Saturday, January 1, 2011

India News: Swamy Nityananda, the Tapes and Ranjitha.

Ranjitha says Nityananda video fabricated

TNN, Jan 1, 2011, 03.46am IST

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It's not me in Swami's sex video: Ranjitha

BANGALORE: Actress Ranjitha on Friday claimed she was not the woman in the sleazy video involving Swami Nityananda.

Breaking her silence after the sex scandal broke out in March 2010, Ranjitha told a press conference her first public appearance since then that she is ready to reveal the names of those behind the video if she is given security cover.

"I was very scared for my life and that of my family. However, if I and my family are assured of 100% security by the chief minister of that state (Tamil Nadu), I am ready to name the persons behind it. These people are working with Lenin (former driver),'' she charged.

"I want to live some more years" was her reply when asked why she was hesitating to reveal the names of those alleged conspirators.

"I'm very scared. They have threatened me against revealing the names. They are people with political backing and power. I have no backing. My family is behind me,'' she said.

Commenting on the video clip which purportedly showed her in a compromising position with Nityananda, she said: "It is fabricated. I am not the person in it. In fact, at that time, I was in a room that I was sharing with another female devotee in the Dhyanapeetham ashram."

"I blame myself for this. It has affected my career though some people still ahve faith in me.''

Haven't met Nityananda

"I had left for USA on March 3. I have not met the swamiji since these happenings. I did come back in June and gave my statement. I have cooperated with the CID. I am a volunteer of Nityananda Dhyanapeetam. If time permits, and if they agree, I will certainly visit the ashram. In the last six months, many disturbing things happened. I was in Philadelphia. I'm tired of being hounded, bullied and threatened like this. I was not hiding, as some sections of the media have portrayed. I was deeply hurt by this. I've given a complaint against Lenin and others before the Ramanagaram court....," Ranjitha explained when asked why she took so long to respond.

What is in the complaint

In the complaint, Ranjitha claimed R Shridhar, a Chennai advocate, had said he would not release pictures of Nityananda's lookalike and her lookalike together if she (Ranjitha) paid Rs 20 crore.

She also complained that Lenin had tried to outrage her modesty and also issued threats when she visited the ashram in February. Lenin would take photographs of brahmacharinis at the ashram and used to morph them.

While expressing lack of faith and confidence in the Bidadi police, Ranjitha appealed to the court to order for registration of cases against Lenin, America-based Aarthi Rao and Chennai advocate Shridhar under the provisions of IPC on charges of attempt to rape, extortion, acts intended to insult the modesty of women.

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Egypt: Mass killings in the name of the Most Merciful !

Suicide bomber targets church in Egypt, kills 21

1 JAN, 2011, 06.35PM IST,PTI

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CAIRO: At least 21 worshippers were killed and about 80 others wounded when a suicide bomber today blew himself up outside a church soon after the New Year's Mass in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, sparking religious clashes between Christians and Muslims.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry said that a suicide bomber with foreign links was probably responsible for the church attack in Alexandria that killed 21 people.

"It is probable that the bomb that exploded was carried by a suicide bomber who died among the crowd," the ministry said in a statement, adding the bomb was packed with pieces of metal to cause the maximum amount of harm.

The ministry statement said that given the methods that currently prevail in terrorist activities at the global and regional level, "clearly indicate" that the bombing was "planned and carried out by foreign elements."

A Health Ministry official in Alexandria said 21 people were killed and 79 wounded. The blast jolted the country's Christian community, the largest in the Middle East.

Nearly 1,000 Coptic Christians were present at the Saints Church in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria for the Mass at the time of blast, Father Mena Adel, a priest at the church, was quoted as saying by the local media.

The service had just ended and worshippers were leaving the building when the explosion took place in front of the church, about half-an-hour after midnight.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack on the Coptic church, which belongs to the Oriental Orthodox family of churches, but a group calling itself 'al-Qaeda in Iraq' has vowed to attack churches in Egypt.

The group threatened to attack Egyptian Copts if their church did not free two Christian women, who it alleged had been "imprisoned in their monasteries" for having converted to Islam. It earlier kidnapped Christian worshippers in the church of Lady of Salvation in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

After the blast, President Hosni Mubarak urged Egypt's Christians and Muslims to unite against "terrorism", but tempers continued to flare hours later as the Christian protesters clashed with Muslims. The minority community also clashed with police.

Witnesses said Christians hurled stones at police and a nearby mosque, chanting: "With our blood and soul, we redeem the cross".

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Science and Technology:Learning it from Mother Nature.

Sea urchins 'could lead to knives that never need sharpening'

Agencies.

Posted: Sun Dec 26 2010, 17:40 hrs
London:
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Believe it or not, sea urchin's teeth could hold the key to everlasting sharp tools.

Scientists have found that sea urchins dig themselves hiding holes in the limestone of ocean floor using teeth which do not go blunt, a key finding which they claim could be used in technology to help to create everlasting bladed tools.

Analysing the teeth of California purple sea urchin, an international team has found that a complex structure of layered calcite crystals held together by super-hard natural cement, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

Between the crystals are layers of weaker organic material. As each hard layer becomes blunt it breaks off, exposing a fresh crystalline surface beneath. In this way, the sea urchin's teeth stay sharp.

Prof Pupa Gilbert from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, who led the team, was quoted as saying, "The organic layers are the weak links in the chain. There are breaking points at predetermined locations built into the teeth. It's a concept similar to perforated paper in the sense that material breaks at these predetermined weak spots."

The crystals come in two forms, plates and fibres arranged crosswise in a tough "biomineral" mosaic.

Prof Gilbert added: "Now that we know how it works, the knowledge could be used to develop methods to fabricate tools that could actually sharpen themselves with use.

"The mechanism used by the urchin is the key. By shaping the object appropriately and using the same strategy the urchin employs, a tool with a self-sharpening edge could, in theory, be created."

The findings have been published in the 'Advanced Functional Material' journal.

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Coming soon: Fridge of the future!

Posted: Sun Dec 26 2010, 16:14 hrs London:
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Imagine your home refrigerator cleaning itself, offering up recipes depending on whether you prefer something Italian or fancy a spicy curry, cutting down on left-overs, and automatically re-ordering fresh food.

Well, your imagination may soon turn into a reality, thanks to British researchers who claim to be designing such a 'fridge of the future' which could help you save precious time in today's hectic life.

According to them, the fridge of the future would be able to automatically place supermarket home delivery orders when required and move food near its use by date to the front of the shelves, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

In fact, a joint team from the University of Central Lancashire and online supermarket Ocado are working hard to make such a fridge available in the market.

The planned new features include the ability for fridges to scan their shelves to see what is in stock and use this information to both plan meals and automatically place a supermarket food order, say the researchers.

The smart fridge will use "nano-articulated technology" shelf surfaces which, whilst smooth to the touch, will have millions of independently controlled micro-tiles which will manoeuvre products which soon need to be eaten to the front of the fridge.

The fridge will also monitor gases released by degrading foods and push these to the front of its shelves, according to the designers.

Ultrasound-scanning technology built into the door will allow the fridge to "swipe and capture" the food on a plate before and after mealtime, meaning it can assess what type and amount of food is wasted. Similar technological advances in the kitchen bin, with its own management system, would allow it to be linked to the fridge giving a more accurate measure of how much and what kinds of food are thrown out rather than eaten, says the team.

The fridge of the future would then be able to cross reference and act on this data -- reducing the ingredients used in future meal suggestions and helping to minimise food waste.

Dr Simon Somerville, a future forecasting expert from the University of Central Lancashire, said that someone feeling lazy could use the proposed fridge to whip up a recipe for them.

He said: "Cookbooks are essentially inventory lists of food items. To this end the most available information that the refrigerator will have is a set of permutations that allow a set number of ingredients to produce a large number of quite different dishes.

"The key concept in the successful implementation of this process is accurate inventory tracking. Based on information contained within each menu, such as 'this dish is typical to the north of Italy', allows a menu selection based on geographical location -- all the time the user choice is compared by the refrigerator to what it knows it holds.

"If the specific item for a recipe is not present, the refrigerator might suggest a delayed option, which allows time for delivery, or possibly attempt to find or propose a passable alternative for the missing ingredient."

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Science and Technology

Coming in early 2011: Universal cell phone charger!

Posted: Fri Dec 31 2010, 15:50 hrs London:
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Frustration of your mobile phone running out of charge, and not being able to get your hands on a compatible charger, will be a passe. A universal charger for all mobiles is coming in early 2011.

The world's 14 most prominent mobile manufacturers have been sent details by the European Commission of a new standard connection, after they agreed to sign up to it in June 2009.

The technical specifications are based on the micro- USB connector that many mobile manufacturers have already begun to use. Samsung, Apple, Nokia and Research in Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry, are among those that have agreed to adopt it, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.

The micro-USB jack is already becoming common as manufacturers, including those outside the 14 who have already agreed on it, have made the shift in preparation.

The Commission anticipates that the first devices whose chargers meet the precise details of the new standard will appear early next year.

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: "Now it is time for industry to show its commitment to sell mobile phones for the new charger. The common charger will make life easier for consumers, reduce waste and benefit businesses. It is a true win-win situation."

In a statement, the Commission said that "Incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is not only a major inconvenience for users, but also a considerable environmental problem. Users who want to change their mobile phones must usually acquire a new charger and dispose of the old one, even if it is in good condition."

The common charger is cross-compatible with data-enabled mobile telephones of different brands.

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India News:

Goan couple mint money from Facebook

Posted: Thu Dec 30 2010, 10:22 hrs

Panaji:

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While millions of people are hooked to social networking website for varied purpose, there is a success story brewing in the coastal village of Goa about a couple who have managed to turn their hobby into small scale enterprise, thanks to Facebook.

Andrew Felix Vieira, a banking professional and his wife, Rosy, with a professional training in baking, has carved out a full time profession for them which stems from their hobby.

"During Christmas our business used to double but since the time we used Facebook to advertise our venture, the business has tripled," Andrew said.

"All my friends, with whom I had lost contact, got to know that I have started this venture. They started contacting me as everyone is in search of right chocolates for the festive season," he said adding that it was two years back that he logged into Facebook for the first time.

Hailing from a village of Siolim, the couple has started their business 'Vieira Chocolates', which has a string of home-made chocolates in different forms and tastes.

The couple began chocolate making as their hobby some four years back when they began wrapping chocolates and gifting it to their friends. Their entrepreneurship got impetus after Andrew's Mumbai-based aunt Bella Vieira helped them in getting the raw material and other aspects right.

"Word of mouth also helped but basically it was social networking websites which gave the real push to my business," he said.

Andrew, a seafarer, was on cruise liner for 11 years before giving up his job and joining wife in the business. He is now a part time banker working with ICICI Prudential.

"When Christmas is around, I take time off from work and fully devote myself to chocolate making job," he said.

"Chocolate making is not an easy job," explains Andrew adding that first chocolate blocks are melted with almonds, rice crispy, butterscotch, cashew nuts, blue curaco, rum, raisins, orange marmalade and dry crispy.

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India News: The child labourers of Calcutta.

Videos > India

A day of hope for child labourers in Kolkata

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Some of them got the chance to live their dream - a day in school.

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