Call of Duty 4 Tounrnament at Blur.

Blur, the Gaming Lounge was opened in Chennai few days ago. Blur is one of the dreams of many Chennaiites. Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare tournament was organized on 25th December 2008 in BLUR which was sponsored by Activision and Nvidia. The tournament was arranged on Winter Crash map with Sabotage in Old-Schooled mode (not even Promod) dont laugh guys the organisers are pros, they always think the best and what they think is always correct and most obviously those organisers were so neutral (believe me i'm not lying). Lets look at the rules of the tournament. NO CAMPING RULE (never heard of that rule before and they allowed gltiching!??!?!??!?!) was the best among them and one team got disqualified in semifinals because one of their team mates was camping (you think the other team playing in semifinals is the regular customer at BLUR so they made them win? definitely not, i told already that the organisers were so neutral). I guess the rule was framed long time before the tournament (maybe 0.1ms before disqualifying the team, thats long enough right). I was stunned by the organisers, the way they organised was awesome and they were such a neutral organisers, THE BEST i have seen so far (believe me please). And future tournaments will be CS 1.6 and NFS MW and i hope the key rules in those games will be you should not use guns in CS (fight only with hands, why you got hands then?) and if you use accelerator in NFS MW you will be disqualified. I hope this gave you enough idea about the gaming lounge. BLUR ROCKS (believe me please i beg you) and see it by yourself just goto BLUR today. I need your valuable comments about this organisers/Blur, I know they are the Best.

Plane collision kills Indian

Two women, believed to be in their 20s, were killed when a light plane crashed into a house after a mid-air collision with another plane on Thursday in Sydney’s southwest. The pilot and her passenger died when their Cessna hit the rear of a two-storey house in Sydney, the Daily Telegraph reported. It is believed one of the dead women was a 23-year-old from India who was studying in Sydney. Assistant police commissioner Frank Menilli said the rear of the house was a mess, and the back patio had been destroyed.

But the mother who lived at the home with her new-born baby escaped the tragedy, because she was taking the tot to visit Santa. Mr Menilli said the bodies of the two women had not yet been recovered. “The bodies are in situ and it is extremely difficult to actually see their age but I expect they are in their late 20s.” A witness has told Fairfax Radio Network the plane that crashed had its tail hanging off. The owner of the house, Stephen Cordina, told local news site the Liverpool Leader no one was at home when the plane hit. “I haven’t been allowed in (to my house) yet to see the damage, but I think (the plane) landed half in the house and half in the backyard,” Mr Cordina said. The plane crashed on Flame Tree Street in Casula about 11.30 am (AEDT).

Amid cutdown, Queen will serve up leftovers

Determined that the royal family is not seen as extravagant while the nation tightens its belts, the British Queen has ordered her chefs to serve up leftovers from the Christmas feast. Queen Elizabeth II has also urged grandsons William, 26, and Harry, 24, to keep their winter holidays as “low-key” as possible.

Obviously, in times of financial downturn, it would be bad publicity for the family if the young royals are seen partying in exclusive London nightclubs or exotic locations. The monarch has a personal fortune of £320 million, according to the Sunday Times newspaper’s 2008 Rich List, but is not a spendthrift. The sovereign has ordered a festive crackdown to acknowledge the credit crunch starting with her Christmas crackers, a media report said.

“The directive has come from the top that the family must be in tune with the rest of the country,” a royal source was quoted as saying by the News of the World. “She is aware that extravagance would not be welcomed at this time.” The frugal monarch has axed posh gifts from inside the party favourites. She has also put a £50 limit on all family presents, ordered staff to reuse wrapping, the report said. In past years, the family’s hand-made crackers have contained items like Montblanc gold cuff-links and expensive lighters.

US finalises changes to H2-B visa

The US government will make permanent changes to a visa programme that brings foreign workers to the United States for temporary non-agricultural work. The aim is to streamline and simplify the application process and increase worker protections, Labour secretary Elaine Chao said in an interview on Wednesday. The H2-B visa programme allows foreign workers into the United States for specific seasonal jobs, provided the employer cannot find Americans for the work, and the foreigners return home within 10 months.

Workers in the programme must pass background checks, and the visas have provisions to ensure they return home. The visa programme is capped at 66,000 workers per year, who are placed mostly in landscaping, hospitality and other industries. Changes include eliminating duplicative applications at the state and federal levels, requiring employer to attest, under threat of fines and disbarment, that they follow all rules and let the government decide what workers should earn. Employers will be prohibited from passing along the cost of the new proposals to their workers, and the Labour Department, for the first time, will be able to enforce terms and conditions of temporary foreigner employment and impose fines on violators.

The homeland security department currently is responsible for enforcing the regulations, but the Labour department has more expertise in the area, Chao said. The Labour department also will become the final word on labour certification applications. The final changes will be in the Federal Register on Friday and go into effect in mid-January. The labour department made public its plans to change the H2-B visa rules in May. Also to be published on Friday are the department’s changes to H2-A visas, which are used by the agriculture industry to hire temporary farm workers. Regulatory changes in the waning days of the Bush administration will make it harder for US president-elect Barack Obama to change course on some policies favoured by Republicans and businesses.

Indian gambler to forfeit $300m

An Indian millionaire who owns an Internet gambling company has pleaded guilty to violating US laws and has agreed to forfeit $300 million as part of the deal. The 37-year-old Anurag Dikshit, who is co-founder of the Gibraltar-based UK company PartyGaming, appeared in the southern district court here, and read a statement expressing regret for his actions.

Dikshit faced charges of using Internet to transmit inter state and foreign betting information, a charge which carries potential prison of two years, Financial Times reported.

Sachin's Ton Dedicated to Mumbai

If at all there is one point that is held against Sachin Tendulkar, it has to be his lack of big scores in run chases in Test cricket. The master blaster conquered that peak on Monday with a clinical show. After the Mumbai terror attacks, Tendulkar had made no secret of the difficulty of seeing things the same way. Sachin opened out after his 41st Test hundred an innings that also made him only the third batsmen to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year on five occasions. Excerpts:

On the discussions he had with Yuvraj and memories of the 1999 Test against Pakistan: Yes, that Test did occur in my mind and that is when I actually went and told Yuvraj the job is not done till the last run is scored. On a track like this when you lose a wicket it can become hard for the new batsman. The odd ball did keep a bit low and also kicked up a few times. Chennai, 1999 and Barbados, 1997 will always be a disappointment though, we have to ensure the mistakes are not repeated.

On the emotional quotient after the Mumbai attack: I play for India more than ever especially after what happened. In no way am I trying to say that this will make everyone forget the incident. I would like to thank England for coming back to play. We witnessed a wonderful Test match. People are again enjoying cricket the way it’s meant to be. It was unfortunate and I don’t think by India winning or me scoring a hundred, people who have lost their dear ones would feel better. It’s a terrible loss for all of them and our hearts are with them. All I can say is that we will try and make them feel better with our efforts.

On how the terror attacks affected him personally: From my point of view, I look at it as an attack on India, not on Mumbai. It should hurt every Indian, that is how I look at it. I would like to dedicate this hundred to all those people who have gone through such a terrible time.

On India’s continued good show: It’s extremely important to continue with this momentum. From the start of the Australian series all our boys have played some fantastic cricket and it’s important to keep performing in the same vein.

On Yuvraj’s knock: People have been talking about whether Yuvraj is a Test player or not and I think they are just loose statements. He is a terrific player who has got important runs and three Test hundreds to go with it. Today he again proved all the people wrong.

On Rahul Dravid’s form: Rahul is going through a bad patch and that happens to everybody. This is not the first time this is happening to someone in the game. It is nothing to worry about. He is not just a good player he’s a great player. These cycles happen in a long career. I don’t think Rahul’s form or what people are saying about him is a worry for us. He will definitely come back strongly.

Hillary’s pay less than Rice

The US Congress has voted to cut the secretary of state’s salary back to its pre-2007 level, paving the way for Hillary Clinton to fill that post, CNN reported on Thursday. The move was meant to conform to a clause in the Constitution stipulating a member of Congress cannot be appointed to a government job if the position’s salary has increased during the legislator’s current term.

The former First Lady was a sitting senator when President George W. Bush authorised a pay raise of $5,000 for the secretary of state last January. Though Ms Hillary will miss the pay rise, she will still make about $10,000 more a year being the secretary of state than what she is currently drawing as a senator. A similar move was made in 1993 when then President Bill Clinton picked senator Lloyd Bentsen as treasury secretary.

US allows firearms in national parks

People will soon be able to carry concealed, loaded guns in most national parks and wildlife refuges. The Bush administration said on Friday it is overturning a 25-year-old federal rule that severely restricts loaded guns in national parks. Under a rule to take effect in January, visitors will be able to carry a loaded gun into a park or wildlife refuge-but only if the person has a permit for a concealed weapon and if the state where the park or refuge is located also allows concealed firearms.

The new rule goes further than a draft proposal issued last spring and would allow concealed weapons even in parks located in states that explicitly ban the carrying of guns in state parks. Some states allow concealed weapons but also ban guns from parks.

“If you can carry (a gun) on Main Street, you are allowed to carry in a national park,” said Mr Chris Paolino, a spokesman for the interior department. The interior department rule overturns a Reagan-era regulation that has restricted loaded guns in parks and wildlife refuges. The previous regulation required that firearms be unloaded.

Oprah says she is not

Although Oprah Winfrey worked hard on Barack Obama’s presidential election campaign, she never considered going to work for the President-elect’s administration, the talk show host said. "I have a few full-time jobs already and a few full-time commitments, you know — contractual commitments that say I have to be where I am," Winfrey told AP Television on Friday. "So, it never ever occurred to me, not even occurred to me." Winfrey said she would stay put, even if the President-elect came calling.

Bush: Obama to inherit vexing West Asia

US President George W. Bush said on Friday that successor Barack Obama will inherit a West Asia in which Iran seeks nuclear arms and the Arab-Israeli conflict remains "the most vexing problem." In a sweeping defence of his policies towards the region, Mr Bush acknowledged "frustrations and disappointments" but said "the West Asia in 2008 is a freer, more hopeful, and more promising place than it was in 2001."

"On the most vexing problem in the region — the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — there is now greater international consensus than at any point in modern memory," he said in a speech to a forum on the West Asia. But Mr Bush also charged that Iran and Syria still sponsor terrorism, the Iraq war has been bloodier and costlier than expected, and that democratic reforms in the region have come "in fits and starts" while peace efforts have suffered "unfortunate setbacks."

He warned that Iran’s suspect nuclear programme "remains a major threat to peace" and that "for the safety of our people and the peace of the world, America will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon." Mr Obama, who takes office January 20, has vowed to "do everything in my power" to that same end.

Mr Bush, the first sitting US President to call for an independent Palestinian state at peace with Israel, defended his approach to ending the six-decade conflict despite a lack of concrete progress from US-backed negotiations. Mr Bush called the two-state approach "one of the highest priorities of my administration," and described talks revived at a US-sponsored November 2007 conference in Annapolis, Maryland, as "determined and substantial." "While the Israelis and Palestinians have not yet produced an agreement, they have made important progress," he said. "They have laid a new foundation of trust for the future."

The Bush administration blamed Israeli political turmoil in November as it all but ruled out a peace deal in 2008. But even before that, the talks had yet to resolve any major core disputes, and progress seemed difficult in the face of the Palestinian rift pitting president Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah against the Islamists of Hamas.Hamas has controlled Gaza since June 2007, while Mr Abbas has controlled the West Bank from his headquarters in Ramallah.

Indian made £10m from illegal whisky

A chemist of Indian origin, who used to run an illegal distillery and a drugs factory in Manchester, earned than £10 million from his bootleg business. Thirty-one-year-old Mridyul Kanti Das from Oldham in Manchester had previously worked in pharmaceuticals until he was dismissed from his job in the summer of 2006. He was sentenced to nine years and four months in prison for producing vodka and whisky illegally and five years in prison after admitting running a drugs factory to produce LSD. The sentences will run consecutively.

The police believes that Das made a £100,000 profit from every lorry load of illegal vodka and whisky, which he marketed wholesale with counterfeit packaging, that left his illegal distillery. From his profits, Das had bought two houses, a Lamborghini and an Audi A4.

The profits were diverted into 11 bank accounts by Das, who bought Premium Bonds for a huge amount of money. The police believes that the moonshine was sold in car boot sales, market stalls, shops, off licences, bars and clubs throughout northwest England.

At one of his illegal factories, the police found a tabletop laboratory in the cellar, consisting of scales, flasks, buckets and pipes, as well as residue chemicals and a recipe to produce LSD. “Das was using his knowledge from the chemical industry to create illegal, dangerous substances. Not only in the production of illegal drugs, but also fraudulently producing vodka, for which he was arrested in August 2005,” Greater Manchester police detective inspector John Ogdon said after the judgment on Thursday.

Don’t disturb eggs: MP reveals UK oddest laws

Britons are forbidden from disturbing packs of eggs and from selling game killed on a Sunday, it was revealed on Thursday by an Opposition MP who condemned ministers for introducing ridiculous laws. The day after Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government laid out its legislative agenda for the coming year, Liberal Democrat legislator Chris Huhne noted the stream of sometimes “completely bizarre” new offences it had created. Since the Labour party took power in 1997 under then Prime Minister Tony Blair, it has created 3,600 new criminal offences, Mr Huhne said, adding, this was “massively complicating” the job of the police and the criminal justice system.

“Some of these offences are completely bizarre — for example, the offence of causing a nuclear explosion,” he told members of Parliament. “The idea that anyone might cause a nuclear explosion without killing anybody, and therefore being subject to a possible charge of murder, is extremely far-fetched.” Other new offences include “wilfully pretending to be a barrister”, “disturbing a pack of eggs when instructed not to by an authorised officer” and “offering for sale a game bird killed on a Sunday or Christmas day”, he said. Mr Huhne accused the government of doing nothing to repeal these laws.

Russia military to modernise missiles: Report

The Russian military will upgrade its missiles in response to US plans for weapons in space, a top Russian general reportedly said on Monday. Interfax news agency quoted Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces chief, Col.-Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, as saying that Russia’s intercontinental ballistic missiles will be modernised to protect them from space-based components of the US missile defence system. The upgrade will make the missiles’ warheads capable of flying “outside the range” of the space-based system, Gen. Solovtsov was quoted as saying. He didn’t elaborate, but Russian officials have previously boasted about prospective new warheads capable of making sharp manoeuvres on their way to their target to dodge missile defences.

Gen. Solovtsov also reportedly said the military will commission new RS-24 missiles equipped with state-of-the-art systems to help penetrate a missile shield.Russia has criticised US plans for space-based weapons, saying they could trigger a new arms race. Washington has resisted efforts by Russia and China to negotiate a global ban on weapons in space. Reflecting Russia’s suspicions about US intentions, Gen. Solovtsov alleged on Monday that the US is considering the scenario of a first nuclear strike that would destroy most Russian missiles. A few surviving Russian weapons launched in retaliation could then be destroyed by the US missile defence system. Gen. Solovtsov said the concept was unfeasible.

“The Americans will never be able to implement this scenario, because Russian strategic nuclear forces, including the Strategic Missile Forces, will be capable of delivering a strike of retribution under any course of developments,” he said, according to Interfax. US officials have said repeatedly that the prospective missile defence system isn’t aimed against Russia. But the Kremlin has fiercely opposed the US plan to deploy a battery of 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a related radar in the Czech Republic.

Endeavour safely lands in California

Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven astronauts safely returned to earth, taking a detour to sunny California after storms hit the main landing strip in Florida. Endeavour touched down at 4.25 pm EST on Sunday, wrapping up a 16-day trip that left the international space station freshly remodelled and capable of housing bigger crews. Nasa ordered the detour after dangerously high wind and a stormy sky prevented a Florida landing. With the weather at Kennedy Space Centre looking no better for tomorrow, Mission Control opted for its backup landing site. “Welcome back. That was a great way to finish a fantastic flight,” Mission Control radioed.

“And we’re happy to be here in California,” shuttle commander Christopher Ferguson replied. Congratulations also came down from the space station. “Wow,” said skipper Mike Fincke, who watched the landing broadcast live. Returning home from a six-months mission was former space station resident Gregory Chamitoff, who had rocketed away from the planet at the end of May. The space shuttle’s journey, short by comparison, spanned 6.6 million miles (11 million km) and 250 orbits of earth. Nasa always prefers to land the space shuttles at its home base in Florida. It takes about a week and costs $1.8 million to transport a shuttle from California to Florida, atop a modified jumbo jet. The astronauts also had been rooting for a Florida touchdown; that’s where their families were waiting.