Uganda police say suicide bombers carried out attacks

July 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

July 18 (Reuters) – Twin bomb attacks in Uganda’s capital that killed 73 people last week were carried out by suicide bombers, the head of police said on Sunday.

Somali al Shabaab insurgents linked to al Qaeda have said they carried out the attacks on a crowded restaurant and a rugby club in the Ugandan capital while fans watched the World Cup final on television last Sunday.

However, it said the attacks were not the work of suicide bombers. [ID:nLDE66C0U7]

“These attacks were carried out by suicide bombers. The evidence is overwhelming … two heads have not been claimed, neither have they been identified. It can’t be a coincidence,” Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura told a news conference.

The al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab said it was avenging the killing of civilians by African Union peacekeepers. Ugandan forces form the backbone of the 6,100-strong contingent in Somalia. (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema, Editing by George Obulutsa and Alison Williams)

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Indian ruggers confident after NZ, Fiji tours: Davey

June 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Rugby India”s Development Manager Greg Davey feels the recent training-cum-competition trips to New Zealand and Fiji have helped iron out flaws in the team”s preparation for this year”s Commonwealth Games. “New Zealand and Fiji tours have given boys the confidence required at the international level.

They trust themselves more, they believe in their strengths. They have learned to take decisions quickly on the field and have rectified their mistakes,” Davey told PTI. “They were exposed to some great teams during the tour.

Now I would like to see the boys applying these skills in tournaments like Shanghai Sevens, Buenos Aires Sevens and the big Delhi Commonwealth Games,” he added. During their three-week trip, the 23-member Indian contingent met former champions and legends of the game, visited state-of-the-art gymnasiums, world class pitches and fitness professionals and competed in a few practice matches.

“The trip was very important keeping the Commonwealth Games in mind. Boys need to step up their performance and produce good results in front of home crowd.

What matters is attitude and aggression. They have the killer instinct in them and need to show that on the field against opponents,” said Davey.

On the Indians” performance in the just-concluded Asian5 Nations Rugby tournament where they finished runners-up after losing to lowly ranked Philippines 12-34 in the summit clash, Davey said it was disheartening to see the team lose after coming so close to the title triumph. “We had prepared hard for the tournament and that showed in our performance.

But we faltered at the last hurdle. Anyway the tournament has given us many positives and we hope to continue our good form” he said.

The New Zealander said inclusion of youngsters in the team was a positive step taken by the national federation and “it will pay rich dividends in the future.” “It”s a good step taken in right direction.

It”s good for the overall development of the team. But the young guns need to prove their talent to retain their place in the side,” he said.

In Davey”s native New Zealand, rugby is the most popular sport and he foresees the sport to become as popular in cricket-mad India as well. “I think in two-three years, we can have 50,000 players, a good scenario for India.

There is a need to build the strong foundation at the school and college level. I believe Rugby has what it takes to appeal to sport loving Indians,” he said.

Davey is aiming to put in place a proper coaching and administrative infrastructure to ensure all-round growth of the sport.

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No skeet coach for two months, none likely anytime soon

May 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It’s a familiar story about the Indian skeet contingent, revolving once again around the lack of options and the pending appointment of a coach. Chinese Shan Zhang’s contract expired since April, and the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) is not even close to finding a replacement. Zhang was seen competing for China, against the Indian girls at the ISSF World Cup in Dorset, England.

At the heart of it is the usual tug-of-war: between a set of skeet shooters, who have been underachieving at the big stage, and the NRAI, which isn’t keen to end the impasse. The NRAI puts the blame on the shooters, saying they can’t zero in on a name as a replacement. “We’re keen to get them a coach, but they themselves can’t agree on one name. Somebody wants ‘X’ to take over, others want ‘Y’,” NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia told Sportline on Wednesday.

The same problem arose, when Zhang was appointed as the chief coach, and shooters, including Mairaj Khan, had openly revolted saying they weren’t consulted. “Zhang got the job because of Mansher Singh is a good friend of her husband. We had no option but to work with her,” Khan said.

Part of the problem also lies in the fact that not many coaches are available and those who are, aren’t keen on taking the job. “It’s going to be really difficult to get a coach now, because coaches’ contracts run from Olympics to Olympics. They should’ve started the search much earlier,” Khan added.

Khan also disputed the association’s claim that differences within the team were responsible for the delay. He said the shooters wanted Italian Piero Genga to take over, but the deal never materialised. “Six of our team members had signed on the request letter to get Genga as the coach. Nothing happened and now he is coaching Denmark. How can they (NRAI) say we have differences within the team for the appointing,” Khan added.

Another option was American Josh Lakatos, under whom Man Singh trains. But he isn’t too keen on taking over the coach’s role, preferring to do it on a part-time basis. “He doesn’t want to be tied down to contracts. We could’ve got him on short stints of four trips of 21-days of training. But I don’t see it happening, to be honest with you,” Khan said.

Meanwhile, the shot gun shooters, including the skeet team, will be undergoing a training camp at Masari, Bologna, ahead of the ISSF World Cup Shotgun in Lonato, Italy that starts from June 7.

NPAs of Indian shootingDubbed as the non-performing assets of the Indian shooting team, they have been at the receiving end of many of a shabby treatment by the association. The latest issue has Khan mulling over calling time on his career.

“I’m tired of fighting for everything. My brother thinks I’m enjoying travelling around the world and he has to work. Which is also understood as we haven’t done anything spectacular at the world stage.

“I’m thankful to the country for investing in us, footing our bills for all the events and without getting anything in return. If all this doesn’t end, most probably, the Commonwealth Games will be my last event. I’ll settle down and work to earn money and my dream of becoming a big sportsperson will end.”

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Twenty20 international spices up Florida suburb

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

With the smell of Jamaican jerk chicken and Indian biryani wafting through stands, New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs in the first official international between two test playing nations in the United States.

The Twenty20 match on Saturday provided an unusual sporting atmosphere for the suburbs of Fort Lauderdale, the flags and shirts in the crowd revealing supporters from Indian, Pakistani, English, South African and Caribbean backgrounds.

“It was nice to see so many Sri Lankans here, I know they have flown down from many different places in the States, unfortunately we couldn’t do them justice with our performance here,” said Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

The only element that would have jarred with supporters well used to watching cricket on television was scantily-clad cheerleaders entering the field of play, dancing at third man while the bowler was at his mark.

But there was no complaints from the fans, including a noisy contingent of Sri Lankans who had travelled down from the northern part of the United States.

“It’s fantastic to see the team playing here in the States and to see people enjoying cricket,” said Adusha Kotuwegoda from New York.

‘SUB-CONTINENT FEEL’

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori felt the event had been a success.

“Obviously with a lot of Sri Lankans here it had a kind of sub-continent feel but it was a crowd that was entertained.

“I thought the entertainment off the field was good for the game and whilst it wasn’t as high scoring as people wanted it was still a thrilling game,” he said.

A slow and low surface and large field at the only ICC certified cricket stadium in the United States meant the crowd got to see few boundaries, with just two sixes and 13 fours.

New Zealand made 120 with Ross Taylor striking 27 and skipper Daniel Vettori a crucial 21 not out at the back end of the innings.

Sri Lanka never really got going in reply with New Zealand seamer Kyle Mills removing openers Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan cheaply.

Angelo Mathews top scored for Sri Lanka with 27 as they stumbled to 92 all out with two balls remaining, Scott Styris taking three wickets 10 ten runs in three overs.

The two teams meet again on Sunday at the same venue with a bigger crowd expected for a double-header featuring a clash between the United States and Jamaica.

(Editing by Peter Rutherford; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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India media team is the largest at XVIth SAARC Summit

April 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Thimphu (Bhutan), Apr.27 (ANI): India will have the largest contingent of journalists at the XVIth South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit that is being held here this week.

According to a report in the web site of Bhutan”s main English daily – Kuensel, 43 Indian journalists are already listed to come to the country. Pakistan is fielding 31 journalists as of yesterday, it adds.

Bhutanese media coordinators in Thimphu are reportedly hard pressed in drawing up plans to accomodate over 300 journalists who are arriving in the country in the next few days to cover the summit.

There are only 106 seats in the media gallery at the Grand National Assembly, the venue of the summit.

“We can’t accommodate all of them in the gallery, but we’re drawing up plans so that everybody gets an opportunity,” the web site of Bhutan”s main English daily Kuensel quoted the director of civil aviation, Phala Dorji, as saying.

Dorji, who is also the chief media liaison officer for the event, further said: “We’ll distribute the 106 seats equally to all media so nobody is left out.”

He said the coordinators had been explaining to journalists about the logistical challenge before them and requested the media to send only one journalist from each media agency during the opening and closing of the summit.

Of the 106 seats, there is a plan to reserve about 20 seats for the south Asia Freedom of Media Association (SAFMA) journalists and another 20 to 25 for media coming on their own. Those coming as part of official delegations will also be allotted seats.

Photographers and cameramen will be allowed at the grand national assembly hall when their leader addresses the summit, according to officials.

The SAFMA journalist summit has also been shifted to Paro, 52 km from Thimphu, as there were not enough hotel rooms to accommodate about 100 journalists from the region attending the summit.

About 74 journalists, including photographers and cameramen, will be arriving with the SAARC delegates.

“The list could grow,” said Phala Dorji.

About 60 journalists from the observer countries will also be in the capital during the summit week.

Ministry officials said the media centre set up at the information and communication office would provide video footage and photos, while the national television, BBSC, would cover the event live.
BBSC will also provide clean feed of the summit, without commentary, free of cost. BBSC will also have an arrangement of uplinking facilities at the media centre, which would enable other broadcasters to uplink their news feed directly. What could come as a relief to coordinators is that a number of journalists are coming in to cover other things than the SAARC summit itself.

Most of the journalists from India and Pakistan are more interested in where their leaders will meet on the sidelines of the summit.

Recent media reports in both countries have been rife with speculations of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, meeting in Thimphu. (ANI)

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Sania’s family, relatives visit historic places in Lahore

April 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lahore, Apr 26(ANI): Indian tennis star Sania Mirza’s family and other relatives visited the Data Darbar in Lahore to pray and lay flowers at the tomb of Hazrat Syed Al-Hajweri, a famous Persian Sufi saint.

They later visited the Shahi Qilla and Badshahi Masjid, and were mesmerized by the Moghul era symbols and the beauty of the historic places.

Sania’s maternal aunt said that she was very happy to be in Pakistan, and she would visit the country again, The News reports.

They also went Anarkali Bazar, a popular market for Lahori dresses.

A large police contingent accompanied them for security reasons, while media personnel were also following their activities. (ANI)

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Pak team can retain T20 title with fans’, media’s support: Afridi

April 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, Apr.24 (ANI): Pakistan T20 captain Shahid Afridi has said that his squad is all geared up for defending the World T20 Championship in the West Indies, adding that it needed support of both people of the country and the media.

Afridi said his boys are well prepared to tackle world’s best teams during the coveted tournament but they needed fans support to transform their talent and will into performance on the field.

“My team and I are geared up to, tactically and technically, live up to the expectations of the nation for accomplishing the task of winning in the West Indies,” Afridi said in an interview prior to departure to Caribbean.

The 15-member Pakistan contingent would leave on Saturday (today) and reach St. Lucia via Dubai and London.

“Without the prayers of the nation and supporters across the world, the Pakistan cricket team cannot achieve anything. Besides playing patriotically for Pakistan we need support of countrymen and the media. My appeal to the national media is to go for healthy criticism while keeping Pakistan’s interest above everything,” The Dawn quoted Afridi, as saying.

Afridi denied being under any pressure to perform, and stressed that players would have to lift their fielding standards if they have to repeat last year’s success.

“Fielding is crucial area in this fastest version of the game, and a lot of hard work was done to raise the standard. We are ready give our best and rest with Allah,” he said.

Afridi said his team has good mix of youth and experience that can create trouble for even the world’s best teams.

“T20 cricket is altogether different. We got a lot of firepower in our batting.
We have experienced Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, young Umar Akmal, Khalid Latif and Salman Butt,” he said. (ANI)

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Oz players body terms IPL ‘unconfirmed’ blacklist threat ‘unfair’

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Apr 20 (ANI): Reacting to unconfirmed reports, the Australian Cricketers’ Association has said it is unfair for players to be blacklisted by the Indian Premier League if they quit the tournament over security fears.

Twelve Australian players still have an involvement in the lucrative Twenty20 tournament, which on Saturday was marred by two crude bomb blasts outside Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium.

ACA chief executive Paul Marsh said the Australian contingent, which includes Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden and Doug Bollinger, felt uneasy since Saturday’s blasts.

The unconfirmed reports of an edict circulated by the IPL that any players who left the tournament on security grounds would be disqualified from future tournaments complicated things, The Herald Sun reports.

Marsh was unsure whether the IPL threat existed, however, similar reports surfaced during the inaugural tournament in 2008 after blasts in Jaipur left more than 80 people dead.

Marsh said it was unreasonable for players to face the threat of future disqualification when security was a concern.

“You would hope that players wouldn’t be punished for making decisions based on very reasonable security grounds. Any human being should have the right to put their personal safety above any other consideration,” he said yesterday.

Marsh said players had welcomed the IPL’s decision to re-schedule the semi-finals to Mumbai, but admitted “there’s definitely a level of uneasiness” among the Australians still in India. (ANI)

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Terror threat dries up sponsors for Oz Delhi Commonwealth Games contingent

March 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Sydney, Mar. 19 (ANI): Australia”s Commonwealth Games Association is struggling to attract sponsorships needed to send a large, competitive team to Delhi Commonwealth Games because many regular sponsors have backed out of the event fearing terrorist attacks.

The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Australian Commonwealth Games Association chief Perry Crosswhite as saying that only 35 per cent of the 7 million dollars needed for the games have been secured from corporate backers.

With six months remaining until the Games to begin, team officials should already have raised double that amount.

But the fear of a terrorist attack, either in the lead-up to the Games or during the 11 days of it, has dogged preparations for the event, the paper says.

“I”m really disappointed at the level of support from corporate Australia,”” Crosswhite said.

””We”ve always had good support in the past but they have obviously been influenced by what they have heard or read and are worried the Games are not going to go ahead or that they will be a disaster. They will go ahead,” he added.

Major backers from previous years who have not signed up for Delhi include Telstra, Commonwealth Bank and Holden.

If ACGA fails to raise sufficient funds, it will be forced to dip into its foundation – a future fund established to invest the profits from the 2006 Melbourne Games. (ANI)

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Tight security at Vaishno Devi shrine ahead of “Navratri”

September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Katra, Sept 18 (ANI): Security has been beefed up at the famous Vaishno Devi Temple near Jammu ahead of the nine-day “Navratri” festival.

Paramilitary and police personnel are patrolling and frisking people at important points in Katra, which is thronged by thousands of devotees every year, especially during Navratri.

The nine-day Navratri festival will begin from Saturday and the authorities claim to be in full control of the situation.

“There is much fanfare in Katra during Navratra festival and the inflow of tourists also rises manifold during those days. We have made proper security arrangements. We have taken the help of the CRPF. This time, we also have one contingent of Haryana police,” said Ashok Sharma, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

The devotees making their way to the shrine were also put through rigorous checking, a routine, exercised with extra care, considering the sensitive nature of the shrine and keeping recent threats in mind.

The devotees complied without complaining.

“There was not much trouble during the security check. We were checked several times but we did not face any problem. It was all done very safely,” said Vijay Kumar, a devotee.

‘Navratri’, which literally means nine nights, is observed twice a year.

The festival lasts for nine days in honour of nine manifestations of Durga, goddess of power ,and fall in the months of April-May and September-October.

It is believed that during the Navratri, Goddess Durga descends on earth to rid it of the demons and blesses her devotees with happiness and prosperity. (ANI)

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Polish vodka, Cuban cigars and Uma Thurman for Warne’s 40th birthday

September 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Sep 10 (ANI): Australian spin legend Shane Warne will celebrate his 40th birthday with 200 mates, a bottle of Polish vodka, a Cuban cigar – and possibly Hollywood actress Uma Thurman.

Warne turns 40 on Sunday.

Speculation mounted on Wednesday that the Hollywood superstar of Kill Bill fame will join the 200-strong invitation list including Sam Newman, Garry Lyon, Eddie McGuire, Jeff Fenech, poker ace Jo Hachem and a host of business leaders and media chiefs.

Ex-wife Simone Callahan will also be there in the latest sign their roller coaster romance is back on track.

Cricket legends Allan Border and Ian Chappell have been invited, but Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist are not on the list.

Best mate Aaron Hamill, who played for Warne’s beloved Saints, will lead the AFL contingent.

Warne has booked a ritzy Chapel St cocktail lounge for tomorrow night’s bumper bash. And the party is tipped to extend well into the early hours of Saturday morning thanks to a 7 a.m. liquor licence, the Daily Telegraph reports.

It is believed Warne’s only request to venue management was for a regular flow of his preferred drink of choice – “Belevedere vodka and Red Bull”-and somewhere to enjoy a celebratory smoke.

On offer are 1500 dollars bottles of French champagne and a range of pricey seafood and Asian dishes, but no baked beans or pizza. (ANI)

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Ponting says he’s ready to play under Michael Clarke

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Sydney, Aug.27 (ANI): Australian cricket skipper Ricky Ponting has returned home and declared he would not walk away from international cricket even if he was stripped of his captaincy. He said he would be happy to play under deputy Michael Clarke.

Ponting said the stunning Ashes loss had made him more determined than ever to shine with the bat and restore Australia to its status as a world cricketing power.

Ponting, who arrived in Sydney just after 7 p.m., said he accepted responsibility for the 2-1 series defeat – team selections remained a sticking point with critics – before hinting he would play on if Cricket Australia officials elevated Clarke to the top job.

“I still think I’ve got a lot to offer the team as a batsman and captain and leader. If that’s with a ‘c’ next to my name well and good, if not, I still think I’ve got a lot to offer, particularly to the younger guys who are in and around our set-up. I’m not immune to anything, criticism, I’m trying to do the best possible job I can and at the moment I feel I’m the best person to take this team forward,” The Daily Telegraph quoted him, as saying.

“If it ever gets to the stage if I think I’m not … can I play without being captain, absolutely. love the game and every opportunity I’ve had to play and captain Australia, and that makes me more driven now to do it better next time when I get the chance,” he added.

Ponting still managed a smile as he fronted a large press contingent at the airport and was far from bitter given the hammering he had copped by the press on both sides of the globe.

He will take a couple of weeks to unwind with his family before he returns midway through the one-day series against England and then leads Australia into the Champions Trophy in South Africa later next month.

Ditching the shorter forms of the game could be one way to preserve his career, Ponting said, with the 2013 Ashes tour still an option.

Ponting said proof he was already looking to the future was a meeting he had with Clarke, coach Tim Nielsen and Cricket Australia’s Michael Brown in the team hotel a day after the loss at The Oval. (ANI)

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Prime Minister arrives in Paris

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Paris, July 14 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh arrived in Paris late on Monday night to participate in the National Day celebrations of the Republic of France.

Dr. Singh was received by French Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and Ambassador of France to India Bonnafont. He was presented a Guard of Honour by the republican guards. National anthem of both the countries were also played.

Dr. Singh, who will be the Chief Guest of Honour at France’s National Day celebrations on Tuesday, said: “It’s a great honour and a great privilege for me to be in this beautiful country on France’s National Day.

I am very grateful to President Nicolas Sarkozy for giving me this rare honour. India and France are partners in development. We have very good relations with France. Its my ambition to give a further push to our strategic partnership.”

The Prime Minister is the first Indian leader to be bestowed this honour, as France does not have a tradition of inviting foreign heads of state to be chief guests at their Bastille Day or National Day celebrations.

This day commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, which was then seen as a symbol of a rising modern nation.

He will witness the contingent of 400 soldiers from the Indian Army, Navy and Air force march down the Champs-Elysees Avenue along with French infantry troops and motorised troops.

This is the for the first time that all the three services – Army, Navy and Air Force will taking part in the National Day celebrations of another country.

Among the 400 personnel, 300 would be part of the marching contingent, while the rest are from the respective bands.

A prominent feature of the band contingent will be the drummers and bagpipers who would be playing Indian martial music.

Inviting friendly nations to send their troops to participate the Bastille Day parade is a recent phenomenon.

In 2004, during the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, British troops comprising of Grenadier Guards, the Cavalry Regiment and Royal Marines and Royal Horse Artillery, led the parade in Paris for the first time.

The Indian armed forces participation will mark the commemoration of Indian army’s association with its French counterpart during the two World Wars.

The parade itself is a gala event held at what can best be described as the Rajpath of Paris. It begins from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde.

The number of contingents participating in the parade are not as many as seen in the Republic Day parade every January 26 in New Delhi.

While the loudest applause in Delhi is reserved for the ex-servicemen contingent, at the Bastille Day parade it is the fireservice men who get the loudest applause. By Smita Prakash (ANI)

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Chidambaram Flags off BSF contingent to Congo

July 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 7 (ANI): The 4th BSF contingent for UN Peace Keeping in Congo was flagged off here today by Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram.

In his address, DG BSF M.L.Kumawat said that a strict criterion of selection was adopted and members of the contingent were selected based on their good record of service, professional competence, excellent physical fitness and skill at arms.

They were given specialized training about the terrain and difficulties in Congo, human rights and the duties of the Formed Police Unit, he said.

“As per the prevailing situation in Congo, they were trained to combat the menace of civil war and assist the local police in maintaining law and order. They were taught French and trained in mob dispersal, riot control, protective patrolling, driving, aid to civilians, human rights, etc,” Kumawat added.

At present, BSF Contingents are deployed in Colombo and Congo.

The BSF Peace Keeping Mission Contingent proceeding to Congo has a total strength of 125 personnel. This is the fourth consecutive contingent to the Democratic Republic of Congo and the team will be deployed from July 9, 2009 at Goma.

Congo is almost as large as Eastern Europe and is the third biggest country in Africa, bordering Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

Since the outbreak of violence in Congo, at least four million people are estimated to be killed and 2.5 million forced to flee their homes. (ANI)

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Defence forces all set to participate in National Day Parade of France

July 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 4 (ANI): A 400-strong contingent of the three wings of Indian defence forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) performed a full-dress rehearsal here today ahead of their visit to France to participate in a parade making National Day celebrations in France on July 14.

This is the for the first time that all the three services – Army, Navy and Air Force will be participating in the National Day celebrations of another country.

Among the 400 personnel, 300 would be part of the marching contingent, while the rest are from the respective bands.

A prominent feature of the band contingent will be the drummers and bagpipers who would be playing Indian martial music.

The members of this contingent have been practicing for the past fortnight at the India Gate.

“We have stood first in the Army Day parade, the reason we have been selected for the French national day parade. And as far this specific practice for French National Day celebration is concerned we have been practicing from past one month and from last 15 days we have been practicing at India Gate,” said Captain Vinay Khanduri of 22 Maratha Light Infantry.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has invited Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to be the chief guest at the French National Day celebrations. (ANI)

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Chief of Air Staff releases coffee table book on UN Mission

July 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 3 (ANI): Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik here today released a coffee table book – ‘Indian Aviation Contingent: An indelible odyssey in UN peace keeping’, chronicling the activities of the IAF contingent in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Complimenting the Contingent Commander Gp Captain Pankaj Jaiswal, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik said that their professional acumen and gentlemanly conduct has earned worldwide admiration.

The Indian Air Force has been operating a contingent of Mi-35s and Mi-17s, for the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC).

They have recently completed four years in the line of fire, carrying out many daring missions and bringing stability to the war torn region.

The IAF had deployed Canberras in Congo as far back as 1960, and have continued a longstanding tradition of contributing to peace operations in the African continent. (ANI)

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German troops to remain in Kosovo for another year

May 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Berlin – Germany’s lower house of parliament approved Thursday a 12-month extension of the German troop presence in Kosovo.

Germany has 2,300 troops serving with the NATO-led Kosovo force, the largest contingent from any of the 38 countries providing manpower for 16,000-member KFOR.

Parliament also lowered the ceiling for the German troop presence in Kosovo from 8,500 to 3,500.

The lower house first approved sending troops to Kosovo in June 1999, following the authorization of a military presence there under UN Resolution 1244.

Deputies, who voted by a large majority in extension of the mandate, said the situation in Kosovo had stabilized, but was still too fragile to warrant a troop pullout. (dpa)

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Three NATO soldiers, three Afghan civilians killed in blast

May 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Kabul – Three NATO-led international soldiers and three Afghan civilian were killed in an explosion in the northern part of Kabul on Tuesday, officials said.

One more soldier of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was wounded in what an ISAF statement said was a roadside bomb blast. ISAF did not disclose the nationalities of the victims.

Zemarai Bashary, an Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman, said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber driving an explosive-packed vehicle in the Jarchin area of the north-eastern province of Kapisa, an area into which Kabul extends.

“Three civilians were martyred in the attack and two others were wounded,” Bashary said, but could not give information about the foreign troops.

US and French soldiers are stationed in Kapisa province as part of the 70,000-strong ISAF contingent in Afghanistan. (dpa)

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Oz’s tremendous past record forced ECB to shift first Ashes match from Lord’s

May 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Sydney, May 24 (ANI): Oz skipper Ricky Ponting believes that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided not to host the first Ashes Test match at Lord’s due to Australia’s enviable record there.

Amazingly, Australia has not lost a single Test match at Lord’s since 1934.

The Lord’s has been hosting the second Ashes Test, however 2005 witnessed the home of cricket hosting the first Test, which was too pocketed by the Kangaroos.

Punter doesn’t considers it a mere coincidence that the England and Wales Cricket Board was not to keen to start the Ashes there.

This time around, it has been decided that first Test will be in Cardiff, despite the pitch there being rated as poor, and the second Test will be at Lord’s.

“There was a fair bit of talk about it last time, starting the Ashes at Lord’s, given our record. This time around, it will be the second Test match, and I’ve got no doubt they changed it on purpose,” Ponting said.

Some of the records as mentioned speak volumes of Australia’s dominance at the Lord’s.

-Twenty-one-year-old Bradman scored 254 in 1930.

-Bob Massie took 16 wickets in a Test in 1972.

-Allan Border made 196 in 1985, and averaged 100 in five Tests.

-Glenn McGrath took 8-38 in 1997 among 26 wickets at 11.5 apiece in three Tests.

-Despite losing the 2005 Ashes, Australia beat England by 239 runs in the first Test at Lord’s.

However, the present Oz contingent is by far the least experienced squad to have played in the Ashes with only four of the 16-man squad to have played a Test at the Lord’s.

And none of the biggies such as Ponting, Simon Katich, Michael Clarke,and Brett Lee have done well.

Ponting has scored only 69 runs at a paltry average of 17.25.

But Ponting has vowed to change the records and engrave his name on the big record board’s hanging around the Lord’s pavilion.

“There’s all these big boards up around the rooms, and you want to get your name on those boards at Lord’s.That’s one thing that I’ll be certainly looking to do because I haven’t done very well there. I’ve made a one-day hundred there, but not done so well in Tests,” The Sydney Morning Herald, quoted Ponting, as saying. (ANI)

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Oz PM to send 450 troopers to beef up Afghan security

May 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Canberra (Australia), Apr.29 (ANI): Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced that his government will send 450 extra troops to beef up security in troubled Afghanistan.

However, there will be no combat troops among the latest contingent. The extra troops will assist in military training, governance and reconstruction, Rudd said, adding “Australia concurs with the United States that the current civilian and military strategy is not working.”

“If anything, security in Afghanistan is deteriorating. We must not allow Afghanistan to once again become the unimpeded training ground and operating base for global terrorist activity,” Rudd said, adding that more than 100 Australians had been killed in terrorist attacks in recent years.

“To reduce the threat of terrorist attacks on Australian citizens in the future the Australian Government has decided to increase our Defence Force commitment in Afghanistan,” he said.

“A measured increase in Australian forces in Afghanistan will enhance the security of Australian citizens given that so many terrorists attacking Australians in the past have been trained in Afghanistan,” he added.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said earlier today the Government was continuing to look at what it could do to contribute to Afghanistan. (ANI)

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