brace up the CAT , Specific tips on how to realign your preparations to suit the online format

If you are planning to bell the online CAT this year on November 18, here are some tips that could help you max the test.

The common admission test or CAT as it is popularly called, is finally giving in to the cyber revolution and taking its format online. This has only led to heightened anticipation about the most coveted entrance exams. What needs to be kept in mind really is that, only the format of the exam is changing. There are no shortcuts to preparing for the same. You need to be focussed, time yourself for every mock exam you take and ensure you are fast and accurate.

To begin with, book your exams slots early to get your preferred time and be prepared for long sittings before the computer.

Here are a few more specific tips on how to realign your preparations to suit the online format.

-If you are not used working on computers, get used to it, big time!

-Practise more online tests and puzzles

-Focus on the basics and avoid the lengthy data interpretation

-Know your strengths and weaknesses

-Read more online stuff-ebooks, e-paper etc. Do not waste time on lengthy reading material

-Practise shorter tests first, then move on to lengthier ones

-Take more of Reading comprehension and Data Interpretation tests

-Set time limits for every section and create your own benchmarks

-Indulge more in mental calculations

-Beware! You might not have the option to choose or leave as questions appear one by one

-Take tests in proctored environment outside home

-The tests throw up random questions, so the more you practice, the more used to

-Take as many tests as you can, as the formats will keep changing.

In fact, Arindam Lahiri, the director and co-founder of Career Launcher, one of the leading CAT-prep institutes in the country, has a few pointers for the aspirants. He says: "The ability to read off the paper and read off the computer monitor is usually different. Hence, building a habit of reading off the computer screen is important. In fact, we are advising students to read the e-paper daily rather than the paper version."

The other challenge, says Arindam, is retaining concentration while sitting in front of the computer for more than two hours. Again it needs practice. The third issue is primarily with a few question types - Reading Comprehension and Data Interpretation questions are especially difficult to solve from the computer screen. This needs a whole lot of practice and adopting a few techniques to tackle this.

Apart from the general tips that have been provided above, Arindam would like students to keep a few critical things in mind while preparing fro the online format.

Here's what the expert has to say:

a) Practice taking tests on the same day at the same time slot which the student has booked for his actual CAT.

b) Get into the habit of practicing the online test with the help of only a white paper and pencil to support (just like the original paper)

c) Break the entire test into manageable chunks - if the paper contains 60 questions , for example, to be done in 75 minutes, one needs to check if s/he has done at least 6 to 7 questions every 5 minutes. Do not fall in love with a question.

d) One needs to get used to staring at the computer screen for al least 3 hours at a stretch while practising.

It is advisable for the aspirants to increase the number of tests they take, as the date draws closer. Career Launcher claims to have conducted seven different proctored mock tests so far across 110 cities in the country which have been taken by about 60,000 candidates.

The only minor glitch in the online CAT format is that it has scared away semi-urban students who are not very computer-savvy, says Arindam. He says there's been in a shift in the profile of test takers as more people with work experience are registering for the CAT this year.

World's Most Expensive Cruise Ship

After five years of planning and construction, Royal Caribbean is unveiling the Oasis of the Seas, a $1.4 billion ship that will be the largest and tallest cruise liner in the world when it takes its maiden voyage this December.

At 1,184 feet from stem to stern, it's nearly as long as the Empire State building is tall--while rivaling the amenities of any world-class Las Vegas resort. A crew of roughly 2,160 will man 18 decks and tend to 5,400 passengers (assuming two per room).

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"It's in the DNA of our company, about every 10 years, to take more or less a fresh sheet of paper and create the greatest cruise ship in the world," says Adam Goldstein, CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

The laundry list of amenities is daunting: a central park the length of a football field with 12,000 plants and trees; a boardwalk with two rock-climbing walls; an aqua theater with dive performances; two FlowRiders for surfing; a full-service spa and a main theater where the Broadway musical Hairspray will be shown four times a week. As an avid runner and sports enthusiast, Goldstein's favorites include the 600-plus meter jogging track on deck 3 and the zipline across the boardwalk.

The average Oasis ticket is $1,000 per person for seven nights, making it significantly more expensive than Royal Caribbean's typical seven-night packages, many of which start at roughly $490. This could be a tough sell: Worldwide, tourism is expected to contract by 3.5% this year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. In the U.S., 2009 travel spending is forecast to fall 9% to $705 billion, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

Meet Royal Caribbean's Oasis, a retreat for executives and their families.

Still, Goldstein remains optimistic.

"Our customers want more choice, more options, more variety, they want to be in control of their vacation decision making," he says. It's a major gamble for the cruise operator, which has been discounting tickets during the recession to combat the pullback in consumer spending and H1N1 travel fatigue. In the second quarter, the company swung to a loss of 16 cents a share, with revenues down $1.3 billion. According to Goldstein, while occupancy rates are expected to be stable on a year-over-year basis (2009 vs. 2008) revenue yields will be down 13%--indicative of the steep discounting environment.

For now, the Oasis will feature two main routes. From December 2009 to April 2010, the ship will sail seven nights from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., to St. Thomas, St. Maarten and the Bahamas. Then, beginning May 2010, it will sail from Ft. Lauderdale to Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico. Prices start at $729 for interior rooms, per person, based on double occupancy. For a steeper price, there are multi-level loft suites available with floor-to-ceiling windows.

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Microsoft launches Windows 7, eyes PC sales rebound

Microsoft Corp launched Windows 7 on Thursday in its most important release for more than a decade, aiming to win back customers after the disappointing Vista and strengthen its grip on the PC market.

The world's largest software company, which powers more than 90 percent of personal computers, has received good reviews for the new operating system, which it hopes will grab back the impetus in new technology from rivals Apple Inc and Google Inc.

"It's the first really significant release of Windows in a decade," analyst Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest Securities told Reuters Television. "Given the missteps around Vista, people really questioned Microsoft's relevancy in the technology space. So this is a critical first step for Microsoft regaining that credibility."

The new system -- which is faster, less cluttered and has new touch-screen features -- comes almost three years after the launch of Vista, whose complexity frustrated many home users and turned off business customers.

The success of Windows -- which accounts for more than half of Microsoft's profit -- is crucial for Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to revive the company's image as the world's most important software firm.

"I have to say I'm chomping at the bit," Ballmer told an audience of Microsoft customers and partners in Toronto on Wednesday, adding that he is ready to make sales calls himself on Windows 7.

Sales won't immediately impact the bottom line of Microsoft, which is expected to post a lower quarterly profit on Friday.

CHEAPER THAN VISTA

Microsoft is charging $199.99 for the Home Premium version of Windows 7, or $119.99 for users seeking to upgrade from older versions of the operating system -- well below comparable prices for Vista.

It also has a range of offers in conjunction with retailer Best Buy and PC makers such as Dell Inc and Acer Inc.

For the first time, shoppers will be able to buy PCs loaded with the software direct from a branded Microsoft store, with the first of a planned chain set to open on Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The U.S. holiday season will soon reveal whether consumer PC sales get a kick from Windows 7, but success with corporations -- the key to Microsoft's financial power -- won't be clear until next year, analysts say.

"Come June of next year, we are going to get the real indication of the business-to-business marketplace," said Mark Simons, chief executive of the U.S. arm of Toshiba Corp, the world's No. 5 PC maker, on Wednesday.

Early indications are that companies are getting ready to switch to Windows 7.

"People like it," said Michael Capone, chief information officer for payroll services firm ADP, pointing out its quick start-up time and good user interface.

"There is a line outside my door from people wanting to get into the pilot program," said Capone, at a technology conference in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday.

His company typically waits at least 18 months to begin broad deployment of a new version of Windows, said Capone, but this time he could be more aggressive.

"In the surveys that we've done about half the CIOs (chief information officers) indicated that they would just use Windows 7 on existing PCs as opposed to replace the entire hardware," said Barnicle. "That would be very positive for Microsoft but maybe not so positive for the PC manufacturers."

SHARES UP

Good reviews, and a surge in technology stocks across the board, have lifted Microsoft shares about 80 percent since March. They hit their highest level in just over a year on Wednesday, closing at $26.58 on Nasdaq.

"This is a better operating system -- it does the job," said Lance Ulanoff, editor-in-chief of PCMag.com. "They've certainly got it a lot more right than they did with Vista."

A range of new PCs incorporating the software in all shapes and sizes from Hewlett-Packard Co, Dell and others are set to be unveiled on Thursday, in the hope of reigniting consumer spending before the holiday shopping season.

Global PC sales rose 2.3 percent in the third quarter compared to a year ago, according to research firm IDC, after two quarters of declines.

Market-watchers are betting on further recovery of computer sales next year, as the economy improves and businesses replace old machines, but opinion is divided on how strong the impact of Windows 7 will be.

"What's going to be really interesting is whether this spurs a hardware replacement cycle or it's just a Windows replacement cycle," said Barnicle, who estimates that more than 820 million PCs across the world run Windows.

After the Moon, India eyeing human space flight

United Nations, Oct 22 (IANS) After the success of its first Chandrayaan moon mission, India is now looking at exploration of outer space using planetary missions including a human space flight programme, a UN panel was told.

'Having achieved self-reliance in end-to-end space programme, the Indian space programme is entering into space exploration phase mainly to explore inner solar system and build such capabilities for exploring outer solar system,' a member of the Indian parliament said Wednesday.

'Exploration of outer space using planetary missions will be furthered with Chandrayaan-2 and its follow on missions,' said Ali Anwar Ansari participating in a debate of the special political and decolonisation committee on 'International Cooperation In The Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.'

'India has also been discussing at various levels the need for embarking on a human space flight programme,' he said noting that during the last one year, India made a significant stride in space exploration through the Chandrayaan mission.

India's first Chandrayaan-1 mission intended to study the Moon using eleven scientific instruments built in India and five other countries, Ansari said noting that 'within a short time, Chandrayaan-1 has achieved its mission objective to the satisfaction of global scientific community.'

With this, preparation of a 3-dimensional atlas of the lunar surface and chemical and mineralogical mapping of entire lunar surface has been undertaken by scientists from India and abroad, he said.

Expressing India's support for the United Nations' efforts to increase the awareness of space-based benefits, Ansari invited developing countries to take advantage of India's expertise in the space field.

'India takes special interest in capacity building and services for enabling the developing countries in the application of Space technology,' he said pointing at the UN affiliated Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Asia and Pacific Region operating from India.

So far 824 scholars from 31 countries from the Asia-Pacific region and 27 scholars from 17 countries outside the Asia-pacific region have benefited from the educational activities of this Centre, Ansari said adding, 'India would like to request more participation from the member countries.'

India to top Asia salary growth in 2010 - survey

Companies in Asia are set to offer bigger pay rises next year as the region continues to rebound from global recession, notably in India where base salary levels are poised to jump nearly 10 percent, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Salaries in Indonesia and China will also surge, by 8.7 percent and 6.7 percent respectively, whereas workers in Japan can expect a paltry 2.1 percent pay rise, according to the survey by Hewitt Associates. The survey covered more than 2,000 local and joint-venture companies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Salaries -- or annual guaranteed pay -- this year in Asia's fast-growing economic powerhouses China and India, at 4.5 percent and 6.3 percent respectively, were the lowest since 2005, Hewitt said.

Salaries barely grew at all in Hong Kong and Japan, this year as companies cut staff. More than 60 percent of companies surveyed in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore froze wage levels, compared with only 26.1 percent in India and 30.8 percent in China.

Next year, only 6 percent of companies in India and 8.3 percent in China expect to freeze pay compared with 12-14 percent of companies in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

Overall average Projected

salary increase salary increase

2009 (pct) 2010 (pct)

India 6.3 9.2

Indonesia 6.0 8.7

China 4.5 6.7

Philippines 4.3 6.4

Malaysia 4.1 5.2

Thailand 3.4 4.7

Korea 2.7 5.1

Macau 2.6 2.5

Australia 2.1 3.4

New Zealand 2.1 3.1

Taiwan 1.8 3.1

Singapore 1.8 2.6

Hong Kong 1.4 2.9

Japan 1.2 2.1

(Reporting by Susan Fenton; Editing by Ken Wills)

Mathura rail mishap: 16 killed, many trapped

At least 16 people were reportedly killed, over a dozen injured and several others believed to be trapped in a mangled carriage after two trains collided on Wednesday morning in Mathura city in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

The accident occurred when the Goa Express rammed into the stationary Mewar Express from behind at an outer signal, some 55 km from Agra. About 50 people are believed to be still trapped in a mangled carriage of the Mewar Express.

Senior railway officials, including divisional railway manager (north central zone) R.M. Tripathi has reached the site to monitor rescue and relief operations.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for the next of the kin of those killed in the train mishap near Mathura. The seriously injured passengers would receive Rs one lakh while those with minor injuries will get Rs 10,000, she said. She has also ordered a probe into the accident.

Several trains on the route have been diverted.

In Mathura, UP Agriculture Minister Laxminarain Choudhry also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of the kin of the deceased besides a job.

Helpline numbers:

Mathura: 0565-24022008

Udaipur: 0294-2487390

New Delhi: 011-23740020

Yahoo! India News

Happy Diwali

Microsoft releases biggest patch, fixes Windows 7

Microsoft Corp issued its biggest software patch on record on Tuesday to fix a range of security issues in its programs, including the yet to be released Windows 7 operating system.

In a monthly update sent to users of its software, Microsoft released 13 security bulletins, or patches, to address 34 vulnerabilities it identified across its Windows, Internet Explorer, Silverlight, Office and other products.

It said six of the patches were high priority and should be deployed immediately. The patches -- which update software to write over glitches -- are designed to protect users from hackers or malicious software downloaded from the Internet.

Several of the patches affect Windows 7, the software maker's new operating system, which will be officially unveiled next week, but has been widely used in test versions.

Such an early sign of security issues on Windows 7 is potentially worrisome for Microsoft, which is hoping its new operating system will erase bad feelings among many customers who bought the predecessor, Vista.

A Microsoft spokesperson could not immediately say whether the company had identified further security problems with Windows 7. The company generally does not disclose such problems until it has patches available.

The vulnerabilities in Windows 7, including the risk of having a PC taken over by a hacker, were serious flaws, but to be expected, according to Dave Marcus, senior researcher at software security firm McAfee Inc.

"As long as human beings are writing code there are always going to be vulnerabilities," he said.

Tuesday's update included the largest number of patches to be issued on a single day by Microsoft.

Corporate users will need to test the patches before they deploy them to make sure they do not cause machines to crash because of compatibility issues with existing software.

(Reporting by Bill Rigby and Jim Finkle; editing by Carol Bishopric and Andre Grenon)

Meet India's youngest headmaster

In a country where we are in a continuous hunt for heroes and demi-gods to inspire us, the search ends in a small hamlet in West Bengal.

Known for his passion for education, Babar Ali is perhaps India's youngest school principal who is teaching hundreds of poor students of his village in his own backyard.

16-year-old Babar says his only motto in life is 'education for all'. Since 2002, every evening, he has donned the role of a principal at the Anand Siksha Niketan in Gangapur village which makes him India's youngest headmaster. The students line up in Babar's backyard, where he teaches them just the way his teachers teach him in school.

Babar Ali in an interview said that he never wanted to play cricket or soccer when he was young but what he loved the most was enacting the role of a teacher. What started off as child play took serious shape in 2002 when Babar Ali, with the help of his parents, set up a room to teach on his ancestral land.

He also added that when he was in class V, he started the school with eight students. From a humble beginning, the school today provides basic education for almost 800 students with the help of 10 well-qualified teachers. What is most notable is that the students are taught for free as they come from poor families - some even work as maids and cleaners in the mornings and come to attend Babar's school in the afternoon.

But even most of the inspiring stories have some grim realities which Babar has to face daily. The government only provides funds for midday meal and books till class IV and for the expenses he has to depend on donations. He, however, hopes for better support in the coming years so he can make all his fellow students and village kids literate, and able to stand on their own feet.

Top ranking for Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore has been rated the best in South Asia in terms of visibility and scholarly papers on the net in the latest ranking of such institutions by Cybermetric Lab, the largest public research institution in Spain.

The Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, the National Informatics Centre in Bangalore, the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai make up the top five universities in the subcontinent.

In fact all the top 10 slots are for institutions in India, with two universities in Sri Lanka - University of Moratuwa and University of Colombo placed 10th and 11th on the list.

The highest ranked institution from Pakistan is the Lahore University of Management Sciences at the 17th position.

The other names in the top 10 are: The Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, the International Institute of Information Technology in Hyderabad, the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, the University of Delhi and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.

'Candidate students should use additional criteria if they are trying to choose university. Webometrics ranking correlates well with quality of education provided and academic prestige,' said a statement from Cybermetric Lab.

A total of 15,000 universities globally were analysed, of which about 5,000 were ranked in the list.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, US was the top-ranked university in the world with the rest 20 positions also held by American universities.

2009 Nobel Prizes

• 
  
  • 2009 -  Chemistry, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
  •            Chemistry, Thomas A. Steitz
  •            Chemistry, Ada E. Yonath
  •            Economics, Elinor Ostrom
  •            Economics, Oliver E. Williamson
  •            Literature, Herta Müller
  •            Medicine, Elizabeth H. Blackburn
  •            Medicine, Carol W. Greider
  •            Medicine, Jack W. Szostak
  •            Peace, Barack Obama
  •            Physics, Willard S. Boyle
  •            Physics, Charles K. Kao
  •            Physics, George E. Smith
  
  
  

Online donation to credible NGOs working to help the flood affected in Andhra Pradesh

     
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US recession may last until 2010: Survey

US finance executives believe the American economy is still in recession, despite signs growth may have resumed in the third quarter, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The survey conducted by the Association for Financial Professionals also showed that many executives in the financial sector did not expect their organizations to resume hiring or capital spending in the next six months.

The poll was carried out on Monday and nearly 1,000 chief financial officers and treasury executives participated.

About 69 per cent of respondents believed the recession, that started in December 2007, would continue well into 2010. Only 11 per cent believed the downturn had ended, while 20 per cent only saw it winding down before the end of the year.

The survey's findings are at odds with recent economic data and forecasts from private institutions that suggest the economy started growing in the third quarter after the longest and deepest contraction since the 1930s.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents in Monday's survey expected to maintain payrolls at current levels in the next six months, while 22 per cent saw a further reduction. Only 14 per cent anticipated their organization would resume hiring.

The finance sector is one of the areas worst hit by the recession, which was mainly triggered by the collapse of US housing market and the ensuing global credit crisis.

About 58 per cent of respondents expected to either maintain or cut capital spending over the next six months, while 21 per cent believed their organizations would increase spending, the survey showed.

More than half said their organizations' access to capital had stabilized over the last six months, with access to bank lending improving for 22 per cent of the respondents. They remained wary of weak consumer spending and the possibility that a double-dip recession.

US recession over: Survey

The worst US recession since the Great Depression has ended, but weak household spending as the labor market struggles to create jobs will slow the pace of the economy's recovery, according to a survey released on Monday.

The survey of 44 professional forecasters released by the National Association for Business Economics, also known as the NABE, found that 80 per cent of the respondents believed the economy was growing again after four straight quarters of declines.

"The great recession is over," NABE President-Elect Lynn Reaser said.

"The vast majority of business economists believe that the recession has ended, but that the economic recovery is likely to be more moderate than those typically experienced following steep declines."

Recessions in the United States are dated by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The private-sector group, which does not define a recession as two consecutive quarters of decline in real gross domestic product, often takes months to make determinations.

The recession that started in December 2007 is the longest and deepest since the 1930s. It was triggered by the US housing market's collapse and the ensuing global credit crisis.

While the economy is believed to have rebounded in the third quarter, analysts believe that ordinary Americans will probably not see much difference as unemployment will remain high well into 2010, restraining consumption.

"We don't necessarily expect the US economy to fall into a double-dip recession. This time round, consumers will be reluctant to join the party," said Paul Ashworth, senior US economist at Capital Economics in Toronto.

The NABE survey, conducted in September, predicted real GDP growth expanding at an annual pace of 2.9 per cent over the second half of this year. Output for all of 2009 is expected to contract 2.5 per cent and next year, rebound 2.6 per cent.

Much of the anticipated recovery was seen driven by businesses rebuilding their inventories after aggressively reducing unwanted stockpiles of unsold goods to match weak demand.

HOUSING PRICES TO HIT BOTTOM

Investment in the residential market would also add to growth, with the majority of the survey's respondents convinced that the housing market downturn, which has lasted more than three years, was close to coming to an end.
About two-thirds of respondents believed house prices will reach a bottom this year. The survey found that high house prices would not pose a threat to the sector's recovery.

The survey predicted that the unemployment rate will rise to 10 per cent in the first quarter of 2010 and edge down to 9.5 per cent by the end of that year. The labor market was not expected to regain most of the jobs destroyed in the recession until 2012 or beyond.

The weak labor market will continue to weigh on consumer spending, slowing the recovery. The jobless rate climbed to 9.8 per cent in September -- a 26-year high -- from August's 9.7 per cent.

Labor market slack, combined with weak wage growth, meant inflation would not be an obstacle to the economic recovery and the Federal Reserve will not be under pressure to raise interest rates, the survey found.

"With improving credit markets, the US economy can return to solid growth next year without worry about rising inflation," Reaser said.

The US central bank was seen leaving its overnight benchmark lending rate near zero until late next spring, followed by measured increases that would take the rate to 1 per cent by the end of 2010, the survey showed.

Despite signs of improvement in the financial markets, most respondents believed that it would take some time for them to return to normal. Only 29 per cent believed this would happen in the second half of next year.

Respondents also expected the US dollar to weaken further this year and into 2010, but did not see this contributing to a narrowing of the country's trade deficit as the economic revival stimulates demand for imports.

The dollar has lost about 5.8 per cent of its value against a basket of currencies so far this year, largely because of worries over the government's growing budget deficit and expectations that the Fed will keep interest rates at super-low levels for a while.

NASA rocket to 'bomb' moon to find water

A US rocket is to crash into the moon on Friday in an experiment scientists hope will provide data about ice hidden in the perpetually dark lunar craters.

Astronomers around the world are prepared to capture the impact of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) into the moon's Caebus crater at 1130 GMT. The rocket will deliberately crash into the moon, kicking up a plume of dust that scientists hope to analyse for traces of water that they believe are abundant in the cold, shadowy craters.

The impact is designed to mimic that of the large, natural asteroids that slam into the moon several times a month. The probe belonging to the US space agency NASA is targeting a 100-km wide, 4-kilometre deep crater and is timed to strike when lighting conditions are ideal for observing the impact. The 585-km craft will hit the moon at about 9,000 kilometres per hour creating at impact crater about 2 metres deep.

Despite the concerns of some naysayers in the blogosphere, the moon will not be harmed by the event. 'The impact has about a million times less impact on the moon than a passenger's eyelash falling to the floor of a 747 during flight,' said Daniel Andrews, LCROSS project manager.

The total event - from impact until the dust settles - will last just 120 seconds, but scientists say the experiment will produce valuable information to be collected on nine instruments, including five cameras that capture images in colour, thermal and near-infrared images.

For this operation, a Centaur spacecraft launched from the orbiting LCROSS craft is scheduled to make a direct vertical impact on the moon on October 9.

This two tonne, used non-explosive rocket will bomb the surface of the moon. This is expected to create a huge plume of dust, which will be analysed for water by different instruments including the Thermoteknix camera, which will follow the Centaur down four minutes later.

The debris plumes are expected to be visible from certain Earth and space-based telescopes. As we report the rocket is progressing towards moon and can be followed at - http://twitter.com/Lcross_Nasa

A live TV broadcast of the event is being shown at NASA's website.

Simultaneously, images of the impact will be captured by the companion Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a satellite now circling the moon, as well as the Hubble Space Telescope and terrestrial telescopes. The composition of the material kicked up by the impact will help scientists deduce whether water is present.

When seen from the ground with an amateur telescope, the dust cloud will amount to a dim shimmer across a shadow adjacent to the crater. NASA says the best way to watch is at the parties being hosted by astronomy societies or online at the NASA website.

Data from three deep-space missions late last month revealed that there are small, but widespread amounts of water across the entire surface of the moon. That announcement is seen as complementing, not preempting, the LCROSS mission.

Astronomers said before the impact that new data from $79-millionLCROSS mission will complement the earlier findings because water is believed to be much more abundant in the craters. The findings could aid future manned missions to the moon, which could establish long-term outposts.

NASA scientists said that it is possible for frozen water to have remained in the moon's craters for billions of years, because the bottoms of the craters are never reached by sunlight and protect any ice from evaporation into the thin lunar atmosphere.

Barack Obama gets Nobel Prize for Peace

London, Oct 9 (IANS) US President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize for 'his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples', it was announced in Oslo Friday.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

'Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play,' the committee said on its website.

'Only very rarely has a person, to the same extent as Obama, captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population,' the committee said.

Obama was elected as the first African-American president of his country in November 2008.

Drink in public, pay Rs 5,000 as fine

New Delhi, Oct. 6 -- Soon, you will be able to pick up a bottle of your favourite liquor from your neighbourhood mall.

But if you were planning to drink in your car - give up the thought. Doing so will leave you poorer by Rs 5,000.

At present, drinking in public attracts a fine of Rs 200. Most penalties levied on drunken behaviour are based on the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, that is effect in Delhi at present.

The Delhi Excise Bill aims to make fines and penalties deterrent enough. The Bill will be placed in the Delhi assembly in its winter session.

And if you are one of those who get a little unmanageable after a drink, be careful. You could get both a prison term up to three months and a Rs 10,000 fine for creating public nuisance.

For any owner of a liquor joint - whether a bar, theka (roadside liquor vend) or night club - who allows drunken behaviour or allows anti-social elements to gather at his establishment - the penalty is even more stringent. The owner would attract a prison term up to six months and a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

"We have to be careful about public law and order. We are allowing the sale of liquor in malls, but that requires more stringent measures for curbing drinking in public," said Delhi finance minister AK Walia.

"People should not feel they could just buy liquor from a mall and drink anywhere." The Delhi Cabinet had approved a new excise policy last week that allowed sale of liquor in malls.

Cities like Bangalore have allowed sale of liquor from malls and general stores for almost a decade now.

Floods displace over 18 lakh people

Flood situation in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh continues to be grim with over 50 villages in Andhra Pradesh submerged in water following unprecedented flooding of the Krishna River in a century.

The death toll in the two states devastated by the unseasonal rains in northern Karnataka and floods downstream crossed the 200 mark.

Flood situation in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh improved Monday as water levels receded substantially, state Chief Minister K Rosaiah said.

Rosaiah said the outflow of water in Tungabhadra, Sunkesula, Narayanpur and Jurala projects came down substantially. At 5 pm on Oct 5, the outflows were 1.18 lakh cusecs in Tungabhdara, where the highest in the last five days was 1.96 lakh cusecs.

In Sunkesula, the outflow was 0.75 lakh cusecs, where the highest in five days was 9.80 lakh cusecs. In Srisailam dam, present inflow and outflow were 5.38 lakh cusecs and 10 lakh cusecs.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi undertook an aerial survey of the ravaged areas in Bellary district and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who accompanied her, said the state suffered an unprecedented damage exceeding Rs 20,000 crore. Torrential rains left a trail of death and destruction in 15 districts of Karnataka damaging over two lakh houses in 1,467 villages subsided since.

Over 4.53 lakh people have been sheltered in 13,330 relief camps. A 500 m-long bridge across Tungabhadra river, 32 km from Raichur, was washed away in flood waters, officials said.

Some more facts:

- The Krishna river experienced the heaviest flood since 1903, when it had 10.30 lakh cusecs of flood waters.

- About 18 lakh people in nearly 400 villages of Andhra Pradesh have been affected by the floods.

- Economictimes.com reported that Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have reported damages of a staggering Rs 32,000 crore following unprecedented floods.

- Estimates indicate that over 1.5 lakh hectares of farmland in northern Karnataka are lying submerged, and close to 1.12 lakh hectares are marooned in Kurnool, Guntur, Cuddapah and Mehboobnagar districts in AP.

- Commodity prices may see a steep hike. The crops worst affected are chilli, cotton, paddy, maize, groundnut, jowar besides pulses like tur.

Floods are an every-year phenomenon for India. Government seems to take a reactionary approach rather than a pro-active disaster management.

Watson cracks another century as Australia retain title

Shane Watson struck another commanding century to lead holders Australia to a six-wicket win over New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final on Monday.

Australia restricted New Zealand to 200 for nine before reaching 206 for four in 45.2 overs.

It was not all plain sailing for Australia, however, as New Zealand fast bowlers Kyle Mills and Shane Bond claimed a wicket each in the first three overs to leave the defending champions reeling on six for two.

With captain and leading run-scorer Ricky Ponting trapped lbw by the impressive Mills, who finished with three for 27, for just a single, Australia struggled to 37 for two after 16 overs.

But they wriggled off the hook as Watson, who scored 136 not out in the semi-final win over England, showed great composure before hitting successive sixes off spinner Jeetan Patel to end the match and finish on 105 not out.

New Zealand had a great chance to seize control in the 18th over when Cameron White, on 15, skied a pull off Ian Butler but wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum could not take the catch which would have reduced Australia to 41 for three.

The Black Caps regretted the lapse by their stand-in captain, Daniel Vettori having been ruled out of the final with a hamstring strain, as Watson and White (62) put on 128 for the third wicket.

New Zealand had elected to bat first and found themselves in early trouble when McCullum was caught behind off Peter Siddle for a 14-ball duck.

Aaron Redmond (26) and Martin Guptill (40) added 61 for the second wicket, but New Zealand were in a sticky situation once again when they slumped to 94 for five in the 27th over.

Neil Broom, with a career-best 37, and James Franklin (33) put on 65 as the Kiwis resolutely batted out their 50 overs.

Siddle produced an inspired new-ball spell of one for eight in five overs before off-spinner Nathan Hauritz completed figures of three for 37 in 10 excellent overs.

(Editing by Ed Osmond; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

Record flood discharge in river Krishna in Andhra

Vijayawada, Oct 5 (PTI) The flood discharge in river Krishna in Andhra Pradesh touched a record 11.39 lakh cusecs at Prakasam Barrage here tonight. The level was touched at 10 pm.

This is the heaviest flood in river Krishna in 106 years as the previous high of 10.61 lakh cusecs was recorded in 1903 when there were no dams on it. Many colonies along the left bank of Krishna river in Vijayawada city got submerged as the flood level touched four feet this evening.

The situation is expected to remain grim till Wednesday due to the heavy flood discharge at Prakasam Barrage, officials said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister K Rosaiah has appealed to the Centre to consider the devastating floods in the state as a national calamity and provide Rs 6,000 crore for relief works immediately.

Nearly half a dozen districts in the state, where 39 people have died till now, have been hit by unprecedented floods which have caused widespread destruction of property. PTI DBV RSY.