Michael Schumacher is back; Schumacher to replace Massa

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is making a sensational return to Formula One.The German driver who quit F1 after securing a record seven time championships, will replace the injured Felipe Massa who will out for the rest of the season due to a fatal multiple skull fracture.Michael Schumacher may have retired almost three years ago, but he continues to be in the thick of things in Formula One.Michael is still fit enough to drive a Formula One car.With no proper replacement for Massa and the chances of Fernando Alonso debuting for Ferrari in a month's time being unlikely, Ferrari has requested Michael to race again.

German driving legend Schumacher still works for Ferrari as an advisor, but after Massa's shocking injury in Hungary he will now get back behind the wheel once again.The 28-year-old Massa was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier at 120 mph during qualifying Saturday at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Schumacher has some time to prepare as the F1 season takes a summer break, but he should once again line up on the grid at the European Grand Prix. So,we all can see Schumi behind the wheels in Spanish GP which is on August 23.

Michael Schumacher has also confirmed the news and has said "I was meeting this afternoon with Stefano Domenicali and Luca di Montezemolo and together we decided that I will prepare myself to take the place of Felipe. Though it is true that the chapter Formula 1 has been closed for me since long and completely, it is also true that for loyalty reasons to the team I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation. But as the competitor I very much look forward to facing this challenge."He will take up a fitness test to assess his body condition. He has 3 weeks to prepare himself for the F1 challenge.

PM Manmohan Singh: Trust, but verify

The Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh clarified the government's stand on the latest Indo-Pak joint statement in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt earlier in the month during the NAM(Non-aligned Movement) summit.There was a huge uproar back in India as a strong reaction to loosely packed joint-statement. Many diplomats in India believed that it was a huge mistake to include the problem of Baluchistan in the joint-statement.The PM clarified that there was no dossier exchanged in reference to Baluchistan.But, experts believe there was no need to point to Baluchistan which after all is an internal matter of Pakistan and India has absolutely nothing to do with it.The PM has said that the composite dialogue with Pakistan will not begin until and unless Pakistan brings the terrorists who headed the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to book. Quoting Ronald Regan's words, PM said that we must trust Pakistan but verify and scrutinise its actions. We can choose our friends,our enemies, but we cannot choose our neighbours. So, we have to find a way to deal with Pakistan.PM also wanted Pakistan show in letter and spirit that they are serious about terror.He also took a dig at the BJP, that UPA does not need any lessons from BJP about dealing with Pakistan.

On the Nuclear Enrichment status(ENR) raised by the G8 countries in L'Aquila,Italy that these processes can be transferred only to those countries which are a signatory of NPT(Non-Proliferation Treaty), the PM said there was no need to worry and that India will not sign NPT in its present form. The PM said that India has got a clean and specific deal from the NSG and that this position was even endorsed by French President Nicholas Sarkozy.He also said India has signed bilateral nuclear deal for construction of nuclear reactors with France,US and Russia.As regards to the end-user agreement with the USA, he said its just a composite bilateral agreement for procuring defence equipments and that it will expedite the closure of defence deals with United States of America.

BMW to exit Formula one

BMW is to withdraw from Formula One at the end of the season. The German carmaker is the second major manufacturer to pull out of the sport in the space of eight months after Honda's withdrawal in December.BMW have had a poor campaign with drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica giving the team just eight points this season from ten Grand Prix to leave them eighth in the nine-team constructors' championship.The team, who gave former world champion Jacques Villeneuve his last drive in the sport and in Robert Kubica fielded its first ever Polish driver, have emerged over the past two years as the closest challengers to McLaren and Ferrari.The team finished third last season behind Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes.Their only Grand Prix win as BMW Sauber came when Kubica won in Canada in 2008, while he also achieved the team's only pole position in Bahrain in 2008.Bernie Ecclestone, the commercial rights holder of Formula One, says BMW's failure to challenge for the world title is behind the announcement. The team have fallen short of expectations and the future of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfield, the two BMW drivers are in jeopardy due to BMW's withdrawal from F1.

Felipe Massa injured in an accident;Hamilton wins Hungarian Grand Prix

Brazilian driver Felipe Massa was injured when a spring from fellow Brazilian Barrichello's car struck his helmet during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, with the Ferrari driver then hitting a tyre wall.Massa remains in a stable condition in Budapest after undergoing emergency surgery on Saturday to repair a fractured skull in the wake of this freak accident.Injured Formula One driver Felipe Massa can now communicate "actively" and is able to move his hands and legs.Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was back on top of the podium after claiming his first victory since October's Chinese Grand Prix.
The world champion took the chequered flag in a Hungarian Grand Prix overshadowed by Felipe Massa's accident.Kimi Raikkonen was second and Mark Webber third to close the points gap on Jenson Button, who was seventh, but Sebastian Vettel was forced to retire.Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali dedicated Kimi Raikkonen's second place in Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix to Felipe Massa.Domenicali, who immediately after the race left the track to see Massa, said: "We dedicate the result to Felipe. At this time all our thoughts are with him and his family, and I think this sentiment also applies to those who are close to him and to fans all over the world."Massa's accident came days after Formula Two driver Henry Surtees, was killed in a freak accident during a race at Brands Hatch.

Renault have been suspended from next month's European Grand Prix in Valencia following the wheel loss suffered by Fernando Alonso in Hungary.

Hungarian Grand Prix
Final positions after 70 laps
1 L Hamilton- McLaren
2 K Raikkonen -Ferrari
3 M Webber -Red Bull

Free insurance schemes for 1 crore families in Tamil Nadu

Nearly one crore families in Tamil Nadu, with an annual income of Rs 72,000 or less will benefit from the Tamil Nadu Government's new insurance scheme.Each family can avail treatment for critical ailments — around 51 identified procedures — up to Rs.100,000 at private and pay wards of government hospitals.The state government would pay the premimum of Rs 500 per annum for all the families from its pocket.The insurance is offered by the city-based health insurer Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Ltd. It has tied up with more than 150 public and private hospitals across the state.A biometric smart card will be issued to the beneficiary. The card would carry the photo of head of the family. Details of dependents would be available in the database.Chief Minister K. Karunanidhi requested Union Health Minister,Ghulam Nabi Azad to waive the Rs.48 crore service tax paid by the state government on the Rs.517 crore payout towards the insurance premium under the Kalaignar Insurance Scheme.At a time, when even US is fighting for a comprehensive health care system, the implementation of this Insurance scheme is quite laudable. While other states are struggling and working hard to give their citizens basic amenities like food and shelter, insurance schemes from TN is the right example in growth and development. But the trick lies in execution and if executed properly, the poor and needy will be the biggest beneficiary out of this visionary scheme.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi also announced that, after his death his house at Gopalapuram will be converted into a charitable hospital for the poor and downtrodden.

Now, withdraw cash from debit cards at retail shops, petrol stations

Every store that accepts debit cards could soon become an ATM. The next time you run out of cash, you needn’t go scouting for an ATM. All you need to do is take your debit card to the nearest shop, swipe it and withdraw cash.As a further step towards enhancing the customer convenience ,the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to permit cash withdrawals at point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

You can withdraw up to Rs 1,000 in a day. Also, you don’t need to purchase anything from the shop to avail this facility.In case the facility is being availed along with the purchase of a product, the receipt generated shall separately indicate the amount of cash withdrawn. For this, the swipe machines, or point-of-sale (PoS) terminals, will have to be upgraded and it may take around a month for the service to go on stream. The move will particularly benefit customer in smaller towns and rural areas, which have few ATM machines.

At present the cash withdrawal facility using plastic cards is available only at automated teller machines (ATMs). This will help crowd out people at the ATM's and also make use of many retail shops, petrol stations, hotels and restraunts and big budget shops who have this wipe sysytem installed in their shops.However, customers (i.e) general public may have to pay a fee of 2-3%.The processing fee will be split between the bank and the shop owner.