Sunday, July 20, 2008

John Cena Biography

John Felix Anthony Cena (born April 23, 1977) is an American actor, hip hop musician, and wrestler. He is employed by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and performs on their Raw brand.

In his WWE career, Cena has been a three time WWE Champion, a three time United States Champion, and a one time World Tag Team Champion with Shawn Michaels.[9] He also won the 2008 Royal Rumble. Before being promoted to the main WWE roster, Cena trained in and wrestled for Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling, holding the top titles of both promotions.

Outside of wrestling, Cena has released the rap album You Can't See Me, which debuted at #15 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and starred in the movie The Marine. He has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, and Punk'd. Most recently, Cena was a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where he made it to the final round before being eliminated, placing third in the overall competition.

Statistics

Ring name(s) John Cena
Mr. P[1]
The Prototype[2]
Billed height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3]
Billed weight 240 lb (110 kg/17 st)[3]
Born April 23, 1977 (1977-04-23) (age 31)[4]
West Newbury, Massachusetts[3]
Resides Tampa, Florida[5]
Billed from CLASSIFIED (UPW)[2]
West Newbury, Massachusetts (WWE)
Trained by UPW Staff
OVW Staff
Debut February 16, 2000

Early life
Cena was born April 23, 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts,[4] the second eldest of five brothers – Dan, Matt, Steve and Sean.[18] After graduating from Cushing Academy, Cena attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.[19] In college he was a Division III All-American center on the football team,[20] wearing the number 54,[19] which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise.[21][22] He graduated from Springfield in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology,[23] after which he pursued a career as a bodybuilder,[24][25] and also worked as a chauffeur for a limousine company.[26]


Wrestling career

Training
Cena first started training to become a wrestler in 2000 at the California-based "Ultimate University" operated by Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW). Once he was placed into an in-ring role, Cena began using a semi-robotic character known as The Prototype.[27][28] Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Inside Pro Wrestling School.[25] While in UPW, Cena held the Heavyweight Championship for just shy of a month in April 2000.[11] In 2001, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) signed him away from UPW, placing him under a developmental contract and assigning him to their "farm territory" Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he continued his training.[29] During his time there, Cena wrestled as both The Prototype and Mr. P, and he held the Heavyweight Championship for three months and the Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino) for two.[12][30][31]


World Wrestling Entertainment (2002-present)

2002-2003

Cena lifting Kurt Angle for an FU.Cena's first televised WWE match was in answer to a (kayfabe) open challenge by Kurt Angle on June 27, 2002.[32] Inspired by a speech given by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon to the rising stars of the company, exhorting them to show "ruthless aggression" to earn a place among the legends, Cena took advantage of the opportunity and almost beat Angle by kicking out of his Angle Slam and enduring the ankle lock submission hold.[33] He ultimately lost, however, to a hard, amateur-style pin.[33] Following the near-win, Cena became a face and was put into a program with Chris Jericho.[32] In October, Cena and Billy Kidman joined forces to take part in a tag team tournament to crown the first WWE Tag Team Champions of the SmackDown! brand, but lost in the first round.[34] The next week, Cena turned on and attacked Kidman, blaming him for their loss.[32]

Shortly after the Kidman attack, on a Halloween themed episode of SmackDown!, Cena dressed as Vanilla Ice and performed a freestyle rap.[32] The next week, Cena received a new gimmick: a rapper who cut promos in rhyme.[32] As the gimmick grew, he adopted a variant of the 80s WWF logo — dropping the "F" — as his "signature symbol", along with the slogan "Word Life".[35] Moreover, he was joined by an enforcer, Bull Buchanan, who was rechristened B-2 (also written B² and pronounced "B-Squared").[32] Buchanan was later replaced by Rodney Mack under the moniker "Red Dogg",[32] until he was sent to the Raw brand in February.

For the first half of 2003, Cena sought the WWE Championship and chased the reigning champion, Brock Lesnar, performing weekly "freestyles" challenging him to matches.[36][37][38] During the program, Cena unveiled a new finishing maneuver: the FU, a Fireman's carry powerslam, so named to mock Lesnar's F-5.[39] He got a match against Lesnar at April's Backlash by winning a #1 contenders tournament,[32] but did not get the title.[40] At the end of the year he became a face again when he joined Kurt Angle as a member of his Survivor Series team at the 2003 pay-per-view.[41][42]


2004-2005

Cena, wearing his customized U.S. Championship beltIn early 2004, Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match at the annual January pay-per-view event,[43] making it to the final six participants before being eliminated by Big Show.[44] The Royal Rumble elimination led to a feud between Big Show and Cena,[45][46] during which Cena won the United States Championship from the Big Show at WrestleMania XX in March.[47] During his reign, he came into contention with SmackDown! General Manager Kurt Angle over issues arising with René Duprée and Torrie Wilson.[48] The reign ended just shy of four months when, on July 8, he was "stripped" of the belt by Angle after he (kayfabe, accidentally) knocked him over, thus "attacking an official".[49] He won the title back by defeating Booker T in a "best of five" series that culminated at October's No Mercy,[50] only to lose it to the debuting Carlito Caribbean Cool the next week.[51] After the loss to Carlito, the duo began a feud, during which Cena was (kayfabe) stabbed in the kidney while at a Boston-area nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard, Jesús.[52][53] This worked injury was used to keep Cena out of action for a month, during which Cena was actually filming his feature film debut The Marine.[30] Immediately on his return in November, he won the US title back from Carlito and debuted a "custom made" spinner-style title belt.[54][55]

Cena took part in the Royal Rumble in January 2005, this time making it to the final two. He and Raw brand wrestler Batista went over the top rope at the same time, ostensibly ending the match. Vince McMahon, however, appeared on stage and re-started the match in "sudden death", with Batista eventually winning.[56] The next month, Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn a spot in the SmackDown! brand's WrestleMania 21 main event,[57] beginning a feud with WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and his Cabinet in the process. In the opening stages of the feud, Cena lost his US belt to Cabinet member Orlando Jordan,[58] who proceeded to "blow up" the spinner version with JBL and return a more traditional style belt.[59] When Cena and JBL met at WrestleMania, the title switched hands, giving Cena his first world title in the company.[60] As part of the storyline, he then had a spinner WWE Championship belt made,[61] while JBL took the original belt and claimed to still be WWE Champion,[61] until Cena reclaimed the original belt in an "I Quit" match at Judgment Day.[62]

Cena's SmackDown! tenure came to a close on the June 6, 2005 episode of WWE Raw, when he became the first wrestler selected by Raw brand General Manager Eric Bischoff in the annual draft lottery. Cena immediately entered a program against Bischoff when he refused to participate in his "war" against the upcoming Extreme Championship Wrestling reunion show.[63] With Bischoff vowing to make Cena's stint on Raw difficult, he "hand picked" Jericho to take Cena's title from him.[64] During their feud, even though Cena was portrayed as the face and Jericho as the heel, a vocal section of live crowds nonetheless chose to boo Cena during their matches.[65] More crowds followed suit during Cena's next feud with Kurt Angle,[66] who took over as Bischoff's hand picked #1 contender after Cena beat Jericho in a "You're Fired" match on the August 22 Raw, sending him off the show.[67] As the feud continued and the dissenters grew more vocal, sometimes seeming to outnumber fans by wide margins,[68] the announce team was forced to acknowledge the boos on television and began calling Cena a "controversial champion", claiming some people disliked him on account of his "in-ring style" and his chosen fashion.[69] Despite the mixed and negative reactions, Cena held on to his Championship through his feud with Angle, losing to him by disqualification[70] — for which titles do not change hands in WWE — at Unforgiven in September and pinning him at Survivor Series in November.[71] The feud with Angle also saw Cena add a secondary, submission based, finishing maneuver to his repertoire – the STFU (a Stepover Toehold Sleeper, though named for a Stepover Toehold Facelock) – when he was put into a Triple Threat Submissions Only match on the November 28 Raw.[72]


2006-2007

Cena facing off against Edge at a WWE house show.Cena lost the WWE Championship at the first WWE pay-per-view of 2006, New Year's Revolution, but not in the Elimination Chamber match that he had been advertised to participate in beforehand. Instead, immediately after winning the Elimination Chamber, he was thrust into a match against Edge, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract — a "guaranteed title match at the WWE Champion of the owners choosing" — and after two quick spears pinned Cena for the title.[73] Cena's championship reign ended at 280 days, matching the length of previous champion JBL.[74] Just three weeks later, Cena won the title back at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.[73] After winning the Championship back, Cena was put in to a program with Triple H, during which the crowd again seemed to boo the intended face (Cena) and cheer the intended heel (Triple H).[75][76] The negative reaction only intensified when he faced Rob Van Dam (also cashing in a Money in the Bank contract, which he won at WrestleMania 22) at One Night Stand in June. Taking place in front of a crowd of mostly "old school" Extreme Championship Wrestling fans at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Cena was met with raucous jeering and chants of "Fuck you, Cena", "You can't wrestle", and "Same old shit". When he began peppering different moves into the match the fans responded with a chant of "You still suck". Cena lost the WWE Championship for the second time in 2006 at One Night Stand, being pinned by Van Dam after interference from Edge.[77]


Cena, addressing fans at a Raw show.In July, after Edge won the title from Van Dam in a Triple Threat match that also involved Cena,[78] it re-ignited the feud between him and Cena from earlier in the year. After Edge went about retaining the title by dubious means — getting himself disqualified[79] (for which Championships do not change hands) and using brass knuckles[77] — he introduced his own version of Cena's "custom" belt, this one with his logo placed on the spinner.[80] Cena eventually won the Championship back in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at September's Unforgiven pay-per-view, in a match that had an added stipulation that had Cena lost he would leave the Raw brand and go to SmackDown!.[81][82] He returned his version of the spinner belt on the next night's Raw.[83]

On the heels of the Edge program, Cena was placed in an inter-brand angle to determine the so-called "Champion of Champions" — or which was the most dominant champion in WWE's three brands. Cena, King Booker (SmackDown!'s then World Heavyweight Champion), and Big Show (ECW's then World Champion) engaged in a mini-feud leading to a Triple Threat match at Cyber Sunday in November, with the viewers voting on which of the three championships would be placed on the line.[84] At the same time, Cena became involved in a storyline with non-wrestler Kevin Federline when he began appearing on Raw with Johnny Nitro and Melina. After getting into a (worked) physical altercation with Federline on Raw,[84] Federline appeared at Cyber Sunday to hit Cena with the World Heavyweight Title belt during the main event Triple Threat match, helping King Booker retain his title.[77] 2006 ended with Cena beginning a feud with the undefeated Umaga over the WWE Championship,[85] while 2007 began with the end of his storyline with Kevin Federline. On the first Raw of the new year, Cena was pinned by Federline (with an assist from Umaga), although later in the night he was able to get his hands on Federline to FU him.[86]

During their feud, Cena ended Umaga's "undefeated" streak at New Year's Revolution[87] before Umaga caused a (worked) injury to Cena's spleen,[88] putting a scheduled Last Man Standing rematch at Royal Rumble in (kayfabe) jeopardy. The match did, however, take place and Cena retained his title.[89]


Cena putting his hands up meaning "Word Life".One night after the Royal Rumble, an impromptu team of Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton) for the World Tag Team Championship, making Cena a double champion.[90] On the April 2 episode of Raw, after losing a WWE Championship match to Cena at WrestleMania 23,[91] Michaels "turned" on Cena, costing them the team the Championship in the second of two 10 team battles royals by throwing Cena over the top rope and eliminating the team. The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) eventually won the match and the title.[92] For the rest of the month, Cena feuded with Michaels, Orton, and Edge until The Great Khali declared his intentions to challenge for Cena's title by attacking and "laying out" all three of the top contenders[93] before assaulting Cena himself and stealing the physical belt.[94] For the next two months, Cena feuded with Khali over the Championship, eventually becoming the first person in WWE to defeat him by submission at May's Judgment Day[95][96] and then by pinfall at June's One Night Stand.[97][98] Later that summer, prior to SummerSlam, Randy Orton was named the #1 contender to the WWE championship,[99] starting a feud between the two. Leading up to the pay-per-view, Orton delivered a number of sneak-attacks, hitting Cena with three RKOs, but in the actual match, Cena retained the title, winning by pinfall.[100] A rematch between the two occurred at Unforgiven, with Orton winning by disqualification after Cena ignored the referee's instructions and continued to beat on him in the corner.[101]

During a match with Mr. Kennedy on the October 1, 2007 episode of Raw, Cena suffered a legitimate torn pectoral muscle while executing a hip toss.[102] Though he finished the match and took part in the scripted attack by Randy Orton after the match, surgery the following day found that his pectoralis major muscle was torn completely from the bone, estimated at the time to require seven months to a year of rehabilitation.[103][104] As a result, he was stripped of the title in an announcement by Vince McMahon on the next night's episode of ECW,[105] ending what was the longest WWE Championship reign in over 19 years.[106] His surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.[102] Two weeks later, in a video update on WWE.com, Dr. Andrews and Cena's physical trainer both said that he was several weeks ahead of where he was expected to be in his rehabilitation at that time.[107] Despite his injury, Cena attended the annual WWE Tribute to the Troops show filmed at Camp Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq on December 7, and aired on December 24.[108]


2008
Cena made an unannounced return to action on January 27 as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match. He won the match, and the traditional WrestleMania title shot, by last eliminating Triple H.[10] Instead of waiting until WrestleMania, the title shot was cashed in against WWE Champion Randy Orton at February's No Way Out,[109] in a match Cena won by disqualification, resulting in him not getting the championship.[110] The night after his No Way Out win, Cena was placed back in to WrestleMania XXIV's WWE Championship match, making it a three-way also involving Triple H,[111] during which he was pinned by Orton.[112] At Backlash Cena failed to regain the title in a Fatal Four Way elimination match at Backlash, in which he was pinned by Orton.[113] Triple H won the title during that match. During that match, Cena eliminated John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL),[113] thus renewing their feud from 2005. Cena defeated JBL at Judgment Day and then at One Night Stand in a First Blood match.[114][115]


In wrestling

Cena applying the STFU on Randy Orton

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Cena waves his "You Can't See Me!" taunt in front of Chris MastersFinishing and signature moves
FU[39] (Fireman's carry takeover) – WWE
Proto–Bomb[2] – UPW / Killswitch – OVW (Spin–out powerbomb)
STFU[116] (Stepover toehold sleeper) – WWE
Diving leg drop bulldog
Fisherman suplex
Five Knuckle Shuffle[117] (Fist drop with theatrics)
Lou Thesz press followed by multiple punches
Running flying shoulder block
Running one–handed bulldog
Sitout hip toss
Throwback (Running neck snap on a standing opponent)
Twisting belly to belly side slam
Signature foreign objects
Brass knuckles
Steel chain
Nicknames
The Doctor of Thuganomics
The Champ
The Chain Gang Commander
The Chain Gang Soldier
Signature taunts
Waving his hand in front of his face, horizontally, to symbolize that "You can't see me!". (2003–Present)
Pumping up his Reebok Pump sneakers. (2004–2006)
Putting his hands up while spreading them and putting his thumb sideways and his pinky up, meaning "Word Life". (2002–Present)
"Freestyling" on his opponents before his matches. (2002–2005)
Military salute to the audience. (2006–Present)
Entrance themes
Cena performs his current theme song, "The Time is Now", as well as the song it replaced, "Basic Thuganomics". Both songs were released on WWE soundtrack CDs (You Can't See Me and WWE Originals respectively).
Managers
Kenny Bolin

Championships and accomplishments

Cena with his spinner WWE Championship belt.Ohio Valley Wrestling
OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[12]
OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time)[31] – with Rico Constantino
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Feud of the Year – vs. Edge (2006)[118]
Match of the Year – vs. Shawn Michaels - Raw, April 23 (2007)[119]
Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2003)[120]
Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2004, 2005, 2007)[121]
Wrestler of the Year (2006, 2007)[122]
PWI ranked #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the the PWI 500 in 2006 and 2007[123][124]
Ultimate Pro Wrestling
UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[11]
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Tag Team Championship (1 time)[9] – with Shawn Michaels
WWE Championship (3 times)[7]
WWE United States Championship (3 times)[8]
Royal Rumble Winner (2008)

Outside of wrestling

Film

Cena, with actual Marines, at the premiere of his film The Marine.WWE Films, a division of World Wrestling Entertainment which produces and finances motion pictures, produced Cena's first movie — The Marine, which was distributed theatrically by 20th Century Fox America beginning on October 13, 2006. In its first week, the film made approximately $7 million at the United States box office.[15] After ten weeks in theaters, the film grossed $18.7 million.[15] Once the film was released on DVD, it fared better, making $30 million in rentals in the first twelve weeks.[15]

His second film, also produced by WWE Films, is scheduled to be 12 Rounds,[125] filming for began on February 25, 2008 in New Orleans.[126]


Guest appearances
Before his WWE debut, Cena made a 2001 appearance on the Internet stream show Go Sick as Bruebaker, an angry, cursing wrestler.[127]

During his WWE career, Cena has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! twice; on July 23, 2005 promoting his CD, the pending SummerSlam pay-per-view, and WWE in general, and again on March 14, 2006 to promote Saturday Night's Main Event and WrestleMania 22. He has also appeared on popular morning radio shows; including the CBS and XM versions of Opie and Anthony as part of their "walkover" on October 10, 2006. Other appearances have included Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Fuse's Celebrity Playlist, Fox Sports Net's The Best Damn Sports Show Period, MADtv, G4's Training Camp (with Shelton Benjamin), and two appearances on MTV's Punk'd (August 2006 and May 2007), as the victim of a practical joke. He also served as a co-presenter, with Hulk Hogan, at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, as a guest judge during the third week of the 2006 season of Nashville Star, and appeared at the 2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids Choice Awards 2007.[128]

In January 2007, Cena, Batista, and Ashley Massaro appeared representing WWE on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,[129] giving the children of the family whose house was being renovated WWE merchandise and eight tickets to WrestleMania 23.[130] Two months later, he and Bobby Lashley appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal as "moral support" to long time WWE fan and front row staple, Rick "Sign Guy" Achberger. Edge and Randy Orton also appeared, but as antagonists.[16] On April 9, 2008, he, along with fellow wrestlers Triple H and Chris Jericho, appeared on the Idol Gives Back fund-raising special.[131]


Television
In 2001, between his training in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling,[24] Cena was involved in the UPN produced reality show Manhunt. Cena portrayed Big Tim Kingman, leader of the group of bounty hunters who chased down the contestants who acted as fugitives. The show, however, was mired in controversy when it was alleged that the portions of the show were rigged to eliminate certain players, scenes were re-shot or staged to enhance drama and contestants read from scripts.[132][133][134]

He was also featured on the ABC reality series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, which aired in June 2007.[135] He made it to the final round before being eliminated on June 24, placing third in the competition overall.[17]

In 2007 Cena was also interviewed for the CNN Special Investigations Unit documentary, "Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling", which focused on steroid and drug use in professional wrestling. When asked if he had taken steroids he was heard to reply, "I can't tell you that I haven't, but you'll never prove that I have." The day after the documentary aired WWE accused CNN of taking Cena's comments out of context to present a biased point of view, backing up their claim by posting an unedited video of his answering the same question—filmed by WWE cameras from another angle—in which he is heard beginning the same statement with "Absolutely not."[136] A text interview on the website with Cena later had him saying the news outlet should apologize for misrepresenting him,[137] which CNN refused in a statement, saying they felt the true answer to the question began with the phrase "My answer to that question".[138] They did, however, edit the documentary on subsequent airings to include the "Absolutely not".[138]


Endorsements
Before his professional wrestling career, Cena appeared in an advertisement for Gold's Gym.[139] As a wrestler he has endorsed the energy drink YJ Stinger,[140] appearing in commercials beginning in October 2003, and Subway,[141] for whom he filmed advertisements with their spokesperson Jared Fogle in November 2006 that began airing the next January. For a time in 2007 he also endorses two "signature collections" of energy drinks and bars sold by American Body Builders.[142] In 2008 he filmed a commercial as part of Gilette's "Young Guns" NASCAR campaign.[143]


Fashion
For the extent of his WWE career Cena's attire has reflected the hip hop culture that his character represents. He started out wearing "throwback jerseys" until WWE produced specific Cena merchandise which he began wearing.[144] While he was a member of the SmackDown! brand, one of his WWE produced t-shirts bore the suggestive spoonerism "Ruck Fules". Whenever it appeared on television the image was censored, not by the network, but by WWE to sell more shirts under the premise that it was "too hot for TV."[145] He also wore a chain with a large padlock, occasionally using it as a weapon,[146] until WrestleMania 21, when it was replaced with a chromed and diamond studded "Chain Gang" spinner medallion—reminiscent of the ones worn by members of G-Unit—matching his spinner title belt.

Around the time Cena's film, The Marine, was released he began wearing attire more military related, including camouflage shorts, dog tags, a Marine soldier cap and a WWE produced shirt with the legend "Chain Gang Assault Battalion."[147] Shortly after WrestleMania 23, when promotion for The Marine ended, the military attire diminished and was replaced with apparel bearing his new slogan "American Made Muscle" along with denim shorts, not seen since he was a member of the SmackDown! roster.[148]


Music
Music sample:
"The Time is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc (2005)


Sample from "The Time Is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc.
Problems listening to the file? See media help.Cena is a hip hop musician in addition to his wrestling career. He performed his fifth WWE theme song, "Basic Thugonomics," himself, and it was featured on the WWE soundtrack album WWE Originals. He also recorded a song,"Untouchables", for the company's next soundtrack album WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6. He collaborated on the song H-U-S-T-L-E remix along with MURS, E-40, and Chingo Bling.[149]

His debut album, You Can't See Me, was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. It features, amongst other songs, his entrance theme "The Time is Now" and the single "Bad, Bad Man," for which a music video was made that parodied 1980s culture, including the television show The A-Team. A video was also made for the second single, "Right Now," and premiered on the August 8 Raw. Cena and Tha Trademarc were later featured on a track by The Perceptionists named "Champion Scratch."[150] Promotion for the album lead to Cena being the only professional wrestler to ever perform on BBC Two's long running Top of the Pops.


Albums
You Can't See Me
Released: May 10, 2005
Chart positions:[13][151] 15 U.S. Billboard 200, 10 U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop, 3 U.S. Rap, 103 U.K. Top 200 Albums

Singles
Year Song U.S. Hot 100 U.S. R&B U.S. Rap Album
2005 "The Time Is Now" DNC DNC DNC You Can't See Me
2005 "Bad Bad Man" (featuring Bumpy Knuckles) DNC DNC DNC You Can't See Me
2005 "Right Now" DNC DNC DNC You Can't See Me

DNC = Did not chart

Personal life
Cena writes left-handed,[152] but throws right-handed and favors his right arm in the ring.

Cena is a known fan of cartoons and has mentioned on "Five Questions" that his favorite animated movie is Fist of the North Star. He has also said that he is a huge fan of the video game series Command & Conquer and names it his favorite game of all time.[153] He's also a fan of the Boston Red Sox.[154] Cena collects muscle cars and has over 20, some of which are one-of-a-kind.[155]

Source: wikipedia.org

News on John Cena, Cade, WWE Roster Updates, More

WWEshop.com has released a new MVP pendant, new replica Championship belts and action figures.

John Cena defeated Lance Cade at last night's OVW show at Six Flags in the main event. A report from the show said there were atleast 3,000 fans in attendance which is pretty good for an OVW show.

- WWE has finally added Evan Bourne to the ECW roster page. Still no profiles for Braden Walker, Tiffany or Ricky Ortiz. Kelly Kelly's profile has also been moved from ECW over to RAW.

Source: prowrestling.com

Coliseum hosts WWE's The Great American Bash

Ahh, summer on Long Island. Lazy afternoons at Jones Beach. Barbecues in the backyard. And "New York City Parking Lot Brawls" in Uniondale?

Sunday night, World Wrestling Entertainment brings one of pro wrestling's oldest summer traditions to Long Island as the Nassau Coliseum hosts The Great American Bash. The sold-out event is airing live on pay per view starting at 8 p.m.

Whether you've forked over $300 for a ringside seat, or $40 to watch it from the comfort of your home, here are some liner notes of sorts to help guide you through three hours of "sports entertainment" action.

The 16,000-seat Coliseum sold out in less than an hour when tickets went on sale for the Bash in May. For their $300, ringside fans get to keep their commemorative chair.

Despite Nassau Coliseum having hosted some 177 WWE events since it opened in 1972, Sunday night's is only the third pay-per-view from the arena. In 1986, the first third of WrestleMania 2, which took place in three separate cities, was held there. Then in 2002, the Coliseum hosted "SummerSlam."

The first card held by the then-World Wide Wrestling Federation at the Coliseum was in February 1974. It featured WWWF world heavyweight champion Bruno Sammartino taking on Stan Stasiak. Although WWE has scaled back visits to the Coliseum, it was a near-monthly stop for the company throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

The Great American Bash began in 1985 under the National Wrestling Alliance banner and promoted by WWE rival Jim Crockett promotions. It later became an annual pay-per-view held by the Ted Turner-owned World Championship Wrestling, which promoted the show until 2000. In 2004, WWE renamed its annual July pay-per-view to cash in on the event's name value.

Former NWA star Dusty Rhodes headlined the first Great American Bash 23 years ago, and is credited with coming up with the event's name. Sunday, Rhodes' son Cody is one half of WWE's world tag team champions.

Early Bashes included such memorable moments as Ric Flair landing in a helicopter during his entrance for a match against Nikita Koloff in 1985 and the first double steel cage "War Games" match in 1987.

Three Long Islanders will be part of -- or at least calling -- the action for WWE Sunday night. East Setauket's Mick Foley and Massapequa's Tazz will both be doing color commentary from ringside, while "Y2J" Chris Jericho, who was born in Manhasset, takes on Shawn Michaels in a grudge match.

The Bash features two world title main event matches. In one, newly crowned world heavyweight champion, the tattooed and pierced "Straight Edge Superstar" C.M. Punk defends against "The Animal" Batista. In the other, six-time world champion -- and son-in-law of WWE chairman Vince McMahon -- Triple H defends his WWE title against "The Rated R Superstar" Edge.

WWE's top star, John Cena, will also battle wrestler/Fox News Channel financial commentator John Bradshaw Layfield in a New York City parking lot brawl, in which both men will fight surrounded by automobiles.

Long Island wrestling fans' reputation for being tough to satisfy may have something to do with WWE's sporadic visits to the Coliseum for big shows. At a live televised event in 2001, then-WWE color commentator Paul Heyman left the announcer table during a commercial and broke character while ripping into L.I. fans for sitting on their hands. "The Madison Square Garden crowd demands historic moments. The Long Island crowd demands value for their dollar," Heyman told Newsday last week.

Source: newsday.com

Medicare at the doorstep

KHAMMAM: State Medical and Health Minister Sambani Chandrasekhar on Friday said in view of the increase in the number of malaria cases in the Agency areas of the district, the State Government had sanctioned a public health laboratory at a cost of Rs 30 lakh for the town and a mobile laboratory for Agency areas.

Fromally launching the Rajiv Arogyasri scheme in Khammam, he said the State and Central governments were taking health care to the doorstep of rural people. As part of it, Rs 320 crore was sanctioned and Rs 6 crore of the amount would be spent in the Agency over a period of three years.

He said the people could have their water, food and blood checked free of cost at the public health laboratory. A suitable site would be identified for construction of the laboratory.

On vacancies in the Health Department, the minister said 58 doctors and 131 ANMs were recruited in the district recently.

With a view to providing better medicare for the people, the Government had sanctioned 487 mobile clinics vehicles and they would start functioning from the first week of August. He said every effort would be made to make rural people aware about the Rajiv Arogyasri scheme. Posters and pamphlets would be released and seminars would be conducted on the scheme, the minister added.

District Collector Sasibhushan Kumar and District medical and health officer Babji were also present.

Source: newindpress.com

Sania Mirza Biography

Sania Mirza was born in Mumbai, India on the 15th November, 1986 to Mr. Imran Mirza and Naseema. Saniya Mirza’s father Imran was a sports journalist previously after that he went into the printing business and finally he became a builder and her mother Naseema was associated with the printing industry. The family later relocated themselves in the city of Hyderabad. Saniya Mirza got her schooling from Nasr School Khairatabad and passed her SSC examination with first division securing 63% marks.

Saniya Mirza has got a younger sister by the name of Anam. Saniya was drawn to the lawn tennis by her father; she started playing tennis at the tender age of six at Nizam Club Hyderabad. When Saniya was first taken to the coach he refused to coach her, later on after a week he called up the parents of Saniya and told them that he has never seen such a talent at such a tender age. Her initial training was handled by CK Bhupati father of Mahesh Bhupati, the legendary Indian tennis player.

Sania Mirza’s father was unable to take care of the expenses of the training of Saniya therefore he approached some business houses for help, GVK industries and Adidas started to sponsor her from the age of 12 years. Later on her father Imran took over as her coach. Her physiotherapist is Badrinath.


Sania Mirza learnt the professional tennis at Sinnet Tennis Academy in Secunderabad after that she moved to the Ace Tennis Academy in the United States. Currently her professional career is being managed by Global Sports, a company associated with Mahesh Bhupati and she has appointed Bob Brett who was previously the coach of Boris Becker as a specialist advisor.


Saniya Mirza started playing in international tournaments from the year 1999 when she first represented India in the World Junior Championship, Jakarta; after that Saniya went on to participate in the Asian Games in the year with Paes where she won a bronze medal. She again did India proud when she figured in the main draw for the girls doubles junior Wimbledon Tennis tournament with a 13 year old Russian player Alisa Kleybanova and won the Grand Slam title. Doing so Saniya became the first youngest Indian player to do so.


Sania Mirza has won 21 ITF titles till date. In the year 2005 Saniya Mirza created waves in the tennis world when she reached to the 3rd and 4th rounds of many Grand Slam tournaments. She has a very powerful forehand (Double handed backhand) and serves an array of strokes. She is greatly influenced by the German player Stefi Graff.

Source: saniyamirza.org

Shahid Kapoor Biography

Shahid Kapoor born February 25, 1981 in Mumbai, India is a Bollywood actor and model.

Shahid was born to actor Pankaj Kapoor (Karamchand) fame and actress/classical dancer Neelima Azeem. His parents divorced when he was three and he usually lived with his mother. His step-mother is Supriya Pathak. Shahid Kapoor has a little brother and sister called Ruhan and Sanaa. He's also the step brother of Ishaan Kapoor who he starred with in the film "Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi".

He is a trained dancer and studied dancing with Shiamak Davar. He did extra roles and has starred in several music videos and commercials.. He stands at 5' 7" (1.70 m).

His debut film "Ishq Vishk" (2003) was a success. He received the Filmfare Award 2003 in the Debut category for his performance along with the same award from the Star Screen Awards and the Zee Cine Awards.

In 2004, he starred in two more films: "Fida", a thriller co-starring Kareena Kapoor and Fardeen Khan as well as "Dil Maange More", a romantic comedy alongside Soha Ali Khan, Tulip Joshi, and Ayesha Takia. Both films bombed at the box office, and Kapoor received positive reviews for his performances.

In 2005 all three of his films, "Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi", "Deewane Huye Pagal", and "Shikhar" failed to do well at the box office but his performances were praised. He received a Star Screen Best Actor Nomination for his work in "Shikhar".In 2006, Shahid received his first box office success since his debut with the multi-starrer, "36 China Town". Despite mixed reviews the comic-thriller became an above-average success.

Shortly after the release of 36 China Town, Shahid's second 2006 release, "Chup Chup Ke" released, which was an average success.In the summer of 2006, Shahid embarked on a World Tour along with fellow Bollywood stars, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, John Abraham, Esha Deol, Mallika Sherawat and Zayed Khan.

His most recent film "Vivah" along with Amrita Rao was a blockbuster despite its outdated theme, continuing steady in the top five at the Indian box office even in its thirteenth week.His performance was well appreciated with audiences and critics both in India and abroad.

Shahid's new movie "Fool and Final" released on June 1, 2007, gained average reviews. He will soon be seen in two upcoming films - "Jab We Met" by Imtiaz Ali opposite Kareena Kapoor, and one by Aziz Mirza opposite Vidya Balan.

Shahid is currently dating actress Kareena Kapoor.Furthermore, prior to joining the film industry, Shahid dated actress, Hrishita Bhatt.But rumours say that some trouble is going on in Shahid- Kareena relationship .

Filmography

Lucky Charm (2008)
Milenge Milenge (2008) - Unknown
Kismat Konnection (2008) - Raj Malhotra
Jab We Met (2007) - Aditya
Fool n Final (2007) - Raja
Vivaah (2006) - Prem

Chup Chup Ke (2006) - Jeetu
Shikhar (2006) - Jaidev Vardhan
36 China Town (2005) - Raj
Deewane Huye Pagal (2005) - Karan
Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi (2005) - Aditya "Adi Chachu"

Filmography as Actor

Lucky Charm (2008)

Milenge Milenge (2008) - Unknown

Kismat Konnection (2008) - Raj Malhotra

Jab We Met (2007) - Aditya

Fool n Final (2007) - Raja

Vivaah (2006) - Prem

Chup Chup Ke (2006) - Jeetu

Shikhar (2006) - Jaidev Vardhan

36 China Town (2005) - Raj

Deewane Huye Pagal (2005) - Karan

Vaah! Life Ho To Aisi (2005) - Aditya "Adi Chachu"

Dil Maange More!!! (2004) - Nikhil Mathur

Fida (2004) - Jai Malhotra

Ishq Vishk (2003) - Rajiv Mathur (as Shahid)

Source: chakpak.com

Rising fuel prices could end low-cost air travel to Mexico

MEXICO CITY - Skyrocketing fuel prices are rocking the Mexican airline industry, leading to steep fare increases, the slashing of routes and what some analysts fear could be the end of low cost air travel south of the border.

Experts say the current woes could lead to the disappearance of several Mexican airlines and an era of consolidation that could see just a handful of Mexico's 14 carriers survive. At greatest risk, they say, are Mexico's fledgling low-cost carriers, which entered the market in 2005 and had a profound effect, causing traditional airlines to lower ticket prices and bringing thousands of first-time fliers into the skies.

"We are returning to the time of (expensive tickets)," said Juan Antonio Jose, an independent airline analyst in Mexico City. "Cheap tickets are history. Forget about them."

With jet fuel costs up more than 70 percent in the last year, Mexican airlines have raised prices about 25 percent since the beginning of the year, and Jose expects price hikes to hit 50 percent by the end of 2008. Most sensitive to the fare increases are the legion of fliers who were lured from buses by the low cost carriers. According to low cost carrier Volaris, about one-third of passengers are first-time fliers.

But an extended period of higher fares could drive that demographic away. "They could migrate back (to bus travel)," said Francisco Guzman, an airline analyst with Scotia Capital in Mexico City. "But it depends on how long this lasts. If it's prolonged, say two years, that would be very bad for aviation and good for buses."

The burgeoning crisis has already had an impact on international flights to Mexico. International prices on legacy airlines Mexicana and Aeromexico have risen sharply. A round-trip flight on Mexicana between San Antonio and Mexico City is about $600, a far cry from the $100 one-way tickets the airline was selling in the spring of 2006.

Delta Airlines, like other American airlines, has cut or suspended several Mexico routes in the last year, including flights between Atlanta and Leon and Merida.

Among the reasons international airlines have cut flights to such secondary markets is the slowdown in migrants flying, analysts say. Migrants returning to the border had also fueled the success of some of Mexico's low-cost carriers. But because of stricter border enforcement, fewer migrants are making frequent visits home, adding to the malaise.

In all, Mexican airlines have cut about 15 percent of their routes, according to the Secretary of Communications and Transportation. As in the U.S., several airlines have grounded their planes, preferring to not fly at all than risk losses on unprofitable routes. Discount airlines Avolar and Aviacsa have reportedly grounded about half their fleets in recent months, according to Mexican press reports.

Most low-cost airlines have targeted former bus riders and offered prices slightly higher than those of Mexico's luxury bus lines. But that may be harder to do as bus companies attempt to take advantage of the airline crisis.

In recent weeks, several Mexican bus companies have announced dramatic drops in prices, which they are able to do in part because the Mexican government subsidizes gasoline (diesel goes for about $2.20 per gallon). Mexican airlines have asked for a similar subsidy for jet fuel, but so far the Mexican government has opposed such help for the airlines.

Source: dallasnews.com

Boston's airfares rising sharply

Fuel costs, short flights help Logan prices top US average

It's getting more expensive to fly all over the country, thanks to rising fuel costs, but because of other factors as well, the cost of flying into and out of Boston is soaring higher than almost anywhere else. So far this year, domestic airfares at Logan International Airport have risen twice as fast as the national average.

Fares from Boston to its 58 most popular domestic destinations rose 27.5 percent this year over 2007, compared with a national average increase of 13.8 percent, according to data analyzed for the Globe by Farecast Live Search, an airfare tracking website formerly called Farecast.com. The increase reflects the average lowest fares listed daily between Jan. 1 and July 8 for travel within the next 90 days. Of the country's 39 largest airports, only four - New York's LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International, Ronald Reagan Washington National and Port Columbus airports - had bigger increases than Logan.

Airlines around the world are raising fares because of record-high fuel prices. But the ticket increases have jumped higher in Boston because of the large number of short flights, where the spikes have been highest on a percent-change basis. Boston has also been hurt by the lack of strong competition from discount carriers such as Southwest Airlines and Virgin America, which keep a lid on fares.

"The ones that are up the most look to be short-haul markets, like Boston to Pittsburgh, Boston to Philadelphia, Boston to Columbus," said John Rauser, a Farecast data-mining engineer. Almost half of the flights to Boston's most popular destinations are within a 1,000-mile radius, he said. Because these short-haul flights charge relatively inexpensive fares, price increases look larger. "A small dollar increase - but a relatively larger percentage increase - is palatable to consumers, and so it is more likely to stick."

While low-cost carriers JetBlue Airways Corp. and AirTran Airways fly one out of five Boston passengers, more service from these kinds of airlines is needed to anchor Logan's airfares. "If Southwest flew to Logan, you'd be in the bottom part of the pack for fare increases," said Rick Seaney, chief executive of Farecompare.com, a consumer airline ticket research website. "If you didn't have JetBlue flying coast to coast, it would be a lot higher."

Airlines say a particular route's fare partially reflects the cost of operating at the departing and arriving airports. But Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Logan, said: "Airfares are set by the airlines."

Of the Hub routes Farecast examined, prices rose the most over the past year between Boston and Columbus - a pair of cities JetBlue stopped flying to in January. Now the cheapest Columbus roundtrip flight on average costs twice as much as it did - on average $132 more - a year ago. The second-highest increase was between Boston and Philadelphia: The average lowest roundtrip airfare shot up 98 percent - on average $132 more, according to Farecast.

John Kwoka, a Northeastern University economics professor who had been flying that route seven times a year, noticed the fares offered by Delta Air Lines and US Airways spiked once AirTran Airways pulled out of the Boston-to-Philadelphia route in November.

Kwoka pulled out, too.

"I fly less and I do what a lot of people do, which is drive to Providence" to catch a cheap Southwest or US Airways flight to Philly, said the 62-year-old. "However hard that is, you can save many hundreds of dollars by leaving from somewhere other than Logan."

Farecast's analysis shows airfares to Logan's most popular destination - New York - rose 27 percent to 50 percent over the past year, depending on whether the flights landed at LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International or Newark. Fares on another frequent business-trip route - Boston to Washington, D.C. - surged 33 percent.

Steve Zakszewski of Somerville, who considers himself "a very conscientious shopper," will even ride a bus four hours to circumvent Boston's rising airfares. Instead of flying out of Logan, the 43-year-old circus lighting designer said, "if time's not a factor and it would save $200 to fly out of JFK, I could take the Fung Wah [bus] to New York, take the New York metro to JFK, and save myself 150 bucks."

Of course, airfares at other airports have been rising as well. US airlines - rocked so hard by rocketing fuel prices that some may be on the brink of bankruptcy soon - have tried with mixed success to inch airfares up by $4 to $70 roundtrip a collective total of 21 times during the first half of this year. That's almost as many attempts as in all of 2007, although last year most of the 23 increases popped up after Labor Day, said Seaney. If airlines keep up their fare frenzy, they will have tried to raise their rates about 40 times by this New Year's Eve.

"The pace is torrid," said Seaney, an airfare researcher. "They keep firing one off every 10 days or so."

Carriers say they have little choice. American Airlines Inc.'s parent company, AMR Corp., Delta Air Lines Inc., and Continental Airlines Inc. each reported quarterly losses last week, faring worse than the same period last year because of the higher fuel costs.

"We're not the least bit apologetic about raising fares," said American spokesman Ned Raynolds. "The public and media perception is that all the increases stick and fares have gone up dramatically. The reality is that today's average fares are lower than they were in 2000."

Back then, American's average domestic roundtrip airfare was $326, he said. Now it is $298, or 9.4 percent less.

Historically, airfares have dipped for travel between Labor Day and mid-November, with sales beginning in mid-August. But specialists aren't sure airlines will trim prices this year, especially since they will be slashing seat capacity an estimated 11.2 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the year-ago period to hold down the supply of available seats and shore up prices.

As a result, buying plane tickets has become a bigger gamble. Will the price rise or fall in the next few days?

"It's kind of like playing the stock market," said Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com. "You want to watch it and buy at the right time."

Source: boston.com

The Cheap Flights Weekly Roundup

Sales and discounts on various carriers such as Horizon Air and United Airlines have been announced over the past week. A number of new routes have started operating, including a daily nonstop flight between JFK and Lyon. Meanwhile, some airports around the country are making changes.

Airline Sales and Deals

Make for Mammoth - Horizon Air's savings LAX-Mammoth flights cost $79 one way, excluding taxes and fees Sundays through Wednesdays. The discount also applies on flights departing from Mammoth to LAX Tuesdays through Friday.

Frontier Airlines' sale, airfares from $56ew Frontier Airlines has announced a sale on flights between Denver and U.S. cities, Canada, and Mexico, from $56 each way (based on a round-trip purchase) plus taxes and surcharges.

Canadian sunrise - United's summer sale United Airlines is offering discount airfares as low as $116 (plus taxes and surcharges) for travel between the U.S. and Canada. Travel by September 30.

AirTran's seventh day deals, fly from $94ew AirTran Airways has tickets for travel through November 12. Book and buy no later than Tuesday, July 29.

New Service

JetBlue adds flights from Richmond to Orlando A new daily nonstop service between Richmond International Airport and Orlando, begins November 2. Fares for travel between two cities, inclusive of unlimited free snacks, start at $89 (without taxes and surcharges) each way for travel through December 15.

Delta Air Lines starts nonstop JFK-Lyon flights Delta Air Lines has started a new service from JFK to Saint-Exupery International Airport (LYS) in France.

LAN announces new Toronto-Santiago flights Chilean carrier LAN will introduce flights from Toronto to the Chilean capital via New York on September 3.

Hawaii needs some lift - here comes Alaska Alaska Airlines has launched a nonstop service between Seattle Tacoma and Maui.

This week's airport news…

Name change for Birmingham Airport The Birmingham Airport Authority has voted to change the name of Birmingham International Airport to Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport after civil rights leader Fred Shuttlesworth.

The Paradies Shops to open at Indiana Airport The Paradies Shops has been awarded a ten-year contract to bring exclusive retail stores to Indianapolis International Airport (IND) this year.

New security system at Washington airports The Transportation Security Administration has upgraded the security checkpoints at all three major airports in the Washington D.C. area.

Source: http://news.cheapflights.com

Cheap flight to Dhaka takes off

Calcutta, July 19: The first low cost flight between Calcutta and Dhaka will take off tomorrow.

Air India Express will fly six days a week, an airline spokesperson said today.

The 186-seater Boeing 737-800 will not fly on Saturdays.

The operation between Calcutta and Dhaka will be an extension of the services on the Singapore and Bangkok sectors, the airline spokesperson added.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the flight that reaches Calcutta from Dhaka at 6am will take off for Singapore at 6.50. It will return to Calcutta at 4pm before flying to Dhaka at 5.10.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays the plane will fly to Bangkok at 6.50am after reaching Calcutta from Dhaka at 6. It will return at 1.20pm and then fly to Dhaka.

Air India sources said the minimum one-way fare for a flight between Calcutta and Dhaka would be around Rs 3,000, including taxes.

GMG Airlines now opera- tes two flights daily to Dhaka and four flights a week to Chittagong. Biman Bangladesh and Jet Airways operate one flight each everyday.

Kingfisher plans to launch double daily flights from Calcutta to Dhaka and Chittagong this winter.

However, aviation industry sources said demand for seats in the sector was low. “Everyday, there are around 300 seats in four flights to Dhaka, but only around 150 passengers travel.”

Air India officials pointed out that they were also targeting those travelling from Bangladesh to Southeast Asia.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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IndiGo, SpiceJet say no to Bangalore aerobridges

After cutting down on capacity and manpower, airlines are now trying to save on airport charges. This they are doing by sparingly using airport infrastructure on which additional charges are levied and using their own equipment at the airport.

For instance, low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet are not using the aerobridges at the new Bangalore greenfield airport, because the airport authorities levy an extra charge for using the aerobridges. Also, carriers like Air India do not use the aerobridges for smaller aircraft like ATRs.

Airline executives said the aerobridge charges at the Bangalore airport could range anywhere between Rs 4,500 and 8,000, depending on flight duration and aircraft type. The new airport has a total of 8 aerobridges. The old HAL airport, which had two aerobridges, did not levy any charge on usage of aerobridges.

"We do not use the aerobridges at the Bangalore airport, which is the only one in the country to currently levy any charge for aerobridge. As a cost-cutting measure, we prefer to use our own buses for ferrying the passengers to and from the aircraft," said a SpiceJet executive.

Agreed Bruce Ashby, CEO of Delhi based budget carrier IndiGo, which currently does all its groundhandling on its own, which includes ferrying passengers to the aircraft on their own vehicles.

"We have found it more cost-effective to do our own groundhandling. In fact, based on the rates quoted by Bangalore airport, it is more cost-effective in every area to self-handle," said Ashby.

Currently, the full-service carriers Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher and other LCCs JetLite and Simplifly Deccan use aerobridges, but an executive of one of the carriers said because of the extra charges, it is definitely costlier to use an aerobridge at the Bangalore airport.

"BIAL is the first to introduce usage-based cost. This also applies to airlines using the aerobridge facility. The option gives the airlines the flexibility to monitor its costs as well as service offerings to its passengers. Charges depend on type of aircraft and duration of usage," said BIAL CEO Albert Bunner.

Setting up an aerobridge costs around $750,000. The Delhi airport is also introducing this facility in its new terminals, but executives of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), clarified that they were not mulling any extra charge for the use of the aerobridges.

Airlines have also opposed a similar charge for use of aerobridges, which was being mulled at the Hyderabad greenfield airport.

The Hyderabad airport currently levies an overall charge for the usage of airport infrastructure, called the common infrastructure charges (CIC).

The current charges, which cover usage of aerobridges, common user terminal equipment (CUTE) and inline baggage systems, among other things, currently stand at Rs 85 per passenger, which would amount to around Rs 8,500 per flight taking an average of 100 passengers for one flight.

According to a spokesperson of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, some of the low-cost airlines did not want to pay for the aerobridges, saying they were not using them.

The spokesperson said discussions regarding the usage and charges were currently on and the issue would be resolved in a week or so. The Hyderabad airport currently has 12 aerobridges.

However, airline pilots said aerobridges would lead to faster turnaround time and thus more efficient handling of an aircraft.

Source: business-standard.com

Kate Moss Refuses To Quit Smoking

Supermodel Kate Moss is refusing to quit smoking - insisting "it's who I am."

The catwalk beauty is rarely seen without a cigarette in her hand and despite the health risks, she is determined not to give up.

She says, "It's who I am. I don't want to create a phony facade. I think I just have to be myself, otherwise I'd just be a paranoid mess." (Source: starpulse.com)

Courtney Love Praises Gwyneth Paltrow

Rocker Courtney Love has lavished praise on her close friend Gwyneth Paltrow - insisting the Hollywood actress always "takes good care" of her.

The former Hole frontwoman met Paltrow while the actress was filming her Oscar-winning role in 1999 movie Shakespeare In Love and the pair has been close pals ever since. And Love insists that despite drifting apart over the last few years, Paltrow and her husband Chris Martin are now incredibly caring towards her.

She writes on her Myspace internet page, "Its amazing Gwyneth Paltrow and her amazing husband Chris and I have reconnected. She has always been a very close friend of mine. Regardless of people's perception of Gwyneth, compassion is her middle name. I love this girl, I love her husband, I love her kids. She takes damn good care of me. She calls me once a month to make sure I am doing OK." (starpulse.com)

Barack Obama Biography

aka Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.

Barack Obama, the junior U. S. Senator from Illinois, is the first ever African–American to become the presumptive presidential nominee for a U. S. major political party. On June 3, 2008, he gained enough delegates to be nominated by the Democratic party at its national convention in August.

Barack Hussein Obama was born Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was born of Luo ethnicity in Nyanza Province, Kenya. He grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British. Although reared among Muslims, Obama, Sr., became an atheist at some point.

Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Wichita, Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he signed up for service in World War II and marched across Europe in Patton’s army. Dunham’s mother went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G. I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program, and moved to Hawaii.

Meantime, Barack’s father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya pursue his dreams in Hawaii. At the time of his birth, Obama’s parents were students at the East–West Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Obama’s parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. Obama’s father went to Harvard to pursue Ph. D. studies and then returned to Kenya.

His mother married Lolo Soetoro, another East–West Center student from Indonesia. In 1967, the family moved to Jakarta, where Obama’s half-sister Maya Soetoro–Ng was born. Obama attended schools in Jakarta, where classes were taught in the Indonesian language.

Four years later when Barack (commonly known throughout his early years as "Barry") was ten, he returned to Hawaii to live with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and later his mother (who died of ovarian cancer in 1995).

He was enrolled in the fifth grade at the esteemed Punahou Academy, graduating with honors in 1979. He was only one of three black students at the school. This is where Obama first became conscious of racism and what it meant to be an African–American.

In his memoir, Obama described how he struggled to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. He saw his biological father (who died in a 1982 car accident) only once (in 1971) after his parents divorced. And he admitted using alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years.

After high school, Obama studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York, graduating in 1983 with a degree in political science.

After working at Business International Corporation (a company that provided international business information to corporate clients) and NYPIRG, Obama moved to Chicago in 1985. There, he worked as a community organizer with low-income residents in Chicago’s Roseland community and the Altgeld Gardens public housing development on the city’s South Side.

It was during this time that Obama, who said he "was not raised in a religious household," joined the Trinity United Church of Christ. He also visited relatives in Kenya, which included an emotional visit to the graves of his father and paternal grandfather.

Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988. In February 1990, he was elected the first African–American editor of the Harvard Law Review. Obama graduated magna cum laude in 1991.

After law school, Obama returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer, joining the firm of Miner, Barnhill & Galland. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School. And he helped organize voter registration drives during Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.

Obama published an autobiography in 1995 Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. And he won a Grammy for the audio version of the book.

Obama’s advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He was elected in 1996 from the south side neighborhood of Hyde Park.

During these years, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting legislation on ethics, expanded health care services and early childhood education programs for the poor. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the working poor. And after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In 2000, Obama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U. S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term incumbent candidate Bobby Rush.

Following the 9/11 attacks, Obama was an early opponent of President George W. Bush’s push to war with Iraq. Obama was still a state senator when he spoke against a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq during a rally at Chicago’s Federal Plaza in October 2002.

"I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars," he said. "What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne."

"He's a bad guy," Obama said, referring to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. "The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better off without him. But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors, that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history."

"I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U. S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences," Obama continued. "I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda."

The war with Iraq began in 2003 and Obama decided to run for the U.S. Senate open seat vacated by Republican Peter Fitzgerald. In the 2004 Democratic primary, he won 52 percent of the vote, defeating multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes.

That summer, he was invited to deliver the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. Obama emphasized the importance of unity, and made veiled jabs at the Bush administration and the diversionary use of wedge issues.

"We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states," he said. "We coach Little League in the blue states, and yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, all of us defending the United States of America."

After the convention, Obama returned to his U.S. Senate bid in Illinois. His opponent in the general election was suppose to be Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, a wealthy former investment banker. However, Ryan withdrew from the race in June 2004, following public disclosure of unsubstantiated sexual allegations by Ryan's ex wife, actress Jeri Ryan.

In August 2004, diplomat and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes, who was also an African American, accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan. In three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers and tax cuts.

In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest electoral victory in Illinois history. Obama became only the third African American elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction.

Sworn into office January 4, 2005, Obama partnered with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana on a bill that expanded efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia. Then with Republican Sen. Tom Corburn of Oklahoma, he created a website that tracks all federal spending.

Obama was also the first to raise the threat of avian flu on the Senate floor, spoke out for victims of Hurricane Katrina, pushed for alternative energy development and championed improved veterans´ benefits. He also worked with Democrat Russ Feingold of Wisconsin to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress.

His second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, was published in October 2006.

In February 2007, Obama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He was locked in a tight battle with former first lady and current U.S. Senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton until he became the presumptive nominee on June 3, 2008.

Obama met his wife, Michelle, in 1988 when he was a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley & Austin. They were married in October 1992 and live in Kenwood on Chicago's South Side with their daughters, Malia (born 1999) and Sasha (born 2001). (Source: biography.com)

Watch with built-in USB Flash Drive

It’s time to accommodate vital records into your USB Watch!

A new product will prove the phrase ‘time is money’ as you can clandestinely store some information in this two-in-one device wristwatch. Yes, you can now use your watch to hold important data in addition to keep track of time.

Check the above image as it gives a clear view of how a hidden USB flash drive complements the stylish wristwatch.

First, lets us see the essential attributes of watch; it is housed in a plastic case, covered with stainless steel mask of brushed silver finish and circular mineral glass with shiny raised index. It also offers Japanese quartz movement and black polyurethane strap.

The USB Flash Drive watch has dimensions of 29 x 25mm, whereas the flash drive measures 38 x 13 x 6mm. In this tiny design, users will be able to stock up 4 GB of information. Just slide out the integrated storage product from the watch case and hook it up to a laptop or a PC to transfer files. Once done, users can neatly re-insert to the preferred watch case.

It can prove to be an ideal product, if you are working for a secret mission!

Priced at $60 (approx. Rs. 2580) the USB Watch is available from ThinkGeek. (techgadgets.in)

Samsung SL201 and SL310W digital cameras introduced

Samsung introduces two new digital cameras namely SL201 and SL310W. The Samsung SL201 is a point and shoot compact digital camera while the SL310W packs in excellent features at an affordable price.The SL201 sports a 10.2 megapixel camera with optical zoom 3.0 while the SL310W equips a 13.6 megapixel camera with optical zoom 3.6x 28 mm wide.

The Samsung SL201 offers Digital Image Stabilization while the SL310W provides Dual Image Stabilization (Digital + Optical). With the SL201 and SL310W digital cameras the user can take pictures in 11 scenic modes including landscape, Close Up, Sunset, Dawn, Night etc. Function Description and Photo Help Guide gives you a brief and easy to understand description about the settings in the camera. The Face detection mode automatically detects about nine faces, adjusts focus as well as exposure settings to provide better image quality. The Self Portrait mode automatically detects the subject’s face and adjusts accordingly to take a photo provided the subject is in the centre of the frame.

The SL201 camera features a 10.2 megapixel camera, an optical zoom 3.0, 2.7” intelligent LCD, SD/SDHC memory card up to 8 GB, face detection AF & AE, auto red eye fix, multi slide show, function description, photo help guide, self portrait mode digital image stabilization.

“The SL201 truly makes it easy for anyone to take great pictures in virtually any situation,” said Tony Sorice Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Digital Imaging at Samsung Electronics America. “Its slim design allows consumers to take it with them wherever they go. With the Function Description Guide and a host of automated settings, it’s easier than ever to get the very best images in any environment.”

The Samsung SL310W offers 13.6 megapixel camera, optical zoom 3.6x 28 mm wide, 2.7” intelligent LCD, MPEG-4 movie mode, SD/SDHC memory card slot up to 8 GB, Dual Image Stabilization (Optical + Digital), 28mm wide-angle lens, self portrait, face detection, smile shot, blink detection, auto red eye fix, MPEG-4 recording, movie editing, optical zoom during movie, function description and photo help guide.

“The new SL310W sets a new standard for compact digital cameras in its class,” said Tony Sorice, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Digital Imaging, at Samsung Electronics America. “Typically, comparably priced digital cameras don’t offer a full suite of advanced features and functionalities like the more advanced point & shoots. With the SL310W, consumers have access to a number of advanced and helpful features, including Face Detection, Blink Detection, Smile Shot, as well as an impressive wide angle lens and Dual Image Stabilization. Compared to the competitive offerings in this category, the SL310W offers shooters MPEG-4 video, allowing them to record high-quality video clips while on the-go and an intelligent LCD screen that will automatically brighten or dim for easier viewing based on available lighting.”

The Samsung SL201 and SL310W cameras are priced at $169.95 (approx Rs. 7,249) and $229.95 (approx Rs. 9,807) respectively. Both these cameras are said to be available in September 2008.(techgadgets.in)

Kismat Konnection releases in Pakistan

Shahid Kapur-Vidya Balan starrer Kismat Konnection will open across 920 screens worldwide, including Pakistan.

It will open across 720 screens in India and 200 in the overseas market which includes UK, USA, Middle East, Australia and Pakistan.

The movie will have a simultaneous Pakistan release as earlier Bollywood films were released there but a week or two later after they hit the screens in India.

Touted as the biggest ever Shahid Kapur release, Kismat Konnection was premiered in Dubai at the 'Grand Cineplex' on Friday.

ndtvmovies.com

Aamir uses his blog for good

Five days back, Aamir Khan on his blog had asked for his fans' opinion on whether he should incorporate an additional song, "Jaane Tu Mera Kya Hai" in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Since the film's length was exceeding beyond what Aamir was expecting it to be, he had earlier decided after a meeting with his film's team that he would not keep that song in the film. But with now encouraged with the response to his blog that he has decided to go ahead with this song, which will now feature in the second half of the film. But he is going with a one week experiment of keeping the song.

However, this song will not be seen in cinema halls outside India. This is what Aamir Khan blog www.aamirkhan.com reads, "This addition of the song is possible only in India as the overseas distributor cited too many practical problems. So half of you are going to slaughter me. But please believe me when I say that I tried my level best to convince them. And I am extremely disappointed that I was not able to. Maybe if you all kick up enough of a row on my blog that will convince them." He further adds, "But to those of you within India, I hope you enjoy the song, and I really wonder whether after seeing the song you will agree with us about deleting it in the first place. Am super curious."

Trade pundits claim it be a smart move by producer Aamir to ensure more foot falls for his film considering the fact that another young romantic film, Kismat Konnection is released today. The collections of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na during weekdays have begun to fall as it has only caught the fancy of the young generation. He wants to cash on his young fans by making them feel important and come in to see the new song. (entertainment.oneindia.in)

Health manuals for CBSE schools

NEW DELHI: Good health is the key to good performance -in classroom and in life. The CBSE is now all set to promote this belief among students across the country under the Comprehensive School Health Programme developed in association with the World Health Organisation.

In the latest step towards implementing this health policy, CBSE has prepared four health manuals for schools which have various activities to create health awareness among students from kindergarten to class XII.

If the schools respond well to CBSE's initiative, health will become a co-curricular aspect of education from this session itself. CBSE has already sent out circulars to schools informing them about the manuals, which are based on six themes - knowing your body, food and nutrition, personal and environmental hygiene, physical fitness, being responsible and safe, and behaviour and life skills.

"The manuals are holistic in their approach since they deal with not only physical health but also mental, social, emotional and spiritual well being," stated CBSE secretary Vineet Joshi in a circular to schools last month.

There are separate manuals for students in classes I-V, VI-VIII and IX-XII. While for younger students, the manual focuses on making them aware of the importance of health and nutrition, the activities for adolescents aim at understanding changes in the body and developing life skills. According to CBSE, these activities can be conducted under a health club that can be formed in all schools.

The health programme will not be a part of the syllabus and so, children will not be evaluated on these activities. But CBSE has asked schools to regularly monitor the health of students by maintaining a health card. "CBSE wants schools to make a health card for each student so that changes in their health or behaviour can be recorded over the years," said Usha Ram, principal, Laxman Public School.

She added it would be better if CBSE made the health programme, a part of the curriculum for implementing it in the right earnest. The programme also recommends making the menu for school canteens more nutritious and organic. So if the samosas give way to brown bread sandwiches in the near future, don't be surprised. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

England vs. South Africa, 2nd npower Test, 18-22 Jul '08

Eng 203/10 | RSA 322/4
Prince* 134(249), de Villiers 70(183)
Match state is Stumps

cricinfo.com
Cricbuzz Cricinfo Willow

Andhra Bank recruitment for Probationary Officers (POs)

IT Officers, CA, Clerks 2008
Andhra Bank
(A Govt. of India Undertaking)
Personnel Department : Head Office, Hyderabad

Andhra Bank, a leading Public Sector Bank invites applications from Indian citizens for the following posts.
Candidates are requested to apply on-line through Bank's website www.andhrabank.in No other means /mode of application will be accepted.


Last Date For Online Registration 18.07.2008

Last Date for receipt of print-out of registered applications
25.07.2008

Last Date for receipt of print-out of registered applications

from far flung areas
01.08.2008

Date of written test for Probationary Officers
14.09.2008

Date of written test for Clerks& Specialist Officers
28.09.2008


1. Posts :


Post No.of
Age as on 01.06.2008

Code
Name of the Post
Grade
Vacancies
Min
Max

1
Probationary Officers
JMGS-I
300
21 yrs
30 yrs

2
I.T. Officers
JMGS-I
50
21 yrs
30 yrs

3
Official Language officers
JMGS-I
5
21 yrs
30 yrs

4
I.T.Officers
MMGS-II
25
21 yrs
35 yrs

5
Chartered Accountants
MMGS-II
20
21 yrs
35 yrs

6
Clerks
415
18 yrs
28 yrs


1.1 Pay scale, allowances and perquisites :


Grade/Cadre Pay Scale (Rs. )
Approxmate total monthly emoluments inclusive of Basic,DA,CCA,HRA etc., at the start of the scale at metropolitan centres

Officers in JMGS I
Rs 10000 - 18240
Rs. 15,000/-

Officers in MMGS II
Rs.13820 - 19920
Rs. 20,500/-

Clerks
Rs. 4410 - 13210
Rs.7,200/-(inc Grad.increments)


Officers are also eligible for other benefits like furniture, Leased Accommodation in lieu of HRA, Medical Aid,Re-imbursment of hospitalisation expences, L F C etc

Eligibility Criteria 2.1
Nationality / Citizenship
A candidate must be either (i) a citizen of India or (ii) a subject of Nepal or (iii) a subject of Bhutan or (iv) a Tibetan Refugee who came over to India before 1st Jan. 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India or (v) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India, provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) & (v) above shall be a person in whose favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Govt. of India. A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary may be admitted to the examination/interview conducted by the IBPS/Bank but on final selection the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him by the Govt. of India.

2.2. Applications from serving employees :
Interested and eligible employees of Andhra Bank may also apply through proper channel. Such candidates, if selected shall resign from their present position in the Bank and rejoin the service afresh.
Employes of other organizations also have to apply through proper channel.
3. Educational qualifications and Post-qualification Work Experience
Note: a) The Educational qualifications prescribed for the post are the minimum.
Candidates must possess the requisite qualifications as on 01.06.2008 and must attach proof, i.e., attested photocopies of the Provisional Pass/Degree Certificate and Mark sheet .
Wherever work experience is specified, it is essential to possess the relevant experience and it should be full time, relevant to the post applied for and should be post-qualification, i.e. it will be counted from the date of acquiring the prescribed qualification and upto 01.06.2008.
b) In addition to the educational qualification prescribed, computer knowledge is also essential for all posts.
3.1 Educational qualifications & Experience :


3.1 Educational qualifications & Experience :
Post with
Educational qualifications
Experience

Grade/cadre

Probationary Officers (JMGS-I)
Graduation in any discipline with I class with 60% marks or equivalent CGPA
Not essential

I T Officer JMGS I
B.E /B.Tech in E.C.E/ C.Sc/I.T. or MCA or M.Sc (Computer Science or IT) with I Class with 60% marks or equivalent CGPA or any equivalent Degree.
Not essential but Preference will be given

I T Officer MMGS II
B.E /B.Tech in E.C.E/ C.Sc/I.T. or MCA or M.Sc (Computer Science or IT) with I Class with 60% marks or equivalent CGPA or any equivalent Degree.
Minimum 2 years experience in IT environment in a Bank/PSU/Reputed companies.

O L Officers
1. A second division Masters Degree in Hindi with English as one of the subjects in Bachelors Degree Or Second division in Masters Degree in Sanskrit/English/ Economics/Commerce with Hindi as a subject in Bachelors Degree. (Candidates with second division Masters Degree in Commerce/Economics with Hindi Medium or in Sanskrit Medium must have taken English as one of the subjects in bachelors degree) 2. Certificate of Typewriting in Hindi and English from the respective State Board of Technical Education is desirable.

Chartered
Accountants
Graduate of any recognised university with a pass in the final examination of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

CLERKS
Graduation in any discipline or 10 + 2 Examination or equivalent with I class with 60% marks. Knowledge of Official Language of the State to which the candidate applies is essential.
Not essential

3.2 RELAXATION IN EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS :

Post
Category Relaxation

Probationary Officers JMGS I
SC/ST/ PWD
55% marks in Graduation

Clerks
SC/ST/Ex-SM/PWD
55% marks in 10+2
Examination or equivalent.


SELECTION PROCEDURE


Post Code Name of the Post
Grade
Selection Procedure

1
Probationary Officers
JMGS-I
Written Test + Interview

2
I.T.Officers
JMGS-I
Written Test and/or Group

Discussion and /or Interview*

3
O.L. Officers
JMGS-I
Written Test and/or Group

Discussion and /or Interview*

4
I.T. Officers
MMGS-II
Written Test and /or Group

Discussion and /or Interview*

5
Chartered
MMGS-II
Written Test and /or Group

Accountants
Discussion and /or Interview*

6
Clerks
Written Test + Interview


will be decided later basing on the No of applications received
4.1 Written Test : ( Objective Type )
Probationary Officers & Specialist Officers.
Clerks

Test of General awareness
Test of Clerical Aptitude

Test of English Language
Test of English Language

Test of Quantitative Aptitude
Test of Numerical ability

Test of Reasoning
Test of Reasoning


The Test papers will be printed in Hindi and English and can be answred in Hindi or English, except the Test of English Language which has to be answered in English only.
Note: The candidates shall be required to qualify in each objective type test as per cut-off marks determined on the basis of Group performance in each test subject to minimum of 40% marks(35% in case of SC/ST/ PWD candidates and also Ex-SM for Clerical post) in aggregate. Wrong answers given in the objective test will result in negative marks.

4.2 Descriptive Test for Probationary Officers and Clerical Cadre will be of one hour duration. The candidates have the option to answer Descriptive Paper also in Hindi or English for the post of Probitionary Officers and Hindi or English or Official Language of the State for the Clerical Posts.
The Descriptive Test for the post of Probitionary Officers and Clerks is only of qualifying nature and the marks obtained therein shall not be reckoned for preparing the merit list.

4.3 For Specialist Officers the Descriptive Test in the area of Specialisation will be of one hour duration. The candidates have the option to answer Descriptive Paper in Hindi or English. The marks obtained in the descriptive test as above shall be added to the marks of objective test for the perpose of preparing final merit list.
4.4 For all the posts the final selection will be made on the basis of Marks Obtined in Written Test and Interview. Accordingly list of selected candidates will be drawn in order of merit.



APPLICATION FEE & POSTAGE CHARGES (NON-REFUNDABLE)


Cat. of Applicant Posts
Amount of Fee

General/OBC
Probationary Officers

& Specialist Officers
Rs. 250/-

General/OBC
Clerks
Rs. 150/-

SC/ST/PWD
Probationary Officers
Rs. 50/-

& Specialist Officers
(Postal Charges)

SC/ST/PWD/Ex-SM
Clerks
Rs. 50/-

(Postal Charges)


NOTE: Candidates can apply for more than one post. They must however, send separate applications in separate envelopes for each post accompanied by separate fee and separate attested copies of required certificates.
The fees should be paid by Demand Draft/Pay Order favouring ANDHRA BANK RECRUITMENT PROJECT-2008 Payable at MUMBAI only. Please note that Cash, Cheques, Money Orders, Postal Stamps etc. will NOT be accepted.
Candidate's name, post code and date of birth should be written on the reverse of the Demand Draft/Pay Order.
The Demand draft/Pay order should not be dated before 18.06.2008 and not after 18.07.2008 (including for those applying from far flung areas). Even if the date of online registration is extended the vaild dates of Demand Draft mentioned above will not be changed.

Application once made will not be allowed to be withdrawn and fees once paid will NOT be refunded on any account nor can it be held in reserve for any other examination or selection.

For Complete Info download Andhra Bank Advertisement

FOR THE POST OF PROBATIONERY OFFICERS : 09.09.2008 to 13.09.2008

FOR THE POST OF CLERKS & SPECIALIST OFFICERS : 23.09.2008 to 27.09.2008

GENERAL MANAGER (PERSONNEL)

(Source: successcds.net)

CICI BANK Probationary Officer Programme

ICICI Bank Probationary Officer Programme - Batch III

ICICI Bank is commencing 3rd Batch of ICICI Bank Probationary officer Programme in November 2008. Written Test & Interview is likely to be conducted across India in Aug-Sept 2008.

Probationary Officer Programme is an initiative by ICICI Bank to attract bright graduate students to pursue a career in banking. It is designed to develop specialists with banking knowledge and skills to partially fulfill the future need of trained bankers .

Those selected will undergo a one year intensive residential classroom training and internship in the following areas:

Corporate Banking
Private Banking
Risk and Credit Management
Treasury
Branch Management
Relationship Management

The training programme will commence in November 08 at ICICI Bank Manipal Campus. During the training, a stipend will be given to candidates to meet out of pocket expenses. On successful completion of the program they will be absorbed as Assistant Manager.

Eligibility Criteria for Test:

Graduates with 55% in any discipline.
Up to 25 years of age as on November 1st, 2008 (should have been born on or after November 1, 1983).

Click on the link below to register yourself for the Process. Ensure you select your **Preferred Interview Location.

Last date of registration 31th July 2008.

What is the selection procedure?

The selection will be through a multi stage selection process comprising of:

Aptitude Test
Group Process
Profiling
Interview
Who can apply?

Graduates with 55% in any discipline
Up to 25 years of age as on November 1st, 2008 (should have been born on or after November 1, 1983)
If selected, You will undergo a one year intensive residential classroom training and internship with a stipend. All cost of the program including fooding & lodging will be borne by ICICI Bank. On successful completion of the program you will be absorbed as Assistant Manager – Band I at a gross salary of more than Rs. 3.5 Lakhs per annum.(Source: successcds.net)