India's only World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champion Dalip Singh Rana aka The Great Khali feels that some people from the industry whom he trusted blindly have ruined his Bollywood dreams. "I am very sad about the films and TV show (Bigg Boss 4) that I did here. People are greedy and since I was new to the methods here I blindly trusted everyone. I regret doing Kushti and Rama The Saviour. However, I feel completely cheated and also repent having done Bigg Boss! They all have been such bad experiences for me," he shares. But the wrestling star doesn't want these minor roadblocks to affect his future plans. "Bollywood is very complicated and one needs to be very careful about choosing his work. My wife feels very proud when I am either in the ring or act in films. So I do not want to be negative and refuse to work here. However I will now ensure that I take each step very carefully," says Khali. The actor who is at present awaiting the release of his French film, The Marsupilami adds, "Hollywood is very unlike Bollywood. They are very professional and slightest change in a scene is informed to the actor days in advance. It is a very professional approach that they follow. Also once a deal is signed, it's final. Here, a lot of times they don't even know what the script is like, right till the time the scene is being shot." He, will however soon be seen working with Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari. "He is a friend and when he came to me with the role I liked my role and the script and decided to go for it. We will be shooting soon for the same." He adds, "I would love to work in a good Punjabi film too sometime soon. I love to do different things and I don't know if someday I will produce films or even TV shows. As of now I am happy that I have a secured and very good job so all other things that I take up need to be so good that I will want to alter my WWE schedules," Khali signs off.

Actor Deepika Padukone had always wanted to be a Radio Jockey. She has revealed that she was fascinated by the idea of her voice ringing out from a radio set. So much so, that the actor decided to play a radio jockey herself when she visited a radio station recently. For Deepika, as she said, it was a long lost wish coming true.A source from the radio station says, "She looked stunning and seemed most excited about talking on radio, as she spoke about her films and her relationship with Chitrangda (costar Chitrangda Singh) insisting that there were no catfights between them. Though Deepika was given an option of having a supportive radio jockey, she decided to take the mike live. "Usually every interaction is taken as a recording and is played along with the voiceover of the jockey. But Deepika was insistent that she take the mike herself and feel what it feels like to be a jockey. She came and took over the mike. We had put her live to the audience and she wasn't scared at all," the source adds.According to sources, the actress also shared that the basic criteria that her boyfriend should have is that he should not try to be someone else to impress her but be a genuine man who remains the way he is. "However, Deepika along the way, did have the help of a supporting jockey, but she did admit that she was having a lot of fun and that she wanted to do it longer," the source adds.

Actor Abhishek Bachchan talks about his love for action on screen, and reveals his stylish streak

Actor Abhishek Bachchan may not be a style victim, but according to the actor's friends, he does have his finger on the fashion pulse. Insiders reveal that the actor has even styled himself in an upcoming film. A source from the production house says, "Abhishek will never admit to it, but he has a stylish streak in him. His style sense was much appreciated by all his costars in Players including Sonam (Kapoor) and Bipasha (Basu), who are known to be quite trendy themselves." In fact, Abhishek was even invited by a topnotch international shoe brand as a guest early this year and is expected to receive his made-to-order pair of shoes from the Italian house today. "In January, t h i s y e a r , he was called t o m e e t t h e brand's renowned s h o e designers w h o created a customised pair in line with Abhishek's distinct tastes and requests. What makes it special is that Abhishek is the first Indian male actor to be honoured by this," confirmed an insider. But his fashionable side is not the only t h i n g that's come to the fore while working on this film. What also came to light during the shoot of Players is his secret addiction. Sources reveal that of late the actor has been overtly hooked on to the heavy work-out sessions. But those close to the actor insist that Abhishek has always been fit. "He's been an athlete right from his school days, so him being passionate about working out is nothing new. He may not be sporting six packs, but he is super-fit. He'd only put on weight in between for his roles," says the source. Abhishek himself admits that he's always been into fitness. "I've always done what my role has required of me. For the action sequences in Players and Dhoom 3, I am required to be my fittest best, so all that training is for the roles."

In films, he's one harrowed bachelor, always getting into some kind of trouble, but this time it's different for actor Riteish Desmukh. Buzz is that a bachelor party is in the offing for the actor, who's all set to tie the knot with long-time girlfriend, actor Genelia D'Souza soon. Sources say that Riteish's friends are planning a huge bachelor party for the actor before he gets hitched on February 4 next year. "We are planning a party for Riteish and let me tell you, all his friends will be there. We are yet to zero in on how and where we are going to throw the party, but it's definitely on," says an actor friend of Riteish.

Apparently the two actors, who've been rumoured to not be their friendliest best with each other, have been slated to perform together at an awards do

Actors Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra can't see eye to eye, at least that's what sources in the industry say. Every now and then, there's buzz of Salman making his dislike for his former co-star known as well. Apparently, it's also one of the reasons, why the two have not been paired opposite each other in a long time now. So, it was quite surprising to hear that Salman and Priyanka have been slated to perform together at an upcoming awards show. The bash promises that both the actors will thrill the audience with their dance item. A source says, "Yes, both Salman and Priyanka have been lined up to be the star performers of the night. It seems that they have agreed to it too, burying their hatchet." This comes as a surprise, as the two were known to be not on friendly terms until recently. When Salman's brother, actor-filmmaker Sohail Khan threw a gala bash on the same day as actor Shah Rukh Khan in the same hotel in Toronto during an awards function recently, the guest list included the who's who of Bollywood except Priyanka. An insider reveals that both SRK and Sohail's party were being held at two different suites and the guests kept flying from one party to another. "However, the only guest who remained present throughout at SRK's bash was Priyanka," says the source. Recently, Salman-Priyanka problems escalated to a new level when in a recent interview he referred to his Bodyguard co-star actor Kareena Kapoor as 'the original desi girl!' Many took it as Salman taking a dig at Priyanka, since she was given the Desi Girl tag after her sexy track in the film Dostana. "Priyanka is not too happy about the fact that Salman is taking digs at her in public, whereas she feels that she is simply caught between the camps of Salman and SRK," the source adds. So, it remains to be seen if they indeed will come together to give an amazing performance.

Actor Angelina Jolie, who has been estranged from her father and actor Jon Voight for nearly a decade, has revealed that the only way she can have a relationship with him is if they do not talk about their past. Since their reconciliation following her mother Marcheline Bertrand's death in 2007, the 36-year-old actress said that she and Voight had never discussed the rows that blighted her childhood. She said that if they were to delve into the problems of the past, their relationship could collapse again. Bertrand and Voight split when he was caught having an affair. It was not until Jolie's mother died that the father and daughter patched things up. "I thought about my children never meeting their grandfather," the Daily Mail quoted the actress as saying. "I thought about my brother only having one parent and only one family member alive and I thought about my father being alone and discussed that the best thing we could do would be to meet and talk, but that we would only be able to do this if we never spoke about the past again," she added

She was born Karen Malhotra, but is proud of her “alter ego” — that of the world-famous porn star Sunny Leone. In India to participate in Bigg Boss 5, the Indo-Canadian says she is not just upbeat about spicing up the controversial reality show, but also about entertaining her Indian fans for the first time. “I’ve been to India a few times. I was here in February and again came in May 2008... so I have been visiting the country on and off. But this is my first time here as an entertainer and I’m looking forward to a positive feedback from all my lovely fans,” Leone says. The 30-year-old entered the Bigg Boss 5 house last night, but her entry will be shown on Colours channel on Monday. Surprising, as it may seem, Leone claims she has been following this season of the show ever since it started. “I’ve been seeing this show, episode by episode since October 2! It’s really exciting, so I am more excited about meeting everybody in the house. While watching the show, it was a little hard to picture myself in there, but I think I will settle in well once I am there,” she says. Born to Punjabi parents in Ontario, the bisexual girl worked at a bakery before entering the pornography scene. She changed her name for safety. “Sunny was one of my favourite nicknames. So I changed my name to it for safety reasons, for the fear of what I do. Not that I am scared, but this is just my alter ego and I love my alter ego,” she says. Leone was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003 and she also signed a contract with adult video production company Vivid Entertainment. After featuring in several videos and adult films, she was named among top 12 porn stars in 2010 by Maxim magazine. No wonder she is hoping to cause fireworks in Bigg Boss 5! “I think the very fact that I am showing up on a show like this will make for a jawdropping moment for many people inside and outside the house. But I guess it would be interesting to see who knows me and who doesn’t in the Bigg Boss house. It would be fun to see how the guys react... because when most guys see me, they don’t know what to do with themselves,” she says nonchalantly. Nevertheless, she admits, “I am as intimidated about their reactions as anybody else would be.” Leone’s family moved to the US when she was 13, but the curvaceous beauty can “speak and understand” a bit of Hindi and Punjabi in her pardesi accent. “Mujhe aati hai thodi bahut Hindi aur Punjabi (I know a bit of Hindi and Punjabi),” she says, in her jetlagged, tired voice. While in Bigg Boss 5, Leone wants to do what she loves doing in India — “eating Indian food”. She also hopes to try her hand at cooking. But even as many await to see what an internationally-known porn star has to offer to Indian family audiences, one wonders what all Leone would do to spice up the already spicy show.

When you go to see a film like this, you expect plenty of sleaze. It's after all, inspired by the life of an actress who gave sleaze in South Indian cinema a completely new meaning. She started a trend that still continues today. The sleaze in this film is wrapped in a packet of seriousness so you tend to forget about it. It's something like wrapping a condom in a beautiful handmade, well-crafted box… suddenly the box becomes more important than what it contains. The trials and tribulations that Vidya Balan's character goes through suddenly become the focal point of the film more than Vidya's curves. This film is serious sleaze. It focusses on the underbelly of sleaze. Before going into the details, here's something that you should know right at the very outset. For years together, Vidya has been battling a volley of criticism about her weight. There are a section of critics who say that she prefers sticking to her ethnic wear because she doesn't look as good in a Western dress. There are some who say that Vidya's love handles shouldn't become a body trend to be picked up by other actresses. Also, Vidya's fiercest fans didn't know what her cleavage looked like. Long back, she did a film called Kismat Konnection after which she reportedly broke up with actor Shahid Kapoor. In that film too, she was criticised for not being able to carry off her knee-length black skirts. Vidya never dared to show even a bit of her skin again, forget about cleavage. The script of this film required her to blatantly showcase what she has so far been criticised for — her love handles, her legs and of course, all her cleavage. Vidya Balan, being a topline heroine, couldn't have risked more. All her risks seem to have paid off with this film. The storyline is just what you had expected — the film is about a girl who runs away from her village a day before her marriage to chase her dreams. She struggles without food for a big-screen break, gets rejected everywhere, gets exploited, trudges to the top before hurtling down to the bottom of the pit with even greater force. Basically, it is just an entertaining film that will hold you to your seat, especially in the first half. Though it seems like a drag in certain portions of the second half. Vidya gives a performance of a lifetime in this film. She has completely identified with the character and doesn't look uncomfortable even when she has to deliver the toughest of scenes like faking an orgasm or to make love to a whip (yes, there is such a thing too!). She is the hero of the film and carries the film forward. It is but obvious that she has rehearsed for her scenes many times because she says her lines effortlessly and makes her character too real for comfort. When she takes the sleaze route, one tends to watch her more than her curves. She manages to bring out the fact that even for a 'vamp', it's not her curves but guts make her what she is. Naseeruddin Shah again matches every step with Balan and stands up to her as an actor — playing the larger-than-life South Indian hero has never looked so easy before. But somehow even a good performance like this seems like a support to the main character. Vidya's character is too strong for Naseer to occupy your mind-space. Next in line, are the fantastic dialogues. They are so important that they actually play a supporting hero's role in the film. They keep you hooked onto the film. It's the witty, timely dialogues that actually keep the ball rolling. If nothing impresses you, then the dialogues surely will. Lastly, we come to Emraan Hashmi. Naseer plays the second lead, so what is Emraan doing? You tend to ask yourself the same question when suddenly you find Emraan and Vidya Balan breaking into run-in-your-favouritedesigner- clothes routine with a non-descript song playing in the background. This is the point when the pace of the film slackens and you ask yourself, 'what is the song doing here?' After the song ends (this is much after the interval) the film seems to be taken over by some new director who seems hellbent on giving some footage to Emraan Hashmi as he goes on with his soliloquy and doing things that he shouldn't be doing. The whole episode of Emraan falling in love with Vidya, who hitherto was his greatest enemy, seems so out of place that you actually start feeling that this is the part the director made up himself to separate it from the facts. The film ends exactly the way you thought even though it seems that the filmmakers tried to make it look like an abrupt ending. In the end, it's a film that you should be watching this weekend. Because it entertains you till the end.

Actor Ranbir Kapoor's last release may not have set the cash registers ringing at the box office but this is not the first time he had to go through disappointment. His debut film Sawaariya too faced disastrous results at the box-office but that hasn't deterred the actor from taking on criticism head on. "There is no pressure. When I came in I had to live up to the legacy of Kapoor. Acting is not a thought in my mind; I do with my instincts and heart. I love acting and being on the set. The frills that come with it, I am not paying attention to it. Saawariya was bad, it was a disaster. It is difficult for me to pick up but you learn. I have no regrets; I am what I am because of that film. You have come into the world and you have to fight hard, keep going. It is all a part of the game." Ranbir is in fact perfectly okay with the frills that come with being a celebrity. Often, actors complain that they cannot have a personal life and everyone is interested in knowing what they are upto – something Ranbir is fine with. "While growing up, we were never taken to a film set. We were shielded away from that. My mother never spoilt us. Stardom is great and it gives you so much of love, fame, money, respect and that is the price you pay so I can't complain. I don't have a problem when fans recognise me and ask me for an autograph. My privacy is not affected in any way. Even today, I can do whatever I want, walk on the road wherever I want. I don't have a problem with stardom." His much talked about friendship with actor Imran Khan too, he says is exaggerated. In fact, most of his relationships that get written about are exaggerated. "I am written about for my relationships when in transit, when there is nothing for me to talk about. I am not saying everything is a lie. Most of it is true, but it is exaggerated and glamourised. In reality, Ayan Mukerjee and Imtiaz Ali are the only friends I have, the rest are colleagues. They are all positive and sweet but they are not friends. Similarly, Imran and I aren't friends, we know each other. He has his own life and I have mine. His success or failure doesn't matter to me and same is the case with him. We have our own lives. He is a lovely person and is happily married. We hang out and he is a very nice guy but really, that's about it."

Why did the actor skip a date with Hollywood hottie Tom Cruise, and not grace the stage with her co-stars, Sunday evening?

Actor Bipasha Basu was conspicuous by her absence on Sunday evening, as her co-stars of an upcoming film attended the red carpet premiere of MI-4 hosted by actor Anil Kapoor for Hollywood hottie Tom Cruise. While Sonam Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan along with directors Abbas Mustan and co-actor Neil Nitin Mukesh went up to share the stage with Cruise and Anil, one wondered where the other lead of the film, Bips was. Her absence set the gossip mills churning out rumours in B-Town about an alleged rivalry with Sonam. In fact, there were already rumours afloat of them outdoing each other on screen too, even as the two actors have denied it constantly. Bips' not attending the do has only fanned them further. But insiders still insist that all is well between the two and it was a prior professional commitment that kept Bipasha away. "The only reason Bipasha skipped the date with Cruise is that she was busy shooting for Jodi Breakers in Goa," said a source from the production house of Players. A source close to Bipasha too reiterates this saying that Bipasha is at present on a schedule for her film with R Madahavan in Goa. "She was already in Goa for the film's shoot and even recently met Helen there. So, there's no way that she could have made it to Mumbai leaving her shoots," says the source. However, another source on sets lets in that interestingly, the actor though in Goa for the shoot, was not shooting this weekend. "Bipasha had a break of two days and had the entire weekend to herself," confirms the source, which makes one wonder why then did Bipasha not try and fly out for this event, which she could. On being asked about this, a source close to Bipasha revealed that her good pals Deanne Pandey and Rocky S were expected to drop by and the plans had already been made much in advance. "Bipasha had already worked out her weekend plans with her good friends and everyone knows that she really values them and are always top priority. There's no question of her feeling sidelined and hence not wanting to attend the event. In fact, she and Sonam and Abhishek are all really good friends," says the source. Skeptics however point out that flying in the city and out was very much possible even if she decided to hang out with her buddies on Saturday, considering this was being pegged as an important event in Bollywood calendar. Wonder what Bips has to say to that?

Ever since she stepped into tinsel town, British model Amy Jackson and actor Prateik have been the talk of the town. Besides doing a film Ek Deewana Tha with him, she has also been spotted with him at various events, the most recent being an awards function and his birthday bash. While she doesn't deny that he is a very good friend, she dismisses all talks of them being a couple. "Prateik is a really nice guy. To be able to work with someone so talented in my first Bollywood film is a great thing. When I came to Mumbai, I didn't know anyone here and along with being my co-star Prateik was also one of the first few friends I made in Bollywood. He is a sweet guy and an even better costar." While she denies being romantically involved with him, she does agree that he is one of the best-looking guys around. "I am sure most girls, if given a chance would like to date him. He is really protective of me as well because I don't know much about the place but really, that's about it. We are just good friends." Talking about Mumbai, the Liverpool-based model says, the city has become her second home as she has adapted to it really well. "I love Mumbai. Initially when I came, I wasn't sure if I would be able to adjust and fit in but right now, I love this place. I love the weather, the food, the people, the industry, everything. I am looking forward to a long run." For this British model however, things haven't been easy. She is currently taking Hindi lessons and learning to dance as well. "My Hindi was really bad when I came but now I am slowly picking up the language. I am also learning different dance forms. I hope to do good work here and make a difference."

BERLIN – Europe's leaders will gather in Brussels for a makeor- break summit on Thursday night amid fresh evidence that eurozone banks are already in the grip of a credit crunch. The European Central Bank announced that banks across the continent have already borrowed $50bn (£32bn) under the emergency measures announced jointly with other major central banks last week. That was five times the level expected by market insiders, underlining the strains in Europe's banking markets. Banks across the EU will be told on Thursday how much capital they will be forced to raise to fix their battered finances. On Wednesday night the rating agency Standard & Poor's piled on the pressure by placing all large banks in the eurozone on negative credit watch. That means powerhouses such as Deutsche Bank and France's BNP Paribas are at risk of being downgraded by the rating agency, adding to unease about the state of the continent's banks. S&P noted that eurozone members, or countries that are part of the region's monetary union, contributed about 62% of the EU's total budgeted revenues in 2011. "Our review will focus on the financial ability of eurozone member states to support the EU's debt service should the institution face a period of financial distress," S&P analysts Frank Gil and Moritz Kraemer said in a report. If eurozone countries are downgraded, the EU could have its rating cut by one notch, they added. Figures showed how urgently some institutions need help. Italian banks had to borrow €153bn in emergency liquidity from the ECB in November, up from € 111bn at the end of October, according to Bank of Italy data released on Wednesday. Reliance on the central bank has almost quadrupled since June, when Italian lenders took €41bn (£35bn). Italian bond yields jumped to 6.06% yesterday, up 0.15% on the day, amid growing fears that the crucial two-day meeting will fail to yield an agreement to safeguard the future of the single currency. Stock markets were also in more uncertain mood than in recent days with the FTSE 100 in London closing 20 points down, a 0.4% fall, while Germany's Dax was down 0.5%.

PARIS--In the fight between the two smartphone heavyweights, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt was blunt today about who he thinks is winning. "Android is ahead of the iPhone now," Schmidt declared to an audience of techies and aspiring entrepreneurs at the LeWeb conference here. He made his statement to a room bursting at the seams with iPhones, iPads, and Macs, and the audience met his words with a moment of silence that implied some skepticism. So Schmidt elaborated on how he was measuring: "unit volume, Ice Cream Sandwich, the price is lower, there are more vendors." Android is indeed a success in the market. But one big weakness compared with iOS was very visible at the conference: becoming the top priority for programmers. Note-taking specialist Evernote today announced a new app called Hello for keeping track of people--for iPhone only so far. And when news reader Flipboard announced its expansion from the iPad to the iPhone, Chief Executive Mike McCue refused to even say whether the company was working on an Android version. "We've been focused on iPhone," McCue said. And about Android, he said only, "We'll see." Schmidt thinks the high volume of Android phone shipments will win out, though, aided by the release of Ice Cream Sandwich, aka Android 4.0. " U l t i m a t e l y , application vendors are driven by volume, and volume is favored by the open approach Google is taking. There are so many manufacturers working to deliver Android phones globally," Schmidt said. "Whether you like Android or not, you will support that platform, and maybe you'll even deliver it first." One Android-toting audience member said he was frustrated to see iOS apps beating Android versions to market. But in part because of Ice Cream Sandwich, "my prediction is that six months from now you'll say the opposite," Schmidt said. About 200 million Android phones have gone into use so far, with 550,000 new ones being activated daily, Schmidt said.

BERLIN – Greece is near bankruptcy, Italy careens toward fiscal catastrophe and the heralded currency union called the eurozone looks increasingly fragile. One country more than any other — Germany — is being called on to save it. But will it? European leaders gather in Brussels today and Friday to come up with a long-term solution to an alarming debt crisis that could evenutally destroy the euro currency and could even take down the European Union. Hanging over their heads is a warning from Standard & Poor's Ratings Services that most of the nations that use the euro — including stable Germany and France — face a 50-50 chance of a credit downgrade if the situation does not improve. A downgrade would increase borrowing costs for the countries, further hampering the EU economy. The nations of the eurozone, the 17 countries that use the euro as currency, have been pleading with Germany to use its financial strength to assume more responsibility for the crisis. "There's an expectation that (the Germans) are leading the way, that they have to do it," said Almut Möller, a political analyst for the German Council on Foreign Relations. "Who else if not the Germans?" But Germany is not keen on some of the solutions, and for the first time in decades is resisting European opinion and raising old fears about whether it seeks to work with Europe or dominate it. "We will meet (in Brussels) as Europeans and take those decisions that we consider to be correct," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters this week, refusing to elaborate. As the largest economy in Europe, Germany appears to have shifted from a decadeslong posture of largely going along with the ideas of the European Union elite in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. The Germans now see themselves as different from their neighbors, wiser even, and are assuming an assertive stance that befits the nation's size and stature. That has not sat well with nations that saw the EU as a way to bind Germany within Europe and put an end to the centuriesold conflicts for predominance that mark Europe's history

Tokyo stocks have opened down 0.66 per cent after Standard Poor's placed the European Union on watch for a downgrade of its AAA credit rating a day before EU leaders meet for crunch talks. The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange opened 57.82 points down at 8,664.35 on Thursday. SP cited the EU's dependence on member states for its budget needs for the action. Earlier this week it issued a similar warning to nearly all of the eurozone countries. Also on Wednesday it put a number of large European banks on review for a possible downgrade.The euro eased to 1.3402 and 104.02 yen in early Asian trade from $US1.3413 and 104.15 yen in New York late on Wednesday. The US dollar was almost flat, changing hands at 77.65 yen. Just before the Tokyo market opened, government data showed Japan's core private-sector machinery orders, a leading indicator of corporate capital spending, fell 6.9 per cent in October from the previous month. The government said in a separate report that Japan's current account surplus fell 62.4 per cent from a year earlier in October, the eighth straight month of decline since the March earthquake and tsunami disasters.

TORONTO – B l a c k B e r r y - m a k e r Research In Motion has been forced to change the name of its new operating system from BBX after the company lost a trademark ruling. The name change is the latest in a string of bad news for the Canadian company. RIM said in a statement Wednesday that "BlackBerry 10" will be the new brand name for its next generation mobile platform. Analysts say RIM's future depends on a successful launch of the new platform which RIM dubbed BBX in October. A U.S. federal court judge in Albuquerque, New Mexico, banned RIM from using the BBX name at a conference being held in Singapore this week after finding that software company Basis International Ltd. had registered and used the trademark for 26 years. RIM said the new name builds on the established BlackBerry brand. BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis called the forced name change yet another misstep by RIM. "Is anything going right for this company?" Gillis said. "It shows the perceived chaos that's happening at the firm. It strengthens this perception of chaos and poor execution." Gillis said products, ideas and direction are not being thought out with enough rigor. BlackBerrys that run on the new operating system are expected to be released in 2012 after a delay of several months. RIM disappointed in October when they didn't announce a clear timeline for when it would release phones with the new software.

W a s h i n g t o n :Central banks in New Zealand and South Korea have kept interest rates on hold, citing fears of the impact of the debt crisis in Europe. New Zealand kept rates unchanged at 2.5%, while South Korea held its cost of borrowing at 3.25%.It comes after Australia's central bank lowered interest rates on Tuesday. Analysts said uncertainty in the global economy is now the top concern for some countries, even as prices remain high In New Zealand, the central bank said it was taking steps to limit the impact of global economic problems. "Given the unusual degree of uncertainty around global conditions and the moderate pace of domestic demand, it remains prudent for now to keep the official cash rate on hold," said Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor Alan Bollard in a statement. Mr Bollard said inflation was expected to fall within the bank's target of 1% to 3% in the three months to December. But some countries in the region are more worried than others about decreased demand as a result of the eurozone crisis.Earlier this week Australia cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.25%, the second cut in as many months. The easing is aimed at boosting domestic demand, as the European debt crisis starts to affect global growth and trade across Asia.

NEW YORK – Citigroup is eliminating 4,500 jobs in its latest effort to cut costs. The bank will take a $400 million charge in the fourth quarter as a result. Citigroup's CEO, Vikram Pandit, disclosed the job cuts at an investor conference Tuesday. The cuts represent about 1.5% of its global workforce of 267,000. Pandit said the cuts would be made over the next few quarters. Other banks have also been cutting staff. Last month, Swiss lender UBS told investors it is downsizing its investment bank to 16,000 people by 2016 from the current 18,000 as the bank tries to reduce its exposure to risk. In September, Bank of America, based in Charlotte, said it would cut 30,000 jobs over the next few years. Pandit also warned that Citigroup (C) will take a $500 million hit to revenue from an accounting-related charge related to the changing value of its debt. Citi and other banks took accounting gains in the third quarter because the cost of its debt fell in the bond market. Since the bank could theoretically buy back its debt at a lower cost, accounting rules require that a gain be recorded. Citi's accounting gain in the third quarter totaled $1.9 billion. Now, with corporate debt prices having recovered, Citi expects to take a hit to earnings in the fourth quarter.

NEW YORK – Unionized Boeing Machinists voted o v e r w h e l m i n g l y Wednesday to approve a four-year contract extension in a deal that grants the company a long stretch of elusive labor peace and likely ends a federal complaint that had become a hot topic for Republican presidential candidates. Dozens of union members erupted in applause and cheers Wednesday night as Tom Wroblewski, president of Machinists District Lodge 751, announced that 74 percent of voting members chose to approve the deal. The union represents 28,000 workers in Washington, Oregon and Kansas. Boeing promised that if workers approved the pact, the company would build the new version of the popular 737 in the Puget Sound region, while the Machinists said they'd drop their allegations that Boeing opened a nonunion assembly plant in South Carolina in retaliation for previous strike. "This contract signifies jobs throughout the Northwest, throughout the region," said the union's aerospace coordinator, Mark Blondin. "The message of this contract is ... Boeing is acknowledging we have the deepest pool of skilled aerospace workers in the country." Machinists went on strike in 2005 and 2008. The latter strike helped delay delivery of Boeing's first 787, costing the company dearly. "This contract will help secure a better future for our employees, our customers, our communities and our company," said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "It reflects an effort on the part of the company and the union to find a better way to work together and achieve common ground." The deal guarantees Chicago-based Boeing a stretch of labor peace at a time when it badly needs it. Competition with European rival Airbus is tight, and looming budget cuts at the Defense Department are likely to cut into the company's defense business. In a lawsuit filed this year, the National Labor Relations Board claimed Boeing violated labor laws by opening the South Carolina line. The case became a political issue, with Republican presidential candidates using it to bash the Obama administration. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and the state's congressional delegation said the NLRB lawsuit threatened thousands of jobs and millions of dollars invested in the new Boeing facility in Charleston.

Yemen's vice president has announced the formation of a national unity government, the state news agency said. According to SABA, Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour issued a decree approving the formation of the new 35-member Cabinet headed by the independent politician Mohammed Basindwa. Government posts are equally divided between Outgoing President Ali Saleh's Congress Party and the opposition. Basindwa said his government faces grave challenges, but said "we will work with all our potential to overcome any hurdle or difficulty." Congress Party members will head the ministries of defense, foreign affairs and oil, while opposition politicians will head the ministries of interior, finance and information. The Cabinet also includes two women, one from each side. Basindwa stated the government will focus on providing public services to the people including electricity, water, fuel and basic commodities together with restoring security and stability. Meanwhile, reports said that the efforts to reach a truce between the Salafists and the Houthis in Dammaj in Saada province, south of Yemen broke down. The Houthis resumed their shelling on various targets in an attempt to control Braqa mountain which is overlooking Dammaj. A spokesman for the Salafis in Dammaj conveyed that at least six people killed and 15 wounded, until the early hours of Thursday. Local sources indicated that more than 30 people from the Houthis died or wounded during the violent confrontations which are taking place in the vicinity of Braqa mountain.

Syrian President Bashar Assad said in a rare interview broadcast Wednesday that he never ordered the brutal suppression of the uprising in his country and insisted only a "crazy person" would kill his own people. Apparently trying to distance himself from violence that the U.N. says has killed 4,000 people since March, Assad laughed off a question about whether he feels any guilt. "I did my best to protect the people," he told ABC's Barbara Walters during an interview at the presidential palace in the Syrian capital, Damascus. "You feel sorry for the life that has been lost, but you don't feel guilty when you don't kill people.""No government in the world (kills) its people unless it is led by a crazy person," Assad added in the interview, which was conducted in English. Assad, who trained as an opthamologist in Britain, speaks the language fluently. The interview offered a rare glimpse into the character of the 46- year-old Assad, who inherited power from his father in 2000. His brother - - widely regarded as the chosen heir -- had died in a car crash years earlier.Assad, who commands Syria's armed forces, has sealed off the country to most outsiders while clinging to the allegation that the uprising is the work of foreign extremists, not true reform-seekers aiming to open the authoritarian political system. The United Nations and others dismiss that entirely, blaming the regime for widespread killings, rape and torture. Witnesses and activists inside Syria describe brutal repression, with government forces firing on unarmed protesters and conducting terrifying, house-tohouse raids in which families are dragged from their homes in the night. "They're not my forces," Assad responded when asked if Syrian troops had cracked down too hard on protesters. "They are military forces (who) belong to the government. I don't own them. I'm president. I don't own the country."

Indian Govt seeks screening of social websites NEW DELHI: The UPA government on Tuesday said it would not allow offensive content on social networking sites such as Facebook, Google and Twitter that hurts feelings of Indians. Communications and information technology minister Kapil Sibal said though the government was not in favour of censorship, it would not allow such offensive content on social network sites that hurt one’s religious sentiments. The minister wanted these companies to filter any such comments or content before they are posted directly on these sites. Sibal said he met executives from Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft on Monday to ask them to screen content. However, no agreement with the companies was reached. “I suggested that these platforms should evolve a mechanism on their own to ensure that such content is removed as soon as they get to know of it...If you and I have a problem and you want to solve the problem with me, we can evolve a mechanism. If you will not co-operate then we will have to take action,” Sibal told reporters referring to some of the social networking companies. He said no reasonable person, aware of the sensibilities of a large section of communities in this country, would wish to see this in the public domain. Sibal further said internet firms were asked in September 2011 to find ways to handle the objectionable content within four weeks, but they did not respond despite repeated reminders.In early November 2011 also the government had prepared the framework for a code of conduct to handle objectionable information and the issue was also discussed with Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and Facebook, he said. One of the biggest social networking sites, Facebook, said they would remove any content that violates their terms that are designed to keep material that is ‘hateful, threatening, incites violence or contains nudity’ off the service. “We recognise the government's interest in minimising the amount of abusive content that is available on-line and will continue to engage with the Indian authorities as they debate this important issue,” the company said in a statement. “We want Facebook to be a place where people can discuss things freely, while respecting the rights and feelings of others, which is why we already have policies and on-site features in place that enable people to report abusive content,” it added. Similarly, search giant Google said the company works hard to both “follow the law and also give people as much access to information as we can”. It follows the law when it comes to illegal content. When asked, Yahoo said, “We have no comments to offer on this.”“I have not been involved in this, so you need to talk to some one else in Microsoft,” chairman, Microsoft India, Bhaskar Pramanik said. “And even where content is legal but breaks our own terms and conditions we take that down too, once we have been notified about it. But, it also means that when content is legal but controversial, we do not remove it because people's differing views should be respected, so long as they are legal,” Google said in a statement. Meanwhile, asking these firms to evolve a mechanism and come back with a solution, minister Sibal said the government does not believe in either directly or indirectly interfering in the freedom of the press. Despite repeated reminders, the management of these websites did not respond for a long time and finally they informed him that it was not possible for them to cooperate in this regard, he said. “They came and pretty much said ‘we can’t do anythin g’. They also suggested that community standards of the US will apply here,” Sibal said. The minister, however, noted that even US supreme court suggests that community standards differ from place to place. “You are talking about community standards in India that are far different. Even if US law were to be applied, then Indian community standards have to be taken into account. But I guess that fell on deaf ears,” Sibal retorted. He said this is a matter of great concern to the government and it has to take care of sensibilities of Indians, as cultural ethos is very important to us. “We will not allow the religious sentiments of large sections of the community to be hurt in this fashion. We will not allow intermediaries (social networking sites) to say that we throw up our hands and we cannot do anything about this,” he said. What has sparked the issue is that US embassy in the capital called up the ministry asking them not to interfere with functioning of these social networking websites. One of the highly sourced official from the ministry not to be named said, “American embassy called up the additional secretary in the telecom ministry saying what are you trying to do. But who are they?” India now has an estimated 100 million internet use-rs, the fourth largest online population in the world behind China, the US and Jap-an, and over 25 million Facebook users. Those figures are well behind India’s registered mobile phone users, but internet use is expected to rise in coming years. On future course of action, Sibal said, “Whatever step we take now, we will do it after careful consideration.” The government will “certainly evolve” guidelines to ensure that such “blasphemous” materials are not part of the content on any platform, he said. Facebook's response on its content policy New Delhi: Facebook has come up with a response after Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal asked Internet companies to screen alleged derogatory, defamatory and inflammatory content about religious figures and Indian leaders. Facebook in a statement says, "We want Facebook to be a place where people can discuss things freely, while respecting the rights and feelings of others, which is why we have already have policies and on-site features in place that enable people to report abusive content. We will remove any content that violates our terms, which are designed to keep material that is hateful, threatening, incites violence or contains nudity off the service. We recognise the government's interest in minimising the amount of abusive content that is available online and will continue to engage with the Indian authorities as they debate this important issue". There seems to be growing tension between the Government and Social Media companies. Angry over the fact that a Facebook page maligned Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Monday, according to a report in The New York Times, asked internet companies and social media sites like Facebook to screen user content and remove disparaging, inflammatory or defamatory content before it goes online.

The Muslim Brotherhood has said its political party has won a majority of run-off contests in the first round of Egypt's parliamentary election. Official results are not expected until Thursday, but the Freedom and Justice Party said it had won 36 of the 56 seats awarded to individual candidates. The Islamist group won almost 37% of the vote in earlier polling, which awarded seats according to party lists. It was the first ballot since President Mubarak was ousted in February. Voting in the remaining two-thirds of electoral districts is scheduled to take place later this month and in January 2012. Under Egypt's electoral system, two-thirds of the 498 elected seats in the lower house of parliament, the People's Assembly, will be picked through proportional representation, using lists drawn up by parties. The remainder are decided by a first-past-thepost- system, with individual candidates required to win Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood claims wins in run-off votes more than 50% of the votes. only four seats were won outright in last week's first round, leaving 52 to be decided in run-offs on Monday and Tuesday. Twenty-four seats were contested by the FJP and the ultra-conservative Salafist al-Nour Party, which came second with 24% of the vote. Al-Nour party spokesman Yousseri Hamed told the Associated Press that it had won at least five additional seats in the run-offs. On Tuesday, the Muslim Brotherhood's General Guide, Mohammed Badie, said the FJP would form a broad coalition if it won the elections. "We will not rule Egypt alone. Parliament will include all the colours of the rainbow that must agree on one direction, one goal," he told the private television station, al-Mehwar. Mr Badie also said he would not seek to get into a power struggle with the ruling council over the government, which assumed the president's powers after Mr Mubarak stood down. "We must live in harmony, not only with the military council, but with all of Egypt's factions, or else the conclusion is zero," he added.

TOKYO : The world's oldest dog according to Guinness World Records has died in Japan at the age of 26 years and eight months. Owner Yumiko Shinohara told reporters at her home in Sakura, a city outside Tokyo, that Pusuke, a fluffy tan Shiba mix, died Monday after suddenly falling ill and refusing to eat. Shinohara told TV network FNN that she "would just like to thank him for staying alive so long." The report said Pusuke's life span would have been the equivalent of about 125 years for a human.According to Guinness, the dog was born April 1, 1985. Pusuke was recognized as the world's oldest living dog last December. The Guinness record for canine longevity is 29 years, set by Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who died in 1939.

Mexico : Mexico said Wednesday that a son of the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi and three relatives had plotted to sneak into Mexico under false names and move to a safe house at a posh Pacific coast resort. The elaborate plan to bring al-Saadi Gadhafi to Mexico allegedly involved two Mexicans, a Canadian and a Danish suspect, all of whom have been detained, Interior Secretary Alejandro Poire said. He did not reveal which relatives had planned to accompany Al-Saadi Gahdafi, who is known for his love of professional soccer and run-ins with police in Europe. The plot was uncovered by Mexican intelligence agents in early September as al-Saadi was fleeing Libya shortly after his father's ouster. He never made it to Mexico, but did reach the Western African country of Niger, where he has been living. The plotters allegedly jetted into Mexico, opened bank accounts and bought properties meant to be used as safe houses in several parts of the country, including one at a resort on Mexico's Pacific coast. “The large economic resources which this criminal organization has, or had, allowed them to contract private flights,” Mr. Poire told a news conference. Mr. Poire said the leader of the plot was a Canadian woman he identified as Cynthia Vanier. He said she had been detained on Nov. 10 and is being held, along with three other suspects, under a form of house arrest on suspicion of using false documents, human smuggling and organized crime. Mr. Poire said Ms. Vanier “was the direct contact with the Gadhafi family and the leader of the group, and presumably was the person in charge of the finances of the operation. The plot also allegedly involved a Mexican woman who lived in the United States, who Mr. Poire said served as the liaison to obtain the falsified Mexican identity documents. A Danish man alleged served as “the logistic liaison” for the plan, Mr. Poire said. He said the alleged conspirators also traveled to Kosovo “and several Middle Eastern countries.” “The activities of the criminal organization in our country included the falsification of official documents, the opening of bank accounts with false documents (and) the purchase of real estate that was intended, among other things, to serve as a residence for the Gadhafi family at a house located in the zone of the Bahia de Banderas,” just north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta, Mr. Poire said.

(News Dispatches) Washington: The American intelligence community failed to detect India’s first nuclear test in 1974 as the then Nixon administration, which was focused on Russia and the Vietnam war, had given it a low priority. “India’s ‘peaceful nuclear explosion’ on May 18, 1974 caught the United States by surprise in part because the intelligence community had not been looking for signs that a test was in the works,” the National Security Archive said in a statement. According to the recently declassified Intelligence Community Staff post-mortem posted by the National Security Archive and the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project, Nixon a d m i n i s t r a t i o n policymakers had given a relatively low priority to the Indian program and there was “no sense of urgency” to determine whether New Delhi was preparing to test a nuclear device. I n t e l l i g e n c e “production” (analysis and reporting) on the topic “fell off” during the 20 months before the test, the analysis concluded. Indira Gandhi at the Pokhran Test site In early 1972, however—two years before the test—the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) had predicted that India could make preparations for an underground test without detection by US intelligence, the NSA said. Published for the first time, the INR report warned that the US government had given a “relatively modest priority to … relevant intelligence collection activities” which meant that a “concerted effort by India to conceal such preparations… may well succeed.” The post-mortem, the INR report and other new materials illustrate how intelligence priorities generally reflect the interests and priorities of top policymakers. The Nixon White House was focused on the Vietnam war and grand strategy towards Beijing and Moscow; intelligence on nuclear proliferation was a low priority. “Compare, for example, the Indian case with that of Iraq during 2002-2003, when White House concerns encouraged—some say even compelled— intelligence producers to cherry pick raw information to demonstrate the development of WMD by the Saddam Hussein regime,” it said. INR prepared its India report at a time when secret sources were telling US intelligence that New Delhi was about to test a nuclear device, NSA noted. The “small spate” of reports about a test had such “congruity, apparent reliability, and seeming credibility” that they prompted a review of India’s nuclear intentions by INR and other government offices. In the end, government officials could not decide whether India had made a decision to test although a subsequent lead suggested otherwise, it said. NSA said according to the intelligence community’s postmortem, obtained through a mandatory review appeal to the Inter agency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP), one of the problems was that intelligence producers were not communicating with each other, so the “other guy” assumed that someone else was “primarily responsible for producing hard evidence of Indian intentions.” The analysis was especially critical of an August 1972 Special National Intelligence Estimate for its “waffling judgments” on Indian nuclear intentions, it said.

Several deals struck at end of trip could produce more than 100 jobs

(News Dispatches) Baltimore : More than 100 jobs could be coming to Maryland, as an Indian manufacturer and exporter of organic food products has announced plans to build a $10 million facility in the state. The announcement was part of several business deals that concluded Maryland's six-day trade mission to India this weekend. During the mission's final leg in New Delhi, a Baltimore cybersecurity company landed an $10 million jointdevelopment agreement for cybersecurity services for mobile devices, and a Gaithersburg design company established a partnership with one of India's premier hotel chains. “Our mission to India has been a great success in terms of the new partnerships we’ve established, the new doors we’ve opened for job creation, trade and investment, and the many Maryland companies who have signed deals with our Indian partners,” said Gov. Martin O’Malley in a statement. The mission, consisting of 100 participants — including 43 business officials — and led by O'Malley (D), previously has secured deals for eight Maryland businesses and fostered future opportunities through sister-state agreements signed in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra , officials have said. Jasco Nutri Foods is one of the latest results of the trip, with the company planning to open its new facility on a 1,500-acre location. The exact location will be decided in the next two months and the facility could generate as many as 100 jobs, according to a press release from O'Malley's office. CyberPoint International of Baltimore also has signed a partnership with Appin Security Group of New Delhi to jointly develop new enterprise-level security services for mobile devices. This deal is expected to create jobs for both Baltimore and New Delhi and be worth $10 million, according to the governor's office. A representative from CyberPoint International could not be reached for comment. Also, Electro-Media Design on Gaithersburg, which specializes in consulting and design in event technology and acoustics for meeting and entertainment facilities, partnered with ITC Hotels about a week prior to the trade mission to provide contemporary design services for the Indian company. The partnership involves a virtual entertainment venue and business auditorium in Chennai and a high-tech venue in New Delhi, said Jeff Loether, president of Electro-Media. "We're very excited and relieved. India's been a bit of a mystery to us so having this opportunity is absolutely a win-win," Loether said. Loether visited India and ITC's management staff during a seven-week trip to the Middle East and India. Electro-Media might have to double its staff of seven to meet ITC's requirements, Loether said. The partnership follows Electro-Media's first meeting with ITC at the Hotel Technology Show in 2010 in Anaheim, Calif., and benefits from assistance through the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. “We see win-win opportunities to realize advanced design concepts leveraging the considerable resources of India’s media content creation community even beyond India’s borders. We are grateful for the assistance from Maryland’s Division of International Investment and Trade in developing this opportunity, " Loether said in a statement. Following the trade show encounter, discussions between ITC and Electro-Media "sort of went quiet," Loether said. But help from the state got them interested again, he said. Loether has yet to receive any signed agreements from ITC, although the two companies shook hands on the deal Nov. 14, he said. O'Malley also joined the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Friday in signing an agreement to create an India-Maryland Center in Maryland, which the federation would operate to boost trade between the regions. The federation also will lead a delegation to Maryland in April to establish partnerships in b i o t e c h n o l o g y , renewable energy and infrastructure, according to O'Malley's office. “The signing of the agreement with [the federation] and Maryland will foster greater cooperation between the private sectors of our two regions,” said Rajiv Kumar, secretary general of the federation, in statement

VIKRAM JOY captures symbolism at its synchronised best, the evening flag-resting ceremony at the Attari Indo-Pak joint checkpost

Having seen the much-publicised evening retreat ceremony earlier at the impressionable age of 13, you don’t know if the two-kilometre-long queue at the Attari checkpost will be worth it, 11 years later. The prospects look rather bleak when the photographer dying to shoot the soldiers makes you carry a fragile set of lenses, and then makes you run in a bid to make the Press line in time. We are late by my wife’s Army standards, he cries. As it turns out, we make it just in time, as we do with most things in our country, even when this one is a borderline case. I-card flashing done, we are fidgety; so a safari suit-clad officer sternly marks our seats out for us and then gently whispers to the lensman that the Retreat will begin in 15 minutes and he can click the crowd to start with. “But no getting onto the parade space!” he orders. Vikram nods meekly and gets busy. Yours truly gets busy observing the mix of nationalism, patriotism and jingoism on both sides. The Indians, crying Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai, outnumber those who cry Jive Jive Pakistan. But blaring speakers amplify and mix all cries. There are warnings against negative sloganeering, though not many are interested in Pakistan Zindabad anyway. The scene resembles Annual Day at my school in Abohar, better managed. Bored, you notice that seating on the Indian side is segregated according to, what sociologists would term, class. The other side bases it on gender. You are wondering what’s worse, but just then sounds a bugle. Gayatri Mantra follows, as the other side plays a soulful verse possibly from the Quran. And out march the soldiers from both sides, at exactly the same time. You may be a cynical urbanite smirking at the stagemanaged show; but when you see a couple of majestic young ladies starting the march for India, you remember your mother’s face. At that moment, love takes over and you too cry, “Bharat Mata ki...Jai!”

By Nikita Puri in New Delhi

WHEN Rajya Sabha MP Mani Shankar Aiyar declared after seeing former Union minister and wellknown industrialist Kamal Morarka’s wildlife pictures that he should change his name to “Kamaal”, he wasn’t exaggerating. Morarka, whose interests range from cricket to the promotion of the Shekhawati havelis, is also a brilliant wildlife photographer. And it was evident from a preview of his pictures on Tuesday at the Lalit Kala Akademi attended, among others, by chief election commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, ICCR president Karan Singh, JD-U president Sharad Yadav and Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh. Morarka, who is the chairman of the Sariska Tiger Foundation and heads the Gannon Dunkerley Group, said his objective was to sensitise the people towards the “dire need” of wildlife conservation. “It is a full circle,” he explained at the preview of The Nature’s Trail, which is what his show is called. “If you want to save the country, you have to save the rivers. To save the rivers, you have to save the forests; to save the forests, you have to save the tigers.” The industrialist’s interest in wildlife photography dates back to 1995 when he first visited the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur (Rajasthan). He was drawn by the migratory birds that fly into the park every winter. “Birds often pose more difficulty to the photographer because they fly off at the first sign of trouble,” Morarka said. “With the tiger, it is only a matter of sighting the animal.” And going by the pictures of the majestic animal on display, it seems Morarka has been luckier than most of us in the matter of sighting the majestic big cat. Morarka’s pictures take us on tour across the world from Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Keoladeo in the country to the Kruger National Park in South Africa and the awesome Masai Mara in Kenya, which he regards as the best place to sight animals in their wild state. After his guests left, Morarka was spotted taking his twoyear- old granddaughter around the exhibition. She seemed to like the cheetahs more than the birds. There’s no way the viewer can stay unaffected by the larger-thanlife pictures, which have lit up the Akademi’s second-floor gallery at Rabindra Bhawan. Morarka’s sharp eye for detail comes through in each of the pictures. Morarka has had no formal training in wildlife photography, but spending time in forests and sanctuaries has not only helped him become more patient, but also made him a master of the roving lens. He said: “Once in every two-three months, I take out time to be in forests and shoot pictures. And when I have to shoot tigers, I prefer to be on an elephant’s back.” It’s a safe perch to catch tigers with a camera.

Tokyo : A growing number of Japanese environmental and consumer groups are joining in protest against the use of disaster recovery funds to subsidise the lossmaking whaling fleet. The government recently gave the whalers 2.28 billion yen ($28.5 million) as part of a special budget for recovery from the March 11 triple disaster. Mr Kaz Inadome from the Japanese Consulate said no money from the disaster relief funds collected in Australia had been used. All that money had gone to the Red Cross in Japan. Much of the extra funding will go towards security forces for the whaling fleet, which left Japan yesterday for the Antarctic, where conflict is expected with Sea Shepherd activists. A total of 18 Japanese n o n - g o v e r n m e n t organisations, including the Environmental Lawyers Federation and Consumers Union have signed on to a protest letter to Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. "We demand the government not waste any more taxpayers' money on the whaling program, but instead spend this money on projects that actually help the people, communities and region affected by the tragic March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis," the letter said. "It is clear that the Japanese government's stated goal of resuming commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean is unachievable. The whaling program cannot survive without taxpayer handouts." Greenpeace Japan distributed the letter, because, according to executive director, Junichi Sato: “This is a new low for the shameful whaling industry and the callous politicians that support it.” However, the Fisheries Agency of Japan said the funding was necessary because some traditional whaling communities were devastated on March 11. Senior Agriculture and Fisheries vice-minister Nobutaka Tsutsui told a review committee recently the government was determined to continue its research program until it led to the resumption of commercial whaling. Mr Kaz Inadome from the Japanese Consulate said no money from the disaster relief fund had been used.

A 65-foot Sierra white fir from Stanislaus National Forest is decorated with 10,000 LED lights that illuminate this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in a ceremony that includes Speaker of the House John Boehner. It was chosen based on shape and fullness, color and the condition of its foliage. The People’s Tree tradition began in 1964, and the job of providing it rotates among national forests. In 2011, the Stanislaus National Forest was chosen to provide the tree, marking the fourth time the Capitol tree will come from California. Stanislaus National Forest, encompasses 898,099 acres on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada; California's snow capped mountain range that flanks the Great Central Valley. Located between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, the Forest landscape is a continuum of natural and scenic beauty that defines the Sierra. You can fish in over 800 miles of rivers and streams, stay in a campground, or hike into the backcountry seeking pristine solitude. You can swim near a sandy beach or wade into cold clear streams cooling your feet while lost in the beauty of nature, raft the exciting Tuolumne River, or canoe one of the many gorgeous lakes. You can ride a horse, a mountain bike or a snowmobile. During the gold rush, the area that would become the Stanislaus National Forest was a busy place, occupied by miners and other immigrants, homesteaders and ranchers, dam builders and loggers. Several railroads were constructed to haul logs out of the woods. Evidence of these activities still exists. A mere two hour drive from the Great Central Valley and three hours from the San Francisco Bay Area, makes the Forest a very popular destination place. Road Trip to Washington DC California's tree will travel throughout the state visiting many cities and towns before it journeys to Washington, D.C. The California state tour is estimated to take about 8 days. The U. S. Capitol Christmas Tree 2011 will also make frequent stops in communities across the nation on its way to Washington, D. C. The national tour will take an additional 12 days. The tree will be escorted by federal officials and have 24 hour a day Law Enforcement protection. A second fullsized semi-truck will be needed to transport all the ornaments and smaller trees to Washington, D. C. The caravan will travel more than 4,500 miles during its three week tour. The tree will be transported on a double flatbed truck. Placed on its side, it will rest in a custom made cradle that supports the branches, preventing damage and maintaining the tree's perfect shape. The base of the tree will be fitted with a rubber bladder filled with fresh water nightly. The tree will absorb approximately 60 gallons of water each day throughout its journey to Washington, D.C. Trimming the Tree some neat facts! The Citizens of California will make the 5,000 ornaments used to decorate the tree. The ornaments will be 9 to 12 inches tall and must be made to withstand 3 weeks of harsh winter weather. 10,000 LED Christmas lights are strung throughout the tree. It takes more than a week for the U. S. Capitol Architect and his team to decorate. The Capitol Christmas tree is topped by the same single star ornament used each year. The tree will be placed into a hole nearly five feet deep and cemented into place. Although U. S. Capitol Christmas Trees are varied heights, when installed they can be no taller than 60 feet. The Capitol landscape crew does not have a basket crane taller than that! An additional 2,000 ornaments will be made for the 100 companion trees displayed throughout Washington, D. C. offices and buildings. US Capitol Christmas tree Ceremony Called "The People's Tree", the U. S. Capitol Christmas tree from California will actually be presented to Congress as a gift from the Golden State. The 2011 U. S. Capitol Christmas tree will be illuminated by a child from the state of California along with the Speaker of the House, John Boehner. The California Congressional Delegation, Senators Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and California Governor Jerry Brown will also likely be in attendance. Once the tree is lit, it is open for public viewing throughout the holidays until January 1, 2012. The lights come on at dusk and are turned off nightly at 11 p.m. Tree Route from California to Washington, D. C. California's gift to the people of the United States will be a beautiful red fir from the Stanislaus National Forest. Likely taller than a 6-story building at harvest, the tree will be cut on Saturday, November 5, 2011, and will tour the state of California for approximately 8 days. After the California tour, the Capitol Christmas Tree will travel across the country on its way to Washington, D. C. The U. S. Capitol Christmas tree will come from the Stanislaus National Forest, in Central California. All aspects of the National Environmental Policy Act will be observed throughout the process of selecting and removing the tree. In January 2012, when the holiday concludes, the tree will be chipped into mulch and placed throughout the Capitol Complex. The 2011 Capitol Christmas tree. Christmas tree lighting ceremonies are a great way to kickoff the holiday season with family and friends. The lights on the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree were lit by Speaker of the House John Boehner during a ceremony on Tuesday, December 6, on the Capitol’s West Front lawn beginning at 5 p.m. Architect of the Capitol California Contributes National Christmas Tree The 2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting December 6, 2011 Stephen T. Ayers, AIA, LEED AP, served as master of ceremonies. This year’s tree — a 65- foot Sierra white fir — is from California’s Stanislaus National Forest. It was harvested on November 5, and traveled 4,500 miles throughout California and across the country to Washington, D.C. It arrived at the U.S. Capitol arrive at the U.S. Capitol on November 28. Architect of the Capitol staff have decorated the tree with 10,000 LED lights and nearly 3,000 ornaments, handcrafted by Californians to reflect this year’s theme, “California Shines,” highlighting the rich cultural and ecological diversity of the Golden State. “This year’s Capitol Christmas Tree, coming from Northern California’s national forests, will stand as a symbol of strength and comfort during the season of peace and good will,” said Speaker Boehner. “The Capitol Christmas tree has been a wonderful tradition on Capitol Hill for more than 45 years, and we are honored to have the awesome responsibility of decorating the tree. Our Capitol Grounds crew does an excellent job every year. The lighting ceremony is an event we all look forward to as a festive way to kick off the holiday season,” noted Ayers. Supplying ‘The People’s Tree,’ as it is commonly called, is an honor for our district and the state,” said Congressman Jeff Denham, who represents California’s 19th Congressional District. “This year’s tree showcases not only the beauty of California’s natural resources but the diversity of its cultures and charity of its residents. We take pride in knowing that this great representation of our district will be a symbol of the holidays in our nation’s Capitol this year.” The Capitol Christmas Tree has been a tradition at the U.S. Capitol since 1964. The tree will be lit from night fall until 11 p.m. each evening through January 1, 2012

By Sri Swami Sivananda ALL beings however low in evolution, all actions however trivial in their nature, all things however lifeless they may appear to be, bear the stamp of the light of the Eternal; the principle of the Beautiful is dancing in them all; the splendour of the Truth is shining equally in all creation—in the man toiling in the field, in the birds of the air, in the beasts of the forest, in the blossoms of the garden, in the waves of the sea. There is only one Law of Life that is pulsating in the veins of the contents of the entire universe. Glory to the Divine Being. Everyone in this beautiful creation is a piece of art; all that we see is but the manifestation of His art. We are His art, vivifying His might, reflecting His beauty and expressing His grandeur. Every man has the eyes of the painter and the poet; every heart has a dormant feeling for beauty and for the awareness of perfection. Every speck of space is rich with the inexhaustible abundance of goodness, of godliness, of beauty. One has to widen one’s consciousness and deepen one’s spirit to be able to develop the vision of all spirit shining in and through matter, all reality revealing itself in and through the unreal. To escape from this world of limitations (while yet being on earth) into the boundless world of Freedom and Beauty, Power and Brilliance, is the purpose of our existence. For the one who has eyes to see, all is goodness, all is sweetness, everything is beautiful, everything is graceful; whatever he perceives is homogeneous and harmonious. Children of Light! Behold the brilliance of the diamond in the darkest coal mine; look at the lustre of the eyes in the ugliest face; smell the fragrance of the lotus in the stinking pond; feel the omnipresence of your life in the lowliest creature revelling in filth; discover the greatness of the genius in the humblest family grovelling in poverty. To one with insight, whatever is met with will be seen to be the master-touch of the Divine Painter, of the Master-Artist, who expresses himself in such infinite and ineffable beauty. Art is not for the fleeting pleasures of the human creature nor a solace to the sorrowstricken heart nor yet for mere aesthetic enjoyment; it is more than all these—it is a systematic and scientific living in Absolute Beauty, in Infinite Harmony, in Perfect Peace, in Eternal Joy. Art is a kingdom of intense feeling, a feeling in which one is aware of the one undivided Divine Essence of Existence. Art is majestic and mystic, idealistic and symbolic, supernatural and transcendental, an expression of the Unseen in and through the seen. That art blossoms into perfection which is free from all sense desires and physical interests. In the name of art one should not fetter oneself in the prison of professionalism and sensualism. The artist should be moved by the beauty of Truth; and his art should be progressively creative and spiritually suggestive; it should be a revelation of his moments of inspired vision and of total self surrender. In his creative moods the artist should soar high—high into the skies of luminous imagination and of glorious existence, wholly oblivious of all mundane madness. Purified in heart, one should wave the magic wand of art at whose touch everything is converted into the beauty of the Beyond. Let the drawing rooms be filled with the vibrations of the highest spiritual ideals which pour into us the power and beauty of a new life of joy and peace. Let the wielder of the brush be free from all stuff of pride and selfishness and from all that is related to the sense-world, so that the Divine may fill him with His Will to paint the pictures that breathe healing power and soothing balm into all onlookers through their eyes, so that they may be relieved of their illness of mind and sickness of heart. Let your art be a lamp of deathless beauty, shining with an effulgence dispelling the darkness of the soul that sings the sorrowful songs of the world. An art that panders to the lower appetites of men, that does not aim at discovering the meaning of life, that does not awaken the spiritual consciousness in the human heart, is soulless and, therefore, unsalutory in its effects and malefic in its influence. The test of true art is implied in its profoundest suggestions. True art should embody the best of the genius of the artist, the finest in him, and awe one into a subtler plane of refinement and thrill; all art that falls short of this great purpose is profane and perishable.

On the occasion of the third anniversary of the barbaric terrorist attack in Mumbai, India targeting innocent men, women and children, in which more than 160 people were mercilessly gunned down and more than 350 people were injured, we, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) and the The American India Public Aff a i r s Committee (AIPAC) sincerely offer our prayers to all the families of the v i c t i m s o f t e r r o r i s m . A m o n g t h o s e f o r w h o m w e mourn and grieve are t h e s i x m e m b e r s o f t h e J ewish community, including a pregnant mother of two sons, so horrendously murdered at the Mumbai Jewish Center.We condemn in the strongest possible terms all forms of terror and collectively pray for peace

(Press Release) The 5th annual AAPI Indo-US Healthcare Summit, hosted in conjunction with the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Medical Graduates in USA (APMGUSA), will be held at the Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad, Jan 2-4. The previous Summits were held in New Delhi and Jaipur and this is the first time that AAPI’s global summit is being convened in a city in South India. There will be cultural programs and gala dinners to entertain the delegates and their families after the break-out sessions, according to Dr. Sunita Kaunumury, AAPI President. The three-day Summit will be inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and several Union and State Ministers, Members of Parliament, healthcare policy makers, representatives of international organizations such as WHO and others are coming to the global event that is expected to attract over 300 physicians from the US and India. The primary goal of the Summit is to raise awareness of key health care issues affecting the Indian subcontinent such as diabetes, lung diseases, asthma & allergies, cardiovascular diseases, women's & children's health and cancer, she said. The highlight of this 5th annual Summit is to reaffirm AAPI’s commitment in improving health care across India and create prototype programs of implementation for various disease categories specifically designed to improve outcomes while maintaining cost-effectiveness. The participants are pre-selected by the respective cochairs from US and India and each team will develop specific proposals with focus on prevention, management and treatment to enhance effectiveness and delivery of care. AAPI USA will continue to be the lead organizer along with local Indian organizations such as Indian Medical Association (IMA), Medical Council of India (MCI) and others, she said. “This summit will focus on development and implementation of demonstration projects with specific and measurable outcomes. When proven successful, these projects can then be deployed both nationally and internationally. We look forward to collaborating with the leading healthcare providers in the US and India to improve health outcomes and enhance each other’s knowledge, and share best practices and experiences,” she said. Dr. Kanumury had a meeting with Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology and Endowments in New York recently and discussed the Summit agenda and the possible involvement of the State Government. AAPI’s Pre- Summit CME and mini Eastern Trauma conference will be held in Bhubaneshwar in Orissa on Dec 28-31 and is being held in collaboration with Kalinga Foundation and Kalinga Hospitals.

BANGKOK – A court in Thailand sentenced a U.S. citizen to two and a half years in prison Thursday for defaming the country's royal family by translating excerpts of a locally banned biography of the king and posting them online. The verdict is the latest so-called lese majeste punishment handed down in the Southeast Asian kingdom, which has come under increasing pressure at home and abroad to reform harsh legislation that critics say is an affront to freedom of expression. The 55-year-old Thaiborn American, Joe Gordon, stood calmly with his ankles shackled in an orange prison uniform as the sentence was read out at a Bangkok criminal court. Judge Tawan Rodcharoen said the punishment, initially set at five years, was reduced because Gordon pleaded guilty in October. The sentence was relatively light compared to other recent cases. In November, 61-year-old Amphon Tangnoppakul was sentenced to 20 years in jail for sending four text messages deemed offensive to the crown. Gordon posted links the to banned biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej several years ago while living in the U.S. state of Colorado, and his case has raised questions about the applicability of Thai law to acts committed by foreigners outside Thailand. Speaking after the verdict, Gordon said, "I am an American citizen, and what happened was in America." He also said he had no expectation of being let off easy. "This is just the system in Thailand," he said. Speaking later in Thai, he added: "In Thailand, they put people in prison even if they don't have proof." Gordon had lived in the U.S. for about 30 years. He was detained in late May during a visit to his native country to seek treatment for arthritis and high blood pressure. After being repeatedly denied bail, he pleaded guilty in October in hopes of obtaining a lenient sentence. Thailand's lese majeste laws are the harshest in the world. They mandate that people found guilty of defaming the monarchy -- including the king, the queen and the heir to the throne -- face three to 15 years behind bars. The nation's 2007 Computer Crimes Act also contains provisions that have enabled prosecutors to increase lese majeste sentences. The U.S. Embassy's consul general, Elizabeth Pratt, told reporters in Bangkok after the ruling that Washington considered Gordon's punishment "severe because he has been sentenced for his right to freedom of expression." Opponents of the laws say that while the royal family should be protected from defamation, lese majeste laws have often been abused to punish political rivals. That is especially true since the nation suffered a 2006 military coup. Asked if he would stay in Thailand after serving his time, Gordon said: "I would like to stay and see some positive Thailand. I want to see the real, amazing Thailand, not the messy Thailand." Many had hoped that the administration of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, which has some prominent supporters who have been accused of lese majeste, would reform the laws. The issue remains highly sensitive, however, and Yingluck's government has been as aggressive in pursuing the cases as its predecessors.

(Press Release) WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-32), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (HI-2), Chair of CAPAC’s Education Taskforce, on December 2, 2011 issued the following statements on new guidance by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education that supports voluntary efforts to promote diversity and reduce racial isolation in primary, secondary and postsecondary education: Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC Chairwoman “The new guidance is a positive step forward in promoting diversity and inclusion in our classrooms. This will help provide our future workforce with the experiences, skills, and understanding they need to succeed in an increasingly global economy. I applaud the Departments of Justice and Education for this important announcement, and CAPAC looks forward to working with the Administration to promote diverse learning environments and educational equity.” Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono, CAPAC Education Taskforce Chair “In Hawaii, our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. When our keiki of all backgrounds are in the same school together, they learn from each other and prepare for today’s interconnected world. Our education system has come a long way since the painful days of segregated English Standard schools. In providing schools and colleges with recommendations on how they can increase diversity and reduce racial isolation, today’s guidance will help ensure that students in Hawaii and across the country have the chance to succeed in school and in their chosen careers.” The guidance was issued to clarify three Supreme Court decisions – Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger – which specifically addressed the consideration of race by educational institutions. The guidance on postsecondary institutions includes descriptions on how race can be taken into account for admissions, pipeline programs, outreach, mentorship, retention efforts, and support programs to achieve diversity. To learn more about the new guidance, please visit the Department of Education’s website. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently Chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.

Islamabad : Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari travelled to Dubai for medical tests on his heart after falling ill, officials and associates said Wednesday, triggering Twitter-fueled rumours that the embattled leader may be stepping down. The president’s spokesman denied the speculation, which centred on the idea Mr. Zardari may use ill health as a pretext for stepping down under pressure from the country’s powerful military. “All these reports are untrue, imaginary and speculative,” Farhatullah Babar told The Associated Press. Mr. Zardari travelled to Dubai on Tuesday for Reports that Pakistani president ‘unwell’ fuel rumours routine tests “related to his pre-existing heart condition” after his children insisted he do so, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s office said in a statement. The statement said Mr. Zardari was “stable” and would “remain under observation and return to resume his normal functions as advised by the doctors.” Mr. Zardari travelled to London in September to undergo an angiography and was reportedly given a clean bill of health. Close associates of the president said he is currently “unwell,” but did not provide specifics. His condition did not appear to be life-threatening, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Mr. Babar, the president’s spokesman, echoed this diagnosis, saying “it is not serious, not dangerous.” The president will return to Pakistan soon, he said. Sharmeela Farooqi, a spokeswoman for Mr. Zardari’s party, denied reports saying Mr. Zardari had suffered a heart attack. Mr. Zardari, fiercely disliked by many in the media and Pakistan’s political world, has been under pressure since the Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. was forced to resign after allegations he sent a memo to Washington asking for its help in reigning in the powerful military. An article published Tuesday on the website of Foreign Policy magazine appeared to be the source of the speculation. It quoted an unnamed former U.S. government official as saying Mr. Zardari was “incoherent” when he spoke with President Barack Obama by telephone over the weekend. Parts of the U.S. government were informed that Mr. Zardari had a “minor heart attack” on Monday night and may resign on account of “ill health” amid the uproar over the memo scandal, said the official. Twitter users then spread the story, and it was picked up by Pakistan’s ratingshungry television channels. Mr. Zardari, a canny political operator, has survived many predictions of his downfall since he became president in 2008.

WASHINGTON : More than three decades after the bricks-and-mortar U.S. Embassy in Tehran was shuttered and diplomatic relations with Iran were severed following the Islamic revolution and hostage crisis, the Obama administration has opened a virtual embassy for Iran to encourage dialogue with the Iranian people. The Webbased "embassy" went online Tuesday with versions in English and Farsi explaining why the administration has chosen a virtual diplomatic mission to further expand its effort to reach out to Iranians even as President Obama's attempts to engage the government in Tehran over its nuclear program have yet to succeed. Earlier this year, the State Department launched a Farsi-language Twitter account and Facebook page aimed at providing news to Iranians about U.S. government policies and encouraging feedback. The virtual embassy is intended to complement the social media sites. "This website is not a formal diplomatic mission, nor does it represent or describe a real U.S. embassy accredited to the Iranian government," the State Department said in an introductory note. "But, in the absence of direct contact, it can work as a bridge between the American and Iranian people." The note lamented that the embassy hostage crisis — in which 52 Americans were held hostage by Islamist militants and students for 444 days from November 1979 to January 1981 — and breakdown in U.S.-Iran relations had cost America a valuable backand- forth with ordinary Iranians. "While the world knows that the United States lost an embassy in Iran, in fact, we lost more: we were deprived of a relationship with the Iranian people, access to Iranian society, and thousands of daily interactions between American and Iranian citizens," the department said.In a video message, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the websites were an attempt to make up for the loss of dialogue between Americans and Iranians since the closure of the physical embassy in Tehran.

The government, free speech and censorship

The government’s spat with internet and social media companies over content posted online that is allegedly derogatory towards certain politicians and religious figures is a storm in a teacup – albeit with the potential for dangerous consequences. The internet, by its very nature, is something of a wild west environment. Look hard enough and you’re bound to find something that will qualify as objectionable to one group or another. The question is whether it’s truly an issue worth focussing on at a time when the government is facing any number of pressing problems of far greater relevance to the common man, and the entire legislative machinery seems to have ground to a halt. There’s no doubt that some content on social networking websites or the internet can be offensive and inflammatory. But the fallacy lies in blaming social networking sites for this content, as they cannot possibly pre-screen millions of conversations appearing on them. It’s the equivalent of blaming telephone companies if people should have a libellous conversation over their networks. Social networking websites do have a system of deleting offensive content once complaints are made to them. If the government must make an issue of this, it’s best to work out a jointly agreeable and transparent solution with them that’s acceptable to civil society as well. India is a vibrant democracy with many excitable voices.

(New Delhi Bureau) : As if Pakistan had made any substantial gains out of the antiterrorism game with the help of the United States and NATO forces, it now seemed to be all set to try out the same game all over again with the help of its new dear friend China. This was illustrated by China-Pakistan war games concluded in the Jehlum region, close to Islamabad towards the end of November suggested some reports from Pakistan. Will an angry Pakistan allow the Chinese a military foothold, the same way it had once allowed the US? The time and place of the Chinese games in Pakistan is significant indeed. This time reports from Islamabad suggested that the war games conducted by 540 Chinese and Pakistani soldiers – the fourth Sino-Pak joint exercises since 2006 –were designed, ostensibly to give China a chance to benefit from “Pakistan’s counter-terrorism experience.” But what had the United States learnt from its once front-line military ally experience against terrorism in the Af-Pak region? Paratroopers making war jumps, choppers strafing mock terrorist camps and training centers and shacks blown to pieces were part of the airstrikes carried out in this joint military game. How would be such air strikes different from the NATO drone strikes in the Mohmmand territory in the North West? An international report on these experience published in an Indian tabloid daily suggested, “Behind the pomp rolled out for the Chinese, the relationship is as transcendental as any other, as Chinese competes with Pakistan’s arch-rival India for Asian dominance”. Interesting observation that both China and Pakistan have a common objective to dominate Asia. India, however, had never made any declaration of intention to dominate Asia. Of course there were Indian who, like many others in other Asian countries, dreamt that Asia must have its imprint on the global map, by achievement and not by domination. The soul of the anti-terror war games in Jhelum, also quite near Pak’s nuclear arsenals, was incidentally bared in the following paragraphs of the international agency report: During the exercises outside Jhelum near Islamabad, general sat smoking and sipping tea under a giant tent. Chinese Deputy Chief of Staff Hou Shusen and Pakistan’s Army Chief Ashfaque Kayani sat together in the front row, guests of honour incapable of talking to each other without an interpreter. China alanyst Michael Dillon said;” There is a feeling that cooperation with Pakistan on counter-terrorism might be in China’s interests. The big rival is India. If they can get close diplomatically to Pakistan then it can balance India’s power in the subcontinent”. Kayani described China as “vital to regional stability”. That was perhaps best seen against a backdrop of Pakistan’s own rivalry with India. Comment by an Indian journalist on such games avowedly against terrorism was worth taking note of. He said, “Suppose China, Pakistan and India, instead of being hostile neighbours, wary of one another, decided one day to become understanding friends, where will terrorists and terrorism go?”

International engagement with Kabul must endure well beyond 2014

Ten years after the first meet in Bonn, a thousand delegates from 100 countries met for the second time in the German city to discuss the future of Afghanistan. However, with the withdrawal of foreign combat troops slated for 2014, and a suicide blast killing at least 48 people at a Shia shrine in Afghanistan’s capital, stabilising the country is more pertinent today than ever. A massive amount of work remains to equip Kabul with the necessary tools to stand on its own feet. It is welcome that the international community has pledged sustained assistance to Afghanistan for at least a decade post-2014. Without it, Afghanistan would surely recede into the kind of chaos it witnessed in the 1990s. The imperative to remain engaged in Afghanistan is both moral and strategic. Polls show that a majority in Afghanistan would not like to revert to the days of brutal Taliban rule. The world sitting by and acceding to this would be equivalent to major powers not acting as Nazi Germany swallowed up Europe. Nor is the chaos that Afghanistan witnessed during the civil wars of the 1990s an appetising prospect. That could merely pave the way for Taliban rule, as it did the last time. A Taliban victory in Afghanistan would be a strategic nightmare as it would serve as a significant morale booster for Islamists worldwide. Neither is it fair to place the entire blame for Afghanistan’s current predicament on that country alone. A resurgent Taliban may be waiting in the wings to exploit any slackening in the Natoled military initiative, a situation far removed from that in the beginning of the Afghan war when the Taliban was on the verge of annihilation. But American focus on Iraq from 2003 onwards, virtually outsourcing Afghan security to Pakistan, allowed the Taliban and their jihadi ilk to regroup. Afghanistan’s future can only be secured through a joint global effort. To begin with, a gradual drawdown of foreign troops is necessary to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities to Afghan security forces. Sustained financial packages and development funds will be key to building vital Afghan infrastructure and strong democratic assets, while Pakistan must be pressured to withdraw support for Taliban insurgents. India’s proposal for a ‘Marshall Plan’ comprising all major stakeholders in Afghanistan must be taken up. It would cost less than expenses incurred by current levels of American military presence. Moral, material and security support must endure well after 2014. The international community can ignore Afghanistan only at its own peril.

A Kabul river treaty would be a significant step towards reducing the trust deficit in South Asia

Pakistan has again accused India of water hegemony. This time, however, the accusation refers not to Indian damming of the western rivers in Jammu and Kashmir, but to Indian support for Afghan development projects along the Kabul river. This conspiratorial thinking distracts from a factual understanding of the Kabul river issue. Media outlets in Pakistan and Afghanistan have reported that Afghanistan plans to build 12 dams on the Kabul river with a combined storage capacity of 4.7 million acre-feet (MAF). Pakistan worries that these dams will stop crucial water supply from flowing to the Indus river, and that Indian support for these dams will increase India’s hydroinfluence in the region. While India has not confirmed this support for the 12 dams, it is currently one of Afghanistan’s largest assistance donors, with $1.3 billion invested in infrastructure projects. To understand India’s possible participation in Afghan dambuilding – along with that of the US, the World Bank and others – context is imperative: Afghanistan lacks hydro-development; all 12 of Afghanistan’s existing water reservoirs were built between 1920 and 1940. So although Afghanistan has sufficient water to meet its needs, it is unable to harness it. The Kabul river basin (KRB) contains 50% of the country’s urban population but it is one of the most underutilised basins in Afghanistan, using just 25% of its surface water availability. Furthermore, Afghanistan’s mountainous northeastern region, through which the Kabul river flows, is flood and droughtprone. This makes storage essential to provide water in lean periods, and to avoid disasters like flash floods during sudden flow outbursts. Yet, Afghanistan currently has one of the lowest storage capacities in the world. Water infrastructure is essential for agriculture, energy and urbanisation in Afghanistan, and consequently, security and stability across South Asia. The Kabul river, a tributary of the Indus, is a shared river between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Therefore, this challenge of the 12 dams is essentially an AfPak issue rather than an Indo-Pak one. It should be used to spark a water agreement between the two countries. A comprehensive water accord – which addresses both the Afghan need for water development and Pakistan’s apprehensions about water flow reduction – could do wonders not only for water security, but for political ties as well. Though Indo-Pak water relations are not directly involved in the Kabul river issue, they still hold relevance. The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan can help inform an AfPak agreement on the Kabul river. The IWT is considered one of the world’s more successful transboundary water treaties: it addresses specific water allocations and provides unique design requirements for run-of-theriver dams, which ensure the steady flow of water and guarantee power generation through hydro-electricity. The IWT also provides a mechanism for consultation and arbitration should questions, disagreements, or disputes arise. These features could be similarly applicable in an AfPak water treaty. Furthermore, the IWT, by settling the rights of the upper and lower riparians, gave India and Pakistan access to billions in World Bank financing. Afghanistan can take similar steps to secure its national water development plans. The treaty could also use the IWT’s limitations to add new dimensions to transboundary water agreements in South Asia by including contemporary concepts like climate change. Current treaties distribute existing water flows among nations but very few, if any, account for diminishing or erratic river flows that will result from changing climate patterns. A recent Pacific Institute report states that both new and existing transboundary water treaties should be “climateproofed”. An AfPak water treaty can be one of the first to institute this recommendation. For instance, it can set up a joint disaster management centre. With growing populations and limited resources, we can no longer afford to divide water; we must learn how to share it efficiently. Why not stipulate that Pakistan, as the lower riparian, purchase hydro power from the Afghan dams? It would presumably be cheaper than purchasing it from diesel-driven rental power projects. A consummated AfPak water treaty would represent a rare regional success story in South Asia. Pakistan and Afghanistan could enhance water and political security through cooperative institutional mechanisms. India’s desire to assist Afghanistan with dam construction would be less politically fraught, given that Pakistan would presumably be more willing to accept the projects’ existence if its concerns were addressed via a treaty. The US would welcome a water accord between the tense neighbours, as it would contribute to the AfPak cooperation fervently sought by Washington. Finally, a Kabul river treaty could eventually be applied to a cooperative rather than competitive understanding of water sharing for the region at large. Bakshi is former coordinator, South Asia Security Unit at Strategic Foresight Group. Kugelman is the South Asia associate, Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars. Alam is vice-president, Pakistan Environmental Law Association. The article has also appeared in The News, Pakistan, which partners The Times of India in the Aman ki Asha initiative.

Parliament’s logjam is broken, now make sure there’s no policy logjam

Parliament’s logjam has been broken at last, although the decision to place retail reform on hold – in order to appease opposition parties and the Trinamool Congress – may yet prove to be pyrrhic. It’s imperative now that Congress should push on as many fronts as possible, and UPA partners not look to trip it up. Already half of the winter session, slated to pass 31 Bills, has been lost to relentless stonewalling by BJP-led opposition parties and indecision within the UPA camp. Everyone must cooperate to make up for lost time, and make the rest of the winter session productive. There’s a whole host of important legislation pending, from land acquisition to pension reform to higher education to the Lokpal Bill. It’s imperative to place a strong Lokpal Bill before Parliament, otherwise that’s likely to be the next flashpoint. And above all, it’s necessary for the government to look businesslike. The compromise it has negotiated to get Parliament working again should not be interpreted to mean that it will accept a veto from all possible quarters on further policy decisions, including on retail reform. India cannot be run like the UN Security Council. It would be a travesty if Parliament’s logjam were broken, only to create a policy logjam. Neither can governance be put in cold storage till the UP elections. That’s still six months away, not to mention that it’s not expected to fundamentally transform the political landscape in ways that will be helpful to Congress. It’s important for Congress, however, to build a political case for whatever policy steps it envisages to push the economy forward. Inflation is raging, growth is stalling, interest rates and public debt are sky high. Inaction on the economy is inexcusable. The Congress needs to hard-sell its economic policy platform to its own rank and file, to UPA constituents as well as the general public. That way it can bypass the opposition, even if the latter chooses to be obstructionist as it is doing now. But the manner in which Congress prepared the ground for retail reform has lacked conviction, when it can so easily be sold as profarmer and an antidote to the price rise. It’s necessary, for example, for Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to come out on this hot-button issue, guns blazing. There’s nothing in the current situation that can’t be salvaged by decisive leadership. Unfortunately that’s the vital missing ingredient – whether in the Congress, its UPA allies, or the opposition.

(Press Release) Houston, TX—Leena Ceraveeni’s debut novel, “The Hometown,” has been selected as Editor’s Choice by Independent Publisher Magazine, the voice of the independent publishing industry. These books are honored each month for exhibiting superior levels of creativity, originality, and high standards of design and production quality. “Along the way you'll be entertained and enlightened by this smart and witty coming-of-age novel that gets to the heart of ‘growing up multicultural’ and making your way as a minority woman in America today,” said Jim Barnes, Editor, Independent Publisher Magazine. “The Hometown,” documents the racial experiences of an Indian girl born and raised in Indiana. Each chapter of “The Hometown” focuses on a different racial experience when 23-yearold Mala Thomas packs up her Acura Vigor and makes an impulsive move to Houston. In Houston, she doesn’t get questioned about being Indian. The South is very different from the Midwest and Mala can’t take the word “y’all” seriously. On her career path, she lands a job in the energy industry and falls for work-obsessed Cyril, a Creole who works in her office building. The death of the sister she can’t remember, her love for ’80s rock, and her past racial experiences follow her everywhere she goes. “The Hometown” has appeared in Midwest Book Review, Indo American News, Asiance Magazine, AsiaToday AZ, Can-India News, G’Day India, Indiana Daily Student, and other publications.

WAUPUN, Wis. — With her identity still a mystery, sheriff's deputies and staff in the medical examiner's office have become the family of sorts for a slain girl whose body was found three years ago partially submerged in a freezing Wisconsin lake.Unable to track down her real family, the public officials joined some twodozen residents of the small community of Waupun Wednesday as their town's "Jane Doe" was finally laid to rest. The girl's remains had been stored frozen for three years, but authorities allowed her to get a proper burial after determining they'd done all the research and tests they could on the body to learn who she was and who killed her. "We knew this day was coming and we were hoping beyond hope, I guess, that we would find somebody that would know her," said sheriff's department head chaplain Don Deike, who spoke at the graveside ceremony. "So the department as well as the coroner ... decided to become her family for her. That is really what it all boiled down to." Only the basics are known about the girl found by hunters on Nov. 23, 2008. She's around 15 to 21 years old, about 5-foot-1 and estimated to weigh between 110 and 135 pounds. Her hair was light brown or dark blond and between 12 and 14 inches long. She was wearing light blue jeans, and a black top with pink trim. They also know she was knock kneed or pigeon toed. Law enforcement has looked at more than 200 leads, obtained and tried to match DNA, commissioned a computerized reconstruction of her face, started a Facebook page and sought the help of forensic anthropologists, entomologists and dentists. They don't know how she died, but Lt. Cameron McGee, who has been working the case from day one, said it was definitely a homicide. Why deputies think that is something he's keeping close to the vest for the sake of the investigation. They've determined she was likely dumped in the lake in August. "I think we are her only hope right now. In fact, I know we are her only hope," McGee said. "Without us, who is going to speak for her?"

Building on the success of the first edition, ad:tech India reappoints Gutenberg for the second consecutive year

(Press Release) New Delhi – ad:tech New Delhi, the Indian edition of the world’s no.1 digital marketing, media and advertising event, today announced that they have selected Gutenberg Communications, a global full service strategic communications firm as the official Public Relations partner for ad:tech New Delhi 2012. Following the successful debut in India in April 2011, the second edition of ad:tech will be held from 22nd to 24th February 2012 at The Leela Kempinski in Gurgaon. Featuring globally respected speakers and exhibitors, the event will witness the largest gathering of online marketers, brands, agencies, publishers, service providers, sharing best practices and revealing latest trends in the digital advertising and marketing space. Sharing thoughts on the reappointment of G u t e n b e r g Communications as the official PR partner, Rammohan Sundaram, Event Chairman, ad:tech India and Founder, CEO & Managing Director, Networkplay Media Pvt Ltd, said “The first edition of ad:tech was launched in India when the Indian digital marketing industry was experiencing a remarkable growth and the event received an overwhelming response. Gutenberg Communications with their well structured PR campaign provided invaluable communications insights in making it a huge success. With the promise of growing bigger, better and bolder, the second edition will showcase latest trends and innovations in digital advertising. We are happy to bring Gutenberg Communications on board to bolster our communication strategies for ad:tech New Delhi 2012. We firmly believe, G u t e n b e r g Communications with their expertise and understanding of the marketing space; and strength in seamlessly blending the traditional media tactics and new media modules will help in making the ad:tech 2012 a phenomenal success.” Commenting on the significance of the event Sonali Madbhavi, Country Manager, Gutenberg Communications, said, “We are pleased with our appointment as the communication partner for ad:tech India for the second year running. Earlier, G u t e n b e r g Communications has also managed the c o m m u n i c a t i o n s campaigns for events hosted by USIBC, Cherie Blair Foundation, and London Business School, among several others. We are looking forward to supporting ad:tech India 2012 for spreading the word on the power of mobile, search and, display advertising along with the growing importance of social media to the Indian audience.” Established in 2004 as a public relations entity, the firm has grown over the years to become a 3600 communications firm with expertise and in-depth research sensibilities in the technology, financial services, real estate, healthcare, hospitality, and education sectors. About Gutenberg Communications G u t e n b e r g Communications is a global, full service strategic communications firm, headquartered in New York City with offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, London, New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai. We provide in-depth insight into media landscapes, endless imagination, strong relationships with influential international media and analysts and an unwavering commitment to client delight. We specialize in technology, financial services, real estate, healthcare, academic and not-for-profit causes. To learn more about Gutenberg Communications, visit us at www.gutenbergpr.com. You can also view our blog at PRBrew.com and follow us on Twitter @thegutes. About ad:tech New Delhi 2012 ad:tech - World’s No. 1 Digital Marketing ,Media & Advertising Event made its successful debut in India in April 2011, with New Delhi being the first city to host the two day event. With 10 shows in 7 countries, ad:tech has been providing media, marketing and technology professionals with the tools and techniques required to succeed in a changing digital world for over a decade. Networkplay Media Pvt. Ltd. in partnership with dmg events, has announced the SECOND Interactive Advertising and Digital marketing exhibition and conference to be held on 22nd - 24th February 2012 at the Leela Kempinski, Ambience Island, Gurgaon, Delhi NCR

London : The private investigator Glenn Mulcaire is understood to have been arrested in connection with voicemail interception and perverting the course of justice. Detectives investigating phone hacking said a 41- year-old man was arrested at an address in London on Wednesday morning and was being held in custody at a south London police station.The man is understood to be Mulcaire, the private investigator who worked for the News of the World for several years until 2006. Lawyers acting for Mulcaire had not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication. The man becomes the 18th arrest as part of the Operation Weeting investigation into phone hacking. However, he is one of few to be arrested in connection with perverting the course of justice. A police spokesman said: "At 7am officers arrested the man at an address in London on suspicion of conspiring to intercept voicemail messages, contrary to Section 1 (1) Criminal Law Act 1977, and on suspicion of perverting the course of justice contrary to common law. The man is currently in custody at a south London police station. "It would be inappropriate to discuss any further details at this time." Since its launch in February, the Metropolitan police's phone-hacking investigation is working its way through 300m emails from News International and other evidence.

(Press Release) Centennial, CO : Bollywood’s blockbuster hit Ra.One, starring international sensations Shah Rukh Khan (in dual roles) and Kareena Kapoor, will be available exclusively on Bollywood Hits On Demand prior to its DVD release this month, less than six weeks after it’s theatrical release. Bollywood Hits on Demand, the subscription video on demand service featuring Bollywood blockbuster movies and music, is available to Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Time Warner, CenturyLink and RCN cable customers in select areas in the U.S. market. The movie will be available on Bollywood Hits On Demand from December 2, 2011 to January 5, 2012. For Comcast and Cox customers, Ra.One will also be available to order on an a la carte basis for $4.99. “Ra.One had a record opening in the U.S., beating those of recent releases, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer this super blockbuster hit to cable platforms prior to its DVD release. We remain committed to offering the best of Bollywood movies and music to our on demand customers,” said Ken Naz, President of Eros International, USA. Ra. One was released theatrically on October 26, 2011, with astounding box office results, making it one of the most successful Diwali openings in Indian cinema by grossing more than $35 million worldwide. This Bollywood blockbuster is a sci-fi, action film filled with stunning visual effects directed by Anubhav Sinha and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal and Kareena Kapoor. The film also features a widely acclaimed soundtrack produced by Vishal & Shekhar, featuring Grammy award nominee Akon in the hit Bollywood song “Chamak Chalo.” About Eros International: Eros is an integrated player in the rapidly growing Indian media and entertainment sector, involved in the acquisition and distribution of filmed entertainment content across current and emerging formats including theatres, home entertainment, television and new media. Established in 1977 with a vision to become the gateway for Indian content worldwide and Hollywood content in India, Eros has over three decades of market experience in creating a global platform for Indian cinema. In 2006, Eros became the first Indian media company to obtain a listing on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. Eros operates in five continents and over 50 countries with offices throughout India, the United Kingdom, USA, UAE, Singapore, Australia, Fiji and the Isle of Man. For further information please visit: www.erosplc.com About Bollywood Hits On Demand: Bollywood Hits On Demand is a subscription video on demand service available throughout the United States. Monthly subscription fees vary by operators. Bollywood Hits On Demand is a partnership between International Media Distribution, a leading provider of in-language and multi-ethnic programming in the U.S. and Eros International, the largest international distributor of Indian films worldwide. Bollywood Hits On Demand features exciting new Bollywood blockbusters and allows unlimited access to hundreds of choices each month. Users are able to watch their favorite films, hit songs, popular TV and variety shows with the convenience of total control to start, stop, pause, rewind and fastforward on their schedule. New titles are available each week for unlimited viewing. For operator availability, trailers, schedules and more, visit www.mybhod.com. A b o u t I n t e r n a t i o n a l Media Distribution: International Media Distribution (IMD) has been a leading provider of inlanguage programming in the U.S. for over a decade. IMD r e p r e s e n t s o v e r 3 0 T V channels including two SVOD services with content from a variety of i n t e r n a t i o n a l s o u r c e s : Antenna Satellite (Greek), ART (Arabic), ATV (Cantonese), Bollywood Hits On Demand (Hindi), CCTV-4 (Chinese), CTI Zhong Tian Channel (Chinese), Channel One Russia, Deutsche We l l e ( G e r m a n ) , F i l i p i n o O n Demand (Ta g a l o g ) , Mediaset Italia (Italian), MYX (English), Phoenix InfoNews (Chinese), Phoenix North America Chinese Channel, Rai Italia (Italian), RTN (Russian), RTN Plus (Russian), SBTN (Vietnamese), STAR India GOLD (Hindi), STAR India NEWS (Hindi), STAR ONE (Hindi), STAR India PLUS (Hindi), TFC & TFC-E (Filipino), Tele5 (Polish), TV Polonia, TVP Info (Polish), TV Asia (Hindi), TV JAPAN, TVK (Korean), TVK2 (Korean), TV5MONDE (French), VIJAY (Tamil).

(Press Release) SAN FRANCISCO – Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) will introduce its highly anticipated 19th annual custom designed Lunar New Year calendar at the Chinese Historical Society of America Museum on December 12 from 5:30 to 8:00 PM. The calendar celebrates the dragon, the most auspicious and powerful sign of the Chinese zodiac. Tracy Curtis, president of Wells Fargo’s San Francisco market and Wells Fargo’s regional director of Diverse Segments, Maggie Mui will join the festivities of Chinese culture. “I am glad to participate in the unveiling of Wells Fargo’s annual Lunar New Year calendar,” said Tracy Curtis. “Wells Fargo was founded in 1852 and enjoys a long and rich tradition in San Francisco with the Chinese and Chinese- American community. I am proud of the work we do as a company to celebrate the rich cultures of our diverse community.” Most recently, Wells Fargo provided funding to the Chinese Historical Society to help conserve and restore a newly rediscovered painting by Jake Lee, a Chinese American artist who created 12 watercolor posters for the famous Kan’s Restaurant. The paintings were lost in the 1990s and were only recovered earlier this year when Sue Lee, executive director of the Chinese Historical Society, received a tip that the paintings were going up for auction. Eight of the original 12 paintings now hang in the gallery of the Historical Society. “For 19 years, Wells Fargo has made it a tradition to provide a custom designed Lunar New Year calendar for our customers,” said Maggie Mui. “We could not think of a better place to unveil the calendar than the Chinese Historical Society where we’ve enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship.” “This event is a marvelous opportunity to demonstrate our partnership of more than 20 years with Wells Fargo,” said Sue Lee, executive director, Chinese Historical Society. “Wells Fargo is a tremendous supporter of ours. They have helped us uncover hidden stories of the Chinese in America through our own voice and have helped us to educate young Asian-Americans and our community that we are a big part of American history.” About Wells Fargo: Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com and wachovia.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. With more than 270,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in America. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 23 on Fortune’s 2011 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy all our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. About the Chinese Historical Society of America: The Chinese Historical Society of America Museum opened in its landmark Julia Morgandesigned Chinatown YWCA building in 2001. Founded in 1963, CHSA is the oldest and largest organization in the country dedicated to the documentation, study, and presentation of Chinese American history. Through exhibitions, publications, and educational, public programming, CHSA promotes the contributions and legacy of Chinese America.

In a tearful plea for mercy before a Chicago court, Blagojevich said he had made "terrible mistakes" but insisted he did not know he was breaking the law when he sought $1.5m in bribes. “My life is ruined, at least now,” he told the court. “My political career is over, I can’t be a lawyer anymore. We can’t afford the home we live in, we’re trying to sell it. “I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions and the things I did and I thought I could do." The stiff sentence handed down by District Judge James Zagel came a day after Blagojevich admitted 18 charges of corruption and brings to an end a threeyear legal battle that began with a phone tap made by the FBI shortly after the 2008 election. One the recording, the 54-year-old described his power to handpick a new senator to fill President Obama's seat as "f------ golden" and was heard speculating about how it could be sold to raise campaign funds. Among the most damning charges was that he held up funding to every children's hospital in the state after one hospital failed to give money to his campaign. “He lied repeatedly.

NewJersey— About two dozen police officers remained at the scene early Wednesday morning of the Occupy encampment in San Francisco, hours after authorities took down more than 100 tents and arrested dozens of people as the site was dismantled. The officers lined up to block access on Market Street while trash crews raked up paper and plastic bottles and remove chairs and other belongings that accumulated at the camp over the past two months. Dozens of police cars, fire engines and ambulances surrounded the campsite at Justin Herman Plaza and blocked off the area during the raid that began around 2 a.m., KCBS radio reported. Police information officers could not immediately be reached to provide an official arrest count, but Police Chief Greg Suhr told KCBS that officers dismantled more than 100 tents. Gene Doherty, 47, an Occupy protester who was not at the site during the raid but watched it on a live streaming website, estimated that at least 40 people were taken into custody. "They gave us about a five-minute notice to vacate the plaza and then came through and started tearing down the tents and putting them into trash compactor trucks," he said. Radio reports said at least 50 protesters were arrested, and they could be heard chanting as they were taken away on a bus. KCBS reported that one officer was hit with a chair in the face while wearing his face shield, which cracked. The officer escaped injury, however. Police remained at the site after protesters briefly blocked a major thoroughfare near the site. Work crews were busy clearing debris form the tent city, which was set up in mid-October. Doherty said the Occupy protesters planned a noon rally at the site and still had several "mobile occupations" throughout the city. "We will come back and reoccupy," Doherty said. "A large segment of our community has no other options. They don't have a home to go back to; this was their home."

NewYork — A published report says the remains of many more U.S. troops have been dumped in a landfill than the military originally acknowledged. The Washington Post says the incinerated partial remains of at least 274 troops were sent to a Virginia landfill. The report was based on database information at the Dover Air Base mortuary, where the remains of most war dead return. The families of the dead authorized the military to dispose of the remains respectfully and with dignity. They were unaware of the landfill dumping, and Air Force officials told the newspaper they have no plans now to alert the families. Military policy or regulations did not formally authorize the practice. The mortuary has handled the remains of more than 6,300 troops since 2001.

NewJersey——A simpler credit card agreement is getting a tryout. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday released a prototype of a credit card agreement that's written in plain English. The idea is to sweep away the legalese and make it easier for consumers to understand a card's costs and terms. For now, there are no plans to require credit card companies to adopt the form. But if the agency moved to make the form mandatory once its testing phase is over, it could establish an industrywide template that helped consumers comparison shop. As it stands, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau noted that the average credit card agreement runs 5,000 words and is packed with fine print that consumers don't understand. The prototype agreement, by contrast, is just over 1,000 words and is broken down into three key sections -- costs, changes and additional information. The form will be tested over the first half of 2012 with new credit card applicants at the Pentagon Federal Credit Union, one of the nation's largest credit unions. Some applicants will get the existing version of the credit union's card agreement so that the CFPB can compare consumer feedback. The American Bankers Association, which represents the banking industry, said the prototype was a "good first step" but noted that it could leave card issuers susceptible to lawsuits. That's because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would keep a glossary of contract terms on its website; consumers could also request free printed copies. "Making it available is not the same as getting it," said Nessa Feddis, vice president and senior counsel for the ABA.

(News Agencies) A small-town mayor turned his private life into public business late last month when he stunned residents at a city council meeting by announcing he was having an affair with a city councilwoman. Mario Hernandez then horrified his constituents in San Fernando, California, when he ordered police to escort away his wife, who was sitting in the front row, as she stood up to confront her adulterous husband. It's a script sordid enough to make soap opera actors blush and reality TV stars cringe, but residents of the small, beleaguered California town don't find it entertaining. They are demanding the mayor and his lover, Maribel De La Torre, resign. San Fernando, a city of just 25,000, has already been plagued by sex scandals among its leaders. The police chief is being sued by a cadet who claims they had sex in a squad car, a police dispatcher was caught exposing himself in public and another councilwoman carried on an affair with a police sergeant while the city sparred with the police union, the San Fernando Valley Sun reported. At the end of a November 21 city council meeting, Mayor Hernandez announced that his business had gone under and he had declared bankruptcy. And then he added: 'I'd like to put out there, to squash the rumors, that yes, I have been in a relationship with Councilwoman De La Torre.' Mayor Hernandez claimed he was separated from his wife. That's when Anna Hernandez stood up from the front row: 'I'm his wife... we weren't separated.' But as she tried to publicly confront her adulterous husband, the mayor ordered the city's acting police chief to step in. He told the officer that if Mrs Hernandez tried to speak again, she must be escorted out, the Sun reported. The pronouncement drew gasps from the crowd and scorn from fellow council members. 'Ghetto,' responded Councilwoman Sylvia Ballin. 'You're a joke. Everyone knows you're a joke, so just be a joke,' taunted Sev Aszkenazy, the publisher of the Sun and the mayor's brother-in-law. At the end of the meeting, Mayor Hernandez and Councilwoman De La Torre quickly retreated from the council chambers. At a follow-up meeting this week, 150 residents turned up to lambaste their soap opera mayor and call for his resignation. Ms De La Torre, who has two children in college, was conspicuously absent from the gathering. 'I'm sorry I voted for you,' Dee Akemon told the mayor.'You ain't got no shame at all,' 77-year-old Samuel Beltran said. Residents said the city has real problems to worry about without being sidetracked by a philandering mayor - a massive budget deficit, a proposal to spend large amounts of city money on a private firefighting force and contract negotiations with the police union.

U.S. Senate Candidate George Maragos : CBS' "60 Minutes" recently reported that the Former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, bought stock in the VISA initial public offering while she had access to insider information that would have been illegal for an average citizen to trade with. Within 2 days she earned about 50% on her investment. Now Senator Gillibrand is rushing to submit a bill to supposedly end this unethical congressional behavior. Don't believe it! She is rushing to create a distraction in order to continue to protect members of Congress from inside trading prosecution. Federal securities laws on insider trading already exist for ordinary Americans. A famous example is when Martha Stewart was convicted and went to jail for insider trading. We do not need a separate law for the Washington insiders. Members of Congress should be subjected to existing laws like everyone else. It is outrageous that the SEC Enforcement Director Robert K h u z a m i d e f e n d e d a g a i n s t prosecuting Washington i n s i d e r s because, "it is unclear if such activity violates the fiduciary duty he or she owes to the United States and its citizens…. his or her employer," according to the Wall Street Journal's Andrew Ackerman. Every American thought that our politicians worked for us and that they had a fiduciary reponsibility to the people that they represent. Memebrs of Congress should not have a separate bill as proposed by Senator Gillibrand that will place them above the law. A bill that the NY Post described as, "Gillibrand's Stock Crock" and "Faux Fix" because it was full of loop h o l e s . Gillibrand's bill will provide even more cover for the Washington insiders. Her own staff admited to John Conway of CNBC when challenged about the ineffectiveness of Gillibrand's bill that they did not mean what they wrote, "the language was a technical error." Wayne Hall of Big Government questioned, "Is Sen. Gillibrand's bill a stealth attempt to keep insider trading by members of Congress legal?" It definitely is! I suggest that Senator Gillibrand stop trying to protect her colleagues, and stop trying to place members of Congress above the law. She should instead demand that the SEC enforce the existing federal securities laws on her friends in Washington, and focus on putting New Yorkers back to work. About: George Maragos is the current elected Comptroller of Nassau County. He is the declared Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 2012 against New York Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Maragos brings 35 years of successful senior management experience and accomplishments in the private sector. Mr. Maragos has an MBA in Finance and a degree in Engineering. He is married to his wife for 38 years and has two children and two grand children.

(Press Release)(New York, NY ) Fashion-forward party goers who hate repeating outfits at special occasions, listen up! Devi’s Closet, a brand new fashion portal where women and men can RENT one-of-akind, South Asian designer outfits at a fraction of the retail cost, has officially opened its closet doors for business. Located at www.deviscloset.com, the e-rental site houses the latest in designer, brand name South Asian fashion, jewelry, and accessories perfect for weddings, religious events, parties, and practically ANY event where you don’t want to make the faux pas of repeating an outfit your friends on Facebook have already seen in your profile picture. Co-created by longtime friends and New York fashionistas Meera Patel, Sheena Patel , and Amy Heller, Devi’s Closet showcases the work of top notch South Asian designers such as Payal Singhal, Amrita Singh, Anita Dongre, Gopi Vaid, Isharya, and Medhavini Agarwal, just to name a few. Here’s how it works: Sign up for a FREE membership account at www.deviscloset.com, select the outfit and accessories of your choice, enter the date of your next event, your size, and your zip code. The outfit will be shipped to your doorstep with a pre-paid, return envelope to send it back. Once received, the outfit will be dry-cleaned and ready to be shipped out to the next customer. “I think what Devi’s Closet is doing is fab!” says Singhal. “The concept of rental for Indian clothes in America will do very well because most Indians attend at least four to five weddings each year, and since the communities are small, they would ideally like to wear a different outfit each time. Devi’s Closet will now be their fairy god mother!” Devi’s Closet, named after the supreme Indian goddess ‘Devi,’ is the perfect borrowing site for 15 to 54-yearold, collegeeducated, middle to upperclass women living all over North America. A ‘Devi’ has numerous roles in Hindu mythology, and just like the company’s name suggests, her closet has many options for the modern South Asian woman. “South Asian women are also more stylish and designer-conscious than ever before,” says Meera Patel, one of the cofounders. “With the rise in popularity of events like India’s Lakme Fashion Week, names like Ritu Kumar and Amrita Singh have become main stream across North America. Modern South Asian women recognize the cache of these designer labels, which will lead to brand loyalty.” About the Founders: Meera Patel has 10 years of brand and shopper marketing experience from leading Consumer packaged goods and media companies working on brands such as Dove, Suave Caress, Ponds, Motor Trend, and InStyle, to name a few. She is a fashionista to the core and enjoys shopping at the smaller boutiques in Soho. Her passion for Indian clothes and designers began when she was planning her own wedding and had to pick outfits for herself and her family members. Meera’s aesthetic is combining traditional Indian fashion with a Western flair, and she loves incorporating big and bold accessories into her look. She has completed the prestigious Management training program at Pepsi Bottling Group and has a degree from Boston University in Business Management, with a concentration in Finance and Marketing. Meera’s additional certifications include a Marketing Management certificate from New York University and Spanish Proficiency from Formula Si in Madrid, Spain. Meera says she’s able to face any challenge with ease after managing a community sanitation program in Paraguay and being a volunteer herself in the Dominican Republic. She enjoys traveling, philanthropy and staying on top of the latest fashion trends. “The streets of Manhattan are a series of runways where the latest fashion trends live and breathe,” believes Sheena Patel, a fashionista who loves designer labels, especially at affordable prices. Sheena developed an eye for fashion after living with two older sisters, whose clothes she was always borrowing to dress herself up, no matter what the occasion. Always on the lookout for the latest trends and willing to take risks to go beyond the conventional, Sheena’s fashion sense has evolved dramatically ever since she moved to New York five years ago. Sheena has a Masters degree in International Business and currently works as an IT Project Manager at a nonprofit in NYC. Her technology and web site d e v e l o p m e n t backgrounds are an ideal fit for an up-and-coming fashion portal. Sheena comes from a businessoriented family and is a strategic thinker with strong relationship management and interpersonal skills. Sheena is passionate about tennis, loves reading and music, speaks Hindi fluently, and recommends that the best way around NYC is on foot. With a predilection for the bright and bold, coupled with a love for unique vintage finds, fashion is never too far from Amy Heller’s mind. She brings her extensive business acumen and her eye for style to Devi’s Closet. With 10 years of project management experience at Fortune 100 companies and a Masters degree in Fundraising Management in the works from Columbia University, Amy is the business mind behind Devi’s Closet. She is also the CEO and founder of WGIRLS INC, a global volunteer organization which provides underprivileged women and children with assistance to meet their health, welfare, and educational needs. To date, WGIRLS INC, which operates in the United States, the UK, and Australia, has donated thousands of hours of community service through its members and more than $500,000 in grants to nonprofits supporting women and children. Additionally, Amy works as an independent consultant in operational strategy for a large financial services firm. In her free time, she enjoys her two passions--fashion and charity. A fixture on the NYC charity circuit, she is always dressed to impress

(News wire) CHENNAI: Chennai-born Lux Ananthraman has created iTwin, a pair of identical USB drives that share data exclusively between them over any connection. The procedure is insert the USB drive you are carrying in any computer and you can access all your files securely and without the need for any third-party software. For iTwin, all you need is internet access. And it costs just about Rs 5,000 ($99). "It is a cableless cable," says Ananthraman, who's a 1994 IIT-Madras grad and an Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore postgraduate. "It's easy and secure like a cable for transferring files between two devices, but without the hassle and clutter." No tricky software installations, no lengthy configuration procedures and no complicated logins or passwords. Plug it in and you are ready to go. He teamed up with Kal Takru, his colleague at Singapore's A*STAR and the co-founder, to develop iTwin in Singapore. "We form a great team. While I handle technology, he handles operational aspects." Kal was born in Dehradun and completed his studies in Singapore where they met. The device was named among the Techcrunch 50, a global list of promising startups, and the duo got their second round of funding last week. The unique minimaliztic structure also won the 2011 Red Dot Design Award for outstanding product design. And it has been named an international CES (the biggest consumer electronics exhibition in the world) Innovations 2012 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree. But if the name and design makes you think of an Apple connection, think again. "I have an identical twin brother who is a doctor in England. I feel like I have a direct link to him. When he falls sick, I fall sick," he says, smiling.

Riti Bhalla enthralls congressional leaders

(Press Release) New York : Congressional leaders from California to New York, and New Jersey to Georgia, amongst others, assembled in Washington DC on December 1st to welcome India’s new Ambassador to the United States, Nirupama Rao, and celebrate the friendship between the world's oldest and largest democracies. It was a rare reception accorded to any foreign ambassador,a reflection of the importance of deepening ties between two countries. It was also a rare moment for Riti Sunshine Bhalla, the Long Island teen and TV Host for Sahara TV, to be invited to sing at the Capitol Hill event, also attended by a select group of prominent community leaders and organizational heads invited from across the United States. Among key lawmakers present at the reception were Rep. Howard Berman, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Relations Warm Reception on Capitol Hill for India’s Ambassador Committee, Rep. Eliot Engel, Rep. Rush Holt, Rep. Gary Ackerman, Rep. Nita Lowey, Rep. Charles Rangel as well as Congressmen Joseph Crowley and Ed Royce, the two Co- Chairs of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans, which hosted the event. The Congressional Caucus on India is supported by more than 160 members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans. Everyone in the sprawling hall of the Foreign Relations Committee stood captivated when Riti Sunshine first sang the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ and then ‘Jana Gana Mana’, the national anthems of America and India. Several congressional leaders including Rep. Lowey and Rep. Rangel complimented the teen star of the event. “We were all spellbound”, said Congressman Royce. Congressman Crowley first heard Riti Sunshine sing at a community event in New York in 2010 and told her, “I will invite you someday to sing at the Capitol Hill”. Crowley, who has appeared as guest on her TV shows seven times in recent years, fulfilled his promise, invited her to the reception and introduced her. In her opening remarks, Bhalla complimented Congressman Crowley for his efforts in bringing sixty additional members of Congress to the Caucus and leading the largest congressional delegation to India, assuring the American leaders, “there are three million Ambassadors of goodwill in America who will work with you to achieve your mission and our common goal to bring the world’s largest and the oldest democracies closer together.” Later, Ambassador Rao told Riti Sunshine, “I appreciated your remarks. They were wonderfully eloquent and so spontaneously delivered. You have such poise and eloquence. I also enjoyed your singing very much, both the Indian national anthem and the American national anthem. You were able to sing both of them most beautifully and in a very authentic way”, added the visibly impressed Ambassador. “I can see that you have the talent and the capacity to really achieve and do a great deal of good, not only for your family but also for the Indian American community in this country.” Ambassador Rao also lauded the contributions of the Indian American community as catalytic to the US-India strategic partnership and commended the House India Caucus for promoting the ties between the two countries. William Burns, the Deputy Secretary of State also attended the reception and commended that as former Foreign Secretary of India, Rao had “helped shape every advance we made on US-India relations in recent years.” Ambassador Rao arrived in Washington on September 6 and presented her credentials to US President Barack Obama at the White House a few days later.

(News wire ) Former Miss USA Rima Fakih was speeding and weaving through traffic with an uncorked, halfempty bottle of c h a m p a g n e when she was arrested, a police report said. According to the papers, the beauty queen - who the first Muslim Miss USA - had a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit when she was stopped in Michigan.The report on her drink-driving arrest says the 26- year-old from Dearborn was pulled over in the Detroit enclave of Highland Park early on Saturday.It said she was going at 60mph, weaving in heavy traffic and changing lanes without using a turn signal. A police officer whose name was given only as R. Kalis said the traffic stop happened about 2.15am. The report says she was driving a black 2011 Jaguar.Kalis reported asking for the driver's license said the 'driver immediately identified herself as Miss USA and stated that she was driving a friend's car'. Kalis said Fakih 'appeared disoriented and had very slurred speech while fumbling for her purse'. Kalis asked Fakih if she had been drinking, and she said, 'No, not at all.' In the report, officers said they found an open and halfempty bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne on the floorboard behind the driver's seat. 'I swear, I didn't know it was open,' Fakih told Kalis, according to the report. Two breath tests showed a 0.19 per cent and a 0.20 per cent blood-alcohol level. Michigan law defines drunkenness at a level of 0.08 per cent. The report said Fakih was handcuffed and taken to a police station. It said she was placed in a cell 'until she was sober for her safety and the safety of others'.Police said they seized Fakih's driver's license and issued her a temporary license. She was ordered to report to court within 10 days. Besides drunken driving, Fakih also faces charges of possessing an open intoxicant in a motor vehicle and careless driving. Fakih's lawyer Doraid Elder has not responded to the allegations. His client, the former Miss Michigan, was born in Lebanon and won the Miss USA Pageant in 2010. Her reign ended earlier this year. She won the Miss USA Pageant in May 2010. Her reign ended June 19, 2011. She was the first Miss Michigan to win the title since 1993 and the first Arab American winner ever. While still holding the Miss USA title, Fakih became a contestant on the USA Network's 'WWE Tough Enough' show. The show started with 12 men and women competing to be professional wrestlers. Fakih was voted off the show in the episode broadcast April 25.

fewer toys this year for Christmas

(News Agencies) A job for their mom or dad. Money for the heating bill. Food or a place to live. Maybe gloves or boots. More and more, Santas say the children on their laps are asking for less for themselves - and Santa is promising less as well. With unemployment stubbornly high, more homes in foreclosure and the economic outlook dim, many children who visit Santa are all too aware of the struggle to make ends meet.'These children understand the conditions around the home when they ask for stuff,' said Richard Holden, a 69-year-old Santa from Gastonia, North Carolina.They understand when there are other children in the family, they need to be cautious or thoughtful of them as well and not ask for 10 to 12 items.' Cliff Snider, who's been playing Santa since he was a teenager, agrees. 'I think the parents are saying, "It's an economic thing. Just list two to three things you really want to have",' he said. 'Parents are trying to encourage the children to be thrifty.' Snider, 64, does his best to help out. When he gets a big-ticket request, he typically responds: 'There's an awful lot of children asking for that this year. What else do you want?' At the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School, Santas learn lines like, 'Wow, that's a big gift. Is there anything else you might like?' These days, though, Santas are having to use it less and less.'I think it's becoming more popular not to have that long list,' said Tom Valent, dean of the Howard Santa school in Midland, Michigan, which gets more than 3,000 letters to Santa a year and just graduated its 75th class. 'Families are teaching their children to be as much of a giver as a receiver.' Starlight Fonseca has been teaching her five children, ages 5 to 14, 'that we're not the only ones who have to cut things back. We're not the only ones struggling.'The 31-year-old mother and her husband Jose had been relying on a stipend from the University of Texas law school that Fonseca lost when an illness made it impossible for her to keep her grades up. She'd hoped to graduate in May but was unable to attend school this semester and can't get student loans due to poor credit. Fonseca tells her kids that 'to make it fair for everyone, Santa has to cut back for everyone. We paint it in a way that Santa is doing the best he can to make everybody happy at Christmas.' It's especially hard for the oldest children. 'They were two little kids who used to be excited about Christmas, and now they know every gift under the tree should have gone to the utility company,' she said. It shouldn't be that way, but that's where we are now.' Of course, Santas still see some kids like the nineyear- old who pulled out a BlackBerry and showed Snider photos of all the things he wanted. 'It cracked me up,' he said. Holden's response to a long list is to say something like, 'Why don't you narrow this down just a little bit and choose two or three items you would really like?' Sometimes he'll even mention prices, and say, 'With things like they are, Santa Claus will do what he can to help you get what you like. But we can't make you any promises.' Tim Connaghan, who runs the International University for Santa Claus in Riverside, California, conducts an annual survey among the 500 Santas he employs. The economy has become such a big issue that Connaghan asked them for advice on how to handle some of the questions kids were asking about unemployed parents or having to move. 'Let's all hope your dad will find a new job, or you will get into a new home,' is one recommended response. 'Acknowledge the problem, give them a positive response and say, "Santa loves you, too. Maybe I could get something special for you,"' said Connaghan. 'It's that quick, usually. But the hope is that when the child leaves, he feels a little better.' Connaghan recalled the night he and other Santas took some needy children shopping. One boy wanted to buy toilet paper because his mother was taking napkins and paper towels from a fast food restaurant for toilet paper. 'He wanted to buy her real toilet paper - a common, everyday item that we all take for granted,' Connaghan said. 'And this child is thinking this is a Christmas gift.' Holden has had children ask for things like heat at home. He'll tell the child Santa will do what he can, then try to let the parents know about agencies that might help. One child returned a year later and 'said she wanted to thank Santa for getting her some help when they didn't have food or a place to stay.' Someone had overheard the conversation with Santa and helped the family. 'There's more to being a Santa Claus than you think there is,' Holden said. 'You don't just go "ho, ho, ho," pat them on the back of the head and send them on their way. You get involved with them. You just make sure they feel loved and they feel special when they leave your lap.'

(News Agencies) They might want to check the batteries first. Secondhand pacemakers from dead Americans are being cleaned up and implanted into heart patients in the Third World. And according to doctors the practice is 'very safe and effective'. The pacemakers - small devices which use electrical impulses to regulate the beating of the heart - have been inserted into 53 patients in India who had severe heart rhythm disorders called heart block and sick sinus syndrome. Typically, the slightest physical exertion would leave them gasping for breath and exhausted, and without pacemakers, they would likely have died within weeks or months. But after having the sterilised pacemakers fitted they are all alive and most are doing well. There were no infections or other significant complications and no device failures during the two years after surgery that the patients have been followed. All but two patients reported marked improvement in their symptoms. Of four patients who were previously employed, all were able to return to their manual jobs. Twenty-seven women said their symptoms had improved enough so they could resume household chores. 'Implantation of donated permanent pacemakers can not only save lives, but also improve quality of life of needy poor patients,' the researchers wrote in the American Journal of Cardiology. The pacemaker donations began as a philanthropic project, because at a cost of up to £4,000, having one fitted is well beyond the means of most Indians. Physicians later decided to make a formal study of the safety and effectiveness of the donated devices. At every step of the study, patients gave informed consent. Co-author Dr. Gaurav Kulkarni of Loyola University Medical Center helped conduct the research while he was a medical student in India. He interviewed patients before and after they received pacemakers and collected the data. Dr Kulkarni said: 'Without pacemakers, these patients would pretty much be forced to remain on confined rest, due to cardiac fatigue. 'There was a dramatic change in patients after they received their pacemakers.' The Food and Drug Administration prohibits reusing pacemakers in the United States. But there is no prohibition against donating and reusing pacemakers in other countries. Researchers reported that between January 2004 and January 2010, 121 pacemakers were removed and donated. Sixty pacemakers were selected because they had a battery life greater than three years, but seven were discarded due to further decay in battery life. The remaining 53 pacemakers were rigorously cleaned and sterilised. They were sent to Holy Family Hospital in Mumbai, which serves all patients, regardless of income.

(Kriti Osan) The Executive Committee of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin of Queens & Long Island (AAPIQLI), a chapter of AAPI, held its 16th Annual Gala Convention on Saturday, December 3rd 2011 at Hilton Hotel, Long Island, NY. The event was very well coordinated courtesy President AAPIQLI, Dr. Krishan Kumar and Convention Chair, Dr. Ajay Lodha.This year's convention honored Dr. Jagat Narula, Dr. Rajiv Datta, Dr. Nyapati Rao and Zahid Syed for their dedication and service to the community. Consul General of India in New York, Hon. Prabhu Dayal and Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, graced the evening which saw presence of more than 200 physicians and various prominent Long Island community leaders and personalities at the event. The convention was followed by Bollywood style entertainment and dinner.

(News wire) RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia Tech officials said a police officer and another person were shot and killed on the school's campus Thursday and the university locked down the campus, where 33 people died in 2007 in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. A suspect remained on the loose. A news release from the school said the police officer had pulled someone over for a traffic stop and was shot and killed. Witnesses told police the shooter ran toward a parking lot on campus. A second person was found dead in that parking lot.Virginia State Police will be taking over the investigation, according to the news release. "The campus community should continue to shelter in place and visitors should not come to campus," the school said. The suspect was described as a white male wearing gray sweat pants, a gray hat with neon green brim, a maroon hoodie and backpack. A message left with the university wasn't immediately returned. Campus police referred all questions to the university. "It's crazy that someone would go and do something like that with all the stuff that happened in 2007," said Corey Smith, a 19-year-old sophomore from Mechanicsville, Va., who was headed to a dining hall near the site of one of the shootings, but stayed inside after seeing the alerts from the school. "It's just weird to think about why someone would do something like this when the school's had so many problems." Harry White, 20, a junior physics major, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that he was in line for a sandwich at a Subway restaurant in a campus building when he received the text message alert about the shooting.

White said he didn't panic, thinking instead about a false alarm about a possible gunman that caused the campus to be locked down in August. He used an indoor walkway to go to a computer lab in an adjacent building, where he checked news reports.

"I decided to just check to see how serious it was. I saw it's actually someone shooting someone, not something false, something that looks like a gun," White said. White said the campus was quieter than usual because classes ended Wednesday and students are preparing for the start of exams. He said he didn't see anyone outside from the windows of the computer lab after he received the alert. But he also didn't detect any signs of panic.

The shooting came the same day as Virginia Tech, which has an enrollment of about 30,000, was appealing a $55,000 fine by the U.S. Education Department in connection with the university's response to the 2007 rampage, when a student gunman killed 32 students and faculty and then shot himself. A report of a possible gunman at Virginia Tech on Aug. 4 set off the longest, most extensive lockdown and search on campus since the 2007 bloodbath led the university to overhaul its emergency procedures. No gunman was found, and the school gave the all-clear about five hours after sirens began wailing and students and staff members started receiving warnings by phone, email and text message to lock themselves indoors. Alerts were also posted on the university's website and Twitter accounts.

That incident marked the first time the entire campus was locked down since the 2007 shooting, and the second major test of Virginia Tech's improved emergency alert system. The system was revamped to add the use of text messages and other means besides email of warning students.

The system was also put to the test in 2008, when an exploding nail gun cartridge was mistaken for gunfire. But only one dorm was locked down during that emergency, and it reopened two hours later.

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