TUBE NOSED BAT,bat is tube nose,nose of bat

 

DALLAS, TX -  Tube-Nosed Bats are swarming into Texas and biting the ears off residents. The Tube-Nosed fruit bat is one of roughly 200 new species encountered during two scientific expeditions to Papua New Guinea in 2009 -  a trip that also found a katydid that “aims for the yes” and a frog that makes nasty cricket noises. However, one of the researchers on the expedition – Caleb Sharpe from  Austin – hid a few Tube-Nosed bats in his luggage and… now they have reproduced at an alarming rate and have become a danger to citizens in and around Dallas. “I just wanted to take the bats home to show my wife, Katie, because she loves bats.  I didn’t think that they’d reproduce like rabbits,” said Sharpe. The Tube-Nosed bats have been terrorizing residents of Dallas and Fort Worth.  They swoop down at night and peck on a victim’s ear.  Many times the bats keep pecking until the ear is completely gone.  About two dozen Dallas residents have lost at least one ear. This is the Tube-Nosed Bat when it is getting ready to attack:

Many guys think that the Tube-Nosed bat is harmless.  Even though it is small, it is deadly.  One of the reason that citizens of Dallas have been allowing the bats to get close to them is because the Tube-Nosed Bat bears an resemblance to Yoda from Star Wars.  See:

Dallas authorities are advising all residents to be on the lookout of the Tube-Nosed Bats.   the Dallas Police Department estimates that there are 2,000 bats flying around the city and they are multiplying so fast that by the end of the year, there may be upwards of 200,000. “Cover your ears,”  said Dallas Police Chief, Landry Booker.  “Until we come up with a way to exterminate these bats, we are advising all residents to cover their ears when walking outside

Mercedes Benz Thinks Cars Like This Could Be Grown In Labs,The Mercedes Benz BIOME concept car. It an eco friendly, biodegradable ultra light hybrid vehicle which would be custom grown in a lab.

Mercedes Benz Thinks Cars Like This Could Be Grown In Labs

The Los Angeles Design Challenge always brings some crazy idea, but this year one in particular caught our attention: The Mercedes-Benz BIOME concept car. It's an eco-friendly, biodegradable, ultra-light hybrid vehicle—which would be custom grown in a lab.
The folks behind the concept explain that the various parts of the vehicle would be grown separately:

The interior of the BIOME grows from the DNA in the Mercedes star on the front of the vehicle, while the exterior grows from the star on the rear. To accommodate specific customer requirements, the Mercedes star is genetically engineered in each case, and the vehicle grows when the genetic code is combined with the seed capsule. The wheels are grown from four separate seeds.

And apparently instead of running on regular fuel, the BIOME would run on a mysterious substance called "BioNectar4534" which leaves no by-product other than oxygen.
Yes, it's an insane idea and sounds damn near impossible. But that won't stop any of us from daydreaming about zipping around in a sleek, lab-grown car, now will it?

Zynga is announcing a localized version of its FarmVille game in Japan today,Zynga launches FarmVille in Japan ,will the Japanese like purple cows

 

will the Japanese like purple cows

In a bid to find new markets for its blockbuster social game, Zynga is announcing a localized version of its FarmVille game in Japan today.
Called Farm Village, the Japanese version of the world’s largest game — which has 53.7 million monthly active users on Facebook — will be available in early December on Mixi, Japan’s largest social network which runs on feature phones.
Zynga has made global expansion a big priority as it searches for ways to become less dependent on Facebook. The company has to diversify its risks and expand to new markets. Last week, the company announced that it would launch its newest game, CityVille, in five different languages.
Zynga is a privately held San Francisco company with more than 1,300 employees. It has seen extremely fast growth in nearly four years, with more than 215 million monthly active users playing its games. The company has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from major investors such as DST, SoftBank, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Secondary trading on SharesPost (where employees sell their stock to cash out early) pegs Zynga’s value at $5.6 billion. Revenue for 2010 is expected to surpass $500 million, according to Inside Network. Roughly 10 million Americans play FarmVille every day.
But the dependency on Facebook is a big risk for Zynga. In any given week, Zynga can lose 10 million users or gain that many (based on what I’ve seen eyeballing the numbers over time) That’s why the Japanese launch is so important.
Launched in June, 2009, FarmVille itself is a casual game that users play for minutes a day. The players have been fickle; FarmVille’s audience has shrunk from 83 million monthly unique visitors earlier this year to 53.7 million. Along the way, Zynga markets its other games to FarmVille players. So even if those players stop playing FarmVille, they may move on to other Zynga games. The game is available for free, but users pay real money for virtual goods such as tractor fuel.
Victory in Japan isn’t guaranteed. There are a lot of big Japanese mobile social game companies, such as DeNA, which have entrenched positions. U.S. rivals such as CrowdStar are also moving into the Japanese market. To ensure success, Zynga raised money from SoftBank and created a joint venture, Zynga Japan, to accelerate its entry into the market.
Robert Goldberg, chief executive of Zynga Japan (and a VentureBeat veteran), said that Farm Village will focus on social play where users will play with their real friends, not just virtual friends.

srilanka and west indies test cricket news, srilanka and west indies cricket,

Kumar Sangakkara chose to field in the third Test in Pallekele after a wet outfield due to overnight rain delayed play at this captivating venue. The stadium became the 104th venue to host Test cricket, and overcast conditions and moisture in the surface following weeks of monsoon rain, were expected to assist seam bowling early on.

Sri Lanka made a solitary change to their XI from the drawn Test in Colombo, opting for the hit-the-deck pace of Dilhara Fernando in favour of Nuwan Kulasekara's canny swing. Spinners Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis kept Suraj Randiv on the sidelines, after both impressed at the Premadasa.

For the visitors, Devon Smith replaced Adrian Barath, who was suffering from flu, while fast bowler Nelon Pascal came in for the under pressure Shane Shillingford, after the spinner was reported for a suspect action during the first Test in Galle.

The weather is expected to improve in Pallekele as the Test goes on, but it is likely to remain cloudy for the first two days.

Sri Lanka: 1 Tharanga Paranavitana, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Dilhara Fernando, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Suranga Lakmal.

West Indies: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Devon Smith, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 5 Brendan Nash, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Carlton Baugh (wk), 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Nelon Pascal, 11 Kemar Roach.

Ram Charan in love signals,tollywood Ram Charan love signals

This is most unexpected shock for others but a regular experienced one for Chiranjeevi and his family who have seen enough episodes of Pawan Kalyan, Sushmita, Srija and freshly Allu Arjun. It is the distressing and disastrous 'Love Bomb' that is ready to be exploded before Chiranjeevi by Ram Charan. Months ago at the audio release of Varudu, Allu Arjun was same like 'Good Boy Ramudu' who handed over all the freedom and thoughts about his life partner to Allu Aravind. Days with in Sneha Reddy appeared and the rest is shock. Ram Charan these days after grabbing the lover boy image with Orange is repeating the same words of Allu Arjun to describe the qualities looking forward in his would be partner. Ram Charan talking about traditional, judgmental, family values, self respected girl and blah before media men are pondered as early signals before the blast. Already few of the names of beautiful girls from Reddy community are rambling in market.

Sony claims it has shipped 4.1Million PlayStation Move units but no sell through number

Sony said today that it has shipped 4.1 million units of its PlayStation Move motion controller to retailers around the globe. But, as is its custom, the Japanese company did not say how many of those units have been sold to consumers.
The difference between shipped and sold-through is important in this case. Analysts don’t think that Sony’s Move controller, which is a wand-like device that senses your motion and position, is selling as well as Microsoft’s Kinect motion-sensing system, which has sold-through 2.5 million units in the past 25 days. Sony and Microsoft have an apples and oranges comparison when it comes to counting sales. The outcome of the competitive battle is important because Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft all want to rule the living room.
Sony’s Move went on sale worldwide in mid-September, while the Kinect went on sale on Nov. 4. The Move units may very well be sitting on retailer shelves. In the U.S., market researcher NPD has reported that the Move units have sold less than 500,000 units, according to reports distributed to game publishers but not disclosed to the media.
Peter Dille, head of marketing for Sony’s game division in the U.S., said last week that the Move controllers were in short supply in some locations. But analysts aren’t sure that the units are moving that fast.
With the Move, users can wave the wand in front of a PlayStation Eye camera; the combined sensors detect the player’s movement and position. Then it translates that input into controls for the game. Sony says its system is far more accurate than other motion-control systems.
Microsoft, by So far, 30 Move titles have begun selling in stores. The Move shipment numbers do not include sales of stand-alone PlayStation Eye cameras or stand-alone PlayStation Move navigation controllers.
Sony said today that it has “sold” more than 41.6 million PlayStation 3 consoles to date.
Nintendo said last week that it sold 900,000 handheld DS units and 600,000 Wii consoles during Black Friday week.

Abuses Found at Mexican Institutions for Disabled,

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MEXICO CITY — Ten years ago a human rights group released a scathing, ground-breaking report on abusive, decrepit conditions in Mexican institutions for the mentally and physically disabled, moving the country to promise change and to take the lead in writing international agreements to protect the disabled.

But in a new report released Tuesday, the group, Disability Rights International, working with a Mexican human rights organization, said a yearlong investigation revealed “atrocious and abusive conditions” that included lobotomies performed without consent, children missing from orphanages, widespread filth and squalor and a lack of medical care.
At one institution here in the capital, which a reporter visited with investigators from the groups, men walked around half-naked, feces littered a yard, bed sheets were missing, the smell of urine permeated a day room, bathroom faucets malfunctioned and patients lay sprawled on several patches of grass.
At another institution here, CAIS Villa Mujeres, elderly women sat tied to wheelchairs, staff members hustled to clean soiled floors as investigators moved through and patients and their caretakers could not fully explain how or why they were institutionalized.
A trembling blind woman said she had been raped by a staff member — who officials said was dismissed during a criminal investigation — and would feel safer.
“I don’t have any hope,” she said. “I don’t have a nickel to get out of this place.”
Eric Rosenthal, director of Disability Rights International, based in Washington, said: “I have witnessed abuses as atrocious as these in the psychiatric facilities and orphanages of some other countries. But only in Mexico have I encountered a system so lacking in protections that children literally disappear and adults remain nameless.”
The Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights, which helped compile the report, said the “human rights violations being perpetrated against children with disabilities in Mexico are every bit as serious as any this organization has documented over the last 20 years.”
Mr. Rosenthal said the conditions were particularly galling because Mexico, in response to the earlier report, had championed human rights for the disabled and helped write international standards.
Along with 94 other nations, Mexico ratified the 2006 agreement it is now accused of violating, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Mexico’s first report on its progress toward abiding by the agreement is due this year and the human rights groups said it issued their report as a “shadow,” independent assessment.
The Mexican government received the report on Monday, but as of Tuesday morning had made no comment.
Like the earlier report, this one found many of those in the institutions did not need to be there but, as “abandonados,” lacked family members or community-based programs to care for them.
The investigators visited 20 psychiatric wards, orphanages, shelters and other public institutions around the country housing thousands of people from August 2009 to September 2010, interviewing patients and administrators and reviewing records when possible.
At three psychiatric hospitals, investigators found that staff members relied on extensive use of psychotropic drugs in place of other forms of treatment for aggression and other behavioral problems.
Two hospitals, Fraternidad sin Fronteras and Hospital La Salud Tlazo Lteotl, reported sending particularly aggressive patients for lobotomies, the surgical separation of the prefrontal cortex from the rest of the brain. The procedure fell into disrepute internationally in the 1950’s because it frequently caused irreversible brain damage. But it remains legal in Mexico.
A man at La Salud who had undergone a lobotomy sat slumped in a wheelchair, his speech slow and slurred, the report said.
“The director said that the man had been aggressive in the past, but since the surgery, he was entirely passive,” it said.
At orphanages, the team found children were unaccounted for and interviewed residents who had said they had grown up in the facility, though officials had no record of the names they came in with, arrival date or other data.
Human rights and unnamed government officials told them there was no registry or tracking system for children placed in public or private institutions, leaving them prey to human traffickers.
“Due to a failure to provide oversight, children have literally disappeared from institutions,” the report said. “Some of these children may have been subject to sex trafficking and forced labor.”
Mr. Rosenthal said he was stunned to find some of the same people this year as he had found 10 years ago in similar conditions.
In one case, an article in The New York Times Magazine in 2000 on his work included a picture of woman whose entire upper body was tied in restraints. This year, he found the same woman in the same facility lashed to a wheelchair.
Administrators complained of a lack of funds to provide basic treatment and materials like soap and clothing.
“Donors help us,” said an administrator at the Villa Mujeres shelter who spoke on condition of anonymity about the conditions. “But we are the last link. There is no political impact for not helping the abandonados.”
Another administrator, at the sprawling Samuel Ramirez Moreno hospital in Mexico City, said the budget had been cut 40 percent this year, causing “a delay in response to problems and urgent care.” Some patients are given low-cost, outdated versions of medicine that cause excessive tremors and other side effects.
The report recommends a host of changes, including a shift toward more community-based services; establishing a foster care system for children with disabilities, and more independent oversight of the system.
Jose Angel Valencia, an advocate for the mentally ill in Mexico who worked on the report, said the country was slow to adopt changes in part because of a stigma and misunderstanding of people with disabilities.
“People have prejudices and think you are dangerous or do not know how to deal with you,” said Mr. Valencia, who has been treated for bipolar disorder. “But slowly Mexico is recognizing us and it is changing here.”

Enterprise social network Yammer raises a whopping $25M to triple its team,Yammer announced today it has raised an additional $25 million in funding to help expand globally and triple its engineering team

Yammer, which develops and distributes an enterprise-focused social network similar to Facebook, announced today it has raised an additional $25 million in funding to help expand globally and triple its engineering team.
Yammer recently revamped its business micro-blogging software to behave more like a Facebook for enterprise users and has seen a lot of success as a result. It’s now one of the flagship collaboration programs that help large businesses and companies that have employees strewn across the country communicate more effectively. The company has around 1.5 million corporate users, and around 80 percent of the largest companies in the world on the Fortune 500 list have deployed the service. More than 100,000 companies total use the service in 136 countries.
The enterprise network provider has seen such explosive growth that it’s even making traditional collaboration software powerhouses sweat a bit. Salesforce originally provided its customers with a micro-blogging service called Chatter and charged everyone else $15 a month to use it. But the company did an about-face and is now offering the service for free to compete with Yammer. Kevin Spain, a partner with Emergence Capital and an investor in both Yammer and Salesforce, earlier called on Salesforce to unleash its micro-blogging service for free in order to successfully compete.
With Yammer, it’s free to join, and the company makes money off subscription models for premium services and off IT servicing, Spain said. A number of Yammer’s features are held behind one of two pay walls — a “silver” model that costs businesses $3 per user per month, and a “gold” model that costs them $5 per user per month. But because the service is free to use initially, it’s able to spread virally as employees begin using it on their own within companies. That means Yammer has virtually no marketing budget — it grows organically, much like Facebook and other social networks have.
The San Francisco, Calif.-based company has raised $40 million to date. The most recent round was led by U.S. Venture Partners. Yammer’s existing investors, Emergence Capital, Charles River Ventures and Founders Fund, also participated. U.S. Venture Partners Principal Mamood Hamid will join Yammer’s board of directors as part of the deal.
Yammer launched in 2008 and very quickly hit the 1 million user mark in July. The company is led by David Sacks, PayPal’s former chief operating officer. David Stewart, former senior director of product at social networking game company Playdom, and Mark Woolway, a former managing director at Clarium Capital, are also joining Yammer as executives as of today.

 Free iPad Subsidized by AT&T

Japan, long heavy on subsidies for phones to lock people into two-year commitments, just offered a 16GB iPad for free if you sign a contract. The UK and France are also doing it. Why can't we?
To be fair, Japan has always been very friendly for subsidies, giving away high-end phones for essentially low-double-digits (in dollars) as long as you commit for two years. The interesting bit is that providers are considering the iPad more like a phone, and less like a laptop, in which you only need coverage sometimes, and can pay-as-you-go.
It would be nice to get a similar deal here, on AT&T. A two-year contract for a free iPad up front. Especially if you could somehow get another discount if you're already an iPhone

Kenya Govt USA Graft Claims

Kenya Govt Hits Back At U S Graft Claims

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Nairobi — Kenya has reacted angrily at leaked reports from US describing it as corrupt and accused unnamed foreign powers of spending Sh1.6 billion to destabilise the government.
Government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua termed leaked reports attributed to the US embassy in Nairobi describing Kenya as a "swamp of flourishing corruption" as "totally malicious and a total misrepresentation of our country and our leaders".
"We are surprised and shocked by these revelations," Dr Mutua said at a press conference Tuesday.

He said that the US had alerted Kenya beforehand of the expected release of the leaked documents touching on the country through US assistant secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnny Carson who had contacted Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Monday afternoon.
"The US assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, Johnny Carson called our Prime Minister yesterday (Monday) and apologised for what is expected to come out," Dr Mutua said.
"The US government indicated they are sorry for the content in the leaked documents," he added.
He, however, stated that Mr Carson had not told Mr Odinga the contents of the leaked documents and what the US government was exactly sorry about.
Dr Mutua fell short of directly accusing the US of funding a campaign to cause unrest in the country with a view to toppling the grand coalition government.
He claimed that the "foreign powers" behind the plot to topple the government had channeled in excess of US$ 20million (Sh1.6 million) to youth groups in the country over the last few months. "The Kenyan Government is concerned with foreign attempts to create despondency against the government and the country in the guise of youth empowerment," he said.
"The Government is aware that a lot of money has been allocated to fund the youth to cause an uprising against our country and lead us into turmoil in an attempt to install a new leadership structure," he went on.
He added that the government was monitoring the issue "keenly" and will not allow "outsiders" to ruin the peace and stability in the country.

Marcus Trescothick Alastair Cook break ,ashes cricket series, test cricket ashes 2010,test cricket england australia

	Trescothick on Cook: "He's a young and could go on and break all sorts of records in the years to come" Enlarge

Marcus Trescothick believes Alastair Cook can go on and break a host of batting records after his monumental unbeaten 235 against Australia in Brisbane which enabled England to save the opening Ashes Test. Cook beat Don Bradman's Gabba record for an individual score as he and Jonathan Trott added a mammoth 329 for the second wicket.

In many ways Cook has been the long-term successor to Trescothick at the top of England's order. Although he made his debut before Trescothick's enforced retirement from the international scene, Cook only became a permanent opener during the 2006-07 series in Australia.

The early end to Trescothick's Test career is often cited as one of the key reasons for England's whitewash on that trip as the top order struggled to impose themselves against a formidable attack and Cook, despite a second-innings hundred at Perth, ended with a disappointing 276 runs at 27.60. In one Test he has surpassed that tally, after beginning with a battling 67 in the first innings, and Trescothick never had any doubt in Cook's ability even when he was going through his summer slump against Pakistan.

"You can just see from the way he approaches his cricket that it was only ever going to be a matter of time before produced this sort of performance," Trescothick told ESPNcricinfo. "He's a young and could go on and break all sorts of records in the years to come.

"It shows the quality of the player. We know the sort of character he is and he's an important member of the team," he added. "He's always worked hard. All he needed was to get that big score and he's been building up to it during the warm-up matches, then got fifty in the first innings at the Gabba before finishing off with a brilliant double hundred."

Cook's opening stand of 188 with Andrew Strauss set England on their way to saving the opening Test and it was the positive approach they took, led by Strauss, that indicated the visitors weren't going to back down from a huge challenge. As a fellow opener, Trescothick understands the mindset needed to overcome huge deficits and believes it's the strong back-room set-up within the squad that enable the openers to play the way they did.

"The vital thing is how solid the team is," Trescothick said. "If you have that grounding in the dressing room then you can go out and try to be positive. You can't die a death and end up not scoring runs because you have to get ahead of the other team. When the bad balls come you have to put them away and attack certain bowlers. Eventually you are going to lose wickets, but that's what didn't happen this time."

The build-up to the opening Test centred on Australia's strong record at the Gabba and, although they remain unbeaten since 1988, the nature of England's great escape means they head into the second Test buoyed while it's the hosts under pressure. In 2002-03, Trescothick was part of an England team hammered by 384 runs in Brisbane and, despite the best efforts of Michael Vaughan who scored 633 runs in the series, they never recovered and lost 4-1. Now, having departed Queensland unscathed, Trescothick believes England have secured a vital advantage.

"It was a great achievement. Our history at the Gabba wasn't very good," he said. "The pitch was certainly different to before but the team is in such better shape. We know the team we want to play, the batters are getting runs and the bowlers doing OK. But I think we can produce even better results and going into the second Test we often get better as a series goes on."

Rajasthan Royals ipl,Rajasthan Royals bcci,Arbitrator stays Rajasthan Royals expulsion

The judge hearing the arbitration case between Rajasthan Royals and the BCCI has issued a six-week stay on the franchise's expulsion from the IPL, effectively allowing it to continue to function as a part of the league for that period of time, ESPNcricinfo has learnt. The six-week duration also means the team could take part in the players' auction, which is scheduled for January 8 and 9 next year.

While the stay order is in place, the BCCI is also prevented from doing anything that might prejudice Rajasthan, for example changing any of the league's rules. Both parties argued their case before Justice BN Srikrishna, the agreed-upon arbitrator for the case, for three-and-a-half days. "There will be no interference with them [Rajasthan] exercising rights under the franchise agreement," Srikrishna said. "They will be allowed to participate in the auction."

When asked what about the next step in the process, Srikrishna said the BCCI will probably appeal to the High Court and the matter could even reach the Supreme Court based on appeals and judgements.

The BCCI decided, on October 10, to end the franchise's IPL affiliation on charges of transgression of shareholding and ownership norms that threatened to "shake the very foundation of the tender process", as the notice put it. The two sides then decided to settle their dispute over the termination of the IPL franchise through arbitration on November 15 after Rajasthan had filed a case in the High Court challenging the board's decision to take the step unilaterally.

Sudan AU Govt Request for Postponing PSC Meeting

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— The African Union (AU) on Monday rejected a request made by the Sudanese government to delay the meeting for the Peace and Security Council (PSC) that was to take place tomorrow in the Libyan capital.
Earlier today, Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson Muawiya Khalid was quoted by state media as saying that the government asked the AU for a postponement to a later date.

Khalid said that the Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti is expected to depart Libya and fly to Kuwait for an official visit to discuss bilateral relations and preparations for the East Sudan donors' conference.
"The meeting will take place as scheduled" on Tuesday in Tripoli, the AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramadan Lamamra told Agence France Presse (AFP).
"The positions of the Sudanese parties are not on the agenda," he added.
Lamamra said former South African president Thabo Mbeki, who chairs an AU panel on Sudan, would present a report on the situation and that the meeting would also discuss events in the Ivory Coast and Guinea as well as other troublespots on the continent.

Karti announced on Sunday that his government decided to withdraw from the Africa-EU summit in Libya and even walked out of the closed-door meeting of African ministers who were trying to forge a common position ahead of the meeting which started on Monday.
The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir was supposed to jet in to attend the summit for which he was invited but the Libyan government made it clear that they are not willing to risk ruining the gathering after the EU members threatened to walk out if he shows up.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted Bashir in March 2009 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and in July 2010 on charges of genocide, all linked to alleged atrocities in Darfur.
The Sudanese top diplomat said Bashir's no-show at the summit was "to avoid embarrassment to Libya" and that the decision was taken "under pressure from Europe."
On Sunday the Sudanese presidency issued a statement accusing European countries of "hypocrisy" for urging Bashir to implement Sudan's 2005 north-south peace accord while at the same time trying to "undermine" his legitimacy.
Europe's stand was "an attack on the African Union and Sudan while also undermining the idea of real dialogue and cooperation between Africa and Europe,"

The World First Car Engine Powered Skateboard

Someone decided to make a skateboard powered by a 630hp V8 supercar engine. According to its creator, there are no safety features "apart from the big red button and the ability to run from it." Surprisingly, they found a test pilot.
And surprisingly, he survived. Most probably because he really didn't put pedal to the metal. The next pilot may be Tony Hawk, who's coming to Telstra 500 in Sydney. They will try to get him on the skate then

Samsung GT i9200 Picasa photo

Photos seemingly snapped by Samsung’s as-yet unannounced GT-i9200 Android smartphone have been spotted on online gallery Picasa, though the handset itself is keeping on the wrong side of the lens for our liking. According to previous rumors, the GT-i9200 is Samsung’s dual-core successor to the Galaxy S, tipped for release in early 2011.


Hardware specifications are all but unknown, and it doesn’t seem like we’ll be able to calculate the camera resolution from any of these leaky shots. They appear to have been uploaded as part of media transfer tests, and are 4-megapixel resolution at the most.

10 inch ViewSonic G Tablet cost, cost of 10 inch ViewSonic G Tablet is %399,Tegra 2, Android 2.2, and 1080p video

If your tablet wishlist includes things like Tegra 2, Android 2.2, and 1080p video playback, you might want to drop by your nearest Office Depot some time soonish. ViewSonic's G Tablet has just been made available for purchase at the store's many outlets across the US and is also supposed to be up for grabs at its online portal. We say "supposed" because we can't find it anywhere on officedepot.com, but that's probably just a temporary issue. The main point is that $399 will buy you a seat on the Froyo tablet bandwagon, a very glossy 10-inch seat with 1024 x 600 resolution. Skip past the break for the full PR.

Show full PR text

Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya and ipl contracts and bcci, board of control of cricket in india and ipl rules

Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya slammed the Cricket Board, saying that the rules and regulations for the Indian Premier League were made without the consultation of the franchisees involved.

Mallya wrote on his twitter page the players and the teams are silent sufferers and arguing with the BCCI is "capital punishment".

"I feel sad IPL rules are made without a consultative process. Players and Franchisees are silent sufferers - Arguing with BCCI is Capital punishment," he wrote.

Mallya has not been on the same page with the BCCI over certain rules of the IPL, including retention of players.

i want to say Goodbye to Dandruff

 

 

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	Say Goodbye to Dandruff Every time you comb your hair or wear your favourite LBD, you are erm...embarrassed by those snowy...

Every time you comb your hair or wear your favourite LBD, you are erm...embarrassed by those snowy flakes. Dandruff is ugh and causes problems like itching and acne.

Here are some homemade remedies that will help you get rid of dandruff.

The cause
Dandruff is a scalp ailment and can be cured by keeping your scalp clean. Avoid shampooign your hair everyday to keep dandruff away. Another way is to skip fried foods and chocolates.

Home remedies
Boil a few neem leaves. Cool and then filter the solution. Use this as a last rinse after you shampoo. You can also mix a few sweet neem leaves with basil (tulsi) leaves, grind it into a paste and apply it on your hair for half an hour. Wash this off to get lustrous, dandruff-free locks.

Grandma's advice
Soak a handful of fenugreek seeds overnight in water, grind it to a fine paste in the morning and apply it for a half hour on your scalp. Wash this off with soap-nut (reetha) solution and rinse with shikakai to condition. Follow this regimen faithfully for beautiful tresses.

Bedtime care
Boil beetroot in water and gently massage the liquid into your hair before sleeping. You can also massage your hair with stale curd or a simple concoction of lime and amla juice. Curd is an excellent conditioner, while lime keeps that dandruff away.

Steam therapy
This is the most commonly used way to tackle dandruff and mostly never fails. Gently massage warm coconut oil onto your scalp. Apply the juice of two limes. Now, dip a towel in hot water and cover your scalp and hair with it. Wash it off after two hours for soft, shiny hair. Alternately, apply the paste of raw papaya on your hair and leave it on for ten minutes before shampooing.
There you are! Try these homemade tricks to get rid of dandruff forever.

Meet the sexually excited Cyrus from BREAK KE BAAD,

He plays a sexually excited but harmless man in Danish Aslam's BREAK KE BAAD. We're talking about veejay cum actor Yudhisthir Das popularly known as Yudi. Says Yudi, "I had met with Danish sometime back and he spoke to me about the character. I gave the screen test and got the role after that. It was a good two months of partying in Mauritius. Everyday was as party as the whole crew was young." Yudi is getting a lot of positive feedback for his role in the film. Interestingly, he is not as wild as the character that he plays in BREAK KE BAAD. "Cyrus is too wild and to be that wild you need to be really mad. Danish told me that Cyrus is the comic relief in the film and he has to be as wacked out as possible. I'm a reserved guy and take time to open up to people. So Danish was a little worried initially about me playing the character. I told him that I will be completely different in front of the camera and that's exactly what I did." Speaking about his experience working with Deepika Padukone, Yudi says, "Deepika is brilliant in front of the camera and even off it. She doesn't have any attitude. She's very down to earth and quite sorted in the head." BREAK KE BAAD which released on December 26, opened to a mixed response from the audience and critics.

yOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK ,Actor Freida Pinto not against to Bollywood

Freida Pinto not averse to Bollywood

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Actor Freida Pinto was excited to see her film YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER, which ran to a packed house at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Sunday.

Sharing her joy with the media here on Monday, she said, "It was an honor to be part of a film directed by Woody Allan."


Talking about her character in the film, Freida said: "I played a troubled character, a girl not knowing what she wants to do with her life, something which we all go through at some point of time."

Rebutting statements attributed to her about not being interested in Bollywood films, Freida said she has been misquoted and she would very much like to work not only in Bollywood, but also Indian cinema if the script is good.

She said it's wrong to typecast Bollywood and named films like DEV D, OMKARA, KHOSLA KA GHOSLA to stress her point.

Talking about her future projects, the SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE girl said she is working on three projects-IMMORTALS by an Indian director Tarsem Singh, RISE OF APES (on animal testing) to be directed by Rupert Wyatt and BLACK GOLD to be shot in Tunisia by French director Jean-Jacques Annaud.

The film, YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER, tickled the funny bone of the audience during its screening at IFFI.

Comcast internet abuse neutrality problem

 

The net neutrality debate has flared up once again, with arguments between cable operator Comcast and broadband backbone provider Level 3 over new fees for data transport. Level 3 has accused Comcast of charging extra for content delivered to Comcast subscribers from Level 3′s customers, “effectively putting up a toll booth at the borders of its broadband Internet access network, enabling it to unilaterally decide how much to charge for content which competes with its own cable TV and Xfinity delivered content.” However, Comcast argues that this isn’t an open access issue, and is in fact Level 3 offering CDN (Content Delivery Network) services to its clients but refusing the pay the going rate for such data transport to Comcast.

“What Level 3 wants is to pressure Comcast into accepting more than a twofold increase in the amount of traffic Level 3 delivers onto Comcast’s network — for free. In other words, Level 3 wants to compete with other CDNs, but pass all the costs of that business onto Comcast and Comcast’s customers, instead of Level 3 and its customers” Comcast statement

Level 3′s stance is that Comcast is using its control over customer cable access to limit which companies can compete and unfairly drive up costs while holding them to ransom. Comcast was issued a C&D order by the FCC in April this year for throttling video bandwidth to better balance overall traffic for all users (a ruling which was overturned recently by a court of appeal); Level 3 is pushing for this incident to be seen in a similar light.
It seems Comcast would be happy if Level 3 started paying it the same as other CDN providers currently do, but of course Level 3 is reluctant to lose its price advantage over rivals. Meanwhile Comcast is apparently threatening that Level 3 must accept the terms or face a block on its traffic. The FCC is likely to vote on net neutrality later this month.

Pack of Drugs Helps Mothers Protect Babies Zambian women ,Zambian women between the ages of 15 and 40 have HIV

Close to 400,000 African children are infected with HIV every year - nearly one in five of these infected during birth or shortly thereafter because their mothers lack access to antiretroviral drugs.

The situation points back to the high HIV prevalence amongst women of reproductive age, especially in Southern Africa. Zambia is one of the countries recognised for making progress in addressing the problem.

Seventy thousand Zambian women between the ages of 15 and 40 have HIV; the health ministry says 85 thousand children are living with the virus.

Zambia faces several obstacles to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, including testing; obtaining and delivering treatment to women, particularly in rural areas where there is an acute shortage of medical personnel.

The country is addressing this in several ways, including vastly increasing the number of HIV testing facilities.

Zambia has also introduced a new HIV infection prevention tool: a new drugs kit called Mother-Baby Pack is a pre-packaged set of medicines including maternal and baby prophylactic anti-retroviral medicines in line with the World Health Organization's Guidelines. The medicine comes in a box with clear directions for when a mother should take the drugs as well as when and how to administer them during the child’s first month of life.

Despite limited resources, Zambia has been praised for progress in getting the right care to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers living with HIV. The project is being implemented in eight of the country's 76 districts.

"The proactive stance taken by Zambia’s [health] ministry of and its adherence and application of the WHO 2010 guidelines to infection prevention of children has greatly helped Zambia achieve a lot towards trying to reduce this mode of HIV transmission," says Susan Stressor, country director for Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation.   According to Stressor, the mother-baby pack has a 95 percent chance of preventing mother to child transmission of HIV, which she says is much more effective than the previous regimen.

"By distributing the pack, we will be helping mothers enjoy the opportunity to be able to breastfeed their infants without any fear at all. This pack enables the mother to take full control of her health and that of the infant," says Stressor.

Ruth Chisonga (not her real name) is a single mother of two who earns her living buying and selling second hand clothes in Lusaka. She has been HIV-positive for five years, and is on antiretrovirals.

Chisonga is happy at the news of the new mother-baby Pack which she feels enable her to giver birth to an HIV free child next when she decides to get pregnant, but free her from the hassle of walking long distances to collect medication.   "It’s very hard for me to walk all the way. Now this kit, once it’s made available, I think it will be easier to use and will greatly lessen the chances of missing treatment schedules because I will be empowered to administer the drugs myself," she says.

"The mother-baby packs provide mothers who are living with HIV with the drugs they need before, during and after giving birth.  This will help build an HIV-free generation in Zambia," says Stressor.

Chisonga would like to see the mother-baby pack programme scaled up country-wide to empower mothers like her.

According to the health ministry, 63 percent of pregnant women living with HIV are receiving antiretroviral medicines to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child.

Eat Right for Glowing Skin This Winter, i want glowing skin in winter, how to get glowing skin in winter

 

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	Eat Right for Glowing Skin This Winter Winter can be harsh on our skin. Here's how you could protect your skin from the winter blues...

Winter and vehicular pollution can leave your skin dry and dull. But you can get the golden glow back by sprinkling some flax seed on your salad or making juices from vegetables like spinach and beetroot!

"Yes, it is possible to eat one's way to good skin! We just need to hydrate our skin by consuming plenty of liquids and the right food," Aparna Tandon, senior nutritionist, VLCC Nutri-Diet Clinic, told IANS.

With winter setting in, there is a lot of tasty and tempting food around. And the road to good skin doesn't need to be bland; it can, in fact, be enjoyable, Tandon said.

"A lot of vegetables are available in winter; so vegetable juices can be made using spinach, beetroot and amla among others," said Tandon. "Tomatoes are also good for the skin and help keep the skin moist and glowing."

Dry skin needs to be moisturised not only from the outside but also from within by continuous consumption of water and other fluids.

Tandon names a few juices that are good for the skin whenever available fresh. "One can have orange juice, guava juice and coconut water which not only tastes well, but is rich in vitamins as well. Most fruit juices are good for the skin, but they should be in natural form, not packaged."

She also explains snacking can be good and there is always something healthy to munch, whether you are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian.

"Snacking is a good thing if one has the right snacks. You can have salmon which has Omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetarians can have flax seed, and nuts like almonds are the best, they have Vitamin-E and protein which is good for the skin's elasticity," she said.

"You can also have fruit chaat and sprout chaat. Sprouts are the only form in which pulses give Vitamin-C," she added.
Divya Mathur, a senior nutritionist, seconds Tandon's stand on flax seed but has some winter specific ideas when it comes selecting the right food for glowing skin.

"Flax seeds are warm and can be sprinkled over salads making them a very good winter snack," Mathur said.

"Apart from flax seed, you can have high fibre food like white oats, oat bran, you can make upma and poha, vegetable juices like beetroot and amla are also really good for the skin," said Mathur.

She feels it is possible to have tasty, but healthy food. "If one wants to have something that is tasty one can have grilled and tandoori fish items, but not fried."

Also, it is important to have knowledge of different vitamins in different foods that are good for the skin.

Delhi-based model Purvi Ahuja says it is important to consume a lot of water so that the skin can be rid of toxins. "I drink plenty of liquids to keep my skin hydrated. I also try to avoid oily food. As long as one eats fresh vegetables and fruits, that's all you need. It is possible to eat your way to good skin; it worked for me," she said.

Model Sonalika Sahay said: "I don't follow a set diet, but I'm particular about eating the right stuff like lots of salads and liquids. Yes, it is important to eat right, not only for your skin but for your body as well."

Malaika Arora Khan Sex Bomb available for Night,

Sex Bomb available for Night
Sex Bomb Malaika Arora Khan(Mahesh's 'Athidhi' item song fame) is much in demand these days. With the year coming to a close, Malaika has become one of the most sought after beauties in town. And it’s her much popular 'Munni' number in 'Dabangg' that has made her such a hit. Believe it or not, but the actress has been offered a whopping sum of Rs 2.5 crore to perform at a five-star hotel on New Year's Eve. Confirming the news, Malaika said, "Offers to perform on New Year's Eve have come to me from various places; some have been fantastic." Though the Offers were good, she took time to choose the venue. Malaika Arora Khan has finally chosen the hotel where she will perform on New Year's Eve: The Sahara Star. The venue is not just convenient for her but the hotel met all her requirements. So Munni will get to dance in Mumbai after three long years. Talking about Malaika's New Year's performances, a source said, "Malaika hasn't performed at New Year's Eve for the last three years. This year, however, she is performing, given the track's popularity. And though she has always had great offers come her way, this year it's the best. She is being wooed over bigger names like Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif and Mallika Sherawat." Malaika had offers from Marriott, Sahara Star and Country Club among other venues. She decided to perform at The Sahara Star. It's not just how much she will get paid but her comfort level too, which made her choose it.

i mix Alcohol and Energy drink, energy drink and Alcohol,Dont Mix Alcohol with Energy Drinks

Dont Mix Alcohol with Energy Drinks

 

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	Don't Mix Alcohol with Energy Drinks Research suggests that energy drinks contain more caffeine and sugar than a cup of coffee. If...

According to a study by team at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, energy drinks contain more caffeine and sugar than a cup of coffee. Caffeine content in an energy drink is 70- 200 mg per 500 ml. That is nearly double the amount in your regular cup of java! (500 ml of instant coffee contains up to 100 mg caffeine).

Not just that, they contain ingredients that are often 'not' mentioned on the label, like herbal stimulant guarana, the amino acid taurine, and other herbs, minerals and vitamins that react with the caffeine. This affects our heart rates, blood pressure and even mental states. The effects worsen if the drink is consumed with alcohol.

We asked experts for more reasons why we should not mix energy drinks with alcohol and here’s what they had to say:

Missing the energy
“Most energy drinks are meant to stimulate your brain. They are therefore high in caffeine, vitamins and minerals,” says Mumbai-based physician, Dr Sunita Dube. It also contains gluconolactone that causes energy drinks to produce more energy and make you more alert. “If consumed with alcohol, these drinks delays the release of energy and causes fatigue,” she explains.

“We don’t feel tired because we are toxicated and under the influence of alcohol; whereas the strong dose of vitamins and minerals detoxify us. So, our brain receives mixed signals,” says Mumbai-based nutritionist Sushila Sharangdhar. “That is also why one tends to feel out of energy after staying up all night studying or completing a project with the help of an energy drink,” she says.

So addictive!
The effect energy drinks have on us is temporary. So, though we tend to get hyperactive and excited post a drink, we start to feel low on energy and get irritable as soon as the effect starts wearing out. “One may also get addicted to energy drinks if he/she depends on them for their dose of energy over a period of time,” Dr Sunita says.
So, next time you feel the need for a shot of energy, run to the water cooler or grab a fruit juice instead of a can of energy drink for a happier you!

suma and nagarjuna akkeneni Hot suma TV Anchor Dabba beating for Nagarjuna

Watching the audio release functions of star hero movies on TV channels has these days become the biggest torture. Lady TV anchors hosting these events attained profuse knowledge of making the heroes flat with their praises which crossed the irritating levels. Same such experienced at 'Ragada' audio release function when TV anchor Suma constantly commended the handsome looks of Nagarjuna. Irritated legendary hero ANR, father of Nagarjuna requested Suma not to go for that much of 'Dabba' beating because he himself is regarded as more handsome than Nagarjuna. Suma tried to show her generosity by accepting ANR's words but by then Akkineni Fans in auditorium understood that Suma was given a good bump by grandpa ANR. Too much of anything is too bad. Anchors like Suma and Udayabhanu must try to learn this.

Sonali Bendre spent some really anxious moments with car driver

Sexy Siren Sonali Bendre spent some really anxious moments as she was convinced that either her car was stolen or that her driver might have driven off with it. "Sonali Bendre had gone for an event to a hotel in Mumbai. When the event got over she kept on calling her driver to get the car. However, the phone was out of reach. Sonali and her two managers went to look for the car and tried to locate it for one-and-a-half hours. They searched but could not find the car. They started suspecting that the posh car worth crores was missing. So, they then thought of going back to the hotel and calling the police. They reached the hotel and saw that the driver was waiting with the car. He had apparently gone off to sleep and had not realized that the phone got switched off," said a close friend of Sonali. The incident was indeed hilarious but we still do not know whether the sexy beauty had the spunk to laugh over it after fearing a car loss for more than an hour!

The Fighter storyline,The Fighter story,The Fighter cast,The Fighter details,The Fighter Reviews

The Fighter

Cast

Credited cast:
	Mark Wahlberg	...	'Irish' Mickey Ward
	Christian Bale	...	Dickie Eklund
	Amy Adams	...	Charlene
	Robert Wahlberg	...	Prison Guard
	Melissa Leo	...	Alice
	Dendrie Taylor	...	Gail 'Red Dog' Eckland Carney
	Jack McGee	...	George Ward
	Jenna Lamia	...	Sherri Ward

Storyline

The Fighter, is a drama about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime. 

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating MPAA

Rated R for language throughout, drug content, some violence and sexuality.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 December 2010 (USA) 

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA 

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Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Fun Facts

Trivia

Art Ramalho's gym is the actual Lowell West End Gym and not a set. This is in fact where Micky trained and is still a functioning boxing gym to this day. 

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 Reviews

 

This is the film that David O'Russell and the cast and crew have outdone themselves on. the best way to say it is WIcked outstanding. It not only told the story of "Irish" Micky Ward, Dickie Eklund and the family aspect but was a credit to the real internal and external struggle of never giving up. "the fighter " does proper justice to the hardworking ways and the People of Mass and Boston areas.

In this film , the title has a double meaning as not only being a fighter as a boxer but speaks to many that in regular life that being "The Fighter" success can happen if you put the work in. The story does have strong female leads in this film that has never been shown in previous boxing based films. It is a cross over to both worlds ( male and female, Young and Old) and those that would usually skip a Boxing based film as it is much more then just that.

I was at screening of "The Fighter" in the Beverly Hills theater with Director David O'Russell and main Cast ( Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams ,Melissa Leo) The Director and cast show their love and passion for this film and how hard they all worked to make this possible in their very warm words and replies to the questions from the audience. In all , a class group of fine professionals and actors put their heart and soul into this one and I hope their efforts are well rewarded when it comes time to nominate and vote for Oscars.

iPad goes free in Japan with Softbank deal

 

After UK carriers announced plans to subsidize the iPad last week, it was only a matter of time until rivals were simply giving them away. Japanese carrier Softbank is preparing to offer free iPad WiFi + 3G tablets with two year data contracts as part of an “iPad for Everybody” promotion; the iOS slate is free but the 25-month agreement is 4,725 yen ($56) per month.


Softbank is throwing in 24-months of free WiFi access at its hotspots, and if you’d rather a larger-capacity version of the iPad you can have that too, as long as you don’t mind paying extra upfront. It’s unlikely to work out cheaper in the long-term, but it’s a sign that iPad availability is trickling down to all price points in its drive to undermine PC growth.

Uganda Govt Launches Investment Reform Program Supported by World Bank Group

press release

The World Bank Group and the government of Uganda announced today that Uganda has launched a four-year program to simplify, improve and reform its business and investment regulations to stimulate broad economic growth, especially the growth of smaller businesses.

The reform program, supported by the World Bank Group, will focus on reducing regulatory costs and risks associated with obtaining business licenses, and on simplifying and reducing taxes for small and medium enterprises. The program will also study investment generation – including support for Special Economic Zones and investment policy and promotion – as well as broad regulatory reform.
Uganda’s Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Syda Bumba, said, “We have seen first-hand the work done by Zambia, Kenya and other governments in cutting red tape, with the help of the Investment Climate team of the World Bank Group. We are therefore requesting similar support for our business regulatory regime.”

Peter Ladegaard, East and Southern Africa’s Regional Program Manager for the Investment Climate Advisory Services of the World Bank Group, said, “We want to bring our full support and expertise to the government of Uganda to enable it to pass reforms that will have a significant and positive impact on the creation and growth of its enterprises.”

Uganda’s legal and regulatory regime is cited as one of the biggest challenges constraining the country’s private sector. A recent World Bank Group study of Uganda’s business licensing regime puts the annual private sector regulatory compliance costs at $175 million per year, which represents 1.3 percent of the country’s GDP.
A World Bank Investment Climate Assessment, also launched today, shows that tax policy and administration and licensing issues rank among the top 10 investment climate challenges affecting Uganda. The country ranked 122 out of 183 economies in the 2011 Doing Business Report, a World Bank and IFC survey of global business regulations and their enforcement.
The World Bank Group supported reform program will work to address the challenges holding back private sector growth in Uganda. It aims to reduce the overall regulatory burden and risk to business by 25% by 2014, and lead to the broadening of the tax base through enhanced SME tax compliance.

Nigeria Tackling Security Challenges

Nigeria, On the Verge of Major some say decisive - transitional elections in 2011, is suddenly faced with growing security challenges that could spell doom unless there are appropriate measures to tackle them. These threats are both internal and foreign, considering situations within and the constant interception of imported arms.

Why is there a resurgence of rebellion in the Niger Delta while the post-amnesty programme is rounding up at the Obubra camp? Is there any connection with the October 1 bombing in Abuja? Kidnapping and violent robberies, facilitated by the availability of imported sophisticated weapons, are on the rise. These crimes are acquiring a national spread, away from their former locations in the South-South and South-East.
The Boko Haram sect has resumed its violent campaigns in the North-East after it spirited its detained members from Bauchi Prisons last September. Its prime target are security agents.
Is it possible this sect and the resurgent militant groups in the Niger Delta have foreign collaborators?
Answers to these curious situations are important as Nigeria presses towards one of its most trying internal security operations - elections.
They demand too many security people to spare any for the type of challenges at hand. Peace during and after the elections, is critical to sustaining the development of the country.

Nigeria is peaceful, in relation to other countries. She plays commanding roles in global peace-keeping operations. Her leadership in the liberation struggles around Africa is widely acknowledged. She is a prime target of international saboteurs for obvious reasons.
Her myriad of internal problems aside, Nigeria is paradoxically perceived to be on the threshold of economic ascendancy. She is currently ranked the 39th strongest and the third fastest growing economy in the world.
The world is beginning to see the unfolding greatness of this country. Not everyone will be happy about this.
Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in his recent visit with top managers of JP Morgan, renowned international bankers, said the world was excited about Nigeria's economic prospects. It is not all talk; JP Morgan has decided to commence full operations in Nigeria.

Some medium powers, rivals to Nigeria, especially, in the Middle-East, with a tendency for rogue behaviour in the international community, may want to undermine Nigeria's internally and sabotage the much-anticipated take-off to greatness. A successful transition next year will be one of the steps to the commencement of that journey.
In tackling the security challenges, Nigerians, particularly the security agencies, should rev up to new levels of vigilance and security consciousness. Security is the business of everyone, but enough efforts are never made to ensure security is the concern of all.
More needs to be done at the level of intelligence. Some past security breaches left Nigerians wondering about the roles of the various security agencies
A recent development is the consistent recourse to the armed forces for internal security. Ordinarily, this should be the job of the police, at the level of enforcement. The intelligence wings of the armed forces and other security agencies should operate without the exposure to the public that is becoming the order of the day.

The armed forces are mostly to protect the nation from external aggression. They should not be distracted from this by engaging excessively in internal operations.
In assigning some internal security roles to the armed forces, Section 217 (2) of the Constitution states, "The Federation shall, subject to an Act of the National Assembly made in that behalf, equip and maintain the armed forces as may be considered adequate and effective for the purpose of (c) suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the President."
These are meant to be light operations. It is important government decides what to do with the police. The other security agencies are taking over its duties and the ineffectiveness of the police in dealing with internal security stares us in the face daily.

Every new expenditure on the police seems a waste. States, local governments, organisations, businesses and individuals are donating equipment and money running into billions of Naira annually to the police. Its efficiency remains low. The solution cannot lie in farming out the duties of the police, which are constitutionally listed in Section 213 to other agencies.
However, no single arm of the security agencies can secure the nation. We suggest a more coordinated response by security outfits and the involvement of the citizens in tackling our growing security problems.
Where external threats are identified, we should emulate the decisiveness of The Gambia in expelling all Iranian diplomats when it learnt Iran was targeting it for destabilisation.
Security is critical for Nigeria to arrive at the greatness that is awaiting it. A profound understanding of the security challenges the country faces will be critical to her successful journey to greatness.

Somalia Baby Steps Towards a PMTCT Programme,

 Many African countries are struggling to eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission, a vital component of the universal access to HIV prevention target, but in Somalia a programme to prevent such infections is just getting started.

In 2008, only six Somali women received prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) services, although more than 2,600 women were estimated to need them. Not a single health centre delivered the complete PMTCT package which includes HIV counselling and testing, antiretroviral prophylaxis and infant feeding support.
Earlier this year, however, a programme finally got off the ground, with PMTCT services starting to be offered at 21 sites in all three Somali regions - Puntland in the northeast, Somaliland in the northwest and south-central Somalia.
Faisa Abdirashid, HIV officer with UNICEF in Puntland, explained that women who test positive receive psychosocial support and are referred to hospitals where they receive antiretrovirals to prevent transmission as well as advice on infant feeding options.
In addition, UNICEF and its partners are strengthening Somalia's weak health system by renovating health facilities and training health workers.

Progress
The PMTCT programme aims to reach 5,000 pregnant women annually with a comprehensive package, but so far, uptake has been slow.
In the first half of 2010, 1,344 women were tested at the PMTCT sites, 10 of whom tested positive (HIV prevalence in Somalia is comparatively low at 0.7 percent, according to the latest figures from UNAIDS).
I know that a mother can transmit [HIV] to her child, but I don't know how

Abdirashid said although uptake of services is low, it has been increasing every month. In Eldere and Harardhere (in south-central Somalia), for example, the number of pregnant women who accepted HIV counselling and testing nearly doubled during the July to September period compared to previous months. In total, 41 percent of the 2,185 women who came for antenatal visits agreed to be tested.
Challenges
Abdirashid noted that health services remain unavailable in most villages and that most Somali women still have very low awareness of HIV.
"I know that a mother can transmit [HIV] to her child, but I don't know how," said Hibo Osman, a mother of one from Hargeisa, capital of Somaliland.

According to the latest UN General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS report from Somalia, a knowledge, attitude and practice baseline survey conducted in Puntland's Mudug region in 2008 found that less than 1 percent of respondents identified PMTCT as an important intervention for preventing HIV transmission to an unborn baby.
According to Abdirashid, stigma is also a major barrier to PMTCT efforts.
"Some of the women who refused the HIV testing did so because they feared the stigma that an HIV-positive diagnosis would bring, especially within their own families," she said.

Anwar Abdirahman Warsame, executive director of the Sahan Network, a local NGO working in the field of HIV in Somaliland, confirmed that people with HIV are severely discriminated against, often by their own families and communities. "It is very necessary to give more education of the disease and its transmission to the public," he said.
Efforts to expand the PMTCT programme are also limited by the country's poor health infrastructure and continuing insecurity in south-central Somalia. In areas that are particularly difficult to work in, UNICEF is partnering with local NGOs to ensure women can access services.
"UNICEF and partners plan to scale up the number of [PMTCT] sites," said Abdirashid. "Awareness-raising will also be increased - messages are passed on at maternal and child health centres, through radio and other education and communication materials."