England vs. India, 1st ODI, 14th Nov 2008

England vs. India, 1st ODI, 14th Nov 2008


Ind 276/4(41.5) RR: 6.59


Dhoni* 19(18), Yuvraj Singh 62(51)


Last 2 overs : 1 2 . . 1Wd 1 . . 4 2 1 1

The first ODI Cricket match between India and England is going to start at 14th November at 9 Am Local Time at Madhavrao Scindia Ground, Rajkot.

Serial Blasts In Assam

Eleven serial blasts rocked several districts of Assam on Thursday, including three in Guwahati, killing at least 56 persons and injuring over 360 others.

The powerful bombs went off simultaneously at around 1130 IST, one of them exploding in front of the Kamrup district deputy commissioner’s office in Guwahati, official sources said.

Thick smoke billowed after the high intensity blasts which turned a number of cars, cycles and two wheelers into mangled heaps of metal.

Two other bombs exploded at Ganeshguri, near the capital complex where five persons were killed, and Fancy Bazar area, they said. There were three blasts also in Barpeta district, while two explosions occurred in Bongaigaon. Two persons were killed in twin blasts in Kokrajhar districts, the sources added.

Casualty figures are likely to rise as many of the injured are reported to be critical. The wounded included many women and children. The first blast in Guwahati occurred at a vegetable and fruit market at Ganeshguri, near the flyover adjacent to the high security secretariat and Assembly.

The blast caused a major fire in the area, the smoke engulfing the entire market and nearby places. The next blast occurred in front of the DC’s office, injuring many and destroying several cars parked there.

The third explosion rocked areas near the police station of the busy Fancy Bazar, triggering panic among shoppers, many of whom were injured, the sources said.

Guwahati Superintendent of Police G P Singh said the police and fire brigade are engaged in controlling the fire. In Kokrajhar, the explosives were suspected to have been planted on a two-wheelers.

India will Plant Flag on the Moon

INDIA on Wednesday successfully launched its first lunar mission in a major boost for the country's space programmein SRIHARIKOTA (India). There were cheers in mission control as the unmanned lunar orbiting spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 was launched with an Indian-built rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on the southeastern coast.

Officials said the lift-off, which took place in cloudy skies at 6:22 am (8.52am Singapore time), was a total success, with the rocket placing the craft into a transfer orbit around the globe within 19 minutes. 'This is an historic moment. We have begun our journey to the moon,' said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Madhavan Nair. 'It has been a remarkable performance by the launch vehicle,' he said of the lift-off from the national space centre in the state of Andhra Pradesh and 80km north of Chennai. 'Every parameter of the mission performed' according to plan, he added.

ISRO is sending the Chandrayaan-1 on a two-year orbital mission to provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topographical characteristics of the moon's surface. The mission, which will also include the sending of a probe onto the lunar surface, will cost India US$80 million (S$119 million).

'Today what we have charted is a remarkable journey for an Indian spacecraft to go to the moon and try to unravel the mysteries of the Earth's closest celestial body and its only natural satellite,' Mr Nair said. India is hoping the mission will boost its space programme into the same league as regional powerhouses Japan and China.

As well as looking to carve out a larger slice of the lucrative commercial satellite launch market, India, Japan and China also see their space programmes as an important symbol of their international stature and economic development. The launch was carried live on most Indian television channels, although some critics have questioned the sense in spending so much money on space when hundreds of millions of Indians still live in dire poverty.

India started its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to reduce dependence on overseas agencies. It first staked its case for a share of the commercial launch market by sending an Italian satellite into orbit in April last year. In January, it launched an Israeli spy satellite in the face of Iranian protests.

But it still has a long way to go to catch up with China which, together with the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency, is already well established in the commercial launch sector. Chinese officials have spoken of a manned mission to the moon in the future, after following the United States and the former Soviet Union last month by carrying out a space walk.
A more immediate goal is the establishment of an orbiting space lab, with Beijing's long-term ambition to develop a rival to the International Space Station, a joint project involving the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada and a clutch of European countries.

Japan has also been boosting its space programme and has set a goal of sending an astronaut to the moon by 2020. Japan's first lunar probe, Kaguya, was successfully launched in September last year, releasing two baby satellites which will be used to study the gravity fields of the moon among other projects.

As well as the commercial ramifications, the development of a space race in Asia has security implications, with the potential for developing military applications such as intelligence gathering and space-based weapons. Earlier this year, Japan scrapped a decades-old ban on the military use of space, hoping to remove any legal obstacles to building more advanced spy satellites.

Raj Thackeray Arrest In Mumbai

RAJ THACKERAY, the president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was finally arrested in the early hours on Tuesday (October 21) at Ratnagiri in Maharastra. He isbeing brought to Mumbai and is likely to be produced in the Bandra court today (October 21).

With the arrest of Thackrey, tension prevails in Mumbai and there is strong resentment among his supporters. There were reports of attacks on taxis and at checkposts in the suburbs. There are concerns that Thackeray’s arrest may spark violent protests and attacks by his supporters on shops and businesses in Mumbai.

He was arrested on the charges of rioting, mischief, endangering life and safety of the people. The arrest came after the followers of his party attacked North Indians, who had come to appear in the Railway Recruitment Board examination, saying that the local Marathi people should be preferred.

Thackeray formed his MNS three year back after splitting from Shiv Sena, headed by his uncle, the controversial Bal Thackeray. MNS supporters, who had attacked north Indian job aspirants in the city on Sunday (October 19), want more jobs for "sons of the soil" in the state and have protested the presence of north Indian migrants who come to the state in search of jobs.

Reverse Repo Rate

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Monday's 100 basis point cut in repo rate cut by the central bank is consistent with the government's policy of maintaining growth and moderating inflation, Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said.

Repo Rate

TAMIL NADU HOUSING BOARD

Tamilnadu Housing Board is implementing the new projects under Joint Venture (JV)/Public Private Partnership (PPP) with internationally reputed firms. Initially the following prime locations are identified in and around Chennai city.

TNHB

BSTC RESULTS 2008

BSTC Rajasthan Results TS for 2008 have been announced and are available online BSTC RAJASTHAN 2008 RESULT