Facebook snatches NIT Warangal student for Rs 45L salary

HYDERABAD: It's raining lucrative jobs at NIT Warangal which has had the best placement season so far. The 51-year-old institute started its recruitment drive on August 15 and already has a 21-year-old fourth year BTech computer science student securing the highest ever pay package of Rs 45 lakh per annum. The offer, made by Facebook, has created a record of sorts here. The institute confirmed that the student will be joining the technical wing of the social networking giant, as soon as he completes his course in March next year.

This has set a new benchmark at NIT Warangal in that the highest salary any student from the institute had bagged so far was Rs 20 lakh per annum. From the 2010-11 batch as many as three students had got jobs that paid them Rs 20 lakh per annum, sources at NIT said. It is not just the 21-year-old whizkid who has bagged a hefty package this year. According to sources, the salaries offered to students so far range anywhere between Rs 5 to Rs 12 lakh per annum. The recruitment process for this year that started on August 15 is expected to last till March 2012. Sources said that most of the recruiters so far are IT companies.

About 30 students from computer science stream of the institute have already been recruited. Eight companies have come in for recruitment in the first round so far. According to NIT officials, this year other than the usual brand of companies several new ones have expressed interest in hiring. "Companies have now shed the recession blues completely and are looking for fresh candidates to recruit. Many of them like Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and Google could recruit more number of freshers than they did last year," said a senior professor from the institute. Last year, 92% students from the B Tech batch of the institute and 50 % students from M Tech batch were recruited by companies. The average pay package offered by companies last year was between Rs 6 and Rs 7 lakh per annum. The institute officials are expecting a considerable increase in the pay packages this year. NIT professors said that this year, several companies have been vying for the first interview slots with students.

"Most of the IT companies are willing to pay really well to bright students who get absorbed in the first or second interview. The companies who come for interviews later could offer bigger packages to students. We'll have to wait and watch what the salary trend this year is," said an official from NIT.

Having a poor night's sleep can be bad for a man's heart

Women have long complained of being kept awake by their snoring husbands – while he sleeps contentedly like a log.
But scientists claim the reality is the other way round and women are by far the better sleepers.
Worryingly for the chaps, the experts also believe men’s lack of good-quality shut-eye explains why they suffer more heart attacks.

Bad news for the chaps: Men find it more difficult to fall into very deep sleep, putting them at risk of high blood pressure

Researchers found that men find it more difficult to fall into very deep sleep, which increased their risk of high blood pressure and heart problems.
They are also more likely to wake during the night – sometimes due to their own loud snoring – and consequently get fewer hours of deep uninterrupted slumber, known as ‘slow-wave sleep’.
The U.S. scientists, from Harvard University, say that those who get less of this type of sleep are more prone to suffer from high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Around one man in five in Britain dies from a heart attack, compared with just one woman in seven.
The Harvard study, published in the journal of the American Heart Association, looked at the sleeping habits of 784 men over 65.
At various intervals scientists measured their sleep quality, levels of brain activity during sleep and how often they woke at night.
The researchers found that men who had the least amount of deep sleep were 80 per cent more likely to develop high blood pressure.
These men spent just 4 per cent of their sleeping time in deep sleep, compared with an average person’s level of 15 per cent.
Although the study did not include women, separate U.S. research has shown they get an average of 7 per cent more deep sleep than men.

The scientists say men’s trouble with deep sleep could be because they are more likely to suffer from a condition called sleep apnoea, which is characterised by breathing problems and loud snoring. 
Lead researcher Susan Redline said: ‘Our study shows for the first time that poor-quality sleep, reflected by reduced slow-wave sleep, puts individuals at significantly increased risk of developing high blood pressure.
'Although women were not included in this study, it’s quite likely that those who have lower levels of slow-wave sleep for any number of reasons may also have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure.’
Natasha Stewart, of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘We would need to see more research in other age groups and involving women to confirm this particular association.
‘However, we do know that sleep is essential for staying healthy. It’s important we all try to make sleep a priority and get our six to eight hours of shut-eye a night.’
The Harvard findings fly in the face of a survey by the British Lung Foundation, which suggested women suffer the worst sleep.
Its poll of 2,500 adults revealed that 40 per cent of women said they were kept awake by snoring husbands and were twice as likely as men to report losing sleep.

Live footage of a rioter stabbing a man and trying to escape

A knifeman seen running from the scene of a stabbing at the Notting Hill Carnival is being hunted by police.
Detectives are appealing for anyone who knows the identity of the thug in this picture to contact them.
As these astonishing images show, this was the moment a bystander tried to trip up a knife-wielding hooligan who fled the scene of a stabbing.
Despite being laden with shopping bags, the brave man stuck his leg out into the path of a thug who was carrying a blood-stained blade.

Courageous: The Good Samaritan - seen carrying shopping bags and other items - sticks his leg out into the path of a thug as he tries to flee the scene of a stabbing

Scene of horror: The blade appears to have blood on it as the victim is seen in the background, bleeding from his wounds

As the man flees the scene in Ladbroke Grove, west London, a stab victim can be seen in the background, bleeding from his wounds as police look on.
The man was stabbed in the middle of the Notting Hill Carnival in front of horrified revellers. He was knifed in the abdomen and the hand just an hour before the festivities came to a close.
The festival-goer, said to be in his twenties, collapsed in a pool of blood as members of the public rushed to help. He was taken to hospital where his condition was said to be serious.
The attack outside a house in Ladbroke Grove marred what had otherwise been a largely peaceful carnival after Scotland Yard flooded the area with 6,500 officers to prevent disorder.
Last night officers were quizzing three people who were arrested in the area on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
Record numbers of police officers were on duty yesterday, the second day of the carnival, with London’s reputation at stake in the wake of widespread violence and looting earlier this month.
The celebrations got off to a peaceful start as revellers descended on the capital for Europe’s biggest street festival.

Wounded: The man just after the stabbing (left) and being given emergency treatment (right)

By last night 160 arrests had been made – 72 yesterday and 88 on Sunday for a variety of offences, including drugs possession, public order, theft, criminal damage, robbery and assault.
This figure was down on last year when a total of 243 arrests were made.
Officers from the dog support unit also seized three pit-bull type dogs under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act but no one was arrested, Scotland Yard added.
Police chiefs launched their ‘robust’ strategy against troublemakers by making more than 40 pre-emptive arrests last week and agreeing an earlier finish time with event organisers.
Metropolitan Police Commander Steve Rodhouse said: ‘Through effective stop-and-search, we believe we have deterred and prevented trouble from taking place.
‘We’ve worked closely with event stewards and have seen huge support from all carnival participants to meet that really important earlier close-down.

Emergency: Medics tend to the blood-stained man's wounds as he lies in the street

'Our intelligence picture has not changed and we will make sure that our officers are out stopping the right people so everyone else can take part and join in the fun.’
Police have put in place a Section 60 order, which allows them to search individuals to prevent serious violence, and a Section 60 AA order, giving officers the power to require any person to remove items  of clothing that conceal their identity.
Elsewhere in London there were more than 4,000 additional officers ‘as well as the thousands who are normally on duty’, Commander Rodhouse added.
London Mayor Boris Johnson issued a rallying call before the festivities began to ‘let the true spirit of London shine through’ – with the hope that the event would help heal the wounds left by the riots.
He added: ‘It’s right that the carnival goes ahead so we can show the world that the overwhelming majority of London’s people are decent, law-abiding citizens who respect the law, love their city and want to celebrate our vibrant, diverse and historical culture.’

College football stars among 4 arrested and 10 hospitalised after up to 4000 revellers packed out of control Facebook pool party

Four people, including two college football stars, were arrested and at least 10 people hospitalised after a weekend party near Colorado State University that was advertised on Facebook grew to thousands of people.
The back-to-school party at a Fort Collins apartment complex began at 1 pm Saturday.
Its Facebook page registered nearly 3,000 attendees.

Party: Up to 4000 revellers swamped a Colorado housing complex on Saturday

Overwhelmed: Ambulance staff called to the party had to radio for back from police after the party got out of hand

Fort Collins Police Lt. Dave Haywood says officers were dispatched at about 3 pm after fire and ambulance responders were 'overwhelmed with alcohol-overdose cases.'
Police say two people were cited with assault, one was cited with disorderly conduct, and a fourth person was cited with interference with a peace officer.
According to the Denver Post, two of those arrested played for the University's football team.
The paper reported James William Skelton, 21, starting middle linebacker for the Rams, was cited for third-degree assault.
Zachary Robert Tiedgen, 21, a backup defensive lineman, was also cited for disorderly conduct.

Skimpy: Many of the revellers were dressed in swimwear as they crowded the pool area

Cramped: The party is an annual event billed as 'the best pool party in the world'

The other two were Daniel James Rosselot, 20, for third-degree assault, and Dillon James Lawrence, 20, for interfering with a police officer.
Haywood says the assault charges were related to a fight, though he doesn't think anyone was 'seriously hurt.'
He says he doesn't have details on the people who were taken to hospitals, but he says some of the cases involved intoxication.

Thousands gather at India Gate to celebrate Anna's victory

'Anna has pulled off a miracle', was the unanimous cry from Hazare supporters who thronged the India Gate in thousands following anti-corruption crusader's call to celebrate their victory.

Cutting across the barriers of age and gender, people looked into a mode of celebration while dancing on the tunes of bands, doing Bhangra, singing patriotic songs, raising impromptu slogans, flying kites names after Anna, waving Indian flags, and some even distributing free sweets and chocolates among themselves.

"Anna has awakened the nation", said 80-year-old Retd. Army Officer Shiv Kumar Sharma, who had come with his wife and friends to the India Gate.

"I don't think that Lokpal alone will eradicate corruption from India. However, I do feel that Anna Hazare through his movement has woken up the nation... The whole country has stood up against corruption and I think this is the biggest achievement of this movement," Sharma said.

Though, Lokpal is not the whole answer to the problem, it is a very good beginning, said R S Yadav, a retd Colonel.

Amidst huge media presence and police deployment, people sang patriotic songs and waved Indian flags while some were seen getting their face painted in the colours of tricolour.

"I am proud to be an Indian today," said 22-year-old Sunil, who is pursuing his MBA in Delhi.

Mohan Aggarwal, a businessman, had come with a group of 40 people from Vaishali, and was seen distributing free sweets and chocolates among the people gathered at the India Gate.

"It's our way of celebrating by distributing sweets. Only a God can do what Anna has done through his struggle. We had never imagined in our dreams that one day the whole country would stand up against corruption... He has done a miracle," said Aggarwal.

Some were not "satisfied" with the government's response to the whole movement.

"Though I am not fully satisfied with the government's response, at least something is being done to rid this country of corruption. Anna has shown us a path and now it's our responsibility to follow it... At least I won't give or accept bribes from now on," said Yudhishter Singh, a Customs Manager, who had come all the way from Ethiopia to be a part of the movement.

Anna's call for Right to recall has no takers

India's new national crusader against corruption Anna Hazare has ended his fast but not his political campaign. He has a new mission now and it is electoral reforms. He said Indian voters must have the Right to recall MPs and the right to reject all candidates in the ballot paper. The MPs said on Monday said that the ideas are simply unworkable.
"We have to recall the electoral system. There has to be a Right to reject and a Right to recall," said Anna Hazare.
Anna Hazare's new call for the Right to recall parliamentarians isn't receiving much political support. Political leaders and constitutional experts say it cannot be implemented - But is there an example in other democracies?
Having called off his 13-day long fast on Sunday, Anna Hazare is now giving a lot of food for thought to parliamentarians. He now wants to work on a Right to recall - an idea that has already been rejected by elected representatives.
"What if a MP is elected with 30 percent vote, 70 percent would then jump and seek recall. It was an idea that was dismissed by JP," said Subramaniyam Swamy, President, Janata Party.
"It's impractical, can't implement even at Panchayat level. People who are advocating this need to understand India first," said Vyalar Ravi.
The first successful recall took place in 1911 of Mayor of Seattle, the recall of elected representatives is already in existence in 9 states in America.
Hollywood Star Arnold Schwarzenegger was amongst the most high profile individuals to have been elected in 2003, in a special recall election to replace then Governor Gray Davis.
In India, states of Bihar, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh are some of the states that has Right to recall at the Panchayat level.
Anna also wants the government to look at the possibility of evolving a Right to reject for the voters. It implies that at the time of voting, voters should also have the option - none of the mentioned parties.
"Right to reject seems relatively more practical," said Congress leader Salman Khurshid.
"When the larger issue of electoral reforms comes in, it can be considered in the larger interest of politics," said BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.
The government would definitely try to avoid another confrontation with Anna Hazare, it would not want to be on the wrong side of any people's movement. So in case of electoral reforms, it may well take a lead and not be caught on the back foot again.

Google tests world's first 1GB per second broadband service - 100 times faster than normal

 Silicon Valley residents are getting the first taste of Google's experimental 1Gbps broadband service, which allows download speeds 100 times faster than normal.

Download speeds on the network are up to 300 Mbps, with an upload speed of 150 Mbps, being hailed as the fastest internet speeds in the world available to the home user.
A 95-megabyte high-definition movie trailer downloaded in about nine seconds. Normal cable download speeds are about 13Mbps, or about 1/20th the speed of Google Fiber.

Impressive: Residents of Palo Alto, California, are enjoying what are being touted as the fastest internet speeds in the world

The service in Palo Alto, California, the home of Stanford University, has been live for the last month and is made possible by new networks of fibre optic cable laid to homes, replacing copper wire and telephone cable.
It is being rolled out to a select group of homes in Stanford University’s Residential Subdivision, around 850 faculty- and staff-owned homes on the campus.
It will be free to residents for the first year.

Test bed: The Google Fiber network is being offered to residents of a university campus in the Bay Area

Power house: Google's ultra high-speed router supplies the service to homes in the test-bed area

The Stanford fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network and a larger network being built in Kansas City, Kansas, are test beds for ultra high-speed broadband,
So far, the residents of the Stanford community are the first to get access to the high-speed networks that Google is building.
Eventually up to half a million homes will be wired up to see what benefits and innovations it might bring.

Fast worker: Prof Martin Carnoy enjoys the higher transmission speeds

Stanford economics professor Martin Carnoy, who was one of the first people in the area to get the high-speed service is already finding it a great help in his work.
He frequently sends and receives big data files of 20MB or greater from his home computer and told CNET.COM: 'It used to take several minutes to send big files with the AT&T broadband service I had before.
'I felt like I was always waiting around when I was sending or receiving files. But now it takes seconds. There's no waiting.'
Google see it as a first step to live high definition broadcasts and interaction over the net allowing remote expert and detailed medical consultations and enhanced distance learning - as well as being able to download a full-length movie in just a few minutes.

Looking forward: Google Chairman Eric Schmidt at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in Edinburgh last week

When Google first announced the project, company chairman Eric Schmidt said high-speed Internet access must be made much more widely available in the US.
He said: 'Broadband is a major driver of new jobs and businesses, yet we rank only 15th in the world for access. More government support for broadband remains critical.'
The Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan states its aim is to extend broadband to every American home and to offer 100 Mbps broadband to 100 million people by 2020.

Laughter really is the best medicine: Watching a funny film 'good for your heart'... but stay away from horror and war movies

Watching a film that makes you laugh is good for your heart, according to a study.
Researchers found watching a movie or programme that produces laughter has a positive effect on vascular function and is opposite to that observed after watching a war or horror film that causes mental stress.

Comedy: Researchers found watching funny films, such as There's Something About Mary (starring Cameron Diaz) has a positive effect on vascular function

Negative: On the flip side, watching horror or war films, such as Saving Private Ryan, was found to cause mental stress

In the study volunteers watched segments of a funny film - such as There's Something About Mary starring Cameron Diaz - on one day and on another day watched the opening segment of the stressful war film Saving Private Ryan.
Lead investigator Dr Michael Miller from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the U.S. said that when the volunteers watched the stressful film, their blood vessel lining developed a potentially unhealthy response called vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow.
He said this finding confirms previous studies, which suggested there was a link between mental stress and the narrowing of blood vessels.

However, after watching the funny movie, the blood vessel lining expanded.
Overall, more than 300 measurements were made with a 30 to 50 per cent difference in blood vessel diameter between the laughter and mental stress phases.
Dr Miller said: 'The take-home message here is that laughter is great for your heart.
'The magnitude of change we saw in the endothelium after laughing was consistent and similar to the benefit we might see with aerobic exercise of statin use.'

Farming their way to Mars: Gardeners and chefs likely to join astronauts on first trip to the Red Planet

Astronauts on the first manned mission to Mars are likely to number horticultural experts and chefs as well as more traditional ex-military personnel.
Supplying enough food for a round trip to the Red Planet is one of the greatest challenges facing mission planners, experts were told yesterday.
One solution under consideration is for astronauts to grow their own food in a hi-tech 'kitchen garden'.

Long-haul destination: After trundling across Mars for three years, Nasa Opportunity imaged a portion of the west rim of Endeavour crater where it arrived earlier this month. Astronauts on the first manned mission to the Red Planet are likely to number farmers and chefs

They would also need adequate cooking skills to provide varied, tasty menus that lift spirits and ward off boredom.
Astronauts going to Mars would be far more food-savvy than their International Space Station colleagues.
Dr Maya Cooper, from Nasa's Space Food Systems Laboratory in Houston, Texas, said a five-year mission to Mars would require almost 7,000lb of food per person.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Denver, Colorado, she said: 'That's a clear impediment to a lot of mission scenarios.
'We need new approaches. Right now, we are looking at the possibility of implementing a bio-regenerative system that would involve growing crops in space and possibly shipping some bulk commodities to a Mars habitat as well.
'This scenario involves much more food processing and meal preparation than the current food system developed for the space shuttles and the International Space Station.'

Supplying enough food for a round trip to the Red Planet is one of the greatest challenges facing mission planners, experts have been told

Bio-regenerative systems involve growing 'multi-task' plants that not only provide food but also release oxygen for astronauts to breathe, remove the carbon dioxide they exhale, and even purify water.
Ideally such plants would have few inedible parts, grow easily with minimal tending, and take up little room.
Ten potential 'space crops' that pass the test for a Mars mission are lettuce, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, green onions, radishes, bell peppers, strawberries, fresh herbs and cabbages.
Nasa expects to launch its first manned mission to Mars in the 2030s.
Another option is for long shelf-life provisions for an extended stay on Mars to be sent in unmanned spacecraft ahead of the human explorers.

Mock mission: The Mars500 crew have now spent 452 days in isolation as they 'journey' to the Red Planet - long enough for them to have made 75 return trips to the moon. They are actually based in a Moscow car park

Space food has come a long way since Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin munched on pate and caviar during the first manned spaceflight in 1961.
In the early days of space flight, astronauts had to endure freeze-dried food blocks and toothpaste-like nutrient squeezed from tubes.
By the late 1960s, astronauts were enjoying hot food in space, and in the 1970s they had a choice of 72 different foods, some of which were stored in an on-board refrigerator or freezer.
In recent years, space shuttle astronauts have been able to breakfast on scrambled egg and coffee, snack on chocolates or brownies, and choose from lunch and dinner menus that include dishes such as Chicken a la King and rice pilaf.
The foods are pre-packaged and take only a few minutes to prepare.

The $50,000 tantrum: Brother and sister SUE their mother after she bought the 'wrong' birthday card and refused them toys

• The Illinois lawsuit was filed against Kimberly Garrity
• One of their lawyers was their own father, Steven Miner
• She raised Steven II and Kathryn in a $1.5million home
• Children claimed 'emotional distress' in $50,000 lawsuit

Some children kick up a big tantrum when they’re refused toys or receive the wrong type of birthday card - but it doesn’t usually end up like this.
Kimberly Garrity, who raised Steven II, now 23, and Kathryn, now 20, in a $1.5million home in Illinois, was sued by her own children.
But the siblings, represented by three lawyers including their father, Steven A. Miner, have failed in their $50,000 lawsuit for ‘bad mothering’.

Screaming: Kimberly Garrity, who raised Steven II, now 23, and Kathryn, now 20, has been sued by her own children for 'bad mothering' (file picture)

They alleged Garrity failed to take Kathryn to a car show and threatened Steven II with phoning police if he did not buckle his seatbelt.
The children claim she ‘haggled’ over dress prices and called at midnight to tell Kathryn to come home from a party, reported the Chicago Tribune.
But after two years of battle an appeals court has dismissed the ‘emotional distress’ case, ruling Garrity's conduct was not ‘extreme or outrageous’.
A positive ruling ‘could potentially open the floodgates to subject family childrearing (to) excessive judicial scrutiny and interference,’ it said.
Mr Miner and Garrity were married for around ten years before she filed for divorce 16 years ago, reported the Chicago Tribune.
The birthday card in question was labelled ‘inappropriate’ by Steven II as it allegedly failed to include any money.

Unhappy: The siblings, represented by three lawyers including their father, have failed in their $50,000 lawsuit for 'bad mothering

It had a picture of indistinguishable tomatoes on a table, apart from one in the centre with googly eyes attached.
The card said: ‘Son I got you this Birthday card because it’s just like you ... different from all the rest!’

'It would be laughable that these children of privilege would sue their mother for emotional distress, if the consequences were not so deadly serious' -Shelley Smith, Kimberly Garrity’s lawyer 

Garrity’s attorney Shelley Smith complained of her ex-husband trying to seek ‘ultimate revenge’ of her children, accusing her of ‘being an inadequate mother’.
‘It would be laughable that these children of privilege would sue their mother for emotional distress, if the consequences were not so deadly serious,’ she wrote in court papers.
Ms Smith wrote Garrity does still love her children but they wanted ‘the benefits afforded by a family relationship, but none of the restraints’.
‘(The children) do not view their (lawsuit) as an attack on mothering, but rather on accountability,’ the children’s father Mr Miner wrote.
‘Everyone makes mistakes, but... there must be accountability for actions. Parenting is no different,’ he added, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Little and large: The colour co-ordinated kitten and Great Dane who are the best of friends

An abandoned kitten who was rescued when he was just days old has found a safe haven after striking up an unlikely friendship with a Great Dane. 
Bemused owner, Eve Hughes, 39, from Felixstowe, Suffolk, said the pair are 'inseparable' and love to curl up together for a snooze.
George, who is 13 weeks old was adopted in June after he was rescued by the RSPCA.and soon won the affection of his owner's three-year-old Great Dane, Shadow.

Me and my Shadow: George the kitten is followed everywhere by his 7ft friend

Weighing over 10 stone and measuring 32in high to the shoulder and 7ft long, Shadow towers over the 2lb kitten.
But despite being 65 times heavier and eight times taller, doting Shadow follows his companion around the house and even stands guard while he eats.
Ms Hughes, a manager of an RSPCA shop said: 'I was unsure at first because if Shadow sees a cat on the street he does like to chase them.
'But they just sniffed each others noses and have been inseparable ever since.
'They have an amazing bond, it really is very sweet because Shadow is so protective of George.
'George sits between Shadow's feet to eat his food and they always go out into the garden together in the morning.

Dinner's up! The cat and dog also love to curl up for a snooze

'Shadow just follows George around the house and they curl up together on the sofa for a nap.
'They even give each other kisses on the nose.'
Ms Hughes said she grew concerned about Shadow after he became depressed when his canine companion Dizzy fell ill and had to be put down.
But she said he found a new lease of life after she brought George into the home.
Eve added: 'Shadow loved Dizzy and he was devastated when he died.

Safe at last: Abandoned kitten George now has a new home and best friend

'He didn't eat or play, he just buried his head under the cushions on the settee.
'I was worried and thought a new playmate would cheer him up but I would never have guessed he would befriend a kitten.
'The RSPCA said they had a kitten who needed a temporary foster home but when they got on so well I was more than happy to keep him.'

Angry Anna game is an online hit

A game mimicking the popular Rovio Mobile offering 'Angry Birds' and inspired by Anna Hazare's fight against corruption, has taken the web by storm.

The game Angry Anna was made by a Noida-based company called Geek Mentors Studio

Spread the word

The game called 'Angry Anna', developed by Noida-based Geek Mentors Studio, allows players to lob Anna bombs at targets like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Suresh Kalmadi, P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal, with the aim of destroying them.

The players also have the option of Baba Ramdev and Kiran Bedi 'bombs' and the players shout 'Jai Hind!' once a level is completed.

The game had gotten over one thousand Facebook likes on Friday and was even a trending topic on Twitter's India list. Also within a day of its launch on Wednesday, the game had been played 42,000 times.

Angry Birds was a worldwide hit and has seen 300 million downloads globally since its launch in 2009. In the original game, birds were launched to destroy pigs on the playfield.

In pics: First look of Bangalore's much-awaited Namma Metro

Bangalore: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) gave the media a sneak-peek into much awaited Namma Metro. Stopping at five stations, the ride helps you travel above one of the most congested parts of the city with a token ticket that costs just Rs 15.
Namma Metro will eventually have 6-car trains but to begin with, 3-car trains will ply carrying about 1,000 people.

 

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) revealed the chic look the Mahatma Gandhi station showing its readiness for commercial operations.

Automatic fare collecting (AFC) gates where the tokens are to be used.

 

The metallic interiors give an international feel.

 

The Namma Metro is expected to be Bangalore’s pride.

 

This place will soon be chock-a-block with rushing metro users.

 

Tactile flooring for the visually challenged, which is rough and specified, leads to ticket counters on the right and left of the entrance.

Elephant gives himself a dust bath in amazing set of photographs taken in national park

This African elephant was caught looking rather sheepish as he appears to be covered in a woolly coat as he gives himself a refreshing dust bath.
The wild elephants of Kenya's Amboseli National Park cake themselves in dirt to protect their hides from insects and the intense heat.
The amazing shot was taken by amateur photographer Marina Cano, who has recently returned from a three week holiday in Africa.

Woolly mammoth: This elephant was caught looking a little sheepish as he gave himself a dust bath

Stamping his authority: A huge male elephant stands his ground as the rest of his herd emerge out of the dusty mist

Dedicated Marina camped out in the wilds and used a long lens so she could capture the animals during their most intimate moments without disturbing them.
Another moving photograph shows a baby elephant, who had got lost, tugging on its mother's truck moments after they were reunited.
And in another shot a fearsome male elephants stamps on the ground as the rest of his herd emerge from a cloud of dust.

Hold on mum: A baby elephant is reunited with its mother after getting lost amongst the herd

Marina, from Santander, Spain, said: 'I've been a photographer for 25 years but don't get the chance to travel as much as I'd like.
'But for this collection I spent a week in South Africa taking pictures, and another two weeks in Kenya - although it was more like ten days holiday with four days travelling on the terrible roads.
'I spent two days taking the elephant pictures in Amboseli, two days and a half in Masai Mara and a day in Nakuru Lake.
'I would spend the whole day shooting the wildlife, from 6.30am to 6.30pm, and then select my favourite ones.
'It was an amazing experience. The animals were so beautiful and I loved taking their pictures.
'I thought they would be wary of me, but they weren't bothered about human beings at all. Besides, I was safely in a car most of the time.
'I could have stayed there forever, it was really wonderful. I hope I'll get a chance to go back again.'

Heartless thieves steal six-year-old boy's walking frame to sell as scrap metal

Heartless scrap metal collectors stole a disabled six-year-old's walking frame from outside his house.
Cerebral palsy sufferer Aston Muff was left devastated after it was thrown in the back of a van when he went inside for a few minutes with his mum.
He is borrowing another frame while his family attempt to raise the £150 needed for a new one.
Neighbours in the area of Wymering in Portsmouth, Hampshire, say the area has been targeted by scrap collectors seen trying to take items from gardens.

Heartbroken: Scrap metal thieves stole Cerebal Palsy sufferer Aston Muff's walking frame (not pictured) from outside his house. He is borrowing this one while his mum tries to raise money for a new one.

The red frame was in the garden along with Aston's car seat, lunchbox and school bag as he waited with his mum Susan for his bus to summer playschool.
The pair briefly went back into the house and came out to find the walker had disappeared.
A neighbour said she saw a man who had previously been seen collecting scrap metal in the area stop outside the house, snatch the frame and put it in the back of his van before driving off.
Police are treating the disappearance of the four-wheeled frame as theft and have launched an investigation.
They are appealing for witnesses to the theft, which happened about 9.30am on Friday, August 12.
Aston's mother Susan, 47, said: 'The walker was only sitting there for a few minutes along with Aston's other stuff and my front door was open the whole time.
'It was obvious it was not being thrown out and that we had just gone back inside for something.
'It was incredibly upsetting, Aston was crying a lot when he found out because he cannot walk without it.'

Aston said the frame gave her son a 'small amount of independence' and he was forced to use a wheelchair when it was stolen meaning he couldn't play with friends

Aston used a wheelchair he had before the Child Development Centre in Portsmouth lent him another.
Ms Muff said the frame gave him a 'small amount of independence' while with his friends.
'It means he can walk beside his friends and play with them like any other child, without relying on someone else to push him in his wheelchair everywhere.
'When the frame was taken he knew it meant he would not be able to go out and play.
'Now he feels like the small bit of independence he had has been taken away from him.'
She added: 'A couple of weeks ago I saw someone else in one of my other neighbour's gardens trying to steal their garden table and chairs and I had to stop them.'
Officers say the intention to sell the frame for scrap metal is a possible motive.
PC Steve Galmoye-Webster said: 'This was a callous act by someone who must have realised the walking frame is needed by the owner.
'The walking frame was next to the boy's school bag and was obviously still in use.
'The six-year-old's mum has told police he has had his independence taken away by a callous thief.'

The aliens have landed: Amazing footage shows 'little green men walking about after UFO touchdown'... but why does it always happen in Siberia?

For an alien looking to explore Earth, the frozen wastes of Siberia may not be the most attractive of landing locations.
But if this film footage is to be believed, that's exactly where these 'little green men' chose to land their UFO.
The clip, filmed in the remote Irkutsk region of Siberia, appears to show a strange glowing craft and five aliens walking about in the snow.

Proof at last? This screen grab shows an apparent UFO on the ground with what appears to be an unearthly being to its right and four other beings directly in front of the glowing craft 

It shows what seems to be an alien about four feet tall, standing 15 feet away from its glowing craft, with four other similar figures nearby.
The short clip was taken two days after mysterious lights illuminated the Siberian night skies above Bayanday, also in Irkutsk.
'These two videos from two independent witnesses show that a UFO event of Roswell-sized proportions has taken place in Russia,' said UFO expert Mike Cohen.

They're here: In this still from the film clip, an object which appears to be disc-shaped with flashing lights hovers above the Siberia landscape

'Two days after these clips were taken the town of Bayanday reported a crash of a huge pink and blue glowing object.
'An enormous explosion was then heard over a wide area.'
He claimed police and rescue departments were flooded with phone calls from frightened residents.
'The military soon confirmed that it had not been doing any exercises in the area and therefore cannot be responsible for any reports of UFOs,' he added.
But he claims the authorities organised a cover-up of the UFO landing.
Officials declared the event classified and told journalists the area of impact would not be revealed, he said.

Students Timur Hilall, 18, and Kirill Vlasov, 19, have admitted their 'find' of an alien in the Siberian woods was just a stunt

Only hours prior to the March 1 event, air-traffic controllers in Yakutks, Siberia, claim to have picked up a UFO on radar traveling at 6000 mph at a height of 65,000ft.
When they tried to speak with the crew of the craft they heard bizarre cat noises being uttered to them.
'What I want to know is did the craft actually crash at all or was this just a noisy landing?' said Mike.
The latest UFO claim to come out of Siberia comes months after the apparent discovery of an alien's body was revealed as a hoax.
In April, two students who claimed to have recovered the body from a UFO crash site admitted that the creature was in fact made out of BREAD.
Friends Timur Hilall, 18, and Kirill Vlasov, 19, shot the video that showed the alien's mangled remains frozen in snow in Irkutsk, Siberia.
The pair were questioned by police over their 'extraterrestrial discovery' but admitted to their stunt.
But not before their creation became an internet sensation, drawing almost 700,000 hits on YouTube.
Their find was deemed serious enough for the Kremlin to get involved and a spokesman from the Russian interior ministry confirmed the hoax.
'We found the alien in one of the student's homes,' he said.
'It was lying under his bed and an examination of it revealed it had been made of bread crumbs which were covered in chicken skin.'
Prosecutors are now considering whether or not the pair have committed any crimes.

China can now move over 30 divisions (each with over 15,000 soldiers) to the LAC within a month to outnumber Indian forces by at least three-is-to-one

The Red Dragon is spreading its wings and sharpening its claws at a rapid clip. From deadly long-range nuclear missiles and an expanding blue-water Navy to potent space and cyber warfare abilities, China will have a "modern" military capable of prolonged high-intensity combat operations by the end of this decade.

Pentagon's latest assessment of the expanding military might of China, released on Thursday, paints a scary picture of the frenetic pace at which the 2.25-million People's Liberation Army (PLA) is being modernized, in the backdrop of uncertainty over its long-term intentions.

Though the US report holds that thwarting any American intervention in Taiwan remains PLA's "main strategic direction", New Delhi can ill-afford to ignore China's increasing trans-border military capabilities, its assiduous strategic encircling of India and hardening posture in the border talks.

The report itself notes PLA has replaced its older liquid-fuelled, nuclear-capable CSS-2 intermediate range ballistic missiles with the "more advanced" solid-fuelled CSS-5 medium-range ballistic missile systems along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to "strengthen its deterrent posture" against India.

"A high level of mistrust continues to strain the bilateral relationship...India remains concerned over China's close military relationship with Pakistan and Beijing's growing footprint in the Indian Ocean, Central Asia and Africa," says the report.

All this might not startle the Indian defence establishment, which also keeps a close tab on PLA, but the fact remains that China can now move over 30 divisions (each with over 15,000 soldiers) to the LAC within a month to outnumber Indian forces by at least three-is-to-one due to the huge military infrastructure build-up in Tibet.

India has taken some steps in recent years to counter China, which range from planning a new mountain strike corps (over 35,000 combat troops) in 2012-2017 after raising two new divisions (over 15,000 soldiers each) in Nagaland and Assam to deploying Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, missile batteries and spy drones in the North-East, as reported by TOI earlier.

But a lot more clearly needs to be done. China, after all, is fast steaming ahead with its projects to build its first stealth fighter, the J-20, and multiple aircraft carriers after its first, the 67,500-tonne Varyag acquired surreptitiously from Ukraine, began sea trials recently.

Moreover, China has a hyper-active ballistic and cruise missile programme to add to its already huge nuclear arsenal. They include missiles like the DF-21D ballistic missile to kill aircraft carriers or large ships over 1,500-km away, the road-mobile DF-31A capable of hitting targets 11,200-km away, and the JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile with a reach beyond 7,200-km. "China's nuclear arsenal currently consists of 55-65 ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), apart from (5-20) IRBMs, (75-100) MRBMs and (1,000-1,200) SRBMs," says the Pentagon report.

China, of course, also helps Pakistan to boost its military capabilities, with the clear intention to bog down India in South Asia. Pakistan remains China's primary customer for weapons, with sales ranging from JF-17 and F-7 fighters, F-22P frigates and early warning and control aircraft, tanks and missiles, says the report.

Paritala Ravi murder: life term for eight

 

Policemen deployed at the entrance of the court in Anantapur on Thursday

Eight persons were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Anantapur Sessions Court here on Thursday for the sensational murder of Telugu Desam MLA Paritala Ravindra who was shot dead in broad daylight while coming out of the party office on January 24, 2005.

Ravi sustained a bullet injury in the head resulting in instantaneous death while two others – his gunman and one of his followers – were killed in the resultant shootout. The accused escaped from the scene as some of their associates hurled bombs facilitating their exit.

The Central Bureau of Investigation investigated into the triple murder at the instance of then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy following allegations that his son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and a Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy had a hand in it, but both were exonerated.

In its report, the CBI concluded that age-old family rivalry between the families of Paritala Ravi and Congress leader Gangula Suryanarayana Reddy (Suri) led to the murder and that the latter hatched a conspiracy while he was undergoing sentence in the Jubilee Hills bomb blast case. J. Srinivas Reddy (known as Moddu Srinu), P. Narayan Reddy, and Rekhamaiah shot Ravindra in the party office.

Concluding the close to six-year-long trial in the case, Principal District and Sessions Judge K. Siva Prasad convicted eight of the accused — Narayana Reddy, V. Rekhamiah, Bhajana Ranganayakulu, A Kondiah, Vadde Srinivasulu, Medimi Obi Reddy, Tarugu Peddi Reddy, and Vanna Hanumantha Reddy -- for murder and awarded them life sentence. In his 402-page order, the Judge said he did not consider it as the rarest of rare cases for awarding capital punishment.

Cases against the three prime accused Suri, Moddu Srinu, and Tagarakunta Konda Reddy were abated as they were murdered in separate incidents when the case was in trial. The judge acquitted four accused – G. Venkatrami Reddy, V. Anand Kumar Reddy, Patolla Goverdhan Reddy, and B. Venkataswamy alias Ramaswamy – while another accused K. Rammohan Reddy was exonerated after he turned approver to the CBI team.

The defence counsel is learnt to have decided to approach a higher court as some of the accused were not convicted, but public prosecutor P. Ranganayakulu claimed that justice had been delivered in the case.

Sunita satisfied

Paritala Ravindra's widow and TDP MLA, Paritala Sunita, who spoke to reporters on the court premises, said she was satisfied with the judgment. She, however, expressed concern that some more people involved in the murder could not be brought to book as they were still at large.