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LIC of India Recruitment – Jobs at LIC of India Jobs – LIC of India job Recruitment of 50 Executives Jobs – licindia.com

July 7, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

LIC of India Recruitment – Jobs at LIC of India Jobs – LIC of India job Recruitment of 50 Executives Jobs – licindia.com

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) invites application for 50 Direct Sales Executives (DSE), to be engaged by various offices of the corporation purely on contract basis. Last date for receipt of Application Form together with Demand Draft towards application fees will be 23-7-2009.

Selection will be made on the basis of a written test if necessary, followed by an Interview of candidates who qualify in the written test. Written Test will be of Objective Type covering Test of Reasoning, Numerical Ability and General Knowledge.

For further details visit – http://www.licindia.com/

Research and Markets: Name, Website, Stock Code, Main Business, Revenue and Profit in Past 5 of the Global Top 500 Companies Report for Mining and Metal – 2008-2009 Edition

April 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

DUBLIN–(Business Wire)–
Research and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b0c6d9/global_top_500_rep) has
announced the addition of the “Global Top 500 Report of Mining and Metal,
2008-2009″ report to their offering.

This top 500 report is based over 1,000 mining companies (excluding coal,
petroleum and natural gas) and metal companies (excluding metalworks) are listed
over 50 stock exchanges in the world, by downloading their latest annual reports
and financial reports, and according to the indices such as the turnover, net
profit and total assets.

With the increasingly processing of industrialization and urbanization, China’s
demand for mineral resource remained strong. China has accelerated its move of
oversea acquisitions and enhanced its mineral resource reserves since 2009. For
example, Aluminium Corporation of China Limited plans to invest CNY19.5 billion
over Rio Tinto, the tender offer from China Minmetals Corp over Oz Minerals with
a sum of US $1.7 billion, and the Loan-for-Oil agreements with Brazil and
Russia.

In addition, the large steel corporations like Wisco, Nonfemet, Angang, and
Shougang have also accelerated their move of oversea mineral resource
acquisition. The iron ore producer of NMDC and the zinc producer of BINANI from
India are also planning their oversea acquisitions.

This report firstly gives the full picture of the turnover, net profit and total
assets, of global top 500 mining and metal companies in FY 2007, considering
some companies have not issued their FY 2008 annual reports yet, the 2008 data
will be released in a few months.

Followed by the description of mining industry and investment in different
continents, and recommend 23 countries rich in mineral resources, and deserving
to invest.

Then the profile of global top 500 including the company name, website, stock
code, main business, revenue and profit in past five years.

Finally, the series gives an in-depth analysis of global top 120 including their
financial results, operations and products besides company profile.

Notes:

1 The rank was by turnover in FY2007.

2 All the local currencies are converted into US dollar according to the
exchange rate in Jan, 2008.

Key Topics Covered:
1 Global Top 500 Mining and Metal Companies
2 Australia
3 Asia
4 Europe
5 Africa
6 America
7 Overview of Global Top 500 Mining and Metal Companies
8 Analysis of Global Top 120 Mining and Metal Companies

For more information visit

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b0c6d9/global_top_500_rep

Research and Markets
Laura Wood
Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
Fax from USA: 646-607-1907
Fax from rest of the world: +353-1-481-1716

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UN envoy concerned for civilians, Rajapaksa assures action

February 22, 2009 By Dinesh Leave a Comment

T V Sriram Colombo, (PTI) Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa today assured the UN’s humanitarian chief of all efforts to get the conflict-hit Tamil civilians in the north rehabilitated to safe areas, as the latter expressed concern over the plight of thousands of people trapped in war zone. Rajapaksa told the visiting UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Sir John Holmes that his government would make all efforts to bring out the civilians trapped in the war zone in the Northern Wanni and rehabilitate them to safe areas.

The meeting followed Holmes’ visit to the camps of Internally Displaced People (IDP) at Vavuniya yesterday. The UN envoy said “tens of deaths and more injuries” of civilians are taking place daily inside the northern Wanni region.

Holmes told reporters that he was concerned over restrictions on freedom of movement of the displaced and the presence of military inside the camps. Wrapping up his three-day visit to the island, he asked the government to expedite registration process of refugees at the earliest to ameliorate the lot of the civilians.

Appealing to the government and LTTE to ensure civilians were spared from the war, Holmes said: “I urge both sides to do everything they can for a peaceful and orderly end to avoid a final bloddy battle”. PTI.
PTI

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Obama: Congress approval of stimulus bill is major milestone

February 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington – US President Barack Obama on Saturday thanked Congress for passing a 787-billion-dollar economic stimulus bill, which he called “a major milestone on our road to recovery.”

In his weekly address he also warned that “this historic step won’t be the end of what we do to turn our economy around, but the beginning.”

The long-awaited passage of the stimulus bill – the largest single spending proposal in US history – marked Obama’s first major legislative victory since he took office January 20. The president could sign it into law as early as Monday, the White House said.

But the victory did not come with the bipartisan support Obama’s administration had originally hoped for. The president instead relied on the Democratic Party’s majorities in both chambers.

The House of Representatives approved the plan 246-183 Friday afternoon – not a single Republican supported the measure.

The Senate followed suit Friday evening by 60-38, garnering the support of only three Republicans and just barely meeting the 60-vote threshold.

“Some fear we won’t be able to effectively implement a plan of this size and scope, and I understand their skepticism. Washington hasn’t set a very good example in recent years. And with so much on the line, it’s time to begin doing things differently,” Obama said Saturday.

Once the bill is signed into law, a new website – www. recovery. gov – will allow Americans to track how the money is being spent. “I encourage every American to do so. Ultimately, this is your money, and you deserve to know where it’s going,” Obama said, promising accountability and transparency.

The administration insists the package – a mixture of tax cuts and spending programmes – will save or create 3.5 million jobs over the next two years and upgrade the country’s ailing infrastructure, energy, health care and education system. (dpa)

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Italy’s lawmakers discuss “living wills” in wake of woman’s death

February 10, 2009 By Dinesh Leave a Comment

Rome- Following the controversial death of Eluana Englaro, a comatose woman at the centre of a right-to-die debate in Italy, lawmakers said Tuesday they would seek to introduce legislation on so-called “living wills”.

Proposals mentioned differ in the extent to which people could use such documents to specify before their death what type of medical treatment they wish to receive.

The documents would be used in the event of a person falling into a permanent vegetative state, like Englaro’s, and losing the ability to communicate their wishes.

The move followed a decision by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s conservative government to withdraw a parliamentary bill it had specifically drafted in a bid to save Englaro’s life.

The 38-year-old Englaro died on Monday night, four days after doctors, acting on a court order, removed tubes which had been supplying her body with nutrients and water.

The case of Englaro, who spent the last 17 years in a vegetative state after a car accident, has fuelled discussion in predominantly Catholic Italy over euthanasia and its legal technicalities.

“Now that Eluana is dead, I feel serene, because I did the right thing, which I’m not sure can be said of other people,” Berlusconi said in newspaper interview published Tuesday.

Berlusconi’s barbed remarks appeared aimed at Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, who refused last Friday to approve a government decree, which would have forced doctors to immediately reconnect Englaro’s feeding tubes.

Napolitano’s stance, which was supported by many in the centre- left opposition, prompted the government, in what it described “as a race against time,” to seek parliamentary approval for a bill overturning the court order allowing the termination of Englaro’s life.

Englaro’s death – which occurred earlier than doctors had predicted – prompted angry scenes among lawmakers debating the bill.

Members of Berlusconi’s coalition said that, by depriving Eluana of food and water, she had been “killed.” They indirectly blamed Napolitano and the opposition for this.

In the newspaper interview, Berlusconi repeated the allegation, which has also been made by the Vatican and other Roman Catholic Church officials.

“Eluana did not die a natural death. She was killed while they were discussing whether or not the government’s bill was constitutional,” Berlusconi told Milan daily, Libero.

Also on Tuesday, prosecutors in the north-eastern city of Udine, where Englaro died, said a “routine” autopsy would be carried out to determine the exact causes of her death.

In July 2008, Italy’s top appeals court, the Cassation, upheld a ruling in favour of Englaro’s father and legal guardian, Beppino, who had engaged in a more than decade-long legal battle for the right of his daughter to “die with dignity.” (dpa)

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Zillur Rahman set to be Bangladesh’s 19th president

February 9, 2009 By Dinesh Leave a Comment

haka – Senior Awami League leader Zillur Rahman is set to be the 19th president of Bangladesh as the election authorities Monday validated his lone nomination for the presidential race, officials said.

“We are awaiting the formal declaration,” Abdul Shahid, the chief whip of Bangladesh parliament, said after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda, who is the returning officer for the presidential election.

Huda said that Zillur was the only candidate.

After scrutiny the commission will formally announce his presidency on February 11, the last day for withdrawal of candidature for the election, voting for which is scheduled for February 16.

But the election authorities found only one nomination paper submitted for the post and it was valid.

Therefore, there is no need of voting, election officials said.

Bangladesh’s constitutional provisions stipulate an electoral collage, comprising members of 300-strong parliament, elect the president through open vote if there is more than one candidate.

There was no candidate from the opposition parties, which have only 31 out of 300 parliamentary seats.

Zillur Rahma, a 79-year old League veteran, will replace Iajuddin Ahmed, the outgoing president, whose tenure expired in 2007. But the election could not be held because of a military takeover followed by promulgation of state of emergency in early January 2007.

Bangladesh returned to a democratic system early this year following its landmark December 29 general elections, in which Awami League-led alliance of Sheikh Hasina Wazed won a landslide victory.

Bangladesh has elected 18 presidents since its independence in 1971.

Zillur played a vital role in keeping the party united during the absence of party chief Hasina during the two years of army-backed government, when she was in exile and later arrested on corruption charges.

He was elected was elected deputy leader of parliament by the Awami League party immediately after its election victory.

“We hope the country will be more prosperous under the leadership of the new president,” said the chief whip of parliament. (dpa)

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People desire genetic testing for diseases, but not designer babies

January 27, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

Washington, January 27 (ANI): People are increasingly inclining towards additional genetic testing for life altering and threatening medical conditions like mental retardation, blindness, deafness, cancer, heart disease, dwarfism and shortened lifespan from death by 5 years of age.

This has emerged following a study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center.

The study, however, has also shown that people are less interested in prenatal genetic testing for traits including tall stature, superior athletic ability and superior intelligence.

“Our research has discovered that although the media portrays a desire for ‘designer babies’, this does not appear to be true among consumers of genetic testing services,” said Feighanne Hathaway, MS CGC, a certified genetic counselor at the NYU Cancer Institute.

Revealing their observations in the online edition of the Journal of Genetic Counseling, the researchers say that consumers desire more genetic testing than what is currently offered, but their selection of tests have limits on enhancements.

Prior to their initial visit with a genetic counsellor at NYU’s Human Genetics Program, 999 patients completed a one-page, 10 question categorical survey to assess their attitude towards reproductive genetic testing between July 2006 and February 2007.

The consumers were asked to indicate traits and conditions for which they would choose reproductive genetic testing by circling answers from a list of thirteen that included both diseases and enhancements.

The researchers observed that the majority of the respondents would elect for the screening of mental retardation, deafness, blindness, heart disease, and cancer.

The results indicate that less than half of population (49.3%) would choose testing for a condition that resulted in death by 5 years of age, whereas even less parents would choose testing for conditions that results in death by 20, 40, and 50 years of age, respectively.

According to the researchers, only a minority of respondents would want genetic testing for enhancements like athletic ability or superior intelligence.

The majority of the respondents also indicated that there were no conditions for which genetic testing should never be offered.

“As our knowledge and abilities in molecular genetics continues to expand, so does our ability to detect certain conditions and traits prenatally,” said Dr. Harry Ostrer, Director of Human Genetics Program at NYU Langone Medical Center.

“Our study gauged the consumers’ opinion towards reproductive testing for diseases and enhancements. Our research has found that a majority of respondents would elect to have prenatal genetic testing for life altering conditions but most respondents did not desire testing for enhancements. This survey also demonstrated that there was a desire for additional reproductive testing for medical conditions or life altering diseases, than currently offered,” the researcher added.

The group also studied whether learning about risk for disease to oneself might dissuade an individual from undergoing prenatal genetic testing, and found that about 80 per cent of the respondents would still have testing if it revealed increased risk for disease for oneself including Parkinson’s disease, early menopause, breast cancer and if it revealed non-paternity.

They said that their study indicated an increase in consumer demand for genetic testing, which may already be exceeding the number of available genetic counsellors.

Consumers may have also followed their own personal values or belief systems when assessing choice for genetic tests and that genetic counselors may want to develop a policy statement about new genetic tests that are becoming available and the ethical concerns regarding prenatal testing for life altering conditions.

The authors concluded: “It seems unlikely that the ‘Age of Designer Babies’ is near at-hand.” (ANI)

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Teaching people to distinguish between faces of individuals of different races may help reduce racial bias

January 21, 2009 By Rajesh Leave a Comment

Washington, January 21 (ANI): A group of researchers from Brown University and University of Victoria says that the simplest way to reduce racial bias may be to teach people to distinguish between faces of individuals of a different race.

The researchers revealed that they learnt this through a new measurement system and protocol they developed to train Caucasian subjects to recognize different African American faces.

“The idea is this that this sort of perceptual training gives you a new tool to address the kinds of biases people show unconsciously and may not even be aware they have,” said Michael J. Tarr, a Brown cognitive neuroscientist, and a senior author of the paper published online in PLoS ONE.

“There is a strong connection between the way we perceive and categorize the world and the way we end up making stereotypes and generalizations about social entities,” Tarr added.

According to the researchers, training people to recognize facial differences among individuals of other races may blunt the effect of racial bias.

They hope that their training program may someday be used to train anyone who comes into contact with other races – police officers, social workers or immigration officials.

Overall, the researchers used 20 Caucasian subjects for the study, which incorporated a measurement developed at Brown and dubbed the Affective Lexical Priming Score (ALPS).

The ALPS measure is similar to, and builds on, a test developed at Harvard University known as the Implicit Association Test (IAT), which helps to identify unconscious social biases.

Each subject was first shown a series of pictures of different races, such as African American and Caucasian faces. All the faces were shown in black and white, so that subjects would focus on facial features rather than skin colour.

On each ALPS trial, each test subject was shown a picture of a face, which then disappeared. The test subject then saw a word that could be real or nonsense – “tree” or “malk”, for example – and had to decide whether the word was a real word or nonsense word.

The researchers said that real words would imply something positive or negative.

Study’s lead author Sophie Lebrecht, a third-year PhD student in the Department of Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences and a member of Tarr’s lab, found that prior to training, the subjects more quickly responded if the word was negative and followed an African-American face.

Lebrecht revealed that the subjects responded more slowly if the word was positive, and followed an African-American face.

The subjects later participated in about 10 hours of facial recognition training: half learnt to tell apart individual African-American faces, while the remaining learnt simply to tell whether the faces were African-American or not.

The researchers noted that the subjects who had improved their ability to tell the difference between separate Africa-American faces also showed the greatest reduction in their implicit racial bias, as measured by the ALPS system.

Their positive associations with African-American faces increased, according to the researchers, and they had fewer negative associations with African-American faces.

The team conceded that it would not be right to claim that their approach could eliminate racial bias, but they suggested that teaching people to tell the difference better between individual faces of a different race might be at least one way to help reduce that bias.

Lebrecht said that developing a system that teaches people to make those distinctions should be helpful in reducing generalizations based on social stereotypes.

“If you give people the tools to start individuating, maybe they will make more individual (rather than stereotypical) attributions,” she said. (ANI)

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Cheaper petrol brings down New Zealand’s inflation rate

January 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Wellington – Falling petrol prices in the fourth quarter of 2008 helped bring down New Zealand’s inflation rate from an 18-year high of 5.1 per cent to an annual rate of
3.4 per cent last year, according to official figures released Tuesday.

The consumer price index (CPI) decreased 0.5 per cent in the October-December period, the biggest quarterly fall in 10 years, and a sharp turnaround from the 1.5-per-cent increase posted in the third quarter, which had pushed annual inflation over 5 per cent, Statistics New Zealand said.

Petrol prices were down 22.4 per cent in the fourth quarter, making the largest individual contribution to the fall.

An 11.2-per-cent rise in the price of groceries saw the food group provide the biggest increase in the annual inflation figure, followed by higher electricity rates, which rose 7.7 per cent. (dpa)

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India tests missile near Pakistan border amid tensions

January 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi – India successfully tested the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in a desert region near the border with Pakistan on Tuesday as tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours simmered over the November terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

The surface-to surface missile, jointly developed with Russia, was tested in the Thar desert region in the north-western state of Rajasthan, defence ministry officials said.

“The test conducted from the army’s Pokhran firing range was successful and met all parameters,” an official said requesting anonymity.

Pokhran is about 100 kilometres from the Pakistan border.

India’s Defence Minister AK Antony played down the test by saying it was long planned and had no connection with recent tensions.

India says the attacks that killed 173 people in its financial hub were carried out by the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group.

The BrahMos, developed under an Indo-Russian joint venture begun in 1998, has been tested successfully more than a dozen times since June 12, 2001.

Its name is derived from two great rivers of India and Russia – the Brahmaputra and the Moskva. The missile is being produced by India’s defence Research and Development Organization and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia.

The missile has a strike range of 290 kilometres, if capable of traveling at nearly three times the speed of sound and can carry conventional warheads weighing between up to 300 kilograms.

The 8-metre-long missile, weighing about three tons, can be launched from land, sea or air.

Local media reported that the BrahMos missile was to be tested for the third time in desert conditions on January 18 but was postponed to January 20 due to heavy fog and rain in the area.

Tuesday’s launch followed the first test from a vertical launcher on a moving warship in the Bay of Bengal on December 18. (dpa)

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ComScore Releases U.S. Search Engine Rankings For December 2008

January 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

In December 2008, Americans conducted 12.7 billion core searches, up 3% from November 2008, says ComScore, Inc., the leader in evaluating the digital world, in its today released monthly comScore qSearch analysis of the U.S. search marketplace.

According to U.S. Core Search Rankings, Google Sites topped the U.S. core search market during the last month (December 2008) with 63.5 percent of the searches conducted, unchanged from November, followed by Yahoo! Sites (20.5%), Microsoft Sites (8.3%), Ask Network (3.9%) and AOL LLC (3.8%).

The analysis discloses that Americans conducted 12.7 billion searches at the core search engines, up 3% from November.

Google Sites handled 8 billion core searches, accompanied by Yahoo! Sites with 2.6 billion and Microsoft Sites with 1.1 billion.

According to the comScore December 2008 analysis of the top properties where search activity is observed, Google Sites topped with 11.2 billion searches, up 4% versus November. Yahoo! Sites placed second with 2.7 billion searches, accompanied by Microsoft Sites with 1.1 billion and AOL LLC with 740 million.

ComScore, Inc. is a worldwide leader in assessing the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence.

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Nissan carmaker announces drastic job cuts at British plant

January 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London – Japanese carmaker Nissan Thursday announced major job cuts at a plant in north-east England which accounts for the bulk of British car exports.

Nissan said 1,200 jobs would go at its plant in Sunderland, near Newcastle, which employs around 5,000 workers and is one of the biggest employers in the region.

The Nissan plant is Britain’s largest car exporter, selling 80 per cent of its cars abroad. It was opened to great fanfare during the rule of Conservative ex-prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1986.

Nissan said the reduction in the workforce was a result of the economic slowdown which had led to a slump in car sales.

“Like all manufacturers, Sunderland plant is currently operating in extraordinary circumstances not of our making. It is essential we take the right action now to ensure we are in a strong and viable position once business conditions return to normal,” said Trevor Mann, Nissan’s senior vice president for manufacturing, Europe.

The cuts followed repeated pleas for government aid from car manufacturers in Britain, including luxury brand Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by India’s Tata group.

Earlier this year, Nissan said that, from 2010, production of its popular Micra model will be moved to a new factory in India, which is being built with French partner Renault.

Nissan sold 66,336 new cars in Britain in 2008 – only 0.14 per cent fewer than in 2007. But sales for December, 2008, fell by 26.68 per cent compared with the same month in
2007. (dpa)

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Obama likely to follow Bush’s foreign policy

January 9, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

Washington, Jan 9 (ANI): Experts have said that US President-elect Barrack Obama is likely to follow President George W. Bush’s foreign policy.

According to a report in Politico, the assumption is based on the backgrounds of the people Obama has chosen to shape his foreign policy, who will chart a course fairly similar to the one Bush followed during his last couple of years in office.

Under the leadership of Bush, the US has intervened more often in more countries farther from its own shores than has any power in modern history.

Bush did so more brazenly and more recklessly than many of his predecessors, but he adhered to the American tradition more than he broke with it, the report said.

Bush had announced his breathtaking goal of quickly transforming the Middle East and its surrounding regions into a vast zone of prosperity, peace and political freedom.

His desire to embrace this Utopian project was based on two central beliefs: that the world will be stable only if all countries adopt American-style political and economic systems, and that the U.S. can make them do so by applying military power.

But, the dramatic weakening of American security over the past eight years has led many Americans to question these beliefs.

That may make it easier for Obama to avoid the temptation of military intervention abroad.

Nonetheless, the new administration is unlikely to challenge the assumptions that have traditionally guided U.S. foreign policy.

If the same policies are followed after Obama takes over from Bush, the new administration is likely to reduce troop strength in Iraq more slowly than Obama said he would during the campaign.

Under this scenario, after the end of 2011, when all U.S. troops are supposed to be out of Iraq, there will probably still be tens of thousands there.

As far as Afghanistan is concerned, it is a country where aggressive American military tactics have alienated much of the population.

There, the US will proceed with plans for a major escalation, which will drive even more Afghans into the arms of the Taliban. (ANI)

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More accurate tests needed to predict cardiovascular problems in the elderly: Study

January 9, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

London, January 9 (ANI): Dutch researchers are calling for the replacement of a traditional system for assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease amongst older people with some new and more accurate tests.

The suggestion comes following a study that looked at several hundred people without the history of cardiovascular disease, aged 85 over, over a five-year period, to see which of them succumbed to events like stroke and heart disease, and whether different ways of assessing their risk of such disease at the start proved to be more accurate.

The Framingham Risk Score system, which has been in use for decades to predict the 10-year risk of developing coronary heart disease in people with no history of cardiovascular disease, uses classic risk factors including sex, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking.

According to the researchers, the ability of these classic risk factors to identify a person at high risk of heart disease diminishes as the age advances.

They reveal that several new biomarkers for cardiovascular disease have recently been shown to be effective at indicating high risk of such disease, including C-reactive protein and homocysteine.

During the Dutch research, 302 people without the history of cardiovascular disease—215men and 87 women—were studied. The subjects were participating in the existing Leiden 85-plus Study, and were followed up for five years.

As well as using the Framingham Risk Score, the researchers also measured plasma levels of the new biomarkers homocysteine, folic acid, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in the people.

Of the 302 participants, 108 died during the follow-up period, 32 percent of the deaths were from cardiovascular disease.

The researchers found that classic risk factors were unable to predict cardiovascular deaths accurately, neither by using the Framingham Risk Score nor by using the classic risk factors in a newly calibrated model.

From the new biomarkers used, homocysteine had the best ability to predict deaths.

The research team reported that of the 35 people who succumbed to cardiovascular disease during the five years studied, the Framingham Risk Score had classified just 12 people as being at high risk.

However, the homocysteine-based model had classified 20 people as being high risk—nearly a quarter more of all individuals who died from cardiovascular disease.

Based on their observations, the researchers came to the conclusion that single homocysteine measurement could accurately identify very elderly people who are at high risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

They call for a larger study to be carried out as their findings could lead to a change to current guidelines.

“Possibly, plasma homocysteine, and not classic risk factors, could be used to select very elderly people for primary preventive interventions,” the researchers say.

The study appears in the online edition of the British Medical Journal. (ANI)

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Vettori reclaims top spot in ICC rankings for ODI bowlers

January 9, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Dubai, Jan 9 (ANI): New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has made a superb start to 2009 by becoming the number-one ranked ODI bowler in the world again.

The left-arm spinner, who turns 30 later this month, has taken six wickets in the first three matches of the current series against the West Indies at an impressive average of just 12.33 and a thrifty economy rate of 3.08.

In the process he has moved above Australia’s Nathan Bracken into top spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers.

It is not the first time Vettori has been at the summit, having spent much of the first half of last year in first position. But Bracken toppled him in June 2008, coincidentally also while playing against the West Indies, but now the 31-year-old New South Welshman has been consigned to second spot once again.

Nevertheless, Bracken has the perfect opportunity to retake number-one place having been named in Australia’s one-day squad for the upcoming five-ODI series against South Africa.

Things are continuing to go well for Vettori’s team-mate Kyle Mills as his four wickets claimed in the series so far have earned him another place and put him in fourth, just ahead of Mitchell Johnson of Australia.

West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell has managed to move up two places to 17th position in the bowling rankings following a good start to the ODI series in New Zealand for him.

The big mover is young Black Cap Tim Southee who has managed to gain 20 places to put him in 75th position.

Another top-class player who has not fired on all cylinders during this series to date is West Indies talisman Chris Gayle. The hard-hitting left-hander has lost one place in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen and has dropped out of the top five, into sixth position.

His place has been taken by India’s Yuvraj Singh, who returns to the top five after a brief spell occupying sixth place. Top spot is still reserved for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is closely followed by Michael Hussey of Australia in second place and Proteas’ captain Graeme Smith in third. (ANI)

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Satyam Computer “Ramalinga Raju” Biography

January 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Born: September 16, 1954
B. Ramalinga Raju founded Satyam Computer Services in 1987 and has been instrumental in developing Satyam into one of the top Indian IT services company. Mr. Raju served as the Chief Executive Officer of Samrat Spinners Limited, a spinning mill until 1995. Mr. Raju has been Chairman of Board of Directors of Satyam Computer Services Ltd., since 1995. Mr. Raju serves as Chairman of Nipuna Services Limited. He served as Chairman of Intelligroup Inc. Mr. Raju was Co-founder …

Education:

MBA
Ohio University-Athens

Business:

Harvard Business School
Ohio University-Athens
Sify Technologies Limited
Ohio State University
Intelligroup Inc.
National Association of Software and Service Companies
Satyam BPO Limited

Achievement:

Founder and Chairman of Satyam Computer Services Ltd; Chosen as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Services in 1999 Ramalinga Raju is one of the pioneers of the Information Technology industry in India. He is the founder and Chairman of Satyam Computer Services Ltd.

Ramalinga Raju was born on September 16, 1954 in a family of farmers. He did his B. Com from Ramalinga RajuAndhra Loyola College at Vijayawada and subsequently did his MBA from Ohio University, USA. Ramalinga Raju had a stint at Harvard too. He attended the Owner / President course at Harvard.

After returning to India in 1977, Ramalinga Raju moved away from the traditional agriculture business and set up a spinning and weaving mill named Sri Satyam. . Thereafter he shifted to the real estate business and started a construction company called Satyam Constructions. In 1987, Ramalinga Raju founded Satyam Computer Services along with one of his brothers-in-law, DVS Raju. The company went public in 1992. With the launch of Satyam Infoway (Sify) Satyam became one of the first to enter Indian internet service market. Today, Satyam has a global presence and serves 44 Fortune 500 and over 390 multinational corporations.

Ramalinga Raju has won several awards and honors. These include Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Services in 1999, Dataquest IT Man of the Year in 2000, and CNBC’s Asian Business Leader – Corporate Citizen of the Year award in 2002.

Resign letter:

Dear Board Members,

It is with deep regret, and tremendous burden that I am carrying on my conscience, that I would like to bring the following

facts to your notice:

1. The balance sheet carries as of September 30, 2008

a) Inflated (non-existent) cash and bank balance of Rs 5,040 crore (as against Rs 5361 crore refglected in the books)

b) An accured interest of Rs 376 crore which is non-existent

c) An understated liability of Rs 1,230 crore on account of funds arranged by me

d) An over stated debtor position of Rs 490 crore (as against Rs 2651 reflected in the books)

2. For the September quarter (Q2) we reported a revenue of Rs 2,700 crore and an operating margin of Rs 649 crore (24 per cent of revenues) as against the actual revenues of Rs 2,112 crore and an actual operating margin of Rs 61 crore (3 per cent of revenue). This has resulted in artificial cash and bank balances going up by Rs 588 crore in Q2 alone.

The gap in the balance sheet has arisen purely on account of inflated profits over a period of last several years (limited only to Satyam standalone, books of subsidiaries reflecting true performance). What started as a marginalgap between actual operating profit and the one reflected in the books of accounts continued to grow over the years. It has attained unmanageable proportions as the size of the company operations grew significantly (annualized revenue run rate of Rs 11,276 crore in the September quarter, 2008 and official reserves of Rs 8.392 crore). The differential in the real profits and the one reflected in the books was further accentuated by the fact that the company had to carry additional resources and assets to justify higher level of operations – thereby significantly increasing the costs.

Every attempt made to eliminate the gap failed. As the promoters held a small percentage of equity, the concern was the poor performance would result in a takeover, thereby exposing the gap. It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten.

The aborted Maytas acquisition deal was the last attempt to fill the fictitious assets with real ones. Maytas’ investors were convinced that this is a good divestment opportunity and a strategic fit. Once Satyam’s problem was solved, it was hoped that Maytas payments can be delayed. But that was not to be. What followed in the last several days is common knowledge.

source-peopleandprofiles

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Jamie Lynn Spears’ look-alike sues LAPD for being used as a decoy

January 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, January 8 (ANI): A Jamie Lynn Spears lookalike is taking LAPD to court, claiming damages worth 1.3 million pounds, after she was used as a decoy for Britney’s younger sister– without being informed.

Adessa Eskeridge is considering her legal options against the department after she was put on the same flight as Jamie last September.

In order to prevent paparazzi from mobbing the young actress, the officials had used Adessa to sidetrack attention, reports the Sun.

Her lawyer R. J Molligan said: “Adessa was not given any details as to the nature of the task or of the potential danger involved. She simply followed the instructions of the police as most good citizens would do.”

The team also claimed that: “The LAX police did not want to subject Ms. Spears to the pushing, shoving, humiliation and possible physical injury that come with the paparazzi, but instead decided that Ms Eskeridge was not important enough to give the same protections to.”

Molligan further alleged that Adessa was “never informed that upon deplaning, she would be mobbed by the paparazzi, that she would be in fear of her well-being, that her picture would be taken, (and) that video of her would be all over the Internet”.

She added her client was “deceived and manipulated” by the offcials and claimed she has “suffered and continues to suffer great humiliation” post the incident.

LAPD are yet to comment on the case. (ANI)

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President calls for policies that ensure inclusive growth in the country

January 7, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

Gulbarga (Karnataka), Jan.7 (ANI): President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Wednesday said there is need to have policies that promote inclusive growth.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Buddha Vihar on the outskirts of Gulbarga in Karnataka, Patil said continuous efforts should be made for the betterment of people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections of society.

Patil said the focus must be on poverty alleviation, removal of illiteracy and promotion of better health in society, especially amongst the downtrodden.

She said the right way to express respect to Dalit leader and Father of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who followed the principles of Lord Buddha, is to ensure social welfare and social justice to the downtrodden.

Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddiyurappa said that his government is committed to providing all necessary basic facilities to Buddha Vihar, which will be developed as a major spiritual tourist centre.

The monument has been built by Siddhartha Trust, which is headed by Mallikarjuna Kharge, Leader of Opposition, Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

Spread over an area of 75 acres, the monument has the main structure in which a gold-plated smiling idol of Lord Buddha has been installed. There is another idol of Buddha carved from glossy, black stone. The complex consists of a museum an auditorium, guest houses and an open-air theatre. Another feature is the group of statues at the entrance depicting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar leading his close followers to embrace Buddhism.

State Governor Ramesh Thakur and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were also among those present on the occasion. (ANI)

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Mum collapses in tears after grandson disowns Gazza

January 7, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

London, Jan.7 (ANI): Paul Gascoigne’s heart- broken mum collapsed in tears as she watched her grandchild disown her famous son on TV.

According to the Daily Star, the soccer legend’s mother Carol, 61, was “devastated” by the documentary charting his slump into alcoholism.

She watched in dismay as Gazza’s ex-wife Sheryl, 43, revealed that the England legend had beaten her in booze-fuelled rages.

And she broke down as the couple’s 12-year-old son Regan said that he wished his dad would “go away”.

Along with Sheryl and her other children Bianca, 22, and Mason, 19, Regan followed his father to a booze bender in Portugal and told him he was turning his back on him for good.

A family pal said the scenes left Carol distraught.

She said: “She watched it through tears. It was hard enough watching Paul’s bizarre behaviour laid out for all the public to see, but the worst part for her was seeing her grandchild disowning her son. She was so distraught. She was crying too much to speak. It must have been so distressing to see just how sick Paul is.

“She understands how Sheryl and the children feel, but it was devastating to hear her grandson say those things,” the family pal added.

The documentary showed Gazza, 41, desperately calling home between drinking bouts as he toured Europe with heavy metal giants Iron Maiden.

He had briefly moved back in with Sheryl and the children before the bender, following a stint in rehab last year. But, as exclusively revealed by the Daily Star, he stormed out when Sheryl refused to let him sleep with her.

The documentary showed Sheryl and the children take the heart-rending decision to cut him out of their lives.

Gazza is currently undergoing Equine Assisted Psychotherapy at the specialist Stepps rehab centre in Minsterworth, Gloucestshire.

Gazza was not allowed to watch the documentary and has been cut off from the outside world during his 2,000-pound-a-week stay.

He will move to the Sporting Chance clinic, owned by fellow ex-England star Tony Adams, 42, next week. (ANI)

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Madonna ‘willing to share A-Rod with Kabbalah friends’

January 7, 2009 By Rajiv Gupta Leave a Comment

New York, January 7 (ANI): Madonna reportedly had no qualms in leaving ‘beau’ Alex Rodriguez in the company of her Kabbalah friends.

The Queen of Pop was said to have shared the ace power-hitting baseball player with Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Bruce Willis and Donna Karan at Parrot Cay island to welcome the New Year.

A source told the New York Post, A-Rod got “very close to [Karan] who only had eyes for him and followed him around all night on New Year”s Eve.”

But seemingly, Rodriguez was “still hung up on Madonna” and declined Karan”s advances. (ANI)

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LIC of India Recruitment – Jobs at LIC of India Jobs – LIC of India job Recruitment of 50 Executives Jobs – licindia.com

Research and Markets: Name, Website, Stock Code, Main Business, Revenue and Profit in Past 5 of the Global Top 500 Companies Report for Mining and Metal – 2008-2009 Edition

UN envoy concerned for civilians, Rajapaksa assures action

Obama: Congress approval of stimulus bill is major milestone

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Vettori reclaims top spot in ICC rankings for ODI bowlers

Satyam Computer “Ramalinga Raju” Biography

Jamie Lynn Spears’ look-alike sues LAPD for being used as a decoy

Mum collapses in tears after grandson disowns Gazza

Madonna ‘willing to share A-Rod with Kabbalah friends’

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