NEW(S) WORLD

Jessica Alba Gives Birth to Baby Girl

2011-08-15T21:11:00.000+05:30

Actress Jessica Alba Sunday announced the birth of her second daughter with movie producer husband Cash Warren.
The new addition, named Haven Garner Warren, joins three-year-old daughter, Honor Marie.
The 30-year-old, who got her start on the TV show "Dark Angel," announced the news on her Facebook page.
"Hi Everyone, Hope you're enjoying the weekend. Cash and I are so excited to announce the birth of our daughter, Haven Garner Warren," Alba wrote.
"She was born on Saturday, weighed 7lbs [3.2kg], and was 19 inches [48cm] long. Healthy and happy! Big Sister Honor couldn't be more excited about the new addition to our family.
"Thank you for all of your support during my pregnancy. It means the world to me."
Alba, who also announced her pregnancy via Facebook, told Us Weekly last month that Honor was "as excited as a kid can be [about becoming a big sister], even though she doesn't really know what it means just yet."
The Golden Globe-nominated actress will next be seen in "Spy Kids 4" which opens in the US on Friday

Will, Kate wedding biggest event in internet history

2011-05-01T19:39:00.001+05:30

The entire world was spellbound, as it watched the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The wedding which is touted as the biggest of the year had set an internet traffic record, making it the sixth biggest event in the internet history.

According to Keynote Systems, an internet monitoring company revealed that most news websites had pretty good traffic, as millions of people watched the live stream on the internet.

Incidentally, it’s reported that global internet traffic at some of the websites had hit a maximum of nearly 5.3million page views per minute, at 1.30pm yesterday.

Meanwhile, the statistics data for television coverage revealed that BBC and ITV1 attracted 24 million viewers to television.

Social networking sites performed well
Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter had also attracted huge traffic, as several people updated and commented about the royal wedding.

The topic that generated a lot of attention on Facebook and Twitter revolved around Westminster Abbey, Prince William, Kate Middleton and David Beckham.

From Kate’s dress, wedding ceremony to the newly wed’s procession to Buckingham Palace, had gathered a huge number of comments and hits among UK users of Facebook.

Data in Facebook revealed that more than 6.8 million commented on the wedding and on the micro blogging site Twitter, the wedding was mentioned 67 times a second.

Meanwhile, it’s also revealed that YouTube didn’t have much traffic and was available 100 percent, while the royal wedding site was available 74 percent of the time respectively.

William and Kate’s wedding outshined President Obama’s election
However, the new Duke and Duchess had failed to be the strong contender on the biggest news event of all times.

According to Akamai, an internet hosting provider that supposedly manages 20 percent of world’s internet traffic revealed that Prince William and Kate’s wedding didn’t manage to beat last year’s World Cup Soccer match, since the streaming for the wedding was less than the World Cup.

However, the royal couple managed to outshine President Obama’s 2008 election, as the number of views was 4.3 per minute back then.

Ashwin: MSD’s mystery man

2011-04-10T12:17:00.001+05:30

That bowlers have it tough is a well-documented fact of modern cricket. And their job becomes harder even as the length of a cricket match shortens. Bowling in a Twenty20 game is a prospect that must make even the hardiest bowler balk - the short boundaries, the field restrictions, the flat tracks and the license to bludgeon each delivery all conspire against the bowler.

In such a scenario, every captain wishes for of the services of a bowler who can deny the opposition runs in Powerplays and pick up crucial wickets with attacking bowling. MS Dhoni is one captain to have been granted his wish in the IPL in the form of the trusty Ravichandran Ashwin.

The tall, strapping off-spinner has emerged as one of the best Powerplay bowlers in recent times. He shot into prominence in IPL 2010 where he ended up as CSK’s second highest wicket-taker with 13 scalps – Muralitharan had 15. He also had the best economy rate (6.10) among those who had bowled six or more overs in the tournament. After playing a pivotal role in Chennai’s victorious IPL campaign, Ashwin and Muralitharan had a key role in the title-win at the Champions League Twenty20 that followed. Together they accounted for 25 batsmen, out of which the younger partner scalped 13 at an economy rate of 6.51. What makes Ashwin special in the shorter formats of the game is the variety in his bowling; he uses his deliveries intelligently, without getting predictable.

The carrom ball, known to trick batsmen, gives his captain the option of opening the bowling with spin. Ashwin’s towering frame, on the other hand, helps him get some extra bounce off the wicket, deceiving batsmen. While the 24-year-old likes to mix his deliveries up and vary his pace and length, he, unlike many modern day spinners, isn’t obsessed with the mystery balls, losing sight of the basics. He uses the variations only to complement his strong stock ball – the off-spinner – and an immaculate line and length. By his own admission, having started his career as an opening batsman has helped him read the batsman’s mind and strategise more effectively. To complete the package, Ashwin has a big heart and an unwavering mental strength.

He’s someone who believes in taking adversity in his stride and striking hard when the opportunity arises. Ashwin’s fighting spirit was on display during CLT20 2010 in South Africa. Dhoni called him to bowl the super-over against Victorian Bushrangers to decide the outcome of a tied match and he was hammered for 23. Chennai lost. In their next match, the Warriors, chasing down CSK’s modest 136, needed 32 from the last three overs with seven wickets in hand. Ashwin convinced his captain to give him a chance to redeem himself.

When he got it, he didn’t let it go, picking up two crucial wickets giving away only seven runs. The pressure created by Ashwin in the 18th over was doubled by Muralitharan in the 20th and Chennai qualified for the semi-finals. Ashwin’s responsibility in the Super Kings camp will go several notches higher this season since they have lost their wily magician Muralitharan to the Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The off-spinner may have got only two games in India’s triumphant World Cup campaign (he picked two wickets in each game), but when Dhoni dons his yellow jersey, the Chennai lad is sure to figure prominently in the team’s plans.

Sarah Palin story

2011-03-20T11:52:00.003+05:30

You’ve most likely heard of Lady Gaga? What of Mama Grizzly? Or Lady Blunder? No? Well, I’ll bring you up to speed. John McCain brought Mama Grizzly or Lady Blunder also known as Sarah Palin to national limelight when he picked her as the GOP's first female vice presidential nominee.

They were pitted against Democratic Party candidate Barack Obama in the United States of America 2008 presidential elections. I’m not sure why anyone gives Lady Blunder the time of the day let alone a microphone to air her gaffes! The media hype and circus around her just like Paris Hilton, leaves me puzzled, considering the social blunders and tactless remarks they bring to the table.

A colleague of mine described Sarah Palin’s nomination in 2008 as a masterstroke. I wasn’t convinced it was a masterstroke. But arguing with this colleague is akin to having a conversation with the deaf. So, I let him be while shaking my head in disagreement. Palin had been governor of Alaska before her nomination.

My colleague’s ‘profound’ reasoning was that since Obama didn’t pick Senator Hilary Clinton for his running mate (he chose Joe Biden instead) it was a politically deft move for McCain to have picked a woman as his running mate. Events were later to prove this was more of a death knell or ‘death stroke’ for the McCain camp.

The Obama camp questioned Sarah Paling’s complete lack of experience in international politics and some politicians even questioned how this woman could fill the vacant seat of the nation’s President should McCain die during his term, given that he was already in the evening of his life at over 72 years old. And this was the point at which Sarah Palin began her misadventures and gaffes. She and the Republican camp countered this ridicule of her lack of foreign experience with the claim that her home state of Alaska is near Russia and gives her experience in Russian affairs. Really? This faux pas was only the intro of more blunders to come.

Her slip of the tongue has achieved legendary status. In a recent live radio interview, Sarah Palin mistakenly called N. Korea an "Ally" of the United States. What? No way! In this interview, Palin twice referred to North Korea as America's ally and urged President Obama to firmly demonstrate the alliance.

One might even have missed the first gaffe, had she not said just seconds after the first slip uttered: "Obviously, we gotta stand with our North Korean allies." What?

Upon hearing that, the popular conservative host Glenn Beck immediately interjected, "South Korea."

But a star has been born. Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, emerged as the star of America when she accepted to be John McCain’s running mate at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. The American public and media have seemingly not had enough of her since then.

“American Idol" is a reality television competition to find new solo singing talent and entertains millions of viewers all over the world, but not Sarah Palin.

In excerpts from her recently released memoir, "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag," the former vice-presidential candidate slams the reality show for hosting what she refers to as "talent deprived" contestants. Wow, this Lady Blunder doesn’t pull her punches!

"Did you ever wonder where the producers of 'American Idol' come up with the seemingly endless supply of people who can't sing but are deluded enough to get in front of a national television audience and screech out a song anyway?" Palin asks in the book.

You may think then that Lady Blunder would not allow her children participate in such talent hunts or talent exhibition shows for talent deprived people? Yet Palin’s daughter Bristol Palin is currently on the reality show "Dancing With the Stars," and she goes on to say that those unqualified contestants who appear on "Idol" are "victims of the cult of self-esteem."

"No one they've encountered in their lives — from their parents to their teachers to their president — wanted them to feel bad by hearing the truth," she writes. "So they grew up convinced they could become big pop stars like Michael Jackson."

In a strange twist, a Wisconsin man angry at the success of Bristol Palin on "Dancing with the Stars" blasted his TV with a shotgun as she waltzed her way into the program's finals. Just the way Sarah Palin is upset at the talent deprived contestants of American Idol, some don’t believe her daughter deserves getting to the finals of "Dancing with the Stars" and aren’t happy about it. The Wisconsin man named Steven Cowan decided to blast his television to smithereens because just like Sarah Palin he couldn’t stand to see a victim of the cult of self-esteem move up the ranks of the ABC competition.

Despite a history of dismal performances and low scores from the judges; Bristol Palin advanced to the show's semi-finals on the strength of viewers' votes, which ultimately decide the contestants' fates.

Sarah Palin is amazingly considered to be the favourite for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. She also rivals the charming and eloquent Barack Obama in poll popularity.

Strange things do happen in America. Selflessly and out of the magnanimity of her heart, the former half-term Alaska governor said she "would offer [herself] up in the name of service to the public" and run for President in two years if "nobody else wanted to step up" during a recent interview on Fox News.

It will however take more than her current 'Mama Grizzlies' Video, encouraging conservative women to become more active, to shake my perception of her and her foot in the mouth politics.

Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan

2011-03-14T21:39:00.001+05:30

Japan was hit by a massive earthquake the measured 8.9 on the Richter scale, on March 11. This was followed by a 10 meters high Tsunami wave that washed away Northern Japan. The nearest city to the epicenter is the coastal city of Honshu, 130 km (80 miles) from the quake center. Japan's capital city Tokyo is situated 373 km (231 miles) away. Take a look at some photos.

Save Our National Animal - Tiger

2011-02-21T20:49:00.000+05:30

Save Tiger

The tiger, one of the most magnificent animals in the world, is also one of the most endangered. A cat of beauty, strength, and majesty, the tiger is master of all and subject to none -- except humans. Of the eight original subspecies of tigers, three have become extinct within the last 60 years; and there are less than 50 South China tigers left on this planet -- few, and possibly none, survive in the wild.

There are five different kinds or subspecies of tiger alive in the world today. These tigers are called Siberian, South China, Indochinese, Bengal, and Sumatran. Their Latin name is Panthera tigris. Tigers are an endangered species; only about 5,000 to 7,400 tigers are left in the wild. Three tiger subspecies, the Bali, Javan, and Caspian tigers have become extinct in the past 70 years.

Poachers are continuing to exterminate the world's remaining Tigers. New demand across Southeast Asia for the skins, teeth and claws of tigers is endangering much of the great cats, particularly the Sumatran tiger. Currently, the demand for Tiger parts is centered in several parts of Asia where there is a strong market for traditional medicines made from items like tiger bone and body parts. Volumes are sizeable and there has been little enforcement action against poachers and traders.

What Needs to be Done to Save the Tiger:

Local institutions and people Scientists who were closely involved in managing tigers at the local level, Hemendra Panwar of India and Hemanta Mishra of Nepal, pointed out an important lesson more than a decade ago: unless local community needs are met, conservation of the tiger will not succeed and protected areas will perish. Therefore, conservation programmes

must reconcile the interests of people and tigers. In most situations, a sustainable tiger conservation strategy cannot be achieved without the full participation and collective action of individual rural households whose livelihoods depend on rights of access and use of the forests where tigers live.

- Technologies for conservation of resources There already exists a wide range of technologies and practices in forest and watershed management and agriculture, both traditional and new, for conservation of resources. The biological processes that regenerate forests and make agriculture less damaging to tiger habitats take time to become established

- Use of external institutions Institutions, such as NGOs, government departments, and banks, can facilitate processes by which local people develop their sense of ownership and commitment. When little effort is made to build local skills, interest, and capacity, people have no interest or stake in maintaining structures or practices once the incentives for conservation stop. Success hinges on people’s participation in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, which leads to the formation of new institutions or the strengthening of existing ones

- Conservation of tiger habitat and of prey In many areas peripheral to tiger habitat, grazing lands for livestock have been converted to crops or degraded by excessive use; livestock is of poor quality and of poor productivity; wood for fuel and building has been exhausted; and sources of income are limited. The rehabilitation of the natural resource base of local people is essential if they are not to seek their requirements in protected areas. This requires ecodevelopment with the support and cooperation of specialized government organs and the non-governmental conservation community.

Ronaldo's Biography (Brazil)

2011-02-18T20:37:00.001+05:30

Full name: Ronaldo Luíz Nazário de Lima
DOB: September 22, 1976
Birthplace: Bento Ribeiro, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
Other nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 82 kg

Club: Real Madrid CF
Position: Forward [C]
Number: 9
Contract Expires: June 2009
Previous Clubs: Sao Cristovao > Cruzeiro > (€6m) PSV > (€19m) Barcelona > (€30.5m) Internazionale > (€45m) Real Madrid

International debut: March 1994, v Argentina
Caps: 91
Goals: 58
World Cups: USA 1994, France 1998, Japan-Korea 2002, Germany 2006
Palmares:
FIFA World Cup (94, 02)
Copa America (97, 99)
Confederations Cup (97)

South American Supercup (93)
Intercontinental Cup (02)
UEFA Cup Winners Cup (97)
UEFA Cup (98)

Brazilian Cup (93)
Dutch Cup (96)
Spanish Supercup (96, 03)
Spanish Liga Primera (03)

Dutch League Top Scorer (96)
FIFA World Player of the Year (96, 97, 02)
World Soccer Player of the Year (96, 97, 02)
U-21 European Footballer of the Year (97, 98)
Spanish Liga Primera Top Scorer (97, 04)
European Footballer of the Year (97, 02)
FIFA World Cup MVP (98, 02)
Italian Serie A Footballer of the Year (98)
Copa America Top Scorer (99)
FIFA World Cup Top Scorer (02)
Intercontinental Cup MVP (02)

1976
Born September 22 in Bento Ribeiro, a poor neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro.
1993
A teenage prodigy with Cruziero, Ronaldo scored 58 goals in 60 games before moving on to Europe.
May: Wins Brazilian cup with Cruzeiro, his first professional title.
1994
March: Makes National team debut against Argentina.
June: Member of the Brazilian team that win World Cup, altough he sat on the bench for all matches.
July: Signs with PSV for 6m euros fee.
1996
May: Wins Dutch Cup with PSV.
June: Signs for Spanish giants Barcelona.
August: Member of the Brazilian team that won the Bronze Medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games.
December: Wins his first FIFA World Player of the year award.
1997
May: Converts the decisive penalty which clinched the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup for the Catalan club; Barcelona fails to win the Spanish League title as Ronaldo ends as the league top scorer.
June: Wins Copa America with Brazil, ends tournament as second best top scorer with 5 goals.
July: Joins FC Internazionale for a world record 30.5m euros fee.
December: First player to retain his title as FIFA World Player of the Year; First South American to win the prestigious European Footballer of the Year award.
1998
May: Scores 1 goals as Internazionale defeats Lazio 3-0 in the UEFA Cup final.
July: Helps Brazil to reach the final at the World Cup finals, but a mysterious and terrific display against France saw the Brazilians defeated 3-0.
1999
April: Marries Milene Domingues, the marriage lasted four years and ended in divorce.
July: Wins second Copa America, ends competition as top scorer with 5 goals.
October: Scores Inter's fifth goal in a 6-0 win over Lecce but later limped off with a knee injury which required surgery and kept him sidelined for six months.
2000
April: Returns to action in the Italian Cup final, but ruptured a knee ligament just six minutes into a appearance as a second-half substitute. Causing him to miss the entire 2000/1 season.
2001
September: Makes his return to official action against Romanian side Brasov in the UEFA Cup first round.
November: Makes his first Italian League appearance for almost two years, but limps out of his Serie A comeback with a thigh injury after just 14 minutes against Lecce at the San Siro.
2002
June: Inspires Brazil to win their 5th World Cup trophy, finish the competition as top scorer with 8 goals, 2 of them in the final.
July: Signs for Real Madrid.
December: Named Intercontinental Club Cup's MVP as Real Madrid defeats Olimpia in Yokohama; Wins third FIFA World Player of the year award; Wins second European Footballer of the Year award.
2003
May: Ends first season at Madrid, scoring 21 times in 30 domestic matches as they won the Primera Division title.
2004
May: Madrid fails to retain title as Ronaldo ends as the league top scorer.
2005
February: Marries Daniella Cicarelli, their relationship lasted only 3 months.
November: Given Spanish citizenship.
2006
May: Turns down a $120 million, 10-year offer to play for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.

2011 Worldcup opening Cerimoney

2011-02-17T20:43:00.000+05:30

The 10th edition of the 2011 World Cup is underway in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. A total of 14-team are competing in the event along with hosts India and Sri Lanka. After the Bangaladesh national anthem was played out, the captains of respective teams entered the stadium on decorated rickshaws.

India singer Sonu Nigam then entertained the crowd with an English number.

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams helps kickstart the 2011 cricket World Cup on Thursday at the tournament's opening ceremony, marking the start of a gruelling six-week sporting marathon.

Favourites India will go into the tournament opener against Bangladesh on Saturday in Dhaka in buoyant mood after two wins in their warm-up matches, including a crushing 117-run victory on Wednesday over New Zealand.

Valentine's Day History

2011-02-14T12:57:00.001+05:30

We all indeed know about valentine day date i.e. fourteenth February and that it is a day of lovers. But I'm sure many of us do not have a clear idea as to who discovered Valentines Day and how did the very idea of celebrating Valentine's Day come from? Many of us are ignorant about the origin of Valentine's Day. It is interesting to learn about Valentine Day story so read further to know about the history of Valentines Day.
Actually nobody has a clear idea as to who was saint valentine because there were three different saint Valentines and all were martyred. Some stories suggest that valentine day owes its origin to the Roman Empire during the reign of emperor Claudius II. It was in those times when the emperor felt that married men turned out to be poor soldiers and thus he was against the very idea of marriage of young couples. But when he got to know that saint valentine defied him and was secretly encouraging young lovers to get married, he passed orders for his death. And it was on the fourteenth of February when this great saint valentine died in around 270 AD. A couple of stories suggest that saint valentine protected Christians from the clutches of harsh Roman punishments.
While some maintain that Valentine himself initiated the concept of sending love message in which he had ended the note by writing 'from your valentine'. People say during imprisonment he fell in love with the jailor's daughter and he had expressed his feelings for her in the most romantic manner by writing a love letter. Well the more the mouths, more the number of stories. But one thing that everyone believes in is the fact that Valentine was a very romantic person and was the one to lay the foundation for lovers to come forward and express feelings to their valentine. So guys always remember, love is the most beautiful feeling of heart that thrills the other organs so don't hesitate confessing it to the person you love and we wish you good luck!!!

Kim Clijsters Biography

2011-02-12T20:22:00.001+05:30

Biography

SOCCER, GYMNASTICS & TENNIS
Father Lei is a soccer international and mother Els a Belgian champion in gymnastics, but Kim chooses tennis. At 6 she starts tennis-competition at Tennisdel in Genk. Bart Van Kerckhoven is her coach from 1992 till 1996. He sees Kim, at 11, winning the Belgian Junior Championship. He is then convinced she can become a top 10-player world-wide and bet a sixpack of beer on it.
TENNIS SCHOOL
In 1996 Kim goes to the tennis school in Wilrijk (Antwerp). The unique combination study-toptennis gives talented young persons the opportunity to show themselves on an international level. At the trainingcenter she meets coach Carl Maes. Maes accompanies her on practice and tournaments abroad. He shall be her coach from 1992 till June 2002.
WTA - DEBUT IN ANTWERP
Kim is successful in the junior grandslams and in 1998 she becomes the youngest national A champion ever (age 15). In ITF - tournaments, the step to the WTA -tour, she is also very good. The time comes in 1999: Kim debuts in the WTA tour in Antwerp. It is only in the quarterfinals that she loses to first seed Sarah Pitkowski.
OUR KIM
Kim makes her way through the WTA - tour. Because of her enthusiasm, spontaneity and sportsmanship, tennis lovers and colleagues worldwide come to love her in no time. The appreciation only rises when Kim remains herself even after successes in Grand Slams and at the Masters. "Our Kim" becomes a household name in Belgium.
34 + 11 TITLES
Kim can call herself unofficial world champion, twice even, as she won the Masters in both 2002 and 2003. In 2005 she beats the field of contenders at the US Open. She also reached four more Grand Slam finals and has won 34 singles titles in her career. In the doubles Kim is successful as well. In 2003 she wins both the French Open and Wimbledon along Ai Sugiyama. Together with the Japanese she reels in another 9 doubles titles.
THANKYOUVERYMUCH
In 2007 Kim concludes her wonderful career in tennis. Her last tournament is the one in Warsaw, but it is at the Diamond Games in Antwerp that Kim parts from her Belgian audience in a very moving way. The ode song by Clouseau says it all: 'You gave it all you got. You always kept your cool, because tennis is a game. Kim Clijsters thank you very much!'
SECOND CAREER
At a press conference on 26 March 2009 Kim announces her second career. In the new year Kim started training eagerly and systematically again. She initially aimed at participating in a few exhibition tournaments. Soon her hunger for more had her up her traininig schedule even more and on 10 August Kim will play her first official match since her retirement in Cincinnati. A week later she also takes part in the Toronto tournament. On 31 August she will be back at the US Open, the tournament she won in 2005.

Name :Clijsters
First name :Kim
Nick name :Killing Kim, Kim Kong
Nationality :Belgian
Date of Birth :8 June 1983
Place of birth :Bilzen, Belgium
Residence :Bree, België
Height :1.74 m (5'8 1/2'')
Weight :68 kg (150 lbs.)
Plays :Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Husband :Brian Lynch
Kids :Jada
Father :Lei Clijsters (died 4 January 2009)
Mother :Els Vandecaetsbeek
Sister :Elke Clijsters

VW unveils new Jetta

2011-01-30T01:35:00.009+05:30

In a glittering ceremony at the Times Square in New York, Volkswagen unveiled its all-new Jetta sedan yesterday. Based on the sixth generation Golf platform, the Jetta has been a Volkswagen best-seller with over 9.6 million units of the previous five generations sold.
Designed to be bigger and bolder than before, the new Jetta no longer appears as a Golf with a boot, rather VW will now like us to believe that the Jetta is as independent a platform as say the Tiguan, sharing no components with the Golf. First shown as the NCC concept at the Detroit Motor Show, the Jetta's overall length has increased by 90 mm, with the wheelbase increasing by 70 mm. This could very well translate into more interior space and better ability to take on its rivals, the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Skoda Laura and Chevrolet Cruze. As the press release further states, the interior legroom has increased by 67 mm to take overall legroom up to 967 mm with genuine five seater capability.
On the outside, the 'design DNA' concept of group design chief Walter Da Silva and Klaus Bischoff focuses on making the car appear tauter than before. Trapezoidal head lamps, a black radiator grille and splitters on the front bumper (a la VW Polo) give the car its own identity. The strong waist line and knife cut wheel arches are derived as it is from the NCC concept to give the car some relief unlike the previous Jetta that was considered 'boring' by many.
The tail lamps seem to be inspired by the new VW Phaeton and Audi group cars, while making it rather interesting. On the whole, there are more pinched lines and creases to give the car more interesting lines and details that should be more visible in the flesh.
For Europe, six new engines are being offered on the Jetta. A 1.6-litre TDI with 105 bhp and 2.0-litre TDI with 140 bhp will be the mainstay of the diesel lineup. Four new petrol engines - a 1.2-litre TSI with 105 bhp, a 1.4-litre TSI with 160 bhp, a 1.4 TSI with 122 bhp and 2.0-litre TSI with 200 bhp will wrap up the range. Both the 1.2 TSI and 1.6 TDI feature Volkswagen's Blue Motion technology while six-speed DSG will be available as an option with all engines, except the TSI. Manual gearboxes too will be offered with these engines.
So when does the new Jetta arrive in India? Well, after the US and Europe, it's the turn for India, which could mean anytime in the second quarter of 2011 when the new teuton arrives. Expect it to be assembled in India like the current model and be a bit more expensive when it arrives. We expect Volkswagen India to offer the 2.0-litre TDI for sure, but whether they will now take the risk and offer their fuel-sensitive turbo petrols remains to be seen.

Greatest ODI Of All Times | World Record ODI Match

2011-01-29T13:09:00.000+05:30

To mark the 40th anniversary of One-Day International (ODI) cricket, the ICC's official website had called on supporters from across the globe to select their choice of the greatest ODI match of all-time.

The fans had between 22 December 2010 and 2 January 2011 to cast their vote on their favourite game from a choice of 10 memorable matches on ICC's official website or via Facebook or Twitter.

The match the fans chose was a run-fest at Johannesburg's famous Wanderers Stadium in March 2006. Batting first, Australia made a record 434-4 in 50 overs with captain Ricky Ponting setting the day alight with 164 off just 105 balls.

The mood of the capacity crowd did not improve when SA lost a wicket with just three runs on the board. But then an innings of magic from Herschelle Gibbs (175 off 111) backed up by cameos by Graeme Smith (90 off 55), Mark Boucher (50 not out) and Johan van der Wath (35) saw the Proteas to a scarcely possible winning score of 438 with nine wickets down and one ball remaining. It was a wonderful occasion and truly an ODI never to be forgotten.

The first ever ODI was played between Australia and England on 5 January 1971 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Cricket Worldcup 2011 schedule| Worldcup 2011 | Cricket worldcup fixtures

2011-01-18T17:46:00.000+05:30

1
19 Feb
India vs Bangladesh
Dhaka

2
20 Feb
New Zealand vs Kenya
Chennai

3
20 Feb
Sri Lanka vs Canada
Hambantota

4
21 Feb
Australia vs Zimbabwe
Ahmedabad

5
22 Feb
England vs Netherlands
Nagpur

6
23 Feb
Pakistan vs Kenya
Hambantota

7
24 Feb
South Africa vs West Indies
New Delhi

8
25 Feb
Australia vs New Zealand
Nagpur

9
25 Feb
Bangladesh vs Ireland
Dhaka

10
26 Feb
Sri Lanka vs Pakistan
Colombo

11
27 Feb
India vs England
Kolkata

12
28 Feb
West Indies vs Netherlands
New Delhi

13
28 Feb
Zimbabwe vs Canada
Nagpur

14
1 Mar
Sri Lanka vs Kenya
Colombo

15
2 Mar
England vs Ireland
Bangalore

16
3 Mar
South Africa vs Netherlands
Mohali

17
3 Mar
Pakistan vs Canada
Colombo

18
4 Mar
New Zealand vs Zimbabwe
Ahmedabad

19
4 Mar
Bangladesh vs West Indies
Dhaka

20
5 Mar
Sri Lanka vs Australia
Colombo

21
6 Mar
India vs Ireland
Bangalore

22
6 Mar
England vs South Africa
Chennai

23
7 Mar
Kenya vs Canada
New Delhi

24
8 Mar
Pakistan vs New Zealand
Pallekelle

25
9 Mar
India vs Netherlands
New Delhi

26
10 Mar
Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe
Pallekelle

27
11 Mar
West Indies vs Ireland
Mohali

28
11 Mar
Bangladesh vs England
Chittagong

29
12 Mar
India vs South Africa
Nagpur

30
13 Mar
New Zealand vs Canada
Mumbai

31
13 Mar
Australia vs Kenya
Bangalore

32
14 Mar
Pakistan vs Zimbabwe
Pallekelle

33
14 Mar
Bangladesh vs Netherlands
Chittagong

34
15 Mar
South Africa vs Ireland
Kolkata

35
16 Mar
Australia vs Canada
Bangalore

36
17 Mar
England vs West Indies
Chennai

37
18 Mar
Sri Lanka vs New Zealand
Mumbai

38
18 Mar
Ireland vs Netherlands
Kolkata

39
19 Mar
Australia vs Pakistan
Colombo

40
19 Mar
Bangladesh vs South Africa
Dhaka

41
20 Mar
Zimbabwe vs Kenya
Kolkata

42
20 Mar
India vs West Indies
Chennai

43
23 Mar
First Quarterfinal
Dhaka

44
24 Mar
Second Quarterfinal
Colombo

45
25 Mar
Third Quarterfinal
Dhaka

46
26 Mar
Fourth Quarterfinal
Ahmedabad

47
29 Mar
First Semifinal
Colombo

48
30 Mar
Second Semifinal
Mohali

49
02 Apr
FINAL
Mumbai

Spain's 10-Year-Old Mum: Family Are 'Happy'

2010-11-08T13:31:00.000+05:30

A mother whose 10-year-old daughter has given birth to a baby has said the family are "very happy" despite an international outcry.
The woman, who gave her name only as Olimpia, said she was surprised the birth of her granddaughter in Spain had made headlines around the world.

"She's doing well and is very happy with her daughter," she said of her child, Eleanor, and new granddaughter Nicoletta.

The woman, who Spanish authorities have described as a Romanian gypsy, told reporters the baby's father is a 13-year-old.

He lives in Romania and the young couple have since split up, she added.

Olimpia has been photographed shielding 10-year-old Eleanor from the cameras in the street in Spain.

Eleanor and newborn Nicoletta are living with their family while social services investigate.

Olimpia told reporters in the southern town of Lebrija that it is traditional for Romanian girls to have unofficial wedding ceremonies when they are very young even though they are not recognised by the state.

"That's the way we get married," she said.

The Spanish authorities have not released many details about the girl to protect her privacy. It is understood she moved to the country in the last month.

Spain considers sex with someone under the age of 13 child abuse. But an anonymous official from the country's Justice Ministry said it was not yet clear if the boy can be charged as he is only 13 and in Romania.

Tata Docomo joins the 3G bandwagon

2010-11-04T12:59:00.000+05:30

Bangalore: Two months back Tata Docomo promised to launch 3G services for Indian consumers and 'yes' Tata kept up to their word by launching the '3G Life' services in India ,this Diwali. Though the Indian government denied them the 2G spectrum in Delhi and other key districts, Tata Docomo still went ahead and became the first privately held company to launch 3G services in the country.
The GSM arm of Tata Teleservices which gets its technology support from NTT Docomo of Japan and Nokia Siemens Networks for its dongles will bridge internet access in all the nine circles where it has been given the 3G license i.e., Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh- Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, UP (West), Punjab, Haryana ad Maharashtra.Tata DoCoMo's 3G Life services will include applications like Video-SMS, Video-Streaming, Mobile Television, Ultra-High-Speed Data Transfers, Route-Finder, Live Aarti, and much more. Tata DoCoMo 3G Life services along with tariffs would be available from November 5. The network also supports high-speed Internet access with speeds of up to 21.1 Mbps. Also, the support for high-definition voice (HD Voice) for a superior voice experience on calls exists.
The existing sims of the consumers are already 3G enabled and all that the consumer needs to do is upgrade to a 3G handset to experience the technology and enjoy the perks. The service is free till the 11th of this month after which the tariff and other information will be announced. They will also have about 4,000 '3G life zones' where the consumer can play with the devices to understand the service and then to decide to use the 3G service or not.
Deepak Gulati, executive president-Mobility of TTSL, said "They have broken the paradigm to give internet the power of mobility and consumer the power of Internet. We are expected to see growth in consumer s of about 10 to 15 percent in the next six months with the introduction of 3G services." Tata Teleservices Managing Director Anil Sardana said "We have been able to complete the ramp-up of our network to support 3G services due to the superb 3G-ready network we created at the time of our 2G launch itself, last year."
MTNL and BSNL already have been testing 3G in India but only in select circles. Bharti Airtel , Aircel plans to launch 3G services before the end of 2010 and Vodafone Essar is eyeing a launch in the January-March 2011 quarter.

Wayne Rooney's desire to leave Manchester United confirms Sir Alex Ferguson

2010-10-20T20:34:00.000+05:30

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND : Manchester United's Sir Alex Ferguson on Tuesday confirmed Wayne Rooney's desire to exit the club, after several days of speculation and media rumors.

After Ferguson announced that Rooney would not be playing in the upcoming Champions match against Bursaspor because of an injured ankle, the international striker went on to publicly deny he was unable to play because of an injury.

"That was my intention, that was my idea, to galvanize him," Ferguson said. "Take a break from the games, get the training done, get his fitness back. Get rid of the traces of the ankle injury away and play for England. So why he's come out and said that, I've no idea," he added.

As the transfer period of January approaches, rumors have been circulating in sports media about Rooney's future. Some say the two have not spoken to each other for several weeks, but Ferguson explained that they "never had an argument, not a bit."

"I think you have to understand the mechanics of these situations when people want to leave the club. It's an easy one to say he's fallen out with the manager, a very easy one to say. I think there are traces of that too," Ferguson explained.

Despite Manchester United's initial rejection of Rooney's possible departure, the international star has made it clear that he has no intention of signing a contract extension, to the surprise of both Ferguson and the striker's agent.

Ferguson said to be "disappointed," but he was quick to say that if Rooney changes his mind, the door will be open for him at Manchester United.

"Wayn''s been a beneficiary of this help, just as Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and all the players have been. That's what we're there for," he added.

"We're dealing with agents who live in the pockets of players. We live in a different world now and we have to deal with it in a different way. It's a pity but it's there and we have to deal with it," Ferguson stated.

Rooney has been linked to several clubs, including Manchester City, who reportedly could offer him twice his current salary.

British media urges Wayne Rooney to learn from Sachin Tendulkar

2010-10-19T20:40:00.000+05:30

The British media has lavished praise on iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar and according to a column written by former England cricketer Ed Smith, Manchester United star Wayne Rooney should learn how to turn expectations into inspiration.

In an article headlined 'Sanctuary of crease lets Tendulkar reveal genius,' Smith had written, "Twice last week, sportsmen have proved me spectacularly wrong. First, Sachin Tendulkar reached 14,000 Test-match runs. And that's not the amazing part.

"It took him fewer innings to get from 13,000 to 14,000 than any other 1,000-run chunk of his career. A case could be made that he is at his best now, at 37," the newspaper noted.

The article said Tendulkar and Rooney were destined for rare greatness, even from teenage. Tendulkar has gone on and done it.

A year ago, Rooney looked placed to do the same. But now, as never before, there are real doubts that he will become the player we once assumed he would be.

"Make no mistake, Tendulkar's career has not been as serene as it might look, there have been arguments with coaches and match referees, an unsatisfactory spell as captain and long phases when the muse has deserted him.

"Tendulkar has had countless moments when frustration could have overwhelmed him. He has never blown his top, never lost his dignity. Instead,frustration has inpired him."

"Above all, his career has been played out under the shadow of phenomenal expectation. Footballers in England have to deal with being heroes. In India it is even worse: they are meant to be Gods."

"According to the report 'Tendulkar has come to the conclusion that there is one place where he is free from the hassles of fame. There is one realm where he cannot be pestered. It is called the crease.

"With the bat in his hands, Tendulkar is the conductor of his own life, not just a participant in a soap opera. There, out in the middle, no one can stop him being himself - not a restless media, not overly demanding fans, not intering coaches or greedy agents."

"It is the ultimate irony: the greatest actors are never freer than when they're on the stage. That is the way for Rooney to find the way out of his present difficulties - he must have the bravery to express himself on the pitch, to make it his sanctuary."

"If he allows himself to become embittered and resentful, he will not only become estranged from his fans, but also from his talent. No wonder the ball is bouncing off him at the moment; he probably would like to repel the whole game.

"Instead, he must learn to love it again. Shamed by alleged events off the pitch and embarrassed by events on it, Rooney could be forgiven for feeling sorry for himself," the report said.

"It would be a normal thing to feel. But he doesn't aspire to normality, but to greatness. And greatness, as Tendulkar has showed demands a superhuman degree of resilience and emotional dexterity. Rooney must locate his inner Tendulkar, a genius who got even with his critics by scoring hundreds."

"For Rooney, in every sense, it's time to turn the pressure into goals."

ponting said after the loss to india in mohali

2010-10-05T19:17:00.003+05:30

Australian captain Ricky Ponting admitted that his side's worst fears that VVS Laxman could spoil their chances came out to be true and said it would be a difficult job for them to bounce back in the series after the heartbreaking loss in the opening Test.

"VVS (Laxman) was our biggest worry, that's the way he has turned out to be," Ponting said after the match which they lost by one wicket.

"No doubt the dressing room is very quiet at the moment. But we have to bounce back. There is no hiding the fact that it is going to be a difficult task and first session of the next (Bangalore) Test would be crucial," Ponting said.

Ponting said that Laxman, who hit an unbeaten 79-ball 73 to guide India to a memorable win, showed that he is a class player.

The visiting skipper said he did not repent giving his nod for allowing a runner for Laxman who was suffering from a back spasm. Laxman batted at number 10 in India's first innings and came out at seven in the second.

Ponting said he had told his bowlers not to take things easy against Laxman as he was like a "wounded player" who had earlier batted down the order.

He informed that pacer Doug Bollinger, who did not bowl after lunch with over 50 runs still required by the Indians, had suffered an abdominal strain and "it was really disappointing to lose him at that stage".

Ponting, who made knocks of 71 and 4 in the match, admitted that the narrow loss would hurt his team but his side would look forward and move on.

"It is important for us not to go too much into the negative side of not winning the game. We should look at the positives which we have achieved," he said.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Proved That Best T20 Domestic Team In World

2010-09-27T19:54:00.001+05:30

Some teams that are just so good, that they make even the best opposition look sub standard. The Chennai Super Kings did just that on Sunday evening when they strolled home to an 8 wicket victory against the Warriors in the finals of the Champions League T20.

The IPL Champs hammer the Warriors and bring home the Champions League crown. © AFP

The evening’s display began with Chennai’s much revered bowling attack that practically strangled the Warriors who went in to bat first. There was some early hitting which gave the home team a glimmer of hope, but as soon as Murli and Ashwin came to the party, the runs seemed to evaporate and the wickets began to tumble. Murli finished as the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets on the night while Ashwin will take home the mantle of the tournaments highest wicket taker with a haul of 13 wickets over six matches. They combined to restrict the Warriors to a score of 128 for 7 for their 20 overs.

Chennai then went into bat with an opening pair that has seen nothing but success in this Champions League. Vijay and Hussey were that pair and they carried on with their hot streak, scoring a half century each, to ensure that the game would go Chennai’s way. The half century also ensured that Murali Vijay became the highest run scorer in the Champions League taking home the Golden Bat. Of course, the runs they scored weren’t at the blitzkrieg rate you’d expect from a T 20 game, and there was a moment or two towards the end, where it looked as if the slow run rate might be Chennai’s undoing. But, it is for such occasions that Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born. He came in to hammer a quick fire 17 that carried the IPL Champs over the final hurdle.

It’s the result that every Indian cricket fan wanted and whatever your IPL allegiances, it’s a win that all of India will celebrate.

Yahoo Users Can Now Open a Google Account With OpenID

2010-09-14T11:52:00.001+05:30

Google is now letting any Yahoo users sign in to Google using OpenID, the company announced Tuesday.

If you’re a Yahoo user and you want to try Google Docs, Calendar or Reader, this makes the sign-up process easier. Instead of filling out a web form and waiting for a confirmation e-mail when signing up for a Google account, there’s now a new button you can click on. It says “Verify by signing in at Yahoo.com.” Click it, and you’re sent to Yahoo, where you’re asked to allow Google and Yahoo to link up your accounts. All of a sudden, you’re a verified user at Google and you can start using Google’s web apps.

By using this method, you’re giving Google permission to access the data in your Yahoo profile, and you have the ability to import whatever data you’d like into Google. OpenID ensures that all you’re required to share is an e-mail address, not your password or any other information you don’t want to share.

Tuesday’s development marks Google’s first attempt to be an OpenID relying party — a website that accepts OpenID logins from third-party providers. Also, this only works for Yahoo users for now, but Google says it’s going to start offering support for other OpenID providers soon.

On the surface, this may look like an attempt by Google to poach users away from Yahoo by making it even easier for them to switch. In fact, it’s a real-world example of the type of interoperability that OpenID has been promising to bring to the open web for some time.

The more services, web apps and social networks we sign up for, the more places we have to create an account, remember a password, find friends, and build up a user profile. OpenID and the other twiddly bits in the “open stack” of social web technologies — like OAuth and Portable Contacts — make it easier for us to securely re-use this data across numerous websites and applications while only having to maintain one user account and one password at the provider of our choosing. With OpenID and OAuth, your data can easily be forklifted into other social networks with just a few clicks. OpenID currently powers the majority of third-party logins on the web.

This new Google/Yahoo system works because Yahoo is an OpenID provider. If you have a Yahoo account, you can use it to log in to any website that accepts OpenID. Google has simply started using the Yahoo OpenID API, the bit of code that makes it easier for third parties to create a simple, streamlined login experience for visitors who want to use their Yahoo ID to log in.

The same type of third-party login is possible using your Google account, since Google exposes the information necessary to make that happen in its own OpenID APIs.

So there’s no poaching happening here, just an open door policy on Yahoo’s end, and the implementation of one of Yahoo’s APIs on Google’s end.

Google is currently only offering OpenID logins for Yahoo users, the company says. The Google Code blog gives some more detail: “As [the new login feature] is based on an internet standard, we plan to use it in the future with other e-mail providers that add support for this usage of OpenID and related standards like OAuth, such as in the Microsoft Live identity APIs.”

Google is also experimenting with an OpenID/OAuth hybrid called Step2, which builds on similar community efforts to build a new system based on those two technologies. Among other things, these new hybrid systems aim to make the process less confusing for users, and to make OAuth sign-ins easier for applications that run on a phone or on the desktop rather than in a web browser.

This article originally appeared on Webmonkey.com, Wired’s site for all things web development, browsers, and web apps. Follow Webmonkey on Twitter.

Airtel Champion League T20 2010 Schedule Fixture Timetable

2010-09-05T13:09:00.002+05:30

The Airtel Champions League Twenty20 (CTL T20)is an initiative of its three founding members, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). ESPN STAR Sports is the commercial rights holders for Champions League Twenty20 for a period of 10 years. The second season will be played in South Africa from 10-26 September 2010.
Key features of the Airtel CLT20 Format and Match Schedule

10 Teams divided into 2 Groups of 5
Top 2 Teams from each Group advance to the Semi Finals
23 Matches in total (same as 2009)
Group A – Chennai Super Kings, Warriors, Victorian Bushrangers, Wayamba Elevens, Central Stags
Group B – Mumbai Indians, Highveld Lions, South Australian Redbacks, Royal Challengers Bangalore, West Indies Domestic T20 Champions (TBC)
5 Double Headers
Matches evenly distributed across four venues
Semi Finals in Durban and Centurion
Final in Johannesburg

2010 Airtel Champions League Twenty20 Competing Teams

Chennai Super Kings (DLF Indian Premier League – India)
Mumbai Indians (DLF Indian Premier League – India)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (DLF Indian Premier League – India)
Victorian Bushrangers (KFC Twenty20 Big Bash – Australia)
South Australian Redbacks (KFC Twenty20 Big Bash – Australia)
Warriors (Standard Bank Pro 20 Series – South Africa)
Highveld Lions (Standard Bank Pro 20 Series – South Africa)
Central Stags (HRV Cup Twenty20 – New Zealand)
Wayamba Elevens (Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Cup – Sri Lanka)
TBC (West Indies Domestic Twenty20 Champions)

2010 Airtel Champions League Twenty20 Match Schedule and Fixture

GROUP A		GROUP B
A1	Chennai Super Kings	B1	Mumbai Indians
A2	Warriors	B2	Highveld Lions
A3	Victorian Bushrangers	B3	South Australian Redbacks
A4	Wayamba Elevens	B4	Royal Challengers Bangalore
A5	Central Stags	B5	TBC – West Indies Domestic T20

DATE	TEAM 1		TEAM 2	VENUE	TIME
Fri 10 Sep	Mumbai Indians	v/s	Highveld Lions	Johannesburg	1730
Sat 11 Sep	Warriors	v/s	Wayamba Elevens	Port Elizabeth	1330
Sat 11 Sep	Chennai Super Kings	v/s	Central Stags	Durban	1730
Sun 12 Sep	Highveld Lions	v/s	South Australian Redbacks	Centurion	1330
Sun 12 Sep	Royal Challengers Bangalore	v/s	TBC	Centurion	1730
Mon 13 Sep	Warriors	v/s	Victorian Bushrangers	Port Elizabeth	1730
Tue 14 Sep	Mumbai Indians	v/s	South Australian Redbacks	Durban	1730
Wed 15 Sep	Victorian Bushrangers	v/s	Central Stags	Centurion	1330
Wed 15 Sep	Chennai Super Kings	v/s	Wayamba Elevens	Centurion	1730
Thu 16 Sep	Mumbai Indians	v/s	TBC	Durban	1730
Fri 17 Sep	South Australian Redbacks	v/s	Royal Challengers Bangalore	Durban	1730
Sat 18 Sep	Warriors	v/s	Central Stags	Port Elizabeth	1330
Sat 18 Sep	Chennai Super Kings	v/s	Victorian Bushrangers	Port Elizabeth	1730
Sun 19 Sep	Highveld Lions	v/s	TBC	Johannesburg	1330
Sun 19 Sep	Mumbai Indians	v/s	Royal Challengers Bangalore	Durban	1730
Mon 20 Sep	Victorian Bushrangers	v/s	Wayamba Elevens	Centurion	1730
Tue 21 Sep	South Australian Redbacks	v/s	TBC	Johannesburg	1330
Tue 21 Sep	Highveld Lions	v/s	Royal Challengers Bangalore	Johannesburg	1730
Wed 22 Sep	Wayamba Elevens	v/s	Central Stags	Port Elizabeth	1330
Wed 22 Sep	Chennai Super Kings	v/s	Warriors	Port Elizabeth	1730
Thu 23 Sep	No matches
Fri 24 Sep	Semi Final 1 1^st Group A v/s 2^nd Group B			Durban	1730
Sat 25 Sep	Semi Final 2 1^st Group B v/s 2^nd Group A			Centurion	1730
Sun 26 Sep	Airtel CLT20 Final (Winner Semi Final 1 v/s Winner Semi Final 2)			Johannesburg	1730
Note: All times listed are South African Standard Time (SAST)

New Zealand Earthquake Report

2010-09-05T12:05:00.001+05:30

New Zealand Earthquake Report - Sep 5 2010 at 5:15 pm (NZST)

Magnitude 3.2, Sunday, September 5 2010 at 5:15 pm (NZST), 20 km south-west of Christchurch.

Quake Details

Information about this earthquake:

Reference Number	3367026/G
Universal Time	September 5 2010 at 5:15
NZ Standard Time	Sunday, September 5 2010 at 5:15 pm
Latitude, Longitude	43.59°S, 172.46°E
Focal Depth	12 km
Richter magnitude	3.2
Region	Canterbury
Location	20 km south-west of Christchurch

Felt in the Christchurch area.

A state of emergency was declared in New Zealand's second largest city of Christchurch today after a powerful 7.0 earthquake caused widespread damage. Christchurch residents said the walls of their homes "wobbled like jelly" when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked New Zealand's second largest city

early Saturday.

The force of the quake, one of the most powerful recorded in the country, tore jagged fissures in the ground and destroyed the facades of buildings, littering the city's streets with bricks and shards of glass.
Markham McMullen, a school principal at Darfield, near the quake's epicentre, said it felt like a train had hit his house, creating a jolt that threw him and his wife out of bed.
"It just kept coming, it went and on and on," he said.
"It was absolutely terrifying. We grabbed our daughter, Sophie, from her room and crouched under a doorway. The TV was flying around the room... it was very scary."
Old buildings were the worst affected, with entire facades of brick structures collapsing onto the street, crushing cars under tonnes of debris and leaving kitchens and living rooms exposed, many eerily untouched by the surrounding chaos.
At Castle Rock, a rugged outcrop just outside the city, the earthquake sent boulders bigger than cars tumbling down the hillside.
Only two people were seriously injured, but Civil Defence officials said the toll would have been much worse had the quake hit in daylight, when there would have been thousands of people on the streets.
"We've been extremely lucky as a nation that there's been no fatalities ... we're blessed actually," Civil Defence Minister John Carter said.
Hotelier Richard Hawes said he thought he was going to die as his 130-year-old building shook. "(It) wobbled like a jelly," he said.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the city of around 340,000 throughout Saturday, as dazed residents assessed the damage.
Police pleas for people to stay away from the city centre were ignored, with thousands of sightseers flocking to the worst-hit areas, many recording the moment on their mobile phones.
"Honestly, the scale of it is quite astonishing," Frances Adank, who lives in the suburb of St Albans, told Radio New Zealand.
"The city council I think is going to be working for days to get the water mains sorted out... There's just water pouring out of every front section."
In the same suburb, Marsha Witehira said she had a narrow escape when a friend pulled her from her bed moments before the wall of her house collapsed on top of it.
"He saved my life, no doubt about it... if I had been there, I would have smashed my head," she told the Christchurch Press newspaper.

The Expendables

2010-08-20T21:05:00.003+05:30

The Expendables is a 2010 American ensemble action-war film written by David Callaham and Sylvester Stallone, and directed by Stallone. Filming began on March 28, 2009, in Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, and the film was released on August 13, 2010.
The film is about a group of elite mercenaries, tasked with a mission to overthrow a South American dictator. When their informant is arrested in the process due to the team leader's initial denial, the team eventually decides to gain redemption by completing the mission. It pays tribute to the blockbuster action films of the 1980s and early 1990s, and stars an array of action veterans from those decades, including Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger (the latter two in cameo roles), as well as more recent stars such as Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Steve Austin.
Although the film received mixed reviews from critics, it was commercially successful, opening at number one at the U.S. box office.
Plot
A group of elite mercenaries, the Expendables, has been deployed to the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia to halt local pirates from executing the hostages. The team consists of Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), former SAS soldier and blades specialist, Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), martial artist Yin Yang (Jet Li), sniper Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), weapons specialist Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) and demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture). Ross pays the original agreement of $3 million to secure the release of the hostages. However, the leader demands $5 million, and Jensen instigates a firefight, causing casualties for the pirates. With moral disagreements over hanging a pirate, Yang and Jensen have a brief fight, only for Ross to intervene. In the aftermath, Ross reluctantly releases Jensen from the Expendables due to psychological problems.
Ross then goes to a church, where he and his rival, Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger) meet "Mr. Church" (Bruce Willis), who offers them a mission in Vilena, a fictional South American country, to overthrow a brutal dictator, General Garza (David Zayas). Busy with other things, Trench gives the contract to Ross. Ross and Lee Christmas do initial reconnaissance after meeting with their contact, Sandra (Gisele Itié), only for the mission to go awry. Ross learns that Garza is backed by ex-CIA agent James Munroe (Eric Roberts), and henchmen Paine (Steve Austin) and Wickham, a.k.a. The Brit (Gary Daniels), who control Garza by making his people fear him. Sandra is revealed to be Garza's daughter. Ross then decides to abort, and causes casualties among the army as they escape, but feels guilt for leaving Sandra behind. Meanwhile, Jensen approaches Garza and Munroe, identifying his former comrades.
Ross, Yang, and Christmas find information about Munroe, and Ross guesses that "Mr. Church" is a member of the CIA. He thinks that Church hired them to kill Garza and Munroe, since the CIA could not. Ross has a conversation with former teammate and now mission coordinator, Tool (Mickey Rourke), about why he can't stop thinking about Sandra. Tool makes an emotional revelation about an experience in Bosnia where, after killing tons of Serbian fighters, he had decided not to stop a woman from killing herself, an action that he regrets as he feels if he had saved her, he could've saved what was left of his soul. After hearing Tool's story, Ross decides to go back for Sandra. Ross initially decides to go alone, but Yang tags along. Munroe's men and Jensen tail Ross and Yang, instigating a shootout during a car chase. Just as the pursuit ends in an abandoned warehouse, Yang and Jensen fight each other a second time. Jensen eventually gets the upper hand and attempts to impale Yang on a pipe, only for Ross to shoot Jensen before he does. Believing that he is going to die from his gunshot wound, Jensen gives the layout of Garza's palace to Ross in an attempt to make amends. Ross and Yang board the team's plane where they find Christmas, Ceaser, and Road, who've decided to fight alongside Ross.
The Expendables then infiltrate Garza's compound, with Ross bent on rescuing Sandra, while Christmas, Yang, Caesar, and Toll Road plant explosive charges throughout the site and prepare for battle. When Garza has a change of heart after hearing of the team's reputation, Munroe kills him. Ross briefly rescues Sandra, but she is re-captured by Munroe. The entire team fights and shoots their way through scores of Garza's soldiers. Ross and Caesar manage to destroy the helicopter Munroe was to escape on, and Christmas, Yang and Road kill Paine and The Brit. Ross and Christmas catch up to Munroe and kill him, while also managing to save Sandra. Instead of taking the payment of $5 million, Ross decides to give it to Sandra in order to help restore Vilena.
The film ends with the team celebrating their victory at the team headquarters, disguised as Tool's Tatoo Parlor, with former teammate, Tool, aswell as the reformed Jensen and Yang having reconciled with each other. Lee and Tool challenge each other to a game of knife throwing. Before his final throw, Lee recites a poem about his respect for Tool, who he claims cannot beat him in knife throwing as he walks outside of the bar before turning to make his throw, which lands perfectly in the center of the board. As the credits role, The Expendables ride off on their motorcycles into the night.

Cast

• Sylvester Stallone as Barney Ross
• Jason Statham as Lee Christmas
• Jet Li as Yin Yang
• Randy Couture as Toll Road
• Dolph Lundgren as Gunnar Jensen
• Terry Crews as Hale Caesar
• Mickey Rourke as Tool
• Eric Roberts as James Munroe
• David Zayas as General Garza
• Steve Austin as Dan Paine
• Gary Daniels as The Brit
• Gisele Itié as Sandra Garza
• Charisma Carpenter as Lacy
• Amin Joseph and Senyo Amoaku as the leaders of a group of Somali pirates
• Bruce Willis as Mr. Church
• Arnold Schwarzenegger as Trench

Greatest moments of Murali

2010-08-05T21:13:00.002+05:30

Muttiah Muralitharan has said that retiring after taking his 800th wicket and helping Sri Lanka win his farewell Test, against India in Galle, was one of the greatest moments in his life. Murali's 800th was the last Indian wicket in the follow-on, after which Sri Lanka chased the target of 95 without losing a wicket.

"I am very happy that God has given me everything - eight wickets, a victory, basically everything. This is one of the greatest moments in my life, retiring this way," Murali said. "I am not emotional in a way, frankly, I am happy that I have done it. I trained really hard. Even last week, I trained hard to play in this Test match and take it very seriously."

Murali had to wait and toil for his 800th wicket, that of Pragyan Ojha, but he said the landmark was just a number and achieving it was not a high priority. "Eight hundred is only a number. We wanted to get the wickets quickly. You never know in Galle, with the weather, winning the match was the important thing," he said. "At that time I didn't think about it, but it came in the end. I wouldn't have minded if it didn't come. My only scare was when Lasith Malinga had to go off the field.

"I told my captain [Kumar Sangakkara] to somehow get the wickets. We knew the situation in Galle and had the match ended in a draw it would have been very sad. I badly wanted to win in my final Test. We all play for a win. At that moment we would have taken even a run out. It was hard work for the spinners. The wicket had something on it yesterday, and Malinga's magnificent yorkers made the difference."

Murali also said that he had quit Test cricket at the right time, with Sri Lanka having younger spinners rising through the ranks. "I have played for 18 years and I thought that there are three other good spinners in the side," he said. "They are 24-25 years old and I am 38. I thought it's better to give them a chance. I have nothing more to achieve and I thought this is the right time.

"I chose to finish my career at the end of the first Test because I know my knees are not going to last to bowl 50-60 overs. If I am there it will be four spinners and only two can play. I will be blocking the place of another young spinner."

Murali also had praise for the curator at Galle, Jayananda Warnaweera, and thanked him for helping make his farewell memorable. "Galle is one of my favourite grounds because there is always a result. Warnaweera prepares good wickets and we won the match in four days. He gave me a good farewell and the way he decorated the stadium was unbelievable."

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 With Bluetrack Technology

2010-07-23T19:37:00.001+05:30

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is a wireless mouse and feature wise, this pointer is quite similar to Explorer Mini but it costs less. Priced at $40 the Wireless 4000 is based on Microsoft’s latest Bluetrack sensing technology. Bluetrack sensor lets you use the mouse on a wide range of surfaces which are quite challenging to traditional laser mice. If you are looking for good ergonomics, then this mouse is probably not for you. On the bright side, I thought that this mouse takes care of lots of issues that made us balk at its predecessor. That said, get this pointer if you are looking for a good travel mouse.

Click here to see Mouse from other angles

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 has a simple plug and play interface and installing it is quite easy. All you have plug in the mouse and you are ready to go. You get a ‘Nano Transceiver’ for the mouse which must be plugged in the computer while the mouse is being used. It is really tiny but there is a compartment beneath the mouse for storing it so you won’t lose it easily while traveling. Close to this compartment, you have the power switch which conserves the battery power when the mouse is not in use. The device runs on AA battery and according Microsoft, a single battery will power the mouse for around ten months provided you turn it off when you are not using it. There is a battery status LED on the top.

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 comes with software called Intellipoint 7 and it works on both Windows and Apple computers. You also get to program the buttons using this software but we thought the mouse worked pretty well on its internal settings too. So you won’t have much to complain about even if you don’t have the installation disc. Previously we reviewed the Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse but it couldn’t be used comfortably by left handers. There were curves on the other side which prevented good ergonomics for lefties. On the flip side, the Mobile Mouse 4000 has an ambidextrous design which means it can be used by left and right handed persons with equal comfort. The mouse is covered in textured plastic for better grip.

Between the standard two mouse buttons of the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000, there is a scroll wheel. It moves both sideways and up and down. I had one thing to complain in here, the vertical scroll didn’t have any tactile feed back unlike the horizontal scroll which gave a click. Ratcheted scroll wheel is much preferred here. The dial of this pointer is very smooth but it doesn’t awkward sometimes. To activate the Windows Vista Flip 3D, just use the scroll button. All the windows will get arranged in a stack with this.

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000’s unique selling point is its BlueTrack Technology which runs on almost any surface. Traditional mice, compared to this, have serious limitations. We tried using this moues on a variety of surfaces like tabletops, carpets, etc and it did live up to the promises. This mouse won’t run on glass, we tried this, the cursor moved inaccurately. The wireless range stays alive for about thirty feet so you can go to a distance using this mouse.

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 has a length of 4.04 inches and its width is 2.39 inches. The mouse is quite tiny and hence it will easily fit in your laptop bag.

Women's reaches their peak beautiful at 31

2010-07-20T19:37:00.002+05:30

They are no doubt the fair sex, but women look most beautiful at the age of 31, a new study has claimed.
Researchers have found that women in their late 20s and early 30s are considered more attractive than fresh-faced 18 and 19-year-olds -- and they reach the peak of their beauty at the age of 31.
The findings, from a survey of the opinions of over 2,000 men and women, found that beauty was as much rooted in personality as appearance, 'The Daily Telegraph' reported.
When asked when women are at their most attractive, more people picked 31 than any other age. Beauty was defined as being confident by 70 per cent of respondents, having good looks by 67 per cent and being stylish by 47 per cent.

Some Quite Love SMS Text Messages

2010-07-18T21:00:00.001+05:30

Life ends when you stop dreaming
Life ends when you stop dreaming, hope ends when you stop believing and love ends when you stop caring. So dream hope and love...Makes Life Beautiful
Time will always fly
Time will always fly, but our love will never die. Keep in touch and remeber me
When You give your heart
When time comes for u to give ur heart to someone, make sure u select someone who will never break ur heart, cuz broken hearts has never spare parts.
Write on Bricks
I m going to write on all the bricks I MISS U and i wish that one falls on ur head,so that u knows how it hurts when u miss someone special like u.
If 10 people care 4 u
If 10 people care 4 u, one of them is me, if 1 person cares 4 u that would be me again, if no 1 cares 4 u that means i m not in this world.
I m feeling so happy
I m feeling so happy, do u know why? cuz i m so lucky, do u know how? cuz God loves me.Do u know how? cuz he gave me a gift. Do u know what? its YOU my love.
First time i saw u
1st time i saw u i was scared 2 touch u.1st time i touched u i was scared 2 kiss u.1st time i kiss u i was scared to luv u.but now dat i luv u im scared 2 lose u!
If i were a tear in ur eye
If i were a tear in ur eye i wood roll down onto ur lips.But if u were a tear in my eye i wood never cry as i wood be afraid 2 lose u!
I love all the stars in the sky,
I love all the stars in the sky, but they are nothing compared to the ones in your eyes!
Without Love -- dayz are
Without Love -- dayz are
"Sadday,
moanday,
tearsday,
wasteday,
thirstday,
frightday,
shatterday... so be in Luv everyday...
Wish u a Happy Valentine's Day

Saina Nehwal rises to world No. 2 in rankings

2010-07-17T20:52:00.004+05:30

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal is just a step away from realising her goal of becoming the world's numero uno player as she jumped one place to a career-best second in the latest international rankings.

"I am very happy to achieve the world number two so soon in my career. The last three wins have really helped me. It is a great feeling but I feel my priority still will be to win more tournaments for India rather than focusing on ranking," Saina said.

"It will be difficult to hold on to the ranking but I hope to continue my hard work and win more titles and become the number one player soon," said the Hyderabadi shuttler, who is down with fever and cold.

The 20-year-old Saina made a meteoric rise following her back-to-back title triumphs at the India Open Grand Prix and the Singapore Open Super Series, reaching the world number three last month.

And after the Indian defended her Indonesian Open Super Series crown to complete her hat-trick of titles, it was just a matter of time that she jumped to the second place.

By virtue of the consecutive title wins, Saina now has 64791.2637 points and is just behind Chinese Yihan Wang, while Xin Wang of China is in the third place.

Saina's father Harvir Singh also expressed happiness and hoped her daughter can continue her good work for the country.

"God has been kind. It is a marvellous achievement. I hope she can continue to work hard and win more laurels for the country," Harvir Singh said.

In March, Saina had attained the fifth position after becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the prestigious All England Super Series Championships.

However, she dropped to the sixth position in the subsequent weeks.

Saina's next engagement will be in the World badminton Championship in Paris next month, before playing the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

In the men's ranking, the Indian trio of Chetan Anand, P Kashyap and Arvind Bhatt were at 15th, 25th and 27th spot respectively, while mixed doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and V Diju were static at the seventh place.

Race For Golden Boot

2010-07-10T21:42:00.004+05:30

In this golden boot race, few of the players in the top ranking where missing in this spot.
before the start of world cup 2010, most of the curators predicts that some of the big names will be going to win the golden boot and most of the TV channels also praise Messi (Agr), C.Ronaldo (Por), W.Rooney (Eng)
At the end all these big names are missing in the spot even they are not close to the winner.
They were not in the top five too so this time also all the prediction was gone wrong.
The maximum chance to win the golden boot only to two players
1.David Villa (Esp)2.Wesley Sneijder (Ned)
This status is only up to before finals i.e 10.07.2010.The Golden boot can be get by any of the Netherlands player or Spain players if they score more than five...

The most favorite for the golden boot listed below by there spot in the race:

Thomas Mueller (Ger)

Match Played :6
Goal scored : 4
Goal Assist : 3

David Villa (Esp)

Match Played : 6
Goal scored : 5
Goal Assist : 1

Wesley Sneijder (Ned)

Match Played : 6
Goal scored : 5
Goal Assist : 1

Diego Forlan (Uru)

Match Played : 7
Goal scored : 5
Goal Assist : 1

Miroslav Klose (Ger)

Match Played :5
Goal scored : 4
Goal Assist : 0

Luis Suarez (Uru)

Match Played :6
Goal scored : 3
Goal Assist : 2

jim carrey's bio and break up with jenny mccarthy

2010-07-05T20:50:00.002+05:30

Fellows this post is about Jim Carrey, though I like to post biography of him in here I will start with Jim and Jenna’s split. For I always have the question why biography has to start with early life of the person lets go in reverse and also of I’m the author, I can have my own rules here.
I have to start this remarking split as descent clean split of love bonding, of course they are not married while some sources said they are entering into an engagement, obliviously now they are now marked as rumors .
It was on April that Jim twittered message “Jenny and I have just ended our 5yr relationship. I’m grateful 4 the many blessings we’ve shared and I wish her the very best! S’okay! Msg is shown below

Jenna too sent message of same kind “I will continue to be in his daughter’s life and will always keep Jim as a leading man in my heart.” her message is shown below.

Sources said people would have never known the break up if it was not texted stating “You would never have known that the break up had just happened. Jim is a constant professional “and also added”Jim was loose and relaxed. It was a lot of fun,”
As the cause for their split is unkown, Let’s use our god given brain to analyse and find out the possibilities We all know the recent film he is doing titled “I Love You Phillip Morris,” a dark comedy with him acting as gay with Ewan McGregor is indefinitely delayed, because of being too much adult content. So my calculation, to promote the film where one starred as gay must not allowed to have a girlfriend ,according to gay rules.The other possibility is he have taken the character too much into him. Just a journalistic brain trying to find some answers for the split nothing personnel. You got any more possibilities comment on this post then, genius!
Though Jim was happy dumping Jenna and she too, only on twitter message for her behavior says she didn’t took it well, for Jenny McCarthy is closing her well-known school for autistic children, Teach2Talk Academy which she started to help children’s who were born like her son. She even stated in a magazine “I’m proud to say [the school] is an absolute success in terms of the amount of progress children with autism are making. We do have a goal to open more schools around the country. If I had Bill Gates‘money, I would have them in every state.”
About the marriage of Carrey married twice to Melissa Womer, with whom he split in 1995, and Lauren Holly, whom he split from in 1997and of course dating Jenna from 2005.
Movie in which Jim Carrey took part are as follow:
1980 The Sex and Violence Family Hour in various roles
1981 All in Good Taste as Ralph Parker
1983 Copper Mountain as Bobby Todd
1984 Finders Keepers as Lane Bidlekoff
1985 Once Bitten Mark as Kendall
1986 Peggy Sue Got Married as Walter Getz
1988 The Dead Pool as Johnny Squares
1989 Pink Cadillac as Comedian Earth Girls Are Easy as Wiploc
1991 High Strung as Death
1992 The Itsy Bitsy Spider The Exterminator (voice only)
1994
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective as Ace Ventura
The Mask as Stanley Ipkiss
Dumb and Dumber as Lloyd Christmas
1995
Batman Forever as Riddler /Edward Nygma
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls as Ace Ventura
1996
The Cable Guy as Ernie “Chip” Douglas
1997
Liar Liar as Fletcher Reede
1998
The Truman Show as Truman Burbank
Simon Birch Adult as Joe Wentworth
1999
Man on the Moon as Andy Kaufman/Tony Clifton
2000
Me, Myself & Irene as Officer Charlie Baileygates/Hank
How the Grinch Stole Christmas as The Grinch
2001
The Majestic as Peter Appleton 2
2003
Bruce Almighty as Bruce Nolan
Pecan Pie as Man on Bed (Short film)
2004
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as Joel Barish
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events as Count Olaf
2005 Fun with Dick and Jane as Dick Harper
2007 The Number 23 as Walter Sparrow/Det. Fingerling
2008
Horton Hears a Who! as Horton (voice only)
Yes Man as Carl Allen
2009 A Christmas Carol as Ebenezer Scrooge
2010 I Love You Phillip Morris as Steven Jay Russell
Where’s Waldo? as Waldo in development
2011
Damn Yankees as Mr. Applegate in development
Me Time Unknown in development Pierre Pierre in development
2012
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in development
Sober Buddies in development.
No academy for his roles in 20 year. as he never attracted the critics from his first films but attracted many audiences who are according to me are the real and true judges of entertainment, bought him many million dollars checks. Though through serious role in The Trueman Show, Number 24, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind attracted critics, only enough, to make him nominated for academy award not more than that. That is why Jack Nicholson (who in the first 20 years of his career had five) has named Carrey the “Jack Nicholson” of the next generation.
In 1987 Carrey married Comedy Store waitress and actress Melissa Womer with whom he has a daughter, Jane Erin Carrey. .Then after the film Carrey was carried away by the dumb and dumber actress Lauren Holly obviously dated her and married her in 1996 after an official divorce with the former. Then later was divorced in 1997 after then he lost belief in marriages as he started dating and dumping women .Rumor in 2006 was mentioned that he has dated model Anine Bing. Then dated actress Renée Zellweger, whom he met during filming of Me, Myself & Irene, but their relationship ended in a broken engagement in December 2000. From twitter , we can understand he loved his daughter Jane Erin Carrey very much as he twittered that he is very proud of becoming grandpa, when her daughter gave birth to her son
The Canadian born actor son of musician father and homemaker mother who has some French blood from his ancestor started his career as a standup comedian, made his way into the movies purely of his talent (you know his talent I’m for sure otherwise you won’t be reading this) He even once quoted “If my career in show business hadn’t panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario at the Dofasco steel mill.” When looking across the Burlington Bay toward Hamilton, he could see the mills and thought, “those were where the great jobs were.” Spoken like a true hero when we come through these lines. So folks that all about him that I could gather anything more you wanna add comment me.

Smartphones below Rs.11,500

2010-07-05T20:34:00.001+05:30

Smartphones in india
Below Rs 11,500

Smartphones have emerged as powerful business tools that offer executives freedom of
movement. They help keep you organised anywhere with functions like
inbuilt electronic diaries,automatic reminders,contact lists, e-mail, etc.
Smartphones are also considered productivity enhancers as they allow
you to review work, take notes, and even edit appointments, documents and contacts, while on the move. Furthermore,you can access maps,
view weather reports andget traffic information or scheduling alerts.
You can even access the Internet faster than on other mobile phones.
You can share and transmit more online data files and large e-mail attachments with these devices.
Many of the smartphones also offer you a vibrant marketing
tool—Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) that lets you send music,
video,animation and graphics, via a message.
Above Below, smartphones
can now be had for as little
as Rs 11,500 or less.

Nokia N72
Price: Rs.7,749/-

The Nokia N72 supports several business applications.
You can download, read, edit and prepare
documents and spreadsheets with it.
It comes bundled with a 2 mega-pixel
camera, and runs on the Symbian 8.1
operating system. Further, it promises
fast Internet access, with which you
can send/receive e-mails, have market
updates, and download new applications.
Besides, the Nokia N72 includes a built-in
flash, Bluetooth 2.0, digital music player
functionality, FM radio and support for 3-
dimensional Java games.
For details contact: Nokia India Private
Limited, 5F, Tower-A&B, Cybergreen, DLF
Cyber City, Sector-25A, Gurgoan - 122002,
Haryana, India; Ph: 0124-4199000;
Website: www.nokia.co.in

Moto EM30
Price: Rs 8,659/-

The MOTO EM30 lets you access the Internet
with its WAP 2.0/xHTML mobile Web browser.
You can type, edit, send and receive e-mails,
SMSs and MMSs on-the-move. It comes packed
with features such as text-to-speech recognition,
ModeShift technology for easy switching
between phone and music, Microsoft music
ecosystem support and the capability for an
optional 8 GB microSD removable storage card.
Besides, it includes 2.0 mega-pixel camera,
Bluetooth 2.0, and USB 2.0. The phone allows
you to download applications, games and files
from the Web. It has a 4.6 cm screen with a resolution of 128 x 160 pixels.
For details contact: Motorola India, Motorola Excellence Centre, 415/2
Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Sector 14, Gurgaon-122 001; Ph: 0124-4192000;
Website: www.motorola.com

LG KS360
Price: Rs 9,999/-

The LG KS360 is a vibrantly coloured, feature-packed mobile phone
that allows you to send and receive e-mails. With its sliding QWERTY
keypad and high-spec messaging features, you can easily type and send
SMSs, instant messages and e-mails. You can also browse the Internet
and enjoy online networking over various social networking websites. It
has a 6.1 cm (2.4 inches) LCD screen. In addition, the LG KS360 comes
with touchscreen dialing, a 2.0 mega-pixel camera, a microSD card slot
supporting up to 2 GB, Bluetooth, a document viewer, anti-theft mobile
tracker and FM radio. Its QWERTY keypad gives it an edge over the other
phones discussed earlier.
For details contact: LG
Electronics India Pvt Ltd, Plot
No. 51, Udyog Vihar, Surajpur-
Kasna Road, Greater Noida
201306; Ph: 0120-2560900;
E-mail: anitasahoo@lgezbuy.
com; Website: www.lgezbuy.com

Asus P320
Price: Rs 10,399/-

The Asus M930 is a beautifully designed clamshell phone based on
Windows Mobile, with a full QWERTY keyboard.
The Asus P320 features Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, a
6.6 cm (2.6 inches) TFT LCD touchscreen, a Texas Instrument-850 200 MHz
CPU, built-in 128 MB Flash memory, and 64 MB RAM. For browsing, it
includes the HTTP/WAP 2.0 browser. Like other devices, it also allows you
to send, receive and edit e-mails, SMSs, and MMSs. The phone includes
GPS (global positioning system) SiRF StarIII that helps you find places
in a new city. The handset can be connected to the network via its Wi-Fi
capability. Besides, it comes pre-loaded
with features such as Bluetooth, a 2.0
mega-pixels camera, and MPEG4. It also
allows you read, write and edit Word,
Excel and Power Point files on-the-move
with its office suite. The Asus M930 has
an edge over the LG KS360 because of its
speed and connectivity features such as
Wi-Fi.
For details contact: ASUS
Technology Pvt Ltd, 4C Gundecha
Enclave, Kherani Road, Sakinaka,
Andheri East, Mumbai-400072, India;
Website: www.asus.com

Next Generation Of Suzuki Swift will be launch in 2011

2010-07-03T20:59:00.001+05:30

New interior of the next generation 2011 Suzuki Swift show a car with a smoother dash, a built in retractable screen, automatic climate control, Bluetooth, and a USB port. The car, which will be sold as both a three-door and five-door, will have more ventilation than the previous model, as well as keyless ignition and a new selection of sport cloth for the interior.
Full specs show that the car will be sold at launch with a choice between a 1.2-liter WT petrol engine, and a 1.3-liter DDIS diesel. The four-cylinder 16-valve petrol unit produces 93 horsepower (69 kW / 94 PS) and up to 118 Nm (87 ft-lb) of torque. Alternatively, the direct injection diesel, also a 16V four-banger, produces 74 horsepower (55 kW / 75 PS) and up to 190 Nm (140 ft-lb) of torque. Petrol buyers get a choice between a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic, while the diesel only comes with the manual.
The 3,850-millimeter long car is 1,695-mm wide and 1,510-mm high (151.57″ x 66.73″ x 59.45″), and has a wheelbase of 2,430 mm (95.67″). This means the car is 2.5-percent longer, with a 40-mm longer wheelbase, providing both more legroom and more cargo space. Hopefully, this will not detract from the Swift’s small car charm

António Feio

2010-07-03T20:35:00.001+05:30

António Feio receives the unconditional support of Claudia Cadima and gains new hope

The actor returned to London in the company of Claudia Cadima, his ex-wife and his great support, with a new hope in the fight against pancreatic cancer. CARAS surprised the couple on arrival at Lisbon airport.

António Feio returned from London with a new hope in their fight against pancreatic cancer.

The actor was to do some tests as to whether it can move to a new treatment and the results were very positive and told us on arrival in Lisbon: "Everything went well, as expected. I came from there pretty confident. These examinations were to judge if it was still operating to move forward for treatment. And it was! Now go back to London on January 18 to the second part of the preparation, and 22 days then start treatment. "

On this trip, António Feio had the support of the ex-wife, Claudia Cadima - mother of his two young children, Sara and Philip. "Claudia has been a great support. We have a very good relationship, many years of experience. We have two children together and a lot of friends. I have received much support from her in all that is involved in this situation," said the actor. Claudia also has a lot of hope in this new treatment and admire the strength of the ex-husband: "I am confident that these new treatments. And I've been living with him! Sometimes it's difficult. It is we who are in his shoes. There is much people like that, unfortunately, but I think Anthony has been an example of strength. "

Since the operation to remove the tumor was discarded, António Feio uses all means to curb the disease. And his last hope lies in radiotherapy treatment called CYBERKNIFE, considered less violent and more effective. "I hold to all that can alleviate the problem and possibly solve it," says the actor, who is himself a pay for treatments not exist in Portugal: "My doctors are calling for a support may or may not come. For now, am I to pay. treatments are very expensive. "

Nokia's Ovi

2010-06-24T21:19:00.003+05:30

Ovi by Nokia is the brand for Nokia's Internet services. The Ovi services can be used from a mobile device, computer (through Nokia Ovi Suite) or via the web (Ovi.com). Nokia focuses on five key services areas: Games, Maps, Media, Messaging and Music. Nokia's aim with Ovi is to include 3rd parties, such as operators and third-party services like Yahoo's Flickr photo site. With the announcement of Ovi Maps Player API, Nokia has started to evolve their services into a platform, enabling third-parties to make use of Nokia's Ovi services. It has some significance in that Nokia is moving deeper into the world of Internet services, where head-on competition with Microsoft, Google and Apple is inevitable. Ovi is the Finnish word for "door". As of 28 February 2010 there were almost 1.5 million downloads every day

History

Ovi was announced on August 29, 2007 at the Go Play event in London. The word "ovi" means "door" in Finnish. On December 4, a more ambitious plan was announced with more details about when public beta desktop software would be offered. The public beta was released on August 28, 2008.
Nokia over time has acquired key building blocks for Ovi. This includes IP, patents and core components such as synchronization. Acquired IP, patents include companies such as Starfish Software, Intellisync, NAVTEQ, Gate5, Plazes and others. Other components have been developed internally.
On May 20, 2009, at the Where 2.0 event in San Jose, CA, USA, Nokia announced the release of the Ovi Maps Player API, allowing web developers to embed Ovi Maps into a website using JavaScript.

Services

Nokia Ovi Suite

Nokia Ovi Suite allows Nokia mobile users to organize and share their photos and PIM data between their PC and their handset. It is the next generation of Nokia PC Suite and eventually Nokia Ovi Suite will become the only computer application offered by Nokia. The current commercial version of Nokia Ovi Suite is 2.1.1.1. A Mac OS X compatible version was announced in November 2008, and has been "expected soon" ever since. No updates on this announcement have been made available to date.

Ovi Sync

Ovi Sync allows you to sync your contacts, calendar events and notes to ovi.com. The service can be used as a way to backup your data or to edit it in your computer to then send it back to your phone. There is no auto-sync yet.

Ovi Store

The Ovi Store was launched world wide in May 2009. Here, customers can download mobile games, applications, videos, images, and ringing tones to their Nokia devices. Some of the items are free of charge; others can be purchased using credit card or through operator billing in selected operators. The content in Ovi Store is sorted into the following categories:

Recommended
Games
Personalise
Applications
Audio & video

Ovi Store is intended to offer customers content that is compatible with their mobile devices and relevant to their tastes and locations. Customers can share recommendations with their friends, see what they are downloading, and let them see items of interest.
For content publishers, Nokia offers a self-service tool to bring their content to the Ovi Store. Supported content types include: Java ME, Flash applications, widgets, ringtones, wallpapers, themes, and more for Nokia Series 40 and S60 devices. Nokia offers a 70% revenue share of gross sales, net of refunds and returns, less applicable taxes and, where applicable, fixed operator billing costs.
Ovi Store replaces the older Nokia services, Widsets, Download!, and MOSH.

Ovi Maps

With the Ovi Maps internet service, customers can browse places from all over the world, plan trips, search for addresses and points of interest, and save them on Ovi. Ovi Maps for web can be used on any browser and any operating system for PC or Mac. To install the Ovi Maps plug-in that enables more features, one needs to have either Microsoft Windows XP/Vista with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and later or Mozilla Firefox 3 or later, or Apple Mac OS X with Safari 3 and later.
If the Ovi Maps 3.0 application (formerly known as Nokia Maps) is installed to your compatible Nokia mobile device, you can synchronise places, collections, and routes between Ovi Maps and your mobile device. You need to have a Nokia account to be able to synchronise.
Using Nokia Ovi Suite or Nokia Map Loader on Microsoft Windows XP or Vista, users can download and preload map data and navigator voices to their mobile device. This allows customers to save time and money as little data is required to be downloaded over-the-air during operation. Map data can also be downloaded without Nokia Ovi Suite or Nokia Map Loader by pointing a web browser to the map file locations.

Ovi Mail

Ovi Mail is an easy-to-use email address designed for access from your Nokia mobile device and can also be accessed from compatible desktop browsers. The beta phase started on December 2008, and is also available for all Ovi users from 20th of February 2009.
The web mail works with standard browsers such as IE 6, IE 7, Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 and is currently available in 15 languages - US English, UK English, Indonesian, Malay, Bengali, Filipino (Tagalog), French, German, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal) and Spanish (Spain).
Currently over 35 different phone models with S40 and S60 -platform support Nokias new mail service. According to its website Ovi Mail is a leading mobile email service in Indonesia, South Africa, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil and India. On August 11, 2009 Nokia announced that in just over six months over 650,000 accounts were created on mobile devices and over one million accounts were activated in total. On January 8th 2010, it was announced by Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo that the Ovi Mail service had 5 million users.

Instant Messaging

Newer Nokia phones also ship with software that allows to do instant messaging (IM). Apart from using accounts with other popular IM service providers (e.g., for the ICQ network), a user may also use his Ovi account to send and receive instant messages to and from other Ovi users. Depending on the user's tariffs for sending SMS text messages vs. connecting to the Internet from the mobile phone, using instant messaging can prove to be either significantly cheaper (volume-based data plan) or significantly more expensive (time-based data plan).

Ovi Share

Ovi Share is a media sharing website. Originally called Twango, the site allows the upload and storage of photos, videos, etc. Users can upload media directly from Nokia mobile phones through the Share Online 3.0 application, or can alternatively use their PCs.

Ovi Files

Ovi Files allows users to remotely access, send, and create an online mirror of files stored on their Windows PC and Macintosh computers from any mobile or computer web browser. Supplemental features enable users to upload content to their remote computer and preview Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF documents without the need for a browser plug-in or locally installed application.
Ovi Files is based on the "Access and Share" service created by Avvenu Incorporated, which Nokia acquired in 05 December 2007.
Originally a premium service, Ovi Files was made free of charge in July 2009.

Nokia Music Store

Nokia Music Store allows purchasing of music directly on a mobile device or via PC. Download of Nokia Music software for PC is available from http://music.nokia.com/download
The store is currently available in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom with more countries launching regularly.
When you buy a Nokia Comes With Music device, you get unlimited free music downloads from millions of tracks from the Nokia Music Store for your PC & Mobile. Yours to keep even after your subscription ends.
Nokia Comes With Music is currently available in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

Ovi Player

Nokia Ovi Player, previously known as Nokia Music PC Client, is the music management and playback software for PC. Nokia Ovi Player is required for accessing Nokia Music Stores and Nokia Comes With Music service. Download of Nokia Ovi Player is available from http://music.nokia.com/download.
Nokia Ovi Player allows user to download tracks from the music stores and provides easy transfer of tracks to supported Phones and MP3 Players. Nokia Ovi Player supports Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) and will be able to transfer audio tracks to any phones or MP3 players supporting MTP over standard USB.

N-Gage

The N-Gage 2.0 platform has been integrated into the Nokia N78, Nokia N79, Nokia N81, Nokia N81 8GB, Nokia N82, Nokia N85, Nokia N86, Nokia N95, Nokia N95 8GB, Nokia N96 and Nokia 5320 mobile phones. Early in 2008, an updated version of the mobile gaming platform (including its online component - the N-Gage Arena) went live, according to Nokia. The service worked in the past only with Nokia's N-Gage mobile game consoles, but the company said it will soon work with other devices too.

Publishing content

Publishers of content, or Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), may join the Ovi programme for a fee of €50. Nokia keeps 30% of the developers' revenue from sales of their product. However, if the product is purchased using Operator Billing, then between 40%-50% of the price paid by the consumer is first given to the operator. Content which the publisher develops will be reviewed by Nokia before publication. Symbian, Java and Flash lite applications must be Symbian signed. Symbian Signed is the signing programme administered by the Symbian Foundation. It requires a Publisher ID which costs $200 per year and each time you sign a SIS file it will cost €10 when using Express Signed.

Johnny Depp Will Not Marry Vanessa Paradis

2010-06-21T21:21:00.000+05:30

Johnny Depp confessed he doesn't want to marry his long-term partner Vanessa Paradis, arguing he will only burden her with his name.

Depp explained: "It would be a shame to ruin her last name! It's so perfect - Vanessa Paradis. So beautiful. It would be such a drag to stick her with Paradis-Depp. It's like a flat note.

For all intents and purposes we are married. We have two kids together and she is the woman in my life.

But if she ever said: 'Hey, let's get hitched', I would do it in a second. We'll do it if the kids want us to, or maybe when the kids are old enough to enjoy it with us."

Depp also said he's not sure that getting married will change their way of life. "Marriage can be whatever you define it as. For example, I don't feel like I need a piece of paper that says I own her and she owns me.

I think signing a piece of paper doesn't mean anything in the eyes of God or in the eyes of people. The thing is, if you are together and you love each other and are good to each other, make babies and all that, for all intents and purposes you are married."

Depp is the father of two children, Lily-Rose and Jack, with his seven-years companion, French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis.

He and his family divide their time between Los Angeles and a villa in the South of France. He has also dated actresses Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder, and model Kate Moss.

Fernandes stunned by Swiss success

2010-06-17T20:12:00.000+05:30

Switzerland hero Gelson Fernandes was as surprised as everyone else after netting the winning goal in his team's historic triumph over

Spain

.
The St Etienne midfielder's strike seven minutes into the second half of yesterday's Group H encounter proved enough for Ottmar Hitzfeld's side to beat the European champions - and left Fernandes stunned.
"I don't think I realise what is happening right now," said the 23-year-old. "I'm a bit surprised. It's a very special moment for our country and I'm very happy. We were definitely very good against Spain and we played very well as a team."

“They are technically a very good side and we were very lucky.”

Gelson Fernandes, Switzerland midfielder.

The Spaniards dominated possession but the Swiss made the most of their chance. Fernandes, who was born in Cape Verde, said fortune had been on his side when he fired past Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
"I'm not used to scoring goals so it's a bit of a surprise," he said. "In the goal, I did have a bit of luck as the ball fell to my feet and I anticipated the goalkeeper. I think Spain played well and they didn't underestimate us. They are technically a very good side and we were very lucky."
The Swiss next take on Chile in Port Elizabeth on 21 June. "We are in a great position now," Fernandes said. "But we have to remain concentrated for our next game as Chile will be a difficult rival."

The Players to watch 2010 FIFA Worldcup

2010-06-17T20:11:00.001+05:30

Lionel MESSI

• Date of Birth: 24 June 1987
• Height: 170 cm
• Shirt number: 10
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Barcelona (ESP)
• International Caps: 46
• International Goals: 13
• First international: Hungary - Argentina
(17 August 2005)
There has been no shortage of players billed as Diego Maradona’s successor, yet few, if any, have borne that burden with the aplomb of Lionel Messi. Blessed with a wondrous left foot, outstanding vision, near-unstoppable dribbling skills and sublime technique, Messi is a sight to behold. Add in his explosive changes of pace, timing and nose for goal – a trait particularly in evidence in 2010 – and you have a player able to change any game in the blink of an eye.
The Rosario-born superstar took his first steps in the game at local club Newell's Old Boys, before joining Catalan giants Barcelona at the age of just 13 after a successful trial at the Camp Nou. Indeed, so impressed was Carles Rexach, then head of youth development at Can Barça, that “I made him sign for the club on the back of a napkin, as a symbolic gesture. He’d caught my eye immediately.”
An important factor in the move was the Azulgranas’ offer to pay for treatment to correct Messi’s growth-hormone deficiency, a condition that led to his nickname of La Pulga (The Flea), which had proved prohibitively expensive for his Argentinian suitors in the midst of the country’s economic collapse. Messi’s La Liga debut came in late 2004 and he definitively exploded onto the Spanish football scene the following year. His first goal, fired on 1 May 2005 against Albacete, made him the club’s youngest ever goalscorer, a record he held until beaten by Bojan Krkic in 2008.
The years 2008 through 2010 have cemented Messi’s rise to superstardom at Barcelona, where to date he has won three La Liga titles, the UEFA European Supercup, the Copa del Rey, three Spanish Supercups, two UEFA Champions Leagues and one FIFA Club World Cup crown. What is more, after scoring in the finals of the latter four competitions in 2009, the Argentinian was rewarded with that year’s FIFA World Player award. And after scoring 38 goals in all competitions in 2008/09, La Pulga surpassed that total in 2009/10.
At international level, Messi mirrored Maradona’s achievements at Japan 1979 by inspiring his country to victory at the 2005 edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. A member of the Albiceleste squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, he made three appearances, two as a substitute, but remained on the bench during the quarter-final exit against the host nation.
Part of the Argentina side beaten by arch-rivals Brazil in the final of the 2007 Copa America, the following year Messi was a key figure in the team which stormed to gold at the Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing. And though he is yet to hit the heights of his club form in the blue-and-white of Argentina, Messi is determined to do that come South Africa 2010: “In order to become a legend, I have to win the World Cup,” he says.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

• Date of Birth: 5 February 1985
• Height: 185 cm
• Shirt number: 7
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Real Madrid (ESP)
• International Caps: 72
• International Goals: 22
• First international: Portugal - Kazakhstan (20 August 2003)
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo turns the beautiful game into child’s play. As Brazil’s legendary FIFA World Cup-winning midfielder Didi once said: “If we don’t treat the ball with love, she won’t do what we want her to do.” Perhaps more than any other player of the modern era, Real Madrid’s flying winger seems to maintain that wide-eyed innocence on the field that makes every dazzling dribble and every penetrating pass feel like the very first. And such is his artistry that, almost magnetically, the ball returns to his feet time and time again, ready for the next touch of genius.
There is something almost balletic about Cristiano Ronaldo’s play that transforms mere possession of the ball into a footballing pas-de-deux. Much as he is restless, almost jealous, whilst others enjoy the limelight, the graceful Ronaldo comes to life with the ball at his feet, pirouetting away from opposing defenders with poise, and gliding across the stage with an uncommon elegance.
From his early days with local club Andorinha, where his father was kit man, it was clear that the young Cristiano was destined for greatness. After a short stint with Nacional, he left Madeira to follow his dream and, as it has turned out, to become one of the greatest players in the world.
But in keeping with the finest artistic traditions, the young star’s rise to footballing pre-eminence came on the back of a series of life-changing choices. The first was to leave his family behind on the tiny Atlantic island in order to join Sporting Lisbon’s famous academy. Naturally, the winger found a home from home on a bigger stage, and success followed quickly. It was at the age of 15 that the talented teenager faced his greatest trial as a routine medical examination revealed an irregular heartbeat. Typically, Cristiano took the setback in his elegant stride, and a successful operation soon saw Madeira’s favourite son resume his career, from where he would go on to conquer the world.
Sporting’s fans were the first to bear witness to the young genius. He made his first team debut at the age of 17, scoring twice in the process. As it turned out, he would only wear the famous green-and-white hoops for one complete season; at the start of 2003/04, English giants Manchester United came to the Portuguese capital to play Sporting in a friendly to mark the opening of the new Jose Alvalade Stadium. It was love at first sight. The teenager bewitched his illustrious opponents, and Sir Alex Ferguson swooped to bring the youngster to Old Trafford, giving him the famous number 7 shirt, as worn by United legends George Best, Bryan Robson and Eric Cantona.
With the world at his feet, Cristiano Ronaldo blazed a trail through English football on his way to becoming a global superstar. Adulation and awards followed in equal measure: he was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2008, and he managed to fill the Santiago Bernabeu single-handedly as Real Madrid’s fans turned out in force to welcome their latest acquisition in 2009. All that is missing is success on the game’s greatest stage. He suffered the bitter disappointment of just missing out on glory with Portugal in UEFA Euro 2004. When the hosts finished runners-up to Greece that year, the image of the youngster in tears flashed around the world. In South Africa, he will be wiser, stronger and hungrier than ever before to turn his country’s dreams into reality and lead them to FIFA World Cup™ glory.
Robin VAN PERSIE

• Date of Birth: 6 August 1983
• Height: 184 cm
• Shirt number: 9
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Arsenal (ENG)
• International Caps: 45
• International Goals: 18
• First international: Netherlands - Romania (4 June 2005)
After a season blighted by an ankle injury that kept him out of action from November to mid-April, the Arsenal striker goes into the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ hungry to make his mark. The forward likened by club manager Arsene Wenger to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo contested less than a month at the end of the season, but he travels to South Africa fresh and, above all, more motivated than ever to impress. On target against Côte d’Ivoire during the group stage at Germany 2006, he was bitterly disappointed by the Netherlands’ Round of 16 exit at the hands of Portugal.
The erstwhile Feyenoord prodigy is anxious to bolster his collection of honours too. Since winning the UEFA Cup with the Rotterdam outfit in 2002, the son of artist parents has just a 2005 FA Cup winner’s medal to show for his efforts, having spent the last five years in a vain hunt for the titles to go with his immense talent.
Capped at Under-19 and U-21 level, he was named Young Player of the Year in the Eredivisie for 2001/02, despite ending the campaign without a goal to his name. He struck 14 over the next two seasons but fell out with his coach – namely Bert van Marwijk, now his boss at international level – and that prompted a move to Arsenal in the summer of 2004, with Wenger eyeing the newcomer as the next Dennis Bergkamp. The Rotterdam native was handed extra responsibility in the wake of Thierry Henry’s departure, but a string of injuries held him back and it took him until 2008/09 to truly repay his manager’s faith, weighing in with 11 Premier League strikes and a further five in the UEFA Champions League.
Again sidelined by injury in November 2009, during a superb spell of form, Van Persie intends to make up for lost time on South African soil.
Wesley SNEIJDER

• Date of Birth: 9 June 1984
• Height: 170 cm
• Shirt number: 10
• Position: Midfielder
• Current club: Inter (ITA)
• International Caps: 62
• International Goals: 14
• First international: Netherlands - Portugal (30 April 2003)
"I still don’t know why Real let him go,” said former Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho recently. “Sometimes at clubs, there’s a logic that’s hard to understand. Today, he’s a key member of our team.” Not one to offer praise unduly, the Portuguese tactician has clearly come to hold the Dutch playmaker in the highest regard, having watched him recapture the form he displayed for Ajax before Real Madrid splashed out €27m for his services in summer 2007.
A stalwart at the heart of the Netherlands side during the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers, the elegant schemer from Utrecht contested just five matches on the road to South Africa. Oranje coach Bert van Marwijk sees him as the natural orchestrator of his team’s attacking play, however, and having hit his physical peak with his confidence sky high, Sneijder will now be looking to build on his UEFA EURO 2008 showing, when he earned himself a place in the Team of the Tournament. Previously an international at Under-17, U-19 and U-21 level, the Nerazzurri provocateur twice won Man of the Match plaudits in Austria and Switzerland as the Netherlands swept aside both Italy and France in the group stage. Five years before that, in November 2003, he gave early notice of his prodigious talent by scoring twice and conjuring four assists in a 6-0 win over Scotland.
At ease with both feet, Sneijder has precious few peers in Europe when it comes to his passing ability. He can also speed up the play or slow it down when needed, while his set-piece ability is second to none and his long-range shooting has brought him a hatful of spectacular goals, such as his double against Siena in January. It is no coincidence that Inter hardly ever lose when he is on the pitch.
Brought through the ranks at Ajax originally, he made his maiden Eredivisie appearance at the age of 18 and soon seduced the Amsterdam ArenA faithful with his superior playmaking skills, going on to become a central figure as the capital side clinched league honours in 2003/04. The Dutch Cup followed in 2006 and a year later, having struck 18 goals in his most prolific season, Sneijder left Ajax for life in La Liga. He made the best of starts for Real when he scored the winner in the Madrid derby on his debut, and he was soon handed responsibility for organising the team’s attacks by coach Bernd Schuster.
At the end of a successful first campaign in the Spanish capital, Sneijder could look back on nine goals from 30 games and a league winner’s medal. The following year could hardly have been more different, though, as the Dutchman suffered the effects of an injury picked up pre-season. Sidelined for three months, he lost his place in the starting line-up and never regained it. That opened the door to his Serie A switch in August 2009, with his first game for Inter also a derby. The Nerazzurri triumphed 4-0 against eternal rivals AC Milan and Sneijder stamped his class all over the occasion. Liable to pop up anywhere on the pitch, he built on that performance to mark out his first season in Italy as a stunning success.
Wayne ROONEY

• Date of Birth: 24 October 1985
• Height: 178 cm
• Shirt number: 10
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Manchester Utd. (ENG)
• International Caps: 61
• International Goals: 25
• First international: England - Australia (12 February 2003)
If Italia 90 is remembered in England as Gazza’s tournament, there are high hopes that South Africa 2010 will go down in history as ‘Wazza’s.’
Wayne Rooney, as he is better known, has already surpassed the achievements of the talented maverick Paul Gascoigne in all ways bar one – he has yet to light up a FIFA World Cup™ with his talent. The signs are that this could be the year for the 24-year-old Liverpudlian, who was England’s top scorer with nine goals in qualifying and arrives in South Africa after his best season yet in front of goal.
Handed a central striking role at Manchester United following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Rooney has revelled in the responsibility, passing the 30-goal mark for the first time.
It is now eight years since Rooney burst on to the scene, thrilling the fans of his boyhood favourites Everton with his prodigious gifts. He was 16 but could do just about anything with his strength, pace, vision and dribbling ability. His first Premier League goal summed up his ‘let-me-at-’em’ attitude: a thumping 30-yard last-minute strike that ended champions Arsenal’s 30-game unbeaten run.
Rooney soon became his country’s youngest player when making his senior debut at 17 years and 111 days in a February 2003 friendly against Australia. He made international football look like child’s play, becoming England’s youngest scorer with a goal in a UEFA EURO 2004 qualifier against FYR Macedonia seven months later.
Utterly fearless, the 18-year-old Rooney took Europe by storm when unleashed at the ensuing finals in Portugal. He registered four goals and might have inflicted more damage but for the fractured metatarsal he sustained with England leading Portugal in a quarter-final they eventually lost on penalties.
By the time Rooney had recovered, he was a Manchester United player following his August 2004 switch to Old Trafford for a £27m fee. He rose to the occasion once more on his United debut, hitting a hat-trick against Fenerbahce in the UEFA Champions League. His talent was without question yet there were doubts over his temperament and they resurfaced to unhappy effect at the FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Rooney had rushed back from another metatarsal injury to take his place in England’s squad but he was not at his best and another quarter-final against Portugal ended prematurely for him – albeit this time with a red card for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho. Of course, Rooney is not the first talented tyro to overheat in the pressure cooker of a FIFA World Cup – Diego Maradona did the same first time around and there are England supporters hoping Rooney can make a similar impact as Argentina’s No10 managed on his second try.
Four years on from Gelsenkirchen, Rooney – who has won three Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League in the intervening period – has certainly matured impressively. He became a father last October and the following month captained England for the first time in a Dubai friendly against Brazil. For all his star quality, he still works tirelessly for his team and no defence will look forward to facing him in South Africa.
David VILLA

• Date of Birth: 3 December 1981
• Height: 175 cm
• Shirt number: 7
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Valencia (ESP)
• International Caps: 58
• International Goals: 38
• First international: Spain - San Marino (9 February 2005)
Top scorer at UEFA EURO 2008 and a fixture at the sharp end of the Spanish attack, David Villa is currently one of the world's hottest striking properties. A born competitor with an unquenchable thirst for finding the net, Villa always has the goal in his sights whether playing as an out-and-out forward, in a withdrawn role or wide-left in a front three.
Known as El Guaje (an affectionate name given to children in his native Asturias), this quick and explosive hitman is certainly not afraid of hard work, and is always willing to drop deep and help out his midfield. It is this level of commitment and the gutsy nature of his performances that make the Valencia man a fan's favourite for club and country, as well as earning him his fair share of run-ins with match officials.
Naturally right-footed, Villa is nearly as proficient with his left, thanks to a childhood accident and his father's foresight. Seeing how his four-year old son would not stop playing even after bearing a plaster cast on his broken right leg, Villa senior felt it best to show the youngster how to strike the ball with his weaker foot.
Now 28, Villa came up through the youth ranks and began learning his trade at Sporting de Gijon, before exploding onto the La Liga scene at Real Zaragoza, where he enjoyed two goal-filled years between 2003 and 2005. Valencia then spent big to bring the front-runner to the Mestalla, though El Guaje quickly repaid the investment by coming within one goal of the division's top scorer's award, El Pichichi, in his debut campaign. He did however finish as the leading Spanish-born scorer, an honour he has since claimed on two further occasions.
After the 2009/2010 season, Villa signed with FC Barcelona and will now wear the vaunted blaugrana colours after helping Spain qualify simply for South Africa 2010. The Asturian made his debut for La Roja in February 2005, during Spain's successful qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™. And the tournament itself could barely have started better, with Villa notching twice in his country's 4-0 opening win over Ukraine. Despite Luis Aragones's side's exit from the competition in the Round of 16 against France, Villa's four-goal haul certainly did his own standing no harm whatsoever.
Since then, save for absences through injury or suspension, Villa has been an ever-present in La Roja squad and had already racked up 36 goals at the time of publication. Now second in Spain's all-time scorers' list, at his current rate Raul's record tally of 44 appears well within his reach.
Playing a part in his huge popularity is that, whatever plaudits and success come his way, Villa never fails to play down his own role and heap praise on those around him. And next up for Spain and their inspirational goal-getter is the sizable challenge of South Africa 2010, where he and his mates will be keen to make up for the disappointments of 2006.

Fernando TORRES

• Date of Birth: 20 March 1984
• Height: 181 cm
• Shirt number: 9
• Position: Forward
• Current club: Liverpool (ENG)
• International Caps: 73
• International Goals: 24
• First international: Portugal - Spain (6 September 2003)
Though he has come a long way since his early days as a teenage prodigy at his first club Atletico Madrid, for Spanish football fans Fernando Torres will always be El Niño (The Boy). It was his winner against Germany in the final of UEFA EURO 2008 that ensured the 26-year-old forward's name will forever go down in La Roja history while he continues to make strides at club level with Liverpool.
Torres joined the youth ranks at his beloved Atléti at the age of ten, and within seven years had made his first-team bow for Los Rojiblancos - becoming the supporters' great red-and-white hope in the process. Having cut his teeth during the club's two-season sojourn in Spain's second division, once back in the top flight for the 2003/04 campaign Torres's progress was nothing short of meteoric.
After firing 84 goals in 214 league encounters for Los Colchoneros, in 2007 the powerful front-runner opted for a move to English Premier League giants Liverpool in a bid for regular UEFA Champions League football. And despite the pressure of inheriting the No9 shirt from Reds' legend Robbie Fowler, Torres thrived in his first season at Rafael Benitez's "Spanish Liverpool", firing 34 goals in 47 appearances for the Anfield club.
Freed from the burden of expectation that had at times weighed heavy on his shoulders at Atletico, the move to English football has helped this natural-born goalscorer fulfil his enormous potential. Having already gone down in Reds' history when scoring the club's 1,000th Premier League goal, Torres's explosive bursts of pace, technique, aerial ability and lethal finishing continue to earn him admirers in his new home city and beyond.
His time in the red jersey of Spain has been hugely productive from the off, claiming a winners' medal, finishing top scorer and being voted best player at the UEFA European Under-16 Championship in 2001, before repeating the feat at the continental U-19 event two years' later. His debut for the full national team came in a friendly in September 2003, while he was also part of La Roja squad for their heart-breaking early exits at EURO 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, though he did hit three goals in four appearances at the latter event.
More than making up for these disappointments was the triumph at EURO 2008, Spain's first major trophy success in 44 years. And with Torres partnered by another world-class Spanish striker, David Villa, La Roja fans will be confident of more silverware in the years to come.

The Players to watch 2010 FIFA Worldcup

2010-06-15T20:45:00.002+05:30

Lesser known stars:

PEDRO (Spain)

Date of Birth: 28 July 1987
Height: 169 cm
Shirt number: 18
Position: Forward
Current club: Barcelona (ESP)
International Caps: 3
International Goals: 1

Luis SUAREZ (Uruguay)

Date of Birth: 24 January 1987
Height: 181 cm
Shirt number: 9
Position: Forward
Current club: Ajax (NED)
International Caps: 31
International Goals: 10
First international: Colombia - Uruguay (7 February 2007)

Javier HERNANDEZ (Mexico)

Date of Birth: 1 June 1988
Height: 175 cm
Shirt number: 14
Position: Forward
Current club: Chivas (MEX)
International Caps: 13
International Goals: 7
First international: Mexico - Colombia (30 September 2009)

Marek HAMSIK (Slovakia)

Date of Birth: 27 July 1987
Height: 184 cm
Shirt number: 17
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Napoli (ITA)
International Caps: 32
International Goals: 8
First international: Poland - Slovakia (7 February 2007)

Sotiris NINIS (Greece)

Date of Birth: 3 April 1990
Height: 173 cm
Shirt number: 18
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Panathinaikos (GRE)
International Caps: 4
International Goals: 1
First international: Greece - Cyprus (19 May 2008)

Toni KROOS (Germany)

Date of Birth: 4 January 1990
Height: 180 cm
Shirt number: 18
Position: Midfielder
Current club: Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
International Caps: 4
International Goals: 0
First international: Germany - Argentina (3 March 2010)

MAICON (Brazil)

Date of Birth: 26 July 1981
Height: 186 cm
Shirt number: 2
Position: Defender
Current club: Inter (ITA)
International Caps: 58
International Goals: 5
First international: Mexico - Brazil (13 July 2003)

South Africa Vs Mexico Match Perview

2010-06-11T13:16:00.000+05:30

The moment will finally arrive on Friday, June 11. For the first ever time in the history of the sport, a soccer ball will be kicked on African soil in a FIFA World Cup match.

South African fans march and blow Vuvuzela horns in support of Bafana Bafana.This will at last happen when South Africa, the 2010 FIFA World Cup’s host nation, will battle it out against CONCACAF Gold Cup defending champions Mexico. It is the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg which will host such an honorable match. There will be plenty to look out for in this game that will be played just after opening ceremony which is expected to rock the world with some African flavor.

In his own words, South Africa president Jacob Zuma explained how historic the World Cup, which will begin with the South Africa vs Mexico fixture, is. He said on Wednesday:

“There are a few moments that define a nation’s history. We stand on the threshold of one as we draw closer and closer to Friday, June 11 when the World Cup officially begins.”

The clock indicates that the moment isn’t far away indeed. Fans around the world cannot wait for it to begin. Now in the meantime, the two teams concerned are also putting finishing touches to their preparations. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana know exactly how wonderful it will be to offer joy through victory for the millions of South African fans that will show their support by blowing Vuvuzela horns.

Likewise, Mexico are very much aware of the immense respect they will acquire from the rest of the world if they can call silence to reign upon the Soccer City Stadium by defeating the 2010 World Cup hosts at the end of proceedings. The meaning of this opener is certainly beyond the understanding of most football-loving fans. But South Africa and Mexico’s players certainly know how the outcome of the game on June 11 will contribute in changing the world. The pressure is already on, and both El Tri and Bafana Bafana feel it. But they know that they’ve got it all so they can keep believing in their fighting spirit.
South Africa ready to challenge Mexico – Katlego Mphela
Katlego Mphela of South Africa celebrates by beating his chest.

For every Bafana Bafana player, South Africa’s 2010 World Cup opener against Mexico will surely come up as a special moment in their lives. Ranked 83rd in the world of football and having struggled in previous tournament to put balls at the back of the net, there could be concerns over the host nations’ chances of delivering the best of results for their supporters on Friday.

However, striker Katlego Mphela believes that he and his team are ready for the challenge Mexico will pose on the opening day of the 2010 World Cup.

“I just need chances to score,” Mphela avowed boldly before continuing:

“I’ve no problem playing alone upfront, as long as there is service. I know that we’re under pressure as we play at home. But, that is actually pushing us to do more. I’m well prepared for the challenge ahead. The camps that we have had give us confidence. With a record of 12 games unbeaten, we have reason to be confident.”

In fact, Mexico are also fresh from a spirit-boosting 2-1 triumph over World Cup titleholders Italy which they secured in a friendly match on June 3. Still, Katlego Mphela dared to analyze El Tri’s style of play in favor of South Africa. He explained:

“Mexico are more of an attacking team from what I’ve seen of them in the last three friendly matches that they’ve played. But then, when they push a lot, they are bound to leave spaces behind in defense – which I’ll be taking advantage of.”

Pursuing his defy against Bafana Bafana’s opponents on Friday, Mphela stated:

“Mexico are fast upfront and they’ll attack. But we will do the same. We are ready for this and very fit for the challenge.”

Talking about fitness, Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira singled it out as a major factor that will decide South Africa’s fate during the tournament. He declared:

“I believe if you want to qualify for the second round, you have to do something special. And for us, that would mean in the technical and skills aspects of the game. We can’t beat France, Mexico, or Uruguay in a physical struggle. My boys have to play well against them, with the ball on the ground. This is our big strength. That is what I want the South African team to believe in.”
Carlos Vela celebrates in style after scoring against Italy.Mexico also keep believing

Like he has been doing since replacing Sven Goran Eriksson, Coach Javier Aguirre keeps believing in the mixture of experience and youth for the benefit of his squad. For example, Veteran Cuauhtemoc Blanco is a 37-year-old midfielder whose inclusion in El Tri’s squad - among much younger players - always seems to be positive. Soccer commentator Gustavo Mendoza branded Cuauhtemoc Blanco as “the biggest name in Mexico” and as “the one who can really make a difference”. So the public can watch out for the 37-year-old midfielder to work wonders at the Soccer City Stadium on Friday.

Besides Cuauhtemoc Blanco, the likes of young players like Giovanni dos Santos, Javier Hernandez, and Carlos Vela are expected to make an impact against South Africa. Concerning Mexico’s injury list, Coach Javier Aguirre can be relieved as Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez and West Ham striker Guillermo Franco should be fit in time to play against Bafana Bafana.

According to Arsenal’s Carlos Vela, concentration will be the key for El Tri to upset the 2010 World Cup hosts, South Africa. Speaking to the media, the youngster declared:

“We’ll just have to focus on what happens on the pitch. That will be the best way to win the match.”

So the game promises to offer a lot of attacking flair at the joy of neutrals especially. Can South Africa’s Bafana Bafana follow Waka Waka’s message and emerge victorious against Mexico after the final whistle on June 11?
South Africa vs Mexico – Head-to-headSymbolizing the first ever World Cup held in africa, fans lift up a World Cup trophy and the South African flag up to the sky.

South Africa and Mexico have played three times only against each other. El Tri have the edge with two victories against one, and nine goals scored against four. The last time both teams faced each other, Mexico ran away 4-2 winners. That was in Dallas, on June 7, 2000.

The whole world is awaiting the start of the football fiesta. It's the turn of South Africa and Mexico to light up football fans with a dazzling display. What will we see at the end of the 90 minutes? Bafana Bafana fans singing in harmony or Mexican supporters proudly making the Mexican wave?

2010 FIFA World Cup - Schedule with time

2010-06-05T21:16:00.001+05:30

Date	Teams	Time (GMT)	Stadium
Group Stage
June 11 Fri	South Africa vs Mexico (A)	14:00	Soccer City, Johannesburg
June 11 Fri	Uruguay vs France (A)	18:30	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
June 12 Sat	South Korea vs Greece (B)	11:30	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
	Argentina vs Nigeria (B)	14:00	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
	England vs United States (C)	18:30	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
June 13 Sun	Algeria vs Slovenia (C)	11:30	Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
	Serbia vs Ghana (D)	14:00	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
	Germany vs Australia (D)	18:30	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
June 14 Mon	Netherlands vs Denmark (E)	11:30	Soccer City, Johannesburg
	Japan vs Cameroon (E)	14:00	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
	Italy vs Paraguay (F)	18:30	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
June 15 Tue	New Zealand vs Slovakia (F)	11:30	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
	Ivory Coast vs Portugal (G)	14:00	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
	Brazil vs North Korea (G)	18:30	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
June 16 Wed	Honduras vs Chile (H)	11:30	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
	Spain vs Switzerland (H)	14:00	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
	South Africa vs Uruguay (A)	18:30	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
June 17 Thu	Argentina vs South Korea (B)	11:30	Soccer City, Johannesburg
	Greece vs Nigeria (B)	14:00	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
	France vs Mexico (A)	18:30	Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
June 18 Fri	Germany vs Serbia (D)	11:30	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
	Slovenia vs United States (C)	14:00	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
	England vs Algeria (C)	18:30	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
June 19 Sat	Netherlands vs Japan (E)	11:30	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
	Ghana vs Australia (D)	14:00	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
	Cameroon vs Denmark (E)	18:30	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
June 20 Sun	Slovakia vs Paraguay (F)	11:30	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
	Italy vs New Zealand (F)	14:00	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
	Brazil vs Ivory Coast (G)	18:30	Soccer City, Johannesburg
June 21 Mon	Portugal vs North Korea (G)	11:30	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
	Chile vs Switzerland (H)	14:00	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
	Spain vs Honduras (H)	18:30	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
June 22 Tue	Mexico vs Uruguay (A)	14:00	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
	France vs South Africa (A)	14:00	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
	Nigeria vs South Korea (B)	18:30	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
	Greece vs Argentina (B)	18:30	Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
June 23 Wed	Slovenia vs England (C)	14:00	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
	United States vs Algeria (C)	14:00	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
	Ghana vs Germany (D)	18:30	Soccer City, Johannesburg
	Australia vs Serbia (D)	18:30	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
June 24 Thu	Slovakia vs Italy (F)	14:00	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
	Paraguay vs New Zealand (F)	14:00	Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane
	Denmark vs Japan (E)	18:30	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
	Cameroon vs Netherlands (E)	18:30	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
June 25 Fri	Portugal vs Brazil (G)	14:00	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
	North Korea vs Ivory Coast (G)	14:00	Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
	Chile vs Spain (H)	18:30	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
	Switzerland vs Honduras (H)	18:30	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Round of 16
June 26 Sat	1A vs 2B (Match 1)	14:00	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
June 26 Sat	1C vs 2D (Match 2)	18:30	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
June 27 Sun	1D vs 2C (Match 3)	14:00	Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
June 27 Sun	1B vs 2A (Match 4)	18:30	Soccer City, Johannesburg
June 28 Mon	1E vs 2F (Match 5)	14:00	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
June 28 Mon	1G vs 2H (Match 6)	18:30	Soccer City, Johannesburg
June 29 Tue	1F vs 2E (Match 7)	14:00	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria
June 29 Tue	1H vs 2G (Match 8)	18:30	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Quarter Final
July 2 Fri	W5 vs W7 (QF 1)	14:00	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
July 2 Fri	W1 vs W3 (QF 2)	18:30	Soccer City, Johannesburg
July 3 Sat	W2 vs W4 (QF 3)	14:00	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
July 3 Sat	W6 vs W8 (QF 4)	18:30	Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg
Semi Final
July 6 Tue	Winner of QF1 vs Winner of QF2 (SF 1)	18:30	Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
July 7 Wed	Winner of QF3 vs Winner of QF4 (SF 2)	18:30	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
Third Place play-off
July 10 Sat	Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2	18:30	Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Final
July 11 Sun	Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2	18:30	Soccer City, Johannesburg

* 1A- Group A Champion, 2A- Group A Runner up,

1B- Group B Champion, 2B- Group B Runner up,

1C- Group C Champion, 2C- Group C Runner up,

1D- Group D Champion, 2D- Group D Runner up,

1E- Group E Champion, 2E- Group E Runner up,

1F- Group F Champion, 2F- Group F Runner up,

1G- Group G Champion, 2G- Group G Runner up,

1H- Group H Champion, 2H- Group H Runner up,

*QF- Quarter Final

*W1- Winner of Match 1

W2 Winner of Match 2

W3 Winner of Match 3

W4 Winner of Match 4

W5 Winner of Match 5

W6 Winner of Match 6

W7 Winner of Match 7

W8 Winner of Match 8

*SF- Semi Final

2010 FIFA World Cup - Schedule

2010-06-04T18:46:00.001+05:30

Group A

    * South Africa
    * Mexico
    * Uruguay
    * France

    Group B

    * Argentina
    * Korea Republic
      Nigeria
    * Greece

    Group C

    * England
    * United States
    * Algeria
    * Slovenia

    Group D

    * Germany
    * Australia
      Ghana
    * Serbia

Group E

    * Netherlands
    * Japan
    * Cameroon
    * Denmark

    Group F

    * Italy
    * New Zealand
    * Paraguay
    * Slovakia

    Group G

    * Brazil
    * Korea DPR
    * Cote D'Ivoire
    * Portugal

    Group H

    * Spain
    * Honduras
    * Chile
    * Switzerland

Match     Date/Time     Location     Group     Teams     Tickets
Match 1    6/11/10    Johannesburg    A    South Africa vs Mexico
Match 2    6/11/10    Cape Town    A    Uruguay vs France
Match 3    6/12/10    Johannesburg    B    Argentina vs Nigeria
Match 4    6/12/10    Port Elizabeth    B    Korea Republic vs Greece
Match 5    6/12/10    Rustenburg    C    England vs USA
Match 6    6/13/10    Polokwane    C    Algeria vs Slovenia
Match 7    6/13/10    Durban    D    Germany vs Australia
Match 8    6/13/10    Pretoria    D    Serbia vs Ghana
Match 9    6/14/10    Johannesburg    E    Netherlands vs Denmark
Match 10    6/14/10    Bloemfontein    E    Japan vs Camaroon
Match 11    6/14/10    Cape Town    F    Italy vs Paraguay
Match 12    6/15/10    Rustenburg    F    New Zealand vs Slovakia
Match 13    6/15/10    Port Elizabeth    G    Cote d'Ivoire vs Portugal
Match 14    6/15/10    Johannesburg    G    Brazil vs Korea DPR
Match 15    6/16/10    Nelspruit    H    Honduras vs Chile
Match 16    6/16/10    Durban    H    Spain vs Switzerland
Match 17    6/16/10    Pretoria    A    South Africa vs Uruguay
Match 18    6/17/10    Polokwane    A    Mexico vs France
Match 19    6/17/10    Bloemfontein    B    Greece vs Nigeria
Match 20    6/17/10    Johannesburg    B    Argentina vs Korea Republic
Match 21    6/18/10    Port Elizabeth    C    Germany vs Serbia
Match 22    6/18/10    Johannesburg    C    Slovenia vs USA
Match 23    6/18/10    Cape Town    D    England vs Algeria
Match 24    6/19/10    Rustenburg    D    Ghana vs Australia
Match 25    6/19/10    Durban    E    Netherlands vs Japan
Match 26    6/19/10    Pretoria    E    Cameroon vs Denmark
Match 27    6/20/10    Bloemfontein    F    Slovakia vs Paraguay
Match 28    6/20/10    Nelspruit    F    Italy vs New Zealand
Match 29    6/20/10    Johannesburg    G    Brazil vs Cote d'Ivoire
Match 30    6/21/10    Cape Town    G    Portugal vs Korea DPR
Match 31    6/21/10    Port Elizabeth    H    Chile vs Switzerland
Match 32    6/21/10    Johannesburg    H    Spain vs Honduras
Match 33    6/22/10    Rustenburg    A    Mexico vs Uruguay
Match 34    6/22/10    Bloemfontein    A    France vs South Africa
Match 35    6/22/10    Durban    B    Nigeria vs Korea Republic
Match 36    6/22/10    Polokwane    B    Greece vs Argentina
Match 37    6/23/10    Port Elizabeth    C    Slovenia vs England
Match 38    6/23/10    Pretoria    C    USA vs Algeria
Match 39    6/23/10    Johannesburg    D    Ghana vs Germany
Match 40    6/23/10    Nelspruit    D    Australia vs Serbia
Match 41    6/24/10    Johannesburg    E    Slovakia vs Italy
Match 42    6/24/10    Polokwane    E    Paraguay vs New Zealand
Match 43    6/24/10    Rustenburg    F    Denmark vs Japan
Match 44    6/24/10    Cape Town    F    Cameroon vs Netherlands
Match 45    6/25/10    Durban    G    Portugal vs Brazil
Match 46    6/25/10    Nelspruit    G    Korea DPR vs Ivory Coast
Match 47    6/25/10    Pretoria    H    Chile vs Spain
Match 48    6/25/10    Bloemfontein    H    Switzerland vs Honduras
Match 49    6/26/10    Port Elizabeth    Round of 16    1A-2B    World Cup Round of 16

Match 50    6/26/10    Rustenburg    Round of 16    1C-2D    World Cup Round of 16

Match 51    6/27/10    Bloemfontein    Round of 16    1D vs 2C    World Cup Round of 16

Match 52    6/27/10    Johannesburg    Round of 16    1B vs 2A    World Cup Round of 16

Match 53    6/28/10    Durban    Round of 16    1E vs 2F    World Cup Round of 16

Match 54    6/28/10    Johannesburg    Round of 16    1G vs 2H    World Cup Round of 16

Match 55    6/29/10    Pretoria    Round of 16    1F vs 2E    World Cup Round of 16
View Tickets
Match 56    6/29/10    Cape Town    Round of 16    1H vs 2G    World Cup Round of 16

Match 57    7/02/10    Port Elizabeth    Quarterfinal    Game C    World Cup Quarterfinal

Match 58    7/02/10    Johannesburg    Quarterfinal    Game A    World Cup Quarterfinal

Match 59    7/03/10    Cape Town    Quarterfinal    Game B    World Cup Quarterfinal

Match 60    7/03/10    Johannesburg    Quarterfinal    Game D    World Cup Quarterfinal

Match 61    7/06/10    Cape Town    Semifinal    Game I    World Cup Semifinal
View Tickets
Match 62    7/07/10    Durban    Semifinal    Game II    World Cup Semifinal

Match 63    7/10/10    Port Elizabeth    3rd Place    3rd Place Game    World Cup 3rd Place

Match 64    7/11/10    Johannesburg    Final    Final    World Cup Final

2010 FIFA World Cup - Official Emblem and Poster

2010-06-03T20:38:00.001+05:30

Official Emblem

The 2010 identity is unique, vibrant and dynamic, graphically encapsulating the African continent while more intimately dipping into South Africa's rich and colorful heritage for inspiration.

The graphic figure strikes a resemblance to the earliest rock art paintings for which our country is also famous. This figure is caught in mid-action performing a bicycle kick - a style of play that captures the flair of African football.

The figure is lucid, energetic and indirectly illustrates an inherent passion for the beautiful game. It is kicking a football upwards - an invitation from Africa to other nations of the world to join the game.

The actual ball is a modern representation of a football, suggesting that it belongs to FIFA. And for the first time ever, this ball that has traveled across the globe will touch African soil.

The colorful backdrop behind the figure represents the South African national flag. The ‘swishes' extend upwards, from south to north, reaching out to the world. They embody the energy, diversity and fiery passion of our country, and they symbolize the rise of the rainbow nation.

The typeface is an original creation. It reflects our personality and reinforces the idea that in South Africa we do things uniquely. It is playful, naive and free-spirited. It is also bold, welcoming and friendly.

The logo is celebratory in nature and energetic in its feel.

Poster

The official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ poster was unveiled on 23 November 2007 following a board meeting of the Local Organising Committee in Durban. The poster was designed by the South African creative agency Switch, who also created the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ emblem. The design beat three rivals in a public vote held throughout South Africa from 11 September to 30 September 2007. As the lucky winner in a lottery among all of the voters, South African Marilyn Rhoda was presented with a prize of two 2010 FIFA World Cup™ tickets provided by official sponsor MTN.

"Portraying a country in the shape of a man heading a ball is a new idea with potent symbolism. For me, football is all about emotion and passion, which is why I was particularly attracted to this poster. It invites the world to join in the celebration of the greatest football event on earth, while highlighting the pride and passion of the African continent and her people. It represents the African dream come true. The South Africans made a good selection for the poster, which will represent their country all the way up to 2010," said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.

For the first time in football history, the FIFA World Cup™ will be hosted on African soil from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The artwork depicts a celebration of the African continent as well as everyone who calls it home. The simple and yet iconic rendering is symbolic of the relationship between football and Africa and captures a sense of excitement, awe and aspiration. It also reflects the positive impact that the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ will have on Africa. Africa is the "hero" of the official event poster. The unique shape of the continent almost naturally lends itself to the shape of a man's profile, while the face represents every single African supporter from Morocco in the north, Gambia in the east, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia in the west to South Africa in the south.

"The official poster symbolises the important role of football in the history, tradition and culture of the African continent. It's also a recognition that football has always been an inspiration for a better future and a generator of hope in Africa. It recognises that Africa has a football face and a football heart," explained Danny Jordaan, CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee.

Bright, vibrant and celebratory, the colours of the poster are inspired by the South African flag, but also draw upon the African continent. The strong yellow background symbolises the sun as the source of warmth, energy and life.

From a total of 16 creative entries, all submitted by South African-based agencies, three proposals had been pre-selected for the public vote by South African residents. The jury was made up of FIFA General Secretary Jérôme Valcke, CEO of the 2010 South African Local Organising Committee Danny Jordaan, Minister in the South African Presidency Essop Pahad, Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi, South African playwright and author Wally Serote, and artist and director of the Vega School of Brand Communication Gordon Cook. Following on from the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany, this was the second time that residents of the host country have been actively involved in the selection of the official event poster.

Mr. Magic, hip-hop producer, dies of heart attack

2010-06-02T19:32:00.000+05:30

A well-known, super rockin' Mr. Magic, who helped almost single handedly bring hip-hop into the mainstream, has died of a heart attack recently.

Mr.Magic, whose real name was John Rivas, co-founded WBLS-FM's Rap Attack radio show in 1983 and helped inspire budding stars like Notorious B.I.G. and Nas with early East Coast rhymes. Rap Attack went off the air in 1989, but Magic remained influential.

He was featured as a DJ for one of the in-game radio stations of the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, exposing him to a new audience. Magic's WBLS radio show can also be heard during a scene in "Notorious," the story of B.I.G.'s life.

When not lending his voice to those projects, Magic worked as a hip-hop producer and released a series of greatest hits from Rap Attack.

Charlie Chaplin Quotes

2010-05-18T20:22:00.000+05:30

In the light of our egos, we are all dethroned monarchs

Life can be wonderful if you're not afraid of it. All it takes is courage, imagination ... and a little dough.

What do you want meaning for? Life is desire, not meaning!

Life could be wonderful if people would leave you alone.

Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.

Life is a beautiful magnificent thing, even to a jelly fish.

To live in order to reason or reason in order to live; there is the question.

Imagination means nothing without doing.

This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope with it.

If you're really truthful with yourself, it's a wonderful guidance.

We might as well die as to go on living like this.

To be out on a night like this you must be an optimist

Have them all shot. I don't want any of my workers dissatisfied.

I have no further use for America. I wouldn't go back there if Jesus Christ was President.

I have yet to find a poor man who has nostalgia for poverty

A man is what a woman makes him and a woman makes herself.

The public never knows what it wants, only what it doesn't want.

One murder makes a villain, millions a hero. Numbers sanctify, my good fellow.

Simplicity is a difficult thing to achieve.

Remember, you can always stoop and pick up nothing.

I am but one thing, and one thing only - and that is a clown. It places me on a higher plane than any politician.

I don't believe that the public knows what it wants; this is the conclusion that I have drawn from my career.

The basic essential of a great actor is that he loves himself in acting

Despair is a narcotic. It lulls the mind into indifference.

I do not wish to lose my temper because very shortly I will lose my head. Nevertheless, upon leaving this spark of earthly existence, I have this to say: I shall see you all very soon ... very soon. (Mr Verdoux)

Humor is the sublime wisdom of pity and tolerance in which man recognizes the utter futility of his own enterprise and importance.

Humor is the ability to discern in a kindly way the folly in what is considered normal, sublime behavior, and to discern the discrepancy in what appears as a truth.

They walked out on me. They haven't done that since I was a beginner. The cycle's complete.

Doing something with the public in mind is doing something without your own mind.

A man's true character comes out when he's drunk.

The roses you lifted to your lips ... lucky roses!

2010-05-16T13:53:00.000+05:30

The Masterpiece Features

A Woman of Paris (1923)

was a courageous step in the career of Charles Chaplin. After seventy films in which he himself had appeared in every scene, he now directed a picture in which he merely walked on for a few seconds as an unbilled and unrecognizable extra – a porter at a railroad station. Until this time, every film had been a comedy. A Woman of Paris was a romantic drama. This was not a sudden impulse. For a long time Chaplin had wanted to try his hand at directing a serious film. In the end, the inspiration for A Woman of Paris came from three women. First was Edna Purviance, who had been his ideal partner in more than 35 films. Now, though, he felt that Edna was growing too mature for comedy, and decided to make a film that would launch her on a new career as a dramatic actress.

The Gold Rush (1925)

Chaplin generally strove to separate his work from his private life; but in this case the two became inextricably and painfully mixed. Searching for a new leading lady, he rediscovered Lillita MacMurray, whom he had employed, as a pretty 12-year-old, in The Kid Still not yet sixteen, Lillita was put under contract and re-named Lita Grey. Chaplin quickly embarked on a clandestine affair with her; and when the film was six months into shooting, Lita discovered she was pregnant. Chaplin found himself forced into a marriage which brought misery to both partners, though it produced two sons, Charles Jr and Sydney Chaplin.

The Circus (1928)

“The Circus” won Charles Chaplin his first Academy Award – it was still not yet called the ‘Oscar’ – he was given it at the first presentations ceremony, in 1929. But as late as 1964, it seemed, this was a film he preferred to forget. The reason was not the film itself, but the deeply fraught circumstances surrounding its making. Chaplin was in the throes of the break-up of his marriage with Lita Grey; and production of The Circus coincided with one of the most unseemly and sensational divorces of twenties Hollywood, as Lita’s lawyers sought every means to ruin Chaplin’s career by smearing his reputation.
As if his domestic troubles were not enough, the film seemed fated to catastrophe of every kind […]
In the late 1960s, after the years spent trying to forget it, Chaplin returned to “The Circus” to re-release it with a new musical score of his own composition. […] It seemed to symbolize his reconciliation to the film which cost him so much stress.

City Lights (1931)

“City Lights” proved to be the hardest and longest undertaking of Chaplin’s career. By the time it was completed he had spent two years and eight months on the work, with almost 190 days of actual shooting. The marvel is that the finished film betrays nothing of this effort and anxiety. Even before he began City Lights the sound film was firmly established. This new revolution was a bigger challenge to Chaplin than to other silent stars. His Tramp character was universal. His mime was understood in every part of the world. But if the Tramp now began to speak in English, that world-wide audience would instantly shrink.
Chaplin boldly solved the problem by ignoring speech, and making City Lights in the way he had always worked before, as a silent film. [However] he astounded the press and the public by composing the entire score for “City Lights”. The premieres were among the most brilliant the cinema had ever seen. In Los Angeles, Chaplin’s guest was Albert Einstein; while in London Bernard Shaw sat beside him. “City Lights” was a critical triumph. All Chaplin’s struggles and anxieties, it seemed, were compensated by the film which still appears as the zenith of his achievement and reputation.

Modern Times (1936)

Chaplin was acutely preoccupied with the social and economic problems of this new age. In 1931 and 1932 he had left Hollywood behind, to embark on an 18-month world tour. In Europe, he had been disturbed to see the rise of nationalism and the social effects of the Depression, of unemployment and of automation. He read books on economic theory; and devised his own Economic Solution, an intelligent exercise in utopian idealism, based on a more equitable distribution not just of wealth but of work. In 1931 he told a newspaper interviewer, “Unemployment is the vital question . . . Machinery should benefit mankind. It should not spell tragedy and throw it out of work”.

The Great Dictator (1940)

When writing “The Great Dictator” in 1939, Chaplin was as famous worldwide as Hitler, and his Tramp character wore the same moustache. He decided to pit his celebrity and humour against the dictator’s own celebrity and evil. He benefited – if that is the right word for it, given the times – from his “reputation” as a Jew, which he was not – (he said “I do not have that pleasure”). In the film Chaplin plays a dual role –a Jewish barber who lost his memory in a plane accident in the first war, and spent years in hospital before being discharged into an antisemite country that he does not understand, and Hynkel, the dictator leader of Ptomania, whose armies are the forces of the Double Cross, and who will do anything along those lines to increase his possibilities for becoming emperor of the world. Chaplin’s aim is obvious, and the film ends with a now famous and humanitarian speech made by the barber, speaking Chaplin’s own words .

Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

The idea was originally suggested by Orson Welles, as a project for a dramatized documentary on the career of the legendary French murder Henri Désiré Landru – who was executed in 1922, having murdered at least ten women, two dogs and one boy. Chaplin was so intrigued by the idea that he paid Welles $5000 for it. The agreement was signed in 1941, but Chaplin took four more years to complete the script. In the meantime the irritating distractions of a much-publicized and ugly paternity suit had been compensated by his brilliantly successful marriage to Oona O’Neill. In the late 1940s, America¹s Cold War paranoia reached its peak, and Chaplin, as a foreigner with liberal and humanist sympathies, was a prime target for political witch-hunters. This was the start of Chaplin’s last and unhappiest period in the United States, which he was definitively to leave in 1952.

Limelight (1952)

Not surprisingly, then, in choosing his next subject he deliberately sought escape from disagreeable contemporary reality. He found it in bitter-sweet nostalgia for the world of his youth – the world of the London music halls at the opening of the 20th century, where he had first discovered his genius as an entertainer. With this strong underlay of nostalgia, Chaplin was at pains to evoke as accurately as possible the London he remembered from half a century before and it is clear from the preparatory notes for the film that the character of Calvero had a very similar childhood to Chaplin’s own. Limelight s story of a once famous music hall artist whom nobody finds amusing any longer may well have been similarly autobiographical as a sort of nightmare scenario. Chaplin’s son Sydney plays the young, talented pianist who vies with Calvero for the young ballerina’s heart, and several other Chaplin family members participated in the film. It was when on the boat traveling with his family to the London premiere of Limelight that Chaplin learned that his re-entry pass to the United States had been rescinded based on allegations regarding his morals and politics. Chaplin therefore remained in Europe, and settled with his family at the Manoir de Ban in Corsier sur Vevey, Switzerland, with view of lake and mountains. What a difference from California. He and Oona went on to have four more children, making a total of eight.

A King in New York

With A King in New York Charles Chaplin was the first film-maker to dare to expose, through satire and ridicule, the paranoia and political intolerance which overtook the United States in the Cold War years of the 1940s and 50s.
Chaplin himself had bitter personal experience of the American malaise of that time. […]
To take up film making again, as an exile, was a challenging undertaking. He was now nearing 70. For almost forty years he had enjoyed the luxury of his own studio and a staff of regular employees, who understood his way of work. Now though he had to work with strangers, in costly and unfriendly rented studios. […] The film shows the strain.
In 1966 he produced his last picture, “A Countess from Hong Kong” for Universal Pictures, his only film in colour, starring Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando. The film started as a project called Stowaway in the 1930s, planned for Paulette Goddard. Chaplin appears briefly as a ship steward, Sydney once again has an important role, and three of his daughters have small parts in the film. The film was unsuccessful at the box office, but Petula Clark had one or two hit records with songs from the soundtrack music and the music continues to be very popular.

Last Years

Chaplin’s versatility extended to writing, music and sports. He was the author of at least four books, “My Trip Abroad”, “A Comedian Sees the World”, “My Autobiography”, “My Life in Pictures” as well as all of his scripts. An accomplished musician, though self-taught, he played a variety of instruments with equal skill and facility (playing violin and cello left-handed).

He was also a composer, having written and published many songs, among them: “Sing a Song”; “With You Dear in Bombay”; and “There’s Always One You Can’t Forget”, “Smile”, “Eternally”, “You are My Song”, as well as the soundtracks for all his films.
Charles Chaplin was one of the rare comedians who not only financed and produced all his films (with the exception of “A Countess from Hong Kong”), but was the author, actor, director and soundtrack composer of them as well.
He died on Christmas day 1977, survived by eight children from his last marriage with Oona O’Neill, and one son from his short marriage to Lita Grey.

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Gaining independence

When his contract with Mutual expired in 1917, Chaplin decided to become an independent producer in a desire for more freedom and greater leisure in making his movies. To that end, he busied himself with the construction of his own studios. This plant was situated in the heart of the residential section of Hollywood at La Brea Avenue. Early in 1918, Chaplin entered into an agreement with First National Exhibitors’ Circuit, a new organization specially formed to exploit his pictures. His first film under this new deal was “A Dog’s Life”. After this production, he turned his attention to a national tour on behalf of the war effort, following which he made a film the US government used to popularize the Liberty Loan drive: “The Bond”. His next commercial venture was the production of a comedy dealing with the war. “Shoulder Arms”, released in 1918 at a most opportune time, proved a veritable mirth quake at the box office and added enormously to Chaplin’s popularity. This he followed with “Sunnyside” and “A Day’s Pleasure”, both released in 1919.In April of that year, Chaplin joined with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith to found the United Artists Corporation. B.B. Hampton, in his “History of the Movies” says: “The Corporation was organized as a distributor, each of the artists retaining entire control of his or her respective producing activities, delivering to United Artists the completed pictures for distribution on the same general plan they would have followed with a distributing organization which they did not own. The stock of United Artists was divided equally among the founders. This arrangement introduced a new method into the industry. Heretofore, producers and distributors had been the employers, paying salaries and sometimes a share of the profits to the stars. Under the United Artists system, the stars became their own employers. They had to do their own financing, but they received the producer profits that had formerly gone to their employers and each received his share of the profits of the distributing organization.”

However, before he could assume his responsibilities with United Artists, Chaplin had to complete his contract with First National. So early in 1921, he came out with a six-reel masterpiece, The kids in which he introduced to the screen one of the greatest child actors the world has ever known – Jackie Coogan. The next year, he produced “The Idle Class”, in which he portrayed a dual character.Then, feeling the need of a complete rest from his motion picture activities, Chaplin sailed for Europe in September 1921. London, Paris, Berlin and other capitals on the continent gave him tumultuous receptions. After an extended vacation, Chaplin returned to Hollywood to resume his picture work and start his active association with United Artists.Under his arrangement with U.A., Chaplin made eight pictures, each of feature length, in the following order:

BIOGRAPHY OF CHARLIE CHAPLIN

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Childhood

Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London, England, on April 16th 1889. His father was a versatile vocalist and actor; and his mother, known under the stage name of Lily Harley, was an attractive actress and singer, who gained a reputation for her work in the light opera field. Charlie was thrown on his own resources before he reached the age of ten as the early death of his father and the subsequent illness of his mother made it necessary for Charlie and his brother, Sydney, to fend for themselves.
Having inherited natural talents from their parents, the youngsters took to the stage as the best opportunity for a career. Charlie made his professional debut as a member of a juvenile group called “The Eight Lancashire Lads” and rapidly won popular favour as an outstanding tap dancer.

Beginning of his career

When he was about fourteen, he got his first chance to act in a legitimate stage show, and appeared as “Billy” the page boy, in support of William Gillette in “Sherlock Holmes”. At the close of this engagement, Charlie started a career as a comedian in vaudeville, which eventually took him to the United States in 1910 as a featured player with the Fred Karno Repertoire Company.
He scored an immediate hit with American audiences, particularly with his characterization in a sketch entitled “A Night in an English Music Hall”. When the Fred Karno troupe returned to the United States in the fall of 1912 for a repeat tour, Chaplin was offered a motion picture contract.
He finally agreed to appear before the cameras at the expiration of his vaudeville commitments in November 1913; and his entrance in the cinema world took place that month when he joined Mack Sennett and the Keystone Film Company. His initial salary was $150 a week, but his overnight success on the screen spurred other producers to start negotiations for his services.
At the completion of his Sennett contract, Chaplin moved on to the Essanay Company (1915) at a large increase. Sydney Chaplin had then arrived from England, and took his brother’s place with Keystone as their leading comedian.
The following year Charlie was even more in demand and signed with the Mutual Film Corporation for a much larger sum to make 12 two-reel comedies. These include “The Floorwalker”, “The Fireman”, “The Vagabond”, “One A.M.” (a production in which he was the only character for the entire two reels with the exception of the entrance of a cab driver in the opening scene), “The Count”, “The Pawnshop”, “Behind the Screen”, “The Rink”, “Easy Street”