Batkid saves Gotham City, wins Obama praise

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">SAN FRANCISCO: A five-year-old boy recovering from </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Cancer" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #024d99; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">cancer</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> became a superhero for a day on Friday, as San Francisco transformed itself into </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Gotham-City" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #024d99; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Gotham City</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> and thousands turned out to see the </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Batkid" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #024d99; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Batkid</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> fly to the rescue.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Even US President Barack Obama got in on the act after the story went viral, sending pint-size caped crusader </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Miles-Scott" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #024d99; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Miles Scott</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> a video message telling him "Way to go!"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Miles Scott, who was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 18 months old, was cheered as he roared out in his </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Batmobile" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #024d99; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Batmobile</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> to nab arch-villain Riddler and save a damsel in distress tied to the city's famous tram tracks.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Police chief Greg Suhr ordered his men to help the diminutive crime-fighter take on his nemesis the Penguin, while he also got messages from San Francisco's baseball and NFL teams for his day in the limelight.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"Our hero has arrived. The streets of San Francisco are safe today" the San Francisco 49ers tweeted, as social media went wild for the youngster, prompting huge crowds to follow him.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The story then took off, making national and international news, with live coverage by outlets including CNN.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"I've never seen anything go viral like this, with the outpouring of support from across the world," said Patricia Wilson of </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Make-A-Wish-Foundation" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #024d99; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Make-a-Wish Foundation</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">, the charity which organized the dream day.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Thousands gathered in the city's Union Square when the Batkid took a break to refuel at a local restaurant. "Even superheroes have to have lunch," explained one TV reporter, surveying the throng stretching across the square.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The city's </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/San-Francisco-Chronicle" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #024d99; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">San Francisco Chronicle</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> printed a special edition for, with a "Gotham City Chronicle" masthead and a screaming headline: "Batkid Saves City!"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The US Attorney's office put out a spoof press release -- datelined "San Francisco/Gotham" -- announcing that the Riddler and the Penguin had been charged with conspiracy and kidnapping.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"Duo faces long prison terms thanks to Batkid," it said.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">In Washington, Obama released a message via the Vine video sharing service, looking into the camera and saying "Way to go, Miles! Way to Save Gotham City."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The First Lady added, on her Twitter feed: "Thanks for catching all those bad guys #SFBatKid! You're an inspiration to us all. -mo"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Scott, whose leukemia is currently in remission, was also due to be given the keys to the city by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, during his day as the famous comic-book hero.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The US Attorney's press release said "The Riddler" and "The Penguin" were pseudonyms for Edward "E" Nigma, and Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"We've been chasing Nigma and Cobblepot for years and just when I was about to give up hope that we would ever bring them to justice, wouldn't you know it - Batkid shows up and saves the day," said US Attorney Melinda Haag.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"I've been involved in some unbelievable cases and I've worked with some pretty </span><span class="ads" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 3px 0px 0px;">remarkable</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> law enforcement officers, but the bravery displayed by Batkid is off the charts. I'm absolutely certain that there is no villain this </span><span class="ads" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 3px 0px 0px;">remarkable</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> superhero can't defeat," she added.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The Make a Wish Foundation website was at times overwhelmed by the surge in traffic generated by the story.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"We are humbled ... by the outpouring of support received in response to Miles' larger-than-life, superhero wish in San Francisco," said a statement on the foundation's homepage.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-family: georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"Due to the drastic increase in web traffic -- and perhaps because of a few troublesome villains -- we apologize for the difficulties experienced in accessing our site," it said, next to a picture of the smiling caped crusader, and a click button for donations to the charity.</span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBQ4BBrlj8TJ4md7HhA2OsadtedyZ8HdKGLHBT1HjpPsttNE0ZVZu0ir5IuTaCuhfk6Xr8_fnpaLGEla1pr47iUBbtUFqJVIQ-1RIlNGibUr2lhxrJ6oO30kztfczyxe-QbimdNe2_RA/s1600/Boys-Batman-Wish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBQ4BBrlj8TJ4md7HhA2OsadtedyZ8HdKGLHBT1HjpPsttNE0ZVZu0ir5IuTaCuhfk6Xr8_fnpaLGEla1pr47iUBbtUFqJVIQ-1RIlNGibUr2lhxrJ6oO30kztfczyxe-QbimdNe2_RA/s320/Boys-Batman-Wish.jpg" width="223" /></a></div> </div>

Batkid saves Gotham City, wins Obama praise

SAN FRANCISCO: A five-year-old boy recovering from  cancer  became a superhero for a day on Friday, as San Francisco transformed itself int...

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8th 'Tsunami' anniversary observed

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Eight years ago this day a tragedy of a magnitude Tamil Nadu had seldom encountered struck its coast, when Tsunami gobbled up human lives at will while leaving a trail of destruction whose scars remain even today. <br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Many who had lost their loved ones remembered their kin on the eighth anniversary today of the killer Tsunami which caused widespread loss to life and property, especially in Cuddalore and Nagapattiam.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Prayers were offered by relatives of the deceased in these districts. A relatively lesser-known Japanese word, Tsunami, had left a permanent scar when tidal waves sparked off by an undersea quake in Indonesia rose to previously unfathomed heights, causing wide-spread devastation in the state boasting of 1076 km long coast-line.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In Chennai, candles were lit at the famous Marina in respect to the victims of the tsunami. Tamil Nadu accounted for nearly 7000 deaths in the 2004 tragedy. Relatives of those who perished in Puducherry and Karaikal also paid homage at various coastal villages here today.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Welfare Minister P Rajavelu paid floral tributes at a remembrance day programme held in Pannithittu, a coastal village that was among the fishing hamlets that bore the brunt of the tsunami.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Representatives of various fishermen associations held condolence meetings near the specially erected banners near the sea shore and paid homage to those who were killed in the tragedy.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A number of voluntary organisations based in various states and also the Government of Maharashtra had come forward to provide houses under the rehabilitation programmes in Veerampattinam and a few other coastal hamlets here and in Karaikal.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rSMLnFfzW7acTc8f4FoEvwXPqJkEXbPnYUjYlr7EoecdoSf_u-lGG9TxGVTMjLUwLOUz0DKwihhySmUfhr9aT_9-rouq_UKxfSrSO25qcyycdYC21Tyj6kwTUfhskQccJjqVgEwuW3Y/s1600/Tsunami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rSMLnFfzW7acTc8f4FoEvwXPqJkEXbPnYUjYlr7EoecdoSf_u-lGG9TxGVTMjLUwLOUz0DKwihhySmUfhr9aT_9-rouq_UKxfSrSO25qcyycdYC21Tyj6kwTUfhskQccJjqVgEwuW3Y/s1600/Tsunami.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Puducherry government acquired vast stretch of sites in Kalapet and constructed houses for the rehabilitation of the fishermen families who were rendered homeless in the wake of the tragedy.</div> </div>

8th 'Tsunami' anniversary observed

Eight years ago this day a tragedy of a magnitude Tamil Nadu had seldom encountered struck its coast, when Tsunami gobbled up human lives...

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Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom held in N. Zealand, home raided

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> New Zealand police seized a treasure trove of luxury goods from the founder of file-sharing site Megaupload.com Friday as four suspected Internet pirates wanted in the United States appeared in court.<br /> Armed officers swooped on an Auckland mansion occupied by "Kim Dotcom", whose website was shut down by US authorities on Thursday accusing it of one of the largest cases of copyright theft ever.<br /> The police seized luxury cars worth NZ$6.0 million ($4.8 million), including a 1959 pink Cadillac and a Rolls Royce Phantom, as well as "a firearm which had the appearance of a shortened shotgun". <br /> NZ$11 million in cash held in New Zealand financial accounts was also frozen pending the outcome of legal proceedings, police said.<br /> Dotcom, also known as Kim Schmitz, a 37-year-old German citizen with New Zealand and Hong Kong residency, was denied bail with three other men on Friday when they appeared in an Auckland district court, police said.<br /> He had tried to evade capture by hiding behind an elaborate network of electronic defences in his mansion.<br /> The dramatic raids came after Megaupload went offline as US officials and the Federal Bureau of Investigation detailed what they described as "among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States".<br /> Washington wants to extradite the Auckland quartet to face prosecution for online piracy, on charges of racketeering and money-laundering that could carry jail time of up to 20 years.<br /> The Justice Department and FBI indicted a total of seven people who they said were "responsible for massive worldwide online piracy of numerous types of copyrighted works, through Megaupload.com and other related sites".<br /> The accused generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and caused more than $500 million in harm to copyright owners by offering pirated copies of movies, TV programmes and other content, according to a statement.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnIaGW2Ytr9LedKusCZUiGU6Z4bPfEkjr1bjLTRNPQEhdQmjosNOXYQrq2BiT2Z1wv5hCaRGG4XI7moYdpkjRRFuJ3LMML_1vJ_FQexZ_iVOn5CyRJSSHNVx0Ddxfv_XoAFMky3E8z2cJ/s1600/MegaUpload.com-founder-Ki-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnIaGW2Ytr9LedKusCZUiGU6Z4bPfEkjr1bjLTRNPQEhdQmjosNOXYQrq2BiT2Z1wv5hCaRGG4XI7moYdpkjRRFuJ3LMML_1vJ_FQexZ_iVOn5CyRJSSHNVx0Ddxfv_XoAFMky3E8z2cJ/s1600/MegaUpload.com-founder-Ki-007.jpg" /></a><br /> The indicted seven, all European, include the four arrested in New Zealand. The other three remain at large.<br /> Megaupload itself is registered in Hong Kong, but checks by the media appeared to show only a shell company with a post office box address in the Chinese city.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_yn6jbl6PoK1nhp6njm3Ln04Y0A00OIEjThyphenhyphenNN_bghE4-zbrVDPGmw3_zx7BVVsCFh9oJ62iMypjm9eRNUQ0RWjFt0zW8vskliRST_ZPUzXOafgfhLn6xy_jA6YCd1dr-MpzFYPu_vtz/s1600/Kim+Dotcom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_yn6jbl6PoK1nhp6njm3Ln04Y0A00OIEjThyphenhyphenNN_bghE4-zbrVDPGmw3_zx7BVVsCFh9oJ62iMypjm9eRNUQ0RWjFt0zW8vskliRST_ZPUzXOafgfhLn6xy_jA6YCd1dr-MpzFYPu_vtz/s1600/Kim+Dotcom.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /> </div>The dramatic raids came amid a fierce debate in the United States over a proposed bill before Congress aimed at cracking down on online piracy.<br /> </div>

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom held in N. Zealand, home raided

New Zealand police seized a treasure trove of luxury goods from the founder of file-sharing site Megaupload.com Friday as four suspected ...

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File-sharing site megaupload.com shut down, seven indicted in US

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVXLivFTS0FoHZfR75tCCIenfySvpubiuDt7Ze2Znk6EYPr5fJfjBpPPYOEF7MhNdX0QzxozfVgb-9ThJIGmf8YjeC9kUGAyjiyUjZCrCJxvADleRdGDiI3tTHkgVTpKBzcIGqEyme116/s1600/megauploadcom.n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVXLivFTS0FoHZfR75tCCIenfySvpubiuDt7Ze2Znk6EYPr5fJfjBpPPYOEF7MhNdX0QzxozfVgb-9ThJIGmf8YjeC9kUGAyjiyUjZCrCJxvADleRdGDiI3tTHkgVTpKBzcIGqEyme116/s320/megauploadcom.n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bIOhG1MCfM-UMxGTgVK7WCyfredFlaQMZVWq42-AhSX-wa9GUJm6XibK1bPVJjogKePXfXZt8EVZM04vs70n7Pnly1vgyJ9UL7H5b-H1YXlJS2yG6IkQm16YORmL731ZQvt0PSXn_M_5/s1600/megaupload-downloader-tollyandhra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bIOhG1MCfM-UMxGTgVK7WCyfredFlaQMZVWq42-AhSX-wa9GUJm6XibK1bPVJjogKePXfXZt8EVZM04vs70n7Pnly1vgyJ9UL7H5b-H1YXlJS2yG6IkQm16YORmL731ZQvt0PSXn_M_5/s320/megaupload-downloader-tollyandhra.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCslYeykWgrI2R8H7tM3b7QV8pdXW12O35xx_zNd8UB_VxED0jXmDGaVzle6LLSi7rrQEKA5l9e6W16COmao58TAwFrs-rhMueWjHqydP9ZG7S9HUqgaWNlEJ-Yj_5MezIVp6lKx_fnyRN/s1600/mega+Upload+Display+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCslYeykWgrI2R8H7tM3b7QV8pdXW12O35xx_zNd8UB_VxED0jXmDGaVzle6LLSi7rrQEKA5l9e6W16COmao58TAwFrs-rhMueWjHqydP9ZG7S9HUqgaWNlEJ-Yj_5MezIVp6lKx_fnyRN/s320/mega+Upload+Display+Image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Megaupload.com, one of the world's largest file-sharing sites, has been shut down and seven people charged with copyright infringement and other crimes, US authorities announced on Thursday.</b><br /> <b>The indictments sparked retaliation from the 'Anonymous' hacktivist group, who announced in a tweet that they had downed the websites of the US Justice Department, Universal Music, and the Recording Industry Association of America.</b><br /> <b>The founder of the Hong Kong-based Megaupload was among four people arrested in connection with what the Justice Department and FBI described as 'among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the United States'.</b><br /> <b>In a statement, the Justice Department and FBI said the seven were 'responsible for massive worldwide online piracy of numerous types of copyrighted works, through Megaupload.com and other related sites'.</b><br /> <b>They generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and caused "more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners," the statement said, by offering pirated copies of movies, TV programs and other content.</b><br /> <b>The announcement of the indictment came one day after Wikipedia, Google and other websites staged a protest against congressional legislation intended to crack down on online piracy. </b><br /> <b>Attempts to access the Justice Department, Universal Music, and Recording Industry Association of America portals failed, following the action by Anonymous on Thursday.</b><br /> <b>Megaupload Ltd and another company, Vestor Ltd, were indicted by a grand jury in Virginia and charged with racketeering conspiracy, various copyright infringement counts and conspiring to commit money laundering.</b><br /> <b>Among those indicted was the founder of Megaupload and sole shareholder of Vestor, Kim Dotcom, 37, a resident of Hong Kong and New Zealand who is also known as Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor.</b><br /> <b>The others charged are Finn Batato, 38, of Germany; Julius Bencko, 35, of Slovakia; Sven Echternach, 39, of Germany; Mathias Ortmann, 40, of Germany; Andrus Nomm, 32, of Estonia; and Bram van der Kolk, 29, of the Netherlands.</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b style="background-color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Source: Dc News</span></b><br /> </div>

File-sharing site megaupload.com shut down, seven indicted in US

Megaupload.com, one of the world's largest file-sharing sites, has been shut down and seven people charged with copyright infringeme...

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Madonna is a great artist: David Furnish

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDsBHk6R8Wi75UFXaB5l5yFPOySjnlKP6wnYlqnAag-XKep_U_xg7BDaXureFIRwgRPWP3j5OONa0Ex8Iq5PcQXDPoujANSbvQylb6Qeg-KYPzO_bdJJN6nLtxdGsQoWlfRiXfRDFaRlh/s1600/Madona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDsBHk6R8Wi75UFXaB5l5yFPOySjnlKP6wnYlqnAag-XKep_U_xg7BDaXureFIRwgRPWP3j5OONa0Ex8Iq5PcQXDPoujANSbvQylb6Qeg-KYPzO_bdJJN6nLtxdGsQoWlfRiXfRDFaRlh/s320/Madona.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Days after slamming 'Queen of Pop' Madonna as 'desperate and embarrassing', Elton John's husband David Furnish has said his remarks were blown out of proportion. </b><br /> <b>Furnish stopped short of apologising to the singer, who beat Elton John to win the Golden Globe for her <i>W.E.</i> song last week, which had left the director-producer fuming, </b><br /> <b>Us magazine reported. "Wow! What a tempest in a teapot. My comments regarding The Golden Globes have been blown way out of proportion," Furnish wrote on his Facebook page. </b><br /> <b>"My passion for our film Gnomeo & Juliet and belief in Elton's song really got my emotional juices going. But I must say for the record that I do believe Madonna is a great artist, and that Elton and I wish her all the best for next week's premiere of the film W.E.," Furnish said.</b><br /> </div>

Madonna is a great artist: David Furnish

Days after slamming 'Queen of Pop' Madonna as 'desperate and embarrassing', Elton John's husband David Furnish has sai...

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India can be No. 1 market in coming years: Facebook

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><br /> <h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: black; font-family: 'droid serif'; font-size: 23px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.25em; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">India can be No. 1 market in coming years: Facebook</h3><div class="post-header"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2657819297112353878" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="post-header" style="text-align: center;"></div><div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4282550225504739961" style="line-height: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b> </b><img alt="http://dailyoasis.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/fbgreenshiny.png" height="320" src="http://dailyoasis.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/fbgreenshiny.png" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px;" width="320" /><br /> <a href="" name="more"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=775462262942746729&postID=2657819297112353878" name="more" style="color: #3366cc; text-decoration: none;"></a><br /> <b>Popular social networking site Facebook expect India to become its No 1 market in terms of number of users, leaving the US and Indonesia.</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b>Facebook claims to have over 800 million active users globally.</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b>"We are confident that in the coming years, India will be our leading</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b>market...Currently, it is at No 3 in terms of number of users. Last announced number was 30 million for India and 45 million for Indonesia. I'm sure India will be No 1 in the coming years," Facebook Vice President (Mobile and Corporate Development) Vaughan Smith said here.</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b>Companies across sectors like FMCG, retail and hospitality are using Facebook to reach customers, promote products and gauge market perception through the social media</b><br /> <b>platform.</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b>Smith added that more than half of these users in India are believed to be accessing the website from their mobile devices.</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b>According to the company website, more than 350 million active users currently access Facebook through their mobile devices and more than 475 mobile operators globally work to deploy and promote Facebook mobile products.</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b>Facebook today announced a global tie-up with mobile phone chip maker Mediatek, through which the application would be embedded on low cost handsets, enabling users to access the website through a single icon.</b><br /> <b><br /> </b><br /> <b>"As people become mobile and are on the go, they want to communicate with their friends, share information and that we think will drive the need for devices. We want to create a fast and engaging experience for users even on devices costing below say USD 50 (Rs 2,500), the idea is to have more users on board," Smith said.</b></div></div></div>

India can be No. 1 market in coming years: Facebook

India can be No. 1 market in coming years: Facebook   Popular social networking site Facebook expect India to become its No 1 market in t...

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Congo River Crosses the Equator Twice

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Congo River, also known as Zaire River, crosses the equator twice. Congo River is the deepest river in the world and the second longest river in Africa. The river ranks as the ninth longest river in the world with its overall length of 4,700 km. The famous Boyoma Falls or Stanley Falls is in Congo River. The Chambeshi River in Zambia is regarded as the source of the Congo River. </b><br /> <b> </b><br /> <b> </b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64DuU_vdj44JUlghQ2nXzTJinoQCqVspxiigrWtV5z6w9DytavU3v3tP6FXlW_dalhYo0uTRqiESOV6EOrx7Vevcb1p2dJqtrzn2hpknRQgHKCibxKzlKvPn4f-PzOc6mw9IYDVie4Xk/s1600/congo-river+-crosses-equator-twice.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Congo River Crosses the Equator Twice" border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj64DuU_vdj44JUlghQ2nXzTJinoQCqVspxiigrWtV5z6w9DytavU3v3tP6FXlW_dalhYo0uTRqiESOV6EOrx7Vevcb1p2dJqtrzn2hpknRQgHKCibxKzlKvPn4f-PzOc6mw9IYDVie4Xk/s320/congo-river+-crosses-equator-twice.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><br /> <b> </b><br /> <b> Congo River flows through these countries - Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Burundi, Tanzania, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Gabon, and Rwanda. The river after its course through various countries flows into the Atlantic Ocean.</b></div>

Congo River Crosses the Equator Twice

Congo River, also known as Zaire River, crosses the equator twice. Congo River is the deepest river in the world and the second longest ...

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Baba Ramdev takes on govt over corruption

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><embed allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="contentpath=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/media/9359214.cms&videosection=videoshow&channelid=10001&playerid=1&section=News&autoplay=1&keywords=Baba Ramdev, govt, black money&title=Baba Ramdev takes on govt over corruption&description=Baba Ramdev takes on govt over corruption&duration=01:09&relatedvideo=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videpostroll_v2/3812907.cms&embval=false" height="315" name="myMovie" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" src="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/configspace/ads/timesChannelEmbWrapper.swf" style="z-index: -1;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" wmode="transparent"></embed><br /> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /> </div></div>

Baba Ramdev takes on govt over corruption

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