Russian miniaturist Anatoly Konenko engaged microminiature art for three decades. He came up with its own technology letters on rice, poppy seed, as well as human hair, and has recently created the world's smallest aquarium with live fish. This tiny tank is made of fiberglass on the bottom rising living algae, and fish in it too, very real - 5 danio rerio juveniles, whose size does not exceed 4 mm. Volume mikrorezervuara - 10 ml. That is 2 teaspoons.06 more images after the break...
Desperate to shed the tag of chokers which has haunted them for long, South Africa will be keen to launch their World Cup campaign on a positive note.
The Proteas have never won the World Cup and Graeme Smith's men will undoubtedly leave no stone unturned to lay their hands on the coveted trophy.
South Africa have never reached a final of the megaevent, having been the losing semifinalist in 1992, 1999 and 2007, and their tendency to choke in crunch situations has compounded their misery.
But with a relatively young team and 11 members who are featuring in the World Cup for the first time, the South Africans reckon they will be able to break the jinx this time around.
Leggie Imran Tahir handed debut by South Africa in this match.
Both the teams are in a positive frame of mind ahead of their lung-opener at the Kotla which is staging its first international match since December 2009 when a one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka was abandoned due to a "dangerous" pitch.
Since then, much effort has gone into relaying the pitch under the supervision of ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson and nobody has a clue as to how the track will behave.
The South Africans will be relying heavily on the form and fitness of stalwart Kallis, who is returning to the squad after a rib injury.
Kallis, who is the number one all-rounder in ODI cricket with 11,002 runs and 259 wickets, has dispelled any concerns about his fitness, saying he has completely recovered from the injury.
Although South Africa boast of a good record against the West Indies in recent times, Kallis said both the teams were evenly balanced and the Proteas need to be on top of their game.
The Proteas have a formidable batting line-up as Smith, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and JP Duminy can tear any bowling attack to shreds on their day.
The bowling attack also looks quite balanced with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel spearheading the fast bowling department which also includes the young Wayne Parnell.
Johan Botha, Robin Peterson and Imran Tahir are shouldering the spin bowling responsibility.
The West Indies have a relatively young team and much will depend on the seasoned Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan to put up a substantial score on the board.
The hard-hitting Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Darren Bravo and Dwayne Bravo are exciting cricketers and will need to play to their potential to keep the West Indies in the reckonin
BANGALORE: Police on Thursday lathicharged frenzied cricket fans as chaos broke out during sale of tickets for the keenly awaited February 27 World Cup tie between India and England at the Chinnaswamy stadium, exemplifying another instance of ticketing mess.
Over 30,000 cricket fans had queued up since morning outside the stadium to buy tickets which went on sale yesterday, but chaos prevailed as a section of them tried to break the cordon when the counter opened a little late.
"However, those who were trying to break the line and create trouble were immediately chased away through mild lathicharge and order was restored", DCP (Central Division) G Ramesh said.
"All tickets have been sold out and the situation is under control now," he added.
Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary and former India pacer Javagal Srinath said about 6000 tickets have been sold at the gate.
"Mad rush is expected for any good match. A lot of people desire to watch the match," he said seeking to downplay the ticketing chaos and confusion.
Srinath said they were waiting for "tickets to come back" from ICC (International Cricket Council) and BCCI.
"If they come back, the only way we can give the public is through net, through Kyazoonga, the official ticketing partner for the event."
He said it was always difficult to satisfy everyone's needs ahead of such high-voltage clashes, but added "We are trying to cover as much as possible. But for a match of this magnitude, even if you double (the capacity) or triple, it's not enough."
History
The tiny island was formed by the gradual erosion of the ocean tide over thousands of years. The temple of Tanah Lot is said to have been founded by the 16th-century priest Nirartha, one of the last priests to come to Bali from Java.
What to See
The temple of Tanah Lot stands on a rocky island just off the southwest coast of Bali. One of Bali's most sacred sea temples, Tanah Lot is dedicated to the guardian spirits of the sea. The temple itself is said to be guarded from evil by the sea snakes that inhabit the caves below.
The temple itself is not accessible to visitors, but magnificent views can be had from a variety of points nearby. Crowds especially gather on the terraces nearby to watch the glow of the sunset behind the temple. Naturally, there are plenty of souvenir shops and cafes with a view to keep you well-supplied while doing so.
Quick Facts
Names: Pura Tanah Lot; Tanah Lot Temple; Temple of the Land in the Middle of the Sea; "Sunset Temple"
Type of site: Temple
Faith: Balinese Hinduism
Status: Active
Dates: c.16th century
Location: SW Bali, Indonesia
Hours: Not open to visitors.
Maruti's latest
The country's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) launched the much awaited diesel variant of its SX4 sedan
The SX4 diesel is available at an introductory price of Rs 7.74-8.62 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Mumbai: Indian paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth is regularly in the firing line for his hot-headed approach to cricket but a countryman who is already a world champion has advised him against dousing that fire in his belly.
Viswanathan Anand is the polar opposite to Sreesanth who proved the one weak link in India's opening Cricket World Cup win over Bangladesh on Saturday with some extremely aggressive but wildly erratic bowling.
Whereas Sreesanth's emotions are there for all to see, the cool, calm and collected 41-year-old Anand is a master at keeping his in check. But then world chess champions in general are hardly noted for wearing their hearts on their sleeves.
Anand in his sport is master, literally, of all he surveys, with world championships in all formats and time controls.
"I wouldn't tell him anything," Anand told Reuters in an interview, appropriately enough in a museum where you could hear a pin drop. Just the kind of atmosphere that Anand thrives in.
There was no one formula to success, Anand believes.
"I do what works for me. I guess he does what works for him. I don't think there is one single formula that you follow," Anand explained.
"I think you have to know yourself well and find what works for you.
"If you like kicking a rope then go for it. If it works for you then no one can argue with that."
Anand was referring to the incident when the temperamental pace bowler was fined 10 per cent of his match fee for kicking the boundary rope after he had two lbw appeals turned down in the same over during a test match against South Africa.
Oops they did it again!
When it comes to faux pas, some of our Bollywood stars have their foot planted firmly in their mouth.
Yana's commando moment
At a recent event, the shutterbugs snapped former model-turned-actor Yana Gupta flashing her privates. The actor was attending a charity event and looked quite hot in a short black dress. The dress that showed off her ample cleavage apparently did little to hide her privates. Yana was photographed sitting cross-legged at the event and was also snapped while getting into her car.
Bips outrages child labour activists
There is outrage over a snapshot Bipasha Basu posted on Twitter recently. The actress posted a picture of her feet with two young girls bending over to tie her shoelaces. She wrote, "I need to learn to tie shoe laces ASAP! Embarassed that I can't! No patience.. grrrrr! Promise I am not spoilt! Will learn soon," and tagged it with the picture. This was followed by a barrage of comments about child labour. Under fire, Bips hastily deleted the tweet but forgot to erase the picture as well. It was only later that the photo went missing from Twitter.
My Name is Shah Rukh Khan...
Actor Shah Rukh Khan was detained in 2009 at the Newark-New Jersey airport when he was in transit to Chicago to attend an Indian Independence Day celebration there. The actor later told the press that he was a victim of racial profiling and that the detention was because of his last name Khan, indicating also a bias against his religion. His comment was slammed by the media as a publicity stunt ahead of his upcoming film 'My Name is Khan' which touches on the issue of racial profiling and discrimination faced by Muslims in a post-9/11 world.
Playboy Ranbir?
Deepika Padukone's tongue-in-cheek jibe on the popular chat show 'Koffee with Karan' landed both her and the budding actor in a world of trouble with their seniors intervening to diffuse the tension. Deepika, the ex-girlfriend of Ranbir Kapoor, suggested the actor endorse condoms after he broke up with her.
New Delhi: The Central Burau of Investigation (CBI) last week questioned Essar CEO Prashant Ruia as the investigating agency probes into the invisible owners of 2G licences and tried to find out the link between Loop Telecom and Ruias of Essar.
The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating whether Essar group has fully funded Santa Trading which belongs to Kiran Khaitan, sister of Shashi and Ravi Ruia.The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating whether Essar group has fully funded Santa Trading which belongs to Kiran Khaitan, sister of Shashi and Ravi Ruia.The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating whether Essar group has fully funded Santa Trading which belongs to Kiran Khaitan, sister of Shashi and Ravi Ruia.
The Indian IT sector lost out on 250,000 jobs in 2010 to China and Philippines disclosed TV Mohandas Pai, Director, Human Resources and member of Infosys board.
In a candid chat with CNBC-TV18’s Latha Venkatesh and Sonia Shenoy, Pai said, the pain factor in doing business in India is long. “The government has just taken the eye off the ball and doesn’t seem to care anymore,” he pointed out.
In a candid chat with CNBC-TV18’s Latha Venkatesh and Sonia Shenoy, Pai said, the pain factor in doing business in India is long. “The government has just taken the eye off the ball and doesn’t seem to care anymore,” he pointed out.
New Delhi: The most malignant of diseases can be cured through his yogic postures, Baba Ramdev claimed. But his forey into politics to cleanse the system has got him into a tangle with the Congress. The party demanded that Ramdev make public details of his properties and enlit sources of income.
"He must understand that we are as much against the black money as he claims to be. My only request to him is that he should be fair, he should not be partisan," said Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh.
The Congress says Baba Ramdev should make details of his assets public.
"We have not taken an inch of land from the Government," said Ramdev.
Ramdev under the aegis of his Patanjali Peeth has been running yoga camps across the country and abroad. He has his own following, which he now wants to convert into a political party, expected to be announced later this year.
When last year Baba made his intent to public to launch a political a outfit, he got the BJP worried. The saffron outfit fears that he would eat into its traditional urban middle class vote bank, but ironically, the party has come for his rescue.
"They (the Congress) are trying to run away from the black money debate," said BJP leader Venkaih Naidu.
Elections to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand assemblies will be held early next year and Ramdev is planning to use his network in the two states to kickstart his political campaign. But politics, unlike Yogic asanas, requires posturing and practice of an entirely different kind.
Mumbai: The Sensex was down by over 240 points in early trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday as investors booked profits and foreign funds continued to pull out their capital amid a mixed trend in global markets.
The 30-share Sensex was down by 248.23 points at 17930.10 at 1109 hours.
Mumbai: The Sensex was down by over 240 points in early trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday as investors booked profits and foreign funds continued to pull out their capital amid a mixed trend in global markets.
The 30-share Sensex was down by 248.23 points at 17930.10 at 1109 hours.
The 30-share Sensex was down by 248.23 points at 17930.10 at 1109 hours.
Mumbai: The Sensex was down by over 240 points in early trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday as investors booked profits and foreign funds continued to pull out their capital amid a mixed trend in global marketsMumbai: The Sensex was down by over 240 points in early trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday as investors booked profits and foreign funds continued to pull out their capital amid a mixed trend in global markets
Some things don't change like the IT industry's budget wish list. Much like the last 5 years, this year's list also leads with an extension of the tax benefits under the software technology parks of India scheme.
The Indian IT industry has submitted a long list of demands to the finance minister and while this has a few new demands, most are ones that have been seen on the list in previous years like a plea to extend the tax SOPs for software technology parks for another year or till the direct tax code (DTC) is implemented.
New Delhi: Food inflation rose marginally to 11.49 per cent for the week ended February 12 from 11.05 per cent in the previous week, driven by rising prices of milk, egg, meat and vegetables.
The marginal rise in food inflation for the seven-day period ended February 12 snaps a fortnight of consecutive decline during the weeks ended January 29 and February 5.
New Delhi: The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government is likely to move a motion in the Lok Sabha for an investigation by a Joint Parlimentary Committee (JPC) into the 2G spectrum scam on Thursday. Congress is also holding a meeting to decide on its strategy.
Sources say Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will move the motion and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal will also speak on it.
Sources add that a consensus has almost been reached on the terms of references of the JPC. The JPC is likely to investigate telecom licensing policy from 2001 onwards, but the Left Front wants the probe to begin from 1998., which will also bring the then Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government under scrutiny as well.
The JPC will consist of 30 members out of which 15 will be from the UPA and 15 from the Opposition. The Committee will have 20 members from the Lok
Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha MPs.
The JPC will include 11 Congress MPs, five from the BJP including Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Harin Pathak (all from Lok Sabha) alog with SS Ahluwalia and Ravi Shankar Prasad (both Rajya Sabha).
Two members each from the JD(U), BSP, DMK, and the Left Front amd one MP each from the Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena, BJD and the AIADMK will also be part of the JPC.
However, the name of the chairperson is yet to be announced.
Tripoli: Libya's powerful interior minister resigned in support of protesters who are demanding an end to Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year rule while a senior Libyan diplomat said he has information that "genocide" has started and the UN expressed concern over Gaddafi's call to his supporters to take to the streets.
Interior Minister Abdul Fattah Younis al Abidi quit on Monday after hearing that some 300 civilians have been killed in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi. He accused Gaddafi of planning to attack civilians on a wide scale, CNN reported.
Washington: US President Barack Obama on Wednesday said that the United States strongly condemns the use of violence on protesters in Libya and said a unified international response was forming.
"The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable," Obama said in his strongest and most direct statements to date on the unrest in Libya. "So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop."
New York: Offering a vivid account of the Gaddafi clan's "lavish spending," US diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks show that one of the sons of the Libyan ruler paid singer Mariah Carey a whopping $1 million to sing just four songs at a bash on a Caribbean island.
"All of the (Muammar) Gaddafi children and favourites are supposed to have income streams from the National Oil Company and oil service subsidiaries," according to a cable from 2006 obtained by the whistle-blower website, 'The New York Times' reported.
The report said the WikiLeaks cables gave an account of the Gaddafi clan's "lavish spending, rampant nepotism and bitter rivalries."
68-year-old Gaddafi has come under a great deal of international criticism, in recent days, for a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters demanding an end to his 41-year-rule.
The cables showed that his sons spent millions of dollars to engage singers like Mariah Carey, Usher and Beyonce to sing at their banquets, the New York Times said.
A "local political observer" in Tripoli told American diplomats that one son, Muatassim's "carousing and extravagance angered some locals, who viewed his activities as Impious and embarrassing to the nation."
After New Year's Day 2009, Western media had reported that another Gaddafi son Seif had paid Mariah Carey $1 million to sing just four songs at a bash on the Caribbean island of St Barts, the New York Times noted.
Seif indignantly denied the reports in the newspaper controlled by him, saying the big spender was his brother, Muatassim, also Libya's national security adviser, the paper said, quoting an American diplomatic cable from Tripoli. Another brother, Hannibal, had fled London after being accused of physically abusing his wife, Aline.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi ordered the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, a former Libyan cabinet minister was quoted as saying by a Swedish newspaper on Wednesday.
Former Justice Minister Mustafa Mohamed Abud Al Jeleil, reported to have resigned this week over the violence used by the government against protesters, told the tabloid Expressen he had evidence Gaddafi ordered the bombing that killed 270 people.
"I have proof that Gaddafi gave the order for (the) Lockerbie (bombing)," Expressen quoted Al Jeleil as saying in an interview at an undisclosed large town in Libya.
The newspaper did not say what the evidence of Gaddafi's involvement in the bombing was.
A Libyan, Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, was tried and jailed in Scotland for the bombing, and Gaddafi, in power since 1969, was branded an international pariah for years.
In 2009, the Scottish government freed al-Megrahi on humanitarian grounds after doctors said he had terminal prostate cancer, a decision strongly criticised by the United States. He returned to Libya and is still alive.
"In order to conceal it (his role in ordering the bombing), he did everything in his power to get Megrahi back from Scotland," al Jeleil was quoted as saying.
"He (Gaddafi) ordered Megrahi to do it."
Christchurch: International rescue teams intensified their search for earthquake survivors in New Zealand on Thursday, with the death toll nearing 100 and police said they were gravely concerned about the more than 200 people still missing.
Teams from quake-prone countries such as Japan and the United States sent in sniffer dogs and lowered microphones into piles of rubble to probe for signs of life, two days after a 6.3 magnitude quake struck the tourist city of Christchurch.
But their efforts were hindered by the prospect of new collapses of damaged buildings. Fears focused on a teetering 26-storey hotel tower.
Local police commander Dave Cliff said the death toll now stood at 98 and expressed grave concern for 226 still missing. Two infants of five and nine months were among the dead.
"At present we can confirm that we have received a total of 98 bodies. The identification of the remainder will remain a long and complex process," Cliff, police commander of Canterbury province, told reporters.
Cliff had earlier said that the main aim of search teams remained to rescue those trapped, but officials advised caution.
Teams rushed to a small church after it was believed that a woman's voice had been heard -- apparently the first sign in more than 15 hours that people might still be alive. It turned out to be another false hope.
No Signs Of Life
"Right now we do not have any active contact with any person or any indication of signs of life at any location we are working at," fire rescue coordinator Jim Stuart Black said.
Prime Minister John Key said the death toll was certain to rise.
"The indications we're getting from the police ... is that the loss of life could be more substantial than any one of us had ever dreamed of," he told Sky News television.
"They've been in touch with a couple of hundred families who have clearly indicated that they have a loved one missing and police have every reason to believe those people may be fatalities."
Hopes faded by the hour, but there was renewed activity at what was feared to be the deadliest single collapse -- a six-storey building where up to 120 people, including many missing Japanese students, are feared buried.
A newly-arrived Japanese rescue team headed straight for the smouldering ruin of the Canterbury Television (CTV) building. Around 30 of them, in orange and blue overalls, clambered over rubble which also housed a third-floor English-language school.
Other rescuers carried out bodies. Officials brought additional body bags.
"We have a big team and we are determined to help," Kai Jinnai told Reuters. "While we are here we are going to do our very best."
Thiruvananthapuram: Political mudslinging is at an all-time high in Kerala with assembly elections slotted for this year.
Both the UDF and the ruling LDF were busy trading barbs, unfortunately, at the cost of the ongoing Assembly session.
So who will emerge the winner in this bitter fight?
The VS Achuthanandan-led LDF government has ensured cases were registered against top opposition leaders during its term - like Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty - accused in the Ice cream parlour sex scandal.
While the name of the Congress's prospective chief ministerial candidate Oommen Chandy was dragged into the Palmolein case, former Congress minister R Balakrishna Pillai was sent to prison for one year in Idamalayar hydro electric project case after Achuthanandan appealed in the Supreme Court.
The UDF has hit back and claimed that Achuthananadan influenced the judiciary to punish Pillai. They have also begun targeting the Chief Minister's son Arun Kumar and alleged that he took bribe to change Achutanandan's stand against the Sandalwood mafia in 2003. The party has alleged that he is also linked to the online lottery mafia.
Now a local court has asked the police to register a case against Chief Minister Achuthanandan's son Arun for allegedly delaying a CBI probe in the Lottery scam.
"Chief Minister and his son are misusing their power. Two serious allegations have risen in the media and in the assembly. So the Congress took up the matter. This is not for election purpose," said UDF Convener MM Hassan.
While political fronts in Kerala are on an all out war before the assembly election due in April, caught in between were the public confused over what to believe and what not to believe.
New Delhi: The International Cricket Council has slammed its own President Sharad Pawar for the mismanagement of the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2011 in the sub-continent and have shot off a letter to him expressing their displeasure.
Pawar, who is also the chief of the World Cup organising committee, is facing flak for the manner in which ticketing for the World Cup final was handled. The Mumbai Cricket Association had earlier in the week made 4,000 tickets available to the general public for the final match to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2. The remaining 27,000 seats at the refurbished stadium will be shared by MCA members and ICC's commercial partners.
However, on Tuesday the official tickets distribution website Kyazoonga.com crashed leading to no tickets being sold. According to the reports ten million fans seeking just 1000 tickets led to the website to crash in just 20 minutes, the official ticket agency revealed.
DMK leader Kanimozhi Spoke to NDTV about the raids on Kalaignar TV and said she has not received any summons from the CBI. She also said that channel authorities have explained everything and she has nothing more to add.
New facts about the crucial meeting that cleared the ISRO-Devas deal are certain to raise some eyebrows.
India seek revenge against Bangladesh in the tournament opener at 2pm IST. Who will win? We discuss with the experts.
The Great Indian Tamasha: Upset over Bryan Adams show being cancelled? Well, there was a bigger show when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided to sing to the media. On The Great Indian Tamasha, the PM crooned on the scams that dominated the Winter of '10.
The Bombay High Court will deliver its verdict on the fate of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab on Monday, nine months after he was pronounced guilty of perpetrating the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.