Lankan forces poised for final assault on LTTE

A pre-dawn breakout bid through the high seas by beleaguered Tamil Tigers was foiled by Sri Lankan navy on Friday, who sank their three boats killing 23 sea Tigers as the army appeared poised for a final assault.
The Lankan warships which have blockaded the small coastline off Mullaittivu, still held by the Tigers noticed an attempt by three LTTE boats to take to sea and sank them after challenging them, a naval spokesman said.

This is the second time in less than four days that Sri Lankan navy has thwarted attempts by Tamil Tigers to put their boats to sea. The encounter comes as reports say that the entire LTTE leadership including its supremo V Prabhakaran are holed up in a small stretch of land.

On the land, the army tightened their siege of the last strip of land controlled by the Tigers and appeared poised to launch the final assault.

Military spokesman Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said, "the Tigers have no land escape route left. We have troops in place to move anytime."

In the battle-front, three Divisions of the Sri Lankan force estimated to number around 22-30,000 have surrounded the Tigers, whose fighting cadres are reported to be around 900-1,200.

Indications that the government forces could be ready to go for the kill also came when the government drop leaflets over the LTTE held areas carrying President Mahinda Rajapaksa's appeal to the Tamil civilians to flee across the front lines.

"Your suffering is prolonged by the LTTE who are holding you as a human shield for their own safety," Rajapaksa said adding that "I appeal to everyone of you who come over to the cleared areas."

The President promised to ensure safety to all civilians.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected the calls for a cease-fire. "We fearlessly stood up to a brand of terrorism that the entire world believed was invincible," he said in a May Day address.

The Tamil Tigers also today took their war into the cyberspace by hacking into the official website of the Sri Lankan army.

The hackers believe to be Tiger computer experts replaced the contents with photographs of civilians killed in military action in the north east.

In a further embarrassment for the rebels 58 child soldiers, including a senior female LTTE leader, gave themselves up to the authorities in Kilinochchi.

India concerned over harassment of Sikhs in Pak

Taking serious note of Sikhs being driven away from their homes by the Taliban [Images] in Pakistan's northwest region, India on Friday conveyed its concerns to Islamabad [Images] over the treatment meted out to the minorities in that country.
The Ministry of External Affairs summoned a diplomat of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi [Images] to register its unhappiness over the development. The Indian High Commission in Islamabad also conveyed similar views to the Pakistan Foreign Office there.
"On seeing reports about Sikh families in Pakistan being driven out of their homes and being subjected to Jaziya (protection tax imposed on non-Muslims under Shariah law) and other such impositions, the government of India has taken up with Pakistan the question of treatment of minorities with the government of Pakistan," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu [Images] Prakash said.
Reports from Aurakzai said Taliban had imposed Jaziya and destroyed the houses of 11 Sikh families who failed to pay the huge tax of Rs 50 million each till April 29, when the deadline expired.
Sources said that India has conveyed its concerns over the treatment meted out to Sikhs by Taliban in Pakistan's troubled Aurakzai tribal region, saying it was a 'serious matter'. The Pakistan government has the responsibility of ensuring safety and security of Sikhs, who are a minority community in that country, they said.

Avtar Singh Makkar, the president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee [Images], seeking permission to visit the Taliban-dominated Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, to assess the condition of the Sikh families residing in those areas. Makkar's request comes in the wake of reports about the residences of Sikh families being razed for the non-payment of jazia -- the tax imposed on minority communities.
"We have also written to the Pakistan government to seek permission to visit these areas," Makkar told rediff.com.
He added that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had also requested Dr Singh and Mukherjee to look into the issue of harassment of Sikh families by the Taliban in Pakistan.
"Badal sahib has requested the PM to give top priority to this matter and take it up with his Pakistan counterpart to ensure that Sikhs are not harassed by the Talibans or any other religious groups," the SGPC chief said.
The Taliban have reportedly levied a hefty tax of Rs 50 million on members of the minority community who are living in areas controlled by them.

Duminy scripts Mumbai win against Kolkata

East London: JP Duminy smashed an unbeaten 52 off 37 balls to help Mumbai Indians carve an 11-run victory against a fighting Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League match here today.
Duminy hit four towering sixes and a four to propel Mumbai to 148 for six after skipper Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and elected to bat while Kolkata, despite Brad Hodge's brilliant 73 off 60 balls, could manage only 139 for six in their reply at Buffalo Park.

Duminy also stitched a 35-run partnership with dubutant Ajinkya Rahane (10) to hand Kolkata their second defeat in five days in the tournament.

Kolkata gave a good fightback to come close to achieving the target but fell to the bowling of Zaheer Khan who returned 3 for 31 while Graham Napier and Abhishek Nayar plucked one wicket each.

In their previous match, Mumbai had defeated Kolkata by 92 runs.

Duminy took charge of the proceedings when his team was struggling after star openers Sanath Jayasuriya (6) and Sachin Tendulkar (34) were removed by Knight Riders inside eight overs.

Kolkata pace spearhead Ishant Sharma started by conceding nine runs in the opening over but Ashok Dinda gave Knight Riders a big breakthrough in the fourth over.

IPL 2009 - Match 23: KKR vs MI Images

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (R) of Mumbai Indians walks back after getting out during the IPL T20 match against Kolkata Knight Rider at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009. Mumbai Indians have currently 61 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs.

Australian cricketer Brad Hodge (C) of the Kolkata Knight Riders celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of unseen Indian batsman Abhishek Nayar of Mumbai Indians during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009. Mumbai Indians are currently 90 runs for the loss of four wickets after fifteen overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first.

South African cricketer Jean-Paul Duminy (R) of the Mumbai Indians plays a shot as Kolkata Knight Riders wicketkeeper Horne Van Wyk(L) looks on during their IPL T20 match at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

Indian cricketer Ashok Dinda (C) of Kolkata Knight Riders celebrates after taking the wicket of Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya (L) of Mumbai Indians during their IPL T20 match at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar (L) of Mumbai Indians runs between the wickets during the IPL T20 match againist Kolkata Knight Riders at the Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009

Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya of Mumbai Indians plays a shot during the IPL T20 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

India's Sourav Ganguly of Kolkata knight Riders looks back at his stumps after being bowled out during the IPL Twenty20 match against the Mumbai Indians at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

South African cricketer Horne Van Wyk (L) of the Kolkata knight Riders dives to successfully avoid being run-out by Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh (R) of the Mumbai Indians during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle of Kolkata Knight Riders walks back after his dismissal during the IPL T20 match against Mumbai Indians at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009.

Mumbai Indians cheerleaders perform during the IPL Twenty20 match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at The Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in East London on May 1, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are currently 59 runs for the loss of two wickets after ten overs as they chase 149 runs to win

IPL 2009 - Match 21: DD vs DC:Images

Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist of Deccan Chargers looks to the sky during the IPL Twenty20 match against Delhi Daredevils at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

South African cricketer Dirk Nannes of Delhi Daredevils (C) is congratulated by a teammate after his dismissal of unseen Deccan Chargers batsman Australian Adam Gilchrist during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma (front) of Deccan Chargers dives to make his ground during the IPL Twenty20 match against Delhi Daredevils at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009

New Zealand cricketer Daniel Vettori (R) of Deccan Chargers celebrates with teammates the dissmissial of Azharuddin Bilakhia of the Deccan Chargers during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. Deccan Chargers have scored 137runs for the loss of five wickets in 16 overs.

Barbados cricketer Dwayne Smith of the Deccan Chargers looks back to see if he is safe as Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik of Delhi Daredevils tries to stump him out during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. Deccan Chargers have scored 139 runs for the loss of five wickets in 16 overs

South African cricketer Dirk Nannes of Delhi Daredevils (R) is congratulated by teammate Sri Lankan Tillekaratne Dilshan (L) after his dismissal of unseen Deccan Chargers batsman Australian Adam Gilchrist during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

South African cricketer AB de Villiers of the Delhi Daredevils bats during the IPL Twenty20 match against Deccan Chargers at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag of the Delhi Daredevils slams a shot from RP Singh of Deccan Chargers during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009

Tillakaratne Dilshan of Delhi Daredevils plays a shot against Fidel Edwards of the Deccan Chargers during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009.

Indian cricketer RP Singh of Deccan Chargers and teammates celebrate the dismissal of Delhi Daredevils batsman Virender Sehwag (R) during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. Delhi Daredevils won over Deccan Chargers by six wickets.

IPL 2009 - Match 22: RR vs CSK Images

Indian cricketer Kamran Khan (R) of the Rajasthan Royals celebrates the catching out of Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel of the Chennai Super Kings during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 83 runs for the loss of two wickets in ten overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

New Zealand cricketer Jacob Oram (R) of the Chennai Super Kings plays a shot from Shane Warne of the Rajasthan Royals as wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat (L) waits to make a catch during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 148 runs for the loss of four wickets in eighteen overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

Chennai Super Kings Cheerleaders entertain the crowd during the IPL Twenty20 match between the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 110 runs for the loss of four wickets in sixteen overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

Indian cricketer Suresh Raina of the Chennai Super Kings plays a shot against Australian cricketer and Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 93 runs for the loss of four wickets in thirteen overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

Rajasthan Royals team members celebrate the dismissal of Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden of the Chennai Super Kings during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 81 runs for the loss of two wickets in ten overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel of the Chennai Super Kings plays a shot against the Rajasthan Royals during their IPL Twenty20 match at SuperSport Park in Centurion on April 30, 2009. The Chennai Super Kings are 81 runs for the loss of two wickets in ten overs after the Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first.

India ill equipped to tackle terror, says US report

Washington: The Mumbai terror attacks have put the spotlight on how India's outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems are hampering the country's counterterrorism efforts, says a US State Department report.
"Although clearly committed to combating violent extremism, the Indian government's counterterrorism efforts remained hampered by its outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems," said the State Department's annual report on global terrorism released Thursday.
The Mumbai attackers appeared to have been well-trained and took advantage of technology, such as Global Positioning System trackers.
But "local and state police proved to be poorly trained and equipped and lacked central control to coordinate an effective response", said the report, exposing the inadequacies in India's counter-terrorism apparatus.
The Mumbai "attack was the most recent in a long list of lethal terrorist incidents" in India in 2008. But "none of the perpetrators of these attacks has yet been prosecuted", the report noted. However, in response to the Mumbai attacks, India's parliament has introduced legislation to restructure counterterrorism laws and proposed creating a National Investigative Agency to build a national-level ability to investigate and prosecute alleged terrorist activity, it noted.
Also in response to the Mumbai attacks, the Indian government amended some existing laws to strengthen the hands of security and law enforcement agencies in fighting terrorism.
Two themes have framed the public debate on the new legislation: states' rights vs. federal power, and civil liberties vs. stronger law enforcement powers, the report noted.

India is not safe for 2011 World Cup: Miandad told ICC

Former captain Javed Miandad [Images] argued in International Cricket Council's [Images] recent meeting in Dubai [Images] that if Pakistan is unsafe to host 2011 World Cup matches, India is not a safe venue either.
Sources privy to the meeting that took place in Dubai last week said Miandad, now a director-general of the Pakistan Cricket Board, and governing council member Shakil Sheikh made a strong plea that if the ICC [Images] has security concerns about having the World Cup matches in Pakistan, the situation in India and Bangladesh is also not encouraging.
"They argued that the security situation in India had also not been very good in recent times and there was no guarantee it would not deteriorate in coming months while the situation in Bangladesh also remained uncertain," the source said.
The duo claimed that there are also doubts about India hosting the hockey World Cup or the Commonwealth Games [Images] in 2010.
ICC president David Morgan and CEO Haroon Lorgat told the PCB delegation, led by president Ijaz Butt, that apart from the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore [Images], financial reasons also played its part in the decision to move the 2011 World Cup matches from Pakistan.
"Morgan and Lorgat told the PCB delegation that the ICC had already suffered financial losses due to the late relocation of the Champions Trophy [Images] from Pakistan," one source said.
"They made it clear that because of the security situation the ICC was forced to move the Champions Trophy out of Pakistan after considerable delay which had already led to losses in earnings from the tournament," the source added.
The source disclosed that Morgan and Lorgat had told the PCB members that no executive board member is willing to play in Pakistan following the unprecedented attack on the Sri Lankan team.
"Morgan and Lorgat noted that such an incident had never happened in any country to any cricket team and it was a big setback for Pakistan cricket. They insisted the attack had changed the views of many ICC member boards who earlier were undecided about playing in Pakistan," the source said.

Jaguar Land Rover to hit Indian roads in June this year

Mumbai: Tata Motors-owned British luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to launch its premium brands in the Indian market next month, the company said in a statement Friday.
"We are delighted to be formally entering the Indian market, an economy which is still growing appreciably, and able to offer our premium products to a whole new group of customers," a JLR statement said.
"It is an important strategic move for Jaguar Land Rover and will enable us to realise our competitive potential in this significant market," JLR chief executive David Smith said in the statement.
In India the JLR's first showroom will open at Mumbai's Ceejay House in Worli in June. The import and sales will be managed by Tata Motors' newly-formed luxury car division.
Jaguar and Land Rover were acquired by India's Tata Motors from American carmaker Ford last March for 1.7 billion pounds (about $2.5 billion) The luxury cars will be imported by Tata Motors, which is also the manufacturer of the world's cheapest car - Nano, and will be sold through its sales and dealership network.
The initial lineup will include the Jaguar XF, Discovery and Range Rover models. The moves comes as a logical step for the automaker to tap into India's growing luxury car market.
"This is a natural move for both businesses and will allow Jaguar and Land Rover to establish a strong and deserved presence in India.
We are very pleased to provide the opportunity for Indian customers to access the premium products for the first time," Tata Motors managing director Ravi Kant said in a statement.
The India debut comes at a time when JLR, with production facilities at Halewood, Solihull and Castle Bromwich in Britain, has been hit by the recession in Europe and is seeking a 800 million pound rescue package from the British government.
The company, which has a workforce of over 15,000, has retrenched 450 workers this year and is looking at 198 voluntary retirements in its managerial team to cut costs.

Come Sept, Mobile number portability may only cost Rs 300

Consumers may not have to pay more than Rs 300 to change from one mobile service provider to another while keeping the phone number intact, a facility likely to start from September 20.
"It will be one time cost for subscribers seeking portability but the charge is not yet finalised by the department of telecommunication and the telecom Regulatory Authority of India, on which they are working.
So far, it seems the charges would not be more than Rs 300 but this could be even below Rs 200," sources close to the developments told PTI.
Deliberations by the government is being carried out to keep cost and charges at a level so as not to discourage subscribers willing to change their service provider, an optional facility, and at the same time make the service providers a viable business model, they said.
The charge is directly linked to the number of subscribers, who would seek the change in service provider out of the total mobile user base of about 400 million.
The DoT has offered licence to Syniverse Technologies for north and western region and MNP Interconnection Telecom Ltd for eastern and southern region to rollout number portability across the country.
There is no comparable market in the 50-60 countries which has adopted number portability as the pre-paid subscriber base in the country is almost 90 per cent of the total subscriber base and has low average revenue per user.
"Majority of the countries had initially levied charge to mobile subscribers seeking to switch their service provides but five years later majority of them were forced to waive it and the same is paid by the winning mobile operator," MNP Interconnection Telecom chairman (designate) and president,Interconnection Solutions, Telcordia, Richard Jacowleff said.
Telcordia is a US-based telecom solutions provider and is the 74 per cent stake holder in Indian JV MNP.The combined investment in the first phase by MNP Interconnection Telecom and Syniverse Technologies is estimated to be $20 million for installing and managing number portability clearing house and centralised datacenter.Both the companies hope to launch the service on the same day -- tentatively September 20 for the first phase of launch.
However, that would be possible if telecom operators are also geared with the requisite upgradation of system for the new system, the sources said.In the first phase, the facility would be launched in the telecom cricles of Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Andra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharastra.In second phase, the service would be launched in the rest of the 14 circles would be within a year.Syniverse India operation head Sanjay Kasturia said global average seeking porting in the first year would be 3-4 per cent."We will keep our infrastructure ready for 15-20 per cent of total mobile user base initially and scale it up in accordance to the demand," Jacowleff said.

Dilshan half-century helps Delhi to victory over Deccan

A half-century by Tillakeratne Dilshan steered the Delhi Daredevils to a six-wicket win over Deccan Chargers at Centurion as they joined them at the top of the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
The previously unbeaten Chargers scored a modest 148 for nine in their 20 overs and Sri Lankan Dilshan, who scored 52 not out off 46 balls, and wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who made 41 off 30 balls, laid a solid platform for the run-chase.
Their fourth-wicket stand of 79 came from 66 deliveries.
Dilshan hooked West Indian fast bowler Fidel Edwards for six as the Daredevils won with eight balls to spare.
Earlier, Australian Dirk Nannes had hurled down his left-arm fast deliveries to great effect, undermining the Chargers innings from the outset.
The 32-year-old dismissed in-form openers Adam Gilchrist (8) and Herschelle Gibbs (0) in his first two overs to deal the Chargers a severe blow.
The Hyderabad side stuttered to 55 for four at the halfway stage, before West Indian Dwayne Smith provided some momentum with a powerful innings of 48 off 28 balls.
But Indian left-armer Ashish Nehra claimed two wickets in the closing overs, and there were two run outs, as the Chargers innings fell away.
Nannes picked up two for 16 in his four overs and was named man-of-the-match.
CHAMPIONS LOSE
In the second match of the double-header, the Chennai Super Kings beat champions, the Rajasthan Royals, by 38 runs.
Left-hander Suresh Raina ripped into the Rajasthan bowling in a top-class innings of 98 off 56 balls that carried Chennai to an imposing 164 for five.
Off-spinner Yusuf Pathan struck a quick blow when he bowled Super Kings opener Matthew Hayden for a single with his first delivery and finished with impressive figures of two for 17 in three overs. Munaf Patel took two for 25 and leg-spinner Shane Warne one for 24, but the rest of the Rajasthan bowling was unimpressive.
South African all-rounder Albie Morkel took the new ball for Chennai and claimed two for 16 in his first three overs to immediately restrict the Royals.
Ravindra Jadeja (37) and Pathan (20) took the innings forward with their busy innings, but Lakshmipathy Balaji had the dangerous Pathan caught at long-off to reduce the Royals to 86 for four after 13 overs.
Seamer Balaji then wrapped up the tail to finish with four for 21, the Royals being bowled out in the final over for 126 as Kamran Khan did not come out to bat due to an ankle injury.
The victory moved Chennai into fifth position, three points behind Delhi and the Chargers, while the defending champions slipped to sixth place.

Raina powers Super Kings past Rajasthan Royals

A cracking 98 from Suresh Raina paved the way for Chennai Super Kings' 38-run victory over defending champions Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Centurion Park here Thursday.
The breezy 55-ball knock from Man of the Match Raina guided Super Kings to a challenging 164 for five in 20 overs in what appeared to be the repeat of 2008 IPL final. But this time, Super Kings avenged their loss as they restricted Rajasthan Royals to 126 runs in 19.3 overs with some good performances from bowlers Lakhsmipathy Balaji (4-21), Albie Morkel (2-21) and Jacob Oram (2-27).
The win was Super Kings' first in the IPL against Rajasthan Royals after having lost both their matches last year. The win was also Super Kings' first after three matches.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne's decision to field initially proved spot on. The maverick Warne introduced spin in the second over with Yusuf Pathan (2-17), who removed openers Matthew Hayden (1) and Parthiv Patel (3) in quick successions to leave Super Kings in trouble.
Raina and Badrinath (29) then got Super Kings back on track with their 67-run stand for the third wicket. Raina was in no mood to waste time and he set the tone of his innings by hitting Dimitry Mascarenhas for a six and four.
At the other end, Badrinath relieved the pressure off Raina and the duo picked Pathan for some special treatment. While Badrinath rotated the strike, Raina kept up his powerplay and hit 10 fours and five sixes during his stay.
Warne's 'wild thing' Kamran Khan was not in his element as Raina hit the youngster for one six and his captain Mahendra Dhoni (22 not out) hit two more in the same over.
Raina fell short of a deserving century while trying to hit Munaf Patel but scooped the ball to Graeme Smith.
Chasing 165, Rajasthan Royals faltered from the start and failed to get a good partnership. Ravindra Jadeja (37) played a lone hand but that was not good enough to take his team closer to a win.
Super Kings' bowlers were disciplined in their performance and Morkel got some good swing with the new ball. He picked up Graeme Smith (2) and Swapnil Asnodkar (10) while Balaji wrecked the middle-order.

A.R. Rahman, Nandan Nilekani on Time 100 list

Oscar winning Indian music director A.R. Rahman of 'Slumdog Millionaire' fame, his Sri Lankan co-performer M.I.A. of the hit 'O Saya' song and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani have made it to the Time 100 list of the World's Most Influential People.
The new list to be published in the May 11 annual Time 100 issue is the pick of the magazine's editors and may not be confused with the popular choice in TIME.com's online poll that 'just happened to be' won Monday by 'moot - the mysterious 21-year-old creator of the influential Web message board 4chan.or'.
'In our annual TIME 100 issue, we do the impossible: name the people who most affect our world,' said the editors as they relegated moot to the 35th position and instead chose ailing Democratic senator Edward Kennedy for the top spot.
British premier Gordon Brown makes it to the second spot, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in the eighth place, Pakistan army chief Ashfaq Kayani is sitting pretty at the 19th position, just a spot ahead of President Barack Obama.
A.R. Rahman, who gets the 59th position in the editors list, 'won two Oscars, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for giving Slumdog Millionaire its frenetic sound', notes Padma Lakshmi actress, author and the host of 'Bravo's Top Chef', in an accompanying piece.
'In India, a country of a billion inhabitants, where film and pop music are one, A.R. Rahman, 43, dominates the music industry so totally that he has supplied the sound track for a whole generation,' she writes.
'A veritable Pied Piper, he has shaped modern India's music for more than a decade. Now the 'Mozart of Madras' has the world's foot tapping along with him,' adds Lakshmi, noting the award winning 'Jai Ho' is now the campaign song for India's Congress Party.
Vikas Swarup, the author of the novel 'Q&A' that became the Oscar-winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire', describes Nandan Nilekani, placed 31, 'as a middle-class kid from a small town, (who) rose to become a co-founder and co-chairman of Infosys Technologies and a key player in India's growth story'.
'In a blog post about 'Slumdog Millionaire', Nandan Nilekani alluded to the film's valuable subtext - that it doesn't matter where you come from, only where you are headed,' he writes. 'That could serve equally as an epigraph for Nandan's own life.'
'As the new India, fuelled by its robust democracy and favorable demographics, seeks to make the transition from a developing nation to a developed one, it will need the vision and talent of people like Nandan Nilekani,' Swarup adds.
The great thing about M.I.A., as Maya Arulpragasam placed 43rd is known, 'is that she doesn't have some global plan', writes producer director Spike Jonze.
'She just has things she cares about and is interested in, from all over the world... She reacts to whatever is in front of her: 'Those are booming Indian drums', 'That is a dope producer', 'Those kids are making sick beats'.'
'And she has great taste. Anyone can hear all this stuff, but to be able to
curate it, you have to have taste, and Maya Arulpragasam, 33, has it,' he adds.

Now, Gilani sees "foreign hand" behind Karachi violence

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the involvement of a foreign hand in the recent spate of violence in Karachi could not be ruled out.
Addressing media persons here, Gilani said the government is committed to take stern action against anybody who challenges the writ of the country and is involved in violation of the law.
"All institutions in the country are strong and working within their constitutional frameworks," The News quoted Gilani, as saying.
At least 27 persons have been killed and over 30 were injured in continuous incidents of violence over the last two days in Karachi.
Several hotels, restaurants and vehicles were also torched in different parts of the city.
The violence and an unending process of firing had erupted in the city after two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were found shot dead.

Varun unhurt as dais collapses in Pilibhit

A dais that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi was standing on collapsed Friday in his Pilibhit constituency in Uttar Pradesh, but he did not suffer any injuries, police said.
'The four-feet high dais collapsed just before Varun was about to start his public address in the Bithaura area of Pilibhit,' additional superintendent of police D.K. Chaudhary told IANS on telephone. Pilibhit is about 250 km from Lucknow.
The stage prepared by party workers could not bear the load of around 15 people who had climbed on it, he said. According to police, no one was injured in the incident.
The Supreme Court Friday extended Varun Gandhi's parole till May 14, one day after balloting concludes in India's five-phase general elections.
He was charged under the National Security Act by the Uttar Pradesh government and arrested March 28 for reportedly making communally inflamed remarks. The Supreme Court had released him on two weeks' parole till May 1 after he gave an undertaking that he would not deliver hate speeches.

West Bengal lagging behind due to Left policies: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said West Bengal was 'lagging behind' in development due to the policies of the state's ruling Left Front.
Addressing a rally in Dumurjala in Howrah, on the outskirts of the city, the prime minister said: 'West Bengal lags behind because of the Left's policies.'
He also said the time for change had come. 'Paschim Bangal mein badlaav ka samay aa gaya hai. Industrialisation zaroori hai. (The time has come for a change in West Bengal. Industrialisation is necessary),' he said, but added that such development should not come up on fertile land.
The prime minister also said incidents like Singur and Nandigram 'should not be repeated'.
He was referring to Tata Motors being forced to shift its Nano plant from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat following sustained protests by anti-land acquisition groups in this state. The state government was also forced to shift the Nandigram SEZ project after massive protests over procuring fertile land for setting up a hub of chemical industries.
Manmohan Singh also charged the Communists with helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections by dividing the secular votes.
'Their stand on a lot of issues have not kept pace with time... I advise them to change their thoughts to remain on par with the needs of the time.'
The prime minister regretted that the Left voted along with the BJP against the trust motion in parliament last year.
'In a way they are helping the BJP in these elections by dividing the secular votes,' Manmohan Singh said.
He also said the Third Front, led by the Left parties, had no chance of coming to power. 'The Third Front parties do not have any programme. They don't have any long term vision for the country's development. Their single point programme is to thoughtlessly oppose every work done by the Congress.'
Manmohan Singh was on a day's visit to the state to campaign for alliance partner Trinamool Congress candidates.

SC lifts stay on Gujarat riot cases

The Supreme Court on Friday lifted a stay on the trial of 2002 Gujarat riots cases and directed the authorities concerned to set up fast track courts and conduct hearings on a day-to-day basis. The apex court ordered the setting up of designated courts for riot cases in Ahmedabad, Anand, Sabarkanta, Mehsana and Gulbarga districts.

Images: Kings XI Punjab Vs Mumbai Indians

In a low scoring match Kings XI Punjab overcame Mumbai Indians by three runs at Durban.Team Mohali who chose to bat after winning the toss were restricted to 119 but did well to take the fight back to the Mumbai Indians.Take a look.

Indian cricketer Karan Goel of Kings XI Punjab looks back towards his shattered wicket after being stumped by Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Pinal Shah of India during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Indian cricketer Karan Goel of Kings XI Punjab overbalances in front of his shattered wicket after being stumped by Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper Pinal Shah of India during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

England cricketer Ravi Bopara of Kings XI Punjab walks off the ground as Mumbai Indians fielders celebrate his dismissal during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya of Mumbai Indians celebrates after taking the wicket of Kings XI Punjab's batsman Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kings XI Punjab scored 119 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their alotted 20 overs.

Yuvraj Singh of Kings XI Punjab watches the ball during the IPL Twenty20 against Mumbai Indians at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kings XI Punjab scored 119 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their alotted 20 overs.

Indian cricketer Wilkin Mota of Kings XI Punjab is clean bowled by Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga of Mumbai Indians during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga of Mumbai Indians celebrates his wicket of Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla of Kings XI Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Irfan Pathan of Kings XI Punjab shouts in joy with teammates after dismissing the Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya of Mumbai Indians during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Sachin Tendulkar of Mumbai Indians leaves the ground after losing his wicket off bowler Vikramjeet Malik of Kings XI Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009.

Royal Challengers vs Knight Riders: Images

New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum (C) of Kolkata Knight Riders and South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher of Royal Challengers Bangalore (R) watch the ball after playing a stroke off the bowling off England bowler Kevin Pietersen (L) of Royal Challengers Bangalore during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkota Knight Riders are 59 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum of Kolkata Knight Riders walks off the field after his dismissal during the IPL Twenty20 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkota Knight Riders are 59 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle of Kolkata Knight Riders hits a ball to the boundary during the IPL Twenty20 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are 62 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

England cricketer Kevin Pietersen (L) of Royal Challengers Bangalore delivers a ball to an unseen West Indian batsman Chris Gayle of Kolkata Knight Riders during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are 59 runs for the loss of three wickets in ten overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly of Kolkata Knight Riders walks off the field after his dismissal during the IPL Twenty20 match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are 71 runs for the loss of four wickets in twelve overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Australian cricketer Brad Hodge of Kolkata Knight Riders (L) watches a ball delivered by Indian bowler Pankaj Singh of Royal Challengers Bangalore during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders are 96 runs for the loss of four wickets in 15 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.

South African cricketer Mark Boucher (C) of Royal Challengers Bangalore plays a shot against Knight Riders during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by five wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.

South African cricketer Mark Boucher (C) of Royal Challengers Bangalore hugs team captain Kevin Pietersen of Britian to celeberate victory after hitting a winning shot off West Indies spinner Chris Gayle of Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by five wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.

South African cricketer Roelof van der Merwe of Royal Challengers Bangalore plays a shot against Knight Riders during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by five wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders.

South African cricketer Mark Boucher (C) of Royal Challengers Bangalore hugs teammate Manish Pandey of India as they celebrate victory after hitting a winning shot off West Indies spinner Chris Gayle (R) of Kolkata Knight Riders during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 29, 2009. Royal Challengers Bangalore won by five wickets.

India Inc freezes hiring but no layoffs amid downturn: PwC

New Delhi: Grappling with the economic downturn, most Indian companies have frozen their hiring plans for the short term, even as majority of them still rule out layoffs as a way of controlling costs, a PwC survey released on Thursday said.
Over three-fourth (76%) of the respondents are reviewing their recruitment strategy to manage their costs in these unprecedented times, the survey by global consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed. The report stated that most companies have frozen or deferred hiring and are adopting a "wait-and-watch" policy.
However, most companies are shying away from employee layoffs as a way of controlling costs, with as much as 84% of the respondents voting against it. The survey, carried out across 12 sectors and over 100 respondent companies, found that the IT/ITes sector is severely conservative in its hiring plans, with 84 per cent firms stating they have put a freeze on recruitment.
Moreover, about one-third of Indian companies (35%) revealed they have frozen salary increments for the coming year and are reducing bonus or variable pays.
"Most companies in India are gearing up for tough times but are avoiding knee-jerk reactions, employers are uncertain about the extent, duration and depth of economic slowdown and the timing of a recovery," PwC India leader (People and Change Practice) Sankar Ramamurthy said.The Banking, Financial services and Insurance sector (BFSI) is among the worst hit, with more than half of the respondents focusing on recruitment freezes in the wake of the economic downturn.
Interestingly, a smaller number of companies, about 21% in the financial services sector, have also admitted to considering layoffs, even as 43% mentioned selective hiring plans.
Other sectors which have put a freeze on their recruitment plans include FMCG (70%), Manufacturing (63%), BFSI (57%). Meanwhile, retail is another sector which has been badly hit by the slowdown with the major growth plans witnessing a setback and respondents from the sector were not averse to resorting to layoffs if other actions proved insufficient.
Further, smaller firms with employee strength of less than 100 are focusing on selective hiring for critical positions only.
As per the PwC report, the top three focus areas which are being addressed by most companies during the downturn are recruitment, employee policies and compensation.
The PwC survey also revealed that about 70 per cent of the companies were making changes to their compensation policy and the same percentage have revised their employee policies and practices.
A significant majority of companies plan to re-deloy their workforce to businesses that are relatively better off.

Sri Lanka vows to capture Prabhakaran, dead or live

Colombo: Sri Lanka has vowed to capture cornered Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran 'dead or alive' even as it turned downappeals for a ceasefire from Britain and France. The military establishment, which is determined to crush the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), has also rejected calls that aid workers be given access to the war zone in the northeastern coast of Mullaitivu.
Thursday's Island newspaper quoted Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as making these remarks during interactions with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner Wednesday.
Thousands of Tamils in the West, particularly in Canada and Britain, have been noisily protesting for days demanding that the international community put pressure on Sri Lanka to end its military campaign targeted at the LTTE because of widespread civilian casualties. Although Colombo said this week that it will stop using heavy calibre weapons and aerial attacks to avoid civilian suffering, Rajapaksa has told Miliband that the government was determined to finish off the LTTE.
The comments came as the military continued to push ahead towards the final remaining base of the LTTE, which faces decimation after more than a quarter century of leading an armed campaign to form a Tamil state.
Rajapaksa, a younger brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, said the humanitarian concerns voiced by many were a ploy to extricate LTTE founder leader Velupillai Prabhakaran from an isolated sandy strip on the coast of Sri Lanka's northeast. A truce, Rajapaksa told the visitors Wednesday, would only help the Tamil Tigers to regroup. 'The only person who can stop this war is the president of Sri Lanka.
The military had orders to either capture or destroy Prabhakaran and other top LTTE leaders,' The Island quoted Rajapaksa as telling Miliband. The defence secretary added that over 200,000 people had been rescued by the army from the LTTE since March.
'On April 20 alone we secured the release of over 45,000 men, women and children,' he said, vowing to rescue the remaining civilians too within a short time. Rejecting reports that civilians were harmed due to firing by the army, he urged Miliband not to be duped by the LTTE 'disinformation campaign'.
'All the stories disseminated from the no fire zone were doctored by the LTTE for the consumption of the international community and the Western media. Do you think a terrorist group like the LTTE will allow anyone to express independent views detrimental to its cause?' he asked.
Separately meeting the French minister, Rajapaksa said the UN would not be given access to the LTTE zone despite civilian presence. 'The defence secretary said no one was safe in that area and the government could not guarantee anyone's safety,' the newspaper reported. The LTTE and many human rights organisations say that the military offensive have killed and injured a large number of Tamil civilians. The authorities here deny this.
Colombo -- and many rights activists -- has in turn accused the LTTE of forcibly keeping back the civilians in its truncated territory with a view to prevent a final military assault. LTTE's critics say it is using the civilians as a human shield. Meanwhile, Japan has decided to send its special envoy to Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, to the island nation.
His three-day visit will end May 2. 'Akashi will meet government officials to call for ensuring the safety and security, including smooth provision of relief assistance, to internally displaced persons in the northern part of Sri Lanka,' a statement from the Japanese embassy said Thursday.

IAF's Sukhoi-30 MKI crashes, pilot dead

A sophisticated Indian Air Force Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft today crashed near here, killing one of the two pilots.
This is the first time that a Sukhoi-30 MKI, a frontline fighter plane, has crashed.
The incident occurred at around 10.20 am near Rajmathai village, about 70 kms from here, when the plane, the squadron of which is based in Pune, was on a routine exercise, DefencePRO Lt. Col N N Joshi said.
According to district officials, one of the two pilots, who were both holding the rank of wing commander, was killed.
The other pilot managed to eject safely from the aircraft, they said.
A court of inquiry has been ordered into the incident, IAF sources said.

WHO raises swine flu alert to phase 5 - pandemic imminent

Geneva, April 30 (DPA) World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Margaret Chan has raised the pandemic alert for swine flu by one level to phase 5 in Geneva.
The declaration Wednesday night of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent. It is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region.
'Based on an assessment of all available information and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5,,' Chan announced at WHO headquarters.
WHO did not rule out that it may yet up the level once more, to the highest-possible phase 6, which would mean that a global pandemic was underway.
Chan said all countries should activate pandemic flu plans, which had been prepared following the avian flu outbreak earlier this decade, and called on governments and health authorities to be on high alert for influenza-like illnesses and pneumonia.
WHO said the decision to make the transition to phase 5 was based on the geographical spread of the disease as well as the fact that evidence supported sustained human-to-human transmission at the community level.
'We are seeing this in Mexico, and as information emerges from the US authorities we are also seeing that there,' Chan said.
'A pandemic by definition means we have established transmission in multiple countries, multiple regions of the world,' explained Keiji Fukuda, WHO chief of health security.
'We are seeing it now in two countries in one region,' he added, referring to the United States and Mexico.
'If this continues we expect it to be in other countries and regions,' Fukuda noted, saying the WHO was 'in the process of moving towards' phase 6, but added that 'we are not there yet.'
While phase 6 would mean that the new outbreak had taken on global dimensions, it would not indicate how severe the disease had become.
'A pandemic virus is precarious, unpredictable and will take us by surprise,' Chan said.
Numerous times during her press conference, Chan stressed that the nature of the virus was still not yet fully understood, including how severe the disease could get. She said the virus was showing signs that it could range from very mild to quite severe.
'Let me say it is important to take this very seriously, to maintain vigilance and to track the virus as it evolves,' Chan said, but cautioned that 'we need to maintain a level of calmness so we will continue to manage this in a rational manner.'
There was no need for border closures, restrictions on movement of people, good or services, and to stop eating properly cooked pork products.
However, there was still need for awareness, also at an individual level, and WHO officials reminded people to maintain proper hygiene and limit some physical contact, such as greeting friends with hugs and kisses.
Monday, the UN agency had raised the pandemic alert level from phase 3 to phase 4.

Indian Army to celebrate 71st Armour Day

The Indian Army would celebrate 71st Armour Day tomorrow to honour the arrival of armoured vehicles in place of horses in the Indian cavalry regiments.
Armour Day is celebrated each year on May 1. On this day in 1938, the Scindia Horse became the first regiment to convert to tanks.
The first equipments they adapted were Vickers light tanks and Chevrolet armoured cars.
With the passage of time, the Indian Army became better equipped. In 1943, the Indian Armour updated itself to the Sherman tanks (M4) of American origin.
This transformation in the army was updated post independence with the coming in of the Centurions Mark 7 and AMX-13 light tanks.
Since then, the Armoured Corps has operated the indigenous Vijayanta tank, the Russian T-54 and T-55 tanks and the T-72 main battle tank, which has been the workhorse of the corps for the past three decades.
With the combination of forces and armoured vehicles , the Indian Army was able to register a first-rate performance in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. Equiped mainly with Shermans and Centurions , the Army was successful in destroying the sophisticated Pakistani Patton tanks to form the famous graveyard, "Patton Nagar" near Khemkaran in Punjab. Lt.Col.(later General) A.S Vaidya Col Caleb were awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for their gallant performance in the Khem Karan sector.
Lt Col AB Tarapore was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra for his valiant action against the Pakistanis in the Shakargarh bulge in the 1965 operations.
In 1971, the Corps had was in the forefront of operations. Tanks broke through Pakistani lines both in the Western and Eastern fronts fighting the Pakistan forces.
2nd Lt. Arun Khetarpal fought gallantly and sacrificed himself in the battle of Basantar River earning his regiment, the Poona Horse, yet another Param Vir Chakra.
The mechanized forces have time and again shown their supremacy in achieving the desired strategic plans.
The Armoured Corps is continuously modernizing itself. The authorities are renewing the existing task forces to bring them at par with the best.

Advani went to Pakistan, praised Jinnah: Rahul Gandhi

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Thursday told crowds here that it was senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani who had spoken in favour of Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah and not Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
'Who says Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is weak? It is the BJP that showed signs of weakness. During the Mumbai attacks, we gave a befitting reply to the terror attack,' Rahul Gandhi said, addressing a massive rally here on a scorching afternoon.
'It was L.K. Advani who went to Pakistan and spoke in favour of Jinnah. Our prime minster never went to Pakistan,' he said amid thunderous applause at the Ghantaghar Ramlila Grounds in Ghaziabad, which goes to polls May 7.
He said: 'A real leader is one who can make right decisions at the right time. The BJP bowed to militant pressure and released one of the most dreaded terrorists, Maulana Masood Azhar, who was also behind the Oct 26 Mumbai attack. Jaswant Singh himself escorted the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist in the Kandahar hijack case,' he said.
Ghaziabad, on the outkskirts of the capital city, is an important constituency as BJP president Rajnath Singh is contesting from here. Surendra Prakash Goel, the sitting MP, is the Congress candidate.
Impatient crowds waved at Rahul Gandhi constantly and gave him a rousing welcome as his chopper landed amidst high security.
'How can India shine when the poor man of this country is without food, shelter and employment? India Shining (the BJP catchphrase during the 2004 election) should reach every home of this country,' he said.
Rahul Gandhi said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, during the last five years, worked for the upliftment of the common man of India.
'Real progress and real development is one in which every citizen, whether poor or rich, is developed and progressing. The UPA realised this and worked in the direction of making India a truly successful nation. The actual credit of the country's development goes to farmers,' Rahul Gandhi said.
He also recounted schemes like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, saying these were aimed at making the 'life of an average Indian better'.
Speaking from the dais on a scorching afternoon, Rahul Gandhi also hit back at the BJP for opposing the India-US nuclear deal.
'Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was very determined about the nuclear deal. He told me that he would sign the nuclear deal whether the government goes or remains,' Rahul said, during his 25 minute speech.
The country is still struggling with power, water and infrastructure, which are key to development. He referred to Delhi's Congress administration, saying it was the 'government of development, education and far-sightedness'.

I won't return to SA until Knight Riders start winning: Shah Rukh

Mumbai: Bollywood star and owner of the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders Shahrukh Khan returned here this morning from South Africa to cast his vote during the third phase of general elections on Thursday, but told reporters that he is disappointed with the performance of his team.
He was quoted as saying that he would not be returning to South Africa any time soon till he was assured about his team’s chances of winning the second edition of the IPL.

Asked for his comments on KKR skipper Brendon McCullum reported threat to resign if the team did not make it to the semi-finals, Khan said: “He is fantastic; he just needs to get his batting form in order.”

On former skipper Sourav Ganguly’s rich vein of form, Khna said: “As always fantastic. Dada is playing well. But, we have to win as a team.”

“It’s hard for me to see the boys so demoralized,” Khan said.

Kings XI Punjab pip Mumbai Indians in low-scoring match

Durban: A lion-hearted effort by the Kings XI Punjab bowlers glossed over the frailties of their batting colleagues as the Mohali-based outfit edged out Mumbai Indians by three runs in a low-scoring thriller in the Indian Premier League here today.
Chasing 120 for a win, Mumbai Indians managed 116 for seven, thanks to JP Duminy's 63-ball 59 which proved not enough in the end.

Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara's unbeaten 45 saved Kings XI Punjab the blushes as the side fumbled and faltered its way to 119 for eight wickets.
In reply, Mumbai Indians realised, much to their horror, that their boat was rocking dangerously early in the chase.

For them, the first 19 balls yielded only 12 runs while costing them the wickets of Sanath Jayasuriya (0), Sachin Tendulkar (1) and Shikhar Dhawan (3).
Irfan Pathan had Jayasuriya caught in the lone slip with his first legitimate delivery and in the next over, Vikramjeet Malik sent groans across the stadium when Mahela Jayawardene caught Tendulkar at point.
Not to be left behind, in-form Yusuf Abdulla trapped Dhawan plumb in front with a toe-crusher and at 12 for three, things looked far from rosy for Mumbai.

Dwayne Bravo (15) scratched around for a while before Ramesh Powar got rid of him.

Earlier, barring Sangakkara, none of the Kings XI Punjab batsmen could make their presence felt. Sangakkara waged a grim battle with a 44-ball 45 on a day when only three of his teammates returned double digit scores.

Yuvraj Singh's decision to bat first backfired and by the first strategy break, the Punjab side crawled to 50 in 10 overs with three top order batsmen, including the skipper himself, cooling their heels in the hut.

Openers Karan Goel (12) and Ravi Bopara (6) just could not get going and the first three overs yielded only 10 runs.
The subdued start would have pleased any rival captain but not Sachin Tendulkar who tossed the ball to Harbhajan Singh in the fourth over and the offie struck with his third delivery.

Goel, having slog-swept the spinner for a six in the previous delivery, stepped out to court peril and return stumped after completely misreading the line.
Dwayne Bravo followed in Harbhajan's footsteps and struck in his first over, removing Bopara.
A lot was expected of Yuvraj (10) but the left-hander let down once again, leaving his team in dire straits.
Tendulkar pressed Sanath Jayasuriya into service and the wily Sri Lankan responded by removing Mahela Jayawardene (7).
To make it worse Irfan Pathan's (7) was a brief stay, cut short by Zaheer Khan, and Lasith Malinga then castled Wilkin Mota and Piyush Chawla off successive balls to dash hopes of Punjab's rearguard defiance.

Shah Rukh looks to exit Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata: After dropping “Kolkata” from Indian Premier League team (IPL) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), actor Shah Rukh Khan has started discussions with Nokia, Sahara, the Anil Ambani group, and several other companies to sell the team he bought just over a year ago for Rs 300 crore, and exit the business.
According to sources in Red Chillies Entertainment, KKR’s holding company, “Shah Rukh Khan has been trying to sell a stake in KKR for some time now. But since most companies he approached also wanted management control, Khan is now talking to Nokia, Sahara, Anil Ambani and others to sell his entire shareholding.”

Khan’s public relations officer, however, said she would not be able to confirm the development because she had not met the actor.

None of those who have reportedly been approached confirmed the development. Sahara India’s communications director Abhijit Sarkar said: “We have not been approached by Shah Rukh Khan yet. But if he does, we would be happy to buy the team.”

D Shivakumar, vice-president and managing director (markets), Nokia India, sent a text message saying: “Shah Rukh Khan will keep the team.”

A Reliance Communications spokesperson declined to comment. “A lot of people negotiate with Anil Ambani. I cannot comment unless there is something concrete on table.”

According to the Red Chillies official, Khan wants to exit, owing to the team’s poor performance — so far the team has won only one rain-curtailed game under the Duckworth Lewis method — and rising costs.

“If the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) does not increase the number of teams for next year, Khan could get double what he paid,” said the Red Chillies official.

Khan is supposed to pay Rs 30 crore per year for the next 10 years. The total annual cost for the team is about Rs 75 crore.

Khan had earlier said that KKR was easily the most successful IPL franchise, making a Rs 13 crore profit last year. However, his costs trebled last year owing to interventions from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Cricket Association of Bengal.

According to initial calculations, Red Chillies had to pay Rs 90 lakh per match and was supposed to earn Rs 3 crore if all stadium tickets were sold at Eden Gardens. Red Chillies had to pay Rs 20 lakh to the police and municipal tax of Rs 5 lakh. So its expenses per match would have been over Rs 1 crore. But this figure had trebled.

Last year, however, Kolkata Police demanded Rs 2 crore as security fees, against Rs 50 lakh that the organisers of the IPL offered. Then, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) demanded Rs 25 lakh from Red Chillies as amusement tax for holding IPL matches at Eden Gardens.

To settle the dispute between Kolkata Police and the IPL organisers over the cost of security arrangements at Eden Gardens, Red Chillies Entertainment had to agree to pay Rs 75 lakh as security fees.

About 5,500 uniformed personnel and about 1,500 sleuths were deployed to secure the stadium and its surrounding areas, since many celebrities were expected to watch the IPL matches at Eden Gardens.

Rakhi Sawant gets 12,515 marriage proposals in 20 days

From businessmen, doctors to models and NRIs - over 12,500 men from across the world have sent applications to marry controversy queen Rakhi Sawant after she announced a 'swayamvara' as part of a reality show on NDTV Imagine.
Within 20 days of the announcement of the unique reality show 'Rakhi Ka Swayamwar', expected to go on air next month, a huge number of men have sent their profiles to woo Rakhi.
The item girl-turned-actress, who has mostly hit headlines for her outspoken ways, is overwhelmed with the response.
'I want to thank everybody for their continued support. This huge response has proved to everybody that my 'swayamvara' and 'shaadi' (wedding) is not a joke. My only wish is to find a person who will always be my support system and will respect me for what I am,' Rakhi said in a press release.
Rakhi had shocked one and all when when she had announced that she would choose a groom for herself through a reality TV show.
After a series of selection procedures, Rakhi will choose from among 15 grooms on the show and will take the help of viewers to decide on her ideal man.
According to the channel, the capital has topped the list of Rakhi's prospective grooms with 2,465 entries. Mumbai follows a close second with 1,980 entries. Most entries are in the broad age group of 18 to 35.
Those who are keen and are yet to register for becoming the love of Rakhi's life still have a chance as the last date for registration is May 5.

Unhappy with non-performing bowlers, Dhoni hints changes

Clearly unhappy with the lacklustre show of his non-performing bowlers, Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said time is ripe to bring in some changes in the squad.
Today's six-wicket defeat against Deccan Chargers left the last year's finalists in an unenviable position with just one win from their five outings and Dhoni pointed his accusing finger at the bowlers for the team's string of poor shows in the second edition of the Indian Premier League.

"I think the bowlers are letting us down," a dejected Dhoni said after the match.

"We really need to come up with some ideas, maybe a few other combinations and test our bench strength," Dhoni said.

With Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs going great gun, Chennai bowlers had a forgettable outing today.

Lakshmipathy Balaji conceded 41 runs in 3.3 overs for his one wicket while Manpreet Gony gave away 20 runs in his only over, prompting Dhoni not to press him into service again.

Among others, Joginder Sharma bled 14 runs in his only over, while Albie Morkel conceded 29 in his three wicket-less over.

Dhoni didn't spare the batsmen either and felt Chennai batters struggled in the middle overs.

"We are getting good start but have been struggling in the middle overs. Middle order is not clicking, we need to work on that as well," said Dhoni.

Incidentally, Dhoni himself has not been in great form in the tournament so far. His counterpart Adam Gilchrist, meanwhile, had no such worry and credited his bowlers for restricting Chennai to 165.

"Chennai got off to a good start and I think we did well to pull them back. They looked like getting 180-190 but our bowlers just hung in.

"RP Singh did cop some runs but he bowled an important last over and I think we did well," he said.

Gilchrist, however, admitted that he erred in not allowing Pragyan Ojha complete his full quota of four overs.

"I think I made a mistake there. Ojha bowled two overs and took two important wickets (of Matthew Hayden and Dhoni) for just 11 runs. Maybe my mind got it wrong. He (Ojha) has done a great job in the tournament so far," he said.

Gibbs, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his unbeaten half-century, thanked his captain and said Gilchrist's presence at the other end took pressure off his shoulder.

"In Twenty20, we are not expected to get our eyes in. But with Gilly going after it right from the first ball, there was no pressure and I could relax," Gibbs said.

"We tried to made the maximum use of the first six overs. With Gilly going so well, I didn't have much to do," he said.