Android Activations Top 700K Per Day: Rubin

Google's Android mobile operating system is activated on over 700,000 handsets, tablets and other devices each day, according Android creator Andy Rubin.

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android has topped 700,000 activations per day, according to the mobile operating system's chief architect Andy Rubin.
Rubin, Google's Google senior vice president of mobile, made the announcement via Twitter and on Google+, adding: "and for those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and "activations" means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service."
That latter detail, taken as truth, should settle the argument about whether Google is fudging its numbers for Android activations. Any way one slices it, 700,000 is a huge number.
As 9-to-5 Google noted, that's almost 5 million every week, 21 million a month, or over 250 million Android devices activated a year. For market perspective, Apple sold 4 million iPhone 4S units in its first week in October, and 17 million total iPhones in the third quarter.
Clearly, the holiday selling season has been a boon to Android. Consider that Google just reported 550,000 activations in only November up from  500,000 in June and 400,000 in May for Google I/O.
It's likely handsets such as Motorola Mobility's (NYSE:MMI) Droid Razr and Samsung's Galaxy Nexus on Verizon Wireless 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, along with Samsung Galaxy S II handsets from AT&T (NYSE:T), Sprint (NYSE:S) and T-Mobile are selling well.
Appitalism CEO Simon Buckingham told AllThingsDigital daily Android activations could reach 2.5 million per day, or more than 900 million units a year. His argument is that there is plenty of momentum behind the OS.
It's also reaching more markets worldwide on low-costs handsets and appearing in other devices, including tablets and Google TV-based televisions. Through November Android's smartphone market share is roughly 53 percent in the U.S. and 50 percent worldwide.

 

More from Business Why overseas M&A options are off India Inc's menu for now Oracle’s poor show sparks Wall St fears of spending cuts

Oracle Corp’s dismal quarterly results sent shock waves across the technology sector as investors feared they may have overestimated the resilience of corporate tech spending in a deteriorating global economy.
The first earnings miss in a decade from Oracle, whose fiscal second quarter ended on November 30, drove its shares down more than 11 percent on Wednesday, destroying about $20 billion of market value. The shortfall from the No. 3 software maker also hit shares of many other technology companies, with VMware Inc, NetSuite Inc, and SAP among those suffering the biggest losses.
“Is this a preliminary example of what we could expect in January from Microsoft and other players? It raises an eyebrow that things may not be as hunky dory as we’ve been led to believe in terms of IT spending,” said Daniel Morgan, a portfolio manager at Synovus Securities in Atlanta.

Reuters

The troubles at Oracle follow ominous reports from big tech names including Hewlett-Packard Co , Intel Corp and Texas Instruments Inc.
The disconcerting news on Tuesday was not limited to Silicon Valley, with US industrial conglomerate Emerson Electric Coreporting a drop in orders for equipment used in big data centers. Emerson shares fell 5.4 percent to $46.97.
“Overall, we have seen in the last 60 days … a significant weakness in this whole electronics space,” said Emerson Chief Executive David Farr. “I don’t see that changing for the time being.”
The fourth quarter is the crucial period of the year for many technology companies because corporations tend to spend most heavily on information technology during that time in what is known as a year-end “budget flush.”
Oracle’s disappointing results could signal that companies won’t spend all the money that they still have budgeted for 2011 technology projects, said Howard Anderson, a lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Business, who regularly talks to CEOs of top-tier corporations.
“Confidence is not there,” he said. “We have a kind of rolling recession.”
Oracle’s quarter ended in November, but investors worried that the decline in business confidence could signal more troubles for peers whose quarters end in December. That includes arch rival SAP AG.
“The majority of deals in the fourth quarter are traditionally closed in the last two weeks of the quarter, so the delay of Oracle’s deals is a negative cross read for SAP,” said Silvia Quandt analyst Michael Busse.
SAP CEO Bill McDermott declined to comment on his business, saying the company was in a quiet period.
A slowing in tech spending would be troubling for the U.S. economy, which has had few bright spots in recent years.
“Since the technical end of the recession (in June 2009) we’ve been seeing double-digit growth in investment in technology. If Oracle is the canary in the coalmine, that would be something to worry about,” said Michael Goodman, director of economic and public policy research at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.
“There’s a lot of concern about what the immediate future holds, so this may just be customers putting off investments they want to make until they feel like they have a better handle on what the future looks like,” Goodman said.
MIXED SIGNALS
U.S. companies have been sending mixed signals about their spending plans for 2012. A survey released last week by theBusiness Roundtable found that 16 percent of CEOs of large US. companies planned to cut their capital spending over the next six months, up from 13 percent who had planned cuts in the third quarter.
But other data released on Wednesday by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association showed U.S. businesses signed up for $6.2 billion in loans, leases and lines of credit to fund capital expenditures in November, a 38 percent increase from the month a year ago.
Oracle’s stock fell $3.40 to $25.77, its lowest close since August, making it the biggest loser in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index. It was the biggest one-day percentage drop in the stock since March 4, 2002, when Oracle last surprised investors with an earnings warning.
CEO and co-founder Larry Ellison, the company’s biggest shareholder, lost more than $3.8 billion on Wednesday as the stock plunged, based on his holdings published in Oracle’s annual proxy filing.
The declines accounted for about 16 points of the 27.6 point drop in the S&P 1500 Software index, which suffered a 4.5 percent drop in market cap to about $511 billion. The drop in Oracle shares represents 68 percent of the decline in total market cap for the index.

Two Earth-size planets spotted around distant star

NEW YORK: Astronomers have found a pair of Earth-sized planets orbiting a star similar to the Sun, scientists on Nasa's Kepler telescope team said. While the finds - Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f - are too hot to sustain life, they are an encouraging sign for prospects of finding life elsewhere.
The discovery follows confirmation earlier this month of a super-Earth sized planet, called Kepler-22b, that circles the right distance from its parent star for liquid water to exist on its surface. "Kepler-22b has the right temperature, but it is too big. (The planets) we're announcing today are just the right size, but too hot," astronomer David Charbonneau of Harvard University said on Tuesday. "But you can bet the hunt is on to find a planet that combines the best of both worlds, a true Earth twin."

The planets have a calculated temperatures of 760 degrees Celsius and 425 degrees Celsius, said Francois Fressin of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Massachusetts.

New planets could be too hot to support life

Discovery of pair of Earth-sized planets orbiting a star similar to the sun has fuelled fresh hope of finding life elsewhere. The newly discovered planets have at least three gas-giant siblings, one of the larger planetary systems found to date.

But the family is nothing like our solar system, where rocky worlds like Venus, Earth and Mars are grouped together closer to the sun while gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn are segregated in the outer regions.

The two Earth-like and three Neptune-sized planets in the Kepler-20 family are interspersed and all orbit closer to the parent star than our solar system's innermost planet, Mercury. "Rocky planets and gas giants happily mingle together. This is the first time we've seen anything like this," Charbonneau said.

Kepler-20e and 20f, which are believed to be too hot for liquid water, probably are not habitable - at least not today. "If Kepler-20f was formed with water, which I think is likely, then it could have held on to its water for several billions of years," said astronomer Linda Elkins-Tanton with the Carnegie Institute in Washington DC.

"And that means that this planet could have been habitable in the past for a long period." Since it was launched in 2009, Nasa's planet-hunting Kepler telescope has found evidence of dozens of possible Earth-sized planets. But Fressin's report, published online in the journal Nature, is the first to provide confirmation, said Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington.

Debate to end all debates: Lokpal bill set for Parliament

The government is set to introduce the lokpal bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, with a combative UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi coming out strongly in support of the government on this issue. The draft was sealed late on Wednesday evening after the government removed minorities from the list of categories that will get 50% representation in the lokpal panel, as the Constitution did not allow reservation on the basis of religion.

The bill, to be taken up for discussion and passing on December 27, 28 and 29, will be tabled for the second time this year and the 10th time in 43 years. Proposing the creation of both the lokpal in the Centre and lokayuktas in states, it will replace the one that was tabled on August 4.
What's more, the government is likely to move another bill to give the watchdog a constitutional status. On Wednesday, Gandhi vowed to fight for bill. At the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), she also mentioned the women's reservation issue in the same breath.
Gandhi attacked the Opposition for its "obstructionist tactics" and also the critics – Anna Hazare and his team – for spreading "deliberate and malicious misinformation" against the government.
But Hazare continued his attack on the government for keeping the CBI out of the lokpal's jurisdiction.
"The government is cheating the people by bringing a weak bill to save corrupt politicians," he said in his native village in Maharashtra, Ralegan Siddhi.

The Opposition, meanwhile, appeared divided on the issue. The BJP made it clear that it would move amendments to the official bill in case it did not address the demand for an independent CBI.

A non-committal BJP played safe a day before the introduction of the bill and kept its cards close to its chest and is waiting for the bill's formal circulation.
Refusing to react to media reports, party leaders said they will move amendments after the bill's introduction depending on whether its language digresses from the party's dissent note submitted to the parliamentary panel on Lokpal.
"We will move amendments if the bill does not take account of the points we made. But since the bill is expected to be introduced on Thursday morning, the amendments will be post-introduction," Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj told reporters.
On Tuesday night, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar had reacted to reports on the bill calling it a betrayal.
The party's silence on Wednesday fuelled speculation that the government had won its confidence. But Swaraj said there were no discussion with the government on the bill's contents.
In their dissent note, BJP had suggested splitting the CBI's investigative and prosecuting wings, with the director of prosecution to be appointed by a collegium comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the lokpal chairperson, rather than being an officer on deputation from the law ministry.
Prosecutors, the MPs said, should independently appraise the evidence rather than blindly follow on the probe wing.
The BJP, unlike Team Anna, had made no demand for merging the CBI with the Lokpal, only insisting on its autonomy.
The real opposition to the bill, however, came from BJP-ally Shiv Sena, the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) voiced its opposition to the proposed legislation saying it will lead to "policing of MPs".
SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad made suo motto statements in Lok Sabha accusing the government of sidestepping their suggestions at the all party meeting.
Yadav, who first raised the issue, said the government was handing over the powers of the executive to the police under influence of one man (Anna Hazare).

Syria unrest: Arab league issues new Sunday deadline

Syria is facing a new Arab League deadline to accept proposals to allow observers into the strife-torn country.

Arab foreign ministers said Damascus had until Sunday to agree to the league's plan. Further sanctions have been threatened.
A government spokesman in Damascus told reporters Syria was negotiating with the Arab League over the observers.
The league also confirmed sanctions already approved after Syria ignored a previous deadline last weekend.
Unrest in the country has continued, with 23 reported killed on Saturday.
After a meeting of the Arab League ministerial committee on Saturday, Qatari PM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Jabr al-Thani said: "We asked the Syrian minister of foreign affairs if the Syrian government will agree to sign tomorrow [Sunday] and we are still waiting for a reply.

Hamad bin Jassim Jabr al-Thani threatened Syria with unspecified new sanctions

"Aside from the deadline, we are willing to convince them that this is the right way - to sign the protocol and agree on the Arab initiative as it is."
Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi told reporters in Damascus on Sunday: "Messages are being exchanged between Syria and the Arab League to reach a certain vision that would facilitate the mission of observers in Syria, while preserving Syrian interests and sovereignty," AP news agency reported.
At their Cairo meeting, Arab ministers also confirmed economic sanctions against Damascus approved in the past week.
These include cutting off transactions with Syria's central bank, freezing assets for 19 officials and aides of President Bashar al-Assad, and banning them from travelling to other Arab countries.
Mr Thani added: "The committee might add more measures in the future depending on the situation in Syria."
The Damascus government says it is confronting armed groups. It has said the Arab League proposal places "impossible conditions" on Damascus and gives monitors too much authority, infringing Syria's sovereignty.
Deadliest month On Saturday, activists said 23 people had been killed as violence continued.
Until recently, most of the bloodshed was caused by security forces firing on mainly peaceful protesters - but there have been growing reports of army defectors and armed civilians fighting government forces.
In one of the bloodiest incidents on Saturday, seven members of the security forces, five army rebels and three civilians were killed in a battle in Idlib, near the Turkish border, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
It is impossible to verify reports of deaths as the Syrian government has severely restricted access for foreign journalists.
The UN estimates 4,000 people have been killed during a crackdown on anti-government protests.
Earlier this week, UN Human Rights Council strongly condemned the "gross and systematic" violations by Syrian forces.
The resolution demands the suspension of security forces suspected of violations and the release of prisoners of conscience.
The council also said it was appointing a special investigator to report to the UN secretary general on the crackdown.
November has been the deadliest month for the uprising which began in March, with at least 950 people killed in gun battles, raids and other violence, according to activist groups.

Newly arrived: HTC Rhyme hits the Indian market

HTC's new smartphone: It seems like HTC has pulled up its socks to create a strong customer base in India. As a result, the company has been coming up with new phones in India one after the other. After launching Sensation XE and Sensation XL, the company has now launched the HTC Rhyme in the Indian market. 

Filmography: Dev Anand's most memorable movies since 1946

New Delhi: Sixty five years in Bollywood and six decades years of being the romantic ever-green hero, Dev Anand breathed his last in London today. What started with 'Hum Ek Hain' in 1946 finished with 'Chargesheet' in 2011. And perhaps if Dev Anand had not left us today - a few more movies were surely on the cards.
We look back at his most memorable movies:
Hum Ek Hain (1946) - This was Dev Anand's first movie as an actor. Dev Anand was working with his brother Chetan Anand as a member of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and he was offered the movie by Prabhat Talkies. During the shooting of this movie in Pune, he met Guru Dutt and that was the beginning of a long and fruitful friendship.

One of the ultimate romantic heroes of Bollywood - here's a look at Dev Anand's leading ladies.

IBNLive

Ziddi (1948) - Dev Anand was given his first break by Ashok Kumar. He spotted Anand on the sets and took him in for the Bombay Talkies production 'Ziddi'. 'Ziddi' was directed by Shaheed Latif. The movie helped the stars Dev Anand, Kamini Kaushal and Pran make their foothold in Bollywood.
Afsar (1950) - Directed by Chetan Anand, 'Afsar' was a romantic comedy produced by Dev Anand who starred in it as well. The movie co-starred Suraiya who also did the playback singing for the film.
Baazi (1951) - The crime thriller was directed by Guru Dutt and had the hit music given by SD Burman. Dev Anand'a Navketan production house produced this movie. Apparently the moive was produced by Dev Anand's house because of the promise he has made to Guru Dutt during their days of struggle. The movie starred Geeta Bali and Kalpana Kartik and is a tribute of sorts to the 40's Film Noir Hollywood which had the morally ambiguous hero. The movie was a big hit.
Jaal (1952) - 'Jaal' was Guru Dutt's second movie with Dev Anand after the success of 'Baazi'. The movie starred Geeta Bali, Dev Anand, K.N. Singh and Johnny Walker. 'Jaal' saw the beginnings of the indomitable signature style of Dev Anand.
Taxi Driver (1954) - Directed by Chetan Anand and produced by Navketan Production house, the movie starred Dev Anand, Kalpana Kathik and Johnny Walker. The movie was a runaway hit of its times. The story was about a taxu driver in Mumbai and his adventures in the Bombay of the 1950's.
Insaniyat (1955) - 'Insaniyat' was produced and directed by SS Vasan. The film starred The film stars Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Bina Rai, Jayant and Shobhana Samarth. A remake of a 1950's Tamil movie - it was the only production that starred Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand together.
Funtoosh (1956) - Directed by Chetan Anand the movie starred Dev Anand and Sheila Ramani. The music was given by Sachin Dev Burman.
C.I.D (1956) - Produced by Guru Dutt, it was directed by Raj Khosla, 'C.I.D' was a crime thriller. The movie starred Dev Anand, Shakila, Johnny Walker, K. N. Singh and Waheeda Rehman. Dev Anand played the role of a police inspector in the movie.
Paying Guest (1957) - Directed by Subodh Mukherjee, the movie starred Dev Anand, Nutan and Shobha Khote. The lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri. 'Paying Guest' was the second hit film of the team of Mukherjee, Hussain, Dev Anand and SD Burman, who had created the successful 'Munimji', two years earlier.
Nau Do Gyarah (1957) - The movie marked the directorial debut of Vijay Anand, Dev Anand's brother. 'Nau Do Gyarah' starred Dev Anand, Shakeela, Kalpana Kartik, Madan Puri, Shashikala and Jeevan. It had the hit song - 'Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke…'
Solva Saal (1958) - The Hemant Kumar song 'Hain apna dil to awara' is a part of this movie. The movie starred Waheeda Rahman, Dev Anand and Pran. The Aamir Khan-Pooja Bhatt movie, 'Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin' was inspired from this movie.
Kalapani (1958) - Directed by Raj Khosla, the movie was based on the AJ Cronin novel, 'Beyond This Place'. The movie starred Dev Anand, Madhubala and Nalini Jaywant. The movie had the famous song 'Acha ji main hari chalo'.
Kala Bazar (1960) - Was written by Vijay Anand who also had a role in the movie. The film starred Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman, Nanda, Chetan Anand, Madan Puri, Leela Chitnis and Helen. The music was by SD Burman. This movie had the guest appearance by Dilip Kumar, Geeta Dutt, Guru Dutt, Kishore Kumar, Raaj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Sohrab Modi, Mohammed Rafi, Nargis, Nadira and Nimmi, in one particular scene.
Jaali Note (1960) - Directed by Shakti Samanta, the movie was based on the scam of counterfeit money. The movie starred Dev Anand along with Madhubala, Om Prakash, Madan Puri and Helen.
Bombai ka Baboo (1960) - Written by Rajinder Singh Bedi and directed by Raj Khosla - the movie has Suchitra Sen making a rare appearance in Bollywood.
Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961) - The movie has been written, produced, and directed by Nasir Hussain. The movie starred Asha Parekh and Dev Anand. Pran plays the villain in the movie.
Hum Dono (1961) - The movie was directed by Amarjeet and written by Vijay Anand. The movie had Dev Anand in a double role, and also had Nanda, Sadhana and Leela Chitnis. The movie was relaunched in colour exactly after 50 years on 4th February 2011.
Asli Naqli (1962) - Hrishikesh Mukherjee directed this movie that starred Dev Anand alongside Sadhana, Leela Chitnis, Anwar Hussain, Sandhya Roy and Keshto Mukherjee. The movie was a huge box office hit.
Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963) - Written and directed by Vijay Anand the movie was produced by Dev Anand and starred Nutan, Rajindernath and Om Prakash. It was a comedy movie that came with a social message.
Teen Devian (1965) - The movie had Dev Anand starring opposite three heroines - Simi Garewal, Nanda and Kalpana. The music of the moive was one of the last few masterpieces od SD Burman.
Guide (1965) - Directed by Vijay Anand this famous movie starred Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. The film is based on the critically acclaimed novel, 'The Guide', by R K Narayan. The movie was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007, 42 years after its release.
Jewel Thief (1967) - Produced by Navketan films and directed by Vijay Anand - this hit flick starred Dev Anand, Vyjayantimala, Ashok Kumar, Tanuja, Faryal, Anju Mahendru, Sachin, and Helen. Tanuja bagged the Filmfare for the Best Supporting Actress for this film. The movie had a great number of hit songs to its credit.
Prem Pujari (1970) - This movie was written and directed by Dev Anand himself. The movie starred Waheeda Rehman, Shatrughan Sinha, Prem Chopra, Madan Puri, Amrish Puri and Dev Anand. The movie had the hit songs - 'Dil Ki Kalam Se' and 'Rangeela Re'.
Johny Mera Naam (1970) - Directed by Vijay Anand, the movie starred Dev Aand and Pran playing the role of two brothers separated at childhood. The movie that is considered a Dev Anand classic also starred Hema Malini, Jeevan, Premnath, IS Johar and Iftekhar also star in this movie. The movie made Hema Malini in to a star.
Tere Mere Sapne (1971) - Produced by Dev Anand, and written and directed by his brother Vijay Anand for Navketan Films, the movie also starred Vijay, Mumtaz, and Hema Malini. The story was based on AJ Cronin's novel - 'The Citadel'.
Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971) - Starring Zeenat Aman and Dev Anand - the movie was a super hit. The songs 'Dum Maro Dum' and 'Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka' are still famous. Zeenat Aman won the Filmfare for Best Supporting Actress for her role. The film also starred Mumtaz.
Heera Panna (1973) - Written, produced and directed by Dev Anand, the film stars Dev Anand, Zeenat Aman, Rakhee, Rehman and Jeevan The film's music is composed by RD Burman. The movie had the famous song - 'Panna ki Tamanna hai ki Heera mujhe mil jaaye'.
Des Pardes (1978) - The movie produced and directed by Dev Anand was the debut movie for Tina Munim. The movie also had Ajit, Pran, Amjad Khan, Shreeram Lagoo, Tom Alter, Bindu, Prem Chopra, AK Hangal, Sujit Kumar, Mehmood and Paintal in supporting cast. Dev Anand chose Rajesh Roshan to direct the music of the film.
Swami Dada (1982) - This movie was the first screen debut for Jackie Shroff. The movie starred Naseeruddin Shah, Mithin Chackraborty, Padmini Kholapure, newcomer Christine O'Neil and Dev Anand.
Awwal Number (1990) - The movie based on cricket was directed by the 67 year old Dev Anand who also starred in the movie. He played the role of DIG Vikrma Singh in the movie that starred Aditya Pancholi and Aamir Khan.
Return of Jewel Thief (1996) - A sequel of sorts to the 1967 movie - this movie starred Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Dharmendra and Jackie Shroff.
Censor (2001) - Starring Hema Malini, Jacky Shroff and Dev Anand - the movie was directed and produced by Dev Anand.
Charge Sheet (2011) - Directed by Dev Anand, starring Jackie Shroff, Naseeruddin Shah and Divya Dutta in lead roles, while Riya Sen appears in an item-number - is Dev Anand's last role on screen and will now be his last movie. The movie released September 2011.

Vidya Balan rolled downhill over oranges

While Vidya is currently netting raves for her performance in The Dirty Picture, doing the film was not really a smooth ride for the actress.
“The sequence in ‘Ooh la la’ where Naseerji and I had to roll down a slope among the oranges was way too funny, but was also very difficult. We just couldn’t stop laughing. And I must say I have the greatest respect for those actors who have done such shots. Earlier, we felt it was no big deal to roll over the oranges and come down the slope. But it was definitely not easy,” says Vidya laughing.

“Finally, though, the song has become very special for both, Naseerji and me. He had given up dancing almost 15 to 20 years ago and this was the first time he was doing something like this after Tirchi topi wale,” Said Vidya.

Rival Islamist blocs leading in Egyptian vote

While election officials declined Friday evening to reveal returns until all three rounds of voting have been completed in early January, leaks from the organization and from judges overseeing the process indicate that about 40 per cent of the ballots were cast for the Islamist FJP.
For them, that’s the good news.
However, the last thing the Brotherhood wanted was to have its upstart Islamist rivals, the Salafists, running in second place in the voting, with as much as 25 per cent of the vote.
Not only do the two Islamist groups not see eye-to-eye on policies or tactics, but the unexpected rise of the Salafists has put the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party in a difficult position. On the one hand, the party risks losing potential votes to the more extreme and fundamentalist Salafists; on the other, it risks losing the potential votes of people suddenly frightened by the prospect of an Islamist majority in the new parliament.
As the two Islamist blocs head into the religiously conservative Egyptian provinces for the next two rounds of balloting, it is the Salafist bloc more than the Muslim Brotherhood that might see its share of the vote grow.
As for secular voters, the fact that the combined Islamist vote is about 65 per cent of the total makes it very difficult for secular parties to come up with a blocking minority of about

 It’s been a historic week for Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, the prime beneficiary in the first round of voting for the country’s new parliament. Fully 62 per cent of eligible Egyptians cast ballots this week, and more of them voted for the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party than for any other party or alliance.
34 per cent. That was the goal expressed by the leading secular party, the Free Egyptians.
They and their partners in the Egyptian Bloc – the Social Democrats and the left-wing Tagammu – are concerned about the possibility that Islamists might dominate parliament and see to it that the constitutional assembly the parliament is to choose would similarly be dominated by those sympathetic to an Islamist agenda.
Essam el-Erian, deputy leader of the Freedom and Justice Party, insisted in an interview this week that the Brotherhood wants a “balanced” assembly, one that reflects all parts of Egyptian society. It does not want to stack the process that drafts the country’s constitution, he said.
But with the results of this election showing an Egypt much more religiously fundamentalist than anyone imagined, minorities such as Christians and secular Muslims have every reason to want a better guarantee against policies that would lessen freedoms and discriminate against minorities.
The kind of restrictions on expression that many fear was hinted at Thursday night when a leading member of the Salafist bloc denounced on television the writing of the late Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz.
Abdel-Moneim El-Shahat, a Salafist candidate in Alexandria and spokesman for the umbrella organization The Salafist Call, described the Mahfouz works as “inciting promiscuity, prostitution and atheism.” He would have them banned.
Novelist Howeida Saleh reacted strongly to Mr. El-Shahat’s statement. He told the Al Ahram newspaper: “We have long stressed the importance of respecting democracy and giving Islamists the opportunity to demonstrate their cultural and political approach; but we have not had a revolution so that the likes of El-Shahat come to smear our cultural symbols and call us atheists as soon as they start rising to power.”
The Salafist spokesman has previously called for covering up Pharaonic monuments because they represent a culture that did not worship God, and has denounced those who promote democracy, rather than God’s word, as atheists.
“These people are uncultured,” said Rana Hosni, 52, a banker in Alexandria. “They are not qualified to run for parliament. But it’s the price we pay in the early stages of democracy.
“I only hope they will mature with time, before it is too late,” she said.
Mr. El-Shahat, who failed to get a majority of the votes in the Alexandria constituency in which he ran this week, will face off against a candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood in a run-off election Monday.
In this and in many other races, secular Muslims and Christians will probably be rooting for the Brotherhood’s candidate.

Rahul diluting Lokpal bill draft, says Anna Hazare

PUNE: Social crusader Anna Hazare on Friday accused Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi of diluting the Lokpal bill draft.

He also said he would start an eightday fast at Ramlila maidan from December 27 if the Lokpal bill was not passed in the winter session of Parliament or if a weak Lokpal bill was passed.

Addressing a news conference at his native village Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare said he strongly suspected Rahul Gandhi of "interfering" in the making of the Lokpal draft so that it became weak.

"Gandhi said he wanted the Lokpal to be a constitutional body, but he does not say that there will be no government interference in its functioning. The law about Lokpal must have a provision to rule out such interference," he said.

Hazare said that after his fast gets over, he would tour Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, which face assembly elections next year.

"I will stage a three-day agitation in each state and tell the people that the government is cheating them. I am aware that the government will not allow me to continue my fast beyond eight days," he said.

The Gandhian reiterated that the government's intention about Lokpal was "not right".

"The Prime Minister gave me a written assurance in August about including lower-ranking government officials within the ambit of Lokpal, having a citizen's charter and setting up a strong Lokayukta in every state on the lines of the Lokpal. Parliament gave a letter to this effect to the standing committee. Still, the promises were not kept. Isn't this cheating?" he asked.

Referring to a statement made by a politician in Delhi that the government will not dance to Hazare's tune, he said, "If anything happens to me during my agitation, the people should hold the government responsible. Even if I die, people will say there was a 'mad man' who always fought for people's causes."

Hazare also reiterated that he wanted the CBI and the Prime Minister within the purview of the Lokpal and also pressed for the right to recall. "The chief election commission had said 10 years ago that there should be a right to recall. I am not raising any new issue", he said.

‘Nurse conspiracy at Maderna’s behest’

JODHPUR: Investigations of the CBI into the missing Bhanwari Devi case, the entire conspiracy on abduction of the nurse with a view to eliminate her was hatched by Sahi Ram Bishnoi at the behest of the sacked PHED minister Mahipal Maderna, who posed with her in a sleaze CD.

On Wednesday, the agency recovered some clothes allegedly belonging to Sohan Lal Bishnoi, a key suspect who has been arrested. It was alleged that the clothes had stains of Bhanwari's blood.

Maderna, who was arrested by the CBI on Friday evening, was very close to Bhanwari Devi and was introduced to her by Malkhan Singh Bishnoi in 2005.

Sahi Ram, who was a confidant of Maderna, was given the task of settling the matter with her and further roped in Sohan Lal Bishnoi and Shahabuddin , also close to the sacked minister, and constantly guided them right from the abduction of Bhanwari Devi on September 1 to handing her over to the unidentified persons, who were also roped in by Sahi Ram.

In the investigation, it has been found that Sahi Ram had obtained a mobile phone SIM no. 9828286224 using the documents of his relative Hetram. Sahi Ram had spoken to Maderna 21 times between July 23 and 26 after the news on the CD broke out. In the same period, he spoke to Soahn Lal 31 times. Sahi Ram had also contacted Bhanwari Devi on July 23 immediately after the news was flashed in a news channel and talked to her 14 times in the same period.

This contact continued and on September 1, the day Bhanwari went missing, Sahi Ram was constantly in touch with both Sohan Lal and Shahabuddin right from the morning till late night. The cell phone number of Sahi Ram suggests his location in Jaipur on this day.

The CBI investigation has asserted that Sahi Ram Bishnoi was the person, who hatched this entire plot to abduct Bhanwari Devi with a view to eliminate her and designed the entire plot right from the engagement of the accomplices and acquiring SIM cards so immaculately that nobody could find any traces of her.

Maderna, before his arrest on Friday evening, was called by the CBI for interrogation four times. He also tried to evade the interrogation on medical ground and was admitted in a hospital with complaints of chest pain on the night of November 12, the day of his second interrogation.

After his release from the hospital on November 18, the CBI resumed his interrogation on November 25 and finally arrested him on Friday, when he was called the fourth time for interrogation.

Syrians Say They Are Feeling the Grip of Sanctions

DAMASCUS, Syria — The walls are suddenly closing in around enterprising young Syrians who bought into the idea of a modernized economy promised by President Bashar al-Assad — their simplest money transfers are blocked, and their credit cards are useless outside Syria as the growing list of international sanctions darkens their financial future.

The owner of a handicrafts business who this week tried to transfer $450 to the Lebanese bank account of one of her suppliers found the transaction rejected because it originated in Syria. She had to hand-deliver the cash instead. Then a client, an investor for whom she is designing furniture for a new Abu Dhabi hotel, asked her to export whatever was completed immediately, lest the entire shipment get stuck.
“This is not the solution” to end the crisis in Syria, said the woman, pulling her fashionable black wool coat tighter against the sudden winter chill hitting this superficially calm but beleaguered capital. “This is a way to make us starve to punish the president.”
Nearly nine months after a sustained popular uprising erupted against the Assad government, Syria finds itself increasingly isolated, with even onetime allies condemning its use of lethal force. Turkey, the Arab League, the European Union and the United States have all imposed economic sanctions.
The measures are already biting, in ways evident to a reporter during a brief, rare visit allowed by the government, which was seeking to draw attention to its claim that the Arab League sanctions in particular amounted to an “economic war” against Syria.
The crucial question for Mr. Assad, the international community and the tens of thousands who rose up against the government, is whether such financial pain will induce the leadership to halt the violent suppression of antigovernment protests.
The sanctions are already unraveling the most significant change of Mr. Assad’s tenure: linking Syria to the global economy, allowing private banks and opening economic opportunity for young people in nation where about three-quarters of the population is under the age of 35.
Optimists think the pressure could work, largely because the biggest tycoons are close to the president, especially his cousin, Rami Makhlouf, and some dozen sons of his father’s closest allies. (Mr. Makhlouf gobbled up so many state enterprises put up for sale that Syrians wryly dubbed the privatization process “Ramification.”)
Pessimists worry that the government, including the scions of the old guard, will let the economy sink further to cling to power.
“Up until the last minute, I did not believe the Arab League would take such a decision,” said Mohammed Ghassan al-Qallaa, the president of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce, his office filled with Assad paraphernalia, including a small gold bust of Mr. Assad’s father, former President Hafez al-Assad. “It was like a poke in the eye.”
Good statistics remain a rarity here. But trade and investment activity is already off by 50 percent, financial analysts in Damascus said, and estimates on how much the economy will shrink this year range from 12 to 20 percent. The higher estimates kick in if sanctions — like a flight ban still being debated by the Arab League — are toughened.
Layoffs are rampant, with unemployment estimated to have risen to 22 percent. The tourism sector, which amassed about $6 billion in 2010, a boom year, has been decimated.
Hotel managers report occupancy rates of 15 percent or lower, if they will divulge them at all, and numerous restaurants have gone broke. Financial analysts said the luxury Four Seasons chain tried to close its once-booming Damascus hotel, an effort rejected by the government, which owns an estimated 50 percent share.
Sven Wiedenhaupt, the hotel’s general manager, refused to divulge his occupancy figures or how many staff members had been laid off. But he silently cast his head first left, then right to emphasize the absence of anyone in the cavernous, distinctly chilly lobby. “We are still keeping the lights on and trying to remain cutting edge,” Mr. Wiedenhaupt said.
At one hotel in the northern city of Aleppo, the appearance of two German tourists proved so startling that the entire staff, from the manager to the chambermaids, rushed to pose for pictures with them. “It was like they had arrived from another planet,” said a Syrian woman who witnessed the scene and, like others interviewed, requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

Dey murder: Crime Branch to file chargesheet today

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch is set to file chargesheets against 10 of the 11 accused excluding journalist Jigna Vora in the J Dey Murder case. On Friday, a man approached MCOCA court to hand over four cell phones and SIM cards allegedly used by Vora.
Vora's police custody has been extended to December 5 in the Mid Day journalist murder case.
The prosecution sought a narco analysis on Jigna Vora if the accused was willing but the defense opposed, sources said.

The Mumbai Crime Branch have named gangster Chhota Rajan as the mastermind of the murder.

On November 25, police arrested Vora, the Deputy Bureau Chief of an English daily in Mumbai and was sent to a weeks' police custody under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
The Mumbai Crime Branch have named gangster Chhota Rajan as the mastermind of the murder including the four alleged shooters seen trailing Dey in a CCTV video just before they shot him.
In court, the prosecution stated they had gathered evidence in the form of telephonic records that show Vora in conversation with her underworld sources.
Vora parted with vital information that directly relates to the murder, including J Dey's motorcycle number, his home and office address and his daily schedule and misguided police during interrogation and was non-cooperative.
Dey was shot dead outside his house at Powai in Mumbai on June 11, 2011.

US rules out any apology to Pakistan over Nato bombing

 The Obama administration has said that it respects Pakistan's sovereignty but ruled out any apology to Islamabad at this point of time as the probe into the last week's Nato air strike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers is yet to complete.

"We need to find what happened. We need toget the truth here. We have endeavored to do so through this investigation," state department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters when asked why the US is not tendering an apology to Pakistan over the Nato bombing last week.


Toner also reiterated US' commitment to have a strong relationship with Pakistan.
US views this as a tragedy for the Pakistani people, he said, adding the US has expressed its sympathies and condolences to them.
Secretary of state Hillary Clinton was among the first to reach out to her Pakistani counterpart on the wee hours of the day of incident, he pointed out.
"It speaks to how seriously we take this incident that we immediately launched, via CENTCOM, an investigation that's looking into all the causes that surround this event.
It is not only important that we find out what happened and why it happened, but we need to really get the details because we need to make sure that we prevent this from ever happening again," he said.
Even as Pakistan has made clear that it would not attend the Bonn conference on Afghanistan in protest against the air strikes, Toner hoped Islamabad would have its presence at the meeting which is being attended by some 85 countries and 15 international organisations.
"We think it would be regrettable if Pakistan were not to attend this conference. We think it's important for the region, it's important for the neighborhood. It's important that we all work to put Afghanistan on a square and solid footing," he said, adding US Ambassador to Pakistan is engaged in a series of conversations with the Pakistani leaders in this regard.
US wants them to be there, he said adding Pakistan's participation in the Bonn conference is valuable.
"They're absolutely critical to Afghanistan's long-term stability. But we are also going to find a way to keep them involved in the process moving forward," he noted.
"We have continued to talk to our Pakistani counterparts, and our message has been very clear. First of all, we respect Pakistan's sovereignty. Secondly, we are committed to this relationship and making it work.
As we've said before, we face many shared challenges from extremists, and we need to tackle them together. This is a relationship that's in both of our national interests, and well as in the interests of Afghanistan, obviously," Toner said.
"Then finally we have launched an investigation, an ongoing investigation, albeit at its early stages, that will hopefully find the answers to what happened," the US official said.

FDI in retail: Can PM win over Mamata?

New Delhi: The deadlock over FDI in retail has paralysed the Winter Session of Parliament for nine days now. With just 15 days of the session remaining, the government has until Wednesday to convince the dissenting allies.

Sources say Congress will reach out to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee once more. Mamata had spurned the Prime Minister's call for help on Friday. The government needs the TMC's support as it is the single largest UPA ally with 19 MPs.

Meanwhile the Opposition is keeping up the pressure on the issue of FDI. Opposition didn't allow Parliament to function for the ninth day in a row on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, at the Hindustan Times leadership summit in partnership with CNN-IBN - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked Mamata not to stand in the way of states that want to implement FDI in retail.

Pranab suggested a possible rapprochement to the Opposition and allies alike to end the logjam in Parliament.

The Prime Minister reached out to the key UPA partner the Trinamool Congress who now probably holds the key to end the stalemate. Manmohan Singh called up Mamata seeking support and to explain the government's position on FDI but the West Bengal Chief Minister remained adamant.

"We cannot support the governments decision on FDI in retail," Banerjee said.

Parliament will meet after an extended weekend on Wednesday that gives the government some breathing space and time to convince its allies to end the logjam.

Death Toll Mounts in Syria, Along With Outside Pressure

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Against a backdrop of mounting Arab pressure on President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, activists on Tuesday reported mounting violence, with more than 50 people killed on Monday, making it the highest death toll on a single day in months.
The latest tally of bloodletting came a day after King Abdullah of neighboring Jordan added his voice on Monday to the growing calls for Mr. Assad to relinquish power, becoming the first Arab leader on Syria’s doorstep to call for a change in government to end the increasingly bloody political uprising there.

The Jordanian monarch’s remarks, made in an interview with the BBC, came with Mr. Assad still smarting from the Arab League’s unexpectedly strong rebuke over the weekend with its decision to suspend Syria’s membership. Syria also faced additional sanctions imposed Monday by the European Union.
“I believe, if I were in his shoes, I would step down,” King Abdullah told the BBC. “If Bashar has the interest of his country, he would step down, but he would also create an ability to reach out and start a new phase of Syrian political life.”
Other countries in the region with historically close ties to Syria, notably Turkey and Iran, have warned Mr. Assad that he should take steps to satisfy the demands of protesters in the eight-month-old uprising, which has now become a focal point in the Arab revolts that have felled autocratic regimes in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia this year. But the public comments about Mr. Assad by King Abdullah — who has faced some Arab Spring protests in his own country — went beyond what others have said.
In the latest violence, activists said that 28 civilians died in the southern city of Dara’a during clashes that lasted for several hours on Monday between security forces and army defectors, according to Omar Idlibi, a member of the Local Coordination Committees activist group.
Other antiregime figures said that most of the casualties were soldiers and army deserters. Syria has banned most foreign journalists from covering Syria, making it hard to confirm news independently.
Mr. Idlibi also said that 13 people were killed in Homs, in central Syria, and that eight of them were found on Monday near a trash hauling bin with their hands cuffed behind their backs. Two of the bodies were in military uniform, he added.
Activists also reported that six people were killed in the northwestern province of Idlib, and one in the province of Qamishli in northeastern Syria, both near the Turkish border. Two were killed in Hama, in central Syria and one in Damascus, the capital.
Mr. Idlibi also said that three were killed on Tuesday in central Syria.
On Monday, Mr. Assad’s foreign minister said the Arab League suspension of Syria was “an extremely dangerous step.” He also apologized for a spree of attacks on foreign embassies in Syria by pro-Assad loyalists outraged over the Arab League move.
The foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, speaking at a televised news conference in Damascus, reiterated Syria’s contention that it had complied with the terms of a proposed Arab League peace plan by withdrawing its armed troops from urban areas, releasing political prisoners and offering pardons to militants.
But rights activists in Syria, as well as a majority of Arab League members, have said Syria had failed to comply with the peace plan, pointing to new violence in Syria since it agreed to the accord on Nov. 2. Activists said Monday that more than 240 people had been killed from the day the plan was announced until last week.
The majority of the deaths were in Homs, a restive city in central Syria that was subjected to a major military assault just days after the peace initiative was announced.
The United Nations said this month that at least 3,500 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising started in March. The government disputed the death toll and has blamed the unrest on armed groups which it says have killed more than 1,100 soldiers and police officers.
Mr. Moallem also played down any prospects of an international military intervention in Syria, like the NATO-led campaign against Libya that helped topple the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi in August.
“The Libyan scenario will not be repeated,” he said, contending that Western and Arab countries know that the cost of confronting the Syrian military would be high.
“As for attacks on foreign embassies, as the foreign minister I apologize for these aggressions,” Mr. Moallem said. The embassies and consulates of France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey were attacked by angry demonstrators in Damascus and other cities on Saturday, shortly after the Arab League announced the suspension decision.

Today's innings against West Indies was not challenging: VVS Laxman

Relieved at getting his first Test hundred in 16 matches, VVS Laxman agreed that there is something about his relationship with Eden Gardens, but added that Tuesday's innings against the West Indies was not that challenging.

India made merry on a flat Eden track to pile up a massive 631 for seven declared, with centuries coming from the blade of Rahul Dravid (119), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (144) besides Laxman's unbeaten 176, on day two of the second Test.
This was Laxman's 17th century, coming after a gap of 15 months, having scored his last (103 not out) against Sri Lanka in August 2010.
"I have always enjoyed batting at the Eden Gardens. Not only batting, all the Tests I played here I really enjoyed playing here. It's a great ground with great history. Even as there were not many spectators in the Test, people of Kolkata make it special. It's a special ground for all of us," Laxman told reporters after his fifth century at the venue.
"It was a relief to get a hundred. The last one was against Sri Lanka at P Sara Oval in the third Test where the team was under tremendous pressure. After that I played knocks in pressure situations," Laxman said.
Laxman, who had struck a career-best 281 not out at this venue against Australia in 2003, said when he went out to bat, at 205 for three, things were a lot easier.
"Luckily in this Test (Virender) Sehwag and (Gautam) Gambhir gave us a good start. Obviously Rahul and Sachin too had a good partnership. So when I went into bat the position was not very challenging."
"But it was important for us to build a partnership that's what Rahul and I tried to do. Seeing the nature of the wicket where it deteriorates on the third and fourth day, it was important to get a big score in the first innings