Betancourt makes Colombia return

Ingrid Betancourt is expected to visit other Latin American countries

Former hostage Ingrid Betancourt has made a surprise visit to Colombia for the first time since she was dramatically freed five months ago.

The French-Colombian politician has lived in Europe since her release from Farc rebels after six years in July.

She was due to meet President Alvaro Uribe in Bogota later.

"This is her first stop in a tour of various countries in Latin America," said a statement posted on Colombia's presidential website.

The visit came despite her saying just a day earlier that she had agreed for the sake of her concerned children not to return to the country.

When Ms Betancourt arrived in Bogota from Paris, she said: "I am very happy to be here," AFP news agency reported.

Protest march

Her mother Yolanda Pulecio was with her, and they were welcomed by French ambassador Jean-Michel Marlaud.

On Friday she had led a march in Madrid, while thousands of people also marched in Colombia and other countries, and appealed for Farc to release its captives.

The Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) has fought to overthrow the Colombian government and install a Marxist government since the 1960s.

It is holding hundreds of hostages in jungle camps, either for ransom or to exchange for government-held rebels.

Ms Betancourt was rescued along with three American military contractors and 11 Colombian military personnel in a daring rescue operation in July.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7757073.stm

Indian allegations alarm Pakistan

Pakistan has expressed concern about rising tensions with India following allegations that gunmen who attacked Mumbai this week had Pakistani links.

Indian soldiers remained at the Taj Mahal on Sunday

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari offered full co-operation with India and his government denied any involvement in the deadly attacks.

Wednesday's gun and bomb assault on India's commercial capital left at least 195 people dead and 295 injured.

Troops killed the last of the gunmen at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel on Saturday.

As few as 10 militants may have been involved in the assault which saw attacks in multiple locations including two hotels, a major railway station, a hospital and a Jewish centre.

See a detailed map of the area

While the vast majority of victims were Indians, at least 22 foreigners are known to have died, including victims from Israel, Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, Italy, Singapore, Thailand and France. One Briton, Andreas Liveras, was also killed.

Some of the gunmen came ashore by rubber dinghy on the night the killing began, others are reported to have been in the city for months gathering information on their targets.

The BBC's Chris Morris reports from the city that many people in Mumbai want their own government to look into the failure of intelligence which allowed the events of this traumatic week to unfold with such bloodshed.

'9/11 for India'

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the strain in relations with India was serious but he hoped the crisis could be defused.

In pictures: Calm returns Mumbai police mourn their dead 'Mumbai is in full mourning' 'No evidence' of UK Mumbai link

Speaking after an emergency cabinet meeting in the capital Islamabad, he told reporters:

"Let us not fool ourselves, it is a serious situation when the people in India feel this is 9/11 for India.

"I think as a responsible elected government, we cannot be oblivious of the seriousness of the situation."

He pledged that intelligence officials would fully co-operate with the Indian investigation but added that the country's intelligence chief would not travel to India as earlier reported, something he called a "miscommunication".

A senior security official said Pakistan had now received preliminary evidence from India, the BBC's Barbara Plett reports from Islamabad.

But he warned that if India started to mobilise troops, Pakistan would respond in kind, even if that meant pulling soldiers away from fighting Islamist militants on the Afghan border.

He said the next 48 hours would be crucial in determining to what level tensions would escalate.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said earlier he believed that a group based outside India was behind the killings and senior Indian politicians have said the only surviving gunman to be captured is from Pakistan.

A claim of responsibility for this week's attacks was made by a previously unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahideen - a reference to a mainly Muslim region of India.

According to a statement leaked to Indian newspapers, the one alleged militant captured alive, named as Azam Amir Qasab, said the Mumbai militants had received training from an Islamist group once backed by Pakistani intelligence, Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Pakistan banned the group in 2002 at US insistence.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7757031.stm

Festive first for Manchester

29/11/2008

CHRISTIANS, Jews and Muslims are getting together for the first time ever to celebrate the season of goodwill next month.

Over the last few years Jews, Christians and Muslims from around Greater Manchester have been coming together to hold dialogue, social and charitable events.

December 2008 marks one of the rare occasions when religious festivals from the three faiths - Christmas, Eid ul Adhaa and Chanukah - fall in the same month.

Co-Chair of the Muslim Jewish Forum, Councillor Afzal Khan said: "Our joint celebration provides a wonderful opportunity for followers of the three faiths to exchange festive greetings, socialise and learn about each others faiths. As with all good festivals children will have a great time with the range of fun activities and present giving we are putting on."

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears MP will also be joining in the celebration.

Bob Day, of the Christian Muslim Forum said, "We’re really pleased the Minister has accepted our invitation. Hazel has responsibility for the Government’s Inter Faith Strategy so we’re looking forward to telling her and all our guests about all the excellent work we’ve been doing in recent years to bring people together."

David Arnold, Jewish Vice-Chair of the Council of Christians and Jews, said: "This festive season is a great opportunity to foster our sense of friendship and community with those who share our values. And all will be welcome to come and join the fun!"

The celebration takes place on Sunday 14 December, 2pm-5pm at Manchester Reform Synagogue, Jackson’s Row (off St Peter’s Square), Manchester, M2 5NH. If anyone would like to attend then email Heather Fletcher at: legalactress@googlemail.com giving names and the ages of any children. Booking is essential.

Source: http://www.theasiannews.co.uk/news/s/1082508_festive_first_for_manchester

The homes with £1 price tag

Jill Burdett
19/11/2008

A DETERMINED couple have snapped up two historic buildings at the gateway to Manchester's Philips Park for just £1.

The drawback is that both the Grade II listed buildings were derelict and Gail Spelman and her partner Robert Watterson are gambling everything to restore them and bring them back into use.

They have sold their own home to fund the project and are now renting a house while Robert, a builder, carries out the work.

For Gail, the restoration of Cemetery House is a personal quest. Her grandfather Dominik Spelman was sexton at the cemetery and then park keeper for 40 years and lived with his wife Rose and their children, including Gail's father Kevin, in the house.

Gail, a community nursery nurse, said: "He moved from a terraced street to live here and loved the trees and the space. As a child I would come and visit with all my cousins and it was a wonderful place to be.

"He died here in 1977 aged 81 and is buried in the cemetery. After that the house was used as an office for a short time but then left empty and people started breaking in and trashing the place and gradually it went to rack and ruin."

Two years ago the house, together with the neighbouring Entrance Lodge and the cemetery Chapel were put on the market by the New East Manchester Development Company that was looking for someone to take them on and restore them sympathetically.

Gail said: "We put in a silly price of £1 but the main thing we had to show was that we had the funds and the skills and commitment to the project.

"When they rang to tell us we had been chosen I was absolutely thrilled and I like to think that my family link played a part."

The complicated legal agreements took another 18 months to finalise and Robert said: "I think Gail was more excited than me as I knew the work I had to do!"

They started in April restoring the smaller Entrance Lodge and it has been transformed - the stone work, cleaned, repaired and re-pointed, new frames for the distinctive windows made by hand and the steeply sloping roof repaired.

Robert said: "When we finally got in to start work I think the side wall was about a week away from collapsing into Alan Turing Way! The roof trusses were completely rotten."

Conservation

They have had to work closely with conservation officers and English Heritage to preserve the character of the building but also to the latest building regulations to make it energy efficient.

They demolished an old toilet block and in its place built an extension that blends seamlessly with the original stone and the house now has a main living room with a kitchen leading off and behind that a second room which could be a sitting room or bedroom, a shower room, laundry room and sun room looking out over the park. Up the winding staircase one large bedroom and a bathroom.

It is a fairytale house that offers quaint character and the couple have to sell it to fund the restoration of the larger Cemetery House which will be their own home.

In another setting it would have a huge price tag, but its on a busy junction on a busy ring road, a terrace chant away from the City of Manchester Stadium. And while the gasometer is likely to be demolished soon, the couple know they need a special buyer to appreciate the history, the opportunity and responsibility of living on the edge of 31 acres of parkland and the care that has gone into its restoration.

It is on the market for offers over £250,000 and Gail said: "It is an opportunity for someone to live in a unique building, on the edge of Manchester but also with direct access to beautiful parkland.

"It was a huge gamble to sell our house to refurbish the buildings and I hope we can see it through to the end. I have always wanted to live here and my granddad would be so pleased we are doing this."

Eddie Smith, Chief Executive of New East Manchester, said: "We feel really fortunate to have found these people with such a personal story to restore the lodges. We are confident they will undertake the renovation work with the love and care these buildings deserve."

The 31-acre Philips Park, which is next to the cemetery on the other side of the River Medlock, is also listed grade II. It opened in 1846 and is one of the oldest municipal parks in the world.

It was opened as a result of seven years of staunch campaigning by Mark Philips MP, to the then city Corporation for the purchase and provision of suitable open spaces in Manchester where parks could be built for the working people.

Potential buyers should email thecorner.house@ yahoo.co.uk for more details or to arrange a viewing.

Source: http://www.theasiannews.co.uk/lifestyle/personal_finance/s/1080753_the_homes_with_1_price_tag

Silinder Pardesi's new video is 'hot'

26/11/2008

CHECK out the exclusive video premiere of Silinder Pardesi's 'Mahi Vey' featuring Rishi Rich.

Silinder is one of the UK's finest and most versatile Asian vocalist has been at the forefront of the British Asian music industry for the past 20 years. His powerful sounds have catapulted him to the status as one of the best Asian artists in the industry and he has always maintained his impeccable high standards of quality.

He has performed at major world events both in the UK and abroad including the Edinburgh Music Festival and the famous Glastonbury and has represented Asian music alongside artists Neneh Cherry, Stevie Wonder and even Luciano Pavarotti.

His last single, Hey Soniyeh taken from the album of the same name was also a huge summer hot.

Two years in the making, the album, which also features Rishi Rich, Juggy D and Veronica includes 11 fantastic tracks covering a diversity of styles and themes including Bollywood and Bhangra.

Check out the 'hot' new video and let us know what you think!

Source: http://www.theasiannews.co.uk/entertainment/music/s/1081761_silinder_pardesis_new_video_is_hot

Taxi driver killed in crash

29/11/2008

A TAXI driver was killed after his car hit a tree while driving along the A56 Edenfield bypass.

Police and firefighters were called out at 5.30am last Sunday when it was reported that the Ford Galaxy had gone down an embankment, hit a tree and toppled on to its side.

The crash happened near the entrance slip-road on the southbound carriageway.

Police said it was not clear exactly what time the crash took place and it may have been some time before it was reported.

The driver, Mohammed Ajaz Ahmed Butt, 49, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, was found dead at the scene. He leaves two sons, aged 17 and 19.

Mr Butt worked for New Link taxi firm in Manchester and police are looking into the possibility that he could have dropped off a fare in Rossendale. A full investigation is under way.

Sergeant Tracey Ward, from Colne road policing unit, said: ‘There are no witnesses to the collision and there is no evidence at this time of any other party being involved.’

Anyone with information should contact police on 08451 253545.

Source: http://www.theasiannews.co.uk/news/s/1082559_taxi_driver_killed_in_crash

http://www.12voip.com

What is 12Voip?

12Voip is a free program that uses the latest technology to bring free and high-quality voice communications to people all over the world.

When you use the free 12Voip software, you can call regular phones in various popular destinations for free or call at an incredible low rate to any other phone on the planet.

You can also call all your online friends (peer-to-peer calls) as long as you like, for free. Just click here to download 12Voip; the download should take only a few moments depending on your connection speed.

How to Use 12Voip

• 12Voip rules
• System Requirements
• Downloading the 12Voip
• Installation
• Starting the 12Voip for the First Time
• Making your first 12Voip call
• Improving Sound Quality
• Tabs
• Speed-dial text field
• Calling with 12Voip
• Version updates
• Need more info?

12Voip rules^ top

Yes we do offer a FREE service, but to keep it this way there are some rules;
Before you buy credit we allow you to test our service to various popular destinations for FREE.
There is one limitation;
- you can call a maximum of 60 minutes.

After having bought your credit you can call our FREE destinations for 3 months!

To avoid abuse we set the rules:
- you can call up to 300 minutes per week to a FREE destination.
- when you run out of FREE days (the 4 months) the normal rate will be charged for these destinations. But of course you can buy new credit and you will get another 3 months of FREE calling.
- of course you can use your credit to call destinations which are not FREE, but still very cheap

System Requirements^ top

In order to use the software, your computer must meet the following minimum system requirements.

Minimum System Requirements:

• PC running Windows Vista, XP, 2000 (with SP2)
• 300 MHz processor
• 128 MB RAM
• 10 MB free disk space on your hard drive
• Sound Card and a headset
• Internet Connection broadband: Cable, DSL, with minimum 64 kbit/s up/downstream)

However, in order to take advantage of all of the advanced features of the 12Voip and to experience the best sound quality possible, we highly recommend the following configuration.

Recommended System Requirements:

• PC running Windows Vista, XP, 2000 (with SP2)
• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• 30 MB free space on your hard drive
• Full duplex sound card (most sound cards made after 1998), headset
• Cable, DSL or equivalent broadband connection to Internet

Downloading The 12Voip ^ top

The software is free to download and you can always get the latest version here. If you have any problems using 12Voip, please first make sure that you are using the most recent version of the software.

To download the 12Voip to your computer, simply click the download link. Save the installation file to your computer. Be sure to remember where you saved the file (for instance the Desktop).

Installation ^ top

Double-click the installation file you just downloaded to start installing the 12Voip on your computer.

12Voip starts automatically each time you start windows. With the 12Voip always running, other users will be more likely to find you online. You can change these settings at any time from the 12Voip program by selecting "options".

Starting the 12Voip for the First Time ^ top

The first time you start the 12Voip, you will be asked to choose a User Name and password. The User Name and password fields are required in order to use the 12Voip. You can choose any name but it must be at least 6 characters in length. If the name is already in use by someone else you will have to try another name.

Making your first 12Voip call ^ top

For a call to any online 12Voip user, simply enter the username in the textbox and click the dial button. For a call to any regular phone, enter the desired number in the textbox and click the dial-button. If you are calling a land line in one of our free destinations, the call will be placed at no costs at all. For all other calls, you will be asked to buy credits first.

Please note that when you call a number (even if it's local) you should always dial 00 + countrycode + areacode + subscribernumber)

Improving Sound Quality ^ top

To get the best possible sound quality, we highly recommend you try the following:

• Use a headset with a built in microphone. Headsets are available for purchase at most computer retailers and will dramatically improve sound quality.
• Tell your friend to get a headset. Note that voice quality is affected by the equipment on both sides of the conversation. The best way to ensure high quality sound is to have a headset on both ends of the conversation.

If you don't have a headset, you are still likely to improve sound quality if you:

• Use headphones instead of your computer speakers
• Try moving the microphone closer or further away from your mouth
• Use an external microphone (note that most laptops use low-quality microphones)
• Update your soundcard drivers
• Note that if you don't own a microphone, you may be able to use a pair of headphones as a temporary solution by connecting these to the microphone jack of your sound card. Try it!

Tabs ^ top

12Voip is divided into several tabs, each with a specific purpose.

The Contacts Tab shows other 12Voip users which you have added to your Contact List. The icon next to the User Name indicates the Online Status of these users. You can right-click any User Name in your Contact List to see a number of choices for communicating with, or managing this user in your Contact List.

The Dial pad Tab shows you a graphic representation of the buttons you find on any ordinary phone, and they work accordingly.

Speed-dial text field ^ top

The Text Box near the bottom of the main 12Voip window allows you to call directly by entering their User Name or phone number and pressing enter.

Calling with 12Voip ^ top

There are several ways to call with 12Voip:

• From the textbox, enter the User Name of another 12Voip user, or the desired phone number and press enter.
• Double-click a User Name in your contact list.
• Use the dialpad to make a call just like you do on a regular phone.
• Or use the keypad on your PC.

Please note that when you call a number (even if it's local) you should always dial 00 + countrycode + areacode + subscribernumber

Version updates

We frequently upgrade our software. To find out about the latest changes click here.

Need more info?^ top

Check our frequently asked questions.

Call your Friends and Family for FREE!

12voip offers free phone calls to various popular destinations. Simply download the free application and start calling your friends and family for FREE!

Argentina Australia Austria Bahrain Belgium Brazil Bulgaria Canada Chile China (+mobile) Colombia Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France

Germany Greece Hong Kong (+mobile) Hungary Ireland Italy Japan Latvia Luxembourg Malaysia Mexico [guadalajara] Mexico [mexico City] Mexico [monterrey] Monaco Netherlands New Zealand Norway Panama

Peru Poland Portugal Puerto Rico (+mobile) Romania Russian Federation Singapore (+mobile) Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand United Kingdom United States (+mobile) Venezuela

Source : http://www.12voip.com

Nokia Comes With Music

Source: http://www.mobilegazette.com/nokia-comes-with-music-08x09x02.htm

Available now
2nd September 2008
NEW! - Play / download MP3 podcast

Nokia wants to be more than just a mobile phone manufacturer, after all, these days the amount of profit on some of the handsets they sell is tiny. To this end, Nokia have tried to branch out into services and web portals, sometimes coming into conflict with mobile networks who usually provide that sort of thing.

Comes With Music is Nokia's latest attempt in this field. Instead of just imitating the likes of Apple's iTunes, Nokia have done something a bit more novel.. when you buy a special "Comes With Music" phone, you get unlimited music downloads for a one-off fee.

This "all you can eat" proposition is coming to the UK soon, via the Carphone Warehouse. Customers who buy the special "Comes With Music" version of the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic will get a year's free downloads which they can then keep.

More details of just how this will work are to be announced next month, but presumably there is some sort of Digital Rights Management built into the handset. The 5310 is hardly new - it was released last year - but it has a reputation as being a good music phone, and it isn't too expensive.

There's no information on pricing, although this is going to be a prepay package for pay-as-you-go customers. The indications are that this is being geared up for the Christmas rush.. and it's easy to see how this could be an appealing gift for music lovers.

Quite how Nokia intend to make money with this flat-fee business model is not known. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

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Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Comes With Music at a glance Available: Q4 2008 Network: GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 Data: GPRS + EDGE Screen: 240x320 pixels, 16m colours Camera: 2 megapixels Size: Slim monoblock 104 x 45 x 10mm / 70 grams Bluetooth: Yes Memory card: microSD Infra-red: No Polyphonic: Yes Java: Yes GPS: No Battery life: 5 hours talk / 12 days standby