BlackBerry App World 2.0 enters the Beta Zone

As more and more applications enter the mobile terrain a new enhanced App World will surely augment the entire experience of searching and downloading software. That is exactly what the official BlackBerry blog is now going to unveil, with the BlackBerry App World 2.0 out in their Beta Zone. The new version is all set to augment the entire process with new tidbits and add-ons.

The beta is available only through an invite based approach. Those who wish to try out the beta must quickly sign up for a beta account in order to be eligible for an invite. Users can expect the beta to pack in a plethora of features some of which are barcode scanning, new Top 25s, new billing options and many more.

The current version of the App World is quite popular and is available in six languages across 65 countries. The blog claims that around a million apps are downloaded on a daily basis. The company however still does not remove the haze from the release of the complete version, so all we can do is wait and watch.

Team India stays top-ranked Test side

India has retained the No1 position in the ICC Test Championship table after the annual update and is now 11 ratings points clear of second placed South Africa.

By virtue of earning a draw in the second Test against Sri Lanka, India has also ensured that it will still be on top of the table following the conclusion of the current series irrespective of how the third Test pans out.

The result of Sri Lanka and India Test series will only reflect on the table at the end of the final Test on August 7 as the Test Championship can only be updated at the end of each series.

The annual update of both the Reliance Mobile ICC Test and ODI Championship tables take place so that both lists continue to reflect recent form with older results being discarded.

India has hugely benefited from the annual update as it has gained six ratings points to jump from 124 ratings points to 130, 11 ahead of its closest rival South Africa which had dropped one ratings point to 119.

However, India's 11-point lead at the top will be short-lived following its failure to win its current series in Sri Lanka.

If India wins the third Test, which starts at P Sara' Oval, Colombo, on Tuesday 3 August to draw the series at one-all, it will drop to 127 ratings points, while Sri Lanka will move into third place on 115 rating points, ahead of both Australia and England.

If the Test is drawn, India will slip to 124 ratings points, just five points ahead of both South Africa and Sri Lanka. However, Kumar Sangakkara's side will be placed just below Graeme Smith's side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

Another defeat for India will not only see it plummet to 122 ratings points but will lift Sri Lanka to 121 ratings points and into second position on the Test Championship for only the second time since the current Test ranking system was introduced in 2003.

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table (after annual update on 30 July. In brackets is rating points before the annual update)

1India130 (124)

2South Africa119 (120)

3Australia113 (116)

4England111 (108)

5Sri Lanka111 (115)

6Pakistan84 (84)

7West Indies79 (77)

8New Zealand 78 (80)

9Bangladesh7 (9)

Malaria is epidemic, insist BMC's corporators

Malaria was the hot topic in the BMC’s general body meeting on Thursday, with all corporators demanding that the disease be declared an epidemic.

The corporators said that at a time more people are getting affected by the disease, private hospitals in the city are overcharging patients. This is also because the BMC’s hospitals have not been up to the task.

When opposition leader Rajhans Singh raised the issue at the meeting, all corporators, across party lines, supported him.

“Incidences of malaria are rising among all sections of society. The BMC alone cannot treat patients. All civic hospitals are overflowing,” said Rajhans.

BJP corporator Yogesh Sagar said: “The city is becoming the capital of malaria. Forty per cent of patients (of all ailments) are of malaria, out of which 57% are from Mumbai.”

The call to declare malaria an epidemic was given by BJP group leader Ashish Shelar and Congress corporator Vinod Shekhar.
In reply, the BMC administration replied that the civic body is quite capable of tackling the menace. “We are doing very well,” said Ashish Kumar Singh, additional municipal commissioner.

“BMC teams have inspected 1,885 construction sites and screened 1,34,712 workers. We found 15,539 suffering from fever and 649 to be malarial. BMC teams have also visited slums, and found 1,766 malarial people.

“In the city and suburbs, there are 504 construction sites, and 264 builders are doing pest control on their own. At other sites, the BMC is administering larva treatment to stop mosquito breeding.”

Dabangg Movie Preview

Director :
Starring : Abhinav Kashyap
Salman Khan, Om Puri, Anupam Kher, Dimple Kapadia, Vindo Khanna, Mahesh Manjrekar, Arbaaz Khan, Sonu Sood, Mahi Gill.



Salman Khan's much awaited film DABANGG is all set to hit the screens on 10th September 2010.

The action-packed DABANGG is the first film of newly launched Arbaaz Khan Productions. The lead actors in the film include Arbaaz's elder brother, Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha, daughter of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha. It is the debut film of Sonakshi as an actor and Arbaaz as a producer. The film also marks the debut of director Abhinav Kashyap who is the brother of acclaimed director Anurag Kashyap.

Produced by Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora Khan, Dhilan Mehta the film also stars Om Puri, Dimple Kapadia, Vinod Khanna, Mahesh Manjrekar, Arbaaz Khan, Mahie Gill and Sonu Sood in supporting roles

The music is done by Salman's favourite music composers duo Sajid-Wajid while the lyrics are penned by Jalees Sherwani, Faaiz Anwaar, Lalit Pandit.

The film is being distributed by Arbaaz Khan Productions and Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd.

Synopsis:

'I dont want to be shattered from dangers, want to be fearless while facing them' DABANGG means Fearless.

Set in Laalgurj, Uttar Pradesh, Dabangg is a story of Chulbul Pandey (Salman Khan), a totally fearless but corrupt police officer with unorthodox working methods.

But even the most fearless at times face a tough fight with their innermost demons. Chulbul has had a bitter childhood. His father passed away when he was young and mother Nalini (Dimple Kapadia) married Prajapati Pandey (Vinod Khanna). Together, they had a son Makhanchan (Arbaaz Khan).

Prajapati favours Makhanchan which does not go down well with Chulbul. He decides to take the control of his destiny and detaches himself from his stepfather and half brother. His sole attachment is his mother. However after his mother's demise and an unsuccessful attempt to mend wounds, Chulbul snaps all ties with his stepfather and half brother.

Rajo (Sonakshi Sinha) with her unique perspective of life enters his world and turns upside down. Chulbul starts to see life more positively and also gets sensitized to the value of a family.

But his detractors especially the dubious Cheddi Singh (Sonu Sood) have their own vested interests. And emerge as spokes in the wheel, pulling one brother against the other. Makhanchan ends up carrying out acts oblivious to the consequences. When he realizes he has been used, he turns to Chulbul.

Will Chulbul take his extended hand?

Will the brothers be able to threat their detractors?

Well this time, Chulbul's fearlessness channelizes itself positively and reunite him with his family.

DABANGG is a hard-hitting, entertaining, emotional narrative that unfolds grippingly in a region that has place only for the fearless.

	view DABANGG stills

Character Sketch:

Salman Khan as Chulbul Pandey - Chulbul Pandey plays a fearless but corrupt police officer who very early in his life learns to take control of his destiny. He meets each of life's challenges with elan.

Sonakshi Sinha as Rajo - Rajo is the girl who changes Chulbul Pandey's life with her positive effervescence. She is unable to think of her own future as she is devoted to her alcoholic father.

Arbaaz Khan as Makhanchan - Makhanchan the dim wit, is the younger half brother of Chulbul Pandey. They share a love-hate relationship.

Sonu Sood as Cheddi Singh - Cheddi Singh plays the prime antagonist. He uses one brother against the other to attain his own selfish goals.

Vinod Khanna as Prajapati Pandey - Prajapati Pandey is father of Makhanchan and step father od Chulbul. His relationship with Chulbul is turbulent and things take a turn for the worse after the death of Nalini, Chulbul's mother.

Khel Ratna for Saina, Chettri gets Arjuna Award

Ace Indian shuttler and World no.2 Saina Nehwal will get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports award, while Indian footballer Sunil Chettri, currently playing for American club Kansas City Wizards, is among the 15 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award.

The award's committee, headed by legendary athlete P.T. Usha, met here Friday to finalise the winners of this year's national sports awards.

Saina has been in great form and recently won three back-to-back tournaments, including two Super Series titles. The 20-year-old from Hyderabad won the Indian Open Grand Prix, the Singapore Open and the Indonesian Open.

Earlier this month, she jumped one spot to World No.2, and it came as a major boost for the star shuttler ahead of the World Championships at Paris from Aug 23.

'I am very happy and it is a surprise for me. It has come just before the World Championships. In fact, the last couple of months were great for me. I have done consistently well this year,' said Saina.

'Everything has happened quickly in my career. But it has been tough for me as well. Things will be different now as expectations will be high from me,' she said.

Saina has been made the captain of the Indian team for the World Championships.

Saina, who won the Padma Awards last year, was the first Indian girl to reach the singles quarterfinals at the Olympics in Beijing and the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships.

Footballers got an Arjuna Award after a gap of eight years. Delhi boy Chettri is the third Indian to ply his trade in a foreign football league and also scored a hat-trick in the AFC Challenge Cup final that India won to qualify for the Asia Cup after 24 years. Chettri's team mate in the national team Dipak Mondal, who plays for Kolkata club Mohun Bagan, will also get the Arjuna Award.

This is the first time, since the inception of Arjuna Awards, that two footballers have been conferred with the prestigious award.

Former India international Mohammad Habib, a member of the award's selection committee, feels the recognition will boost the game in the country.

'After a long time footballers got this prestigious award. In the last three years the team has done exceptionally well by winning two Nehru Cups and the AFC Challenge Cup. This will surely give confidence to the players,' Habib, an Arjuna Awardee, told IANS.

In cricket, fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, who was adjudged as the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's Player of the Year award in 2007, will also get the Arjuna.

Arjuna Awardees: Krishna Punia (athletics), Joseph Abraham (athletics), Dinesh Kumar (boxing), Parimarjan Negi (chess), Jhulan Goswami (cricket), Deepak Mondal (football), Sunil Chettri (football), Rajiv Tomar (wrestling), Sandeep Singh (hockey), Jasjit Kaur (hockey), Jajseer Singh (paralympics), Dinesh (kabaddi), Kapil Dev (volleyball), Rehan Poncha (swimming), Sanjeev Rajput (shooting)

Khel Ratna for Saina, Chettri gets Arjuna Award

Ace Indian shuttler and World no.2 Saina Nehwal will get the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the country's highest sports award, while Indian footballer Sunil Chettri, currently playing for American club Kansas City Wizards, is among the 15 sportspersons selected for the Arjuna Award.

The award's committee, headed by legendary athlete P.T. Usha, met here Friday to finalise the winners of this year's national sports awards.

Saina has been in great form and recently won three back-to-back tournaments, including two Super Series titles. The 20-year-old from Hyderabad won the Indian Open Grand Prix, the Singapore Open and the Indonesian Open.

Earlier this month, she jumped one spot to World No.2, and it came as a major boost for the star shuttler ahead of the World Championships at Paris from Aug 23.

'I am very happy and it is a surprise for me. It has come just before the World Championships. In fact, the last couple of months were great for me. I have done consistently well this year,' said Saina.

'Everything has happened quickly in my career. But it has been tough for me as well. Things will be different now as expectations will be high from me,' she said.

Saina has been made the captain of the Indian team for the World Championships.

Saina, who won the Padma Awards last year, was the first Indian girl to reach the singles quarterfinals at the Olympics in Beijing and the first Indian to win the World Junior Badminton Championships.

Footballers got an Arjuna Award after a gap of eight years. Delhi boy Chettri is the third Indian to ply his trade in a foreign football league and also scored a hat-trick in the AFC Challenge Cup final that India won to qualify for the Asia Cup after 24 years. Chettri's team mate in the national team Dipak Mondal, who plays for Kolkata club Mohun Bagan, will also get the Arjuna Award.

This is the first time, since the inception of Arjuna Awards, that two footballers have been conferred with the prestigious award.

Former India international Mohammad Habib, a member of the award's selection committee, feels the recognition will boost the game in the country.

'After a long time footballers got this prestigious award. In the last three years the team has done exceptionally well by winning two Nehru Cups and the AFC Challenge Cup. This will surely give confidence to the players,' Habib, an Arjuna Awardee, told IANS.

In cricket, fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, who was adjudged as the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's Player of the Year award in 2007, will also get the Arjuna.

Arjuna Awardees: Krishna Punia (athletics), Joseph Abraham (athletics), Dinesh Kumar (boxing), Parimarjan Negi (chess), Jhulan Goswami (cricket), Deepak Mondal (football), Sunil Chettri (football), Rajiv Tomar (wrestling), Sandeep Singh (hockey), Jasjit Kaur (hockey), Jajseer Singh (paralympics), Dinesh (kabaddi), Kapil Dev (volleyball), Rehan Poncha (swimming), Sanjeev Rajput (shooting)

Will take action if Rahul Mahajan's wife complains: Minister

Following reports that Dimpy Ganguly has walked out of her four-month-old marriage to Rahul Mahajan alleging domestic violence, Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath Friday said a panel will look into the matter if the victim lodges a complaint with them.

"I will ask the National Commission for Women (NCW) to look into the matter if she (Dimpy) lodges a formal complaint with us. Domestic violence in no way is acceptable," Tirath told reporters here.

Dimpy married Rahul, son of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, on the Imagine TV reality show "Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega" in March this year.

"Rahul beat me up early Thursday morning after waking me up to know the contents of a message that had beeped on my phone. When I asked him to go back to sleep, he flew into a rage and began hitting me. He punched, kicked and dragged me by the hair," the 22-year-old Kolkata-based model told a TV channel.

Rahul has been accused of domestic violence for the second time. Earlier, his first wife Shweta Singh had accused him of physically abusing her. They separated in 2008.