Afzal Guru: Delhi parliament attack plotter hanged

Officials said Mohammed Afzal Guru, who had been on death row since 2002, was executed at Tihar jail near Delhi. Afzal Guru had always denied plotting the attack, which left 14 dead. India has stepped up security and announced a curfew in Indian-administered Kashmir, where news of the execution was expected to spark unrest. Executions are very rare in India - Afzal Guru's was only the second since 2004, after Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the sole surviving attacker from the 2008 Mumbai attack was executed in November. "This is only about the law taking its course," Home Secretary RK Singh said. Pakistan-backed attack? Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in towns and cities across Indian-administered Kashmir to try to contain any unrest sparked by the execution. Claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, Kashmir has been a flashpoint for more than 60 years and two wars have been fought over it. The December 2001 attack was one of the most controversial incidents in recent Indian history, correspondents say.

Five rebels stormed India's parliament in Delhi on 13 December 2001, killing a gardener and eight policemen before they were shot dead by security forces. India blamed the attack on the Jaish-e-Mohammed militant group, which it said was backed by Pakistan. Pakistan denied involvement in the attack but relations between the two countries nosedived as their armies massed about a million troops along the border. Afzal Guru, a former fruit seller, was one of two men sentenced to death for helping to plan the attack, although the sentence of Shaukat Hussain was later reduced on appeal to 10 years in jail. Guru was found guilty of arranging weapons for the attackers and of membership of Jaish-e-Mohammed, both of which he denied. Two other people accused in the case, SAR Geelani and Afsan Guru, were acquitted due to a lack of evidence. Afzal Guru's appeal was first refused by the Supreme Court and then the president. From:bbc.co.uk

New Year Celebration By Beer Festival 2012

Wish all of you happy new year 2012 to get online new year sms and scrape.Beer festtival week start on 1st jan 2012 to 10th jan 2012.

Get more Srape for new year 2012. A Beer Festival is an organised event during which a variety of beers (and often other alcoholic drinks) are available for tasting and purchase. Beer festivals are held in a number of countries. A Beer Exhibition is usually synonymous with a Beer Festival but, whilst a beer festival may involve a limited range of beer styles or manufacturers, with an emphasis on entertainment, use of the term "beer exhibition" places emphasis on sampling or tasting a wide range of beers, usually craft-brewed in a variety of different styles by various brewers.
There may be a theme; for instance beers from a particular area, or a particular brewing style such as winter ales. Beerex is a commonly used portmanteau word coined in 1977 as an abbreviated form of Beer Exhibition. Source : wikipedia

Virender Sehwag's record knock hailed by cricket fraternity

NEW DELHI: The cricket fraternity hailed Virender Sehwag for becoming the highest scorer in the history of one-day cricket with a phenomenal 219, describing the feat as an "incredible" achievement and good omen ahead of the Australian tour later this month.

Virender sehwag PROFILE
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The big-hitting Indian opener in the process surpassed teammate Sachin Tendulkar's 147-ball 200 not out he had scored against South Africa on February 24 last year in Gwalior.
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Sehwag, who achieved the feat in the fourth ODI against the West Indies at Indore on Thursday, was eventually out after facing 140 balls and hitting 25 fours and seven sixes at the packed Holkar Stadium.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly led the tributes, saying the feat was expected given his positive attitude.

"The double hundred will be a big morale booster for him with the tough Australian tour lined up. You will find the bowling attack, conditions different Down Under. This double ton will give him a big confidence for sure ahead of the Australia tour.

"This is a great achievement and I congratulate Sehwag for the amazing feat. He has captained the Indian side on and off for a short while and I believe he could make up as a good captain. He is a gambler, a player who loves to take risks. If he keeps getting opportunity as a captain, he will come up with many such milestones," said Ganguly.

Chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth described Sehwag as one of the greatest players he has ever seen and termed the feat as 'incredible'.

"I am very happy for Sehwag. He is one of the greatest players I have ever seen. He missed his double century (175) during the World Cup game against Bangladesh at Mirpur. But today he has achieved the feat which I would like to describe as incredible," said Srikkanth.

Srikkanth felt it was important for Sehwag to hit peak form before the Australia series.

"He is an amazing player and it's very important that Sehwag touches the peak form by the time India leave for Australia.

"The greatest thing about Sehwag is that he is an honest person. He was blaming the openers for not getting enough runs on the board during this ongoing series. The top-order included himself also and he did not mince word before criticising himself. So he is a very straight-forward kind of a person," added the chief selector.

Asked who he thought would have crossed the 200-mark barrier in ODIs, Srikkanth promptly replied, "West Indian great Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag. These are the guys capable of reaching the milestone."

Srikkanth said that Sehwag has matured as a player and his coming back to form is a good sign for Indian cricket.

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir said he always believed in Sehwag's attacking mindset.

"I have always remained a great fan of Sachin Tendulkar and when he scored the double hundred against South Africa, one name that crossed my mind was Sehwag. In my view, other player who could have scored double ton was Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya because he also plays an attacking brand of cricket.

"Both Sehwag and Jayasuriya have the talent and ability to score a double hundred and can only touch the mark. I would like to extend my congratulations to all Indians for Sehwag scoring a double hundred," said Qadir.

AN Sharma, Sehwag's childhood coach, said the feat was long overdue and it was satisfying watching his student score a double ton.

"It was long overdue. I always used to tell him whenever he stepped on the field that this time you have to score a double hundred. It was very satisfying finally watching Viru score 200 runs with such strokeful display. He has always played attacking game and that helped him achieve the milestone.

"I hope Viru will be back to his usual self after this inning. My congratulation to him," said Sharma.

Former Indian cricketer Abbas Ali Baig said, "Once Sehwag gets going, it's very difficult to stop him. I am delighted and congratulations to him."

Meanwhile, the batsman was flooded with congratulatory messages in the virtual world.

"I say it again! I never saw sir Viv (Vivian Richards) bat but I have seen Sehwag bat! What a player... 219 in a one day game is next to impossible!" Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh wrote on his Twitter page.

Teammate and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan wrote on Sehwag's twitter page, "Cheers! congratulations!! way to go buddy!"

West Indies' explosive opener Chris Gayle wrote, "Well, I did watch some of that innings by Viru.... Brilliant striking!! Congrats on ur 219.. That's child abuse! The Mask would say, Smoking!"

England cricketer Kevin Pietersen also lavished praise on Sehwag, calling him a genius.

"If you are a cricket fan, pls switch your tv's on right now & watch a genius bat.. Sehwag destroying the WI.. World record coming.." Pietersen wrote on his Twitter page.

India players Dinesh Karthik and Murali Vijay too were in awe of Sehwag.

"It's a great effort. Once he got a triple hundred (in Tests) it was just a matter of time for him to bring up this one. I am a big fan of him. The fact that he can even dispatch good balls to boundaries makes him so different," Karthik said.

Vijay said, "I was just watching it. I am so happy for him. It's unbelievable. He is such a great batsman. He batted like himself."

Former chief selector, Kiran More described Sehwag as one of the greatest cricketer India had ever produced.

"One of the greatest cricketer India ever had. He is one of the biggest destroyers of spin bowling. Be it Test, one-day or T20, he bats with equal flair. If you see the records, Indian Test cricket have improved tremendously in last 10 years and Viru is a key factor.

"The results are showing. He will be a vital cog in the Indian wheel in their upcoming tour Down Under. He has done well in difficult conditions and on various types of pitches. We can't compare Sachin with Sehwag. When he came, he tried to copy Sachin. But Sehwag has played very freely since then," More said.

Former Test player Deep Gupta said: "Only I am not surprised. It was coming I knew. Great achievement. He deserves every bit of it. Vintage Sehwag. That's the diff between a great player and a good player. Suddenly come to form."

Former national selectors Sambaran Banerjee and Pranab Roy also heaped praise http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifon Sehwag.

"Virender Sehwag always steals the show when he plays. He is an extraordinary talent. In today's innings he showed exceptional commitment, the way he was diving to save run-outs, says a lot. He was not in his casual self. Sehwag is simply terrific," Banerjee said.

Roy said: "Sehwag's batsmanship is all about taking risk but with perfection. He takes a lot of risks but he balances with amazing perfection, that's unbelievable. He is definitely one of the greatest batsmen. Whenever he gets going, India wins a match.

"This knock will definitely give Mahendra Singh Dhoni and co a huge confidence ahead of the crucial Australia tour. I don't want to compare him with Sachin Tendulkar. If you have respect for both then don't compare."

Indian tennis players Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza were effusive in congratulating Sehwag.

"Holy cow is all I am gonna say about that innings. Amazing stuff by Viru. As Johnny Mac would say "you can't be serious," said Bhupathi.

"What an achievement. What a player. Hats off to Sehwag," said Mirza.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar said, "Congrats Viru for that incredible 219 which was an epic inning! What timing and energy, indeed SehWhacked. Respect."

Indian Premier League CEO Sundar Raman said, "If one did not see Viru's innings could easily mistake the scorecard for a game of book cricket!"
FROM - timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Prince William marriage: World joins in British royal wedding celebrations

LONDON: They wore Kate and William face masks in Hong Kong, donned plastic tiaras and wedding dresses in Sydney and knocked back jugs of Pimm's and roast beef served on red, white and blue plates in Paris.

As thousands packed the streets of London to celebrate the wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, millions more around the world joined in the fun.
Royal-themed parties were held from Beijing to New York, while up to 2 billion people worldwide were expected to watch the wedding on television, the British government estimated.

In Australia, a Queen Elizabeth look-a-like greeted crowds glued to a large outdoor screen in Sydney and a Melbourne hotel offered "wedding guests" traditional British food and drink, such as Yorkshire pudding, gin and tonic and Pimm's, a fruity alcoholic drink.

Sydney's gays and lesbians held a same-sex royal wedding party, with guests enjoying slices of a giant wedding cake baked by Gaycakes and a gift bag containing a booklet on same-sex marriages.

In the former British colony of Hong Kong, which switched from British to Chinese rule in 1997, pubs and bars were decked out in Union Jack flags as live footage of the celebrations were beamed to champagne-sipping party-goers.
"It's bigger than the World Cup final," said Edward Stockreisser, a British expatriate watching the wedding with his fiancee. "We're in an Irish pub in Hong Kong and everyone's watching the TV...people really care about them."

In a shopping mall on Kowloon, on the other side of the harbour, crowds of locals wore red, white and blue hats and waved flags. Some wore William and Kate masks.

BREAKFAST IN NEW YORK

Royal wedding fans braved an early morning in New York to mark the big day with street celebrations and to watch three couples tie the knot in Times Square. Cable TV station TLC sought to boost ratings by organising the weddings on a stage erected above the busy intersection in Manhattan.

"It's amazing it's the same day, it feels a little bit for them," said groom Hector Abreu, 27. "No, it's for us," butted in his future bride Candice Chapman.

About 200 people gathered in Manhattan's Greenwich Village to watch the wedding on TV and to munch on a British breakfast in a restaurant bedecked in Union Jack flags.

In Beijing, many expatriate Britons gathered at private houses to watch the ceremony on TV, while a lucky few were invited to a garden party at the British ambassador's house.

In cosmopolitan and wealthy Shanghai, the Langham Xintiandi hotel was hosting a gala charity dinner with British dishes.

"The dessert will be a chocolate biscuit cake similar to what Prince William himself has requested for his wedding cake," the hotel's communications officer, Taylor Chen, told Reuters.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak was among 1,000 guests at the UK embassy in Tel Aviv who enjoyed ale and strawberries.

In the garden of the British embassy in Dubai, around 1,200 people sat under sunshades and trees decorated with Union Jacks, watching the wedding on two large screens. They wore straw hats to protect themselves from the scorching sun and tucked into baked potatoes.

There was music, dancing and a children's tea party in the sunny southern Spanish town of Rojales where British expatriates and locals watched the wedding on giant screens.

"It's a huge celebration, there are about 1,200 people here, 50-50 British and Spanish," said event organiser Linda Sage.

Around 400 guests celebrated at the British Ambassador's residence in Paris, sipping champagne and nibbling on beef and horseradish sauce kebabs and egg sandwiches.

Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott, deputy private secretary to William's father Prince Charles in the 1990s, told Reuters: "If Britain, by having some fun, can spread a bit of happiness around the world then great, and that's what we've done."

Tourists gathered at the Pont de l'Alma bridge in the French capital, an unofficial monument to William's mother Princess Diana since her death in car crash there in 1997.

A large heart-shaped frame of white carnations and roses was left with a note, saying: "Thinking of you on this special day."
from-economictimes.indiatimes

Lara Dutta Got Married With Mahesh Bhupathi

The Bollywood babe Lara Dutta exchanged wedding vows with the Tennis superstar Mahesh Bhupathi in Goa.The star studded wedding vows been held catholic style at Taj Aguada in Goa.Though the couple got married in Bollywood style on 16th of Feb in Mumbai.Both of them were engaged last year itself.

Lara Dutta was wearing a white gown and Mahesh Bhupathi was wearing a black suit.Lara was wearing a diamond necklace which was created by Anmol Jewellers.The media though was not allowed in the wedding ceremony.Its been in news that about 250 guests are being invited in this special wedding ceremony.

Among celebrities Priyanka Chopra,Dia Mirza,Celina Jaitley,Ritesh Deshmukh attended.From the fashion world designers Wendell Rodricks with fashion model Sheetal Malhar attended the marriage.From the Sports world Mahesh Bhupathi's doubles partner Laender Paes was present with his wife Rhea Pillai.
by:allvoices.com

Valentine's Day kissing celebration

Thai couples break world record for kissing

February 14, 2011 17:18 IST
PATTAYA, Thailand — It was one long kiss -- one world-breaking embrace for mankind.

Seven couples locked lips for more than 33 hours to celebrate Valentine's Day in this southern Thai beach resort town in what organizers claim is the longest recorded smooch in history.

The previous record -- 32 hours, 7 minutes and 14 seconds -- was set in 2009 by a couple in Germany, according to Guinness World Records.

Fourteen mostly Thai pairs entered the contest when it kicked off Sunday morning at 6 a.m. local time. By Monday afternoon, half were still smooching away on the white-marble corridor a shopping mall, where tourists gawked and smiled at the spectacle, snapping pictures with glowing mobile phones behind a red rope.

"We didn't think we would find anybody that could break the record," said Somporn Naksuetrong, the manager of Pattaya's Louis Tussaud's Waxworks museum, which organized the competition. That seven couples apparently did so, he said, "is amazing."

The last couple left kissing wins a diamond ring worth 50,000 Thai Baht (US$1,606), and a 100,000 Baht (US$3,213) cash prize.

According to the rules, the lovebirds' lips cannot part at any time. They are allowed to drink water, coffee, milk or juice -- but only through straws while continuing to kiss. They also have to remain embraced during bathroom breaks possible every three hours -- accompanied by contest monitors.

The harshest rule: no sitting or sleeping. One woman participating with her boyfriend fainted just half an hour after it began Sunday.

Despite its reputation for having one of the biggest sex industries in the world, Thailand is still a conservative nation where kissing in public -- even a small peck -- is frowned upon. Participants had to show proof they were either married or truly a couple -- a letter from both parents or a marriage certificate was acceptable.

"We want to show that love is meaningful and powerful," Somporn said.

"It's not easy to stand there and kiss for that long," he said. "They really have to help each other and support each other."

Louis Tussaud's Waxworks -- a Pattaya wax museum, is under the management of Ripley's World of Entertainment. Representatives of Guinness World Records were not immediately available to comment, but Somporn said they were aware of the contest.

The couples who took part were mainly Thai and ranged in age from 21 to 51. There was one German man with a Thai woman, and also a gay couple.

The record for the longest kiss was set by Nikola Matovic and Kristina Reinhart in Germany in February 2009, according to the Guinness Book of Records, whose officials will have to verify the latest milestone for it to become official.
source: ctv calgary

Valentine's Day

Romantic legends

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs, Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I(first) in 496 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI(sixth), but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
The Early Medieval acta of either Saint Valentine were expounded briefly in Legenda Aurea. According to that version, St Valentine was persecuted as a Christian and interrogated by Roman Emperor Claudius II(second) in person. Claudius was impressed by Valentine and had a discussion with him, attempting to get him to convert to Roman paganism in order to save his life. Valentine refused and tried to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. Because of this, he was executed. Before his execution, he is reported to have performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his jailer.

Since Legenda Aurea still provided no connections whatsoever with sentimental love, appropriate lore has been embroidered in modern times to portray Valentine as a priest who refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II(second), allegedly ordering that young men remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army, believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men. When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail.

There is an additional modern embellishment to The Golden Legend, provided by American Greetings to History.com, and widely repeated despite having no historical basis whatsoever. On the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he would have written the first "valentine" card himself, addressed to a young girl variously identified as his beloved, as the jailer's daughter whom he had befriended and healed, or both. It was a note that read "From your Valentine."

Valentine's Day is mentioned ruefully by Ophelia in Hamlet (1600–1601):

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

John Donne used the legend of the marriage of the birds as the starting point for his Epithalamion celebrating the marriage of Elizabeth, daughter of James I of England, and Frederick V, Elector Palatine on Valentine's Day:

Hayle Bishop Valentine whose day this is
All the Ayre is thy Diocese
And all the chirping Queristers
And other birds ar thy parishioners
Thou marryest every yeare
The Lyrick Lark, and the graue whispering Doue,
The Sparrow that neglects his life for loue,
The houshold bird with the redd stomacher
Thou makst the Blackbird speede as soone,
As doth the Goldfinch, or the Halcyon
The Husband Cock lookes out and soone is spedd
And meets his wife, which brings her feather-bed.
This day more cheerfully than ever shine
This day which might inflame thy selfe old Valentine.
—John Donne, Epithalamion Vpon Frederick Count Palatine and the Lady Elizabeth marryed on St. Valentines day

INDIA

In India, in the antiquity, there was a tradition of adoring Kamadev, the lord of love; exemplificated by the erotic carvings in the Khajuraho Group of Monuments and by the writing of the Kamasutra treaty of lovemaking. This tradition was lost around the Middle Ages, when Kamadev was no longer celebrated, and public displays of sexual affections became frowned upon. Around 1992 Valentine's Day started catching in India, with special TV and radio programs, and even love letter competitions. The economic liberation also helped the Valentine card industry.

In modern times, Hindu and Islamic traditionalists consider the holiday to be cultural contamination from the West, result of the globalization in India. Shiv Sena and the Sangh Parivar have asked their followers to shun the holiday and the "public admission of love" because of them being "alien to Indian culture". These protests are organized by political elites, but the protesters themselves are middle-class Hindu men who fear that the globalization will destroy the traditions in his society: arranged marriages, hindu joint families, full-time mothers (see Housewife#India), etc.

Despite these obstacles, valentine's day is becoming increasingly popular in India.

However, leftist and liberal critiques of Valentine's day remain strong in India. Valentine's Day has been strongly criticized from a postcolonial perspective by intellectuals from the Indian left . The holiday is regarded as a front for Western imperialism, neocolonialism, and the exploitation of working classes through commercialism by multinational corporations. Studies have shown that Valentine's day promotes and exacerbates income inequality in India, and aids in the creation of a pseudo-westernized middle class. As a result, the working classes and rural poor become more disconnected socially, politically, and geographically from the hegemonic capitalist power structure. They also criticize mainstream media attacks on Indians opposed to valentine's day as a form of demonization that is designed and derived to further the valentine's day agenda.
By - wikipedia