Honda is planning to launch the sedan variant of its Honda Brio.It is expected that the Honda Brio sedan will make its debut in India in the year 2013 in order to compete with the Toyota Etios.It will be featuring the same 1.2 litre 90bhp i-Vtec engine of the Brio Hatchback. Honda City comes from

....Click here to read complete post

Hindustan Motors is mulling efforts to change its 60 years old Ambassador as its sales is not good nowadays.And so,its generous boot has been detached to four metres that qualifies it to be a small car in order to make it more favourable.It features the same rounded hump but with a sharp truncated rear part.

....Click here to read complete post

Akamai’s report on the State of the Internet reveals some pretty interesting facts about the penetration, adoption and evolution of internet services in world. Internet adoption and usage in a country is an important statistic to gauge the state of ICT ( Information and Communication Technology in a country ). While China, India’s no. 1 competitor in terms of growing markets is ranked higher on most of the scales used in the report, the statistics for India are not so impressive. Here’s a look at what the study has concluded about the state of the internet in India and how it compares with China.

Average Measured Connection Speed

India ranks 143 globally with an average connectivity speed of 0.8 Mbps in Q3 of 2010. India’s connectivity speeds took a hit with an overall decline and reflects in the negative QoQ ( quarter on quarter ) change. India’s QoQ change of Internet speed is -6.9%. The year on year change ( this quarter compared to this quarter last year) also took a downturn showing the decline in average connectivity speeds in India. The YoY change is recorded at -9.1%.

China comparatively did better with the QoQ change negative but relatively smaller compared to India. China is ranked globally at 129. the QoQ change was -1.5% but the YoY change was 9.3%.

Average Peak Connection Speed

Average peak connection speed is average of the maximum measured speed at city level. India ranks 135 globally in terms of global average peak connection speed globally. The average peak connection speed measured in India was 5.1 Mbps in Q4 of ‘10. While the QoQ was -0.4%, the YoY change was calculated as 13%.

China’s average peak connection speed was measured at 3.1Mbps. The YoY change for China is a whopping 48%.

High Broadband Connectivity

India ranks 80th globally for high broadband connectivity with 0.4% connections measured to have a speed in excess of 5Mbps. India’s comparison to itself in its previous quarter and previous year suggest a big decline in high broadband connectivity. The QoQ change is calculated at -18% and the YoY is -30%.

China ranks 85th worldwide and the QoQ was -14% while the YoY change was 13%.

Japan ranks 1st globally when it comes to high broadband connectivity.

Broadband connectivity

Broadband connectivity measures the increase in number of broadband connections. India ranks 129th in the report globally. The adoption of broadband internet has been rather disappointing. India has only 4.5% internet connections above 2Mbps. The QoQ change and YoY change too were unimpressive at -17% and -24% respectively.

Slow adoption of broadband services in India will hamper businesses that depend on high internet broadband consumption , like digital media providers and such.

China however did well with 8% internet connections measured over 2Mbps. The QoQ change was calculated at 5% and the YoY change an impressive 36%.

Narrowband connectivity

India has a high rate of narrowband consumption according to the report. India ranks 43 globally with 35% of its internet connections below 256Kbps. the QoQ change was calculated at 5.9% while the YoY change, a strong 39%. This suggests that although the internet connectivity speeds are not high, internet adoption is growing.

China can boast that only about 9.6% of its connection speeds are below 256Kbps.

While the report focuses on Internet connectivity, it does not provide any stats regarding India’s mobile Internet connectivity. India’s mobile connectivity is growing faster than any other country in the world and is expected to continue this growth trend. The recent roll out of 3G services in the country will be complete by the end of Q3 of 2011, so expect upward movement in this list.

This report (link) should look very different next year if the ISP in India provide mobile broadband services at affordable price.

What’s your opinion?

ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha has left for the US to explain Pakistan's position on the presence of Osama bin Laden in the country against the backdrop of reports that he may step down over the debacle. Pasha may step down: Report

Air India operations were yet to be normalised Saturday after the pilots called off their 10-day strike, as the airline had stopped taking any bookings for over a week.

Civil society and government members of the Lokpal Bill joint committee are to hold their third meeting here Saturday evening to draft a stringent anti-graft law.

Osama bin Laden`s killing in a US military operation in Abbottabad could affect the course of Indo-Pak ties, a Congressional report has said.

CBI opposed the bail plea of DMK MP Kanimozhi in the 2G scam case.

Amid tight security, polling is being held in 38 constituencies spread over 4 districts.

A suburban Chicago man thought he had the perfect chick magnet in his pet alligator.

The first award, PM hoped, would be presented by the end of the commemoration period.

The court also extended his custody till the next date of hearing which has been fixed for May 14.

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray says he is NCP chief Sharad Pawar's "oldest friend".

Airline officials said they had not been taking bookings due to the 10-day strike.

A police official says 15 people were killed and their bodies have been found.

Officials pointed out that bin Laden had moved from the rugged terrains to relatively urban settings.

Pakistani intelligence and security agencies have conducted a sweep in Abbottabad.

Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha will explain the position on the presence of Osama in Pakistan.

The order on the bail plea of Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar has been reserved till May 14.

A CBI court here today rejected the bail application of Swami Aseemanand in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case.The court also extended his custody till the next date of hearing which has been...

Spanish golfing legend Severiano Ballesteros died on Saturday aged 54 from cancer, his family said. The five—time major winner was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2008...

Air India operations were yet to be normalised today after the pilots called off their 10-day strike, as the airline had stopped taking any bookings for over a week.Airline officials said t...

Civil rights activist Binayak Sen favoured an institutionalised mechanism to oversee the process conducted in local courts even in routine cases.Mr. Sen claimed there was absolutely a &ldqu..;.

Arjun Atwal carded a modest one—under 71 but managed to make the cut at tied 57th after the second round of the Wells Fargo Golf Championships here.Atwal struck three birdies and a do...

Ten persons were arrested in Bankura and West Midnapore districts today for making fake Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).While six persons were arrested from Raghunathpur area of Bankura di...

A passenger plane carrying 25 people has crashed in Indonesia’s eastern province of West Papua. A police official says 15 people were killed.Transportation ministry spokesman Bambang...

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi will meet Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt on his return from the West Indies to outline the problems he is facing while working with national team’s head coac...

SamayLive

ISI chief on 'critical' US mission to explain Pak position Hindustan Times PTI Activists of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan shout slogans as they march against the US President Barack...... ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha has left for the US to explain Pakistan's position on the presence of Osama bin Laden in the country against ... ISI chief on 'critical' US mission to explain Pak positionIndian Express Pakistani General Under FireWall Street Journal Bin Laden's stay at Abbottabad facilitated by ISI's "willful blindness": Ex ...TruthDive Times of India -Washington Bangla Radio -Daily Times all 192 news articles »

Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been named in a group of 15 players who will participate in a two-day practice game ahead of West Indies' Test series against Pakistan

Former India batsman Dilip Vengsarkar will be contesting the Mumbai Cricket Association elections, to be held next month, for the post of president

Pakistani officials say the Obama administration has demanded the identities of some of their top intelligence operatives as the United States tries to determine whether any of them had contact with Osama bin Laden or his agents in the years before the raid that led to his death early Monday morning in Pakistan.

A passenger plane carrying 25 people has crashed in Indonesia's eastern province of West Papua. A police official says 15 people were killed.

Osama bin Laden had just moved to his bedroom when US commandos stormed his hideout in Abbottabad, the Al Qaeda leader's wife has told investigators.

Al Qaeda has promised to "soon" release its slain chief Osama bin Laden's final audio message, which was recorded a week before his killing by the US special forces in Pakistan's garrison city of Abbottabad.

Amid tight security, polling began this morning for the fifth of the six-phase West Bengal assembly election across 38 constituencies spread over four Maoist-hit districts of West Midnapur, Bankura, Purulia and parts of Burdwan.

DMK MP Kanimozhi on Saturday appeared before a special CBI court for her bail hearing in connection with the 2G spectrum allotment case.

A CBI court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of Swami Aseemanand, the key accused of the 2007 Ajmer dargah blast.

A special CBI court reserved for a week its decision on the bail plea by DMK MP Kanimozhi, named a co-conspirator in the 2G spectrum case.

A special CBI court reserved for a week its decision on the bail plea by DMK MP Kanimozhi, named a co-conspirator in the 2G spectrum case.

Air India operations were yet to be normalised today after the pilots called off their 10-day strike, as the airline had stopped taking any bookings for over a week.

Shobhit Modi, an alumnus of DPS R K Puram, was stabbed at least four times on his chest, abdomen and shoulders by unknown assailants.

The CBI prosecutor on Saturday said the DMK MP was the "active brain" associated with co-accused A Raja in the 2G spectrum allotment issue.

Polling began in 38 constituencies in the fifth and penultimate phase of the elections to the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly this morning amidst tight security.

More than 7.41 million voters, including 3.51 million women, in the 38 constituencies, spread over the districts of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the polls.

There are, in all, 193 candidates in the fray, including 17 women.

The CPI (M), the main constituent of the ruling Left Front, has put up candidates in 32 of the constituencies, while the CPI has fielded one candidate, the All India Forward Block 3 and the RSP 1.

The Trinamool Congress is contesting 33 seats, its ally Congress 5, the Bahujan Samaj Party 12 and the Bharatiya Janata Party all 38.

Unrecognised registered parties account for 50 candidates while there are also 18 independents in the contest.

Prominent candidates involved in today's polling include state Health Minister Surjya Kanta Mishra and state Congress president Manas Bhuniya.

The Election Commission has set up 6488 polling stations in the 38 constituencies and made elaborate security and other arrangements to ensure a free and fair poll.

About 80 per cent of the voters had cast their votes in 54 constituencies in the first phase of polling on April 18, about 85 per cent in 50 constituencies that went to the polls in the second phase on April 23, about 78 per cent in the 75 constituencies involved in the third phase on April 27 and about 85 per cent in the 63 constituencies that voted in the fourth round on May 3.

The sixth and last phase is slated for May 10. Counting of votes will be taken up in West Bengal, as well as in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, where polling has already been completed, on May 13. All results are expected by that evening.

NNN

Three people, including two children, were killed when a mini-truck rammed into a stationary truck in Etmadpur area of this district of Uttar Pradesh today.

Police sources here said the accident occurred near Chalesar. The deceased have been identified as Priti(15), Vikas(5) and the driver of the mini-truck.

Two people were also injured in the incident and they have been admitted to a nearby hospital, the sources added.

NNN

Three people were crushed to death on the spot and as many critically injured when a speeding truck rammed into a stationary van at Ambathurai village on the Madurai-Dindigul National Highway here today.

Police said the occupants of the ill-fated van were going to Sivaganga with construction materials from Thindal village in Erode district when the mishap occurred.

The identity of the deceased was yet to be established. The critically injured people were rushed to the government hospital here.

Ambathurai police have registered a case and are investigating, the sources added.

NNN

Not surprisingly, India’s only listed microfinance lender, SKS Microfinance Ltd, posted a loss of Rs 69.7 crore in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2010-11 compared to a net profit of Rs 62.9 crore during the same period previous year, as the company went through poor repayment rates and also faced a new policy regime in Andhra Pradesh, which is its main market.

The company's revenue also fell to Rs 193.8 crore from Rs. 304.5 crore in the same period.

read more

Anilnetto links to an article published by Aliran about the amount needed to wipe out poverty in Sarawak, Malaysia. Written by Mong Palatino · comments (0) Share: facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper

The House of Opium in Thailand features the history of opium and its trade in The Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia. It also has a collection of materials which celebrate the culture of north Thailand. Written by Mong Palatino · comments (0) Share: facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon...

The website of Singapore's National Art Gallery features interactive games and other educational resources to teach children and the general public about art. Written by Mong Palatino · comments (0) Share: facebook · twitter · reddit · StumbleUpon · delicious · Instapaper