Total solar eclipse viewed in Bangladesh

Dhaka, July 22 : The long-awaited total solar eclipse was observed Wednesday morning in northwestern Bangladesh that lasted for little more than three minutes.

Despite the cloudy weather, tens of thousands of astronomy enthusiasts gathered in the South Asian country's northwestern Panchagarh district, about 440 km from here, observed the greatest celestial spectacle of the century.

Panchagarh district, the nearest town to the central line of the Umbra was earlier declared as the Capital of the Total Solar Eclipse 2009 in Bangladesh.

The total solar eclipse started there at about 07:56 a.m. (0056 GMT) and lasted about three to four minutes, creating a night-like situation in the town.

The crowed celebrated this rare moment with clapping and bursting out in joy, which were broadcast live on DIGANTA TV Channel.

President of the Total Solar Eclipse Observation Committee in Bangladesh, A.R. Khan, told Xinhua Tuesday that Wednesday's total solar eclipse would be a historic event in Bangladesh as there would be no such event in the coutry until Aug 14, 2114.MORE

World Health Organization Sayed That Swine Flu Not Stoppable

The World Health Organization raised the swine flu alert Thursday to its highest level, saying the H1N1 virus has spread to enough countries to be considered a global pandemic.
Kindergarten students, some wearing masks, attend school in a residential estate in Hong Kong on Thursday.

Kindergarten students, some wearing masks, attend school in a residential estate in Hong Kong on Thursday.

Increasing the alert to Phase 6 does not mean that the disease is deadlier or more dangerous than before, just that it has spread to more countries, the WHO said.

"This is an important and challenging day for all of us," WHO Director General Margaret Chan said in a briefing with reporters. "We are moving into the early days of the first flu pandemic of the 21st century."

The last previous pandemic occurred in 1968.

As of Thursday, the virus had spread to 74 countries, the health agency said. There were 28,774 confirmed cases and 144 deaths.


The health department will decide after two weeks whether to continue the shutdown.
advertisement

Also on Thursday, Israel's health ministry announced that the number of people diagnosed with swine flu there was 68.

Health officials use the virus' clinical name -- H1N1 -- to reflect that it's actually a combination of several different types of flu and to reduce confusion about whether eating pork can spread the virus. It cannot.

Inside the iPhone 3G S's pricing

Introducing New iPhone 3G [s]
iPhone 3G S features video recording, Voice Control, up to 32GB of storage, and more.Meet most powerful, the fastest iPhone yet.

The news that Apple would be selling its fancy new iPhone 3G S for the same prices as the iPhone 3G was greeted by applause at Monday morning's WWDC keynote. The new, faster iPhone will cost $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model; the 8GB iPhone 3G price, meanwhile, will be reduced to $99.

Todays Fastest iPhone:

The first thing you’ll notice about iPhone 3G S is how quickly you can launch applications. Web pages render in a fraction of the time, and you can view email attachments faster. Improved performance and updated 3D graphics deliver an incredible gaming experience, too. In fact, everything you do on iPhone 3G S is up to 2x faster and more responsive than iPhone 3G.

3-Megapixel Camera:

The new 3-megapixel camera takes great still photos, too, thanks to built-in autofocus and a handy new feature that lets you tap the display to focus on anything you want.

Voice Control:

Voice Control recognizes the names in your Contacts and knows the music on your iPod. So if you want to place a call or play a song, all you have to do is ask.

Compass:

With a built-in digital compass, iPhone 3G S can point the way. Use the new Compass app, or watch as it automatically reorients maps to match the direction you’re facing.

Cut, Copy & Paste:

Cut, copy, and paste words and photos, even between applications. Copy and paste images and content from the web, too.

Landscape Keyboard:

Want more room to type on the intelligent software keyboard? Rotate iPhone to landscape to use a larger keyboard in Mail, Messages, Notes, and Safari.

Video:

Images of the iPhone 3G S camera's tap to focus feature and the video camera interface.

Now you can shoot video, edit it, and share it — all on your iPhone 3G S. Shoot high-quality VGA video in portrait or landscape. Trim your footage by adjusting start and end points. Then share your video in an email, post it to your MobileMe gallery, publish it on YouTube, or sync it back to your Mac or PC using iTunes.

Messages:

Send messages with text, video, photos, audio, locations, and contact information. You can even forward one or more messages to others.

Search:

Find what you’re looking for across your iPhone, all from one convenient place. Spotlight searches all your contacts, email, calendars, and notes, as well as everything in your iPod.

Accessibility:

iPhone 3G S offers accessibility features to assist users who are visually or hearing impaired. These features include the VoiceOver screen reader, a Zoom feature, White on Black display options, Mono Audio, and more.

Internet Tethering:

Surf the web from practically anywhere. Now you can share the 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac notebook or PC laptop.

Voice Memos:

Capture and share a thought, a memo, a meeting, or any audio recording on the go with the new Voice Memos application.

Nike + iPod:

iPhone includes built-in Nike + iPod support. Just slip the Nike + iPod Sensor (available separately) into your Nike+ shoe and start your workout.

Stocks:

Stocks on iPhone shows you charts, financial details, and headline news for any stock you choose. Rotate iPhone to see even more detailed information.

YouTube:

Watch YouTube videos wherever you are. Log in to your YouTube account to save and sync bookmarks and rate your favorites.

Everything you love about iPhone:

Phone, iPod, and Internet device in one, iPhone 3G S offers desktop-class email, an amazing Maps application, and Safari — the world’s most advanced mobile web browser. And your iPhone does even more when you add apps from the App Store.