Happy Birthday Amrita Singh (Date of Birth: February9, 1958)

Aquarian Amrita was born on February 9, 1958. Her parentage is Sikh-Muslim. Her dad's name is Shivinder Singh, and her mom's maiden name was Rukshana Sultana. She is the great-grand daughter of Shobha Singh, who knighted and had his prefixed by 'Sir'. She is the niece of writer/author Khushwant Singh, who was also known for his column in leading Indian newspapers.She is of the most attractive actresses of her time, and perhaps the only one who had a lead role with both Dharmendra and his son, Sunny Deol, and has proved to an actress who is not afraid of doing negative roles.Amrita Singh has been a dedicated Bollywood actress for years. Amrita Singh left her career as an actress when she married Bollywood actor, Saif Ali Khan, in 1991, even though he was years younger than her.Saif Ali Khan is the son of Bollywood actress, Sharmila Tagore, and Indian cricketer Mansoor Ali Khan. Amrita and Saif have two children, a daughter, Sara Ali Khan, and a son, Ibrahim Ali Khan.In 2004 Amrita and Saif Ali Khan have decided to separate, and eventually divorced. The children, Sara and Ibrahim, are now with their mother in India, while Saif is courting an Italian girlfriend.

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Yuvraj Singh looks forward to wearing India jersey again

New Delhi: Yuvraj Singh, who is undergoing chemotherapy in the United States for cancer, has expressed gratitude to his fans, and has promised to make a stronger comeback. The stylish southpaw has spoken for the first time since the news of his battle against cancer came out. "I will fight and come back as a stronger man cause I have the prayers of my nation ! Thank you to the media for their support and respecting my privacy," Yuvraj wrote on Twitter. "and of course everyday I look forward to come back and wear my india jersey my india cap and represent my country again jai hind," he tweeted. Yuvraj, who is known to be a fighter, said: "I'm recovering well. Yes, its tough but tough times don't last tough men do !" "Overwhelmed with the love and support people have given me, I feel joy in my heart that so many wishes. Will cure me!," he tweeted. The 30-year-old left-hander has been in US since last month and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in the Cancer Research Institute in Boston. Wishes and prayers are pouring in from all corners of the world. "I have read every tweet of every fan who has wished me watched all videos ! Seen how many prayers are said in temples ! I thank you all from the bottom of my heart," Yuvraj wrote on the micro-blogging site. He also thanked the Indian Cricket Board for the support. "The president and members of BCCI have been a huge support in my tough times and because of them I'm getting the best treatment ! Thank you again bcci," he said. Yuvraj, who is reading Lance Armstrong's autobiography for inspiration and is being treated by the same doctor who cured Armstrong's testicular cancer, is keen on meeting the legendary cyclist. "I look forward to meeting lance armstrong soon and take inspiration," he said. Yuvraj also told that he would keep everyone updated about his health. Yuvraj also defended his physio, Dr Jatin Chaudhary, who is being blamed for the delay in his treatment. "I see a lot of people blaming jatin chaudhary but he is at no fault he only tried to help it was my decision to go with alternative medicine," Yuvraj said. On Monday, Yuvraj's doctors said that cricketer will resume training in ten weeks. Dr Nitesh Rohtagi, Yuraj's oncologist, said: "Association with the word cancer is negative. His condition is completely curable. He has got a rare type of seminoma." He also added that the flamboyant batsman would undergo therapy for nine weeks and could be back on the field in the first week of May. Yuvraj, said the doctor, was very tough mentally and was doing better than most in the same situation. "He is presently not as fit as he was this time last year. He however is doing much better than others who have this condition," he said adding that doctors in the USA are working closely with a medical team in India. "At present he is reading books including the autobiography of Lance Armstrong. He is playing video games and is going for walks," the doctor said. Yuvraj's ailment was diagnosed at the first stage. "He is responding well to treatment. In fact the doctor keeps asking him if he belongs to a very strong bloodline," Yuvraj's father, former cricketer Yograj Singh, said on Monday afternoon. "The doctor has told Yuvraj 'I will send you from here as a new champion and you will be stronger than before, a thing like this cancer won't exist for you anymore that is my promise'," Yograj Singh added. Yuvraj's family has thanked the Indian Cricket Board for insisting that Yuvraj undergo further check-ups in the US. The board, said Yuvraj's father, had been like a father to his son. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has in a statement wished Yuvraj a speedy recovery and asked the media to "respect the privacy of his family". Sports Minister Ajay Maken tweeted on Sunday night, "Wish Yuvraj a speedy recovery! Asking officials to find the quantum and nature of help required. Government shld & will help him (sic)". There are many more tweets. Yuvraj also thanked Maken and Omar Abdulla. "Thank you to ajay maken ! mr omar abdullah and mr narendra modi for their kind words," said. Teammates like Harbhajan Singh, S Sreesanth and Virender Sehwag expressed their support. Yuvraj is a favourite in Bollywood and wishes poured in from those quarters too. Schoolchildren and cricket fans have joined the celebs in wishing the batsman a speedy recovery. In Faridkot, Punjab, School students held a special prayer in a Gurudwara to wish their hero well. Several social organisations also held prayers. And from Dave Callaghan, the former South Africa all-rounder, who overcame testicular cancer to play international cricket in the 1990s and early 2000, came some advice: Set yourself a goal, he has said to Yuvraj. While Port Elizabeth-based Callaghan conceded that survival would be uppermost on Yuvraj's mind, the 47-year-old South African said that the batsman must soon set a time frame for his return to cricket. "Yuvraj will do well to tell himself, 'by the end of my treatment, I would like to play... for example... next year's IPL (Indian Premier League).' A target to work towards is important," said Callaghan. "I told myself (in 1991) that at the end of my treatment which was four to six months, I would like to play one first-class match again," he said. Yuvraj has played 37 Tests, scoring 1775 runs at an average of 34.80. He has 8051 runs at an average of 37.62 from his 274-match ODI career, the highlight of which was his stellar role in India's World Cup triumph last year.

Happy Birthday Jagjit Singh (February8, 1941)

Ghazal Maestro Jagjit Singh was born on February 8th 1941 in Ganganar, Rajasthan in a Sikh family. As a kid, he attended the Khalsa School. Jagit’s love for music was evident right from when he was little and his family encouraged his talent. Jagjit learned music from Pandit Chaganlal Sharma as a kid; as a teenager he trained under Ustad Jamaal Khan and learnt Khayal, Thumri and Dhrupad all different forms of Indian classical music.Jagjit joined DAV College in Jalandhar and after his graduation; he continued his studies as he enrolled for post-graduation at the Punjab and Kurukshetra University. His college professor Surajbhan always encouraged him to pursue a career in music and following his advice; Jagjit arrived in Mumbai in 1965. Life was not easy, as he had to earn money by singing at wedding parties and composing and singing for ad jingles. During his struggling days, he met Chitra, who was an aspiring singer as well and the two started performing at parties and shows. After dating for two years, they tied the knot in 1969 and had two kids.Jagjit Singh and wife Chitra Singh revived the Ghazal music genre in India. After a long struggle, the two finally received the recognition they deserved when HMV produced their music album ‘The Unforgettables’ in 1976. The album brought a lot of fame for the couple, as they impressed not just the Indian Ghazal fans, but also music lovers all across the globe.In 1981, Jagjit rendered his voice for the Bollywood movie ‘Prem Geet’; his song “Hontho Se Choo Lo Tum Mera Geet Amar Kar Do” was a huge hit. In 1982, he again recreated magic in the movie ‘Arth’ with his song “Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar”, which lead to the success of the movie. Jagjit Singh’s superhit albums and movie songs made him the undisputed king of Ghazal, but the maestro always believed in promoting new talent and he launched new voices like Talat Aziz, Ashok Khosla and many more.Jagjit and his wife Chitra continued their magical journey, but the two were completely shaken when they lost their son Vivek in a car accident on Marine Drive in Mumbai. After that instance Chitra Singh gave up singing ,but Jagjit continued as it was his only source of overcoming the tragic loss. Jagjit however; turned philanthropic after the incident and started supporting many social causes. In 2006, Jagjit Singh was the highest tax-payer in the music industry, but a major chunk of his earning go to NGO’s like ‘CRY’ and ‘ALMA’.Jagjit Singh is the only Indian Singer whose concerts abroad are always sold out. Jagjit Singh’s voice and style has made him one of the favorite singers for all age group. He is undoubtedly the biggest and most respected name in the Indian music Industry. http://www.askganesha.com

Your deleted Facebook pics remain accessible: Report

It may come as a rude shock, but Facebook users should not feel surprised if tomorrow they come across their photos existing in the web world despite having deleted them personally long ago.

The photos do not disappear even after they are deleted but can still be accessed by anyone with a link to the images themselves. The company admits that its systems "do not always delete images in a reasonable period of time", the Daily Mail reported.

Deleted images vanish from 'normal' views of the site, meaning if you log in to Facebook and look on somebody's photo page, they won't be visible. But they would still remain visible to anyone with a direct URL link to the picture.

That means that if, for instance, a picture has been circulated by email, the image will still be there for anyone who clicks the link.

Google Doodle celebrates Charles Dickens' 200th birth anniversary

Google celebrates British author Charles Dickens' 200th birthday with it's latest Doodle.

The Doodle depicts characters from Dickens' Victorian era novels including the famous Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, and Pip from Great Expectations. Clicking on the Doodle leads to a Google Books search results page listing Dickens' works.

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 and was a leading novelist of his age, both in his lifetime and beyond it. His most famous works include Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and A Tale Of Two Cities. He died in 1870 and is buried in Westminster Abbey, where the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will lay a wreath today in more birthday celebrations.

Obama approval soars to 50 percent on jobs figures

Washington: Boosted by rising US jobs figures, President Barack Obama's approval rating has hit the magical 50-percent mark and he has opened up a double-digit lead over his likely Republican opponent in November, a poll showed on Monday.

The poll by the Washington Post and ABC television found Obama reaching the 50 percent barrier -- seen as a critical threshold for an incumbent seeking re-election -- for the first time since Osama bin Laden was killed last May.

Pollsters said Obama's ascent comes as the US economic recovery appears to be finally taking hold, with voters appearing more confident and comfortable with his policies.

The US president now holds a solid 11 percentage point lead over the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney, in a hypothetical general election matchup, according to the survey.

Obama leads Romney 52 to 43 percent among all Americans, and a narrower 51 to 45 percent among registered voters -- his first time topping 50 percent in a head-to-head matchup with Romney since July, the pollsters said.

But the president still has substantial work to do: Among the all-important independent voters likely to determine the outcome of the election, 47 percent approve and 50 percent disapprove of the way he is handling his job.

His approval numbers are much better than they had been a few months ago however -- they had been as low as 34 percent among swing voters.

As the Republican nomination battle grows more bitter and divisive, the public's view of Romney, seen as the clear frontrunner after back-to-back wins in Florida and Nevada, has soured, the poll found.

Fifty-five percent of those who are closely following the campaign said they disapprove of what the Republican candidates have been saying.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and multimillionaire venture capitalist, appears to have been hurt by negative assaults launched by his rivals for the nomination, in particular former House speaker Newt Gingrich.

By more than two to one, respondents said the more they learn about Romney, the less they like him, while 57 percent of those polled said they approved of most of what Obama's laid out in last month's State of the Union speech.

The poll of 1,000 adults and 879 registered voters was conducted between February 1 and 4 and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

You do not deserve more time, says judge to Facebook, Google

New Delhi: A Delhi judge has given 22 internet companies like Facebook and Google 15 days to explain what they have done to remove content described as "objectionable" on their sites. "You don't deserve more time," said the judge handling the civil suit against the firms. The next hearing has been fixed for March 1. The same 22 firms also face criminal charges in another case where they've been accused of conspiring to host objectionable content on their websites. In that case, executives from the companies have been told to appear in court on March 13.

The civil case heard today accuses Yahoo, Orkut and others of allowing "anti-religious" and "anti-social" content that could provoke communal tension. Facebook and Google India filed their compliance reports before Additional Civil Judge Praveen Singh.

Facebook, in its affidavit of compliance, told the court that that the images and videos objected to "do not contain URL (Uniform Resource Locator) to indicate that the source of the downloaded material is facebook.com." The company's lawyers also said that Facebook "does not control or operate the servers that host the website available at www.facebook.com, which are located in the United States".

Google said that it has already removed the content that it was made aware of at the last hearing in December. "This step is in accordance with Google's long standing policy of responding to court orders," said a release by the company.

Yahoo and Microsoft filed applications for deletion of their names from the civil complaint stating that there was no allegation against them of webcasting any objectionable contents

The petitioner, Mufti Aizaz Arshad Kazmi, filed his case in December. He had shown the court offensive religious cartoons and obscene morphed photos of politicians and deities. The court asked him today to provide all the material he has to the firms, so that they can ensure all the objectionable posts are deleted.

Mr Kazmi filed his civil suit in December, days before another Delhi resident Vinay Rai filed the criminal case against the online firms.

Sachin Pilot, Minister of State for Communications and IT said that the government has no interest in censorship but that internet firms are expected to abide by the law.

"We expect responsible behaviour from both sides. There is nothing demanded outside the ambit of law. There is no question of censorship," said Mr Pilot.

The Delhi High Court recently warned that India could follow China's lead and ban websites that don't follow Indian law. The firms involved have said that though they will comply with legal requirements, it is impossible to monitor and censor all content posted on the internet.