Nityananda and Sexy Renjitha another sex news

July-24th Sunday

Hot News Nitya and Sexy Ranjitha

The Whole Story Of Sexy Swami Nithyananda And Ranjitha

The Sex scam of Nithyanandha Swami and South Film star Ranjitha has surfaced again bringing back memories of how the shameful swami and the actress put the whole country in shame and forcing many bhakts to do a reality check on their beliefs and their idols. Many Bollywood actors like Vivek Oberoi were hardcore Nithyananda bhakts before his dirty act came to light.

Supposedly the cult swami was accused of many crimes ranging from rape to murder. He had ini

tially even been reprimanded but went scott free thanks to his religious contacts.Seems like God had other plans for him this time. His sex video with a south actress became a national favourite video and the baba soon found no bhakts coming to his rescue this time. Baffled, he didn’t understand what his next move should be. He probably had no moves left.But he surprised one and all and proved why he is called swami. After being left on bail from police custody, the swami performed a pooja supposedly for

purity of his soul. Too late for all these antics baba. We agree we are a little sensitive on the religion issue as a country, but we hell not let anyone go scott free after they play with our beliefs.

The south actress on the other hand is trying all in her abilities to distance herself from the sexy baba. After denying that the female in the video was she, Ranjitha even went on to say that she was in another room with a female disciple inside the aashram. Oops, the video then probably has your body double Ranjitha.Too late to try. No question over where her career is headed. No, not up heavens but down and out this time.

The CBI recently released a statement saying that Nithyananda accepted the fact he paid Rs.10crore to a journalist early on so that he refrained from publishing his shocking video.Game over for Nithyananda and Ranjitha.Seems like his disciples would now have to double check before they start worshipping their next swami!

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Amazing Top 20 Nataional Geograpic Animal

April 14th Thursday

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Live Nse Bse Sensex News

June 10th Thursday

Live Sensex

Sensex

16922.08 264.19


NIFTY
5078.60 78.30


Sensex ends 264 pts as blue chips rally in late trades SIFY


The market, which moved in a tight band for well over three hours after a steady start, found some strong support during the final hour thanks to a rally on the European bourses and higher U.S. index futures, and ended on an upbeat note today.

Top gainers | Worst losers | More tips

Despite moving up sharply in morning trades, the market struggled to make a significant headway as some blue chips faced stiff resistance at higher levels. Though stocks from automobile, healthcare, capital goods and power stocks attracted buyers, stocks from other sectors remained somewhat subdued despite trading in positive territory, as investors appeared a bit reluctant to hold positions at higher levels.

However, thanks to frenzied buying in the final hour, the market rallied sharply, and more importantly, held on to their gains to sign off on a high note. Besides positive global cues, a few stock specific stories also contributed to the market's bright close today.

The Sensex, which spurted to 16,942.60 in intra-day trades, ended the day at 16,922.08 with an impressive gain of 264.19 points or 1.59%, while the Nifty closed with a gain of 78.30 points or 1.57% at 5078.60, slightly off the day's high of 5085.20.

In economic news, the data released by the government revealed that the food price index rose 16.74% in the year to 29 May 2010, higher than the previous week's annual reading of 16.55% as fruits and potato prices rose. The fuel price index climbed 14.23% compared with an annual rise of 14.14% in the previous week.

Automobile stocks were the star performers during the day. Metal stocks, which were a bit subdued to start with, found solid support in late afternoon trade and closed with impressive gains.

Realty, pharmaceuticals, power, capital goods, information technology and bank stocks closed with notable gains. Select stocks from telecom, FMCG and oil sectors too ended on a firm note.

Reliance Infrastructure ended stronger by 5%. Bharti Airtel, which had a bright session on Wednesday, extended its gains and closed 4.85% up. Tata Motors, Hero Honda and Hindalco gained 4% - 4.5%.

Cipla, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance Communications, Jaiprakash Associates, State Bank of India, Tata Consultancy Services and Jindal Steel ended higher by 2% - 3.5%.

Sterlite Industries, Wipro, Tata Steel, DLF, Larsen & Toubro, HDFBA, BHEL, ACC, Tata Power and Hindustan Unilever also closed notably higher. Heavyweight stocks Reliance Industries, Infosys Technologies and ICICI Bank posted modest gains.

Reliance Capital, SAIL, Idea Cellular, Reliance Power, Unitech, Cairn India, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Sun Pharmaceuticals and Suzlon Energy closed with notable gains.

Midcap stocks Pantaloon Retail, Sun TV Network, Castrol India, IFCI, Lanco Infratech, Marico, Tata Communications, Indian Hotels, Ultratech Cement, United Phosphorus, Bharat Forge, Divi's Laboratories, Nagarjuna Construction, India Bulls Real Estate, Shipping Corporation of India, Bhushan Steel, Videocon Industries and IRB Infrastructure ended 3% - 7% up.

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Besides several large cap stocks, scores of midcap and smallcap stocks also rallied sharply on strong buying support.

The market breadth was quite positive. Out of 2914 stocks traded on BSE, 1878 stocks posted gains. 901 stocks drifted lower, while 135 stocks ended flat


Sensex extends gains for 2nd day; jumps 264 pts on global cues

Stock market bellwether index Sensex rose for the second consecutive session today ending 264 points higher on renewed investor confidence, supported by positive European cues.

The Bombay Stock Exchange's 30-share benchmark, which was creeping till mid-session, spurted in the second half after European markets opened firm and settled at 16,922.08 points, showing a gain of 264.19 points, or 1.59 per cent.

The wide-based Nifty Index of the National Stock Exchange ended 1.57 per cent higher at 5,078.60 points.

Aggressive purchasing in auto, metal and telecom stocks pushed the Sensex to an intra-day high of 16,942.60 points, marketmen said.

"Positive sentiments from Europe and hectic demand in the last hour of trade helped the market end near the day's high. Good export numbers from China were also a fillip for the markets," Geojit BNP Paribas Research Head Alex Mathews said.

Bharti Airtel extended gains for the second day rising by another 4.81 per cent. It had gained 5.57 per cent in the previous trade after it completed the $10.7 billion acquisition deal for Kuwait-based Zain's African operations.

Brokers said Bharti Airtel gained even as Standard & Poor's has lowered the credit rating of the company. "Investors are positive on Airtel as they think that after Zain deal, revenue of the telecom major will increase," CNI Research CMD Kishore P Ostwal said.

Another telecom operator Reliance Communications, led by Anil Ambani, rose by 2.47 per cent.

Metal stocks recorded gains as good export numbers from China indicated that the demand for commodities is likely to remain strong.

Hindalco rose by 4.14 per cent, Sterlite Industries by 1.94 per cent, Tata Steel by 1.85 per cent and Jindal Steel by 2.05 per cent.

Auto stocks were in the top gear today after companies posted record sales for May. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said companies sold 12,08,851 units in May.

Tata Motors gained 4.31 per cent, Hero Honda by 4.14 per cent, Maruti Suzuki by 3.33 per cent and M&M by 2.55 per cent.

Banking major State Bank of India surged 2.38 per cent, a day after it said that it is planning to raise Rs 20,000 crore through a rights issue this fiscal to fund business growth.

Engineering giant Larsen & Toubro gained 1.76 per cent. The company today secured construction-related orders valued worth Rs 747 crore.

Except ONGC, all the components of the BSE-30 index ended with gains. ONGC settled 0.29 per cent lower at Rs 1,188.10.

The country's most valued firm Reliance Industries rose 0.85 per cent to Rs 1,015.45.

All the sectoral indices of BSE closed with gains in the range of 1-3 per cent. Auto, metal, realty and technology indices were the top gainers.

On the global front, Asia ended mix. China's Shanghai fell 0.82 per cent, while Japan's Nikkei rose 1.10 per cent.

European markets were trading firm, with Britain's FTSE 100 edging higher by 0.36 per cent. Frankfurt gained 0.50 per cent and Paris rose 0.82 per cent in early trade.



Markets surge on Chinese cues

Reports of soaring exports in China despite the ongoing European crisis brought some respite to the Indian markets today. This seemed on the back of expectations that emerging markets like India can weather the western crisis. Economic sentiment dependent stocks like those from the auto, realty and metal sectors were the best performers today.

The BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty closed with gains of around 265 points (1.6%) and 80 points (1.6%) respectively. Mid and small cap stocks followed suit. The BSE Midcap and BSE Smallcap indices closed up by 1.1% and 1.3% respectively. On the broader BSE, almost two stocks gained for every one that closed in the red.

Among other key Asian markets, while China (down 0.8%) closed weak, strength was seen in Japan (up 1.1%) and Singapore (up 1.2%). Stocks across Europe have also opened with marginal gains.

Earlier, data coming out from China suggested that exports there grew by 49% YoY during May 2010, despite the weakness in the western economies that are the biggest consumers of Chinese products. China now joins South Korea and Australia (that reported lower unemployment rates) in reporting good economic numbers over the past few days. While the news from China indicate that emerging economies have not been affected much from the European crisis, we still need to see whether the buoyancy is sustainable or the impact is still about to be felt.

Anyways, coming back to Indian markets, stocks of PSU banks closed strong today. Major gainers here included SBI, IDBI Bank, and Andhra Bank. With the liquidity in the banking system showing further signs of tightening over the last fortnight, banks may have to contemplate on interest rate hikes sooner than anticipated. The chairman of the country’s largest bank SBI recently aired his views in this direction. Banks have borrowed over Rs 600 bn from the RBI over the last few days. The situation is expected to tighten in the coming weeks. Besides, cost of deposits for banks have gone up in recent months due to overall monetary tightening. PSU banks including SBI are also planning to raise further capital through equity dilution to meet the shortage of funds. We see these measures causing a blip in banks’ margins and return ratios in the medium term.



June 7th Monday

Live Sensex

Sensex

16781.07 336.62


NIFTY
5034.00 101.50

Sensex tumbles 337 pts on global weakness
2010-06-07 16:45:30


Stocks tumbled right at the start of the session this morning and stayed weak right through the day as investors, tracking global cues, indulged in some heavy selling almost across the board.

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A few blue chips found modest support towards the closing minutes, but the mood was extremely bearish today as global markets saw a heavy sell-off amid growing worries about the financial crisin in European countries and the resultant sharp fall of the euro.

With Hungary joining the list of other European countries, Greece, Portugal and Spain, which are in the midst of a severe financial crisis, and the U.S. non-farm payrolls data turning out to be quite disappointing, stocks suffered sharp losses on Wall Street last Friday, setting up a weak start on the Asian bourses today.

The mood on the Indian bourses, quited expectedly, was quite negative when trade commenced this morning, and it remained that way right till the end. Stocks, especially those from realty and metal sectors, were seen reeling under sustained selling pressure. PSU, oil, capital goods, auto, banking, power and information technology stocks, all struggled for support today. Select FMCG and pharmaceuticals stocks found some support at lower levels.

The Sensex, which plunged to 16,686.73 in early trades, never really recovered despite a few rallies from lower levels. It eventually ended the day at 16,781.07, recording a sharp loss of 336.62 points or 1.97%. The Nifty index of the National Stock Exchange closed lower by 101.50 points or 1.98% at 5034, around 30 points off the day's low of 5004.25.

Among Sensex stocks, only Reliance Communications (4.65%), ACC (1.1%)and Hero Honda (up marginally) closed on the positive side. From the Nifty index, Ambuja Cements (2.3%) and Kotak Bank (0.8%) were the ones to end higher, besides Reliance Communications and ACC.

DLF, which ended lower by over 6%, was the biggest loser in the Sensex. Hindalco lost a little over 5%. Tata Steel, Tata Motors and Sterlite Industries lost 4.2% - 4.6%.

Bharti Airtel, ICICI Bank, Jindal Steel, HDFC, Reliance Infrastructure, BHEL, State Bank of India, Infosys Technologies and Reliance Industries drifted down by 2% - 3%. Jaiprakash Associates, Larsen & Toubro, Tata Consultancy Services, Maruti Suzuki, NTPC, Tata Power, Mahindra & Mahindra, Cipla and ITC also ended notably lower.

SAIL, HCL Technologies, Cairn India, BPCL, Unitech, Axis Bank, Suzlon Energy, Reliance Capital, Reliance Power, Siemens and GAIL India ended sharply lower.

Top gainers | Worst losers | More tips

Midcap and smallcap stocks too saw a sell-off today. While the Midcap index drifted down by 1.37%, the Smallcap barometer ended 1.45% down.

The market breadth was weak right through the session. Out of 2865 stocks traded on BSE, 1909 stocks declined, while 869 stocks posted gains. 87 stocks ended flat.



Don't wait for Sensex to hit 21000. Buy stocks NOW


They say nobody can time the markets. But this time around the stock market regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India), and the mutual fund industry body AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds of India), seem to have got their timing bang on!

SEBI, through NISM (National Institute of Securities Markets) and AMFI through various mutual funds, have embarked on the biggest investor education campaigns our country has ever seen, at a time when FIIs are selling each day, Nifty is once again close to 4600 and investors are again beginning to get jittery!

Should Indian investors also panic and sell or should we stop our SIPs (systematic investment planning), like we did in 2008 when Sensex was at 8000 odd levels, or should we lap up this opportunity with both hands?

A common question these days is why are our markets falling if there is a problem in Greece? In 2008 we were asking -- why are our markets falling if there is a problem in US housingmarket? The simplicity of these questions highlights the complexity of the problem -- that of market movements and the abysmally low levels of financial education.

Some statistics for starters:

In a country of 100 crore plus people, there are only approximately 4 crore demat accounts. The amount of money managed by the entire mutual fund industry stands at approximately Rs 8 lakh crore against Rs 40 lakh crore in safe fixed income return generating investments. These fixed income investments yield on an average 8 per cent pre tax returns.

Nifty is the only liquid asset class (Nifty here represents equities) which has given returns at a rate of 12 per cent CAGR over the last 14 years. Nifty was at 1000 in Nov 2005 and is at approximately 5000 today. This translates into a CAGR of roughly 12 per cent over the 14.5-year time horizon.

Long-term inflation in India (from 1971-72 till 2008-09) as per RBI is in the range of 8 per cent.

Now if we juxtapose the above three points, what we get is that majority of Indians choose to remain poor/ middle class by investing in assets where money grows at a rate lesser than inflation on a post tax basis.

Secondly, equities have handsomely beaten inflation but returns in equities being volatile act as a deterrent for the lay investor and hence very few of our countrymen have benefited from this wonderful asset class.

Thirdly, quite a few of the FIIs are investing money of foreign pension funds. That means foreigners are confident on India and its stock markets and are even ready to bet a small portion of their pensionmoney on our markets, whereas our pension fund managers have till date not invested even a single penny in our stock markets, although regulations allow them to do so.

So look at it any which ways, we are destined to remain in the middle class category. Or should I say, we choose to remain middle class. We think not taking risk is safe whereas the fact is not taking risk is the biggest risk.

If outsiders can make money here, if the government can make money here by selling its ownership in PSUs, if big players like banks and insurance companies can make money here, surely there must be a way where even we, the small investor, can make money here. Hence it is absolutely necessary that we understand this monster known as the stock market and start taking its advantage.

Now there have been hundreds and thousands of articles on SIP. Every now and then you will find experts on TV talking about it. The only problem is that most of these people talk about long term in the category of 3 to 5 years. For some strange reason nobody talks of 10 years or 20 years ofinvesting in mutual funds.

It is with this objective that both NISM and AMFI have taken this Himalayan task upon themselves to educate one and all. There has to be an increase in the number of Indians coming to the capital markets -- directly or indirectly.

Now increase there was. AMFI data suggests that maximum money entered the markets when the Sensex moved from 17K to 21K and subsequently maximum number of people exited when the Sensex was lingering at 8K. How can we ever become rich by this behaviour by this herd mentality?

So, coming to the latest fall season. When an FII comes to India and the exchange rate is say 1$ = Rs 45, he gives 1$ and purchases Rs 45, which he invests in the stock markets and generates say Rs 5 as profit.

At the same time around, Greece gets into trouble and globally investors are panicking. Everybody wants to exit the Euro currency hence they dump all assets related to the Euro, be it stocks, bonds or the currency itself.

Where will all this money go? The obvious choice is gold and US dollar. In spite of all the problems in US economy, still it is considered as a safe haven asset in times of crises. So money rushes to US dollar which in turn appreciates as its demand increases.

So now the same 1$ becomes worth Rs 50. What will happen to the FII? He invested Rs 45 and increased it to Rs 50 and now when he wants to convert it into dollars, he gets again the same 1$! That means as the US dollar appreciates, FIIs who are in India would like to repatriate their profits in US dollar terms just to protect value; that is, to protect their profits. If the fail to do so, they may even get less than what they brought to India. So although they mademoney in the Indian stock market, they run the risk of eroding their profits and even capital in the forex market . They are not at all having a problem with India and Indian stock markets, it is the rising dollar which is creating problems for them.

Now that puts them to a serious disadvantage, and conversely us to a huge advantage! Come what may, it is here only that wealth can be made over the next say two decades. So all those who are exiting today for whatever reason will have to come back and soon and in huge numbers.

Let's not wait for the Sensex to be back above 18K or worse still 21K and then think of entering the market. The time to begin is NOW. Do SIPs with a 15-year horizon, buy blue-chips directly for the next 20 years, go long in the F&O space (if you understand the risks & returns associated with it), open new demat accounts, exit the worthless penny stocks bought on tips, buy good solid companies which will create India in the coming two decades and fall in love with yourmoney!

Where is the doubt, friends? Hardly 3 per cent of our household savings is coming into equities directly or indirectly. HDFC Bank and Infosys are Indian companies today only due to their place of origin, if we look at the shareholding pattern, we will realise that a huge chunk of these stalwarts is owned by foreigners whereas Indians are as good as not being there! If not direct equities, let's start 20 year SIPs. We can start with a minimum of Rs 50 per month by way of SIP what more can we ask for?

Let's do it... let's begin... let's have faith in our economy, our banking regulator RBI, SEBI, our politicians (yes we have to!), our future and handhold each other as we slowly but surely walk towards a more prosperous tomorrow.

No outsider will be coming to teach us how to make money... we have to learn ourselves. We have to be ready to fall and fail, yet move forward and finally to rise and shine. And history of free India tells us we can.

In 1965 William and Paul Paddock, two brothers, in their book Famine 1975 predicted that by 1975 Indians will die by the millions due to hunger and famine. Humiliation was being heaped upon India and Indians from all quarters.

However it was the likes of M S Swaminathan, G S Athwal, S P Kohli, V S Mathur, Lal Bahadur Shastri (former PM of India), C Subramaniam (former Agriculture minister) and Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug who heralded the Green Revolution into our country. Schools in Punjab had to be closed as classrooms were being used to store wheat. Foreigners were coming to India to study the miracle. All this in a period of 10 years from 1965 to 1975! The same years when the Paddocks had prophesied that 10 million Indians will die of hunger!

If we could do it then, surely we can do it now. Just a little bit of understanding and a sufficiently long-term approach and we would be on our way to prosperity. The next two decades are surely going to be India's. The questions is whether Indians will benefit from them?


May 28th Friday

Live Sensex

SENSEX
16863.06
196.66

NIFTY
5066.55
63.45

Moneycontrol » News Center » Markets » Local Markets
Nifty ends strong for 3rd consecutive day, surges 259 pts

The benchmark Nifty closed strong for the third consecutive day on the back of short covering and positive global cues. The index rallied 259 points in three days and closed above the 5050 level while for the week it gained just 134 points.

The Sensex closed at 16863, up 196 points and the Nifty was at 5066, up 63 points, as per provisional data.


Sensex extends rebound, ends 196 points higher

The Indian markets closed on a positive note for the third straight day today giving hopes that the bulls were finally gaining the upper hand despite the fact that the bourses continue to reflect global cues. Global markets rallied after China said it had no intension to sell its European bonds


Both the indices gained more than a per cent today. The Sensex closed up 196 points at 16,863 while the Nifty added 63 points and closed at 5,066.

The Nifty closed above the psychological 5,050 mark, comfortably above its 200 day moving average.


Among the sectoral indices, realty and metals - the two high beta sectors - led the gains. The broader markets outperformed the benchmark indices and the market breadth remained positive with 64 per cent shares advancing against 31 per cent declines on the BSE.


Among the Sensex stocks, Reliance Communications gained 5.93 per cent, Sterlite Industries closed up 5.75 per cent and Jindal Steel added 4.85 per cent. DLF and M&M gained more than 3 per cent each. Maruti, HDFC Bank, L&T and Reliance Infra ended lower.


Among the realty stocks, Parsvnath ended 11 per cent high; HDIL added 8.82 per cent and Omaxe gained 3.3 per cent.

Areva T&D rose 7.16 per cent on the back of an open offer to acquire 20 per cent of shares and Orchid Chemicals rose 4.71 per cent on the back of good results.

The European markets opened on a positive note after ending high yesterday. CAC 40 was up 0.15 per cent, DAX gained 0.40 per cent and FTSE was up 0.67 per cent.

Asian markets rose with the exception of China where the Shanghai Composite ended marginally lower. The Nikkei 225 in Japan rose 1.28 percent to 9,762 in early trade. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.95 percent to 1,622 and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 1.79 percent to 4,457.

The Dow futures were marginally up at 0.20 per cent. Overnight, the Dow Jones rose 2.9 per cent to regain the psychological 10,000 mark after ending below it in the previous session. The European markets all closed in the green too raising investors' confidence. Britain's FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX index each rose 3.1 percent, while France's CAC-40 climbed 3.4 percent.



Sensex, Nifty remain positive; Metal, Realty stocks hold gains

With several blue chip stocks moving higher thanks to some frenzied buying in mid afternoon trade, the market remains high up in positive territory. A firm trend in Asian markets following a buoyant close on Wall Street overnight and the strong opening on the European bourses keep the bulls rooted to the ring this afternoon.

Top gainers | Worst losers | More tips

The reaffirmation by the Chinese government that it remains a long term investor in Europe helped buoy up sentiment on Wall Street on Thursday and Asian markets took cues and moved higher today, setting up the stage for the bulls back home.

The Sensex is up 138.72 points or 0.83% at 16,805.12, while the Nifty is up with a gain of 43.15 points or 0.86% at 5046.25.

Metal stocks are on a roll thanks to a firm trend in global metal markets. A host of stocks from the metal space have posted strong gains, lifting the BSE Metal index up by nearly 3.5%.

Realty stocks are also in strong demand today. Mirroring their surge, the Realty index is up nearly 3% at present. Consumer durables, FMCG, automobile, power and PSU stocks are also up with sharp gains.

Sterlite Industries, Jindal Steel, Reliance Communications, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindalco, ITC and DLF are up 2% - 5%.

Tata Power, Jaiprakash Associates, Tata Steel, NTPC, Hero Honda, Tata Motors, State Bank of India, BHEL, Tata Consultancy Services, ACC and Reliance Industries are also up with notable gains.

Sesa Goa is up nearly 8.5%. Areva, HDIL and Shree Renuka Sugars have gained 7% - 7.5%. Pantaloon Retail, Indian Hotels, Shriram Transport Finance, Educomp Solutions, Hindustan Construction, Suzlon Energy, India Bulls Real Estate, India Bulls Financial Services, Yes Bank, Tata Communications, India Infoline and Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers are also up with impressive gains.


Sensex firm: Reliance stocks rise sharply

May 24, 2010 - Indian markets opened in the green fired by the positive deal between the two Ambani brothers who scrapped their 'non-compete' agreement yesterday. The benchmark indices rose more than a per cent. Sensex was up 218 points to 16,663 while Nifty was up 65 points to 4,997.

All the stocks that had a Reliance prefix rose sharply. RIL was up 3.6 per cent, RNRL was up 20 per cent, Reliance Infra was up 7.8 per cent, Reliance Communications rose 5 per cent and Reliance Capital rose 6 per cent.

All the sectoral indices were in the green with Realty and Metals leading the gains with a rise of more than 2 per cent. The oil and gas index rose 3 per cent. The broader markets were in the green with both the small cap and midcap indices gaining close to 2 per cent.

Other gainers were Godrej Consumer Products Limited that rose 8.5 per cent on the back it acquiring Issue group of Argentina. ICICI Bank rose 1.2 per cent while Bank of Rajasthan rose 6.3 per cent.

Asian stocks markets were mostly higher Monday but gains were tepid as investors stayed cautious about Europe's debt problems even after a big jump on Wall Street. China was leading the gains with the Shanghai Composite gaining 3.2 per cent while there was some weakness as far as Japan was concerned. Nikkei was down 0.4 per cent.

In New York on Friday, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 1.3 percent to 10,193.39, making back some of the steep losses recorded recently amid renewed worries about Europe's debt problems.

But that did little to inspire confidence in the euro and its reliability as a currency. Asian exporters, particularly those who do significant business in Europe, lost some ground. Japan's Olympus Corp. fell 1.1 percent, while South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. slipped 0.1 percent.

The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.5 percent to 1,087.69, and the Nasdaq composite index added 1.1 percent to 2,229.04.

In currencies Monday, the dollar fell to 90.14 yen from 90.19 yen late Friday. The euro fell to $1.2508 from $1.2545.

Benchmark crude for July delivery was up 35 cents at $70.39 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Today Top News Story

May 21st Friday

Hot News India

No survivors found at Afg han airline crash site

KABUL, Afghanistan – Searchers found no survivors Friday among 44 people on board an Afghan commercial airliner that crashed this week on a remote mountain north of the capital of Kabul, the aviation minister


The Antonov-24 operated by Pamir Airways disappeared Monday on a flight from Kunduz to Kabul. The wreckage was spotted Thursday by a search plane on a 13,500-foot (4,100-meter) mountain in Shakar Darah district north of Kabul.

Aviation Minister Mohammadullah Batash told The Associated Press that ground searchers reached the site Friday but found no survivors.

Three Britons and one American were among eight foreign passengers on the plane along with nationals from Pakistan and Australia, according to chief aviation investigator Ghulam Farooq. He did not have precise numbers for Australian and Pakistani passengers.

Russia's Itar-Tass news agency said three Tajikistan citizens working for the airline were also aboard, possibly among the crew.


Photos supplied by NATO forces show the plane broken into four pieces and strewn across a steep mountainside about 24 miles (38 kilometers) north of Kabul. Bad weather and the rugged mountain terrain hampered the search.

Afghan military search teams collected body parts strewn among traces of snow on the high plateau where the plane went down, according to Associated Press Television News video. Parts of the aircraft slid down a ravine and slammed into a boulder.

The cause of the crash, which occurred in heavy fog, has not been determined. The airline denied allegations of lax safety procedures made by an American photojournalist who said she took a Pamir flight from Kunduz to Kabul on May 4.

Stephanie Sinclair said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that during the flight, the pilot allowed several passengers to enter the cockpit even though there was turbulence and bad weather. They remained there until the plane landed.

"The whole thing was extremely reckless behavior on everyone's part. I did complain to a Pamir flight attendant during the flight and then also to the airport office manager when we landed," Sinclair said. "I was assured by the flight attendant that it was 'perfectly safe' for there to be these irregularities."

Khalilullah Fruzi, a co-owner of Pamir, dismissed the allegations as "propaganda by our competitors."

"It is wrong, it is illegal," Fruzi said. "There is no additional space for another person in the cockpit. Our pilot was a Tajik-Russian and we never heard such allegations."

Kabul-based Pamir Airways, named after the mountain range of Central Asia, began operations in 1995. It has daily flights to major Afghan cities and flies to Dubai and Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage.

Pamir's chief executive officer, Amanullah Hamid, said the plane was last inspected about three months ago in Bulgaria. The An-24 is a medium-range twin-turboprop civil aircraft built in the former Soviet Union from 1950 to 1978. A modernized version is still made in China.

It is widely used by airlines in the developing world due to its rugged design, ease of maintenance and low operating costs.

Elsewhere, a NATO soldier was killed Friday by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said without identifying him by nationality.

Also Friday, a roadside bomb exploded in Afghanistan's main southern city of Kandahar, killing one civilian and wounding three children, an official Said


UN Command to launch SKorea warship sinking pro

SEOUL, South Korea – The top U.S. diplomat said Friday that North Korea should face international consequences over the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship, while the South said the U.N. would investigate whether the attack violated the Korean War truce.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called the sinking a "military provocation" and said it violated the U.N. Charter as well as the truce that ended the fighting in the 1950-53 conflict. But he called for a cautious response to this "serious and grave" issue.

Arriving in Tokyo ahead of a visit to Beijing and Seoul, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that U.S., Japan, South Korea and China are consulting on an appropriate reaction to an international investigation that blamed North Korea for the incident.

She said the report announced Thursday proves a North Korean sub fired a torpedo that sank the ship, the Cheonan on March 26 and that it could no longer be "business as usual" in dealing with the matter and that there must be "an international response."

While it was "premature" to discuss exact options or actions that will be taken in response, Clinton said it was "important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences.

"The evidence is overwhelming and condemning. The torpedo that sunk the Cheonan ... was fired by a North Korean submarine," she told reporters.

North Korea said for a second day that war clouds loomed over the divided peninsula, and has asked to send its own team to investigate the site.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young, speaking to reporters, called the request "irrational and incomprehensible."

Instead, Kim's ministry requested the U.N. Command's Military Armistice Commission, which oversees the truce, to conduct a probe separate from the multinational investigation.

"This incident was clearly a military attack against our naval warship that was carrying out a routine patrol operation — an explicit violation of the truce agreement," deputy defense minister Chang Kwang-il said.

The investigation can start as soon as this weekend, though North Korea will most likely reject access to investigators, Chang said. South Korea responded to the North's request to send investigators by telephone Friday, notifying it of the special U.N. probe.

"We were caught in a perfect military ambush by North Korea while our people were resting in the late hours," Lee said at an emergency national security meeting.

"Because this is a serious and important issue, I believe there must not be a single mistake in all of our responsive measures, and that we must be highly prudent," he said.

On Thursday, he vowed to take "resolute countermeasures" against the North. But military retaliation looked too dangerous and less of an option given the vulnerability of South Korea's capital, Seoul, and its 10 million some residents to North Korean artillery located just across the border.



Conflict-of-interest fears raised in oil spill tests

Local environmental officials throughout the Gulf Coast are feverishly collecting water, sediment and marine animal tissue samples that will be used in the coming months to help track pollution levels resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake, since those readings will be used by the federal government and courts to establish liability claims against BP. But the laboratory that officials have chosen to process virtually all of the samples is part of an oil and gas services company in Texas that counts oil firms, including BP, among its biggest clients.

Some people are questioning the independence of the Texas lab. Taylor Kirschenfeld, an environmental official for Escambia County, Fla., rebuffed instructions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to send water samples to the lab, which is based at TDI-Brooks International in College Station, Tex

Top 10 World Bridge Images News

April 25th Sunday

Ten Longest Bridges In World

This news item was posted in Amazing Stories category and has 74 Comments so far.

Here is a list of the ten longest bridges in the world with pictures and descriptions. Those beautiful photos are showing to us that there are no borders and everything is reachable.


10. Seven Mile Bridge

The Seven Mile Bridge, in the Florida Keys, runs over a channel between the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait, connecting Key Vaca (the location of the city of Marathon, Florida) in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. Among the longest bridges in existence when it was built, it is one of the many bridges on US 1 in the Keys, where the road is called the Overseas Highway


9. San Mateo-Hayward Bridge

The San Mateo-Hayward Bridge (commonly called San Mateo Bridge) is a bridge crossing California’s San Francisco Bay in the United States, linking the San Francisco Peninsula with the East Bay. More specifically, the bridge’s western end is in Foster City, the most recent urban addition to the eastern edge of San Mateo. The eastern end of the bridge is in Hayward. The bridge is owned by the state of California, and is maintained by Caltrans, the state highway agency.



8. Confederation Bridge

The Confederation Bridge (French: Pont de la Confédération) is a bridge spanning the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick, Canada. It was commonlbridge spanning the Abegweit Passage of Northumberland Strait, linking Prince Edward Island with mainland New Brunswick, Canada. It was commonly referred to as the “Fixed Link” by residents of Prince Edward Island prior to its official naming. Construction took place from the fall of 1993 to the spring of 1997, costing $1.3 billion. The 12.9-kilometre (8 mi) long bridge opened on 31 May 1997.


7. Rio-Niteroi Bridge

The Rio-Niteroi Bridge is a reinforced concrete structure that connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi in Brazil.
Construction began symbolically on August 23, 1968, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in their first and thus far only visit to Brazil. Actual work begun in January, 1969, and it opened on March 4, 1974.
Its official name is “President Costa e Silva Bridge”, in honor of the Brazilian president who ordered its construction. “Rio-Niteroi” started as a descriptive nickname that soon became better known than the official name. Today, hardly anyone refers to it by its official name


6. Penang Bridge

The Penang Bridge (Jambatan Pulau Pinang in Malay) E 36 is a dual-carriageway toll bridge that connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Jelutong Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to traffic on September 14, 1985. The total length of the bridge is 13.5 km (8.4 miles), making it among the longest bridges in the world, the longest bridge in the country as well as a national landmark. PLUS Expressway Berhad is the concession holder which manages it.



5. Vasco da Gama Bridge


The Vasco da Gama Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte Vasco da Gama, pron. IPA: ['põt(?) 'va?ku d? 'g?m?]) is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts and roads that spans the Tagus River near Lisbon, capital of Portugal. It is the longest bridge in Europe (including viaducts), with a total length of 17.2 km (10.7 mi), including 0.829 km (0.5 mi) for the main bridge, 11.5 km (7.1 mi) in viaducts, and 4.8 km (3.0 mi) in dedicated access roads. Its purpose is to alleviate the congestion on Lisbon’s other bridge (25 de Abril Bridge), and to join previously unconnected motorways radiating from Lisbon.


4. Chesapeake Bay Bridge

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge (commonly known as the Bay Bridge) is a major dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland; spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the state’s Eastern and Western Shore regions. At 4.3 miles (7 km) in length, the original span was the world’s longest continuous over-water steel structure when it opened in 1952. The bridge is officially named the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge after William Preston Lane, Jr. who, as governor of Maryland, implemented its construction.


3. King Fahd Causeway

The King Fahd Causeway is multiple dike – bridge combination connecting Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and the island nation of Bahrain.

A construction agreement signed on July 8, 1981 led to construction beginning the next year. The cornerstone was laid on November 11, 1982 by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and Sheikh Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa of Bahrain; construction continued until 1986, when the combination of several bridges and dams were completed. The causeway officially opened for use on November 25, 1986.



2. Donghai Bridge

Donghai Bridge (simplified Chinese: ????; traditional Chinese: ????; pinyin: D?ngh?i Dàqiáo; literally “East Sea Grand Bridge”) is the longest cross-sea bridge in the world and the longest bridge in Asia. It was completed on December 10, 2005. It has a total length of 32.5 kilometres (20.2 miles) and connects Shanghai and the offshore Yangshan deep-water port in China. Most of the bridge is a low-level viaduct. There are also cable-stayed sections to allow for the passage of large ships, largest with span of 420 m.


1. Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, or the Causeway, consists of two parallel bridges that are the longest bridges in the world by total length.[2] These parallel bridges cross Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana. The longer of the two bridges is 23.87 miles (38.42 km) long. The bridges are supported by over 9,000 concrete pilings. The two bridges feature bascule spans over the navigation channel 8 miles (13 km) south of the north shore. The southern terminus of the Causeway is in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. The northern terminus is at Mandeville, Louisiana.



10 Most Beautiful Bridges in the World


We’ve come a long way in bridge building since crossing a river on a fallen log. The first bridges were built with wooden planks, ropes and stones. Soon, stronger material were required. Wood and stone bridges gave way to iron, then to steel ones. Bridge building techniques also evolved: beam, cantilevered, cable-stayed, and suspension bridges – each with advantages that made it the right choice for a particular location.

Political fortunes and wars have been made or lost by bridges. Throughout history, bridges had been built by engineers and burned by warriors, and crossed by kings and commoners alike. Millions of people owe their livelihood to bridges, as most require them to commute; and yet thousands of people choose to end their lives by jumping off them every year.

Bridges are stylish: from classical to modern, they are as much a work of art as they are marvels of engineering. To celebrate the wonders of "classic" bridges, here are Neatorama’s picks for the Top 10 Most Beautiful Bridges in the World:


10. Khaju Bridge

he Khaju Bridge (Pol-e-Khajoo) in Isfahan, Iran, was built in the 17th century by Shah Abbas II. The bridge also serves as a dam, with sluice gates under the archways. When the gates are closed, the water level behind the bridge is raised to irrigate gardens alongside the Zayandeh River.

The Khoju Bridge has two stories of arcades, marked by the distinctive intersecting arches decorated with richly colored tiles. At the center of the bridge, there are two large pavilions, called the Prince Parlors, that were originally reserved for the Shah.


9. Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard, an aqueduct spanning the Gard River in southern France, is a masterpiece of Roman engineering. It wasn’t built to transport people (though there is a pedestrian footbridge on it) – instead, it was part of a complex aqueduct system that carried water over 30 miles (about 50 km) to the ancient Roman city of Nemausus (now Nîmes).

The Pont du Gard was built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (63 – 12 BC), the son-in-law of Caesar Augustus. The bridge’s stones, some of which weigh up to 6 tons, were cut perfectly to fit together without any mortar.

The wedge-shaped stones, known as voussoirs, were arranged in three levels, the top-most being the water conduit. So precise was the engineering that the entire system descends only 56 ft. (17 m) vertically – over 30 miles! – to deliver 5 million gallons (20,00 m3) of water to


8. Bridge of Sighs

In the 19th century, Lord Byron named a Venetian limestone bridge across the Rio di Palazzo connecting the Doge’s prison to the interrogation room in the main palace, the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri). Supposedly, the prisoners would sigh when they look out the window – with stone bars no less – to see their last view of beautiful Venice before their imprisonment, torture or execution.

In reality, Doge’s prison held mostly small-time criminals. Also, the bridge was built in 1600 by Antonio Contino, after the days of the inquisitions and summary executions. Legend has it that if lovers kissed on a gondola underneath the Bridge of Sighs at sunset, their love would last for eternity.


7. Iron Bridge


Iron bridge at night. Notice how the bridge and its reflection make a perfect circle.
Photo: Mark Haythorne [Flickr]

The Iron Bridge, spanning the Severn river in Shropshire, England, isn’t a particularly large or ornate bridge, but it does have something that made it unique: it’s the first bridge made completely out of cast iron.

In the 18th century, Shropshire was rich in iron and coal – indeed, there were more iron factories within two-mile radius of the town than any other city in the world. It was also there that iron was first smelt with coke. So it was only natural that the bridge would be made out of iron, a stronger alternative to wood. (Photo of the railing: zorro [Flickr])

Architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard proposed a single arch bridge that would let boats pass underneath, but he died before the bridge was built. The construction of the Iron Bridge was carried out by a local master ironworker named Abraham Darby III. About 400 tons (363 tonnes) of cast iron was used, with about 800 separate castings. The Iron Bridge has 5 arch ribs, each cast in two halves. It only took three months to put the parts together (which they did using screws instead of bolts!).

The ease and speed of the Iron Bridge’s construction helped convince engineers of the versatility and strength of iron, and helped usher in the Industrial Revolution era. Darby, however, didn’t fare so well: he severely underestimated the cost to build the bridge, and remained in debt for the rest of his life. (Source)


6. Covered Bridges

Pisgah Covered Bridge in southern Randolph County, North Carolina. It was washed away by a flood in 2003, but rebuilt with 90% of the original wood. It’s now one of two Covered bridges are simply that: bridges that have enclosed sides and roof. Though technically the Bridge of Sigh, Ponte Vecchio, and the Wind and Rain Bridges in this list are covered bridges, this term usually means simple, single-lane bridges in rural settings.

Before they are made famous by the 1995 Clint Eastwood film The Bridges of Madison County, "kissing bridges" or "tunnels of love" have been the pride and joy of many small towns across Europe and especially Northern America where more than ten thousands of such bridges were built.

In the 19th century, timber was plentiful and cheap (or, in many cases, free). So it’s natural that these bridges were made of wood. But why were they covered? Well, lovers aside, the real reason was much more practical: the wooden beams of the bridge lasted longer when protected from the elements.

Unfortunately, due to neglect, theft of lumber, vandalism, and fire, most covered bridges in the United States and Canada have disappeared.


5. Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge over the Arno River. Actually, it’s much more than a bridge – it’s a street, a marketplace, and a landmark of Florence, Italy.

The Ponte Vecchio that we know today was built in 1345 by Taddeo Gaddi after an older span was destroyed in a flood. To finance the bridge, lots along the roadway were rented out to merchants, especially butchers and tanners, to hawk their wares.

In 1565, Duke Cosimo I de Medici ordered an architect named Giorgio Vasari to construct a roofed passageway. Soon after, jewelers, goldsmiths, and merchants of luxury goods pushed out the butchers out of Ponte Vecchio. Centuries of haphazard additions gave the bridge’s distinctive, irregular appearance today.

During World War II, after having survived many floods, the bridge faced its gravest threat: German bombers were blowing up bridges in Florence. It was a direct order from Hitler that spared Ponte Vecchio from certain destruction.

It is said that the word "bankruptcy" came from Ponte Vecchio. When a merchant failed to pay his debt, the table ("banco") he used to sell his wares was broken ("rotto") by soldiers. Not having a table anymore ("bancorotto"), meant the seller was bankrupt.


4. The Wind and Rain Bridge

The wind and rain bridges were a type of bridge built by the Dong people (a minority ethnic group) in China. Because they live in the lowlands and the valleys with many rivers, the Dong people are excellent bridge builders. They are called "wind and rain" bridges because the covered bridges not only let people cross the river, but also protect them from the elements.

The Dong people don’t use nails or rivets to build these bridges – instead, they dovetail all of the wood. The largest and most magnificent is the Chenyang Bridge, spanning the Linxi River near the Dong village of Maan. The bridge is about 100 years old, and like all wind and rain bridges, it was built without a single nail.



3. Brooklyn Bridge
In 1855, engineer John Roebling started to design a bridge that at the time would be the longest suspension bridge in the world, with towers being the tallest structures in the Western Hemisphere: the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

Today, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the main crossings of the East River and one of the most heavily trafficked bridges in the world. But in the late 19th century, it took Roebling more than 14 years to convince the city to build the bridge.

After he got approval, Roebling was surveying a site when his foot was crushed by a ferry. Three weeks before the scheduled groundbreaking, he died of tetanus. His son, an engineer named Washington Roebling took over the project.


In 1872, while working on caissons to set the foundation for the towers, Washington fell ill with caisson disease (a decompression sickness commonly known as "the bends") that left him barely able to see, talk, or write. His wife, Emily Warren Roebling, rose to the occasion – she learned engineering on the fly and for nine years went to the job site to deliver her husband’s directions. Washington himself was said to watch the construction from his room through a binocular.

When the Brooklyn Bridge was opened, Emily was honored with the first ride over the bridge. She held a rooster, a symbol of victory, in her lap. Washington himself rarely visited the bridge till his death in 1926.

One interesting note about the Brooklyn Bridge: it stood fast while other bridges built around the same time had crumbled. Engineers credit Roebling for designing a bridge and truss system six times as strong as he thought it needed to be!


2. Tower Bridge

It’s funny to think about ancient traffic jams, but that was why the Tower Bridge in London, England was built. By the end of the 19th century, the development of the eastern part of London caused such a load on the London Bridge that the city decided to build a new bridge.

Construction of the Tower Bridge started in 1886, led by architect Sir Horace Jones and engineer Sir John Wolfe Barry. The design was a bascule (draw) bridge with two towers built on piers, so the bridge wouldn’t interefere with the port facilities nearby.

A year after construction was started, Jones died and his replacement, George D. Stevenson along with Barry decided to modify the design a little bit. Instead of the original brick facade design, the Tower Bridge had a more ornate Victorian Gothic style meant to harmonize it with the nearby Tower of London.

When the bridge opened in 1894, the public was aghast. H. Heathcote Statham, Fellow of the Royal Insitute of British Architect, wrote the familiar sentiment as thus: "The Tower Bridge … represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure." (Source: Waddell, J., Bridge Engineering, Google Books)

But over time, people warmed up to the bridge. Indeed, the Tower Bridge grew to be one of London’s most recognizable landmarks. Even one of its loudest critics, architectural critic Eric de Maré conceded: the British people "have grown fond of the old fraud … and we must admit that it has carried on its task with admirable regularity


1. Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge is such an iconic symbol of San Francisco (and of suspension bridge in general) that it’s hard to imagine a time when it didn’t exist. But before it was built, most people thought it was an impossible task.

In 1916, the idea of a bridge to cross the Golden Gate, a narrow strait that separated San Francisco Peninsula and the Marin Headlands, was conceived. Though it was almost immediately dismissed as the cost was estimated to be $100 million (astronomical for the time), a veteran bridge builder named Joseph Strauss lobbied for more than two decades to have it built.

The Golden Gate Bridge faced tough opposition: the Department of War thought it would interfere with ship traffic and the Southern Pacific Railroad opposed it as competition to its ferry service. At first, even the public didn’t like the bridge … because Strauss’ original design was deemed too ugly! But Strauss finally won, and after 22-years of drumming up support, the bridge was built. (Photo: SF Museum)

Strauss insisted that the project take worker’s safety seriously. It was the first major bridge project that used hard hats and a safety net. During the course of construction, 19 people were saved by the net to become members of the Halfway to Hell Club. (Source)

The color of the Golden Gate Bridge is actually not red – it’s an orange vermillion called International Orange. The color was chosen specifically because it complements the bridge’s natural surrounding yet enhances its visibility in the fog.

Construction took more than four years, at a cost of $27 million. The Golden Gate Bridge actually came in $1.3 million under budget (though 5 months late). For his work, Strauss got $1 million … and a lifetime bridge pass!

We’ll be the first to acknowledge that this list is far from complete. Modern beauties like the Millau Viaduct, the Erasmusbrug, or the Tsing Ma Bridge aren’t on it. (Well, we did say "classic" bridges …)

Nor is this the only "top 10 bridges" list on the Web. Though many of our picks are the same, there are enough differences between this list and others (like Frikoo’s 18 Stunning Bridges From Around the World, and Dark Roasted Blend’s World’s Most Interesting Bridges Part 1 and Part 2) that you should also check them out.

Finally, there are thousands of bridges in the world and hundreds of major bridges that are sources for local prides. If your town’s favorite span isn’t included here, please don’t get mad. Instead, let us know in the comment so interested readers can find them.