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Biggest Shopping Mall in South Asia

2009-03-13T03:44:00.000-07:00

Bashundhara City is now under fire. Dhaka Friday 13 March,2009 near 2:00 PM( local time )with clouds of thick black smoke billowing from the burning building. The fire now appeared down after the flames spread downwards from the top floors, trapping many inside. Army has joined rescue operation.

Curtesy: Bdnews24.com

Bashundhara City - Biggest Shopping Mall in South Asia. It was opened to public on 6 August 2004. It is located at Panthapath, near Karwan Bazar, in Dhaka city( Bangladesh). It is 21 stories tall, of which 8 are used for the mall and remaining floors are used as the corporate headquarters of the Bashundhara Group.The mall has space for 2,500 retail stores and cafeterias and also possesses a large underground gymnasium, a multiplex styled movie theater and top floor food court along with an indoor theme park. The fully air-conditioned shopping mall with rooftop gardens is considered a modern symbol of the emerging city of Dhaka.

Ever green forest

2009-03-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Amazon rain forest covers more than two million square miles of the earth's surface, spanning eight South American countries. Although the region has no seasons, the Amazon River rises and falls by as much as 30 feet during the year, and the variety of living things one can see changes with it. Every journey reveals new wonders.

Dream on earth

2009-03-10T11:02:00.001-07:00

The Taj Mahal is one of the wonder in the world. It is a symbol of love . It is situated in Agra, India. It was create for Mumtaz . Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a promise from Shah Jahan that he will build world's most beautiful monument in her memory. But this has not been proven to be true, till date. However, Shah Jahan did indeed build a magnificent monument as a tribute to her wife, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife.
The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631 and it took approximately 22 years to build it. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. It was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653. However, the history of Taj Mahal of India still has some gaps.

Beauty of china

2009-03-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

The Great Wall stretches for 4,160 miles across North China. It is the only man-made structure that can be seen from the moon with the naked eye. Its construction started as far back as the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 B.c.) and the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). Rival feudal kingdoms built walls around their territories to keep out invading nomadic tribes from the north. When Qin Shihuang unified China, he started to link up and extend these walls. Prisoners of war, convicts, soldiers, civilians and farmers provided the labor. Millions died for this cause and many Chinese stories speak of parted lovers and men dying of starvation and disease. Their bodies were buried in the foundations of the wall or used to make up its thickness. The Great Wall crosses loess plateaus, mountains, deserts, rivers and valleys, passing through five provinces and two autonomous regions. It is about 20 feet wide and 26 feet high. Parts of the wall are so broad that 10 soldiers can walk abreast. Materials used were whatever could be found near by-clay, stone, willow branches, reeds and sand. Parts of this wall can still be seen in remote parts of China. What most visitors see of the Wall now was restored in the Ming dynasty, when stone slabs replaced clay bricks. It took 100 years to rebuild and it is said that the amount of material used in the present wall alone is enough to circle the world at the equator five times.

Don't let them back

2009-01-21T22:28:00.000-08:00

These are the people of Darfur.
They growned up to see dead bodies.

What a life they lead ???

Can u ever imagine such a life.
Pls do something for these people.

Some innocent faces

2009-01-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

This are some innocence face looking at you. They have no sin in their life! But they have a very big sin to born in Afganistan. They attacked by both with the local people , similarly with the foreigner also.

What a life.........??

Can we do some thing for them?
Please donate money /labour/ eduction to save all those innocencet faces.

The Cruel Face of ISRAEL

2009-01-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

Raise your Voice agaist Israel.
Lets say STOP what are happening with the palestine ??????????
Really we are Human!!!
Please stop Israel for Genocide in Palestine.

Genocide in 1971

2009-01-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

This the real feature of Pakistan Army in 1971 (independence war in Bangladesh).Think of our muslim brothers !!!

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Rie Miyazawa

2009-01-07T02:48:00.000-08:00

Rie Miyazawa (宮沢りえ Miyazawa Rie?, born on April 6, 1973) is a Japanese actress and singer.

Rie Miyazawa was born in Tokyo, to a japanese mother and a Dutch father, and raised by her mother. Since her debut at age eleven in an advertisement for Kit Kat, she has many films, television shows, commercials, stage appearances and photo books to her credit. She starred in the children's comedy Bokura no Nanokakan Senso (AKA Seven Days' War) and Tokyo Elevator Girl. Rie made her J-pop debut on 15 September 1989.

She gained notoriety in 1991 with the publication of a nude photo book, Santa Fe, and even more publicity in 1992 by her engagement to sumo star Takanohana. The engagement was called off in 1993. Following the split, Rie seemed to be on a downward spiral to self-destruction. In September 1994 she cut her wrists with a broken glass in what she described as an "accident".[1] The tabloids focused on Rie's drinking session, fights with her mother and her escape to a nearby hotel as signs of a failed suicide attempt.[1] Rie, however, seemed to pull herself back from the brink, putting in a commendable performance in Kon Ichikawa's movie Chushingura that year. But the following February she pulled out of the drama Kura and in November backed out of the musical Kyote. Pictures of her looking decidedly gaunt began to circulate and there was speculation about whether she had developed an eating disorder.

In early 1996 Rie fled to Los Angeles to begin her recovery from anorexia. But by May she was back on TV reporting from the Cannes Film Festival and later that year she appeared in two TV dramas, Hanayome Kaizoebito and Kyosokyoku. Kyosokyoku turned out to be a great success and it seemed as if Rie's magic touch was back. In 1997 she made Mikeneko Homes (tasogare) Hoteru, and also appeared on stage.

In 2001, Rie won the Best Actress Award at the Moscow International Film Festival by portraying a Chinese Kunqu performer in the Hong Kong movie Peony Pavilion, directed by Yonfan.

Then in 2002, she starred alongside Hiroyuki Sanada in Tasogare Seibei (The Twilight Samurai), the year's hit movie that took a raft of awards at home, including ones for the lead actors, and was even nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film. It was the first samurai movie by director Yoji Yamada, better known for his Tora-san series. In 2003 she played the role of Oshino in the NHK TV series Musashi.

2004's Tony Takitani—a rare adaptation of a short story by bestselling author Haruki Murakami—received critical acclaim, with Rie playing two roles alongside Issei Ogata. The film, which was entered at the Sundance Film Festival, has been described as a "a perfectly controlled minimalist film masterpiece."

In 2005, she starred as Tsubaki, in Ashurajou no Hitomi (あしゅらじょうのひとみ), which is a movie adaptation of a 16th century play.

from wiki

Masami Nagasawa

2009-01-07T02:44:00.000-08:00

Masami Nagasawa (長澤まさみ Nagasawa Masami?, born June 3, 1987 in Iwata, Shizuoka) is a Japanese actress under Toho Entertainment. She has performed in many famous movies and television dramas including Crying out Love, In the Center of the World, Nada Sousou, Dragon Zakura and Proposal Daisakusen. She graduated from Horikoshi High School in 2006. She is also known as "Ma-chan" or as Yamashita Tomohisa calls her "ma-tan". She is the daughter of Kazuaki Nagasawa, the former manager of the J. League team Júbilo Iwata.

In 2000, she auditioned in the 5th (Year 2000) Toho "Cinderella" Contest at the age of 12, and emerged as the youngest winner ever out of a total contestant pool of 35,153 individuals. This marked the beginning of her career in the entertainment industry. She made her debut in the movie, Crossfire, released in the same year. In the following year, she appear to have commented, "I did wonder if it's true that becoming a "Cinderella" mean that I will immediately become a famous actress". Afterwards, she became a professional model for the popular teen magazine, Peach Lemon.

In 2002, her appearance in the Nabisco CM earned her the title of "The Pretty Girl from the Nabisco CM" in magazines and TV shows, as her name was not yet well-known at the time.

In 2003, she had her very first leading role in the movie, Robokon. This is a movie about a high school girl who reluctantly participates in the National Robot Contest for High School Students. Masami was awarded the Best Newcomer prize in the 27th Japanese Academy Awards for her excellent performance in this movie. Later, she commented that it was this movie that first brought out her acting skills, and that it remains one of her favourite works to this day.

She co-starred with Chihiro Otsuka, the Judges' Special Award winner from the 5th Toho "Cinderella" Contest, in the 27th movie of the Godzilla Series, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS in 2003 and the last movie of the series Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004. The two actresses also sang the track, The Song of Mothra, which was later released as part of the Godzilla: Tokyo SOS sound track CD.

In 2004, Masami starred as the heroine of the story, a teenage girl who died of leukemia, in the big hit movie, Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World. The movie was a box office success in Japan, earning 8500 million Yen in total. It was in this movie that she decided to shave off all her hair to accommodate her role as a leukemia patient. Her outstanding performance in this movie earned her numerous awards including the Best Supporting Actress Prize (the youngest ever) in the 28th Japanese Academy Awards.

Since then, she has also starred in other movies and has also been actively involved in dramas and other TV shows. In 2005, she starred as a student along with several others in the all popular high school inspiration drama, Dragon Zakura. Then in 2006, she starred as a female ninja in her first NHK Taiga Drama, Komyo ga Tsuji, which was immediately followed by her appearance as the female protagonist in the drama remake of the 1981 big hit movie, Sailor Fuku to Kikanjuu (starring Hiroko Yakushimaru). Her first single was subsequently released under the name Hoshi Izumi, the name of the female protagonist from Sailor Fuku to Kikanjuu.

In April 2007, she co-starred with Tomohisa Yamashita for the second time in the fantasy love comedy, Proposal Daisakusen (first time was in Dragon Zakura). She spent nearly one month in India filming for her latest SP drama, Butterfly Stroke in Ganges River, based on Takano Teruko's original travel biography.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Farida Akhtar

2009-01-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

She was born Farida Akhtar, to an educated family that had its origins in the west-Bangladeshi district of Jessore. Her family nickname was Poppy, and like her mother, she had early ambitions of becoming a doctor. Instead, she was to become the most accomplished actress among three sisters, all of whom became movie stars.

In the mid-1960s, her elder sister Kohinoor entered the movie industry in the capital Dhaka, and adopted the screen name Shuchonda. In 1968, Shuchonda married Zahir Raihan, a talented film director who was later to lose his life in an ambush by West Pakistan forces[1] during the Bangladeshi war of independence. Raihan was casting around for a heroine for his movie Jaltey Suraj Ka Nichey, when his producer Afzal Chowdhury mentioned that his sister-in-law might fit the bill [1]. Poppy was photogenic and had already acted on television. Raihan agreed to cast her, and although the film was not completed in the end, she had found an entry into the industry. Her first released feature was Shesh Porjonto.

In an interview with the Independent newspaper in 2004, Bobita says that it was Afzal Chowdhury who suggested the screen name Bobita for her. In another interview with the Daily Star in 2005, she mentions that Raihan originally cast her for the movie Shongshaar [2]. A different version of the story is that she adopted the name after appearing in Ehtesham's movie Pitch Dhala Path [3]. Whatever the truth, what is beyond dispute is that 35 years later, Bobita remains one of the most beloved and enduring names in Bangladeshi popular culture.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sophia Loren

2009-01-07T02:31:00.000-08:00

Loren was born Sofia Villani Scicolone at the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome on September 20, 1934 to Riccardo Scicolone and Romilda Villani. Riccardo refused to marry Romilda, leaving her, a piano teacher and aspiring actress, without support. Romilda, Sofia and sister Maria returned to Pozzuoli, near Naples, to live with Sofia's grandmother in order to survive.

During World War II, the harbor and munitions plant in Pozzuoli was a frequent bombing target of the allies. During one raid, as Sofia ran to the shelter, she was struck by shrapnel and wounded in the chin. Subsequently the family moved to Naples and begged distant relatives to take them in.

After the war, Sofia and her family returned to Pozzuoli. Grandmother Luisa opened their living room as a pub, selling homemade cherry liquor. Romilda played the piano, Maria sang and the shy Sofia waited tables and washed dishes. The place was very popular with the American GIs stationed nearby.

When she was 14 years old, Sofia entered a beauty contest in Naples and, while not winning, was selected as one of the finalists. Later she enrolled in acting class and was selected as an extra in the Mervyn LeRoy film, Quo Vadis, thus launching her career as a motion picture actress. She would eventually change her name to Sophia Loren.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Madhubala

2009-01-07T02:27:00.000-08:00

Madhubala (Hindi: मधुबाला, Urdu: مدھو بالا) (February 14, 1933 – February 23, 1969), born Mumtaz Begum Jehan Dehlavi, was a popular Hindi film actress who starred in several successful films in the 1950s and early 1960s, many of which have achieved classic and cult status today. With her contemporaries, Nargis and Meena Kumari, she is widely regarded as one of the most talented and influential actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Uttam Kumar

2009-01-07T02:25:00.000-08:00

Uttam Kumar was "the" super star of Bengali cinema and the most popular Bengali film actor ever. Was born in 1926 to a middle class family in Calcutta. His original name was Arun Kumar Chatterjee. Passed Matriculation Examination from South Suburban School and got admitted into Goenka College. But, he could not complete graduation as he took a clerical job in Calcutta Port Commission.

His first released movie was Dristidaan directed by Nitin Bose and was released in 1948. Prior to this film, Uttam Kumar acted in a film named Mayador which was not completed. Uttam Kumar's first appearance with Suchitra Sen was in the comedy movie Saarey Chuattor in 1953. This film turned out to be a big hit. From that time onwards, the Uttam-Suchitra romantic duo produced a series of popular films throughout a period which is known as the golden age of commercial Bengali cinema. Uttam-Suchitra combination became a legendary and household name. Uttam Kumar's performance in Satyajit Ray's movie Nayak was remarkable. He starred in another Ray movie - Chiriakhana. Uttamkumar acted in a few Hindi movies. For a brief period, he also acted in professional theatre. In 1955, he took part in the drama Shyamali staged in Star Theatre. Uttam Kumar died in 1980 from heart attack at the age of 54.

from www.calcuttaweb.com

Diego Armando Maradona

2009-01-07T02:22:00.000-08:00

Diego Armando Maradona (born 30 October 1960) is a former Argentine football player, and current coach of the Argentine national side. He finished first in a FIFA internet poll on the best player of the 20th century. [1][2][3]

Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona, and, most distinguishedly, SSC Napoli. In his international career, playing for Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. He played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, including the 1986 World Cup where he captained Argentina and led them to their victory over West Germany in the final, winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player. In that same tournament's quarter-final round he scored two remarkable goals in a 2-1 victory over England which instantly cemented his fame. The first goal was an unpenalized handball known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal was a spectacular 60-metre weave through six England players, commonly referred to as "The Goal of the Century".

For various reasons, Maradona is considered one of the sport's most controversial and newsworthy figures. He was suspended from football for 15 months in 1991 after failing a doping test for cocaine in Italy, and he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the USA for using ephedrine.

After retiring from playing on his 37th birthday in 1997,[4] he increasingly suffered ill health and weight gain, hardly helped by ongoing cocaine abuse. In 2005 a stomach stapling operation helped control his weight gain. After overcoming his cocaine addiction, he became a popular TV host in Argentina.[5]

Although he had little previous managerial experience, he became head coach of the Argentina national football team in November 2008.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Che Guevara

2009-01-07T02:19:00.000-08:00

Ernesto "Che" Guevara (June 14,[1] 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara, El Che, or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, politician, author, physician, military theorist, and guerrilla leader. After death, his stylized image became a ubiquitous countercultural symbol worldwide.

As a young medical student, Guevara traveled throughout Latin America and was transformed by the endemic poverty he witnessed. His experiences and observations during these trips led him to conclude that the region's ingrained economic inequalities were an intrinsic result of monopoly capitalism, neocolonialism, and imperialism, with the only remedy being world revolution. This belief prompted his involvement in Guatemala's social reforms under President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, whose eventual CIA-assisted overthrow solidified Guevara's radical ideology.

Later, in Mexico, he met Fidel Castro and joined his 26th of July Movement. In December 1956, he was among the revolutionaries who invaded Cuba under Castro's leadership with the intention of overthrowing United States-backed Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Guevara soon rose to prominence among the insurgents, was promoted to Comandante, and played a pivotal role in the successful two year guerrilla campaign that deposed Batista.[4] Following the Cuban revolution, Guevara reviewed the appeals of those convicted as war criminals during the revolutionary tribunals, ratifying sentences which in some cases utilized capital punishment.[5] Later he served as minister of industry and president of the national bank, before traversing the globe as a diplomat to meet an array of world leaders on behalf of Cuban socialism. He was also a prolific writer and diarist, composing a seminal manual on the theory and practice of guerrilla warfare, along with an acclaimed memoir about his motorcycle journey across South America. Guevara left Cuba in 1965 to incite revolutions first in an unsuccessful attempt in Congo-Kinshasa and later in Bolivia, where he was captured with the help of the CIA and executed.

Both notorious for his ruthless discipline and revered for his rigid dedication to professed doctrines, Guevara remains an admired, controversial, and significant historical figure. As a result of his perceived martyrdom, poetic invocations for class struggle, and desire to create the consciousness of a "new man" driven by "moral" rather than "material" incentives;[6] Guevara evolved into a quintessential icon of leftist-inspired movements. Paradoxically and in contradiction with his ideology, Che's visage has also been reconstituted as a global marketing emblem and insignia within popular culture. He has been mostly venerated and occasionally reviled in a multitude of biographies, memoirs, books, essays, documentaries, songs, and films. Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century,[7] while an Alberto Korda photograph of him entitled Guerrillero Heroico (shown), was declared "the most famous photograph in the world."

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz

2009-01-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13, 1926) is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president, premier until his resignation from the office in February 2008.

Castro began his political life with nationalist critiques of Fulgencio Batista, and of United States political and corporate influence in Cuba. He gained an ardent, but limited, following and also drew the attention of the authorities.[3] He eventually led the failed 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks, after which he was captured, tried, incarcerated and later released. He then traveled to Mexico[4][5] to organize and train for the invasion of Cuba that took place in December 1956.

Castro came to power as a result of the Cuban revolution that overthrew Fulgencio Batista, and shortly thereafter became Prime Minister of Cuba.[6] In 1965 he became First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and led the transformation of Cuba into a one-party socialist republic. In 1976 he became President of the Council of State as well as of the Council of Ministers. He also held the supreme military rank of Comandante en Jefe ("Commander in Chief") of the Cuban armed forces.

Following intestinal surgery from an undisclosed digestive illness believed to have been diverticulitis,[7] Castro transferred his responsibilities to the First Vice-President, his younger brother Raúl Castro, on July 31, 2006. On February 19, 2008, five days before his mandate was to expire, he announced he would neither seek nor accept a new term as either president or commander-in-chief.[8][9] On February 24, 2008, the National Assembly elected Raúl Castro to succeed him as the President of Cuba.[1] Fidel Castro remains First Secretary of the Communist Party.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela

2009-01-07T02:06:00.000-08:00

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (IPA: [xolíɬaɬa mandéːla]; born 18 July 1918) was the first President of South Africa to be elected in a fully representative democratic election, serving in the office from 1994–1999. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress's armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. The South African courts convicted him on charges of sabotage, as well as other crimes committed while he lead the movement against apartheid. In accordance with his conviction, Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island.
Both in South Africa and internationally, Mandela's opposition to apartheid made him a symbol of freedom and equality for many.
Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela, supporting reconciliation and negotiation, helped lead the transition towards multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Since the end of apartheid, many have frequently praised Mandela, including former opponents.
Mandela has received more than one hundred awards over four decades, most notably the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He is currently a celebrated elder statesman who continues to voice his opinion on topical issues. In South Africa he is often known as Madiba, an honorary title adopted by elders of Mandela's clan. The title has come to be synonymous with Nelson Mandela.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yasir Arafat

2009-01-07T02:03:00.000-08:00

Arafat, Yasir or Yasser (yäsēr' är'äfät; –sur), 1929–2004, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the coordinating body for Palestinian organizations, and head of Al Fatah, the largest group in the PLO. He was born in Cairo, but spent most of his youth in Jerusalem. After smuggling arms to Arab forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Arafat entered Cairo Univ., where he became chairman of the Palestine Student Federation. He served in the Egyptian army during the Suez campaign (1956) and the following year moved to Kuwait, where he trained Palestinian commandos and edited Our Palestine magazine.

Arafat helped found Al Fatah in 1959 and in 1965 returned to Egypt to head Al Assifa, the military arm of Al Fatah. He went on to become leader of Al Fatah, and when the group gained control of the PLO (1969), Arafat was named the larger body's chairman. The PLO won wide support among Palestinians and third-world nations during the 1970s and 80s, although it was weakened by internal divisions. In 1983, after an Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the PLO was forced to move its headquarters to Tunisia.

In 1988 the PLO, under Arafat's leadership, in effect renounced terrorism and accepted Israel's right to coexist with an independent Palestine. A 1993 accord with Israel led to limited Palestinian self-rule in Jericho and the Gaza Strip in 1994, and Arafat became president of the Palestinian Authority. Arafat, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin shared the 1994 Nobel peace prize for the 1993 accord. A 1995 agreement called for self-rule for all Arab cities and villages in the West Bank by 1996; Arafat was elected president of the Palestinian-controlled territory in 1996.

In 1999, Arafat and Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak signed an agreement to finalize their borders and determine the status of Jerusalem by 2000. The difficulty of resolving, however, those issues stalled negotiations and led (Sept., 2000) to renewed violence. In that fighting, Israel, which accused Arafat of responsibility for Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians, at times endangered Arafat's personal safety and enhanced his support among Palestinians. Disillusionment with Arafat's leadership within the Palestinian parliament, however, led it in 2003 to establish the post of prime minister in a largely unsuccessful attempt to reduce his power in the months before his death. Although Arafat brought international attention and support to the Palestinian cause, he was ultimately unable to secure an independent state, and at his death left behind a PLO that was divided within and challenged from without by other Palestinian groups.
from www.infoplease.com

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

2009-01-07T01:57:00.000-08:00

Muhammad Ali Jinnah born december 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948), a 20th century politician and statesman, is generally regarded as the father of the state of Pakistan. He served as leader of the The Muslim League and served as Pakistan's first Governor-General. He is officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam (Urdu: قائد اعظم — "Great Leader") and Baba-e-Qaum (بابا قوم) ("Father of the Nation"). His birthday is a national holiday in Pakistan.
Jinnah rose to prominence in the Indian National Congress expounding ideas of Hindu-Muslim unity and helping shape the 1916 Lucknow Pact with the Muslim League; he also became a key leader in the All India Home Rule League. He proposed a fourteen-point constitutional reform plan to safeguard the political rights of Muslims in a self-governing India. His proposals failed amid the League's disunity, driving a disillusioned Jinnah to live in London for many years.
Several Muslim leaders persuaded Jinnah to return in 1934 and re-organise the Muslim League. Jinnah embraced the goal of creating a separate state for Muslims as per the Lahore Resolution. The League won most Muslim seats in the elections of 1946, and Jinnah launched the Direct Action campaign movement to achieve independence of Pakistan, the strong reaction of Congress supporters resulted in communal violence across South Asia. The failure of the Congress-League coalition to govern the country prompted both parties and the British to agree to independence of Pakistan and India. As the Governor-General of Pakistan, Jinnah led efforts to rehabilitate millions of refugees, and to frame national policies on foreign affairs, security and economic development.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aung San Suu Kyi

2009-01-07T01:53:00.000-08:00

Aung San Suu Kyi ,born 19 June 1945 in Rangoon, is a pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma, and a noted prisoner of conscience and advocate of nonviolent resistance. Aung San Suu Kyi was the third child in her family. Her name is derived from three relatives; "Aung San" from her father, "Kyi" from her mother and "Suu" from her grandmother.[6] Suu Kyi won the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In 1992 she was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru peace prize by the Government of India for her peaceful and non-violent struggle under a military dictatorship. She is currently under detention, with the Burmese junta repeatedly extending her detention. According to the results of the 1990 general election, Suu Kyi earned the right to be Prime Minister, as leader of the winning National League for Democracy party, but her detention by the military junta prevented her from assuming that role.
She is frequently called Daw Aung San Suu Kyi; Daw is not part of her name, but an honorific similar to madam for older, revered women, literally meaning "aunt".[7] Strictly speaking, she has only the one name, though it is acceptable to refer to her as "Ms. Suu Kyi" or Dr. Suu Kyi, since those syllables serve to distinguish her from her father, General Aung San, who is considered to be the father of modern-day Burma.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ziaur Rahman

2009-01-07T01:44:00.000-08:00

Ziaur Rahman (Bengali: জিয়াউর রহমান Ziaur Rôhman) (January 19, 1936–May 30, 1981) was the President of Bangladesh and the founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Popularly called General Zia, he is also sometimes referred to as Shaheed Zia (Martyr), in reference to his assassination. He was a charismatic national leader with a clear vision. His widow Begum Khaleda Zia has served as Prime Minister of Bangladesh three times between 1991 and 2006.
An officer in the Pakistan Army, Zia's unit took control of the Kalurghat radio station in Chittagong at the onset of the Bangladesh Liberation War and declared the independence of Bangladesh on behalf of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Recognized as a war hero, he was honored with the second highest national award Bir Uttom in 1972. A high-ranking accomplished officer in the Bangladesh Army, Zia was appointed chief of army staff in course of dramatic events that evolved following the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 by a group of junior military officers. This was followed shortly by another coup and counter-coup and ultimately led to the consolidation of power under General Zia as Chief Martial Law Administrator. The counter-coup, sometimes referred to as a sepoy mutiny was organised by the socialist Colonel Abu Taher.[1]
From Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA), General Ziaur Rahaman assumed the office of the president of the country in 1977 and won a popular referendum held in 1978 in support of his policies and leadership. He engaged himself in politics by floating a political party that came to be known as Jagodal. Later he founded the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP. Zia won widespread popular support for stabilising the nation and leading it in a new direction. Zia who turned out to be a right-wing politician, established free-market economic policies in a 19-point programme of industrialisation and development. For achieving popular support, he adopted policies bringing the government increasingly under Islam, which he included in the national constitution. It has been alleged that Zia helped individuals involved in the assassination of Sheikh Mujib rehabilitate home and abroad, immunized by the Indemnity Act. He also came to be known as Mr. Clean for his unquestionable integrity.
A popular yet controversial leader, Zia was assassinated in 1981 in an abortive military coup.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

2009-01-07T01:41:00.000-08:00

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Bengali: শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান Shekh Mujibur Rôhman) (March 17, 1920 – August 15, 1975) was a Bengali politician and the founding leader of Bangladesh, considered the father of the nation. He headed the Awami League, served as the first President of Bangladesh and later became its Prime Minister. He is popularly referred to as Sheikh Mujib, and with the honorary title of Bangabandhu (বঙ্গবন্ধু Bôngobondhu, "Friend of Bengal"). His eldest daughter Sheikh Hasina Wajed is the present leader of the Awami League and the prime minister elect of Bangladesh.
A student political leader, Mujib rose in East Pakistani politics and within the ranks of the Awami League as a charismatic and forceful orator. An advocate of socialism, Mujib became popular for his leadership against the ethnic and institutional discrimination of Bengalis. He demanded increased provincial autonomy, and became a fierce opponent of the military rule of Ayub Khan. At the heightening of sectional tensions, Mujib outlined a 6-point autonomy plan, which was seen as separatism in West Pakistan. He was tried in 1968 for allegedly conspiring with the Indian government but was not found guilty. Despite leading his party to a major victory in the 1970 elections, Mujib was not invited to form the government.
After talks broke down with President Yahya Khan and West Pakistani politician Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mujib was arrested and a guerrilla war erupted between government forces and Bengali nationalists aided by India. An all out war between the Pakistan Army and Bangladesh-India Joint Forces led to the establishment of Bangladesh, and after his release Mujib assumed office as a provisional president, and later prime minister. Even as a constitution was adopted, proclaiming socialism and a secular democracy, Mujib struggled to address the challenges of intense poverty and unemployment, coupled with rampant corruption. Amidst rising popular agitation, he banned other political parties and declared himself president for life in 1975. After only seven months, Mujib was assassinated along with his family by a group of army officers.
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Indira Gandhi

2009-01-07T01:38:00.000-08:00

Gandhi, Indra, 1918-84, India, prime minister, assass. Like her father Jawaharlal Nehru, Mrs. Indira Gandhi believed that India's best interests were served by a policy of non-alignment with the super powers. For sixteen years Mrs. Gandhi ruled her nation according to this principle of strict neutrality. But within her own nation, bitter political factionalism among ethnic groups threatened the fragile democracy forged by Mahatma Gandhi and maintained by the Nehru family through thirty-seven years. In 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was gunned down by a Hindu extremist opposed to the partition of India and Pakistan. Gandhi's inability to placate the radical groups within his nation resulted in his death. Mrs. Gandhi (no relation to the father of the Indian independence movement) suffered a similar fate at the hands of the Sikhs, a religious minority comprising roughly two percent of India's population. Beginning in 1982, the Sikh community, concentrated for the most part in Punjab near the Pakistani border, pushed for a free and independent state, which they planned to call Khalistan, or "land of the pure." Fearing an attack by neighboring Pakistan, which had provided covert aid to the militant Sikhs, Gandhi took harsh measures to suppress what had become an armed revolt. In June 1984 she ordered the Indian army into Punjab to put down an uprising which threatened to expand into a greater armed conflict. To flush out the leaders of the rebellion, soldiers entered the Golden Temple of Amritsar, a sacred Sikh shrine that had been converted into a paramilitary fortress. Morethan 600 Sikhs were killed, including 37-year-old leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

The Sikhs considered Mrs. Gandhi's actions a moral and civil outrage. Vowing revenge, a team of assassins organized inside Punjab, but they were arrested by Indian parliamentary forces. The money, guns, and clearancepapers found in their possession were allegedly provided by the Pakistani intelligence service, though the Pakistanis denied the charge. The Sikhs struck with vengeance a few days later, on Oct. 31, 1984. Gandhi was leaving her private compound at Safdarjang Road in New Delhi to meet British actor Peter Ustinov to film a television documentary when the shots rang out. Two of her uniformed security guards standing at attention along the path had suddenly broken ranks to shoot at Gandhi. From point blank range Beant Singh, twenty-one fired three shots from a.38-caliber revolver. As Gandhi slumped to the ground the other uniformed guard, Satwant Singh, pumped thirty rounds from a Sten automatic weapon into her. The two Sikhs surrendered to police and were led to the guardhouse. Beant Singh, who was a favorite of Gandhi during the five months he had been assigned to the detail, attempted to seize a gun from one of the other guards and was shot dead. Satwant Singh was wounded when he reached for a knife concealed in his turban. Gandhi's death plunged India into deep turmoil. Confrontations between angry Hindus and separatist Sikhs resulted in wide scale arson, looting, and murder. The funeral procession through the streets of New Delhi was a quiet, somber affair.

Many residents chose to remain at home because they feared violence along the parade route. Gandhi's 40-year-old son, Rajiv, assumed control of the government and urged moderation, but his pleas were largely ignored. The government opened an investigation into the murder, and concluded that Gandhi's death was part of a larger conspiracy to undermine the Indian government. On Jan. 5, 1989, Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh, a former government worker who plotted the assassination, were hanged at Tihar Central Jail in New Delhi after their pleas for clemency were denied by the Indian Supreme Court. A third conspirator, Balbir Singh, had been convicted in 1986, but was ordered released by the Supreme Court four months before the executions were scheduled to take place. The deaths of the two Sikhs resulted in a new wave of violence in Punjab. Four Hindus from the village of Bhujiawali were hanged in retaliation on Jan. 11. Thirty-six other people were killed in the outbreak. Meanwhile the Indian government pressed on with its investigation of the assassination.

On Apr. 7, 1989, four more conspirators were identified and charged with the murder of Indira Gandhi. Former police official Simranjit Singh Mann was quoted as saying that the easiest and most efficient way to kill her was to infiltrate the vast security network. Mann is the leader of the Akali Dal party, a militant political faction within the Sikh movement. The two triggermen were selected by a second Sikh extremist, Atinder Pal Singh of the Khalistan Liberation Army operating in Punjab. Indian police arrested two Bombay College teachers, Dilip Singh and Jagmohan Singh Tony, as co -conspirators. Their cases are still pending. In assessing the murder of Gandhi, the commission pointed to the lax and inefficient Indian internal security division, which prevented the removal of the policeman who eventually committed the murder. A larger conspiracy involving highly placed government officials was implied in an official report released on Mar. 27, 1989. "Top officials took things for granted and allowed the matters to drift," explained Justice M.P. Thakkar, head of the investigating commission. "Officials were apathetic, shirked responsibility, and indulged in red-tapism."

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Rajiv Gandhi

2009-01-07T01:31:00.000-08:00

Rajiv Gandhi (Hindi: राजीव गांधी Rājīv Gāndhī IPA: [raːdʒiːv gaːnd̪ʰiː]; 20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991), the elder son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi, was the 9th Prime Minister of India (and the third from the Nehru-Gandhi family) from his mother's death on 31 October 1984 until his resignation on 2 December 1989 following a general election defeat. He was the youngest Prime Minister of India (at the age of 40).
Rajiv Gandhi was a professional Pilot for Indian Airlines before entering politics. While at Cambridge, he met Italian-born Sonia Maino whom he later married. He remained aloof from politics despite his mother being the Indian Prime Minister, and it was only following the death of his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi in 1980 that Rajiv entered politics. After the assassination of his mother in 1984 after Operation Blue Star, Indian National Congress party leaders nominated him to be Prime Minister.
Rajiv Gandhi led the Congress to a major election victory in 1984 soon after, amassing the largest majority ever in Indian Parliament. The Congress party won 411 seats out of 542. He began dismantling the License Raj - government quotas, tariffs and permit regulations on economic activity - modernized the telecommunications industry, the education system, expanded science and technology initiatives and improved relations with the United States.
In 1988, Rajiv reversed the coup in Maldives antagonising the militant Tamil outfits such as PLO. He also was responsible for sending Indian troops (Indian Peace Keeping Force or IPKF) for peace efforts in Sri Lanka, which soon ended in open conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group. In mid-1987, the Bofors scandal broke his honest, corruption-free image and resulted in a major defeat for his party in the 1989 elections.
Rajiv Gandhi remained Congress President until the elections in 1991. While campaigning, he was assassinated by a female LTTE suicide bomber Thenmuli Rajaratnam. His widow Sonia Gandhi became the leader of the Congress party in 1998, and led the party to victory in the 2004 elections. His son Rahul Gandhi is a Member of Parliament.
Rajiv Gandhi was posthumously awarded the Highest National Award of India, Bharat Ratna, joining a list of 40 luminaries, including Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

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Jawaharlal Nehru

2009-01-07T01:28:00.000-08:00

Jawaharlal Nehru (Hindi: जवाहरलाल नेहरू, IPA: [ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu] (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was a major political leader of the Indian National Congress, a pivotal figure in the Indian independence movement and the first and longest-serving prime minister of independent India. As one of the founders of the Non-aligned Movement, he was an important figure in the international politics of the post-war era. He is also referred to as Pandit Nehru ("pandit," Sanskrit, "scholar", as honorific) and in India, as Panditji (-ji, honorific suffix).
The son of the wealthy Indian barrister and politician Motilal Nehru, Nehru became a leader of the left-wing of the Indian National Congress at a remarkably young age. Rising to Congress President under the mentorship of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru was a charismatic, radical leader, advocating complete independence from the British Empire, and was eventually recognised as Gandhi's political heir. A life-long liberal, Nehru was also an advocate for Fabian socialism and the public sector as the means by which long-standing challenges of economic development could be addressed.
Serving as Congress President, Nehru raised the flag of independent India in New Delhi on 15 August 1947, and served as Prime Minister. His daughter Indira Gandhi and grandson Rajiv Gandhi would both also serve as Prime Minister and President of the Indian National Congress whereas Rajiv's wife Sonia Gandhi would also become the President of the Indian National Congress and a key figure in Indian politics. His long tenure was instrumental in shaping the traditions and structures of independent India.
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Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

2009-01-07T01:25:00.000-08:00

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi listen (help·info) (Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી, IPA: [moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi]) (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of Satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He is commonly known around the world as Mahatma Gandhi (Sanskrit: महात्मा mahātmā or "Great Soul", an honorific first applied to him by Rabindranath Tagore) and in India also as Bapu (Gujarati: બાપુ bāpu or "Father"). He is officially honoured in India as the Father of the Nation; his birthday, 2 October, is commemorated there as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence.
Gandhi first employed non-violent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community's struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about organising peasants, farmers, and urban labourers in protesting excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, for expanding women's rights, for building religious and ethnic amity, for ending untouchability, for increasing economic self-reliance, but above all for achieving Swaraj—the independence of India from foreign domination. Gandhi famously led Indians in the Non-cooperation movement in 1922 and in protesting the British-imposed salt tax with the 400 km (249 mi) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in calling for the British to Quit India in 1942. He was imprisoned for many years, on numerous occasions, in both South Africa and India.
Gandhi was a practitioner of non-violence and truth, and advocated that others do the same. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with yarn he had hand spun on a charkha. He ate simple vegetarian food, and also undertook long fasts as means of both self-purification and social protest.

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Finding a High School Student Credit Card

2009-01-07T01:24:00.000-08:00

Credit cards are confusing when you're not used to how they work and who's eligible for them and a popular topic among young kids applying for cards is if there are cards actually designed for high school students. While there are exceptions, there are cards actually built for a high school student. I'll show you exactly how you can get one and what you have to do to get one.
The first thing that you want to be sure of is that you're at least 18 years of age. If you're under this age, you're not going to be able to get your own card. You can always use your parent's card but this will defeat the purpose of signing up for your own card and building your own credit. While most parents won't allow their kids to use their card (I don't blame them), some do but you as I already said, you won't want to do this because of the responsibility and building your own credit.
What kind of card do I apply for?
If you're 18, I'm hoping you're a senior in high school. If you plan on attending college in the fall, you'll be eligible for a student credit card. These cards are designed for those that are going to college. In order to get a card like this, you will have to verify your college address as well as the college itself. As long as it's an accredited college and it's legit, you won't have a problem getting a card like this.
If you're not going to attend college or you don't know yet, you will probably want to head for a regular credit card. When you look at the major card companies, make sure that you get a card that only requires a limited credit history. You'll be able to find out about this when you fill out the application. On the application or the page before you get onto the application, it will usually tell you exactly what kind of credit history you will need.
If you find that you can't get a regular credit card, there are other alternatives that you can take in order to start building your credit. High school kids have had luck with getting a department store card, a secured card and even a prepaid card. While some of these cards will have higher fees, I would recommend that you look into finding that regular card first because they won't have any fees at all. Remember, sooner or later you'll be able to find a card that will suit your needs and this is why it's important that you should go to college because college students will have an easier time getting a credit card compared to those not attending college.
Credit cards are great to build your credit history so that you can build your credit score and get loans in the future but you just have to remember a few things before you use your card. Always pay it off in time and never spend above your head. If you can do this, you'll be 100% fine.
by Tom Tessin