Karachi, August 08: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt will try to convince board members Thursday about his efforts to gain maximum financial benefits from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for giving up its court case on the shifting of 2011 World Cup.
The PCB governing board will meet here Aug 13.
New Delhi, August 08: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, will address chief secretaries of states on Saturday to discuss measures to prop up farm production in view of the poor monsoon.
“The Prime Minister will be interacting with the chief secretaries on the drought-like situation in the country.
New Delhi, August 08: India’s emerging leg-spinner Amit Mishra is eager to shed his ‘Test specialist’ image and cement his place in the one-day side, saying that his improved batting will prove handy in the shorter version.
The Haryana spinner, who is among the 30 probables picked for the ICC Champions Trophy, is optimistic about his chances in making the final squad.
England, August 08: Historians may conclude that England lost the Ashes at 4.50am yesterday. That was when their sleep and sweet dreams of career-defining triumph – dreams that they had every right to nurture – were rudely interrupted by a fire alarm at the team hotel.
Colombo, August 08: Pakistan has defeated Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 146 runs in the fourth ODI match of the one-day international series to register their first win in the ODI series at Colombo on Friday.
Pakistan skipper Younis Khan won the toss and elected to bat first. Umar Akmal (102 not out), brother of Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, smashed an unbeaten century to help Pakistan to put up a huge total of 321 runs on the board with loss of 5 wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
Mumbai, August 08: After being out of action for over two months following a shoulder injury that needed surgery, dashing opener Virender Sehwag is hoping to return to top-notch cricket through the ICC Champions Trophy next month.
“I am hoping to play in the ICC Champions Trophy. My rehabilitation is going well,” said the Delhi marauder on the sidelines of a book release function here last evening.
Sehwag sustained the shoulder injury during the semi finals of the Indian Premier League in South Africa in May while captaining Delhi Daredevils against eventual winners Deccan Chargers.
Washington, August 08: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon believes that realizing the dream of a nuclear free world is still possible despite the existence of a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons and efforts of several countries to get a hand on it.
“A world without nuclear weapons may be distant, but it is no longer just a dream,” Ban said in a message to the Seventh General Conference of Mayors for Peace.
“I look forward to continuing to work with governments and global citizens to realize this shared vision,” he said.
Chennai, August 08: New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond has said that a series of glucose injections into his fragile back has helped revive his international prospects. Bond will be in Chennai as part of the New Zealand A team for the annual Buchi Babu All-India invitation tournament from August 16 to 29.
Bond, who has suffered repeated stress fractures to the back, has been receiving courses of prolotherapy to ease the soreness in his lower back. Bond has already been named in New Zealand’s ODI squad for Sri Lanka next month, marking an international recall after nearly two years.
Islamabad, August 08: The Pakistan Taliban were meeting last night to choose a new leader after Baitullah Mehsud, Pakistan’s most wanted man, was killed in a CIA-led air strike, dealing a major blow to the insurgency that has ravaged the north-west and the wild tribal areas along the Afghan border.
Dubai, August 08: Dubai authorities have confirmed that permission for the filming of Sex and the City 2 in the emirate has been “declined”.
In a statement, Dubai Studio City (DSC), a film and TV production free zone under TECOM Investments and Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority, said the film’s Hollywood producers did apply for permission to shoot part of the movie in Dubai.
Mumbai, August 08: Tata Communications today said it has earmarked Rs 10,000 crore capital expenditure over the next three years to enhance capabilities in core areas of operation.
“Our capex plan for the next three years is Rs 10,000 crore,” Tata Communications Chairman (Independent) Subodh Bhargava said at the company’s annual general meeting here.
Company Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer N Srinath said the company would invest in voice and data solution out of its proposed capex plan, but did not give further details.
Melbourne, August 08: If not for a sporting gesture from Australia, England wicketkeeper Matt Prior would not have played the fourth Test after suffering back spasms in the pre-game warm up on Friday night.
Australia allowed the toss of the coin to be pushed back 10 minutes so that Prior could receive urgent treatment from England’s medical staff.
Quito, August 08: Many South American nations have made clear their displeasure with Colombia’s plans to allow the US use its seven military bases, and the issue is likely to feature when the region’s leaders meet here Monday.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is not set to attend the summit of the Union of South American Nations (Unasur). His country has not had diplomatic ties with host Ecuador for over a year, following a cross-border Colombian Army raid that targeted a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Ecuadorian soil.
Washington, August 08: With the almost certain death of Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of Pakistani Taliban, a leading American South Asian expert Saturday said Islamabad can now no longer oppose the use of drones by the United States.
Kolkata, August 08: In a pre-season training, players of the Kolkata Knight Riders will assemble at the Eden Gardens next week even as they are yet to announce the names of the coach and captain.
The Knight Riders captain in the inaugural edition, Sourav Ganguly, who is expected to be re-instated to the top post, will attend the camp along with his Bengal teammates Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Wriddhiman Saha to train under former Team India physio Andrew Leipus.
“It’s not a camp actually…rather it’s a pre-season training to check the players’ fitness,” KKR CEO Joy Bhattacharya told PTI.
Moscow, August 08: Russian hackers have been accused of being behind an enormous cyber attack which temporarily shut down two of the world’s most popular social networking sites in order to silence a Georgian blogger who is critical of Moscow’s policies in the Caucasus.
Washington, August 08: Even as Islamabad was ‘pretty certain’ that Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a US missile attack, Washington declined to confirm his death, but said if correct it would undoubtedly make Pakistani people safer.
‘We have obviously seen reports – even by members of the Taliban – that Baitullah Mehsud is dead. We can’t, with a hundred percent certainty, verify that,’ White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Friday when asked about Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s remark that ‘It is pretty certain now that he is dead.’
New Delhi, August 08: India’s emerging leg-spinner Amit Mishra is eager to shed his ‘Test specialist’ image and cement his place in the one-day side, saying that his improved batting will prove handy in the shorter version.
The Haryana spinner, who is among the 30 probables picked for the ICC Champions Trophy, is optimistic about his chances in making the final squad.
Mumbai, August 08: Excited to have shot a short film made by partner Colin, Indira Varma is now spending family time in London before she leaves for the US to do quality work that allows her to explore her potential much beyond what she has already done on screen with Kamasutra: The Tale of Love, Rome, 3lbs, Torchwood, Attachments, Little Britain.
Washington, August 08: Suddenly you know they’ve been around too long. When the temperature edges into the 90s, and the political debate becomes as stifling, enervating and unpleasant as the weather. When a poster depicting the 44th President as a red lipstick-daubed Batman-style Joker alongside the word “Socialism” becomes a major political talking point.
Dubai, August 08: The first Ramadan in a Muslim country is a unique experience for many expatriates, especially to those who had little exposure to Islam and its tenets.
Experiencing the religious devotion and piety with which their Muslim friends and colleagues observe the holy month has been a great learning experience to them.
Living and working in the UAE, many said, gave them the opportunity to learn about the importance of Ramadan, of which they have only heard stories back home.
Chandigarh, August 08: Less than 40 days after he was forced to resign as deputy chief minister, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal is all set to be re-inducted into the Punjab government headed by his father Parkash Singh Badal Monday.
But compared to the millions of rupees spent on his first swearing-in at Amritsar in January this year, the oath-taking ceremony for Badal junior this time will be a quieter affair as he will be sworn-in by Punjab Governor S.F. Rodrigues at the Raj Bhawan here.
Ahmedabad, August 08: More than 50,000 poor minority students in Gujarat have been reportedly denied central scholarship.
This report has once again put Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in a spot.
His is the only state government in the country which is not willing to bear 25 per cent share of the central-sponsored pre matric scholarship scheme for the minorities.
The Centre gives around Rs 22 lakh scholarships for poor Muslims students, of which more than Rs 57,000 is earmarked for Gujarat alone.
United Nations, August 08: UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Security Council members on Friday pleaded for tougher action to end sexual violence in African conflicts and called for the creation of a top UN post to protect women’s rights.
“Despite some progress over two decades, the deliberate targeting of civilians through acts of sexual violence continues on a widespread and systematic basis,” Ban told the 15-member Security Council during a debate on “Women, Peace and Security.”
“I have met victims of sexual violence. I am haunted by their testimony,” he told members.
Kenya, August 08: A German container ship held for four months by Somali pirates arrived in the Kenyan port of Mombasa late Friday after being ransomed, a port official said.
“The German ship with 24 crew members is in Mombasa but has to be cleared to dock at the port, and that must be done tomorrow morning,” he told AFP.
Pirates released the Hansa Stavanger and its 24-strong crew on Monday after being paid 2.7 million dollars in ransom, according to Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based Seafarers Assistance Programme.