Benitez and Moyes vow to fight on

At the end of what has been, on and off the pitch, a disastrous week in the city of Liverpool, both Rafael Benitez and David Moyes said that if they were to leave Anfield or Goodison Park they would have to be prised from their jobs. Neither man intends tomorrow's Merseyside derby to be their last. Asked about his future in the wake of Liverpool's exit from the Champions League and a sequence of results that has left them 13 points off the pace domestically, Benitez listed the Real Madrid team that lost to Liverpool in the 1981 European Cup final. He had been part of that squad but never became close to joining the first team. But he had stuck it out at the Bernabeu and he would do the same at Anfield."I decided to stay at Madrid after years...

Read more »

Posted in: SPORTS

Benitez and Moyes vow to fight on

At the end of what has been, on and off the pitch, a disastrous week in the city of Liverpool, both Rafael Benitez and David Moyes said that if they were to leave Anfield or Goodison Park they would have to be prised from their jobs. Neither man intends tomorrow's Merseyside derby to be their last. Asked about his future in the wake of Liverpool's exit from the Champions League and a sequence of results that has left them 13 points off the pace domestically, Benitez listed the Real Madrid team that lost to Liverpool in the 1981 European Cup final. He had been part of that squad but never became close to joining the first team. But he had stuck it out at the Bernabeu and he would do the same at Anfield."I decided to stay at Madrid after years...

Read more »

Posted in: SPORTS

Lampard returns for Arsenal clash

Carlo Ancelotti insists that Sunday's Barclays Premier League showdown with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium will not decide the title or rule the Gunners out of the race. Victory for Chelsea would put them 11 points ahead of Arsene Wenger's side and the Blues have been boosted by a fit again Frank Lampard. The England midfielder injured his thigh on international duty but has regained full fitness in time to play against the Gunners. "Frank is fit, yes," said Ancelotti. "He trained for the last two days and did very well. He's in good condition. "He's ready to play. I think that our physio and our doctor worked very well with him. He is a fantastic professional player. He stayed to improve his condition for...

Read more »

Posted in: SPORTS

Lampard returns for Arsenal clash

Carlo Ancelotti insists that Sunday's Barclays Premier League showdown with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium will not decide the title or rule the Gunners out of the race. Victory for Chelsea would put them 11 points ahead of Arsene Wenger's side and the Blues have been boosted by a fit again Frank Lampard. The England midfielder injured his thigh on international duty but has regained full fitness in time to play against the Gunners. "Frank is fit, yes," said Ancelotti. "He trained for the last two days and did very well. He's in good condition. "He's ready to play. I think that our physio and our doctor worked very well with him. He is a fantastic professional player. He stayed to improve his condition for...

Read more »

Posted in: SPORTS

Jeev, Jyoti take India to tied 7th

Shenzhen: Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa combined for yet another steady performance and turned in a four-under 68 to take India to the tied seventh spot after the second round of the World Cup of Golf here Friday. The duo mixed seven birdies against three bogeys in the foursomes play, in which the players take alternate shots with the same ball, to total nine-under 135. On the second day in a row, it was a bogey for the Indians on the second hole but the pair made amends with a birdie on the very next. Another couple of birdies followed on the seventh and ninth hole before the Indians made the turn at two-under. The back-nine journey turned out to be topsy-turvy as Jeev and Jyoti found four birdies against...

Read more »

Posted in: SPORTS

Jeev, Jyoti take India to tied 7th

Shenzhen: Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa combined for yet another steady performance and turned in a four-under 68 to take India to the tied seventh spot after the second round of the World Cup of Golf here Friday. The duo mixed seven birdies against three bogeys in the foursomes play, in which the players take alternate shots with the same ball, to total nine-under 135. On the second day in a row, it was a bogey for the Indians on the second hole but the pair made amends with a birdie on the very next. Another couple of birdies followed on the seventh and ninth hole before the Indians made the turn at two-under. The back-nine journey turned out to be topsy-turvy as Jeev and Jyoti found four birdies against...

Read more »

Posted in: SPORTS

Tiger crash after row with wife

Tiger crash after row with wife GOLF superstar Tiger Woods was knocked out for six minutes and suffered face injuries in a 2am car crash after a bust-up with his wife. The 33-year-old was pulled from the vehicle by Swedish model missus Elin Nordegren after hitting a fire hydrant and a tree close to their Florida home. Crash scene... Tiger hit hydrant, left,and tree, right, after leaving home Elin, 29, heard the accident and is reported to have rushed out of the house with a golf club to smash out the back window and pull Tiger clear. The world's highest-paid sportsman was drifting in and out of consciousness with his wife hovering over him when cops arrived. Tiger had cuts on his lips and blood in his mouth. Police gave him first...

Read more »

Posted in: SPORTS

Tiger crash after row with wife

Tiger crash after row with wife GOLF superstar Tiger Woods was knocked out for six minutes and suffered face injuries in a 2am car crash after a bust-up with his wife. The 33-year-old was pulled from the vehicle by Swedish model missus Elin Nordegren after hitting a fire hydrant and a tree close to their Florida home. Crash scene... Tiger hit hydrant, left,and tree, right, after leaving home Elin, 29, heard the accident and is reported to have rushed out of the house with a golf club to smash out the back window and pull Tiger clear. The world's highest-paid sportsman was drifting in and out of consciousness with his wife hovering over him when cops arrived. Tiger had cuts on his lips and blood in his mouth. Police gave him first...

Read more »

Posted in: SPORTS

Dubai debt crisis and its impact on India

The memories of last September, when a vicious spiral of rumors and relentless pressure from investors pushed Lehman Brothers to the brink, came to the fore on Friday with UAE announced to restructure Dubai World, an investment company that spearheaded the emirate's breakneck growth.On Wednesday, Dubai said it would reschedule debt on two state owned entities delay payments for six months.By Thursday, rumors of a possible default on Dubai sovereign debt started to hit markets. The same day, the Dubai ruling family clarified concerns but credit default swaps reflecting the chances of a default kept rising.The result was a sharp turn in sentiment which led to investors selling risk assets across equities, commodities and currencies...

Read more »

Dubai debt crisis and its impact on India

The memories of last September, when a vicious spiral of rumors and relentless pressure from investors pushed Lehman Brothers to the brink, came to the fore on Friday with UAE announced to restructure Dubai World, an investment company that spearheaded the emirate's breakneck growth.On Wednesday, Dubai said it would reschedule debt on two state owned entities delay payments for six months.By Thursday, rumors of a possible default on Dubai sovereign debt started to hit markets. The same day, the Dubai ruling family clarified concerns but credit default swaps reflecting the chances of a default kept rising.The result was a sharp turn in sentiment which led to investors selling risk assets across equities, commodities and currencies...

Read more »

Dubai debt crisis may hit Indians hard

Reacting cautiously to the financial crisis in the United Arab Emirates, caused by the debt repayment crisis of Dubai World, the Indian financial establishment on Friday said there was no visible impact of the shock as of now. But there are fears that thousands of Indian expatriates in the Gulf could lose their jobs.This has left thousands of Indian families worried, as the region accounts for half of the country’s $25-billion remittances. Gulf countries employ five million Indians, out of the 25 million total strength of the Indian diaspora in 130 countries, and Dubai being a key driver of the region’s economy, a shakeout there is seen unsettling the job market – and the incomes of relatives.”“The Middle East meltdown has...

Read more »

Dubai debt crisis may hit Indians hard

Reacting cautiously to the financial crisis in the United Arab Emirates, caused by the debt repayment crisis of Dubai World, the Indian financial establishment on Friday said there was no visible impact of the shock as of now. But there are fears that thousands of Indian expatriates in the Gulf could lose their jobs.This has left thousands of Indian families worried, as the region accounts for half of the country’s $25-billion remittances. Gulf countries employ five million Indians, out of the 25 million total strength of the Indian diaspora in 130 countries, and Dubai being a key driver of the region’s economy, a shakeout there is seen unsettling the job market – and the incomes of relatives.”“The Middle East meltdown has...

Read more »

Dubai debt crisis rattles recovery

The Finance Ministry today said it did not expect the Dubai debt crisis to impact remittances to India, or affect the real estate sector in the country. RBI said it was studying the fallout of the developments, and would ask banks to furnish details of their exposure to Dubai World, the state investment company at the centre of the crisis. The crisis spooked markets across Asia Friday. The Sensex sank over 600 points mid-session before recovering to end the day at 16,632.01, down 222.92 points. Hong Kong dived 4.8 per cent, and major indices in Tokyo, Taipei and Seoul fell over 3 per cent each. Late Friday night India time, however, European shares had closed higher and US stocks pared initial losses. The Dubai...

Read more »

Dubai debt crisis rattles recovery

The Finance Ministry today said it did not expect the Dubai debt crisis to impact remittances to India, or affect the real estate sector in the country. RBI said it was studying the fallout of the developments, and would ask banks to furnish details of their exposure to Dubai World, the state investment company at the centre of the crisis. The crisis spooked markets across Asia Friday. The Sensex sank over 600 points mid-session before recovering to end the day at 16,632.01, down 222.92 points. Hong Kong dived 4.8 per cent, and major indices in Tokyo, Taipei and Seoul fell over 3 per cent each. Late Friday night India time, however, European shares had closed higher and US stocks pared initial losses. The Dubai...

Read more »

Jackson's glove sells for $350,000 at auction

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's famous white glove sold for $350,000 at a memorabilia auction on Saturday, soaring far past pre-sale estimates, while a black jacket he wore during a 1989 world tour fetched $225,000. The Jackson memorabilia was the highlight of an auction of hundreds of rock'n'roll items, including many not associated with the "King of Pop," who died in June. Darren Julien, CEO of Julien's Auctions, which ran the auction, called the glove "the Holy Grail of Michael Jackson," and many expected it to sell for far more than its pre-sale estimate of about $50,000. With the added commission, the final price excluding taxes, ran to some $420,000. The buyer was Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma. ...

Read more »

Jackson's glove sells for $350,000 at auction

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michael Jackson's famous white glove sold for $350,000 at a memorabilia auction on Saturday, soaring far past pre-sale estimates, while a black jacket he wore during a 1989 world tour fetched $225,000. The Jackson memorabilia was the highlight of an auction of hundreds of rock'n'roll items, including many not associated with the "King of Pop," who died in June. Darren Julien, CEO of Julien's Auctions, which ran the auction, called the glove "the Holy Grail of Michael Jackson," and many expected it to sell for far more than its pre-sale estimate of about $50,000. With the added commission, the final price excluding taxes, ran to some $420,000. The buyer was Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma. ...

Read more »

Swine flu may have hit one peak; more to come

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the Northern Hemisphere, global health officials said on Friday, but they cautioned it was far from over. Officials also said they were investigating several troubling outbreaks of drug-resistant H1N1 but noted they were limited so far and that there were no indications yet the virus was mutating in a sustained way. The World Health Organization said H1N1 flu was moving eastward across Europe and Asia after appearing to peak in parts of Western Europe and the United States. At least 6,770 deaths have been recorded worldwide since the swine flu virus emerged in April -- but officials always stress the confirmed count represents only a fraction of the...

Read more »

Swine flu may have hit one peak; more to come

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The pandemic of swine flu may be hitting a peak in the Northern Hemisphere, global health officials said on Friday, but they cautioned it was far from over. Officials also said they were investigating several troubling outbreaks of drug-resistant H1N1 but noted they were limited so far and that there were no indications yet the virus was mutating in a sustained way. The World Health Organization said H1N1 flu was moving eastward across Europe and Asia after appearing to peak in parts of Western Europe and the United States. At least 6,770 deaths have been recorded worldwide since the swine flu virus emerged in April -- but officials always stress the confirmed count represents only a fraction of the...

Read more »

China mine explosion death toll reaches 87

HEGANG, China (Reuters) - The death toll from China's latest coal mine disaster reached 87 as hopes dimmed on Sunday that more survivors would be found a day after a gas blast at a colliery in the country's icy far northeast. Xinhua news agency reported 528 workers were in the mine, at Hegang in Heilongjiang province, at the time of the blast, and 420 had been rescued by Sunday. Some 21 miners remained trapped or unaccounted for, Zhang Jinguang, a spokesman for the mine company, told reporters, who were taken by officials to see 20 or so rescue workers descending into a tunnel still belching smoke. By later on Sunday, none of the 21 had been found, Xinhua reported. Zhang Fucheng, an official in charge of rescue efforts, told...

Read more »

China mine explosion death toll reaches 87

HEGANG, China (Reuters) - The death toll from China's latest coal mine disaster reached 87 as hopes dimmed on Sunday that more survivors would be found a day after a gas blast at a colliery in the country's icy far northeast. Xinhua news agency reported 528 workers were in the mine, at Hegang in Heilongjiang province, at the time of the blast, and 420 had been rescued by Sunday. Some 21 miners remained trapped or unaccounted for, Zhang Jinguang, a spokesman for the mine company, told reporters, who were taken by officials to see 20 or so rescue workers descending into a tunnel still belching smoke. By later on Sunday, none of the 21 had been found, Xinhua reported. Zhang Fucheng, an official in charge of rescue efforts, told...

Read more »

India ‘alive’ to security challenges

India’s minister of home affairs has sought, ahead of the first anniversary of last year’s terror attacks in Mumbai, to reassure international business leaders that the country’s security challenges will not affect its growth. On the last day of the World Economic Forum meeting in New Delhi, Palaniappan Chidambaram said the “clipping rate” of India’s economic growth had created “deep divisions within society”. However, the minister assured executives that the government was “alive” to the domestic and international security challenges it faced. India’s most serious internal security threat comes from Maoist rebels, known as Naxalites, who have taken over resource-rich areas where state governance is weak. Mr Chidambaram...

Read more »

India ‘alive’ to security challenges

India’s minister of home affairs has sought, ahead of the first anniversary of last year’s terror attacks in Mumbai, to reassure international business leaders that the country’s security challenges will not affect its growth. On the last day of the World Economic Forum meeting in New Delhi, Palaniappan Chidambaram said the “clipping rate” of India’s economic growth had created “deep divisions within society”. However, the minister assured executives that the government was “alive” to the domestic and international security challenges it faced. India’s most serious internal security threat comes from Maoist rebels, known as Naxalites, who have taken over resource-rich areas where state governance is weak. Mr Chidambaram...

Read more »

'Indian software industry will hold out against competition'

New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) The $60-billion information technology industry in India will continue to attract overseas business, despite competition from other emerging markets that also offer lower costs, says the India head of global software giant Computer Associates.'Our costs will still be competitive. There are markets like China, Singapore, and the Philippines which offer lower costs. But they are not in the same league as India,' said the software gian't India chairman Saurabh Srivastava.'China has an issue with language, a lot of other countries don't have the same levels of competency and, moreover, a lot of them are still in process of learning business norms,' Srivastava, an industry veteran and noted venture capitalist, told IANS in an interview.According to him, the average spending...

Read more »

'Indian software industry will hold out against competition'

New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) The $60-billion information technology industry in India will continue to attract overseas business, despite competition from other emerging markets that also offer lower costs, says the India head of global software giant Computer Associates.'Our costs will still be competitive. There are markets like China, Singapore, and the Philippines which offer lower costs. But they are not in the same league as India,' said the software gian't India chairman Saurabh Srivastava.'China has an issue with language, a lot of other countries don't have the same levels of competency and, moreover, a lot of them are still in process of learning business norms,' Srivastava, an industry veteran and noted venture capitalist, told IANS in an interview.According to him, the average spending...

Read more »

Cyclone Phyan: 250 TN fishermen still missing

Chennai: Cyclone Phyan may have crossed India's west coast ‘peacefully’ on Wednesday but several hundred fishermen are still reported to be missing. Reports said on Saturday that nearly 250 fishermen, who ventured into the sea in rough weather from Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district, have still not returned three days after the cyclone brought heavy rains along the country’s west coast.The fishermen hail from six villages in Kanyakumari district. The Coast Guard have dispatched boats and choppers to search for the missing fishermen.Around 1,000 fishermen from Kanyakumari had gone to the Arabian Sea from November 1 onwards for fishing off the Kerala and Gujarat coasts. The Tamil Nadu government had yesterday assured of the safety of the...

Read more »

Posted in: National News