No electricity for 15 days for this Gurgaon family

It has been a cruel summer, quite literally, for the Tejwanis in Guragon. If the exceedingly hot and humid conditions weren't enough, the family has had to battle prolonged power cuts. For over a fortnight, they have had little or no electricity, which has translated into no water and consequently, no peace of mind. "We have just had enough...there is no water in the toilets, none to wash with and none to drink...kids get cranky, we get annoyed. What are we supposed to do?" says Varsha Tejwani. As they spend the harrowing days and sleepless nights, the only route of escape from this unending misery - the cool confines of their air-conditioned car where Varsha's daughter studies. "I have to prepare for exams, but there is no electricity...we haven't slept all night. Even our coaching class has no electricity and classes are getting cancelled," says Shilpa Tejwani. Anger in Delhi over water, power crisis The Tejwanis' are just one among several families in Gurgaon and across the National Capital Region (NCR) which are sweating it out in the hottest summer in decades. With the mercury hovering constantly over the 40-degree-mark and with the rains nowhere in sight, parts of Gurgaon have been experiencing outages for nearly 20 hours a day. Pockets of Ghaziabad and Noida are also witnessing power cuts for 8-10 hours daily while Faridabad, too, is no better with electricity gone for upto seven hours. Even as angry and hapless residents are left to deal with this torture, power authority officials still contend that Delhi and its surrounding areas are better off vis-a-vis the rural areas nearby. In the face of the unprecedented heat wave, the demand for power in Delhi and the NCR has surged to a peak of 2,17,000 megawatt. The current power generation, however, is just 1,99,877 megawatts, thus, resulting in a deficit of 15-20%. What is more worrying is the fact that around 30 power stations have just about a week's coal left to fuel the power plants, according to the central electricity authority, But experts say that it's utter mismanagement on the part of the authorities that has contributed to the crisis. With no help forthcoming from the government, it seems the rain gods are the only hope for the residents.

Jagan Mohan Reddy's mother meets Manmohan Singh

New Delhi: Congress rebel Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's mother Vijayamma today knocked at the doors of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding a probe by a Supreme Court Judge into the alleged harassment of her jailed son by the CBI and "ulterior motive" of a particular official of the agency. Heading a delegation of the YSR Congress, Vijayamma explained to Manmohan Singh in detail the events leading to the questioning and subsequent arrest of her son Jagan, Lok Sabha MP from Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, on the evening of May 27, just a fortnight before by-elections to 18 assembly seats. Vijayamma, MLA from Pulivendula seat which was held by her husband Y S Rajasekhara Reddy several times, alleged that there was a "greater conspiracy" to harass Jagan and named a senior CBI official of acting with "ulterior motive" in a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister. Also Read Jagan Mohan Reddy to stay in jail; court rejects his bail plea CBI files fourth chargesheet against Jagan Mohan Reddy Also See 2:23 Jagan pollooza. He takes 15 of 18 assembly seats 3:26 Chief Minister Jagan Reddy by 2014, says sister Sharmila "I also told the Prime Minister that taking the name of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in the FIR was a wrong move. I also asked him what was the mistake done by Jagan? Why was he arrested when he was just accused no: 51 in the case? I also asked him why Jagan and his associates are being harrased?" she said. In the memorandum, the YSR Congress alleged that Jagan was arrested on May 27 only to prevent him from campaigning in the by-elections, which his party swept. The YSRC won 15 out of the 18 constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat. "We request you to order a probe by sitting judge of the Supreme Court and also CVC into the manner in which the CBI and its official are acting with ulterior motives against Jaganmohan Reddy and the vengeance with which it is being done," Vijayamma said in the memorandum. The delegation also complained to Singh that Jagan's life was under threat and necessary steps be taken in this regard.

Lenders may sell Vijay Mallya’s Goa villa: top 10 developments

The lenders of Kingfisher Airlines on Thursday appointed mortgage firm HDFC to re-value two of the airline’s properties. The consortium of lenders may decide on selling them to recover a part of their loans. The properties are the Kingfisher House in Vile Parle, Mumbai, and a villa in Goa. Read full story here. RELATED STORIES Kingfisher misses deadline for clearing dues, more accounts frozen Kingfisher Airlines' lenders may sell Vijay Mallya's Goa villa 5 biggest worries for Kingfisher Airlines Now, engineers quit crippled Kingfisher on non-payment of salaries 10 reasons why Kingfisher Airlines shares have hit record low Here are the top 10 developments: 1. The lenders of Kingfisher Airlines on Thursday said they may sell two properties—the Kingfisher House in Mumbai and the villa in Goa—to recover part of the loans. The airline, however, denied that the lenders had initiated any recovery proceedings, and said it had on its own approached the lenders to liquidate the property in Mumbai. 2. On 2 July, a debt fund managed by SREI Infrastructure Finance bought about Rs 400 crore worth of debt of Kingfisher Airlines from ICICI Bank. "There was an opportunity because of the various securities package and returns which were coming along with it, so based on that, the fund saw an opportunity," SREI's vice-chairman Sunil Kanoria said. 3. The airline confirmed last week that lessors had taken back a number of planes because the company had reportedly defaulted on lease rentals. The carrier, however, denied that the move was over a default in payments. "There have been no 'forced' returns of aircraft to lessors. We are currently in agreed payment terms to lessors. We have voluntarily returned aircraft surplus to our requirements," the spokesperson said. 4. Minister of state for finance S.S. Palanimanickam told the Lok Sabha in May that the airline owed Rs 269.06 crore in income tax. The carrier was found to have deducted tax at source (TDS) on salary payments but had not deposited it with the government, Mr. Palanimanickam said in a written reply. 5. In the same month, two real estate developers served eviction notices to the airline for allegedly defaulting on rent payments on a Mumbai property since November 2011. Airline sources confirmed the development. 6. The airline also owed about Rs 280 crore to the Airports Authority of India, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The airline has been running on a cash-and-carry mode since then. 7. Star Investments, one of the shareholders of the airline, in April sold 38 lakh shares for over Rs 6 crore through an open market transaction. It sold shares at Rs 16.14 apiece, valuing the deal at Rs 6.13 crore, according to the data available with the stock exchanges. 8. Earlier in April, around 200 engineers of the carrier went on a tool-down strike in Mumbai protesting non-payment of dues. A tool down or pen down refers to a strike where workers report to the workplace but do not work. The strike was called off after assurances from Vijay Mallya that their concerns would be addressed. 9. A few days later, ICICI Bank brought down its stake in the airline from 5 per cent in the end of 2011 to 2.9 per cent. As per the shareholding pattern filed by Kingfisher with the stock exchanges, ICICI Bank held about 1.67 crore shares in the airline, accounting for a 2.9 per cent stake. 10. Kingfisher, which a year ago was India's No. 2 airline by domestic market share, is the biggest victim of turbulence in an aviation industry, where the six main carriers face a total debt load of $20 billion and $2 billion in annual losses. It is now the smallest carrier by market share in India. Kingfisher, which has slashed its schedule and is flying 16 planes, down from a peak of 64, has been late paying lenders, staff, and other bills. It last paid salaries for the month of January, a spokesman said.

A bank that helps protect the savings of street children

New Delhi: Ram Singh, 17, earns just one dollar from the 100 cups of tea he makes every day outside Delhi railway station, but each evening, after packing up, he goes to the bank and deposits nearly half of it. Singh holds an account at a special bank, run for - and mostly by - Indian street children, that keeps what little money they have safe and seeks to instill the idea that savings, however meagre, are important. Just one among millions of street children who rely on menial jobs for survival, Singh is determined to make his work pay some sort of future dividend. "I'm smart, but that alone isn't enough to start a business. "I save money everyday, hoping to start something of my own. Someday soon," he said as he served glasses of India's ubiquitous, spicy milk tea in sweltering heat at a stall near the teeming train station. The Children's Development Khazana (treasure chest) opened its first office in New Delhi 2001 and has since spread across the country and overseas with 300 affiliated branches in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan. Delhi counts 12 branches with around 1,000 child clients aged between nine and 17. The brightly painted metal cubicles which serve as teller counters are located in shelters that provide children with free meals and sleeping mats, as well as school classes. The branches are run almost entirely by and for the children, with account holders electing two volunteer managers from the group every six months. "Children who make money by begging or selling drugs are not allowed to open an account. This bank is only for children who believe in hard work," said Karan, a 14-year-old "manager". During the day, Karan earns a pittance washing up at wedding banquets or other events. In the evening, he sits at his desk to collect money from his friends, update their pass books and close the bank. "Some account holders want to withdraw their money. I ask them why and give it to them if other children approve. Everyone earns five per cent interest on their savings." An adult staff member is always present to collect the takings at the end of each day, depositing the cash in a nationalised bank to earn the interest component. Sharon Jacob, who works for the rights group Butterflies that set up the bank, said it aimed to give the children a genuine stake in their own future. "They work in shops as hawkers or porters but they never had a safe place to keep their money. They were always cheated of it or somebody also stole their money," Jacob said. "So this is a place where they could keep their money safely and they are also taught life skills, how to manage their finances. They are taught budgeting, they are taught democratic participation," Jacob said. Child labour is officially illegal in India but millions of boys and girls have no choice but to earn a living to support themselves or help their families. Many move to the cities from rural areas, seeking an escape from grinding poverty or abusive homes. "I ran away from home at the age of 11 after my father beat me for stealing a kitchen appliance," said Samir who works in a sweatshop. "For days I slept on a railway platform. I was beaten by the police and even harassed by the drug peddlers. I wanted to go back home but was ashamed of myself." Now 14, Samir lives in the children's shelter and holds an account in the bank. "I have saved 4,000 rupees (70 US$) in the last seven months. It's a good feeling to have some money. I will buy a shirt and a watch for my father and send it to him to seek his apology." "He might forgive me and ask me to be with him at home."

Waitress makes British Prime Minister David Cameron wait ten minutes for a coffee

London: "I am in the middle of serving somebody", a waitress at a British coffee shop told British Prime Minister David Cameron as she failed to recognise him and scolded him for jumping the queue. Mr Cameron had been on his way to the Armed Forces Day celebrations in Plymouth, when he decided to stop for a coffee. He stunned locals by strolling into the Sandwich Box Plus cafe. But Sheila Thomas, who was behind the counter, failed to recognise the Prime Minister and told him she was busy serving other customers. Also Read European Union leaders watch football during economic summit: report Sahara planning to build an Indian Centre in UK Also See 2:29 Will UK ban Facebook, Twitter? 16:53 UK riots: Can Cameron bring back order? After a ten-minute wait, Mr Cameron's aides popped in to Warrens bakery next door to see if they could get served any quicker, and picked up the premier a jam doughnut and a cup of tea. But when the Prime Minister stopped to enjoy his treat outside the shops, passers-by began to recognise him and he was soon back in the cafe chatting to members of the public, the Daily Mail reported. Ms Thomas was upset to see he had picked up his drink elsewhere and gave him another scolding. "I didn't realise it was him at first. I was in the middle of serving a customer so I was running around trying to do something and didn't take too much notice to be honest," she said. "He asked if we served takeaway coffee and I said, 'Yes but I'm in the middle of serving somebody' and he said, 'I'm so sorry'. It was only afterwards somebody told me it was the Prime Minister," said the waitress. "He came back afterwards and I told him off for not getting a coffee here. He shook hands and was very pleasant," she said. It's not the first time the Prime Minister has been made to wait for a hot drink by a busy waitress. Last summer, while on holiday with his family in Tuscany, Mr Cameron was forced to carry a tray of drinks to his table when the 27-year-old waitress told him she didn't have the time.

The God particle through a scientist's eyes

Dr Archana Sharma is the only Indian on the rolls of CERN. Since 1989 she has worked on instrumentation, detector design, also development, installation and commissioning of the CMS experiment. She is now back on the drawing board designing the detectors for the LHC (Large Hadron Collider which is a gigantic scientific instrument used as a particle accelerator) upgrades. Dr Archana Sharma spoke to NDTV's Noopur Tiwari. NDTV: Which other major discoveries can you compare this one to? Dr Archana Sharma: This discovery can be compared to ground breaking earlier discoveries such as the discovery of gravity, or relativity or quantum mechanics sitting on giant shoulders like those of Galileo, Newton and Einstein. It's a historic moment. Trying to understand and come to grips with what we'd seen and how it fits into our understanding of the universe until today. Also Read Top 8 facts about CERN Large Hadron Collider 'God particle' a gateway to new vision of universe Also See 47:26 The 9 O'clock News: The biggest stories 1:21 India's 'God Particle' connection: Archana Sharma, from Jhansi to Geneva NDTV: What is the Higgs Boson in a layperson terms? Dr Archana Sharma: The presence of which "affects" all other elementary particles in such a way that they acquire mass. Can be likened to a mega star - like Amitabh Bachchan Ji suddenly appearing in a stadium filled with fans, the one closest to him will get hyper excited and acquire most mass while the ones farthest from him certainly excited but will acquire less mass, so the distance from the 'star' will dictate the 'field of the star' and 'mass acquired' by the fan (particle). NDTV: Do people know/talk enough about 'Boson' being named after SN Bose or is he forgotten? Dr Archana Sharma: The name Boson says it all, it;s due to the Bose Einstein statistics that was formulated by the two great scientists NDTV: Why was it important to 'see' the Higgs Boson? Dr Archana Sharma: To culminate and complete the "Standard Model of particle physics" which lends explanation to all observed behaviour of particles, hence physical phenomena. This was the "largest" missing link, and not discovering it would mean that all our understanding of the standard model would fall apart. NDTV: It's bit confusing to hear that we've found "a" Higgs Boson and not "the" Higgs Boson. What does that mean? Dr Archana Sharma: It could be a family or these Bosons that we are looking for. We don't know where exactly in mass would that be so this is a first of a generation of a family that we have seen and observed now. It's very interesting to open a new door to a new era in physics. The standard model and the physics beyond predict the presence of several bosons. What has been observed is a particle which is compatible with one member of that family. The properties that allow it to be observed are its consistent mass and decay modes. NDTV: it's is difficult to say when any discovery is made as to what exactly will people be able to do with it in the years to come. Do you have an idea what you can do with this discovery? Dr Archana Sharma: The impact of basic research comes later naturally. What we are trying to do here is to try to go ahead with curiosities and with the research and development we want to do in the quest of the origin of the universe. In doing so we have facilitated technology development, industrial development, computing development. For example the internet was born here in CERN and that was precisely because of the need to share data to do these kind of searches. We don't know what will come in the decade to follow but we continue the quest NDTV: We know only 6% of universe. We know nothing about 94% of dark energy or dark matter. Will these findings lead to getting know more? Dr Archana Sharma: That's true what we understand about the universe the galaxies that are swirling around us is because of the forces that exist between them ..and when we calculate using the forces using the distances. We find that we can account only for 6% of them.. Now where is the rest of the missing mass the missing energy- the dark energy the dark matter as we call it? And in order to explain this missing mass there has to be some kind of particle, some kind of bosons perhaps- the Higgs bosons which could account for this missing mass. Now what we have evidenced today could indeed be in unlocking the door towards an understanding of this missing mass. And hence of a large part of the universe! NDTV: What is 5 sigma? What is the highest level of certainty? Dr Archana Sharma: Sigma is the decisive parameter of the Gaussian curve, a mathematical function that describes the distribution of data from many experiments. Citing a certain number of sigma directly translates into a probability. 1.5 sigma means just noise (background), but 3 sigma is equivalent to a 99.75 percent chance that a future experiment will yield a compatible result. So something interesting has been observed, Well, technically it's not a 99.7% chance that the result is correct, but a 99.7% chance that if they were to run the same experiment again (with the same instruments), they would get the same result. Physicists think that only a 5-sigma result, indicating a 99.99995 percent chance that the result can be reproduced, is trustworthy and can survive the test of time. A "5 significance" describes effects where the chance of random occurrence is smaller than a few parts in tens of millions, and is agreed to be enough to claim the discovery of a new particle or phenomenon. So basically - 1.5 sigma: noise (background). 3 sigma: Observation 5 sigma: Discovery NDTV: What made you 'leap' into quantum physics? Dr Archana Sharma: My teachers certainly at St. Francis Convent Jhansi, and then all my professors at the Physics Department BHU Varanasi who kindled the quest to look further into the heart of matter ... made me take the leap! NDTV: Is there room for more Indians at CERN? Dr Archana Sharma: Already the Indian visibility has gone much higher than yester years. The student population has multiplied ten-fold from 2001. Further collaboration possibilities are there and are being discussed with competent authorities, opening opportunities to particpate and contribute at the frontiers of science and technology. And, once India becomes an associate member, a door will open for more Indian participation NDTV: When the discovery was announced yesterday (the 4th of July) at CERN they said more time needed to go through data. How much of a chance that this data could reveal something dramatic? Dr Archana Sharma: Here at CERN we are saying that the next step will be to determine the precise nature of the particle and its significance for our understanding of the universe. Are its properties as expected for the long-sought Higgs boson, the final missing ingredient in the Standard Model of particle physics? Or is it something more exotic?

The armoured truck that followed Abu Jundal to court

Abu Jundal, the terrorist who played a key role in 26/11, was taken from a police station in Delhi to Safdarjung Hospital today, and then to court. The Delhi Police was granted custody of him for another 15 days. The terrorist, who is from Maharashtra and was based in a control room in Karachi during the 26/11 attacks, was transported in a Scorpio. The armoured truck shown here followed his car, just in case there was any attempt to attack or rescue him. The Mumbai Crime Branch asked for his custody; they want him to confront Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist caught alive in Munbai during 26/11, who is kept in a bulletproof cell at Mumbai's Arthur Road jail. The National Investigation Agency or NIA wanted him too so they could question him about the conspiracy behind 26/11. The Pune police want to interrogate him about his alleged link to the 2010 blast at the city's German Bakery in which 17 people died. A Delhi judge said they would have to wait their turn. Also Read 'Not 10, but 12 terrorists trained for 26/11 attack' Abu Jundal's new terror revelations on ISI and 26/11 Jundal has been sharing with interrogators details of ISI officers who he says supervised the control room in Karachi from where he along with five other handlers instructed the ten terrorists on the ground in Mumbai about how to strike.

Sadhvi Pragya brought to Nashik court, 3 more arrested

The Maharashtra ATS brought the prime accused Sadhvi Pragya Thakur to the Nashik court today, along with her co-accused Sahu , and Shivnarayan.


Meanwhile, the three accused were allowed to meet their siblings and the meetings happened with the lawyers in the court room.


Shiv Sena activists protested outside the court, to demonstrate their anger at the arrest and trial of the sadhvi.


Three other people too have been arrested in the Malegaon blasts case, that the ATF has arrested the sadhvi under.


She has already undergone several brain mapping tests in Mumbai. Reports say that a large number of activists from the Shiv Sena may gather outside the court as a show of support to the sadhvi.


On Sunday, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) joined the Shiv Sena and the BJP in saying that they would provide all legal help to the sadhvi.


They claim that the ATS had absolutely no evidence against her and that her arrest was just a larger part of a political ploy of the UPA government to tarnish the saffron outfits.


The editor of the party mouthpiece Saamana, Sanjay Raut had told CNN-IBN that the Sena is ready to provide legal aide to the accused, including sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.


"If Dawood Ibrahim's brother was represented by eminent lawyers like Majeed Memon, shouldn't sadhvi Pragya, Ramesh Upadhyay and Sameer Kulkarni be represented by somebody?" said a previous editorial in Saamna.


"The government does not save Hindus from terrorists, and if Hindus defend themselves, they are maligned," it had said.


The Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Pragya Singh Thakur in the September 29 Malegaon bomb blast case in which five people were killed.

Shah Rukh to play his age in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan sheds his casanova image for a new film, basing his character on a middle-aged man he met while hosting a popular game show on Indian television.


Shah Rukh, who turned 43 on Sunday, has mostly played the young romantic lead in a career spanning nearly two decades and 60 films. But for filmmaker Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Shah Rukh casts off his designer suits and jeans to play a bespectacled government employee in ill-fitting trousers.


"I want to play the exact opposite of Raj and Rahul, the romantic hero that I have played all these days. I want to show that it is special to be ordinary, which is why I am doing this film," Khan said at a press conference on Sunday.



SRK, Bollywood's most bankable star, said the character was inspired by a "sweet, unassuming" contestant he met last year on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of the worldwide hit TV show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.


"I want everyone who watches the film to realise that the person they love is the best romantic hero there could be," he added.


Not much is known about the storyline of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi except that the film is a love story and it also features SRK in a younger role which is again inspired by a contestant in another TV show hosted by the actor.


SRK did not elaborate but said this second character was based on another contestant he met this year on Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain?, the Indian version of another American game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opens in cinemas in December.

North Indian youths attack Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi

The Maharashtrian-North Indian standoff in Mumbai has spilled on to the streets of Delhi.


A group of 20 youths, reportedly from Bihar, attacked Maharashtra Sadan in the capital on Monday.


The Rashtrawadi Sena has claimed responsibility for the attack.


The youths were protesting attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra. The mob ransacked the reception of the building and raised slogans against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray.


Deputy Commissioner of Police Anand Mohan said that the situation was brought under control soon. However, no one has been arrested.


A journalist, Balasaheb Ambekar working a regional language paper in Maharashtra, Jivhala, said that the guards couldn't stop the attackers.


"The security guards tried to stop them but couldn't. They all looked like bouncers and they went on a rampage," Ambekar said.

Student mistaken for a criminal, shot dead by cops

Haryana Police gunned a student in Bhiwani late on Sunday night in a case of mistaken identity.


The 20-year-old student, Kuldeep Singh, was shot dead while he was returning back home after a party with his friends. The police were allegedly on the lookout for a criminal, Dara Singh, when the tragic incident occurred.


An FIR has been registered in the case and one policeman has been arrested. The main accused constable Karmbir Singh was arrested after the registration of a case against eight cops following the killing of Kuldeep, a student of a local Vaish College.


"There were four men in a jeep and two of them got out. The one in plain clothes shot my brother on the forehead. When they realised he had been shot the policemen ran away," the victim's brother said.


Bhiwani District Commissioner Satya Prakash clarified that the act was unintentional and a FIR has been registered.


"In a case of bank robbery the police had nabbed two people and there was search going on for the other two involved. They belonged to a village in Bhiwani. There was some information that the people would be coming to the same place. The police were waiting and at 0115 hrs IST and they saw three people coming and after repeated requests they did not stop," Prakash said.


"It was an unintentional act. An FIR has been filed. The victim was taken to hospital at 0415 hrs IST. We are investigating the policeman who fired. They went to the thana (police station) and confession was made," he added.


Prakash also said that the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Bhiwani Shiv Prasad Sharma has been asked to investigate the incident.


The SDM would complete his probe at the earliest and submit a report to the District Administration after which further action would be taken against the guilty.



Meanwhile, students went on a rampage in Bhiwani after the tragic incident.


Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda said that the guilty will not be spared.


"The police are at fault. It is an unfortunate incident and a case has been registered. The guilty will be punished and we have given Rs 5 lakh to the victim's family," Hooda said.


However, Kuldeep's father said that he won't accept the compensation offered by the Chief Minister.


Meanwhile, former chief minister Bhajan Lal visited Kuldeep's home and demanded strict action against the guilty.


Abhay Chautala, the son of another former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, accused the state police of orchestrating fake encounters.


"The Chief Minister and his government claim that they have chased away anti-social elements from the state. In reality the police are killing innocent people in fake encounters," Chautala said

Big Bang: First protons fired, world still safe

Scientists at the world's largest particle collider have fired the first protons into a 17-mile-long tunnel in science's next great step to understand the makeup of the universe.

Project leader Lyn Evans gave the go-ahead to send the protons into the accelerator below the Swiss-French border early Wednesday.

The $3.8 billion Large Hadron Collider was under construction since 2003. Scientists hope it will provide the necessary power to smash the components of atoms so that they can see how they are made.

The startup has been eagerly awaited by 9,000 physicists around the world who will conduct experiments here.

Some skeptics have said they fear the collisions of protons could eventually imperil Earth.
'It's nonsense,'' said James Gillies, chief spokesman for CERN, the host European Organization for Nuclear Research.

CERN is backed by leading scientists like Britain's Stephen Hawking in dismissing the fears and declaring the experiments to be absolutely safe.

Gillies told the AP that the most dangerous thing that could happen would be if a beam at full power were to go out of control, and that would only damage the accelerator itself and burrow into the rock around the tunnel deep below the Swiss-French border.

And full power is probably a year away.

''On Wednesday we start small,'' said Gillies. ''What we're putting in to start with is one single low intensity bunch at low energy and we thread that around. We get experience with low energy things and then we ramp up as we get to know the machine better.''

He said a good result for Wednesday would be to have one beam going all the way around the tunnel in a counterclockwise direction. If that works, the scientists will then try to send a beam in the other direction.

''A really good result would be to have the other beam going around, too, because once you've got a beam around once in both directions you know that there is no show stopper,'' Gillies said. ''It's going to work.''

However, if there is some blockage in the machine, experts will have to go in and fix the problem, and that could take time.

The LHC, as the collider is known, will take scientists to within a split second of a laboratory recreation of the big bang, which they theorize was the massive explosion that created the universe.

The project organized by the 20 European member nations of CERN has attracted researchers of 80 nationalities. Some 1,200 are from the United States, an observer country which contributed $531 million. Japan, another observer, also is a major contributor.

The collider is designed to push the proton beam close to the speed of light, whizzing 11,000 times a second around the tunnel.

Smaller colliders have been used for decades to study the makeup of the atom. Less than 100 years ago scientists thought protons and neutrons were the smallest components of an atom's nucleus, but in stages since then experiments have shown they were made of still smaller quarks and gluons and that there were other forces and particles.

The CERN experiments could reveal more about ''dark matter,'' antimatter and possibly hidden dimensions of space and time. It could also find evidence of the hypothetical particle _ the Higgs boson _ believed to give mass to all other particles, and thus to matter that makes up the universe.

Some scientists have been waiting for 20 years to use the LHC. But even their younger colleagues are excited that startup has finally arrived.

''I think it's a very important project,'' said Katie McAlpine, 23, a Michigan State University graduate who made a rap video about the project.

''It's mostly out of scientific curiosity, what is the universe made of? How does it work? What are the rules? That's very exciting and it's important to advance our knowledge,'' she told Associated Press Television News.

She said she was surprised by the success of the video, which has had more than a million views on YouTube and which has received approval from CERN for its scientific accuracy, especially in its success with young people.

''I was really hoping that this would get taken into classrooms,'' McAlpine said. ''I don't imagine that elementary school and most middle school children will understand it very well, but a lot of parents have e-mailed me, saying I have a 9-year-old or a 7-year-old and showed them your rap and they really love it.

''If elementary kids can get excited about it, too, that's just great.''

India's condom ring tone a huge global hit

Guess which Indian ring tone is being downloaded the most all over the world? No, it is not the latest Bollywood chartbuster, but a public health message that goes 'condom, condom'.

Its makers are amazed by the popularity of the ring tone that was launched last month and aims to promote safe sex, the use of condom and to thus tackle the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country where about 2.5 million people are estimated to be living with it.

'It is a hit internationally. Nowhere in the world are we aware of a ring tone for a product,' said Yvonne MacPherson, country director of the BBC World Service Trust, the international charity of the BBC.

'The 'condom a cappella' ringtone is really innovative. What is amazing is that India has started the trend of a ring tone which carries a social health message. People are excited about this ring tone internationally and are looking to India for this,' MacPherson told IANS.

What has perhaps caught the imagination of the people is the fresh voice, sound and music, which are totally Indian.

'I think the ring tone has international appeal. It has quirky music and sound,' said MacPherson.

In the three weeks since its launch, the makers have already received 257,744 SMS requests for download and over two million hits on the website.

The ring tone can be downloaded by SMSing 'CONDOM' to 56887 (download charges apply) or free from anywhere worldwide on the website www.condomcondom.org. The ring tone has been composed by Rupert Fernandes and sung by Vijay Prakash, who is a professional singer, and has chanted the word condom more than 50 times.

'As it became international news, there has been demand for it from all corners of the globe,' said an excited MacPherson, who got calls from radio stations from across the US and Britain.

The ring tone marks the latest phase in the three-year intense mass media campaign to make condom use more socially acceptable. It was partially launched in Aug 8 but was nationally seen on television, cinema, radio and in print in Aug 22.

The campaign uses a multitude of youth friendly platforms such as website downloads, online games, mobile advertising and downloads, along with the TV and radio advertisements, MacPherson said, adding that the campaign is funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) is also using the ad to support its condom promotion efforts.

The objective is to connect with all age groups and across the socio-economic strata, MacPherson added.

In the advertisement, a wedding is shown where a mobile rings with the sound of 'condom, condom'. An embarrassed man holds the phone and looks for others' reactions. Then he finds the reactions smart and responsible. The tagline is 'jo samjha wohi sikander' ('the one who understands is a winner').

MacPherson said the ring tone has also scored big time as many have sent messages to them.

One of the messages they have received on their website is from Denmark and it reads: 'I have just read an article about this latest ring tone from you, i have heard it and i love IT!! you are tearing down the walls around this taboo.'

Another one from the US said: 'I found this and my sons overwhelmed and they love it. ...opened up a new dialogue regarding sexual health. Thank you for such a fun way to open up with my kids about HIV and AIDS.'

It is getting accolades from Indians too. 'Awesome, from today onwards this will be my mobile ring tone, it's a good effort to spread awareness...' a message from a man in Karnataka said.

MacPherson said: 'The objective was to make condom socially acceptable and to remove the taboo around it. Condoms are a health product and a life saving device to protect a person from HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.

'People feel embarrassed when it comes to protection so we have to first take care of this. This is how we would be able to check the epidemic nature of the disease. The shock value coupled with bringing the subject out in the open will also help in dispelling the myths,' MacPherson added.

According to Radharani Mitra, the creative director of the trust which is producing the advertisements, 'ring tones have become such personal statements that a specially created condom ring tone seemed just the right way of combining a health message in a fun way'.

How to live till 100

Want to live till 100 years of age? Well, do regular exercises, be married, wash hands and brush your teeth everyday.

That's what a new book, 'The Long Life Equation', by Dr Trisha Macnair suggests.

In the book, the author has listed activities that add years to your life.

Macnair said washing your hands adds two years, and good dental hygiene can add six more years in your life.

But smoking, fast food, no exercise and a stressful life can strip away 20 years.

"There's no doubt younger people take life and health for granted - more than any generation before, they idle time away watching TV or playing computer games, ignoring the activities that keep them healthy or develop meaning in their lives," Courier Mail quoted Macnair, as saying.

"As we get older and start to feel the years slipping away, we suddenly realise how precious it is.

"But by then we may have already established habits (smoking, drinking, obesity, lack of exercise, stressful occupations) which take their toll and are difficult to reverse.

"Still, it's never too late to change. Also, our attitudes to older age are changing so there is more freedom now to do things later in life if we are healthy and able," she added.

A 2006 study from University of California in Los Angeles showed that men and women live healthier, wealthier, happier and longer lives when they are in a stable partnership

The study confirmed that married couples were more likely to live to an old age than their divorced, widowed or unmarried counterparts.

A stable partnership can actually add on seven years to life.

Regular exercise also adds as much as two or more years to your life.

A Harvard Alumni Study, which took into account more than 71,000 men who had graduated from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania between 1916 and 1954, found that those men who regularly burned 8400kJ a week while exercising lived, on average, two years longer than sedentary types.

But cigarette smoking can actually reduce 8 years from your life

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 chemicals, many of which are highly toxic.

A divorce can also strip away 3 years from your life, as it takes longer-lasting, emotional and physical toll on former spouses than virtually any other life stress.

ecent studies indicate that divorced adults have higher rates of emotional disturbance, accidental death and death from heart disease.

The divorced also have higher rates of admission to psychiatric facilities and make more visits to doctors than people who are married, single or widowed. (ANI)

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Doom-mongers worry: end of world on Big Bang test day

If critics are to be believed, the end of the universe will begin coming Wednesday when a Welsh miner's son launches the world's biggest scientific experiment to know how the universe was born.


The well-known Welshman physicist, Lyn Evans, dubbed Evans the Atom, will this week switch on a giant particle accelerator designed to unlock the secrets of the Big Bang.


On Wednesday, Evans will fire up the Large Hadron Collider, a 17-mile-long doughnut-shaped tunnel that will smash sub-atomic particles together at nearly the speed of light.


Built by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), the collider lies beneath the French-Swiss border, near the institution's headquarters in Geneva, at depths ranging from 170 feet to 600 feet.


The aim of the 4.4 billion-pound (over $7.7 billion) experiment is to recreate the conditions that existed a fraction of a second after the Big Bang — the birth of the universe — and provide vital clues to the building blocks of life.

It will track the spray of particles thrown out by collisions in a search for the elusive Higgs Boson, a theoretical entity that supposedly lends weight, or mass, to the elementary particles. So important is this mysterious substance that it has been called the "God Particle".


Scientists also hope to shed some light on the invisible material that exists between particles - dubbed "dark matter" as no one knows what it really is - which make up most of the universe.


But a handful of scientists believe that the experiment could create a shower of unstable black holes that could "eat" the planet from within, and they are launching last-ditch efforts to halt it in the courts.


One of them, Otto Rossler, a retired German chemist, said he feared the experiment may create a devastating quasar - a mass of energy fuelled by black holes - inside the earth. Jets emanating from it would grow and catastrophes such as earthquakes and tsunamis would occur at the points they emerged from the earth.


"The weather will change completely, wiping out life, and very soon the whole planet will be eaten in a magnificent scenario - if you could watch it from the moon. A Biblical Armageddon. Even cloud and fire will form, as it says in the Bible."


He said that attempts were still being made in the European Court of Human Rights to halt the experiment on the grounds that it violated the right to life. The court has, however, already rejected calls for a temporary delay in the project.


Walter Wagner, an American scientist who has been warning about the dangers of particle accelerators for 20 years, is awaiting a ruling on a lawsuit he filed a fortnight ago in his home state of Hawaii.


Evans, however, is dismissive of the "doom-mongers".


"There are thousands of scientists around the world who have been preparing this machine and they know what they are talking about, unlike these guys," he is quoted as saying in the British daily Daily Mail.

Secrets of successful flirting revealed

Want to be a successful flirt? Well, then all you need to do is simply to let your prospective partner know that you find them attractive, according to a new research.

The University of Aberdeen study shows that telling the person "I really like you" is likely to push the chosen target to reciprocate the feelings. It also revealed that if a person shows someone their feelings, through eye contact, smiling - or simply telling them - they are more likely to return the sentiment.

The new study found that ‘social cues’ - someone's efforts to show how much they like a person - are of great importance in the blossoming of mutual attraction.

"Our latest research highlights how social cues, which signal the extent to which others are attracted to you, also play a crucial role in attraction," The Telegraph quoted psychologist Dr Ben Jones, co-authors of the study, as saying.

A total of 230 men and women took part in the study at the university's Face Research Laboratory. The researchers showed volunteers four flash cards, picturing a face with different expressions.
The face is shown making eye contact and not smiling; not making eye contact and not smiling; making eye contact and not smiling: and making eye contact and smiling.

"What we found was that the preference for the attractive face was much stronger when people were judging those faces that were looking at them and smiling," Jones said.

According to the study, attractiveness was how someone combined natural beauty and these ‘social cues’. The study, Integrating Facial Attractiveness And Cues Of Social Attractiveness, was published in the journal Psychological Science.

Nano to say tata to Singur, no truce likely | Shutters down at Tata plant

It could be the end of the road for Tata Motor’s Nano project in West Bengal. Government sources told CNN-IBN that there is unlikely to be a solution to the Singur deadlock.

According to sources in the state government, the committee on land review was not likely to find a solution as the mother plant and ancillary units cannot be separated.

An accord was reached between the state government and the Opposition parties on Sunday night after a series of meetings mediated by Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi.

However, in a strongly worded press statement, Tata Motors on Monday said it would not resume work in its small-car plant in Singur, claiming that the outcome of talks between the government and opposition parties to end protests against the project lacked clarity.

At the end of talks mediated by Gandhi, an official statement said that the government would respond to the demands of those farmers who have not received compensation and asked vendors of Tata Motors not to go ahead with construction of their respective facilities in the meantime.

The company said that it would review its stated position only if it was satisfied that the viability of the project was not being impinged.

Tata Motors' statement came a day after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee suspended her indefinite dharna on Sunday night following an agreement with the state government.

Meanwhile, movement of traffic resumed on both lanes of the Durgapur Expressway on Monday morning with the Trinamool chief suspending her two-week long dharna near the Tata Motors' small car plant.

As per the agreement, the state government will form a committee to look into the demands of the affected farmers, and submit its report in seven days.

Till then, construction the ancillary units will be on hold.