world in hand

Shivnarine Chanderpaul Chris Gayle Narsingh Deonarine Marlon Samuels Carlton Baugh Shane Shillingford Darren Sammy Lendl Simmons Dwayne Bravo Ravi Rampaul Tino Best Dwayne Smith Samuel Badree Fidel Edwards Assad Fudadin Kirk Edwards Denesh Ramdin Danza Hyatt Kemar Roach Sunil Narine Kieron Pollard Devon Thomas Kieran Powell Adrian Barath Andre Russell Darren Bravo Johnson Charles Devendra Bishoo Kraigg Brathwaite Shannon Gabriel

Grant Flower Ray Price Greg Lamb Tatenda Taibu Hamilton Masakadza Charles Coventry Stuart Matsikenyeri Keith Dabengwa Tino Mawoyo Vusi Sibanda Elton Chigumbura Brendan Taylor Prosper Utseya Craig Ervine Sean Williams Tinashe Panyangara Chris Mpofu Graeme Cremer Forster Mutizwa Chamu Chibhabha Ian Nicolson Malcolm Waller Keegan Meth Brian Vitori Cephas Zhuwao Regis Chakabva Kyle Jarvis Njabulo Ncube Shingi Masakadza Natsai M'shangwe

Sachin Tendulkar Rahul Dravid VVS Laxman MS Dhoni Zaheer Khan Yuvraj Singh Gautam Gambhir Virender Sehwag Robin Uthappa Parthiv Patel Vinay Kumar Irfan Pathan Ravichandran Ashwin Yusuf Pathan Suresh Raina RP Singh Manoj Tiwary Praveen Kumar Rohit Sharma Pragyan Ojha Ashok Dinda Ravindra Jadeja Ishant Sharma Virat Kohli Rahul Sharma Ajinkya Rahane Wriddhiman Saha Abhimanyu Mithun Varun Aaron Umesh Yadav

Graeme Swann Andrew Strauss Ian Bell Kevin Pietersen Jonathan Trott Monty Panesar James Anderson James Tredwell Chris Tremlett Matt Prior Samit Patel Tim Bresnan Luke Wright Ravi Bopara Alastair Cook Graham Onions Jade Dernbach Eoin Morgan Stuart Broad Steven Finn Craig Kieswetter Chris Woakes Alex Hales Jonny Bairstow Stuart Meaker James Taylor Jos Buttler Danny Briggs Scott Borthwick Ben Stokes

Ricky Ponting Brad Hogg Brett Lee Michael Hussey Michael Clarke Ed Cowan Shane Watson Shaun Marsh Mitchell Johnson David Hussey Travis Birt Ryan Harris Xavier Doherty George Bailey Aaron Finch Daniel Christian Ben Hilfenhaus Peter Siddle Clint McKay David Warner Matthew Wade Peter Forrest Steven Smith James Faulkner Nathan Lyon Mitchell Marsh James Pattinson Michael Beer Mitchell Starc Pat Cummins

Mohammad Ashraful Mashrafe Mortaza Alok Kapali Faisal Hossain Nazimuddin Abdur Razzak Aftab Ahmed Syed Rasel Jahurul Islam Naeem Islam Ziaur Rahman Nazmul Hossain Junaid Siddique Elias Sunny Mahmudullah Shahadat Hossain Shahriar Nafees Mushfiqur Rahim Shakib Al Hasan Farhad Reza Suhrawadi Shuvo Tamim Iqbal Raqibul Hasan Robiul Islam Imrul Kayes Shafiul Islam Nasir Hossain Rubel Hossain Abul Hasan Shuvagata Hom

Daniel Vettori James Franklin Chris Martin Jacob Oram Kyle Mills Reece Young Brendon McCullum Nathan McCullum Brent Arnel Mark Gillespie Kruger van Wyk Rob Nicol Ross Taylor Michael Bates Jesse Ryder Andrew Ellis Dean Brownlie Andy McKay Colin de Grandhomme Daniel Flynn BJ Watling Martin Guptill Ronnie Hira Tim Southee Neil Wagner Kane Williamson Trent Boult Doug Bracewell Tarun Nethula Tom Latham

Shahid Afridi Abdul Razzaq Shoaib Malik Taufeeq Umar Imran Farhat Yasir Arafat Younis Khan Abdur Rehman Mohammad Sami Azhar Ali Khalid Latif Adnan Akmal Misbah-ul-Haq Mohammad Hafeez Saeed Ajmal Shakeel Ansar Wahab Riaz Mohammad Ayub Umar Gul Aizaz Cheema Sohail Tanvir Nasir Jamshed Sarfraz Ahmed Ahmed Shehzad Junaid Khan Awais Zia Asad Shafiq Umar Akmal Rahat Ali Hammad Azam

Jacques Kallis Mark Boucher Makhaya Ntini Ashwell Prince Morne van Wyk Justin Ontong Robin Peterson Albie Morkel Jacques Rudolph Hashim Amla Johan Botha Graeme Smith Imran Tahir Alviro Petersen Jean-Paul Duminy AB de Villiers Faf du Plessis Vernon Philander Dale Steyn Morne Morkel Farhaan Behardien Colin Ingram Lonwabo Tsotsobe Heino Kuhn Richard Levi Rusty Theron Dane Vilas Wayne Parnell David Miller Marchant de Lange

Mahela Jayawardene Tillakaratne Dilshan Thilan Samaraweera Prasanna Jayawardene Rangana Herath Kumar Sangakkara Kaushal Lokuarachchi Dilhara Fernando Upul Tharanga Farveez Maharoof Suraj Randiv Sajeewa Weerakoon Jeevan Mendis Dhammika Prasad Chanaka Welegedara Tharanga Paranavitana Lasith Malinga Nuwan Kulasekara Kosala Kulasekara Suranga Lakmal Angelo Mathews Chamara Kapugedera Thisara Perera Shaminda Eranga Seekkuge Prasanna Sachithra Senanayake Dinesh Chandimal Lahiru Thirimanne Nuwan Pradeep Isuru Udana

Mahela Jayawardene Tillakaratne Dilshan Thilan Samaraweera Prasanna Jayawardene Rangana Herath Kumar Sangakkara Kaushal Lokuarachchi Dilhara Fernando Upul Tharanga Farveez Maharoof Suraj Randiv Sajeewa Weerakoon Jeevan Mendis Dhammika Prasad Chanaka Welegedara Tharanga Paranavitana Lasith Malinga Nuwan Kulasekara Kosala Kulasekara Suranga Lakmal Angelo Mathews Chamara Kapugedera Thisara Perera Shaminda Eranga Seekkuge Prasanna Sachithra Senanayake Dinesh Chandimal Lahiru Thirimanne Nuwan Pradeep Isuru Udana

Australia A 308 for 9 (Cowan 73, Paine 59, Hughes 51, Harris 6-102) v England Lions Scorecard Curiously for someone whose name suggests a secure, grounded quality, Joe Root was at a loose end on Wednesday afternoon. Heavy rain had ruled out any possibility ofplay on the second day of the England Lions match against Australia A and soon only the groundsmenand some security staff would be left at Edgbaston. "I don't know what I'm going to do now," the young Yorkshireman said."I can't play golf because it's too wet and windy, and I'll spend too much money if I go shopping, so I might have to spend the rest of the day in the hotel."

For a brief period in Townsville, India had a fright in a game they had to win to avoid being sent to the Plate Championship of the Under-19 World Cup. From the boondocks of 30 for 4, Zimbabwe's Malcolm Lake resurrected the chase of 262. He singlehandedly dragged his team along with his clean, long-handled hittingbut cricket isn't supposed to be played by one man against 11. Lake was the last man out in the 45th over, having scored 118 out of 198, with the next highest contribution being 29. Lake, only just 18, is a tall allrounder from Harare who bowls right-arm medium pace but bats left-handed, like other illustrious Zimbabwe allrounders Neil Johnson, Sean Ervine and Andy Blignaut did.

When Kamal Passi was asked after his Man-of-the-Match performance against Zimbabwe whether he considered himself an allrounder, his response was: "bilkul (totally), and I'll prove it too." He had already done his bit to prove it: 24 blitzed off five balls and a career-best 6 for 23 to put India on course for the quarter-finals of the Under-19 World Cup. Passi did not play in the defeat against West Indies on Sunday because India picked three spinners and preferred Sandeep Sharma and Rush Kalaria as the seamers. He was chosen over Kalaria today. When Passi had his first opportunity to make an impact on the game, at No.8 in the batting order, India were 237 for 6 and time was running out: there were five balls left inthe innings.

India Under-19s 204 (Zol 72, Soper 5-32) beat PapuaNew Guinea Under-19s 97 (Ravikant 5-21) by 107 runsScorecard India secured second place in Group C of the Under-19 World Cup with a comfortable victory against Papua New Guinea,their second in three games. Ravikant Singh led the efficient bowling performance, taking 5 for 21, which made up for a weak effort with the bat against inexperienced opposition. India will now face Pakistan in a quarterfinal at the Tony Ireland Stadium. After a disappointing effortagainst West Indies and anaverage one against Zimbabwe, India's batsman had one last chance to find fluency ahead of the quarterfinals. However, the team was shot out for 204 off 45.1 overs, with Chad Soper, a Papua New Guinea medium-pacer who lives inSydney, picking up a

Ruhuna Royals 145 for 3 (Finch 65, Rupasinghe 50) beat Uthura Rudras 118 (Maharoof 32, Malinga 4-21) by 35 runs by D/L Method For the third consecutive night in the SLPL, a brutal opening stand was the bedrock of a comfortable win as fifties to Aaron Finch and Gihan Rupasinghe helped Ruhuna Royals crush Uthura Rudras by 35 runs in a rain-curtailed 16-overs-a-side encounter.Finch made 65 and Rupasinghe 50 as the pair struck 11 fours and four sixes between them. LasithMalinga's 4 for 21 then ensured Uthura never looked like chasing down the revised target of 154 at any stage.

India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who played the lastof his three Tests in January 2011 in South Africa, is eager to make a comeback to the Test side and following his injury problems, his focus is on fitness. "I am very conscious aboutmy fitness now. I am aware and try my best to avoid injuries," Pujara told DNA. "I have a fitness routine and I follow it religiously. It hurts when I miss a training session. Thebest chance to avoid injuries in cricket, where you throw yourself on the field, is by trying and following certain training programmes." "I am following a schedule prepared by the NCA physios. I am working on strength and stability."

The IPL governing council has set August 31 as the deadline for the owners of Deccan Chargers franchise to clear player payments and sort out the financial problems with the banks to avoid any stringent action. In an emergency meeting called on Tuesdayin New Delhi, the governing council confronted the owners of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited, who hold the rights for the Hyderabad-based franchise, to explain in detail as to why the company had mortgaged the team ownership rights with two leading Indian banks. According to the BCCI officials, the board owns the ownership rights and that no franchise could mortgage the rights on its own.

Kevin Pietersen's chances of being reconciled to the England set-up and winning a place in their World Twenty20 squad appear to have receded after the ECB and Andrew Strauss confirmed that further discussions between the parties were needed, despite Pietersen'sapology for sending"provocative" texts. Strauss, England's captain and the subject of the allegedly derogatory texts sent by Pietersen to members of the South Africa squad, said"underlying issues on trustand respect" had to be addressed but that this was unlikely to take place until after the third Test against South Africa, for which Pietersen has been dropped. The deadline for England to submit their World T20 squad is Saturday, the third day of the Test, suggesting that Pietersen will not be recalled, as he desires.

When South Africa were reintroduced into international cricket in 1991, Graeme Smith was 10 years old. He was too young to understand the changes that were taking place in the society aroundhim and, as part of the privileged few, he would not be able to see the effect of those changes until years later. Years suchas 2003 when he took over as captain and 2012 when South Africa are about to benefit from those changes. "We've been blessed that someone has harnessed the talent and brought it all together," Smith said at Lord's, when talking about the strength of the current South African side. "We arereaping the rewards now of a lot of hard work in theearly days. There would have been a lot different decisions to get to this point where we are now."

Under normal circumstances, the camera crews crowding around Andrew Strauss might have been at Lord's to ask him about becoming only the ninth England player to appear in 100 Tests. In normal circumstances, Strauss might have expected to be asked to reflect on his career, his achievements and, perhapshis future. But these are not normal circumstances. Instead Strauss has spent the run-up to an important game that will settle, for now, the title of the best Test team in the world, embroiled in an increasingly unseemly dispute between the ECB and Kevin Pietersen.

Jonny Bairstow, who will be charged with the unenviable task of replacing Kevin Pietersen in the series-deciding Test against South Africa at Lord's, is not the sort to buckle under the pressure according to his Yorkshire and England team-mate Tim Bresnan. Memories of an uncertain Test series against West Indies when he was unsettled by short-pitched bowling from Kemar Roachwill be quite enough to cope with as he faces Dale Steyn and Co. and to replace Pietersen, whose absence has attracted suchattention, will not make his task any easier.

The alleged incident of corruption in Sri Lanka, revolving around a taped conversation, occurred before the SLPL started and will not affect its integrity, the league's organisers said on Tuesday. The comments came on a day when a Sri Lankan paper said it had received the tape but chose not to publish its contents following doubts over its authenticity. Sandiip Bhammer, CEO of Somerset Entertainment Ventures, the league's promoters, said the corruption allegations had not cast aspersions on the tournament's integrity."The allegations were made and the anti-corruption people alerted prior to the tournament launching, so if anything, the anti-corruption will be even more vigilant during the tournament," he said."They are just allegations at this point. Nothing has been confirmed."

South Africa's bowlers, led by Corné Dry, put in a commanding performance to skittle Sri Lanka out for 150 and set up a comfortable win for their side in their Group D encounter at the Peter Burge Oval in Brisbane. South Africa suffered a fewjitters in their chase beforethey overhauled the targetin 33 overs to top their group with three wins. South Africa captain Chad Bowes won the toss and elected to field and the decision paid immediate dividends as Dry struck with the first ball of the game to dismiss Sebastian Perera. Sri Lanka struggled to recover from the disastrous start and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. At 98 for 9, they looked in danger of being bowled out for less than 100. However a dogged last-wicket partnership of 52 between No. 9 Pulina Tharanga and No. 11

Kevin Pietersen has apologised to the ECB over the derogatory text messages that he sent about members of the England dressing room to South Africa players in a last-ditch attempt to gain forgiveness and be selected for World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. Pietersen and his representatives were waiting on Tuesday evening for the ECB to respond to his gesture with Saturday's deadline for naming England's World Twenty20 party looming ever closer. The apology presumably constituted an admission of guilt and as such leaves him at risk of a heavy fine, a suspension or both. If England's managing director, Hugh Morris, continues to pursue a hardline it could automatically rule him out of a tournament in which he desperately wants to take part.

If you mention the name Glenn Maxwell to the casual Australian cricket fan you can expect one of two responses. Either they'll think they've heard him commentating on the radio (no, that's Glenn Mitchell and Jim Maxwell), or they won't know the name at all. But the more dedicated followers of Australia's domestic cricketare well aware of Maxwell,and have no doubt kept aneye on his progress since February 9 last year. That was the night when Maxwell rewrote the record books with a 19-ball half-century for Victoria against Tasmania, the fastest fifty ever scoredin Australia's domestic one-day history. He demolished a pretty good attack featuring Ben Hilfenhaus and James Faulkner, and most impressively set Victoria onthe path to victory having come to the crease with 66runs needed at

The fast bowler Adam Milne has been named in New Zealand's squad for the ICC World Twenty20, 18 months after he last played for his country. Daniel Vettori has also been included after being ruled out of the upcoming Test series in India due to a groin problem, and he will have the chance to test his injury early next month with the same squad to play two T20s in India on September 8 and 11. There was no room for Andrew Ellis, Tom Latham, Daniel Flynn or Dean Brownlie, all of whom were part of New Zealand's squad for their most recent T20s, in the West Indies. As expected, James Franklin is part of the final 15, having missedthe West Indies games because the team management wanted to allow him an extended runin the T20 format in county cricket instead of flying in to the Caribbean for

London: England offspinner Graeme Swann has said that the absence of Kevin Pietersen will not affect their preparation for the third and final Test against South Africa at Lord's. We need to pull in the same direction, not 10 ofus doing it and one of us not. Just because you lose one player, it doesn't necessarily make you a weaker team, Swann said in his columnfor the Sun. In fact, since Kevin retired from limited-overs cricket, we are unbeaten in all matches in the shorter formats, he added. Pietersen was dropped by England after he allegedly sent some 'derogatory' text messages about his team-mates to some of his South African counterparts after the Headingley Test. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) delayed the England team selection by five hours on Sunday so that Pietersen could clarify hisstand or apologise if he had sent those messages.But no answer from the 32-year-old prompted ECB to take a stern actionof axing him from the third Test, setting a precede

Lord's – the spiritual home of cricket – has seen many, many landmarks, and plenty of these have been etched onto the honor's board at the hallowed venue. On Thursday, when the toss between the captains of the English and South African teams gets underway, Lord's will bare witness to another landmark – that of the most-capped Test captain in the game's history. That honor will go to Graeme Craig Smith, a 31-year old who has captained his country since the age of 22 and who has been credited with, more than the 8277 runs he has scored in Test cricket, instilling in the South African teama sense of belief, on and off the field, which has now carried them to the doorstep of the ICC's No. 1 ranking. Smith – who played his 100th match in the victory at The Oval – will captain South Africa for the 94th time, going pastAustralia's Allan Border as the player to have led his country the most times. His success rate is 46.23, higher than Border's 34.40. He has led his

Drafted into the side as alast-minute replacement,Kamal Passi put in a performance to remember as India bounced back from defeat in their campaign opener with a 63-run win over Zimbabwe on day four of the ICC Under-19 World Cup at Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville. Having walked out at No.8 in the final over of India's innings, the 19-year-old proceeded to slam the remaining five balls for 24 runs and then, in his prime role as new-ball operator, prizedout four early wickets to leave Zimbabwe floundering. His outstanding was capped with two more wickets at the end, including thatof Zimbabwe's brillia

South Africa's Jacques Kallis believes Kevin Pietersen will bounce back after his dramatic omission from the England Test side for thisweek's series finale against the Proteas at Lord's. England's selectors made their decision to drop Pietersen following reports he sent text messages to several South Africa players during the drawn secondTest at Headingley that were believed to contain derogatory comments about captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower. Pietersen made a superb 149 at Headingley and averages nearly 50 in Test cricket yet neither ofthese factors were enough to spare him the axe. However, Kallis - theoutstanding allrounder of his generation and whose Test batting average of 57.30 puts him among the all-time elite - is certain this is not the end of South Africa-born Pietersen's international career. I'm sure they'll sort it out, Kallis said at Lord's on Tuesday. He's too good a player to stay out of the international scene. I've

London: England's Stuart Broad has insisted he'd no role in a parody Twitter account for KevinPietersen as the fall out from the batsman's axing for the third Test against South Africa continued on Tuesday. The account - KP Genius -was set up by a friend of Broad, Richard Bailey, and had been thought tohave contributed to the strained relations Pietersen felt within the England dressing room amid suggestions some of his team-mates were involved. But Broad, in a statementissued by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday, just two days before the startof the third and final Testagainst South Africa at Lord's, said it was nothing to do with him. Following last (Monday) night's statement by Mr Richard Bailey that he was responsible for creating a parody Twitteraccount in Kevin Pietersen's name, I would like to confirm that I had no involvement in this whatsoever, Broad said. I met with the Managing Director, England Cricket, Hugh Morris this morningand

London: Rarely has all the talk in the build-up to a Test been dominated by a man who will not be playing in the match. Yet England's dramatic decision to drop Kevin Pietersen from the third Test at Lord's starting on Thursday, allegedly over text messages he sent to South African players during the drawn secondTest at Headingley, has inevitably put the focus on their absent star batsman. The South Africa-born shotmaker averages nearly 50 in Tests and made a superb 149 at Headingley, where he drove South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn back over his head for six. By contrast Jonathan Bairstow, the man who will replace Pietersen, was dropped after playing his first three Tests against the West Indies earlier this season and has an average of under 13 with a top score of 18. Yet England have decided there are bigger issues than the possible loss of their world number one Test ranking, which they will surrender to South Africa unless they win at Lord's. Bairstow struggled with t

Wellington: Young fast bowler Adam Milne has earned a surprise recall to the New Zealand squad to compete at next month's Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka. Milne played two Twenty20 internationals for New Zealand against Pakistan in 2010, aged 18, but has since been unable to reclaim a national team place in any format. Veteran left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has been named in the 15-man squad announced Wednesday, but allrounders Tom Latham and Andy Ellis, and batsman Dean Brownlie -who played in New Zealand's most-recent Twenty20 series against the West Indies - have missed selection. As well as the September18 to October 7 World Cup, the team will also play T20 internationals against India in India on September 8 and September 11. National selection manager Kim Littlejohn said the squad has a good balance for Twenty20 cricket with explosive batsmen and a good mix of pace and spin bowlers. Vettori will share the spin duties with young offspinner Roneel Hira, while Milne joins a

India in Sri Lanka, Only T20 International, 2012,T20 Sri Lanka vs India Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, One-off Twenty20 International Result India beat Sri Lanka by 39 runs Toss Sri Lanka,MatchEnded, MOM Irfan Pathan 1st innings: India 155 for 3 in 20.0 (R/R: 7.75)

The alleged incident of corruption in Sri Lanka, revolving around a taped conversation, occurred before the SLPL started and will not affect its integrity, the league's organisers said on Tuesday. The comments came on a day when a Sri Lankan paper said it had received the tape but chose not to publish its contents following doubts over its authenticity. Sandiip Bhammer, CEO of Somerset Entertainment Ventures, the league's promoters, said the corruption allegations had not cast aspersions on the tournament's integrity."The allegations were made and the anti-corruption people alerted prior to the tournament launching, so if anything, the anti-corruption will be even more vigilant during the tournament," he said."They are just allegations at this point. Nothing has been confirmed."

When you have traveled the world, won Olympic gold, and gone through a very public court battle against your parents all by the age of seventeen, surprises don’t comeeasy. Discovering my sister Jennifer, though— that was a surprise. On December 10, 2007, I found out that I had a second sister. I was nine months pregnant and about to take my college semester finals. With swollen feet and body parts bigger thanI had ever imagined possible, I couldn’t even squeeze into a school desk anymore. But earning a college degree was a promise I had made to myself—and third trimester or not, I was going to get those finals done. Cleveland was cold, rainy, and gray in a bona fide Ohio winter way. All I wanted to do was finish my exams, cuddle up under a blanket with some hot chocolate, and wait for the imminent arrival of my firstborn.But alas, that was not yet in the cards. I was headed for a study session right after a quick stop at the post office. Earlier in the week, I’d missed the delivery of

Investigators from Strike Force Ruskin are planning to travel to the UK. The strike force was set up after Sarah Monahan, the actress who played Hughes's on-screen daughter first raised the allegations via the media. Monahan alleged Hughes touched her inappropriately while on the set of the show. Hughes denied the accusations at the time. Yahoo!7 News: London arrest over Sydney sex assault OUR SOCIAL SITES Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest Explore More Hey Dad! star arrested over sex offences Play Video Robert Hughes dead at 74 Hey Dad! 'abuser' named Australian art critic and writer Robert Hughes dies Australian art critic and writer Robert Hughes dies AFP Hey Dad star behind bars Art critic Robert Hughes dies inNew York London arrest over Sydney sexassaults Australian critic Robert Hughesdead SPECIAL PROMOTION Win $10,000 for your community project! Sunrise and Toyota are giving you a chance to win $10,000 foryour local community. The prize could help kick start

BANGKOK (AP) — As the super-pimp who once ranThailand's biggest brothelempire and then exposedthe police kickbacks he had to pay for it to flourish, Chuvit Kamolvisitfeels uniquely qualified tolead the country's fight against corruption. And in his quest to win a parliament seat in elections Sunday, the 49-year-old one-time massage parlor king is betting a public tired of divisive, hypocritical leaders will agree. Politicians "are like diapers — you have to change them," Chuvit toldThe Associated Press in an interview, referring to a campaign poster that features him cradling a toddler. "Otherwise it's too dirty." Chuvit's bid to become a lawmaker is no joke. He first won a national assembly seat back in 2005, only to be disqualified the followingyear because he had not been a member of his party long enough beforethe poll. He's also run for Bangkok governor twice, coming in a distant third both times. His last campaign nose-dived after he punche

Istanbul, Aug. 12 (dk): U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu have said that their countries are creating a formal structure to plan for the worst-case scenarios in Syria, including a possiblechemical weapons attack on the regime's opponents. Clinton and Davutoglu said their countries would set up a working group to respond to the crisis in Syria as conditions in the country deteriorate. They said the group would coordinate military, intelligence and political responses to the potential fallout in the case of a chemical attack, which would result in medical emergencies and a likely rise in the number of refugees fleeing Syria. "We have been closely co-ordinating over the course of this conflict, butnow we need to get into the real details of such operational planning. It needs to be across both of our governments," News 24 quoted Clinton, as saying. She said the U.S. State Department and Turkey's foreign ministry had alre

London, Aug 12 (dk) India's Sushil Kumar muscled his way into the semifinals of the Olympics men' 66 kg freestyle wrestling beating Ikhtiyor Navruzov of Uzbekistan here Sunday. Sushil, bronze medallist in Beijing four years ago, got past the gritty Uzbek 3-1 to enter the last four at the ExCel Arena. He faces Akzhurek Tanatarov of Kazakhstan for a place in the gold medal play-off later in the day. The Indian could have wrapped up the fight in period 2 but Navruzov turned the tables on him with six seconds remaining. Sushil got the measure ofhis opponent in period 3, winning it 2-0 to seal the contest. He looks on course for hissecond successive Olympic medal. The 2010 World Champion dismissed Beijing gold medallist, Turkey's Ramazan Sahin, in the opening round held earlier in the day

London, August 12 (dk): The sailor and nurse, whowon may hearts in America with their passionate kiss signifying the end of World War II, have reunited at the location of the famous smooch to reflect on the photograph that that has become an epic moment in U.S history. After decades of dispute, the couple in the 1945 photograph were revealed to be 89-year-olds George Mendonsa and Greta Zimmer Friedman. "It was the moment. You come back from the Pacific, and finally, the war ends," the Daily Mail quoted Mendonsa as telling CBS. Mendonsa told how he was on a date with another woman named Rita Petry at Radio City Music Hall on August 14 when news of the Japanese surrender was announced. "They stopped the show and they said, "The war isover. The Japanese have surrendered"," he said. Mendonsa and his date, who would become his future wife, rushed to a nearby bar where the sailor admits he 'popped quite a few drinks.' As they set on their way, Mendonsa s

ISTANBUL (dk) - The United States and Turkey are looking at all measures to help Syrian rebel forces fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, includinga no-fly zone, as the conflict there deepens, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday. Clinton told reporters after talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that their countries needed to get into detailed operational planning on how to assistthe rebels and bring a halt to the violence. Overnight Syrian and Jordanian forces clashed along the border in an incident that highlighted international concerns that the civil war in Syria could ignite a wider regional conflict. The clashes also emphasised the urgent need for planning on what could follow Assad's fall. "Our intelligence services,our military have very important responsibilitiesand roles to play so we are going to be setting up a working group to doexactly that," Clinton said. Asked if such discussions included options such as impos

JERUSALEM (dk) - Iran has stepped up workto develop a nuclear warhead, Israeli newspapers said on Sunday, citing officials in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and leaked U.S. intelligence. The front-page reports in the liberal Haaretz, a frequent Netanyahu critic,and in the conservative, pro-government Israel Hayom could intensify Israeli debate about whether to go to war against Iran - and soon - over its disputed atomic projects. Doing so would defy appeals by U.S. President Barack Obama, seeking re-election in November, to allow more time for international diplomacy. Tehran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful and has threatened wide-ranging reprisals if attacked. Citing an unnamed seniorIsraeli official, Haaretz said a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) compiled by the Obama administration included a "last-minute update" about significant Iranian progress in the development of a nuclearwarhead "far beyond the scope known" to U.N. inspe

New Delhi, Aug 10 (dk India could have won a gold if the Olympics gave a medal for corruption, yoga guru Baba Ramdev said Friday and asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demonstrate his "politicalhonesty and will" and acton getting back black money stashed abroad. Addressing thousands of supporters at the Ramlila Maidan here on the penultimate day of his three-day fast against corruption, the yoga gurusaid, "India could have won gold if there was a competition for corruption in the Olympics", to loud cheers and clapping by his supporters. Ramdev then told his supporters: "This is not a matter to applaud" and asked all Indians to support his agitation against black money and graft. Directing his demand to the prime minister, Ramdev said: "Why is theprime minister not actingon the issue of black money? The government should reveal the names of those who have black money stashed abroad Stop making excuses." "The prime minister should demonstr

London, Aug 11 (IANS) Yogeshwar Dutt will lead India's challenge in the Olympic wrestling competition Saturday after Amit Kumar and Narsingh Pancham Yadavcrashed out of the competition here. Dutt will take on Bulgaria's Anatolie Ilarionovitch Guidea in the opening round of the men's 60 kg freestyle wrestling event. India's best bet in the sport, Sushil Kumar, will fight it out in the 66 kg category on the concluding day of the London Olympics Sunday. The Indian wrestlers started their Olympic campaign on a disappointing note with Amit and Pancham Yadavfailing to win any medals. Narsingh Yadav also bowed out of the Olympics, losing his opening fight in the men's 74 kg event. Eighteen-year-old Amit, the youngest-ever Indian wrestler in the Olympics, raised hopes of a bronze medal after he moved into Repechage 2. But there he lost 0-3 to Bulgarian Radoslav Marinov Velikov, a BeijingGames bronze medallist, failing to qualify for the 55 kg category's bronze medal mat

New Delhi, Aug 12 (ANI): Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who is all set to end his 'symbolic' three-day fast on Sunday, will make a 'big announcement' on the next course of his agitation on black moneyand Lokpal Bill. The yoga guru, who is all prepared to take his ongoing agitation in a new direction, is expected to make the announcement in the presence of former Army Chief General V. K. Singh, who will be joining him in the protest today. It may be recalled here that General (retired) Singh also spoke at Team Anna's indefinite fast before it ended. Baba Ramdev had earlier on Saturday said that he had decided on his plans for the next phase of his agitation, but did not specify whether his fast would be extended. "Tomorrow, there will be an announcement on the big revolution to be staged in the country. Weare waiting (for the government response) tillthis evening. Many thingswill happen tomorrow, not only in the Ram Lila Maidan here, but across the country," he tol

New Delhi, Aug 12 (ANI): RTI crusader Arvind Kejriwal has said that it was Anna Hazare's decision to go political, and added that the decision was not a thrust on the veteran social activist. "A malicious campaign is being run that Anna is against political party and that Team thrust it on Anna. Truth is it was Anna's decision," tweetedKejriwal. "Anna clearly directed us to start forming political party. If he says even once that he doesn't want us to do that, we will immediately withdraw. Let Anna say once that he is against pol (itical) party formation, we will immediately withdraw," he adds. Kejriwal, a member of now disbanded Team Anna, further said Hazare is convinced that there was no road left other than providing political alternative. "Anna has been fighting corrupt for last 30 years. He is extremely sharp politically n (sic) fiercely independent. Those projecting Anna as a gullible man may try getting Anna to say a single line against his

Mumbai, Aug 12 (ANI): Security has been strengthened in Mumbai on Sunday after the protests organised by Muslim organisations in wake of the recent ethnicclashes in Myanmar and Assam turned violent, claiming two lives and injuring 55 others. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavanhas strongly condemned the Assam violence protests at Azad Maidan, and ordered a crime branch probe into the violence that took place in the city claiming two lives and injuring 55 others. Chavan, who was talking to mediapersons here on Saturday, also mentionedthat among those injuredare 45 police personnel. "In the firing, till now two persons are dead and around 55 are injured out of which 45 are police personnel. The injured are being treated at different hospitals in the city. Why the people who had gathered there turned violent will be probed," said Chavan. "The investigations are being handed over to theCrime Branch of Mumbai Police. They have started their work," he added. Chava

Monsoon showers do come as a relief but also bring with them health irritants like allergies, infections and indigestion. There's no need to panic, say experts, who suggest small variations in eatinghabits to keep problems at bay. The increased humidity in atmosphere takes a toll on the body'sdigestion. Some dietary changes can help sort this out.Click on to know the dos and don'ts suggested by experts for the monsoon season. Go for green leafy vegetablesGreater intakeof green leafy vegetablesbuilds immunity. Green leafy vegetables are also light on the stomach. < > Properly wash fruits and vegetablesMost vegetables and fruits carry the risk of infection and, therefore, should bewashed properly before use Don't ignore skin problems and allergies asthis could be a sign of dengue.Source: IANSPlus:This monsoon rainproof your lifestyle with right dietMumbai's best monsoon hangoutsHot buys for monsoon

...a home-wrecker! It looked like she had it all as one half of Hollywood's hottest couple, with millions of fans worldwide and all designers begging to dress her for red carpets. But it seemed life was too good for the Twilightstar who was caught cheating on R-Patz with the married director of 'The Snow White and theHuntsman'. Is Kristen juststarting her bout of bad-girl behavior?

Some young starlets have no problem showing the world their wild sides. From Disney hopefuls to child stars, these women wanted to shed their squeaky-clean images for something a little edgier, and in the process some lost their heads for a while...From A-List to D-List (some making it back to B-List): See which of these female celebs survived their very own naughty sides. >

Since his Test debut in 2004, Lasith Malinga has been one of the most discussed bowlers in international cricket, his unusual action causing great curiosity, though it has never been formally questioned. Like most players, Malinga is a product of his environment. His youth was spent playing tennis-ball cricket on the beach, where he adapted his skill and action to suit his environment, producing a delivery that limited the bounce a tennis ball produced, allowing him tohit the target. The only time I faced Malinga was in a three-day warm-up match on India A's tour to Sri Lanka in 2002. On seeing his low-slung action, Gautam Gambhir and I realised we had to watch his hand closely and keenly, for there seemed to be very little conventional methodto his bowling

Mumbai: Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, was surprised but not shocked when confronted with co-accused Abu Jundal at high security Arthur Roadjail on Thursday, police said on Friday. "How a student reacts seeing his teacher after along time? Kasab was not shocked. Or rather we could say he was surprised to see Jundal...," said a crime branch official, who was part of the team of a dozen present during theencounter. According to sources, Deputy Police Commissioner (Crime Branch) Ambadas Pote asked a volley of questions as Kasab and Jundal sat facing each other inside the bomb-proof cell monitored by the CCTVs. "We got what we wanted and that includesKasab identifying Jundal. Kasab also stated Jundal taught him Hindi during the terror training in Pakistan, looking straightinto his teacher's eyes," the official said. The interrogation was stopped for sometime as the duo wanted to offer evening prayers, the official said. Near

New Delhi: The RSS added grist to the mill tothe Nitish Kumar versus Narendra Modi debate when its chief Mohan Bhagwat reportedly rated Bihar's performance ahead of Gujarat. At an interaction with foreign correspondents in the national capital onThursday, Bhagwat was asked which state governments are role models of good governance. "Bihar, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh to some extent, MP to some extent, some parts of Maharashtra," he responded, according to one of those present at the interaction. Asked "Bihar first", he said, "Aisa log kahte hain(this is what people say)." When asked to commenton this, RSS spokesman Manmohan Vaidya merely said, "The story about Shri Mohanji Bhagwat doing rounds inmedia today is totally false."

London: Newly-crowned"greatest-ever sprinter" Usain Bolt said on Thursday he had lost all respect for Carl Lewis, theman whose on-track exploits he has surpassedwith his unique Olympic double-double but who still leads the way in self-regard. American Lewis is the only other man to win two Olympic 100m gold medals, the second coming in 1988 when hewas promoted from second place after the disqualification of Ben Johnson. He won the 200m in 1984 but managed only silver four years later. He did, however, have a remarkable run of success in the long jump, winning that event in four successive Games fora tally of nine golds in all. In the wake of Bolt's triple-gold record successin Beijing Lewis was quick to point the finger of suspicion at him and Jamaica in general. "I think there are some issues," he said at the time. "Countries like Jamaica do not have a random (drugs testing) program, so they can go months without being tested. I'mnot saying anyone is o

New Delhi: Taunting the UPA government on the issue of corruption on the second day of his 3-day token fast, yoga guru Ramdev on Friday said if the Olympics gave a medal for corruption, India could have won gold. Calling on all of India to support his agitation against black money andgraft, Ramdev said,"India could have won gold if there was a competition for corruption in the Olympics. The crowds, which had started gathering since 8 am on Friday, cheered and clapped enthusiastically. To which Ramdev said, "Thisis not a matter to applaud." Ramdev also asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demonstrate "political honesty and political will" in bringing back black money stashed away in foreign shores which can be spent on empowering the people. He claimed that terrorism and Naxalism in the country can be tackled if the government controls the flow of black money and the rising inflation. "The government has thelist of people who have stashed away black money

India's current selection committee, in its final actas a unit before their term comes to an end, has selected a squad thatis safe and unproblematic for the most part. In penning a 16-man squad for the New Zealand Tests starting August 23, the current lot has acted pragmatically but left theincumbent panel members with calls to make on the future of Indian cricket. There weren't many tough decisions to be made on Friday in Mumbai. With Rahul Dravid gone and VVS Laxman not guaranteed to last the season, the spotlight ahead of the BCCI selection meeting was on the young crop of batsmen – namely Cheteshwar Pujara, RohitSharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina and Manoj Tiwary. Prima facie, Pujara had to be selected and Rohit had to be dropped. The promise shown by Pujaraon Test debut in 2010 and the manner in whichhe toughed it out in three innings in South Africa – he fought harder than the rewards show –needed to be invested in.Pujara's scores against West Indies A – 50, 96*, 67

This week we spent an hour with SEBI Chairman U K Sinha and in the first part of the interview (video available on this website) I asked him about the Delhi factor ie. political interference in the functioning of the regulator. But political interference was just one topic. We also spoke about pending regulation, governance standards in India Inc and insider trading. Menaka Doshi asked U K Sinha why India has not one successful case of criminal prosecution of insider trading?

New Delhi: Key accused in the Geetika Sharma suicide case, MDLR Chairman and ex-Haryana minister of state for Home Gopal Kanda will surrender in court on Monday, his brother Govind told mediapersons. His lawyer Kapil Sankhla, however, was quick to add that Kanda would move court on Monday and not surrender, as he was not absconding. "The question of surrendering doesn't arise as my client is not an absconder. It is being explored if he will appear in person," said Sankhla. He added that Kanda waswas "not appearing before the police becausethey've created a fear psychosis amongst all MDLR employees". "Kanda is collecting his documents and all the papers related to this case and is in touch with his lawyers. He just wants some time to get all the papers. There are glaring loopholes in the police's theory," he added. Gopal Kanda has been evading arrest ever since the news of Geetika Sharma's alleged suicide came to light. On Wednesday, the Del

ICICI Mutual Fund has announced revision of exit load under open ended fund ICICI Prudential Blended Plan - Plan A. Effective August 10, 2012, the exit load of 0.75% will applicable if redeemed or switched out up to 6 months from the date of allotment. The exit load will be NIL, if redeemed or switched out thereafter. The investment objective of the scheme is to provide capital appreciation and income distribution by investing in Equity & Equityrelated securities including derivatives and the balanceportion in debt securities.

Buy Tata Motors around Rs 220- 222, says SP Tulsian, sptulsian.com. Tulsian told CNBC-TV18, “One can take acall on Bharti Airtel and maybe on Tata Motors Rs 220-222 looks a good levelfor making a fresh entry into the stock.” He further added, “Jain Irrigation march quarter numbers were also very good and that was the real turning point for the company, because after the formation of NBFC and the kind of hopes which are getting built up in respect to the recovery or maybe the reduction in their huge debtor position has started building up, because that NBFC will start functioning now in next six months or so.” “Generally after the kharif crop we see the subsidy getting reimbursedby the government to the farmers and in turn the sundry debtors of the company also getting reduced. So that’s the biggest figure, so obviouslythe positive view is building up on the first quarter results of the company as well.”

SP Tulsian, sptulsian.comshares his view on SBI. Tulsian told CNBC-TV18, “SBI numbers, it is the assetquality slippage which we have seen of Rs 10000crore + on the gross level and Rs 7300 crore on the net level. There has been no disappointment on the expected profitability front,but from hereon if you takea value call on the book value with an EPS of close to about Rs 55 every quarter, the book value of Rs 1650 as on June 30 which will move to about Rs 1800 crore on a standalone basis, somewhere the valuation call will come in which will not allow the stock to fall below Rs 1800.” He further added, “I am not too apprehensive that we will be seeing the repeat of that lower level of Rs 1600 crore + which we have seen after the December quarter results. So, may be every quarters addition to the reserves and surplus or may be increase in the book value is definitely giving a base to the stock.” “Nowadays we are seeing the swift correction which we are seeing happening-

It鈥檚 been a rough week, but the market has managed to hold steady amidst the volatility. Strong gains early, on the back of global cues, helpedthe indices post gains for the week, but every rally was met with strong resistance. It was a tug of war between bulls and bears throughout, and the bulls came out on top at the end of the week. But it is still too early to celebrate, as news flow from all corners give little hope for further gains. The industrial output number for June came in much below expectations, wiping out all hopes that the Indian economy was on its way back to stability. Furthermore, deficit monsoons have sparked fears that inflationcould rear its ugly head again. Add to the mix GDP forecast downgrades by ratings agencies, and sentiment in the country isat a low. But there is a ray of hope in between all the negative data. With P Chidambaram heading the Finance Ministry, hopes arethat we will see much needed action on reforms soon. On the back of this, the Sensex

Stock-analyst SP Tulsian of sptulsian.comexplains to CNBC-TV18 that he continues to maintain his positive outlook on PSU banks especially PNB, Bank of Baroda and State Bank of India despite the steep fall in prices caused by decline in asset quality. Tulsian adds that he will bet on Jain Irrigation whichis performing well thanks to a turnaround and on Tata Motors which offers a good entry level at Rs 220-222. Below is an edited transcript of the analysis on CNBC-TV18. Q: What do you make of SBI's results? All the PSU-bank results have caused damage to their stock prices? A: The damage has been caused by the fall in asset quality of over Rs 10, 000 crore (gross) and a net of Rs 7,300 crore. There hasbeen no disappointment on expected profitability, but if you take a value-call on the book value with an EPS of about Rs 55 every quarter, the book value of Rs 1,650 as on June 30 will move to about Rs 1,800 crore, on a standalone basis. So, I think somewhere a valuation callwill come

It was a very rangebound session fort eh Nifty today. The index moved around 30-40 points through the day, around that 5300 level. However, SBI numbers threatened to take the Nifty below 5,300,says CNBC-TV18鈥檚 managing editor Udayan Mukherjee. Just after the SBI numbers, it looked like 5300 may break down, butthat got arrested and the Nifty managed to close flat,well above 5300. The indices were up 2% for the week because of the gains posted in the first part of the week, that鈥檚 Monday and Tuesday. SBI was downabout 4% after the disappointment in asset quality. Yesterday鈥檚 big result candidates Ranbaxy and Tata Motors also came off today. The Bank Nifty also was under some degree of pressure becauseof the public sector banking names. Of course this was offset in part by HUL and some of the metals stocks which did well. The disturbing thing about the market over the last few days is that while the Nifty has held out the market breadth is not convincing at all.

Yuvraj Singh was today included in the Indian cricket team for the World Twenty 20 Championship in Sri Lanka as well as the two T20s against New Zealand in September, within months of his recovery from a rare germ cell cancer. In another interesting pick, senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also been recalled to the team after agap of one year along with veteran seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji, who makes a comeback after three years. Yuvraj's selection was on the cards after he was declared fit bythe physio and trainer at the National Cricket Academy where he had been camping for the past one month. "Yuvraj has been declared fit, so he makes a comeback. And all of us know, if he gets going, he can singlehandedly win matches," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth told reporters after the meeting. The two T20 Internationals against New Zealand, slated for thefirst week of September, will be a test for Yuvraj who underwent chemotherapy in the US earlier this year.

Yuvraj Singh was today included in the Indian cricket team for the World Twenty 20 Championship in Sri Lanka as well as the two T20s against New Zealand in September, within months of his recovery from a rare germ cell cancer. In another interesting pick, senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has also been recalled to the team after agap of one year along with veteran seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji, who makes a comeback after three years. Yuvraj's selection was on the cards after he was declared fit bythe physio and trainer at the National Cricket Academy where he had been camping for the past one month. "Yuvraj has been declared fit, so he makes a comeback. And all of us know, if he gets going, he can singlehandedly win matches," chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth told reporters after the meeting. The two T20 Internationals against New Zealand, slated for thefirst week of September, will be a test for Yuvraj who underwent chemotherapy in the US earlier this year.

To fast-track the development of captive coal blocks, the government has finalised apolicy for deduction of bank guarantees of mine holders if they do not startproduction from allotted mines within the stipulated time frame."The Coal Ministry has framed guidelines on bankguarantee deduction. To begin with, the ministry will deduct the bank guarantee of 18 firms which have delayed the production from the captive mines allocated to them," a source close to the development told PTI. The policy was finalised in the last meeting of an inter-ministerial group held recently, the source added. The firm allocated mine for captive use is required to submit a bank guarantee equivalent to one year's royalty amount payable based on the final peak capacity of the mine and the weighted average royalty. The development follows the Prime Minister's Office asking the Coal Ministry to fast-track the process of taking back captive coal blocks which have not been developed in stipulated t

The USD 100-billion Tata Group chairman Ratan Naval Tata today sought the support of group's shareholders to his successor Cyrus P Mistry, who will take over the mantle of the salt-to-software giant in December. "Cyrus Mistry has all the qualities and values to take the Tata Group in the direction that it has continued in all theseyears," Tata told the annualgeneral meeting of its flagship company Tata Motors here today. Seeking the support and encouragement of the shareholders for Mistry, Tata said, "I want you to extend the same sort of support and encouragement that you have given to me all these years, to Mistry as well." Thanking the Tata Motors' shareholders, as this is his last AGM of the company asthe chairman, Tata said,"Let me express my deep appreciation and thanks to all employees and shareholders. Without you, the company wouldn't have achieved this success."Tata said, Tata Motors, which is the largest auto company in the country,

Japan's Honda Motor Co has bought a 3% stake it did not already own in its Indian car unit from a localfirm in a deal worth Rs 180crore, ending a partnershipof more than 16 years. Usha International, part of India's diversified Shriram Group, said in a statement on Friday it sold its entire 3.16% stake, or 18 million shares, in the joint ventureto the Japanese partner forRs 100, including a non-compete fee. Usha's exit is symbolic of a growing trend of overseas manufacturers tearing up local partnerships in India and pumping billions of dollars into wholly-owned Indian units. The buyout completes a drawn-out separation between the two partners, which beganwhen Honda proposed a costly investment in diesel vehicle production facilitiesin India. Usha and Honda had been negotiating over the value of the Indian company's holding in the joint venture for the past few months. Last year, Honda sold its entire 26% stake in India's largest two-wheeler maker to the local partn

The Shipping Corporation Of India (SCI) has announced its first-quarter earnings on Friday. SCI chairman-and-managing director S Hajara explains to CNBC-TV18 various facetsof PSU鈥檚 performance including the increase in the net loss to Rs 54.8 crorefrom Rs 5.9 crore. Below is an edited transcript of the interview on CNBC-TV18. Q: Your top-line has been good. Why has the net loss widened? A: You are comparing this quarter's net loss with the corresponding quarter of the previous year. But if you look at the just-concluded quarter, then the net loss has gone down substantially. Our top-line has increased by almost a quarter and there are a couple of items whichhave hit the bottom-line. A key item is cost of the bunker which has gone up by Rs 126 crore. The secondmost important issue is theloss in foreign exchange. We lost Rs 76 crore due to the reevaluation of foreign exchange loans due to the dollar-rupee parity. This is not a cash loss. It is only a re-evaluation which has

Reliance Industries has soldits 25% stake in an oil block in Yemen to Indonesia's Medco Energi for about USD 90 million, the firm's second overseas stake sale in one month. RIL's Dubai-based subsidiary Reliance Exploration & Production DMCC last month signed agreements to sell 25 per cent interest in producing Block 9 in Yemen to Medco Energi, industry sources said. The stake sale follows billionaire Mukesh Ambani-run firm exiting from two oil blocks in Kurdistan region of Iraq on July 19. RIL had in 2001 won Yemen's Block 9 along withHood Energy and Calvalley Petroleum Inc. RIL and Hood Energy held 25% stake each while Calvalley had the remaining 50%. Sources said RIL's sale agreement with Medco would be effective from January 1. While the agreement is for a 25% interest, Medco would effectively have a 21.25% participating interest in theblock because, under a regulation in Yemen, the contractor of a production-sharing agreement has to accommodate a working int

Reliance Industries has soldits 25% stake in an oil block in Yemen to Indonesia's Medco Energi for about USD 90 million, the firm's second overseas stake sale in one month. RIL's Dubai-based subsidiary Reliance Exploration & Production DMCC last month signed agreements to sell 25 per cent interest in producing Block 9 in Yemen to Medco Energi, industry sources said. The stake sale follows billionaire Mukesh Ambani-run firm exiting from two oil blocks in Kurdistan region of Iraq on July 19. RIL had in 2001 won Yemen's Block 9 along withHood Energy and Calvalley Petroleum Inc. RIL and Hood Energy held 25% stake each while Calvalley had the remaining 50%. Sources said RIL's sale agreement with Medco would be effective from January 1. While the agreement is for a 25% interest, Medco would effectively have a 21.25% participating interest in theblock because, under a regulation in Yemen, the contractor of a production-sharing agreement has to accommodate a working int

India's per capita income can reach levels of USD 8000-10,000 by 2025 fromthe present USD 1600 if theeconomy grows at 9% annually, Chairman of Prime Minister鈥檚 Economic Advisory Council C Rangarajan said here today. "As we look ahead, growth is an important factor in generating employment and reducing poverty", Rangarajan said in his address at the First Annual Convocation of the Indian Institute of technology, Hyderabad (IITH). He said technology can play an important role in almost every sector of the economy in enhancing productivity and production. "It has been estimated that only if we grow at 9% per annum, India鈥檚 per capita GDP will increase from the current level of USD 1,600 to USD 8,000-10,000 by 2025," he added. India will become part of the middle income group of countries when it achieves USD 8000-USD 10,000 per capita income, he said. Achieving and sustaining a high growth rate requires action on several fronts, he said adding technology upgradatio

At just 21 years of age, Hansika Motwani is already one of the most sought-after actresses down South. Though her last Bollywood release ('Money Hai Toh Honey Hai') is now nearly four years old, she still has a sizeable fan base there, thanks to Himesh Reshammiya's 'Aap Ka Surroor'.Here is a pictorial fact file on Hansika Motwani, who turns 21 today.

Udit Narayan, Anup Jalota, Hard Kaur, Leslie Lewis, Talat Aziz, Kailash Kher, Sophie Choudry, Anu Malik, Shibani Kashyap, Anushka Manchanda, Harshdeep Kaur, Ayushman Khurana and other celebs were present at Global Indian Music Awards 2012 nominations bash.Click on, for exclusive snaps from the event!

Bhubaneswar: Four senior government officials in Odisha's Nuapada district have been arrested for embezzling funds sanctioned under the central government's flagship rural jobs scheme, an official saidFriday. The arrests came after district collector Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar asked police to conduct an independent probe onthe complaints she received from local villagers in her grievancecell Thursday. "During investigations it was found that the officials had forged documents and siphonedoff government money, the collector told IANS."Evidence suggests they have carried out criminal misappropriation" she said. Those arrested from the district headquarters town of Nuapada, about 550 km from here are block development officer S.C. Singh, assistant block development officer P.K. Bhoi, assistant engineer S.P. Behera and junior engineer P.P. Dhengra. The officials have been accused of not constructing two roads in Komna area of the district and siphoning offlakhs of rupee

Bhopal: Top church authorities in Madhya Pradesh have sought that a proposal mootedby some Christian community representatives for a Wakf-like Board for managing properties ofchurch and allied institutions be prepared in 'black and white' and brought before it for consideration. "Few representatives of the Christian community had approached us sometime back with a proposal for the constitution of a Wakf-like Board for managing properties of the church and allied institutions," the Archbishop of Bhopal Diocese Leo Cornelio toldPTI today. "Instead of rejecting the idea, I have asked them to come with the detailed proposal in 'black and white' for seeing its viability," the archbishop said. The proposal to form a Wakf board like institution was moved by Madhya Pradesh Minorities Commission member Anand Bernard. "The proposal is under discussion and once we finalise it after holding consultations with all concerned it will be sent to the government

Lucknow: Worried at violence by overzealous party workers, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has issued strict instructions to them to"mend their ways" or face "exit from the party". The terse message has been given to party workers by state president Akhilesh Yadav, who, sources said,was particularly miffed at the violence that marred the celebrations of the party's return to power after five years. A statement was also issued on behalf of the junior Yadav that the party would not tolerate any sort of hooliganism. State party spokespersonRajendra Chowdhary toldIANS that the party leadership had made it obvious long ago that any form of hooliganism would not be tolerated. Sources in the party said that Tuesday night's celebratory fire in Sambhal which left a 13-year-old boy dead, violence in Firozabad where SP workers peltedstones at policemen and left a person seriously injured (he died Wednesday of a gun shotwound) and the incident in Jhansi where protesting partym

Dehradun: The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday scrambled to win the crucial support of independent and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) lawmakers as uncertainty persisted over formation of a new government in Uttarakhand following a hung 70-member assembly. The Congress said it had the first right to be invited to form the government being the single largest party with 32 members - three short of a simple majority. But the BJP with 31 lawmakers claimed it was in the race too and was in talks with non-Congress lawmakersto win their support afterChief Minister B.C. Khanduri, who lost the election, resigned Wednesday. The BJP leader submittedhis resignation to Governor Margaret Alva but was asked to continue till formation ofa new government in thehill state, a statement from the governor's office said. The statement said the governor's office had notyet invited anyone nor has any party staked claim. The deadlock over formation of the new government comes after ass