BCCI promises more Bangla players in IPL

New Delhi (PTI): The BCCI has thrown its weight behind Bangladesh Cricket Board by promising to rope in more cricketers from its eastern neighbours into the lucrative Indian Premier League in its second edition in April next year.

IPL chairman Lalit Modi said the Indian Cricket Board will help Bangladesh recover from the exodus of 13 top players to 'rebel' Indian Cricket League by also including a team from Bangladesh in the 2010 Champions Twenty20 League.

"We will definitely play an active role in helping them out. We are looking at adding a few Bangladesh players for the next IPL auction. And we are also looking at a team from Bangladesh participating in the Champions League from 2010 onwards," Modi told Cricinfo website.

The next IPL auction is tentatively scheduled for January, about two months before the second season begins on April 10. Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak is the only Bangladesh player currently in the IPL, signed up by Bangalore Royal Challengers for USD 50,000.

National boards will receive a significant sum for participating in the Champions Twenty20 League, along with a separate participation fee for the domestic Twenty20 teams that are invited.

The ICC, meanwhile, said Bangladesh's Test future will be discussed during the ICC Board meeting next month by the committee formed in July on unofficial cricket.

"Any decision on this will be taken at the ICC board meeting and it will be the working party that will decide on such an issue," an ICC spokesperson said.

Rivalry with Oz bigger than Pak: Tendulkar

Mumbai, September 18: Champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar rated the current rivalry between India and Australia as bigger than that of the traditional one between India and Pakistan because of the "competitiveness" exhibited by the two teams over the last eight years.

"I think it (India v Australia) has become bigger largely because of the competitiveness. All the series between us from 2001 onwards have been very keenly fought and have been very close ones," said Tendulkar at a function here to unveil him as the global brand ambassador of Royal Scottish Bank Group.

The ace batsman, who is at handshaking distance of overtaking West Indian great Brian Lara as Test cricket's highest run-getter, pointed out that India have been the only

team in the world to have run world champions Australia close of late in the latter's backyard.

"We have gone to Australia and beaten them. We have been able to surprise the Australian team and that's what the Australian public likes: competition and high standards of play. They love to see challenges and competitiveness.”

"The fan following for the India-Australia series has definitely increased as compared to say 15 years ago. The coming series would also be very closely fought. Talking on behalf of the Indian team I can say we will play hard but fair and I feel the Australians also will do so," said Tendulkar.

Asked whether the absence of Andrew Symonds from the Australian side would lessen the tension in the upcoming rubber starting on October 9, Tendulkar said such things had happened even before the unsavoury spat between the Aussie all-rounder and Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh during the ill-tempered Sydney Test in January.

"Such things happen but don't happen every week. They have happened in the past (before the Sydney Test)," Tendulkar said and indicated the incidents grabbed more attention nowadays because of media coverage and the presence of ICC match referees.

Symonds, an integral part of the recent Test and ODI sides, has been omitted from the Aussie touring party to India on disciplinary grounds after preferring to go fishing instead of attending a team meeting during the recent ODI series against Bangladesh Down Under.

Tendulkar did not lay too much emphasis on the fact that the Australian team, led by Ricky Ponting, was lacking in experience, saying the team looked to be a good blend of experienced players and new comers with lots of first class experience.

"They (Australian squad) have a lot of experienced players and some of them have been playing for a long time now. They are the number one team in the world and we are prepared to face all challenges. It's going to be an extremely well-fought series which would be played in the right spirit and the cricket would be played very hard," said the scorer of 81 Test and ODI hundreds.

Asked about his impending landmark (of highest Test runs), Tendulkar said he never played with an eye on creating records but if and when they come they were welcome additions to his well-adorned cricket cap.

"I don't think much about records. I want to enjoy my game. If players focus on their performance, records automatically fall into place. I focus on playing the game well. If it (new landmark) comes in doing so I will be happy," said the ace batsman who is only 76 runs short of overtaking Lara's world bench mark.

Tendulkar has 11877 Test runs to his credit as compared to the retired West Indian champion's 11953. The champion batsman did not agree with the general view that he had the habit of singling out Australia for special punishment.

"I look at it differently. Whenever I play, whether for India or not, and against any opposition, I try and put my best foot forward. Whenever I lift my bat I do so. I respect cricket and enjoy playing it," he countered.

He also dismissed a scribe's inappropriate query about his retirement plans by shooting back, "I think you are at the wrong press conference."

About his signing as brand ambassador with RBS, who are associate sponsors of the home Test rubber against Australia and title sponsors of the following series of Tests and ODIs against England, Tendulkar said "it was a dream come true" to be associated with the foreign bank alongside sports legends like golfer Jack Nicklaus and race driver Jackie Stewart.

Police close to first arrest in B'lore blasts

Bangalore, September 16 Following the SIMI line of investigations, the Bangalore police could be on the verge of announcing its first arrest in the July 25 bomb Blasts across the city that left one person dead and eight injured.

A special police team constituted to probe the nine low-intensity blasts that preceded the Ahmedabad blasts of July 26 have been interrogating a 23-year-old student of an arts and architecture college from Bijapur over the past two days.

The police had been looking for Abdul Samee, whose name figured in the interrogations of several alleged SIMI activists arrested around the country, including in the Ahmedabad, Jaipur cases. Sources said Samee was being questioned on his presence in Bangalore around the July 25 blasts and his absence from Bijapur over the weekend of the September 13 Delhi blasts.

The Bangalore police and IB are conducting the questioning.

Samee is believed to be one of the 20 who participated in a SIMI training conclave held on the organisation’s foundation day, on April 25, 2007, at Castle Rock on Karnataka-Goa border. It was Adnan alias Hafeez Hussain, a SIMI leader from Karnataka arrested in Indore on March 23 this year with 12 other SIMI functionaries, who reportedly gave his name.

Abdul Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer — believed to be a key lynchpin in the blasts that have occurred around the country since July 2006 — Shahbaz Hussain, a key accused in the Jaipur blasts, and Abu Bashar, named as the mastermind of the Ahmedabad blasts, were reportedly all present at this camp.

According to sources, investigations into SIMI activities prior to the Jaipur blasts of May 13 had also thrown up Samee’s name and the Karnataka police had even zeroed in on a student of the Malik Sandal Institute of Art and Architecture. But no arrests were made after the police were told that the student’s name was Mohammed Samee and not Abdul Samee.

Sources said investigations had returned to the architecture student after his name figured in the interrogation of Shahbaz Hussain in Jaipur.

Samee’s family in Bijapur, however, say the arrest is a result of mistaken identity. His father Raj Ahmed Bagewadi has produced college records to show that his son goes by the name of Mohammed Samee Bagewadi and not Abdul Samee.

The investigations surrounding the architecture student show that the Bangalore police is also taking the same line as the Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi blast cases.

Investigations into the Bangalore blasts have until now produced little results. A parallel case of dumping of a large quantity of ammonium nitrate on the outskirts of Bangalore, a day before the blasts, is also being probed.

Karnataka offers 1000 acres for Tata's nano plant

Karnataka on Thursday offered 1,000 acres and all incentives that Tata Motors needs for relocating its Nano car plant to the state from West Bengal, where the company is struggling to hold on to the land allocated to it.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa made the offer during a meeting with Tata Motors Managing Director G Ravi Kant and senior company officials at the state secretariat here.

Yeddyurappa told reporters after the meeting that the government told Tata Motors that it is willing to extend support if the company relocates the manufacturing plant.

Ravi Kant said: "He (the Chief Minister) said he will give all support and assistance and required incentives if we want it (if the company relocates the manufacturing plant to Karnataka).

To a question, Ravi Kant said nano manufacturing plant -- an integrated project -- requires about 1000 acres.

The Trinamool Congress, the main opposition party in West Bengal, has been demanding the return of 300 acres of the nearly 1000 acres offered to Tatas in Singur by the state.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is unwilling to return anything beyond 70 acres and additional financial incentives for dislocated farmers.

Asked if Karnataka has offered 1000 a,cres, Ravi Kant said: "Yes. If we have to relocate, we have to have 1,000 acres".

Tata Motors announced suspension of work at the Nano plant in Singur on September two following agitation at the site.

Asked if Tata Motors would relocate the plant, Ravi Kant said: "We are considering alternatives, if required".

Wine, Coffee, Nuts and Beer linked with male infertility: Study

Coffee, Nuts, Beer and Wine lovers beware, a new study has found that these favorites may lower the male sperm count.

Beer, Coffee, Nuts, Wine may lower sperm count

The study conducted at the Medical Research Council, Cambridge has revealed that the common items such as Peanuts, Red wine; Coffee and Beer that men usually consume have certain chemicals in higher levels that may result in male infertility.

The research found the chemicals to be highly charged with sperm weakening capabilities, which resulted in lower sperm count. Oestrogen like chemicals known to lower sperm count were found in Peanuts, Red wine,Coffee and Beer. Sperm count is considered normal if it’s within the rage of 80 to 120 million per milliliter.

Researchers found that Nuts along with Drinks caused more damages than when consumed separately. Dozens of food items were analyzed using sensitive chemical procedures. The levels of Oestrogen like chemicals (Lignans) and isoflavones were measured.

The analysis pointed out that sperm reducing compounds were found in many food and beverages items than previously thought. Previous study had also associated lower sperm count with Soya.

The results of the study can be found in the issue of the New Scientist Magazine. The study however was unable to determine the minimum quantity of eatables that could lead to infertility.

So the next time you enter the pub, think twice before you grab that favorites.

Poll finds more voters see Obama as agent of change

WASHINGTON: Despite an intense effort to present himself as a break from the Republican Party and the way business is done in Washington, Senator John McCain is seen by voters as far less likely to bring change to Washington than Barack Obama, and a strong majority view him as a "typical Republican" who would continue or expand President George W. Bush's policies, according to a New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Surveys taken after the Republican convention two weeks ago week suggesting that McCain had enjoyed a surge of support - particularly among white women after his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate - appear to have reflected a short-term burst of interest, according to the Times/CBS poll. The contest between the candidates appears to be roughly where it was before the two conventions and before the vice presidential selections: Obama has the support of 48 percent of registered voters, the poll indicates, compared with 43 percent for McCain.

But McCain is maintaining some core advantages, according to the poll, particularly on experience and preparedness to be president and the ability to serve as commander in chief. Forty-eight percent of those surveyed said Obama was prepared to be president, compared with 71 percent who rated McCain as prepared. Fifty-two percent said it was "very likely" that McCain would be an effective commander in chief - twice as many as felt that way about Obama.

The difference in overall support between them is within the poll's margin of sampling error.

The poll underlined the extent to which McCain's Republican convention - and his selection of Palin, the governor of Alaska - had excited some Republican voters about his candidacy, no small thing in an election that continues to be so tight: 47 percent of Republican supporters described themselves as enthused about their party's presidential candidate, more than twice the percentage before the conventions.

The Times/CBS News poll suggested that Palin's selection has, to date, helped McCain only among Republican base voters; there was no evidence of significantly increased support for him among women voters.

White women are evenly divided between McCain and Obama. Before the selection, McCain led Obama among white women by a margin of 44 percent to 37 percent.

By contrast, at this point in the 2004 campaign, Bush was leading Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic challenger, by 56 percent to 37 percent among white women.

The poll found evidence of concern about Palin's qualifications to be president, particularly compared with Senator Joseph Biden Jr. of Delaware, Obama's running mate.

Nearly two-thirds said they would be concerned if McCain, 72, could not finish his term and Palin had to take over, a figure that cut across party lines.

In addition, 75 percent said they thought McCain had picked Palin to help him win the election, rather than because they thought she was well-qualified to be president. By contrast, 31 percent said they thought that Obama had picked Biden to help him win the election, while 57 percent said it was because they thought he was well-qualified for the job.

The poll was the taken right after Palin sat down for a series of interviews with Charles Gibson of ABC News. It was also taken during a period of economic turmoil on Wall Street.

By overwhelming numbers, those surveyed said the economy was the top issue facing the United States and expressed deep pessimism about the future.

In the past two weeks, McCain has tried to distance himself from his party and Bush, running as an outsider against Washington.

The poll suggested the urgency of McCain's task: The percentage of Americans who disapprove of the way Bush is conducting his job, 68 percent, is as high as it has been for any sitting president in the history of polling by The New York Times, of which the International Herald Tribune is the global edition. And 81 percent said the country was heading in the wrong direction.

The poll found that 46 percent of respondents thought McCain would continue Bush's policies, while 22 percent said he would be more conservative than Bush.

About one quarter said a McCain presidency would be less conservative than that of Bush. And at a time when McCain has attempted to appeal to independents by separating himself from his party, notably with his convention speech, 57 percent said they viewed him as a typical Republican, compared with 40 percent who said he was a different kind.

Although nearly half of respondents described Obama as a typical Democrat, the party's brand is not as diminished as the Republicans, as reflected by the extent to which Obama has identified himself with Democratic issues.

Ponting 'comfortable' touring India

Cricinfo staff

September 18, 2008

	Ricky Ponting met with politicians including Australia's prime minister Kevin Rudd in Canberra on Wednesday, and Ponting says the government will continue to keep Cricket Australia updated on the security situation in India © Cricket Australia

Ricky Ponting says Australia's players will be kept abreast of the security situation in India "daily, if not hourly" as they prepare to depart for their Test tour on Sunday. The trip is expected to go ahead as planned despite last Saturday's series of bomb blasts that killed more than 20 people in New Delhi, although Ponting said Cricket Australia would stay on top of any new developments.

"Anything could happen tomorrow, things change very quickly in the world right at the moment," Ponting told AAP. "Cricket Australia will continue to be in touch and the government will continue to be in touch and Cricket Australia will keep us players and the players' association in the loop on a daily, if not hourly basis."

Ponting was speaking at Parliament House in Canberra, where he was promoting Cricket Australia's new in2Cricket game for children and also met with the foreign affairs minister Stephen Smith. Ponting defended the decision to visit India but not Pakistan, where security concerns led to Australia cancelling a Test tour scheduled for earlier this year.

"As we all know and has been outlined already, these are very different circumstances between India and Pakistan right at the moment and Cricket Australia has made that very clear," Ponting said. "As captain of the side and as a player, right at the moment I am very comfortable to go on the advice of Cricket Australia and the players' association."

Michael Brown, the general manager of cricket for Cricket Australia, rejected the suggestion that Australia would only go ahead with the tour for monetary reasons or to placate the powerful BCCI. "The only reasons we can't play and participate," Brown said, "is for security reasons and we'll keep monitoring those as time goes by."

Cricket Australia has said that the government's foreign relations with Pakistan and India play a part in the decision-making process. Australia's consulates in Karachi and Lahore have been closed due to security concerns, while they remain open in India.

However, the former Test player Dean Jones has slammed Cricket Australia for what he believes is a double-standard. Jones is now the executive director of the Indian Cricket League and he said while the situations in the two countries were different, Australian officials were clearly in a bind.

"The reason why this is such a headache for Australia is that it can't afford to take a stand on player safety in India," Jones wrote in the Canberra Times. "I speak from quite a bit of experience in regards to India. My next trip will be my 91st.

"And there is reason to be concerned about security there, particularly in Dehli, where the latest bomb went off. Through my role as an executive director of the Indian Cricket League, I know we have major headaches with security there."

Tendulkar dismisses retirement talks

MUMBAI: Champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday appeared to dismiss any chance of an early retirement from international cricket.

When a scribe asked him about his retirement plans at a press conference here, Tendulkar shot back "I think you got to be in some other press conference."

Tendulkar failed to make much of an impression with the bat in the recent Test series against Sri Lanka which also saw the other top batsmen like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman faring miserably.

Ganguly was subsequently dropped from the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy tie against Delhi, leaving a big question mark on his international career.

Plagued by injuries in recent times, Tendulkar skipped the One-day series against Sri Lanka due to a left elbow injury but has now recovered fully to be eligible for selection for the upcoming Test series against Australia beginning from October 9.

Tendulkar, who is within sniffing distance of overtaking West Indian great Brian Lara as Test cricket's highest run getter, pointed out that India have been the only team in the world to have run world champions Australia close of late in the latter's backyard.

"We have gone to Australia and beaten them. We have been able to surprise the Australian team and that's what the Australian public likes: competition and high standards of play. They love to see challenges and competitiveness", he added.

Doctor Says the Patient Thanked Him with Oral Sex

A famous Australian doctor, who was accused by his patient of the alleged sexual assault, said that woman wanted to thank him with oral sex after he agreed to perform surgery on her nose outside the working hours.

Dr Martyn Mendelsohn, an ear, nose and throat specialist, is fighting not to be removed from the medical register after he admitted that he allowed his patient to perform oral sex on him in 2005.

The doctor, who appeared on TV show, told that the woman visited him to ask for medical procedure on her nose after she had a fight with her boyfriend. He explained that the patient arrived too late to perform a surgery and all the staff had left the hospital. However, he felt sorry for the woman and complied with her request.

Dr Mendelsohn said that the woman was obviously grateful that he agreed to see her, hugging him with words "You look after me, I'll look after you". "He says she then leant down and unzipped his trousers and performed oral sex on him. He says she swallowed his semen and did not spit," said the commission's lawyer Philip Strickland.

After the incident took place, the woman asked her boyfriend to take her to police, accusing the doctor of sexual assault. She told police that Dr. Mendelsohn was kissing her, touching her breasts and ejaculating in her mouth.

The doctor explained to the tribunal that he felt "devastated" after the incident. He performed surgery on her nose, but refused to continue the treatment after what happened. The woman looked disappointed and said that Dr. Mendelsohn promised to look after her.

The Health Care Complaints Commission says that the doctor faces the charges of either sexual assault in the worst case, or sexual misconduct at best.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Sex in Space Possible but Problematic

In July, Dr Jason Kring, who works as an advisor at NASA, called for the agency to get the astronauts ready for sex in space. He said that a trip to Mars would last about three years and there's little chance that men and women working in the same team will not think about sex. Currently the space agency doesn't say anything about sex in space. However, for about 20 years mixed crews have performed missions in space and even a married couple flew on the US shuttle back in 1992.

There were rumors in the Soviet Union that Russian female astronauts did have sex in space when they went on a mission to the Mir space station. Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic, mentioned that these rumors were never denied. According to a space tourism venture, the test flights are likely to start this year.

"We've already had a number of inquiries from people about whether they could be the first to have sex in space. But we haven't accepted any bookings on that basis and won't until we understand what the safety issues might be," outlined Whitehorn.

But having sex in space could be quite problematic. Whitehorn explains that though there's the mass of a human body, there is no gravity to stop the person from being thrown in any direction.

"We'll understand a lot better in 2009 how our cabin will behave for weightless people and whether we will allow them to do it. They may then need training to have sex in space," said Whitehorn.

Some solutions to the problems regarding sex in space include handles, straps and bungees. There have even been proposals to use a bag developed for two persons, called 2suit. However, there are scientists who have other priorities than answering the question about a comfortable sex in space.

"As a biologist and physician, I'm not worried about the challenges of what might be called "rendezvous and docking. My concern is the implication of a pregnancy in space," said Dr Jim Logan, co-founder of Space Medicine Associates in Houston.

"A lot of people believe the success of our species depends on our ability to get off the planet to have viable, self-sustaining, self-replicating communities in space," he added.

Some space flights have shown that male astronauts registered a decreased level of testosterone and libido. Those who are in space for a longer period of time lose bone density, which is why researchers fear that babies conceived in space, where there's no gravity, could be born with fragile bones. Reproduction in space is a topic that has been poorly studied.

"After 47 years of space flight, we have yet to see a mammal go from copulation to birth, growth and then reproduction by the next generation," said Dr Logan.

Meanwhile if you wish to go for the space adventure the only thing that will make you excited is seeing our beautiful planet from space; there's little chance you will think about sex.

Source: Metro.co.uk

Need a computer virus?- download now

Computer expert put an advertisement on the Internet offering a free computer virus for everyone willing to have one.

Didier Stevens from Helsinki ran his advertising campaign on Google's Adword for half of the year. As a result of his campaign 409 people clicked on the ad, that said: "Is your PC virus-free? Get it infected here!"

There are several suggestion on people's willingness to download malicious virus said Mikko Hypponen, who conducted the research at data security firm F-Secure. First of all, people must have mistakenly pushed the button, second - curiosity sometimes overcomes natural prudence and thirdly, some people must have been stupid.

In fact, Stevens tried the experiment with no actual virus. He wanted to demonstrate the advertising system can be a good source for everyone including those who have a malicious objective.

Computer viruses can ruin your company website.  What you need is secure webhosting.  If you're looking for web resources,  business checks, or the largest selection of rubber stamps in the world, look no further. For all your business, web design and hosting needs, we're here to help.

EVA MENDES has confessed to having sex in EVERY state in America.

Although the gorgeous actress - whose film The Women is out now – was at pains to point it was NOT with 50 different blokes.

She said: “I've had sex in all 50 states. A lot of it was on a road trip I took when I was younger.”

Eva said her best bonks were in Arizona and Colarado.

She added: “Maybe it was the clear air, or the quiet, or the endless sky.

“Whatever it was, it was really, really good.

“But as for Alaska - I’d really like a do-over on that state.”

A FORMER Italian Big Brother contestant is trying to sell her virginity for a million Euros

A FORMER Italian Big Brother contestant is trying to sell her virginity for a million Euros.

Saucy ex-showgirl Raffaele Fico revealed her plan while posing for racy photographs in an Italian magazine.

Ms Fico, 20, wants the money so she can buy a house and take acting lessons.

"I can’t wait to see who’s going to pull out the money to have me," she said in the interview.

Catholic

"I don’t know what it’s like to have sex.

"But if I don’t like him I’ll just have a glass of wine and forget about it."

Her brother told the magazine: "She’s never had a boyfriend. I swear on my mother’s grave.

"She’s a devout Catholic and prays every night."

Ms Fico, whose asking price works out as almost £700,000, is not the first woman to offer her virginity for big money.

An 18-year-old US student in San Diego, Natalie Dylan, recently told a US radio show she would have sex for the first time for $1 million to pay her university fees.

In 2005 a Peruvian model, also 18, put herself up for sale to help pay her family’s medical bills but ended up having second thoughts and turning down a whopping $1.5million.

Manchester University student Carys Copestake asked for £10,000 to pay her fees on a website last year.

The 18-year-old reportedly found a buyer but refused to talk about it.

Beggars in Pak during Ramazan earn more than graduates may do in a year!

Lahore, Sept 17 (ANI): During the ongoing month of Ramazan, an average professional beggar in Pakistan is earning Rs 1000 per day, and a family, depending upon the number of 'earning members,' collects Rs 4000-5000 a day.

If multiplied by the 30 days of Ramazan, the total income comes out to be around Rs 150,000, which is enough for the rest of the year to meet the family's basic needs. The money earned during the Ramzan acts like fixed capital, even as the day to day expenses during the rest 11 months can be met by daily earnings.

According to the Daily Times, Zakia (35) begs in Gulberg almost all day during Ramazan and earns about Rs 800 to Rs 1000 per day. She resides under the Sherpao Bridge with her husband and three children whenever she is in the city. All her family members are also beggars by profession.

The family collectively makes about Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 every day. She goes back with her family to her hometown (Khanewal) before Eidul Fitr.

Zakia and her family aren't the only beggars who throng to the city during the holy month. Thousands of such families are found across the province.

Zakia said that her family is part of a group that comprises 18 families who live and travel together to wherever they can find better earnings. She said that all of them were related to each other, adding that every family consists of about eight members.

One of them, Rafiq, said that every year they took shelter under the Sherpao Bridge, adding that nobody has ever stopped them from residing there.

Local Union Council Nazim Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor said that these beggars create disturbances for the environment, adding that they start begging on both sides of the road in the evening. There are always more beggars during Ramazan, which also causes trouble for the traffic, he added.

Ghafoor claimed that all the beggars work for two disabled people who live in a colony in the Gulberg Industrial Area. They provide them shelter and take money from them in exchange, he added.

Ghalib Market Station House Officer (SHO) Shoaib Khan said that the police remove the beggars from the area on a daily basis, but they return the next morning.

Porn passed over as Web users become social-author

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By Belinda Goldsmith

CANBERRA (Reuters Life!) - Social networking sites are the hottest attraction on the Internet, dethroning pornography and highlighting a major change in how people communicate, according to a web guru.

Bill Tancer, a self-described "data geek", has analysed information for over 10 million web users to conclude that we are, in fact, what we click, with Internet searches giving an up-to-date view of how society and people are changing.

Some of his findings are great trivia, such as the fact that elbows, belly button lint and ceiling fans are on the list of people's top fears alongside social intimacy and rejection.

Others give an indication of people's interests or emotions, with an annual spike in searches for anti-depression drugs around Thanksgiving time in the United States.

Tancer, in his new book, "Click: What Millions of People are Doing Online and Why It Matters", said analysing web searches did not just reflect what was happening online but gave a wider picture of society and people's behaviour.

"There are some patterns to our Internet use that we tend to repeat very specifically and predictably, from diet searches, to prom dresses, to what we do around the holidays," Tancer told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Tancer, general manager of global research at Hitwise, an Internet tracking company, said one of the major shifts in Internet use in the past decade had been the fall off in interest in pornography or adult entertainment sites.

He said surfing for porn had dropped to about 10 percent of searches from 20 percent a decade ago, and the hottest Internet searches now are for social networking sites.

"As social networking traffic has increased, visits to porn sites have decreased," said Tancer, indicated that the 18-24 year old age group particularly was searching less for porn.

"My theory is that young users spend so much time on social networks that they don't have time to look at adult sites."

SOCIETY CLICKS TO CHANGE

Tancer said the change in communication patterns was one of the most noticeable shifts in society in the past five years -- a key point for marketers seeking to learn about their audiences.

But analysing data also showed what preoccupied people, allowing Tancer to predict the outcome of reality TV shows.

"I noticed in our data that some of the top search terms are about tropical storms in the United States," said Tancer.

"Before Hurricane Katrina rarely would you see a search on tropical storms but the devastation from Katrina has made us as a society much more sensitive to tropical storms."

Tancer said the current obsession with celebrities was also reflected through web data, with celebrity websites garnering more attention than sites devoted to religion, politics, well-being and diets combined -- and no sign that this is waning.

This celebrity mentality had also overlapped into the November presidential election in the United States with surfers looking for images of Republican vice presidential candidate Sara Palin rather than looking for her policies.

"A lot of the focus around the candidates in general is image based. People want to know how tall Barack Obama is and also to search for their families," he said.

"You have to get far down in the search terms to link the search for a candidate with any issue."

But Tancer said the speed at which information spread on the Internet had meant in some cases it was consumers generating the story and the media is last to record it -- or fact-check it.

"With the explosion of this type of false information on the Internet I think we will see someone come forward and develop a new type of software that can filter for the most accurate information," he said.

"Maybe accuracy is the next thing we will all search for."

Australia to go ahead with India tour after bombings

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MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia will go ahead with their four-test tour of India after a security review following a series of bombings in New Delhi, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Tuesday.

CA said on Sunday it would be reviewing security arrangements in India after five bombs went off in the capital on Saturday, killing at least 20 and injuring more than 90 others.

"Our advice is there are some concerns and to exercise caution, but currently they do not compromise the tour," CA public affairs manager Peter Young said in a statement on the organisation's website (wwww.cricket.com.au).

Young said the organisation would upgrade security for the senior team and the Australia A side which is currently in India.

"In consultation with the BCCI (Indian board), we have upgraded security in and around the dressing rooms and they will have an escort to the ground," Young said.

"Australia A players have also been told not to leave the hotel without good reason. It's just a matter of prudence."

The test side are due to leave Australia on Sunday and start the tour with warm-up matches in Jaipur and Hyderabad.

Both cities have been the targets of bombings within the past 13 months.

The first test begins in Bangalore, which was also the site of a bomb attack in July, on Oct. 9

The third test begins in Delhi on Oct. 29.

Australia pulled out of a tour of Pakistan because of security fears and withdrew from the Champions Trophy due to be held in Pakistan this month for the same reason. The tournament has since been postponed.

Pizza man fined for delivering very fast fast food

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SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian pizza delivery man gave fast food a new meaning when he was caught, and fined, for driving 53 km (33 miles) over the speed limit.

The 20-year-old man, driving on a provisional driver's license, said he was speeding because he was 20 minutes late with his delivery in the tropical northern town of Townsville.

Police clocked him driving at 131 kms (82 miles) in an 80 kph (50 mph) zone on Saturday, but waited for him to deliver his pizza before booking him.

On his return journey to the pizza shop, he was caught speeding at 133 km in the same zone.

Police sergeant Brendan White said on Tuesday the delivery man, who was not named, was fined A$1520 (US$1,226) and lost his license for 15 months.

(Reporting by Pauline Askin, Editing by Michael Perry and Miral Fahmy)

The Last Lear: Not Bachchan’s best but watch it for the performances

There has been so much controversy about the release of “The Last Lear” that it’s easy to overlook this is a film that has been well received in the international festival circuit, has some of India’s best known actors and has even been touted as Amitabh Bachchan’s finest work yet.

Honestly, I don’t agree with that last statement — but then people are entitled to their own opinion.

Undoubtedly, Bachchan plays the role of Harish Mishra, an ageing but passionate Shakespearean actor to the T, with dexterity and skill.

But this is not his best. In fact, I would even say his is not the best performance in the film.

But I am getting ahead of myself. “The Last Lear” is a film in a film and it starts off the way most movies do. With a premiere. It’s Diwali night and also the premiere of Siddharth’s (Arjun Rampal) first film.

The mood though is anything but celebratory. The film’s lead actor is seriously ill and actress Shabnam (Preity Zinta) decides to visit him rather than attend the premiere. Even Siddharth is not as happy as a director making his debut should be.

Film maker Rituparno Ghosh tells the whole story in flashback, interspersed with the events of the night. We learn that Siddharth, a young, enthusiastic director convinces ageing theatre actor Mishra to play a role in his film about an out of work circus clown. Mishra agrees and the entire film unit moves to a hill station for the shoot.

Actress Shabnam, who feels trapped in her marriage, is also part of the cast. The story of how Mishra gets hurt during the shooting is revealed almost at the end and so is the interplay of relationships. To reveal any more would be to spoil the plot.

Ghosh explores the ruthlessness of an artist when it comes to perfecting his art through Siddharth, played brilliantly by Arjun Rampal. Zinta, playing an actress who deals with her own demons is also wonderful, especially in her scenes with Shefali Shah and Divya Dutta.

Which brings us to Shefali Shah. Hers is easily the most power-packed and passionate performance in the film. Her character and her relationship with Mishra is not revealed till the end. Yet, instead of treating this as a handicap, Shah uses it to the best of her ability.

Divya Dutta as the nurse is also good. The scenes in which the three women discuss their lives, matter of factly, yet with so much underlying pain are some of the most powerful in the film.

The pace is quite good and the flashback scenes don’t hinder the film much. Again, this is not a film for everyone, but if your movie palate can handle a different cuisine, go watch “The Last Lear” — if not for anything else, the performances.

Rupee drops 1pct to 2-yr low as stocks fall

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MUMBAI (Reuters) – The rupee fell 1 percent to its lowest in more than two years on Tuesday on capital outflow concerns following an upheaval on Wall Street, but dealers said state banks were selling dollars to halt the slide.

At 10:45 a.m., the partially convertible rupee was at 46.54/55 per dollar, more than 1 percent weaker from 46.05/06 at close on Monday. It dropped to 46.5775 in early trade, its weakest since Aug. 25, 2006.

At its low the rupee had shed 5.64 percent in September, taking losses so far in 2008 to 15.4 percent.

"Globally the scenario is quite gloomy which is driving the rupee currently," said Naveen Raghuvanshi, an associate vice president at Development Credit Bank.

"Even the lower oil prices are not helping much. There is some dollar demand from oil companies and foreign banks. The rupee looks likely to test 47 this week," he said.

Dealers said arbitrage between the onshore and offshore markets was also pushing the rupee down.

One-month offshore non-deliverable forward contracts were quoting at 46.89/99, weaker than the onshore rate.

Indian stocks were down more than 2 percent in early trade after a 3.35 percent drop on Monday, tracking shaky global markets.

Traders said state banks sold dollars sporadically in suspected intervention by the Reserve Bank of India, but the rupee continued to trade with a downward bias.

Oil, tumbled more than $4 to a seven-month low on Tuesday, in free fall for a second day as Lehman Brothers' collapse made investors ditch oil for safe-haven assets, and on fears the credit crisis will hurt the real economy.