Reliance Big TV launched

Reliance Big TV has launched its Direct-to-Home (DTH) services on Tuesday.

Reliance Big TV is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications, which has now entered in the home entertainment field.

The service would be available on the latest MPEG4 Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform with high picture quality.

Available in 6,500 towns, the DTH service will initially broadcast over 200 channels with digital quality picture and sound.

The CEO of Reliance Big TV, Arun Kapoor said the service will benefit more than 120 million TV households of India. The DTH service will enable users to view high quality pictures and other entertainment stuff. The introduction of DTH by reliance will further increase the competition in already existing media players. Tata Sky, Dish TV, Sun Direct and DD Direct are already providing DTH services in India.

The number of customers is expected to grow to 60 million by 2012. The company is expected to invest 40 per cent share of this market at the end of 12 months. Reliance has started a new call center to handle over 50,000 calls daily. It will provide services in 11 Indian regional languages. The company has equipped with itself to provide 15,000 connections daily within 48-72 hours. The company will sell set top box with Rs. 1490 with three months subscription offer.

Source: topnews

Sri Lanka troops kill 42 rebels in northern battles

Sri Lankan troops killed 42 Tamil Tiger guerrillas in two days of fighting in the north of the island, the military said on Wednesday, pressing on with an offensive against rebel strongholds.

Government jets also bombed a Sea Tiger base in the northern rebel held district of Mullaitivu, destroying two boats.

There was no comment from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam fighting for an independent homeland for minority Tamils. Independent confirmation of battlefield casualties is not possible, and analysts say both sides tend to exaggerate enemy losses while playing down their own.

"Troops attacked LTTE forward defence line in Muhamalai in seven directions this morning," said a spokesman at the Media Center for National Security. "Monitoring of rebel communications confirmed five LTTE terrorists were killed and 25 others were wounded in the confrontation."

On Tuesday, troops killed 37 rebels in fighting in the northern region. The army lost four soldiers.

Sri Lanka's government is pursuing a strategy to gradually retake the Tiger's northern stronghold and win the 25-year civil war that has killed more than 70,000 people.

Last week the government said troops had entered Kilinochchi district where the rebels' de facto capital by the same name is located.

Source: Reuters

Two more members of LTTE's procurement module held

Two more Sri Lankan nationals, part of an LTTE procurement module, have been taken into custody by the police which recovered some explosive materials from them.

The two were secured on suspicion from the Tirumangalam area after a tip-off, said the Q Branch Police which deals with extremist organisations.

Police recovered a few spark plugs and some potassium nitrate used in explosives from the duo who were staying in a rented house in Tirumangalam.

The capture of the two on Tuesday night is the latest in a series of arrests of LTTE cadres, including its procurement wing chief Thambianna alias Daniel, and Sri Lankan nationals besides local associates in the past few weeks.

A Sri Lankan Tamil refugee, Selvakumar, was arrested from suburban Keelkattalai area on Tuesday evening on charges of trying to supply electronic and communication gadgets to the LTTE.

Police recovered nine internet phone adaptors from a room in Kelambakkam area where he was staying.

Source: Hindu