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Manufacturing is expected to overtake agriculture in India for the first time ever in 2009-10, partly because of the poor monsoon

The first dry-powder, inhalant measles vaccine begins human trials in India, where the disease strikes millions of infants and children and kills almost 2 lakh annually. No need for needles — sterile needles are a problem in rural areas — or electricity for refrigeration

Four new IIMs — in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana and Tamil Nadu — start classes from temporary campuses

KICKOFF

The football World Cup makes its African debut, starting June. The two Koreas have qualified together for the first time and, with a little luck, could meet in the knockout stages in South Africa

New Delhi plays host to the Commonwealth Games in October, with athletes from 71 nations expected to compete

The Asian Games are held in Guangzhou, China, inNovember

THE BIG TIGER...

2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger, and Beijing will hope to be at the centre-stage of most international developments, from the economy to diplomacy to global warming. In 2010, China will overtake Japan as the world’s second-largest economy — but an ageing nation may face a shortage of young workers

...AND BIODIVERSITY

The United Nations, with politically correct polysyllables, celebrates the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures and the International Year of Bio-diversity

ALL ABOUT POWER

Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad face off yet again in Bihar towards the end of the year

Britain holds its general election; and Myanmar it’s “general” election

Pakistan’s jails are filled with people serving 14 years for sending SMS jokes about President (for how long?) Asif Ali Zardari (-:

August is the deadline for US combat troops to leave Iraq, with up to 50,000 others staying on to train Iraqi soldiers and police. Test for Obama

SKY HIGH

How about travelling from, say, London to New York via outer space? Thomson, a British travel operator, and Russian rocket manufacturer Pollof Air are developing a “Spaircraft” — a commercial jet that Thomson says can leave Earth’s troposphere and cut 10-hour flights to as little as 45 minutes. The 270-foot-long craft can circumnavigate the globe twice on just one tank of fuel

Boeing may finally be able to deliver its 787 Dreamliner, two years behind schedule

BOLLYWOOD

Veer: Salman Khan, Zarine Khan

Rann: Amitabh Bachchan

My Name is Khan: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol

Kites: Hrithik Roshan,Barbara Mori

Teen Patti: Ben Kingsley, Amitabh Bachchan

Karthik Calling Karthik: Farhan Akhtar, Deepika Padukone

Raajneeti: Ajay Devgan, Nana Patekar, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal

Hissss: Mallika Sherawat

HOLLYWOOD

The Book of Eli: Denzel Washington

Toy Story 3: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

Clash Of The Titans: Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes

Valentine’s Day: Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel

BIZ BUZZ

Starting May, Shanghai hosts a six-month World Expo that is expected to draw 7 crore visitors. On exhibit could be a replica of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch

In December, Googleannounces the most searched items of the year

WARNING BELLS

The world will have 6 crore moreunemployed people compared with 2008 figures

And also...

Qatar is the only country predicted to record double-digit growth in 2010. What’s more, it completes the Ras Laffan gas plant which it says will be the largest structure made by man in centuries

Iran’s first N-power plant at Bushehr may start functioning

Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles, stokes controversy with her much-awaited The Clinton Chronicles