India mourns death of Manekshaw, crafted 1971 victory over Pakistan

The nation on June 27 mourned the death of one of its greatest military heroes since independence, former Indian Army chief Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw who crafted India's stupendous victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led the nation in paying tribute to Sam Bahadur, as he was affectionately called by the troops who served under him, describing him as one of India's greatest soldiers and "a truly inspiring leader".

In his condolence message, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said, "He was one of the most decorated officers of the Indian Army. In his demise, the nation has lost a great soldier, a true patriot and a noble son."

"Sharp and witty till the end and imbued with an indomitable fighting spirit, Manekshaw will continue to live on in the minds of committed citizens and will inspire them to take the nation forward," Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Fali Homi Major said in his condolence message.

"Manekshaw's greatest contribution was restoration of confidence of the Indian Army after the (Chinese) debacle of 1962 and leading India to victory in the 1971 war (that resulted in the creation of Bangladesh)," said noted security analyst Commodore (retd) C. Uday Bhaskar.

"He demonstrated the highest level of politi co-military astuteness by getting the army in shape on one hand and dealing with the then prime minister Indira Gandhi," Bhaskar, a former deputy director of think-tank Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, added.

"It is sad news that we got in the morning.

For the nation and the armed forces, he has been the greatest military leader since independence," said former army chief Gen. V.P Malik.

"He was also a great communicator and motivator. He had the knack of inspiring people just with his presence. He had a high level of integrity and uprightness." Malik added.

This sentiment was echoed by Lt. Gen. (retd) R. Madan Gopal, a former Director General of Military Operations.

"Despite his advancing age, Sam carried himself with dignity and I am proud to have been in the Gorkha regiment to which he belonged.

"He touched the lives of every army officer and jawan who came in contact with him, inspiring a fierce faith that no one else could have done," Gopal said.

The Delhi Symphony Society (DSS), of which Manekshaw was president for almost 20 years, also remembered him.

"His biggest day was when he welcomed (conductor) Zubin Mehta in 1994 for a concert by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium," said DSS secretary Gautam Kaul, a former head of the Indo Tibetan Border Police Force.

Korea, United States break nuke deadlock

North Korea submitted a long delayed declaration of its nuclear program on Thursday, as the Bush administration immediately responded by saying it would remove the country it once described as part of the "axis of evil" from the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The declaration was believed to provide a partial, though important, view of North Korea's nuclear capability, and it marked a significant step forward in a multi-national effort to end the country's drive to build nuclear weapons.

China, which has hosted the six-nation talks on the North's nuclear program, said Thursday afternoon that the North would abide by Thursday's deadline to submit its declaration. But an hour later, South Korea, another participant, said the North had already handed the declaration to China.

Whatever the source of the confusion, the White House announced shortly afterward that it would remove North Korea from the terrorism list and thus make it eligible for aid and assistance, a goal long sought by the cash-starved country.

The North was scheduled to follow up on Friday by blowing up a cooling tower at its Yongbyon reactor, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang. Pyongyang has invited officials and television networks from the five nations negotiating with the North on its nuclear program - the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Russia - to witness the tower's demolition. But the destruction, which is expected to be broadcast live, will be largely symbolic since the reactor was disabled late last year under American supervision. U.S. officials expected that the declaration, which had been due at the end of last year, would provide details about North Korea's nuclear facilities and programs, including the amount of plutonium produced at its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon.

"I do think it's important to note that if we can verifiably determine the amount of plutonium that has been made, we then have an upper hand in understanding what may have happened in terms of weaponization," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, after arriving in Kyoto, Japan, on Thursday for a Group of 8 meeting.

Ms Rice added that the declaration was "a natural step on the way to dealing verifiable with the devices or weapons themselves."

Partly to deflect criticism from hard-line critics in Washington that the current deal was too soft on North Korea, American officials have emphasized the importance of the information on plutonium. The North is believed to have produced enough weapons-grade plutonium at its reactor in Yongbyon to make as many as half a dozen bombs.

But, significantly, the North's declaration was not expected to reveal details on three critical points: the nuclear bombs the North has already produced; its alleged attempts to produce nuclear arms by secretly enriching uranium, which triggered the ongoing crisis in 2002; and accusations that the North helped Syria build a nuclear plant.

Some of the missing details, particularly on the North's existing nuclear bombs, are expected to be revealed at the next stage of the step-by-step agreement.

Gujarat turns to Shanghai developers to build a ‘towering’ financial hub

Mumbai's Shanghai dreams may not have taken off, but Gujarat may soon be getting there. The state is working on a customised financial services and business district, to be designed by a company that has built more than two-third of Shanghai’s buildings.

A team of designers from the East China Architectural Design and Research Institute (ECADI) was here last week to present concept designs of six skyscrapers — one may possibly be the tallest in India — for the planned Gujarat International Finance Tec-city (GIFT).

The project, which will be located along the eastern banks of Sabarmati on the outskirts of Gandhinagar, will have the region’s tallest high rise — over 350 metres. The signature skyscraper is likely to be called “The Diamond Tower” to mark Gujarat’s eminence as the diamond hub of the world.

The other highrises too will be based on a special theme. While promoters are tightlipped about the project details, the towers are expected to measure 200-350 metres high, and will “carry the imprint of Gujarat’s cultural heritage”.

“First, we have to sell the space,” says GIFT chairman Sudhir Mankad, amid hectic parleys that have seen memoranda of understanding for over 80 million sq ft of business space against 75 million sq ft planned for the first phase by 2010.

A joint venture between the Gujarat Urban Development Company (GUDC) and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS), GIFT is to be benchmarked as a global finance hub on the lines of London Dockyards, Lujiazui Shanghai, or Shinjuku in Tokyo.

While some work in the form of levelling of land has already begun, sources say the construction activity was likely to begin in September. Spread over 500 acres, the core area of GIFT would be a showcase business district, with its engineering geared for a “plug-n-play” and “walk-to-work” concepts.

“Details are being worked out keeping in mind 100 years of scalability, so that the ground infrastructure would need no changes,” say sources.

The hub will be connected to the Gandhinagar-Ahmedabad highway through two landmark bridges on the Sabarmati and a possible tunnel under the river.

“Given the scale, much underground work will need to be done in terms of laying the cables, pipes, wires to enable those highrises,” say government officials.

With the Gujarat government and IL&FS contributing Rs 25 crore each by way of equity, GIFT would also consider going public in more favourable market conditions. The construction cost is pegged at Rs 50,000 crore. Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office say GIFT would be hawked during the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit.

ECADI is credited with building or designing prestigious landmark buildings in Shanghai like the Shanghai World Financial Centre (101 floors, 492 m), Shimao International Plaza (60 floors, 330 m), 21st Century Tower (48 floors, 180 m), Jin Mao Tower (88 floors, 421 m), Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Oriental Art Centre, and the Shanghai Supreme People’s Court.

Kapil’s English raised the ‘fun’ quotient

It turned out to be a memorable tour and the fact that we triumphed wasn't the only reason. We enjoyed ourselves on the field and during the practice sessions. There were hardly any expectations from us, and consequently, there was little or no pressure on us. Jimmy Amarnath was our pillar of strength and the idea was to bat around him. That apart, I don't think anything significant was discussed at the team meetings. The highlight of the ‘discussions’ was Kapil Dev’s insistence on speaking in English. He probably felt like doing so because we were in England. But nobody really understood what he said and that heightened the ‘fun’ quotient! We must thank Kapil for continuing to speak in English!

It was a team of ‘characters’. Sunil Gavaskar was unfortunate to share the room with me till his wife arrived and I could not help but feel that he did not score runs only because I troubled him a lot. I was nervous on the eve of our first game against the West Indies and attacked Sunil with questions. “Will I be able to see the ball?” was one of them. Sunil reminded me that I had faced the likes of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and Richard Hadlee. The vibes we got from the other teams, Zimbabwe apart, at the opening ceremony weren't very positive. It was almost as if they thought we did not deserve to be there.

We went on to play excellent cricket to reach the semifinals. You are bound to succeed if you get the basics right and each of us did that.

We went into the semifinals as the underdogs. England, it appeared, had already started celebrating their entry into the final. That irritated us for we had worked very hard to reach the knockout stage. The majority felt we would be better off bowling first to enable our seamers to capitalise on the morning conditions. As it turned out, Bob Willis won the toss and elected to bat. Our seamers carried on from where they had left off. I don't think the teams took any Indian bowler, other than Kapil seriously. Balwinder Sandhu, Roger Binny, Madan Lal and Jimmy used the English conditions very well. Kirti Azad choked England in the semifinal. England got 213, which in those days was a formidable score even in a sixty-over game. The openers gave us a good start and Jimmy and Yashpal Sharma shared a fruitful stand. People give me credit for attacking the bowling towards the end but it was the Jimmy-Yashpal stand that set things up in our favour. There was a stage when Kirti, Kapil and I were padded up with the asking-rate hovering around the six-per-over mark. Sunil suggested we stick to the original order and Kapil agreed, considering we had been calm through the tournament. I went in after Jimmy's dismissal and got my timing right. We made it to the final and the rest is history. It feels great to be recognised and rewarded for the achievement after all these years. That the BCCI is doing so is the proverbial icing on the cake. It's like your father rewarding you.

Puppet classes make learning science fun

What do puppets have to do with rain harvesting, fissures in the earth’ surface and environmental issues?

A lot, if you ask the participants at the just concluded workshop organised by the Indian Science Communication Society at the Regional Science City in Lucknow.

The 35-odd students from various schools mastered the art of ‘Joyful Science through Puppetry’. They made puppets, then wrote scripts on issues related to science and then did a bit of acting to convey the message to the audience.

“The workshop was designed to familiarise children to issues that concern their lives. We brought in puppetry because it made the whole experience of learning science rather joy ful. It was a unique marriage of science and arts and the children enjoyed it thoroughly,” says Mr P. K. Jain, education officer at the Regional Science City.

The participants, all of them from class 7 and above, took up the issue of rain harvesting and water conservation and enacted it through a puppet skit titled Pakdo, Pani Bhaga. The issue of the earth surface developing fissures due to excessive ground water exploitation was also addressed by the children.

Pahada Pa Ka highlighted the relationship between tree and water while Kahan Se Kahan Tak underlined the pollution due to increasing vehicular traffic. It also urged people to understand the need for a clean environment. Niyati Das, a class 9 student who participated in the workshop, found the experience ‘unique and interesting’.

“We got to learn how to make puppets, how to write scripts for plays and how to act.

Somewhere in between, we also learnt about science and its impact on our lives. With my friends, I now plan to star a similar workshop in my colony,” she says.

Mr Jain says that the idea of the workshop was top spread the message through children.

Celine Dion tops poll for world’s worst cover version

Celine Dion has come top of a magazine poll on the world’s worst cover versions. Total Guitar magazine said the Canadian singer’s rendition of AC/DC classic “You Shook Me All Night Long” put her in the No. 1 slot of the list published in its July issue.

Dion never released the song as a single but performed what the magazine called the “offence” against music at a Las Vegas concert six years ago in a duet with Anastacia.

In second place was a Sugababes and Girls Aloud version of “Walk This Way” which was a huge hit for Aerosmith and rappers Run DMC. Third was Westlife’s version of Extreme’s “More Than Words.”

Will Young’s cover of The Doors’ ”Light My Fire” came fourth, while The Mike Flowers Pops’ reworking of “Wonderwall” by Oasis was ranked fifth.

Jimi Hendrix’s cover version of the Bob Dylan song “All Along the Watchtower” came top of the contrasting list of most successful cover versions. This was followed by The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” which was first recorded by The Top Notes.

Guns N’ Roses version of the Wings’ song “Live and Let Die”, Nirvana’s “The Man Who Sold the World” that was first sung by David Bowie, and Muse’s “Feeling Good” were also featured in the top five.

Watch superheros fight evil -- on your mobile phone

After taking on the big and small screens, comic book heroes like Spiderman and Superman may soon be appearing on an even smaller screen -- your mobile phone.

Suit-clad businessmen reading comic books are a common sight on Japanese trains, but they could soon be poring over their phones with publishers increasingly digitalizing their comics to cash in on the country's mobile-savvy consumers.

The July 11 launch of Apple Inc's APPL.O iPhone could also spur the growth of the mobile comic market as the device's touch-screen would make it easier and more appealing to read comics on handsets, analysts say.

As the number of mobile phone subscribers approaches 108 million, or 85 percent of Japan's population, carriers are moving away from voice services, beefing up content services and data transmission to increase revenues.

E-mailing, music-downloads and Internet surfing are already popular, and analysts expect comics to be the next big thing with the number of titles for mobile use soaring recently.

Comics led the size of the mobile publication market to double in the last business year to 22 billion yen ($204 million), according to Internet and media research firm Impress R&D. The size is almost three times bigger than the e-publication market for PCs.

"Until now, users had been extensively using mobile phones for emails," said Shinko Securities analyst Tomohiko Okugawa said. "Now that's shifting to games and comics ... this is the area it's going to be very interesting."

Top mobile phone carriers -- NTT DoCoMo Inc , KDDI Corp and Softbank Corp -- recently unveiled handsets and services, enhancing features like video downloads and animated e-mails, a move seen benefiting content providers such as MTI Ltd , DeNA and Dwango.

"We cannot be ahead of competition just by prices, features and sounds like we used to, and now we have to improve contents and user-friendliness to position ourselves apart from the rivals," said Toshitake Amamiya, general manager of KDDI's content and media division.

"The importance of contents has been growing ... It is crucial to pursue what we can do in this market where each adult always carries around a mobile phone and uses it ,as a life tool."

Nikko Citigroup analyst Hiroshi Yamashina said the bigger, better screens of new cell phones will help make mobile comics more popular.

Carriers have been releasing handsets in collaboration with popular TV brands, with some of them boasting 3.3-inch screens. Yamashina said the launch of Apple Inc's iPhone would also push up popularity of mobile comics as it can revive the sense of turning pages on its touch-screen.

Gadget buyers seen as assertive, even arrogant: study

Know someone who loves gadgets and can't wait to buy the newest model? Chances are you would describe them as assertive and a strong leader -- and possibly arrogant, according a U.S. research.

An online study evaluating the characteristics of 25,000 American adults found avid technology consumers tended to score highly in personality traits such as leadership, dynamism and assertiveness -- but low in modesty.

"A lot of previous research points to wealthy young males as early adopters of technology," said Sarah Welch, lead researcher at Internet ad network firm Mindset Media that conducted the study in partnership with Nielsen Online.

"But this study tells us that there are characteristics beyond age and gender and income that are also extremely highly correlated with tech consumption," she added.

The study looked at 20 personality traits or "mindsets" including openness, creativity, self esteem and spontaneity.

Respondents were rated on a scale of 1 through 5, with 1 representing those who demonstrated the least amount of a given mindset and 5 representing those who demonstrated the highest intensity of a mindset.

Those who scored a 5 in leadership were 68 percent more likely to have purchased three or more computers in the past two years, the study found.

Likewise, respondents who rated highly in assertiveness were 62 percent more likely to purchase a new cell phone when the newest model arrived on the market.

Although tech consumers don't fit a typical demographic mold, the findings weren't entirely surprising, Welch said.

"If you look at those with qualities of a modern leader, they're often forward-facing and interested in what's next," she said.

"And those who are really assertive are the types to grab life by the horn, so it also makes sense that when they see something they want or like they go straight for it."

Welch said the results could have implications for technology companies looking to attract a new set of consumers and even potentially impact the way such products are designed.

But the study also found that avid tech consumers were also likely to be low in modesty and may be perceived as conceited or arrogant by others.

Low levels of modesty also correlate with what Welch calls "badge-buying", or a tendency to buy luxury brands.

"So there's an element of pride in being able to have the latest and greatest, not just in the realm of technology, but in all other areas," Welch said.

Philadelphia revives citywide Wi-Fi project

Philadelphia revived an effort on Tuesday to provide free citywide wireless Internet access in a project to be run by a new group of investors.

The city aims to provide free-of-charge outdoor Web access throughout its 135 square miles, which would be the largest area covered by public Wi-fi of any U.S. city.

The project, initially launched in 2005, came close to failure when EarthLink, the company that installed wireless transmitters on light poles, abandoned the effort in May amid complaints about signal weakness.

In a city of 1.4 million, about 6,000 people signed up for the EarthLink service.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said the city -- which is providing no public money for the Wi-fi project -- believed it was important to revive the project because of the economic opportunities that can flow from increased Internet access.

"We now have the potential to reach more people with this network than in any other city in America," he said.

The network, which is about 80 percent complete, will now be taken over by Network Acquisition Company LLC, a new company of local investors that will assess the infrastructure and plans to complete the wireless coverage. Service for current users should be uninterrupted, officials said.

EarthLink had difficulty beaming the signal into homes, which City Councilman Bill Green cited as a reason the EarthLink model failed. But he also praised EarthLink for helping to save the network.

Under the new system, people can buy a $200 device called a repeater to bring the signal inside buildings.

The new owners plan to underwrite the cost of public Wi-fi by persuading businesses to buy technology allowing employees to access corporate networks from remote locations.

Revenue from corporate customers would pay for infrastructure to distribute a wireless signal to outdoor areas throughout the city, notably to low-income areas where many residents don't have the Internet access that could improve their ability to find jobs or access public services.

Officials from the new company declined to say how much they had paid for the EarthLink asset, how much they plan to invest or when the network would be complete. Co-founder Mark Rupp said it would take "months" to assess what work needs to be done to complete the network.

California gays, lesbians marry legally

California performed its first legally recognized same-sex weddings on Monday and opened its doors to gay and lesbian couples from around the country, a move likely to challenge other states that define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Octogenarians Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon took the first vows in San Francisco's ornate City Hall in a ceremony presided over by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who said California was leading a trend that would sweep the nation.

Acceptance of gay marriage has grown in the United States but most states outlaw it and, overall, Americans prefer to give marriage-like rights to homosexuals under a different name.

In a November election, Californians have the option to end same-sex marriage, making the next few months a crucial test of whether gays and lesbians can convince fellow citizens that there is no going back on marriage rights for all.

Martin and Lyon, who have been together for more than 50 years, were also the first to be married in 2004, during the "Winter of Love" when about 4,000 same-sex couples exchanged vows. Courts overturned those unions but last month the state Supreme Court struck down a ban on homosexual marriage, with that ruling going into effect late on Monday.

"When we first got together, we weren't really thinking about getting married," Lyon said to a small crowd that laughed, cheered and threw red rose petals.

Southern Californian couple Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, two of the plaintiffs in the state Supreme Court battle, exchanged vows in Beverly Hills, where for years they had petitioned unsuccessfully for a marriage license.

"Here is the final ending to our beautiful story -- 'And they lived happily ever after'," Tyler said.

Nearby, a supporter waived a placard that said "Finally."

Still, opponents aim to fight back in November and change the state constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. Conservative Christians have vowed to get voters to the polls.

California is the second state, after Massachusetts, to marry same-sex couples but it is the first ready to grant licenses to couples from any state. Gay marriage is rejected by 45 states, although New York will honor California unions.

"If marriages performed outside of New York are going to be recognized, I'm sure it won't be too long before (gay) New Yorkers will be able to be married in their own state. So already it is having an impact that crosses to the Atlantic Coast," said Star Trek's Mr. Sulu -- actor George Takei -- who plans to wed longtime partner Brad Altman later this year.

"We are boldly going where no one has gone before," he said, jokingly echoing the opening of the TV series.

SWEEPING CHANGE?

Many countries allow domestic partnerships, although a relative few recognize gay marriage, including Belgium, Canada, Spain and the Netherlands.

Around California, the most populous U.S. state with more than 36 million people, a few marriage offices started ceremonies after 5 p.m. (8 p.m. EDT/0000 GMT) and planned to work into the evening. Hundreds of volunteers have been deputized to marry couples in tents and on courthouse lawns.

They may face opponents such as protesters in San Francisco waving signs reading "Homo Sex is Sin" and similar warnings.

Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, predicted "months of social chaos that could wreak havoc on every state in America."

He said California's new policy "threatens to undo thousands of years of natural marriage."

Less than a third of Americans responding to a recent CBS poll said gay marriage should be legal, although the trend is toward growing acceptance. More than a third opposed gay marriage.

University of Southern California law professor David Cruz predicted the practicalities of married gay couples moving from California to other states would spark change.

"People's attitudes are already changing, and what will change public opinion in favor of same-sex marriages further is knowing same-sex couples and seeing them live their lives like other married couples," he said.

Bad Experience With The Service Of Tata Indicom BroadBand

Hello,

This is Amit Gugale from Nigdi, Pune. I am a customer of the broadband service of Tata Indicom Broadband Limited (which is a sub company in the group Tata Telecommunications).My login id is newtown@eth.net. From around 1 and half months I face a lot of problem with my connection and the company seems to be ignorant in solving the problems.

The details go as below:

An occasional failure in connection was not new to me, I used to put complaint with the customer care of the company (the call center) and it used to get resolve soon. But it happened on 24th of April when I found my connection and immediately registered a complaint no 5550944 with the call center (02060607070). I was assured that the problem will be resolved within 24 hours. So I checked the same on 25th, 26th but found that the connection was not working still. On 27 I got connectivity. From that day the connection was working fine during the day till late in the night. But if I put some stuff for downloading in the night the connection used to get lost late in the night. I observed the same for 4-6 nights, the connection was getting lost at different times in the night varying from 12 am to 2 am and my computer being ON that used to be wastage of power if the connection lost. The connection used to get resume at 9 am. On 8th of May I again registered a technical complaint for this night time connectivity (Complaint no 5676250). And also I registered request for downtime credit for the period when connection was down (Ref 5676362). For the downtime credit an executive Mr. Yogesh from the billing department of Tata Indicom called me up and told that I would be given downtime credit for 3 days 24-25-26 April which would be around Rs. 70 and he had put the same for approval. I argued over this that even the connection was working in day time there was no connectivity late in the night and partial downtime credit must be given for the same. Mr.Yogesh answered "even if 1 MB of usage is found on any particular day then the downtime credit is not given for the day". While this makes no sense because a broad band customer goes for broad band connection because he uses the internet frequently and for longer duration also downloads/uploads large volume of data. 1 Mb of usage per day doesn’t mean that the connection is all fine. I tried to explain him my point of view but Mr. Yogesh kept on repeating "I follow the policy, I cant do anything" etc. Lastly he suggested me to re-escalate the complaint (or request for downtime credit) with the customer care. So did I on the same day i.e. 08 May.

As the billing cycle is 11th of a month to 10th of the next month. A new bill got generated on 11th May 08. The bill showed the full amount of Rs 786 (Rs 700 as the charges + Rs 86 service tax). This is the regular bill amount for my plan infinity 128. And no downtime credit was given at all, even the credit which Mr. Bhaskar was agreed upon (Rs. 70) was not reflected in the bill. However I decided to wait for few days as I had already re-escalated the complaint. After waiting till 17th I found that still no downtime credit was given I once again put complaint to the customer care (complaint no 5772938).

The official site of Tata Indicom displays the email Ids and phone numbers of the nodal officer and customer care. I then mailed to customer care and the nodal officer on 18 May, I supplied them all the details and requested for the downtime credit. I received no reply for the same. Then I sent a follow-up mail on 23-May as I had to pay my bill before 26th and so wished that if this could be settled before that. I received reply on 25 May that the billing team is working on the same and the downtime credit would be given soon. Meantime I paid the full bill amount to avoid any late charges etc.

I was hopeful that the downtime credit would reflect in next bill. Meantime on 05- Jun the connection again went down hence I registered a complaint with customer care again. The connection is still down (on 16-Jun).

On 11 Jun the new bill was generated and once again no down time credit reflected at all. This was shocking for me and I immediately sent a mail (from some other place as at home I am still disconnected from internet) to customer care and nodal officers. The same evening Mr Yogesh called me and assured that downtime credit would reflect in my account within 2 days. The customer care in turn replied me the next day (12 Jun) and assured that the downtime credit would reflect soon. But still no downtime credit is reflecting in my account. I have sent a follow-up mail on 14-Jun but no reply. Also the connection is not working. Also I tried to call the nodal officers on the land line and mobile numbers mentioned on the site but no one answers these numbers.

This whole thing caused me a great trouble. Three years back I chosen to go for 'Tata Indicom broadband' and after that I found few relatively cheaper broadband internet service providers but I always trusted in the Tata brand for their quality and service. The higher level officials of the company need to look into the matter and see if the complaints are resolved properly and within time and the service is not spoiling the company's image in people.

MySpace plans redesign for next week

News Corp's MySpace plans to launch a global redesign next week in an attempt to widen its demographic and boost user engagement on the site, the social networking site said on Friday.

In what it said would be the largest scale re-launch of a website of its size, MySpace said it was changing its home page, navigation, profile editing, search, and MySpace TV player facilities and that many more changes would be coming over the summer.

"This is more than a face lift, we're changing the way people interact with the site and with brands," MySpace said, adding that a major advertiser had signed on to take over the US MySpace homepage on the first day of the relaunch.

The main phase of the relaunch is set for Wednesday, June 18.

MySpace said it had drastically overhauled the look and feel of its searches, which it said currently rank third in total number of searches by any site.

It said it was working with Lucene Open-Source engine and community, marking the first time MySpace has contributed to the Open-Source community. A glimpse of the new pages can be downloaded by clicking here .

United States Airline Stocks can be hazardous to your wealth

When equity analysts qualify their recommendations with warnings like "investing in airline stocks is very risky" and "trading airline stocks can be hazardous to your wealth," you kind of get the picture.

The warnings, which appeared in recent notes from Lehman Brothers and UBS, respectively, are well placed.

Shares of most major U.S. airlines have plummeted during the past year amid record oil prices and a weakening economy, wiping out billions of dollars in stock market value.

Take United Airlines parent UAL Corp. Its stock has fallen from $51.60 last October to under $8 on Wednesday.

Then there is AMR Corp, parent of American Airlines. It has seen its share price fall from $29.32 last July to around $6.35 on Wednesday.

Some experts believe U.S. airline stocks have now become the domain only of professional traders and speculators who can profit from short-term price movements, or short sellers who make money if stocks decline.

"For long-term investors, these are not investments that they should be looking at," said Brian Nelson, analyst at Morningstar.

"Airline stocks are of a different breed -- the structural features are horrible in terms of the industry," Nelson added.

Sky-high fuel prices and a weakening U.S. economy have stalled the U.S. airline industry's modest recovery from the 2001-2006 downturn. Oil prices have roughly doubled in the past year.

To survive, U.S. airlines are slimming down. They have reduced services and capacity, cut jobs, hiked fares, and added new fees and surcharges. But unless oil prices ease soon, some experts believe these measures might not be enough.

A MATTER OF TIME

At least seven small airlines have filed for bankruptcy or stopped operating in recent months.

And if oil prices do not retreat soon, some analysts believe it is a matter of time before a major airline files for bankruptcy.

"The state of the airline industry is one of disrepair and the industry faces a crisis as oil prices soar," said Calyon Securities analyst Ray Neidl.

Meanwhile, most airline shares keep falling.

The stock of Delta Air Lines, which has announced plans to acquire Northwest Airlines, has declined from $21.80 last July to less than $6 today. Over the same period, Northwest shares have fallen from $24.23 to around $6.50.

Continental Airlines has dropped from $38.61 to around $12.50 in the last 11 months and US Airways Group has plummeted from $36.19 to around $3.50 over the same period.

Most U.S. airline stocks have fallen so much that Germany's Lufthansa now has a stock market value worth more than AMR, UAL, Delta, Northwest, Continental and US Airways combined.

Indeed, South west Airlines , which has a history of successfully hedging against high fuel costs reflected in a stronger stock price also has a stock market value higher than its six rivals put together. Southwest shares have declined much less than its rivals, from $16.96 last August to under $14 on Wednesday.

"Airline equities could go to zero ... you are betting that crude oil could fall," said Morningstar's Nelson.

"Crude oil could definitely fall at some point -- however airline stocks could very well be bankrupt well before then," Nelson added.

JP Morgan analyst Jamie Baker has estimated a collective loss of $7.2 billion for U.S. airlines this year.

WORTH A GAMBLE

And yet there are some who believe that selected airline stocks are worth a gamble.

In a note to clients last week, Lehman Brothers' Gary Chase, the analyst who said "investing in airline stocks is very risky," also said his firm sees "substantial upside potential in selected airline equities as the industry undertakes an historic restructuring."

Chase wrote: "Risks are extreme, but we believe justified by substantial upside potential," adding that his favorites are Delta and Northwest as they have the "best balance sheets, liquidity, and cash burn profiles."

Neidl of Calyon Securities said U.S. airline stocks have become merely "trading vehicles" for professionals who know what they are doing.

"We continue to believe that the major carriers will make it through what will be a difficult 2008 and that as trading vehicles the stocks will be attractive acquisitions at current low prices -- but the time is too early," said Neidl.

Morningstar's Nelson agreed, saying U.S. airline stocks have not yet reflected the rising risk of bankruptcy.

Even at their current low levels, Nelson added: "I still think most of them are overvalued."

Iran says West fails to stop nuclear advances

Western pressure has failed to stop Iran's nuclear program from advancing, its president said on Wednesday, a day after the United States and the European Union warned of more sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad voiced defiance just a few days before EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is expected to travel to Tehran to offer economic and other benefits to Iran if it gives up sensitive atomic work.

Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil producer, has repeatedly ruled out suspending nuclear activities which it says are solely aimed at generating electricity but which the West suspects are a covert bid to make bombs.

"With God's help today (the Iranian nation) have gained victory and the enemies cannot do a damned thing," Ahmadinejad said in a speech broadcast live on state television.

The United States and the 27-nation EU, at a summit in Slovenia, said on Tuesday they were ready to impose more sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program on top of three rounds of limited U.N. sanctions since late 2006.

Washington has pressed the EU to deny some Iranian banks access to the world financial system. European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said further EU steps could entail a freeze on Iranian bank assets.

"NUCLEAR HEIGHT"

Iran, which says it earned about $70 billion in oil revenue last year, has shrugged off the impact of Western punitive measures on its economy.

An Iranian newspaper this week said Iran was withdrawing assets from European banks and converting some of them into gold and stocks in a bid to neutralize tightening sanctions.

"They've tried by military threats ... and political pressure to stop you from your luminous path but today they have seen that all their planning has failed," Ahmadinejad told the crowd in the western city of Shahr-e Kurd.

"Today the Iranian nation is standing on the nuclear height," said Ahmadinejad, who often attacks the West.

The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- and Germany agreed last month on an enhanced package of incentives to coax Iran into giving up nuclear enrichment.

Solana is expected to travel to the Iranian capital within the next week to present the package to Iranian officials, but he has played down prospects of a breakthrough.

In 2006, the six countries offered incentives including civil nuclear cooperation and wider trade in civil aircraft and energy but Tehran spurned that offer.

Enriched uranium can be used as fuel for power plants or, if refined much further, provide material for arms.

U.S. President George W. Bush, attending his last summit with the 27-nation EU, said on Tuesday that an "Iran with a nuclear weapon would be incredibly dangerous for world peace."

Ahmadinejad said Bush's "era has ended" and that Iran's foes would not be able to "harm even a centimeter" of its territory.

Shareholders try to kill Yahoo severance plan: report

A Yahoo employee severance plan meant to protect workers after a merger with Microsoft should be scrapped, according to a shareholder lawsuit against Yahoo and its directors, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Both the plaintiffs and billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who is waging a battle for control of the Yahoo board, have criticized the severance plan as costly and said it was an obstacle to any merger, the Times said.

The plaintiffs, two Detroit pensions, said if Icahn wins control of the board, Yahoo could be faced with up to $2.4 billion in potential severance payouts under the plan, according to the Times, the same amount that the plan could cost Microsoft.

A spokesman for Yahoo said that figure was an estimate based on many assumptions, including that all Yahoo employees would be fired or otherwise be able to claim severance benefits, the Times reported.

The plan offers enhanced benefits, cash and accelerated vesting of stock options, to any Yahoo employees who are fired or leave because their roles are diminished after a merger or change in control of the company, it said.

Lawyers representing the pension plans are reported to have asked a judge in Delaware to hold a trial to determine the fate of the plan ahead of the company's August 1 shareholder meeting.

Legal experts told the paper a trial could shine a light on Yahoo's talks with Microsoft and affect the outcome of the proxy fight.

Yahoo has said the suit is without merit, the Times said, which said Icahn did n