SOLAR BEAUTY : latest solar storm pics released

A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun's surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release of up to 6 × 10²⁵ joules of energy (about a sixth of the total energy output of the Sun each second or 160,000,000,000 megatons of TNT equivalent, over 25,000 times more energy than released from the impact of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with Jupiter). They are mainly followed by a colossal coronal mass ejection also known as a CME^[1]. The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona of the sun into space. These clouds typically reach Earth a day or two after the event.The term is also used to refer to similar phenomena in other stars, where the term stellar flare applies.

Suresh Kalmadi allowed to go to London Olympics

An Indian court has allowed the former chief of Delhi Commonwealth Games, Suresh Kalmadi, to travel to London to attend Olympics over an fine of 10 lakh ;-)

Act against Female Foeticide

A Mahapanchayat on female foeticide and related issues, is being held today in Jind district of Haryana. The village bodies are meeting this morning, in what they say is an attempt to empower women. Over a 100 women will attend the session aimed at controlling female foeticide. Other issues pertaining to women will also be discussed.
Several khaps or caste councils from Haryana and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Delhi will take part in this totaling around 3000 members, Bibipur village Sarpanch said.

Scarless Bariatric Surgery via "SPIDER"- 1st time in India

Surgeons in Delhi will for the first time in Asia Pacific use what is called a 'spider technology' — a single flexible laparoscopy instrument that will do away with the need for five incisions or scars for any abdominal intervention.

Instead, the rod like machine will enter through the belly button and open up like an umbrella within the abdomen, providing the surgeon with several instruments with 360-degree range of motion along with small cameras.
Getting operated with a spider technology will cost around Rs 30,000 more than a   normal laproscopic surgery.

$1 million bounty!!!....and its real

The FBI has offered a $1m (£644,000) reward for information on four suspects wanted over the killing of a US border patrol agent in December 2010.


                             full story HERE!!!

Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu retires from cricket

Zimbabwe wicketkeeper batsman Tatenda Taibu has retired from international cricket. The 29-year-old said he now wants to work for the church.

Taibu-

"I just feel that my true calling now lies in doing the Lord's work and although I am fortunate and proud to have played for my country, the time has come for me to put my entire focus on that part of my life."

Samsung "not as cool" as Apple i-pad : UK High Court

Samsung has won a UK High Court case against Apple over the design of the firms' respective tablet computers.

Apple brought the case alleging that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10 infringed the design of its iPad.
Judge Colin Birss disagreed saying Apple's designs were not being infringed because Samsung's Galaxy Tab was not as "cool" as the iPad.

Latest Greeley Panorama of MARS released by NASA

                          Greeley Panorama

This full-circle scene combines 817 images taken by the panoramic camera (Pancam) on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. It shows the terrain that surrounded the rover while it was stationary for four months of work during its most recent Martian winter. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State Univ.

"My target included Indian Ambassador...."

France's TF1 television has broadcast extracts of a conversation between gunman Mohamed Merah and police shortly before he died in a police assault in March after he killed seven people.

He details his attack on a Jewish school after missing his original target, his training in Pakistan, French intelligence's failures, making money as a driver for gangsters and his plans had he not been identified and besieged.                     full story HERE!!!

Brutality in Afghanistan : Public execution of a woman

A man Afghan officials say is a member of the Taliban shot dead a woman accused of adultery in front of a crowd near Kabul, a video obtained by Reuters showed, a sign that the austere Islamist group dictates law even near the Afghan capital.In the three-minute video, a turban-clad man approaches a woman kneeling in the dirt and shoots her five times at close range with an automatic rifle, to cheers of jubilation from the 150 or so men watching in a village in Parwan province."Allah warns us not to get close to adultery because it's the wrong way,"

Bol Bachchan ke bade bol, gross 72.8 crore profit

After opening at 12.10 crore net on friday and 14 crore net on saturday by Bol Bachchan, the net box office saw a tremendous increase on Sunday with the day's total of 17 crore, and still counting...

read full review

Hyundai Elantra Fluidic to be launched in August

Hyundai Motor company created buzz in the Indian auto market with the news of bringing the much awaited Elantra Fluidic at Indian shores. 

With 1.8L petrol and common rail diesel engine options, it is priced between 13-16 lakhs.

Floods kills 559 animals in Assam

The devastating monsoon floods in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam have killed at least 559 animals.

                           According to reports, carcasses of 14 rhinos, 475 hog deer, 30 wild boars, 5 porcupines, 1 wild buffalo, 1 elephant, 2 hog badgers, 10 swamp deer, 2 pythons, 18 sambers and a fox have been found so far. Besides, two rhinos were killed by poachers. The hunters, taking advantage of the floods, killed the pachyderms at Haldhibari and Karbi hills and chopped off their horns.       - full story

Paes-Vesnina lose in the final of Wimbledon 2012

Leander Paes and Elena Vesnina will have to wait for their first Grand Slam title together as they lost the closely fought Wimbledon mixed doubles summit clash to Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond, here today. The fourth seeded Indo-Russian pair suffered a 3-6 7-5 4-6 defeat at the hands of second seed Americans after battling for two hours and four minutes.


read full story here

Roger Federer , the seven-time Wimbledon champion : back to No. 1 in the world!

ROGER THAT!!!

Roger Federer is now the seven-time Wimbledon champion and back to No. 1 in the world beating Andy Murray 6-4 5-7 3-6 4-6 !!!

"Andy will at least win one Grand Slam. I think I played some of my best tennis in the last couple of matches. I've missed playing in the finals, and it feels like a great moment. I've gone through some struggles, so this one comes at the right time."
                                                   - Roger.

Lots of tears now. "Congratulations Roger - you deserve it. Thanks to everyone who supported me - you did a great job." He looks around at the crowd. "And last of all to you guys. Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, but it's not the people watching - they make it incredible."

                                      - Murry

Wayne Bridge Finds a New Home for 2012

With the transfer window now open, Manchester City has unloaded disgruntled and unwanted left-back and former English international Wayne Bridge.  BBC has reported that as of July 6, 2012, Wayne Bridge has joined Brighton and Hove Albion FC on a season-long loan.

full story here

British GP: Mark Webber wins

Red Bull's Mark Webber beat Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in a close battle to win the British Grand Prix.

Alonso led much of the race from pole position, but Webber benefited from a different tyre strategy to chase the Spaniard down after the final pit stops.

Webber passed Alonso into Brooklands with four laps to go and held him off to the flag.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel took third ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton struggled to eighth and team-mate Jenson Button 10th.

WIMBLEDON 2012 MENS FINAL LIVE : FEDERER vs MURRAY

Roger Federer is now the seven-time Wimbledon champion and back to No. 1 in the world!




4th set : Federer takes by 6-4
3rd set : Federer leads the third set 6-3.

2nd set : Roger Federer takes the second set 7-5!

1st set :  Murray takes the first set 6-4! 

Murray* 6-4 5-7 3-6 4-6 Federer*

                                                         watch live action here

Jagadish Shettar, Karnataka's new C.M. - Who is he?

Born on December 17, 1955 in Kerur village in north Karnataka's Bagalkot district, Mr Shettar's earliest political influences were his father, Shivappa Shivamurthappa Shettar and his uncle Sadashiv Shettar - both leaders of the Jan Sangh. His father SS Shettar was elected to the Hubli-Dharwad City Corporation five times in a row. He also served as Mayor for one term. Jagadish's uncle Sadashiv Shettar was MLA from the Hubli constituency in the year 1967 - the first to be elected on a Jan Sangh ticket to the Karnataka Assembly.

Wimbledon 2012: Williams sisters' win doubles title

Venus and Serena Williams' clinch their fifth Wimbledon women's doubles title with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.

The win ended a remarkable tournament for Serena who equalled her older sister's tally of five women's singles titles earlier in the day by defeating Agnieszka Radwanska in three sets.

BITTER TRUTH : Time dubs Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as 'underachiever'

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who has long been lauded for his pivotal role in liberalising the Indian economy, has been dubbed as an "underachiever" by a top US magazine which says he appears "unwilling to stick his neck out" on reforms that will put the country back on growth path. 

79-year-old Singh is featured on the cover of Time magazine's Asia edition, which will be out next week. With his portrait in the background, the title on the cover reads 'The Underachiever - India needs a reboot'. 

I'm in love with Sonal Chauhan, says Neil Nitin Mukesh

The actor finally admits into being in a relationship with his co-star in their forthcoming film, 3G. Excerpts from the interview

read full interview here

Former wrestler Dara Singh critical post-cardiac arrest: Hospital

Wrestler-turned-actor Dara Singh, who suffered a cardiac arrest, is still in a critical condition, doctors said today.

Known for his roles in films like 'King Kong' and 'Faulad', Singh was admitted to Kokilaben hospital last evening and since then has been in a critical condition.

"He is extremely critical and on ventilator. He is on a high dose of medication to support his blood pressure. We hope to see some improvement through the day," Dr Ram Narain, Chief Operating Officer at Kokilaben hospital, said.

"But we will continue to keep a watch on him," he said.

DNS changer : Steps to Check your PC - URGENT

Thousands of Internet users whose computers are infected with a particularly nasty virus will be unable to access the Web starting on Monday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation will shut down Internet servers that it temporarily set up to support those affected by malicious software, called DNSChanger. Turning off those servers will knock all those still infected offline. 
 Multiple websites have been setup to check if your computer is infected. One of them is
 DNS Changer Check-Up : http://www.dns-ok.us/

 Simply visit the website and if you see green colour, your computer is clean.

If you see red colour instead, your computer may be infected Please take following steps to safe guard your computer and data. 

Wimbledon 2012: Leander Paes-Vesnina through to mixed doubles final

The fourth seed Indo-Russian pair scored a  7-5 3-6 6-3 win over their American opponents in the semifinals.

It will be second Grand Slam final of the season for Paes and Vesnina.

Wimbledon 2012: Briton Jonathan Marray wins men's doubles final

Sheffield-based Marray, 31, and Dane Nielsen only teamed up three events ago but beat fifth seeds Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau 4-6 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-3.

Team Anna's protest rally at Jantar Mantar from July 25

Two days after refusing the nod for its protest in the capital, Delhi Police today granted permission to Team Anna to hold its indefinite fast from July 25 at Jantar Mantar. They have been allowed to hold protest rally till August 8. 

Earlier, police had refused permission to hold an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar, saying the protest timing coincides with the Monsoon Session of Parliament when other outfits will also have to be accommodated at the spot.

Sourav Ganguly joins 40's club: HAPPY B'DAY DADA!!

HAPPY B'DAY SAURAV

Some felt he couldn't play the bouncer, others swore that he was God on the off-side; some laughed at his lack of athleticism, others took immense pride in his ability to galvanise a side. Sourav Ganguly's ability to polarise opinion led to one of the most fascinating dramas in Indian cricket. Yet, nobody can dispute that he was India's most successful Test captain - forging a winning unit from a bunch of talented, but directionless, individuals - and nobody can argue about him being one of the greatest one-day batsmen of all time. Despite being a batsman who combined grace with surgical precision in his strokeplay, his career had spluttered to a standstill before being resurrected by a scintillating hundred on debut at Lord's in 1996. Later that year, he was promoted to the top of the order in ODIs and, along with Sachin Tendulkar, formed one of the most destructive opening pairs in history.

WISHING THIS GREAT MAN A BLASTING B'DAY....

BLESS HIM WITH YOUR WISHES

Rich archive containing items related to Mahatma Gandhi coming home

A rich archive containing thousands of items related to Mahatma Gandhi will soon return to India after the Union Ministry of Culture signed a contract with auctioneers Sotheby's to purchase it before it was put up for auction on July 10.

The price paid by the ministry has not been revealed, but it is likely to be between Rs. 4 crore toRs. 6 crore, since Sotheby's expected the archive to fetch between 500,000 and 700,000 pounds.

Serena Williams won her fifth Wimbledon title

Serena won first set by 6-1,
Radwanska closes it out and leads 7-5 in the second set
Third set : 6-2 , a backhand winner &Serena Williams has won her fifth Wimbledon title! 
its 6-1 5-7 6-2

Fernando Alonso puts Ferrari on pole at British Grand Prix

Spaniard Fernando Alonso slid and splashed through atrocious conditions to hand Ferrari their first Formula One pole since 2010 in a rain-delayed British Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.

The championship leader, last year's winner at Silverstone, was joined on the front row by Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber - also his closest rival in the standings after eight of 20 races.

Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda to resign tomorrow, say BJP sources

The BJP is set to change leadership in Karnataka. Sources say Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda is expected to submit his resignation to party president Nitin Gadkari tomorrow; Minister for Rural Development, Jagadish Shettar, will be chosen as legislature party leader. Mr Shettar has the backing of BS Yeddyurappa, much as Mr Gowda had less than a year ago. A decision will be announced tomorrow after Mr Gowda meets Mr Gadkari in Delhi.

3rd CM in 4 yrs in Karnataka: Sadananda Gowda to 'quit'

Karnataka chief minister D VSadananda Gowda today said he is ready to step down if BJP central leadership asks him to do so. 
"I have said whatever decision the central leadership takes, I am prepared to accept. That means if they ask me to quit the post, I am prepared. If they ask me to continue, I will continue," he told reporters after reaching here. 
Gowda, who is set to be replaced by Jagdish Shettar, said he had come to Delhi to convey his feelings to the central leadership on the crisis in the state. 

Wimbledon 2012 Women's Final: williams did it again!!

Serena won first set by 6-1,
Radwanska closes it out and leads 7-5 in the second set
Third set : 6-2 , a backhand winner &Serena Williams has won her fifth Wimbledon title! 
its 6-1 5-7 6-2

Rains, floods kill 50 in Russia

At least 99 people have been killed after torrential rains leading to flash floods swept through parts of the south Russian Krasnodar region.

Reports said the floods came at night without warning, catching local residents by surprise.

Crude oil shipments from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk have suspended.

Officials say emergency teams have been sent from Moscow by plane and helicopter.

Television pictures showed people scrambling onto their rooftops to escape.

At least 67 people including a 10-year-old boy died in the town of Krymsk, at least nine in Gelendzhik and two in Novorossiisk.

'Oops' moment in sports

Francesca Schiavone of Italy spits out a tennis ball after holding it her mouth during her women's singles tennis match against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London. Reuters/Toby Melville

Yuvraj Singh nominated for Arjuna, Dravid for Khel Ratna

The Cricket Board has decided to recommend recently retired stalwart Rahul Dravid for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and Yuvraj Singh, the player of the World Cup, for the Arjuna Award.

"We will be forwarding the names of Rahul Dravid for Khel Ratna Award and Yuvraj Singh for the Arjuna Award next week (to the government)," BCCI's CAO Prof Ratnakar Shetty told PTI on Saturday.

Delhi airport metro likely to resume services in August

A day after deciding to suspend operations of the 16-month-old Delhi Airport Metro Express, Government today claimed the high-speed corridor would resume services in two months' time after necessary repairs, but left many questions unanswered.

Union Urban Development Ministry, the Delhi Government, Delhi Metro and Reliance Infrastructure were at odds to explain the decision to suspend operations for an indefinite period on the 23-km Line owing to faults in civil structure on the corridor where trains are run at a speed of 105 km/hr.

A committee comprising officials from the Indian Railways, Delhi Metro and Reliance Infrastructure is already going into the nature of defects and would submit a report within the next 10 days after which rectification works would be carried out.

HP's see-through screen proposals secure US patent

360 view of HP Through screen

Hewlett Packard has developed see-through screen technology, for which a US patent has been granted. This could lead to new applications for display screens, from vehicle dashboards to retail outlets.

The technology firm Hewlett Packard (HP) developed a special type of computer screen called the Slat system, according to Ubergizmo. This is a transparent display which allows both computer images and the image behind the device to be seen. The company will likely call the technology the ThruScreen.

HP filed a patent for the technology in 2006, although it has taken to July 2012 for the patent to be awarded.

Wimbledon 2012: Andy Murray beats Tsonga to reach final

Andy Murray became the first British man in 74 years to reach the Wimbledon singles final with a battling four-set victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The 25-year-old took a step that no compatriot had managed in 11 attempts

                                                                    since Bunny Austin in 1938.

He overwhelmed Tsonga 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-5 in two hours 47 minutes on Centre Court and faces 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in Sunday's showpiece.

Nokia announces Lumia 610- lowest price

Nokia India has announced the launch of Lumia 610 in the country. It has been priced at Rs. 12,999 and will go on sale starting tomorrow in the country. Company also revealed that it has partnered with Warner Bros and The Dark Knight Rises to provide exclusive content for its Lumia series of smartphones including exclusive trailers, movie information, ringtones and wallpapers.

In addition to the exclusive content, Nokia will also be releasing a limited edition The Dark Knight Rises version of Lumia 800 in India. Company plans only to release 200 units of the limited edition and it will be sold for Rs. 24,999 on Nokia India website.

Nokia Lumia 610 key specs

• Windows Phone 7.5 (Tango)
• 3.7-inch LCD Display
• 800MHz Qualcomm S1 processor
• Nokia Maps and the navigation (with Hindi, Tamil language support)
• 5MP camera with LED flash
• 256MB RAM
• 8GB internal memory
• FM Radio
• 1300mAh battery
• Available in Magenta, White, Cyan and Black colours

Mahendra Singh Dhoni turns 31: A celebration of his career

From humble beginnings to becoming an icon, Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his now 31 years, has achieved the pinnacle of sporting success with charisma as well as dedication. While some have questioned his on-field methods, there is no iota of doubt in what he has achieved for himself, his team and for his country. For this boy from Ranchi, the journey has been nothing short of magic.

Born to parents hailing from Almora district of Uttarakhand, Dhoni has not only managed to touch great heights but has managed to establish himself there with a calming authority that has even impressed staunch critics.

Making his debut for the national team in 2004/05 against Bangladesh, he was run-out on a duck. The resilience of this fighter though was yet to come. Having proven his mettle for Bihar and in the India A team, he was included in the side picked against Pakistan. He rose to the occasion and  blasted 148 off 123 deliveries in an innings that is still fondly remembered in cricketing circuits. They may say that the rest is history but for Mahi, it was a start of far greater things to come.

A wicket-keeper who could bat was the need of the hour for the Indian cricket team and Dhoni answered it with bludgeoning power with the bat and crafty ease behind the stumps.  Laurels and records kept falling in his kit-bag till he was seen as the best candidate to lead India in all three format of the game. MSD became captain MSD.

While recent years have seen him gain stupendous success as well as face appalling defeats, Dhoni has managed both with ease that has defined him on the field as 'captain-cool.'

Of course, there has been a certain lady by his side providing him with the extremely important support. Sakshi became Mrs Sakshi Dhoni on July 4, 2010 and has been right beside MSD through the different turns of cricketing life. And as the Indian skipper turns a year older, here is wishing both him and his 'support-base', all the very best for the future.