07:25
Karthick Dharman
Posted in: British ActressesSaturday, 12 November 2011
Steyn Becomes The 20th Bowler To Break 900 Ranking Point Mark
DUBAI: South African pacer Dale Steyn has become only the 20th bowler to break the 900-point mark in the ICC rankings for Test bowlers after claiming six scalps in his side's eight-wicket win over Australia on Friday.
Steyn began the Cape Town Test on 899 ratings points and earned three ratings points for his efforts of 4/55 and 2/23 to become only the second South Africa bowler after Shaun Pollock to achieve the rare distinction.
In rankings terms, 900 or more ratings points means a player is truly outstanding, a benchmark for the very top bowlers.
"It is very special for me to join the 900-point club. There are a lot of world-class players in that region and it is an honour to be in their company," a delighted Steyn said.
"When I go out and bowl I hardly ever think of the rankings, for me it is about representing my country and giving my best for the team so sometimes it means a lot to receive the recognition."
At 902 ratings points, Steyn is 17th in the all-time ratings list with an excellent chance of moving further up that list provided he puts up another stellar performance in the second and final Test which starts in Johannesburg next Thursday.
Steyn has been holding the number one slot in the list for current players since the Durban Test against England in December 2009, although his first time at the top of that table came in April 2008. In 47 impressive Tests, the 28-year-old has taken 244 wickets.
Such is Steyn's dominance in the bowling rankings that second-placed James Anderson of England trails him by 91 ratings points, while his team-mate Morne Morkel, who is the second best South Africa bowler in third position, is 126 ratings points behind.
Steyn lies in seventh position in the ODI bowlers' list and 16th position in the Twenty20 International.
Among others, Australia's Shane Watson has earned a career-best ranking of 10th, improving 15 places, after returning with a figure of 5-2-17-5 in South Africa's first innings score of 96.
Debutant Vernon Philander, one of the architects of Australia's second innings collapse for 47 with figures of 7-3-15-5, has entered the bowlers' rankings in 49th position.
In the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, all three batsmen -- Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and Michael Clarke -- who scored centuries in a sensational Cape Town Test have made upward moves.
South Africa captain Smith, who scored 37 and 101 not out, has climbed eight places to seventh spot, Amla's score of three and 112 have lifted him four places to eighth position while Clarke lies in 17th position after gaining five places following his scores of 151 and two.
At the top, Jacques Kallis has been replaced by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara after the South African slipped seven ratings points behind him after scores of nought and two not out in the just-concluded Test.
Other batsmen losing ground include Mike Hussey in 11th (down six places), AB de Villiers in 13th (slipping three spots), Shane Watson in 30th (dropping four slots), Ricky Ponting in 34th (down two positions), Brad Haddin in 42nd (falling five places), Mark Boucher in 48th (down three spots) and Phil Hughes in 53rd (slipping four places).
In the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders, Watson has moved into third position, ahead of Stuart Broad of England and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan. The list is still headed by Kallis with Daniel Vettori of New Zealand in second spot.
Steyn began the Cape Town Test on 899 ratings points and earned three ratings points for his efforts of 4/55 and 2/23 to become only the second South Africa bowler after Shaun Pollock to achieve the rare distinction.
In rankings terms, 900 or more ratings points means a player is truly outstanding, a benchmark for the very top bowlers.
"It is very special for me to join the 900-point club. There are a lot of world-class players in that region and it is an honour to be in their company," a delighted Steyn said.
"When I go out and bowl I hardly ever think of the rankings, for me it is about representing my country and giving my best for the team so sometimes it means a lot to receive the recognition."
At 902 ratings points, Steyn is 17th in the all-time ratings list with an excellent chance of moving further up that list provided he puts up another stellar performance in the second and final Test which starts in Johannesburg next Thursday.
Steyn has been holding the number one slot in the list for current players since the Durban Test against England in December 2009, although his first time at the top of that table came in April 2008. In 47 impressive Tests, the 28-year-old has taken 244 wickets.
Such is Steyn's dominance in the bowling rankings that second-placed James Anderson of England trails him by 91 ratings points, while his team-mate Morne Morkel, who is the second best South Africa bowler in third position, is 126 ratings points behind.
Steyn lies in seventh position in the ODI bowlers' list and 16th position in the Twenty20 International.
Among others, Australia's Shane Watson has earned a career-best ranking of 10th, improving 15 places, after returning with a figure of 5-2-17-5 in South Africa's first innings score of 96.
Debutant Vernon Philander, one of the architects of Australia's second innings collapse for 47 with figures of 7-3-15-5, has entered the bowlers' rankings in 49th position.
In the ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen, all three batsmen -- Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and Michael Clarke -- who scored centuries in a sensational Cape Town Test have made upward moves.
South Africa captain Smith, who scored 37 and 101 not out, has climbed eight places to seventh spot, Amla's score of three and 112 have lifted him four places to eighth position while Clarke lies in 17th position after gaining five places following his scores of 151 and two.
At the top, Jacques Kallis has been replaced by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara after the South African slipped seven ratings points behind him after scores of nought and two not out in the just-concluded Test.
Other batsmen losing ground include Mike Hussey in 11th (down six places), AB de Villiers in 13th (slipping three spots), Shane Watson in 30th (dropping four slots), Ricky Ponting in 34th (down two positions), Brad Haddin in 42nd (falling five places), Mark Boucher in 48th (down three spots) and Phil Hughes in 53rd (slipping four places).
In the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders, Watson has moved into third position, ahead of Stuart Broad of England and Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan. The list is still headed by Kallis with Daniel Vettori of New Zealand in second spot.
Posted in: Breaking News
Eden Hopes To Witness Sachin Make History
KOLKATA: Will he? Won't he? That's the question local cricket buffs find most intriguing as they pray Sachin Tendulkar reaches the much-awaited milestone of a century of international tons during the second Test against the West Indies at the historic Eden Gardens, a ground that the batting genius had once called the "home of cricket".
India play the West Indies in the second Test from November 14-18.
After scoring a century in the Cape Town Test against South Africa, Sachin has failed to play even one triple figure knock in the 11 Test innings where he has come to the middle, the highest being 91 at The Oval during India's disastrous English tour in summer.
However, he did get two ODI hundreds during this time - 120 against England at Bangalore and 111 facing South Africa in Nagpur. The last one came March 12.
It was almost 22 years back that a shy 16-year old boy with curly hair and an ocean of talent made his international debut in the Karachi Test against Pakistan, with cricketing experts like Sunil Gavaskar prophesying the advent of a player capable of breaking all batting records that one can think of.
Years later, the legendary Don Bradman - considered the greatest batsmen of all times - asked his wife to take a look at the Indian as he felt Tendulkar played like him. It was Tendulkar's technique, compactness, and shot production that endeared him most to the Aussie, according to Roland Perry, who authored the book "Don's Best".
Fifty-one centuries in 182 Test matches and 48 in 453 ODIs is ample testimony of the visionary qualities of these wise men.
But the one century - that would make the little Mumbaikar the first ever batsman in 138 years of international cricket history to complete a historic feat of 100 tons - has been on wait for eight months.
And Kolkatans are hoping it will be at the Eden, a ground where Tendulkar has got only two tons in 10 Tests. His average a tad below 50, as opposed to 56.14 overall in Tests.
The five-feet-five-inch batsman had to wait till his sixth Test at the Eden to get his maiden ton in the coliseum-like stadium. The jinx was finally broken November 3, 2002, when he got a strokeful 176 in the second innings against the Carl Hooper led West Indies to rescue India from a tottering 87/4 with a 214-run stand alongside VVS Laxman (154). It was his 31st Test century.
"Honoured to score a century at the home of cricket," said a relaxed but happy Tendulkar after the feat.
The second century came last year, when he struck 106 against South Africa, a match that made India the number one Test team of the world.
And as Tendulkar prepares to take guard at the hallowed ground again, cricket fans are hoping to see history being made before their eyes.
India play the West Indies in the second Test from November 14-18.
After scoring a century in the Cape Town Test against South Africa, Sachin has failed to play even one triple figure knock in the 11 Test innings where he has come to the middle, the highest being 91 at The Oval during India's disastrous English tour in summer.
However, he did get two ODI hundreds during this time - 120 against England at Bangalore and 111 facing South Africa in Nagpur. The last one came March 12.
It was almost 22 years back that a shy 16-year old boy with curly hair and an ocean of talent made his international debut in the Karachi Test against Pakistan, with cricketing experts like Sunil Gavaskar prophesying the advent of a player capable of breaking all batting records that one can think of.
Years later, the legendary Don Bradman - considered the greatest batsmen of all times - asked his wife to take a look at the Indian as he felt Tendulkar played like him. It was Tendulkar's technique, compactness, and shot production that endeared him most to the Aussie, according to Roland Perry, who authored the book "Don's Best".
Fifty-one centuries in 182 Test matches and 48 in 453 ODIs is ample testimony of the visionary qualities of these wise men.
But the one century - that would make the little Mumbaikar the first ever batsman in 138 years of international cricket history to complete a historic feat of 100 tons - has been on wait for eight months.
And Kolkatans are hoping it will be at the Eden, a ground where Tendulkar has got only two tons in 10 Tests. His average a tad below 50, as opposed to 56.14 overall in Tests.
The five-feet-five-inch batsman had to wait till his sixth Test at the Eden to get his maiden ton in the coliseum-like stadium. The jinx was finally broken November 3, 2002, when he got a strokeful 176 in the second innings against the Carl Hooper led West Indies to rescue India from a tottering 87/4 with a 214-run stand alongside VVS Laxman (154). It was his 31st Test century.
"Honoured to score a century at the home of cricket," said a relaxed but happy Tendulkar after the feat.
The second century came last year, when he struck 106 against South Africa, a match that made India the number one Test team of the world.
And as Tendulkar prepares to take guard at the hallowed ground again, cricket fans are hoping to see history being made before their eyes.
Posted in: Breaking News
Suarez Scores Four As Uruguay Crush Chile 4-0
MONTEVIDEO: Uruguay striker Luis Suarez scored all four goals as the Copa America holders crushed Chile 4-0 on Friday to stay top of the South American 2014 World Cup qualifying group.
Suarez scored twice in each half, his goals spanning a 30-minute period in which Uruguay devastated Chile, who went into the match following coach Claudio Borghi's dismissal of five of his players for indiscipline in midweek.
Chile were also weakened by the last-minute withdrawal of key player Alexis Sanchez, who aggravated a right biceps problem during the warm-up. Sanchez had been out for almost two months with the injury.
Suarez was substituted soon after his final goal to resounding cheers from the crowd of more than 40,000 at the Centenario stadium, and watched the rest of the game from the bench with the match ball under his arm.
"(I scored four goals) just once or twice at Ajax but it's the first time for the national team and I'm very happy," Suarez told reporters.
"What's important is that the team won well. It doesn't matter who gets the goals," said Suarez, who helped Uruguay make light of the absence of fellow forward Diego Forlan.
Uruguay lead the nine-nation group with seven points from three matches after last month's home 4-2 win over Bolivia and 1-1 draw at Paraguay. Chile, with three points, had previously lost 4-1 in Argentina and beaten Peru 4-2 at home.
FOUR-GOAL SPREE
Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo tried to separate the midweek incident in Santiago, when five players returned late after drinking on a free evening, from the rout in Montevideo.
"What happened in the week has nothing to do with this. That's a closed chapter. We didn't play as we should have done," he told Chilean TV station Chilevision.
Both sides attacked from the start creating and had a string of chances but Chile left themselves dangerously open at the back.
Chile could have taken the lead after a quarter of an hour when Humberto Suazo brilliantly fed fellow forward Eduardo Vargas but Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera cleared with his feet.
Suarez struck in the 42nd minute when he slotted home a pass from midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios and made it two before the interval when he appeared to net the ball with his shoulder.
Chile had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half and the wind went out of their sails.
Suarez completed his hat-trick with a header from Alvaro Pereira's cross in the 67th minute and soon after rounded off the scoring with a rasping shot from the edge of the box.
Uruguay defender Diego Godin denied Chile a consolation goal when he cleared Mauricio Isla's shot off the line in added time.
The South American champions have a bye on Tuesday which will give other teams a chance to catch up with them in the standings in four more qualifiers. Uruguay play Italy in a friendly in Rome.
Suarez scored twice in each half, his goals spanning a 30-minute period in which Uruguay devastated Chile, who went into the match following coach Claudio Borghi's dismissal of five of his players for indiscipline in midweek.
Chile were also weakened by the last-minute withdrawal of key player Alexis Sanchez, who aggravated a right biceps problem during the warm-up. Sanchez had been out for almost two months with the injury.
Suarez was substituted soon after his final goal to resounding cheers from the crowd of more than 40,000 at the Centenario stadium, and watched the rest of the game from the bench with the match ball under his arm.
"(I scored four goals) just once or twice at Ajax but it's the first time for the national team and I'm very happy," Suarez told reporters.
"What's important is that the team won well. It doesn't matter who gets the goals," said Suarez, who helped Uruguay make light of the absence of fellow forward Diego Forlan.
Uruguay lead the nine-nation group with seven points from three matches after last month's home 4-2 win over Bolivia and 1-1 draw at Paraguay. Chile, with three points, had previously lost 4-1 in Argentina and beaten Peru 4-2 at home.
FOUR-GOAL SPREE
Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo tried to separate the midweek incident in Santiago, when five players returned late after drinking on a free evening, from the rout in Montevideo.
"What happened in the week has nothing to do with this. That's a closed chapter. We didn't play as we should have done," he told Chilean TV station Chilevision.
Both sides attacked from the start creating and had a string of chances but Chile left themselves dangerously open at the back.
Chile could have taken the lead after a quarter of an hour when Humberto Suazo brilliantly fed fellow forward Eduardo Vargas but Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera cleared with his feet.
Suarez struck in the 42nd minute when he slotted home a pass from midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios and made it two before the interval when he appeared to net the ball with his shoulder.
Chile had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half and the wind went out of their sails.
Suarez completed his hat-trick with a header from Alvaro Pereira's cross in the 67th minute and soon after rounded off the scoring with a rasping shot from the edge of the box.
Uruguay defender Diego Godin denied Chile a consolation goal when he cleared Mauricio Isla's shot off the line in added time.
The South American champions have a bye on Tuesday which will give other teams a chance to catch up with them in the standings in four more qualifiers. Uruguay play Italy in a friendly in Rome.
Posted in: Breaking News
Dravid The Most Difficult Batsman To Bowl To: Edwards
KOLKATA: West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards on Saturday said veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid is the most difficult batsman to bowl to in international cricket.
"Dravid is probably the most difficult batsman (to bowl to). He's known all over the world as the 'Wall'. Back home, I've bowled against him and he's been very good up front. It's very hard to get him out," Edwards said.
The West Indies pacer said the plan in the opening Test in Delhi, which the visitors lost by five wicket, was to bowl as straight as possible.
"The ball was keeping low. The ball started reversing and I kept bowling as straight as possible and he got bowled. It was good for me," he said about him bowling out Dravid in the first Test.
Asked whether it was the best dismissal, he said: "I won't say that, but it was a good delivery...For me, my mindset doesn't change. I try to stay as attacking as possible. I just do what I have to do -- bowl fast."
The 29-year-old said the Windies' bowling department discusses about the batsmen's techniques individually in their team meetings.
"We have our team meetings and we try to chart a course, come up with a plan. We watch as much footage as we can -- for batsmen, whether to bowl straight or bowl outside or whatever. We try to stick to the plans."
Despite his short height, Edwards bowls at a pace that can unsettle any batsman and the diminutive West Indian fast bowler said, "I can do nothing about my height."
"Watching guys like Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop bowl -- all of them were six feet or probably taller than that. About me, I would loved to have had that height, but I am what I am I can't do anything about it."
Down 0-1 in the three-Test series, Edwards said it's been a learning curve for most of the boys in the series.
"It's (the team atmosphere) been great. We pushed the top Test team so far. We have a very young bunch of players here. For most of the guys this series will be a learning curve. See what Dravid and Sachin did with the bat in the second innings and hopefully we can learn quickly from that."
Edwards also said he bowled to aggressive Indian opener Virender Sehwag for the first time in a Test series.
"It will be my 50th Test (on Monday)... So hopefully we can do well and come up with a win and try our best in the third Test."
Edwards said he did not have any knowledge on the possible line-up for the second Test.
"Dravid is probably the most difficult batsman (to bowl to). He's known all over the world as the 'Wall'. Back home, I've bowled against him and he's been very good up front. It's very hard to get him out," Edwards said.
The West Indies pacer said the plan in the opening Test in Delhi, which the visitors lost by five wicket, was to bowl as straight as possible.
"The ball was keeping low. The ball started reversing and I kept bowling as straight as possible and he got bowled. It was good for me," he said about him bowling out Dravid in the first Test.
Asked whether it was the best dismissal, he said: "I won't say that, but it was a good delivery...For me, my mindset doesn't change. I try to stay as attacking as possible. I just do what I have to do -- bowl fast."
The 29-year-old said the Windies' bowling department discusses about the batsmen's techniques individually in their team meetings.
"We have our team meetings and we try to chart a course, come up with a plan. We watch as much footage as we can -- for batsmen, whether to bowl straight or bowl outside or whatever. We try to stick to the plans."
Despite his short height, Edwards bowls at a pace that can unsettle any batsman and the diminutive West Indian fast bowler said, "I can do nothing about my height."
"Watching guys like Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop bowl -- all of them were six feet or probably taller than that. About me, I would loved to have had that height, but I am what I am I can't do anything about it."
Down 0-1 in the three-Test series, Edwards said it's been a learning curve for most of the boys in the series.
"It's (the team atmosphere) been great. We pushed the top Test team so far. We have a very young bunch of players here. For most of the guys this series will be a learning curve. See what Dravid and Sachin did with the bat in the second innings and hopefully we can learn quickly from that."
Edwards also said he bowled to aggressive Indian opener Virender Sehwag for the first time in a Test series.
"It will be my 50th Test (on Monday)... So hopefully we can do well and come up with a win and try our best in the third Test."
Edwards said he did not have any knowledge on the possible line-up for the second Test.
Posted in: Breaking News
Bopanna-Qureshi Continue Giant-Killing Spree, Enter Paris Masters Final
PARIS: Rohan Bopanna and his partner Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi are one step away from winning their third ATP title of the season as they stormed into the final of the Paris Masters after edging past Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor, on Saturday.
The seventh seed Indo-Pak pair eked out a 6-3, 7-6 (7) win in the semifinals over the third seeded Belarusian-Canadian combination in one hour and 27 minutes.
On Friday, they had shocked second seeds Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 in the quarterfinals of the euro 2,750,000 event.
Bopanna and Qureshi had won Gerry Weber Open at Halle and Stockholm Open early this season.
They now face the winner of the others semifinal between French pair of Julien Benneteau & Nicolas Mahut and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and Kas Christopher of Germany.
The seventh seed Indo-Pak pair eked out a 6-3, 7-6 (7) win in the semifinals over the third seeded Belarusian-Canadian combination in one hour and 27 minutes.
On Friday, they had shocked second seeds Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 in the quarterfinals of the euro 2,750,000 event.
Bopanna and Qureshi had won Gerry Weber Open at Halle and Stockholm Open early this season.
They now face the winner of the others semifinal between French pair of Julien Benneteau & Nicolas Mahut and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and Kas Christopher of Germany.
Posted in: Breaking News
Sachin Tendulkar Complains About Eden Gardens Sight Screen And Grassy Pitch
KOLKATA: Eden Gardens' low sight screens have once again become a major point of concern ahead of India's second Test against the West Indies with Sachin Tendulkar requesting the state association to raise the height for a better view against the tall Windies bowlers.
Tendulkar, just one short of 100 international centuries, made a plea to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) who later said they would cooperate fully as the Mumbai maestro was approaching an incredible milestone.
During India's net session, Tendulkar seemed unhappy with the Eden sightscreens again as he had a long chat with CAB officials Biswarup Dey and Gautam Dasgputa, pointing at the sightscreens on both the ends.
Tendulkar also pointed at the patches of grass that was distinctly visible at the high-court end and it appeared that it would be trimmed the day before the match so as to assist the Indian spinners.
CAB joint-secretary Dey said it was just a sincere request from Tendulkar and they would do their best to cooperate with him.
"Tendulkar is eyeing a very important milestone in his career. 100th international century is a never-before record. CAB will fully cooperate to raise the height, by covering few rows of seats in the lower tier."
The raise in height in both the ends, incidentally, would cost CAB about 1500 seats and Dey said it's up to them to decide on that.
The Eden sight screens have long been a problem and during the World Cup, ICC technical team also objected to the lower height as the stadium lost out on India's sole fixture at the venue.
Eventually CAB had to comply with the ICC guidelines of 25 feet height and 50 feet width sight screen before getting an ICC clearance.
The current height is 16 feet which has been achieved by covering a few lower tier seats with white clothes behind the two sight screens.
Asked why CAB was not getting a permanent solution to this, Dey passed on the buck to the curator.
"I don't know much about the height details. It's the curator who determines the height and all."
Meanwhile, curator Prabir Mukherjee said he does not have any say in this and it's the match referee and umpires who decide on this.
"Match referee and umpires are the technical persons. It's not my work to see who has what problems. It's not my job."
On the grass left on the strip, Mukherjee said usual mowing would be done on Sunday before a quick roll on the wicket.
Tendulkar, just one short of 100 international centuries, made a plea to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) who later said they would cooperate fully as the Mumbai maestro was approaching an incredible milestone.
During India's net session, Tendulkar seemed unhappy with the Eden sightscreens again as he had a long chat with CAB officials Biswarup Dey and Gautam Dasgputa, pointing at the sightscreens on both the ends.
Tendulkar also pointed at the patches of grass that was distinctly visible at the high-court end and it appeared that it would be trimmed the day before the match so as to assist the Indian spinners.
CAB joint-secretary Dey said it was just a sincere request from Tendulkar and they would do their best to cooperate with him.
"Tendulkar is eyeing a very important milestone in his career. 100th international century is a never-before record. CAB will fully cooperate to raise the height, by covering few rows of seats in the lower tier."
The raise in height in both the ends, incidentally, would cost CAB about 1500 seats and Dey said it's up to them to decide on that.
The Eden sight screens have long been a problem and during the World Cup, ICC technical team also objected to the lower height as the stadium lost out on India's sole fixture at the venue.
Eventually CAB had to comply with the ICC guidelines of 25 feet height and 50 feet width sight screen before getting an ICC clearance.
The current height is 16 feet which has been achieved by covering a few lower tier seats with white clothes behind the two sight screens.
Asked why CAB was not getting a permanent solution to this, Dey passed on the buck to the curator.
"I don't know much about the height details. It's the curator who determines the height and all."
Meanwhile, curator Prabir Mukherjee said he does not have any say in this and it's the match referee and umpires who decide on this.
"Match referee and umpires are the technical persons. It's not my work to see who has what problems. It's not my job."
On the grass left on the strip, Mukherjee said usual mowing would be done on Sunday before a quick roll on the wicket.
Posted in: Breaking News
Ugandan Court: 30 Years For Killer Of Gay Activist
MUKONO, Uganda: A Ugandan court has sentenced a man to 30 years in prison for killing a gay rights activist.
A high court judge on Thursday handed down the sentence to 22-year-old Sidney Nsubuga Enoch, who admitted that he bludgeoned David Kato to death with a hammer in January.
Kato's slaying came only months after his picture was published in an anti-gay newspaper next to the words ``Hang Them.''
Enoch said he was provoked by sexual advances that Kato made toward him. Gay rights activists have blamed an increase in homophobia in Uganda on evangelical preachers.
In May, the Ugandan parliament adjourned without discussing a controversial bill that proposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts.
A high court judge on Thursday handed down the sentence to 22-year-old Sidney Nsubuga Enoch, who admitted that he bludgeoned David Kato to death with a hammer in January.
Kato's slaying came only months after his picture was published in an anti-gay newspaper next to the words ``Hang Them.''
Enoch said he was provoked by sexual advances that Kato made toward him. Gay rights activists have blamed an increase in homophobia in Uganda on evangelical preachers.
In May, the Ugandan parliament adjourned without discussing a controversial bill that proposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts.
Posted in: Breaking News
Chinese Censors Block Use Of Information From Internet In News Media
BEIJING: Chinese censors have struck again to check the rising trend in the news media to source what is seen as 'negative news' from the internet. A new government order has banned the use of unverified information from Internet sites and blogs in news pages and in the electronic media.
The Chinese media has of late been citing Twitter-like microblogs and internet sites as the source of information. This is how the State-controlled media has been able to expose a range of misdeeds and government negligence including a case of child labor being used in mines. They can no more do so.
The General Administration of Press and Publications has required reporters to produce at least two sources for any "critical" news reports and to personally conduct interviews when gathering information.
The GAPP said newspapers must publish corrections and apologies for circulating false reports as and when they do so. Serious violations could lead to the suspension or even revocation of a news outlet's government-issued license, it said in a statement on Thursday.
"False reports not only seriously hurt the interests of the parties involved, but also seriously undermine the credibility of the news media, or even seriously affect the social and economic order," GAPP said in a question-and-answer article released by the state news agency Xinhua.
It has also barred reporters from directly including unverified information from the mobile telephone messages in news articles. The authorities said one in five of its investigations of "illegal news publishing" involved false reports since 2010.
The move comes after last month's annual meeting of the Communist Party's leadership, which focused on increasing China's cultural reach, produced new calls for increased supervision of journalism and the Internet.
The issue has been raised on several occasions by senior Communist Party leaders, led by the Politburo member and propaganda chief Li Changchun. The party is facing a serious challenge in terms of controlling what it regards as false rumors and incendiary statements in the country's microblogs reaching hundreds of millions of Internet users.
Reports on government corruption and abuse of authority have filled thousands of microblog postings causing serious embarrassment to the rulers. The government has forced some of the microblogs to hire teams of employees to hunt down and fact-check rumors.
The new rules will affect regional newspapers, who do not have the financial capability to hire reporters across the country and were increasingly using the internet as their source of news.
The Chinese media has of late been citing Twitter-like microblogs and internet sites as the source of information. This is how the State-controlled media has been able to expose a range of misdeeds and government negligence including a case of child labor being used in mines. They can no more do so.
The General Administration of Press and Publications has required reporters to produce at least two sources for any "critical" news reports and to personally conduct interviews when gathering information.
The GAPP said newspapers must publish corrections and apologies for circulating false reports as and when they do so. Serious violations could lead to the suspension or even revocation of a news outlet's government-issued license, it said in a statement on Thursday.
"False reports not only seriously hurt the interests of the parties involved, but also seriously undermine the credibility of the news media, or even seriously affect the social and economic order," GAPP said in a question-and-answer article released by the state news agency Xinhua.
It has also barred reporters from directly including unverified information from the mobile telephone messages in news articles. The authorities said one in five of its investigations of "illegal news publishing" involved false reports since 2010.
The move comes after last month's annual meeting of the Communist Party's leadership, which focused on increasing China's cultural reach, produced new calls for increased supervision of journalism and the Internet.
The issue has been raised on several occasions by senior Communist Party leaders, led by the Politburo member and propaganda chief Li Changchun. The party is facing a serious challenge in terms of controlling what it regards as false rumors and incendiary statements in the country's microblogs reaching hundreds of millions of Internet users.
Reports on government corruption and abuse of authority have filled thousands of microblog postings causing serious embarrassment to the rulers. The government has forced some of the microblogs to hire teams of employees to hunt down and fact-check rumors.
The new rules will affect regional newspapers, who do not have the financial capability to hire reporters across the country and were increasingly using the internet as their source of news.
Posted in: Breaking News
James Murdoch Refuses To Rule Out Closure Of 'The Sun' Tabloid
LONDON: Embattled News International head James Murdoch has refused to rule out closing down Britain's best-selling tabloid, 'The Sun', if the phone hacking scandal spreads to it.
James, the son of News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch, made the comment yesterday as he faced a day of questioning from British MPs over previous evidence he gave to Parliament about the phone-hacking scandal involving the now-defunct 'News of the World' tabloid.
The News International head, who was at one point compared to a mafia boss by one British MP, denied misleading lawmakers when he told them in July this year that he was unaware of the infamous "for Neville" email which implicated other reporters at the 'News of the World' in hacking.
Though he admitted that he had been told about an email, James said he was not told at all that the email was titled "for Neville" or that the email contained evidence that other journalists at the paper were involved in hacking.
However, when it was asked about the conduct of other newspapers in the News International stable, James refused to rule out closing down 'The Sun', 'The Daily Telegraph' said.
Steve Rotheram, an MP, claimed 'The Sun' is mentioned in the notes of Glenn Mulcaire, the private detective jailed for phone hacking in 2007.
The MP asked Murdoch: "If this particular publication is implicated in phone hacking and it is revealed that The Sun does appear in the Mulcaire file, will you close that paper like you did with the News of the World."
Murdoch said he did not want to pre judge the outcome of any investigation before adding, "I do not think we can rule or I should not rule any corporate reaction to behaviour of wrongdoing out. That will be a decision taken at the time given whatever is out there."
James, the son of News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch, made the comment yesterday as he faced a day of questioning from British MPs over previous evidence he gave to Parliament about the phone-hacking scandal involving the now-defunct 'News of the World' tabloid.
The News International head, who was at one point compared to a mafia boss by one British MP, denied misleading lawmakers when he told them in July this year that he was unaware of the infamous "for Neville" email which implicated other reporters at the 'News of the World' in hacking.
Though he admitted that he had been told about an email, James said he was not told at all that the email was titled "for Neville" or that the email contained evidence that other journalists at the paper were involved in hacking.
However, when it was asked about the conduct of other newspapers in the News International stable, James refused to rule out closing down 'The Sun', 'The Daily Telegraph' said.
Steve Rotheram, an MP, claimed 'The Sun' is mentioned in the notes of Glenn Mulcaire, the private detective jailed for phone hacking in 2007.
The MP asked Murdoch: "If this particular publication is implicated in phone hacking and it is revealed that The Sun does appear in the Mulcaire file, will you close that paper like you did with the News of the World."
Murdoch said he did not want to pre judge the outcome of any investigation before adding, "I do not think we can rule or I should not rule any corporate reaction to behaviour of wrongdoing out. That will be a decision taken at the time given whatever is out there."
Posted in: Breaking News
Us Aircraft Carrier That Buried Osama Turned Into Basketball Arena For Veteran's Day
WASHINGTON: The US Navy warship that carried the body of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to his burial at sea, has been transformed into a basket ball court to host the first college game on Veteran's Day.
President Barack Obama and over 7,000 fans will board USS Carl Vinson to see the first match between Michigan State and North Carolina.
If it rains, an alternate playing area has been constructed on the hangar deck, the Daily Mail reports.
Michigan coach Tom Izzo said he was 'blown away' when boarding the nuclear-powered carrier, which stretches 1,092 feet, weighs 95,000 tons and has four steam catapults that can accelerate a jet fighter from 0 to 165 mph in just more than two seconds.
The game, a rematch of the 2009 national championship game won by North Carolina, was conceived to celebrate Veterans Day and salute active-duty military personnel.
"My first impression when I walked in far superseded whatever I thought it could be, and we've been talking about this for seven or eight years," the paper quoted him, as saying.
North Carolina's No 1 Roy Williams said that he is very excited for playing the match on the carrier.
"This is a celebration. The basketball game, from the tipoff till the final horn, we're going to be working our tails off about the game," the paper quoted Williams, as saying.
"But every single second prior to it and as soon as the game's final horn is over with, we're thinking about hopefully putting a smile on some people's faces who represent our country and serve our country," he added.
President Barack Obama and over 7,000 fans will board USS Carl Vinson to see the first match between Michigan State and North Carolina.
If it rains, an alternate playing area has been constructed on the hangar deck, the Daily Mail reports.
Michigan coach Tom Izzo said he was 'blown away' when boarding the nuclear-powered carrier, which stretches 1,092 feet, weighs 95,000 tons and has four steam catapults that can accelerate a jet fighter from 0 to 165 mph in just more than two seconds.
The game, a rematch of the 2009 national championship game won by North Carolina, was conceived to celebrate Veterans Day and salute active-duty military personnel.
"My first impression when I walked in far superseded whatever I thought it could be, and we've been talking about this for seven or eight years," the paper quoted him, as saying.
North Carolina's No 1 Roy Williams said that he is very excited for playing the match on the carrier.
"This is a celebration. The basketball game, from the tipoff till the final horn, we're going to be working our tails off about the game," the paper quoted Williams, as saying.
"But every single second prior to it and as soon as the game's final horn is over with, we're thinking about hopefully putting a smile on some people's faces who represent our country and serve our country," he added.
Posted in: Breaking News
Berlusconi To Resign After Parliament Adopts Reforms
ROME: Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was set to resign today after 17 years at the top of Italian political life, as lawmakers prepared to give final approval to a package of key economic reforms.
Berlusconi has said he will step down once the measures he promised to the European Union are adopted in a session starting at 1700 IST, after market turmoil raised fears that Italy could drag Europe into an unprecedented crisis.
A cabinet meeting at which Berlusconi could announce the resignation is scheduled for 1230 IST after the parliament votes. The prime minister would then have to formally submit his resignation to Italy's head of state.
There is little grief among ordinary Italians over the demise of Berlusconi, with latest polls giving him an approval rating of just 22 per cent, but he did earn at least one tribute from counterpart and friend Vladimir Putin.
The Russian prime minister and likely future president saluted Berlusconi as "one of Europe's greatest politicians", referring to him as "one of the last Mohicans.
"That he was in power was an undoubted good for Italy," he added.
But many in the international community disagree and will be glad to see the back of the scandal-tainted premier who increasingly became the object of criticism from Italian companies who said he had turned the country into a joke.
The latest cover of The Economist, a news weekly that has had a long-running feud with Berlusconi since declaring him "unfit to lead Italy" in 2001, carried a photo of Berlusconi preening himself with the headline: "That's all, folks."
His most likely replacement is former EU commissioner Mario Monti, a 68-year-old economist who built a formidable reputation as a trust-busting bureaucrat in Brussels, but has no experience in political office.
Monti is expected to be nominated by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to form a new government after Berlusconi's resignation.
Berlusconi has said he will step down once the measures he promised to the European Union are adopted in a session starting at 1700 IST, after market turmoil raised fears that Italy could drag Europe into an unprecedented crisis.
A cabinet meeting at which Berlusconi could announce the resignation is scheduled for 1230 IST after the parliament votes. The prime minister would then have to formally submit his resignation to Italy's head of state.
There is little grief among ordinary Italians over the demise of Berlusconi, with latest polls giving him an approval rating of just 22 per cent, but he did earn at least one tribute from counterpart and friend Vladimir Putin.
The Russian prime minister and likely future president saluted Berlusconi as "one of Europe's greatest politicians", referring to him as "one of the last Mohicans.
"That he was in power was an undoubted good for Italy," he added.
But many in the international community disagree and will be glad to see the back of the scandal-tainted premier who increasingly became the object of criticism from Italian companies who said he had turned the country into a joke.
The latest cover of The Economist, a news weekly that has had a long-running feud with Berlusconi since declaring him "unfit to lead Italy" in 2001, carried a photo of Berlusconi preening himself with the headline: "That's all, folks."
His most likely replacement is former EU commissioner Mario Monti, a 68-year-old economist who built a formidable reputation as a trust-busting bureaucrat in Brussels, but has no experience in political office.
Monti is expected to be nominated by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to form a new government after Berlusconi's resignation.
Posted in: Breaking News
Clashes And Protests In Yemen For Second Day
SANAA: Fierce clashes erupted in Yemen's second city on Saturday as protesters in the capital Sanaa condemned international silence in the face of a government crackdown that left more than 15 dead on Friday.
"Oh world, the children and women of Taez are being killed...where is your conscience?" chanted tens of thousands of protesters in Sanaa who for 10 months now have been calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.
"To the world and the (UN) Security Council, don't you see Saleh is shelling Taez?" they chanted.
On Friday, government forces shelled a protest site in the flashpoint city of Taez, south of the capital, killing 15 civilians, including at least three women and three children, medics said.
Friday's violence, which also left at least 40 people wounded, erupted when security forces loyal to Saleh began shelling areas around Freedom Square, the epicentre of the protest movement in Taez.
Witnesses blamed the violence on the Republican Guard, an elite unit commanded by Saleh's son Ahmed, accusing it of firing tank and artillery rounds into a crowd of protesting civilians.
The violence continued on Saturday as armed tribesmen who have thrown their support behind the protest movement clashed with government troops in the Hassab district of Taez, witnesses said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Youth activists called for a general strike in the city as thousands took to the streets to condemn Friday's bloodshed. Residents said most businesses were closed.
The escalation of violence came as UN envoy Jamal Benomar returned to Yemen for a new push to end the 10-month crisis.
Benomar arrived in Sanaa on Thursday and began meeting with government and opposition officials to discuss a roadmap for implementing a Gulf peace plan which would see Saleh step down in return for a promise of immunity from prosecution for himself and his family.
Saleh, who has been in power in Sanaa for 33 years, has so far failed to sign up to the blueprint despite repeated promises that he would.
On Saturday, an opposition spokesman said the assault on Taez is "proof" he has no intention to resign.
"Saleh totally rejects the initiative... and proof of this is what is happening to the peaceful protesters in Taez," said Mohammed Qahtan, spokesman for the Common Forum parliamentary opposition bloc.
The government's crackdown left hundreds dead and thousands wounded since January.
"Oh world, the children and women of Taez are being killed...where is your conscience?" chanted tens of thousands of protesters in Sanaa who for 10 months now have been calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.
"To the world and the (UN) Security Council, don't you see Saleh is shelling Taez?" they chanted.
On Friday, government forces shelled a protest site in the flashpoint city of Taez, south of the capital, killing 15 civilians, including at least three women and three children, medics said.
Friday's violence, which also left at least 40 people wounded, erupted when security forces loyal to Saleh began shelling areas around Freedom Square, the epicentre of the protest movement in Taez.
Witnesses blamed the violence on the Republican Guard, an elite unit commanded by Saleh's son Ahmed, accusing it of firing tank and artillery rounds into a crowd of protesting civilians.
The violence continued on Saturday as armed tribesmen who have thrown their support behind the protest movement clashed with government troops in the Hassab district of Taez, witnesses said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Youth activists called for a general strike in the city as thousands took to the streets to condemn Friday's bloodshed. Residents said most businesses were closed.
The escalation of violence came as UN envoy Jamal Benomar returned to Yemen for a new push to end the 10-month crisis.
Benomar arrived in Sanaa on Thursday and began meeting with government and opposition officials to discuss a roadmap for implementing a Gulf peace plan which would see Saleh step down in return for a promise of immunity from prosecution for himself and his family.
Saleh, who has been in power in Sanaa for 33 years, has so far failed to sign up to the blueprint despite repeated promises that he would.
On Saturday, an opposition spokesman said the assault on Taez is "proof" he has no intention to resign.
"Saleh totally rejects the initiative... and proof of this is what is happening to the peaceful protesters in Taez," said Mohammed Qahtan, spokesman for the Common Forum parliamentary opposition bloc.
The government's crackdown left hundreds dead and thousands wounded since January.
Posted in: Breaking News
Mayawati Slams Rahul, Plays Brahmin And Development Cards
LUCKNOW: UP chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Saturday slammed Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for his remark that "a deep sense of anguish overtakes him when he sees corruption, poverty and exploitation of people in Uttar Pradesh (UP)."
"Why does Congress' 'yuvraj' (prince) not feel angry over a series of scams that took place under the Congress led UPA government and the spiralling inflation under its rule, attacks on people of UP and atrocities against Dalits in the Congress ruled Maharashta," Mayawati asked sarcastically. She did not mention Rahul's name but addressed him as Congress party's 'yuvraj' in a bid to highlight the 'dynastic and feudal structure' of the party.
The chief minister's rejoinder to Rahul's remarks came at the inauguration of Dr Shakuntala Devi Mishra University for Rehabilitation and Education of Disabled. She said that being a Member of Parliament (MP) from UP, the 'yuvraj' should pressurise his government at the centre to release funds for development.
"The Congress led UPA government at the centre is not releasing development funds but it is criticising my government for not taking adequate steps for development," she added. Mayawati said that the Congress party was only playing politics for electoral gains and was not serious about development of the state.
Interestingly, though the university was inaugurated on Saturday, but it has been working for last two years. Also, the inauguration of the university was an official function organised by Mayawati's government. On the occasion, Mayawati also laid foundation for welfare schemes and projects worth over Rs 16,140 crore. However, the official event was converted into a BSP function with hundreds of party workers and leaders raising slogans in favour of Mayawati and denouncing opposition parties. They claimed that the BSP would win the coming assembly elections (due in next four months) and conquer New Delhi in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Using the official platform to launch her party campaigning for the assembly elections, Mayawati said that though she was a Dalit (Schedule Caste) herself but still got a university constructed in the name of a Brahmin (upper caste) woman. She said that the university was named after social worker Dr Shakuntala Devi Mishra, mother of BJP(Bhartiya Janta Party) general secretary SC Mishra and the university had now become a symbol of upper-lower castes unity.
Mayawati said that this demonstrated that her government believed in equality and not in caste divisions. She said that she was dedicating the university to her grandfather Mangal Sen who had raised and supported his family despite losing his vision. Mayawati recalled that it was because of her grandfather that she got an opportunity to pursue higher education.
The chief minister reiterated that law and order in UP under previous governments of Samata Party (SP), BJP and Congress was worst. "Under my rule, even ministers and MLAs of my party have been sent to jail when found indulging in corruption and guilty of criminal activities whereas in previous regimes no action was taken against any influential person," she added.
Mayawati pointed out that the Congress had ruled UP for over 50 years without bringing any development to the state. "Whereas all round development has taken place during five years of BSP's rule.
Mayawati on the occasion laid foundation stones for construction and repair of 23 state highways, 20 bridges, a power generation plant and several water treatment plants among other things. She inaugurated four bridges and three power projects. The chief minister also announced extension of several social welfare schemes for Dalits and backward classes.
"Why does Congress' 'yuvraj' (prince) not feel angry over a series of scams that took place under the Congress led UPA government and the spiralling inflation under its rule, attacks on people of UP and atrocities against Dalits in the Congress ruled Maharashta," Mayawati asked sarcastically. She did not mention Rahul's name but addressed him as Congress party's 'yuvraj' in a bid to highlight the 'dynastic and feudal structure' of the party.
The chief minister's rejoinder to Rahul's remarks came at the inauguration of Dr Shakuntala Devi Mishra University for Rehabilitation and Education of Disabled. She said that being a Member of Parliament (MP) from UP, the 'yuvraj' should pressurise his government at the centre to release funds for development.
"The Congress led UPA government at the centre is not releasing development funds but it is criticising my government for not taking adequate steps for development," she added. Mayawati said that the Congress party was only playing politics for electoral gains and was not serious about development of the state.
Interestingly, though the university was inaugurated on Saturday, but it has been working for last two years. Also, the inauguration of the university was an official function organised by Mayawati's government. On the occasion, Mayawati also laid foundation for welfare schemes and projects worth over Rs 16,140 crore. However, the official event was converted into a BSP function with hundreds of party workers and leaders raising slogans in favour of Mayawati and denouncing opposition parties. They claimed that the BSP would win the coming assembly elections (due in next four months) and conquer New Delhi in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Using the official platform to launch her party campaigning for the assembly elections, Mayawati said that though she was a Dalit (Schedule Caste) herself but still got a university constructed in the name of a Brahmin (upper caste) woman. She said that the university was named after social worker Dr Shakuntala Devi Mishra, mother of BJP(Bhartiya Janta Party) general secretary SC Mishra and the university had now become a symbol of upper-lower castes unity.
Mayawati said that this demonstrated that her government believed in equality and not in caste divisions. She said that she was dedicating the university to her grandfather Mangal Sen who had raised and supported his family despite losing his vision. Mayawati recalled that it was because of her grandfather that she got an opportunity to pursue higher education.
The chief minister reiterated that law and order in UP under previous governments of Samata Party (SP), BJP and Congress was worst. "Under my rule, even ministers and MLAs of my party have been sent to jail when found indulging in corruption and guilty of criminal activities whereas in previous regimes no action was taken against any influential person," she added.
Mayawati pointed out that the Congress had ruled UP for over 50 years without bringing any development to the state. "Whereas all round development has taken place during five years of BSP's rule.
Mayawati on the occasion laid foundation stones for construction and repair of 23 state highways, 20 bridges, a power generation plant and several water treatment plants among other things. She inaugurated four bridges and three power projects. The chief minister also announced extension of several social welfare schemes for Dalits and backward classes.
Posted in: Breaking News
Kingfisher: Mallya Questions Duty To Fly Unprofitable Routes
MUMBAI: Vijay Mallya, whose cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines canceled scores of flights this week, drawing the ire of the government and travellers and spooking investors, questioned on Saturday whether it was the carrier's duty to fly loss-making routes.
He tweeted late on Friday night: "Every Government has gone out of the way to support Airlines and connectivity. In India Airlines are over taxed and over charged Wonder why?"
Shares in Kingfisher, the country's second-largest airline by market share, fell as much as 18 per cent to an all-time low on Friday as investors fretted about the viability of the carrier, which acknowledged it had been late in paying salaries in recent months.
In another post, the Kingfisher Airlines chairman said, "Is it Kingfishers duty 2 fly on loss making routes when State Governments tax heavily? Or should v be financially prudent n fly profitably?"
Late on Friday, Kingfisher said it was dropping unprofitable routes and speeding up a fleet reconfiguration, which would see its daily schedule of flights drop to 300 from 340. It recently said it was exiting the low-fare segment of the business, Reuters reported.
The carrier, whose share price has dropped 70 per cent in 2011, bringing its market capitalisation below $200 million, also said on Friday it "does not see any risk to its future or long-term viability".
Aviation minister Vayalar Ravi said he would approach the finance minister to seek emergency bank assistance for troubled airlines.
Kingfisher said it had not sought a government bailout. India's mostly loss-making airlines are struggling amid fierce competition and high sales taxes on aviation fuel despite passenger growth of about 19 per cent this year.
The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has forecast a record $2.5 billion to $3 billion loss for Indian airlines for the year ending March 2012, with state-run Air India alone likely to account for more than half of it.
On Friday, private carrier Jet Airways and budget airline SpiceJet reported losses for the September quarter, compared with profits in the year-earlier period. Kingfisher has never made a profit.
He tweeted late on Friday night: "Every Government has gone out of the way to support Airlines and connectivity. In India Airlines are over taxed and over charged Wonder why?"
Shares in Kingfisher, the country's second-largest airline by market share, fell as much as 18 per cent to an all-time low on Friday as investors fretted about the viability of the carrier, which acknowledged it had been late in paying salaries in recent months.
In another post, the Kingfisher Airlines chairman said, "Is it Kingfishers duty 2 fly on loss making routes when State Governments tax heavily? Or should v be financially prudent n fly profitably?"
Late on Friday, Kingfisher said it was dropping unprofitable routes and speeding up a fleet reconfiguration, which would see its daily schedule of flights drop to 300 from 340. It recently said it was exiting the low-fare segment of the business, Reuters reported.
The carrier, whose share price has dropped 70 per cent in 2011, bringing its market capitalisation below $200 million, also said on Friday it "does not see any risk to its future or long-term viability".
Aviation minister Vayalar Ravi said he would approach the finance minister to seek emergency bank assistance for troubled airlines.
Kingfisher said it had not sought a government bailout. India's mostly loss-making airlines are struggling amid fierce competition and high sales taxes on aviation fuel despite passenger growth of about 19 per cent this year.
The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has forecast a record $2.5 billion to $3 billion loss for Indian airlines for the year ending March 2012, with state-run Air India alone likely to account for more than half of it.
On Friday, private carrier Jet Airways and budget airline SpiceJet reported losses for the September quarter, compared with profits in the year-earlier period. Kingfisher has never made a profit.
Posted in: Breaking News
Mercury Dips, Himachal Lakes Begin To Freeze
SHIMLA: Most of the natural lakes in Himachal Pradesh's higher reaches have started freezing as snowfall in the past few days has brought down the temperatures, the weather department said here Saturday.
In the interiors of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba and Kullu districts, the night temperatures have been below the freezing point, a met official said.
The Chandertal, Surajtal, Prashar and Manimahesh lakes have started freezing.
While the oval-shaped Manimahesh lake is located in Chamba district, Chandertal or moon lake and Surajtal or sun lake are in Lahaul and Spiti district. The Prashar lake is situated at a height of 9,000 ft in Mandi district.
Reports said the 475-km-long Manali-Leh highway remained blocked for several hours in Lahaul and Spiti district Friday after heavy spells of snow.
The Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft) and the Baralacha Pass (16,020 ft) located on the highway experienced fresh spells of snowfall.
Traffic on the Saach Pass, located at an altitude of 14,500 ft in Chamba district, was restored Saturday after a day's closure due to snowfall.
Kalpa, the picturesque town some 250 km from Shimla, Saturday recorded a low of 3.2 degrees Celsius, while it was 3.8 degrees in Manali and 13.3 degrees in Dharamsala.
However, Shimla and its surrounding areas have been experiencing sunny days even as the nights are cool. The town recorded a low of 10.3 degrees.
The Met office predicts mainly clear weather across the state till Monday.
In the interiors of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba and Kullu districts, the night temperatures have been below the freezing point, a met official said.
The Chandertal, Surajtal, Prashar and Manimahesh lakes have started freezing.
While the oval-shaped Manimahesh lake is located in Chamba district, Chandertal or moon lake and Surajtal or sun lake are in Lahaul and Spiti district. The Prashar lake is situated at a height of 9,000 ft in Mandi district.
Reports said the 475-km-long Manali-Leh highway remained blocked for several hours in Lahaul and Spiti district Friday after heavy spells of snow.
The Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft) and the Baralacha Pass (16,020 ft) located on the highway experienced fresh spells of snowfall.
Traffic on the Saach Pass, located at an altitude of 14,500 ft in Chamba district, was restored Saturday after a day's closure due to snowfall.
Kalpa, the picturesque town some 250 km from Shimla, Saturday recorded a low of 3.2 degrees Celsius, while it was 3.8 degrees in Manali and 13.3 degrees in Dharamsala.
However, Shimla and its surrounding areas have been experiencing sunny days even as the nights are cool. The town recorded a low of 10.3 degrees.
The Met office predicts mainly clear weather across the state till Monday.
Posted in: Breaking News
Team Anna Member Denies Rift Between Kejriwal, Bedi
NEW DELHI/GHAZIABAD: Even as differences between Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi were aired publicly, another Team Anna member Manish Sisodia on Saturday said it should not be seen as a divide.
Sisodia dubbed it as information gap and said there was no difference of opinion.
"I think the information about Kejriwalji's interview must have reached Kiranji in a very brief manner. It should not be seen as there is any difference of view between the two," Sisodia told reporters in Ghaziabad.
"Though I have not talked to either of them... perhaps Kiranji did not have some information, or Kejriwal did not have some information. I don't think there is any need to give it an interpretation," he added.
Kejriwal said in an interview on Friday that Bedi should not have inflated her air ticket bills. The former police officer hit back on Saturday, saying he did not understand the issue.
"The problem is that perhaps he does not understand the issue. Perhaps if Arvindji had a little more understanding of this issue, his answer would have been different," Bedi told reporters.
She had submitted inflated air ticket bills to NGOs reimbursing her travel expenses.
"I have given a whole interview on this, if he (Kejriwal) sees it he will get the answers," Bedi said.
Sisodia dubbed it as information gap and said there was no difference of opinion.
"I think the information about Kejriwalji's interview must have reached Kiranji in a very brief manner. It should not be seen as there is any difference of view between the two," Sisodia told reporters in Ghaziabad.
"Though I have not talked to either of them... perhaps Kiranji did not have some information, or Kejriwal did not have some information. I don't think there is any need to give it an interpretation," he added.
Kejriwal said in an interview on Friday that Bedi should not have inflated her air ticket bills. The former police officer hit back on Saturday, saying he did not understand the issue.
"The problem is that perhaps he does not understand the issue. Perhaps if Arvindji had a little more understanding of this issue, his answer would have been different," Bedi told reporters.
She had submitted inflated air ticket bills to NGOs reimbursing her travel expenses.
"I have given a whole interview on this, if he (Kejriwal) sees it he will get the answers," Bedi said.
Posted in: Breaking News
Shoes Hurled At Cavalcade Of Varun Gandhi
BAREILLY (UP): Agitated BJP workers hurled shoes at the cavalcade of party MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday after he allegedly refused to attend a function in Nawabganj tehsil here.
The BJP MP was scheduled to dedicate to the public Guru Govind Singh park and Naagpanchami mela chowk, for which preparations were made by Nawabganj Nagar Palika Parishad, party sources said here.
Though Gandhi reached Nawabganj he allegedly refused to attend the pre-scheduled programme, which irked the party workers, they said.
The workers showed black flags to the MP and hurled shoes on his cavalcade, sources said.
Organiser of the programme and chairman of the Parishad Kunwar Ravindra Singh Rathore said the programme was fixed by BJP and the workers got agitated due to Gandhi's "refusal"
The BJP MP was scheduled to dedicate to the public Guru Govind Singh park and Naagpanchami mela chowk, for which preparations were made by Nawabganj Nagar Palika Parishad, party sources said here.
Though Gandhi reached Nawabganj he allegedly refused to attend the pre-scheduled programme, which irked the party workers, they said.
The workers showed black flags to the MP and hurled shoes on his cavalcade, sources said.
Organiser of the programme and chairman of the Parishad Kunwar Ravindra Singh Rathore said the programme was fixed by BJP and the workers got agitated due to Gandhi's "refusal"
Posted in: Breaking News
Taj Mahal Will Turn Blue On Sunday Night
NEW DELHI: The Union health ministry and anti-diabetes activists have managed to convince the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to give permission to light up the Taj Mahal to spread awareness against a disease that affects nearly 51 million Indians.
The ASI has cleared a proposal to illuminate the Taj Mahal in blue on November 13, the eve of the World Diabetes Day. While a red ribbon is symbolic of HIV, a blue circle is the universal symbol of diabetes.
The ASI has also allowed two other world heritage sites - Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri - to be draped in blue. Indudhar Dwivedi, superintendent archeologist of ASI, Agra, said, "This is the first time the ASI has shown such a gesture to light up these three world heritage sites. We wanted to support the drive to raise awareness against diabetes that affects so many of us."
Dr Anoop Misra from Fortis Hospitals, which is part of the Diabetes Blue Fortnight programme being supported by the health ministry, Heal Foundation, Project Hope, N DOC and WHO, said, "Taj Mahal draped in blue will spread awareness about diabetes. The world's most recognized monument to be lit in blue will send a global message. It will help multiply preventive efforts several times."
Several other monuments will be lit up in blue to commemorate the World Diabetes Day. These include Old Fort, Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Humayun Tomb in the national Capital; Imambada in Lucknow; Manek Chowk and City Palace Ground in Udaipur; Sidhivinayak Mandir and CST Station in Mumbai; Sahniwada Fort in Pune, 13 Gates of Ahmedabad; Konark Temple in Orissa and Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
Globally, several other iconic monuments will be lit in blue, including the Inverness Castle in the UK; Fountain Teatro Valli and Reggio Emilia in Italy; Bomb monument in Hiroshima; Union Square in San Francisco and CN Tower and Niagara Falls in Canada. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) said last year, over 900 monuments and buildings in 84 countries were lit up in blue on the World Diabetes Day (November 14).
Diabetes was recognized as a serious threat in 2006, and in a landmark resolution passed by the UN General Assembly it became the first non-communicable disease to be recognized as a global threat back then. Till then, only communicable diseases had captured the world's attention despite non-communicable diseases accounting for over 60% of morbidity and mortality in the world.
For the first time, the UN also asked all member states to establish national policies on the treatment, prevention and care of diabetes.
The ASI has cleared a proposal to illuminate the Taj Mahal in blue on November 13, the eve of the World Diabetes Day. While a red ribbon is symbolic of HIV, a blue circle is the universal symbol of diabetes.
The ASI has also allowed two other world heritage sites - Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri - to be draped in blue. Indudhar Dwivedi, superintendent archeologist of ASI, Agra, said, "This is the first time the ASI has shown such a gesture to light up these three world heritage sites. We wanted to support the drive to raise awareness against diabetes that affects so many of us."
Dr Anoop Misra from Fortis Hospitals, which is part of the Diabetes Blue Fortnight programme being supported by the health ministry, Heal Foundation, Project Hope, N DOC and WHO, said, "Taj Mahal draped in blue will spread awareness about diabetes. The world's most recognized monument to be lit in blue will send a global message. It will help multiply preventive efforts several times."
Several other monuments will be lit up in blue to commemorate the World Diabetes Day. These include Old Fort, Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Humayun Tomb in the national Capital; Imambada in Lucknow; Manek Chowk and City Palace Ground in Udaipur; Sidhivinayak Mandir and CST Station in Mumbai; Sahniwada Fort in Pune, 13 Gates of Ahmedabad; Konark Temple in Orissa and Victoria Memorial in Kolkata.
Globally, several other iconic monuments will be lit in blue, including the Inverness Castle in the UK; Fountain Teatro Valli and Reggio Emilia in Italy; Bomb monument in Hiroshima; Union Square in San Francisco and CN Tower and Niagara Falls in Canada. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) said last year, over 900 monuments and buildings in 84 countries were lit up in blue on the World Diabetes Day (November 14).
Diabetes was recognized as a serious threat in 2006, and in a landmark resolution passed by the UN General Assembly it became the first non-communicable disease to be recognized as a global threat back then. Till then, only communicable diseases had captured the world's attention despite non-communicable diseases accounting for over 60% of morbidity and mortality in the world.
For the first time, the UN also asked all member states to establish national policies on the treatment, prevention and care of diabetes.
Posted in: Breaking News
