15 Indian-origin men, women in British Queen's New Year's Honours list

File photo of British actress Penelope Keith - AP

London: Fifteen Indian-origin men and women, including prominent educationist Asha Khemka, have been named in Queen Elizabeth's New Year's Honours List for 2014.

India-born educationist Khemka has been named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her service to the deprived areas of the West Midlands as principal of West Nottinghamshire College for the last eight years.

"Under her leadership, it has become one of the most eminent further education colleges in the UK. She has embraced the apprenticeship agenda, leading the college to become the largest 16-18 provider in the UK and finding jobs for 700 young people in the first year," read a special citation accompanying the higher awards in this year's list.

"Her charitable trust, the Inspire and Achieve Foundation, is especially focused on those not in education, employment or training. She is in the process of opening a skills centre in India," it added.

Khemka has also been active in skills development in her country of origin and is the founding chair of the Association of Colleges in India – a group 33 UK colleges that have joined forces to work with Indian partners.

"I believe passionately in the power of Further Education to transform lives. India is a land of opportunity where there is no dearth of talent. But there is a gap between vision and implementation," she said.

"The solution is a triangular approach which brings together academia, industry and education funders at every level. West Nottinghamshire College is also on the lookout for an investor to set up its own base in India as well," she said.

A total of 1,195 candidates have been selected for honours this year, with 610 successful women candidates representing 51 per cent of the total.

Actresses Angela Lansbury and Penelope Keith become dames in a list which features more women than men for the first time in history. However, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and former England soccer captain and global celebrity David Beckham were two surprising omissions from the list.

The duo, who both have Order of the British Empire (OBE), were tipped to be knighted. Murray, 26, became the first Briton in 77 years to win the Wimbledon men's singles title in the summer, while Beckham, 38, retired from football in May after a 20-year career.

The honours system recognises people who have made achievements in public life and committed themselves to serving and helping Britain. The list, founded in 1917, is decided by an honours committee, which goes to the Prime Minister who then recommends the names to the Queen for the official award.

The Queen releases two honours lists every year – her Birthday Honours in June and News Year's Honours in December. 

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No proposal to increase number of subsidised LPG cylinders, says Moily

Kochi: Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily on Saturday said there was no proposal before the government to increase the number of subsidised LPG cylinders from the present nine a year to 12.

"We don't have such a proposal before us", Moily, who arrived here in connection with the formal commissioning of the Petronet LNG terminal at nearby Puthyvype by Prime Minister Manmohan, told reporters here.

"Nine subsidised cylinders a year covers 90 per cent of the consumers. Only 10 per cent are left without subsidy", he said.

People will appreciate the government stand, he said. On Thursday, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had said in New Delhi that the government will 'take a look' at the demand to raise the quota of subsidised LPG cylinders to 12 per household in a year from the current limit of nine.

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Ramesh Chennithala joins Oommen Chandy cabinet

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala today joined the UDF ministry headed by Oommen Chandy as part of a move to boost prospects of the coalition in the coming Lok Sabha polls by setting factional and equations correct.

In a limited cabinet expansion, Governor Nikhil Kumar administered oath of office and secrecy to 57-year-old Chennithala. He is tipped to get the Home portfolio in the ministry, replacing his party colleague Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan, who has been retained in the cabinet.

Chief Minister Chandy, his cabinet colleagues, senior party functionaries, leaders of the UDF partners and deputy leader of opposition in the assembly Kodiyeri Balakrishnan were present at the function. A thinking has been strong in Congress in Kerala that induction of Chennithala will help Congress firm up its support base among the majority community in general and the Nair community in particular to which he belongs to.

Influential Nair outfit NSS had in the past had come down heavily on UDF alleging that the coalition leadership breached its poll-eve promise of giving Chennithala a "key position" in the cabinet, in which nominees from Christian and Muslim communities outnumber those from various Hindu sections.

The idea to rope in Chennithala, mooted by the party high command, was endorsed by the state unit yesterday after senior leader and Defence Minister A K Antony conveyed it at a leadership meeting attended by Chandy, Chennithala and others. Chennithala will continue as the KPCC chief till the organisational and a ministerial shuffle after the budget session of the state assembly, beginning on January 3, is concluded.

One of the longest serving KPCC Presidents reputed for organisational skills, Chennithala is becoming a Minister after a gap of nearly 27 years.

His first brief ministerial stint was in 1986 when his one-time mentor K Karunakaran made him Rural Development Minister bypassing many a senior, which became a turning point in his career. Since then, he rose to become national president of the Youth Congress being handpicked by late Rajiv Gandhi, which helped him to strike strong bonds with the high command on account of his unflinching loyalty to the Gandhi-Nehru family.

In 1989, Chennithala resigned from the assembly to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Mavelikkara, which he won with a comfortable margin. After that he has a victory spree getting re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1991, 1996 and 1999 and also served as AICC Secretary. He returned to the home state to head the party nine years ago and steered the UDF to victory. 

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Saina Nehwal off the court in 2013

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Tradition of New Year's resolutions borrowed from Romans

London: The tradition of New Year's resolutions - making promises on the first day of the year - is a custom started by our Roman ancestors, scientists say. "Rome's highest officials made a resolution to remain loyal to the republic and swore oaths to the Emperor on 1st January," said Professor Richard Alston, from the Department of Classics at Royal Holloway University.

"A grand ceremony marked the occasion, where the Roman legions would parade and sacrifices were made on the Capitoline Hill. This annual event renewed the bonds between citizens, the state and the gods," Alston said.

New Year's Day offered all Roman citizens an opportunity to reflect on the past and look to the year ahead. People would exchange sweet fruits and honey, greet each other with blessings for the coming year and the courts only worked in the mornings, so they had a half day holiday.

"On 1 January, our Roman ancestors celebrated Janus, the god of new beginnings who had two faces - one looking into the past and another looking to the future," Alston added.

"Janus represented doors and thresholds and the Romans named the month of January in his honour. "Janus also symbolised the values of home, family, friendship and civilisation, and the doors of his temple were closed when Rome was at peace and thrown open in times of war, as if the god was no longer present.

"Just like we do today, we also know that the Romans celebrated a mid-winter festival in which they met with friends, exchanges gifts and had a good time before the start of the year ahead," Alston said. 

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Sub-zero storm lashes US

A train passes along the coast at Saltcoats in Scotland on Friday as Britain too braced for bad weather. A combination of high tides, heavy rains and strong winds are expected to bring yet more severe flooding to many parts of the country. — AP

Washington: Snow, high winds and a glacial chill hit the northeastern United States on Friday as a blast of brutal wintry weather bore down on many states and major cities, snarling air traffic.

Temperatures in New York were expected to drop to -3 degree ºC, according to forecasts.Tracking system Flight-Aware said that some 2,200 flights within, into or out of the United States had been canceled so far.

The national weather service issued winter storm warnings and advisories for a huge area spanning states from Chicago trough New York, New England and even the US capital, Washington.

Severe weather was also hitting the country's Midwest, dropping a blanket of snow and cancelling flights at Chicago’s bustling O’Hare Intern-ational Airport.

The northeastern winter warning was in effect in New York from Thursday evening through midday Friday, with forecasters predicting four to eight inches of snow and winds that co-uld reach up to 56 kmph.

The storm is predicted to dump 6 to 12 inches of snow over a large area beginning in northern Pennsylvania and upstate New York to a large part of New Jersey and New England.

In Boston,  the storm claimed at least nine lives. Slick roads have caused traffic deaths in Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

A massive pile of salt fell on a worker at a Philadelphia storage facility, killing him. And authorities say a woman with Alzheimer’s disease froze to death after she wandered away from her rural New York home. New York City residents were urged to stay off the streets so the Sanitation Department could work.

Officials said that 450 salt spreaders had been out since early Thursday morning and 1,700 sanitation trucks had been outfitted with plows.

In neighboring New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency in anticipation of what was to come.
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, meanwhile, ordered state employees to leave work early on Thursday to alleviate the evening commute.

Workers were not expected back at their desks until mid-morning. Shops and other businesses were also asked to do the same. 

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Saturn's rings revealed to be 4.4 billion years old

Washington: Saturn's iconic rings likely formed about 4.4 billion years ago, shortly after the planet itself took shape, researchers say.

The origin of Saturn's ring system has long been the subject of debate, with some researchers arguing that it's a relatively young structure and others holding that it coalesced long ago, at roughly the same time as the gas giant's many satellites.

At the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, researchers said that the new study, which was conducted using data gathered by NASA's Saturn-orbiting Cassini spacecraft, strongly supports the latter scenario.

Cassini's measurements imply that "the main rings would be [extremely] old, rather than hundreds of millions of years old," Fox News quoted Sascha Kempf, of the University of Colorado in Boulder, as saying.

Saturn's main ring system is huge but razor-thin, measuring about 175,000 miles across but just 33 feet or so in the vertical direction. The rings are composed primarily of water ice, but they contain small amounts of rocky material contributed by micrometeoroid bombardment.

Kempf and his colleagues used Cassini's Cosmic Dust Analyzer instrument to measure just how frequently such tiny particles cruise through the Saturn system.

They found that a surprisingly small amount of dusty material comes into contact with the rings. On an average, just 10-19 g of dust per square centimeter zooms through space every second at a distance of five to 50 Saturn radii from the planet.

Having measured this low rate of dust recruitment, the team then calculated that the rings have likely existed for about 4.4 billion years.

Kempf and his colleagues were also able to reconstruct the orbits of many of these particles, finding that the lion's share likely come from the Kuiper Belt, the ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune's orbit.

However, some of the dust probably hails from the even more distant Oort Cloud and some from interstellar space, Kempf said.

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Will return to BJP, says Yeddyurappa

Shimoga: Ending months of speculation, former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday said he would return to the BJP, which he had deserted to form his own outfit more than a year ago.

"I will give sweet news in the first week of New Year. I know the party which I built has suffered due to my absence.I will not only rejoin my parental party but also tour the entire state to strengthen the hands of Narendra Modi to make him the Prime Minister," Yeddyurappa said.

The talk about the homecoming of Yeddyurappa had gained more currency in recent weeks with state leaders making intensified efforts to bring him back and the former BJP strongman also giving enough indications about it.Yeddyurappa's statement to reporters at his home constituency of Shikaripura in Shimoga district comes a day after he told a Karnataka Janatha Paksha party workers meet here that "this may become the final KJP meet."He said he had spoken to BJP President Rajnath Singh and even the state leaders had been talking about the necessity of his return."I grew up in the RSS parivar. I could become the Chief Minister only because of the blessings and support of the party," he said, adding his return was 'unconditional'.He said the Congress had benefited as a result of the BJP and KJP contesting the May 8 assembly elections separately in the state.Garnering 10 per cent vote share and six seats, Yeddyurappa had damaged the prospects of the then ruling BJP but failed to make an impact as an independent entity.Yeddyurappa said he had left the BJP out of "inevitable circumstances."He said the BJP had won 19 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka in the last elections and his effort in the 2014 parliamentary polls would be to get more number of seats.He said after assembly polls, KJP had planned to have a tie-up with BJP but "on clearance from BJP high command" to induct him back he has decided to merge KJP with BJP.Yeddyurappa, a strongman from the majority Lingayat community, was made to quit as Chief Minister in July 2011 over findings of Lokayukta indicting him on illegal mining issue. Sidelined by BJP central leadership subsequently, Yeddyurappa had formed KJP in December last year, ending his 40-year-long association with BJP.  Bookanakere Siddalingappa Yeddyurappa’s first public stint was his appointment as secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s Shikaripur unit in 1970. In 1980, BSY was appointed president of the Shikaripura taluk unit of the BJP. Soon he went on to become the president of BJP’s Shimoga district unit in 1985. And in 1988, he became the state president of the BJP in Karnataka.Yeddyurappa was first elected to the Karnataka assembly in 1983 and has since represented the Shikaripura constituency six times. In 1994, he became the leader of Opposition in the assembly.In 2006, H D Kumarasamy led JD(S) and BJP formed the government under an agreement that HDK would be CM for the first 20 months, after which BSY would take over. BSY was the deputy CM and finance minister. In October 2007, when Kumarasamy did not give up CM’s post, Yeddyurappa and all BJP ministers quit. Karnataka came under President’s rule till 7 November when JD(S) and BJP came together again, with BSY as CM. JD(S) refused support to BSY over disagreement on sharing of ministries which resulted in BSY resigning as CM. In 2008 election, Yeddyurappa led BJP to historic victory as he claimed the CM’s chair on 30 May 2008.In November 2010, allegations surfaced against Yeddyurappa in multiple corruption cases. Facing pressure from BJP leadership, he quit on 31 July 2011. Yeddyurappa was arrested on 15 October 2011 and granted bail on 8 November 2011 after spending 23 days in jail.In March 2012, the Karnataka HC quashed the FIR registered against him in the mining scam which prompted him to demand back chief ministership. He forced his handpicked successor Sadananda Gowda to quit. Karnataka is now ruled by Jagadish Shettar.With his demands falling on deaf ears, B S Yeddyurappa decided to quit BJP and launch his own party, which he has named Karnataka Janata Party. He leaves to make his own plans.With tears rolling down his cheeks, estranged Karnataka strongman B.S. Yedddyurappa on Friday resigned from the primary membership of the BJP, ending his 40 year old association with saffron party.

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Motorola slashes price of Moto X by $100

Washington: Motorola has reportedly cut down the prices of its Moto X smartphone by 100 dollars for a fully-customized sans-contract 16GB model.

Moto X would have originally cost 499 dollars, but customers can now buy it for 399 dollars.

However, the recently rolled out bamboo back Moto X would still require a premium of 100 dollars above the original cost, Tech Crunch reports.

The report said that with this price cut and the introduction of the wallet-friendly Moto G back in late November; Motorola is positioning itself as a player that can deliver new remarkably solid smartphone experiences at prices that can seem outlandishly low compared to most competitors. 

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Chinese tycoon in talks to buy NYT

Beijing: First he handed out cash to victims of China’s 2008 earthquake. Then he sold “canned fresh air” to residents of smog-ridden Beijing.

Now Chen Guangbiao, listed as one of China's 400 richest people and a man known as much for his publicity stunts as his wealth, claims he is in talks to buy the New York Times.

“Soon, I will go to America to do three things,” Chen told a crowd on Monday night at a news media award reception in the southern Chinese boom town of Shenzhen, according to the semi-official China News Service. The first, he said, “is to go discuss the acquisition of the New York Times”.

Asked later to elaborate on his plans, Chen simply told reporters “the negotiation is currently underway”.

However, the publisher of the New York Times has previously denied it is up for sale.

“After a week in which both The Boston Globe and The Washington Post were purchased by new owners, the publisher of The New York Times emphatically declared ... that the publication was not for sale,” the paper quoted Arthur Sulzberger, who is also chairman of The New York Times Company, as saying in a statement in August.

Chen built his fortune, five billion yuan ($825 million) on a recycling company.   

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The Style Queen of 2013: Deepika Padukone

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Daggubati couple may join BJP, says Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad: Significantly, there were speculations over an unnamed Union minister from the state who, according to veteran BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu, was willing to join the BJP.

The name of Union minister D. Purandeswari topped the guess list, given her husband Daggubati Venkateswara Rao’s brief stint in the party and continued relationship with the RSS.

“We thought it could be Purandeswari,” a senior BJP leader said, adding that the BJP was working hard to win the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat because of its pan-India electorate which, according to the party, is swayed by the Modi wave.

The BJP, sources said, will press for the Guntur Lok Sabha seat in case the alliance with the Telugu Desam comes through. Noted industrialist Prabhakar Chowdary of Nuzividu Seeds is already tipped to be the party candidate from Guntur. He made elaborate arrangements in Guntur recently for the BJP-sponsored ‘Run for Unity’.

“It is doubtful if the TD will concede both the Guntur and Narasaraopet seats from where Sambasiva Rao is hoping to try his luck,” said a senior TD leader.

Rajagopal set his eyes on Eluru as the TD categorically made it clear that it will not forgo Vijayawada from where he has won twice.

Nani of Kesineni Private Travels is the strong contender for the Vijayawada Lok Sabha seat.

Rajahmundry Congress MP Vundavilli Arun Kumar may not hav a vacancy in the BJP because the TD will not lose the seat to the alliance. Actor Murali Mohan who narrowly lost to Arun Kumar is keen on winning this time.

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Give us funds to counter Modi wave: Congress leaders

Bangalore: In a bid to counter Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi's growing acceptance in some urban pockets of the state, several leaders from the Mysore division of the Congress party on Sunday appealed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure smooth flow of funds in urban areas in order to take up development projects ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

These leaders also urged the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee(KPCC) president, Dr G. Parameshwar to come out with a policy on re-entry of leaders at the local level, which was duly accepted by him.

The KPCC chief asserted that the KPCC would intervene only in the case of re-entry of former ministers, former MLA sand former MLCs into the party fold, while the decision on others can be taken at the local level after consultation.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader in the KPCC said, "Several leaders from urban areas cautioned the CM that fund flow in urban areas has shrunk in the last couple of months, if this isn't addressed then it would lead to disastrous consequences. As of now, the urban  electorate appears to be disenchanted with the party. So, the CM must take corrective steps by releasing and launching several development projects in urban areas."

The source claimed that this demand came from leaders of Dakshin Kannada, Chikmagalur and Udupi districts which are considered to be BJP strongholds.

"Apart from this, leaders from rural areas in 12  Parliament segments demanded that the Chief Minister should  address  issues related to release of funds for various pension schemes, resolve the confusion over APL and BPL ration cardholders and also to take necessary steps to initiate the process for identifying beneficiaries, so that we can keep the rural electorate’s hopes alive till the elections are over. Otherwise, the BJP will  use it to its advantage when the elections approach claiming that their regime had commenced the process of distributing houses to the poor but the Congress  stalled it," the source said.

The CM took the suggestions positively and assured the leaders that he would do his best to address the grievances.

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Congress sets up 105-member executive committee for Kerala

New Delhi: Congress veteran K Karunakaran's son and daughter K Muraleedharan and Padmaja Venugopal figure along with senior leaders A K Antony, Vayalar Ravi, Chief Minister Oomen Chandy and PCC chief Ramesh Chennithala in the 105-member list of Kerala Pradesh Executive Committee.

The list also includes party MP Peethampara Kurup, who was in controversy recently over molestation charges by actress Shweta Menon, which were later withdrawn by her.

The jumbo committee announced by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today, an exercise aimed at making the party fighting fit for next Lok Sabha polls, has tried to accommodate all factions of Kerala Congress giving representation to MPs and MLAs with an emphasis on youth.

Union Ministers Shashi Tharoor, K C Venugopal, Mullapally Ramachandran and K V Thomas are other prominent members in the committee with Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha P J Kurien, party MP and spokesperson P C Chacko, Kodikunnil Suresh, M I Shanavas, K Sudhakaran and K P Dhanapalan.

P P Thankachan, the convener of United Democratic Front as well as former PCC chief Thennala G Balakrishna Pillai also find a place in the committee. Rahul Gandhi's pick and former AICC secretary Shanimol Usman is among the 12 women leaders in the list. 

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Thank you but no thanks, Pervez Musharraf tells Pakistan government

Islamabad: Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has rejected 'with thanks' the government's offer to bring his ailing mother to Pakistan from Dubai, one of his aides said on Monday.

"Thank you very much but don’t try to fool people," Aasia Ishaque, Musharraf's spokesperson, said when she was asked about his reaction to the offer made by the government on Sunday.

The government said it was willing to bring Musharraf's 95-year-old ailing mother from Dubai in a special aircraft or an air ambulance as a humanitarian gesture so that the two could be reunited.

The government also offered to provide her medical treatment.

"The government is trying to fool the people of this country. Musharraf has enough resources to bring back his mother if her health permits," Ishaque told reporters.

"The offer clearly shows that the government now knows that Musharraf is not going to run away despite all the pressure." Advising the government to "concentrate on the miseries of the people", she said Musharraf will remain in Pakistan and fight "politically motivated" cases against him.

The 70-year-old former army chief, who is facing a plethora of cases, cannot travel abroad as he is included in the Interior Ministry's Exit Control List (ECL).

Musharraf's petition to have his name removed from the ECL, so that he could fly to Dubai to visit his mother, was rejected by the Sindh High Court.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said on Sunday that the independent judiciary will decide Musharraf's fate.

The former army chief is set to appear in a special court on January 1 to face charges of high treason for imposing emergency in 2007.

He is the first general to face trial for treason. If convicted, he could get life imprisonment or the death penalty. 

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Buzz over Vasan-Captain meeting

G. K. Vasan and Vijayakanth. File photo.

Chennai: Amid overtures from DMK and BJP for an alliance with Vijayakanth-led DM­DK for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, senior Congress lea­der and Union minister G. K. Vasan on Tuesday eve­ning met the actor turned politician at his Salig­ram­am reside­nce adding to spe­c­ulation of electoral tie-up.

While though there is no official confirmation about the meeting which lasted nearly 40 minutes, sources from both parties said that it was only a courtesy call where Vasan met Vijay­ak­anth to extend pleasantries on New Year’s eve.

According to DMDK sou­rces, Vasan discussed the possibility of an alli­ance with Vijayakanth. Following DMK’s decision to break its alliance, the Congress has been left all alone in the state with no parties showing any interest for an alliance with it. Vasan, who enjoys a good rapport with the actor politician, favours a tie-up with the DMDK for the LS polls, sources said.

After distancing itself from the Congress and BJP, DMK president M. Karu­nanidhi said that he would be happy to have DMDK in his alliance for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

DMK also tried to open a channel for negotiation through an emissary Bis­hop Ezra Sargunam who pre­sided over DMDK’s Chr­istmas celebration at their party headquarters in Koyambedu on December 23.

“I will consider the suggestion made by Ezra Sar­g­unam (about two captains). I will also take into account, most certainly, his advice that I stay away from the BJP,” said Vijayakanth responding to Bishop Sarg­unam’s advice.

BJP has also been actively wooing the actor’s party to stitch up a grand alliance consisting of PMK and MDMK in the state. A senior DMDK leader said that Vijaykanth would ann­ounce any decision on the Lok Sabha polls only after the party’s conference to be held in Villupuram. 

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Dubai breaks fireworks record

Yes, it’s time to bust out the champagne and make resolutions you probably won’t keep.

But this year’s different. Cities around the world were hosting some of the most amazing celebrations ever.

Edible confetti raining over London and  the pyrotechnics record set by Dubai earned it a place in the Guinness records. 

World’s tallest towers lights up

Fireworks exploded from the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, in Dubai as the whole city lit up to snatch a world record.

Dubai — a city obsessed with superlatives — organisers pulled off a world record for the biggest fireworks display near the world’s tallest building.

The spectacular show featured 400,000 pyrotechnics over 400 parts of the Dubai shoreline. That’s 100 kilometres (62 miles) of waterfront lighting up.
The Guinness World Records staff later labeled it the largest ever.

The show blew Kuwait’s world record out of the water when last year it set off 77,000 fireworks over 64 minutes. Organisers had been aiming to beat a record set in 2012 by the Kuwait.       

Edible confetti falls from sky

Why have a fireworks show that only looks good? Revelers in London stuck out their tongues during Tuesday’s extravaganza and enjoyed ban-ana-flavoured confetti th-at was choreographed to the fireworks. They also saw floating oranges drifting through the night sky and popped them to enjoy a citrusy scent!

Hong Kong rallies for democracy

Hong Kong: Thousands marched in Hong Kong on Wednesday to demand a greater say in choosing their future leaders, expressing fears China will limit long-awaited political reforms, but turnout fell short of expectations.

Organisers said around 30,000 people took part in the annual New Year's Day march for democracy, while police put the figure at 11,100 — less than half their estimate last year. Marchers carried banners reading “Democracy will prevail” as they sang and shouted slogans against the government.   — AFP

Pakistan Celebrations didn’t go as planned

slamabad: For thousands of party enthusiasts in Pakistan's capital here, the New Year celebrations did not go as planned as local authorities withdrew NOCs given to hotels for hosting parties to usher in 2014.

Many had paid up to Rs 16,000 per head to join the celebrations. But keeping an eye on the increased security concerns in the federal capital, the local administration suddenly decided to banish all celebrations in the city.

It was an emergency-like situation in some of the top hotels in the city where people, all decked up to celebrate, felt cheated.  

Too bad for Environment

TOP: Fumes cover the city of Munich, southern Germany, as fireworks explode to usher in the new year.

Above: Also, a thick blanket of smog was seen covering  an eastern section of the Philippine capital Manila (in picture above) on  the morning after millions across the nation set off firecrackers and pyrotechnics to welcome in the New Year.

Philippine authorities said more than 260 people had been injured by fireworks or stray bullets in the days leading up to New Years Eve.

500 hurt in Lanka stage crash

Colombo: Dozens of party-goers were hospitalised in Sri Lanka on Wednesday after a stage collapsed at the five-star Colombo Hilton hotel during New Year celebrations, organisers of the festivities said.

At least 30 people were hospitalised with fractures, cuts and burns following the collapse of the outdoor stage, hurling some 700 people to the floor a few feet below, sparking fires and smashing glasses, a spokesman said. There was no immediate comment from the hotel, but event manager Cantaloupe Playground, wh-ich arranged what was billed as the “wonderland new year's eve” party, apologised.   

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India Inc to feel pinch of costly land

New Delhi: With the new Land Acquisition Act coming into force on Wednesday, the government has sought to allay apprehensions of the industry, saying there is no bar whatsoever on purchase of private land.

“You want land? Go buy the land,” rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said when asked about his message to private industry on a day the new law came into force.

Investors had expressed apprehension that the new law, which replaced over a century old act, would make land acquisition more expensive for industrial and infrastructure development.

Ramesh said that the new act applies only to the land acquired by Central and state authorities for any public purpose. He, however, said that there is no bar whatsoever, on purchase of private land.
According to him, industry must look beyond land acquisition by the government and explore land purchase opportunities.

“From January 1, 2014, onwards, no land can be acquired under 1894 Act. All land will be acquired (by governments) under the new Act,” the minister said, asserting that the new law was enacted to address “widespread and historical injustices” done to tribals and farmers who were subjected to forceful displacement while acquiring land using the old Act and land acquisition more transparent.
Mr Ramesh said from today, the government will not acquire any land for private investors for their private projects.

“A private builder building condominium cannot expect government to acquire the land. Why should government buy land to a private builder to build country homes for the well-offs,” he said.
The Act to provide just and fair compensation to farmers was passed by both Houses of Parliament last year with overwhelming majority during its Monsoon Session.

Mr Ramesh said if a private project is fulfilling a public purpose, 80 per cent consent is required. “If it is a PPP project, 70 per cent consent is required,” he said, adding that no land acquisition can take place without provisions for Rehabilitation and Resettlement.

He said the rural development ministry is now taking steps to ensure preparation of rules that are intended to bring clarity to certain key processes defined in the law.

He said that the retrospective clause in Act will apply in three circumstances. According to him the clause will apply where Land Acquisition proceedings under the old Act has started and the award has not been announced.

The clause will also apply in a circumstance whre the award has been ann-ounced for the acquired land five years ago but its physical possession has not taken place. It will also apply in case land acquisition has started five years ago under the old Act but a majority of the farmers have not got the compensation.  

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AAP leader Kumar Vishwas says he will take on Rahul Gandhi in Amethi

New Delhi: In an open challenge, senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas on Monday said he will take on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in the 2014 general elections.

Addressing presspersons, he said he has formally applied for a ticket for the Amethi seat. When asked what if Rahul Gandhi contests from another seat, Vishwas said he would follow the Congress Vice president there too.

He said he was keen to contest against Rahul Gandhi in order to end dynastic rule in the Congress.    

When quizzed on Modi, the AAP leader said, "Country will get a good message if Narenda Modi stands from Raebareli." Raebareli is

An elated Arvind Kejriwal addresses the party and media. He said "This is the victory of the people of this country. And the people of this country want to give a message that if BJP and Congress don't reform, they will be discarded. They've put the BJP and Congress on notice." "It's the wave of the common man, not of AAP. I would call upon them to gather and show their unity," Kejriwal said that he was not interested in becoming the Chief Minister or the Prime Minister. Kejriwal attacked Rahul Gandhi and Congress saying 'we don't need a character certificate from Rahul Gandhi'.Supporters of Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man's Party with brooms, the party symbol, celebrate the party’s performance in Delhi state Assembly elections in New Delhi, India.Supporters of India’s Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man's Party celebrate the party’s performance in Delhi state Assembly elections in New Delhi.India's ruling Congress party President Sonia Gandhi and her many expressions post Assembly poll debacle while addressing the media in New Delhi, India. Congress president Sonia Gandhi said on Sunday that the party was 'very, very disappointed' with its drubbing in four states, and vowed it would do 'deep introspection' to 'transform' the party and 'rectify its mistakes' ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.Reacting to the major victory of AAP and BJP Sonia said, “We accept the verdict of the people with all humility. We congratulate our opponents for winning the elections”.Rahul Gandhi put up a brave front while facing the media along with his mother, and decided to take a lesson from the AAP: “We will learn from them (AAP) and we will involve people in a way that no one has ever done before."Sonia also said that Sunday’s poll results would have little bearing in 2014 as 'general elections are quite different'. Gandhi added: “We have to look into the way we took or did not take our message to the people.”Reacting to the humiliating defeat, Outgoing Chief minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit said, “We accept our defeat and we will analyse what went wrong,”. When asked if she had failed to feel the pulse of the voters in Delhi, Sheila slammed the media, saying, “Hum bewakoof hai na (we are fools, right?),” and stormed out.BJP party members carrying their CM candidate Harsh Vardhan after the poll results declared. Harsh Vardhan said, "We won't approach anyone for support. We are content to play the role of opposition."Party workers celebrating at the New Delhi BJP office after the poll results declared. BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 2013 Assembly poll.BJP's PM candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi flashes a victory sign during the party's parliamentary board meeting in New Delhi on Sunday. It is assumed that the NaMo factor weaved magic for the party's up rise in the Assembly poll.BJP's PM candidate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with senior leader L K Advani during the party's parliamentary board meeting in New Delhi. The Modi magic seems failed to enchant Delhiites as BJP could not get a landslide victory unlike other three states. The party is 4 seats less to the magic number to form government in Delhi.

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Congress fights Katti might in Chikkodi

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurates a Savitha Samaja convention at Town Hall in Bangalore on Monday. —DC

Belgaum: The Congress party is struggling to find a potential candidate in Chikkodi parliamentary constituency from where former Union minister, late B Shankaranand (Congress) had created a record of sorts by winning seven times in a row. After the victory of BJP candidates in the last two parliament polls, the Congress has become weak here.

A section of Congress top leaders are in favour of fielding one of the Jarkiholi brothers of Gokak from Chikkodi to give a tough challenge to sitting MP Ramesh Katti of BJP. 

Some Congressmen are rallying behind former minister A.B. Patil and youth leader Amit Kore.

After the death of Shankaranand, BJP's Ramesh Jigajinagi emerged as MP from Chikkodi and later Katti won the seat as the first MP after the reorganisation of constituencies.

Due to his involvement in several cooperative organisations, Katti has emerged as a popular leader in Chikkodi and is certain to be the BJP's candidate.

The Congress has no potential leader other than Lakhan Jarkiholi, youngest of the Jarkiholi brothers from Chikkodi. A.B. Patil, thrice MLA from Hukkeri, Amit Kore, son of Rajya Sabha MP Prabhakar Kore and Omprakash Kanagali, son of Shankaranand  are also in the race for the Congress ticket.

The Jarkiholis are reluctant to contest the elections and are supporting A.B. Patil, according to sources. Minister Prakash Hukkeri from Chikkodi is also backing Patil as Patil and Katti have been traditional political rivals in Chikkodi for a long time.

Although, Amit Kore is an able youth leader, he lacks experience. Some Congress leaders may oppose his candidature because of his father's association with BJP. According to top Congress party sources, the party may delay its announcement in the event of Jarkiholis backing off.

The Chikkodi constituency comprises assembly constituencies of Chyikkodi, Nipani, Hukkeri, Yamkanmardi, Raibag, Athani, Kudchi and Kagwad of which Yamkanmardi and Chikkodi have Congress MLAs. 

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Andy Murray's new year starts with setback

Doha: Wimbledon champion Andy Murray warned of "bumps along the road" during his comeback from injury and his words proved prophetic as he began the new year with a stunning second-round loss in the Qatar Open. Murray led by a set and 3-0 and yet lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Florian Mayer, the world number 40 from Germany, who seemed more surprised than anyone at how the contest turned around.

It was only Murray's second match on the tour after a back operation and a four-month absence, but for about an hour his lack of match practice had hardly seemed a problem as he took charge. Then Mayer attacked more, Murray tired, and everything changed.

"It was amazing," said Mayer. "To be honest in my mind the match was finished. I don't know how I came back. I played fantastic tennis. In the third set maybe he was injured, but I played well."

Murray however admitted to no injuries during the one hour 51-minute encounter, and whatever his physical discomfort it did not prevent him playing doubles later in the day. "I am stiff and sore but that's to be expected," he claimed. "It's more the joints rather than muscles. I have to get used to changing direction and playing at this level.

"I didn't have high expectations because I have not had many matches. I was playing well and moving well at the beginning."

It was nevertheless "a good day", Murray concluded. "I lost two matches but got through without any niggles or injuries."

Mayer, a former top 20 player, slowly imposed himself on the match as Murray became more defensive, and after letting slip two break points for a 4-2 second-set lead, the Scot hurled down his racket and flung away his sweat bands. He then served a double fault and dropped serve at the start of the third set and was never close to breaking Mayer after that.

"It's normal - you can't be a hundred percent, you have to play some matches," the German graciously said. "I am sure he will improve round by round in Melbourne."

However, the loss of court time in preparation for the Australian Open, which starts in little more than two weeks, may prove to be the most significant aspect of the setback for Murray.

There were early season uncertainties elsewhere too, as David Ferrer, the second-seeded Spaniard, his compatriot Fernando Verdasco, the eighth seed, and Philipp Kohlschreiber, the sixth-seeded German, all lost.
That trio were beaten by Daniel Brands of Germany, Victor Hanescu of Romania and Peter Gojowczyk of Germany respectively.

A day of considerable German success continued when Dustin Brown, a qualifier, saved four match points in a 28-point second set tie-breaker to win 3-6, 7-6 (15-13), 6-4 against Ivo Karlovic, the Croatian who had ousted fourth seed Tomas Berdych a day earlier.

For a while it seemed the biggest upset of all was possible, with world number one Rafael Nadal taken to three sets against another German in Tobias Kamke. The qualifier played well before going down 6-3, 6-7(3-7), 6-3 against the legendary Spaniard.

"He took risks and played very well," said Nadal. "But I had a lot of chances with my return and hope to make a few more tomorrow (Thursday). "I don't know if I can win the tournament. Yesterday (against Lukas Rosol) was tough, today was tough, and it is difficult to think about winning titles when you are in the quarter-finals. But I am very happy to be there."

Nadal, who has never won this title in five attempts, next faces Ernests Gulbis, the seventh-seeded Latvian. They are the only seeds remaining after fifth seed Richard Gasquet, struggling with a back strain, lost 6-2, 7-5 to his French compatriot Gael Monfils, a former finalist in Doha, in Wednesday's last match.

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Google Glass prescription frames to debut at $99!

Washington: Prescription frames for Google Glass are reportedly set to debut at a price of as low as 99 dollars.

The optical company that announced its prescription frames for Google's hi-tech wearable computing gadget, Rochester Optical, said that the frames would roll out in less than two weeks and come in an array of styles.

According to Cnet, the company had announced last month that it was creating a release of 'digital high definition prescription lenses for Google Glass'.

The prescription lenses are said to simply clip onto Glass instead of having to take apart the headpiece.

However, Google has declared that it is not partnering with Rochester Optical for these prescription frames and is instead said to be in talks with American vision benefits provider VSP Global about how best to integrate Google Glass into prescription glasses and casual frames.

The hi-end wearable computing gadget is expected to make its public debut in 2014.

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Two blasts in two days hit Russian city of Volgograd ahead of Winter Olympics

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Telangana heats up President’s winter stay

Hyderabad: President Pranab Mukherjee was flooded with petitions to expedite the Telangana process.

A 38-member delegation of Telangana Joint Action Committee, led by Prof. Kodandaram, and a nine-member delegation, led by CPI state council secretary Dr K. Narayana,

former PCC president D. Srinivas and others met the President on Monday.

T-supporters thanked the President for sending the draft of the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Bill-2013 to the state Assembly for its opinion, and requested him

to speed up the T-process.

They complained against Seemandhra MLAs and MLCs trying to stall the proceedings, disallowing a discussion as per the constitutional norms and disrespecting him.

The President accepted the memoranda submitted by TJAC and the CPI.

Ever since the President arrived in Hyderabad on his 12-day southern sojourn on December 20, he has been flooded with representations from anti-and pro-Telangana

groups making his trip a T-affair.

Members of the various delegations who met the President said the President did not offer any comment  on the issue.

The President had a meeting with Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, Leader of Opposition, N. Chandrababu Naidu, former PCC chief, D. Srinivas among others.

Notwithstanding opposition from people of Seemandhra to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh to form Telangana, the Centre is sticking to the schedule. So, it means that Telangana will be born during the Winter Session in December. The same has been confirmed by Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who said: "I am telling you today that the Telangana Bill will be introduced in the Winter session, there is no change in that." The Group of Ministers, which has discussed pros and cons of a new state, will put the Bill together by November 20 and it will be sent to the Cabinet. Among various issues, declaring Hyderabad as the joint capital with jurisdiction and powers enjoyed by both Telangana and Seemandhra governments, without making it Union Territory seems to be the main concern of the GoM as there is still confusion on the status of Hyderabad as the joint capital. The home ministry will submit the Bill indicating recommendations of the GoM to the Cabinet, requesting approval for the state Bill. The Cabinet will recommend to the President Pranab Mukherjee to refer the Bill to the State Legislature and the Ministry of finance to appoint an expert committee to recommend measures for smooth transition.After the President sends it, the State Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council will give their opinion. Though Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy (in pic), who is against the state's division, wanted the Bill to be put to vote, the demand was rejected. Hence the Assembly can only give its views. Will Kiran float a new party?After being passed by both Houses of Parliament, the Bill will be sent to the President for his final assent. The whole process will take over a month. In pics: It takes 7 months Meanwhile, the Congress Core Committee, which includes Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will meet on November 22 to discuss various issues of bifurcation, including the capital. CWC has proposed Hyderabad to be the joint capital of Telangana and Seemandhra for 10 years and A K Antony committee has recommended that revenue of Hyderabad must be shared between the two states.On employment, the GoM held a detailed meeting with Attorney General G. Vahanavati, who has said that Art 371(D) could be amended along with the Telangana Bill by applying the provisions for both the states.Article 371D confers special powers on the state of Andhra Pradesh to provide for equitable opportunities and facilities for people belonging to different parts of the state in the matter of public employment and education.If the Centre decides to do away with 371(D) through a special legislation, it may require a special majority in both Houses of Parliament, but if it is amended as part of the creation of Telangana state and reorganisation of AP State under Art 4, there should not be a problem, the Attorney General seems to have suggested. The GoM has taken into consideration various suggestions by political parties. That included Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who is against the idea of Hyderabad becoming a Union Territory, seeking Urdu as the first language along with Telugu in the new state of Telangana. While the government has decided that Hyderabad would remain the joint capital of Telangana and Seemandhra for 10 years, Telangana Rashtra Samithi wants the new capital for Seemandhra to be ready in two to three years. It wants relocation of all gazetted officers who are wrongly recruited and promoted, in violation of various safeguards provided to Telangana employees.

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Gaurav, Kriti champs

Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s Gaurav Kurva and Kriti Parikh were crowned champions in the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively at the all-India ranking Talent Series under-14 tennis tournament, played at the GMR Tennis Academy in Hyderabad.

Gaurav downed a fighting K. Ashish Anand 7-5, 6-4 in the boys final while Kriti defeated P. Lasya 6-4, 6-3 in the girls’ final. Gaurav and Ashish both hit the ground running in the summit clash. Both boys matched each other stroke for stroke. It took a special effort from Gaurav, when the scores were tied at 5-5 in the first set, to break his opponent’s serve.

He then served out to win the first set. In the second set, he effected an early break of serve and held on to his advantage to win 6-4 and with it, the match. Things went smoother for Kriti in the girls’ title round. After an initial fight, Lasya surrendered the first set 4-6 to Kriti, who rode on her momentum to quickly win the second set 6-3 and lift the trophy.

Earlier, in the semifinals, both Kriti and Lasya registered 6-3, 6-3 victories in their respective matches. While Kriti got the better of M. Sahithi Reddy, Lasya proved too good for Smriti Bhasin.
Among boys, Gaurav breezed past P. Koushik Venkat while Ashish struggled before scripting a comeback to defeat Nitin Nagaraju 1-6, 6-4 (10-1)

City kids shine at taekwondo

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Arsenal go top

Picture for representational purpose only.

London: Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott scored last-gasp goals as Arsenal edged Cardiff City 2-0 on New Year’s Day to retain their place at the Premier League summit.

With former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in attendance, amid reports he is due to succeed the sacked Malky Mackay as Cardiff manager, Arsenal dominated the game but looked destined to drop points until Bendtner’s dramatic intervention.

Arsene Wenger’s side did not manage to muster a single shot on target in the first half, although they were denied a penalty after Gary Medel appeared to trip Jack Wilshere inside the Cardiff area.
Wilshere struck the base of the post in the second half, before substitute Bendtner slammed home in the 88th minute after Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall parried a header from Bacary Sagna.

Walcott added a second goal in injury time to rubber-stamp Arsenal’s return to first place, after Manchester City had taken temporary possession of top spot by winning 3-2 at Swansea City.

City’s Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho scored the first goal of the new year in the 14th minute at a rain-soaked Liberty Stadium, drilling home right-footed after Swansea partially cleared a Samir Nasri corner.

Ivorian striker Wilfried Bony equalised with a well-placed header in first-half stoppage time, but his international colleague Yaya Toure restored the visitors’ lead with a deflected shot in the 58th minute.

City’s Serbian left-back Aleksandar Kolarov added a third eight minutes later, lashing a powerful strike past Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel, before Bony struck again in injury time with a vicious low shot. City finished the day a point behind Arsenal in second place, with Chelsea a point further back in third after a 3-0 success at Southampton.

Liverpool responded to consecutive losses at the hands of City and Chelsea by winning 2-0 at home to Hull City. Daniel Agger broke the deadlock with a 36th-minute header, with Luis Suarez netting his 20th goal of the campaign early in the second half.

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Former BJP MLA Kanu Kalsariya joins Aam Aadmi Party

Ahmedabad: Former BJP MLA Kanu Kalsariya, who spearheaded the agitation against Nirma's cement plant in his constituency, today joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of its national executive member Dinesh Vaghela.

Kalsariya, who had contested from Gariadhar seat in the 2012 Assembly elections under the banner of 'Sadbhavana Manch' and lost, joined AAP amid party workers and supporters at the District Collectorate here.

When asked if he would contest against Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Kalsariya said a decision regarding whether he would contest the elections and against whom would be decided by the party and he would go by that.

Amid his supporters wielding brooms and chants of "Aam Aadmi Zindabad," Kalsariya, a gynaecologist by profession, candidly admitted that he was about to join the Congress party just before joining AAP.

"I wanted to join the Congress party as there was no other option. I would have made a mistake had I done so. AAP is a symbol of people's power. And, they showed it in Delhi," he said.

"Gujarat has never got a third alternative apart from BJP and Congress. AAP, as a third political alternative, will turn a new chapter in Indian politics in 2014," he said. AAP claims to have registered 20,000 members offline and 50,000 members online across the state following the party's spectacular showing in the Assembly elections in Delhi, where the party won 28 of the 70 seats.

Retired IAS officer A R Bharadwaj, who was the director of Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute, also joined the Aam Aadmi Party. When asked why he had joined AAP, Bharadwaj said, "Throughout my professional career, I felt suffocated. If I did good work, I would be harassed. But, AAP is a people's party. It gives an opportunity to do good for people." 

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10% of PCs now running on Windows 8, 8.1

Washington: With the older versions of Microsoft's OS slowly taking a backseat, desktop computer owners have reportedly been adopting the latest Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.

Latest data from Net Applications showed that PCs running Windows 8 and 8.1 now compose 10.49 percent of the personal-computer market.

However, Windows 7 is still more preferred by desktop users as its share rose by 0.88 percent, while Windows XP remained the big loser dropping 2.24 percent, Mashable reports.

The latest Windows 8 and its updated 8.1 version have been designed to better suit the tablet interface that appears to be the next big thing and force the traditional desktops take a backseat.

It was found that Windows 8's market share amounting to 6.89 percent is still greater than Windows 8.1 's 3.60 percent and Windows machines overall account for a dominating 90.73 percent of the PC market. 

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Loyal mantris aim to save party

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Hyderabad: Some Seemandhra ministers who are loyal to the party high command are planning to form a team of “true Congressmen” who will stand by the party.

Ten Seemandhra ministers form the core group, who will meet after January 3 to discuss their future course of action.

The main agenda of the team is to strengthen the party in the Seemandhra region and fight for development of the region in the wake of the state’s bifurcation. Though the team will oppose the bifurcation, they will remain loyal to the party.

In the second step, true Congressmen from among Seemandhra MLAs will be identified.

The ministers who see themselves as “true Congressmen” are Botsa Satyanarayana, Kondru Murali, P. Balaraju, Thota Narasimham, Kanna Laxminarayana, Dokka Manikya Varaprasad, Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, M. Mahidhar Reddy, N. Raghuveera Reddy, and Ahamdullah. Union minister Panabaka Laxmi is also part of the group.

These ministers feel that the Congress in the Seemandhra region is not in such a bad position as assumed by some of their colleagues.

They believe that if they work hard to strengthen the party, the Congress could perform well in the coming general elections.

The plan is to conduct huge public meetings in the Seemandhra region. While YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu are touring the Seemandhra region and addressing public meetings, no one is countering them from the Congress.

In the meeting that will be held after January 3, the venues and other details will be discussed, Murali told reporters.

He said if some ministers and MLAs from Seemandhra leave the Congress, it will not damage the party in any way as there are 200 to 300 second line leaders in every Assembly constituency.

He clarified that they will continue to oppose the bifurcation and demand that a resolution in favour of united AP?be passed in the Assembly and there is no compromise on that but they want a discussion on the Telangana Bill in the Assembly because if there is no discussion the Centre may think that they have supported the Bill.

Meanwhile, Union ministers Panabaka Laxmi and Killi Kruparani said that if anyone wants to leave the party, they are free to do so as there are many leaders to fill in their places.

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Obama appoints record number of Indian-Americans in 2013

Washington: Indian-Americans never had it so good in the US, as a record number of members from the over three million-strong community were appointed to key positions in the White House in 2013.

Reflecting his special affection, President Barack Obama appointed a record number of Indian-Americans in the first year of his second innings at the White House, which experts say recognises the inherent talent of this ethnic community.

Possibly for the first time ever, more than a dozen Indian-Americans have been given key positions in the White House, while there are hardly any important departments where Indian-Americans do not occupy key posts.

There is no official list of Indian-Americans in the Obama Administration, but according to a list compiled by the PTI, the number easily crosses 50- a record figure so far.

Five Indian-Americans are holding key positions in the Obama Administration, which have been confirmed by the United States Senate.

While Rajiv Shah, Administrator of USAID, continues to be the highest ranking Indian-American in the administration; the most important administrative appointment of the year was that of Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs.

Azita Raji, Member, President's Commission on White House Fellowship; Islam Siddiqui, Chief Agricultural Negotiator, US Trade Representative, and Vinai Thummalapally, Executive Director, Select USA, Department of Commerce, are the three others confirmed as administration officials by the Senate.

If confirmed by the Senate, Vivek Murthy, would be the first-ever Indian-American Surgeon General.

Two other Indian-Americans awaiting confirmation from the Senate include Arun Kumar, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service.

Puneet Talwar, who played a key role in the Iranian nuclear deal, recently testified before the Senate for the key position of the Assistant Secretary of State for Political- Military Affairs.

If confirmed, for the first time ever two Assistant Secretary of State positions at the State Department would be held by Indian-Americans.

Obama himself praised Indian-Americans when he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House on September 27.

"Indian-Americans make extraordinary contributions to the United States every single day - businessmen, scientists, academics, now Miss America is of Indian-American descent, and I think it's a signal of how close our countries are," Obama said. 

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Police register FIR against 3-yr-old in Pakistan for 'attacking, robbing' man

Picture for representation only - AFP/File photo

Lahore: Police have registered an FIR against a three-year-old boy and his mother for allegedly attacking and looting a man in Multan district of Pakistan's Punjab province.

Mohammad Farooq said that Farrukh Bibi and her son Saud attacked him with a dagger and snatched his cell phone and Rs 22,000 in cash.

A case has been registered based on Farooq's complaint.

Farrukh Bibi, through her counsel, on Thursday filed a bail application informing the court that the FIR was fake as her son - Saud - was merely three years old.

"How a woman along with her three-year-old son could attack a man," her counsel argued in the sessions court (Multan). Police registered the case after the complainant bribed them, she alleged.

Additional District Sessions Judge Shahbaz Ali Paracha granted bail to her and ordered to expunge the name of the toddler from the case. He summoned the police officials concerned for January 16. 

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Sensex dips on New Year day

Mumbai: The benchmark Sensex gave up initial gains in a lacklustre session on Wednesday following the absence of global triggers and ended with a 30-point loss, logging a drop on the opening trading day of the year for the first time since 2006.

Most global stock markets, including those in Asia, Europe and New York, are closed on Wednesday. Reliance Industries, TCS and Infosys shares were the biggest drag on the index, which received some support from Bharti Airtel.

Wipro and Tata Power fell. Three of the 12 BSE sectoral indices fell — IT, technology and oil & gas. The realty sector index notched up a huge jump while the others eked out minor gains.
The S&P BSE Sensex opened higher and climbed to 21,244.35. It traded in a 110-point range before ending at 21,140.48, a loss of 30.20 points or 0.14 per cent. It was the first drop for the index on day one of the year since January 2, 2006, when the Sensex fell 7.8 points.

The broader, 50-share CNX Nifty on the Nati-onal Stock Exchange (NSE) was down 2.35 points to 6,301.65.   

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Russia under attack: Two blasts in two days

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Moscow: Ten people were killed today in a blast on a trolleybus in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, a day after a deadly suicide bombing at the city's main train station, officials said.

"According to initial information, 10 people were killed and 10 were wounded" in the explosion, the spokeswoman of the local branch of the emergencies ministry Irina Gogoleva told the Interfax news agency.

The United States and the United Nations have condemned the terrorist attack in Volgograd in Russia that killed at least 16 people. "The United States condemns in the strongest terms today's terrorist attack in Volgograd," the State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said yesterday.

"We send our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and stand in solidarity with the Russian people against terrorism of any kind," she said in a statement.

According to news reports, at least 16 people were killed and dozens injured yesterday when a suicide bomber blew herself up in a train station in the Russian city of Volgograd ahead of February's Olympic Games in nearby Sochi.

At the United Nations headquarters in New York, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, condemns the terrorist attack. "He extends his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims as well as to the Government and people of the Russian Federation," said a UN statement.

"The Secretary-General calls for the perpetrators of his heinous act to be brought to justice. He stands in solidarity with the Russian Federation in the face of terrorism," it said.

In another statement, members of the UN Security Council condemned the strongest terrorist attack and called for bringing to justice, the perpetrators and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism.

"The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed," the UN Security Council said.

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Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif rule mobile search trends in Q4 2013

New Delhi: Bollywood stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif ruled mobile search trends in October-December quarter last year, mobile video and media company Vuclip said.

However, Aamir Khan-starer Dhoom 3 was the most searched term on mobiles in the last quarter of 2013.

"Dhoom 3, a Bollywood blockbuster movie topped the list, surpassing sensational superstars Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan," Vuclip said in a release.

Vuclip announced that it is experiencing a rapid global adoption and popularity in mobiles and expects to reach 100 million monthly unique mobile users globally soon.

"I expect 2014 to bring even more excitement and passion from consumers around the world for mobile video. We are already starting to see tremendous shifts in the Middle East and throughout Southeast Asia," Vuclip CEO Nickhil Jakatdar said.

2013 brought a major revolution in democratising access to mobile video for the masses. While, it used to be available to only the elite few with smartphones and on high-quality networks, now innovations in technology, as well as pricing have changed the game, he added.

Emerging markets like India are at the forefront of the mobile video revolution, Jakatdar said.

Vuclip also released the trends in 2013 in India with regards to mobile video.

Strong inclination for sharing mobile videos and a preference for long form content reign as the popular trends among Indians, it said.

Sixty five per cent of Indian respondents share mobile videos compared to 53 per cent globally, Vuclip said.

Indian youth under 18 years old fuel this phenomenon with a whopping 87 per cent saying they share mobile videos regularly.

Superhero movie trailers surfaced as the most often shared trailers in India with 36 per cent of vote, also hugely popular among the under-18 crowd.

All of the statistics in this report were gathered via a series of global survey conducted in 2013 and the respondents range in number from 14,000 to 120,000. 

The Google India Zeitgiest tracks the year's major events and trends based on Google searches conducted in the country. From the search trends perspective, 2013 was clearly the year of entertainment. Online shopping, banking and e-commerce also continued their upward trend- a clear testimony to Indians embracing online transactions. Among the 'News Events' category, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi emerges as the most searched leader. The entire news stream might have done a wide research about the future PM of India. Many praised him, at the same time many criticised him, still he becomes the 'newsmaker' of 2013. He tops the most searched politician list too.BlackBerry Ltd abandoned a plan to sell itself and instead went on to replace its chief executive officer and raised about $1 billion from institutional investors, including its largest shareholder. Shares of BlackBerry dropped 19 per cent to $6.33 in pre-market trading then. With this, BB enters as the second most searched 'News events' category list shocking the BB fans.Rahul Dravid has been the finest ambassador for India in the traditional form of the cricket. He started playing cricket at the age of 12, and was retired from Test and domestic cricket in 2012, and later from Twenty20 after playing the 2013 Champions League. His retirement news from all forms of cricket holds the third position in the most searched 'News events' category.The badminton player Saina Nehwal finds the fourth position in the most searched list of the 'News events' category. After lying low for the last two days, the Hyderabad girl came out well this year. Saina also reached her highest ranking of 2 this year. She played an aggressive game to reach Quarter Final of World Championships this year but failed to make her way ahead.Vijay Mallya, the owner of Kingfisher Airlines was issued summons by the Special Court for Economic Offences on an Income-Tax Department criminal case for not remitting to government the tax deducted at source from salaries of its employees. His firm now faces property seizure. This newsmaker thus holds the fifth position in the 'News events' category.The sensational Aarushi Talwar murder case received wide attention from media and it grabs the sixth slot in news events, according to Google. Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were awarded life imprisonment on Nov 26 by a CBI court for killing their teenaged daughter and domestic help Hemraj. The verdict came after five-and-a-half years and debate is still on whether they are the real culprits.The 14th Karnataka Assembly election brought back Congress to power after 9 years in the state with the party getting a landslide victory under Siddaramaiah’s leadership. This news event grabs the seventh slot.Congress won 122 seats which was 9 more than the majority mark. Inner party dispute inside the BJP has cost it dearly as the party managed to get only 40 seats in Karnataka.Air India is at the eighth position for trending in Google mostly for its financial cramps, the launch and grounding of the Dreamliner and its employee conflicts. Air India was all messed up in 2013 with a whopping Rs 46,655 crore loss in 2007-2013. In a bid to revive the airline, the government also proposed its privatisation.Air India also enjoyed attention for launching the swanky new Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” aircraft but the dream broke bizarrely when US regulator, Federal Aviation Administration, issued a global directive to ground all the 50 Dreamliners due to 'recurring technical snags'.Indian economy was jittery all through 2013, be it the swelling inflation, the scorching rupee or the credit policies of the Reserve Bank of India. It comes at 9th in the Google list. The roller coaster ride of the Mumbai Sensex kept Indian economy on the edge all through the year. The news of 'dude' Rahuram Rajan taking over as the new RBI chief and the surge in Sensex, Rupee after that were widely covered too.Ruling Political parties in various states have come up with the laptop distribution schemes. But UP CM Akhilesh Yadav hogged all the limelight for his laptop distribution scheme for girls to provide equal opportunity to students.Around 15 million girl students benefitted from the scheme. The laptops again came back to news as an effort to remove the in-built tamper-proof wallpaper of SP resulted in crashing the system.

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Former US official criticises handling of diplomat case

Washington: The repeated assertion by the US that the arrest of an Indian diplomat on charges of visa fraud is an "isolated" incident and would not have an impact on its bilateral ties with India is "a case of wishful thinking", a former top Obama administration official has said.

"The talking point from the State Department podium has been that this case should be isolated from the broader India US relationship.

I think that that is a case of wishful thinking," former State Department spokesman P J Crowley said, noting that there was misjudgment on the part of both sides.

Crowley, who was the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs from May 2009 to March 2011, told PTI that the issue - that has now rocked the ties between the two countries - could have been handled much differently by both.

A 1999-batch IFS officer, Devyani Khobragade, India's Deputy Consul General in New York, was arrested on charges of making false declarations in a visa application for her maid Sangeeta Richard.

She was released on a USD 250,000 bond. The 39-year-old diplomat was strip searched and held with criminals, triggering a row between the two sides with India retaliating by downgrading privileges of certain category of US diplomats among other steps last month.

"From the US stand point what they were trying to achieve? It turns out to be a flawed assumption that bringing an Indian diplomat into a New York court was not going to have an impact back home," he said, observing that the Indian reaction over the issue was quite predictable.

"It would certainly appear that both the US and India had opportunities to minimise the impact that would have on public opinion on both countries and seemingly failed to take advantage of those opportunities," said Crowley, who is now teaching at George Washington University and affiliated with its Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication.

"I do not think it would have a lasting impact on the relationship, but it is going to be an obstacle for a period of time," he added.

Noting that the broad trajectory of India-US relationship is "very very positive" and has been for some time, Crowley said this in a sense makes one curious that both sides appear to be prepared to put some of that progress at risk.

"There is a lot of suggestion of trying to resolve this without going back into court.

What is curious about that is that, if that's an idea of one possibility now, after the act, it was undoubtedly the best possibility before the act, which one of the sides failed to take advantage of," he said.

The incident, he noted, would have an impact on the bilateral ties for a fair amount of time. This would appear to be a case that both sides "misjudged" in how it would trigger public and political responses on both sides.

"Unfortunately, to me it was a crisis that was avoidable, before the act but now it would be difficult to resolve anytime soon," he said. 

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Ship involved in Antarctic rescue faces trouble

Canberra: An Australian icebreaker carrying 52 passengers who were retrieved from an icebound ship in the Antarctic was told to halt its journey home today after concerns that a Chinese vessel involved in the dramatic rescue may also become stuck in the heavy sea ice.

The icebreaker Aurora Australis had been slowly cracking through thick ice toward open water after a Chinese helicopter yesterday plucked the passengers from their stranded Russian research ship and carried them to the Aurora.

But this afternoon, the crew of a Chinese icebreaker that had provided the helicopter said they were worried about their own ship's ability to move through the ice.

The Aurora which was carrying the passengers to the Australian island state of Tasmania was told to stay in the area in case the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon needs help, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre, which oversaw the rescue.

The Snow Dragon, which is at the edge of the ice pack surrounding the Russian vessel, will attempt to push through the ice to open water early Saturday, when tidal conditions are most favourable.

The Aurora is waiting around 11 kilometres north of the Snow Dragon, said Lisa Martin, spokeswoman for the marine authority.

Authorities have not said what the next step would be if the Snow Dragon became stuck, but it is possible that the Aurora will utilise its icebreaking capabilities to assist the Chinese vessel.

The maritime authority said the decision to place the Aurora on standby was a precaution and noted there was no danger to anyone on board the Snow Dragon.

But it was yet another wrinkle in the highly complex rescue operation of those on board the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which got stuck in the ice on Christmas Eve.

A spot of clear weather yesterday finally allowed the multinational rescue operation after blinding snow, strong winds and thick sea ice forced rescuers to turn back time and again.

The twin-rotor helicopter, which is based on the Snow Dragon, took seven hours to carry the scientists and tourists in groups of 12 from the Russian ship to the Aurora.

Earlier, the passengers had linked arms and stomped out a landing site in the snow next to the Russian ship for the helicopter. 

Russian research ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy was in Antarctic ice, 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, Australia, since Christmas Eve. The Australian authorities expressed relief after 52 passengers were safely evacuated by helicopter the stranded ship. Seen here - Trapped passengers on the icebound Russian research ship are rescued by a Chinese helicopter. Officials tasked with freeing the scientific expedition on the Akademik Shokalskiy succeeded in flying them out on Thursday in an on-off rescue operation. Seen here - Passengers from the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy trapped in the ice 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, Australia, walk around the ice. A helicopter from Chinese icebreaker Xue Long used a makeshift landing pad next to the marooned ship and ferried the scientists, tourists and journalists to an Australian government supply vessel, the Aurora Australis after three icebreakers failed to reach the paralyzed vessel. Seen here - Passengers from the trapped Russian vessel are preparing to board the Chinese helicopter Xueying 12 in the Antarctic.But it emerged later on Thursday that the Chinese ship, which has not moved much for several days, may itself be trapped by thick ice.Australian Maritime Safety Authority said the Chinese ship would attempt to manoeuvre through the ice when tidal conditions are most suitable, adding there was no immediate danger to those onboard. Seen here - Ben Maddison and Ben Fisk from the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy work to place a wind indicator atop an ice feature near the trapped ship.The rescue mission has been beset by extreme conditions from the start, with the Xue Long and Aurora Australis both unable to break through the ice to free to stranded Russian ship, despite several attempts. Seen here - Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy is trapped in thick Antarctic ice.Rain, snow and wind had also delayed the helicopter flights to the vessel ice-bound 100 nautical miles east of the French base Dumont d'Urville. Seen here - Passengers from the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy link arms and stamp out a helicopter landing site on the ice near the trapped ship'The protracted nature of operations in Antarctica and the difficulty of getting good weather windows, and getting the right ice conditions, really make life very difficult' said John Young, general manager of the AMSA. The Australian authorities have raised concern for the Chinese rescue vessel Xue Long caught in heavy ice. Passengers on the stranded Russia ship were transferred to the Aurora Australis, the Australian Antarctic Division's supply ship and had been heading slowly to Casey station. Seen here - People gather on the ice next the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy that is trapped in thick Antarctic ice.Passengers trapped for more than a week on the icebound Russian research ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy are rescued by a Chinese helicopter on Thursday.The first group of passengers who were aboard the trapped Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy arrive at a safe surface off the Antarctic.The passengers were transferred, using the Chinese icebreaker Xue Long's helicopter, from the Russian ship to an ice floe near the Aurora Australis over four flights across about 14 nautical miles on Thursday.Barbara Tucker, a passenger aboard the stranded ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, watches as an adelie penguin passes by, off east Antarctica, on December 29, 2013.Passengers on the Akademik Shokalskiy posing before the trapped ship in heavy sea ice.

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62 Indians shortlisted for one-way trip to Mars

London: Over 1,000 aspirants, including 62 from India, have been shortlisted for an ambitious private mission to send four men and women on a one-way trip to Mars in 2024 to establish a permanent colony on the red planet.

The Netherlands-based non-profit organisation Mars One announced the selection of 1,058 candidates from the applicant pool of over 200,000 hoping to establish human life on Martian soil.

The applicants came from over 140 countries and more than 20,000 Indians had applied for the first round.

According to SPACE.com, of those who made the first cut, 297 are from the US. Canada is the second best represented country with 75 candidates, followed by India with 62 and Russia with 52.

Mars One co-founder Bas Lansdorp described the shortlisted candidates as "first tangible glimpse into what the new human settlement will truly look like."

"We're extremely appreciative and impressed with the sheer number of people who submitted their applications.

However, the challenge with 200,000 applicants is separating those who we feel are physically and mentally adept to become human ambassadors on Mars from those who are obviously taking the mission much less seriously," Lansdorp said.

All applicants were notified via e-mail of their application status. For those who were not selected in this round, there is still a chance they could reapply at a later date, which has not yet been determined, Mars One said.

"The next several selection phases in 2014 and 2015 will include rigorous simulations, many in team settings, with focus on testing the physical and emotional capabilities of our remaining candidates," Norbert Kraft, Chief Medical Officer of Mars One, said.

"We expect to begin understanding what is motivating our candidates to take this giant leap for humankind. This is where it really gets exciting for Mars One, our applicants, and the communities they're a part of," said Kraft.

Mars One plans to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. Crews of four will depart every two years, starting in 2024. The first unmanned mission will be launched in 2018, the organisation said on its website.

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New Year, old story

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu started the New Year disastrously as they suffered a heartbreaking four-run defeat at the hands of Bengal in the Ranji Trophy on Wednesday. The result on the third day of the do-or-die league match at the M.A. Chidambaram stadium meant Tamil Nadu failed to make it to the quarterfinals for the second year in succession.

From a position of strength overnight (102 for 1, chasing 185), the hosts crashed to a morale-sapping defeat, which would linger on until the next season. Bengal off-spinner Saurasish Lahiri (33-10-62-7) ripped through the heart of a spineless TN batting line-up.

Tamil Nadu lost their last eight wickets for 55 runs. The emphasis of the spinners was on bowling faster and a bit flatter to prevent the TN batsmen from going for horizontal bat shots or dancing down the track.

Bengal succeeded in putting the brakes on Dinesh Karthik, the only TN batsman with a decisive foot-work. Medium pacer Laxmi Ratan Shukla transformed himself into a spinner and  bowled off-cutters to tie Karthik down at one end at the start. Lahiri capitalised on the indecisiveness of the batsmen as he bowled with a packed onside field with  men around the bat leaving the covers wide open for most part of the day.

Lahiri trapped S. Badrinath in front for the first breakthrough of the day and a procession followed. The big blow for TN was — as Shukla mentioned later — the fall of Karthik. He chipped Lahiri straight into the deep mid-on fielder. Karthik’s failure to find the gap would bleed the hosts later on.

It was the beginning of the end. Runs were hard to come by. Lahiri and his fellow spinner Arnab Nandi were men in a hurry as they bowled 20 overs, conceding 29 runs picking up three wickets around an hour.

Tamil Nadu were in trouble at 131 for four when B. Indrajith (2) departed. Skipper L. Balaji couldn’t live up to the role of a pinch-hitter. An attempted sweep went awry as Lahiri trapped Balaji lbw.

Except for the rare attacking display from B. Aparajith  (33, 83 balls, 4x4s, 1x6s), the rest of the TN middle-order surrendered meekly. After Aparajith’s departure, it was left to R. Prasanna, TN’s saviour this season, to carry his side across the finish line with the help of the tail.

But Prasanna, who couldn’t take the field on Tuesday owing to fever, nicked an away going delivery from Lahiri to wicket-keeper Basu. At 156 for eight, the hopes of TN were as good as over.

The gallant last wicket pair of R. Malolan (11) and R. Aushik Srinivas (10*) put on 22 to take TN closer to an unlikely victory, but Writtick Chatterjee caught the former on the crease to bring the roof down in the Bengal dressing room.

SCOREBOARD:
Bengal (1st innings): 130
Tamil Nadu (1st innings): 85
Bengal (2nd innings): 130
Tamil Nadu (2nd innings): A. Mukund c Easwaran b Writtick 26, D. Karthik c Dinda b Lahiri 62, S. Badrinath lbw b Lahiri 21, B. Aparajith c Easwaran b Nandi 33, B. Indrajith c Easwaran b Lahiri 2, L. Balaji lbw b Lahiri 1, Vijay Shankar c Basu b Lahiri 0, R. Prasanna c Basu b Lahiri 5, R. Malolan lbw b Writtick 11, Rahil S. Shah c Writtick b Lahiri 1, R. Aushik Srinivas (not out)    10. Extras (lb7, nb1) 8. Total (in 81.5 overs) 180.
FoW: 1-72, 2-110, 3-125, 4-131, 5-133, 6-144, 7-156, 8-156, 9-158.
Bowling: Dinda 4-0-6-0, Lahiri 33-10-62-7, Shaw 4-1-4-0, Nandi 12-1-34-1, Saxena 18-9-35-0, Writtick 6.5-0-24-2, Shukla 4-1-8-0.

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