India's longest runway

Delhi Airport has finally got its much awaited third runway which is expected to cut hovering time over Delhi to almost zero but passengers may be forced to continue paying congestion surcharge on their air tickets.
The 4430 metre runway is India's longest and can handle Airbus's A-380. The runway will also almost double the number of flights 35 to 60 per hour.
This simply means that passengers can now actually land at Delhi without hovering endlessly but the flip side is that passengers flying out of delhi may have to pay a development charge.
'We have to ensure that the airports recover their costs so the ministry will take a broader view on this,” said Praful Patel, Civil Aviation Minister.
The new terminal to be built at a cost of over Rs 9000 crore is still 2 years in the future so for the time being passengers will land on this new runway before walking into the overcrowded arrival terminals.
The operationalisation of the third runway is a big milestone for GMR and a major relief for air passengers who have to hover over airports for hours because of congestion.
Even as the government and the airport operators are confident that this runway will end the congestion problem, nobody is sure that if airlines will also oblige by doing away with congestion surcharge which passengers have to pay.

Hot hotter hottest!

Who is hot? Sherlyn Chopra or Rakhi Sawant. Firebrand Rakhi Sawant had benefited from Big Boss. For Big Boss 2, the sponsors approached Sherlyn. When Sherlyn came to know the comparison between the two item girls, she said, how can people even compare a Mercedes Benz with a Nano? Sherlyn said that she is much hotter and has a lot of sex appeal than Rakhi, the lady shotgun.

If Bollywood entered Politics

Two categories of people who dominate the newspapers and news channels happen to be politicians and film celebrities. Though there is no correlation between the two, on the eve of Independence Day we try to draw parallels between the two. What would happen if film celebrities enter politics? Who would qualify for which ministerial position? We give you a rundown. Shah Rukh Khan – Finance Minister Everyone knows how good Shah Rukh is at managing finances and minting money. Whether it is producing a film or getting the best from his movies and brand endorsements, SRK is the best. Even as all the teams at IPL lost money, SRK’s Kolkata Knight Riders rode awar with a profit of 80 crores in spite of not reaching the finals. He could best qualify to manage the finances of the country and change its fortunes overnight.

John Abraham – Sports Minister

One of the most athletic actors of present times, John has a penchant for outdoor games and will make it his ‘goal’ to encourage sports in the country. Rest assured we can expect India to be sporty enough at the Olympics in John’s guidance.

Aamir Khan – Education Minister

From being a considerate teacher in Taare Zameen Par to taking up the noble cause of ‘Teach India’, Aamir qualifies the best to handle the post of the Education Minister.

Sunny Deol – Defense Minister

The most convincing punches on Indian screen come from him. He has been saving the nation from external attacks in most of his films. Sunny can defend our country while fighting with the enemy single-handedly.

Riteish Deshmukh – Infrastructure Minister

Now there is no such post as a Humour Minister else Riteish would have been the unanimous choice. But not many might be aware that he is also a qualified architect. Jr Deshmukh could handle the Infrastructure of our country.

Shilpa Shetty – External Affairs Minister

Mrs Raj Kundra would vote for her first.

Mallika Sherawat – Information & Broadcasting Minister

We are not very sure about the information aspect but when it comes to broadcasting anything from her assets to her sexual appeal to her publicity gimmicks, Mallika Sherawat is a pro. Dressed in a burkha or not promoting her films, the actress grabs headlines without uttering a word

Salman Khan – Health Minister

The man will make sure that every male has a well-toned physique. We just hope the country doesn’t go topless.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Home Minister

Ever since she has entered the Bachchan parivaar, she has been managing the homely affairs with complete responsibility. She has also been making up for the absence of Amitabh or Abhishek at several social gatherings. Home Ministry is where she can show her political prowess.

Amitabh Bachchan – Prime Minister

The man ruling supreme above all ministers, Big B is the natural choice.

Amar Singh – President

In India,the President is not as much popular as the Prime Minister but is closely associated to him. Amar Singh is doing the same.

Win 3 nights & 4 days in Kerala

Good Times just hit a new high!
Win a trip to Kumarakom in Kerala with 3 nights and 4 days of extreme indulgence and luxury at the Radisson Plaza Resort & Spa. Winners also get to be part of our special show with presenter Arun Thapar.
It's been a wonderful year and we would like you to share the celebration and live the Good Times. As part of our special programming, NDTV Good Times presents an episode created exclusively for this contest, with Arun Thapar, the anchor of Spectacular Spas For Men.
The winner and the person accompanying him/her will feature on this half hour show, to be filmed on location in Kumarakom.
The contest closes on August 15, 2008.
Choose the right answer and win a spectacular spa experience for two.

http://www.ndtvgoodtimes.com/lifestyle/goodtimesspacontest.aspx

Big B, Aamir hail Bindra's feat

An intensely private man, Abhinav Bindra is still struggling to come to terms with his newfound status as India's Golden Boy. In his first blog entry after winning an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, Abhinav admits 'it has all still not sunk in'.According to the ace shooter, he 'ran away from all the media and official attention...' after doing his bit and then chose to celebrate his remarkable achievement with a quiet dinner in the company of some friends. "They have all been telling me what a huge achievement winning Gold is. I realise that but frankly the enormity of the goodwill generated has caught me by surprise. Honestly enough it really has not changed me, I am still the same Abhinav who just a day ago was hanging around alone in my room in the Olympic village. Frankly, all the attention is a bit overwhelming. I am not much good at making loud public pronouncements. That in no way means that this is not the most intense experience of my life," he writes.Success, claims Bindra, has cost him a lot of sweat and blood: "For more than a decade now my life has been all about my sport. In fact, I do not have a life beyond the confines of the 10m range. I have had a range built in my own home to cut down any possibility of distraction and to be able to practise my sport whenever the fancy strikes me. It all did pay off, didn't it?"Despite all the accolades now coming his way, Bindra cannot help take a dig at the fickle nature of India's sports fans in his blog. "I would like to reiterate that everyone who represents India at the Olympic Games has put in years of toil and sweat. I ask the Indian people to support our athletes more. It is fine to celebrate our achievements but it is just as important to keep up the backing when we are not on top of our game," he writes as a gentle admonishment to those who fete their heroes when they win and are just as liable to lynch them when they lose. Bindra is certain that his gold-winning performance at the Beijing Games is only the beginning of a long journey ahead, and the country's emergence as a sports powerhouse cannot happen without a wider participation from its people and India Inc. "It is important for India to do better at Olympic sport as these are the true measure of a nation's sporting depth. I wish more private initiatives come up with corporate support apart from the backing of the government. The joy that the nation feels at my win is humbling. I just wish that this is repeated more and more often," he writes.Bindra's win certainly seems to have fired everyone's imagination and this is reflected in the Blogsphere. Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan have both waxed eloquent about the young Indian sportsman. While Big B writes, "Yeah.. Yeah.. Yeah.. India won gold in shooting in Beijing Olympics. Today's performance in Chicago was tops, but nothing could top this news," in his mobilog, Aamir is even more effusive in his praise. "I was absolutely thrilled to see Bindra receiving the Gold, and I had goosebumps when India's National Anthem began playing. What a moment! My congratulations to Bindra for his achievement. He has done India proud and given us all a moment to celebrate," he writes. Perhaps taking a cue from Bindra's own blog, Aamir also wants fans to be a little more tolerant when their heroes fail to meet their expectations. "At this time I cannot help but remember the reaction of certain people across the country when India had lost a cricket match/tournament and people began attacking the homes of various players. How easily we forget that our sportspersons are trying their best. They too want to win. They are the ones who have worked day and night and are certainly more upset than we the supporters are. At that time instead of standing by them in their moment of loss and dejection we attack them," he writes.Among other interesting blogs on the Net, there is one that talks about a numerological significance in Bindra's win. "Abhinav Bindra was born on September 28, 1982. Since his birth date is 28, the year 2008 is quite significant for him. He won Olympics gold medal in 10m air rifle. Strangely, it is after 28 years that India wins a gold medal in Olympics," writes Damodran.While lauding Bindra's outstanding performance, a People's Online Daily article asks Netizens to spare a thought for Chinese shooter Zhu Qinan who got pushed to the second spot in Beijing: "Four years ago, people got to know the cheerful Chinese sharp shooter by his beaming smile. Four years later, they were touched by his tears. "I didn't know what was going on, my mind went blank," chocked the 24-year-old young man, defending Olympic champion of men's 10-meter air rifle who succumbed to Indian Abhinav Bindra in Beijing on Monday and got a silver with a 0.8-point gap."

Chiranjeevi unfulfilled dream!

There are a few Telugu film stars who had directed films like, NTR and Krishna. Daana Veera Shoora Karna is the unforgettable movie directed by NTR. Sinhasanam is the one of the notable films directed by Krishna. Even Mega Star planned to direct his 150th movie. But that did not materialize. This week only Chiru is to make his political entry. He has to shelve his directorial venture.
For his 150th movie, Chiru planned a patriotic movie. For this purpose popular writers like, Bhupathi, Kandaswamy and Vallarasu consulted. His younger brother Pavan Kalyan had directed a movie, Johny. Will Chiru take direction after entering into politics is a million dollar question?

Airtel launches I-Day special offer

Private sector telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Monday announced an 'Independence Day Special' offer for its prepaid customers in Delhi and NCR.
This offer is available on recharge of Rs 1,947 where the customers would get talktime of the same amount and the company has waived the processing charges as well as service charges on this, a company release said.
"The Rs 1,947 voucher, as its name suggests, symbolizes freedom and independence for our valued customers. In keeping with that spirit, it gives us great joy to announce this recharge voucher for the Delhi and NCR circle, which offers full talktime with one year validity"
This recharge coupon would have a validity of one year and customers can make STD calls for One rupee for one month, the release added.

Flood situation grim in Andhra Pradesh; toll rises to 53

HYDERABAD: The flood situation in Andhra Pradesh continued to be grim on Sunday with continuous rains claiming as many as 53 lives over the past five days. Weather officials have predicted more showers. Heavy rains and flash floods since Tuesday caused widespread devastation in Hyderabad and eight other districts in coastal Andhra and the Telangana region. Around 40 people have died since Friday and hundreds have been rendered homeless. Thirteen people had died between Tuesday and Friday. More than 50 residential colonies in Hyderabad and dozens of villages in the eight districts remain under water as several rivulets and water tanks were either overflowing or have breached. Normal life came to a grinding halt in the affected districts. With some roads under water, vehicular traffic between major towns remained paralysed. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada and the Bhadrachalam-Vijayawada roads. The Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning centre said that heavy rains were likely in north coastal Andhra and Telangana. The low pressure area over Bay of Bengal turned into a well marked depression and lay centred close to the Orissa coast. Some places are likely to receive more than 25 cm of rainfall. During the last two days, places like Hyderabad received over 15 cm rainfall. Authorities have warned people living in low-lying areas to move to safer places while fishermen were advised not to venture out to the sea. Officials have termed the situation "quite serious" as Kapra dam in Guntur district breached, threatening low-lying areas. The water level in Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers in Srikakulam district in north coastal Andhra has been rising alarmingly due to heavy inflows from neighbouring Orissa. The floods have damaged several houses and crops over thousands of acres. Minister for Revenue and Relief Dharmana Prasad Rao said that assessing the loses incurred would take time as the rains were still continuing. Hyderabad bore the brunt of the calamity with 14 people losing their lives, mostly in house collapses. As many as 52 residential areas in and around the state capital were inundated with overflowing tanks and storm water drains. Boats were pressed into service in the city Saturday to rescue people from marooned areas. Although the rains receded since Saturday night, hundreds of houses remained under water. The water level in the Hussain Sagar in the heart of the city rose alarmingly due to heavy inflows. The level in this 400-year-old old lake, which has a capacity of up to 515 feet, has crossed 513 feet. Several areas along the outflow channel are facing threat of inundation as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corp (GHMC) let out the water. Water was flowing over the bridges on the outflow channel, bringing traffic to a standstill. The water level in the Musi river, which flows through the city, is also on the rise.

Now, Indians can trade on many global bourses

Dalal Street is no more the single avenue for Indians looking to invest in stocks, with leading retail brokerage firm Anagram becoming third major domestic player to offer the investors here an opportunity to invest in overseas equity markets.
Indian investors will be able to directly trade on a real time basis in stocks listed on as many as 12 bourses in the US, Europe, Asia and Middle East from next month through a new e-trading initiative being launched by Anagram.
When contacted, Anagram's retail business CEO Mayank Shah confirmed the development saying the company has signed an agreement with a Dubai-based firm to offer real-time online trading for Indian investors in multiple markets and international exchanges.
"We have signed an agreement with Mubasher Financial Services, a Dubai-based leading market information and e-trading platform provider, to offer the real time online trading for Indian investors," Shah said.
Anagram plans to target High Networth Individuals (HNIs) and Super HNIs for its new offering and these investors could become a key driver for this platform, he added.
The new offering would provide investors an opportunity to diversify their risk and assets in a bid to leverage on newer opportunities and help maximise their gains, the industry experts believe.
While Shah declined to divulge further details, industry experts believe this Internet-based online real time platform would enable Indian clients to buy or sell equity shares on premium International Exchanges like NYSE, NASDAQ, American Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange among others.
It is understood Anagram also plans to offer equity trading on other stock exchanges including those in Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Korea, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Argentina, Vietnam and Taiwan in the next 6-9 months.
"This unique offering is a part of Anagram's constant endeavor to offer value-added services to out increasing customer base, globally, including Dubai where we intend to open our office," Anagram Chairman Munesh Khanna said.
The offering would provide round-the-clock access to stock markets in different time zones, according to their trading timings, Shah added.
Anagram would be the first entity to offer real time, secure e-trading platform across multiple exchanges in more than one continent to its over 1.50 lakh strong retail investor base.
Asked whether investors would be interested in looking at other market amid concerns of global slowdown, Shah said, with the platform investors can invest in other emerging markets like China, which have performed relatively better than other developed markets.
"This is giving investors to choose from stocks from various markets across the world and seek the most attractive valuations," Shah said.
Last year, leading online domestic brokerage firm ICICI Direct launched delivery-based trading in shares listed on the US stock exchanges, while Anil Ambani group's brokerage and financial services distribution arm Reliance Money also offers overseas trading facility through a tie-up with CMC Markets.
Trading in overseas stocks has become possible after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed individuals to remit up to $2,00,000 annually in current and capital account including equities.

Scoop of the day: Salman and Katrina Kaif engaged!

Sexiest woman in the World Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan, the secretive couple has allegedly tied the knot secretly. Sources close to Sallu bhai family revealed their engagement with exchange of finger bands in front of their families. They are eager to tie the knot by the year end. Salman Khan is keen to have kids, legally. Wish them all the best.

J&K burns, Yaseen Malik on fast unto death

Srinagar is on the edge with riot police out on the streets of Jammu and Kashmir's capital.On Tuesday morning, riot police fired teargas after protestors set fire to a police vehicle and burnt tyres on the streets. Meanwhile, JKLF leader Yaseen Malik has begun a fast unto death. The Union Defence and Home Secretaries are already in Srinagar to review the situation in the volatile state.The Prime Minister has also called for an all-party meet in the Capital on Wednesday even as the unrest of last couple of weeks has polarised the state like never before.Now, the Supreme Court has imposed a temporary ban on SMSes across the state.

Love triangles in Bollywood

In Bollywood, even before an actor’s film hits theaters, rumours regarding his love life crop up. More often than not, they get associated with their co-star. If they are unlucky enough, the film will be a super-hit and soon spark off stories of their alleged real life chemistry. Often these rumours lead to a real life love triangle as well. Take for instance Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Rekha’s case. Soon as a few of the Big B’s films with Rekha started working, their ‘affair’ became the talk of the town. The fact that the duo did actually have feelings for each other didn’t help the case either. Nevertheless, Amitabh and Jaya’s marriage stood the test of time and now they are one amongst the few steady couples in Bollywood.Similarly, reports of a tiff between Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor cropped up post he started delivering hits with co-star Amrita Rao. Then there was the buzz that action king, Akshay Kumar was facing hurdles with his marriage to Twinkle Khanna because of Katrina Kaif. As much as the trio tried to calm things down, Akki and Kat’s blockbusters just fuelled the fire. Soon came reports of a tiff between Katrina and Salman Khan, courtesy these rumours.One of the most controversial triangles was formed by Sallu, Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi. During the shooting of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Salman and Ash got close to each other only to be driven apart by his temperamental behavior and possessive nature. Incidentally, at the same time, Kyun… Ho Gaya Na happened, and Vivek came into the picture. Vivek got blamed for the Sallu-Ash rift. The fact that even the Ash-Vivek relationship didn’t last long is a different issue. Considering how often these triangular love stories have cropped up for real, the reel life affairs seem to be getting less spicy.Post this story to

some spicey hot pictures

At least 80 dead in HP temple stampede

At least 80 pilgrims have died after a railing gave way causing a stampede at the Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.Himachal Pradesh officials confirm that at least 80 devotees have died and 30 of those were children. Many more have been injured in the incident.The pilgrims died after a railing at an entrance gave way under the weight of the Sunday crowd.The Naina Devi temple is visited by large numbers of pilgrims, especially during the current month of Sawan.

Technorati Profile

AIIMS committee fails to finalise new director

New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) The search for a director for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) continues as a committee formed to find a suitable person to head the prestigious institute Thursday failed to take a decision.
Though Health Secretary Naresh Dayal refused to reveal the names of the hot contender from among the 69 applications received, sources said K.K. Talwar, the current head of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) in Chandigarh, and Salim Yusuf are being considered.
Yusuf is currently Director of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton in Canada.
Health Secretary Naresh Dayal told reporters after the over two-hour-long meeting of the search and selection committee that two members were not present during the meeting, including secretary of higher education R.P. Aggarwal.
The committee is headed by Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who had been involved in a bitter turf war with former AIIMS director P. Venugopal, who was sacked after the government brought in a legislation fixing the age of retirement at 65 years. He was reinstated on the orders of the Supreme Court. The cardiac surgeon retired earlier this month.
'We met and discussed the applications of the 69 applicants,' Dayal said.
He said four applications were rejected as they had not supplied medical degrees.
'We have considered applicants above 60 years as well as those below 60 years. The committee will meet again after two weeks,' he added.

Sanju Bhai to play Underworld Don

Sanjay Dutt is all set to play underworld don in ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbai’. Milan Luthria has chosen Sanjay to play the role of Haji Mastan who ruled Mumbai in the 1970s. The film will depict the conditions of those days when gangsters terrified ordinary people with organized crime and violence.
Two other actors will be finalized for the role of Karim Lala and Vardrajan. These three were instrumental in the 1970s in organized crime in Metros.
Mani Ratnam’s ‘Nayakan’ was said to be based on the life of don Varadarajan. Apart from the crime the film will also portray the cabaret culture of the seventies

Rajnikant apologises, Kuselan to be released

Megastar Rajnikanth has apologised to his angry fans in Karnataka. Protesters had threatened to block his new film Kuselan over his vocal support to the Hogennakal dam project in Tamil Nadu. But the iconic star seems to have backed down with an apology just ahead of the release of his new film tomorrow.After that apology, the protesters have called off their agitation and said they will allow Kuselan to be released on Friday.

Credit card defaults on the rise

Credit card defaults across the industry have been on the rise for months, but are now starting to reach worrying levels.
Latest data shows that outstanding amount on credit cards has nearly doubled over the past year.
The outstanding amount on credit cards rose by 87% over the past year to Rs 26,000 crore.CRISIL estimates that 17% of this portfolio is now in default. The highest default rate among all loan and credit portfolios.
"Defaults in all the unsecured portfolios are starting to rise and the credit card segment is seeing the sharpest increase,” said Tarun Bhatia, CRISIL.
While rising defaults are the worst in the credit card portfolio, banks are dealing with higher non-performing assets in most of their retail portfolios.
CRISIL expects NPAs in the overall retail portfolio to rise to 4% over the next two year. Car and commercial vehicle portfolios are seeing defaults upto 4% of total portfolio, while defaults in small ticket personal loans have reached 9%, a figure, which could rise to 13% soon.
Experts say the situation is only set to get worse and interest rates rise and rising prices make it tougher for consumers to meet their monthly loan and credit card payments.
No wonder then that a cautious RBI governor has warned banks to be careful about rising defaults across the retail loan segment, a warning that banks are now heeding.
"At the industry level, I think in the last few quarters, you've seen signs of some deterioration at an over-all banking level. Well the credit card product is a higher-risk product, which is why it has a high yield as well, " added Paresh Sukhtankar, ED, HDFC Bank.
Bankers are scrutinizing every customer who walks through their door very careful now. Interest rates are rising and so are defaults. That means that not only is getting credit becoming more expensive, it’s also getting a lot tougher.

H-2B cap reached for 2009 first half

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Thursday it has reached the H-2B cap for the first half of the fiscal year 2009. In other words, this means that no new H-2B visas, temporary employment permit, would be issued before April 1, 2009. Unlike H-1B visa, H-2B is a short-term non-immigrant visa which allows foreign nationals to enter into the United States temporarily to meet seasonal needs of an American company. Notably the 200 Indian guest workers who early this year had alleged that they were treated like slaves by their employee and given false promises by the recruiting agencies had come to work in the US under this H-2B visa.In a visa bulletin, the USCIS said the cap of 33,000 H-2B visa was reached July 29, much earlier than in previous years. The USCIS can issue a maximum of 66,000 H-2B visas. Half of these -- 33,000 – are issued in fall for employment through the winter and the rest half is issued in the spring for jobs in the summer, as per a congressionally mandated bi-annual H-2B cap. Workers must return to their country of origin after their temporary work visa expires.USCIS said it would now reject petitions for new H-2B workers seeking employment start date prior of April 1, 2009 and that arrive after July 29. For all those applications received before or on July 29, a computerized draw of lots would be taken up to determine the eligible candidates.Meanwhile, the American Hotel and Lodging Association has started a public campaign and lobbying at the Capitol Hill to push the Congress for increasing the cap for H-2B visas. Given the increasing demand and shortage of seasonal workers in this category, the association urged its members to approach their local representatives to push for a pending legislation in the Congress in this regard.However, given that there has been alleged abuse of the guest workers program; several Congressmen have blocked the pending legislation in this regard.Congressman George Miller, who is Chairman of House Education and Labor Committee, last year had introduced a bill to curb abuses by unscrupulous foreign labor recruiters. Following the allegations by Indian guest workers, Mullen in a letter to Labor Secretary said additional steps must also be taken to ensure that the H2-B program operates in the best interests of U.S. and foreign workers. "We must insist that the program pay workers the prevailing wage for the type of work they are performing in the locations where they are working, so that employers won't hire guest workers in order to drive U.S. workers' wages down," he said. "We must ensure that guest workers have a way to seek justice when they believe they have been wronged. And the U.S. Department of Labor must stop shirking its responsibilities and start enforcing the law. Finally, at a time when a growing number of American workers are losing their jobs, we should make sure that U.S. workers are recruited first before turning to guest workers," he said. Meanwhile, USCIS, however, clarified that this cap would not be applicable to certain categories of applicants. It would continue to process petitions to extend the stay of a current H-2B worker, change the terms of employment for current H-2B workers and extend their stay and finally allow current GH-2B workers to change or add employers and extend their stay.

Indian Americans call home 7 minutes a day

Indian Americans make calls to their families and friends back home for an average of three and a half hours in a month, more often on their mobile phones, the first ever study on their international communication habits has found.The top five US cities from where calls to India originate are Princeton in New Jersey, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City and Dallas, says a statement from Rebtel, a global calling service for individuals and business based in Stockholm, which carried out the study.The top five most-called Indian cities are Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bangalore. Kolkata and New Delhi come lower down the order.The study is based on Rebtel's calling volume from January to July this year. The firm found more callers use cell phones than landlines for the 210 minutes a month they spend talking to India on an average, which works out to seven minutes a day. Sunday, when the call rates are lower, is the most popular day for the Indian Americans call home. The study concludes that more Indian Americans are calling India more often due to lower costs, call quality improvements and cell phone access. "Low rates combined with the most reliable and clear connections are driving the increase in international calling to India," Rebtel chief executive Hjalmar Winbladh said in the statement. Rebtel was recently ranked No 1 in international calling by Technology Appraisals, an independent market research and publishing company based in London

Inflation continues upward march again

The annual inflation rate rose marginally to 11.98 per cent for the week ended July 19, from 11.89 per cent the previous week.This is the seventh consecutive week in which inflation has stayed in double digits. The inflation for the week ended May 24 was revised to 8.9 per cent. In the inflation break up, manufactured index was up 0.2 per cent, while prices of basic metals, alloys and metal products group went up marginally. The index for fuel, power, and light index remained unchanged. The textiles group went up by 0.9 per cent. The government said the inflation remains stable week-on-week basis. Concerned over the high inflation levels, the Reserve Bank of India in its July review increased both the cash reverse ratio and the repo rate by 25-50 bps. It also indicated that more tough measure would be taken in future if the money supply levels don’t come down to the required level. The central bank Governor, YV Reddy, indicated that inflation would stay at high levels in near future, before stating to moderate from the third quarter. Reddy expects inflation to drop to 7 per cent levels in the fourth quarter of this fiscal.

I didn't inspire terrorists: Ramgopal Varma

Ram Gopal Varma may have been nowhere near Ahmedabad when 17 blasts rocked the city last Friday, but the maverick filmmaker is still trying hard to distance himself from the dastardly act. Denying reports that his film Contract inspired the terrorist plan, he says such a modus operandi is common across the world. Contract is third in Varma's trilogy of gangster films. As the maverick director himself writes in his introductory note on the film's website, if Satya in 1998 gave audiences an inside view of the underworld and in 2002 Company provided an overview, Contract moves to the next level where the underworld meets terrorism. In the film, terrorists are shown planning a series of low intensity bomb blasts, which would be followed by much larger explosions in the vicinity of hospitals once victims were moved there. This bears an uncanny resemblance to what actually happened in Ahmedabad on Friday and has led people to draw unsavoury parallels between Contract and the terrorist strike. Varma however is categorical that this is not a case of real life imitating reel life. "When I was planning Contract, I did a lot of research on terrorist activities around the world. The film's writer Prashant Pandey and I studied in detail the situation in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. I have in fact borrowed a lot from real life incidents. In Afghanistan, for example, it's quite common for a series of blasts to take place, followed by other explosions outside hospitals in the immediate area so that victims, their relatives and the general populace is completely terrorised. Therefore it is I who am inspired by real life, and not the other way around. I don't subscribe to the idea that things would have happened otherwise if I hadn't made Contract," he says. Actor Zakir Hussain, who plays a notorious terrorist Sultan in Contract, endorses his director's viewpoint. "Sure, like any other Indian I am sad to hear about the tragedy in Ahmedabad. But I don't think Contract gave terrorists the idea of carrying out the serial blasts," he says.Hussain acknowledges that there is at least one sequence in the film that inspires a sense of deja vu. According to him: "At one point in Contract, I am telling my people to plant bombs in public places and then target nearby hospitals where victims will be taken for treatment. I believe this is what happened in Ahmedabad too. A bomb was planted outside the hospital and it exploded causing considerable damage."The actor insists this was a mere coincidence and the media has been guilty of using his footage from Contract to make their point again and again. "A number of TV channels kept showing my character from the film. If you keep reinforcing an idea, it tends to create a certain perception. What if I go out tomorrow and people think of me as a real life terrorist? This is what I am now afraid of," he admits. Despite the all negative publicity, Hussain is not apologetic about his role in Contract. "I have no regrets about doing the film. What's regrettable are the blasts and the loss of life that happened in Ahmedabad," he says. Sakshi Gulati, who plays Sultan's sister Iya in Contract, is willing to stand up for the film as well. "Had any other film about the underworld or terrorism been released just before the blasts, people would have found some similarity. Therefore it is just a sad coincidence that the Ahmedabad blasts took place within a few days of my film's release. I have always believed that it is reel life that imitates real life and not vice versa," she says.

Surat terrorised: 17 live bombs found

A total of 17 live bombs have so far been found in Surat on Tuesday. Earlier, the bomb disposal squad defused three bombs. Discovery of these bombs give a clear indication that the Saturday's blasts that shook Gujarat could have caused much more destruction and claimed many more lives.The bombs were found in the Varachha Road area of Surat. Earlier, a bomb was found near housing society and another in a market area. The third bomb was discovered in the Matavadi area of Varachha Road.On Monday, one bomb was found and defused and on Sunday two explosive laden WagonR's were also found in the city.Initial examination suggest these bombs are identical to the ones seized earlier.Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has said the government will issue regulations for the sale of ammonium nitrate.

Big B bowled over by LA audience

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has been down with fever and cold, sounds super excited after The Bachchans Unforgetttable tour received a thunderous applause in Los Angeles.Big B, who performed inspite of his illness, is generous in his gratitude for his fans.Writing on his blog, Big B exclaims " What an audience ! What a show ! What response ! Simply incredible !"Calling it one of the best live show experiences for him, Bachchan says,"All the credit goes to the utterly fantastic fans and audience at the LA Sports Arena, that packed the venue right up to the rafters and just egged and shouted and screamed us into a performance that all of us will remember for a lifetime."Inpite of his continuing ailment, Bachchan sounds jubilant "My chest still whirs, my nose still runs and my voice seems to be coming from some other sound box, but I just do not care. Last night took care of everything."Crediting his fans with his power packed performance, Big B sounds completley bowled over by the LA audeince, " I don t know how it all happened, but it happened. I stand up in salutation to the people at the venue, to the people of Los Angeles, to all the fans and well wishers. You did it ! And I humbly bow down to you with the deepest respect and love. Thank you !!"Well, that's some humility indeed.Not just his audience, Big B remembers his well wisher bloggers also, and thanking them for their get-well-soon messages, he has posted some pictures of rehearsals and his room where he has been recuperating.Bachchan's The Unforgettable Tour was flagged off in Toronto, and after traveling to Trinidad and LA,it goes to San Francisco this week.

U.S.: Iraqi civilians killed by soldiers were unarmed

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Investigators have determined three Iraqi civilians were unarmed and attacking no one when U.S. soldiers fatally shot them in western Baghdad last month, the U.S. military said Sunday.
U.S. military officials initially said at least one of the three Iraqis, who were riding in a car approaching the soldiers, started shooting, and that the soldiers returned fire. The military also initially said a weapon was later found in the car, and bullet holes were found in two of the soldiers' humvees.
But an investigation found the soldiers shot and killed three "law abiding citizens of Iraq," and that no weapon was found in the vehicle, a military release stated.
Also, the investigation determined only one humvee had a bullet hole, and that the bullet hole's source isn't known, said Lt. Steve Stover, a military spokesman.
Still, investigators determined "neither the soldiers nor civilians involved in the incident were at fault," the release said.
"This was an extremely unfortunate and tragic incident," said Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff for Multi-National Division-Baghdad. "Our deepest regrets of sympathy and condolences go out to the family.
"We are taking several corrective measures to amend and eliminate the possibility of such situations happening in the future."

India on alert after two days of bombings kill 46

NEW DELHI, India, July 27 (Reuters) - India's major cities were put on high alert on Sunday, with fears of more attacks after at least 46 people were killed in two days of bombings that hit a communally sensitive western city and a southern IT hubAt least 16 bombs exploded in the Indian city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state on Saturday, killing at least 45 people and wounding 161, a day after another set of blasts in Bangalore killed a woman.Two more unexploded bombs were found in the city of Surat on Sunday, one of the world's biggest diamond-polishing centres, located in Gujarat state, police said.A little-known group called the "Indian Mujahideen" claimed responsibility for the Ahmedabad attack on Saturday. The same group said it carried out bomb attacks that killed 63 people in the western city of Jaipur in May.It is unusual for any group to claim responsibility, but India says it suspects militant groups from Pakistan and Bangladesh are behind a wave of bombings in recent years, with targets ranging from mosques and Hindu temples to trains."The entire nation, including major metro cities in India, have been put on high alert and they have been asked to step up security in vital installations," a home ministry spokesman said