Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar Retires from ODI's

NEW DELHI: One of the game's all-time greats, Sachin Tendulkar, on Sunday announced his retirement from one-day cricket, bringing to an end a glorious 23-year-old career in the format during which he rewrote numerous batting records.

Profile: Sachin Tendulkar | In Pics: Sachin's one-day journey

"I have decided to retire from the one-day format of the game. I feel blessed to have fulfilled the dream of being part of a World Cup wining Indian team. The preparatory process to defend the World Cup in 2015 should begin early and in right earnest," the 39-year-old said in a statement released by the BCCI today.

"I would like to wish the team all the very best for the future. I am eternally grateful to all my well wishers for their unconditional support and love over the years," he added.

Tendulkar, considered the most complete batsman in modern cricket and one who was considered next only to the legendary Sir Donald Bradman, retires from the ODI format at the top of the run-getters' list.

Tendulkar goes out after amassing 18,426 runs in 463 one-dayers at an average of 44.83. The diminutive right-hander has an astonishing 49 hundreds in the format, including a double hundred -- the first in this form of the game.

Tendulkar made his ODI debut against Pakistan way back in 1989 and interestingly he is quitting the scene just ahead of another series against the arch-rivals.

The Mumbaikar, who made himself unavailable for Twenty20 after playing just one game in 2006, will now remain active in only the Test arena.

The brightest moment of his ODI career came last year when he finally became part of a World Cup winning Indian team after five previous appearances.

Speculation over Tendulkar's future had grown after his continuing failures in the past one year.

His last ODI hundred came in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in March this year -- a feat that completed an unprecedented 100 international tons.

He was stuck on 99 tons for quite a while after scoring two hundreds during India's successful World Cup campaign. Tendulkar also has an mammoth tally of 96 ODI 50s to his credit.

Despite the recent slump in his form, Tendulkar's overall tally of runs is unlikely to be matched anytime soon given that the distant second-best in the list, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, has already retired from the game with 13,704 runs under his belt.

Sri Lanka's retired great Sanath Jayasuriya occupies the third spot in the overall chart with 13,430 runs.

Besides his batting, Tendulkar was an effective partnership-breaking bowler and finishes his ODI career with 154 wickets, including two five-wicket hauls.

Gang-rape in India: An adventure you can get away with?

New Delhi, India - Gang rapes and other sex crimes against women in India are being committed with such brazenness that they seem to originate with the thought that it is easy to get away after the crime.

Brutal rapes are taking place with such frequency and in such a variety of ways that rapes have become the sole focus of our attention in the context of crimes against women. In the process, India has become blind to the vast, organised racket of human trafficking of minors and young women for the sex trade.

When Union Home Minister Sushil kumar Shinde says that “as a father of three daughters,” he is interested in getting a deterrent punishment for rapists, or that, “…It could happen to my daughters also,” he is essentially reflecting the deep insecurity over the safety and security of young women in the country. While speaking to reporters outside Parliament in Delhi on December 20, Shinde said that the horrific gang-rape and assault of a Delhi student in a moving bus on Sunday night could not be allowed to be forgotten as another statistic. “How can we forget it…It could happen to my daughters also,” he remarked. Continue Reading...

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US election results 2012: Barack Obama Clinches Second Time for USA President

Washington: Barack Obama clinched a second term as US President, defeating his Republican challenger Mitt Romney in a tough fight that went down to the wire.

As per the latest results, Obama secured 303 votes as against 206 by Romney. Obama’s lead in the popular vote count was 50.3 per cent while that of Romney was 48.1 per cent, as per a BBC report.

Barack Obama a ‘wolf in sheep's clothing’, says Julian Assange. Obama to visit Yangon this month, says a Myanmar official. Michelle Obama picked Kors for election night President Pranab Mukherjee congratulates Obama, says looking forward to cooperation Pursue 'positive' policy to build new ties, China has told Obama. Dalai Lama congratulates Obama on re-election. Indian business leaders say Obama is good for global economy Voting machine in Pennsylvania swaps Obama with Romney Romney defeated in two key states - Michigan and Massachusetts - with close personal ties Obama's Kenyan family celebrates victory due to ‘love’ Blue light drapes US’ Empire State Building to mark Barack Obama's re-election US Congress to have maximum women senators in history. Gold gains for a third day, its longest winning streak in two months, on expectations the US will keep stimulus measures to boost the economy following Obama's re-election. Exceedingly polarised US electorate voted in 2012 prez elections, says an exit poll. Indo-US ties to be stronger with Obama re-election, says P Chidambaram. Democrat woman Tammy Baldwin becomes first openly gay US senator. Tulsi Gabbard becomes first Hindu-American to get elected to US Congress. Bill Clinton was the first person US President Barack Obama called after receiving concession call from Mitt Romney, NBC News reports. Vote counting in Florida halted for the night. Republican Dean Heller wins Senate seat in Nevada, AP projects. India's Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and President Pranab Mukherjee congratulate Barack Obama on victory. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu congratulates US President Barack Obama on his re-election, says, "Strategic alliance between Israel and United States is stronger than ever". Warmly congratulating Barack Obama, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said that he "looks forward to continuing to work with President Obama and his administration in the spirit of the enduring partnership between the US and the UN”. Obama told supporters: "We know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come." “We are an American family and we rise and fall together as one nation", says Obama. Barack Obama thanks supporters, says best is yet to come. Barack Obama begins addressing his supporters. US President Barack Obama has arrived in Chicago's McCormick Place to address supporters. Republicans win control of House for two more years, assuring more clashes with Barack Obama, reports Associated Press. "Warm congratulations to my friend Barack Obama. Look forward to continuing to work together," said UK PM David Cameron. Mitt Romney addresses supporters in Boston, says: "I pray President Obama will be successful in guiding our nation". Mitt Romney calls Barack Obama, concedes defeat. Barack Obama has won Virginia, the Associated Press reports. Barack Obama will take battleground Colorado's nine electoral votes, adding to his winning tally (290; 270 needed), CNN projects. Democrats likely to maintain control of US Senate. Mitt Romney not yet ready to concede defeat, says a Republican aide. 2012 US Presidential Elections: Barack Obama gets 281 votes till now, Mitt Romney gets 203 votes Barack Obama will take Nevada’s six electoral votes, adding to his winning tally (281, with 270 needed), CNN projects. NBC News projects the Democratic Party will retain control of the Senate. 'We're all in this together. That's how we campaigned, and that's who we are. Thank you,' Barack Obama tweeted after winning a second term in the White House. Several US television networks project Barack Obama as winner of 2012 US Presidential Elections. Barack Obama leads in electoral vote count as battleground states begin to come in. Barack Obama wins New Mexico; Mitt Romney wins Missouri, projects AP. CNN projects: Barack Obama wins Wisconsin. Mitt Romney will win the swing state of North Carolina and its 15 electoral votes, CNN projects. Mitt Romney wins Idaho, CNN projects NBC News, CNN project Obama to win California, Hawaii, Washington Rape comment snatches Missouri from Republican Richard Mourdock Barack Obama wins Minnesota, projects AP Mitt Romney wins Missouri, says Bloomberg News Mitt Romney wins all five electoral votes in Nebraska. Mitt Romney wins Arizona, says AP. Democrat Claire McCaskill wins Senate seat in Missouri. In New Hampshire, Barack Obama comes out as winner.

US President Voting the latest challenge for Superstorm Sandy victims

People line up to cast their votes in Lindell School, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Long Beach, N.Y.,

New York: Voting in a the US presidential election was the latest challenge for the hundreds of thousands of people in the New York-New Jersey area still affected by Super storm Sandy, as they struggled to get to non-damaged polling places to cast their ballots in one of the tightest elections in recent history.

The campaigns of both President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney have long assumed that the heavily Democratic region would support Obama, but determined voters were taking special election shuttles from storm-hit areas and voting by affidavit from any polling place they could reach after officials put emergency measures in place.

Early turnout appeared high, despite some malfunctioning machines and confusion over where to go. At least one polling site with power was lit with flares. Some voted by flashlight.

Some polling places were in tents, and some voters were in tears. Read More...

Tamil Nadu nuke plant goes on alert as 'Nilam' intensifies into severe cyclonic storm

Cyclone 'Nilam' on Wednesday intensified into a severe storm with extremely heavy rainfall expected over North coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry even as the weather department warned of extensive damage to huts, standing crops and power lines.

The cyclone is expected to cross between Puducherry and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh close to Chennai this evening.

"The system would intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm and move north-westwards and cross north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast between Puducherry and Nellore close to Chennai by this evening, it said in its latest bulletin.

Gusty winds with a maximum surface wind speed of 45 kmph to 110 kmph is expected, it said.

Extremely heavy rainfall of over 25 cm or more is expected over north Coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in the next 24 hours.

Rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls would occur over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and north interior Tamil Nadu in the next 48 hours with gale speeds of 90-100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph along and off north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts.

The sea condition would be "high to very high" along and off North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and South Andhra Pradesh coast, the Met office said.
Storm surge of about 1-1.5 metre over the astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Nellore districts, it said.

The Met office also advised total suspension of fishing operations and for coastal dwellers to move to safer places.

Heavy Super Storm Sandy in USA with At least 14 deaths, 5.7 million without power

United States of America : Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline with 80 mph winds Monday night and hurled an unprecedented 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City, flooding its tunnels, subway stations and the electrical system that powers Wall Street.

At least 14 U.S. deaths were blamed on the storm, which brought the presidential campaign to a halt a week before Election Day. also Sandy killed 66 people in the Caribbean.

For New York City at least, Sandy was not the dayslong onslaught many had feared, and the wind and rain that sent water sloshing into Manhattan from three sides began dying down within hours.

Still, the power was out for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and an estimated 5.7 million people altogether across the East. The full extent of the storm's damage across the region was unclear, and unlikely to be known until daybreak.

In addition, heavy rain and further flooding remain major threats over the next couple of days as the storm makes its way into Pennsylvania and up into New York State. Near midnight, the center of the storm was just outside Philadelphia, and its winds were down to 75 mph, just barely hurricane strength.

"It was nerve-racking for a while, before the storm hit. Everything was rattling," said Don Schweikert, who owns a bed-and-breakfast in Cape May, N.J., near where Sandy roared ashore. "I don't see anything wrong, but I won't see everything until morning." Continue Reading...

India's cabinet reshuffled to bring in a touch of youth

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave his cabinet an overdue facelift on Sunday, bringing in younger ministers in a bid to breathe new life into his aged, scandal-tainted government ahead of state and federal elections.

The reshuffle, which has been on the cards for six months, may be Mr. Singh's last chance to significantly change the direction of his government and convince voters the ruling Congress party deserves a third consecutive term in 2014.

He rejigged about a third of his 30-member cabinet, and reshuffled a number of key portfolios, including, oil, foreign policy, railways, and justice. As part of the image makeover, he also brought in a raft of new, younger junior ministers who will not have cabinet-level posts. Continue Reading..

Obama, Romney crisscross nation to sway voters

President Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney launched dizzying cross-country sprints Tuesday that will take them through several toss­up states this week as their campaigns released new ads seeking to close the deal with the electorate.

Energized and buoyant after his aggressive debate performance against Romney only 12 hours earlier, President Obama drew peals of laughter from a raucous crowd of 11,000 supporters in Delray Beach by labeling his opponent as a victim of “Romnesia” who seems to forget his earlier positions.

President Obama attended a rally in Delray Beach, Fla., while Mitt Romney greeted voters during an event at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colo

“We had a severe outbreak last night,” Obama said, smiling broadly, in reference to the final presidential debate. “It was at least stage 3 Romnesia. And I just want to go over with you some of the symptoms, Delray, because I want to make sure no one in the surrounding area catches it.”

Obama chided Romney for taking positions in the debate — on the auto industry, Afghanistan, education, and Medicare — that the president said differed from previous stances.

“If you talk about how much you love teachers during a debate,” Obama told the racially mixed gathering, “but said just a few weeks ago that we shouldn’t hire any more because they won’t grow the economy, what do you have?”

The overflow crowd at the Delray Beach Tennis Center roared back: “Romnesia!” Read More..

Beirut assassination heightens fears of Syrian violence embroiling Lebanon

BEIRUT — A top Lebanese security official was killed Friday in a powerful car bombing in a densely populated neighborhood, an attack immedately blamed by the country’s anti-Syrian politicians on the government in Damascus.

The assassination brought the violence threatening to engulf the region to the heart of Lebanon’s capital after several years of relative calm, heightening fears that the sectarian tensions already aggravated by the Syrian conflict would erupt into outright war.

Maj. Gen Wissam al-Hassan, who headed the Information Department of the Internal Security Forces, was among at least eight people who died in the mid-afternoon blast in a quiet side street near Sassine Square in the city’s mostly Christian Ashrafiyeh area.

The swift allegations that Syria was responsible stemmed from Hassan’s close association with the Sunni-led anti-Syrian camp in Lebanon and with investigations into bombings and plots that had exposed the role played by Syria’s Lebanese allies, including the militant Shiite Hezbollah movement. Continue Reading.

Venezuela reelects Hugo Chavez, continues trend of leftist governments in South America

In a reelection to another six-year term, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez defeated challenger Henrique Capriles in Sunday’s presidential election by a 10 percentage point margin.

Sunday’s election marks Chavez’s fourth presidential election win since 1998, an indication that Venezuela, like many other South American countries, prefers leftist governments that improve living standards and actively pursue poverty reduction, says the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR).

“I congratulate the opposition and the directors of the opposition, because they recognize the victory of the people,” Chavez told supporters Sunday. “That’s why I send them this salute and put out my arms to them, because we are all brothers in the fatherland of Bolivar.”

“Chávez is often portrayed as though he were from Mars, but really the similarities between what he has done and what his neighboring left governments have done are much greater than the differences,” said Mark Weisbrot, co-director of CEPR, in a statement. Read More..,

India launches 100th space mission succesfully

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), Sep 9, 2012 :
India today successfully launched its 100th space mission with the indigenous PSLV-C21 rocket putting in orbit two foreign satellites.

In a copybook launch, witnessed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ISRO's workhorse PSLV placed in orbit France's SPOT 6 satellite and Japanese spacecraft PROTIERES, some 18 minutes after a perfect lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here.

The launch, scheduled for 9.51 AM, was delayed by two minutes at the end of the 51-hour countdown. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), on its 22nd flight, soared into an overcast sky at 9.53 AM carrying the 720 kg French satellite, the heaviest satellite to be launched by India for a foreign client.

The mission was described as "a spectacular success" and a milestone by Singh, who keenly watched the entire launch sequence and applauded each stage separation culminating in the placing of the two satellites in orbit.

The launch was a landmark for Indian Space Research Organistion (ISRO) which began its space odyssey on a humble note when it launched the indigenous 'Aryabhatta' on board a Russian rocket on April 19, 1975. 

The launch has yet again demonstrated the versatality and robustness of PSLV with the rocket completing its 21st successful mission in a row since its first failed flight in September 1993.

No Indian satellite was onboard today's flight which is the third wholly commercial launch undertaken by ISRO for foreign clients. SPOT-6 is the biggest commercial lift so far since India forayed into the money spinning commercial satellite launch services after 350 kg Agile of Italy put in orbit in 2007 by PSLV. Twelve other foreign commercial satellites launched by ISRO weighed below 300 kg.

Significantly, France's five earlier SPOT satellites were launched by European Araine rocket. SPOT-6, built by ASTRIUM SAS, a subsidiary of EADS, France, is an earth observation satellite, while the micro satellite PROITERES, developed by students and faculty of Osaka Institute of Technology, will study Kansai region of Japanese island of Honshu.

Latest Related Links : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/prime-minister-manmohan-singh-hails-indias-100th-space-mission-as-spectacular-success/articleshow/16321233.cms

http://www.hindustantimes.com/HTNext/LifeAndUniverse/India-s-100th-space-mission-poised-for-historic-milestone/Article1-926900.aspx

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/india-launches-100th-space-mission-succesfully/1000101/

Magnitude-7.9 quake off Philippines prompts tsunami watch

A tsunami watch is in effect following a magnitude-7.9 earthquake off eastern Philippines this morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The USGS says the epicenter of the quake is 58 miles east of Sulangan, Philippines and 464 miles east southeast of Manila.

Update at 9:25 a.m. ET: While a tsunami wave has not yet been confirmed, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued this statement:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter. An investigation is underway to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii. If tsunami waves impact Hawaii the estimated earliest arrival of the first tsunami wave is 1228 PM HST FRI 31 AUG 2012.

That would translate to 6:28 p.m. ET.

Exclusive: Regulators irate at NY action against Standard Chartered

Current News Updates, 08th Aug 2012: The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve were blindsided and angered by New York's banking regulator's decision to launch an explosive attack on Standard Chartered Plc over $250 billion in alleged money laundering transactions tied to Iran, sources familiar with the situation said.

By going it alone through the order he issued on Monday, Benjamin Lawsky, head of the recently created New York State Department of Financial Services, also complicates talks between the Treasury and London-based Standard Chartered to settle claims over the transactions, several of the sources said.

Lawsky's stunning move, which included releasing embarrassing communications and details of the bank's alleged defiance of U.S. sanctions against Iran, is rewriting the playbook on how foreign banks settle cases involving the processing of shadowy funds tied to sanctioned countries. In the past, such cases have usually been settled through negotiation - with public shaming kept to a minimum.

In his order, Lawsky said Standard Chartered's dealings exposed the U.S. banking system to terrorists, drug traffickers and corrupt states. Read Full Story...

Power Is Restored Across India After Massive Blackout

Passengers waited Tuesday for train service to be restored in New Delhi. More Photos »

NEW DELHI – As electric power was restored across India on Wednesday, the nation’s new power minister sought to tamp down a growing argument between state and federal ministers over who was to blame for Tuesday’s unprecedented blackout.

“I don’t think one can have a blame game between the state and the center,” said Veerappa Moily, the new power minister.

More than half of India’s population lost electricity on Tuesday after a cascading series of problems in three of the nation’s power grids shut down power from Imphal in the east to Jaisalmer in the west, and from Leh in the north to Bhubaneswar in the middle of the country.

The blackout affected an area encompassing about 670 million people, or roughly 10 percent of the world’s population. It trapped coal miners, stranded train passengers and caused huge traffic jams in the nation’s capital. Read Full Story...