NEW DELHI: Time seems to be running out for Pakistan in its fight against terror. Islamabad, which has all along denied the presence of India’s most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim on its soil, has now been asked by US investigative agencies to cooperate with them to hunt him down.
America’s FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are on the lookout for Dawood for his alleged links with Al-Qaeda affiliates and involvement in the global heroin trade.
This vindicates India’s consistent stand that Pakistan has been harbouring 1993 Mumbai serial blasts’ main accused. A special notice circulated among the member countries of the United Nations, which has proscribed Dawood as a global terrorist, mentions Pakistan as the base of his operations. The Interpol notice against the fugitive lists two of his known addresses and likely hideouts in Pakistan: NU 37, 30th Street, Defence Housing Authority, and White House, near Saudi Mosque, Clifton Road, both in Karachi.
Pakistan, however, has flatly denied the presence of Dawood at either of these addresses or elsewhere on its territory. That this counter-claim has not cut ice with the US is apparent as FBI is said to have shown Islamabad the proof of UN special notice featuring Karachi as one of Dawood’s bases.
According to reports, FBI and DEA authorities have described Dawood Ibrahim as “an Al-Qaeda facilitator now living in Pakistan, who has already been placed in the same category as top Al-Qaeda operatives with Interpol issuing a special notice against him”. In their communications with the Pakistani authorities, DEA has claimed that D-company was involved in large-scale shipment of narcotics into the UK and Western Europe and that its smuggling routes from South Asia, West Asia and Africa have shared links with Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda terror network.
The US agencies had sought help from Pakistan’s ISI, Federal Investigation Agency, Anti-narcotics Force and the interior ministry. However, only the interior ministry responded to the US request, saying any such help was not possible since no such person by the name of Dawood Ibrahim lived on Pakistani soil.
According to the Interpol special notice against Dawood, the don has 16 aliases and 11 passports issued from India, Pakistan, the UAE and Yemen. His operations span across Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman. New Delhi is clear that the first claim on Dawood is India’s, since he is an Indian citizen and all the leg-work and initial investigations against him were carried out by Indian agencies.
India, however, is not averse to working jointly with the US agencies to track Dawood down.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
93 blasts : D-Day for Sanjay Dutt, Hats off to Judges
Friends, Provide your Opinion on the decision of judge who sentenced 6-year jail to Sanjay Dutt.
Todays judgement shows that in our corrupted country some people are honest eventhough Dutt have more money & political support finally truth wins..Really its a Judgement Day..
Todays judgement shows that in our corrupted country some people are honest eventhough Dutt have more money & political support finally truth wins..Really its a Judgement Day..
Sanjay Dutt sentenced for 6 years in jail
The special TADA court Tuesday sentenced actor Sanjay Dutt [Images] to six years imprisonment for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
Dutt, who was convicted under the Arms Act for illegal possession of weapons, was facing between five years and 10 years in jail.
He had spent 16 months in jail as an undertrial in 1994.
Dutt will be sent to the prison, straight from the court inside Arthur Road jail premises.
Judge Kode does not have the powers to grant bail to Dutt as per the Criminal Procedure Code.
Sanjay Dutt's bail will stand cancelled and he will be in jail, lawyer Majid Menon said.
Dutt's lawyers, however, will appeal in the Supreme Court in the afternoon. The judge said pronounced Dutt an offender and that he was present in a dinner party attended by Dawood Ibrahim.
The judge also said Dutt had committed a series of offences and that he was mature when he committed these.
The judge added that Dutt made Yusuf Nalwala commit the offence.
Dutt was almost in tears when the judge pronounced the verdict.
He then asked whether he could make a call to his daughter Trishala.
Dutt's aide Russi Mulla, who helped destroy the firearms, was given a suspended sentence of one year, in view of his advanced age and behaviour under the offenders of the Probation Act. He was fined Rs 1 lakh.
Courtesy : www.rediff.com
Dutt, who was convicted under the Arms Act for illegal possession of weapons, was facing between five years and 10 years in jail.
He had spent 16 months in jail as an undertrial in 1994.
Dutt will be sent to the prison, straight from the court inside Arthur Road jail premises.
Judge Kode does not have the powers to grant bail to Dutt as per the Criminal Procedure Code.
Sanjay Dutt's bail will stand cancelled and he will be in jail, lawyer Majid Menon said.
Dutt's lawyers, however, will appeal in the Supreme Court in the afternoon. The judge said pronounced Dutt an offender and that he was present in a dinner party attended by Dawood Ibrahim.
The judge also said Dutt had committed a series of offences and that he was mature when he committed these.
The judge added that Dutt made Yusuf Nalwala commit the offence.
Dutt was almost in tears when the judge pronounced the verdict.
He then asked whether he could make a call to his daughter Trishala.
Dutt's aide Russi Mulla, who helped destroy the firearms, was given a suspended sentence of one year, in view of his advanced age and behaviour under the offenders of the Probation Act. He was fined Rs 1 lakh.
Courtesy : www.rediff.com
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Life lessons from our honourable Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
It was an unexpected choice, but one that filled the nation with pride and joy.
In the five years since Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam took residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images], he has been nothing short of inspirational. The man who is synonymous with India's space programme soon became synonymous with India's sense of pride, particularly for its youth.
I love the fact that he is one man you cannot conveniently categorise. After all, how do you slot someone whose favourite pastime includes reading the Bhagvad Gita even though he is a devout Muslim? A remarkable self-made scientist who pens poetry in Tamil and plays the veena in his leisure time? A president who retained his fashionably long locks?
This is what I have learnt from the person I think has been one of India's most interesting leaders in recent times:
1. Humility and modesty
These attributes come naturally to those concerned with causes far greater than personal gain.
India's first attempt at launching the Satellite Launch Vehicle met with failure. At that point, Dr Kalam took responsibility for his colleagues and juniors and became answerable for what went wrong. When the second attempt succeeded and took India into the space age, he stepped aside and let his colleagues take credit for this grand achievement.
Attempting something this selfless requires dedication to the achievement of a larger goal; it is the final goal that matters, not who takes the credit for the achievement.
Over time, I have tried putting a lot more emphasis on the task at hand, and on its flawless execution. Also, in my small way, I look out for people at work or in my personal space, while taking part responsibility for their actions.
Dr Kalam was embarrassed by public acclaim to the extent that that he did not like being called Bharat Ratna Dr Kalam. He even gently reminded the directors at the Defence Research and Development Organisation to not refer to him as Bharat Ratna; he did this by having a circular sent across through the DRDO headquarters that civilian awards cannot be used as titles! This, in today's world, where we mostly see people chasing titles and designations simply to flaunt them to their peers.
In my personal space too, the people I respect the most are the ones who are low-profile in these matters. It is almost immediately endearing when you come across people like these.
2. Respect
Dr Kalam has the utmost respect for everyone he interacts with. He even treats and talks to kids as his equals, and respects their opinions. I know of instances where he refers to professors as 'Professor X' and means it with respect. He attaches great importance to their knowledge and experience; even though he might have achieved a lot than they have, he believes there is a lot to learn from each of them.
Not being judgemental, respecting elders, teachers, professors and looking beyond caste, race, age and colour have taken on a whole new meaning in today's society. Over time, I have realised that the people who respect others the most are the ones who are the most respected.
3. Spirituality
It might surprise a few people that a space scientist can be so spiritual. Dr Kalam recites the Gita and the Quran better than some of the more renowned spiritual 'gurus' of today. He believes in the strength of virtues and values, and the role they play in shaping the youth and society in these times.
A complete vegetarian, a teetotaller and a bachelor, Dr Kalam's spirituality seems to be driven by practicality in a world where these attributes might be frowned upon.
It's clear that he respects other religions, and has done his best to understand them -- something that a lot of us need to imbibe ourselves.
4. Being yourself
The pressures and expectations of the presidential post never got to Dr Kalam. The usual full-sleeved blue shirt, the long grey hair, and various 'Kalam-isms' like 'Fantastic!', 'Funny guys, why did they do that?' and 'What's happening?' have made it to many parts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In this case, the person changed the place, rather than the place changing the person.
Situations never changed the person Dr Kalam was. He is disarmingly approachable to students, civilians and politicians.
It is this genuineness that makes us all individuals in the first place. I try keeping that in mind when I get flustered by grand or formal situations. I no longer constantly bother about how I speak or dress, thanks to a lesson from Dr Kalam.
5. Respect for children
Dr Kalam believes that children and the youth of today are magical with their ideas and thoughts. This is the reason he spent so much time meeting school kids and addressing the country's youth. He understands the language of youth and their ambitions, without having the air of superiority that age and experience brings with it so often.
Dr Kalam even extended his scientific expertise to help disabled children by replacing their metal supporters, which weigh three kilos, with carbon-based braces weighing 300 grams.
I think it is this, more than anything else, that makes him seem larger than life to me. The fact that he touched so many lives, and did not stop at just addressing them... He gave so many disabled kids a reason to smile.
Thank you, sir, it is an honour to be a fellow Indian. Those presidential shoes are going to be very hard to fill, to say the least.
In the five years since Dr Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam took residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images], he has been nothing short of inspirational. The man who is synonymous with India's space programme soon became synonymous with India's sense of pride, particularly for its youth.
I love the fact that he is one man you cannot conveniently categorise. After all, how do you slot someone whose favourite pastime includes reading the Bhagvad Gita even though he is a devout Muslim? A remarkable self-made scientist who pens poetry in Tamil and plays the veena in his leisure time? A president who retained his fashionably long locks?
This is what I have learnt from the person I think has been one of India's most interesting leaders in recent times:
1. Humility and modesty
These attributes come naturally to those concerned with causes far greater than personal gain.
India's first attempt at launching the Satellite Launch Vehicle met with failure. At that point, Dr Kalam took responsibility for his colleagues and juniors and became answerable for what went wrong. When the second attempt succeeded and took India into the space age, he stepped aside and let his colleagues take credit for this grand achievement.
Attempting something this selfless requires dedication to the achievement of a larger goal; it is the final goal that matters, not who takes the credit for the achievement.
Over time, I have tried putting a lot more emphasis on the task at hand, and on its flawless execution. Also, in my small way, I look out for people at work or in my personal space, while taking part responsibility for their actions.
Dr Kalam was embarrassed by public acclaim to the extent that that he did not like being called Bharat Ratna Dr Kalam. He even gently reminded the directors at the Defence Research and Development Organisation to not refer to him as Bharat Ratna; he did this by having a circular sent across through the DRDO headquarters that civilian awards cannot be used as titles! This, in today's world, where we mostly see people chasing titles and designations simply to flaunt them to their peers.
In my personal space too, the people I respect the most are the ones who are low-profile in these matters. It is almost immediately endearing when you come across people like these.
2. Respect
Dr Kalam has the utmost respect for everyone he interacts with. He even treats and talks to kids as his equals, and respects their opinions. I know of instances where he refers to professors as 'Professor X' and means it with respect. He attaches great importance to their knowledge and experience; even though he might have achieved a lot than they have, he believes there is a lot to learn from each of them.
Not being judgemental, respecting elders, teachers, professors and looking beyond caste, race, age and colour have taken on a whole new meaning in today's society. Over time, I have realised that the people who respect others the most are the ones who are the most respected.
3. Spirituality
It might surprise a few people that a space scientist can be so spiritual. Dr Kalam recites the Gita and the Quran better than some of the more renowned spiritual 'gurus' of today. He believes in the strength of virtues and values, and the role they play in shaping the youth and society in these times.
A complete vegetarian, a teetotaller and a bachelor, Dr Kalam's spirituality seems to be driven by practicality in a world where these attributes might be frowned upon.
It's clear that he respects other religions, and has done his best to understand them -- something that a lot of us need to imbibe ourselves.
4. Being yourself
The pressures and expectations of the presidential post never got to Dr Kalam. The usual full-sleeved blue shirt, the long grey hair, and various 'Kalam-isms' like 'Fantastic!', 'Funny guys, why did they do that?' and 'What's happening?' have made it to many parts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. In this case, the person changed the place, rather than the place changing the person.
Situations never changed the person Dr Kalam was. He is disarmingly approachable to students, civilians and politicians.
It is this genuineness that makes us all individuals in the first place. I try keeping that in mind when I get flustered by grand or formal situations. I no longer constantly bother about how I speak or dress, thanks to a lesson from Dr Kalam.
5. Respect for children
Dr Kalam believes that children and the youth of today are magical with their ideas and thoughts. This is the reason he spent so much time meeting school kids and addressing the country's youth. He understands the language of youth and their ambitions, without having the air of superiority that age and experience brings with it so often.
Dr Kalam even extended his scientific expertise to help disabled children by replacing their metal supporters, which weigh three kilos, with carbon-based braces weighing 300 grams.
I think it is this, more than anything else, that makes him seem larger than life to me. The fact that he touched so many lives, and did not stop at just addressing them... He gave so many disabled kids a reason to smile.
Thank you, sir, it is an honour to be a fellow Indian. Those presidential shoes are going to be very hard to fill, to say the least.
JaJah comes to India - Cheap India USA Calls
JaJah has officially started it’s services in India. JaJahIndia.com This is especially targeting the highly competitive & dense India - USA - India call traffic. With phone calls ranged between 7.3 to 7.6 cents per minute, these are one of the lowest rates offered so far. Yes, these are for a promotion which will last till 15th August.
Get this limited time invite for free here: Jajah
BlogCamp Pune aftermath
BlogCamp Pune happened on 16th June 2007
IBNlive ’s Video coverage about the BlogCamp Pune below:
IBNlive ’s Video coverage about the BlogCamp Pune below:
First, hats off to Tarun & Parag for organising this BlogCamp Pune
Shilpa Dhamija’s article in IBNLive was titled:
“Write blogs, earn up to Rs 1 lakh”.
No doubt, Eklavya & Team from WatBlog are doing a great job covering the Internet Advertising and Technology scene in India. However Shilpa’s article would be interpreted by a newbie as an easy way of making fast money. Well, please, please don’t be under this impression. For every blogger who makes 1 lakh per month, there are more than 1000 bloggers who make nothing. [me included]
I just wanted to that straight.
Back to BlogCamp Pune on 16th June. Started off with no WiFi 
So far, the best run down blog coverage, I could find was that by Lokesh Sapre. I would request you to read his post here.
The threads that i sat through were of Purple Nova, Fropper & SMS Gupshup. Presentation on flaming by Melody was appreciated by everyone. A very enthu guy Ashish went about interviewing everyone who participated, I felt that was very ’sweet’, Thank You Ashish !
Umesh from Fropper.com announced in his presentation of EzBlogs that Fropper has an exclusive tie-up with Google for a “One Click installation” of Google Adsense to EzBlogs. Well, I am looking forward for that, as this is an easy way for people to skip all the Google Adsense code configuration. I am sure this would be a hit.
At 5:30 PM, we all assembled in the auditorium & Tarun & Parag sought feedback from everyone.
One of the things which everyone agreed was that at the next BlogCamp in Pune, there would be seperate threads for commercial [sponsors] & unsponsored ones.
Overall, this is a good start, got attention of the media & I am sure several people would consider to start blogging.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Tendulkar relieved after ton
With the score reading 14 for 3, in pursuit of England [Images] Lions' first innings total of 413, it seemed India was heading towards embarrassment in the three-day tour match. But out walked Sachin Tendulkar [Images] to a huge cheer from the crowd, in anticipation of a top-class innings. And, indeed, he delivered!
The master batsman had done it several times, but on Saturday, again, it was up to him to bail India out of trouble. He did not let his fans down. In fact, he gave them more than they had bargained for.
"Paisa Vasool tha Sachin ka batting [Sachin's innings was worth every penny we spent]," said Inderjeet Singh, an Indian residing in London [Images], who had come to watch the match.
Right from his arrival at the crease, Tendulkar dished out an array of shots on both sides of the wicket. The pace duo of Graham Onions and Stuart Broad were in full steam, having polished off the top order, but they suddenly hit a roadblock in the form of the Mumbai batsman.
Tendulkar admitted that the moment he arrived at the crease he found the middle of the bat and he never looked back.
"Initially we lost a couple of wickets and, then, the moment I went in to bat there was another dismissal; so we were three down with more or less nothing on the board. So it was big responsibility. I thought I would play my game, play some shots, counter attack... and I did," he said.
"I was timing the ball quite well. I had a couple of big sessions in Hove, where I practiced indoors. It helped a lot. I took it one ball at a time," Tendulkar added.
His blazing knock of 171, adding 140 runs for the fifth wicket with Yuvraj Singh [Images] (59) bailed India out of trouble, as the duo treated the crowd to some delightful stroke-play in the last two sessions.
Tendulkar, 34, seemed more relieved at getting to spend some time in the middle, ahead of the first Test at Lord's, starting Thursday.
"I thought after the break in the first match [tour match against Sussex] it was extremely important for me to spend some time, and I got some quality practice and I am very happy about it.
"Till yesterday I was a bit apprehensive; I wanted to go out in the middle and get some match practice. We had some practice sessions, but I wanted to be out there considering the conditions are different. So I am quite relieved that I managed to play more than 200 balls," the right-hander said.
Tendulkar was in red-hot form in the three-match one-day series against Ireland and he said he just carried on the good form.
"Yes, scoring some runs in Ireland [in the one-dayers] did help. The conditions were adverse and the wickets were helpful. The South African attack is also quite good, and in that I managed to score some runs. It did help; it gave me a lot of confidence," he said.
The 34-year-old was in vintage form, hitting 23 boundaries and a six in his 236-ball knock.
"I was not out to make any statement. I wanted to get some practice, and while doing that I shifted gears. Immediately, from the start, I started striking the ball well, so I thought I might as well stay in top gear and keep playing the shots," he said.
He also added that Steve Harmison's absence for the first Test would not make a difference to the Indian team.
"There is no doubt that he is a world-class bowler, but that doesn't mean we can't score runs against him. He is a good bowler but we are also out there to score runs. So it would have been a good contest," Tendulkar said.
The Indian top order is a major worry at the moment with Wasim Jaffer's failure to get going in the three innings he has played in the two tour games. But Tendulkar said the team management is fully backing the opener and confident that he will come good in the Tests.
"It hasn't been great but we have got players who have got runs all around the world. It is a matter of spending time at the wicket and runs will come," he said.
As the crowd left the County Stadium in Chelmsford on Saturday evening, they were thankful to the 'little master' for the superb show they were treated to. Now, all they wish for is another century from him in the first Test at Lord's, a feat he hasn't accomplished at the hallowed ground.
After all, even the honours board, which lists the centurions, at Lord's is dying to get the name of one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era inscribed on it. With this possibly being Tendulkar's last Test series in England, it seems he is not going to let the opportunity slip.
Draggable driving maps, pretty cool. Check it out:
Draggable driving maps, pretty cool. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_V-7g0LAZI&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_V-7g0LAZI&NR=1
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Aishwarya Rai ranks 9th on the World’s 50 Most Beautiful Women List
She has made the Indians proud again by finding a spot on the most Beautiful Women list and Ash is giving company to Angelina Jolie, who has been rated as the number one on the list.
Ash made it to the 9th Rank in the prestigious list. Surpassing Ash is Hollywood actress Uma Thurman and British Model Kate Moss but, Ash managed to supersede many beautiful and famous faces like Beyonce, who was ranked 12th, Halle Berry 37th and Jennifer Lopez 39th.
Besides Ash, the other Indian to make it to the list is Padma Lakshmi, who made it to the 28th position on the list.
Ash may not have managed to bag a Hollywood movie but, she sure has a reason to celebrate and create ‘Dhoom’ with her ‘Guru’.Courtesy: www.bollywoodblog.com
Muralitharan claims 700th Test wicket
Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan became the second man in history to claim 700 Test wickets in the third and final match of the series against Bangladesh on Saturday.
The 35-year-old followed his 6-28 figures in the first innings with a further 6-54 in the second to finish with a match haul of 12-82, his 20th 10-wicket haul in Tests.
Muralitharan reached the landmark with the last wicket of the match as Syed Rasel spooned up a catch to Farveez Maharoof at mid off, sparking wild celebrations in the bowler's hometown stadium.
His final wicket dismissed Bangladesh for 176 and secured Sri Lanka a 3-0 whitewash with an innings and 193-run victory.
Muralitharan is chasing Australian Shane Warne's 708 wicket world record tally, a milestone he looks likely to pass during Sri Lanka's two test tour of Australia in November.
A veteran of 113 Tests, Muralitharan needed just 12 matches to go from 600 to 700 wickets.
The spinner's career has been plagued by controversy over the legality of his bowling action after being no-balled for throwing in Melbourne by umpire Darryl Hair in 1995.
Doubts still persist in some quarters, despite extensive biomechanical testing determining his action is legal according to current ICC regulations which permit a 15-degree elbow bend.
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