Tennis: Chennai Open 1-7 January 2007

"The Chennai open is a great event and the enthusiasm of the crowd is just amazing. I am really looking forward to playing here."

- Rafael Nadal





"I have had some memorable performances at the Chennai open and hope to continue it here and hopefully win my third title."

- Carlos Moya


Champions
Ivan Ljubicic 2007
Ljubicic beat Moya 7-6 6-2
Carlos Moya 2006
Moya beat Srichapan 3-6 6-4 7-6(5)

Players

Rafael Nadal (Spain)
World No.2
Two-time French Open champion

David Nalbandian (Argentina)
World No.8
Winner of World Masters Cup, Shanghai 2006

Carlos Moya (Spain)
World No. 43
2-time winner at Chennai and runner-up in 2006

Paradon Srichapan (Thailand)
World No. 53
4 consecutive finals in Chennai from 2002-2005

Xavier Malisse (Belgium)
World No. 37
Julien Benneteau (France)
World No. 40
Fabrice Santoro (France)
World No. 52

Wedding On-Air

With over 36,000 weddings being held on 13th December in Delhi alone, there was this deja vu when one went around the streets of the Indian capital. However there was this one of a kind 'on-air' wedding that seems to have caught everyone's imagination. Popular radio broadcaster Radio Mirchi has introduced a concept called Mirchi Hain Baarati where one lucky couple get to marry on-air. From doling out money for wedding finery, accessories, jewellery to getting clothes and beauty sessions for the couple; the channel took care of it all. During the day of the marriage they also had a live punjabi band playing in the background and the newly wed celebrities then got a special send-off in a Mirchi car. For more on the story click here

They say marriages are made in heaven. These special weddings just goes to show how close we are to paradise. Other special weddings would include Hot-air balloon wedding, Underwater wedding, cliff wedding and it wouldn't be long before one heard of a wedding on moon.

Diet Secrets for a healthy living

Apples	Protects your heart	prevents constipation	Blocks diarrhea	Improves lung capacity	Cushions joints
Apricots	Combats cancer	Controls blood pressure	Saves your eyesight	Shields against Alzheimer's	Slows aging process
Artichokes	Aids digestion	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Guards against liver disease
Avocadoes	Battles diabetes	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin
Bananas	Protects your heart	Quiets a cough	Strengthens bones	Controls blood pressure	Blocks diarrhea
Beans	Prevents constipation	Helps hemorrhoids	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Stabilizes blood sugar
Beets	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones	Protects your heart	Aids weight loss
Blueberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Boosts memory	Prevents constipation
Broccoli	Strengthens bones	Saves eyesight	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure
Cabbage	Combats cancer	Prevents constipation	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Helps hemorrhoids
Cantaloupe	Saves eyesight	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Supports immune system
Carrots	Saves eyesight	Protects your heart	Prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Promotes weight loss
Cauliflower	Protects against Prostate Cancer	Combats Breast Cancer	Strengthens bones	Banishes bruises	Guards against heart disease
Cherries	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Ends insomnia	Slows aging process	Shields against Alzheimer's
Chestnuts	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Chili Peppers	Aids digestion	Soothes sore throat	Clears sinuses	Combats Cancer	Boosts immune system
Figs	Promotes weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Fish	Protects your heart	Boosts memory	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Supports immune system
Flax	Aids digestion	Battles diabetes	Protects your heart	Improves mental health	Boosts immune system
Garlic	Lowers cholesterol	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	kills bacteria	Fights fungus
Grapefruit	Protects against heart attacks	Promotes Weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol
Grapes	saves eyesight	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Enhances blood flow	Protects your heart
Green Tea	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Helps stops strokes	Promotes Weight loss	Kills bacteria
Honey	Heals wounds	Aids digestion	Guards against ulcers	Increases energy	Fights allergies
Lemons	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
Limes	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
Mangoes	Combats cancer	Boosts memory	Regulates thyroid	aids digestion	Shields against Alzheimer's
Mushrooms	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Kills bacteria	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Oats	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	prevents constipation	Smoothes skin
Olive Oil	Protects your heart	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	Smoothes skin
Onions	Reduce risk of heart attack	Combats cancer	Kills bacteria	Lowers cholesterol	Fights fungus
Oranges	Supports immune systems	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Strengthens respiration
Peaches	prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes	aids digestion	Helps hemorrhoids
Peanuts	Protects against heart disease	Promotes Weight loss	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Aggravates diverticulitis
Pineapple	Strengthens bones	Relieves colds	Aids digestion	Dissolves warts	Blocks diarrhea
Prunes	Slows aging process	prevents constipation	boosts memory	Lowers cholesterol	Protects against heart disease
Rice	Protects your heart	Battles diabetes	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes
Strawberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	boosts memory	Calms stress
Sweet Potatoes	Saves your eyesight	Lifts mood	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Tomatoes	Protects prostate	Combats cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart
Walnuts	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	boosts memory	Lifts mood	Protects against heart disease
Water	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Conquers kidney stones	Smoothes skin
Watermelon	Protects prostate	Promotes Weight loss	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure
Wheat Germ	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
Wheat Bran	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol

Tom & Jerry creator Joseph Barbera dies

Celebrated Hollywood animator and creator Joseph Barbera, of the Tom & Jerry fame died on Monday (18 Dec 2006). He was 95 and died at his home in Los Angeles. He pioneered various genres of cartoons which saw the evolution of several award winning cartoons.
He’s also known to have created other characters including the Flintstones and Scooby-Doo. Barbera along with close pal and partner William Hanna (who died in 2001 at 90) founded the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation in 1944 and besides Tom & Jerry went on to produce Cartoon Icons such as The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Yogi Bear Show, The Huckleberry Bear Show, Scooby-Doo, Smurfs, Jonny Quest and Wacky Races.
Image: Barbera with Jerry & Hanna with Tom
"The characters he created with his late partner William Hanna are not only animated superstars, but also a very beloved part of American pop culture. While he will be missed by his family and friends, Joe will live on through his work," Warner Bros, Chairman Barry Meyer said in a statement.
He sure would continue to live in the hearts of many, especially through his legendary characters of Tom & Jerry.
With 7 awards, Tom and Jerry became the most-awarded theatrical animated series.The following cartoons had won the Academy Awards at the Oscars for best short subject cartoons:
The Yankee Doodle Mouse – 1943
Mouse Trouble – 1944
Quiet Please! – 1945
The Cat Concerto – 1946
The Little Orphan – 1948
The Two Mouseketeers 1952 – Johann

India creates history in South Africa by winning the first Test by 123 runs

Even the Gods may not have predicted the turnaround that has swept past both the Teams. Only a few days back the Indian Team seemed to be engulfed in turmoil, so much so that their whitewash in the ODIs series echoed in Parliament and the streets on the nation. This lead to the recalling of several experienced players, who had been out of International duty for a long time.
The match started with a good batting display by the Indians, led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly who remained 51 not out at the end of the first innings. The Indian first innings batting performance seemed so crucial on the lively pitch that seemed under prepared on their first day of play. The resiliant Indian batting seemed to have no effect on the South African batters who had taken a battering being bundled out for just 84 runs (their lowest test score post their cricket return) in 25.1 overs in their first innings.
The Indian followed their good showing with another impressive batting display this time led by veteran and now Team vice-captain VVS Laxman who scored 73. South African had been set 402 to win and despite bouts of resistance from the middle and lower order the damage had already beeen done and the match sealed when Zaheer got the wicket of Ntini.
The Indian bowling seemed top-notch with young pacer Sreesanth being the find of the match. He took his first 5 wicket haul in the first innings and followed it with a 3 wicket haul in the second. He was well by supported by Bowling partner Zaheer Khan and veteran spinner Anil Kumble.
A thoroughly deserved victory, a game that India finished in a little over 3 days. With this victory the team has created history with their first victory on South African soil and the celebrating are sure to echo both the Indian Parliament and also the streets of India. What an amazing turnaround!
Watch this space for more comments and reactions on the historic triumph for the Indian Cricket Team.

'BIG Brother' The reality show BIG time

Interesting snippets from the Reality Show 'Big Brother'

* Besides 'Big Boss' the other 'Big Brother' adaptations include 'Celebrity Big Brother', 'Big Brother VIP' and 'Teen Big Brother'.
* There are 5 pan-regional versions of 'Big Brother', ie. contestants come from different countries. They versions are Africa, Balkans, Middle-East, pacific and Scandinavia.
* Jade Dyer and Tommy Wright from the show 'Teen Big Brother' became the first contestants from UK to be involved in a real-life sexual act.
* The German version 'Das Dorf' lit. 'Big Brother' ended after 363 days. In contests were in a small artificial town that had a dummy church, a marketplace, a pub, a match arena, fitness room, 3 houses and 3 working places.
* In the Dutch version the House is divided into a luxurious half and a poor half. here two teams of housemates fight to spend time on the luxurious half.
Big Brother Facts
* First Big Brother - Netherlands 1999
* First Big Brother VIP - Netherlands 2000
* First Big Brother mole - Silvia Leder, Germany
* Shortest Big Brother - 6 days, Sweden
* Most successive times of eviction survived - 11 Taitiana Madureira, Portugal
* Oldest Big Brother winner - Bill Flynn, 53, South Africa
* First pregnant housemate - Michelle, South Africa
* First Big brother with Teenage contestants - UK 2003
* First 'Evil' Big Brother - UK 2004
* Oldest contestant - Jackie Stallone, 81, UK 2005
* First to contest in two different countries - Brigitte Nielsen, Denmark 2003 and Uk 2005
* Youngest contestant - Aldred Gatchalian, 15 years, 10 months and 12 days, Philippines 2006

BIG Boss - The Indian adaptation of the TV Series 'Big Brother'

You enter your home and you find her cuddled cosily behind a few pillows. Seeing her you feel refreshed and extending your hand to take to her favorite eat-out.

Don't be disappointed if she doesn't she you eye-to-eye and don't be surprised if you hear a little bit of bitching about TV characters.
To Keep in good humor you would not only have to swallow her weird antics but also sit along to watch the show 'Big Boss'; this is the Indian version of the acclaimed International show 'Big Brother' shown in over 50 countries.

Game format
You usually have contestants (often celebrities to spice things up) not more than 15 trying to share space in a house for 3 Months and avoiding eviction through votes.
Its an unscripted soap drama as it both unplanned and has emotions that are more often than not genuine.
The Big Boss way:
* 13 celebrity contestants handpicked by the Big Boss team.
* 28 cameras so that the celebrities are always in coverage except in the bathrooms.
* A House in the outskirts of Mumbai, big enough for 13 to live yet small for one to avoid the other.
* The contestants do all the work themselves; cooking, cleaning, washing and all.
* They are given regular tasks, some a fun team games, others test individual endurance (say making furniture).
* Most of the time they are left free and this is the biggest test on one's personality (remember there's no contact with the outside World - no Television, Internet or mobile phones).
* Depending on the task results the contestants are given weekly budgets for food and other essential items.
* Contestants are nominated by the others in the Big Boss once a week.
* All nominations and conversations with Big Boss are done in private in the Confession Room.
* The contestant with the maximum votes is evicted from the house and the last standing contestant wins 50 Lakh rupees in cash prize.

While this in essence is the competition, the format's success depends on how well the show organizers innovate and bring in local flavors to the adaptation.
For an Indian TV Serial audience this is something they wouldn't have ever dreamt off, after all it has real emotions, contrived storylines and unassuming plots.
It given them something to chew on for hours and probably re-live each character.
So non-Serial watchers beware of an eviction.

Space girl Sunita Williams's new address

Unlike India’s first space girl Kalpana Chawla who had strong roots in Karnal, India; Sunita Williams seems to a little over of pinch of India in her (atleast from her background) . Sunita, 41 was born in Euclid, Ohio to parents Dr. Deepak Pandya (roots to Ahmedabad, India) and Ms. Bonnie Pandya who had a Slovenian descent. She has been to India a couple of times to meet relatives.

Sunita is married to Michael J Williams and considers Needham, Massachusetts to be her hometown. She did her Masters in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.
She tryst with NASA came in June 1998 when she was selected. In the subsequent Months she underwent different stages of training. The training schedule included numeric scientific and technical instructions, physiological training, T-38 flight training as well as water and wilderness survival techniques. She then began work in Moscow with the Russian Space Agency with the first ISS expedition crew.
Currently Sunita is aboard the space shuttle Discovery and has been there since 10th December 2006. Her new home for the next 6 Months would be 350 km above Earth in the International Space Station.
image courtesy: arrl.org

India Shinning

100 Million Mobile Subscribers
45 Million Credit or Debit Card Holders
38 Million Internet Users

Here are a few reasons why there's a never-ending revolution in Telecom;
* The availability of better quality and cheaper 3G Networks for your handset.
* The Mobile TV is seems to be a much bigger killer application.
* With Radio on Mobile becoming such a big hit, the next step ideally would be is to have the popular Internet Radio on your mobile device.
* And who cannot forget the Mobile-wallet or M-commerce where you do Business at the convenience of your mobile.

English Football Digest

Liverpool’s new Red Revolution to be led by oil-rich Dubai International Capital group. Rafael Benitez is expecting a transfer budget of £80 million. The £450 million take over is going to be completed by the year-end and the current Chief Executive Rick Parry is a frontrunner to become the Club Chairman after the current Chairman David Moores sells his controlling shares.

Newcastle United is looking at the possibility of Peter Crouch joining their ranks during the January transfer period. Peter Crouch had earlier signed up with Liverpool for £7 million deal during July 2005. Newcastle Boss Glenn Roeder is also desperately in search of a couple of defenders, specifically Manchester United’s Wes Brown.

Arsenal came within minutes to handing Chelsea their first defeat in 52 games but for Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien’s stunning equalizer, this came after a late goal from Arsenal’s Flamini. In the dying minutes Chelsea went all guns blazing. Essien had his shot from 25 yards and the ball swirled from outside the right goal-post into the right corner of the net; the goalkeeper just didn’t have an answer.

From the Team Managers
Jose Morinho (on Arsenal post-match)
"If Arsenal win their game in hand, there will still be 15 points between them (Manchester United), so I think it is impossible for them to be champions. Arsenal had quality, organisation and control, but ambition to win? No. Only one team tried to win the game. It is a surprise for a big team to come to Stamford Bridge and be very happy to just get a point. We are disappointed, because we had so many chances, butif we beat Newcastle on Wednesday, we will be only five points behind United - so [the title race] is more than open."

Arsene Wenger (on Chelsea)
"You could easily underestimate the size of Arsenal. When we built our new stadium we had to question whether to make it big enough to house 50,000, 55,000 or 60,000 fans. Today you see that, with a good team, even 60,000 is too small. In stark contrast, Chelsea struggle to fill Stamford Bridge, which has a capacity of 42,240. The fact we play more attractive football is one of the answers. You also have the natural size of the club through history. Real Madrid are bigger than Alaves, even if Alaves has a better team one year. To say Chelsea can be the biggest club in the world looks premature. Building a fan base takes a very long time. The dad brings the son, who becomes a fan. It doesn't bother me. I am confident that we can make something happen."

Sir Alex Ferguson (post derby clash versus Manchester city)
"You have to earn the right to win these matches. Just because you're at home and are top of the league doesn't mean you're just going to turn up and win. You have to earn the right and we did that. It was a typical derby game; there were moments when we should have punished them - we certainly had some fantastic opportunities to do that - and at other times in the game we had to really fight and scrap and Edwin van der Sar made two great saves. We can relax now and watch the game tomorrow and we'll be supporting the Gunners (Arsenal), which doesn't happen often. I look forward to watching it and hopefully we will be in an even better position by Monday morning."

Rafael Benitez (a day after meeting the Dubai delegates on their £450 million takeover)
"Because the future looks positive, I'm sure all the players will be thinking about this in a good way and, if Liverpool is moving forward, they'll want to be part of that. I have spoken to Rick Parry and the chairman and they are very positive. But it is important we now all keep our focus. My staff and I are doing exactly the same things now as we've always done — and always will do. At Liverpool, there will always be a balance between making the right changes but also thinking about the heritage. My daughter is only four but she understands what the fans in Liverpool are like and why they're different to other clubs. She always says: ‘I am strong and I'm proud and I'm Scouse'. She knows what this club means to the supporters — and why they're special."

For the Crazy Weekend

Check your name in Japanese
Use these for reference:
A- ho * B- tu * C- mi * D- te * E- ku * F- lu * G- ji
H- ri * I- ki * J- zu * K- me * L- ta * M- min *
N- to O-mo * P- no * Q- ke * R- shi * S- ari * T-chi U- do *
V- ru * W-mei * X- na * Y- fu * Z- zi

I came across the above forward that was doing the rounds and wanted to check if the above really made sensible names.

Britney Spears - Tushikichitokufu Arinokuhoshiari

Oh my God; if Britney was Japanese would she be the most searched word on the Internet.
The Top 10 searches carried out in the UK and Ireland via Yahoo! Search in 2006 were:
1. Britney Spears
2. Heather Mills-McCartney
3. Pete Burns
4. Big Brother
5. The Ordinary Boys
6. World Cup
7. Steve Irwin
8. Borat
9. Notting Hill Carnival
10. Zindane

Now lets try a few Japanese names instead and see what kind of english names (or letters) do they make.
(Courtesy: the 24 hour JA Research Team)
Leo (Sa)n - Takumo Sato
Inamoto - (Ina)on
Nay, they definitely don't sound right.

I then tried the famous Chinese and here came the result:
Ho Chi Min - A T M
Aha, there goes the three letters than make the fairer smile wider.

Career, Choices and High-School Children

Views
Most school students are restricted to concentrate on specific fields, say Maths and Science. A child’s ability is therefore judged on a couple parameters.When have students been thought be identify their interests and plan to stream their career choices and pursue it without any interference?
Take for example a career option in RJ; How can one justify an aspiring RJ being denied listening to music and reprimanded for not doing well in Differential Calculus. Also, how many of our children are actually aware of Public Relations, Ad-film Direction and Event-Management as big time career options. Bookish knowledge does enlighten many a mind but it also gets one into dwelling on others creativity which usually requires a mere reproduction for terminal success.
Its time the society needed thinkers and letting children to think independently is definitely a step in the right direction.

Counter-views
It might be easier to find fault with guidance and label it excessive preaching you need to understand the gravity of such a decision.From a realistic point of view, you would find most kids wanting to become actors and pilots, and these fun-loving children cannot be blamed if ever they go amiss.
Instead of giving them a free hand or being influenced by their peer pressure, you need share your views that come mostly with experience. Kids need not be burdened with responsibility at such an age, especially when they can be assisted and guided by their teachers and parents.
They ofcourse one can dream big but they cannot expect to become Business Tycoons or Celebrities without hard work. School is where such attributes are actually inculcated in students. Teachers and Parents, who more often than not are seen as Role-Models to their children, need to take extra-care and responsibility in guiding their children.

The Final Verdict: Give your Children the opportunity to make well-informed career plans.

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Image courtesy: clay-plus.com, chickenboy.com

Sun Star Cebu Press Release

The Sun.Star Cebu from Philippines launches today its electronic newspaper (e-paper), a digital replica of the entire newspaper powered by the popular PressMart EPaper Technology. The release coincides with the 12^th ASEAN Summit that is to be held in Cebu. All Newspaper content from the headlines to classifieds can be found on the ePaper site. The ePaper site can be accessed via the Sun.Star website at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ or downloaded directly from the website address http://epaper.sunstar.com.ph or even through the PressMart Homepage.
For the detailed Press Release, Click Here.

Guru - The life of the Legend Dirubhai Ambani & the Reliance Group

The story of a man who transformed Business in Indian and whose story of rags to riches makes him a World Business Icon. A film 'Guru' inspired by the life and growth of Dirubhai Ambani is going to be released on january 2007.The film's being directed by popular director Mani Ratnam and stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles.

It has A.R. Rahman playing the music and expectation of the movie are ever-increasing by the day, thanks to it being based on the life of a legend. Now the fortunes of the Reliance Group of Industries rests on the shoulders of his sons Mukesh and Anil Ambani. Dirubhai Ambani gave few public speeches but when did it had the highest value. Here are some of his words.

§ "Growth has no limit at Reliance. I keep revising my vision. Only when you dream it you can do it."

§ "Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are no one's monopoly"

§ "Our dreams have to be bigger. Our ambitions higher. Our commitment deeper. And our efforts greater. This is my dream for Reliance and for India."

§ "You do not require an invitation to make profits."

§ "If you work with determination and with perfection, success will follow."

§ "Pursue your goals even in the face of difficulties, and convert adversities into opportunities."

§ "Give the youth a proper environment. Motivate them. Extend them the support they need. Each one of them has infinite source of energy. They will deliver."

§ "Between my past, the present and the future, there is one common factor: Relationship and Trust. This is the foundation of our growth"

§ "We bet on people." "Meeting the deadlines is not good enough, beating the deadlines is my expectation."

§ "Don't give up, courage is my conviction."

Launch of the Kingfisher Special Swinsuit Calender 2007

Preity Zinta with Liquor Baron Vijay Mallya during the Calender launch in Mumbai.
Image courtesy: ibnlive.com

Aviation News

Virgin Atlantic's fuel-saving move
Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic is to conduct a trial using 13 of its planes which could cut aviation fuel use and slash carbon dioxide emissions.
By towing its Boeing 747-400 aircraft to take-off areas at London airports during December it said it could save up to two tonnes of fuel per flight.
Aircraft will be towed to Heathrow and Gatwick runways to cut fuel burning. Virgin said a reduction of 120,000 tonnes in carbon emissions a year could be made if extended across its fleet.
'Starting grids'
It is hoped to reduce the time engines are running before taking off to about 10 minutes. "Towing aircraft from a stand substantially reduces the amount of time they need to taxi with their engines running and reduces the time spent queuing before take-off," said Virgin Atlantic spokesman Paul Charles.
Virgin Atlantic is working alongside airport operator BAA and National Air Traffic Services (Nats) during the trial, with a longer run-out expected in the first quarter of 2007.
Aircraft will be towed from their stand at the airport to so-called "starting grids" - which are holding areas, close to a runway, consisting of several parking bays for aircraft.
It means that aircraft can be towed closer to a runway before take-off.
Teams from Virgin Atlantic are also holding talks with the international airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as JF Kennedy airport in New York, about the timing of similar trials.
'Greenhouse gases'
Virgin Atlantic is half owned by Sir Richard Branson and the other half by Singapore Airlines. The other aircraft in the fleet are five Airbus A340-300, and 17 Airbus A340-600.
Airlines are in the spotlight over the amount of carbon emissions which the industry is producing following falling fares and the growth of low-cost operators.
Aircraft are one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gases and environmentalists are calling on the government to take action to reduce their output of carbon.
Carbon dioxide emissions from aviation doubled during the 1990s while those from the rest of the economy fell. Currently, aircraft produce about 5.5% of UK emissions.
In September Sir Richard said that up to 25% of the world's aviation carbon dioxide emissions could be cut if airlines, airports and governments worked together.
He has also pledged Virgin Group profits worth $3bn (£1.6bn) towards renewable energy initiatives.
News courtesy: BBC

Passengers to be charged for air travel congestion
Not only do you have to deal with long mid-air delays because of overcrowded airports, you have to pay for it too. Airlines are now adding on a congestion charge Rs 150 on every ticket to offset the fuel costs of circling around airports while they wait to land. Kingfisher, Jet Sahara and India are among the first airlines to introduce the congestion charge. Airfares of most major airlines will go up by Rs 150 per sector from Friday onwards.
Officials of Indian, Air Sahara and Kingfisher confirmed the hike while the spokesperson of Air Deccan said the carrier was looking at the quantum of the hike and the timing of it.
Jet Airways spokesperson said the airline would increase the fares by imposing a traffic congestion surcharge of Rs 150 per ticket on its domestic sales from.
Asked about reduction in fuel prices, the spokesperson said the reduction was too minimal to warrant any downward revision of fares.
The airline lost Rs 27 crore in Q2 due to congestion over Delhi, Mumbai and other airports. Ticket sold outside India would be hiked by the same amount from December 5, he said.
Airlines are losing money because of heavy traffic, which means flights have to hover above airports for longer durations before landing.
New courtesy: CNN-IBN

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Breaking News: Witty Siddhu held guilty in the 88' murder case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday convicted cricketer-turned-MP Navjot Singh Sidhu for causing the death of a Patiala resident following a scuffle in 1988.

Gurnam Singh died on December 27, 1988 after Sidhu and his associate had allegedly beaten him at a Patiala market following a dispute. Gurman Singh had actually died of a heart attack on the spot after the incident.

The court will decide on the quantum of punishment for Sidhu on Wednesday, December 6. Under Section 304 of IPC, the maximum sentence could be imprisonment for up to 10 years.
Sidhu and his associate had allegedly beaten up Gurnam over a dispute over the parking of vehicles outside the State Bank of Patiala branch, where Sidhu was employed.
Sidhu has always maintained that the incident was merely an accident and that he had no intention of causing harm to the person.
The popular ace-commentator, entertainer and a Member of Parliament, who created a niche with his famous Siddhuism has his career in deep trouble. You are sure to hear more from him and about him in the coming days.

Hear what World News has to say.

World AIDS Day asks for Safety first

With today (December 1st) being World AIDS day, it's time to look back and reflect upon World Health. In our small way, we have decided to promote Safe sex through a few condom promoting Slogans.
Here are a few:
Especially in December, gift wrap your member.
Wear a condom to save your kingdom.
Cover your stump, before you hump.
If you're bold, better return home.
It will be sweeter if you wrap your peter.
When in doubt, shroud your spout.
A crank with Armor will never harm her.
If you think she's spunky, cover your monkey.
Don't be silly, protect your willy.
If you're not going to sack it, go home and whack it.
You can't go wrong if you shield your dong.
No glove, No love.

If you have more, tell us (this isn't a slogan).

Cupid's advice for your First Date

When Dating, especially in offices become the talk of the town, a few dating tips would help you impress her. Such tips though useful, may not always guarantee a successful date, as a great date would definitely depend on your interpersonal skills and interests.
But on most occasions on that all-important first date, especially when your knees begin to tremble uncontrollably you could with some reading. If it could have that all important girl beg for more seconds with you, it's definitely a hit.
courtesy: askmen.com
1. Avoid her past
Generally speaking, one should never ask about past lovers on a first date. In fact, this should be avoided until she initiates the topic (if she ever does). She might have been hurt or may still be in love with her ex. You also prefer to start with a clean slate, so becoming chummy with her and comforting her about past mistakes may not be the greatest strategy on the first date. The goal is to take off her lipstick by the end of the evening, not help her wipe the tears as they smudge her mascara.
2. Got any brothers or sisters?
Usually a safe topic of conversation is asking about siblings (don't ask her if she's got cute sisters). Again, asking about parents could backfire if they experienced a divorce or separation, especially at a young age. But sisters and brothers usually trigger good feelings and score points for you since you're showing a caring side and an interest in her family life.
3. Traveled anywhere special?
A tricky way to spark a girl's interest is by asking about past travel destinations and where she intends on visiting in the future. The upside is that if she mentions a spot she always wanted to visit, lo and behold, here comes the knight in shining armor (that's you, boy) and offers to make her dreams come true one day by taking her there. This also provides both people with some insight about one's cultural background and their openness to new adventures.
4. Drinks anyone?
A topic of conversation, especially if the date is taking place at a restaurant or bar, is the kind of food and drinks each of you prefers. Again, not only can you gauge whether or not you share culinary preferences, but the potential topics are endless and provide you with a safe topic of conversation unless, of course, you are dating someone with an addiction to food or drink.
5. Any career plans?
Asking a girl about her past education and whether she intends on returning to school is admittedly a double-edged sword. She might love to go on and on about her numerous academic achievements. But she might break down and admit that her current job has absolutely nothing to do with what she studied. In either case, you are provided with a golden opportunity to reassure and encourage her with an abundance of compliments.
6. How's your job?
If you are years removed from your college years, then talking about work and career goals just might be a safer topic. Admittedly, do not let her go into the mundane details about how fed up she is with her life, which would explain why she's on her seventh margarita. But generally speaking, people like to brag about work, no matter how routine it is. It also gives you an idea regarding whether or not you are dating a future CEO or a waitress-for-life (not that there is anything wrong with that, of course).
7. Got any friends?
Ask her about her friends. Even if you do not know them, she will love to tell you about her circle of friends, how much they mean to her and where she met them (and all of the things they did together). Don't doze off though, my good man, this is when you get precious details about her. If you ever make it further than the first date, her friends are usually the best source to unearth the skeletons in her closet.
8. Free time frolicking
Does she roller blade, collect stamps, or dance? How about sports? What kind of music does she like? These are the questions you must ask to determine how much of a bond exists between the two of you. Moreover, you gain some insight to follow-up questions.
9. Weekend's peakin'
Not only do you get a clearer picture of what life with her will be like after the honeymoon, but you are also sending mixed messages, which is not entirely bad at first. Yes, mind games are childish, but keeping your cards at your chest gives you leverage. She will ask herself: "Does he want to see me on weekends?"
10. Be bold and look ahead
Now, assuming she is having a good time, is looking at you with that sparkle in her eye and her body language is positive, you can look ahead and talk about other things you could do together in the future. Admittedly, you do not want to rush too far ahead and scare her off, but if she's enjoying herself, chances are she'll be curious to see what other great adventures you have in store for her.