Airtel Travels Abroad..!!!

Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel is looking to establish itself as a major player in the island nation's mobile telephony space as it prepares to launch its $200-million operation in Sri Lanka early next year.

Mobile penetration in Sri Lanka is pegged at around 30 per cent, with approximately 2 million mobile users being added each year.



"The Airtel philosophy is to stay beside the consumer and strive to find fresh and innovative ways to add value to their lives", CEO of Airtel Sri Lanka Amali Nanayakkara said in a statement.

Bharti Airtel Lanka Private Limited, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited, has already announced plans to launch 2G and 3G services in Sri Lanka by the end of the current financial year (2007-08).



Bharti Airtel has already signed a 150-million-dollar deal with China's Huawei Technologies to set up a mobile phone network in Sri Lanka.

Bharti plans to roll out the network in Sri Lanka over the next three years, covering 70 per cent of the tropical island, where it sees substantial room for growth.

The rest is shared between Mobitel, a unit of Sri Lanka Telecom, Tigo, part of Millicom International Cellular, and Hutchison Telecom.

Kissing safer than shaking hands: study

Humans are more at risk of passing on an infection by shaking hands than engaging in kiss, experts have warned.

A group of hygiene experts from the United States and Britain have published the first detailed report on hand hygiene in the home and community, rather than in hospital and healthcare settings.

The findings published in the American Journal of Infection Control revealed that paying greater attention to good hand hygiene was important to avoid catching flu or tummy bugs, and gaining protection from organisms such as MRSA, salmonella or C difficile.

In the event of a flu pandemic, good hand hygiene would be the first line of defence during the early critical period before mass vaccination became available.

This new report follows on from a study indicating physical barriers, such as regular handwashing and wearing masks, gloves and gowns may be more effective than drugs in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza and SARS.

Good hygiene at home prevented organisms spreading from one family member to another. By reducing the number of carriers in the community, the likelihood of infections being carried into health care facilities by new patients and visitors is reduced. Good hygiene at home also means fewer infections, which means fewer patients demanding antibiotics from the GP, and fewer resistant strains developing and circulating in the community.

Clothing and linens, baths, basin and toilet surfaces also played a part in spreading germs between family members in the home.

NDTV Person of the Year 2007

Under the headline ''A tsar is born'', the influential US news magazine Time on Wednesday announced it had chosen Russian President Vladimir Putin as its Person of the Year 2007.

In explaining its choice, Time said ''Putin had performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in imposing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power''.

Stressing that Person of the Year was not intended to be an honour, the magazine said Putin had achieved his aims at ''significant cost to the principles and ideas that free nations prize''.

''Time's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honour,'' the magazine said. ''It is not an endorsement. It is not a popularity contest.''

''He is not a democrat in any way that the West would define it. He is not a paragon of free speech.''

Putin had been chosen for his role in creating stability in the country and ensuring that Russia had re-emerged in 2007 as a major world power.

The magazine said Putin stood for ''stability in a country that has hardly seen it for a hundred years''.

Russia, the ''nation that had fallen off our mental map, led by one steely and determined man, emerged as a critical linchpin of the 21st century'', it said.

India's Crash...!!

MELBOURNE: Indian batsmen saw the visitors crashing to a humiliating 337 run defeat with more than one day to spare as Australia took a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series here on Saturday.

Chasing an improbable target of 499, India folded for a paltry 161 runs with only VVS Laxman (42) and Sourav Ganguly (40) putting up some semblance of a fight on a deteriorating MCG track.

This was Australia's 15th consecutive Test victory and the side under Ricky Ponting now moves to Sydney for the second Test against India starting on January 2 with a distinct psychological edge over the visitors.

Indian batsmans never looked confortable against the "right on mark" line of pacies of australia.

The end of times...!!!

Islamabad:Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on Thursday, a little over two months after she returned home from exile and vowed to take on President Pervez Musharraf in the January 8 general elections.

Ominously, there was a horrific blast that killed 150 people as her convoy moved through Karachi in a homecoming procession on October 18 but Bhutto vowed to soldier on.

The following are some of the key events in her career:


June 21, 1953: Benazir Bhutto is born in Karachi into a wealthy landowning family. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, founded the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and was president and later prime minister of Pakistan from 1971 to 1977.

1977: Benazir returns to Pakistan after gaining degrees in politics at Harvard and Oxford universities, just before the military seized power from her father.

April 1979: Benazir Bhutto is imprisoned just before her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, is executed by Gen Zia ul Huq. She is sentenced to five years in jail.

1984: Bhutto allowed to leave for London for health reasons after spending most of her years in prison in solitary confinement. She reorganises her father's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in London and takes over its leadership.

April 1986: Bhutto returns from exile in London and holds political rallies, attracting massive crowds.

Dec 6, 1988: Bhutto becomes the first woman prime minister of a Muslim nation after winning parliamentary elections.

Aug 6, 1990: Bhutto government dismissed by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan on grounds of corruption charges against her and husband Asif Zardari. Her political opponent Nawaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) is made prime minister.

July 1993: President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismisses Sharif as prime minister, also on grounds of alleged corruption.

Oct 19, 1993: Bhutto takes oath for a second term as prime minister after elections in which no party is a clear winner. She takes the support of smaller parties.

Sep 1996: Murtaza Bhutto, Benazir's younger brother, is shot dead by policemen along with six of his political workers.

Nov 5, 1996: Bhutto government dismissed again - this time by President Farooq Leghari, not only on charges of corruption but also of carrying out staged killings.

Feb 1997: Sharif becomes prime minister again after his PML convincingly wins general elections.

April 14, 1999: Bhutto and Zardari found guilty of corruption charges involving a Swiss company, while she is out of the country. Zardari goes to jail, and Bhutto remains in self-exile.

May 1999: Pakistani troops and militants occupy positions in the Kargil area of Kashmir. Strains emerge between Sharif and Musharraf after international condemnation led by the US.

Oct 1999: Sharif sacks Musharraf, but the general hits back by leading an army coup against him and taking control of administration.

Aug 2000: Musharraf bars Bhutto and Sharif from active politics.

Dec 2000: Sharif goes into exile.

July 2002: Court sentences Bhutto (in absentia) to three years in prison on corruption charges.

July 2003: A Swiss court convicts Bhutto and Zardari for money laundering. Given jail sentences and fined.

Nov 2003: Sentence overturned by a higher court.

Nov 2004: Zardari released from prison in Pakistan.

Oct 5, 2007: Musharraf signs a corruption amnesty against Bhutto.

Oct 6, 2007: Musharraf wins presidential election.

Oct 18, 2007: Bhutto returns to Pakistan from eight years in self-exile.

Nov 15, 2007: Musharraf's five-year presidential term and the term of the sitting parliament expires.

Dec 27,2007:Terriorist shot bullets,one targetted on the neck followed by one on head shot.

Jan 8, 2008: The date for parliamentary elections - that are now in doubt after Bhutto's assassination.

Hit and Miss of 2007

BOLLYWOOD HITS:

'Guru'



The first hit of 2007 was Mani Ratnam's 'Guru'. The master story-teller proved that he sure knows how to play his cards. 'Guru' was the story of a man who rose from the ashes to be one of India's top industrialists. It was supposedly a biopic based on a real life industrialist. Mani Ratnam extracted excellent performances from Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. One of the finest movies to have been made in recent times.


'Partner'



A film which offered laughter unlimited. David Dhawan's comic creation 'Partner' saw Salman Khan and Govinda tickling our funny bones. Salman plays the love guru who helps Govinda to win the love of his life. The lead pairs' on screen chemistry and tongue in cheek humour makes the movie worth watching. 'Partner' was a true-blue David Dhawan film. It was glossy, had some stunning visuals and boasted of very catchy and hummable music. A laugh riot!

'Jab We Met'


'Jab We Met' was like a whiff of fresh air. Imitaz Ali's journey of love brings together Shahid Kapur and Kareena Kapoor on-screen like never before. It is the story about the journey of two individuals who cross each other's path one night and develop a deep bond. The story was the highpoint of the flick and sure it did fire and resurrected the falling careers of the lead pair. 'Jab We Met' is one of the best romantic flicks of 2007.

'Namastey London'


The movie had the right mix of romance, drama and humour. It showcased the clash of cultures, the gap between parents and kids as well as racism. It is the story of a girl forced to marry against her wishes and how she leaves her husband for the man she loves. The story would seem too common but it was the treatment that made the movie stand out. 'Namastey London' is a true blue Hindi flick.

'Heyy Babyy'


Sajid Khan's directorial debut 'Heyy Babyy' is the story of three bachelors. The three - Aroush [Akshay Kumar], Tanmay [Ritesh Deshmukh] and Ali [Fardeen Khan] - are having the time of their lives in Sydney. They flirt around, sleep around and have numerous 'gorgeous' conquests to their credit. But all this changes when a baby lands on their doorstep. The movie is an entertainer that has something for everyone.


'Chak De India'



Yash Raj (YR) is not known to venture into unconventional paths. But they did and they reaped the benefits. The YR-SRK combo was back and here was a Yash Raj flick which aroused patriotic sentiments. SRK with his matchless performance brought alive the character of Kabir Khan. He, with his band of gals, struck the right note and made us feel that surge of patriotism. 'Chak De India' proved that a strong script can always work wonders and pull in an appreciative audience. A perfect example of quality cinema!

'Om Shanti Om'


The most hyped flick of the year. And it sure did live up to the hype that it generated. Shah Rukh Khan's 'Om Shanti Om' was a true-blue masala entertainer. Farah Khan's knowledge of the world of Hindi cinema in the 70's and her Manmohan Desai style of filmmaking saw 'OSO' being declared the biggest hit of 2007. The movie did give us a sense of deja vu and this is why it clicked. 'Om Shanti Om' is what you would call paisa vasool entertainment.



BOLLYWOOD MISS:

'RGV Ki Aag'


RGV proved that he has lost his grounding with his remake of the classic 'Sholay'. 'RGV Ki Aag' was a total wash out and what hurt us most was the fact that it came from a man who had given us flicks like 'Rangeela','Satya' and 'Company'. He committed hara-kiri with his tribute to 'Sholay' and wasted a brilliant ensemble cast. RGV will have to prove a lot with his next flick 'Sarkar Raj'. 'RGV Ki Aag' clearly stands out as the worst flick of the year.

'Saawariya'


Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Saawariya' is all style but no substance. It only reads as a launch pad for Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Saawariya's weakest link is its script which fails to engage the viewer. There are more potholes in the script than you would find on a Mumbai road. Watch the movie for the eye-catching visuals. It clearly earns the tag of the biggest disappointment of the year!

'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom'



Shaad Ali's 'Jhoom Barabar Jhoom' is all style and glamour. Don't search for a story in this Yash Raj flick. There is only a handful of moments worth remembering. It is about how two strangers meet and fall in love. A tested and tried formula but it simply didn't work in this case. 'JBJ' will be remembered for some good music and stunning visuals. Abhishek Bachchan stands out with his performance while Big B is wasted in his cameo. You can easily give this flick a miss!

'Saalam-E-Ishq'


Nikhil Advani's 'Saalam-E-Ishq' is apparently a celebration of love which really fails to make us fall in love. Six stories with twelve characters related to each other but failed to grasp the attention of the audience through the length of this three hour flick. The packaging of movie just didn't fall in line. The only good thing about it was that it had a massive and talented cast but it failed terribly in the department of story telling. Too many stories spoil the experience!

'Cash'


Anubhav Sinha's heist flick 'Cash' had a lot of stars, good locales, a real retro musical score and lot of "action". What it did not have was a convincing plot. It ended up as a movie with style and nothing else to offer.

Shane to be paid Highest by ICL

Australian spin Ace Shane Warne will be the highest paid cricketer in the BCCI-sponsored Indian Premier League (IPL) with a staggering USD 400,000 in his kitty.

The BCCI managing committee announced the names of 34 cricketers including Warne, who have signed the contract and would be competing in next year's cricket league.

Retired Aussie pacer Glenn McGrath and prolific middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf will earn USD 350,000 and USD 330,000 respectively, announced BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan here today.

Former Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming has been offered USD 350,000 while 10 other cricketers were offered in the USD 225,000 bracket. However, the board did not mention the names of any Indian cricketers who have been offered a contract amount.

On being asked about Australian captain Ricky Ponting and swashbuckling wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist's decision on joining the league, Srinivasan said the board was in talks with them and would make a formal announcement soon.

Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar (USD 225,000) and captain Shoaib Malik (USD 300,000) have also confirmed their participation in the league along with retired Sri Lankan star Sanath Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya's team mate and highest wicket taker in Tests Muttiah Muralitharan has been offered 250,000 dollars.

Be original...!!!

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