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January 19, 2019
Not so fast, Roger. Federer stopped by Australian Open security
January 14, 2019
Nadal jokes as journo sleeps during press conference
June 28, 2018
Video Diary: When Messi wore a good luck charm gifted by a journo
June 21, 2018
World Cup updates: England boss Southgate amused after dislocating shoulder
May 18, 2018
Video: Real captain Ramos a rapper now, releases debut single
January 31, 2018
WATCH: NBA cheerleaders dance to 'Ghoomar', video goes viral
July 17, 2017
Special: Relive Federer's super 8 Wimbledon titles
July 14, 2017
Ronaldinho ready to light up Premier Futsal again
July 13, 2017
WATCH: Andy Murray slays sexist reporter in two words
July 11, 2017
Watch: Head-banging Nadal and his Monday blues
January 06, 2017
Mourinho backs World Cup expansion, video technology
December 18, 2016
Infantino defends use of video replays at Club World Cup
December 15, 2016
Zidane deems video referrals 'confusing'
November 24, 2016
FIFA chief Infantino wants video replays at 2018 World Cup
October 10, 2016
Olympic medallist first mocks Islam then apologises for offensive video
September 22, 2016
Dutch Cup: Video referee makes first impact as yellow turns to red
September 13, 2016
Meet Deepa Malik! First Indian woman to win a medal at Paralympics
September 02, 2016
Video feedback convinces referee to book rather than send off player
August 19, 2016
Brazil police consider charging US swimmers with vandalism, false testimony
May 06, 2016
FC Goa coach Zico terms penalties disgusting, says video 'clearly cooked'
April 13, 2016
Facing Dortmund will be like playing video game: Sturridge
April 05, 2016
Video: Archis Patil, the freestyle footballer
February 02, 2016
This video game featuring tattoos of NBA stars sparks lawsuit
July 22, 2015
This is historic! Women stars to make debut on FIFA video game cover
July 08, 2015
Andy Murray plays with pups in sniffer-dog video
June 12, 2015
This is awesome! FIFA videogames will feature women's teams
October 30, 2014
Maradona withdraws theft complaint against ex-girlfriend after video leak
June 24, 2014
Video: Is Mumbai clued into the World Cup? Find out
February 20, 2014
Pussy Riot criticise Sochi Winter Games in new video
December 11, 2013
Lee first to use badminton's video line-call review
January 04, 2013
AC Milan players walk-off pitch after racist chanting during friendly
July 23, 2012
Video referral for Olympics hockey
July 21, 2010
Hockey scandal: Kaushik resigns, videographer sacked
March 10, 2010
Video referral good for hockey, but needs fine-tuning: NZ coach
March 07, 2010
Football rule-makers reject video, goalline technology
March 03, 2010
Brasa wants changes in video referral system
March 01, 2010
Charlesworth upset with video referral
February 28, 2010
Video referral makes debut in hockey World Cup
February 12, 2010
Video referrals at hockey World Cup
December 30, 2009
Ref Collina clarifies comments on video officials
August 11, 2009
England pull-out does not affect badminton c'ship
Two Kashmiri footballers to get coaching in Spain
July 30, 2009
Deepika wins Youth World Archery title
July 15, 2009
I am getting used to all these records: Saina
July 14, 2009
India win 14 medals in junior Asian wrestling
Sohrab Mirza watches Sania practice
July 09, 2009
Mumbai Marathon registration opens
June 28, 2009
Gulf Monsoon Scooter Rally flagged off in Mumbai
Badminton ace Saina Nehwal returns home
June 12, 2009
Khali makes me feel small, says Kane
May 08, 2009
Steve Waugh cleans muck in Kolkata
Former Australian cricket captain, Steve Waugh cleaned muck from a water body in Kolkata during a cleanliness drive in the city.
April 14, 2009
How Tendulkar's wax figure was created
Not a stranger to honours and accolades, master batsman Sachin Tendulkar today said his wax statue adorning the iconic Madame Tussauds in London would be both an appreciation and reflection of his contribution to Indian cricket.
April 13, 2009
Sachin Tendulkar's wax statue unveiled
Not a stranger to honours and accolades, master batsman Sachin Tendulkar today said his wax statue adorning the iconic Madame Tussauds in London would be both an appreciation and reflection of his contribution to Indian cricket.
White Mischief from Royal Challengers
Necklines plunging and hemlines rising, White Mischief Gals, the cheerleaders for Royal Challengers Bangalore, are all set to enthrall crowds in the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa later this month.
April 12, 2009
Preity Zinta introduces IPL team Kings XI Punjab
Bollywood actor and owner of Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab, Preity Zinta, introduced her team in Mumbai on Saturday.
April 09, 2009
Sehwag named world's top cricketer for 2008
Wisden, the highly respected cricket publication, on Wednesday named Virender Sehwag as the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2008 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni captain of its first ever Dream Test XI.
April 08, 2009
Prakash Padukone's latest endeavour
The former All England champion speaks about his latest venture exclusively to rediff.com.
April 07, 2009
McGrath says Twenty20 needs high energy level
Talking to reporters after a felicitation ceremony, McGrath said the Twenty20 tournament was a totally different ball game altogether.
April 06, 2009
Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan hits back at Gavaskar
Bollywood superstar and owner of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders Shah Rukh Khan, on Sunday, lashed out at cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar for criticising his team's coach John Buchanan.
March 27, 2009
Ganguly fans protest captaincy rotation
Fans of Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly, who led Kolkata Knight Riders' in the 2008 edition of the hugely popular Indian Premier League, burnt the effigy of coach John Buchanan on Thursday against his decision to rotate captains during the Twenty20 tournament.
March 22, 2009
Dharamsala gears up to host IPL matches
Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh hopes to emerge as a venue for international cricket as preparations are in full swing at the town's picturesque cricket stadium for the second edition of the Indian Premier League.
March 21, 2009
Harbhajan bags 6 as India beat New Zealand by 10 wkts
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has developed a knack of creating history as he led India to its first Test match win in New Zealand after 33 years.
March 20, 2009
Vijay Mallya backs IPL tournament
India's billionaire industrialist and owner of Indian Premier League's Bangalore Royal Challenger, Vijay Mallya backed the IPL tournament on Thursday and said it would go smoothly.
March 14, 2009
Kiwis beat India by 8 wickets in 5th ODI
Riding high on two splendid half-centuries by Martin Guptill and Jesse Ryder, New Zealand thrashed India by 8 wickets in the fifth ODI at Auckland on Saturday.
Home Ministry says 'No' to revised dates for IPL
The Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament has hit a rough patch, with the Home Ministry asking the organizers to rework the revised schedule.
March 06, 2009
Interior minister assures all help for IPL security
India's Interior Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram on Friday said that the government would extend all help and support to the Indian Premier League matches.
March 05, 2009
Shilpa Shetty shoots for Rajasthan Royals music video
Bollywood actor and brand ambassador of Indian Premiere League team Rajasthan Royals, Shilpa Shetty stormed the City Palace in Rajasthan to shoot the music video for her team.
March 04, 2009
Sri Lankan players relieved to return home
Sri Lanka's cricketers were reunited with their families after returning home early on Wednesday following an attack by gunmen in Lahore.
Pakistan unlikely to host internationals in near future
Pakistan is unlikely to host international cricket in the immediate future following Tuesday's terror attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore.
India to review security for Indian Premier League
Shri Prakash Jaiswal, India's junior Interior Minister said on Wednesday that the Indian government will review security for Indian Premier League following the attacks on Sri Lankan cricket players in Pakistan.
March 03, 2009
Sri Lanka cricket team air lifted after attack
The Sri Lankan cricket squad flew back home after six of their members were injured in a terrorist attack on Tuesday to a stadium in the Pakistani city of Lahore.
SL Prez cuts short Nepal visit after cricket team attack
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa cut short his state visit to Nepal on Tuesday after the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked in Pakistan.
Sri Lanka cricket team's bus attacked in Pakistan
Six members of the Sri Lankan cricket squad were wounded when around a dozen gunmen attacked their bus as it drove under police escort on Tuesday to a stadium in the Pakistani city of Lahore.
March 02, 2009
Force India look forward to F1 season
Force India is targeting regular points finishes in the 2009 Formula One season, team principal Vijay Mallya said Sunday.
February 27, 2009
Sania looks cool in new ad
Sania Mirza looks cool in a new ad.
Sania looks cool in new ad
Sania Mirza in a cool look for a new ad.
How Sania took to tennis?
Sania Mirza talks about how she took to tennis on Friday..
February 25, 2009
NZ beat India in 1st Twenty20 match
Brendon McCullum hit an unbeaten half-century as New Zealand overhauled India's total of 162 for 8 with seven balls to spare in the first T20 match.
February 24, 2009
London hosts British Asian Sports Awards
The best of Asian sporting talent were honoured at the British Asian Sports Awards or BASA in London.
February 20, 2009
The angels prepare for their knights
34 girls dance to the theme music of Kolkata Knight Riders.
Ganguly on India's chances in NZ
The former Indian captain on the team's chances in New Zealand.
February 16, 2009
Rural Olympics draw thousands in northern India
Thousands turned up for 'Rural Olympics' in Juggor village of Uttar Pradesh.
February 14, 2009
Boxer Akhil Kumar features in music album titled 'Precious Platinum'
Indian pugilist Akhil Kumar who narrowly missed out on an opportunity to win a medal at the 2008 Olympics now tries out his punches in a music album.
February 13, 2009
IPL gave me the confidence: Dhawal Kulkarni
Mumbai youngster Dhawal Kulkarni on Friday said his selection to the Indian Test squad for the tour of New Zealand was reward for his hardwork.
February 12, 2009
Indian cricket team returns from Sri Lanka
Sachin Tendulkar speaks about the upcoming tour of New Zealand on Thursday.
Indian cricket team returns from Sri Lanka
The Indian cricket team returned from Sri Lanka on Thursday after winning the ODI series there 4-1.
February 06, 2009
Indian Premier League-2 auction begins
With a total of $13.59 million in their pocket, eight Indian Premier League franchisees are all set out to buy 17 players from a pool of 50 on Friday as the second edition of the players' auction got underway in Goa.
February 03, 2009
Pakistan bars players from traveling to India for IPL
Pakistan's leading cricketers will not be allowed to travel to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) because of the government's concerns over security, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday.
Junior Grand Slam winner Yuki Bhambri returns home
Yuki Bhambri who became the first Indian to win the junior boys title at the Australian Open returned home to a grand welcome on Monday.
February 01, 2009
Sania-Bhupathi win Australian Open mixed doubles
Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won the Australian Open mixed doubles title on Sunday.
January 20, 2009
Ishant Sharma and Malaika Arora together in ad film
Indian cricketer Ishant Sharma and Bollywood actress Malaika Arora Khan recently shot an ad film for a popular mobile brand in showbiz capital Mumbai.
January 19, 2009
Sourav Ganguly presented with golden bat
Cricket Association of Bengal on Sunday felicitated former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly in Kolkata. Ganguly, who was presented a golden bat, requested the association to provide all the assistance to younger players.
India names allrounder Jadeja for Sri Lanka tour
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was rewarded for his consistency in domestic cricket on Sunday with a call-up to the India squad for the one-day tour of Sri Lanka starting this month.
January 18, 2009
Thousands take part in Mumbai marathon 2009
Thousands of enthusiastic people, including athletes, on Sunday took part in Mumbai Marathon, the first major international sporting event in the metropolis after the November 26 terror attacks, with Kenya's Kenneth Mugara winning the men's title.
January 13, 2009
Hayden retires from international cricket
Australia�s opening batsman Matthew Hayden on Tuesday announced his retirement from international cricket following his recent poor performance.
January 07, 2009
Commonwealth Games infrastructure to be ready by Dec 2009
Chairman of the 2010 Commonwealth Games organising committee on Tuesday said that most of the infrastructure for the Games would be ready by the end of this year.
December 22, 2008
Security assessment for Sri Lanka tour to Pak: ICC
The International Cricket Council or ICC would carry out an independent security assessment before allowing match officials to travel to Pakistan for their home series against Sri Lanka.
December 16, 2008
Tendulkar dedicates ton to terror victims
Sachin Tendulkar on Monday dedicated one of his finest centuries to the families of victims of last month's Mumbai attacks.
December 08, 2008
Shortage of quality willow hits bat industry
Makers of cricket bats in Indian Kashmir complain of shortage of quality willow.
Marathon run for victims of Mumbai attacks
Around 50,000 people including 100 international long distance runners participated in an International Marathon in Pune on Sunday.
Maradona sees Lionel Messi as the next World Cup hero
The soccer legend, Diego Maradona on Saturday said that he sees Barcelona's wonder kid Lionel Messi as the player who can embody his inspirational game on the pitch.
December 06, 2008
Soccer legend Maradona arrives in India
Soccer superstar Diego Maradona said on Saturday he was greatly touched by the frenzy over his brief visit to Kolkata and promised to come back to India again in future.
November 28, 2008
England-India ODI series called off
England's last two one-day matches in India were cancelled on Thursday because of security concerns after Wednesday's militant attacks in Mumbai.
November 19, 2008
Security beefed up in Kanpur ahead of third ODI
Authorities have beefed up security in Kanpur ahead of the third One-Day International to be played on Thursday between India and England.
November 13, 2008
Retiring after beating Aussies was special: Ganguly
India's former captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday said it was special to retire from cricket after beating Aussies in his last Test series.
Indian team is ready for challenges in A1 GP: Narain Karthikeyan | rediff.com
Ace driver Narain Karthikeyan who is spearheading Team India for the A1 GP grid said on Wednesday that it is ready to face the challenges ahead as the team is better prepared than the previous year.
November 07, 2008
Indian cricket board honours 'fabulous four'
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gave farewell honours to four cricket greats of the country at a function in Nagpur on Thursday.
October 27, 2008
Hayden confident Australia will bounce back
Australia's struggling opener Matthew Hayden is confident his aggressive batting will finally come good in the third Test against India starting on Wednesday.
October 25, 2008
Gilchrist's comments a marketing gimmick: Vengsarkar
Former chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar on Friday described Adam Gilchrist's remarks on Sachin Tendulkar's honesty in his autobiography as just a marketing gimmick.
October 24, 2008
Australian cricketers visit Taj Mahal
Australian cricketers Doug Bollinger and Jason Krejza visited the historic Taj Mahal in Agra on Thursday.
October 11, 2008
Cricket legend Brian Lara applauds Tendulkar
Indian batting ace Sachin Tendulkar has the best wishes of West Indies legend Brian Lara as he sets out to eclipse his world record of the most number of runs in Tests cricket.
October 10, 2008
Ganguly's retirement will distract Indians, says Ponting
Sourav Ganguly's announcement of his retirement just before the first Test will act as a distraction for the Indians and they will be under pressure in the series, said Australia's skipper Ricky Ponting.
October 08, 2008
Ganguly to hang boots after Aus series
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly announced on Tuesday that he will retire after the Test series against Australia, beginning in Bangalore on Thursday.
October 06, 2008
Kirsten anticipates an intense series with Australia
India coach Gary Kirsten said that the four-Test series against Australia will test the Indian thoroughly.
October 02, 2008
Ganguly hopeful of India's victory against Australia
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly is hopeful of winning the forthcoming four-Test series against Australia after being selected in the 15-man squad for the first two matches.
Ganguly picked for Australia series
Sourav Ganguly has been included in the Indian squad for the first two Tests against Australia.
October 01, 2008
Team India at nets ahead of series with Australia
All the major names of the Indian cricket team were engaged in a net practice session to iron out the deficiencies, if any, under the watchful eyes of coach Gary Kirsten.
September 23, 2008
India, Aus players forged good bonds in IPL: Brett Lee
Australian pace spearhead Brett Lee reckons his team's four-Test series against India would go down as a 'hallmark of friendship' because players from both the sides have forgotten about past rows..
September 18, 2008
Indian team is ready for challenges in A1 GP: Narain Karthikeyan | rediff.com
Ace driver Narain Karthikeyan who is spearheading Team India for the A1 GP grid said on Wednesday that it is ready to face the challenges ahead as the team is better prepared than the previous year.
September 12, 2008
Fans rejoice Indian cricketers bagging ICC awards
Admirers and fans gathered in the heart of Ranchi, the hometown of Mahendra Singh Dhoni to celebrate the cricketer's achievement on Thursday.
September 10, 2008
Anand slips to joint fifth at Chess Grand Slam Final
Viswanathan Anand's incredible winless streak continues unabated as the World Champion played out yet another draw with Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan to slip to the joint fifth spot in the Bilbao Grand Slam final in Bilbao, Spain.
September 09, 2008
Anand draws yet again at Grand Slam Final
Viswanathan Anand was still looking for his first win as he drew his fifth game in six rounds at the Chess Grand Slam Final in Bilbao, Spain.
September 08, 2008
I pray to Ganpati everyday: Tendulkar
India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar said Hindu God Ganesh holds a special place in his heart and he prays to him every day.
September 06, 2008
Kids have a ball with Sachin
It turned out to be a memorable day for the 15 lucky parent-kid teams as they displayed their batting prowess in front of master blaster Sachin Tendulkar at a promotional event in Mumbai on Saturday.
August 27, 2008
India's Olympic heroes return home
The Indian Olympic contingent including the two bronze medallists boxer Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi late on Monday night.
Vijender, Sushil meet President Patil
Indian freestyle wrestler Sushil Kumar and middleweight boxer Vijender Kumar who brought bronze medals home from the Beijing Olympics met President Pratibha Patil on Monday.
August 22, 2008
Vijender loses in semis, settles for bronze
22-year-old Indian boxer Vijender Kumar went down to Cuba's Emilio Correa Bayeaux in the 75 kg category at the Beijing Olympics.
August 12, 2008
Another injury blow for Tendulkar
India's premier batsman Sachin Tendulkar will miss the one-day series against hosts Sri Lanka due to an elbow injury.
India celebrates Bindra's triumph
The celebrations were for Abhinav Bindra who received India's first individual Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.
August 11, 2008
Goldfinger Bindra makes history
Abhinav Bindra won India's first ever individual Olympic gold medal on Monday with a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the men's 10 metres air rifle event in Beijing.
August 09, 2008
Beijing Olympics begin with fireworks
China opened the Olympics on Friday with a burst of fireworks at a spectacular ceremony. The ceremony celebrated ancient Chinese history and aimed to draw a line under months of political controversy.
August 06, 2008
Viswanathan Anand on his record triumph at Mainz
Viswanathan Anand says winning the Rapid World Championship in Mainz was an incredibly tough task even though the final scoreline did not suggest so.
August 05, 2008
Dhoni offers prayers after receiving Khel Ratna
India ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni offered prayers at the famous Deori temple after being conferred with the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.
August 04, 2008
Vishy Anand wins 11th Mainz title
Vishwanathan Anand continued his winning ways as he annexed the 13th Grenkeleasing Rapid World Chess Championship on Sunday.
July 25, 2008
BCCI nominates Dhoni for award
The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday dismissed reports that it delayed in recommending Mahendra Singh Dhoni for country's highest sports award.
Indian contingent for Olympics receives a warm send off
Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Indian Olympic Association joined sports enthusiasts and other well wishers to accord a warm sendoff to the first batch of the Indian contingent for the Beijing Olympics Games.
July 24, 2008
Hamilton burns rubber in Mumbai
McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, fresh from consecutive victories in England and Germany, revved it up in Mumbai on Thursday during a promotional event organised by telecom giant Vodafone at go-karting track in suburban Powai.
July 17, 2008
'It's about not getting stale before Beijing'
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in a joint interview on their Beijing prospects.
July 16, 2008
Pakistan suspend Asif
Though India captain Kumble oozed confidence that his side would live up to the expectation in the series, the seasoned campaigner admitted it would not be a cakewalk for the visitors.
Captains foresee close Test series
Though India captain Kumble oozed confidence that his side would live up to the expectation in the series, the seasoned campaigner admitted it would not be a cakewalk for the visitors.
July 15, 2008
India confident ahead of Sri Lanka series
India captain Anil Kumble is confident his team can add to their improving overseas Test record in Sri Lanka.
July 11, 2008
Sourav Ganguly denies plans of retiring from ODIs
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday denied rumors of taking retirement from ODIs. Ganguly made this announcement on the sidelines of an awards function in Kolkata.
July 10, 2008
The women behind the champions
India's leading cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Dinesh Karthik on Thursday paid tribute and recognised the contribution of the women who played roles in their success.
July 09, 2008
Tendulkar returns to boost India for Sri Lanka tour
India's senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar will return from injury, while Mahendra Singh Dhoni opted out due to fatigue for the forthcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka.
July 01, 2008
Kumble confident of winning Sri Lanka Test series
India's Test skipper Anil Kumble on Monday expressed confidence of winning the Sri Lanka-India Test series.
Soccer fans celebrate Spain's win in Euro final
The Euro 2008 signed off with a classic final after three weeks of consistently entertaining football fans around the world.
June 26, 2008
Happiest day of Indian cricket relived at Lord's
Members of the Indian cricket team that lifted the World Cup in 1983 celebrated the silver jubilee anniversary of their memorable win.
June 23, 2008
India salutes Class of '83
Nostalgic moments of a historic victory were relived by members of 'Kapils Devils' as BCCI felicitated the 1983 World Cup heroes in New Delhi on Sunday night.
June 20, 2008
Tendulkar is a legend: Muralitharan
Ace off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan believes that India will start as favourites in the forthcoming three-Test series in Sri Lanka next month.
Relive India's summer of '83
For a country starved of cricketing success, the 1983 World Cup triumph was a dream come true.
Gavaskar salutes Kapil's magical 175
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar described Kapil Dev's unbeaten 175-run knock against Zimbabwe during India's successful 1983 World Cup campaign as the best one-day innings ever.
June 19, 2008
Champions Trophy: ICC backs Pakistan
International Cricket Council's acting chief executive Dave Richardson on Wednesday confirmed that Pakistan will host the Champions Trophy in September.
June 17, 2008
Tendulkar can play till 2011 World Cup: Ranatunga
Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga believes, if properly handled, Sachin Tendulkar can play for a few more years, including the 2011 World Cup.
June 09, 2008
Guru Gary bats for youngsters
Former cricketers believe the recent success of Twenty20 is bound to impact the longer versions of the game.
BCCI pitches for curators
Former cricketers believe the recent success of Twenty20 is bound to impact the longer versions of the game.
June 06, 2008
T20 will impact Tests, ODIs?
Former cricketers believe the recent success of Twenty20 is bound to impact the longer versions of the game.
June 04, 2008
Arsenal shot for Indian football
Arsenal, one of the most successful clubs in English football, started a nine-day camp in Kolkata with 30 talented yougsters from various schools across the country
May 27, 2008
Soccer mania grips Kolkata
Soccer mania gripped Kolkata as German club Bayern Munich gear up to play local club Mohun Bagan
May 25, 2008
Tibetans take part in 'Parallel Olympics'
India's hilly resort of northern Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile witnesses the third day of Tibetan Olympics.
May 23, 2008
Tibetans in India hold separate Olympics
Tibetan exiles living in India's Dharamsala are holding parallel Olympics prior to the Beijing Olympics 2008.
May 22, 2008
Olympic torch relay resumes
The Olympic torch resumed its journey across China on Thursday May 22 in the coastal city of Ningbo after the relay was halted for three days of national mourning for the earthquake victims.
May 21, 2008
J and K set to host country's biggest football event
Football players in Jammu and Kashmir are busy preparing for the Santosh Trophy to be held in the state after a hiatus of 30 years.
Khali arrives in Jalandhar amidst fanfare
Dalip Singh Rana, nicknamed 'Khali' arrived in Jalandhar in style for a felicitation function organised by the Punjab Police along with his wife in an open top jeep.
May 20, 2008
Indian hockey team felicitated in Delhi
Indian Hockey team was felicitated in New Delhi on Tuesday after emerging runners up in the recent Sultan Azlan Shah Cup held in Malaysia.
Hockey players hopeful of a bright future
Hockey enthusiasts in Sansarpur village of Punjab are hopeful of a bright future with the suspension of Indian Hockey Federation and appointment of an ad-hoc committee
May 13, 2008
What Khali told Mumbai
He stands at 7 feet 3 inches and is one of television wrestling's most popular stars. But speaking to the media in Mumbai said he had gone through a lot of hardships and paid his dues
May 09, 2008
Nanavati hears Sree, Bhajji; to submit report on Monday
The disciplinary hearing on Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth slap gate issue headed by BCCI commissioner Sudhir Nanavati was conducted at the Gujarat Law Society building in Ahmedabad.
Gavaskar resigns as ICC Cricket Committee Chairman
The former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was asked to choose between his media commitments and role as chairman of ICC Cricket Committee, relinquished his job with the game's world governing body.
American baseball inspires youth in Manipur
American baseball is becoming increasingly popular in India's northeastern Manipur with sports enthusiasts in the state taking keen interest in the game.
National Tennis player accuses police of harassment
National level woman tennis player from Varanasi, Omlata Rai has accused the city police of harassing her and her two brothers on Thursday.
May 08, 2008
Olympic flame reaches Everest
Chinese climbers carried the Olympic flame to the summit of Mount Everest on Thursday morning, marking the high point of the torch relay.
May 07, 2008
Climbers fix Everest Olympic Torch routes
31 Chinese climbers are on Mount Everest fixing routes and repairing camps for the final assault on the summit with the Beijing Olympic torch.
May 05, 2008
Indian Go Karters win Asia Challenge Crown
Indian Go Kart drivers drew cheers from the home crowd as they won the Asia Challenge Crown in southern Coimbatore city on Sunday.
April 29, 2008
Harbhajan banned from IPL over slapping row
BCCI to take fresh action against Harbhajan
BCCI president Sharad Pawar said that separate action will be taken against off-spinner Harbhajan Singh for slapping paceman S Sreesanth during the IPL match.
China steps up security for Torch relay to Everest
Chinese authorities have stepped up security ahead of the Olympic torch relay to the Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.
April 25, 2008
Sachin celebrates birthday in Chennai
Indian master blaster Sachin Tendulkar celebrated his 35th birthday in Chennai along with IPL's Mumbai Indian team members.
April 24, 2008
Red Skins spice up IPL
The cheerleaders from Washington, who are travelling with the Bangalore Royal Challengers the team, owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, in the Indian Premier League's inaugural Twenty20 tournament, are the cynosure of all eyes wherever they perform
Tendulkar turns 35
On the occasion of his 35th birthday, the master batsman had a quiet celebration with his Mumbai Indians' teammates at a Chennai hotel on Thursday
Indian sports due for major overhaul: Gill
Sports Minister M S Gill has pulled the country's sports federations saying they must be made accountable for their sport's performance. The minister also declared that the sports scene in the country is due for a major overhaul and he would do the needful.
April 23, 2008
Tibetans protest as Olympic torch reaches Canberra
Tibetans based in Australia organized protests on Wednesday as the Olympic flame arrived in Australian capital Canberra.
Teenage shooting star poised to make her mark
Teenaged sharp shooter Dipika Patel from India's northern Varanasi is doing her state of Uttar Pradesh proud with her superb marksmanship.
April 22, 2008
Bangalore Royal Challengers sizzle the ramp
The IPL Bangalore team walked the ramp in Bangalore amid much fanfare and cheers by audience on Tuesday.
April 18, 2008
Olympic torch has smooth run in Delhi
The Olympic torch arrived at New Delhi airport early on Thursday amid heavy security because of fears members of the world's largest community of exiled Tibetans may disrupt its passage through the Indian capital.
April 17, 2008
Olympic torch arrives in New Delhi
The Olympic torch arrived at New Delhi airport early on Thursday amid heavy security because of fears members of the world's largest community of exiled Tibetans may disrupt its passage through the Indian capital.
April 16, 2008
Blend of youth, experience needed for IPL: Kallis
As the countdown to the Indian Premier League draws to a close, cricketers participating in the tournament are practicing hard and are all set to perform their best in the series.
Olympic torch arrives in Pakistan
The Olympic Torch arrived in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad early on April 16 on the first part of its journey through Asia to the Beijing Olympics.
April 14, 2008
Cricket fans rejoice as India beats South Africa
India won the third and final Test against South Africa at the Green Park stadium by eight wickets to level the series 1-1.
Rajasthan Royals gear up for first IPL match
Rajasthan Royals team played a practice match on Monday morning in Jaipur facilitating the captain and coach Shane Warne to assess the team's performance.
Please forgive Shoaib, pleads Shah Rukh
Kolkata Knight Riders IPL team owner Shah Rukh Khan hopes Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's ban is lifted and he is allowed to play in the Indian Premier League
April 13, 2008
IPL will not affect Test cricket: Symonds
Addressing a news conference in Hyderabad on April 12, Symonds who represents Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League said the exciting new format would not undermine Test cricket.
April 12, 2008
Olympic torch gets a smooth ride in Argentina
The Olympic torch cruised smoothly under heavy guard through Buenos Aires on Friday.
April 10, 2008
Zaheer Khan in Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year
Zaheer has been honoured in the 145th edition of the world's longest running sporting yearbook for his outstanding bowling on India's tour to England last year in which he took 18 wickets in three Tests.
Ishant fit, Kumble uncertain
Indian pacer Ishant Sharma has been declared fit to play in the final Test against South Africa beginning on April 11, while skipper Anil Kumble will have to wait till Friday to decide whether to play in the crucial Kanpur Test.
April 08, 2008
Olympic flame faces the heat in Paris
Security officials extinguished the Olympic torch at least twice on Monday during a chaotic relay through Paris where thousands of pro-Tibet protesters tried to block its path.
April 07, 2008
RP Singh dropped, Pathan to play in final Test
After the humiliating defeat at Motera and Tendulkar being ruled out of the final Test against the Proteas due to injury, National Selectors seemed to have had a tough time in declaring the Indian squad for the Kanpur Test.
Bangladesh cricketers defy security concerns
The Bangladesh cricket squad arrived in Karachi for their hastily arranged tour replacing Australia, who cancelled because of security concerns.
Horse breeding has a new home - India
Horse breeding has a new home, India. There are already over 60 stud farms that breed thoroughbreds in the country, of which an estimated 1300 are race horses.
Olympic torch faces more protests in Paris
Walking the ramp may not be as easy as pounding winners on tennis courts for multiple Grand Slam champion Serena Williams but the American took some time off to showcase the work of an Indian designer duo.
April 04, 2008
Shoaib cannot play in IPL till ban is lifted: Modi
Akhtar was banned by the PCB for a period of five years following his outburst against the national selectors, who did not name him in an 'A' list of players.
Ban on Shoaib is team's loss, says Zaheer Abbas
The former Pakistan great has termed the five year ban imposed on fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar as harsh and said that it is a great loss to the Pakistan team which is already in doldrums.
Shah Rukh Khan bats for Shoaib Akhtar
The Bollywood superstar said he would ask the BCCI to review its decision and allow the fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to play in the Twenty20 tournament.
India assures full security for Olympic torch
New Delhi has re-assured Beijing that the Olympics torch would be provided full security and would have a smooth run during its relay through the country.
April 03, 2008
India collapse for 76 against South Africa
It took just 20 overs of searing pace for the Proteas to blast India out for 76 before lunch on the opening day of the second Test being played at Ahmedabad.
March 28, 2008
Sehwag triple century leads India run spree
Indian opener Virender Sehwag smashed his second career triple century and the fastest recorded to spearhead India's reply against South Africa on the third day of the first Test on Friday.
Hashim Amla's ton helps SA post 540
South Africa's Hashim Amla was elated after scoring his first overseas century in the first Test against India on Thursday.
March 25, 2008
South Africa fear their own in India
Graeme Smith's South Africa will have two close friends and compatriots plotting their downfall when they begin a three-Test series against India in Chennai on Wednesday.
March 19, 2008
Tendulkar's tips for female cricketer
India batsman Sachin Tendulkar gives tips to a woman cricketer Anju Tomar
March 18, 2008
Ishant to miss first South Africa Test
India's new pace sensation Ishant Sharma will miss the first Test against South Africa because of injury
March 13, 2008
Zaheer to miss South Africa series
India's pace spearhead Zaheer Khan on Thursday opted out of the upcoming home Test series against South Africa, saying he was not fully fit for international cricket.
March 11, 2008
Serena makes a mark -- on the ramp
Walking the ramp may not be as easy as pounding winners on tennis courts for multiple Grand Slam champion Serena Williams but the American took some time off to showcase the work of an Indian designer duo.
March 10, 2008
Serena shuts out Schnyder to win Bangalore title
Former world number one Serena Williams flexed her muscles on the big points to shut out Swiss world number 12 Patty Schnyder in the final of the Bangalore Open on Sunday.
March 08, 2008
All the bitterness should be buried now: Harbhajan
Video: All the controversies and bitterness generated during the tour of Australia should be buried now that the series is over and India had emerged victorious, according to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who played a key role in the historic triumph.
March 07, 2008
Team India return to grand welcome
Video: The victorious Indian cricket team landed back in Mumbai on Thursday after their three-month long tour of Australia.
Dhoni returns home to a rousing welcome
Video: India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni returned home to a rousing welcome in Ranchi after winning the cricket tri-series in Australia.
India in do-or-die situation against Chile
Rediff.com: It will be a do-or-die situation under immense pressure as India will take on hosts Chile in their last league match on Saturday with an eye on the final berth at the World Hockey Olympic Qualifier on Friday.
March 03, 2008
'Harbhajan snapped making monkey gestures'
Video: Trouble seems to be chasing Harbhajan Singh with the feisty off-spinner alleged to have made monkey gestures towards the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground during India's victory in the first tri-series final on Sunday.
February 25, 2008
Ishant fined 15% of match fee
Video: Ishant Sharma was fined 15% of his match fee for swearing on Andrew Symonds
February 23, 2008
IPL auction a nice game: Shah Rukh
Video: Shah Rukh Khan says Indian Premier League players's auction was a nice game to play
February 19, 2008
Chennai Super Kings ready to roll
Video: India Cements Limited, franchisee of the Chennai Indian Premier League team of southern India unveiled the logo for the team
February 18, 2008
Yuvraj's form not a concern: Preity Zinta
Video: Mohali IPL team owner Preity Zinta announced her coach and captain for the forthcoming Twenty20 tournament
Ponting struggling with captaincy: Gilchrist
Video: Adam Gilchrist believes Australian captain Ricky Ponting is finding it tough to cope with the burden of leading the team
February 13, 2008
Sri Lanka outclass India
Video: Sri Lanka beat India by eight wickets in the fifth ODI in Canberra
February 08, 2008
Video - Force India F1 car launched
Rediff.com: Force India launched their 2008 Formula One car at the Gateway of India on Thursday
February 06, 2008
Tendulkar scales 16,000-run mark
Video: Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score 16000 runs in one-day internationals
Video - Sania says no to playing in India
Rediff.com: India tennis star Sania Mirza said she won't be playing tournaments in India
January 30, 2008
Harbhajan cleared of racism charges
India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was cleared of racism charges
January 28, 2008
Gilchrist announces retirement
Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist announced his international retirement
January 26, 2008
Ambani, Mallya, SRK win IPL bids
Ambani, Mallya, Shahrukh Khan win Indian Premier League bids
January 21, 2008
Video - Mumbai Marathon 2008: Spirit of Mumbai alive
Rediff.com: A look at the 2008 Mumbai Marathon
Tendulkar poised for knighthood
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on his two day official visit to India suggested that Sachin Tendulkar might soon be honoured with knighthood making him the first Indian player to receive the title
January 20, 2008
Video - Mumbai Marathon 2008
Rediff.com: A look at the 2008 Mumbai Marathon
January 11, 2008
Video - Fisichella to drive for Force India
Rediff.com: Force India Formula One team co-owner Vijay Mallya announced Italian Giancarlo Fisichella and German Adrian Sutil as the drivers for the new season on Thursday.
January 09, 2008
BCCI says Australia tour will go on
Video of the press conference after the BCCI Working Committee on Tuesday decided that the tour of Australia will continue.
January 05, 2008
Tibetan exiles to protest Beijing Olympics
Tibetan exiles to protest Beijing Olympics
December 24, 2007
Roger Federer wishes you Merry Christmas!
Roger Federer wishes you Merry Christmas!
Celebrating Sourav
'100 Tests is very special'
Celebrating Sourav
Sachin on Sourav's 100
Celebrating Sourav
Steve Waugh praises Ganguly
Celebrating Sourav
Dravid on Sourav's 100
Celebrating Sourav
VVS Laxman on Sourav's 100
Celebrating Sourav
Dhoni on Sourav's 100
Celebrating Sourav
Pathan on Sourav's 100
Celebrating Sourav
Harbhajan on Sourav's 100
Celebrating Sourav
Father Chandi on Sourav's 100
Celebrating Sourav
Mother Nirupa on Sourav's 100
Celebrating Sourav
Wife Dona on Sourav's 100
December 17, 2007
Seniors honoured at BCCI awards
December 12, 2007
Pakistan coach Lawson praises Ishant
December 07, 2007
Tendulkar, Dhoni may miss Bangalore Test
December 06, 2007
Selection committee meeting in Bangalore
November 15, 2007
Harbhajan back in Test squad
November 07, 2007
ICL unveils team uniforms
November 06, 2007
India thrash Pakistan in first ODI
October 31, 2007
Sachin reads out father's poem
October 29, 2007
When The Wall came down
October 25, 2007
New look Dhoni returns home
September 26, 2007
Mumbai says
Chak De
Dhoni weaves his magic
September 12, 2007
Sania on getting ahead
Sania on losing
SRK on Sania
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All official European Union website addresses are in the europa.eu domain.See all EU institutions and bodies
Do something for our planet, print this page only if needed. Even a small action can make an enormous difference when millions of people do it!
In many cities now, the pollution is so substantial that it's almost impossible to see the stars at night.
Justine Lepaulard, France (ImaginAIR)
London, 4 December 1952: A dense fog started settling over the city; the breeze stopped. In the following days, the air over the city stood still; coal burning released high levels of sulphur oxides and added a yellowish hue to the fog. Hospitals were soon filled with people suffering from respiratory diseases. At its worst moment, visibility was so poor at various locations that people could not see their own feet. During the Great Smog of London, between 4 000 and 8 000 additional people — mostly infants and elderly people — are estimated to have died on top of the average death rate.
Serious air pollution in Europe's large industrial cities was quite common in the 20th century. Solid fuels, coal in particular, were often used to fuel factories and heat homes. Combined with winter conditions and meteorological factors, there were many days when very high levels of air pollution would hover over urban areas for days, weeks, and months at a time. In fact, London was known for its air pollution episodes since the 17th century. By the 20th century, London's smog was considered one of the characteristics of the city, and had even earned its place in literature.
(c) Ted Russell | Getty Images
Much has changed since then. In the years following the Great Smog, increased public and political awareness led to legislation aimed at reducing air pollution from stationary sources such as homes, commerce and industry. In the late 1960s, many countries, not just the United Kingdom, had started to pass laws to tackle air pollution.
In the 60 years since the Great Smog, Europe's air quality has improved substantially, largely due to effective national, European and international legislation.
In some cases, it became clear that the air pollution problem could be solved only through international cooperation. In the 1960s, studies showed that the acid rain that was causing the acidification of Scandinavian rivers and lakes was caused by pollutants released into the air in continental Europe. The outcome was the first international legally binding instrument to deal with problems of air pollution on a broad regional basis, namely the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) of 1979.
Technological developments, some of which were prompted by legislation, have also contributed to improving Europe's air. For example, car engines have become more efficient in using fuels; new diesel cars have particle filters installed; and industrial facilities have started using increasingly more effective pollution-abatement equipment. Measures such as congestion charges or tax incentives for cleaner cars have also been quite successful.
Emissions of some air pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and benzene have been greatly reduced. This has led to clear improvements in air quality and thus also public health. For example, the switch from coal to natural gas was instrumental in reducing sulphur dioxide concentrations: in the period 2001–2010, sulphur dioxide concentrations were halved in the EU.
Lead is another pollutant that has been successfully tackled by legislation. In the 1920s, most vehicles started using leaded petrol to avoid damage to the internal combustion engines. The health impacts of lead released into the air became known only decades later. Lead affects the organs and the nervous system, hampering intellectual development in children in particular. Starting in the 1970s, a series of actions both at European and international level led to the phasing out of leaded additives in petrol used in vehicles. Today, almost all stations monitoring lead in the air report concentration levels well below the limits set in EU legislation.
For other pollutants, the results are less clear. Chemical reactions in our atmosphere and our dependence on certain economic activities make it more difficult to tackle these pollutants.
Another difficulty stems from the way the legislation is implemented and enforced across EU countries. The air legislation in the EU typically sets targets or limits on specific substances, but leaves it to the countries to determine how they will attain those targets.
Some countries have taken many effective measures to tackle air pollution. Other countries have taken fewer measures, or the measures they took proved to be less effective. This can be partly due to different levels of monitoring and different enforcement capacities in the countries.
Another problem in controlling air pollution comes from the difference between laboratory tests and real world conditions. In cases where legislation targets specific sectors such as transport or industry, technologies tested in ideal laboratory settings might appear cleaner and more effective than in real-world uses and situations.
We must also bear in mind that new consumption trends or policy measures not related to air might also have unintended effects on Europe's air quality.
(c) Cristina Sînziana, ImaginAIR/EEA
"The ancient practice of burning the stubble in the rural areas is still followed in Romania. It is a way of clearing the area for new, rich crops. In addition to its negative impact on nature, I also consider this activity harmful to the local community's health. As the burning involves a certain number of people to control the fire, the impact is very specific."
Cristina Sînziana Buliga, Romania
Current EU and international legislation aimed at tackling PM classifies particles in two sizes — 10 microns in diameter or less and 2.5 microns in diameter or less (PM10 and PM2.5) — and targets direct emissions as well as emissions of precursor gases.
There are substantial achievements on PM emissions in Europe. Between 2001 and 2010, direct emissions of PM10 and PM2.5 decreased by 14 % in the European Union and by 15 % in the 32 EEA countries.
Emissions of PM precursors have also decreased in the EU: sulphur oxides by 54 % (44 % in EEA-32); nitrogen oxides by 26 % (23 % in EEA-32); ammonia by 10 % (8 % in EEA-32).
But these emission reductions have not always resulted in lower exposure to PM. The share of the European urban population exposed to concentration levels of PM10 above the values set by EU legislation remained high (18–41 % for EU-15 and 23–41 % for EEA-32) and showed only a minor decline in the last decade. When taking into account the World Health Organization's (WHO) stricter guidelines, more than 80 % of the urban population in the EU is exposed to excessive PM10 concentrations.
So if emissions decreased substantially, why do we still have high levels of exposure to PM in Europe? Reducing emissions in a specific area or from specific sources does not automatically result in lower concentrations.
Some pollutants can stay in the atmosphere long enough to be transported from one country to another, from one continent to another, or in some cases around the globe. Intercontinental transport of particles and their precursors can go some way to explaining why Europe's air has not improved by as much as PM emissions and PM precursor emissions have fallen.
Another reason for the continued high concentrations of PM can be found in our consumption patterns. For example, in recent years, coal and wood burning in small stoves for home heating has constituted a major source of PM10 pollution in some urban areas, in particular in Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria. This is partly caused by high-energy prices, which induced low-income households in particular to opt for cheaper alternatives.
Europe also succeeded in reducing emissions of ozone precursors between 2001 and 2010. In the EU, emissions of nitrogen oxides decreased by 26 % (23 % in EEA-32), non-methane volatile organic compounds decreased by 27 % (28 % in EEA-32), and carbon monoxide emissions decreased by 33 % (35 % in EEA-32).
Just as with PM, the amounts of ozone precursors emitted into the atmosphere have dropped, but there has not been a corresponding decrease in the high concentration levels of ozone. This is partly due to intercontinental transport of ozone and its precursors. Topography and year-to-year variations in meteorological conditions such as in winds and temperatures also play a role.
Despite a decrease in the number and frequency of peak ozone concentrations in the summer months, the exposure of urban populations to ozone still remains high. In the period 2001–2010, between 15 and 61 % of the EU urban population was exposed to ozone levels above EU target values, mostly in southern Europe due to warmer summers. By the World Health Organization's stricter guidelines, nearly all of the urban residents in the EU were exposed to excessive levels. Overall, ozone episodes are more common in the Mediterranean region than in northern Europe.
But high ozone concentrations are not only an urban phenomenon seen during summer months. Surprisingly, ozone levels tend to be generally higher in rural areas, although fewer people are exposed. Urban areas usually have higher levels of traffic than rural areas. However, one of the pollutants released by road transport destroys ozone molecules through a chemical reaction, and may thus result in lower ozone levels in urban areas. However, the higher traffic levels result in higher PM levels in cities.
(c) Jerome Prohaska, ImaginAIR/EEA
Given that they may originate partly in other countries, the emissions of some of the PM and ozone precursors are covered by the Gothenburg Protocol to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP Convention).
In 2010, 12 EU countries, and the EU itself, exceeded one or more emission ceilings (the allowed amount of emissions) for one or more pollutants covered by the convention (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and non‑methane volatile organic compounds). Ceilings for nitrogen oxides were exceeded by 11 of the 12 countries.
A similar picture emerges from EU legislation. The National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive regulates emissions of the same four pollutants as the Gothenburg Protocol but with slightly more stringent ceilings for some countries. Final official data for the NEC Directive indicate that 12 EU countries failed to meet their legally binding emission ceilings for nitrogen oxides in 2010. Several of these countries also failed to meet their ceilings for one or more of the other three pollutants.
The contribution of human activities to the creation of air pollutants is generally easier to measure and monitor than natural sources, but this human contribution varies greatly depending on the pollutant. Fuel combustion is clearly one key contributor and is spread across various economic sectors, from road transport and households to energy use and energy production.
Agriculture is another important contributor to specific pollutants. Around 90 % of the ammonia emissions and 80 % of the methane emissions come from agricultural activities. Other methane sources include waste (landfills), coal mining and long‑distance gas transmission.
More than 40 % of emissions of nitrogen oxides come from road transport, while around 60 % of the sulphur oxides come from energy production and distribution in the EEA member and cooperating countries. Commercial, government and public buildings, and households contribute to around half of the PM2.5 and carbon monoxide emissions.
It is clear that many different economic sectors contribute to air pollution. Bringing in air quality concerns into the decision-making processes for these sectors might not make the newspaper headlines, but it would certainly help improve Europe's air quality.
What has actually made the international headlines and attracted public attention in recent years was the air quality in large urban areas, especially for the cities hosting the Olympic Games.
Take Beijing. The city is known for its fast‑rising skyscrapers as well as its air pollution. Beijing started systematic air pollution control in 1998 — three years before being officially selected to host the Olympic Games. The authorities took concrete measures to improve air quality ahead of the Games. Old taxis and buses were replaced and dirty industries were relocated or closed. In the weeks prior to the Games, construction work was put on hold and car use was restricted.
Professor C.S. Kiang, one of the leading Chinese climate scientists, talks about air quality during the Beijing games: 'During the first two days of the Games, the concentration of PM2.5, the fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs, were around 150 μg/m3. On the second day, it started to rain, the winds turned up and PM2.5 levels dropped sharply and then hovered around 50 μg/m3, which is double the WHO guideline value of 25 μg/m3.'
(c) Rob Ewen | iStock
A similar discussion took place in the United Kingdom ahead of the London Olympics in 2012. Would the air quality be good enough for Olympic athletes, especially the marathon runners or the cyclists? According to the University of Manchester, the London Olympics were not pollution-free, but may still have been the least polluted games in recent years. Favourable weather and good planning seem to have helped; a rather big achievement compared to London in 1952.
Unfortunately the air pollution problem does not disappear after the Olympic spotlights are turned off. In the first days of 2013, Beijing was once again immersed in severe air pollution. On 12 January, official measurements indicated PM2.5 concentrations of over 400 μg/m3, whereas unofficial readings at various locations reached 800 μg/m3.
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/signals/signals-2013/articles/europes-air-today or scan the QR code.
PDF generated on 01 Apr 2023, 12:59 PM
Engineered by: EEA Web Team
Software updated on 12 March 2023 21:56 from version 23.1.28
Software version: EEA Plone KGS 23.3.11

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Morning. Today. 5:01 a.m. First train to Grand Central.
Dark Sky reports 33° F, feels like 25°. Feels like: Not Spring. March 5th. Spring backward. Falling and stumbling forward.
I wedge myself into a two seater, nudging the occupant awake. (Same occupant who was sprawled across two seats). He's annoyed. I'm annoyed that he's annoyed. I'm way more annoyed.
I glance up at the few unfortunates standing in the vestibule. Now they should be annoyed.
But for the low throb of the annoyances, and the giant overhead heaters blowing through the vents, the train car is silent. No talking. No whispering. No paper shuffling. Nada. Silence.
It's as if Jack Kornfield blew the whistle and yelled Go: "It was the silence, stopping and taking a breath, opening the heart, seeing that the whole planet, and everything on it, is holy."
And at that moment, the lead-weighted shoulders are freed.
The soles of the feet, through the leather soles of my lace-ups, feel the vibration of the steel of wheels on the steel of the tracks, bumping along with the rhythmic skip of steel on steel at the ties.
The seat under me is soft and shifts with each rail tie. The train car rocks, my body sways ever so slightly left and right and then back again. My knees gently knock on the seat in front, first right knee then left.
Feet, knees, palms, seat — sensations are elevated.
I close my eyes. Drift off, and float along on Kornfield's holy train.
His holy car. Holy Cow.
I awaken to the conductor's announcement: "This station is Grand Central. Please mind the gap between the train and the platform."
Meditation? Nah.
Mediation is not for real men.
- Photo: "Sleeping" by Michael Knudsen (via Your Eyes Blaze Out)
- Kornfield Quote: Thanks you Make Believe Boutique.
- Related Posts: Commuting Series


text:
Intro: The story of Snowpiercer is being adapted into a movie and a television series.
The Plot of Rowan Blanchard HaircutRowan Blanchard Haircut
Snowpiercer is a post-apocalyptic tale set in a world where a train is the only means of transport.
On a train that never ever stops, the last human beings alive live in a world of their own. The train is divided into classes, where the lower class lives in squalor while the upper class enjoys the best life has to offer. When Curtis, a member of the lower class, learns of a plot to overthrow the elite and take control of the train on their own, he needs to decide whether to take part. With the aid of his buddies and a not likely ally, Curtis will need to combat his way to the front of the train if he wants any opportunity at saving humankind.
The Cast
Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs star along with Mickey Sumner, Alison Wright, Iddo Goldberg, Susan Park, Katie McGuinness, Sam Otto, Sheila Vand, Mike O'Malley, Annalise Basso, Jaylin Fletcher, Lena Hall and Roberto Urbina. Steven Ogg, Rowan Blanchard, and Sean Bean signed up with the primary cast in the 2nd season and both Chelsea Harris and Archie Panjabi signed up with the main cast in the 3rd season.
Rowan Blanchard
Rowan Blanchard is a young starlet who is rapidly rising to fame. She is best known for her function as Riley Matthews on the Disney Channel show Girl Meets World. It was produced by ABC Studios and stars Rowan Blanchard, Ben Savage, Sabrina Carpenter, Vincent Martella, Peyton Meyer and Mitchell Hope.
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly is an Academy Award-winning starlet who started her profession as a teenager in modeling and commercials. She made her movie launching in 1984's "Maze" and continued to work gradually in movies throughout the '90s and '80s. Connelly garnered critical honor for her performances in "A Beautiful Mind" (2001 ), for which she won an Oscar, and "Requiem for a Dream" (2000 ). In recent years, she has starred in such films as "He's Simply Not That Into You" (2009) and "Wrath of the Titans" (2012 ).
Daveed Diggs
In Daveed Diggs, we see an artist who defies classification. He is a rapper, a singer, a star, and an author, and he has handled to master all of these fields. His work is both ingenious and powerful, and it has won him crucial praise and a large following.
In high school, he joined the drama club and started acting. After graduating from Brown University in 2004, he moved to New York City and began working as an actor.
Sean Bean
Sean Bean is an English actor best understood for his functions in the tv series "Sharpe" and the films "Goldeneye," "The Lord of the Rings," and "Video game of Thrones." Born in Sheffield, England, Bean began his acting profession in 1987 with a role in the Royal Shakespeare Business's production of "Antony and Cleopatra." He has since starred in numerous movies and television series, making a reputation as one of Hollywood's most flexible actors.
The Crew of Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer is a 2013 American sci-fi action film based upon the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand and Jean-Marc Rochette. The movie was directed by Bong Joon-ho, and composed by Kelly Masterson. It stars Chris Evans, Tune Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt and Ed Harris. Embed in a future where a failed climate-change experiment has killed all life in the world except for those aboard the Snowpiercer, a train that circumnavigates the world, the film follows its travelers as they defend their survival. Rowan Blanchard Haircut
Chris Evans leads an all-star cast in this impressive post-apocalyptic thriller set aboard a train powered by a perpetual motion engine.
The team consists of showrunner Graeme Manson and director Scott Derrickson.
The Premise of Snowpiercer
The series will follow the survivors who reside on the train as they try to restore society.
The Release Date: May 17, 2020
A brand-new post-apocalyptic society has actually been created, where the only way to endure is by riding the tracks of a huge train that circles around the globe. The passengers of this train are divided into classes: the wealthy elites, who live in luxury on the upper levels; and the rest of the guests, who live on floors below in squalor.
On a train that never ever stops, the last humans alive live in a world of their own. The train is divided into classes, where the lower class lives in squalor while the upper class takes pleasure in the finest life has to offer. When Curtis, a member of the lower class, finds out of a plot to take and topple the elite control of the train for themselves, he should decide whether or not to join in. Set in a future where a failed climate-change experiment has killed all life on the planet except for those aboard the Snowpiercer, a train that takes a trip around the world, the movie follows its guests as they combat for their survival.
The passengers of this train are divided into classes: the wealthy elites, who live in luxury on the upper levels; and the rest of the guests, who live on floorings below in squalor.


text:
Contrary to the slogans Prosperity really is not available by government fiat but it sure can torpedo it. Beyond regulation, poor choices by politicians and other officials with the power to distribute other people's money (like School Supers or the accreditors or even "private" businesses like Amplify or IBM or AT&T or other tech companies) who push harmful education ideas while capturing taxpayer money can destroy value. Poof! Take those dollar bills and light them afire! No you say. It was paid in salary or revenue to a connected company, it did not go poof.
But what happens when the resources confiscated from the taxpayer through property taxes or an ESPLOST or their federal or state income taxes buys less than the value that would have been created in the private sector? Where it would have been spent by a purchaser who cared about whether he was getting actual value for what he was spending. We are all poorer because that money was taxed away from private hands to a less efficient spender. So it needs to be spent for a good purpose.
That's problem No 1 anytime the government decides to take money. That is true of all government but it is especially acute with school districts. Especially now. Why? Education reform now is heavily "influenced by the writings of Vico, Spinoza, and Hegel, Marx, and Engels [who] developed a theory of society now described as historical or dialectical materialism." I mentioned that here http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/so-now-common-core-rejects-individual-thinking-to-embrace-soviet-psychology-ecology/ but the book I mentioned in the last post, Computers as Cognitive Tools, and an article cited there "Beyond Amplification: Using the Computer to Reorganize Mental Functioning" make it crystal clear that the Skill Dominant Initiative and the Digital Learning Mandates and the No Transmission of Knowledge are ALL driven by political ideology. That really is taxpayer money spent poorly. A bonfire in fact, not just a Poof.
Collectivist, Remake Minds and Values Ideology. No ifs, ands, or buts about it even if a particular pushing administrator or Principal is unaware of the tainted past and Horrific Intentions of what they are implementing. That's the beauty of Government Coercive Power. Do it or find another job. There are always people wanting to do business via political favors rather than crafting a superior product or service and taking real risk of capital.
This is the new view of education sought in the reforms in the 90s and now through the CCSSI ruse we have talked about http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/didnt-the-president-just-admit-ccssi-was-a-ruse-to-change-classroom-interactions/. This is not a dispute then about what to teach or how. Stripped of the rhetoric designed to obscure the reality of sought Political Transformation, we are in the midst of a dispute about what kind of country we will be in the future. Will the individual be free and have real personal autonomy? Or do politicians get to use operant conditioning techniques in K-12 education to change values and make curriculum choices to limit permissable knowledge? Is a student merely a lump of clay to be molded by the state to fit its needs and especially the needs of those employed by or seeking revenue from the government? That's what the real CCSSI implementation assumes. That's what Digital Literacy and Mandated Sight Reading Methods are all about.
Symbolic cultural tools identified by Soviet psychologists Vygotsky and Luria as strengthening individual mental capacity like written language must be weakened. Tools with the innate capacity, like the computer, to weaken mental function by becoming a substitute for it, must be pushed. It is desired cultural evolution where we are under attack to STOP "our nature-transcendent innovation as a species." Just like Paul Ehrlich wanted when he pushed his Newmindedness and James Burke wrote about as the Axemakers Gift that must be stopped. Here's the political vision being pushed by our ed schools and the accreditation agencies all over the world. It is the essence of what CCSSI is seeking and why Arne Duncan wants all curriculum to be digitized by 2017 at the latest.
"Human nature, on this view [reference to Marx and others listed above], rather than being a product of environmental forces, is of our own making and continually 'becoming.' Humankind is reshaped through a dialectic of reciprocal influences: Our productive activities change the world, thereby changing the ways in which the world can change us. By shaping nature and how our interactions with it are mediated, we change ourselves."
So the computer and digitizing content and making the visual dominant instead of relying on symbolic transformation and haranguing any teacher pushing factual content each become a means of "cultural redefinition". The dialectic just outlined of "shaping who we are by changing, not just amplifying, what we do." Together these initiatives being imposed all at once are designed to actually pummel the individual student mentally and psychologically. No wonder there is a tragic history to these mandated social and emotional learning coupled with limits to knowledge shifts.
Over this past weekend, a Canadian education site pushed this Open Letter to Educators. Not complaining mind you but wanting these thoughts to gain widespread attention. Without the paying public even knowing.
"Education isn't about teaching facts. It is about stoking creativity and new ideas. It is not about teaching students to conform to the world as it is. It is about empowering students to change the world for the better."
Now how can someone without knowledge of history and what has gone tragically wrong and why, or economics with its built-in appreciation for unintended consequences, actually be in a position to change the world for the better? Changing the world for the better has always grown from the ascendancy of the individual and freedom of choices. Now realistically how can education reform designed to gut all that change the world for the better? This is education reform that destroys value instead of enabling its future production. There is no future prosperity here no matter what Amplify's press releases say. Just prosperity for connected businesses that hire former School District Supers that can rely on doing business with taxpayer money with their former associates.
Now is wholesale social change an appropriate decision for educators or computer or broadband vendors or accreditors to be making? Especially in a country like the US with the US Constitution protecting the mind as property and the primacy of the individual instead of government? http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/if-the-system-seeks-to-destroy-the-ability-to-think-can-james-madison-save-us/
Instead of knowledge the computer becomes a means of collaboration and testing hypotheses against the computer's prepackaged scenarios (where the Earth will be frying itself whatever the actual temps or facts) and solving complex problems that may actually be insoluble (at least by a central planner but the computer will not tell you that. And the teacher may now be forbidden to) and making plans and setting goals. That's knowledge in our new Digital world. I may have been horrified by the educational vision of Mooresville, NC http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/mind-thieves-everyday-examples-that-add-up-to-a-cultural-and-political-tsunami/ but Amplify's website saw it as the August 10 featured story.
Likewise, I find the vision of graphic novels centered around a pretend Zombie Apocalypse for middle schoolers to be horrid. See for yourself and decide http://www.zombiebased.com/blog/2012/09/30/zbl-featured-on-amplify-com/. Amplify sees it as an innovation to be touted on its website and celebrates that ZBL "appeals to kids the same way a videogame does." Yes, at an emotional, visual, non-rational level.
Let's end with what its creator says he intends the students to be learning from ZBL: It is supposed to be a framework for teaching middle school geography (in a way most of us would associate with Cultural Anthropology and Sociology).
"The story has several parts: Students prepare for the impending outbreak, then they have to survive the chaos, find a new settlement, build a new community, and plan for the future of their new home. Instead of just studying existing maps, for example, they have to design their own to track the spread of the zombies. In the end, students have to use higher-order thinking to solve real-world problems, or almost real world that is."
So students are being taught virtually nothing about the world where they actually dwell and must ultimately get by in. They are immersed in imaginary scenarios that encourage them to trash the world as it exists and aspire to a different future.
Only in a sector of the economy used to living off OPM, Other People's Money, could such ludicrous ideas as remaking education to fit Marxian political theory gain widespread currency. And I am afraid it will be up to those of us without the magical Education Indoctrination degrees to put a stop to it.
What would we do if medical schools reverted back to bleeding as the remedy for all ailments? This is not dissimilar.


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Sandy Hook chorus to sing before Super Bowl
NEW ORLEANS — The chorus from Sandy Hook Elementary School will sing "America the Beautiful" before Sunday's Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens.
The chorus features 26 children from Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., where 20 first-graders and six adults were killed in a Dec. 20 shooting rampage.
The performance will be part of CBS's pre-game show, and will be broadcast live. Alicia Keys will sing the national anthem.


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Defenseman Dahlbeck turns into offensive force
ROCKFORD – When Klas Dahlbeck scored a goal so early this year, he was an easy target for teammates' kidding.
After all, that matched last season's output in 70 games as a Rockford IceHogs rookie.
"We always joke that he was going to get five goals this year," said fellow defenseman and offensive force Adam Clendening.
Look who's laughing now. Or at least smiling – Dahlbeck.
After notching Rockford's only goal in a 3-1 loss to Grand Rapids on Sunday, he now has four. That leaves him tied for second on the team – and matches his total for his previous five seasons.
"He's getting pucks to the net. He's not waiting for things to happen – he's making things happen," said Clendening, who leads the 'Hogs in scoring with 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) going into Wednesday's 10 a.m. rematch at Grand Rapids.
"He's getting the puck. He's staying in the (offensive) zone. He is that shutdown D-man, but he's also added an element to his game. It's good for him and it's only going to help the team."
With 11 rookies, Rockford needs offense from new sources. Getting help from an unexpected player is a nice bonus.
"He's worked on his shot a lot over the summer," IceHogs head coach Ted Dent said. "He changed his stick a little bit, and he's really made a point of trying to contribute offensively. He's involved in getting pucks to the net."
Dahlbeck has four assists — that also is just one fewer than he had last season. So, what's gotten into the 6-foot-2, 194-pounder from Katrineholm, Sweden?
"I started shooting more, and now I'm getting some power-play time," said Dahlbeck, a 2011 third-round draft choice by the Chicago Blackhawks. "My shot is starting to go in. I'm playing more and trying to get shots to the net."
Dahlbeck said he worked a lot with a trainer in the offseason. His emphasis remains, and will remain, defense first.
"That's still a big part of my game," he said. "I want to shoot more on offense, and not be afraid of making mistakes but playing with confidence."
Reed Schreck: email@example.com


text:
TKR English
The English project in Sisaket.
Skip to content
Levels and books
Pre English
English is Fun: Week 1
English is Fun: Week 2
English is Fun: Week 3
English is Fun: Week 4
English is Fun: Week 5
English is Fun: Week 6
English is Fun: Week 7
Phonics a to b
Phonics c to d
Phonics e to f
Phonics g to h
Phonics i to j
Phonics k to l
Phonics m to n
Phonics o to p
Phonics q to r
Phonics s to t
Phonics u to v
Phonics w to x
Phonics y to z
ABC 1 : The letters A to e
ABC 2 : Phonics a to e
ABC 3 : The letters F to j
ABC 4 : Phonics f to j
ABC 5 : The letters K to o
ABC 6 : Phonics k to o
ABC 7 : The letters P to t
ABC 8 : Phonics p to t
ABC 9 : The letters U to z
ABC 10 : Phonics u to z
Beginner 1
ABC with Phonics 1: Aa to Dd
ABC with Phonics 2: Ee to Hh
ABC with Phonics 3: Ii to Ll
ABC with Phonics 4: Mm to Pp
ABC with phonics 5: Qq to Tt
ABC with phonics 6: Uu to Zz
ABC crash course
Word families with a
Repeat lesson for Word families with a
Word families with e
Repeat lesson for Word families with e
Word families with i
Repeat lesson for Word families with i
Word families with o
Repeat lesson for Word families with o
Word families with u
Repeat lesson for Word families with u
Repeat Word families
Repeat lesson for Repeat Word families
Beginner 1/7 'and'
Repeat lesson for 'and'
Beginner 1/8 'a'
Repeat lesson for 'a'
Beginner 1/9 'the'
Repeat lesson for 'the'
Beginner 1/10 'It is'
Repeat for 'it is'
Beginner 1/11 'Numbers 1 to 10'
Repeat lesson for 'numbers 1 to 10'
Beginner 1/12 'Animal colours'
Repeat lesson for 'Animals colors'
Beginner 1/13 'My body'
Repeat lesson for 'My body'
Beginner 2
Beginner 2/1 'About myself'
Repeat lesson for 'About myself'
Beginner 2/2 'Words ending in 'e''
Repeat lesson for 'Words ending in e'
Beginner 2/3 'Double Vowels'
Repeat lesson for 'Double vowels'
Beginner 2/4 'Two vowels'
Repeat lesson for 'Two vowels'
Beginner 2/5 'Double consonants'
Repeat lesson for 'Double Consonants'
Beginner 2/6 'Starting blends'
Repeat lesson for 'Starting blends'
Beginner 2/7 'Final blends 2'
Repeat lesson for 'Final blends'
Beginner 2/8 'Digraphs'
Repeat lesson for 'Digraphs'
Beginner 2/9 'Words ending in r'
Beginner 2/10 'Math in English'
Beginner 2/11 'Pronouns with to be'
Beginner 2/12 'I can / Can you?'
Beginner 2/13 'Agriculture 1'
Beginner 3
Beginner 3/1 'Adjectives'
Beginner 3/2 'Question words'
Beginner 3/3 'Verbs 1: Regular verbs'
Beginner 3/4 'Verbs 2: Irregular verbs'
Verbs 3/5 'Verbs 3: Present Continuous'
Beginner 3/6 'Food'
Teacher training
Dialogue and Classroom language
Classroom language
Questions 1: How are you?
Questions 2: What is your name?
Words ending in 'e'
Loan words
Blends 1: Starting blends
Blends 2: Final blends
Ending 1: Don't drop ending
The soft voiced 'th' sound
The windy unvoiced 'th' sound
Why ABC
What is phonics?
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The Lloyd's Register Safety Accelerator has selected 10 innovative startups to pitch their proposals at the next SafetyTech Innovation Day at the Lloyd's Register Foundation on 28 November in London.
The digital technology solutions that entrepreneurs will pitch address safety innovation challenges set by corporate challenge partners Scorpio, Pacific International Lines (PIL), Infratek and Odfjell Drilling, and aim to completely transform how safety is managed in marine, energy and critical infrastructure industries.
Finalists for the Safety Accelerator Round 2 Innovation Challenges include:
Challenge 1: Marine Industry Insights, set in conjunction with global shipping company, Scorpio
- Contiamo: Contiamo has developed a platform enabling corporates to utilise the existing data they have and build AI (Machine Learning Models) on top of their existing IT infrastructure.
- fuseAware: FuseAware utilise IOT, Machine Learning and wider AI technologies to assess and improve health, safety and productivity in real time.
- Hala Systems: Hala Systems is a for-profit social enterprise focused on technology-driven solutions to problems related to civilian security and safety.
Challenge 2: Determining master's and crew's psychological and emotional health, set in conjunction with major containership operator, PIL
- Emotion Research Lab: Emotion Research Lab allow machines to understand human emotions through affective computing (emotional AI).
- Aveling: Aveling use bio-markers and wearable tech to understand people's emotional and psychological state.
- Senseye: Senseye is building a direct link between humans and computers and working to enable you to use the human brain tomorrow the way a mouse and keyboard are used today
- Stroma Vision: Stroma are developing a vision based driver and worker state monitoring device.
Challenge 3: AI-Driven real-time error detection, set in conjunction with leading supplier of electrical grids, lighting and railway systems, Infratek
- Cogniac: Cogniac automate visual inspection tasks using the latest in AI / Deep Learning Technologies
- Numberboost: Numberboost apply the use of machine learning to solve computer vision problems through custom interactive visualisations and data analytics.
- SmartVid.io: The SmartVid.IO platform uses machine learning to help you gather, find and use your industrial photos and videos.
Challenge 4: Video detection of physical asset changes to prevent falling objects, set in conjunction with international drilling, well service and engineering company, Odfjell Drilling
- Cogniac: Cogniac automate visual inspection tasks using the latest in AI / Deep Learning Technologies
- InstaDeep: InstaDeep uses deep reinforcement learning to create AI systems that makes decisions in industrial environments.
- SmartVid.io: Smartvid.io's software enables industry to leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence to reduce risk on their projects, using existing sources of photo, video and project data to create an automated safety risk assessment report to benchmark projects on leading risk indicators.
The finalists now advance to the next stage of the Safety Accelerator selection process, which brings corporate industry leaders together with digital startups to solve critical challenges in safety and risk. At the Innovation Day, each of the finalists will pitch their innovative safetytech solution in front of a judging panel of corporate partners and industry experts as well as a wider industry audience.
Winning startups will have the opportunity to pilot their solutions with the corporate partners in an industry environment supported by trial funding from the Safety Accelerator. Winners will also receive additional entrepreneurial mentoring from Plug and Play Tech Centre's Innovation Platform and access to domain expertise and commercialisation support from Lloyd's Register.
The Safety Accelerator is a joint initiative of the Lloyd's Register Foundation and LR, in partnership with Plug and Play. It aims to make the world a safer place, by encouraging the growth of the safetytech industry and accelerating the adoption of digital technology for safety.
If you are curious and want to learn more about how digital innovation is changing safety in the marine, energy and critical infrastructure industries, join us for the SafetyTech Innovation Day on 28 November in London.


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The human male possesses the Italian designer faucet of penises. They're pretty big, the biggest of any primate's relative to body size. And they're showy, too, right out there, front and center on our upright bodies (i.e., they don't retract), as if they were meant to be seen as part of the décor. Why?
A study released today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) offers an explanation: Women are attracted to penises, and the bigger the better.
"Penis size does affect attractiveness," lead author Brian Mautz, a University of Ottawa post-doctoral researcher said in an NBCNews.com interview.
Past research has seemed to indicate that women, as a group, are drawn to larger male members. But those results have been disputed as sexist, or scientifically flawed, or both.
So Mautz and his team, working at the Australian National University, designed an experiment in hopes of settling the controversy. They created 49 unique, computer-generated, nude, life-sized male figures. Each figure varied in three traits: height, shoulder-hip ratio and flaccid penis size.
The researchers then displayed all the figures to 105 Australian women with an average age of 26. The women, who were not told which traits varied, were asked to rate the attractiveness of the figures as sexual partners on a scale of 1-7. The women were alone in the room and their responses were anonymous.
As past studies have shown, women prefer tall men with broad shoulders and narrow hips, like an Olympic swimmer. But when Mautz controlled for those variables, it turned out that penis size (overall length and girth) was about as important as stature.
"As you increase penis size, the amount of attractiveness scores gets bigger" in a linear fashion, he explained, until 7.6 centimeters, or 3 inches. After three inches, attractiveness still increased, but in smaller increments.
Not only were the ratings higher, but the women also spent more time gazing at the generously endowed figures, a sign they preferred looking at them as opposed to figures with smaller penises.
Women with a greater body mass index held stronger preferences for big penises. And size was most critical in tall men, perhaps, Mautz speculated, because "a taller guy must have a disproportionately larger penis to sort of make it clear" he's endowed.
Some have argued that penis size fretting is driven by a body-obsessed culture and porn saturation. But according to Stuart Brody, a researcher at the University of the West of Scotland who's conducted studies on orgasm, penis size and relationship satisfaction, "some erotica might reflect fads, but there is a potent evolutionary motivation" at work, too.
That's what interested Mautz, who studies mate-choice, or why we choose one individual over another. Women make mate choices based partly on evolutionarily constructed fitness preferences and may be using penis size as a clue, Brody said. "The results of the PNAS study (and our own penis size studies) are consistent with a mate-choice perspective."
But a clue to what? Women may be looking for orgasms, which, in turn, Mautz suggested, may serve a pair-bonding function. In the recent book, The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex and the Science of Attraction (which I co-authored), Emory University neuroscientist Larry Young argues that the big human penis evolved into a tool meant to stimulate both the vagina and cervix as a way trigger the release of oxytocin in a woman's brain, activating bonding circuits. Such bonds provide a survival advantage to offspring.
Or as Mautz puts it in his paper, "Our results support the hypothesis that female mate choice could have driven the evolution of larger penises in humans."
Of course, this is the 21st century. Most men wear pants – or at the very least, kilts. Mautz was quick to soothe men by saying that his study did not include other proven mate choice factors like money, intelligence, hair or whether a guy drives a 1997 Chevy Astro.
Brian Alexander (www.BrianRAlexander.com) is co-author, with Larry Young, of "The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex and the Science of Attraction," (www.TheChemistryBetweenUs.com).


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Ex-Pa. Trooper Claims He Was Fired Over Ebonics
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A black man contends he was fired at the end of his 18-month probationary period as a state trooper for false claims that he didn't properly write reports, and sometimes used Ebonics in doing so, according to a federal lawsuit.
The federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday on behalf of William Peake, 29, of Sewickley, who graduated from the police academy in May 2009 and soon after was stationed at the Uniontown barracks, which his attorney contends employs nearly all white troopers.
Peake was required to sign a termination letter contending he was let go for a "lack of solid job knowledge and basic police skills" and other "officer/public safety concerns" not spelled out in that letter in November 2010. According to the lawsuit, the reasons for Peake's firing have "no substantial basis in fact, and are not worthy of belief."
State police spokeswoman Maria Finn said the agency doesn't comment on litigation. Peake is not suing any police officials in particular, only the state police and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The lawsuit contends Peake was one of four black officers out of about 75 in his police academy class and that the state police have a "policy and practice of not hiring a sufficient number of African-Americans into trooper positions."
"Plaintiff was judge by different and more harsh standards than other probationary troopers, because of his race," the lawsuit contends. Peake claims a white trooper at the same barracks had his probationary period extended, received more "coaching and mentoring" than Peake, and remains a trooper.
Finn said 6.6 percent of Pennsylvania's roughly 4,150 state troopers are non-white, including 3.9 percent who are black. U.S. Census Bureau data shows blacks account for just over 11 percent of Pennsylvania's population.
Peake's attorney, James Logan of Pittsburgh, cited a report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that found minorities are underrepresented in police departments.
"It's a complex problem," Logan said. "Here you have a guy who did very well at the training academy and wanted to be a state police officer more than anything; he just burned to do it."
Logan said the termination has made it difficult for Peake to find other police jobs. He's employed in a non-police job for less pay and benefits than he earned as a trooper, Logan said, declining to release other details.
"There's an emotional distress component that comes into this as well," he said. "He comes from a family of police officers. For him to be terminated from a job like this, it's embarrassing to him."
Peake's lawsuit seeks reinstatement, back pay and unspecified monetary damages. Mostly, Peake wants a chance to prove himself, Logan said.
"The last bit of time in his employment, he had been restricted to desk work," he said. "How is that giving him an opportunity to perform his job?"
(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
for more features.


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I've been doing a little bit of archaeology again after what must be at least a 6 month hiatus. We'll see how long it lasts, but I want the Tol'vir pet and mount. Anyways, I wasn't the only one this particular night:
So yeah. On behalf of the night elves, I apologize for anyone doing archaeology. Though if it makes you feel any better it's not like us night elves get a break or anything because its just as bad for us.


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Mom Arrested For Taking Nude Snapchats With Her 14-Year-Old Daughter
A Missouri mom was arrested after a Snapchat photograph of her and her 14-year-old daughter — topless in a hot tub — were circulated around multiple area high schools.
The 50-year-old mom and her daughter posed for the photo, "covering their nipples," in an outdoor hot tub in November, according to the probable cause statement. The woman's other daughter, a 13-year-old, took the photo on her sister's phone.
It's not clear which girl sent it out over Snapchat, but at least one of the recipients took a screenshot.
The media has been withholding all names to protect the children involved. Multiple outlets reported that the woman's son, who goes to one of the high schools where the photos spread, was ridiculed by his classmates.
"The issue here is the fact the daughter was 14 and the mother was clearly present and involved when the photo was taken," said St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim Lohmar. "It certainly appeared that the picture was posed and it certainly had some sexual overtones."
The mother has spoken out, calling the allegations ridiculous.
"I was aware the photo was taken, and I told her at that second, please delete that photo," the mom said. "I wasn't posing I was getting out of the tub."
She's facing up to a year in prison for misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a minor.


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by Gary Galles, Mises.org
Those campaigning for a substantial jump in the minimum wage all assert that the purpose is to help working families. Unfortunately, careful students of the evidence come to a different conclusion. As Mark Wilson summarized it,
"evidence from a large number of academic studies suggests that minimum wage increases don't reduce poverty levels."
Some workers lose jobs (high minimum-wage states have among the highest unemployment rates); others have hours cut. The least-skilled get competed out of the jobs that remain (e.g., the minimum wage hits teenage employment hardest). It crowds out on-the-job training, impeding workers' ability to learn their way out of poverty. And those effects are worse in a recession. It also raises costs and prices that workers pay as consumers.
How can we explain support for a policy that harms many of those supporters say they wish to help? We explain it by focusing not on low-income workers, but their substitutes.
Consider an analogy. If the price of ice cream was pushed up, earnings of ice cream producers might go up or down, depending on how much less was bought as a result. But producers of frozen yogurt, a substitute for ice cream, will definitely benefit, because a higher price of ice cream will increase demand for frozen yogurt, clearly benefiting its producers.
Similarly, increasing the minimum wage will raise the cost of hiring low-wage workers. And while it might actually hurt low-wage workers, it will help each substitute for low-wage labor by increasing its demand. Thus, the narrow self-interest of those offering substitutes for low-skill labor, rather than compassion for the working poor, may best explain support for higher minimum wages.
Unions top that list. A higher minimum wage increases the demand for union workers by reducing competition from lower-skilled workers. For instance, if the minimum wage was $8 and the union wage was $40, employers give up 5 hours of low-skilled work for every union worker-hour utilized. But increasing the minimum to $10 means employers give up 4 hours of low-skilled work for every union worker hour.
Union employers benefit as well, because the higher costs imposed on non-union competitors raise the prices they must charge, increasing demand for union employers' output.
This can also explain why other "altruists" support higher minimum wages.
Non-union workers and employers in high cost of living areas, where virtually everyone earns above the federal minimum wage, benefit, by raising the cost of production imposed on rivals where wages are lower (Which is why many in high-wage areas favor higher federal minimum wages, while those in low-wage states — the alleged beneficiaries — often oppose them). Workers and producers where state minimum wages exceed the federal minimum also gain because it raises the cost of production where the federal minimum is binding, relative to where they are located.
Because all these substitutes for minimum-wage workers will see increased incomes, businesses and politicians in those locations will also benefit, and so join the bandwagon pushing for "doing good" in a way that directly benefits them.
Even Wal-Mart benefits from this effect. Because Wal-Mart already pays more than the federal minimum, in low-wage areas a federal minimum-wage increase raises competitors' costs, but not theirs. In high-wage areas, supporting a higher federal minimum wage is a costless way for Wal-Mart to demonstrate compassion for workers.
Virtually everyone who supports higher minimum wages asserts their intent to help working families. But it may frequently be a false compassion whose common denominator is advancing one's own self-interest while harming working families. That would also explain why so many are unwilling to seriously consider whether such compassion actually works, rather than just sounding good.
The same mechanism is at work in the depression-era Davis-Bacon Act, which is still in force. It required the payment of "prevailing wages" on any project that received federal money. But its genesis was the explicitly racist intent to exclude lower-cost southern firms employing black workers from underbidding local white workers for construction projects, by forcing them to pay their workers more.
A similar illustration came from South Africa, under apartheid. White labor unions backed "equal pay" laws for blacks and whites in the guise of helping black workers. But what it really did was raise the price of hiring blacks, who had less education and fewer skills on average, as well as being discriminated against, relative to the price of hiring whites. Whites gained, but black unemployment jumped as a result of that "compassion" on their behalf.
Another illustration from outside the labor market is the support of corn farmers, corn syrup processors, and those in their communities for restrictions on sugar imports from other countries. By substantially raising the price of sugar in the U.S., the policy has driven many candy makers and the jobs they create outside the U.S., harming those workers and their communities. But it has raised the price of a substitute for corn syrup, increasing demand for corn syrup and the inputs that go into making it, benefiting those in corn-producing states.
Most people don't seem to recognize this clearly self-interested mechanism behind support for supposedly compassionate or altruistic policies to benefit others, which is why it typically stays under the political radar. But once a person thinks through it, the connection becomes obvious. Further, it suggests the appropriate test that should be applied in such cases: Whenever someone claims an altruistic reason to support a policy, but it clearly advances their narrow self-interest, the latter effect can explain such support regardless of whether it actually helps the supposed beneficiaries. Therefore, a great deal of cynicism is justified. And when their "story" for how supposed beneficiaries are helped cannot stand the slightest real scrutiny, as with the current minimum-wage campaign, there can be no doubt that such cynicism is justified.


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THAI KITCHEN: Premium Fish Sauce, 6.76 oz
Fish sauce provides the essential savory flavor found in traditional Thai cuisine. Our Premium Fish Sauce is made only from the careful first pressing of salted anchovies. Its complex flavor blends smoothly with the sweet, tangy and spicy flavors of Thai cuisine. Use in place of soy sauce or salt to add a savory taste to any dish.


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The following How-To guides have been posted by HylaFAX users. Please feel free to write your own guides and place them here.
How do I?
- Quick Start Guides for Beginners and Advanced *nix users. If you know how to do the below efficiently, please create those pages and spend a few moments to write up a quick outline for those of us who are not as familiar with Hylafax. Thank you.
- Check which modems are installed on the system and which ones hylafax is using. Many novice users will have only one or two modems on the system -- these are the users who need the most amount of help.
- Web Based Faxing.
- Desktop Client Software and Handbook:Server Operation:Sending Faxes.
- FreeBSD Start Guide.
- Monitoring
- Integration
- SMS & Paging
- External How-To Guides