Saturday, April 30, 2011

IPL 4: Match No.37, KKR vs KXIP, Kolkata wins comfortably to reach the top of the table

Kings XI Punjab 119/6 (20) D Karthik 42, I Abdulla 2/19
Kolkata Knight Riders 120/2 (17.2) Gambhir 45, M Tiwary 34 win by 8 wickets

Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary guides KKR home for a comfortable 8 wicket win over Punjab in Kolkata Eden garden statium

Ryan Harris took a superb catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Kolkata Knight Riders opener Eoin Morgan off Bhargav Bhatt in their IPL match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.

Morgan hit 6 fours in his 15-ball 28 before falling to Bhatt.

Bhatt struck on his first delivery when he had Jacques Kallis caught by David Hussey in the covers as Kolkata got off to a bad start in pursuit of 120 runs.

Earlier, Iqbal Abdulla took 2 wickets as Kolkata restricted Kings XI Punjab to 119/6 despite a well-made 42 from Dinesh Karthik.

Karthik hit 4 fours in his run-a-ball 42 before being run out.

Kings XI Punjab lost their fifth wicket when Abdulla trapped David Hussey plumb in front of the wicket.

Abdulla gave Kolkata the third breakthrough when he clean bowled Punjab captain Adam Gilchrist from between his legs.

Gilchrist looked to pull a short-pitched delivery but the ball neither turned nor bounced and went from between his legs to hit the stumps.

Kolkata lost their fourth wicket when Abhishek Nayar was run out.

Paul Valthaty and Shaun Marsh fell in successive overs as Kings XI Punjab got off to a bad start against Kolkata Knight Riders

Yusuf Pathan gave Kolkata the first breakthrough when he had Paul Valthaty caught by Manoj Tiwary at long-on in the fifth over.

In the next over, Marsh was run out as Punjab lost their second wicket.

This was after Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir won the toss and chose to bowl.

Kolkata have replaced Jaidev Unadkat with Rajat Bhatia.

Punjab have brought in Bhargav Bhatt in place of Shalabh Srivastava.

IPL 4: Match No.37, KKR vs KXIP, Kolkata restricts Punjab to 119 on a bowling friendly wicket

On a track on which even medium-pacer Rajat Bhatia turned his slower legbreaks appreciably, Kings XI Punjab stuttered to a strictly fighting total. Kolkata Knight Riders' fielders complemented their effort with the ball, while Punjab's indecisive running compounded their woes. Iqbal Abdulla and Yusuf Pathan caused Punjab the most trouble, accurate throughout their spells, and picking up three big wickets between them for 43 runs in eight overs.

Punjab had got off to a decent enough start. Adam Gilchrist relished the early pace provided by Brett Lee and L Balaji, taking Punjab to 22 after three overs. Gautam Gambhir was quick to take the pace off, and Abdulla and Yusuf brought scoring to a near standstill. Trying too hard to force the pace, Paul Valthaty holed out to long-on. Gilchrist, brought down from 18 off 13 to 26 off 26, looked to manufacture a pull off a length. This was the straighter delivery from Abdulla, and snuck through Gilchrist's legs.

Either side of Gilchrist's dismissal, Shaun Marsh and Abhishek Nayar were run out: Marsh caught ball-watching when hit on the pad, and Nayar slow off the blocks when trying a tight single. At 53 for 4 in the 10th over, Gambhir didn't hold back on attack. Abdulla and Yusuf bowled to the new batsmen with a slip and a silly point in place. Bhatia cannily played the role of the third spinner, dealing almost exclusively in slower legcutters. The 18 runs off his four overs included four overthrows.

A 33-run stabilising stand between Dinesh Karthik and David Hussey threatened much, but Abdulla came back to end it in the 15th over. Three overs after he had survived a shout for a plumb LBW, Hussey was now given out to a delivery that could have perhaps slid down the leg side. Karthik nudged and swept his way to 42 off 42, but couldn't provide that final kick. Only 33 came off the last five overs, which meant that the run-rate never crossed six an over after it slipped under the mark in the seventh over.

Cricket: Pakistan Cricket Board has turned down Afghanistan ODI series request

The Pakistan Cricket Board has turned down a request from their Afghanistan counterparts to host a one-day series between the two national teams.

But the PCB has agreed to host a one-day series involving Pakistan A team and the Afghanistan national team.

Officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) met with the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt to discuss the cricket relations and requested them to consider hosting a one-day series.

"We explained to the Afghanistan officials that it was not possible for our national team to play the ODI series this year due to its international schedule and domestic season requirements," a PCB official said.

"But we told them we are ready to help them out improve their cricket standards and structure by playing series involving the Pakistan A team," the official added.

Afghanistan are keen to tour Pakistan for a one-day international series and have insisted they have no issues with the security situation in Pakistan.

"The series between our A team and Afghanistan will be organised sometime in June and July," the official said.

Pakistan has in the past also facilitated the Afghanistan Board by allowing their players to train at the national cricket academy in Lahore and permitting some of them to play in domestic cricket.

At present the Afghanistan Board is hosting its domestic tournament in Peshawar with the cooperation of the Peshawar District Cricket Association.

Five regional teams and the national under-19 team from Afghanistan are taking part in the domestic event in which three-day matches are being played at two grounds.

Pakistan has not been able to host any international team since the militants attack on the Sri Lankan team in March, 2009.

But Naseemullah, the chief executive of the ACB, said they had no issues playing in Pakistan .

"We will be sending our national team to Pakistan without any fear and our players are also keen to get exposure against stronger sides," he said.

He said that PCB has already cooperated a lot with them and helped Afghanistan cricket and the coming tour would be a big boost for the Afghani players.

Football: Man Utd might close in on EPL title at Arsenal

What was shaping up to be a title decider for Manchester United and Arsenal is now a chance for Alex Ferguson's side to all but secure the Premier League trophy while compounding the hosts' disappointing end to the season.

United goes to Arsenal on Sunday nine points ahead of third-place Arsenal and six in front of Chelsea with four games remaining.

Arsenal has won just one of its last seven matches while United has produced four victories in that time to raise the prospect of a record 19th English title next month.

Chelsea remains the biggest threat to United's ambitions after a recent revival, but Carlo Ancelotti's side will have to beat London rival Tottenham on Saturday to maintain the pressure ahead of a trip to Old Trafford on May 8.

"Sunday is a massive game for us," United left back Patrice Evra said. "It is a great opportunity (but) there is still a lot of pressure on us.

"If we lose and Chelsea have beaten Tottenham on Saturday, they will only be three points behind and they have to come to Manchester. That is what we have to think about now."

While the title race could be wrapped up a couple of weeks before the end of the season, the fight to stay up is set to go down to the wire.

Three points separates the bottom five teams, with West Ham propping up the rest following a run of four straight losses.

The Hammers visit fourth-place Manchester City, which is five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand. Also on Sunday, second-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers travels to Birmingham. Wigan, the other team in the relegation zone, hosts Everton on Saturday.

Evra caused controversy before United's home match against Arsenal by branding the Gunners merely "a training center" and claiming nobody would remember their football in 20 years' time.

The France defender has toned down his words ahead of the return match at Emirates Stadium.

"You have to fear the wounded animal," he said. "It is all or nothing for Arsenal, so that is a danger. They will want to show they can still win the title."

Fresh from starring for United in the 2-0 win at Schalke in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday, veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs will be rested by Ferguson.

Striker Dimitar Berbatov, who is bidding to overcome a groin injury, and winger Nani will be hoping to return to the first team, with Ferguson reporting a near fully fit squad.

"We've got selection problems now but that's what we want," said Ferguson.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hasn't given up hope of the title, although he acknowledged after Sunday's 2-1 loss to Bolton that the team's chances were "very minimal."

Belgium center back Thomas Vermaelen, who has missed almost the entire season with an Achilles' tendon injury, is back in full training but must prove his fitness in reserve games before Wenger picks him in the first team.

Fernando Torres ended his 15-hour scoring drought for Chelsea after coming off the bench to hit the team's second goal in the 3-0 win over West Ham last weekend, and the Spain striker could replace Didier Drogba up front against Spurs at Stamford Bridge.

"It (the goal) is very good for his confidence," Chelsea winger Florent Malouda said. "We're going to have more goals from Torres before the end of the season."

The reigning champions are the form team in the league, having won six of their last seven matches.

Tottenham has won only once in the league since Feb. 12, endangering its hopes of a second straight season in the Champions League. Spurs will be looking nervously at rejuvenated Liverpool, which is three points behind in sixth having played a game more.

Liverpool hosts Newcastle at Anfield on Sunday.

The rest of the games are on Saturday, when fourth-bottom Blackpool is at home to Stoke, Bolton visits fifth-bottom Blackburn, Sunderland hosts Fulham and Aston Villa goes to central England rival West Bromwich Albion.

IPL 4: Match No.36, KTK vs DD, Sehwag bats longer for Delhi win

Delhi Daredevils 157 for 7 (Sehwag 80, Sreesanth 2-10) beat Kochi Tuskers Kerala 119 (Jadeja 31, M Morkel 3-18) by 38 runs

Virender Sehwag showcased his class on a tricky Nehru Stadium surface on which numerous deliveries hardly got up above ankle height, taking his time before exploding in the end to lift Delhi Daredevils to 157, a score that proved beyond Kochi Tuskers Kerala and breathed some life in to Delhi's doddering campaign. In a knock that must surely go down as one of the best IPL innings, Sehwag smashed 49 off his last 15 deliveries to surge to 80 off 47, on a wicket where even survival was an achievement for batsmen.

Smarting from the big defeat against Deccan Chargers on a green-tinged home pitch, Kochi went to the opposite spectrum of surface preparation, dishing out a dry and loose wicket on which the ball kept alarmingly low right from the start. But they ran in to a determined Sehwag who, quickly realising that his usual cavalier style was not going to work, changed his approach, playing as safely as a Sehwag can.

The surface had come under scrutiny at the toss when Sehwag voiced doubts over it, saying the top surface was coming loose when someone walked on the wicket. Right away, the first ball from Sreesanth, in the second over, hardly got above David Warner's shin, and disturbed his off stump as he was caught clueless on the backfoot. The fourth ball just rolled along the ground after pitching on a length, catching Naman Ojha on the boot in front of leg stump as Sehwag watched incredulously from the non-striker's end.

Delhi's innings was built around a 56-run stand between Yogesh Nagar and Sehwag after Venugopal Rao fell to leave them at 35 for 3 in the seventh over. The extent to which Sehwag reined himself in was evident when Delhi went without a boundary for 38 balls. It was Nagar who ended the drought when he launched Vinay Kumar past extra cover in the 12th over.

Sehwag, who was on a scarcely believable 31 off 32, broke free in the next over, slamming Ravindra Jadeja for consecutive sixes over long-off and deep midwicket. On a pitch where batsmen were finding it difficult to hang in, Sehwag toyed with the bowling. The shots that had been put away came out in a torrent of calculated hitting. It rained pulls, whips, inside-out lofts, late cuts on a hapless Kochi attack. Vinay Kumar disappeared for 15 in the 15th over, B Akhil was scattered for 18 in the next.

Sehwag's complete control over his craft was on display against Ramesh Powar. Even as the offspinner tossed the ball up, Sehwag found time to dance down the track and lift him effortlessly against the turn over extra cover. His dismissal in the next over off Vinay was also characteristic, caught at deep extra cover on the edge of the rope, going inside out with three men in front of square on the off side boundary. But his charge lifted Delhi to 157, after they had been 62 for 3 in the 13th over.

Shell-shocked Kochi's only chance on the treacherous wicket was if their top order came good, but it wasn't to be. The pitch didn't play a major role in the first two dismissals though. IPL debutant Michael Klinger flicked Morne Morkel only for Roelof van der Merwe, in for the injured James Hopes, to pull off a leaping blinder at square leg. Two deliveries later, Brendon McCullum decided that the only way to tackle the uncertain surface was the blind charge, and lost his middle stump to Irfan Pathan.

Parthiv Patel found just how difficult the track was, as a back of a length Pathan delivery barely rose a foot, easily going under his defensive push and disturbing off stump. As a disgusted Parthiv walked off in a volley of expletives, it was left to Kochi's two most experienced batsmen, Mahela Jayawardene and Brad Hodge, to salvage the chase from 28 for 3.

Jayawardene hung around for a while but it was going to be highly improbable to get more than eight an over on such a wicket. In trying to whip Ajit Agarkar over midwicket, he spooned a tame catch to Sehwag when on 18. Hodge could not capitalise off a dropped chance by Irfan on 15 and his dismissal off Morkel in the 14th over effectively ended Kochi's chances though a few hits from Jadeja reduced the margin of defeat.

Presentation:

Virender Sehwag "Absolutely happy. The wicket was not easy, I took the responsibility. Once we corssed 120, I thought we had got par. We were very happy we got 158. I was hitting the ball nicely, it was obvious I had to bat longer. I told myself if I just stayed longer we could get 130, a good total on this wicket. Just told my bowlers to bowl straight, and the wicket would do the rest."

Mahela Jayawardene "130-140 would have been competitive, but 160 is tough. Viru batted really well. It was crucial to get him early. The way we bowled in the last 10, we didn't have any control over things. Just the low bounce. The best thing was to bat without thinking too much about it. It's tough, but you have to adjust. We didn't bowl good areas. The first 10 we were good. Viru batted well as well.

Badminton: Peter Gade reaches final beating South Korea's Sung Hwan in 21-15 21-19

Danish veteran Peter Gade carved out an impressive 21-15 21-19 victory over South Korea's Sung Hwan Park to storm into the final of the inaugural Indian Open Super Series here on Saturday.

Gade, seeded third, was in control of the match for most of the 45 minutes and he was backed by a sizeable number of fans, who turned up at the Siri Fort Stadium despite the Indian campaign ending on Friday.

In the women's singles, Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand defeated fourth-seeded Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong 21-13, 21-8 and she will take on third-seeded Youn Joo Bae, who scored a thrilling 23-21, 15-21, 21-12 victory over Japanese Sayaka Sato in the hour-long other semi-final.

Gade dictated terms in the first game with his deft touch. He pushed Park to the flanks to easily finish the rallies. Park struggled to get a foothold after Gade surged ahead 5-3.

Showing supple hands at the net, Gade built on his lead and notched up five points straight from 13-11 to race through with the game.

Park, who defeated second-seeded Indonesian Taufiq Hidayat in the quarterfinals on Friday, came back strongly in the second game, taking a 12-6 lead. But Gade nosed ahead by taking six points on a clip and the pressure was back on the young Korean.

Gade stubbornly held onto the lead to close out the match.

The experienced Gade will meet the winner of the match between World No1. Malaysian Lee Chong Wei and Hong Kong's Yun Hu, seeded eighth.

"I am getting better and better in the tournament. I have been making the semifinals and quarterfinals regularly and it feels good to be in the final here. The last I played in a final was in 2010 Korea Open," said the 34-year-old, who saved three match points in his opening round against Japanese Kazushi Yamada.

"I played a clever and smart game. I set the pace in the match. I was expecting to comeback in the second game because of the change of ends and I was on the difficult side. He was controlling the game but then I fought back well."

Tennis: Somdev go down fighting in Serbia Open

After pulling off one of the biggest wins of his career in the last match, Somdev Devvarman gave seventh seed Jano Tipsarevic a run for his money before losing out in a hard-fourth three setter in the quarter-finals of the Serbia Open here on Friday.

Devvarman, who upstaged world number 26 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the second round on Thursday, lost 3-6 6-3 6-4 to the 36-ranked Tipsarevic.

The 71st-ranked Indian made his fancied Serbian opponent toil hard for 2 hours and 38 minutes to book his place in the semi-finals of the clay court event.

Tipsarevic will now face the winners of another quarter-final between top seed Novak Djokovic and Blaz Kavic.

Somdev, who broke into top-100 early this year, had scored a thrilling 7-6 (6) 2-6 7-6 (8) win over Garcia-Lopez in the second round.

The win over the Spaniard was Somdev's first win over a top-30 player this year and would further enhance his reputation as a new force on the ATP circuit.

Somdev had defeated Ivo Karlovic, then world number 25, in 2009 Chennai Open to record his best win.

Recently, Somdev had played his heart out against world number one Rafael Nadal and world number six David Ferrer before losing on both occasions.

Olympic: GB women win six medals at sailing World Cup regatta

Great Britain's women won six medals on the final day of competition at the Sailing World Cup regatta in Hyeres, France.

Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush and Kate Macgregor were guaranteed silver in their Elliot 6m match racing final against Sally Barkow's American trio.

The British crew took a comfortable 2-0 lead before having to come from behind in the third match to secure a 3-0 win.

It was their first World Cup medal since the Rolex Miami OCR last January.

Lucy Macgregor said: "It's fantastic winning here in Hyeres, Kate and Annie did an awesome job. It was pretty tricky conditions all week so we're really pleased to be on the top of the podium after a couple [of events] where we haven't been."

Both Britain's 470 women's teams won medals, with the new pairing of Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark clinching silver, and Penny Clark and Katrina Hughes taking bronze.

In the RS:X women's event, Bryony Shaw was fifth heading into the 10-strong final race but fought her way to a bronze medal.

Megan Pascoe and Helena Lucas secured another two medals for Britain in the 2.4mR Paralympic class.

Lucas started her 36th birthday with a win in the first race on day two and ninth place in the second race was enough to seal bronze, while Pascoe made it two medals in two World Cup regattas.

Already assured of his Finn class gold, Ben Ainslie finished his regatta in style by winning the medal race to end the event with a 40-point margin over silver medallist Zach Railey of the United States.

Six major US tobacco companies win a lawsuit by Missouri hospitals

Six major US tobacco companies have defeated a lawsuit by hospitals seeking compensation for treating patients with smoking-related illnesses.

Thirty-seven hospitals in the state of Missouri had claimed cigarette companies delivered an "unreasonably dangerous" product.

They sought more than $455m (£272m) reimbursement for treating uninsured smokers who had not paid for care.

The hospitals treat many destitute, non-paying patients.

They said medical ethics required them to treat people in need, regardless of their ability to pay.

In the case, the hospitals claimed that tobacco companies manipulated the nicotine content in cigarettes and misrepresented the health effects of smoking.

But a jury in St Louis rejected their claim.

"The jury agreed with Philip Morris USA that ordinary cigarettes are not negligently designed or defective," said Murray Garnick of Philip Morris.

An official from Lorillard, another company in the case, said: "Compelling evidence was presented to the jury, including testimony from hospital witnesses, that confirmed the hospitals were not financially damaged as they asserted."

US Storms: Tornado losses in billions, Obama pledges help

President Barack Obama promised federal aid on Friday to the tornado-ravaged US South, where deadly twisters have killed at least 339 people and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Obama toured smashed homes and met survivors on a visit to the worst-hit state, Alabama. It was one of seven southern US states mauled by recent tornadoes and storms which have caused insured losses of between $2 billion and $5 billion, according to one catastrophe risk modeler's estimate.

"We are going to do everything we can to help these communities rebuild," Obama told reporters in Tuscaloosa, a university city in Alabama that was devastated by the tornadoes.

The destruction inflicted this week by the twisters, which flattened whole neighborhoods, was the deadliest US natural catastrophe since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"I have never seen devastation like this. It is heartbreaking," said Obama, accompanied by his wife Michelle and Alabama Governor Robert Bentley. "This is something I don't think anyone has seen before."

In Alabama, emergency officials again raised the death toll from the tornadoes in that state, to 238. Bentley said 1,700 people were injured.

At least 101 more deaths were reported across Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia and Louisiana. Children were among the victims.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said it was feared the number of deaths would rise as states searched for many people unaccounted for. But the number of missing was not clear.

"We can't bring those who've been lost back. They're alongside God at this point ... but the property damage, which is obviously extensive, that's something we can do something about," Obama said.

"With initial reports of buildings destroyed approaching 10,000, property insurance losses are expected to range from $2 to $5 Billion," catastrophe risk modeling company EQECAT said.

"Tornado activity in April is putting 2011 into the record books," it said, adding that the recent tornado outbreak had involved "hundreds of touchdowns, some tornado tracks reported to be almost a mile (1.6 km) wide and tens of miles long causing hundreds of fatalities".

Obama was eager to show that federal relief is on its way and that he is not taking the disaster lightly. His predecessor George W. Bush was fiercely criticized for what was viewed as a slow response to Hurricane Katrina.

Flying into Tuscaloosa aboard Air Force One, Obama and his family saw a wide brown scar of devastation several miles (kilometers) long and hundreds of yards (meters) wide.

Tuscaloosa resident Jack Fagan, 23, was glad that Obama saw the damage. "Perhaps federal funds will help us, but I'm sure it will take longer than they say because it always does."

Recovery could cost billions of dollars and even with federal disaster aid it could complicate efforts by affected states to bounce back from recession.

Tornadoes are a regular feature of life in the US South and Midwest, but they are rarely so devastating.

The tornadoes hit Alabama's poultry industry - the state is the No 3 US chicken producer - and hurt other manufacturers in the state.

They also halted coal production at the Cliffs Natural Resources mine in Alabama.

The second-biggest US nuclear power plant, the Browns Ferry facility in Alabama, may be down for weeks after its power was knocked out and the plant automatically shut, avoiding a nuclear disaster, officials said.

Apparel producer VF Corp, owner of clothing brands such as North Face and Wrangler Jeans, said one of its jeanswear distribution centers, located in Hackleburg, Alabama, was destroyed and one employee killed.

In Tuscaloosa, the twisters, including one a mile (1.6 km)-wide, cut a path of destruction, reducing houses to rubble, flipping cars and knocking out utilities. The death count was expected to rise with many bodies still trapped under debris.

"We are bringing in the cadaver dogs today," said Heather McCollum, assistant to Tuscaloosa's mayor. She put the death toll in the city at 42 but said it could rise.

Of the more than 150 tornadoes that rampaged from west to east across the South this week, the National Weather Service confirmed that one that struck Smithville in Mississippi's Monroe County on Wednesday was a rare EF-5 tornado, with winds reaching 205 miles (328 km) per hour.

This is the highest rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale that measures tornado intensity.

"The homes here are made well ... but when you are talking about a direct hit, it does not matter," Monroe County Sheriff Andy Hood said. "Right now, those homes are slabs of concrete. There is nothing left."

Across the South, many people were made homeless by the tornadoes and stayed in shelters. Some residents provided food, water and supplies to neighbors whose homes were destroyed.

Tuscaloosa resident Antonio Donald, 50, received help. "I got no light, no water. I have a newborn baby at home, a daughter who is pregnant and an 88-year-old aunt," he said.

The storms left up to 1 million homes in Alabama without power. Water and garbage collection services were also disrupted in some areas.

Alabama's Jefferson County, which is fighting to avoid what would be the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history, suffered damage and 19 dead but said the storms would have little direct impact on its struggling finances because federal grants were expected.

Barcelona to fine 300 to 500 euros bikini-wearers on the streets

Tourists in Barcelona who wander off the beach onto the streets in just their swimming costumes -- or even less -- will now face stiff fines.

The city hall voted yesterday to ban "nudity or virtual nudity in public places" and limit swimming costumes to swimming pools, beaches, adjacent roads and beach walks.

Nudists who stray off their designated areas of the beach will be subject to fines of 300 to 500 euros ($450 to 750).

Those who wander into the streets in bikinis, swimming trunks or swimsuits face fines of 120 to 300 euros.

Authorities in the city, where the port and the beach areas are adjacent to the historic old town, earlier this year put up posters discouraging such behaviour.

They showed a couple in swimming costumes with a red line across it next to another couple dressed normally but without the red line.

With the new regulations, city authorities hope to "ensure coexistence between citizens in public areas," but denied that they are "telling people how they should dress," said the city councillor in charge of security, Assumpta Escarp.

The owners of some tourist shops welcomed the move, but defenders of nudism were outraged.

"It's a ban that goes beyond laws that decriminalised nudity 22 years ago," said Jacit Ribas i Deix, the head of an association for the defence of nudity and who became well known in Barcelona for walking and cycling naked through the city.

But Egidio Pagliotta, 68, an ice-cream salesman, said "there was a lot of permissiveness and (the new regulation) will be better for everyone."

Rajich Monarni, a 38-year-old Indian who sells shirts in the old town, was also pleased.

"They were more and more of them in the streets. I approve of the fact that they can now be booked."

The beaches and cultural attractions of the capital of Spain's northeastern Catalonia region draw millions of foreign visitors each year.

Two young men charged on Friday for sex scandal at an Australian military college

Two young men were charged on Friday over a sex scandal at a prestigious Australian military college which led to a review of the treatment of women in the armed forces.

Canberra police said the two men, aged 18 and 19, were arrested on Friday at the Australian Defence Force Academy over the March incident, in which a female cadet was allegedly unknowingly filmed and broadcast having sex.

"Police will allege that... a female cadet was recorded without her consent engaging in consensual sexual intercourse," Australian capital territory police said in a statement. Both men have been charged with using "a carriage service to cause offence", a crime which covers the abuse of any electronic communications service. The older man was also charged with an act of indecency.

They faced court on Friday and were granted bail but ordered not to contact the complainant or other witnesses except in the course of classes at the academy. The department of defence said it had been advised of the arrests.

No immediate honeymoon for the Royal couples, says newly wed couples

Prince William and his new bride sprang a surprise Saturday announcing they would not leave immediately on honeymoon and the prince will return to his day job as a helicopter pilot next week.

A statement from St James's Palace said William and Kate would spend the weekend in Britain following their wedding on Friday and have a honeymoon abroad in the future but it "will not be disclosed in advance".

The prince "will return to work as a search and rescue pilot next week", it added.

The announcement appeared to be a way of throwing the media off their trail amid fears that photographers would pursue the couple wherever they chose to spend their honeymoon.

The prince is known to enjoy outwitting the media, whom he still holds responsible for the death of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 as she was being pursued by photographers.

The prince's office stressed that the couple "have asked that their privacy be respected during the coming weekend and during their honeymoon".

The royal family is thought to be prepared to take legal action to prevent any media outlet attempting to disrupt the trip.

So after being the focus of the world on Friday, watched by an estimated global television audience of two billion, William will return to the rural tranquility of his Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Anglesey, northwest Wales.

After a night of partying, the couple departed from Buckingham Palace on Saturday by helicopter.

The Duchess of Cambridge, as Kate is now officially known, wore a belted short blue dress, with a cropped black jacket and black wedge heels, while the prince was dressed in an open-necked white shirt, dark blazer and beige chinos.

The smiling couple held hands as they strolled through the palace grounds, then shook hands with royal staff before leaving.

The pageantry of their wedding service had given way to a night of dinner and dancing for the royal couple and 300 guests, who partied until 3:00 am.

The new duchess said Friday the couple had had a "great day" and expressed relief that the forecast rain never came.

Speculation about their secret honeymoon destination has focused on Africa, as William proposed to Kate in Kenya last year.

Jordan has also been touted as a possibility and would have nostalgic appeal for Kate as her family lived in the kingdom for two years when she was a child.

But given the current upheaval in the Middle East, it might be considered a compromised choice.

A secluded Caribbean island would allow the couple to escape the prying eyes of the media.

Bequia and Necker Island have the benefit of being easily secured, and Kate's wealthy entrepreneur parents are frequent visitors to the ultra-exclusive Mustique.

Lizard Island, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, has also emerged as a contender.

Amid estimations that the wedding was watched by roughly a third of the world's population, the BBC said almost 25 million people saw it live in Britain alone, with nearly 35 million catching some of their coverage throughout the day.

More details of the wedding service in Westminster Abbey emerged in Saturday's newspapers.

With the help of lipreaders, they reported that as Kate walked up the aisle William's best man and brother, Prince Harry, turned to him at the altar and said: "Wait till you see the dress".

The ivory satin and lace wedding gown by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, featuring a hand-embroidered veil and lace sleeves, received unanimous praise in Saturday's media.

"The House of McQueen and the future Queen surpassed all expectations," said The Times' fashion correspondent.

Harry was said to be the driving force behind Friday's evening party at Buckingham Palace, featuring a disco and a live performance from pop starlet Ellie Goulding in what royal sources said was a chance for the younger royals to let their hair down.

Happy moments turn tragedy, celebratory firing kills teenager

A 14-year-old girl was killed on Friday allegedly during a celebratory firing of a marriage in Balihavan village of the district, police said.

Ram Sanwari was killed when uncle of the bride fired from a country-made weapon as the marriage rituals were on, the police said.

"A case has been registered against the accused who is absconding," said Superintendent of police, Kripa Shankar Singh.

Efforts to nab him are on, SP added.

Prime Minister tells CBI to act without fear or favour, and bring guilty to book

Asking CBI officials not to indulge in any kind of witch-hunt, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the probe agency should act without fear or favour and bring all those guilty to book irrespective of their positions.

The Prime Minister said the handling of high profile cases constitutes a litmus test for the CBI officers.

The CBI investigations should be without vendetta, witch-hunt and harassment of the innocent, he said inaugurating the new headquarters of the premier agency in New Delhi.

"The CBI should act without fear or favour and bring all those to books who are guilty irrespective of their positions. Whoever transgresses the law of the land, however mighty, has to be brought to book," Singh said.

The Prime Minister said the CBI has set a benchmark for other investigating agencies in the country to emulate but there is room for improvement.

"Our government is committed to provide manpower, finances and technology that this premier investigating agency requires," he said.

The Prime Minister said the government has decided to establish 71 additional special courts for the CBI of which 64 have been sanctioned but only 16 are operational.

Singh said over the years the CBI has evolved as the premier investigating agency of the country and there is a loud clamour for investigations to be handed over to the CBI.

He described the Rs 186 crore impressive structure as a state-of-the-art and green building.

"I am sure that this new building will provide all of you a congenial and comfortable habitat," he said.

2G Scam: Joshi submits PAC report to speaker on spectrum scam

Unfazed by the 'rejection' of the draft report on 2G scam, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi today submitted it to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on the last day of his term as head of the Committee.

Lok Sabha sources said that Joshi sent the report with a covering letter through officials who submitted it to the Speaker's office.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Joshi said, "I have dispatched the report to the Lok Sabha Speaker's office. The Speaker should accept the report and table it in Parliament. The government should be accountable to the people as they have a right to know where and how spent was spent. It is the job if the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) job to find out where the money went."

He also said that the fight against corruption should not be politicised.

The controversial draft report that was sharply critical of the PMO, Prime Minister and others was 'rejected' by the majority of members in the 21-member Committee on Thursday during a chaotic meeting.

While Joshi claimed that he had 'adjourned' the meeting, Congress members alleged that he had walked out after which they 'elected' Rajya Sabha Saifuddin Soz to chair the meeting which 'rejected' the report.

Eleven members belonging to Congress, DMK and one each from SP and BSP 'voted' against adoption of the report.

They also said they would present to the Lok Sabha their version of the outcome of the meeting and evidence of rejection of the report.

Railway official rapes girl on a moving train

A 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a 52-year-old Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) in a moving train in Rajasthan's Sirohi district, GRP sources said today.

The victim, hailing from Abu Road and the daughter of a retired railways employee, was travelling alone in a general coach in Ajmer-Dadar train from Ajmer to Abu Road when the incident took place.

During her journey, she met an off-duty TTE Dinesh Dutt Mishra, who she already knew. He lured her to an AC coach on the pretext of getting her a comfortable seat.

In the AC coach, he allegedly raped her. She raised an alarm following which passengers of the coach caught him and handed him over to the GRP at Abu road junction, they said.

When the incident came to light, railways authorities found that the TTE on-duty Amar Singh Rathore was missing from the train.

"Rathore did not complete his duty hours and alighted from the train at Phalna station before the scheduled junction and the incident of rape happened after that," said an official of North-Western Railway here.

"Both the TTEs have been suspended. Mishra for his alleged involvement in the rape case and Rathore for showing laxity in discharging duty," he added.

Search is still on Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu's Helicopter

A helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu and four others went missing on Saturday shortly after take off from Tawang and apprehensions grew about their fate with search operations yielding no results.

Khandu, accompanied by the sister of Tawang MLA, security officer, had taken off from Tawang at 9:56am and was to land at Itanagar at 11:30am by a Pawan Hans helicopter Eurocopter B3 craft. Tawang is about 200 kms from here.

The chopper was last in communication with the base when it was overflying Sela Pass, 20 minutes after taking off from Tawang, and all communication was lost after that.

There was confusion in the afternoon with claims made by Governor Gen (retd) J J Singh first and then by the chief minister's office and defence spokesperson that the chief minister had landed safely in a place called Daporijo in Upper Subansiri district. The CM's office said the helicopter had landed in a place in Bhutan.

However later in the evening there were denials from all concerned saying helicopter has not been located and search operation was still on.

"The helicopter is missing and the search operation is still on," Union home secretary Gopal K Pillai said in New Delhi in the evening.

The Arunachal Pradesh government said that it is yet to ascertain the whereabouts of the Pawan Hans chopper. Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Inspector General of Police Robin Hibu said joint search operation for the missing copter will be conducted by Army, Air Force and state police from tomorrow morning by air and through ground.

The five on board included crew members Captain J S Babbar and Captain K S Malick, Khandu's security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lamu, sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup.

Defence spokesman Wing Commander Ranjeev Sahoo said in Shillong that two IAF Cheetah helicopters were sent for the rescue and search operations.

"They have flown from Tezpur and searched the route from Tawang to Itanagar. Because of inclement weather they had to come back after two hours of search. But they could not locate the missing chopper. If needed they would be sent again tomorrow," Sahoo told PTI.

Pawan Hans officials said in Guwahati "We have not been able to contact our pilots and unless we receive information from them, we cannot confirm any report".

56-year-old Khandu, who had served in the intelligence wing of the Indian Army, was sworn on April 9, 2007 as the fifth chief minister of the state, replacing Gegong Apang.

Earlier Pillai had said that search parties left from Itanagar by road to the probable site near Sela Pass. The Defence Ministry, Army and the Air Force have all been alerted.

"Unfortunately because of very bad weather the flights have not been able to take off for the search in Tawang area. But as soon as weather clears, the helicopters will take off", Pillai said.

Defence ministry spokesman in Kolkata, Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani, said despite inclement weather, two Cheetah helicopters have been pressed into service from Tezpur in Assam for search and rescue operations.

The request for help reached the air force at 1230 hours and the two helicopters took off within 40 minutes.

The airforce has pressed into service two helicopters in search operations to locate the missing chopper. The Pawan Hans chopper was a Eurocopter B-3 and was just 4-5 months old. It was based in Itanagar.

This is the third helicopter to get into trouble in the Northeast in the last fortnight.

In the April 19 incident, a Pawan Hans helicopter crashed in the mountains of Tawang, bordering Tibet, killing 17 people. The helicopter crashed not far away from the helipad and the DGCA had found that proper fire-fighting facilities could have saved lives.

In the other incident, an army helicopter crashed near Gangtok killing four occupants on board.

Gold travels on a jet!!! Creates record price everyday

Gold prices surged to a new peak and crossed the Rs 23,000 mark in the national capital today on sustained buying by speculators, triggered by a strong rally in overseas markets. Silver, however, dropped due to reduced offtake.

The yellow gold spurted by Rs 655 to all-time high of Rs 23,175 per 10 grams as the metal in international markets climbed to a record high of $1,570.60 an ounce in day-to-day trading.

Hectic buying by stockists and retail customers ahead of 'Akshya Tritya' festival, a traditional day for buying gold further bolstered the market sentiment.
Silver, however, lacked necessary follow-up support on reduced offtake at existing higher levels and shed Rs 500 to Rs 71,500 per kg.

Market analysts said the recent surge in gold prices in the domestic markets, driven by a firming global trend on bets that the dollar will extend a slump, boosted the demand of the metal as a store of value.

They added that the upsurge was speculative in nature and scattered small buying for the coming festival and marriage season supported the market trend.

On the domestic front, gold of 99.9 and 99.5% purity rose by Rs 655 each to a record high of Rs 23,175 and Rs 23,055 per 10 grams, respectively.

Sovereign followed suit and rose by Rs 100 to a fresh high of Rs 18,500 per piece of eight gram.

On the other hand, the white metal attracted profit-taking by dealers at existing higher levels and recorded a moderate loss of Rs 500 to Rs 71,500 per kg, while weekly-based delivery fell by Rs 570 to Rs 70,600 per kg.

Similarly, silver coins lost Rs 500 to Rs 77,000 for buying and Rs 78,000 for selling of 100 pieces.

Priyanka Chopra says she is not comfortable with nudity in films

Though she has portrayed many bold characters on the silver screen, Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra says she is not comfortable with nudity in films.

The 28-year-old, who has done steamy scenes in films like "Andaaz", "Aitraaz" and "Fashion" among others, says that among the few things that she would not indulge in would be nudity.

"Nudity is something that I wouldn't be comfortable with. Even if I play the most complex and weird parts which are raunchy or whatever it has to be, the portrayal of a character is to a point where it is aesthetically done. It has to be something that I won't be averse to showing my parents. I have to be able to sit with them and watch it.

"Even if it's a film like 'Saat Khoon Maaf', the thought of the scenes was a lot more than what was actually seen. And that is aesthetically well done," Priyanka, who was part of a youth forum organised by MTV, told reporters here.

Being frank and not politically correct, the actress also said that if need be, she wouldn't mind kissing even a girl on the screen.

"If it was in a part that I was really eager to do, I would still consider it but as of now, nothing has made me do that. Also a prerequisite is that she has to be hot," said Priyanka.

The actress has many plum projects in her kitty at the moment, including "Don 2 - The Chase Continues", "Agneepath", "Barfee" and "Krrish 2".

Lady Gaga, Ellen DeGeneres shares on stage kiss

Stand-up comedian Ellen DeGeneres and 'Poker Face' singer Lady Gaga shared a kiss after the latter performed her new song on the show.

DeGeneres, 53, kissed Lady Gaga, 25, real name Stefani Germanotta, after she sang her latest single Judas.

Gaga chose DeGeneres' chat show for a world first performance of her new single, and decided to celebrate her three-year friendship with the TV personality.

"You are so sweet and beautiful. I love you, you are fantastic," the Daily Mail quoted DeGeneres as saying as she thanked the pop singer.

And it appears that Gaga was just as happy to be seeing her friend and surprised her with a cake to celebrate their mutual appreciation.

Hindi film heroines end up playing wives and girlfriends says Lara Dutta

Hindi film heroines still get little chance to take on the burden of a film and end up playing wife, girlfriend or love interest, says actor-producer Lara Dutta, explaining that the name of her production company Bhigi Basanti is a tongue-in-cheek take on how they are viewed in Bollywood.

"Basanti obviously came from 'Sholay' and it's also a typical Hindi film heroine name. I think Bhigi Basanti is a very quintessential, typical image of a Hindi film heroine that has been in cinema across time. For me, it was a little bit of a tongue-in-cheek take also on how heroines are viewed in the Hindi film industry," Lara told IANS in an interview.

The first film from the 33-year-old's production house is "Chalo Dilli", which has got encouraging reviews. Directed by Shashant Shah, it sees Lara in the female lead while Vinay Pathak plays the male protagonist. It hit the screens Friday.

"'Chalo Dilli' was a very special film that came to us. It's not a female-oriented film. It's a story where both the cast have equal amounts to play and it feels nice to make a film, which is not arty or alternate cinema, it's a commercial film with the simple story of a journey," said Lara.

Some might feel the actress is oddly paired with actor Vinay, but says the story demanded so.

"It's not necessary that you do all films with a superstar. If you think you will always do a film with a big actor, you would never get a chance to do a film. The story demanded someone like Vinay. He was very, very suited for the film," said Lara.

"Shashant had written the script keeping Vinay in mind for the male character. He had first approached me to act in the film. He didn't have a producer, neither did he know that 'Bhigi Basanti' existed," she said.

Lara, who recently got married to tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, was longing to exhibit her acting potential as a solo lead after working in multi-starrers like "Housefull", "No Entry" and "Partner".

"I was waiting for the pressure of delivering. It's not that I was trying to hide away from that. In the industry, you get very little chance, very few scripts where an actress could do something or take the burden of the film and end up being the heroes' wife, girlfriend or love interest," she said.

Acting in a home production doubles the responsibility, realised the former beauty queen.

"Being only an actor I used to deal with staff at one level and being a producer you have to deal with your actors at a different level. I am responsible for the whole unit. When your crew shoots in the freezing cold of Shekhawati, your responsibility multiplies. On the other hand, it's such a high," said Lara.

Did it distract her from acting at any point?

"Not at all. I think the level of professionals we are, once we are in front of the camera, nothing else matters," she said.

Nicole Richie seen sporting her fabulous body in a colorful bikini at a poolside in Miami

Being a mother of two definitely agrees with Nicole Richie, who was recently seen sporting her fabulous body in a colorful bikini at a poolside in Miami.

The former reality TV star could be an inspiration to all the mothers around and still give top models a run for their money.

All the gym sessions certainly seem to be paying off, as the hot mama looked amazing relaxing with friends in a striped two-piece.

Richie, 29, is married to her long-time boyfriend, Joel Madden and has two kids, daughter Harlow and a newborn son Sparrow, reports radaronline.com

India, China should use their growth to stabilise Asia

Observing that Asia sits at the crossroads of the world's emerging threats of cyber crime, climate change and terrorism, a top Pentagon official said India and China should use their growth to secure and stabilise the region.

"By most measures, the Asia-Pacific region is the most important and most dynamic region in the world today, and likely to be more so as this still-young century unfolds," Michèle Flournoy, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, said during a discussion at the Johns Hopkins University's 'Rethinking Seminar'.

"Asia sits at the crossroads of the world's emerging threats of cyber security, climate change and terrorism," she said, adding that this growing importance of Asia means the US must continue to build and strengthen its alliances there and encourage China and India to use their growth to secure and stabilize the region.
Flournoy said the US and China "are not inevitably destined for conflict, as some have posited. Even as we manage our differences, we can deepen our cooperation across the full range of our shared interests."

She said though the US still ranks as the world's largest economy as measured by gross domestic product, the next three largest are China, Japan and India.

In 2010, ten of the world's 15 fastest-growing economies were in Asia, she added.

The Pentagon official said China's economy is growing rapidly within Asia, causing the International Monetary Fund to estimate that Asia's economy will eclipse that of the United States by 2030.

Vijay's Velayudham release in August

Here is more news for all those who are eagerly awaiting tidbits from the 'Velayudham' team.

Firstly the film will have all the essential features that usually feature in a Vijay film all inclusive of the songs and dance and the stunts. But there will be a little delay in the film's release suggest people close to the film's working unit. 'Velayudham' which was touted to hit theatres on the birthday of 'Ilaya Thalapathi' will be delayed by a couple of months and release only in August.

Though more than eighty percent of the filming is over, a couple of songs have to be shot, most probably from the foreign soil and then there is the post production work to be taken care of suggested 'Jayam' Raja, the director of the film recently. The film has five music tracks with Vijay Antony giving his best shot at the tunes. He has also crooned a song in this album. The lyrics have been penned by lyricist Vivega, Annamalai; the director of 'Dindukal Saarathi,' Siva Shanmugam, too has penned a song in this film.

Apart from the songs another highlight of the film would be the stunt sequences. There are around six action-packed stunt scenes in the film. The stunt scenes have been choreographed by stunt Selva who has also contributed to upcoming films 'Mankatha' and 'Venghai.' Though the film has been delayed a little the final product is what that counts, and the cast is making sure that the audience gets their money's worth and enjoy the film to their heart's content.

Government appoints RK Upadhyay as the Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL

The Government today finally appointed Rakesh Kumar Upadhyay as the Chairman and Managing Director of telecom giant BSNL.

"He (Upadhyay) will join office (of BSNL chief) today," the DoT Secretary, Mr R. Chandrashekhar, told PTI.

However, no decision regarding the appointment of MTNL chief, another public sector telecom major, has been taken.

A search-cum-selection panel had earlier selected Mr Upadhyay, CMD of Telecom Consultants India Ltd, for the BSNL chief's post.

The panel was headed by Mr Sam Pitroda, adviser to the Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations, and included the Cabinet Secretary, Mr K.M. Chandresekhar, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr T.K.A. Nair, and the Unique Identification Authority of India Chairman, Mr Nandan Nilekani, as members for selecting the top officials of the two telecom PSUs.

Mr Upadhyay is a 1975 batch officer of Indian Telecom Services. He holds a B.Tech (Electronics) Degree from I T Banaras Hindu University and MBA (Marketing Management) Degree from the Indira Gandhi Open University.

See through Rims

Clear rims, made from a thick slab of polycarbonate. The wheels are made by a technique known as bezel setting, where the diamonds are just slightly larger than the bezel they are set into and are held in place by pressure. By eliminating the alloy centre of a three piece forged wheel and setting into its place a hard coated polycarbonate centre with a glass-like finish we achieve an amazing and stunning look, with a finished product that looks too good to be a wheel.

Quiet Stethoscope

Researchers at Active Signal Technologies, Inc., of Linthicum Heights, Md., in collaboration with the U.S. Army Aero medical Research Laboratory (USAARL) in Fort Rucker, Ala., have developed an ultrasound stethoscope that is nearly impervious to loud noise and is capable of making accurate readings at noise levels up to 120 decibels, similar to the volume experienced at the front row of a rock concert.

Cutting board with an integrated scale

A cutting board with an integrated scale within a defined area on it's surface, using "electronic ink" display technology

Easy Pull Electrical Plug

Adding a ring to a normal electrical plug makes it easier to pull the plug out of the socket. This would make a lot of difference for people with reduced finger strength.

Iron with Auto Lift

Touch&Glide Iron What makes this iron different from all the others is that it has a couple of legs on the bottom. When you grab ahold of the handle, it senses your touch, and automatically retracts the legs. When you let go, the legs come back out. So, you never have to lift the iron.So now, you don't have to worry about burning something when you answer the phone, or drop the iron on the carpet.

Glowing Power Cable

New power aware cord from Interactive institute: when the cable isn't delivering any power it looks like just any other power cable, but when it's in use it glows and pulses. The more power you use, the more it glows. Inventions like this is very important to be able to halt the global warming and spread awareness about the problem.

Endoscopic Capsules

Endoscopic capsules, ingestible pill-shaped devices designed to capture images from inside the digestive tract, have been around for quite a while. But Sayaka, an endoscopic capsule developed by RF System Lab in December 2005, has dramatically increased the overall image quality by changing the camera position and enabling the camera to rotate.On a typical 8-hour, 8-meter (26 feet) journey through the gastrointestinal tract, Sayaka snaps approximately 870,000 photos, which are sent to a receiver located near the body. Image mosaicking technology is then used to stitch the images together into a flat, high-resolution rectangular map of the intestines, which can be magnified up to 75 times. In addition to scouring the maps for problem areas, gastroenterologists can compare maps from previous sessions to track changes in a patients condition.

Spray on ceramic Coating

A high-technology ceramic coating originally developed for the nuclear industry and already used by five Formula One teams is now available for automotive applications. Applied to the exhaust manifold using a high-temperature plasma spray, the Zircotec coating greatly reduces the release of heat, helping to protect the finish of the manifold, the engine and other components in the engine bay. The coating can also be applied to turbo housings, cam covers, heat shields and other metal components. Testing by race teams has shown a reduction in under-bonnet temperature of up to 25ºC and power improvements, from the lower air induction temperatures, of up to six percent.

Knock - off Lamp

You probably wouldn't want to deal with the power strips required to plug in 10 of these, but this Knock-Off Lamp illuminates when stood up, and the only way to turn it off is to knock it down. If you can't seem to stop thinking about bowling, this lamp will be right up your alley: it's shaped just like a bowling pin and just the right size: 15 inches tall (that's the regulation height of a bowling pin), but it's made of plastic.

Orange Treaded Tires

These 19-inch prototypes, developed by Continental, have an orange radial stripe beneath the tyre profile which matches the car's paint colour. This colour is not simply painted on: it penetrates the rubber layer as a baked in component of the tyre's casing.

Visual Search Engine

Like.com is the first true visual search engine, where the contents of photos are used to search and retrieve similar items. Key features of Like.com include:
Likeness Search - the ability to search by image instead of text;
Like Detail - finds items that have a specific feature you like (such as a buckle, straps, bezel, etc);
Like Color - find color variants of the item you desire;
Like Celebrity - find clothing, shoes and accessories similar to those worn by your favorite celebrities;

Tripod Burner

The tripod burner originates from the shape of firewood in a bonfire, with the logs leaning against each other. Just click one of the bar-shaped legs and the top outside edge of all three legs ignites. There is a sensor-adjuster on one side to adjust the intensity. With folding legs, you can carry this burner with you and use it anywhere.

Tripod Burner

Rice Packaging

Premium White Long Grain Rice available in a new pour & store packaging where the measuring cup is attached to the lid.

Invisible Cloak

This idea is very simple. If you project background image onto the masked object, you can observe the masked object just as if it were virtually transparent. This shows the principle of the optical camouflage using X'tal Vision. You can select camouflaged object to cover with retroreflector. Moreover, to project a stereoscopic image, the observer looks at the masking object more transparent. Optical camouflage can be applied for a real scene. In the case of a real scene, a photograph of the scene is taken from the operator's viewpoint, and this photograph is projected to exactly the same place as the original. Actually, applying HMP-based optical camouflage to a real scene requires image-based rendering techniques.

Flexible Soft wall Refrigerator

This future fridge concept expands to hold more food and is even fully portable. The refrigerator's folding configuration offers convenient portability and deformable storage and the size is optimised according to the quantity of things inside in order to save energy hence soft refrigerator! The heat-insulating flexible membrane coat and slide fastener door keeps the cooling intact while you adjust the size to your needs. The holes on retractile bracing can transport cool air to each layer.

Musical Tooth Brush

When pressed to the teeth, the toothbrush renders a recorded riff from a pop star that lasts two minutes -- precisely the amount of time dentists say children should spend brushing their teeth

Rakku Shoe Storage

Rakkudesigns recently introduced this rolodex style shoe storage system. It's a 30 x 12 inch wheel that can hold up to 30 pairs of shoes.

Adjustable High Heels

It has separate tips for both positions. While being used in one position, the other heel tip is kept out of sight in and opening in the sole. The shoe is being transformed with a simple and quick movement: one just pulls the heel downwards to release it, after which it can be folded in or out as preferred. The adjustment of the heel position automatically changes the curvature of the sole to fit the altered shape of the foot. This mechanism has been patented."

Vicks Underarm Thermometer

The Vicks underarm thermometer has a asymmetrical shaping making it easier to measure the temperature under the patients arm that with an ordinary thermometer. 

Trimmed Down Flash Light

The Pak-Lite combines two Super Bright LED Bulbs with a 9-volt battery. It uses a patented design to provide a small, lightweight, long running, simplistic, durable, and field proven flashlight that will be with you wherever you go!

Reveal Light

If you live in an apartment without many windows, sometimes it can feel a bit claustrophobic. While your landlord probably won't be too keen on you knocking a hole in a wall to let in some light, perhaps you can alleviate that boxed-in feeling by installing Reveal, the new interior lighting concept from designer Adam Frank, maker of the clever Lumen candleholders. Reveal casts a clever light-and-shadow pattern across any surface, making it look like sun shining through tree branches and into a nearby window, making any space feel more open.

Make / Shift Shelf System

If you are looking into adding some more shelves around your humble abode so you can finally get organized, you may want to check out the Make/Shift Shelving System. The shelving system is ideal for awkward sized spaces where you want to add shelves without doing custom work. The Make/Shift Shelving system is made of a flexible foam-like material, that you wedge together and squeeze into place.

Power Purse

Joe Hynek, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, received second place at the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists design competition back in April for his creation of the Power Purse. He wanted to design something that was attractive yet functional and this bag certainly is with the ability to recharge batteries and other electronic devices. We're assuming that means cell phones and possibly iPods since the bag seems to small to charge, let's say, your laptop. Hynek has dabbled in accessory items before with hats and his next endeavor is to make solar products that can be laundered.This could also be great for backpacks for students and for hikers.

Bio degradable Shrink Labels

Decorative Sleeves has become the first European shrink sleeve manufacturer to include a film made from renewable resources among its range of products.The company is currently running a series of trials with leading customers using PLA shrink film. PLA (polylactic acid) is a biodegradable polymer derived from corn, which provides an annually renewable and 100% compostable alternative to traditional petroleum-based products.  As it is not oil-based, it also offers greater price stability.  A number of high profile containers are already being produced in PLA, thereby offering the brand owner a mono polymer packaging solution. The PLA Shrink Film has a further environmental benefit in shrink applications as shrinkage can be achieved at lower temperatures, thus requiring less energy consumption.  Lower shrinkage temperatures can also help to reduce the size of tunnels and increase throughput. The film has been specially formulated for the needs of shrink sleeves.  In particular, it is preferentially oriented to provide high shrinkage in the transverse direction, ideal for the decoration of a wide variety of bottle and container shapes.  It is also suitable for unprinted sleeves and tamper evident applications.