Taliban Attack

Taliban attack with a mission to target Afghan Cabinet minister failed as the minister luckily escaped from it. Actually it was a road side bomb which was set to attack the minister but has killed 3 road side people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on Khan, a key member of the Northern Alliance whose forces helped U.S. forces in toppling the Taliban in 2001.

"The target was Ismail Khan," Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location. The explosion occurred outside a school in Herat, killing three people and wounding 16, residents and a doctor said. Police in Kabul said Khan survived the attack unscathed.

Iran Tests Fire Missiles

Iran tests fire missiles even amidst nuclear tension. The country has been much more involved in testing its missiles for its efficiency and performance. The missile maneuvers coincide with escalating tension in Iran's nuclear row with the West, after last week's disclosure by Tehran that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant.Iran will be put "to the test" in Geneva and a move to sanctions would follow if the talks failed, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told CBS.

An Iranian official warned "fabricated Western clamor" over the new plant would negatively affect the talks at which the six powers want Iran to agree to open its facilities to inspection to prove its program is for power and not nuclear weapons.Iranian media said medium-range Shahab 1 and 2 missiles, which officials say have a range of 300 and 500 km respectively, would be test-fired Sunday evening.

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Rockets Crash at Punjab Village

A constant tension prevails between India and pakistan. The two asian neighboring countries have always been in a such a way that as of any time a war may sprout out from no where. India and pakistan though trying to solve their border dispute through peace talks it is time and again that pakistan forces india on a war. The indian government at their best is willing to solve their disputes through a peace talk.

At this juncture two live rocket shells were fired from across Pakistan into Punjab's Dhande village on late Saturday night, allege residents of the village. Dilbagh Singh,an eye witness who also got injured in the rocker fire said that the blast hit the paddy fields otherwise there would have been a major devastation. This incident has created tension among the two countries. This might well end up in a war as the pakistan is trying to attack india then and there.

Let us hope that these two countries will settle their disputes through peace talk and say no to war.

World's Oldest Man

Japanese people have among the world’s longest life expectancies nearly 86 years for women and 79 years for men, which are often attributed to the country’s healthy diet rich in fish and rice. The number of Japanese living past 100 has more than doubled in the last six years, reaching a record high of 36,000 people in 2008. The country’s centenarian ranks are dominated by women, who make up 86 percent of the total. According to U.N. projections Japan’s centenarian population is expected to reach nearly 1 million the world’s largest by 2050.

Tanabe, who was born Sept. 18, 1895, had eight children (five sons and three daughters). The former city land surveyor also had 25 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren, according to a statement from the Miyakonojo city. He was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest man when he was 111 years old.

Tomoji Tanabe- the world’s oldest man died in his sleep at his home in southern Japan on Friday. He was 113 years old. He died peacefully. His family members were with him. Tanabe died of heart failure. Tanabe lived with his fifth son and daughter-in-law.His favorite meals were fried shrimp and Japanese miso soup with clams. Tanabe drank milk every morning and read the newspaper. He also avoided alcohol and did not smoke.

Yuvraj Fires but India Lose!

India lose to windies just because of poor batting display. I also think that Dhoni is totally out of form and he should concentrate more on his batting. Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni believed his batters and fielders were found wanting against West Indies in a Super Eight match against West Indies here on Friday. However, he didn't give the credit where it was due - the West Indian fast bowlers who wreaked havoc in Indian innings.

Fidel Edwards was one reason why Indians had a terrible start and were 29 for 3 in the fifth over. Dwayne Bravo took 4 for 38 and bowled deliberately at batsmen's body. And even though Jerome Taylor has figures of none for 44 from his four overs, he was an ideal foil in pace and bounce to Edwards and Indians were visibly rattled.

But the batting did fail for the Indians, with the honourable exceptions of Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan, and they also appeared a foot slow in the field.Dhoni's decision to discard his tactics to bring himself on to crease at the fall of first wicket also could have had bearing on the outcome. However, the cerebral Indian skipper had a reason for it. Now it's a question that can india reach semi finals?

Air France Crash!

The Air France jet was flying too slowly ahead of the disaster when it crashed into Atlantic sea. The manufacturer of the doomed plane, Airbus, was set to issue a recommendation advising companies using the A330 aircraft of optimal speeds during poor weather conditions. Airbus declined to comment on the report and the French air accident investigation agency, which has to validate any such recommendations, known as an Aircraft Information Telex, was not immediately available for comment.

A Spanish newspaper said a transatlantic airline pilot reported seeing a bright flash of white light at the same time the Air France flight disappeared. "Suddenly we saw in the distance a strong, intense flash of white light that took a downward, vertical trajectory and disappeared in six seconds," the pilot of an Air Comet flight from Lima to Madrid told his company, the El Mundo newspaper reported.

Search crews flying over the Atlantic have found debris from the jet spread over more than 55 miles (90 km) of ocean, about 685 miles (1,100 km) northeast of Brazil's coast. Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim has said the existence of large fuel stains in the water likely ruled out an explosion, undercutting speculation about a bomb attack. Experts have speculated that extreme turbulence or decompression during stormy weather might have caused the disaster -- the worst in Air France's 75-year history.

A spokesman for Madrid-based airline Air Comet was not immediately available to confirm the El Mundo article, which cited a report the pilot submitted to his company. The Air France A330-200 was enroute from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when it splintered over the Atlantic four hours into its flight. All 228 people on board died. The plane sent no mayday signals before crashing, only automatic messages showing electrical faults and a loss of pressure shortly after it entered a zone of stormy weather.

US - Cuba on migration!

USA and Cuba have decided to hold talks on migration.The US and Cuba are to hold discussions on migration and other issues for the first time since such talks were broken off six years ago. US State Department officials said the talks, agreed to by Cuba Saturday, would also cover mail services between the two countries. No further details were made known.

US President Barack Obama had previously stated the desire to create a new beginning in US relations with the communist-led government in Havana. The US president recently eased travel restrictions for exile Cubans to their country of origin as well as loosened other restrictions in the US' Cuba policy. Obama has however made clear that there was still a long road ahead in overcoming decades of animosity between the two countries, as he called for greater democracy and freedom for Latin America's sole remaining country under a one-party system.

LTTE Leader Prabhakaran SHot Dead???

The news from srilankan military camp was that the LTTE Leader Prabhakaran was shot dead although there is no confirmation yet. The military said the body was found in a lagoon. A blue cloth covered the top of the head, which appeared shorn off. The video showed a copy of a military ID tag written in Tamil, bearing the number "0:01," and what appeared to be an LTTE identity card with his photograph.

The army's commander, General Sarath Fonseka, moments earlier had gone on state TV and radio to announce that the body had been found on Tuesday and positively identified. "The good news from the war front is that the body of the leader of the terrorist organization which destroyed the country for the last 30 years, Prabhakaran, has been found this morning by the army. We have identified the body," he said.

Fonseka's announcement came after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) made a statement on a pro-rebel web site saying Prabhakaran, 54, was still alive. "I wish to inform the global Tamil community distressed witnessing the final events of the war that our beloved leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is alive and safe," www.TamilNet.com quoted LTTE diplomatic head Selvarajah Pathmanathan as saying.

Fonseka did not give an account of where Prabhakaran' body was found, nor how he was killed.
Sri Lankan troops finished off the last of the LTTE resistance on Monday, wrapping up a three-year offensive to destroy the separatists and win an 25-year-civil war.

World Cup T20 Indian Team!

ICC Twenty20 world cup has been a real sensation last year around. The defending Champions "INDIA" is still a sure shot favorite to grab the contest in style. Indian team will be under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the man with the golden arm. Jadeja, a youngster has got an opportunity to sneak into the team. Meanwhile, Munaf Patel and Dinesh Karthik has been ruled out though they were included earlier. Fast bowler RP Singh who is showing brillant performance in IPL 2009 for Deccan Chargers has been recalled

India’s 15-men squad for ICC world twenty20 2009 in England:

• MS Dhoni (captain)
• Virender Sehwag (vice captain)
• Gautam Gambhir
• Suresh Raina
• Yuvraj Singh
• Yusuf Pathan
• Rohit Sharma
• Harbhajan Singh
• Zaheer Khan
• Ishant Sharma
• Praveen Kumar
• Rudra Pratap Singh
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Pragyan Ojha
• Irfan Pathan

All the Best India. Rock this world cup too!

China warns France?

The Asian Country China warned France not to grant exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama honorary citizenship of Paris when he visits next month, saying it would only anger the Chinese people. Last year, China pulled out of an EU summit that France was to host after President Nicolas Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing brands a separatist.

The relationship between China and France deteriorated after the disruption of the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay last summer by pro-free Tibet activists incensed many Chinese. A year ago, the city of Paris made a decision to make the Dalai Lama a so-called honorary citizen, which made the Chinese people very angry.If the city of Paris makes him a so-called honorary citizen, it will certainly once again be opposed by the Chinese people. We demand the Paris city government stop all actions which interfere in China's internal affairs and not make the same mistakes again and again on the Tibet issues.

The two countries began to mend relations last month with a joint declaration in which France recognized Tibet as a part of China and both sides agreed to cooperate on tackling the economic crisis.Beijing calls the Dalai Lama a reactionary who seeks to split off nearly a quarter of the land mass of the People's Republic of China. It has been using its diplomatic clout to try to block the pro-Tibetan message.The 1989 Nobel Peace laureate denies the charge and says he seeks only greater rights, including religious freedom, and real autonomy for Tibetans.

Obama Wins Afghan?

US President Obama won a fresh promise from the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday to work together to defeat al Qaeda, and vowed he would make "every effort" to avoid civilian deaths.Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai and Pakistan's Asif Ali Zardari came to Washington after heavy criticism of their efforts to combat a Taliban resurgence in their countries.

After their talks Obama said both men "fully appreciate the seriousness of the threat" posed by al Qaeda and their allies.Despite the warm words, the deaths of dozens of Afghan civilians this week, possibly in U.S.-led air strikes, cast a shadow on the talks."The road ahead will be difficult. There will be more violence and there will be setbacks," Obama said, with Karzai and Zardari at his side in the Grand Foyer of the White House.

The United States has made a lasting commitment to defeat al Qaeda but also to support the democratically elected sovereign governments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. That commitment will not waiver and that support will be sustained.The Red Cross said dozens of Afghans died in U.S.-led air strikes in Farah province this week while local officials said more than 100 civilians may have been killed.If that figure is confirmed it would make it among the deadliest incidents involving Afghan civilians since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her deep regret for the incident, without implying U.S. responsibility for it. An American official, who asked not to be named, said it appeared that U.S. bombing may have caused the deaths.The Obama administration has sharply criticized both Karzai and Zardari in the past, questioning their commitment and capability to tackle the threat from al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Civilian casualties caused by U.S. military operations in both countries, including drone strikes inside Pakistan, have infuriated many Afghans and Pakistanis and made it harder for both countries' leaders to cooperate with the United States.Later she called that meeting "in some ways a breakthrough" and said she was "very optimistic" the process was making a difference.Obama announced a new approach to the fight against al Qaeda in both countries in late March, offering more aid but also more than 20,000 extra troops to Afghanistan this year.

2011 World Cup in India!

India all set to host the majority of matches in 2011 world cup that is to be played in south asia.

India would host 29 of the tournament's 49 matches, including a semi-final and the final. Sri Lanka will host the other semi-final. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will remain as co-hosts of the quadrennial event after Pakistan was dropped over uncertainty created by last month's ambush on the Sri Lankan cricket team's bus by armed gunmen in Lahore.

The 2011 World Cup Secretariat had also been shifted from Lahore to the Indian board's offices in Mumbai. Pakistan was initially allotted 14 matches, while the World Cup final stays in India as was originally planned.The matches in India will be played across eight venues, Sri Lanka has 12 matches at three venues and Bangladesh eight at two venues.

There is also planning for two quarter-finals in Bangladesh, one in India and one in Sri Lanka.
The re-organising of the central organising committee is actually quite simple. Pakistan falls out of that. The remaining three host countries will form the central organising committee with the ICC represented on that as well.

Japan to boost Economy!

Japan, the technically sound nation, prepared to unveil details of a $150 billion plan to boost its economy, but weak corporate earnings and trade flows raised fresh doubts about growth revival. World stocks fell for a third straight day, while safe-haven government bonds gained. Governments and central banks around the world have been pumping money into the financial system and wider economy to try to free up frozen credit markets, rekindle spending and restore shattered investor sentiment.

Aluminium producer Alcoa Inc kicked off the latest U.S. earnings season with a second consecutive quarterly loss, while data from Japan, Germany and France showed a further weakening in global trade as recession takes hold. Policymakers from the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank also struck a cautious tone, dampening recent optimism that a $1.1 trillion stimulus package agreed by world leaders earlier this month might lead to a quicker economic recovery.

Japan is expected to detail an extra budget for the year to March 2010, including spending of $150 billion aimed at reviving growth. But the jury is out on how effective the spending will be.
The U.S. Federal Reserve's efforts to boost consumer lending suffered a setback as investors requested just $1.7 billion in loans to buy asset-backed securities, barely a third of the amount sought in the March debut of the plan.

Stock markets have rallied over the past month on hopes all the stimulus measures will bear fruit, but there have been few signs of improvements in company results so far.After Alcoa's gloomy update, Japanese electronics maker Sharp doubled it loss estimate for the year just ended, while German carmaker Daimler forecast a "considerable" drop in revenue this year and a big first-quarter loss.The downturn has pushed some household names to the brink.

Some analysts and policymakers fear the failure of a company as big as GM could have dire repercussions for the broader economy, after state bailouts of banks have shattered confidence in the financial system.European Central Bank executive board member Juergen Stark warned this confidence would take time to return.

Virgin Mobiles --> Pink Slip Plan

Virgin Mobile announced a Pink Slip Protection plan that waives as many as three months of wireless phone charges if a customer is laid off. Many companies have been taking the economy into account with their advertising messages by telling consumers they feel their pain.

Virgin Mobile will pay as much as $90 a month for three months. It's only for monthly plans without annual contracts, you must be employed to enroll and you must be on a monthly plan for at least two months before claiming benefits.The wireless carrier is offering the Pink Slip plan in part because unemployment issues tend to affect its prepaid base more than its customers on annual plans.

Virgin Mobile also rolled out an unlimited text and messaging plan for $19.99. Customers can purchase that plan and pay 10 cents a minute for additional voice calls.Payments of $90 a month are not as significant as the hundreds of dollars a month the car companies might waive for people who get laid off. But the message Virgin Mobile is sending will resonate with consumers.

My Views on the Second Season of IPL?

Indian Premier League abbreviated "IPL", is all set to start its action again by April 18 at South Africa. The first season of IPL was a great success and it was fruitful to all the sponsors. Last year, IPL turned out to be a great piece of Entertainer in India. All Indian fans were on their feet during the last season, that is the first ever IPL tournament. But due to the fact that the general elections are clashing with the dates of IPL, the government gave its dissent for the tournament this year.

The reason was Security issues as it is absolutely not possible to provide adequate security both for IPL and Elections. Though the Indian government had asked IPL officials to conduct the tournament at a later part of this year, the IPL officials refused it due to unavailability of international players apart from April-May. This forced the IPL board to switch the second season of IPL to South Africa.

My personal feeling is that IPL will not be a great success as it was in the previous season considering the fact that many Indian cricket fans are not happy about the IPL shift. Even some of the Players do feel the same. Since it is not going to be played in India, the aggression and enthusiasm will undermine due to nominal amount of Indians in South AFrica. If it was to be played in India, every state would have wished for their team to win and the crowd cheer for the home team would have actuated the home team and made them more enthusisastic.

Though IPL is not going to be more exciting as it was, but still it is going to be a good entertainer. Not only Indians but also the Cricket lovers from all over the globe are looking for it. Lets hope for a great tournament.

Lankan Trops Attacking Tamil Tigers

The dispute between Srilankan government and Tamil tigers seems a never ending issue. SriLankan soldiers battled into the last redoubt of the rebel Tamil Tigers as the exodus of people fleeing the war zone surpassed 62,000.The International Committee of the Red Cross warned the situation was "nothing short of catastrophic" and urged both sides to prevent further mass casualties among civilians, saying hundreds had been killed in the past 48 hours.

Senior U.S. diplomat Sri Lanka to allow the international community to monitor what was happening and assure help for trapped civilians. The 26-year-old conflict is at a decisive point and we see the potential for major developments within the next 48 hours, Owen told reporters, urging restraint on all sides.The operation gathered speed after the military's noon deadline for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to surrender passed without any word from the separatists, in what appears to be the final act in Asia's longest-running war.

The LTTE hours later vowed no surrender, despite being massively outgunned by a military built up to wipe them out and finish a conflict that has percolated since the early 1970s but erupted into full-blown civil war in 1983. LTTE will never surrender and we will fight and we have the confidence that we will win with the help of the Tamil people.

Sri Lanka's military, in what it dubbed the world's largest hostage rescue operation, went in to keep the stream of people moving and give troops a clear shot at the LTTE and its elusive leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran. So far 62,600 people have come out and still they are coming. The Tigers' Puleedevan said Prabhakaran, the guerrilla who since the 1970s has single-mindedly led a fight for a separate nation for Tamils, was directing the fight in what the army set up as a no-fire zone, but is now a last battleground.

BCCI stages IPL Abroad?

IPL in India looks a difficult task due to security concerns as the IPL dates clashes with the dates of General Elections in India.The Indian cricket board will stage the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament abroad this year. The reason for this decision seems that the Indian government are not in a position to provide security forces and this has forced the IPL officials to host the tournament outside India.

Cricket authorities in South Africa and England confirmed that they had been asked to look into hosting the event.The BCCI had failed to get government clearance for security cover despite revising the match dates three times because the tournament clashes with the country's general election, to be held between April 16 and May 13.The IPL will be played on its original dates, between April 10 and May 24, and is scheduled to return to India next season.

The South African cricket board said it had received a request from the BCCI to be a possible host.They received an official approach to be one of several options they are considering to host the tournament outside India.South Africa will also stage the Champions Trophy one-day competition beginning in September.

The England and Wales Cricket Board later released a similar statement, saying that at the request of the BCCI and the IPL it was "examining the feasibility of hosting the 2009 IPL in England and Wales".Indian officials said the huge financial implications and a tight international calendar had forced their hand. The World Twenty20 begins in England in early June.

Under the given circumstances, there is no other period for the conduct of IPL matches, the BCCI said in a statement and apologised to the cricket-crazy Indian fans for not being in a position to host the event at home this year.Security concerns have dominated the build-up to the lucrative eight-team event, involving many big-name international players, after an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in the Pakistani city of Lahore earlier this month.

US proposes New Anti-terrorism Approach!

The United States of America proposed to European Union leaders to adopt a joint approach to fight hard to demolish terrorism and set aside divisions spurred by the Iraq war and Guantanamo prison abuses. The proposal was described as a broad idea in the early stages. It came as the two sides discussed a U.S. desire for Europe to accept inmates from the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where terrorism suspects are held.

President Barack Obama has ordered the closure of the internationally condemned prison within a year and an end to harsh interrogation of suspects held there.The United States really wants to turn the page they want to change the way terrorism is fought.It is a proposal to write together a memorandum of understanding enunciating the principles that should inspire our common fight against terrorism.

A number of European governments, notably France and Germany, opposed the Iraq War and former President George W. Bush's assertion that it was part of a global war on terrorism launched after the September 11 attacks. They also joined other international leaders in condemning abuses that surfaced at Guantanamo. About 240 terrorism suspects, including suspected planners of the September 11 attacks, remain in the prison. Many have been held for seven years without charges and some were subjected to interrogation techniques denounced by critics as torture.

The United States faces political resistance to holding those prisoners on U.S. soil after Guantanamo is closed and it is hoping to transfer some detainees to Europe while freeing others.That idea is controversial in Europe because the detainees would be free to travel within the EU once they were accepted by one of its members. This approach by US with European Nations has the primary motive to eradicate terrorism to the core.

Bid for Satyam?

Satyam Computer Systems is one of the hot talk topics of this day. Indian and foreign firms bid to take on Satyam..The outsourcing company said it had received an adequate response but did not name or number the bidders.Two investment banking sources told Reuters some eight potential suitors had registered to bid for a 51 percent stake.

There have been at least 5-8 bids. We expect a much, much smaller number to proceed to the next stage of putting in a financial bid.Indian engineering firm Larsen & Toubro, IT services firm Tech Mahindra, diversified Spice Group and U.S. outsourcer iGate Corp all said they had registered as potential bidders.Bidders must submit a detailed expression of interest and have available at least 15 billion rupees.

Satyam Chairman Kiran Karnik told Reuters the registration process did not require companies to meet any conditions.The names could include PE firms or law firms which are representing somebody else. At this stage we have not asked them to divulge who their partner is or who they are. So at this stage, frankly you have no idea.

Satyam looks an attractive takeover target given the massive plunge in its share price and a long list of marquee clients, including General Electric and Qantas Airways.But bidders face a tough job in valuing the company due to uncertainty about its accounts and liabilities.Analysts said it was unlikely suitors would bis aggressively as the company's accounts had yet to be restated and there was no clarity about legal liabilities arising from class action lawsuits filed in the United States.