Benazir Bhutto Killed By Suicide Bomber

Political Turmoil In Pakistan

On the evening of 27th Dec, 2007 Ms. Benazir Bhutto was killed in a suicide bomb attack after addressing the political rally in Rawalpindi for the upcoming national election on 8th Jan, 2008.

Around about the same time, Mr. Nawaz Sharif's rally was also targeted by the political extremists which resulted in the loss of 4 of his aides.

The United States was swift to condemn what it called "terrorist attacks in Karachi during peaceful political demonstrations."

"There is no political cause that can justify the murder of innocent people," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said in a written statement.

This news is a shock to the Indian Government and the people in the subcontinent as the resulting turmoil could damage the peace process and upset the communal fabric in Kashmir and the surrounding regions.

The fact is that Gen. Pervez Musharraf could not control the insurgents or terrorists in his country. And, United States which acts as the "World Police" has done nothing in its power to curb such extremist acts which was also directed against its soil.

The sudden and saddening demise of Ms. Benazir Bhutto would certainly hurt the peace and stability in the Kashmir region and would lead to scores of problems in Pakistan and its relation with India.

This incident could be termed 'absolutely horrendous' and has shaken the beliefs of people in Pakistan and in the very existence of the word 'Democracy'.

The two major bugbears of Indo-Pak relations over the years --- the issue of Kashmir raised by Pakistan and infiltration by India have re-surfaced with a vengeance and threaten to smother all else, including progress in trade, road links between the Indian and Pakistan portions of J&K, deployment of troops at the Siachin glacier, oil supply lines through Pakistan and plenty more of the positive dynamics that can be generated once the two nations are in sync.

The situation has not deteriorated to levels post-Kargil in 1999 when the war posturing continued for a long time. The High Commissions are at almost full strength, air, road and rail links have been restored from other parts of India, prisoners of war, fishermen and others who accidentally stray across the border are regularly let off; talks on nuclear weapons have also progressed satisfactorily.

But, it is increasingly being felt that a cul-de-sac has been reached, with the air thick with suspicions once again with blame lying on the structural factors that seem to prevent both the sides from making any quantum progress.

And now, after the death of the opposition leader and a strong contender in the upcoming national election, the Indo-Pak relation would take a serious set back and the wrath would be faced by the people residing in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

TVS "FLAME" CCV-Ti

A stunner from the TVS stable! The pictures of the new TVS Flame CCV-Ti suggest a premium 125cc bike from the Chennai based bike manufacturer. And, with Bajaj suing TVS for the infringement of the Twin Spark Plug technology, it seems there is a lot of free promotion available for the consumers.



Technical Specifications of the TVS Flame:

TVS Apache has a wheelbase of 1300 mm
Bajaj Pulsar has a wheelbase of 1320 mm
TVS Flame CCV-Ti has a wheelbase of 1320 mm

Engine

Engine (CC): 124.8 CC, 4 Stroke with CCV-Ti
Max Power: 10.5 bhp @ 8250 rpm
Max Torque: 10 Nm @ 6250 rpm
Gear Box: 4 Speed
Bore X Stroke: 54.5 X 53.5
Carburettor Type: VM Type- Ucal



Wheels/Tyres

Wheels Type: Mag alloys
Front Tyre: 90 X 90 X 17
Rear Tyre: 90 X 90 X 18

Brakes

Brake - Front: 230 mm disc
Brake - Rear: 130 mm drum

Suspension

Front: Telescopic
Rear: 5 Step Adjustable, Gas Filled



Dimensions

Wheelbase: 1320 mm
Overall Height: 1070 mm
Overall Length: 2030 mm
Overall Width: 760 mm
Ground Clearance: 165 mm
Kerb Weight: 121 Kg
Fuel Tank: 8.0 litre
Fuel Reserve: 2.0 litre



Electricals

Headlamp: 12V 35/35 W Halogen
Tail Lamp: 12V 21W/5W
Turn Indicators: 12V 16 W
Battery: 12V- 5 Ah
Ignition System: IDI System

Cellular Woes: Bad Network & Weak Battery - The Relevation

Does your mobile phone constantly suffer from battery problems? Blame it on your mobile operator rather than the phone maker. What was earlier taken to be an issue rising from defective components in handsets, has merged as a network related problem. The handset manufacturers took this issue of weak battery as a serious problem and did a background check that showed the problem to rise from bad network layout of the service provider rather than what came out of their manufacturing units.

According to industry experts comprising of major handset manufacturers, a weak network stresses mobile phone components severely and can reduce your handset’s life. If you work out of a basement, the likelihood of your changing the handset more frequently due to weak signals is higher, add experts. “Components like mobile phone batteries start consuming highest power and operate at their peak levels during a weak wireless signal. If the phone is constantly exposed to a weak signal, the life of a phone battery can get severely reduced,” says Lloyd Mathias, sales head, Motorola India.

Moreover, not only the battery but other parts like the chip on the circuit board, the LCD screen and Radio Frequency (RF) antenna also come under high strain due to weak signal strength. Basic mobile phone components include resistors, capacitors, ICs, diodes all mounted on the PCB (printed circuit board). But the slim handsets have all components, including the display mounted on a single chip, add sources at the Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association (TEMA).

H S Bhatia, national head of GSM Mobile Phones, LG India says, “Unlike countries like Korea or Japan, the network infrastructure in India is not adequate. Weaker network strains the battery which can shorten its life.” On the problem with phones used more frequently in basements, experts say, “In basements, signals get highly obstructed. Lesser number of Base Tranceiver Stations (BTS) make the signal even weaker, thus affecting the handset components.”
Thus, if your phone constantly receives a weak network signal, you can change your service provider or demand for better network coverage. Till the service providers decide to increase their BTSs, however you may have to invest in new handsets more often.