Much prior to this, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram declared that the Centre is ready to come to terms with the freezing of “Memorandum of Understanding” (MoU) owing to the fact that the Maoists commit to negotiate. Arundhati Roy also mentioned that Operation “Greenhunt “ is only another name for governments policy of extermination and the government should be more focused towards putting an end to this policy which only bodes ill and odd for one & all.

Arundhati Roy thus hinted it out strongly that the state is in a condition where the utilization of natural resources might land the country on to a different platform altogether. Instead, what the country is holding on to are some far stretched elections which are equally expensive events. The whole economy is clashing it hard on the lower and down trodden class with much needed but no relief in actuality.

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• India’s Maoist extremists ask Arundhati Roy to mediate in conflict with state (guardian.co.uk)

While the model looks stylish it seems to be mess sturdy than rival Kodak Zi8 or the second-generation Flip MinoHD model. Besides, it is a finger print magnet, owing to its glossy surface. The front side f the device has a 2 inch LCD screen and a few buttons. The inclusion of a mini HDMI port is a welcome addition as you can hook it up to your HDTV and watch recorded video. However, Creative does not provide the cable and so you will have to shell out some money to get it. The two other ports present in this device is an USB connector and a headphone jack on top.

You can chose to record video either in VGA or HD mode. The internal memory will store around 2 hours of HD video. The Lithium ion battery also lasts for two hours after a recharge. You can also click still photos and the quality is good though it should not be compared with the photo quality produced by stand alone digital cameras. The omission of optical zoom may disappoint some people but at this range you cannot expect that feature. It uses the MPEG 4 format with H.264 compression.

The video quality is quite good though you cannot expect it to shoot flawless footage in all conditions. In low light conditions the video quality does suffer but still it performs at par with other models in its range. The Vado HD offers manual exposure control but the effects are not very prominent on the footage. The audio quality has improved in this version compared with the first Vado HD. To get better sound you can use an external mic through the headphone jack. It does not have a Macro mode and this makes the Kodak Zi8 take a forward leap in comparison. Besides, the Zi8 also bundles in a handy image stabilization mode.

Creative has made the included Vado Central 3.0 software compatible with both Mac and windows. The application is quite handy and you will be able to upload the recorded footage to sites like YouTube and Facebook. Overall, the Vado HD 3rd gen is not perfect but offers marginally better quality than its predecessors.

The Ixus 105 IS offers a 12.1 Mp resolution which is adequate even for heavy users and to make best use of such a high resolution Canon has equipped the model with wider ranging zoom. The camera looks really cute and you can expect a few heads to turn the moment you pop it out of the bag at any gathering. It does not look radically different from previous Ixus models such as the Ixus 95 but it has got a slightly more curved contour.

The moment you switch on the camera you will notice that it is much faster than average digital cameras that you come across. It starts very fast, in just a second to be precise. The zoom and autofocus also works reasonably fast. Canon has packed in enough punch in this sleek model to ensure your snaps come out sharp and bright in any lighting condition. There is an optical image stabilizer that will take care of accidental shakes caused when a person is shooting outdoors. Besides, the model has also got motion detection. The photographers will appreciate the 4x wide angel zoom that is ideal for taking nature snapshots.

So should this be the ideal camera for a photographer on a tight budget? Well, that varies on your needs. Granted, the Ixus 105 produces good results and packs in the desired features but it also leaves out some of the features that gadget lovers want. For instance, it lacks HD movie capture which is becoming a popular feature in Digital cameras. You will have to shell out more money and opt for its higher end sibling Ixus 130 for that feature. While the Ixus 105 Is packs in Canon’s ’smart flash exposure’ system along with ‘i-Contrast’ system they are not really killer features. Overall, this camera should appeal to you if you like looks along with quality. Otherwise there are many cheaper models in the market that will offer you better value for money.

In 1993, Jon Venables along with his friend Robert Thompson kidnapped the toddler James Bulger from a shopping center. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were 10 then. While James Bulger was waiting for his mother outside a butcher’s shop he was abducted. Both the boys dragged James Bulger and he was brutally tortured before he was killed. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson hit him with bricks. He was kicked and punched. They even poured paint in the child’s eyes. As someone tried to protest, they said the 2-year-old was their brother. After that they left him on railway tracks in Liverpool where a train ran over him causing his death.

When the parents discovered their child was missing, they went frantic. Two days later, the body of the child was discovered by some kids who were playing near the railway track in Liverpool. The spot was 2 miles away from the Strand shopping center.

After some days post the discovery, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were arrested for the murder and they were later charged. They were one of the youngest people who were charged for murder.

On being asked about the arrest of Jon Venables, Alan Johnson, the home secretary said, “Jon Venables was only released on the basis of very strict license conditions, those license conditions have been breached and he is back in custody.” Meanwhile, James Bulger’s mother, Densie Fergus tweeted, “Would like to let everyone know Jon Venables is where he belongs tonight, behind bars. Is this my son’s justice.”

A spokesperson for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield said, “It is my sad duty to inform you that a British soldier… was killed by small arms fire in Sangin, northern Helmand.” He further added, “He was part of a team from 3 Rifle partnering Afghan national army soldiers at a vehicle checkpoint to the south-east of Sangin district centre when the checkpoint was fired on. He died protecting the people of Sangin. He will be sorely missed by us, his comrades – we will remember him.”

The Pakistan based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba is being blamed by an Afghan intelligence official for the car bomb and suicide attacks which took place in last week. The attack killed 16 people in Kabul. Lashkar-e-Taiba is also the group which is blamed for the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008 which took the lives of 166 innocent people. The incident further created tension between the rival countries India and Pakistan. A spokesperson of Afghanistan’s national directorate of security, Saeed Ansari reportedly said, he has evidence to show Pakistan was involved in the terror attacks which took place in the guesthouses of Kabul. Indians as well as other foreigners reportedly visit the place. In the terror attack of Kabul, 6 Indians reportedly died.

The 15-year old even supposedly set alight a 2nd scooter which was parked in front of the flat of a disabled neighbor of Mr. and Mrs. Adams on Monday. The couple is Jack and Ivy Williams (both 90). Jack and Ivy Williams shifted to their son Roy’s house. Jack Williams said, “My wife woke me because she saw the light of the fire. If she hadn’t, we’d be dead.”

The couple Kath and Albert Adams has been married for 56 years. The death of the couple is suspected to be murder and not an accident. On early Saturday morning, the incident took place when they were sleeping in their apartment. The firefighters later came at their rescue. They were immediately taken to hospital in Coventry. The couple died at the hospital.

It is not yet clear why the couple were killed. The investigation is on. According to some residents of the place, the couple had previously protested against the reckless behaviour of some teenagers. The couple had supposedly challenged the teenagers for their misbehaviour with elderly people and for playing loud music. The police is yet to comment on the cause of the murder.

The police department of Warwickshire confirmed that they have arrested a teenager who is suspected of the murder. A spokesperson of Warwickshire police said, “The 15-year-old is currently in police custody where officers are questioning him.”

The independent drug advisers of the government are on their way to launch a review on the dangers involved in cocaine use. According to Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, “The fact that it [cocaine] seems to have become more socially acceptable and seen as a safe, middle-class drug is a myth that must be tackled, with much greater effort put into the demand side of the trade here in the UK. Cocaine is a dangerous and lethal drug.”

According to a report, about 25 to 30 tonnes of cocaine came in the United Kingdom last year. Only 3.5 tonnes out of those were seized. The MPs hold judges responsible for handling the issue leniently. According to them, the police should be more strict while handling the cocaine dealers. This might help in the the reduction of cocaine use.

The Commons Home Affairs Select Committee has pointed out that there is an increase in number of people using this drug. The number of people seeking treatment has also risen. However, the street prices of cocaine have decreased. It has become as less as pound 2 for a line of cocaine.

The chief executive of the charity DrugScope, Martin Barnes said, “Although cocaine retains some of its image as a drug for the rich and famous, this has changed with the fall in price, purity and increased availability.” The situation needs to be controlled in order to prevent further cocaine usage.

In today’s world where there is no certainty of life, due to increasing number of bomb blasts and terrorist attacks, the words of Tahir-ul-Qadri were necessary. According to Shahid Mursaleen, the spokesperson of Tahir-ul-Qadri, “He has hit hard on the terrorists as it prevents Islamists from considering suicide bombers as ‘martyrs’. This fatwa injects doubt into the minds of potential suicide bombers.” Shahid Mursaleen further added, “Extremist groups based in Britain recruit youth by brainwashing them that they will ‘with certainty’ be rewarded in the next life and Dr Qadri’s fatwa has removed this key intellectual factor from their minds.”

The movement by Tahir-ul-Qadri has attracted lots of people. He described al-Qaeda as an “old evil with a new name” which needs to be challenged. Many scholars had earlier tried to preach the same message, however, according to Tahir-ul-Qadriin in his documents there is no scope for “ifs and buts.” It is a straight forwards “no” if the lives of innocent citizens are put at stake. According to reports, the 600 page document was prepared by Tahir-ul-Qadri last year as a mark of protest against increasing number of blasts and terrorism across the world. The words from the scholar is receiving lots of positive responses. This document might play a crucial role in preaching peace by fighting against terrorism.

The Atom N47o chip runs at a default clock speed of 1.83 GHz, slightly ahead of its predecessor N450’s 1.66 GHz speed. The Intel representatives are of the opinion that the N470 will offer performance boost for netbook users as the CPU has graphics processing unit in built. It will be more energy efficient according to them. The new CPU has a L2 cache of 512 KB and also supports DDR2 667 MHz RAM. The new CPU has a TDP of 6.5 watt, slightly more than its predecessor.

However, the tech experts are not very enthusiastic about the new CPU from the stable of Intel. While it has got a speed boost the difference is less than 200 MHZ. At the end of the day the majority of the users will bother about lag free performance and smooth multitasking rather than bothering about power consumption. Besides, the integrated GMA 3150 GPU is not exactly suitable for playing present generation 3D games, though it may be able to playback HD content. The GPU supports MPEG 2 decoding but lacks support for H.264 standard. This is where Nvidia may give it a run for its money. The few Ion based netbooks have shown excellent graphics performance and the new Pine Trail CPUs need to match up if they have to win the favor of the users.

The price tag of the N470 is around $75 which is on the steep side. The price sensitive users may choose to stick to the dual core Atom 330 CPU that offers reasonable performance at lower price. No matter how it performs, a number of netbook makers are likely to launch models powered by this CPU. Gigabyte has announced its T1000 netbook already based on the N470 chip and others are expected to follow suit.

While the gadgets lovers who prefer gadgets that they can flaunt in parties may not like the sober and toned down look of the DSC W380, the users looking for a camera with overall good performance with a reasonable price tag would lap it up. It does not look or feel cheap by any means. The build quality is solid and you would not hesitate to take it to outdoors. In fact, you may find it hard to believe that this model actually sells for less than £200. You also get a wide anglel 5x zoom.

Some users may gripe about that fact that the Cyber Shot DSC–W380 has a 2.6 inch screen while many rival models like those in the Canon Ixus range boast of 3 inch screens, it is not much of a letdown. The LCD is quite bright and you would have no problem in suing it in clear daylight. The features like auto focus and face detection works almost accurately and in most cases you would be happy with the result. However, the Smile shutter feature may need a little bit of tweaking. Even in low light shots, the DSS W 380 offers acceptable performance with moderate loss of details and sharpness. However, Sony’s noise reduction features come in handy in such instances. Sony touts of its Sweep Panorama feature which, to be frank, works effortlessly and produces good results. However, it is not a feature that will make the perfectionists or professional photographers happy. The addition of SDHC card support is a boon for the users who do not like Sony’s Memory stick Duo.

So, does it look like Sony has produced a category killer with the new DSC W380? Well, not quite. While the camera offers a nice blend of performance and features and does not cost a bomb either, it does have its shortcomings. For instance, the HD movie recording mode works well but it would have been great if Sony had included a HDMI slot in the model. The menu speed could have been a tad faster as well. However, this camera will satisfy the novice as well as moderate users. If you are not exactly a feature hound and can live without a few minor gripes, the DSC W 380 will be your ideal imaging companion.