India adviser:FY11 industrial output to be at FY10 level

July 13 (Reuters) – India’s industrial output in the current fiscal year INIPC=ECI will be similar to last fiscal’s 10.4 percent growth, C. Rangarajan, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, said on Tuesday.

He also said the central bank would need to act if double-digit inflation persists.

“If the inflation level persists at double-digit level for several months together, some action on demand side is needed. So the action on the part of RBI (Reserve Bank of India) is required.”

(Reporting by C.J. Kuncheria; editing by Malini Menon)

India adviser:inflation to be “comfortable” by Dec

July 5 (Reuters) – India headline inflation will ease into a comfortable zone by December, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, said on Monday.

India’s central bank on Friday raised interest rates earlier than expected, ahead of its July 27 policy review, days after the government freed up fuel prices. Analysts expect another 25-basis points hike on July 27, on concerns over inflation hovering above 10 percent.

The central bank projects headline inflation INWPI=ECI, which hit 10.16 percent in May, to fall to 5.5 percent at end-March.

(Reporting by C.J. Kuncheria; editing by Malini Menon)

Fortis makes S$3.2 bln offer for Parkway – Adviser

July 1 (Reuters) – India’s Fortis healthcare (FOHE.BO) along with its founders have made an open offer for all of Parkway Holdings (PARM.SI) for S$3.21 billion (US$2.3 billion), an adviser to the Indian hospital chain said.

RSC Healthcare, 51 percent owned by billionaire Singh brothers and the remainder by Fortis, has made the open offer at S$3.80 a share and has tied up all funds, Sachindra Nath, CEO of Religare, advisor to Fortis Healthcare, told Reuters. ($1=1.398 Singapore Dollar) (Reporting by Sanjeev Choudhary)

PBOC adviser sees yuan rising 3 pct vs dlr in 2010

June 24 (Reuters) – The yuan is likely to rise about 3 percent against the dollar by the end of this year, assuming the euro stays around current levels against the U.S. dollar, Li Daokui, a central bank adviser, said on Thursday.

Li, one of three academic members of the People’s Bank of China monetary policy advisory committee, said the reform of the exchange rate regime announced at the weekend would help tame inflation.

But, in an interview with Reuters, Li said depegging of the yuan would have a limited impact on China’s interest rate decision-making.

Li, an economics professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, also said freeing up the yuan was unlikely to trigger big inflows or outflows of capital.

The PBOC said on Saturday that it would once again let the yuan move more freely after having kept the currency more or less pegged to the dollar for two years to provide stability for exporters during the global downturn.

The yuan CNY=CFXS drifted slightly lower on Thursday to around 6.8141 per dollar, representing a rise of about 0.2 percent since the long-awaited policy shift. [CNY/] (Reporting by Chen Min and Alan Wheatley; Editing by Chris Lewis)

India adviser:wk/wk price moves not to affect fuel reforms

June 16 (Reuters) – Weekly movements in India’s inflation will not have any impact on reforms to free fuel prices, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, told reporters on Wednesday.

A panel of ministers has deferred taking a decision on freeing fuel prices on worries over its impact on prices. (Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; editing by Malini Menon)

Andor Technology plc announces Interim Results

15 June 2010

Andor Technology plc (“Andor”)

Interim Results for the Six Months ended 31 March 2010

Andor Technology plc (AND.L), the leading developer and manufacturer of
high performance digital cameras for academic, industrial and
government applications globally today announces interim results for
the six months ended 31 March 2010.

Financial highlights

. Turnover up 24% to GBP20.0m (H1’09: GBP16.1m)
. Adjusted* operating profit up 85% to GBP3.2m (H1’09:GBP1.7m)
. Adjusted* PBT up 87% to GBP3.3m (H1’09: GBP1.7m)
. Adjusted* EPS up 73% to 9.32 pence (H1’09: 5.39 pence)
. GBP4.0m cash generated from operations
. Record GBP0.5m profit related pay distributed amongst all employees
*Adjusted results are before acquisition costs, amortisation of
acquired intangibles and IFRS2 share based payments

Operational highlights

. Growth in sales in China – up 71%
. Acquisition of Bitplane AG (“Bitplane”)
. Launch of Revolution(R) DSD
. Launch of Ikon-M PV for solar panel market
. Completed transition to IFRS
. sCMOS camera on track for H2 launch

Commenting on the results Conor Walsh, Chief Executive, said:”I am
delighted to report that, for the six months to 31 March 2010,
the employees of Andor have again delivered an exceptional set of
results. The scale of improvement year on year, and the consistency of
performance over the past number of years have been extraordinary.

While Andor is not insulated from the macro-economic environment we
have strengths that help us in difficult times. We are balanced across
the geographic segments and the market sectors that we serve, we have a
clear strategy to deliver growth through investment and innovation and
we are obsessive about our execution.”

For further information, please contact:
Enquiries:-
Andor Technology plc 028 9023 7126
Conor Walsh, Chief Executive Officer

Nominated Adviser & Broker
Arden Partners plc 020 7614 5928
Fred Walsh
Matthew Armitt

Notes to Editors:

Andor Technology plc (www.andor.com) is at the forefront of developing
and manufacturing instruments for the global scientific imaging and
spectroscopy markets. The company’s range of CCD and intensified CCD
camera systems are used throughout the world for academic, industrial
and government research across a wide range of fields such as
biotechnology, physics and chemistry. Using Andor products these
customers can break new ground by performing experiments that were
previously considered impossible. Independently conducted customer
research confirms that Andor’s low light solutions are considered world
beating.

Established in 1989, Andor’s corporate headquarters are in Belfast,
Northern Ireland. Operating in a global market, Andor’s US headquarters
opened in Connecticut in 1997. Andor has regional sales offices in
Europe, the US, Japan and China.

The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market and
commenced dealings in its ordinary shares in December 2004 (AND.L).

Introduction by the Chairman

These interim financial statements are my first as Chairman and the
first results reported by Andor that have been prepared in accordance
with the International Financial Reporting Standard (“IFRS”) as adopted
by the European Union. Previous financial statements were prepared in
accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“UKGAAP”).
Prior to the acquisition of Bitplane, Andor was not obliged to prepare
accounts in accordance with IFRS as we were not required to prepare
consolidated financial statements.

The trading performance of the business has continued to strengthen as
evidenced in the significant increase in both revenue and profit. Under
Conor’s leadership “Team Andor” has delivered another strong
performance during the first half of the year and your Board is pleased
with the results that have been achieved and grateful to all the staff
that have contributed to this performance.

Financial Overview

For the six month period ended 31 March 2010, the conversion from
UKGAAP to IFRS as adopted by the EU increased the operating profit by
GBP89,000. For the same period in the prior year the effect was to
increase operating profit by GBP39,000. The effect of the transition to
IFRS is fully explained in note 13 to these interim financial
statements.

Throughout this document adjusted results are stated after adding back
acquisition costs, amortisation of acquired intangible assets and the
IFRS2 share based payments adjustment. A reconciliation of reported
results to adjusted results, for the six months ended 31 March 2010 and
for the six months ended 31 March 2009, is given in note 14 of these
interim financial statements.

The Board is delighted to welcome to Andor the staff of Bitplane, which
we acquired in late December 2009. In the current results Bitplane has
contributed revenue of GBP1.0m and profit before tax of GBP0.3m. Current
performance remains in line with our expectations.

Turnover grew 24% to GBP20.0m (H1’09: GBP16.1m) and adjusted operating
profit grew 85% to GBP3.2m (H1’09: GBP1.7m). This converted to cash at a
rate of 152% delivering GBP4.0m cash before financing and acquisition
activity. Taken in the context of the first half of last year, which
saw increases of 40% in revenue and 102% in adjusted operating profit,
today’s results are truly outstanding.

EBITDA grew to GBP3.5m from GBP2.1m, an increase of 68% resulting in an
EBITDA margin of 17.5%. Adjusted PBT grew 87% to GBP3.3m from GBP1.7m
and adjusted earnings per share increased by 73% to 9.32 pence from 5.39
pence. We generated GBP4.0m of cash in the period and working capital to
sales is now at an all time low of 10.7%.

Segmental Performance

Rest of World

Revenue to Rest of World grew 6% from GBP8.2m to GBP8.7m. Our strongest
growth was achieved in China where sales grew 71% to GBP1.7m. We
continue to invest in this high growth region and in the period we
restructured our sales organisation to deliver a more targeted
approach. We have also increased our direct sales presence on the
ground as we believe this visible commitment to the region is important
both to Andor and our customers.

In the current period sales of Systems to Rest of World fell slightly
from the heights achieved in the same period last year. This situation
is not uncommon in the introduction of new technology and we are clear
on the actions we need to take to move the technology from early
adopters to more mainstream use. Because of this, revenue from Europe
fell by 3% in the period to GBP7.0m.

European research sales have remained strong. We are also seeing a
significant increase in OEM sales to Europe as a result of our
investment in both product and channel. The iKon-M PV, launched for the
solar cell inspection market, has generated significant interest
amongst new OEM customers.

Japan

Because of its significance as the world’s second largest economy we
report Japan separately from the Rest of World. Revenue here grew by
33% from GBP2.2mto GBP2.9m. Since we opened our second Japanese office,
in Osaka, we have seen increased business with research customers in
both the physical and life sciences. At Andor we believe it is
important to show commitment to your market and your customers and
investing in this way demonstrates that commitment.

US

Revenue from the US grew by 30% to GBP7.4m from GBP5.7m. We have seen
growth in the Systems Division and the OEM business but especially
pleasing is the strong performance achieved by our research sales team
who have worked extremely hard in difficult market conditions to
deliver real growth.

In the US, and across all the regions, we have revisited the
organisational structure to ensure it is capable of delivering the
growth targets we set ourselves for the coming years. In most regions
we have made changes and added resource and are confident the current
structure is fit for the future.

Bitplane

On 23 December 2009 we acquired the entire issued share capital of
Bitplane. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Bitplane is a world leader in
3D and 4D image analysis software for the medical and life sciences
sector. Bitplane is established globally with a strong brand and will
continue to be run as a standalone business, but very much as part of
the Andor family.

The consideration was composed GBP5.6m of cash and 283,851 ordinary
shares in Andor (valued at GBP0.5m) with the potential for further
consideration in the form of cash and shares totalling GBP0.5m under an
earn out provision in the event Bitplane achieves certain EBITDA
targets in the twelve months post acquisition. The acquisition was
funded by a placing in December 2009 of Andor ordinary share which
raised GBP3.0m with the remainder drawn from cash. At the balance sheet
date we had GBP11.0m of cash in hand and net cash (after deducting debt)
of GBP9.0m.

We have appointed an Integration Manager from within the Andor
Leadership Team with responsibility for all aspects of the integration
process and we have already identified a number of ways that Andor and
Bitplane can work together to generate additional returns. We
successfully completed the transition of the Bitplane management
reporting to the Andor standard including the additional requirements
under IFRS. Product training has been completed across both businesses
and we are beginning to see the benefits that the joint Andor/ Bitplane
product offerings bring to the market. In the three months since
acquisition Bitplane contributed revenue of GBP1.0million and operating
profit of GBP0.3 million.

Operational Review

Systems Division

The Systems Division compliments our camera component business by
offering a complete solution to customers. Our existing Revolution(R) XD
system offers ultimate sensitivity and performance for live cell
imaging and growth rates in sales have been exceptional over the past
three years.

There remain significant growth opportunities in this space and we have
continued to invest in expanding our channel to market, taking a
largely direct approach to these large and often complex sales. We have
added to our sales team in the US and in China and we believe these
regions hold significant potential for further growth in this division.

We are also expanding our product offering and in February of this year
we announced the release of our Revolution(R) DSD. This is a white light
spinning disc confocal systems that delivers comparable image quality
to traditional laser-point scanning confocal microscope but at
significantly lower cost. This product will move to production in the
second half of this year and we expect to see an impact in the order
book by year end.

In April 2010 we acquired Photonic Instruments (“Photonic”) in the US
for consideration comprising $5m (GBP3.25m) in cash and the issue of
156,627 ordinary shares. The acquisitions of Bitplane and Photonic also
add significantly to the product offering in the systems division and
enhance our competitive differentiation. We were delighted that our
first joint demonstration incorporating product from the three
businesses was successful and generated a single order worth almost
$700,000.

Scientific Research

Research sales are the bedrock of the Andor business. Historically our
product offering has been at the high end of the performance spectrum
delivering ultimate sensitivity to our research customers in both the
physical and life science markets. Our first objective is to continue
to invest and grow this high end market where we have built our
reputation for innovation, quality and superior customer service.
Largely driven by this core market sales grew 16% in the period to
GBP10.7 million from GBP9.2 million in the same period last year.

In addition, our strategy is to use our experience, technical knowledge
and manufacturing capability to expand our product offering into the
much larger mid range market. We have delivered a number of products
addressed at this space however the most significant is our ground
breaking sCMOS camera. As we said in February, we expect this product
to move to production in the second half of this year and expect sales
to benefit from H1 2011. There has been a high level of interest in
this technology and we have been working on developing additional
indirect channels to support the expected demand for product.

OEM

Growing our OEM business is another key aspect of our strategy. This is
higher volume business to business sales for Andor and leverages the
investment we make in our research market by bringing similar
technology to these instrumentation companies. It also supports our
investment in engineering and manufacturing capability which is another
differentiator for Andor. OEM customers need to know Andor’s
manufacturing capability can keep up with and support their growth over
time. Our facility, opened in 2005, is custom designed for Andor and
has capacity to support our growth plans going forward. We have
invested in automated quality control systems, train our staff in Six
Sigma and embrace the principles of Lean Manufacturing. All of this is
to achieve our ultimate goal of becoming world class.

We have seen growth across all of our regions but especially in the US
where our performance has been particularly strong. We received
follow-on funding of $0.5 million for our design contract that we
announced in April 2009 taking the total order to in excess of $2.6
million for delivery in 2010. The potential remains for this camera to
move to production for the customer and be a significant revenue
contributor from 2011 onwards.

We restructured our sales and engineering teams to better support our
OEM customers and this is delivering real benefit. In Europe we have
also seen real growth, particularly from our new Ikon-M PV product.
This is a dedicated CCD camera designed to deliver market leading speed
and sensitivity for in-line inspection of photovoltaic cells used in
solar panels. We have also gained traction in the Chinese OEM market,
although this is early stage business for Andor.

Outlook

We have again exceeded market expectations. The reason is because we
have outstanding individuals who are focused and dedicated to
delivering innovative, superior products and service to our customers
and whose personal goals are totally aligned with those of the
business. On behalf of the Board I thank them for their efforts.

While Andor is not insulated from the macro-economic environment wehave
strengths that help us in difficult times. We are balanced across
the geographic segments with sales in Rest of World, the US and Japan.
We are equally balanced across the markets that we serve having
successfully grown our OEM and systems business. We have a clear
strategy to deliver growth through investment and innovation. And
finally we are obsessive about our execution. For these reasons the
Board remains confident about the outlook for the full year and beyond.

Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to view
the associated PDF document.

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/6022N_1-2010-6-14.pdf

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

Contacts:
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Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved

Petrogrand AB : PETROGRAND AB: OBSERVATION STATUS REMOVED

With effect from today June 11th 2010 the observation status is removed for the shares
in PETROGRAND AB (publ) (former Malka Oil AB), traded on NASDAQ OMX First North in
Stockholm. NASDAQ OMX Stockholm AB published its decision in a stock market announcement
on June 10th 2010.

The observation status has been in force since early 2009, during a period of major
uncertainty in respect of the financial situation and future business of the company.

As a result of the sale of the company’s production operations in Russia in early 2010,
the company’s financial situation has been stabilized and as a result of the decision to
approve a new business plan at an extraordinary general meeting in the end of April, the
shareholders have given their support for the future business of the company.

These circumstances made the company contact the stock exchange to discuss the
observation status and a process was initiated which led to yesterday’s decision by
NASDAQ OMX.

For further information, please contact:
Maks Grinfeld, MD, tel: +46 768 077 614
Sven-Erik Zachrisson, Chairman of the Board of Directors, tel: +46 8 41 05 45 96

Certified Adviser First North: HQ Bank

Reasonable caution notice: The statement and assumptions made in the company’s
information regarding Petrogrand AB’s (“Petrogrand”) current plans, prognoses,
strategies, concepts and other statements that are not historical facts are estimations
or “forward looking statements” concerning Petrogrand’s future activities. Such future
estimations comprise but are not limited to statements that include words such as “may
occur”, “concerning”, “plans”, “expects”, “estimates”, “believes”, “evaluates”,
“prognosticates” or similar expressions. Such expressions reflect the management of
Petrogrand’s expectations and assumptions made on the basis of information available at
that time. These statements and assumptions are subject to a large number of risks and
uncertainties. These, in their turn, comprise but are not limited to i) changes in the
financial, legal and political environment of the countries in which Petrogrand conducts
business, ii) changes in the available geological information concerning the company’s
projects in operation, iii) Petrogrand’s capacity to continuously guarantee sufficient
financing to perform their activities as a “going concern”, iv) the success of all
participants in the group, or of the various interested companies, joint ventures or
secondary alliances, v) changes in currency exchange rates, in particular those relating
to the RUR/USD rate. Due to the background of the many risks and uncertainties that
exist for any oil-prospecting venture and oil production company in its initial stage,
Petrogrand’s actual future development may significantly deviate from that indicated in
the company’s informative statements. Petrogrand assumes no implicit liability to
immediately update any such future evaluations.

HUG#1423325

Press Release (PDF) http://hugin.info/138739/R/1423325/372242.pdf

TPG top China partner departs to start Asia fund-FT

June 2 (Reuters) – Private equity firm TPG Capital’s [TPG.UL] high-profile partner in China, Weijian Shan, is leaving the firm to launch an Asia-focused investment fund, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Global Markets | Funds News | ETFs News | Private Capital | Financials

TPG is expected to participate in the funding of Shan’s new venture and co-invest in some deals while Shan will remain a senior adviser to the U.S. buyout firm, the newspaper said.

The fund will invest in markets across Asia and may favour a buy-out strategy for deals. Shan declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.

In May, TPG, led by Shan, made sixteen times its money on a six-year investment in a Chinese lender, Shenzhen Development Bank.

Al Qaeda continues to plot from Pakistan: US

Washington, May 27 (IANS) The top White House counterterrorism adviser says President Barack Obama has refocused US efforts on Afghanistan as ‘Al Qaeda continues to plot from the tribal regions along the border with Pakistan and inside of Pakistan.’

‘The President’s strategy is unequivocal with regard to our posture,’ John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism said Wednesday at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank.

‘The United States of America is at war. We are at war against Al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates,’ he said in a preview of Obama’s National Security Strategy being released Thursday.

‘That is why the President is responsibly ending the war in Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11, and why he has refocused our efforts on Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda continues to plot from the tribal regions along the border with Pakistan and inside of Pakistan.’

‘To deny Al Qaeda and its affiliates safe haven, we will take the fight to Al Qaeda and its extremist affiliates wherever they plot and train,’ he said.

‘In Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and beyond, we are not only delivering severe blows against the leadership of al Qaeda and its affiliates, we are helping these governments build their capacity to provide for their own security-to help them root out the al Qaeda cancer that has manifested itself within their borders and to help them prevent it from returning,’ he said.

Citing the example of Pakistani American David Headley charged with helping to plan the Mumbai attacks, Brennan noted that ‘an increasing number of individuals here in the United States become captivated by extremist ideologies or causes.

‘Somali Americans from Minnesota travelling to fight in Somalia, the five Virginia men who went to Pakistan seeking terrorist training, David Headley, the Chicago man charged with helping to plan the Mumbai attacks, the Pennsylvania woman, Jihad Jane, charged with conspiring to murder a Danish cartoonist.’

‘The president’s national security strategy explicitly recognizes the threat to the United States posed by individuals radicalised here at home,’ Brennan said.

‘We have seen individuals, including US citizens, armed with their US passports, travel easily to extremist safe havens and return to America, their deadly plans disrupted by coordinated intelligence and law enforcement,’ he said citimg the case of ‘Najibullah Zazi, who received his instruction in bomb making in Pakistan.’

‘Unfortunately, we were unable to thwart Faisal Shahzad, accused of attempting to set off the car bomb in Times Square,’ Brennan said citing the case of yet another Pakistan born naturalised American.

With Obama’s new strategy, the US ‘will defeat Al Qaeda and its affiliates; we will build a strong and resilient nation; and we will ,remain faithful to our values that make us Americans. That is how we will prevail in this fight,’ he said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

Red Bull dismiss Button as title threat

London, May 21(ANI): Reigning Formula One champion Jenson Button has been dismissed as a title threat by his main rivals Red Bull.

Button has dropped from first to fourth in the championship standings behind Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

Red Bull claims that Button’s McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso are the only men to fear.

“There are two people we fear for this world title. They are Alonso, because he is at his absolute peak, and Hamilton,” The Sun quoted Helmut Marko, Red Bull adviser, as saying.

“What the others are doing doesn’t bother us so much,” he added.

The Red Bull drivers are favourites to win the title this year, with the team already leading the constructors’ championship, 20 points ahead of Ferrari.

They have consistently out-paced others till now in the season, claiming pole position for all six races. (ANI)

New Brit Govt. to ask Queen to take ‘at least’ five percent pay cut

London, May 16 (ANI): David Cameron led coalition government is expected to ask the Queen to take a pay cut from the 7.9 million pounds-a-year Civil List payment the royal family receives from taxpayers money.

The royal family had been expecting an increase when the current 10-year agreement comes to an end this year.

But senior figures in the new coalition government have warned that the royals will be advised to follow the Cabinet’s lead and accept a reduction of “at least” five percent, the Daily Star reports.

Downing Street advisers fear increases in royal spending could cause a backlash.

“The round of government cuts that are on their way are so deep, so severe, that there won’t be a single family in Britain who won’t be feeling the pinch.

“There couldn’t be a worse time for the richest family in the country to go to the taxpayer with a begging bowl,” the paper quoted an adviser, as saying.

The Queen will also be urged to make a round of royal redundancies, with low-ranking family members like the Duke of Kent and the Duchess of Gloucester being “sacked” from front-rank royal duties, losing their grace and homes.

Experts say it costs more than 40 million pounds a year to keep the royals running, plus 50 million pounds for police and security, the Daily Star reports. (ANI)

Pyramids ”are most efficient shape for filling a container randomly”

London, May 13 (ANI): Pyramids are the best shape for packing candies, according to a new American research.

Graduate student Alexander Jaoshvili of New York University and his colleagues filled and shook containers of tetrahedral game dice.

The tetrahedra were packed tightly to occupy 76 percent of their containers, they found. In comparison, randomly packed spheres fill up to 64 percent of space, while squashed spheres, or ellipsoids, can fill as much as 74 percent.

The research can help develop stronger materials – MRI studies by the team demonstrate that a tetrahedral die can be locked into place by its immediate neighbours alone, making it harder to nudge out of place.

Jumbled collections of spheres, by contrast, are less rigid because any sphere can be moved by objects as far away as six diameters.

The finding can aid the development of nearly unbreakable plates.

“If, for instance, you wanted to make a very dense, rigid, hard ceramic, you would probably be better off making the powder from tetrahedra,” New Scientist quoted Jaoshvili”s adviser, Paul Chaikin, as saying.

According to Salvatore Torquato of Princeton University, tetrahedra may be able to pack together randomly even more efficiently.

In a recent simulation, Torquato and student Yang Jiao found a way to pack tetrahedra that took up more than 82 percent of space.

But this configuration may be more ordered than the one in Jaoshvili”s study.

The question is important as it”s still not known what kind of packing – random or ordered – is most efficient for tetrahedra.

Ordered, crystalline arrangements of tetrahedra can fill more than 85 percent of available space, recent simulations have found, but randomly assembled objects might be able to pack more tightly.

“Nobody knows whether the densest packing is ordered or random,” Chaikin said.

Torquato said: “People tend to think that the densest packings are always ordered, but there”s no fundamental reason why that has to be true.

“We can”t rule out the possibility that the densest packings of tetrahedra will be disordered.”

Jaoshvili”s study has appeared in the journal Physical Review Letters. (ANI)

Obama refused to play golf with talk-radio nemesis Limbaugh

New York, May 12 (ANI): A new book has revealed that President Barack Obama once refused to play a round of golf with his talk-radio nemesis Rush Limbaugh.

The book by Zev Chafets, titled “Rush Limbaugh: An Army of One” due May 25 from Sentinel, revealed a top Democrat relayed the President”s reply to the invitation.

Chafets reports he encouraged Limbaugh to reach out to the president just after last July”s “Beer Summit” that Obama hosted between Professor Henry Louis Gates and Sgt. Joseph Crowley, the Cambridge cop who arrested Gates after he locked himself out of his own home.

“You guys are both golfers,” the New York Post quoted Chafets as telling Limbaugh.

“Would you play a round with the president and show the country that there are no hard feelings?” he asked.

Limbaugh in turn told Chafets: “He”s the president of the United States. If any president asked me to meet him, or play golf with him, I”d do it.”

“But I promise you that will never happen. His base on the left would have a s–t-fit,” he stated.

“How about letting me ask?” Chafets said.

Limbaugh replied: “Go ahead. Nothing will come of it.”

Chafets wrote that he reached out to Obama adviser David Axelrod, “whom I know slightly”, but his calls were never returned.

Then Chafets spoke to “a very senior Democratic activist with whom I”m friendly” who said he would convey the message.

A day or two later the adviser responded, “Limbaugh can play with himself.”

Chafets wouldn”t name the aide or say whether the quote was directly from Obama. (ANI)

Times Square case: If Pak Taliban is involved,it could be a game changing development

Washington, May 7 (ANI): The foiled Times Square bombing plot may represent a turning point for the US as it confronts the threat posed by the Pakistan Taliban, a terrorist group that up until now seemed only distant.

According to the Christian Science Monitor (CSM), there is now a real concern in Washington that bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad received training from the Pakistan Taliban.

If proved, this would be “a game-changing development,” claimed Juan Zarate, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington.

CSM quoted Zarate as saying further that, “You would now have a new, potential global actor coming out of western Pakistan to complement what Al Qaeda has been doing for 15 years.”

Zarate, a former top official at the National Security Council, wonders why, if the Pakistan Taliban is in fact training individuals like Shahzad, the bombing wasn’t successful.

“I still think it’s odd that he wasn’t well trained by a group that is very good at blowing things up and killing people. The level of direction is still in question here,” Zarate said.

The would-be attack could be seen as strategically inept on the part of the Pakistan Taliban, otherwise known as Tehrik-i-Taliban, because if anything it could galvanize American opinion against militant groups.

But according to James Carafano, a senior analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a think tank in Washington, that is a short sighted reading.

He said to the Taliban, even the failed attack is a tactical success because it prompted a large reaction in the American media and by the government. (ANI)

Pakistan to move International Court of Arbitration on Kishanganga project

Islamabad, May 3 (ANI): Pakistan has decided to approach the International Court of Arbitration against the construction of the controversial Kishanganga Hydropower Project by India in alleged violation of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

Professor Kaiyan Homi Kaikobad, an international legal expert of Pakistan origin, would lead the legal team at the International Court of Arbitration.

He will be assisted by officials of ministries of water and power, law and justice and foreign affairs and Pakistan’s permanent commissioner to the Indus Commission and a few Pakistani lawyers, The Dawn reports.

The sources said that a group of government officials had recommended that James Crawford be hired for the job because he had represented Pakistan before the neutral expert when Pakistan took its case on the controversial Baglihar project on the Chenab a few years ago.

However, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Water Resources, Kamal Majidullah, opposed the move saying the outcome of Baglihar case was generally not in Pakistan’s favour. The government is estimated to have allocated about 10 dollars million for the case.

The sources said that India had almost completed the 22-km tunnel to divert Kishanganga (Neelum) waters to Wullar Lake in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty and was working to complete the 330MW project by 2016.

If completed, the project would severely affect Pakistan’s rights over the river, reduce the river flows into Pakistan and minimise its power generation capacity of the 969MW Neelum Jhelum Hydropower project near Muzaffarabad in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

They said that Pakistan’s Permanent Indus Water Commissioner had requested the government in March last year to quickly take up the case with the International Court of Arbitration after all options at the level of Permanent Indus Commission had been exhausted. (ANI)

‘The Yummy Mummy’ guide to lose pregnancy weight

Wellington, May 3 (ANI): After losing more than 70kgs on her way to becoming a yummy mummy, Nadia Holland now wants to share her secrets with other women through her book.

Holland, 32, piled on 36 kg while she was pregnant with eldest daughter Isla, which left her feeling “alienated” and “guilty”.

“I”d put on so much weight when I was pregnant and had no idea about what to do to lose it,” nzherald.co.nz, quoted her as saying.

And with a combination of sensible eating and exercise, Holland managed to lose 43kg by the time her daughter was 15 months old.

But after falling pregnant again with daughter Chelsea two months later, she had put on another 30kg but managed to lose it again – leaving her determined to help other women from making the same mistakes.

And thus, she came with the book titled ‘The Yummy Mummy’, written with dietitian Nicky McCarthy.

“What I set out to do was to help other women who might be in the same situation as me and put on a bit more than the 12kg that the pregnancy books tell you you should,” she said.

One of the biggest problems she faced was subscribing to the theory that pregnant women should eat for two.

Dietitian Caryn Zinn has said that this was a trap many fall into.

“It”s not really eating for two, it”s eating for one and a bit. The weight gain needs to be steady and controlled,” she said.

Personal trainer and midwife Fiona Ross said that new mums often rush back into exercise, forgetting the body has been “battered and bruised”.

“I see mums coming into the gym because they”re desperate to get back into shape. But they”re actually not in any physical shape to be going straight back into sport,” said Ross.

Plunket clinical adviser Allison Jamieson says most women lose the weight they gain through breastfeeding.

Those who need more help should avoid crash diets and talk about weight loss with a medical professional.

Some of the weight loss tips from the book include:

1. Ditch the word ”diet”. Think of it as a process of remodelling yourself.
2. Understand the basics. Weight loss is about “energy in” versus “energy out”.
3. Talk yourself up. Lack of confidence is the greatest obstacle.
4. Use your child(ren) as motivation: Do you want to be the “fat mum” at the school gates?
5. The sooner you start, the better for your health; being overweight has serious health implications.
6. Set realistic goals slow and steady wins the race. (ANI)

‘Hostile’ Musharraf never wanted Bhutto to return to Pak in 2007 for elections

Lahore, Apr.24 (ANI): Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf had a confrontation with slain Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto over the telephone days before she returned to the country in 2007, Bhutto’s close friend and adviser Mark Siegel has disclosed.

According to Siegel, Musharraf had called Bhutto when she was in the United States to discuss her plans to return to the country and take part in the elections.

An agitated Musharraf advised Bhutto against returning to Pakistan, however, she made it clear that she would go ahead with her plans,a private television channel said.

“It wasn’t a very good conversation. He was very confrontational. He seems to be very hostile. He didn’t want her to return. She made it clear that she was returning and the preparations were underway for her return,” The Daily Times quoted Siegel, as saying.

Siegel also sensationally revealed that after the 2002 general elections, Musharraf had offered Bhutto a deal according to which all cases against her husband, incumbent President Asif Ali Zardari, would be dropped, and he would be released from prison, and given a ministry of his choice if she agrees to alienate herself from the country’s politics for the next 10 years.

“He (Zardari) said he won’t accept the deal under any conditions and would rather spend the rest of his life in jail,” Siegel said.

Siegel said that after the suicide attack on Bhutto on October 18, 2007 in Karachi, in which she had a narrow escape, the former prime minister had sent him an e-mail asking what to do and to whom hold accountable is something happened to her in future.

“Even though I was stunned at her death, I knew I had to continue doing what she told me to. No matter how devastated I felt, I had to go forward and that’s when I released that email to CNN,” Siegel said, but refrained from disclosing details of the mail.

He, however, said that the e-mail asked him to hold Musharraf and others responsible for any untoward incidents. In her mail, Bhutto had also talked about impending threats to her life and how she was denied proper security cover by the authorities. (ANI)

Summit to focus on fresh food in remote areas

A summit will be held next month aimed at closing the gap in Indigenous health by improving access to fresh food in remote communities.

The chief executive of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance, John Patterson, says the primary health care sector has largely been ignored in previous government attempts to address nutrition.

He is hoping the summit in Tennant Creek will attract Aboriginal health organisations, store managers and remote community residents from the region.

“This opportunity at our summit will provide our members a forum to discuss some local community strategies which they can go about and implement rather than having some other entity or external adviser coming in and telling them what ought to be done.”

Brit Muslim leaders ‘failing to tackle extremism’: Oxford academic

London, Mar 31(ANI): A University of Oxford academic has criticized Muslim leaders in Britain for not doing enough to tackle extremism.

Nick Chatrath, a researcher at Oxford’s Faculty of Oriental Studies, claims in a paper to be published this week that in the face of growing radicalization in Britain, Muslim leaders are sweeping extremists’ points of views under the carpet instead of facing up to them.

Based on interviews with radical Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary and Dr. Musharraf Hussain, an adviser to the Muslim Council of Britain, Chatrath said: “Moderate Muslim leaders are doing a poor job of tackling extremism in Britain.”

“This attitude must change, as the best way to extinguish extremist arguments is to deal with them out in the open, not just sweep them under the carpet and hope for the best.”

“Some recent polls suggest ordinary British Muslims are becoming more sympathetic to extremists, and this could be related to the way moderate Muslims are ignoring the extremist threat,” The Times quoted Chatrath, as saying in his paper.

Chatrath’s paper came as a committee of British MPs said that the programme set up by the Gordon Brown Government to stop radicalization and reduce support for terrorism had undermined community relations. (ANI)

Door to afterlife found in Egypt

A carved stone door which ancient Egyptians believed was the threshold to the afterlife has been discovered in Luxor, Egypt’s culture minister said.

The door belongs to the tomb of User, a powerful adviser to the 18th dynasty Queen Hatshepsut, Faruk Hosni said in a statement.

Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt between 1479 BC and 1458 BC, was the longest reigning female pharaoh.

The large red granite door is 1.75 metres high and 50 centimetres thick.

It is said to be engraved with religious texts and various titles used by User, including mayor of the city, vizier and prince.

Mansur Boraik, who headed the excavation mission, says the door “was reused during the Roman period”.

“It was removed from the tomb of User and used in the wall of a Roman structure,” he said.

-AFP