Zune phones," as had been speculated. The software will be called "Windows Phone 7 series."

Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin said the new software looked promising, but that it was also Microsoft's "final chance to get it right." He notes that those who have current Windows phones don't seem excited about the brand — many of them believe their phones are made by Apple or Nokia Corp., according to his firm's research.

Andy Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft's mobile communications business, said Windows Mobile suffered from the company's chaotic approach to the market. The software maker gave phone hardware makers and wireless carriers so much freedom to alter the system and install it on so many different devices that none worked the same way.

As a result, while other phone vendors such as Apple linked their hardware and software tightly to ensure a better experience, Windows Mobile might not have looked like it quite fit on a certain handset.

With the new software, "We really wanted to lead and take much more complete accountability than we had in earlier versions of the Windows phone for the end user experience," CEO Steve Ballmer said at the Barcelona launch event.

Microsoft is imposing a set of required features for Windows phones. Manufacturers must include permanent buttons on the phone for "home," "search" and "back"; a high-resolution screen with the same touch-sensing technology as the iPhone; and a camera with at least 5 megapixels of resolution and a flash. Hardware QWERTY keyboards will be optional.

Spain: Apple Inc. rocked the wireless business by combining the functions of a phone and an iPod. Now, more than two years later, Microsoft Corp. has its comeback: phone software that works a lot like its own Zune media player.

The software, which was unveiled Monday at the Mobile World Congress, is a dramatic change from previous generations of the software that used to be called Windows Mobile. But Microsoft is, for now, sticking to its model of making the software and selling it to phone manufacturers, rather than making its own phones.

Microsoft's mobile system powered 13.1 percent of smart phones sold in the U.S. last year, according to research firm In-Stat. That made it No. 3 after Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and the iPhone. But Microsoft has been losing market share while Apple and Google Inc.'s Android gained.

All the while, the market is becoming increasingly important. People are spending more and more time on their phones, and the devices steer people to potentially lucrative Web services and ads.

Phones with the new software will be on the market by the holidays, Microsoft said. All four major U.S. carriers will offer phones, just as they sell current Windows phones.

The new ones won't be called "Zune phones," as had been speculated. The software will be called "Windows Phone 7 series."

Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin said the new software looked promising, but that it was also Microsoft's "final chance to get it right." He notes that those who have current Windows phones don't seem excited about the brand — many of them believe their phones are made by Apple or Nokia Corp., according to his firm's research.

Andy Lees, senior vice president of Microsoft's mobile communications business, said Windows Mobile suffered from the company's chaotic approach to the market. The software maker gave phone hardware makers and wireless carriers so much freedom to alter the system and install it on so many different devices that none worked the same way.

As a result, while other phone vendors such as Apple linked their hardware and software tightly to ensure a better experience, Windows Mobile might not have looked like it quite fit on a certain handset.

With the new software, "We really wanted to lead and take much more complete accountability than we had in earlier versions of the Windows phone for the end user experience," CEO Steve Ballmer said at the Barcelona launch event.

Microsoft is imposing a set of required features for Windows phones. Manufacturers must include permanent buttons on the phone for "home," "search" and "back"; a high-resolution screen with the same touch-sensing technology as the iPhone; and a camera with at least 5 megapixels of resolution and a flash. Hardware QWERTY keyboards will be optional.

A test device from Asus, which Microsoft used to demonstrate the new phone software for The Associated Press in Redmond, Wash., also had a front camera and a speaker.

The iPhone's success has spurred lots of look-alike phones with screenfuls of tiny square icons representing each program. Just as it did with the Zune, Microsoft has tried to avoid an icon-intensive copy of that setup. Instead, it relies more on clickable words and images pulled from the content itself. For example, if you put a weather program on the device's home page, it shows a constantly updated snapshot of conditions where you are, rather than a static icon that you have to click in order to see the weather.

The idea of pulling information from different Web sites, like Facebook, and presenting them on the phone's "home" screen isn't unique to Microsoft: Motorola Inc. and HTC Corp. have created such software for their own phones.

Windows Phone 7 Series borrows the clean look of the Zune software, departing from the more "computer screen" look of earlier Microsoft efforts. These were also reliant on the user pulling out a stylus for more precise maneuvering, while the software is designed to be used with the fingers. It's not clear how older third-party applications designed for the stylus will work on the new phones.

Bureau Report
 

Kolkata: It’s just one day to go for the all important clash for Dhoni & Co. where they would be keen in salvaging India’s lost pride at Nagpur.

But amidst presence of world cricket’s best stars, it is the Eden Gardens pitch which is attracting all attention here in City of Joy.

Bolstered by the return of seasoned batsman VVS Laxman, Indian team had an extended practice session ahead of their crucial second and final cricket Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens from February 14-18.

Looking fully fit, the stylish Hyderabadi began with slip catch practice along with senior pro Sachin Tendulkar with coach Gary Kirsten edging the strokes.

Laxman then had an extended net session along with Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan for about three hours.

Curator Prabir Mukherjee promised a sporting track for Test even as the pitch had grass on it.

"It will be ready and mowed down in time. We have always had sporting tracks and mostly getting a result. It was a draw in the last Test but it went on till the final day," he said.

Mukherjee however said breeze in the afternoon with open stands might play a role.

"With the galleries demolished (for World Cup renovation) we might have breeze playing a role," he said. The Eden curator was recently in spotlight following reports that Board had instructed him to prepare a turning wicket to enhance India`s chances.

CAB chief, however, had earlier dismissed such suggestions saying, "We never gave any such instruction. We have no idea about this. Overnight, the character of a pitch could not be changed."

Down 0-1 after their loss in Nagpur, India now have to win the Eden Test to retain their No 1 ICC Test ranking.

A draw would help South Africa reclaim the top spot.

Port-au-Prince: Atop the rubble of destroyed churches, in parks and on sidewalks, thousands of Haitians prayed on Friday in a national day of mourning, one month after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed more than 200,000 and left this Caribbean country struggling for survival.

Leaders of Haiti's two official

- a Catholic bishop and the head of the

priests, both robed in white - joined ministers from

denominations for a prayer service in the shade of mimosa trees near the shattered National Palace.

Hundreds of people gathered. Men wore black armbands of mourning, girls frilly white dresses. Among them were earthquake amputees in wheelchairs, casts and hobbling on crutches.

President Rene Preval wept during the service, his wife trying to console him.

"The pain is too heavy - Words cannot explain it," Preval said.

The President later asked people to support the government, though he did not refer to the many small demonstrations this week demanding that he resign.

Parishioners filled churches in Port-au-Prince's Petionville suburb and set up loudspeakers so those in the streets could follow.

Others stood on debris that used to be a Catholic Church and an evangelical church to remember victims hurriedly and anonymously buried in mass graves outside the devastated capital, Port-au-Prince.

Wellington: The decision by New Zealand's largest Sikh temple to hail as martyrs the three men who assassinated Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has upset some members of the Indian community in Auckland.

The temple in Manukau has hung on its walls portraits of Gandhi's bodyguards Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, who were killed in a gun battle after firing more than 30 bullets into her in 1984, and of co-conspirator Kehar Singh, who was sentenced to death, the Weekend Herald reported Saturday.

Entitled "Shaheed Bhai" - or martyr brother - they hang alongside others who have been killed for their Sikh beliefs.

The newspaper described how the pictures had divided the Sikh community and upset other Indians in New Zealand's largest city, which has the country's largest Asian population.

"If someone wants to honour a terrorist, that's an individual choice," Veer Khar, general secretary of the New Zealand Indian Central Association, told the paper.

"But to put them up in a public place, as a community we totally condemn such an activity."

He acknowledged that atrocities were committed against the Sikh community prior to Gandhi's assassination, but said honouring the men who killed her was creating unnecessary tension.

"We sympathise with the pain, we don't deny that those things happened," he said. "We want to say that we have to move on in life."

However, Ranvir Lali Singh, a Sikh who has been involved with the temple for 15 years, told the paper that anyone who died for the religion was considered a martyr.

"We don't consider those who killed Indira Gandhi as terrorists, they are our martyrs," he said. "She was killed by her Sikh bodyguards as revenge for her attack on the Golden Temple, our holiest shrine, and for that, we consider them our martyrs. There is nothing wrong."

A spokesman for India's senior diplomat in New Zealand, High Commissioner Sureesh Mehta, acknowledged the issue was "sensitive", but declined further comment.

Hyderabad:  Bureaucrats continue to shock the nation with their gigantic bank accounts.

After top bureaucrats were caught with disproportionate assets in Bhopal and Chattisgarh, now, it's the turn of Andhra's babus to blush.

The Special Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, K Gopalakrishna, has been arrested. Income tax raids at Gopalakrishna's home have revealed documents and property worth 14 crores.

More details are awaited. 

Mumbai: While the Shiv Sena protests and threatens to stop the release of Shah Rukh Khan's new film, Raj Thackeray says he'll steer clear of the Sena's war with Khan. 

At a press conference in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray said that his party, the Maharashtra Navrnirman Sena (MNS), will not target the film, which releases in Mumbai on Friday.

His estranged uncle and cousin, Bal and Uddhav Thackeray, have warned that Shiv Sainiks are likely to "spontaneously" attack cinemas showing the film unless Khan apologizes for his statement on Pakistani cricketers. There is tight security outside Mumbai theatres which are scheduled to show the film. More than a thousand Sainiks have been taken into preventive custody. On Wednesday, nervous cinemas stopped advance sales of tickets for the film. Once the police added more security to cinemas identified as vulnerable by theatre-owners, advance bookings re-opened.

The movie, directed by Karan Johar, has become the target of the Sena-SRK face-off. Khan has repeatedly said he will not apologize for his comments.

After the film's premiere in Dubai on Wednesday night, Karan Johar tweeted, "Crisis can truly be an eye opener...you know who stand tall with you and realise those who don't...so much I have learnt today...miss my dad."

Last year, under similar pressure, Karan Johar was forced to apologize to Raj Thackeray whose party objected to Mumbai being called 'Bombay in Johar's film, Wake Up, Sid.

That was different, says Thackeray, because the incorrect reference was made within the film. Shah Rukh's comments were not a part of the movie and therefore the movie should not be targeted, added Thackeray.
 

Jammu: Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has opposed the proposal of the state government for granting amnesty to militants in Pakistan willing to return Jammu and to join the mainstream.

Azad said the move could be counter productive and a threat to the security of Jammu & Kashmir.

"Who will give the guarantee for the Kashmiri youth in PoK who want to return? It needs to be checked, who wants to come. Whether they want to spread terrorism or they want to shun the path of terrorism. It is not that easy. Pakistan can make any move anytime. It can say that 1000 men want to return after leaving the path of terrorism. Pakistan is saying it would be difficult to believe in that. Terrorists can infiltrate as well. So a proper verification needs to be done in this," he said.
 

New Delhi: An American citizen, Winston Marshall, is being interrogated after a knife was found hidden in his hand-baggage at the Delhi airport.

Marshall was on his way to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight early on Wednesday morning. The knife was detected after Marshall had cleared Immigration.

Sources say so far, questioning by the Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau has not revealed any terror links, and also, that a security officer spotted the knife when Marshall's handbag was being x-rayed. Marshall initially denied that he was carrying a knife. The security officer then screened all the articles in Marshall's bag again. He found a hard substance in a plastic bag, and broke it open to find a 5-inch-long knife.

Marshall said he got the bag "From Pakistan."

The casing that the knife was wrapped in is described by sources as a hard Ayurvedic substance called Shilajit, reportedly an aphrodisiac.

Marshall is not a Caucasian. He converted to Islam a few years ago, and stayed at the Nizamuddin Dargah. He had also travelled by road from India to Pakistan recently, crossing the Wagah border. He stayed at several madarsas in Pakistan. He has a multiple-entry tourist visa. Investigation has revealed that he converted to Islam some years ago and has three wives and 19 children
An American citizen, Winston Marshall, is being interrogated after a knife was found hidden in his hand-baggage at the Delhi airport.

Marshall was on his way to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight early on Wednesday morning. The knife was detected after Marshall had cleared Immigration.

Sources say so far, questioning by the Delhi Police and the Intelligence Bureau has not revealed any terror links.

Sources tell NDTV that a security officer spotted the knife when Marshall's handbag was being x-rayed. Marshall initially denied that he was carrying a knife. The security officer then screened all the articles in Marshall's bag again. He found a hard substance in a plastic bag, and broke it open to find a 5-inch-long knife.

Marshall said he got the bag "From Pakistan."

The casing that the knife was wrapped in is described by sources as a hard Ayurvedic substance called Shilajit, reportedly an aphrodisiac.

Marshall is not a Caucasian. He converted to Islam a few years ago, and stayed at the Nizamuddin Dargah. He had also travelled by road from India to Pakistan recently, crossing the Wagah border. He stayed at several madarsas in Pakistan.
 

Washington: New assessments of al Qaeda by the top US counter-terrorism experts offer grounds for both optimism and concern a year after President Barack Obama took office.

The Washington Post quotes officials, as saying that al Qaeda's ability to wage mass-casualty terrorism has been undercut by relentless US attacks on the network's leadership, finances and training camps. But it also warns that despite this weakened state, the group has shifted tactics to focus on small-scale operations that are far harder to detect and disrupt.

The deadly November shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, and the failed Christmas Day attempt to bomb an airliner are both examples of the low-tech approach.

The paper says this has raised the fear level in Washington and across the country.

Some terrorism experts say the worst could be still to come as a wounded jihadist movement thrashes about in search of a victory.

"The noose is tightening, and al Qaeda's leadership is accelerating efforts that were probably in place anyway," said Andy Johnson, former staff director of the Senate intelligence committee and now national security director for the Washington think tank Third Way.

In testimony before two congressional panels last week, top US intelligence officials said the campaign has shaken al Qaeda's core leadership.

"Intelligence confirms that they are finding it difficult to be able to engage in the planning and the command-and-control operations to put together a large attack," CIA director Leon Panetta said on Tuesday in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

But intelligence officials also warned lawmakers of worrisome new evidence of al Qaeda's ability to adapt.

In an annual "threat assessment" to Congress, spy agencies described the emerging threat as more geographically dispersed and also low-tech, favouring lone operatives and conventional explosives.

Director of National Intelligence Dennis C Blair, who presented the assessment to House and Senate panels, said the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 over Detroit is emblematic of an evolving threat.

Blair testified that he thought another attempted strike by terrorists was "certain" in the next six months.

Terrorism experts and administration officials have described the December 25 bombing attempt as a wake-up call that helped expose gaps in security that are now being addressed.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the trial court to wrap up the four cases pending in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases within six months.

A division bench of Chief Justice AP Shah and Justice Rajiv Sahai directed the trial court to conclude the trials in all four cases within six months. The court also appointed a special public prosecutor and an advocate to argue the cases in the trial court and the high court.

The court was hearing an appeal by the 1984 riot victims who pleaded for speedy trials.

New Delhi: Under attack for recent deaths at a government-run observation home for special children, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today admitted "failure" on part of the authorities to ensure proper care to the inmates.

Dikshit said she was concerned over the deaths of children at the Asha Kiran home for mentally challenged children in Rohini and asked the Social Welfare department to investigate the reasons and take remedial steps.

"I think we have failed to take proper care of the children... I have also asked the concerned minister to look into the matter seriously," she said.

Dikshit's comments came a day after the death of another mentally challenged child at the observation home run by the Social Welfare department.

A total of 23 children have died at the home in the last one year.

Asked about the role of an NGO which was given responsibility to run the home, Dikshit said the PPP model has failed to ensure proper running of the home.

Delhi Government had last week formed a five-member committee to investigate the reasons for the deaths and asked it to file the report within two weeks.

The National Human Rights Commission last month had also taken cognisance of deaths of inmates at the observation home and asked the government to file a "detailed report".

Washington: Space shuttle

Space Station

The launch marks the beginning of the end of National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) nearly 29-year-old space shuttle programme, which is scheduled to be retired in September.

Endeavour will be followed by just four more shuttle flights to complete construction of the International Space Station

Washington: The United States and France said they will push for "strong" new UN anti-nuclear sanctions against Iran after the Middle East state announced it was going to step up its uranium enrichment.

Iran's move to boost its enrichment capacity again surprised Western nations who fear that the Islamic republic is trying to develop its own nuclear weapon.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates agreed in talks that tough new sanctions must be passed against Iran, the French Presidency said.

Sarkozy and Gates "agreed that the time has come for the adoption of strong sanctions, in the hope that dialogue will be resumed," an official at the French presidency said after a meeting in Paris between the two leaders.

French Defence Minister Herve Morin, speaking after earlier talks with Gates, said: "We have no choice but to work on other measures."

Gates, in an interview with the US Fox News program, said Iran had been given "multiple opportunities" to provide reassurances of their intentions and their response "has been consistently disappointing."

"And so now I think we're in a position to turn to the pressure track and get broad international support for some serious sanctions, in terms of trying to give the Iranian government to change its approach," he added.

Tensions have been heightened by Iran's announcement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it would start enriching uranium to 20 percent from Tuesday.Related article:Iran capable of enriching uranium

The IAEA, backed by the international powers, had proposed a deal which envisages 3.5 percent uranium being sent to Russia and France for enrichment to 20 percent and then returned as fuel for a research reactor in Iran. A nuclear weapon would require enrichment to 90 percent.

Iran's announcement came less than a week after it signaled support for the UN-drafted deal.

IAEA director general Yukiya Amano was worried about Iran's decision to begin higher enrichment, a spokeswoman said.

"Amano noted with concern this decision, as it may affect, in particular, ongoing international efforts to ensure the availability of nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor," said Gill Tudor.

"The director general reiterated the agency's readiness to play an intermediary role," she added.

said Iran's announcement showed it was not cooperating with the international community. Britain's Foreign Office said Iran's "contradictory rhetoric" was "deeply worrying".

A top Russian lawmaker called it "a sure step backward" and suggested new sanctions should be discussed -- a step Moscow has previously opposed. "The international community should... send Tehran a new message about its intention to react with serious measures -- to the point of tougher economic sanctions," said Konstantin Kosachev, who heads the Russian parliament foreign affairs committee.

Tehran: Iran on Wednesday hailed the successful launch of a home-built satellite carrying a rat, turtles and worms, amid Western concerns Tehran is using its nuclear and space industries to develop atomic and ballistic weapons.

Iranian state television said the Kavoshgar 3 (Explorer) rocket carried a capsule containing "live animals" -- marking Iran's first experiment in sending living creatures into space.

Television footage showed a white rat on its back in a container with tubes protruding from its mouth. Two other containers contained respectively several dark worms and small turtles.

France said it had received news of the launch of the rocket with "great concern."

"This announcement can only reinforce the concerns of the international community as Iran in parallel develops a nuclear programme that has no identifiable civil aims," a spokesman said in Paris.

The ISNA news agency said the capsule carrying the creatures returned to earth safely after a U-shaped voyage as planned, but it did not elaborate on the condition of the animals.

"It is a great job that living organisms can be sent into space, we do experiments on them and they return to earth," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said as he welcomed the launch.

The ILNA news agency reported that Iranian Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the "biological data of the animals will be sent to us for evaluation."

State television showed footage of the rocket being fired from a desert launchpad leaving behind a thick plume of smoke.

A few minutes later the grainy images showed the capsule detaching from the rocket and spinning in orbit.

The television also carried pictures of Ahmadinejad unveiling another home-built rocket designed to carry satellites, dubbed Simorgh (Phoenix).

New Delhi: CPI on Wednesday asked the Government not to act on the report of a Prime Minister-appointed expert group that suggested freeing petrol and diesel prices, saying a further hike in fuel prices will add "further burden" on the common people.

Party National Secretary D Raja said the CPI will "wait and see the Government's reaction on the committee but if the government acts on the report, it will further burden the aam admi (common man)."

"Any hike in LPG and fuel cannot be tolerated. Already people are under inflation pressure. Already the government has failed to control the price rise. It is the failure of its policies," he said.

Raja alleged that the government was not paying heed to "constructive" suggestions made by the Left parties to control the price issue.

"If the government acts on the report, then it will mean that it is interested only in protecting the interests of the private sector and not the common people," he said.

Kirit Parikh, who headed the panel, Wednesday called for raising LPG rates by a steep Rs 100 per cylinder and kerosene by Rs 6 a litre. He also suggested freeing of petrol and diesel prices.

Melbourne: After threat from right-wing party Shiv Sena, Australian cricketers have been advised not to venture out of their hotels alone or wear national uniforms and other clothing identifying their nationality during their participation in the IPL.

The same advise has also been given to the Australian hockey team which will be soon in New Delhi to compete in the World Cup, starting February 28.

Bal Thackerey-led Shiv Sena had threatened that they will not let Australian cricketers play in Mumbai and Nagpur, venues for IPL matches, in the wake of attacks on Indians Down Under.

Bob Nicholls, the Australian chief of security for the IPL, said they were satisfied with the security arrangements but as precautionary measures they have given a list of do`s and don`ts to their players.

"The times that we would be most concerned about is when they are out and about on their own, we will be giving them a list of dos and don`ts. It is pretty straightforward, the greater risk is if people are going out on their own rather than in a team environment, and not to go out advertising that they are Aussies, wearing Aussie shirts.

"The same advice has been given to the Australian hockey team [for the World Cup]," Nicholls was quoted as saying by `The Age`. Although, the threat is presently being considered on the lower scale of the danger rating, but the overall threat to players in India is described as "high".

Nicholls said if the Shiv Sena threat developed then specific plans for Australian players would be used.

"The security situation in India is not what we would like it to be, there are concerns, the threat level does remain high. There are concerns generally outside of the Shiv Sena thing. Shiv Sena is obviously a particular area of concern for the Aussies, but from our perspective, we look at the team as a whole," he said.

"And what I can say is that the level of protection we are providing for the general threat is greater than if we were implementing security strategy purely for the Shiv Sena threat, therefore we believe the players will be safe. At the moment there doesn`t seem to be any acts of violence happening against Australians in India."

Security experts have warned of a possible terrorist attack during the IPL and the level of threat has been described as similar to that around the time of the Mumbai terror attack in 2008.

Twenty-one Australian players are listed to play in next month`s IPL, including Shane Watson, Cameron White, David Hussey, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Ryan Harris, Dirk Nannes and Shaun Tait.

Melbourne: Indian High Commissioner to Australia has reportedly met Australian Governor-General, warning of long term consequences unless more action was taken to prevent attacks against the Indians and pointed that the Victoria was in "a state of denial".

The new development came after Victorian premier John Brumby yesterday lashed out Indian media and some government officials for "unbalanced views on the ongoing attacks".

According to a newspaper report, top Indian envoy Sujatha Singh had sought a meeting with Bryce in Sydney last Friday.

She has believed to have told the Governor-General Quentin Bryce that Australia is not racist but warned of long term effect unless more action was taken to prevent attacks.

The report said while she applauded the role of police in NSW, Queensland and South Australia for handling racist attacks, Victoria was taking too long to respond and was in a state of "denial" over the severity of the attacks.

Citing more than 100 incidents of racist violence against Indians, she told Bryce Victorian authorities were in denial over the scale of the attacks.

The report said even as Victorian police have repeatedly said they do not record the ethnicity of assault victims, a spokesman yesterday was unable to confirm Singh's claimed number of incidents.

The 29-year-old Jaspreet Singh of Grice Crescent, Essendon, was charged yesterday with making a false report and criminal damage with a view to gaining financial advantage over the car fire.

Police told a bail justice that Singh was in financial difficulty and stood to gain AUSD 11,000 in insurance from the incident.

He was bailed to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on March 15.

Sharply reacting on the latest developemnt, Victorian Premier yesterday commented "I hope that there is some balance to the debate, some balance to the reporting in India, and certainly to date that balance hasn't been there".

Brumby said the point needed to be made that the people charged with the murder of Indian Ranjodh Singh in NSW were Indian.

The Indian High Commission declined to comment on the meeting between Singh and Bryce.

Gaza: Israeli F-16s carried out an airstrike late Tuesday against underground smuggling tunnels at the Gaza Strip-Egypt border, witnesses and security sources said.

No casualties were reported.

The witnesses said that the Israeli warplanes circled over southern Gaza before rocketing the border area and destroying several tunnels.

Israel imposed a tight Gaza blockade more than two years ago, when the Palestinian coastal territory was seized by the Islamic militant movement Hamas. Since then, Palestinians have burrowed hundreds of tunnels and smuggled goods and fuel from Egypt into the enclave.

Israel said that Gaza Strip militants are also using tunnels to smuggle Iranian-supplied weapons and explosives into the Gaza Strip.

Earlier Tuesday, Israeli radio reported that a homemade rocket was fired from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel. No damage or casualties were reported in the rocket attack, and there was no claim of responsibility.

The Israeli airstrike on the borderline area was carried out after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed earlier Tuesday to retaliate after the discovery of floating explosives on Israel's southern shores near Gaza.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena on Wednesday stepped up its attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the "Mumbai for all Indians" remark, raking up Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin.

"Mumbai may belong to all Indians but how can it belong to an Italian mummy," Thackeray said in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamna'.

"The 'Prince of Congress' is totally frustrated and it is in this frustration he has insulted Marathi people and Maharashtra," he said.

The Sena leader said Mumbai was not a "dharamshala" (guesthouse) of the country that "anyone comes to Mumbai, spits here and leaves."

Referring to the 105 people killed during the Sanyukta Maharashtra Movement dating back to the 1920s, he said, "Have 105 martyrs sacrificed their lives so that Mumbai becomes a dharamshala (guest house)".

"Saying that Bihari commandos protected Mumbai during the 26/11 attacks is like insulting the sacrifice of policemen like Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte and Tukaram Omble," he said, referring to the Congress leader's remark that NSG men from North

India

were involved in vanquishing terrorists during the terror attack.

Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra and Marathi people, Thackeray maintained and added that "If anyone is going to murder this truth, he will have to face weapons of Maharashtra".

The Congress leader yesterday asserted that India is for all Indians and people have a right to go anywhere.

"I am really not interested in what Bal Thackeray or Raj Thackeray have to say. Frankly, I am interested in one concept that India belongs to Indians and every part of India belongs to every Indian", he had said at a press conference in Patna."In Mumbai (during the 26/11 attacks), men in the NSG were from Bihar, UP, Gujarat,

Himachal Pradesh

and Maharashtra. At that time they (Sena) did not say that those from Bihar and UP should be taken out. India has to move forward and all have to be taken forward," he had said.