Cricket: We will truly miss Murali in the dressing room says Mahela

As smiling assassin Muttiah Muralitharan gears up to play his last ODI, Mahela Jayawardene reveals some real funny aspects about the spin-legend.

The ICC World Cup 2011 final between India and Sri Lanka on Saturday in Mumbai will be special for more reasons than one. Apart from this being the first time that the two Asian teams are meeting in the final of this mega-event, spin-legend Muttiah Muralitharan will be appearing in Lankan colours for one final time.

Ahead of the epic battle on April 2, Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss and classy middle-order batsman Mahela Jayawardene paid glowing tributes to the spin-legend during an interaction with reporters on Thursday at the Wankhede stadium.

"Muralitharan is a very down to earth character and always willing to listen to others. He is a lot of fun in the dressing room. He gives everyone in the team a laugh sometimes even at his own expense. His standing within Lankan cricket is just unbelievable. I think he is pretty close to being the best cricketer that Sri Lanka have ever produced," said Bayliss.

Speaking about the smiling-assassin, Jayawardene mentioned that the friendly nature of Muralitharan is something seen very rarely in the competitive nature of modern-day international cricket. "Apart from his on-field achievement, I also admire Murali for his friendly nature off the field. When I joined the Sri Lankan team for the first time, he was the one who took me out for a meal. I didn't even know him then. Murali continues to do that even today for the latest newcomer in the squad. That is Muralitharan for you!"

He added, "At times Murali's over-friendly nature can also be annoying since he befriends the members of the opponent team as well. He likes having a chat with them. The character of the man is such that at times, he considers himself a better batsman than even Sachin Tendulkar." Understandably this statement drew a lot of chuckles from the journalists.

After the batting antics of West Indian legendary pacer Courtney Walsh, it is Muralitharan who has entertained crowds all over the world with his unorthodox batting skills.

Continuing in the same vein, Jayawardene further mentioned, "We will truly miss Muralitharan when he says goodbye. Over the years he has been one of those guys who have kept everyone's spirits high in the dressing room even when the chips were down."

Rest assured, Kumar Sangakkara and company will try their level best on Saturday to send off Muralitharan on a winning note.

UK questions Libyan foreign minister

The UK says it has not offered Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa immunity from prosecution following his unexpected arrival in the country.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said Mr Koussa had resigned and the Gaddafi regime was "crumbling from within".

British officials are questioning Mr Koussa, a former head of intelligence who was close to Col Gaddafi.

The development comes as Libyan rebels continue to retreat from recently captured towns along the eastern coast.

A column of retreating rebel fighters came under heavy fire between Brega and Ajdabiya on Thursday. The rebels had earlier lost the key oil port of Ras Lanuf and the nearby town of Bin Jawad.

In the west, the rebel-held town of Misrata is still reportedly coming under attack from pro-Gaddafi troops.

Mr Hague said Mr Koussa had flown to the UK of his own free will late on Wednesday.

"His resignation shows that Gaddafi's regime, which has already seen significant defections to the opposition, is fragmented, under pressure and crumbling from within," he told reporters.

"Gaddafi must be asking himself who will be the next to abandon him."

Mr Hague urged others close to Col Gaddafi to "embrace the better future for Libya".

Since the uprising began in February, a number of senior Libyan officials have joined the opposition to Col Gaddafi.

They include the interior minister, the justice minister and the ambassadors to the US, the UN, France and India.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said on Wednesday: "Moussa Koussa is one of the most senior figures in Gaddafi's government and his role was to represent the regime internationally - something that he is no longer willing to do."

Mr Koussa arrived at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire on what is believed to have been a British military plane.

A Libyan spokesman denied that Mr Koussa had defected and said he was on a diplomatic mission.

Helping the rebels?

The BBC's Nick Springate, who is near the frontline outside Brega, says the rebels' lead vehicle was destroyed by heavy artillery on Thursday. Other vehicles in the convoy have fled back towards Ajdabiya.

Our correspondent says the lack of military leadership and hardware is stopping this determined force of unprofessional soldiers moving forward and actually taking on the pro-Gaddafi forces.

Maj Gen Suleiman Mahmoud, the second-in-command for the rebels, told the BBC that rebels forces needed time, patience and help to organise themselves.

"Our problem [is] we need help - communication, radios, we need weapons," he said, adding that the rebels had a strategy but fighters did not always obey orders.

Meanwhile, US media reports say President Barack Obama has authorised covert support for the Libyan rebels.

The CIA and White House have both declined to comment on the reports.

The US and the UK have suggested the UN resolution authorising international action in Libya could also permit the supply of weapons.

However France - which helped push through the UN resolution authorising "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from Col Gaddafi's forces - says it is not planning to arm the rebels.

On Thursday French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said such assistance was "not compatible" with the resolution.

Nato took sole command of international air operations over Libya on Thursday. It said it had the means to enforce the UN resolution.

The alliance also said it was investigating reports of civilian casualties in Western air strikes on Tripoli.

Earlier, the top Vatican official in the Libyan capital, citing witnesses, said 40 civilians had been killed in strikes by Western forces on the city.

Several thousand people have been killed and thousands wounded since the uprising against Col Gaddafi's rule began more than six weeks ago.

Murali and Mathews doubtful for World cup finals in Mumbai

Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and all-rounder Angelo Mathews are doubtful for the World Cup

final against India, prompting the Sri Lankan team management to call in Chaminda Vaas and Suraj Randiv as standbys for the the April 2 clash in Mumbai.

The Sri Lankan cricket team led by Kumar Sangakkara arrived in Mumbai yesterday to play their second successive final of the mega-event after finishing runners-up to Australia four years ago in the West Indies.

Muralitharan has struggled with niggles through the tournament, including a hamstring injury, a side strain, a troublesome knee and a groin issue while Matthews suffered a minor injury while fielding during Sri Lanka's win over New Zealand in the semifinal.

Muralitharan also played in the semi-final in Colombo, despite not being in the best physical condition. The final,if he plays in it, will be his last international game as he had announced his retirement after the World Cup. Sri Lankan newspaper 'Daily News' quoted a team spokesman as saying that Mathews will need at least a couple of days to recover and will be working with the physio to be fit for the World Cup final on Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium. Selection committee sources revealed that former Sri Lanka fast bowler Chaminda Vaas has been kept on standby as a replacement for 24-year-old Mathews. In addition, Suraj Randiv is likely to be the replacement as an emergency in case off spinner Muralitharan is also declared unfit for the final. Left-arm seamer Vaas last played an international game in July 2009, and hasn't featured in an ODI since August 2008.

Randiv missed out on a World Cup spot to Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis.

The summit clash on Saturday would be the first-ever all-Asia final in the history of the tournament.

Sri Lanka have played four one-dayers at this venue, including a league match in this tournament against New Zealand. Out of those four, they have won two and lost two.

ICC Cricket World Cup Quiz 39

(All the questions to be answered excluding 2011 ICC World Cup)

1. How many times India reached World Cup final?

2. How many times Sri Lanka reached World Cup final?

3. Which team qualified for maximum no of World cup finals?

4. Which team reached world cup finals but not won the Cup?

5. How many times Pakistan reached World Cup final?

Mail your answers to enewsforu@gmail.com with Sub: World Cup quiz to claim gifts

Formula 1: Narain confident of good show at Malaysian Grand Prix

Narain Karthikeyan's first weekend back in Formula One was a huge let down but the Indian is confident he will finally go racing at next month's Malaysian Grand Prix.

After five years out of the sport, the 34-year-old Chennai native returned with Formula One stragglers HRT for last weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

With no pre-season testing and virtually no time in practice, however, Karthikeyan and his Italian team mate Vitantonio Liuzzi were unable even to straggle as they failed to qualify for the race.

"At the start of the week, we thought we were going to race because we knew the new car was capable of it, but it just took so long (to put the car together)," Karthikeyan told Reuters at the team's hospitality at Albert Park.

"The majority of the work is done, but the fine details just go on and on and on. You needed a complete car or it doesn't make any sense to go out.

"We know it is a really bad situation but there's no point in complaining about it," he added.

In the end, Karthikeyan got out for the final practice session with absolutely no set up and understandably set a time 17 seconds behind Sebastian Vettel in the quickest car.

Qualifying was better but both HRT cars still failed to set a time within 107 percent of the top time in the first qualifying session, the criteria for taking part in the race.

"For me, it was very difficult because I've driven here only once in 2005 and I had to get back into the rhythm of things," he said. "But I never had a chance."

Speaking before the race as the other teams along the paddock frantically prepared for the start, Karthikeyan said he had no problem with the 107 percent rule.

"Basically, they don't want jokers to come in," he said. "We respect the 107 percent rule. We are a serious team.

"When it all gets kicking off, I think we are going to surprise a few people," he added.

SEPANG FAMILIARITY

The second round of the championship takes place at Sepang in Malaysia on April 10 and with some new parts, the former Jordan driver thinks he will be able to show that he can still perform at the highest level.

"I'm pretty sure I can adapt pretty quickly," he said. "I know the Malaysia circuit really well, I like it.

"If we get the new front wing," he added, before correcting himself. "Not if, we are going to get it. We are reasonably confident that we will qualify and if all these things happen then we don't have any excuse not to qualify for Malaysia."

Although Karthikeyan will be focusing on Malaysia for the next couple of weeks, the inaugural Indian Grand Prix on October 30 is never far from his mind.

The race at the new $ 350 million Hermann Tilke-designed track outside New Delhi is expected to attract up to 120,000 fans and Karthikeyan cannot wait.

"My comeback has a lot to do with that and it will be great to compete in front of my home crowd, and I will have a lot of support," he said.

"Since my debut in 2005, Formula One had got very big in India. And then there is the Force India team, and I'm the Indian driver, so we'll have a lot of people cheering for us.

"If the tickets are priced right, there will be a full house and it's going to be crazy."

Auto Industries lose talents to major OEMs

Concerned over the alarming rate at which auto companies are directly hiring from their pack, auto component manufacturers are working on a first-of-its-kind anti-poaching agreement with the former. Though unlikely to take formal shape soon, the vendors hope that such a measure would deter big OEMs or original equipment manufacturers to increase headcount at their cost.
"In the last one year, most auto component manufacturers have lost at least 10-15 of their employees to the bigger OEMs. This is a disturbing trend especially because we enjoy a long business relationship with our customers," an executive of an auto component company who did not want to be identified told FE. He said that if the trend goes unchecked, it could weaken the supply chain in the longer run.

Take for instance the country's largest headlamp producer, Lumax Industries. In just three months it has lost at least three of its engineers to Mahindra Group subsidiary Mahindra Engineering and the automotive engineering arm of the Tata Group, Tata Technologies. "We feel that in the coming weeks two more offers are likely to be made to our engineers. We have raised the issue with the senior management of the two companies already," said PSVS Raju, senior general manager of Lumax Industries.

Srivats Ram, the president of apex auto component body Automotive Component Manufacturers' Association (Acma), said the matter has already been taken up with the OEMs. "Within Acma, we have an OEM committee on HR where issues such as this have been discussed. By directly recruiting from suppliers, the OEMs are weakening their supply chain," Ram said. He added that while Acma cannot prevent stray instances, it would be a concern if vendors were targeted for recruitment.

Surinder Kapur, chairman of the Sona Group, the country's largest component maker that supplies to leading OEMs including Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai, argued that the trend is restricted only to the new OEMs.

"Poaching is mainly done by the new auto companies," he said. "In a democracy, we cannot stop individuals, but because there are existing business relations it should be addressed. Companies can explore an informal understanding to stop this," Kapur said. Jayant Davar, vice-chairman and managing director of Gurgaon-based components manufacturer Sandhar Technologies, which manufactures a wide assortment of auto parts including rear view mirrors, door handles and sheet metal components, said that owing to shortage of talent in the market, OEMs are opting to recruit directly from component makers. "While the growth in auto sales have been tremendous in the recent past, it is also pushing OEMs to increase their headcount," he said. What has caused more consternation in the ranks of auto component companies is that the trend cuts across junior and middle management level employees. "We have invested time and money in imparting the training to our middle-ranked management.

Since the pockets of our OEMs are much deeper, we cannot match their salaries," another vendor said. Typically OEMs can offer up to 50% more salaries to executives of component companies. Raju of Lumax Industries said that while a fresher with around two to three years' experience gets paid anywhere between R35,000 and R40,000 per month, the OEMs offer a salary of close to R 60,000.

Japan N Crisis: Radiation exceeded a criterion for evacuation

Radiation measured at a village 40 km from Japan's crippled nuclear plant exceeded a criterion for evacuation, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday, the latest sign of widening consequences from the crisis.

The finding could increase pressure on Japan's government to extend the exclusion zone beyond 20 km (12 miles) around the Fukushima power plant, which has leaked radioactive particles since it was hit by a huge earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

Criticized for weak leadership during Japan's worst crisis since World War Two, Prime Minister Naoto Kan has said he is considering enlarging the evacuation area to force 130,000 people to move, in addition to 70,000 already displaced.

"The first assessment indicates that one of the IAEA operational criteria for evacuation is exceeded in Iitate village," Denis Flory, a deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said.

"We have advised (Japan) to carefully assess the situation and they have indicated that it is already under assessment," he told a news conference.

Greenpeace this week said it had confirmed radiation levels in this village northwest of the plant high enough to evacuate. But Japan's nuclear safety agency on Monday rebuffed a call by the environmental group to widen the evacuation zone.

The IAEA also said it had been told by Singapore that some cabbages imported from Japan contained radioactive iodine above the levels recommended for international trade.

"Some samples were over the Codex Alimentarius values recommended for international trade," said Flory.

David Byron, a UN food agency official seconded to the IAEA, said the recommended level was 100 becquerels per kg and that one of the samples in Singapore was up to nine times above that. "Other samples were also over that level," he said, although not as much.

Not the end of the world

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said the situation at the Fukushima plant remained very serious despite increased efforts by authorities to get it under control.

Saying the Japanese authorities had faced additional difficulties but also experienced some successes; he said he had sent invitations to the IAEA's 151 member states for a ministerial nuclear safety meeting on June 20-24 in Vienna.

"It should be a forward-looking meeting," he said.

Amano had said on Monday that he wanted IAEA member states to assess the response to Japan's nuclear emergency and discuss ways to prevent such a disaster happening again, adding that the international community needed a coordinated response.

The disaster has prompted a rethink of nuclear power around the world, just as the technology was starting to regain momentum as a way to fight global warming.

Hundreds of engineers have been toiling for nearly three weeks to cool the Fukushima plant's reactors and avert a catastrophic meltdown of fuel rods, although the situation appears to have moved back from that nightmare scenario.

In a potentially negative development, Flory said the agency had heard there might be "recriticality" at the plant, in which a nuclear chain reaction would resume, even though the reactors were automatically shut down at the time of the quake.

That could lead to more radiation releases, but it would not be "the end of the world," Flory said. "Recriticality does not mean that the reactor is going to blow up. It may be something really local. We might not even see it if it happens."

2G Scam: Sharad pawar had links with Balwa claims BJP MLA

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Eknath Khadse, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, has allged that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has links with Shahid Usman Balwa, who is an accused in the 2G spectrum scam.

Khadse on Thursday claimed in the Maharashtra Assembly that Pawar had travelled with Balwa to Dubai twice in Balwa's plane. Khadse also alleged that BCCI President Shashank Manohar was also in the plane.

According to Khasde another NCP leader and Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Praful Patel, also used Balwa's plane in the past.

The BJP MLA claimed that he had all the evidences and demanded an inquiry.

Tennis: Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi reaches semi-final in Miami

India's Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi progressed while compatriot Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi faltered in the men's doubles quarterfinal of the Sony Ericsson Open tennis here.

The third-seeded Paes and Bhupathi overcame sixth seeds Michael Llodra of France and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-7 here on Wednesday.

In the semifinals, the 'Indian Express' will meet the unseeded Oliver Marach of Austria and Serb Janko Tipsarevic, who knocked out No. 7 seeds Bopanna and Qureshi 6-4, 7-6(8).

Bhupathi and Paes both reached the final here last year, but stood on opposite sides of the net, with Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy defeating Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus for the title.

The Indian veterans are playing together in Miami for the first time in 12 years, and made second-round exits in three straight visits from 1997-99.

They came together this year at the Australian Open to complete a career Grand Slam but lost to the pair of Bob and Mike Bryan in the final.

Football: Chelsea aims for Champions League glory

The question is why Chelsea should have only one Champions League final to show for all the money and effort they have expended in the competition since Roman Abramovich's takeover.

Domestically, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti have delivered three Premier League titles for the Russian but it was the relatively unregarded Avram Grant, who having taken over from His Specialness, steered Chelsea to a final against Manchester United, which but for John Terry's pathetic penalty cost the mighty Blues the match.

This year Chelsea have not domestically been the same force to reckon with but in Europe they have been consistent and solid. Blues will now take on ruthless Manchester United in the quarterfinals and Chelsea have every right to believe that they can win against their arch rivals.

Manchester United have not beaten Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since 2002 and Ancelotti's men will be hoping that their good run continued against the Red Devils. Chelsea have already beaten United in Premier League 2-1 and the psychological advantage and can very well work for the Blues.

Chelsea will also have revenge on their mind when they lost to Manchester United in the 2008 finals at Moscow. Chelsea's success has been built on impressive home form and a rock solid defence.

And now they also have a striker Fernando Torres -- who looks bit patchy at the moment but with quality he possesses in him you just can't control that man when he is on song.

A combination of miserly defence and clinical attack is an excellent one to have and is that why Chelsea are hot favourites to finally lift the European Cup this season.

The experienced Ancelotti was brought in by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to win the competition and anyone looking to bet on Champions League winner should remember this.

Three Pakistan fans dies over Pakistan defeat to India

Pakistanis were shattered by the cricket team's defeat in the World Cup semifinal, causing the death of three men from heart attacks.

In Karachi, a comedian died while participating in a TV show organised for the Pakistan-India match.

Daily Times reported that comedian Liaqat Soldier, 55, died due to a heart attack.

Liaqat started his career as an actor in 1973 and performed in over 250 television plays, besides numerous stage dramas across the globe during his 38-year career.

Liaquat, who performed in different countries, including India, also wrote and directed about 50 dramas.

Two more Pakistanis died of heart attacks after the team lost to India.

An unidentified 65-year old man of Rasheed Town in Peshawar and a resident of Sialkot in Punjab province died, Dunyanews reported.

"Cricket fans in various other cities showed their aggression after Pakistan's defeat," it said, without elaborating.

It added: "The whole nation ... simply got disappointed. Fans watching live screening returned to their homes during the last overs of the match."

India Wednesday beat Pakistan by 29 runs at Mohali where Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh were present. India will now play against Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai.

Mahindra plans to sell South Korean SUVs in India nd Africa

India's Mahindra & Mahindra will sell Ssangyong Motor vehicles in markets including India and Africa in a bid to revitalise the troubled South Korean firm it bought last year, executives said Thursday.

Two sport utility vehicles, the Korando and Rexton, will be introduced to the Indian market, Mahindra Group managing director Anand Mahindra told a press conference at the Seoul Motor Show.

"Right now the (Indian) market is a very, very high-potential market for products of the kinds Ssangyong makes... people are ready to spend more for more sophisticated products," Mahindra said.

He said Mahindra, the largest SUV producer in India, also plans to use its sales network in Africa where it sold 9,500 cars last year to market Ssangyong's SUVs in "the next frontier of automobile growth".

"SUVs are perfectly suited for the terrain of Africa... the joint team of Ssangyong and Mahindra will make a strong impact," said Mahindra.

Ssangyong this month exited court-led bankruptcy protection in force since 2009, after Mahindra completed the takeover of a 70 per cent stake for 522.5 billion won ($476.7 million).

The largest SUV producer in South Korea ran into trouble in 2008 as a slump in sales of SUVs dried up its cash reserves, leading to job cuts that sparked a violent strike that lasted for months.

Ssangyong said this month it would invest more than 240 billion won this year to develop new vehicles and build its brand with the new owner's backing.

The Pyeongtaek-based firm and Mahindra are working together to roll out electric cars within the next two years, company chief executive Lee Yoo-Il said.

The Indian conglomerate also plans to open a South Korean unit of its auto financing firm to help Ssangyong with the selling of their vehicles, said Ssangyong chairman Pawan Goenka.

Mahindra said his group is behind Ssangyong for the long term.

"We are proud investors of Ssangyong and we believe very firmly in Ssangyong's future," he said, when asked if his group was considering cutting its stake in the near future.

"We are committed therefore to the turnaround of the company's fortunes. This is going to be a long journey in which we intend to be long-term players."

Australia didn't take any actions on racist attack on Indians: WikiLeaks

Julia Gillard, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and now the country's Prime Minister, visited India in 2009 after a series of attacks on Indian students in the country, but the visit was a "wasted opportunity" that did nothing to address the anger in India, according to WikiLeaks cables.

Shabbir Wahid, former Australian consul general to Mumbai, said Gillard spent more time talking to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about educational opportunities rather than the violence against Indian students, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Wahid, a prominent Melbourne businessman, told the US consulate in Melbourne that Australia was missing substantial commercial opportunities in India.

Gillard was also the education minister at that time.

"According to Wahid, Gillard focused too narrowly on her education minister portfolio, coming away from her meeting with PM Singh with only vague commitments," then US Consul General Michael Thurston wrote in a cable from the Melbourne consulate October 20, 2009.

A visit by the then Victorian premier John Brumby was "similarly ineffective", the state's treasurer John Lenders said to Thurston.

"High-level visits by Australian officials have had only a limited impact on cooling tempers still hot from a spike in violence," Thurston wrote.

The then foreign minister, Stephen Smith, compared the India-Australia relationship to a 20/20 cricket match, saying: "Short bursts of enthusiasm followed by lengthy periods of inactivity."

According to the cables, Manmohan Singh described India and Australia as "countries with so much in common, but so little to do with one another".

Citing a report by Australia's Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC), the BBC reported there were more than 70,000 Indians studying in Australia in 2009.

India - Pakistan match breaks all TV viewers record

The India-Pakistan semi-final in Mohali, arguably the biggest sporting event of the century, might not have lived up to the expectation of being a thriller but it did break all previous records as far as eyeballs are concerned.

A record number of people were glued to their television sets when India defeated Pakistan on Wednesday. A total of 67.53 million viewers watched the match. That should not come as a surprise to a nation where cricket is a religion.

According to rating agency aMap, the India-Pakistan encounter recorded the highest television rating in history. It attracted almost double the viewers than the India-Australia match (that many would argue was closer). Only goes to prove the history of rivalry between the two teams from the sub-continent.

The India-Pakistan match ratings stood at 11.74 as compared to 6.53 for the India-Australia encounter.

The average time spent per viewer for the India-Pakistan match was three hours per person while viewers watched the India-Australia match for a little less than 2 hours (per person) on average.

It will be interesting to see if the finals in Mumbai eclipse the new record.

The spot rates for ten seconds of advertisement during the match reportedly cost Rs. 18 lakh. The ad rates for the final match are said to be going at Rs. 24 lakh per ten seconds

CWG Scam: Kalmadi ran committee as a club says Shunglu

The high-level Shunglu Committee set up by the Prime Minister to probe all aspects of alleged irregularities in organising the Commonwealth Games has slammed Suresh Kalmadi, the former Organising Committee (OC) Chairman for mismanagement.

The report indicts Kalmadi for causing financial losses, and a loss of image to the games and the nation.

In an extensive 534-page report submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the committee says Kalmadi ran the Organising committee like a club, misused his powers and neutralised dissent by removing employees who objected.

The OC under Kalmadi is also accused of delaying contracts to favour select contractors.

Here are some of the main findings of the Shunglu report:
OC intentionally delayed overlays contracts by not providing estimates for the 630 crores overlay contracts.
OC could have saved Rs. 138 crore in overlays if it had negotiated for the overlays contracts.
Chairman(Suresh Kalmadi) appointed Loyalists in Key positions, particularly a large number from Pune including a railway guard.
Employees and consultants and advisors were hired on criteria other than merit.
Candidates with with questionable background were accommodated, especially at senior positions with decision making powers.
Chairman approached Government for an additional Rs. 900 crore in August 2010 when there was no need for additional funds.
The Organising Committee kept misrepresenting a revenue neutral position to justify extravagant spending.
Chairman spent Rs. 5.06 crores on a reckless exercise of patronage to send people unrelated with sports to the Bejing Olympics on a pleasure trip.
Consultants, including Shashi Tharoor, were hired at terms dictated by them.
Contract for timer board issued by Lalit Bhanot's office without informing technology consultant or technology head.
Chairman kept the Executive Board in the dark about detrimental aspects of SMAM contracts.

WC Cricket: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to watch Finals in Mumbai

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will fly to Mumbai to watch his country's match against India in the cricket World Cup final on April 2.

"The President wants us (Sri Lanka) to win the World Cup as a tribute to Muttiah Muralitharan who retires from international cricket after this World Cup," Rajapaksa's spokesman Bandula Jayasekera told reporters.

Jayasekera said President will go to Mumbai to watch the final match.

The Sri Lankan President and his three sons were keen spectators on Tuesday night when Sri Lanka beat New Zealand to reach the final to meet India.

The President had congratulated the home side after they beat New Zealand and encouraged them to bring back the world title they had won in 1996.

Rajapaksa visited the Caribbean when Sri Lanka reached the final of the 2007 world cup with Australia.

Manisha Koirala turns sex worker for next film

In spite having a marital life, Manisha Koriala is busy and on her toes with various projects in Bollywood and south as well.

While audience is waiting to see her in Dhanush starrer 'Mappillai', the actress has signed in for Deepti Naval's forthcoming Hindi project. Titled 'Do Paise Ki Dhoop Char Aane Ki Baarish', Manisha features here as a sex worker and the story is said to be inspired from a real-life one.

According to sources, Manisha plays Juhi, who also is a mother of a handicapped son. One night, she happens to come across a struggling gay lyricist. Soon an emotional bond binds the three together.

Manisha was said to be quite excited to hear that her character had been inspired by a real sex worker whose story Deepti had heard through a friend. However, it was a challenge to portray Manisha as an ordinary woman. For the director wanted to show a sari-clad sex worker and not a mini-skirt clad one someone who is a bit neglected. "She wears dark red lipstick, keeps her hair open and wears dark and bright colours like red, maroon and purple. She had to look like a mother and struggler," added the sources about Koirala's look in the film.

Currently Manisha is waiting for the release of her another Hindi film 'I Am'. Directed by Onir, 'I Am' comprises of four different short stories – where in one of them the 'Mudalvan' famed beauty plays a Kashmiri woman. Besides, Manisha recently made her screen debut in a Malayalam movie. Looks like Ms. MK is back to the filmy ground in full form

Schoolteacher rapes a minor girl in Aurangabad

A 32-year-old primary schoolteacher has been arrested by the Pachod police for allegedly raping a minor school girl in Davarwadi in Aurangabad district on Wednesday.

A medical examination of the 10-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped by her teacher in Davarwadi in Paithan taluka, confirmed rape, following which the teacher was arrested under rape charges late on Wednesday night, the police said.

Villagers in Davarwadi in Paithan taluka, about 70 km from here, have decided not to allow the school to function till the zilla parisahad officials suspend the teacher for raping a 10-year-old girl on the school premises. The Aurangabad zilla parishad official said that the teacher booked for allegedly raping the minor would be suspended.

DMDK leader Vijaykant assaults party candidate

Actor-politician Vijaykant, whose party DMDK is a constituent of the AIADMK-led alliance, has stirred up a controversy after allegedly assaulting his party candidate in full public view during an election campaign.

The leader, contesting from Rishivanthiyam constituency, assaulted the party's Dharmapuri candidate Bhaskar when the latter tried to correct Vijaykant after he called him by a wrong name, reports reaching here said.

The incident occurred in full public glare as Vijaykant was canvassing from an open vehicle.

Meanwhile, DMK criticised Vijaykant for his act, which has reportedly sent shock waves among his party workers.

DMK treasurer and deputy chief minister M K Stalin took a dig at Vijaykant, saying those accompanying him during campaigning should wear helmets.

Meanwhile, Vijaykant today created further controversy when he asked AIADMK cadres to lower party flags during his campaign at Ariyalur district.

Abhishek Bachchan's new wife Kangna Ranaut

Kangna Ranaut will essay the role of Abhishek Bachchan's soul-mate and wife in Ram Gopal Varma's film Department.

The director met Ranaut, on Monday, to finalise her for the film. When asked about his decision to cast the actress, Varma explains, "I wondered why we haven't worked together as yet! Kangna very much fits into my vision as a filmmaker.

She is intense and emotional on screen. I've wanted to work with her, from the time she appeared in Gangster and Woh Lamhe.

But I didn't want to cast her in anything insignificant. The role had to justify her presence."

The rest of the cast includes Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt. Ranaut is the only major female character in the film. As Varma explains, "It is very much a guys' film, with only one major female character.

The story is about three cops and the extra-constitutional activities they engage in to maintain a civil society.

Kangna is the only person in the world that Abhishek's character can share his agony with. She plays a very intense role in this dark, gritty and real drama."

Paris Hilton takes on Kim Kardashian

Paris Hilton has taken a dig at former friend-turned-reality star Kim Kardashian.

The hotel heiress said she doesn''t worry about being overshadowed by the Kardashians of the reality show world because she''s one-of-a-kind.

"There''s so many people out there who try to imitate what I do but I am the original. There is nothing like me," the New York Daily News quoted her as telling a news agency.

"I have done everything that I wanted to do and I feel very blessed that I have been very successful on every area. So it''s very exciting. There is nothing else to do," Hilton said.

Isis Taylor is shortlisted to pair with Charlie Sheen in next porn movie

Adult actress Isis Taylor is on the shortlist to win a work placement with Charlie Sheen.

The former 'Two and a Half Men' star has advertised an eight-week internship for a fan to help manage and promote his Twitter.com blog this summer.

And Taylor has a distinct advantage over the rest of the applicants - she has a porn movie past, similar to Sheen''s live-in girlfriend Bree Olson, who he has dubbed one of his "goddesses".

"Made to the second round #winning!... People asking if I''m ready to be Charlie Sheen intern... Hell yeah I am!" The Daily Express quoted the porn star as writing in a post on her Twitter.com blog.

See me running nude after India winning world cup in Mumbai : Sexy Model Poonam Pande

Model Poonam Pandey Thursday reiterated her promise to run in the buff if India wins the cricket World Cup here Saturday.

Pandey tweeted: "3 days to go to Complete my Promise to INDIA :)"

Her tweet came a few hours after India thrashed Pakistan by 29 runs in the semifinal held in Mohali, near Chandigarh.

India will now play Sri Lanka at the final that takes place in Mumbai Saturday.

Pandey is not the first one to pledge to go naked if her country wins.

Model Larissa Riquelme had promised to run nude if her country, Paraguay, won the football World Cup last year. Paraguay lost, but she ran naked anyway.

Vodafone buy out Essar group JV in India

Vodafone, the world's largest mobile operator by revenue, said on Thursday it had agreed to pay $5 billion in cash to buy out the Essar Group from its joint venture in India.

Vodafone will take control of Essar's 33% of the Vodafone Essar Limited company, giving it 75% of the Indian operator overall.

The move comes after the two firms repeatedly clashed in recent months and as Vodafone cleans up its portfolio of assets.
The group, which bought in to the Indian market in 2007, said a final settlement was expected no later than November of this year.

Vodafone's published net debt figure already includes this $5 billion.

Shaded Area

How many square cm are in the shaded area? Assume each side of the square is 10 cm. The diameter for each half circle is also 10 cm.

FDI policy liberalised to boost inflows

Relaxing rules for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country, the Government today decided to permit issuance of equity to overseas firms against imported capital goods and machinery.

Furthermore, the norms for overseas investment in production and developments of seeds have been liberalised.

"After stakeholder consultations, the Government has now decided to permit issue of equity, under the government route, in... import of capital goods/ machinery/ equipment (including second—hand machinery)," an official statement said.

This measure, which liberalises the conditions for conversion of non-cash items into equity, is expected to significantly boost prospects for foreign companies doing business in India, it said.

In the agriculture sector, it said that FDI will now be permitted in the development and production of seeds and planting material without the stipulation of having to do so under 'controlled conditions'

The Government made these changes in the third edition of the Consolidated FDI Policy Circular, a ready reckoner on foreign investment-related regulations that was released here today.

"Circular 1 of 2011 third edition of the Consolidated FDI Policy is a part of ongoing efforts of procedure simplification and FDI rationalisation, which will go a long way in inspiring investor confidence," the Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Anand Sharma, said.

The Government has further decided to abolish the condition of prior approval in case of existing joint ventures and technical collaborations in the 'same field'

"It is expected that this measure will promote the competitiveness of India as an investment destination and be instrumental in attracting higher levels of FDI and technology inflows into the country," it added.

It also said that companies have now been classified into only two categories —— 'companies owned or controlled by foreign investors' and 'companies owned and controlled by Indian residents'

During the 11-month April-February period this fiscal, FDI inflows into India declined by 25 per cent to $18.3 billion.

Legend of Legends, quotes from Legends about Sachin Tendulkar

?1. "I want my son to become Sachin Tendulkar."
Brian Lara(WI)

2. ''V did not lose 2 a team called India, v lost 2 a man called Sachin''
Mark Taylor(aus)

3. 'Nothing bad can happen 2 us if v were on a plane in India wit Sachin Tendulkar on it.'' Hashim Amla(SA)

4. ''He can play that leg glance with a walking stick also.
Waqar Younis(Pak)

5. ''There r 2 kind of batsman in the world. 1 Sachin Tendulkar and 2. all the others .
Andy Flower(ZIM)

6. "I have seen God. He bats at no.4 for India in tests.
Matthew Hayden(AUS.)

7. "I c myself when i c Sachin batting.
Don Bradman(AUS)

8. "Do your crime when Sachin is batting, bcos even God is busy watching his batting.
Australian Fan


The last and The Best!!!


9. "I don't know about cricket but still I watch cricket to see Sachin play..Not b'coz I love his play its b'coz I want to know the reason why my country's production goes down by 5 percent when he's in batting"...
Barack Obama

Take on this Summer Tips

1. If you've been thinking of joining a gym but haven't gotten down to it so far, now's your chance. You will soon be shedding those layers and layers of clothes you've been wrapped up in for the winter season, and will be finally showing skin again. Make sure you're in shape and set to sizzle this summer.

2. Cool capris are the way to go to beat the heat. Get yourself a pair of beige ones. Team it up with a short white tee and you're on your way to looking wonderfully summery. Better yet, sleep in the buff. There's nothing more sensual or comfortable.

3. Drink a chilled glass of iced tea. You can now purchase readymade ice-tea packs with different flavours like peach, lemon. If you can't get hold of them, don't fret. Here's how to make a deliciously chilled glass of the chai. Boil tea leaves and sugar in a glass of water, chill, and add the juice of a lemon. Pour in a tall glass half filled with ice cubes. Mmmmm..

4. Chappals are cool, and look great when worn with capris. Pick up a few glittery, sequined ones in different colours to match your moods.

5. Water water everywhere. You can never have too much water so drink up as much as you can. Water rids your body of toxins and rejuvenates you.

6. Mash your favourite fruit a mango, a few strawberries or cherries, and toss them in a bowl of water. Pour the water into an ice tray and freeze. Toss these tangy ice cubes into your mouth whenever you need an instant refreshing pick-me-up.

7. Large basket-weave bags are very very la mode, and they look especially nice when teamed with capris. Try and get your hands on one this summer.

8. Go for an early morning jog. Get out just before dawn breaks, so you can catch the sunrise. How long has it been since you've seen a sunrise anyway.

9. Order a tub of chocolate ice-cream or whichever you fancy, call for a VCD or tape of Casablanca, sit down with your significant other or best friend, and watch it. It's recently been voted the most romantic movie of all time, so if you haven't seen it so far, you're missing out!

10. Pick out some gorgeous, huge sunflowers and place them in a vase in your dining room. Snip the ends diagonally they last longer and place them in warm water.

11. Too hot for you Get away this weekend. Head for the nearest hill-station. Don't opt for anything too exotic or too far. You don't want to spend a lot of time planning and traveling. Just pack your bags, get out of town for a short break, and return fresh and rarin to go!

12. Try out some steamy moves with your partner. Remember those ice cubes (pt. 7)Put them to good use. Guaranteed to make the temperature soar ever more!

Census for 2011 released, population raised to 121 Crores, Literacy rises to 74.04%

India's population rose to 1.21 billion people over the last 10 years — an increase by 181 million, according to the new census released today, but significantly the growth is slower for the first time in nine decades.

The population, which accounts for world's 17.5 per cent population, comprises 623.7 million males and 586.5 million females, said a provisional 2011 Census report. China is the most populous nation accounting for 19.4 per cent of the global population.

The country's headcount is almost equal to the combined population of the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together, it said.

The population has increased by more than 181 million during the decade 2001-2011, the report said. The growth rate in 2011 is 17.64 per cent in comparison with 21.15 per cent in 2001.

The 2001-2011 period is the first decade — with exception of 1911-1921 — which has actually added lesser population compared with the previous decade, the Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner of India, Mr C. Chandramauli, said in the presence of Home Secretary, Mr Gopal K. Pillai.

Among the states and Union territories, Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state with 199 million people and Lakshadweep the least populated at 64,429.

The combined population of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra is bigger than that of the US.

The highest population density is in Delhi's north-east district (37,346 per sq km) while the lowest is in Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh (just one per sq km).

The Census indicated a continuing preference for male children over female children. The latest child sex ratio in is 914 female against 1,000 male-the lowest since Independence. "This is a matter of grave concern," Mr Chandramauli said.

According to the data, literates constitute 74 per cent of the total population aged seven and above and illiterates form 26 per cent.

The literacy rate has gone up from 64.83 per cent in 2001 to 74.04 per cent in 2011 showing an increase of 9.21 per cent.

India beats arch rival Pakistan to enter final in a style

India 260 for 9 (Tendulkar 85, Riaz 5-46) beats Pakistan 231 all out (Misbah 56, Nehra 2/33)

India in the Finals against Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

There was little tension when Zaheer gone for 14 runs in the 48th over. But Munaf had nice over of 49th. and finally Zaheer took Misbah in the 50th over.

Two decisive blows following the second drinks break, first the dangerous Umar Akmal and then Abdul Razaaq, put India on top while defending 260 in the second semifinal of the World Cup here on Saturday.

Earlier, Pakistan openers Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez looked in no trouble whatsoever as MS Dhoni chose to open the bowling with Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra to defend a competitive 260.

The Pakistani duo reached 44 runs in the ninth over and looked in no trouble whatsover. But just when the two openers relaxed, Zaheer skittled out the dangerous Kamran (19), who was caught at point by Yuvraj Singh.

Hafeez and Shafiq then buckled down in an attempt to play out a spell of tight overs by Indian bowlers, where Munaf, after bowling a maiden over, came back in the next over to remove a set Hafeez (43 off 59 balls) who played a loose shot off a wide delivery. The ball took an edge and went straight into Dhoni's gloves.

Youngster Shafiq and veteral Younis Khan then too the score past 100 and looked to stead Pakistan innings after Hafeez's wicket.

But Dhoni kept ringing changes and brought India's man of the World Cup Yuvraj Singh to bowl his left-armers.

Yuvraj began well to keep Pakistanis under control and then struck two decision blows. First, he castled Shafiq (30) and then in his next over lured Younis (13) into a drive that was nicely caught by a leaping Suresh Raina in the covers.

That brought Umar Akmal on the crease and the youngster's hit-all approach made the pitch look totally different.

He took on India's top wicket-taker Yuvraj and hit him for a couple of sixes during an innings that started taking a match-winning shape.

Dhoni got his boys together on the second drinks break and his midas touch once again did the trick, twice

First it was Harbhajan, who struck first ball after the break by ending Umar's threatening stay at the crease after he had made 29 off just 24 balls.

Munaf's perseverence with line and length too paid him as he removed the dangerous Abdul Razaaq (3) for his second wicket of the innings.

In the afternoon, Virender Sehwag got India off to a rampant start after MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat first.

Sehwag hit Umar Gul for five boundaries in the pacer's second over and also brought up his 1000 runs against Pakistan. Meanwhile, India raced to 50 in the fifth over of the innings.

But Afridi's decision to bring on left-armer Riaz into the attack brought immediate result as the quickie took out a dangerous Sehwag after the Indian opener had made a brisk 38 runs of 25 balls.

Sehwag immediately called for a review of Simon Taufel's decision, but it remained unsuccessful.

On the other end, Sachin Tendulkar looked pretty assured and took India to 73/1 in 10 overs, after which two deliveries stopped India's heart.

Tendulkar looked out for all money on an lbw appeal by off-spinner Saeed Ajmal but the master, after consulting Gautam Gambhir, took a review which turned out to be successful.

But off the very next ball, Kamran Akmal's smart glovework seemed to have caught Sachin out of his ground but once again the TV umpire gave it not out as Sachin seemed to have got his toe back just in the knick of time.

Thereafter, Sachin and Gambhir buckled down to bring up their 50-run partnership that helped India cross the 100-run mark.

Mohammad Hafeez was pressed into service by Afridi in the bowling powerplay where the Pakistani spinners pulled back Indian scoring giving away just 26 runs in overs 11-15.

After putting a lid on scoring, Hafeez drew Gambhir out of his crease to get him stumped and give Pakistan their second wicket. Gambhir made 27.

Gambhir's wicket was shortly followed by another life for Tendulkar, when Younis Khan dropped an easy chance at short cover off Afridi.

After that, Tendulkar's charmed life reached a 95th ODI fifty as Pakistan looked destined for a punishment from the master.

Riaz then came back for his second spell and immediately got reverse swing to put Indian batsmen on guard.

That actually accounted for Kohli (9) who was caught at backward point after being hurried by Riaz. In-form Yuvraj Singh came in next with all eyes on him to give Tendulkar company. But Riaz had a heartbreak planned for Indian fans as he castled Yuvraj (0) off the very next ball to jolt the Indian innings.

A scratchy Dhoni then accompanied Tendulkar as the two decided to buckle down to score in ones and twos.

Sachin, however, continued to live a charmped life with edges flying off his bat until one, at 85, flew straight to Shahid Afridi at short cover who didn't commit the same mistake his team had throughout the afternoon. Saeed Ajmal had finally got his man.

India now needed a partnership from its last recognised pair of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina but it didn't happen as Wahab Riaz had other ideas in his final spell of the innings.

The left-armer returned in the last 10 overs and struck right away to take his fourth and the Indian innings' sixth wicket in the form of Dhoni, who scored an untidy 25 off 42 balls.

Thereafter, it was about how Raina can hold the tail together for a final flourish.

Raina and Harbhajan Singh chose to take the batting powerplay from overs 45 to 49 and began well taking 22 runs off the first two overs but the wily Ajmal drew his counterpart Harbhajan out of his crease to get him stumped after scoring 12.

At seven down, it was now about playing out the 50 overs, which India finally were able to do with a not-out innings of 36 off 39 balls from Raina.

But it wasn't before Riaz completed his five-wicket haul with the wicket of Zaheer Khan (9).

In the afternoon, the most awaited match of the 2011 World Cup got underway here in the northern Indian city of Mohali with a loud cheer receving the two captains for the toss that MS Dhoni won and decided to bat.

How Wicket Fall:

8.6 Khan to Kamran Akmal, OUT, Done in by the slower one. And also done by his own favourite square drive. It was full and outside off stump, Kamran couldn't resist the temptation and reached out for his square drive. But he ended up slicing it straight to point.
Kamran Akmal c Yuvraj Singh b Khan 19 (21b 3x4 0x6) SR: 90.47
Pakistan 44/1 Mohammad Hafeez 25* (33b 4x4) Z Khan 3-0-17-1

15.3 Patel to Mohammad Hafeez, OUT, What was Hafeez thinking? Again, yet again, a lovely 30 -40 and he has combusted. He went for a paddle sweep, yeah a paddle sweep, to a full delivery outside off stump and edged it to Dhoni. Oh dear. Pressure? or over confidence?
Mohammad Hafeez c †Dhoni b Patel 43 (59b 7x4 0x6) SR: 72.88
Pakistan 70/2 Asad Shafiq 8* (13b 1x4) MM Patel 5.3-1-24-1

23.5 Yuvraj Singh to Asad Shafiq, OUT, whoops! Shafiq's gone. Too straight and a touch too full to cut, Shafiq went back and tried to, he missed and the ball skidded straight past him and hit middle stump, the Indians get into a huddle. He was cramped for room and short of time to play that shot
Asad Shafiq b Yuvraj Singh 30 (39b 2x4 0x6) SR: 76.92
Pakistan 103/3 Younis Khan 11* (24b) Yuvraj Singh 2.5-0-9-1

25.4 Yuvraj Singh to Younis Khan, OUT, caught at cover! A slow ball on a good length outside off, inviting Younis forward and into the drive. He takes the bait and spoons the ball towards Raina who leaps and takes the catch at head height. India are back in this ...
Younis Khan c Raina b Yuvraj Singh 13 (32b 0x4 0x6) SR: 40.62
Pakistan 106/4 Misbah-ul-Haq 1* (3b) Yuvraj Singh 3.4-0-9-2

33.1 Harbhajan Singh to Umar Akmal, OUT, bowled 'im! Bhajji strikes straight away, it wasn't the doosra - more of an arm ball - but Umar played it horribly, neither forward nor back and swishing hopefully through the line of the ball. It nipped past the bat and clattered into the off stump
Umar Akmal b Harbhajan Singh 29 (24b 1x4 2x6) SR: 120.83
Pakistan 142/5 Misbah-ul-Haq 8* (24b) Harbhajan Singh 7.1-0-31-1

36.2 Patel to Abdul Razzaq, OUT, gone! Bowled! Munaf sends down a slower ball, another legcutter, and Razzaq plays down completely the wrong line to lose his off stump. India surge ahead with that wicket, they've got control now.
Abdul Razzaq b Patel 3 (9b 0x4 0x6) SR: 33.33
Pakistan 150/6 Misbah-ul-Haq 12* (34b) MM Patel 8.2-1-31-2

41.5 Harbhajan Singh to Shahid Afridi, OUT, gone! Harbhajan sends down a high full toss, Afridi attempts to smash it baseball-style down the ground but the ball takes the top edge and swirls up for cover to take an easy catch. The captain departs, he had to go for his shots but couldn't execute that one too well. This is India's game now
Shahid Afridi c Sehwag b Harbhajan Singh 19 (17b 1x4 0x6) SR: 111.76
Pakistan 184/7 Misbah-ul-Haq 26* (50b 1x4) Harbhajan Singh 8.5-0-36-2

44.5 Nehra to Wahab Riaz, OUT, there's another one! Full and straight, Riaz swings mightily across the line but all he can do is send the ball straight up in the air, an easy catch for Tendulkar at cover. India are just two wickets away from a World Cup final. Pakistan are still alive, but only just. The pressure really told on Riaz there, all those dot balls made him feel as though he absolutely had to hit the boundary
Wahab Riaz c Tendulkar b Nehra 8 (14b 1x4 0x6) SR: 57.14
Pakistan 199/8 Misbah-ul-Haq 32* (54b 2x4) A Nehra 8.5-0-30-1

46.1 Nehra to Umar Gul, OUT, gone! Full, swinging, and Gul is struck flush on the foot as he swipes across the line. He asks for a review but to no avail, that's stone dead. Gul's unhappy day comes to an end. India are just one wicket away from a dream final
Umar Gul lbw b Nehra 2 (3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 66.66

49.5 Khan to Misbah-ul-Haq, OUT, there's the game! Misbah swings, the ball goes miles up in the air and lands safely in Kohli's hands at midwicket
Misbah-ul-Haq c Kohli b Khan 56 (76b 5x4 1x6) SR: 73.68

Statistics Highlights of India - Pakistan Semi final 2011 World Cup

# Virender Sehwag has batted quite well in the present competition, aggregating 380 runs at an average of 54.28, including one century and one fifty, in seven matches.

# Sehwag's aforesaid performance is his career-best in a series/competition, bettering the 348 in five matches at an average of 69.60 in the 2008 Asia Cup.

# Sehwag's 38 off 25 balls is his best innings against Pakistan at the World Cup, eclipsing the 21 at Centurion on March 1, 2003.

# Sachin Tendulkar has recorded his 95th fifty in ODIs - his 38th at home.

# Yuvraj Singh has posted his second duck at the World Cup - his 14th in ODIs.

# Tendulkar is the top run-scorer in ODIs at Mohali, aggregating 366 (ave. 61.00) in seven matches, including four fifties.

# Tendulkar is also the top run run-getter in India-Pakistan ODIs, amassing 2474 at an average of 39.90 in 68 matches, including five hundreds and 15 fifties, surpassing Inzamam-ul-Haq's tally of 2403 (ave.43.69) in 67 matches.

# Only Sanath Jayasuriya has made more runs than Tendulkar against Pakistan - 2517 runs at an average of 32.68, including three centuries and 18 fifties in 82 matches.

# Tendulkar is the first Indian player to amass 400 runs in the present World Cup - 464 at an average of 58.00 including two hundreds and two fifties in eight games.

# Tendulkar's run-aggregate is the second highest in the present tournament, next only to the 467 by Tillakaratne Dilshan at an average of 66.71, including two centuries and two fifties, in eight games.

# Tendulkar is the first batsman to amass 400 runs in a competition three times at the World Cup - the first two occasions being 673 (ave.61.18) in 2002-03 and 523 (ave.87.16) in 1995-96.

# Virender Sehwag (1036 at 35.72) has become the sixth Indian to complete 1,000 runs or more against Pakistan, joining Sachin Tendulkar (2474), Rahul Dravid (1899), Mohammad Azharuddin (1657), Sourav Ganguly (1652) and Yuvraj Singh (1251). Dhoni soon became the seventh Indian to do so -1001 at an average of 52.68 in 25 matches.

# Gambhir and Tendulkar were involved in a stand of 68 for the second wicket - India's best against Pakistan at the World Cup.

# Wahab Riaz (5/46) has recorded his career-best bowling performance in ODIs - his first five-wicket haul

# Wahab's performance is the best for Pakistan against India at the World Cup, surpassing the 3 for 59 by Mushtaq Ahmed at Sydney on March 4, 1992.

# Wahab Riaz (5/46) is the first Pakistani bowler to bag five wickets in an innings at Mohali.

# Ntini (5/21 against Pakistan on October 27,2006) and Riaz are the only two bowlers to bag five wickets at Mohali in ODIs.

# Riaz became the fourth Pakistani bowler to claim five wickets or more in an innings in India. He has joined Naved-ul-Hasan (6/27 against India at Jamshedpur on April 9, 2005), Aaqib Javed (5 for 35 against Sri Lanka at Gwalior on May 12, 1997 & 5 for 61 against India at Chennai on May 21, 1997) and Azhar Mahmood (5/38 against India at Bangalore on April 4, 1999).

# Suresh Raina (36 not out) has posted his highest World Cup score.

# Umar Gul (8.62) has recorded worst economy rate by a Pakistani bowler against India at the World Cup.

# Kamran Akmal is the third wicketkeeper to effect four stumpings in the tenth edition of the World Cup, joining Kumar Sangakkara and Mushfiqur Rahim.

Riaz five for restricts India to 260, Indian bowlers gripping control

25 overs Pakistan 106 for 3 (Younis 13*, Misbah 1*) need another 155 runs to beat India 260 for 9 (Tendulkar 85, Riaz 5-46)

Pakistan's openers began brightly in their chase of 261, but India's bowlers fought back to leave the semi-final delicately poised after 75 overs. The departure of Asad Shafiq, who was guiding the pursuit admirably, perhaps gave India the edge at the halfway mark, although Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and their lower-order colleagues still stood between the hosts and a date with Sri Lanka in Saturday's final.

The loss of Shafiq brought the Mohali crowd to life, when he tried to cut a Yuvraj Singh delivery that was much too full and straight, and the middle stump was knocked back. Shafiq had made 30 and had displayed a cool temperament until that point, but by the 25-over stage Pakistan's required run-rate had crept up to 6.20 as they needed a further 155 for victory.

Younis was on 13 and Misbah had made 1 as Pakistan reached 106 for 3, but the pressure was growing as India's bowlers dried up the runs with good, accurate spells. That contributed to the dismissal of Mohammad Hafeez, who on 43 tried a premeditated paddle-sweep to Munaf Patel, and a toe-edge behind was taken by MS Dhoni.

It was a serious brain-fade and a sign of the tension that was creeping in for both sides with such an immense prize at stake. Harbhajan was finding some sharp turn, although mixed in with his good deliveries were several bad ones, and India must have been wondering what R Ashwin could have achieved had he been chosen ahead of Ashish Nehra.

However, to Nehra's credit, he had been economical and together with Munaf Patel helped build the pressure on Pakistan's batsmen. The dismissal of Hafeez came after eight consecutive dot balls from Patel's end, and the batsman's choice of stroke to a ball that was outside off could not have been any more inappropriate.

It was a disappointing end for Hafeez, who had played well, flicking through midwicket and cutting hard with confidence. He and Kamran Akmal had put on 44 for the opening wicket, and India's 260 was looking a touch below par. However, India's fightback began when Kamran sliced Zaheer Khan to Yuvraj Singh at backward point for 19, and by the 25-over mark, it was anyone's guess as to which of these teams would be part of the decider.

50 overs India 260 for 5 (Tendulkar 85, Riaz 5-46) v Pakistan
It was difficult to imagine that this semi-final could live up to the extreme pre-match hype but at the halfway point, India and Pakistan had justified the build-up. Sachin Tendulkar played one of the luckiest innings of his career, dropped four times in his 85, while a wonderful bowling effort from Wahab Riaz helped restrict India to 260, which on a good batting pitch and fast outfield was a reasonable result for Pakistan.

But while the first 50 overs were captivating, Sri Lanka would have enjoyed what they saw from the two teams fighting for the chance to meet them in Saturday's final. Apart from Riaz and the Pakistan spinners, the standard of cricket from both sides was rather poor; Pakistan's fielding was atrocious, Umar Gul (0 for 69) had his worst day in a long while, and India's batsmen seemed to wilt under the pressure of a World Cup semi-final.

Suresh Raina (36 not out) added some late runs, and 43 in the batting Powerplay in the dying stages could yet prove invaluable. India must now rely on their bowlers, and judging by the turn found by Saeed Ajmal and his colleagues, India's decision to leave out R Ashwin to make room for Ashish Nehra could prove a mistake.

That said, it was the seam movement of Riaz that caused the biggest problems for India, and he finished with 5 for 46, finding wickets just when Pakistan needed them. His much-deserved five-for arrived with a tickle behind from Zaheer Khan in the 50th over, and Pakistan must be relieved that they didn't succumb to temptation and drop him for Shoaib Akhtar.

And by picking up two lbw decisions and bowling Yuvraj Singh first ball, Riaz took the Pakistan fielders out of the equation. Tendulkar was put down on 27, 45, 70 and 81, and it seemed as though he was going to bring up his 100th international century with one of his least convincing innings of recent times.

Misbah-ul-Haq at midwicket was the first to drop Tendulkar, before Younis Khan spilled a regulation chance at cover, both off the bowling of Shahid Afridi. The third chance came when Kamran Akmal didn't move his hands quickly enough to a thick edge, again off Afridi, and while that was a tough opportunity, a pull to Umar Akmal at mid-on from the offspin of Mohammad Hafeez should have been taken.

And before he had any of those lives, Tendulkar had survived two very tight calls on 23: an lbw decision that was given out by Ian Gould but on review proved to be spinning down leg, and the next delivery a near-stumping when he just got his back foot down in time after losing his balance reaching outside off. When Tendulkar was finally taken at cover by Afridi off the bowling of Ajmal, Pakistan's relief was evident.

Soon after, a scratchy MS Dhoni, who was also dropped by Kamran, made the mistake of challenging Simon Taufel on an lbw decision. Dhoni had 25 when he missed a Riaz delivery that pitched just in line and was hitting the stumps, and it was the second outstanding call by Taufel, who had given Virender Sehwag lbw in a similar fashion earlier, even though the left-armer's angle meant pitching outside leg was a possibility.

Riaz was the man who Afridi had to thank for keeping Pakistan in the contest after India made a strong start and reached 114 for 1 off their first 18 overs. After Gautam Gambhir was stumped wandering down the pitch against Hafeez, Riaz grabbed two wickets in two balls - Virat Kohli caught at backward point and Yuvraj Singh bowled by a low full toss for a golden duck.

Nobody looked as fluent as the crease as Sehwag, who took 21 off Gul from the third over of the innings. There were boundaries from a flick over midwicket, a clip through the same region, a cut from a slower ball, a nudge behind square leg and a cover-drive off a no-ball, and the most remarkable thing about the over was that Sehwag didn't also dispatch the free hit.

The initial signs were worrying for Pakistan as Sehwag also drove Abdul Razzaq back over his head for a boundary. But what looked like a 300-plus total in those early overs became a much more gettable chase, and set up a fascinating second half in the battle to face Sri Lanka.

Football: Ghana holds England for 1-1 in friendly

Asamoah Gyan scored a superb last-minute equaliser to earn Ghana richly-deserved 1-1 draw with a second-string England in a memorable, all-action friendly at Wembley on Tuesday.

Ghana's 20,000 fans, who had helped create a fantastic atmosphere, were sent absolutely delirious when Gyan's goal cancelled out Andy Carroll's late first-half strike for Fabio Capello's much-changed England side.

Carroll, who moved from Newcastle United to Liverpool for 35 million pounds ($55.94 million) in January but has hardly played because of injury, produced a killer finish with a low left-foot bullet after 43 minutes for his first England goal on his second appearance.

But Gyan, who plays his club football in England with Sunderland, produced a brilliant finish as the match moved into injury time, jinking his way into space in the box, selling Joleon Lescott a dummy, then finishing with a precise left-foot shot that gave goalkeeper Joe Hart no chance.

"It was a fantastic game," England coach Fabio Capello told ITV.

"I am happy because Ghana didn't play it like a friendly. "The two teams were really, really good, playing strongly with lots of tackles. I'm happy with the performance. The players played without fear and with confidence."

Carroll said: "It's great to be playing again and to have scored a goal. I enjoyed playing in the 4-3-3 formation. I'm here and ready to score goals if picked."

A crowd of more than 80,000 included the largest number of visiting fans for an international since Wembley re-opened four years ago and they gave vociferous backing to last year's World Cup quarter-finalists as England were made to work hard to stretch their unbeaten run against African opposition to 17 matches.

Ghana, who were playing an African Nations Cup match in Congo on Sunday before arriving in London on Monday, deserve huge credit for their positive approach.

SEVEN CHANGES

Capello made seven changes from the team that beat Wales 2-0 in a Euro 2012 qualifier on Saturday, and while there was some criticism of his selection before the match, his 4-3-3 formation acquitted itself well.

The breakthrough came after 43 minutes when Ashley Young and Stewart Downing combined before Downing allowed the ball to run on to Carroll who gave Richard Kingson no chance with a blistering finish.

Ghana had missed a great chance to take the lead in the seventh minute when Dominic Adiyiah, who scored on Sunday, fired straight at Hart.

The game fizzed along with attacks from both sides, before Young somehow contrived to hit the bar from two metres out.

Not even a flurry of second-half substitutions interrupted the flow but finally England, whose makeshift defence had done well, were unlocked.

Gyan, who will be forever remembered for missing the injury-time penalty that would have made Ghana the first African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals, now has a far more satisfying last-minute memory to look back upon.

Muthiah Muralitharan signs off home in style

Muttiah Muralitharan's swansong appearance on home soil could not have been better as he scalped a wicket of his last ball in the ICC CWC semi-final.

Muralitharan had Scott Styris LBW off the final ball of his 10th over to finish with two for 42 after earlier dismissing Jesse Ryder for 19 in front of a capacity 35,000 spectators who turned up to watch his last hurrah at home.

He has taken 534 wickets in 349 ODIs to add to his 800 Test wickets from 133 matches, both world records.

Interestingly, Muralitharan had achieved a similar feat in his last Test when he dismissed India's Pragyan Ojha in Galle in July last year with his last ball of the five-day format.

"The same thing happened with me in Test cricket," said Muralitharan.

"Playing your last match in your country is emotional. When I played my last Test and took eight wickets it was very emotional," he said.

The 38-year-old had already announced that he will retire from international cricket after the ICC Cricket World Cup, the final of which will take place in Mumbai on Saturday.

With the two wickets, Muralitharan ended with 68 World Cup wickets, three short of Australian pacer Glenn McGrath's record of 71.

The wily spinner, one of the most controversial cricketers of his generation, thanked his fans and countrymen for their support in his 19-year career.

"I'd like to thank them for supporting me for such a long time, in good times and bad times. Hopefully they have enjoyed my cricket and hopefully whatever final matches I will play, I'll make them happy," said an emotional Muralitharan.

Muralitharan made his debut in ODIs in August 1993 against India at the same R Premadasa Stadium where he is playing his last international match on home soil. He made his Test debut against Australia, also at the R Premadasa Stadium, in August 1992.

Muralitharan, who was declared fit just before the match on Tuesday after suffering injury earlier in the tournament, had said that he would be available for Indian Premier League IV starting from April 8 for Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

Muralitharan is one of the most successful bowlers in the history of the game but controversies were an integral part of his career. He had the world cricket debating about his unorthodox and weird bowling action.

Right from the beginning of his career, his action came under the scanner and three years after making his debut he was called for throwing during the 1995-96 Australia tour by umpire Darrel Hair.

The ICC recommended a biomechanical analysis at the University of Western Australia and concluded that his action created the 'optical illusion of throwing'.

He was charged with suspected action twice later - in 1998-99 and 2004 - but cleared on both occasions.

Tennis: Federer and Nadal qualified for Quarter final

Roger Federer advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open after beating qualifier Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-1 in a match that ended at 1:29 am on Wednesday.

Taking the court following a succession of marathon matches, Federer needed just 52 minutes to beat Belgian Rochus. A couple of thousand fans remained until the finish.

Federer couldn't remember ever starting a match so late. He found it odd even to be up at such an hour, given that he's the father of young twins.

"I'm getting up usually at 1:30," he said. "That's what tennis is all about. We don't know when we play, and we don't have a set schedule, and so we have to be able to adapt."

Federer's opponent on Thursday will be No 25-seeded Gilles Simon of France, who beat Serbian Janko Tipsarevic 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2.

Federer and Rochus took the court after Maria Sharapova earned a semifinal berth by winning a 3 and 1/2-hour match that ended at 12:19 am. She beat No. 26-seeded Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5).

Sharapova's opponent will be No 21 Andrea Petkovic of Germany, who earlier played for nearly three hours on the same stadium court to notch her second upset in two days, beating No 6 Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Petkovic eliminated No 1 Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round.

Two-time champion Kim Clijsters also went the distance, overcoming five match points to beat No 19-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-6 (5).

Seeded-seconded Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 23 consecutive matches by beating fellow Serb Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-2 in the fourth round.

Also advancing to the quarterfinals was top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who committed only five unforced errors to beat No. 21-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine 6-1, 6-2.

Djokovic won two Davis Cup matches in December and is 21-0 in 2011, the best record to begin a year since Ivan Lendl started 25-0 in 1986. Djokovic beat Troicki for the ninth time in a row, with six of the victories since August.

Mardy Fish, the last American in the tournament, limped into the quarter-finals after a gruelling 7-5, 7-6 (5) win over Juan Martin del Potro. Fish will next face No 6 David Ferrer of Spain.

American John Isner, seeded 30th, lost to Kevin Anderson of South Africa, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Kim Clijsters overcame five match points to beat No 19-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-6 (5). Clijsters, the tournament champion in 2005 and again last year, was serving at 1-5, love-40 when her comeback began.

Ivanovic took the loss badly.

"You should see my racket," the 2008 French Open champion said, managing a smile. "I kind of broke my racket, and then kind of cried a little bit, and then I was OK."

Sharapova won despite 17 double-faults and twice as many unforced errors as Dulgheru.

"It was long. It was tough," she said. "It was not my best performance, but, you know, I gutted it out till the end."

Sharapova turned her ankle late in the third set and required treatment from a trainer in the middle of a game. The crowd gasped when her misstep was replayed on the video scoreboard, but the injury didn't appear to affect her.

"It hurt when I did it," she said. "I iced it a lot, and did an ice bath and got it taped. I think I'll be OK. I'm tough."

Fish, 29, will overtake Andy Roddick and become the top-ranked American man for the first time if he defeats Ferrer.

"Being the No 1 American would be something that would be pretty cool to tell my kids about," said Fish, who is married but not yet a dad.

Formula 1: Fernando Alonso hopes for batter races for Ferrari

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso says his fourth-place finish in the Australian Grand Prix was "not the start we wanted" but is not a cause for concern.

He told the Ferrari website his start cost him as he went from fifth to ninth but he is confident of improving for the next races in Malaysia and China.

"If I'd not found myself ninth I'd have been able to fight to the end for the lower steps of the podium," he said.

"It's important to prepare well for the next two, which are back-to-back."
After an impressive pre-season display, the two-time world champion qualified in fifth spot, 1.4 seconds behind pole sitter and eventual race winner, world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Before the race Alonso said he was happy with starting from fifth, but not so pleased with the time gap between him and Vettel.

But afterwards, he stated that the car's improved performance had given him grounds for optimism in the next two races, and his 12-point haul - for finishing behind Red Bull driver Vettel, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Renault's Vitaly Petrov - was a satisfactory start to the campaign.

"In qualifying we were very far from Vettel's Red Bull and far from Hamilton's McLaren but in the race the situation improved - perhaps not compared to Sebastian but certainly against the others," said Alonso.

"Twelve points is not far below the world champion's average last year and two title contenders finished behind me. So, overall, the Australian Grand Prix can't be defined as disastrous."
Alonso will stay in Australia this week before flying over to Malaysia for the Sepang race, which takes place on 10 April. It is one he picked out as a particularly arduous test.

"They [Malaysia and China] are both very demanding from a physical point of view, especially Sepang where we drive in very high temperatures."

ICC Cricket World Cup Quiz 37

(All the questions to be answered excluding 2011 ICC World Cup)

1. Which world cup did India met Pakistan?

2. What is the score did India scored in 1996 Quarter final against Pakistan?

3. Who was the man of the match in 2003 world cup match against Pakistan?

4. How many times India batted second in World cup match against Pakistan?

5. How many times did India faces Pakistan in World cups?

Mail your answers to enewsforu@gmail.com with Sub: World Cup quiz to claim gifts

Bali bombing suspect Umar Patek arrested

One of Indonesia's top terror suspects, wanted in connection with the 2002 Bali bombing, has been captured in Pakistan, reports say.

Umar Patek, a suspected member of the militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), was detained earlier this year, local and foreign intelligence sources say.

Jakarta is sending a team of police officers to confirm his identity.

The 2002 attacks on nightclubs in the Indonesian tourist hub left 202 people dead, many of them foreigners.

The US, which lost seven nationals in the attack, was offering a $1m (£625,000) reward for his arrest.

Umar Patek is the only major suspect for the attack who has not been killed or arrested, says the BBC's Kate McGeown in Jakarta.

As well as the Bali bombings, he is alleged to have been involved in at least three other attacks in Indonesia - and to have links with militant groups in the southern Philippines and al-Qaeda members in other parts of Asia, our correspondent says.

There are no details about where or how the arrest was made, nor what he was doing in Pakistan.

Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group told the BBC that his arrest could yield important information.

"Umar Patek is critical to understanding the terrorist networks in South East Asia. And because he appears to have been arrested in Pakistan, he's also going to be critical to understanding the networks between South Asia and South East Asia," she said.

"He's in a position to know more than almost anyone else in the region exactly what the strengths, networks, contacts, finances and so on of each of these groups is."

Jemaah Islamiah (JI), which has links to al-Qaeda, has a long track record of bomb attacks in Indonesia.

A suicide bomb attack in July 2009 targeted two luxury hotels, killing seven people.

JI's goal is the establishment of an Islamic state in Indonesia and in other parts of South East Asia.

DMK MP arrested for assaulting Dalit

DMK MP J K Ritheesh, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Dalit and others during a clash at Kalavankudi near Sholandur in the district, was granted conditional bail today by the District and Sessions court. Judge Balasundaram asked the Ramanathapuram MP, who was arrested along with five others on Monday, to stay in Madurai and sign at the Tallakulam police station daily. He has also been instructed not to enter Ramanathapuram district.

Ten persons were injured and one seriously injured in the clash that broke out between Ritheesh's supporters and local people when Panchayat officials were making arrangements to lay a road at Kavalankudi. The villagers opposed it stating that the work, a long pending demand, had been taken up only because of the April 13 assembly elections.

Meanwhile, former AIADMK minister V T Natararajan joined the public and questioned the officials about the timing of the work and alleged it was initiated only because of the elections, leading to the clash, police said.

Ritheesh, who arrived the scene with his supporters, allegedly attacked Narayanan,a local resident and other AIADMK men with stones and sticks, police said. Police had registered cases against Ritheesh under various sections of the IPC including criminal intimidation, committing atrocities against SC/ST people and using obscene words in a public place.

A Hindu temple attacked in Australia

Australia's oldest Hindu temple in New South Wales was attacked by unidentified masked gunmen who fired several shots at it, triggering panic among the community members.

Sri Mandir at Auburn, which is more than three decades old, was attacked by two men, who were wearing balaclavas or ski masks, on the night of March 19.

The attackers were caught on CCTV firing shots at the temple. No one was killed or seriously injured in the incident, which created panic among the temple's priest and worshippers, local media reported.

A police spokeswoman was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald' newspaper that detectives were working closely with the community as part of investigation into the incident.

Rohit Revo, a Sydney resident and editor of a local newspaper 'The Indian', said the footage of the attack was handed over to police, but nothing has been done to solve the issue.

"Few bullets hit the wall at the temple entrance, just a feet away from the main door. One of the bullets grazed through the wall and ricocheted hitting the emergency door on the side of the temple," he was quoted as saying.

"A bullet was also fired on the roof of the temple which found its way through the false ceiling inside the temple. Looking at the bullet marks on the temple walls suggests that specialised big bullets were used in the operation," he said.

Normal bullets are of a very small width but these bullets have created bigger holes on the walls, Revo said.

"Neighbours are also sick of the escalating violence and have extended silent support to the temple by sending them e-mails etc but fear speaking in the public," he said, adding the recent incident was not the first one as the temple has been attacked several times since 2004.

Last November, some people armed with metal bars had smashed two windows of the temple, when six worshippers were inside.

The temple's priest Jatinkumar Bhatt claimed that he had also been harassed by youths in the past, but the latest shooting incident left him scared.

"I have a family as well, three kids and my wife," he said. "Throwing eggs and bottles is an ongoing process but this bullet really put us in a panic."

Gaddafi's forces take back the power of Ras Lanuf from rebels

Hammered by Gaddafi's tanks, heavy guns and rockets, rebel forces were in panicky retreat in east Libya on Wednesday, fleeing from the oil towns of Ras Lanuf and Brega prompting US and its allies to mull arming the ragtag fighters.

Having halted the rebels march 100 kms from their leader's hometown of Sirte, Gaddafi's armoured columns chased the rebels right into Ras Lanuf, 370 kms west of the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, Al Jazeera reported.

Faced by a heavy barrage of shells exploding all round them, the rebel fighters fled on board pickup trucks reversing in advance triggered by heavy strikes carried out by French and British fighters on March 19.

"We can't fight tanks with our machine guns," the Arab channel quoted opposition fighters as saying, as they beseeched for intervention by allied war planes.

"Tell Sarkozy and Cameron that we need help and without air strikes Gaddafi will massacre us," the rebel fighters said as Obama administration did not rule out the possibility of arming the rebels.

"I'm not ruling it out. But I'm also not ruling it in. We're assessing what Gaddafi is upto," US President Barack Obama said.

The US President said though the "noose" was tightening around Gaddafi, but they were still not signs that he was seeking to negotiating an exit from Libya.

"Our expectation is that as we continue to apply steady pressure, not only militarily but through other means, Gaddafi will step down," Obama said.

Correspondents on the frontline reported that the rout of rebels illustrating how much they rely on international power policy.

"Only a day earlier, they had been marching westward, cocky they would take Sirte Gaddafi's main bastion in Central Libya. They reached 100 kms of the city before they were hammered by Gaddafi's forces, who pushed them back to Bin Jawad," Al Arabia correspondent said from the frontline.

But now Gaddafi's artillery is shelling even the key town of Brega.

As heavy battles raged on the eastern front, allied bombers and Tomahawk missiles kept up their pounding of the capital Tripoli.

Loud explosions rocked the city close to Gaddafi's heavily guarded residence and the military targets in the suburbs of Tajura.

The first explosion was heard around 1630 GMT near Bab Al-Azizya district, which houses Gaddafi's residence and few more exploded minutes later, the BBC correspondent in the city reported.

Heavy fighting also continues to rage around the western town of Misruta, Libya's third largest city, which has been under siege by Gaddafi's forces for the past two weeks.

Local residents said more than 150 people have been killed in the city after Gaddafi's tanks stormed into the city centre.

The prospects of supplying heavy weaponry to the rebels has triggered a fierce debate in the US, New York Times said with some fearful that providing arms would deepen American involvement in a civil war and intelligence reports that some rebel fighters may have links to al Qaeda.

The debate has drawn in the White House, the State department and the Pentagon and has prompted calls for intelligence on whether some of the rebels waging a war with Gaddafi may have al Qaeda links.

The fears have arisen after a NATO commander Admiral James G. Stavridis told a Senate hearing that there were flickers in intelligence reports about the presence of al

Qaeda and Hezbollah members among the anti-Gaddafi forces.

Eastern Libya was the centre of Islamists protest in the late 1990s, US media reports said it was unclear how many groups still retain ties to Al Qaeda.

Cricket: Michael Clarke is the New Australian Cricket team Captain

Michael Clarke was appointed Australia's Test and one-day captain on Wednesday, a day after Ricky Ponting bowed to pressure and quit after the country's World Cup exit.

Long seen as heir-apparent, the stylish batsman, who turns 30 on Saturday, will jump into the role immediately, leaving this week for a tour of Bangladesh.

Ponting will also be on the plane, taking orders from his former deputy, after being named in the squad to play three one-dayers.

Shane Watson will be Clarke's vice-captain with Cameron White remaining the Twenty20 skipper.

"First of all can I say what an honour it is to be named captain and also a huge surprise to see Ricky stand down," Clarke said at a press conference.

"I was very much unaware of where he was at and didn't know he was going to stand down. It was a huge surprise to me.

"I know Ricky will allow me to do my job to the best of my ability," he added. "We want to be the best team in all forms and that is going to take time."

His Test reign will start in August when he skippers a tour of Sri Lanka.

Clarke, though, is not popular with Australian fans, and polls published Wednesday showed how cool the public are to him.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, only 26 percent of 21,000 respondents in an online poll favoured him to be the new captain.

In the Sydney Daily Telegraph, a survey of 8,500 readers placed him a distant third behind Shane Watson and Michael Hussey.

Ponting insisted Clarke was the right man for the job, and vowed to give him all the support he needed.

"He has done nothing wrong when has stood in for me over the past few years and his record in T20 cricket speaks for itself," he said in a column for The Australian newspaper.

"I will be there in the background for him if he needs me, but from today the Test and one-day teams will be his and I will be one of many players who follow him onto cricket grounds all over the world."

Asked how he will feel taking orders from a man who used to be his deputy, Ponting replied: "I've taken orders most of my life, I'm pretty used to it."

Clarke was also endorsed by cricket legend Richie Benaud.

"I'd have Clarke, he's vice-captain, he's done well the times he's been captain," Benaud told the Nine Network.

Clarke made his professional debut for New South Wales as an 18-year-old in the 1999-2000 Australian domestic season.

He made the jump to the national one-day team in January 2003 against England at Adelaide and was chosen to make his Test debut against India at Bangalore in October 2004.

He thumped 151, helping Australia to victory, invoking comparisons to past Australian greats Doug Walters and Mark Waugh.

Since then, he has gone on to play 69 Tests, scoring 4,742 runs, including 14 centuries, with an average of 46.49. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Clarke has captured 21 wickets.

In the one-day game, he has collected 188 caps and 5,928 runs at an average of 43.58, with 52 wickets to his name.

A part-time underwear model and a regular in the social pages, Clarke was formerly engaged to model Lara Bingle and controversially returned to Sydney during Australia's tour of New Zealand in March 2010 for "personal reasons".

It followed Bingle deciding to sue her former lover Brendan Fevola for disseminating naked pictures of her, which ended up in a women's magazine.

Pacemaker support for PUTTAPARTHI Sai Baba

While lakhs of devotees and VVIPs prayed for his speedy recovery, Sri Satya Sai Baba's health condition remained stable on Tuesday after the doctors fixed a pacemaker in view of poor breathing and irregular heartbeat.

Prasanthi Nilayam ashram sources said Baba fell sick on Monday afternoon and was shifted to the Sri Satyasai super-specialty hospital in Puttaparthi in a special ambulance in the evening. With Sai Baba complaining of slow heart beat and giddiness, medical experts performed a minor surgery and implanted a permanent pacemaker in the night.

Baba, who celebrated his 85th birthday in November last year, was not keeping well since the past six months. He was giving darshan to the devotees by sitting in his motor car and wheelchair. "He was not even giving discourses," sources said.

Hospital director Safaya said Baba's clinical parameters were satisfactory and that his condition was stable. Security has been beefed up at Prasanthi Nilayam to avoid rush of devotees into the hospital eager to catch a glimpse of the ailing Baba. Hospital sources said Baba could be discharged in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, a large number of devotees from abroad, political leaders and VVIPs were calling on Satyasai Central Trust authorities inquiring Baba's health condition.