best of 2007 Asia special

For bloggers, online ads beckon

In 2006, advertisers reportedly spent $16.9 billion online, up from $6 billion in 2002
Survey: 39 percent of Web users, or about 57M American adults, say they read blogs
"No big brand that doesn't advertise on everyday blogs," says BlogAds' founder


NEW YORK Zach Brooks pocketed $1,000 this month blogging about the cheap lunches he discovers around midtown Manhattan -- $10 or less, preferably greasy, and if he's lucky, served from a truck.
Zach Brooks holds a takeout lunch last week in New York and writes a blog about cheap eats.
The site, Midtownlunch.com, is just a year and a half old and gets only about 2,000 readers daily, but it's already earning him enough each month for a weekend trip to the Caribbean -- or in his case, more fat-filled culinary escapades in the city.
In the vast and varied world of blogging, Brooks is far from alone.
It's no longer unusual for blogs with just a couple thousand daily readers to earn nearly as many dollars a month. Helping fill the pockets of such bloggers are programs like Google's AdSense and many others that let individuals -- not just major publications -- tap into the rapidly growing pot of advertising dollars with a click of the mouse.
In 2006, advertisers spent $16.9 billion on-line, up steadily each year from $6 billion in 2002, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau. In the first half of 2007, on-line advertising reached nearly $10 billion, a nearly 27 percent increase over the first half of 2006.
Little technical skill is needed to publish a well-read blog, meaning just about anyone with something worthwhile to say can find an audience, said Kim Malone Scott, director of on-line sales and operations for Google's AdSense. That's attracted greater readership and advertising dollars, she said.
According to 2006 survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 39 percent of Internet users, or about 57 million American adults, said they read blogs, up from 27 percent in 2004, or 32 million.
That doesn't mean bloggers are suddenly flush with money. For every blogger earning a decent side income like Brooks, countless others will never earn a cent.
But with the right mix of compelling content and exposure, a blog can draw a dedicated following, making advertising a low-hanging fruit.
"This is really a continuation of how the Web in general has enabled smaller businesses and individuals to compete if not at a level playing field, at least a more equitable level," said David Hallerman, a senior analyst with the research group eMarketer.
Google's AdSense is an automated program that places targeted advertising on sites big and small. Other programs such as PayPerPost are just as user friendly; bloggers sign up, and advertisers cherry-pick where they want to place ads based on categories and the number of impressions a site captures.
Getting paid might even help validate what may otherwise seem like a silly or obscure obsession.
For Samuel Chi, BCSGuru.com started as a way to demystify the convoluted universe of college football rankings for fellow fans.
Chi, a former sports journalist with training in statistics, posts his calculations every Saturday night during the season before official results are released on Sunday. Between Saturday night and Monday, about 4,000 sports fans log on daily to check out the "guru's" forecast.
This season, Chi made about $8,000 total from the blog; ticket brokers contacted him directly after word about his site got out. Google's AdSense brought in another couple hundred dollars for Chi, the owner of a bed-and-breakfast in Amelia Island, Florida.
Neither Chi or Brooks had to do much to gain a loyal readership; when it comes to such rarefied interests, word about a good site can spread rapidly in on-line communities.
"All it takes is a couple of mentions (on other sites), and hundreds of people can be directed to your site," Chi said.
BlogAds, which helps advertisers target relevant blogs for a commission, prices ads by the week, with sites tiered by the amount of traffic they get.
When the company started in 2002, founder Henry Copeland said it was mainly small advertisers selling T-shirts or promoting bands. Now he said "there's no big brand that doesn't advertise on everyday blogs."
About a third of BlogAds' 1,500 sites earn between $200 and $2,000 a month, Copeland said. Those sites get anywhere from 3,000 to 50,000 daily impressions.
Google's Malone Scott said access to advertising on-line is more democratic, since an ad click from a tiny site is just as valuable as a click from a site with a million readers.
Some advertisers have even found better response from smaller sites with more passionate, engaged audiences.
For ticket broker RazorGator, advertising on blogs like BCSGuru.com means reaching a very specific audience.
"We have found that more and more sports fans are turning to blogs and smaller fan sites to get their information so as an advertiser it makes sense to follow your audience," spokeswoman Toni Lamb wrote in an email.
The broker has advertised on smaller blogs like Chi's for the past two years; Lamb would not specify how many blogs it currently advertises on.
Despite rapidly rising advertising dollars on-line, blogs usually don't start out as a way to make money -- they're more a means of speaking to an audience of like-minded individuals. MidtownLunch.com started as a way for Brooks to indulge his food obsession, but he soon realized his quest struck a note with a legion of office workers.
Taking that extra step to get advertising was a no-brainer. Companies like Random House's Broadway Books have posted ads for food books on the site, along with the makers of independent films seeking a New York City audience.
Brooks only spends two hours at most each day on MidtownLunch.com. But the blog affects his life in other ways. Like Chi, he's met close friends through his site. He has also scored freelance writing assignments, and, above all, the site has given his endless fascination with greasy foods a sense of

# 1 Benazir assasinated.

#2. Taliban Offensive
Sept. 29: A Taliban suicide bomber kills 35 Afghan troops and two civilians in the year's worst suicide bombing in Kabul. More than 5,000 Afghans have been killed in a wave of bombings and guerrilla clashes in the Taliban's offensive to drive foreign troops out of Afghanistan. Despite the presence of 40,000 NATO troops, by the fall of 2007 the Taliban controlled vast swathes of Afghan territory, and are expected to renew their offensive in the spring.
#3. North Korea Agrees to Disarm
Feb. 13: Months after testing a nuclear device, North Korea agrees at six-party talks in Beijing to take the first steps towards disarmament. The deal involves North Korea turning off and dismantling its reactor at Yongbyon in exchange for energy aid, although an important aspect of the agreement is the promise of peace talks, via a separate forum, aimed at ending the conflict and normalizing relations between North Korea and the U.S. Progress in implementing the deal has been slow, but substantial nonetheless, although the behavior of the North Korean regime remains unpredictable.
#4. China's Equity Bubble?
Nov. 5: PetroChina becomes the world's first trillion-dollar company, tripling its share price on the first day it was traded on the Shanghai stock market. China now has five of the world's 10 most valuable companies. But analysts fear that the Chinese stock market frenzy is dangerous, and former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan warned in May that it was due for a "dramatic correction." Since his warning, its value has increased by more than 35%, although it remains volatile.
#5. China Product Safety Crisis
July 11: Zheng Xiaoyu, former head of China's State Food and Drug Administration, is executed after being convicted of corruption charges in a case concerning substandard medicines that led to several deaths. The case highlighted a dramatic surge of cases of tainted Chinese exports, including pet food, toothpaste and toys, prompting calls for stronger product-safety regulation in the country that has become the world's manufacturing hub.
#6. Burma Crackdown
Sept. 26: Burmese riot police attack Buddhist monks involved in peaceful protests, as the military regime cracks down on a movement that has drawn tens of thousands onto the streets of the capital in recent days. Thousands are arrested, and at least 15 people are reported killed. Under international pressure, the regime later holds talks with opposition figures, but there are few signs of movement away from authoritarian rule.
#7. U.S.-India Nuke Deal Fails
Oct. 16: India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regretfully informs President George W. Bush that a nuclear agreement hailed by Washington as the "single most important initiative" in U.S.-India history has been stalled for the foreseeable future. The agreement, which provided for India to gain access to global nuclear energy markets despite its nuclear weapons program, was opposed by Singh's coalition partners on the grounds that it made India's nuclear program beholden to Washington. They vowed to bring down the government if Singh went ahead with the deal.
#8. Japan's Political Shift
Sept. 23: Yasuo Fukuda is tapped to lead Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, following the resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe stepped down in the wake of a serious electoral setback to the party when it lost control over Japan's upper house in July, following a pension scandal. Fukuda is considered to be more of a consensus builder, and less hawkish on foreign policy issues than his predecessor.
#9. China's New Leaders
Oct. 22: China's 17th Communist Party Congress unveils the new politburo that will rule the country until 2012. The notoriously opaque system of bargaining over leadership positions in the one-party system appears to have produced a compromise candidate as likely successor for President Hu Jintao: Xi Jinping, who may now have eclipsed Li Keqiang, believed to have been President Hu's preferred choice. While Li is deemed to be a Hu protégé, Xi is viewed as close to both Hu and his still-influential predecessor, Jiang Zemin.
#10. Shutting Out the U.S.
Aug. 16: The annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, affirms the principle that security in Central Asia should be in the hands of existing regional organizations. It also staged major war games involving troops from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The significance of the group, though, is that it unites China and Russia together with the neighborhood's former Soviet republics, and includes as observers the likes of Afghanistan and Iran. The U.S. is very conspicuously not invited into a group whose governments are largely authoritarian in nature, but which the U.S. has sought to cultivate. The SCO's composition and increasing assertiveness reflects a shifting balance of power in the region, and perhaps globally.

Pakistan's Bhutto killed in attack

Pakistan's Bhutto killed in attack

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday in a suicide attack that also killed at least 20 others at the end of a campaign rally, aides said.
The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred," Bhutto's lawyer Babar Awan said.
A party security adviser said Bhutto was shot in neck and chest as she got into her vehicle to leave the rally in Rawalpindi near the capital Islamabad. A gunman then blew himself up.
"At 6:16 p.m. she expired," said Wasif Ali Khan, a member of Bhutto's party who was at Rawalpindi General Hospital where she was taken after the attack.
Her supporters at the hospital began chanting "Dog, Musharraf, dog," referring to Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf.
Some smashed the glass door at the main entrance of the emergency unit, others burst into tears. One man with a flag of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party tied around his head was beating his chest.
In Washington, the State Department said it was seeking confirmation of Bhutto's condition.
"Certainly, we condemn the attack on this rally," deputy spokesman Tom Casey said. "It demonstrates that there are still those in Pakistan who want to subvert reconciliation and efforts to advance democracy."
The United States has for months been encouraging Musharraf to reach an accommodation with the opposition, particularly Bhutto, who was seen as having a wide base of support in Pakistan. Her party had been widely expected to do well in parliamentary elections set for next month.
At least 20 others were killed in the blast that took place as Bhutto left the rally where she addressed thousands of supporters in her campaign for Jan. 8 parliamentary elections.
Bhutto served twice as Pakistan's prime minister between 1988 and 1996. She had returned to Pakistan from an eight-year exile Oct. 18.
On the same day, her homecoming parade in Karachi was also targeted by a suicide attacker, killing more than 140 people. On that occasion she narrowly escaped injury.

2007 year end specials

Cricket crazy Indian


3:06

"What's your new year resolution for 2008 ?"
Search today - Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Gujarat Elections, Astrology, Train time tables

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Children play near a fountain at the Parque Central in Guatemala City October 1, 2007.

2 model has her hair done backstage before the Carlos Miele fall show during New York Fashion Week February 7, 2007.
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Senator Barack Obama stands in front of Senator Hillary Clinton as they arrive for U.S. President George W. Bush's annual State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington January 23, 2007.

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An aerial view shows cross country skiers racing over the frozen lake Sils during the Engadin Ski Marathon near Sils March 11, 2007. More than 9,500 skiers participated in the 42.2 km race between Maloja and S-Chanf near the Swiss mountain resort of St. Moritz.

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A Sadhu, or holy man, holds a poster of Indian cricketers and shouts slogans for their good luck at Sangam, the confluence of three rivers, the Ganges, the Yamuna and the Saraswati, in the northern Indian city of Allahabad March 12, 2007.

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British novelist Doris Lessing smiles on the doorstep of her house in London October 11, 2007. Lessing won the 2007 Nobel Prize for literature on for a body of work that delved into human relations and inspired a generation of feminist writers.
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A lawyer stands on the roof of a car in which suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary is being driven in, outside the Supreme Court building in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 13, 2007, for Chaudhary's appearance before the Supreme Judicial Council.

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woman walks into a subway in the central business district of Beijing April 16, 2007.









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Family members attend the funeral of Marcel Marceau, the world-famous mime artist who died, aged 84, during services at the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris September 26, 2007. Marceau created the figure of Bip, the melancholoy, engaging clown with a limp red flower in his hat, some 60 years ago this year.

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez drives his vehicle as U.S actor Sean Penn sits in the back in the western state of Tachira August 3, 2007.

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A model is reflected in a cracked mirror while she has her hair done backstage before the Tracy Reese fall collections 2007 during New York Fashion Week February 4, 2007.


1010
Elvis Presley fan Melissa Allen (L) takes a photo of her friend Rozanne Chamberlain kissing a wall in the room where Elvis slept inside an apartment that the singer spent some of his childhood living in on Lauderdale St. in Memphis, Tennessee, August 16, 2007.

1111

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An actor dressed as the Emperor gestures during the Star Wars Celebration Europe exhibition at the Excel Centre in London July 13, 2007.

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Members of the band OK Go arrive at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles February 11, 2007.

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Contortionist 'Captain Frodo' from Norway squeezes his body through a tennis racket in the Spiegeltent during a media call for La Clique in Sydney January 4, 2007, one of the many attractions in the three-week-long Sydney Festival.

2007 images

Russia's President Vladimir Putin fishing

Russia's President Vladimir Putin fishes in the Yenisei River in Siberia as he makes a tour together with Prince Albert II of Monaco, August 13, 2007.

The Iraq team celebrate after their win over Saudi Arabia in the final match at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup soccer tournament

The Iraq team celebrate after their win over Saudi Arabia in the final match at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup soccer tournament at the Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta July 29, 2007.

Red Mosque

An aerial view of the Red Mosque (top) and the Jamia Hafsa seminary during Operation Silence by Pakistani special forces in Islamabad July 9, 2007.

Bolivian President Evo Morales controls the ball

Bolivian President Evo Morales controls the ball at the 19,500 feet (6,000 meters) high snow-covered Sajama peak, the highest in Bolivia, during a match with soccer fans to protest FIFA's ban on international soccer matches at venues over 2,500 meters above sea level, June 12, 2007. FIFA says matches in oxygen-thin conditions are a health hazard and distort fair play. The ban means Bolivia,Peru, Ecuador and Colombia would not be able to host international football matches, including World Cup qualifiers, in some of their largest cities. Morales is leading efforts to have the ban overturned, saying it is "nonsensical" and "discriminatory".

pic of the day

A general view shows a soon-to-be completed solar park at Sanlucar La Mayor, near Seville, Spain, May 16, 2007. The first of two solar thermal power p

A general view shows a soon-to-be completed solar park at Sanlucar La Mayor, near Seville, Spain, May 16, 2007. The first of two solar thermal power plants uses mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays onto the top of a 100 metre (300 foot) tower where it produces steam to drive a turbine. The lines in the photograph are due to reflections on the solar panels.

Rizwanur Rahman

CBI summons Ashok Todi for questioningThe CBI has summoned Ashok Todi, the main accused in the case relating to death of computer graphics teacher Rizwanur Rahman who had married the Hindu industrialist's daughter Priyanka, and three others for a final round of questioning.
CBI sources said Todi, his brother Pradeep and two others including Papu, who allegedly took money to break up the marriage between Rehman and Priyanka, have been summoned to the CBI headquarters to face a few questions before the agency wraps up its investigations into the case.
Sources said it was turning out to be a case of suicide but the victim had been forced to take the extreme step allegedly at the behest of the close kin of Priyanka's family.
The sources said the Todis would be offered to undergo a polygraphic test as according to the law, the test cannot be conducted without personal consent.
The probe into the death of Rehman was reaching its final stage, sources claimed.
There have been clear indications that this relative of the girl had allegedly used pressure tactics to drive Rehman to such a stage where he took the extreme step of committing the suicide, they said.
Last month, the CBI had registered a case against the industrialist father-in-law of Rehman, Ashok Todi, and others under section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code.
The Kolkata police officials, who allegedly "pressurised" Rehman and Priyanka to separate, were also quizzed by CBI. The CBI sources said the agency would recommend Regular Departmental Action (RDA) at least against two Kolkata policemen for alleged intimidation.

Modi win: Champagne flows in US

Modi win: Champagne flows in US

Seldom has a state assembly election in India generated as much interest among the Indian Americans as the Gujarat polls have this time.
As results started pouring in, Indian Americans across the country remained glued to television sets and computers for live election results from Gujarat.
And as the verdict became clear, BJP supporters were seen opening champagne bottles to celebrate yet another victory for Narendra Modi.
''This will set the trend for national politics. Our next goal is Delhi,'' said Chandra Kant Patel, a former president of the Overseas Friends of the BJP.
A large number of community members had gathered at the Tampa residence of Dinesh Gandhi, president of the Tampa Bay Gujarat Samaj.
And no sooner had the BJP taken a substantial lead over the Congress, that champagne flowed. ''This is our way of celebrating. I am sure Modi will take Gujarat to a new level of development,'' Gandhi said.
In the Indian-American-dominated neighborhoods of Jersey City and Oak Tree Road in New Jersey and Jackson Height in New York, a number of restaurants remained opened till beyond midnight allowing patrons to watch live election results on television screens, a service usually brought on only for cricket matches.
''There was a lot of excitement among the people. So we decided to keep the restaurant open so that people can watch the election results live. It is all business for us,'' said the manager of the Dosa Hut in Jersey City.
Dr Rajesh Dave, who comes from Maninagar in Ahmadabad, the constituency of Narendra Modi, too celebrated the victory with champagne. ''We have to, this is a victory for the development of Gujarat,'' he said.
Jyoti Ben, who runs a convenience store and a motel, said: ''After so many decades, it is Modi who brought Gujarat to the limelight. It is the victory of nationalism and development clubbed together.''
A strong Modi-supporter Harish Arora, who comes from the Tarapur village near Anand and has been staying in the US for the past 18 years said Modi had touched the lives of the people of the state. ''He is very popular among the NRIs,'' he said.
Many of the Modi-supporters and members of pro-Hindutva groups in the US had gone to Gujarat to campaign for the BJP this time, while a group of NRIs had launched a pro-Modi campaign from the US by sending mass emails, booking full-page advertisements in newspapers and making mass telephone calls to their friends and relatives in Gujarat.
''Now it is time for victory celebrations. These will be held all over the country. We will announce the details soon,'' Chandrakant Patel said as he sat with a group of friends late Saturday night local time discussing the BJP victory in Gujarat.

3-yr-old Indian with amazing memory

3-yr-old Indian with amazing memory

A three-year-old Indian boy in the UAE can identify the flags of more than 167 countries after just 11 days of learning, his parents claimed. Whiz kid Aazer Hussain reportedly calls out the names of the countries after being shown their flags. "It all happened about two weeks ago when we were in a supermarket and we purchased a big poster of flags. My wife and I taught Aazer to identify the names of each country from its flag," said Aazer's father, 40-year-old Hussain Sayed Nabeel. "He enchanted us with his incredible capability to memorise the flags and names. It all happened in 11 days," Aazer's 28-year-old mother Nazneen Bano was quoted as saying in Gulf News . Hussain and Nazneen have signed an online agreement regarding a record attempt and sent it to the Guinness World Record. Hussain, a civil engineer based in the UAE, said his son can also identify many brands of cars besides being able to write words in the English alphabet in both capital and small letters.

Dera

'Victim' alleges Dera chief threatened her An alleged rape victim and a witness in the case of sexual exploitation involving Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh have claimed that they have been threatened by the Dera chief and his men to withdraw their statements which were recorded by CBI recently. Both the victim, a sadhvi, and the witness have approached CBI for protection.
Fatehabad SP Saurabh Singh has told TOI that CBI has asked Haryana police to strengthen the security of the victim and has issued guidelines regarding the protection of the witness. "We have stepped up security," he said.
Family members of the sadhvi have told CBI that she was called to the chamber of the Dera chief twice after the central investigating agency filed its chargesheet against him. "The Dera chief asked her to withdraw her complaint of rape against him. His followers asked her to submit an affidavit saying that she had not given any statement to CBI and threatened her of dire consequences if she did not obey Baba's directions," they said.
However, Dera spokesperson Pawan Insaan denied the charges. "Why should we threaten anyone? It is a conspiracy to defame the Dera," he claimed.

Bobby Jindal is Governor of Louisiana

Bobby Jindal is Governor of Louisiana

Bobby Jindal, son of Indian immigrants, became the first non-White and the youngest Governor of the US state of Louisiana when he impressively defeated his opponents in the gubernatorial poll. The victory of 36-year-old Oxford-educated Jindal, who is currently a Republican Congressman, shows the growing political clout of the Indian-American community which has been very active during the last few years and has been major contributor to political campaigns financially as also in providing volunteers. In winning Saturday’s election, Jindal polled more than 50 per cent votes, thus avoiding the run-off poll which was scheduled for November 17 if no candidate had won half the votes polled. Jindal, who had lost the Governor's race four years ago to Kathleen Blanco, this time, defeated a slate of 11 opponents including two Democrats, State Senator Walter Boasso, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell and an independent businessman John Georges in a closely watched election. Jindal got 53 per cent votes with 625,036 ballots cast in his favour - more than enough to avoid the November 17 runoff. Boasso won 18 per cent with 208,690 votes; Georges got 14 per cent with 1167,477 votes; and Campbell had 13 per cent with 141,346 votes. Eight candidates divided the rest. "Let's give our homeland, the great state of Louisiana, a fresh start," Jindal said after his victory. Until he takes over as Governor in January next year, he would continue to be Congressman from highly conservative First Congressional Districts in suburban New Orleans. Blanco decided against contesting the post following sharp criticism over the handling of aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Jindal pledged to fight corruption and rid the state of those "feeding at the public trough." "They can either go quietly or they can go loudly, but either way, they will go," he said and added he would call the Legislature into special session to address ethics reform. After the result was made known, Georges said, "I'm asking all of our supporters to get behind our new Governor."

Vikram Pandit named CitiGroup CEO

Vikram Pandit named CitiGroup CEO

Vikram Pandit, a Nagpur-born NRI and a Citigroup neophyte who wowed Wall Street before intense flames began licking the financial world, was on Tuesday named CEO of the world's largest bank in what many see as a rescue mission. Pandit, whose elevation had been in the air for several days, replaces the charismatic Charles O. "Chuck" Prince III, who was forced out after the giant bank in November this year after it reported its first loss in 17 years amid a massive financial crisis. Prince had brought him into Citigroup only a few months earlier. On Tuesday, the Citigroup board led by its chairman, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin fulfilled Wall Street expectation by picking Pandit as CEO, while naming Win Bischoff, who was functioning as interim CEO after Prince left, as chairman. Rubin, also a stand-in, returns to his previous duties as Citi director and chairman of the executive committee of the board. Pandit, who is 50, is the first person of Indian origin to scale such stratospheric heights in the financial world, which has many well-regarded Indian executives. Citigroup has operations in more than 100 countries, with 300,000 employees and $ 2 trillion in assets. Some reports has hyperbolically projected a toss-up between Pandit and former Pakistan prime minister Shaukat Aziz for the CEO job, but the latter, a former mid-level Citibank executive, was not even in the picture, and the story appeared more a flight of fancy by those consumed with India-Pakistan equation. If anything, Pandit edged out another Indian, Ajay Banga, who runs Citigroup's international-consumer group, for the plum job or the poisoned chalice, depending on one view. Others in the running included former Citigroup President Robert Willumstad and Michael Neal, who runs General Electric Co.'s (GE) commercial-finance business. The word on the street in the financial world is that Pandit was the consensus choice, and particularly favored by Rubin, who has tracked his career for several years. According to one account, Rubin became aware of Pandit at a private meeting of Wall Street executives in late 1999 at the Century Association, a 161- year-old private club in Manhattan. The meeting was hosted by then-Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt, who wanted ideas on changes needed for US stock markets. Pandit, who is credited with building the electronic trading system at the investment banking group Morgan Stanley, was so articulate in his responses that Rubin asked the person next to him who he was. Before joining Citigroup, Pandit served as president and chief operating officer at Morgan Stanley from 2000 to 2005. He left Morgan Stanley, and in 2006, formed Old Lane Capital, a hedge-fund firm, that Citigroup acquired in April this year for $ 600 million. Vikram Shankar Pandit, the son of a pharma representative and businessman, came to the United States when he was only 16 for undergraduate studies at Columbia University, home to several prominent Indian academics including the economist Jagdish Bhagwati$, and alma mater of Dr B R Ambedkar. He earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in electrical engineering before switching to finance and earning a Ph.D Mentors cited in a recent profile described him as a relentlessly hardworking student, the kind who relished challenges. He will have monumental ones at Citigroup. The bank has suffered staggering losses in recent times in the mortgage melt-down and other exposures. Shares of Citigroup dropped to below $ 30 for the first time in five years even as the financial flame-out consumed CEO Prince and many other Wall Street stalwarts. The situation was considered so dire that a $ 7.5 billion capital infusion by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority last month was seen as a part bailout from the nearly $ 17 billion write-off relating to soured mortgages. Pandit is seen as a cautious, conservative banker. Many experts say the new CEO will need not just punditry but also some wizardry to extricate the bank from the mess. In a statement following his elevation, Pandit said he would "undertake an objective and dispassionate review of all the businesses, individually and in aggregate, to make sure we are properly positioned for the future." He also promised simplify the company's organizational structure, align businesses and resources with appropriate goals, with economic realities being among our initial priorities, a sure sign that there will be some soul-searching and cleansing.

Sethusamudram

No mincing of words on Ram issue: KarunanidhiSticking to his stand, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday said there was no historic proof of Lord Ram's existence.
There was also no proof of Lord Ram having constructed a bridge and being an expert in engineering, he told a TV channel.
"You tell me whether Rama lived. I had only stated that there was no person in the name of Lord Ram. What is wrong in that?" he asked.
Condoling the death of two persons after a bus was set afire on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, he said "the culprits have shown that this is the culture of the Ram bakthas".
He said he had faith that the Karnataka government would do what was needed as it was its duty to take action against the culprits.
Referring to the attack on his daughter Selvi's house at Bangalore on Tuesday night, he said "I treat these things like a speck of dust. I only welcome this kind of opposition". He said those who opposed the Sethu Samuthram project wanted to find minor reasons to stall the project.
The Chief Minister said his government would definitely prevail upon the Centre to continue the project. "We have convened an all-party meeting here on September 24 just for this purpose," he added.

Nandigram violence

Kolkata violence was pre-planned: CopsWednesday's violence in Kolkata was a well-orchestrated move with a clear planning of how the events would unfold. Police knew the demonstration was to be held at Esplanade, in front of KC Das' shop, and the seven-point crossing at Park Circus.
There were no demonstrators present at Esplanade. Instead, the script unfolded in the lanes and bylanes of east and central Kolkata where cops were handicapped. They couldn't venture inside the lanes for the fear of getting trapped. Moreover, the attacks were made in such a manner that police would have no other option but to open fire.
After the Calcutta High Court's strictures on the Rizwanur Rehman episode and Nandigram, police are already on the backfoot. For them, opening fire would have been a costly option. The state administration, too, is on the backfoot and wouldn't have preferred a direct action.
Those behind the attack had thought out all these. Otherwise, how does one explain the quick action on Ripon Street, Entally and even Moulali within minutes after cops removed the blockade at Park Circus. Cops were attacked from streets and rooftops, indicating the involvement of a larger mass.
Kolkata Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti, too, sees a deliberate conspiracy behind the violence. "The violence was pre-planned. It was an organised crime. Cops were asked to show restraint because of the sensitivity of the matter. But it was an undeclared assault by the mob."
There were no faces that attacked cops. Leaders who had called the agitation were nowhere to be seen. It was mainly a massive group of youngsters who fought cops, attacked innocent citizen and terrorised kids.
Police requested some of the leaders to take control of the mob that put up blockades and damaged buses. But, by then, the mob had gone out of hand. "I tried to speak to them. They said Taslima must go back. I told them their message would reach the top echelons of the administration. But they were not paying heed to any logic. They didn't know what they wanted do," said additional commissioner Subrata Narayan Sarkar.
But there can be no denial of the fact that the cops didn't have a clue about the plan to fuel tension in these areas.
Cops, however, claimed that they were not unaware of the plan to storm the city. Officers said there mobilisation of forces from different police stations were adequate. "But we could not anticipate the magnitude of the situation," said a senior officer. Police also had to battle rumours that flew thick and fast, throughout the day - the most damaging being the ones on 'reports' of deaths in police firing. "As these rumours grew, the mob swelled," an officer said

Indo US nuclear deal

US to India: Progress on N-deal whenever you are readyThe US on Thursday said it will move forward on the civilian nuclear deal whenever India is ready as it "understands" that New Delhi needs to work through the political process in the country.
"In terms of the decisions within the Indian political system, we (the US) respect the needs and the rights of their political leaders to work this through themselves. But we're ready and able to move forward whenever they (India) would like us to," State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.
He, however, said that regardless of the outcome or the timing of the agreement, Washington will continue to expand its relations with India, which is "an increasingly important player on the world stage".
"We understand that the Indian government has its own political process that it needs to work through, and we fully expect that, regardless of the outcome or the timing of this agreement, we're going to continue to expand our relations with India," the senior official told reporters while replying to a query.
Casey expressed the hope that the deal will be finalised as it was in the best interest of the two countries and global non-proliferation efforts.
"We continue to believe it's something that's in the best interests of the United States, of India, and of the broader international community in efforts to inhibit the proliferation of nuclear technology and nuclear weapons," he said during a briefing.
"So we want to make sure that not only we see this nuclear agreement move forward, but that more importantly, our broader relations with India continue to develop and grow," he said.

Come and break my record

Come and break my record:

SunitaSpacewoman Sunita Williams, exhorted young school children to become astronauts and break her record. Speaking to children at a function organised by the Rajasthan Sewa Samiti on Saturday, she said, "If NASA and Indian space agencies work jointly in the field of space science, it will be a great step."
Dressed in the official blue NASA spacesuit, Sunita was the centre of attraction among young fans from various schools, who wanted a glimpse of this space star.
In a special CD presentation, Sunita showed them how she spent her days aboard the space station.
Right from the time she woke up from the sleep capsule to brushing her teeth, combing her hair, her regular physical exercises to keep fit - all against gravity.
Awestruck by the adulations of the young crowd, she announced, "I would be much more pleased if someone from India surpasses my record. It is a challenge for the young audience present here and I believe you all have the potential to surpass my feat."
During an informal session with students, one Rushil Desai asked her how she felt when her landing was delayed. "It was mixed bag of emotions as the space station became my second home. But I was also missing the rain, the smell of ocean breeze, my family, friends and my dogs."
Monil Shah of H B Kapadia School asked about her space walk experience with celestial bodies around her. To this Sunita said, "The space walk was cool. Seeing the earth revolving so fast and seeing the planet earth with no physical boundaries was a special moment for me."
Sunita told the young audience, "Believe in what you dream and just go for it. Also, take care of the earth for future generations."
At the end of the event, Sunita celebrated her belated birthday by cutting a cake designed like the space shuttle - Discovery - which launched her into space.

Competitive Exams

Dear Friends,
The Art of Success for any competitive examination:
If you want to get ahead of others, get started now!
Hard-work is the only success mantra

Modi beats Congress again, leads BJP to historic win in Gujarat

Modi on top, BJP set for a fourth innings (Times of India)
Modi beats Congress again, leads BJP to historic win in Gujarat (Hindustan Times)

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to an emphatic win in make-or-break assembly polls, dealing a humiliating blow to the Congress party that had staked a lot in this election.

As trends from the counting of the millions of votes poured in, election officials said the BJP was expected to end up with nearly 120 seats in the 182-member assembly, only marginally less than the 127 it won in 2002.

The predicted tally, analysts and political workers said, was by any rate a stupendous electoral performance considering the multiple challenges Modi had to face in an election that some had warned he may end up losing.

Almost everyone credited the BJP's showing to Modi, who has now emerged as one of the tallest leaders in his own party - and even outside. The final tally will be formally announced by evening.
By 11 am, a dejected Congress admitted defeat. Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy, a former party spokesperson, said in New Delhi: "It is a victory for Modi, not for BJP." Congress general secretary BK Hari Prasad, who holds charge of the state, added: "It is an organisational failure for the Congress."

A jubilant Haren Pathak, a former minister in the previous BJP-led government of prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, told reporters: "Modi is our chief minister. He is our leader. He is our master hero."

BJP national spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy used cricket language to make a point: "BJP has won the match, and Modi is the Man of the Match."

Modi, whose legion of supporters set off wild celebrations all across Gujarat, sent a SMS message to party workers that said: "I am CM today and will be CM forever."

It added: "I didn't become CM on 7/10/2001. I have been CM forever. For me, CM means common man."

Counting trends showed that the BJP had beaten back a strong challenge from its own rebels in the sprawling region of Saurashtra, where former chief minister Keshubhai Patel's influence was expected to cause major losses.

It also managed to hold on to most of the other regions of Gujarat, retaining a majority of the seats that it won in 2002 on the strength of a sharp communal divide in the wake of the Godhra train burning and sectarian violence. North Gujarat, which saw the worst violence in 2002, went almost wholly with the BJP.

Even the alienation from the chief minister of a section of the ultra-nationalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad did not hurt Modi.

The Congress, which had hoped to win 80 to 90 seats, could not make any significant headway despite high-pitched campaigning by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, whose scathing attacks on Modi, like describing him as a "merchant of death", drew a vicious response.

The Congress, which won 51 seats five years ago, is expected to get no more than 60 this time, officials said. Less than half a dozen seats would go to smaller parties and independents, making the contest a highly polarised battle.

Political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan said the BJP could end up with 100-105 seats. Others said the BJP tally could be as high as 117.

Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said the Congress could have performed better had it put up a strong candidate to match the stature of Modi, who was at the heart of the electoral battle.

But he added: "Sometimes fascists do win and they repeat their wins."

No one in the BJP was listening though as the party celebrated a victory that is bound to cast a shadow on national politics.

The noisiest celebrations took place at the state BJP headquarters in Ahmedabad's Khanpur area where thousands of men and women burst firecrackers, raised slogans hailing Modi and danced and danced. Many distributed sweets - and consumed them with visible relish.

Many BJP cadres sported Modi masks and wore T-shirts with Modi motifs that demonstrated the extent to which Modi personified the polls.

In stark contrast, there were few party workers at the Congress office across the river Sabarmati. Outside, the open ground was deserted but for the presence of a large number of journalists.

In New Delhi, hundreds of BJP members and supporters danced to drum beats outside the party headquarters, burst firecrackers and distributed sweets. There were plenty of slogans in favour of Modi and BJP leader LK. Advani, who had refused to entertain repeated pleas from the party rebels to replace a larger-than-life Modi.

Exit polls conducted after the final round of polling Dec 16 had predicted a victory for Modi, giving the BJP anything between 92 to 110 seats. In the end he seemed to have done better.

This is the fourth consecutive victory for the BJP in Gujarat after the 1995, 1998 and 2002 assembly elections. Modi assumed charge of Gujarat in October 2001 replacing Keshubhai Patel.

Ariane 5 rocket blasts off

An Ariane 5 rocket blasts off on Friday, December 21, 2007, from Kourou, French Guiana. This 180th launch put into orbit a RASCOM-QAF1 telecommunications satellite for Africa, and a Horizons2-IP and video transmission satellite for the USA, the Caribbean and Canada.

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No great man ever complains of want of opportunities.

No great man ever complains of want of opportunities.Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anna Chakvetadze

Anna Chakvetadze

Kaka FIFA Player of the Year

He took the award in front of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Kaka had already been named European Footballer of the Year and took another award from World Soccer magazine. Kaka helped AC Milan to the European Champions League title in 2007 as well as the World Club Cup and European Super Cup. The 25-year-old, whose full name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, succeeded Italian World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro. “It's a very special day for me. When I was young, I dreamt of being a professional footballer for Sao Paulo and playing for the Brazilian national team,” said the attacking midfielder after receiving the award. “But the bible says that life gives more than we can, and that has happened to me.” The AC Milan playmaker, who is expected to sign a new contract with the Italian giants in the coming weeks that will keep him at the club until 2013, was also crowned player of the Club World Cup following Milan's successful campaign in which they beat Argentinian side Boca Juniors 4-2 in the final. Kaka's impressive individual honours list for 2007 now includes the FIFA Player of the Year, Ballon d'Or, World Soccer Magazine, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and FIFPro World Player of the Year. Meanwhile, 21-year-old compatriot Marta was named women's FIFA Player of the Year for the second year running.