Girls curvy show for Magazines - Adele

Adele

The British singing sensation has lost some weight since bursting on the scene in 2010, but she never lost her famous curves.

Girls curvy show for Magazines- Beyonce

Beyonce

Beyonce helped get the curvy gal ball rolling with this March 2004 cover of Rolling Stone.

Girls curvy show for Magazines- Christina Hendricks

Christina Hendricks

The "Mad Men" star gives sexy curves a whole new meaning on the cover of New York mag in Feb. 2010.

“It might sound silly,” she says. “But I didn’t realize I was so different. I was just oblivious. Sometimes I would go on an audition and someone would say something like, Girl, you’re refreshing! That was it.”

Girls curvy show for Magazines- Stacey Dash

Stacey Dash

Stacey didn't show off her curves in "Clueless," the movie that made her famous. But in order to gain back some popularity, she posed for King magazine in June 2011.

This shot ought a do it.

Girls curvy show for Magazines - Eva Mendes

Eva Mendes

The "Fast Five" star has long said that Cindy Crawford was her role model, but Cindy's got nothing on her curves.

Girls curvy show for Magazines- Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson

The singing sensation topped the list of InSyle's Makeover of the year and graced the Aug. 2010 cover. She famously went from a size 16 to a size six in 2010, but she said she'll never lose her curves.

"I don’t want to lose any more weight," she says. "You’re never going to see me skinny. I think this is a good, natural size for me."

Girls curvy show for Magazines - Katy Perry

Katy Perry

The "Wide Awake" singer started off as a gospel singer, but her body is more pop rock than gospel.

Girls curvy show for Magazines- Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian

There are two things Kim Kardashian is famous for - her reality show and her bootyful curves.

"I've always accepted my body," she tells the Australia edition of InStyle in Oct. 2011. "If you don't have fun and go with it you'd be miserable, always trying to change into something you're not."

Girls curvy show for Magazines-Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

The mom of two has always been proud of her curves.

Case in point: She posed nude for Life & Style magazine when she was pregnant with twins

Girls curvy show for Magazines-Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez

Being beautiful is "part of my job," the mother of two has told PEOPLE. "I don't want anybody thinking it's easy. It does take time and it's hard work." 

Girls curvy show for Magazines-Sara Ramirez

Sara Ramirez

The "Grey's Anatomy" star poses in her undies for the Feb. 2011 issue of Latina mag.

She told that mag that she's done over-analyzing herself. “There’s a whole list of things you could worry about," she says. "Are you skinny enough?  Talented enough?  In all kinds of ways, I used to be really, really hard on myself.”

Girls curvy show for Magazines - Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson

In order to promote her movie, "We Bought a Zoo" in 2011, Scarlett did an S&M sort of shoot for Interview magazine.

Why, you ask? Because she knows that her body is what drives fans to the theater. 

Parineeti Chopra suffers wardrobe malfunction

Mumbai: The girl Ishaqzaade Parineeti Chopra had a sudden wardrobe malfunction recently

Parineeti came to attend the special screening of Shirin Farhad Ki Bela Sehgal Nikal Padi Toh on Thursday night.

She wore a little orange color.

Sources say "Parineeti was wearing a coral dress rather tense seemed very comfortable for your frame.

But as soon as she realized that her dress had developed a tear near the zipper fugitive, took cover before they become serious. '

Costume malfunctions have occurred since the supermodel Carol With Bollywood actors like Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Riya Sen, Kangana Ranaut, Shamita Shetty,

Freida Pinto and Celina Jaitley. Some of them were motivated, while several others were wardrobe malfunction suddenly.

Neil Armstrong death on 26.08.2012

Americans react to the death of Neil Armstrong, who will forever be remembered as the first person to set foot on the moon.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin

"I am very saddened to learn of the passing of Neil Armstrong today," Aldrin said in a statement.

"Neil and I trained together as technical partners but were also good friends who will always be connected through our participation in the mission of Apollo 11. Whenever I look at the moon it reminds me of the moment over four decades ago when I realised that even though we were farther away from Earth than two humans had ever been, we were not alone."

"Virtually the entire world took that memorable journey with us. I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew."

President Barack Obama

A "deeply saddened" President Barack Obama on Saturday hailed late US space pioneer Neil Armstrong as one of the nation's greatest ever heroes for having inspired a generation to reach for the stars.

"When he and his fellow crew members lifted off aboard Apollo 11 in 1969, they carried with them the aspirations of an entire nation," Obama said in a statement.

"They set out to show the world that the American spirit can see beyond what seems unimaginable - that with enough drive and ingenuity, anything is possible. And when Neil stepped foot on the surface of the moon for the first time, he delivered a moment of human achievement that will never be forgotten."

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said astronaut Neil Armstrong is an "American hero".

Romney told reporters on Saturday that Armstrong's death was "very sad". In a subsequent statement, the Republican said the first man to walk on the moon takes his place in the "hall of heroes".

Romney said he met Armstrong "a few weeks ago", and that Armstrong's passion for space, science and discovery will inspire him for the rest of his life, adding "the moon will miss its first son of Earth".

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said "as long as there are history books, Neil Armstrong will be included in them".

Bolden issued a statement on Saturday on the famed astronaut's death at age 82. He said Armstrong will be "remembered for taking humankind's first small step on a world beyond our own".

Bolden said Armstrong was "one of America's greatest explorers" who readily accepted President John F Kennedy's challenge to send an American to the moon.

Armstrong family

"Neil was our loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend," the Armstrong family said in a statment.

"Neil Armstrong was also a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job. He served his nation proudly, as a navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut. He also found success back home in his native Ohio in business and academia, and became a community leader in Cincinnati."

"While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves."

"For those who may ask what they can do to honour Neil, we have a simple request. Honour his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

Source: Agencies

Sexy secretaries: Kardashian style

Los Angeles: The Kardashian sisters, Kim, Khloe and Kourtney have posed as sexy office secretaries in their latest photoshoot and have posted the images on their blog.

With the caption 'business women swag', the 31-year-old Kim showed off her curvews in a tight white blouse and pencil skirt, complete with blue polka dot necktie.

She then stripped off, and a second image showed her with blouse unbottned, to show off her cleavage.

Khloe perched on a desk for the photoshoot, hitching up her skirt, while Kourtney was wearing a red tie and navy blue blazer.

In Beverly Hills, it was business as usual for Kim, who visited a beauty salon for her daily manicure.

Having just returned from Hawaii, where she helped boyfriend Kanye West for his new album, Kim kept her sunglasses on throughout her appointment, despite being indoors.

Geetika was under pressure to return the Proprieties to Gopal Kanda

New Delhi, August 26: As Delhi Police tries to unravel the true reason behind suicide Geetika Sharma, has now revealed that former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda had allegedly purchased property on behalf of his employee Geetika Sharma, and Kanda wanted his property back, police sources said.

From Geetika did everything possible to break its ties with Gopal Kanda and MDLR group, Kanda was allegedly pressurizing association remain with him. The reason: retrieve the properties purchased in the name of Geetika.

Kanda policy used the carrot and the stick against Geetika, and even once tried to frame in a check bounce case, a police official told Hindustan Times.

"Kanda issued a check to pay R3.5 lakh Sundale Education Society even though the account had been closed. Geetika had been appointed as the president of the company, so she was surprised," said an investigating officer.

"The control of documents, seized MDLR Kanda office and residence in Gurgaon, have revealed some clues about these properties. We are analyzing further for details about the properties purchased in the name Geetika" said the officer.

Police also found a forged certificate of character Geetika, who claimed that there was some criminal cases pending against him in Gurgaon.

The same certificate was sent to Emirates in Dubai, where Geetika was working in 2010 on the basis of which he was fired from his job.

"We found that the seal on the certificate was the civil lines police station in Gurgaon, as it was issued by the chief of police of different police station," the official added.

Researchers are looking for four mobile phones of some employees, including MDLR Geetika, who had returned after leaving the company in December 2011.

Police said Kanda was using three mobile phones registered to Geetika employees to call and send SMS messages.

Geetika was allegedly under pressure to sign over property to Gopal Kanda in the days before his suicide, reports Times of India.

Police believe the former minister of Haryana had bought several properties in Gurgaon Geetika name with or without their knowledge, but when it turned cold towards him, began requiring its removal.

They are examining the documents seized from MDLR office to confirm this.

Miss World 2012, in China

Miss World 2012, in China

Miss World 2012, in China

Ordos, China and Miss China won the coveted title of Miss World on Saturday, triumphing at home for a final dazzling place in a mining town on the edge of the Gobi Desert.

The mostly Chinese audience burst into applause and fireworks lit up the sky when it was announced that the candidate of your home, Yu Wenxia, ​​has been awarded the title.

"When I was young I was very lucky because many people helped me, and hopefully in the future I can help more children feel lucky," Yu, a teacher of 23 years old, an aspiring music said when Asked why she should be crowned.

Newly crowned Miss World China Wenxia Yu acknowledges the audience after winning the Miss World 2012 beauty contest in the Arena Stadium Ordos in Inner Mongolia, China Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012. AP / Andy Wong

Yu, who became China's second winner of Miss World, appeared on stage in a dazzling array of evening gowns during the last two hours and serenade the audience with a rendition of a song penetrating China.

Last year's winner, Ivian Sarcos of Venezuela, gave the crown to Yu, wearing a bright blue dress, in Dongsheng futuristic stadium in the northeastern city of Ordos.

The end included a nod to the culture of Inner Mongolia, with a performance by a group of musicians playing the erhu Mongols, a traditional two-stringed instrument.

Ordos, located about 700 kilometers (440 miles) from the nearest beach, was an unlikely setting for the most important beauty pageant in the world.

The city has been enriched in the last decade on the back of a booming coal mining to be a haven sandstorm-afflicted in one of the richest places in China.

The boom triggered a frenzy of construction in the city, but the local government has struggled to fill the huge blocks of flats that emerged, earning the title of the largest city in China ghost.

However, enthusiastic competitors seemed unfazed by the locale, expressing optimism that with the help of the event, the city could leave behind their reputation and take their place alongside other world centers of glitz and glamor.

"Ordos could be the next Dubai", Marielle Wilkie, representing the Caribbean island of Barbados, confidently predicted.

Floriana Garo contestant Albanian intervened with their own bold statement.

"In ten years, this city is booming," he said.

Architecture in Ordos, where a museum of the city as an undulating blob, is "world class," added Markysa O'Loughlin, representing St. Kitts and Nevis, also in the Caribbean.

Contestants yogurt smoothie in a nomadic yurt local costume and began to climb the sand dunes during his month stay in China. The video clips shown in the end showed the beauty queens posing in swimsuit on the sand dunes of the desert.

A total of 116 participants - the highest number of participating - took the stage for the final in a variety of stunning dresses, estimating that more than one billion people worldwide would tune in.

Miss Mexico Mariana Reynoso was a favorite with bookmakers for the title, but failed to make the last seven candidates despite a strong presence in the early rounds of the contest. Miss Wales Sophie Moulds ranked second, while Miss Jessica Kahawaty Australia finished third.

A ceremonial red flag was handed over to the representatives of Southeast Asian resort island of Bali, hosted the Final of Miss World 2013, during the ceremony.

Chennai 15 Shahanaz woman deceived husbands, fled with his money

Chennai, Aug 26: Chennai police are searching for a woman named Shahanaz, which until now has been married for 15 people, and escaped with the money. Although some people have claimed that they had "married" more than 50 times, police have been able to concentrate on only 15 husbands, reports Mail Today.

The mother of a 10 year old tricks conning Shahanaz husbands instead began Pathanamthitta in Kerala.

About 11 years ago, she first entered into marriage with a man named Siddique, who bore him a son. But the news of his alleged extramarital affairs as a result of a divorce and had to leave.

She married shanawaz following, which was Kayankulam. The wedding was short and she left him, taking with her ​​13 gold and Rs 1.1 lakh in cash.

Maybe this episode was encouraged and stimulated his appetite for more.

Soon she married another man and repeated his disappearing act and later moved to Chennai.

Once in Chennai, she got a job in a shop.There free margin in 2006, met Rajesh, a collection agent in a bank, and the two married. She left him for an assistant director in Kollywood. After the wedding reception, the couple went to Trichy for honeymoon.

There he gave the slip and returned to Chennai with all jewelry.

Back in Chennai and resumed relations with three friends - Prasanna, Chandra Babu and Saravanan. She married three, one after the other and pour them all.

Never stay in place of her husband. She claims to be preparing for civil services exam and staying in a hostel.

Staying away from home helped him carry out the act of disappearance, police said. Shahanaz often change hostels to avoid detection.

Taylor Swift throwing her lot in with the Kennedy clan’

US: Are things moving a wee bit fast for Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy? A little more than a month after they were first spotted hanging out together, the popster, 22, has plunked down nearly $5 million for a spread near her 18-year-old beau's family compound in Hyannis Port, Mass., reports People.

“It's in a beautiful location and right across the street from Conor and the Kennedys,” notes a realtor. “It's a beautiful home. She got a nice home, paid fair price. The house was on the market for two to four years.”

The purchase appears to indicate Taylor is throwing her lot in with the Kennedy clan, which she has long admired and became friendly with. wonderwall

Palestinian inmate has son after sneaking sperm to wife

A baby boy was born by Caesarian section on Monday, the product of a successful smuggling attempt by a Palestinian prisoner who managed to sneak out a sperm sample to his wife.

Baby Muhannad was born in a Nablus hospital to Dallal Ziben, a 32-year-old mother from West Bank, whose husband Ammar is currently serving 32 life sentences in an Israeli prison.

Palestinians are not permitted to receive conjugal visits, and although Dallal Ziben has not set eyes on her husband for 15 years, she says she fell pregnant after being artificially inseminated by sperm her 37-year-old husband managed to sneak out of Hadarim prison in central Israel.

"Praise be to Allah who has blessed us after a long absence with my husband in prison," Ziben told AFP shortly before going in for an elective Caesarean.

"My husband and I, our two girls and the family have been waiting for this for such a long time," she said.

Ziben, who comes from Meithalun village between Nablus and Jenin, already had an 18-month-old daughter called Basha'er when her husband, who belongs to the Islamist Hamas movement, was arrested.

At the time, she was also five months pregnant with their second daughter, Bissan.

"I am very happy. This is the first genuine happiness in our house for more than 15 years," smiles Basha'er, now 16.

"When my mother told us she was going to get inseminated and give us a baby brother, we couldn't believe it," she said. "We have always wanted a brother and now the dream has come true." After the expectant mother was wheeled into the operating theatre, a group of women from the family gathered outside to wait, breaking into celebratory ululation at the first sound of a baby crying.

Standing outside the operating theatre, the proud grandmother said her son-in-law had named the baby after one of his friends "who was a martyr." Asked if the family objected to the way her daughter fell pregnant, she responded angrily.

"We are honourable people who are known for our good reputation and everyone supports us," she snapped. AFP

Srilanka ComBank’s 6-month PBT up to Rs 7.7 b

Exceptional balance sheet indicators, with deposit growth averaging nearly Rs 7 billion per month and gross loan book growth of more than Rs 5 billion per month in the first six months of 2012 have combined with strong gains in non-interest income to generate stellar 1st half results for Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC. ComBank reported profit before tax of Rs 7.708 billion for the six months ended June30 2012, recording growth of 34.06 % over the first half of the previous year, and profit after tax of Rs 5.321 billion, an increase of 31.91 %, emphatically reiterating its status as one of the country’s best performing corporate entities.

“Clearly, public trust and confidence in the bank continue to grow by leaps and bounds,” Commercial Bank Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody commented. “We have achieved solid growth in deposits and a healthy increase in lending in the six months under review, building further on our strong performance of 2011.”

Ravi Dias, Managing Director and CEO of Commercial Bank said the bank’s performance reflects its resilience even in challenging conditions. “The solid foundation we have built and our continued commitment to best practice and sound fundamentals has proven its value in no uncertain terms,” he said.

The bank’s net income for the six months was up 40.29 % to Rs 16.550 billion, with interest income growing by 32.55 % due to the increase in its loan portfolio. Non-interest income (foreign exchange & other income) improved by 105.63 % to Rs 6.091 billion, mainly due to a growth of Rs 2.930 billion or 329.35% in exchange income.

The increase in foreign exchange income was largely due to the relatively higher volume of foreign currency operations of the bank and the translation gains recognised consequent to the depreciation of the Sri Lanka Rupee against the US Dollar during the six months period under review. In addition, the other income of the bank, which mainly comprises of commission income and investment income recorded an increase of Rs. 198.6 million or 9.58%.

Net Interest income of the bank grew by 18.38 % over the corresponding six months of last year to Rs 10.459 billion.

The main contributory factor for this increase in net interest income was the increase in interest income on the loans and advances portfolio of the Bank by Rs. 5.866 billion, or 44.25% during the six month period under review. This was mainly due to the increase in the performing loans and advances portfolio of the Bank by Rs. 29.094 billion, or 10.69%. At the same time, the total interest expenses of the Bank too increased by Rs. 4.232 billion or 46.21% during the six months under review primarily due to the growth in the volume of deposits of the Bank by Rs. 41.826 billion or 13.13% to Rs.360.287 billion, and also due the continued increase in the market interest rates.

Commercial Bank’s Total income for the six months was up 41.49% to Rs 30.393 billion. Total assets increased by 10.99% or Rs 48.489 billion, from Rs 441.099 billion at 31st December 2011 to Rs 489.588 billion at the end of the review period.

 
Dinesh Weerakkody, Chairman of Commercial Bank and Ravi Dias, Managing Director/CEO of the bank. 

Net provisions for bad and doubtful debts increased to Rs 1.008 billion as against a net reversal of Rs 300.6 million for the first half of 2011, made possible by the reduction of the general provision rate from .9% to .7% between 1st January and 30th June 2011. The increase in net provisions for bad and doubtful debts for the first half of 2012 was mainly as a result of a more stringent provision policy adopted by the Bank.

Non-interest expenses increased by 21.79% to Rs 6.783 billion, largely on account of increased personnel costs and expenses linked to the expansion of the Bank’s delivery channels in Sri Lanka. The Bank opened five new service points and added 22 new terminals to its ATM network during the period under review.

The Bank’s total capital adequacy ratio stood at 12.22% as at 30th June 2012, as against the prescribed minimum of 10%. The gross non-performing advances ratio increased from 3.43% as at 31st December 2011 to 3.66%, while the net non-performing advances ratio moved from 2.08% to 2.14% during the same period.

source : Dailynews - Srilanka

NDB reports significant profit growth in 1H 2012

The NDB Group has delivered yet another strong performance for the First half of 2012 recording a commendable profit after tax of Rs 1,362 million to its shareholders, which is an increase of 36 percent compared to the previous year.

The Chairman of the bank Hemaka Amarasuriya stated that ‘the impressive results are attributable to the Bank’s overall strong position and the continued focus on providing solid returns and dividends to our shareholders. Results have been achieved in an environment where the impact of the global financial crisis continues to linger and credit growth remains low with business and consumer confidence fragile given the volatility and uncertainty in the markets.

Despite volatility in interest rates and growing concerns over higher borrowing cost and the prevailing downward trend in exchange rates, the bank has reported a commendable second half due to the effective execution of our strategic priorities of customer satisfaction, business banking, technology, operational excellence and profit growth.’ The results are characterised by the bank’s net income (NII, fee and forex income) increasing by 52 percent to Rs 4,746 million, Net interest income of Rs 2,579 million and fee and forex income of Rs 1,512 million grew by 27 percent and 72 percent respectively over the comparative period. The profit before tax of Rs 2,757 million recorded an increase of Rs 1,078 million or 64 percent compared to the previous year.

The reported earnings for the bank also include equity income of Rs 536 million on the sale in investments of NDB Investment Bank Ltd, NDB Stock Brokers (Pvt) Ltd and of the 5 percent direct holding in AVIVA NDB Insurance PLC, to NDB Capital Holdings PLC (formerly known as Capital Development and Investment Company PLC). Following a strategic restructuring of the group,s corporate equity holdings, the re-launch of Capital Development and Investment Company PLC under a new corporate identity named ‘NDB Capital Holdings PLC’ further strengthens NDB group’s universal banking capabilities comprising of Investment Banking, Wealth Management, Stock Broking, Private Equity and Insurance.

We have no doubt that by leveraging NDB’s unparalleled brand strength, and geographical reach, the subsidiary will play a key role in mainstreaming a substantial part of the shadow economy by providing better access to financial services.

sources  :Dailynews- Srilanka

Australia boat people plan wins crucial support

AUSTRALIA: Plans to transfer asylum-seekers who arrive in Australia by boat to Pacific states won crucial support Tuesday, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard saying they could be processed offshore within a month.

Canberra has struggled to stem an influx of boatpeople who make the dangerous sea voyage to Australia, and on Monday said it would move to handle their refugee claims on Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

“Within a month we would hope to see people processed on Nauru and Papua New Guinea,” Gillard said, adding that she had spoken to the leaders of both nations and they responded positively to the idea.

The government hopes that offshore processing will deter asylum-seekers from paying people-smugglers to bring them to Australia, knowing they could spend years waiting on a Pacific island before moving back to the country. Parliament will later Tuesday debate amended laws aimed at reinstating the offshore processing -- a practice abandoned by the Labor party when it won power in 2007.

It follows an independent report by former defence force chief Angus Houston released on Monday which recommended reopening the shuttered camps used under the so-called “Pacific Solution” of former conservative leader John Howard.

Under the controversial scheme, boatpeople were processed on PNG's Manus Island or tiny Nauru in Australian-funded detention centres but many languished on these remote outposts for years. Tony Abbott, who leads the conservative opposition which has long supported reopening Nauru as an offshore processing centre, welcomed Gillard's “last-minute conversion to common sense”, but said it came too late.

“I think this is a good move from the government, it could have come at any time in the last four years, it should have come much, much earlier than it has,” he told reporters.

“While the prime minister's stubbornness has been preventing real solutions from being put in place we've had 22,000 boatpeople, we've had almost 400 boats and we've had terrible cost, terrible trauma, terrible tragedy.” The number of boatpeople coming to Australia this year has reached more than 7,500, an all-time high, and the government acknowledges that not all boats successfully complete the journey, with hundreds drowning en route since 2001.

More than 600 Australia-bound asylum-seekers are thought to have perished at sea since October 2009 and Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said Tuesday that another 67 asylum seekers were likely to have died more recently.

Customs are investigating reports that a boat left Indonesia, a main transit hub for boatpeople fleeing Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Sri Lanka, in late June but has not been heard from since.

“We're checking with Indonesian officials as well but unfortunately at the moment there's no evidence that those people have arrived in Australia,” Clare said. “So 67 people for whom we hold very grave fears at the moment.” AFP

 

US says reviewing all options on Syria

You cannot make reasoned decisions without doing intense analysis and operational planning - Clinton:

US: The United States said Monday it has not ruled out any option to bring about the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, following renewed speculation about a possible no-fly zone.

White House spokesman Jay Carney was asked about comments by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Turkey that sparked a new round of questions about a stepped-up Western role in the violence-wracked country.

“The president and his team have ruled out no option as we try to bring about, with all of our partners and with the Syrian people, the diplomatic transition that is so desperately needed in Syria,” he said. But Carney did not explicitly refer to a no-fly zone and insisted the current US approach -- of aiding rebels with non-military supplies as well as imposing sanctions on the regime -- was putting pressure on Assad.

“We review all options as you would expect and will continue to do so,” he said, in comments which did not seem to mark a new departure for US policy.

On Saturday, Clinton was asked after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu whether operational planning being conducted by Washington and its allies included a possible no-fly zone to protect Syrian civilians. “The issues you posed in your question are exactly the ones the minister and I agreed need greater in-depth analysis,” she said in Istanbul. “It is one thing to talk about all kinds of potential actions, but you cannot make reasoned decisions without doing intense analysis and operational planning,” she added. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Monday that the United States wanted to work with the opposition to speed up the fall of Assad.

“In the context of that, the secretary spoke about operational planning -- contingency planning -- that we are doing with the Turkish government, looking at how we can support those on the ground who are trying to hasten the day without ourselves making the suffering worse,” Nuland told reporters.

Clinton, who has returned to Washington, will spend the week consulting with additional countries about Syria, Nuland said. Washington insists Assad must leave office as part of any solution to the 17-month-old civil conflict in Syria, which has left more than 21,000 dead. But there appears to be little appetite in Western capitals for another military intervention in the Middle East, even the imposition of an aerial exclusion zone like that imposed in Libya by NATO last year.

US military officers have warned that the imposition of a no-fly zone could quickly escalate into a broader intervention, as it did in Libya.

The Pentagon on Monday said the Syrian regime was employing more air power in its war with the rebels.

“We've seen a very troubling and despicable uptick in attacks from the air, perpetrated by the Syrian regime,” Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters. AFP

Let me know if you find Martians - Obama to NASA

US: President Barack Obama on Monday ribbed scientists behind NASA's roving robot Curiosity, instructing them to let him know right away if they found life on Mars.“If in fact, you do make contact with Martians, please let me know right away,” Obama joked, as he called the scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California from Air Force One.

“I've got a lot of other things on my plate, but I suspect that that will go to the top of the list. Even if they're just microbes, it will be pretty exciting.” Curiosity touched down on Mars last week, after a high-risk landing, and will hunt for soil-based signatures of life on Earth's nearest neighbor and send back data to prepare for a future human mission.

It will also haul a Mars Science Laboratory as far as halfway up Mount Sharp, a towering three-mile (five-kilometer) Martian mountain with sediment layers that may be up to a billion years old. Obama said that thanks to the dedication of NASA scientists, Curiosity “stuck her landing and captured the attention and imagination of millions of people not just across our country, but people all around the world. “You've made NASA proud. You guys are examples of American know-how and ingenuity, and it's really an amazing accomplishment,” he said, and offered a political vow to maintain critical investment in science and technology.

Obama's call was another example of the advantages of political incumbency: he got to talk to the scientists in his official role from his presidential plane while his Republican foe Mitt Romney only got to talk about them. AFP