World Cup 2010 Overview

Jose De Jesus Corona Pleased With Preparations.

February 09 2010 : The Mexico and Cruz Azul shot-stopper spoke about the run up to the World Cup and what lies in store for El Tri.

Corona was pleased with the work done by the Mexican Football Federation, as they have set up friendly matches against opponents of high quality ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.

Coached by Javier Aguirre, Mexico will face the likes of Italy, England, Holland, Portugal, Chile and Senegal, among others, in the build-up to the finals.

The Mexican goalkeeper believes that these encounters will serve to prepare the side so that they reach June in great condition and ready to do well.

"I think the games will help us get into the right frame of mind, the opponents are strong and they will be the test to determine our level ahead of South Africa. I think the directors did a great job of setting these games up, and now those of us who are selected must respond with good performances," he told Goal.com.

Corona said that to deal with those kinds of rivals, the growth of the Tricolor will be important.

"We have to get the most out of these meetings, maintain a good level and play them with the seriousness they deserve to achieve expected results. We know it will not be simple, but we have the ability to put in a good performance."

The keeper agreed that he would love to play in the World Cup, but he knows that nobody has a secure spot within the national squad.

"Nothing is sure until the final list is announced. No one can relax and we must keep working hard to benefit the team and the squad, and when we see that we are called up, we will be happy.”

World Cup 2010: New Zealand Expect No Surprises In Final Squad For South Africa

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert has told his players who took the All Whites to the 2010 World Cup that they are all likely to be going to South Africa.

Eighteen players were in the squad that defeated Bahrain in November’s World Cup play-off match and all will be in line to face Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia in June in the Kiwis’ first appearance on the world stage for 28 years.

Most of the ‘Bahrain-beaters’ will travel to Los Angeles on March 3 for a friendly with Mexico.

"Nothing has changed there. I don't think any of them [the Bahrain 18] will miss out - the only reason would be a real downturn in form and there is no case of that at the moment," Herbert said according to the New Zealand Herald.

"There are situations out of your control where players aren't playing much for their clubs but that is not a recipe to leave anyone out at this stage. If someone was left out of their club side for a long time you could look at it, though,” he added.

The newspaper also reports that Herbert will not take four goalkeepers to South Africa although Glen Moss is serving a four-match suspension that will not expire until the final group game against Paraguay.

World Cup 2010: Japan Star Yasuhito Endo - Our Confidence Is Low At The Moment

Japan star Yasuhito Endo has admitted that the team are short of confidence at the moment.

Two goalless draws in the space of a week at home to supposedly inferior opposition in the shape of Venezuela and China have resulted in the knives coming out once again for coach Takeshi Okada.

Japan were booed off the pitch on Saturday after the China match in the opening game of the 2010 East Asian Championships.

A win will be expected against Hong Kong on Thursday leaving the stage set for the big match against South Korea on Sunday.

Both teams are preparing for the World Cup and Endo hopes that those preparations will get a much-needed boost over the next few days.

“I think there will be some member changes. The team is a little low on confidence at the moment,” Endo said according to the-afc.com.

The 2009 Asian Player of the Year knows that the match against Korea on Sunday is key.

“Korea are strong. For our confidence we must win the next game (with Hong Kong) and then I hope that we are able to beat Korea too,” he said.

Japan will take on Cameroon, Denmark and the Netherlands in Group E of the 2010 World Cup.

World Cup 2010: Fluminense Striker Fred Targets Selecao Spot

Brazil coach Carlos Dunga has plenty of options for the attacking positions in the Selecao with forwards such as Luis Fabiano, Adriano, Ronaldo, Robinho, Pato and Nilmar all eager to make in into Dunga's World Cup squad.

Fluminense forward Fred is a candidate to make it to South Africa, too, but the former Olympique Lyon star is aware if the stiff competition for a spot in Brazil's finals squad.

"The battle for attacking places with the national team is really fierce. It was very tough back in 2006, too, but I managed to clinch my spot at the last minute. I’m hoping that the same thing happens in 2010," said Fred to FIFA.com.

"I know that whoever gets the nod will do a good job for the team. If I’m selected then I’ll fight for a starting place, despite the fact that Luis Fabiano is playing out of his skin.

"But my form deserves recognition too, given I played in 16 ‘finals’ last year and scored 13 decisive goals."

World Cup 2010: South African FA Organise Friendly Match Against Namibia

SAFA has confirmed that the international friendly between Bafana Bafana and Namibia will take place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on March 3.
The game will be part of the 100 Days celebrations before World Cup 2010 kicks off on June 11.

It will be Bafana’s third game this year after they beat Swaziland 6-2 in a training match and then defeated Zimbabwe 3-0 in an international friendly.

The South Africans will also head off for a pre-World Cup camp in Brazil and Germany.

Meanwhile, SAFA CEO Leslie Sedibe has confirmed to the press that Esselen Park in Johannesburg will act as Bafana Bafana’s base camp for the World Cup.

World Cup 2010: Luciano Moggi: Italy Will Do Little In South Africa

Luciano Moggi has said Italy are not good enough to win the World Cup in delivering a damaging speech on Calcio.

Moggi attacked the Italian game on every level, raising doubts over whether Marcello Lippi can defend the crown won in 2006.

"Lippi will not return to Juventus at the end of the season as he is like a lightening rod at the Italian FA," he told 'Studio Stadio' on Gold Sport.

"But he cannot do much in South Africa because the material at his disposal is not extraordinary; it's not his fault though."

His verdict continued after questioning Milan's decision to sign Amantino Mancini, agreeing with Silvio Berlusconi's disapproval of the transfer.

"I agree with Berlusconi, Mancini to Milan is a useless transfer," he continued.

"He is not the same player he was at Roma."

Working his way down the table, Moggi looked at relegation-threatened Lazio, and his assessment there was clear.

"For the good of Lazio, [coach Davide] Ballardini should resign. He is not good enough for an important club like Lazio," he said.

"[President Claudio] Lotito is also to blame for the grave situation at Lazio because he chose the coach, and then he allowed [Goran] Pandev to leave."

Kashmir (Srinagar) avalanche - 16 dead

16 dead, four missing in Srinagar avalanche.

February 08 2010 : At least 16 soldiers have lost their lives and around four others are missing after they were trapped in an avalanche in Khilanmarg, 70 kilometers from Srinagar.

There are reports that around 70 army personnel have been rescued till now.

The avalanche took place at 11 a.m. on Monday. The Army’s High Altitude Warfare School at Gulmarg had established an advance camp at Gujjar Hut on Sunday, and 300 Army trainees, 100 trainers, 60 support staff and 50 civilians were present when the avalanche came down.

Army and police resue teams have reached the location and all efforts are being made to rescue all those trapped.

Snow Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) had issued an avalanche warning last evening and asked the people living in high altitude areas not to venture in the area, which has been receiving heavy snowfall for the past three days.

High danger prone areas included Sonamarg, Gagangir, Bhimbat, Drass, Batalic, Dhudi and S M Hills in Kargil district.The areas where low danger avalanche warning has been issued include both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel and the adjoining areas on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Dozens trapped in Kashmir avalanche.

The avalanche hit the Indian army's High Altitude Warfare School in northwest Kashmir, a rugged area at an altitude of 2,730 meters (9,000 feet) near a military line that divides the Himalayan region between India and Pakistan.

Army spokesman Col. Vineet Sood said 40 soldiers had been rescued but dozens more could still be trapped.

"It is snowing heavily and there is fog. Weather is hampering rescue operations," senior police official A.Q. Manhas said.

Avalanches occur frequently in mountainous Kashmir.

Heavy snow blocked Kashmir's main highway, the only road link to the rest of the country, for the third day Monday.

"We are struggling to reach the area - the snow and high winds are making rescue operations very tough," one of the rescuers, Ghulam Mohammed Dar, told.

Officials say there is little chance any tourists have been affected by the avalanche because it happened at a higher altitude than the nearby Gulmarg ski resort.

Indian Economy in 2009-10

Economy to grow by 7.2% in 2009-10: Govt.

February 08 2010 : The government on Monday estimated the economy to grow by 7.2 per cent in financial year 2009-10, against 6.7 per cent a year ago, despite contraction in farm production.

The projected GDP figure for the current fiscal, as put out by the advanced estimates of the Central Statistical Organisation, is lower than the Reserve Bank of India and the Finance Ministry's forecasts.

The Finance Ministry pegged GDP growth at 7.75 per cent in the mid-term economic review, while the RBI projected the economy to grow by 7.5 per cent in its quarterly monetary policy review last month.

However, the economy is likely to grow at a higher pace in the second half than seven per cent in the first half.

According to the data released today, agriculture and allied activities are, however, projected to shrink by 0.2 per cent this fiscal against 1.6 per cent a year ago.

The projected growth this fiscal is likely to be driven by 8.9 per cent expansion in the manufacturing sector against 3.2 per cent a year ago. This sector in particular had got various stimulus doses from the government in the wake of the global financial crisis.

According to the advanced estimates, mining and quarrying is likely to grow by 8.7 per cent compared with 1.6 per cent a year ago, while electricity, gas and water supply by 8.2 per cent against 3.9 per cent.

Trade, hotel, transport and communication is also projected to rise by 8.3 per cent against 7.6 per cent last year and construction by 6.5 per cent in FY'10 from 5.9 per cent in FY'09.

However, financing, insurance, real estate and business services are likely witness fall in expansion and grow by 9.9 per cent this fiscal against 10.1 per cent last fiscal and community social and personal services by 8.2 per cent compared with 13.9 per cent.

Advanced estimates are released before the end of a fiscal year to enable the government estimate various figures like fiscal deficit in the Budget.

IT, BPO exports to touch $50 billion in 2009-10

Amid signs of fast recovery from the impact of global economic slowdown, the information technology and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry would see its exports reach $50 billion in the current financial year, registering a growth of over 5 per cent. Similarly, export revenues are likely to grow at 13-15 per cent next fiscal to cross $57 billion, with the US remaining the dominant market.

In its yearly performance report, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) has said the domestic IT-BPO market is likely to reach Rs.66,200 crore, clocking a growth of 12 per cent, while in the next fiscal domestic revenues are likely to grow by 15-17 per cent to touch Rs.76,100-77,500 crore, particularly due to government IT spending.

The report also said the industry would continue to remain a net hirer where direct employment in Indian IT-BPO is estimated to cross 23-lakh and indirect job estimated to reach 82-lakh. “This fiscal over 90,000 new jobs will be added, while in the next fiscal this can go up to 1.5-lakh,” said Nasscom President Som Mittal.

Declining that the U.S. government’s “protectionist move” would have any major impact on the Indian IT industry, he pointed out that the industry was rapidly expanding into tier II and II cities, while 58 per cent employee workforce originate from these cites.

Significantly, before the recession, the industry was adding almost three-lakh jobs annually.

Strong performance

According to Nasscom Chairman and Genpact’s President and CEO Pramod Bhasin, “the performance of the Indian IT-BPO industry this year is far stronger than what is reflected through the growth numbers.

“The industry has reinvented itself by increasing its cost efficiencies, utilisation rates, diversification into new verticals and creating new business and pricing models, which is going to help industry in the log run and improve its margins.”

Pointing out that new areas such as engineering services, software and product development, and research and development have displayed phenomenal momentum, Mr. Bhasin said there has been a rebound in IT spending globally. “Though Europe is still a laggard, the U.S. is moving faster, while Latin America and Asia Pacific regions are expanding well. We are also looking at newer geographies to expand our base,” he added when asked about the recovery of global economy from recession.

Economic Growth verticals

Mr. Mittal said e-governance had emerged as one of the biggest growth verticals for the domestic IT-BPO sector as government IT spend was expected to reach nearly Rs.25,000 crore by 2011 from around Rs.15,000 crore in the last fiscal.

“Coming years are going to represent a significant shift in terms of business models, service lines, customers and talent structure. There will be increased focus on higher end offerings such as system integration consulting, business intelligence, knowledge services and vertical special BPO services,” he added.

India Vs South Africa (Ind Vs SA) Live score Streaming

Dravid, Yuvraj, Sreesanth Out As India Name Test Squad

February 04 2010 : Batsmen Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh as well as fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, have been ruled out of India's first Test against South Africa in Nagpur, which begins on 6th February and are not included in a 15-man squad for the game.

Dravid fractured his jaw during the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka while Yuvraj suffered a wrist injury during the series. VVS Laxman, who missed the second game with a hand injury, returns to the squad which also includes batsmen Murali Vijay and Subramaniam Badrinath.

Sreesanth, who has a hamstring injury, is ruled out and has been replaced by in-form fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun while Wriddhaman Saha replaces Dinesh Karthik as wicket-keeping cover for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who missed the first Test against Bangladesh with a back problem.

The 15-man squad includes three spinners in off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, leg-spinner Amit Mishra and left-armer Pragyan Ojha while uncapped pacer Sudeep Tyagi maintains his place in the squad.

The second Test is in Kolkata from 14th to 18th February and South Africa will then play three One-Day Internationals.

India Test squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Subramaniam Badrinath, Wriddhaman Saha, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Abhimanyu Mithun, Sudeep Tyagi, Ishant Sharma

India Vs South Africa - ODI, Test series schedule

The stage is all set for the India Vs South Africa 2010 series.

February 04 2010 : South Africa will play 2 tests and 3 One day internationals (ODI) during their India Tour in February - March 2010.

The series would be a thriller with both the top teams fighting for supremacy in the ICC World Test Ranking. India will play to defend its number one test team title against the might South Africans.

The bad news for India is that Yuvraj Sing, Rahul Dravid and Sreesanth would not be playing the 1st test match which stats on February 6 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Groud in Nagpur. South Africa will be playing a practice match on February 2.

Indian Team for the 1st Test against South Africa:

Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, S Badrinath, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Sudeep Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Abhimanyu Mithun, Wridhiman Saha.

The cricket live score and live cricket match can be watched live on Neo Sports and DD National TV channels.

India Vs South Africa Series 2010 schedule and fixture of ODI and Test Matches with timings is mentioned here:

Tue Feb 2 - Wed Feb 3 (Practice Match)

09:30 local
TBC v South Africans
Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur

1st Test - Ind vs SA

Sat Feb 6 - Wed Feb 10
09:30 local
Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur

2nd Test: Ind vs SA

Sun Feb 14 - Thu Feb 18
09:30 local,
Eden Gardens, Kolkata

1st ODI: Ind vs SA

Sun Feb 21
14:30 local
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

2nd ODI: Ind vs SA

Wed Feb 24
09:00 local
Green Park, Kanpur

3rd ODI: Ind vs SA

Sat Feb 27
14:30 local
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad

FIFA rankings 2010 - Complete list

FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings 2010 have been released.

February 04 2010 : The Indian national team has moved up four places to 130 according to the February FIFA rankings.

This improvement came despite the fact that India didn't play a senior international in either December or January.

The senior team's last match was the final of the Nehru Cup back in August, which they won by beating Syria in the final.

Bob Houghton's team are scheduled to play two friendly matches in February but that won't be considered for the FIFA Rankings as the opposition are two club sides from UAE- Al Shaab and Al Nasr.

Fiji are placed just above India at 129 while Guatemala are placed 131st.

India have also moved up four places to 21 in the Asian Rankings.

Egypt number 10 in FIFA rankings.

The Egyptian national football team jumped into the top 10 of FIFA’s – the world football governing body – recent rankings published on Wednesday, marking the first time the African nation has made it this high. Nigera followed Egypt as the second highest ranked African nation, moving up 7 spots to take the 15th position.

Egypt received a boost after winning their third-straight African Cup of Nations on Sunday in Angola. They haven’t lost in the African continental championship since 2004.

Nigeria’s ranking was also boosted by their third place finish in the tournament.

Ironically, Egypt is the only top ranking nation not to make it to the World Cup this summer in South Africa.


Other top ranking African teams include Cameroon, which fell nine places to number 20, and Cote d’Ivoire, which is now ranked 22nd after falling six places.

Nations Cup runners-up, Ghana rose seven places to the 27th position in the world, while Algeria went down five spots to 31. Gabon is now ranked 44, after climbing four places to complete the number of teams from Africa in the top 50.

2010 World Cup host, South Africa, is ranked 81st in the world, with Malawi and Mozambique coming close behind at 82 and 83.

Meanwhile, Spain kept the top spot in the rankings. The United States was unchanged at No. 14, leading the CONCACAF nations. Mexico followed at 17.

European champion, Spain, is followed by Brazil and Netherlands. World champion, Italy, is fourth and Portugal is fifth.

The top nine was unchanged after only No. 8, Argentina, played in the past month, beating Costa Rica 3-2 in a friendly match.

Vietnam jumps seven places in FIFA rankings.

Vietnam’s football team moved up seven places to 116th position in FIFA’s January rankings thanks to good performances during the month.

With the new rating, Vietnam secured second place in Southeast Asia, after Thailand (98th in the FIFA ranking), which also climbed up seven notches. In January, most football teams in the region fell in the ranking, like Indonesia (16 places), Singapore (10) and Myanmar (one).

In Asia, there were almost no remarkable changes in the FIFA rankings, except for China, which became one of the world’s top ten after successfully passing the qualifying round of the 2011 Asian Cup.

The Spanish team is still on top of the FIFA rankings, followed by Brazil and the Netherlands.

FIFA ranking: Poland move up to 57.

The Polish national team have risen up one place in the recent Coca-Cola FIFA ranking update.

In this latest rank chart the white-red now find themselves in the 57th position. In turn, in the first top "10" best included the 2010 African champions Egypt join, which thus is the country's best result in history.

After matches in Thailand at the 40th FAT King's Cup 2010™ the Poles went up slightly in this prestigious classification, which does not alter the fact that they still remain in a shamefully low position.

For the moment supporters can only dream that the team led by Franciszek Smuda rank classification will soon rise as high as The Pharaohs had.

The Egyptians after winning the CAF 2010 African Cup of Nations™ jumped fourteen spots and occupy the high ranked, tenth place.

In the very forefront of the ranking there are no changes. The first still remains as Spain, and behind - Brazil and the Netherlands.

FIFA World rankings: Tunisia drops to 55th position.

The new edition of the FIFA World Rankings for men’s national teams ranks Spain in top spot, just ahead of Brazil.

England maintains its ranking of 9th best team in the world while Argentina is 8th.

Thanks to its performance in the African Cup of Nations, Egypt jumped into the top ten teams to occupy the 10th rank in the FIFA World rankings.

Tunisia in turn drops by two places to 55th position whereas Algeria jumped 23 places to rank 31st.

For Complete list : www.fifa.com

World Cancer Day today! - 4 February 2010

The World Health Organisation is observing World Cancer Day today.

February 04 2010 : The world is observing World Cancer Day today. World Health Organisation(WHO) each year on 4 February supports International Union Against Cancer (UICC) to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer.

Cancer is the leading cause of death around the world. And to prevent such deaths WHO has developed a series of six modules.

These modules provides practical advice for programme managers and policy-makers on how to advocate, plan and implement effective cancer control programmes,

In 2005, 7.6 million people died of cancer. More than 70% of those deaths occured in low and middle income countries.

WHO estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention.

The World Health Organisation (WHO)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is observing World Cancer Day today. The WHO observes February 4 each year as World Cancer Day to spread awareness among people.

With the help of International Union Against Cancer (UICC), the WHO tries to aware people how the disease could be tackle and cured.

According to the survey, the 70 percent deaths occurred due to Cancer every year globally.

The motive behind to celebrate World Cancer Day is to plan the strategy against cancer and how it could be controlled.

The WHO also invites suggestions to prevent such death especially in undeveloped and developing countries. Preventing cancer and better life for cancer patient is the key aim of World Cancer Day 2010.

The WHO has been observing the day with a theme 'Cancer can be prevented too'.

World cancer day: Cancer can be prevented

Word and the Mass, one way is to take extra effort to do so. You must listen, reflect on the readings, and apply God’s message in your own Cancer Day.

The observance was initiated by the International Union Against Cancer in 2005 in response to the Charter of Paris in 2000. World Cancer Day was first observed on February 4, 2006.

Cancer was derived from the species crab of the Latin text which means the “unseen hidden underground enemy.” It causes abnormal and uncontrolled multiplication of cells which does not show any pain at its earliest stage.

Although the causes of cancer are unknown, there are behaviors which increase the risk of cancer. Some of them are lack of exercise, being overweight or obese, improper eating habits, exposure to carcinogens, radiation, certain viruses like the papilloma virus, and smoking or alcohol addiction. The early signs of cancer include lesions that prolong to heal, lumps, consistent indigestion, abnormal bleeding and chronic hoarseness.

Cancer is the leading cause of death all over the world without intervention.

Between 2005 and 2015, the World Health Organization estimated that 84 million people will die due to cancer. So it is important that the public are educated on ways to detect symptoms of cancer and to know the proper screening techniques in order to prevent cancer.

This year’s theme, “Cancer can be prevented too,” emphasizes simple measures to prevent cancer such as following a healthy diet and regular exercise, limiting intake of alcohol, avoiding tobacco use, and protecting oneself against cancer-causing infections.


It also stressed that healthy lifestyle is one of the keys in winning over this life-threatening disease.

Let us join the world in observing World Cancer Day. Let us also hope that the observance of World Cancer Day encourages policy makers all over the world to make cancer a political priority and brings new life to cancer survivors.

Bomb Blast in Lower Dir - Pakistan News

Pakistan blast kills 3 US soldiers and 4 foreign journalists.

February 04 2010 : Three US soldiers have become the first known American military fatalities in Pakistan as they died in a bomb near a school in the north-west.

Three schoolgirls were among the dead while 70 people, including another 63 schoolgirls and two US soldiers, were injured in the explosion in Lower Dir.

The US embassy said the military personnel had been training Pakistan's Frontier Corps in counter-insurgency.

Both governments deny large numbers of US troops are in Pakistan.

The US embassy in Islamabad confirmed in a statement three American military personnel were killed and two wounded in what it branded a "vicious terrorist bombing".

The statement also said the Americans had been due to attend the inauguration of a girls' school recently renovated with US humanitarian assistance.

Azam Tariq, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement to AFP news agency.

Military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told the BBC that the US personnel were attached to the Frontier Corps as military trainers.

Pakistan's Frontier Corps is a paramilitary force responsible for operations against militants in the volatile north-west, near the Afghan border.

The US soldiers were said to have been travelling in a convoy, along with Pakistani troops, that was heading to the inauguration of a newly built girls' school in Maidan, an area of Lower Dir district in the North West Frontier Province.

The bomb - which police said was activated by remote control - occurred near a different school in Koto, a heavily populated village along the route.

The impact flattened much of the Koto Girls' High School, leaving pupils crying for help under the rubble.

At least three of the dead were schoolgirls, police said, adding that security guards and three local journalists were also among the wounded.

News that three US soldiers were killed will be highly embarrassing for the Pakistani government, which is acutely aware of the unpopularity of its close ties to Washington.

Critics accuse Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari of turning a blind eye to repeated American drone attacks in the north-west, which have killed more than 600 people during the past year, our correspondent says.

The US has argued in the past that its soldiers are in Pakistan to provide security for US citizens, he adds.

Last year, the Pakistani army carried out a major offensive to drive Taliban insurgents out of Lower Dir and the neighbouring districts of Swat and Buner.

But the Taliban are still present in remote areas and the latest attack shows that the militants remain a powerful force in the region, says the BBC's Mark Dummett in Islamabad.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani also condemned the attack and ordered an investigation, the AFP news agency reports.

The Taliban has frequently targeted girls' schools in recent years, burning several to the ground. Many are now being rebuilt.

MSF Teams Treat Wounded After Explosion in Lower Dir.

Following the explosion in Lower Dir district, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan, on Wednesday, February 3, Ministry of Health and Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams working in the emergency room in Timurgara district hospital received 126 wounded people, including children.

“Most of the wounded have shrapnel related injuries all over their bodies, on the face, abdomen and feet,” explained Dr.Ashraf Alam, medical officer for MSF in Timurgara. “We received 12 people in severe life threatening condition. Five of them have already undergone immediate surgery. It was a heavy blast and quite close to a school where children were going out for break time,” adds Dr. Alam.

In Lower Dir, MSF supports the district referral hospital in Timurgara. Some 1,100 patients are treated each week at the hospital’s emergency room, both by Ministry of Health and MSF medical teams, who take care of the patients most at risk and support the management of mass casualty response. MSF has set up a new operating theater, a post operating unit and put in place a sterilization and waste management system for the hospital.

The 2010 Oscar Nominations List

Oscars 82nd Academy Awards 2010 nominees lists released.

February 03 2010 : The full lists were released just after the Oscar Nominations Awards Ceremony held this morning; and this year, the Oscar Nominations includes top 10 films in the Best Picture group.

I'm calling the Best Picture Oscar right now. It will be Avatar. And then the Best Director, of course, James Cameron. But I digress. The nominations for the 2010 Oscars were just announced and I had to be sure to get the list up because for once I understand most of the list. Here are the nominations for the major categories.

BEST PICTURE

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
George Clooney – Up in the Air
Colin Firth – A Single Man
Morgan Freeman – Invictus
Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
Helen Mirren – The Last Station
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Gabourey Sidibe – Precious
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon – Invictus
Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
Christopher Plummer – The Last Station
Stanley Tucci
Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz – Nine
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air
Mo'nique – Precious
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Crazy Heart

BEST DIRECTOR

James Cameron – Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels – Precious
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air

BEST SCREENPLAY

Mark Boal – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglorious Basterds
Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman – The Messenger
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – A Serious Man
Bob Peterson, Pete Docter – Up

Oscar nominations 2010: joy for drama school reject Carey Mulligan.

Three drama schools failed to recognise the talent of Carey Mulligan. But Oscar voters have not made the same mistake.

The 24-year-old, who has no formal training, found herself on the best actress shortlist in a field which includes Hollywood's greatest dames.



Mulligan was nominated for her performance in An Education as a schoolgirl who begins a relationship with a charismatic older man. The film, based on the memoir by Lynn Barber, is also a contender for best picture.

"This is beyond anything I've ever dreamed of. I've definitely never felt such excitement and nausea this early in the morning!" Mulligan said after watching the dawn nominations from her new home in the US.

Her rivals in the best actress category are the undisputed queens of movieland on opposite sides of the Atlantic: Dame Helen Mirren, shortlisted for her role as Sofya Tolstoy in The Last Station, and Meryl Streep, whose 16th call - for Julie & Julia - extends her record as the most nominated performer in Oscars history.

The other nominees are Gabourey Sidibe for Precious and Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side.

Mulligan's place on the shortlist represents a remarkable achievement for the hotel executive’s daughter, who auditioned three times for drama school without success.

Oscar Nominations 2010: Rahman Fails

Oscar Nominations 2010: Master Indian musician A R Rahman, after winning two Grammy awards for his music in the Danny Boyle film “Slumdog Millionaire”, fails to get the nomination in the Oscar this year.


In a ceremony at Beverly Hills the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards were announced today and the awards will be announced on March 7.

Rahman was short listed in the ‘Best Original Song’ category for the song Na Na of his first Hollywood project “Couple’s Retreat” but lastly opted out.

The song was written by Rahman, BlaaZe and Vivian Chaix and was sung by Rehman’s eight years old son Ameen making his debut in singing.

It is to be mentioned here that ‘Mozart of Madras’ created history last year becoming the first Indian to win Oscars.

Oscar 2010 Prep: Sandra Bullock Wants Liposuction

Underdog Bullock jokes about her first Oscar nomination.

Sandra Bullock's past year was the biggest roller-coaster ever. Tuesday morning, however, she revealed how the Oscar nomination she received for her Blind Side performance is her biggest shocker yet. (Her primping technique sounds a little more intense than most.)


Phoning in from her home in Los Angeles to chat with The Today Show, Sandra Bullock said, "I think [my nomination news is] just so big that maybe when I am about 74, I'll have that moment in a grocery store with my walker and go, 'Oh, my God! This year has been mind-blowingly amazing!'"

So amazing, in fact, that the 45-year-old's Oscar beauty-prep may require the extreme. "I do believe some liposuction is in order," Bullock joked, along with "a very strict diet regime, and I will acquire a very light English accent. I was going to say that I should start wearing glasses, but I already wear glasses, so I am already sort of there."

Why the drastic measures? Because it's her first time to appear at the Oscars: "I've never done this before!" Bullock confessed to Matt Lauer.

Drones strike near Miran Shah - North Waziristan

At least '10 dead' in Pakistan drones strike.

February 03 2010 : An attack by US drones in northern Pakistan has killed at least 10 people near the Afghan border, local officials.

Five drones fired eight missiles near Miran Shah, the main town in the tribal region of North Waziristan.

Officials say that at least three foreigners are among the dead.

They said that the two camps, located near each other and used by suspected militants, were hit in the strikes.

"Initial reports suggest four militants have been killed. There could be more casualties," a security official in North Waziristan told the Reuters news agency.

Correspondents say that, as with many other drone strikes, it is not clear which groups were targeted in the latest strike, which took place in a region believed to harbour many Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.

It is also in an area which has not seen many airstrikes in the past.

North Waziristan adjoins South Waziristan, where Pakistani troops last year concluded an ambitious offensive against the Taliban.

There have been scores of drone strikes since August 2008, which have killed well over 600 people.

Critics say that many of the dead are civilians - and that the US has stepped up such attacks since eight people working for the American Central Intelligence Agency were killed in a suicide bomb attack in the Afghan province of Khost at the end of last year.

The US military does not routinely confirm drone attacks.

But the Obama administration has made no secret of its desire for Islamabad to stamp out militant groups who cross the porous border from the tribal belt into Afghanistan.

Pakistan has publicly criticised drone attacks, saying they fuel support for the militants.