Britney bares all to reveal imperfections!

Pop diva Britney Spears has unveiled her imperfections to highlight women's body image issues by releasing a set of untouched photographs from a recent fashion shoot.
The singer is seen posing in a pink bikini in a new spread for US fashion brand Candie's but there are notable differences in the two sets of images which have been released by the pop star's representatives, reports contactmusic.com.

A Special World

A special world for you and me
A special bond one cannot see
It wraps us up in its cocoon
And holds us fiercely in its womb.

At least 100 killed in India-Bangladesh storm

At least 100 people have died in a powerful storm that hit areas on the border between India and Bangladesh.

Many more are injured or trapped in rubble as about 50,000 houses were hit by winds of up to 160 km/h (100mph).

Russia Against Napoleon

“War,” Thomas Hardy once wrote, “makes rattling good history.” If you would like an example of exactly what Hardy meant, I commend “Russia Against Napoleon” by Dominic Lieven. Never in history, perhaps, did a man of such extraordinary military genius suffer so extraordinary a military disaster. On June 24, 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte, the master of continental Europe, led nearly half a million men into the depths of Russia to enforce his will upon Czar Alexander I. With greatly inferior forces, Russia could not afford to confront Napoleon head on. Instead, the Russian commander, Mikhail Kutuzov, of necessity adopted Fabian tactics, harassing the invaders but avoiding pitched battle when possible.

On the same page

Written by Swaran Singh
The much-hyped two-day Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC, marked the culmination of President Barack Obama’s unprecedented nuclear disarmament diplomacy. The two-day barrage of interactions was aimed at downsizing the role of nuclear weapons and preventing nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists. Even if belatedly, this upsurge in Obama’s disarmament agenda must bring some relief to the esteemed committee that conferred the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on him, based on little else, then, than a gut feeling.

Prince - Review

Hollywood has come up with so many movies on memory loss, while Bollywood too has had its share of films which depicted the protagonist losing his memory, Ghajini being the most recent example. But what if someone robs your memory? Quite an interesting thought, isn't it?

Who’s Not Sorry Now?

“I’m sorry that the financial crisis has had such a devastating impact on our country. I’m sorry for the millions of people, average Americans, who have lost their homes. And I’m sorry that our management team, starting with me, like so many others, could not see the unprecedented market collapse that lay before us.”

Coping with Maoists

written by Hiranmay Karlekar

In their article, “This is War” in The Pioneer of April 7, 2010, Ajai Sahni and Ajit Kumar Singh have rightly regretted the absence of a societal consensus and a coherent strategy in dealing with Maoists.

The subject of societal consensus takes one to a point which Mr KPS Gill has been making for a long time: One cannot weed out extremism without good governance. Anyone with a conscience and familiar with conditions in the States and areas where the Maoist presence is significant, would know that governance in these has not only been inefficient but malign, scandalously corrupt,

Health Tips for Women

Do you find it hard to balance your work and family? Have you thought of taking a much-needed break? It is medically proven women are much more prone to health risks than men. Women's health needs extra care and attention. Their constitution is very different and hence needs special care. The importance of taking care of ones health is not understood by many women. But the earlier they understand it is better for them.

Sonia’s blueprint for party’s future

Written by Pankaj Vohra

National Advisory Council (NAC) is a clear signal from the party of its overall assertion over the government. It is also, in a way, an admission by the party that the government needed better direction to implement the party agenda that was in tune with the aam aadmi. By institutionalising her position as NAC supremo, the party expects ministers to be more committed in their approach. The Congress is clear — its focus remains on social causes.

A bold decision

Keeping retirement age at 58 is wise

THE Punjab government has taken a bold decision by keeping the retirement age for its employees at 58 instead of raising it to 60 years. Though it runs contrary to its electoral promise, the decision would be welcomed by the youth. Over 18,000 employees, who would have benefited immediately from the enhanced retirement age, would, however, be disappointed. Had the government decided to raise the age of retirement, it would have, in the short-term, deferred payments to the tune of Rs 700 core this year and another Rs 762 crore during 2011-2012. However, in the long-term,

How to improve your spoken English

Improve Your English Speaking and English Pronunciation Skills

The first rule of speaking English is to speak clearly, concisely and use simple vocabulary. KISS - keep it short and simple. Remember you probably won't just speak to native speakers. There are roughly 380 million native speakers, but as many as a billion people speak it as a second language. So it's a good idea to avoid idioms and slang (I always say learn it, but don't use it). It might sound clever to say "You're barking up the wrong tree," but if you misuse it or if the other person doesn't understand you, you'll only look silly when you try to explain what you meant to say, or what it actually means.

English Writing Tips

1. 
   Keep your sentences simple and clear. Don't use to many complicated sentences.
2. Don't make all the sentences the same length. It is a good idea to vary the length of the sentences. Make some sentences longer, while keeping some sentences shorter.

FACT, FICTION AND FARCE

written by the telegraph

Ricky Martin is a gay man who has spent much of his adult life in the arms of the opposite sex, sang lustily at them (including the soul-cringing She Bangs), and fathered two ruddy boys (with a surrogate mother) to boot. Mr Martin is in august company. Even André Gide and Oscar Wilde happened to do some of the things that the decidedly hunky Latin American popstar did to puff up his image as a lascivious ladies’ man. But alas, an eager interest in women, boosted by suitably macho pep talk in public, cannot save one from oneself.

We Can’t Tell You

written by editor of newyorktimes


For more than 20 years, it was settled law, born of bitter experience, that the government may not eavesdrop on people in the United States without a warrant. Until, that is, after the 9/11 attacks, when President George W. Bush ordered the National Security Agency to ignore the law. When The Times disclosed the spying in late 2005, Mr. Bush argued that the attacks changed everything: Due process and privacy were luxuries the country could no longer afford. Far too many members of Congress bought this argument. Others, afraid of being painted as soft on terror, refused to push back. In 2008, at the White House’s insistence, they expanded the government’s ability to eavesdrop without warrants.

Be Mobile Without Risk

Written by Milind Deora

A young boy was killed recently when the electronic discharge from his cellphone came in contact with a high-tension overhead wire. Tragic as it was, the incident brought into sharp focus a related issue we've been silent on for too long: cellphone radiation exposure may well be a serious health hazard. After preliminary inquiries, i urged the telecommunications ministry to make it mandatory for all cellphone companies to clearly communicate the potential dangers of cellphone radiation exposure. Both the radiation from handsets and tower-based antennas carrying the signals are already the subject of numerous studies linking prolonged cellphone use to brain tumours, genetic damage and other serious conditions.