Somewhere the line's got to be drawn. And we are doing it here. It shouldn't really matter to anybody but themselves and the people they are currently involved with, whether Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are together or not.


But what matters, certainly, is that both actors show a rare maturity and extend professional respect to each other when together. Like they did when shooting for Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan at Film City last week.
According to a source on the sets, Salman and Kat had a blast on camera and off. And joining them was Bollywood's original prankster, Khiladi Akshay Kumar, the lead star of the film.


A close friend of the two revealed, "Salman and Katrina had always been discreet about their relationship. And all speculation about how awkward they would be when they bump into each other again, went for a toss on the sets of Tees Maar Khan. It wasn't a shoot for a few hours, but for days, and the two showed that they remain friends."


Salman was roped in by his close friend Farah Khan to shoot for the qawwali dance number Wallah Re Wallah in the film. She had told him that Katrina and Akshay were featuring in the song but Salman did not hesitate to shoot with Kat. He chatted with her on the sets and even bonded with Akshay. Both actors were thick sets and kept pulling Katrina's leg all the time."


Farah too said, "Salman and Katrina are professionals and I couldn't see uncertainty or discomfort on their faces while working with each other. They bonded really well. Salman even cooked food one day and Katrina and Akshay ate it. We were like a family out there." Does that give the impression that the two actors are back as a jodi? Does it really matter?




Read more: Sallu, Kat are back again - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Sallu-Kat-are-back-again/articleshow/6643149.cms#ixzz10yAip17f

Barcelona’s ‘Messidependency’ clear for all to see

Simply put, there are two football teams called FC Barcelona.


One of them — an efficient but often blunt outfit — plays an attractive passing game in midfield but struggles to break down the opposition defence because of a lack of pace and imagination in attack.


The other Barca is, in most people’s book, the best football team in the world, because it possesses a very special forward, one capable of racing onto excellent passes in midfield — and also capable of creating chances out of nowhere through an astonishing capacity to cut inside from the right wing.


That special forward, of course, is called Lionel Messi.


That Barca is one team with Messi and a different team without him has been evident for five years now, since the impish Argentine exploded on the Spanish scene.


This season, Barca’s so-called ‘Messidependency’ has been clearer than ever.


In Barca’s Champions League debut two weeks ago at home to Panathinaikos, Messi was at his rampant best, scoring twice and running the hapless Greek defence ragged in the 5-1 slaughter.


He was again unstoppable away to Atletico Madrid five days later, scoring the first goal and running the Atletico defence into the ground as Barca triumphed 2-1.


But late in the game, when Messi powered away towards goal for the umpteenth time, he was cruelly stopped by an ugly foul from Tomas Ujfalusi. His teammates feared a broken right ankle and were relieved to learn that it was just a heavy sprain.


Without Messi, Barca struggled to beat Sporting Gijon 1-0 at home, despite — as per usual — enjoying around 70 per cent possession. They distinctly lacked a cutting edge, and needed a solitary goal from David Villa to clinch the three points.


Barca also struggled on Saturday — again without Messi — to break down the defence of Athletic Bilbao. Until, that is, local defender Fernando Amorebieta was sent off, which helped the Catalans to win 3-1.


On Monday Barca raised eyebrows across Planet Football by announcing that Messi was in the squad for Wednesday’s clash away to Rubin Kazan, just eight days after his injury in Madrid.


The first person to criticise Barca’s rush to bring back Messi was former idol and coach Joahnn Cruyff, who said that “an injury not properly healed can give you problems throughout your career.”


Andoni Zubizarreta, Barca’s sporting director, was quick to point out that “our aim is to get him (Messi) fit rather than back on the pitch quickly,” but he then hinted that the 23-year-old megastar might come off the subs’ bench in Kazan in the second-half.


Like the dead El Cid on the white horse outside Valencia, the mere presence of Messi in the squad is worrying Kazan.


Cesar Navas, their veteran Spanish defender, said on Monday that “the fact that he is coming makes things more difficult for us....Logically, for us it would be better that he did not play.”

Chennai Super Kings is champion

Chennai Super Kings won the Champions League Twenty20 tournament, defeating Eastern Cape Warriors by eight wickets in Sunday's final.


The victory was set up by Chennai's spinners, R. Ashwin and Muttiah Muralitharan, who between them claimed five wickets for 32 runs from eight overs. Their performance helped Chennai restrict Warriors to 128 for seven in 20 overs.


Michael Hussey (51 n.o.) and M. Vijay (58) controlled the chase by batting sensibly. They ran well between the wickets after dropping the ball at their feet.


Vijay was the more aggressive of the two. He played the lofted inside-out drive particularly well, scoring two sixes and a four with the stroke.


REPRIEVE


Vijay offered a chance on 15, but the edge flew between the wicketkeeper and first slip. On 34, Mark Boucher failed to stump him off Nicky Boje. He was eventually out to Boje, but he had played his part in Chennai's triumph.


It got slightly tense towards the end but Hussey's calmness and Dhoni's ability to find the boundary sealed the win.


Vijay's innings helped him win the ‘Golden Bat' award as the tournament's top run-scorer. His team-mate, Ashwin, took the ‘Golden Wicket' award for the most wickets.


TURNING POINT


It was Ashwin's dismissal of the dangerous Davey Jacobs that turned the match.


Jacobs had attacked Chennai's new-ball bowlers, hitting eight fours in his 21-ball 34. But Ashwin found the Warriors captain in front of his stumps after the batsman had failed to connect with a reverse-sweep.


Ashwin and L. Balaji bowled with discipline, as Warriors, 39 without loss after four overs, crawled to 58 for two in nine overs.


Muralitharan struck twice in the 14{+t}{+h} over, bowling Mark Boucher and having Justin Kreusch caught by a diving Raina, to give Chennai complete control.


Craig Thyssen hit Balaji for two fours and a six, but Ashwin ended the sixth-wicket partnership when he deceived Johan Botha with a carrom ball.


Muralitharan then bowled an excellent 20{+t}{+h} over, dismissing Thyssen and giving away only four runs, to cap an outstanding effort from Chennai's spinners.


The scores:


Eastern Cape Warriors: D. Jacobs lbw b Ashwin 34 (21b, 8x4), A. Prince b Bollinger 6 (9b), C. Ingram c Raina b Morkel 16 (23b, 1x4), J. Kreusch c Raina b Muralitharan 17 (17b, 1x4), M. Boucher b Muralitharan 5 (11b), J. Botha c Anirudha b Ashwin 7 (10b), C. Thyssen c Anirudha b Muralitharan 25 (18b, 3x4, 1x6), N. Boje (not out) 8 (10b), J. Theron (not out) 2 (1b), Extras (lb-4, w-4) 8. Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs) 128.


Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-45, 3-73, 4-81, 5-82, 6-111, 7-125.


Chennai bowling: Bollinger 4-0-33-1, Morkel 4-0-31-1, Ashwin 4-0-16-2, Balaji 4-0-28-0, Muralitharan 4-0-16-3.


Chennai Super Kings: M. Hussey (not out) 51 (46b, 3x4), M. Vijay c Kreusch b Boje 58 (53b, 6x4, 2x6), S. Raina c Botha b Ntini 2 (3b), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 17 (12b, 2x4, 1x6), Extras (lb-1, w-3) 4; Total (for two wkts. in 19 overs) 132.


Fall of wickets: 1-103, 2-107.


Warriors bowling: Ntini 4-0-30-1, Tsotsobe 3-0-14-0, Theron 4-0-40-0, Botha 4-0-18-0, Boje 4-0-29-1.


Keywords: Chennai Super Kings, Champions League Twenty20, Murali Vijay, Ashwin, Muttiah Muralitharan

SRK, Salman to join hands

Akshay Kumar, who is the brand ambassador of Special Olympics Bharat, has embarked upon a novel and ambitious project that might see him achieve a coup of sorts in Tinseltown.


Akki is leaving no stone unturned to make sure that the cause and the games for the differently-abled people is a huge success, and for this he is approaching all the big guns of the film fraternity to join hands with him to spread the word. It is in this context that the Khiladi is slated to bring the two warring Khans — Shah Rukh and Salman — under the same roof for the first time after their industry dividing rift.


Akshay has also managed to get Amitabh Bachchan on board who will be voicing his concerns about disability among the children of the country.


A source close to the development says, "Akshay has been very close to Salman for a long time now and very recently he buried differences with Shah Rukh. Akki has walked for Salman for his Being Human initiative and it is unlikely that Salman won't help his friend. Akki and SRK has been bonding big time recently and their wives are also very thick. SRK has also silently supported many causes and he is expected to give his nod to this too."


The informer adds, "With them giving a confirmation to Akki, it would mean that for the first time after their quarrel and fall-out they would be involved in a project together. That itself is a big achievement for Akshay as it looks unlikely that SRK and Salman would ever share silver screen space again." When contacted, Akshay confirms, "It is too early to give out who all have confirmed for the cause. I will be approaching everyone to join me. I'm hoping they won't say no to participate in a cause that is helping some really needy people so that they can shape their own future by excelling with the skills that they have."

ACLT20 Final: CSK vs Warriors for glory

Sept 26 (FLS): Finally the most awaited moment has dawned bright as two strong sides are looking ahead to make the final battle between them no less than the clash of the Titans. It will be Wanderers where the two top teams of the domestic cricket-Chevrolet Warriors and Chennai Super Kings will fight for the glory.
The Indian Premier League Champion CSK have lived up to expectation in the entire series and deserved to play in final as they cruised past their biggest rival Royal Challenger Bangalore by 54 runs in the semi-final by D/L method. With the massive win over RCB the Chennai team‘s confidence looks high.


On the other hand the warriors too look charged as they are the home team and looking forward to take the maximum advantage of the local conditions as well as support. They played stupendously in the second final played against Redbacks and defeated them by 30 runs.


The Warriors are all set for the final show. They are seeping with confidence as they are blessed with two world class spinners- Johan Botha and Nicky Boje. Davy Jacobs has led from the front, letting his bat smash some major reputation here in South Africa. Being the highest run-scorer in the competition, Jacobs will have to contend with Vijay, who is close on his heels.


Earlier, when both the teams met at Port Elizabeth, the match was low scoring encounter in which Super kings defeated warriors by 10 runs. But the pitch at Johannesburg is different and is good wicket to bat on. The match is expected to be full entertainment pack for the spectators.


As for Dhoni, he will get back on the same ground where he led India to the ICC World T20 Championship exactly three years back. History is waiting to be made in Johannesburg.

AIG flags $2 bn pre-tax profit for AIA in 2010

AIA Group Ltd, the Asian life insurance business of American International Group Inc, will likely have a pre-tax operating profit of at least $2 billion for the fiscal year ending on Nov. 30, 2010, AIG said on Saturday.


"We believe that, in the absence of unforeseen circumstances, and, on the bases and assumptions set forth below, our consolidated operating profit for the fiscal year ending 30 November 2010 is unlikely to be less than $2 billion," the statement said.


The bailed-out U.S. insurer plans to list AIA in Hong Kong and the initial public offering could raise about $15 billion, which would make it the biggest-ever insurance IPO and a record offering in Hong Kong. The profit forecast comes ahead of pre-marketing of the IPO which kicks off on Monday to gauge demand for the offer.


The roadshows will begin on Oct. 6, while the listing is scheduled for Oct. 29. AIA's planned IPO comes after AIG tried unsuccessfully to sell its Asian business earlier this year to Britain's Prudential Plc for $35.5 billion. The British insurer had asked AIG to cut the price to $30.4 billion, but it was turned down, leading to the termination of the agreement.


Hong Kong-based AIA had about $1.84 billion in pretax operating profit in 2009, Prudential said in a March filing. AIG, which is nearly 80 percent owned by the U.S. government, is disposing of assets to repay taxpayers who committed $182.3 billion to prop up the insurer during the financial crisis.
Keywords:AIG,AIA,IPO

Apple launches iPhone 4 in China

Apple on Saturday launched the latest version of its iPhone in China and boosted its presence in the world's biggest Internet and mobile market by opening another two stores in Beijing and Shanghai.


Dozens of people queued up at the new store in the capital for the first official iPhone 4, some waiting for more than 24 hours, state media reported, even though the smartphone has been available on the grey market for months.


The iPhone 4 is available in Apple stores in the two cities, as well as at China Unicom retail outlets for buyers who sign a two-year contract with the operator, Apple said in a previous statement.


The 16-gigabyte version of the smartphone, which will have wireless Internet capability, will cost 4,999 yuan (744 dollars) at Apple stores with the 32-gigabyte selling for 5,999 yuan, the California manufacturer said.


China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile phone operator, reportedly took nearly 50,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4 on September 17, the opening day for such reservations.


With the two-year contract, the 16-gigabyte will sell for 5,880 yuan while the 32-gigabyte version will cost 6,999 yuan, the China Daily said.


The iPhone 4 made its debut in China just a week after Apple officially launched the iPad tablet computer in the country, with some customers queuing up for several days to ensure they got their hands on the sleek device.


The new stores in Beijing and Shanghai will bring the company's total to four in China -- two in each city. It plans to have 25 stores in the country by the end of next year.


China has at least 420 million web users and is also the world's largest mobile market with more than 800 million subscribers as of the end of June, according to official data.
Keywords:Apple,iPhone 4,China

Games chief assures participation of all nations:CWG 2010

Commonwealth Games Federation President Michael Fennell said on Saturday there will be full participation by all countries in the Games.


Several athletes have pulled out of an event plagued by filthy accommodation, shoddy construction and security fears. The Indian government is rushing against time to ensure all is ready before the opening on October 3.


"There is still a lot of work to be done and it's not over yet," Michael Fennell told a news conference a day after he visited the Games Village. "What is of great concern is the safety and security of athletes and officials. There will be full participation in the Games. All 71 countries will be attending."


The Games, held every four years for mostly former British colonies, are estimated to have cost $6 billion. Asia's third-largest economy was awarded them in 2003 but did not begin proper preparations until two years ago.


India had hoped to use the Games to display its growing global economic and political influence, rivalling neighbour China which put on a spectacular 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.


Instead, they have become a major embarrassment for the world's largest democracy where infrastructure projects have remained slow paced and a drag on economic growth.


"A lot of damage has been done to India as a country," Fennell said.


Moody's rating agency said investment in India could be damaged as a result.


"The negative publicity could deter foreign investment and give multinational businesses considering expanding in India reason to think twice," Moody's Analytics, a unit of the rating agency, said in a research note.


The first batch of athletes arrived in India for the Commonwealth Games on Friday, opting to stay at a hotel instead of unfinished accommodation.


English athletes stayed at a hotel on Friday but planned to move to the athletes village on Saturday. A bridge collapse and a suspected militant attack on two foreign visitors had thrown the Games into crisis.


The Delhi Games may turn out to be the most compromised since a 1986 boycott of the Games in Britain, when 32 nations stayed away because of then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's objections to sanctions against apartheid-riven South Africa.


Cyclist Greg Henderson became the first New Zealand athlete to withdraw over concerns about health and security. Olympic cycling champion Geraint Thomas, two English riders and one Isle of Man rider also opted out of the Games.


Reuters reporters have also seen children working at Games construction sites, despite it being illegal to employ minors.
Keywords:CWG,India,Delhi

MasterPad prototype marries Windows 7 to 11.6-inch IPS screen

Check out this 14mm-thin contender: built by Pegatron and still at the prototype stage, the MasterPad looks to be the embodiment of Steve Ballmer's incoming armada of desirable Windows 7 tablets. It sports an 11.6-inch IPS screen, which accommodates a 1,366 x 768 widescreen resolution, a 1.3 megapixel webcam plus mic, two USB ports, a memory card reader, an accelerometer, mini-HDMI port, 3G connectivity, and 32GB or 64GB SSD options. All that hi-tech goodness is wrapped up in a magnesium and aluminum alloy body, weighing 990 grams. There are some less cutting edge specs, like the disappointing 2-cell battery that will only get you 5 hours of use and the 1.66GHz Atom N450 CPU -- but we're being promised 1080p video playback and Flash compatibility are ready to roll, and our machine translation hints at an additional HD video-processing chip. The early hands-on experience seems to have left the Israeli journos impressed, and their homeland can expect the MasterPad to arrive "in the coming months," with an Android version also in the works. See it on video after the break.
Keywords:MasterPad,Windows,Microsoft

Sony holding Google TV event on October 12

We'd definitely been hearing that Google TV would be hitting sometime in the next month or so, and here we go: Sony's sending out invites for an October 12 event in New York. We already know we'll be getting both Bravia Internet TVs and Blu-ray players with Google TV integration, so we're not banking on any earth-shattering surprises, but you know we'll be there with bells on, IR blasters set to stun.
Keywords:Google,Sony,IPTV

HP Slate prototype gets yet another guided tour, this time with HDMI-equipped dock

 According to the back of the box of this self-proclaimed business model, here's the official specs we're looking at: a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 with GMA500 and Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator, 8.9-inch WSVGA screen, 2GB DDR2 RAM, about 60GB storage capacity, Windows 7 Home Premium, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, SD card reader, and a 2-Cell 30WHr Lithium-ion Polymer battery. There are two cameras here, one in front and one in rear.


As shown via MS Paint, the screen can detect at least four fingers at a time. The browser is a bit laggy but does do pinch-to-zoom -- again, he calls it a prototype, so it may be better in the final production model. Also in the packaging? A handy dock for keeping your Slate comfy and upright -- it's even got kickstand, two USBs, and HDMI out. But hey, we're wasting your time, and you're the kind of person who wants to see this enterprise-bound tablet in action. Don't let us get in your way, it's just after the break.



Keywords:Hp,Slate

Iran's nuclear agency trying to stop computer worm

Iran's nuclear agency is trying to combat a complex computer worm that has affected industrial sites throughout the country and is capable of taking over power plants, Iranian media reports said.


Experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran met this week to discuss how to remove the malicious computer code, or worm, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported Friday.


The computer worm, dubbed Stuxnet, can take over systems that control the inner workings of industrial plants. Experts in Germany discovered the worm in July, and it has since shown up in a number of attacks _ primarily in Iran, Indonesia, India and the U.S.


The ISNA report said the malware had spread throughout Iran, but did not name specific sites affected. Foreign media reports have speculated the worm was aimed at disrupting Iran's first nuclear power plant, which is to go online in October in the southern port city of Bushehr.


Iranian newspapers have reported on the computer worm hitting industries around the country in recent weeks, without giving details. Friday's report also did not mention Bushehr.


The Russian-built plant will be internationally supervised, but world powers remain concerned that Iran wants to use its civil nuclear power program as a cover for making weapons.


Iran denies such an aim and says its nuclear work is solely for peaceful purposes.


While there have been no reports of damage or disruption at any Iranian nuclear facilities, Tuesday's meeting signaled a high level of concern about the worm among Iran's nuclear officials.


The destructive Stuxnet worm has surprised experts because it is the first one specifically created to take over industrial control systems, rather than just steal or manipulate data.


The United States is also tracking the worm, and the Department of Homeland Security is building specialized teams that can respond quickly to cyber emergencies at industrial facilities across the country.

Keywords:Iran,Nuclear,Worm

I accept the responsibility for CWG mess: Kalmadi

NEW DELHI: Often the butt of criticism,Commonwealth Games Organising Committeechairman Suresh Kalmadi on Saturday faced some tough questioning from journalists but he accepted moral responsibility for the mess ahead of the event.

"I am the chairman of Organising Committee and I will take all the responsibility. There is no issue. But I wish the venues were handed to us a little earlier," he told a press conference.

He also admitted that Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot's comments about hygienic standards between Indians and others were avoidable.

Kalmadi, who was seated along with Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell and CEO Mike Hooper, said still some work to be done but was "confident" that it will be done before the opening ceremony on October three.

He also sidestepped the issue when he was questioned whether he feels that Fennell and CGF bosses are squarely putting the blame on the organising committee.

"I don't think he has pointed fingers at the OC. The developer has to hand the venues over to OC and then it is our responsibility. As far as the Games Village is concerned, 18 towers were handed to us and we completed the work on time. The rest 18 were handed over late and that what the problem is," he said.

Kalmadi sought to blame various agencies who were handed the rights for construction and renovation of the stadiums and Games village.

"Contrary to popular belief that OC had the right to spend Rs 30-40,000 crores on the organisation, we only had Rs 1,600 crore allotted. The rest was taken care by the government and Indian Olympic Association.

"Everyone had fixed responsibilities. Our job was to ensure that the athletes of all countries would reach safely, ensure that there safety is comfortable," Kalmadi said.

On security, he said they had been having meetings for the last couple of years. The home ministry and Delhi Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna have been holding constant meetings.

"We have had a CGF advisor who has been monitoring the progress of the work every second month," he said.

Kalmadi tried to play down the issue of Jama Masjid firing incident last Sunday and saying it has been blown out of proportion.

"The Jama Masjid (shootout) incident is not related to the Games. These are minor issues, blown out of proportion. There was already a proper security in place and it has been beefed up further," he said.

Elaborating on the security arrangements, Kalmadi explained that there will be two Police patrol cars -- one in front and the other behind every team bus. An armed police personnel will also be present in the bus.

"The international chefs de mission have also found the security to be fine," Kalmadi said adding there were deficiencies but in another couple of days, all work will be completed.

"We have some issues in the Games Village but I think it is a fine Village. Only that some blocks have to be cleaned up. But all the infrastructure is good...I can assure you that our aim is to host a good Games. Our aim is to do as good as Melbourne did in 2006," he said.

He told an English journalist that athletes were made to stay in a University Hostel during theManchester Commonwealth Games in 2002 but they did not complain.

Incidentally, Pakistan's star hockey player Rehan Butt had pointed out on Friday about the pathetic staying conditions that athletes encountered during the Manchester edition.

When a member of the Australian media asked whether this entire mess meant the end of the Olympic dream for India, he replied: "We will answer that question once the Games are over.

"Kalmadi was asked how the Indian contingent has checked in the Games Village when foreign athletes still have reservation staying over there, Fennell jumped to Kalmadi's defence.

"It's a matter of personal choice. The Indian athletes have felt that arrangements are fine. Also the part of the Village where they are staying, the work has been completed," Fennell said.

Both Fennell and Kalmadi could not answer a question as to why the fixtures of various events apart from squash and badminton have not been released.

AB puts SRK on the hot seat

Shah Rukh Khan has reportedly been approached by Kaun Banega Crorepati to sit on the hot seat and be quizzed by Amitabh Bachchan.

The show, which goes on air on the Big B's 68th birthday (October 11), had SRK as its host in the third edition. It was widely reported that though the edition was a success, it could not emulate the massive fan frenzy that Amitabh had managed to garner in the first two seasons. After this, the show went off air and then Big B was taken back to be the face of KBC again.

"The channel is very keen to have an episode that would have the two hosts of KBC face to face. They have approached SRK to be a celebrity contestant who will be quizzed by Amitabh. The channel knows that this is what will give them a huge buzz. SRK is undecided. He has good relations with the channel as well as the makers of the show, so it is hugely being anticipated that he might give a nod for this special episode. Everyone has their fingers crossed," says a highly placed source close to the developments of the show.

The informer adds, "Big B's recent conversation about the show with SRK on a social networking site has also garnered interest level in the industry. It was widely said that SRK and Amitabh became close friends a couple of years back thereby rubbishing rumours of their ego clashes that had made headlines for years. So, this cordial relation with Bachchan might as well be the lubricant for SRK to also say a yes to the format. It will get the channel the TRP that it cannot imagine."

Officials of the channel, on conditions of anonymity, confirmed that SRK has indeed been approached for KBC and that they are awaiting a response from him soon.

chennai first team to make it to the finals

Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 48-ball 94, followed by a clinical bowling display helped Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 51 runs and qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 final, here on Friday.

Opting to bat, Chennai rode on an 81-run second-wicket partnership between Raina and Murali Vijay to post an imposing 174 for four after a long rain-interruption reduced the match to a 17-over-a-side affair. Vijay also made a 32-ball 41.

The Indian Premier League champions then came out with a disciplined bowling performance and restricted Bangalore to 123 in 16.2 overs as Manish Pandey’s fighting 52 off 44 balls went in vain.

Paceman Doug Bollinger scalped three wickets for 27 runs, while Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan bagged two for 38.

Chennai thus became the first Indian Premier League side to enter the summit stage of the show-piece event and now take on the winner of the second semifinal between South Australia and Warriors.

Bad start

Chasing 175 to win, Bangalore were off to a wobbly start as they lost two quick wickets in the form of experienced Rahul Dravid (0) and Robin Uthappa (4) in the second and third over respectively.

Dravid’s mistimed drive off left-arm pacer Bollinger went aloft and Albie Morkel tumbled forward to pouch a nice catch.

Morkel then struck in the next over when he got some away movements. Uthappa came forward half-heartedly and finally gave an easy catch to Vijay.

RCB’s New Zealander import Ross Taylor then decided to take an attacking strategy and cracked a superb four off Bollinger in the fourth over, but the bowler took revenge in the very next ball.

Taylor went for an ambitious pull on backfoot but failed to connect it properly and Vijay took another easy catch.

Virat Kohli (14) then returned to the dugout leaving RCB struggling at 37 for four.

Kohli tried to flick from the leg stump but played the Lakshmipathy Balaji slower a bit early and Ravichandran Ashwin took a diving catch at midwicket.

Cameron White (13) and Dillon du Preez (1) also failed to give company for long to Pandey, who was waging a solitary battle on the other end.

Pandey cracked four fours and two sixes before Bollinger bowled him out in the 14th over.

After his departure, Chennai did not have much trouble to skittle out Bangalore.

Rain stops play

Earlier opting to bat, Chennai were 15 without loss in 2.5 overs, with Vijay and Michael Hussey (6) on the crease, when rain started and the players ran for cover.

The proceedings resumed after a two-hour-and-36-minute delay and Chennai suffered their first loss when medium pacer R Vinay Kumar capitalised on the sodden track in the fourth over.

Hussey tried to send the ball across the rope over the long off but South African Dale Steyn took a beautiful catch.

Raina cracked five fours and six sixes during his breezy stay to help the side accumulate a challenging total. Vijay also extended fine support with a 32-ball 41, which he made with the help of four fours and a six.

Raina then joined Vijay in the middle and the duo started attacking the RCB bowlers on a sodden Kingsmead pitch, where the balls were coming to the bat a bit slowly.

In the sixth over, Raina cracked two huge sixes off Kohli’s medium pace. Raina took aerial route to send the second ball of the over to the gallery and then struck him over long on for the maximum again four balls later.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side were 90 for one after 10 overs.

Desperate for a breakthrough, RCB captain Anil Kumble decided to bring himself to the attack but the legendary spinner could hardly do anything to stop Raina and Vijay both of whom were in rampaging form.

The partnership came to an end when Vinay Kumar scalped his second wicket in the form of Vijay in the 12th over. Vijay could not negotiate a short ball, mistimed the shot and Kohli pouched an easy catch.

Raina completed his half-century in style, cracking a huge six through midwicket in the last ball of the same over.

Dhoni (11), however, departed cheaply after felling prey to Dillon du Preez.

Morkel (5) then walked out to give company to Raina, who continued with his blistering show, taking 19 runs from the 15th over off Kumble, with the help of two fours and a six, bringing CSK total to 152 for three.

Kumble tried out as many as six bowlers, including himself. Vinay Kumar bagged two wickets for 28 runs, while Preez and White took one apiece.

Brief score:

Chennai Super Kings: 174 for 4 in 17 overs (Suresh Raina 94 n.o., Murali Vijay 41; R Vinay Kumar 2/28).

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 123 all out in 16.2 overs (Manish Pandey 52; Doug Bollinger 3/27, Muttiah Muralitharan 2/38).

Keywords: Champions Trophy T20, semifinal, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers

Shoaib Akthar caught on camera tampering with ball : reports

There seems to be no respite for the Pakistan cricket team. After facing spot-fixing allegations, temperamental fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has landed the side in the middle of a ball-tampering controversy.

Akhtar was caught on camera tampering with the cricket ball during their fifth ODI match against England last night at the Rose Bowl stadium in Southampton, which Pakistan lost by a massive 121 runs.

“In the last game of their acrimonious tour of England at the Rose Bowl last night fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar could be seen apparently running his left thumb along the ball’s seam before dropping the ball on the ground and standing on it with his spiked right boot,” the Daily Mailreported today.

“Sportsmail’s pictures were taken in the 41st over of England’s innings as Shoaib prepared to bowl to Paul Collingwood,” it said.

No stranger to controversy, Akhtar was filmed by Sky cameras flicking at the ball with his thumb during an ODI here against England four years ago. The 35-year-old was let off at that time. His behaviour also came under the scanner when he was accused of tampering with the ball during a Test match in Zimbabwe in late 2002 and was subsequently warned. For the same offence committed against New Zealand in Sri Lanka, Akhtar was banned for two ODIs and fined 75 per cent of his match fee.

The Pakistan team was hit by a series of controversies during the just-concluded tour. Three players — Test captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir — were reportedly involved in spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test last month. The three players were also questioned by the Scotland Yard.

Spot-fixing allegations hit the team during the ODI series too. The ICC launched an investigation into their third ODI against England after being tipped off by a British tabloid about suspicious scoring patterns.

Keywords: cricket controversies, ball tampering, Pakistan's tour of England

Orb's Puck Streams Your Music Wirelessly For $70, and It's a Beautiful Thing

Beaming music to speakers around the house is, in my estimation, one of the great luxuries of the 21st century, but it can be a pricey one. Orb's new puck lets you play your tunes anywhere, wirelessly, for only $70.


The basic setup involves three components: the Orb Caster software, the Orb Controller app for iOS (and, soon, Android) and the Orb MP-1 puck. Orb Caster indexes the media on your computer (either your iTunes library or folders that you specify); the Controller app lets you pick what songs you want to play; and the silver-dollar pancake-sized MP-1 puck receives that media over Wi-Fi (b/g/n) and plays it on whatever set of speakers you have it plugged into. In addition to your own music collection, Orb streams Pandora, and, if you're a subscriber, Sirius.


Setting up Orb's puck was simple and went without a hitch. And while it's just plain silly that you can't control the music you're playing from your computer itself via the Orb Caster software, the Controller app is nice looking and functional and, as it's been part of Orb's offerings for a while now, has been sanded down to a nice polish.
at app, which up until recently was $10, doesn't look any less glossy than Apple's own iPod app, and it easily lets you pick not only what music you want to play but where you want to play it—on your iDevice itself, or on any or all of the Orbs you have installed. And since it's not encumbered by iTunes, you can play different songs on different Orbs, too. All this gets to the real promise of Orb—at $70 a pop it's cheap enough that you can pick up a few and deck out all the rooms you spend time in with streaming music, and it's flexible enough to make it easy to do so.


I own and love an Apple Airport Express, and for $30 extra it gives you the benefit of adding printers into the mix and the greater benefit of extending your wireless network. The Orb does neither, and since it's not rebroadcasting your network itself, you could run into some streaming issues if you had them installed the outskirts of a larger home. Air Tunes, chained to iTunes, has some frustrating limitations, but it's definitely poised to expand its functionality as it transforms into Air Play in coming months.


But in my experience with Orb, the whole thing just worked, which is crucial. It's easy to see Orb becoming the Flip of streaming wireless media around the house, something that is cheap and good enough, even if it lacks certain frills. Right now Orb's handicapped by a few random shortcomings—not being able to control music from your computer being the glaringly obvious one—but it's flexible in some ways that Air Tunes is not. And it's worth noting, too, that the Orb Caster software, which has been the company's focus for years, handles video content, so I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see an Orb Video puck somewhere in the future for streaming content not just to speakers but screens as well.
he move into hardware is kind of an unexpected play from Orb, a company that has until now focused on its free streaming software. But the move is definitely a welcome one. That they've spent those years working on their software means that their streaming infrastructure is solid, and I'm pleased to say that the new MP-1 puck definitely isn't a weak link. If you don't mind the idea of your smartphone being your sole remote for your music, the cheap, flexible streaming ecosystem Orb's establishing could be just the ticket for letting your music collection run wild in your home.
Keywords:Orb,iOS

Prithvi-II to be test-fired today

A user trial of the nuclear-weapons capable, surface-to-surface Prithvi-II ballistic missile is scheduled to be conducted by the Strategic Forces Command at Chandipur, Orissa, on Friday.

The nine metre-tall, single stage liquid propelled missile has a maximum range of 350 km. It is capable of carrying warheads weighing 500-1,000 kg. It has already been inducted into the Air Force. It is equipped with an advanced inertial navigation system and has features to deceive anti-ballistic missiles.

Personnel of the Strategic Forces Command had successfully carried out a similar trial of Prtihvi-II on June 18. It was tested for a slightly lesser distance than its full range.

Keywords: Prithvi II, test-fire, ballistic missile

Mahesh Babu Son unseen photos

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