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லேப்டாப் (மடிக்கணினி) மூடாமல் மானிட்டரை மட்டும் ஆப்(close) செய்ய புதிய வழி

ஒரே பொருளுள்ள வார்த்தையை மைக்ரோசாப்ட் வேர்ட்-ல் எளிதாக பார்க்கலாம்.

வின்மணி சிந்தனை நல்லது செய்யும் அனைவருமே உயர்ந்தவர்கள் தான். என்றாவது ஒரு நாள் நாம் செய்த உதவிக்கு பலன் கிடைக்கும்.

TNPSC  Questions  Group 1,Group 2,Group 3,Group 4 கடந்த ஐந்து வருடத்திலிருந்து வின்மணியால் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட வினாக்கள் மற்றும் பதில்கள் 1.முதன் முதலில் குடைவரைக் கோவிலை அமைத்தவர் யார் ? 2.அஜந்தா குகை ஒவியங்கள் யாருடைய காலத்தில்   உருவாக்கப்பட்டது ?  3.வெங்கட் ராமன் இந்தியாவின் எத்தனையாவது ஜனாதிபதி ? 4.வரலாற்று ஆய்வாளர்கள் எந்த நாட்டில் அதிகம் இருந்துள்ளனர்? 5.கலிங்கப்போர் எப்போது நடைபெற்றது ? 6.இந்தியாவில் யாருடைய காலம் பொற்காலம் என   அழைக்கப்பட்டது ? 7.முதல் உலகப்போரில் எத்தனை நாடுகள் கலந்து கொண்டது ? 8.இந்தியத் தலைநகர் கொல்கத்தாவில் இருந்து டெல்லிக்கு   மாற்றப்பட்ட ஆண்டு ? 9.இந்திராகாந்தி இரண்டாவது முறையாக  பிரதமர் பதிவியேற்ற   ஆண்டு ? 10.முதல் வட்டமேஜை மாநாடு லண்டலின் கூட்டப்பட்ட ஆண்டு ? பதில்கள்: 1.அசோகர்,2.குப்தர்கள்,3.8,4.சீனா,5.கி.மு. 261, 6.குப்தர்கள் காலம், 7.61 நாடுகள், 8.1912, 9.1967, 10.1930.

இன்று ஏப்ரல் 24

பெயர் : சச்சின் டெண்டுல்கர் பிறந்த தேதி : ஏப்ரல் 24, 1973 தலைசிறந்த இந்திய கிரிக்கெட் ஆட்டக்காரர். தனது 16ஆவது வயதில் பாக்கிஸ்தான் அணிக்கு எதிராக 1989இல்  முதன்முதலாக அனைத்துலக துடுப்பாட்டப் போட்டிகளில் அறிமுகமானார். டெஸ்ட்போட்டிகளிலும் ஒரு நாள் அனைத்துலகப் போட்டிகளிலும் அதிக ஓட்டங்களை எடுத்த வீரர் இவரே, வரையறுக்கப்பட்ட ஓவர் அனைத்துலகப் போட்டிகளில் (LOI) அதிகபட்சமாக இரட்டைச்சதம் (200* ஓட்டங்கள்) எடுத்தவர் என்ற பெருமையும் டெண்டுல்கரைச் சேரும். உங்களால் இந்தியாவுக்கு பெருமை.

சரணடைய வந்த புலிகளைக் கொல்ல கோத்தபய உத்தரவிட்டார்: பொன்சேகா

சர ​ண​டைவதற்காக வந்த விடு​த​லைப் புலி​களின் தலை​வர்​களை சுட்​டுக் கொல்ல பாது​காப்​புச் செய​லர் கோத்​த​பய ராஜ​பக்ஷ உத்த​ர​விட்​டார் என அதி​பர் தேர்த​லில் எதிர்க்​கட்சி வேட்​பா​ள​ரா​கப் போட்​டி​யி​டும் முன்​னாள் ராணு​வத் தள​பதி சரத் பொன்​சேகா குற்​றம்​சாட்​டி​னார்.​

விடுதலைப் புலிகளுடனான சன்டையின்போது ராணு​வப் படை தள​ப​தி​யாக இருந்த சரத் பொன்​சேகா போர் முடிந்த பின்​னர் முப்​ப​டை​க​ளின் தள​ப​தி​யாக பதவி உயர்த்​தப்​பட்​டார்.​ பின்னர் ரா​ஜ​பக்ஷ சகோ​த​ரர்​க​ளு​டன் எழுந்த கருத்து வேறு​பாடு கார​ண​மாக தனது பத​வியை ராஜி​னாமா செய்த பொன்​சேகா,​​ ஜன​வரி 26-ம் தேதி நடை​பெ​றும் அதி​பர் தேர்த​லில் எதிர்க்​கட்​சி​க​ளின் பொது வேட்​பா​ள​ரா​கப் போட்​டி​யி​டு​கி​றார்.​ "சண்டே லீடர்' பத்​தி​ரி​கைக்கு ஞாயிற்​றுக்​கி​ழமை அளித்த பேட்​டி​யில் பொன்​சேகா கூறி​யுள்​ள​தா​வது:​

முல் ​லைத்​ தீவு மாவட்​டம்,​​ நந்​திக்​க​டல் பகு​தி​யில் விடு​த​லைப் புலி​க​ளின் சமா​தா​னக் குழு தலை​வர் சீவ​ரத்​தி​னம் பூலித்​தே​வன்,​​ அர​சி​யல் குழுத் தலைவர் சிங்​கம் நடே​சன்,​​ ராணுவ கமாண்​டர் ரமேஷ் ஆகி​யோர் சர​ண​டை​வ​தற்கு சில மணி நேரம் முன்​னர்,​​ தாங்​கள் முறை​யாக சர​ண​டைய உத​வு​மாறு நார்வே உள்​ளிட்ட சர்​வ​தேச சமூ​கத்​தி​டம் அவர்​கள் மூவ​ரும் வேண்​டு​கோள் விடுத்​த​னர்.​

தொ​லை​பேசி அழைப்​பு​க​ளும்,​​ இ-​மெயி​லும் தொடர்ந்து வெள்​ளம்​போல வந்​த​தை​ய​டுத்து,​​ மூவ​ரும் சர​ண​டைய இலங்கை அரசு ஒப்​புக் கொண்​டது.​ அச்​சு​றுத்​தும் வகை​யில் இல்​லா​மல்,​​ வெள்​ளைத் துணி​யு​டன் 58-வது டிவி​ஷன் படை​க​ளி​டம் சர​ண​டை​யு​மாறு அவர்​கள் கேட்​டுக் கொள்​ளப்​பட்​ட​னர்.​

எ​னி​னும்,​​ மூன்று தலை​வர்​க​ளும்,​​ அவர்​க​ளது குடும்​பத்​தி​ன​ரும் சர​ண​டை​யும்​போது அவர்​களை சுட்​டுக் கொல்ல அதி​பர் மகிந்த ராஜ​பக்ஷவின் சகோ​த​ர​ரும்,​​ பாது​காப்​புச் செய​ல​ரு​மான கோத்​த​பய ராஜ​பக்ஷ உத்​த​ர​விட்​டார்.​ அதன்​ப​டியே அவர்​கள் சுட்​டுக் கொல்​லப்​பட்​ட​னர் என்​று பொன்​சேகா கூறியுள்ளார்.

ரா ​ணு​வத் தள​ப​தி​யாக பொன்​சேகா இருந்​த​ச​ம​யத்​தில்,​​ அவ​ரது சொந்த ஊரான அம்​ப​லன்​கோ​டா​வில் ஒரு நிகழ்ச்​சி​யில் பேசும்​போது,​​ "தனது தலை​மை​யில் விடு​த​லைப் புலி​க​ளுக்கு எதி​ரான போரில் புது​மை​யான,​​ மர​பு​சா​ராத முறை​யில் ராணு​வம் போரிட்​ட​து​டன்,​​ சர​ண​டைய வந்த புலி​க​ளைக் கூட ராணு​வம் சுட்​டுக் கொன்​றது' என்று கூறி​னார்.​

பொன்​சேகா கூறியுள்ள குற்​றச்​சாட்டு குறித்து மனித உரி​மை​கள் துறை அமைச்​சர் மகிந்த சம​ர​சிங்கே கூறி​ய​தா​வது:​
இது ​போன்​ற​தொரு உத்​த​ரவை கோத்​த​பய ராஜ​பக்ஷ பிறப்​பிக்​க​வில்லை.​ பு​லி​க​ளுக்கு எதி​ராக தான் கடு​மை​யான நட​வ​டிக்கை மேற்​கொள்​வ​தில் இருந்து கட்​டுப்​ப​டுத்​தப்​பட்​ட​தாக ஜூலை 10-ல் பொன்​சேகா கூறி​யி​ருந்​தார்.​ தற்​போ​தைய அவ​ரது குற்​றச்​சாட்டு இதற்கு முரண்​பா​டாக உள்​ளது.​

பி​ர​பா​க​ர​னின் பெற்​றோர் தவிர 4 டாக்​டர்​கள்,​​ புலி​கள் தலை​வர்​கள் தயா மாஸ்​டர்,​​ சார்​லஸ் மாஸ்​டர் ஆகி​யோர் வெள்​ளைக் கொடி​யு​டன் சர​ண​டைந்​த​னர்.​ அவர்​கள் இன்​ன​மும் உயி​ரு​டன் உள்​ள​னர்.​ கெளர​வ​மா​க​வும் நடத்​தப்​ப​டு​கின்​ற​னர் என்​றார்.​

மூன்று பேர் சர​ண​டை​வது தொடர்​பாக நார்வே மத்​தி​யஸ்​தர்​கள் தன்னை அணு​க​வில்லை என அதி​ப​ரின் மற்​றொரு சகோதரரும்,​​ அர​சி​யல் ஆலோ​ச​க​ரு​மான பாசில் ராஜ​பக்ஷ கூறியுள்ளார்.

Deaths in India oil depot blaze

Witnesses reported hearing two explosions before the fire swept through the plant [EPA] At least five people have died, and about 150 others have been injured after a huge fire broke out at an oil refinery in India's western state of Rajasthan. Witnesses reported hearing two explosions at the plant near Sitapura late on Thursday before the flames began to spread. Troops were still battling to bring the fire under control early on Friday, with reports quoting rescue officials as saying up to six people could be trapped inside the plant. "One of the oil tanks caught fire and then it spread rapidly," Shankar Singh, a witness, said. "There were huge flames as high as 70 feet and the whole area of nearly 2-3 kilometres was engulfed in fire and flames." Dozens of people were being treated in nearby hospitals for burns and other injuries caused by the fire. The depot, located a short distance south of Jaipur, the state capital, provides storage for petrol, kerosene, and diesel fuel for several state-owned oil companies. People living near to the plant were ordered to evacuate the area as more than 20 fire engines battled the fire which could be seen from several kilometres away. Members of the army were also drafted in to help fight the blaze. "We're asking for expert advice to help us control the fire," Ashok Gehlot, chief minister of Rajasthan, said. Officials have made no comment on the possible cause of the fire.

Pakistan shaken by fresh attacks

Aftermath of the attack on a Federal Investigation Agency building in Lahore Gunmen have attacked law enforcement buildings in Pakistan, with at least 18 people reported killed in Lahore and eight in a suicide bombing elsewhere. The highest-profile target in Lahore was the Federal Investigation Agency offices. There were also co-ordinated attacks on two police academies. Meanwhile, in the north-western town of Kohat, a suicide bomber rammed his car into a police station, killing eight. There has been an upsurge in violence in Pakistan in recent weeks. Lahore itself was long spared Pakistan's militant violence, but there have been a number of attacks in the city since the start of the year. Belt recovered Four gunmen attacked the Federal Investigation Agency building (FIA) in Lahore on Thursday, officials say. At least seven people were killed in the battle - including police and attackers, officials said. A police spokesman said: "We found grenades and a suicide jacket near one dead person. Two dead bodies have been found near the front gate. The building has been cleared and the employees are safe." In March 2008, 21 people were killed in a suicide attack on the same FIA building. At least 11 people - including police officers and suspected militants - were killed in Thursday's assaults on the other security facilities in Lahore. One was the Manawan police training academy, where police said three of the attackers had blown themselves up. The other target was the Bedia police training centre. Fighting is reported to be continuing there. Kohat destruction Thursday's attack in Kohat saw a bomber ram his car into the wall of the police station compound, police said, causing part of the station to collapse with the impact.Eyewitnesses say that both civilians and policemen are among the dead. The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad says that although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks there is a feeling that the militants are trying to seize the initiative. The finger of blame, our correspondent adds, will be pointed towards the Taliban, who just a couple of weeks ago had threatened a wave of attacks against security forces unless the army's operations against them came to an end. Lahore, the centre of Pakistan's cultural life and its most liberal major city, has seen a string of deadly attacks throughout 2009. In one of the most notable incidents, in March gunmen attacked the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team, killing six policemen. In June a prominent anti-Taliban cleric was killed by suicide bomber at his religious school. More than 100 people have died in a series of attacks across Pakistan in the past three weeks. These have included a raid by militants on the army headquarters in Rawalpindi at the weekend, in which at least 20 people were killed. About 40 people were taken hostage, until security forces stormed the compound.

Pakistan 'to strike at militants'

A brigadier was among those killed in the Rawalpindi attack Pakistan will launch an operation against militants in restive South Waziristan "imminently", Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said. He was speaking hours after militants attacked army HQ in Rawalpindi, killing 11 civilian and army deaths while eight militants were killed. Mr Malik blamed the attack on the Taliban and al-Qaeda, whose strongholds are in South Waziristan. One militant, thought to be the group's leader, was arrested. Mr Malik said the government had given its approval to an operation in South Waziristan, and it was now up to the army to decide on its timing. "The operation is imminent," he said, according to Reuters news agency. The army has been preparing for a major operation in South Waziristan since it successfully cleared the Swat valley of militants in September. Correspondents say a string of recent militant attacks have been attempts to dissuade the army from mounting an assault on South Waziristan. The attack on Rawalpindi prompted US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking during a visit to London, to say militants in Pakistan were increasingly threatening the authority of the state. But she said the US saw no evidence they were going to succeed, or that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal was at threat. Lahore link Mr Malik also congratulated the army on its success in ending the hostage situation.But the BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Islamabad says the attack will be a huge embarrassment to the authorities, coming in one of the most secure areas in the country. It began on Saturday when militants drove up to the army compound, shooting and throwing grenades. Six soldiers and four militants died in the initial assault. The authorities declared the situation over, but it later transpired that some militants had infiltrated the compound and were holding hostages. Pakistani special forces stormed the compound just before dawn on Sunday. In the ensuing fighting, three hostages, two soldiers and four militants were killed. Another militant was badly wounded and later arrested. The military said later that the surviving militant, named as Aqeel or Dr Usman, was the leader of the group and was also suspected of masterminding an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore in March. Senior military officials and civilian personnel were reported to be among the hostages. The attack followed a series of bombings in north-western Pakistan. On Friday at least 50 died in a blast in Peshawar. In recent days Taliban positions in the tribal areas have been bombed by the air force, amid speculation that the army's offensive there is soon to be intensified, says our correspondent. There was a period of relative quiet in August after Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed, but the rate of militant attacks has increased since then, he adds.

Kabul blast outside India embassy

Aftermath of Kabul blast At least 12 people have been killed and more than 80 injured in a car bomb explosion in the Afghan capital, Kabul. The blast occurred near the interior ministry office and the Indian embassy. Officials said it was a suicide attack. Eyewitnesses reported glass and debris scattered in the street and a plume of smoke rising above the area. India's foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said she believed the attack was aimed against the embassy as the bomber had driven his car up to its outer wall.Kabul has witnessed a number of attacks in recent months. Last month six Italian soldiers were killed in a bomb attack on a military convoy. Most of the attacks have targeted international forces or government offices - but Afghan civilians are invariably killed as well. The latest blast hit at 0827 local time (0353 GMT), as residents were arriving to work. Television pictures showed charred vehicles at the site and ambulances speeding to the location. An eyewitness, Habib Jan, told the BBC the victims were civilians. "A [Toyota] Corolla car was parked in front of the Indian embassy. It was rush hour, about 10 minutes after I arrived at the office when we heard an explosion. "There were lots of workers cleaning the street - most of them have been killed."Nirupama Rao told reporters that she believed "the suicide bomb was directed against the Indian embassy". "The suicide bomber came up to the outer perimeter wall of the embassy in a car loaded with explosives," she said. Three Indian paramilitary troops guarding the embassy received minor shrapnel injuries, the minister added. The Afghan Interior Ministry said 12 people had died, and 84 had been wounded in the attack. Eleven of the dead were civilians and one was an Afghan police officer. The BBC's Martin Patience, in Kabul, says there appears to be a lot of damage at the scene - now sealed off - and that municipal workers have moved into the area with brooms to begin a clean-up. This is thought to be the fourth bomb attack in Kabul since August. Until the summer, the Afghan capital was regarded as relatively secure, but that is changing, our correspondent says. Insurgents are increasingly targeting the capital because of the publicity it attracts. Militants seem to be able to attack at will in what should be one of the most secure areas of the country, our correspondent adds. In July 2008 a suicide bomber rammed a car full of explosives into the gates of the Indian embassy in Kabul, killing dozens of people and injuring more than 140.

Tribal elder killed in Pakistan

There are fears the Taliban are reasserting themselves in Pakistan

An anti-Taliban tribal elder has been killed in a suicide bomb attack in the Bakakhel area of north-west Pakistan, police officials say.

Gul Hakim and three others were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives next to the car they were travelling in.

He was a member of the Bakakhel Peace Committee, a pro-government group that regularly confronted Taliban militants.

Several tribal elders were killed in a neighbouring district last week.

The attack comes just days after many were killed in two other suicide car bomb attacks in the north-west.

See a map of the region

Correspondents say the spate of recent attacks across north-west Pakistan has raised fears that the Taliban appear to be reasserting themselves after a series of setbacks.

A journalist in Bakakhel told BBC Urdu's Dilawar Khan that the bomber targeted Gul Hakim's car shortly after 1000 local time.

Witnesses said the car was completely destroyed by the force of the blast

Bakakhel is extremely close to Janikhel where last week suspected Taliban militants shot dead several pro-government tribal elders, sparking a clash in which a number of people were killed.

Bakakhel and Janikehl have long been troubled by militant violence.

The areas are close to the tribal region of North Waziristan, a Taliban stronghold.

Casualties feared in India clash

A gun battle ended after security forces moved in Casualties are feared in a gun battle between Maoist rebels and supporters of the ruling Communist party in the Indian state of West Bengal. A five-hour battle ended after police arrived to break up the clash. Villagers in the West Midnapore region said that up to 25 people may have been killed or injured in the clash which began on Monday night. Separately, a top Maoist leader has been arrested in the capital, Delhi, a rebel spokesman said. Kobad Ghandy was in charge of spreading the rebels' influence in urban areas and running the publications wing of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), reports say. Ghandy, who grew up in Mumbai in an upper middle-class Parsi family and went to a public school, was taken into custody for 14 days, reports say. Maoist-linked violence across central and eastern India has killed 6,000 people over the past 20 years. 'Taken away' The Maoists say they represent the rights of landless farmhands and tribal communities. Last week at least seven Maoists and one soldier were killed in a battle in the central state of Chhattisgarh and more than 20 police were killed in the eastern state of Jharkand. In the latest incident, villagers say both the rebels and the Communist supporters had taken away the dead bodies of their men before the police arrived The gun battle began after the rebels surrounded an office belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at Enayetpur in West Midnapore district on Monday evening. Rebel leader Kishenji told the BBC that the Communist supporters had hoarded a large number of weapons at the party office in order to carry out attacks against villagers who supported the Maoists. "The party supporters were harassing local women, so thousands of villagers led by our fighters encircled the party office," he said. The rebel leader said four local tribal women had died in the gun battle. More than 30 Communist party supporters have been killed by rebels in the Midnapore region since the West Bengal government launched a security offensive against Maoists in June. The offensive was initiated after the Maoists had taken complete control of the Lalgarh area in Midnapore in November last year. It took all of eight months and paramilitary troops to drive out the rebels from the area in June. The BBC's Subir Bhaumik in Calcutta says the insurgents and the CPI(M), which has been the state's dominant political force, have been fighting a turf war. In the past few years, he says, the Maoists have extended their influence with guerrilla commanders camping in the area and providing basic military training to local youths. Last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India was losing the battle against Maoist rebels.

Nato pledges Afghan strike probe

Aftermath of the blast in Kunduz province Nato has promised a full investigation into an air strike on two fuel tankers that killed up to 90 people in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province. The alliance said many Taliban insurgents who had hijacked the tankers were killed but it admitted it had reports of many civilian casualties. The Nato-led forces said they regretted "any unnecessary loss of human life". President Hamid Karzai said targeting civilians was "unacceptable" and announced his own investigation panel. Map of the area A statement from his office said the president expressed "deep sorrow for the loss of our compatriots" and "emphasised that innocent civilians must not be killed or wounded during military operations". Sensitive issue Gen Stanley McChrystal, issued new guidelines recently saying much more still needed to be done to avoid civilian casualties. The number of those killed in the Kunduz strike is still not confirmed, with reports varying from 56 to 90. The reports of the number of militants and civilians killed also varies. Pictures from Kunduz showed members of the local community preparing some of those who died for burial, while others showed images of the injured being treated in hospitals. The Nato attack occurred about 7km (four miles) south-west of Kunduz city at about 0200 on Friday (2130 Thursday GMT), 40 minutes after German and Afghan forces called in an air strike. They reported the two tankers had been hijacked by insurgents as they travelled from Tajikistan to supply Nato forces in Kabul. One of the drivers of the tankers told the BBC that two of his colleagues had been beheaded when the Taliban carried out the hijacking. Witness Mohammad Daud, 32, told AFP the militants had been trying to transport the tankers across a river to villages in Angorbagh. "They managed to take one of the tankers over the river. The second got stuck." Locals in Kunduz prepare the dead for burial after the air strike The insurgents apparently opened valves to lighten the load and called in villages to help themselves to fuel. At this point, the Nato air strike hit the tankers. Nato insists its commanders believed only militants were present. When day broke, clothing, shoes, jerry cans and other debris could be seen strewn around the two stricken tankers. Mr Daud said: "Everyone around the fuel tankers died. Nobody was in one piece. Hands, legs and body parts were scattered everywhere." International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) spokesman Brig Gen Eric Tremblay was later quoted by Reuters as saying: "It would appear that many civilian casualties are being evacuated and treated in the local hospitals. The air strike came shortly before UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivered a key speech defending the Afghan strategy. He said the aims of Britain and its allies there were "realistic and achievable".

Oxfam warning over Nepal climate

Streams have dried to a trickle in Nepal's villages

International aid agency Oxfam has warned that millions of rural poor in Nepal could face hunger as a result of climate change.

A report says that poor harvests, water shortages and extreme temperatures will put pressure on millions of Nepalis already living below the poverty line.

Nepal is only just emerging from a decade-long civil conflict.

The report comes ahead of a summit in the capital, Kathmandu, on the threat of climate change to the Himalayas.

Millions of people are dependent on the water which flows from the mountains.

It is also just 100 days until world leaders come together to discuss a new global climate change treaty in Copenhagen in December.

Nepal has experienced its driest winter in 40 years, followed by late and unpredictable monsoon rains, and this has meant the land is more susceptible to erosion.

But the prolonged drought has had a bigger impact.

Grim situation

Several million villagers living in Nepal's hills are facing water shortages which have, in turn, led to falling crop yields.

A lack of ground water has also contributed to the spread of diseases such as diarrhoea, as villagers use dirty streams and rivers for drinking water.

Prabin Man Singh from the international aid agency Oxfam said the change in weather patterns was putting more pressure on the rural poor.

"The people living in the rural areas were already having lots of problems in their livelihoods. But with the climate change, the whole scenario, the whole struggle of their survival has been exaggerated," he said.

Residents in the affected area have expressed their concerns about the nature of the problem.

In the remote village of Bhattegaun in western Nepal, the stream that provides water has dried up to a thin trickle.

Residents here have complained about water shortages in the area.

"We do not get a good production from agriculture at all. We cannot depend on farming and irrigation to make a living or educate our children," 35-year-old Naina Shahi told the BBC.

The changes seen in Nepal's climate over the past few years - drier winters, unreliable monsoon rains - are in line with what climate scientists are predicting will happen as the Earth gets warmer.

Oxfam has called on leaders from the world's richest countries to help Nepal better adapt to the affects of climate change when they meet to discuss the issue in Copenhagen this December.

Main Mumbai suspect pleads guilty

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Qasab opened fire on commuters, it is alleged The leading suspect in last November's deadly attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) has pleaded guilty. Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab stood up before the court to say he admitted his role in the killings. Mr Qasab, who is a Pakistani, faces 86 charges, including waging war on India, murder and possessing explosives. It is not clear why he changed his plea after pleading not guilty in May to all charges. More than 170 people died in the attacks, nine of them gunmen. Prosecutors say Mr Qasab is the sole surviving attacker. He could face the death penalty if his confession is accepted and judges agree to impose the maximum penalty. 'Shocked' The BBC's Prachi Pinglay, who was in the courtroom in Mumbai, said Mr Qasab appeared calm.He said there had been no pressure on him to confess and it had been his decision to do so. "I request the court to accept my plea and pronounce the sentence," he told the judge, smiling. Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said: "We were not expecting this. We were all shocked when he made a plea of guilt. "It is for the court to decide whether to accept his plea or not. It was all of a sudden. The court is now recording his plea." Shortly afterwards Mr Nikam told the BBC the confession was "a victory for the prosecution". During his testimony, the suspect gave details of his journey from Pakistan, the attacks at a historic railway station in Mumbai and the city's Cama hospital. Mr Qasab's lawyer said he had nothing to do with the confession. It is not fully clear what prompted Mr Qasab to change his plea. He said he had done so because Pakistan had finally admitted he was a Pakistani citizen, but that was some time ago. Police say Mr Qasab confessed before a magistrate to the attacks after his arrest, but he retracted that confession at an early hearing. His lawyers said then that it had been coerced. Wept in court Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, 21, was arrested on the first day of the attacks and has been in Indian custody ever since.In his initial appearances before the court, Mr Qasab appeared relaxed and smiled and grinned. But more recently, he broke down and wept in court as a witness recounted the violent events which took place over three days in late November. The attacks led to a worsening of relationship between India and Pakistan. India accused Pakistan-based fighters from the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks. In the immediate aftermath of the killings, Pakistan denied any responsibility, but later admitted the attacks had been partly planned on its soil. Islamabad also eventually admitted that Mr Qasab was a Pakistani citizen.