Barack Obama, Sarah Palin in ‘Archie’ comics?

NEW YORK – US President Barack Obama and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will be teaming-up – in an upcoming edition of Archie comics.

The pair is reportedly dragged into a heated campaign battle between eternal teenager Archie Andrews and arch nemesis Reggie, who are both …. Source  : Barack Obama, Sarah Palin in ‘Archie’ comics?.

Chinese girl sets quickest human calculator-world record

NEW DELHI – A Chinese girl has created a world record for doing complex mental arithmetic with supersonic speed.

Chen Ranran, the university student from Wuhan, Hubei Province, has gained popularity for her ability to calculate.

The record was for performing complex calculations using 15-digit numbers and Guinness …. Source article  : Chinese girl sets quickest human calculator-world record.

Images of Latin American sufferings in Delhi

NEW DELHI – They narrate gut-wrenching tales of immigration, natural disasters, middle-class urban angst and street stage in several Latin American nations. Ten emerging Mexican photographers have brought snapshots of life on the edge in Latin America and the triumphant human spirit in an exhibition here.

The photographs in the exhibition “Resilencia (Resilience)” at the Instituto …. Source article  : Images of Latin American sufferings in Delhi.

Pak slashes development outlay to make way for Rs110 bn increase in defence budget

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan, projecting an increase of 110 billion rupees in its defence budget, has informed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that due to the post-flood situation, the defence budget will be 552 billion rupees against the …. Original article  : Pak slashes development outlay to make way for Rs110 bn increase in defence budget.

Economic growth to be over 8.75 per cent in fiscal 2010-11: Mukherjee

NEW DELHI – Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday said the Indian economy will post a better growth rate than the 8.75 per cent in the current fiscal as projected by the ‘Economic Survey’.

“I am optimistic that at the end of this year we will be able to surpass … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Economic growth to be over 8.75 per cent in fiscal 2010-11: Mukherjee.

Security tightened in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Babri Masjid verdict

LUCKNOW – Elaborate security arrangements have been made in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Friday’s verdict on the Babri Masjid Ayodhya title case.

Over 100′000 security personnel will police every corner of Ayodhya, Faizabad, Lucknow and 19 other sensitive areas in the state.

Chief … Original source on Gaea Times at : Security tightened in Uttar Pradesh ahead of Babri Masjid verdict.

US grants political asylum to Mexican reporter

Mexico City, Sep 23 (IANS/EFE) Jorge Luis Aguirre, a Mexican journalist who said he got death threats from authorities in his country, has been granted political asylum in the US, the online daily La Polaka reported.

Aguirre, who is La Polaka’s editor, fled to the US with his family in November 2008, hours after another reporter … Read more : US grants political asylum to Mexican reporter.

A memoir, movies and Pakistan, print that matters (IANS Books This Week)

NEW DELHI – Live through the last lap of monsoon with a collection of powerful stories – both fact and fiction. Surf the week’s list:

1. “No Way Home”; Written by Amarjit Sidhu; Published by Penguin-Books India; Priced at Rs.299
The novel is set in Punjab of the early 1980s. As separatists and the …. Read the original article  : A memoir, movies and Pakistan, print that matters (IANS Books This Week).

S. Korea gearing up for G-20 Summit

Seoul (S. Korea), – With only 50 days left for the G-20 Seoul Summit, Korea is making conscientious efforts to gather a consensus in putting development as one of the major topics for discussion.

The Seoul Summit agenda can be broken into two categories. The first category consists of the agenda items to be followed …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : S. Korea gearing up for G-20 Summit.

Kashmir Valley still under curfew

SRINAGAR – Curfew restrictions continued to remain in force for the 12th consecutive day in all major towns of the Kashmir Valley on Thursday, even as the separatists called for a break in their agitational programme.

On Wednesday, curfew was relaxed in a phased manner across the Valley.

“The curfew in almost all the areas of …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Kashmir Valley still under curfew.

Qaeda likely to attempt frequent small-scale but deadly terrorist attacks in US: Officials

WASHINGTON – Al-Qaeda and its allies are likely to attempt small-scale and less sophisticated terrorist attacks in the United States, senior Obama administration officials have said.

Testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, said: “Unlike large-scale, coordinated, catastrophic attacks, executing smaller-scale attacks requires less planning and fewer pre-operational …. Original source  : Qaeda likely to attempt frequent small-scale but deadly terrorist attacks in US: Officials.

Musharraf to return to Pak to join unified Muslim League, not for presidency: Pir Pagara

KARACHI – PML-F Chairman Pir Pagara has stated that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf would return to Pakistan not for becoming the country’s president, but to join the unified Muslim League.

Pagara made this statement while talking to media persons, after meeting a delegation of Musharraf-led All-Pakistan Muslim League (APML) leaders, who had called upon him … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Musharraf to return to Pak to join unified Muslim League, not for presidency: Pir Pagara.

‘Ciggies, whisky and wild women’ key to world’s oldest man’s longevity

LONDON – The world’s oldest man celebrated his 114th birthday Tuesday in his retirement home in Great Falls, Montana.

Walter Breuning, born Sept. 21, 1896 in Melrose, Minn. Breuning attributes his unusual longevity to “cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women-and a good sense of humor,” according to Guinness World Records, reports the Discovery.

For 50 years, Breuning …. Read the original article  : ‘Ciggies, whisky and wild women’ key to world’s oldest man’s longevity.

Netflix heralds Canadian debut by hiring actors to masquerade as fans in media interviews

Netflix hires actors to pose as its Canada fans

SAN FRANCISCO – Netflix turned the Canadian debut of its online video streaming service into a fake Hollywood-style production with actors hired to pose as the company’s fans.
The publicity stunt went awry in Toronto Wednesday after reporters discovered the actors had been given written instructions gush about …. Original source  : Netflix heralds Canadian debut by hiring actors to masquerade as fans in media interviews.

Crew diaries to be reunited with historic 1817 India-built HMS Trincomalee in UK

LONDON – Journals written by sailors on board HMS Trincomalee, Britain’s oldest surviving warship which was built in India in 1817, will be reunited with the ship at a special ceremony in Teesside, England.

The journals had been locked away in Royal Navy … Read more : Crew diaries to be reunited with historic 1817 India-built HMS Trincomalee in UK.

Pakistan urges IAEA to help it in building more nuclear plants

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help facilitate its need to build more nuclear power plants in order to overcome an acute energy shortfall in the country and also to support its social and economic development.

Addressing … Read : Pakistan urges IAEA to help it in building more nuclear plants.

Passenger train derails in Chhattisgarh

DANTEWADA – The engine and a bogie of the Kirandul-Vishakhapatnam passenger train derailed near Bhansi Railway Station in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada District this morning.

The incident took palace at around 6 a.m. after the train left the Kirandul Railway Station.

No casualties have been reported.

Police are suspecting [..] Read the original article: here.

Arms and ammunitions recovered from a Maoist hideout in Jharkhand

PALAMU – Jharkhand Police have recovered weapons including rifles, detonators and literature in Palamu District.

In a joint operation launched by the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force, the security forces recovered the cache from a hideout in Ratnag village near … Read : Arms and ammunitions recovered from a Maoist hideout in Jharkhand.

Yamuna river crosses 207 m mark in Delhi

NEW DELHI – The Yamuna rose over two meters above the danger level and crossed the 207 m mark in Delhi for the first time since 1978 on Thursday.

Authorities said the water level is expected to go up further by afternoon, but insisted that all arrangements [..] Read the original article: here.

Restoring pieces of history – Adi Granth to Tagore portrait

LUCKNOW – A portrait of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore dating back to the early 1940s had become dull and lifeless. The colours had faded with cracks and stains visible on the surface. But the canvas has got a new lease of life.

This has been made possible by the Indian Conservation Institute-Lucknow (ICI-L), which claims to … Read more >>.