Hundreds of students killed in attack, Pakistan school in Peshawar

"'God is great,'" the Taliban militants shouted as they roared through the hallways of a school in Peshawar, Pakistan. 

Then, 14-year-old student Ahmed Faraz recalled, one of them took a harsher tone.

" 'A lot of the children are under the benches,' " a Pakistani Taliban said, according to Ahmed. " 'Kill them.' "

By the time the hours-long siege at Army Public School and Degree College ended early Tuesday evening, at least 145 people -- 132 children, 10 school staff members and three soldiers -- were dead, military spokesman Gen. Asim Bajwa said. More than 100 were injured, many with gunshot wounds, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Information Minister Mushtaq Ghani.

The death toll does not include the terrorists who attacked the school, bursting into an auditorium where a large number of students were taking an exam and gunning down many of them within minutes, Bajwa said.

"They started shooting indiscriminately," Bajwa said, "and that's where maximum damage was caused."

Pakistani Taliban spokesman Mohammed Khurrassani said the militants scaled the school's walls around 10 a.m. (midnight ET), intent on killing older students there.

The Taliban had "300 to 400 people ... under their custody" at one point, said Khurrassani, whose group is called Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. But Bajwa said there was no hostage situation, as the attackers' focus was shooting to kill rather than taking captives.

They were eventually met by Pakistani troops who pushed through the complex building by building, room by room. By 4 p.m., they'd confined the attackers to four buildings. A few hours later, all the militants -- seven of them, according to Bajwa -- were dead.

Pakistani authorities spent Tuesday night inside the school in Peshawar, a city about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the country's capital, Islamabad, looking for survivors, victims and improvised explosive devices planted to worsen the carnage.

As they searched, they discovered that the school's principal was among the terrorists' victims.

The attack drew sharp condemnation from top Pakistani officials, who vowed that the country wouldn't stop its war against the Taliban.

"We are undeterred. ... We will not back off," Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told CNN.

But he said the ambush at the school is another example of how great his nation's sacrifices have been in fighting that's raged for more than a decade.

"Even the children are dying on the frontline in the war against terror," he said. "The smaller the coffin, the heavier it is to carry. ... It's a very, very tragic day."

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Taapsee has four films - two each in Hindi and Tamil

"I just feel I've been wholeheartedly accepted in both the industries. Sometimes when you're popular in the south, Bollywood may not work out and vice versa. But I think I've been lucky," Taapsee told IANS.

She admits her Bollywood career took off quickly, but she "never expected it".

"I also never expected my first Tamil film 'Aadukalam' to win six National awards. Bollywood has responded as well as the south did when I debuted four years ago. Post my Tamil film debut, I was flooded with offers. I think the same fate is repeating with Bollywood," she said.

Taapsee made her Hindi debut with 2013 hit "Chashme Baddoor". She currently has "Baby" and "Agra Ka Daabra" in her kitty. In Tamil filmdom, she's awaiting the release of "Vai Raja Vai" and "Muni 3".


The actress was busy working on four projects in 2014, but she didn't even manage to have a single release.

"The release of a film lies in the hands of a producer," she said, adding that the work she did last year was "creatively satisfying".

"I may not have had a release in 2014, but it was an eventful year because of the kind of work that was offered to me. That's precisely why I didn't worry too much about the release of these films because I knew I had the best in hand. I also learnt that you need a lot of perseverance and patience in this profession," she added.

For Neeraj Pandey-directed "Baby", Taapsee underwent special training in the Krav Maga Israeli form of martial arts, while for "Agra Ka Daabra", she plans to visit Uttar Pradesh to research her character.

With such diverse roles in her Hindi films, Taapsee agrees Bollywood has offered her meatier characters.

"Since I know Hindi, I've realised how easy and interesting it is to work in Bollywood. Not knowing the language becomes a bigger challenge and that's what I face in the south. This is one of the limitations why we (Hindi film actresses) don't get interesting characters there. But all that is slowly changing. The roles I play in 'Vai Raja Vai' and 'Muni 3' are proof to it," she said.

Although she plays a brief role in "Vai Raja Vai", it has shades of grey, quite contrary to the bubbly roles she's played so far.

"Muni 3" took a toll on Taapsee, "physically as well as mentally".

"To spend nearly two years of my life on this project itself was very challenging. The role I play in the film required a lot of physical strength. And it doesn't necessarily have to be action, but the conditions we shot in and everything I had to do for this character," she said.

"I've done a lot of underwater sequences. During peak summer time, I was dragged along the sand and we shot under very strenuous conditions," she added.

But it's "Baby" that Taapsee is really excited about for it has given her an opportunity "to step into the shoes of a man".

"It's a privilege for female actors to perform stunts in a male-dominated industry, and to be doing it in a full-length action film is very special. I consider myself as one of the 'guys' in 'Baby'.

"This role made me do all that's expected out of a hero. It's one of the reasons why I wanted to be part of this project because it's not going to sideline me as a heroine," she said.

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Aamir Khan's 'PK' has been given huge thumbs up in Pakistan.

The film, which has been helmed by Rajkumar Hirani, has not only grossed over INR300 crore in India, but has gotten rave reviews and repeat visits in the neighboring country and is expected to cross Rs15 crore there, the Dawn reported.

Manager Marketing from Distributor Club (PVT) Ltd for the country, Hassaan Rizvi said that the main reasons for the movie's success are Hirani and Khan, with another factor being Pakistan presented in a positive light.

The Pakistanis are loving Khan's loveable depiction of the unaware, inquisitive alien, and a fan, who claimed to have watched the film 3 times already, said not only it stars Khan, the film also "addresses the theist question in such an effective manner. With religious extremism on the rise in both India and Pakistan, 'PK' is an excellent film that deals with such pressing issues."

According to the Indian Express, the film may as well become the first Indian movie to cross INR600 crore worldwide.

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India Sensex falls by over 2% as oil prices drop below $50 per barrel

Mumbai : The S&P BSE benchmark Sensex fell by over two percent to head towards their biggest daily fall in nearly three weeks.

The Sensex fell amidst all-round selling from operators following sharp fall in Asian markets and overnight steep fall in US bourses as oil prices continue its sustained fall.

Oil edged up on Tuesday, steadying after a 5 percent plunge in the previous session that saw prices touch fresh 5-1/2-year lows in an oversupplied market.

Worries about surplus oil supplies were fuelled by data showing output in Russia hit a post-Soviet-era high in 2014 and exports from OPEC`s second largest producer, Iraq, were the highest since 1980. Jitters over political uncertainty in Greece drove investors out of risk assets globally to safe-haven bonds.

Shares of Refinery, Realty, Auto, Capital Goods and Power declined sharply on heavy selling pressure.

The S&P BSE benchmark sensex resumed lower a 27,694.23 and dropped further to 27,330.47 before quoting at 27,376.67 at 1000hrs, showing a loss of 465.65 points or 1.67 percent from its last close.

The CNX 50-share Nifty also fell by 140.65 points of 1.68 percent to 8,237.75 at 1000hrs.

Major losers were Tata Motors (3.42 pct), ONGC (2.90 pct), SSLT (2.57 pct), BHEL (2.54 pct), Tata Steel (2.51 pct), Hindalco (2.39 pct) and Wipro (2.29 pct).

Asian markets were trading sharply lower after stocks on Wall Street declined overnight following the relentless fall in oil prices. Key indices in China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea were off 0.59 pct to 2.65 pct.

US stocks fell sharply yesterday with the S&P 500 extending losses into a fourth session, as energy companies reacted following the fall of oil price to its lowest since April 2009.

Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors bought shares worth a net Rs 472 crore yesterday as per provisional data.

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Thousands of Indians have fled from their homes as fighting with Pakistan

Srinagar :  Thousands of Indians have fled from their homes as fighting with Pakistan spread along the 200-km (124 mile) stretch of the border in Kashmir.

At least 10 Indian and Pakistani soldiers and civilians have been killed in fighting over the past week. Two soldiers from the Border Security Force (BSF) have been killed in the last week.

About 6,000 civilians in Kashmir fled from their homes late on Monday as fighting moved to civilian areas, said Shantmanu, the divisional commissioner of Jammu region. About 4,000 left after fighting began last week.

"We had a narrow escape and there is a war-like situation," said Sham Kumar, 54, from Sherpur village. "Pakistani troops are using long-range weapons. It is the first time we have seen such intense shelling." Kumar said he left his village after a shell landed in a school about 3.5 km (2 miles) from the border.

The violence comes days before US Secretary of State John Kerry is due to visit India. President Barack Obama is also due to visit India later this month as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations. 

Last week, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar warned that India would retaliate with double the force if Pakistan violates the ceasefire, which was agreed upon in 2003.

In August, India called off talks with Pakistan after Islamabad insisted on consulting Kashmiri separatists ahead of the dialogue.
 In October, nearly 20 civilians were killed in both countries as cross-border violence escalated to its worst in over a decade.

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Aus vs Ind, 4th Test

The series is out of bounds but Indian cricket is all set to enter a new era under the feisty Virat Kohli, whose leadership would be put through a trial by fire when the visitors seek redemption in the fourth and final cricket Test against Australia starting on 6 January.

Down 0-2 in the series, India have already lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the third Test in Melbourne ended in a draw. Besides, India were dealt quite a shock when skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose to quit Test cricket altogether.

Virat Kohli, India's newest full-time Test captain. AP

This led to Kohli's elevation as captain and it would be interesting to see how the outspoken and flamboyant batsman, who has scored three hundreds in the series so far, handles the pressure of leading the side and salvage some pride in the series.

As such this is India's sixth consecutive Test series loss playing overseas, a run that stretches back to the England tour in 2011.

It is only the second time in their long history that India have suffered such embarrassment —the first stretching from their debut Test in England in 1932 to their maiden tour of West Indies in 1955. However, when the first ball is bowled in Sydney, future and not history will be on the visitors' mind.

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Dancing With the Stars 2011 Winner : Kirstie Alley’s final performances (Video)

Dancing With the Stars 2011 Winner : Kirstie Alley’s final performances (Video)

The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver had fans cheering and black-and-gold towels waving as he samba-ed his way to a victory as the season 12 winner of "Dancing with the Stars" ahead of fellow finalists Kirstie Alley and Chelsea Kane.
"Starting this competition, I never thought I'd make it to the finals," the always-humble NFL player said upon being named winner. "I owe it all to Kym, who's the most amazing teacher."
Ward, who originally performed the high-energy samba during "personal story" week, dedicated his dance to his mother, who sat front-row in the audience during the finale dances.
"Mr. Irresistible" ran up to give his proud mom a peck on the cheek, which she brushed away, to the glee of the football star and the crowd.
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"Hines, in all honestly, you're the MVP of 'Dancing with the Stars,'" judge Carrie Ann gushed. "You're nothing but consistency and focus ... you really dance with heart."
Outspoken Bruno appeared equally smitten by Ward's charms on the dance floor.
"You're a killer when you play your sport, and a charming dazzler on the dance floor," he said earnestly. "We all fall in love."
Ward and Johnson, who wowed the judges consistently throughout the season with their infectious energy and noticeable chemistry, were favorites going into the finals, though they faced stiff competition from Alley and Kane.
"Kirstie, you're like a phoenix," Bruno said of the actress' physical and technical transformation throughout the season. "You cheating girl, you saved the best for last!"
Even the usually stoic Len admitted that runner-up Kirstie had "overcome setbacks, improved weaknesses" and ultimately "produced [her] best dance yet."
Disney star Kane, who took home third place, was visibly upset by her early ouster, but the judges remained big fans of the bubbly actress.
"A lot of people may not have known who you are," Carrie Ann began, "but performances like this are why everyone will know who you are now. You're a very talented, artistic, beautiful, graceful woman."

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Gabriella Pasqualotto Mumbai Cheerleader girl blog

South African cheerleader, IPL Mumbai team, Gabriella Pasqualotto was posting secretly blogging about the fun and flirting that take in post match parties. Pasqualotto had written that some players and celebrity sponsors treat grils like “like pieces of meat”.

In her blog, she claimed that the Aussies were “naughty”, one of them playing “kissing catches” with some of the girls despite his girlfriend waiting at home for him, while “Ol’ Graeme Smith will flirt with anything while his girlfriend walks behind him”.

“Usually only after day matches there is an exclusive after party and at night is when it all happens. The music pumps, the drinks flow and the cricketers come and go. We mingle and associate with important people of the IPL wearing their finest and sexiest, sponsors of all sorts, media and fashion shows, even Indian MTV! But the real fun happens in the VIP rooms where the players and night owls can cause scandal! The few Indian players we have met, such as MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have been very polite and keep to themselves in the dark corners. Hotshots like Tendulkar with families at home are never present. The likes of Jonty Rhodes and Albie Morkel are notorious for having a good time with friends!

In her blog has also written that Gabriella Pasqualott: MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have been very polite and keep to themselves in the dark corners. Hotshots like Tendulkar with families at home are never present. The likes of Jonty Rhodes and Albie Morkel are notorious for having a good time with friends!

BEFORE departing for India, I had friends and family passing on travel tips, advice and personal experiences. Some of it good, and some of it worrying. As this was my first trip overseas, I needed to take it all in. But with any challenge in life, I like to have an open heart, clear head and positive attitude. This was not just a holiday abroad, this was a job and nobody could prepare me to become a cricket-loving, cheerleading, IPL girl but me!

Already three weeks have passed and in that time I cannot believe how a group of normal girls can become instant celebrities! Each team of ten girls has a manager and we all receive strict instructions from them about safety, behaviour and reputation, as it seems girls from previous years did not heed the rule book!

For example, if people ask why we are in their country, we have to say that we are friends on holiday. The majority of Indians are cricket crazy, glued to their televisions, reading the papers, supporting their teams. So as the tournament kicked off, it became pretty obvious we were not telling the truth!

On our days off, we are free to explore and take in what India has to offer but its not always easy. You can just imagine, a group of fit, easy on the eye, western ladies cruising the congested busy streets…

To the citizens, we are practically like walking porn! All eyes are on you all the time; it is complete voyeurism. The women double take, see you and then pretend you do not exist. The men see your face, then your boobs, your butt, and then your boobs again! As we walk, all you hear is “IPL, IPL!” with a little head jingle!

Usually only after day matches there is an exclusive after party and at night is when it all happens. The music pumps, the drinks flow and the cricketers come and go. We mingle and associate with important people of the IPL wearing their finest and sexiest, sponsors of all sorts, media and fashion shows, even Indian MTV! But the real fun
happens in the VIP rooms where the players and night owls can cause scandal! The few Indian players we have met, such as MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have been very polite and keep to themselves in the dark corners. Hotshots like Tendulkar with families at home are never present. The likes of Jonty Rhodes and Albie Morkel are notorious for having a good time with friends!

‘Ol Graeme Smith will flirt with anything while his girlfriend lurks behind him. The Aussies are fun but naughty, such as Aiden Blizzard and Dan Christian. By the end of a crazy evening, a certain someone had played kissing catchers with three girls known to me only, although he has his own girlfriend back home. He cooed to each girl, “Come home with me, I just want to cuddle!’

I have come to realise that cricketers are the most loose and mischievious sportsmen I have come across. Makes me wonder if I should worry about them more then the commoners on the street! I still have a long while here, so I shall keep my tip list in mind.

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Mississippi River Reaches Record High

There's a reason they call it the "Mighty" Mississippi: As heavy rains pound the river's basin and drive water levels above their record heights, the mayor of Memphis has warned city residents to prepare for a possible "large-scale disaster." Officials have begun building sandbag buffers around the city and raised levees where water levels have climbed to dangerous heights. Thousands have evacuated the city, leaving their homes behind to live in tents and campers at higher grounds. One woman showed CBS News correspondent Mark Strassman photos of her submerged home north of Memphis. "What's next? We've never had anything like this. We've lost crops to the water. We've never lost a house," she said. Things haven't been worse since the Mississippi flood in 1927, the most destructive in U.S. history, after which engineers built a system of levees and reservoirs that protect some four million people today. But that system is certainly being tested. The river is expected to crest next Wednesday at 48 feet.

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Mississippi State sweeps Vols, wins 5-2

In all, the Volunteers were 1-for-17 with runners on base and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position on Sunday. They will return to the diamond at 7 p.m. on Tuesday to host the opener of a home-and-home midweek series against Middle Tennessee State. UT will travel to Murfreesboro on Wednesday.

“Our kids played hard,” UT Head Coach Todd Raleigh said. “As a coach, that’s all you can ask for. I thought we put ourselves in a position to win. I’m proud of the way they played. I thought we were ready. We just needed that one hit to clear the bases. (Mississippi State) made a great play with two outs in the sixth, but we have to overcome that. We just try to keep teaching and helping them learn the game as much as we possibly can. It’s not like they aren’t trying. They are playing hard. You saw (Khayyan) diving all over the field and our pitchers were battling out there. We never gave up. We had a chance even at the end with the tying run (at the plate) in the ninth.”

Senior Khayyan Norfork and junior Davis Morgan each had a pair of hits for the Big Orange, while senior Matt Duffy added his 11th double of the season. Senior Rob Catapano (2-5) suffered the loss for the Vols after battling through 4.2 innings in which he allowed three runs on four hits and five walks. Chris Stratton (5-5) picked up the win for the Bulldogs, striking out nine and yielding two runs on six hits in 5.2 frames of work. Caleb Reed recorded his ninth save with 3.1 scoreless innings and five strikeouts out of the bullpen.

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No. 7 Georgia powers past Mississippi State

Seventh-ranked Georgia hit four, two-out home runs en route to defeating Mississippi State, 10-2, in five innings on Sunday afternoon in front of a Jack Turner Stadium crowd of 1,311.

JJunior Brittney Hubbard (3-for-3) provided Georgia (44-10, 17-9 Southeastern Conference) with two of the four home runs, a solo shot in the second and two-run blast in the third. Two batters before Hubbard’s two-run homer, junior Ashley Razey drilled a three-run homer. The fourth home run of the game for UGA was also of the two-run variety off of the bat of senior Brianna Hesson (2-for-3) in the fourth. All four home runs were to left field and all four came with two outs.

Sunday’s win over Mississippi State (24-31, 10-18 SEC) provided Georgia with the series victory two games to one. MSU won the opener on Friday 8-6, but UGA took game two on Saturday, 4-3, before winning the finale.

The series with MSU also concluded regular season SEC play for UGA, who clinched the No. 5 seed in the SEC Tournament set for May 12-14 in Oxford, Miss. Georgia’s first game in the league tournament will come against fourth-seeded LSU on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET.

In Sunday’s victory, Hubbard’s solo home run in the second gave UGA a 1-0 lead. However, in the top of the third, Mississippi State’s Briana Bell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game at 1-1.

Georgia quickly rebounded with five runs in the third to regain the lead at 6-1. With senior Megan Wiggins and Hesson aboard on a walk and a single, respectively, Razey clubbed her 11th home run of the season. Two batters later after junior Kristyn Sandberg was hit by a pitch, Hubbard’s two-run blast went out over the scoreboard in left and ended the game for MSU starter Stephanie Becker, who took the loss to fall to 7-10. For Hubbard, the two home runs were her fifth and sixth of the year.

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Karnataka 2nd PUC results 2011 & SSLC Results will be Out in 2nd Week of May

Karnataka 2nd PUC results 2011 & SSLC results will be out by May 15 2011. 6.24 lakh were appeared for pre-university exams this year.

Minister of Primary and secondary education – Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri told on Saturday that the specific dates for Karnataka PUC results have not been confirmed yet, but results will come in middle of May month. Valuation of all answer scripts has been completed on April 29, 2011 so PUC results 2011 will be available soon.
SSLC Evaluation of first language papers has also got over by May 2, 2011.

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Energy's CEO Discusses Q1 2011 Results

Thank you very much, Thea. Good morning, everyone. This is Marianne Paulsen, Director of Investor Relations for CenterPoint Energy. I'd like to welcome you to our first quarter 2011 earnings conference call. Thank you for joining us today. David McClanahan, President and CEO; and Gary Whitlock, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will discuss our first quarter 2011 results and will also provide highlights of the key activities. In addition to Mr. McClanahan and Mr. Whitlock, we have other members of management with us who may assist in answering questions following their prepared remarks. Our earnings press release and Form 10-Q filed earlier today are posted on our website, which is www.centerpointenergy.com, under the Investors Section.

I would like to remind you that any projections or forward-looking statements made during this call are subject to the cautionary statements on forward-looking information in the company's filings with the SEC. Before Mr. McClanahan begins, I would like to mention that a replay of this call will be available until 6:00 p.m. Central Time to Thursday, May 12, 2011. To access the replay, please call 1 (800) 642-1687 or (706) 645-9291 and enter the conference ID number 52480366. You can also listen to an online replay of the call through the website that I just mentioned. We will archive the call on CenterPoint Energy's website for at least one year. And with that, I will now turn the call over to David McClanahan.

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Merhaba Genç Kalmak İsteyen Arkadaşla

Bu gün sizlerle nasıl genç kalınacağı ve yaşlanmayı gecirtirmeye yarayan bir yazımı sunacağım. Bunları deneyenlerin görüşlerini aldım ve kendilerini genç hissettiklerini belirtiyorlar…

Cilt yaşlanmasında etkili bir elaman olan güneş ışınları, beslenme alışkanlıkları, derinin dış fiziksel ve kimyasal uyarılara fazla maruz kalması, sigara kullanımı, fazla alkol tüketiminin yaşlanmayı ve beraberinde gelişen yaşlılık belirtilerini artırabildiği, bu etkilerden kaçınılmasının yaşlanmayı yavaşlatacağı uzmanlar tarafından tavsiye ediliyor.

Amerikan Hastanesi Dermatoloji Bölümü’nden Dr. Buket Pençe, “En büyük organ olan deri de diğer organlarla birlikte 20 yaşından itibaren yaşlanmaya başlar” diye söylüyorlar.

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Japan's Akira Kurosawa has influenced other moviemakers for decades

How do you know when you have stumbled into a dangerous part of town? A few broken windows? Stares from unfriendly locals, perhaps? How about seeing a dog carrying a severed human hand? That was the way the Japanese auteur, Akira Kurosawa, chose to warn us that his protagonist was entering a lawless and violent place in the opening minutes of Yojimbo (Bodyguard).

The black-and-white classic, which turned 50 last week, sees a ronin (masterless samurai, played to perfection by the Kurosawa regular Toshiro Mifune) offering his services to two rival crime bosses in the feudal village. Rather than fulfilling his role as faithful servant, however, he becomes "the bodyguard who kills the bodies he's hired to guard," as the renowned film critic Pauline Kael once put it.

Constantly twitching and chewing on a toothpick, the roving sword-for-hire clearly enjoys dispatching his foes and accomplishes his aim with overwhelming zeal. Before long, he brings the whole rotten edifice crashing to the ground with his wily double-crossings.

While pets snacking on their masters' appendages and samurai sword fights aplenty might suggest the film would be best reserved for fans of gore, most of Yojimbo's violence actually happens off-screen and the movie is intended as a black comedy.

Although not as revolutionary as Kurosawa's breakout movie, 1950's Rashomon, and not as widely loved as the sweeping 1954 film, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo saw the director at his genre-bending finest and provided a story that would continue to resonate in international cinema for decades.

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Keanu Reeves Akira Role - Vince Vaughn for Lay the Favorite?

Movie notes - Will Keanu Reeves take on Akira? Obsesses with Film reveals the actor is reportedly mulling over the role and add that "for the film adaptation of Akira, the setting has changed from the futuristic Neo-Tokyo to a ‘rebuilt’ New Manhatten with the idea of Hollywoodising and watering down the themes and turning it into a PG-13 rated fare aimed at American audiences
See more on the big budget film and the attempts to land Reeves here.

More film role notes...Vince Vaughn is reportedly in talks to join the cast of new movie Lay the Favorite.
According to Variety, the new independent film is being directed by Stephen Frears and stars already lined up to appear in the flick include Rebecca Hall and Bruce Willis
The film is based on the life of professional gambler Beth Raymer and how she started out as a cocktail waitress in Las Vegas but ended up becoming one of the world's best gamblers.

But after falling in love she then starts to re-evaluate her life and re-think the profession she's chosen.

Randall Emmett will be producing along with Anthony Bregman, D.V. DeVincentis and Paul Trijbits and Peter Gethers will executive produce.

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Change your KLM frequent flyer card for a Lufthansa one

A very smart marketing idea from Lufthansa: If you are a KLM frequent flyer you can get a Lufthansa frequent flyer card at the same level in their Miles & More program. Or actually you can get an even better deal, because both KLM Gold and Platinum card holders are eligible for a Lufthansa Senator card. And you will keep your status until February 2013!

The only thing you need to do is book one return flight on Lufthansa or one its European partners, fill out a form and upload a copy of your KLM Flying Blue card.

Despite flying way too much I was downgraded from Platinum to Gold in the KLM program last year. KLM is incredibly stingy with their miles, only for full fare trips you get normal points. And of course I always try to avoid full fare flights, I prefer non-changeable non-reroutable economy or economy plus fares and then upgrade myself with points to business class (I still have over 800,000 frequent flyer miles that I can use).

So I might consider taking Lufthansa’s offer. On the other hand, I already have frequent flyer cards from 2 other Star Alliance members (Singapore Airlines and United Airlines). And for the United one I am just one or two flights away from their Premier Executive status, so the Lufthansa card doesn’t add much value for me.

But if you are a KLM Flying Blue member without a Star Alliance card you should certainly consider this offer. It’s really smart marketing and I think it might convince a lot of frequent flyers to change from KLM-Air France to Lufthansa and its Star Alliance partners. If I would be KLM I would immediately offer all Miles & More flyers the same benefits. Smart marketing Lufthansa!

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Tamil Nadu State Board (HSC) 12th result out

9% rise in overall pass percentage

PUDUCHERRY: The pass percentage in the plus two public examination held in March this year in Puducherry and Karaikkal is 83.54.

This was higher by about 9% compared to 74.63 percentage last year, Director of School Education G Panneerselvam told reporters releasing the results.

He said out of 11,428 candidates appeared for the examination in the two regions, 9547 students have emerged successful.

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Muslims, Christians Clash In Cairo, Egypt After Mob Burns Church

Hundreds of Christians and Muslims hurled stones at each other in downtown Cairo on Sunday, hours after Muslim mobs set fire to a church and a Christian-owned apartment building in a frenzy of violence that killed 12 people and injured more than 200.

The deepening religious violence in military-ruled Egypt is exacerbating the lawlessness and disorder of the country's bumpy transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under former President Hosni Mubarak was brought to an end in February.

Muslim youths attacked a large crowd of Coptic Christian protesters marching from the headquarters of Egypt's general prosecutor to the state television building overlooking the Nile, said Christian activist Bishoy Tamri. TV images showed both sides furiously throwing stones, including one Christian who held a large wooden cross in one hand while flinging rocks with another.

Scores were injured, but an army unit securing the TV building did nothing to stop the violence, Tamri said.

Hours earlier, mobs of ultraconservative Muslims attacked the Virgin Mary Church in the slum of Imbaba on the opposite side of the Nile. The attack was fueled by rumors that a Christian woman married to a Muslim man had been abducted by the church. Residents said a separate mob of youths armed with knives and machetes attacked an apartment building several blocks away with firebombs.

"People were scared to come near them," said resident Adel Mohammed, 29, who lives near the Virgin Mary Church. "They looked scary. They threw their firebombs at the church and set parts of it ablaze."

The military deployed armored vehicles and dozens of troop carriers to cordon off a main street leading to the area. They halted traffic and turned away pedestrians. Men, women and children watching from balconies took photos with mobile phones and cheered the troops.

Islamic clerics denounced the violence, sounding alarm bells at the escalating tension during the transitional period following Mubarak's Feb. 11 ouster by a popular uprising.

"These events do not benefit either Muslim or Copts," Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the sheik of al-Azhar, told the daily Al-Ahram.

Interfaith relationships are taboo in Egypt, where the Muslim majority and sizable Christian minority are both largely conservative. Such relationships are often the source of deadly clashes between the faiths.

During the 18-day uprising that ousted Mubarak, there was a rare spirit of brotherhood between Muslims and Christians. Each group protected the other during prayer sessions in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the revolution.

But in the months that followed, there has been a sharp rise in sectarian tensions, fueled in part by a movement of ultraconservative Muslims known as Salafis who have become more active in Egypt.

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Man Sentenced To Life In Prison After Fourth Marijuana Conviction

A single such conviction on the north shore landed the 35-year-old in prison for the rest of his life.

State Judge Raymond S. Childress punished Hood under Louisiana's repeat-offender law in his courtroom in Covington on Thursday. A jury on Feb. 15 found the defendant guilty of attempting to possess and distribute marijuana at his Slidell home, court records show.

Hood moved from eastern New Orleans to the Slidell area after he admitted to separate charges of distribution of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana on Dec. 18, 2009, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. He received a suspended five-year prison sentence and five years' of probation for each -- which was precisely the same penalty he got in that court after pleading guilty to possessing and intending to distribute marijuana on Feb. 22, 2005.

When Hood switched homes, he also requested a new probation officer based in St. Tammany. Authorities granted the wish, and the officer, Dustin Munlin, drove to Hood's place for a routine visit on Sept. 27, 2010.

Munlin found nearly two pounds of pot throughout the house, according to court records. He alerted Sheriff's Office deputies. They arrested Hood, who apparently shared the King's Point house with his mother and young son.

Prosecutors later charged him with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

At Hood's one-day trial, the evidence presented by the prosecution included a digital scale and about a dozen bags that had contained marijuana before being seized from the house, testimony showed. Deputies also found $1,600 in cash and a student-loan application with Hood's name on it inside of a night stand.

Jurors deliberated for less than two hours and convicted Hood of a reduced charge, which usually carries no more than 15 years' imprisonment. Assistant District Attorney Nick Noriea Jr. then used Hood's past convictions on Thursday to argue that he was a career criminal worthy of a severe punishment.

Drug offenders in the state are subject to life imprisonment after being convicted three or more times of a crime that carries a sentence exceeding 10 years.

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