BPL Mobile is driving the ‘Reach Home safely’ message this festive season; the campaign against ‘Driving after Drinking’ in its third year now is only evolving, and this time its not only about raising a concern, but it is also about providing a solution.

With the strong belief that ‘Christmas is about a birth, not death’’.

Major public sector banks such as Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank have decided to lower their prime lending rate (PLR), following the State Bank of India's (SBI) decision to cut PLR. The PLR would be cut to 12.5% from 13.25% by these three banks and the new lending rates will be effective from January 1, 2009.

It should also be noted that the reduction in rate will also benefit banks' existing education loan, auto loan and home loan borrowers. Furthermore, the deposits rates will also be lowered by the banks from January by 50-100 basis points.

Two days ahead of the polling in Jammu and Samba districts, Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu police have arrested the state chief of Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HuJI). The arrested militant was purportedly involved in several terror acts including the serial blasts at Faizabad and Varanasi.

Abdul Qayoom Manhas, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Jammu-Kathua range said, “HuJI militant outfit chief and accused in Faizabad and Varanasi blasts has been arrested by SOG, when he was doing a recce of an area near Jammu Railway station on Sunday evening.”

The DIG further told that the arrested HuJI chief has been recognized as Muzaffer Ahmed Illahi Daanger alias Suhail Faisal, son of Ghulam Ahmed of Chingam in district Kishtwar.

It has been found by the scientists that the buzzing of bees is actually good for the plants since they are protected from other insects that can eat them.

The new study says that the buzzing sound made by the bees scares off insects like caterpillars that otherwise would eat the plants. In this sense, bees act as unofficial 'bodyguards' to the plants.

It has also been advised by the researchers that farmers should grow flowers next to some crops to help deter other insects and possibly even increase yields.

Indian stock markets continue to represent a weak outlook ahead of F&O expiry.

Huge selling action was witnessed across all sectors except BSE Bankex and PSU.

The 30-share-index BSE Sensex, today (Dec 24), belled the day negatively at 9,626.07, down 60.68 points, as against a drop of 2.43% on the previous working day.

BSE Midcap and Smallcap were also trading in negative terrain after losing 0.83% and 0.91% respectively.

Today, the Lok Sabha passed the amended IT Bill under which publishing and transmitting obscene material in electronic form and other e-commerce frauds will now be punishable.

Provisions to the existing Information Technology Act, 2000 is added by the Information Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2006, in order to deal with the new forms of cyber crimes like publicizing sexually explicit material in electronic form, video voyeurism and breach of confidentiality and leakage of data by intermediary and e-commerce frauds.